Case report of pigmented villonodular synovitis arising from the calcaneocuboid joint in a 12 year old male.
Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a benign proliferative disorder of the synovium of unknown aetiology. It usually presents in adults between the ages of 30 and 40 years of age and is rare in the paediatric population. In the literature, there are a total of 43 cases of PVNS affecting the paediatric population and only one case affecting the calcaneocuboid joint. We report a case of diffuse PVNS affecting the calcaneocuboid joint of a 12 year old male. The patient presented with a 3 month history of a painless swelling affecting the lateral aspect of the hindfoot region with no preceding history of trauma. Examination revealed a lesion which was firm in texture, originating in the region of the calcaneocuboid joint, and clinically appeared to originate from deeper structures with no overlying skin changes or warmth. Routine blood tests were within normal limits. Radiographs demonstrated an erosive lesion into the calcaneocuboid joint and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a lesion consistent with PVNS. Following surgical excision of the lesion, the patient recovered to full activities after a brief period of immobilisation in plaster to allow wound healing. At six months follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence. Our case report of PVNS involving the calcaneocuboid joint is only the second report in the literature and highlights the importance of considering PVNS as a differential diagnosis in children presenting with swelling of the foot and ankle with normal blood and clinical parameters. The combination of the case report along with radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging and intra-operative photographs also aids the reader in understanding of the condition.


Trans-illumination intestine projection imaging of intestinal motility in mice.
Functional intestinal imaging holds importance for the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Currently, preclinical imaging of intestinal motility in animal models is performed either invasively with excised intestines or noninvasively under anesthesia, and cannot reveal intestinal dynamics in the awake condition. Capitalizing on near-infrared optics and a high-absorbing contrast agent, we report the Trans-illumination Intestine Projection (TIP) imaging system for free-moving mice. After a complete system evaluation, we performed in vivo studies, and obtained peristalsis and segmentation motor patterns of free-moving mice. We show the in vivo typical segmentation motor pattern, that was previously shown in ex vivo studies to be controlled by intestinal pacemaker cells. We also show the effects of anesthesia on motor patterns, highlighting the possibility to study the role of the extrinsic nervous system in controlling motor patterns, which requires unanesthetized live animals. Combining with light-field technologies, we further demonstrated 3D imaging of intestine in vivo (3D-TIP). Importantly, the added depth information allows us to extract intestines located away from the abdominal wall, and to quantify intestinal motor patterns along different directions. The TIP system should open up avenues for functional imaging of the GI tract in conscious animals in natural physiological states.


Differential Diagnosis of Cerebellar Atrophy in Childhood: An Update.
Cerebellar atrophy (CA) is a relatively common, but nonspecific finding in pediatric neurology and neuroradiology. Here, we provide an update of checklists for postnatally acquired CA, unilateral CA, and hereditary CA. In addition, we include a list of disorders with ataxia as a symptom, but without CA. These checklists may help the evaluation of differential diagnosis and planning of additional investigations. For diseases associated with hereditary CA, we provide an updated version of our neuroimaging-based pattern-recognition approach that classify CA as isolated ("pure") or associated ("plus") with other neuroimaging findings including hypomyelination, progressive white matter abnormalities, signal changes of the dentate nucleus, cerebellar cortex T2-hyperintensity, and basal ganglia involvement. Finally, we discuss some rules with their exceptions related to pediatric CA, discrepancies between clinical and neuroimaging course, and the difficulties to differentiate CA from cerebellar hypoplasia.


Characteristics Associated With Preferences for Parent-Centered Decision Making in Neonatal Intensive Care.
Little is known about how characteristics of particular clinical decisions influence decision-making preferences by patients or their surrogates. A better understanding of the factors underlying preferences is essential to improve the quality of shared decision making. To identify the characteristics of particular decisions that are associated with parents' preferences for family- vs medical team-centered decision making across the spectrum of clinical decisions that arise in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This cross-sectional survey assessed parents' preferences for parent- vs medical team-centered decision making across 16 clinical decisions, along with parents' assessments of 7 characteristics of those decisions. Respondents included 136 parents of infants in 1 of 3 academically affiliated hospital NICUs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 7 to July 8, 2016. Respondents represented a wide range of educational levels, employment status, and household income but were predominantly female (109 [80.1%]), white (68 [50.0%]) or African American (53 [39.0%]), and married (81 of 132 responding [61.4%]). Preferences for parent-centered decision making. For each decision characteristic (eg, urgency), multivariable analyses tested whether middle and high levels of that characteristic (compared with low levels) were associated with a preference for parent-centered decision making, resulting in 2 odds ratios (ORs) per decision characteristic. Among the 136 respondents (109 women [80.1%] and 27 men [19.9%]; median age, 30 years [range, 18-43 years]), preferences for parent-centered decision making were positively associated with decisions that involved big-picture goals (middle OR, 2.01 [99% CI, 0.83-4.86]; high OR, 3.38 [99% CI, 1.48-7.75]) and that had the potential to harm the infant (middle OR, 1.32 [99% CI, 0.84-2.08]; high OR, 2.62 [99% CI, 1.67-4.11]). In contrast, preferences for parent-centered decision making were inversely associated with the following 4 decision characteristics: technical decisions (middle OR, 0.82 [99% CI, 0.45-1.52]; high OR, 0.48 [99% CI, 0.25-0.93]), the potential to benefit the infant (middle OR, 0.42 [99% CI, 0.16-1.05]; high OR, 0.21 [99% CI, 0.08-0.52]), requires medical expertise (middle OR, 0.48 [99% CI, 0.22-1.05]; high OR, 0.21 [99% CI, 0.10-0.48]), and a high level of urgency (middle OR, 0.47 [99% CI, 0.24-0.92]; high OR, 0.42 [99% CI, 0.22-0.83]). Preferences for parent-centered vs medical team-centered decision making among parents of infants in the NICU may vary systematically by the characteristics of particular clinical decisions. Incorporating this variation into shared decision making and endorsing models that allow parents to cede control to physicians in appropriate clinical circumstances might improve the quality and outcomes of medical decisions.


Dimensional variation tolerant mode converter/multiplexer fabricated in SOI technology for two-mode transmission at 1550 nm.
The use of an integrated asymmetrical directional coupler for two-mode transmission at 1550 nm is analyzed. The design is based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology and permits mode conversion and mode multiplexing/demultiplexing. In the nominal design, mode conversion and mode (de)multiplexing are achieved with 97% efficiency and a 23.4 dB crosstalk level in the 1540-1560 nm band using a 0.1 μm gap. The dimension tolerance of the SOI process has been taken into account in the selection of the optimum design, and the coupling efficiency would remain above 82.3% (corresponding to 0.8 dB excess loss) with 3σ accuracy. A 90% efficiency has been experimentally obtained.


Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptides play a role in drug abuse and are potential therapeutic targets.
Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides (55 to 102 and 62 to 102) are neurotransmitters with important roles in a number of physiologic processes. They have a role in drug abuse by virtue of the fact that they are modulators of mesolimbic function. Key findings supporting a role in drug abuse are as follows. First, high densities of CART-containing nerve terminals are localized in mesolimbic areas. Second, CART 55 to 102 blunts some of the behavioral effects of cocaine and dopamine (DA). This functional antagonism suggests that CART peptides be considered as targets for medications development. Third, CREB in the nucleus accumbens has been shown to have an opposing effect on cocaine self-administration. CREB may activate CART expression in that region, and, if so, CART may mediate at least some of the effects of CREB. Fourth, in addition to the effects of CART on DA, DA can influence CART in the accumbens. Thus a complex interacting circuitry likely exists. Fifth, in humans, CART is altered in the ventral tegmental area of cocaine overdose victims, and a mutation in the CART gene associates with alcoholism. Overall, it is clear that there are functional interactions among CART, DA, and cocaine and that plausible cellular mechanisms exist to explain some of these actions. Future studies will clarify and extend these findings.


P glycoprotein and the mechanism of multidrug resistance.
The human P glycoprotein (Pgp; MDR1) is an ATP-driven transporter for hydrophobic drugs and causes multidrug resistance in cancer. Our knowledge related to the mechanistic details of the ATP hydrolytic cycle of MDR1 has recently significantly progressed due to studies on the formation of a catalytic intermediate (occluded nucleotide state). According to the most accepted current model, both catalytic sites in MDR1 are active and ATP is hydrolysed alternatively within the two sites. ATP hydrolysis at one site triggers conformational changes within the protein resulting in drug transport, while hydrolysis of a second ATP molecule (at the other site) is required for resetting the initial ('high-affinity binding') conformation. The two active sites act in a cooperative manner and experiments support a model where the two ATP binding cassette (ABC) domains form a coupled catalytic machinery. Although no high resolution structure is available as yet, some relevant structural information can be deduced from crystal structures obtained for several bacterial ABC units, and the recently solved bacterial ABC-ABC dimer crystal structures may provide the basis for a better understanding of the intramolecular cross-talk between the two catalytic sites. As intramolecular interactions between various domains of Pgp/MDR1 are essential in regulating both the ATPase and transport activity, compounds perturbing these interactions may interfere with the function of the transporter. Such compounds, as well as various substrate analogues may be useful in modulating multidrug resistance in cancer.


Signals of differential introgression in the genome of natural hybrids of Caribbean anoles.
Hybridization facilitates recombination between divergent genetic lineages and can be shaped by both neutral and selective processes. Upon hybridization, loci with no net fitness effects introgress randomly from parental species into the genomes of hybrid individuals. Conversely, alleles from one parental species at some loci may provide a selective advantage to hybrids, resulting in patterns of introgression that do not conform to random expectations. We investigated genomic patterns of differential introgression in natural hybrids of two species of Caribbean anoles, Anolis pulchellus and A. krugi in Puerto Rico. Hybrids exhibit A. pulchellus phenotypes but possess A. krugi mitochondrial DNA, originated from multiple, independent hybridization events, and appear to have replaced pure A. pulchellus across a large area in western Puerto Rico. Combining genome-wide SNP datasets with bioinformatic methods to identify signals of differential introgression in hybrids, we demonstrate that the genomes of hybrids are dominated by pulchellus-derived alleles and show only 10%-20% A. krugi ancestry. The majority of A. krugi loci in hybrids exhibit a signal of non-random differential introgression and include loci linked to genes involved in development and immune function. Three of these genes (delta like canonical notch ligand 1, jagged1 and notch receptor 1) affect cell differentiation and growth and interact with mitochondrial function. Our results suggest that differential non-random introgression for a subset of loci may be driven by selection favouring the inheritance of compatible mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded genes in hybrids.


Epithelial ovarian cancer: An overview.
Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer and the leading cause of death in the United States. In this article we review the diagnosis and current management of epithelial ovarian cancer which accounts for over 95 percent of the ovarian malignancies. We will present various theories about the potential origin of ovarian malignancies. We will discuss the genetic anomalies and syndromes that may cause ovarian cancers with emphasis on Breast cancer type 1/2 mutations. The pathology and pathogenesis of ovarian carcinoma will also be presented. Lastly, we provide a comprehensive overview of treatment strategies and staging of ovarian cancer, conclusions and future directions.


Feasibility of yoga as a complementary therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes: The Healthy Active and in Control (HA1C) study.
This study:Healthy Active and in Control (HA1C), examined the feasibility and acceptability of yoga as a complementary therapy for adults with Type-2 Diabetes (T2DM). A 2-arm randomized clinical trial comparing Iyengar yoga with a supervised walking program. Hospital based gym-type facility and conference rooms. Participants were randomized to a 12-week program of either; (1) a twice weekly Iyengar yoga, or (2) a twice-weekly program of standard exercise (SE). Primary outcomes assessed feasibility and acceptability, including enrollment rates, attendance, study completion, and participant satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included HbA1c, physical activity, and measures of diabetes-related emotional distress, self-care and quality of life (QOL). Assessments were conducted at baseline, end of treatment, 6-months and 9-months post-enrollment. Of 175 adults screened for eligibility, 48 (30 women, 18 men) were eligible and enrolled. The most common reasons for ineligibility were orthopedic restrictions, HbA1c levels <6.5 and BMI > 42. Session attendance was high (82% of sessions attended), as was follow-up completion rates (92%). Program satisfaction rated on a 5-point scale, was high among both Yoga (M = 4.63, SD = 0.57) and SE (M = 4.77, SD = 0.52) participants. Overall 44 adverse events (26 Yoga, 18 SE) were reported. Of these, six were deemed "possibly related" (e.g., neck strain, back pain), and 1 "probably related" (ankle pain after treadmill) to the study. Yoga produced significant reductions in HbA1c. Median HbA1c at 6 months was 1.25 units lower for Yoga compared to SE (95% CI: -2.54 -0.04). Greater improvements in diabetes self-care, quality of life, and emotional distress were seen among Yoga participants than among SE participants. Increases in mindfulness were seen in Yoga but not in SE. The yoga intervention was highly feasible and acceptable, and produced improvements in blood glucose and psychosocial measures of diabetes management.


Paternal isodisomy for chromosome 7 is compatible with normal growth and development in a patient with congenital chloride diarrhea.
Uniparental disomy for maternal chromosome 7 has been described in three patients with recessive disorders. Short stature in each of these patients has been explained by the effect of imprinting of growth-related genes on maternal chromosome 7. Alternatively, although less likely, all these patients may be homozygous for a rare recessive mutation. Here we report both paternal isodisomy for chromosome 7 and normal growth in a patient with a recessive disorder, congenital chloride diarrhea. She had inherited only paternal alleles at 10 loci and was homozygous for another 10 chromosome 7 loci studied. Her physical status and laboratory tests were normal except for a mild high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. As the patient has normal stature, it is likely that the paternal chromosome 7 lacks the suggested maternal imprinting effect on growth. Paternal isodisomy for human chromosome 7 may have no phenotypic effect on growth.


Nonpalpable breast cancer.
Although mammography is the most reliable method for the early detection of breast cancer in asymptomatic women and in women with equivocal signs or symptoms, this screening tool is still underutilized in the United States. Precise biopsy of suspicious nonpalpable findings is facilitated by mammographic localization.


[Multifocal electroretinography for therapeutic effect evaluation of intravitreal injection Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration].
To evaluate the changes in retinal functions using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) following intravitreal injection of Lucentis for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration. This prospective study was conducted in 14 patients (9 men and 5 women, 14 eyes) with wet age-related macular degeneration receiving treatment with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (Lucentis) in our hospital between October, 2014 and January, 2016. All the patients received the treatment following a 1+PRN protocol and after the initial injection, the patients were followed up monthly for 6 months to decide if additional injections were needed. The corrected visual acuity and mfERG findings of the patients were assessed before and at l, 3 and 6 months after the initial injection. At the last follow-up, the patients received injections for a mean of 2.86∓1.58 times. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 1 month after the initial treatment was not significantly different from that before treatment (P=0.07), but showed significant improvements at 3 and 6 months (P<0.05). In mfERG, the implicit time of the 6 rings showed no significant decrease after the treatment, but the amplitude density of P1 and N1 in rings 1 and 2 improved significantly at 1, 3, and 6 months after the initial injection (P<0.05). Multifocal electroretinography can serve as a useful modality for evaluating visual function changes in patients receiving intravitreal injection of Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration.


Effects of aging on alpha 2-adrenoceptor mechanisms in isolated guinea-pig tracheal preparations.
The effects of aging on alpha 2-adrenoceptor mechanisms in tracheal preparations isolated from 3-, 6-, 10-, 40- and 100-week-old guinea-pigs were studied. The potency of noradrenaline decreased with age. The specific binding of [3H]p-aminoclonidine to microsomal fractions prepared from tracheal smooth muscles from 6- and 40-week-old guinea-pigs was analysed by Scatchard analysis. The capacity of maximum binding sites of [3H]p-aminoclonidine was greater in the preparations from 40-week-old guinea-pigs than in 6-week-old animals, whereas the dissociation constant did not change with age. The amount of prostaglandin F2 alpha released by noradrenaline and the contractile response to prostaglandin F2 alpha decreased with age. These results suggest that an age-related decrease in the potency of noradrenaline is due to the decrease in the amount of excitable prostaglandin F2 alpha released by noradrenaline and in the contractile response to prostaglandin F2 alpha, but not to a change in the total number of alpha 2-adrenoceptors or in the dissociation constant of a drug from alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Extraneuronal uptake also plays a role in the response to noradrenaline in the tracheal preparations from older guinea-pigs.


A Daily Snack Containing Leafy Green Vegetables, Fruit, and Milk before and during Pregnancy Prevents Gestational Diabetes in a Randomized, Controlled Trial in Mumbai, India.
Prospective observational studies suggest that maternal diets rich in leafy green vegetables and fruit may help prevent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Our objective was to test whether increasing women's dietary intake of leafy green vegetables, fruit, and milk before conception and throughout pregnancy reduced their risk of GDM. Project SARAS ("excellent") (2006-2012) was a nonblinded, individually randomized, controlled trial in women living in slums in the city of Mumbai, India. The interventions included a daily snack made from leafy green vegetables, fruit, and milk for the treatment group or low-micronutrient vegetables (e.g., potato and onion) for the control group, in addition to the usual diet. Results for the primary outcome, birth weight, have been reported. Women were invited to take an oral-glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) at 28-32 wk gestation to screen for GDM (WHO 1999 criteria). The prevalence of GDM was compared between the intervention and control groups, and Kernel density analysis was used to compare distributions of 120-min plasma glucose concentrations between groups. Of 6513 women randomly assigned, 2291 became pregnant; of these, 2028 reached a gestation of 28 wk, 1008 (50%) attended for an OGTT, and 100 (9.9%) had GDM. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the prevalence of GDM was reduced in the treatment group (7.3% compared with 12.4% in controls; OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.86; P = 0.008). The reduction in GDM remained significant after adjusting for prepregnancy adiposity and fat or weight gain during pregnancy. Kernel density analysis showed that this was explained by the fact that fewer women in the treatment group had a 2-h glucose concentration in the range 7.5-10.0 mmol/L. In low-income settings, in which women have a low intake of micronutrient-rich foods, improving dietary micronutrient quality by increasing intake of leafy green vegetables, fruit, and/or milk may have an important protective effect against the development of GDM. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN62811278.


[Role of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide in bone metabolism].
Substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are the neuropeptides released from the sensory nerve endings. Neuropeptides play a role in bone and the relevant organs. It exerts functions in regulation of the bone metabolism, fracture healing and pain by a certain way. The biological properties and distributions of SP and CGRP are closely related to the pathogenesis and development of bone metabolism, fracture healing and pain.


[Photoreceptor cell transplantation for future treatment of retinitis pigmentosa].
In inherited retinal diseases such retinitis pigmentosa, characterized by progressive loss of light sensitive neurons (photoreceptors), cell therapy is now considered as an attractive strategy. Photoreceptor cell replacement would be valuable for restoring function to retinas in a way that is independent from the cause of the disease. With advances in stem cell biology, considerable strides have been made towards the generation of retinal cells, in particular with the development of 3D culture systems allowing the generation of retinal organoids from pluripotent stem cells. In this review, we present a state-of-the art of preclinical strategies conducted in animal models for photoreceptor replacement from stem cell-derived photoreceptors and we discuss the important obstacles to overcome in the future.


Reactions of lanthanoid metals with 3,5-diphenylpyrazole at elevated temperatures: synthesis and structures of both homoleptic, [Ln3(Ph2pz)9] (Ln = La, Nd), [Ln2(Ph2pz)6] (Ln = Er, Lu), and heteroleptic, [Ln(Ph2pz)3(Ph2pzH)2] (Ln = La, Nd, Gd, Tb, Er or Yb), pyrazolate complexes.
The direct reaction of lanthanoid metals with 3,5-diphenylpyrazole (Ph2pzH) at 300 degrees C under vacuum in the presence of mercury gives the structurally characterized [Ln3(Ph2pz)9] (Ln = La or Nd), [Ln2(Ph2pz)6] (Ln = Er or Lu). Similar reactions provided heteroleptic [Ln(Ph2pz)3(Ph2pzH)2] (Ln = La, Nd, Gd, Tb, Er and Y). The last was obtained only from impure Ph2pzH, but was subsequently prepared by treatment of [Yb(Ph2pz)3(thf)2] with Ph2pzH. Reactions of Yb with Ph2pzH at 200 degrees C gave a poorly soluble divalent species which was converted by 1,2-dimethoxyethane into [Yb(Ph2pz)2(dme)2]. Single crystal X-ray structures established a bowed trinuclear pyrazolate-bridged structure for [Ln3(Ph2pz)9] (Ln = La or Nd), Ln...Ln...Ln being 135.94(1) degrees (La) and 137.41(1) degrees(Nd). There are two eta2-Ph2pz ligands on the terminal Ln atoms and one on the central metal with adjacent Ln atoms linked by one mu-eta2:eta2 and one mu-eta5 (to terminal Ln):eta2 pyrazolate group. Thus the terminal Ln atoms are formally nine-coordinate and the central Ln, ten-coordinate. By contrast, [Ln2(Ph2pz)6] (Ln = Er or Lu) complexes are dimeric with two terminal (eta2) and two bridging (mu-eta2:eta2) pyrazolates and eight-coordinate lanthanoids. All six heteroleptic complexes [Ln(Ph2pz)3(Ph2pzH)2] (Ln = La, Nd, Gd, Tb, Er or Yb) are isomorphous with three equatorial eta2-Ph2pz groups, transoid(N-Ln-N 158.18(6)-161.43(9) degrees) eta1-pyrazole ligands, and eight-coordinate Ln throughout.


Searching for a written patient feedback instrument for patient-medical student consultations.
The Patient Teaching Associate (PTA) program at Eastern Health Clinical School uses volunteer patients with chronic illnesses in consultation-based medical student education. The PTA program aims to develop students' patient-centeredness and associated skills. Our study aims, 1) to identify key desirable characteristics of written patient feedback to doctors and/or students that focuses on patient-centeredness in consultations, and 2) to critically evaluate existing instruments to identify any suitable instrument for use for medical student teaching. We reviewed our experience with the PTA program and explored the literature on patient-centeredness and patient feedback to identify desirable characteristics of written feedback for our program. A systematic search was conducted to identify existing patient feedback instruments. These were then evaluated in light of criteria based on desirable characteristics. Eight instruments met the inclusion criteria. While all were designed for patient use, none were ideal for the PTA program. The Doctors' Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire (DISQ), while not used with medical students, is the closest fit to criteria. The lack of instruments specifically designed for written patient feedback to medical students highlights a gap in the current literature. The DISQ provides a good basis for developing a new feedback instrument focused on patient-centeredness in medical students.


Identification of errors in draft genome assemblies at single-nucleotide resolution for quality assessment and improvement.
Assembly of a high-quality genome is important for downstream comparative and functional genomic studies. However, most tools for genome assembly assessment only give qualitative reports, which do not pinpoint assembly errors at specific regions. Here, we develop a new reference-free tool, Clipping information for Revealing Assembly Quality (CRAQ), which maps raw reads back to assembled sequences to identify regional and structural assembly errors based on effective clipped alignment information. Error counts are transformed into corresponding assembly evaluation indexes to reflect the assembly quality at single-nucleotide resolution. Notably, CRAQ distinguishes assembly errors from heterozygous sites or structural differences between haplotypes. This tool can clearly indicate low-quality regions and potential structural error breakpoints; thus, it can identify misjoined regions that should be split for further scaffold building and improvement of the assembly. We have benchmarked CRAQ on multiple genomes assembled using different strategies, and demonstrated the misjoin correction for improving the constructed pseudomolecules.


Attitudes of Nurses and the General Public Towards Euthanasia on Individuals with Dementia and Cognitive Impairment.
Despite the increasing prevalence of dementia, little is known about individuals' attitudes towards euthanasia on patients with dementia or cognitive impairment. Nurses (n = 1003) and representatives of the general public (n = 2796), recruited via social media and the Finnish Nurses Association, completed an electronic questionnaire in 2014. Euthanasia due to severe dementia was approved by 54.6% of nurses and 64.4% of the general public. Depending on the age of the patient, between 50.0% and 54.7% of nurses and between 58.3% and 60.9% of the general public supported euthanasia on patients with severe cognitive impairment. The attitudes towards euthanasia due to dementia or cognitive impairment are slightly more accepting among the general public than among nurses. Apart from religiosity, none of the background factors were found to be reliable predictors of individuals' attitudes. Additional research is needed to describe the underlying reasons for the attitudes.


Angiogenic Microspheres for the Treatment of a Thin Endometrium.
The poor vascular development of an endometrium is the key cause of a thin endometrium due to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreasing in the glandular epithelium. Hence, inducing angiogenesis is an effective strategy for thin endometrium treatment in clinic. Herein, we developed a novel angiogenic hydrogel microsphere based on methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA) loaded with VEGF for the treatment of a thin endometrium by a microfluidic electrospray technique. The generated HAMA microspheres with uniform size, porous structure, and satisfactory biocompatibility increased the drug-loading ability and controlled the drug-release rate by adjusting the hydrogel concentration. Besides, the HAMA microspheres loaded with VEGF showed satisfactory biocompatibility and promoted blood vessel formation in vitro. More importantly, the combination of HA and VEGF promoted new blood vessels and endometrial regeneration of a thin endometrium in vivo. Therefore, the combination of HA and VEGF would be conducive to the development of a drug-delivery microsphere with excellent biocompatibility and therapeutic effect for thin endometrium treatment and other biomedical applications.


Molecular modeling of the three-dimensional structure of dopamine 3 (D3) subtype receptor: discovery of novel and potent D3 ligands through a hybrid pharmacophore- and structure-based database searching approach.
The dopamine 3 (D3) subtype receptor has been implicated in several neurological conditions, and potent and selective D3 ligands may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of drug addiction, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia. In this paper, we report computational homology modeling of the D3 receptor based upon the high-resolution X-ray structure of rhodopsin, extensive structural refinement in the presence of explicit lipid bilayer and water environment, and validation of the refined D3 structural models using experimental data. We further describe the development, validation, and application of a hybrid computational screening approach for the discovery of several classes of novel and potent D3 ligands. This computational approach employs stepwise pharmacophore and structure-based searching of a large three-dimensional chemical database for the identification of potential D3 ligands. The obtained hits are then subjected to structural novelty screening, and the most promising compounds are tested in a D3 binding assay. Using this approach we identified four compounds with K(i) values better than 100 nM and eight compounds with K(i) values better than 1 microM out of 20 compounds selected for testing in the D3 receptor binding assay. Our results suggest that the D3 structural models obtained from this study may be useful for the discovery and design of novel and potent D3 ligands. Furthermore, the employed hybrid approach may be more effective for lead discovery from a large chemical database than either pharmacophore-based or structure-based database screening alone.


Crystal-Associated Colitis with Ulceration Leading to Hematochezia and Abdominal Pain.
Lower GI bleeding is a common cause for hospitalization in adults. Medication-associated mucosal injury is an important clinical entity that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with a 3-month history of intermittent abdominal cramping and rectal bleeding. Her medical history was extensive and included end-stage renal disease and a remote history of endometrial carcinoma that was treated with radiation. Initial workup was concerning for ischemic and radiation colitis, however, histology was most consistent with acute inflammation and ulceration associated with crystal fragments. Sevelamer and cholestyramine are commonly used ion-exchange resins that have been associated with mucosal damage. Both medications were discontinued and her symptoms resolved. Our case highlights an underrecognized but important cause of hematochezia.


Some new surprises in chaos.
"Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought.It always defeats order, because it is better organized"Terry PratchettA brief review is presented of some recent findings in the theory of chaotic dynamics. We also prove a statement that could be naturally considered as a dual one to the Poincaré theorem on recurrences. Numerical results demonstrate that some parts of the phase space of chaotic systems are more likely to be visited earlier than other parts. A new class of chaotic focusing billiards is discussed that clearly violates the main condition considered to be necessary for chaos in focusing billiards.


Developing new services using fuzzy QFD: a LIFENET case study.
The purpose of this paper is to suggest the fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) method to assess LIFENET customers' spoken and unspoken needs in order to achieve the various objectives like: how to decide optimum portfolio for health services strategically; how to assess competitors' market position in order to reckon the market position of LIFENET; and how to set the revised target in order to satisfy the customers' demand and to fetch profit in order to satisfy managers' mission and vision in a competitive market. A fuzzy QFD method has been devised to take care of the various LIFENET objectives. Fuzzy logic's use has been recommended to remove the uncertainty, vagueness, and impreciseness from data obtained to assess customers' spoken and unspoken needs. Symmetric triangular fuzzy numbers (STFNs) may be used to assess various needs to enhance data accuracy. House of quality (HOQ), an in-built QFD matrix, may be constructed to take care of LIFENET's various requirements in order to satisfy internal and external customers. Fuzzy QFD plays a vital role in assessing customers' need in terms of WHATs. Various WHATs thus obtained can be accomplished by incorporating technical parameter HOWs'. The QFD HOQ offers various vital comparisons for instance, WHATs vs HOWs, HOWs vs HOWs, NOWs vs WHATs, etc. to obtain important inferences, which help to revise target to remain competitive in the market Fuzzy QFD helps devise a management strategy to follow customers' needs in health industry successfully. Accessing Indian customers' needs poses many challenges as the decision to opt for a given healthcare service is most uncertain because it varies from person to person. The set of parameters that influence individual decisions to opt for healthcare services are costs, treatment response time, disease/risk, and health service satisfaction. Fuzzy QFD may help LIFENET promoters to consider customers' favored health services thereby helping strategically in their attempt for major expansion, in order to get the most benefits of becoming first-movers in the sector. Fuzzy QFD may also help LIFENET to avert major investment decisions that looked attractive in short-term, but in fact were unfruitful, in long-term.


Pharmacokinetics of sodium nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia in the rat.
A biologically based mathematical model was created to characterize time and dose-dependent relationships between exposure to nitrite and induction of methemoglobinemia. The model includes mass action equations for processes known to occur: oral absorption of nitrite, elimination from the plasma, partitioning between plasma and erythrocytes, binding of nitrite to hemoglobin and methemoglobin, and the free radical chain reaction for hemoglobin oxidation. The model also includes Michaelis-Menten kinetics for methemoglobin reductase-catalyzed regeneration of hemoglobin. Body weight-scaled rate constants for absorption (k(a)) and elimination (k(e)), the effective erythrocyte/plasma partition coefficient (P), and the apparent K(m) for methemoglobin reductase were the only parameters estimated by formal optimization to reproduce the observed time course data. Time courses of plasma nitrite concentrations and blood levels of hemoglobin and methemoglobin in male and female rats that had received single intravenous or oral doses of sodium nitrite were measured. Peak plasma levels of nitrite were achieved in both sexes approximately 30 min after oral exposure, and peak methemoglobin levels were achieved after 100 min. The model predicts that 10% of the hemoglobin is oxidized to the ferric form after oral doses of 15.9 mg/kg in male rats and 11.0 mg/kg in female rats and after intravenous doses of 8.9 and 7.1 mg/kg in male and female rats, respectively. The t(1/2) for recovery from methemoglobinemia was 60 to 120 min depending on dose and route of administration. A sensitivity analysis of the model was performed to identify to which parameters the predictions of the model were most sensitive and guide attempts to simplify the model. Replacement of the V(max) of methemoglobin reductase with a value representative of humans predicted a 10% methemoglobinemia following an intravenous dose of 5.8 mg/kg, in close agreement with an observed value of 5.7 mg/kg for humans.


Does ethical membership matter? Moral identification and its organizational implications.
This research meaningfully connects the literatures on identification and business ethics by proposing the new construct of moral identification. Moral identification is defined here as the perception of oneness or belongingness associated with an organization that exhibits ethical traits (e.g., care, kindness, and compassion), which also involves a deliberate concern of the membership with an ethical organization. Integrating social identity theory with theory on the moral self, this research examines an overall theoretical model where moral identification plays a significant role in explaining employee attraction, motivation, and retention (i.e., 3 components of the overall theoretical framework). These components were examined separately in 3 empirical studies and findings from these studies first revealed that moral identification explained why job seekers with strong (vs. weak) moral identities were more attracted to a socially responsible organization (Study 1). Second, moral identification was associated with lower employee unethical proorganizational behavior (Study 2). Finally, moral identification was negatively related to employees' turnover intentions. Organizations' legal compliance moderated this relation such that it was stronger when organizations have higher (vs. lower) levels of legal compliance (Study 3). Taken together, these studies suggest that moral identification offers new insights in explaining both potential and current employees' behaviors when morality is contextually relevant and subjectively meaningful. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.


Inhibition of myogenin expression by activated Raf is not responsible for the block to avian myogenesis.
Activated Raf is a potent inhibitor of skeletal muscle gene transcription and myocyte formation through stimulation of downstream MAPK. However, the molecular targets of elevated MAPK with regard to myogenic repression remain elusive. We examined the effects of activated Raf on myogenin gene expression in avian myoblasts. Overexpression of activated Raf in embryonic chick myoblasts prevented myogenin gene transcription and myocyte differentiation. Treatment with PD98059, an inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK), restored myogenin expression but did not reinstate the myogenic program. Using a panel of myogenin promoter deletion mutants, we were unable to identify a region within the proximal 829-bp promoter that confers responsiveness to MEK. Interestingly, our experiments identified MEF2A as a target of Raf-mediated inhibition in mouse myoblasts but not in avian myogenic cells. Embryonic myoblasts overexpressing activated Raf were unable to drive transcription from a minimal myogenin promoter reporter, containing a single E-box and MEF2 site, to levels comparable with controls. Unlike mouse myoblasts, forced expression of MEF2A did not synergistically enhance transcription from the myogenin promoter in chick myoblasts, indicating that additional molecular determinants of the block to myogenesis exist. Results of these experiments further exemplify specie differences in the mode of Raf-mediated inhibition of muscle differentiation.


Down syndrome: cognitive phenotype.
Down syndrome is the most prevalent cause of intellectual impairment associated with a genetic anomaly, in this case, trisomy of chromosome 21. It affects both physical and cognitive development and produces a characteristic phenotype, although affected individuals vary considerably with respect to severity of specific impairments. Studies focusing on the cognitive characteristics of Down syndrome were reviewed, and while performance in most areas could be predicted based upon overall intellectual disability, relative weaknesses were consistently found to be associated with expressive language, syntactic/morphosyntactic processing, and verbal working memory. This profile of uneven deficits could result from a failure to develop typically automatic processing for speech perception and production, and this possibility is discussed along with its implications for intervention.


Development and characterization of modular mouse phantoms for end-to-end testing and training in radiobiology experiments.
Objective. In radiation oncology, experiments are often carried out using mice as a model forin vivoresearch studies. Due to recent technological advances in the development of high-precision small-animal irradiation facilities, the importance of quality assurance for both dosimetry and imaging is increasing. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers the possibility to produce complex models from a three-dimensional data set and to build cost-effective phantoms that can easily be adapted to different purposes. The aim of this work was therefore to develop detailed anatomical mouse models for quality assurance and end-to-end testing of small-animal irradiation and imaging by means of AM.Approach. Two mouse phantom concepts were designed, constructed, and examined for this purpose. The first model includes cavities corresponding to the most important organs. The final solid model was constructed using AM in two separate parts that can be attached with a plug connection after filling these cavities with tissue-equivalent mixtures. Moreover, different radiation dosimeters can be placed in the lower part of the model. For the second concept, AM was used for building modules like the phantom outer shell and bones, so that different mixtures can be used as a filling, without modifying the phantom structure.Main results.CT as well as Micro-CT scans of both concepts showed an excellent quality and adequate image contrast, with material attenuation properties close to those of mouse tissues, apart from the current bone surrogates. Radiation dose measurements with radiochromic films were, with some exceptions in areas with larges bone volumes, in agreement with calculations within less than ±4%.Significance. AM shows great potential for the development of mouse models that are inexpensive, easy to adapt, and accurate, thus enabling their use for quality assurance in small-animal radiotherapy and imaging. The introduction of such 3D-printable mouse phantoms in the workflow could also significantly reduce the use of living animals for optimization and testing of new imaging and irradiation protocols.


Effects of a continuous rate infusion of butorphanol in isoflurane-anesthetized horses on cardiorespiratory parameters, recovery quality, gastrointestinal motility and serum cortisol concentrations.
To assess the cardiorespiratory parametes, recovery, gastrointestinal motility and serum cortisol concentrations in horses anesthetized with isoflurane with or without a continuous rate infusion (CRI) of butorphanol for orchiectomy. Twelve adult, intact, male horses weighing 332 ± 55 kg were included in the study. Xilazine was administered as premedication. Anesthesia was induced with ketamine and midazolam and maintained with isoflurane. Butorphanol (0.025 mg kg-1 bolus) or an equivalent volume of saline (0.9%) was given intravenously followed by a CRI of butorphanol (BG) (13 µg kg-1 hour-1) or saline (CG). Cardiorespiratory variables were recorded before (T0) and every 15 minutes for 75 minutes after the start of infusion. Serum cortisol concentration was measured at T0 and 60 minutes, and 30 minutes and 19 hours after the horse stood up. Recovery from anesthesia was evaluated using a scoring system. Gastrointestinal motility was evaluated before anesthesia and during 24 hours after recovery. There were no significant differences between groups in cardiopulmonary variables, or recovery scores or serum cortisol concentrations. A reduction in gastrointestinal motility was recorded for 60 minutes in BG. Continuous rate infusion of butorphanol in horses anesthetized with isoflurane did not adversely affect the cardiopulmonary variables monitored, or recovery scores. A small but statistically significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility occurred in the butorphanol group.


Covalent surface modifications and superconductivity of two-dimensional metal carbide MXenes.
Versatile chemical transformations of surface functional groups in two-dimensional transition-metal carbides (MXenes) open up a previously unexplored design space for this broad class of functional materials. We introduce a general strategy to install and remove surface groups by performing substitution and elimination reactions in molten inorganic salts. Successful synthesis of MXenes with oxygen, imido, sulfur, chlorine, selenium, bromine, and tellurium surface terminations, as well as bare MXenes (no surface termination), was demonstrated. These MXenes show distinctive structural and electronic properties. For example, the surface groups control interatomic distances in the MXene lattice, and Ti n +1C n (n = 1, 2) MXenes terminated with telluride (Te2-) ligands show a giant (>18%) in-plane lattice expansion compared with the unstrained titanium carbide lattice. The surface groups also control superconductivity of niobium carbide MXenes.


Sorting of soluble ER proteins in yeast.
In animal cells, luminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins are prevented from being secreted by a sorting system that recognizes the C-terminal sequence KDEL. We show that yeast has a similar sorting system, but it recognizes HDEL, rather than KDEL: derivatives of the enzyme invertase that bear the HDEL signal fail to be secreted. An invertase fusion protein that is retained in the cells is partially modified by outer-chain mannosyl transferases, which reside in the Golgi element. This supports the view, based on studies in animal cells, that ER targeting is achieved by continuous retrieval of proteins from the Golgi. We have used an invertase fusion gene to screen for mutants that are defective in this sorting system. Over 60 mutants were obtained; eight of these are alleles of a single gene, erd1. The mutant strains grow normally at 30 degrees C, but instead of retaining the fusion protein in the cells, they secrete it.


Host Amplification in a Dithioacetal-Based Dynamic Covalent Library.
Molecular amplification in a dithioacetal-based dynamic library is described for the first time. The homatropine induced selection, amplification, and isolation of one cyclophane host demonstrates the utility of dithioacetal exchange for preparing responsive dynamic libraries. Nuclear magnetic resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry analysis suggest that the amplified macrocycle forms a 1:1 complex with the template. This is the first report about a host/guest system involving a dithioacetal cyclophane.


[Cardiac sympathetic denervation after aortic surgery in a patient with thoracic dissecting aneurysm: a case report].
We experienced a case of a 60 year-old man with cardiac sympathetic denervation after aortic graft replacement of ascending aorta for a dissecting aneurysm (Debakey type II). Fourteen years after pheochromocytomectomy (paraganglioma), the patient developed a severe chest pain, and admitted to the hospital for the diagnosis of dissecting aneurysm. CT scan with contrast enhancement revealed thrombosed dissecting aneurysm in the region of ascending aorta to aortic arch. Graft replacement was undergone on the same day. 123I-MIBG imaging 20 days after the operation showed severely attenuated myocardial uptake (heart to mediastinum ratio 1.19), although the MIBG imaging before the operation showed normal myocardial uptake (heart to mediastinum ratio 1.55). Heart rate variability analysis in Holter ECG showed that the power of the low frequency (LF), that of the high frequency (HF) and L/H ratio were severely decreased. MIBG and heart rate variability analysis indicated that cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve were denervated. This is the first report of cardiac sympathetic denervation after aortic vascular surgery. Clinical significance of cardiac sympathetic denervation after aortic vascular surgery is uncertain, and further investigation will be required.


Low-Cost Earmuff Shown to Significantly Reduce Cast-Saw Noise.
Hearing protection devices reduce cast-saw noise. It would be helpful to identify the devices that are both effective and economical. Prior studies have shown that expensive noise-reduction headphones significantly reduced the anxiety associated with cast removal with a powered oscillating saw. The cost of such headphones, however, is a drawback for some practices and hospitals. It would be helpful to determine whether lower cost ear protection can provide effective cast-saw noise reduction. In addition, it is unclear whether the noise reduction ratings (NRRs), the average sound-level reduction provided by a hearing protection device in a laboratory test, provided by manufacturers accurately characterize the effectiveness for reducing cast-saw noise. Note that noise-cancelling devices do not carry an NRR because they are not designed as hearing protectors. Five ear protection devices with different NNRs were tested. The devices varied greatly in cost and included earplugs, low-cost earmuffs, and noise-cancelling headphones. To standardize the evaluation, each device was fitted to an acoustic mannequin with high-fidelity ear microphones while a fiberglass spica cast was cut. An additional test was run without hearing protection as a control. The low-cost devices significantly reduced the saw noise, with the exception of earplugs, which had highly variable performance. The noise reduction was similar between low-cost earmuffs and the high-cost earphones when the noise-cancelling feature was not active. Active noise cancelling provided further reductions in the noise level. Patients can experience high anxiety during cast removal. The current study shows that low-cost earmuffs significantly reduce cast-saw noise. Patient care settings may be more likely to offer hearing protection that is one twenty-fifth the cost of noise-cancelling headphones. An NRR appears to be a reliable guide for selecting hearing protection that reduces cast-saw noise.


A system for browsing the SNOMED International vocabulary.
We have developed a means for "browsing" an extremely large vocabulary of over 130,000 medical terms (SNOMED International, 3rd ed.). This vocabulary someday hopes to become a standard vocabulary and coding scheme for patient medical records. After obtaining the vocabulary in machine readable form (ASCII in standard data format--SDF) we wrote a meta program in Turbo Pascal which parsed and embedded control codes into an input file for importing the data into an "infobase" known as FolioVIEWS. Using this infobase, it became possible to rapidly and reliably navigate around the SNOMED vocabulary in a manner impossible with printed material. The FolioVIEWS search engine is robust and rapid and allows for easy access to the terms. The utility of the infobase in evaluating the SNOMED vocabulary has been quite good. The actual utility of SNOMED as a standard vocabulary remains to be evaluated.


[Lymphatic mapping and parametrial lymph nodes identification in patients with early stage cervical cancer].
To determine the presence, distribution, and metastasis incidence of parametrial lymph nodes (PLN) of patients with cervical cancer and to investigate the role of lymphatic mapping and topographic section in PLN identification. Sixty patients with early stage (Ib-IIa) cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were included in the study. Before surgery 4 ml methylene was injected into the cervix around the tumor. The blue-dyed lymph nodes were identified as sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) during operation. An immediate topographic section on uterine specimen was performed to separate the PLN from parametria for pathologic examination. Ninety five PLN were presented in 38 (63%) of 60 specimens, with a mean size in diameter of (0.46 +/- 0.24) cm. Among the total PLN, 57 (60%) were located parallel to uterine artery through the entire broad ligament, and the other 38 (40%) were scattered in cardinal ligament, sacral ligament and vesicocervical ligament. After lymphatic mapping, 69 (73%) of PLN were dyed and identified as SLN. Parametrial metastasis was found in 12 (20%) patients, and parametrium was the only site containing positive nodes in 2 patients with parametrial metastasis. On routine pathologic evaluation, 17 PLN were found to be positive. Among the remaining 78 PLN, multilevel sectioning in conjunction with immunohistochemical analysis was carried out and 3 PLN containing micrometastases were identified. The study shows that PLN are usually found in the parametria, and these nodes often contain metastatic diseases which are easily overlooked. Lymphatic mapping followed by meticulous topographic section is feasible in PLN identification in patients with cervical cancer.


Characterization of Pb, Cu, and Cd adsorption on particulate organic matter in soil.
Evidence exists for significant metal enrichment in particulate organic matter (POM) compared to other soil constituents, but the relevant mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, adsorption of the heavy metals Pb, Cu, and Cd on a loamy soil and on POM separated from this soil was investigated. The adsorption kinetic data can be well described with a pseudo-second order model, whereas the equilibrium data are well fitted by a Langmuir model. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics data, in addition to the influence of pH on metal adsorption, showed that POM had a much higher adsorption capacity for Pb, Cu, and Cd compared to the whole soil. Ionic strength effects on metal adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy x-ray absorption spectroscopy including x-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended x-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy were employed to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. The results suggested that Pb and Cu adsorption on POM was mainly through inner-sphere complexes with carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Cadmium was possibly adsorbed via outer-sphere complexation, indicated by the influence of ionic strength on Cd adsorption.


Calcium/calmodulin kinase II activity of hippocampus in kainate-induced epilepsy.
This study investigated calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) activity related to long-standing neuronal injury of the hippocampus in kainate (KA)-induced experimental temporal lobe epilepsy. Epileptic seizure was induced by injection of KA (1 microg/microL) dissolved in phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.4) into the left amygdala. Clinical seizures, histopathologic changes and CaMKII activity of the hippocampus were evaluated. Characteristic early limbic and late seizures were developed. Hippocampal CaMKII activity increased significantly 4 and 8 weeks after intra-amygdaloid injection of KA, when late seizures developed. The histopathologic changes of the hippocampus included swelling of neuronal cytoplasm with nuclear pyknosis and loss of neurons in CA3 during this period. The increased activity of CaMKII may correlate with appearance of distant damage in the hippocampus. The above results indicate that intra-amygdaloid injection of KA produces excitatory signals for ipsilateral CA3 neurons in the hippocampus and that subsequently increased levels of CaMKII in postsynaptic neurons induce neuronal injury via phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate type glutamate receptor.


A Neuron-Specific Antiviral Mechanism Modulates the Persistent Infection of Rice Rhabdoviruses in Leafhopper Vectors.
Many plant rhabdoviruses are neurotropic and can persistently infect the central nervous system (CNS) of their insect vectors without causing significant cytopathology. The mechanisms by which the insect CNS resists infection by plant rhabdoviruses are largely unknown. Here, we report that the neural factor Hikaru genki homolog of the leafhopper Nephotettix cincticeps (NcHig) limits the spread of the nucleorhabdovirus rice yellow stunt virus (RYSV) in vector CNS. NcHig is predominantly expressed in the CNS of N. cincticeps, and the knockdown of NcHig expression by RNA interference enhances RYSV infection of the CNS. Furthermore, immuno-blockade of NcHig function by microinjection of N. cincticeps with NcHig antibody also enhances viral infection of the CNS. Thus, we conclude that the neuron-specific factor NcHig can control RYSV propagation in the CNS. Interestingly, we find the Hig homolog of the leafhopper Recilia dorsalis also has antiviral activity during the persistent infection of the cytorhabdovirus rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV) in vector CNS. We further determine that RYSV and RSMV matrix proteins specifically interact with the complement control protein (CCP) domains of Higs. Thus, the matrix protein-binding ability of Hig is potentially essential for its antiviral activity in rice leafhoppers. Our results demonstrate an evolutionarily conserved antiviral mechanism for Hig to mediate the persistent infection of rice rhabdoviruses in the CNS of leafhopper vectors.


Counseling at-risk mothers.
Special consideration should be given when counseling at-risk mothers. Although local health departments and offices for the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) are teaching mothers about proper feeding practices, there is a large section of the population that does not qualify for government programs and does not have the financial resources to properly feed their children. Considering this group of parents, and the shrinking number of clinics, it is essential that health care professionals educate mothers in at-risk environments to watch for cues from the infant while determining feeding practices.


Effects of presentation format on adult's retention of television programs.
The possible effects of presentation format on the retention of television program content was examined. Younger and older adults viewed two different types of programs in one of four formats reflecting those used in commercial and public television, and in previous research. Results showed no effects due to the manipulation for either age group; free recall, probed recall, and recognition performances were equivalent for each presentation format. These findings indicate that researchers may have a choice of equivalent formats in television research.


Intra-species chromosome-length polymorphism in Geotrichum candidum revealed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.
Geotrichum candidum is an ascomycetous anamorph yeast-like fungus found in various habitats. It is a component of the natural flora of milk and is used as a maturing agent for both soft and hard cheeses. This microorganism displays phenotypic variability and may act as an opportunist pathogen, causing geotrichosis. Cytological analysis of G. candidum strain ATCC 204307 showed this strain to have eight chromosomes. We prepared chromosomal DNA from 13 strains of G. candidum differing in habitat and morphotype. We used pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in two sets of conditions to determine the size of the chromosomal DNA molecules. The strains investigated had five to eight chromosomes, 0.6 to 4.5 Mb in size. We estimated genome size in these 13 strains to be between 11 and 19 Mb. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles showed a high degree of polymorphism, indicating considerable variability between strains. Genome size and the presence of large chromosomes appeared to be correlated with morphotype. Strains with a mold-like or intermediate morphotype tended to have larger genomes than strains with a yeast-like morphotype did.


[Physiology and physiopathology in the development and maturation of the antenatal lung].
The term "pulmonary maturation" is reserved for the process of surfactant production. The term "pulmonary development" covers the overall phenomena of the growth of pulmonary structures and their differentiation. Pulmonary development is divided schematically into five stages: the embryonic stage up to the fifth to the seventh week of gestation, then the four stages of the foetal period. These four stages are: 1) The pseudo-glandular stage up to the seventeenth week during which the bronchi and the extra-acinar vessels are formed; 2) The canalicular stage characterised by the birth of the acinus, the differentiation of the cells and the beginning of surfactant synthesis to the end of this stage; 3) The saccular and alveolar stages. The saccular stage begins between the 24th and 26th week of gestation and at this stage the foetus is viable but exposed to the risk of neonatal respiratory distress on account of lack of surfactant. The alveoli are formed before the end of pregnancy. The factors controlling development and pulmonary maturation are still poorly understood. Cellular, particularly epithelial and mesenchymal interactions appear to play a major role in all the stages of development. Hormonal interactions play a determining role in pulmonary maturation. The effects on development and/or pulmonary maturation of pharmacological agents, hormones administered to the mother (e.g. opiates, glucocorticoids, aminophylline, beta-sympathomimetics, indomethacin and tobacco...) and maternal pathology are described as far as possible within the limits of our current knowledge. This information comes above all from experimental studies, thus the conclusions obtained are difficult to apply to newborn humans.


Interacting effects of tributyltin and 17beta-estradiol in male Chinese loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus).
In this study, male Chinese loaches in a semistatic waterborne exposure system were used to study the effects of tributyltin (TBT) on vitellogenin (Vtg) production induced by 17beta-estradiol (E2), TBT accumulation and distribution in tissues, and the effects of E2 on the distribution of TBT. The results demonstrate that TBT does not induce the synthesis of Vtg in male Chinese loach and that TBT could significantly inhibit Vtg production induced by E2, after exposure to binary mixtures of E2 and TBT for 14 days. TBT was found to accumulate in the liver, kidney, gills, intestines, and muscles of male Chinese loach, wherein the liver, kidney, gills, and intestines were found to have the most TBT accumulation. The existence of E2 did not significantly affect tissue distribution of TBT.


Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of autophagy in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic pathway that is vital for development, cell survival, and the degradation of dysfunctional organelles and potentially toxic aggregates. Dysregulation of autophagy is associated with cancer, neurodegeneration, and lysosomal storage diseases. Accordingly, autophagy is precisely regulated at multiple levels (transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational) to prevent aberrant activity. Various model organisms are used to study autophagy, but the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae continues to be advantageous for genetic and biochemical analysis of non-selective and selective autophagy. In this Minireview, we focus on the cellular mechanisms that regulate autophagy transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally in S. cerevisiae.


The effect of dextromethorphan in preventing cholecalciferol-induced poison shyness and sickness-induced anorexia in the laboratory Norway rat.
Overcoming bait and poison shyness is critical to the success of pest control operations against rats and other rodents. The authors hypothesized that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blocker, dextromethorphan, could prevent the acquired memory of sickness and sickness-induced anorexia resulting from rodents eating poisoned bait. Cholecalciferol (1/4 LD(50)) was mixed with dextromethorphan and fed to rats on two 2 day sessions, with an 18 day break in between. Dextromethorphan did not prevent poison shyness; during the second poisoning period, both the cholecalciferol only and the cholecalciferol plus dextromethorphan groups had lower intakes of the bait compared with the control and dextromethorphan only groups. In addition to the previously recorded symptoms of cholecalciferol poisoning, the rats in this trial were observed to have nose bleeds, weepy eyes, laboured breathing and, in the case of the cholecalciferol only treated group, a period of decreased water intake followed by a period of increased water intake. There was also a period of increased water intake in the cholecalciferol plus dextromethorphan group. Dextromethorphan failed to prevent poison shyness and the anorectic effect of cholecalciferol. However, it did reduce anorexia from 17 days in the cholecaliferol group to 8 days in the cholecalciferol plus dextromethorphan group.


The theory of the pairing of telocentric chromosomes in triploids and trisomics.
The possible pairing patterns of telocentric chromosomes in triploids and trisomics are considered and expressions are derived allowing the prediction of expected meiotic, chromosomal, and cellular pairing patterns. The calculation of the relative affinity of the homoeologous chromosomes involved in the pairing patterns with the telocentrics is discussed.


[Study of retinal microvascular perfusion alteration and structural damage at macular region in primary open-angle glaucoma patients].
Objective: To investigate the alteration of retinal microcirculation and structural damage at macular region and evaluate their associations in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Fifty-nine POAG patients (male/femal=35/24) were recruited from July 2015 to December 2015 in Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University. Twenty-eight eyes of early-stage POAG group (EG), 11 eyes of moderate-stage POAG group (MG) and 20 eyes of severe-stage POAG group (SG) were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent complete ophthalmological examinations and the general information was collected. The macular perfusion parameters (flow index & vessel area density) and the global/hemimacular retina thickness were derived from the 3D angio-retina and retina map procedures in the single optic coherence tomography (OCT) system with split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography (SSADA) algorithm, respectively. One-way ANOVA analysis was conducted to compare the macular perfusion parameters, retinal thickness and visual field defects among three groups. Pearson partial regression analysis was used to calculate the correlations between different variables. Results: The mean flow index and vessel area density of MG eyes were 0.05±0.01 and 60.8%±7.9%, which were significantly lower than those indexes (0.06±0.01; 71.9%±4.6%) in EG eyes (t=5.11, P=0.001; t=5.05, P<0.01). The full and inner retinal layer thicknesses of MG eyes were (270.3±24.6) μm and (98.4±13.3) μm, which were obviously thinner than those indexes (293.0±12.0 μm, 113.0±7.4 μm) in EG eyes (t=3.60, P<0.01; t=4.06, P<0.01). However, there was no significant alteration of macular perfusion parameters and retinal thickness between MG and SG eyes. Furthermore, there was a significantly positive correlation between macular perfusion (flow index/vessel area density) and the macular retina thickness (full/inner thickness) (R=0.35-0.71, All P<0.01). Conclusions: The microvascular perfusion and retinal thickness in MG eyes were lower than those in EG eyes. There was significant positive association between the retinal microvascular perfusion and structural damage. Furthermore, the association between microvascular perfusion and inner inferior retinal thickness is the strongest. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 98-103).


Persistent impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine and progression of atherosclerosis following 6 weeks of cholesterol feeding in the rabbit.
The synthesis and (or) release of endothelium-dependent relaxant factor released by acetylcholine is impaired in New Zealand white rabbits fed an atherogenic diet. Experiments were designed to investigate whether the synthesis and (or) release of the endothelium-dependent relaxant factor from rabbit aortas are restored after reversal from an atherogenic diet to a non-atherogenic diet. Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding a diet containing lipids and 2% cholesterol for 6 weeks. Rabbits were sacrificed after 6 weeks on the atherogenic diet and 36 weeks after return to a standard laboratory diet. Synthesis and (or) release of the factor from the thoracic aorta was assayed using a bioassay system. The relaxant responses produced in the assay tissue were impaired both in the acute stage and after 36 weeks on non-atherogenic food. This impaired relaxation is probably due to a persistent functional abnormality in the aortic endothelium resulting in the failure to synthesize and (or) release endothelium-dependent relaxation factor 36 weeks after induction of atherosclerosis.


Fungal and bacterial growth in floor dust at elevated relative humidity levels.
Under sustained, elevated building moisture conditions, bacterial and fungal growth occurs. The goal of this study was to characterize microbial growth in floor dust at variable equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) levels. Floor dust from one home was embedded in coupons cut from a worn medium-pile nylon carpet and incubated at 50%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, and 100% ERH levels. Quantitative PCR and DNA sequencing of ribosomal DNA for bacteria and fungi were used to quantify growth and community shifts. Over a 1-wk period, fungal growth occurred above 80% ERH. Growth rates at 85% and 100% ERH were 1.1 × 104 and 1.5 × 105 spore equivalents d-1 mg dust-1 , respectively. Bacterial growth occurred only at 100% ERH after 1 wk (9.0 × 104 genomes d-1 mg dust-1 ). Growth resulted in significant changes in fungal (P<.00001) and bacterial community structure (P<.00001) at varying ERH levels. Comparisons between fungal taxa incubated at different ERH levels revealed more than 100 fungal and bacterial species that were attributable to elevated ERH. Resuspension modeling indicated that more than 50% of airborne microbes could originate from the resuspension of fungi grown at ERH levels of 85% and above.


Long-term annual and spatial variation of polygyny in the white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus).
Mating strategies are key components in the fitness of organisms, and notably in birds the occurrence of monogamy versus polygyny has attracted wide interest. We address this by a very comprehensive dataset (2899 breeding events spanning the years 1978-2019) of the white-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus. Though the mating system of this species has been regarded as generally monogamous, we find that 7% of all breeding events were performed by polygynous males (approximately 15% of all pairs). The fraction of polygyny has been stable over the entire study period irrespective of population size. The assumption that polygyny is most common at low population density was not supported. Surprisingly, there was no difference between polygynous and monogamous males with regard to the quality of the territories they inhabited, ranked according to their overall frequency of use. The most common age group, first-year breeders, dominated among monogamous males, while among polygynous males second-year breeders were most common, followed by third and first-year breeders. The primary females were in general older than females mated to monogamous males, also when controlled for their general frequency in the population. The majority of the two females mated to a polygynous male, bred in the vicinity of each other. The probability for a male to be involved in polygyny more than once, was significantly higher than by chance, suggesting phenotypic quality differences among males.


Stabilisation of refraction following cataract surgery.
Refraction was performed at frequent, regular intervals for six months following routine intracapsular cataract extraction. Patients were divided into two groups, those whose limbal sections were closed with 8-0 virgin silk or with 9-0 nylon. The stabilisation of refraction was observed, and the most suitable time to prescribe 'first glasses' was estimated retrospectively. In the silk group this was found to be at three months in the nylon group at four months. However, results in the latter were less predictable with greater variation.


Potentiation of the cytocidal effect of human immune interferon by different synthetic double-stranded RNAs in the refractory human colon carcinoma cell line BE.
A human cell line BE, derived from an undifferentiated carcinoma of the colon, was studied for its response to the cytocidal effects of human immune interferon (IFN-gamma) alone and in combination with various double-standard RNAs (dsRNAs). BE cells were moderately refractory to 3-day treatment with IFN-gamma (10 to 300 units/ml) where only 5 to 30% reduction in colony formation occurred. A similar exposure interval to polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I).poly(C)] (100 micrograms/ml) had no detectable effect on colony formation. In contrast, the lethal effect of the combination of IFN-gamma and poly(I).poly(C) was synergistic and this regimen produced a 40 to 80% reduction in colony formation. The cytocidal effects of the combination of IFN-gamma with varying concentrations of the dsRNAs poly(I).poly(C), polyriboadenylic.polyribouridylic acid [poly(A).poly(U)], polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic acid stabilized with poly-L-lysine in carboxymethylcellulose [poly(ICLC)], and mismatched dsRNA [rIn.r(C13,U)n] were also examined. The concentration of the dsRNAs producing a 50% decrease in cell viability in combination with IFN-gamma (100 units/ml) was 6 micrograms/ml for poly(I).poly(C), 1 microgram/ml for poly(A).poly(U), 3 ng/ml for poly(ICLC), and 16 micrograms/ml for rIn.r(C13,U)n. DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis in IFN-gamma and poly(I).poly(C)-treated cells were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. However, there were no changes in either (2',5')oligoadenylate concentrations or in ribosomal RNA transcription following treatment with IFN-gamma and poly(I).poly(C). Thus, the synergism resulting from the combination of IFN-gamma and dsRNA appears to be mediated via another, as yet unknown, mechanism.


The effects of intraocular pressure elevation on optic nerve axonal transport in the monkey.
Blockage of axonal transport by intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation was studied quantitatively in monkey eyes, using liquid scintillation counting. After 5 h of IOP elevation (perfusion pressure of 30 mmHg), axonally transported protein was measured in the distal third of each optic nerve, which was divided into superotemporal, inferotemporal, superonasal, and inferonasal portions. The ratio of the amount of radioactive protein in each portion of the optic nerve to that in the whole optic nerve was calculated. In eyes with IOP elevation, the mean ratio for the temporal optic nerve was significantly lower than that for the nasal optic nerve. It appeared that axonal transport was not affected homogenously throughout the optic nerve but was more impaired by the temporal half of the optic nerve following IOP elevation.


Development and validation of EMP-3: an instrument to measure physician's attitudes toward ethnic minority patients.
The growing diversity of patient populations challenges health care providers. Physicians' attitudes and perceptions toward cultural diversity in health care could be partly contributing to difficulties in communication between physicians and ethnic minority patients. To evaluate these attitudes and perceptions, an instrument was developed and validated. A preliminary version of the instrument was developed through literature research and expert consultation and completed by 112 family physicians. Factor analysis was performed and reliability and construct validity tested. The instrument revealed three factors that were interpreted as: (1) physicians' task perception and ideas on cultural differences in health and health care, (2) physicians' attitudes toward physician-patient communication with minority patients, and (3) physicians' perception of minority patients' needs in communication. Moderate but significant correlations were found between factors of the EMP-3 and practice organization, practice location, and physicians' gender. Several factors of the Jefferson Empathy Scale, the Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale, and the Health Beliefs and Attitude Scale related to the first two factors of the EMP-3. This instrument, designed specifically to measure physicians' attitudes toward cultural diversity, showed moderate validity and reliability results. Further adaptations and evaluation could be useful.


Safety in numbers: sophisticated vigilance by Allenby's gerbil.
Since 1963, nonlinear predation theory has predicted that, at low population densities, victim species may well be mutualistic rather than competitive. Theory identifies this mutualism as a principal source of dynamic instability in the interaction. Using gerbils and trained barn owls, we conducted the first (to our knowledge) field tests of the theory's prediction of mutualism. The behavior of the gerbils confirms its existence.


Satisfaction and choice: a view from the plans.
Community-wide surveys have demonstrated that managed care enrollees tend to express higher satisfaction with their health plan if they have been given the opportunity to make a choice between managed care and fee-for-service plans. This DataWatch shows similar results with plan-specific data, even for enrollees whose plan benefits include coverage for out-of-network services. That is, what matters seems to be choice at the time of enrollment, not at the point of service. Further, in the practical application of ranking plans on overall enrollee satisfaction, choice appears to be a more important influence than other factors that may receive attention, including enrollees' health status. We discuss this phenomenon with respect to competition and strategy in the managed care marketplace.


Conference highlights complex challenges.
The importance of a clean, well-ordered, healthcare estate in meeting ever-higher patient expectations, the growing recognition of the strong link between a well-maintained estate and clinical excellence, and the increasing emphasis on sustainability, were among the main themes of both the presidential address and the two keynote presentations at this year's Healthcare Estates conference. Jonathan Baillie reports.


Astagalus Polysaccharide Attenuates Murine Colitis through Inhibiton of the NLRP3 Inflammasome.
Astragalus polysaccharide is an important bioactive component of Astragalus membranaceus, an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating inflammatory bowel disease. The NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. However, little is known about the role of NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome in Astragalus polysaccharide-treated mice with experimental colitis. For this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms that underlie the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease by Astragalus polysaccharide. We show that Astragalus polysaccharide treatment reduces the disease activity index and histological injury scores compared to the colitis model group. Astragalus polysaccharide also effectively inhibited the expression of NOD-like receptor protein 3, apoptotic speck protein containing a c-terminal caspase recruitment domain, caspase-1, interleukin-18, and interleukin-1β, as shown by quantificational RT-PCR or the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, Astragalus polysaccharide treatments produced significant dose-dependent improvements in dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis. Our data provide the reliable evidence that Astragalus polysaccharide is able to exert a therapeutic effect in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by inhibiting the activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome, which acts to decrease the production of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-18 and interleukin-1β.


Perspective clipping and fast rendering of light field images for holographic stereograms using RGBD data.
The production of holographic stereogram (HS) requires a huge amount of light field data. How to efficiently clip and render these image data remains a challenge in the field. This work focuses on the perspective clipping and fast rendering algorithm for light field images using RGBD data without explicit 3D reconstruction. The RGBD data is expanded to RGBDθ data by introducing a light cone for each point, which gives a new degree of freedom for light field image rendering. Using the light cone and perspective coherence, the visibility of 3D image points can be clipped programmatically. Optical imaging effects including mirror imaging and half mirror imaging effects of 3D images can also be rendered with the help of light cones during the light field rendering process. The perspective coherence is also used to accelerate the rendering, which has been shown to be on average 168% faster than traditional DIBR algorithms. A homemade holographic printing system was developed to make the HSs using the rendered light field images. The vivid 3D effects of the HS have validated the effectiveness of the proposed method. It can also be used in holographic dynamic 3D display, augmented reality, virtual reality, and other fields.


Differential genomics output and susceptibility of Iranian patients with unilocular hydatidose.
The objective of this study was to investigate HLA-DRB1*and DQB1* allelic polymorphisms in Iranian patients with hydatidose. This is the first survey dealing with the correlation between HLA-DRB1* and DQB1* alleles and cystic echinococcosis in Iranian patients. The study was carried out on 56 patients with confirmed cystic echinococcosis and 30 apparently healthy individuals living in Arak- Markazi Province by HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 typing through PCR-SSP method. The first step was to identify the patients and blood sampling. DNA was prepared from whole blood and PCR-SSP with 31 primer mixes for per sample was used. PCR reaction mixtures were loaded in agarose gels and bands were observed under UV illumination and gel document after electrophoresis. Analysis of results was carried out with specific softwares and frequency and interpretation tables for calculation of P-value in χ(2) test were provided via Fisher's exact test. Significant samples were analyzed by logistic regression and odds-ratios were calculated. A statistically significant positive association was found between HLA-DQB1*03 and the resistance to cystic echinococcosis (P < 0.02) (odds-ratio = 2.87). Immunogenetic susceptibility to unilocular hydatidose varies according to the HLA antigens in Arak, Markazi Province, and DQB1*03 molecules are associated with the level of immune response to parasite antigens.


Hemisphere specific EEG related to alternate nostril yoga breathing.
Previously, forced unilateral nostril breathing was associated with ipsilateral, or contralateral cerebral hemisphere changes, or no change. Hence it was inconclusive. The present study was conducted on 13 normal healthy participants to determine the effects of alternate nostril yoga breathing on (a) cerebral hemisphere asymmetry, and (b) changes in the standard EEG bands. Participants were randomly allocated to three sessions (a) alternate nostril yoga breathing (ANYB), (b) breath awareness and (c) quiet sitting, on separate days. EEG was recorded from bilaterally symmetrical sites (FP1, FP2, C3, C4, O1 and O2). All sites were referenced to the ipsilateral ear lobe. There was no change in cerebral hemisphere symmetry. The relative power in the theta band was decreased during alternate nostril yoga breathing (ANYB) and the beta amplitude was lower after ANYB. During quiet sitting the relative power in the beta band increased, while the amplitude of the alpha band reduced. The results suggest that ANYB was associated with greater calmness, whereas quiet sitting without specific directions was associated with arousal. The results imply a possible use of ANYB for stress and anxiety reduction.


A systematic review of the psychosocial correlates of intuitive eating among adult women.
Intuitive eating has been proposed as an eating style that fosters a positive attitude towards food, the body, and physical activity. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to examine intuitive eating in relation to disordered eating, body image, emotional functioning, and other psychosocial correlates in adult women. Articles were identified through Academic Search Complete, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Health Source (Nursing and Academic Edition), Medline Complete, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed and Scopus. Eligible studies were those that examined women aged 18 years and older, measured intuitive eating, and assessed a psychosocial correlate of intuitive eating. Twenty-four cross-sectional studies, published between 2006 and September 2015, met eligibility criteria. Intuitive eating was associated with less disordered eating, a more positive body image, greater emotional functioning, and a number of other psychosocial correlates that have been examined less extensively. However, given that all studies used cross-sectional designs, no conclusions regarding the direction of the relationship between intuitive eating and psychosocial correlates can be drawn. Participants in the majority of studies were university students in the United States so findings cannot be generalised to the wider population of female adults. Prospective studies are now needed to verify these cross-sectional findings, and show if intuitive eating may reduce disordered eating and body image concerns, and promote women's psychological health and well-being.


Double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to evaluate an antipruritic shampoo for dogs with allergic pruritus.
Shampoo therapy is frequently used on pruritic dogs. However, there are few double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies of this form of therapy. This randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of a commercial medicated shampoo (DermaTopic; Almapharm) containing chlorhexidine, lactoferrin, piroctone olamine, chitosan and essential fatty acids in 27 dogs with mild to moderate allergic pruritus without secondary skin infections. All dogs received shampoo therapy with either DermaTopic or a shampoo vehicle as placebo twice weekly for four weeks. The extent of pruritus was evaluated before the study and then on a daily basis by the owners using a visual analogue scale. Before beginning the treatment and after four weeks, the skin lesions were evaluated by an experienced clinician with a validated lesion score (Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index - CADESI). The pruritus was reduced significantly by both DermaTopic and placebo. However, there was no significant difference between both groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the CADESI scores pre- and post-treatment in either group or between the two types of treatment. This study provides further evidence of the benefit of shampoo therapy for pruritic dogs.


Aerial oxidation of primary alcohols and amines catalyzed by Cu(II) complexes of 2,2'-selenobis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) providing [O,Se,O]-donor atoms.
Seven copper(II)-complexes 1-7 with the ligand 2,2'-selenobis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) providing [O,Se,O]-donor atoms have been isolated and characterized. Three of them 1, 2 and 3 are mononuclear, two 4 and 7 dinuclear and 5, 6 are trinuclear. The crystal structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray diffraction and the electronic structures were established by various physical methods including EPR and variable temperature (2-290 K) susceptibility measurements. The magnetic behaviour of the compounds 4-6 exhibits antiferromagnetic exchange coupling resulting in well-isolated S(t)= 1/2 ground state for 5 and 6 and a diamagnetic spin state for 4. Complexes 5 and 6 belong to the class of asymmetric trinuclear copper(II) complexes modelling the trinuclear copper site in multicopper oxidases. Complex 1 is a catalyst in the presence of a strong base for the aerial oxidation of primary alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes. A dinuclear complex, seemed to be 4, prepared in situ has been found to be a catalyst for the aerial oxidation of primary amines containing alpha-C-H atoms. Primary kinetic isotope effects show that H-abstraction from the alpha-carbon atom of a coordinated substrate (alcoholato or amine) is the rate-determining step in both cases. Two functional models for the metalloenzymes galactose oxidase and amine oxidases are thus described.


Ocular effects of acute hyperglycaemia.
Intraocular pressure and levels of glucose in plasma were recorded during a standard glucose tolerance test for 54 patients with chronic simple or low-tension glaucoma, and osmolality in plasma was also recorded for 12 patients. Significant correlations between the rates of change of these variables were not obtained, but the overall response of intraocular pressure correlated with the overall increase of plasma glucose, which also correlated with the increase of osmolality. These results show that the changes in refraction associated with acute hyperglycaemia arise from adjustments in fluid balance between intraocular compartments.


Stationary phase mutagenesis in B. subtilis: a paradigm to study genetic diversity programs in cells under stress.
One of the experimental platforms to study programs increasing genetic diversity in cells under stressful or nondividing conditions is adaptive mutagenesis, also called stationary phase mutagenesis or stress-induced mutagenesis. In some model systems, there is evidence that mutagenesis occurs in genes that are actively transcribed. Some of those genes may be actively transcribed as a result of environmental stress giving the appearance of directed mutation. That is, cells under conditions of starvation or other stresses accumulate mutations in transcribed genes, including those transcribed because of the selective pressure. An important question concerns how, within the context of stochastic processes, a cell biases mutation to genes under selection pressure? Because the mechanisms underlying DNA transactions in prokaryotic cells are well conserved among the three domains of life, these studies are likely to apply to the examination of genetic programs in eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, increasing genetic diversity in differentiated cells has been implicated in neoplasia and cell aging. Historically, Escherichia coli has been the paradigm used to discern the cellular processes driving the generation of adaptive mutations; however, examining adaptive mutation in Bacillus subtilis has contributed new insights. One noteworthy contribution is that the B. subtilis' ability to accumulate chromosomal mutations under conditions of starvation is influenced by cell differentiation and transcriptional derepression, as well as by proteins homologous to transcription and repair factors. Here we revise and discuss concepts pertaining to genetic programs that increase diversity in B. subtilis cells under nutritional stress.


General audio tagging with ensembling convolutional neural networks and statistical features.
Audio tagging aims to infer descriptive labels from audio clips and it is challenging due to the limited size of data and noisy labels. The solution to the tagging task is described in this paper. The main contributions include the following: an ensemble learning framework is applied to ensemble statistical features and the outputs from the deep classifiers, with the goal to utilize complementary information. Moreover, a sample re-weight strategy is employed to address the noisy label problem within the framework. The approach achieves a mean average precision of 0.958, outperforming the baseline system with a large margin.


The effect of thymectomy at different stages of larval development on the immune response of the clawed toad to sheep erythrocytes.
The role of the thymus during the first three weeks of larval life in the maturation of humoral immunity in the amphibian, Xenopus laevis, is examined. Thymectomy throughout this period dramatically affects the heterologous red cell response of young adults. Sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) administration elicited haemolytic antibody production in the blood and in the spleen (measured by the appearance of plaque forming cells) of control animals, but failed to do so in all thymectomized toadlets. Moreover, use of the immunocyto-adherence assay, which proved to be a sensitive test for SRBC reactivity in control Xenopus, indicated a complete absence of induced responsiveness to this antigen in the spleens of thymectomized toadlets, even in those animals thymectomized as late as 22 days of age. In contrast to allograft immunity in Xenopus, Which is suppressed only by thymic ablation during the first two weeks of larval life, the development of reactivity to heterologous erythrocytes therefore requires an additional period of thymic influence during ontogeny. These experiments support a concept of thymus-dependent cell heterogeneity in amphibians.


Comparative studies on the yield and characteristics of myofibrillar proteins from catfish heads and frames extracted by two methods for making surimi-like protein gel products.
Fish protein isolates (FPI) were recovered from catfish heads and frames by alkaline extraction (AE) and salt extraction (SE) and made into surimi-like gels. Protein patterns and content, moisture, color, and texture of cooked protein gels were compared with commercial products. Sodium-dodecyl-sulfate poly acrylamide gel electrophoreses (SDS-PAGE) indicated that the integrity of major myofibrillar proteins was maintained during the extraction process, and the protein patterns were almost the same with that of the commercial surimi products. The yields of AE-FPI (heads: 36%; frames: 55%) were much higher (p < 0.05) than that of SE-FPI (heads: 9%; frames: 16%). Firmness of cooked protein gels made from heads was similar with that made from frames. Firmness of cooked protein gels made from FPI extracted by the SE method (heads: 0.45 kg/cm2; frames: 0.43 kg/cm2) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that made from FPI extracted by the AE method (heads: 1.96 kg/cm2; frames: 1.85 kg/cm2).


Saffron (Crocus sativus) in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers: Current findings and potential mechanisms of action.
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are major causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide and include malignancies of the GI tract such as the stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine, colon, and rectum. Promising and selective anticancer effects of pharmacologically active components of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) have been shown in preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies. Saffron and its active components including crocin, crocetin, and safranal exert their anticancer effects through different mechanisms, including induction of apoptosis, influence on the cell cycle, and regulation of host immune response and anti-inflammatory activities. This review summarizes the recent literature on the chemopreventive properties of saffron in GI cancers to have a better understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms and hence the appropriate management of these malignancies.