Erosive potential of vitamin and vitamin+mineral effervescent tablets.
The extrinsic sources for erosion-causing acids are primarily acidic beverages and foodstuffs. Effervescent tablets also contain organic acids (e.g. citric, tartaric, malic) in order to form carbon dioxide by contact with water – with the help of the carbonate salts of the tablets. To adequately inform patients about the possible erosive potential of effervescent tablets, this study was undertaken in order to investigate the erosive potential of effervescent tablets (ET), containing either a combination of vitamins and minerals or vitamins only, commercially available in Switzerland. One hundred and ninety-two bovine enamel samples were prepared and allocated to 16 groups (A–H and 1–8; n = 12/group). Samples were eroded (120 s/erosive cycle) in freshly prepared solutions (200 ml/12 samples) comprised of tap water and a supplement as follows: none (control groups, A and 1); vitamin+mineral ET: Qualite and Prix (B), Optisana (C), Well and Active (D), Actilife All in One (E), Berocca (F), Isostar (G) and Qualite and Prix Mg + Vit C (H); vitamin ET: Actilife-Multivitamin (2), Sunlife Vitamin C (3), Optisana Vitamin C (4), Optisana Multivitamin (5), Well and Active Multivitamin (6), Kneipp Vitamin C+Zink (7) and Sunlife Multivitamin (8). Enamel loss was measured using profilometry after 10 and 20 erosive cycles. For the vitamin+mineral ET, no loss was observed in groups B–E. Significantly highest enamel loss (mean ± SD) after 20 cycles was observed for Isostar (5.26 ± 0.76 µm) and Qualite and Prix Mg + Vit C (5.12 ± 0.67 µm). All vitamine ET showed erosive enamel loss. Significantly highest loss was observed for Sunlife Multivitamin (8.45 ± 1.08 µm), while the lowest loss was observed for Actilife-Multivitamin (5.61 ± 1.08 µm) after 20 cycles. Some of the tested effervescent tablets showed a considerable erosive potential and patients should be informed accordingly.


Distinct QTLs cosegregate with worse hypertension and renal disease in ovariectomized F2[Dahl S × R]-intercross rats.
Salt-sensitive hypertension is highly prevalent in postmenopausal women, with approximately 75% of postmenopausal women found to be hypertensive in the US. Insight from surgical menopause (ovariectomized) patients directly links the loss of endogenous estrogens to salt-sensitive hypertension in previously healthy, salt-resistant women. However, controversial benefit of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women raises the hypothesis that the loss of endogenous estrogens alters genetic susceptibility determinants per se, resulting in hypertension mechanisms beyond correction by hormone replacement. We studied ovariectomy-induced changes in hypertension phenotypes and performed a total genome scan for genetic determinants or quantitative trait loci (QTLs), which cosegregate with salt-sensitive hypertension and/or target organ complications in ovariectomized 6-month-old F2[Dahl S × R]-intercross female rats. We used SBP, glomerular injury score (GIS) and relative heart weight (RHW) as quantitative traits. We compared QTLs between ovariectomized and nonovariectomized F2[Dahl S × R]-intercross rats using identical phenotype and genotype characterization. Ovariectomy worsened hypertension and hypertensive nephrosclerosis but reduced RHW. Although some QTLs are common, hence ovarian hormone-independent, distinct BP-QTLs (on chromosomes 9, 13, 20 and X), RHW-QTLs (on chromosomes 1 and 3) and GIS-QTLs (on chromosomes 1 and 8) were detected in ovariectomized F2[Dahl S × R]-intercross female rats. Detection of worse hypertension phenotype and distinct QTLs in ovariectomized F2[Dahl S × R]-intercross female rats suggest that distinct genetic determinants underlie postmenopausal hypertension, which are activated, or de-repressed, upon the loss of estrogens.


Safety and efficacy of immunotherapy with the recombinant B-cell epitope-based grass pollen vaccine BM32.
BM32 is a grass pollen allergy vaccine based on recombinant fusion proteins consisting of nonallergenic peptides from the IgE-binding sites of the 4 major grass pollen allergens and the hepatitis B preS protein. We sought to study the safety and clinical efficacy of immunotherapy (allergen immunotherapy) with BM32 in patients with grass pollen-induced rhinitis and controlled asthma. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter allergen immunotherapy field study was conducted for 2 grass pollen seasons. After a baseline season, subjects (n = 181) were randomized and received 3 preseasonal injections of either placebo (n = 58) or a low dose (80 μg, n = 60) or high dose (160 μg, n = 63) of BM32 in year 1, respectively, followed by a booster injection in autumn. In the second year, all actively treated subjects received 3 preseasonal injections of the BM32 low dose, and placebo-treated subjects continued with placebo. Clinical efficacy was assessed by using combined symptom medication scores, visual analog scales, Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaires, and asthma symptom scores. Adverse events were graded according to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Allergen-specific antibodies were determined by using ELISA, ImmunoCAP, and ImmunoCAP ISAC. Although statistical significance regarding the primary end point was not reached, BM32-treated subjects, when compared with placebo-treated subjects, showed an improvement regarding symptom medication, visual analog scale, Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, and asthma symptom scores in both treatment years. This was accompanied by an induction of allergen-specific IgG without induction of allergen-specific IgE and a reduction in the seasonally induced increase in allergen-specific IgE levels in year 2. In the first year, more grade 2 reactions were observed in the active (n = 6) versus placebo (n = 1) groups, whereas there was almost no difference in the second year. Injections of BM32 induced allergen-specific IgG, improved clinical symptoms of seasonal grass pollen allergy, and were well tolerated.


Kinetics of interfacial ATP adsorption and anionic exchange with a synaptic membrane protein.
A study was conducted on the adsorption of 14C-ATP to a surface film of a hydrophobic protein derived from synaptic membranes isolated from bovine cerebellum. The adsorption of ATP to the protein film followed a rate law based on diffusion and an energy barrier to adsorption, the rate law being generally applicable to the adsorption of ions to a charged interface. Studies were also carried out on the displacement of ATP from the film by the injection of other nucleotides, inorganic phosphates, and other anions. The kinetics conformed to a rate law based on diffusion and displacement. The most important factor in the displacement of ATP was the magnitude of charge of the anion, while steric factors were relatively minor. However, from a consideration of the energy barrier to adsorption it appeared that steric factors play a greater role in the adsorption of ATP. The results are discussed in relationship to the configurational aspects of the surface film as well as their possible significance in synaptic function.


Recognizing RNA structural motifs in HT-SELEX data for ribosomal protein S15.
Proteins recognize many different aspects of RNA ranging from single stranded regions to discrete secondary or tertiary structures. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of in vitro selected populations offers a large scale method to study RNA-proteins interactions. However, most existing analysis methods require that the binding motifs are enriched in the population relative to earlier rounds, and that motifs are found in a loop or single stranded region of the potential RNA secondary structure. Such methods do not generalize to all RNA-protein interaction as some RNA binding proteins specifically recognize more complex structures such as double stranded RNA. In this study, we use HT-SELEX derived populations to study the landscape of RNAs that interact with Geobacillus kaustophilus ribosomal protein S15. Our data show high sequence and structure diversity and proved intractable to existing methods. Conventional programs identified some sequence motifs, but these are found in less than 5-10% of the total sequence pool. Therefore, we developed a novel framework to analyze HT-SELEX data. Our process accounts for both sequence and structure components by abstracting the overall secondary structure into smaller substructures composed of a single base-pair stack, which allows us to leverage existing approaches already used in k-mer analysis to identify enriched motifs. By focusing on secondary structure motifs composed of specific two base-pair stacks, we identified significantly enriched or depleted structure motifs relative to earlier rounds. Discrete substructures are likely to be important to RNA-protein interactions, but they are difficult to elucidate. Substructures can help make highly diverse sequence data more tractable. The structure motifs provide limited accuracy in predicting enrichment suggesting that G. kaustophilus S15 can either recognize many different secondary structure motifs or some aspects of the interaction are not captured by the analysis. This highlights the importance of considering secondary and tertiary structure elements and their role in RNA-protein interactions.


[Evaluation of the defense mechanisms of the body during pregnancy. Clinical and experimental aspects].
The authors, in clinical, epidemiological and experimental studies, point to the extent to which defence mechanisms are depressed during pregnancy. Viral, parasitic and bacterial infections are more common and more serious in pregnancy; but it does not seem to be possible to speak of an immunodeficient syndrome that is acquired in pregnancy. The nutritional and hormonal status as well as racial and geographical factors have their effects on numbers of defense mechanisms. The immune system cannot be relied on in these changes of the defences entirely, insofar as the arrival of antibiotics has had a big effect on the consequences of pregnancy.


Utility of fluorescence imitating brightfield imaging microscopy for the diagnosis of feline chronic enteropathy.
Fluorescence imitating brightfield imaging (FIBI) is a novel microscopy method that allows for real-time, nondestructive, slide-free tissue imaging of fresh, formalin-fixed, or paraffin-embedded tissue. The nondestructive nature of the technology permits tissue preservation for downstream analyses. The objective of this observational study was to assess the utility of FIBI compared with conventional hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histology slides in feline gastrointestinal histopathology. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded full-thickness small intestinal tissue specimens from 50 cases of feline chronic enteropathy were evaluated. The ability of FIBI to evaluate predetermined morphological features (epithelium, villi, crypts, lacteals, fibrosis, submucosa, and muscularis propria) and inflammatory cells was assessed on a 3-point scale (0 = FIBI cannot identify the feature; 1 = FIBI can identify the feature; 2 = FIBI can identify the feature with more certainty than H&E). H&E and FIBI images were also scored according to World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Gastrointestinal Standardization Group guidelines. FIBI identified morphological features with similar or, in some cases, higher confidence compared with H&E images. The identification of inflammatory cells was less consistent. FIBI and H&E images showed an overall poor agreement with regard to the assigned WSAVA scores. While FIBI showed an equal or better ability to identify morphological features in intestinal biopsies, its ability to identify inflammatory cells is currently inferior compared with H&E-based imaging. Future studies on the utility of FIBI as a diagnostic tool for noninflammatory histopathologic lesions are warranted.


Rapid and Efficient Genetic Transformation of Sorghum via Agrobacterium-Mediated Method.
Genetic transformation via Agrobacterium-mediated methodology has been used in many sorghum studies. However, the transformation efficiency still varies significantly due to high dependence on sorghum genotypes and technical expertise. In this article, we describe a sorghum transformation procedure in sufficient detail using a public genotype, P898012. This system utilizes a standard binary transgenic vector carrying the bar gene as a selectable marker and immature embryos as starting explants. Glufosinate is employed as the selective agent during callus and shoot induction. This procedure is relatively rapid, efficient, highly reproducible, and should be applicable for many other sorghum genotypes. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Expression of family A melanoma antigen in human gastric carcinoma.
Since the members of the MAGE (melanoma antigen) gene family have been reported to be expressed in tumor cells but not in normal tissues, they have been considered as targets for tumor-specific immunotherapy. The expression pattern of MAGE-A genes and their expression mechanisms were investigated in 10 gastric cancer cell lines and 1,097 gastric carcinoma specimens by RT-PCR, IHC, Western blot and MSP. MAGE-A1, -A2 and -A3 gene transcripts were detected in 1, 3 and 4 of 10 gastric cancer cell lines, respectively. In those cases in which the mRNA expression of MAGE-A2 or -A3 was detected, the promoters of the corresponding genes were hypomethylated. MAGE-A protein expression was detected in 30% (3/10) of the cell lines and 15.8% (173 out of 1,097) of the carcinoma specimens. Promoter hypomethylation of the MAGE-A2 or -A3 genes correlated with their expression in primary gastric cancer tissue and gastric cancer cell lines. MAGE-A protein expression was associated with tumor invasiveness (p=0.002), lymph node metastasis (p<0.001), advanced pathologic stage (p<0.001) and a worse prognosis (p<0.005). MAGE-A protein expression occurred due to promoter hypomethylation in a minor subset of gastric cancers, and MAGE-A expression increased during the progression of the gastric cancer.


Bioactive Metabolites from Pathogenic and Endophytic Fungi of Forest Trees.
Fungi play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems interacting positively or negatively with plants. These interactions are complex and the outcomes are different depending on the fungal lifestyles, saprotrophic, mutualistic or pathogenic. Furthermore, fungi are well known for producing secondary metabolites, originating from different biosynthetic pathways, which possess biological properties of considerable biotechnological interest. Among the terrestrial ecosystems, temperate forests represent an enormous reservoir of fungal diversity. This review will highlight the goldmine of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophytic fungi of forest trees with focus on their biological activities. A structured search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature was undertaken using a research discovery application providing access to a large and authoritative source of references. The papers selected were examined and the main results were reported and discussed. Two hundred forthy-one papers were included in the review, outlined a large number of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophiltic fungi and their biological activities, including phytotoxic, antifungal, antioomycetes, antibacterial, brine shrimp lethality, mosquito biting deterrence and larvicidal, cytotoxic, antiproliferative and many other bioactivities. The findings of this review confirm the importance of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophytic fungi from forest plants growing in temperate regions as an excellent prospects to discover compounds with new bioactivities and mode of actions. In addition, the potential of some metabolites as a source of new drugs and biopesticides is underlined.


Transgene-mediated suppression of the RNA interference pathway in Aedes aegypti interferes with gene silencing and enhances Sindbis virus and dengue virus type 2 replication.
RNA interference (RNAi) is the major innate antiviral pathway in Aedes aegypti that responds to replicating arboviruses such as dengue virus (DENV) and Sindbis virus (SINV). On the one hand, the mosquito's RNAi machinery is capable of completely eliminating DENV2 from Ae. aegypti. On the other, transient silencing of key genes of the RNAi pathway increases replication of SINV and DENV2, allowing the viruses to temporally overcome dose-dependent midgut infection and midgut escape barriers (MEB) more efficiently. Here we expressed Flock house virus B2 (FHV-B2) from the poly-ubiquitin (PUb) promoter in Ae. aegypti using the ΦC31 site-directed recombination system to investigate the impact of transgene-mediated RNAi pathway suppression on infections with SINV-TR339eGFP and DENV2-QR94, the latter of which has been shown to be confronted with a strong MEB in Ae. aegypti. FHV-B2 was constitutively expressed in midguts of sugar- and blood-fed mosquitoes of transgenic line PUbB2 P61. B2 over-expression suppressed RNA silencing of carboxypeptidase A-1 (AeCPA-1) in midgut tissue of PUbB2 P61 mosquitoes. Following oral challenge with SINV-TR339eGFP or DENV2-QR94, mean titres in midguts of PUbB2 P61 females were significantly higher at 7 days post-bloodmeal (pbm) than in those of nontransgenic control mosquitoes. At 14 days pbm, infection rates of carcasses were significantly increased in PubB2 P61 mosquitoes infected with SINV-TR339eGFP. Following infection with DENV2-QR94, midgut infection rates were significantly increased in the B2-expressing mosquitoes at 14 days pbm. However, B2 expression in PUbB2 P61 did not increase the DENV2-QR94 dissemination rate, indicating that the infection phenotype was not primarily controlled by RNAi.


High resolution energy analyzer for broad ion beam characterization.
Characterization of the ion energy distribution function (IEDF) of low energy high current density ion beams by conventional retarding field and deflection type energy analyzers is limited due to finite ion beam emittance and beam space charge spreading inside the analyzer. These deficiencies are, to a large extent, overcome with the recent development of the variable-focusing retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA), which has a cylindrical focusing electrode preceding the planar retarding grid. The principal concept of this analyzer is conversion of a divergent charged particle beam into a quasiparallel beam before analyzing it by the planar retarding field. This allows analysis of the beam particle total kinetic energy distribution with greatly improved energy resolution. Whereas this concept was first applied to analyze 5-10 keV pulsed electron beams, the present authors have adapted it to analyze the energy distribution of a low energy (<or=1 KeV) broad ion beam. In this paper we describe the RFEA design, which was modified from the original, mainly as required by the specifics of broad ion beam energy analysis, and the device experimental characterization and modeling results. Among the modifications, an orifice electrode placed in front of the RFEA provides better spatial resolution of the broad ion beam ion optics emission region and reduces the beam plasma density in the vicinity of analyzer entry. An electron repeller grid placed in front of the RFEA collector was found critical for suppressing secondary electrons, both those incoming to the collector and those released from its surface, and improved energy spectrum measurement repeatability and accuracy. The use of finer mesh single- and double-grid retarding structures reduces the retarding grid lens effect and improves the analyzer energy resolution and accuracy of the measured spectrum mean energy. However, additional analyzer component and configuration improvements did not further change the analyzed IEDF shape or mean energy value. This led us to conclude that the optimized analyzer construction provides an energy resolution considerably narrower than the investigated ion beam energy spectrum full width at half maximum, and the derived energy spectrum is an objective and accurate representation of the analyzed broad ion beam energy distribution characteristics. A quantitative study of the focusing voltage and retarding grid field effects based on the experimental data and modeling results have supported this conclusion.


[Evaluation of the effect of internet-based dietary self-management on blood pressure in high-risk population of hypertension in Haikou City community].
To explore the effect of Internet+diet self-management intervention technology on the blood pressure control of hypertension high-risk population through the intervention of hypertension high-risk population in Haikou City community, so as to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The multi-stage cluster sampling method was used, and 295 hypertension high-risk participants were recruited from 15 communities in Haikou City from July to December 2021. The 15 communities were randomly divided into three groups: blank group, traditional group and Internet plus group by random number table method. The blank group referred to the group (99 participants) that did not take special intervention measures but the routine interventions in accordance with the "National Basic Public Health Service Standards (the Third Edition) Health Education Service Standards". On the basis of the blank group, the traditional group (95 participants) was intervened by giving additional traditional methods such as holding lectures and distributing popular science books. The Internet plus group (101 participants) was given additional Internet measures on the basis of the intervention of the traditional group. After 6 months, questionnaires, laboratory biochemical tests, and physical measurements were conducted. SPSS 25.0 software was applied for data analysis. Measurement data that followed normal distribution were statistically described by using mean±standard deviation, analysis of variance was used for inter group comparisons before intervention, analysis of covariance was used for inter group comparisons after intervention, and Bonferroni adjustment was used for pairwise comparisons between groups. Measurement data that did not follow the Normal distribution were represented by M (Q1, Q3). The rank sum test was used for inter group comparison. The k sample Kruskal Wallis single factor ANOVA was used to compare the distribution between different groups. Counting data were described by composition ratio or rate. Under the premise of balanced comparison between groups before intervention, Chi-squared test was used for inter group comparison after intervention, and Bonferroni adjustment method was used for pairwise comparison between groups. The results showed that a total of 295 participants were included, with males accounting for 35.6% (105) and females accounting for 64.4% (190). The age ranged from 55 to 74 years old, with an average age of (64.69±5.73) years. The number of married accounted for 95.6% (282 participants). There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, family history, education level, occupation, marital status, drinking habits, regular exercise, dietary status, SBP (systolic blood pressure), DBP (diastolic blood pressure), pulse pressure difference, BMI (body mass index), folic acid, and 24-hour urine sodium among the three groups upon enrollment (P values>0.05). After the intervention, the drinking rate was as follows: Internet plus group (29, 28.7%)<traditional group (47, 49.5%)<blank group (66, 66.7%) (χ2=28.948, P<0.001); Regular exercise rate was higher in the Internet plus group (37, 36.6%) than in the traditional group (18, 18.9%) and the blank group (16, 16.2%) (χ2=13.476, P=0.001). After the intervention, compared with the participants in the blank group, the intake of energy, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sodium and folic acid in the Internet plus group were significantly different (all P<0.05); Compared with the participants in the traditional group, the energy, carbohydrate and dietary fiber intake of the participants in the Internet plus group were significantly different (all P<0.05). After the intervention, the blood pressure levels in the Internet plus group [ SBP: (128.95±6.55) mmHg, DBP: (79.88±5.75) mmHg ] and the traditional group [ SBP: (129.63±8.41) mmHg, DBP: (79.77±7.73) mmHg ] were lower than those in the blank group [ SBP: (132.93±8.41) mmHg, DBP: (82.42±7.76) mmHg ] (SBP: F=9.417, P<0.001; DBP: F=6.967, P=0.001), the 24-hour urinary sodium level in the Internet plus group (143.63±38.58) mmol/24 h was lower than that in the traditional group (163.31±35.67) mmol/24 h and the blank group (154.14±35.52) mmol/24 h (F=11.509, P<0.001). In conclusion, compared with the traditional intervention mode, the "Internet plus diet self-management intervention" mode is more likely to promote the development of a healthy lifestyle for people at high risk of hypertension, effectively improve blood pressure and 24-hour urine sodium level, and facilitate CVD prevention.


Precision Nutrition and Metabolic Syndrome Management.
The journal NUTRIENTS published some time ago a special issue about "Precision Nutrition and Metabolic Syndrome Management", which included a series of articles about the role of bioactive compounds, amino acids/proteins and fatty acids for personalized nutritional applications [...].


A study of serum cholesterol level in young adults and its relation to body mass index and waist-circumference.
The present study was carried out to determine the serum total cholesterol (TC) level in young adults of Dibrugarh town of Assam and to find the association of serum cholesterol level with body mass index (BMI) and waist-circumference (WC). A cross-sectional study was done among 150 healthy young adults aged 20-30 years. TC was estimated by the enzymatic method. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as TC > 200 mg/dl. Cases were classified into different categories of BMI and WC according to the recommendations of WHO/IASO/IOTF (2000). The range of TC level in the study group was found to be (146-212) mg/dl. Mean cholesterol level in males and females were 169.5±3.6 and 172.3±15.09 mg/dl respectively. 7% of the cases had hypercholesterolemia. TC was significantly correlated with BMI (r=0.90, p<0.001) and WC (r=0.73, p<0.001 in males and r=0.86, p<0.001 in females). We conclude that young adults ≥20 years of age and especially who are overweight should be advised routine cholesterol testing so that preventive measures can be adopted to avoid hypercholesterolemia and it's complications in future life.


Lysophosphatidic acid increases in vitro maturation efficiency via uPA-uPAR signaling pathway in cumulus cells.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a phospholipid-derived signaling molecule with biological activities, such as stimulating cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. In the present study, we examined the effect of LPA on porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent embryonic development following parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). During IVM, the maturation medium was supplemented with various concentrations of LPA (0, 10, 30, and 60 μM). After 42 h of IVM, the 30 μM LPA-treated group showed a significant (P <0.05) increase in nuclear maturation and intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels compared with the other groups. The 30 μM LPA-treated group exhibited a significant decrease in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels compared with the other groups. In PA, the 30 μM LPA-treated group had significantly higher cleavage (CL) and blastocyst (BL) rates compared with those of the other LPA-treated groups. In IVF, the 30 μM LPA-treated group had significantly higher CL and BL rates than the other LPA-treated groups. The expression of the developmental competence gene (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA) in the oocytes and cumulus cells of the individuals in the 30 μM LPA-treated group was significantly increased compared with the control group. In addition, the specific expression of urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA) and uPA Receptor (uPAR) in cumulus cells was significantly increased in the 30 μM LPA-treated group. The western blotting results revealed that LPA improves the activities of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) by enhanced phosphorylation. In conclusion, treatment with 30 μM LPA during IVM promotes enhances the EGF-EGFR signaling pathway, resulting in cumulus cell expansion. And then, this treatment improves the developmental potential of PA and IVF porcine embryos by enhancing nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and reducing ROS.


Divergent effects of joyful and anxiety-provoking music on endothelial vasoreactivity.
To evaluate the extent to which music may affect endothelial function. In previous research, a link between music and physiologic parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure has been observed. Randomized four-phase crossover and counterbalanced trial in ten healthy, nonsmoking volunteers (70% male; mean age, 35.6 years) that included self-selections of music evoking joy or provoking anxiety. Two additional phases included watching video clips to induce laughter and listening to audio tapes to promote relaxation. To minimize emotional desensitization, subjects were asked to refrain from using self-selected tapes and images for at least 2 weeks before the assigned study phase. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and measured as percent diameter change after an overnight fast. After baseline FMD measurements, subjects were randomized to a 30-minute phase of the testing stimulus followed by poststudy FMD; they returned a minimum of 1 week later for the subsequent task. A total of 160 FMD measurements were obtained. Compared with baseline, music that evoked joy was associated with increases in mean upper arm FMD (2.7% absolute increase; p < .001), whereas reductions in FMD were observed after listening to music that elicited anxiety (0.6% absolute decrease; p = .005 difference between joyful and anxiety-provoking music). Self-selected joyful music was associated with increased FMD to a magnitude previously observed with aerobic activity or statin therapy. Listening to joyful music may be an adjunctive life-style intervention for the promotion of vascular health.


A comparative study between clinical and instrumental methods for the recognition of internal derangements with a clicking sound on condylar movement.
To compare the results of 3 methods of recognizing internal derangements with a clicking sound on condylar movement: 2 function-based methods (clinical examination and condylar movement recording) and 1 anatomy-based method (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]). For the recognition of an anterior or posterior disc displacement with reduction and of hypermobility within the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), 42 participants underwent a clinical examination, an opto-electronic movement recording, and an MRI scan. The examinations were executed in a single-blind design, with different experienced examiners for each technique. In addition, for 10 randomly chosen participants, the condylar movement recordings and the MRI scans were carried out twice. Without the examiners' knowledge, these second recordings were added to the other data. Intraobserver reliability for the recognition of internal derangements was excellent for condylar movement recording (kappa = 0.86) and fair to good for MRI (kappa = 0.73). Intermethod agreement was fair to good (kappa = 0.59) between the 2 function-based techniques. However, intermethod agreement between the anatomy-based MRI technique and either of the 2 function-based techniques was poor (for condylar movement recording, kappa = 0.15; and for clinical examination, kappa = 0.12). There is a great discrepancy between the diagnoses for internal derangements based upon anatomical TMJ characteristics and those based on functional TMJ characteristics. For a function-based diagnosis, there is probably no need for the sophisticated technique of condylar movement recording, since that method shows fair to good agreement with a carefully performed clinical examination.


Anomalous polarization-sensitive Fabry-Perot resonance in a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing an all-dielectric metamaterial defect.
Owing to polarization-independent property of propagating phases inside isotropic dielectric layers, Fabry-Perot resonances in metal-dielectric-metal sandwich structures and one-dimensional (1-D) photonic crystals (PhCs) with isotropic dielectric defects are polarization-insensitive. Herein, we introduce an all-dielectric elliptical metamaterial (EMM) defect into a 1-D PhC to realize an anomalous polarization-sensitive Fabry-Perot resonance empowered by the polarization-sensitive property of the propagating phase inside the all-dielectric EMM layer. The wavelength difference of the Fabry-Perot resonance between transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations is larger than 100 nm at the incident angle of 45 degrees. Enabled by the polarization-sensitive property of the Fabry-Perot resonance, high-performance polarization selectivity can be achieved in a broad angle range. Our work offers a viable recipe, well within the reach of current fabrication technique, to explore polarization-dependent physical phenomena and devices.


Metabolomics approaches in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: tumor metabolism profiling predicts clinical outcome of patients.
Pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PAs) have very poor prognoses even when surgery is possible. Currently, there are no tissular biomarkers to predict long-term survival in patients with PA. The aims of this study were to (1) describe the metabolome of pancreatic parenchyma (PP) and PA, (2) determine the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on PP and PA, and (3) find tissue metabolic biomarkers associated with long-term survivors, using metabolomics analysis. 1H high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy using intact tissues was applied to analyze metabolites in PP tissue samples (n = 17) and intact tumor samples (n = 106), obtained from 106 patients undergoing surgical resection for PA. An orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) showed a clear distinction between PP and PA. Higher concentrations of myo-inositol and glycerol were shown in PP, whereas higher levels of glucose, ascorbate, ethanolamine, lactate, and taurine were revealed in PA. Among those metabolites, one of them was particularly obvious in the distinction between long-term and short-term survivors. A high ethanolamine level was associated with worse survival. The impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was higher on PA than on PP. This study shows that HRMAS NMR spectroscopy using intact tissue provides important and solid information in the characterization of PA. Metabolomics profiling can also predict long-term survival: the assessment of ethanolamine concentration can be clinically relevant as a single metabolic biomarker. This information can be obtained in 20 min, during surgery, to distinguish long-term from short-term survival.


Influence of a scientific program for undergraduated medical students upon the published scientific production of professors.
Medical literature has emphasized the role of scientific research and publications in medical education. This study had the aim to detect the impact of PIC (program of scientific support) upon scientific published production of the professors teaching at Universidade Federal Fluminense. The group comprised 32 professors that participated in the PIC for at least 4 semesters. Each issue published was registered as one "product". Between 1996 and 2003, 8 years were considered for the registration of the "products" by each professor. The mean point of this period was the moment when each professor entered the program. For each professor we counted the products during the 4 years before he entered the program and during the 4 years after this occurred. Finally we summed up the products of all professors for the period before entering the program and had the mean. The same was done for the period after entering the program. Applying the paired t test, two means were reached for the two periods of scientific productivity. The same procedure was followed for two subgroups of professors: masters and doctors. The professors had 25.13 products after and 16.81 before the PIC (P< or =0.001); those with a master degree presented 16.36 products after PIC versus 5.18 before (p< or =0.08); doctors, 29.71 products after versus 22.9 products before PIC (p< or =0.028). The authors concluded that the PIC increased written production of professors, either with degree of master or doctor with relevance for those with degree of master.


A new method for identification of outliers in immunogenicity assay cut point data.
The cut point is an important parameter for immunogenicity assay validation and critical to immunogenicity assessment in clinical trials. FDA (2019) recommends using a statistical approach to derive cut point, with an appropriate outlier removal procedure. In general, the industry follows the methods described in Shankar et al. (2008) and Zhang et al. (2013) among others to determine cut point. Outlier removal is a necessary step during the cut point determination exercise to reduce potential false negative classifications. However, the widely used statistical outlier removal method, namely, Tukey's box-plot method (1.5 times inter-quartile range, IQR), is often found to be overly conservative in the sense that it removes too many "outliers". Tukey's box-plot method can be used to flag potential outliers for further investigation, however, it is not a hypothesis testing based statistical method. Removing these suspected "outliers" will lead to lower cut point which might confound immunogenicity assessment due to the presence of many low false positives. Besides, the very nature of assay analytical variability has a non-negligible adverse impact on the reliability of ADA classification in terms of false positive and false negative, demanding as large as possible contribution from biological variability relative to analytical variability. A new outlier removal procedure, which takes into account the relative magnitude between biological variability and analytical variability within the sample population, is proposed and statistically justified. After sequential removal of analytical and biological outliers, a 5% false positive rate and 1% false positive rate in screening and confirmatory assays, respectively, are still targeted without increasing potential false negatives. Internal data shows that this practice has minimal impact on assay sensitivity and has the advantage of selecting true positive samples. It is shown that the new procedure is more appropriate for cut point determination.


Global DNA Methylation Changes in Nile Tilapia Gonads during High Temperature-Induced Masculinization.
In some fish species, high or low temperature can switch the sex determination mechanisms and induce fish sex reversal when the gonads are undifferentiated. During this high or low temperature-induced sex reversal, the expressions of many genes are altered. However, genome-wide DNA methylation changes in fish gonads after high or low temperature treatment are unclear. Herein, we compared the global DNA methylation changes in the gonads from control females (CF), control males (CM), high temperature-treated females (TF), and high temperature-induced males (IM) from the F8 family of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing. The DNA methylation level in CF was higher than that in CM for various chromosomes. Both females and males showed an increase in methylation levels on various chromosomes after high-temperature induction. We identified 64,438 (CF/CM), 63,437 (TF/IM), 98,675 (TF/CF), 235,270 (IM/CM) and 119,958 (IM/CF) differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in Nile tilapia gonads, representing approximately 0.70% (CF/CM), 0.69% (TF/IM), 1.07% (TF/CF), 2.56% (IM/CM), and 1.30% (IM/CF)of the length of the genome. A total of 89 and 65 genes that exhibited DMRs in their gene bodies and promoters were mapped to the Nile tilapia genome. Furthermore, more than half of the genes with DMRs in the gene body in CF/CM were also included in the IM/CM, TF/CF, TF/IM, and IM/CF groups. Additionally, many important pathways, including neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids were identified. This study provided an important foundation to investigate the molecular mechanism of high temperature-induced sex reversal in fish species.


Light ray field capture using focal plane sweeping and its optical reconstruction using 3D displays.
We propose a method to capture light ray field of three-dimensional scene using focal plane sweeping. Multiple images are captured using a usual camera at different focal distances, spanning the three-dimensional scene. The captured images are then back-projected to four-dimensional spatio-angular space to obtain the light ray field. The obtained light ray field can be visualized either using digital processing or optical reconstruction using various three-dimensional display techniques including integral imaging, layered display, and holography.


Thiomethyltetrazines Are Reversible Covalent Cysteine Warheads Whose Dynamic Behavior can be "Switched Off" via Bioorthogonal Chemistry Inside Live Cells.
Electrophilic small molecules that can reversibly modify proteins are of growing interest in drug discovery. However, the ability to study reversible covalent probes in live cells can be limited by their reversible reactivity after cell lysis and in proteomic workflows, leading to scrambling and signal loss. We describe how thiomethyltetrazines function as reversible covalent warheads for cysteine modification, and this dynamic labeling behavior can be "switched off" via bioorthogonal chemistry inside live cells. Simultaneously, the tetrazine serves as a bioorthogonal reporter enabling the introduction of tags for fluorescent imaging or affinity purification. Thiomethyltetrazines can label isolated proteins, proteins in cellular lysates, and proteins in live cells with second-order rate constants spanning 2 orders of magnitude (k2, 1-100 M-1 s-1). Reversible modification by thiomethyltetrazines can be switched off upon the addition of trans-cyclooctene in live cells, converting the dynamic thiomethyltetrazine tag into a Diels-Alder adduct which is stable to lysis and proteomic workflows. Time-course quenching experiments were used to demonstrate temporal control over electrophilic modification. Moreover, it is shown that "locking in" the tag through Diels-Alder chemistry enables the identification of protein targets that are otherwise lost during sample processing. Three probes were further evaluated to identify unique pathways in a live-cell proteomic study. We anticipate that discovery efforts will be enabled by the trifold function of thiomethyltetrazines as electrophilic warheads, bioorthogonal reporters, and switches for "locking in" stability.


Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Risk-Scoring Model Based on Ferroptosis-Associated Cluster in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Background: Emerging evidence has proven that ferroptosis plays an important role in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), whereas the exact role of ferroptosis-associated genes in AML patients' prognosis remained unclear. Materials and Methods: Gene expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of AML cases were obtained from the TCGA (TCGA-LAML), GEO (GSE71014), and TARGET databases (TARGET-AML). Patients in the TCGA cohort were well-grouped into two clusters based on ferroptosis-related genes, and differentially expressed genes were screened between the two clusters. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were applied to select prognosis-related genes for the construction of a prognostic risk-scoring model. Survival analysis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and receiver operator characteristic curves. Furthermore, we explored the correlation of the prognostic risk-scoring model with immune infiltration and chemotherapy response. Risk gene expression level was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Eighteen signature genes, including ZSCAN4, ASTN1, CCL23, DLL3, EFNB3, FAM155B, FOXL1, HMX2, HRASLS, LGALS1, LHX6, MXRA5, PCDHB12, PRINS, TMEM56, TWIST1, ZFPM2, and ZNF560, were developed to construct a prognostic risk-scoring model. AML patients could be grouped into high- and low-risk groups, and low-risk patients showed better survival than high-risk patients. Area under the curve values of 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.81, 0.827, and 0.786 in the training set, respectively, indicating a good predictive efficacy. In addition, age and risk score were the independent prognostic factors after univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A nomogram containing clinical factors and prognostic risk-scoring model was constructed to better estimate individual survival. Further analyses demonstrated that risk score was associated with the immune infiltration and response to chemotherapy. Our experiment data revealed that LGALS1 and TMEM56 showed notably decreased expression in AML samples than that of the normal samples. Conclusion: Our study shows that the prognostic risk-scoring model and key risk gene may provide potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic option for AML patients.


Incorporation of 14C-thymidine in human platelets: possible relation with a diffuse infection of micrococci in the L form.
Following the results of previous researches suggesting that platelets might carry microbial forms, the incorporation of 14C-thymidine in suspensions of platelets from 500 normal human subjects has been taken under examination. The results have always yielded positive data even though with marked differences of a quantitative order from a case to another. The hypothesis that such an activity might be the consequence of a synthesis of DNA in the mitochondria had to be excluded. The peculiar relations linking the incorporation rate to the number of platelets and to the presence of plasma or serum in given amounts and the strong inhibition exerted by oxytetracyclines suggest that the detected metabolic activity may be attributed to the presence of bacterial L-forms carried by platelets. The results of cultural, optical and electron microscopical investigations, which will be published elsewere, confirmed such interpretation.


Unified Total Synthesis of Polyoxins J, L, and Fluorinated Analogues on the Basis of Decarbonylative Radical Coupling Reactions.
Polyoxins J (1 a) and L (1 b) are important nucleoside antibiotics. The complex and densely functionalized dipeptide structures of 1 a and 1 b contain thymine and uracil nucleobases, respectively. Herein we report the unified total synthesis of 1 a, 1 b, and their artificial analogues 1 c and 1 d with trifluorothymine and fluorouracil structures. Decarbonylative radical coupling between α-alkoxyacyl tellurides and a chiral glyoxylic oxime ether led to chemo- and stereoselective construction of the ribonucleoside α-amino acid structures of 1 a-d without damaging the preinstalled nucleobases. The high applicability of the radical-based methodology was further demonstrated by preparation of the trihydroxynorvaline moiety of 1 a-d. The two amino acid fragments were connected and elaborated into 1 a-d (longest linear sequence: 11 steps). Compounds 1 a and 1 b assembled in this way exhibited potent activity against true fungi, while only 1 d was active against Gram-positive bacteria.


Inhibition by central alpha-2 adrenergic mechanism of thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced gastric acid secretion in the rat.
Influences of central alpha-2 adrenergic agonists on thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-stimulated gastric acid secretion were examined in the perfused stomach of anesthetized rats. Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, given subcutaneously or intracerebroventricularly inhibited the gastric acid secretion stimulated by intracerebroventricular TRH. Intracerebroventricular injection of norepinephrine tended to reduce the acid secretion, while phenylephrine, serotonin and quipazine (serotonin agonist) did not influence the acid secretion. Subcutaneous clonidine enhanced the acid secretion peripherally stimulated by electrical vagus stimulation. The inhibitory effect of clonidine on TRH-induced acid secretion was reversed by yohimbine, an alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist, and phentolamine. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the central alpha-2 adrenergic receptor system participates in the TRH-mediated central nervous system control of gastric acid secretion in anesthetized rats.


Assessment of the relationship of the distance between mandibular first and second molars with the inferior alveolar canal and cortical bone plate in an Egyptian subpopulation: a CBCT study.
The aim of the current cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) study was to evaluate the proximity of mandibular first and second molar roots to the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) and mandibular cortex in an Egyptian subpopulation. Scans of 120 patients (480 molars, 960 roots) were obtained from the College of Dentistry database at the Suez Canal University, Egypt. Buccal and lingual bone plates and root thickness were measured at the specified resected root end 3 mm from the radiographic apex, and so was the proximity of the root apices to the IAC. Measurements of the right and left mandibular first and second molars were recorded for each root. Three examiners performed the measurements separately. ANOVA was used to compare the different roots. Bonferroni's post-hoc test was used for pair-wise comparisons when ANOVA was significant. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. The findings displayed a closer proximity of the mandibular second molar apices to the IAC, as compared to the mandibular first molars. The mesial roots were at a shorter distance than the distal ones. Moreover, the mandibular second molars revealed the thickest total bone width including the root. So, it is beneficial for endodontists to be aware of the relation of the mandibular first and second molars to the surrounding cortical bone plates and the IAC before starting either nonsurgical or surgical endodontic treatment.


Zerovalent Iron/Cu Combined Degradation of Halogenated Disinfection Byproducts and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling.
Previous studies have reported that zerovalent iron (ZVI) can reduce several aliphatic groups of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) (e.g., haloacetic acids and haloacetamides) effectively, and the removal efficiency can be significantly improved by metallic copper. Information regarding ZVI/Cu combined degradation of different types of halogenated DBPs can help understand the fate of overall DBPs in drinking water distribution and storage systems consisting of unlined cast iron/copper pipes and related potential control strategies. In this study, we found that, besides aliphatic DBPs, many groups of new emerging aromatic DBPs formed in chlorinated and chloraminated drinking water can be effectively degraded by ZVI/Cu; meanwhile, total organic halogen and total ion intensity were reduced significantly after treatment. Moreover, a robust quantitative structure-activity relationship model was developed and validated based on the ZVI/Cu combined degradation rate constants of 14 typical aromatic DBPs; it can predict the degradation rate constants of other aromatic DBPs for screening and comparative purposes, and the optimized descriptors indicate that DBPs possessing a lower value of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy and a higher value of dipole moment tend to present higher degradation rate constants. In addition, toxicity data of 47 DBPs (belonging to 18 groups) were predicted by two previously established toxicity models, demonstrating that, although most DBPs exhibit higher toxicity than their dehalogenated products, some DBPs show lower toxicity than their lowly halogenated analogs.


Identification of microRNAs associated with hyperthermia-induced cellular stress response.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that play a critical role in the coordination of fundamental cellular processes. Recent studies suggest that miRNAs participate in the cellular stress response (CSR), but their specific involvement remains unclear. In this study, we identify a group of thermally regulated miRNAs (TRMs) that are associated with the CSR. Using miRNA microarrays, we show that dermal fibroblasts differentially express 123 miRNAs when exposed to hyperthermia. Interestingly, only 27 of these miRNAs are annotated in the current Sanger registry. We validated the expression of the annotated miRNAs using qPCR techniques, and we found that the qPCR and microarray data was in well agreement. Computational target-prediction studies revealed that putative targets for the TRMs are heat shock proteins and Argonaute-2-the core functional unit of RNA silencing. These results indicate that cells express a specific group of miRNAs when exposed to hyperthermia, and these miRNAs may function in the regulation of the CSR. Future studies will be conducted to determine if other cells lines differentially express these miRNAs when exposed to hyperthermia.


[Blood transfusions at home or in the hospital? The preferences of cancer patients].
Home blood transfusion (HBT) is as safe and effective as hospital transfusion. If HBT can potentially cause anxiety, it can also improve patients' quality of life. The different factors influencing patients' preference for home or hospital are examined on the basis of a prospective study including 139 patients from the comprehensive cancer center of Lyon, and who received transfusions in the hospital outpatient department or at home between 2003 and 2004. A Probit model was used to identify the determinants of the choice of place of transfusion. The intensity of preference for this choice was assessed with the contingent valuation method. Of 139 patients included in the study, 97 chose HBT in the eventuality of a new transfusion. This preference was significantly related to a previous experiment of HBT and to the distance between patient's home and hospital. Mean willingness to pay was 60.9 euro for home and 47.3 euro for hospital transfusion. These results, in favour of HBT, are probably related to the strong involvement of physicians of the blood centre and their active collaboration with a high-level homecare network.


Challenges and opportunities in biological funneling of heterogeneous and toxic substrates beyond lignin.
Significant developments in the understanding and manipulation of microbial metabolism have enabled the use of engineered biological systems toward a more sustainable energy and materials economy. While developments in metabolic engineering have primarily focused on the conversion of carbohydrates, substantial opportunities exist for using these same principles to extract value from more heterogeneous and toxic waste streams, such as those derived from lignin, biomass pyrolysis, or industrial waste. Funneling heterogeneous substrates from these streams toward valuable products, termed biological funneling, presents new challenges in balancing multiple catabolic pathways competing for shared cellular resources and engineering against perturbation from toxic substrates. Solutions to many of these challenges have been explored within the field of lignin valorization. This perspective aims to extend beyond lignin to highlight the challenges and discuss opportunities for use of biological systems to upgrade previously inaccessible waste streams.


Bose-Einstein condensation in the Apollonian complex network.
We demonstrate that a topology-induced Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) takes place in a complex network. As a model topology, we consider the deterministic Apollonian network which exhibits scale-free, small-world, and hierarchical properties. Within a tight-binding approach for noninteracting bosons, we report that the BEC transition temperature and the gap between the ground and first excited states follow the same finite-size scaling law. An anomalous density dependence of the transition temperature is reported and linked to the structure of gaps and degeneracies of the energy spectrum. The specific heat is shown to be discontinuous at the transition, with low-temperature modulations as a consequence of the fragmented density of states.


Metabolic profile and differentiation potential of extraembryonic endoderm-like cells.
Glucose metabolism has a crucial role for providing substrates required to generate ATP and regulate the epigenetic landscape. We reported that F9 embryonal carcinoma stem-like cells require cytosolic reactive oxygen species to differentiate into extraembryonic endoderm; however, mitochondrial sources were not examined. To extend these studies, we examined the metabolic profile of early and late-passage F9 cells, and show that their ability to differentiate is similar, even though each population has dramatically different metabolic profiles. Differentiated early-passage cells relied on glycolysis, while differentiated late-passage cells transitioned towards oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Unexpectedly, electron transport chain protein stoichiometry was disrupted in differentiated late-passage cells, whereas genes encoding mitofusion 1 and 2, which promote mitochondrial fusion and favor OXPHOS, were upregulated in differentiated early-passage cells. Despite this, early-passage cells cultured under conditions to promote glycolysis showed enhanced differentiation, whereas promoting OXPHOS in late-passage cells showed a similar trend. Further analysis revealed that the distinct metabolic profiles seen between the two populations is largely associated with changes in genomic integrity, linking metabolism to passage number. Together, these results indicate that passaging has no effect on the potential for F9 cells to differentiate into extraembryonic endoderm; however, it does impact their metabolic profile. Thus, it is imperative to determine the molecular and metabolic status of a stem cell population before considering its utility as a therapeutic tool for regenerative medicine.


Pulmonary function after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the effect of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) versus open cholecystectomy (OC) on postoperative pulmonary function. Forty consecutive patients (20 in each group) who were evenly matched in terms of pulmonary risk factors were assigned to either elective LC or OC. Pulmonary function studies, oxygen saturation, and chest radiography were performed on both groups before and after the operation until baseline levels were reached. Narcotic requirements and pulmonary complications were compared. The t test, ANOVA, and chi-squared analysis were used. Compared to the patients who underwent OC, patients who underwent LC had a significant reduction in postoperative pulmonary impairment (30% to 38%) in all areas studied including forced vital capacity; forced expiratory volume in 1 second; forced expiratory flow, mid-expiratory phase; maximum forced expiratory flow; maximum voluntary ventilation; total lung capacity; and oxygen saturation. Pulmonary function returned to baseline levels 4 to 10 days sooner after LC. Pulmonary complications including atelectasis and hypoxia were less frequent after LC. An eight-fold decrease was noted in postoperative pain medication requirement in the LC group. Compared to OC, laparoscopic cholecystectomy results in a significantly reduced compromise in pulmonary function and narcotic requirement leading to fewer postoperative pulmonary complications. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be considered the procedure of choice for elective cholecystectomy.


Reliability of computed tomography scans in the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis.
Paranasal computed tomography (CT) has become the investigation method of choice to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) on the basis of its ability to deliver objective data regarding the presence of inflamed mucosa or polyps. The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of CT scan findings among untreated CRS patients without the presence of polyps in a nasal endoscopy. Among patients with clinically demonstrated CRS considered for surgery, 93 subjects who had had 2 CT scans performed at different time points in the diagnostic process were enrolled into the study. Paranasal sinus involvement on both CT scans was scored using the Lund-Mackay (L-M) and modified Lund-Mackay scales. Both CT exams served to assess the extent of the potential endoscopic sinus surgery. The time interval between CT scans ranged from 31 to 1,162 days (mean: 338 days). The L-M scores from the 1st CT examination correlated statistically with the results of the 2nd CT (r = 0.86; p < 0.05). When compared to the 1st scan, the L-M score in the 2nd CT scan remained the same in 36 patients (39%), increased in 23 patients (25%) and decreased in 34 patients (36%). There was no statistically significant correlation between the change in the L-M scores and the time interval between CT examinations. The present study indicates that mucosal thickening within paranasal sinuses among untreated patients with CRS is stable over shortand middle-time intervals, regardless of the initial intensity of the disease. The time delay between the CT examination and qualification for surgery does not influence the decision regarding the performance of the operation. The results suggest the conclusion that repeating CT scans in symptomatic, untreated patients with CRS should be seriously considered.


Why do spouses provide personal care? A study among care-receiving Dutch community-dwelling older adults.
This study investigates under what conditions older spouses receive personal care from their spouse. Whether spousal care is provided is determined by individual and societal factors related to informal and formal care provision. Individual factors concern the need for care (the care recipient's health status), the spouse's ability to provide care (the spouse's health status) and the quality of the marital bond. Societal factors reflect changing policies on long-term care (indicated by the year in which care started) and gender role socialisation (gender). From the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, which completed eight observations between 1996 and 2016, we selected 221 independently living married respondents, aged 59-93, who received personal care for the first time and had at least one previous measurement without care use. The results show that if an older adult received personal care, the likelihood of receiving that care from the spouse decreased over the years: from 80% in 1996 to 50% in 2016. A husband or wife was less likely to receive spousal care when the spouse was unable to provide care or the quality of the relationship was low. No gender differences were found in either the prevalence of spousal care use or in the factors associated with that use. Thus, individual factors and the societal context seem to determine whether one receives personal care from their spouse. The decline in the likelihood of personal care provision from a spouse over the years may indicate a crumbling of family solidarity, an unmeasured and growing inability of the older spouse to provide care or an increasing complexity of care needs that requires the use of formal care. As care-giving can be a chronic stressor and most spouses provide care without assistance from others, attention from policy makers is needed to sustain the well-being of older couples.


Histone Maps in Gossypium darwinii Reveal Epigenetic Regulation Drives Subgenome Divergence and Cotton Domestication.
The functional annotation of genomes, including chromatin modifications, is essential to understand the intricate architecture of chromatin and the consequential gene regulation. However, such an annotation remains limited for cotton genomes. Here, we conducted chromatin profiling in a wild allotetraploid cotton Gossypium darwinii (AD genome) by integrating the data of histone modification, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility. We revealed that the A subgenome showed a higher level of active histone marks and lower level of repressive histone marks than the D subgenome, which was consistent with the expression bias between the two subgenomes. We show that the bias in transcription and histone modification between the A and D subgenomes may be caused by genes unique to the subgenome but not by homoeologous genes. Moreover, we integrate histone marks and open chromatin to define six chromatin states (S1-S6) across the cotton genome, which index different genomic elements including genes, promoters, and transposons, implying distinct biological functions. In comparison to the domesticated cotton species, we observed that 23.2% of genes in the genome exhibit a transition from one chromatin state to another at their promoter. Strikingly, the S2 (devoid of epigenetic marks) to S3 (enriched for the mark of open chromatin) was the largest transition group. These transitions occurred simultaneously with changes in gene expression, which were significantly associated with several domesticated traits in cotton. Collectively, our study provides a useful epigenetic resource for research on allopolyploid plants. The domestication-induced chromatin dynamics and associated genes identified here will aid epigenetic engineering, improving polyploid crops.


Evaluation of metal biouptake from the analysis of bulk metal depletion kinetics at various cell concentrations: theory and application.
Bioavailability of trace metals is a key parameter for assessment of toxicity on living organisms. Proper evaluation of metal bioavailability requires monitoring the various interfacial processes that control metal partitioning dynamics at the biointerface, which includes metal transport from solution to cell membrane, adsorption at the biosurface, internalization, and possible excretion. In this work, a methodology is proposed to quantitatively describe the dynamics of Cd(II) uptake by Pseudomonas putida. The analysis is based on the kinetic measurement of Cd(II) depletion from bulk solution at various initial cell concentrations using electroanalytical probes. On the basis of a recent formalism on the dynamics of metal uptake by complex biointerphases, the cell concentration-dependent depletion time scales and plateau values reached by metal concentrations at long exposure times (>3 h) are successfully rationalized in terms of limiting metal uptake flux, rate of excretion, and metal affinity to internalization sites. The analysis shows the limits of approximate depletion models valid in the extremes of high and weak metal affinities. The contribution of conductive diffusion transfer of metals from the solution to the cell membrane in governing the rate of Cd(II) uptake is further discussed on the basis of estimated resistances for metal membrane transfer and extracellular mass transport.


Investigation of nucleation kinetics in H2SO4 vapor through modeling of gas phase kinetics coupled with particle dynamics.
We have developed a new model utilizing our existing kinetic gas phase models to simulate experimental particle size distributions emerging in dry supersaturated H2SO4 vapor homogeneously produced by rapid oxidation of SO2 through stabilized Criegee-Intermediates from 2-butene ozonolysis. We use a sectional method for simulating the particle dynamics. The particle treatment in the model is based on first principles and takes into account the transition from the kinetic to the diffusion-limited regime. It captures the temporal evolution of size distributions at the end of the ozonolysis experiment well, noting a slight underrepresentation of coagulation effects for larger particle sizes. The model correctly predicts the shape and the modes of the experimentally observed particle size distributions. The predicted modes show an extremely high sensitivity to the H2SO4 evaporation rates of the initially formed H2SO4 clusters (dimer to pentamer), which were arbitrarily restricted to decrease exponentially with increasing cluster size. In future, the analysis presented in this work can be extended to allow a direct validation of quantum chemically predicted stabilities of small H2SO4 clusters, which are believed to initiate a significant fraction of atmospheric new particle formation events. We discuss the prospects and possible limitations of the here presented approach.


Multidimensional locus of control and attitudes toward mental illness.
University students (55 women and 37 men) participated in a study of the relationship between multidimensional locus of control and attitudes toward mental illness as measured by the five factors of the Opinions About Mental Illness scale. Semipartial correlations suggested that scores on multidimensional locus of control were related to scores on three of the five factors but that the pattern of relationships is subject to gender differences.


Three new compounds with their anti-glioma effects from the roots of Arnebia guttata Bunge.
Three new compounds, arneatas A-C (1-3), together with three known compounds (4-6) were isolated from the roots of Arnebia guttata Bunge. The structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data including NMR and HRESIMS. All the new compounds (1-3) were tested for their cytotoxic activity against two glioma cell lines (U118-MG and U373-MG) in vitro after treatment for 48 h. Compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against U118-MG and U373-MG glioma cell lines, with IC50 values of 10.4 and 17.5 µM, respectively.


Semisynthesis of a glycosylated Im7 analogue for protein folding studies.
To establish a system to address questions concerning the influence of glycosylation on protein folding pathways, we have developed a semisynthetic route toward the immunity protein Im7. This fourhelix protein has been used extensively as model protein for folding studies. Native chemical ligation (NCL) affords an N-linked chitobiose glycoprotein analogue of Im7 with an Ala29Cys mutation. The semisynthetic approach relies on the solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) of N-terminal thioesters (including helix I), in glycosylated or unglycosylated form, in combination with the expression of the C-terminal fragment of Im7 (containing helices II-IV). Detailed kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of the protein folding behavior reveals that semisynthetic Im7 analogues are well suited for protein folding studies and that the folding mechanism of the glycoprotein of this Im7 variant is not significantly altered over the unglycosylated analogue.


Capacity of Thai green pit viper antivenom to neutralize the venoms of Thai Trimeresurus snakes and comparison of biological activities of these venoms.
The capacity of Thai green pit viper antivenom raised to Trimeresurus albolabris to neutralize the venoms from six species of Trimeresurus sp. in Thailand has been examined. They were Trimeresurus albolabris, T. macrops, T. popeiorum, T. hageni, T. purpureomaculatus, and T. kanburiensis. The antivenom neutralized lethal and hemorrhagic activities of all these venoms. The capacity of antivenom to neutralize lethal toxicity of the venom was expressed as the amounts (mg) of snake venom neutralized by 1 ml of the antivenom. The largest capacity was found with the homologous venom. Results of immunodiffusion, immunoblotting, and antigen-antibody complex formation experiments supported the results of neutralization experiments. Several biological activities of the Trimeresurus venoms were also examined and compared. They were lethal, hemorrhagic, proteolytic, phospholipase A, arginine ester hydrolyse, and thrombin activities. There was no correlation between the ratios of lethal toxicity and hemorrhagic activity, lethal toxicity and phospholipase A activity, as well as hemorrhagic activity and proteolytic activity.


Interpersonal assessment of borderline personality disorder: preliminary findings.
We examined the reliability and validity of scores on an interpersonal measure of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Ratings on the Interpersonal Measure of Borderline Personality Disorder (IM-B) were based on nonverbal behaviors and interpersonal interactions occurring during clinical interviews with 276 adults. Scores on the IM-B exhibited good reliability. IM-B scores also displayed expected patterns of associations with scores on other measures of BPD, as well as with scores on measures of affective dysfunction, interpersonal pathology, and behavioral impairment associated with BPD, including indexes of maladaptive emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, and self-harm. The pattern of associations for IM-B scores was quite similar to what would be expected for a dimensional measure of BPD symptoms. Scores on the IM-B were also associated with symptoms of disorders generally comorbid with BPD. Finally, IM-B scores contributed incrementally to the prediction of interpersonal dysfunction and suicidal ideation and behavior. Discussion focuses on implications for the assessment of BPD.


Catatonia in an inpatient gerontopsychiatric population.
There are limited data on the prevalence of catatonia in the elderly. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of catatonia in elderly patients (=/> 65 years) acutely admitted to the psychiatric unit of a general hospital. All patients aged 65 years and above admitted to a general hospital psychiatric unit over a 4-month period were screened for catatonia with the 14-item Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI). Patients with a minimum of 2 symptoms on the BFCSI were rated with the 23-item Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS). Catatonia was simultaneously evaluated according to DSM-5 criteria. Clinical diagnoses were established using the validated Hungarian versions of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders, the Mini Mental State Examination and the Clock Drawing Test. Ninety-eight (28.1%) of the 342 patients admitted to the psychiatric unit during the study period were above 65 years of age; 11 (11.22%) and 6 (6.12%) patients were classified as having catatonia according to the BFCRS and DSM-5 criteria, respectively. The majority of the patients had catatonia due to a medical condition. A significant minority of gerontopsychiatric inpatients present with catatonia. Dementia was not a risk factor for catatonia.


Graft polymerization from a silica surface initiated by adsorbed peroxide macroinitiators. I. Adsorption and structure of the adsorbed layer of peroxide macroinitiators on a silica surface.
The adsorption features of two peroxide macroinitiators (PMIs) with various functionalities from their semi-dilute solutions on the silica surface were thoroughly investigated in the present work. These investigations include the study of the adsorption kinetics of PMI in diverse solvents and a detailed examination of the adsorbed layer structure with the aid of ellipsometry, scanning force microscopy (SFM), and contact angle measurements. Rearrangements of PMI macromolecules at the solid surface are supposed to be the main reason for the appearance of extremes on the kinetic curves and, besides, have a more pronounceable effect on adsorption rate than their diffusion rate to the surface even at the initial stage of the process. Both island-like and densely packed structures of absorbed layers were revealed by combining contact angle measurements and SFM. Surprisingly, even in the case when saturation of the adsorbed layer is reached, PMI does not completely occupy the substrate surface which is at least particularly reachable for the wetting liquids. PMIs adsorbed at the solid surface are intended for the formation of tethered polymer "brushes" via the initiation of "grafting from" polymerization.


Metals from mine waste as potential cause of oxidative stress in burrowing crab Neohelice granulata from San Antonio bay.
The Natural Protected Area San Antonio bay is of particular importance for its congregation of migratory shorebirds and it has been declared one of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network International site (WHSRN). Present study represents the first assessment of variation on oxidative stress biomarkers in male crab Neohelice granulata from San Antonio bay (Río Negro, Argentina) under field conditions, associated mainly to metal contamination coming from passive mining wastes. Three sites were sampled once every three months from November 2012 to August 2013 within this sea inlet (Pile, Fishery and Port) and a control site at the southeast of the bay (Punta Perdices). Accumulation of Ni, Zn, Cr and Al varied only with seasons although without a constant trend, meanwhile Cd, Cu and Pb also varied among sites being highest in Pile and Port. Biochemical results indicated that variations in catalase activity was only site specific being maximum in Pile; meanwhile lipid radical, α-tocopherol and metallothioneins were only seasonal specific being higher in autumn and winter. Seasonal variation was also found for total thioles, being the content higher in summer and autumn than in winter. Correlation analysis revealed that malondialdehyde and α-tocopherol have a positive association with Al and negative with Ni, meanwhile GST has a positive association with Fe. Crabs from the closest area to the waste pile did not exhibit a differentiated oxidative pressure despite the higher accumulation of metals. It is possible that crabs from contaminated areas have developed a tolerance to metals, indicating a strong ecotoxicological selective pressure. More studies are needed to assess whether there is a transfer of metals through the food chain.


Oral manifestations of HIV infection in 600 South African patients.
Oral lesions associated with HIV infection, as classified by the EC-Clearinghouse on Oral Problems related to HIV infection and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Oral manifestations of the immunodeficiency virus, were studied in 600 consecutive HIV-infected patients in Cape Town, South Africa. One or more lesions were seen in 60.4% of cases. Combined candidal lesions were evident in 37.8%, hairy leukoplakia in 19.7% and combined gingival/periodontal lesions in 8.5% of patients seen. Lesions less commonly recorded include oral ulceration (2.9%) and Kaposi's sarcoma (1.5%). The clinical range of lesions seen is similar to those reported elsewhere, but socio-cultural differences allowed no reliable comparison. More than a quarter of our patients had oral soft tissue discomfort necessitating treatment; in 3.3% these were the presenting symptom. This indicates a potential major public health concern requiring education in recognition and appropriate referral and management.


An ylide transformation of rhodium(I) carbene: enantioselective three-component reaction through trapping of rhodium(I)-associated ammonium ylides by β-nitroacrylates.
The chiral Rh(I)-diene-catalyzed asymmetric three-component reaction of aryldiazoacetates, aromatic amines, and β-nitroacrylates was achieved to obtain γ-nitro-α-amino-succinates in good yields and with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity. This reaction is proposed to proceed through the enantioselective trapping of Rh(I)-associated ammonium ylides by nitroacrylates. This new transformation represents the first example of Rh(I)-carbene-induced ylide transformation.


Reference values for C-reactive protein and procalcitonin at term pregnancy and in the early postnatal period.
Early recognition of sepsis and prompt treatment improves patient outcome. C-reactive protein is a sensitive marker for tissue damage and inflammation, but procalcitonin has greater specificity for bacterial infection. Limited research exists regarding the use of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin at term pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period. This study sought to define reference values for C-reactive protein and procalcitonin at term and the early postnatal period. A prospective cross-sectional study was performed in a university teaching hospital. Venous blood was collected from healthy women (n = 196), aged between 19 and 45 years with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy, at term (37-40 weeks' gestation) and on day 1 and day 3 postpartum for the measurement of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. The reference population comprised of 189 participants: term pregnancy (n = 51), postpartum day 1 vaginal delivery (n = 70) and caesarean section (n = 38) and day 3 (caesarean section, n = 30). The maximum procalcitonin value at term pregnancy was 0.1 μg/L. On day 1 postpartum, 90% and 86.8% of procalcitonin results for vaginal delivery and caesarean section, respectively, were below the decision-threshold of 0.25 μg/L. The specificity of procalcitonin to rule out infection in the reference population was 91.5%. Reference values for procalcitonin were established in a well-characterized population of healthy pregnant women at term and immediately postpartum. The variability of C-reactive protein limits its clinical utility in the assessment of systemic sepsis. Application of the procalcitonin cut-off of 0.25 μg/L in this population will be a valuable adjunct to clinicians ruling out infection in pregnancy and postpartum.


Load-induced transitions in the lubricity of adsorbed poly(L-lysine)-g-dextran as a function of polysaccharide chain density.
Chain-density gradients of poly(l-lysine)-graft-dextran (PLL-g-dex), a synthetic comblike copolymer with a poly(l-lysine) backbone grafted with dextran side chains, were fabricated on an oxidized silicon substrate. The influence of the changing dextran chain density along the gradient on the local coefficient of friction was investigated via colloidal-probe lateral force microscopy. Both in composition and structure, PLL-g-dex shares many similarities with bottlebrush biomolecules present in natural lubricating systems, while having the advantage of being well-characterized in terms of both architecture and adsorption behavior on negatively charged oxide surfaces. The results indicate that the transition of the dextran chain density from the mushroom into the brush regime coincides with a sharp reduction in friction at low loads. Above a critical load, the friction increases by more than an order of magnitude, likely signaling a pressure-induced change in the brush conformation at the contact area and a corresponding change in the mechanism of sliding. The onset of this higher-friction regime is moved to higher loads as the chain density of the film is increased. While in the low-load (and low-friction) regime, increased chain density leads to lower friction, in the high-load (high-friction) regime, increased chain density was found to lead to higher friction.


Right-sided diaphragmatic hernia complicated with broncho-pleuro-colonic fistula presenting as fecoptysis.
A 37-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of fecoptysis since 1 month. She belongs to low socio-economic status. There was no history of pulmonary tuberculosis or trauma.With the help of radiological findings, the authors were able to establish this rare diagnosis 'right-sided diaphragmatic hernia complicated with broncho-pleuro-colonic fistula presenting as fecoptysis'. Diaphragmatic hernia is a common finding in day to day practice. Fistula between bowel loops and other viscera are also common entity, but fistula between pulmonary air-way passage and colon is a rare finding. Right-sided broncho-pleuro-colonic fistula is an extremely rare entity among these conditions.


A case report of primary upper urinary tract signet-ring cell carcinoma and literature review.
Upper tract urothelial carcinoma with pure non-urothelial histology is an exception but variants are present in ~ 25% of cases. Primary upper urinary tract signet -ring cell carcinoma is extremely rare. We report the case of a 65-year-old male diagnosed primary upper urinary tract signet-ring cell carcinoma while underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Radical nephroureterectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy were performed sequentially. The patient is now recovering well with a regular follow-up for more than 1 year. The upper urinary tract malignancy often appears as a high grade, high stage tumor and has a uniformly poor prognosis, but a timely multimodal management can bring a good outcome.


Immune-Specific Expression and Estrogenic Regulation of the Four Estrogen Receptor Isoforms in Female Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
Genomic actions of estrogens in vertebrates are exerted via two intracellular estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERα and ERβ, which show cell- and tissue-specific expression profiles. Mammalian immune cells express ERs and are responsive to estrogens. More recently, evidence became available that ERs are also present in the immune organs and cells of teleost fish, suggesting that the immunomodulatory function of estrogens has been conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. For a better understanding of the sensitivity and the responsiveness of the fish immune system to estrogens, more insight is needed on the abundance of ERs in the fish immune system, the cellular ratios of the ER subtypes, and their autoregulation by estrogens. Consequently, the aims of the present study were (i) to determine the absolute mRNA copy numbers of the four ER isoforms in the immune organs and cells of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and to compare them to the hepatic ER numbers; (ii) to analyse the ER mRNA isoform ratios in the immune system; and, (iii) finally, to examine the alterations of immune ER mRNA expression levels in sexually immature trout exposed to 17β-estradiol (E2), as well as the alterations of immune ER mRNA expression levels in sexually mature trout during the reproductive cycle. All four ER isoforms were present in immune organs-head kidney, spleen-and immune cells from head kidney and blood of rainbow trout, but their mRNA levels were substantially lower than in the liver. The ER isoform ratios were tissue- and cell-specific, both within the immune system, but also between the immune system and the liver. Short-term administration of E2 to juvenile female trout altered the ER mRNA levels in the liver, but the ERs of the immune organs and cells were not responsive. Changes of ER gene transcript numbers in immune organs and cells occurred during the reproductive cycle of mature female trout, but the changes in the immune ER profiles differed from those in the liver and gonads. The correlation between ER gene transcript numbers and serum E2 concentrations was only moderate to low. In conclusion, the low mRNA numbers of nuclear ER in the trout immune system, together with their limited estrogen-responsiveness, suggest that the known estrogen actions on trout immunity may be not primarily mediated through genomic actions, but may involve other mechanisms, such as non-genomic pathways or indirect effects.


Binding of oxo-Cu2 clusters to ferric ion-binding protein A from Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a structural insight.
The ferric ion-binding protein A (FbpA), a member of transferrin superfamily, is a periplasmic iron transporter employed by many Gram-negative pathogens. Our experiments indicated copper(ii) could bind with Neisseria gonorrhoeae FbpA (NgFbpA), and the binding constant reached up to (8.7 ± 0.2) × 10(8) M(-1)via UV-vis titration. The crystal structure of recombinant Cu-NgFbpA at 2.1 Å revealed that the oxo-Cu2 clusters (dinuclear centres) assembled in the iron binding cleft and were bound to the two adjacent tyrosine residues (Y195 and Y196) of the protein, two Cu ions coordinated with two tyrosines, Y195 and Y196, respectively, which was different from the binding model of Fe ion with FbpA, in which Y195 and Y196 coordinated together with one Fe ion. While this was similar to the binding of Zr and Hf ion clusters, Y195 and Y196 coordinated with two metal ions and the μ-oxo-bridges linking the metal ions. Structural superimposition demonstrated that oxo-Cu2-NgFbpA still keeping an open conformation, similar to the apo-form of NgFbpA. The structure presented additional information towards an understanding of the function of FbpA, and provided a detailed binding model for FbpA protein with the possible metal ions in a biological system.


Efficacy of Traditional Medicine Product Henna and Hydrocortisone on Diaper Dermatitis in Infants.
Diaper dermatitis (DD) is a common inflammatory disorder in infants, including newborns. This study aimed to compare the effects of a traditional medicine product (containing natural henna oil 25%) and hydrocortisone 1% cream on DD in infants. In a triple-blind, randomized trial, 82 children aged two years or less were randomly divided into two groups of 41 children each to receive either hydrocortisone ointment or henna medicinal product. Infants were treated 3 times a day for 5 days. The severity of dermatitis was assessed on the first, third, and fifth days using a six-point scale. The study was conducted in 2013 in a children teaching hospital in Qazvin, Iran. Both groups showed an improvement in the severity of DD (mean DD severity on the first, third and fifth days, respectively, was 3.20, 1.39, and 1.20 in the henna group versus 3.20, 2.05, and 1.90 in the hydrocortisone group; P < 0.001). The henna group showed a better response when compared with the hydrocortisone group: the rate of improvement on the fifth day of treatment was 90.2% (37 of 41 children without erythema) in the former versus 61% (25 of 41 patients) in the latter (P = 0.042). No significant side effects were observed in both the groups. Henna, a traditional medicine product, can be considered an effective and appropriate treatment for DD in infants and children.


Obesity and renal disease.
Obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and other western countries, may be complicated by hypertension, an increased incidence of renal cancer or proteinuria. Patients with obesity-associated proteinuria show focal glomerulosclerosis and glomerulomegaly on biopsy, usually have minimal clinical edema and relatively normal levels of serum albumin, cholesterol and blood pressure, and can progress to end-stage renal disease. Severe obesity may also be an additive risk factor in patients with preexisting nephropathy or reduced renal mass. The pathophysiology of obesity-associated proteinuria is unclear but may include hyperfiltration, increased renal venous pressure, glomerular hypertrophy, hyperlipidemia and increased synthesis of vasoactive and fibrogenic substances, including angiotensin II, insulin, leptin and transforming growth factor-beta1. These substances may individually or interactively affect glomerular hyperfiltration, mesangial cell hypertrophy and matrix production, and the production of collagen, fibronectin, transforming growth factor-beta and other fibrogenic mediators of change. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition has proven to have an impact, perhaps temporarily, on obesity-associated proteinuria in humans, weight reduction early in the course of the disease would appear the most important therapeutic approach.


Fine mapping chromatin contacts in capture Hi-C data.
Hi-C and capture Hi-C (CHi-C) are used to map physical contacts between chromatin regions in cell nuclei using high-throughput sequencing. Analysis typically proceeds considering the evidence for contacts between each possible pair of fragments independent from other pairs. This can produce long runs of fragments which appear to all make contact with the same baited fragment of interest. We hypothesised that these long runs could result from a smaller subset of direct contacts and propose a new method, based on a Bayesian sparse variable selection approach, which attempts to fine map these direct contacts. Our model is conceptually novel, exploiting the spatial pattern of counts in CHi-C data. Although we use only the CHi-C count data in fitting the model, we show that the fragments prioritised display biological properties that would be expected of true contacts: for bait fragments corresponding to gene promoters, we identify contact fragments with active chromatin and contacts that correspond to edges found in previously defined enhancer-target networks; conversely, for intergenic bait fragments, we identify contact fragments corresponding to promoters for genes expressed in that cell type. We show that long runs of apparently co-contacting fragments can typically be explained using a subset of direct contacts consisting of <10% of the number in the full run, suggesting that greater resolution can be extracted from existing datasets. Our results appear largely complementary to those from a per-fragment analytical approach, suggesting that they provide an additional level of interpretation that may be used to increase resolution for mapping direct contacts in CHi-C experiments.


Reduced likelihood of the Poggendorff illusion in cerebellar strokes: a clinical and neuroimaging study.
This study aimed to test our hypothesis that the cerebellum plays an important role in the generation of the optical-geometric illusion known as the Poggendorff illusion, the mechanism of which has been explained by accumulated experience with natural scene geometry. A total of 79 participants, comprising 28 patients with isolated cerebellar stroke, 27 patients with isolated cerebral stroke and 24 healthy controls, performed Poggendorff illusion tasks and 2 different control tasks. We also investigated core brain regions underpinning changes in the experience of the illusion effect using multivariate lesion-symptom mapping. Our results indicate that patients with isolated cerebellar stroke were significantly less likely to experience the Poggendorff illusion effect than patients with isolated cerebral stroke or healthy controls (74.6, 90.5 and 89.8%, respectively; F(2,76) = 6.675, P = 0.002). However, there were no inter-group differences in the control tasks. Lesion-symptom mapping analysis revealed that the brain lesions associated with the reduced frequency of the Poggendorff illusion effect were mainly centred on the right posteromedial cerebellar region, including the right lobules VI, VII, VIII, IX and Crus II. Our findings demonstrated, for the first time, that patients with cerebellar damage were significantly less likely to experience the Poggendorff illusion effect and that right posteromedial cerebellar lesions played an important role in this effect. These results provide new insight into alterations of a geometric illusion effect in patients with cerebellar disorders and pave the way for future clinical use of the illusion task to detect cerebellar abnormalities.


Gold and silver bio/nano-hybrids-based electrochemical immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen.
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an important oncomarker for the detection of breast cancer. For ultra-sensitive sensing of CEA with great specificity and accuracy, an innovative and reliable electrochemical immunosensor was developed using various nano-hybrids. A glassy carbon electrode (GC) was modified with thiolated graphene oxide (T-GO) to elevate the active surface area of the electrode. The streptavidin-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to increase the conductivity of the sensing area as well as the loading capacity of the biotinylated monoclonal antibody (mAb). A sandwich-on approach was developed to reach a low limit of detection (LOD). The biotinylated mAb, streptavidin coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), altogether, formed the signaling probe of the proposed immunosensor. The electrochemical signal was significantly enhanced in the presence of hydroquinone (HQ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Under the optimized conditions, the proposed immunosensor presented an excellent performance in a linear range of 100 fg/mL to 5 pg/mL with a low detection limit of 75 fg/mL. The engineered immunosensor displayed excellent specificity for the detection of CEA even in the real human serum, upon which it is proposed for the early detection and monitoring of CEA in the clinic.


He's home, but he's not the same: a pastoral counseling impression of family care after combat related traumatic brain injury.
As the occurrence of direct contact with heavy improvised explosive devices has increased in Operation Enduring Freedom, more and more veterans are returning home from combat deployment with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Although these injuries are associated with many different neurological, physiological, and emotional symptoms, perhaps most difficult for families is the phenomenon of perceived personality change. This article examines common clinical interventions in treating personality change associated with TBI, and offers pastoral context and insights for complementary care with families during the return and reunion process.


Ethnolinguistic Concordance and the Receipt of Postpartum IUD Counseling Services in Sri Lanka.
Ethnic and linguistic concordance are important dimensions of the patient-physician relationship, and are linked to health care disparities. However, evidence on the associations between health behavior and outcomes and patient-provider concordance is limited, especially in low- and middle-income settings. To examine how concordance between women and their primary health midwife is associated with women's receipt of postpartum IUD counseling, observational data from a cluster-randomized trial assessing an intervention to increase postpartum IUD counseling were used. Data on 4,497 women who delivered at six hospitals in Sri Lanka between September 2015 and March 2017 were merged with data on 245 primary health midwives, and indicators of linguistic concordance, ethnic concordance and their interaction were generated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations between concordance and women's receipt of counseling. Women from non-Sinhalese groups in Sri Lanka face disparities in the receipt of postpartum IUD counseling. Compared with the ethnolinguistic majority (Sinhalese women who speak only Sinhala), non-Sinhalese women have lower odds of having received postpartum IUD counseling, whether they speak both Sinhala and Tamil (odds ratio, 0.6) or only Tamil (0.5). Ethnic discordance- rather than linguistic discordance-is the primary driver of this disparity. The findings highlight the need for interventions that aim to bridge the sociocultural gaps between providers and patients. Matching women and their providers on ethnolinguistic background may help to reduce disparities in care.