Impact of continuous versus discontinuous progesterone on estradiol regulation of neuron viability and sprouting after entorhinal cortex lesion in female rats.
Because the estrogen-based hormone therapy (HT) in postmenopausal women typically contains a progestogen component, understanding the interactions between estrogens and progestogens is critical for optimizing the potential neural benefits of HT. An important issue in this regard is the use of continuous vs discontinuous hormone treatments. Although sex steroid hormone levels naturally exhibit cyclic fluctuation, many HT formulations include continuous delivery of hormones. Recent findings from our laboratory and others have shown that coadministration of progesterone (P4) can either attenuate or augment beneficial actions of 17β-estradiol (E2) in experimental models depending in part upon the delivery schedule of P4. In this study, we demonstrate that the P4 delivery schedule in combined E2 and P4 treatments alters degenerative and regenerative outcomes of unilateral entorhinal cortex lesion. We assessed how lesion-induced degeneration of layer II neurons in entorhinal cortex layer and deafferentation in dentate gyrus are affected by ovariectomy and treatments with E2 alone or in combination with either continuous or discontinuous P4. Our results demonstrate the combined efficacy of E2 and P4 is dependent on the administration regimen. Importantly, the discontinuous-combined E2+P4 regimen had the greatest neuroprotective efficacy for both end points. These data extend a growing literature that indicates qualitative differences in the neuroprotective effects of E2 as a function of cotreatment with continuous versus discontinuous P4, the understanding of which has important implications for HT in postmenopausal women.


Trained sensory perception of pork eating quality as affected by fresh and cooked pork quality attributes and end-point cooked temperature.
The present study evaluated individual and interactive influences of pork loin (n=679) ultimate ph (pH), intramuscular fat (IMF), Minolta L* color (L*), Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and internal cooked temperatures (62.8 degrees C, 68.3 degrees C, 73.9 degrees C, and 79.4 degrees C) on trained sensory perception of palatability. Logistical regression analyses were used, fitting sensory responses as dependent variables and quality and cooked temperature as independent variables, testing quadratic and interactive effects. Incremental increases in cooked temperature reduced sensory juiciness and tenderness scores by 3.8% and 0.9%, respectively, but did not influence sensory flavor or saltiness scores. An increase of 4.9N in WBSF, from a base of 14.7N (lowest) to 58.8N (greatest) was associated with a 3.7% and 1.8% reduction in sensory tenderness and juiciness scores, respectively, with predicted sensory tenderness scores reduced by 3.55 units when comparing ends of the WBSF range. Modeled sensory responses for loins with pH of 5.40 and 5.60 had reduced tenderness, chewiness, and fat flavor ratings when compared with responses for loins with pH of 5.80 to 6.40, the range indicative of optimal sensory response. Loin IMF and L* were significant model effects; however, their influence on sensory attributes was small, with predicted mean sensory responses measurably improved only when comparing 6% and 1% IMF and L* values of 46.9 (dark) when compared with 65.0 (pale). Tenderness and juiciness scores, were related to a greater extent to loin WBSF and pH, and to a lesser extent to cooked temperature, IMF and L*.


Thermodynamics of globular protein native structure.
The temperature dependence of the partial heat capacity of the native protein structure in an aqueous solution has been analyzed. It is shown that the strictly linear temperature dependence is due to the contributions of the vibrational and conformational components, which indicates volume consistensy and the absence of conformational transitions up to the main two-state transition. The two-level structural and functional organization of the protein three-dimensional structure are considered in relation to the energy and conformational entropy properties in accordance with the principles of the organization of the protein macromolecule.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.


Faraday-effect polarimeter-interferometer system for current density measurement on EAST.
A multichannel far-infrared laser-based POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) system utilizing the three-wave technique is under development for current density and electron density profile measurements in the EAST tokamak. Novel molybdenum retro-reflectors are mounted in the inside wall for the double-pass optical arrangement. A Digital Phase Detector with 250 kHz bandwidth, which will provide real-time Faraday rotation angle and density phase shift output, have been developed for use on the POINT system. Initial calibration indicates the electron line-integrated density resolution is less than 5 × 10(16) m(-2) (∼2°), and the Faraday rotation angle rms phase noise is <0.1°.


Effect of a weekly functional independence measure scale on the recovery of patient with acute stroke: A retrospective study.
Excessive assistance may decrease stroke patients' physical activity and make them more dependent on assistance. We have structured a system that provides an ADL (activities of daily living) educational program that focuses on stroke patients' toileting in our daily clinical practice. Here, we investigated the effect of a functional independence measure (FIM) scale on the recovery of patients with acute stroke.We retrospectively collected the data of 407 stroke patients from the medical record system of our emergency hospital in Tsukuba, Japan. The enrolled stroke patients (n = 373) were divided into FIM and control groups. Both groups received the standard treatment, but for the FIM group, ward and rehabilitation staff calculated the toilet FIM score for patients 1 ×/wk. The FIM scale measures the amount of assistance a patient needs to perform activities of daily living and is often used in rehabilitation settings. The rehabilitation staff then instructed the ward staff about better assistance methods based on each patient's physical function and executive dysfunction. We evaluated the usefulness of the FIM scale was based on the patients' FIM scores at discharge and improvements in their scores.The recoveries of the total, motor, and cognitive FIM scores recovery at discharge were significantly greater in the FIM group compared with the control group (68.0 vs 45.0, P = .004; 41.0 vs 24.0, P = .005; and 24.0 vs 20.0, P = .007, respectively). The use of the FIM scale contributes to the patients' recovery of physical function and cognitive function.The FIM scale can contribute to stroke patients' recovery of activities of daily living.


The genetic basis of natural variation for iron homeostasis in the maize IBM population.
Iron (Fe) deficiency symptoms in maize (Zea mays subsp. mays) express as leaf chlorosis, growth retardation, as well as yield reduction and are typically observed when plants grow in calcareous soils at alkaline pH. To improve our understanding of genotypical variability in the tolerance to Fe deficiency-induced chlorosis, the objectives of this study were to (i) determine the natural genetic variation of traits related to Fe homeostasis in the maize intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) population, (ii) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits, and (iii) to analyze expression levels of genes known to be involved in Fe homeostasis as well as of candidate genes obtained from the QTL analysis. In hydroponically-grown maize, a total of 47 and 39 QTLs were detected for the traits recorded under limited and adequate supply of Fe, respectively. From the QTL results, we were able to identify new putative candidate genes involved in Fe homeostasis under a deficient or adequate Fe nutritional status, like Ferredoxin class gene, putative ferredoxin PETF, metal tolerance protein MTP4, and MTP8. Furthermore, our expression analysis of candidate genes suggested the importance of trans-acting regulation for 2'-deoxymugineic acid synthase 1 (DMAS1), nicotianamine synthase (NAS3, NAS1), formate dehydrogenase 1 (FDH1), methylthioribose-1-phosphate isomerase (IDI2), aspartate/tyrosine/aromatic aminotransferase (IDI4), and methylthioribose kinase (MTK).


Impact of transradial coronary procedures on radial artery function.
We evaluated the impact of transradial coronary procedures on the vasodilatory function of the radial artery. A total of 65 patients who underwent transradial coronary procedures were enrolled. All patients were examined with B-mode high-resolution ultrasound. Radial artery baseline diameter and response to flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD) were measured in the right radial artery. The FMD of the right radial artery was 11.5%, 4.1%, and 0.7%, respectively, before the procedures, 1 day, and 3 months after the procedures (P < .05 at 1 day, P < .01 at 3 months). The NMD of the right radial artery was 17.6%, 5.4%, and 6.3%, respectively, before the procedures, 1 day, and 3 months after the procedures (P < .05 at 1 day, P < .05 at 3 months). Transradial coronary procedures decrease radial artery FMD and NMD resulting in immediate and persistent blunting of vasodilatory function.


Hemodynamic Benefits of Counterpulsation, Implantable, Percutaneous, and Intraaortic Rotary Blood Pumps: An In-Silico and In Vitro Study.
Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have become a standard therapy for heart failure (HF) patients. MCS device designs may differ by level of support, inflow and/or outflow cannulation sites, and mechanism(s) of cardiac unloading and blood flow delivery. Investigation and direct comparison of hemodynamic parameters that help characterize performance of MCS devices has been limited. We quantified cardiac and vascular hemodynamic responses for different types of MCS devices. Continuous flow (CF) left ventricular (LV) assist devices (LVAD) with LV or left atrial (LA) inlet, counterpulsation devices, percutaneous CF LVAD, and intra-aortic rotary blood pumps (IARBP) were quantified using established computer simulation and mock flow loop models. Hemodynamic data were analyzed on a beat-to-beat basis at baseline HF and over a range of MCS support. Results demonstrated that all LVAD greatly diminished vascular pulsatility (P) and LV external work (LVEW). LVAD with LA inflow provided a greater reduction in LVEW compared to LVAD with LV inflow, but at the potential risk for blood stasis/thrombosis in the LV at high support. Counterpulsation provided greater coronary flow (CoF) augmentation, but had a lower reduction in LVEW compared to partial percutaneous LVAD support. IARBP diminished LVEW, but at the expense of diminished CoF due to coronary steal. The hemodynamic benefits for each type of mechanical circulatory support system are unique and clinical decisions on device selection to maximize end organ perfusion and minimize invasiveness needs to be considered for an individual patients' presentation.


History of arthroscopy.
Arthroscopy has developed as one of the branches of former cystoscopy. During the past 200 years a few people have made invaluable contributions to development of arthroscopy (Bozzini, Takagi, Watanabe...) After the World War II scientific and technological progress was so fast that arthroscopy proved to be a valuable tool in orthopedics, not only as a diagnostic, but also as a therapeutic procedure.


Positive feedback regulation between USP15 and ERK2 inhibits osteoarthritis progression through TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling.
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis in joints affected by osteoarthritis (OA). However, the specific mechanism of non-SMAD and classical SMAD signaling interactions is still unclear, which needs to be further explored. In ATDC5 cells, USP15 overexpression and knockout were performed using the transfected lentivirus USP15 and Crispr/Cas9. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to test p-SMAD2 and cartilage phenotype-related molecular markers. In rat OA models, immunohistochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin (HE)/Safranin-O fast green staining, and histology were used to examine the regulatory activity of USP15 in TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling and the cartilage phenotype. Then, ERK2 overexpression and knockout were performed. The expressions of USP15, p-SMAD2, and the cartilage phenotype were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. To address whether USP15 is required for ERK2 and TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling, we performed rescue experiments in vitro and in vivo. Immunoprecipitation and deubiquitination assays were used to examine whether USP15 could bind to ERK2 and affect the deubiquitination of ERK2. Finally, whether USP15 regulates the level of p-ERK1/2 was evaluated by western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and immunohistochemistry in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicated that USP15 stimulated TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling and the cartilage phenotype. Moreover, ERK2 required USP15 to influence TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling for regulating the cartilage phenotype in vivo and in vitro. And USP15 can form a complex with ERK2 to regulate ubiquitination of ERK2. Interestingly, USP15 did not regulate the stability of ERK2 but increased the level of p-ERK1/2 to further enhance the TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling pathway. Taken together, our study revealed positive feedback regulation between USP15 and ERK2, which played a critical role in TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling to inhibit OA progression. Therefore, this specific mechanism can guide the clinical treatment of OA.


Retrocorneal Scleral Patch Supported Glue: A Technique for Management of Corneal Perforation and Corneoscleral Melt following Pterygium Surgery.
To describe a new method of treatment of corneal perforation with extensive corneoscleral melt. A 42-year-old man presented with moderate-sized (3.5 mm) corneal perforation with extensive corneo-limbo-scleral ulceration following bare sclera excision of pterygium. No prior use of antimetabolites or postoperative beta radiation noted. We considered retrocorneal sclera patch supported cyanoacrylate application. The sclera was thinned to one-third thickness and a patch (4.5 × 4.5 mm) was punched. The sclera patch was placed on the iris, behind the corneal perforation, adequately covering it from inside. A minimal amount of adhesive was applied on the retrocorneal sclera patch and margin of corneal perforation. The ulcerating sclera was covered with double layered amniotic membrane. Topical antibiotic, steroid, and cycloplegic drops were instilled thrice daily. Corneal perforation healed and no recurrence occurred during the 18 months' follow-up. Retrocorneal scleral patch supported cyanoacrylate is effective for corneal perforation with corneo-scleral melt.


Towards a neuropsychology of schizophrenia.
A viable neuropsychology of schizophrenia requires, first, that signs and symptoms be understood in terms of underlying psychological processes and, second, that these underlying processes be related to brain systems. We propose that the negative signs of schizophrenia reflect a defect in the initiation of spontaneous action, while the positive symptoms reflect a defect in the internal monitoring of action. The spontaneous initiation of action depends upon brain systems linking the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia. Internal monitoring, carried out in the hippocampus, of spontaneous action, depends upon links between the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus via the parahippocampal cortex and the cingulate cortex.


Stigma towards patients with mental illness: An online survey of United States nurses.
People with mental illness experience significant health disparities, including morbidity and premature mortality. Evidence suggests that stigma is a contributing factor to these observed inequities. The tripartite conceptualization of stigma proposes that three problems underlie stigma: problems of knowledge (ignorance), attitudes (prejudice) and behaviour (discrimination). There is limited prior research concerning stigma towards mental illness among nurses in the United States (US). The aims of this study were to assess stigma among US nurses towards patients with mental illness, compare the stigma expressed by nurses working in medical/surgical settings with mental health settings, and identify factors associated with stigma. Participants were recruited online from national professional nursing organizations in the US. We collected demographic data and administered measures of mental health stigma and stigma-related mental health knowledge. Mental health nurses demonstrated comparatively lower levels of stigma and higher levels of knowledge than the medical/surgical nurses. Nursing speciality and personal contact with mental illness were the most significant predictors of stigma and knowledge. Knowledge was found to partially mediate the relationship between nursing speciality and stigma. We found support for the 'contact hypothesis', that is, having a personal experience of mental illness or a friend or family member who has a mental illness is associated with lower stigma towards mental illness. These findings support the development of contact-based and educational anti-stigma interventions for nurses in order to reduce stigma towards mental illness.


Optical injection locking of a singly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator.
We report on experimental realization of optical injection locking of a singly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on a thermally induced waveguide in a magnesium-oxide doped periodically poled lithium niobate. An external cavity diode laser is used to control the frequency of the resonant signal output of the OPO at 795 nm. The key to successful injection locking was the improvement of the OPO spatial modes by a special operating condition with a thermally induced waveguide. The phase coherence of injection locking is confirmed by recording a high-contrast interference fringe between the injection laser and the OPO output. High-resolution measurement of the frequency spectrum of the nonresonant idler output by the delayed self-heterodyne technique shows that the spectral linewidth of the OPO is reduced from 4.5 to 0.4 MHz by injection locking. The full locking range is assumed to be less than 1.7 MHz.


Prevention of amphotericin B-induced renal impairment. A review on the use of sodium supplementation.
Amphotericin B is the treatment of choice for most deep-seated mycoses; however, doses may have to be limited because of concern over adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity. Evolving evidence suggests that the extent of amphotericin B-induced renal impairment may be modified via alteration of a normal physiologic feedback response that further contributes to changes due to direct nephrotoxicity. As such, renal impairment has a substantial theoretically preventable and reversible element. In animals exposed to amphotericin B, sodium loading interferes with this response. Mounting clinical evidence also supports the usefulness of sodium supplementation to prevent as well as to reverse amphotericin B-induced nephrotoxicity. At this time, the use of sodium supplementation (eg, intravenous saline and/or ticarcillin disodium, which contains 5.2 mEq of sodium per gram of drug) along with avoiding dehydration appears to be a safe and effective means of reducing the risk of nephrotoxicity associated with amphotericin B administration; however, it is not known whether renal changes can be entirely prevented. These preliminary observations merit confirmation in a prospective, randomized clinical trial.


Sperm chromatin stability during in vitro manipulation of beef bull semen.
Seven experiments were conducted to study the effect of freezing extenders, antioxidants, motility stimulants, thawing temperature, incubation temperature and time, centrifugation and capacitation on sperm chromatin instability (CI) as well as the influence of sperm CI on pregnancy rates of heifers (n = 360) after AI with frozen semen. Semen was collected once a week from Blonde d'Aquitaine and Limousine bulls (n = 3/breed) via an artificial vagina and only individual ejaculates (n = 300) of >0.3 x 10(9) sperm/ml and >or= 70% progressive motility were used. Sperm CI was evaluated by nuclear DNA susceptibility to acid-induced denaturation using acridine orange fluorescence and by chromatin susceptibility to decondensation using quantitative transmission electron microscopy. Bioxcell extender was better than AndroMed and egg yolk extenders in terms of low incidence of sperm CI in one bull (p < 0.05). Neither antioxidants (EDTA-2Na, Na-pyruvate and albumin) nor motility stimulants (caffeine and blood serum) had any significant effect on sperm CI. Thawing of frozen semen at 45 degrees C for 30 s decreased (p < 0.025) CI in one bull. Incubation of frozen sperm at 25 and 39 degrees C for 240 min increased sperm CI percentages from 3.47 +/- 0.48 and 4.50 +/- 0.41% to 6.70 +/- 0.36 and 9.71 +/- 0.53%, respectively (p < 0.001). Although centrifugation and removal of extracellular milieu increased CI of cooled sperm, it decreased CI of frozen-thawed sperm (p < 0.025). Follicular fluid as a capacitating agent destabilized chromatin structure (p < 0.001). Sperm vulnerability to CI had a negative impact (r(2) = 0.37-0.77, p < 0.001) on fertility of frozen ejaculates. In conclusion, in vitro manipulation of bovine semen can influence incidence of sperm CI, whereas integrity of sperm chromatin contributes significantly to heifers' fertility. We would recommend selection of the appropriate extender and thawing temperature for each bull together with careful manipulation of frozen semen to minimize damage of sperm chromatin.


Fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fibers enable peripheral nerve optogenetics during locomotion.
We develop soft and stretchable fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fibers that enable optogenetic modulation of peripheral nerves in naturally behaving animals during persistent locomotion. The formation of polymeric nanocrystalline domains within the hydrogels yields fibers with low optical losses of 1.07 dB cm-1, Young's modulus of 1.6 MPa, stretchability of 200% and fatigue strength of 1.4 MPa against 30,000 stretch cycles. The hydrogel fibers permitted light delivery to the sciatic nerve, optogenetically activating hindlimb muscles in Thy1::ChR2 mice during 6-week voluntary wheel running assays while experiencing repeated deformation. The fibers additionally enabled optical inhibition of pain hypersensitivity in an inflammatory model in TRPV1::NpHR mice over an 8-week period. Our hydrogel fibers offer a motion-adaptable and robust solution to peripheral nerve optogenetics, facilitating the investigation of somatosensation.


Oxytocin increases the influence of public service advertisements.
This paper presents a neurophysiologic model of effective public service advertisements (PSAs) and reports two experiments that test the model. In Experiment 1, we show that after watching 16 PSAs participants who received oxytocin, compared to those given a placebo, donated to 57% more causes, donated 56% more money, and reported 17% greater concern for those in the ads. In Experiment 2, we measured adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and oxytocin levels in blood before and after participants watched a PSA. As predicted by the model, donations occurred when participants had increases in both ACTH and oxytocin. Our results indicate that PSAs with social content that cause OT release will be more effective than those that do not. Our results also explain why some individuals do not respond to PSAs.


Research on melanoma image segmentation by incorporating medical prior knowledge.
Melanoma image segmentation has important clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. However, due to the difficulty of obtaining data sets, and the sample imbalance, the quality of melanoma image data sets is low, which reduces the accuracy and the effectiveness of computer aided diagnosis of melanoma image. In this work, a method of melanoma image segmentation by incorporating medical prior knowledge is proposed to improve the fidelity of melanoma image segmentation. Anatomical analysis of the melanoma image reveal the star shape of the melanoma image, which can be encoded into the loss function of the UNet model as a prior knowledge. Our experimental results on the ISIC-2017 data set demonstrate that the model by incorporating medical prior knowledge obtain a mIoU (Mean Intersection over Union) of 87.41%, a Dice Similarity Coefficient of 93.49%. Therefore, the model by incorporating medical prior knowledge achieve the first rank in the segmentation task comparing to other models and has high clinical value.


[New non-hydrolyzable substrate analogs for 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylases].
8-Oxoguanine-DNA glycosylases play a key role in the repair of oxidatively damaged DNA. The Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) and human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) are DNA base excision repair enzymes that catalyze the removal of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (oxoG) residue, and cleave DNA strand. Specific contacts between DNA phosphate groups and amino acids from active centers of these enzymes play a significant role in DNA-protein interactions. In order to design new non-hydrolyzable substrate analogs of Fpg and hOGG1 for structural studies modified DNA duplexes containing pyrophosphate or OEt-substituted pyrophosphate internucleotide (SPI) groups near the damage were tested. We showed that enzymes recognize and specifically bind to DNA duplexes obtained. The mechanism of incision of oxoG by the Fpg and hOGG1 was determined. We revealed that both enzymes were not able to excise the oxoG residue from DNA containing modified phosphates immediately 3' to the oxoG. In contrast, Fpg and hOGG1 effectively incise DNA duplex carrying analogous phosphate modifications 5' to the oxoG. Non-cleavable oxoG-containing DNA duplexes bearing pyrophosphate or substituted pyrophosphate groups immediately 3' to the oxoG are specific inhibitors for both 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylases and can be used for structural studies of complexes comprising a oxoG-containing DNA bound to catalytically active wild-type enzymes as well as their pro- and eucaryotic homologs.


Lack of platelet aggregation abnormality in Hodgkin's disease.
A high risk of venous thromboembolism or an increased bleeding tendency has been reported in patients with clinically diagnosed or occult cancer. That is why, in this study, the presence of platelet dysfunction in patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease was investigated. Platelet aggregation studies were performed in 31 patients with a mean age of 27.53+/-2.75 years and in 31 healthy volunteers with a mean age of 24.37+/-3.21 years. None of the patients had a history or a finding of bleeding diathesis or thromboembolism. A Lumi-Dual platelet aggregometer (Chrono-Log Corporation, Model 450) was used for platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma. Platelet aggregation responses were evaluated with ADP, collagen, epinephrine, and ristocetin. No significant difference could be found when compared with the results of healthy volunteers. In five of the patients, a primary, but not a secondary, response to ADP (2 microg/ml) was obtained (p < 0.02). Platelet dysfunction was not found in patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease in this study. One of the various pathogenic mechanisms of tumour-related thrombosis or haemorrhagic diathesis may play a role in oncological patients; for this reason, each patient should be investigated individually.


Proteomic analysis for antiobesity potential of capsaicin on white adipose tissue in rats fed with a high fat diet.
It is well recognized that capsaicin increases thermogenesis through enhancement of catecholamine secretion from the adrenal medulla. In the present study of the antiobesity effect of capsaicin, rats (5-week old) received capsaicin (10 mg/kg) along with a high-fat diet (HFD). In comparison with saline-treated rats, body weight of those in the capsaicin-treated group decreased by 8%. We performed differential proteomic analysis using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to elucidate the molecular action of capsaicin on the antiobesity effect in epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT). Protein mapping of WAT homogenates using 2-DE revealed significant alterations to a number of proteins: 10 spots were significantly up-regulated and 10 spots were remarkably down-regulated in HFD fed rats treated with capsaicin. Among them, significant down-regulation of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) and Steap3 protein, as well as up-regulation of olfactory receptor (Olr1434) in obese WAT was reported for the first time in association with obesity. Most of the identified proteins are associated with lipid metabolism and redox regulation, in which levels of vimentin, peroxiredoxin, and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were significantly reduced (>2-fold), whereas aldo-keto reductase, flavoprotein increased with capsaicin treatment. These data demonstrate that thermogenesis and lipid metabolism related proteins were markedly altered upon capsaicin treatment in WAT, suggesting that capsaicin may be a useful phytochemical for attenuation of obesity.


Epidermal growth factor stimulates the phosphorylation of synthetic tyrosine-containing peptides by A431 cell membranes.
A431 cell membranes phosphorylate a synthetic peptide (Arg-Arg-Leu-Ile-Glu-Asp-Asn-Glu-Tyr-Thr-Ala-Arg-Gly) in which residues 2--12 correspond to the sequence of the reported site of tyrosine phosphorylation in pp60src. Epidermal growth factor stimulates the phosphorylation of this peptide 2-fold over basal levels in a dose-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation is linear for approximately 3 min at 30 degrees C and occurs on the tyrosine residue. Kinetic analysis of the phosphorylation reaction indicates that epidermal growth factor increases the average Vmax from 3.8 to 7.5 nmol/min per mg and slightly decreases the average Km from 0.53 mM to 0.28 mM. A number of other peptides analogous to this tridecapeptide are also phosphorylated by A431 membranes. The data suggest that peptides with sequences similar to the site of tyrosine phosphorylation in pp60src are preferred substrates for the kinase in these membranes. Thus, the epidermal growth factor-stimulated protein kinase has the potential to interact with and phosphorylate pp60src. However, the A431 membranes also phosphorylate a tyrosine-containing peptide of totally unrelated sequence, suggesting that the kinase possesses a broad specificity for peptide phosphorylation that may not reflect its specificity with protein substrates.


West Nile virus infection of horses.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus closely related to Japanese encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis viruses that is primarily maintained in nature by transmission cycles between mosquitoes and birds. Occasionally, WNV infects and causes disease in other vertebrates, including humans and horses. West Nile virus has re-emerged as an important pathogen as several recent outbreaks of encephalomyelitis have been reported from different parts of Europe in addition to the large epidemic that has swept across North America. This review summarises the main features of WNV infection in the horse, with reference to complementary information from other species, highlighting the most recent scientific findings and identifying areas that require further research.


Recurrence of asthma following removal of a noradrenaline-secreting phaeochromocytoma.
A patient with asthma and a phaeochromocytoma is described. At about the time she was first noted to be hypertensive her asthma resolved spontaneously but bronchospasm returned with some severity when the tumour was removed. The phaeochromocytoma was of the noradrenaline secreting variety. Possible mechanisms through which this catecholamine might have produced the observed alleviation of asthma are considered.


Objectively measured physical activity and academic performance in school-aged youth: The UP&DOWN longitudinal study.
To examine the longitudinal relationships between objectively measured total volume and specific intensities of physical activity (PA) with academic performance in a large sample of youth aged 6-18 years. A longitudinal study of 1046 youth (10.04 ± 3.10 years) from Spain was followed over 2 years. PA (volume and intensity) was measured by accelerometry. Academic performance was assessed through grades reported on the transcript at the end of the academic year (Mathematics, Language, an average of these two core subjects, and grade point average [GPA]). Longitudinal relationships between PA and four indicators of academic performance were examined using covariance and regression analyses, adjusted for a variety of confounders. Youth Quartile 2 for PA volume at baseline obtained better scores than those who participated in Quartiles 1 or 4 volumes of PA in GPA 2 years later (p = 0.006). There were generally no longitudinal associations between specific PA intensities and any of the academic performance indicators (all p > 0.170). However, a change in light PA over 2 years was inversely associated with three academic indicators in youth (βrange , -.103 to - 090; all P < 040). Findings suggest that participants in Quartile 2 volume of PA had a better GPA in comparison with Quartiles 1 and 4 volumes of PA during youth, but there was no association with changes in PA volume over time. PA intensity was generally unrelated to academic performance during youth. However, there was an inverted u-shape relationship between light PA changes and GPA.


Assessing fatigue in patients with COPD.
Chronic fatigue is common in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and is distinct from dyspnoea and depression. Nurses in one study were able intuitively to recognise fatigue in patients and thought an assessment tool would assist their patient care.


The use of real-time ultrasound imaging for biofeedback of lumbar multifidus muscle contraction in healthy subjects.
Randomized controlled trial. To determine if the provision of visual biofeedback using real-time ultrasound imaging enhances the ability to activate the multifidus muscle. Increasingly clinicians are using real-time ultrasound as a form of biofeedback when re-educating muscle activation. The effectiveness of this form of biofeedback for the multifidus muscle has not been reported. Healthy subjects were randomly divided into groups that received different forms of biofeedback. All subjects received clinical instruction on how to activate the multifidus muscle isometrically prior to testing and verbal feedback regarding the amount of multifidus contraction, which occurred during 10 repetitions (acquisition phase). In addition, 1 group received visual biofeedback (watched the multifidus muscle contract) using real-time ultrasound imaging. All subjects were reassessed a week later (retention phase). Subjects from both groups improved their voluntary contraction of the multifidus muscle in the acquisition phase (P<.001) and the ability to recruit the multifidus muscle differed between groups (P<.05), with subjects in the group that received visual ultrasound biofeedback achieving greater improvements. In addition, the group that received visual ultrasound biofeedback retained their improvement in performance from week 1 to week 2 (P>.90), whereas the performance of the other group decreased (P<.05). Real-time ultrasound imaging can be used to provide visual biofeedback and improve performance and retention in the ability to activate the multifidus muscle in healthy subjects.


Using political science to progress public health nutrition: a systematic review.
Poor dietary intake is the most important behavioural risk factor affecting health globally. Despite this, there has been little investment in public health nutrition policy actions. Policy process theories from the field of political science can aid understanding why policy decisions have occurred and identify how to influence ongoing or future initiatives. The present review aims to examine public health nutrition policy literature and identify whether a policy process theory has been used to analyse the process. Electronic databases were searched systematically for studies examining policy making in public health nutrition in high-income, democratic countries. International, national, state and local government jurisdictions within high-income, democratic countries. Individuals and organisations involved in the nutrition policy-making process. Sixty-three studies met the eligibility criteria, most were conducted in the USA and a majority focused on obesity. The analysis demonstrates an accelerating trend in the number of nutrition policy papers published annually and an increase in the diversity of nutrition topics examined. The use of policy process theory was observed from 2003; however, it was utilised by only 14 % of the reviewed papers. There is limited research into the nutrition policy process in high-income countries. While there has been a small increase in the use of policy process theory from 2003, an opportunity to expand its use is evident. We suggest that nutrition policy making would benefit from a pragmatic approach that ensures those trying to influence or understand the policy-making process are equipped with basic knowledge around these theories.


[Helicobacter pylori and gastroduodenal disease].
Gastroduodenal infection by Helicobacter pylori is a known cause of many gastric and duodenal disorders. Infection by H. pylori is very frequent ant its prevalence increases with age by about 1% per year. Human-to-human transmission appears probable. H. pylori lives under the mucous layer of gastric-type epithelium. It is the main causal agent of chronic diffuse superficial gastritis (type B). After several decades lesions of superficial gastritis can evolve to atrophic gastritis. Spontaneous short- or long-term disappearance of H. pylori from the antral mucosa is rare. H. pylori infection appears to be necessary for the recurrence of duodenal as well as gastric ulcer. Eradication decreases the frequency of relapses, but its long-term effect remains to be evaluated. The presence of H. pylori, however, is not itself sufficient for ulcer development. Why only some patients infected with H. pylori develop ulcer has not been elucidated. The role of H. pylori infection in the gastrotoxicity of non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents is still debated. It has not yet been determined whether eradication leads to reduction of the high digestive morbidity linked to intake of such agents, but it is known that eradication of H. pylori does not obviate the risk of ulcer and of complication. There is a significant association between H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis and intestinal type gastric cancer. H. pylori infection appears to be one of the factors in gastric cancerogenesis. Cellular proliferation of gastric lymphomas to low-grade B cells would in most cases be secondary to chronic H. pylori infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Fournier's Gangrene as a Postoperative Complication of Inguinal Hernia Repair.
Fournier's gangrene is the necrotizing fasciitis of perianal, genitourinary, and perineal regions. Herein, we present a case of scrotal Fournier's gangrene as a postoperative complication of inguinal hernia repair. A 51-year-old male with giant indirect hernia is presented. Patient underwent inguinal hernia repair, and after an unproblematic recovery period, he was discharged. He applied to our outpatient clinic on the fifth day with swollen and painful scrotum and it turned out to be Fournier's gangrene. Polypropylene mesh was not infected. Patient recovered and was discharged after repeated debridements. Basic principles in treatment of Fournier's gangrene are comprised of initial resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics therapy, and early aggressive debridement. In the management of presented case, aggressive debridement was made right after diagnosis and broad-spectrum antibiotics were given to the hemodynamically stable patient. In these circumstances, the important question is whether we could prevent occurrence of Fournier's gangrene.


Cyano-Regulated Organic Polymers for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic H2 O2 Production in Various Actual Water Bodies.
Photocatalytic production of H2 O2 has drawn significant attention in recent years, but the yield rate of current photocatalytic systems is still unsatisfactory. Moreover, the presence of various components in actual water bodies will consume the photogenerated charges and deactivate the catalyst, severely limiting the real applications of photocatalytic H2 O2 production. Herein, a cyano-modified polymer photocatalyst is synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation with subsequent thermal polymerization. The introduction of cyano group and sulfer (S), oxygen (O) elements modulates the microstructure and energy band of the polymer catalyst, and the cyano group sites can effectively adsorb and activate O2 , realizing the generation of H2 O2 in the two-step single-electron oxygen reduction process. The reported system achieves high H2 O2 generation rate up to 1119.2 µmol g-1 h-1 in various water bodies including tap water, river water, seawater, and secondary effluent. This simple and readily available catalyst demonstrates good anti-interference performance and pH adaptability in photocatalytic H2 O2 production in actual water bodies, and its photodegradation and sterilization applications are also demonstrated. This study offers new insights in developing polymer catalysts for efficient photocatalytic production of H2 O2 in various water bodies for practical application.


Tormentic Acid Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis in vivo by Inhibiting Glycerophospholipids Metabolism and PI3K/Akt/mTOR and NF-κB Pathways: Based on Transcriptomics and Metabolomics.
This study aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of tormentic acid (TA) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. The rats were intragastrically administered with 50% CCl4 for 9 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis, followed by various agents for 6 weeks. Transcriptomic analysis was carried out to predict the potential targets, and then multiple examinations were performed to verify the prediction. The results showed that TA significantly alleviated liver injury and fibrosis, as evidenced by the ameliorative pathological tissue, low transaminase activity, and decreased collagen accumulation. Besides, TA markedly reduced hepatocyte apoptosis by regulating the expression of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 families. The transcriptomic analysis revealed 2,173 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the TA and model groups, which could be enriched in the metabolic pathways and the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways. The metabolomics analysis showed that TA could regulate the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway by regulating the synthesis of phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines. Moreover, the integrative analysis of the transcriptomics and metabolomics data indicated that TA inhibited the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway by inhibiting the expression of LPCAT4, PTDSS2, PLA2G2A and CEPT1. In addition, the relevant signaling pathways analysis confirmed that TA inhibited HSCs activation by blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and ameliorated inflammatory injury by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, TA significantly alleviates liver fibrosis in vivo by inhibiting the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and NF-κB signaling pathways.


HIV/AIDS surveillance and prevention studies in Japan: summary and recommendations.
Japan is considered to have a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS, with a cumulative number of 2,556 AIDS cases and 5,140 HIV cases reported by the end of 2002. However, the recent trend of HIV cases shows a substantial increase, particularly among men who have sex with men and youth/young adults. The epidemiology of HIV/AIDS cases in Japan and a summary of current HIV prevention studies are presented based on surveillance data, research papers, and the Japanese government's annual reports on HIV behavioral and intervention studies of MSM, youths, and Japanese nationals who visit or are temporarily staying in the United States or Thailand. Recommendations and suggestions are presented for future HIV prevention research and structural changes in the Japanese government system, which funds HIV/AIDS care and prevention studies.


Effects of nerve growth factor and Noggin-modified bone marrow stromal cells on stroke in rats.
Treatment with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) ameliorates neurological functional deficits after stroke. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor that supports the survival and growth of neural cells. Noggin, an antagonist of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), promotes the differentiation of stem cells into neurons. In this study, we hypothesize that transfection of NGF and Noggin in BMSC treatment of stroke promotes BMSC neuronal differentiation and improves functional outcome after stroke. Adenovirus was used to trasfect NGF and Noggin and the transfection efficiency was measured by Western blot and immunostaining in vitro. The transfected BMSCs with NGF and/or Noggin were administered intravenously at 5 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in rats. The neurological functional outcome and BMSC migration and differentiation in the ischemic brain were measured. The transplantation of BMSCs with NGF or Noggin elicited neurological functional improvement, promoted BMSCs present in the ischemic brain, and also up-regulated neuro-like cell differentiation as well as increased synaptophysin expression in the ischemic brain compared with nontreatment control animals (P< 0.05). Treatment of stroke with a combination of transfection of NGF and Noggin in BMSCs induced a synergistic effect on improved neurological functional outcome, BMSCs present in the ischemic brain, and synaptophysin expression in the ischemic brain compared with BMSCs transfected with an NGF- or Noggin-alone group (P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that increasing NGF or Noggin expression in BMSCs contributes to brain plasticity after stroke and that a synergistic effect is induced on the coexistence of NGF and Noggin in BMSCs treatment of stroke.


Coronary arteriography: indications and pitfalls.
Selective coronary arteriography has become an unusually useful technique in evaluating patients with known or suspected ischemic heart disease. The contribution of F. Mason Sones in developing the technique and in emphasizing that properly performed studies in experienced hands can be done at an acceptable risk cannot be overemphasized. Although the study can give information only on the anatomical aspects of the disease, it has remarkably broadened ouo understanding of the whole spectrum of coronary arteriosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. This is related to the fact that the method has provided the opportunity to study an extraordinarily large number of patients representing virtually every clinical subset of the disease. The importance of nonanatomical factors, better prognostic information about the disease, and more complete understanding of the hemodynamic ocrrelates and mechanisms of drug action have resulted from investigative studies using coronary arteriographic methods. Because ischemic heart disease is such a complex and variable entity, it is important to stress that coronary arteriography and left ventricular angiography can provide only anatomical information, and that the method has significant but ordinarily recognizable limitations. Some of these limitations are technical and are not important considerations in experienced hands in well-run laboratories. Other problems are inherent in the anatomical complexity of the disease and the coronary circulation. Hence, appropriate emphasis on the details of the patient's history, including risk factors and age, as well as other selected clinical laboratory studiies, such as exercise electrocardiography, are important in assessing the patient's total problem. Because of these factors, the greatest value of coronary arteriography is realized when it is performed as part of a thoughtful, detailed--and highly individualized--evaluation of the patient.


A new approach for in vitro regeneration of tomato plants devoid of exogenous plant growth hormones.
Many available methodologies for in vitro regeneration of commercial tomato varieties promote not only the production of normal shoots but also individual leaves, shoots without apical meristems and vitrified structures. All these abnormal formations influence and diminish the regeneration efficiency. At the basis of this phenomenon lies callus development. We optimized an alternative procedure by which the regeneration occurs without abnormal shoot formation. The portion including the proximal part of hypocotyls and the radicle was cultured on medium consisting of Murashige and Skoog salts, 4 mg/L thiamine, 100 mg/L mio-inositol and 3% sucrose. After two-three weeks, 60% explants showed adventitious shoot formation. No changes in the morphological characteristics of regenerated plants and fruits were observed as compared with parents. Karyotypic analysis of regenerated plants showed no variations in chromosome number. The optimized procedure offers the advantage of tomato plant regeneration avoiding callus formation, which enables normal plant recovery with an efficiency ranging from 1.45 +/- 0.05 to 2.57 +/- 0.06 shoots per explant in Campbell-28, Amalia, Lignon, and Floradel cultivars.


A meta-analysis of positive and negative age stereotype priming effects on behavior among older adults.
Evidence has shown that age stereotypes influence several behavioral outcomes in later life via stereotype valence-outcome assimilation; however, a direct comparison of positive versus negative age stereotyping effects has not yet been made. PsycINFO and Pubmed were used to generate a list of articles (n = 137), of which seven were applicable. From these articles, means, standard errors (SEs), and other relevant data were extracted for 52 dependent measures: 27 involved negative age primes and 25 involved positive age primes. Independent samples analysis of variance tests were used to explore the influence of prime valence and awareness on behavior compared with a neutral referent. A significant main effect for prime valence was found such that negative age priming elicited a greater effect on behavior than did positive age priming (F(1,48) = 4.32, p = .04). In fact, the effects from negative age priming were almost three times larger than those of positive priming when compared with a neutral baseline. This effect was not influenced by prime awareness, discipline of study, study design, or research group. Findings show that negative age stereotyping has a much stronger influence on important behavioral outcomes among older adults than does positive age stereotyping.


Alpha/beta-gamma decoupling in methylphenidate medicated ADHD patients.
There is much interest to understand how different neural rhythms function, interact and are regulated. Here, we focus on WM delay gamma to investigate its coupling with alpha/beta rhythms and its neuromodulation by methylphenidate. We address this through the use of human EEG conducted in healthy and ADHD subjects which revealed ADHD-specific electrophysiological deficits and MPH-induced normalization of gamma amplitude and its coupling with alpha/beta rhythms. Decreased alpha/beta-gamma coupling is known to facilitate memory representations via disinhibition of gamma ensembles coding the maintained stimuli. Here, we present EEG evidence which suggests that these dynamics are sensitive to catecholaminergic neuromodulation. MPH decreased alpha/beta-gamma coupling and this was related to the increase in delay-relevant gamma activity evoked by the same drug. These results add further to the neuromodulatory findings that reflect an electrophysiological dimension to the well-known link between WM delay and catecholaminergic transmission.


Zinc at sub-cytotoxic concentrations induces heme oxygenase-1 expression in human cancer cells.
This study investigated the effects of zinc on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in human cancer cells. Zinc at sub-cytotoxic concentrations (50-100 μM) induces HO-1 expression in the MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer) and A2780 (human ovarian cancer) cell lines in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The induction of HO-1 by zinc was detected after 4-6 hours of treatment, reached maximal level at 8 hours, and declined thereafter. Using a human HO-1 gene promoter reporter construct, we identified two antioxidant response elements (AREs) that mediated the zinc-induced increase in HO-1 gene transcription, indicating that the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway is involved in this event. This assumption was supported by the observations that knockdown of Nrf2 expression compromised the zinc-induced increase in HO-1 gene transcription, and that zinc increased Nrf2 protein expression and the Nrf2 binding to the AREs. Additionally, we found that the zinc-induced HO-1 gene transcription can be enhanced by clioquinol, a zinc ionophore, and reversed by pretreatment with TPEN, a known zinc chelator, indicating that an increase in intracellular zinc levels is responsible for this induction. These findings demonstrate that zinc at sub-cytotoxic concentrations induces HO-1 expression in human cancer cells. The biological significance of this induction merits further investigation.


The impact of environmental risk factors on HIV-associated cognitive decline in children.
Both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and environmental stress have been independently associated with decreased cognitive functioning in children. Given that they are also known to have a strong relationship with each other, the present study sought to test the hypothesis that children in conditions of high environmental risk would be at greater risk for the cognitive complications related to immunosuppression. A retrospective review was conducted to examine the records of 141 children treated at a large pediatric AIDS clinic from 1993 to 2000. CD4+ lymphocyte levels were recorded from laboratory results and IQ scores were recorded from routine psychological evaluations. Key indicators of environmental risk were collected and combined into one measure of overall environmental risk. Pearson product moment correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between environmental risk, age-adjusted CD4 and IQ. Results indicated a significant correlation between CD4 and IQ, with higher levels of immunocompetence predicting higher IQ scores. When subjects were dichotomized based on their environmental risk score, there was no relationship between CD4 count and IQ in the low environmental risk group. In contrast, CD4 was positively associated with IQ in the high environmental risk group. It is proposed that this may be due to gp120 levels in immunocompromised children being particularly toxic to the hippocampus and cortex under conditions of high stress but not so under conditions of low stress.


An electrochemical method for measuring magnetic flux density.
A magneto-electrochemical method is designed and validated for measuring magnetic flux density. This method is based on the correlation of the change of open circuit potential to the flux density of an applied magnetic field. Electrochemical systems with iron in ferric solutions are selected for demonstrating the validity of the proposed methods. Magnetic flux density can be measured with this method by voltmeter without using a Tesla meter.


High-pitch dual-source CT angiography without ECG-gating for imaging the whole aorta: intraindividual comparison with standard pitch single-source technique without ECG gating.
We aimed to perform intraindividual comparison of computed tomography (CT) parameters, image quality, and radiation exposure between standard CT angiography (CTA) and high-pitch dual source (DS)-CTA, in subjects undergoing serial CTA of thoracoabdominal aorta. Eighteen subjects with thoracoabdominal CTA by standard technique and high-pitch DS-CTA technique within 6 months of each other were retrieved for intraindividual comparison of image quality in thoracic and abdominal aorta. Quantitative analysis was performed by comparison of mean aortic attenuation, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Qualitative analysis was performed by visual assessment of motion artifacts and diagnostic confidence. Radiation exposure was quantified by effective dose. Image quality was apportioned to radiation exposure by means of figure of merit. Mean aortic attenuation and noise were higher in high-pitch DS-CTA of thoracoabdominal aorta, whereas SNR and CNR were similar in thoracic aorta and significantly lower in high-pitch DS-CTA of abdominal aorta (P = 0.024 and P = 0.016). High-pitch DS-CTA was significantly better in the first segment of thoracic aorta. Effective dose was reduced by 72% in high-pitch DS-CTA. High-pitch DS-CTA without electrocardiography-gating is an effective technique for imaging aorta with very low radiation exposure and with significant reduction of motion artifacts in ascending aorta; however, the overall quality of high-pitch DS-CTA in abdominal aorta is lower than standard CTA.


Identification of important genes associated with acute myocardial infarction using multiple cell death patterns.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a global health threat, and programmed cell death (PCD) plays a crucial role in its occurrence and development. In this study, integrated bioinformatics tools were used to explore new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in AMI. Thirteen types of PCD-related genes were identified through literature review, KEGG, and GSEA pathways. Gene expression matrices and clinical data from AMI patients and healthy controls were obtained from the GEO database. Statistical analysis in R identified 377 differentially expressed genes in AMI patients. Intersection analysis between the differentially expressed genes and PCD-related genes revealed 24 genes positively correlated with immune cells such as Neutrophils and Monocytes, while negatively correlated with T cells CD4 memory resting and Plasma cells. Unsupervised clustering analysis divided patients into two groups (C1 and C2) based on the expression levels of these 24 genes. GSVA analysis showed that C2 patients were more active in pathways related to maintaining normal cell morphology and promoting phagocytosis, suggesting a lower programmed cell death rate and a higher tendency to maintain cell survival. Two hub genes, TNFAIP3 and TP53INP2, were identified through LASSO regression analysis and SVM-RFE, and were validated using an external dataset and RT-qPCR、Western blot and ELISA analysis. These hub genes showed significantly higher expression and protein secretion levels in AMI patients compared to healthy individuals. Overall, regulating and controlling PCD, particularly through the identified hub genes, TNFAIP3 and TP53INP2, may provide new therapeutic strategies for improving the prognosis of AMI patients and preventing heart failure.


Residential proximity to major roads, exposure to fine particulate matter and aortic calcium: the Framingham Heart Study, a cohort study.
Traffic and ambient air pollution exposure are positively associated with cardiovascular disease, potentially through atherosclerosis promotion. Few studies have assessed associations of these exposures with thoracic aortic calcium Agatston score (TAC) or abdominal aortic calcium Agatston score (AAC), systemic atherosclerosis correlates. We assessed whether living close to a major road and residential fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure were associated with TAC and AAC in a Northeastern US cohort. Cohort study. Framingham Offspring and Third Generation participants residing in the Northeastern USA. Among 3506 participants, mean age was 55.8 years; 50% female. TAC was measured from 2002 to 2005 and AAC up to two times (2002-2005; 2008-2011) among participants from the Framingham Offspring or Third Generation cohorts. We first assessed associations with detectable TAC (logistic regression) and AAC (generalised estimating equation regression, logit link). As aortic calcium scores were right skewed, we used linear regression models and mixed-effects models to assess associations with natural log-transformed TAC and AAC, respectively, among participants with detectable aortic calcium. We also assessed associations with AAC progression. Models were adjusted for demographic variables, socioeconomic position indicators and time. There were no consistent associations of major roadway proximity or PM2.5 with the presence or extent of TAC or AAC, or with AAC progression. Some estimates were in the opposite direction than expected. In this cohort from a region with relatively low levels of and variation in PM2.5, there were no strong associations of proximity to a major road or PM2.5 with the presence or extent of aortic calcification, or with AAC progression.


A region addresses patient safety.
The Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative (PRHI) is a coalition of 35 hospitals, 4 major insurers, more than 30 major and small-business health care purchasers, dozens of corporate and civic leaders, organized labor, and partnerships with state and federal government all working together to deliver perfect patient care throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. PRHI believes that in pursuing perfection, many of the challenges facing today's health care delivery system (eg, waste and error in the delivery of care, rising costs, frustration and shortage among clinicians and workers, financial distress, overcapacity, and lack of access to care) will be addressed. PRHI has identified patient safety (nosocomial infections and medication errors) and 5 clinical areas (obstetrics, orthopedic surgery, cardiac surgery, depression, and diabetes) as ideal starting points. In each of these areas of work, PRHI partners have assembled multifacility/multidisciplinary groups charged with defining perfection, establishing region-wide reporting systems, and devising and implementing recommended improvement strategies and interventions. Many design and conceptual elements of the PRHI strategy are adapted from the Toyota Production System and its Pittsburgh derivative, the Alcoa Business System. PRHI is in the proof-of-concept phase of development.


Overexpression of MMP13 is associated with clinical outcomes and poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) plays a central role in the MMP activation cascade that enables degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes, and it is identified as a potential driver in oral carcinogenesis. Therefore, this study aims to determine the copy number, mRNA, and protein expression of MMP13 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to associate these expressions with clinicopathological parameters. Copy number, mRNA, and protein expression analysis of MMP13 were determined using real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry methods in OSCC samples. The correlations between MMP13 expressions and clinicopathological parameters were evaluated, and the significance of MMP13 as a prognostic factor was determined. Despite discrepancies between gene amplification and mRNA and protein overexpression rates, OSCC cases showed high amplification of MMP13 and overexpression of MMP13 at both mRNA and protein levels. High level of MMP13 protein expression showed a significant correlation with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.011) and tumor staging (P = 0.002). Multivariate Cox regression model analysis revealed that high level of mRNA and protein expression of MMP13 were significantly associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.050). Taken together, these observations indicate that the MMP13 protein overexpression could be considered as a prognostic marker of OSCC.


X-ray-Induced Fragmentation of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids Studied by Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.
We investigated the X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) fingerprint of EMImTFSI ionic liquid (IL) and its fragmentation products created by X-ray irradiation. To accomplish this, we used an open geometry where an IL droplet is directly exposed in the vacuum chamber and an enclosed geometry where the IL is confined in a cell covered by an X-ray transparent membrane. In the open geometry, the XAS signature was stable and consistent with experimental and theoretical spectra reported in the literature. In contrast, when the IL is enclosed, its XAS evolves continuously under X-ray illumination due to the accumulation of volatile fragmentation products inside the closed cell, while they evaporate in the open geometry. The changes in the XAS from the core levels of relevant elements (C, N, S, F) together with density functional theory calculations allowed us to identify the chemical nature of the fragment products and the chemical bonds most vulnerable to rupture under soft X-ray irradiation.


[Estimation of the intensity of effect of cardenolides. 2: Algorithms for the estimation of the intensity of effect].
An algorithm worked on basis of quantitative relations between molecular-biologically defined effects and molecular-physical properties (see part 1) allows the effect estimation of concepted cardenolides before their synthesis. The empirical use of the developed equations for the estimation of molecular-biologically defined effect of compounds produces usable results and justifies therefore the proposed method, as well as it's shown by the experimental proof of estimated values of some cardenolides . An enlargement of the use of the algorithm for effect estimation seems to be successful.


MITOCHONDRIAL DNA HOMOGENEITY IN THE PHENOTYPICALLY DIVERSE REDPOLL FINCH COMPLEX (AVES: CARDUELINAE: CARDUELIS FLAMMEA-HORNEMANNI).
Breeding redpoll finches (Aves: Carduelinae) show extensive plumage and size variability and, in many cases, a plumage polymorphism that is not related to age or sex. This has been ascribed to extreme phenotypic variation within a single taxon or to moderate variability within distinct taxa coupled with hybridization. The predominant view favors the recognition of two largely sympatric species: Carduelis flammea, comprised of four well-marked subspecies-flammea, cabaret, islandica, and rostrata; and C. hornemanni, comprised of two subspecies-hornemanni and exilipes. We studied representative samples of these putative subspecies (except islandica) for variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Using 20 informative restriction enzymes that recognized 124 sites (642 base pairs [bp] of sequence or ≈ 3.7% of the molecule), we identified 17 RFLP haplotypes in the 31 individuals surveyed. The haplotypes formed a simple phylogenetic network with most clones diverging by a single site difference from a common haplotype found in almost half of the individuals. Within populations and taxa, levels of mtDNA diversity were similar to those observed in other avian species. The pattern of mtDNA divergence among populations was statistically unrelated to their geographic or traditional taxonomic relationships, and the estimated distance between the two traditionally recognized species was very small relative to those typically observed among avian sister species.


Recent Advances in the Development of Peptide Vaccines and Their Delivery Systems Against Group A Streptococcus.
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection can cause a variety of diseases in humans, ranging from common sore throats and skin infections, to more invasive diseases and life-threatening post-infectious diseases, such as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Although research has been ongoing since 1923, vaccines against GAS are still not available to the public. Traditional approaches taken to develop vaccines for GAS failed due to poor efficacy and safety. Fortunately, headway has been made and modern subunit vaccines that administer minimal bacterial components provide an opportunity to finally overcome previous hurdles in GAS vaccine development. This review details the major antigens and strategies used for GAS vaccine development. The combination of antigen selection, peptide epitope modification and delivery systems have resulted in the discovery of promising peptide vaccines against GAS; these are currently in preclinical and clinical studies.


Exposure to an Anonymous Survivor Instagram Account is Linked to Institutional Betrayal Among Campus Sexual Misconduct Survivors.
The main purpose of this study was to examine whether viewing an anonymous survivor social media (Instagram) account was linked to PTSD symptoms and institutional betrayal among campus sexual misconduct survivors. Data were collected from 259 undergraduate students (78.8% female; 79.2% White) who completed an online cross-sectional survey. Results demonstrated that 85 participants (32.8%) endorsed exposure to at least one unwanted sexual experience since coming to college. Of these trauma-exposed participants, 21 (24.7%) reported clinically elevated symptoms of PTSD secondary to the unwanted sexual experience. The average number of instances of institutional betrayal following the sexual trauma was 2.73 (SD = 2.75), and institutional betrayal was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms (r = .29, p = .008). An independent samples t-test showed that trauma-exposed participants who viewed an anonymous survivor Instagram account specific to their college reported higher institutional betrayal compared to trauma-exposed participants who did not view the account (d = 1.55). Furthermore, frequent viewing of the Instagram account (i.e., at least once per week) was associated with the highest reported institutional betrayal (d = .49). Whether or not trauma-exposed participants viewed the Instagram account did not appear to be associated with PTSD symptoms. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the associations among exposure to an anonymous survivor Instagram account, institutional betrayal, and PTSD symptoms. While further research is needed to understand the causal relationship among these variables, these results highlight the continued and urgent need of institutions of higher education to address campus sexual misconduct, in the form of reporting/adjudication processes and robust prevention programming.


[The clinical efficacy of the patients of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes treated with decitabine alone, combined with half or one couse of CAG regimen].
To observe the clinical safety and efficacy of decitabine in patients of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS/AML). Totally 79 patients with MDS/AML were divided into three groups: (1)Treated with decitabine alone (20 mg/m² for 5 days). (2) Combination of decitabine with half dose CAG chemotherapy (Acla 20 mg qod×3 d, Ara-C 10 mg/m² q12 h×7 d, G-CSF 300 μg/d, the dose of G-CSF adjust to the amount of blood routine). (3)Combination of decitabine with CAG chemotherapy (Acla 20 mg qod×4 d, Ara-C 10 mg/m² q12 h×14 d, G-CSF 300 μg/d, the dose of G-CSF adjust to the amount of blood routine). We observed complete remission (CR) rate, overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) of the three groups; meanwhile, we analyzed the factors relevant to decitabine efficacy and the prognosis. ORR in the three groups were 53.3%, 56.5% and 69.2% respectively, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). Due to the last follow-up at 2014.04.01, 20 patients still survived, 45 died, 14 were lost to follow-up. The 5-year cumulative survival rate of 79 patients was 25.3%, the 2-year survival were of the three groups were 34.8%, 24.8 and 29.2% respectively with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). Adverse events of infection and bleeding were mainly caused by decitabine. Grade 3 to 4 hematological toxicities were observed in 72 cases with the average time for the lack of granulocytes as 14.8 days. 59 patients experienced infectious events, including grade 3 or 4 infections in 14 cases, grade 1 or 2 infections in 45 cases. There were no statistically significant differences (P>0.05) among the three groups in terms of infection rates, bleeding rates, duration of neutrophenia, mean MAP transfusion and mean platelet transfusion. 79 patients were safely through bone marrow suppression by anti-infective and supportive treatment without treatment-related deaths. Treating MDS/AML with decitabine alone, in combination with half or one course CAG regimen produced high efficacy. ORR of the combination of decitabine with one course CAG regimen was relatively higher. Three groups of patients were all well tolerated.


Novel predictors of peritonitis-related outcomes in the BRAZPD cohort.
Peritonitis remains the main cause of peritoneal dialysis (PD) technique failure worldwide, despite significant reductions in infection rates observed over the past decades. Several studies have described risk factors for peritonitis, technique failure and mortality. However, there are scarce data regarding predictors of complications during and after a peritonitis episode. The aim of our study was to analyze predictors of peritonitis-related outcome in the Brazilian Peritoneal Dialysis study (BRAZPD) cohort. All adult incident patients recruited in the BRAZPD Study between December 2004 and October 2007, who remained at least 90 days on PD and presented their first peritonitis episode (n = 474 patients) were included in the study. The endpoints analyzed were non-resolution, death due to a peritonitis episode and long-term technique survival after a peritonitis episode. In the multivariable regression, non-resolution was independently associated with older age (odds ratio (OR) 1.02; p < 0.01), collagenosis as the primary renal disease (OR 4.6; p < 0.05) and Pseudomonas spp as etiological agent (OR 2.9; p < 0.05). Patients who were transferred from APD to CAPD during peritonitis therapy presented a higher risk of non-response (OR 2.5; p < 0.05). The only factor associated with death during a peritonitis episode was older age (OR 1.04; p < 0.05). Exposure to vancomycin and male gender were the independent predictors of long-term technique failure (OR 2.2; p < 0.01). Apart from confirming previous observations of the negative impact of older age and Pseudomonas spp peritonitis on outcomes, we observed that collagenosis may negatively impact response to treatment and exposure to vancomycin may possibly reduce long-term technique survival. It is important to emphasize that the association of vancomycin with technique failure does not prove causality. These findings shed light on new factors predicting outcome when peritonitis is diagnosed.


Potential value of estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assay in formalin-fixed breast tumors.
Sixty-two primary breast carcinomas were analyzed for estrogen receptor (ER) by both the dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) technique and estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assay (ER-ICA) on cryostat and permanent sections. Paraffin sections of formalin-fixed breast tissue underwent DNase pretreatment to expose the nuclear antigenic site as described by P. Shintaku and J. H. Said (Am J Clin Pathol 87:161, 1987). The results of immunocytochemical staining agreed with those of the DCC biochemical assay in 89% of paraffin-sectioned tissue and in 94% of the cryostat sections. Comparison of the results of ER-ICA on permanent and frozen sections showed 85% agreement (kappa statistic = 0.704). This study suggests that ER can be demonstrated immunocytochemically on paraffin-sectioned breast tissue. However, although highly specific, immunoperoxidase determination on paraffin-embedded tissue is less sensitive than that on frozen tissue. The commercial source of DNase, length of incubation, and tissue fixation are important factors in the demonstration of ER immunoreactivity. The assay may offer an alternative for assessment of ER when tissue is not suitable or available for biochemical assay or conventional cytochemical analysis.


Classification of canine nonangiogenic, nonlymphogenic, gastrointestinal sarcomas based on microscopic, immunohistochemical, and molecular characteristics.
Canine nonangiogenic, nonlymphogenic, gastrointestinal sarcomas have been previously diagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), leiomyosarcomas, or nonspecified spindle cell sarcomas, but diagnostic criteria for each entity are poorly defined. We propose a classification for canine nonangiogenic, nonlymphogenic, gastrointestinal sarcomas based on microscopic, immunohistochemical, and molecular characteristics. Applying the classification to 40 canine nonangiogenic, nonlymphogenic, gastrointestinal sarcomas documented its diagnostic and prognostic value. Eighteen (45%) sarcomas were classified as GIST based on positive KIT immunoreactivity. All GISTs were positive for vimentin, 14 (78%) were positive for S-100, and 6 (33%) were positive for smooth muscle actin (SMA). In contrast to their human counterparts, canine GISTs occurred mainly in the small intestine (67%) but commonly metastasized (5/18) to liver, lymph nodes, and omentum. Six GISTs had an activated KIT mutation in exon 11 of c-Kit, but no mutations were detected in exons 8, 9, 13, and 17. Twelve (30%) sarcomas were classified as leiomyosarcomas based on positive labeling for SMA and negative labeling for KIT. Four of these neoplasms were well differentiated leiomyosarcomas characterized by weak to no labeling for vimentin, and 8 were poorly differentiated leiomyosarcomas characterized by strong labeling for vimentin. None of the leiomyosarcomas metastasized, but poorly differentiated leiomyosarcomas had a higher risk of local invasion. Ten (25%) sarcomas were classified as non-GIST/nonleiomyosarcomas that were negative for KIT and SMA but positive for vimentin and either S-100 and/or PGP 9.5. These neoplasms most likely represent sarcomas of neurogenic differentiation resembling Schwann cells or perineurial or endoneurial fibroblasts, respectively.


A temporal abstraction framework for classifying clinical temporal data.
The increasing availability of complex temporal clinical records collected today has prompted the development of new methods that extend classical machine learning and data mining approaches to time series data. In this work, we develop a new framework for classifying the patient's time-series data based on temporal abstractions. The proposed STF-Mine algorithm automatically mines discriminative temporal abstraction patterns from the data and uses them to learn a classification model. We apply our approach to predict HPF4 test orders from electronic patient health records. This test is often prescribed when the patient is at the risk of Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Our results demonstrate the benefit of our approach in learning accurate time series classifiers, a key step in the development of intelligent clinical monitoring systems.


Hypoparathyroidism in conotruncal heart defects.
This retrospective study was designed to evaluate serum levels of intact parathyroid hormone and calcium in patients with conotruncal heart defects with or without microdeletion 22q11.2 in order to investigate a correlation between various types of conotruncal heart defect and hypoparathyroidism. A total of 67 patients with truncus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect, interrupted aortic arch or vascular ring were included of whom 28 had a 22q11.2 deletion (Group I) and 39 did not (Group II). In two patients of Group I and in one patient of Group II, parathyroid hormone level was decreased with normal serum calcium levels. No patient of Group II showed hypocalcaemia. In Group I, complete hypoparathyroidism with low parathyroid hormone and hypocalcaemia occurred in seven patients; 5 patients had bilateral anomalies of the right and the left 4th aortic arch derivates. In addition to an interrupted aortic arch type B or a high aortic arch, the contralateral subclavian artery arose cervically, high thoracically or anomalously from the descending aorta. Two patients had unilateral anomalies of the 4th aortic arch system: The origin of the right subclavian artery was cervical or from the descending aorta. Hypoparathyroidism occurred in 7 of our 28 patients with conotruncal heart defect and monosomy 22q11.2 and was associated with an extended regression of the 4th aortic arch development on both sides of the aortic arch system.


MRI evaluation of growth plate closure rate and pattern in the normal knee joint.
The records of 320 patients (145 boys and 175 girls) who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of meniscal injury were reviewed. Growth plates of the distal femur and proximal tibia were examined, and the closure rate of the growth plates in each age group was evaluated. Imaging of the growth plates was low-signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI, high-signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI, and high-signal intensity on T2-gradient-recalled echo MRI. The disappearance rates of high-signal band on T2-gradient-recalled echo MRI in each age group were: 0% at < or = 11 years, 5% at 12 years, 34% at 13 years, 53% at 14 years, 94% at 15 years, and 100% at > or = 16 years. In the tibial growth plate on coronal MRI, the central portion had a tendency to close earlier than the peripheral portion. The results of this study suggest T2-gradient-recalled echo MRI should be used for diagnosis and follow-up of the growth plate. Furthermore, the fact that growth plate closure starts centrally suggests the possibility of using a tibial tunnel for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in young patients.


[Separation of tannins in Rhubarb and its analysis by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry].
In order to investigate the pharmaceutical actions of rhubarb, a method for extracting, separating and analyzing the tannin components in rhubarb was studied. At first, a procedure for the group separation of tannins from the water-ethanol extract of rhubarb was established based on the formation of tannins-caffein precipitation. Then, a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the analysis of tannins in rhubarb was developed. This HPLC method is based on a reversed-phase C18 column and polar mobile-phase such as water and methanol with gradient elution, and the tannins can be well separated. Finally, the identification of the tannin components in rhubarb was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The structures of the main tannin components (gallic acid, catechin, the dimer, trimer, tetramer and pentamer of catechin) in rhubarb are suggested. The fragmentation laws of the tannin components are summarized. In comparing with previous methods, it is simple and without the interference of co-existed compounds.


A fission yeast-based test system for the determination of IC50 values of anti-prostate tumor drugs acting on CYP21.
Human steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) and steroid 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) are two closely related cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the steroidogenesis of glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and sex hormones, respectively. Compounds that inhibit CYP17 activity are of pharmacological interest as they could be used for the treatment of prostate cancer. However, in many cases little is known about a possible co-inhibition of CYP21 activity by CYP17 inhibitors, which would greatly reduce their pharmacological value. We have previously shown that fission yeast strains expressing mammalian cytochrome P450 steroid hydroxylases are suitable systems for whole-cell conversion of steroids and may be used for biotechnological applications or for screening of inhibitors. In this study, we developed a very simple and fast method for the determination of enzyme inhibition using Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains that functionally express either human CYP17 or CYP21. Using this system we tested several compounds of different structural classes with known CYP17 inhibitory potency (i.e. Sa 40, YZ5ay, BW33, and ketoconazole) and determined IC50 values that were about one order of magnitude higher in comparison to data previously reported using human testes microsomes. One compound, YZ5ay, was found to be a moderate CYP21 inhibitor with an IC50 value of 15 microM, which is about eight-fold higher than the value determined for CYP17 inhibition (1.8 microM) in fission yeast. We conclude that, in principle, co-inhibition of CYP21 by CYP17 inhibitors cannot be ruled out.


An Unusual Cutaneous Manifestation in a Patient with Murine Typhus.
Murine typhus is a flea-borne febrile illness caused by Rickettsia typhi. Although often accompanied by rash, an inoculation lesion has not been observed as it is with many tick- and mite-transmitted rickettsioses. We describe a patient with murine typhus and an unusual cutaneous manifestation at the site of rickettsial inoculation.


Intracellular calcium promotes radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells through activating Akt signaling.
Radiotherapy is a major therapeutic approach in non-small cell lung cancer but is restricted by radioresistance. Although Akt signaling promotes radioresistance in non-small cell lung cancer, it is not well understood how Akt signaling is activated. Since intracellular calcium (Ca2+) could activate Akt in A549 cells, we investigated the relationship between intracellular calcium (Ca2+) and Akt signaling in radioresistant A549 cells by establishing radioresistant non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. The radioresistant cell line A549 was generated by dose-gradient irradiation of the parental A549 cells. The cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were, respectively, assessed using the cell counting kit-8, EdU labeling, and flow cytometry analysis. The phosphorylation of Akt was evaluated by Western blotting, and the intracellular Ca2+ concentration was assessed by Fluo 4-AM. The radioresistant A549 cells displayed mesenchymal morphology. After additional irradiation, the radioresistant A549 cells showed decreased cell viability and proliferation but increased apoptosis. Moreover, the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the phosphorylation level on the Akt473 site in radioresistant A549 cells were higher than those in original cells, whereas the percentage of apoptosis in radioresistant A549 cells was less. All these results could be reversed by verapamil. In conclusion, our study found that intracellular Ca2+ could promote radioresistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells through phosphorylating of Akt on the 473 site, which contributes to a better understanding on the non-small cell lung cancer radioresistance, and may provide a new target for radioresistance management.


[Principles of surgical treatment of patients with renal tumor and coexistent contralateral kidney stone].
To determine the treatment strategy for patients with renal tumors and coexistent contralateral kidney stone. From 2006 to 2015, 1380 and 4833 patients underwent surgery for renal tumours and kidney stones, respectively. The combination of stone disease and renal tumor was found in 159 (11.5%) patients, of whom 61 patients had indications for surgical treatment of both diseases at the time of hospital admission. Of these, 17 (27.9%) patients (8 men and 9 women) had renal tumors and coexistent contralateral kidney stone. Initial surgery for stones was performed in 10 (58.8%) cases. In the remaining 7 (41.2%) patients, the first operation was for renal tumors. None of the patients underwent simultaneous removal of the contralateral kidney stone. The most common types of treatment for kidney stones were percutaneous nephrolithotripsy and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. Twelve (70.6%) patients underwent partial nephrectomy, the remaining 5 (29.4%) had nephrectomy. In total, 17 patients with renal tumors and coexistent contralateral kidney stones were treated using 11 different treatment combinations. These results show the need to define treatment strategies for each patient individually, taking into account all possible factors. In patients with renal tumors and coexistent contralateral kidney stone, the basic principle of surgical treatment is to perform an organ-sparing surgery, given technical feasibility and normal function of kidney, affected by the tumor.


Roughness as a Route to the Ultimate Regime of Thermal Convection.
We use highly resolved numerical simulations to study turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a cell with sinusoidally rough upper and lower surfaces in two dimensions for Pr=1 and Ra=[4×10^{6},3×10^{9}]. By varying the wavelength λ at a fixed amplitude, we find an optimal wavelength λ_{opt} for which the Nusselt-Rayleigh scaling relation is (Nu-1∝Ra^{0.483}), maximizing the heat flux. This is consistent with the upper bound of Goluskin and Doering [J. Fluid Mech. 804, 370 (2016)JFLSA70022-112010.1017/jfm.2016.528] who prove that Nu can grow no faster than O(Ra^{1/2}) as Ra→∞, and thus with the concept that roughness facilitates the attainment of the so-called ultimate regime. Our data nearly achieve the largest growth rate permitted by the bound. When λ≪λ_{opt} and λ≫λ_{opt}, the planar case is recovered, demonstrating how controlling the wall geometry manipulates the interaction between the boundary layers and the core flow. Finally, for each Ra, we choose the maximum Nu among all λ, thus optimizing over all λ, to find Nu_{opt}-1=0.01×Ra^{0.444}.


Effect of selected generally recognized as safe preservative sprays on growth of Listeria monocytogenes on chicken luncheon meat.
The ability of selected generally recognized as safe (GRAS) chemical preservatives to reduce populations or inhibit growth of Listeria monocytogenes on chicken luncheon meat was evaluated. Slices of luncheon meat were treated by evenly spraying onto their surfaces 0.2 ml of a solution of one of four preservatives (sodium benzoate, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, and sodium diacetate) at one of three different concentrations (15, 20, or 25% [wt/vol]). Each slice was then surface inoculated with a five-strain mixture of 10(5) CFU of L. monocytogenes per ml, held at 4, 13, or 22 degrees C, and assayed for L. monocytogenes immediately after inoculation and at 3, 7, 10, and 14 days of storage. Initial reductions of L. monocytogenes populations ranged from 0.78 to 1.32 log10 CFU g(-1) at day 0 for sodium benzoate- or sodium diacetate-treated meat, whereas reductions for the sodium propionate or potassium sorbate treatments were only 0.14 to 0.36 log10 CFU g(-1). After 14 days of storage at 4 degrees C, L. monocytogenes populations on all treated slices were 1.5 to 3 log10 CFU g(-1) less than on the untreated slices. At 13 degrees C and after 14 days of storage, L. monocytogenes populations were 3.5 and 5.2 log10 CFU g(-1) less on luncheon meat slices treated with 25% sodium benzoate or 25% sodium diacetate, respectively, and ca. 2 log10 CFU g(-1) less when treated with 25% sodium propionate or 25% potassium sorbate than on untreated control slices. Only sodium diacetate was highly inhibitory to L. monocytogenes on meat slices held at 22 degrees C for 7 days or longer. Untreated luncheon meat held at 22 degrees C was visibly spoiled within 10 days, whereas there was no evidence of visible spoilage on any treated luncheon meat at 14 days of storage.


Branchial fistula: a rare presentation.
Remains of cervical sinus of His may persist as a branchial cyst. A branchial sinus is formed when 2nd branchial arch fails to meet the 5th pharyngeal arch. Peak age for presentation of cysts is in the third decade and that of the congenital sinuses and fistulae is at birth. Rarely a branchial sinus is found to have an internal opening as well, thus forming a true branchial fistula. We present a case of true branchial fistula with external opening on the lateral side of neck and internal opening near the lower pole of tonsil.


Quantitative analysis of the neu oncogene in normal and transformed epithelial breast cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization and laser scanning microscopy.
In this study we evaluated indirect fluorescence in situ hybridization of the neu oncogene in combination with laser scanning microscopy for the detection and quantification of fluorescence signals in single cells. Cell lines from human tumor tissue with neu oncogene amplification and one nonneoplastic human epithelial cell line from a lactating breast with a neu single copy as the reference were used. After quantitative fluorescence analysis of three mixed cell populations (neoplastic cells and reference cells), we evaluated the cell morphology and location of the fluorescence signal by laser scanning microscopy. Finally, the number of oncogene copies in the tumor cell population could be estimated from the ratio of its mean background-corrected integrated fluorescence intensities to those of the reference cells. In all mixed cultures the ratio of fluorescence intensities was within the limits of oncogene copy numbers known from the literature and evaluated by southern blot analysis. The lowest oncogene copy number possible to quantify was four to eight genomic copies.


Psychological flexibility, cognitive emotion regulation and mental health outcomes among patients with asthma in Pakistan.
Adults with asthma who experience difficulties in emotion regulation are prone to developing psychopathological symptoms that may affect their self-management activities and symptom control. The current research investigated the role of psychological flexibility and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in relation to mental health outcomes (psychological distress and quality of life) among patients with asthma in Pakistan. A sample of 200 adults, diagnosed with asthma (32% men, 68% women; Mage = 42.32, SDage = 16.99), completed the acceptance and action questionnaire (AAQ-II) cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ), depression, anxiety, stress scale-21 (DASS-21), asthma-related quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) and a self-structured demographic sheet. Results of Pearson product moment correlation showed that most of the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (positive refocusing, refocus on planning, and positive reappraisal) were positively correlated with psychological flexibility and quality of life, whereas negatively correlated with psychological distress. All the maladaptive strategies of cognitive emotion regulation had a significant inverse relationship with psychological flexibility and quality of life, while positively correlated with psychological distress. Results of serial mediation analysis through PROCESS MACRO showed that catastrophising and anxiety fully mediated the relationship between psychological flexibility and asthma-related quality of life. Evidence-based interventions should focus on developing psychological flexibility and identifying maladaptive patterns of cognitive emotion regulation strategies for improved mental health and quality of life outcomes for adults with asthma.


Implementation of a case formulation to reduce restrictive interventions on a psychiatric intensive care unit: quasi-experimental single case evaluation.
Despite the use of case formulation being encouraged for in-patient psychiatric care, there have been no previous examples and evaluations of this type of work on a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU). To evaluate whether a schema-informed formulation with a patient diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mild learning difficulties was effective in reducing the use of restrictive interventions. A biphasic n = 1 quasi-experimental design with an 8-week baseline versus an 8-week intervention phase. The restrictive outcomes measured were use of physical restraint, seclusion, and intramuscular rapid tranquilisation. The formulation was developed through eight one-to-one sessions during the baseline period, and was implemented via six one-to-one sessions during the intervention phase and discussion at the ward reflective practice group. The intervention encouraged better communication of schema modes from the patient and for staff to then respond with bespoke mode support. Incidents involving need for seclusion, restraint and rapid tranquilisation extinguished. The need for making access to psychological input a routine aspect of the care in PICUs and the necessity for developing a methodologically more robust evidence base for psychological interventions on these wards.