Experimental studies of mechanisms involved in methods demonstrating axonal and terminal degeneration.
Factors influencing the consistency and specificity of the staining of neuronal degeneration products were studied in brain sections by varying systematically the composition of solutions used in the steps which are common to the degeneration methods. The formation of nuclei of metallic silver was determined either by physical development of 110Ag, after dissolving reducible silver by acetic acid. In degenerating axons metallic silver nucleic are formed by their own reducing groups in the first (acid) and in the second (alkaline) impregnating bath. The first impregnation turned out to be sufficient to produce complete staining of degenerating axons. The reducing capacity of normal axons and myelin can be suppressed by oxidation or by lowering the pH of the impregnating solution. Degenerating axon terminals are not able to reduce silver ions in either of the impregnating baths. Rather, the metallic silver nuclei initiating their staining are formed in the Nauta reducer by interaction of its reducing agent (formol) with silver ions which had been trapped in the tissue during the impregnation. Thus the nuclei are enlarged to microscopic visibility by a nonstandardized physical developer coming about from the Nauta reducer and the silver ions transferred with the sections. In this reaction catalytic sites in degenerating terminals as well as ammonium ions and the alkali reserve of the tissue play an important role. On the basis of the present results it was possible to stabilize the conditions for staining degenerating axons and degenerating axons terminals in two separate staining procedures detailed in following papers.


Detection of quantitative trait loci for mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) resistance in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) in India and Pakistan.
Yellow mosaic disease (YMD) is one of the major diseases affecting mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek). In this study, we report the mapping of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) for mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) resistance in mungbean. An F8 recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population was generated in Thailand from a cross between NM10-12-1 (MYMIV resistance) and KPS2 (MYMIV susceptible). One hundred and twenty-two RILs and their parents were evaluated for MYMIV resistance in infested fields in India and Pakistan. A genetic linkage map was developed for the RIL population using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Composite interval mapping identified five QTLs for MYMIV resistance: three QTLs for India (qYMIV1, qYMIV2 and qYMIV3) and two QTLs for Pakistan (qYMIV4 and qYMIV5). qYMIV1, qYMIV2, qYMIV3, qYMIV4 and qYMIV5 explained 9.33%, 10.61%, 12.55%, 21.93% and 6.24% of variation in disease responses, respectively. qYMIV1 and qYMIV4 appeared to be the same locus and were common to a major QTL for MYMIV resistance in India identified previously using a different resistant mungbean.


Personalizing cognitive behavioral therapy for cancer-related fatigue using ecological momentary assessments followed by automated individual time series analyses: A case report series.
A common approach to personalizing psychological interventions is the allocation of treatment modules to individual patients based on cut-off scores on questionnaires, which are mostly based on group studies. However, this way, intraindividual variation and temporal dynamics are not taken into account. Automated individual time series analyses are a possible solution, since these can identify the factors influencing the targeted symptom in a specific individual, and associated modules can be allocated accordingly. The aim of this study was to illustrate how automated individual time series analyses can be applied to personalize cognitive behavioral therapy for cancer-related fatigue in cancer survivors and how this procedure differs from allocating modules based on questionnaires. This study was a case report series (n = 3). Patients completed ecological momentary assessments at the start of therapy, and after three treatment modules (approximately 14 weeks). Assessments were analyzed with AutoVAR, an R package that automates the process of finding optimal vector autoregressive models. The results informed the treatment plan. Three cases were described. From the ecological momentary assessments and automated time series analyses three individual treatment plans were constructed, in which the most important predictor for cancer-related fatigue was treated first. For two patients, this led to the treatment ending after the follow-up ecological momentary assessments. One patient continued treatment until six months, the standard treatment time in regular treatment. All three treatment plans differed from the treatment plans informed by questionnaire scores. This study is one of the first to apply time series analyses in systematically personalizing psychological treatment. An important strength of this approach is that it can be used for every modular cognitive behavioral intervention where each treatment module addresses specific maintaining factors. Whether or not personalized CBT is more efficacious than standard, non-personalized CBT remains to be determined in controlled studies comparing it to usual care.


Types of stereoselectivity in drug metabolism: a heuristic approach.
Stereochemical factors are known to play a significant role in the metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics. Following Prelog's lead, types of metabolic stereoselectivity can be categorized as (i) substrate stereoselectivity (the differential metabolism of two or more stereoisomeric substrates) and (ii) product stereoselectivity (the differential formation of two or more stereoisomeric metabolites from a single substrate). Combinations of the two categories exist as (iii) substrate-product stereoselectivities, meaning that product stereoselectivity itself is substrate stereoselective. Here, published examples of metabolic stereoselectivities are examined in the light of these concepts. In parallel, a graphical scheme is presented with a view to facilitate learning and help researchers to solve classification problems.


Effects of peptides derived from dietary proteins on mucus secretion in rat jejunum.
The hypothesis that dietary proteins or their hydrolysates may regulate intestinal mucin discharge was investigated in the isolated vascularly perfused rat jejunum using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for rat intestinal mucins. On luminal administration, casein hydrolysate [0.05-5% (wt/vol)] stimulated mucin secretion in rat jejunum (maximal response at 417% of controls). Lactalbumin hydrolysate (5%) also evoked mucin discharge. In contrast, casein, and a mixture of amino acids was without effect. Chicken egg albumin and its hydrolysate or meat hydrolysate also did not modify mucin release. Interestingly, casein hydrolysate-induced mucin secretion was abolished by intra-arterial TTX or naloxone (an opioid antagonist). beta-Casomorphin-7, an opioid peptide released from beta-casein on milk ingestion, induced a strong mucin secretion (response at 563% of controls) that was inhibited by naloxone. Intra-arterial beta-casomorphin-7 also markedly increased mucin secretion (410% of controls). In conclusion, two enzymatic milk protein hydrolysates (casein and lactalbumin hydrolysates) and beta-casomorphin-7, specifically, induced mucin release in rat jejunum. The casein hydrolysate-induced mucin secretion is triggered by a neural pathway and mediated by opioid receptor activation.


An updated overview of glucagon-like peptide-2 analog trophic therapy for short bowel syndrome in adults.
Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a clinical condition characterized by a failure to achieve optimal intestinal adaptation, which is necessary to maintain oral/enteral autonomy. At present, the treatment options for SBS are primarily intestinal replacement and rehabilitation. Intestinal rehabilitation mainly includes non-transplantation surgery and intestinal rehabilitation measures. In recent years, intestinal rehabilitation in patients with SBS using nutritional intestinal hormones, especially glucagon-like peptide-2 analogs, has made great progress. Many high-quality studies have provided evidence-based medical findings to support the development of clinical guidelines. This article reviews the latest research advancements regarding the use of glucagon-like peptide-2 analogs (teduglutide, glepaglutide, and apraglutide) in the treatment of SBS.


[Lacrimal assessment of lg E in cases with allergic conjunctivitis].
To present the study regarding Ig E tears dosation in cases with allergic conjunctivitis. The Ig E tear dosation was done on two study groups--group A with 124 patients presenting allergic conjunctivitis symptoms (58 with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, 43 with atopic allergic ocular symptoms, 23 treated with olopatadina 0.1% for 10 days) and compare group B consisting of 40 healthy patients (no local or general allergic symptoms) evaluated in the the Ophthalmology Clinic Arad between 2002-2008. The biological material used in the study was that of tears samples. For the determination of Ig E we used ELISA method, HUMAN IMUNO IG E QUANTITATION (Bethyl Laboratoires, Montgomery, TX) test. Significant statistic high levels of IgE concentration were observed in study group A in patients with allergic seasonal conjunctivitis (331.11 +/- 125.22 ng/ml) and patients with atopic terrain (177.18 +/- 56.70) compared to group B (67.25 +/- 8.89 ng/ml) with healthy patients. In the study group with allergic seasonal conjunctivitis there have been significant diminished IgE levels (71.70 +/- 9.94) after treatment. The method of IgE tears dosation proved to be efficient in establishing the ethiology of ocular allergies and in the screening of new cases with allergic conjunctivitis.


Intestinal inflammation-induced growth retardation acts through IL-6 in rats and depends on the -174 IL-6 G/C polymorphism in children.
Inflammatory diseases frequently impair linear growth. Crohn's disease inhibits growth in up to one third of affected children. In rats with trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid-induced colitis, 40% of growth impairment is attributable to inflammation, with the rest being due to undernutrition. In transgenic mice without inflammation, raised IL-6 retards growth, suppressing insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. We hypothesized that IL-6, induced by intestinal inflammation, suppresses growth and inhibits IGF-I expression. Therefore, an anti-IL-6 Ab was given to rats with trinitrobenzene-sulphonic acid colitis. The Ab did not improve nutrient intake or decrease inflammation compared with untreated disease controls, but it significantly restored linear growth (P = 0.023) and increased IGF-I (P = 0.05). In humans, the IL-6 -174 G/C promoter polymorphism affects IL-6 transcription, with the GG genotype inducing the greatest IL-6 levels. Because IL-6 is increased in Crohn's disease, we further hypothesized that growth failure would vary with the IL-6 -174 genotype. At diagnosis, among 153 children with Crohn's disease, those with the IL-6 GG genotype were more growth-retarded than those with the GC or CC genotypes (height SD score, -0.51 vs. -0.10; P = 0.031). Also, the patients with the IL-6 GG genotype had higher circulating levels of C-reactive protein, an IL-6-induced product (36 vs. 18 mg/dl, P = 0.028). However, their risk of developing Crohn's disease was similar to other genotypes when compared with 351 healthy controls (P = 0.7). Thus, the IL-6 -174 genotype mediates growth failure in children with Crohn's disease.


[Online diagnosis of the conversion of methane to C2 hydrocarbons under glow discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure].
Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was adopted for the first time by our group for in situ diagnosis of the conversion of CH4-H2 under glow discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure with rotary electrodes. The emission of excited species such as excited radicals and atoms (C, CH, C2, H and H2) was detected in the spectra range of 300-700 nm. The spectrum of hydrogen atom was used to figure out the plasma excitation temperature by a Boltzmann plot scheme. It was evaluated that the excitation temperature of hydrogen plasmas under varied discharge conditions is in the range of 6300-6600 K. The electron density was calculated based on spectral profile of H lines and its order is about 10(20) m(-3).


Assessment of rheumatoid activity based on clinical features and blood and synovial fluid analysis.
Joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis has been assessed, and the most useful guides to disease activity were determined by analysis of synovial fluid and blood together with the history of joint disability. The patient's own evaluation of the amount of pain suffered was the most useful clinical assessment. Differential cell count and glucose estimations were the most helpful guides in the synovial fluid, while C-reactive protein in the serum most accurately reflected disease activity. The effects of systemic steroids on these indices were studied, and the differences between seronegative and seropositive patients noted.


Nucleosome positioning pattern derived from oligonucleotide compositions of genomic sequences.
Availability of nucleosome positioning pattern(s) is crucial for chromatin studies. The matrix form of the pattern has been recently derived (I. Gabdank, D. Barash, E. N. Trifonov. J Biomol Struct Dyn 26, 403-412 (2009), and E. N. Trifonov. J Biomol Struct Dyn 27, 741-746 (2010)). In its simplified linear form it is described by the motif CGRAAATTTYCG. Oligonucleotide components of the motif (say, triplets GRA, RAA, AAA, etc.) would be expected to appear in eukaryotic sequences more frequently. In this work we attempted the reconstruction of the bendability patterns for 13 genomes by a novel approach-extension of highest frequency trinucleotides. The consensus of the patterns reconstructed on the basis of trinucleotide frequencies in 13 eukaryotic genomes is derived: CRAAAATTTTYG. It conforms to the earlier established sequence motif. The reconstruction, thus, attests to the universality of the nucleosome DNA bendability pattern.


Does Documented Brief Intervention Predict Decreases in Alcohol Use in Primary Care?
Brief intervention (BI) is recommended for patients with unhealthy alcohol use, but the effectiveness of BI in usual care settings remains unclear. We evaluated whether BI predicts decreases in drinking 6 months after a positive screen for unhealthy alcohol use. We enrolled patients who recently screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use during a routine screen in Veterans Health Administration primary care. We conducted medical record review to assess whether providers documented advice to reduce or abstain, feedback about risks to health, feedback about how patient drinking compares to norms or recommended limits, and discussion of drinking-related goals. BI elements were coded from 7 days before the date of the positive screen to 60 days after. We conducted baseline and 6-month follow-up telephone interviews to assess change in past 30-day drinking. We fit regression models examining each BI element and another model for the total count of instances of any combination of elements. Of the 327 patients included, 86% had at least one documented instance of receiving advice, 86% had risk feedback, 55% had normative feedback, 38% had goal discussion, and 75% had three or more instances of any combination of elements of BI. None of the individual BI elements, nor the total number of instances, were significantly associated with decreased drinking. Results suggest that provider documentation of elements of BI and increasing numbers of instances of BI elements were not associated with decreased heavy drinking at 6-month follow-up among patients identified with unhealthy alcohol use.


Inhibition of ColE1 RNA primer formation by a plasmid-specified small RNA.
Transcription of ColE1 DNA by RNA polymerase in vitro starts at two sites in a region required for maintenance of the plasmid. Certain transcripts that start at one of the sites can be cleaved by RNase H and then act as primers for DNA replication. Transcription from the other site produces a RNA approximately 108 nucleotides long (species I or RNA I). Transcripts analogous to the primer and RNA I of ColE1 are produced when p15A or small derivatives of two other ColE1-compatible plasmids, CloDF13 and RSF1030, are used as template. If purified RNA I is added to the transcription reaction containing RNase H, formation of primer is inhibited. Each RNA I can inhibit primer formation by the plasmid that specifies it but has no effect on primer formation by heterologous templates. Thus, the inhibition of primer formation by RNA I is incompatibility specific. Because RNA I does not inhibit initiation or propagation of transcription or the processing of preformed precursors, the step that is sensitive to inhibition is probably formation of the hybrid between the primer precursor and the template. This hybrid is the required substrate for RNase H. Experiments with recombinant plasmids show the region that determines the specificity of response to RNA I to be greater than 300 base pairs upstream of the origin of DNA replication.


An Adagio for Viruses, Played Out on Ancient DNA.
Studies of ancient DNA have transformed our understanding of human evolution. Paleogenomics can also reveal historic and prehistoric agents of disease, including endemic, epidemic, and pandemic pathogens. Viruses-and in particular those with single- or double-stranded DNA genomes-are an important part of the paleogenomic revolution, preserving within some remains or environmental samples for tens of thousands of years. The results of these studies capture the public imagination, as well as giving scientists a unique perspective on some of the more slowly evolving viruses which cause disease. In this review, we revisit the first studies of historical virus genetic material in the 1990s, through to the genomic revolution of recent years. We look at how paleogenomics works for viral pathogens, such as the need for careful precautions against modern contamination and robust computational pipelines to identify and analyze authenticated viral sequences. We discuss the insights into virus evolution which have been gained through paleogenomics, concentrating on three DNA viruses in particular: parvovirus B19, herpes simplex virus 1, and smallpox. As we consider recent worldwide transmission of monkeypox and synthetic biology tools that allow the potential reconstruction of extinct viruses, we show that studying historical and ancient virus evolution has never been more topical.


Is it time for flexibility in botulinum inter-injection intervals?
Based largely on old retrospective reports, the recommendation of injecting BoNT as infrequently as possible, with the lowest possible dose, was formed. While BoNT is inherently immunogenic, with improved production, most patients no longer develop immune resistance and poor response to BoNT is often due to other factors. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using abobotulinumtoxinA for cervical dystonia (CD) by the German Dystonia Study Group, half of the patients treated with 250 and 500 U, and 39% in the 1000 U group required retreatment after 8 weeks. In a RCT comparing onabotulinumtoxinA and incobotulinumtoxinA for CD by Benecke et al., waning of effect was noted in 70 days for both toxins. Finally, two long-term prospective trials employing flexible intervals, with reinjections based on patient's request, have been performed using incobotulinumtoxinA. In the CD study, 22.5% were re-injected in <10 weeks and 24.6% between 10 and 12 weeks. In the blepharospasm study, the median injection interval was 6-10 weeks for 23.7% and 10-12 weeks for 32.3%) While long-term studies utilizing flexible/shortened intervals, with vigilance over immunogenicity are needed, the majority of current evidence no longer support the very stringent adherence to strict 90-day BoNT injection intervals.


Photoinduced Three-Component Difluoroamidosulfonylation/Bicyclization: A Route to Dihydrobenzofuran Derivatives.
A visible-light-induced photocatalyst-free three-component radical cascade bicyclization has been achieved to obtain diverse difluoroamidosulfonylated dihydrobenzofurans in moderate to good yields. This protocol avoids potential toxicity and the tedious removal procedure for photocatalysts and also features mild reaction conditions and a good functional group tolerance. Moreover, mechanistic investigations reveal the formation of a charge-transfer complex and the involvement of an intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer process in this transformation.


Antero-medial orbital masses associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) involves the orbits through direct extension to the orbital apex via the cavernous sinus. Anterior orbital masses are very rare with only a few anecdotes in the literature about an anterior spread via nasal cavity or tumour arising de novo from the lacrimal sac. Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the orbit has never been reported in association with NPC. Three cases that presented with antero-medial orbital mass in association with NPC are described. Two of the three cases including one with bilateral orbital mass, had biopsy proven NPC in the orbit and presented with tearing due to lacrimal sac involvement with a palpable mass in the anteromedial orbit. The third case presented with a left antero-medial orbital mass, which on biopsy proved to be a reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. He was detected to have NPC while investigating the orbital mass. All had raised serum levels of IgA against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The possible mode of spread in our case with bilateral involvement is most likely to be a metastasis, though a microscopic anterior spread through the nasal cavity and nasolacrimal duct could not be ruled out despite there being no evidence of tumour in the original site or nasal cavity. In the second case, the tumour spread from the nasal cavity into the orbit is clearly via the nasolacrimal duct. The third patient presents an interesting association of lymphoproliferative disorder and NPC with Epstein-Barr virus infection. Anterior orbital masses involving nasolacrimal duct and lacrimal sac are rare in NPC, but can occur. A rare association of a reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the orbit with NPC is described.


Correlates and Consequences of Opioid Misuse among High-Risk Young Adults.
Background. Prescription opioids are the most frequently misused class of prescription drug among young adults aged 18-25, yet trajectories of opioid misuse and escalation are understudied. We sought to model opioid misuse patterns and relationships between opioid misuse, sociodemographic factors, and other substance uses. Methods. Participants were 575 young adults age 16-25 who had misused opioids in the last 90 days. Latent class analysis was performed with models based on years of misuse, recency of misuse, and alternate modes of administration within the past 12 months, 3 months, and 30 days. Results. Four latent classes emerged that were differentially associated with heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine use, tranquilizer misuse, daily opioid misuse, and opioid withdrawal. Alternate modes of administering opioids were associated with increased risk for these outcomes. Sociodemographic factors, homelessness, prescription history, and history of parental drug use were significantly associated with riskier opioid misuse trajectories. Conclusion. Young adults who reported more debilitating experiences as children and adolescents misused opioids longer and engaged in higher risk alternate modes of administering opioids. Data on decisions both to use and to alter a drug's form can be combined to describe patterns of misuse over time and predict important risk behaviors.


Immunological aberrations in ankylosing spondylitis patients.
In order to explore the alteration in immunological function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), serum concentrations of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4, and lymphocyte subpopulations defined by monoclonal antibodies (OKT series) were studied in 40 AS and 20 age-matched normals. The results showed that i) The IgG and IgA in AS patients were much higher than those in normals (p less than 0.001) and C3, C4 and IgM were also increased (p less than 0.01, less than 0.05, less than 0.05, respectively), ii) The percentage of B cells and OKT3 cells of AS patients were lower, but OKT8 and OKIa1 were higher than that of normals (p less than 0.05). When the AS patients were further divided into active group (22 cases) with c-reaction protein (CRP) higher than, or equal to 15 mg/l and inactive group (18 cases) with CRP less than 15 mg/l, it was found that the inactive group had decreased B cells (p less than 0.01) and OKT3 (p less than 0.05) as compared with normals. On the other hand, the active group had increased percentage of OKT8 than normal controls (p less than 0.05), and increased OKIa1 than both inactive group and normal controls (p less than 0.01), but OKT3 decreased than the normal (p less than 0.05). It is therefore concluded that the immunological aberration plays a role in the pathogenesis of AS.


Using Cost-Effectiveness Analysis to Measure Value in Musculoskeletal Imaging.
In the era of value-based health care, adding value is a key element in providing care. The choice of appropriate imaging modality and protocol should be based on consideration of patients' values, health care outcomes, and cost-effectiveness, taking into account the perspective of the decision maker, the health care system, and society at large. This article provides an overview of the available tools to measure value, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness in musculoskeletal radiology, illustrated with relevant examples.


Lignanamides: sources, biosynthesis and potential health benefits - a minireview.
Lignanamides are natural plant secondary metabolites derived from oxidative coupling mechanism with hydroxycinnamic acid amides as intermediates. These compounds display powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-hyperlipidemic capacities in vitro, cell culture and in vivo studies. With strong potential to be utilized as protective agents against human chronic diseases, these compounds have attracted the interest of researchers. This review aims to discuss current understanding on the sources, classification, biosynthesis of lignanamides in plants, and importantly their biological activity and potential health benefits. The general biosynthesis pathway for lignanamides is comprehensively summarized, though some details in molecular regulation of the coupling process have yet to be elucidated. Lignanamides deserves additional clinical studies involving animal and human subjects, to prove its health benefits.


Recovery of uranium(VI) from aqueous solution by 2-picolylamine functionalized poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) resin.
A 2-picolylamine functionalized poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) resin was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, elemental analysis, SEM and XPS. To recover uranium from aqueous solution, the influence factors such as pH values, contact time, temperature and initial uranium concentration were optimized. Adsorption kinetics fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model, whereas adsorption isotherm matched well with the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model, with the maximum sorption capacity of 518.39mgg-1 at pH 5.30 and 298K. The uptake of uranium could be implied in 0.01M coexisted ions environment. Besides, the resin could be regenerated by 0.1M HNO3 and repeatedly utilized in circles. The study proved that the resin has potential application prospects for disposal of uranium(VI).


Cerebrospinal Fluid-philic and Biocompatibility-Enhanced Soft Cranial Window for Long-Term In Vivo Brain Imaging.
Soft, transparent poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS)-based cranial windows in animal models have created many opportunities to investigate brain functions with multiple in vivo imaging modalities. However, due to the hydrophobic nature of PDMS, the wettability by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is poor, which may cause air bubble trapping beneath the window during implantation surgery, and favorable heterogeneous bubble nucleation at the interface between hydrophobic PDMS and CSF. This may result in excessive growth of the entrapped bubble under the soft cranial window. Herein, to yield biocompatibility-enhanced, trapped bubble-minimized, and soft cranial windows, this report introduces a CSF-philic PDMS window coated with hydroxyl-enriched poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) for long-term in vivo imaging. The PVA-coated PDMS (PVA/PDMS) film exhibits a low contact angle θACA (33.7 ± 1.9°) with artificial CSF solution and maintains sustained CSF-philicity. The presence of the PVA layer achieves air bubble-free implantation of the soft cranial window, as well as induces the formation of a thin wetting film that shows anti-biofouling performance through abundant water molecules on the surface, leading to long-term optical clarity. In vivo studies on the mice cortex verify that the soft and CSF-philic features of the PVA/PDMS film provide minimal damage to neuronal tissues and attenuate immune response. These advantages of the PVA/PDMS window are strongly correlated with the enhancement of cortical hemodynamic changes and the local field potential recorded through the PVA/PDMS film, respectively. This collection of results demonstrates the potential for future microfluidic platforms for minimally invasive CSF extraction utilizing a CSF-philic fluidic passage.


Free-standing array of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on silicon (111) by a field-inducing self-assembly process.
In this paper, the authors bring forward a novel method named as the field-inducing self-assembly process in which free-standing MWCNTs array can be assembled perpendicularly on silicon (111) wafer. The density of free-standing MWCNTs array is controllable by adjusting the DC voltage from 0 V to 40 V. Preferential MWCNTs array is obtained by the condensation reaction between carboxylic group of MWCNTs end and hydroxyl group of silicon electrode surface under a low DC field. And the MWCNTs array can exhibit excellent field emission property.


Antibody-independent complement activation by myelin via the classical complement pathway.
Murine or rabbit whole brain homogenates were shown to activate human complement via the classical pathway by an antibody-independent reaction. This activity required Ca++ ions. Anticomplementary activity in fractionated murine brain was found to reside in the myelin fraction and in purified myelin. It was absent, however, both from highly purified myelin basic protein (MBP) and from the MBP-free residue. Because purified MBP is a monomer and this protein exists in brain tissue largely as a dimer, the ability of the cross-linked form of MBP to activate complement was investigated. MBP, dimerized with difluorodinitrobenzene, was highly anticomplementary. The murine brain, inactive when taken from the newborn mouse, was shown to first acquire the capacity to activate complement at 7 d after birth. This finding is consistent with the report that the synthesis of myelin protein has been shown to be initiated in murine brain 8 d after birth. Complement activation by MBP could play an important role in the pathological changes observed in neurological disorders.


[Immunohistochemical study of hepatitis B surface and core antigens in HBsAg seronegative and seropositive organ and tissue donors].
Hepatitis B virus antigen screening in the liver of organ and tissue donors was performed. The results of a 4-year period are compared with the serological findings. The immunohistochemical and serological data altered in two out of 15 organ donors. HBV antigen could be detected in the liver, however the serological examination was negative in these persons. The author emphasize the risk of a possible hepatitis B virus transmission through organ and tissue transplantation. A detailed examination of the donors is suggested.


Quantifying the "milky sky" experiment.
Spectra of direct and scattered light that passed through a tank of water mixed with up to 25 ml of homogenized skim milk were measured with a spectroradiometer in a classic experiment used to illustrate why the sky is blue and why the Sun turns red near the horizon. The direct light penetrating the tank was reddened by preferential scattering of short waves by the milk particles (protein casein micelles and fat globules). Scattered light was blue near the light source when the optical thickness was small and red far from the source when the optical thickness was large. The measured radiance spectra and Mie theory were used to estimate that the optically effective mean diameters of protein casein micelles and fat globules were 170 and 610 nm.


Live Cell Imaging of Spatiotemporal Ca2+ Fluctuation Responses to Anticancer Drugs.
Synthetic triterpenoids, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and its derivatives are known to have potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. The mechanisms of actions of CDDO and its derivatives as potential therapeutics remain elusive. Previous studies found that CDDO-Me triggers apoptosis by inducing extracellular Ca2+ influx followed by endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived vacuolation. Since Ca2+ activity in cells is dynamic and needs to be tracked in real time in living cells, we report a high-throughput and high-content imaging method to track CDDO-induced Ca2+ fluctuation in both ER and cytosol with MATLAB script for data analysis and visualization.


Targeted co-delivery of polypyrrole and rapamycin by trastuzumab-conjugated liposomes for combined chemo-photothermal therapy.
Trastuzumab is a therapeutic monoclonal antibody that selectively recognizes HER2/neu receptor for targeting breast cancers. In this study, we aimed to present a strategy to combine chemo and phototherapy and targeted delivery via monoclonal antibody for enhanced anticancer effects. We co-loaded a chemotherapeutic agent, rapamycin, and a photosensitizer, polypyrrole, in trastuzumab-conjugated liposomes (LRPmAb) for combined chemo-photothermal therapy. LRPmAb had small size (172.2±9.6nm), narrow distribution, and negative ζ-potential (-12.0±0.3mV). In addition, LRPmAb showed pH- and temperature-dependent release profiles. LRPmAb showed significantly enhanced uptake in BT-474 cells, a natural HER2/neu expressing cell line. We found that these LRPmAb were effective in delivering rapamycin and showed higher therapeutic efficacy in breast cancer cells overexpressing HER2/neu receptors compared with cells that did not overexpress these receptors. Furthermore, LRPmAb showed synergistic activity against rapamycin-sensitive and resistant cell lines in vitro. These findings indicated that LRPmAb-mediated drug delivery could improve the therapeutic efficacy against breast cancer and overcome drug resistance.


[A statistical analysis of sudden deafness].
The present study was carried out in order to determine factors which influenced the prognosis of sudden deafness and to try to predict the prognosis of sudden deafness, analyzed statistically by multivariate analysis. A total of 143 patients with sudden deafness diagnosed and treated at the department of otolaryngology, Ebetsu Municipal General Hospital and Obihiro Kohsei Hospital between 1986 and 1991, were selected for this study. Statistical analysis disclosed the following. 1. A good hearing level at the initial visit, a low-frequency hearing loss, the absence of vestibular symptoms and an initial visit within seven days after onset, indicate a good prognosis for sudden deafness. 2. Multivariate analysis showed that the hearing level at the initial visit most strongly influences sudden deafness, followed by the number of days from onset to initial visit, vestibular symptoms and the difference between low- and high-frequency hearing level, in that order. 3. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that the prognosis of sudden deafness can be predicted at a level of 78.3%, considering the above four factors. This facilitates treatment of patients with sudden deafness.


Performance measurement, public reporting, and pay-for-performance.
The use of incentives to improve quality of care is spreading rapidly across the health care system. Public reporting (PR) and pay-for-performance (PFP) are two examples of incentive-based programs. Although conclusive level I evidence for the positive impacts of these PR and PFP is limited, individual states and the federal government have begun to adopt and pilot these programs for a variety of specific clinical conditions. This article reviews the principles of health care quality performance measurement; current reporting and pay-for-performance programs; and the most recent literature documenting positive, negative and future impacts of these types of programs on urologic practice.


A Review of COVID-19-Related Publications and Lag Times During the First Six Months of the Year 2020.
Considering the need for information regarding approaches to prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we sought to determine publication lag times of COVID-19-related original research articles published in top general medicine and emergency medicine (EM) journals. We further sought to characterize the types of COVID-19 publications within these journals. We reviewed 125 top-ranked general medicine journals and 20 top-ranked EM-specific journals for COVID-19-related publications. We abstracted article titles and manuscript details for each COVID-19-related article published between January 1-June 30, 2020, and categorized articles as one of the following: original research; case report; review; or commentary. We abstracted data for preprint publications over the same time period and determined whether articles from the general medicine and EM journals had been previously published as preprint articles. Our primary outcomes were the following: 1) lag time (days) between global cumulative World Health Organization (WHO)-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and publications; 2) lag times between preprint article publication and peer-reviewed journal publication; and 3) lag times between submission and publication in peer-reviewed journals. Our secondary outcome was to characterize COVID-19-related publications. The first original research publications appeared in a general medicine journal 20 days and in an EM journal 58 days after the first WHO-confirmed case of COVID-19. We found median and mean lag times between preprint publications and journal publications of 32 days (19, 49) and 36 days (22) for general medicine journals, and 26 days (16, 36) and 25 days (13) for EM journals. Median and mean lag times between submission and publication were 30 days (19, 45) and 35 days (13) for general medicine journals, and 23 days (11, 39) and 27 days (19) for EM journals. Of 2530 general medicine journal articles and 351 EM journal articles, 28% and 23.6% were original research. We noted substantial closing of the preprint to peer-reviewed publication (160 days pre-pandemic) and peer-reviewed journal submission to publication (194 days pre-pandemic) lag times for COVID-19 manuscripts. We found a rapid and robust response with shortened publication lag times to meet the need for the publication of original research and other vital medical information related to COVID-19 during the first six months of 2020.


[Stimulation of the spinal cord in peripheral vasculopathies].
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) by means of percutaneously implantable epidural electrodes was utilized for the treatment of benign pain of different etiologies. The technique was particularly useful when dealing with pain due to peripheral obstructive vascular disease. Improvement of claudication and of trophic lesions occurred as well. Different techniques were utilized in order to evaluate changes in peripheral blood flow during SCS. The results of our studies, even though not conclusive, suggest that SCS induces an increase in peripheral blood flow. A reduction of sympathetic out-flow during SCS was demonstrated by our group in studies of Heart Rate in man. Such so called "Reversible Functional Sympathectomy" can, at least partially, account for the results of SCS in peripheral vasculopathies.


Recombinant human gonadotropins for macaque superovulation: repeated stimulations and post-treatment pregnancies.
This report summarizes data from the superovulation and ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration of 40 female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with recombinant human gonadotropins. Of the animals treated, 12 were stimulated for only one cycle, either because of a poor response to the hormones or due to ectopic ovarian position precluding ease of access via ultrasound. The majority of animals were stimulated for a minimum of 3 cycles and 3 females continued to respond for a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 cycles. For those animals with repeated stimulation cycles, the number of follicles developed during each of the stimulation protocols remained relatively comparable. Of the animals mated since cessation of treatment, 70% conceived. There was no difference between the conception rate in this subset of animals and the rest of the macaque breeding colony. These data indicate that participation in these studies does not impact on the reproductive potential of female rhesus monkeys.


Neural system for updating object working memory from different sources: sensory stimuli or long-term memory.
Working memory (WM) is the active maintenance of currently relevant information so that it is available for use. A crucial component of WM is the ability to update the contents when new information becomes more relevant than previously maintained information. New information can come from different sources, including from sensory stimuli (SS) or from long-term memory (LTM). Updating WM may involve a single neural system regardless of source, distinct systems for each source, or a common network with additional regions involved specifically in sensory or LTM processes. The current series of experiments indicates that a single fronto-parietal network (including supplementary motor area, parietal, left inferior frontal junction, middle frontal gyrus) is active in updating WM regardless of the source of information. Bilateral cuneus was more active during updating WM from LTM than updating from SS, but the activity in this region was attributable to recalling information from LTM regardless of whether that information was to be entered into WM for future use or not. No regions were found to be more active during updating from SS than updating from LTM. Functional connectivity analysis revealed that different regions within this common update network were differentially more correlated with visual processing regions when participants updated from SS, and more correlated with LTM processing regions when participants updated from the contents of LTM. These results suggest that a single neural mechanism is responsible for controlling the contents of WM regardless of whether that information originates from a sensory stimulus or from LTM. This network of regions involved in updating WM interacts with the rest of the brain differently depending on the source of newly relevant information.


Frequency of osteonecrosis in bisphosphonate users submitted to dental procedures: A systematic review.
To determine the frequency of osteonecrosis of the jaw in bisphosphonate users submitted to dental procedures. This systematic review searched the sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Virtual Health Library, with no restriction on language or publication date. Reviewers, in pairs and independently, selected the studies, extracted their data, and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analyses were pooled using the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model. A total of 27 studies (5391 participants) were included. The most reported bisphosphonates were zoledronate (n = 17 studies) and alendronate (n = 19) for treating cancers (n = 11) and osteoporosis (n = 16), respectively. Twelve studies were of low methodological quality. The frequency of osteonecrosis was 2.7% (95% CI: 0.9-5.2%) and proved higher for intravenous [6.9% (0.7-17.3%)] than oral [0.2% (0.9-5.2%)] bisphosphonate use. No association between longer treatment duration and greater frequency of osteonecrosis was observed. Higher frequency of osteonecrosis was observed in intravenous bisphosphonate users submitted to dental extraction. Further studies collecting more detailed information on the bisphosphonates used and of greater methodological rigor are warranted to confirm these findings and better inform prescribers, dental surgeons, and other professionals on risks of bisphosphonate use in this patient group.


Long noncoding RNAs and novel inflammatory genes determined by RNA sequencing in human lymphocytes are up-regulated in permanent atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Currently, approximately 33.5 million individuals are affected by AF globally. AF involves multiple complicated mechanisms which have not been fully investigated yet. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) is an outstanding method for investigation of diseases due to its high-throughput information. Here, RNAseq was applied to determine mRNA and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles in human lymphocytes from 6 permanent atrial fibrillation (pmAF) patients and 6 healthy controls. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to further validate 3 lncRNAs and 4 inflammatory mRNAs. It was discovered that there were numerous differentially-expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs between these two groups. GO analysis indicated that differentially-expressed mRNAs were mainly involved in native immunity, inflammation, signaling transduction and so forth, and they were also enriched in pathways like TNF signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor pathway and NOD-like receptor pathway. Moreover, co-expression network demonstrated that dysregulated mRNAs and lncRNAs in pmAF lymphocytes participated in inflammation, autophagy, mitochondrial functions, oxidative stress, etc. Further validation by qRT-PCR demonstrated mRNAs and lncRNAs were significantly higher in lymphocytes from pmAF patients compared with controls. In conclusion, mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles in lymphocytes are significantly different between pmAF and controls, differentially-expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs are involved in pathways closely associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy, cell apoptosis and collagen synthesis, suggesting lymphocytes might play indispensable roles in the development of pmAF.


Echocardiographic assessment of the inferior vena cava wall motion for studies of right heart dynamics and function.
Using subcostal echocardiography, 97 patients with diseases involving the right side of the heart and 15 normal subjects were examined in order to study the inferior vena cava (IVC) wall motion. All cases had a diagnostic cardiac catheterization and routine echocardiogram. The jugular pulse (JP) was recorded in 35 random cases contemporary to the IVC and tricuspid valve (TV) tracings. The aim of the study was to evaluate the variations of the IVC diameters in different cardiopathies and in relation to the right atrial mean pressure and the time-relationship of the IVC wall motion related to the cardiac rhythm and cycle, respiratory events, and JP and TV waves. The a, b, v, and y waves were identified on the IVC tracings and related to the respective waves of the JP and the points of closure and opening of the TV. The IVC a and v waves were coincident with the TV closure and opening, and therefore, considered as moments of maximal presystolic and systolic filling of the IVC. The JP a wave inscribed before, whereas the v wave did so after the same IVC waves, respectively. The IVC a wave was due to the atrial contraction and influenced by the cardiac rhythm. The emptying index (EI) was calculated from the diameters in a and b as a - b/a X %, whereas the collapsability index (CI) was calculated from the expiratory and inspiratory diameters as Ex - In/Ex X %, obtaining a good correlation with the right atrial mean pressure. Finally, the percentage systolic pulsation (SP) was calculated from the diameters in b and v as b - v/b X %. The indices of function of the IVC have been very useful in the evaluation of patients with raised heart pressure, tricuspid regurgitation, and pericardial effusion. From the present investigation it results that the IVC wall motion, more so than the JP waves, is an expression of right atrial and ventricular events, and that the above indices are an expression of the atrial and ventricular function in relation to the hemodynamic situation.


Platelet anti-aggregating triterpenoids from the leaves of Acanthopanax senticosus and the fruits of A. sessiliflorus.
Six triterpenoids, chiisanogenin, chiisanoside, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, beta-sitosterol and daucosterol, were isolated as the platelet anti-aggregating components from the leaves of Acanthopanax senticosus and the fruits of A. sessiliflorus. Chiisanogenin showed about 50-fold higher potency than acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on U46619-induced platelet aggregation (IC50o:6.21 microM) and 10-20-fold higher effects than ASA on epinephrine- and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced aggregation (IC50:2.50 and 4.81 microM, respectively).


Urgent Excision of Primary Intracardiac Burkitt Lymphoma in a Child.
A 9-year-old girl presented with a recent history of shortness of breath, fatigue, visual disturbances, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Echocardiography demonstrated three large intracardiac masses in the right and left atria protruding into the mitral and tricuspid valve orifices causing bilateral inflow obstruction. She underwent urgent surgical excision of the masses. Histology revealed rare intracardiac Burkitt's Lymphoma.


Metabolic Biomarkers Differentiate a Surgical Intervertebral Disc from a Nonsurgical Intervertebral Disc.
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is caused by disturbances in metabolic processes, which lead to structural disorders. The aim of this report is to analyze metabolic disorders in the degeneration process by comparing control discs with degenerated discs. In our research on the nucleus pulposus (NP), we used NMR spectroscopy of extracts of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds of the tissue. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allows the study of biochemistry and cellular metabolism in vitro. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds were extracted from the NP of the intervertebral disc. In the NMR spectra, metabolites were identified and quantitatively analyzed. The results of our research indicate disturbances in the biosynthesis and metabolism of cholesterol, the biosynthesis and degradation of various fatty acid groups, ketone bodies, or lysine, and the metabolism of glycerophospholipids, purines, glycine, inositol, galactose, alanine, glutamate, and pyruvate in the biosynthesis of valine and isoleucine, leucine. All these disorders indicate pathomechanisms related to oxidative stress, energy, neurotransmission disturbances, and disturbances in the structure and functioning of cell membranes, inflammation, or chronic pain generators. NMR spectroscopy allows the identification of metabolites differentiating surgical from nonsurgical discs. These data may provide guidance in in vivo MRS studies in assessing the severity of lesions of the disc.


Reproductive hormones modulate angiotensin II AT1 receptors in the dorsomedial arcuate nucleus of the female rat.
Angiotensin II AT1 receptors are highly localized in the dorsomedial arcuate nucleus. AT1 receptor number is very low during proestrus and in ovariectomized and male rats, and is high only during the estrus phase of the estrous cycle and after ovariectomized rats receive a sequential estrogen-progesterone treatment. Our results suggest that the mechanism of the estrogen-progesterone inhibition of the prolactin surge may involve the selective stimulation of dorsomedial arcuate AT1 receptors.


Hand motion recognition based on forearm deformation measured with a distance sensor array.
Studies of upper limb motion analysis using surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals measured from the forearm plays an important role in various applications, such as human interfaces for controlling robotic exoskeletons, prosthetic hands, and evaluation of body functions. Though the sEMG signals have a lot of information about the activities of the muscles, the signals do not have the activities of the deep layer muscles. We focused on forearm deformation, since hand motion brings the muscles, tendons, and skeletons under the skin. The reason why we focus is that we believe the forearm deformation delivers information about the activities of deep layer muscles. In this paper, we propose a hand motion recognition method based on the forearm deformation measured with a distance sensor array. The method uses the support vector machine. Our method achieved a mean accuracy of 92.6% for seven hand motions. Because the accuracy of the pronation and the supination are high, the distance sensor array has the potential to estimate the activities of deep layer muscles.


Functionalized Porous Aromatic Framework for Efficient Uranium Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions.
We demonstrate the successful functionalization of a porous aromatic framework for uranium extraction from water as exemplified by grafting PAF-1 with the uranyl chelating amidoxime group. The resultant amidoxime-functionalized PAF-1 (PAF-1-CH2AO) exhibits a high uranium uptake capacity of over 300 mg g-1 and effectively reduces the uranyl concentration from 4.1 ppm to less than 1.0 ppb in aqueous solutions within 90 min, well below the acceptable limit of 30 ppb set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The local coordination environment of uranium in PAF-1-CH2AO is revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic studies, which suggest the cooperative binding between UO22+ and adjacent amidoxime species.


Revealing stiffening and brittling of chronic myelogenous leukemia hematopoietic primary cells through their temporal response to shear stress.
Cancer cell transformation is often accompanied by a modification of their viscoelastic properties. When capturing the stress-to-strain response of primary chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells, from two data sets of CD34+ hematopoietic cells isolated from healthy and leukemic bone marrows, we show that the mean shear relaxation modulus increases upon cancer transformation. This stiffening of the cells comes along with local rupture events, detected as reinforced sharp local maxima of this modulus, suggesting that these cancer cells respond to a local mechanical stress by a cascade of local brittle failure events.


[Assessment of the results of determination of the blood level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate by using various commercial reagents].
The results of determination of the blood levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate (DHEA-S) were comparatively assessed, by using the test systems "Steroid-IEA-DHEA-sulfate" (ZAO "Alkor Bio" (Saint Petersburg, Russia)) and "DHEA-S ELISA ("DRG Instruments GmbH (Germany)). The studies were conducted in apparently healthy 19-59-year-old women living in the middle belt of Western Siberia. They revealed the high sensitivity of the study test systems to age-related changes in the blood concentration of DHEA-S. The normal blood DHEA-S concentrations levels given in the instruction to the "DHEA-S ELISA" test systems were found to be decreased in they are used to measure the content of the above analyzed parameter in women aged 19-39 years.


Ca2+ signaling in the pancreatic acinus.
Change in cytosolic free calcium ion concentration [Ca2+]c, resulting from receptor activation by an appropriate agonist, functions as a cardinal intracellular signaling in the stimulus-secretion coupling in a wide variety of secretory cells including the acini of the pancreas. Ratiometric imaging of [Ca2+]c dynamics by UV-laser scanning confocal microscopy led us to conclude that in the cholecystokinin (CCK)-8-induced recurrent [Ca2+]c, spiking increases initially in the basolateral margin of the acinus and propagates to the luminal margin. [Ca2+]c in this initial cell increased rapidly and uniformly to the maximum level. The decrease in [Ca2+]c in the initial cell coincided with a small increase in [Ca2+]c in the luminal regions of the bilateral neighboring cells followed by uniform maximal increase in [Ca2+]c in these neighboring cells. A series of [Ca2+]c dynamics was repeated to form recurrent Ca2+ spiking. The temporal sequences of [Ca2+]c dynamics recorded during continuous stimulation with CCK-8 at a physiologic concentration in individual acinar cells forming the acinus were displayed on the identical time scale. The figure indicates that the signaling is not synchronous in cells forming an acinus. From these and other results, we proposed a model in which CCK-8 at a low physiologic concentration binds to highly sensitive CCK receptor interacting with heterotrimeric guanosine 5'-triphosphate-binding proteins of the Gq class, generate Ins 1,4,5-P3, and recurrent [Ca2+]c, spiking. The recurrent Ca2+ spiking maintains a sustained secretory response, recurrent exocytosis of zymogen granules, and concomitant secretion of isotonic NaCl.


Pramipexole protects dopaminergic neurons through paraplegin against 6-hydroxydopamine.
The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) regulates various physiological and psychological functions, such as movement, motivation, behavior, and learning. DA exerts its function through DA receptors and a series of studies have reported the role of DAergic receptors in preventing DAergic neuronal degeneration. Here, we studied the DA receptor-mediated neuroprotective effect of the D2-like receptor agonists against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced DAergic neurodegeneration. D2-like receptor agonists were administered in the substantia nigra in vivo and to primary cultured neurons. Treatment of 6-OHDA decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and paraplegin (mitochondrial regulation protein) immunoreactivity, whereas pretreatment with quinpirole (a full D2-like receptor agonist) preserved TH and paraplegin reactivity. This led us to test which DA receptors were necessary for the neuroprotective effect and whether paraplegin can be regulated by D2 or D3 receptor agonists. Pretreatment with the D2 receptor selective agonist, sumanirole, did not preserve TH and paraplegin reactivity from 6-OHDA. However, the D3 receptor agonist, pramipexole, protected TH reactivity and restored paraplegin expression to the control level in the presence of 6-OHDA. Interestingly, pretreatment with the D3 receptor antagonist GR103691 reduced TH and paraplegin expression levels. These results suggest that the D3 receptor agonist may protect DA neurons from the effect of 6-OHDA through the modulation of the mitochondrial regulation protein paraplegin.


Health promotion: the views of children's nurses.
A phenomenological study was undertaken to consider the meaning of health promotion, as perceived by a group of six children's nurses. Unstructured individual interviews revealed that health promotion means not only having an understanding of the concept, but being involved and strongly committed to its practice. Participants suggested that health promotion means embracing a range of strategies, acknowledging the value of fostering a multi-agency approach and collaboration with the child and family. These nurses expressed a desire to further develop their health promotion role, but suggested that time constraints and a lack of resources presented difficulties. They concluded that health promotion means having an appropriate knowledge base to facilitate practice, and that nurse education programmes have much to offer in this area.


Molecular characterization of peroxiredoxin from Entamoeba moshkovskii and a comparison with Entamoeba histolytica.
Peroxiredoxin of the pathogenic parasite, Entamoeba histolytica, is thought to be involved in protection from oxidative attack by host phagocytic cells and endogenously generated hydrogen peroxide. In this study, we cloned peroxiredoxin genes from the nonpathogenic ameba, Entamoeba moshkovskii, and characterized the peroxiredoxin protein. The open reading frame of three cloned cDNAs was demonstrated to encode a polypeptide of 218 or 217 amino acids. Identity of the amino acid sequence of peroxiredoxins between E. moshkovskii and E. histolytica was considerably high (77-81%), but the N-terminus portion of E. moshkovskii peroxiredoxin was shorter than that of E. histolytica. A recombinant peroxiredoxin of E. moshkovskii expressed in Escherichia coli exhibited hydrogen peroxidase activity. Its K(m) and V(max) values of 35 microM and 0.07 micromol/min/mg protein were approximately 1 and 1.5 times greater than E. histolytica peroxiredoxin, respectively. In addition, the protective effect of E. moshkovskii peroxiredoxin against oxidative-nicking of supercoiled plasmid DNA was shown to be greater than that of E. histolytica peroxiredoxin. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, using polyclonal antibody against the recombinant E. moshkovskii peroxiredoxin, demonstrated that this protein was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of trophozoites, supporting its function as a protectant against DNA damage. Southern blot and real-time reverse transcription PCR analyses of the E. moshkovskii peroxiredoxin gene demonstrated that it was a multi-copy gene and its expression was comparable to that of E. histolytica. These results suggest that the antioxidant peroxiredoxin is important for protection against endogenously generated hydrogen peroxide in the nonpathogenic ameba.


Assessment of Nutritional Status of Under-Five Children in an Urban Area of South Delhi, India.
Introduction Malnutrition among children continues to be a severe public health problem worldwide, whether in a developing country like India or a developed nation. Correct estimation of the problem is a prerequisite to planning the measures to control it. Objective To estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among children under five years of age by utilizing the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure and the WHO growth charts. Methods From January to March 2020, 1332 children under the age of five years participated in a facility-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study at Fatehpur Beri, Urban Primary Health Center. An anthropometric assessment for each participant was done as per the WHO criteria. The data were entered into a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA) and analyzed with WHO Anthro software (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) and a licensed version of SPSS 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Continuous data were expressed using appropriate measures of central tendency, while categorical data were expressed in either frequency or proportions. Results The mean age of the study participants was 23.04 ± 18.24 months, and males (53.3%) were more than (46.7%) females. The prevalence of being underweight was 24.5% (327/1332), of which 24.1% (79/327) of children were severely underweight. Of the total study participants, 27.3% (362/1332) were stunted, and 17.8% (237/1332) were wasted, of which 29.1% (69/237) were severely wasted. The prevalence of anthropometric failure was 45%. Conclusions According to the findings of this study, the prevalence of undernutrition among the study participants was substantial. Furthermore, considering weight for age as the sole criterion may underestimate the true prevalence of malnutrition. The findings have critical implications for future interventions and initiatives among children in India.


4-Methyl-1,2,3-Triazoles as N-Acetyl-Lysine Mimics Afford Potent BET Bromodomain Inhibitors with Improved Selectivity.
The bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) protein family recognizes acetylated lysines within histones and transcription factors using two N-terminal bromodomains, D1 and D2. The protein-protein interactions between BET bromodomains, acetylated histones, and transcription factors are therapeutic targets for BET-related diseases, including inflammatory disease and cancer. Prior work demonstrated that methylated-1,2,3-triazoles are suitable N-acetyl lysine mimetics for BET inhibition. Here we describe a structure-activity relationship study of triazole-based inhibitors that improve affinity, D1 selectivity, and microsomal stability. These outcomes were accomplished by targeting a nonconserved residue, Asp144 and a conserved residue, Met149, on BRD4 D1. The lead inhibitors DW34 and 26 have a BRD4 D1 Kd of 12 and 6.4 nM, respectively. Cellular activity was demonstrated through suppression of c-Myc expression in MM.1S cells and downregulation of IL-8 in TNF-α-stimulated A549 cells. These data indicate that DW34 and 26 are new leads to investigate the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity of BET proteins.


Patho-physiology of kallikrein system.
The properties of the contact factors, factor XII, high molecular weight kininogen and prekallikrein are described as well as the abnormalities in the hereditary deficiencies of these proteins. The interactions of each of these proteins with the other as well as their regulation by plasma proteolytic inhibitors such as Cl inhibitor and antithrombin III are delineated. Biochemical techniques for measuring this system are discussed. Conditions associated with abnormal synthesis of these proteins are described. Diseases in which increased kinin formation has been documented as well as disorders where there is strong evidence for the activation of kallikrein are presented. Further knowledge of this system should increase our understanding of its pathophysiological alterations.


Soft x-ray resonant diffraction study of magnetic and orbital correlations in a manganite near half doping.
We have utilized resonant x-ray diffraction at the Mn L(II,III) edges in order to directly compare magnetic and orbital correlations in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3. Comparing the widths of the magnetic and orbital diffraction peaks, we find that the magnetic correlation length exceeds that of the orbital order by nearly a factor of 2. Furthermore, we observe a large (approximately 3 eV) spectral weight shift between the magnetic and orbital resonant line shapes, which cannot be explained within the classic Goodenough picture of a charge-ordered ground state. To explain the shift, we calculate the orbital and magnetic resonant diffraction line shapes based on a relaxed charge-ordered model.


Lymphokine activated killer cell activity following voluntary physical activity in mice.
The effect of eight weeks of voluntary wheel running exercise in female, outbred Swiss Webster mice on baseline splenic natural killer (NK) cell and interleukin-2 stimulated lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell activity was studied. NK cell cytolytic activity against YAC-1 tumour targets was measured using a 51Cr release assay at the completion of a wheel running episode (end of dark cycle) or at 96 h after cessation of wheel running. LAK cell activity against tumour targets was generated from splenic NK cells by in vitro stimulation for 3 days with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). Wheel running was not associated with increases in baseline NK cytolytic activity either when sampled as a training effect (96 h after exercise) or immediately after exercise. Following an episode of wheel running exercise, LAK activity was significantly higher in the physically active compared to sedentary animals. These results support the concept that spontaneous wheel running activity enhances lymphokine activated killer cell activity following a cycle of active running; whether this greater LAK activity involves changes in IL-1, IL-2, or other cytokine concentrations or in the expression of IL-2 receptors on NK/LAK cells after exercise warrants further investigation. Given the clinical use of IL-2 to stimulate LAK cells in adoptive immunotherapy, it is possible (although untested) that exercise may have a potentially beneficial role as a treatment modality for some human cancers.


Sexual Orientation, High-Deductible Health Plans, And Financial Barriers To Care.
Among US adults in 2013-18, we found high-deductible health plan enrollment to be the lowest among heterosexual and gay/lesbian adults in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and the highest among bisexual adults in families with incomes at or above 400 percent of poverty. Gay/lesbian and bisexual adults in these plans experienced greater financial barriers to health care than heterosexual adults.


Effect of bile on cyclosporin absorption in liver transplant patients.
1. We quantitated the effect of biliary diversion on cyclosporin (CyA) absorption in liver transplant patients. Multiple blood samples were obtained over one dosing interval following oral CyA administration in eight liver transplant patients before and after T-tube clamping. 2. Cyclosporin concentrations were measured by a high pressure liquid chromatographic method. 3. The mean (+/- s.d.) dose-normalized area under the blood concentration vs time curve (AUC) over a dosing interval was 5.23 (+/- 3.22) ng ml-1 h during the pre clamping period and 15.79 +/- 7.92 ng ml-1 h during the post clamping period. A significant (P less than 0.05) increase (276%) in the dose normalized AUC was observed following the T-tube clamping. 4. Analysis of bile revealed less than 1 mg (less than 1% of dose) of unchanged CyA to be eliminated in bile over 12 h. Therefore the increased CyA AUC/dose following T-tube ligation cannot be explained by enterohepatic recirculation. 5. Increased bile flow secondary to clamping of the T-tube most likely increased the absorption of CyA. Increase in CyA absorption may be due to a bile mediated increase in CyA solubility or gastrointestinal membrane permeability, or increased residence time at the site of absorption. 6. Independent of the mechanism involved, our results indicate that adjustments in CyA dosage must be made whenever external bile diversion is instituted or discontinued.


A 10-year estimate of the incidence of decompression illness in a discrete group of recreational cave divers in Australia.
The vast majority of freshwater cave diving in Australia occurs within the limestone caves of the Gambier karst in the south-east of South Australia. The incidence of decompression illness (DCI) in cave divers is presumed to be higher than open-water recreational divers because of the greater depths involved, but has not previously been reported. Our aim was to determine the incidence of DCI in cave divers, the patterns of diving and the outcome of hyperbaric treatment. This was a retrospective cohort study of cave divers with DCI presenting to the Royal Adelaide Hospital or The Alfred Hospital over a 10-year period between 2002 and 2012. We reviewed case notes of cave divers who were treated for DCI after diving in the Mt Gambier karst. As there are no records of the number of dives performed during the study period we generated a denominator for the incidence of DCI by extrapolating available data and making a number of assumptions about the number of dives per dive permit issued. Sixteen patients were treated for DCI during the study period. The precipitating dive was a single deep decompression dive in seven cases, multiday repetitive dive sequences in eight and a non-decompression dive in one. Three of the 16 cases of DCI involved dives in excess of 90 metres' fresh water (mfw) using trimix. As the total estimated number of dives in the study period was approximately 57,000 the incidence of DCI in Australian cave divers was estimated to be 2.8:10,000 (0.028%). It is possible that the overall incidence of DCI is as high as 0.05%, and even higher when dives to depths greater than 90 mfw are involved. The estimated incidence of DCS in this series is lower than expected but consistent with other series describing DCI in cold-water recreational diving.


In Situ Generation of Poly (Vinylene Carbonate) Based Solid Electrolyte with Interfacial Stability for LiCoO2 Lithium Batteries.
Nowadays it is extremely urgent to seek high performance solid polymer electrolyte that possesses both interfacial stability toward lithium/graphitic anodes and high voltage cathodes for high energy density solid state batteries. Inspired by the positive interfacial effect of vinylene carbonate additive on solid electrolyte interface, a novel poly (vinylene carbonate) based solid polymer electrolyte is presented via a facile in situ polymerization process in this paper. It is manifested that poly (vinylene carbonate) based solid polymer electrolyte possess a superior electrochemical stability window up to 4.5 V versus Li/Li+ and considerable ionic conductivity of 9.82 × 10-5 S cm-1 at 50 °C. Moreover, it is demonstrated that high voltage LiCoO2/Li batteries using this solid polymer electrolyte display stable charge/discharge profiles, considerable rate capability, excellent cycling performance, and decent safety characteristic. It is believed that poly (vinylene carbonate) based electrolyte can be a very promising solid polymer electrolyte candidate for high energy density lithium batteries.


Treatment of chikungunya chronic arthritis: A systematic review.
Chikungunya (CHIK) is a tropical arbovirus, transmitted by the female mosquito Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In Brazil, there have been cases reported since 2014. The initial manifestations of this virus are sudden onset high fever, headache, chills, rashes, myalgia and intense joint pain. Usually, CHIK presents the acute and chronic phases, the latter characterized by bilateral polyarthralgia, which can last for months or even years. During this period, autoimmune diseases can be triggered, making the picture even more complicated. A systematic review was performed on the PubMed and Scielo databases in January 2017. Clinical trials, cohorts, case-control and case reports were included in the study. Expert opinions, societal consensuses and literary reviews were exclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The studies were descriptively analyzed and the data was grouped according to methodological similarity. Twenty-four (24) articles were selected and, in compliance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 were eliminated, with six studies remaining in the present review: five clinical trials and one case report. When the manifestations of CHIK become chronic and, the longer they last, more complications arise. Polyarthralgia can be immaterial, distancing individuals from their daily-life activities. Anti-inflammatory drugs (either steroid or not), in addition to immunosuppressants, homeopathy and physiotherapy are measures of treatment that, according to the literature, have been successful in relieving or extinguishing symptoms. However, it is fundamental that studies of CHIK treatment be further developed.


Auditory Disturbances and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Brain Inflammation or Cochlear Affection? Systematic Review and Discussion of Potential Pathogenesis.
Patients affected by COVID-19 present a series of different symptoms; despite some of these are common, other less likely appear. Auditory symptoms seem to be less frequent, maybe because rarer or, alternatively, because they are underestimated during the clinical investigation. The hearing impairment might be related to the central or peripheral involvement of the auditory pathways; in particular, the likelihood of thrombosis might be one of the causes. To date, the prevalence of auditory symptoms such as sudden or progressive sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus is unclear in COVID-19 patients. However, their presence might be an early sign of thrombosis or spread of the infection into the brain. In this systematic review of the literature we investigated the presence of auditory symptoms in COVID-19 patients and discussed their potential origin and causal relationship with SARS-CoV-2. Results showed that, despite rarely, auditory impairment can appear in patients with COVID-19 and should always be investigated for an early treatment and potential indicator of involvement of the central nervous system.


The role of aspartic acid-49 in the active site of phospholipase A2. A site-specific mutagenesis study of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 and the rationale of the enzymatic activity of [lysine49]phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus' venom.
In order to probe the role of Asp-49 in the active site of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 two mutant proteins were constructed containing either Glu or Lys at position 49. Their enzymatic activities and their affinities for substrate and for Ca2+ ions were examined in comparison with the native enzyme. Enzymatic characterization indicated that the presence of Asp-49 is essential for effective hydrolysis of phospholipids. Conversion of Asp-49 to either Glu or Lys strongly reduces the binding of Ca2+ ions in particular for the lysine mutant but the affinity for substrate analogues is hardly affected. Extensive purification of [Lys49]phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus yielded a protein which was 4000 times less active than the basic [Asp49]phospholipase A2 from this venom. Inhibition studies with p-bromophenacyl bromide showed that this residual activity was due to a small amount of contaminating enzyme and that the Lys-49 homologue itself is inactive. The results obtained both with the porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutants and with the native venom enzymes show that Asp-49 is essential for the catalytic action of phospholipase A2.


Nucleotide sequence and transcript organization of a region of the vaccinia virus genome which encodes a constitutively expressed gene required for DNA replication.
A vaccinia virus (VV) gene required for DNA replication has been mapped to the left side of the 16-kilobase (kb) VV HindIII D DNA fragment by marker rescue of a DNA- temperature-sensitive mutant, ts17, using cloned fragments of the viral genome. The region of VV DNA containing the ts17 locus (3.6 kb) was sequenced. This nucleotide sequence contains one complete open reading frame (ORF) and two incomplete ORFs reading from left to right. Analysis of this region at early times revealed that transcription from the incomplete upstream ORF terminates coincidentally with the complete ORF encoding the ts17 gene product, which is directly downstream. The predicted proteins encoded by this region correlate well with polypeptides mapped by in vitro translation of hybrid-selected early mRNA. The nucleotide sequences of a 1.3-kb BglII fragment derived from ts17 and from two ts17 revertants were also determined, and the nature of the ts17 mutation was identified. S1 nuclease protection studies were carried out to determine the 5' and 3' ends of the transcripts and to examine the kinetics of expression of the ts17 gene during viral infection. The ts17 transcript is present at both early and late times postinfection, indicating that this gene is constitutively expressed. Surprisingly, the transcriptional start throughout infection occurs at the proposed late regulatory element TAA, which immediately precedes the putative initiation codon ATG. Although the biological activity of the ts17-encoded polypeptide was not identified, it was noted that in ts17-infected cells, expression of a nonlinked VV immediate-early gene (thymidine kinase) was deregulated at the nonpermissive temperature. This result may indicate that the ts17 gene product is functionally required at an early step of the VV replicative cycle.


Statistical methodology for screening studies with qualitative/quantitative mixtures.
A statistical method for designing screening studies involving several experimental treatments compared to a standard treatment is developed. The screening study identifies the most promising experimental treatments, which then undergo more rigorous evaluation in a future, larger study. The technique is especially relevant for biopharmaceutical research and development in which phase II clinical trials are conducted to identify the most promising drug regimens, which then move on to phase III of clinical development. It is assumed that the underlying distribution of the primary efficacy random variable is a qualitative/quantitative mixture. The proposed methodology involves calculating the probability of accepting each experimental treatment compared to the standard treatment, where the criterion for acceptance is based on the proportion of qualitative observations and a measure of their location. The probability of acceptance is displayed in two dimensions using operating characteristic contour plots. The techniques are illustrated with some practical examples and some extensions are indicated.


Prenatal diagnosis of sickle hemoglobinopathies: the experience of the Columbia University Comprehensive Center for Sickle Cell Disease.
We report here an evaluation of 55 pregnancies at risk for a sickle hemoglobinopathy prenatally diagnosed by restriction-endonuclease analysis, with the endonucleases MstII and HpaI, of amniocyte DNA. The diagnosis was completed in all cases. Eleven fetuses were predicted to be affected, of which six were terminated. Forty-one of the 55 cases were confirmed. One false-negative was reported in a case predicted to be hemoglobin AS but that was determined to be hemoglobin SS at birth. We estimate that the 55 cases represent only 5% of the pregnancies at risk for a sickle hemoglobinopathy in the New York metropolitan area during the study period. We conclude that the prenatal diagnosis of sickle hemoglobinopathies by molecular methods is reliable. However, the efficiency of utilization and effectiveness of prenatal testing is dependent on the early prospective identification of couples at risk and on the education of communities concerning the significant morbidity of the sickle hemoglobinopathies and the reproductive choices now available to them.


Prevalence of lethal osteochondrodysplasias in Denmark.
The point prevalence at birth of lethal osteochondrodysplasias in a subregion of Denmark was estimated by a study of all children born January 1970 through December 1983. Two cases of thanatophoric dysplasia, one case of thanatophoric dysplasia with cloverleaf skull, two cases of micromelic bone dysplasia with cloverleaf skull, two cases of achondrogenesis type III, and three cases of achondrogenesis type IV were found. Two cases were unclassifiable due to lack of radiographs. In total, the point prevalence at birth was 15.4 per 100,000. Thus lethal osteochondrodysplasias seem to be more common than is generally assumed. The clinical and radiographic findings in micromelic bone dysplasia with cloverleaf skull are discussed in relation to thanatophoric dysplasia and achondrogenesis type IV.


Cavitation of lung metastases from bladder cancer. Report of two cases.
We describe 2 cases of cavitary lung metastasis from bladder cancer and retrospectively analyze the frequency of such an event in our environment. Although rare, this finding is not exceptional and should be taken into account when clinicians and oncologists face the differential diagnosis of pulmonary cavitation. Moreover, a cavitary pulmonary nodule may also be the presenting sign of bladder cancer.


Parkinson's Disease: Are PINK1 Activators Inching Closer to the Clinic?
The activation of PINK1 by small molecules has emerged as a promising strategy in treating Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent progress in this area has raised excitement around PINK1 activators as PD treatments, and herein we offer insight into these developments and their potential to deliver much needed novel PD treatments.


Daylight effect on melatonin secretion in adult female guanacos (Lama guanicoe).
The wild South American camelids developed a strategy of seasonal reproduction during spring and summer with singleton birth. The photoperiod is one of the factors that may modulate this seasonality where light would be translated into a hormonal signal. This study evaluated the influence of changes in daily light intensity on melatonin concentration in captive guanacos under a long-day photoperiod (16 hr light/8 hr dark; 33 '28'S). Mean melatonin concentration was 28.3 ± 20.3 pg/ml, with a maximum of 52.14 ± 17.19 pg/ml at 23:30 and minimum of 14.29 ± 6.64 pg/ml at 08:30 (p < .001). There was a negative association between light intensity and melatonin concentration (r = -0.57; p < .001). The results indicate that guanacos respond to variation in daily environmental light with a hormonal response and point to a circannual rhythm as a function of the photoperiod.


Low molecular weight heparin compared with dextran as prophylaxis against thrombosis after total hip replacement.
The effect of low molecular weight (LMW) heparin given once daily as prophylaxis against venous thrombosis was compared with that of dextran 70 in an open randomised trial of 100 patients undergoing elective total hip replacement. Four patients were withdrawn after randomisation and thus 96 were included in the final analysis. The development of thrombus was surveilled by the 125I fibrinogen test, and positive readings were verified by venography. Nine of 47 patients given LMW heparin developed thromboses (19%) compared with 18 of 49 given dextran (37%) (p = 0.09). Two further patients who received LMW heparin developed thromboses after leaving hospital (clinical signs became apparent on days 13 and 17, respectively), giving an overall rate of thrombosis in this group of 23%. Minor wound haematomas occurred in two of 47 in the LMW heparin group and three of 49 in the dextran group (4% and 6%, respectively), and blood loss, transfusion requirements, and reduction in postoperative haemoglobin concentration did not differ between the two groups. The studied LMW heparin given subcutaneously once a day was no less safe or effective than dextran in preventing thromboembolism after total hip replacement.


Celiprolol has no direct or indirect relaxing effects in isolated arteries and veins.
Experiments were designed to study the potential mechanisms underlying the vasodilator effect of celiprolol. Rings of canine left circumflex coronary artery and rat mesenteric artery, with and without endothelium, were suspended in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. In both blood vessels, celiprolol (10(-9)-10(-4) M) failed to produce relaxation in rings with and without endothelium; these same tissues relaxed in an endothelium-dependent manner to acetylcholine (10(-6) M). All tissues relaxed completely in the presence of papaverine (10(-4) M). In the coronary artery, isoproterenol (10(-9)-10(-4) M) produced endothelium-independent relaxations which were inhibited in a competitive fashion by celiprolol (pA2 = 7.52 +/- 0.14; slope = 0.98, 95% confidence limits = 0.80-1.15). In other experiments, strips of canine saphenous veins were incubated with [3H]norepinephrine [( 3H]NE) and suspended for superfusion. Electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 4 V, 2 ms for 6 min) produced an increase in [3H]NE overflow. Isoproterenol (2 X 10(-6) M) augmented the evoked release of [3H]NE. Treatment of the strips with celiprolol (up to 5 X 10(-6) M) did not inhibit isoproterenol-induced facilitation of [3H]NE release. Thus, although celiprolol is a potent antagonist of postjunctional beta-adrenoceptors in the coronary artery, no evidence was obtained for a direct or indirect vasodilator effect of celiprolol on isolated blood vessels.


Influence of soy protein intake and weight training on the resting energy expenditure of postmenopausal women.
The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of soy protein intake and weight training on resting energy expenditure (REE) in postmenopausal women. This 160-week clinical trial enrolled 60 women, with a mean age of 59 (7) years, allocated into four groups: G1 (soy protein plus exercise), G2 (placebo plus exercise), G3 (soy protein and no exercise) and G4 (placebo and no exercise). Soy protein and placebo (maltodextrin) were randomly distributed in powder form in servings of 25 grams/day. Ten weight exercises were performed, three times a week, with three sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise per session, at a load of 60-80% of the one-repetition maximum (1RM). The REE was calculated from the O2 and CO2 values obtained by indirect calorimetry (Quinton QMC), performed for 30 minutes under controlled temperature and humidity. For statistical analysis, ANOVA, Student t test and multiple regression were performed with the Stata 9.2 software package. Significance was set at p<0.05. The study sample was homogeneous with regard to all variables. Significant increases in REE (p <0.05) were detected in G1 (158 kcal/day, 17%) and G2 (110 kcal/day, 9%), whereas a 4% decrease was detected in G4 (p<0.05). Weight training is a determining factor for increased resting energy expenditure in postmenopausal women. This effect can be boosted by dietary consumption of soy protein.


[3D printed personalized lumbar spinal fusion device design and biomechanical performance analysis].
The finite element analysis method was used to compare the biomechanical performance of the individualized interbody fusion cage, the clinically common double bullet type fusion cage and the healthy lumbar spine model under different working conditions. According to the CT scan data of the lumbar spine of a real healthy human body, a finite element model of the lumbar spine of a healthy human body was designed using finite element software as a normal control group. On this basis, the individualized lumbar fusion cage model and the clinical standard bullet type fusion cage lumbar spine model were further established. These three finite element models were applied with different loads such as vertical compression, forward flexion, extension, and lateral bending to observethe changes in the stress distribution and stress magnitude of each component of the lumbar spine. The maximum stress values of the vertebral body and the fusion cage under the extension condition in the clinical standard bullet type fusion cage lumbar spine model were 45.81 MPa and 97.07 MPa, respectively. The stress of the vertebral body and the fusion cage in the individualized lumbar fusion cage model was closer to the stress of the vertebral body and the intervertebral disc in the healthy lumbar spine model. From the perspective of displacement, the displacement of each component of the lumbar spine models of the two fusion cages was smaller than that of the healthy lumbar spine model, indicated that the internal fixation of the fusion cage limited the range of motion of the vertebral body. On the other hand, it also confirmed the validity of the finite element model established in the study. The displacement of the fusion cage and the vertebral body in the individualized model under different working conditions was generally smaller thanthat of the standard model fusion cage and the vertebral body. The fusion cage can replace the diseased intervertebral disc to a certain extent, so as to reduce the patient's pain and restore the lumbar function. The personalized design of the fusion cage can better meet the needs of individual patients, which has the great significance to the recovery of the patient's lumbar spine function, the service life of the fusion cage and the protection of the contact vertebral body, and provides certain guidance for actual clinical treatment.


Highly time-resolved evaluation technique of instantaneous amplitude and phase difference using analytic signals for multi-channel diagnostics.
A fluctuation analysis technique using analytic signals is proposed. Analytic signals are suitable to characterize a single mode with time-dependent amplitude and frequency, such as an MHD mode observed in fusion plasmas since the technique can evaluate amplitude and frequency at a specific moment without limitations of temporal and frequency resolutions, which is problematic in Fourier-based analyses. Moreover, a concept of instantaneous phase difference is newly introduced, and error of the evaluated phase difference and its error reduction techniques using conditional/ensemble averaging are discussed. These techniques are applied to experimental data of the beam emission spectroscopic measurement in the Heliotron J device, which demonstrates that the technique can describe nonlinear evolution of MHD instabilities. This technique is widely applicable to other diagnostics having necessity to evaluate phase difference.


The Effect of Long-Term Second-Generation Antipsychotics Use on the Metabolic Syndrome Parameters in Jordanian Population.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of metabolic syndrome in patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed patients' electronic medical records (EMRs) of all patients who received one SGA for at least six months, excluding patients who were taking other medications that are associated with significant effect on metabolic syndrome. Relevant clinical information was collected prior to starting the SGA and after six months of continuous use of the same SGA. Results: A total of 91 patients were included in the study. The majority of patients (72%) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. After six months of taking the SGA, 44% of patients experienced elevated systolic pressure, 54.9% had elevated triglyceride, and 31.9% had impaired glucose levels (p value < 0.05). Prior to initiating SGA therapy, 14.3% of patients had metabolic syndrome, while 37.4% had metabolic syndrome after six months of therapy, and it was more prominent in males compared to female patients (p value < 0.05). Conclusion: This study found a strong correlation between SGA use and the appearance of metabolic alterations, such as weight gain, glucose intolerance, and increased triglyceride levels. These findings highlight the importance of assessing metabolic deregulations to minimize SGA associated metabolic abnormalities.


Whistles emitted by Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in Southeastern Brazil.
The whistles of Atlantic spotted dolphins have been studied in a few localities of the North Atlantic Ocean and those studies revealed that the species emits whistles within a broad frequency range, with a high number of inflection points and presence of harmonics. In the South Atlantic Ocean, there is no information about the sounds produced by Atlantic spotted dolphins. A total of 1092 whistles emitted by free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins in Southeastern Brazilian coastal waters were analyzed. Whistles recorded in this study had a broad frequency range from 1.15 to 23.44 kHz. Whistles without harmonics were frequently emitted (N=701; 64.2%) and those signals with zero up to two inflection points corresponded to 94% of all whistles. Some differences in whistle characteristics (inflection points and duration) were found in relation to areas in North Atlantic Ocean and whistles were shorter and with a smaller number of inflection points in Brazil. Whistles produced by Atlantic spotted dolphins varied between the two behavioral states in which dolphins were engaged. Whistles were more frequently emitted when dolphins presented behaviors that included fast movement at surface, prey pursuit, aerial behavior, and physical contact. In these situations, whistles were on average longer and had higher frequency parameters than those emitted when animals were engaged in slowly and moderate traveling. The findings presented herewith reveal that dolphins modified whistle structures within behavioral states.


Systems Pharmacology Dissection of the Protective Effect of Myricetin Against Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Myocardial Injury in Isolated Rat Heart.
In this paper, we investigated the multi-target effect of myricetin as a therapeutic for cardiovascular disease, using an acute ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial injury model to gain insight into its mechanism of action. The compound-target interaction profiles of myricetin were determined using a combination of text mining, chemometric and chemogenomic methods. The effect of myricetin on cardiac function was investigated by carrying out experiments in rats subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) using Langendorff retrograde perfusion technology. Compared to the I/R group, pretreatment with 5 μM myricetin was observed to improve the maximum up/down rate of left ventricular pressure (dp/dt max) and coronary flow, raise left ventricular developed pressure, and decrease creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels in coronary flow. In addition, myricetin treatment was shown to have beneficial effects through its ability to reduce both infarct size and levels of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Myricetin was also observed to have antioxidant properties, as evidenced by its ability to reduce MDA levels, while increasing both SOD levels and the GSH/GSSG ratio. Finally, an upregulation of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthase expression and a downregulation of cyclooxygenase-2, cytochrome P450 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression suggest that myricetin acts through mechanisms which alter relevant signaling pathways. In summary, our results demonstrate that myricetin has protective cardiovascular effects against I/R-induced myocardial injury.