Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges in Cerebral Tuberculoma in a Patient with Morbid Obesity.
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis is prevalent, especially in low-income countries. The most devastating manifestation of tuberculosis is central nervous system (CNS) involvement, albeit rare. CASE REPORT We report a rare case of a 26-year-old woman with morbid obesity and hepatitis C who had cerebral tuberculoma and was treated with an extended duration of anti-tuberculosis multi-drug therapy. This patient was initially diagnosed with disseminated tuberculosis of the lungs, liver, and peritoneum. After 4 months of anti-tuberculosis treatment, she developed new right temporal hemianopia and new cerebral tuberculoma, which was identified on repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and was attributed to tuberculosis-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. The anti-tuberculosis treatment was continued; however, she gained large amounts of weight, which resulted in the failure of the anti-tuberculosis treatment of the cerebral tuberculoma. We decided to adjust the anti-tuberculosis drug dosage using her total body weight, and she responded well, with a decrease in size of the cerebral tuberculoma. The anti-tuberculosis treatment was subsequently stopped after 3 years because of clinical and imaging improvement. CONCLUSIONS This case illustrates the challenges faced in the treatment of cerebral tuberculoma, which, in this case, included a high body mass index affecting drug dosage and confounding an inadequate treatment response as seen on interim MRI, resulting in prolonged duration of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Persistent enhancement seen on brain MRI does not equate to treatment failure.


[Study on gene expression changes of arsenic sulfide treated NB4 cells].
To compare the gene expression status of NB4 cells before and after arsenic sulfide treatment by cDNA microarray. Two cDNA probes were made from mRNA of untreated or arsenic sulfide treated NB4 cells. The cells were labelled with Cy3 or Cy5 fluorescence dyes individually, hybridized with cDNA microarray, and scanned for fluorescent intensity. The altered gene expression was screened through the analysis of difference in gene expression profile. Thirty four genes related to apoptosis, cell cycle and others expressed different after the treatment of arsenic sulfide, 28/34 were up-regulated, 6/34 down-regulated. ABC50, PNAS-2 and cyclin G(2) might take part in the process of NB4 cell apoptosis induced by arsenic sulfide.


Establishment of a monoclonal antibody against glycosylated CD271 specific for cancer cells in immunohistochemistry.
Various proteins are highly expressed in cancer (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor); however, the majority are also expressed in normal cells, although they may differ in expression intensity. Recently, we reported that CD271 (nerve growth factor receptor), a glycosylated protein, increases malignant behavior of cancer, particularly stemlike phenotypes in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). CD271 is expressed in SCC and in normal epithelial basal cells. Glycosylation alterations generally occur in cancer cells; therefore, we attempted to establish a cancer-specific anti-glycosylated CD271 antibody. We purified recombinant glycosylated CD271 protein, immunized mice with the protein, and screened hybridomas using an ELISA assay with cancer cell lines. We established a clone G4B1 against CD271 which is glycosylated with O-glycan and sialic acid. The G4B1 antibody reacted with the CD271 protein expressed in esophageal cancer, but not in normal esophageal basal cells. This specificity was confirmed in hypopharyngeal and cervical cancers. G4B1 antibody recognized the fetal esophageal epithelium and Barrett's esophagus, which possess stem cell-like characteristics. In conclusion, G4B1 antibody could be useful for precise identification of dysplasia and cancer cells in SCC.


Induction of secondary metabolite production by UV-C radiation in Vitis vinifera L. Öküzgözü callus cultures.
The aim of the present work was to examine the role of UV-C irradiation on the production of secondary metabolites (total phenolic, total flavanols, total flavonols, catechin, ferulic acid and trans-resveratrol in phenolic compounds and α-, β-, γ- δ-tocopherols) in callus cultures. Studies on the effects of UV-C treatment on callus culture are seldom and generally focused on UV-B. However UV-C radiation play an important role in accumule secondary metabolites. In this study, callus cultures from Öküzgözü grape cultivar were initiated from leaf petiole explants. Calli formed after 6 weeks on the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 benzylaminopurine (BA), 0.5 mg L-1 indole acetic acid (IAA) on B5 media. Callus tissues were exposed to UV-C irradiation at 10, 20 and 30 cm distances from the UV source for 5 and 10 minutes and samples were collected at hours 0, 24 and 48. The greatest total phenolic content (155.14 mg 100 g-1) was detected in calli exposed to UV-C for 5 min from 30 cm distance and sampled after 24 h. 24 h and 48 h incubation times, 30 cm and 5 min were the most appropriate combination of UV-C application in total flavanol content. Maximum total flavonol content (7.12 mg 100 g-1) was obtained on 0 h, 5 min and 20 cm combination. The highest (+)- catechin accumulation (8.89 mg g-1) was found in calli with 10 min UV-C application from 30 cm distance and sampled after 48 h. Ferulic acid content increased 6 fold in Öküzgözü callus cultures (31.37 μg g-1) compared to the control group. The greatest trans-resveratrol content (8.43 μg g-1) was detected in calli exposed to UV-C for 5 min from 30 cm distance and sampled after 24 h. The highest α-tocopherol concentration was found in calli exposed to UV-C for 10 min from 30 cm distance and sampled after 24 h. As a conclusion, it was showed that UV-C radiation had remarkable promoting effects on the accumulation of secondary metabolites in the calli of Öküzgözü grape cultivar.


One-hour upright posture is an ideal position for serum aldosterone concentration and plasma renin activity measuring on primary aldosteronism screening.
The serum aldosterone concentration (SAC) to plasma renin activity (PRA) ratio (ARR) is considered a useful screening test in the differential diagnosis of essential hypertension (EH) and primary aldosteronism (PA). The purpose of this study is to investigate the variation of ARR and compare the screening efficiency of it under different postures.37 patients with PA and 92 patients with EH were recruited in this study. Blood was sampled for measuring SAC and PRA under conditions of overnight recumbency, keeping upright posture for 1 h, 2 h and 4 h. The variation and screening efficiency of ARR under these conditions were compared according to repeated measured ANOVA and ROC curve analysis.In the EH group, ARR measured under recumbency posture was higher than those measured under keeping upright posture for 1 h and 2 h. In the PA group, there is no statistical difference for ARR between any 2 postures. AUCs of ARR measured under 4 conditions were 0.976, 0.995, 0.988, and 0.974 respectively. Cutoff values were ranging from 24.75 ng/dl per ng/ml/h under keeping upright for 2 h to 69.19 ng/dl per ng/ml/h under overnight recumbercy. ARR measured under keeping upright posture for 1 h produced the best characteristic of screening efficiency.Keeping upright posture for 1 h was the ideal position for ARR measuring and using a cutoff value of 35.90 ng/dl per ng/ml/h will have a sensitivity and specificity of 100.00% and 92.30% respectively.


Influence of the physical state of phospholipid monolayers on protein binding.
Langmuir monolayers were used to characterize the influence of the physical state of phospholipid monolayers on the binding of protein Retinis Pigmentosa 2 (RP2). The binding parameters of RP2 (maximum insertion pressure (MIP), synergy and ΔΠ(0)) in monolayers were thus analyzed in the presence of phospholipids bearing increasing fatty acyl chain lengths at temperatures where their liquid-expanded (LE), liquid-condensed (LC), or solid-condensed (SC) states can be individually observed. The data show that a larger value of synergy is observed in the LC/SC states than in the LE state, independent of the fatty acyl chain length of phospholipids. Moreover, both the MIP and the ΔΠ(0) increase with the fatty acyl chain length when phospholipids are in the LC/SC state, whereas those binding parameters remain almost unchanged when phospholipids are in the LE state. This effect of the phospholipid physical state on the binding of RP2 was further demonstrated by measurements performed in the presence of a phospholipid monolayer showing a phase transition from the LE to the LC state at room temperature. The data collected are showing that very similar values of MIP but very different values of synergy and ΔΠ(0) are obtained in the LE (below the phase transition) and LC (above the phase transition) states. In addition, the binding parameters of RP2 in the LE (below the phase transition) as well as in the LC (above the phase transition) states were found to be indistinguishable from those where single LC and LE states are respectively observed. The preference of RP2 for binding phospholipids in the LC state was then confirmed by the observation of a large modification of the shape of the LC domains in the phase transition. Therefore, protein binding parameters can be strongly influenced by the physical state of phospholipid monolayers. Moreover, measurements performed with the α/β domain of RP2 strongly suggest that the β helix of RP2 plays a major role in the preferential binding of this protein to phospholipids in the LC state.


[Anesthesia and perioperative complications of correcting transposition of the great arteries using the Jatene technique].
We present a retrospective morbi-mortality study in 12 patients undergoing Jatene's arterial repair for transposition of the great vessels between 1988 and 1992. Half of the patients were boys ranging in age from 4 days to 35 months. In 34% heart failure was grade III, while in 65.6% it was grade IV (NYHA). Anesthetic induction was with ketamine in 11 patients and with halothane in 1. Maintenance was with pancuronium and fentanyl supplemented with N2O in 2 and with isoflurane in 1. The overall intra- and perioperative death rate was 16.6%. Nine cases have undergone surgical repair since 1988 with no mortality. We conclude that Jatene's technique is the best alternative for repair of transposition of the great vessels when there is no hypoplasia of the right cavity.


Short-term functional versus patient-reported outcome of the bicruciate stabilized total knee arthroplasty: prospective consecutive case series.
The main goals of the standard treatment for advanced symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, total knee arthroplasty (TKA), are pain reduction and restoration of knee motion.The aim of this study was to analyse the outcome of the patient-based Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and the surgeon-based Knee Society Score (KSS) and its Knee Score (KS) and Knee Functional Score (KFS) components after (TKA) using the Journey knee prosthesis, and to assess the correlation of these scores with range of motion (ROM). In a prospective case series study between August 1st 2008 and May 31st 2011, 99 patients, all operated by a single surgeon, received Journey bicruciate stabilized total knee prostheses. The female/male ratio was 53/34, the mean patient age at surgery was 68 years (range 41-83 years), and the left/right knee ratio was 55/44. The KOOS, range of motion, and KS and KFS were obtained preoperatively and at 1-year follow-up. The pre- and postoperative levels of the outcome measures were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Correlation between ROM and patient outcomes was analysed with the Spearman coefficient. All KOOS subscores improved significantly. Ninety percent of patients improved by at least the minimum clinically relevant difference of 10 points in stiffness and other symptoms, 94.5% in pain, 94.5% in activities of daily living, 84.9% in sports and recreation, and 90% in knee-related quality of life. The mean passive and active ROM improved from 122.4° (range 90-145°) and 120.4° (range 80-145°) preoperatively to 129.4° (range 90-145°) and 127.1° (range 100-145°) postoperatively. The highest correlation coefficients for ROM and KOOS were observed for the activity and pain subscores. Very low or no correlation was seen for the sport subscore.There was a significant and clinically relevant improvement of KSS (preop/postop 112.2/174.5 points), and its KS (preop/postop 45.6/86.8 points) and KFS (preop/postop 66.6/87.8 points) components. The Journey bicruciate stabilized knee prosthesis showed good 1-year postoperative results in terms of both functional and patient-based outcome. However, higher knee ROM correlates only moderately with patient-based outcome, implying that functionality afforded by the Journey bicruciate TKA is not equivalent to patient satisfaction.


Anemia as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in diabetes: the impact of chronic kidney disease.
Anemia is a potential nontraditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study evaluated whether anemia is a risk factor for adverse outcomes in people with diabetes and whether the risk is modified by the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Persons with diabetes from four community-based studies were pooled: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Heart Study, and Framingham Offspring Study. Anemia was defined as a hematocrit <36% in women and <39% in men. CKD was defined as an estimated GFR of 15 to 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Study outcomes included a composite of myocardial infarction (MI)/fatal coronary heart disease (CHD)/stroke/death and each outcome separately. Cox regression analysis was used to study the effect of anemia on the risk for outcomes after adjustment for potential confounders. The study population included 3015 individuals: 30.4% were black, 51.6% were women, 8.1% had anemia, and 13.8% had CKD. Median follow-up was 8.6 yr. There were 1215 composite events, 600 MI/fatal CHD outcomes, 300 strokes, and 857 deaths. In a model with a CKD-anemia interaction term, anemia was associated with the following hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) in patients with CKD: 1.70 (1.24 to 2.34) for the composite outcome, 1.64 (1.03 to 2.61) for MI/fatal CHD, 1.81 (0.99 to 3.29) for stroke, and 1.88 (1.33 to 2.66) for all-cause mortality. Anemia was not a risk factor for any outcome in those without CKD (P > 0.2 for all outcomes). In persons with diabetes, anemia is primarily a risk factor for adverse outcomes in those who also have CKD.


Formation of cytoplasm-containing vesicles from double-walled coated invaginations containing oligodendrocytic cytoplasm at the axon-myelin sheath interface in adult mammalian central nervous system.
Double-walled coated invaginations ( DWCIs ) of the axolemma, containing oligodendroglial cytoplasm and presumably giving rise to double-walled coated vesicles ( DWCVs ), are observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of adult monkey and mouse. By means of serial sections, DWCIs are clearly distinguishable from the also observable adaxonal invaginations of oligodendroglial cytoplasm. DWCIs range in diameter from 60 to 190 nm with a circular or oval cross section. Their incidence in different regions of the CNS has been determined and evidence is adduced that DWCIs occur randomly along the axolemma.


Impact of prostate biopsy tumor amount on imaging based prognostics employing transductive semi-supervised regression.
For newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients with a positive biopsy, there are a variety of treatment options to consider. To aid physicians and patients in their decision making, a variety of predictive assays have emerged within the last decade, many of them imaging based. These assays build predictive models for survival analysis to provide personalized risk assessments for the patients. However, there have rarely been any published studies on how the amount of tumor in the positive prostate biopsy affects the predictive power of these imaging based assays. Recently we have proposed a new algorithmic framework for survival analysis employing semi-supervised transductive regression. This approach has improved the predictive power of biopsy based prostate cancer prognostic models. In this paper, we explore how different amounts of tumor in the prostate biopsy affect the accuracy of imaging based prognostic models employing this framework. We show that the framework improves accuracy even with diminishing amounts of tumor, thereby enabling more accurate treatment decisions.


Revealing the Adsorption Behavior of Nitrogen Reduction Reaction on Strained Ti2 CO2 by a Spin-Polarized d-band Center Model.
Electrocatalytic reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia has attracted significant research interest. Herein, it reports the boosting performance of electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction on Ti2 CO2 MXene with an oxygen vacancy through biaxial tensile strain engineering. Specifically, tensile strain modified electronic structures and formation energy of oxygen vacancy are evaluated. The exposed Ti atoms with additional electron states near the Fermi level serve as active site for intermediate adsorption, leading to superior catalytic performance (Ulimit = -0.44 V) under 2.5% biaxial tensile strain through a distal mechanism. However, the two sides of the "Sabatier optimum" in volcano plot are not limited by two different electronic steps, but are induced by the diverse adsorption behaviors of intermediates. Crucially, the "Sabatier optimum" results from the different response speeds of the adsorption energy for *N2 and *NNH to strains. Moreover, the authors observe conventional d-band adsorption for *N2 and *NNH, non-linear adsorption for *NNH2 , and abnormal d-band adsorption for *N, *NH, *NH2 , and *NH3 , which can be explained by the competition between attractive orbital hybridization and repulsive orbital orthogonalization with the spin-polarized d-band model, which further clarifies the contributions of 3σ → dz2 and dxz /dyz → 2π* to the overall population of bonding and anti-bonding states.


[Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in retina of rats in acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis].
To investigate the effects of glial fibrillary acidic protein on blood-retinal barrier of rats in acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). On the 8 day the 14 day and the 21 day after rats EAE model were developed, the function of BRB was observed by injected with Evans blue intravenously and the expression of GFAP was detected by immunohistochemistry. At various time points, the amount of BRB leaked into retina was obvious lower in the control group than those in EAE group (P < 0.01); GFAP immunoreactivity was limited to ganglion cell layer and nerve fiber layer in the control retina; In EAE group, GFAP immunoreactivity was significantly increased in ganglion cell layer and nerve fiber layer, and a little GFAP immunoreactivity was found in inner plexiform layer on post-immune (p.i.) day 8; On p.i. day 14, GFAP immunoreactivity was espressed either in ganglion cell layer and nerve fiber layer or in inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer, moreover transfixed in inner nuclear layer and outer nuclear layer; On p.i. day 21, GFAP immunoreactivity was limited to ganglion cell layer, nerve fiber layer, inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer. Acute EAE cause the rat's BRB damage that is possibly related to the activation of astrocyte.


Structural modulation of gut microbiota during alleviation of type 2 diabetes with a Chinese herbal formula.
The gut microbiota is hypothesized to have a critical role in metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). A traditional Chinese herbal formula, Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), can alleviate T2D. To find out whether GQD modulates the composition of the gut microbiota during T2D treatment, 187 T2D patients were randomly allocated to receive high (HD, n=44), moderate (MD, n=52), low dose GQD (LD, n=50) or the placebo (n=41) for 12 weeks in a double-blinded trial. Patients who received the HD or MD demonstrated significant reductions in adjusted mean changes from baseline of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) compared with the placebo and LD groups. Pyrosequencing of the V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes revealed a dose-dependent deviation of gut microbiota in response to GQD treatment. This deviation occurred before significant improvement of T2D symptoms was observed. Redundancy analysis identified 47 GQD-enriched species level phylotypes, 17 of which were negatively correlated with FBG and 9 with HbA1c. Real-time quantitative PCR confirmed that GQD significantly enriched Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which was negatively correlated with FBG, HbA1c and 2-h postprandial blood glucose levels and positively correlated with homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function. Therefore, these data indicate that structural changes of gut microbiota are induced by Chinese herbal formula GQD. Specifically, GQD treatment may enrich the amounts of beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium spp. In conclusion, changes in the gut microbiota are associated with the anti-diabetic effects of GQD.


An 8-year longitudinal study of long-term, continuous users of electronic cigarettes.
E-cigarettes have been available for over 15 years, but relatively little is known about long-term users. Our aim was to describe change over time in behaviours, attitudes and dependence in long-term users. A longitudinal study of 375 e-cigarette users enrolled on the Internet in 2012-2016 and surveyed again in 2021 (8 years later on average), who continuously used e-cigarettes in the interval. Fewer people in 2021 (11 %) than at baseline (33 %) had smoked tobacco in the past 31 days. Participants switched from second-generation models at baseline (e.g. Ego) to box mods in 2021 (e.g. iStick), they used larger refill bottles, they used home-made e-liquids twice as often, they used tobacco flavours less often and the nicotine concentration in e-liquids decreased from 12 to 6 mg/mL. There was no change over time in the time to the first e-cigarette puff of the day, but an e-cigarette dependence score of 0-100 decreased from 75 to 60, the frequency and strength of urges to vape decreased (from 31 % to 18 % of "strong" urges) and the proportion of people who said they would be likely to succeed if they tried to stop vaping increased. Compared to baseline, fewer people in 2021 reported vaping to cope with cravings or other smoking cessation symptoms, and fewer people reported vaping to quit smoking, to avoid relapse into smoking, or to reduce their tobacco consumption (p < 0.001 for all differences). In long-term, continuous users, over a period of 8 years, substantial changes were observed in the models of e-cigarettes used, in the flavours and strength of e-liquids, and in the reasons for vaping. Their level of nicotine dependence tended to decrease over time. These users were satisfied with e-cigarettes and vaped mostly because they felt that vaping was less dangerous than smoking, and for enjoyment.


[Autoantibodies associated with vasculitis].
A variety of autoantibodies have been associated with vasculitis, including that to neutrophils or to endothelial cells. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been described as sensitive and specific markers for active Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). ANCA in WG produces a characteristic cytoplasmic staining pattern (cANCA) and are directed against proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA). PR3-ANCA occur in more than 90% of patients with extended WG, in 75% of patients with limited WG without renal involvement and in some 40% to 50% of patients with vasculitic overlap syndrome such as microscopic polyarteritis. Change in levels of cANCA precede disease activity and may be used as guidelines for treatment. Antibodies producing a perinuclear staining of ethanol-fixed neutrophils (pANCA) occur in a wide range of disease. They are directed against different cytoplasmic constituents of neutrophils. Among these, antibodies to myeloperoxidase (MPO-ANCA) are found in patients with idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis, the Churg-Strauss syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa and vasculitic overlap syndromes. Anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) have been described in various autoimmune (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis) and vasculitic disorders (WG, polyarteritis nodosa, Kawasaki syndrome). They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular injury common to these disorders.


pH changes in Immobiline gels due to low-molecular mass ion adsorption and conditions for salt front formation during electrophoretic desorption.
A simple theoretical model of low molecular mass ion adsorption on a weak exchanger is proposed. For a system containing immobilized charges in uniform concentration the pH change values connected with neutral salt addition and followed by further washing and voltage application are evaluated. The question of stability of the moving boundary, arising in the area near the electrodes, is considered for the constant current stabilization at different values of Immobiline concentration, pK values of Immoboline and salt concentration. The threshold values of ion mobility capable of providing a sharp salt front formation are also evaluated for conditions of strong adsorption. We found that, with extremely acidic Immobilines, a sharp salt front does not arise under the latter condition, even in the case of very high Immobiline concentrations.


PATTERN AND OUTCOME OF TETANUS IN A TERTIARY HEALTH FACILITY IN NORTH WEST NIGERIA.
Tetanus, a disease that is largely preventable, is still a major public health problem in the developing world and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of published literature on adult (non-neonatal) tetanus in this study area in Nigeria. This was a study describing the clinical characteristics of patients who were clinically diagnosed with tetanus in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria, northwest of Nigeria between January 2001 and December 2014. A total of 91 cases were reviewed. The mean patient age was 20 years, and male to female ratio 2.9:1. The majority (88%) of patients were < 40 years old. The mean onset period was 19 days, nearly all patients (96.7%) had generalized tetanus, and the commonest presenting signs were spasm (93.4%) and trimus (78.0%). The most common site of injury was lower limbs (64.8% of cases). The complication rate was 71.4% and case fatality was 48.4%. Tetanus is still a major public health problem in our setting and affects the younger age group with a high case fatality rate. The incidence of tetanus can be reduced drastically by an effective and sustained immunization program.


Related Structure Characters and Stability of Structural Defects in a Metallic Glass.
Structural defects were investigated by a recently proposed structural parameter, quasi-nearest atom (QNA), in a modeled Zr50Cu50 metallic glass through molecular dynamics simulations. More QNAs around an atom usually means that more defects are located near the atom. Structural analysis reveals that the spatial distribution of the numbers of QNAs displays to be clearly heterogeneous. Furthermore, QNA is closely correlated with cluster connections, especially four-atom cluster connections. Atoms with larger coordination numbers usually have less QNAs. When two atoms have the same coordination number, the atom with larger five-fold symmetry has less QNAs. The number of QNAs around an atom changes rather frequently and the change of QNAs might be correlated with the fast relaxation metallic glasses.


Groningen prosthesis for voice rehabilitation after laryngectomy.
Singer and Blom's endoscopic technique, using a single valved silicone prosthesis, constituted a dramatic advance in speech rehabilitation following total laryngectomy. Since 1980, we have developed a silicone biflanged prosthesis that overcomes some of the inconveniences of previous prostheses. Insertion via the mouth and the oesophagus, or as a primary procedure during total laryngectomy is easily done with the use of specially developed instruments. The success rate in 36 patients in which the voice button was inserted at the time of total laryngectomy was 86.2%.


Right ventricle free wall mechanics in metabolic syndrome without type-2 diabetes: effects of a 3-month lifestyle intervention program.
Growing evidence demonstrates subtle left ventricular myocardial dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), with central obesity, glucose intolerance and inflammation emerging as important contributors. Whether these results can be translated to the right ventricle (RV) is not yet fully elucidated. Furthermore, although lifestyle intervention favorably impacts MetS components and inflammatory biomarkers, its effect on RV myocardial function remains unknown today. Thirty-nine MetS adults free of diabetes were enrolled in a three month lifestyle intervention program including diet and physical exercise, and compared with forty healthy controls. Blood biochemistry, echocardiography including tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and vector velocity imaging of the RV free wall to assess global longitudinal strain (GLS) and strain rates (SR) were obtained at baseline and after the intervention. Compared with controls, MetS patients presented similar right atrial and RV morphology but reduced systolic (P = 0.04) and early diastolic (P = 0.02) velocities of the tricuspid annulus. They showed attenuated RV GLS (-21.4 ± 4.5 vs -25.7 ± 4.9%, P < 0.001) as well as early diastolic (P = 0.003) and systolic (P < 0.001) SR. Multiple regression analyses revealed log PAI-1 active, (P < 0.001), log adiponectin, (P = 0.01), LV mass indexed (P = 0.004) and central fat (P = 0.03) as independent predictors of RV GLS (R2 = 0.46, P < 0.001). Biological markers of MetS and inflammation as well as RV GLS (-21.8 ± 3.8 vs -24.3 ± 3.0%, P = 0.009) and systolic (P = 0.003) and early diastolic (P = 0.01) SR, but not TDI indexes, significantly improved after diet and exercise training, and vector velocity imaging data in MetS following the lifestyle intervention no longer differed from controls. MetS is associated with subtle impairments in both RV free wall diastolic and systolic myocardial function which could be partly related to central-obesity induced changes in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and left ventricular remodeling. The favorable impact of healthy dieting and physical activity on RV free wall mechanics indicates that cellular and sub-cellular alterations responsible for the RV myocardial abnormalities are probably not permanent and modifiable throughout adequate interventional strategies. American National Institutes of Health database NCT00917917.


Modulatory effects of Echinacea purpurea extracts on human dendritic cells: a cell- and gene-based study.
Echinacea spp. are popularly used as an herbal medicine or food supplement for enhancing the immune system. This study shows that plant extracts from root [R] and stem plus leaf [S+L] tissues of E. purpurea exhibit opposite (enhancing vs inhibitory) modulatory effects on the expression of the CD83 marker in human dendritic cells (DCs), which are known as professional antigen-presenting cells. We developed a function-targeted DNA microarray system to characterize the effects of phytocompounds on human DCs. Down-regulation of mRNA expression of specific chemokines (e.g., CCL3 and CCL8) and their receptors (e.g., CCR1 and CCR9) was observed in [S+L]-treated DCs. Other chemokines and regulatory molecules (e.g., CCL4 and CCL2) involved in the c-Jun pathway were found to be up-regulated in [R]-treated DCs. This study, for the first time, demonstrates that E. purpurea extracts can modulate DC differentiation and expression of specific immune-related genes in DCs.


Neuronal glucose metabolism is impaired while astrocytic TCA cycling is unaffected at symptomatic stages in the hSOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Although alterations in energy metabolism are known in ALS, the specific mechanisms leading to energy deficit are not understood. We measured metabolite levels derived from injected [1-13C]glucose and [1,2-13C]acetate (i.p.) in cerebral cortex and spinal cord extracts of wild type and hSOD1G93A mice at onset and mid disease stages using high-pressure liquid chromatography, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Levels of spinal and cortical CNS total lactate, [3-13C]lactate, total alanine and [3-13C]alanine, but not cortical glucose and [1-13C]glucose, were reduced mostly at mid stage indicating impaired glycolysis. The [1-13C]glucose-derived [4-13C]glutamate, [4-13C]glutamine and [2-13C]GABA amounts were diminished at mid stage in cortex and both time points in spinal cord, suggesting decreased [3-13C]pyruvate entry into the TCA cycle. Lack of changes in [1,2-13C]acetate-derived [4,5-13C]glutamate, [4,5-13C]glutamine and [1,2-13C]GABA levels indicate unchanged astrocytic 13C-acetate metabolism. Reduced levels of leucine, isoleucine and valine in CNS suggest compensatory breakdown to refill TCA cycle intermediate levels. Unlabelled, [2-13C] and [4-13C]GABA concentrations were decreased in spinal cord indicating that impaired glucose metabolism contributes to hyperexcitability and supporting the use of treatments which increase GABA amounts. In conclusion, CNS glucose metabolism is compromised, while astrocytic TCA cycling appears to be normal in the hSOD1G93A mouse model at symptomatic disease stages.


Janus kinase inhibition by ruxolitinib extends dasatinib- and dexamethasone-induced remissions in a mouse model of Ph+ ALL.
Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) is initiated and driven by the oncogenic fusion protein BCR-ABL, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase. Despite major advances in the treatment of this highly aggressive disease with potent inhibitors of the BCR-ABL kinase such as dasatinib, patients in remission frequently relapse due to persistent minimal residual disease possibly supported, at least in part, by salutary cytokine-driven signaling within the hematopoietic microenvironment. Using a mouse model of Ph+ ALL that accurately mimics the genetics, clinical behavior, and therapeutic response of the human disease, we show that a combination of 2 agents approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (dasatinib and ruxolitinib, which inhibit BCR-ABL and Janus kinases, respectively), significantly extends survival by targeting parallel signaling pathways. Although the BCR-ABL kinase cancels the cytokine requirement of immature leukemic B cells, dasatinib therapy restores cytokine dependency and sensitizes leukemic cells to ruxolitinib. As predicted, ruxolitinib alone had no significant antileukemic effect in this model, but it prevented relapse when administered with dasatinib. The combination of dasatinib, ruxolitinib, and the corticosteroid dexamethasone yielded more durable remissions, in some cases after completion of therapy, avoiding the potential toxicity of other cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents.


Total IgE Distribution in Food Allergy Suspected Patients in Republic of Macedonia (2001-2011).
IgE may be considered the hallmark of allergic disorders. It is easily detected in serum and can be measured as total IgE and as allergen-specific IgE. In fact, the serum IgE assay is used to diagnose an allergy. The aim of this study is to evaluate, investigate and present the distribution of total serum IgE levels, determined with UniCap system, in food-allergy suspected patients in a Republic of Macedonia. In this study we analyzed retrospectively 8898 consecutive patients that were admitted for allergy testing at the Institute of Immunobiology and Human Genetics during the ten year period between 01.01.2001 and 01.01.2011. Total IgE levels in patient sera were detected with the in vitro system UniCAP100 (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden). When we analyzed the number of patients according to the total IgE groups, we noted that most of the patients have normal levels of total IgE in serum. However, we also discovered a group of patients with elevated levels of total IgE that are greater than 200 kU/L. The average concentration of total serum IgE is higher in women in the age group 6 (6-7 years), followed by a steep decrease in the age group 9 (9-10 years), and after that the average concentrations of total IgE were mostly constant with the exception of a partial increase in the age group 21 (65-69 years). For men, the average serum concentrations of total IgE were highest in the age group of 6 (6-7 years), which was significantly higher than the average concentrations of total IgE in all other age groups. The large number of enrolled patients, a particular strength of this study, revealed that average concentrations of total IgE in men are higher than in women and that total IgE did not decrease with age. On the contrary, increased total IgE levels were found in patients aged 65 and 69 of both genders. We continue our work with analyses of the specific IgE antibodies values toward food and the correlation with total IgE values.


Cold denaturation of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase: kinetics of changes in secondary structure and compactness on unfolding and refolding.
Under mildly destabilizing conditions (0.7 M GuHCl), phosphoglycerate kinase from yeast undergoes a reversible two-step equilibrium unfolding transition when the temperature is lowered from 30 to 1 degree C (Griko, Y. V., Venyaminov, S. Y., & Privalov, P. L. (1989) FEBS Lett. 244, 276-278). The kinetics of the changes in compactness and secondary structure have been studied by means of dynamic light scattering and far-UV circular dichroism, respectively. It turned out that unfolding and refolding after an appropriate temperature jump (T-jump) was performed proceeded in substantially different ways. After a T-jump from 30 to 1 degree C, a multiphasic unfolding behavior was observed, reflecting the independent unfolding of the N-terminal and C-terminal domains with time constants of about 7 and 45 min, respectively. A remarkable feature of the unfolding process is the simultaneous change of compactness and secondary structure. Refolding after a T-jump from 1 degree C to higher temperatures occurs in two stages. At the first stage an appreciable amount of secondary structure is formed rapidly within the dead time of the T-jump, while the overall dimensions of the polypeptide chain remain essentially unchanged. Thus, an extended folding intermediate is formed at an early stage of folding. Further information of secondary structure proceeds slowly within a time range of minutes in parallel with the increase of compactness. At 30 degrees C, both domains refold simultaneously, while at 15 degrees C, independent folding can be observed. These findings are discussed with respect to predictions of existing models of folding.


Development of a braille training device.
This article discusses the development of a system to more easily train both sighted and blind individuals the braille code. The system consists of a braille cell touchpad, a computer, a screen reading program, a voice synthesizer, and software to drive each of these components. The system runs with minimal user input and can be customized to meet user needs.


Human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncoprotein associates with E2F6.
The papillomavirus life cycle is intimately coupled to the differentiation state of the infected epithelium. Since papillomaviruses lack most of the rate-limiting enzymes required for genome synthesis, they need to uncouple keratinocyte differentiation from cell cycle arrest and maintain or reestablish a replication-competent state within terminally differentiated keratinocytes. The human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 protein appears to be a major determinant for this activity and induces aberrant S-phase entry through the inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor and related pocket proteins. In addition, E7 can abrogate p21 and p27. Together, this leads to the activation of E2F1 to E2F5, enhanced expression of E2F-responsive genes, and increased cdk2 activity. E2F6 is a pRB-independent, noncanonical member of the E2F transcription factor family that acts as a transcriptional repressor. E2F6 expression is activated in S phase through an E2F-dependent mechanism and thus may provide a negative-feedback mechanism that slows down S-phase progression and/or exit in response to the activation of the other E2F transcription factors. Here, we show that low- and high-risk HPV E7 proteins, as well as simian virus 40 T antigen and adenovirus E1A, can associate with and inactivate the transcriptional repression activity of E2F6, thereby subverting a critical cellular defense mechanism. This may result in the extended S-phase competence of HPV-infected cells. E2F6 is a component of polycomb group complexes, which bind to silenced chromatin and are critical for the maintenance of cell fate. We show that E7-expressing cells show decreased staining for E2F6/polycomb complexes and that this is at least in part dependent on the association with E2F6.


Adverse COVID-19 experiences and health-related quality of life in cancer survivors: indirect effects of COVID-19-related depression and financial burden.
Cancer survivors are at greater risk for poor health outcomes due to COVID-19. However, the pandemic's impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well known. This study hypothesized that cancer survivors' adverse COVID-19 experiences would be associated with worse HRQoL. Further, this association would be moderated by psychosocial resiliency factors (perceived social support, benefits, and ability to manage stress) and mediated by psychosocial risk factors (anxiety, depression; health, financial and social concerns). 1,043 cancer survivors receiving care at Northwestern Medicine completed a cross-sectional survey on COVID-19 practical and psychosocial concerns from 6/2021 to 3/2022. Participants reported on 21 adverse COVID-19 experiences (e.g., COVID-19 hospitalization, death of family/friends, loss of income, medical delays). The survey assessed 9 psychosocial factors related to COVID-19: anxiety, depression; health care, financial, and social disruptions; health care satisfaction; social support, perceived benefits, and stress management skills. The FACT-G7 assessed HRQoL. Hypotheses were tested in a structural equation model. The number of reported adverse COVID-19 experiences was the primary (observed) independent variable. The dependent variable of HRQoL, and the proposed mediating and moderating factors, were entered as latent variables indicated by their respective survey items. Latent interaction terms between the independent variable and each resiliency factor tested moderation effects. Analyses were adjusted for demographic and COVID-specific variables. Participants were, on average, aged 58 years and diagnosed with cancer 4.9 years prior. They were majority female (73.3%), White (89.6%), non-Hispanic/Latino (94.5%), college-educated (81.7%), and vaccinated for COVID-19 (95.5%). An average of 3.8 adverse COVID-19 experiences were reported. Results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that the association between adverse COVID-19 experiences and HRQoL was explained by indirect effects through COVID-19-related depression (β = - 0.10, percentile bootstrap 95% CI - 0.15 to - 0.07) and financial concerns (β = - 0.04, percentile bootstrap 95% CI - 0.07 to - 0.01). Hypotheses testing moderation by resiliency factors were not significant. Adverse COVID-19 experiences were associated with higher depression symptoms and financial concerns about COVID-19, and in turn, worse HRQoL. Oncology clinics should be cognizant of the experience of adverse COVID-19 events when allocating depression and financial support resources.


Enzymatic debridement of deeply burned faces: Healing and early scarring based on tissue preservation compared to traditional surgical debridement.
Facial burns occur frequently and depending on the injured skin layers often heal with scars which may cause permanent functional and cosmetic sequelae. Preservation of the sensitive facial skin layers, especially of the dermis is essential for scarless epithelialisation. Enzymatic debridement of deep thermal burns has already been shown to assist with preserving viable dermis. However, up to date, there are no published reports on wound healing and in the long term aesthetic outcome after enzymatic debridement of facial burns. Therefore we performed a-single centre clinical trial that included 26 subjects aged 18-78 years with facial burns clinically evaluated as deep dermal or deeper. Burns were treated either with enzymatic debridement or excisional surgical debridement. Then we compared both groups regarding debridement selectivity, wound closure and scar quality after more than 12 months. Enzymatic debridement significantly reduced time to complete wound closure after admission (19.85 days versus 42.23 days, p=0.002), and after enzymatic eschar removal (18.92 days versus 35.62 days, p=0.042). The number of procedures to complete debridement were significantly lower in the enzymatic debridement group (1.00 versus 1.77, p=0.003). 77% of facial burns that had been debrided enzymatically were found to be more superficially burned than initially estimated. Wounds undergoing autografting of any size were significantly reduced by enzymatic debridement (15% versus 77%, p=0.002). Scar quality after enzymatic debridement was superior compared to surgical debridement after 12 months regarding pigmentation (p=0.016), thickness (p=0.16), relief (p=0.10), pliability (p=0.01), surface area (p=0.004), stiffness (p=0.023), thickness (0.011) and scar irregularity (p=0.011). Regarding erythema and melanin, viscoelasticity and pliability, trans-epidermal water loss or laser tissue oxygen saturation, haemoglobin level and microcirculation we found no significant differences for treated and untreated skin in the EDNX group. In our current study we found Bromelain based enzymatic debridement better in some aspects of tissue preservation in deep dermal facial burn.


The Role of Endothelial Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Pregnancy-Related Pathological Conditions: A Review.
In the recent decades, endothelial dysfunction (ED) has been recognized as a significant contributing factor in the pathogenesis of many pathological conditions. In interaction with atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension, ED plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, chronic renal disease, and microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus. Although ED plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of several pregnancy-related disorders such as preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, fetal growth restriction, and gestational diabetes mellitus, the exact pathogenetic mechanisms are still a matter of debate. The increased prevalence of these entities in patients with preexisting vascular diseases highlights the essential pathological role of the preexisting ED in these patients. The abnormal uteroplacental circulation and the release of soluble factors from the ischemic placenta into the maternal bloodstream are the main causes of the maternal ED underlying the characteristic preeclamptic phenotype. Besides the increased risk for maternal and fetal poor outcomes, the preexisting ED also increases the risk of development of future cardiovascular diseases in these patients. This study aimed to look deeper into the role of ED in the pathogenesis of several pregnancy-related hypertensive and liver diseases. Hopefully, it could contribute to improvement of the awareness, knowledge, and management of these conditions and also to the reduction of the adverse outcomes and additional long-term cardiovascular complications.


Thoracotomy for metastatic malignant melanoma of the lung.
The outcome of 29 patients who underwent lung resection for treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma from January 1976 to November 1988 was studied. Twenty-two patients underwent total resection for cure of all apparent metastatic disease, whereas seven patients did not undergo total resection. Of the 22 patients who underwent curative resection, the median survival was 11 months, with a 2-year survival of 13.6% and a 5-year survival of 4.5%. Four patients who underwent curative resection are currently alive and free of disease, with one patient surviving more than 10 years. The patients who underwent palliative resection had a median survival of 5 months, only one patient living longer than 10 months. The difference in survival of the patients who underwent curative resection compared with palliative resection was statistically significant. The thickness of the primary cutaneous malignant melanoma, the presence of regional lymph node metastases, the disease-free interval from primary diagnosis to metastatic pulmonary disease, and whether one or two metastatic nodules were removed during curative lung resection were not statistically significant in altering survival. These results demonstrate that although prolonged survival for metastatic melanoma is rare, lung resection in selected patients may be associated with long-term survival.


The value of perioperative physical activity in older patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
With a median age at diagnosis of 70, lung cancer represents an enormous public health problem among older Americans. An estimated 19,000 people age 65 and older undergo lung cancer surgery annually in the US. Older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery are often frail with limited physiologic reserves, multi-morbidities, and functional impairments. Physical function, dyspnea, and quality of life return to baseline slower in older adults compared with younger adults after lung surgery. In this review, we summarize available data about perioperative physical activity interventions that may improve outcomes for older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery. We also review the limitations of existing studies and discuss emerging data on the roles of telehealth and family caregiver inclusion in peri-operative physical activity interventions. We propose that future perioperative physical activity interventions in older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery should include a comprehensive geriatric assessment to guide personalized interventions. Interventions should be conceptually based, with a focus on enhancing self-efficacy, motivation, and adherence through classic behavior change strategies that are proven to impact outcomes. Finally, interventions should be designed with attention to feasibility and scalability. Exercise programs delivered via telehealth (telephone or tele-video) may improve access and convenience for patients.


Comparative proteomic analysis of the insulin-induced L6 myotube secretome.
Emerging evidence has revealed an endocrine function for skeletal muscle; in fact, certain anti-inflammatory cytokines are secreted only from contractile skeletal muscle. However, the skeletal muscle secretome as a whole is poorly characterized, as is how it changes in response to extracellular stimuli. Herein, we sought to identify and characterize the members of the skeletal muscle secretome, and to determine which protein secretion levels were modulated in response to insulin stimulation. To conduct these studies, we treated differentiated L6 rat skeletal muscle cells with insulin or left them untreated, and we comparatively analyzed the proteins secreted into the media. We fractionated this conditioned media using offline RP HPLC, digested the fractionated proteins, and analyzed the resulting peptides with LC-ESI-MS/MS. We identified a total of 254 proteins, and by using three different filtering methods, we identified 153 of these as secretory proteins. Fourteen proteins were secreted at higher levels under insulin stimulation, including several proteins known to be highly secreted in metabolic diseases; 19 proteins were secreted at lower levels under insulin stimulation. These result not only pinpointed several previously unknown, insulin induced, secretory proteins of skeletal muscle, it also described a novel approach for conditioned secretome analysis.


Chiral Transient Ligand Enabled Enantioselective Synthesis of Atropisomers Decorated with Unactivated Olefins via a Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Olefination.
Herein, atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral biaryls with unactivated olefins by a palladium-catalyzed C-H olefination using a chiral transient directing group strategy has been disclosed. This protocol is well compatible with a variety of biaryl-2-aldehydes as well as various olefins such as allyl sulfonamides and allyl sulfones to provide the atroposelective olefinated products in synthetically useful yields with excellent enantioselectivities up to >99% ee. In addition, a wide number of axially chiral biaryl alcohols were synthesized by the simple diversification of the products in excellent enantioselectivity.


Safety and efficacy of human breast milk Lactobacillus fermentum CECT 5716. A mini-review of studies with infant formulae.
Human breast milk has been described as a source of lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 is a human breast milk strain whose probiotic properties, safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, including controlled trials with human adults. Since the origin of this probiotic strain is human breast milk, we aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of an infant and a follow-on formulas supplemented with this strain of L. fermentum. We carried out two randomised controlled trials: one trial with infants of 6-12 months of age (follow-on formula study) and another one with infants from 1 to 5 months of age (infant formula study). The results from the trials showed that the probiotic formulas were safe, well tolerated and might be useful for the prevention of community-acquired infections.


Effects of daunomycin and its macromolecular analog daunophilin on the proliferation of mammalian cells.
Effects of daunomycin and daunomycin bound to an HPMA copolymer (daunophilin) on the proliferation of mammalian cells cultivated in vitro were compared. One line of non-tumor cells (LEP human cells) and two tumor cell lines (human HeLa cells and C6 rat cells) were used. It was found that both daunomycin and daunophilin had an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of the three cell lines and that the effect was irreversible. Daunophilin had to be used in concentrations by two orders of magnitude higher (> 1 micrograms/ml) than daunomycin (> 0.01 micrograms/ml) to produce comparable effect on cell growth.


[The effect of selective decontamination on malignant hematologic diseases treated with aggressive chemotherapy].
The authors analyzed the course of 100 cycles of chemotherapy administered on account of haematological oncological disease: 66 cycles with administration of selective decontamination and 34 without its administration. Based on an analysis of the gut flora they provided evidence of the necessity of concurrent administration of originally separately administered antibiotics and of the necessity to replace nystatin by amphotericin B. They found a significant reduction of the incidence of infectious complications, the number of days with a body temperature above 38 and reduced consumption of antibiotics. The authors found a different composition of the agents causing infectious complications--a reduction of the ratio of Gram-negative agents and an increase of Gram-positive agents and fungi and also in increased percentage of fever of unknown origin. By analysis of the sensitivity of the detected microbes to antibiotics the authors assessed changes in the resistance caused by administration of selective decontamination and assessed the order of assumed effectiveness of the tested antibiotics.


Sodicity stress differently influences physiological traits and anti-oxidant enzymes in pear and peach cultivars.
The growth and physiological responses to sodicity stress of pear and peach are poorly understood. Insights into how sodicity stress alters tree physiology remain vital to developing salt tolerant scion and rootstock cultivars. The effects of sodicity stress (soil pHs ~8.8) on tree growth and physiological traits of field grown trees of pear cultivars Punjab Beauty and Patharnakh, and peach cultivars Partap and Shan-e-Punjab were recorded using standard procedures. Sodicity-induced changes in oxidative stressors, proline, anti-oxidant enzymes and leaf ions were measured to draw inferences. Sodicity-induced reductions in vegetative growth were particularly marked in Patharnakh pear and Partap peach compared with other cultivars. Although sodicity stress triggered a significant increase in leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), their levels relative to controls were much higher in peach than in pear; reflecting that peach suffered from greater oxidative stress. Interestingly, MDA and H2O2 levels did not seem to be deleterious enough to trigger proline-induced osmotic adjustment in pears. The activities of anti-oxidant enzymes strongly varied with the cultivar; specifically, the sodicity-induced increases in CAT and SOD activities were much higher in Punjab Beauty pear and Shan-e-Punjab peach. Principal Component Analysis revealed an explicit convergence between CAT and SOD activities in Punjab Beauty and Shan-e-Punjab cultivars in response to sodicity-induced oxidative stress. Correlation analysis revealed that leaf Na+ strongly inhibited tree growth in peach than in pear. Leaf K+ and proline were found to be the major osmolytes in sodicity-stressed pear and peach cultivars, respectively. We have for the first time studied the effects of sodicity stress on important tree growth and physiological traits of commercially important pear and peach cultivars. Our findings revealed a marked suppressive effect of sodicity stress on tree growth in peach than in pear. The sodicity-induced upticks in leaf malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and Na+ seemed to induce proline-mediated osmotic adjustment in peach but not in pear. The overall better sodicity tolerance in pear compared to peach was ascribed to increased activities of anti-oxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes together with restricted Na+ uptake and better leaf K+ levels. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the effects of sodicity stress on genetic and transcriptional changes, and on fruit yield and quality.


Use of positron emission tomography in oncology.
Positron emission tomography is an imaging technique that produces images reflective of tissue biochemistry rather than anatomy. Utilizing different isotopes, many biochemical processes can be studied repetitively and non-invasively in cancers in vivo. Malignant tissue is characterized by an accelerated rate of glycolysis. This biochemical characteristic of malignancy can be exploited by PET imaging with the radiopharmaceutical FDG. PET with FDG has been successful in imaging primary and metastatic cancer of the breast, colon, lung, head and neck, as well as sarcomas and lymphomas. PET FDG imaging has potential as a screening, diagnostic and staging tool in cancer. Recently, whole body PET techniques have been developed which permit imaging of the entire body during a single scanning session. PET also has tremendous potential as a cancer research tool to study serial estimates of tumor glycolysis, DNA turnover, oxygen metabolism, protein synthesis, and blood.


Urachal borderline mucinous cystadenoma: A rare case report and literature review.
Urachal borderline mucinous cystadenoma is very rare and has only 9 cases in the current literature with the biological behavior between adenoma and adenocarcinoma. We reported a 41-year-old man with moderate lower abdominal pain, and the imaging examination found an irregular cystic lesion extending from umbilicus to the dome of urinary bladder with significant separations and calcifications. The diagnosis was confirmed according to the specific anatomical location and pathological examination which was proved as mucinous cystadenoma with low malignant potential. The patient undertook radical excision and partial cystectomy. His postoperative condition was good. Urachal borderline mucinous cystadenoma can be located by image examination, which may also offer several diagnostic tips according to separation, calcification, and enhancement in computed tomography scan. When combined with pathological findings, qualitative diagnosis can be determined. Surgical resection should be chosen as an optimal treatment. Our present study reviewed the clinical and biological information of all previous cases which were diagnosed as urachal borderline mucinous cystadenoma and we supplemented more data for further study.


End-to-end antigenic variant generation for H1N1 influenza HA protein using sequence to sequence models.
The growing risk of new variants of the influenza A virus is the most significant to public health. The risk imposed from new variants may have been lethal, as witnessed in the year 2009. Even though the improvement in predicting antigenicity of influenza viruses has rapidly progressed, few studies employed deep learning methodologies. The most recent literature mostly relied on classification techniques, while a model that generates the HA protein of the antigenic variant is not developed. However, the antigenic pair of influenza virus A can be determined in a laboratory setup, the process needs a tremendous amount of time and labor. Antigenic shift and drift which are caused by changes in surface protein favored the influenza A virus in evading immunity. The high frequency of the minor changes in the surface protein poses a challenge to identifying the antigenic variant of an emerging virus. These changes slow down vaccine selection and the manufacturing process. In this vein, the proposed model could help save the time and efforts exerted to identify the antigenic pair of the influenza virus. The proposed model utilized an end-to-end learning methodology relying on deep sequence-to-sequence architecture to generate the antigenic variant of a given influenza A virus using surface protein. Employing the BLEU score to evaluate the generated HA protein of the antigenic variant of influenza virus A against the actual variant, the proposed model achieved a mean accuracy of 97.57%.


Dietary Pattern Extraction Using Natural Language Processing Techniques.
In this study, we observed the changes in dietary patterns among Korean adults in the previous decade. We evaluated dietary intake using 24-h recall data from the fourth (2007-2009) and seventh (2016-2018) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Machine learning-based methodologies were used to extract these dietary patterns. Particularly, we observed three dietary patterns from each survey similar to the traditional and Western dietary patterns in 2007-2009 and 2016-2018, respectively. Our results reveal a considerable increase in the number of Western dietary patterns compared with the previous decade. Thus, our study contributes to the use of novel methods using natural language processing (NLP) techniques for dietary pattern extraction to obtain more useful dietary information, unlike the traditional methodology.


[When is resection indicated in primary liver tumors?].
The development of hepatic surgery involved also definition of indications for resection in primary liver tumours. Based on an analysis of a group of 76 patients with primary liver tumours operated in 1978-2001 (up to the end of October) the authors evaluated the indication criteria for resection of primary hepatic tumours. As to benign tumours most frequently haemangiomas were resected (in 35 patients) and follicular nodular hyperplasia in 10 patients. Indication for resection was the symptomatology of the tumour (40x), signs of progression during a check-up examination (13x) or doubts as regards preoperative ruling out of malignity (16x). Hepatocellular adenoma was resected in 8 patients, incl. 7 where the preoperative diagnosis was assessed by bioptic examination. The extent of resection depended on the size and site of the tumour, in haemangiomas and follicular nodular hyperplasia non-anatomical resections predominated (in 27 patients). On account of hepatocellular carcinoma resections were made in 18 patients, incl. 8 who suffered also from cirrhosis which limited the extent of resection. In patients without cirrhosis with carcinoma in one of the lobes an anatomical resection was implemented. Postoperative complications developed in 14 patients (18%), two died (3%) from hepatic failure and pulmonary embolism.


Ankylosing spondylitis: A state of the art factual backbone.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects 1% of the general population. As one of the most severe types of spondyloarthropathy, AS affects the spinal vertebrae and sacroiliac joints, causing debilitating pain and loss of mobility. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of AS, from the pathophysiological changes that occur as the disease progresses, to genetic factors that are involved with its onset. Considering the high prevalence in the population, and the debilitating life changes that occur as a result of the disease, a strong emphasis is placed on the diagnostic imaging methods that are used to detect this condition, as well as several treatment methods that could improve the health of individuals diagnosed with AS.


Compressive sensing-based tomography for Absolute X-ray UltraViolet (AXUV) diagnostics.
Absolute x-ray ultraviolet diagnostics ensures 2D coverage of the radiation emission region that enables tomographic reconstruction. However, retrieving the local emissivity via tomography remains a challenge due to its ill-posed nature. Tikhonov regularization with smoothness operation generally performs well but tends to over-smooth regions with steep gradients and local structure in the radiation profile and may introduce artifacts. In this paper, a tomography method based on compressive sensing theory with Tikhonov regularization terms is developed. Experimental results on multiple phantom sets show that the proposed method improves the reconstruction accuracy and quality in regions with steep gradients compared with the Tikhonov regularization method and suppresses the unphysical negative emissivity. The analysis of reconstruction uncertainty shows that the dictionary learning process provides more accurate prior information about steep gradients to improve the quality of reconstructed images, and compressive sensing has the denoising capability to reduce the impact of noise. Finally, the method is validated by data from the Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak, showing fewer artifacts and more reliable reconstruction images than the earlier method.


Nodular distribution pattern on chest computed tomography (CT) in patients diagnosed with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections.
This study evaluated the prevalence of spreading pathways in nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary infections according to nodular distribution patterns seen on chest computed tomography (CT). This study included 63 patients diagnosed with NTM lung infections who underwent CT at our institution. A retrospective analysis of CT images focused on the presence and distribution of nodules, presence of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy and the predominant side of infection in the lungs. The findings were classified into five groups; centrilobular (bronchogenic spread), perilymphatic (lymphangitic spread), random (hematogenous spread), combined pattern and no nodules present. The groups were then compared according to other CT findings. Among 51 (81%) patients identified with a nodular pattern on chest CT, 25 (39.8%) presented with centrilobular, 7 (11.1%) with perilymphatic, 6 (9.5%) with random and 13 (20.6%) with combined nodular patterns but located in different areas of the lungs. The right side of the lungs was predominant in 38 cases (60.3%). Intrathoracic lymphadenopathy was evident in 20 patients (31.7%). Significant differences in distributions of nodular patterns were seen in patients infected with Mycoplasma avium complex (MAC) associated with centrilobular pattern (p = 0.0019) and M. fortuitum associated with random pattern (p = 0.0004). Some of the findings were related to perilymphatic nodules between other isolated species of NTM (p = 0.0379). The results of this study showed a high proportion of perilymphatic nodules and right-sided predominance in the upper lobe, which, combined with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy is highly suggestive of the lymphangitic spread of lung NTM infections.


In vitro activation of mouse macrophages by rat lymphocyte mediators.
Macrophage-activating factors (MAF)3 were released by presensitized rat lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with the appropriate antigens. Different supernatants of presensitized rat lymphocytes specifically stimulated in vitro with several different mouse, dog, and rat tumor or normal cells were capable of rendering normal rat and mouse macrophages nonspecifically cytotoxic in vitro to their respective syngeneic tumor cells. The release of active mediators by rat lymphocytes sensitized in vivo was dependent upon immunologically specific recognition of an antigen in vitro. When rat lymphocytes were incubated in vitro with antigens unrelated to the in vivo sensitizing antigens, no release of MAF occurred. Once rat MAF was released, it activated both syngeneic (rat) and xenogeneic (mouse) macrophages to kill tumor cells in vitro. These activated marcophages destroyed all syngeneic tumor targets. Such cytotoxicity was obtained even when the cells used to elicit release of MAF were totally unrelated to the target tumor cells. The data thus demonstrated that MAF can cross strain and even species specificities and can activate macrophages to kill tumors in a nonspecific manner. The cytotoxicity mediated by in vitro activated mouse macrophages decreased with time once the macrophages were removed from MAF; and by 7 days postactivation, the macrophages were not cytotoxic. However, when incubated again with MAF, significant reactivation was observed. This suggested that activation of macrophages in vivo may be a continuous process of lymphocyte-macrophage interaction.


Aberrant transcriptional regulation of the MLL fusion partner EEN by AML1-ETO and its implication in leukemogenesis.
The EEN (extra eleven nineteen) gene, located on chromosome 19p13, was cloned as a fusion with MLL from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with translocation t(11;19)(q23;p13). In this study, we characterized the genomic structure of the EEN gene, including its 5' regulatory region and transcription start site (TSS). We found that Sp1 could bind to the guanine-cytosine (GC)-stretch of the EEN promoter and was critical for the normal EEN expression, whereas the leukemia-associated fusion protein AML1-ETO could aberrantly transactivate the EEN gene through an AML1 binding site. Of note, overexpressed EEN showed oncogenic properties, such as transforming potential in NIH3T3 cells, stimulating cell proliferation, and increasing the activity of transcriptional factor AP-1. Retroviral transduction of EEN increased self-renewal and proliferation of murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. Moreover, Kasumi-1 and HL60-cell growth was inhibited with down-regulation of EEN by RNAi. These findings demonstrate that EEN might be a common target in 2 major types of AML associated with MLL or AML1 translocations, and overexpression of EEN may play an essential role in leukemogenesis.


Deep learning-based monocular placental pose estimation: towards collaborative robotics in fetoscopy.
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a placental defect occurring in monochorionic twin pregnancies. It is associated with high risks of fetal loss and perinatal death. Fetoscopic elective laser ablation (ELA) of placental anastomoses has been established as the most effective therapy for TTTS. Current tools and techniques face limitations in case of more complex ELA cases. Visualization of the entire placental surface and vascular equator; maintaining an adequate distance and a close to perpendicular angle between laser fiber and placental surface are central for the effectiveness of laser ablation and procedural success. Robot-assisted technology could address these challenges, offer enhanced dexterity and ultimately improve the safety and effectiveness of the therapeutic procedures. This work proposes a 'minimal' robotic TTTS approach whereby rather than deploying a massive and expensive robotic system, a compact instrument is 'robotised' and endowed with 'robotic' skills so that operators can quickly and efficiently use it. The work reports on automatic placental pose estimation in fetoscopic images. This estimator forms a key building block of a proposed shared-control approach for semi-autonomous fetoscopy. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained to predict the relative orientation of the placental surface from a single monocular fetoscope camera image. To overcome the absence of real-life ground-truth placenta pose data, similar to other works in literature (Handa et al. in: Proceedings of the IEEE conference on computer vision and pattern recognition, 2016; Gaidon et al. in: Proceedings of the IEEE conference on computer vision and pattern recognition, 2016; Vercauteren et al. in: Proceedings of the IEEE, 2019) the network is trained with data generated in a simulated environment and an in-silico phantom model. A limited set of coarsely manually labeled samples from real interventions are added to the training dataset to improve domain adaptation. The trained network shows promising results on unseen samples from synthetic, phantom and in vivo patient data. The performance of the network for collaborative control purposes was evaluated in a virtual reality simulator in which the virtual flexible distal tip was autonomously controlled by the neural network. Improved alignment was established compared to manual operation for this setting, demonstrating the feasibility to incorporate a CNN-based estimator in a real-time shared control scheme for fetoscopic applications.


Factors that may influence the willingness of cancer patients to consent for biobanking.
Broad or general consent given by cancer patients for their tissue, blood, and clinical information to be stored in institutional biorepositories is fundamental to enable future ethical translational cancer research. The decision to consent for biobanking will contribute to the development of advanced diagnostic and prognostic tests, as well as new therapies to improve patient outcomes. While the rate of patient participation in biobanking programs is generally reported as high worldwide, few studies have investigated factors that may influence this decision. Biobanking at our medical research institute, an associated public (government-run) university hospital, and private hospital has been established for over 20 years, with collection of certain tumor types embedded in the research culture of these institutions. In this study, we investigated factors that may influence a cancer patient's decision to give broad consent for biobanking of their specimens. Data on patient consent were collected over a 6-month period from both government and private hospitals associated with our medical research institute. Factors considered included gender, patient age at surgery, type of malignancy (breast, duodenal, cervical, endometrial, gastric, liver, esophageal, ovarian, pancreatic, pelvic, uterine, or vulval), type of institution where surgery was performed, and timing of consent. Of 171 cancer patients, 159 (93%) gave broad consent for biobanking of their tissue and blood specimens for future cancer research projects receiving ethical and scientific approval. None of the factors analyzed was shown to influence a patient's decision to contribute biological specimens and clinical data to a biorepository for future medical research. Biobanking for future ethically and scientifically approved research projects in an established institution is an initiative that receives strong support from patients undergoing cancer surgery, independent of factors including gender, age, type of tumor, type of institution where surgery was performed, or timing of consent.


An automated fluorescent excitation analysis system for medical applications.
The use of stable tracers assayed by x-ray fluorescent excitation analysis has proven advantageous over other stable or radioisotopic techniques in a number of clinical and investigative situations. An automated fluorescent excitation analysis system for medical application has developed. Its design parameters and performance are described.


A Novel Therapy for a Rare Condition: Continuous Anakinra Infusion for a Patient With Macrophage Activation Syndrome.
Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a type of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which occurs due to excessive stimulation of the immune system. Common precipitants of MAS include disseminated infection or underlying rheumatologic disorders such as adult-onset Still's disease which is characterized as an inflammatory arthritis with daily fevers and a salmon-colored rash. We present a case of a patient with probable adult-onset Still's disease and subsequent disseminated cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, who met the criteria for MAS based on the presence of a fever, cytopenia in multiple cell lines, elevated ferritin, presence of hemophagocytosis on bone marrow, low fibrinogen, and mild splenomegaly on physical exam. The patient responded to treatment with continuous anakinra infusion and ganciclovir for treatment of CMV. Though cytotoxic medications such as etoposide have traditionally been considered first-line treatment for HLH/MAS, interleukin-1 inhibitors such as anakinra are emerging as aless cytotoxic alternative.


Reversible Protonated Resting State of the Nitrogenase Active Site.
Protonated states of the nitrogenase active site are mechanistically significant since substrate reduction is invariably accompanied by proton uptake. We report the low pH characterization by X-ray crystallography and EPR spectroscopy of the nitrogenase molybdenum iron (MoFe) proteins from two phylogenetically distinct nitrogenases (Azotobacter vinelandii, Av, and Clostridium pasteurianum, Cp) at pHs between 4.5 and 8. X-ray data at pHs of 4.5-6 reveal the repositioning of side chains along one side of the FeMo-cofactor, and the corresponding EPR data shows a new S = 3/2 spin system with spectral features similar to a state previously observed during catalytic turnover. The structural changes suggest that FeMo-cofactor belt sulfurs S3A or S5A are potential protonation sites. Notably, the observed structural and electronic low pH changes are correlated and reversible. The detailed structural rearrangements differ between the two MoFe proteins, which may reflect differences in potential protonation sites at the active site among nitrogenase species. These observations emphasize the benefits of investigating multiple nitrogenase species. Our experimental data suggest that reversible protonation of the resting state is likely occurring, and we term this state "E0H+", following the Lowe-Thorneley naming scheme.


Decline of Seroprevalence and Incidence of Congenital Toxoplasmosis Despite Changing Prevention Policy-Three Decades of Cord-blood Screening in North-western Switzerland.
Due to the lack of prospective data, there is an ongoing debate about the need for screening and prevention programs for congenital toxoplasmosis in Europe. Accordingly, individual countries have chosen different public health strategies. A cord-blood screening program for congenital toxoplasmosis was established in 1982 in obstetric units of hospitals in North-Western Switzerland. Samples were tested for specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM, and after 1992 also for IgA antibodies. Suspicious test results triggered additional investigations to identify children with congenital toxoplasmosis. From 1982 to 2015, 119,166 cord-blood samples have been collected and analyzed for the presence of Toxoplasma-specific antibodies. Although maternal age rose from 28.2 to 32.2 years during this period, a decrease of seroprevalence from 53% to 20% was observed. The incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis decreased by 85% (from 0.08% to 0.012%) and remained low despite abandoning prevalent nonsystematic screening during pregnancy in Switzerland. Our data document a steady decline of both Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and congenital toxoplasmosis incidence in Switzerland even after abolition of the nonsystematic prenatal screening a decade ago. The data support abandoning toxoplasmosis screening programs in low-incidence, high-income countries such as Switzerland.


Peter Bourne's drug policy and the perils of a public health ethic, 1976-1978.
As President Jimmy Carter's advisor for health issues, Peter Bourne promoted a rational and comprehensive drug strategy that combined new supply-side efforts to prevent drug use with previously established demand-side addiction treatment programs. Using a public health ethic that allowed the impact of substances on overall population health to guide drug control, Bourne advocated for marijuana decriminalization as well as increased regulations for barbiturates. A hostile political climate, a series of rumors, and pressure from both drug legalizers and prohibitionists caused Bourne to resign in disgrace in 1978. We argue that Bourne's critics used his own public health framework to challenge him, describe the health critiques that contributed to Bourne's resignation, and present the story of his departure as a cautionary tale for today's drug policy reformers.


Infective endocarditis: a review for nurses.
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a relatively uncommon condition that can present with a variety of noncardiac symptoms, making diagnosis of this condition challenging. Although IE is no longer uniformly fatal as it was in the preantibiotic era, it still has a high mortality rate. The major risk factor for IE, rheumatic fever, has decreased significantly in the industrialized west, but the incidence of IE remains as high as it was in the preantibiotic era. Today, IE has changed from a disease primarily of the young to one of the elderly. The increase in frequency of IE seems to be related to the fact that individuals are now living longer with chronic heart diseases and are having invasive medical procedures performed more often. The 2 main approaches to treating IE are the use of antibiotics and cardiac surgery. This article provides an overview of IE, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis criteria, and treatment options for IE.


Changes in the composition and metabolism of arterial collagens during the development of pulmonary hypertension in rabbits.
Increased pulmonary artery pressure is known to result in enhanced collagen deposition in the pulmonary artery. Here we investigate how changes in collagen metabolism may bring about this increased deposition in the pulmonary artery of animals with pulmonary hypertension induced by bleomycin. Rabbits were injected intratracheally with bleomycin sulfate or with saline. After 14 days the animals were injected with L-[U-14C]proline plus a "flooding" dose of unlabeled proline. Uptake into arterial collagens and release of labeled hydroxyproline were then measured after 2.5 h. The relative amounts of types I and III collagens were assessed from the levels of cyanogen-bromide-derived peptides alpha 1(I)CB8 and alpha 1(III)CB5, respectively, after sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Collagen synthesis rates of about 3%/day were found in the control pulmonary artery and aorta, and about one-half of the newly synthesized collagen was degraded rapidly. Fourteen days after bleomycin, there was a fivefold increase in collagen synthesis rate (p less than 0.01) and a marked decrease in the percentage of newly synthesized collagen degraded rapidly. There was no change in collagen metabolism in the aorta of these animals. Pulmonary artery collagen from control rabbits consisted of 26.5 +/- 1.0% type III collagen. There was no change in composition in bleomycin-treated animals. This study demonstrates quite rapid turnover rates for collagen in normal blood vessels. Our results also indicate that remodeling of arterial connective tissue matrix during pulmonary hypertension involves marked but commensurate increases in type I and III collagens brought about by changes in both synthesis and degradative processes.


[The 455th case: swollen leg, jaundice and mental disturbance].
A 17-year-old young man with a history of swollen leg and intermittent jaundice was presented to Peking Union Medical College Hospital with acute fever and mental disturbance. He developed deep venous thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction and plantar skin necrosis during the past four years, and was presented with an acute episode of fever, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury, acute myocardial infarction, mental disturbance, and obstructive jaundice. Laboratory tests showed schistocytes on peripheral blood smear.High titer of antiphospholipid antibodies was detected.Strikingly, the activity of a disintegrin and metalloprotease with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13)was significantly decreased without the production of inhibitors. Images indicated stenosis of the common bile duct, common hepatic duct, and cystic duct, which caused dilation of bile ducts and the gall bladder. Corticosteroids and anticoagulation therapy were effective at first, but the disease relapsedonce the corticosteroids tapered down. Plasma exchange was administrated for 17 times, which was effective temporarily during this episode. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, rituximab, anticoagulation therapy, and bile drainage, were all tried but still could not control the disease. The patient's family agreed to withdraw treatment after he developed septic shock.


Measurement error, skewness, and risk analysis: coping with the long tail of the distribution.
Probabilistic risk analyses often construct multistage chance trees to estimate the joint probability of compound events. If random measurement error is associated with some or all of the estimates, we show that resulting estimates of joint probability may be highly skewed. Joint probability estimates based on the analysis of multistage chance trees are more likely than not to be below the true probability of adverse events, but will sometimes substantially overestimate them. In contexts such as insurance markets for environmental risks, skewed distributions of risk estimates amplify the "winner's curse" so that the estimated risk premium for low-probability events is likely to be lower than the normative value. Skewness may result even in unbiased estimators of expected value from simple lotteries, if measurement error is associated with both the probability and pay-off terms. Further, skewness may occur even if the error associated with these two estimates is symmetrically distributed. Under certain circumstances, skewed estimates of expected value may result in risk-neutral decisionmakers exhibiting a tendency to choose a certainty equivalent over a lottery of equal expected value, or vice versa. We show that when distributions of estimates of expected value are, positively skewed, under certain circumstances it will be optimal to choose lotteries with nominal values lower than the value of apparently superior certainty equivalents. Extending the previous work of Goodman (1960), we provide an exact formula for the skewness of products.


Stable expression of transfected human involucrin gene in various cell types: evidence for in situ cross-linking by type I and type II transglutaminase.
Involucrin is a 68-kd precursor of the cornified envelope in keratinocytes. During terminal differentiation, involucrin becomes covalently cross-linked to other proteins by a membrane-anchored calcium-activated transglutaminase (TG) to form part of the cornified envelope. To better understand this process, we have used vector-mediated gene transfer to express human involucrin in a variety of cell types. Authentic involucrin protein was expressed in Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells (fibroblasts), PtK2 rat kangaroo kidney cells (simple epithelial), and rat epidermal keratinocytes (stratifying squamous epithelial). The expression vector included an independent transcription unit encoding the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene (neo-r) allowing selection of stable involucrin-positive, G418-resistant clonal cell lines. In each cell type, involucrin levels were comparable to the endogenous expression observed in SCC-13 cells. Immunofluorescence localization studies revealed a uniform involucrin distribution throughout the cytoplasm in each cell type. Elevation of intracellular calcium resulted in cross-linking of involucrin in both CHO cells and rat keratinocytes, a process that was inhibited by EDTA and cystamine. In contrast, no cross-linking was observed in PtK2 cells or long-term passaged rat keratinocytes. Transglutaminase assays showed that rat keratinocytes contain predominantly a particulate (type I) form, whereas CHO cells contain only soluble TG (type II). PtK2 cells and long-term passaged keratinocytes, which were unable to cross-link involucrin, contained barely detectable TG activity. These results indicate 1) that involucrin is an efficient in situ substrate for both type I and type II transglutaminase and 2) that involucrin cross-linking is strictly TG dependent.


[The algorithm of application of results of social hygienic monitoring at regional level].
The article presents analysis of assembled and processed data concerning development of algorithm of practical application of results of social hygienic monitoring. The mentioned algorithm for the fi rst time on the regional level systematizes chains (stages) of proceeding of medical statistical studies in social hygienic monitoring for theoretical and practical substantiation of management solutions. The application of algorithm with its description in article permits, depending on purpose of study, to select characteristics of implementation of hygienic diagnostics of environment and health of population i.e. methodological approaches and techniques of medical statistical analysis available and most effective within the framework of implementing social hygienic monitoring with subsequent realization of administrative regulation of informing authorities, bodies of self-government and population. The listing is presented concerning themes of studies for long standing period of practical activities. The further directions of development of informational analytical activity in social hygienic monitoring.


[Attention deficit disorders after stroke in childhood].
The present study investigates whether attention deficits increase after stroke in childhood and identifies influencing factors. The attentional functions of 78 children who suffered strokes were evaluated by means of neuropsychological assessments for attention abilities, the CBCL/4-18, and a standardized observation of behavior. The results were compared for age at the time of the stroke, affected hemisphere, and localisation. Children and adolescents develop attention deficits due to stroke. There seems to be no influence of sex, age at stroke or localisation of stroke. Children with right-hemispheric brain damage tend to develop more attention deficits than children with left-hemispheric stroke. There is a need for an early diagnosis and the initiation of an effective treatment to avoid collateral disorders and school problems.


Maternal Regulation of Daughters' Emotion During Conflicts From Early to Mid-Adolescence.
Primary caregivers play an important role in emotion socialization. Real-time mother-daughter emotion socialization was examined in 45 mother-daughter dyads with early-adolescent daughters (age M = 11.80, SD = .27) at the first observation point. Maternal supportive emotion regulation and daughters' emotions were coded during two conflict discussions, 2 years apart. With multilevel survival analysis, the likelihood of maternal supportiveness was predicted both over time, between early and mid-adolescence, and by daughters' pubertal status. Mothers were more likely to respond to daughters' negative and positive emotions with supportiveness for daughters whose pubertal maturation occurred relatively early. Results suggest that mothers adjust their socialization of daughters' emotions according to their daughters' pubertal development.


Roadside measurements of ultrafine particles at a busy urban intersection.
A field sampling campaign on ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter <100 nm) was conducted at a busy traffic intersection from December 2006 to June 2007 in Corpus Christi, TX. This traffic intersection consisted of South Padre Island Drive (SPID, Highway 358) and Staples Street. Traffic densities on SPID were 9102/hr and 7880/hr for weekdays and weekends, respectively. Staples Street traffic densities were 2795/hr and 2572/hr, respectively. There were approximately 3.7% heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) on both roadways. Peak traffic flows occurred early in the morning and late in the evening during weekdays and around noon on weekends. The average UFP total number concentration collected by a condensation particle counter (CPC 3785; TSI) was 66 x 10(3) cm(-3). A direct relationship between the UFP number concentration and traffic density was observed, but the HDDV traffic density was found to be a better estimator of the UFP number concentration than total traffic density. A scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS 3936 with DMA 3081 and CPC 3785, TSI) measuring the particle size distribution from 7 to 290 nm was rotated among four corners of the intersection. The upwind and downwind size distributions were both bimodal in shape, exhibiting a nucleation mode at 10-30 nm and a secondary mode at 50-70 nm. The highest and lowest particle concentrations were observed on the downwind and upwind sides of both roadways, respectively, indicating the importance of wind direction. Wind speed also played an important role in overall particle concentrations; UFP concentrations were inversely proportional to wind speed. A negative correlation was observed between particle number concentrations and ambient temperature. The particle number concentration was 3.5 times greater when traffic was idling at a red light than moving at a green light.


Protocol for a 1-year prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy: the BARI-LIFESTYLE observational study.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy are the two most common bariatric surgery performed in the UK that result in comparable weight loss and remission of obesity-associated comorbidities. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the impact of these procedures on body composition, physical activity levels, sedentary behaviour, physical function and strength, dietary intake, health-related quality of life and costs. The BARI-LIFESTYLE observational study is a 1-year prospective, longitudinal cohort study within a real-world routine clinical care setting aiming to recruit 100 patients with severe obesity undergoing either primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy from two bariatric centres in London, UK. Participants will be followed up four times during the study period; presurgery baseline (T0) and at 3 (T1), 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3) postsurgery. In addition to the standard follow-up investigations, assessments including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, bioelectric impedance analysis, 6 min walk test, sit-to-stand test and handgrip test will be undertaken together with completion of questionnaires. Physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour will be assessed using accelerometer, and dietary intake will be recorded using a 3-day food diary. Outcome measures will include body weight, body fat mass, lean muscle mass, bone mineral density, physical activity levels, sedentary behaviour, physical function and strength, dietary intake, health-related quality of life, remission of comorbidities, healthcare resource utilisation and costs. This study has been reviewed and given a favourable ethical opinion by London-Dulwich Research Ethics Committee (17/LO/0950). The results will be presented to stakeholder groups locally, nationally and internationally and published in peer-reviewed medical journals. The lay-person summary of the findings will be published on the Centre for Obesity Research, University College London website (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/obesity).


Genetic diversity of 21 autosomal STR loci in the Han population from Sichuan province, Southwest China.
Exploration of the ethnic origin and genetic differentiation of 56 Chinese officially recognized nationalities populations played a fundamental role in the research field of population genetics, forensic science, linguistics, anthropology, and archaeology. In the present study, population data of 21 autosomal STR loci (CSF1PO, D10S1248, D12S391, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11, D2S1338, D2S441, D3S1358, D5S818, D6S1043, D7S820, D8S1179, FGA, Penta D, Penta E, TH01, TPOX, and vWA) included in the AGCU EX22 kit in 2793 Southwest Han Chinese individuals was obtained and population genetic relationships among 28 Chinese populations were investigated. Our study indicated that the twenty-one autosomal STRs are highly polymorphic in the Sichuan Han population and can be used as a powerful tool in the routine forensic usage. MDS and phylogenetic analysis suggested that the Sichuan Han population kept a close genetic relationship with the southwest populations.