Fractional-calculus analysis of the transmission dynamics of the dengue infection.
In this research paper, a novel approach in dengue modeling with the asymptomatic carrier and reinfection via the fractional derivative is suggested to deeply interrogate the comprehensive transmission phenomena of dengue infection. The proposed system of dengue infection is represented in the Liouville-Caputo fractional framework and investigated for basic properties, that is, uniqueness, positivity, and boundedness of the solution. We used the next-generation technique in order to determine the basic reproduction number R0 for the suggested model of dengue infection; moreover, we conduct a sensitivity test of R0 through a partial rank correlation coefficient technique to know the contribution of input factors on the output of R0. We have shown that the infection-free equilibrium of dengue dynamics is globally asymptomatically stable for R0<1 and unstable in other circumstances. The system of dengue infection is then structured in the Atangana-Baleanu framework to represent the dynamics of dengue with the non-singular and non-local kernel. The existence and uniqueness of the solution of the Atangana-Baleanu fractional system are interrogated through fixed-point theory. Finally, we present a novel numerical technique for the solution of our fractional-order system in the Atangana-Baleanu framework. We obtain numerical results for different values of fractional-order ϑ and input factors to highlight the consequences of fractional-order ϑ and input parameters on the system. On the basis of our analysis, we predict the most critical parameters in the system for the elimination of dengue infection.


Network thermodynamics in the post-genomic era.
Network models have been used to study the underlying processes and principles of biological systems for decades, providing many insights into the complexity of life. Biological systems require a constant flow of free energy to drive these processes that operate away from thermodynamic equilibrium. With the advent of high-throughput omics technologies, more and more thermodynamic knowledge about the biological components, processes and their interactions are surfacing that we can integrate using large-scale biological network models. This allows us to ask many fundamental questions about these networks, such as, how far away from equilibrium must the reactions in a network be displaced in order to allow growth, or what are the possible thermodynamic objectives of the cell.


Requirement of Nhp6 proteins for transcription of a subset of tRNA genes and heterochromatin barrier function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
A key event in tRNA gene (tDNA) transcription by RNA polymerase (Pol) III is the TFIIIC-dependent assembly of TFIIIB upstream of the transcription start site. Different tDNA upstream sequences bind TFIIIB with different affinities, thereby modulating tDNA transcription. We found that in the absence of Nhp6 proteins, the influence of the 5'-flanking region on tRNA gene transcription is dramatically enhanced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expression of a tDNA bearing a suboptimal TFIIIB binding site, but not of a tDNA preceded by a strong TFIIIB binding region, was strongly dependent on Nhp6 in vivo. Upstream sequence-dependent stimulation of tRNA gene transcription by Nhp6 could be reproduced in vitro, and Nhp6 proteins were found associated with tRNA genes in yeast cells. We also show that both transcription and silencing barrier activity of a tDNA(Thr) at the HMR locus are compromised in the absence of Nhp6. Our data suggest that Nhp6 proteins are important components of Pol III chromatin templates that contribute both to the robustness of tRNA gene expression and to positional effects of Pol III transcription complexes.


Ligand binding and slow structural changes in chlorocruorin from Spirographis spallanzanii.
Chlorocruorin is a cooperative respiratory pigment found in the blood of polychaete worms; its prosthetic group is a derivative of the iron protoporphyrin IX, in which the vinyl group at position 2 is substituted by a formyl group. The quaternary structure of chlorocruorins is complex: myoglobin-like subunits are grouped in tetramers and tetramers in dodecamers; 12 dodecamers are assembled in the 3500-kDa particle. Chlorocruorin from Spirographis spallanzanii displays the following overall functional properties: (i) the oxygen affinity is lower than in human hemoglobin, while that of CO is similar if not higher; (ii) the rates of combination with oxygen and carbon monoxide are low; and (iii) the off rate of oxygen is comparable to that of human hemoglobin, while the off rate of CO is 10 times smaller. When CO is partially photolyzed with a long and powerful light flash (70 microseconds), rebinding is biphasic as in mammalian hemoglobins; however, the slowest rate is faster than that observed by stopped flow, suggesting that the unliganded protein decays from the liganded high affinity state (R) to an intermediate state before reaching the low affinity (T) state. Oxygen binding was followed by stopped-flow and flash photolysis. While partial photolysis yields a fast, second-order time course, stopped-flow experiments yield slow, biphasic, and non-second-order time courses. This pattern of reactivity was attributed to a slow conformational transition(s) which is (are) rare limiting with oxygen, but not with CO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Construction of a Virtual Opioid Bioprofile: A Data-Driven QSAR Modeling Study to Identify New Analgesic Opioids.
Compared to traditional experimental approaches, computational modeling is a promising strategy to efficiently prioritize new candidates with low cost. In this study, we developed a novel data mining and computational modeling workflow proven to be applicable by screening new analgesic opioids. To this end, a large opioid data set was used as the probe to automatically obtain bioassay data from the PubChem portal. There were 114 PubChem bioassays selected to build quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models based on the testing results across the probe compounds. The compounds tested in each bioassay were used to develop 12 models using the combination of three machine learning approaches and four types of chemical descriptors. The model performance was evaluated by the coefficient of determination (R 2) obtained from 5-fold cross-validation. In total, 49 models developed for 14 bioassays were selected based on the criteria and were identified to be mainly associated with binding affinities to different opioid receptors. The models for these 14 bioassays were further used to fill data gaps in the probe opioids data set and to predict general drug compounds in the DrugBank data set. This study provides a universal modeling strategy that can take advantage of large public data sets for computer-aided drug design (CADD).


Estimating equivalence scales and non-food needs in Egypt: Parametric and semiparametric regression modeling.
This paper investigated the appropriate specifications of Engel curves for non-food expenditure categories and estimated the deprivation indices of non-food needs in rural areas using a semi parametric examination of the presence of saturation points. The study used the extended partial linear model (EPLM) and adopted two estimation methods-the double residual estimator and differencing estimator-to obtain flexible shapes across different expenditure categories and estimate equivalence scales. We drew on data of the Egyptian Household Income, Expenditure, and Consumption Survey (HIEC). Our paper provides empirical evidence that the rankings of most non-food expenditure categories is of rank three at most. Rural households showed high economies of scale in non-food consumption, with child's needs accounting for only 10% of adult's non-food needs. Based on semi-parametrically estimated consumption behavior, the tendency of non-food expenditure categories to saturate did not emerge. While based on parametrically estimated consumption behavior, rural areas exhibited higher deprivation indices in terms of health and education expenditure categories, which indicates the need to design specific programs economically targeting such vulnerable households.


The effect of two antipodal fluorine-induced sugar puckers on the conformation and stability of the Dickerson-Drew dodecamer duplex [d(CGCGAATTCGCG)]2.
UV thermal melting studies, CD and NMR spectroscopies were employed to assess the contribution of antipodal sugar conformations on the stability of the canonical B-DNA conformation of the Dickerson-Drew dodecamer duplex [[d(CGCGAATTCGCG)]2, (ODN 1)]. Different oligodeoxynucleotide versions of ODN 1 were synthesized with modified thymidine units favoring distinct sugar conformations by using a 3'- endo (north) 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl thymine (1) or a 2'- endo (south) 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyarabinofuranosyl thymine (2). The results showed that two south thymidines greatly stabilized the double helix, whereas two north thymidines destabilized it by inducing a more A-like conformation in the middle of the duplex. Use of combinations of north and south thymidine conformers in the same oligo destabilized the double helix even further, but without inducing a conformational change. The critical length for establishing a detectable A-like conformation in the middle of a B-DNA ODN appears to be 4 bp. Our results suggest that manipulation of the conformation of DNA in a sequence-independent manner is possible.


Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine on diabetic cardiomyopathy in animal models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a severe complication of diabetes that can diminish the quality of life in patients and is a leading cause of death. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in reducing blood sugar levels and protecting cardiovascular function in both animal models and clinical research studies. Nevertheless, the efficacy of TCM in animal models of DCM has not been analyzed systematically. Method: We searched the following electronic bibliographic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure). Studies that reported the efficacy of TCM in animals with DCM were included. The literature search was conducted using the terms. The data will be restricted from the year 2013 to 24 April 2023, 24 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Result: A total of 24 Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions and 2157 animals met the inclusion criteria. The pooled data revealed that TCM interventions resulted in significant improvements in body weight (BW), heart weight (HW) to body weight ratio (HW/BW), triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (TC) levels, ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS) and E/A ratio. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression revealed that the type of TCM, duration of intervention, method of modeling, and animal species were potential sources of heterogeneity. Conclusion: TCM interventions were associated with significant improvements in body weight, heart weight to body weight ratio, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, left ventricular internal dimension in systole, ejection fraction, fractional shortening and E/A ratio. The heterogeneity in the results was found to be potentially due to the type of TCM, duration of intervention, method of modeling, and animal species, as shown in subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Systematic Review Registration: identifier CRD42023402908.


A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover trial of nebulized taurolidine in adult cystic fibrosis patients infected with Burkholderia cepacia.
Burkholderia cepacia is an aggressive pathogen that colonizes cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, causing greatly increased morbidity and mortality. It is resistant to most antibiotics, but sensitive in vitro to a novel agent, taurolidine. This has not previously been used against B. cepacia, nor given in nebulized form. We assessed the effect of nebulized taurolidine on United Kingdom epidemic (ET12) B. cepacia infection in 20 adult CF patients attending our regional adult cystic fibrosis outpatient clinic using a prospective, randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover trial. Nebulized taurolidine (4 mL 2% solution) or saline (4 mL 0.9% solution) was given twice daily. Each arm lasted 4 weeks, with a 2-week intervening washout period. Sputum B. cepacia colony counts (primary outcome measure), spirometry, and symptoms (secondary outcome measures) were assessed. Eighteen patients completed the study. There was no change in B. cepacia colony counts or spirometry, nor symptom scores. We conclude that, although taurolidine is well tolerated in nebulized form, in this study it had no in vivo anti-B. cepacia activity.


A stakeholder-driven approach to improve the informed consent process for palliative chemotherapy.
Patients often anticipate cure from palliative chemotherapy. Better resources are needed to convey its risks and benefits. We describe the stakeholder-driven development and acceptability testing of a prototype video and companion booklet supporting informed consent (IC) for a common palliative chemotherapy regimen. Our multidisciplinary team (researchers, advocates, clinicians) employed a multistep process of content development, production, critical evaluation, and iterative revisions. Patient/clinician stakeholders were engaged throughout using stakeholder advisory panels, featuring their voices within the intervention, conducting surveys and qualitative interviews. A national panel of 57 patient advocates, and 25 oncologists from nine US practices critiqued the intervention and rated its clarity, accuracy, balance, tone, and utility. Participants also reported satisfaction with existing chemotherapy IC materials. Few oncologists (5/25, 20%) or advocates (10/22, 45%) were satisfied with existing IC materials. In contrast, most rated our intervention highly, with 89-96% agreeing it would be useful and promote informed decisions. Patient voices were considered a key strength. Every oncologist indicated they would use the intervention regularly. Our intervention was acceptable to advocates and oncologists. A randomized trial is evaluating its impact on the chemotherapy IC process. Stakeholder-driven methods can be valuable for developing patient educational interventions.


Does bevacizumab carry a hope for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in the era of immunotherapy?
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a very high rate of recurrence. Our aim is to investigate the efficacy of bevacizumab, platinum and paclitaxel as first-line in metastatic TNBC (mTNBC). This study included 54 female patients with mTNBC. They received bevacizumab, carboplatin and paclitaxel every 21 day for six cycles then who progressed shifted to second-line chemotherapy and the responders continue another two cycles. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 27 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 17.019-36.981]. There were two factors that affect PFS; visceral only metastasis (hazard ratio, 0.23; P = 0.05) and performance status 0 (hazard ratio = 0.16; P = 0.02) with C-index 0.77. The median overall survival (OS) was 55 months (95% CI, 38.973-71.027). There were two factors that affect OS; type of presentation (hazard ratio = 7.91; P = 0.02) and performance status 0 (hazard ratio = 0.12; P = 0.01) with C-index 0.73. In the final evaluation, three factors have their print on achieving either stable disease (SD) or complete response (CR). Patients having ≤3 sites of metastasis odds ratio (OR) 3.92 (P = 0.02), patients with visceral only metastasis OR was 13.20 (P = 0.001), those with performance status 0 had the highest OR 19.5 (P = 0.001) and the percentage of this prediction was 64.8, 70.4 and 70.4%, respectively. Bevacizumab, carboplatin and paclitaxel were well tolerated, continuation of bevacizumab is recommended as long as SD or CR responses are obtained and tolerated.


[Hyperlipidemias as a coronary risk factor in the newborn].
This article reviews the risk factors of the coronariopathy in the newborn. The authors state that the early diagnosis of the risk factors is an important step in the prevention of ateromatous plaques. Some people are now in the investigation of the normal levels of cholesterol and triglicerides in the blood of the umbilical cord. This values seems similar in different places all over the world and have served to establish the possible interrelation between the newborn hiperlipidemia and the coronary risk.


The effect of local dynamics of Atto 390-labeled lysozyme on fluorescence anisotropy modeling.
Fluorescence anisotropy decay is a popular optical technique to study the structure, size, shape, and even functions of biomolecules. The method measures the time dependence of the depolarization of a fluorophore and is therefore sensitive to the changes in the rotational motion (e.g., aggregation and binding) or changes in the mobility of segments of biopolymers (such as the ones associated with tertiary structure changes). Fluorescence anisotropy decay often requires the use of fluorescent dyes that need to be covalently attached to the biomolecule. The location of the attachment on the biomolecule (e.g., a protein) and the linker used, affect the mobility of the dye and its anisotropy decay. With this study we have combined the experimental data with molecular dynamic simulations to offer a more correct interpretation of the fluorescence anisotropy decay of a popular fluorescent dye (Atto 390) attached to the N-terminus of Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL). Our model showed how the use of relatively simple molecular dynamics computation to simulate the motion of the dye, provide a model to interpret the experimental fluorescence anisotropy decay that yields a better estimate of the hydrodynamic radius of HEWL. The improvement is provided by a more detailed description of the segmental motion of the dye attached to the protein.


[Sperm donation in Switzerland].
The acceptance of "marriage for all" in Switzerland has enabled married couples to have access to medically assisted reproduction (MAR) through sperm donation from July 2022. We present the Swiss legal context of sperm donation, the different techniques, the selection of donors and the method of attribution to recipient couples. This article also describes the complexities of managing a sperm bank in Switzerland, presents some of the figures associated and address the fundamental question of access to origins and the secrecy that may be linked to sperm donation.


Polyoxypregnane Glycosides from the Roots of Marsdenia tenacissima and Their Anti-HIV Activities.
A continuous phytochemical study on the roots of Marsdenia tenacissima led to the isolation and identification of 13 new polyoxypregnane glycosides named marstenacissides B10-B17 (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14) and marstenacissides A8-A12 (3, 9, 10, 13, and 15) in addition to two known polyoxypregnane glycosides marsdenosides M and L (5 and 6). Their structures were established by spectroscopic techniques and by comparison with the reported data in the literature. Moreover, the anti-HIV activities of these isolates and the previous isolated marstenacissides A1-A7 and B1-B9 were assessed, some of which exhibited slight or negligible effects against HIV-1.


Proposal for dark exciton based chemical sensors.
The rapidly increasing use of sensors throughout different research disciplines and the demand for more efficient devices with less power consumption depends critically on the emergence of new sensor materials and novel sensor concepts. Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides have a huge potential for sensor development within a wide range of applications. Their optimal surface-to-volume ratio combined with strong light-matter interaction results in a high sensitivity to changes in their surroundings. Here, we present a highly efficient sensing mechanism to detect molecules based on dark excitons in these materials. We show that the presence of molecules with a dipole moment transforms dark states into bright excitons, resulting in an additional pronounced peak in easy accessible optical spectra. This effect exhibits a huge potential for sensor applications, since it offers an unambiguous optical fingerprint for the detection of molecules-in contrast to common sensing schemes relying on small peak shifts and intensity changes.


Genetic and transcriptomic analysis of transcription factor genes in the model halophilic Archaeon: coordinate action of TbpD and TfbA.
Archaea are prokaryotic organisms with simplified versions of eukaryotic transcription systems. Genes coding for the general transcription factors TBP and TFB are present in multiple copies in several Archaea, including Halobacterium sp. NRC-1. Multiple TBP and TFBs have been proposed to participate in transcription of genes via recognition and recruitment of RNA polymerase to different classes of promoters. We attempted to knock out all six TBP and seven TFB genes in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 using the ura3-based gene deletion system. Knockouts were obtained for six out of thirteen genes, tbpCDF and tfbACG, indicating that they are not essential for cell viability under standard conditions. Screening of a population of 1,000 candidate mutants showed that genes which did not yield mutants contained less that 0.1% knockouts, strongly suggesting that they are essential. The transcriptomes of two mutants, Delta tbpD and DeltatfbA, were compared to the parental strain and showed coordinate down regulation of many genes. Over 500 out of 2,677 total genes were regulated in the Delta tbpD and DeltatfbA mutants with 363 regulated in both, indicating that over 10% of genes in both strains require the action of both TbpD and TfbA for normal transcription. Culturing studies on the Delta tbpD and DeltatfbA mutant strains showed them to grow more slowly than the wild-type at an elevated temperature, 49 degrees C, and they showed reduced viability at 56 degrees C, suggesting TbpD and TfbA are involved in the heat shock response. Alignment of TBP and TFB protein sequences suggested the expansion of the TBP gene family, especially in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, and TFB gene family in representatives of five different genera of haloarchaea in which genome sequences are available. Six of thirteen TBP and TFB genes of Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 are non-essential under standard growth conditions. TbpD and TfbA coordinate the expression of over 10% of the genes in the NRC-1 genome. The Delta tbpD and DeltatfbA mutant strains are temperature sensitive, possibly as a result of down regulation of heat shock genes. Sequence alignments suggest the existence of several families of TBP and TFB transcription factors in Halobacterium which may function in transcription of different classes of genes.


Solution-processed pH-neutral conjugated polyelectrolyte improves interfacial contact in organic solar cells.
The intrinsic acidic nature of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole-transporting layer (HTL) induces interfacial protonation and limits the device performance in organic solar cells based on basic pyridylthiadiazole units. By utilizing a pH neutral, water/alcohol soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte CPE-K as the HTL in p-DTS(PTTh2)2:PC71BM solar cells, a 60% enhancement in PCE has been obtained with an increased V(bi), reduced R(s), and improved charge extraction. These effects originate from the elimination of interfacial protonation and energy barrier compared with the PEDOT:PSS HTL.


[Medical library of "Lijecnicki Vjesnik". The greatest project of Croatian medical editions between two world wars].
Up to 1927 there were few professional-scientific medical editions in Croatia. Croatian Medical Association filled this noticeable gap in 1927 by starting Medical library published by "Lijecnicki vjesnik" (whose editor was in those days Dr. Vladimir Jelovsek). From 1927 to 1942, with a break during war and postwar period, from 1949 to 1952, and from 1958 to 1963, this library issued 49 books of exceptional quality (designated as 91 volumes) on over 4300 pages, written by our most distinguished experts. Our first monographs on endocrinology, hematology, maxillary surgery and other medical fields were published here. With regard to their structure, they were not only manuals for practitioners, but also textobooks for medical students, and in the last years also texts for postgraduate studies. The author considers all 49 published books, gives bibliographic description and main features of the publications, with short information on authors. Medical library of "Lijenicki vjesnik" will rightfully be recorded as the greatest project of Croatian medical editions in the first half of the 20th century.


An Efficient Modular One-Pot Synthesis of Heparin-Based Anticoagulant Idraparinux.
Idraparinux is a fully O-sulfated α-methyl glycoside of heparin pentasaccharide motif known to interact with the antithrombin III domain and act as anticoagulant. The current most effective synthesis of Idraparinux is complicated and nonstereoselective, requiring numerous stepwise procedures with low yields. We report here an efficient modular one-pot synthesis of Idraparinux involving the use of a glycosyl phosphate with 6- O- tert-butyl diphenyl silyl group and a d-glucuronic acid-containing disaccharide thioglycoside with 6- O-acetyl group as donor building blocks for the α-directing one-pot glycosylations with an l-iduronic acid-containing disaccharide acceptor building block. The uronic acid was incorporated in a disaccharide module used in the one-pot synthesis to avoid the complicated late-stage installation of these acidic sugars. The one-pot synthesis of Idraparinux demonstrated here is an effective strategy and should be applicable to the modular assembly of other heparan sulfates with regiodefined sulfation pattern for functional study.


Portable light-emitting diode-based photometer with one-shot optochemical sensors for measurement in the field.
This report describes the electronics of a portable, low-cost, light-emitting diode (LED)-based photometer dedicated to one-shot optochemical sensors. Optical detection is made through a monolithic photodiode with an on-chip single-supply transimpedance amplifier that reduces some drawbacks such as leakage currents, interferences, and parasitic capacitances. The main instrument characteristics are its high light source stability and thermal correction. The former is obtained by means of the optical feedback from the LED polarization circuit, implementing a pseudo-two light beam scheme from a unique light source with a built-in beam splitter. The feedback loop has also been used to adjust the LED power in several ranges. Moreover, the low-thermal coefficient achieved (-90 ppm/degrees C) is compensated by thermal monitoring and calibration function compensation in the digital processing. The hand-held instrument directly gives the absorbance ratio used as the analytical parameter and the analyte concentration after programming the calibration function in the microcontroller. The application of this photometer for the determination of potassium and nitrate, using one-shot sensors with ionophore-based chemistries is also demonstrated, with a simple analytical methodology that shortens the analysis time, eliminating some calibrating solutions (HCl, NaOH, and buffer). Therefore, this compact instrument is suitable for real-time analyte determination and operation in the field.


Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Imeglimin: A New Ray of Hope for the Treatment of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.
Diabetes is a rapidly growing health challenge and epidemic in many developing countries, including India. India, being the diabetes capital of the world, has the dubious dual distinction of being the leading nations for both undernutrition and overnutrition. Diabetes prevalence has increased in both rural and urban areas, affected the younger population and increased the risk of complications and economic burden. These alarming statistics ring an alarm bell to achieve glycemic targets in the affected population in order to decrease diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. In the recent years, diabetes pathophysiology has been extended from an ominous triad through octet and dirty dozen etc. There is a new scope to target multiple pathways at the molecular level to achieve a better glycemic target and further prevent micro- and macrovascular complications. Mitochondrial dysfunction has a pivotal role in both β-cell failure and insulin resistance. Hence, targeting this molecular pathway may help with both insulin secretion and peripheral tissue sensitization to insulin. Imeglimin is the latest addition to our anti-diabetic armamentarium. As imeglimin targets, this root cause of defective energy metabolism and insulin resistance makes it a new add-on therapy in different diabetic regimes to achieve the proper glycemic targets. Its good tolerability and efficacy profiles in recent studies shows a new ray of hope in the journey to curtail diabetes-related morbidity.


Genomics of Prostate Cancer: What Nurses Need to Know.
To review the current state of genomics and genetic testing in prostate cancer. National guidelines, evidence-based summaries, peer-reviewed studies, and Web sites. A case study is presented to illustrate key points. Genetic profiling of prostate cancer tumors (somatic) and genetic testing of men with aggressive or metastatic disease (germline) are available. Nurses have a role in personalized health care and should be familiar with genetic testing options in prostate cancer because results may have implications for treatment options and at-risk family members. Hereditary cancer genetics can be complex and referrals to genetics specialists should be considered for hereditary cancer risk assessment and possible genetic testing.


Aqueous inorganic inks for low-temperature fabrication of ZnO TFTs.
A simple, low-cost, and nontoxic aqueous ink chemistry is described for digital printing of ZnO films. Selective design through controlled precipitation, purification, and dissolution affords an aqueous Zn(OH)(x)(NH(3))(y)((2-x)+) solution that is stable in storage, yet promptly decomposes at temperatures below 150 degrees C to form wurtzite ZnO. Dense, high-quality, polycrystalline ZnO films are deposited by ink-jet printing and spin-coating, and film structure is elucidated via X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Semiconductor film functionality and quality are examined through integration in bottom-gate thin-film transistors. Enhancement-mode TFTs with ink-jet printed ZnO channels annealed at 300 degrees C are found to exhibit strong field effect and excellent current saturation in tandem with incremental mobilities from 4-6 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). Spin-coated ZnO semiconductors processed at 150 degrees C are integrated with solution-deposited aluminum oxide phosphate dielectrics in functional transistors, demonstrating both high performance, i.e., mobilities up to 1.8 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), and the potential for low-temperature solution processing of all-oxide electronics.


Intrasite Gel: a hydrogel dressing.
Intrasite Gel is a hydrogel designed for the debridement of necrotic tissue and effective desloughing, clearing the way for effective wound healing. It is also designed for wounds that are granulating and epithelialising. (Intrasite Gel is a trademark for Smith & Nephew Ltd.).


ALPHA glycolytic vasculogenesis better correlates with MRI and CT imaging techniques than the traditional oxygen vasculogenesis theory.
Traditional vasculogenesis has many contradictions related to treatment and imaging. This occurs because cancer also uses glycolysis, which does not need oxygen or arteries. Glycolytic lactate supports many procancer processes but high levels of it inhibit glycolysis. To avoid this, lactate induces vascular growth factors that initiate glycolytic vasculogenesis ALPHA (acidic lactate sequentially induces first lymphangiogenesis, phlebogenesis, and then arteriogenesis). The sequence of vessel development is lymphatics, veins, and then arteries. Modern contrast imaging depends more on veins than arteries, which is more consistent with ALPHA than the traditional theory.


Fludroxycortide cream as an alternative therapy for actinic cheilitis.
The objective of the study is to assess, by clinical follow-up, the efficacy of the dermatological cream Fludroxycortide 0.125 mg/g (Drenison®) in the treatment of actinic cheilitis (AC). Twenty-three patients diagnosed with AC participated in the study. Fifteen were submitted to corticotherapy with Fludroxycortide, applied three times a day for up to 6 weeks, associated with lip sunscreen (LS) before sun exposure. In the control group of eight patients, only the use of LS was established. At each weekly return, a photographic record was made of the lesion. After treatment, images were evaluated and scores were assigned to verify clinical evolution. Also, patients treated with Fludroxycortide responded to a questionnaire, to assess drug tolerability and treatment satisfaction. In the group treated with Fludroxycortide (n = 15), five patients showed total improvement, seven presented partial improvement, and three showed no clinical change. Concerning the patients treated with LS (n = 8), one presented total remission of the clinical lesion characteristics, four exhibited partial improvement, and three exhibited no clinical lip alteration. No case presented symptom worsening. Of the 15 patients undergoing corticotherapy, 12 were satisfied and reported that the product was not irritating and contributed to lesion improvement. Conventional treatment with LS was effective in the remission of some AC lesions, but treatment responses were improved when associated with Fludroxycortide, especially in the more severe cases. As it is a non-invasive therapy leading, in most cases, to adequate clinical results, safety, and tolerability, Fludroxycortide can be considered an effective alternative treatment for AC.


Are regional metabolic differences of adipose tissue responsible for different risks of obesity?
Recent research has shown that statistical correlation of disease is usually stronger to abdominal distribution of adipose tissue than to obesity. Abdominal distribution of adipose tissue in women is associated to other male characteristics of muscle tissue mass and morphology, as well as signs of androgenicity in circulating hormones. Abdominal adipose tissue is sensitive to lipolytic stimuli. It might be considered that the endocrine aberrations in combination with elevated concentrations of circulating free fatty acids might cause the complications associated with abdominal obesity.


Effects of calcium hydroxide reagent on the bond strength of resin cements to root dentin and the retention force of FRC posts.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) treatment on bond strength of resin cements to root dentin and retention force of fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) posts. Bovine root dentin was endodontically prepared and treated with Ca(OH)2 for 7 days. Root dentin for bond strength test was adhered to resin-composite with resin cements. For pull-out test, posts consisting of FRC posts and resin-composites were fabricated and cemented to root. Shear bond and pull-out tests were performed using a universal testing machine. No significant differences in bond strength and post retention force were found between Ca(OH)2 treated and untreated groups. Significant differences were found among the cements. A positive correlation was indicated between bond strength of cements and retention force of FRC posts. In conclusion, Ca(OH)2 treatment on root dentin did not affect bond strength of resin cements and retention force of FRC posts.


Multiligament stifle injury, a multicenter retrospective study in 26 dogs.
To describe multiligament stifle injury in dogs and report complications and long-term outcomes. Medical records of dogs surgically treated for multiligament stifle injury were reviewed from six veterinary hospitals. Long-term follow-up was collected from referring veterinarians. Twenty-six client-owned dogs and 26 stifles were included. Road traffic accidents and limb entrapment were the most common causes of injury. Cranial cruciate and lateral collateral ligament rupture was the most common combination of injury (10 cases). The caudal cruciate ligament was damaged in 12/23 cases but was surgically addressed in only 2 cases. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture was present in all cases and was managed using TPLO (6 cases), extracapsular suture (15 cases) and TTA (2 cases). Postoperative immobilisation with a transarticular external skeletal fixator was used in 4/26 cases. Intraoperative complications were reported in 2/23 cases, short-term complications in 17/25 cases, of which eight were major, and long-term complications in 7/18, of which two were major. Patella luxation was seen in one case and is a previously unreported complication. The overall outcome was excellent in 9/24 cases, good in 5/24 cases, fair in 7/24 cases and poor in 3/24 cases. Follow-up time ranged from 1.5 months to 9 years with the median (IQR) of 9.5 (4.0 to 28.5) months. Multiligament stifle injury in dogs is associated with a high rate of major complications. The overall outcome was good to excellent in just over half of the dogs.


Assessment of spiritual needs in cancer patients: A cross-sectional study.
Addressing the spiritual needs of patients is an essential component of holistic care in nursing. Acknowledging the spiritual needs of cancer patients enhances the performance of clinical caregivers in providing quality services to such patients. Therefore, caregivers successfully fulfill or decrease the patients' needs and thus increase their adaptation to crises. The present cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the spiritual needs of cancer patients. In this study, 96 cancer patients were selected from Ayatollah Khansari Hospital in Arak, Iran. The required data were collected through a demographic information form and the Persian version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire. Participants' verbal consent to participate in the study was obtained, and they were assured of anonymity and confidentiality. In the present study, the mean age of the participants was 47.82 ± 14.34 years. The frequency distribution of respondents by gender was 36 males (37.5%) and 60 females (62.5%). The mean scores of spiritual needs in the domains of religious needs, need for inner peace, existential needs, and need for giving/generativity were 12.03 ± 3.18, 7.26 ± 3.26, 4.61 ± 2.96, and 4.06 ± 2.32, respectively. The highest and lowest mean values were associated with religious needs and need for giving/generativity, respectively. Religious needs showed a significantly positive relationship with gender, occupation, and the type of treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between the need for peace and level of education (P < 0.05). The recognition of the spiritual needs of cancer patients is the first step in prioritizing and planning to provide spiritual care to these patients and supporting them in adapting to and coping with the disease. Therefore, nurses need to acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills required to identify these needs.


Clinical biomarkers and molecular basis for optimized treatment of diabetic retinopathy: current status and future prospects.
Diabetic retinopathy is a highly specific microvascular complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It is triggered by hyperglycemia which causes increased oxidative stress leading to an adaptive inflammatory assault to the neuroretinal tissue and microvasculature. Prolonged hyperglycemia causes increased polyol pathway flux, increased formation of advanced glycation end-products, abnormal activation of signaling cascades such as activation of protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, increased hexosamine pathway flux, and peripheral nerve damage. All these changes lead to increased oxidative stress and inflammatory assault to the retina resulting in structural and functional changes. In addition, neuroretinal alterations affect diabetes progression. The most effective way to manage diabetic retinopathy is by primary prevention such as hyperglycemia control. While the current mainstay for the management of severe and proliferative diabetic retinopathy is laser photocoagulation, its role is diminishing with the development of newer drugs including corticosteroids, antioxidants, and antiangiogenic and anti-VEGF agents which work as an adjunct to laser therapy or independently. The current pharmacotherapy of diabetic retinopathy is incomplete as a sole treatment option in view of limited efficacy and short-term effect. There is a definite clinical need to develop new pharmacological therapies for diabetic retinopathy, particularly ones which would be effective through the oral route and help recover lost vision. The increasing understanding of the mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy and its biomarkers is likely to help generate better and more effective medications.


Indirect scapegoating via projective identification and the mother group.
This article proposes an indirect route to role suction and scapegoating via projective identification (PI) of members' split-off feelings into the group. For these members, the group is a good, soothing mother. Other members, sensitive to a projected feeling, introject it from the group and may become scapegoats. For them the group is the bad, invasive mother. This model provides a unifying explanation for the literature's contrasting depiction of the group as either a good or a bad mother. By fostering the containment and holding functions of the group and exploring and interpreting the interrelated phenomena of PI, the mother group, and indirect scapegoating, the therapist can facilitate the development of more realistic, integrated, internal-object-relations, which in turn fosters improved interpersonal relations.


Non-invasive neuromodulation can reduce aggressive behaviors in humans: A critical perspective.
Containing aggressive behavior is an ongoing challenge in modern society. Aggressiveness is a multi-level construct that can be driven by emotions (reactive aggression) or can be "cold-blooded" and goal-directed (proactive). Aggressive behavior could arise because of a misjudgment of others' intentions or can follow frontal brain lesions leading to a reduction of impulse control and emotion regulation. In the last few years, interventional and basic research studies adopting Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) have significantly risen. Those techniques have been used both in healthy people, to better understand the role of certain brain regions in psychological processes, and in aggressive subjects to improve their symptoms. From an overview of the literature, focusing on the paper that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to reduce aggressiveness, it emerges that tDCS can (i) enhance facial emotion expression recognition, (ii) improve impulses control, and (iii) affect approach/withdrawal motivation. The current work shows the strengths and weaknesses of tDCS intervention on aggressive individuals, suggesting that this instrument could be adopted on violent people, and paves the way for intervention in some applied settings such as prison.


The combinations C1 esterase inhibitor with coagulation factor XIII and N-acetylcysteine with tirilazad mesylate reduce the leukocyte adherence in an experimental endotoxemia in rats.
The study's objective was to determine the effects of the administration of combinations of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) with coagulation factor XIII (F XIII) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) with tirilazad mesylate (TM) on leukocyte adherence and on intestinal functional capillary density during experimental endotoxemia in rats. In a prospective, randomized, controlled animal study, 40 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 (CON group) served as control group. Group 2 (LPS group), group 3 (C1-INH+F XIII group) and group 4 (NAC+TM group) received endotoxin infusions (10 mg/kg/h for 2 h). In C1-INH+F XIII group, 100 U/kg b.w. C1-INH and 50 U/kg b.w. F XIII were administered after the first 30 min of endotoxemia. In the NAC+TM group, 150 mg/kg b.w. N-acetylcysteine and 10 mg/kg b.w. Tirilazad mesylate were administered after 30 min of endotoxemia. Leukocyte adherence at venules of the intestinal submucosal layer and functional capillary density in the villi intestinales and in the longitudinal and circular muscle layers were estimated by intravital fluorescence microscopy (IVM). C1-INH+F XIII reduced the count of firmly adherent leukocytes that was increased after LPS administration in the V3 venules (CON group 69 (17-160)/mm2; LPS group 635 (556-814)/mm2; C1-INH+F XIII group 503 (337-646)/mm2). NAC+TM reduced the firmly adherent leukocytes in the V3 venules (NAC+TM group 403 (309-572)/mm2) and in the V1 venules (CON group 55 (16-131)/mm2; LPS group 368 (306-475)/mm2; NAC+TM group 270 (216-308)/mm2) as well. FCD was not impaired after LPS challenge and there was no influence of both combinations on the FCD. We conclude that both drug combinations can reduce the leukocyte adherence in a sepsis model in rats.


Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation.
Studies investigating how people represent themselves and their own body often use variants of "ownership illusions", such as the traditional rubber-hand illusion or the more recently discovered enfacement illusion. However, these examples require rather artificial experimental setups, in which the artificial effector needs to be stroked in synchrony with the participants' real hand or face-a situation in which participants have no control over the stroking or the movements of their real or artificial effector. Here, we describe a technique to establish ownership illusions in a setup that is more realistic, more intuitive, and of presumably higher ecological validity. It allows creating the virtual-hand illusion by having participants control the movements of a virtual hand presented on a screen or in virtual space in front of them. If the virtual hand moves in synchrony with the participants' own real hand, they tend to perceive the virtual hand as part of their own body. The technique also creates the virtual-face illusion by having participants control the movements of a virtual face in front of them, again with the effect that they tend to perceive the face as their own if it moves in synchrony with their real face. Studying the circumstances that illusions of this sort can be created, increased, or reduced provides important information about how people create and maintain representations of themselves.


[CuO-Ru/Al2O3 catalytic ozonation of acetophenone in water].
Two-component CuO-Ru based on active Al2O3 (CuO-Ru/Al2O3) catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and used to catalytic ozonation of acetophenone (AP). The results showed that doping Ru could significantly improve the catalytic activity of CuO/Al2O3. For example, the COD removal rates of AP solution after 30 min by ozonation alone, CuO/Al2O3/O3, and CuO-Ru/Al2O3/O3 were 6.3%, 20.0% and 54.0%, respectively. The change of pH almost had no affect on degradation efficiency of AP. However, a comparison of COD removal between ozonation alone and catalytic ozonation indicated that CuO-Ru/Al2O3 catalyst was more suitable for application in neutral or acidic condition. CuO-Ru/Al2O3 catalyst could accelerate decomposition rate of ozone in water, and its decomposition rate constant reached 2.58 x 10(-3) s(-1) while that of ozone alone in double-water was 1.19 x 10(-3) s(-1). The experimental result of t-butanol indicated that CuO-Ru/Al2O3 catalytic ozonation of AP followed a radical-type mechanism.


An experimental study of some indigenous drugs with special reference to hydraulic permeability.
The effect of commonly used indigenous drugs for hepatic disorders i.e. Tinospora cordifolia, (Guduchi/Amrita), Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegha), Picrorhiza kurroa (Kutki), Phyllantnus niruri (Bhoomyamalaki) and Berberis aristata (Daruharidra) was tested on the hydraulic permeability of water in the presence of bile salt through a transport cell model. The data on hydraulic permeability were calculated as t (time). JV = Lp x AP, where Lp = hydraulic conductivity and AP is the pressure difference. It was observed that the value of controlled hydraulic permeability (0.49 x 10(-8) M3 S(-1) N(-1)) decreased in the presence of indigenous drugs and bile salt. The results suggest that these drugs might have the cell membrane stabilizing property which may lead to prevention of the toxic effect of bile salts in various hepatic disorders.


Genome Editing Technology and Its Application to Metabolic Engineering in Rice.
Genome editing technology can be used for gene engineering in many organisms. A target metabolite can be fortified by the knockout and modification of target genes encoding enzymes involved in catabolic and biosynthesis pathways, respectively, via genome editing technology. Genome editing is also applied to genes encoding proteins other than enzymes, such as chaperones and transporters. There are many reports of such metabolic engineering using genome editing technology in rice. Genome editing is used not only for site-directed mutagenesis such as the substitution of a single base in a target gene but also for random mutagenesis at a targeted region. The latter enables the creation of novel genetic alleles in a target gene. Recently, genome editing technology has been applied to random mutagenesis in a targeted gene and its promoter region in rice, enabling the screening of plants with a desirable trait from these mutants. Moreover, the expression level of a target gene can be artificially regulated by a combination of genome editing tools such as catalytically inactivated Cas protein with transcription activator or repressor. This approach could be useful for metabolic engineering, although expression cassettes for inactivated Cas fused to a transcriptional activator or repressor should be stably transformed into the rice genome. Thus, the rapid development of genome editing technology has been expanding the scope of molecular breeding including metabolic engineering. In this paper, we review the current status of genome editing technology and its application to metabolic engineering in rice.


Intracellular redox regulation by the family of small GTPases.
There is growing experimental evidence that the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) represents a tightly regulated process. In particular, numerous observations have suggested a role for the Ras superfamily of small GTPases in redox regulation. This article reviews the evidence that ROS can serve as important downstream effectors for both Ras and Rac proteins. Given the prominent role these proteins play in regulating growth, senescence, and transformation, understanding the role of the small GTPase family in redox regulation may significantly alter our current concepts as to how free radicals contribute to diverse processes from aging to cancer.


Genetic affinities among the historical provinces of Romania and Central Europe as revealed by an mtDNA analysis.
As a major crossroads between Asia and Europe, Romania has experienced continuous migration and invasion episodes. The precise routes may have been shaped by the topology of the territory and had diverse impacts on the genetic structure of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in historical Romanian provinces. We studied 714 Romanians from all historical provinces, Wallachia, Dobrudja, Moldavia, and Transylvania, by analyzing the mtDNA control region and coding markers to encompass the complete landscape of mtDNA haplogroups. We observed a homogenous distribution of the majority of haplogroups among the Romanian provinces and a clear association with the European populations. A principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis supported the genetic similarity of the Wallachia, Moldavia, and Dobrudja groups with the Balkans, while the Transylvania population was closely related to Central European groups. These findings could be explained by the topology of the Romanian territory, where the Carpathian Arch played an important role in migration patterns. Signals of Asian maternal lineages were observed in all Romanian historical provinces, indicating gene flow along the migration routes through East Asia and Europe. Our current findings based on the mtDNA analysis of populations in historical provinces of Romania suggest similarity between populations in Transylvania and Central Europe, supported both by the observed clines in haplogroup frequencies for several European and Asian maternal lineages and MDS analyses.


Societal costs of fetal alcohol syndrome in Sweden.
To estimate the annual societal cost of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in Sweden, focusing on the secondary disabilities thought feasible to limit via early interventions. Prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis of FAS in Sweden for 2014. Direct costs (societal support, special education, psychiatric disorders and alcohol/drug abuse) and indirect costs (reduced working capacity and informal caring), were included. The calculations were based on published Swedish studies, including a register-based follow-up study of adults with FAS, reports and databases, and experts. The annual total societal cost of FAS was estimated at €76,000 per child (0-17 years) and €110,000 per adult (18-74 years), corresponding to €1.6 billion per year in the Swedish population using a prevalence of FAS of 0.2 %. The annual additional cost of FAS (difference between the FAS group and a comparison group) was estimated at €1.4 billion using a prevalence of 0.2 %. The major cost driver was the cost of societal support. The cost burden of FAS on the society is extensive, but likely to be underestimated. A reduction in the societal costs of FAS, both preventive and targeted interventions to children with FAS, should be prioritized. That is, the cost of early interventions such as placement in family homes or other forms of housing, and special education, represent unavoidable costs. However, these types of interventions are highly relevant to improve the individual's quality of life and future prospects, and also, within a long-term perspective, to limit the societal costs and personal suffering.


Comparisons in finite element analysis of minimally invasive, locking, and non-locking plates systems used in treating calcaneal fractures of Sanders type II and type III.
Calcaneal fractures are relatively common but complex, while the treatment of these fractures is still controversial. The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability of minimally invasive, locking, and non-locking plating systems used for fixing Sanders type II and type III calcaneal fractures. Finite element analysis was used for comparing the three types of plating systems. This study helped in guiding the clinical management of calcaneal fractures. The CT data acquired from a volunteer was used to construct a finite element model of calcaneus. The fracture lines were made according to Sanders type II (A, B, C) and type III (AB, AC, BC) and six calcaneal fractures models were constructed accordingly. Three fixation methods used in clinical treatment were simulated by design tools (minimally invasive plating with percutaneous screws, Y-size non-locking plating, and locking plating) and then fixed to these fracture models with the help of clinical principles. The single minimally invasive plating fixation was also tested to compare the function of percutaneous screws. Then, the neutral force was applied on established methods. The displacement and presses distribution condition in various plating models were analyzed and compared. The levels of displacement and compressive press on the bone around fixation or strains on plating were within the physiological limit, indicating that the three methods were suitable for application. Compared with the locked and unlocked plates, the minimally invasive plating caused a relatively lower displacement without the high stress in bone or fixation. The minimum stress in fixation was observed in locking plate as the distribution of stress was concentrated in the anterior part of locking plate. The minimally invasive plating method could be a better alternative method in treating Sanders type II and type III calcaneal fractures. The observed stiffness of locking plate was not obviously stronger than unlocked plate.


Integrated Hierarchical Cobalt Sulfide/Nickel Selenide Hybrid Nanosheets as an Efficient Three-dimensional Electrode for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.
Developing highly active electrocatalysts for photoelectrochemical water splitting is critical to bring solar/electrical-to-hydrogen energy conversion processes into reality. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) hybrid electrocatalyst that is constructed through in situ anchoring of Co9S8 nanosheets onto the surface of Ni3Se2 nanosheets vertically aligned on an electrochemically exfoliated graphene foil. Benefiting from the synergistic effects between Ni3Se2 and Co9S8, the highly conductive graphene support, and large surface area, the novel 3D hybrid electrode delivers superior electrocatalytic activity toward water reduction in alkaline media, featuring overpotentials of -0.17 and -0.23 V to achieve current densities of 20 and 50 mA cm-2, respectively, demonstrating an electrocatalytic performance on the top of the Ni3Se2- and Co9S8-based electrocatalysts as reported in literature. Experimental investigations and theoretical calculations confirm that the remarkable activity of the obtained material results from the unique 3D hierarchical architecture and interface reconstruction between Ni3Se2 and Co9S8 through Ni-S bonding, which leads to charge redistribution and thus lowers the energy barrier of hydrogen desorption in the water splitting process. Further integration of the 3D hybrid electrode with a macroporous silicon photocathode enables highly active and sustainable sunlight-driven water splitting in both basic media and real river water. The overall water splitting with 10 mA cm-2 at a low voltage of 1.62 V is achieved using our hybrid as both anode and cathode catalysts, which surpasses that of the Ir/C-Pt/C couple (1.60 V) for sufficiently high overpotentials.


Construct Validity of the Braden Scale for Pressure Ulcer Assessment in Acute Care: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.
The Braden Scale is the most widely used pressure ulcer risk assessment system in the world. To investigate its construct validity using structural equation modeling (SEM), a secondary analysis of retrospective data of patients admitted to an acute care facility was conducted using the records of 2588 patients who were at risk for pressure ulcers and admitted between January 2013 and December 2013. Data were extracted to an Excel sheet and analyzed, including demographic characteristics (ie, patients age, gender, weight, and disease spectrum), as well as total Braden scores and subscale scores. The SEM was set according to modification indices suggestion. The original Braden Scale model was supported by χ2(9) = 22.854, CFI = 0.902, GFI = 0.974, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.092, indicating inadequate model fit. After modification according to software indices, χ2(2) = 2.052, CFI = 0.999, GFI = 0.999, RMSEA = 0.020 indicated an acceptable fit of the model (final model). The factor loadings of 6 subscales were all significant (P <.001), with .147 for nutrition, .137 for activity, .167 for friction and shear, .825 for sensory perception, .626 for mobility, and .556 for moisture subscale. The nutrition, activity, and friction and shear subscales were corrected to examine their relationships with other Braden Scale subscales (nutrition with activity [φ -0.063], activity with friction/shear [φ 0.136], and nutrition (φ friction/shear [0.159]). The factor loadings ranged from -0.067 to 0.159. These findings suggest the original Braden Scale has inadequate construct validity for acute care patients and that new risk-predicting scales should be designed based on data mining. Second, according to the factor loadings in the SEM, the most important risk factor in the Braden Scale for this patient population is sensory perception, followed by mobility and moisture. This suggests practitioners should pay particular attention to pressure ulcer prevention when patients have limited sensory perception, mobility limitations, and/or when moisture status is less than optimal.


Chronic total occlusion revascularization: A complex piece to "complete" the puzzle.
Treatment of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has rapidly increased during the past decades. Different strategies and approach were developed in the recent past years leading to an increase in CTO-PCI procedural success. The goal to achieve an extended revascularization with a high rate of completeness is now supported by strong scientific evidences and consequently, has led to an exponential increase in the number of CTO-PCI procedures, even if are still underutilized. It has been widely demonstrated that complete coronary revascularization, achieved by either coronary artery bypass graft or PCI, is associated with prognostic improvement, in terms of increased survival and reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events. The application of "contemporary" strategies aimed to obtain a state-of-the-art revascularization by PCI allows to achieve long-term clinical benefit, even in high-risk patients or complex coronary anatomy with CTO. The increasing success of CTO-PCI, allowing a complete or reasonable incomplete coronary revascularization, is enabling to overcome the last great challenge of interventional cardiology, adding a "complex" piece to "complete" the puzzle.


Variable region of the 3' UTR is a critical virulence factor in the Far-Eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus in a mouse model.
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a major arbovirus that causes thousands of cases of severe neurological illness in humans annually. However, virulence factors and pathological mechanisms of TBEV remain largely unknown. To identify the virulence factors, we constructed chimeric viruses between two TBEV strains of the Far-Eastern subtype, Sofjin-HO (highly pathogenic) and Oshima 5-10 (low pathogenic). The replacement of the coding region for the structural and non-structural proteins from Sofjin into Oshima showed a partial increase of the viral pathogenicity in a mouse model. Oshima-based chimeric viruses with the variable region of the 3' UTR of Sofjin, which had a deletion of 207 nt, killed 100 % of mice and showed almost the same virulence as Sofjin. Replacement of the variable region of the 3' UTR from Sofjin into Oshima did not increase viral multiplication in cultured cells and a mouse model at the early phase of viral entry into the brain. At the terminal phase of viral infection in mice, the virus titre of the Oshima-based chimeric virus with the variable region of the 3' UTR of Sofjin reached a level identical to that of Sofjin and showed a similar histopathological change in the brain tissue. This is the first report to show that the variable region of the 3' UTR is a critical virulence factor in mice. These findings encourage further study to understand the mechanisms of the pathogenicity of TBEV, and to develop preventative and therapeutic strategies for tick-borne encephalitis.


The effect of heat stress on proliferation, synthesis of steroids, and gene expression of duck granulosa cells.
Granulosa cells (GCs) play an important role in the development of follicles. In this study, we investigate the impact of heat stress at 41°C and 43°C on duck GCs' proliferation and steroids secretion. And, the transcriptomic responses to heat treatment were examined using RNA-sequencing analysis. Digital gene expression profiling was used to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (fold change ≥ 2 and Q value < 0.05). Further, the differential expression genes (DEGs) were classified into GO categories and KEGG pathways. The results show that duck GCs blocked in the G1 phase were increased on exposure to heat stress. Meanwhile, the expression of proliferative genes, which were essential for the transition from G1 to S phase, was inhibited. At the same time, heat stress inhibited the estradiol synthesis of GCs by decreasing CYP11A1 and CYP19A1 gene expression. A total of 241 DEGs including 181 upregulated and 60 downregulated ones were identified. Transcriptome result shows that heat shock protein and CXC chemokines gene were significantly activated during heat stress. While collagenases (MMP1 and MMP13) and strome lysins (MMP3) were downregulated. And, the hedgehog signaling pathway may be a prosurvival adaptive response under heat stress. These results offer a basis for better understanding the molecular mechanism underlying lay-eggs-less in ducks under heat stress.


[Research study regarding the benefits of nursing care in the twilight syndrome].
The twilight syndrome manifests with the appearance of a severe confusional state which damages the patient's cognitive potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether nursing care focused on the patient's space-time orientation could reduce or even prevent the onset of this syndrome. The study comprised 48 patients, 17 in the action group and 31 in the control group. The results of the study showed that the nursing strategies implemented, aimed at maintaining the patient's cognitive, perceptive and orientation functions, not only slowed down the progression of the syndrome but also made early recognition possible.


Using amino acid and peptide composition to predict membrane protein types.
Membrane proteins play an important role in many biological processes and are attractive drug targets. Determination of membrane protein structures or topologies by experimental methods is expensive and time consuming. Effective computational method in predicting the membrane protein types can provide useful information for large amount of protein sequences emerging in the post-genomic era. Although numerous algorithms have addressed this issue, the methods of extracting efficient protein sequence information are very limit. In this study, we provide a method of extracting high order sequence information with the stepwise discriminant analysis. Some important amino acids and peptides that are distinct for different types of the membrane proteins have been identified and their occurrence frequencies in membrane proteins can be used to predict the types of the membrane proteins. Consequently, an accuracy of 86.5% in the cross-validation test, and 99.8% in the resubstitution test has been achieved for a non-redundant dataset, which includes type-I, type-II, multipass transmembrane proteins, lipid chain-anchored and GPI-anchored membrane proteins. The fingerprint features of the identified peptides in each membrane protein type are also discussed.


Benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation: a review.
Although unilateral cochlear implantation generally provides good speech understanding under quiet conditions, cochlear implantation patients frequently report difficulty understanding speech when exposed to background noise and with sound localization. Since these two listening functions require binaural stimulation for normal individuals and hearing aid recipients, it is not surprising that there is growing interest in binaural implants. This update reviews the basics of binaural listening and the advantages and disadvantages of binaural cochlear implantation. Although the psychoacoustic literature has long demonstrated the benefits of binaural hearing, only recently have studies shown improvement in speech intelligibility with bilateral implants compared with unilateral implants. Of the three known binaural mechanisms, the head shadow effect provides greater benefit than binaural squelch or summation. In addition, binaural cochlear implants improve the ability to localize sound. Bilateral implantation provides multiple benefits to patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Research is currently directed at improving speech intelligibility by utilizing evolving technologies in speech-processing strategies.


Intra-individual Right-left Comparative Study of Medium Depth Peels in Superficial Nail Abnormalities.
Superficial nail abnormalities include conditions which produce nail surface changes such as trachyonychia, pitting and ridging. Mostly, this is a neglected area due to the dearth of treatment options. Glycolic acid peeling has been reported to be effective in such cases. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of medium depth peels (70% glycolic acid versus phenol combination peel [8% phenol with 15% trichloroacetic acid]) in patients with superficial nail abnormalities. A right-left comparative study in patients with superficial nail abnormalities was done. On the right finger or toenails phenol combination peels and on the left side 70% glycolic acid was used in a predefined protocol over 12 weeks. The severity was assessed objectively by a new devised index (Nail Surface abnormality Index (NSI]). Patient's subjective perception of severity was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and that of the physician was assessed by Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) scores. A total of 17 patients were enrolled, two dropped out and 15 patients were included in the final analysis (mean age 19.2 years, total 120 nails treated). The mean NSI score declined from 7.88 ± 0.45 to 4.02 ± 0.45 on the right side; and from 8.0 ± 0.45 to 4.32 ± 0.44 on left side, at the end of 12 weeks. The VAS declined from 6.57 ± 0.26 to 3.87 ± 0.33 on right side and from 6.32 ± 0.28 to 3.78 ± 0.32 on left side. According to PGA score, five patients showed good improvement, seven showed moderate improvement and three responded poorly. Both the medium depth peels were found to be safe and equally efficacious modalities for treatment of superficial nail abnormalities.


Rapid Communication: MiR-92a as a housekeeping gene for analysis of bovine mastitis-related microRNA in milk.
Our aim was to identify a suitable microRNA housekeeping gene for real-time PCR analysis of bovine mastitis-related microRNA in milk. We identified , , and as housekeeping gene candidates on the basis of previous Solexa sequencing results. Threshold cycle (CT) values for , , and did not differ between milk from control cows and milk from mastitis-affected cows. NormFinder software identified as the most stable single housekeeping gene. We evaluated the suitability of the housekeeping gene candidates by using them to assess expression levels of the inflammation-related gene . Regardless of the housekeeping gene candidates used for normalization, relative expression levels of were significantly higher in mastitis-affected samples than in control samples. However, of all the housekeeping genes and gene combinations investigated, normalization with alone generated the difference in relative expression between mastitis-affected and control samples with the highest significance. These results suggest that is suitable for use as a housekeeping gene for analysis of bovine mastitis-related microRNA in milk.


Potential Value of Probiotics on Lipid Profiles in Hyperlipidemia and Healthy Participants: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported the effect of probiotics on reducing plasma lipids with inconsistent results. An explicit systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in this study to evaluate the effect of probiotics on the lipid profile of healthy and hyperlipidemia participants. A comprehensive literature search of RCTs was conducted using PubMed, Embase, World Health Organization (WHO) Global Index Medicus, WHO clinical trial registry, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Inclusion criteria included RCTs comparing the use of any strain of a specified probiotic with the placebo control group. The change in lipid profiles was analyzed. The probiotics can decrease the total cholesterol (TC) level in hyperlipidemia participants but not healthy persons (MD = -0.43, 95% CI -0.60 - -0.25, P < .01; MD = -0.09, 95% CI -0.26 - 0.08, P > .05). Probiotics did not reduce high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in patients with hyperlipidemia or healthy people (MD = -0.01, 95% CI -0.09 - 0.07, P > .05; MD = 0.02, 95% CI -0.04 - 0.09, P > .05). Furthermore, probiotics can reduce the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level both in hyperlipidemia and healthy persons (MD = -0.34, 95% CI -0.43 - -0.26, P < .01; MD = -0.15, 95% CI -0.28 - -0.02, P < .05). Lastly, the effect of probiotics on reducing triglyceride (TG) levels was significant in hyperlipidemia persons but not in the healthy population (MD = -0.20, 95% CI -0.37 - -0.04, P < .01; MD = -0.01, 95% CI -0.02 - 0.04, P > .05). Through our analysis, the effect of probiotics on lowering plasma lipid was more obvious in hyperlipidemia participants than healthy population. However, further studies are required to confirm the findings due to pronounced clinical heterogeneity.


Molecular Epidemiology and Antigenic Characterization of Seasonal Influenza Viruses Circulating in Nepal.
Influenza is one of the public health burdens in Nepal and its epidemiology is not clearly understood. The objective of this study was to explore the molecular epidemiology and the antigenic characteristics of the circulating influenza viruses in Nepal. A total of 1495 throat swab specimens were collected from January to December, 2014. Real time PCR assay was used for identification of influenza virus types and subtypes. Ten percent of the positive specimens were randomly selected and inoculated onto Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Epithelial cells (MDCK) for influenza virus isolation. All viruses were characterized by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Influenza viruses were detected in 421/1495 (28.2%) specimens. Among positive cases, influenza A virus was detected in 301/421 (71.5%); of which 120 (39.9%) were influenza A/H1N1 pdm09 and 181 (60.1%) were influenza A/H3 subtype. Influenza B viruses were detected in 119/421 (28.3%) specimens. Influenza A/H1N1 pdm09, A/H3 and B viruses isolated in Nepal were antigenically similar to the vaccine strain influenza A/California/07/2009(H1N1pdm09), A/Texas/50/2012(H3N2), A/New York/39/2012(H3N2) and B/Massachusetts/2/2012, respectively. Influenza viruses were reported year-round in different geographical regions of Nepal which was similar to other tropical countries. The circulating influenza virus type and subtypes of Nepal were similar to vaccine candidate virus which could be prevented by currently used influenza vaccine.


Roughness distributions for 1/f alpha signals.
The probability density function (PDF) of the roughness, i.e., of the temporal variance, of 1/f(alpha) noise signals is studied. Our starting point is the generalization of the model of Gaussian, time periodic, 1/f noise, discussed in our recent Letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 240601 (2001)], to arbitrary power law. We investigate three main scaling regions (alpha < or = 1/2, 1/2 < alpha < or = 1, and 1< alpha), distinguished by the scaling of the cumulants in terms of the microscopic scale and the total length of the period. Various analytical representations of the PDF allow for a precise numerical evaluation of the scaling function of the PDF for any alpha. A simulation of the periodic process makes it possible to study also nonperiodic, thus experimentally more relevant, signals on relatively short intervals embedded in the full period. We find that for alpha < or = 1/2 the scaled PDFs in both the periodic and the nonperiodic cases are Gaussian, but for alpha > 1/2 they differ from the Gaussian and from each other. Both deviations increase with growing alpha. That conclusion, based on numerics, is reinforced by analytic results for alpha = 2 and alpha-->infinity, in the latter limit the scaling function of the PDF being finite for periodic signals, but developing a singularity for the aperiodic ones. Finally, an overview is given for the scaling of cumulants of the roughness and the various scaling regions in arbitrary dimensions. We suggest that our theoretical and numerical results open a different perspective on the data analysis of 1/f(alpha) processes.


Attachment anxiety is associated with a fear of becoming fat, which is mediated by binge eating.
Previous work demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety are prone to increased binge eating (Alexander & Siegel, 2013). Given that our society rejects obese individuals and individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety tend to be highly sensitive to rejection (Downey & Feldman, 1996), it follows that those with increased attachment anxiety may be especially fearful of becoming fat. Undergraduate psychology students (n = 148) completed surveys measuring attachment, binge eating, and fear of becoming fat. The data demonstrate that attachment anxiety is positively associated with a fear of becoming fat (β = .30, p < .001) and binge eating mediates this relationship. In other words, binge eating underlies the fear of becoming fat. These findings contribute to a more refined understanding of binge eating which may create pathways for professionals to develop targeted interventions.


Fusion and alloying of (bi)metallic nanocrystals onto TiO2 nanowires in the presence of surface grafted polymer brushes.
In present paper, the fusion of metal nanocrystals on TiO2 nanowires is studied and utilized to synthesize bimetallic nanoparticles on nanowires. Cationic polydimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) brushes are grafted onto TiO2 nanowires, and palladium nanocrystals are produced by polymer brush-bound PdCl(4)(2-) and subsequent in situ reduction with NaBH4 in high density and low polydispersity. It is found that Pd nanocrystals of 2-3 nm starts to fuse even at 100 °C, but are apparently obstructed by the polymer brush matrix. Nanocrystal fusion speeds up instantly after polymer decomposition degradation at temperatures above 300 °C. By taking advantage of the polymer brush technique successive, templated uploading of different nanoparticles and fusion, Pd-Au bimetallic nanoparticles or alloys are formed on TiO2 nanowires. The results provide a novel method towards TiO2 nanowire supported (bi)metallic nanoparticles and have hinted at practical uses for elucidating the catalytic behavior of the composites.


How COVID-19 Pandemic Worsens the Economic Situation of Women in South Africa.
Little is known about the general equilibrium impact COVID-19 induces on different gender groups. This paper addresses the problem of relatively few general equilibrium studies focusing on gender impacts of COVID-19. The analysis uses a gendered Computable General Equilibrium model linked to a microsimulation model that analyses a mild and severe scenario of the pandemic on economic and distributional outcomes for females. Irrespective of scenario, findings show that because women employment tend to have unskilled labour which is more concentrated in sectors that are hurt the most by COVID-19 response measures, they suffer disproportionately more from higher unemployment than their male counterparts. The poverty outcomes show worsened vulnerability for female-headed households given that, even prior to the pandemic, poverty was already higher amongst women. These simulated results are consistent with recently observed impacts and address research gaps important for well-designed public policies to reverse these trends.


Crystal structures of delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase from human pathogens Neisseria meningitides and Streptococcus pyogenes.
L-proline is an amino acid that plays an important role in proteins uniquely contributing to protein folding, structure, and stability, and this amino acid serves as a sequence-recognition motif. Proline biosynthesis can occur via two pathways, one from glutamate and the other from arginine. In both pathways, the last step of biosynthesis, the conversion of delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) to L-proline, is catalyzed by delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) using NAD(P)H as a cofactor. We have determined the first crystal structure of P5CR from two human pathogens, Neisseria meningitides and Streptococcus pyogenes, at 2.0 angstroms and 2.15 angstroms resolution, respectively. The catalytic unit of P5CR is a dimer composed of two domains, but the biological unit seems to be species-specific. The N-terminal domain of P5CR is an alpha/beta/alpha sandwich, a Rossmann fold. The C-terminal dimerization domain is rich in alpha-helices and shows domain swapping. Comparison of the native structure of P5CR to structures complexed with L-proline and NADP+ in two quite different primary sequence backgrounds provides unique information about key functional features: the active site and the catalytic mechanism. The inhibitory L-proline has been observed in the crystal structure.


Classic form of hypoplastic left heart syndrome diagnosed post-natally: an autopsy report.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a congenital heart disease, which, despite the current improved knowledge about its management and surgical treatment, is still associated with high mortality, especially in the early neonatal period and before the second stage of reconstruction surgery. The low rate of prenatal diagnosis and delayed diagnostic suspicion results in unsuccessful therapeutic intervention, even though the real impact of early diagnosis and intervention on mortality and quality of life of patients is still uncertain. Fortunately, this syndrome of challenging treatment is not that frequent. It involves a spectrum of obstructions to the blood flow within the left heart and is characterized by an inappropriate size of the left ventricle associated with a wide variety of valvular dysfunctions. Treatment ranges from heart transplantation to palliative surgical procedures. The authors describe a case of a newborn with HLHS, whose diagnosis was made after birth because of early respiratory failure. Despite the use of prostaglandin the newborn died. An autopsy was performed and the anatomical findings were described.


Conversation Starter: Advancing the Theory of Peer-Assisted Learning.
This Conversation Starter article uses four selected abstracts, one each from the four regional Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Educational Affairs (CGEA) 2018 spring meetings, as a springboard for unpacking the definition of peer-assisted learning (PAL). The aim of this article is to prompt deeper reflection on this phenomenon and, in so doing, to foster scholarly program evaluation of this widely adopted instructional approach. This analysis calls for a more nuanced definition of PAL, one that emphasizes process over structure, one that stimulates examination of "doing" PAL and how this affects the personal and professional development of all involved.


Laparoscopically assisted colonoscopic polypectomy - viable option for curative surgery in elderly patients.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and the fourth most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world. CRC screening programs have been widely introduced worldwide, allowing for early detection and removal of precancerous lesions and avoiding major surgical intervention. However, not all polyps are suitable for conventional and advanced colonoscopic polypectomy. Thus, laparoscopically assisted colonoscopic polypectomy (LACP) was introduced to clinical practice as a method of choice for these polyps and adenomas. To overlook our experience in laparoscopically assisted colonoscopic polypectomies and evaluate effectiveness and quality of the procedure. A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was performed. using the Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos patient database for the period from 2010 to 2016, resulting in 21 cases in which LACP was performed. All procedures were performed using combined laparoscopy and videocolonoscopy techniques. Morphology of adenomas was classified according to the Paris classification during the procedure. Creation of the database was approved by the Lithuanian Bioethics committee. Twenty-two adenomas were removed from 21 patients, aged 65.33 ±8.9. There was no difference between male and female age, but occurrence of adenomas in females was 2-fold higher. The majority of removed lesions were localized in the cecum and mean size was 27.2 ±11.1 mm. The morphology of adenomas was distributed equally between 0-Is, 0-Ip, and 0-IIa, except one, which belonged to 0-III. Histological analysis revealed that tubulovillous adenoma occurrence was 1.4 times higher than tubulous adenoma. There was only one postoperative complication - bleeding from the adenoma resection site, which was managed by conservative means. One patient developed G2 adenocarcinoma at the polyp resection site and was referred for radical surgery. The LACP is a safe procedure with minimal risk to the elderly patient. Patient follow-up is essential for detection of recurrence.


Non-Destructive Evaluation of the Leaf Nitrogen Concentration by In-Field Visible/Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Pear Orchards.
Non-destructive and timely determination of leaf nitrogen (N) concentration is urgently needed for N management in pear orchards. A two-year field experiment was conducted in a commercial pear orchard with five N application rates: 0 (N0), 165 (N1), 330 (N2), 660 (N3), and 990 (N4) kg·N·ha-1. The mid-portion leaves on the year's shoot were selected for the spectral measurement first and then N concentration determination in the laboratory at 50 and 80 days after full bloom (DAB). Three methods of in-field spectral measurement (25° bare fibre under solar conditions, black background attached to plant probe, and white background attached to plant probe) were compared. We also investigated the modelling performances of four chemometric techniques (principal components regression, PCR; partial least squares regression, PLSR; stepwise multiple linear regression, SMLR; and back propagation neural network, BPNN) and three vegetation indices (difference spectral index, normalized difference spectral index, and ratio spectral index). Due to the low correlation of reflectance obtained by the 25° field of view method, all of the modelling was performed on two spectral datasets-both acquired by a plant probe. Results showed that the best modelling and prediction accuracy were found in the model established by PLSR and spectra measured with a black background. The randomly-separated subsets of calibration (n = 1000) and validation (n = 420) of this model resulted in high R² values of 0.86 and 0.85, respectively, as well as a low mean relative error (<6%). Furthermore, a higher coefficient of determination between the leaf N concentration and fruit yield was found at 50 DAB samplings in both 2015 (R² = 0.77) and 2014 (R² = 0.59). Thus, the leaf N concentration was suggested to be determined at 50 DAB by visible/near-infrared spectroscopy and the threshold should be 24-27 g/kg.


Second-order dynamic transition in a p=2 spin-glass model.
We consider the dynamics of a disordered p -spin model with p=2 , analyzing the dynamics within Ruelle's thermodynamic formalism, We use an indicator of the dynamical activity to construct the relevant dynamical Gibbs ensemble. We prove that the dynamics in the low-temperature (spin-glass) phase of the model take place at a second-order phase transition between dynamically active and inactive trajectories. We also show that the same behavior is found in a related model of a three-dimensional ferromagnet.


Sudden Death by Spontaneous Epiglottic Hematoma Secondary to High Blood Levels of Warfarin.
A 67-year-old man was found dead, at his home. On external examination, we found a voluminous purplish black ecchymosis of the anterior neck area. On internal examination, we found a voluminous epiglottis hematoma completely obstructing the upper airway. It was associated with other sites of intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Toxicological studies revealed the presence of warfarin at a concentration of 8.4 mg/L in peripheral blood, which supposes an INR well above 4.5. To conclude, we supposed death was due to asphyxia secondary to a spontaneous epiglottic hematoma caused by a high blood concentration of warfarin. Hemorrhage in the epiglottis is very rare. To our knowledge, our patient is the only case of "sudden death" reported with spontaneous epiglottic hematoma due to high blood concentration of warfarin. In forensic practice, an anterior neck ecchymosis, without trauma, may suggest hemorrhage into soft airway tissues. Pathology findings make it possible to exclude exogenous trauma.


Immobilization of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes on inorganic supports.
Commercial cellulase preparations from Trichoderma viride and Aspergillus niger were immobilized on porous silica glass and ceramics such as alumina and titania with titanium tetrachloride (TiCl(4)) and on their silanized derivatives with glutaraldehyde (GLUT). The amounts of the immobilized enzymes were in the range 10-50 mg/g carrier (dry) depending on the kind of carrier and immobilization method. Their activities toward carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xylan, aryl-beta-glucoside, and aryl-beta-xyloside were 3-53% of those of the native enzymes. The optimum pH of the enzymes shifted to the acidic side in most cases, whereas the optimum temperatures were nearly the same as those of native ones. The activity of immobilized enzyme preparations towards CMC did not change significantly during continuous operation over a periods of 60 days. Finally, xylan was hydrolyzed with the immobilized enzymes, and the sugars formed were investigated.


Herpes zoster related hospitalization after inactivated (CoronaVac) and mRNA (BNT162b2) SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A self-controlled case series and nested case-control study.
Stimulation of immunity by vaccination may elicit adverse events. There is currently inconclusive evidence on the relationship between herpes zoster related hospitalization and COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inactivated virus (CoronaVac, Sinovac) and mRNA (BNT162b2, BioNTech/Fosun Pharma) COVID-19 vaccine on the risk of herpes zoster related hospitalization. Self-controlled case series (SCCS) analysis was conducted using the data from the electronic health records in Hospital Authority and COVID-19 vaccination records in the Department of Health in Hong Kong. We conducted the SCCS analysis including patients with a first primary diagnosis of herpes zoster in the hospital inpatient setting between February 23 and July 31, 2021. A confirmatory analysis by nested case-control method was also conducted. Each herpes zoster case was randomly matched with ten controls according to sex, age, Charlson comorbidity index, and date of hospital admission. Conditional Poisson regression and logistic regression models were used to assess the potential excess rates of herpes zoster after vaccination. From February 23 to July 31, 2021, a total of 16 and 27 patients were identified with a first primary hospital diagnosis of herpes zoster within 28 days after CoronaVac and BNT162b2 vaccinations. The incidence of herpes zoster was 7.9 (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 5.2-11.5) for CoronaVac and 7.1 (95% CI: 4.1-11.5) for BNT162b2 per 1,000,000 doses administered. In SCCS analysis, CoronaVac vaccination was associated with significantly higher risk of herpes zoster within 14 days after first dose (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR]=2.67, 95% CI: 1.08-6.59) but not in other periods afterwards compared to the baseline period. Regarding BNT162b2 vaccination, a significantly increased risk of herpes zoster was observed after first dose up to 14 days after second dose (0-13 days after first dose: aIRR=5.23, 95% CI: 1.61-17.03; 14-27 days after first dose: aIRR=5.82, 95% CI: 1.62-20.91; 0-13 days after second dose: aIRR=5.14, 95% CI: 1.29-20.47). Using these relative rates, we estimated that there has been an excess of approximately 5 and 7 cases of hospitalization as a result of herpes zoster after every 1,000,000 doses of CoronaVac and BNT162b2 vaccination, respectively. The findings in the nested case control analysis showed similar results. We identified an increased risk of herpes zoster related hospitalization after CoronaVac and BNT162b2 vaccinations. However, the absolute risks of such adverse event after CoronaVac and BNT162b2 vaccinations were very low. In locations where COVID-19 is prevalent, the protective effects on COVID-19 from vaccinations will greatly outweigh the potential side effects of vaccination. The project was funded by Research Grant from the Food and Health Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Ref. No.COVID19F01). FTTL (Francisco Tsz Tsun Lai) and ICKW (Ian Chi Kei Wong)'s posts were partly funded by D24H; hence this work was partly supported by AIR@InnoHK administered by Innovation and Technology Commission.


Evaluation of Chronotype Among Children and Associations With BMI, Sleep, Anxiety, and Depression.
Objectives: To evaluate possible associations between chronotype, weight, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression among children from 6 to 12 years of age. Method: One-hundred children aged between 6 and 12 years were randomly recruited in five pediatrician clinics in the capital city of Beirut, Lebanon. The protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Saint-Joseph University and Hotel-Dieu Hospital and an informed written formal consent was obtained from one of the parents. The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (CCTQ), the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS)-Parent version, and the Children's Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ) were used. Results: The majority of the sample (47%) presented an intermediate chronotype. There was a shift toward evening chronotype with increased age and a significant association between electronic devices use and an evening chronotype. Higher sleep disturbances were also observed among children with an evening chronotype. In particular, disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, non-restorative sleep, excessive somnolence, and total SDSC were significantly higher among evening type children in our study. Finally, major depression domain scores were significantly higher among children with an evening chronotype. Conclusions: Several findings of this study are important and explain factors associated to chronotype in children. Two important future perspectives can be highlighted: limiting electronic devices use among children in an effort to reduce circadian rhythm disturbances and identifying and treating sleep problems associated with eveningness, taking into account the possible presence of major depression among this population.


Orbital and central nervous system extension of nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.
To describe a case series of nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) with orbital and central nervous system extension. This is a retrospective study. The medical records of 9 patients with a diagnosis of NKTL were reviewed. All patients had a positive biopsy for CD3, CD56, T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-1, and granzyme expression and CT imaging of nose, sinuses, orbits, and brain. Five patients were also examined with MRI. Orbital extension occurred in 6 patients. All had extraocular muscle enlargement and 5 showed signs of perineural spread. NKTL is a polymorphous disease. Extraocular muscle involvement and perineural spread are overlooked features that explain dissemination of the tumor to both the orbit and the central nervous system.


The short variant of the mitochondrial dynamin OPA1 maintains mitochondrial energetics and cristae structure.
The protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) is a dynamin-related protein associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane and functions in mitochondrial inner membrane fusion and cristae maintenance. Inner membrane-anchored long OPA1 (L-OPA1) undergoes proteolytic cleavage resulting in short OPA1 (S-OPA1). It is often thought that S-OPA1 is a functionally insignificant proteolytic product of L-OPA1 because the accumulation of S-OPA1 due to L-OPA1 cleavage is observed in mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction. However, cells contain a mixture of both L- and S-OPA1 in normal conditions, suggesting the functional significance of maintaining both OPA1 forms, but the differential roles of L- and S-OPA1 in mitochondrial fusion and energetics are ill-defined. Here, we examined mitochondrial fusion and energetic activities in cells possessing L-OPA1 alone, S-OPA1 alone, or both L- and S-OPA1. Using a mitochondrial fusion assay, we established that L-OPA1 confers fusion competence, whereas S-OPA1 does not. Remarkably, we found that S-OPA1 alone without L-OPA1 can maintain oxidative phosphorylation function as judged by growth in oxidative phosphorylation-requiring media, respiration measurements, and levels of the respiratory complexes. Most strikingly, S-OPA1 alone maintained normal mitochondrial cristae structure, which has been commonly assumed to be the function of OPA1 oligomers containing both L- and S-OPA1. Furthermore, we found that the GTPase activity of OPA1 is critical for maintaining cristae tightness and thus energetic competency. Our results demonstrate that, contrary to conventional notion, S-OPA1 is fully competent for maintaining mitochondrial energetics and cristae structure.