An increased frequency of the 5A allele in the promoter region of the MMP3 gene is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), is over expressed in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), while inactivation of the gene expressing this enzyme is associated with reduced aneurysm formation in an experimental model. The 5A allele of the 5A/6A polymorphism in the promoter region of the MMP3 gene is associated with enhanced MMP3 expression. This study aimed to determine whether the presence of the 5A allele in the MMP3 promoter is a risk factor for AAA, and if this allele is associated with an increased expression of MMP3 in the aneurysm wall. We compared the frequencies of the 5A and 6A alleles in AAA (n = 405), aortic occlusive disease (AOD) (n = 123) and controls (n = 405). The 5A allele frequency was higher in AAA compared with controls (odds ratio - OR 1.32, P = 0.005) and AOD (OR 1.684, P = 0.0004), but was similar in AOD compared to controls (OR 0.78, P = 0.1). The ORs of the 5A/6A and the 5A/5A genotypes were 1.35 and 1.79, compared with 6A homozygotes. Although wall from 5A homozygotes contained 17% more MMP3 mRNA than homozygotes (P = 0.049) the significance of this was lost when adjusted for age and sex (P = 0.069), and size (P = 0.30). Wall from 5A homozygotes did however contain over 45% more MMP3 protein than heterozygotes (P = 0.009 when corrected for age and sex and P = 0.043 when corrected for aneurysm size). It appears that an abnormality in the MMP3 gene is part of the genetic profile that predisposes to aneurysmal disease.


Detection of hookworm and hookworm-like larvae in human fecocultures in Suriname.
Estimation of the prevalence of hookworm infection is usually based on finding eggs of the parasite in the stool. Eggs of the different hookworm species are difficult to distinguish and can be confused with those of hookworm-like species. Proper identification can be made after hatching the eggs and cultivating larvae to the infective stage. We have used the Harada-Mori method to study the stools of Bushnegroes in Suriname and have identified the emerged larvae. Of the 804 individuals examined, 53.6% had positive fecal cultures. The identification of emerged larvae revealed that 75% of the positive cultures contained Necator americanus and Strongyloides stercoralis was detected in 19.7%. Oesophagostomum and Ternidens species were also found. Ancylostoma duodenale larvae were not found. Six percent of fecal cultures in which larvae emerged contained only hookworm-like larvae hatching from eggs that resembled hookworm eggs. The diagnosis of hookworm infection, based solely on the microscopic detection of eggs in the stool, must be considered with special caution.


Tetraaqua(7-hydroxy-5-oxidoflavone-6-sulfonato-kappa2O4,O5)nickel(II) dimethylformamide solvate monohydrate.
In the title compound, [Ni(C15H8O7S)(H2O)4].C3H7NO.H2O, the NiII cation is chelated by a 7-hydroxy-5-oxidoflavone-6-sulfonate ligand through one oxide and one carbonyl O atom, and the sixfold coordination is completed by four aqua ligands. Individual molecules are linked into hydrogen-bonded dimers by way of five pairs of O-H...O hydrogen bonds. These dimers, in turn, determine a three-dimensional supramolecular arrangement through a variety of interdimeric interactions, such as O-H...O, C-H...O and pi-pi stacking.


CD146 promotes migration and proliferation in pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma cell lines.
Dysregulated expression of the cell surface protein, CD146, has been implicated in various types of cancer in humans, including in lung cancer. The present study aimed to clarify the mechanism underlying abnormal CD146 expression in human pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) cell lines (NCI-H460 and NCI-H810). The functions of CD146 were investigated by measuring cell migration and viability following CD146 knockdown or overexpression via small interference RNA and plasmid transfection. The findings demonstrated that decreased protein expression of CD146 could inhibit migration and viability in LCNEC cells. Furthermore, CD146 was determined to influence the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers (epithelial cadherin, vimentin and Snail) and promoted AKT phosphorylation. The present results imply CD146 may function in the migration and proliferation of pulmonary LCNEC cells.


Characteristics of Inpatient Hypertension Cases and Factors Associated with Admission Outcomes in Ashanti Region, Ghana: An Analytic Cross-Sectional Study.
Hypertension remains a cause of morbidity and mortality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It has been featured in the top ten causes of OPD attendance, admissions, and deaths since 2012. We investigated the sociodemographic characteristics and spatial distribution of inpatient hypertensives and factors associated with their admission outcomes. A 2014 line list of 1715 inpatient HPT cases aged ≥25 years was used for the cross-sectional analytic study. Accounting for clustering, all analyses were performed using the "svy" command in Stata. Frequencies, Chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were used in the analysis. Arc view Geographic Information System (ArcGIS) was used to map the density of cases by place of residence and reporting hospital. Mean age of cases was 58 (S.D 0.0068). Females constituted 67.6% of the cases. Age, gender, and NHIS status were significantly associated with admission outcomes. Cases were clustered in the regional capital and bordering districts. However, low case densities were recorded in the latter. Increasing NHIS access can potentially impact positively on hypertension admission outcomes. Health educational campaigns targeting men are recommended to address hypertension-related issues.


Draft Genome Sequences of Two Dickeya dianthicola Isolates from Potato.
Here, we report two annotated draft genome sequences of Dickeya dianthicola isolates from potatoes collected in Delaware and West Virginia. The genomes of strains DE440 and WV516 show 99% similarity to each other and 96% and 95% similarity to the European strains IPO 980 and RNS04.9, respectively.


Modeling and simulation of the redox regulation of the metabolism in Escherichia coli at different oxygen concentrations.
Microbial production of biofuels and biochemicals from renewable feedstocks has received considerable recent attention from environmental protection and energy production perspectives. Many biofuels and biochemicals are produced by fermentation under oxygen-limited conditions following initiation of aerobic cultivation to enhance the cell growth rate. Thus, it is of significant interest to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on redox regulation in Escherichia coli, a particularly popular cellular factory due to its high growth rate and well-characterized physiology. For this, the systems biology approach such as modeling is powerful for the analysis of the metabolism and for the design of microbial cellular factories. Here, we developed a kinetic model that describes the dynamics of fermentation by taking into account transcription factors such as ArcA/B and Fnr, respiratory chain reactions and fermentative pathways, and catabolite regulation. The hallmark of the kinetic model is its ability to predict the dynamics of metabolism at different dissolved oxygen levels and facilitate the rational design of cultivation methods. The kinetic model was verified based on the experimental data for a wild-type E. coli strain. The model reasonably predicted the metabolic characteristics and molecular mechanisms of fnr and arcA gene-knockout mutants. Moreover, an aerobic-microaerobic dual-phase cultivation method for lactate production in a pfl-knockout mutant exhibited promising yield and productivity. It is quite important to understand metabolic regulation mechanisms from both scientific and engineering points of view. In particular, redox regulation in response to oxygen limitation is critically important in the practical production of biofuel and biochemical compounds. The developed model can thus be used as a platform for designing microbial factories to produce a variety of biofuels and biochemicals.


Prevalence and concentration of Cryptosporidium oocysts in beef cattle paddock soils and forage.
Cryptosporidium is a parasitic protozoan of great interest because of its widespread occurrence in surface waters, high degree of infectivity, and difficulty of risk management associated with its presence and control. Information about environmental loading and seasonal prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts is important for development of watershed management plans to protect public health. Healthy adult beef cattle are known to shed oocysts into the environment, and Cryptosporidium oocysts are often present all year in streams and groundwater in livestock agriculture areas. Surface soil and forage samples from 12 Virginia, United States, paddocks were analyzed bimonthly over 3 years for the presence and concentrations of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Half of the paddocks were grazed by stocker beef from November to September. The other half were managed for hay, but were grazed for a few days by the same animals in late fall and early spring to clean up late fall forage regrowth. Annual mean oocyst prevalences in soil were 57.9% and 48.4% in pasture and hay paddocks, respectively. Mean annual oocyst prevalences on forage were 52.4% and 40.5% in pasture and hay paddocks, respectively. Prevalence and concentration of oocysts on hay forage was highest in summer. Oocyst concentrations increased with increasing prevalences in both management systems. Wild animals appeared to be efficient vectors for oocyst distribution among paddocks. Canopy management, short-cycle rotational grazing, and control of wildlife are potential strategies for reduction of Cryptosporidium oocysts in pasture and lessening risk of contamination of water supplies, but further studies are needed before recommendations can be made.


Neuropsychological performance of journeymen painters under acute solvent exposure and exposure-free conditions.
Journeymen painters were evaluated with a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and compared to demographically similar nonexposed controls. For painters, a cumulative exposure to solvents was estimated from a structured interview that derived an index based on lifetime exposure and exposure in the past year. Painters were tested either shortly after having painted or after an exposure-free interval. Significant between-group differences were found on a cluster of tests measuring learning and memory. Within the painter group, scores on the learning and memory tests were significantly related to the interaction of condition and exposure. That is, those painters who were tested soon after painting and who also had a higher overall lifetime exposure, performed worst on tests of learning and memory. These results are consistent with the view that neuropsychological function--particularly learning and memory--may be compromised in active workers with a history of chronic solvent exposure. Furthermore, both the chronicity of solvent exposure, as well as the acuteness of the exposure, are significant factors in cognitive performance.


Immunohistochemical evidence that human pterygia originate from an invasion of vimentin-expressing altered limbal epithelial basal cells.
The goal of this study was to determine the cell origin of human pterygia. In order to determine the origin of these cells, longitudinal cryostat sections through five primary and two recurrent pterygia were studied immunohistochemically by finding limbal basal stem cell staining patterns as defined by monoclonal antibodies AE1 (staining positive) and AE5 (staining negative). In addition, sections were stained with antivimentin antibody. Altered limbal basal cells invading normal cornea along the basement membrane were identified in seven human pterygia with these specific monoclonal antibodies. A group of limbal basal cells (vimentin and AE1 positive) was always present between the dissolved edge of Bowman's layer and vascularized conjunctiva which contained goblet cells. Scattered patches of cells staining positive with both vimentin and AE5 (in addition to their AE1 staining) were also found in conjunctival epithelium growing on corneal basement membrane adjacent to the migrating limbal cells, indicating local infiltration by the altered limbal basal cells. This same pattern was also found in recurrent pterygia. Based on this data we propose that the pathogenesis of pterygia is due to a normal stationary parental limbal epithelial basal cell becoming altered and giving rise to a zone of motile daughter cells, the pterygium cells, which leave the limbal region and migrate as a group centripetally along the corneal basement membrane dissolving Bowman's layer. Since these altered limbal basal cells are found at the microscopic advancing edge over Bowman's layer with no fibroblast mass under them, the pterygium cell apparently precedes the rapid growth of the fibroblasts from the stroma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Assessment of driving performance in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis by a driving simulator.
To compare the driving performance using a driving simulator with physical and cognitive functions as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) in patients suffering from the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (RRMS). 31 RRMS patients (18 women, 13 men, mean age 35.6 +/- 8.3 years, EDSS 2.8 +/- 1.4) were compared with 10 healthy controls (8 men, 2 woman, age 45.1 +/- 7.8 years). Compared with controls, the accident rate (5.3 +/- 3.8 vs. 1.3 +/- 1.5, p < 0.001) and concentration faults (21.1 +/- 15.5 vs. 7.1 +/- 2.6, p < 0.01) of RRMS patients using the driving simulator were increased. While there was no correlation with the EDSS score, the accident rate was correlated with the MSFC (r = -0.5, p < 0.05). Regarding the three dimensions of the MSFC, accidents were related to the number of correct answers and Z-score in the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) as a measure for cognitive function (r = -0.33, p < 0.05). The current study demonstrates the need to focus also on driving skills in MS patients. The risk of accidents should be evaluated after relapses in particular. However, there are great interindividual differences. In the MSFC, most deficits could be evaluated in the PASAT. As there was a significant correlation between the accident rate in the driving simulator and the PASAT results, accidents seem to be more influenced by cognitive decline than by physical impairment. This indicates that the MSFC is a broader, more dimensional scale than the EDSS and should be preferred in the case of driving assessment. At the present time, the driving simulator seems to be a useful instrument judging driving ability, especially in cases with ambiguous neuropsychological results.


Representation of aversive prediction errors in the human periaqueductal gray.
Pain is a primary driver of learning and motivated action. It is also a target of learning, as nociceptive brain responses are shaped by learning processes. We combined an instrumental pain avoidance task with an axiomatic approach to assessing fMRI signals related to prediction errors (PEs), which drive reinforcement-based learning. We found that pain PEs were encoded in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a structure important for pain control and learning in animal models. Axiomatic tests combined with dynamic causal modeling suggested that ventromedial prefrontal cortex, supported by putamen, provides an expected value-related input to the PAG, which then conveys PE signals to prefrontal regions important for behavioral regulation, including orbitofrontal, anterior mid-cingulate and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices. Thus, pain-related learning involves distinct neural circuitry, with implications for behavior and pain dynamics.


Minimally invasive functional reconstruction after extended oropharyngeal resection including soft palate and base of tongue using a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap.
Excision of large oropharyngeal carcinomas that affect the base of the tongue and the soft palate severely impairs swallowing and articulation. In the present study we describe a minimally invasive technique that effectively restores swallowing and articulation by the insertion of a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap with a bilobular skin island. One lobe of the skin island is used to reconstruct the base of the tongue and the other to reconstruct the oropharynx. The soft palate is reconstructed by folding the tip of the lobe that is used to reconstruct the oropharynx in half along the long axis to fill the rhinopharynx. We have done this procedure for 13 patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma. Six months postoperatively all 13 were able to swallow without aspiration. Nine of the 13 patients were able to hold a normal conversation, but the remaining four had severe rhinolalia aperta. However, this condition was easily corrected by secondary reconstruction using a pharyngeal flap and a palatal mucoperiosteal flap (n = 3) or by the use of a small speech aid (n = 1).


Asymmetric doping in silicon nanostructures: the impact of surface dangling bonds.
We investigate peculiar dopant deactivation behaviors of Si nanostrucures with first principle calculations and reveal that surface dangling bonds (SDBs) on Si nanostructures could be fundamental obstacles in nanoscale doping. In contrast to bulk Si, as the size of Si becomes smaller, SDBs on Si nanostructures prefer to be charged and asymmetrically deactivate n- and p-type doping. The asymmetric dopant deactivation in Si nanostructures is ascribed to the preference for negatively charged SDBs as a result of a larger quantum confinement effect on the conduction band. On the basis of our results, we show that the control of the growth direction of silicon nanowire as well as surface passivation is very important in preventing dopant deactivation.


Long-term nitrofurantoin: an analysis of complication awareness, monitoring, and pulmonary injury cases.
Long-term nitrofurantoin (NF) treatment can result in pulmonary and hepatic injury. Current guidelines do not outline the type or frequency of monitoring required for detection of these injuries. To assess 1) awareness of NF complications among prescribers; 2) monitoring practice; and 3) to describe the pulmonary sequelae of NF-related complications. Evaluation of prescribing habits by questionnaires and review of GP databases, and case-note review in secondary care. The following study procedures were undertaken: 1) an electronic questionnaire was distributed to prescribers, interrogating prescribing and monitoring practices, and awareness of complications; 2) an analysis was undertaken (June-July 2020) of NF monitoring among GPs in the local clinical commissioning group (CCG); and 3) a case review was carried out of patients diagnosed with NF-induced interstitial lung disease (NFILD) at the interstitial lung disease (ILD) centre (2014-2020). A total of 125 prescribers of long-term NF responded to the questionnaire (82.4% GPs; 12.0% urologists). Many were unaware of the potential for liver (42.4%) and lung (28.0%) complications; 40.8% and 52.8% never monitored for these, respectively. Only 53.3% of urologists believed themselves responsible for arranging monitoring, while nearly all GPs believed this to be the prescriber's responsibility (94.2%). One-third of all responders considered current British National Formulary (BNF) guidelines 'not at all sufficient/clear', with mean clarity scoring of 2.2/5. Among patients with NFILD (n = 46), NF had been prescribed most often (69.6%) for treatment of recurrent UTI and 58.6% (n = 27) were prescribed for >6 months. On withdrawal of the medication 61.4% displayed resolution (completely or minimal fibrosis), while 15.9% of patients had progressive lung fibrosis. NF can cause marked or irreversible lung complications and there is currently a shortfall in awareness and monitoring. Existing monitoring guidelines should be augmented.


Multicast silicon photonic MEMS switches with gap-adjustable directional couplers.
We report on 4x20 silicon photonic MEMS switch that is capable of multicasting. The switch is built on passive optical crossbar network with gap-adjustable directional couplers. The switch has high on-off extinction ratio (59 dB), low insertion loss (< 4.0 dB), small footprint (1.2x4.5 mm2), and fast response (9.8 µs). The switching voltage is 9.6 V and 20 dB bandwidth is 31.5 nm. One-to-two and one-to-four multicast operations are demonstrated.


[Mechanisms causing chronic renal injury in kidney disease and their possible reversibility].
Much study has been dedicated to the understanding of the mechanisms leading to the progression of renal injury and to the development of strategies to limit this progression or possibly induce tissue regeneration. Among several identified mechanisms, the role of angiotensin II is widely recognized. Moreover, the progression of glomerular damage is characterized by capillary loss, reduction of the proliferative response, and production of antiangiogenic factors. Several lines of evidence support the potential effect of therapeutic startegies aimed at interfering with angiotensin II or stimulating angiogenesis in order to reduce the progression of renal injury. Recent work has underlined the potential of strategies involving the use of stem cells. Different populations of stem cells have been identified in the adult kidney. During renal injury, stem cells derived from the bone marrow that migrate through the circulation to the kidney may contribute to tissue repair. The regenerative potential of stem cells could be exploited by administration of ex vivo expanded stem cell populations or by the development of techniques to expand and differentiate local stem cells.


The Role of Spatial and Modality Cues on Visual and Haptic Memory.
This study investigates the ability to remember a sequence of stimuli in two basic conditions: haptic and visual. Participants rely on a combination of modal and/or spatial information to perform a memory task. For this purpose, an experimental setup was developed based on the "Simon Says" memory game. Individuals receive a series of sensory stimuli and need to remember the sequence and repeat it. The stimuli in visual conditions are colored or white lights, and the stimuli in haptic conditions are vibration, hot, cold, and skin stretch. Results demonstrate that participants retained longer sequences in spatial conditions compared to the modal conditions. It is also demonstrated that participants performed better in visual conditions compared to haptic conditions. Participants were able to retain more complex spatial patterns and remember them faster in visual conditions compared to haptic conditions. A spatial difficulty ranking system was developed, indicating how easily each spatial pattern can be retained visually and haptically.


Treatment of the antiphospholipid syndrome.
Despite increasing knowledge of the immunology and pathophysiology of the antiphospholipid syndrome, treating this condition remains challenging. Because of a paucity of randomized controlled trials, many of the treatment recommendations are not evidence-based. Retrospective case series suggest that a high level of oral anticoagulation is needed to prevent recurrent thrombosis. The combination of heparin and low-dose aspirin is effective in significantly increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy in woman with recurrent pregnancy failure associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. Primary prevention with aspirin is justified in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies but without a prior history of thrombosis. Interesting and controversial issues in the treatment of the antiphospholipid syndrome include the use of less intensive anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents in some patient subsets, anticoagulation for certain nonstroke neurologic conditions, the role of other agents (hydroxychloroquine, antioxidants), and novel immunomodulatory strategies.


Expression of bisecting type and Lewisx/Lewisy terminated N-glycans on human sperm.
Human sperm lack major histocompatibility class I molecules, making them susceptible to lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. Major histocompatibility class I negative tumor cells block NK cell lysis by expressing sufficient amounts of bisecting type N-glycans on their surfaces. Therefore, sperm could employ the same strategy to evade NK cell lysis. The total N-glycans derived from sperm were sequenced using ultrasensitive mass spectrometric and conventional approaches. Three major classes of N-glycans were detected, (i) high mannose, (ii) biantennary bisecting type, and (iii) biantennary, triantennary, and tetraantennary oligosaccharides terminated with Lewisx and Lewisy sequences. Immunostaining of normal sperm showed that glycoproteins bearing Lewisy sequences are localized to the acrosome and not the plasma membrane. In contrast, defective sperm showed distinct surface labeling with anti-Lewisy antibody. The substantial expression of high mannose and complex type N-glycans terminated with Lewisx and Lewisy sequences suggests that sperm glycoproteins are highly decorated with ligands for DC-SIGN. Based on previous studies, the addition of such carbohydrate signals should inhibit antigen-specific responses directed against sperm glycoproteins in both the male and female reproductive systems. Thus, the major N-glycans of human sperm are associated with the inhibition of both innate and adaptive immune responses. These results provide more support for the eutherian fetoembryonic defense system hypothesis that links the expression of carbohydrate functional groups to the protection of gametes and the developing human in utero. This study also highlights the usefulness of glycomic profiling for revealing potential physiological functions of glycans expressed in specific cell types.


Lucerastat, an Iminosugar for Substrate Reduction Therapy: Tolerability, Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics in Patients With Fabry Disease on Enzyme Replacement.
Lucerastat is a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor aimed at reducing production of glycosphingolipids (GSLs), including those accumulating in Fabry disease. The safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of oral lucerastat were evaluated in an exploratory study in patients with Fabry disease. In this single-center, open-label, randomized study, 10 patients received lucerastat 1,000 mg b.i.d. for 12 weeks in addition to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT; the lucerastat group). Four patients with Fabry disease received ERT only. Eight patients reported 17 adverse events (AEs) in the lucerastat group. No clinically relevant safety abnormalities were observed. The mean (SD) levels of the plasma GSLs, glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, and globotriaosylceramide, were significantly decreased from baseline in the lucerastat group (-49.0% (16.5%), -32.7% (13.0%), and -55.0% (10.4%), respectively). Lucerastat 1,000 mg b.i.d. was well tolerated in patients with Fabry disease over 12 weeks. A marked decrease in plasma GSLs was observed, suggesting clinical potential for lucerastat in patients with Fabry disease.


LEFT ATRIAL, LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE AND PULMONARY VEINS ANATOMICAL VARIANTS IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION VERSUS PATIENTS IN SINUS RHYTHM.
The aim of the study is to evaluate by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) the prevalence, location and size of LA (left atrial) diverticula and accessory appendages, the prevalence of PVs anatomical variants and LAA (left atrial appendage) shapes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to patients in sinus rhythm (SR). Images obtained by MDCT in a group of 100 patients with <1 year paroxysmal or persistent AF prior to radiofrequency catheter ablation and in a group of 100 patients in SR with unconfirmed or insignificant (<50%) coronary arteries stenoses were compared. The prevalence of LA diverticula (22% in AF group, 19% in SR group) and accessory appendages (6% in AF group, 5% in SR group) was not significantly different between the two groups. Similar sizes of LA diverticula and accessory appendages were registered in patients with AF and in SR. The prevalence of a common left venous trunk was significantly higher in patients with AF (30%) compared to patients in SR (18%) (p=0.047) and proved to be an independent predictor for AF (odds ratio (OR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-1.51; p=0.002) at multivariate logistic regression. LAA had a complex shape but no significant differences concerning the prevalence of the 4 major types were registered between the groups. In conclusion, the only parameter associated with AF was the presence of a left common trunk suggesting that it is either a consequence or a predisposing factor for the development of AF.


Ensuring a good death.
The purpose of this article is to describe how the commitment of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to pain management, quality of life, and optimal end-of-life care is operationalized through a comprehensive pain and palliative-care program. Institutional standards for pain management often address only the physical aspects of pain. Effective pain management requires assessment and interventions that address the multidimensional nature of pain, suffering, and quality of life throughout the cancer continuum. This approach seeks to lay the foundation of comfort and peace associated with a good death. Institutional pain management standards need to reflect the complexity of pain, especially cancer-related pain, by emphasizing comprehensive, holistic assessment and multimodality approaches to pain control and quality-of-life issues.


Terbinafine inhibits endothelial cell migration through suppression of the Rho-mediated pathway.
We showed previously that terbinafine, an allylamine with fungicidal activity, could inhibit angiogenesis by suppressing the endothelial cell proliferation. In the present study, we further showed that terbinafine (0-120 micromol/L) dose dependently inhibited the adhesion and migration of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC). Western blot analysis showed that terbinafine decreased the levels of Ras protein and membrane-bound RhoA protein. Moreover, the terbinafine-induced migration inhibition in HUVEC was prevented by pretreatment with farnesol or geranylgeraniol. Pretreatment of HUVEC with Ras inhibitor peptide or a ROCK (a kinase associated with RhoA for transducing RhoA signaling) inhibitor, Y27632, abolished the farnesol- or geranylgeraniol-induced prevention effect on the terbinafine-induced migration inhibition, respectively. These data suggest that the consuming or depletion of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and consequent suppression of protein geranylgeranylation and farnesylation, which is essential for activation of Rho GTPases and Ras, respectively, might account for the terbinafine-induced inhibition of HUVEC migration. The levels of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase and paxillin protein and the mRNA levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were also decreased by terbinafine treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that suppression of Rho-mediated pathway might be involved in the signal transduction leading to the inhibition of cell migration caused by terbinafine in HUVEC.


Religion and the morality of mentality.
Christian doctrine considers mental states important in judging a person's moral status, whereas Jewish doctrine considers them less important. The authors provide evidence from 4 studies that American Jews and Protestants differ in the moral import they attribute to mental states (honoring one's parents, thinking about having a sexual affair, and thinking about harming an animal). Although Protestants and Jews rated the moral status of the actions equally. Protestants rated a target person with inappropriate mental states more negatively than did Jews. These differences in moral judgment were partially mediated by Protestants' beliefs that mental states are controllable and likely to lead to action and were strongly related to agreement with general statements claiming that thoughts are morally relevant. These religious differences were not related to differences in collectivistic (interdependent) and individualistic (independent) tendencies.


[Adjunctive therapy of xuezhikang capsule for coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials].
To systematically evaluate the effect and safety of Xuezhikang Capsule (XZKC) for adjuvant treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients accompanied with or without dyslipidemia. China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database, Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), Wanfang Data base, Cochrane Library, and Medline (PubMed) were retrieved with the deadline of August 30, 2013. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of XZKC in treating CHD patients with or without dyslipidemia were all included. Assessment of bias risk for included studies was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention (Version 5.0.2): Criteria for judging risk of bias in the "risk of bias" assessment tool. Review Management (5.1.0) was employed for data statistics. If there was no significant heterogeneity, results from the random-effect model were presented. If the heterogeneity was not substantial, a meta-analysis was not performed and a narrative and qualitative summary was performed instead. A total of 28 RCTs (6,949 patients) were included after screening results. The methodological quality of included trial was generally lower. Results of Metaanalysis showed that XZKC was beneficial for CHD patients in decreasing cardiovascular events: when compared with the basic treatment group, the relative risk (RR) was 0.53 and 95% confidence interval (CI) was [0.35, 0.81]; when compared with the placebo + basic treatment group, RR was 0.52 and 95% CI was [0.42, 0.65]; when compared with the basic treatment group, RR for improving symptoms of angina was 1.20 and 95% CI was [1. 12, 1.30]; when compared with the basic treatment group, RR for improving abnormal ECG was 1.38 and 95% CI was [1.21, 1.57]. Thirteen studies showed that XZKC + basic treatment was obviously superior in lowering total cholesterol (TC) to that of the basic treatment group. Three studies showed that XZKC + basic treatment was obviously superior in lowering total cholesterol (TC) to that of the placebo + basic treatment group. Thirteen studies showed that XZKC + basic treatment was obviously superior in lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to that of the basic treatment group. Three studies showed that XZKC + basic treatment was obviously superior in lowering LDL-C to that of the placebo + basic treatment group. A total of 18 studies describing adverse reactions (ADs) involved 61 ADs in the XZKC + basic treatment group. All suffered from mild symptoms or were improved after treatment. No severe ADs occurred. Treatment of CHD by XZKC might lower the occurrence of cardiovascular events in CHD patients accompanied with or without dyslipidemia, relieve clinical symptoms, improve ECG, lower blood lipid levels, and with less adverse reactions.


Dietary Linseed Oil Reduces Growth While Differentially Impacting LC-PUFA Synthesis and Accretion into Tissues in Eurasian Perch (Perca fluviatilis).
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of replacing dietary fish oil (FO) with linseed oil (LO) on growth, fatty acid composition and regulation of lipid metabolism in Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) juveniles. Fish (17.5 g initial body weight) were fed isoproteic and isoenergetic diets containing 116 g/kg of lipid for 10 weeks. Fish fed the LO diet displayed lower growth rates and lower levels of DHA in the liver and muscle than fish fed the FO diet, while mortality was not affected by dietary treatment. However, DHA content recorded in the liver and muscle of fish fed the LO diet remained relatively high, despite a weight gain of 134 % and a reduced dietary level of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), suggesting endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthesis. This was supported by the higher amounts of pathway intermediates, including 18:4n-3, 20:3n-3, 20:4n-3, 18:3n-6 and 20:3n-6, recorded in the liver of fish fed the LO diet in comparison with those fed the FO diet. However, fads2 and elovl5 gene expression and FADS2 enzyme activity were comparable between the two groups. Similarly, the expression of genes involved in eicosanoid synthesis was not modulated by dietary LO. Thus, the present study demonstrated that in fish fed LO for 10 weeks, growth was reduced but DHA levels in tissues were largely maintained compared to fish fed FO, suggesting a physiologically relevant rate of endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthesis capacity.


Reducing past harm appraisals during treatment predicts worse substance use outcome.
Appraisals of the past harm from substance use have been associated with increased motivation and treatment seeking behaviors. Harm appraisals are subjective evaluations of the harm caused by substance use and differ from traditional consequences measures which assess the occurrence of adverse events related to substance use. Although influencing these appraisals is a central component to most treatments, no studies have examined how changes in these appraisals during treatment influence outcome. The present study examined how changes in appraisals of the past harm from substance use over the course of treatment influence short- and long-term substance use outcomes. Participants were 252 individuals seeking outpatient treatment for a substance use problem. Participants were assessed at treatment entry, end of treatment (13 weeks), and 9 months post-baseline. All participants were given a battery of measures that assessed substance use, consequences, self-efficacy, motivation, treatment intensity, 12-step affiliation, and appraisals of harm. Past harm change scores from baseline to end of treatment recoded into 3 groups: increased, remained the same, and decreased (reduced their perception of the harm from substance use). Reductions in appraisals of past harm from baseline to end of treatment predicted lower PDA and higher objective consequences at end of treatment and 9-month follow-up. There were no significant differences in outcome between those who increased versus maintained harm appraisals from baseline to end of treatment. Higher treatment intensity and 12-step affiliation were associated with fewer reductions in past harm appraisals. Results of the present study suggest subjective appraisals of the past harm from substance use wane for some people during treatment and that helping clients maintain or increase their perceptions of the past harm from substance use over the course of treatment is associated with better short- and long-term outcomes.


Masking release with changing fundamental frequency: Electric acoustic stimulation resembles normal hearing subjects.
It has been shown that patients with electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) perform better in noisy environments than patients with a cochlear implant (CI). One reason for this could be the preserved access to acoustic low-frequency cues including the fundamental frequency (F0). Therefore, our primary aim was to investigate whether users of EAS experience a release from masking with increasing F0 difference between target talker and masking talker. The study comprised 29 patients and consisted of three groups of subjects: EAS users, CI users and normal-hearing listeners (NH). All CI and EAS users were implanted with a MED-EL cochlear implant and had at least 12 months of experience with the implant. Speech perception was assessed with the Oldenburg sentence test (OlSa) using one sentence from the test corpus as speech masker. The F0 in this masking sentence was shifted upwards by 4, 8, or 12 semitones. For each of these masker conditions the speech reception threshold (SRT) was assessed by adaptively varying the masker level while presenting the target sentences at a fixed level. A statistically significant improvement in speech perception was found for increasing difference in F0 between target sentence and masker sentence in EAS users (p = 0.038) and in NH listeners (p = 0.003). In CI users (classic CI or EAS users with electrical stimulation only) speech perception was independent from differences in F0 between target and masker. A release from masking with increasing difference in F0 between target and masking speech was only observed in listeners and configurations in which the low-frequency region was presented acoustically. Thus, the speech information contained in the low frequencies seems to be crucial for allowing listeners to separate multiple sources. By combining acoustic and electric information, EAS users even manage tasks as complicated as segregating the audio streams from multiple talkers. Preserving the natural code, like fine-structure cues in the low-frequency region, seems to be crucial to provide CI users with the best benefit.


[Preliminary application of kilo-volt cone-beam computed tomography to intensity-modulated radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
The intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with its highly conformed dose distribution to nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and the surrounding critical organs is being accepted increasingly in clinical practice. Due to the steep dose fall-offs of IMRT at the target margin, precise patient positioning and verification are required. This study was to evaluate the role of kilo-volt cone-beam computed tomography (kV-CBCT) in guiding the accurate positioning of IMRT for NPC. kV-CBCT was performed on 22 NPC patients before radiotherapy. The acquired CBCT were co-registered with the planning CT for online set-up correction and offline planning target volume (PTV) analysis. The 22 patients received a total of 754 kV-CBCT scans. Among the 505 scans before couch correction, the detection rates of deviation of < or =2 mm were 76.4% in left-to-right (X) direction, 76.0% in superior-to-inferior (Y) direction, and 85.7% in anterior-to-posterior (Z) directionû among the 106 scans after correction, the detection rates were 97.2%, 97.2%, and 100% in X, Y and Z directions, respectivelyû among the 143 scans after treatment, the detection rates were 87.4%, 87.6%, and 90.0%, respectively. The overall setup errors in X, Y and Z directions were (-0.7+/-1.6) mm, (-0.7+/-1.8) mm and (-0.3+/-1.7) mm, respectively, before correctionû (-0.4+/-0.8) mm, (0.3+/-0.8) mm and (0.0+/-0.7) mm, respectively, after correctionû (0.2+/-1.2) mm, (0.3+/-1.3) mm and (0.1+/-1.1) mm, respectively, after treatment. The maximal PTV margin was 4.0 mm before correction and 2.1 mm after correction. kV-CBCT image-guided radiotherapy may improve the set-up precision of IMRT for NPC.


Quantification of sickle cells in the peripheral smear as a marker of disease severity.
Blinded readers examined peripheral smears of 108 children with steady sickle cell (SC) disease and controls by counting ten 100 × microscope fields and calculating percent of irreversible and reversible SC from total red cell population SC index (SCI). SCI was correlated to disease severity, and transfusion, hydroxyurea, or neither. Controls had a mean of 0.28% SC (range 0-0.64). Children with hemoglobin SS had a mean SCI of 5.12% ± 5.37 (range 0-30). SCI increased 0.33% with each increasing year (p < 0.0001). Patients with SCI >0.64 were 3.32 times as likely to experience clinical complications (p = 0.0124). Although blood transfusions and hydroxyurea decreased percent of SC, 72% treated patients had SCI >0.64, correlating with persistent sickling. This standardized method quantifies SC in peripheral smears. Percent of SC increased with age and correlated with disease severity, especially hemolytic complications, providing readily available information with minimal or no extra cost.


Antifungal mechanisms of ZnO and Ag nanoparticles to Sclerotinia homoeocarpa.
Fungicides have extensively been used to effectively combat fungal diseases on a range of plant species, but resistance to multiple active ingredients has developed in pathogens such as Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot on cool-season turfgrasses. Recently, ZnO and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) have received increased attention due to their antimicrobial activities. In this study, the NPs' toxicity and mechanisms of action were investigated as alternative antifungal agents against S. homoeocarpa isolates that varied in their resistance to demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides. S. homoeocarpa isolates were treated with ZnO NPs and ZnCl2 (25-400 μg ml-1) and Ag NPs and AgNO3 (5-100 μg ml-1) to test antifungal activity of the NPs and ions. The mycelial growth of S. homoeocarpa isolates regardless of their DMI sensitivity was significantly inhibited on ZnO NPs (≥200 μg ml-1), Ag NPs (≥25 μg ml-1), Zn2+ ions (≥200 μg ml-1), and Ag+ ions (≥10 μg ml-1) amended media. Expression of stress response genes, glutathione S-transferase (Shgst1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (ShSOD2), was significantly induced in the isolates by exposure to the NPs and ions. In addition, a significant increase in the nucleic acid contents of fungal hyphae, which may be due to stress response, was observed upon treatment with Ag NPs using Raman spectroscopy. We further observed that a zinc transporter (Shzrt1) might play an important role in accumulating ZnO and Ag NPs into the cells of S. homoeocarpa due to overexpression of Shzrt1 significantly induced by ZnO or Ag NPs within 3 h of exposure. Yeast mutants complemented with Shzrt1 became more sensitive to ZnO and Ag NPs as well as Zn2+ and Ag+ ions than the control strain and resulted in increased Zn or Ag content after exposure. This is the first report of involvement of the zinc transporter in the accumulation of Zn and Ag from NP exposure in filamentous plant pathogenic fungi. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of NPs' antifungal activities will be useful in developing effective management strategies to control important pathogenic fungal diseases.


[Emission characteristics of PM2.5 from blast furnace iron making].
Electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI) was used to online analyze the PM2.5 particle size and mass concentration distribution in the trapping field and ore tank of blast furnace iron-making plant. Results showed that the grain number concentration of PM2.5 in trapping field after dust removal was in the range of 10(5)-10(6)cm-3 , and the particle size was mainly below 0. 1 μm. While the grain number concentration of the PM2.5 in ore tank after dust removal was in the range of 10(4)-10(5) cm-3, the particle size was mainly below 1.0 μm, and the mass concentration distribution showed a single peak. The micro-morphology of PM2.5 monomer was mainly divided into two categories, spherical particles and irregular aggregates. Chemical composition analysis indicated that the concentrations of water soluble SO(2-)(4) , K+ , Ca2+ were higher than other ions in PM2.5, with the percentage of 10. 32% -28.55% , 10. 36% -12. 15% , 3.97% -15. 4% , respectively. The major elements was Fe, Si, Al, with 16. 8% -31. 62% , 2. 24% -8.76% , 1.24% -5. 89% of total mass, respectively; organic carbon and elementary carbon were 2. 7% -4. 6% and 0. 8% -1. 3% , respectively. The emission factors of PM2.5 in trapping field and in ore tank after dust removal were ranged from 0.045 to 0.085 kg t(-1) and 0.042 to 0.071 kg t-1, respectively.


Development and implementation of a balanced scorecard in an academic hospitalist group.
Academic hospitalist groups (AHGs) are often expected to excel in multiple domains: quality improvement, patient safety, education, research, administration, and clinical care. To be successful, AHGs must develop strategies to balance their energies, resources, and performance. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is a strategic management system that enables organizations to translate their mission and vision into specific objectives and metrics across multiple domains. To date, no hospitalist group has reported on BSC implementation. We set out to develop a BSC as part of a strategic planning initiative. Based on a needs assessment of the University of California, San Francisco, Division of Hospital Medicine, mission and vision statements were developed. We engaged representative faculty to develop strategic objectives and determine performance metrics across 4 BSC perspectives. There were 41 metrics identified, and 16 were chosen for the initial BSC. It allowed us to achieve several goals: 1) present a broad view of performance, 2) create transparency and accountability, 3) communicate goals and engage faculty, and 4) ensure we use data to guide strategic decisions. Several lessons were learned, including the need to build faculty consensus, establish metrics with reliable measureable data, and the power of the BSC to drive goals across the division. We successfully developed and implemented a BSC in an AHG as part of a strategic planning initiative. The BSC has been instrumental in allowing us to achieve balanced success in multiple domains. Academic groups should consider employing the BSC as it allows for a data-driven strategic planning and assessment process.


Are there benefits to mowing Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities? An evaluation in southeastern Oregon.
Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) communities frequently are mowed in an attempt to increase perennial herbaceous vegetation. However, there is limited information as to whether expected benefits of mowing are realized when applied to Wyoming big sagebrush communities with intact understory vegetation. We compared vegetation and soil nutrient concentrations in mowed and undisturbed reference plots in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities at eight sites for three years post-treatment. Mowing generally did not increase perennial herbaceous vegetation cover, density, or biomass production (P > 0.05). Annual forbs and exotic annual grasses were generally greater in the mowed compared to the reference treatment (P < 0.05). By the third year post-treatment annual forb and annual grass biomass production was more than nine and sevenfold higher in the mowed than reference treatment, respectively. Our results imply that the application of mowing treatments in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities does not increase perennial herbaceous vegetation, but may increase the risk that exotic annual grasses will dominate the herbaceous vegetation. We suggest that mowing Wyoming big sagebrush communities with intact understories does not produce the expected benefits. However, the applicability of our results to Wyoming big sagebrush communities with greater sagebrush cover and/or degraded understories needs to be evaluated.


Neural Correlates of Subjective Awareness for Natural Scene Categorization of Color Photographs and Line-Drawings.
It remains controversial whether visual awareness is correlated with early activation indicated by VAN (visual awareness negativity), as the recurrent process hypothesis theory proposes, or with later activation indicated by P3 or LP (late positive), as suggested by global workspace theories. To address this issue, a backward masking task was adopted, in which participants were first asked to categorize natural scenes of color photographs and line-drawings and then to rate the clarity of their visual experience on a Perceptual Awareness Scale (PAS). The interstimulus interval between the scene and the mask was manipulated. The behavioral results showed that categorization accuracy increased with PAS ratings for both color photographs and line-drawings, with no difference in accuracy between the two types of images for each rating, indicating that the experience rating reflected visibility. Importantly, the event-related potential (ERP) results revealed that for correct trials, the early posterior N1 and anterior P2 components changed with the PAS ratings for color photographs, but did not vary with the PAS ratings for line-drawings, indicating that the N1 and P2 do not always correlate with subjective visual awareness. Moreover, for both types of images, the anterior N2 and posterior VAN changed with the PAS ratings in a linear way, while the LP changed with the PAS ratings in a non-linear way, suggesting that these components relate to different types of subjective awareness. The results reconcile the apparently contradictory predictions of different theories and help to resolve the current debate on neural correlates of visual awareness.


A successful treatment with oral beta-blocker: A case report of a recurrent pyogenic granuloma in the external auditory canal.
Pyogenic granuloma or lobular capillary hemangioma is a vascular proliferation of the skin and mucosal surface, most commonly in the oral or nasal cavity. To the best of our knowledge, a few cases of auricular pyogenic granuloma were published in the literature. In our case, a 14-year-old female complained of a recurrent pyogenic granuloma in the external auditory canal that regressed successfully with the oral beta-blocker treatment.


OsDMI3-mediated OsUXS3 phosphorylation improves oxidative stress tolerance by modulating OsCATB protein abundance in rice.
Calcium (Ca2+ )/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) is an important positive regulator of antioxidant defenses and tolerance against oxidative stress. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report that the rice (Oryza sativa) CCaMK (OsDMI3) physically interacts with and phosphorylates OsUXS3, a cytosol-localized UDP-xylose synthase. Genetic and biochemical evidence demonstrated that OsUXS3 acts downstream of OsDMI3 to enhance the oxidative stress tolerance conferred by higher catalase (CAT) activity. Indeed, OsUXS3 interacted with CAT isozyme B (OsCATB), and this interaction was required to increase OsCATB protein abundance under oxidative stress conditions. Furthermore, we showed that OsDMI3 phosphorylates OsUXS3 on residue Ser-245, thereby further promoting the interaction between OsUXS3 and OsCATB. Our results indicate that OsDMI3 promotes the association of OsUXS3 with OsCATB to enhance CAT activity under oxidative stress. These findings reveal OsUXS3 as a direct target of OsDMI3 and demonstrate its involvement in antioxidant defense.


Wedding biodiversity inventory of a large and complex Lepidoptera fauna with DNA barcoding.
By facilitating bioliteracy, DNA barcoding has the potential to improve the way the world relates to wild biodiversity. Here we describe the early stages of the use of cox1 barcoding to supplement and strengthen the taxonomic platform underpinning the inventory of thousands of sympatric species of caterpillars in tropical dry forest, cloud forest and rain forest in northwestern Costa Rica. The results show that barcoding a biologically complex biota unambiguously distinguishes among 97% of more than 1000 species of reared Lepidoptera. Those few species whose barcodes overlap are closely related and not confused with other species. Barcoding also has revealed a substantial number of cryptic species among morphologically defined species, associated sexes, and reinforced identification of species that are difficult to distinguish morphologically. For barcoding to achieve its full potential, (i) ability to rapidly and cheaply barcode older museum specimens is urgent, (ii) museums need to address the opportunity and responsibility for housing large numbers of barcode voucher specimens, (iii) substantial resources need be mustered to support the taxonomic side of the partnership with barcoding, and (iv) hand-held field-friendly barcorder must emerge as a mutualism with the taxasphere and the barcoding initiative, in a manner such that its use generates a resource base for the taxonomic process as well as a tool for the user.


Interplay of Inflammatory, Antigen and Tissue-Derived Signals in the Development of Resident CD8 Memory T Cells.
CD8 positive, tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) are a specialized subset of CD8 memory T cells that surveil tissues and provide critical first-line protection against tumors and pathogen re-infection. Recently, much effort has been dedicated to understanding the function, phenotype and development of TRM. A myriad of signals is involved in the development and maintenance of resident memory T cells in tissue. Much of the initial research focused on the roles tissue-derived signals play in the development of TRM, including TGFß and IL-33 which are critical for the upregulation of CD69 and CD103. However, more recent data suggest further roles for antigenic and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review will focus on the interplay of pro-inflammatory, tissue and antigenic signals in the establishment of resident memory T cells.


Postdischarge Clinics and Hospitalists: A Review of the Evidence and Existing Models.
Over the past 10 years, postdischarge clinics have been introduced in response to various health system pressures, including the focus on rehospitalizations and the challenges of primary care access. Often ignored in the discussion are questions of the effect of postdischarge physician visits on readmissions. In addition, little attention has been given to other clinical outcomes, such as reducing preventable harm and mortality. A review of dedicated, hospitalist-led postdischarge clinics, of the data supporting postdischarge physician visits, and of the role of hospitalists in these clinics may be instructive for hospitalists and health systems considering the postdischarge clinic environment. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:467-471.


Topical analgesics for acute and chronic pain in adults.
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To provide an overview of the analgesic efficacy and associated adverse events of topical analgesics (primarily NSAIDs, rubefacients, capsaicin, lidocaine, and opioids) for the treatment of acute and chronic pain in adults.


Controlling the Property of Edges in Layered 2D Perovskite Single Crystals.
Two-dimensional (2D) hybrid perovskites have emerged as promising materials for optoelectronic devices owing to their improved stability. The crystal edges of layered 2D perovskites were found to play an important role in device performance by providing a pathway to dissociate bound excitons into long-lived free charge carriers. However, their formation mechanism and whether they are controllable remain unclear. Herein, we report a photoluminescence (PL) imaging study on layered (BA)2(MA)n-1PbnI3n+1 (BA = CH3(CH2)3NH3+, MA = CH3NH3+) perovskite single crystals before and after treatment with butylammonium iodide (BAI) and methylammonium iodide (MAI) solutions. We find that the crystal edges with exciton dissociation ability are induced by the loss of BA ligands and can be removed by adding additional BA cations and regenerated by BA-to-MA cation exchange. This work presents a simple yet efficient method to develop and control the properties of crystal edges for better applications in 2D perovskite devices.


Atrioventricular conduction defect associated with severe hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder among hospitalized patients and in the clinical setting. Patients with hyponatremia may develop a variety of symptoms, primarily neurological and gastrointestinal. Hyponatremia is more frequently encountered in patients with an underlying heart disease, particularly in the elderly. We hereby present a case of complete atrioventricular block in an elderly patient who had undergone aortic valve replacement and had been using thiazide. Complete atrioventricular block improved after sodium replacement therapy and no other cause of electrolyte disorder was documented.


Historical perspectives in the diagnosis and treatment of primary immune deficiencies.
The field of Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders (PIDD) has advanced rapidly over the past several years with over 200 different gene mutations defined. With the recent institution of newborn screening for T cell deficiencies in many states and earlier recognition of the signs and symptoms of patients with immune deficiency, it is now apparent that PIDD is not as "rare" as was originally thought several decades ago. With the earlier recognition of patients with recurrent infections and various immune perturbations, advancements in the treatment of these immune deficiency disorders have led to enhanced survival and quality of life. In this issue, the diagnosis of PIDD through laboratory testing and skin manifestations is reviewed. The more recently described cellular immune deficiencies, selective immune deficiencies, and advances in the use of bone marrow transplantation in the correction of some of these immune deficiencies are discussed.


Microstructure and rheology of microfibril-polymer networks.
By using an adsorbing polymer in combination with mechanical de-agglomeration, the microstructure and rheological properties of networks of microfibrils could be controlled. By the addition of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose during de-agglomeration of networks of bacterial cellulose, the microstructure could be changed from an inhomogeneous network with bundles of microfibrils and voids to a more homogeneous spread and alignment of the particles. As a result the macroscopic rheological properties were altered. Although still elastic and gel-like in nature, the elasticity and viscous behavior of the network as a function of microfibril concentration is altered. The microstructure is thus changed by changing the surface properties of the building blocks leading to a direct influence on the materials macroscopic behavior.


Characterization of fluorine-centred `F...O' σ-hole interactions in the solid state.
In the current study, the crystal structure of 1-(3-nitrophenyl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanone (A1) and (E)-4-((4-fluorophenyl) diazenyl)phenol (A2) has been analyzed for the characterization of the presence of a `unique' and `rare' intermolecular C(sp3/sp2)-F...O contact, which has been observed to play a significant role in the crystal packing. Theoretical charge-density calculations have been performed to study the nature and strength associated with the existence of this intermolecular F...O contact, wherein the F atom is attached to an sp3-hybridized C atom in the case of A1 and to an sp2 hybridized carbon in the case of A2. The crystal packing of the former contains two `electronically different' Csp3-F...O contacts which are present across and in between the layers of molecules. In the latter case, it is characterized by the presence of a very `short' (2.708 Å) and `highly directional' (168° at ∠C4-F1...O1 and 174° at ∠C10-O1...F1) Csp2-F...O contact. According to the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) study, it is a rare example in molecular crystals. Topological features of F...O contacts in the solid state were compared with the gas-phase models. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional static deformation density obtained from theoretical multipole modeling confirm the presence of a charge depleted region on the F atoms. Minimization of the electrostatic repulsion between like charges are observed through subtle arrangements in the electronic environment in two of the short intermolecular F...O contacts. These contacts were investigated using inputs from pair energy decomposition analysis, Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), Hirshfeld surface analysis, delocalization index, reduced density gradient (RDG) plot, electrostatic potential surface and distributed atomic polarizability. The intermolecular energy decomposition (PIXEL) and RDG-NCI (non-covalent interaction) analysis of the F...O contacts establish the interaction to be dispersive in nature. The mutual polarization of an O atom by fluorine and vice versa provides real physical insights into the role of atomic polarizability in interacting atoms in molecules in crystals.


The association between delirium and cognitive decline: a review of the empirical literature.
Delirium is a common neurobehavioral syndrome that occurs across health care settings which is associated with adverse outcomes, including death. There are limited data on long-term cognitive outcomes following delirium. This report reviews the literature regarding relationships between delirium and cognitive impairment. Psych Info and Medline searches and investigation of secondary references for all English language articles on delirium and subsequent cognitive impairment were carried out. Nine papers met inclusion criteria and documented cognitive impairment in patients following delirium. Four papers reported greater cognitive impairment among patients with delirium than matched controls. Four papers reported higher incidence of dementia in patients with a history of delirium. One study found 1 of 3 survivors of critical illness with delirium developed cognitive impairment. The evidence suggests a relationship between delirium and cognitive impairment, although significant questions remain regarding the nature of this association. Additional research on delirium-related effects on long-term cognitive outcome is needed.


Cognitive Reserve and Its Association with Cognitive and Mental Health Status following an Acute Spinal Cord Injury.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common secondary condition associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cognitive reserve (CR) is believed to protect against cognitive decline and can be assessed by premorbid intelligence (pmIQ). Despite the potential utility of pmIQ as a complementary metric in the evaluation of MCI in SCI, this approach has been infrequently employed. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MCI and pmIQ in adults with SCI with the aim of exploring the potential value of pmIQ as a marker of CR in this population. Cognitive function was assessed on three occasions in adults with SCI over a 12-month period post-injury, and pmIQ was assessed once at baseline. Demographic and mental health measures were also collected, and logistic regression was conducted to determine the strength of association between pmIQ and MCI while adjusting for factors such as mental health and age. The regression analysis revealed that at the time of admission to SCI rehabilitation, the MCI assessed by a valid neurocognitive screen was strongly associated with pmIQ. That is, if a person has MCI, there was 5.4 greater odds (p < 0.01) that they will have poor pmIQ compared to a person without MCI after adjustment for age and mental health. The assessment of CR is an important area that should be considered to improve the process of diagnosing MCI in adults with an acute SCI and potentially facilitate earlier intervention to slow or prevent cognitive decline.


Nursing research information: are nurse educators and practitioners seeking it out?
This paper is concerned with if and how nurses are obtaining information on research into nursing. It is based on the results of a wider survey conducted in Northern Ireland in 1979, the aim of which was to assess the degree to which those most concerned with administering, managing, and teaching patient care were managing to obtain and implement information on nursing research. The main sources examined were nursing journals, nurse education curricula, and libraries relevant to nursing. For the purpose of the survey the writer took the view that, in terms of the relationship between nursing and practice, any dichotomy of opinion as to what nursing research is, or is not, is largely semantic. It was decided, therefore, to adopt the holistic approach to the term 'nursing research' as supported by Treece & Treece (1977) who claimed that 'Nursing Research includes the breadth and depth of the discipline of nursing, the rehabilitive, therapeutic and preventive aspects of nursing, as well as the preparation of practitioners and personnel involved in the total nursing sphere.


[Clinical features of patients with head and neck malignant tumor concurrent with multiple primary carcinoma].
To analyze the clinical characteristics of multiple primary cancers (MPC) associated with head and neck. A total of 71 patients with MPC associated with head and neck treated from January 2008 to November 2015 were included in the retrospective study, of them 20 patients were synchronous MPC and 51 patients were metachronous MPC; 45 (63.4%) patients were field cancerization of head neck (FCHN) and 26 (36.6%) patients were non-field cancerization of head neck (NFCHN). For the synchronous MPC patients with an interval of 0 month, the lesion sites of FCHN were treated with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the site of severe lesion of NFCHN received firstly a standard treatment. Other types of MPC were treated according to international guide lines or experts consensus. With the mean follow-up of 63.4 months, the 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 84.6% and 75.7% respectively. The 3-year and 5-year OS were 56.4% and 37.6% respectively in patients with synchronous MPC, and were 92.2% and 84.2% respectively in patients with metachronous MPC. There was significant difference in the OS between patients with metachronous MPC and patients with synchronous MPC (P=0.0002). The 3-year and 5-year OS were 85.7% and 77.9% respectively in patients with FCHN, and were 82.9% and 72.8% respectively in patients with NFCHN, with no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.297). With correct diagnosis and effective curative treatment, some of patients with MPC can get long-term survival, showing the better prognosis in metachronous MPC compared to synchronous MPC.


Synthesis of ethyl 6-substituted-chroman- and -chromone-2-carboxylates. A comparative structure-activity study employing the 6-phenyl and phenoxy analogs in the triton hyperlipidemic rat model.
To explore the effect of lipophilicity on antilipidemic activity in the Triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic rat model we synthesized the 6-cyclohexyl, phenyl, and phenoxy analogs of ethyl chroman-2-carboxylate. Results obtained were analyzed in light of the biological activity observed for the 6-chloro-substituted and unsubstituted chromans, the 6-chlorochroman-4-one ester, and the 6-chloro-, phenyl-, and phenoxychromone esters. The suggestion is made that chromones likely exert their antilipidemic effects by a somewhat different set of mechanisms than do the chromans and clofibrate. Whereas the 6-chlorochromanone ester is inactive, the 6-chlorochromone ester is active in both normal and hyperlipidemic Sprague-Dawley rats. The major differential effect was observed for ethyl 6-cyclohexylchroman-2-carboxylate which did not lower cholesterol levels but returned triglyceride levels to normal in hyperlipidemic rats.


Automated interpretation of optic nerve images: a data mining framework for glaucoma diagnostic support.
Confocal Scanning Laser Tomography (CSLT) techniques capture high-quality images of the optic disc (the retinal region where the optic nerve exits the eye) that are used in the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma. We present a hybrid framework, combining image processing and data mining methods, to support the interpretation of CSLT optic nerve images. Our framework features (a) Zernike moment methods to derive shape information from optic disc images; (b) classification of optic disc images, based on shape information, to distinguish between healthy and glaucomatous optic discs. We apply Multi Layer Perceptrons, Support Vector Machines and Bayesian Networks for feature sub-set selection and image classification; and (c) clustering of optic disc images, based on shape information, using Self-Organizing Maps to visualize sub-types of glaucomatous optic disc damage. Our framework offers an automated and objective analysis of optic nerve images that can potentially support both diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma.


[Progress of regulation of leukemia stem cells of chronic myeloid leukemia by autophagy].
Leukemia stem cells (LSC) that were found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) responsible for the abnormal proliferation with the potential of self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation are involved in the pathophysiological process for drug resistance and relapse of CML. Autophagy, a conservative lysosomal degradation process that mediates cell degradation and recycling process, plays crucial roles in maintaining the homeostasis and function of intracellular environment. Recent studies suggested that autophagy is involved in the regulation of LSC differentiation and also closely related to the chemo-sensitivity of CML. In this review, we focused on the role of autophagy on chemotherapy sensitivity of CML as well as the leukemia stem cell function for the development of new anti-leukemia drugs.


Nitrogen Metabolism in Adaptation of Photosynthesis to Water Stress in Rice Grown under Different Nitrogen Levels.
To investigate the role of nitrogen (N) metabolism in the adaptation of photosynthesis to water stress in rice, a hydroponic experiment supplying with low N (0.72 mM), moderate N (2.86 mM), and high N (7.15 mM) followed by 150 g⋅L-1 PEG-6000 induced water stress was conducted in a rainout shelter. Water stress induced stomatal limitation to photosynthesis at low N, but no significant effect was observed at moderate and high N. Non-photochemical quenching was higher at moderate and high N. In contrast, relative excessive energy at PSII level (EXC) was declined with increasing N level. Malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents were in parallel with EXC. Water stress decreased catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities at low N, resulting in increased H2O2 content and severer membrane lipid peroxidation; whereas the activities of antioxidative enzymes were increased at high N. In accordance with photosynthetic rate and antioxidative enzymes, water stress decreased the activities of key enzymes involving in N metabolism such as glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase, and photorespiratory key enzyme glycolate oxidase at low N. Concurrently, water stress increased nitrate content significantly at low N, but decreased nitrate content at moderate and high N. Contrary to nitrate, water stress increased proline content at moderate and high N. Our results suggest that N metabolism appears to be associated with the tolerance of photosynthesis to water stress in rice via affecting CO2 diffusion, antioxidant capacity, and osmotic adjustment.


Russell's Viper Envenomation-Associated Addisonian Crisis.
Snakebite envenomation is an important public health problem in tropical countries. We report a case of bilateral adrenal hemorrhage in a 28-y-old man with Russell's viper bite that occurred in the Sathyamangalam forest range in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In this case, a combination of early bite recognition, hospital-based supportive care, corticosteroid therapy, and timely administration of polyvalent antivenom resulted in a favorable clinical outcome.


Long-term seedling and small sapling census data from the Barro Colorado Island 50 ha Forest Dynamics Plot, Panama.
Tropical forests are well known for their high woody plant diversity. Processes occurring at early life stages are thought to play a critical role in maintaining this high diversity and shaping the composition of tropical tree communities. To evaluate hypothesized mechanisms promoting tropical tree species coexistence and influencing composition, we initiated a census of woody seedlings and small saplings in the permanent 50 ha Forest Dynamics Plot (FDP) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Situated in old-growth, lowland tropical moist forest, the BCI FDP was originally established in 1980 to monitor trees and shrubs ≥1 cm diameter at 1.3 m above ground (dbh) at ca. 5-year intervals. However, critical data on the dynamics occurring at earlier life stages were initially lacking. Therefore, in 2001 we established a 1-m2 seedling plot in the center of every 5 × 5 m section of the BCI FDP. All freestanding woody individuals ≥20 cm tall and <1 cm dbh (hereafter referred to as seedlings) were tagged, mapped, measured, and identified to species in 19,313 1-m2 seedling plots. Because seedling dynamics are rapid, we censused these seedling plots every 1-2 years. Here, we present data from the 14 censuses of these seedling plots conducted between the initial census in 2001 to the most recent census, in 2018. This data set includes nearly 1 M observations of ~185,000 individuals of >400 tree, shrub, and liana species. These data will permit spatially-explicit analyses of seedling distributions, recruitment, growth, and survival for hundreds of woody plant species. In addition, the data presented here can be linked to openly-available, long-term data on the dynamics of trees and shrubs ≥1 cm dbh in the BCI FDP, as well as existing data sets from the site on climate, canopy structure, phylogenetic relatedness, functional traits, soil nutrients, and topography. This data set can be freely used for non-commercial purposes; we request that users of these data cite this data paper in all publications resulting from the use of this data set.


[Vascular complications of infective endocarditis: a retrospective analysis of 18 cases].
Among 82 patients hospitalized for infective endocarditis between June 1995 and June 2001 at the cardiology B unit of the Rabat University Hospital Morocco, 18 (22%) had one or more vascular complications. We present here a retrospective analysis. The cohort included 12 men and 6 women, mean age 22 years. Infective endocarditis had grafted on a pre-existing cardiopathy among 17 patients: rheumatic heart disease (n=14), mechanical prosthetic valve (n=2), congenital heart disease (n=1). For 12 patients, vascular disease was the only complication, 1 had two complications and 4 three complications. This gave 26 lesions: 11 neurological complications, 10 arterial diseases involving the limbs including 5 mycotic aneurysms, 2 acute myocardial infarcts, 2 splenic infarcts, and 1 recurrent septic pulmonary embolism. Vascular disease was the inaugural manifestation in 9 patients and 54% of the complications occurred before the end of the second week of antibiotic treatment. Blood cultures were positive in 7 patients (40%). Oral streptococcus was isolated in 5 cases, Gram-negative bacillus in 1 case and Staphylococcus aureus in 1. Echography revealed valvular vegetations in the 16 cases of infective endocarditis on native valves: mitral (n=9), aortic (n=5), mitroaortic (n=1), tricuspid (n=1). Short term outcome was marked by 4 deaths including 3 directly related to the vascular complication. We emphasize the variable and diverse features of vascular complications of infective endocarditis. Prevention and early diagnosis are essential to institute optimal management of infective endocarditis.


Casticin inhibits the activity of transcription factor Sp1 and the methylation of RECK in MGC803 gastric cancer cells.
The present study investigated the effect of casticin on reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) gene expression and intracellular methylation levels in MGC803 gastric cancer cells. Cells were treated with 1, 10 and 30 µmol/l casticin. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to determine the protein expression and mRNA levels of RECK and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect RECK methylation. In addition, MGC803 cell proliferation was measured by an MTT assay and the DNA-binding activity of transcription factor Sp1 was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results demonstrated that treatment with 1, 10 and 30 µmol/l casticin significantly increased RECK protein expression and mRNA levels. In addition, casticin (30 µmol/l) decreased RECK promoter methylation levels by 31%, global DNA methylation levels by 39% and nuclear methylation activity by 71.6%. Furthermore, casticin downregulated the mRNA levels and protein expression of DNMT1. The MTT assay demonstrated that MGC803 cell proliferation was inhibited by casticin treatment and DNA binding assays indicated that casticin reduced the DNA-binding activity of Sp1. The present study therefore indicated that casticin inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer MGC803 cells by upregulating RECK gene expression and reducing intracellular methylation levels.


Flow properties of driven-diffusive lattice gases: theory and computer simulation.
We develop n-cluster mean-field theories (1 < or = n < or = 4) for calculating the flux and the gap distribution in the nonequilibrium steady states of the Katz-Lebowitz-Spohn model of the driven diffusive lattice gas, with attractive and repulsive interparticle interactions, in both one and two dimensions for arbitrary particle densities, temperature as well as the driving field. We compare our theoretical results with the corresponding numerical data we have obtained from the computer simulations to demonstrate the level of accuracy of our theoretical predictions. We also compare our results with those for some other prototype models, notably particle-hopping models of vehicular traffic, to demonstrate the qualitative features we have observed in the Katz-Lebowitz-Spohn model, emphasizing, in particular, the consequences of repulsive interparticle interactions.


Multiple lymphomatous diverticulosis and comorbid chronic lymphocytic leukemia: novel manifestations of ileocolic mantle cell lymphoma.
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has tropism for the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) identifiable as multiple polyps and mass lesions throughout the GIT. We describe 2 novel manifestations of MCL. A 60-year-old woman with known chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) had an exophytic mass of the appendiceal orifice. Multiple polypoid masses of the distal ileum were identified in the right hemicolectomy specimen (multiple lymphomatous polyposis). Ancillary studies confirmed the coexistence of the 2 independent lymphoproliferative disorders. A 69-year-old man had recurrent urinary tract infections and pneumatouria caused by a colovesicular fistula complicating diverticulosis coli. Segmental resections of the sigmoid and ileocecum confirmed diverticulosis of the left and right colon. Histology identified infiltrates of MCL confined to the penetrating aspects of colonic diverticula. MCL has not been documented to coexist with CLL. An invaginating morphology of lymphoma, multiple lymphomatous diverticulosis is also a novel presentation. These 2 scenarios expand MCL's known manifestations within the GIT.


Spontaneous Regression of Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Male Breast with Ongoing Immune Response.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor arising predominantly on sun-exposed skin among the elderly. The most common location is the head and neck, followed by the extremities. MCCs are highly aggressive tumors and rarely undergo spontaneous regression. We report a case of MCC which presented as a painless breast lump in an elderly male where the tumor regressed spontaneously after a biopsy.


Prevalence and Gender Differences of ODD, Anxiety, and Depression in a Sample of Children With ADHD.
Objective: Studies on comorbidity in children diagnosed with ADHD have relied more on parent/teacher reports instead of self-reported data and have focused on the frequency of comorbid symptoms instead of scores above clinical cutoffs. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety, and depression in children with ADHD, using self-report measures for internalizing symptoms and parent-reported measures for externalizing symptoms for increased accuracy. Gender differences were also assessed. Method: Parents of 197 children diagnosed with ADHD answered the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale, and 112 of the children filled out the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and the Children's Depression Inventory. Results: Results revealed that 19.28% of the children met cut-off criteria for ODD, 41.96% for anxiety, and 21.43% for depression. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a relatively lower prevalence of ODD and a slightly higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms than previously reported. Possible explanations and future directions are discussed.


Validation of 30- and 12-item versions of the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in patients admitted for general health screening.
A study of the validity of the 30- and 12-item versions of the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) was carried out with a consecutive sample of 386 patients admitted during one year to a medical centre in Taiwan for a 3-day comprehensive general health screening. The Chinese version of the Clinical Interview Schedule was used to derive a criterion measure of minor psychiatric morbidity. The areas under the Relative Operating Characteristic curves of both short versions of the CHQ were equivalent (area = 0.85, S.D. = 0.02). The sensitivities of the CHQ-30 and CHQ-12 were found to be 76 and 78% respectively, while the specificity of both was 77%. The estimated prevalence of minor psychiatric morbidity in the sample was 37% (95% confidence intervals 32-41%). In contrast, physicians diagnosed 11% of these patients as having psychiatric disorders, and their sensitivity was 29%. Taken altogether, the above findings suggest that the CHQ-12 is as effective as and is more efficient than the CHQ-30 in this context, and could be used by physicians in similar settings to improve their identification of minor psychiatric disorders in Chinese patients.


Alpha-helix structure in Alzheimer's disease aggregates of tau-protein.
The discovery of beta-sheet structure in Alzheimer's amyloid fibrils, and then in many other disease-related protein fibrils, has led to the widely believed view that beta-sheet formation is the general mechanism of aberrant protein aggregation leading to disease. This notion is further reinforced by recent findings, which indicate that normal proteins can be induced to form beta-sheet fibrils in vitro. Alzheimer's disease, a paradigm proteopathy, is accompanied by the formation of two distinct aggregates, amyloid fibrils and paired helical filaments (PHFs). Electron microscope images of PHFs show pairs of twisted ribbons with 80 nm periodicity. However, there is little information of the molecular structure of PHFs, as previous studies have failed to identify signs of regular structure. Using far-UV circular dichroism and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, we find that PHFs are comprised of alpha-helices. This is remarkable as tau-protein, PHF's primary constituent, has a high abundance of helix-breaking amino acids and is unstructured in solution. We also find that PHFs are very stable, as judged by their high melting temperature and resistance to protease digestion. PHFs are the first example of pathological aggregation associated to the formation of alpha-helix.


Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - A Case Study from the Perspective of a Primary Care Physician Son.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare geriatric pathology, from the abnormal deposition of the tau protein, combining the motor tremor and bradykinesia of Parkinson's disease with the cognitive defects of Alzheimer's disease. As physical and mental debilities progressively manifest in PSP, the physician, family, and patient face decisions on how to manage this terminal neurodegenerative disease. Physicians note the outcomes of decisions and often express, either to peers or internally to oneself, how they would handle a similar situation affecting their own family. In this case, we will explore PSP and examine a physician's perspective as his father navigates his journey through it.


Infection and transformation of dog cells with a modified sarcoma virus.
Dog-embryo cell cultures were infected with a mixture of feline leukemia virus (FelLV) and a modified murine (Moloney) sarcoma virus MSV(FelLV). Morphological alteration of the cells was observed 3 days post infection. Virus progeny from the infected cultures increased 50- to 100-fold in foci of cellular alteration on dog cell cultures pretreated with diethylaminoethyl-dextran, but only twofold on cat embryo cultures similarly treated. The numbers of foci produced corresponded to a dual infection with the MSV(FelLV) and endogenous FelLV and could be increased by simultaneous infection with exogenous FelLV. After five serial passages in dog cell cultures, the virus mixture still had a superior focus-inducing capacity on cat cells as compared with dog cells. Electron microscopic examination of infected dog cultures showed typical C-type virions. FelLV alone propagated in dog cell cultures without inducing morphological alteration, and progeny virus, capable of promoting focus formation by MSV(FelLV), could be detected 48 hours post infection.


Expression of oncofetal antigen glypican-3 associates significantly with poor prognosis in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with poor prognosis. However, its prognostic evaluation is still an urgent problem. The objectives of this present study were to investigate oncofetal antigen glypican-3 (GPC-3) expression in HCC and their match para-cancerous tissues by the array technology with immunohistochemistry and estimate its value as a novel prognostic marker for HCC. The incidence of GPC-3 expression was 95.7 % in the cancerous tissues with significantly higher (χ2 = 33.824, P < 0.001) than that in the para-cancerous tissues (52.2 %). Abnormal expression of GPC-3 in HCC tissues was markedly related to poor or moderate differentiation (P < 0.001), hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (P = 0.004), periportal cancer embolus (P = 0.043), and tumor-node- metastasis staging (P = 0.038). According to the univariate and multivariate analysis, the overall survival of HCC patients with high GPC-3 level was significantly worse than those with low or without GPC-3 expression (P < 0.001), suggesting that abnormal GPC-3 expression should be an independent prognostic factor for HBV-related HCC patient's survival.


Evaluation of once daily hydralazine in inadequately controlled hypertension.
Despite the short plasma half-life of hydralazine, once daily Slow Apresoline has been shown to maintain blood pressure control in well controlled hypertension. In the present investigation of 118 inadequately controlled hypertensives, we have shown that 50-150 mg Slow Apresoline once daily induces a significant blood pressure reduction and is well tolerated. Normotension, i.e. supine diastolic blood pressure less than 95 mmHg, was reached in 53% of the patients. Normotension or a supine diastolic blood pressure reduction of greater than or equal to 10 mmHg was achieved in 72% of the patients, the hydralazine responders. Sixteen patients discontinued treatment due to symptoms probably related to hydralazine. Acetylator phenotyping showed that slow acetylators predominated in the group of patients discontinuing hydralazine due to side-effects. In contrast, 90% of the phenotyped non-responders were rapid acetylators, which suggests a suboptimal use of hydralazine in some rapid acetylators.


Suppression of PmRab11 inhibits YHV infection in Penaeus monodon.
Yellow head virus (YHV) is one of the most serious pathogens that causes worldwide shrimp production loss. It enters the cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and utilizes small GTPase Rab proteins such as PmRab5 and PmRab7 for intracellular trafficking. In this study, molecular cloning and functional analysis of Rab11 during YHV infection were investigated. PmRab11 cDNA was cloned by Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACEs). It contained two forms of sizes 1200 and 1050 bp distinct at the 5' UTR. The coding region of PmRab11 was 645 bp, encoding 214 amino acids. It also demonstrated the characteristics of Rab11 proteins containing five GTP-binding domains, five Rab family domains, four Rab subfamily domains and a prenylation site at the C-terminus. Suppression of PmRab11 using dsRNA-PmRab11 either before or after YHV-challenge resulted in significant inhibition of YHV levels in the hemocytes and viral release in the supernatant in both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the silencing effect of PmRab11 in YHV-infected shrimps resulted in a delay in shrimp mortality for at least 2 days. Immunofluorescence study showed co-localization between PmRab11 and YHV at 24-72 h post YHV-challenge. In contrast, the co-localization signals were absence in the PmRab11 knockdown hemocytes and the YHV signals accumulated at the perinuclear region at 24 h post YHV-challenge. Then, accumulation of YHV was hardly observed after 48-72 h. These results suggested that PmRab11 is required for YHV infection in shrimp.


Cryogenic Ion Vibrational Predissociation (CIVP) Spectroscopy of Aryl Cobinamides in the Gas Phase: How Good Are the Calculations for Vitamin B12 Derivatives?
Aryl corrins represent a novel class of designed B12 derivatives with biological properties of "antivitamins B12". In our previous study, we experimentally determined bond strength in a series of aryl-corrins by the threshold collision-induced dissociation experiments (T-CID) and compared the measured bond dissociation energies (BDEs) with those calculated with density functional theory (DFT). We found that the BDEs are modulated by the side chains around the periphery of the corrin unit. Given that aryl cobinamides have many side chains that increase their conformational space and that the question of a specific structure, measured in the gas phase, was important for further evaluation of our T-CID experiment, we proceeded to analyze structural properties of aryl cobinamides using cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation (CIVP) spectroscopy, static DFT, and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamic (BOMD) simulations. We found that none of the examined DFT models could reproduce the CIVP spectra convincingly; both "static" DFT calculations and "dynamic" BOMD simulations provide a surprisingly poor representation of the vibrational spectra, specifically of the number, position, and intensity of bands assigned to hydrogen-bonded versus non-hydrogen-bonded NH and OH moieties. We conclude that, for a flexible molecule with ca. 150 atoms, more accurate approaches are needed before definitive conclusions about computed properties, specifically the structure of the ground-state conformer, may be made.


Impact of magnesium sulfate on serum magnesium concentrations and intracellular electrolyte concentrations among patients undergoing radio frequency catheter ablation.
We evaluated the impact of intravenous magnesium on intracellular magnesium (iMg) and serum magnesium (sMg) in patients undergoing radio frequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with AF received 4g intravenous magnesium sulfate or normal saline in a randomized, double-blinded fashion. Venous blood and buccal cells were collected for evaluation of sMg and iMg at baseline, postinfusion, at the end of ablation procedure and six-hours posttherapy. All subjects (n = 18) had baseline sMg within normal range but iMg concentrations below normal in 89% of subjects. Baseline sMg and iMg concentrations were similar between groups. After infusion, the magnesium group had significantly higher sMg concentration than the placebo group over the six hours. In contrast, iMg concentrations were significantly higher than placebo immediately after the infusion (P = 0.007) but not at the end of RFCA or six-hours postinfusion (P = 0.187 and P = 0.267). iMg deficiencies exist despite normal sMg concentrations in patients undergoing RFCA. Intravenous magnesium sulfate corrects iMg deficiencies immediately postinfusion.


Less social emergency departments: implementation of workplace contact reduction during COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rapid changes in community and healthcare delivery policies creating new and unique challenges to managing ED pandemic response efforts. One example is the practice of social distancing in the workplace as an internationally recommended non-pharmaceutical intervention to reduce transmission. While attention has been focused on public health measures, healthcare workers cannot overlook the transmission risk they present to their colleagues and patients. Our network of three EDs are all high traffic areas for both patients and staff, which makes the limitation of close person-to-person contact particularly difficult to achieve. To design, implement and communicate contact reduction changes in the ED workplace, our COVID-19 task force formalised a set of multidisciplinary recommendations that enumerated concrete ways to reduce healthcare worker transmission to coworkers and to patients from ED patient arrival to discharge. We also addressed staff-to-staff contact reduction strategies when not performing direct patient care. We describe our conceptual approach and successful implementation of workplace distancing.


TFIID (TBP) stabilizes the binding of MyoD to its DNA site at the promoter and MyoD facilitates the association of TFIIB with the preinitiation complex.
The myogenic determination factor MyoD activates the transcription of muscle-specific genes by binding to consensus DNA sites found in the regulatory sequences of these genes. The interaction of MyoD with the basal transcription machinery is not known. Several activators induce transcription by recruiting TFIID and/or TFIIB to the promoter. We asked whether MyoD interacted functionally with TFIID and TFIIB in transcription. We reconstituted in vitro DNA binding and transcription systems of MyoD and basal transcription factors, and found that MyoD function in transcription occurred during the assembly of the preinitiation complex. Interestingly, MyoD activated transcription without affecting the binding of TFIID to the promoter. However, TFIID or TBP dramatically stabilized the binding of MyoD to its recognition site. MyoD and TBP interacted in solution. Deletion analysis of MyoD suggested that interaction of MyoD with TBP is needed for its activity in transcription. At a later stage of assembly, MyoD stabilized the binding of TFIIB to the preinitiation complex. These findings suggest that MyoD is involved in two steps of preinitiation; first, TFIID stabilizes MyoD binding to its DNA recognition site and at a later stage MyoD facilitates the association of TFIIB with the preinitiation complex.