Spectral content of buried Ag foils at 10(16) W/cm(2) laser illumination.
Sources of 5-12 keV thermal Heα x-rays are readily generated by laser irradiation of mid-Z foils at intensities >10(14) W/cm(2), and are widely used as probes for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density experiments. Higher energy 17-50 keV x-ray sources are efficiently produced from "cold" Kα emission using short pulse, petawatt lasers at intensities >10(18) W/cm(2) [H.-S. Park, B. R. Maddox et al., "High-resolution 17-75 keV backlighters for high energy density experiments," Phys. Plasmas 15(7), 072705 (2008); B. R. Maddox, H. S. Park, B. A. Remington et al., "Absolute measurements of x-ray backlighter sources at energies above 10 keV," Phys. Plasmas 18(5), 056709 (2011)]. However, when long pulse (>1 ns) lasers are used with Z > 30 elements, the spectrum contains contributions from both K shell transitions and from ionized atomic states. Here we show that by sandwiching a silver foil between layers of high-density carbon, the ratio of Kα:Heα in the x-ray spectrum is significant increased over directly illuminated Ag foils, with narrower lines from K-shell transitions. Additionally, the emission volume is more localized for the sandwiched target, producing a more planar x-ray sheet. This technique may be useful for generating probes requiring spectral purity and a limited spatial extent, for example, in incoherent x-ray Thomson scattering experiments.


A Collapsible Soft Actuator Facilitates Performance in Constrained Environments.
Complex environments, such as those found in surgical and search-and-rescue applications, require soft devices to adapt to minimal space conditions without sacrificing the ability to complete dexterous tasks. Stacked Balloon Actuators (SBAs) are capable of large deformations despite folding nearly flat when deflated, making them ideal candidates for such applications. This paper presents the design, fabrication, modeling, and characterization of monolithic, inflatable, soft SBAs. Modeling is presented using analytical principles based on geometry, and then using conventional and real-time finite element methods. Both one and three degree-of-freedom (DoF) SBAs are fully characterized with regards to stroke, force, and workspace. Finally, three representative demonstrations show the SBA's small-aperture navigation, bracing, and workspace-enhancing capabilities.


Tetanus toxoid complexed with heterologous antibody can induce germinal centre formation and B cell memory in mice without evoking a detectable anti-toxin response.
Fluid free tetanus toxoid (FTT) alone or FTT complexed in vitro at equivalence (EQ) or in antibody excess (ABEX) with anti-toxin contained in a human gammaglobulin preparation (HGG), or HGG alone, were injected into the hind leg footpads of mice. Anti-toxin titres of mouse serum were measured and compared with proliferative reactions in popliteal lymph nodes, based on combined 3H-thymidine autoradiography and planimetry, as a function of time. FTT in complex with HGG in ABEX failed to elicit a measurable anti-toxin response but caused, of all the materials tested, the most marked numerical increase of germinal centres. This finding is in accord with results of earlier studies indicating that the same heterologous antigen-antibody complexes at EQ or in ABEX can prime the animals, usually without eliciting antibody production detectable by serum titration. The model system used in the present experiments is thus well suited for a separation of the two principal arms of the dichotomous humoral immune response, i.e. by inducing germinal centre and B cell memory development but not specific antibody formation.


Expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 during early mouse development.
In somatic tissues, the mouse Ki-67 protein (pKi-67) is expressed in proliferating cells only. Depending on the stage of the cell cycle, pKi-67 is associated with different nuclear domains: with euchromatin as part of the perichromosomal layer, with centromeric heterochromatin, and with the nucleolus. In gametes, sex-specific expression is evident. Mature MII oocytes contain pKi-67, whereas pKi-67 is not detectable in mature sperm. We investigated the re-establishment of the cell cycle-dependent distribution of pKi-67 during early mouse development. After fertilization, male and female pronuclei exhibited very little or no pKi-67, while polar bodies were pKi-67 positive. Towards the end of the first cell cycle, prophase chromosomes of male and female pronuclei simultaneously got decorated with pKi-67. In 2-cell embryos, the distribution pattern changed, presumably depending on the progress of development of the embryo, from a distribution all over the nucleus to a preferential location in the nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs). From the 4-cell stage onwards, pKi-67 showed the regular nuclear relocations known from somatic tissues: during mitosis the protein was found covering the chromosome arms as a constituent of the perichromosomal layer, in early G1 it was distributed in the whole nucleus, and for the rest of the cell cycle it was associated with NPBs or with the nucleolus.


Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone in cerebrovascular disease.
A thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test with serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) assays was performed in 22 euthyroid stroke patients without thyroid disease and the results were compared with those in 17 age-matched euthyroid controls. Basal and maximum TSH levels after TRH injection were significantly lower in the stroke group without elevation of basal serum thyroid hormone levels. There was a tendency towards an inverse relationship between TSH levels and the degree of pareses of the extremities. The test was repeated in 7 stroke patients 3-4 months after the onset of stroke with essentially the same results. The abnormal TSH parameters in stroke patients seem to be the result of the brain lesion per se.


Differences in response of psoriatic epidermis in cyclic AMP accumulation against certain adenyl cyclase agonists.
Epidermal slices of pig skin and psoriatic human skin were used in a study on responses of adenyl cyclase to epinephrine, histamine and adenosine. In pig skin, histamine stimulated adenyl cyclase slightly more than epinephrine. The histamine concentration eliciting the maximum cyclic AMP accumulation was 5 x 10(-4)M, which was 20 times greater than that of epinephrine. The optimal concentration of adenosine seemed to be an additional 10 times higher (5 x 10(-3)M). When involved and uninvolved epidermal specimens from 18 psoriatic patients were incubated with these three agents, cAMP formation with histamine was unchanged or slightly increased in involved epidermis, while the response to epinephrine was markedly depressed and to adenosine moderately so. These findings suggest further that there is a selective defect in the membrane enzyme system in psoriatic epidermis.


Expression of the CIP1 gene induced under cadmium stress in Candida sp.
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal with no known biological activity. Differential display of mRNA was employed to isolate cDNA corresponding to the transcript that is induced in cadmium-treated Candida sp. In this report we describe the molecular characterization of the CIP1 gene, which was shown to be rapidly induced after cadmium treatment. Northern blot analysis showed that the CIP1 transcript was not present in normal cells, but accumulated at higher levels in cadmium-treated cells. Treatment of other heavy metals such as copper, mercury, lead, zinc, or heat-shock had no effect on the expression of the CIP1 gene. Sequence analysis of CIP1 revealed that it encodes a 32 kDa hydrophobic protein that contains a putative transmembrane domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of CIP1 showed a little homology with isoflavone reductase of plants. From the promoter sequence analysis, we also identified a sequence similar to pas, a cadmium-responsive element of the ParA gene in tobacco. Our results suggest that Candida CIP1 may play a crucial role in the establishment of specific cellular response to stress evolved by the cadmium treatment.


Drugs in lactation.
Although most medications can be taken safely during breastfeeding, potential risks of infant toxicity do exist because all medications will be excreted into the breast milk to some extent. The amount of medication excreted in the milk depends mainly on (i) within-drug variation, such as dosing; (ii) between-drug variation including chemical characteristics of the medication; and (iii) host factors, such as maternal pharmacokinetics (PK), including variations of pregnancy-associated changes and their post-partum recovery. Neonatal drug exposure is usually assessed by calculating an expected total infant daily dose through breast milk and comparing it to the normal therapeutic dose. However, clinical PK studies in this population are challenging to conduct. Recently, research methods using population PK analyses and physiologically-based PK modeling and simulation techniques have been recognized as a complementary approach to the conventional PK studies in this field. These efforts are important for rational risk assessment balancing the toxicity risk against the benefits of human milk. Health benefits of lactation for both mother and child are significant and a decision to withhold from this should not be taken lightly. In case limited information is present, additional expertise from pharmacists or clinical pharmacologist with expertise in this area should be sought.


Narrowband UVB therapy in the treatment of lichen planus.
Recently, UVB lamps with a peak emission around 311 nm have been used successfully for the treatment of many dermatologic diseases known to be treated with psoralen plus UVA (PUVA). Narrowband UVB (NBUVB) radiation causes less erythema and carcinogenicity with lower cumulative doses than PUVA, while the treatment response remains high. Lichen planus (LP) is a cell-mediated immune response of unknown origin. We present our results of NBUVB therapy administered to 10 LP patients. The sessions were administered three to four times weekly with an average cumulative dose of 17.7+/-1.6 J/cm2. Five patients responded completely, and four were partially responsive at the end of the 30th session. Three of the partially responsive cases responded completely at the 31st, 36th and 51st sessions, respectively. Clinical improvements observed in our study as well as the potential advantages of NBUVB imply that it is an inevitable treatment alternative for resistant cases of LP.


CYCLONET--an integrated database on cell cycle regulation and carcinogenesis.
Computational modelling of mammalian cell cycle regulation is a challenging task, which requires comprehensive knowledge on many interrelated processes in the cell. We have developed a web-based integrated database on cell cycle regulation in mammals in normal and pathological states (Cyclonet database). It integrates data obtained by 'omics' sciences and chemoinformatics on the basis of systems biology approach. Cyclonet is a specialized resource, which enables researchers working in the field of anticancer drug discovery to analyze the wealth of currently available information in a systematic way. Cyclonet contains information on relevant genes and molecules; diagrams and models of cell cycle regulation and results of their simulation; microarray data on cell cycle and on various types of cancer, information on drug targets and their ligands, as well as extensive bibliography on modelling of cell cycle and cancer-related gene expression data. The Cyclonet database is also accessible through the BioUML workbench, which allows flexible querying, analyzing and editing the data by means of visual modelling. Cyclonet aims to predict promising anticancer targets and their agents by application of Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances. The Cyclonet database is available at http://cyclonet.biouml.org.


Modification of algae with zinc, copper and silver ions for usage as natural composite for antibacterial applications.
Nanometer sized metal particles are used in many applications as antimicrobial materials. However in public discussion nanoparticular materials are a matter of concern due to potential health risks. Hence there is a certain demand for alternative antimicrobial acting materials. For this, the aim of this work is to realize an antimicrobial active material based on the release of metal ions from a natural depot. By this, the use of elemental metal particles or metal oxide particles in nanometer or micrometer scale is avoided. As natural depot four different algae materials (gained from Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesicolosus, Spirulina platensis and Nannochloropsis) are used and loaded by bioabsorption with metal ions Ag(+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+). The amount of metal bound by biosorption differs strongly in the range of 0.8 to 5.4 mg/g and depends on type of investigated algae material and type of metal ion. For most samples a smaller release of biosorbed Ag(+) and Cu(2+) is observed compared to a strong release of Zn(2+). The antibacterial activity of the prepared composites is investigated with Escherichia coli. Algae material without biosorbed metal has only a small effect on E. coli. Also by modification of algae with Zn(2+) only a small antibacterial property can be observed. Only with biosorption of Ag(+), the algae materials gain a strong bactericidal effect, even in case of a small amount of released silver ions. These silver modified algae materials can be used as highly effective bactericidal composites which may be used in future applications for the production of antimicrobial textiles, papers or polymer materials.


Evaluation in beef cattle of six deoxyribonucleic acid markers developed for dairy traits reveals an osteopontin polymorphism associated with postweaning growth.
The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the allelic frequencies in US beef cattle of 6 DNA markers reported to be associated with variation in dairy production traits; and 2) evaluate the association of these markers with beef production traits. Several genetic markers have been associated with milk yield or composition, including polymorphisms in secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1; also called osteopontin), growth hormone receptor (GHR), casein S1 (CSN1S1), diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator-1alpha (PPARGC1A), and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G (white) member 2 (ABCG2). Allelic frequencies for these 6 markers, and their association with 21 phenotypes, were evaluated in 2 crossbred beef cattle populations that sample influential industry sires. Five of 6 markers were segregating in beef cattle populations; the exception was ABCG2. The SPP1 marker was associated with yearling weight (P = 0.025), live weight at slaughter (P = 0.016), postweaning ADG (P = 0.007), and HCW (P = 0.007) in a large, multisire population representing the 7 most populous beef breeds in the United States. Postweaning growth trait associations were confirmed in an independent population of similar construction, including sires from tropically adapted breeds. The SPP1 marker was associated with yearling weight (P = 0.034), live weight at slaughter (P = 0.011), and postweaning ADG (P = 0.015) and showed a trend toward association with HCW (P = 0.083) in this population. Whereas DGAT1, GHR, and CSN1S1 polymorphisms showed association with some traits in individual populations, the lack of consistent predictive merit between populations indicates they may not be suited for beef cattle selection. No significant associations were observed for the PPARGC1A marker and any of 21 recorded traits, indicating this marker had no apparent value in selection for the beef cattle traits tested in these populations. The SPP1 marker had consistent associations and effect sizes (10.5 to 11.5 kg of live weight at slaughter) in both populations, providing strong evidence for utility of the SPP1 marker for postweaning growth in beef cattle.


A review of neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.
Neuroimaging biomarkers have potential role in the early diagnosis as well as periodic follow-up of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Structural imaging biomarkers can be used to predict those who are at risk or in preclinical stages of AD. It could possibly be useful even in predicting the conversion of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) an early stage of AD to AD. In addition there has been a lot of progress in molecular imaging in AD. This article presents a review of recent progress in selected imaging biomarkers for early diagnosis, classification, and progression, of AD. A comprehensive integrative strategy initiated early in the cognitive decline is perhaps the most effective method of controlling progression to Alzheimer's disease.


Cytogenetic and molecular findings in 75 clear cell renal cell carcinomas.
Cytogenetic analysis of 75 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCC) from adult patients revealed abnormal karyotypes in 59 (79%) tumors. Among structural abnormalities, the most frequent were deletions and unbalanced translocations leading to loss of 3p (found in 68% of karyotypically abnormal tumors), followed by rearrangements of chromosomes 5 (in 37%) and 1 (in 20%). Fifteen unbalanced interchromosomal rearrangements and one reciprocal translocation have not been hitherto reported in clear cell RCC. The most common numerical aberrations were trisomy 7, seen in 44% of tumors, and loss of chromosome Y, detected in 48% of RCCs diagnosed in male patients. In 25 tumors, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis was performed using five polymorphic markers spanning region 3p13-p25. LOH was identified in 10 RCCs with 3p loss detected cytogenetically and 4 karyotypically aberrant tumors without cytogenetic rearrangements of 3p; no LOH was found in 3 tumors with 3p loss seen at the cytogenetic level. Overall, 3p loss was detected by cytogenetic and/or LOH analyses in 75% of RCCs with abnormal karyotype studied. The presence or absence of 3p loss did not correlate with tumor size, nodal involvement, tumor grade or its ability to metastasize. However, karyotypes of metastasizing tumors contained more aberrations than those of non-metastasizing RCCs (5.5 versus 2.9 aberrations per tumor, respectively), and -14/14q-, -17 and -10 were significantly more frequent in metastasizing tumors, suggesting that these aberrations might contribute to the progression of RCC. One patient had t(X;1)(p11.2;p34) as a sole abnormality in the stemline. This is the sixth case with this translocation reported to date. Together with our case, all but 1 RCC with t(X;1)(p11.2;p34) had morphology with a clear cell component, which contrasts these RCCs from tumors harboring t(X;1)(p11.2;q21) that largely had papillary morphology.


Cessation of male rat copulatory behavior using illness as punishment: facilitation with a novel odor.
Two experiments were conducted to examine learned copulatory avoidance in male rats. One group of males was presented with receptive females that had been sprayed with a 2% almond solution, and the other group was presented with nonalmond odorous, receptive females. Following each test, males were made ill with lithium chloride (LiCl) by intragastric intubation or intraperitoneal injection. Results showed that male rats presented with almond-odorous females developed significant avoidance of copulatory behavior. Conditioning in males exposed to receptive females without the almond odor developed little, if any, avoidance. In Experiment 2, it was found that route of LiCl administration was not a factor in the results.


[Expert consensus on stabilization with splint in traumatic dental injuries of permanent tooth].
Stabilization with splint is an important surgical technology in traumatic dental injuries of permanent tooth. In order to standardize the clinical application of the technique and to improve the therapeutic effects of traumatic injured teeth, the Society of Stomatological Emergency, Chinese Stomatological Association organized relevant professional experts and put forward an expert consensus on the basis of considerable discussion. The contents of the present expert consensus covered indications for tooth fixation, material selection of splints and operation methods, applying to the treatment of tooth loosening, tooth displacement and tooth avulsion replantation caused by traumatic injuries. It is also suitable for preoperative and prognosis evaluations of traumatic injured teeth before tooth fixation.


A Phytophthora infestans G-protein beta subunit is involved in sporangium formation.
The heterotrimeric G-protein pathway regulates cellular responses to a wide range of extracellular signals in virtually all eukaryotes. It also controls various developmental processes in the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans, as was concluded from previous studies on the role of the G-protein alpha-subunit PiGPA1 in this organism. The expression of the P. infestans G-protein beta-subunit gene Pigpb1 was induced in nutrient-starved mycelium before the onset of sporangium formation. The gene was hardly expressed in mycelium incubated in rich growth medium. The introduction of additional copies of Pigpb1 into the genome led to silencing of the gene and resulted in transformants deficient in PiGPB1. These Pigpb1-silenced mutants formed very few asexual spores (sporangia) when cultured in rye sucrose medium and produced a denser mat of aerial mycelium than the wild type. Partially Pigpb1-silenced mutants showed intermediate phenotypes with regard to sporulation, and a relatively large number of their sporangia were malformed. The results show that PiGPB1 is important for vegetative growth and sporulation and, therefore, for the pathogenicity of this organism.


Laser Treatments for Improving Electrical Conductivity and Piezoresistive Behavior of Polymer⁻Carbon Nanofiller Composites.
The effect of carbon nanotubes, graphene-like platelets, and another carbonaceous fillers of natural origin on the electrical conductivity of polymeric materials was studied. With the aim of keeping the filler content and the material cost as low as possible, the effect of laser surface treatments on the conductivity of polymer composites with filler load below the percolation threshold was also investigated. These treatments allowed processing in situ conductive tracks on the surface of insulating polymer-based materials. The importance of the kinds of fillers and matrices, and of the laser process parameters was studied. Carbon nanotubes were also used to obtain piezoresistive composites. The electrical response of these materials to a mechanical load was investigated in view of their exploitation for the production of pressure sensors and switches based on the piezoresistive effect. It was found that the piezoresistive behavior of composites with very low filler concentration can be improved with proper laser treatments.


Effect of magnesium deficiency on interleukin production by Fisher rats: effect of interleukins on reduced in vitro lymphocyte responses to concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide.
The ability of rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet to produce interleukins (ILs) and the effect of ILs on in vitro lymphocyte mitogenesis have been studied in rats. Lack of magnesium resulted in a lower number of plastic-adherent spleen cells and in a reduction of IL-1 production. IL-2 production was not significantly affected, indicating differential sensitivity of T cells to magnesium deficiency. The diminished mitogenic response of splenocytes to concanavalin A (Con-A) was restored by the addition of IL-1 supernatant, while the addition of IL-2 supernatant and recombinant IL-2 resulted in significantly greater enhancement of proliferation in response to Con-A, compared with that of control spleen cells. The fact that recombinant IL-2 restored the T-cell responses to Con-A indicates that the active factor in the IL-2 supernatant is IL-2.


The yeast polyubiquitin gene is essential for resistance to high temperatures, starvation, and other stresses.
Conjugation of ubiquitin to intracellular proteins mediates their selective degradation in eukaryotes. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, four distinct ubiquitin-coding loci have been described. UBI1, UBI2, and UBI3 each encode hybrid proteins in which ubiquitin is fused to unrelated sequences. The fourth gene, UBI4, contains five ubiquitin-coding elements in a head-to-tail arrangement, and thus encodes a polyubiquitin precursor protein. A precise, oligonucleotide-directed deletion of UBI4 was constructed in vitro and substituted in the yeast genome in place of the wild-type allele. ubi4 deletion mutants are viable as vegetative cells, grow at wild-type rates, and contain wild-type levels of free ubiquitin under exponential growth conditions. However, although ubi4/UBI4 diploids can form four initially viable spores, the two ubi4 spores within the ascus lose viability extremely rapidly, apparently a novel phenotype in yeast. Furthermore, ubi4/ubi4 diploids are sporulation-defective. ubi4 mutants are also hypersensitive to high temperatures, starvation, and amino acid analogs. These three conditions, while diverse in nature, are all known to induce stress proteins. Expression of the UBI4 gene is similarly induced by either heat stress or starvation. These results indicate that UBI4 is specifically required for the resistance of cells to stress, and that ubiquitin is an essential component of the stress response system.


Lasing-Mode Switch of a Hexagonal ZnO Pyramid Driven by Pressure within a Diamond Anvil Cell.
Nanolasers are expected to be integrated on chips as miniaturized coherent light sources, and their application is strongly dependent on their lasing behavior. In this work, the lasing behavior of a single hexagonal ZnO pyramid (HZOP) is tailored by tuning the electronic bandgap with pressure. The lasing of the HZOP nanolaser is dominated by a helical whispering-gallery-like mode, and the lasing threshold varies little with increasing pressure. All lasing peaks of HZOP are limited in a spectral prescreen window on the right shoulder of the fluorescence emission and gradually blue-shift accompanied by several abrupt hops with increasing pressure. This feature of a spectral prescreen window originates from the strong coupling between excitons, and the coupling is described by a dispersive complex refractive index. These results provide a new perspective to tune and switch the lasing mode of a nanolaser with precision by the pressure-induced bandgap broadening of a semiconductor.


Combustion process of a promising catalyst [Cu(Salen)] for HMX-CMDB propellants.
Metal organic complexes are regarded as a series of promising combustion catalysts for solid rocket propellants. Their effects on the combustion performance of propellants are closely related to the reaction mechanism. Here, the metal-organic complex Cu(Salen) was investigated as a candidate material for the combustion catalyst of the HMX-added composite modified double-base propellant (HMX-CMDB). The combustion performance of the propellant was found to be evidently enhanced in the presence of Cu(Salen) compared with the propellant samples containing Benzoic-Cu or without catalyst. The addition of Cu(Salen) can improve the burning rate and combustion efficiency of the propellant - and greatly reduce the burning rate pressure index. Analysis shows that the addition of Cu(Salen) can increase the combustion area, flame brightness and combustion surface uniformity of the propellant to a higher degree. The sample can spray more beams of bright filaments on the flat combustion section, and the amount of gas generated by decomposition also greatly increases. In addition, Cu(Salen) shows amazing advantages in improving the surface of the propellant and the temperature gradient of the combustion flame.


Rift Valley Fever--East Africa, 1997-1998.
In December 1997, the Kenya Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nairobi received reports of 478 unexplained deaths in the North Eastern province of Kenya and southern Somalia. Clinical features included acute onset of fever and headache associated with hemorrhage (hematochezia, hematemesis, and bleeding from other mucosal sites). Local health officials also reported high rates of illness and death resulting from hemorrhage among domestic animals in the area. This report describes the preliminary results of the outbreak investigation and the results of a serologic survey.


Analytical Ultracentrifugation-Calibrated Anion-Exchange Chromatography for Sensitive and Intact Determination of Osteopontin in Infant Formula and Dairy Products.
Osteopontin is a crucial protein ingredient that has been applied in fortified dairy products and infant formula. It has great significance to infant gut health and brain development. However, current techniques including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry are still facing the bottleneck of low sensitivity and indirect quantification. Moreover, the unavailable certified commercial OPN standard hinders its accurate quantification. Herein, a novel method of anion-exchange chromatography was established to determine OPN concentration in several dairy matrices. The polarity-reversed capillary isoelectric focusing was utilized to measure the exact isoelectric point (pI) to support method development for OPN separation. Analytical ultracentrifugation was used to calibrate the purity of intact OPN to develop an in-house reference standard. The method showed the merits of limits of detection to 0.04 mg/100 g, relative standard deviation of reproducibility <5% for 13 out of 14 tested matrices, and an average recovery rate of 101.3%. This method has shown the potential to be adopted as an international standard method for the quantification of intact OPN in infant formula and dairy products.


New Coagulant Proteases for Cheesemaking from Leaves and Latex of the Spontaneous Plant Pergularia tomentosa: Biochemical Characterization of Coagulants and Sensorial Evaluation of Cheese.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the caseinolytic and milk-clotting activities of aqueous crude extracts from leaves and latex of the Pergularia tomentosa, to determine their suitability as a rennet substitute. These extracts were subjected to a series of biochemical tests before being used in the production of cheese. The results showed that the enzymatic latex extract had a higher coagulant activity than the leaf extract. However, under different clotting conditions (pH, temperature, and CaCl2 concentration), both coagulants behaved similarly in the coagulation of Berridge substrate. The SDS-PAGE and zymographic analysis revealed identical protein bands with a single active zone in both extracts, corresponding to a molecular weight of 26.98 kDa and 26.03 kDa in the extract of leaf and latex, respectively. Both extracts were stable to different effectors but strongly inhibited by iodoacetamide and Hg, suggesting it to be a cysteine protease. Both extracts were able to hydrolyze casein and generate peptides of 14 kDa, with excessive hydrolysis of the other casein fractions. The physicochemical parameters of cheese made from latex and leaf extract evolved similarly to control cheese. According to the sensory evaluation, cheese made with latex had a mildly bitter flavor but showed a high acceptance rate (>80%).


[Vasoactive intestinal peptide induces 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase and antiviral state in cells of HT-29 colonic cancer].
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) is able at the concentration 10 to 100 nM to induce in HT-29 cells 2'5' oligoadenylate (2'5' A) synthetase activity. The kinetics of this induction show that the maximal effect is attained after 24 hrs. VIP induces 2'5' A synthetase parallel to inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus growth. The levels of these two induced activities after VIP treatment are comparable to those induced by the poly (I).poly (C), an inducer of IFN beta/alpha in mammalian cells. Moreover the anti-IFN beta/alpha antibodies abolish the VIP-induced 2'5' A synthetase whereas anti-IFN gamma antibodies are ineffective. The fact that VIP establishes an antiviral state in HT-29 cells potentiates new pharmaceutical applications for this neuropeptide.


An improved method for preparing cryostat sections of undecalcified bone for multiple uses.
We developed a technique that permits the use of serial sections (7-20 microns) from a single fixed piece of bone tissue for immunofluorescence, measurement of fluorescent bone labels, enzyme histochemistry, and general staining. This technique combines modifications of previously established methods with perfusion of the polymer polyvinylpyrrollidone (PVP) to improve sectioning, and produces reliable sections with good preservation of both hard and soft tissues. The combination of techniques from several workers, the use of perfusion with a polymer to increase the sectionability of the bone, and the addition of a gelatin adhesive on top of pressure-sensitive adhesives represent a significant improvement over previously described methods. The sections obtained are usable for immunocytochemistry, general staining, enzyme histochemistry, and visualization of fluorescent bone labels. We have consistently used tissues prepared in this manner for immunohistochemical demonstration of neuropeptides in skeletal tissues and for localizing tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). In addition, other tissues obtained from PVP-perfused rats, such as brain, spinal cord, muscle, gut, and sympathetic ganglia, are also well preserved and demonstrate immunohistochemical staining comparable to and possibly superior to that obtained with normal fixation protocols.


Positron emission tomography studies of brain receptors.
Probing the regional distribution and affinity of receptors in the brain, in vivo, in human and non human primates has become possible with the use of selective ligands labelled with positron emitting radionuclides and positron emission tomography (PET). After describing the techniques used in positron emission tomography to characterize a ligand receptor binding and discussing the choice of the label and the limitations and complexities of the in vivo approach, the results obtained in the PET studies of various neurotransmission systems: dopaminergic, opiate, benzodiazepine, serotonin and cholinergic systems are reviewed.


Organic Nanotube with Subnanometer, pH-Responsive Lumen.
While many synthetic nanotubes with a hydrophobic lumen and fast molecular transport have been developed, decorating the interior of these channels with polar and/or responsive functional groups remains challenging. In transmembrane proteins like the aquaporin and M2 channels, the presence of histidine residues in a mostly hydrophobic channel has led to enhanced selectivity and pH-based activation. Herein, we report the synthesis of Bzim-CP, a cyclic octapeptide that contains a benzimidazole functionality as a chemical and structural mimic of histidine. Bzim-CP undergoes different protonation states, forms subnanometer nanotubes, and projects two different ionizable functionalities into the lumen. Present studies open up synthetic possibilities to functionalize subnanometer porous channels as a basis toward understanding new transport phenomena.


Restoring GABAergic inhibition rescues memory deficits in a Huntington's disease mouse model.
Huntington's disease (HD) is classically characterized as a movement disorder, however cognitive impairments precede the motor symptoms by ∼15 y. Based on proteomic and bioinformatic data linking the Huntingtin protein (Htt) and KCC2, which is required for hyperpolarizing GABAergic inhibition, and the important role of inhibition in learning and memory, we hypothesized that aberrant KCC2 function contributes to the hippocampal-associated learning and memory deficits in HD. We discovered that Htt and KCC2 interact in the hippocampi of wild-type and R6/2-HD mice, with a decrease in KCC2 expression in the hippocampus of R6/2 and YAC128 mice. The reduced expression of the Cl--extruding cotransporter KCC2 is accompanied by an increase in the Cl--importing cotransporter NKCC1, which together result in excitatory GABA in the hippocampi of HD mice. NKCC1 inhibition by the FDA-approved NKCC1 inhibitor bumetanide abolished the excitatory action of GABA and rescued the performance of R6/2 mice on hippocampal-associated behavioral tests.


Basic Coagulation Profiles and Platelet Count Among Schistosoma mansoni-Infected Adults Attending Sanja Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.
To assess basic coagulation profiles and platelet count among Schistosoma mansoni-infected and non-infected adults. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2019 at Sanja Primary Hospital, northwest Ethiopia. A total of 200 adults (100 cases and 100 controls) were enrolled using convenient sampling technique. Both wet mount and Kato-Katz techniques were performed using a stool sample. The venous blood sample was collected to perform platelet count, basic coagulation and serological tests. The data were coded and entered into EpiData Manager (v184.108.40.206) and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Nonparametric tests were used during data analysis. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and international normalization ratio (INR) were significantly higher while the platelet count was significantly lower in S. mansoni-infected than healthy adults (P <0.001). There were statistically significant differences in the median [IQR] value of PT, APTT, INR and platelet count between light, moderate and heavy infected groups (P <0.05). Infection intensity had a positive correlation with basic coagulation profiles and a negative correlation with platelet count (P <0.05) of S. mansoni-infected adults. The prevalence of coagulation abnormality was higher in S. mansoni-infected adults than healthy controls. Coagulation test and platelet count should be used to monitor and manage schistosomiasis-related complications.


Toxicity of extracts from disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, and paper cups on L-929 cells.
To evaluate the toxicity of extracts from disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, and paper cups on L-929 cells. We followed national standards to prepare the extracts from disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, and paper cups used for the cell culture media, and the morphology of L-929 cells was observed with an optical microscope. The loss rate for adherent cells was evaluated with the trypan blue exclusion method, and cell proliferation was determined using the WST-1 assay. Compared with the control group, the cells cultured in media containing the extracts showed signs of apoptosis and necrosis after culturing for 4 or 7 days, and the loss rate for adherent cells was significantly increased (P < 0.05). An obvious decrease in cell viability was also observed (P < 0.05). The extracts from disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, and paper cups can affect the growth and proliferation of L-929 cells and are potentially toxic to humans.


Optimization of a human papillomavirus-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
A strategy was developed for the control, standardization, and critical evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of human papillomavirus-specific immunoglobulin G in human sera. Control human sera, polyclonal animal sera, and monoclonal antibodies were used to establish optimal assay parameters, including antigen coating, serum dilutions, and criteria for daily reproducibility, monitoring, and rejection of assays. Three evaluation techniques were used in parallel to define an optimal cutoff absorbance value that yields greater than 93% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity in the assay's ability to discriminate positive and negative control sera. This strategy provides an optimal method by which to determine cutoff absorbance values for ELISA.


Photon and neutron dose contributions and mean quality factors phantoms of different size irradiated by monoenergetic neutrons.
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in its Publication 60 introduced important changes in the concept of risk-related quantities. For external neutron radiation in particular the introduction of the equivalent dose with the radiation weighting factor wR instead of the dose equivalent concept with the quality factor Q(L) has many consequences. The value of wR is defined by the external neutron radiation field, while the radiation quality in the phantom depends on the radiation field at the position of interest and hence on the size of and the position in the phantom. It has been investigated to what extent the size of the phantom influences the mean radiation quality in the phantoms. For incident monoenergetic neutrons, mean photon dose contributions and mean quality factors have been calculated. Results are presented for various phantoms which characterize the conditions for a mouse, a rat, the ICRU sphere and a human body.


1.5 vs 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review of Favorite Clinical Applications for Both Field Strengths-Part 2.
The second part of this review deals with experiences in neuroradiological and pediatric examinations using modern magnetic resonance imaging systems with 1.5 T and 3 T, with special attention paid to experiences in pediatric cardiac imaging. In addition, whole-body examinations, which are widely used for diagnostic purposes in systemic diseases, are compared with respect to the image quality obtained in different body parts at both field strengths. A systematic overview of the technical differences at 1.5 T and 3 T has been presented in part 1 of this review, as well as several organ-based magnetic resonance imaging applications including musculoskeletal imaging, abdominal imaging, and prostate diagnostics.


Innate immune defense system of the skin.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have a pivotal role in cutaneous innate immunity. They are present in the skin of many animals, including mammals, and are both constitutively present and inducible by infection and injury. Antimicrobial peptides exhibit antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, with different potencies depending on their peptide structure. They also act as multifunctional effector molecules that influence diverse cellular processes, including cell migration, proliferation and differentiation, cytokine production, angiogenesis and wound healing. Suppressed AMP production has been associated with increased susceptibility to microbial insults and the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. This review highlights recent observations on the expression and role of AMPs, particularly the AMPs cathelicidin and β-defensin, in healthy and diseased skin.


2'-Modified Thymidines with Bioorthogonal Cyclopropene or Sydnone as Building Blocks for Copper-Free Postsynthetic Functionalization of Chemically Synthesized Oligonucleotides.
The development of facile methods for conjugating relevant probes, ligands, or delivery agents onto oligonucleotides (ONs) is highly desirable both for fundamental studies in chemical biology and for improving the pharmacology of ONs in medicinal chemistry. Numerous efforts have been focused on the introduction of bioorthogonal groups onto phosphoramidite building blocks, allowing the controlled chemical synthesis of reactive ONs for postsynthetic modifications. Among these building blocks, alkyne, cyclooctynes, trans-cyclooctene, and norbornene have been proved to be compatible with automated solid-phase chemistry. Herein, we present the development of novel 2'-functionalized nucleoside phosphoramidite monomers comprising bioorthogonal methylcyclopropene or sydnone moieties and their introduction for the first time to ON solid-phase synthesis. Traceless ON postsynthetic modifications with reactive complementary probes were successfully achieved through either inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (iEDDA) reactions or strain-promoted sydnone-alkyne cycloaddition (SPSAC). These results expand the set of bioorthogonal phosphoramidite building blocks to generate ONs for postsynthetic labeling.


The role of the ND5 gene in LHON: characterization of a new, heteroplasmic LHON mutation.
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) causes central vision loss from bilateral optic neuropathy. Although 13 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are strongly associated with LHON, only three account for roughly 90% of cases and thus are found in multiple independent LHON families. The remaining LHON mutations are rare. Here, we describe the clinical and genetic characterization of a new LHON mtDNA mutation. The 12848T mutation alters a highly conserved amino acid in the ND5 complex I gene, is not found in controls, and is heteroplasmic. Despite ND5 being the largest of the mtDNA complex I genes, ND5 mutations are quite rare in LHON.


Determination of seven drugs of abuse and their metabolites in surface and wastewater using solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry.
A method based on liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (Exactive Orbitrap) combined with solid-phase extraction using a strong cationic exchange mixed-mode sorbent has been developed for the determination of seven drugs of abuse, including two synthetic cathinones, as well as some of their metabolites in environmental water samples. The method provides low detection limits and a high confirmation power thanks to the diagnostic and two fragment ions monitored for each compound in high-resolution mass spectrometry, providing six identification points for each analyte. The clean-up step based on methanol in the extraction step adequately decreased the matrix effect, mainly for river and effluent water, and provided suitable process efficiency. Method detection and quantitation limits for environmental waters were at low nanogram per liter. The method was applied to analyze the samples of influent and effluent wastewater, as well as surface water. Codeine, methadone, and its metabolite were determined in all samples of wastewater and the metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, was found at the highest concentration.


Oryza sativa as a Tool for Assessing Arsenic Efficacy of Arsenic Remediation of Agricultural Soils by Sulfidated Zerovalent Iron Nanoparticles.
Arsenic (As) is highly toxic in its inorganic form. It is naturally presented at elevated levels in the groundwater of a number of countries and contaminates drinking water sources, generating numerous health and environmental problems. Current methodologies for its remediation have deficiencies which fuel the constant exploration of new alternatives. Therefore, the development of robust methodologies for the evaluation of potential remediation technologies are not only timely but also highly needed. In this study we have investigated the use of a rice plant species as a means to evaluate the efficacy of As remediation using sulfidated zerovalent iron nanoparticles (S-nZVI). The obtained results show that addition of S-nZVI to soils had a beneficial impact to plant growth in the presence of As(V) and As(III) concentrations between 10 and 50 ppm. Positive effects were also found for plant biomass and chlorophyll content in the plants. Moreover, evaluation of As uptake by plants showed that the application of S-nZVI reduced the amount of both As(V) and As(III) in shoots and increased the amount of As in the roots. Studies on the Fe and P content in shoot and root after exposure to As with and without the nanoparticles demonstrated that nanoparticles remain mainly in the roots and that P uptake by plants was not significantly affected, suggesting that S-nZVI treatment is safe for plants at the assayed doses. These results overall confirm the method as robust and reliable for demonstrating the reduction of the bioavailability of As in soil by S-nZVI sequestration.


Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity in a human neuroblastoma cell line and the coexistence of other neuropeptide immunoreactivity in the cell line.
The presence of VIP-like immunoreactivity in human neuroblastoma cell line NB-1 was demonstrated by radioimmunoassay of the crude cell extract and by immunocytochemical staining of the cells. Gel filtration profiles of VIP-like immunoreactivity in the cell extract measured by radioimmunoassays using three different region-specific antisera revealed that the immunoreactivity consists of a major molecular form corresponding to porcine VIP having 28 amino acid residues with at least two additional minor forms larger and smaller than the VIP. In addition to VIP-like immunoreactivity, the cell extract was shown to contain substance P-, neurotensin- and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity as well.


Rapid demonstration of Legionella pneumophila in unembedded tissue. An adaptation of the Giménez stain.
The Giménez stain, originally developed for demonstrating rickettsiae, readily stained the Legionnaires' disease bacterium (Legionella pneumophila) in frozen tissue sections and smears of fresh or formalin-fixed lung tissue from patients who had confirmed Legionnaires' disease. With the Giménez procedure, the bacterium stained bright red against a blue-green background. The tissue Gram procedures also stained L. pneumophila in frozen sections and smears, but the staining reaction was weak, and these stains were neither as sensitive nor a consistent as the Giménez procedure.


Augmentation of a Locking Plate System Using Bioactive Bone Cement-Experiment in a Proximal Humeral Fracture Model.
The purpose of this study was to test whether local filling of a novel strontium-containing hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) bone cement can augment the fixation of a locking plate system in a cadaveric proximal humeral facture model. Twelve pairs of formalin-treated cadaveric humeri were used. One side in each pair was for cemented group, while the other side was for the control group. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the samples was tested. A 3-part facture model was created and then reduced and fixed by a locking plate system. In the cemented group, the most proximal 4 screw holes were filled with 0.5 mL bone cement. In the control group, the screw holes were not filled by cement. Locking screws were inserted in a standard manner before the cement hardened. X-ray was taken before all the specimens being subjected to mechanical study, in which 6 pairs were used for axial loading (varus bending) test, while other 6 pairs were used for axial rotational test. There is no difference in BMD between the cemented side and the control side. The X-ray shows that the implant is in position. Cement filling was noted in the most proximal 4 screws in the cemented group. Better mechanical outcome was seen in the cemented groups, in terms of less maximal displacement per cycle and higher failure point and stiffness in varus bending test. However, no difference was found between the cemented group and the control group in the axial rotation test. In similarity with the previous studies, our results showed better mechanical results in the cemented group. However, due to the limitations (e.g. sample size, fracture model, testing protocol, etc), we still cannot directly extrapolate current mechanical results to clinical practice at the present moment. Furthermore, it is still unknown whether better primary outcome may lead to better long-term results, even though the local release of strontium may enhance the local bone formation. The local filling of Sr-HA bone cement augments the fixation of the locking plate system in current proximal humeral fracture model.


Discriminatory behavior towards a person with Alzheimer's disease: examining the effects of being in a nursing home.
This study examined determinants of discriminatory behavior towards a person with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using an attribution model. More specifically, the effects of residing in a nursing home compared with the community were examined. A phone survey was conducted during the summer of 2007 with a representative sample of 501 lay persons (mean age = 49) in Israel. Information regarding participants' discriminatory behavior towards a male person with AD was elicited using a vignette methodology. The effects of emotional reactions, perceptions of dangerousness and responsibility of the person depicted in the vignette as well as perceptions about the susceptibility of developing Alzheimer's disease were examined together with the effects of place of residence. Four forms of discriminatory behavior were found: coercion to restraint physically, coercion to restraint medically, segregation and avoidance. Results of the study provided partial support for an extended version of the attribution model, in that negative emotions were found to increase discrimination, whereas pity decreased avoidance. Perceptions of dangerousness were one of the main variables predicting discrimination. Contrary to the hypothesized relationships, being in a nursing home did not increase discrimination. The present study adds new information about factors associated to the stigma of AD.


Expression of herpes simplex virus type 1 major DNA-binding protein, ICP8, in transformed cell lines: complementation of deletion mutants and inhibition of wild-type virus.
To minimize the contribution of residual activity associated with the temperature-sensitive (ts) form of ICP8 specified by available ts mutants, deletion mutations in this gene were constructed. Cells permissive for the generation and propagation of ICP8 deletion mutants were first obtained. Vero cells were cotransfected with pKEF-P4, which contains the gene for ICP8, and pSV2neo or a hybrid plasmid containing the G418 resistance gene linked to pKEF-P4. Of the 48 G418-resistant cell lines, 21 complemented ICP8 ts mutants in plaque assays at the nonpermissive temperature. Four of these were examined by Southern blot analysis and shown to contain 1 to 3 copies of the ICP8 gene per haploid genome equivalent. Cell line U-47 was used as the permissive host for construction of ICP8 deletion mutants. In addition to cell lines which complemented ts mutants, two lines, U-27 and U-35, significantly inhibited plaque formation by wild-type virus, contained 30 and 100 copies of the ICP8 gene per haploid genome equivalent, respectively, and expressed large amounts of ICP8 after infection with wild-type virus. At low but not high multiplicities of infection, this inhibition was accompanied by underproduction of viral polypeptides of the early, delayed-early, and late kinetic classes. For construction of deletion mutants, a 780-base-pair XhoI fragment was deleted from pSG18-SalIA, a plasmid which contains the gene for ICP8, to yield pDX. U-47 cells were then cotransfected with pDX and infectious wild-type DNA. Mutant d61, isolated from the progeny of cotransfection, was found to contain both the engineered deletion in the ICP8 gene and an oriL-associated deletion of approximately 55 base pairs. Because d61 contained two mutations, a second mutant, d21, which carried the engineered ICP8 deletion but an intact oriL, was constructed by cotransfection of U-47 cells with wild-type DNA and an SalI-KpnI fragment purified from pDX. Phenotypic analysis of d21 and d61 revealed that they were similar in all properties examined: both exhibited efficient growth in U-47 cells but not in Vero cells; both induced the synthesis of an ICP8 polypeptide which was smaller than the wild-type form of the protein and which, unlike the wild-type protein, was found in the cytoplasm and not the nucleus of infected Vero cells; and nonpermissive Vero cells infected with either mutant failed to express late viral polypeptides.


Personality metatraits predict resilience among family caregivers responsible for a dependent youth's chronic respiratory management.
Family caregivers of children and youth with severe neurodisabilities that require chronic respiratory management often report a compromised quality of life. In this cross-sectional study, we used DeYoung's (Psychol Inq 21(1): 26-33, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478401003648674 ) conceptualization of two personality metatraits, Alpha and Beta, to test their theorized role in facilitating resilience among these family caregivers. We expected higher Alpha and Beta would exhibit direct, beneficial effects on caregiver mental and physical health quality of life (QoL), and they would operate through self-reported resilience and coping to exert positive, indirect effects on caregiver QoL. Family caregivers of children and youth at an outpatient chronic respiratory management clinic were informed of the study. Of the 68 who consented, 61 provided complete data on measures of personality traits, coping styles, and physical and mental health-related QoL. Factor analytic techniques verified the two personality metatraits, consistent with the DeYoung model. The metatraits were then used as predictor variables in a path model to predict physical and mental health-related QoL. Self-reported resilience and a coping variable were examined as possible mediators of the personality-QoL relationship. Correlational analyses isolated a coping variable that met criteria as a possible mediator. The path model exhibited good fit to the data. The Alpha metatrait-characterized by emotional stability, self-regulation, perseverance, and intrinsic motivation-was directly predictive of caregiver mental health. The Beta metatrait, reflecting a disposition for adaptive flexibility, responsiveness, and interpersonal initiative, demonstrated significant indirect effects to physical and mental health through its positive association with coping efforts to maintain social support and a sense of self. Consistent with DeYoung's conceptualization, higher Alpha and Beta predicted caregiver resilience, albeit through different pathways. The emotional stability, perseverance and emotional regulation associated with Alpha likely accounted for its positive association with caregiver mental health. Beta, in contrast, may operate through their adaptive flexibility, personal resourcefulness and social engagement to augment coping efforts that involve others and support family activities, which, in turn, promote their own physical and mental health. Limitations of the cross-sectional design, and potential theoretical and clinical implications of the personality metatraits and their relation to resilience are discussed.


Perioperative lung protection.
Perioperative pulmonary complications are known to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and as such, contribute a large burden to the health care system globally. Anesthesiologists have an important role during the perioperative period to identify patients at risk of these complications and intervene in order to reduce them. After describing perioperative pulmonary complications and risk factors for such, this article will address preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative lung protective strategies to try and reduce the risk of these complications.


Using the internet to assist smoking prevention and cessation in schools: a randomized, controlled trial.
To evaluate the impact of a classroom-based, Web-assisted tobacco intervention addressing smoking prevention and cessation with adolescents. A two-group randomized control trial with 1,402 male and female students in grades 9 through 11 from 14 secondary schools in Toronto, Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to a tailored Web-assisted tobacco intervention or an interactive control condition task conducted during a single classroom session with e-mail follow-up. The cornerstone of the intervention was a five-stage interactive Web site called the Smoking Zine (http://www.smokingzine.org) integrated into a program that included a paper-based journal, a small group form of motivational interviewing, and tailored e-mails. Resistance to smoking, behavioral intentions to smoke, and cigarette use were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and three- and six-month follow-up. Multilevel logistic growth modeling was used to assess the effect of the intervention on change over time. The integrated Smoking Zine program helped smokers significantly reduce the likelihood of having high intentions to smoke and increased their likelihood of high resistance to continued cigarette use at 6 months. The intervention also significantly reduced the likelihood of heavy cigarette use adoption by nonsmokers during the study period. The Smoking Zine intervention provided cessation motivation for smokers most resistant to quitting at baseline and prevented nonsmoking adolescents from becoming heavy smokers at 6 months. By providing an accessible and attractive method of engaging young people in smoking prevention and cessation, this interactive and integrated program provides a novel vehicle for school- and population-level health promotion.


Increased plasma expression of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs like 4 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can result in right heart failure. We aimed to evaluate the plasma protein levels of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs like 4 (ADAMTSL4) and its relationship with IPAH and CTEPH. Plasma ADAMTSL4 protein levels were measured using proteomics analysis in eight patients with IPAH and nine healthy controls. ADAMTSL4 levels in pulmonary tissues were assessed using bioinformatics tools. Protein expression of ADAMTSL4 in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-treated primary rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) was detected by Western blot. Plasma ADAMTSL4 concentrations were measured in 45 patients (15 with IPAH and 30 with CTEPH) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlation between ADAMTSL4 levels and clinical parameters was evaluated. In patients with IPAH, the plasma levels of ADAMTSL4 protein were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (flod change [FC] 1.85, p < 0.05), and mRNA expression levels were significantly elevated (log FC 0.66, p < 0.05). The protein expression of ADAMTSL4 was significantly increased in PDGF-BB-treated PASMCs compared to that in the control grAoup (p < 0.05). Plasma ADAMTSL4 protein levels in patients with IPAH (4.71 ± 0.73 ng/mL, p < 0.01) and CTEPH (4.22 ± 0.66 ng/mL, p < 0.01) were higher than in healthy controls (3.01 ± 0.46 ng/mL). Plasma ADAMATL4 protein levels had a cutoff value of 3.55 ng/mL based on the receiver operator characteristic curve and were positively correlated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) (r = 0.305, p < 0.05). In patients with IPAH and CTEPH, elevated plasma ADAMTSL4 levels were positively associated with mPAP.


The effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on posttraumatic limb swelling and joint stiffness. A review and an experimental study in rabbits.
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an inorganic compound with many interesting in vitro properties, including the ability to scavenge oxygen-free radicals. DMSO has been used to treat a variety of clinical conditions, especially musculoskeletal trauma, but valid data regarding its effectiveness are lacking. This paper reviews the pharmacology of DMSO and reports on its effectiveness in reducing posttraumatic limb swelling and ankle joint stiffness in a rabbit hind limb model. The left and right hind limbs of the test and control animals were instrumented and fractured identically. DMSO was applied daily to the skin of only one limb in the test animals. DMSO reduced postinjury ankle stiffness in both ankles of the test rabbits by 41% but had no effect on limb swelling compared to control rabbits. Postulated mechanisms of decreased joint stiffness include oxygen-free radical scavenging and inhibition of fibroblast proliferation.


Glycosaminoglycan binding properties of annexin IV, V, and VI.
We have previously demonstrated that annexin IV, one of the calcium/phospholipid-binding annexin family proteins, binds to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in a calcium-dependent manner (Kojima, K., Yamamoto, K., Irimura, T., Osawa, T., Ogawa, H., and Matsumoto, I. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 7679-7685). In this study, we investigated the GAG binding specificities of annexins IV, V, and VI by affinity chromatography and solid phase assays. Annexin IV was found to bind in a calcium-dependent manner to all the GAG columns tested. Annexin V bound to heparin and heparan sulfate columns but not to chondroitin sulfate columns. Annexin VI was adsorbed to heparin and heparan sulfate columns in a calcium-independent manner, and to chondroitin sulfate columns in a calcium-dependent manner. An N-terminal half fragment (A6NH) and a C-terminal half fragment (A6CH) of annexin VI, each containing four units, were prepared by digestion with V8 protease and examined for GAG binding activities. A6NH bound to heparin in the presence of calcium but not to chondroitin sulfate C, whereas A6CH bound to heparin calcium-independently and to chondroitin sulfate C calcium-dependently. The results showed that annexin IV, V, and VI have different GAG binding properties. Some annexins have been reported to be detected not only in the cytoplasm but also on the cell surface or in extracellular components. The findings suggest that the some annexins function as recognition elements for GAGs in extracellular space.


The signaling signature of the neurotensin type 1 receptor with endogenous ligands.
The human neurotensin 1 receptor (hNTS1) is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in many physiological functions, including analgesia, hypothermia, and hypotension. To gain a better understanding of which signaling pathways or combination of pathways are linked to NTS1 activation and function, we investigated the ability of activated hNTS1, which was stably expressed by CHO-K1 cells, to directly engage G proteins, activate second messenger cascades and recruit β-arrestins. Using BRET-based biosensors, we found that neurotensin (NT), NT(8-13) and neuromedin N (NN) activated the Gαq-, Gαi1-, GαoA-, and Gα13-protein signaling pathways as well as the recruitment of β-arrestins 1 and 2. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we further demonstrated that all three ligands stimulated the production of inositol phosphate and modulation of cAMP accumulation along with ERK1/2 activation. Interestingly, despite the functional coupling to Gαi1 and GαoA, NT was found to produce higher levels of cAMP in the presence of pertussis toxin, supporting that hNTS1 activation leads to cAMP accumulation in a Gαs-dependent manner. Additionally, we demonstrated that the full activation of ERK1/2 required signaling through both a PTX-sensitive Gi/o-c-Src signaling pathway and PLCβ-DAG-PKC-Raf-1-dependent pathway downstream of Gq. Finally, the whole-cell integrated signatures monitored by the cell-based surface plasmon resonance and changes in the electrical impedance of a confluent cell monolayer led to identical phenotypic responses between the three ligands. The characterization of the hNTS1-mediated cellular signaling network will be helpful to accelerate the validation of potential NTS1 biased ligands with an improved therapeutic/adverse effect profile.


Evaluation of the knowledge level of pediatricians on dental trauma and their awareness of the ToothSOS mobile application: A cross sectional study.
Pediatricians play an essential role in managing pediatric oral emergencies; hence, they should have accurate information on dental injuries. This study aimed to assess the knowledge level of pediatricians regarding traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and their awareness of the ToothSOS mobile application. A survey comprising 10 questions was created on Google forms, and the links were sent to the participants via electronic mail and a mobile application. The demographic characteristics and the knowledge level of pediatricians about TDI and their awareness of the ToothSOS mobile application were evaluated. The questions were prepared by following similar studies and the current guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology. A total of 229 pediatricians (74.2% female) participated in this study. The correct answer rates revealed statistical differences in terms of profession and experience on the following issues: the most frequently traumatized tooth, the preference of the antibiotic agent, and the management of avulsed primary tooth (p < .05). The decision to consult a dentist revealed statistical differences in the profession (p = .001). The correct answers on the correlation between the age group and dental trauma accompanied by soft tissue injuries showed statistical differences in experience (p = .005). Although none of the participants knew the ToothSOS application, 91.7% of them preferred using this tool in future practices. This rate was statistically higher in participants with an experience of more than 10 years (p = .013). The knowledge level of pediatricians regarding dental trauma was found to be sufficient, except for the questions on avulsion injuries. However, the fact that the participants were unaware of the ToothSOS mobile application was the most considerable result of the study, and this finding highlighted the importance of informing pediatricians dealing with oral injuries regarding the latest updates on dental traumatology.


The nature and role of 8-deltacyclyl and 7-isodeltacyclyl cations in solvolytic reactions of parent brosylates.
Solvolysis of exo-8-deltacyclyl brosylate proceeds directly through a C(2) delocalized cation to exo-8-deltacyclyl acetate. The solvolysis of the endo epimer presents a more complex picture, reacting via a classical deltacyclyl cation, the nonclassical C(2) delocalized cation, and the isodeltacyclyl cation. The solvolysis of exo-7-isodeltacyclyl brosylate generates the 7-isodeltacyclyl ion and subsequently the C(2) delocalized deltacyclyl cation forming 8-deltacyclyl acetate and exo-7-isodeltacyclyl acetate. The cationic intermediates in these three related reaction manifolds are characterized using density functional methods at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) and BPW91/6-311+G(3df, 2p)//BPW91/6-31G(d) levels.


[Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for urological cancer].
Prostate cancer, bladder cancer, renal cancer and testicular cancer are common among urological cancers. The treatment strategy for testicular cancer using chemotherapy has been well established and has been shown to be successful. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy play important roles in multidisciplinary therapy for bladder cancer. Radiotherapy is often used as a radical treatment that is practically equivalent to surgery for prostate cancer. In addition, radiotherapy is useful in cases of bone or brain metastases. In the field of chemotherapy, the development of new agents that would make breakthroughs similar to that of cisplatin is awaited. Taxanes and gemcitabine are good candidates. In the field of radiotherapy, 3D conformal radiation therapy (CRT), which has excellent beam distribution, has recently come into wide use. Moreover, brachytherapy and proton and ion beam therapy are expected to prove useful in prostate cancer therapy.


Evaluation of renal function in human visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar): a prospective study on 50 patients from Brazil.
There are few studies of renal function evaluation in visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar). The aim of this study was to evaluate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and tubular function as urinary acidification capacity and maximal urinary concentration, in patients with the chronic form of kala-azar. This is a cross-sectional study of 50 consecutive patients with kala-azar. GFR was calculated by 24-hour creatinine clearance. Urinary pH, titratable acidity and urinary ammonia excretion were measured after acid-loading with NH4Cl. Urine to plasma osmolality ratio (U/Posm) was evaluated after water withdrawal and vasopressin administration. All parameters were also measured in 20 healthy volunteers (control group). GFR was normal in 44% of the patients, elevated in one third, and decreased in the remaining 28%. Decreased GFR was attributed to fluid loss, hypotension and immunological glomerular disease. Urinary concentrating capacity was abnormal in 68% of the patients with kala-azar after pitressin administration. A urinary pH higher than 5.5 was seen in 64% of cases after ammonium chloride acidification test. There was decreased formation of titratable acidity in 64% and low formation of ammonia urinary excretion in 30% of cases. Complete distal renal tubular acidosis was observed in 30% of patients and an incomplete form was found in 34%. Abnormalities in glomerular filtration, urinary concentration and acidification are consistently associated to the chronic form of kala-azar and can be a consequence of the immunological system dysregulation that occurs in this disease.


Haemodynamic effects of intravenous cibenzoline in patients with coronary heart disease.
The effect of a single dose of cibenzoline ( (diphenyl 2,2 cyclopropyl)--2 imidazoline, Cipralan ), a new compound with antiarrhythmic properties was studied in 14 patients undergoing routine heart catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease. The effect of the drug on dP/dt, Vmax TP, Vce, negative dP/dt, heart rate (HR), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), cardiac index (CI) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) was measured before and after drug administration. A significant decrease in left ventricular isometric contraction parameters was manifested immediately after injection, with its maximal effect 2 to 5 min after injection. An increase in HR, a decrease in LVSP, a decrease in CI and an increase in SVR were observed; LVEDP was not significantly altered, nor was negative dP/dt. The effect of the drug on Vmax TP and LVEDP was also examined during two atrial pacing stress tests ( APST ) done before and 10 to 20 min after drug administration. Although the negative inotropic action of the drug was apparent during the second APST , the effect was less pronounced at higher paced heart rates. No difference in the two tests was found between the maximal paced heart rate, nor was there a difference in the angina threshold. Finally the plasma level of the drug and the changes in certain parameters were compared. A positive correlation was found between the plasma level and dP/dt, Vmax TP and cardiac index.


Atrial arrhythmias and special circumstances.
The present paper discusses the general principles of management of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter under special circumstances. Management recommendations, which encompass initial assessment, initial arrhythmia management and chronic pharmacological therapy, are outlined for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and congenital heart disease. Recommendations are also made for pregnant patients and pediatric patients without congenital heart disease. Discrepancies between the authors' recommendations and those from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology are discussed.


Assessment of health-care workers' attitudes, knowledge, and skills in the care of critically ill Muslim children in New York.
Pediatric health-care workers often care for families of minority religious backgrounds, but little is known about their perspective in providing culturally and spiritually appropriate care for Muslim patients. We aimed to (1) characterize the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of health-care workers in the care of critically ill Muslim children and (2) evaluate preferences for different educational interventions to improve care of critically ill Muslim children. We administered a single-center, cross-sectional, 33-question, electronic survey of interdisciplinary health-care workers in a large pediatric intensive care unit in New York City to characterize their attitudes, knowledge, and skills in caring for critically ill Muslim children. Of 413 health-care workers surveyed, there were 109 (26%) respondents. Participants responded correctly to 51.7 ± 22.2% (mean ± SD) and 69.2 ± 20.6% of background knowledge and clinical skills questions, respectively. Only 29.8% of participants perceived adequate institutional resources to provide culturally competent care to Muslim patients and their families. Participants identified end-of-life care (47.5%) and bioethical concerns (45%) as needed areas for additional institutional resources. When asked about support to aid in caring for Muslim patients, 43.4% of participants requested a team of Muslim health-care workers to provide guidance. Participants most often requested video-based training modules (32.5%) and written materials (30%) as potential educational interventions. We identify gaps in health-care worker knowledge and skills in the care of the critically ill Muslim child. We also describe possible areas for intervention to facilitate culturally and spiritually appropriate care delivery to Muslim children and families.


Multi-detector CT evaluation in patients suspected of tracheobronchomalacia: comparison of end-expiratory with dynamic expiratory volumetric acquisitions.
The aim of this study was to compare dynamic expiratory imaging and end-expiratory imaging using multi-detector CT (MDCT) of the central airways in patients suspected of tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). This study had local ethical committee approval. Seventy patients suspected of TBM were prospectively included. All patients underwent evaluation of central airways by three different low-dose MDCT acquisitions: end inspiration, end expiration, and dynamic expiration. Degree of airway collapse was measured by calculating the percentage change in the area and diameter of the airways between inspiratory and the two expiratory techniques at three levels of the trachea and in the sagittal diameter of the right and left main bronchi. Three threshold levels of percentage reduction in diameter or area (30%, 50%, and 70%) for defining TBM were evaluated. In the entire population, the mean percentage of airway collapse was significantly greater with dynamic expiratory imaging than with the end-expiratory imaging at three different levels: lower thoracic trachea (26% vs. 16.6%, p<0.009), right (25.2% vs. 14%, p<0.01) and left main (24.7% vs. 13.3%, p<0.01) bronchus. Whatever the threshold value for defining TBM, dynamic expiratory imaging always resulted in diagnosing TBM in more patients than end-expiratory imaging. Dynamic expiratory imaging shows a significantly greater degree and a significantly greater extent of airway collapse than standard end-expiratory imaging in patients suspected of TBM. Further evaluation of the clinical relevance of such findings is warranted.


Optimizing Performance by Preventing Disruptive Behavior in Radiology.
Disruptive behaviors impede delivery of high-value health care by negatively impacting patient outcomes and increasing costs. Health care is brimming with potential triggers of disruptive behavior. Given omnipresent environmental and cultural factors such as constrained resources, stressful environments, commercialization, fatigue, unrealistic expectation of perfectionism, and burdensome documentation, a burnout epidemic is raging, and medical providers are understandably at tremendous risk to succumb and manifest these unprofessional behaviors. Each medical specialty has its own unique challenges. Radiology is not exempt; these issues do not respect specialty or professional boundaries. Unfortunately, preventive measures are too frequently overlooked, provider support programs rarely exist, and often organizations either tolerate or ineffectively manage the downstream disruptive behaviors. This review summarizes the background, key definitions, contributing factors, impact, prevention, and management of disruptive behavior. Every member of the health care team can gain from an improved understanding and awareness of the contributing factors and preventive measures. Application of these principles can foster a just culture of understanding, trust, support, respect, and teamwork balanced with accountability. The authors discuss these general topics along with specific issues for radiologists in the current medical environment. Patients, providers, health care organizations, and society all stand to benefit from better prevention of these behaviors. There is a strong moral, ethical, and business case to address this issue head-on. ©RSNA, 2018.


Current knowledge of metabolomic approach in infectious fish disease studies.
The approaches of transcriptomic and proteomic have been widely used to study host-pathogen interactions in fish diseases, and this is comparable to the recently emerging application of metabolomic in elucidating disease-resistant mechanisms in fish that gives new insight into potential therapeutic strategies to improve fish health. Metabolomic is defined as the large-scale study of all metabolites within an organism and represents the frontline in the 'omics' approaches, providing direct information on the metabolic responses and perturbations in metabolic pathways. In this review, the current research in infectious fish diseases using metabolomic approach will be summarized. The metabolomic approach in economically important fish infected with viruses, bacteria and nematodes will also be discussed. The potential of the metabolomic approach for management of these infectious diseases as well as the challenges and the limitations of metabolomic in fish disease studies will be explored. Current review highlights the impacts of metabolomic studies in infectious fish diseases, which proposed the potential of new therapeutic strategies to enhance disease resistance in fish.


Evolution of phase and morphology of titanium dioxide induced from peroxo titanate complex aqueous solution.
We demonstrate the growth of anatase TiO2 in nanospheres and rutile TiO2 in nanorods, by the hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at 100 degrees C using sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface area measurement techniques are used to characterize the phase and shape developments of TiO2 obtained from peroxo titanate complex in an aqueous solution at 100 degrees C. Peroxo titanate complexes were prepared by a reaction of titanium hydroxide, formed by hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), and different amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). TEM and XRD investigations reveal that the size of spheres (anatase) and rods (rutile) are about 8 nm (diameter) and about 13 x 29 nm approximately 20 x 75 nm (width x length) respectively. The influence of molar ratio of H2O2/TTIP on the phase and morphology of TiO2 is presented. A mixture of anatase spheres and short rutile rods are formed at low H2O2/TTIP ratio while predominantly rutile a quit long rods are formed at higher H2O2/TTIP ratio.


Pancreatic cancer expresses adiponectin receptors and is associated with hypoleptinemia and hyperadiponectinemia: a case-control study.
Obesity and insulin resistance have been implicated in the etiology of pancreatic cancer (PC). Whether adiponectin and/or leptin, two adipocyte-secreted hormones important in metabolic regulation, are associated with PC pathogenesis and whether adiponectin receptors are expressed in PC remains unknown. In a hospital-based case-control study, we studied 81 cases with incident, histologically confirmed PC and 81 controls matched on gender and age between 2000 and 2007 to investigate the role of adiponectin and leptin adjusting for risk factors linked to PC. In a separate study, we also studied for the first time whether adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 are expressed in PC by studying 16 PC tumor tissue samples which were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. When subjects were divided into control-defined quartiles of adiponectin and leptin, lower leptin but higher adiponectin levels were associated with PC (p = 0.001 and p = 0.05 respectively) before and after controlling for age, gender, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, history of diabetes, and family history of pancreatic cancer. Of the PC tumor tissue samples analyzed, 87.5% had positive or strong positive expression of AdipoR1 and 93.7% had positive or strong positive expression of AdipoR2. Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether the elevated adiponectin and low leptin levels reported in this study reflect compensatory changes during PC progression and thus can be used as markers for PC or whether they are causally implicated in PC.


DYNAMICS OF CONTENT OF SOME MINERALS IN TEENAGERS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM PATHOLOGY AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF CHRONIC TONSILLITIS ZMIANY ZAWARTOŚCI NIEKTÓRYCH SKŁADNIKÓW MINERALNYCH U MŁODZIEŻY Z CHOROBAMI UKŁADU SERCOWO-NACZYNIOWEGO JAKO PODŁOŻE ROZWOJU PRZEWLEKŁEGO ZAPALENIA MIGDAŁKÓW PODNIEBIENNYCH.
Introduction: Chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract in children and teenagers, such as chronic tonsillitis is quite common in pediatric populations, accompanied by changes in reactivity, causing a risk of complications. Due to the fact that the child's body resistance to acute infectious diseases depends on the sufficiency of trace elements, then at present stage greatly increased interest in deeper study of exchange of macro- and microelements in the human body in normal and pathological conditions. The aim: To study the dynamics of zinc, iron, potassium and magnesium in adolescents with disorders of the cardiovascular system with chronic tonsillitis. Materials and methods: It was examined 63 patients with chronic tonsillitis, among them- 31 children suffer from chronic tonsillitis off-damage to the cardiovascular system (I group), 32 patients with disorders of the cardiovascular system against the background of chronic tonsillitis (II group). The content of trace elements zinc, iron, minerals potassium and magnesium was analyzed. The measurement and calculation were done according to AAS-SPECTR program. Analysis and statistics treatment was done on using application programs STATISTICA 7.0 and MS Excel XP. Results: In result of investigation it was found a violation of trace element composition in the blood serum. Thus, in patients with chronic tonsillitis without cardiovascular system damage during hospitalization was observed a significant decrease in the concentration of iron to (15,47 ± 1,12) mmol/l. Similar changes were observed with the concentration of zinc in the blood serum. In patients with chronic tonsillitis without cardiovascular system damage during hospitalization was observed a significant decrease in the concentration of iron to (15,47 ± 1,12) mmol/l. Similar changes were observed with the concentration of zinc in the blood serum of patients of I groups during hospitalization (10,89 ± 0,57mmol/l) and was significantly lower compared with the data of healthy children (18,40 ± 0,71 mmol/l (p <0.05)). Сonclusions: It should be noted that children with tonsillogene cardiac lesions during hospitalization have a significant decreasing in the level of magnesium compared with indicators of children without pathology of the cardiovascular system. After treatment, the normalization of trace elements iron, zinc, magnesium did not happen, moreover, significant changes were observed in patients with heart disease against the background of chronic tonsillitis.


Management of Legionella in the intensive care setting.
In August 2009, during the swine flu pandemic, a 55-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with shortness-of-breath and chest pain. He had experienced diarrhoea and vomiting during the 3 weeks preceding admission, and so had sought the advice of his General Practitioner (GP) who had prescribed a course of oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Despite this, his symptoms had worsened, and on arrival in the ED he was found to be tachypnoeic, tachycardic, feverish, anuric and in type I respiratory failure with a compensated metabolic acidosis. He subsequently became hypotensive, and so was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for supportive treatment of three organ failures. Investigation revealed that he was suffering from Legionnaires disease. This required a prolonged inpatient stay owing to both disease and treatment related complications.


Presence and transcriptional activity of anaerobic fungi in agricultural biogas plants.
Bioaugmentation with anaerobic fungi (AF) is promising for improved biogas generation from lignocelluloses-rich substrates. However, before implementing AF into biogas processes it is necessary to investigate their natural occurrence, community structure and transcriptional activity in agricultural biogas plants. Thus, AF were detected with three specific PCR based methods: (i) Copies of their 18S genes were found in 7 of 10 biogas plants. (ii) Transcripts of a GH5 endoglucanase gene were present at low level in two digesters, indicating transcriptional cellulolytic activity of AF. (iii) Phylogeny of the AF-community was inferred with the 28S gene. A new Piromyces species was isolated from a PCR-positive digester. Evidence for AF was only found in biogas plants operated with high proportions of animal feces. Thus, AF were most likely transferred into digesters with animal derived substrates. Additionally, high process temperatures in combination with long retention times seemed to impede AF survival and activity.


Congenital hiatus hernia: A case series.
Hiatus hernia is frequent in adults and rare in children; congenital hiatus hernia is even rarer. In this study, we describe a group of infants with congenital hiatus hernia and discuss its management. Records of patients (male: 3, female: 4) who were diagnosed with congenital hiatus hernia between 2010 and 2016 were extracted. Demographic data, presenting symptoms, diagnostic investigations, operative details, postoperative follow-up, and early and late postoperative complications were evaluated retrospectively. Four patients were female and three were male. One patient was diagnosed prenatally while the mean age at diagnosis for others was 18.6 months. Four patients had type IV hernia, 2 had type III hernia, and one had type I hernia. The diagnosis was confirmed by chest X-ray, computerized tomography (CT) and/or upper gastrointestinal series. The hiatal repair was done in all patients either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. During the procedure, 2 patients had Nissen fundoplication and 3 patients had Thal fundoplication. Recurrence of hernia occurred in the 2 patients who had Thal fundoplication. Recurrence of sliding hernias with Thal fundoplication seem more frequent in the series. If the esophagogastric junction is present in the thorax, mediastinal dissection of the esophagus may be required to achieve a good abdominal esophagus structure, which will prevent a recurrence.


Characterization of a phenobarbital-inducible dog liver cytochrome P450 structurally related to rat and human enzymes of the P450IIIA (steroid-inducible) gene subfamily.
A cytochrome P450 called PBD-1 isolated from liver microsomes of an adult male Beagle dog treated with phenobarbital (PB) is structurally and functionally similar to members of the P450IIIA gene subfamily in rat and human liver microsomes. The sequence of the first 28 amino-terminal residues of PBD-1 is identical in 15 and 20 positions, respectively, to the P450IIIA forms P450p from rat and P450NF (and HLp) from human. Upon immunoblot analysis, anti-PBD-1 IgG recognizes PCNa (P450p) and PCNb (PB/PCN-E) from rat, P450NF from human, and two proteins in liver microsomes from both untreated and PB-treated dogs. Similarly, anti-PCNb IgG cross-reacts with PBD-1 and with at least one protein in microsomes from untreated dogs and two proteins in microsomes from PB-treated dogs. P450IIIA-form marker steroid 6 beta-hydroxylase activities increase 2.5-fold upon PB-treatment of dogs and are selectively inhibited by anti-PBD-1 IgG. NADPH-dependent triacetyloleandomycin (TAO) complex formation and erythromycin demethylase, also marker activities for P450IIIA forms from rats and humans, increase 4- and 5-fold in dog liver microsomes upon PB treatment, whereas immunochemically reactive PBD-1 is induced 3-fold. In microsomes from PB-treated dogs, 5 mg anti-PBD-1 IgG/nmol P450 inhibits greater than 75 and 50% of TAO complex formation and erythromycin demethylase activity, respectively. TAO complex formation is not inhibited by chloramphenicol, a selective inhibitor of the major PB-inducible dog liver cytochrome P450, PBD-2. These data suggest that PBD-1 or another immunochemically related form is responsible for a major portion of macrolide antibiotic metabolism by microsomes from PB-treated dogs and for steroid 6 beta-hydroxylation by microsomes from both untreated and PB-treated dogs. Major species differences were noted, however, in the apparent Km for 6 beta-hydroxylation of androstenedione by liver microsomes from untreated rats (24 microM), humans (380 microM), and untreated dogs (4700 microM).


O3 to O1 Phase Transitions in Highly Delithiated NMC811 at Elevated Temperatures.
Nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes such as NMC811 (LixNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2) currently have the highest practical capacities of cathodes used commercially, approaching 200 mAh/g. Lithium is removed from NMC811 via a solid-solution behavior when delithiated to xLi > 0.10, maintaining the same layered (O3 structure) throughout as observed via operando diffraction measurements. Although it is possible to further delithiate NMC811, it is kinetically challenging, and there are significant side reactions between the electrolyte and cathode surface. Here, small format, NMC811-graphite pouch cells were charged to high voltages at elevated temperatures and held for days to access high states of delithiation. Rietveld refinements on high-resolution diffraction data and indexing of selected area electron diffraction patterns, both acquired ex situ, show that NMC811 undergoes a partial and reversible transition from the O3 to the O1 phase under these conditions. The O1 phase fraction depends not only on the concentration of intercalated lithium but also on the hold temperature and hold time, indicating that the phase transition is kinetically controlled. 1H NMR spectroscopy shows that the proton concentration decreases with O1 phase fraction and is not, therefore, likely to be driving the O3-O1 phase transition.


miR-223: An Effective Regulator of Immune Cell Differentiation and Inflammation.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in regulating various biological processes, such as cell differentiation and immune modulation by binding to their target genes. miR-223 is a miRNA with important functions and has been widely investigated in recent years. Under certain physiological conditions, miR-223 is regulated by different transcription factors, including sirtuin1 (Sirt1), PU.1 and Mef2c, and its biological functions are mediated through changes in its cellular or tissue expression. This review paper summarizes miR-223 biosynthesis and its regulatory role in the differentiation of granulocytes, dendritic cells (DCs) and lymphocytes, macrophage polarization, and endothelial and epithelial inflammation. In addition, it describes the molecular mechanisms of miR-223 in regulating lung inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, enteritis, neuroinflammation and mastitis to provide insights into the existing molecular regulatory networks and therapies for inflammatory diseases in humans and animals.


Effects of maturational age of porcine oocytes on the induction of activation and development in vitro following somatic cell nuclear transfer.
To determine the effect of maturational age of porcine oocytes on the induction of activation and development following nuclear transfer, we investigated maturation rate and efficacy of oocyte activation treatment with an electrical stimulus (ES) and cycloheximide (CHX) at various timing of maturation culture. Most oocytes developed to the metaphase II (MII) stage after 32 hr of maturation culture. Both in newly matured (32 and 36 hr of age) and MII-arrested (42 and 48 hr of age) oocytes, ES followed by exposure to CHX for 6 hr caused higher rates of pronuclear formation than ES alone. Effect of maturational age of oocytes on the development of parthenotes activated with ES and CHX was then examined. The highest percentage of parthenotes developed to blastocysts was obtained when ES was added at 42 hr of culture. Finally, newly matured (33 hr of age) and MII-arrested oocytes (44 hr of age) were enucleated, fused with serum-starved pig fetal fibroblasts and activated with ES and CHX around suitable timing (39 to 40 hr of age) or later (50 to 51 hr of age), respectively. The frequencies of cleavage (58.8%) and blastocyst formation (13.6%) of newly matured oocytes were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of MII-arrested oocytes (38.9 and 1.8%, respectively). These results demonstrated that the development of porcine nuclear transfer embryos can be improved by using complete matured oocytes as cytoplasts and activation treatment with ES followed by CHX treatment.


Incorporating RTI in a Hybrid Model of Reading Disability.
The present study seeks to evaluate a hybrid model of identification that incorporates response-to-intervention (RTI) as a one of the key symptoms of reading disability. The one-year stability of alternative operational definitions of reading disability was examined in a large scale sample of students who were followed longitudinally from first to second grade. The results confirmed previous findings of limited stability for single-criterion based operational definitions of reading disability. However, substantially greater stability was obtained for a hybrid model of reading disability that incorporates RTI with other common symptoms of reading disability.