Peripheral T-cell lymphoma presenting as hemophagocytic syndrome.
Three patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma presenting with pyrexia, wasting, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia in the absence of myelophthisic lymphomatous involvement are reported. Early in the course of the disease when there was no significant lymphadenopathy, these cases created enormous diagnostic confusion. Although the clinical features were suggestive of malignant histiocytosis (MH), marrow findings showed phagocytic histiocytes which did not appear atypical, and the criteria for diagnosis of MH could not be satisfied. Lymph node enlargement was detected only after 14, 5, and 8 weeks from the onset of symptoms, and the diagnosis of T-lymphoma was then made on lymph node biopsies. Treatment with multiple agent chemotherapy was attempted. Two patients died 3 days and 11 weeks after treatment was started and the third was lost to follow-up. In contrast with most of the cases reported in the literature, our cases show that a reactive hemophagocytic syndrome can be an early and prominent manifestation of an underlying T-cell lymphoma. Differentiation from other causes of hemophagocytic syndrome can be difficult and lack of histological proof of malignancy in the initial stage often delays definitive diagnosis and treatment.


Nanodroplet cluster formation in ionic liquid microemulsions.
A common ionic liquid (IL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bmimBF(4)), is used as polar solvent to induce the formation of a reverse bmimBF(4)-in-toluene IL microemulsion with the aid of the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100. The swelling process of the microemulsion droplets by increasing bmimBF(4) content is detected by dynamic light scattering (DLS), conductivity, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM). The results show that the microemulsion droplets initially formed are enlarged by the addition of bmimBF(4). However, successive addition of bmimBF(4) lead to the appearance of large-sized microemulsion droplet clusters (200-400 nm). NMR spectroscopic analysis reveal that the special structures and properties of bmimBF(4) and Triton X-100 together with the polar nature of toluene contribute to the formation of such self-assemblies. These unique self-assembled structures of IL-based microemulsion droplet clusters may have some unusual and unique properties with a number of interesting possibilities for potential applications.


Hypodipsic hypernatremia with intact AVP response to non-osmotic stimuli induced by hypothalamic tumor: a case report.
Anatomical lesions of hypothalamic area associated with hypodipsic hypernatremia have been reported only rarely. We report here a case of hypodipsic hypernatremia induced by a hypothalamic lesion. A 25-yr-old man, who had been treated with radiation for hypothalamic tumor 5-yr before, was admitted for evaluation of hypernatremia and hypokalemia. He never felt thirst despite the elevated plasma osmolality and usually refused to drink intentionally. Plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) level was normal despite the severe hypernatremic hyperosmolar state and urine was not properly concentrated, while AVP secretion was rapidly induced by water deprivation and urine osmolality also progressively increased to the near maximum concentration range. All of these findings were consistent with an isolated defect in osmoregulation of thirst, which was considered as the cause of chronic hypernatremia in the patient without an absolute deficiency in AVP secretion. Hypokalemia could be induced by activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system as a result of volume depletion. However, inappropriately low values of plasma aldosterone levels despite high plasma renin activity could not induce symptomatic hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis. The relatively low serum aldosterone levels compared with high plasma renin activity might result from hypernatremia. Hypernatremia and hypokalemia were gradually corrected by intentional water intake only.


Multiple repressor binding sites in the genome of bacteriophage P1.
After digestion of bacteriophage P1 DNA with EcoRI in the presence of P1 repressor, 6 repressor binding sites were identified in 5 of 26 EcoRI fragments. Binding sites were localized by the decreased mobility of DNA fragment-repressor complexes during electrophoresis and by DNase protection ("footprinting") analysis. The repressor binding sites, or operators, comprise a 17-base-pair-long consensus sequence lacking symmetrical elements. Three operators can be related to known genes, whereas the function of the others is still unknown. The mutant P1 bac, rendering ban expression constitutive, is identified as an operator-constitutive mutation of the ban operon.


Characterizing hepatitis C virus epidemiology in Egypt: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions.
Egypt is the most affected nation by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and needs a comprehensive characterization of HCV epidemiology to inform the scale-up of treatment and prevention programs. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions were conducted. A total of 25 incidence, 259 prevalence, and 47 genotype studies were identified. Incidence and prevalence levels were high across all populations. Genotype 4 accounted for 94.1% of infections with a relative Shannon Diversity Index of only 14.4%. Pooled mean HCV prevalence was estimated at 11.9% (95% CI = 11.1-12.6%) among the general population, 55.6% (95% CI = 49.4-61.7%) among populations at high risk, 14.3% (95% CI = 10.3-18.8%) among populations at intermediate risk, 56.0% (95% CI = 50.4-61.6%) among populations with liver-related conditions, and 35.0% (95% CI = 27.3-43.1%) among special clinical populations. Mean HCV viremic rate was estimated at 66.7% (95% CI = 61.7-71.5%). Meta-regression indicated 6% lower odds for HCV prevalence for each one-year increment in publication year (AOR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.92-0.96). HCV prevalence is high with evidence for ongoing transmission mainly through healthcare. Genotype diversity is low with genotype 4 dominance. Two-thirds of antibody-positive Egyptians are chronically infected and need treatment. Clinical populations should be prioritized for screening. Despite the large-scale epidemic, prevalence appears to be declining rapidly consistent with a contracting epidemic.


Complementary medicine products information-seeking by pregnant and breastfeeding women in Australia.
Complementary medicine product use in pregnancy and lactation is common but little is known about women's health literacy and information-seeking regarding this. The objectives of this study were to identify and explore pregnant or breastfeeding women's sources of, and rationale for seeking complementary medicine products information, the types of information sought, and how women felt their health care practitioners can help them receive information that meets their needs. A qualitative research design consisting of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was conducted. Data were thematically analysed. Participants also completed two validated health literacy screening tools. Communities in regional and metropolitan settings in Sydney and Northern New South Wales, and South-East Queensland, Australia. Twenty-five women (n = 7 pregnant, n = 17 breastfeeding, n = 1 both pregnant and breastfeeding) who currently used complementary medicine products participated. Eleven women were pregnant with or breastfeeding their first child; 14 had between one and four older children. Twenty-four participants had high health literacy according to the validated screening tools. Around half of the participants had used complementary medicine products for most of their lives and 17 had used complementary medicine products to resolve or manage complex health conditions in adulthood or childhood. Women sought complementary medicine products information from three main sources. 1) Practical and safety information on complementary medicine products was sought from health care practitioners and published research; 2) health care practitioners were also sources of information on reasons for complementary medicine products recommendations and physiological actions; and 3) sharing experiences of complementary medicine products use with other mothers appeared to help women understand what to expect when taking complementary medicine products, support social-emotional wellbeing and encourage participants to look after their own health. Participants strongly expressed the desire for their mainstream biomedical health care practitioners to be more informed in, and open to, complementary medicine product use in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Participants' high health literacy skills may have influenced them to seek comprehensive information on complementary medicine products from a variety of professional and lay sources. Their use of complementary medicine products in pregnancy and breastfeeding was a natural consequence from previous positive experiences with complementary medicine products and/or therapies. Maternity care practitioners can positively enhance their interactions with pregnant or breastfeeding women who use complementary medicine products by respectfully discussing use within the context of these women's values and health goals, and by furthering their own education in complementary medicine products' safety, efficacy and indications in pregnancy and breastfeeding.


Medieval surgery.
How many readers of this journal have tried to imagine what surgery was like before the sophisticated technical developments described in its pages? Not just before such important advances as blood transfusion, anaesthesia and asepsis, but long before the evolution of teaching hospitals, with their steeply-raked operating theatres, crowded with students and other curious onlookers. Today's medical experts tend to dismiss early practitioners of surgery as "primitive" and "unscientific" because their ideas about human physiology (which appeared perfectly rational at the time) now seem tinged with superstition. Surgery in medieval England was certainly very different from anything we are likely to encounter in the sanitized environment of the modern hospital, yet it was well organised, carefully regulated and made great demands upon the skill and dedication of the men and women who plied a difficult trade, in which the rewards could be considerable but the risks even greater.


Effect of Amber (595 nm) Light Supplemented with Narrow Blue (430 nm) Light on Tomato Biomass.
Full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mainly comprising 460-nm + 595-nm light are becoming a mainstay in the horticulture industry, and recent studies indicate that plant productivity under white LEDs is higher than combined blue and red LED lighting. Different light properties (wavelength and bandwidth) in full-spectrum light, particularly for the blue and amber light regions, have only partly been explored. This research aimed to characterize the effects of amber + blue light wavelengths and bandwidths on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Beefsteak) growth, morphology, and production efficiency. Tomato seedlings were subjected to four different light treatments for 60 days: narrow amber light (595 nm), narrow blue + narrow amber light (430 nm + 595 nm) with a 1:10 ratio, white LED (455 nm + 595 nm), and a high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamp (control). The highest mean fresh mass yield occurred with the narrow blue + narrow amber light (479 g), followed by white LED at 20% less, HPS at 34% less, and narrow amber at 40% less. Dry mass and plant height were similar among light treatments. Supplementing narrow amber light with 430-nm blue light led to a 20% increase in chlorophyll content. Findings indicate that narrow amber light is more efficient in biomass accumulation than broad amber light and that precise selection of different blue and amber wavelengths can greatly impact the growth and development of tomato seedlings. This energy-efficient narrow-wavelength combination shows improvement over white LED lighting for maximizing tomato growth.


Combined application of 5% natamycin and 0.2% fluconazole for the treatment of fungal keratitis.
To observe the clinical efficacy of combined use of 5% natamycin and 0.2% fluconazole for the treatment of fungal keratitis. A total of 65 cases diagnosed with fungal keratitis by direct smear and/or fungus culture from January 2010 to January 2013 were enrolled in this study. The duration from the onset of symptoms to admission to our ophthalmic center ranged from 9 to 90 d (mean 29.5+/-19.1 d) in the severe group, which significantly differed from the 7 to 36 d (mean 16.6+/-7.1 d) in the non-severe group (P<0.01). All cases were divided into non-severe and severe groups based on the degree of corneal inflammation. All cases were treated with topical use of 5% natamycin and 0.2% fluconazole once per hour. The same clinical and examination protocols were adopted for both groups. In the non-severe group, 23 of the 24 patients (95.8%) were healed, and 1 (4.2%) showed treatment effica cy. In the severe group, 12 of 41 patients (29.3%) were healed, 11(26.8%) showed clinical efficacy, and 18(43.9%) showed no efficacy. The patients between two groups significantly differed in terms of efficacy (P<0.01). Combined use of 5% natamycin and 0.2% fluconazole is efficacious in treating fungal keratitis, especially mild or moderate infections.


Effect of guanidine hydrochloride on the holo- and apo-enzymes of pig heart lipoamide dehydrogenase.
1. The effect of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) on pig heart lipoamide dehydrogenase [NADH: lipoamide oxidoreductase, EC 126.96.36.199.] was investigated by means of enzymatic activity and optical measurements (CD, absorption, and fluorescence spectra). The activity of the enzyme decreased on increasing the concentration of GuHCl and the enzyme was completely inactivated in 2.0 M GuHCl. 2. The contents of alpha-helix, beta, and unordered forms in lipoamide dehydrogenase were estimated to be 34, 14, and 52%, respectively. On increasing the concentration of GuHCl, the content of alpha-helix in lipoamide dehydrogenase decreased, whereas the content of the beta form hardly changed. 3. The native lipoamide dehydrogenase showed absorption, CD, and fluorescence spectra characteristic of bound FAD in the visible region, suggesting hydrophobic interaction between the protein moiety and FAD chromophore. The absorption, CD, and fluorescence spectra of the enzyme in 2.0 M GuHCl were similar to those of free FAD in the buffer, suggesting the release of FAD from the protein moiety. 4. The protein fluorescence spectrum of lipoamide dehydrogenase had a maximum at 350 nm blue-shifted by 8 nm from that of tryptophan in aqueous solution. The maximum of the enzyme in 2.0 M GuHCl was red-shifted to 357 nm. This suggests exposure of tryptophan residues to a polar environment. The maximum, 352nm, of the apoenzyme shifted to 350 nm on addition of FAD. These results show that the conformation in the microenvironment of some tryptophan residues in lipoamide dehydrogenase is affected by the dissociation-association of FAD. 5. The contents of alpha-helix, beta, and unordered forms in the apoenzyme were estimated to be 35, 8, and 57%, respectively. These values are similar to those of the native holoenzyme. The alpha-helical structure in the apoenzyme molecule was more sensitive to GuHCl than that in the holoenzyme. FAD and two hydrophobic probes, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (ANS) and 4 benzolamido-4'-aminostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (MBAS), which can bind to the apoenzyme, stabilized the alpha-helical structure in the apoenzyme molecule.


Model for spreading of liquid monolayers.
Manipulating fluids at the nanoscale within networks of channels or chemical lanes is a crucial challenge in developing small scale devices to be used in microreactors or chemical sensors. In this context, ultrathin (i.e., monolayer) films, experimentally observed in spreading of nanodroplets or upon extraction from reservoirs in capillary rise geometries, represent an extreme limit which is of physical and technological relevance since the dynamics is governed solely by capillary forces. In this work we use kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations to analyze in detail a simple, but realistic model proposed by Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 86 (1996)]] for the two-dimensional spreading on homogeneous substrates of a fluid monolayer which is extracted from a reservoir. Our simulations confirm the previously predicted time dependence of the spreading, X ( t--> infinity ) =A square root of t, with X (t) as the average position of the advancing edge at time t, and they reveal a nontrivial dependence of the prefactor A on the strength U0 of interparticle attraction and on the fluid density C0 at the reservoir as well as an U0 -dependent spatial structure of the density profile of the monolayer. The asymptotic density profile at long time and large spatial scale is carefully analyzed within the continuum limit. We show that including the effect of correlations in an effective manner into the standard mean-field description leads to predictions both for the value of the threshold interaction above which phase segregation occurs and for the density profiles in excellent agreement with KMC simulation results.


Construction and Assessment of a Prognostic Risk Model for Cervical Cancer Based on Lactate Metabolism-Related lncRNAs.
Cervical cancer (CC) has the fourth highest incidence and mortality rate among female cancers. Lactate is a key regulator promoting tumor progression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with cervical cancer (CC). The study was aimed to develop a prognostic risk model for cervical cancer based on lactate metabolism-associated lncRNAs and to determine their clinical prognostic value. In this study, CESC transcriptome data were obtained from the TCGA database. 262 lactate metabolism-associated genes were extracted from MsigDB (Molecular Characterization Database). Then, correlation analysis was used to identify LRLs. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed afterwards, followed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and multiple Cox regression analysis. 10 lncRNAs were finally identified to construct a risk score model. They were divided into two groups of high risk and low risk according to the median of risk scores. The predictive performance of the models was assessed by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis, subject work characteristics (ROC) analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. To assess the clinical utility of the prognostic model, we performed functional enrichment analysis, immune microenvironment analysis, mutation analysis, and column line graph generation. We constructed a prognostic model consisting of 10 LRLs at CC. We observed that high-risk populations were strongly associated with poor survival outcomes. Risk score was an independent risk factor for CC prognosis and was strongly associated with immune microenvironment analysis and tumor mutational load. We developed a risk model of lncRNAs associated with lactate metabolism and used it to predict prognosis of CC, which could guide and facilitate the progress of new treatment strategies and disease monitoring in CC patients.


Synthesis and characterization of nona- and trideca-nuclear manganese phosphonate clusters.
Two new Mn(III) complexes with unprecedented topologies containing the tert-butylphosphonate ligand (t-BuPO3(2-)), [Mn9O6(t-BuPO3)2(O2CMe)11 (MeCOOH)(H2O)].8H2O(1), and [NBu(n)4][Mn13O6(t-BuPO3)10(OH)2(N3)6(MeCOOH)2(H2O)2].6H2O(2) have been prepared by treatment of Mn(O2CMe)2 and NBu(n)4MnO4 with tert-butylphosphonic acid in the presence of different bases. The core of 1 consists of two [Mn3O] units connected to a near linear [Mn3] unit by four mu3-O, while the core of 2 possesses a Mn centred disklike [Mn7O6] unit linked to six additional manganese atoms via six mu4-O. Compounds 1 and 2 are both homovalent manganese(III) cage clusters, of which the six-coordinated Mn centers are all Jahn-Teller distorted. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that compounds 1 and 2 display overall ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, respectively, between the adjacent Mn(III) ions. Both the in-phase signal chi'M T and out-of-phase signal chi"M, of the two complexes exhibit frequency-dependence below approximately 3 K.


Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and birth weight.
Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels between 16 and 18 weeks of pregnancy were studied in relation to birth weight among 4198 singleton pregnancies resulting in a liveborn or stillborn infant without a neural tube defect. The highest mean birth weight (3365 g) was found among infants born to women with AFP values in the range 0.50 to 0.74 times the normal median for the relevant week of gestation. As the AFP decreased from this level to less than 0.25 times the median, the birth weight decreased by 193 g and the proportion of infants weighing 2500 g or less increased from 4 per cent to 11 per cent. As the AFP level increased from 0.50 to 0.74 times the median to 3.0 times the median or greater, the birth weight decreased by 371 g and the proportion of infants weighing 2500 g or less increased from 4 to 22 per cent. The negative association was the more important of the two since the magnitude was greater and it affected 92 per cent of pregnancies. The positive association among women with low ARP levels was substantially reduced when the analysis was restricted to women who had spontaneous labours. It seems that this minor positive association arises mainly because women in whom gestation is over-estimated tend to have both a low AFP and, later, an apparently prolonged pregnancy leading to the elective delivery of an infant who is, in fact, born early.


Long-term follow-up after autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction injection into fingers in systemic sclerosis patients.
Hand involvement confers a substantial handicap in work and daily activities in patients with Systemic sclerosis (SSc). Autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction is as an easily accessible source of cells with regenerative effects. We previously performed a phase I open-label clinical trial (NTC01813279) assessing the safety of subcutaneous injection of autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction. Six and 12-month data have been reported. As patients were followed in our medical centre, we report their longer-term outcome beyond the end of the trial. Twelve females, mean age 54.5±10.3 years, initially enrolled in the clinical trial were assessed during a scheduled medical care, which took place between 22 and 30months after treatment. Multiple patient-reported outcomes showed sustained improvement, in comparison with the assessment performed just before surgery: 62.5% in the Cochin Hand Function Scale, 51.1% in the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire, 33.1% in hand pain, and 88.3% in the Raynaud Condition Score. A decrease in the number of digital ulcers number was noted. Mobility, strength and fibrosis of the hand also showed improvement. None of the 8 patients who had previously received iloprost infusion required new infusion. Despite the limits of an open label study, the data are in favour of the long-term safety of the adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction injection. Two randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trials of this therapeutic agent are ongoing in the USA (NCT02396238) and in France (NCT02558543) and will help determine the place of this innovative therapy for SSc patients.


The effects of feeding and starvation on antioxidant defence, fatty acid composition and lipid peroxidation in reared Oncorhynchus mykiss fry.
The effects of feeding and starvation have been studied with respect to oxidative stress and enzymatic antioxidant activities in the whole body of 4 cm rainbow trout fry Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792). The experiment was conducted for 28 days. The selected biomarkers for the study were determined, including non-enzymic scavengers glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and a number of enzymes are known to have major antioxidant activity, such as activities of süperoksit dismutaz (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutatyon peroksidaz (GSHpx), glutatyon Redüktaz (GR) and Glutatyon-S-Transferaz (GST). There is an endogenous cellular glutathione pool which consists of two forms of glutathione, i.e. the GSH and the GSSG. Oxidative damage was measured by the formation of MDA as an indication of lipid peroxidation. The activities of SOD in 14th and 28th day and the activity of CAT in 14th day were increased significantly during the 28 days of starvation. GSHpx and GR activities in starved fry decreased significantly in 28th day. GST activity in all starved fry showed the most significant increases the period of 28 days starving. The highest ΣSFA (Total Saturated Fatty Acid) content was obtained from 28 day starved fry. In starved fry, there was an apparent preference in utilization of C18:1n-9 than in the fed fry. In both starved and fed fry, C16:1n-7 was preferentially kept during the same period. Fry kept 28 days under starvation conditions exhausted C15:0, C17:0, C18:3n-6, C22:0, C24:0. They utilized less C20:5n-3 acid and conserved strongly C22:6n-3 acid. Concentrations of C20:5n-3, C22:5n-3, C22:6n-3 and total n-3 fatty acids significantly increased and C18:3n-3 significantly decreased in the whole body of starved fry during starvation period. A significant increase in the concentrations of C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 was determined in the fed fries in the last 2 weeks. Fat-soluble vitamins, cholesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol levels were also determined in the same period of O. mykiss fry.


Medullary thyroid carcinoma--update and present management controversies.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare thyroid malignancy arising from the parafollicular C cells. It accounts for 5-10% of thyroid malignancies and occurs in sporadic and hereditary forms. There are still many controversial aspects relating to the diagnosis and management of this unusual tumour in its various forms. The present article addresses the more important of these issues. A literature review was performed using Pubmed database combined with additional original papers obtained from citations in those articles identified in the original literature search. Only those articles which related specifically to the controversial issues addressed in this review were included. Genetically determined tumours constitute approximately 25% of MTC and have special clinical interest because of their association with other endocrinopathies including phaeochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism in the multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes (MEN IIa and MEN IIb). Familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) is a rare form not associated with any other endocrinopathies. The genetic basis for these familial tumours derives from a series of missense germline mutations in the RET protooncogene. Genetic testing by DNA analysis facilitates identification of family members at risk who can now be offered early 'prophylactic thyroidectomy' with an increased prospect of surgical success and long-term survival. MTC is a tumour which does not take up radioactive iodine, is relatively radioresistant and poorly responsive to chemotherapy. Therefore, surgery is the only treatment which can offer the prospect of cure. Total thyroidectomy with central and lateral nodal dissection can achieve biochemical cure (normocalcitonaemia) in more than 80% of cases. Compartmental orientated microdissection of cervical nodes has significantly improved the results of primary surgery but even so a group of 20% of patients will prove to have recurrent or residual disease. These cases require detailed investigation by a variety of techniques including ultrasound, cross-sectional imaging, nuclear imaging and laparoscopy with liver biopsy to exclude disseminated disease and select those patients who can be offered a prospect of cure by further neck surgery. Such an approach may be associated with successful normalisation of calcitonin levels in about 40%. It is hoped that in the near future new medical therapies may become available to treat MTC which still has a 10-year survival of only 60-80% in spite of the application of meticulous surgical techniques.


Competitive Brownian and Lévy walkers.
Population dynamics of individuals undergoing birth and death and diffusing by short- or long-range two-dimensional spatial excursions (Gaussian jumps or Lévy flights) is studied. Competitive interactions are considered in a global case, in which birth and death rates are influenced by all individuals in the system, and in a nonlocal but finite-range case in which interaction affects individuals in a neighborhood (we also address the noninteracting case). In the global case one single or few-cluster configurations are achieved with the spatial distribution of the bugs tied to the type of diffusion. In the Lévy case long tails appear for some properties characterizing the shape and dynamics of clusters. Under nonlocal finite-range interactions periodic patterns appear with periodicity set by the interaction range. This length acts as a cutoff limiting the influence of the long Lévy jumps, so that spatial configurations under the two types of diffusion become more similar. By dividing initially everyone into different families and following their descent it is possible to show that mixing of families and their competition is greatly influenced by the spatial dynamics.


Focus-specific clinical profiles in human African Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.
Diverse clinical features have been reported in human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) foci caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T.b.rhodesiense) giving rise to the hypothesis that HAT manifests as a chronic disease in South-East African countries and increased in virulence towards the North. Such variation in disease severity suggests there are differences in host susceptibility to trypanosome infection and/or genetic variation in trypanosome virulence. Our molecular tools allow us to study the role of host and parasite genotypes, but obtaining matched extensive clinical data from a large cohort of HAT patients has previously proved problematic. We present a retrospective cohort study providing detailed clinical profiles of 275 HAT patients recruited in two northern foci (Uganda) and one southern focus (Malawi) in East Africa. Characteristic clinical signs and symptoms of T.b.rhodesiense infection were recorded and the degree of neurological dysfunction determined on admission. Clinical observations were mapped by patient estimated post-infection time. We have identified common presenting symptoms in T.b.rhodesiense infection; however, marked differences in disease progression and severity were identified between foci. HAT was characterised as a chronic haemo-lymphatic stage infection in Malawi, and as an acute disease with marked neurological impairment in Uganda. Within Uganda, a more rapid progression to meningo-encephaltic stage of infection was observed in one focus (Soroti) where HAT was characterised by early onset neurodysfunction; however, severe neuropathology was more frequently observed in patients in a second focus (Tororo). We have established focus-specific HAT clinical phenotypes showing dramatic variations in disease severity and rate of stage progression both between northern and southern East African foci and between Ugandan foci. Understanding the contribution of host and parasite factors in causing such clinical diversity in T.b.rhodesiense HAT has much relevance for both improvement of disease management and the identification of new drug therapy.


Possible pentostatin-induced symptomatic hyponatremia.
Pentostatin is an adenosine deaminase inhibitor used in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia and T-cell lymphomas. A 27-year-old man with refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma developed severe hyponatremia 3 days after completing his first cycle of pentostatin therapy. Shortly after hospital admission, he became disoriented and was admitted to the medical intensive care unit and treated with a combination of hypertonic saline, intravenous diuretics, and fluid restriction to reestablish normal sodium homeostasis. The mechanism by which pentostatin may have induced hyponatremia in this patient is unknown; clinical and laboratory findings represented both extrarenal sodium loss and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone. Clinicians should be aware of the possible development of life-threatening symptomatic hyponatremia in patients receiving pentostatin.


Release of chlorinated, brominated and mixed halogenated dioxin-related compounds to soils from open burning of e-waste in Agbogbloshie (Accra, Ghana).
Although complex mixtures of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) can be released from informal e-waste recycling, DRC contamination in African e-waste recycling sites has not been investigated. This study examined the concentrations of DRCs including chlorinated, brominated, mixed halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs, PXDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in surface soil samples from the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Ghana. PCDD/F and PBDD/F concentrations in open burning areas (18-520 and 83-3800 ng/g dry, respectively) were among the highest reported in soils from informal e-waste sites. The concentrations of PCDFs and PBDFs were higher than those of the respective dibenzo-p-dioxins, suggesting combustion and PBDE-containing plastics as principal sources. PXDFs were found as more abundant than PCDFs, and higher brominated analogues occurred at higher concentrations. The median total WHO toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration in open burning soils was 7 times higher than the U.S. action level (1000 pg/g), with TEQ contributors in the order of PBDFs>>PCDD/Fs>PXDFs. DRC emission to soils over the e-waste site as of 2010 was estimated, from surface soil lightness based on the correlations between concentrations and lightness, at 200mg (95% confidence interval 93-540 mg) WHO-TEQ over three years. People living in Agbogbloshie are potentially exposed to high levels of not only chlorinated but also brominated DRCs, and human health implications need to be assessed in future studies.


Sensitivity and stability analysis of a nonlinear material model of cervical intervertebral disc under cyclic loads using the finite element method.
It is known that the human spine exhibits non-linear behavior, and its intervertebral discs play a role in the mechanism of internal load transfer. It is important to simulate its nonlinear behavior in computational models for better delineation of intrinsic responses, especially during cyclic loading activities, a mode pertinent to civilian and military populations. For developing a robust "material model" of the disc, this study used experimental tensile-compressive cyclic loading responses from four human cadaver cervical functional spinal units. Disc deformations were measured using an ultrasound system at 42 samples per second. Using experimental data, a three-network non-linear "material model" was developed using an optimization procedure and finite-element analysis. The model used 12 parameters to capture loading and unloading in tension and compression, including hysteresis. A sensitivity analysis performed to test the robustness of the "material model" indicated that seven of the 12 parameters were sensitive to tension, compressive, or both loading modes. Stability analysis was also performed under nine different loading conditions. The developed "material model" is robust and stable to capture intervertebral disc responses in tensile-compressive cyclic loading and can be used in future finite-element models.


Revision of the stereochemistry of elisabethatriene, a putative biosynthetic intermediate of pseudopterosins.
In the past, we have questioned the accuracy of the stereochemistry of elisabethatriene, a putative biosynthetic intermediate of pseudopterosins, in light of the configuration of elisabethatrienol isolated from Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, which was represented as 1S,4R,9S,11S. We have reinvestigated the stereochemistry of elisabethatriene. Elisabethatriene with the reported 1S,4R,9R,11S configuration was synthesized starting from (-)-isopulegol in its enantiomeric form. The (1)H- and (13)C-NMR data of the synthesized compound differed from those reported for elisabethatriene. In addition to the fact that elisabethatriene is converted into pseudopterosins, this finding has allowed us to propose that elisabethatriene should have the 1S,4R,9S,11S stereochemistry, which is identical to that of elisabethatrienol.


[The efficacy and safety of rituximab in treatment of Epstein-Barr virus disease post allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation].
To investigate the efficacy and safety of rituximab on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disease post allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. A retrospective analysis was performed based on clinical data of 26 patients diagnosed as EBV disease and received rituximab from June 2006 to March 2012 in People's Hospital, Beijing University. Eleven patients were diagnosed as posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) by histopathology and remaining 15 were diagnosed as probable EBV disease. Patients received a rituximab dose of 375 mg/m(2) once a week. Efficacy was evaluated as revised response criteria for non-hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and side effects during infusion were evaluated by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Patients received 78 infusions with a median of 3(1-6) infusions in each. There were no severe side effects during the infusion of rituximab. The 1(st), 2(nd), 3(rd), 4(th), 8(th) week cumulative complete remission (CR) were (11.5 ± 6.3)%, (42.2 ± 10.2)%, (64.4 ± 10.0)%, (74.6 ± 9.4)%, (87.3 ± 7.9)%, respectively. The overall response rate was 84.5%, and the CR rate was 73.1%. The CR rate was higher among patients with single organ involved than those with multiple organs involved (10/10 vs 9/16, P = 0.023). The CR rate was higher in patients with probable EBV disease than those with PTLD (13/15 vs 6/11, P = 0.095), while there was no statistically significant difference. The incidence of one-year and two-year overall survival since onset of rituximab were (55.7 ± 10.2)% and (39.6 ± 12.4)%, respectively. Survival rate was higher among the patients with single organ involved than those with multiple organ involved (8/10 vs 5/16, P = 0.041). Survival rate was higher in patients with probable EBV disease than those with PTLD (11/15 vs 2/11, P = 0.015). Rituximab appears to be safe and effective for EBV disease. Due to a potential good response in probable EBV disease, we suggest rituximab should be given based on probable EBV disease; meanwhile the pathological results should get early if possible. Prospective trial is needed to provide evidence so as to define optimal therapy of rituximab.


Candida glabrata fungemia in a diabetic patient with neurogenic bladder: successful treatment with micafungin.
A 69-year-old man was transferred to our hospital because of fever and acute renal failure. 5 weeks prior to admission, he was admitted to another hospital and treated with several antibiotics including vancomycin, but fever did not subside and renal dysfunction showed rapid progression. On admission, laboratory findings revealed pyuria, inflammatory changes, acute renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Computed tomography showed left ureteral stone and hydronephrosis. Gallium scintigraphy showed avid uptake in the left kidney. Serum concentration of vancomycin was 57.4 micro/ml. Candida glabrata was isolated from blood, sputum and urine. Under the diagnosis of fungemia and left pyelonephritis, he was treated with micafungin (150 mg/day), gabexate mesilate and insertion of a double-ended pigtail catheter. The above treatment produced regression of systemic inflammation, DIC and acute renal failure. At the last follow-up 3 weeks after discharge, ureteroscopy showed that the ureter stone had already passed but a soft white-yellowish bezoar was detected in the ureter. In this case, neurogenic bladder, poorly controlled diabetes, and long-term antibiotic treatment probably enhanced the development of C. glabrata infection. Antifungal treatment with micafungin is useful in patients with non-albicans Candida infection.


Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections associated with frozen pot pies--United States, 2007.
On June 6, 2007, a cluster of four human Salmonella serotype I 4,5,12:i:-* infections sharing a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern was identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and reported to PulseNet. Initial investigations conducted during June--September 2007 by state and local health departments in collaboration with CDC did not identify a source of infection. This report summarizes the results of subsequent investigations of the outbreak, which determined that 401 cases of salmonellosis occurred in 41 states during 2007, with 32% of ill persons hospitalized. A multistate case-control study conducted during October 3-13 indicated that illness was associated with consumption of Banquet brand frozen, not-ready-to-eat pot pies (odds ratio = 23.6; p<0.001). Further investigation determined that 77% of patients who ate these pies cooked them in microwave ovens and that consumer confusion regarding microwaving instructions might have resulted in a failure to cook the product properly. A voluntary recall was issued by the manufacturer (ConAgra Foods Inc., Omaha, Nebraska) on October 11, 2007, for all nine brands of pot pies produced at the implicated plant (plant A). The outbreak strain was isolated from 13 samples of unopened Banquet pot pies collected from the homes of patients. This outbreak highlights the need to cook not-ready-to-eat frozen foods thoroughly; these products should be clearly labeled as requiring complete cooking, and cooking instructions should be validated to account for variability in microwave wattage and common misconceptions among consumers regarding the nature of not-ready-to-eat foods.


Crash injury severity prediction considering data imbalance: A Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty approach.
For each road crash event, it is necessary to predict its injury severity. However, predicting crash injury severity with the imbalanced data frequently results in ineffective classifier. Due to the rarity of severe injuries in road traffic crashes, the crash data is extremely imbalanced among injury severity classes, making it challenging to the training of prediction models. To achieve interclass balance, it is possible to generate certain minority class samples using data augmentation techniques. Aiming to address the imbalance issue of crash injury severity data, this study applies a novel deep learning method, the Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty (WGAN-GP), to investigate a massive amount of crash data, which can generate synthetic injury severity data linked to traffic crashes to rebalance the dataset. To evaluate the effectiveness of the WGAN-GP model, we systematically compare performances of various commonly-used sampling techniques (random under-sampling, random over-sampling, synthetic minority over-sampling technique and adaptive synthetic sampling) with respect to dataset balance and crash injury severity prediction. After rebalancing the dataset, this study categorizes the crash injury severity using logistic regression, multilayer perceptron, random forest, AdaBoost and XGBoost. The AUC, specificity and sensitivity are employed as evaluation indicators to compare the prediction performances. Results demonstrate that sampling techniques can considerably improve the prediction performance of minority classes in an imbalanced dataset, and the combination of XGBoost and WGAN-GP performs best with an AUC of 0.794 and a sensitivity of 0.698. Finally, the interpretability of the model is improved by the explainable machine learning technique SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanation), allowing for a deeper understanding of the effects of each variable on crash injury severity. Findings of this study shed light on the prediction of crash injury severity with data imbalance using data-driven approaches.


Aloetic-shaped SiC nanowires: synthesis and field electron emission properties.
Novel ordered aloetic-shaped SiC nanowires were synthesized on a Si (100) substrate by reacting methane with silicon dioxide using iron as a catalyst. Their structure and chemical composition were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The wires have a tapered aloetic structure with a top diameter about 50-80 nm and a length about 10 microm. The field emission properties of the aloetic nanowires were investigated. A stable emission with current density of 0.525 mA/cm2 at an applied electric field of 2.2 V/microm and a low turn-on electric fields of 1.4 V/microm were observed. The excellent field emission properties indicate that the aloetic-shaped SiC nanowires may have potential applications in flat panel displays and electron field-emitting devices.


A stereological study on the correlation of inferior turbinate hypertrophy and paranasal sinus disease.
The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between inferior turbinate size and paranasal sinus opacification on computerized tomography (CT) scans. Paranasal sinus CT scans of a total of 185 patients (92 males, 93 females) were examined in terms of sinus opacification. Sizes of the inferior turbinates were measured using stereological method and these sizes in normal and opacified paranasal sinuses are compared using one-way analysis of variance. Scans of 185 patients (93 female, 92 male) aged between 12 and 84 (mean 37.85 ± 16.27) years were examined in this study. Sizes of the inferior turbinates were found to be increased significantly in case of opacification of ipsilateral maxillary and anterior ethmoid sinuses (p = 0.000 and p = 0.4, respectively) on both sides. On the other hand, such a relationship could not be demonstrated for sizes of inferior turbinates with opacified or non-opacified posterior ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid sinuses. In conclusion, the combination of CT and the Cavalieri principle can provide an unbiased, direct, and assumption-free estimate of the regions of interest. The presented method can be efficiently applied without any need for special software, additional equipment, or personnel than that required for routine CT in daily use. Paranasal sinus disease, especially the inflammatory diseases of maxillary and anterior ethmoid sinuses, must be carefully investigated in cases with inferior turbinate hypertrophy.


Evaluation of the limiting acuity of coincidence detection in nucleus laminaris of the chicken.
The localization of sounds requires the detection of very brief inter-aural time differences (ITDs). In birds, ITDs are first encoded in neurons of the nucleus laminaris (NL) through the precise coincidence of binaural synaptic inputs. We examined the effects of temperature on acuity of coincidence detection in chick NL, by utilizing whole-cell and cell-attached recording techniques in brain slices while applying electrical stimuli bilaterally to axonal projections from the nucleus magnocellularis to NL. The precision of coincidence detection was measured as a time window, corresponding to the time interval that gave the half-maximum spiking probability. Acuity improved with the elevation of recording temperature, and at 40 degrees C, the avian body temperature, the time window was 0.38 ms. Although all synaptic events were briefer at higher temperature, the duration of EPSPs were equivalent to or faster than that of EPSCs at 40 degrees C. Activation of low-threshold K+ currents by a slight membrane depolarization during an EPSP was responsible for this EPSP acceleration. EPSPs were prolonged following inhibition of low-threshold K+ currents by dendrotoxin (40 nM) or hyperpolarization-activated cation currents by Cs+ (3 mM). The EPSP time course had a strong positive correlation with the sharpness of coincidence detection. The limiting value of the time window (0.16 ms), calculated from the estimated EPSP time course, was narrow enough to explain the acuity of ITD detection at NL in vivo.


GC/MS in Recent Years Has Defined the Normal and Clinically Disordered Steroidome: Will It Soon Be Surpassed by LC/Tandem MS in This Role?
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been used for steroid analysis since the 1960s. The advent of protective derivatization, capillary columns, and inexpensive electron ionization bench-top single quadrupole soon made it the method of choice for studying disorders of steroid synthesis and metabolism. However, the lengthy sample workup prevented GC/MS from becoming routine for steroid hormone measurement, which was dominated by radioimmunoassay. It was the emergence of liquid chromatography/tandem MS (LC/MS/MS) that sparked a renewed interest in GC/MS for the multicomponent analysis of steroids. GC/MS is excellent at providing an integrated picture of a person's steroid metabolome, or steroidome, as we term it. We review the recent work on newly described disorders and discuss the technical advances such as GC coupling to triple quadrupole and ion trap analyzers, two-dimensional GC/MS, and alternative ionization and detection systems such as atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and time of flight. We believe that no novel GC/MS-based technique has the power of GC(electron ionization)/MS/MS as a "discovery tool," although APCI might provide ultimate sensitivity, which might be required in tissue steroidomics. Finally, we discuss the role of LC/MS/MS in steroidomics. This remains a challenge but offers shorter analysis times and advantages in the detection and discovery of steroids with a known structure. We describe recent advances in LC/MS steroidomics of hydrolyzed and intact steroid conjugates and suggest the technique is catching up with GC/MS in this area. However, in the end, both techniques will likely remain complementary and both should be available in advanced analytical laboratories.


Evidence for ocular motor deficits in developmental dyslexia: application of the double-step paradigm.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability characterized by difficulties with reading, spelling, and writing. Persons with dyslexia often have deficits in processing rapid temporal sensory information. There is also evidence of sensorimotor deficits in persons with dyslexia. Whether these deficits include ocular motor problems is still an open question. Some previous studies have shown an increased saccadic latency in dyslexics, whereas others have not reproduced this finding. The purpose of the present study was to investigate saccadic latency in young adults with dyslexia during the double-step paradigm, a task that requires rapid sequential visual information processing and saccade generation. The study hypothesis was that dyslexics have a longer saccadic latency in the second orthogonal saccade, a task that nondyslexics parallel process and perform rapidly. Eight students with dyslexia and eight age-matched control subjects participated in the study. Their eye movements were monitored with the scleral search coil technique in simple saccade trials and in the double-step paradigm. The second saccade was either orthogonal or colinear to the first. Intersaccadic interval and latency were calculated for the second saccade. No difference in saccadic latency was found for colinear second saccades; however, dyslexics had significantly longer latencies for orthogonal second saccades. This included a subset of subjects who had longer latencies for orthogonal than for colinear saccades. The findings indicate that under certain conditions, when the demand for rapid visual information processing is high and a rapid saccade sequence is required, some persons with dyslexia show ocular motor deficits manifested by longer saccadic latencies.


Quasi-elastic light scattering studies of native hepatic bile from the dog: comparison with aggregative behavior of model biliary lipid systems.
Using quasi-elastic light scattering ( QLS ), we have characterized the macromolecular components in hepatic bile obtained from the dog and compared these results with data from model bile solutions containing the bile salt (BS) sodium taurocholate (TC), egg lecithin (L), and cholesterol (Ch). Native bile samples were obtained by direct catheterization of the common bile duct in a previously cholecystectomized dog fitted with a Thomas duodenal cannula. Hepatic bile was sampled during three secretory states: (A) unstimulated "fasting" bile, (B) "stimulated" secretion during an intravenous TC infusion, and (C) "secretin-stimulated" secretion. All three samples had comparable molar ratios of L/BS (0.21 +/- 0.03) and Ch/L (0.027 +/- 0.006) but differed in the total lipid concentration (BS + L + Ch): (A) 13.1 +/- 0.8, (B) 6.7 +/- 0.8, and (C) 3.0 +/- 0.4 g/dL. From the QLS autocorrelation functions measured on samples B and C, three macromolecular components (denoted 1 alpha, 1 beta, and 2) were resolved. Component 1 alpha (hydrodynamic radius R1 alpha = 10 +/- 2 A) is comparable in size to the micellar aggregates of model systems. Component 1 beta (R1 beta = 67 +/- 7 A) appears to reflect an average of biliary proteins. Component 2 (R2 = 650 +/- 15 A) is a trace component whose size and sedimentation behavior are compatible with those of the canalicular membrane vesicles postulated to be present in bile [ Godfrey , P. P., Warner, M. J., & Coleman , R. (1981) Biochem. J. 196, 11]. Serial dilution of the B and C bile samples with Tris buffer (0.15 M NaCl, pH 8.0) showed a remarkable similarity in the behavior of the 1 alpha component as compared to the mean hydrodynamic radius Rh of similarly diluted model bile solutions. When a critical dilution factor, d gamma, is reached, Rh increases abruptly from approximately 30 to approximately 400 A. Above a second dilution factor, d alpha, it then decreases to a value of approximately 150 A. Similar results were obtained on sample A but were shifted to higher dilutions. Such behavior is consistent with the presence of "mixed disk" micelles [ Mazer , N. A., Benedek , G. B., & Carey, M. C. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 601] in native bile which undergo a micelle-to-vesicle transition upon dilution. From the d gamma and d alpha values, estimates of the intermicellar bile salt concentrations were made for all three samples (range 1.4-6.2 mM) which agree well with previous experimental results on model and native bile. These studies offer compelling evidence for the existence of micellar aggregates in native bile whose size, structure, and equilibria are similar to those found in model bile solutions.


[Relationship of interleukin-18 gene promoter polymorphisms with chronic hepatitis B in Chinese Han population].
To investigate the polymorphisms of interleukin-18(IL-18) gene promoters, and to disclose whether such polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B in Chinese Han population. Using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers method, the authors detected the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the promoter region of IL-18 gene at position -607C/A and -137G/C in 231 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 300 normal controls. The frequency of CC genotype in IL-18 gene promoter region at position -607 was 0.22(66/300) in normal controls and 0.27(62/231) in patients. The frequency of CA genotype was 0.53(160/300) in normal controls and 0.50(116/231) in patients. The frequency of AA genotype was 0.25(74/300) in normal controls and 0.23(53/231) in patients. The frequencies of -137GG, GC and CC genotype were 0.67, 0.30 and 0.03 in normal controls respectively; whereas in chronic hepatitis B patients the frequencies were 0.79, 0.19 and 0.02. The genotype frequency of -137GG in chronic hepatitis B groups was significantly higher than that in normal controls(chi2: 8.55, P=0.003), but the frequencies of -607C/-137C and -607A/-137C haplotypes in chronic hepatitis B groups were significantly lower than those in normal controls. The association between genotype of IL-18 promoter region polymorphisms and hepatitis B virus(HBV) copies showed that the frequency of -607AA genotype in high HBV-DNA copies groups was lower than that in low HBV-DNA copies groups(chi2: 6.03, P=0.014). The polymorphisms of the promoter region of IL-18 gene at position -607C/A and -137G/C are correlated with chronic hepatitis B in Chinese Han population. The people with -137C allele in the promoter region of IL-18 gene may be protected against HBV infection, and the IL-18 -607AA genotype may be linked to HBV-DNA copy.


Veterinary medicine and public health at CDC.
People readily associate the role of veterinarians with private veterinary practice focused on pets and farm animals, but the true dimensions and contributions of veterinary medicine are much broader and reflect expanding societal needs and contemporary challenges to animal and human health and to the environment. Veterinary medicine has responsibilities in biomedical research; ecosystem management; public health; food and agricultural systems; and care of companion animals, wildlife, exotic animals, and food animals. The expanding role of veterinarians at CDC reflects an appreciation for this variety of contributions. Veterinarians' educational background in basic biomedical and clinical sciences compare with that of physicians. However, unlike their counterparts in human medicine, veterinarians must be familiar with multiple species, and their training emphasizes comparative medicine. Veterinarians are competent in preventive medicine, population health, parasitology, zoonoses, and epidemiology, which serve them well for careers in public health. The history and tradition of the profession always have focused on protecting and improving both animal health and human health.


Annexin A1 can inhibit the in vitro invasive ability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells possibly through Annexin A1/S100A9/Vimentin interaction.
Annexin A1 is a member of a large superfamily of glucocorticoid-regulated, calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins. Our previous studies have shown that the abnormal expression of Annexin A1 is related to the occurrence and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). To understand the roles of Annexin A1 in the tumorigenesis of NPC, targeted proteomic analysis was performed on Annexin A1-associated proteins from NPC cells. We identified 436 proteins associated with Annexin A1, as well as two Annexin A1-interacted key proteins, S100A9 and Vimentin, which were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Gene function classification revealed that the Annexin A1-associated proteins can be grouped into 21 clusters based on their molecular functions. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that Annexin A1 /S100A9/Vimentin interactions may be involved in the invasion and metastasis of NPC because they can form complexes in NPC cells. The down-regulation of Annexin A1 in NPC may lead to the overexpression of S100A9/Vimentin, which may increase the possibility of the invasion ability of NPC cells by adjusting the function of cytoskeleton proteins. Results suggested that the biological functions of Annexin A1 in NPC were diverse, and that Annexin A1 can inhibit the in vitro invasive ability of NPC cells through Annexin A1 /S100A9/Vimentin interaction.


Isolation, characterization, and comparative genomic analysis of vB_PlaM_Pd22F, a new bacteriophage of the family Myoviridae.
The use of phage and phage-based products for the prevention and treatment of bee disease is one of the promising natural alternatives to chemical or antibiotic treatments in beekeeping. A novel lysogenic bacteriophage, phage Pd22F (vB_PlaM_Pd22F), was isolated from Paenibacillus dendritiformis by the prophage induction method. This phage, which is capable of infecting Paenibacillus larvae and P. dendritiformis strains, was characterized by microbiological and comparative genomic analysis. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that phage Pd22F had the morphology of a myovirus. Whole-genome sequencing results showed that vB_Pla M_Pd22F has an 86,388-bp linear dsDNA genome with a GC content of 50.68%. This genome has 124 coding sequences (CDSs), 53% of which encode functionally unknown proteins and 57 of which encode proteins that show similarity to known proteins. In addition, one tRNA gene was found. The phage Pd22F genome does not contain any antimicrobial resistance genes. The similarity between the genome sequence of phage Pd22F and the whole genome sequences of other Paenibacillus phages available in the NCBI Virus Database was found to be below 50% (42%), indicating that phage Pd22F differs greatly from previously characterized phages at the DNA level. The results of comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pd22F is a new phage belonging to the family Myoviridae, order Caudovirales. This is the first report of genomic and morphological characterization of a Paenibacillus dendritiformis prophage.


Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 is necessary for mesoderm differentiation.
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Exon 2 of erk2 was deleted by homologous recombination and resulted in embryonic lethality at embryonic day 6.5. erk2 mutant embryos did not form mesoderm and showed increased apoptosis but comparable levels of BrdUrd incorporation, indicating a defect in differentiation. erk2 null embryonic stem (ES) cells exhibited reduced total ERK activity upon serum stimulation, augmented ERK1 phosphorylation, and decreased downstream p90Rsk phosphorylation and activity; yet ES cell proliferation was unaffected. Mutant ES cells were capable of forming mesoderm; however, treatment of mutant ES cells with the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD184352 decreased total ERK activity and expression of the mesodermal marker brachyury, suggesting that ERK1 can compensate for ERK2 in vitro. Normal embryos at embryonic day 6.5 expressed activated ERK1/2 in the extraembryonic ectoderm, whereas erk2 mutant embryos had no detectable activated ERK1/2 in this region, suggesting that activated ERK1 was not expressed, and therefore cannot compensate for loss of ERK2 in vivo. These data indicate that ERK2 plays an essential role in mesoderm differentiation during embryonic development.


Enhanced continuous-wave four-wave mixing efficiency in nonlinear AlGaAs waveguides.
Enhancements of the continuous-wave four-wave mixing conversion efficiency and bandwidth are accomplished through the application of plasma-assisted photoresist reflow to reduce the sidewall roughness of sub-square-micron-modal area waveguides. Nonlinear AlGaAs optical waveguides with a propagation loss of 0.56 dB/cm demonstrate continuous-wave four-wave mixing conversion efficiency of -7.8 dB. Narrow waveguides that are fabricated with engineered processing produce waveguides with uncoated sidewalls and anti-reflection coatings that show group velocity dispersion of +0.22 ps²/m. Waveguides that are 5-mm long demonstrate broadband four-wave mixing conversion efficiencies with a half-width 3-dB bandwidth of 63.8-nm.


Reducing Measurement Time in Direct Interface Circuits for Resistive Sensor Readout.
Direct Interface Circuits (DICs) carry out resistive sensor readings using a resistance-to-time-to-digital conversion without the need for analog-to-digital converters. The main advantage of this approach is the simplicity involved in designing a DIC, which only requires some additional resistors and a capacitor in order to perform the conversion. The main drawback is the time needed for this conversion, which is given by the sum of up to three capacitor charge times and their associated discharge times. This article presents a modification of the most widely used estimation method in a resistive DIC, which is known as the Two-Point Calibration Method (TPCM), in which a single additional programmable digital device pin in the DIC and one extra measurement in each discharge cycle, made without slowing down the cycle, allow charge times to be reduced more than 20-fold to values around 2 µs. The new method designed to achieve this reduction only penalizes relative errors with a small increase of between 0.2% and 0.3% for most values in the tested resistance range.


Association of estrogen receptor α PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms with prostate cancer susceptibility and risk stratification: a meta-analysis from case-control studies.
Studies on the association between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in estrogen receptor α (ERα), PvuII (rs2234693 T>C) and XbaI (rs9340799 A>G), and the prostate cancer risk are inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to derive a more accurate estimation of this relationship. A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science databases until October 1, 2016, was conducted. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of this association. Eighteen case-control studies, with a total of 3,317 prostate cancer patients and 8,324 controls, were included. Results showed that both PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms were significantly associated with a higher prostate cancer risk in overall populations. To derive a more accurate estimation, subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity revealed that this relation-ship existed only in Caucasians, but not in Asians. Furthermore, PvuII polymorphism was significantly associated with high Gleason grade (Gleason score ≥7) cancers. The current meta-analysis demonstrates that ERα PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms are associated with a higher prostate cancer risk in Caucasians, but not in Asians, and PvuII polymorphism is significantly associated with high Gleason grade tumors, indicating the probability of inherited susceptibility to prostate cancer arising from different genomic ERα SNPs, which may help us understand the pathogenesis of prostate cancer in Caucasians.


Silver nanoparticles Clinacanthus Nutans leaves extract induced apoptosis towards oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.
The purpose of this study was to investigate apoptotic activity of silver nanoparticle Clinacanthus nutans (AgNps-CN) towards HSC-4 cell lines (oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines). Methods involved were MTT assay (cytotoxic activity), morphological cells analysis, flow cytometry and cell cycle analysis and western blot. MTT assay revealed IC50 concentration was 1.61 µg/mL, 3T3-L1 cell lines were used to determine whether AgNps-CN is cytotoxic to normal cells. At the highest concentration (3 µg/mL), no cytotoxic activity has been observed. Flow cytometry assay revealed AgNps-CN caused apoptosis effects towards HSC-4 cell lines with significant changes were observed at G1 phase when compared with untreated cells. Morphological cells analysis revealed that most of the cells exhibit apoptosis characteristics rather than necrosis. Protein study revealed that ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 increased mainly due to down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression. AgNps-CN have shown potential in inhibiting HSC-4 cell lines. IC50 was low compared to few studies involving biosynthesized of silver nanoparticles. Apoptosis effects were shown towards HSC-4 cell lines by the increased in Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio. Further study such as PCR or in vivo studies are required.


How self-leadership promotes job crafting: Based on the perspective of self-determination theory.
According to self-determination theory, the present study develops a moderated mediation model to investigate how and when self-leadership promotes employees' job crafting, emphasizing the mediating effect of autonomous motivation and the moderating effect of leader empowering behavior. We analyze and test the hypotheses based on 269 valid three-wave data from employees. The findings show that self-leadership has a significantly positive impact on job crafting, and a positive indirect effect on job crafting via autonomous motivation. Furthermore, leader empowering behavior not only enhances the positive impact of self-leadership on autonomous motivation, but also positively moderates the mediating effect of autonomous motivation in the relationship between self-leadership and job crafting. Practically, our study provides insights into how to promote job crafting. We also propose limitations and directions for future research.


The Family Level Assessment of Screen Use-Mobile Approach: Development of an Approach to Measure Children's Mobile Device Use.
There is a strong association between increased mobile device use and worse dietary habits, worse sleep outcomes, and poor academic performance in children. Self-report or parent-proxy report of children's screen time has been the most common method of measuring screen time, which may be imprecise or biased. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of measuring the screen time of children on mobile devices using the Family Level Assessment of Screen Use (FLASH)-mobile approach, an innovative method that leverages the existing features of the Android platform. This pilot study consisted of 2 laboratory-based observational feasibility studies and 2 home-based feasibility studies in the United States. A total of 48 parent-child dyads consisting of a parent and child aged 6 to 11 years participated in the pilot study. The children had to have their own or shared Android device. The laboratory-based studies included a standardized series of tasks while using the mobile device or watching television, which were video recorded. Video recordings were coded by staff for a gold standard comparison. The home-based studies instructed the parent-child dyads to use their mobile device as they typically use it over 3 days. Parents received a copy of the use logs at the end of the study and completed an exit interview in which they were asked to review their logs and share their perceptions and suggestions for the improvement of the FLASH-mobile approach. The final version of the FLASH-mobile approach resulted in user identification compliance rates of >90% for smartphones and >80% for tablets. For laboratory-based studies, a mean agreement of 73.6% (SD 16.15%) was achieved compared with the gold standard (human coding of video recordings) in capturing the target child's mobile use. Qualitative feedback from parents and children revealed that parents found the FLASH-mobile approach useful for tracking how much time their child spends using the mobile device as well as tracking the apps they used. Some parents revealed concerns over privacy and provided suggestions for improving the FLASH-mobile approach. The FLASH-mobile approach offers an important new research approach to measure children's use of mobile devices more accurately across several days, even when the child shares the device with other family members. With additional enhancement and validation studies, this approach can significantly advance the measurement of mobile device use among young children.


Patterns of methyl and O-acetyl esterification in spinach pectins: new complexity.
Driselase-digestion of cell walls from suspension-cultures of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), followed by anion-exchange chromatography, gel-permeation chromatography, preparative paper chromatography and preparative paper electrophoresis, yielded ten uronic acid-containing products in addition to free galacturonic acid (GalA). These included 4-O-methylglucuronic acid, alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-D-glucuronic acid and several oligosaccharides containing GalA residues. The structures were unambiguously determined by a combination of 1- and 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopic techniques. Five of the six homogalacturonan-derived oligosaccharides purified contained 3-O-acetyl-GalA residues; however, methyl-esterified GalA residues occurred adjacent to both 2-O-acetyl-GalA and 3-O-acetyl-GalA residues. An acetylated, rhamnogalacturonan-I-derived oligosaccharide that was purified also contained 3-O-acetyl-GalA residues. Taken together with published data, our findings indicate considerable diversity in the patterns of pectin esterification. The implications for the action of pectin esterases are discussed.


The effects of plaster of Paris and autogenous cancellous bone on the healing of cortical defects in the femurs of dogs.
Four one quarter inch evenly spaced circular defects were created bilaterally in the lateral femoral diaphysis of 12 clinically normal adult dogs. The defects were left unfilled (control), or were filled with one of the following: (1) plaster of Paris, (2) an equal-volume mixture of plaster of Paris and autogenous cancellous bone, and (3) autogenous cancellous bone. The degree of bone healing was evaluated radiographically and histologically at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. Radiographically, no objective conclusions could be drawn due to the small size of the defects and limited amount of plaster of Paris implanted. Histologically, there was no inflammatory reaction to the plaster of Paris. No differences were determined in the degree of bone healing between autogenous cancellous bone, plaster of Paris, and a mixture of plaster of Paris and autogenous cancellous bone. All implants were superior to the control defect in degree of bone healing.


Vancomycin versus cefazolin prophylaxis for cerebrospinal shunt placement in a hospital with a high prevalence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
International guidelines suggest that a high prevalence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections should influence the use of vancomycin for surgical prophylaxis. In order to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of vancomycin versus cefazolin as antimicrobial prophylaxis for insertion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts, a randomised prospective clinical trial was performed. Over a 16-month period, all consecutive adult patients who underwent CSF shunt insertion at a university hospital with a high prevalence of MRSA infections were included. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either vancomycin or cefazolin before surgery and followed-up for four weeks for the development of infections. Of the 176 patients included in the study, 88 received vancomycin and 88 cefazolin. Shunt infections were significantly less likely to be observed in patients who were on vancomycin prophylaxis (4% vs 14%; P=0.03). All isolated staphylococci were resistant to meticillin. Mortality of patients with post-surgical infections was higher in the cefazolin group (P=0.02). Our data suggest that use of vancomycin as prophylactic agent for cerebrospinal shunt placement reduces the rate of shunt infections in the context of high prevalence of MRSA.


Role of bioactive fatty acids in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by fat deposition in hepatocytes, and a strong association with nutritional factors. Dietary fatty acids are classified according to their biochemical properties, which confer their bioactive roles. Monounsaturated fatty acids have a dual role in various human and murine models. In contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids exhibit antiobesity, anti steatosic and anti-inflammatory effects. The combination of these forms of fatty acids-according to dietary type, daily intake and the proportion of n-6 to n-3 fats-can compromise hepatic lipid metabolism. A chemosensory rather than a nutritional role makes bioactive fatty acids possible biomarkers for NAFLD. Bioactive fatty acids provide health benefits through modification of fatty acid composition and modulating the activity of liver cells during liver fibrosis. More and better evidence is necessary to elucidate the role of bioactive fatty acids in nutritional and clinical treatment strategies for patients with NAFLD.


Determination of persistent tetracycline residues in soil fertilized with liquid manure by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
Little is known about the occurrence and the fate of veterinary drugs in the environment. Therefore, a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and employed to investigate in detail the distribution and persistence of the frequently used tetracyclines and tylosin in a field fertilized with liquid manure on April 2000 and April 2001; soil sampling was performed in May 2000, November 2000, and May 2001. We detected 4.0 mg/kg tetracycline and 0.1 mg/kg chlortetracycline in the liquid manure of April 2000, as well as comparable amounts in the liquid manure of April 2001. In the soil samples of May 2001, the highest average concentrations of 86.2 (0-10 cm), 198.7 (10-20 cm), and 171.7 microg/kg (20-30 cm) tetracycline and 4.6-7.3 micro/kg chlortetracycline (all three sublayers) were found. At soil depths between 30 and 90 cm, as well as in soil or groundwater, tetracyclines could not be detected. In addition, oxytetracycline and tylosin could not be detected in any sample investigated. We conclude that tetracyclines enter the environment in significant concentrations via repeated fertilizations with liquid manure, build up persistent residues, and accumulate in soil. Therefore, tetracyclines may have a potential risk and investigations on the environmental effects of these antibiotics are necessary.


Prognostic value of myocardial flow reserve obtained by 82-rubidium positron emission tomography in long-term follow-up after heart transplantation.
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a leading cause of death following heart transplantation (HTx) and non-invasive prognostic methods in long-term CAV surveillance are needed. We evaluated the prognostic value of myocardial flow reserve (MFR) obtained by 82-rubidium (82Rb) positron emission tomography (PET). Recipients undergoing dynamic rest-stress 82Rb PET between April 2013 and June 2017 were retrospectively evaluated in a single-center study. Evaluation by PET included quantitative myocardial blood flow and semiquantitative myocardial perfusion imaging. Patients were grouped by MFR (MFR ≤ 2.0 vs MFR > 2.0) and the primary outcome was all-cause mortality. A total of 50 patients (68% men, median age 57 [IQR: 43 to 68]) were included. Median time from HTx to PET was 10.0 (6.7 to 16.0) years. In 58% of patients CAV was documented prior to PET. During a median follow-up of 3.6 (2.3 to 4.3) years 12 events occurred. Survival probability by Kaplan-Meier method was significantly higher in the high-MFR group (log-rank P = .02). Revascularization (n = 1), new CAV diagnosis (n = 1), and graft failure (n = 4) were more frequent in low-MFR patients. No retransplantation occurred. Myocardial flow reserve appears to offer prognostic value in selected long-term HTx recipients and holds promise as a non-invasive method for CAV surveillance possibly guiding management strategy.


Monoterpene indole alkaloids from the twigs of Kopsia arborea.
The phytochemistry of Kopsia arborea Blume has received considerable attention, which has resulted in the isolation of a number of new unusual indole alkaloids with intriguing structures. In this study, a new eburnane-type alkaloid, phutdonginin (1), together with eight known alkaloids: 19-OH-(-)- eburnamonine (2), melodinine E (3), kopsinine (4), kopsilongine (5), kopsamine (6), (-)-methylenedioxy-1 1,12-kopsinaline (7), decarbomethoxykopsiline (8), and vincadifformine (9), were isolated from the twigs of K. arborea. Their structures were characterized extensively by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI-MS. All compounds were submitted to TLC screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Only kopsamine and decarbomethoxykopsiline showed AChE inhibition with MIR values of 12.5 and 6.25 μg, respectively, compared with galanthamine (positive control, 0.004 μg). In addition, compounds 1 and 2 inhibited moderate antibacterial activity against E. coli TISTR 780 with the MIC value of 32 .g/mL.


Apolipoprotein E moderates the association between non-APOE polygenic risk score for Alzheimer's disease and aging on preclinical cognitive function.
Variation in preclinical cognitive decline suggests additional genetic factors related to Alzheimer's disease (eg, a non-APOE polygenic risk score [PRS]) may interact with the APOE ε4 allele to influence cognitive decline. We tested the PRS × APOE ε4 × age interaction on preclinical cognition using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. All analyses were fitted using a linear mixed-effects model and adjusted for within individual/family correlation among 1190 individuals. We found statistically significant PRS × APOE ε4 × age interactions on immediate learning (P = 0.038), delayed recall (P < 0.001), and Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 3 score (P = 0.026). PRS-related differences in overall and memory-related cognitive domains between people with and without APOE ε4 emerge around age 70, with a much stronger adverse PRS effect among APOE ε4 carriers. The findings were replicated in a population-based cohort. APOE ε4 can modify the association between PRS and cognition decline. APOE ε4 can modify the association between polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and longitudinal cognition decline, with the modifying effects more pronounced when the PRS is constructed using a conservative P threshold (eg, P < 5e-8 ). The adverse genetic effect caused by the combined effect of the currently known genetic variants is more detrimental among APOE ε4 carriers around age 70. Individuals who are APOE ε4 carriers with high PRSs are the most vulnerable to the harmful effects caused by genetic burden.


The Infectious Diseases Society of America 2002 guidelines for the use of antimicrobial agents in patients with cancer and neutropenia: salient features and comments.
Infection remains the most common complication of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Bacterial infections predominate initially. Invasive fungal infections occur in patients with prolonged neutropenia. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended only for patients at high risk. Initial empirical therapy is based on local epidemiology and drug-susceptibility patterns. Patients at low risk can be treated as outpatients. Other patients need hospital-based, parenteral therapy. Several options are available, including combination regimens or monotherapy. Initial antimicrobial coverage against Pseudomonas species is necessary. Subsequent management depends on the nature of the febrile episode. If defervescence occurs within 3-5 days and no pathogen has been identified, the initial regimen or a suitable oral regimen can be used to complete a 7- to 10-day course. If the etiology has been established, therapy can be adjusted for optimal coverage (activity against gram-negative organisms must be maintained). If fever persists for longer than 3-5 days, assessment for a fungal infection, a resistant organism, or a new infectious focus should be conducted and empirical antifungal therapy instituted.


Sex Differences in Personality Disorders.
This review aims to give an overview on the current literature on sex differences in personality disorders and to highlight the potential of dimensional approaches. Empirical findings on sex differences in personality disorders are inconsistent and appear to be highly dependent on study settings. Current studies have mainly focused on borderline and antisocial personality disorder and the question whether these are sex-specific representations of a common substrate. In general, sexes differ in the manifestation of personality disorders as well as in comorbidities. Criticism of the established categorical model led to an additional dimensional model of personality disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Investigations on sex differences in personality disorders are sparse and mainly limited to antisocial and borderline personality disorder. The introduction of a dimensional model offers the chance to re-think the construct of "personality disorder" and thereby also opens the possibility for a better understanding of sex differences.


Human low-molecular-mass kininogen. Amino-acid sequence of the light chain; homology with other protein sequences.
The complete amino acid sequence of the human low-molecular-mass kininogen light chain has been determined. The peptide chain contains 38 amino acid residues. In position 18 the half-cystine residue which forms the disulfide bridge to the heavy chain was found. Alignment of the present sequence with other kininogen light chain sequences indicated that the amino-terminal part of it is species-specific and the carboxy-terminal part is function-specific. Statistically significant internal homologies between various parts of the low-molecular-mass kininogen sequence as well as homologies between parts of the sequences of kininogen and ribonucleases were observed.


Common variable immunodeficiency, immune thrombocytopenia, rituximab and splenectomy: important considerations.
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is readily considered in patients presenting with recurrent sino-pulmonary infections, however this disease has a broad range of clinical manifestations and diagnosis can be delayed by several years. We present the case of a 44-year-old postpartum female who presented with nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension. Four years prior, she was hospitalized for treatment of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) with splenectomy and rituximab followed by two episodes of bacterial meningitis despite immunizations. The recurrent meningitis had been attributed to splenectomy and immunotherapy. During this hospitalization, extensive workup for gastrointestinal pathology was negative and she was diagnosed with intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Her hospital course was complicated by development of severe pseudomonas pneumonia, and subsequent immunoglobulin testing and impaired antibody response to vaccines were consistent with CVID. We review the clinical presentation of CVID, its association with autoimmune disease, and treatment implications, specifically the impact of rituximab therapy and splenectomy on immunoglobulin function and risk of serious infection. Intestinal pseudo-obstruction has been reported in children with CVID, but literature search failed to reveal similar presentation in adults. Physicians must consider the heterogeneous clinical manifestations of CVID to avoid delay in diagnosis and treatment. Institution of appropriate therapy with immunoglobulin replacement is important to decrease risk of serious infection.


Design and fabrication of a stereo-video camera equipped unoccupied aerial vehicle for measuring sea turtles, sharks, and other marine fauna.
The recent commercialization of unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) has facilitated their incorporation into a variety of ecological studies. While UAVs are able to provide accurate visual data of marine species from an aerial perspective, these devices have some limitations that make measuring marine animals below the surface challenging. Many marine organisms are often visible from the air, but are deeper in the water column, and current methods cannot measure animals below the surface. Here, we developed and tested a stereo-video camera (SVC) system that was mounted onto a commercially-available UAV. We used the SVC-UAV to conduct remote body-size measurements for two marine species: the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). When comparing SVC measurements to those taken by hand, the SVC-UAV had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 4.44 cm (n = 6; mean percent error (MPE) = 10.6%) for green sea turtles and 7.16 cm absolute error (n = 1; PE = 3.6%) for the nurse shark. Using a linear model, we estimated the slope of the SVC versus hand measurements for green sea turtles to be 1.085 (±0.099 SE), and accounting for the standard error, a measurement bias was not apparent. Using model selection, based on a global model predicting MAE from animal distance to the SVC and body size, the top ranked model was the intercept-only model. This indicates that neither animal distance nor body size strongly influenced measurement error. Incorporating SVC systems into UAVs can allow for relatively accurate measurements of near surface-dwelling marine species. To our knowledge, there is no other stand-alone SVC for UAVs available that offers similar accuracy and utility.


[Evaluation of glomerular filtration rate in plasma cell dyscrasias--which test for ambulatory practice?].
To select the best mathematical formula for ambulatory monitoring of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias (PCD's) we evaluated GFR in 32 pts (22 M + 10 F; mean age 66.1 +/- 9.6) with newly recognized PCD's with the following routine GFR tests: creatinine concentration in serum (Crs); 24 hr's standard creatinine clearance (Crcl) as a reference test; calculation of GFR from Baracskay (BGFR) and Cockcroft-Gault (C-GGFR) formulas. There were: 16 pts without monoclonal proteinuria MP(-) and 16 pts with monoclonal proteinuria MP(+) (0.44-40.3; mean 9.54 g/day). The abnormal values for Crs were defined as > 1.5 mg/dl; for Crcl as < 80.0 ml/min. Only 41% (13/32) of pts had abnormal values of Crs and 84% (27/32) had abnormal values of Crcl. In the group of pts without monoclonal proteinuria MP(-) statistical significance between 24-hr's creatinine clearance and GFR calculated by Cockcroft-Gault as well as Baracskay formulas was not stated. In the group of pts with monoclonal proteinuria MP(+) statistical significance was not stated only between 24-hr's creatinine clearance and GFR calculated by Cockcroft-Gault formula. That was no statistical significance in GFR evaluated with this methods between patients with kappa and lambda monoclonal proteinuria. We concluded, that for ambulatory monitoring of pts with PCD's MP(+) only Cockcroft-Gault formula is recommended. On the other hand pts MP(-) might be monitored using Barasckay as well as Cockcroft-Gault formulas. Because Csr over estimated values of Crcl in both groups of pts, the other serum marker of GFR should be investigated.


Nitric oxide promotes energy metabolism and protects mitochondrial DNA in peaches during cold storage.
The mitochondria are important organelles related to energy metabolism and are susceptible to oxidative damage. In this experiment, peaches (Prunus persica) were treated with distilled water (as the control), 15 μmol L-1 of nitric oxide (NO), and 20 μmol L-1 of carboxy-PTIO (NO scavenger). The changes in mitochondrial physiological indicators, energy metabolism process, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and repair were quantified. Compared with the control, NO treatment reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption and the reactive oxygen species content, increased mitochondrial respiration control rate, and promoted energy metabolism by influencing the activities of citrate synthase, aconitase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATPase activity in peach mitochondria. NO treatment also maintained the relative copy number of mtDNA and the relative amplification of long PCR in peaches, decreased the level of 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine, and upregulated the expression of PpOGG1, PpAPE1, and PpLIG1. These results indicated that exogenous NO treatment (15 μmol L-1) could reduce mtDNA oxidative damage, maintain mtDNA molecular integrity, and inhibit mtDNA copy number reduction by reducing the reactive oxygen species content, thereby promoting mitochondrial energy metabolism and prolonging the storage life of peaches at low temperatures.


Severe Neurological Phenotype in a Girl with Xp22.31 Triplication.
The Xp22.31 duplication is a copy number variant which is challenging to categorize as pathogenic or benign. There is an increasing number of patients with the duplication and a neurobehavioral phenotype, but the duplication is almost always inherited from a parent, who in some cases is phenotypically normal. Also, the duplication is detected in the general population, though in a smaller percentage than in clinically ascertained populations. The Xp22.31 triplication has only been identified in 3 individuals of a large cohort of developmental delay cases but never in the control cohorts or general population. We report a severely affected female with an Xp22.31 tetrasomy, inherited from duplications identified in both phenotypically normal parents. Although our study has limitations, it suggests that the Xp22.31 triplication seems to be more penetrant than the duplication and is associated with a neurological phenotype.


The effect of pomegranate fresh juice versus pomegranate seed powder on metabolic indices, lipid profile, inflammatory biomarkers, and the histopathology of pancreatic islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with hyperglycemia, inflammatory disorders and abnormal lipid profiles. Several functional foods have therapeutic potential to treat chronic diseases including diabetes. The therapeutic potential of pomegranate has been stated by multitudinous scientists. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of pomegranate juice and seed powder on the levels of plasma glucose and insulin, inflammatory biomarkers, lipid profiles, and health of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide (NAD) induced T2DM Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Forty healthy male SD rats were induced to diabetes with a single dose intra-peritoneal administration of STZ (60 mg/kg b.w.) - NAD (120 mg/kg b.w.). Diabetic rats were orally administered with 1 mL of pomegranate fresh juice (PJ) or 100 mg pomegranate seed powder in 1 mL distilled water (PS), or 5 mg/kg b.w. of glibenclamide every day for 21 days. Rats in all groups were sacrificed on day 22. The obtained data was analyzed by SPSS software (v: 22) using One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that PJ and PS treatment had slight but non-significant reduction of plasma glucose concentration, and no impact on plasma insulin compared to diabetic control (DC) group. PJ lowered the plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) significantly, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) non-significantly compared to DC group. In contrast, PS treatment significantly raised plasma TC, LDL, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) levels compared to the DC rats. Moreover, the administration of PJ and PS significantly reduced the levels of plasma inflammatory biomarkers, which were actively raised in diabetic rats. Only PJ treated group showed significant repairment and restoration signs in islets of Langerhans. Besides, PJ possessed preventative impact against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals almost 2.5 folds more than PS. Our findings suggest that active constituents with high antioxidant properties present in PJ are responsible for its anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects, likewise the restoration effect on the damaged islets of Langerhans in experimental rats. Hence, the pharmacological, biochemical, and histopathological profiles of PJ treated rats obviously indicated its helpful effects in amelioration of diabetes-associated complications.


Probing the effect of human normal sperm morphology rate on cycle outcomes and assisted reproductive methods selection.
Sperm morphology is the best predictor of fertilization potential, and the critical predictive information for supporting assisted reproductive methods selection. Given its important predictive value and the declining reality of semen quality in recent years, the threshold of normal sperm morphology rate (NSMR) is being constantly corrected and controversial, from the 4th edition (14%) to the 5th version (4%). We retrospectively analyzed 4756 cases of infertility patients treated with conventional-IVF(c-IVF) or ICSI, which were divided into three groups according to NSMR: ≥14%, 4%-14% and <4%. Here, we demonstrate that, with decrease in NSMR(≥14%, 4%-14%, <4%), in the c-IVF group, the rate of fertilization, normal fertilization, high-quality embryo, multi-pregnancy and birth weight of twins gradually decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the miscarriage rate was significantly increased (p<0.01) and implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, preterm birth rate, live birth rate, sex ratio, and birth weight(Singleton) showed no significant change. In the ICSI group, with decrease in NSMR (≥14%, 4%-14%, <4%), high-quality embryo rate, multi-pregnancy rate and birth weight of twins were gradually decreased significantly (p<0.05), while other parameters had no significant difference. Considering the clinical assisted methods selection, in the NFMR ≥14% group, normal fertilization rate of c-IVF was significantly higher than the ICSI group (P<0.05), in the 4%-14% group, birth weight (twins) of c-IVF were significantly higher than the ICSI group, in the <4% group, miscarriage of IVF was significantly higher than the ICSI group. Therefore, we conclude that NSMR is positively related to embryo reproductive potential, and when NSMR<4% (5th edition), ICSI should be considered first, while the NSMR≥4%, c-IVF assisted reproduction might be preferred.