Personality test measures in optometry school admissions.
Predicting clinical competence among optometry students from data obtainable at the time of admissions is the focus of this study. Preoptometry grades, Optometry College Admission Test (OCAT) scores, and applicant scores on a standardized personality inventory were tested as predictors of faculty ratings of student performance in optometry clinics. Students' clinical performance was best predicted by certain personality dimensions, objectively measured by the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). Preoptometry grades and OCAT scores, although significantly correlated with optometry grades, were generally poor predictors of clinical performance. For men, achievement drive, self-confidence, and tolerance and for women, self-confidence, assertiveness, and interpersonal effectiveness were the personal qualities most highly correlated with instructors' ratings of performance. The study demonstrates that these personal qualities, as well as the degree to which an applicant presents a "good impression," can be objectively assessed at the time of application to optometry school.


Taming the pion cloud of the nucleon.
We present a light-front determination of the pionic contribution to the nucleon self-energy, Σ(π), to second order in pion-baryon coupling constants that allows the pion-nucleon vertex function to be treated in a model-independent manner constrained by experiment. The pion mass μ dependence of Σ(π) is consistent with chiral perturbation theory results for small values of μ and is also linearly dependent on μ for larger values, in accord with the results of lattice QCD calculations. The derivative of Σ(π) with respect to μ(2) yields the dominant contribution to the pion content, which is consistent with the d[over ¯]-u[over ¯] difference observed experimentally in the violation of the Gottfried sum rule.


Therapeutic angiogenesis for ischemic disorders: what is missing for clinical benefits?
The idea of promoting angiogenesis in ischemic tissues remains an undisputed therapeutic approach for the treatment of myocardium and skeletal muscles that lack sufficient blood supply. However, clinical experiences from several large trials indicated that delivery of proangiogenic factors to patients suffering from myocardial infarction and leg ischemia has not shown significant benefits. Despite continuous success in various animal disease models, why has this simple principle not shown proof of concept in patients? What has been missing in the trial deign? What are the differences between animal models and patients? What are the optimal components for promoting functional collateral networks? This brief review discusses molecular mechanisms underlying arteriogenesis and proposes novel approaches for improvement of therapeutic outcomes.


Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the kidney. A light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic study.
Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the kidney is a rare and highly aggressive tumor in the adult population. A case is reported in a 70-year-old woman with the diagnosis confirmed by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. This is the first case studied using the immunoperoxidase technique and the second with electron microscopic examination. To make a diagnosis of primary sarcoma, of the kidney, three criteria must be met: (1) a metastatic sarcoma must be ruled out; (2) the tumor must arise from renal parenchyma; and (3) a sarcomatoid variant of renal cell carcinoma needs to be excluded. The literature is reviewed and available clinical and pathologic details are summarized.


Clinical and radiographic outcomes of meniscus surgery and future targets for biologic intervention: A review of data from the MOON Group.
Meniscus injury and treatment occurred with the majority of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (ACLR) in the multicenter orthopedic outcomes (MOON) cohort. We describe the patient-reported outcomes, radiographic outcomes, and predictors of pain from meniscus injuries and treatment in the setting of ACLR. Patient-reported outcomes improve significantly following meniscus repair with ACLR, but differences exist based on the meniscus injury laterally (medial or lateral). Patients undergoing medial meniscus repair have worse patient-reported outcomes and more pain compared to those with uninjured menisci. However, lateral meniscal tears can be repaired with similar outcomes as uninjured menisci. Medial meniscal treatment (meniscectomy or repair) results in a significant loss of joint space at 2 years compared to uninjured menisci. Menisci treated with excision had a greater degree of joint space loss compared to those treated with repair. Clinically significant knee pain is more common following injuries to the medial meniscus and increased in patients who undergo early re-operation after initial ACLR. Future research efforts aimed at improving outcomes after combined ACLR and meniscus treatment should focus on optimizing biologic and mechanical environments that promote healing of medial meniscal tears sustained during ACL injury.


[Anesthesic management during total organic separation of pygopagus conjoined twins].
Conjoined twins are among the most rare and challenging congenital malformations. The incidence varies from 1:30 000 to 1:200 000 live births. Pygopagus twins account for about 10 to 18% of all conjoined twins. We report the case of male conjoined pygopagus twins. They shared medullary canal, anal canal and sacrococcygeal region, without any degree of cross circulation. At the moment of the surgery, twin 1 had congenital heart disease without medical treatment. Twin 2 presented craniofacial malformations. The total organic separation was performed electively, by being driven by two teams of anesthesiologists with balanced general anesthesia, intravenous and sequential induction intubation. Non-invasive and invasive monitoring was used for both twins. During the transanesthetic period, twin 1 presented multiple hypercyanotic episodes associated to hypovolemia and hypotension. Twin 2 remained stable. During the final separation acute bleeding and hemodynamic instability showed up, requiring the use of inotropes, vasopressors and blood components. The twins were sent to intensive care where they remained under surveillance for three days. They were discharged a month and a half after the surgical event. Each type of siamese has specific characteristics depending on the type of union; comprehensive knowledge of the morphology and physiopathology of the twins is essential for optimal anesthetic management.


Contact lens prescribing in a specialist medical contact lens clinic based in an NHS hospital: an audit of changing practice.
To describe the range of indications for contact lenses and the types of lenses being used in an NHS hospital-based specialist medical contact lens clinic and contrast this with information from 12 years ago. A retrospective audit of 596 clinic attendances was performed in the contact lens clinic at the Western Eye Hospital between April 2002 and March 2003. The results were compared with a similar audit performed in 1991. We used the hospitals electronic records, and information on contact lens prescribing was obtained directly from the receipts generated by the contact lens department and the accounts department. We saw 392 patients with 88.5% of patients requiring 2 or less visits per year. The majority of referrals are for high myopia (28.6%) closely followed by aphakia (25.2%) and keratoconus (24.7%). This is in contrast to 1991 when 68% of referrals were for aphakia and twice as many myopes (17%) were seen as keratoconus patients (8%). A total of 560 lenses were prescribed with 68 different types of lens in use. The seven most commonly used lens types accounted for 61% of all lenses prescribed. Medical contact lens clinics provide a specialist service and also provide an important training resource for junior ophthalmologists. Safer cataract surgical techniques have had a significant impact on the case mix seen in our clinic, with the emphasis moving away from aphakic and myopic patients and toward the more challenging to fit eyes with keratoconus or postcorneal surgery.


Identification of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K as a transactivator for human low density lipoprotein receptor gene transcription.
hnRNP K, a member of the family of heterogeneous ribonucleoproteins, is known to exert various functional roles in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria to affect different cellular processes including chromatin remodeling, transcription, splicing, and translation. Here we report, for the first time, that hnRNP K is specifically involved in human LDL receptor (LDLR) gene transcription in HepG2 cells. We show that depletion of hnRNP K by siRNA transfection reduces the expression of LDLR mRNA and protein by more than 50% as measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Importantly, we show that the decay rate of LDLR mRNA is not affected by hnRNP K siRNA transfection, whereas the LDLR promoter activity is significantly decreased. Furthermore, overexpression of hnRNP K increased the LDLR promoter activity by the luciferase reporter assay. By utilizing a series of mutational and deletional constructs of LDLR promoter luciferase reporters, we mapped the K-responsive element to the repeat 3 (R3) sequence of the LDLR promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that the K protein binds to a single-stranded DNA probe containing the CT-rich element of R3, which is in contrast to the requirement of double-stranded DNA for Sp1 to bind to R3. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays reveal a direct interaction of hnRNP K with the LDLR promoter in intact HepG2 cells. These new findings provide strong evidence demonstrating that hnRNP K is an important transactivator for human LDLR gene transcription. This work sheds new light on our current understanding of how LDLR gene expression is controlled at the transcriptional level.


Extensive Evolution of Cereal Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins Translates into Unique Structural Features, Activation Mechanisms, and Physiological Roles.
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are a class of cytotoxic enzymes that can depurinate rRNAs thereby inhibiting protein translation. Although these proteins have also been detected in bacteria, fungi, and even some insects, they are especially prevalent in the plant kingdom. This review focuses on the RIPs from cereals. Studies on the taxonomical distribution and evolution of plant RIPs suggest that cereal RIPs have evolved at an enhanced rate giving rise to a large and heterogeneous RIP gene family. Furthermore, several cereal RIP genes are characterized by a unique domain architecture and the lack of a signal peptide. This advanced evolution of cereal RIPs translates into distinct structures, activation mechanisms, and physiological roles. Several cereal RIPs are characterized by activation mechanisms that include the proteolytic removal of internal peptides from the N-glycosidase domain, a feature not documented for non-cereal RIPs. Besides their role in defense against pathogenic fungi or herbivorous insects, cereal RIPs are also involved in endogenous functions such as adaptation to abiotic stress, storage, induction of senescence, and reprogramming of the translational machinery. The unique properties of cereal RIPs are discussed in this review paper.


Telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first responder systems, cardiac arrest centers, and global campaigns to save lives.
The latest resuscitation guidelines contain a new chapter, which focuses on systems improving care for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In this article, we describe recent developments regarding telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first responder systems, cardiac arrest centers, and global campaigns. Telephone CPR has been implemented in many countries, and recent developments include artificial intelligence and video calls to improve dispatch assisted CPR. However, the degree of implementation is not yet satisfying. Smartphone alerting systems are effective in reducing the resuscitation-free interval, but many regions do not yet use this technology. Further improvements are needed to reduce response times. Cardiac arrest centers increase the survival chance after OHCA. Specific criteria need to be defined and professional societies should establish a certification process. Global campaigns are effective in reaching people around the world. However, we need to evaluate the effects of the campaigns. Telephone CPR, first responder systems, cardiac arrest centers, and global campaigns are highlighted in the recent resuscitation guidelines. However, the degree of implementation is not yet sufficient. We do not only need to implement these measures, but we should also aim to monitor the systems regarding their performance and further improve them.


Associations between microbiological and salivary caries activity tests and caries experience in Hungarian adolescents.
The aim of the study was to assess caries prevalence in connection with salivary caries-related findings in 349 14- to 16-year-old Hungarian adolescents living in two different cities. DMFT, DMFS means, stimulated salivary flow, buffer capacity, mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and candida counts in saliva were determined. The ratio of caries-free adolescents was 4.6% in the total population sample, DMFT mean values were 7.24+/-4.86, DMFS means 10.50+/-8.35. Mean secretion rate of stimulated saliva was 0. 84+/-0.50; a low buffer capacity was found in 6.3% of the examined children. The ratio of carriers of mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and yeasts in saliva was 89.7, 73.9 and 47.7%, respectively. DMFT and DMFS values as well as mutans streptococci and candida counts were lower in the capital than in the other city. Statistically significant correlations were found between DMFT, DMFS mean values, and salivary microbiological counts.


First record of Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus (Cuvier, 1812) in Icelandic waters.
In July 2022, two Risso's dolphins were reported stranded in Hrútafjörður (N65° 09,503; W21° 05,529), a fjord in northern Iceland. These events represent the first confirmed observations and strandings of Risso's dolphins in Icelandic waters. Given the uniqueness of these events, a decision was made to conduct full necropsies on these individuals. This study reports findings from viral and parasitological investigations, morphological and fitness measurements, as well as stomach and intestine content analysis for each of the Risso's dolphin specimens. The results of the necropsies do not suggest any other cause of death than lack of food and exhaustion. A large plastic fragment in one individual's stomach supports these suggestions. The presence of those specimens in the middle of the subarctic ocean illustrates ongoing changes in spatial distribution expanding northward, impacting not only Risso's dolphins but more generally marine life and biodiversity.


Decreased Conflict Control in Overweight Chinese Females: Behavioral and Event-Related Potentials Evidence.
Overweight or obesity is related to a decrease in cognitive control, especially conflict control. However, research on conflict control in overweight/obese individuals are still controversial. This study was conducted to explore general and food-related conflict control in overweight Chinese females (OWs) with a color-word Stroop task and a food-related conflict task. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during the food-related conflict task. Behavioral results showed that, OWs had a longer reaction time (RT) than normal-weight Chinese females (NWs), in both tasks. ERP results in the food-related conflict task showed that there was a reduction of N2 and N450 response strength in OWs, and the P3 and late positive component (LPC) response strength was enhanced. Results indicated that OWs might be less efficient in monitoring and resolving conflict, and OWs tended to have a higher motivational or emotional involvement in processing food-related stimuli, which was likely to contribute to their difficulty in losing weight.


Association of CTNND2 gene polymorphism with schizophrenia: Two-sample case-control study in Chinese Han population.
Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Catenin Delta 2 (CTNND2) is one of the genes regulating neuronal development in the brain. It is unclear whether CTNND2 is involved in SZ. With the hypothesis that CTNND2 may be a risk gene for SZ, we performed a case-control association analysis to investigate if CTNND2 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are implicated in SZ in a Han Chinese population. We recruited subjects from 2010 to 2022 from the Han population of northern Henan and divided them into two case-control samples, including a discovery sample (SZ = 528 and controls = 528) and replication sample (SZ = 2458 and controls = 6914). Twenty-one SNPs were genotyped on the Illumina BeadStation 500G platform using GoldenGate technology and analyzed by PLINK. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess clinical symptoms. Rs16901943, rs7733427, and rs2168878 SNPs were associated with SZ (Chi2 = 7.484, 11.576, and 5.391, respectively, df = 1; p = 0.006, 0.00067, and 0.02, respectively) in the two samples. Rs10058868 was associated with SZ in male patients in the discovery sample (Chi2 = 6.264, df = 1, p = .044). Only the relationship with rs7733427 survived Bonferroni correction. Linkage disequilibrium block three haplotypes were associated with SZ in the discovery and total sample. PANSS analysis of the four SNPs implicated rs10058868 and rs2168878 in symptoms of depression and excitement, respectively, in the patients with SZ. Four SNPs of the CTNND2 gene were identified as being correlated with SZ. This gene may be involved in susceptibility to SZ.


The history of pyrosequencing.
One late afternoon in the beginning of January 1986, bicycling from the lab over the hill to the small village of Fullbourn, the idea for an alternative DNA sequencing technique came to my mind. The basic concept was to follow the activity of DNA polymerase during nucleotide incorporation into a DNA strand by analyzing the pyrophosphate released during the process. Today, the technique is used in multidisciplinary fields in academic, clinical, and industrial settings all over the word. The technique can be used for both single-base sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, depending on the format used. In this chapter I will give my personal account of the development of Pyrosequencing--beginning on a winter day in 1986, when I first envisioned the method--until today, nearly 20 yr later. I will conclude with future prospects for the method.


Studies on volatile organic compounds of Tuber borchii and T. asa-foetida.
Ascomata of two truffle species, Tuber borchii and T. asa-foetida, both naturally growing in woodlands of the Basilicata region (southern Italy), were identified on the basis of ascospore morphology and compared under a volatile organic compound profile to determine the particular volatile organic compounds that characterize each taxon. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the samples showed the presence of 1-methyl-1,3-butadiene as a primary component in both truffles. T. asa-foetida showed a compound, toluene, not present in T. borchii, which creates the penetrating "solvent" smell of the truffle.


Natural history of HIV infection in Filipino female commercial sex workers.
A prospective follow-up study of the progression of HIV infection, from seroconversion to onset of opportunistic infections (OI) indicative of immune deficiency and to death, was performed in a cohort of 54 HIV-1 antibody positive Filipino female commercial sex workers (FCSW). The cumulative probability of having a CD4+ T cell count of < 200/mm3 and/or an OI indicative of severe immune deficiency was 52.9% within 5 years and 73.8% within 6 years after seroconversion. The cumulative probability of death was 52.1% within 6.5 years following seroconversion and 52.7% within 1.5 years after a depressed (< 200/mm3) CD4+ T cell or onset of an OI. Although several OI associated with immune impairment were observed, a CD4+ cell count of < 200/mm3 was the initial indicator of a failing immune system in more than 50% of the patients. Mycobacterium tuberculosis or unidentified acid fast bacilli (presumed to be M. tuberculosis) and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were the initial indicators of immune deficiency in the remaining patients.


Resurgence when challenging alternative behavior with progressive ratios in children and pigeons.
Resurgence is defined as the recurrence of a previously reinforced and then extinguished target response when reducing or eliminating a more recently reinforced alternative response. In experiments with children and pigeons, we evaluated patterns of resurgence across and within sessions through decreases in reinforcer availability by challenging alternative responding with extinction and progressive-ratio schedules. In Phase 1, we reinforced only target responding. In Phase 2, we extinguished target responding while reinforcing an alternative response. Finally, Phase 3 assessed resurgence by (a) extinguishing alternative responding versus (b) introducing a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement for alternative responding. In both children and pigeons, resurgence of target responding occurred in both conditions but generally was greater when assessed during extinction than with progressive ratios. Importantly, within-session patterns of resurgence did not differ between testing with progressive ratios and extinction. Resurgence with progressive ratios tended to be greater with longer durations between reinforcers but we observed similar findings with only simulated reinforcers during extinction testing. Therefore, the present investigation reveals that the events contributing to instances of resurgence remain to be understood, and presents an approach from which to examine variables influencing within-session patterns of resurgence.


Palliative Care for Advanced Heart Failure in a Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Hospice Program: Patient Selection, a Treatment Protocol, and Clinical Course.
Palliative care for advanced heart failure (HF) is generally recommended. However, few reports have focused on the particulars of treatment, or the clinical course of HF on a specific treatment regimen. Palliation adequate to allow patients to avoid HF admission and die at home. Patients from a veterans administration regional practice with multiple, recent hospital admissions were enrolled in community hospice programs. Treatment of HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) included guidelines-directed medical therapy, digoxin, opioids, and oral bumetanide (with metolazone as needed) rather than intravenous diuretics. Levodopa (l-dopa) was added when conventional therapy failed to control symptoms. HF with preserved EF was also treated with bumetanide and opioids. Thirty male veterans, 23 of them with HFrEF, had 90 HF admissions in the 6 months before enrollment, and 3 HF admissions during follow-up of at least 14 months. Twenty-one patients died, 18 of them at home; 14 died within 5 months, and the rest lived much longer. Failure to improve with initial therapy predicted early death. Results were similar for those with reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. L-dopa was started in 13 patients and tolerated by 8 patients; functional class improved and B-type natriuretic peptide declined after treatment. With this treatment protocol, there were few HF admissions and patients were able to die at home. It can be used as a guide to therapy, or as an approach that can be tested with additional study.


No effect of ovarian stimulation and oocyte yield on euploidy and live birth rates: an analysis of 12 298 trophectoderm biopsies.
Does ovarian stimulation affect embryo euploidy rates or live birth rates (LBRs) after transfer of euploid embryos? Euploidy rates and LBRs after transfer of euploid embryos are not significantly influenced by gonadotropin dosage, duration of ovarian stimulation, estradiol level, follicle size at ovulation trigger or number of oocytes retrieved, regardless of a woman's age. Aneuploidy rates increase steadily with age, reaching >80% in women >42 years old. The goal of ovarian stimulation is to overcome this high aneuploidy rate through the recruitment of several follicles, which increases the likelihood of obtaining a euploid embryo that results in a healthy conceptus. However, several studies have suggested that a high response to stimulation might be embryotoxic and/or increase aneuploidy rates by enhancing abnormal segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Furthermore, a recent study demonstrated a remarkable difference in euploidy rates, ranging from 39.5 to 82.5%, among young oocyte donors in 42 fertility centres, potentially suggesting an iatrogenic etiology resulting from different stimulation methods. This is a retrospective cohort study that included 2230 in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles and 930 frozen-thawed single euploid embryo transfer (FET) cycles, performed in our centre between 2013 and 2017. A total of 12 298 embryos were analysed for ploidy status. Women were divided into five age groups (<35, 35-37, 38-40, 41-42 and >42 years old). Outcomes were compared between different durations of stimulation (<10, 10-12 and ≥13 days), total gonadotropin dosages (<4000, 4000-6000 and >6000 IU), numbers of oocytes retrieved (<10, 10-19 and ≥20 oocytes), peak estradiol levels (<2000, 2000-3000 and >3000 pg/mL), and sizes of the largest follicle on the day of trigger (<20 and ≥20 mm). Within the same age group, both euploidy rates and LBRs were comparable between cycles regardless of their differences in total gonadotropin dosage, duration of stimulation, number of oocytes harvested, size of the largest follicles or peak estradiol levels. In the youngest group, (<35 years, n = 3469 embryos), euploidy rates were comparable between cycles with various total gonadotropin dosages (55.6% for <4000 IU, 52.9% for 4000-6000 IU and 62.3% for >6000 IU; P = 0.3), durations of stimulation (54.4% for <10 days, 55.2% for 10-12 days and 60.9% for >12 days; P = 0.2), number of oocytes harvested (59.4% for <10 oocytes, 55.2% for 10-19 oocytes and 53.4% for ≥20 oocytes; P = 0.2), peak estradiol levels (55.7% for E2 < 2000 pg/mL, 55.4% for E2 2000-3000 pg/mL and 54.8% for E2 > 3000 pg/mL; P = 0.9) and sizes of the largest follicle (55.6% for follicles <20 mm and 55.1% for follicles ≥20 mm; P = 0.8). Similarly, in the oldest group (>42 years, n = 1157 embryos), euploidy rates ranged from 8.7% for gonadotropins <4000 IU to 5.1% for gonadotropins >6000 IU (P = 0.3), from 10.8% for <10 days of stimulation to 8.5% for >12 days of stimulation (P = 0.3), from 7.3% for <10 oocytes to 7.4% for ≥20 oocytes (P = 0.4), from 8.8% for E2 < 2000 pg/mL to 7.5% for E2 > 3000 pg/mL (P = 0.8) and from 8.2% for the largest follicle <20 mm to 8.9% for ≥20 mm (P = 0.7). LBRs after single FET were also comparable between these groups. Although this large study (2230 IVF/PGT-A cycles, 12 298 embryos and 930 single FET cycles) demonstrates the safety of ovarian stimulation in terms of aneuploidy and implantation potential of euploid embryos, a multi-centre study may help to prove the generalisability of our single-centre data. These findings reassure providers and patients that gonadotropin dosage, duration of ovarian stimulation, estradiol level, follicle size at ovulation trigger and number of oocytes retrieved, within certain ranges, do not appear to significantly influence euploidy rates or LBRs, regardless of the woman's age. No external funding was received and there are no competing interests to declare. N/A.


Exact relativistic kinetic theory of the full unstable spectrum of an electron-beam-plasma system with Maxwell-Jüttner distribution functions.
Following a recent Letter by Bret [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 205008 (2008)], we present a detailed report of the entire unstable k spectrum of a relativistic collisionless beam-plasma system within a fully kinetic framework. In contrast to a number of previously published studies, our linear analysis makes use of smooth momentum distribution functions of the Maxwell-Jüttner form. The three competing classes of instabilities, namely, two-stream, filamentation, and oblique modes, are dealt with in a unified manner, no approximation being made regarding the beam-plasma densities, temperatures, and drift energies. We investigate the hierarchy between the competing modes, paying particular attention to the relatively poorly known quasielectrostatic oblique modes in the regime where they govern the system. The properties of the fastest growing oblique modes are examined in terms of the system parameters and compared to those of the dominant two-stream and filamentation modes.


Optimal dehydrothermal processing conditions to improve biocompatibility and durability of a weakly denatured collagen scaffold.
Collagen scaffolds are essential for tissue regeneration; however, preprocessing of these scaffolds is necessary because of their poor mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal condition for preparing a collagen scaffold with biocompatibility and durability. An atelocollagen fiber suspension was made and stored at -10°C in a container that could be cooled from the bottom to provide an orientation perpendicular to the collagen fiber and facilitate cell infiltration into the scaffold. After freeze-drying the frozen suspension, various collagen scaffolds were made by dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment under different conditions (processing temperature: 120-160°C for 0-28 h). Sections of the obtained materials were embedded under the back skin of rats, and the thickness and biocompatibility of the residual scaffold were evaluated after 2 weeks. The number of foreign body giant cells was counted to evaluate biocompatibility. Although the residual scaffold was thick, excessive DHT treatment caused a strong foreign body reaction. Weak DHT treatment resulted in a collagen scaffold with good biocompatibility but with reduced thickness. Overall, these results showed the restricted optimal conditions to make a collagen scaffold with good biocompatibility and ability to maintain sufficient space for tissue regeneration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2301-2307, 2017.


Interspecies Differences in the Connectivity of Ventral Striatal Components Between Humans and Macaques.
Although the evolutionarily conserved functions of the ventral striatal components have been used as a priori knowledge for further study, whether these functions are conserved between species remains unclear. In particular, whether macroscopic connectivity supports this given the disproportionate volumetric differences between species in the brain regions that project to the ventral striatum, including the prefrontal and limbic areas, has not been established In this study, the human and macaque striatum was first tractographically parcellated to define the ventral striatum and its two subregions, the nucleus accumbens (Acb)-like and the neurochemically unique domains of the Acb and putamen (NUDAPs)-like divisions. Our results revealed a similar topographical distribution of the connectivity-based ventral striatal components in the two primate brains. Successively, a set of targets was extracted to construct a connectivity fingerprint to characterize these parcellation results, enabling cross-species comparisons. Our results indicated that the connectivity fingerprints of the ventral striatum-like divisions were dissimilar in the two species. We localized this difference to specific targets to analyze possible interspecies functional modifications. Our results also revealed interspecies-convergent connectivity ratio fingerprints of the target group to these two ventral striatum-like subregions. This convergence may suggest synchronous connectional changes of these ventral striatal components during primate evolution.


Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) in the management of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma: a subgroup analysis of the UK NCRI R-CHOP 14 versus 21 trial.
We performed a subgroup analysis of the phase III UK National Cancer Research Institute R-CHOP-14 versus R-CHOP-21 (two- versus three-weekly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone) trial to evaluate the outcomes for 50 patients with World Health Organization 2008 classified primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma identified from the trial database. At a median follow-up of 7·2 years the 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival was 79·8% and 83·8%, respectively. An exploratory analysis raised the possibility of a better outcome in those who received R-CHOP-14 and time intensification may still, in the rituximab era, merit testing in a randomised trial in this subgroup of patients.


The alpha 1 (IX) collagen gene gives rise to two different transcripts in both mouse embryonic and human fetal RNA.
We have isolated and characterized portions of the alpha 1 (IX) collagen gene from mouse and human DNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis and comparison with the chicken gene suggest that the mammalian genes contain an alternative exon that is located within the intron between exons 6 and 7. Using oligonucleotide primers specific for exons 4, 8, and the alternative exon (exon 1*), we demonstrated by the polymerase chain reaction that embryonic mouse and fetal human RNAs contain two types of alpha 1(IX) collagen transcripts. One type of transcript does not contain the sequence encoded by exon 1*; the second type of transcript contains this exon. Both mouse and human alpha 1(IX) collagen genes give rise, therefore, to (at least) two mRNA transcripts.


Cloning of a complementary DNA encoding an 80 kilodalton nuclear cap binding protein.
It has been shown that the monomethylated cap structure plays important roles in nuclear events. The cap structure has been implicated in the enhancement of pre-mRNA splicing. More recently, this structure has also been suggested to facilitate RNA transport from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. We have previously identified and purified an 80kD Nuclear Cap Binding Protein (NCBP) from a HeLa cell nuclear extract, which could possibly mediate these nuclear activities. In this report, we describe cloning of complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding NCBP. The partial protein sequences of NCBP were determined, and the full-length cDNA of NCBP was isolated from HeLa cDNA libraries. This cDNA encoded an open reading frame of 790 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 91,734 daltons, which contained most of the determined protein sequences. However, the protein sequence had no significant homology to any known proteins. Transfection experiments demonstrated that the epitope-tagged NCBP, transiently expressed in HeLa cells, was localized exclusively in the nucleoplasm. Similar experiments using a truncated NCBP cDNA indicated that this nuclear localization activity is conferred by the N-terminal 70 amino-acid region.


[Mesenchymal stromal cells].
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been among the most intensively studied cells in recent years. Lack of specific unique markers for these cells makes it difficult to distinguish MSCs from other types of cells, such as fibroblasts or pericytes. MSCs are a mixture of morphologically different cells with expression of various cellular markers, with varying degrees of differentiation, as well as varying proliferation capacities. The majority of phenotypic features of these cells have been identified through cell culture. One of their basic features is the capacity to differentiate into three cell lines: osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts. Under in vivo conditions, MSCs form an important functional element of the hematopoietic stem cell niche. Residing within the blood vessel wall, MSCs assist in its formation and functioning. MSCs release anti‑apoptotic and pro‑angiogenic factors, as well as agents that stimulate cell proliferation and also immunostimulating factors. In this study, we focused in particular on therapeutic strategies employing MSCs to improve the performance of the infarcted heart as well as on their involvement in the repair of hard-to-heal wounds. Thanks to the released anti-inflammatory agents, MSCs can inhibit inflammatory reactions. Owing to cytokines and growth factors they can also stimulate regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. The therapeutic effect that follows MSCs administration is linked to their paracrine activity.


[EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON EFFECT OF THREE DIFFERENT OPERATIVE WAYS OF ANNULUS FIBROSUS INCISION ON INTERVERTEBRAL DISC BIOMECHANICAL STRENGTH].
To discuss the effect of three different ways of annulus fibrosus incision on the biomechanical strength of intervertebral disc. A total of 30 goats underwent intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus extraction at L3,4 and 45 by the working channel in group A (n=10), by circular incision in group B (n=10), and by square incision in group C (n=10). The body weight, male and female ratio, age, intraoperative blood loss, and wound healing time were recorded and compared among 3 groups. The survival rate and wound healing situation were observed after operation. At 24 weeks after operation, the goats were sacrificed, MRI images were taken to observe the signal intensity of nucleus pulposus. The disc height of L(3,4) and L(4,5) was measured to calculate the loss of disc height; biomechanical test was used to assess the strength of the disc and anulus. Histological staining was also conducted to observe the repair effect at L(4,5). There was no significant difference in body weight, male to female ratio, age, intraoperative blood loss, and wound healing time among groups (P>0.05). All goats survived to the end of the experiment. MRI examination showed decreased signal intensity in 3 groups, indicating intervertebral disc degeneration. According to modified Thompson classification method, the degree of intervertebral disc degeneration of group A was significantly higher than that of groups B and C (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between groups B and C (P>0.05). Difference was not significant in intervertebral space height before operation among 3 groups (P>0.05). But after 24 weeks, the intervertebral space height in group A was significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.05), and the intervertebral space height loss in group A was significantly lower than that in groups B and C (P<0.05). The biomechanical strength in group A was also significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between group B and group C (P>0.05). HE and Masson staining showed good continuity of annulus fibrosus and clear layers in group A; poor continuity of annulus fibrosus and obvious scar tissues were observed in groups B and C. Application of working channel may have less destruction of annulus fibrosus, it plays a positive role in the maintenance of biomechanical strength and repair of annulus fibrosus.


Chiral graphene nanoribbon inside a carbon nanotube: ab initio study.
The dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) is applied for investigation of structure and electronic properties of a sulfur-terminated graphene nanoribbon (S-GNR) encapsulated in a carbon nanotube. Two mechanisms of accommodation of the GNR in the carbon nanotube, distortion of the nanotube cross-section into an elliptic shape accompanied by bending of the GNR and transformation of the GNR to a helical conformation, are analyzed. Three types of elastic distortions of the nanotube and encapsulated GNR are revealed depending on the ratio of the diameter of the nanotube cavity to the GNR width. Helical states of the GNR are shown to be stabilized by the van der Waals attraction of sulfur atoms at neighbouring edges of adjacent turns of the GNR. The results of calculations are correlated with the experimental observations for the S-GNR synthesized recently inside the carbon nanotube. The hybrid DFT calculations of band structures of zigzag GNRs terminated with different atoms demonstrate that as opposed to O- and H-GNRs, the S-GNR is metallic even when deformed inside carbon nanotubes. Possible applications of GNRs encapsulated in carbon nanotubes are discussed.


Modularity-Guided Functional Brain Network Analysis for Early-Stage Dementia Identification.
Function brain network (FBN) analysis has shown great potential in identifying brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its prodromal stage, namely mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It is essential to identify discriminative and interpretable features from function brain networks, so as to improve classification performance and help us understand the pathological mechanism of AD-related brain disorders. Previous studies usually extract node statistics or edge weights from FBNs to represent each subject. However, these methods generally ignore the topological structure (such as modularity) of FBNs. To address this issue, we propose a modular-LASSO feature selection (MLFS) framework that can explicitly model the modularity information to identify discriminative and interpretable features from FBNs for automated AD/MCI classification. Specifically, the proposed MLFS method first searches the modular structure of FBNs through a signed spectral clustering algorithm, and then selects discriminative features via a modularity-induced group LASSO method, followed by a support vector machine (SVM) for classification. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive experiments are performed on 563 resting-state functional MRI scans from the public ADNI database to identify subjects with AD/MCI from normal controls and predict the future progress of MCI subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is superior to previous methods in both tasks of AD/MCI identification and MCI conversion prediction, and also helps discover discriminative brain regions and functional connectivities associated with AD.


Pre-administration of PepFect6-microRNA-146a nanocomplexes inhibits inflammatory responses in keratinocytes and in a mouse model of irritant contact dermatitis.
The skin is a difficult to access tissue for efficient delivery of large and/or charged macromolecules, including therapeutic DNA and RNA oligonucleotides. Cell-penetrating peptide PepFect6 (PF6) has been shown to be suitable transport vehicle for siRNAs in cell culture and systemically in vivo in mice. MiR-146a is known as anti-inflammatory miRNA that inhibits multiple factors from the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway in various cell types, including keratinocytes. In this study, PF6 was shown to form unimodal nanocomplexes with miR-146a mimic that entered into human primary keratinocytes, where miR-146a inhibited the expression of its direct targets from the NF-κB pathway and the genes known to be activated by NF-κB, C-C motif ligand (CCL)5 and interleukin (IL)-8. The transfection of miR-146a mimic with PF6 was more efficient in sub-confluent keratinocyte cultures, affected keratinocyte proliferation less and had similar effect on cell viability when compared with a lipid based agent. Subcutaneous pre-administration of PF6-miR-146a nanocomplexes attenuated ear-swelling and reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines IL-6, CCL11, CCL24 and C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) in a mouse model of irritant contact dermatitis. Our data demonstrates that PF6-miR-146a nanoparticles might have potential in the development of therapeutics to target inflammatory skin diseases.


Interobserver agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of a "healed" chronic wound.
The primary end point of most wound healing studies is the clinically subjective evaluation of whether a wound is healed. Recently the Wound Healing Society proposed a definition of an acceptably healed wound. With the use of color transparencies of wounds with known clinical outcomes, the investigation presented here evaluated the reliability and validity of this definition as interpreted by 16 untrained observers. Interobserver reliability (Kappa statistic) was 0.68 (95% confidence interval: 0.66, 0.70), sensitivity 0.84 (confidence interval: 0.81, 0.90), specificity 0.92 (confidence interval: 0.88, 0.97), and positive predictive value 0.93 (confidence interval: 0.89, 0.97). We conclude that reliability and validity of judgments of wound healing are good using this definition of a healed wound, permitting its use in clinical investigations and routine clinical care.


Pyogenic cervical osteomyelitis. Chondro-osteomyelitis of the cervical spine frequently associated with parenteral drug use.
Pyogenic osteomyelitis of the cervical spine was successfully treated without bone grafting in 11 of 12 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism. Four of the patients were heroin addicts, and six others had received parenteral injections under medical supervision. The patients were immobilized promptly, and after diagnostic procedures, cultures, and drainage when appropriate, they were treated with antibiotics, which led to spontaneous fusion in the 11 who survived. In the preantibiotic era, these infections frequently evolved into "epidural abscess", with resultant cord compression leading to permanent paralysis or death. Therefore, early differential diagnosis from tuberculosis or cancer is necessary. Today, with early diagnosis, immobilization, an anterior surgical approach when necessary, and the appropirate antibiotic, cure without neurological deficit should be the rule.


Chondroitinase injection improves keloid pathology by reorganizing the extracellular matrix with regenerated elastic fibers.
Keloids are a proliferative fibrotic disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix in the dermis. Keloid lesions lack skin plasticity due to deficiencies in elastic fiber formation in the extracellular matrix. The loss of elastic fiber is caused by excessive accumulation of chondroitin sulfate (CS), a sulfated glycosaminoglycan. However, there is no radical cure for keloids. Using a model system, we show herein that treatment of keloid tissues with chondroitinase ABC, an enzyme that specifically digests CS, improves clinical features of keloids. Keloid tissues obtained from patients were grafted on nude mice, and chondroitinase ABC was injected into the grafted keloid tissues. Chondroitinase ABC treatment significantly reduced the volume of keloid implants concomitant with recovery of elastic fiber formation. These results suggest that chondroitinase ABC injection is an effective therapy for keloid.


Melatonin attenuates (-)-epigallocatehin-3-gallate-triggered hepatotoxicity without compromising its downregulation of hepatic gluconeogenic and lipogenic genes in mice.
(-)-Epigallocatehin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major constituent of green tea, can ameliorate metabolic syndrome at least in part through reducing gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis. Green tea extracts, of which EGCG is a key constituent, have been used for weight loss in humans. A potential adverse effect of high-dose EGCG or green tea extracts is hepatotoxicity. Melatonin, an endogenous antioxidant with a high safety profile, is effective in preventing various types of tissue damage. The current study investigated the influence of melatonin on EGCG-triggered hepatotoxicity and EGCG-downregulated hepatic genes responsible for gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis in mice. We found that (i) melatonin extended survival time of mice intoxicated with lethal doses of EGCG; (ii) melatonin ameliorated acute liver damage and associated hepatic Nrf2 suppression caused by a nonlethal toxic dose of EGCG; (iii) melatonin reduced subacute liver injury and hepatic Nrf2 activation caused by lower toxic doses of EGCG; and (iv) melatonin did not compromise the action of pharmacological doses of EGCG in downregulating a battery of hepatic genes responsible for gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis, including G6Pc, PEPCK, FOXO1α, SCD1, Fasn, leptin, ACCα, ACCβ, GAPT, and Srebp-1. Taken together, these results suggest that the combination of EGCG and melatonin is an effective approach for preventing potential adverse effects of EGCG as a dietary supplement for metabolic syndrome alleviation and body weight reduction.


Angiodysplasia of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
I have reviewed the English language literature on angiodysplasia of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Angiodysplasia is a distinct mucosal vascular lesion associated with acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Its etiology is unknown, but theories of its pathogenesis have evolved from its similarity to colonic angiodysplasia and an association with renal failure. Despite recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, the endoscopic diagnosis is difficult because the lesions are so small and so similar to fresh blood. Endoscopic ablation by electrocautery or laser photocoagulation can reduce bleeding or make it stop, but repeated treatments are often necessary.


Caspase 3-dependent cell death of neurons contributes to the pathogenesis of West Nile virus encephalitis.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic, arthropod-borne flavivirus that has become a significant global cause of viral encephalitis. To examine the mechanisms of WNV-induced neuronal death and the importance of apoptosis in pathogenesis, we evaluated the role of a key apoptotic regulator, caspase 3. WNV infection induced caspase 3 activation and apoptosis in the brains of wild-type mice. Notably, congenic caspase 3(-/-) mice were more resistant to lethal WNV infection, although there were no significant differences in the tissue viral burdens or the kinetics of viral spread. Instead, decreased neuronal death was observed in the cerebral cortices, brain stems, and cerebella of caspase 3(-/-) mice. Analogously, primary central nervous system (CNS)-derived neurons demonstrated caspase 3 activation and apoptosis after WNV infection, and treatment with caspase inhibitors or a genetic deficiency in caspase 3 significantly decreased virus-induced death. These studies establish that caspase 3-dependent apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of lethal WNV encephalitis and suggest possible novel therapeutic targets to restrict CNS injury.


The role of optic nerve sheath diameter measurement in the diagnosis of brain death.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measured using computed tomography (CT), and ONSD measured using bedside ultrasonography (USG) in the diagnosis of brain death. A total of 21 brain-dead patients were included in the study. The ONSD values of these patients were measured using both USG and CT before and after brain death, and the relationship between these measurements was evaluated. There was a high level of correlation between the right-left eye ONSD measurements conducted before brain death using USG and CT, respectively (p=0.000, p=0.001). There was a high level of correlation between the right-left eye ONSD measurements conducted after brain death using USG and CT, respectively (p=0.000, p=0.00). Pre-brain death ONSD mean values of both left and right eyes, measured using USG and CT, were found to be statistically significantly lower than the mean values of post-brain death measurements. In conclusion, a statistically significant difference was found between the optic nerve sheath diameter values measured before and after brain death using USG and CT. At the same time, it was determined that the values of the optic nerve sheath diameter measured using both CT and USG were correlated.


Comparisons of cells, refractile bodies, and spores of Bacillus popilliae.
Spores of Bacillus popilliae from infected larvae and refractile bodies produced in a Trypticase-barbiturate medium were similar but distinct from vegetative cells of this organism in protein, nucleic acid, and enzyme composition. The spores and refractile bodies were found to have catalase activity, some of which was heat-resistant. This enzyme was not found in the vegetative cells. The spores contained dipicolinic acid, but the refractile bodies did not. The latter were similar to cells in having considerably higher levels of phosphate extractable with cold trichloroacetic acid and of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate than had the spores. Electron microscopy demonstrated conclusively that the refractile bodies are distinctly different from either cells or spores of B. popilliae. The possibility that these bodies are formed as a result of an aborted sporulation process is discussed.


The role of policy in supporting environmentally sustainable foodservice in healthcare: lessons from exemplar hospitals.
Foodservice in hospitals contributes to the environmental footprint of healthcare delivery. There is little known about the role of policy in supporting environmentally sustainable foodservices. The aim of the study was to explore policy in exemplar environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices from the perspective of hospital staff, toward what makes a policy effective, the limitations of policy, and the influential levels and types of policy. A generic qualitative inquiry approach was utilized. Staff involved in foodservices were interviewed about the role of policy during 2020-2021 from 14 hospitals across nine countries. Data were analyzed using framework and thematic analysis. Policies spanned across high level policies at the level of the healthcare organization, local hospital procedures and protocols, as well as public policy from local, state/provincial and national government. Internal organizational policy was used to embed practices within the organization in the long term and help to build a shared vision and goal where public policy had lacked guidance. The creation, content and methods of communication and creating accountability made internal organizational policy successful. Public policy was most effective when it was mandatory, had clearly defined targets and funding to assist implementation. These exemplar hospitals also demonstrated attributes of policy entrepreneurs by engaging with policy makers to share their stories and lobby government for policy change. Policy from within the healthcare organization is an important mechanism for enabling hospitals to deliver and maintain environmentally sustainable foodservice. Public policy must be designed considering the unique implementation challenges hospitals face to ensure they are successful.


Factors affecting patient selection for prostate brachytherapy: what nurses should know.
Prostate brachytherapy is a proven treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer; however, many clinicians have multiple misconceptions regarding patient selection criteria. Although most patients are candidates for the procedure, contraindications do exist. This article examines criteria for patient selection and the need for adjuvant therapies, proposes management philosophies, and discusses the impact of each on treatment decisions. Nurses' role in the decision-making process and how they can facilitate patients and families in making informed choices also are discussed. Clinical studies seek to further define patient selection criteria and examine optimal choices for adjuvant treatment and isotope preference. Expanding the knowledge base of nurses helps enhance patient care.


How Does Gecko Keratin Stick to Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces in the Presence and Absence of Water? An Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Investigation.
We developed a united-atom model of gecko keratin to investigate the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals contributions to gecko adhesion in scenarios representing gecko's natural habitats. The keratin model assumes that only intrinsically disordered regions directly contact the surface. Contact angles of two generic substrate surfaces that we created match those previously used in AFM experiments on gecko adhesion. Force probe molecular dynamics simulations pulling the keratin from the surface show that the pull-off force increases with increased water content and is inversely related to the water contact angle of the surface. This matches experimental trends. We investigated the number and charge density of keratin and water at the surface, confirming a water-mediating effect and are able to show that keratin folds polar groups to the hydrophilic surface. We decomposed energetic contributions during pull-off, and our computational model shows that in contrast to popular hypotheses, long-range electrostatic interactions determine much of the pull-off process. The contribution of electrostatics to adhesion may be in the order of the van der Waals contributions.


Predicting degradability parameters of diets for ruminants using regressions on chemical components.
Dry matter degradability (DMD) parameters (a, b and c in the Ørskov and McDonald model) are usually determined by the nylon bag technique. The aim of this study was to estimate DMD parameters of ruminant mixed diets, which are in general unavailable, through multiple linear regressions on their chemical composition (ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL)). The regressions were based on data from 77 feeds. The prediction model for a was reduced to a simple linear regression on NDF (adjusted R(2) = 0.727, F test P < 0.001). A regression model for b was obtained with ADL as the sole predictor (adjusted R(2) = 0.691, P < 0.001). The model's upper asymptote (a + b) was predicted from ADL, NDF and ash (adjusted R(2) = 0.908, P < 0.001). Modelling c proved more difficult (adjusted R(2) with all five predictors = 0.481, P < 0.001). Regressing model parameters on feed chemical composition is a promising method for estimating the degradability of mixed diets, providing an alternative to invasive and expensive laboratory techniques.


Biopsied oral soft tissue lesions in Kuwait: a six-year retrospective analysis.
The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequency of biopsied oral soft tissue lesions in Kuwait. Biopsy records and microscopic sections of all oral soft tissue biopsies seen in the Department of Histopathology at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, between January 2004 and December 2009 were reviewed. The biopsies were divided into two major groups; group 1: nonneoplastic lesions, and group 2: neoplastic lesions. Group 1 was subdivided into reactive, inflammatory, cyst/cyst-like, dysplastic, and pigmented lesions. Group 2 was subdivided into epithelial and mesenchymal lesions, and also into benign and malignant lesions. Of the 858 biopsies, 732 (85.3%) were nonneoplastic while the remaining 126 (14.7%) were neoplastic. In group 1, more than half of the lesions were within the reactive subgroup (n = 386; 52.7%) while in group 2, 94 (74.6%) lesions were epithelial in origin and 32 (25.4%) were mesenchymal. In addition, 70 (55.6%) lesions were malignant and 56 (44.4%) were benign. Of the 858 biopsies, the most common lesions were fibrous hyperplasias: 178 (20.7%); mucoceles: 110 (12.8%); pyogenic granulomas: 94 (11.0%); squamous cell carcinomas: 56 (6.5%), and lichenoid mucositis: 49 (5.7%). The majority of the lesions were nonneoplastic and were related to local irritation or trauma. Most neoplastic lesions were epithelial in origin. Oral squamous cell carcinoma was one of the most prevalent oral lesions highlighting the importance of prevention, early detection and diagnosis of oral cancer.


Three- and four-electron integrals involving Gaussian geminals: Fundamental integrals, upper bounds, and recurrence relations.
We report the three main ingredients to calculate three- and four-electron integrals over Gaussian basis functions involving Gaussian geminal operators: fundamental integrals, upper bounds, and recurrence relations. In particular, we consider the three- and four-electron integrals that may arise in explicitly correlated F12 methods. A straightforward method to obtain the fundamental integrals is given. We derive vertical, transfer, and horizontal recurrence relations to build up angular momentum over the centers. Strong, simple, and scaling-consistent upper bounds are also reported. This latest ingredient allows us to compute only the O(N2) significant three- and four-electron integrals, avoiding the computation of the very large number of negligible integrals.


Disease activity following pregnancy-related discontinuation of natalizumab in MS.
To investigate disease activity and disability progression following pregnancy-related discontinuation of natalizumab (NTZ) in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. A retrospective cohort study of clinical and radiologic data in patients who discontinued NTZ for pregnancy-related reasons. Twenty-two pregnancy-related NTZ discontinuations in 17 patients were evaluated. The median time to conception was 3.4 months. Relapses were more frequent in patients in whom conception did not occur within 6 months (p = 0.022). Confirmed disability progression occurred in 27.3% and was associated with time to conception (p < 0.001). Early conception after NTZ discontinuation is associated with a reduced risk of disease activity and disability progression. Continuation of NTZ treatment until confirmed pregnancy should be considered in patients with previously active MS. However, the advantages of continuing the drug until pregnancy should be balanced against the uncertainties in postnatal outcomes.


Recommendation to reconsider examining cannabis subtypes together due to opposing effects on brain, cognition and behavior.
Cannabis use represents a major public health issue throughout the globe. Yet, we still lack the most fundamental knowledge on long-term effects of cannabis on neural, cognitive, and behavioral function. Part of this stems from how cannabis has been measured historically. To this end, most empirical examinations of cannabis have consolidated all types of cannabis collectively. However, this approach obscures differences in how cannabinoids operate. In this commentary, we address the contrasting properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and their opposing effects on cognitive function. In addition, we address the increase in cannabis potency throughout the past two decades and how that impacts generalizability of early data to evaluations of contemporary public health. We underscore the urgent need for future research to disaggregate examination of THC from CBD, along with the importance of measuring cannabis potency to more effectively unravel its influence on cognitive function and other health issues.


Specific interactions in modified chitosan systems.
This paper concerns the bulk and interfacial properties of a series of alkylated chitosans having different alkyl chain lengths grafted randomly along the main chitosan chain. Chitosan has a low degree of acetylation (5%); on chitosan derivatives, the role of the degree of grafting and of length of the alkyl chains are examined. The optimum alkyl chain length is C12 and the degree of grafting 5% to get physical gelation based on the formation of hydrophobic domains. The cross-linking is essentially controlled by the salt concentration: it is shown that 0.025 M AcONa is needed to screen electrostatic interchain repulsions. Hydrophobic interactions produce highly non-Newtonian behavior with large thinning behavior; this behavior is suppressed in the presence of cyclodextrins able to cap the hydrophobic alkyl chains. The interfacial properties of the chitosan derivatives were tested for the air/aqueous solution interfaces. Specifically, the role of their structure on the kinetic of film formation was examined showing that excess of external salt favors the stabilization of the interfacial film. The derivatives with a higher degree of substitution and longer alkyl chains are more efficient and give a higher elastic modulus compared to the model surfactant as a result of the chain properties.


Substitutional carbon doping of free-standing and Ru-supported BN sheets: a first-principles study.
The development of spatially homogeneous mixed structures with boron (B), nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice is highly desirable, as they open the possibility of creating stable two-dimensional materials with tunable band gaps. However, at least in the free-standing form, the mixed BCN system is energetically driven towards phase segregation to graphene and hexagonal BN. It is possible to overcome the segregation when BCN material is grown on a particular metal substrate, for example Ru(0 0 0 1), but the stabilization mechanism is still unknown. With the use of density-functional theory we study the energetics of BN/Ru slabs, with different types of configurations of C substitutional defects introduced to the h-BN overlayer. The results are compared to the energetics of free-standing BCN materials. We found that the substrate facilitates the C substitution process in the h-BN overlayer. Thus, more homogeneous BCN material can be grown, overcoming the segregation into graphene and h-BN. In addition, we investigate the electronic and transport gaps in free-standing BCN structures, and assess their mechanical properties and stability. The band gap in mixed BCN free-standing material depends on the concentration of the constituent elements and ranges from zero in pristine graphene to nearly 5 eV in free-standing h-BN. This makes BCN attractive for application in modern electronics.


Pluronic block copolymer-mediated interactions of organic compounds with noble metal nanoparticles for SERS analysis.
The composite silver and gold nanoparticles (AgNPs and AuNPs) coated with nonionic amphiphilic block copolymers (Pluronics L121, F68, or F127) are prepared by their adsorption under critical micelle concentrations. It is found that Pluronics bind to the surface of metal NPs as a very thin film by the hydrophobic association through poly(propylene oxide) block of the copolymers. The modification increases the colloidal stability of NPs with increasing hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of Pluronics in the order of L121, F127, and F68. In order to investigate the potentials of polymer coated noble metal NPs as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probes, fluorescent dyes and doxorubicin are used as model compounds. It is found that Pluronic component promotes the adsorption of these compounds on the composite NPs resulting in a considerable increase of Raman signal. This effect is attributed to increased concentration of the analyte molecules on the composite surface due to the hydrophobic and charge-charge interactions between the analytes and the Pluronic coat, and the stabilization of NPs by poly(ethylene oxide) blocks. The copolymer coated AgNPs show higher SERS activity than the counterparts prepared with AuNPs. Among the prepared composites, the AgNPs modified with Pluronic F127 containing extended poly(propylene oxide) and poly(ethylene oxide) blocks exhibit maximal Raman activity using rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) with a EF of 9.04 x 10(6). The results show that the developed Pluronic-based SERS probes can be used for sensitive and selective analysis of organic analytes.


Microscopic tumor burden in sentinel lymph nodes predicts synchronous nonsentinel lymph node involvement in patients with melanoma.
We and others have demonstrated that additional positive lymph nodes (LNs) are identified in only 8% to 33% of patients with melanoma who have positive sentinel LNs (SLNs) and undergo complete therapeutic LN dissection (cTLND). We sought to determine predictors of additional regional LN involvement in patients with positive SLNs. Patients with clinically node-negative melanoma who underwent SLN biopsy (1991 to 2003) and had positive SLNs were identified. Clinicopathologic factors, including extent of microscopic disease within SLNs, were evaluated as potential predictors of positive non-SLNs. Overall, 359 (16.3%) of the 2,203 patients identified had a positive SLN. Positive non-SLNs were identified in 48 (14.0%) of the 343 patients with positive SLNs who underwent cTLND. On univariate analysis, several measures of SLN microscopic tumor burden, one versus three or more SLNs harvested, tumor thickness more than 2 mm, age older than 50 years, and Clark level higher than III were predictive of positive non-SLNs; primary tumor ulceration and number of positive SLNs had no apparent impact. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, measures of SLN microscopic tumor burden were the most significant independent predictors of positive non-SLNs; tumor thickness more than 2 mm and number of SLNs harvested also predicted additional disease. A model was developed that stratified patients according to their risk for non-SLN involvement. In melanoma patients with positive SLNs, SLN tumor burden, primary tumor thickness, and number of SLNs harvested may be useful in identifying a group at low risk for positive non-SLNs and be spared the potential morbidity of a cTLND.


Modeling the risk of transmission of schistosomiasis in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria using satellite derived environmental data.
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease and its distribution, in space and time, can be influenced by environmental factors such as rivers, elevation, slope, land surface temperature, land use/cover and rainfall. The aim of this study is to identify the areas with suitable conditions for schistosomiasis transmission on the basis of physical and environmental factors derived from satellite imagery and spatial analysis for Akure North Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State. Nigeria. This was done through methodology multicriteria evaluation (MCE) using Saaty's analytical hierarchy process (AHP). AHP is a multi-criteria decision method that uses hierarchical structures to represent a problem and makes decisions based on priority scales. In this research AHP was used to obtain the mapping weight or importance of each individual schistosomiasis risk factor. For the purpose of identifying areas of schistosomiasis risk, this study focused on temperature, drainage, elevation, rainfall, slope and land use/land cover as the factors controlling schistosomiasis incidence in the study area. It is by reclassifying and overlaying these factors that areas vulnerable to schistosomiasis were identified. The weighted overlay analysis was done after each factor was given the appropriate weight derived through the analytical hierarchical process. The prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in the study area was also determined by parasitological analysis of urine samples collected through random sampling. The results showed varying risk of schistosomiasis with a larger portion of the area (82%) falling under the high and very high risk category. The study also showed that one community (Oba Ile) had the lowest risk of schistosomiasis while the risk increased in the four remaining communities (Iju, Igoba, Ita Ogbolu and Ogbese). The predictions made by the model correlated strongly with observations from field study. The high risk zones corresponded to known endemic communities. This study revealed that environmental factors can be used in identifying and predicting the transmission of schistosomiasis as well as effective monitoring of disease risk in newly established rural and agricultural communities.


Gastric trichobezoar associated with perforated peptic ulcer and Candida glabrata infection.
Bezoars are accumulations of human or plant fiber located in the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals. Patients remain asymptomatic for several years, and the symptoms develop as these accumulations increase in size to the point of obstruction or perforation. We report the case of a 21-year-old patient at 10 d postpartum, who presented with acute abdomen associated with sepsis. Given the urgency of the clinical picture, at no point was the presence of a giant bezoar at gastric level suspected, specifically a trichobezoar. The emergency abdominal and pelvic ultrasound revealed only unspecific signs of perforated hollow viscus. Diagnosis was therefore made intraoperatively. A complete gastric trichobezoar was found with gastric perforation and secondary peritonitis. The peritoneal fluid culture revealed Candida glabrata.


Self-Organized TiO₂-MnO₂ Nanotube Arrays for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Toluene.
Vertically oriented, self-organized TiO₂-MnO₂ nanotube arrays were successfully obtained by one-step anodic oxidation of Ti-Mn alloys in an ethylene glycol-based electrolyte. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-Vis absorption, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The effect of the applied potential (30-50 V), manganese content in the alloy (5-15 wt. %) and water content in the electrolyte (2-10 vol. %) on the morphology and photocatalytic properties was investigated for the first time. The photoactivity was assessed in the toluene removal reaction under visible light, using low-powered LEDs as an irradiation source (λmax = 465 nm). Morphology analysis showed that samples consisted of auto-aligned nanotubes over the surface of the alloy, their dimensions were: diameter = 76-118 nm, length = 1.0-3.4 μm and wall thickness = 8-11 nm. It was found that the increase in the applied potential led to increase the dimensions while the increase in the content of manganese in the alloy brought to shorter nanotubes. Notably, all samples were photoactive under the influence of visible light and the highest degradation achieved after 60 min of irradiation was 43%. The excitation mechanism of TiO₂-MnO₂ NTs under visible light was presented, pointing out the importance of MnO₂ species for the generation of e- and h⁺.


From thallium scan to molecular imaging.
The diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of cardiovascular diseases has been improved considerably by the application of imaging procedures. Among many, scintigraphic procedures have emerged as important diagnostic tools to assess extent, severity, and prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). For more than the last 30 years, however, the application of perfusion imaging has been extended to allow the combined evaluation of perfusion, perfusion reserve, and ventricular function. With positron emission tomography (PET), quantitative assessment of perfusion has become possible. In combination with pharmacological stress agents, the coronary flow reserve (CFR) can be quantitatively assessed as an early marker of endothelial dysfunction. PET in combination with metabolic tracers has added the evaluation of cardiac substrate metabolism, which has become an important clinical marker for ischemically jeopardized myocardium. The PET information is widely considered as the gold standard for tissue viability in the management of patients with advanced CAD and impaired left ventricular function (LVF). New tracer approaches include the assessment of cardiac innervation, which plays an increasingly recognized role in the pathophysiology of cardiac diseases. Radiolabeled catecholamine analogues provide visualization of sympathetic nerve terminals that are functionally altered in patients with diabetes mellitus and cardiomyopathy. In addition, this scintigraphic information allows the monitoring of physiological processes such as reinnervation of the transplanted heart. New methods, such as imaging of apoptosis and gene expression, are of interest in cardiology. Combining the therapeutic gene with a reporter gene, the transfection of cardiac tissue can be monitored noninvasively. First results employing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase reporter gene (HSV1-tk) are encouraging and represent an attractive approach for the use of PET imaging in the control of cardiac gene therapy.


Novel heterocyclic-fused pyridazinones as potent and selective phosphodiesterase IV inhibitors.
A series of 6-aryl-4,5-heterocyclic-fused pyridazinones were designed and synthesized as selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) IV inhibitors. Biological evaluation of these compounds demonstrated a good selectivity profile toward the PDE IV family and greatly attenuated affinity for the Rolipram high-affinity binding site that seems to be responsible for undesiderable side effects. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) studies showed that the presence of an ethyl group at pyridazine N-2 is associated with the best potency and selectivity profile.


Drug utilization and off-label drug use in Spanish pediatric gastroenterology outpatients.
The clinical use of medicines outside the conditions authorized in their Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) (off-label use) is a common practice in pediatrics. The aim of the present study was to describe and quantify the medicines received by children attended in the pediatric gastroenterology department, their off-label use, and compliance with accepted rules for said use. A retrospective observational study was performed on all of the patients who had their first consultation in pediatric gastroenterology between January 1 and October 31, 2010. All of the clinical information and medicines prescribed were analyzed. Off-label use was defined as the use of medicines in indications not included in the officially approved SPC or in ages not included or recommended in the SPC as well as the use of doses, intervals, or administration routes different from those considered in the SPC. A total of 695 patients (52.8% male) were included, 48.2% younger than 2 years. Two-hundred seven patients (29.8%) received 331 prescriptions. The most commonly used medicines were anti-H2 and proton pump inhibitors. Of all the prescriptions, 33.2% were considered off-label, and up to 47.3% of the prescribed patients had at least 1 medicine under off-label conditions. The medical records contained no documentation on information given to the parents regarding off-label use. The study found a high percentage of off-label use of medicines in the Pediatric Gastroenterology outpatient setting, especially in children younger than 2 years. Several initiatives were derived from the present study and implemented in our hospital.


[Computed tomography appearance of pseudomyxoma peritonei].
To study the characteristics of computed tomography (CT) appearance in pseudomyxoma peritonei. CT findings were retrospectively reviewed in 7 patients with surgically and pathologically confirmed pseudomyxoma peritonei. All patients had large-volume ascites with heterogeneous density, hepatic and splenic scallopings, and peritoneal and omental infiltration on CT. Omental cakes in 3 patients and appendiceal masses in 2 patients were found. Other findings included calcification, septa, mucinous masses, pleural effusion, and ureteral dilation. CT appearance in pseudomyxoma peritonei has certain characteristics, which should be carefully recognized by radiologists during examinations.


Content discovery and retrieval services at the European Nucleotide Archive.
The European Nucleotide Archive (ENA; http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena) is Europe's primary resource for nucleotide sequence information. With the growing volume and diversity of public sequencing data comes the need for increased sophistication in data organisation, presentation and search services so as to maximise its discoverability and usability. In response to this, ENA has been introducing and improving checklists for use during submission and expanding its search facilities to provide targeted search results. Here, we give a brief update on ENA content and some major developments undertaken in data submission services during 2014. We then describe in more detail the services we offer for data discovery and retrieval.


Hormonal induction of the secretory immune system in the mammary gland.
The secretory immune system of the mammary gland is undeveloped in virgin mice but becomes active at term and during lactation. This change appears to depend on migration to the mammary gland of precursors of IgA-secreting cells derived from the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, an origin which explains the specificity of milk IgA antibodies for enteric organisms. Because development of the epithelial components of the mammary gland is clearly under hormonal control, we examined the effect of mammotropic hormones on differentiation of the immune elements. Under a combined regimen of progesterone, estrogen, and prolactin, development of the glandular epithelium occurs with concomitant increments in the number of IgA-secreting plasma cells and amount of intraepithelial IgA. These increases appear to be due to enhanced capacity of the gland to attract or retain precursors of IgA plasma cells derived from gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Testosterone, which antagonizes lactation, also antagonizes development of the secretory immune system and decreases cellular trapping in the lactating gland. The ability of the gland to trap IgA immunoblasts is probably contingent upon a hormone-induced increase in receptors.


[The isokinetic evaluation of the knee joint function following the autoplastic correction of its anterior cross-shaped ligament].
The flexors/extensors imbalance can be a cause knee instability and therefore lead to progression of osteoarthritis. The isokinetic evaluation of the strength of flexors after the autoplastic reconstruction the anterior cross-shaped (cruciate) ligament (ACL) is of primary importance bearing in mind that certain authors have reported a persistent deficiency in flexor strength after surgery. The purpose of the present study was to objectively evaluate the isokinetic function of the knee during each treatment stage and estimate the influence of harvesting semitendinosus/gracilis tendon (SGT) on the knee flexion. During the period from 2012 to 2014, a total of 44 patients (20 women and 24 men) presenting with ACL rupture were available for the examination. All the patients underwent the isokinetic evaluation of the knee function before operation, 6-8 weeks and 3-4 months after the arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with the use of the SGT graft. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group was comprised of 22 subjects who were treated in accordance with the standard protocol of therapeutic physical exercises starting from week 6 after the initiation of the physiotherapeutic rehabilitative measures. The second group consisted of 22 patients who had to perform the isokinetic training within 6-8 weeks after surgery. The results of the study indicate that all the patients suffering injuries to the anterior cross-shaped ligaments had well apparent flexor/extensor imbalance. In those of the first group, the flexor imbalance amounted to 25-35% while the extensor imbalance was 10-15% within 3-4 months after the surgery. The second group showed a 10-15% flexor imbalance and 2-5% extensor imbalance after 3-4 months. The isokinetic testing provides a tool for the objective evaluation of the knee function. It helps to reveal the high effectiveness of isokinetic rehabilitation protocol leading to the recovery of the patients within 3-4 months after the surgery. It can be assumed based on the results of the present study that harvesting of the semitendinosus/gracilis tendon does not exert any negative influence on the knee flexion strength given the rehabilitation program includes the isotonic training protocol.


Hemodynamic effects of hypertonic sodium bicarbonate on denervated canine hearts.
The hemodynamic consequences of an intravenous bolus of hypertonic sodium bicarbonate were studied in normal dogs and in dogs that had undergone heart autotransplantation. Twenty-one autotransplanted dogs and seventeen sham-operated dogs were instrumented with an electromagnetic flow probe positioned around the ascending aorta. Hemodynamic data were collected three hours after the operation and then at daily intervals for one month, before and during sodium bicarbonate administration. The data indicates that hemodynamic base-line parameters remain lower in autotransplanted dogs than in the control animals during the whole length of the study. At the peak of the hypotensive response that follows the sodium bicarbonate injection the left ventricular performance is decreased to the same extent in both the autotransplanted and the control dogs. This negative inotropic response is enhanced in the presence of myocardial failure. In the autotransplanted group, reflex tachycardia was absent, resulting in a greater reduction in the cardiac index. These two effects explain the greater reduction of arterial pressure in the autotransplanted dogs.


Treatment Outcome of the Bony Obliteration Tympanoplasty Versus Nonobliterative Techniques in Cholesteatoma Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis.
In cholesteatoma surgery, obliteration of the mastoid and epitympanic space (bony obliteration tympanoplasty, BOT) is an increasingly used technique with low recurrent and residual cholesteatoma rates. While factors as the postoperative hearing level and infection rate are important for the patient as well, these outcome parameters are not frequently reported on in current literature. The objective of this study is to evaluate the recurrent and residual cholesteatoma rates of the BOT technique and nonobliterative canal wall up (CWU) and canal wall down (CWD) mastoidectomy in a large patient cohort. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the infection rate and hearing outcome for all three techniques. Retrospective cohort study. Single-center study. All 337 adult patients (≥18 yrs) who underwent primary or revision cholesteatoma surgery between January 2013 and March 2019 were included. Recurrent cholesteatoma rates, residual cholesteatoma rates, postoperative infections and other complications, hearing outcome. The estimated combined rate of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma at 5 years follow-up was 7.6% in the BOT group, 34.9% in the CWU group, and 17.9% in the CWD group. The postoperative infection rate in the different groups ranged from 4.3% to 4.9%. The median gain in AC threshold level varied from 0.0 dB in the BOT and CWD group to 3.8 dB in the CWU group. We show that cholesteatoma recurrence rates after the BOT technique in our clinic are significantly lower compared to CWU surgery. There were no differences in infection rate and no clinically relevant differences in postoperative hearing between the BOT, CWU, and CWD technique.


Clinical Benefits of the Utrecht Questionnaire for Aesthetic Outcome Assessment in Rhinoplasty: An Update.
Presently, there is no consensus on which patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) instrument is best suited to assess the aesthetic outcomes of rhinoplasty. In this regard, at least seven different validated PROMs are available from the literature, each one with advantages and disadvantages.In this article, we review the development, validation, international translation, and clinical application of the Utrecht Questionnaire (UQ). The UQ was developed in 2009 with the idea to be a short and practical tool for the rhinoplasty surgeon to assess the aesthetic outcomes of rhinoplasty. The questionnaire was then validated in 2013. Body image in relation to nasal appearance is quantified with five simple questions on a 5-point Likert scale and a Visual Analogue Scale score. We discuss how the UQ can easily be incorporated and become an important asset in a rhinoplasty practice. Practical benefits, such as its role in the shared decision-making process, patient expectations management, identification of unsuitable patients, avoiding revision surgery, and the evaluation of the surgeon's personal performance curve, are exemplified. Currently, the UQ has been translated and validated in four languages, providing scientific opportunities to generate and compare international data for advances in rhinoplasty. We describe some of the significant scientific contributions of leaders in the field of rhinoplasty that used the UQ.


Oxidative inactivation of the endogenous antioxidant protein DJ-1 by the food contaminants 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD.
3-Chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 2-chloro-1,3-propanediol (2-MCPD) are heat-induced food contaminants being present either as free substances or as fatty acid esters in numerous foods. 3-MCPD was classified to be possibly carcinogenic to humans (category 2B) with kidney and testis being the primary target organs according to animal studies. A previous 28-day oral feeding study with rats revealed that the endogenous antioxidant protein DJ-1 was strongly deregulated at the protein level in kidney, liver, and testis of the experimental animals that had been treated either with 3-MCPD, 2-MCPD or their dipalmitate esters. Here we show that this deregulation is due to the oxidation of a conserved, redox-active cysteine residue (Cys106) of DJ-1 to a cysteine sulfonic acid which is equivalent to loss of function of DJ-1. Irreversible oxidation of DJ-1 is associated with a number of oxidative stress-related diseases such as Parkinson, cancer, and type II diabetes. It is assumed that 3-MCPD or 2-MCPD do not directly oxidize DJ-1, but that these substances induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which in turn trigger DJ-1 oxidation. The implications of 3-MCPD/2-MCPD-mediated ROS formation in vivo for the ongoing risk assessment of these compounds as well as the potential of oxidized DJ-1 to serve as a novel effect biomarker for 3-MCPD/2-MCPD toxicity are being discussed.


A non-adaptationist hypothesis of play behaviour.
Play is a suite of apparently non-functional, pleasurable behaviours observed in human and non-human animals. Although the phenomenon has been studied extensively, no adaptationist behavioural theory of how play evolved can be supported by the available evidence. However, the advancement of the extended evolutionary synthesis and developments in systems biology offer alternative avenues for non-adaptationist physiological hypotheses. I therefore propose a hypothesis of play, based upon a complex ACh activity that is under agential control of the organism, whereby play initiates ACh-mediated feedforward and feedback processes which act to: (i) regulate metabolic processes; (ii) form new ACh receptors via ACh mRNA activity; (iii) mediate attention, memory consolidation and learning; and (iv) mediate social behaviours, reproduction and embryonic development. However, play occurs across taxa, but does not occur across all taxonomic groups or within all species of a taxonomic group. Thus, to support the validity of the proposed hypothesis, I further propose potential explanations for this anomaly, which include sampling and observer biases, altricial versus precocial juvenile development, and the influence of habitat niche and environmental conditions on behaviour. The proposed hypothesis thus offers new avenues for study in both the biological and social sciences, in addition to having potential applications in applied sciences, such as animal welfare and biomedical research. Crucially, it is hoped that this hypothesis will promote further study of a valid and behaviourally significant, yet currently enigmatic, biological phenomenon.


Proteome analysis for the identification of in vivo estrogen-regulated proteins in bone.
Estrogen deficiency results in a reduced bone mass, which can be prevented by treatment with estrogens. This study used a proteomic approach for the first time to obtain a global perspective of estrogens' effects on whole-bone proteins. Bone proteome profiles were examined in three groups of mice: (1) sham-operated with normal ovarian functions, (2) ovariectomised and (3) ovariectomised with estrogen replacement therapy. Bone proteins extracted from the humerus were separated by 2-DE and visualised by CBB colloidal staining. Spot detection and quantification was done by image analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by MS and database search, using peptide mass fingerprint and peptide sequence analysis. Differential expression analysis in the three experimental groups showed significant changes for 14 proteins. These included proteins related to bone metabolism, cytoskeleton components and energy metabolic pathways. Our data suggest that some proteins related to cytoskeleton and to energy pathways, such as tropomyosins, aconitase 2 and enolase beta, might be new molecular targets responsive to the effects of estrogen. Differentially expressed proteins identified in this model may offer a useful starting point for elucidating novel aspects of the pleiotropic effects of estrogens on bone.


Electrospun V2O5 nanostructures with controllable morphology as high-performance cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Porous V(2)O(5) nanotubes, hierarchical V(2)O(5) nanofibers, and single-crystalline V(2)O(5) nanobelts were controllably synthesized by using a simple electrospinning technique and subsequent annealing. The mechanism for the formation of these controllable structures was investigated. When tested as the cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the as-formed V(2)O(5) nanostructures exhibited a highly reversible capacity, excellent cycling performance, and good rate capacity. In particular, the porous V(2)O(5) nanotubes provided short distances for Li(+)-ion diffusion and large electrode-electrolyte contact areas for high Li(+)-ion flux across the interface; Moreover, these nanotubes delivered a high power density of 40.2 kW kg(-1) whilst the energy density remained as high as 201 W h kg(-1), which, as one of the highest values measured on V(2)O(5)-based cathode materials, could bridge the performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first preparation of single-crystalline V(2)O(5) nanobelts by using electrospinning techniques. Interestingly, the beneficial crystal orientation provided improved cycling stability for lithium intercalation. These results demonstrate that further improvement or optimization of electrochemical performance in transition-metal-oxide-based electrode materials could be realized by the design of 1D nanostructures with unique morphologies.


The internet as a tool for patient-centered care in transplantation.
The Internet is a popular communication tool that plays a significant role in patient-centered care. It is argued that a driving force for the demand for online health information is the paucity of information easily obtained from traditional channels. As the quality of medical information available on the Internet is variable, and the quantity is constantly increasing and changing, there is a need for rigorous assessment of quality and effectiveness of health Web sites, and the Internet-based health care support services for different fields of medicine. On one hand, Internet-based patient support tools and Web sites have been used successfully in managing patients with different illnesses like lung transplant, vascular surgery, and treating diabetes mellitus - but on the other hand, other studies have shown that a majority of Web sites providing information on kidney and liver transplant are of poor quality and need overhauling. In the modern world, where e-technology has become common place, patients deserve e-services that are informative, trustworthy, and useful. It is not only a challenge, but also the responsibility of clinicians to make this happen.


[Primary study on quality standard of carbonizing drug characteristic of ginger carbon].
To establish the quality standard for carbonizing drug characteristic of ginger carbon. Gingers and different carbonized gingers were compared by the absorption of pigment, tannin content, pH, mouth's coagulation time and bleeding time. The study resulted in the recommended carbonizing standard that the absorption capacity shall not be less than 7.50 mg x g(-1) for methylene blue, the tannin content shall not be less than 2.103 mg x g(-1), the pH shall be (5.50 +/- 0.10), and coagulation time and bleeding time shall be the shorter the better. The established assessment standard for carbonizing drug characteristic of ginger carbon is reasonable, easily operated and feasible.


Opioid receptor systems and the endorphins: a review of their spinal organization.
A review of the spinal organization of opioid receptor systems and endorphins is presented. The review is a consideration of the physiological mechanisms underlying the effect of spinal opioids, the pharmacology of the opioid receptors that moderate a variety of spinal processing systems, and the endorphin systems that act upon the spinal receptors.