The role of sociodemographic factors in the risk of transition from alcohol use to disorders and remission in singapore.
The aim of the study was to define predictors of transition from alcohol use to disorders, and their remission, among adults residing in Singapore. The Singapore Mental Health Study was a cross-sectional survey conducted from December 2009 to December 2010. Information on alcohol use, regular use, DSM-IV criteria for abuse and dependence, and remission among 6616 respondents was obtained with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The prevalence of lifetime alcohol use (drinking at least once in the lifetime) and regular use (ever drinking at least 12 drinks in a 12-month period) was 66.6 and 32%, respectively. Of the regular drinkers, 10.1% progressed into alcohol abuse; 6.9% of abusers turned to alcohol dependence and 16.6 and 7.1% of those with history of alcohol abuse and/or dependence subsequently reported remission defined as cessation of alcohol use and the absence of any symptoms for at least 2 years before interview. Transitions to regular use and to dependence were associated with younger age, Indian ethnicity and an early age of onset of drinking, and women had a higher risk than men of transition from abuse to dependence. Remissions were associated with older age, Malay ethnicity and late age of onset. The rates of alcohol use and transition to disorders were lower than in other developing countries that have been studied. Sociodemographic predictors include younger age of onset of drinking, something that intervention programs and preventive strategies in Singapore should note.


Assessment and management of a person experiencing pain from pancreatic cancer ascites: a case study.
The most common type of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which affects the exocrine ducts. There are many risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer, including smoking, obesity, poor diet, diabetes, inactivity and genetics. In the UK, pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer with a poor prognosis, with only 24% of people surviving the first year after diagnosis and 7% surviving for 5 years. The lives of those with the condition are impacted in a number of ways. This case study of a patient with pancreatic cancer explores the nursing assessment, management and evaluation of care provided from a student nurse perspective under the supervision of a qualified nurse.


Overdependence on For-Profit Pharmacies: A Descriptive Survey of User Evaluation of Medicines Availability in Public Hospitals in Selected Nigerian States.
Lower availability of medicines in Nigerian public health facilities-the most affordable option for the masses-undermines global health reforms to improve access to health for all, especially the chronically ill and poor. Thus, a sizeable proportion of healthcare users, irrespective of purchasing power, buy medicines at higher costs from for-profit pharmacies. We examined user evaluation of medicine availability in public facilities and how this influences their choice of where to buy medicines in selected states-Cross River, Enugu and Oyo-in Nigeria. We approached and interviewed 1711 healthcare users using a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire as they exited for-profit pharmacies after purchasing medicines. This ensured that both clients who had presented at health facilities (private/public) and those who did not were included. Information was collected on why respondents could not buy medicines at the hospitals they attended, their views of medicine availability and whether their choice of where to buy medicines is influenced by non-availability. Respondents' mean age was 37.7±14.4 years; 52% were males, 59% were married, 82% earned ≥NGN18, 000 (US$57.19) per month, and 72% were not insured. Majority (66%) had prescriptions; of this, 70% were from public facilities. Eighteen percent of all respondents indicated that all their medicines were usually available at the public facilities, most (29%), some (44%) and not always available (10%). Reasons for using for-profit pharmacies included: health workers attitudes (43%), referral by providers (43%); inadequate money to purchase all prescribed drugs (42%) and cumbersome processes for obtaining medicines. Lower availability of medicines has serious implications for healthcare behavior, especially because of poverty. It is crucial for government to fulfill its mandate of equitable access to care for all by making medicines available and cheap through reviving and sustaining the drug revolving fund scheme and encouraging the prescription of generic drugs in all public health facilities.


Computational 1 H NMR: Part 1. Theoretical background.
This is the first one of the three closely interrelated reviews to be published in Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry dealing with accordingly theoretical background, chemical applications, and biochemical studies of and by means of computational 1 H NMR. Presented in the first part of the review is a general outline of the modern theoretical methods and accuracy factors of computational 1 H NMR involving locally dense basis set schemes, solvent effects, vibrational corrections, and relativistic effects performed at the density functional theory and/or nonempirical levels. This review is dedicated to Prof. Stephan Sauer in view of his invaluable contribution to the field of computational nuclear magnetic resonance.


Age as a Determinant to Select an Anesthesia Method for Tympanostomy Tube Insertion in a Pediatric Population.
To evaluate the relationship between age and anesthesia method used for tympanostomy tube insertion (TTI) and to provide evidence to guide the selection of an appropriate anesthesia method in children. We performed a retrospective review of children under 15 years of age who underwent tympanostomy tube insertion (n=159) or myringotomy alone (n=175) under local or general anesthesia by a single surgeon at a university-based, secondary care referral hospital. Epidermiologic data between local and general anesthesia groups as well as between TTI and myringotomy were analyzed. Medical costs were compared between local and general anesthesia groups. Children who received local anesthesia were significantly older than those who received general anesthesia. Unilateral tympanostomy tube insertion was performed more frequently under local anesthesia than bilateral. Logistic regression modeling showed that local anesthesia was more frequently applied in older children (odds ratio=1.041) and for unilateral tympanostomy tube insertion (odds ratio=8.990). The cut-off value of age for local anesthesia was roughly 5 years. In a pediatric population at a single medical center, age and whether unilateral or bilateral procedures were required were important factors in selecting an anesthesia method for tympanostomy tube insertion. Our findings suggest that local anesthesia can be preferentially considered for children 5 years of age or older, especially in those with unilateral otitis media with effusion.


An analysis of the response of recombinant congenic lines of chickens to RSV challenge provides evidence for further complexity of the genetic structure of the chicken MHC (B).
We found that CB (B12/B12) and CB.R1 (B12r1/B12r1) congenic chicken lines differing from each other only in the B-G region of the MHC(B), although both of them could be characterized as regressors of Rous sarcomas induced by PR-C and BH-C, are distinguishable in their response to the challenge with these two viruses by means of some parameters of tumour growth. This points further to the concept of functional and structural complexity of the B-G region. Both CB and CB.R1 lines are highly susceptible to progressive growth of sarcomas induced by BH-D virus. This suggests a crucial role of helper viruses of different antigenic subgroups used for complementation of the Bryan high-titre pseudotype (BH) of RSV in the pathogenesis of tumours in this experimental system. Furthermore, attempts were made to analyse both primary and secondary response to the challenge with different strains of RSV in the genetic model encompassing the Prague congenic lines CB (B12/B12), CC (B4/B4), CB.R1 (B12r1/B12r1), CC.R1 (B4r1/B4r1) and their F1 hybrids, and a number of backcross matings. The data led to the view that interacting genes within both B-F/L and B-G regions of the MHC(B) govern the observed hierarchy of the response to RSV challenge.


High levels of ezrin expressed by human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines with high metastatic potential.
Ezrin is a membrane cytoskeleton crosslinker protein that is a member of the ERM (ezrin/radixin/moesin) family. Ezrin binds adhesion molecules such as CD43, CD44, ICAM-1, and ICAM-2, which are implicated in cell migration and metastasis. Ezrin is expressed by many tumor cell lines; however, little is known about the function of ezrin in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Here, we investigated expression of ezrin in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines of different metastatic potential. Among 16 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, several cell lines showed strong expression of ezrin. Two cell lines with high metastatic potential, S2-CP9 and S2-VP10, showed very high levels of ezrin mRNA and protein, whereas other sublines showed lower levels. There was no relationship between the expression levels of ezrin and the differentiation grades of the cell lines. These results suggest that there is a relationship between high expression of ezrin and metastatic potential of pancreatic carcinomas.


Analysis of liver development, regeneration, and carcinogenesis by genetic marking studies.
The mechanism of generating new hepatocytes and bile ductule cells in the liver has been controversial. Oval cells are found in the periportal region under some circumstances and may represent multipotent stem cells. The role of stem cells in generating new liver cells in normal and pathological conditions is unclear, however. Genetic marking can be used to determine the ability of a particular cell to replicate and to migrate. Cells of known lineage are marked at an initial time point, and their developmental potential determined by the cluster size, position, and phenotype of marked cells at a later time point. Recently, genetic marking studies have demonstrated that the hepatocyte itself is the source of new hepatocytes in the normal postnatal liver and that daughter cells do not migrate. These studies have also demonstrated that the hepatocyte can replicate extensively when stimulated. Finally, genetic marking studies suggest that either hepatocytes or oval cells can develop into a hepatocellular carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma if a sufficient number of genetic mutations accumulate. The implications of these results for hepatic gene therapy, treatment of liver insufficiency states, and liver cancer are discussed. Future genetic marking studies may help to address some remaining questions in liver biology.


[Avoiding human errors in the hospital--mission possible?!].
The way to combat the high frequency of errors and mistakes that endanger both the physician and the patient is by root cause analysis of accidents as well as investigation of "near misses". There is a need for a new approach to error prevention by re-education of the medical teams. A few examples are presented on how to approach an untoward event so as to learn from it rather than punish.


Multi-Alkenylsilsesquioxanes as Comonomers and Active Species Modifiers of Metallocene Catalyst in Copolymerization with Ethylene.
The copolymers of ethylene (E) with open-caged iso-butyl-substituted tri-alkenyl-silsesquioxanes (POSS-6-3 and POSS-10-3) and phenyl-substituted tetra-alkenyl-silsesquioxane (POSS-10-4) were synthesized by copolymerization over the ansa-metallocene catalyst. The influence of the kind of silsesquioxane and of the copolymerization conditions on the reaction performance and on the properties of the copolymers was studied. In the case of copolymerization of E/POSS-6-3, the positive comonomer effect was observed, which was associated with the influence of POSS-6-3 on transformation of the bimetallic ion pair to the active catalytic species. Functionality of silsesquioxanes and polymerization parameters affected the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) contents in the copolymers which varied in the range of 1.33⁻7.43 wt %. Tri-alkenyl-silsesquioxanes were incorporated into the polymer chain as pendant groups while the tetra-alkenyl-silsesquioxane derivative could act as a cross-linking agent which was proved by the changes in the contents of unsaturated end groups, by the glass transition temperature values, and by the gel contents (up to 81.3% for E/POSS-10-4). Incorporation of multi-alkenyl-POSS into the polymer chain affected also the melting and crystallization behaviors.


Vapour and liquid diffusion of model penetrants through human skin; correlation with thermodynamic activity.
This work investigates vapour and liquid permeation through human skin of model penetrants benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, aniline, anisole and 2-phenylethanol applied in model vehicles butanol, butyl acetate, isophorone, isopropyl myristate, propylene carbonate, toluene, n-heptane and water. Vapour permeation was a linear function of thermodynamic activity as measured by headspace gas chromatography, except when the vehicle was n-heptane. Liquid permeation did not always follow simple thermodynamic predictions, e.g. for the penetrant, benzyl alcohol, when the vehicle damaged the skin (toluene, n-heptane) or when propylene carbonate produced low fluxes and isopropyl myristate, high values. At comparable thermodynamic activities, liquid fluxes were often ten-fold higher than vapour fluxes, and these differences were reflected by the partition coefficients and the amount of penetrant entering the stratum corneum membrane. The conclusion was that liquid fluxes were membrane controlled, whereas an interfacial effect probably contributed to low vapour permeation.


Aberrant SYK Kinase Signaling Is Essential for Tumorigenesis Induced by TSC2 Inactivation.
Somatic or germline mutations in the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) tumor suppressor genes are associated closely with the pathogenesis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare and progressive neoplastic disease that predominantly affects women in their childbearing years. Serum levels of the lymphangiogenic growth factor VEGF-D are elevated significantly in lymphangioleiomyomatosis. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding VEGF-D dysregulation and its cellular origin in lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Here, we show that increased expression and activation of the tyrosine kinase Syk in TSC2-deficient cells and pulmonary nodules from lymphangioleiomyomatosis patients contributes to tumor growth. Syk kinase inhibitors blocked Syk signaling and exhibited potent antiproliferative activities in TSC2-deficient cells and an immunodeficient mouse xenograft model of lymphangioleiomyomatosis. In TSC2-deficient cells, Syk signaling increased the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein MCP-1, which in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated the production of VEGF-D. In clinical isolates of PBMCs from lymphangioleiomyomatosis patients, VEGF-D expression was elevated. Furthermore, levels of VEGF-D and MCP-1 in patient sera correlated positively with each other. Our results illuminate the basis for lymphangioleiomyomatosis growth and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of targeting Syk in this and other settings driven by TSC genetic mutation. Cancer Res; 77(6); 1492-502. ©2017 AACR.


Absence of phenotype-genotype correlation of patients expressing mutations in the SLC4A11 gene.
The purposes of this study were to describe the clinical characteristics of corneal patients with mutations in the SLC4A11 gene and to determine if these characteristics could be correlated with specific genetic mutations. A retrospective case series review was conducted. Baseline demographic data, including gender, age at diagnosis of congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy, family history, and pedigree information, were obtained. Information from clinical examination, including intraocular pressure, ultrasonic pachymetry, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, axial length, and slit-lamp biomicroscopic evaluation, including corneal diameter and fundus examination, were also documented from the notes. History of corneal surgery was also recorded. Hearing loss was assessed by audiometry. Genetic analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing. Seven patients were identified. Four of the seven had associated hearing loss; all of the patients had undergone or were awaiting penetrating keratoplasty to one or both eyes. No correlation could be reached between the ocular phenotype and the gene mutation in this small sample. Individuals with the same mutation had different degrees of hearing loss within their respective families. Corneal endothelial cells are more vulnerable to defects in the functional activity of SLC4A11 than cells of the striae vascularis of the inner ear. Both congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy 2 and Harboyan syndrome have similar ocular phenotypes, ie, diffuse bilateral corneal edema present at birth or within the neonatal period; hence, audiometry must be performed to differentiate the two conditions.


[Epidemiologic survey of medical and non-medical personnel in a public dental clinic].
Hepatitis B and C and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection represent an occupational problem for the dentist. Few data are available in literature about the situation in our country. An epidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of Hepatitis B (HbsAb) and C (HCVab) markers and the exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tine test) of the whole population of a public dental clinic (247 dental care workers). Furthermore participants were asked to fill a questionnaire to assess their vaccination status. 67,2% of the subjects were found to be positive for HbsAb (77,4% of medical personnel and 28,8% of the auxiliary medical personnel). Only one subject was found positive for anti-HCV (0,4%). 12,5% of the population showed a positive Tine test (15,4% of medical personnel and 1,9% of the auxiliary medical personnel). Our data show a difference between the percentage of subjects who were vaccinated (2,4%) and those who were positive to the Tine test (12,5%).


Workshop report: Identifying opportunities for global integration of toxicogenomics databases, 26-27 June 2013, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
A joint US-EU workshop on enhancing data sharing and exchange in toxicogenomics was held at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Currently, efficient reuse of data is hampered by problems related to public data availability, data quality, database interoperability (the ability to exchange information), standardization and sustainability. At the workshop, experts from universities and research institutes presented databases, studies, organizations and tools that attempt to deal with these problems. Furthermore, a case study showing that combining toxicogenomics data from multiple resources leads to more accurate predictions in risk assessment was presented. All participants agreed that there is a need for a web portal describing the diverse, heterogeneous data resources relevant for toxicogenomics research. Furthermore, there was agreement that linking more data resources would improve toxicogenomics data analysis. To outline a roadmap to enhance interoperability between data resources, the participants recommend collecting user stories from the toxicogenomics research community on barriers in data sharing and exchange currently hampering answering to certain research questions. These user stories may guide the prioritization of steps to be taken for enhancing integration of toxicogenomics databases.


Rapid Field Response to a Cluster of Illnesses and Deaths - Sinoe County, Liberia, April-May, 2017.
On April 25, 2017, the Sinoe County Health Team (CHT) notified the Liberia Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia of an unknown illness among 14 persons that resulted in eight deaths in Sinoe County. On April 26, the National Rapid Response Team and epidemiologists from CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in Liberia were deployed to support the county-led response. Measures were immediately implemented to identify all cases, ascertain the cause of illness, and control the outbreak. Illness was associated with attendance at a funeral event, and laboratory testing confirmed Neisseria meningitidis in biologic specimens from cases. The 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in West Africa devastated Liberia's already fragile health system, and it took many months for the country to mount an effective response to control the outbreak. Substantial efforts have been made to strengthen Liberia's health system to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. The rapid and efficient field response to this outbreak of N. meningitidis resulted in implementation of appropriate steps to prevent a widespread outbreak and reflects improved public health and outbreak response capacity in Liberia.


Two cytosolic glutamine synthetase isoforms play specific roles for seed germination and seed yield structure in Arabidopsis.
Nitrogen (N) remobilization from reserves to sinks is essential for seedling establishment and seed production. Cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1) is up-regulated during both seed germination and seed filling in plants. However, the specific roles of the individual GS1 isogenes with respect to N remobilization, early seedling vigour, and final seed productivity are not known. In this study, impairment of seed germination and seedling establishment is demonstrated in the single knockout mutant gln1;2, and the double knockout mutant gln1;1:gln1;2. The negative effect of Gln1;2 deficiency was associated with reduced N remobilization from the cotyledons and could be fully alleviated by exogenous N supply. Following reproductive growth, both the single and double Gln1;2-knockout mutants showed decreased seed yield due to fewer siliques, less seeds per silique, and lower dry weight per seed. The gln1;1 single mutant had normal seed yield structure but primary root development during seed germination was reduced in the presence of external N. Gln1;2 promoter-green fluorescent protein constructs showed that Gln1;2 localizes to the vascular cells of roots, petals, and stamens. It is concluded that Gln1;2 plays an important role in N remobilization for both seedling establishment and seed production in Arabidopsis.


Total synthesis of gambierol: the generation of the A-C and F-H subunits by using a C-glycoside centered strategy.
Gambierol, a representative of the marine ladder toxin family, consists of eight ether rings, 18 stereocenters, and two challenging pyranyl rings having methyl groups that are in a 1,3-diaxial orientation to one another. Herein we describe the generation of gambierol's A-C and F-H ring systems and demonstrate the versatility of the glycosyl anhydride, enol ether-olefin RCM strategy to fused polycyclic ethers. This work has both enabled us to generate sufficient quantities of the gambierol precursors and has enabled us to better understand the chemical transformations that were key to these efforts. Fundamental work included efforts to C-glycosides and C-ketosides, Claisen rearrangements, and enol ether-olefin RCM reactions.


Comparative analysis of pesticide action plans in five European countries.
Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom have launched national initiatives to reduce pesticide use or risk. Faced with multiple environmental, social and economic constraints such as ensuring the competiveness of European agriculture, the various programmes address goal setting, stakeholder involvement and the role of research and extension in different ways. These diverse experiences offer valuable insights for the development of national action plans required by new European legislation on pesticides. The general trend is to move away from volume or use reduction targets towards reductions in risks and impact. All programmes studied pay attention to involving a wide range of stakeholders in the policy-making process to ensure buy-in. Research and extension services are important players that help to define appropriate goals and improve implementation. Collective approaches to implementation appear to be more effective than the classical linear research-extension-farmer model. No matter the approach adopted in fine, member states can gain much from sharing their diverse experience through comparisons such as this study and via international policy seminars which serve as valuable forums for exchange.


On the origin of heterogeneity of lipofuscin fluorophores and their possible interrelations.
A comparison of the response of different cell types (thymus, spleen, liver, tumor) to the development of oxidative stress was investigated on an experimental model of tumor growth in vivo. Only spleen cells exhibited the yellow-red fluorescent pigment with high resistance to oxidative stress (as is typical for age-related lipofuscin pigment). Under oxidative stress, the cytoplasm in normal cells showed a tendency forward increased levels of fluorescent products of protein or lipid peroxidation, which was opposite from the response of tumor cells. In the present paper a novel hypothesis of lipofuscinogenesis is developed where oxidative stress is considered to be a trigger for switching on some adaptive cell pathways whose activity is associated with the induction of specific groups of cellular fluorophores.


Gender and incidence of functional disability in the elderly: a systematic review.
This systematic review aimed to assess the effect of gender on the incidence of functional disability in the elderly. The search for publications in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ProQuest electronic databases from January 1990 to March 2008 identified 879 publications, from which 21 cohort studies were selected that evaluated gender as an independent variable and incidence of functional disability in elderly as the outcome. Review of the studies found that after adjusting for socioeconomic, health, and social relations indicators, incidence of functional disability was similar between genders. The main risk factors for functional disability in the elderly, regardless of gender, were: lack of schooling, living in rental housing, chronic diseases, arthritis, diabetes, visual impairment, body mass index above 25, poor self-perceived health, cognitive impairment, depression, slow gait, sedentary lifestyle, tiredness while performing daily activities, and limited diversity in social relations.


[Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cardiovascular diseases].
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is one of the most common respiratory disorders in humans. There is emerging evidence linking OSA to vascular disease, particularly hypertension. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that link OSA to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation are not entirely understood, although they certainly include mechanical events, increased sympathetic activity and oxidative stress. This review will examine the evidence and mechanisms linking OSA syndrome to cardiovascular disease.


Prostate--an extrapituitary source of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): occurrence, localization, and de novo biosynthesis and its hormonal modulation in primates and rodents.
A comparative study on the immunocytochemical localization, de novo biosynthesis, and hormonal modulation of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was carried out in the prostates of man, monkey, dog, guinea pig, hamster, rat, and mouse. FSH was localized in the cytoplasm of the prostatic epithelial cells. In some specimens, staining was also observed in the nucleus. Both pituitary as well as prostatic FSH were coeluted on a Sephadex G-100 column and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicating physicochemical similarities of FSH in both the tissues. Surprisingly, the modulation of pituitary and prostatic FSH by inhibin and its related peptides were comparable. The intensity and grandularity of FSH staining was stronger in the case of benign prostatic hyperplasia as compared with normal prostatic specimens. In view of the well-known effects of FSH on the cellular growth, differentiation, and function of gonadal tissues, a similar role for FSH in pathophysiology of prostate is postulated.


The role of day-respite centres in supporting people with dementia to age in place: An interpretive phenomenological study.
Day-respite care opportunities for people with dementia help prevent informal carer burnout and enable ageing in place. Care workers in these settings are an under-researched workforce who play a pivotal role in providing an engaging and supportive environment for clients with dementia. This study aimed to understand their experiences of providing care for people with dementia. An interpretive phenomenological analysis explored the factors that challenge and enable day-respite centre workers of the sole facility in one regional Australian town to provide, what they perceive to be high-quality, person-centred care for people with dementia. Thematic analysis revealed four themes relating to the experience of providing care to people with dementia in this day-respite centre. Care challenges associated with the symptoms of dementia were recognised by participants; however, these issues were mitigated by the powerful enabling factors, including a strong focus on dementia-friendly care, operating within the centre. Thematic analysis yielded four themes of a person-centred workplace culture and strategy, embedded communication practices, provision of a safe and engaging environment and positive staff attributes. These themes were perceived to make participants' jobs more enjoyable, as well as improve their clients' and carers' quality of life. Day-respite centres offer a valuable resource for people with dementia and their carers, and their success depends on several key environmental and workforce factors. Accordingly, other facilities targeted at caring for this population should assess the feasibility of adopting similar strategies, including selecting and training specialised care staff, adapting the care environment to suit clients' physical and behavioural needs. and establishing routine multi-channel communication methods that effectively connect staff with other care providers, their clients, and their clients' carers. SO WHAT?: The lessons learned in this research could be implemented throughout the wider web of dementia care. Strategies might include the careful selection and training of staff; the provision of dedicated, safe dementia-friendly wards; and routine communication key stakeholders to ensure met-needs care. While there would be a need to scale such care to suit different individual care providers, even seemingly simple strategies would likely have positive effects in optimising care for people diagnosed with this debilitating neurocognitive disease.


Nonlocal operators are chaotic.
We characterize for the first time the chaotic behavior of nonlocal operators that come from a broad class of time-stepping schemes of approximation for fractional differential operators. For that purpose, we use criteria for chaos of Toeplitz operators in Lebesgue spaces of sequences. Surprisingly, this characterization is proved to be-in some cases-dependent of the fractional order of the operator and the step size of the scheme.


Spindle dynamics and the role of gamma-tubulin in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos.
gamma-Tubulin is a ubiquitous and highly conserved component of centrosomes in eukaryotic cells. Genetic and biochemical studies have demonstrated that gamma-tubulin functions as part of a complex to nucleate microtubule polymerization from centrosomes. We show that, as in other organisms, Caenorhabditis elegans gamma-tubulin is concentrated in centrosomes. To study centrosome dynamics in embryos, we generated transgenic worms that express GFP::gamma-tubulin or GFP::beta-tubulin in the maternal germ line and early embryos. Multiphoton microscopy of embryos produced by these worms revealed the time course of daughter centrosome appearance and growth and the differential behavior of centrosomes destined for germ line and somatic blastomeres. To study the role of gamma-tubulin in nucleation and organization of spindle microtubules, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to deplete C. elegans embryos of gamma-tubulin. gamma-Tubulin (RNAi) embryos failed in chromosome segregation, but surprisingly, they contained extensive microtubule arrays. Moderately affected embryos contained bipolar spindles with dense and long astral microtubule arrays but with poorly organized kinetochore and interpolar microtubules. Severely affected embryos contained collapsed spindles with numerous long astral microtubules. Our results suggest that gamma-tubulin is not absolutely required for microtubule nucleation in C. elegans but is required for the normal organization and function of kinetochore and interpolar microtubules.


Quantifying degree of mastitis from common trends in a panel of indicators for mastitis in dairy cows.
This paper has 2 objectives. First, it argues that it is beneficial to regard degree of infection with respect to mastitis as a latent quantity varying continuously from 0 (truly healthy) to 1 (full-blown clinical mastitis). This quantity is denoted as degree of infection (DOI). The DOI is based on extracting common characteristics from a panel of indicators measured repeatedly over time. The indicators used in this paper are electrical conductivity (EC), somatic cell count (SCC), and the immune response related enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Second, this paper presents a statistical model for such data and a corresponding method for estimating the DOI from a panel of indicators. An empirical proof of concept is provided. Using DOI, there was a significant difference between the DOI of mastitic and healthy control cows beginning 5 d before the mastitic cows were treated for mastitis.


Using animal models to study post-partum psychiatric disorders.
The post-partum period represents a time during which all maternal organisms undergo substantial plasticity in a wide variety of systems in order to ensure the well-being of the offspring. Although this time is generally associated with increased calmness and decreased stress responses, for a substantial subset of mothers, this period represents a time of particular risk for the onset of psychiatric disorders. Thus, post-partum anxiety, depression and, to a lesser extent, psychosis may develop, and not only affect the well-being of the mother but also place at risk the long-term health of the infant. Although the risk factors for these disorders, as well as normal peripartum-associated adaptations, are well known, the underlying aetiology of post-partum psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. However, there have been a number of attempts to model these disorders in basic research, which aim to reveal their underlying mechanisms. In the following review, we first discuss known peripartum adaptations and then describe post-partum mood and anxiety disorders, including their risk factors, prevalence and symptoms. Thereafter, we discuss the animal models that have been designed in order to study them and what they have revealed about their aetiology to date. Overall, these studies show that it is feasible to study such complex disorders in animal models, but that more needs to be done in order to increase our knowledge of these severe and debilitating mood and anxiety disorders.


[Development and regional urbanization in Mexico, 1970-1990].
"Here regional urbanization in Mexico is studied as a function of income level and production structures. This general model allows us to identify four characteristics that are inherent to urban development for the 1970-1990 period." (SUMMARY IN ENG)


Management of epilepsy in general practice patients.
The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations in general practice involving the management of epilepsy. Participating general practitioners recorded the problem as 'epilepsy' in 90% of cases, while 'grand mal' was specified at about 4% of encounters and 'temporal lobe' and 'petit mal' were each specified at about 1% of encounters.


Modulation of gene expression during aging of human vascular endothelial cells.
Vascular endothelial cells are thought to play an important role in human aging as their senescence and detachment from a vascular wall may contribute to arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure in the elderly. We investigated the level of fibronectin (FN) expression in aortic endothelial cells aged in vivo, because FN is necessary for cell attachment and spreading and its increased expression had been shown in aging fibroblasts. The results showed that the steady state level of expression of FN mRNA increased with advancing donor age, while the labeling index of cultured cells decreased with age. Furthermore, the increased level of FN expression clearly correlated with an increase in cell area. In order to explore whether these changes reflected exhaustion of proliferation potential in vivo, we examined FN expression in human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells aging in vitro. Very similar results were obtained, supporting the idea that vascular endothelial cells age in vivo by using up division potential. Furthermore, we investigated the level of endothelin (ET) -1 mRNA expression during in vitro cellular aging of HUVE cells. The results showed that the expression of ET-1 gene was also up-regulated when the culture became old. It is very interesting that the genes for quite different proteins of FN and ET-1 are both up-regulated during cellular aging.


Intrahepatic cytokine profiles associated with posttransplantation hepatitis C virus-related liver injury.
Recurrent chronic hepatitis, cholestatic hepatitis, and acute rejection in conjunction with hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence are well-recognized clinical sequelae of reinfection of the hepatic allograft with HCV. The aim of this study is to characterize intrahepatic cytokine responses associated with reinfection of the allograft with HCV in these settings. Intrahepatic messenger RNA expression of T helper cell subtype 1 (TH1) cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha and TH2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction system using TaqMan probes in 53 liver specimens from six groups of patients. These were: (1) recurrent chronic hepatitis C (CH-I; n = 15), (2) cholestatic hepatitis (n = 6), (3) acute rejection associated with HCV recurrence (AR-HCV; n = 12), (4) acute rejection in non-HCV-infected allografts (AR non-HCV; n = 5), (5) patients with chronic hepatitis C who did not undergo transplantation (CH-C; n = 10), and (6) non-diseased liver tissue (n = 6). Intrahepatic viral loads were measured using an Amplicor monitor assay (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, NJ). The CH-I and CH-C groups had similar TH1 intrahepatic cytokine profiles. Compared with the CH-I group, the cholestatic group expressed increased levels of the TH2 cytokines IL-10 (P =.024) and IL-4 (P =.0024). The AR-HCV group also expressed more TH2 cytokines IL-10 (P =.014) and IL-4 (P =.034) compared with the CH-I group. Both the AR-HCV and AR non-HCV groups showed similar intrahepatic cytokine profiles. Intrahepatic viral loads were highest in the cholestatic group compared with the AR-HCV, CH-I, and CH-C groups (P =.0007). In conclusion, a novel observation is that the cholestatic group showed upregulation of the TH2 cytokines IL-10 and IL-4, in addition to high viral loads. In this setting, the TH2 immune response may favor viral replication and graft damage.


Preparing online students for comprehensive examinations.
Identify and remedy difficulties in the preparation of online students for certification examination success. The final examination scores for the CLS Seminar course for the 2008 class of 27 on-campus and 10 online students were compared for statistical differences in seven examination areas. Problem areas were identified and changes in the CLS Seminar course were made in 2009 to improve the scores of the online students. The examination scores for the 2009 class of 33 on-campus and 10 online students were studied to determine improvement. Student's two-tailed t-test was used to determine statistical significance of differences between scores of on-campus and online students. Interactive video over the web; used to answer online student questions, review games, more class time, and more recorded review sessions; were added to the Seminar. The study guides provided during preceptorships were tied to the objectives of the seminar course and the questions on examinations. Specific objectives for each question missed on the final examinations were provided to the student. In 2008, examination scores for online students were lower in two of seven areas by a statistically significant amount than on-campus students. The difference approached significance in a third area. After interventions in 2009, the examinations scores had equalized with the exception of one area, Immunology. Increasing the amount and method of review in areas deemed important to online education was successful in improving examination scores.


[Effect of acipimox on diabetes mellitus-associated hyperlipoproteinemia].
The authors give summary on the pathogenesis of hyperlipoproteinaemia in patients with diabetes mellitus. They investigated the effects of acid nicotinic derivate acipimox on lipid metabolism in these patients. They treated with acipimox 15 patients who suffered from non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, as well as II/B, IV type hyperlipoproteinaemia by Fredrickson. They investigated the effect of acipimox on the lipoprotein content and quality in the sera and uric acid and carbohydrate metabolism. The authors found decreased cholesterol, triglyceride, apolipoprotein-B, glycosilated haemoglobin, glucose and uric acid levels in the sera and they found that the atherogenic index decreased too. During the treatment they could not recognise a change in the low-density lipoprotein level of the sera while the high density lipoprotein and apo-A1 level increased.


Is there a mucosal immune system associated with the mammalian oviduct?
The oviduct is a key component of the reproductive system where essential states such as spermatozoa capacitation, fertilization and early embryo development take place. Recently, an additional role for the entire female reproductive tract has emerged with important implications for our understanding and management of reproductive health, namely, its role in mounting local immune responses against microbial pathogens. Most of the evidence about mucosal immune responses in the female reproductive tract is related to the vagina, with less information available for the uterus. The less known segment in this regard is the oviduct, which prompted us to review and summarize the current state of knowledge on the immune system at the level of the mammalian oviduct. A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline and--for the last two years--also in Current Contents. Result demonstrate that the mammalian oviduct is endowed with many of the elements that characterize a mucosal immune system. However, there are gaps in our knowledge that, in addition to important interspecies differences, make it essential to explore further some fundamental questions regarding this system.


Biodegradation of Nicotine and TSNAs by Bacterium sp. Strain J54.
Microorganisms play an important role in reducing harmful substances in flue-cured tobacco. Numerous studies have been conducted to degrade nicotine by microorganisms. The present research deals with the isolation of a potent bacterial strain able to efficiently degrade nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in flue-cured tobacco. Bacterial strain J54, capable of efficiently degrading nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), was isolated from tobacco leaves and identified. The strain J54 can use nicotine as the sole carbon and nitrogen source and could effectively degrade nicotine while growing in a nicotine isolation medium (NIM) medium. Compared with the control (CK), the total TSNAs content in the tobacco flue-cured eaves after being sprayed with a solution of the J54 strain was found to decrease by 26.22%. Therein, the degradation rates of 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N'-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), and N'-nitrosoanabasine (NAB) were 24.01%, 26.27%, 28.6%, and 1.83%, respectively. Bacterial strain J54, was isolated from tobacco leaves and identified as a bacterium, which is similar to Bacillus altitudinis based on its morphological and biochemical characteristics and by phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and characterization of a Bacillus sp. strain that can efficiently degrade nicotine and TSNAs. The findings pave the way for the application of new biotechnologies for the degradation of nicotine and TSNAs by microorganisms.


Body size, diet and endoparasites of the microhylid frog Chiasmocleis capixaba in an Atlantic Forest area of southern Bahia state, Brazil.
We analyzed the diet composition, endoparasites and sexual size dimorphism of the microhylid frog Chiasmocleis capixaba (Microhylidae) from a "mussununga" habitat in the municipality of Nova Viçosa, southern Bahia state, Brazil. All the 119 specimens analyzed were collected in a single night of heavy rainfall. Females (mean snout-vent length = 15.7 + 3.0 mm) were significantly larger than males (mean snout-vent length = 13.2 + 2.1 mm), and specimens of both sexes were smaller than those of a conspecific population previously reported in Aracruz, state of Espírito Santo state. The diet of C. capixaba was dominated by mites, ants and collembolans. Seventy-nine frogs (66.4% of the total) were infected by helminths, all belonging to a single species, Cosmocerca ornata, an intestinal nematode parasite.


Development of vaccination strategies that elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in both the mucosal and systemic immune compartments.
The antigenic diversity, rapid genetic integration into host cell DNA, and immune evasion tactics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) create formidable obstacles to the development of an effective vaccine against it. In spite of this, the advent of conformationally constrained HIV-1 Env and gp120 immunogens has made it feasible to formulate HIV-1 vaccines that induce broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies and afford protection through humoral mechanisms. This paper reviews recent advances made by the authors toward the development of an HIV-1 vaccine that elicits such antibodies in both the mucosal and systemic immune compartments.


Hydrogen bonds in imidazolium ionic liquids.
It is critically important to understand the structural properties of ionic liquids. In this work, the structures of cations, anions, and cation-anion ion-pairs of 1,3-dialkylimidazolium based ionic liquids were optimized systematically at the B3LYP/6-31+G level of DFT theory, and their most stable geometries were obtained. It was found that there exist only one-hydrogen-bonded ion-pairs in single-atomic anion ionic liquids such as [emim]Cl and [emim]Br, while one- and two-hydrogen-bonded ion-pairs in multiple atomic anion ionic liquids such as [emim]BF(4) and [emim]PF(6) exist. Further studies showed that the cations and anions connect each other to form a hydrogen-bonded network in 1,3-dialkylimidazolium halides, which has been proven by experimental measurement. Furthermore, the correlation of melting points and the interaction energies was discussed for both the single atomic anion and multiple atomic anion ionic liquids.


Allocation and Turnover of Photosynthetically Assimilated CO(2) in Leaves of Glycine max L. Clark.
The allocation and turnover of photosynthetically assimilated (14)CO(2) in lipid and protein fractions of soybean (Glycine max L. Clark) leaves and stem materials was measured. In whole plant labeling experiments, allocation of photosynthate from a pulse of (14)CO(2) into polymeric compounds was: 25% to proteins in 4 days, 20% to metabolically inert cell wall products in 1 to 2 days, 10% to lipids in 4 days, and 4% to starch in 1 day. The amount of (14)C labeled photosynthate that an actively growing leaf (leaf 4) used for its own lipid synthesis immediately following pulse labeling was about 25%. The (14)C of labeled proteins turned over with half-lives of 3.8, 3.3, and 4.1 days in leaves 1, 2, and 3, respectively; and turnover of (14)C in total shoot protein proceeded with a half-life of 5.2 days. Three kinetic (14)C turnover patterns were observed in lipids: a rapid turnover fraction (within a day), an intermediate fraction (half-life about 5 days), and a slow turnover fraction. These results are discussed in terms of previously published accounts of translocation, carbon budgets, carbon use, and turnover in starch, lipid, protein, and cell wall materials of various plants including soybeans.


Many, but not all, lineage-specific genes can be explained by homology detection failure.
Genes for which homologs can be detected only in a limited group of evolutionarily related species, called "lineage-specific genes," are pervasive: Essentially every lineage has them, and they often comprise a sizable fraction of the group's total genes. Lineage-specific genes are often interpreted as "novel" genes, representing genetic novelty born anew within that lineage. Here, we develop a simple method to test an alternative null hypothesis: that lineage-specific genes do have homologs outside of the lineage that, even while evolving at a constant rate in a novelty-free manner, have merely become undetectable by search algorithms used to infer homology. We show that this null hypothesis is sufficient to explain the lack of detected homologs of a large number of lineage-specific genes in fungi and insects. However, we also find that a minority of lineage-specific genes in both clades are not well explained by this novelty-free model. The method provides a simple way of identifying which lineage-specific genes call for special explanations beyond homology detection failure, highlighting them as interesting candidates for further study.


Impact craters as biospheric microenvironments, Lawn Hill Structure, Northern Australia.
Impact craters on Mars act as traps for eolian sediment and in the past may have provided suitable microenvironments that could have supported and preserved a stressed biosphere. If this is so, terrestrial impact structures such as the 18-km-diameter Lawn Hill Structure, in northern Australia, may prove useful as martian analogs. We sampled outcrop and drill core from the carbonate fill of the Lawn Hill Structure and recorded its gamma-log signature. Facies data along with whole rock geochemistry and stable isotope signatures show that the crater fill is an outlier of the Georgina Basin and was formed by impact at, or shortly before, approximately 509-506 million years ago. Subsequently, it was rapidly engulfed by the Middle Cambrian marine transgression, which filled it with shallow marine carbonates and evaporites. The crater formed a protected but restricted microenvironment in which sediments four times the thickness of the nearby basinal succession accumulated. Similar structures, common on the martian surface, may well have acted as biospheric refuges as the planet's water resources declined. Low-pH aqueous environments on Earth similar to those on Mars, while extreme, support diverse ecologies. The architecture of the eolian crater fill would have been defined by long-term ground water cycles resulting from intermittent precipitation in an extremely arid climate. Nutrient recycling, critical to a closed lacustrine sub-ice biosphere, could be provided by eolian transport onto the frozen water surface.


Interactions and quantitative analysis of immunoregulatory cells in the chicken thymus.
Step-wise dilution of chicken thymus cell suspensions has been used to sequentially reveal suppressor, effector, and helper cells in these suspensions. The cells were tested either alone or in autologous mixture combinations with peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) as a source of effector cells. The assays studied were graft-vs-host reaction (GvHR) and mixed lymphocyte (MLR) reaction, spontaneous cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and mitogen responsiveness to Con A, PHA, and PWM. When tested alone, high numbers of thymus cells (1 X 10(7) gave weak or low responses, with the exception of GvHR, which was high. When this number of thymocytes was mixed with a strongly responding PBL effector population, there was marked suppression of the latter. Nonspecific crowding was excluded as a cause for the decreased responsiveness, and the data therefore demonstrated the presence of suppressor cells in the thymus. With gradual reduction of the thymus cell number in the mixtures, the suppressor activity was lost, but concomitant with this was the appearance of, or a gradual increase in, thymus effector cells giving good responses. Further dilutions of the thymus (to, e.g., 1 X 10(5) cells) depleted the suspension of effector cells, but helper cells capable of markedly amplifying the effector potential of PBL were revealed. The suppressor/helper function of the thymus was not only dependent on the absolute numbers of thymus cells present, but also on the degree of inherent responsiveness of the effector PBL. If the response of PBL alone was strong, a thymus suspension containing both helper and suppressor cells (e.g., 1 X 10(6) cells) caused suppression of the PBL; if the PBL alone were weak, this same thymus cell suspension caused enhancement. The outcome of an immune response is therefore dependent not only on the presence or absence of particular cell types, but also on the ratios between these cells. An imbalance in these ratios in vivo may underlie diseases of immunologic origin, e.g., autoimmunity.


The ubiquitin-proteasome 26s pathway in liver cell protein turnover: effect of ethanol and drugs.
This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chairs were Samuel W. French and R. J. Mayer. The presentations were (1) The ubiquitin-proteasome 26s pathway in liver cell protein turnover: Effect of alcohol and drugs, by Samuel W. French and F. Bardag-Gorce; (2) The role of CYP2E1 phosphorylation and degradation pathway in the induction of the enzyme, by Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg; (3) Role of proteasome in the proteolysis of oxidized proteins in experimental chronic alcoholism, by Helen Rouach; (4) Alcohol, proteolysis and liver cancer, by R. J. Mayer; (5) Effect of ethanol feeding on the ATP-ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in the liver cell, by F. Bardag-Gorce; (6) Novel mechanisms and targets for intracellular transport of CYP2E1, by E. Neve; and (7) Gankyrin, an oncoprotein commonly over expressed in hepatoma, by H. Higashitsuji.


[Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for caesarean section in a parturient with scoliosis].
An emergency caesarean section was performed in a 38-year-old parturient with pregnancy-induced hypertension at week 31 of gestation because of nonreassuring fetal status. A chest X-ray revealed mild spinal scoliosis. We attempted a combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in the parturient because the Cobb angle was only 28 degrees. However, we failed to achieve epidural puncture at the T12-L1 and L1-2 interspaces using a paramedian approach. In addition, we failed to achieve the puncture of the subarachnoid spaces at L3-4 and L4-5 using medial and paramedian approaches. Finally, we succeeded in puncturing the subarachnoid space at L5-S1 using the median approach, and injected 11 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine. Analgesia was achieved from the T6 to S regions, and the caesarean section was completed uneventfully. A postoperative X-ray and computed tomography scan revealed that the rotation of the lumbar spine was so severe that the spaces between the laminae of the lumbar regions were shifted to the left and narrowed. Therefore, the puncture of the epidural and subarachnoid spaces was difficult, suggesting that the degree of lumbar spine rotation is more important than the thoracic spine curvature for successful epidural and spinal anesthesia in parturients with scoliosis.


Correlation of vascular change and cognitive impairment in age-related macular degeneration patients.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness among the elderly. However, the correlation between vascular change and cognitive impairment in AMD disease is still unknown. In our study, we investigate the blood flow change among different layers of the retina in the AMD eye and normal fellow eye of AMD patients and its influence with patients' cognition. Our study applies optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to assess the blood flow of the retina in AMD patients and the healthy controls (HCs). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were performed to evaluate the cognitive change of the individuals. The results showed that deep capillary plexus density, superficial capillary plexus density, retina thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness deduction existed in both eyes of the AMD patient compared with the HCs. The reduced vessel density in the choroidal layer only existed in the AMD eye of the patients while the fellow eye of patients and HCs did not change much. Furthermore, the AMD patient got a lower MoCA score compared to the HCs. Our results illustrate that the fellow eye of the AMD patient underwent vessel density change, which may lead to the early stage of AMD. The lower score of the MoCA test in AMD patients refers to the cognitive impairment. These findings show the significance of taking actions to prevent the progress of AMD in the fellow eye, as well as paying more attention to the development of cognitive impairment of these patients.


Metabolic risk of obesity surgery and long-term follow-up.
Protein-calorie deprivation occurs after weight reduction operations and creates a potential for micronutrient deficiency syndromes. Whether clinical deficiency occurs depends primarily on the nature of the operation carried out. Current procedures include those that mainly diminish intake and those that shunt either food or digestive enzymes to minimize the absorption of ingested food. The metabolic price that some patients pay postoperatively makes the choice of operation and the quality of follow-up critical to the patient's well-being. Restrictive operations (gastroplasty) are devoid of long-term metabolic complications. Gastric bypass patients rarely have deficiency syndromes but often develop micronutrient deficiencies. Malabsorptive procedures carry the highest risk and malnutrition, with multiple micronutrient deficiencies, may supervene despite close medical follow-up.


Health and medical informatics competencies: call to participate in updating the IMIA recommendations.
On behalf of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), its Working Group 1 (WG1) addresses health and medical informatics education. As part of its mission, WG1 developed recommendations for competencies, describing a three-dimension framework and defining learning outcomes. Officially approved by IMIA in 1999, the recommendations have been translated into seven languages. In 2001, WG1 charged a small group with updating the recommendations and consider the work undertaken by others to develop competencies. Additional work underway in support of the recommendations includes a literature review to help extract the fundamental competencies from the recommendations. To ensure the highest quality of input in the updated recommendations, WG1 is issuing a call for participation to the international informatics community. Further work with the competencies will result in updated IMIA guidelines. These are expected to support the creation of a virtual university for health and medical informatics.


Raman Interferometry between Autoionizing States to Probe Ultrafast Wave-Packet Dynamics with High Spectral Resolution.
Photoelectron interferometry with femtosecond and attosecond light pulses is a powerful probe of the fast electron wave-packet dynamics, albeit it has practical limitations on the energy resolution. We show that one can simultaneously obtain both high temporal and spectral resolution by stimulating Raman interferences with one light pulse and monitoring the modification of the electron yield in a separate step. Applying this spectroscopic approach to the autoionizing states of argon, we experimentally resolved its electronic composition and time evolution in exquisite detail. Theoretical calculations show remarkable agreement with the observations and shed light on the light-matter interaction parameters. Using appropriate Raman probing and delayed detection steps, this technique enables highly sensitive probing and control of electron dynamics in complex systems.


Effects of amlodipine on endothelial function in rats with chronic heart failure after experimental myocardial infarction.
In chronic heart failure, the role of endothelial dysfunction is not yet well established. As calcium metabolism plays an important role in the endothelium, it might be suggested that calcium channel blockers influence endothelial function. Although calcium channel blockers are generally contraindicated in chronic heart failure, because they are believed to stimulate neurohumoral mechanisms and to exert negative inotropic effects, recently it has been suggested that amlodipine might have a favorable affect on mortality in patients with heart failure. The mechanism of amlodipine that contributes to this beneficial effect is not known. Therefore we investigated whether 10 weeks of amlodipine treatment could influence endothelial function in rats with congestive heart failure induced by myocardial infarction. The main finding of our study was that amlodipine, when administered for 10 weeks to rats after a myocardial infarction had been induced, had no significant effects on in vitro and in vivo hemodynamics or neurohormones. The effect of amlodipine on endothelium-intact, norepinephrine-precontracted aortic rings appears to differ from the placebo treatment with respect to the endothelium-dependent relaxation, whereas no differences are seen in endothelium-independent relaxation. We conclude that our data do not support a beneficial role of amlodipine on endothelial function in chronic heart failure.


Why self-immolation? A qualitative exploration of the motives for attempting suicide by self-immolation.
Suicide by self-immolation is one of the great health concerns in developing countries such as Iran. Exploration of motives for attempting suicide by self-immolation in different point of view of people with experience and information on can be considered as a crucial aspect in self-immolation prevention. The study aimed to explore motives for suicide by self-immolation in Kermanshah, Iran. A qualitative approach using semi-structure interview was employed to explore motives for attempting suicide by self-immolation in Kermanshah, Iran (2012). 15 participants including 9 self-immolated patients, a patient's husband, and 5 members of medical staff of these patients were interviewed. The interviews were taped and transcribed. A content analysis using constant comparison was performed for transcribed interviews. Five main categories were emerged that explore motives for suicide by self-immolation including mental health problems, family problems, cultural context, self-immolation as a threat, and the distinct characteristics of the method. All categories had their specific subcategories which had been integrated based on distinct properties in a given category. More than one motive might be addressed by study participants, which listed in the appropriate categories. There are several reasons for suicide by self-immolation that should be considered in prevention programs. There may be an interactional pattern among the motives. Further study to explore process of the interactional pattern is recommended.


Functional properties of isolated stroma and epithelium from rat ventral prostate during androgen deprivation and estrogen treatment.
To identify the functional activities of prostatic stroma under different hormonal conditions, isolated stroma and epithelium from rat ventral prostate (RVP, intact or one week castrated or estrogen-treated), were studied in metabolic labeling experiments. Using a semiquantitative stereological procedure, the relative proportion of the epithelial and stromal compartment was determined in situ. In addition, the distribution of the androgen receptor was visualized by in situ hybridization and by immunocytochemistry. In castrated animals protein biosynthesis of the stroma and epithelium exceeded the control value by a factor 7 and 5, respectively. In estrogen-treated animals protein biosynthesis was reduced, reaching only between one tenth and one fifth of the control value. The amount of stroma obtained from these animals was very low. These results were confirmed by stereological findings and indicate a differential regulation of prostatic stroma and epithelium after estrogen challenge and androgen deprivation. Estrogen receptor was induced in epithelium and stroma in estrogenized animals whereas the androgen receptor was reduced in experimental specimens. During estrogenization the biosynthetic activity of both stroma and epithelium is depressed, while estrogen responsivity of the epithelium in terms of estrogen receptor expression is increased. Androgen withdrawal results in active transformation of the gland through increased stromal biosynthetic activity and epithelial regression.


Regulatory T cells with multiple suppressive and potentially pro-tumor activities accumulate in human colorectal cancer.
Tregs can contribute to tumor progression by suppressing antitumor immunity. Exceptionally, in human colorectal cancer (CRC), Tregs are thought to exert beneficial roles in controlling pro-tumor chronic inflammation. The goal of our study was to characterize CRC-infiltrating Tregs at multiple levels, by phenotypical, molecular and functional evaluation of Tregs from the tumor site, compared to non-tumoral mucosa and peripheral blood of CRC patients. The frequency of Tregs was higher in mucosa than in blood, and further significantly increased in tumor. Ex vivo, those Tregs suppressed the proliferation of tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells. A differential compartmentalization was detected between Helios(high) and Helios(low) Treg subsets (thymus-derived versus peripherally induced): while Helios(low) Tregs were enriched in both sites, only Helios(high) Tregs accumulated significantly and specifically in tumors, displayed a highly demethylated TSDR region and contained high proportions of cells expressing CD39 and OX40, markers of activation and suppression. Besides the suppression of T cells, Tregs may contribute to CRC progression also through releasing IL-17, or differentiating into Tfr cells that potentially antagonize a protective Tfh response, events that were both detected in tumor-associated Tregs. Overall, our data indicate that Treg accumulation may contribute through multiple mechanisms to CRC establishment and progression.


Milk Protein Polymer and Its Application in Environmentally Safe Adhesives.
Milk proteins (caseins and whey proteins) are important protein sources for human nutrition; in addition, they possess important natural polymers. These protein molecules can be modified by physical, chemical, and/or enzymatic means. Casein is one of the oldest natural polymers, used for adhesives, dating back to thousands years ago. Research on milk-protein-based adhesives is still ongoing. This article deals with the chemistry and structure of milk protein polymers, and examples of uses in environmentally-safe adhesives. These are promising routes in the exploration of the broad application of milk proteins.


Estimates of deaths associated with seasonal influenza --- United States, 1976-2007.
Influenza infections are associated with thousands of deaths every year in the United States, with the majority of deaths from seasonal influenza occurring among adults aged >or=65 years. For several decades, CDC has made annual estimates of influenza-associated deaths, which have been used in influenza research and to develop influenza control and prevention policy. To update previously published estimates of the numbers and rates of influenza-associated deaths during 1976-2003 by adding four influenza seasons through 2006-07, CDC used statistical models with data from death certificate reports. National mortality data for two categories of underlying cause of death codes, pneumonia and influenza causes and respiratory and circulatory causes, were used in regression models to estimate lower and upper bounds for the number of influenza-associated deaths. Estimates by seasonal influenza virus type and subtype were examined to determine any association between virus type and subtype and the number of deaths in a season. This report summarizes the results of these analyses, which found that, during 1976-2007, estimates of annual influenza-associated deaths from respiratory and circulatory causes (including pneumonia and influenza causes) ranged from 3,349 in 1986-87 to 48,614 in 2003-04. The annual rate of influenza-associated death in the United States overall during this period ranged from 1.4 to 16.7 deaths per 100,000 persons. The findings also indicated the wide variation in the estimated number of deaths from season to season was closely related to the particular influenza virus types and subtypes in circulation.


Sociospatial ties and postdisaster reconstruction: An analysis of the assemblage in the mega-fire of Valparaíso.
Disasters affect sociospatial links in a dynamic and unstable meshwork of aspects that are reconfigured. In this sense, accounting for this complexity is central to analyze the transformation of the sociospatial linkage of the affected people and communities. Addressing from community environmental psychology, we propose the concept of assemblage to guide a situated reading of subjective, material, and community aspects present in a reconstruction process after a disaster. Following a qualitative methodology, using spatially referenced narrative interviews (n = 16) and thematic analysis, it is described how these links are presented in a community that lived the mega-fire of a part of the city of Valparaíso in Chile. The results describe that the experience of being a community is a variable flow within a process defined by an ever-emerging configuration of spatial, technological, personal, social, and sensory characteristics. We conclude by pointing out the qualities of the communities when considered from an assemblage perspective.


Association of CYP19A1 single-nucleotide polymorphism with digit ratio (2D:4D) in a sample of men and women from Ningxia (China).
2D:4D is an anthropometric indicator that may reflect the level of intrauterine sexual hormone exposure before birth. The aromatase gene (CYP19A1) mainly encodes cytochrome P450 aromatase, a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of androgens to estrogens in vivo and affects the development of 2D:4D. Studying the association between six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP19A1 and digit ratios in the normal population of China will provide some basis for the biological basis of digit ratio development and promote the practical application of digit ratios. In this study, six SNPs (rs10046, rs2414095, rs4646, rs4775936, rs749292 and rs936306) in CYP19A1 were tested in 1949 students (692 males and 1247 females) by TaqMan SNP genotyping in Ningxia, China. The digit ratios (right and left 2D:4D and right-left 2D:4D [Dr-l]) of all participants were collected using a photographic record. The frequencies of the genotypes rs2414095 (P < 0.05), rs10046 (P < 0.01) and rs4775936 (P < 0.05) in the CYP19A1 gene and their allele frequencies were significantly different between the Hui and Han populations, and the frequency of the rs2414095 genotype (P < 0.05) was significantly different between males and females in Ningxia, China. There was a sex difference in right and left 2D:4D and in Dr-l. There was no significant association between the six SNPs of the CYP19A1 gene and right and left 2D:4D, although rs4775936 showed a lower 2D:4D ratio in allele T than in allele C, in both male and female subjects. For Dr-l we found that rs4775936 associated with increased Dr-l in females (t787 = -2.441, P < 0.05). We found the different frequencies of rs10046, rs2414095 and rs4775936 between Hui and Han populations in China. There was an association between rs4775936 and Dr-l. We discuss the implications of this association for links between Dr-l and rs4775936 and prenatal sex steroids and for susceptibility to breast cancer.


Anomalous vertebral artery origins: the first and second reports of two variants.
We present two cases of aberrant origins of vertebral arteries. Case 1 is of a patient undergoing evaluation of an infrarenal aortic aneurysm stent graft. Computed tomography (CT) angiogram revealed an aberrant right vertebral artery that subsequently joined a second right vertebral artery that had the typical origin off the right subclavian artery. This represents an unusual anatomic variation not previously reported in the literature. Case 2 is of a patient being evaluated for thoracic aorta injury. CT angiogram of the chest revealed a five-vessel aortic arch with aberrant origin of the bilateral vertebral arteries distal to the left subclavian artery.


Implementation of the EPICS2017 database for photons in Geant4.
This paper describes in detail the implementation of Geant4 Livermore electromagnetic physics models based on the EPICS2017 database for the low energy transport of photons. These models describe four photon processes: gamma conversion, Compton scattering, photoelectric effect and Rayleigh scattering. New parameterizations based on EPICS2017 were performed for scattering functions of Compton effect, subshell cross-sections of the photoelectric effect and form factors of Rayleigh scattering, in order to improve the precision of fitted values compared to tabulated values. Comparisons between new and old parameterizations were also carried out to evaluate the precision of the new parameterizations. The models were tested through a comparative study, in which the mass attenuation coefficient was calculated for both total photon interaction and each process using Geant4 simulations based on EPICS2017 and EPDL97 respectively. The results obtained from the simulations were found in good agreement with the XCOM reference data.


[Characterization and localization of alpha 1-adrenoceptors in human prostate--with special reference to the zonal difference in receptor distribution].
Radioligand binding assay and receptor autoradiography were undertaken to characterize alpha 1-adrenoceptors and to clarify their localization in human prostate. Eleven open prostatectomy specimens obtained from patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy were used for radioligand binding assay. The binding of [3H]-prazosin to prostatic crude membrane fraction was a saturable process of high affinity. Scatchard analysis of the specific [3H]-prazosin binding indicated the existence of a single population of receptor sites with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.00 +/- 0.19 nM (mean +/- SE) and a maximum binding capacity of 20.8 +/- 3.56 fmol/mg protein (mean +/- SE). alpha-Adrenergic antagonists competed for [3H]-prazosin binding in an order of potency: prazosin greater than or equal to bunazosin greater than phentolamine greater than yohimbine, suggesting that the binding sites for [3H]-prazosin have characteristics of alpha 1-adrenoceptors. To study the distribution of alpha 1-adrenoceptors in prostatic tissues obtained from total cystoprostatectomy specimens of six male bladder tumor patients, we used for autoradiography (+/-)-beta-[( 125I]Iodo-4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethyl-aminomethyl-tetralone [( 125I]-HEAT). Peripheral zone (PZ), central zone (CZ) and preprostatic region were dissected from the tissues and incubated with [125I]-HEAT, followed by an autoradiographic procedure. Distribution of alpha 1-adrenoceptors was quantitated by grain counting using a light microscope equipped with a micrometer. The specific binding sites for [125I]-HEAT were demonstrated predominantly in the fibromuscular stroma of CZ, that of PZ, preprostatic sphincter and subordinately in the glandular epithelium of CZ, but not in the glandular epithelium of PZ and periurethral glands.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Correlates of psychotic like experiences (PLEs) during Pandemic: An online study investigating a possible link between the SARS-CoV-2 infection and PLEs among adolescents.
This study investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 infection, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, cigarette, alcohol, drug usage contribute to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) among adolescents during the pandemic. We also aimed to explore whether baseline inflammatory markers or the number of SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms are associated with PLEs, and the latter is mediated by internalizing symptoms. Altogether, 684 adolescents aged 12-18 (SARS-CoV-2 group n = 361, control group (CG) n = 323) were recruited. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-42-Positive Dimension (CAPE-Pos), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires were completed by all volunteers using an online survey. C-reactive Protein and hemogram values, and SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms during the acute infection period were recorded in the SARS-CoV-2 group. Group comparisons, correlations, logistic regression, and bootstrapped mediation analyses were performed. CAPE-Pos-Frequency/Stress scores were significantly higher, whereas GAD-7-Total and PSQI-Total scores were significantly lower in SARS-CoV-2 than CG. Among the SARS-CoV-2 group, monocyte count and the number of SARS-CoV-2-symptoms were positively correlated with CAPE-Pos-Frequency/Stress scores. Besides SARS-CoV-2, cigarette use, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scores significantly contributed to the presence of at least one CAPE-Pos "often" or "almost always". PHQ-9 and GAD-7 fully mediated the relationship between the number of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and CAPE-Pos-Frequency. This study is the first to show a possible relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PLEs among adolescents. Depression, anxiety, and cigarette use also contributed to PLEs. The number of SARS-Cov-2-symptoms and PLEs association was fully mediated by internalizing symptoms, but prospective studies will need to confirm this result.


The time course of cardioprotection induced by GR79236, a selective adenosine A1-receptor agonist, in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the pig.
The cardioprotective effects of the selective adenosine A1-receptor agonist, GR79236 (N-[(1S, trans)-2-hydroxycyclopentyl]adenosine), were examined in a porcine model of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. When pigs were subjected to a 50-min coronary artery occlusion followed by 3-h reperfusion, GR79236 (10 nmol/kg, i.v.) significantly reduced infarct size whether given 10 min before the onset of ischaemia or reperfusion. This effect was independent of the bradycardia induced by GR79236, as it was also observed in animals in which heart rate was maintained by electrical pacing. However, GR79236 administered 10 min after reperfusion did not reduce infarct size. GR79236 had no effect on the incidence or outcome of ventricular dysrhythmias in this pig model of infarction. Similarly, ischaemic preconditioning (IPC, 2 x 10-min ischaemia and 10-min reperfusion) significantly reduced infarct size. The selective adenosine A1-receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX; 3.3 micromol/kg, i.v.), abolished the haemodynamic and cardioprotective effects of GR79236 and the cardioprotective effects of IPC in anaesthetised pigs. In conclusion, GR79236 exerted a marked cardioprotective effect in a porcine model of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury, provided that it was administered before reperfusion. This suggests that GR79236 may have clinical utility in the treatment of various aspects of ischaemic heart disease.


[Effectiveness of plasmid RP4 mobilization of the bacterial chromosome in Escherichia coli strains lysogenic for phages Mu and lambda].
The effect of phage lambda on mobilization of Escherichia coli chromosome mediated by the Mu phage and RP4 plasmid has been studied. The efficiency of bacterial chromosome mobilization is an order of magnitude lower than that in the control strain, monolysogenic for phage Mu provided a termoinducible prophage lambda is located separately from Mu. This efficiency is an order of magnitude higher in comparison with the control strain in case prophage is incorporated in the Mu-lambda-Mu structure and does not inhibit Mu phage development. Thus the effect of bacteriophage Mu on mobilization of E. coli chromosome determined by this phage and RP4 plasmid is shown to be dependent on localization of prophage lambda, as well as on functioning of certain prophage genes. A possibility of replication of Mu genomes from the ori site of prophage lambda incorporated into the Mu-lambda-Mu structure is discussed. This replication is presumed to have a stimulating effect on the Mu-induced mobilization of the bacterial chromosome.


Biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine by human lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1.
Pulmonary surfactant is a complex of phospholipids and proteins lining the alveolar walls of the lung. It reduces surface tension in the alveoli, and is critical for normal respiration. Pulmonary surfactant phospholipids consist mainly of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Although the phospholipid composition of pulmonary surfactant is well known, the enzyme(s) involved in its biosynthesis have remained obscure. We previously reported the cloning of murine lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (mLPCAT1) as a potential biosynthetic enzyme of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. mLPCAT1 exhibits lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) and lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase (LPGAT) activities, generating PC and PG, respectively. However, the enzymatic activity of human LPCAT1 (hLPCAT1) remains controversial. We report here that hLPCAT1 possesses LPCAT and LPGAT activities. The activity of hLPCAT1 was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide, indicating the importance of some cysteine residue(s) for the catalysis. We found a conserved cysteine (Cys(211)) in hLPCAT1 that is crucial for its activity. Evolutionary analyses of the close homologs of LPCAT1 suggest that it appeared before the evolution of teleosts and indicate that LPCAT1 may have evolved along with the lung to facilitate respiration. hLPCAT1 mRNA is highly expressed in the human lung. We propose that hLPCAT1 is the biosynthetic enzyme of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids.


Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks --- United States, 2007.
Foodborne agents cause an estimated 76 million illnesses annually in the United States. Outbreak surveillance provides insights into the causes of foodborne illness, types of implicated foods, and settings of foodborne infections that can be used in food safety strategies to prevent and control foodborne disease. CDC collects data on foodborne disease outbreaks submitted from all states and territories. This report summarizes epidemiologic data for the 1,097 reported outbreaks occurring during 2007 (the most recent finalized data), which resulted in 21,244 cases of foodborne illness and 18 deaths. Among the 497 foodborne outbreaks with a laboratory-confirmed single etiologic agent reported, norovirus was the most common cause, followed by Salmonella. Among the 18 reported deaths, 11 were attributed to bacterial etiologies (five Salmonella, three Listeria monocytogenes, two Escherichia coli O157:H7, and one Clostridium botulinum), two to viral etiologies (norovirus), and one to a chemical (mushroom toxin). Four deaths occurred in outbreaks with unknown etiologies. Among the 235 outbreaks attributed to a single food commodity, poultry (17%), beef (16%), and leafy vegetables (14%) were most often the cause of illness. Public health, regulatory, and agricultural professionals can use this information when creating targeted control strategies and to support efforts to promote safe food preparation practices among food employees and the public.


Effects of citric acid and fibronectin and laminin application in treating periodontitis.
To determine the effect on new connective tissue attachment of citric acid conditioning and fibronectin-laminin application in treating naturally occurring periodontitis, all 4 quadrants in each of 2 Beagle dogs were used. Each quadrant included: P2, P3, P4, and M1 teeth. 2 treatment modalities were employed and comparatively analyzed for differences in histological healing respponses at 120 days after surgery. The treatments were: (1) surgery (mucoperiosteal flaps) plus citric acid; (2) surgery plus citric acid followed by fibronectin-laminin application. After scaling and root planing, coronal and root surface reference notches were placed for histometric measurements. Following each of the randomly assigned treatments, flaps were sutured. After sacrifice, tissue blocks of treated areas were decalcified and serially cut, obtaining bucco-lingual and mesiodistal sections. Using a Filar micrometer, 5 distances were masured on the buccal aspect: (1) from root surface notch to alveolar bone crest; (2) from root surface notch to coronal extent of the cementum; (3) from root surface notch to apical extent of the junctional epithelium; 84) from free gingival margin to apical extent of junctional epithelium; (5) from the coronal notch to the alveolar bone crest. Results showed no differences among the 5 measurements between the 2 treatments tested. On mesio-distal sections, surface area determinations were made in the furcations, evaluating the space occupied by new connective tissue, with or without bone, or by epithelium. For this, images were digitized using a Zeiss IBAS Image analysis system with a 4mB of array processor memory coupled to a Newvicon TV camera and a microcomputer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Penile prostheses in paraplegic men.
To determine the efficacy of penile prostheses in paraplegic men. Between 1980 and 1992, penile prostheses were implanted in 209 paralysed men of whom the records of 179 were evaluable. The indication for implantation was erectile dysfunction, penile retraction, or a combination of the two. The outcome of the implantation of semi-rigid prostheses was worse than that of semi-flexible or flexible prostheses. Antibiotic treatment and body disinfection reduced the infection rate to below that in a normal population. The results were satisfactory for patients with either problem and patients treated successfully for erectile dysfunction became more self-confident. When paraplegic patients are able to regain sexual activity after successful implantation of a penile prosthesis, their self-confidence is increased. Prostheses might also be useful for patients who will not accept self-injection and for those using external condom drainage. Penile prostheses clearly have a place in the treatment of paralysed men.


Computer-assisted positioning of radiotherapy patients using implanted radiopaque fiducials.
For certain external beam radiotherapy procedures, precise alignment of patients with the treatment beam is essential for good treatment outcome. A method has been developed for quickly achieving precise patient alignment with the aid of stereoscopically located fiducial markers. The alignment algorithm is developed from standard rigid body mechanics using closed form solutions, obviating the need for iterative fitting methods. The technique is implemented with a digitizing tablet and plane film radiographs. The accuracy of alignment with this method in phantom studies is better than 1 mm and 1 deg relative to CT data. The repeatability of positioning is 0.5 mm (standard deviation) and 0.36 deg (standard deviation).


A role for manganese superoxide dismutase in radioprotection of hematopoietic stem cells by interleukin-1.
Pretreatment with interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been shown to protect mice from the myelotoxicity associated with irradiation via a mechanism potentially mediated through the induction of the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). In this study, we have compared the ability of IL-1 to induce MnSOD mRNA in murine bone marrow cells and human cell lines with its ability to protect these cells against the damaging effects of ionizing radiation. Bone marrow cells obtained from mice 6 hours after a single injection of IL-1 demonstrate a dose-dependent increase in the expression of MnSOD RNA. In this same study, IL-1 was also shown to be radioprotective when given to mice 20 hours before lethal irradiation. Similarly, in vitro treatment with IL-1 of bone marrow cells isolated from 5-fluorouracil-treated mice results in elevated levels of MnSOD RNA. Pretreatment with IL-1 also protected bone marrow long-term culture-initiating cells capable of reconstituting irradiated stromal cultures from an irradiation insult. Furthermore, IL-1-treated human bone marrow cells display both elevated MnSOD RNA and protein levels when compared with media controls. The human A375 melanoma, A549 adenocarcinoma, and factor-dependent TF-1 leukemic cell lines demonstrate low basal MnSOD RNA levels that increase following treatment with IL-1. For the A375 cells, this correlates with increased MnSOD protein expression and radioprotection by IL-1 using a colony assay. In contrast, the chronic myelogenous leukemic cell line, K562, displays a high basal MnSOD RNA level, and this RNA expression is not further increased by IL-1 treatment. In addition, these cells are comparatively radioresistant and are not further protected by IL-1 treatment. Finally, the Mo-7 cell line displays a low basal level of MnSOD RNA that correlates with a high sensitivity to irradiation and IL-1 pretreatment has no effect on MnSOD RNA levels. Our results indicate that increased radioprotection by IL-1 correlates with the induction of the antioxidant enzyme MnSOD and this induction may be an important factor in IL-1 radioprotection.


Mandatory surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia in England: the first 10 years.
Since 2001 it has been mandatory for acute hospital Trusts (groups of hospitals under the same management) in England to report all cases of bacteraemia due to Staphylococcus aureus together with information on their susceptibility or resistance to methicillin. This allowed the incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia (expressed as the number of cases per 1000 occupied bed days) to be determined for each Trust. In late 2005, the scheme was enhanced to collect demographic, clinical and epidemiological information on each case using a web-based data collection system. Analysis of this mandatory dataset has provided important information on the trends in MRSA bacteraemia in England and has documented a year-on-year decrease in incidence since 2006, following a government initiative in which Trusts were tasked with halving their MRSA bacteraemia rates over a 3 year period. In addition, the enhanced mandatory surveillance scheme has captured a wealth of data that have helped to further define the epidemiology of MRSA bacteraemia. It is to be hoped that based on the English experience of mandatory surveillance, other countries will consider the implementation of similar schemes, not only for MRSA but for other pathogens of public health importance.


Effect of maternal iron deficiency anaemia on foetal outcome.
One hundred and two pregnant women and their neonates were examined to evaluate the effect of maternal haemoglobin concentration (Hb. conc) and iron deficiency anaemia on the placental weight and the foetal outcome. Haematological and serum ferritin values were determined. It was observed that 34.3% of the pregnant women were anaemic. Maternal Hb conc. and serum ferritin showed a highly significant correlation (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) indicating that iron deficiency was the most important cause of anaemia amongst them. The maternal Hb conc. showed a significant correlation with placental weight (p < 0.05), birth weight (p < 0.01), Apgar score (p < 0.001) and birth asphyxia. Maternal serum ferritin also correlated positively with cord ferritin (p < 0.001). The study did not reveal any association between high Hb and adverse foetal outcome.


Site-resolved energetics in DNA triple helices containing G*TA and T*CG triads.
Recognition of specific sites in double-helical DNA by triplex-forming oligonucleotides has been limited until recently to sites containing homopurine-homopyrimidine sequences. G*TA and T*CG triads, in which TA and CG base pairs are specifically recognized by guanine or by thymine, have now extended this recognition code to DNA target sites of mixed base sequences. In the present work, we have obtained a characterization of the stabilities of G*TA and T*CG triads, and of the effects of these triads upon canonical triads, in triple-helical DNA. The three DNA triplexes investigated are formed by the folding of the 31-mers d(GAAXAGGT(5)CCTYTTCT(5)CTTZTCC) with X = G, T, or C, Y = C, A, or G, and Z = C, G, or T. We have measured the exchange rates of imino protons in each triad of the three triplexes using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The exchange rates are used to map the local free energy of structural stabilization in each triplex. The results indicate that the stability of Watson-Crick base pairs in the G*TA and T*CG triads is comparable to that of Watson-Crick base pairs in canonical triads. The presence of G*TA and T*CG triads, however, destabilizes neighboring canonical triads, two or three positions removed from the G*TA/T*CG site. Moreover, the long-range destabilizing effects induced by the T*CG triad are larger than those induced by the G*TA triad. These findings reveal the molecular basis for the lower overall stability of G*TA- and T*CG-containing triplexes.


Cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanoparticles decrease arsenite (As(III)) cytotoxicity to 16HBE14o- human bronchial epithelial cells.
The production and application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are increasing in demand with the rapid development of nanotechnology. However, there are concerns that some of these novel materials could lead to emerging environmental and health problems. Some NPs are able to facilitate the transport of contaminants into cells/organisms via a "Trojan Horse" effect which enhances the toxicity of the adsorbed materials. In this work, we evaluated the toxicity of arsenite (As(III)) adsorbed onto cerium dioxide (CeO2) NPs to human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o-) using the xCELLigence real time cell analyzing system (RTCA). Application of 0.5 mg/L As(III) resulted in 81.3% reduction of cell index (CI, an RTCA measure of cell toxicity) over 48 h when compared to control cells exposed to medium lacking As(III). However, when the cells were exposed to 0.5 mg/L As(III) in the presence of CeO2 NPs (250 mg/L), the CI was only reduced by 12.9% compared to the control. The CeO2 NPs had a high capacity for As(III) adsorption (20.2 mg/g CeO2) in the bioassay medium, effectively reducing dissolved As(III) in the aqueous solution and resulting in reduced toxicity. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the transport of CeO2 NPs into 16HBE14o- cells. NP uptake via engulfment was observed and the internalized NPs accumulated in vesicles. The results demonstrate that dissolved As(III) in the aqueous solution was the decisive factor controlling As(III) toxicity of 16HBE14o- cells, and that CeO2 NPs effectively reduced available As(III) through adsorption. These data emphasize the evaluation of mixtures when assaying toxicity.


Reversal of dental fluorosis: A clinical study.
This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical reversal of dental fluorosis with various combinations of calcium, vitamin D3, and ascorbic acid, along with changes in levels of certain biochemical parameters concerned with dental fluorosis. The role of fluoride level of drinking water in the etiology of dental fluorosis and the prevalence of dental fluorosis in both dentitions and teeth were also assessed. A total number of 50 patients with clinical features of dental fluorosis without trauma and any adverse habits were selected. Of these, in 30 co-operative patients, estimation of water fluoride level and pretreatment and post-treatment serum and urine fluoride levels were done with ion selective electrode method. The selected 30 patients were divided into three groups, that is, group A, group B, and group C, and were given various combinations of medications like calcium with vitamin D3 supplements, ascorbic acid with vitamin D3 supplements, and chlorhexidine mouthwash (placebo) for three months, respectively. These 30 patients were assessed for any change in the clinical grading of dental fluorosis. No change in clinical grading of dental fluorosis was noted. Considerable reduction in serum and urine fluoride levels was noted in both group A and group B patients. Dental fluorosis was noted in permanent teeth more commonly than deciduous teeth, and permanent maxillary central incisors had the highest prevalence rate. This study comprises only 30 patients with three months of follow-up. So, this sample of patients and duration of follow-up period are conclusive to observe changes in biochemical parameters but not sufficient to observe changes in clinical grading.