Heteroplasmy and polymorphism in the major noncoding region of mitochondrial DNA in Japanese monkeys: association with tandemly repeated sequences.
We have sequenced the major noncoding region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of four Japanese monkeys and have found length polymorphism in the sequenced region. The length polymorphism resulted from two tandem duplications of 160-bp sequences which contained the conserved sequence blocks 2 and 3 and the light-strand transcription-promoter region. We also found polymorphisms in this mtDNA region among 100 Japanese monkeys from 12 localities, 90 of which were analyzed using DNA amplified through the polymerase chain reaction. In two localities, we found individuals with heteroplasmic mtDNA which had different numbers of the 160-bp repeats mentioned above. The 100 samples were classified into six types in terms of length and presence/absence of the recognition site of two restriction enzymes in the major noncoding region.


An Algal Diet Accelerates Larval Growth of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae).
The population sizes of Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) increase dramatically with the onset of the rainy season in sub-Saharan Africa, but the ecological mechanisms underlying the increases are not well understood. As a first step toward to understand, we investigated the proliferation of algae, the major food of mosquito larvae, in artificial fresh water bodies exposed to sunlight for a short period, and old water bodies exposed to sunlight for a long period, and the effects thereof on the development of these anopheline larvae. We found that an epizoic green algal species of the genus Rhopalosolen (Chlorophyta: Chlorophyceae) proliferated immediately after water freshly taken from a spring was placed in sunlight. This alga proliferated only briefly (for ~10 d) even if the water was repeatedly exposed to sunlight. However, various algal species were observed in water that remained under sunlight for 40 d or longer (i.e., in old water bodies). The growth performance of larvae was higher in sunlight-exposed (alga-rich) water than in shade-stored (alga-poor) water. Stable isotope analysis suggested that these two anopheline species fed on Rhopalosolen algae in fresh water bodies but hardly at all on other algae occurring in the old water bodies. We concluded that freshly formed ground water pools facilitate high production of anopheline species because of the proliferation of Rhopalosolen algae therein, and the increase in the number of such pools in the rainy season, followed by rapid increases in A. gambiae and A. arabiensis numbers.


Effect of Mechanical Properties on Multicomponent Shell Patterning.
Self-organized shells are fundamental in biological compartmentalization. They protect genomic material or enclose enzymes to aid the metabolic process. Studies of crystalline shells have shown the importance of the mechanical properties of building units in the shell morphology. However, the mechanism underlying the morphology of multicomponent assemblies is still poorly understood. Here, we analyze multicomponent closed shells that have different mechanical properties. By minimizing elastic energy, we show that heterogeneous bending rigidities regulate the surface pattern into circular, spikes, and ridge shapes. Interestingly, our continuum elasticity model recovers the patterns that have been proposed in bacterial microcompartments (BMCs), which are self-organized protein shells that aid the breakdown of complex molecules and allow bacteria to survive in hostile environments. In addition, our work elucidates the principles of pattern formation that can be used to design and engineer multicomponent microcompartments with a specific surface distribution of the components.


Transthoracic admittance plethysmograph for measuring cardiac output.
A plethysmograph for measuring ventricular stroke volume (SV) from the transthoracic admittance variation was developed. A correlation study between the SV values determined by this method (SVy) and those measured by Kubicek's transthoracic impedance method (SVz) was carried out on 24 healthy subjects; the correlation coefficient was r = 0.99 and the regression line of SVY on SVz was y = 1.03x - 0.47. Based on the results obtained through the study, it was concluded that the admittance method was more advantageous than the impedance method for measuring SV.


MicroRNA-27b Impairs Nrf2-Mediated Angiogenesis in the Progression of Diabetic Foot Ulcer.
Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a stress-activated transcription factor regulating antioxidant genes, and a deficiency thereof, slowing lymphangiogenesis, has been reported in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). The mode of Nrf2 regulation in DFU has been less explored. Emerging studies on miRNA-mediated target regulation show miRNA to be the leading player in the pathogenesis of the disease. In the present study, we demonstrated the role of miR-27b in regulating Nrf2-mediated angiogenesis in DFU. A lower expression of mRNA targets, such as Nrf2, HO-1, SDF-1α, and VEGF, was observed in tissue biopsied from chronic DFU subjects, which was in line with miR-27b, signifying a positive correlation with Nrf2. Similarly, we found significantly reduced expression of miR-27b and target mRNAs Nrf2, HO-1, SDF-1α, and VEGF in endothelial cells under a hyperglycemic microenvironment (HGM). To confirm the association of miR-27b on regulating Nrf2-mediated angiogenesis, we inhibited its expression through RNA interference-mediated knockdown and observed disturbances in angiogenic signaling with reduced endothelial cell migration. In addition, to explore the role of miR-27b and angiogenesis in the activation of Nrf2, we pretreated the endothelial cells with two well-known pharmacological compounds-pterostilbene and resveratrol. We observed that activation of Nrf2 through these compounds ameliorates impaired angiogenesis on HGM-induced endothelial cells. This study suggests a positive role of miR-27b in regulating Nrf2, which seems to be decreased in DFU and improves on treatment with pterostilbene and resveratrol.


Calvarial Tuberculosis: A Case Report.
Calvarial Tuberculosis (CTB) is very rare form of TB. A 35 year old lady presented with a painless bony swelling over the right frontal area with an enlarged pre-auricular lymphnode. The CT revealed an expansile lytic lesion involving right frontal bone with minimal dural enhancement. In the presence of normal ESR, no past history of Tuberculosis, an expansile lytic lesion with intradural enhancement and previous inconclusive FNAC of pre-auricular lymphnode; she underwent surgical excision which revealed caseous granulation suggestive of TB.


Capillary zone electrophoresis of derivatized acidic monosaccharides.
A new and specific precolumn derivatization reaction for acidic monosaccharides was introduced and evaluated in the separation and sensitive detection of carbohydrates by capillary electrophoresis. The derivatization reaction involved the attachment of sulfanilic acid (a UV absorbing tag) or 7-amino-naphthalene-1,3-disulfonic acid (a UV absorbing and fluorescing tag) via a condensation reaction between the amino group of the derivatizing agent and the carboxyl group of the sugar in the presence of a water-soluble carbodiimide. The derivatization reaction replaced the weak carboxylic acid of the sugar by a strong sulfonic acid, which is fully ionized at all pH. This allowed the electrophoresis of the sugar derivatives over a wide pH range and permitted the determination of acidic carbohydrates at very low femtomole levels by UV and fluorescence detection.


Dynein-dynactin complex mediates protein kinase A-dependent clustering of Weibel-Palade bodies in endothelial cells.
Perinuclear clustering is observed for several different organelles and illustrates dynamic regulation of the secretory pathway and organelle distribution. Previously, we observed that a subset of Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs), endothelial cell-specific storage organelles, undergo centralization when endothelial cells are stimulated with cAMP-raising agonists of von Willebrand factor (vWF) secretion. In this study, we investigated this phenomenon of WPB clustering in more detail. Our results demonstrate that the clustered WPBs are localized at the microtubule organizing center and that cluster formation depends on an intact microtubule network. Disruption of the microtubules by nocodazole completely abolished clustering, whereas treatment with the actin depolymerizing compound cytochalasin B had no effect on WPB clustering. Interfering with the dynein-dynactin interaction by overexpression of the p50 dynamitin subunit or the CC1 domain of the p150glued subunit of the dynactin complex completely inhibited perinuclear clustering of WPBs, suggesting that dynein activity mediates this process. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of dephosphorylation resulted in an increase in clustering, whereas inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) markedly reduced WPB clustering. These results suggest that perinuclear clustering of WPBs involves PKA-dependent regulation of the dynein-dynactin complex. Endothelial cell stimulation with epinephrine results in retrograde movement of a subset of WPBs to the microtubule organizing center. This minus-end directed transport requires an intact microtubular network and is mediated by the motor protein dynein. Together, our results suggest that epinephrine-induced clustering of WPBs involves PKA-dependent regulation of the dynein-dynactin complex.


Retinal tissue oxygen tension imaging in the rat.
To report an imaging technique for measurement of oxygen tension (PO2) in retinal tissue and establish its feasibility for measuring retinal PO2 variations in rat eyes by adjusting the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2). A narrow laser line was projected at an angle on the retina, and phosphorescence emission was imaged after intravitreal injection of an oxygen-sensitive molecular probe. A frequency-domain approach was used for phosphorescence lifetime measurements. Retinal PO2 maps were computed from phosphorescence lifetime images, and oxygen profiles through the retinal depth were derived in rats in conditions of 10%, 21%, and 50% FiO2. Retinal PO2 measurements were repeatable, and variations in outer and inner retina PO2 at different locations along the image were not significant (P>or=0.3). Maximum outer retinal PO2 obtained in 10%, 21%, and 50% FiO2 were significantly different (P<0.0001). Maximum outer retinal PO2 correlated with systemic arterial PO2 (R=0.70; P<0.0001). The slope of the outer retina PO2 profile correlated with maximum outer retinal PO2 (R=0.84; P<0.0001). Mean inner retina PO2 correlated with maximum outer retinal PO2 (R=0.88; P<0.0001). A technique has been developed for quantitative mapping of retinal tissue oxygen tension with the potential to enable sequential monitoring of retinal oxygenation in health and disease.


[Endometriosis of the abdominal wall after cesarean section].
The finding of endometriosis of the abdominal wall is a rare event; we describe three cases observed after cesarean section. The first case is an endometriosis of the rectus abdominis, first occurrence in literature. The second case describes a localization limited to the subcutaneous tissue. The third case describes the involvement of the entire abdominal wall. Only two patients complained about excruciating abdominal pain during menstrual bleeding. In one case pain was only an occasional event.


Cloning DNA fragments between two adjacent/overlapping restriction sites using a "positive stuffer".
Here we describe a solution to a common problem encountered in recombinant DNA cloning when directional cloning of a DNA fragment into a predetermined plasmid requires the use of restriction enzymes with adjacent or overlapping recognition sites. In preparing the double-digested plasmid, only one enzyme will often cut, whereas the second will not because of the lack of a sufficiently long stretch of double-stranded DNA at its recognition site. The problem can be solved by construction of a "user-friendly" intermediary plasmid in which the desired restriction sites are separated by a positively selectable stuffer with resistance to neomycin. This approach is particularly useful in cases where the choices of restriction sites are severely limited, for example, when it is necessary to clone an additional piece of DNA into a complex vector already containing multiple gene cassettes.


High magnetic field induced changes of gene expression in arabidopsis.
High magnetic fields are becoming increasingly prevalent components of non-invasive, biomedical imaging tools (such as MRI), thus, an understanding of the molecular impacts associated with these field strengths in biological systems is of central importance. The biological impact of magnetic field strengths up to 30 Tesla were investigated in this study through the use of transgenic Arabidopsis plants engineered with a stress response gene consisting of the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) gene promoter driving the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene reporter. Magnetic field induced Adh/GUS activity was evaluated with histochemical staining to assess tissue specific expression and distribution, and with quantitative, spectrofluometric assays to measure degree of activation. The evaluation of global changes in the Arabidopsis genome in response to exposure to high magnetic fields was facilitated with Affymetrix Gene Chip microarrays. Quantitative analyses of gene expression were performed with quantitative real-time polymerase-chain-reaction (qRT-PCR). Field strengths in excess of about 15 Tesla induce expression of the Adh/GUS transgene in the roots and leaves. From the microarray analyses that surveyed 8000 genes, 114 genes were differentially expressed to a degree greater than 2.5 fold over the control. These results were quantitatively corroborated by qRT-PCR examination of 4 of the 114 genes. The data suggest that magnetic fields in excess of 15 Tesla have far-reaching effect on the genome. The wide-spread induction of stress-related genes and transcription factors, and a depression of genes associated with cell wall metabolism, are prominent examples. The roles of magnetic field orientation of macromolecules and magnetophoretic effects are discussed as possible factors that contribute to the mounting of this response.


Mapping the abundance and distribution of Adélie penguins using Landsat-7: first steps towards an integrated multi-sensor pipeline for tracking populations at the continental scale.
The last several years have seen an increased interest in the use of remote sensing to identify the location of penguin colonies in Antarctica, and the estimation of the abundance of breeding pairs contained therein. High-resolution (sub-meter) commercial satellite imagery (e.g., Worldview-1, Quickbird) is capable of colony detection and abundance estimation for both large and small colonies, and has already been used in a continental-scale survey of Adélie penguins. Medium-resolution Landsat imagery has been used successfully to detect the presence of breeding penguins, but has not been used previously for abundance estimation nor evaluated in terms of its minimum colony size detection threshold. We report on the first comprehensive analysis of the performance of these two methods for both detection and abundance estimation, identify the sensor-specific failure modes that can lead to both false positives and false negatives, and compare the abundance estimates of each method over multiple spatial scales. We find that errors of omission using Landsat imagery are low for colonies larger than ∼10,000 breeding pairs. Both high-resolution and Landsat imagery can be used to obtain unbiased estimates of abundance, and while Landsat-derived abundance estimates have high variance for individual breeding colonies relative to estimates derived from high-resolution imagery, this difference declines as the spatial domain of interest is increased. At the continental scale, abundance estimates using the two methods are roughly equivalent. Our comparison of these two methods represents a bridge between the more developed high-resolution imagery, which can be expensive to obtain, and the medium-resolution Landsat-7 record, which is freely available; this comparison of methodologies represents an essential step towards integration of these disparate sources of data for regional assessments of Adélie population abundance and distribution.


Playful Work Design: Introduction of a New Concept.
This article introduces the concept of playful work design-the process through which employees proactively create conditions within work activities that foster enjoyment and challenge without changing the design of the job itself. First, we review play theory and the motives people may have to play during work. In addition, we use the literature on proactive work behavior to argue that individuals can take personal initiative to increase person-job fit. Combining these literatures, we provide a theoretical framework for playful work design. We discuss the development and validation of an instrument to assess playful work design, and review recent studies to elucidate the psychological effects of playful work design and its possible outcomes. Finally, we briefly discuss practical implications.


Regional differences of adenylate cyclase stimulation by calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide in the human kidney.
Calcitonin (CT) gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity was detected in both the cortex and medullo-papillary portion of human kidneys. The two forms of human CGRP as well as rat CGRP were capable of stimulating renal cortical adenylate cyclase activity in a concentration-related manner, with a half-maximally effective concentration (EC50) similar to that of human CT and approximately 100-1000 times higher than that of salmon CT. However, in the medullo-papillary portion, in which both salmon CT and human CT were inactive, the two forms of human and rat CGRP increased adenylate cyclase activity by 100%, with EC50 values ranging from 36 nmol/L to 1 mumol/L. In cortical membrane preparations the effect of CGRP was additive to that of salmon CT. We concluded that regional differences exist in the effect of CT and CGRP in human renal tissue and that in the medullo-papillary portion and possibly in the cortex, CGRP stimulates adenylate cyclase activity through a CT-independent mechanism.


Proteomic and metabolomic studies on chilling injury in peach and nectarine.
Peaches and nectarines are temperate climate stone fruits, which should be stored at 0°C to prevent the ripening of these climacteric fruits. However, if stored for too long or if stored at a higher temperature (4 or 5°C), they develop chilling injury. Chilling injury damage includes (1) dry, mealy, wooly (lack of juice) fruits, (2) hard-textured fruits with no juice (leatheriness), (3) flesh browning, and (4) flesh bleeding or internal reddening. There are genetic components to these disorders in that early season fruits are generally more resistant than late season fruits, and white-fleshed fruits are more susceptible to internal browning than yellow-fleshed fruits. A recent review covered the recent research in genomic and transcriptomic studies, and this review examines findings from proteomic and metabolomics studies. Proteomic studies found that the ethylene synthesis proteins are decreased in cold compromised fruits, and this affects the processes initiated by ethylene including cell wall and volatile changes. Enzymes in metabolic pathways were both higher and lower in abundance in CI fruits, an indication of an imbalance in energy production. Stress proteins increased in both fruits with or without CI, but were higher in damaged fruits. Metabolomics showed the role of levels of sugars, sucrose, raffinose, galactinol, and glucose-6-phosphate in protection against chilling injury, along with other membrane stabilizers such as polyamines. Amino acid changes were inconsistent among the studies. Lipid species changes during storage could be correlated with sensitivity or resistance to CI, but more studies are needed.


Integrated genomics, physiology and breeding approaches for improving drought tolerance in crops.
Drought is one of the most serious production constraint for world agriculture and is projected to worsen with anticipated climate change. Inter-disciplinary scientists have been trying to understand and dissect the mechanisms of plant tolerance to drought stress using a variety of approaches; however, success has been limited. Modern genomics and genetic approaches coupled with advances in precise phenotyping and breeding methodologies are expected to more effectively unravel the genes and metabolic pathways that confer drought tolerance in crops. This article discusses the most recent advances in plant physiology for precision phenotyping of drought response, a vital step before implementing the genetic and molecular-physiological strategies to unravel the complex multilayered drought tolerance mechanism and further exploration using molecular breeding approaches for crop improvement. Emphasis has been given to molecular dissection of drought tolerance by QTL or gene discovery through linkage and association mapping, QTL cloning, candidate gene identification, transcriptomics and functional genomics. Molecular breeding approaches such as marker-assisted backcrossing, marker-assisted recurrent selection and genome-wide selection have been suggested to be integrated in crop improvement strategies to develop drought-tolerant cultivars that will enhance food security in the context of a changing and more variable climate.


Overview of oral health status and associated risk factors in maritime settings: An updated systematic review.
The aim of this study is to provide an updated overview of the oral health status and associated risk factors in maritime settings. We systematically searched PubMed, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and SCOPUS from January 2010 to April 2023. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. The quality of included studies was assessed using relevant assessment tools. A total of 260 records were found in the initial search; 24 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most studies had descriptive design, and only two randomized controlled trials were found. The main oral health issues noted are oral cancer, dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral mucosal lesions, and dental emergency. Male seafarers have higher risk of oral cancers in the tongue, lips, and oral cavity while oral mucosal lesions are more prevalent among fishermen. Dental caries and periodontal diseases are prevalent in both seafarers and fishermen. The consumption of tobacco, alcohol, fermentable carbohydrate, and poor oral hygiene are risk factors that affect the oral health status at sea. The occurrence of oral diseases in maritime setting requires more attention of researchers and authorities to develop strategies to tackle these issues. Systematic review registration number in PROSPERO: CRD42020168692.


Synchronization of cyclic and acyclic embryo recipient mares with donor mares.
This study compared hormone treatments given to mares during anestrus, spring transition, and different stages of the estrous cycle, by assessing uterine features and pregnancy rates after embryo transfer (ET). Embryo recipient mares (n = 160) were equally arranged as follows: G1-spontaneous ovulation (control), G2-anestrus, G3-spring transition, G4-early estrus, G5-estrus, G6-diestrus, G7-early diestrus treated with a dose of dinoprost, and G8-early diestrus treated with two doses of dinoprost. At treatment initiation (Day-4), G2-7 were given dinoprost and estradiol-17β, thereafter, estradiol-17β was repeated on Days-3,-2, and -1. On Day0, mares received long-acting altrenogest. Then, each mare had one ET performed from Day + 3 to Day + 8 after altrenogest. Immediately before the ET, mares received a boost of altrenogest and had uterine features assessed. Pregnant mares on each of the checks (by 7, 30, 60, and 120d after ET) were maintained on weekly injections of LA-P4 until 120d. G8 received similar management, but dinoprost was repeated on Day-3. G1-G6 and G8 displayed uterine edema and satisfactory pregnancy rates ≥65%. Repeating dinoprost to G8 likely ensured proper luteolysis and response to estrogen as determined by higher uterine edema scores and pregnancy rates than G7 (p < .05). Our results were consistent with previous studies and other successful commercial ET programs (except G7), thus, demonstrating the usefulness of the hormone treatments described herein to synchronize embryo recipient mares with donor mares. Thus, we foresee that other groups may use the strategies described herein for the management of embryo recipient mares.


Minocycline plus N-acteylcysteine induces remyelination, synergistically protects oligodendrocytes and modifies neuroinflammation in a rat model of mild traumatic brain injury.
Mild traumatic brain injury afflicts over 2 million people annually and little can be done for the underlying injury. The Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs Minocycline plus N-acetylcysteine (MINO plus NAC) synergistically improved cognition and memory in a rat mild controlled cortical impact (mCCI) model of traumatic brain injury.3 The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of the drug combination are unknown. This study addressed the effect of the drug combination on white matter damage and neuroinflammation after mCCI. Brain tissue from mCCI rats given either sham-injury, saline, MINO alone, NAC alone, or MINO plus NAC was investigated via histology and qPCR at four time points (2, 4, 7, and 14 days post-injury) for markers of white matter damage and neuroinflammation. MINO plus NAC synergistically protected resident oligodendrocytes and decreased the number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Activation of microglia/macrophages (MP/MG) was synergistically increased in white matter two days post-injury after MINO plus NAC treatment. Patterns of M1 and M2 MP/MG were also altered after treatment. The modulation of neuroinflammation is a potential mechanism to promote remyelination and improve cognition and memory. These data also provide new and important insights into how drug treatments can induce repair after traumatic brain injury.


Motivational interviewing for preventing oral morbidities in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review with meta-analysis was performed to assess whether motivational interviewing (MI) effectively prevents oral morbidities in adults. Studies considered were randomized controlled trials, cluster-randomized controlled trials and community-based randomized trials assessing interventions based on MI or indicating that a counselling technique based on the principles developed by Miller and Rollnick was used. Controls were any type of oral health education or negative controls. Participants were 18-60 years old. The main outcome was any oral morbidity. From 602 studies identified in MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and LILACS databases, seven studies were included in the synthesis. Studies included only evaluated periodontal outcomes, no studies were found for other oral morbidities. Patients' mean age was 43.7 years, and the follow-up time after MI or MI-based intervention varied between 1 month and 1 year. The total study population was 272 people with moderate-to-severe periodontitis; other groups analysed were pregnant women (n = 112) and patients with mental disorders and alcohol problems (n = 60). Meta-analysis for the plaque index (four studies, n = 267), bleeding on probing (two studies, n = 177) and gingival index (two studies, n = 166) were carried out. The summary effects for the random-effects model were estimated respectively as -3.59 percentage points (CI: [-11.44; 4.25] for plaque index, -6.41 percentage points (CI: [-12.18, -0.65]) for bleeding on probing and -0.70 (CI: [-1.87; 0.48]) for gingival index, marginally favouring the MI group. The reduced number of studies, the non-disclosure of some aspects of the data and the heterogeneity among them undermine the precision of the estimates. The current evidence available is limited to periodontal outcomes, and it is not possible to determine whether MI effectively prevents oral morbidities in adults.


Waterline biofilm and the dental treatment facility: a review.
Biofilms are well-organized communities of cooperating microorganisms that can include bacteria, protozoa, diatoms, and fungi. Surveys of dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) indicate that biofilm formation is a universal problem and that environmental and human-derived opportunistic pathogens can be cultured consistently from biofilms retrieved from DUWLs and other dental devices. Although the health risks presented by waterline bacterial colonization have yet to be adequately addressed, professional and ethical considerations indicate that steps should be taken to improve the quality of DUWLs. To address these concerns, the Council on Scientific Affairs of the ADA recently published a list of products cleared by the FDA to control dental waterline contamination. The goal of this article is to increase the awareness of potential health risks posed by biofilm formation and provide information on techniques and devices designed to control the microbial contamination of DUWLs.


Characteristics of steel slag under different cooling conditions.
Four types of steel slags, a ladle slag, a BOF (basic oxygen furnace) slag and two different EAF (electric arc furnace) slags, were characterized and modified by semi-rapid cooling in crucibles and rapid cooling by water granulation. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different cooling conditions on the properties of glassy slags with respect to their leaching and volume stability. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and a standard test leaching (prEN 12457-2/3) have been used for the investigation. The results show that the disintegrated ladle slag was made volume stable by water granulation, which consisted of 98% glass. However EAF slag 1, EAF slag 2 and the BOF slag formed 17%, 1% and 1% glass, respectively. The leaching test showed that the glass-containing matrix did not prevent leaching of minor elements from the modified slags. The solubility of chromium, molybdenum and vanadium varied in the different modifications, probably due to their presence in different minerals and their different distributions.


Co-occurring DSM-IV drug abuse in DSM-IV drug dependence: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.
The extent to which dependence occurs with or without abuse is important because of the potential for underestimation and biased estimates of drug dependence in surveys that rely on abuse as a screening method for dependence. The purpose of this paper was to present the prevalence of DSM-IV drug dependence with and without drug abuse in a nationally representative sample, as well as in subgroups defined by sex, age and race/ethnicity. Among all respondents with current drug dependence, 22.0% did not additionally meet criteria for abuse (19.5% among males and 27.8% among females). Current drug dependence without abuse was especially common among females age 45-64 (52.6% of all cases). Among those with lifetime diagnoses of drug dependence, a small proportion overall, 5.0% had no symptoms of abuse, with the highest proportion again found among females aged 45-64 (19.5% of all cases). The use of drug abuse as a screening method for drug dependence in large epidemiologic studies will differentially underestimate the prevalence of dependence by subgroup, affecting many types of research. Dependence with and without abuse may represent heterogeneous phenotypes for genetic and gene-environment research, which should be explored.


Serum zinc levels amongst pregnant women in a rural block of Haryana state, India.
Zinc deficiency is wide spread in developing countries. Its deficiency during pregnancy has been documented to be associated with growth retardation, congenital abnormalities, and low birth weight. Limited community based data is available on the serum zinc levels during pregnancy from Haryana State, India. Hence the present study was undertaken. A community based cross sectional study was conducted amongst 283 pregnant women with gestational age of 28 weeks or more. Each pregnant woman was inquired about her age, obstetric profile, socio-economic status, and other demographic parameters by utilizing a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Blood from the antecubital vein was drawn to assess the serum zinc levels utilizing the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Nutrient intake was assessed by the standard 24-hr dietary recall method. Statistical tests were applied to the data collected. Mean serum zinc level was 61.1+/-16.6 microg/dL. Almost 64.6% of the women had zinc deficiency. The dietary data revealed that 58.9 % of the women were consuming calories less that 75% of the recommended, indicating an overall poor food intake. Dietary zinc intake revealed that 86.2 % of the women were consuming less than 50% of the recommended (15 mg). A high prevalence of zinc deficiency (64.6%) was found amongst the pregnant women possibly due to the low dietary intake of zinc. There is a need to undertake multi-centric studies in various parts of the country to assess the serum zinc levels, magnitude of zinc deficiency and factors leading to zinc deficiency amongst pregnant women in India.


Comparison of allergic adverse effects and contrast enhancement between iodixanol and iopromide.
Iodinated X-ray contrast media are the most commonly used contrast agents in the world with an annual application of 40-50 million. New non-ionic contrast agents are subdivided into low osmolar agents such as iopromide and iso-osmolar agents such as iodixanol. Regarding different biochemical characteristics, these agents are different in the allergic reactions and contrast enhancement and final lesion conspicuity. This study was carried out to compare allergic adverse effects and contrast enhancement between iodixanol and iopromide. One-hundred and twenty patients who were referred for abdominal CT scan to Besat Hospital were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups (A and B). Group A received 100 cc iodixanol (300 mgI/mL) and group B received 100 cc iopromide (300 mgI/ml) by power injector. CT examination was performed using Helical CT Scanner (Somatom, Siemens, Germany). Sixty seconds after injection, images were obtained and enhancement of port, liver and aorta were determined. Allergic adverse effects were recorded one hour and up to one week after injection. Iodixanol produced a significantly greater enhancement of the hepatic, aorta and portal vein than iopromide (P < 0.01). Sixty seconds after injection, associated pain and heat sensation were less frequent in iodixanol in comparison with iopromide (P = 0.03). Immediate reactions such as nausea and vomiting were less frequent in iodixanol (P = 0.01). Late skin reactions such as rash was more frequent in iodixanol (P < 0.01). Iodixanol is safe and is better tolerated in the early phase of injection with better contrast enhancement and lesion conspicuity. Mild late skin rash is its disadvantage.


Cortical tau load is associated with white matter hyperintensities.
Cerebral white matter lesions (WML), visualized as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on T2-weighted MRI, encompass structural damage and loss of integrity of the cerebral white matter (WM) and are commonly assumed to be associated with small vessel disease (SVD). However, it has been suggested that WM damage may also be the result of degenerative axonal loss that is secondary to cortical Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies i.e., hyperphosphorylated tau (HPτ) and amyloid-beta (Aβ). Here we investigate the influence of HPτ, Aβ and SVD on WMH severity. 36 human post-mortem right fixed cerebral hemispheres (mean age 84.4 ± 7.7 years; male: 16, female: 20) containing varying amounts of AD-pathology (AD: 23, controls: 13) underwent T2- weighted MRI with WMH assessed according to the age related white matter change scale (ARWMC). After dissection, using tissue samples from the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions from the right hemisphere, we quantitatively assessed cortical HPτ and Aβ pathology burden by measuring the percentage area covered by AT8 immunoreactivity (HPτ-IR) and 4G8 immunoreactivity (Aβ-IR), and assessed the severity of WM SVD by calculating the sclerotic index (SI) of WM arteries/arterioles. HPτ-IR, Aβ-IR, and SI were compared with ARWMC scores. HPτ-IR, Aβ-IR and WM ARWMC scores were all significantly higher in AD cases compared to controls, while SI values were similar between groups. ARWMC scores correlated with HPτ-IR, Aβ-IR and SI in various regions, however, linear regression revealed that only HPτ-IR was a significant independent predictor of ARWMC scores. Here we have shown that increasing cortical HPτ burden independently predicted the severity of WMH indicating its potentially important role in the pathogenesis of WM damage. Moreover, our findings suggest that in AD patients the presence of WMH may indicate cortical AD-associated pathology rather than SVD. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the pathological processes that lead to WM damage and to clarify if WMH may serve as a general biomarker for cortical AD-associated pathology.


Prediction of Tennis Performance in Junior Elite Tennis Players.
Predicting current and future tennis performance can lead to improving the development of junior tennis players. The aim of this study is to investigate whether age, maturation, or physical fitness in junior elite tennis players in U13 can explain current and future tennis performance. The value of current tennis performance for future tennis performance is also investigated. A total of 86 junior elite tennis players (boys, n = 44; girls, n = 42) U13 (aged: 12.5 ± 0.3 years), and followed to U16, took part in this study. All players were top-30 ranked on the Dutch national ranking list at U13, and top-50 at U16. Age, maturation, and physical fitness, were measured at U13. A principal component analysis was used to extract four physical components from eight tests (medicine ball throwing overhead and reverse, ball throwing, SJ, CMJas, Sprint 5 and 10 meter, and the spider test). The possible relationship of age, maturation, and the physical components; "upper body power", "lower body power", "speed", and "agility" with tennis performance at U13 and U16 was analyzed. Tennis performance was measured by using the ranking position on the Dutch national ranking list at U13 and U16. Regression analyses were conducted based on correlations between variables and tennis performance for boys and girls, separately. In boys U13, positive correlations were found between upper body power and tennis performance (R2 is 25%). In girls, positive correlations between maturation and lower body power with tennis performance were found at U13. Early maturing players were associated with a better tennis performance (R2 is 15%). In girls U16, only maturation correlated with tennis performance (R2 is 13%); later-maturing girls at U13 had better tennis performances at U16. Measuring junior elite tennis players at U13 is important for monitoring their development. These measurements did not predict future tennis performance of junior elite tennis players three years later. Future research should focus on other aspects in order to predict tennis performance better.


Prevalence and effect on survival of pre-treatment sarcopenia in patients with hematological malignancies: a meta-analysis.
Evidence regarding the prevalence of pre-treatment sarcopenia and its impact on survival in patients with hematological malignancies (HM) varies across studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize this discrepancy. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library were systematically searched for relevant studies. Outcomes assessed were: prevalence of pre-treatment sarcopenia, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and complete response (CR). Weighted mean proportion, odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using a fixed-effects and a random-effects model. A total of 27 retrospective cohort studies involving 4,991 patients were included in this study. The prevalence of pre-treatment sarcopenia was 37.0% (95% CI: 32.0%-42.0%) in HM patients <60 years and 51.0% (95% CI: 45.0%-57.0%) in≥60 years. Patients with leukemia had the lowest prevalence, compared with those with other HM (38.0%; 95% CI: 33.0%-43.0%; P = 0.010). The presence of sarcopenia was independently associated with poor OS (HR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.41-1.75) and PFS (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.22-1.83) throughout treatment period, which may be partially attributed to decreased CR (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.41-0.72), particularly for BMI ≥ 25 (P = 0.020) and males (P = 0.020). Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in patients with HM and an adverse prognostic factor for both survival and treatment efficacy. HM and sarcopenia can aggravate each other. We suggest that in future clinical work, incorporating sarcopenia into risk scores will contribute to guide patient stratification and therapeutic strategy, particularly for the elderly. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42023392550).


Awareness, self-management behaviors, health literacy and kidney function relationships in specialty practice.
To determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) awareness (CKD-A), self-management behaviors (CKD-SMB) knowledge, performance of CKD-SMBs, health literacy (HL) and kidney function. Participants were eligible patients attending an outpatient nephrology clinic. Participants were administered: Newest Vital Sign to measure HL, CKD self-management knowledge tool (CKD-SMKT) to assess knowledge, past performance of CKD-SMB, CKD-A. Estimated GFR (eGFR) was determined using the MDRD-4 equation. Duration of clinic participation and CKD cause were extracted from medical charts. One-hundred-fifty patients participated in the study. eGFRs ranged from 17-152 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Majority (83%) of respondents had stage 3 or 4 CKD, low HL (63%), and were CKD aware (88%). Approximately 40% (10/25) of patients in stages 1 and 2 and 6.4% (8/125) in stages 3 and 4 were unaware of their CKD. CKD-A differed with stage (P < 0.001) but not by HL level, duration of clinic participation, or CKD cause. Majority of respondents (≥ 90%) correctly answered one or more CKD-SMKT items. Knowledge of one behavior, "controlling blood pressure" differed significantly by CKD-A. CKD-A was associated with past performance of two CKD-SMBs, "controlling blood pressure" (P = 0.02), and "keeping healthy body weight" (P = 0.01). Adjusted multivariate analyses between CKD-A and: (1) HL; and (2) CKD-SMB knowledge were non-significant. However, there was a significant relationship between CKD-A and kidney function after controlling for demographics, HL, and CKD-SMB (P < 0.05). CKD-A is not associated with HL, or better CKD-SMBs. CKD-A is significantly associated with kidney function and substantially lower eGFR, suggesting the need for focused patient education in CKD stages 1.


18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Other Thyroid Cancers: Medullary, Anaplastic, Lymphoma and So Forth.
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is used in staging, restaging, and evaluation of therapy response in many cancers as well as differentiated thyroid carcinomas especially in non-iodine avid variants. Its potential in less frequent thyroid tumors like medullary, anaplastic thyroid cancers, thyroid lymphoma and metastatic tumors of the thyroid however, is not well established yet. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the recent applications and indications of 18F-FDG PET/CT in these tumors and to focus on the controversies in the clinical setting.


Hepatitis E Virus ORF2 Inhibits RIG-I Mediated Interferon Response.
Understanding the dynamics of host innate immune responses against a pathogen marks the first step toward developing intervention strategies against the pathogen. The cytosolic pattern recognition receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) has been shown to be the major innate immune sensor for hepatitis E virus (HEV). Here, we show that HEV capsid protein (ORF2), a 660 amino acid long protein, interferes with the RIG-I signaling. Interestingly, only the full length ORF2 protein but not the 112-608 ORF2 protein inhibited RIG-I dependent interferon response. Both synthetic agonist and virus induced RIG-I activation was modulated by ORF2. Interference of interferon response was confirmed by reporter assays involving different interferon inducible promoters, qRT PCR, ELISA, and immunofluorescence microscopy. Neither glycosylation nor dimerization of the ORF2 protein had any effect on the observed inhibition. Further analyses revealed that the ORF2 protein antagonized Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways as well. ORF2 inhibited signaling by RIG-I and TLR adapters, IPS-1, MyD88, and TRIF but was unable to inhibit activation by ectopically expressed IRF3 suggesting that it may be acting at a site upstream of IRF3 and downstream of adapter proteins. Our data uncover a new mechanism by which HEV may interfere with the host antiviral signaling.


[Prenatal diagnosis of lysosomal enzymopathies in the Czech Republic].
Prenatal diagnosisi represents the important fprm of prevention of the inherited metabolic diseases and its accessibility becomes the most effective assistance to involved families. The aim of the study was to introduce prenatal diagnosis of major inherited lysosomal disorders of the group of lipidoses, micopolysaccharidoses, glycoproteinoses, and mucolipidoses. Methodological approach is based on the activity estimation of the specific lysosomal hydrolases that are missing or inactive. Methods were extended by a set of supportive analyses, namely by ultrastructural identification of the lysosomal storage of the non-degraded substrate, DNA analysis showing mutation in the family or by biochemical analysis of the amniotic fluid. Uncultured cultured chorionic villi, cultured amniotic fluid cells yand samples of the amniotic fluid were examined. Altogether 17 pregnancies at risk for seven different lysosomal enzymopathies were followed: GM2 gangliosidosis (2 cases), Fabra disease (3 cases), Krabbe disease (1 case), Niemann-Pick disease type A (1 case), mucopolysaccharidosis I (5 cases), mucopolysaccharidosis II (4 cases), mucolipidosis II (I-cell disease) (1 case). Profound deficiency of enzyme activities (alpha-galactosidase A in fabry disease, galactocerebrosidase in Krabbe disease, alpha-iduronidase in mucopolysaccharidosis I) was identified in three pregnancies, which were terminated on the mother's decision. The diagnose was confirmed by the biochemical analysis of tissues of aborted foetuses. In two of them (Fabry disease, mucopolysaccharidosis I) ultrastructural sings of storage werw proved. In two cases the foetal heterozygote state was identified. In case at risk for Niemann-Pick disease type A, the diagnosis was confirmed also by DNA analysis. In the pregnancy at risk for Fabry disease, heterozygous state was confirmed indirectly according to the difference of alpha-galactosidase activities in cultured and uncultured cells. A set control values of enzyme activities in individual types of processed material (native and cultured chorionic villi, cultured amniocytes, and amniotic fluid supernatant) has been established. Inherited lysosomal enzymopathies represent important indication for prenatal diagnosis available now in our department. Condicio sine qua non is the biochemical or molecular genetic confirmation of diagnosis in the family involved.


Study of single nucleotide polymorphisms of FBW7 and its substrate genes revealed a predictive factor for paclitaxel plus cisplatin chemotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Paclitaxel plays a major role in the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, there is no biomarker that could be used to predict the clinical response of paclitaxel. This work was conducted to investigate the association of genetic polymorphisms in FBW7 and its substrate genes and the clinical response of paclitaxel. Patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 over 3 hours day 1 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 day 1, every 3 weeks. The genotypes of 11 FBW7 and its substrate gene polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Statistical analysis revealed that patients with mTOR rs1057079 AG (ORadjusted: 4.59; 95% CI: 1.78-11.86) genotype had significant correlation with the clinical response of paclitaxel when compared with AA genotype after adjustment for sex, age, and chemotherapy cycle. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced ESCC who received paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP) as first-line treatment is 14.3 months (95% CI: 9.0-19.60 months). The median PFS (mPFS) of AG genotypes and AA genotypes in mTOR rs1057079 were 17.31 months (95% CI: 15.9-18.67 months) and 9.8 months (95% CI: 8.58-11.02 months) (p=0.019), respectively.


Right paranephric abscess as a rare late complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
A laparoscopic cholecystectomy on a 63-year-old woman was uneventful. Twenty-one months after the operation she complained of dull right flank pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and cough. CT of the abdomen showed an 8.5 cm mass adjacent to the posterior aspect of the upper pole of the right kidney. CT also demonstrated a small calcification (5 mm diameter) posterior to the upper pole of the right kidney. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy 2 months after the presentation with flank pain. Examination of the mass showed a thick abscess wall and 250 mL of pus. The patient's symptoms improved after the abscess was drained.


Evolutionarily stable strategy analysis and its links to demography and genetics through invasion fitness.
Evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) analysis pioneered by Maynard Smith and Price took off in part because it often does not require explicit assumptions about the genetics and demography of a population in contrast to population genetic models. Though this simplicity is useful, it obscures the degree to which ESS analysis applies to populations with more realistic genetics and demography: for example, how does ESS analysis handle complexities such as kin selection, group selection and variable environments when phenotypes are affected by multiple genes? In this paper, I review the history of the ESS concept and show how early uncertainty about the method lead to important mathematical theory linking ESS analysis to general population genetic models. I use this theory to emphasize the link between ESS analysis and the concept of invasion fitness. I give examples of how invasion fitness can measure kin selection, group selection and the evolution of linked modifier genes in response to variable environments. The ESSs in these examples depend crucially on demographic and genetic parameters, which highlights how ESS analysis will continue to be an important tool in understanding evolutionary patterns as new models address the increasing abundance of genetic and long-term demographic data in natural populations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.


Behaviour, Furnishing and Vertical Space Use of Captive Callimico (Callimico goeldii): Implications for Welfare.
Provision of optimal captive care should be supported by species-specific evidence. Callimico (Callimico goeldii) is a small South American callitrichid primate. This study sought to address gaps in species-specific knowledge and captive management research by examining differences in callimico behaviour across multiple collections, investigating vertical enclosure use and a possible association between specific behaviours and vertical zones. Observational research was conducted at five European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) organisations, in exhibits that were visually divided into four vertical zones. Instantaneous scan sampling was used to record behaviour and location of callimico over a six-day period at each collection, exceeding 160 observational hours. Significant differences were observed in foraging between collections and were much lower than the recommendations in Best Practice Guidelines, although near-wild levels were recorded in one enclosure. At an average height of 2 m, callimico utilized a similar vertical space across very different enclosures, regardless of overall available height, reflective of their natural ecology. The association between whole food items and increased foraging time, horizontal branches and locomotion and deep substrate and diversity of behaviours, offers further species-specific evidence of how the callimico use their captive environment. Our findings complement current EAZA guidelines to support species appropriate care for callimico and makes specific recommendations for further research.


Saponins, Esculeosides B-1 and B-2, in Tomato Juice and Sapogenol, Esculeogenin B1.
It has been shown that commercial tomato juice packaged in 900 g plastic bottles contains rare, naturally occurring steroidal solanocapsine-type tomato glycosides in which the saponins consist of esculeosides B-1 (2) and B-2 (3) in 0.041% as major components lacking esculeoside A. We suggest that these saponins are derived from esculeoside A (1) when the juice in plastic bottles is prepared by treatment with boiling water, similar to the process used in preparing canned tomatoes. Herein, the obtained tomato saponins (2) and (3) provided sapogenols esculeogenin B1 (4) and B2 (5), respectively, by acid hydrolysis. The former was identical to esculeogenin B previously reported, and the latter was a new sapogenol characterized to be (5α,22S,23S,25S)-22,26-epimino-16β,23-epoxy-3β,23,27-trihydroxycholestane.


Lithotripsy with the alexandrite laser: our initial 100 clinical cases.
The alexandrite laser system has proven to be an effective and safe method of treating ureteral stones. When the electromagnetic energy of a laser light pulse is selectively absorbed by the stone, a plasma forms at the surface. This plasma, which is composed of ions and electrons, continues to absorb laser energy, reaching very high pressure and generating a shock wave that fragments the stone. The degree of stone fragmentation is directly related to the composition and crystal lattice structure of the calculus. 112 calculi have been treated, and laser lithotripsy was successful in 87.5%. 6% of the stones were inadvertently flushed back into the kidney. No patient required an open ureterolithotomy. Guidance of the laser fiber onto the stone was performed by rigid ureteroscopy. There were no troublesome complications, and in a 3-month follow-up, no sequelae were reported.


Transitions to Adult Care for Rhode Island Youth with Special Healthcare Needs.
The transitioning of youth from pediatric to adult care systems is often fraught with discontinuity, miscommunication and gaps in care. This is most significant for youth with special health care needs. A panel discussion on transitioning youth to adult care systems that was part of a learning collaborative held by The RI Care Transformation Collaborative (CTC) is presented here, illustrated by a pertinent case of a youth with type 1 diabetes. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2016-08.asp, free with no login].


A technique for non-deflating balloon catheter removal in female patients.
Removing a foley catheter can sometimes be a challenge, especially when it is related to non-deflating balloons which represent most of the cases. In female patients, due to their urethral anatomy, several techniques have been proposed for balloon puncture when other maneuvers have failed. We present a simple technique for non-deflating balloon catheter removal in an old female patient with a permanent indwelling foley catheter which required no anesthesia. The balloon was effectively punctured with minimal patient's discomfort. In addition, this technique was tested in several ex-vivo model catheters and found to be safe and effective. Our technique can be used for non-deflating balloon puncture in female patients in an outpatient setting without anesthesia.


A 2D non-invasive ultrasonic method for simultaneous measurement of arterial strain and flow pattern.
Many cardiovascular diseases are closely associated with the mechanical properties of arterial wall and hemodynamic parameters. Simultaneous measurements of the arterial strain and flow pattern may aid diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and may be useful to study fluid-structure interaction between blood and vessel. This paper proposes a 2D non-invasive ultrasonic method to simultaneously measure arterial strain and flow pattern with sub-pixel accuracy. The method uses a multiple iterative algorithm to estimate the geometrical transformations of arterial wall and high-velocity gradient flows simultaneously. The accuracy of the method was validated by an in vitro arterial phantom and in vivo common carotid arteries (CCAs) of 12 mice using a Sonix RP (10 MHz) and a VisualSonics Vevo 2100 (30 MHz) ultrasound imaging system, respectively. For the arterial phantom, the calculated elasticity modulus from the strain profile shows good agreement with the mechanical testing value, deviating no more than 9.3%. The calculated flow velocity agrees well with the value obtained from the rotameter, deviating only 4.3%. For the CCAs of mice, good agreement is found between the calculated flow velocity and the measured value by ultrasound Doppler. The mean elasticity modulus of CCAs is 134.62 ± 54.3 kPa, which is in accordance with published data. The proposed method is capable of measuring the arterial wall strain and flow velocity pattern. This may be clinically useful for early detecting and monitoring cardiovascular diseases and may provide an essential tool in modelling the fluid-structure interaction between the blood and blood vessel.


High-fat sunflower and olive oil diets affect serum lipid levels in steatotic rat liver differently.
This work describes the long-term effects of two different diets, one rich in olive oil and the other in sunflower oil, on serum lipid and lipoprotein levels after the establishment of fatty liver in rats 8 and 15 months old. The serum lipid and lipoprotein levels as well as the steatotic process have been evaluated by biochemical and histological methods, respectively. The results showed that fatty liver was well developed with both long-term high-fat diets, and hepatocytes were filled with many lipid droplets. This process was more evident in the portal zones, where fat hepatocytes were more numerous. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-C levels were highest in the sunflower oil fed rats, whereas the TG and LDL-C levels were highest in the olive oil group. Finally, the atherogenic indexes (HDL/TC, HDL/LDL, HDL/(TC-HDL)) were higher in the sunflower oil diet group than in the olive oil group.


A systematic review of robot-assisted cholecystectomy to examine the quality of reporting in relation to the IDEAL recommendations: systematic review.
Robotic cholecystectomy (RC) is a recent innovation in minimally invasive gallbladder surgery. The IDEAL (idea, development, exploration, assessment, long-term study) framework aims to provide a safe method for evaluating innovative procedures. This study aimed to understand how RC was introduced, in accordance with IDEAL guidelines. Systematic searches were used to identify studies reporting RC. Eligible studies were classified according to IDEAL stage and data were collected on general study characteristics, patient selection, governance procedures, surgeon/centre expertise, and outcome reporting. Of 1425 abstracts screened, 90 studies were included (5 case reports, 38 case series, 44 non-randomized comparative studies, and 3 randomized clinical trials). Sixty-four were single-centre and 15 were prospective. No authors described their work in the context of IDEAL. One study was classified as IDEAL stage 1, 43 as IDEAL 2a, 43 as IDEAL 2b, and three as IDEAL 3. Sixty-four and 51 provided inclusion and exclusion criteria respectively. Ethical approval was reported in 51 and conflicts of interest in 34. Only 21 reported provision of training for surgeons in RC. A total of 864 outcomes were reported; 198 were used in only one study. Only 30 reported a follow-up interval which, in 13, was 1 month or less. The IDEAL framework was not followed during the adoption of RC. Few studies were conducted within a research setting, many were retrospective, and outcomes were heterogeneous. There is a need to implement appropriate tools to facilitate the incremental evaluation and reporting of surgical innovation.


Switching Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors in Refractory Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the treatment of choice for cases with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Switching to an alternate anti-VEGF has been suggested as a possible option for resistant cases. The purpose of this review is to evaluate whether the timing of switching affects treatment outcomes. A review of published literature was performed looking at all studies where patients with refractory neovascular AMD were switched to an alternative anti-VEGF. Studies were then stratified based on the timing of switching into early (< 12 previous injections) and late (> 12 previous injections). A total of 38 studies were identified: 18 where patients were switched early and 20 where they were switched late. Both subgroups showed anatomic improvement after switching, with limited visual gains. There are insufficient data to recommend early versus late switching. However, both groups showed a reduction of fluid on optical coherence tomography and visual gains in 25% to 30% of patients. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:166-170.].


[Basophil degranulation test in the diagnosis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug hypersensitivity].
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) hypersensitivity affects from 5 to 30% of adult asthmatics. The diagnosis is established on the basis of anamnesis and confirmed by provocation tests, but the last one carry the risk of serious side effects. There is lack of in vitro test to diagnose NSAID hypersensitivity. The aim of our study was to establish the usefulness of basophil degranulation test in the diagnosis of NSAID hypersensitivity. The study population consisted of 10 patients with aspirin asthma, 6 asthmatics with tolerance of NSAID and 6 healthy subjects. NSAID hypersensitivity was confirmed by aspirin challenge. The level of specific IgE for aspirin was determined in all subjects by ELISA method. Basophil degranulation test (BDT) was performed The BDT was assessed as positive when the basophils degranulation exceeded 30% as compared to control. In all NSAID hypersensitive subjects, sensitivity was confirmed by aspirin challenge. The specific IgE test was negative for all studied subjects. BDT was positive in 9 from 10 NSAID hypersensitive patients and negative in all NSAID tolerant subjects. The positive degranulation was observed in range 10 to 750 microg of aspirin/ml. One false negative result was observed in patient receiving high dose of oral glucocorticosteroids which stabilized basophils and prevent from degranulation. BDT, when performed in increasing aspirin concentration from 50 to 500 microg/ml, seems to be a valuable and safe diagnostic method of NSAID hypersensitivity. The study revealed that sIgE for aspirin are not useful diagnostic method. The study confirmed the involvement of basophils in the NSAID hypersensitivity reaction beyond IgE system.


Statin-Associated Myopathy in a Pediatric Preventive Cardiology Practice.
To describe muscle-related statin adverse effects in real-world pediatric practice. Using prospectively collected quality improvement data from a pediatric preventive cardiology practice, we compared serum creatine kinase (CK) levels among patients prescribed and not prescribed statins, and pre-/poststatin initiation. Multivariable mixed-effect models were constructed accounting for repeated measures, examining the effect of statins on log-transformed CK (lnCK) levels adjusted for age, sex, weight, season, insurance type, and race/ethnicity. Among 1501 patients seen over 3.5 years, 474 patients (14?±?4 years, 47% female) had at least 1 serum CK measured. Median (IQR) CK levels of patients prescribed (n?=?188 patients, 768 CK measurements) and not prescribed statins (n?=?351 patients, 682 CK measurements) were 107 (83) IU/L and 113 (81) IU/L, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted models, lnCK levels did not differ based on statin use (??=?0.02 [SE 0.05], P?=?.7). Among patients started on statins (n?=?86, 130 prestatin and 292 poststatin CK measurements), median CK levels did not differ in adjusted models (? for statin use on lnCK?=?.08 [SE .07], P?=?.2). There was a clinically insignificant increase in CK over time (??=?.08 [SE .04], P?=?.04 per year). No muscle symptoms or rhabdomyolysis were reported among patients with high CK levels. In a real-world practice, pediatric patients using statins did not experience higher CK levels, nor was there a meaningful CK increase with statin initiation. These data suggest the limited utility to checking CK in the absence of symptoms, supporting current guidelines.


Periodontal disease and oral hygiene in Israeli youth (14-17 years of age).
The purpose of the pesent study was to obtain current information regarding periodontal disease and oral hygiene status. The survey was conducted in Israel amon 9th-12th grade students, 14-17 years of age. A total of 1,320 schoolchildren were examined. During the examination only periodontal status and oral hygiene were checked. Periodontal status was recorded according to Russell's Periodontal Index (PI). Oral cleanliness was assessed according to GREENE & VERMILLION'S Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). The mean PI found was 0.22. The results indicated an increase in the mean PI with age. No difference was found in average PI values between girls and boys. On the other hand, significantly lower mean OHI-S values were recorded for girls as compared with boys in the total study population and within the different age groups. Mean OHI-S decreased with age, indicating improvement.


Autoimmune-Mediated Psychosis: A Case of Susac Syndrome in a Drug User.
Susac syndrome, a rare disorder, is thought to be mediated by autoantibodies. One of the potential targets of these autoantibodies could be an antigen in the microvessels of the brain, the retina, and the inner ear leading to central nervous system (CNS) alterations, visual disturbances, and hearing deficits. Our aim is to expand clinicians' diagnostic options when facing psychosis due to medical conditions. A case report was conducted for this study. This paper reports the case of a young male drug user who presented with psychosis, confusion and CNS vasculitis. First deemed to be drug-induced CNS vasculitis, it was finally diagnosed as Susac syndrome. Although an infrequent entity, Susac syndrome should remain an option in the differential diagnosis of several neurological and psychiatric presentations.


Independent Risk Factors Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma.
The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has risen rapidly in recent years, and PTMC patients with central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) usually have poor prognosis. Independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC have not been well understood. The aim of our study was to identify useful clinicopathological risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients. This was a retrospective study of 917 patients with PTMC treated with surgery from January 2014 to December 2015 in our hospital. The relationship between clinicopathological factors and CLNM was analyzed to identify those factors predicting CLNM in PTMC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were further performed. Of 917 PTMC patients, 344 (37.5%) were found to have CLNM confirmed by intraoperative frozen-section examination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses further found several independent factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients, including male gender (OR=1.75, 95% CI 1.17-2.61; p=0.006), younger age (<45 years) (OR=1.69, 95%CI 1.20-2.38; p=0.002), positive CLNM on ultrasonography (OR=10.20, 95% CI 5.51-18.88; p<0.001), multifocality (OR=1.69, 95% CI 1.00-2.85; p=0.04), and larger tumor size (>5 mm) (OR=2.80, 95% CI 2.01-3.91; p<0.001). The findings of our study identified several useful and independent risk factors predicting CLNM in PTMC patients, such as male gender, younger age, multifocality, positive CLNM on ultrasonography, and larger tumor size. The CLNM is very common in PTMC patients, and routine prophylactic central neck dissection may be recommended in PTMC patients with those independent risk factors of CLNM.


Charity warns of future shortfall of 7,000 clinical nurse specialists.
Macmillan Cancer Support has warned of an estimated shortfall of 7,000 clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) in the UK by 2030 if the workforce does not grow and cancer survival rates continue to improve.


Impacts of Maximizing Tendencies on Experience-Based Decisions.
Previous research on risky decisions has suggested that people tend to make different choices depending on whether they acquire the information from personally repeated experiences or from statistical summary descriptions. This phenomenon, called as a description-experience gap, was expected to be moderated by the individual difference in maximizing tendencies, a desire towards maximizing decisional outcome. Specifically, it was hypothesized that maximizers' willingness to engage in extensive information searching would lead maximizers to make experience-based decisions as payoff distributions were given explicitly. A total of 262 participants completed four decision problems. Results showed that maximizers, compared to non-maximizers, drew more samples before making a choice but reported lower confidence levels on both the accuracy of knowledge gained from experiences and the likelihood of satisfactory outcomes. Additionally, maximizers exhibited smaller description-experience gaps than non-maximizers as expected. The implications of the findings and unanswered questions for future research were discussed.


Thoracic epidural analgesia with low concentration of bupivacaine induces thoracic and lumbar sympathetic block: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.
Clinical benefits of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) are partly ascribed to thoracic sympathetic block. However, data regarding sympathetic activity during TEA are scarce and contradictory. This prospective, randomized, double-blind study evaluated the segmental propagation of sympathetic block after low-concentration, high-volume TEA using digital thermography. Twenty-four patients were included in the study. Thoracic epidural catheters were placed at a median insertion level of T8-T9. Patients were accommodated for 20 min to the room temperature of 23 degrees +/- 0.3 degrees C. Skin temperature was recorded by digital thermography. After baseline measurement of heart rate, arterial pressure, and core body and skin temperature, 10 ml saline (control group) or 10 ml bupivacaine, 0.25% (TEA group), respectively, was administered epidurally. Five minutes (t5) and 20 min (t20) after baseline measurements, hemodynamic parameters and core body temperature were again measured, and sensory block was identified by loss of cold-warm discrimination. In the thumb, the toe, and each thoracic dermatome, difference from baseline temperature was calculated at t5 and t20. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. Baseline characteristics did not differ among groups. Median spread of sensory block at t20 was T5-L5. At both t5 and t20, skin temperature decreased more in the control group than in the TEA group in all thoracic dermatomes (P < 0.05). Toe temperature increased in the TEA group compared with the control group (P < 0.05), whereas thumb temperature remained unchanged. TEA with 10 ml bupivacaine, 0.25%, induced thoracic and lumbar sympathetic block that precedes and exceeds sensory block. Caudal limit of sympathetic block could not be demonstrated in this study.


Light angular momentum flux and forces in birefringent inhomogeneous media.
The angular momentum carried by a monochromatic optical field is separated into an orbital and a spin part beyond the paraxial approximation. These quantities have been distinguished on the grounds of the different mechanical effects they produce in transparent and birefringent media endowed with internal degrees of freedom. The orbital and the spin angular momentum flux densities exhibited are shown to be divergence free in homogeneous and isotropic media and to give back the correct expressions in the paraxial limit.


Pulmonary Artery Pseudoaneurysm in Hyper-IgE Syndrome: Rare Complication With Successful Endovascular Management.
Hyper-IgE syndrome also known as Job syndrome is characterized by elevation of circulating immunoglobulin (IgE) levels and is usually associated with recurrent bacterial infections of the skin and sinopulmonary tract. Though bacterial pulmonary abscess and pneumatocele formation have been described, pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in Job syndrome has not been reported in literature. Our report describes a case of large pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in a child with Job syndrome, who presented with massive hemoptysis. Emergent endovascular management was performed with percutaneous coil occlusion of the feeding artery.


Ultrasound Used for Diagnostic Imaging Facilitates Dendritic Branching of Developing Neurons in the Mouse Cortex.
Neuronal differentiation and synaptogenesis are regulated by precise orchestration of intrinsic and extrinsic chemical and mechanical factors throughout all developmental steps critical for the assembly of neurons into functional circuits. While ultrasound is known to alter neuronal migration and activity acutely, its chronic effect on neuronal behavior or morphology is not well characterized. Furthermore, higher-frequency (3-5 MHz) ultrasound (HFU) is extensively used in gynecological practice for imaging, and while it has not been shown harmful for the developing brain, it might be associated with mild alterations that may have functional consequences. To shed light on the neurobiological effects of HFU on the developing brain, we examined cortical pyramidal cell morphology in a transgenic mouse model, following a single and short dose of high-frequency ultrasound. Layer V neurons in the retrosplenial cortex of mouse embryos were labeled with green and red fluorescent proteins by in utero electroporation at the time of their appearance (E14.5). At the time of their presumptive arrival to layer V (E18.5), HFU stimulation was performed with parameters matched to those used in human prenatal examinations. On the third postnatal day (P3), basic morphometric analyses were performed on labeled neurons reconstructed with Neurolucida. Low-intensity HFU-treated cells showed significantly increased dendritic branching compared to control (non-stimulated) neurons and showed elevated c-fos immunoreactivity. Labeled neurons were immunopositive for the mechanosensitive receptor TRPC4 at E18.5, suggesting the role of this receptor and the associated signaling pathways in the effects of HFU stimulation.


Clinical and dermoscopic features of combined cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)/neuroendocrine [Merkel cell] carcinoma (MCC).
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a neuroendocrine carcinoma, associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus. MCC admixed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is unassociated with polyomavirus, and is genetically distinct. We sought to distinguish clinically and dermoscopically between MCC and SCC/MCC. We compared patient data for SCC/MCC (n = 26) and MCC (n = 20), and reviewed clinical and dermoscopic images (n = 9) of SCC/MCC. Patients with SCC/MCC were older (median 76.5 vs 69 years) and more often male (77% vs 60%), and had more nonmelanoma skin cancer (85% vs 25%), malignant extracutaneous tumors (25% vs 5%), lymphoproliferative disorders (23% vs 10%), and immunodeficient/proinflammatory states (77% vs 35%). In all, 58% of SCC/MCC versus 10% of MCC were clinically diagnosed nonmelanoma skin cancer. Patients with SCC/MCC had more metastases (77% vs 40%), more treatment failures (53% vs 45%), shorter survival (41 vs 54 months), and more death from disease (50% vs 40%). SCC/MCC demonstrated marked scale (7/9), and telangiectasia (1/9). Dermoscopically, small dotted and short linear irregular peripheral vessels and central milky-red areas with large-diameter arborizing vessels were seen. The rarity of SCC/MCC limits available data. SCC/MCC is aggressive, arising within elderly patients' chronically ultraviolet-exposed skin, often in the setting of immunosuppression or inflammation. Dermoscopically, polymorphous vessels in lesions suspicious for nonmelanoma skin cancer are suggestive.


Acute Treatment of Migraine.
Migraine is one of the most frequent disabling neurological conditions with a major impact on the patient's quality of life. Migraine has been described as a chronic disorder that characterized with attacks. Attacks are characterized by moderate-severe, often unilateral, pulsating headache attacks, typically lasting 4 to 72 hours. Migraine remains underdiagnosed and undertreated despite advances in the understanding of its pathophysiology. This article reviews management of migraine acute pharmacological treatment. Currently, for the acute treatment of migraine attacks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and triptans (serotonin 5HT1B/1D receptor agonists) are recommended. Before intake of NSAID and triptans, metoclopramide or domperidone is useful. In very severe attacks, subcutaneous sumatriptan is first choice. The patient should be treated early in the attack, use an adequate dose and formulation of a medication. Ideally, acute therapy should be restricted to no more than 2 to 3 days per week to avoid medication overuse.


Lymphangioma of the jejunal mesentery and jejunal polyps presenting as an acute abdomen in a teenager.
Cystic lymphangioma of the small bowel mesentery is a rare clinical entity, especially after childhood. Medical literature reveals a limited number of such cases presenting as acute abdomen due to bowel obstruction, small bowel volvulus and bleeding into the tumour. We present the management experience of an 18-year-old woman who presented with rapid onset diffuse peritonism and raised inflammatory markers. Computed tomography showed a mass in the small bowel mesentery with suspicion of segmental bowel ischaemia. Emergency laparotomy revealed a mass in the mid-jejunal mesentery close to the bowel wall with no bowel ischaemia. The patient made an uncomplicated recovery after segmental bowel resection and end-to-end anastomosis. Histology confirmed the mass as a cystic lymphangioma involving the jejunal mesentery and two small jejunal polyps. Lymphangioma could be considered in the differential diagnosis of an acute abdomen in a young adult when the presentation is atypical.


Structure and Enzymatic Properties of an Unusual Cysteine Tryptophylquinone-Dependent Glycine Oxidase from Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea.
Glycine oxidase from Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea (PlGoxA) is a cysteine tryptophylquinone (CTQ)-dependent enzyme. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis place it in a newly designated subgroup (group IID) of a recently identified family of LodA-like proteins, which are predicted to possess CTQ. The crystal structure of PlGoxA reveals that it is a homotetramer. It possesses an N-terminal domain with no close structural homologues in the Protein Data Bank. The active site is quite small because of intersubunit interactions, which may account for the observed cooperativy toward glycine. Steady-state kinetic analysis yielded the following values: kcat = 6.0 ± 0.2 s-1, K0.5 = 187 ± 18 μM, and h = 1.77 ± 0.27. In contrast to other quinoprotein amine dehydrogenases and oxidases that exhibit anomalously large primary kinetic isotope effects on the rate of reduction of the quinone cofactor by the amine substrate, no significant primary kinetic isotope effect was observed for this reaction of PlGoxA. The absorbance spectrum of glycine-reduced PlGoxA exhibits features in the range of 400-650 nm that have not previously been seen in other quinoproteins. Thus, in addition to the unusual structural features of PlGoxA, the kinetic and chemical reaction mechanisms of the reductive half-reaction of PlGoxA appear to be distinct from those of other amine dehydrogenases and amine oxidases that use tryptophylquinone and tyrosylquinone cofactors.


An investigation of the involvement of calcium in the control of prolactin secretion: studies with low calcium, methoxyverapamil, cobalt and manganese.
The possible role of calcium as a primary mediator in the control of prolactin secretion from normal pituitary cells was examined. Basal prolactin secretion, and secretion stimulated by thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH), raised K+ or the calcium ionophore, A23187, were all dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+. The calcium channel antagonists, methoxyverapamil, cobalt and manganese, inhibited basal, TRH- and K+-stimulated prolactin secretion. In addition, prolactin secretion stimulated by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, isobutylmethylxanthine, which increases cellular cyclic AMP, was inhibited by these Ca2+ antagonists. These observations indicate that Ca2+ may be the primary intracellular mediator in the control of prolactin secretion, with cyclic AMP having a secondary modulatory role on Ca2+ influx, probably on voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.


Testing a risk assessment tool for manual handling.
Nurses may be reluctant to use safer methods of manual handling or equipment because they are time-consuming or because patients dislike using hoists. Injuries can be prevented only if the organisation takes an ergonomic approach to risk reduction. A risk assessment tool may help nurses recognise the dangers of certain lifts and encourage them to assess the situation thoroughly before moving or handling a patient.


Neuroplasticity-based brain stimulation interventions in the study and treatment of schizophrenia: a review.
We reviewed novel brain stimulation approaches that modify neuroplasticity and are used in the treatment and study of schizophrenia. We searched PubMed and Scholars Portal using search terms related to schizophrenia, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity. Various brain stimulation approaches simulating a range of experimental protocols that induce synaptic long-term potentiation or depression have been developed. By far, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been the most widely used in the field of schizophrenia. Its application has been associated with mixed results in treating treatment-resistant symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. Compared to the other approaches, rTMS is probably the least similar to plasticity-inducing cellular paradigms. Other approaches, such as paired associative stimulation, theta-burst stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation, are in their incipient stages in the study and treatment of schizophrenia, with promising early results. Numerous brain stimulation approaches have been developed to treat resistant dimensions of schizophrenia. Notwithstanding some promising reports, optimization of the methods and large randomized controlled trials are still needed.


Simple, Axial Ligand-Mediated Route to Water-Soluble Iridium Corroles.
The synthesis and purification of water-soluble porphyrin-type compounds for photodynamic therapy and other medical applications is often a tedious exercise. Here, we have investigated the simple stratagem of adding a water-soluble axial ligand to the standard protocol for iridium insertion into simple meso-triarylcorroles. Early results showed that six-coordinate Ir[TpXPC](dna)2 derivatives, in which TpXPC = tris(para-X-phenyl)corrole (X = CF3, CN, H, and OMe) and dna = dinicotinic acid, are highly water-soluble. In the end, however, all axially nitrogen-ligated complexes proved unstable with respect to chromatographic purification and storage. Five-coordinate water-soluble phosphine adducts, fortunately, proved a great improvement. From the point of view of ease of purification and storage, the best products proved to be Ir[TpXPC](L), where X = CF3 and OMe and L = tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (tcep) and trisodium tris(3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine (tppts); carefully optimized synthetic protocols are presented for these four compounds.


Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome or testicular feminization: review of literature based on a case report.
Testicular feminization, or the androgen insensitivity syndrome, is a rare disease. Because of various abnormalities of the X chromosome, a male, genetically XY, has some physical characteristics of a woman or a full female phenotype. Indeed the androgen insensitivity syndrome occurs because of a resistance to the actions of the androgen hormones, which in turn switches the development towards the aspect of a woman. We report a case of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome in a 30 years old woman who presented primary amenorrhea. We aim to improve our knowledge of this illness from the data that provides us this study, and a review of the literature.


Pressure pain thresholds over the cranio-cervical region in headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sensitivity of tissues can be measured by algometry. Decreased pressure pain thresholds over the cranio-cervical area are supposed to reflect signs of sensitization of the trigemino-cervical nucleus caudalis. A systematic review was conducted to assess the current scientific literature describing pressure pain threshold (PPT) values over the cranio-cervical region in patients with migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cervicogenic headache (CeH). A literature search was executed in three databases. The search strategy included the following keywords: migraine, TTH, CeH, PPT and algometry. A total of 624 papers was identified of which relevant papers were subsequently assessed for methodological quality. Twenty-two selected papers were assessed by two independent reviewers and the majority of studies scored low risk of bias on the selected items. Mean PPT values of several sites measured in the cranio-cervical region in patients with migraine, chronic TTH and CeH scored lower values compared to controls. The trapezius muscle (midpoint between vertebrae C7 and acromion) was the most frequently targeted site and showed significantly lower PPT values in adults with migraine (pooled standardized mean difference kPa: 1.26 [95%CI -1.71, -0.81]) and chronic TTH (pooled standardized mean difference kPa: -2.00 [95%CI -2.93, -1.08]). Most studies found no association between PPT values and headache characteristics such as frequency, duration or intensity. Further standardization of PPT measurement in the cranio-cervical region is recommended.


Human-human hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies of predefined antigenic specificity.
We report the establishment of human-human hybridomas producing monoclonal antibody of predefined antigenic specificity. The U-266 human myeloma cell line was incubated in the presence of 8-azaguanine, and a rapidly growing, 8-azaguanine-resistant, hypoxanthine/amethopterin/thymidine (HAT) medium-sensitive mutant line, U-266AR1, was selected. These cells were fused with lymphoid cells from uninvolved spleens removed at staging laparotomy from patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease who had been previously sensitized to the chemical allergen 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzne. Hybrid cell cultures growing in HAT medium were screened for IgG production. Positive cultures were selected and their supernatants were tested in a solid-phase radioimmunoassay for reactivity with dinitrophenyl hapten coupled to bovine serum albumin. Cultures producing specific antibody were subcloned and expanded, and their antibody products were shown to be monoclonal by biosynthetic labeling and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.


MOF-Derived Hollow Carbon Supported Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Catalysts Driving Fast Polysulfide Conversion for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.
Transition-metal compounds can be used as electrocatalysts to expedite polysulfide conversion effectively in lithium-sulfur batteries. However, insufficient conductivity and tedious preparation process still limit their practical applications. In this work, NiCo alloy nanoparticles embedded in hollow carbon spheres (NiCo@HCS) are fabricated via a facile, template-free strategy from the NiCo-metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor and used as electrocatalysts for separator modification. NiCo@HCS can not only improve the adsorption capacity of polysulfides by d-band deviation to the Fermi level but also reduce the energy barrier in the process of catalytic polysulfide conversion. Due to favorable three-dimensional (3-D) morphology, improved adsorption, and promoted kinetics of NiCo@HCS, the battery containing the NiCo@HCS-modified separator gives a starting capacity of 1377 mAh g-1 at 0.2C, which is retained by 72% over 500 charge/discharge operations at 1.0C current density. Moreover, the battery's start capacity reaches 1180 mAh g-1 (5.9 mAh cm-2) with a high sulfur content of 5.0 mg cm-1 at 0.2C.


Very fast recovery of acute disseminated intravascular coagulation with abiraterone acetate in a patient with bone metastases from castrate-resistant prostate cancer.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare, potentially life-threatening complication of advanced prostate carcinoma. We report the successful treatment with abiraterone acetate of acute DIC related to a progressive bone metastatic disease in a chemotherapy-naïve patient with castrate-resistant prostate cancer.


Topical Spironolactone in the Treatment of Ocular Graft-Versus-Host Disease.
This two-part study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of topical spironolactone in ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD). While off-label use of topical spironolactone has been described in dry eye, its efficacy in managing signs and symptoms of oGVHD remains unstudied. Preclinically, we tested the hypothesis that spironolactone induces corneal lipid synthesis in a mouse model. Clinically, we assessed patient response to spironolactone with a retrospective observational design. Both immortalized and primary human corneal epithelial cells were stained with oil red O after 9 days of treatment with spironolactone. C57BL/6 mice were dosed thrice daily with one drop in each eye for 18 days. Corneal tissue was stained with oil red O and BODIPY™. Twenty eyes with oGVHD, as defined by the International Chronic oGVHD Consensus Group, were studied. Corneal fluorescein staining, lid margin vascularity, meibomian gland obstruction, meibum turbidity, zone A posterior lid margin vascularity, and oGVHD diagnostic criteria severity grading were compared in a pre-post study. Follow-up times ranged from 7 to 21 weeks, with a median time of 12 weeks. Statistical analysis was done with STATA 17 by fitting data to a non-parametric model. In vitro results showed an increased number and density of oil red O staining granules in the treatment group versus control in both primary and immortalized human corneal epithelium. In vivo, results showed translation to the mouse model with increased corneal epithelial BODIPY™ signal compared to untreated control. oGVHD patients had improved lid margin vascularity (p = 0.046), corneal fluorescein staining (p = 0.021), and International oGVHD Consensus Group severity scores (p = 0.011) after treatment with topical spironolactone. Minimal adverse effects were noted, the most common being mild stinging lasting less than a minute after instillation. The improved severity scores, lid margin inflammation, and corneal fluorescein staining after weeks of treatment support the rationale that topical spironolactone may benefit oGVHD. The observed lipid production by the corneal epithelium is thought to contribute to this protective effect against ocular surface erosive disease in oGVHD. A mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, spironolactone may offer therapeutic benefits in oGVHD while avoiding undesirable side effects of topical or systemic glucocorticoids.


Thermal degradation characteristics and antioxidant activity of fructose solution with heating temperature and time.
This study investigated the thermal degradation characteristics of fructose. A 20% fructose solution was heated to 110-150°C for 1-5 hours. Chromaticity, pH, organic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), fructose content, electron-donating ability (EDA) (as a percentage), and ascorbic acid (AA) equivalent antioxidant capacity (AEAC) of heated fructose solutions were evaluated. With increasing heating temperature and time, the L-value decreased, and the a- and b-values increased to 120°C for 4 hours and 2 hours, respectively, and then decreased thereafter; however, total color difference increased. The pH and fructose content decreased. Organic acids, such as formic acid, lactic acid, and levulinic acid, and HMF content increased with increasing heating temperature and time. Antioxidant activity increased with increasing heating temperature and time (no antioxidant activity in 20% fructose solution). The EDAs after heating at 130°C for 3 and 4 hours were 17.21% and 31.73%, respectively, and the highest antioxidant activity was 94.57% (150°C for 4 hours). The AEAC was 1.71 mg of AA eq/g before heating and 24.43 mg of AA eq/g after heating at 150°C for 4 hours. These results suggest that heat treatment may be a useful method for increasing the antioxidant activity of fluid foodstuffs such as fruit juices and fructose-containing foods.


The effect of prophylactic lymphovenous anastomosis and shunts for preventing cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lymphedema is one of the most dreaded side effects to any cancer treatment involving lymphadenectomy. Progressed lymphedema is adversely complex and currently there is no widely acknowledged curative treatment. Therefore recent focus has shifted to risk reduction and prevention. It has been hypothesized that bypassing lymphatic vessels to veins prophylactically, could minimize the lymphatic dysfunction seen following lymphadenectomy. To investigate this possible future treatment modality, we performed a systematic meta-analysis of studies treating patients with prophylactic lymphovenous analysisstomosis (LVA) for the prevention of secondary lymphedema following lymphadenectomy. A systematic search yielded 12 articles included in the qualitative analysis and four of these were further eligible to be included in the quantitative analysis. We found that patients treated with prophylactic LVA had a significant reduction in lymphedema incidence (Relative risk: 0.33, 95%CI: 0.19 to 0.56) when compared to patients receiving no prophylactic treatment (P < 0.0001). Prophylactic LVA in relation to lymphadenectomy shows promising results, however because of the low number of eligible studies and method heterogeneity between studies, there is an urgent need for uniformly high quality studies, before the treatment can be concluded effective.


The PIR-International Protein Sequence Database.
PIR-International is an association of macromolecular sequence data collection centers dedicated to fostering international cooperation as an essential element in the development of scientific databases. A major objective of PIR-International is to continue the development of the Protein Sequence Database as an essential public resource for protein sequence information. This paper briefly describes the architecture of the Protein Sequence Database and how it and associated data sets are distributed and can be accessed electronically.


Differential changes in beta-adrenoceptor signal transduction in left and right ventricles of infarcted rats.
Although different experimental and clinical studies have revealed varying degrees of defects in beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs) during the development of heart failure, the mechanisms for differences in beta-AR signal transduction between the left (LV) and right ventricle (RV) are not understood. Because biochemical alterations in the myocardium depend on the stage of heart disease, this study was undertaken to assess the status of beta-ARs in the LV and RV at different stages of heart failure. Myocardial infarction was induced in rats by occluding the left coronary artery for 8 and 24 weeks. The beta-AR signal transduction was monitored by measuring beta1-AR density, the isoproterenol-induced positive inotropic effect, the increase in [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes, and the activation of adenylyl cyclase. The beta-AR signal transduction parameters in the 8- and 24-week failing LV were depressed, whereas the RV showed upregulation at 8 weeks and downregulation at 24 weeks of these mechanisms. These results suggest that beta-AR-mediated signal transduction in the LV and RV are differentially regulated and are dependent upon the stage of development of congestive heart failure due to myocardial infarction.


[Surveys on the possible presence of aflatoxin and ochratoxin in corn harvested in France in 1973 and 1974].
0,1 and 1,9 p. 100 of French corn samples harvested in 1973 and 1974 contain respectively 4 to 42 ppb aflatoxin and 15 to 200 ppb ochratoxin A. Because the dilution of this product in the feed, such amounts could not be considered causing acute or chronic mycotoxicosis. In case of corn contamination by ochratoxin A, the analysis of technologic parameters conclude to question the drying corn with ears in cribs and the delayed drying after the reception of corn in storage corporation.