Bubble recycling and ultrasonic cell lysis in a stationary exposure vessel.
An exposure system producing interleafed pulses of 1-MHz ultrasound from balanced, opposing transducers was used to test the bubble recycling hypothesis (as formulated with respect to rotating exposure vessels) in a stationary exposure vessel containing P388 cell suspensions. Cell lysis was measured in cell suspensions which had been exposed or sham-exposed to 1-MHz ultrasound (5 W/cm2 spatial peak pulse average intensity) delivered in continuously alternating, opposing pulses. The opposing pulse cycle frequency (i.e., gating frequency) varied from 0.1 Hz to 100 kHz, corresponding to single pulse durations ranging from 5 microseconds to 5 s. Unequivocal support for the bubble recycling hypothesis was obtained. Lytic yield increased as the gating frequency increased, passing through a maximum at gating frequencies of 100 Hz-1 kHz. As the gating frequency increased further, lytic yield declined rapidly. The results are discussed in relation to recent theoretical estimates of bubble translation speeds in an ultrasound field, and are found to be consistent with those estimates.


[How can we treat Waldenström's macroglobulinemia?]
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is a rare, low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B cell origin, most common in elderly male patients with a median age of 64 years at diagnosis. It accounts for approximately 2% of hematologic malignancies. The disease is incurable now with a median overall survival of 6.2 years. In the past decade growing evidence suggests the role of the complex signaling pathways and microenvironment as a potential target of the therapy in the lymphoproliferative disorders as well as Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. In this review we try to highlight the importance of these novel targets and their possible role in the therapeutic strategies. We further summarize our knowledge about the pathophysiology, diagnostics and therapeutics standards of the disease.


Luminography--a new, highly sensitive visualization method for electrophoresis.
A highly sensitive method for protein visualization following electrophoresis and protein blotting was developed. The method is based on the light-emitting reaction of luminol and hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase. The luminescent assay can be applied either to the native gel or after protein blotting, and it has a sensitivity two orders of magnitude higher than that achieved with chromogenic detection systems. Analogous to autoradiography the luminescent signal is recorded on an X-ray film with similar sensitivity. We present several examples of application emphasizing the general versatility of this innovative method.


[The advancement, progress and challenges in medical informatics in Belgium].
The development of medical informatics has been as quick in Belgium as in neighbouring countries. It followed the worldwide diffusion of new information technologies, mainly in hospitals, in laboratories, for medical imaging and, more recently, for the EPR (electronic patient record), the e-prescription and bioinformatics. Today, 78 % of general practitioners have access to an EPR and 100 % of acute care hospitals use computers. The Federal Government developed a policy in order to obtain more coherence in information systems and an economy of scale in the (nineteen) eighties, by introducing a reform of health care financing based on diagnoses documented by hospital inpatients record summaries, exhaustive since 1990. During the last years, software quality criteria, called labels, have been introduced in general practice, and "BeHealth", a Federal health network with a secure access platform and authentified medical data, has been developed as a pilot project. Challenges of health telematics in Belgium are related to a profound change in doctor-patient relationship. a shift in organizing medical practice and risks linked to socio-economic interests. These cannot have a primacy over patient interests. Informatics and medicine are not incompatible. The human character of doctor-patient relationship has to be preserved.


Long-term outcome of transendoscopic oesophageal mass ablation in dogs with Spirocerca lupi-associated oesophageal sarcoma.
Oesophageal sarcoma is a potential sequel of Spirocerca lupi infection. Oesophageal mass excision can be performed by open chest surgery. The objectives of this observational study were to evaluate the feasibility, short-term morbidity and long-term outcome of transendoscopic oesophageal mass ablation in dogs with spirocercosis-associated oesophageal neoplasia. A 9 mm video-endoscope and laser or electrocauterisation were used to debulk the oesophageal mass. Long-term follow-up was done by telephonic interviews. Fifteen dogs were included. The median tumour size was 5 cm (range 3.5-9). The median procedure time was 75 minutes (range 35-165) and was deemed successful in 12/15 dogs (80 per cent). Recovery was uneventful in all dogs. Immediate complications included oesophageal damage (two dogs) oesophageal perforation (one dog) and a focal thermal damage (one dog). The median hospitalisation time of all dogs was less than one day, with all but two discharged on the procedure day. The median survival time, available in nine dogs that were followed, was 202 days (range 51-691). Four of these dogs (44 per cent) survived more than six months, of which three survived more than one year. In conclusion, transendoscopic oesophageal mass ablation might be considered an alternative, palliative procedure for open-chest oesophageal surgery. It has comparable long-term survival, lower morbidity, short hospitalisation time and relatively low cost.


Muscle creatine kinase/SV40 hybrid promoter for muscle-targeted long-term transgene expression.
Gene therapy for congenital protein deficiencies requires lifelong expression of a deficient protein. Current gene therapy approaches preferentially employ the strong cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter/enhancer or its derivative CAG promoter; however, these promoters provide only temporary transgene expression. To create a promoter that enables long-lasting expression in muscle, hybrid promoters were constructed by coupling the muscle creatine kinase (MCK) enhancer to various strong promoters for enhancement of tissue specificity and improved transcriptional activity. A hybrid promoter containing the MCK enhancer and the simian virus 40 promoter (MCK/SV40 promoter) yielded long-term (>6 months) expression of a human secretory alkaline phosphatase (huSEAP) reporter gene following electrotransfer of the plasmid into mice, whereas expression using a conventional CMV or CAG promoter faded away within a few weeks. To explore the mechanism behind the sustained expression obtained with the MCK/SV40 promoter, mice were immunized with a LacZ expression plasmid driven by MCK/SV40 or a conventional promoter. Minimal cellular and humoral responses to LacZ were observed in MCK/SV40 promoter-treated animals, and mouse SEAP gene expression in vivo was successfully maintained by both the MCK/SV40 and conventional promoters. These results suggest that the lower immunogenicity of the MCK/SV40 promoter contributed to long-lasting gene expression in mice. Therefore, the MCK/SV40 promoter may provide the basis for development of an effective transgene expression cassette for treatment of congenital protein deficiencies in which therapeutic proteins are recognized as foreign by the host immune system.


Cost Analysis of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol in Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer.
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for radical cystectomy (RC) aim to improve patient care, reduce complications, and shorten hospital stay while potentially reducing health care expenditure. Evaluate the ERAS protocol for 30-d global costs relative to standard management in the era immediately preceding the initiation of ERAS for RC. Overall, 201 consecutive patients (99 with standard management, 102 with an ERAS protocol) who met inclusion criteria and who underwent open RC at a single institution were evaluated. Resource-based costs were collected for the initial surgical admission and for any readmissions or unscheduled clinic visits within 30 d. Implementation of the ERAS protocol. Line-item billing data were transformed using resource-based cost estimates. Tukey-Kramer least squares mean analysis was performed to adjust for cost differences attributable to patient characteristics on multivariate analysis (age <70 yr, male sex, and Charlson comorbidity score 0-1). Adjusted overall costs for the standard and ERAS cohorts were calculated with each line item assigned to 1 of 10 cost centers to identify specific areas of savings or increased expenditures with implementation of ERAS. Average 30-d costs were $31 139 with standard management and $26 650 after implementation of ERAS, for savings of $4488 per procedure (p<0.0001). Areas of significant ERAS savings included intensive care unit care ($2056), surgical ward costs ($2029), ancillary treatment ($1279), and supplies ($1238), whereas increased ERAS expenditures included costs for drugs ($2088), home health ($590), and unscheduled outpatient visits ($162). Surgical/anesthesia costs were similar between the standard and ERAS groups at $6405 and $6286 respectively. This was a single-institution study. In addition to clinical benefits, ERAS for RC at our institution also afforded an average cost savings of $4488 per procedure. In this report, we evaluated the cost center-specific expenditures of the ERAS protocol for RC, demonstrating $4488 savings in 30-d costs relative to standard management.


Sterilizing Effect of Ertapenem-Clavulanate in a Hollow-Fiber Model of Tuberculosis and Implications on Clinical Dosing.
Carbapenems are now being explored for treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), especially in conjunction with clavulanate. Clinical use is constrained by the need for multiple parenteral doses per day and the lack of knowledge of the optimal dose for sterilizing effect. Our objective was to identify the ertapenem exposure associated with optimal sterilizing effect and then design a once-a-day dose for clinical use. We utilized the hollow-fiber system model of tuberculosis in a 28-day exposure-response study of 8 different ertapenem doses in combination with clavulanate. The systems were sampled at predetermined time points to verify the concentration-time profile and identify the total bacterial burden. Inhibitory sigmoid maximum-effect (Emax) modeling was used to identify the relationship between total bacterial burden and the drug exposure and to identify optimal exposures. Contrary to the literature, ertapenem-clavulanate combination demonstrated good microbial kill and sterilizing effect. In a dose fractionation hollow-fiber study, efficacy was linked to percentage of the 24-h dosing interval of ertapenem concentration persisting above MIC (%TMIC). We performed 10,000 MDR-TB patient computer-aided clinical trial simulations, based on Monte Carlo methods, to identify the doses and schedule that would achieve or exceed a %TMIC of ≥40%. We identified an intravenous dosage of 2 g once per day as achieving the target in 96% of patients. An ertapenem susceptibility breakpoint MIC of 2 mg/liter was identified for that dose. An ertapenem dosage of 2 g once daily is the most suitable to be tested in a phase II study of sterilizing effect in MDR-TB patients.


Dendrimer-assisted low-temperature growth of carbon nanotubes by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
Using a shielded growth approach and N2-annealed, nearly monodispersed Fe2O3 nanoparticles synthesized by interdendritic stabilization of Fe3+ species within fourth-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers, carbon nanotubes and nanofibers were successfully grown at low substrate temperatures (200-400 degrees C) by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.


Solid-state fermentation of black rice bran with Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus oryzae: Effects on phenolic acid composition and antioxidant activity of bran extracts.
Black rice bran (BRB) was fermented in solid state using Aspergillus awamori and Aspergillus oryzae for 5 days at 30°C, and then the alcoholic extracts of the fermented BRB were examined in terms of phenolic acid composition and antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory activity). A pre-treatment, moisturizing and autoclaving prior to the fermentation, decreased total phenolic content (TPC) by decomposing the anthocyanin in BRB, but the fermentation increased TPC. Protocatechuic acid and ferulic acid showed the most significant increases, reaching their maximum values by the fermentation for 3 days: 1660.6 µg/g for the extract of BRB fermented by A. awamori. The radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the alcoholic extracts increased by the pre-treatment and fermentation, in accordance with the increase in phenolic acid content. The solid-state fermentation was an effective process to raise the phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity of the extract.


Patient perspective of medication information desired and barriers to asking pharmacists questions.
To identify information patients want from a community pharmacist with new and refill prescription dispensing, examine how this varies across certain patient characteristics, and identify perceived barriers to asking pharmacists' questions. Cross-sectional study. Six states (Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, Montana, and Arizona), from January 2006 to August 2008. Convenience sample of 600 patients or caregivers at community pharmacies. Brief, face-to-face, structured interviews. Information desired by patients when receiving new and refill prescriptions and reasons why patients would not ask pharmacists medication-related questions. Information most often desired at first medication dispensing was adverse effects (58.2%), basic instructions (32.6%), and drug interactions (31%). Less than 9% of patients stated no need for pharmacist-provided information or that written information sufficed. Younger (t = 4.81, P < 0.001) and more educated (X2 = 4.385, P = 0.036) patients were more likely to indicate a desire for adverse effect information than older or less educated patients. When asked about refills, nearly one-half reported wanting information beyond how many refills remain. Of patients, 15% wanted a review of information given when originally dispensed. A review of information was more often desired by patients with less than or equal to a high school education (X2 = 7.830, P < 0.01). Overall, information during refill dispensing was desired more often by those with less education (X2 = 4.786, P = 0.029). These results support revisiting current pharmacy practice and practice laws about refill counseling and risk information provision, with greater potential implications for less educated individuals.


Porcine small intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) of rotavirus infection as a new model for the study of innate immune responses to rotaviruses and probiotics.
Previous studies of epithelial immune responses to rotavirus infection have been conducted in transformed cell lines. In this study, we evaluated a non-transformed porcine jejunum epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) as an in-vitro model of rotavirus infection and probiotic treatment. Cell-culture-adapted porcine rotavirus (PRV) OSU strain, or human rotavirus (HRV) Wa strain, along with Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) were used to inoculate IPEC-J2 cells. LA or LGG treatment was applied pre- or post-rotavirus infection. We demonstrated that IPEC-J2 cells were productively infected by PRV. LA or LGG treatment of the cells did not reduce virus replication. PRV infection increased MUC3 mucin secretion. LGG treatment post-rotavirus infection reduced the mucin secretion response induced by PRV; LGG alone increased the production of membrane-associated MUC3 mucin. LA treatment prior to rotavirus infection significantly increased PRV replication and the IL-6 response to PRV infection, which is consistent with the adjuvant effect of LA. LGG treatment post-rotavirus infection downregulated the IL-6 response, confirming the anti-inflammatory effect of LGG. IPEC-J2 cells expressed toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR3, and TLR9 constitutively. TLR2 expression was upregulated by LGG and peptidoglycan, corresponding to the decreased IL-6 response, indicating that the protective effect of LGG is associated with upregulation of TLR2 expression on intestinal epithelial cells. The IPEC-J2 cell model of PRV infection is a completely homologous system. It is a valuable model for studying the interactions among rotavirus-host-probiotics, and the mechanisms behind the immunomodulating effect of probiotic bacteria on innate immune responses.


The biology and genetics of curly hair.
Hair fibres show wide diversity across and within all human populations, suggesting that hair fibre form and colour have been subject to much adaptive pressure over thousands of years. All human hair fibres typically have the same basic structure. However, the three-dimensional shape of the entire fibre varies considerably depending on ethnicity and geography, with examples from very straight hair with no rotational turn about the long axis, to the tightly sprung coils of African races. The creation of the highly complex biomaterials in hair follicle and how these confer mechanical functions on the fibre so formed is a topic that remains relatively unexplained thus far. We review the current understanding on how hair fibres are formed into a nonlinear coiled form and which genetic and biological factors are thought to be responsible for hair shape. We report on a new GWAS comparing low and high curl individuals in South Africa, revealing strong links to polymorphic variation in trichohyalin, a copper transporter protein CUTC and the inner root sheath component keratin 74. This builds onto the growing knowledge base describing the control of curly hair formation.


Rapid identification of microorganisms from sterile body fluids by use of FilmArray.
We evaluated the clinical performance of the FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel in the identification of microorganisms from positive blood culture bottles inoculated with sterile body fluids. All organisms included in the FA BCID panel were accurately identified in 84/84 (100%) and 18/24 (75%) samples with mono- and polymicrobial growth, respectively.


Ultrasonic microscanning.
A detailed review is given of the application of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) at frequencies of 20 MHz and above for high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of biological soft tissue. The state of the art of HFUS imaging systems is discussed with respect to the underlying engineering concepts, system designs, and available transducer technology. Furthermore, the dependency of the spatial resolution on the system's parameters is analysed. Skin imaging, eye imaging, small animal imaging for preclinical research, and intravascular ultrasound in coronary arteries for arteriosclerotic disease diagnostics are presented as examples for the application of HFUS imaging in medical diagnostics. It is shown that, in the frame of the indicated applications, ultrasound in the frequency range 20-100MHz gives a good compromise between the contrary demands for a good spatial resolution and a sufficiently large penetration depth of ultrasound waves into the tissue. Scanning schemes for the imaging of tissue morphology are considered, including spatial compounding as a multidirectional imaging technique.


Low-abundance kutznerides from Kutzneria sp. 744.
Five new (5-9) and four known (1-4) kutznerides were isolated from the actinomycete Kutzneria sp. 744. Compounds 1-9 all consisted of a cyclohexadepsipeptide core with the general structure 2-(1-methylcyclopropyl)-D-glycine-(2S,3aR,8aS)-6,7-dichloro-3a-hydroxy-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-2-carboxylic acid-3-hydroxy-D-glutamic acid-O-methyl-L-serine-L-piperazic acid-(S)-2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutyric acid. Compounds 5, 6, and 8 contained erythro-3-hydroxy-D-glutamic acid, whereas 7 and 9 contained the threo isomer and the hydroxy acid was present as (S)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid in 5 and 7. The piperazic acid was C-5-N unsaturated and 4-hydroxylated in 6, 4-chlorinated in 8, and C-5-N unsaturated in 9. Minimal inhibitory concentrations for bacteria were found down to 6 microM (Staphylococcus aureus and Erwinia carotovora) and for fungi down to 70 microM (Fusarium culmorum). The trichlorinated 2 and 8 showed the highest antimicrobial activity, whereas 6, with a hydroxylated piperazic acid unit, did not show any inhibition of the pathogens at 230 microM.


Unresolved issues in myocardial reperfusion injury.
While the basic pathobiology of myocardial ischemic injury and reperfusion has been determined over the last 50 years, there are important, unresolved, or at least not completely elucidated, issues in the field. These include the relative contributions of different modes of cell injury and death to evolving myocardial infarcts; interactions of phenomena produced by reperfusion, including stunning and preconditioning; and potential new approaches for successfully combining adjuvant therapy with coronary artery opening. A model of myocardial ischemic and reperfusion injury is proposed involving the potential expression of apoptotic and oncotic pathways in the same perturbed cardiomyocytes. Promising new cardioprotective strategies for reducing lethal reperfusion injury are discussed, including ischemic postconditioning, activators of the reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway, inhibitors of protein kinase c-delta, and inhibitors of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (PTP). Major outstanding clinical challenges are also discussed, including the development of clinical care systems that can routinely deliver very timely coronary opening and reperfusion, perhaps combined with adjuvant therapy, and the development of strategies to retard adverse remodeling and congestive heart failure in patients with significant myocardial infarction and scarring, perhaps by refinements in stem cell therapy.


Tissue type-specific modulation of ER transcriptional activity by NFAT3.
NFAT3 belongs to the NFAT family of transcription factors playing important roles in the development of several organ systems and was found to act as a transcriptional coactivator of estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) in breast cancer cells. Since some cofactors of transcription factors show cell or tissue type-specific effects on transcriptional regulation, we investigated the effect of NFAT3 on the transcriptional activity of ERs in different cell lines originated from kidney. Surprisingly, overexpression of NFAT3 in these cell types decreased dose-dependently both ERalpha and ERbeta transcriptional activities in a ligand-independent manner. Knockdown of endogenous NFAT3 using NFAT3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased ER transcriptional activities. NFAT3 deletion mutants lacking the ER-binding sites completely abolished the NFAT3 repression of ERalpha and ERbeta transcriptional activities. Replacement of Ser168 and Ser170, the amino acid residues on which NFAT3 can be phosphorylated, with Ala did not change the ability of NFAT3 to inhibit the transcriptional activity of ERalpha and ERbeta. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NFAT3 is a new kind of cofactor that displays dual transcription modulation mode dependent on tissue types.


Neurology and surrealism: André Breton and Joseph Babinski.
Before he became the initiator of the surrealist movement, André Breton (1896-1966) studied medicine and worked as a student in several hospitals and as a stretcher bearer at the front during World War I. There he became interested in psychiatric diseases such as hysteria and psychosis, which later served as a source of inspiration for his surrealist writings and thoughts, in particular on automatic writing. Breton worked under Joseph Babinski at La Pitié, nearby La Salpêtrière, and became impressed by the 'sacred fever' of the famous neurologist. In this article, we describe the relationship between Breton and Babinski and try to trace back whether not only Breton's psychiatric, but also his neurological experiences, have influenced surrealism. We hypothesize that Breton left medicine in 1920 partly as a consequence of his stay with Babinski.


Nursing secondments are good investments.
Nurse recruitment and retention is at an all-time low, with nurse numbers expected to decrease as many nurses near retirement age and fewer people apply for nursing degree courses. One in nine nursing posts in England, is currently unfilled.


[Virus associated glomerulonephritis].
Virus associated glomerulonephritis is considered to be a para- or post-infectious autoimmune phenomena. The disease is mediated by immune complexes which usually contain the viral antigen. Virus associated glomerulonephritis due to chronic viral infection with hepatitis B or C virus, or with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shows a typical histomorphological picture for each virus. Hepatitis B virus usually leads to a membranous glomerulonephritis, while hepatitis C virus is associated with a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis due to cryoglobulins, and HIV is associated with a focal segmental sclerosing glomerulonephritis. Knowledge of the relationship between the primary viral infection and secondary glomerulonephritis is important, as a primary immunosuppressive therapy might lead to more severe viral disease. On the other hand, a primary reduction in the viral load due to antiviral therapy with immunostimulants or inhibitors of viral replication could lead to an amelioration of the secondary glomerulonephritis.


Food Insecurity as a Risk Factor for Outcomes Related to Ebola Virus Disease in Kono District, Sierra Leone: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Studies have shown that people suffering from food insecurity are at higher risk for infectious and noncommunicable diseases and have poorer health outcomes. No study, however, has examined the association between food insecurity and outcomes related to Ebola virus disease (EVD). We conducted a cross-sectional study in two Ebola-affected communities in Kono district, Sierra Leone, from November 2015 to September 2016. We enrolled persons who were determined to have been exposed to Ebola virus. We assessed the association of food insecurity, using an adapted version of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, a nine-item scale well validated across Africa, with having been diagnosed with EVD and having died of EVD, using logistic regression models with cluster-adjusted standard errors. We interviewed 326 persons who were exposed to Ebola virus; 61 (19%) were diagnosed with EVD and 45/61 (74%) died. We found high levels (87%) of food insecurity, but there was no association between food insecurity and having been diagnosed with EVD. Among EVD cases, those who were food insecure had 18.3 times the adjusted odds of death than those who were food secure (P = 0.03). This is the first study to demonstrate a potential relationship between food insecurity and having died of EVD, although larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.


LNA-modified isothermal oligonucleotide microarray for differentiating bacilli of similar origin.
Oligonucleotide microarray has been one of the most powerful tools in the 'Post-Genome Era' for its high sensitivity, high throughput and parallel processing capability. To achieve high detection specificity, we fabricated an isothermal microarray using locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified oligonucleotide probes, since LNA has demonstrated the advanced ability to enhance the binding affinity toward their complementary nucleotides. After designing the nucleotide sequences of these oligonucleotide probes for gram-positive bacilli of similar origin (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus circulans), we unified the melting temperatures of these oligonucleotide probes by modifying some nucleotides using LNA. Furthermore, we optimized the experimental procedures of hydrating microarray slides, blocking side surface as well as labelling the PCR products. Experimental results revealed that KOD Dash DNA polymerase could efficiently incorporate Cy3-dCTP into the PCR products, and the LNA-isothermal oligonucleotide microarray were able to distinguish the bacilli of similar origin with a high degree of accuracy and specificity under the optimized experimental condition.


Characterisation and tribological investigation on thermally processed nanostructured Fe-based and Cu-based cermet materials.
The feasibility of achieving a nanostructured material after different thermal processing of nanosized powders is presented. The thermal processing was done by either atmospheric plasma spraying, laser sintering, or extrusion followed by hot isostatic pressing. The structural characterisation of such thermally processed nanostructured Fe-based and Cu-based metallic or Al2O3 reinforced cermets, confirmed the retention of a nanostructure after each of these thermal processes. Hardness measurements confirmed an increased hardness as expected in the case that nanostructuring is achieved. The role of grain boundaries and second phase particles on the retention of the nanostructure after thermal processing is discussed. Finally, the possible benefit of nanostructuring on the friction and wear behaviour of materials in sliding tests against corundum in ambient air is reported and discussed.


Annulation of Benzamides with Arynes Using Palladium with Photoredox Dual Catalysis.
Efficient annulation of benzamides with arynes using palladium and photoredox dual catalysis under an oxygen atmosphere is disclosed, which circumvents the use of external toxic metal oxidant and proceeds readily via aryne insertion at room temperature to construct the phenanthridinone backbone.


[Effects of Different Soil Conditioners on Rice Growth and Heavy Metal Uptake in Soil Contaminated with Copper and Cadmium].
A rice pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of four soil conditioners, namely polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylamide (PAM), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and humic acid (HA), on rice growth and heavy metal uptake from paddy soil contaminated with copper and cadmium. The results showed that the height and straw weight of rice in the conditioned soil treatments increased by 7.34%-22.0% and 10.0%-32.2%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The increased height and straw weight was generally proportional to the amount of soil conditioners used in each treatment. Application of 0.4% soil conditioners led to a slight reduction in rice yield, with the grain weight decreasing by 6.70%-32.6% relative to the control treatment. Soil conditioners had no effect on soil pH, but significantly reduced the concentration of soil available Cu (5.38%-39.7%) and Cd (6.98%-59.6%). Similarly, concentrations of Cu in rice root, straw, and grain were decreased by 0.88%-27.2%, 8.50%-45.2%, and 3.41%-31.2%, respectively, while concentrations of Cd were decreased by 5.93%-20.5%, 10.0%-51.4%, and 3.12%-50.7%, respectively. The largest and smallest decreases occurred in the PAA and PVA treatments, respectively. Application of PAA, PAM, and HA significantly decreased the translocation factor of Cu from root to straw by 11.2%-27.1%, whereas the translocation factor of Cu from straw to grain increased by 17.9%-33.6%, respectively, compared with the control treatment. Application of PAA, PAM, and HA significantly decreased the translocation factor of Cd from root to straw by 15.2%-38.5%, compared with the control treatment, but with the exception of HA, had no effect on Cd translocation from straw to grain. In general, the application of soil conditioners promoted rice growth, inhibited the uptake of Cu and Cd by rice, and had a certain remediation effect on heavy metal contaminated soil.


Radiological changes associated with inverted papilloma of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
Inverted papilloma is an uncommon benign tumour of the nose and paranasal sinuses which has a characteristic histological pattern, high recurrence rate after surgery and may undergo malignant change. The X-ray features are reviewed in 60 patients with histologically confirmed tumours. Plain X-ray appearances were negative or non-specific in nearly half the patients. The changes shown on hypocycloidal tomography and on CT scan are more specific. A mass in the middle meatus of the nasal cavity extending into the adjacent maxillary antrum is highly suggestive of the tumour. Other features not hitherto reported are the presence of calcified areas within the tumour mass demonstrated by CT, and sclerosis and deformity of the walls of the sinuses involved by tumour.


Changing smoking attitudes by strengthening weak antismoking beliefs - Taiwan as an example.
I first explored the strength of Taiwanese high school students' beliefs regarding five antismoking messages. Findings of a nationwide survey showed that the students held these beliefs in the following order of decreasing strength: second-hand smoke damages health, smoking has long-term health consequences, smoking has short-term health consequences, cigarette marketers are manipulative, and smokers are perceived negatively. Experiment one further showed that antismoking ads featuring weakly held beliefs are more effective than those featuring strongly held beliefs. Experiment two demonstrated that antismoking campaigns need to be framed carefully; in general, it is more effective to positively frame messages about strongly held antismoking beliefs but negatively frame messages about weakly held antismoking beliefs.


Pathophysiology of ankylosing spondylitis: what's new?
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that predominantly affects the sacroiliac joints and spine. Its pathophysiology remains one of the most vexing enigmas of rheumatology. However, new insights have been provided by the recent identification of susceptibility genes other than HLA-B27; evidence of a pivotal role for several proinflammatory cytokines including interleukins 23 and 17; and the recognition that inflammation and structural progression proceed separately from each other.


Hand-assisted laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis.
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of undergoing restorative proctocolectomy through ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (RPC-IPAA) with hand-assisted laparoscopic (HALS) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We reviewed 40 consecutive patients who underwent RPC-IPAA with HALS or open technique for treatment of UC between 2010 and 2013. Moreover, the intra-/post-operative outcomes were compared. We found the median operative time was significantly longer in the HALS group while the blood loss was significantly less in patients with HALS than with open surgery. In the HALS group, the median duration of bed rest and the length of hospital stay were significantly shorter. Moreover, the rate of early post-operative complications in the HALS group was significantly less than that in the open surgery group, among which one patient died in the 30th day after surgery for the extensive use of steroids before the operation. These findings clearly show that HALS RPC is safe and less invasiveness. HALS can become a more comfortable and standardised procedure for UC with the adoption of evolving technologies.


A hermeneutic phenomenological study exploring the experience health practitioners have when working with families to safeguard children and the invisibility of the emotions work involved.
To explore the emotions work undertaken by practitioners with responsibility for the safeguarding of child well-being and establish whether there is a relationship between emotion work, role visibility, professional well-being and effectiveness of supportive frameworks. Protecting children is the responsibility of everyone in society with health, social care and public health services leading this worldwide. To safeguard children effectively, it is known that practitioners build relationships with families in sometimes challenging situations, which involve the management of emotions. However, irrespective of this current knowledge; health practitioners who work in this area suggest that their child safeguarding role is not recognised, respected or valued in professional and societal settings. The purpose of this study was to report on a qualitative study which set out to explore the relationship between the known relational-based emotions work of practitioners' and the reported lack of visibility. Hermeneutic phenomenology underpinned the study. Semistructured interviews were employed for data collection. Ten participants actively working with preschool children and families in healthcare organisations were recruited. The emotional-, relationship- and communicative-based work crucial to effectively safeguard children may influence the visibility of the role. Poor role visibility influences the morale of practitioners and the support they receive. In conclusion this study proposes that when there is poor role recognition; there is ineffective clinical support. This reduces professional well-being, which in turn will impact practitioner abilities to safeguard children. This study highlights that to sustain safe and effective health and social care practice, organisational leads require an understanding of the impact emotional- and relational-based work can have on practitioners and provide supportive frameworks that will effectively promote professional well-being.


Incorporation of local dependent reliability information into the Prior Image Constrained Compressed Sensing (PICCS) reconstruction algorithm.
The reduction of dose in cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) arises from the decrease of the tube current for each projection as well as from the reduction of the number of projections. In order to maintain good image quality, sophisticated image reconstruction techniques are required. The Prior Image Constrained Compressed Sensing (PICCS) incorporates prior images into the reconstruction algorithm and outperforms the widespread used Feldkamp-Davis-Kress-algorithm (FDK) when the number of projections is reduced. However, prior images that contain major variations are not appropriately considered so far in PICCS. We therefore propose the partial-PICCS (pPICCS) algorithm. This framework is a problem-specific extension of PICCS and enables the incorporation of the reliability of the prior images additionally. We assumed that the prior images are composed of areas with large and small deviations. Accordingly, a weighting matrix considered the assigned areas in the objective function. We applied our algorithm to the problem of image reconstruction from few views by simulations with a computer phantom as well as on clinical CBCT projections from a head-and-neck case. All prior images contained large local variations. The reconstructed images were compared to the reconstruction results by the FDK-algorithm, by Compressed Sensing (CS) and by PICCS. To show the gain of image quality we compared image details with the reference image and used quantitative metrics (root-mean-square error (RMSE), contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR)). The pPICCS reconstruction framework yield images with substantially improved quality even when the number of projections was very small. The images contained less streaking, blurring and inaccurately reconstructed structures compared to the images reconstructed by FDK, CS and conventional PICCS. The increased image quality is also reflected in large RMSE differences. We proposed a modification of the original PICCS algorithm. The pPICCS algorithm incorporates prior images as well as information about location dependent uncertainties of the prior images into the algorithm. The computer phantom and experimental data studies indicate the potential to lowering the radiation dose to the patient due to imaging while maintaining good image quality.


DNA methylation and genome imprinting in the zebrafish, Danio rerio: some evolutionary ramifications.
Although methylation has been recognized as an important component in a number of developmental processes in mammals, in zebrafish almost nothing is known about this epigenetic modification. This is despite the fact that the zebrafish is becoming increasingly popular as a developmental model system. The little work that has been done on methylation and development in fish concerns genomic imprinting. In mammals, imprinting results in an inability to reproduce parthenogenetically because a genetic contribution from both parents is necessary to successfully complete development. However, this is not true of zebrafish, and a number of the theories that have been presented to explain the evolution of imprinting are not consistent with imprinting in these fish. A new model is presented that discusses some of the potential evolutionary ramifications of methylation and imprinting and that leads to the suggestion that imprinting may actually be a simple genetic mechanism to enhance the efficient evolution of both individual genetic loci and combinations of loci with related functions, without risking the population as a whole. This model can accommodate all of the information known about imprinting, including its broad phylogenetic range, imprinting by both males and females, and the diverse nature of the genes that are known to be imprinted.


How common is heart failure due to systemic hypertension alone in hospitalised Nigerians?
Hypertension is regarded as the most common cause of heart failure in Nigeria and other Black African countries. A few reports suggest that heart failure due to hypertension hardly occurs without the presence of an extra burden on the heart from the presence of other cardiac risk factors. This study assesses the occurrence of other potential causes of heart failure in 55 consecutive admitted cases of hypertensive heart failure. All but six cases (88%) were associated with the presence of one or other significant cardiac risk factors while 56.2% were associated with multiple heart failure risk factors. Five of the six were poor drug compliers. Of the six, only one was completely free of cardiac risk factors and he was unaware of his hypertension and so had never had therapy. The others either consumed alcohol moderately, had mild renal impairment or were grossly obese. The factors found were anaemia, renal dysfunction, abnormal glucose tolerance, alcoholic ingestion and co-existing valvular heart disease. The finding shows that among Nigerian patients hospitalised for hypertensive heart failure, heart failure was rare in those hypertensive patients who had no extra cardiac burden, and therefore control of these factors will help prevent the development of heart failure in hypertension with its dismal prognosis.


Positive Education Interventions Prevent Depression in Chinese Adolescents.
Positive education aims to improve students' academic performance as well as their well-being and character strengths. In contrast to traditional school counseling methods that are typically post hoc and pathological, positive education advocates a preventive and positive approach, which teaches students well-being skills that can reduce the chances of depression before it occurs. The current study tested this hypothesis by using a pseudo-experiment design. Six 8th grade classes (N = 173) in a Chinese school were randomly assigned into two groups. In the experiment group, students took positive education courses once a week that taught them primarily knowledge and skills related to positive emotions. Students in the control group took regular moral education courses. After one semester, the level of depression of students in the experiment group had no significant change while that of students in the control group increased significantly. The results showed that adolescent depression can be prevented by positive emotion interventions. Implications and limitations are discussed.


Etiopathogenic, therapeutic and histopathological aspects upon the anterior vaginal wall prolapse.
The pelvine organ prolapse (POP) is a condition affecting million of women, with a major impact upon the social and professional life of the patients. According to various studies, it affects approximately 40% of the women aged over 50 years. About 10% of women with POP require a surgical procedure for POP or urinary incontinence. Our study comprised a number of 14 patients, aged between 55 and 70 years, hospitalized and treated in the Clinic of Urology within the Emergency County Hospital of Craiova, Romania, between 2011 and 2013, for second-degree cystocele. Of these, 11 (78.57%) patients had more than two natural deliveries, 10 suffered more than three abortions, and eight (57.14%) women suffered from obesity. The increase of abdominal pressure, induced by chronic coughing, constipation or hard physical work, was identified in more patients. Thus, six (42.8%) patients presented chronic bronchitis, four (28.57%) patients were smokers, eight (57.14%) patients presented chronic constipation, and 10 (71.42%) patients stated that they had performed hard physical work. The presence of effort urinary incontinence, associated to the cystocele, was found in eight (57.14%) cases. The surgical intervention consisted in the performance of a direct cystopexia with a synthetic tent, placed in a transobturatory way, in a "tension free" manner (Perigee System). The post-operatory evolution was a good one; the results after six months showed that 12 (85.71%) women were cured, two (14.29%) cases of cystocele relapsed, while in two patients there maintained the effort urinary incontinence. The histopathological examination of the anterior vaginal wall fragments, harvested during the surgical intervention, showed the presence of a chronic inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria of the uterine mucosa, which may cause the post-operatory relapses. We consider that the reduction of the inflammatory process through the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs could reduce the POP onset and progress.


Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed Hydrogenation and Tandem (De)Hydrogenation via Metal-Ligand Cooperation: Base- and Solvent-Assisted Switchable Selectivity.
A versatile, selective, solvent (methanol vs ethanol)- and base (potassium vs lithium carbonate)-assisted switchable synthesis of saturated ketone and α-methyl saturated ketone from α,β-unsaturated ketone is developed. Mechanistic aspects, evaluated from spectroscopic studies, in situ monitoring of the reaction progress, control studies, and labeling studies, further indicate the involvement of a tandem dehydrogenation-condensation-hydrogenation sequence in the reaction, in which the interconvertible coordination mode (imino N → Ru and amido N-Ru) of coordinated imidazole with Ru(II)-para-cymene is crucial, without which the efficiency and selectivity of the catalyst are completely lost. The catalyst demonstrates good efficiency, selectivity, and functional group tolerance and displays a broad scope (69 examples) for monomethylation and hydrogenation of unsaturated chalcones, double methylation of ketones, and N-methylation of amines.


Surgical treatment of chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis: a preliminary report.
The objective of this study was to determine if endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is effective in the management of chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis (CRRS). A consecutive series of patients with CRRS diagnosed according to stringent criteria was prospectively examined before and at least 1 year after ESS. Paranasal sinus computed tomography scans were staged and ESS was performed targeting radiographic disease and the ostiomeatal complex. Preoperative and postoperative disease severities in terms of symptom scores, medicine utilization, and resource factors were assessed using the rhinosinusitis symptom inventory (RSI). Improvements in RSI symptom domains, medical and economic resource factors were determined using effect sizes and statistical comparison before and after ESS. Nineteen patients (mean age, 42.3 years) completed the study with a mean follow up of 19.1 months. The mean Lund score was 3.42 (standard deviation, 4.09). Statistically significant decreases in nasal (-36.1), facial (-28.4), oropharyngeal (-34.6), systemic (-24.7), and total (-31.9) RSI symptom domain scores were observed (all P < .003) with effect sizes ranging from 0.87 to 1.63 (strong surgical effect). Statistically significant decreases in antihistamine use (-30%, P = .031), number of workdays missed as a result of CRRS (-1.9, P = .035), and number of acute infectious episodes (-2.5, P = .006) were also observed. However, declines in weeks of antibiotic use (-2.8 weeks, P = .293) and number of antibiotic courses (-1.7, P = .118) were not significant. Patients with CRRS may substantially benefit both symptomatically and medically from ESS. Although surgery should be used cautiously in treating CRRS, further trials of ESS for CRRS are warranted.


Biased responses in dichotic listening and their affect on ear advantage.
In dichotic listening, two different signals are played to a subject separately to the left and the right ear at the same time. The subject's reports of what he or she has understood are recorded and the efficiency of one or the other ear is expressed as a laterality quotient called "ear advantage." In this study, using consonant-vowel syllable pairs as stimuli, the extent to which each syllable in a pair gains against the other during recognition was measured. As the results show that this so-called stimulus-dominance effect is strong, a method is proposed to unbias the results. The method rests on the assumption that when the same recording is replayed to the subject once again with the headphones reversed, and the response to a particular syllable pair in both runs is in favor of syllable and not side, the response can be qualified as stimulus biased and discarded.


Novel affinity chromatography method for the efficient purification of recombinant Binder of SPerm homolog proteins.
In mammalian species, a family of proteins named the Binder of SPerm proteins, which are expressed in the male reproductive tract, have been shown to play a role in epididymal sperm maturation and sperm capacitation. Recently, one homolog from human and two homologs from mouse were characterized. In order to further investigate the biochemical activity of these proteins, efficient purification procedures are required to isolate the proteins. Since these proteins are produced in very minute quantities, we exploited the high capacity of Escherichia coli to produce larger quantities of recombinant proteins that were subsequently purified using affinity chromatography on a diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex A-25 column. Binder of SPerm proteins have been shown to interact with pseudo-choline groups such as diethylaminoethyl through affinity rather than ionic interactions. The aim of the current study was to develop a novel method for purifying these recombinant proteins, produced in Escherichia coli cells. Diethylaminoethyl is positively charged and is a weak anion exchanger, but binder of sperm proteins interacts with affinity to this resin. This study presents a new, rapid, and cost-effective purification method that provides with an exceptional purity level, which can be used to study their roles in mammalian fertilization.


Low expression of CD39 and CD73 genes in centenarians compared with octogenarians.
Ageing involves a progressive decline of the body's regulatory systems including immune system. Adenosine regulates immune function by interaction with its receptors, mainly adenosine A2A receptor, present on the surface of immune cells. Furthermore, cellular response to this nucleoside is highly dependent on its extracellular concentration that is regulated by ecto-enzymes such as CD39 and CD73. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age on adenosine A2A receptor, CD39 and CD73 gene expression. Changes in mRNA were measured by quantitative PCR from peripheral blood of young, middle-aged and older adults as well as centenarians. Centenarians showed a prominent decrease of CD39 and CD73 mRNA in comparison with older adults. Regarding to adenosine A2A receptor, we detected two subgroups of centenarians with high and low level of transcript. Additionally, adenosine A2A receptor mRNA level of centenarians, did not correlate with their cognitive impairment. In summary, our pilot study suggests that unlike of adenosine A2A receptor, the level of CD39 as well as CD73 mRNA could be a hallmark of successful human ageing.


Are perinatal risk factors helpful in predicting and optimizing treatment strategies for transient hypothyroxinemia in very-low-birth-weight infants?
Transient hypothyroxinemia is common in premature infants and has been associated with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), poor neurodevelopmental outcomes, and mortality. Recent trials have failed to show that supplemental thyroid hormone improves overall neurodevelopmental outcome. The objective of this article is too determine perinatal risk factors for transient hypothyroxinemia (TH). We studied a cohort of infants born between July 1993 and July 2000 who were less than 1500 g and who received a newborn screening for thyroid function ( n = 932). Total serum thyroxine (T(4)) was collected routinely on the fifth day of life. T (4) was correlated with gestational age (R = 0.59, p < 0.01). After controlling for potential confounding variables, gestational age, dopamine, and mechanical ventilation were found to be independently associated with low T (4) (overall model: r(2) = 0.41, p < 0.01). Number needed to treat (NNT) analysis showed treating all infants less than 27 weeks would lead to treating 6.3 infants for every one with a subsequent T(4) < 5 microg/dL. By combining gestational age and need for dopamine support, NNT = 2.4 for every one infant with subsequent T(4) < 5 microg/dL. Low gestational age, mechanical ventilation, and need for dopamine were associated with low T(4) levels and may be helpful in optimizing treatment strategies for TH.


Detection of SIV antigens by HIV-1 antigen capture immunoassays.
We tested three commercially available HIV-1 antigen capture systems for their ability to detect simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV). All three kits detected antigens from six distinct SIV isolates, but with varying degrees of sensitivity. For the overall detection of SIV in cell culture, our assay for reverse transcriptase was more sensitive than HIV-1 antigen capture. HIV-1 antigen capture systems were useful for the detection of SIV antigenemia in experimentally infected macaques. The limited sensitivity of HIV-1-specific antigen capture suggests that SIV-specific antigen capture reagents should be developed.


PDTC ameliorates neuropathic pain by inhibiting microglial activation via blockage of the TNFα-CX3CR1 pathway.
Previous studies have suggested that pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) inhibitor, play a role in deterring nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain (NP) The activation of NF-κB pathway may contribute to spinal microglial activation, CX3CR1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) up-regulation. The aim of this study was to clarify whether PDTC could inhibit the development of neuropathic pain via decreasing TNF-a-induced CX3CR1 up-regulation. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group and NP group. Rats in each group were treated with intrathecal infusion of PDTC (100 or 1000 pmol/d) or saline. The sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI) model was used to induce NP in rats. Mechanical stimuli and radiant heat were used to evaluate mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Spinal microglial marker OX42 and TNF-a were detected by immunohistochemistry. In vitro BV-2 microglia activation was induced by TNF-a incubation, and the levels of CX3CR1 were assessed by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Pain behavior and immunohistochemistry results showed that intrathecal infusion of PDTC at 100 or 1000 pmol/d prevented the development of mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, spinal microglial activation and TNF-a expression induced by sciatic nerve CCI in rats. In vitro experiment results showed that PDTC inhibited the TNF-a-induced CX3CR1 up-regulation in BV-2 microglial cells. In conclusion, intrathecal infusion of PDTC could attenuate the pain-related behaviors induced by sciatic nerve CCI through suppressing the spinal microglia activation and TNF-a up-regulation in rats. The NF-κB activation might be responsible for TNF-a-induced CX3CR1 up-regulation in microglia.


Optogenetic stimulation of c1 and retrotrapezoid nucleus neurons causes sleep state-dependent cardiorespiratory stimulation and arousal in rats.
C1 catecholaminergic neurons and neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus are integrative nodes within the brain stem network regulating cardiorespiratory reflexes elicited by hypoxia and hypercapnia, stimuli that also produce arousal from sleep. In the present study, Channelrhodopsin-2 was selectively introduced into these neurons with a lentiviral vector to determine whether their selective activation also produces arousal in sleeping rats. Sleep stages were identified from electroencephalographic and neck muscle electromyographic recordings. Breathing was measured using unrestrained whole body plethysmography and blood pressure by telemetry. During nonrapid eye movement sleep, unilateral photostimulation of the C1 region caused arousal in 83.0±14.7% of trials and immediate and intense cardiorespiratory activation. Arousal during photostimulation was also observed during rapid eye movement sleep (41.9±5.6% of trials), but less reliably than during nonrapid eye movement sleep. The cardiorespiratory responses elicited by photostimulation were dramatically smaller during rapid eye movement sleep than nonrapid eye movement sleep or wakefulness. Systemic α1-adrenoreceptor blockade reduced the cardiorespiratory effects of photostimulation but had no effect on the arousal caused by photostimulation during nonrapid eye movement sleep. Postmortem histology showed that neurons expressing Channelrhodopsin 2-mCherry were predominantly catecholaminergic (81%). These results show that selective activation of C1 and retrotrapezoid nucleus neurons produces state-dependent arousal and cardiorespiratory stimulation. These neurons, which are powerfully activated by chemoreceptor stimulation, may contribute to the sleep disruption associated with obstructive sleep apnea.


Cost Analysis of Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) and Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
Prostatic arterial embolization (PAE) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to TURP; however, there are limited cost comparisons reported. The purpose of this study was to compare in-hospital direct costs of elective PAE and TURP in a hospital setting. Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective review was performed on patients undergoing PAE and TURP from January to December 2014. Inclusion criteria included male patients greater than 40 years of age who presented for ambulatory TURP or PAE with no history of prior surgical intervention for BPH. Direct costs were categorized into the following categories: nursing and operating room or interventional room staffing, operating room or interventional supply costs, anesthesia supplies, anesthesia staffing, hospital room cost, radiology, and laboratory costs. Additionally, length of stay was evaluated for both groups. The mean patient age for the TURP (n = 86) and PAE (n = 70) cohorts was 71.3 and 64.4 years, respectively (p < 0.0001). Intra-procedural supplies for PAE were significantly more costly than TURP ($1472.77 vs $1080.84, p < 0.0001). When including anesthesia supplies and nursing/staffing, costs were significantly more expensive for TURP than PAE ($2153.64 vs $1667.10 p < 0.0001). The average length of stay for the TURP group was longer at 1.38 versus 0.125 days for the PAE group. Total in-hospital costs for the TURP group ($5338.31, SD $3521.17) were significantly higher than for PAE ($1678.14, SD $442.0, p < 0.0001). When compared to TURP, PAE was associated with significantly lower direct in-hospital costs and shorter hospital stay.


A superconducting transformer system for high current cable testing.
This article describes the development of a direct-current (dc) superconducting transformer system for the high current test of superconducting cables. The transformer consists of a core-free 10,464 turn primary solenoid which is enclosed by a 6.5 turn secondary. The transformer is designed to deliver a 50 kA dc secondary current at a dc primary current of about 50 A. The secondary current is measured inductively using two toroidal-wound Rogowski coils. The Rogowski coil signal is digitally integrated, resulting in a voltage signal that is proportional to the secondary current. This voltage signal is used to control the secondary current using a feedback loop which automatically compensates for resistive losses in the splices to the superconducting cable samples that are connected to the secondary. The system has been commissioned up to 28 kA secondary current. The reproducibility in the secondary current measurement is better than 0.05% for the relevant current range up to 25 kA. The drift in the secondary current, which results from drift in the digital integrator, is estimated to be below 0.5 A/min. The system's performance is further demonstrated through a voltage-current measurement on a superconducting cable sample at 11 T background magnetic field. The superconducting transformer system enables fast, high resolution, economic, and safe tests of the critical current of superconducting cable samples.


Comparison of molecular typing methods for the differentiation of Salmonella foodborne pathogens.
Bacteria belonging to the genus Salmonella are among the leading causes of foodborne disease of bacterial etiology. These bacteria are also widely disseminated throughout the animal kingdom. The ability to identify the food source from which a human pathogen originated would be of great value in reducing the incidence of foodborne disease and the extent of disease outbreaks due to Salmonella. To date, efforts to identify the origin of these pathogens have centered on phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Salmonella isolates. This review focuses molecular or genotypic techniques that are currently being used for typing, and examines their strengths and weaknesses for determining the source of Salmonella foodborne infections.


Physiopathologic dynamics of vesicle traffic in astrocytes.
The view of how astrocytes, a type of glial cells, contribute to the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) has changed greatly in the last decade. Although glial cells outnumber neurons in the mammalian brain, it was considered for over a century that they played a subservient role to neurons. This view changed. Functions thought to be exclusively present in neurons, i.e. excitability mediated release of chemical messengers, has also been demonstrated in astrocytes. In this process, following an increase in cytosolic calcium activity, membrane bound vesicles, storing chemical messengers (gliotransmitters), fuse with the plasma membrane, a process known as exocytosis, permitting the exit of vesicle cargo into the extracellular space. Vesicles are delivered to and are removed from the site of exocytosis by an amazingly complex set of processes that we have only started to learn about recently. In this paper we review vesicle traffic, which is subject to physiological regulation and may be changed under pathological conditions.


A metastatic neuroendocrine anaplastic small cell tumor in a patient with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome. Assessment of disease status and response to doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide chemotherapy through scintigraphic imaging with 111In-pentetreotide.
Extrapulmonary small cell and small cell neuroendocrine tumors of unknown primary site are, in general, aggressive neoplasms with a short median survival. Like small cell lung cancer (SCLC), they often are responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Small cell lung cancer and well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas tend to express somatostatin receptors. These tumors may be localized in patients by scintigraphic imaging using radiolabeled somatostatin analogues. A patient with anaplastic neuroendocrine small cell tumor arising on a background of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome is reported. The patient had a known large pancreatic gastrinoma and previously treated parathyroid adenopathy. At presentation, there was small cell cancer throughout the liver and skeleton. Imaging with a radiolabeled somatostatin analogue, 111In-pentetreotide (Mallinckrodt Medical B. V., Petten, Holland), revealed all sites of disease detected by routine biochemical and radiologic methods. After six cycles of chemotherapy with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide, there was almost complete clearance of the metastatic disease. 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy revealed uptake consistent with small areas of residual disease in the liver, the abdomen (in mesenteric lymph nodes), and posterior thorax (in a rib). The primary gastrinoma present before the onset of the anaplastic small cell cancer showed no evidence of response to the treatment. The patient remained well for 1 year and then relapsed with brain, lung, liver, and skeletal metastases. Despite an initial response to salvage radiotherapy and chemotherapy with carboplatin and dacarbazine, the patient died 6 months later.


Arenobufagin activates p53 to trigger esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is often diagnosed at late incurable stage and lacks effective treatment strategy. Bufadienolides are cardiotonic steroids isolated from the skin and parotid venom glands of the toad Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor with novel anticancer activity. However, there is little information about the effects and action mechanisms of bufadienolides on ESCC cells. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo anti-ESCC activities of bufadienolides, including bufalin (Bu) and arenobufagin (ArBu), were examined and the underlying molecular mechanisms were elucidated. The results showed that ArBu exhibited higher anticancer efficacy than Bu against a panel of five ESCC cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.8 μM to 3.6 μM. However, ArBu showed lower toxicity toward Het-1A human normal esophageal squamous cells, indicating its great selectivity between cancer and normal cells. Moreover, ArBu effectively induced ESCC cell apoptosis mainly by triggering caspase activation through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Treatment of ESCC cells also significantly activated p53 signaling by enhancing its phosphorylation. Interestingly, transfection of cells with p53 small interfering RNA significantly inhibited the ArBu-induced p53 phosphorylation and the overall apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, ArBu also demonstrated novel in vivo anticancer efficacy by inhibiting the tumor growth through activation of p53 pathway. Taken together, these results demonstrate the p53-targeting therapeutic potential of bufadienolides against ESCC.


Influenza vaccination coverage among persons ages six months and older in the Vaccine Safety Datalink in the 2017-18 through 2022-23 influenza seasons.
In the United States, annual vaccination against seasonal influenza is recommended for all people ages ≥ 6 months. Vaccination coverage assessments can identify populations less protected from influenza morbidity and mortality and help to tailor vaccination efforts. Within the Vaccine Safety Datalink population ages ≥ 6 months, we report influenza vaccination coverage for the 2017-18 through 2022-23 seasons. Across eight health systems, we identified influenza vaccines administered from August 1 through March 31 for each season using electronic health records linked to immunization registries. Crude vaccination coverage was described for each season, overall and by self-reported sex; age group; self-reported race and ethnicity; and number of separate categories of diagnoses associated with increased risk of severe illness and complications from influenza (hereafter referred to as high-risk conditions). High-risk conditions were assessed using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes assigned in the year preceding each influenza season. Among individual cohorts of more than 12 million individuals each season, overall influenza vaccination coverage increased from 41.9 % in the 2017-18 season to a peak of 46.2 % in 2019-20, prior to declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coverage declined over the next three seasons, coincident with widespread SARS-CoV-2 circulation, to a low of 40.3 % in the 2022-23 season. In each of the six seasons, coverage was lowest among males, 18-49-year-olds, non-Hispanic Black people, and those with no high-risk conditions. While decreases in coverage were present in all age groups, the declines were most substantial among children: 2022-23 season coverage for children ages six months through 8 years and 9-17 years was 24.5 % and 22.4 % (14 and 10 absolute percentage points), respectively, less than peak coverage achieved in the 2019-20 season. Crude influenza vaccination coverage increased from 2017 to 18 through 2019-20, then decreased to the lowest level in the 2022-23 season. In this insured population, we identified persistent disparities in influenza vaccination coverage by sex, age, and race and ethnicity. The overall low coverage, disparities in coverage, and recent decreases in coverage are significant public health concerns.


[Accelerated senescence of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut tissues in relation to hydrogen peroxide accumulation].
Accelerated senescence of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut (CWC) tissues in relation to active oxygen species (AOS) metabolism was investigated. Fresh-cut CWC (2 mm thick) and intact CWC were stored at 4 degrees C in trays wrapped with plastic films. Changes in superoxide anion production rate, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were monitored, while contents of hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid, MDA as well as electrolyte leakage were measured. Fresh-cutting of CWC induced activities of SOD, CAT and APX to a certain extent (Fig. 2B and Fig. 3), but simultaneously stimulated superoxide anion production markedly (Fig. 2A), enhanced hydrogen peroxide accumulation and accelerated loss in ascorbic acid (Figs. 4 and 5), which resulted in increased lipid peroxidation indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage (Fig. 1). Statistics analysis indicated that there was a significantly positive correlation among hydrogen peroxide accumulation, MDA content and electrolyte leakage (Table 1). Histochemical detection with 3, 3'-diaminobenzidine further demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide accumulation increased in fresh-cut CWC during storage (Fig. 5). AOS production rate and activities of SOD, CAT and APX changed little while no obvious hydrogen peroxide accumulation was observed, in intact CWC during storage.


Potential role of immune modulation in the effective long-term control of HIV-1 infection.
Recent advances in HIV-1 pathogenesis, and in defining virological and immunological responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), along with the identification of the numerous drawbacks of HAART, have clearly demonstrated that the eradication of the virus is not a feasible therapeutic goal, and that there is an urgent need to develop other approaches to fight HIV-1 infection. Novel therapeutic approaches of immune modulation have recently been evaluated in pilot clinical trials. First, treating primary HIV-1 infection with cyclosporin A (CsA) coupled with HAART to target massive immune activation extends the benefits achieved with HAART during primary HIV-1 infection and might contribute to the establishment of a more favourable immunological set-point affecting the ultimate pattern and rate of disease progression. Second, treating chronic HIV-1 infection in patients with long-term suppression of virus replication induced by HAART, with the addition of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) reduces the pool of activated CD4+ T lymphocytes able to support productive HIV-1 infection, and might have an indirect impact on the pool of resting, latently infected CD4+ T cells, contributing to its depletion in vivo. The important question is clearly whether these results will have an impact on the clinical management of patients with HIV-1 infection, determining the precise therapeutic function of drugs like CsA and MMF, thus investigating the effects of these drugs on residual viral replication and the decay of the latent reservoir, on long-term immunological benefit, and, ultimately, on clinical benefit.


Comparison of one-step and two-step meta-analysis models using individual patient data.
The problem of combining information from separate trials is a key consideration when performing a meta-analysis or planning a multicentre trial. Although there is a considerable journal literature on meta-analysis based on individual patient data (IPD), i.e. a one-step IPD meta-analysis, versus analysis based on summary data, i.e. a two-step IPD meta-analysis, recent articles in the medical literature indicate that there is still confusion and uncertainty as to the validity of an analysis based on aggregate data. In this study, we address one of the central statistical issues by considering the estimation of a linear function of the mean, based on linear models for summary data and for IPD. The summary data from a trial is assumed to comprise the best linear unbiased estimator, or maximum likelihood estimator of the parameter, along with its covariance matrix. The setup, which allows for the presence of random effects and covariates in the model, is quite general and includes many of the commonly employed models, for example, linear models with fixed treatment effects and fixed or random trial effects. For this general model, we derive a condition under which the one-step and two-step IPD meta-analysis estimators coincide, extending earlier work considerably. The implications of this result for the specific models mentioned above are illustrated in detail, both theoretically and in terms of two real data sets, and the roles of balance and heterogeneity are highlighted. Our analysis also shows that when covariates are present, which is typically the case, the two estimators coincide only under extra simplifying assumptions, which are somewhat unrealistic in practice.


Expert testimony in a child sex abuse case: Translating memory development research.
In this paper we describe a custody case that centred on allegations of child sexual abuse. A pair of preschool-aged sisters accused their biological father of various sexual acts, though their allegations were made under problematic conditions and were contradicted by other statements they made. In an affidavit written by one of us (MB), we describe the relevant memory development research in the course of presenting the court with a scientific analysis. We find compelling evidence of multiple risk factors in the way the daughters' recollections were elicited. Although the "ultimate question" of guilt is beyond our purview, our identification of risks was instrumental in the legal system's decision that the children's allegations were not valid. We put this analysis forward as an example of evidence-based testimony in which scientific findings from the memory literature can be used to frame an expert's analysis.


Sjögren's syndrome associated with chronic hepatitis C - the benefit of the antiviral treatment.
Chronic hepatitis C virus infection (CHCV) has high prevalence of immunological abnormalities. Extrahepatic manifestations (EHM) have been reported in association with CHCV infection, whose heterogeneity makes difficult any correlation between the two disorders. Among extrahepatic symptoms of C virus hepatitis, sicca syndrome is also registered. Sjögren's or sicca syndrome (SS) is a chronic, slowly progressive disease, with inflammatory-immune mediation characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the lachrymal and salivary glands. A distinct primary form and a secondary one, occurring when presented in the context of an autoimmune or hepatic disease have been described. We present a case of SS in a patient with CHCV, commenting a possible link between primary SS and the CHCV, as well as the similarities and the distinctions among these conditions. Our conclusion is that CHCV can induce SS with some clinical particularities like presence of pericapillary and not pericanalicular lymphocytic infiltrate without destroying the salivary glands, in the absence of SS-A/SS-B antibodies. The favorable evolution of SS under IFN therapy is an argument for an authentic relation. Further studies are necessary to determine if CHCV is an etiological agent of SS or of it can induce a pseudo-sicca syndrome, characterized by a simple glandular inflammation consisting mainly in a simple lymphocytic adenitis.


Dysfunction of the Scn8a voltage-gated sodium channel alters sleep architecture, reduces diurnal corticosterone levels, and enhances spatial memory.
Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are responsible for the initiation and propagation of transient depolarizing currents and play a critical role in the electrical signaling between neurons. A null mutation in the VGSC gene SCN8A, which encodes the transmembrane protein Na(v)1.6, was identified previously in a human family. Heterozygous mutation carriers displayed a range of phenotypes, including ataxia, cognitive deficits, and emotional instability. A possible role for SCN8A was also proposed in studies examining the genetic basis of attempted suicide and bipolar disorder. In addition, mice with a Scn8a loss-of-function mutation (Scn8a(med-Tg/+)) show altered anxiety and depression-like phenotypes. Because psychiatric abnormalities are often associated with altered sleep and hormonal patterns, we evaluated heterozygous Scn8a(med-jo/+) mutants for alterations in sleep-wake architecture, diurnal corticosterone levels, and behavior. Compared with their wild-type littermates, Scn8a(med-jo/+) mutants experience more non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, a chronic impairment of REM sleep generation and quantity, and a lowered and flattened diurnal rhythm of corticosterone levels. No robust differences were observed between mutants and wild-type littermates in locomotor activity or in behavioral paradigms that evaluate anxiety or depression-like phenotypes; however, Scn8a(med-jo/+) mutants did show enhanced spatial memory. This study extends the spectrum of phenotypes associated with mutations in Scn8a and suggests a novel role for altered sodium channel function in human sleep disorders.


Renal stiffness measured by shear wave elastography and its relationship with perirenal fat in patients with chronic kidney disease.
This study aimed to utilize shear wave elastography (SWE) to assess changes in renal stiffness and its influencing factors in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) across different estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) categories. It also sought to determine the correlation between perirenal fat (PF) and renal stiffness at various stages of CKD. A total of 190 CKD patients and 50 healthy controls were evaluated. Clinical parameters, conventional renal ultrasound measurements, PF, and renal stiffness trends were assessed separately. Factors independently associated with renal stiffness and PF were further analyzed. Renal parenchymal stiffness was significantly higher in the Albumin-CKD G1-2 (ALB-CKD G1-2) and CKD G3 groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). The parenchymal stiffness of the CKD G3 group was higher than that of the ALB-CKD G1-2 group (p < 0.05). The independent factors of renal parenchymal stiffness varied at different stages of disease development, with eGFR and PF being significant factors in the CKD G3 group. PF was elevated in the ALB-CKD G1-2 and CKD G3 groups compared to the control group, and the independent factors of PF varied across different stages, although waist circumference remained a common factor. Using SWE to detect renal elastic moduli can effectively assess changes in renal stiffness in patients with CKD with varying eGFRs. PF is an independent factor of renal stiffness in patients with CKD G3, providing a foundation for early diagnosis and clinical treatment.


Parkinson's Disease Genetics and Pathophysiology.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the substantia nigra pars compacta and by accumulation of α-synuclein in Lewy bodies. PD is caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetic variants. These variants range from highly penetrant Mendelian alleles to alleles that only modestly increase disease risk. Here, we review what is known about the genetics of PD. We also describe how PD genetics have solidified the role of endosomal, lysosomal, and mitochondrial dysfunction in PD pathophysiology. Finally, we highlight how all three pathways are affected by α-synuclein and how this knowledge may be harnessed for the development of disease-modifying therapeutics.


Impaired glucose metabolism in patients with acute stroke and no previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
About a third of patients with acute stroke and no prior diagnosis of diabetes have hyperglycaemia during the acute phase of stroke. Whether this is an acute stress response or a reflection of underlying diabetes is controversial. To assess whether impaired glucose metabolism in patients with acute ischaemic stroke and no previous diagnosis of diabetes persists after 3 months, and whether such persistence can be predicted. Prospective observational study. We enrolled 106 patients with acute ischaemic stroke and no history of diabetes. Fasting blood glucose, serum insulin and the insulin resistance index HOMA were recorded during hospital stay. A standard oral glucose tolerance test was performed at discharge and 3 months later. Ten patients did not complete the study. Eighty-one patients (84.4%) had abnormal glucose metabolism at discharge and 62 (64.6%) after 3 months. Thirty-seven (38.5%) had impaired glucose tolerance at discharge and 26 (27.1%) after 3 months. Forty-four (45.8%) had diabetes at discharge, and 36 (37.5%) at 3 months. Post-load hyperglycaemia at discharge was a predictor of diabetes after 3 months. A plasma glucose cut-off of 11.7 mmol/l (210 mg/dl) had a specificity of 90.0% and a positive predictive value of 81.3%. HOMA increased progressively from patients with normal glucose metabolism to those with newly diagnosed diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance and previously unrecognized diabetes could be detected early in the stroke course, and persisted after 3 months in more than two-thirds of our patients. Post-load hyperglycaemia during the acute phase of stroke may be useful in identifying patients with abnormal glucose metabolism, which places them at risk for adverse outcomes, including cardiovascular disease.


Evaluation of Vision-Related Quality of Life in Chinese Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and the G11778A Mutation.
To assess quality of life (QoL) measures in Chinese Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) patients with the G11778A mutation. Chinese LHON patients with the G11778A mutation were prospectively evaluated using the Visual Function Index (VF-14) at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years after the involvement of the second eye. Patients who completed the VF-14 at all 3 follow-up time designations were included in the analysis. Fifty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. The median age of patients when their vision was bilaterally affected was 16.3 years old (interquartile range: 13.9-18.3 years). In our patient cohort, 89.1% (n = 49) were male, and the ratio of males to females was 8.2:1. The median logMAR visual acuity was 2.0 (interquartile range: 1.0-2.6). The mean VF-14 scores of patients with LHON at 6-month, 1-year, and 3-year follow-ups were 18.0 ± 19.2 (range 0-85.4), 19.9 ± 20.0 (range 0-85.4), and 20.7 ± 20.2 (range 0-85.4), and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). VF-14 score at 6 months was significantly correlated with visual acuity of the better eye (P < 0.001) but not with age of onset (P = 0.43). Overall, the QoL improvement was significantly correlated with age of onset (P = 0.006) but not with visual acuity of the better eye (P = 0.134). Several abilities were significantly improved at the 1-year follow-up compared with the 6-month follow-up, including seeing steps, curbs, or stairs (P < 0.01), doing handiwork (P < 0.05), playing sports (P < 0.05), cooking (P < 0.01), and watching television (P < 0.05). When these scores were further compared between 1- and 3-year follow-ups, only scores for cooking (P < 0.05) and watching television (P < 0.05) were higher at the 3-year follow-up than that at the 1-year follow-up. No changes were found during the follow-up for reading small print, reading a newspaper or book, or reading signs. Our results indicate that although most of our Chinese LHON patients with the G11778A mutation had permanent central visual loss, visual-related quality of life improved over time, especially in younger patients.


Mechanism of free and conjugated neocarzinostatin activity: studies on chromophore and protein uptake using a transferrin-neocarzinostatin conjugate.
Targeting studies using the anti-cancer agent neocarzinostatin (NCS), conjugated to anti-bodies have shown relatively poor specificity. From the literature, it is unclear whether NCS mediates its effects either in conjugated or unconjugated form. In the present work we have used a conjugate of NCS with transferrin, a biological ligand with a well defined endocytic route, to probe these mechanisms. NCS was covalently coupled to transferrin using the heterobifunctional reagent sulfo-4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (SMCC) and 2-iminothiolane to give a stable thioether-linked conjugate with a ratio of 1.6 mol of NCS per mole of transferrin. The binding activity of transferrin was completely retained. Conjugation of NCS to transferrin resulted in an apparent enhancement of cytotoxicity. However, incubation with excess transferrin had no influence on the observed enhanced toxicity, indicating that endocytosis is not responsible. Further experiments demonstrated that the apparent enhancement was dependent on incubation conditions and not an effect due to endocytosis of ligand. Studies where apo-NCS competed with holo-NCS and transferrin strongly indicated that the cytotoxicity of both NCS and conjugate is mediated by direct entry of the dissociated chromophore into the cell.


Quantum dynamics calculations using symmetrized, orthogonal Weyl-Heisenberg wavelets with a phase space truncation scheme. II. Construction and optimization.
In this paper, we extend and elaborate upon a wavelet method first presented in a previous publication [B. Poirier, J. Theo. Comput. Chem. 2, 65 (2003)]. In particular, we focus on construction and optimization of the wavelet functions, from theoretical and numerical viewpoints, and also examine their localization properties. The wavelets used are modified Wilson-Daubechies wavelets, which in conjunction with a simple phase space truncation scheme, enable one to solve the multidimensional Schrodinger equation. This approach is ideally suited to rovibrational spectroscopy applications, but can be used in any context where differential equations are involved.


Correlative imaging across microscopy platforms using the fast and accurate relocation of microscopic experimental regions (FARMER) method.
Imaging specific regions of interest (ROIs) of nanomaterials or biological samples with different imaging modalities (e.g., light and electron microscopy) or at subsequent time points (e.g., before and after off-microscope procedures) requires relocating the ROIs. Unfortunately, relocation is typically difficult and very time consuming to achieve. Previously developed techniques involve the fabrication of arrays of features, the procedures for which are complex, and the added features can interfere with imaging the ROIs. We report the Fast and Accurate Relocation of Microscopic Experimental Regions (FARMER) method, which only requires determining the coordinates of 3 (or more) conspicuous reference points (REFs) and employs an algorithm based on geometric operators to relocate ROIs in subsequent imaging sessions. The 3 REFs can be quickly added to various regions of a sample using simple tools (e.g., permanent markers or conductive pens) and do not interfere with the ROIs. The coordinates of the REFs and the ROIs are obtained in the first imaging session (on a particular microscope platform) using an accurate and precise encoded motorized stage. In subsequent imaging sessions, the FARMER algorithm finds the new coordinates of the ROIs (on the same or different platforms), using the coordinates of the manually located REFs and the previously recorded coordinates. FARMER is convenient, fast (3-15 min/session, at least 10-fold faster than manual searches), accurate (4.4 μm average error on a microscope with a 100x objective), and precise (almost all errors are <8 μm), even with deliberate rotating and tilting of the sample well beyond normal repositioning accuracy. We demonstrate this versatility by imaging and re-imaging a diverse set of samples and imaging methods: live mammalian cells at different time points; fixed bacterial cells on two microscopes with different imaging modalities; and nanostructures on optical and electron microscopes. FARMER can be readily adapted to any imaging system with an encoded motorized stage and can facilitate multi-session and multi-platform imaging experiments in biology, materials science, photonics, and nanoscience.


Relation between histologic subtypes and location of gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori.
Epidemiologic studies have consistently shown an association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer, and it is now widely accepted that this organism plays a role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Nevertheless, there are discrepant results on its relationship with the histologic type and location of gastric cancer within the stomach. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of H. pylori in a group of gastric cancer patients and the association between H. pylori and specific histologic types of gastric cancer and tumor location within the stomach. Systemic IgG antibodies against H. pylori were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique in 48 patients (male to female ratio, 31:17; age range, 39-88 years; mean, 69 years) with histologically confirmed gastric cancer and 50 controls (male to female ratio, 33:17; age range, 40-77 years, mean, 64 years). Thirty-one cases of gastric cancer were of the intestinal type, and 12 of the diffuse type; the remaining 5 were unclassified. Thirteen gastric cancers were located in the distal stomach (antrum/pylorus), 12 in the body, and 5 in the proximal stomach (cardia/fundus); the remaining 17 were unclassified because the tumor extended towards more than one location. The overall seroprevalence of H. pylori in patients with gastric cancer and controls was 85.4% and 66%, respectively (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence increased with increasing age in cancer patients, but the difference was not significant. H. pylori seroprevalence among patients with the intestinal type of gastric cancer was higher than in those with the diffuse type (P < 0.05). The prevalence of H. pylori infection was higher among patients with the cancer located distally than in those with the cancer located proximally (P < 0.05). H. pylori seroprevalence was higher in gastric cancer patients than in controls. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in intestinal-type gastric cancer was clearly higher than in the diffuse type and in the control group. An association was found between H. pylori infection and tumors located distally (antrum/pylorus).


Magnetically responsive colloidal crystals with angle-independent gradient structural colors in microfluidic droplet arrays.
Magnetically responsive colloidal crystal films with gradient structural colors have a significant value in optical applications via controllable external stimuli. Herein, we propose a practical method for fabricating colloidal crystal hydrogel films with continuous gradient structural colors by using superparamagnetic colloidal nanoparticles. The colloidal nanoparticles could self-assemble into chain-like non-close-packed arrays to present structural colors under the stimuli of external magnetic fields. And structural colors with gradient changes could be achieved when subjected to a spatial magnetic field with a remarkable variation in field strength and direction. By integrating with a microfluidic droplet array template with spherical symmetry morphology, we have demonstrated convenient fabrication of free-standing colloidal crystal films with angle-independent gradient structural colors, which could be utilized for the fabrication of optical devices.


Machine Learning Demonstrates High Accuracy for Disease Diagnosis and Prognosis in Plastic Surgery.
Machine learning (ML) is a set of models and methods that can detect patterns in vast amounts of data and use this information to perform various kinds of decision-making under uncertain conditions. This review explores the current role of this technology in plastic surgery by outlining the applications in clinical practice, diagnostic and prognostic accuracies, and proposed future direction for clinical applications and research. EMBASE, MEDLINE, CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from 1990 to 2020. Any clinical studies (including case reports) which present the diagnostic and prognostic accuracies of machine learning models in the clinical setting of plastic surgery were included. Data collected were clinical indication, model utilised, reported accuracies, and comparison with clinical evaluation. The database identified 1181 articles, of which 51 articles were included in this review. The clinical utility of these algorithms was to assist clinicians in diagnosis prediction (n=22), outcome prediction (n=21) and pre-operative planning (n=8). The mean accuracy is 88.80%, 86.11% and 80.28% respectively. The most commonly used models were neural networks (n=31), support vector machines (n=13), decision trees/random forests (n=10) and logistic regression (n=9). ML has demonstrated high accuracies in diagnosis and prognostication of burn patients, congenital or acquired facial deformities, and in cosmetic surgery. There are no studies comparing ML to clinician's performance. Future research can be enhanced using larger datasets or utilising data augmentation, employing novel deep learning models, and applying these to other subspecialties of plastic surgery.


Self-Assembled Fibrinogen Hydro- and Aerogels with Fibrin-like 3D Structures.
The natural blood protein fibrinogen is a highly potent precursor for the production of various biomaterials due to its supreme biocompatibility and cell interaction. To gain actual materials from fibrinogen, the protein needs to undergo fibrillogenesis, which is mostly triggered via enzymatic processing to fibrin, electrospinning, or drying processes. All of those techniques, however, strongly limit the available structures or the applicability of the material. To overcome the current issues of fibrin(ogen) as material, we herein present a highly feasible, quick, and inexpensive technique for self-assembly of fibrinogen in solution into defined, nanofibrous three-dimensional (3D) patterns. Upon interaction with specific anions in controlled environments, stable and flexible hydrogel-like structures are formed without any further processing. Moreover, the material can be converted into highly porous and elastic aerogels by lyophilization. Both of these material classes have never been described before from native fibrinogen. The observed phenomenon also represents the first enzyme-free process of fibrillogenesis from fibrinogen with significant yield in solution. The produced hydrogels and aerogels were investigated via electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy, which also confirms the native state of the protein. Additionally, their mechanical properties were compared with actual fibrin and unstructured fibrinogen. The structural features show a striking analogy to actual fibrin, both as hydro- and aerogel. This renders the new material a highly promising alternative for fibrin in biomaterial applications. A much faster initiation of fiber formation, exclusion of possible thrombin residuals, and low-cost reagents are great advantages.