[Correlationships between the coverage of vegetation and the quality of groundwater in the lower reaches of the Tarim River].
The variations vegetation coverage is the result of conjunct effects of inner and outer energy of the earth, however, the human activity always makes the coverage of vegetation change a lot. Based on the monitoring data of chemistry of groundwater and the coverage of vegetation from 2002 to 2007 in the lower reaches of Tarim River, relations between vegetation coverage and groundwater chemistry were studied. It is found that vegetation coverage at Sector A was more than 80%, and decreased from sector to sector, the coverage of Sector I was less than 10%. At the same sector, samples near to water source owned high coverage index, and samples far away from the river had low coverage index. The variations of pH in groundwater expressed similar regulation to vegetation coverage, that is, Sectors near the water source had higher pH index comparing than those far away. Regression between groundwater quality and vegetation coverage disclosed that the coverage of Populus euphratica climbed up along with increase of pH in groundwater, change of Tamarix ramosissima coverage expressed an opposite trend to the Populus euphratica with the same environmental factors. This phenomenon can interpret spatial distribution of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima in lower reaches of the Tarim River.


Precise Manipulation of Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer via Incorporating Charge Transfer toward High-Performance Film-Based Fluorescence Sensing.
Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) has been widely employed for the design of a variety of functionality-led molecular systems. However, precise manipulation of the excited-state reaction is challenging. Herein, we report a new tactic for tuning ESIPT via incorporating an excited-state intramolecular charge transfer (ESICT) process. Specifically, three o-carborane derivatives, NaCBO, PaCBO, and PyCBO, were designed, where the 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-benzothiazole is a typical ESIPT unit functioning as an electron acceptor, and the electron-donating units are naphthyl-(Na), phenanthrenyl-(Pa), and pyrenyl-(Py), respectively. The architectures of the molecules are featured with a face-to-face alignment of the two units. Spectroscopy and theoretical calculation studies revealed that the electron-donating capacity of the donors and solvent polarity continuously modulate the ESIPT/ESICT energetics and dynamics, resulting in distinct emissions. Moreover, the molecules depicted not only highly porous structures but also very different fluorescent colors in the solid state, enabling highly selective film-based fluorescence sensing of mustard gas simulant, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, with a detection limit of 50 ppb and a response time of 5 s. This work thus provides a reliable strategy for the creation of high-performance sensing fluorophores via ESIPT manipulation.


Two-dimensional solitons in PT linear lattice potentials.
We investigate two-dimensional (2D) ordinary and gap solitons in the 2D and the quasi-one-dimensional parity-time (PT) linear lattice potentials. The stability diagrams for both versions of PT potentials are given. Particularly, we find that 2D gap solitons with self-attractive nonlinearity may exist in the PT lattice, but they are unstable due to the collapse instability.


Optimizing the precision of laser speckle contrast imaging.
Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a rapidly developing technology broadly applied for the full-field characterization of tissue perfusion. Over the recent years, significant advancements have been made in interpreting LSCI measurements and improving the technique's accuracy. On the other hand, the method's precision has yet to be studied in detail, despite being as important as accuracy for many biomedical applications. Here we combine simulation, theory and animal experiments to systematically evaluate and re-analyze the role of key factors defining LSCI precision-speckle-to-pixel size ratio, polarisation, exposure time and camera-related noise. We show that contrary to the established assumptions, smaller speckle size and shorter exposure time can improve the precision, while the camera choice is less critical and does not affect the signal-to-noise ratio significantly.


Effect of intestinal resection in dogs on different digestive parameters.
Some aspects of the digestive secretions in intact dogs (Control group) and the same dogs after resections of either 50 or 80% of the small intestine starting from the ileocaecal valve have been studied. In all of the animals the duodenal content flow, duodenal content pH, bile salts and amylase production have been determined; under fasting conditions, response to food (4% fat) and response to cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) injection (2 i.u./kg). Our results showed a decrease of pH and amylase production in resected animals, but duodenal content flow and bile salt production were not affected. The increase in duodenal content flow in response to feeding was delayed at onset in resected dogs. The pH and bile salts production were unchanged in response to food and to CCK-PZ injection in all animals, but amylase production decreased in response to food and particularly to CCK-PZ administration in resected animals.


The Effect of Metatarsal Padding on Pain and Functional Ability in Metatarsalgia.
Many kinds of insoles and pads are commonly used as a conservative treatment of metatarsalgia. However, earlier studies of insole treatment provide contradictory results, and the natural progression of metatarsalgia is still unknown. The aims of this study were to (1) determine whether simple custom-made metatarsal pad insoles reduce pain and improve functional ability, (2) find out patients' satisfaction with padding treatment, and (3) investigate predisposing factors for metatarsalgia. All metatarsalgia patients provided with metatarsal pad insoles during a 2-year period at Kuopio University Hospital (n = 45) were included in the study and observed at least a year. In all, 25 patients were interviewed about their situation before and after treatment. The Numeric Rating Scale for pain and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society forefoot questionnaire included questions about predisposing factors, other diseases, exercise, work, shoes, and satisfaction with insoles. Foot X-rays taken from 45 patients during treatment were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 56 years (range 34-84 years); 87% of them were women. In all, 47% of patients had osteoarthritic changes in the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and 42% had hallux valgus. In the interviewed subgroup (n = 25) body mass index was normal in 44%, and 36% were mildly overweight. High-heeled shoes were used by 40% daily, and 68% had done standing work for several years. Pain decreased significantly on the Numeric Rating Scale: 3.2 points in all patients ( p < 0.001), 3.1 points among women, and 4.25 points among men. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score improved 24.2 points in all patients ( p < 0.001, range 0-100), among women 19 points, and among men 29 points. Metatarsalgia affects mostly women and is often preceded by extensive use of high heels and standing work. Also, a high association of first metatarsophalangeal arthrosis and hallux valgus was found. Metatarsal pads reduce pain and improve the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score. We recommend metatarsal padding as a safe and inexpensive alternative in treating metatarsalgia patients.


Appraisal of data-driven techniques for predicting short-term streamflow in tropical catchment.
Short-term streamflow prediction is essential for managing flood early warning and water resources systems. Although numerical models are widely used for this purpose, they require various types of data and experience to operate the model and often tedious calibration processes. Under the digital revolution, the application of data-driven approaches to predict streamflow has increased in recent decades. In this work, multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF) models with three different input combinations are developed and assessed for multi-step ahead short-term streamflow predictions, using 14 years of hydrological datasets from the Kulim River catchment, Malaysia. Introducing more precedent streamflow events as predictor improves the performance of these data-driven models, especially in predicting peak streamflow during the high-flow event. The RF model (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE): 0.599-0.962) outperforms the MLR model (NSE: 0.584-0.963) in terms of overall prediction accuracy. However, with the increasing lead-time length, the models' overall prediction accuracy on the arrival time and magnitude of peak streamflow decrease. These findings demonstrate the potential of decision tree-based models, such as RF, for short-term streamflow prediction and offer insights into enhancing the accuracy of these data-driven models.


Role of regulatory features of the trp operon of Escherichia coli in mediating a response to a nutritional shift.
Physiological studies were performed under nutritional stress and nonstress conditions to assess the relative importance of the various regulatory mechanisms that Escherichia coli can use to alter its rate of tryptophan synthesis. Mutants were examined in which the trp repressor was inactive, transcription termination at the trp attenuator was altered, transcription initiation at the trp promoter was reduced, or feedback inhibition of anthranilate synthase was abolished. Strains were examined in media with and without tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine, or acid-hydrolyzed casein and following shifts from one medium to another. Growth rates and anthranilate synthase levels were measured. In media lacking tryptophan, each of the mutants showed relief of repression and/or attenuation and maintained a near-normal growth rate. Following a shift from a medium containing tryptophan to a tryptophan-free medium containing phenylalanine and tyrosine or acid-hydrolyzed casein, mutants with abnormally low trp enzyme levels exhibited an appreciable growth lag before resuming growth. The wild-type strain displayed termination relief only under one extreme shift condition, upon transfer from a minimal medium containing tryptophan to minimal medium with only phenylalanine and tyrosine. A promoter down-mutant had difficulty adjusting to a shift from high tryptophan to low tryptophan levels in a medium containing acid-hydrolyzed casein. In all media tested, anthranilate synthase levels were lower in a feedback-resistant mutant than in the wild type. These studies demonstrate the capacity of E. coli to adjust its rate of tryptophan synthesis to maintain rapid growth following a shift to stressful nutritional conditions.


Differential activities, subcellular distribution and tissue expression patterns of three members of Slingshot family phosphatases that dephosphorylate cofilin.
Cofilin, a key regulator of actin filament dynamics, is inactivated by phosphorylation at Ser-3 by LIM-kinases and is reactivated by dephosphorylation by a family of protein phosphatases, termed Slingshot (SSH). We have identified two novel isoforms of SSHs, termed SSH-2L and SSH-3L and characterized them in comparison with SSH-1L that was previously reported. SSH-1L and SSH-2L, but not SSH-3L, tightly bound to and co-localized with actin filaments. When expressed in cultured cells, SSH-1L, SSH-2L and SSH-3L decreased the level of Ser-3-phosphorylated cofilin (P-cofilin) in cells and suppressed LIM-kinase-induced actin reorganization, although SSH-3L was less effective than SSH-1L and SSH-2L. In cell-free assays, SSH-1L and SSH-2L efficiently dephosphorylated P-cofilin, whereas SSH-3L did do so only weakly. Using deleted mutants of SSH-1L and SSH-2L, we found that the N-terminal and C-terminal extracatalytic regions are critical for cofilin-phosphatase and F-actin-binding activities, respectively. In situ hybridization analyses revealed characteristic patterns of expression of each of the mouse Ssh genes in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues; in particular, expression of Ssh-3 in epithelial tissues is evident. SSH-1L, SSH-2L and SSH-3L have the potential to dephosphorylate P-cofilin, but subcellular distribution, F-actin-binding activity, specific phosphatase activity and expression patterns significantly differ, which suggests that they have related but distinct functions in various cellular and developmental events.


Requirement of aryl hydrocarbon receptor overexpression for CYP1B1 up-regulation and cell growth in human lung adenocarcinomas.
CYP1B1 and CYP1A1 expression is up-regulated by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) through binding of ligands such as cigarette smoke components. We examined the association between AhR, CYP1B1, and CYP1A1 expression in noninvasive bronchioloalveolar carcinomas (BAC) and lung adenocarcinomas and investigated the effects of AhR overexpression on cell physiology. AhR, CYP1B1, and CYP1A1 expression was examined in 107 lung adenocarcinomas and 57 BAC by immunohistochemistry. AhR expression in lung adenocarcinoma H1355 cells was stably reduced by RNA interference (RNAi). AhR, CYP1B1, and CYP1A1 expression was examined using real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Cell physiology was evaluated by measuring anchorage-independent growth and intracellular reactive oxygen species. Expression of AhR and CYP1A1 was associated in smoking adenocarcinoma patients, whereas expression of AhR and CYP1B1 was associated regardless of smoking status. The level of CYP1B1, but not CYP1A1, was positively associated with AhR overexpression in BAC. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorobenzo-p-dioxin-induced CYP1A1/1B1 expression was reduced in AhR RNAi clones. In the absence of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorobenzo-p-dioxin, CYP1B1 mRNA levels were reduced in AhR RNAi clones, whereas CYP1A1 mRNA levels were barely detectable. Furthermore, anchorage-independent growth and intracellular oxidative stress were significantly reduced in AhR RNAi cells. In the absence of exogenous AhR ligands (such as cigarette smoke components), AhR overexpression up-regulated the expression of CYP1B1 in the early stage of lung adenocarcinoma. Elevated AhR expression in lung adenocarcinoma cells could increase intracellular oxidative stress and promote cell growth, implying that disrupting AhR expression might prevent the early development of lung adenocarcinomas.


Reversible to irreversible transitions for cyclically driven particles on periodic obstacle arrays.
We examine the collective dynamics of disks moving through a square array of obstacles under cyclic square wave driving. Below a critical density, we find that the system organizes into a reversible state in which the disks return to the same positions at the end of every drive cycle. Above this density, the dynamics are irreversible and the disks do not return to the same positions after each cycle. The critical density depends strongly on the angle θ between the driving direction and a symmetry axis of the obstacle array, with the highest critical densities appearing at commensurate angles such as θ = 0° and θ = 45° and the lowest critical densities falling at θ = arctan (0.618), the inverse of the golden ratio, where the flow is the most degenerate. As the density increases, the number of cycles required to reach a reversible state grows as a power law with an exponent near ν = 1.36, similar to what is found in periodically driven colloidal and superconducting vortex systems.


Molecular detection and genetic characterization of bovine hepacivirus identified in ticks collected from cattle in Harbin, northeastern China.
Bovine hepacivirus (BovHepV) is a member of the genus Hepacivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which can cause acute or persistent infections in cattle. Currently, BovHepV strains identified in cattle populations worldwide can be classified into two genotypes with eight subtypes in genotype 1. BovHepV has been identified in a wide geographic area in China. Interestingly, the viral RNA of BovHepV has also been detected in ticks in Guangdong province, China. In this study, Rhipicephalus microplus tick samples were collected in Heilongjiang province, northeastern China, and BovHepV was screened with an overall positive rate of 10.9%. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis showed that the BovHepV strains detected in this study belong to the subtype G. This is the first report about the detection of BovHepV in ticks in Heilongjiang province, China, which expands our knowledge that ticks may be a transmission vector of BovHepV.


Negative differential thermal resistance through nanoscale solid-fluid-solid sandwiched structures.
In this work, we propose a negative differential thermal resistance (NDTR) system using a nanoscale sandwiched fluid. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and kinetic theory analyses show that the heat flux through the system can be suppressed and even prohibited when the temperature difference across the system becomes sufficiently high. The phenomenon of NDTR is caused by the fluid adsorption on the solid surface at the cold end, which reduces the number density of the free fluid molecules and increases the total thermal resistance of the whole system. The proposed NDTR system provides theoretical insights for the design of certain thermal devices.


MGM101, a nuclear gene involved in maintenance of the mitochondrial genome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
A nuclear mutation, mgm101, results in temperature sensitive loss of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The corresponding gene, MGM101, was isolated from a genomic DNA library by complementation. Sequence analysis shows that MGM101 encodes a positively charged protein of 269 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 30 kDa. This analysis also reveals that MGM101 is adjacent to the ribosomal protein gene RPS7A on chromosome X and hybridization indicates it occurs in single copy. Creation of a null mutant by targeted disruption showed that the gene has no essential cellular function, aside from its participation in mitochondrial genome maintenance. As no counterpart has been identified in databases it is a novel protein whose role has yet to be determined. Expression of MGM101 is low on glucose medium but on galactose there is a two-fold increase in the level of the transcript.


Single-chain Fv Antibodies for Targeting Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Protein misfolding and aggregation have been considered the common pathological hallmarks for a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). These abnormal proteins aggregates damage mitochondria and induce oxidative stress, resulting in neuronal cell death. Prolonged neuronal damage activates microglia and astrocytes, development of inflammation reaction and further promotes neurodegeneration. Thus, elimination of abnormal protein aggregates without eliciting any adverse effects are the main treatment strategies. To overcome this, recent studies have deployed single- chain fragment variable antibodies (scFvs) to target the pathological protein aggregates, such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, α-synuclein (α-syn) and Huntingtin (Htt). To date scFv has been effective at inhibiting abnormal protein aggregates formation in both in vitro and in vivo model system of AD, PD and HD. Currently active research is still ongoing to improve the scFv gene delivery technology, to further enhance brain penetration, intracellular stability, solubility and efficacy of scFv intrabody.


What are the Particularities of Gastric and Bariatric Surgery in the Cirrhotic Patient.
The objective of this work was to review the entire literature on gastric and bariatric surgery in order to best define the surgical indications and the specifics of their management. A literature review from 1995 to August 2015 was conducted in Pubmed and Google Scholar, using French and English as publication languages. 21 studies were included (level 3 and 4) over 128 identified. In total, if the cirrhotic patients, candidates for gastric surgery, are appropriately selected, long-term survival seems relatively good. No risk factors for long-term survival have been reported. The literature data are insufficient to be able to make recommendations concerning bariatric surgery in the cirrhotic patient.


Combined anticancer effects of simvastatin and arsenic trioxide on prostate cancer cell lines via downregulation of the VEGF and OPN isoforms genes.
Arsenic trioxide (ATO) and statins have been demonstrated to have anti-neoplastic properties; however, the data regarding their combination therapy is limited. Thus, we aimed to study the effects of ATO, Simvastatin and their combination in proliferation, apoptosis and pathological angiogenesis in prostate cancer cell lines. The human prostate cell lines were treated with different concentrations of Simvastatin and ATO alone and combined to find effective doses and IC50 values. In addition, the percentage of apoptotic cells was evaluated by annexin/PI staining, and mRNA expression levels of the apoptotic gene, including OPN isoforms and VEGF, were investigated using real-time PCR. Our data displayed that Simvastatin (12 and 8 μM in PC3 and LNCaP cell lines respectively), ATO (8 and 5 μM in PC3 and LNCaP cell lines respectively), and also their combination (12 μM Simvastatin and 8 μM ATO in PC3, 8 μM Simvastatin and 5 μM ATO in LNCaP cell lines respectively) significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells. Also, we showed that the combination therapy by Simvastatin and ATO increased cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation, providing anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties, possibly via downregulation of the expression of VEGF and OPN genes. These results provide new perceptions regarding the anticancer roles of ATO and statins' combination therapy in prostate cancer.


Comparative studies on clinical features and CSF proteins of motor neuron disease patients.
Clinical features such as types of diseases, sex ratio, age of onset, sites of initial involvement, the appearance of bulbar signs, and duration of illness were studied in 52 patients with motor neuron disease (MND) with a special reference to immunoglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. Although MND has been thought to be a degenerative disease of unknown cause, our data suggested there are some immunological abnormalities in this disease. The duration of illness and the abnormalities of CSF immunoglobulins appeared to be correlated with the type of disease and the site of initial involvement. However, whether or not these abnormalities in CSF immunoglobulins are directly related to the pathogenesis of MND remains unclear.


IL-17 in osteoarthritis: A narrative review.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful joint disease that is common among the middle-aged and elderly populations, with an increasing prevalence. Therapeutic options for OA are limited, and the pathogenic mechanism of OA remains unclear. The roles of cytokines and signaling pathways in the development of OA is a current research hot spot. Interleukin (IL)-17 is a pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine produced mainly by T helper 17 cells that has established roles in host defense, tissue repair, lymphoid tissue metabolism, tumor progression, and pathological processes of immune diseases, and studies in recent years have identified an important role for IL-17 in the progression of OA. This narrative review focuses on the mechanisms by which IL-17 contributes to articular cartilage degeneration and synovial inflammation in OA and discusses how IL-17 and the IL-17 signaling pathway affect the pathological process of OA. Additionally, therapeutic targets that have been proposed in recent years based on IL-17 and its pathway in OA are summarized as well as recent advances in the study of IL-17 pathway inhibitors and the potential challenges of their use for OA treatment.


[Psoriatic arthritis : Overview of drug therapy options and administration characteristics].
Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the musculoskeletal system with association to skin psoriasis and is characterized by variable clinical symptoms with very heterogeneous degrees of disease suffering for patients. Clinical manifestations essentially include alterations to the skin and nails, peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis and/or spinal involvement. This variability necessitates an individualized therapy of patients with different therapy targets. Apart from international guidelines no therapy recommendations are available in Germany for treatment of psoriatic arthritis. For this reason this article summarizes the established points, characteristics and aspects to be considered in the therapy of psoriatic arthritis in Germany, taking the various main forms of the disease into consideration.


Evaluation and comparison of centralized drinking water softening technologies: Effects on water quality indicators.
Drinking water softening is often implemented to increase consumer convenience e.g. by reducing lime scaling and soap use. Softening reduces hardness, but changes also the overall mineral composition of the water, depending on the technology. A broad spectrum of effects from softening has to be considered in relation to e.g. health and corrosion when selecting softening technology and design, otherwise adverse effects may be overlooked in the attempt to increase consumer convenience. We here provided a framework for evaluating softening technologies using water quality indicators for lime scaling, soap use, corrosion, human health, taste and removal of contaminants. None of the evaluated softening technologies scored positive on all the included water quality indicators. Precipitation technologies (lime/soda-ash softening and pellet softening) reduce the predicted copper and lead release, but negatively affect stainless steel corrosion expressed by the Larson Ratio. Pellet softening does not remove magnesium, which may limit the achievable softening depth, but maintains a protective effect against cardio-vascular diseases. Strong-acid cation exchange is not expected to affect the included corrosion indicators, whereas the effects from membrane separation (nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) and weak-acid cation exchange depend on the specific source water and process design. All the evaluated technologies reduce hardness, calcium carbonate precipitation potential (CCPP) and atopic eczema, but have potential adverse effects on dental carries (expressed by DMF-S). Our framework provides a better understanding of softening and can prepare water utility planners and managers for better decisions that balance the positive and adverse effects from drinking water softening.


Inducing efficient cross-priming using antigen-coated yeast particles.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae stimulates dendritic cells (DCs) and represents a promising candidate for cancer vaccine development. Effective cross-presentation of antigen delivered to DCs is necessary for successful induction of cellular immunity. Here, we present a yeast-based vaccine approach that is independent of yeast's ability to express the chosen antigen, which is instead produced separately and conjugated to the yeast cell wall. The conjugation method is site-specific (based on the SNAP-tag) and designed to facilitate antigen release in the DC phagosome and subsequent translocation for cross-presentation. We demonstrate that nonsite-specific chemical conjugation of the same protein hinders cross-presentation. Phagosomal antigen release was further expedited through the insertion of the invariant chain ectodomain as a linker, which is rapidly cleaved by Cathepsin S. The dose of delivered antigen was increased in several ways: by using yeast strains with higher surface amine densities, by using yeast hulls (cell wall fragments) instead of whole cells, and by conjugating multiple layers of antigen. The novel multilayer conjugation scheme takes advantage of Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase and remains site-specific; it enables the antigen dose to grow linearly with the number of layers. We show that whole yeast cells coated with 1 layer of the cancer-testis antigen NY-ESO-1 and yeast hulls bearing 3 layers were able to cross-prime naive CD8 T cells in vitro, with the latter resulting in higher frequencies of antigen-specific cells after 10 days. This cross-presentation-efficient antigen conjugation scheme is not limited to yeast and can readily be applied toward the development of other particulate vaccines.


The risk factors and impact of subchorionic hematoma in the first trimester in IVF twin pregnancies: a prospective cohort study.
This study aimed to identify the risk factors for subchorionic hematoma (SCH) in the first trimester of in vitro fertilization (IVF) twin pregnancies and investigate the impact of SCH on pregnancy outcomes. A prospective cohort study was conducted at Chengdu Women and Children's Central Hospital. The study recruited patients who were identified with twin pregnancies in the first trimester, undergoing IVF treatment from January 2020 to May 2021. The demographic characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the SCH and the non-SCH groups. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for SCH and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In the first trimester, 38% of patients developed SCH. The independent risk factors for SCH included male factor, hydrosalpinx, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), previous miscarriage, and adenomyosis. With respect to the pregnancy outcomes, only the rate of twin pregnancy loss before 20 gestational weeks was significantly higher in the SCH group than in the non-SCH group. After adjusting for the confounding factors, the presence of SCH diminished the ovarian reserve, and previous miscarriage was independently related to twin pregnancy loss before 20 gestational weeks. This may be the first study to evaluate the risk factors of SCH in twin pregnancies who underwent IVF-ET/FET treatment, which may provide some theoretical basis for clinical practice in the future. Furthermore, it was found that the occurrence of SCH was associated with the loss of both pregnancies before 20 gestational weeks. Therefore, these patients should be offered increased surveillance and timely treatment.


[Treatment of kyphosis deformity with pedicle subtraction osteotomy and short-segment pedicle screw internal fixation].
To assess the outcomes of pedicle subtraction osteotomy and short-segment pedicle screw internal fixation in kyphosis deformity. From June 2001 to November 2003, 16 cases of kyphosis deformity were treated with pedicle subtraction osteotomy and short-segment pedicle screw internal fixation, including 11 males and 5 females and aging 24-51 years. The kyphosis deformity was caused by ankylosing spondylitis in 12 cases, old lumbothoracic fracture-dislocation in 2 cases, and vertebral dysplasia in 2 cases. The disease course was 7-25 years with an average of 12.8 years. The whole spine radiographs were taken pre- and postoperatively. The sagittal balance was assessed by measuring thoracic kyphosis angle, lumbar lordosis angle, sacrohorizontal angle and distance between posterosuperior point of S1 and the vertical line. The clinical outcomes were assessed by Bridwell-Dewald scale for spinal disorders. The mean follow-up period was 25. 6 months. The mean bleeding was 1100 ml. Satisfactory bone graft healing was achieved at final follow-up. Complications were paralytic intestinal obstruction in 1 case, dura laceration in 1 case, and temporary lower limb paralysis in 2 cases. Final follow-up radiograph showed an increase in lumbar lordosis angle from 9.6+/-16.4 degrees to 42.6 14.3 degrees (P<0.05), whereas thoracic kyphosis angle remained relative stable. The distance between posterosuperior point of S1 and the vertical line was decreased from 97.5+/-45.6 mm to 10.7+/-9.6 mm (P < 0.05). Satisfactory clinical outcome was achieved by evaluating the changes of pain, social and working status. Pedicle subtraction osteotomy and short-segment pedicle screw internal fixation is effective for correction of kyphosis deformity.


Clinical efficacy and safety between high-intensity focused ultrasound and uterine artery embolization for cesarean scar pregnancy: a systematic review and a meta-analysis.
It was reported that high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) can locally inactivate pregnancy tissue. Uterine artery embolization (UAE) can achieve good results for CSP too. To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of HIFU and UAE in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), we conducted this research. Multiple databases were used to search for relevant studies and articles related to HIFU, UAE, and CSP. The selected literature were retrospectively evaluated using Review Manager 5.2. In addition, forest plots, sensitivity analysis, and bias analysis were conducted for the included literature. Finally, 8 related studies met the inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences in postoperative adverse reactions and hospitalization time between the HIFU group and the UAE group. However, the normalization time of serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (B-HCG) in the HIFU group was higher than that in the UAE group [MD =1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.09, 2.22, P=0.03, I2=93%], and the hospitalization cost in the HIFU group was significantly lower than that in the UAE group (MD =-8.81, 95% CI, -12.64, -4.97, P<0.00001, I2=99%). Our results show that HIFU and UAE have the same curative effect in the treatment of CSP, but HIFU has lower cost and fewer complications. These results supported that compared with UAE, HIFU is a better choice for CSP patients with long gestational age, large gestational sac diameter and high HCG level.


Gray scale and doppler ultrasonography features of the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.
For lesions in the salivary glands, ultrasonography (US) is an ideal tool for initial assessment. The aim of this study was to characterize and differentiate between the Gray scale and Doppler US findings of intracapsular carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Ic-CxPA) and invasive carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Inv-CxPA). A total of 87 patients (89 lesions) with histopathologically proven CxPA underwent US examination. The following characteristics were assessed on US images: size, shape, border, echogenicity, echo texture, posterior echo, vascularity, and regional lymph node enlargement. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), nonparametric test, Fisher's exact test, chi-square test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for the analyses of the US findings of Ic-CxPAs and Inv-CxPAs. We found that on US images, nearly all Ic-CxPAs (10/11) and a few of Inv-CxPAs (17/78) showed benign features, such as a regular shape, a well-defined border, and enhancement of posterior echo, while most Inv-CxPAs (61/78) showed one or more following features: an irregular shape, an ill-defined border, and lack of enhancement of posterior echo. Ic-CxPAs tended to exhibit benign features, whereas most Inv-CxPAs tended to exhibit one or more invasive features. US can provide strong evidence in differentiating Inv-CxPAs from Ic-CxPAs.


Energy requirements for growth in male and female Saanen goats.
The aim of this study was to investigate the energy requirements of female and intact and castrated male Saanen goats. Animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experiments designed to investigate the energy requirements for maintenance and gain. To determine the maintenance requirements, 85 goats were used (26 intact males, 30 castrated males, and 29 females) with an initial BW of 30.3 ± 0.87 kg. Thirty goats (8 intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females) were slaughtered to be used as the baseline group. The remaining goats were assigned in a split-plot design using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (3 sexes-intact males, castrated males, and females-and 3 DMI levels-ad libitum and restricted fed to 75 or 50% of the ad libitum intake). The NE was obtained using 65 goats (20 intact males, 22 castrated males, and 23 females) fed ad libitum in a completely randomized design. Eight intact males, 9 castrated males, and 13 females were slaughtered at 30.5 ± 1.53 kg BW. Seventeen goats (6 intact males, 6 castrated males, and 5 females) were slaughtered at 38.1 ± 0.49 kg BW. The remaining goats were slaughtered at 44.0 ± 0.50 kg BW. The NE did not differ between the sexes ( = 0.59; 258.5 kJ/kg BW), resulting in a ME for maintenance of 412.4 kJ/kg BW. The estimated energy use efficiency for maintenance was 0.627. During the growth phase, NE differed between the sexes ( < 0.001); intact males, castrated males, and females showed an average NE equal to 15.2, 18.6, and 22.7 MJ/kg of empty weight gain, respectively. The energy requirements for growth differed between the sexes. The difference was found to be due to distinct NE and partial efficiency of ME utilization for growth in intact and castrated males and females during the late growth phase. This study may contribute to adjustments in feeding system energy recommendations regarding the NE and NE found for goats during the late growth phase.


Association between Factor XIII Activity and Clinical Course in Pediatric Patients with Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis.
Immunoglobulin A vasculitis is a systemic form of vasculitis that predominantly affects children. Factor XIII activity is decreased in some cases, and several reports have shown an association between abdominal pain and decreased factor XIII activity. However, the clinical significance of decreased factor XIII activity in pediatric immunoglobulin A vasculitis has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to identify the association between factor XIII activity and the clinical course of pediatric patients with immunoglobulin A vasculitis. Forty-four pediatric patients, admitted to Kita-Harima Medical Center with a clinical diagnosis of immunoglobulin A vasculitis between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2022, were retrospectively reviewed, and 22 patients were analyzed. The patients' background characteristics and clinical course were compared between the normal and decreased factor XIII activity (<70%) groups. The group with decreased factor XIII activity showed a significantly increased duration of hospitalization (14 [6-36] vs. 7 [5-13] days, p = 0.01), total glucocorticoid dose (prednisolone 22.7 [4.9-55.5] vs. 10.1 [3.4-19.6] mg/kg, p = 0.02), and duration of glucocorticoid administration (19 [4-85] vs. 10 [3-15] days, p = 0.03). Correlational analyses showed that these three parameters were negatively correlated with factor XIII activity. Factor XIII activity was negatively correlated with the duration of hospitalization, total glucocorticoid dose, and duration of glucocorticoid administration. Factor XIII activity is not only associated with abdominal symptoms but also may be a marker to predict the overall trajectory of acute-phase treatment in pediatric patients with immunoglobulin A vasculitis.


Relationship between intestinal colonization of Bifidobacterium bifidum in infants and the presence of exogenous and endogenous growth-promoting factors in their stools.
The relationship between the intestinal colonization of a test strain of Bifidobacterium bifidum requiring human milk growth-promoting factors in vitro and the presence of growth-promoting factors either in the stools of human neonates or in their diet was investigated. Thirty-one infants were inoculated with a single dose of this strain within the first 8 d of life. Spores of a strictly thermophilic Bacillus admixed with the B. bifidum inoculum were used as transit marker, and the fecal population levels of both strain B. bifidum and the transit marker were recorded within 6 d after inoculation. Strain B. bifidum was found in the predominant flora of six neonates. It was eliminated more quickly than the transit marker from the stools of 17 neonates. Its population remained at a low level in the remaining eight neonates. Amounts of B. bifidum growth-promoting factor in the infant stools were not significantly different whether they harbored strain B. bifidum at a high population level or not. Although these amounts were significantly higher in infants fed human milk containing B. bifidum growth-promoting factor than in infants fed formula milk without B. bifidum growth-promoting factor, strain B. bifidum became established in one of the 18 infants fed human milk and in five of the 13 formula-fed infants. No relationship could be found between the population levels of strain B. bifidum and those of facultatively anaerobic streptococci and enterobacteria already present on d 0 and 1. These results clearly show that no relationship exists between the intestinal colonization of B. bifidum and the amounts of exogenous or endogenous growth-promoting factors found in stools.


[An autopsy case of periarteritis nodosa associated with disseminated strongyloidiasis].
An autopsy case of periarteritis nodosa associated with disseminated strongyloidiasis in a 59-year-old woman is reported. The patient had unknown fever of 38 degrees C and marked impairment of renal function, for which pulse therapy of steroid was performed. Electromyogram showed myogenic pattern, and biopsy of the biceps presented necrotizing angitis of small arteries. Renal biopsy showed marked infiltration of lymphocytes in the stroma, and frequent hyalinosis and crescent formation of the glomeruli. Two months after admission, the patient died of respiratory failure associated with sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Postmortem examination disclosed strongyloides stercolaris and fungi in both lungs with extensive hemorrhage. Terminal ileum and ascending colon had multiple erosions, extensive hemorrhage, numerous strongyloides stercolaris, and frequent necrotizing angitis in the mucosa. Necrotizing angitis was also demonstrated in both kidneys.


Capillary liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of enkephalins in cerebrospinal fluid.
A capillary LC-MS/MS system was evaluated for the absolute quantification of enkephalins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). On column focusing on a C18 trapping column, in-line with the analytical column, was used for preconcentration. Quantification was performed with a triple quadrupole instrument in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Weighted linear regression analysis proves to be a good linearity in a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude. The method was validated, yielding calibration curves with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9914. Assay precision and accuracy were evaluated by direct injection of enkephalin fortified artificial CSF (aCSF) samples at three concentration levels. Mean accuracy of analysed concentrations was between 97.63 and 107.6%. LOD and LOQ were assessed at, respectively, 0.5 and 1 pmol/mL. Validation results show that it is feasible, with a capillary LC-MS/MS system, to quantify neuropeptides in the low femtomole range in aCSF. The obtained coefficients of variation, however, indicate that the use of appropriate isotopically labelled internal standards in neuropeptide quantification using narrow bore LC, combined with ESI-MS, may be highly beneficial.


Technique for performing direct lymphangiography in pigs.
The authors developed a porcine model for direct lymphangiography to be used as a reference for lymph node harvesting. A pilot animal was studied first to develop the protocol, which was used successfully in 24 pigs. An indicator dye was first injected into each foot to make the lymphatic vessels visible. Then, ethiodized poppy seed oil was injected directly through cutdowns in both groins. Radiographs were obtained before and after lymph node harvesting. Images were of diagnostic quality in all animals. The pilot animal developed transient respiratory distress, which was thought to be due to the oil-based contrast material. The amount injected was reduced by half, and no episodes occurred thereafter in the study group. There were no other immediate or delayed complications. Direct lymphangiography is safe, easy, and reliable in a porcine model.


Preparation of 4,4-diaryl-2-(tricyanoethenyl)dithienosiloles and vapor-chromic behavior of the film.
[reaction: see text] Reactions of 4,4-diphenyl- and 4,4-di(p-tolyl)dithienosilole with tetracyanoethene (TCNE) in DMF gave coupling products 4,4-diphenyl- and 4,4-di(p-tolyl)-2-(tricycanoethenyl)dithienosilole (1a and 1b) in good yield. The films of 1b exhibited vapor-chromism, and the color of the film changed from red to blue-purple upon exposure to the vapor of organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, acetone, and hexane. The color reverted to the original red upon contact with chloroform vapor, indicating that this process is reversible.


Uncompromised treatment efficacy in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score analysis.
The number of elderly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is expected to rise. We analyzed the impact of age on clinical presentations, treatment allocation, and long-term survival between elderly (≥75 years) and younger (<75 years) HCC patients. In this study, a total of 812 elderly and 2270 younger HCC patients were evaluated. The baseline information and long-term survival were compared in the entire population and in different treatment groups. A propensity score matching analysis with preset caliper width was utilized to compare survival differences in different patient subgroups. Elderly HCC patients had discrete characteristics compared with younger HCC patients. Elderly patients received surgical resection (SR) less frequently, while more elderly patients underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Younger patients had significantly better long-term survival than the elderly patients in all patients and in patients receiving SR (both P<0.05). However, of the entire cohort, age was not an independent predictor of poor prognosis in the Cox multivariate model. The long-term survival was similar between 2 age groups in patients receiving RFA and TACE. In the propensity model, there were no significant survival differences among patients receiving SR, RFA, or TACE (all P>0.05). Among the elderly, the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score provided the lowest Akaike information criterion value. In conclusion, advanced age is not associated with inferior treatment result in HCC patients receiving different therapeutic modalities. Elderly HCC patients should be encouraged for active treatment when indicated. The CLIP is an optimal prognostic model for outcome assessment.


Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Kenya, 2007.
Current estimates put the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Kenya at 5-8%. We determined the HBV infection prevalence in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative Kenyan adult and adolescent population based on samples collected from a national survey. We analyzed data from HIV-negative participants in the 2007 Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey to estimate the HBV infection prevalence. We defined past or present HBV infection as presence of total hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), and chronic HBV infection (CHBI) as presence of both total HBcAb and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We calculated crude and adjusted odds of HBV infection by demographic characteristics and risk factors using logistic regression analyses. Of 1,091 participants aged 15-64 years, approximately 31.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 28.0-35.3%) had exposure to HBV, corresponding to approximately 6.1 million (CI = 5.4-6.8 million) with past or present HBV infection. The estimated prevalence of CHBI was 2.1% (95% CI = 1.4-3.1%), corresponding to approximately 398,000 (CI = 261,000-602,000) with CHBI. CHBI is a major public health problem in Kenya, affecting approximately 400,000 persons. Knowing the HBV infection prevalence at baseline is important for planning and public health policy decision making and for monitoring the impact of viral hepatitis prevention programs.


A plump and fatty heart: isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia.
Isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia is a newly recognized type of cardiomyopathy, with only a few cases reported since it was first described in 2004. We report this case of a 21-year-old Filipino female presenting with unstable supraventricular arrhythmia and heart failure, with characteristic features of isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia on echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first reported adult case in Asia.


Effects of complement and serum IgG on rituximab-dependent natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity against Raji cells.
Accumulating evidence indicates that the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab significantly improves the clinical prognosis of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, a number of patients relapse or fail to respond to rituximab. To further understand the cause of this, polymorphisms of FcγRIIIa were initially detected in healthy volunteers. Subsequently, the rituximab-dependent natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity of different FcγRIIIa genotypes was assessed by a cytotoxicity assay in vitro. Ultimately, the effect of human serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G and complement on rituximab-dependent NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro. It was revealed that FcγRIIIa polymorphisms were associated with the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of NK cells. In addition, the ADCC of NK cells with FcγRIIIa-158 V/V was increased compared with that of FcγRIIIa-158 V/F. The serum IgG and rituximab Fc segment was able to bind competitively with NK cell FcγRIIIa. It was observed that serum IgG inhibited, whereas complement enhanced rituximab-induced NK-cell mediated ADCC. Therefore, various agents administered synchronously with rituximab may modulate the efficacy of this agent and ultimately its toxicity against tumor cells.


Weak Value Amplification Can Outperform Conventional Measurement in the Presence of Detector Saturation.
Weak value amplification (WVA) is a technique by which one can magnify the apparent strength of a measurement signal. Some have claimed that WVA can outperform more conventional measurement schemes in parameter estimation. Nonetheless, a significant body of theoretical work has challenged this perspective, suggesting WVA to be fundamentally suboptimal. Optimal measurements may not be practical, however. Two practical considerations that have been conjectured to afford a benefit to WVA over conventional measurement are certain types of noise and detector saturation. Here, we report a theoretical study of the role of saturation and pixel noise in WVA-based measurement, in which we carry out a Bayesian analysis of the Fisher information available using a saturable, pixelated, digitized, and/or noisy detector. We draw two conclusions: first, that saturation alone does not confer an advantage to the WVA approach over conventional measurement, and second, that WVA can outperform conventional measurement when saturation is combined with intrinsic pixel noise and/or digitization.


Global impact of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2-secreted effectors on the host phosphoproteome.
During the late stages of infection, Salmonella secretes numerous effectors through a type III secretion system that is encoded within Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI2). Despite the importance of SPI2 as a major virulence factor leading to the systemic spread of the bacteria and diseases, a global view of its effects on host responses is still lacking. Here, we measured global impacts of SPI2 effectors on the host phosphorylation and protein expression levels in RAW264.7 and in HeLa cells, as macrophage and nonphagocytic models of infection. We observe that SPI2 effectors differentially modulate the host phosphoproteome and cellular processes (e.g. protein trafficking, cytoskeletal regulation, and immune signaling) in a host cell-dependent manner. Our unbiased approach reveals the involvement of many previously unrecognized proteins, including E3 ligases (HERC4, RanBP2, and RAD18), kinases (CDK, SIK3, and WNK1), and histones (H2B1F, H4, and H15), in late stages of Salmonella infection. Furthermore, from this phosphoproteome analysis and other quantitative screens, we identified HSP27 as a direct in vitro and in vivo molecular target of the only type III secreted kinase, SteC. Using biochemical and cell biological assays, we demonstrate that SteC phosphorylates multiple sites in HSP27 and induces actin rearrangement through this protein. Together, these results provide a broader landscape of host players contributing to specific processes/pathways mediated by SPI2 effectors than was previously appreciated.


Circadian variation in vascular tone and endothelial cell function in normal males.
The existence of circadian rhythms in the time of onset of acute cardiovascular events has been described previously. This report describes the circadian variation in endothelial cell products, such as nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels, and endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation in normal males. Plasma ET-1 and NO were measured every 4 h in nine subjects (20-41 years old) over a 24 h period. Endothelium-dependent and -independent vascular responses were measured in the forearm skin every 4 h using laser Doppler imaging after iontophoresis of increasing doses of acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside respectively. A statistically significant circadian variation was demonstrated for the mean ACh response (P=0.0001, ANOVA). The peak response [in arbitrary perfusion units (AU)] occurred at 16.00 hours (8.90+/-1.91 AU) and the lowest response at 08.00 hours (4.57+/-0.66 AU). A significant circadian variation was also seen for the highest dose of sodium nitroprusside (P=0.036, ANOVA), the peak occurred at 16.00 hours (3.97+/-1.80 AU), and the lowest at 04.00 hours (2.62+/-0.58 AU) and 08.00 hours (2.58+/-1.16 AU). There was a significant circadian variation in the ET-1 levels (P=0.04) with two peaks, one at 20.00 hours (0.80+/-0.28 pg/ml) and the other at 08.00 hours (0.84+/-0.15 pg/ml). The lowest value occurred at 16.00 hours (0.61+/-0.24 pg/ml). There was also a borderline trend for a circadian variation in NO levels (P=0.06), with higher levels at 20.00 hours (15.53+/-8.42 micromol/l), and low levels at 04.00 hours (10.87+/-4.70 micromol/l) and 08.00 hours (9.82+/-3.15 micromol/l). ACh responses were significantly correlated with ET-1 (r=-0.3, P=0.02) and NO (r=0.30, P=0.02) levels. Our findings suggest that endothelial activity has a circadian variation with attenuation in the morning. These circadian variations in endothelial activity might play an important role in the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events at this time, which are precipitated through the interplay between ET-1, NO and vascular function.


ASSESSMENT OF PRACTICE AT RETAIL PHARMACIES IN PAKISTAN: EXTENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE PREVAILING DRUG LAW OF PAKISTAN.
The main objective of this study was to assess the practice at retail pharmacies in Pakistan and to compare the same in rural and urban areas. The maintenance of pharmacy and drug inspectors' visit was also assessed. This cross sectional study was conducted in Abbottabad, Pakistan during October-November, 2012. A sample of 215 drug sellers or drug stores was selected by employing convenient sampling method. With a response rate of 91.6%, 197 drug sellers participated in this study. All the drug sellers were male. Overall, 35% (n = 197) of the drug sellers did not have any professional qualification. A majority of the drug sellers were involved in various malpractices like selling of medicines without prescription (80.7%), prescribing practice (60.9%), prescription intervention (62.4%) and selling of controlled substances (66%) without a license for selling it. These malpractices were significantly higher in rural area than that in urban area.


FOXK1 Promotes Proliferation and Metastasis of Gallbladder Cancer by Activating AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway.
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, with extremely poor prognosis. Recently, forkhead box k1 (FOXK1), a member of the FOX transcription factor family, has been reported to be correlated with tumor progression in multiple malignancies. However, the role of FOXK1 in GBC has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression level of FOXK1 was elevated in human GBC tissues and associated with increased liver metastasis, poor histological differentiation, advanced TNM stage, and shorter overall survival. Knockdown of FOXK1 expression inhibited GBC cells proliferation and metastasis. Consistently, overexpression of FOXK1 promoted GBC cells progression. Mechanical investigations verified that knockdown of FOXK1 could lead to G1/S cell cycle arrest through downregulating CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D1, and cyclin E1. And FOXK1 could regulate the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins E-cad, N-cad, and Vimentin. Moreover, we found that FOXK1 could regulate the activation of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, AKT special inhibitor MK-2206 could abolish the proliferation and metastasis discrepancy between FOXK1 overexpression GBC cells and control cells, which suggested the tumorpromoting effect of FOXK1 may be partially related with the activations of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Collectively, our results suggested that FOXK1 promotes GBC cells progression and represent a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in GBC.


Relationship of physical factors and salinity with indicator bacteria in Bahía Blanca estuary waters, Argentina.
The relationship between the number of Escherichia coli, terrestrial and marine heterotrophic bacteria, with certain physical and chemical parameters in Bahia Blanca estuary waters, were investigated by means of a statistical analysis of multiple linear regression. The samples were taken during a period of 16 months. Although distance from the sewage outlet seems to be the factor having the greatest effect on the number of alien bacteria, the models obtained for E. coli are inappropriate to predict bacterial behaviour in this particular natural habitat, while for heterotrophic bacteria descriptive models were selected. The results of this study suggest that many factors affect bacterial population densities in this estuarine ecosystem. This should be taken into account trying to solve the problem in order to avoid progressive degradation.


Fabrication of terminal amino hyperbranched polymer modified graphene oxide and its prominent adsorption performance towards Cr(VI).
In order to increase the density and quantity of functional groups on adsorbent, three terminal amino hyperbranched polymer modified graphene oxide adsorbents including GO-HBP-NH2-DETA, GO-HBP-NH2-TETA and GO-HBP-NH2-TEPA with N-containing functional group density of 7.21 wt%, 10.20 wt% and 12.43 wt%, respectively, were prepared and used for the adsorption and reduction of toxic hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III). The morphology and structure of obtained adsorbents were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, XRD, Raman, BET, XPS and zeta potential. The density of receptor sites (Nm) of the three adsorbents calculated from statistical physics model with one energy site were found to be 456.62, 604.54 and 636.03, respectively. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that the high adsorption capacities of the three adsorbents obtained from Langmuir isotherm model towards Cr(VI) were 245.01, 257.26 and 300.88 mg/g, respectively, suggesting that GO-HBP-NH2-TEPA had better adsorption ability. The density functional theory calculation (DFT) indicated that GO-HBP-NH2-TEPA was more likely to adsorb HCrO4- rather than Cr2O72- at lower pH conditions. A possible adsorption mechanism was also proposed where electrostatic interaction between Cr(VI) (HCrO4- or Cr2O72-) and the N functional group (+) on GO-HBP-NH2-TEPA dominated the adsorption of Cr(VI) and reduction mechanism dominated the reduction of Cr(VI)-Cr(III).


Characterization and expression analysis of grouper (Epinephelus coioides) co-stimulatory molecules CD83 and CD80/86 post Cryptocaryon irritans infection.
Co-stimulatory molecules (CD83, CD80 and CD86), belong to immunoglobulin superfamily, are type I membrane glycoprotein, which express on antigen presenting cells and provide the second signal for the activation of T lymphocytes. In the present study, we cloned the grouper's CD83 (675 bp) and CD80/86 (876 bp). Homology analysis showed that both EcCD83 and EcCD80/86 shares the highest amino acid similarity (51% and 47%) for the overall sequence with puffer fish (Takifugu rubripes). Some conserved features and important functional residues in mammalian CD83, CD80 and CD86 were also identified from these molecules of teleosts including grouper, suggesting the function of both molecules may be conserved among vertebrates. In transfected HEK293T cells, both molecules localized on the membrane surface. Tissue distribution analysis showed both EcCD83 and EcCD80/86 mRNAs were mainly expressed in immune organs, and EcCD80/86 was extremely higher expressed in mucosal immune tissues including skin and gill than systematic immune organs, which indicates these co-stimulatory molecules may prime T cell activation in local mucosal tissues. In Cryptocaryon irritans infected groupers, the expression level of EcCD83 and EcCD80/86 were both seen significant up-regulation in the skin at most tested time points.


Electronic training devices for hand rehabilitation.
Several new electronic hand rehabilitation devices are shown. These devices, which can be assembled locally with minimal funds, are excellent information feedback devices that can be used effectively in hand rehabilitation. Electrogoniometers may be used for hand and wrist range-of-motion feedback. In addition, various pressure sensitive devices are illustrated and the way in which these devices may be used in hand rehabilitation are portrayed.


[Use of the real-time RT-PCR method for investigation of small stable RNA expression level in human epidermoid carcinoma cells A431].
Real-time RT-PCR using fluorescence dyes (e.g. SYBR Green I) is currently the most sensitive and precise method for investigation of RNA level and has long been widely used for absolute and relative quantification of mRNA in the cell. This highly sensitive method allows measurement of different type RNA level in the cell based on the kinetics of the corresponding double-stranded cDNA amplification. Upon its binding to the minor groove of double-stranded DNA, SYBR Green I dye increases its fluorescence about 100-fold, and this increase can be recorded even at early cycles of amplification. During the real-time RT-PCR procedure the level of amplified DNA is measured after every cycle of amplification, which permits to perform quantification at the cycles when amplification curve has not yet reached the "plateau" range and corresponds to the range of exponential increase in DNA amount. This approach makes it possible to avoid misinterpretation of data typical of conventional PCR methods "in the end point" and caused by a deficiency of one or more reaction components at the late PCR cycles. We applied for the first time real-time RT-PCR using SYBR Green I for the measurement of the class III genes RNA-product level, that is, small stable non-translated RNAs--ribosomal 5S rRNA, initiator transfer RNAiMet1, and Alu-RNA, synthesized by DNA-dependent RNA polymerase III. We investigated the level of 5S rRNA-, tRNA- and Alu-gene expression in the cell being in different states: with prolonged generation period, activated to proliferation, and apoptotic. The expression level was judged from the content of corresponding RNA-products in the total cellular RNA. The used approach enabled us to find out the specific RNA share in the total cell RNA. Human epidermoid carcinoma cells A431 were used as a model for investigating class III gene expression level in vivo. These cells expose on their surface an abnormally large amount of receptors to epidermoid growth factor (EGF), and the result of EGF action on A431 cells depends on the growth factor concentration. Low concentrations of EGF (0.1 ng/ml) cause active proliferation of A431 cells, but its high concentrations (10-100 ng/ml) cause apoptosis in these cells. Besides, upon growing in serum-free media, A431 cells continue to proliferate, but by this extending the generation period to 48 h, against 30 h on growing in serum-containing media. Hence, A431 cells can serve as a useful model for investigation of specific gene expression level in cells being in different physiological states, in both slowly and actively proliferating cells, and in apoptotic cells. For successful use of real-time RT-PCR in 5S rRNA, tRNAi(Met)1 and Alu-RNA level quantification, we optimized the amplification reaction conditions. We took into account that the share of each particular RNA in the cell may vary--the share of ribosomal RNA is high, tRNAi(Met)1--low, and Alu-RNA--very low. Moreover, the level of some small RNAs (e.g. Alu-RNA) can vary significantly in cells of different lines. This explains why the amount of cDNA, gained by reverse transcription of total cellular RNA, and the concentration of specific primers used for PCR were different in each case. We showed that the expression of different class III genes--5S rRNA-, tRNA- and Alu-genes, was not similarly regulated in response to external stimuli, causing prolongation of generation period, activation of proliferation and apoptosis. 5S rRNA level was practically the same in A431 cells both having prolonged generation period and being activated by EGF in low concentration, but in apoptotic cells this level dramatically fell about 8-fold. Alu-RNA level was equal in cells with prolonged generation period and in apoptotic cells, and increased about 2-fold in cells activated by EGF in low concentration. The initiator tRNAi(Met)1 level in cells activated by EGF in low concentration and in apoptotic cells was by almost two times higher than in cells with prolonged generation period. The data obtained testify that the real-time RT-PCR method using SYBR Green I yields highly reliable and reproducible quantification for the level of class III gene RNA-products--small stable RNAs (5S rRNA, tRNA and Alu-RNA). Examination of each specific RNA level requires individual selection for the amplification reaction conditions: the amount of cDNA and primer concentration in the sample. This is primarily caused by different expression levels in some particular class III genes within the frames of the cells, and by different levels of some small stable RNAs (e. g. Alu-RNA) in different cell lines. Special attention must be paid to the internal control for discriminating between specific RNA levels in proliferating and apoptotic cells, as in the late apoptosis RNAs of most types are degraded (for example, mRNA of "house-keeping" gene for RPLP0 protein, used as a possible internal control in our experiments). As far as the applied approach allows estimation of a specific RNA share in the total cellular RNA, we propose to chose as internal control mRNA, whose share doesn't change during the total RNA degradation in apoptosis and thus, mRNA degradation is not selective (in relation to other type RNAs). In that way, the real-time RT-PCR method, which is currently the most sensitive and precise method for quantification of RNA in the cell, holds much promise for the investigation of not only different mRNAs, but also small stable RNAs, synthesized by RNA polymerase III.


Speech perception in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants: A systematic review.
This paper reviewed the literature on the trajectories and the factors significantly affecting post-implantation speech perception development in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs). A systematic literature search of textbooks and peer-reviewed published journal articles in online bibliographic databases was conducted. PubMed, Scopus and Wiley online library were searched for eligible studies based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 14 journal articles were selected for this review. A number of consistent results were found. That is, children with CIs, as a group, exhibited steep improvement in early speech perception, from exhibiting few prelingual auditory behaviours before implantation to identifying sentences in noise after one year of CI use. After one to three years of CI use, children are expected to identify tones above chance and recognition of words in noise. In addition, early age at implantation, longer duration of CI use and higher maternal education level contributed to greater improvements in speech perception. Findings from this review will contribute to the establishment of appropriate short-term developmental goals for Mandarin-speaking children with CIs in mainland China and clinicians could use them to determine whether children have made appropriate progress with CIs.


Molecular Regulation of Alternative Polyadenylation (APA) within the Drosophila Nervous System.
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread gene regulatory mechanism that generates mRNAs with different 3'-ends, allowing them to interact with different sets of RNA regulators such as microRNAs and RNA-binding proteins. Recent studies have shown that during development, neural tissues produce mRNAs with particularly long 3'UTRs, suggesting that such extensions might be important for neural development and function. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying neural APA are not well understood. Here, we investigate this problem within the Drosophila nervous system, focusing on the roles played by general cleavage and polyadenylation factors (CPA factors). In particular, we examine the model that modulations in CPA factor concentration may affect APA during development. For this, we first analyse the expression of the Drosophila orthologues of all mammalian CPA factors and note that their expression decreases during embryogenesis. In contrast to this global developmental decrease in CPA factor expression, we see that cleavage factor I (CFI) expression is actually elevated in the late embryonic central nervous system, suggesting that CFI might play a special role in neural tissues. To test this, we use the UAS/Gal4 system to deplete CFI proteins from neural tissue and observe that in this condition, multiple genes switch their APA patterns, demonstrating a role of CFI in APA control during Drosophila neural development. Furthermore, analysis of genes with 3'UTR extensions of different length leads us to suggest a novel relation between 3'UTR length and sensitivity to CPA factor expression. Our work thus contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of APA control within the developing central nervous system.


Penixanthones A and B, two new xanthone derivatives from fungus Penicillium sp. SYFz-1 derived of mangrove soil sample.
Two new xanthone derivatives, penixanthones A (1) and B (2), together with three known compounds, aspenicillide (3), 1,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-7-methyl-anthracene-9,10-dione (4) and 1,2-indandiol (5), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of a culture of the fungus Penicillium sp. SYFz-1, which was separated from a mangrove soil sample. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including NMR and mass spectrometry. The absolute configurations of penixanthones A (1) and B (2) were determined on the basis of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analysis.


Holistic Approach to Enhance Airborne Infection Control Practices in Health Care Facilities Involved in the Management of Tuberculosis in a Metropolitan City in India - An Implementation Research.
Airborne infection control (AIC) is a less focused aspect of tuberculosis (TB) prevention. We describe AIC practices in primary health care centres, awareness and practices of AIC among health care providers (HCPs) and TB patients. We implemented a package of interventions to improve awareness and practices among them and assessed its impact. The study used a quasi-experimental study design. A semi-structured checklist was used for health facility assessment and a self-administered questionnaire of HCPs. Pre- and postintervention assessments were made in urban primary health centers (UPHCs), HCPs, and patients. Interventions included sharing facility-specific recommendations, AIC plans and guidelines, HCP training, and patient education. Statistical difference between the two time periods was assessed using the Chi-square test. A total of 23 and 25 UPHCs were included for pre- and postintervention assessments. All 25 centers participated in interventions. Open areas were >20% of ground area in all facilities. No AIC committee was present in any of the facilities at both pre- and postintervention. Of all HCPs, 7% (23/337) versus 65% (202/310) had undergone AIC training. Good awareness improved from 24% (81/337) to 71% (220/310) after intervention (P < 0.001). Appropriate cough hygiene was known to 20% (51/262) versus 58% (152/263) patients at two assessments (P < 0.001). Comprehensive intervention, including supportive supervision of health centers, training of HCPs, and patient education, can improve AIC practices.


Laminin α1 reduces muscular dystrophy in dy2J mice.
Muscular dystrophies, including laminin α2 chain-deficient muscular dystrophy (LAMA2-CMD), are associated with immense personal, social and economic burdens. Thus, effective treatments are urgently needed. LAMA2-CMD is either a severe, early-onset condition with complete laminin α2 chain-deficiency or a milder, late-onset form with partial laminin α2 chain-deficiency. Mouse models dy3K/dy3K and dy2J/dy2J, respectively, recapitulate these two forms of LAMA2-CMD very well. We have previously demonstrated that laminin α1 chain significantly reduces muscular dystrophy in laminin α2 chain-deficient dy3K/dy3K mice. Among all the different pre-clinical approaches that have been evaluated in mice, laminin α1 chain-mediated therapy has been shown to be one of the most effective lines of attack. However, it has remained unclear if laminin α1 chain-mediated treatment is also applicable for partial laminin α2 chain-deficiency. Hence, we have generated dy2J/dy2J mice (that express a substantial amount of an N-terminal truncated laminin α2 chain) overexpressing laminin α1 chain in the neuromuscular system. The laminin α1 chain transgene ameliorated the dystrophic phenotype, restored muscle strength and reduced peripheral neuropathy. Thus, these findings provide additional support for the development of laminin α1 chain-based therapy for LAMA2-CMD.


Drug interactions between the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and cytotoxic chemotherapy, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in prostate cancer.
Proteasome inhibition has been shown to be an effective anticancer therapy in many tumor models, including prostate cancer. We sought to identify drug interactions between the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and other apoptotic stimuli, including cytotoxic chemotherapy and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). In addition, we wanted to gain insight into the role of nuclear factor kappaB inhibition as a mediator of bortezomib cytotoxic effects. Prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, LAPC4, CL1, and DU145) were treated with bortezomib and apoptotic stimuli (TRAIL, chemotherapy, and tumor necrosis factor alpha), alone or in combination. Apoptosis and cell viability were measured, and median effect/combination index analyses were used to quantitate drug interactions. Nuclear factor kappaB activity at baseline and in response to drug treatment was determined by gel shift and reporter gene assays. Bortezomib induced cell death of androgen-dependent (LNCaP and LAPC4) and androgen-independent (CL1 and DU145) prostate cancer cell lines, although androgen-dependent cells were more sensitive to proteasome inhibition. Bortezomib synergized with TRAIL and tumor necrosis factor alpha to induce death in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent cells. Bortezomib and TRAIL represent a synergistic drug combination that warrants further evaluation in in vivo models of prostate cancer.


Role of nutrients in pancreatic adaptation with implication of cholecystokinin release.
The exocrine pancreatic function is adapted to the composition of nutritional substrates. Dietary constituents activate specific neural mechanisms and the release of gut peptides operating on pancreatic enzyme synthesis and secretion. Cholecystokinin (CCK) released by dietary protein and by protease inhibition stimulates protease synthesis in the pancreas and promotes pancreatic growth. The interplay between changes in dietary protein content and increased plasma CCK released by a synthetic protease inhibitor (Foy 305) confirm the essential role of the nutritional support of protein to enable the display of pancreatic adaptation.


Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Patient-Centered Care for Older Adults: A Perspective.
Patient-centered care that reflects consumer-driven health care decision of an individual as opposed to collective or social choice-based health decision has many implications for clinical decision and resource allocation. With possession of required information and faced with appropriate assessment of preferences, older adults make better choices for their own health. However, one must acknowledge that patient-centered approach for older adults should effectively integrate tenets of value-based care to improve overall quality of care and societal well-being. In this perspective, I present the importance and challenges of patient-centered care and patient-centered outcomes research among older adults.


Differential levels of anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific IgAs in saliva of household contacts with latent tuberculosis infection.
Mucosal immunity is strongly elicited in early stages of many respiratory and enteric infections; however, its role in tuberculosis pathogenesis has been scarcely explored. We aimed to investigate Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) specific IgA levels in saliva in different stages of latent Tuberculosis Infection (TBI). A multiplex bead-based Luminex immunoassay was developed to detect specific IgA against 12 highly immunogenic Mtb antigens. A prospective cohort of household contacts (>14 years) of pulmonary TB cases was established in Santiago, Chile. Contacts were classified as Mtb-infected or not depending on serial interferon-γ release assay results. Saliva samples were collected and tested at baseline and at a 12-week follow-up. Mtb-specific IgA was detectable at all visits in all participants (n = 168), including the "non-Mtb infected" (n = 64). Significantly higher median levels of IgA were found in the "Mtb infected" compared to the uninfected for anti-lipoarabinomannan (LAM) (110 vs. 84.8 arbitrary units (AU), p < 0.001), anti-PstS1 (117 vs. 83 AU, p < 0.001), anti-Cell Membrane Fraction (CMF) (140 vs. 103 AU, p < 0.001) and anti-Culture Filtrate Proteins (CFP) (median 125 vs. 96 AU, p < 0.001), respectively. Nonetheless, the discriminatory performance of these specific mucosal IgA for TBI diagnosis was low. Saliva holds Mtb-specific IgA against several antigens with increased levels for anti-LAM, anti-PstS1, anti-CMF and anti-CFP found in household contacts with an established TBI. The role of these mucosal antibodies in TB pathogenesis, and their kinetics in different stages of Mtb infection merits further exploring.


Effects of dextran sulfate 500 on protective responses to sublethal Trichomonas foetus infection in mice.
In order to analyze the host-parasite interactions in experimental trichomoniasis, the growth of Trichomonas foetus in the peritoneal cavity and changes in the peritoneal exudate cells were followed in mice treated with dextran sulfate 500 (DS 500), a known macrophage-toxic agent. Light microscopic observation showed that DS 500 treatment induced degeneration of peritoneal macrophages within about 48 hr after the treatment and the damaged macrophages did not phagocytize the parasites, whereas peritoneal neutrophils and lymphocytes were not affected by the drug. In the DS 500-treated mice, growth of parasites in the peritoneal cavity was accelerated and a high susceptibility of the mice to T. foetus infection was observed. These results indicate that macrophages play the most important role among the peritoneal exudate cells in resistance to T. foetus infection, especially during the early stage of infection.


[Study advance on reproductive and developmental toxicity of haloacetic acids in drinking water].
Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are major by-products of water disinfection of chlorination, Health effects on reproductive and developmental toxicities of haloacetic acids may be pay more attention to and may be interested in due to their high stability. In recent years numerous toxicological studies indicated that some HAAs could affect reproductive system and fertilizing capacity, inducing fetal anomaly and growth retardation in experimental animals. The recent studies on the reproductive and developmental effects of HAAs were discussed in this paper, the informations may be available for further study on reproductive and developmental effects of HAAs in drinking water.


'Early coasting' in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome is consistent with good clinical outcome.
Coasting can be an effective strategy for the prevention of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) during ovarian stimulation. However, OHSS may still occur in cases of excessive follicular response (i.e. >10 follicles/ovary and serum estradiol (E(2)) concentration >3000 pg/ml). Furthermore, prolonged coasting may result in a reduction of the oocyte retrieval rate and embryo quality. This pilot study investigates the potential of withholding gonadotrophins at an earlier stage, with the intention of minimizing these risks. Gonadotrophin injections were withheld for a fixed period of 3 days once the leading follicle was 15 mm, whilst continuing pituitary down-regulation in 102 obese patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in whom there was evidence of excessive ovarian follicular response (>10 follicles per ovary and serum E(2) >1500 but <3000 pg/ml). The events of ovarian stimulation, embryological and clinical outcomes were studied prospectively. The mean number of ampoules (75 IU per ampoule) of high purity (hp) FSH was 23.2. The mean serum E(2) level on coasting day 1 was 1943.7 and 2169.2 pg/ml on the day of HCG administration. Normal fertilization and cleavage rates were obtained despite early withdrawal of hpFSH in the obese PCOS patients, being 73.9 and 87.7% respectively. The clinical pregnancy rate was 45.1%. There were no cases of severe OHSS. Four patients suffered pregnancy-associated late-onset moderate OHSS. This pilot study suggests that withholding gonadotrophins at an earlier stage in patients with excessive ovarian follicular response at anticipated risk of developing severe OHSS in the course of ovarian stimulation is consistent with good embryological and clinical outcome in IVF and ICSI treatment cycles.


Behavioral and biochemical studies in rats following prenatal treatment with beta-adrenoceptor antagonists.
Increased motor activity and poor performance in the active avoidance test were observed in the offspring of rats treated with dl-propranolol or sotalol during pregnancy, but not with atenolol and d-propranolol. All substances were administered in drinking water from days 8-22 of gestation. A significant increase in the density of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus was found for dl-propranolol and sotalol, at 35 and 20 days of age, respectively. Twenty-day-old pups born to dl-propranolol-treated rats exhibited a non-significant decrease in the number of beta-adrenoceptors in the frontal cortex. Assuming that all the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists tested had access to the developing fetal brain, the effect of dl-propranolol and sotalol on behavior could stem from central beta 2-adrenoceptor blockade. In view of the lack of behavioral changes after atenolol, a beta 1-selective adrenoceptor antagonist, it is suggested that the clinical use of beta 1-selective adrenoceptor antagonists during pregnancy might be safer for the fetus than beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonists.


Imported dengue virus serotype 1 from Madeira to Finland 2012.
Imported dengue cases originating from the Madeiran outbreak are increasingly reported. In 2012 five Finnish travellers returning from Madeira were diagnosed with dengue fever. Viral sequence data was obtained from two patients. The partial C-preM sequences (399 and 396 bp respectively) were found similar to that of an autochthonous case from Madeira. The partial E-gene sequence (933 bp) which was identical among the two patients grouped phylogenetically with South American strains of dengue virus serotype 1.


Biosynthesis of Astaxanthin as a Main Carotenoid in the Heterobasidiomycetous Yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.
Carotenoids are organic lipophilic yellow to orange and reddish pigments of terpenoid nature that are usually composed of eight isoprene units. This group of secondary metabolites includes carotenes and xanthophylls, which can be naturally obtained from photosynthetic organisms, some fungi, and bacteria. One of the microorganisms able to synthesise carotenoids is the heterobasidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, which represents the teleomorphic state of Phaffia rhodozyma, and is mainly used for the production of the xanthophyll astaxanthin. Upgraded knowledge on the biosynthetic pathway of the main carotenoids synthesised by X. dendrorhous, the biotechnology-based improvement of astaxanthin production, as well as the current omics approaches available in this yeast are reviewed in depth.


Effects of changes in the concentration of systemic progesterone on ions, amino acids and energy substrates in cattle oviduct and uterine fluid and blood.
Early embryo loss is a major factor affecting the conception rate in cattle. Up to 40% of cattle embryos die within 3 weeks of fertilisation while they are nutritionally dependent on oviduct and uterine fluids for their survival. Inadequate systemic progesterone is one of the factors contributing to this loss. We have characterised the effects of changes in systemic progesterone on amino acid, ion and energy substrate composition of oviduct and uterine fluids on Days 3 and 6, respectively, of the oestrus cycle in cattle. Oviduct and uterine fluids were collected in situ following infusion of progesterone. There was no effect of progesterone on oviduct fluid secretion rate; however, uterine fluid secretion rate was lowered. Progesterone increased uterine glucose, decreased oviduct sulfate and, to a lesser degree, oviduct sodium, but had no effect on any of the ions in the uterus. The most marked effect of progesterone was on oviducal amino acid concentrations, with a twofold increase in glycine, whereas in the uterus only valine was increased. These results provide novel information on the maternal environment of the early cattle embryo and provide further evidence of progesterone regulation of oviduct amino acid concentrations in cattle.


'Rethinking "Disease": a fresh diagnosis and a new philosophical treatment'.
Despite several decades of debate, the concept of disease remains hotly contested. The debate is typically cast as one between naturalism and normativism, with a hybrid view that combines elements of each staked out in between. In light of a number of widely discussed problems with existing accounts, some theorists argue that the concept of disease is beyond repair and thus recommend eliminating it in a wide range of practical medical contexts. Any attempt to reframe the 'disease' discussion should answer the more basic sceptical challenge, and should include a meta-methodological critique guided by our pragmatic expectations of what the disease concept ought to do given that medical diagnosis is woven into a complex network of healthcare institutions. In this paper, we attempt such a reframing, arguing that while prevailing accounts do not suffer from the particular defects that prominent critics have identified, they do suffer from other deficits-and this leads us to propose an amended hybrid view that places objectivist approaches to disease on stronger theoretical footing, and satisfies the institutional-ethical desiderata of a concept of disease in human medicine. Nevertheless, we do not advocate a procrustean approach to 'disease'. Instead, we recommend disease concept pluralism between medical and biological sciences to allow the concept to serve the different epistemic and institutional goals of these respective disciplines.


Gender differences in aphasia outcomes: evidence from the AphasiaBank.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Aphasia is a language impairment which results as a consequence of stroke. Gender differences are reported in underlying mechanisms of stroke, however, gender differences in aphasia type and severity remain unclear. To examine gender differences in aphasia impairment based on data from AphasiaBank, a research repository of data obtained from studies of aphasia. The data were collected from AphasiaBank for 294 persons with aphasia (PWA) (172 men, 122 women). Baseline comparisons by gender groups were completed using independent samples t-tests and Pearson Chi square statistics. Univariate comparisons of the total Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) -AQ and -R subtests' scores were compared between the two groups using independent samples t-tests. Multivariate comparisons were completed by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Gender differences were observed in the severity of aphasia with men exhibiting more severe aphasia than women. Analyses of WAB-R indicated greater impairment among men based on AQ and greater impairment was observed in individual subtest performance. Men exhibited statistically significantly lower WAB-R AQs than women (67.4 versus 75.6). Lower WAB-R AQs were derived from lower scores among men on individual subtests; information content, fluency, repetition, sentence completion, responsive speech and tests of comprehension (yes/no, auditory word recognition and sequential commands). This study offers evidence of gender differences in aphasia severity, global communication impairment and lower scores on individual subtests used to derive the WAB-R AQ. The limitations of the study with suggestions for future directions are presented.


Vocal sequential exchanges and intragroup spacing in the Northern Muriqui Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus.
Sequential exchanges of vocalizations (staccatos and neighs) emitted by Northern Muriquis Brachyteles arachnoides hypoxanthus were recorded at the Biological Station of Caratinga, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Staccatos and neighs containing larger proportion of short elements were preferentially produced during short-range exchanges; neighs, produced by a larger number of participants, were typical of long-range exchanges. Staccatos emitted by animals feeding in a dispersed manner contained a larger proportion of tonal elements than those emitted by muriquis feeding in a cohesive manner. Sequential exchanges seem thus to be constituted by two inter-related subsystems of calls that aid muriquis to coordinate intragroup spacing, despite the poor visibility of the habitat.


Characterization of copolymer hydroxybutyrate/hydroxyvalerate from saponified vernonia, soybean, and "spent" frying oils.
Poly(beta-hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs) were biosynthesized by Ralstonia eutropha (formerly known as Alcaligenes eutrophus) by using saponified soybean, vernonia, and "spent" frying oils. These PHAs were isolated and characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (1H NMR), and 2-dimensional homonuclear (1H-1H) correlation spectroscopy (COSY). The analytical results revealed that the PHAs produced from saponified vernonia and soybean oils were copolymers of hydroxybutyrate (HB) and hydroxyvalerate (HV), that is, P(HB/HV)s, whereas the saponified "spent" frying oil produced only poly(beta- hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) homopolymer. MALDI-MS, GC/MS, and NMR independently confirmed the composition of the PHAs. Saponified soybean oil and vernonia oil PHAs contained approximately 4 and 1% HV units, respectively. For comparison, commercial PHB and P(HB/HV), produced by R. eutropha by using glucose and a cosubstrate of glucose and propionic acid, respectively, as carbon sources, were similarly characterized.


[Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux].
The authors review the now well-established data that concerns the relationship between asthma and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER). These include the high frequency of the association in severe asthma, the diagnostic procedure of GER in asthmatics and the significance of reflux in these patients (reflux that causes asthma or reflux that is secondary to asthma). Then the mechanism of the action of GER on asthma are discussed. In the second part the authors summarise the following issues, that are only partly resolved. Evaluation of the possible worsening effect of GER on the symptoms of asthma. They insist in particular on the valuable contribution of clinical data and the results of the Bernstein acid infusion test. Therapeutic indications, particularly those for surgical correction. Recent results from a long term study of surgical treatment of 46 patients are presented.


Intrahepatic biloma following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: Incidence, imaging features and management.
Repeat transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) becomes more challenging for patients with intrahepatic biloma following TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical course, incidence, imaging features and outcome and to explore the reasonable therapy scheme for intrahepatic biloma following TACE for HCC.A total of 4,695 TACE procedures were performed for 1,923 patients with HCC. Twenty patients with intrahepatic biloma following TACE were studied retrospectively. The incidence of intrahepatic biloma was 1.04% in this study. The 20 patients underwent 55 TACE procedures (mean, 2.75). Portal vein invasion was found in half of the patients. Eleven patients developed round solitary or multiple cystic biloma, 6 patients had branched biloma and 3 patients developed both cystic and branched biloma. Percutaneous drainage was applied for 4 patients. One patient underwent partial hepatectomy and one mortality occurred due to progressive biloma and multiple organ failure. Although severe intrahepatic biloma following TACE is rare, the procedure should be performed with caution. Timely and appropriate management, including percutaneous drainage, partial hepatectomy and antibiotic administration should be performed in the case of any signs of infection.


Molecular detection and characterization of human enteroviruses in Korean surface water.
In this study, the genetic epidemiology of enteroviruses (EVs) in Korean surface water was evaluated by conducting phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequences of the 5' non-coding region (5' NCR), which was determined by RT-PCR analysis of total culturable virus assay-positive samples. The results showed that the nucleotide sequences of the EVs could be classified into 4 genetic clusters, and that the predominant presence of Korea EVs were very similar to echoviruses type 30. Interestingly, two nucleotide sequences were very similar to those of coxsackievirus type B1 isolated from aseptic meningitis patients in Seoul, Korea, implying the possibility of a common source for the viruses circulated in water systems and humans. In addition, 3 nucleotide sequences clustered strongly with the nucleotide sequences from China or Japan, and one fell into the same cluster as echovirus type 11 from Taiwan, which suggests that EVs in Asia may have evolved in a region-specific manner. Taken together, the results of this study revealed that EVs from Korea surface waters could be genetically classified as coxsackieviruses or echoviruses, and that they evolved in Asia in a region-specific manner.


[Pliability of vocal fold mucosa in relation to the location of subglottic mucosal upheaval during phonation].
Mucosal pliability was measured in 23 excised larynges, 19 canine and four human, at the three portions of the vocal fold, namely the midline, the anterior 1/4 and the posterior 1/4. The pliability at the midline showed a greater value than those at the other two portions. The free edge of the vocal fold showed a maximum pliability which gradually diminished toward the tracheal side and reached a minimum 3mm from the free edge of the fold. An increase in vocal fold tension resulted in lowering of mucosal pliability at all measured points and the point of minimal pliability shifted toward the oral side. The point of minimal pliability moved toward the tracheal side with direct electrical stimulation of the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA). Both pliability measurement and observation of mucosal vibration from the tracheal side using high speed cinematography or stroboscopy were performed on eleven of the excised canine larynges. The mucosal upheaval occurred at the point around which pliability was minimal. An increase in vocal fold tension resulted in an upward shift of the mucosal upheaval which occurred slightly below the point of minimal pliability. Electric stimulation of the TA resulted in a downward shift of the mucosal upheaval which occurred in accordance with the point of minimal pliability. Histological examination of the canine larynges revealed that the lamina propria became increasingly thin toward the point around which pliability was minimal and at which the mucosal upheaval occurred. At this point, the muscle layer approximated the epithelial layer with disappearance of the deep layer of the lamina propria. The point shifted to the oral side following an increment in vocal fold tension, while the point moved toward the tracheal side following contraction of the TA. Pliability of the vocal fold is minimal at the point around which the deep layer of the lamina propria disappears and the mucosal upheaval occurs.