Describing Perceived Racial Bias Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) predominately affects Black Americans. This is the first study of its kind to describe the racial bias experiences of youth with SCD and their reactions to these experiences. Participants were 20 youth with SCD (ages 13-21 years) who were asked to describe any racial bias events they experienced, as recorded on the Perception of Racism in Children and Youth measure (PRaCY). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by two independent raters using a conventional content analysis approach. All participants reported at least one incident of racial bias. Content analysis of racial bias events (n = 104) yielded 4 categories and 12 subcategories as follows: Perpetrator (Peers, Authority Figures, and General Public), Type of Racial Bias (Explicit, Implicit), Behavioral Reaction (Approach, Avoidant), and Emotional Response (Dysphoria, Anger, Unconcerned, Inferior, Anxious). This study provides a description of racial bias experiences within community and medical settings and highlights the need for further evaluation of the impact of racial bias among youth with SCD.


Design methodology and performance analysis of a wideband 90° phase switch for radiometer applications.
This paper presents the analysis, design, and characterization of a wideband 90° phase switch in Ka-band. The phase switch is based on two microstrip bandpass filters in which the commutation is performed by a novel single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch. The analysis of π-network bandpass filters is provided, obtaining the phase difference and amplitude imbalance between filters and their scattering parameters; tested results show an average phase difference of 88.9° ± 5° and an amplitude imbalance of 0.15 dB from 24 to 37 GHz. The new broadband SPDT switch is based on a coplanar waveguide-to-slotline-to-microstrip structure, which enables a full planar integration with shifting branches. PIN diodes are used to perform the switching between outputs. The SPDT shows isolation better than 19 dB, insertion loss of around 1.8 dB, and return loss better than 15 dB. The full integration of the phase switch achieves a return loss better than 11 dB and insertion loss of around 4 dB over the band 26-36 GHz, with an average phase difference of 87.1° ± 4° and an average amplitude imbalance of 0.3 dB. It provides an excellent performance for this frequency range, suitable for radio-astronomy receivers.


Characterization of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Inhibiting Bacteria from Amphibian Populations in Costa Rica.
Global amphibian declines and extinction events are occurring at an unprecedented rate. While several factors are responsible for declines and extinction, the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been cited as a major constituent in these events. While the effects of this chytrid fungus have been shown to cause broad scale population declines and extinctions, certain individuals and relict populations have shown resistance. This resistance has been attributed in part to the cutaneous bacterial microbiome. Here, we present the first study characterizing anti-Bd bacterial isolates from amphibian populations in Costa Rica, including the characterization of two strains of Serratia marcescens presenting strong anti-Bd activity. Transcriptome sequencing was utilized for delineation of shifts in gene expression of the two previously uncharacterized strains of S. marcescens grown in three different treatments comprising Bd, heat-killed Bd, and a no Bd control. These results revealed up- and down-regulation of key genes associated with different metabolic and regulatory pathways. This information will be valuable in continued efforts to develop a bacterial-based approach for amphibian protection as well as providing direction for continued mechanistic inquiries of the bacterial anti-Bd response.


The piloting of a culturally centered American Indian family prevention program: a CBPR partnership between Mescalero Apache and the University of New Mexico.
The Mescalero Apache Family Listening Program (MAFLP) is a culturally centered family prevention program with third, fourth, and fifth graders; a parent/caregiver; and a family elder. The program follows a positive youth development model to develop stronger communication and shared cultural practices between elders, parents, and youth in the tribe to reduce substance initiation of use among the youth. The MAFLP was created using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach in partnership with the University of New Mexico. The research focus of MAFLP is centered on the adaptation of a family curriculum from a Navajo and Pueblo version of the Family Listening Program to an Apache version, the establishment of a (Apache) Tribal Research Team, and the piloting of the curriculum with Apache families. MAFLP was piloted twice, and evaluation measures were collected focused on formative and impact evaluation. This article provides a background on Mescalero Apache then introduces the Navajo and Pueblo version of a Family Listening and Family Circle Program, respectively, next, the CBPR research partnership between Mescalero Apache and the University of New Mexico and the creation of a Mescalero Apache Tribal Research Team followed by the development and adaptation of a Mescalero Apache Family Listening Program including implementation and evaluation, and concluding with preliminary findings.


Hardware design for a cable-free fully insertable wireless laparoscopic robotic camera.
The field of insertable laparoscopic robotic camera is gaining increasing attentions from researchers, surgeons, and also patients. Although many insertable laparoscope prototypes have been introduced, few of them get rid of the encumbrance tethering cable. In this paper, we proposed a hardware architecture for a magnetic actuated robotic surgical (MARS) camera, which facilitates a cable-free fully insertable laparoscopic surgical robotic camera with adequate in-vivo mobility. Modular design and preliminary test of on-board functional payloads have shown feasibility of a cable-free insertable wireless laparoscopic surgical camera based on off-the-shelf electronics and industrial wireless standards operating in ISM frequency bands at 2.4GHz. Potential improvements for laparoscopic surgery benefited from this hardware architecture include more dexterous in-vivo camera mobility and intuitive closed-loop robotic camera control.


Electronic interactions in a branched chromophore investigated by nonlinear optical and time-resolved spectroscopy.
The third order nonlinear optical properties of a trimer branched chromophore system and its linear molecule analog are investigated. Two-photon absorption and degenerate four wave mixing measurements were carried out on both systems. An enhancement in the nonlinear optical effect is observed for the branched trimer molecule in comparison to the linear chromophore system. Ultrafast time-resolved measurements were carried out to probe the excited state dynamics in the branched structures. The time-resolved measurements suggest that the two important processes affecting the nonlinear optical properties in the trimer system, charge transfer stabilization and initial electronic delocalization, occur on two different time scales.


Laser meridional refractometry.
Laser meridonal refractions were undertaken on 30 subjects. The results were compared to classical subjective techniques utilizing both correlative statistics and clinical criteria. The laser meridional techniques were highly correlated with the subjective procedures and were accurate when judged by clinical criteria.


Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Outcomes of Coccidioidomycosis, Utah, 2006-2015.
On the basis of a 1957 geographic Coccidioides seropositivity survey, 3 counties in southwestern Utah, USA, were considered coccidioidomycosis-endemic, but there has been a paucity of information on the disease burden in Utah since. We report findings from a recent clinical and epidemiologic study of coccidioidomycosis in Utah. To describe clinical characteristics, we identified all coccidioidomycosis cases in an integrated health system in the state during 2006-2015. For epidemiologic analysis, we used cases reported to the Utah Department of Health during 2009-2015. Mean state incidence was 1.83 cases/100,000 population/year. Washington County, in southwestern Utah, had the highest incidence, 17.2 cases/100,000 population/year. In a generalized linear model with time as a fixed effect, mean annual temperature, population, and new construction were associated with regional variations in incidence. Using these variables in a spatiotemporal model, we estimated the adjusted regional variation by county to predict areas where Coccidioides infections might increase.


Strategy for automated analysis of dynamic metabolic mixtures by NMR. Application to an insect venom.
Elucidation of the composition of chemical-biological samples is a main focus of systems biology and metabolomics. Due to the inherent complexity of these mixtures, reliable, efficient, and potentially automatable methods are needed to identify the underlying metabolites and natural products. Because of its rich chemical information content, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has a unique potential for this task. Here we present a generalization and application of a recently introduced NMR data collection, processing, and analysis strategy that circumvents the need for extensive purification and hyphenation prior to analysis. It uses covariance TOCSY NMR spectra measured on a 1-mm high-temperature cryogenic probe that are analyzed by a spectral trace clustering algorithm yielding 1D NMR spectra of the individual components for their unambiguous identification. The method is demonstrated on a metabolic model mixture and is then applied to the unpurified venom mixture of an individual walking stick insect that contains several slowly interconverting and closely related metabolites.


Effects of prostaglandins on perilymphatic oxygenation. Enhancement of cochlear autoregulation by prostacyclin.
Effects of prostaglandin E1, prostacyclin, a prostacyclin analogue (OP-2507), and an inhibitor of thromboxane A2 synthetase (OKY-046) on the perilymphatic oxygen tension were measured in the feline tympanic perilymph under various respiratory conditions and blood pressure ranges. Factors influencing the capacity of the autoregulative properties of the inner ear vessels to accommodate changes in systemic blood pressure were also examined. Intravenous administration of prostacyclin, OP-2507, and OKY-046 prevented a decrease in perilymphatic oxygen tension when the systemic blood pressure decreased. Even a negative correlation of the differential coefficients between the perilymphatic oxygen tension and the systemic blood pressure was noticed during the administration of prostacyclin. Thus, prostacyclin enhanced the autoregulative property of the inner ear vessels. Furthermore, correlation studies between perilymphatic oxygen tension and cochlear blood flow demonstrated a partial dissociation, indicating the presence of autoregulation in the mean systemic blood pressure range under 80 mmHg.


The efficacy of intensive biopsychosocial teaching programs for residents: a review of the literature and guidelines for teaching.
To review research evaluations of intensive biopsychosocial training programs for nonpsychiatry residents, and determine whether this research showed sufficient rigor and consistent beneficial impact to allow initial research-based teaching guidelines. An English-language literature search used MEDLINE (1966-93), Psychological Abstracts (1967-93), and Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse (1966-93) as well as bibliographic reviews from prominent peer-reviewed articles and consultation with an expert. From among several hundred articles about biopsychosocial training, only 12 studies met the selection criteria: at least 100 contact hours of training for nonpsychiatry residents and an evaluation of efficacy. The three authors independently assessed these 12 studies and made a consensus decision based on explicit criteria. Successful and unsuccessful programs were distinguished from among those classified as quasi-experimental or experimental to identify programs of sufficient rigor to meet the study objective; success was defined as learning beyond knowledge and residents' acceptance of teaching. Four successful quasi-experimental or experimental programs showed the following uniquely beneficial features: 1) protected time for residents; 2) teaching that was required, structured, multidimensional, and balanced between learner-centered and teacher-centered approaches; 3) teaching methods that used normal as well as psychosocially disturbed patients, nonpsychiatrist teachers, and special teaching techniques; and 4) inclusion in the curriculum of interviewing, interpersonal skills, doctor-patient relationship, and patient education. Two unsuccessful quasi-experimental or experimental programs were unidimensional and unstructured, and used predominant or isolated teacher-centered approaches. Features found in both successful and unsuccessful programs were experiential teaching, psychiatrist and other mental health professional teachers, use of disturbed patients, training to manage patients' psychosocial problems, teaching directed toward knowledge acquisition, teaching about treatment, and university affiliation. Four rigorously studied, successful programs showed a common pattern of intensive biopsychosocial teaching that produced, in aggregate, improvement in residents' knowledge, attitudes, skills, and self-awareness. Although there is need for more definitive research, these data are sufficiently compelling and consistent to provide initial, research-based teaching guidelines.


New directions in chimeric antigen receptor T cell [CAR-T] therapy and related flow cytometry.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells provide a promising approach to the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Flow cytometry is a powerful analytical modality, which plays an expanding role in all stages of CAR T therapy, from lymphocyte collection, to CAR T cell manufacturing, to in vivo monitoring of the infused cells and evaluation of their function in the tumor environment. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the new directions is important for designing and implementing CAR T-related flow cytometry assays in the clinical and investigational settings. However, the speed of new discoveries and the multitude of clinical and preclinical trials make it challenging to keep up to date in this complex field. In this review, we summarize the current state of CAR T therapy, highlight the areas of emergent research, discuss applications of flow cytometry in modern cell therapy, and touch upon several considerations particular to CAR detection and assessing the effectiveness of CAR T therapy.


Generation of pulse trains in nonlinear optical fibers through the generalized complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.
We consider a higher-order complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, with the fourth-order dispersion and cubic-quintic nonlinear terms, which can describe the propagation of an ultrashort subpicosecond or femtosecond optical pulse in an optical fiber system. We investigate the modulational instability (MI) of continuous wave solution of this equation. Several types of modulational instability gains are shown to exist in both the anomalous and normal dispersion regimes. We find that depending on the sign of the fourth-order dispersion coefficient, the MI appears for normal and anomalous dispersion regime. Simulations of the full system demonstrate that the development of the MI leads to establishment of a regular or chaotic array of pulses, a chain of well-separated peaks with continuously growing or decaying amplitudes depending on the sign of the loss/gain coefficient and higher-order dispersions terms. Comparison of the calculations with reported numerical results shows a satisfactory agreement.


Eating disorders, normative eating self-efficacy and body image self-efficacy: women in recovery homes.
Although eating disorders (EDs) and ED symptoms are common among individuals in recovery for substance abuse (SA), long-term SA treatment programmes rarely address these problems. The present study examined the prevalence of EDs among women residing in Oxford Houses--low-cost, self-governed recovery homes for SA. Further, among women both with and without an ED diagnosis, the association between duration of Oxford House residency and eating-related self-efficacy scores was examined as an indicator of potential treatment effects on ED symptoms. During a telephone assessment, participants were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders and the Eating Disorder Recovery Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Results indicated that 12 of the 31 women analysed met criteria for an ED (bulimia nervosa, 2; ED not otherwise specified, 10). Differential findings were evident for eating-related self-efficacy measures depending on ED diagnostic status and duration of residency. Potential interpretations, limitations and implications are discussed.


Crystalline Defects Induced during MPCVD Lateral Homoepitaxial Diamond Growth.
The development of new power devices taking full advantage of the potential of diamond has prompted the design of innovative 3D structures. This implies the overgrowth towards various crystallographic orientations. To understand the consequences of such growth geometries on the defects generation, a Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study of overgrown, mesa-patterned, homoepitaxial, microwave-plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) diamond is presented. Samples have been grown under quite different conditions of doping and methane concentration in order to identify and distinguish the factors involved in the defects generation. TEM is used to reveal threading dislocations and planar defects. Sources of dislocation generation have been evidenced: (i) doping level versus growth plane, and (ii) methane concentration. The first source of dislocations was shown to generate <110> Burgers vector dislocations above a critical boron concentration, while the second induces <112> type Burgers vector above a critical methane/hydrogen molar ratio. The latter is attributed to partial dislocations whose origin is related to the dissociation of perfect ones by a Shockley process. This dissociation generated stacking faults that likely resulted in penetration twins, which were also observed on these samples. Lateral growth performed at low methane and boron content did not exhibit any dislocation.


[The effect of the season and sexual stress on the concentration of testosterone and estradiol-17beta in the seminal plasma of stallions].
Semen from three stallions was collected weekly for six months (December through May) to determine semen parameters and hormones (testosterone and estradiol-17 beta) in seminal plasma. Once a month three ejaculates were collected at intervals of one hour and examined accordingly. Testosterone and estradiol-17 beta were also determined in peripheral blood plasma (V. jugularis) collected twice a week. Semen parameters (volume, gel-free volume and sperm concentration) were clearly influenced by season. The testosterone concentration in peripheral blood plasma was lowest during December whereas in seminal plasma testosterone concentration gradually increased throughout the experimental period. Testosterone concentrations in seminal plasma were only one tenth of those in peripheral blood. Estradiol-17 beta in blood plasma was highest in April and May whereas no significant differences occurred in seminal plasma. Average monthly concentrations of estradiol-17 beta in blood and seminal plasma were in the range of 27.4 pg/ml to 45.3 pg/ml. Collection of three successive ejaculations led to a significant decrease of ejaculate volume as well as sperm concentration. Ejaculation frequency did not influence testosterone in seminal plasma whereas the concentration of estradiol-17 beta decreased significantly in the second and third ejaculate. The results indicate that estradiol-17 beta in the stallion's semen may be bound to spermatozoa or is accumulated in seminal plasma.


Radiographic outcomes among South African coal miners.
This study, the first to document the prevalence of pneumoconiosis among a living South African coal mining cohort, describes dose-response relationships between coal workers' pneumoconiosis and respirable dust exposure, and relationships between pneumoconiosis and both lung function deterioration and respiratory symptoms. A total of 684 current miners and 188 ex-miners from three bituminous-coal mines in Mpumalanga, South Africa, was studied. Chest radiographs were read according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) classification by two experienced readers, one an accredited National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) "B" reader. Interviews were conducted to assess symptoms, work histories (also obtained from company records), smoking, and other risk factors. Spirometry was performed by trained technicians. Cumulative respirable dust exposure (CDE) estimates were constructed from historical company-collected sampling and researcher-collected personal dust measurements. kappa-Statistics compared the radiographic outcomes predicted by the two readers. An average profusion score was used in the analysis for the outcomes of interest. Because of possible confounding by employment status, most analyses were stratified on current and ex-miner status. The overall prevalence of pneumoconiosis was low (2%-4%). The degree of agreement between the two readers for profusion was moderate to high (kappa=0.58). A significant association (P<0.001) and trend (P<0.001) was seen for pneumoconiosis with increasing categories of CDE among current miners only. A significant (P<0.0001) additional 58 mg-years/m3 CDE was seen among those with pneumoconiosis compared to those without. CDE contributed to a statistically significant 0.19% and 0.11% greater decline in the percent predicted 1-second forced expiration volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), respectively, among current miners with pneumoconiosis than among those without. Logistic regression models showed no significant relationships between pneumoconiosis and symptoms. The overall prevalence of pneumoconiosis, although significantly associated with CDE, was low. The presence of pneumoconiosis is associated with meaningful health effects, including deterioration in lung function. Intervention measures that control exposure are indicated, to reduce these functional effects.


[Preventive dentistry 4. Prevention and treatment of dentine hypersensitivity].
Many people sometimes experience pain when they inhale breath across the cingula or when they consume, for example, cold drinks. The most important method of prevention is to ensure that the dentine does not become exposed. If the dentine is exposed, both chemical and mechanical damage to the surface of the tooth must be prevented. Optimal treatment should be minimally invasive and primarily consist of advising the patient to brush his or her teeth and/or rub the sensitive area with a toothpaste especially developed to ease the pain of hypersensitive teeth. As an additional support a mouth rinse can be used. If this approach provides insufficient relief, professional measures can be deployed. Here, too, the least invasive treatment approaches ought to be treatment of first choice before moving on to more invasive therapies.


Molecular therapies for colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver.
Colorectal cancers are the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancers and will account for over 56,000 deaths in the United States in 2002. A majority of patients with advanced colorectal cancer develop liver metastases during the course of their disease. Treatment of colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver by surgery or chemotherapy is limited and most patients succumb to their disease. Therefore, a broad spectrum of novel treatments, including innovative molecular therapies such as gene and immunotherapy or replication-competent viral therapy, is under preclinical investigation and several clinical trials are in progress. Here we review molecular therapies for colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver.


Update on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography and positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of squamous head and neck cancers.
This article summarizes the recent literature in (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging of head and neck cancers and extends the previous review in this area by Schöder and Yeung in the July 2004 issue of Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging is now used widely but has not been adequately evaluated for head and neck cancer. Its accuracy in initial staging is better than CT but may be similar to magnetic resonance imaging. It is not sufficiently accurate in the N0 neck to rule out nodal metastases but may be appropriate if sentinel node mapping is performed in patients with PET studies showing no nodal disease. PET imaging is beginning to be used in radiotherapy treatment planning, where it makes a significant difference by identifying malignant normal size nodes, extent of viable tumor, and distant disease. PET continues to be useful in carcinoma of unknown primary in identification of the primary site. Overall success is around 27% after all other modalities have failed. FDG-PET is being used frequently to assess response to therapy and for surveillance thereafter. The major controversy is when to image after radiotherapy or combined chemo-radiotherapy. One month seems to be too early. The ideal time seems to be 3 to 4 months to avoid both false-positive and false-negative studies. The growing use of PET-CT studies in head and neck cancer will certainly make a significant difference in the treatment and outcome in this disease.


Experience with the implementation of a web-based teledermatology system in a nursing home in Singapore.
We introduced a web-based teledermatology system, the distributed personal health information management system (DPHIMS), into a nursing home in Singapore. The introduction was conducted in two phases. Five staff nurses in Phase 1 and nine nurse aides in Phase 2 performed the data entry and uploaded digital images of the resident's skin condition. By the end of Phase 2, there were 50 residents registered with DPHIMS. The average age of the participants was 82 years and 84% were women. There were 31 first-time referral requests registered in the system during Phase 2. The average time taken to complete a referral request was 86 minutes. The average time taken by the dermatologist to prepare and submit a diagnosis/treatment report was 11 minutes. An online survey form was given to the nurses and the dermatologists to gauge their level of satisfaction and their experience of using DPHIMS. All the nurses said they would readily recommend DPHIMS to other nurses. Overall, the dermatologists felt that DPHIMS was helpful in obtaining specialist care for the residents. However, some skin conditions required a face-to-face consultation. Thus a mixture of face-to-face consultations and consultations via teledermatology may be necessary to provide complete diagnosis and treatment to patients. Our experience suggests that understanding and addressing the organizational concerns is as important as solving the technical problems.


Interchange of functional domains switches enzyme specificity: construction of a chimeric pneumococcal-clostridial cell wall lytic enzyme.
Bacterial autolysins are endogenous enzymes that specifically cleave covalent bonds in the cell wall. These enzymes show both substrate and bond specificities. The former is related to their interaction with the insoluble substrate whereas the latter determine their site of action. The bond specificity allows their classification as muramidases (lysozymes), glucosaminidases, amidases, and endopeptidases. To demonstrate that the autolysin (LYC muramidase) of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824 presents a domainal organization, a chimeric gene (clc) containing the regions coding for the catalytic domain of the LYC muramidase and the choline-binding domain of the pneumococcal phage CPL1 muramidase has been constructed by in vitro recombination of the corresponding gene fragments. This chimeric construction codes for a choline-binding protein (CLC) that has been purified using affinity chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Several biochemical tests demonstrate that this rearrangement of domains has generated an enzyme with a choline-dependent muramidase activity on pneumococcal cell walls. Since the parental LYC muramidase was choline-independent and unable to degrade pneumococcal cell walls, the formation of this active chimeric enzyme by exchanging protein domains between two enzymes that specifically hydrolyse cell walls of bacteria belonging to different genera shows that a switch on substrate specificity has been achieved. The chimeric CLC muramidase behaved as an autolytic enzyme when it was adsorbed onto a live autolysin-defective mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The construction described here provides experimental support for the theory of modular evolution which assumes that novel proteins have evolved by the assembly of preexisting polypeptide units.


Predicting Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Roles of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Coping.
Research has consistently shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to report chronic stress and symptoms of psychopathology when compared to parents of typically developing children and children with other psychological or physical conditions. Certain individual characteristics might either put parents at risk or allow them to cope more effectively under the strenuous conditions of raising children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Previous research has suggested that higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty and certain coping styles are associated with higher parental levels of anxiety and depression. The aim of this study is to characterize the way in which intolerance of uncertainty and coping (avoidant and problem-focused coping) predict mental health and psychological wellbeing in parents of children with ASD. Only mothers participated in this study. Fifty mothers (Mage = 44.28 years, SDage = 6.58) of children with ASD completed questionnaires assessing anxiety and depression, psychological wellbeing, intolerance of uncertainty, and avoidant and problem-focused coping. The results from this study provide preliminary evidence that higher use of problem-focused coping but not avoidant coping and intolerance of uncertainty predicts psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, our observation of greater intolerance of uncertainty and higher use of avoidant coping predicting anxiety and depression supports previous research. The findings from this study have implications for the development of intervention programs to help improve the mental health and psychological wellbeing of parents. LAY SUMMARY: This research studied the factors that impact the mental health of parents of children on the autism spectrum. We found that mothers, who are not comfortable with uncertainty, use more avoidant coping, and less problem-focused coping have poorer mental health. Identifying these factors is a crucial first step in developing intervention programs to help improve the mental health of parents. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1797-1801. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.


Structural stability and electronic properties of an octagonal allotrope of two dimensional boron nitride.
An octagonal allotrope of two dimensional boron nitride is explored through first principles calculations. Calculations show that two dimensional octagonal boron nitride can be formed with a binding energy comparable to two dimensional hexagonal boron nitride. In addition, two dimensional octagonal boron nitride is found to have a band gap smaller than two dimensional hexagonal boron nitride, suggesting the possibility of semiconductive attributes. Two dimensional octagonal boron nitride also has the ability to layer through physisorption. Defects present within two dimensional octagonal boron nitride also lead toward the introduction of a magnetic moment through the absence of boron atoms. The presence of defects is also found to render both hexagonal and octagonal boron nitrides reactive against hydrogen, where greater reactivity is seen in the presence of nitrogen. Thus, two dimensional octagonal boron nitride is confirmed with potential to tailor properties and reactivity through lattice shape and purposeful introduction of defects.


Ovarian Cancer Stemness: Biological and Clinical Implications for Metastasis and Chemotherapy Resistance.
Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly lethal gynecological malignancy that is characterized by the early development of disseminated metastasis. Though ovarian cancer has been generally considered to preferentially metastasize via direct transcoelomic dissemination instead of the hematogenous route, emerging evidence has indicated that the hematogenous spread of cancer cells plays a larger role in ovarian cancer metastasis than previously thought. Considering the distinctive biology of ovarian cancer, an in-depth understanding of the biological and molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis is critical for developing effective therapeutic strategies against this fatal disease. The recent "cancer stem cell theory" postulates that cancer stem cells are principally responsible for tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Even though the hallmarks of ovarian cancer stem cells have not yet been completely elucidated, metastasized ovarian cancer cells, which have a high degree of chemoresistance, seem to manifest cancer stem cell properties and play a key role during relapse at metastatic sites. Herein, we review our current understanding of the cell-biological mechanisms that regulate ovarian cancer metastasis and chemotherapy resistance, with a pivotal focus on ovarian cancer stem cells, and discuss the potential clinical implications of evolving cancer stem cell research and resultant novel therapeutic approaches.


Gelation and Structural Formation of Amylose by In Situ Neutralization as Observed by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.
The gelation and structural formation of two types of amylose in alkaline solution by in situ neutralization was monitored with time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (tr-SAXS). Sharp increases of SAXS profile in lower angle region were observed after gelation. The results showed that aggregation of amylose chains led to a gel point with crystal growth. The aggregation appeared to function as a junction zone, and the aggregate structure depended on the molecular weight of amylose. A high-molecular-weight sample was fitted using a Debye-Bueche function, and a low-molecular-weight sample was fitted using a stretched exponential function.


The road to ovulation: the role of oestrogens.
Oestrogens have been known for many years to have a direct influence on folliculogenesis. Oestradiol-17beta (E2) and its analogues have both proliferative and differentiative effects on somatic cells of follicles. Nevertheless, definitive proof of an obligatory role for oestrogen in folliculogenesis and elucidation of the mechanisms subserving its different actions in follicular cells remains elusive. Several recent developments permit a re-examination of the roles and actions of E2 in the follicle. They are: (i) the discovery of a second form of the oestrogen receptor, ERbeta; (ii) the advent of genetically modified mice with deletions in the ERalpha (alphaERKO) ERbeta (BERKO) and the double ER deletions (alphabetaERKO); and (iii) a mouse model of oestrogen deficiency (ArKO) by targeted disruption of the cyp 19 gene encoding the aromatase enzyme. Recent information derived from these models is reviewed to re-assess the roles and actions of oestrogens in follicular dynamics and the phenotypic differentiation of ovarian somatic cells in the ovary. The data demonstrate that oestrogen is obligatory for normal folliculogenesis and that the phenotype of the ovarian somatic cells depends on the steroid milieu. The ArKO mouse provides a model to test the roles of the respective ERs in proliferation and differentiation using specific agonists and antagonists, and to study regulation of the differentiation of ovarian and testicular somatic cells.


Random effects logistic models for analysing efficacy of a longitudinal randomized treatment with non-adherence.
We present a random effects logistic approach for estimating the efficacy of treatment for compliers in a randomized trial with treatment non-adherence and longitudinal binary outcomes. We use our approach to analyse a primary care depression intervention trial. The use of a random effects model to estimate efficacy supplements intent-to-treat longitudinal analyses based on random effects logistic models that are commonly used in primary care depression research. Our estimation approach is an extension of Nagelkerke et al.'s instrumental variables approximation for cross-sectional binary outcomes. Our approach is easily implementable with standard random effects logistic regression software. We show through a simulation study that our approach provides reasonably accurate inferences for the setting of the depression trial under model assumptions. We also evaluate the sensitivity of our approach to model assumptions for the depression trial.


Effects of RNA inhibitors on the development of Drosophila embryos permeabilized by a new technique.
The molecular analysis of Drosophila embryogenesis has been hindered by the impermeable nature of the vitelline membrane, which has made it difficult to introduce exogenous substances into the developing embryo. We have developed a modification of the permeabilization technique of Limbourg and Zalokar ('73) in which octane is used to permeabilize the vitelline membrane and dimethylsulfoxide is used to facilitate the transport of exogenous substance across the cell membranes. The procedure is highly effective (ca. 95%) and is consistent with a high frequency of normal development. We have used this technique to analyze the effect in vivo of four inhibitors of RNA synthesis (alpha-amanitin, actinomycin-D, rifampin, and rifamycin SV) on the embryogenesis of Drosophila. We have found that there are characteristic stage-specific alterations in the sensitivity of the embryo to these inhibitors which is reflected both by changes in the ID50 dosages and by changes in the developmental abnormalities caused by the drugs. Embryos aged 2-12 hours old undergo a developmental arrest within 30 minutes after application of the inhibitors. Embryos older than 12 hours are able to develop for 140+ minutes after treatment before arresting. The effects of these drugs are consistent with the idea that there exists a definite sequential program of gene activity that is necessary to the normal embryonic development of Drosophila.


Evaluating the incidence of spinal cord injury after spinal cord stimulator implant: an updated retrospective review.
While spinal cord stimulator implant is an increasingly safe procedure, one of the most feared complications is spinal cord injury. Still, literature regarding its incidence remains highly variable. This retrospective analysis aims to evaluate the incidence of spinal cord injury after spinal cord stimulator implant using a large-scale claims database. The PearlDiver-Mariner database of national all payer claims was used to identify patients who underwent spinal cord stimulator implant (percutaneous or paddle) and developed subsequent spinal cord injury within 45 days. The primary outcome was to determine the overall incidence of spinal cord injury after spinal cord stimulator implant. Secondary outcomes included an evaluation of potential factors associated with developing spinal cord injury using univariable and multivariable regression analysis. A total of 71,172 patients who underwent a spinal cord stimulator implant were included in the analysis, of which 52,070 underwent percutaneous and 19,102 underwent paddle spinal cord stimulator lead implant. The overall incidence of spinal cord injury after spinal cord stimulator implant (any lead type) was found to be 0.42% (302 patients). The incidence of spinal cord injury after percutaneous and paddle lead implants did not differ at 0.45% (233 patients) and 0.36% (69 patients)(p=0.12), respectively. Overall, variables associated with a significantly increased OR (95% confidence interval) of developing spinal cord injury included male gender by 1.31 times (1.04 to 1.65)(p=0.02); having a claim for low molecular weight heparin within 30 days by 3.99 times (1.47 to 10.82)(p<0.01); a diagnosis for osteoporosis within 1 year by 1.75 times (1.15 to 2.66)(p<0.01); and a diagnosis of cervical or thoracic spinal canal stenosis within 1 year by 1.99 (1.37 to 2.90)(p<0.001) and 4.00 (2.63 to 6.09)(p<0.0001) times, respectively. Overall, our results support the notion that spinal cord stimulator implant continues to be a safe procedure for chronic pain patients. However, risk factor mitigation strategies for the prevention of spinal cord injury after spinal cord stimulator implant should be undertaken prior to performing the procedure.


Simple Technique of Bridging Wide Gap in Esophageal Atresia with Tracheoesophageal Fistula - "Surgical Innovation".
The survival of the patients with esophageal atresia an tracheo esophageal fistula is believed to be an epitome of the success of the neonatal surgery. Restoring the continuty of the food pipe by esophagus to esophagus anastomosis is the best option. Preservation of natural esophagus by delayed repair in a wide gap esophageal atresia is a preferred technique worldwide, however such a management required prolonged hospitalization and dedicated nursing care, which is often not available in most of the centres in India. Esophageal substitutes in wide gap requires multiple operations and have long term problems, so remains the last option. I use the technique of oblique anastomosis which had distrinct advantage over circular anastomosis in the management of esophageal atresia1. This techniqe helps in bridging wide gap to some extent & minimal stricture formation.


Seeing is believing: the direct and contingent influence of pictures in health promotion advertising.
Because pictures, compared with words, are more effective in triggering vivid imagery, their effects should increase in situations in which they play a crucial role in facilitating imagery. This study accordingly explored the relative effects of information presented in pictorial formats and verbal formats in health promotion advertising. Symptoms presented in pictorial formats increased perceptions of the severity of a disease, whereas prevention options presented in pictorial formats enhanced efficacy in preventing the disease. This study also examined two contingent situations: when people were oriented toward visual processing, and when imagery could not be easily triggered without the help of pictures, such as when symptoms or prevention options were difficult or unpleasant to imagine. The findings of three studies supported the offered predictions.


Patterns of axonal branching of neurons of the substantia nigra pars reticulata and pars lateralis in the rat.
Axons from neurons of the rat substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and pars lateralis (SNl) were traced after injecting their cell body with biotinylated dextran amine. Thirty-two single axons were reconstructed from serial sagittal sections with a camera lucida, whereas four other SNr axons were reconstructed in the coronal plane to determine whether they innervate the contralateral hemisphere. Four distinct types of SNr projection neurons were identified based on their main axonal targets: type I neurons that project to the thalamus; type II neurons that target the thalamus, the superior colliculus (SC), and the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg); type III neurons that project to the periaqueductal gray matter and the thalamus; and type IV neurons that target the deep mesencephalic nucleus (DpMe) and the SC. The axons of the SNl showed the same branching patterns as SNr axons of types I, II, and IV. The coronal reconstructions demonstrated that SNr neurons innervate the thalamus, the SC, and the DpMe bilaterally. At the thalamic level, SNr and SNl axons targeted preferentially the ventral medial, ventral lateral, paracentral, parafascicular, and mediodorsal nuclei. Axons reaching the SC arborized selectively within the deep layers of this structure. Our results reveal that the SNr and SNl harbor several subtypes of projection neurons endowed with a highly patterned set of axon collaterals. This organization allows single neurons of these output structures of the basal ganglia to exert a multifaceted influence on a wide variety of diencephalic and midbrain structures.


Transcription of simian virus 40. 3. Mapping of "early" and "late" species of RNA.
To determine the orientation of transcription of the E and L strands of DNA from simian virus 40 (SV40), we used linear DNA prepared by cleavage of superhelical viral DNA by endonuclease R.R(1) from Escherichia coli as a primer.template for DNA polymerase. The resulting molecules, which were labeled only at the 3' end of each DNA strand, were then cleaved with Hemophilus parainfluenzae endonuclease Hpa I. The ensuing four DNA fragments, whose locations on the viral genome are known, were separated by electrophoresis, denatured, and hybridized to asymmetric SV40 complementary RNA. From the pattern of hybridization of the fragments containing the labeled 3' ends, we conclude that transcription of SV40 proceeds in a clockwise direction on the L strand and in a counterclockwise direction on the E strand as drawn on the conventional SV40 map. To map the "early" and "late" regions of the viral genome, we extracted RNA from lytically infected cells and hybridized it to the separated strands of the four fragments of (32)P-labeled SV40 DNA. Early after infection, RNA complementary to part of the E strand of the contiguous fragments A and C was detected. Late polysomal RNA was complementary to part of the L strand sequences of fragments A and C and to the total L strand sequence of fragments B and D.


Differential diagnosis and treatment of acute cauda equina syndrome in the human immunodeficiency virus positive patient: a case report and review of the literature.
Acute cauda equina syndrome is an uncommon but significant neurologic presentation due to a variety of underlying diseases. Anatomical compression of nerve roots, usually by a lumbar disk hernia is a common cause in the general population, while inflammatory, neoplastic, and ischemic causes have also been recognized. Among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, infectious causes are encountered more frequently, the most prevalent of which are: cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus 1/2, varicella zoster virus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections. Studies of cauda equina syndrome in well-controlled HIV infection are lacking. We describe such a case of cauda equina syndrome in a well-controlled HIV-infected patient, along with a brief review of the literature regarding the syndrome's diagnosis and treatment in individuals with HIV infection. A 36-year-old Greek male, HIV-positive patient presented with perineal and left hemiscrotal numbness, lumbar pain, left-sided sciatica, and urinary incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's lumbar spine revealed intrathecal migration of a fragment from an intervertebral lumbar disk exerting pressure on the cauda equina. A cerebrospinal fluid examination, brain computed tomography scan, spine magnetic resonance imaging, and serological test results were negative for central nervous system infections. Our patient underwent emergency neurosurgical spinal decompression, which resolved most symptoms, except for mild urinary incontinence. Noninfectious etiologies may also cause cauda equina syndrome in HIV-infected individuals, especially in well-controlled disease under antiretroviral therapy. Prompt recognition and treatment of the underlying cause is important to minimize residual symptoms. Targeted antimicrobial chemotherapy is used to treat infectious causes, while prompt surgical decompression is favored for anatomical causes of cauda equina syndrome in the HIV-infected patient.


Circumvention of Gefitinib Resistance by Repurposing Flunarizine via Histone Deacetylase Inhibition.
Gefitinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI) for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, drug resistance seriously impedes the clinical efficacy of gefitinib. This study investigated the repositioning of the non-oncology drug capable of inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) to overcome gefitinib resistance. A few drug candidates were identified using the in silico repurposing tool "DRUGSURV" and tested for HDAC inhibition. Flunarizine, originally indicated for migraine prophylaxis and vertigo treatment, was selected for detailed investigation in NSCLC cell lines harboring a range of different gefitinib resistance mechanisms (EGFR T790M, KRAS G12S, MET amplification, or PTEN loss). The circumvention of gefitinib resistance by flunarizine was further demonstrated in an EGFR TKI (erlotinib)-refractory patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) model in vivo. The acetylation level of cellular histone protein was increased by flunarizine in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Among the NSCLC cell lines evaluated, the extent of gefitinib resistance circumvention by flunarizine was found to be the most pronounced in EGFR T790M-bearing H1975 cells. The gefitinib-flunarizine combination was shown to induce the apoptotic protein Bim but reduce the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, which apparently circumvented gefitinib resistance. The induction of Bim by flunarizine was accompanied by an increase in the histone acetylation and E2F1 interaction with the BIM gene promoter. Flunarizine was also found to upregulate E-cadherin but downregulate the vimentin expression, which subsequently inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion. Importantly, flunarizine was also shown to significantly potentiate the tumor growth suppressive effect of gefitinib in EGFR TKI-refractory PDX in vivo. The findings advocate for the translational application of flunarizine to circumvent gefitinib resistance in the clinic.


Changes in 5-HT2A receptor expression in untreated, de novo patients with Parkinson's disease.
Serotonin (5-HT) has long been implied in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, the 5-HT2A receptor is associated with the regulation of motor function and mood. To assess regional 5-HT2A receptor expression in unmedicated patients with de novo PD. Eight de novo, drug naïve patients with PD and eight healthy control subjects underwent a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan with the highly selective 5-HT2A radioligand 123I-5-I-R91150. In de novo PD patients 5-HT2A receptor binding was significantly reduced in the anterior striatum and the premotor cortex in PD patients compared to controls. In addition, occipital binding was elevated in PD patients. No changes in 5-HT2A receptor binding were found in the prefrontal and parietal cortex. In de novo PD patients, 5-HT2A receptor expression is changed in key areas of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit and occipital cortex. This suggests altered 5-HT neurotransmission to contribute to development of PD motor and non-motor symptoms.


Design of hearing aid shells by three dimensional laser scanning and mesh reconstruction.
Hearing aid shells (or earmolds) must couple the hearing aid with the user's ear. Earmolds have to fit the subject's outer ear canal properly to ensure a good performance of the aid. Because of the great variability in the anatomical pattern of the ear, earmolds are custom made. At present, an impression of the subject's ear canal is taken and used to fabricate the silicon-made mold. The postimpression activities that typically are performed during the fabrication process modify the physical dimensions of the resulting earmold and thus affect the fit of the product. A novel system for 3-D laser scanning and mesh reconstruction of the surface of ear canal impressions is presented. The reconstructed impression can be digitally stored and passed directly to dedicated CAD 3-D printing machines to model the silicon earmold and thus achieve the best possible fit. The proposed system is based on a couple of cameras and a commercial laser for the surface digitization and on a straightforward algorithm, based on the deformation of a geometric model, for the reconstruction of the acquired surface. Measurements on objects of well-known geometric features and dimensions are performed to assess the accuracy and repeatability levels of this 3-D acquisition system. Robustness to noise of the proposed reconstruction algorithm is determined by simulations with a synthetic test surface. Finally, the first measurements (acquisition+reconstruction) of closed surfaces from ear canal impressions are reported.


A Comprehensive Review of Recent Advances in Artificial Intelligence for Dentistry E-Health.
Artificial intelligence has made substantial progress in medicine. Automated dental imaging interpretation is one of the most prolific areas of research using AI. X-ray and infrared imaging systems have enabled dental clinicians to identify dental diseases since the 1950s. However, the manual process of dental disease assessment is tedious and error-prone when diagnosed by inexperienced dentists. Thus, researchers have employed different advanced computer vision techniques, and machine- and deep-learning models for dental disease diagnoses using X-ray and near-infrared imagery. Despite the notable development of AI in dentistry, certain factors affect the performance of the proposed approaches, including limited data availability, imbalanced classes, and lack of transparency and interpretability. Hence, it is of utmost importance for the research community to formulate suitable approaches, considering the existing challenges and leveraging findings from the existing studies. Based on an extensive literature review, this survey provides a brief overview of X-ray and near-infrared imaging systems. Additionally, a comprehensive insight into challenges faced by researchers in the dental domain has been brought forth in this survey. The article further offers an amalgamative assessment of both performances and methods evaluated on public benchmarks and concludes with ethical considerations and future research avenues.


Improvement of the educational process by computer-based visualization of procedures: randomized controlled trial.
Before any invasive procedure, physicians have a legal obligation to inform patients. Traditionally, this involves a discussion with a physician, supplemented by written leaflet information directed at the specific procedure. Comparison of the use and effectiveness of computer-based visualization opposed to standardized conversation for providing patients with information of forthcoming procedures (coronary catheters or endoscopy procedures). Prospective, randomized trial with 56 participants allocated in two different groups: Visualization Group (standardized information supported by a tool for displaying two-dimensional pictures to explain medical facts as well as informative leaflet) or Control Group (standardized information and informative leaflet only). Detailed information was given about the indication, the probable complications and the details of the forthcoming procedures (coronary catheters or endoscopy procedures). All participants had to reach a Karnofsky Score of 70 points and be able to understand German or English. Main outcome measures were patient's satisfaction with physician-patient conversation, patient's acquired knowledge and duration of the intervention as described above. Patients of the Visualization Group were more satisfied with the conversation and had higher knowledge scores after the conversation. A Mann-Whitney-U-Test between the two groups showed that these differences in satisfaction (P<0.001) and knowledge (P= or <0.006) were statistically significant. Length of time needed for the conversation was slightly higher in the Visualization Group, but this difference was not statistically significant (25 versus 23 min; P= 0.441). No differences could be found due to differing age or educational level in the results of the Visualization and the Control Group. Using computerized visualization increased the satisfaction and knowledge of the patients. The presentation of the visualized information in the Visualization Group did not demand significantly more time than the standard conversation in the Control Group.


A model stomach system to investigate disintegration kinetics of solid foods during gastric digestion.
Knowledge of the disintegration kinetics of food particulates in the human stomach is essential for assessing the bioaccessibility of nutrients in solid foods and understanding stomach emptying. The objective of this study was to develop a model stomach system and to investigate the kinetics of food disintegration. Our system consisted mainly of a turntable and a jacketed glass chamber containing simulated gastric juice in which plastic beads were added to simulate food particulates as well as provide a suitable mechanical destructive force on food samples. The mechanical force on the samples was simultaneously measured using the load cell of a TA-XT2 texture analyzer. Cylindrical carrots and ham samples were used as representative foods. The system is capable of simulating the in vivo stomach in terms of providing a wide range of continuous and periodic forces comparable to those measured in vivo. The modified power exponential function of the form y(t)= 1 - (1 -e(-kt))(beta), where y(t) is the mass retention ratio at time t, provided a reasonable description for the disintegration performance of tested foods. The mass retention curve can be either a sigmoidal decay with an initial delay or an exponential decay, which are decided largely by the hardness of the foods during digestion and the extent of physical force acting on the foods. A good match was observed between the kinetics of food disintegration and in vivo stomach emptying.


Positive Regulation of the Transcription of AchnKCS by a bZIP Transcription Factor in Response to ABA-Stimulated Suberization of Kiwifruit.
Wound-induced suberization is an essentially protective healing process for wounded fruit to reduce water loss and microbial infection. It has been demonstrated that abscisic acid (ABA) could promote wound suberization, but the molecular mechanism of ABA regulation remains little known. In this study, the transcript level of Achn030011 (designated as AchnKCS), coding a β-ketoacyl-coenzyme A synthase (KCS) involved in suberin biosynthesis, was found to be significantly upregulated by ABA in wounded kiwifruit. A bZIP transcription factor (Achn270881), a possible downstream transcription factor in the ABA signaling pathway, was screened and designated as AchnbZIP12 according to its homology with related Arabidopsis transcription factors. A yeast one-hybrid assay demonstrated that AchnbZIP12 could interact with the AchnKCS promoter. Furthermore, significant trans-activation of AchnbZIP12 on AchnKCS was verified. The transcript level of AchnbZIP12 was also upregulated upon treatment with ABA. These results imply that AchnbZIP12 acts as a positive regulator in ABA-mediated AchnKCS transcription during wound suberization of kiwifruit.


Pathologic examination of the placenta and observed practice.
To estimate the percentage of deliveries eligible for pathologic examination of the placenta and compare with observed practice using the College of American Pathologists' (CAP) 1997 guidelines for examination of the placenta. Records were reviewed from all live-birth deliveries 20 weeks or more of gestation in 2001 at Strong Memorial Hospital. The expected number of deliveries with CAP recommended indications was determined and compared with the observed number of deliveries in which the placenta was actually examined. Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, chi(2) tests, difference between two population proportions test, odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The observed number and percentage of deliveries with CAP recommended indications that had pathologic placental examination, 575 and 18.2% (95% confidence interval 16.9-19.6), was significantly lower (P<.001) than expected, 1,185 and 37.5% (95% confidence interval 35.8-39.2). The placenta was examined less frequently than expected in 9 of 14 categories. Independent predictors of examination of the placenta were gross placental abnormalities, multiple gestation, prematurity, peripartum fever, neonatal intensive care unit care of infant, cesarean delivery, and delivery by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Using the CAP guidelines for submission of the placenta would result in pathologic examination in 37.5% of all deliveries. Less than one half of all deliveries in which the placenta was eligible for submission were actually examined. Current advances in our understanding of pathologic conditions of the placenta and their relation to infant outcomes may warrant re-evaluating policy on placental examination at institutional and national levels. II.


Investigation of sample treatment steps for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ground coffee.
Sample treatment procedures were tested for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ground coffee. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), under different conditions, was combined with several cleanup methods, namely in situ purification, C18-silica solid-phase extraction (SPE), silica SPE, acid digestion, and alkaline saponification. Soxhlet extraction and direct alkaline saponification were also tested. Best results were obtained using PLE with hexane/acetone 50:50 (v/v) under 150 degrees C. Alkaline saponification followed by cyclohexane extraction and silica SPE was required to eliminate interferent compounds. Finally, 11 PAHs could be quantified in ground coffee with limits of detection in the range of 0.11-0.18 microg kg(-1). Application to ground Arabica coffee lots from Colombia revealed the presence of several PAHs, giving an overall toxicity equivalence in the range of 0.16-0.87 microg kg(-1). PAH identification was performed using both high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.


Where does the black population of South Africa stand on the nutrition transition?
To review data on selected risk factors related to the emergence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the black population of South Africa. Data from existing literature on South African blacks were reviewed with an emphasis placed on changes in diet and the emergence of obesity and related NCDs. Review and analysis of secondary data over time relating to diet, physical activity and obesity and relevant to nutrition-related NCDs. Urban, peri-urban and rural areas of South Africa. National prevalence data are also included. Black adults over the age of 15 years were examined. Shifts in dietary intake, to a less prudent pattern, are occurring with apparent increasing momentum, particularly among blacks, who constitute three-quarters of the population. Data have shown that among urban blacks, fat intakes have increased from 16.4% to 26.2% of total energy (a relative increase of 59.7%), while carbohydrate intakes have decreased from 69.3% to 61.7% of total energy (a relative decrease of 10.9%) in the past 50 years. Shifts towards the Western diet are apparent among rural African dwellers as well. The South African Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 1998 revealed that 31.8% of African women (over the age of 15 years) were obese (body mass index (BMI) > or = 30kg m(-2)) and that a further 26.7% were overweight (BMI > or = 25 to <30 kg m(-2)). The obesity prevalence among men of the same age was 6.0%, with 19.4% being overweight. The national prevalence of hypertension in blacks was 24.4%, using the cut-off point of 140/90 mmHg. There are limited data on the population's physical activity patterns. However, the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic will become increasingly important. The increasing emergence of NCDs in black South Africans, compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, presents a complex picture for health workers and policy makers. Increasing emphasis needs to be placed on healthy lifestyles.


Substance versus style: a new look at social desirability in motivating contexts.
Although there is an emerging consensus that social desirability does not meaningfully affect criterion-related validity, several researchers have reaffirmed the argument that social desirability degrades the construct validity of personality measures. Yet, most research demonstrating the adverse consequences of faking for construct validity uses a fake-good instruction set. The consequence of such a manipulation is to exacerbate the effects of response distortion beyond what would be expected under realistic circumstances (e.g., an applicant setting). The research reported in this article was designed to assess these issues by using real-world contexts not influenced by artificial instructions. Results suggest that response distortion has little impact on the construct validity of personality measures used in selection contexts.


Self-Competitive Adsorption Behavior of Arsenic on the TiO2 Surface.
TiO2 is a commonly used material to remove arsenic from drinking water by adsorption as well as photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). In the present paper, arsenic adsorption and PCO at different pH environments are studied on the (1 1 0) facet of rutile TiO2 (r-TiO2). A self-competitive adsorption (SCA) behavior of arsenic is observed; i.e., arsenic species compete to adsorb on the surface. Related DFT calculations are carried out to simulate adsorption. SCA behavior is the key to connecting calculation results with experimental results. Furthermore, PCO of arsenite is performed at different pH values. Of note, PCO is related to adsorption; namely, the adsorption process determines the whole PCO reaction speed. Therefore, SCA is also helpful for the PCO reaction. The SCA behavior is useful not only for arsenic on r-TiO2 but also for arsenic on anatase TiO2 (a-TiO2). It may be helpful to further study arsenic adsorption and PCO on other materials such as Fe2O3 and MnO2. The SCA behavior extends our understanding of arsenic and provides new insights into arsenic removal and its cycle in nature.


Serum creatine phosphokinase activity in psychiatrically hospitalized children.
Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity was determined in a series of 101 sequential admissions to the Pritzker Children's Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric facility. Black children had significantly higher serum CPK levels than whites, and males had significantly higher levels than females, as is the case with adults. There was a higher incidence of CPK elevations in children with organic brain pathology than in children with personality disorders or schizoprenia. Children with chronic symptoms of a psychotic nature did not have increased serum CPK activity, which is similar to the findings in adults. There were no children in the sample with acute psychotic symptoms, so it was not possible to determine whether acute psychosis in children is accompanied by increased serum CPK activity, as it frequently is in psychotics over the age of 17.


Multicentre investigation of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in Bulgarian hospitals - Interregional spread of ST11 NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae.
The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of beta-lactam-resistance and the clonal relatedness of carbapenem-nonsusceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates, collected consecutively in eight centers in five Bulgarian cities from November 2014 to March 2018. Carbapenemase-producing enterobacteria were detected in all but one centers. Overall, 104 K. pneumoniae and one E. coli were analysed. Antimicrobial susceptibility and beta-lactamases were analysed. Conjugation experiments, plasmid fingerprinting and replicon typing, as well as MLST and ERIC-PCR were carried out. KPC-2 (51%) and NDM-1 (47%) were the main carbapenemases identified. KPC-2 producing K. pneumoniae were classified into 10 MLST-types. The four dominating MLST-types ST29, ST15, ST336 and ST902 comprised 79% of the KPC-2 producers. All but one of the NDM-1 producing isolates belonged to the MLST-type ST11 and were found in seven centers. Furthermore, single K. pneumoniae isolates producing VIM-1 (ST147) and OXA-48 (ST15) were identified. In addition to the carbapenemases, the ESBLs CTX-M-15, CTX-M-3, and SHV-12 as well as AmpC enzyme CMY-4 were found. The FIIAs-replicon-type was found in all KPC-2 producers while the A/C-replicons dominated in NDM-1 producing isolates. The single NDM-1 producing E. coli was determined as MLST-Type ST10 (Warwick scheme). The interregional clonal expansion of NDM-1 producing ST11 K. pneumoniae and the dissemination of blaKPC-2 carrying plasmids were responsible for the spread of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae in Bulgaria. Our findings highlight the urgency to prevent dissemination of these highly transmissible and dangerous lineages.


The effect of cryopreservation on the genome of gametes and embryos: principles of cryobiology and critical appraisal of the evidence.
Cryopreservation has been extensively used in assisted reproductive technology, agriculture and conservation programmes for endangered species. The literature reports largely positive results regarding the survival of frozen-thawed cells and clinical outcomes. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether or not cryopreservation of sperm, oocytes and embryos causes any disruption in their genetic integrity. Drawing on the available published evidence, this review paper describes in detail the physical and biochemical factors of cryopreservation that could potentially affect genomic integrity. A critical review of the published literature using PubMed with particular emphasis on studies which include assessment of genetic stability after cryopreservation of oocyte, sperm and embryos. The search was performed in 2014 and covered the period from the beginning of electronic records until July 2014. No language restrictions were applied. Cryopreservation is associated with extensive damage to cell membranes, and results in alteration of the functional and metabolic status of the cells and mitochondria. Some evidence suggests an increase in DNA single-strand breaks, and degree of DNA condensation or fragmentation in sperm after cryopreservation. The extent of these changes may vary between different individuals and different techniques. The addition of antioxidants to the cryopreservation media and the use of well-controlled cooling regimes could potentially improve such outcomes. Limited numbers of studies on oocytes provide controversial results regarding the effect on DNA fragmentation, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and aneuploidy. The only study on human embryos suggested that vitrification affects DNA integrity to a much lesser extent than slow freezing. Animal studies show increases in mitochondrial DNA mutations in embryos after cryopreservation. The limited numbers of long-term follow-up studies in humans provide reassurance that derives mostly from retrospective studies with some methodological weaknesses. This review provides an overview of studies performed to date on the effect of cryopreservation on the oocyte, sperm and embryos. Controversy of the reported data has highlighted the gaps in our knowledge not only for clinical studies, but also for basic research in human embryos. New perspectives for future research are proposed.


The effects of reconditioning on the slot dimensions and static frictional resistance of stainless steel brackets.
This study investigated the effects of reconditioning on the slot dimensions and the static frictional resistance of stainless steel brackets at 0, 5, and 10 degrees bracket/archwire angulation. A sample of 45 used, commercially reconditioned 0.018 x 0.030 inch stainless steel standard edgewise brackets was compared with a matched sample of 45 new brackets. The slot dimensions of 15 new and 15 reconditioned brackets were examined using a photomicroscope. With new brackets both the occluso-gingival slot width (mean = 0.0197 inch) and slot depth (mean = 0.0304 inch) exceeded the manufacturer's nominal dimensions of 0.018 x 0.030 inch. The reconditioning process resulted in a further increase in slot width (mean = 0.0205 inch), which was statistically significant (P = 0.028), and a reduction in slot depth (mean = 0.0291 inch), which was highly statistically significant (P = 0.002). This may be attributable to preferential metal removal by the electro-polishing phase of the reconditioning process. Friction testing of 30 new and 30 reconditioned brackets demonstrated that both showed an increase in binding effects as the bracket/archwire angulation was increased from 0 to 5-10 degrees. However, the changes in slot dimensions secondary to reconditioning did not result in a statistically significant difference in mean static frictional resistance when the two bracket types were compared. Although the brackets were altered physically by the reconditioning process, their performance during simulated sliding mechanics was not adversely affected. This implies that reconditioning may not result in clinically significant effects.


Diagnosis and monitoring of human cytomegalovirus diseases in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection by use of a real-time PCR assay.
We used a real-time PCR assay to measure human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA load in whole blood and plasma of 70 patients who were infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Break points of 3.0 x 10(3) copies/mL in whole blood and 1.0 x 10(3) copies/mL in plasma were well-correlated with the existence of definite HCMV disease (sensitivity, 93% and 86%; specificity, 89% and 85%; positive predictive value, 70% and 63%; and negative predictive value, 98% and 95%, respectively). In patients with < 50 cells/microL of CD4(+) T lymphocytes, positive predictive values increased to 78% and 71%, respectively. The viral loads of all patients who received anti-HCMV therapy declined to < or =2.0 x 10(2) copies/mL in parallel with the improvement of clinical symptoms. These findings show that the HCMV DNA load quantified with our method is a useful tool for diagnosis of HCMV diseases and for monitoring the disease activity in patients infected with HIV-1.


'Come and get a taste of normal': Advertising, consumerism and the Coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to present unique challenges to governments and organisations around the world, but one sector has incorporated COVID-19 into its core mission with relative ease: advertisers have acknowledged the pandemic while continuing to draw on notions of 'normality' to activate our desire to consume. As the UK's series of lockdowns have come to an end, we look back over more than a year of unusual advertising and consider how the pandemic has changed approaches to marketing and the shape of consumer culture in ways connected to ideas about what constitutes 'normal' life. Discussions of the relationship between the pandemic and consumerism have included critiques of the prioritising of profit over people, and conceptualisations of Coronavirus as a brand itself, but the politics of notions of 'normality' promoted by consumer culture demand closer consideration. This article complements existing studies and debates by examining the tensions, contradictions and morally neutral positions revealed by the advertising response to the coronavirus disease pandemic. Through an analysis of UK advertising campaigns launched during and with reference to the pandemic, this work explores key themes and strategies, including their connection to power dynamics concerning race, gender, class and capitalism. We suggest advertising during crises may offer the opportunity to critique larger dynamics and trends of consumerism, including narrow notions of the defining features of 'everyday' life.


Prevalence of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae (CRKP) and the Distribution of Class 1 Integron in Their Strains Isolated from a Hospital in Central China.
Objective The aim of our study is to investigate the prevalence of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and the genetic characteristics of the class 1 integron in CRKP on multi-drug resistance.Methods Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were collected from multiple departments of a hospital in central China. CRKP strains were identified among the isolates, and antibiotics susceptibility of CRKP strains was analyzed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was adopted to amplify the class 1 integron variable area. The integron genetic structure was analyzed with enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing technology. The relation between class 1 integron and drug resistance was analyzed statistically.Results Totally 955 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from varied sites of the hospital, and 117(12.3%) of them were identified as CRKP, with a separation rate of 8.9% (26/292) in 2013, 11.3% (38/336) in 2014 and 16.2% (53/327) in 2015, which shows an increasing trend by year. 44.4% (52/117) of CRKP strains were separated from specimen of ICU, and 61.5% (72/117) were from sputum. Over 95% CRKP strains were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidme, cefotaxime, cefepime,and piperacillin, while relatively low resistant rates were found in tigecycline (12.8%) and colistin (35.9%). The class 1 integron was detected in 77.8% (91/117) of CRKP strains. Class 1 integron of CRKP was significantly correlated with the antibiotic resistance to the tobramycin, gentamicin and amikacin (all P<0.01). The gene cassette analysis of variable area of class 1 integron showed that aadA2 accounts for 64.8% (59/91), aacA4-catB8-aadA1 23.1% (21/91), and aadA2-dfrA25 12.1% (11/91).Conclusions CRKP has an increasing trend in a clinical setting in China, and most of them were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Class 1 integron in CRKP has strong ability to capture the genes resistant to aminoglycosides antibiotics from environment, with the aadA2 gene as the most popular one.


[The antigen of transplantable cells immunologically related to the antigen of the normal human gastric mucosa].
A newly detected antigen common for transplantable HeLa-like cell lines and human gastric mucosa has been revealed in all parts of the stomach and in highly differentiated gastric adenocarcinomas in humans. It is localized in the basal area of tall columnar cells in the mucosa and has one immunologically active subunit with molecular weight of 39 kDa. The antigen differs from the other earlier described gastrointestinal antigens in its localization in the organs and cells and in other characteristics.


Extent of Fock-exchange mixing for a hybrid van der Waals density functional?
The vdW-DF-cx0 exchange-correlation hybrid design [K. Berland et al., J. Chem. Phys. 146, 234106 (2017)] has a truly nonlocal correlation component and aims to facilitate concurrent descriptions of both covalent and non-covalent molecular interactions. The vdW-DF-cx0 design mixes a fixed ratio, a, of the Fock exchange into the consistent-exchange van der Waals density functional, vdW-DF-cx [K. Berland and P. Hyldgaard, Phys. Rev. B 89, 035412 (2014)]. The mixing value a is sometimes taken as a semi-empirical parameter in hybrid formulations. Here, instead, we assert a plausible optimum average a value for the vdW-DF-cx0 design from a formal analysis; A new, independent determination of the mixing a is necessary since the Becke fit [A. D. Becke, J. Chem. Phys. 98, 5648 (1993)], yielding a' = 0.2, is restricted to semilocal correlation and does not reflect non-covalent interactions. To proceed, we adapt the so-called two-legged hybrid construction [K. Burke et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 265, 115 (1997)] to a starting point in the vdW-DF-cx functional. For our approach, termed vdW-DF-tlh, we estimate the properties of the adiabatic-connection specification of the exact exchange-correlation functional, by combining calculations of the Fock exchange and of the coupling-constant variation in vdW-DF-cx. We find that such vdW-DF-tlh hybrid constructions yield accurate characterizations of molecular interactions (even if they lack self-consistency). The accuracy motivates trust in the vdW-DF-tlh determination of system-specific values of the Fock-exchange mixing. We find that an average value a' = 0.2 best characterizes the vdW-DF-tlh description of covalent and non-covalent interactions, although there exists some scatter. This finding suggests that the original Becke value, a' = 0.2, also represents an optimal average Fock-exchange mixing for the new, truly nonlocal-correlation hybrids. To enable self-consistent calculations, we furthermore define and test a zero-parameter hybrid functional vdW-DF-cx0p (having fixed mixing a' = 0.2) and document that this truly nonlocal correlation hybrid works for general molecular interactions (at reference and at relaxed geometries). It is encouraging that the vdW-DF-cx0p functional remains useful also for descriptions of some extended systems.


Review of adaptive control for stroke lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot based on motion intention recognition.
Stroke is a significant cause of disability worldwide, and stroke survivors often experience severe motor impairments. Lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots provide support and balance for stroke survivors and assist them in performing rehabilitation training tasks, which can effectively improve their quality of life during the later stages of stroke recovery. Lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots have become a hot topic in rehabilitation therapy research. This review introduces traditional rehabilitation assessment methods, explores the possibility of lower limb exoskeleton robots combining sensors and electrophysiological signals to assess stroke survivors' rehabilitation objectively, summarizes standard human-robot coupling models of lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots in recent years, and critically introduces adaptive control models based on motion intent recognition for lower limb exoskeleton robots. This provides new design ideas for the future combination of lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots with rehabilitation assessment, motion assistance, rehabilitation treatment, and adaptive control, making the rehabilitation assessment process more objective and addressing the shortage of rehabilitation therapists to some extent. Finally, the article discusses the current limitations of adaptive control of lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots for stroke survivors and proposes new research directions.


Antihypertensive effect and side-effects of bendroflumethiazide and propranolol.
The antihypertensive effect and side-effects during 12 months' treatment with bendroflumethiazide and propranolol have been compared in two randomly selected, equally large groups (n= 53) of previously untreated male hypertensives. Systolic BP above 170 or diastolic BP above 105 mmHg on two occasions were defined as hypertension. The same BP reduction was achieved in both groups. During the 12 months' treatment one subject on bendroflumethiazide developed diabetes mellitus and one on propranolol developed cardiac decompensation. None developed gout. Contrary to what had been presumed, glucose tolerance improved during 12 months' treatment with both agents, while there were no changes in fasting blood sugar, insulin or triglyceride concentrations. No changes were found in serum potassium or total body potassium during 12 months' bendroflumethiazide treatment, while serum potassium increased during treatment with propranolol. Uric acid increased slightly during treatment with both agents. Prolongation of the follow-up to 24 months did not change any of the findings regarding metabolic changes during treatment. The frequency of subjective side-effects decreased to the same extent during treatment with both drugs. It is concluded that bendroflumethiazide and propranolol are equally useful as antihypertensive agents and that the risk of impariment of glucose metabolism and potassium balance seems to be very slight during treatment with bendroflumethiazide in mild hypertension.


Tumor Protein p63/microRNA Network in Epithelial Cancer Cells.
Non-coding microRNAs are involved in multiple regulatory mechanisms underlying response of cancer cells to stress leading to apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and autophagy. Many molecular layers are implicated in such cellular response including epigenetic regulation of transcription, RNA processing, metabolism, signaling. The molecular interrelationship between tumor protein (TP)-p53 family members and specific microRNAs is a key functional network supporting tumor cell response to chemotherapy and potentially playing a decisive role in chemoresistance of human epithelial cancers. TP63 was shown to modulate the expression of numerous microRNAs involved in regulation of epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence, "stemness" and skin maintenance, epithelial/ mesenchymal transition, and tumorigenesis in several types of epithelial cancers (e.g. squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, gastric cancer, bladder cancer, and breast tumors), as well as in chemoresistance of cancer cells. TP63/microRNA network was shown to be involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, metabolism and epigenetic transcriptional regulation, thereby providing the groundwork for novel chemotherapeutic venues.


Single-cell transcriptome provides novel insights into antler stem cells, a cell type capable of mammalian organ regeneration.
Antler regeneration, a stem cell-based epimorphic process, has a potential as a valuable model for regenerative medicine. A pool of antler stem cells (ASCs) for antler development is located in the antlerogenic periosteum (AP). However, whether this ASC pool is homogenous or heterogeneous has not been fully evaluated. In this study, we produced a comprehensive transcriptome dataset at the single-cell level for the ASCs based on the 10× Genomics platform (scRNA-seq). A total of 4565 ASCs were sequenced and classified into a large cell cluster, indicating that the ASC resident in the AP are likely to be a homogeneous population. The scRNA-seq data revealed that tumor-related genes were highly expressed in these homogeneous ASCs, i.e., TIMP1, TMSB10, LGALS1, FTH1, VIM, LOC110126017, and S100A4. Results of screening for stem cell markers suggest that the ASCs may be considered as a special type of stem cell between embryonic (CD9) and adult (CD29, CD90, NPM1, and VIM) stem cells. Our results provide the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis at the single-cell level for the ASCs and identified only one major cell type resident in the AP and some key stem cell genes, which may hold the key to why antlers, the unique mammalian organ, can fully regenerate once lost.


Vinyl chloride-associated liver disease.
Although polyvinyl chloride has been produced from vinyl chlride monomer for more than 40 years, recognition of toxicity among vinyl chloride polymerization workers is more recent. In the mid 1960s, workers involved in cleaning polymerization tanks were found to have acro-osteolysis. In 1974, the same population of workers was found to be at risk for an unusual type of hepatic fibrosis and angiosarcoma of the liver. We describe two cases of vinyl chloride-associated liver injury, one of hepatic fibrosis and one of angiosarcoma. Histologic features of these lesions are similar to the hepatic fibrosis and angiosarcomas resulting from chronic exposure to inorganic arsenicals. Preliminary studies suggest that the toxicity of vinyl chloride may result from formation, during high-dose exposure, of active metabolites by mixed function oxidases of the liver. Epidemiologic studies indicate an increased incidence not only of liver disease, but also of cancers of the brain, lung, and possibly other organs.


Fyn kinase induces synaptic and cognitive impairments in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
Human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice with high levels of amyloid-beta (Abeta) develop behavioral deficits that correlate with the depletion of synaptic activity-related proteins in the dentate gyrus. The tyrosine kinase Fyn is altered in Alzheimer's disease brains and modulates premature mortality and synaptotoxicity in hAPP mice. To determine whether Fyn also modulates Abeta-induced behavioral deficits and depletions of synaptic activity-dependent proteins, we overexpressed Fyn in neurons of hAPP mice with moderate levels of Abeta production. Compared with nontransgenic controls and singly transgenic mice expressing hAPP or FYN alone, doubly transgenic FYN/hAPP mice had striking depletions of calbindin, Fos, and phosphorylated ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), impaired neuronal induction of Arc, and impaired spatial memory retention. These deficits were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those otherwise seen only in hAPP mice with higher Abeta levels. Surprisingly, levels of active Fyn were lower in high expresser hAPP mice than in NTG controls and lower in FYN/hAPP mice than in FYN mice. Suppression of Fyn activity may result from dephosphorylation by striatal-enriched phosphatase, which was upregulated in FYN/hAPP mice and in hAPP mice with high levels of Abeta. Thus, increased Fyn expression is sufficient to trigger prominent neuronal deficits in the context of even relatively moderate Abeta levels, and inhibition of Fyn activity may help counteract Abeta-induced impairments.


Induction of lymphorecticular neoplasia and malformations by prenatal treatment with 1,3-di(4-sulfamoylphenyl)-triazene in mice.
1,3-Di(4- sulfamoylphenyl )-triazene ( DSPT ), synthesized from two equivalents of sulfanylamide and one equivalent of sodium nitrite, induced specific types of tumors (lymphoreticular neoplasias) in the offspring, when it was given orally to pregnant mice on Days 13-18. Tumor incidences were 6.1, 20.0, and 21.7%, when DSPT was given at 1, 4 and 10% concentration in the diet, respectively, while the control value was 0.8%. DSPT did not induce lung tumors, which are commonly induced by mutagenic carcinogens. DSPT also produced malformations (cleft palate, exencephalus , etc.), when given intraperitoneally on Days 9, 10 and 11. Incidence increased with increasing doses of DSPT , that is, 15.8, 21.1 and 36.7% at doses of 22, 36 and 44 micrograms/g, respectively, while the incidence was 0.3% in the untreated controls. DSPT was found to be non-mutagenic but weakly clastogenic in Drosophila melanogaster.


Detrusor areflexia in a patient with myasthenia gravis.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a common neuromuscular disorder, however, voiding dysfunction in conjunction with MG is rare. A review of the literature yielded only 7 prior reports of such a combination. Most of the reported cases involved incontinence in males which developed after a transurethral resection of the prostate. Only 3 cases described de novo voiding dysfunction. We report a fourth patient. In all 4 cases of de novo dysfunction, the voiding problem either heralded a new diagnosis of MG or an exacerbation of the disease process. It is hypothesized that autonomic dysfunction in patients with MG might indicate a unique subset with a worse prognosis.


Investigation on Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Properties of Ag2Se Polycrystal Fabricated by Using Zone-Melting Method.
Silver selenide, Ag2Se, is a promising low-temperature thermoelectric material which can be used to harvest the low-quality waste heat for electrical power generation or cool the microelectronics. Currently, the investigation on Ag2Se and its derivatives has become a hot topic in the thermoelectric community, but the thermoelectric properties of Ag2Se below 300 K have been rarely investigated. In this study, we prepared Ag2Se by using the zone-melting method. The electrical and thermal transport properties of zone-melted Ag2Se from 5 to 380 K were systematically investigated and compared with the previously reported data of Ag2Se and other typical low-temperature thermoelectric materials, such as Mg3Bi2, Bi2Te3, and BiSb. Ag2Se shows intrinsic semiconductor features, ultrahigh carrier mobility, small density-of-state effective mass, and ultralow lattice thermal conductivity. At 300 K, the zT of zone-melted Ag2Se is 0.75. This study will shed light on the further investigation of Ag2Se.


Changing trends in MTP at SSG hospital, Baroda--a retrospective study.
This is a retrospective study carried out in the postpartum unit of Medical College and SSG Hospital, Baroda, Gujarat with an aim to assess the changes in the practices of medical termination of pregnancy over the last 20 years. Randomisation was achieved by selecting every tenth year from 1983 as a study year. Chi-square test was used as the test of significance. There was a rise in the total number of medical termination of pregnancies performed in the postpartum unit from 1983 to 1993 and then to 2003 (498 to 965 and then to 1054 respectively). Majority of the beneficiaries in all the 3 study years belonged to the urban population in the age group of 21-30 years with two living children. Number of unmarried beneficiaries were on rise but the difference was not statistically significant (1.6% to 1.8% and then to 2.8% respectively). There was a positive trend of coming for medical termination at earlier weeks and significant decline in the number of second trimester medical termination of pregnancies (57.0% to 13.3% and then to 13.4% respectively). There was a significant increase in the beneficiaries opting for temporary methods of contraception from 1983 to 1993 (48.6% to 55.6%). Copper-T was the most favoured method of temporary contraception in all the 3 study years. Medical termination of pregnancy was like an entry point for contraception, either temporary or permanent in all the study years.


Phenotypic and genotypic resistance to antibiotics in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from cattle milk in Northern Kazakhstan.
Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequent and ubiquitous cause of mastitis in cows. In recent decades, antibiotic resistance has rapidly spread among infectious disease pathogens in Kazakhstan and globally. This study examined the phenotypic and genotypic resistance of S. aureus strains obtained from cattle milk to antibiotics. In 2021 and 2022, 675 cow milk samples were collected from 16 dairy farms in Northern Kazakhstan. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using culture and biochemical methods. The nature of antibiotic resistance was determined by the disk diffusion (DD) method. The distribution of antibiotic resistance genes was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Among the obtained S. aureus isolates, high levels of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (100%), tetracyclines (95.4%), fluoroquinolones (95.4%), and macrolides (60.92%) were observed. Meanwhile, the lowest levels of resistance were identified for sulfonamides (21.84%) and aminoglycosides (27.59%). All the obtained isolates were positive for the nuc gene encoding thermonuclease. The blaZ, ermC, and tetK genes were detected in 45.9%, 77%, and 83.9% of the studied S. aureus isolates, respectively. The results indicate a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus isolated from cows with clinical and subclinical forms of mastitis in Northern Kazakhstan. In addition, the prevalence of resistance was higher when evaluated by the DD method than when detecting the specific antibiotic resistance genes blaZ, tetK, and ermC, indicating the need for deeper analysis of the phenotypic and genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance.


Genomic Evidence for Bacterial Determinants Influencing Obesity Development.
Obesity is a major global public health problem requiring multifaceted interventional approaches including dietary interventions with probiotic bacteria. High-throughput genome sequencing of microbial communities in the mammalian gastrointestinal system continues to present diverse protein function information to understand the bacterial determinants that influence obesity development. The goal of the research reported in this article was to identify biological processes in probiotic bacteria that could influence the mechanisms for the extraction of energy from diet in the human gastrointestinal system. Our research strategy of combining bioinformatics and visual analytics methods was based on the identification of operon gene arrangements in genomes of Lactobacillus species and Akkermansiamuciniphila that include at least a gene for a universal stress protein. The two major findings from this research study are related to Lactobacillus plantarum and Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria species which are associated with weight-loss. The first finding is that Lactobacillus plantarum strains have a two-gene operon that encodes a universal stress protein for stress response and the membrane translocator protein (TSPO), known to function in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in humans. The second finding is the presence of a three-gene operon in Akkermansia muciniphila that includes a gene whose human mitochondrial homolog is associated with waist-hip ratio and fat distribution. From a public health perspective, elucidation of the bacterial determinants influencing obesity will help in educating the public on optimal probiotic use for anti-obesity effects.