A randomized controlled trial comparing oxytocin administration before and after placental delivery in the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage.
To determine if the timing of the administration of prophylactic oxytocin influences the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage caused by uterine atony, retained placenta, and third-stage duration. Parturients who presented for vaginal delivery were randomized in a double-blinded fashion to receive oxytocin, 20 units in a 500-mL crystalloid intravenous bolus, beginning upon delivery of either the fetal anterior shoulder or placenta. For all patients, the third stage of labor was managed with controlled cord traction until placental expulsion, followed by at least 15 seconds of fundal massage. Patients were excluded if they had a previous cesarean section, multiple gestation, antepartum hemorrhage, or bleeding disorder. A total of 1486 patients were enrolled: 745 in the before-placenta group and 741 in the after-placenta group. The groups were similar with respect to gestational age, fetal weight, labor duration, maternal age, parity, and ethnicity. The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage did not differ significantly between the two groups (5.4% vs 5.8%; crude OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.43). There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to incidence of retained placenta (2.4% vs 1.6%; OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.72 to 3.08), or third-stage duration (7.7 minutes vs 8.1 minutes; P =.23). The administration of prophylactic oxytocin before placental delivery does not reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage or third-stage duration, when compared with giving oxytocin after placental delivery. Early administration, however, does not increase the incidence of retained placenta.


[Draft macronuclear genome of a ciliate Euplotes crassus].
Basic bioinformatical analysis of the draft Euplotes crassus macronuclear genome and transcriptome suggests that more than a quarter of E. crassus genes contain several exons. A large fraction of all introns is formed by "tiny" introns having length 20-30 bp. Analysis of the transcriptome revealed 63 possible cases of alternative splicing, and also 14 introns with non-standard splicing sites. About 2000 hypothetical genes do not have homologs in other ciliates, and since most of them have the closest homologs in bacterial genomes, they are likely an artifact of the sample preparation. Comparison of the E. crassus genome to the genomes of other ciliates showed an expansion of the same gene families, responsible for the free-living heterotrophic lifestyle.


Angiotensin II induces myocyte enhancer factor 2- and calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell-dependent transcriptional activation in vascular myocytes.
It is well known that angiotensin II (Ang II) is implicated in the phenotypic modulation and hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). To study the mechanisms by which Ang II contributes to the pathological changes of VSMCs, we examined whether Ang II stimulated myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2)- and calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT)-dependent transcriptional activation of genes in VSMCs. Ang II increased the DNA binding activity of MEF2A and its expression at the protein level. Ang II induced c-jun promoter activity, and this increase was inhibited by dominant-negative mutants of MEF2A and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 but not by calcineurin inhibitors. Ang II stimulated NFAT DNA binding activity and NFAT-dependent gene transcription, and these effects of Ang II were inhibited by calcineurin inhibitors. Furthermore, Ang II induced the promoter activity of the nonmuscle-type myosin heavy chain B gene, which we used as a marker of the dedifferentiated state of VSMCs, and this increase was inhibited by calcineurin inhibitors but not by the dominant-negative mutants of MEF2A or mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6. Finally, Ang II increased protein synthesis, and this increase was inhibited by infection with an adenovirus construct that expresses the dominant-negative mutant of MEF2A but not by calcineurin inhibitors. These results suggest that Ang II stimulates the MEF2- and calcineurin/NFAT-dependent pathways and that these pathways have distinct roles in VSMCs.


Hematopoiesis Remains Permissive to Bone Marrow Transplantation After Expansion of Progenitors and Resumption of Blood Cell Production.
The immense regenerative power of hematopoietic tissue stems from the activation of the immature stem cells and the progenitor cells. After partial damage, hematopoiesis is reconstituted through a period of intense regeneration when blood cell production originates from erythro-myeloid progenitors in the virtual absence of stem cells. Since the damaged hematopoiesis can also be reconstituted from transplanted hematopoietic cells, we asked whether this also leads to the transient state when activated progenitors initially execute blood cell production. We first showed that the early reconstitution of hematopoiesis from transplanted cells gives rise to extended populations of developmentally advanced but altered progenitor cells, similar to those previously identified in the bone marrow regenerating from endogenous cells. We then identified the cells that give rise to these progenitors after transplantation as LSK CD48- cells. In the submyeloablative irradiated host mice, the transplanted LSK CD48- cells preferably colonized the spleen. Unlike the endogenous hematopoiesis reconstituting cells, the transplanted whole bone marrow cells and sorted LSK CD48- cells had greater potential to differentiate to B-lymphopoiesis. Separate transplantation of the CD150- and CD150+ subsets of LSK CD48- cells suggested that CD150- cells had a greater preference to B-lymphopoiesis than CD150+ cells. In the intensively regenerating hematopoiesis, the CD71/Sca-1 plot of immature murine hematopoietic cells revealed that the expanded populations of altered myeloid progenitors were highly variable in the different places of hematopoietic tissues. This high variability is likely caused by the heterogeneity of the hematopoiesis supporting stroma. Lastly, we demonstrate that during the period when active hematopoiesis resumes from transplanted cells, the hematopoietic tissues still remain highly permissive for further engraftment of transplanted cells, particularly the stem cells. Thus, these results provide a rationale for the transplantation of the hematopoietic stem cells in successive doses that could be used to boost the transplantation outcome.


Observational study on the beneficial effect of preoperative statins in reducing atrial fibrillation after coronary surgery.
Recent evidence supports the important role of inflammation in atrial fibrillation (AF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and there is growing evidence that statin has cardiac antiarrhythmic effects. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of preoperative statins in preventing AF after CABG in a longitudinal observational study. Over a two-year period, 405 consecutive patients underwent isolated CABG procedures. Univariate analysis was performed exploring the relationship regarding statin use and AF development. A propensity score for treatment with statins was obtained from core patient characteristics. The role of statin therapy on postoperative AF was assessed by means of a conditional logistic model, while stratifying on the quintiles of the propensity score. All analysis was performed retrospectively. Postoperative AF occurred in 29.5% of the patients with preoperative statin therapy compared with 40.9% of those patients without it (p = 0.021). No statistical differences among development of AF and type, dose, or duration of preoperative statin therapy were observed. Preoperative statins were associated with a 42% reduction in risk of AF development after CABG surgery (odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37 to 0.91, p = 0.017, while stratifying on the propensity score). No different effect of statins on AF was observed with respect to age groups (< or = 70 and > 70 years) (interaction p = 0.711). Preoperative statins may reduce postoperative AF after CABG. Patients undergoing elective revascularization may benefit from a preventive statin approach.


Formulation development of sustained-release hydrophilic matrix tablets of zileuton.
The purpose of this paper was to develop a hydrophilic matrix system for extended oral delivery of zileuton, and study the effects of certain formulation, processing, and dissolution variables on in vitro drug release. Tablet formulations with 60-70% drug and varying release rates were prepared by wet granulation using low and medium viscosity grades of hydroxypropylmethocellulose. In vitro drug release was evaluated using USP apparatus 1. The in vitro drug release from all formulations followed zero-order kinetics and was independent of compression force. In general, the release rate decreased with increasing drug load and higher polymer concentration or viscosity. High-shear granulation also resulted in lower release rate. Accelerated release was observed with increased agitation as well as in the dissolution media with higher surfactant concentration and/or ionic strength. No stereoselective release from the matrix system was observed. The hydrophilic matrix system effectively controlled the in vitro release of zileuton. Matrix tablets with desired release rates can be prepared by adjusting various formulation and processing parameters. The matrix system also has the advantage of simple processing and relatively low cost.


Artificial selection increased body weight but induced increase of runs of homozygosity in Hanwoo cattle.
Artificial selection has been demonstrated to have a rapid and significant effect on the phenotype and genome of an organism. However, most previous studies on artificial selection have focused solely on genomic sequences modified by artificial selection or genomic sequences associated with a specific trait. In this study, we generated whole genome sequencing data of 126 cattle under artificial selection, and 24,973,862 single nucleotide variants to investigate the relationship among artificial selection, genomic sequences and trait. Using runs of homozygosity detected by the variants, we showed increase of inbreeding for decades, and at the same time demonstrated a little influence of recent inbreeding on body weight. Also, we could identify ~0.2 Mb runs of homozygosity segment which may be created by recent artificial selection. This approach may aid in development of genetic markers directly influenced by artificial selection, and provide insight into the process of artificial selection.


From influenza to SARS-CoV-2: etiological evaluation of acute benign childhood myositis.
To present the etiological evaluation results of our acute benign childhood myositis cases. Children, who were referred to pediatric neurology outpatient clinic in Maternity and Children's Hospital, with difficulty in walking and high creatinine kinase levels were evaluated. Viral and bacterial serological evaluation of children were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction method. Twenty-five children (21 M,4 F) included in the study. The most common complaints were walking difficulty and tenderness, pain on the gastrocnemius muscles. Their creatine kinase levels were between 216 and 8770 IU. Twenty-two children were hospitalized. Analgesic, intravenous fluid, antibiotic and/or antiviral drugs were given. The most common etiologies were influenza A and B. One children was diagnosed as suspected COVID-19 by the symptoms and the findings in thorax computerized tomography but the SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody tests were negative. School-aged children admitted to hospital with walking difficulty generally after an upper respiratory tract infection with a moderate creatine kinase elevation should remind at first acute benign myositis. Resolution of the complaints in a short time and normalisation of the biochemical markers will prevent unnecessary tests. Endemic and pandemic infections may cause this entity as well.


Hypothesis: the protein body effect and other aspects of food matrix effects.
With regard to the allergenicity of edible seeds and nuts, certain proteins may not be immediately accessible to digestion in the stomach and the upper small intestine because of the nature of the organization of such proteins into protein body organelles. Protein body hydration status, interactions between proteins, phytochemicals, protease inhibitors, and other matrix effects may contribute to the ability of a protein or package of proteins to reach the sites of active immune sampling in the gastrointestinal mucosa and thus be an influence on the potential allergenicity of a protein.


Increasing evidence for immune-mediated processes and new therapeutic approaches in abdominal aortic aneurysms--a review.
Animal models for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), immunogenetical and pathophysiological studies support the importance of immune-mediated processes in the pathogenesis of AAA disease. Neutrophils, natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes/macrophages, and proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the complex and dynamic tissue remodeling of the AAA vessel wall. Our group showed an increased prevalence of circulating interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) producing CD28(-) T cells especially in smaller AAAs, thus supporting the concept of a T cell-mediated pathophysiology of AAAs, especially during the early development of AAAs. Further research should now assess the possible benefit of anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches in AAA patients, especially with small AAAs.


[Characteristics of nourishment of youth starting studies at the Academy of Physical Education in Cracow].
The purpose of the research has been to analyse the preferences and dietary habits of the first-year-students of Physical Academy. The research was carried out on 115 female and 110 male students. The research has shown a great deal of defective nourishment and the necessity of monitoring nourishing ways of the students.


MR imaging appearance of fetal cerebral ventricular morphology.
To elucidate further the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of fetal cerebral ventricles by comparing ultrasonographic (US) and MR images. A retrospective review of MR and US images was performed for 110 normal fetuses and 94 fetuses with central nervous system abnormalities to assess lateral ventricular morphology as having (a) a normal appearance, (b) mild, disproportionate dilatation of the occipital horns with overall preservation of ventricular morphology, (c) colpocephaly with or without normal orientation of the frontal horns, (d) abnormal orientation of the frontal horns without colpocephaly, (e) an angular appearance, (f) fused frontal horns, (g) global dilation, or (h) a distorted appearance. Ventricular morphology on US and MR images was compared and correlated with reference standard diagnoses. US and MR imaging classifications were concordant in 145 of 188 (77%) examinations. Mild disproportion of occipital horns with respect to frontal horns was seen only on MR images. This ventricular configuration was present in eight of 110 normal fetuses and in 10 of 16 fetuses with isolated mild ventriculomegaly (P <.001). An angular configuration of the lateral ventricles, which is seen in fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs), was present on review of MR images in 11 fetuses and on US images in one fetus. The ventricles of fetuses with NTDs and angular ventricles (3-12 mm) were significantly smaller than those of fetuses with NTDs and global dilatation of the ventricles (13-25 mm; P <.05). Ventricular contours differ with differing diagnoses of central nervous system abnormalities.


Autonomy in practice: a qualitative study of school nurses' perceptions.
Many who enter the specialty of school nursing find themselves faced with the challenge of practicing as the sole professional responsible for the health care of large numbers of students and school employees. In addition, the transition from the more familiar medical or nursing setting into the unknown territory of the educational environment can be daunting. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of 6 new and 6 experienced school nurses regarding the autonomy of their practices. Results identified sharp contrasts in the areas of role perception, comfort, and confidence between the two groups. It is imperative that the specialty initiate changes to nurture and support the novice during this transitional period.


Salicornia herbacea prevents weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in obese ICR mice fed a high-fat diet.
Foods that are rich in fat and or sodium chloride promote obesity and associated diseases, whereas intake of dietary fiber averts obesity development. Salicornia herbacea (SH) is a rich source of dietary fiber and high in sodium chloride; therefore, we investigated whether replacing common salt with SH in a high-fat diet could prevent obesity development. Mice were divided into five groups: group ND was fed a normal diet, group HD was fed a high-fat diet, group HD-NaCl was fed a high fat diet with sodium chloride 10 g kg(-1) , group HD-CL was fed a high-fat diet with cellulose 30 g kg(-1) and group HD-SH was fed a high-fat diet with SH powder 50 g kg(-1) . The amount of sodium chloride and cellulose added in the respective diet was equivalent to their amount in SH. Data from our study showed that, SH supplementation significantly decreased body weight gain, liver weight, hepatic triglyceride, serum leptin and insulin, along with the mRNA level of key lipid anabolic genes such as SREBP-1c, PPARγ and FAS compared to the HD group. The results of this study demonstrated that SH is a potential natural anti-obesity agent that can be used in place of sodium chloride.


[Pancreatico-gastric anastomosis after cephalic duodenopancreatectomy].
Between January 1988 and February 1991, 27 patients underwent pancreaticogastrostomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy. The mean age of the patient was 57 years and 18 of them were male. Pancreatic disease was malignant in 21 patients (78%) and benign in 6 patients. The pancreatic remnant was normal in 15 patients (56%) and fibrotic in 12 patients. There was one operative death (3.7%) unrelated to the pancreaticogastrostomy. Only two complications (7.5%) were related to pancreaticogastrostomy: one patient had intra-gastric bleeding and was reoperated, one patient developed a pancreatic leak (3.7%) which healed without reoperation. The authors conclude that pancreaticogastrostomy in the preferred method of management of the pancreatic remnant after pancreaticoduodenectomy.


Simultaneous detection of porcine circovirus 2 and porcine parvovirus in naturally and experimentally coinfected pigs by double in situ hybridization.
A technique for double in situ hybridization to simultaneously detect porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) and porcine parvovirus (PPV) in the same tissue section was developed and applied to lymph node and spleen from 8 pigs experimentally coinfected with PCV2 and PPV and 20 pigs with naturally occurring postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome. For double labeling studies, the tissue samples were processed sequentially, first for PPV in situ hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled probe and then for PCV2 in situ hybridization using a biotinylated probe. Positive cells contained reaction products for PCV2 and PPV, respectively. Both PCV2 DNA and PPV DNA were observed mainly in the cytoplasm but occasionally in the nucleus. With double in situ hybridization, both PCV2 DNA and PPV DNA were simultaneously detected in lymph node and spleen. This double labeling technique for the detection of PCV2 and PPV is suitable both for pathogenesis studies and for diagnostic applications.


Compliance and clinical benefit of deferasirox granule and dispersible tablet formulation in pediatric patients with transfusional iron overload: in a randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase II study.
CALYPSO (NCT02435212), a randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase 2 study evaluated the compliance, clinical benefits, and safety of deferasirox granules and dispersible tablets in pediatric patients with iron overload. Iron chelation therapy-naive and iron chelation therapy-pre-treated patients aged 2 to 0.5 mg/mg; 24.5% and 34.2%), upper respiratory tract infection (28.2% and 29.7%), and pyrexia (26.4% and 23.4%). In iron chelation therapy-naive patients, mean compliance and change from baseline in serum ferritin with both deferasirox formulations were not significantly different. The safety profile was comparable between granule and dispersible tablets formulations, and was consistent with the general safety profile of deferasirox.


Differential coverage for vaccines in the expanded program on immunization (EPI) among children in rural Pakistan.
Pakistan has a well-established Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) however vaccine-preventable diseases still account for high infant and child mortality rates. This study describes the differential vaccine coverage and determinants of vaccine uptake in rural Pakistan. From October 2014 to September 2018, we enrolled children younger than 2 years of age from the Matiari Demographic Surveillance System in Sindh, Pakistan. Socio-demographic and vaccination history were collected from all participants. Vaccine coverage rates and timeliness were reported. Socio-demographic variables for missed and untimely vaccination were studied in multivariable logistic regression. Of the 3140 enrolled children, 48.4 % received all EPI recommended vaccines. Only 21.2 % of these were age appropriate. Around 45.4 % of the children were partially vaccinated, and 6.2 % were unvaccinated. Highest coverage was seen for the first dose of pentavalent (72.8 %), 10-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV10) (70.4 %) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) (69.2 %) and the lowest coverage was for measles (29.3 %) and rotavirus (1.8 %) vaccines. Primary caretakers and wage earners with a higher level of education were protective against missed and untimely vaccination. Enrollment in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th study year was negatively associated with being unvaccinated whereas distance from a major road was positively associated with non-adherence to schedule. Vaccine coverage was low among children in Matiari, Pakistan, and majority received delayed doses. Parents' education status and year of study enrollment was protective against vaccine dropout and delayed vaccination whereas geographical distance from a major road was a predictor. Vaccine promotion and outreach efforts may have had a beneficial impact on vaccine coverage and timeliness.


Electrical and mechanical effects of anthopleurin-A, a polypeptide from a sea anemone, on isolated rabbit ventricular muscle under conditions of hypoxia and glucose-free medium.
The effects of anthopleurin-A (AP-A, 1 x 10(-8) M) on the membrane action potential and contraction of isolated rabbit ventricular muscle were compared with those of ouabain (5 x 10(-7) M). Under control conditions, AP-A and ouabain showed submaximal (about 80% of maximal) positive inotropic effects without any toxic manifestations. AP-A caused a marked prolongation of action potential duration (APD) without affecting any other parameters of the action potential, whereas ouabain caused a shortening of APD and a slight decrease in maximum diastolic potential (MDP), overshoot (OS), and upstroke velocity (dV/dtmax) of the action potential. The positive inotropic effect of AP-A was relatively well maintained even under hypoxia or in glucose-free medium. Under these abnormal experimental conditions, AP-A caused a prolongation of APD only at the late stage of repolarization (APD80), whereas APD at the early stage of repolarization (APD30) was further shortened. Other parameters of action potential and resting tension (RT) were not influenced by AP-A. In contrast, under similar experimental conditions, ouabain caused no apparent positive inotropic action, but resulted in a marked increase in RT (contracture). In addition, after exposure to ouabain, a progressive shortening of APD and marked decreases in MDP, OS, and dV/dtmax were observed. These results indicate the AP-A has pharmacological properties quite different from those of ouabain and suggest possible advantages of this newly developed cardiotonic agent over cardiac glycosides when acting on the energy-depleted myocardium.


Precipitants of first substance use in recently abstinent substance use disorder patients with PTSD.
Patients with substance use (SUD) and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) are at high risk for relapse. This study examined the reasons patients identify for their first substance use following discharge from SUD treatment. A total of 65 patients with and without PTSD completed clinical interviews, including an adapted version of the Relapse Interview [RI; Miller, W.R., & Marlatt, G.A. (1996). Appendix A: Relapse Interview. Addiction, 91(Suppl), 231-240.] at a 6-month follow-up. Qualitative data from the RI was consensus coded using Marlatt's taxonomy of relapse situations. Results indicated that patients with PTSD were less likely to report first substance use triggered by cue-based urges and more likely to report use in response to negative emotions of an interpersonal nature than those patients without PTSD. Other characteristics of first use associated with PTSD included greater subjective urges right before using, greater efforts to obtain substances and more likelihood to use to intoxication. Patients with unremitted PTSD reported poorer outcome and self-efficacy expectations than those without PTSD or with remitted PTSD. Implications for self-medication theory and clinical practice are discussed.


Ubiquity of chaotic magnetic-field lines generated by three-dimensionally crossed wires in modern electric circuits.
We investigate simple three-dimensionally crossed wires carrying electric currents which generate chaotic magnetic-field lines (CMFLs). As such wire systems, cross-ring and perturbed parallel-ring wires are studied, since topologically equivalent configurations to these systems can often be found in contemporary electric and integrated circuits. For realistic fundamental wire configurations, the conditions for wire dimensions (size) and current values to generate CMFLs are numerically explored under the presence of the weak but inevitable geomagnetic field. As a result, it is concluded that CMFLs can exist everywhere; i.e., they are ubiquitous in the modern technological world.


Arylsulfatase G inactivation causes loss of heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfatase activity and mucopolysaccharidosis in mice.
Deficiency of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) degradation causes a subclass of lysosomal storage disorders called mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs), many of which present with severe neuropathology. Critical steps in the degradation of the GAG heparan sulfate remain enigmatic. Here we show that the lysosomal arylsulfatase G (ARSG) is the long-sought glucosamine-3-O-sulfatase required to complete the degradation of heparan sulfate. Arsg-deficient mice accumulate heparan sulfate in visceral organs and the central nervous system and develop neuronal cell death and behavioral deficits. This accumulated heparan sulfate exhibits unique nonreducing end structures with terminal N-sulfoglucosamine-3-O-sulfate residues, allowing diagnosis of the disorder. Recombinant human ARSG is able to cleave 3-O-sulfate groups from these residues as well as from an authentic 3-O-sulfated N-sulfoglucosamine standard. Our results demonstrate the key role of ARSG in heparan sulfate degradation and strongly suggest that ARSG deficiency represents a unique, as yet unknown form of MPS, which we term MPS IIIE.


Studying Dynamic Plasma Membrane Binding of TCR-CD3 Chains During Immunological Synapse Formation Using Donor-Quenching FRET and FLIM-FRET.
Over the last decade, advancements in the time and space resolution of microscopy technologies have enabled dissection of the molecular events involved in T cell Immunological Synapse (IS) formation. Using a combination of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and Fluorescence Lifetime Imagining Microscopy (FLIM), we have demonstrated dynamic plasma membrane binding by cytoplasmic domains of T cell receptor (TCR)-associated CD3 chains and other T cell transmembrane receptors. We have developed methods for imaging such membrane binding both at steady state and during receptor triggering at the IS. Plasma membrane binding by cytoplasmic domains may represent a novel mechanism for regulating the signaling function of important receptors in the immune system.


Phenotype-Based Threat Assessment.
Bacterial pathogen identification, which is critical for human health, has historically relied on culturing organisms from clinical specimens. More recently, the application of machine learning (ML) to whole-genome sequences (WGSs) has facilitated pathogen identification. However, relying solely on genetic information to identify emerging or new pathogens is fundamentally constrained, especially if novel virulence factors exist. In addition, even WGSs with ML pipelines are unable to discern phenotypes associated with cryptic genetic loci linked to virulence. Here, we set out to determine if ML using phenotypic hallmarks of pathogenesis could assess potential pathogenic threat without using any sequence-based analysis. This approach successfully classified potential pathogenetic threat associated with previously machine-observed and unobserved bacteria with 99% and 85% accuracy, respectively. This work establishes a phenotype-based pipeline for potential pathogenic threat assessment, which we term PathEngine, and offers strategies for the identification of bacterial pathogens.


Alterations of the portal protein, gpB, of bacteriophage lambda suppress mutations in cosQ, the site required for termination of DNA packaging.
The cosQ site of bacteriophage lambda is required for DNA packaging termination. Previous studies have shown that cosQ mutations can be suppressed in three ways: by a local suppressor within cosQ, an increase in the length of the lambda chromosome, and missense mutations affecting the prohead's portal protein, gpB. In the present work, revertants of a set of lethal cosQ mutants were screened for suppressors. Seven new cosQ suppressors affected gene B, which encodes the portal protein of the prohead. All seven were allele-nonspecific suppressors of cosQ mutations. Experiments with several phages having two cosQ suppressors showed that the suppression effects were additive. Furthermore, these double suppressors had minimal effects on the growth of cosQ(+) phages. These trans-acting suppressors affecting the portal protein are proposed to allow the mutant cosQ site to be more efficiently recognized, due to the slowing of the rate of translocation.


Shortened and Culturally Appropriate HIV Stigma Scale for Asians Living with HIV in the United States: Psychometric Analysis.
Instruments to measure HIV stigma in people living with HIV in the United States or in Asia may not be sensitive enough to capture the stigma experienced by Asians living with HIV (ALWH) in the United States. Our purpose was to adapt the shortened Berger Stigma Scale to be culturally appropriate for ALWH in the United States. We conducted a mixed-method study (i.e., five in-depth face-to-face interviews, six subject matter expert reviews, two focus groups [n = 11]) to generate new scale items and a cross-sectional survey (n = 67) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the adapted scale called Stigma Scale for ALWH. The scale contains 13 items with three subscales (personalized stigma/disclosure, negative self-image, public attitude) with good reliability (α = 0.92 overall) and validity. We describe the Stigma Scale for ALWH that is culturally appropriate to measure HIV stigma experienced by ALWH in the United States.


The genetics and chronobiology of cluster headache.
Cluster headache displays uniquely rhythmic patterns in its attack manifestation. This strong chronobiological influence suggests that part of the pathophysiology of cluster headache is distinctly different from migraine and has prompted genetic investigations probing these systems. This is a narrative overview of the cluster headache chronobiological phenotype from the point of view of genetics covering existing knowledge, highlighting the specific challenges in cluster headache and suggesting novel research approaches to overcome these. The chronobiological features of cluster headache are a hallmark of the disorder and while discrepancies between study results do exist, the main findings are highly reproducible across populations and time. Particular findings in subgroups indicate that the heritability of the disorder is linked to chronobiological systems. Meanwhile, genetic markers of circadian rhythm genes have been implicated in cluster headache, but with conflicting results. However, in two recently published genome wide association studies two of the identified four loci include genes with an involvement in circadian rhythm, MER proto-oncogene, tyrosine kinase and four and a half LIM domains 5. These findings strengthen the involvement of circadian rhythm in cluster headache pathophysiology. Studying chronobiology and genetics in cluster headache presents challenges unique to the disorder. Researchers are overcoming these challenges by pooling various data from different cohorts and performing meta-analyses providing novel insights into a classically enigmatic disorder. Further progress can likely be made by combining deep pheno- and genotyping.


Primary ovarian rhabdomyosarcoma: a report of 13 cases.
Primary ovarian rhabdomyosarcomas were found in 13 patients aged 7 to 79 (mean 37) years who had reported abdominal pain and swelling. Six tumors involved the right ovary, 3 involved the left, 1 involved both, and the laterality was unknown in 3 cases. Four tumors were stage I, 2 were stage II, 4 were stage III, and 2 were stage IV; the stage of 1 tumor is not known. The tumors ranged from 10 to 19.5 (average 16) cm in diameter and had solid sectioned surfaces that varied from yellow to white to pink and from gelatinous to hemorrhagic. Microscopically, 11 tumors were embryonal and 2 were alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. Follow-up information, available for 11 patients, revealed that 7 died of disease 10 days to 26 months postoperatively; 2 of these patients had stage II disease, 3 had stage III, and 2 had stage IV. Four patients were alive 2 to 9 months postoperatively; 3 had stage I and 1 had stage III disease. These 13 tumors and an additional 10 from the English-language literature are reviewed and the differential diagnosis of ovarian rhabdomyosarcoma is discussed.


Interaction of glycosphingolipids GD3 and GD2 with growth factor receptors maintains breast cancer stem cell phenotype.
Many studies have suggested that disialogangliosides, GD2 and GD3, are involved in the development of various tumor types. However, the functional relationships between ganglioside expression and cancer development or aggressiveness are not fully described. GD3 is upregulated in approximately half of all invasive ductal breast carcinoma cases, and enhanced expression of GD3 synthase (GD3S, alpha-N-acetylneuraminide alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase) in estrogen receptor-negative breast tumors, was shown to correlate with reduced overall patient survival. We previously found that GD2 and GD3, together with their common upstream glycosyltransferases, GD3S and GD2/GM2 synthase, maintain a stem cell phenotype in breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). In the current study, we demonstrate that GD3S alone can sustain CSC properties and also promote malignant cancer properties. Using MALDI-MS and flow cytometry, we found that breast cancer cell lines, of various subtypes with or without ectopic GD3S-expression, exhibited distinct GD2/GD3 expression profiles. Furthermore, we found that GD3 was associated with EGFR and activated EGFR signaling in both breast CSCs and breast cancer cell lines. In addition, GD3S knockdown enhanced cytotoxicity of the EGFR-inhibitor gefitinib in resistant MDA-MB468 cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Based on this evidence, we propose that GD3S contributes to gefitinib-resistance in EGFR-positive breast cancer cells and may be an effective therapeutic target in drug-resistant breast cancers.


GLUCAGON PRESCRIPTION PATTERNS IN PATIENTS WITH EITHER TYPE 1 OR 2 DIABETES WITH NEWLY PRESCRIBED INSULIN.
To describe glucagon prescription patterns in patients with type 1 (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes (T2DM) who received an initial insulin prescription. Retrospective analyses were conducted with data from Truven Health MarketScan databases to assess time to glucagon prescriptions: filled within 1.5 months after index date (early) or after 1.5 months postindex (nonearly). The index date was the date of first insulin prescription between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011; for T2DM, without an insulin prescription in the previous 6 months; for T1DM, diabetes diagnosis preindex or within 3 months postindex. Analysis included 8,814 patients with T1DM and 47,051 with T2DM (49.3% and 2.4%, respectively) who had glucagon prescriptions filled. The median times to first glucagon prescription were 196 days (T1DM) and 288 days (T2DM). The rates of filling glucagon were highest in the first 1.5 months. The times to first hypoglycemia-related emergency room (ER) visit for T1DM and T2DM cohorts were initially similar for those with early glucagon versus nonearly glucagon prescriptions. After 10.8 and 2.5 months postindex, respectively, the percentage of hypoglycemia-related ER visits was lower for those with early glucagon prescriptions. Glucagon prescriptions filled for patients with diabetes who are initiating insulin are low. Patients with T1DM who were younger and healthier filled glucagon prescriptions more often; patients with T2DM who were younger and sicker and had a higher percentage of hypoglycemia-related ER visit history filled glucagon prescriptions more often. Glucagon filled early was associated with a lower incidence of hypoglycemia-related ER visits.


Finite-dimensional model for defect-trapped light in planar periodic nonlinear structures.
We study the dynamics of 2D gap solitons (GSs) in Bragg resonant nonlinear (photonic) gratings in the presence of localized defects. Previous work [Stud. Appl. Math.115, 209 (2005)] explains the mechanism of trapping the GS-carried energy at a defect via a resonant energy transfer from the GS into defect modes. We derive a finite-dimensional model that describes the evolution of the defect-trapped state as an interaction of linear defect modes and show that this model approximates the full dynamics very well in the regime when moderate amounts of GS energy are trapped.


Immunohistochemical localization of procollagen types I and III during placentation in pregnant rats by type-specific procollagen antibodies.
To examine the sequential localizations of procollagen Types I (Pro I) and III (Pro III) during chorioallantoic placental formation in pregnant rats, we prepared polyclonal anti-rat Pro I- and III-specific antibodies. Biochemical analysis of a fraction containing [14C]-glycine-incorporated collagen from pregnant rat uteri showed that collagen Types I and III were actively synthesized during placental development. We examined 8-, 9.5-, 13-, and 20-day gestation rat uteri immunohistochemically. At Days 8 and 9.5, in the basal decidua facing the fetal cytotrophoblastic giant cell layer and implantation site, the immunoreactivity for Pro I was higher than that for Pro III. On Day 13, the enlarged myometrium and cytotrophoblastic cell layer showed increased immunoreactivity for Pro III. Unexpectedly, polygonal trophoblastic cells invading and modifying the maternal central artery showed intense immunoreactivity for Pro III. On Day 20, the fetal mesenchyme, large fetal blood vessels, and subendothelial stroma, including fetal blood capillaries, were more immunoreactive to Pro III antibody than to Pro I antibody in the labyrinth. Pro I and III synthesis and processing appear to be developmentally regulated and may be related to control of the microenvironment for supporting the fetus, control of the maternal blood supply stabilizing the fetoplacental physiological functions, and parturition.


The S RNA segment of tomato spotted wilt virus has an ambisense character.
The complete nucleotide sequence of the S RNA of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) was determined. The RNA is 2916 nucleotides long and has an ambisense coding strategy. The sequence contains two open reading frames (ORFs), one in the viral sense which encodes a protein with a predicted Mr of 52.4K and one in the viral complementary sense which encodes the viral nucleocapsid protein of Mr 28.8K. Both proteins are expressed by translation of two subgenomic RNA species that possibly terminate at a long stable hairpin structure, located at the intergenic region. The structure of this RNA segment resembles that of the arthropod-borne phleboviruses (family Bunyaviridae). The absence of significant sequence homology between TSWV and bunyaviruses infecting animals suggests that TSWV should be considered as a representative of a new genus within the Bunyaviridae.


Hemoglobin content of individual erythroblasts in hematopoietic dysplasia: marked heterogeneity at late stages of maturation.
Defective hemoglobin synthesis and gross morphologic abnormalities of erythroblasts are striking features of hematopoietic dysplasia. In order to define the effects of defective hemoglobin synthesis on hemoglobin content of erythroblasts at each stage of maturation, we measured the hemoglobin content and concentration of individual erythroblasts at various stages of maturation in the bone marrow by scanning microspectrophotometry. In contrast to normal erythroblasts, those from hematopoietic dysplasia had decreased hemoglobin content and decreased hemoglobin concentration at late stages of maturation. This observation, together with the observed near-normal hemoglobin content and concentration of circulating red cells in this disorder, suggests that polychromatophilic erythroblasts with decreased hemoglobin content fail to complete normal maturation. The abnormalities in hemoglobin content observed in vivo in hematopoietic dysplasia could be reproduced in the in vitro cultures of erythroid progenitors of bone marrow cells from the patients.


Applications of the Cambridge Structural Database in organic chemistry and crystal chemistry.
The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and its associated software systems have formed the basis for more than 800 research applications in structural chemistry, crystallography and the life sciences. Relevant references, dating from the mid-1970s, and brief synopses of these papers are collected in a database, DBUse, which is freely available via the CCDC website. This database has been used to review research applications of the CSD in organic chemistry, including supramolecular applications, and in organic crystal chemistry. The review concentrates on applications that have been published since 1990 and covers a wide range of topics, including structure correlation, conformational analysis, hydrogen bonding and other intermolecular interactions, studies of crystal packing, extended structural motifs, crystal engineering and polymorphism, and crystal structure prediction. Applications of CSD information in studies of crystal structure precision, the determination of crystal structures from powder diffraction data, together with applications in chemical informatics, are also discussed.


beta 2 Microglobulin in lichen planus.
The aim of the present study was to examine idiopathic lichen planus for possible changes in the serum concentration of the immunological marker beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2m), a component of HLA antigens. It was shown that serum levels of beta 2m were not different in lichen planus from those in controls. Although these findings do not support major systemic immunopathological changes in lichen planus, they do not exclude the involvement of local immune mechanisms.


Longitudinal changes in the inferior cerebellar peduncle and lower limb motor recovery following subcortical infarction.
The cerebellum receives afferent signals from spinocerebellar pathways regulating lower limb movements. However, the longitudinal changes in the spinocerebellar pathway in the early stage of unilateral supratentorial stroke and their potential clinical significance have received little attention. Diffusion tensor imaging and Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower limb were performed 1, 4, and 12 weeks after onset in 33 patients with acute subcortical infarction involving the supratentorial areas, and in 33 healthy subjects. We evaluated group differences in diffusion metrics in the bilateral inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) and analyzed the correlation between ICP diffusion metrics and changes to the Fugl-Meyer scores of the affected lower limb within 12 weeks after stroke. Significantly decreased fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity were found in the contralesional ICP at week 12 after stroke compared to controls (all P < 0.01) and those at week 1 (all P < 0.05). There were significant fractional anisotropy decreases in the ipsilesional ICP at week 4 (P = 0.008) and week 12 (P = 0.004) compared to controls. Both fractional anisotropy (rs = 0.416, P = 0.025) and mean diffusivity (rs = -0.507, P = 0.005) changes in the contralesional ICP correlated with changes in Fugl-Meyer scores of the affected lower limb in all patients. Bilateral ICP degeneration occurs in the early phase of supratentorial stroke, and diffusion metric values of the contralesional ICP are useful indicators of affected lower limb function after supratentorial stroke.


Different inhibitory effects of sevoflurane on hyperreactive airway smooth muscle contractility in ovalbumin-sensitized and chronic cigarette-smoking guinea pig models.
The authors hypothesized that sevoflurane had different inhibitory effects on hyperreactive airway smooth muscle contractility in different types of hyperreactive airway models. The effects of sevoflurane on hyperreactive airways in ovalbumin-sensitized and chronic cigarette-smoking guinea pig models were investigated by measuring (1) total lung resistance, (2) smooth muscle tension and intracellular concentration of free Ca, (3) voltage-dependent Ca channel activity, and (4) cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels. Ovalbumin and muscarinic airway hyperreactivity was seen in ovalbumin-sensitized animals. Enlarged alveolar ducts/alveoli and lesser muscarinic hyperreactivity were observed in chronic cigarette-smoke animals. Although sevoflurane inhibited the acetylcholine-induced increase in total lung resistance in the control and ovalbumin-sensitized models, the anesthetic had a smaller effect in the chronic cigarette-smoking model. Similarly, in the chronic cigarette-smoking model, sevoflurane had a smaller inhibitory effect on carbachol-induced muscle contraction and increase in intracellular concentration of free Ca. Sevoflurane also had a smaller inhibitory effect on voltage-dependent Ca channel activity in the chronic cigarette-smoking group than in the other two groups. The sevoflurane-induced increase in cyclic adenosine monophosphate that was seen in the control and ovalbumin-sensitized groups was significantly suppressed in the chronic cigarette-smoking group. Although sevoflurane potently inhibited airway contractility in control and ovalbumin-sensitized models, the anesthetic had a smaller effect in a chronic cigarette-smoking model. The different inhibitory effects of sevoflurane on airway contractility depend, at least in part, on different effects on voltage-dependent Ca channel activity and cyclic adenosine monophosphate level.


Seasonality, malaria, and impact of prophylaxis in a West African village I. Effect of anemia in pregnancy.
The importance of malaria as a cause of anemia in pregnancy in endemic areas remains controversial. The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women following the dry (May) and the rainy (November) seasons was compared in two successive years in Bougoula village (region of Sikasso, Mali). Phase I (1992) was observational and included 172 pregnant women and 208 controls. In Phase II (1993, 174 pregnant women and 206 controls), malaria prophylaxis with proguanil (200 mg/day) and chloroquine (300 mg/week) was offered to pregnant women. A strong seasonal variation in the prevalence of moderate to severe anemia in pregnant women (hematocrit < 30%) occurred in Phase I (dry season = 8.7%, rainy season = 41.2%). This variation was present only in women of parity lower than five, and paralleled variation in parasitemia. In Phase II, the seasonal variation of anemia was suppressed in women under malaria prophylaxis (presence of antimalarial metabolites in urine), and the overall prevalence of moderate to severe anemia in pregnancy decreased by 55.5% (22.8-74.3%). We conclude that malaria is the major cause of anemia in pregnancy in this region. A high priority should be given to prevention of malaria in pregnancy.


[Aggressive medical therapy for stable coronary disease: with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (COURAGE trial)].
The number of percutaneous coronary interventions is increasing, especially for the management of chronic stable angina. However, for these patients there is no evidence of a benefit compared to medical treatment, at least as regards the reduction of cardiovascular events. COURAGE is the reference study that situates the modern interventional cardiology and drug therapy for the management of stable angina. The results are clear: angioplasty with stent does not improve the prognosis of patients with stable angina and optimized medical treatment remains the best therapy to reduce cardiovascular events. However, high-risk patients were excluded from this trial.


Tolfenamic acid rapid release versus sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine: comparable effect in a double-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study.
The efficacy and safety of tolfenamic acid and oral sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine was studied at five neurological centers in Finland. One hundred forty-one patients experiencing 289 migraine attacks, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for migraine with or without aura as defined by the International Headache Society, were randomized. For first attacks, 77% of patients receiving tolfenamic acid experienced a reduction of the initial severe or moderate headache to mild or no headache after 2 hours, as compared to 79% in the sumatriptan group and 29% in the placebo group. No significant difference was found between active treatments (P = 0.85, 95% CI [-22%, 18%]), however, both active treatments were significantly better than placebo; P = 0.001, 95% CI (26%, 69%) for tolfenamic acid and P = 0.001, 95% CI (28%, 71%) for sumatriptan. For second attacks, results were similar with 70% of patients receiving tolfenamic acid experiencing relief, as compared to 64% in the sumatriptan group and 39% in the placebo group. No significant differences were observed in accompanying symptoms. Both drugs were well tolerated with the frequency of adverse events; 30% for tolfenamic acid and 41% for sumatriptan, a nonsignificant difference. In this study, tolfenamic acid and oral sumatriptan are comparably effective in the acute treatment of migraine. When comparably effective, factors like individual effect, tolerance, and cost of treatment should be considered when prescribing migraine medication.


Don't get bugged: practical strategies for managing bedbug infestation in psychiatric rehabilitation programs.
Bedbug infestation has become a major problem in the United States. Infestations can be frightening and expensive and appear to be more prevalent in urban settings and low-income housing such as homeless shelters, public housing, and single-room occupancy apartments. This exposes consumers and staff of psychiatric rehabilitation agencies to higher risk of infestation. This brief report outlines practical suggestions for managing bedbug infestation in such agencies. Drawing on resources readily available on the Internet and the experience of Thresholds, a large provider of psychiatric rehabilitation services based in Chicago, this report describes strategies for responding to infestation. Providers need to assume that bedbug infestation is a significant risk and prepare accordingly. Assertive, persistent, and calm response is recommended.


Positive Effects of Mindfulness-Based Training on Energy Maintenance and the EEG Correlates of Sustained Attention in a Cohort of Nurses.
Mindfulness based training (MBT) is becoming increasingly popular as a means to improve general wellbeing through developing enhanced control over metacognitive processes. In this preliminary study, we tested a cohort of 36 nurses (mean age = 30.3, SD = 8.52; 2 male) who participated in an 8-week MBT intervention to examine the improvements in sustained attention and its energetic costs that may result from MBT. Changes in sustained attention were measured using the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and electroencephalography (EEG) was collected both during PVT performance, and during a brief period of meditation. As there was substantial variability in training attendance, this variable was used a covariate in all analyses. Following the MBT program, we observed changes in alpha power across all scalp regions during meditation that were correlated with attendance. Similarly, PVT performance worsened over the 8-week period, but that this decline was mitigated by good attendance on the MBT program. The subjective energy depletion due to PVT performance (measured using self-report on Likert-type scales) was also less in regular attendees. Finally, changes in known EEG markers of attention during PVT performance (P300 and alpha-band event-related desynchronization) paralleled these behavioral shifts. Taken together, our data suggest that sustained attention and its associated costs may be negatively affected over time in the nursing profession, but that regular attendance of MBT may help to attenuate these effects. However, as this study contained no control condition, we cannot rule out that other factors (e.g., motivation, placebo effects) may also account for our findings.


Relation of infants' and mothers' pointing to infants' vocabulary measured directly and with parental reports.
Infants' and parents' pointing gestures predict infants' concurrent and prospective language development. Most studies have measured vocabulary size using parental reports. However, parents tend to underestimate or overestimate infants' vocabulary necessitating the use of direct measures alongside parent reports. The present study examined whether mothers' index-finger pointing, and infants' whole-hand and index-finger pointing at 14 months associate with infants' receptive and expressive vocabulary based on parental reports and directly measured lexical processing efficiency (LPE) concurrently at 14 months and prospectively at 18 months. We used the decorated room paradigm to measure pointing frequency, the Turkish communicative development inventory I to measure infants' receptive vocabulary, Turkish communicative development inventory II to measure their expressive vocabulary, and the Looking-While-Listening (LWL) task to measure LPE. At 14 months, 34 mother-infant dyads, and at 18 months, 30 dyads were included in the analyses. We found that only infants' index-finger pointing frequency at 14 months predicted their LPE (both reaction time and accuracy) prospectively at 18 months but not concurrently at 14 months. Neither maternal pointing nor infants' pointing predicted their receptive and expressive vocabulary based on indirect measurement. The results extend the evidence on the relation between index-finger pointing and language development to a more direct measure of vocabulary.


Radiation-induced genomic instability: a role for secreted soluble factors in communicating the radiation response to non-irradiated cells.
Radiation induced genomic instability can be described as the increased rate of genomic alterations occurring in the progeny of an irradiated cell. Its manifestations are the dynamic ongoing production of chromosomal rearrangements, mutations, gene amplifications, transformation, microsatellite instability, and/or cell killing. In this prospectus, we present the hypothesis that cellular exposure to ionizing radiation can result in the secretion of soluble factors by irradiated cells and/or their progeny, and that these factors can elicit responses in other cells thereby initiating and perpetuating ongoing genomic instability.


Evolution of America's pioneer bacteriologist: George M. Sternberg's formative years.
George M. Sternberg, 1838-1915, M. D., USA, activated modern American bacteriology. He produced the first general bacteriology book in the English language in 1880. His first publications on chemical disinfection (1879) preceded Koch's Sternberg discovered the pneumococcus (1880) before Pasteur did and speculated about phagocytosis (1881) before Metchnikoff. As an experimentalist and author, Sternberg stood "at the head of the American school of working bacteriologists" by the early 1880s. Our essay on Sternberg's evolution as a scientist explains what motivated him and why his early achievements as a bacteriologist, praised by contemporaries, have been underestimated more recently.


Indirect selection of bacterial plasmids lacking identifiable phenotypic properties.
A procedure is described that uses an indicator plasmid (pSC201) to identify cells in a bacterial population that have been co-transformed with a second plasmid lacking detectable phenotypic properties. Under appropriate conditions of indirect selection, between 50 and 85% of transformants carrying the indicator plasmid also contain the nonselected plasmid. A temperature-sensitive mutation in the replication functions of the indicator plasmid enables its elimination from doubly transformed bacteria. Using this procedure, we have isolated bacteria that carry only the small cryptic plasmid. P15A, of the Escherichia coli strain 15. This genetic element, which contains only 2,300 nucleotide pairs, is thus capable of functioning as a replicon independently of the two larger plasmids normally associated with it in E. coli 15 strains (Ikeda, Inuzuka, and Tomizawa, 1970).


Enterotoxigenic bacteroides fragilis: a potential instigator of colitis.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is proposed to result from a dysregulated mucosal immune response to the colonic flora in genetically susceptible individuals. Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), a molecular subclass of the common human commensal, B. fragilis, has been associated with IBD. This study investigated whether ETBF colonization of mice initiated colitis or modified the clinical course of a colitis agonist, dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Four- and 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with buffer, nontoxigenic B. fragilis (NTBF) strain 9343(pFD340), or ETBF strain 86-5443-2-2 via orogastric tube. A subset of mice received 2% DSS several days pre- or post-inoculation of bacteria. Clinical status was assessed throughout the experiment and severity of colonic inflammation was scored after sacrifice. All mice, including those receiving DSS, were clinically well prior to bacterial inoculation. NTBF and ETBF colonization was similar. Regardless of mouse age or timing of DSS administration, mice who received ETBF+DSS experienced worse colitis reflected by less weight gain, enhanced gross disease, and greater inflammation in their colons (P < 0.05), especially in the cecum. In particular, younger mice had more extensive disease. Mice inoculated only with ETBF also exhibited colitis with more severe inflammation when compared to all other groups (P < 0.05) except the ETBF+DSS group. ETBF, a colonic commensal, alone stimulates colitis and significantly enhances colonic inflammation in DSS-treated mice. This study suggests that acquisition of ETBF colonization may be a potential factor in initiation and/or exacerbation of colitis.


Collagen crosslinks in chondromalacia of the patella.
The aim of the study was to determine collagen concentration and collagen crosslinks in cartilage samples from chondromalacia of the patella. To study the extracellular matrix alterations associated to chondromalacia, we determined the concentration of collagen (hydroxyproline) and its hydroxylysylpyridinoline and lysylpyridinoline crosslinks from chondromalacia foci of the patellae in 12 patients and 7 controls from apparently normal cadavers. The structure of the collagen network in 8 samples of grades II-IV chondromalacia was examined under polarized light microscopy. The full-thickness cartilage samples taken with a surgical knife from chondromalacia lesions did not show changes in collagen, hydroxylysylpyridinoline and lysylpyridinoline concentration as compared with the controls. Polarized light microscopy showed decreased birefringence in the superficial cartilage of chondromalacia lesions, indicating disorganization or disappearance of collagen fibers in this zone. It is concluded that the collagen network shows gradual disorganization with the severity of chondromalacia lesion of the patella without changes in the concentration or crosslinks of collagen.


Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion With Robotic-Assisted Percutaneous Screw Placement: A Case Report.
Recently, there has been an increase in robotic-assisted spine fusion for degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine. We present the case of a 60-year-old female with grade 1 spondylolisthesis at L4/5 and L5/S1 who underwent L4-S1 anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with percutaneous robotic-assisted pedicle screw fixation. We provide a detailed analysis of the procedure including the speed of robotic screw placement and pitfalls of this surgical approach.


Comparison of spectroscopic potentials and an a priori analytical function. The potential energy curve of the ground state of the sodium dimer, X1Sigmag(+) Na2.
The results of a "universal" potential energy function, one that incorporates electronegativity and Slater's effective nuclear charge into a Morse-type function, are compared to spectroscopically derived potential energy curves of the X1Sigmag(+) state of Na2. The function is a priori in that it does not require prior knowledge of the actual potential and has no adjustable parameters. Criteria used to evaluate the performance of the function are comparisons of predicted versus spectroscopic energies at Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) procedure turning points, predicted distances at measured energies versus RKR distances, and eigenvalues derived from the a priori potential versus spectroscopically deduced energy levels. The a priori function describes the Na2 potential with deviations approaching the magnitude of those found among some spectroscopic potentials from different sources. By examining the behavior of the "spectroscopic" parameter of the Morse function, irregularities are found in five of the seven spectroscopic potentials examined. A new procedure is demonstrated for correcting irregularities on the inner branch of spectroscopic potentials at high extents of dissociation and for extending reliably the potential in this region beyond the domain of the measurements.


The precipitation of clinical poliomyelitis by injections.
In records of 1,321 cases of poliomyelitis in the city of Los Angeles in 1948, notation was made as to whether or not the patient had been vaccinated against smallpox or had received an injection of one kind or another in the period preceding the onset of poliomyelitis. In children under 12 years of age, the incidence of poliomyelitis was slightly higher among those who had had recent vaccination or injection than among those who had not, and the incidence of paralysis was slightly greater also. However, the disparities were not considered statistically significant. They were not wide enough to warrant withholding immunization against other serious diseases on the strength of the possibility that in so doing a slight reduction in the incidence of crippling poliomyelitis might be effected.


Synthesis of penicillenol C1 and of a bis-azide analogue for photoaffinity labeling.
Two diasteroisomers of the Penicillium metabolite penicillenol C1 were synthesized for the first time by 3-acylation of an L-threonine-derived tetramic acid with enantiopure 2-methyloct-(6E)-enoic acids. The 5S,6R,9S isomer has NMR spectra and optical rotation identical with those of the natural compound. A bis-azide-tagged penicillenol analogue was also synthesized for photoaffinity labeling of target proteins. The photolysis of the bis-azide in the presence of methanol as a protein-mimicking nucleophile led to reaction only of the aryl azide, while leaving the benzyl azide available for pull-downs or the attachment of fluorescent tracers. As a proof of concept, the distribution of this bis-azide-tagged tetramic acid in living cells was visualized via a Staudinger ligation between the azide tag and a phosphane fluorophore.


Proprioceptive rehabilitation of upper limb dysfunction in movement disorders: a clinical perspective.
Movement disorders (MDs) are frequently associated with sensory abnormalities. In particular, proprioceptive deficits have been largely documented in both hypokinetic (Parkinson's disease) and hyperkinetic conditions (dystonia), suggesting a possible role in their pathophysiology. Proprioceptive feedback is a fundamental component of sensorimotor integration allowing effective planning and execution of voluntary movements. Rehabilitation has become an essential element in the management of patients with MDs, and there is a strong rationale to include proprioceptive training in rehabilitation protocols focused on mobility problems of the upper limbs. Proprioceptive training is aimed at improving the integration of proprioceptive signals using "task-intrinsic" or "augmented feedback." This perspective article reviews the available evidence on the effects of proprioceptive stimulation in improving upper limb mobility in patients with MDs and highlights the emerging innovative approaches targeted to maximizing the benefits of exercise by means of enhanced proprioception.


A Latent Profile Analysis Investigating Factors Impacting Latino Adolescents' Attendance in Treatment.
In this study, we examined data from 200 families to investigate whether family functioning and adolescent psychiatric symptomatology were associated with differential attendance in a family-based or individually focused intervention for Latino adolescents. Latent profile analysis was used to identify families, and regression models were used to examine whether profiles exhibited differential attendance. Overall, three latent profiles were observed. The first described families where parents and adolescents reported discrepancies on psychiatric symptoms and family conflict. The second profile described families with elevated adolescent psychiatric symptoms but no family conflict. The third profile described families with low family cohesion and high levels of adolescent psychiatric symptoms. For this third profile, attendance in family-based treatment was significantly higher than in individual treatment. Results indicate that a family-based intervention may be better able to address issues of poor family cohesion.


P070 Next Generation Wearable Technology for IBD Patients: A Feasibility Study.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) prevalence is rising. Quality of life (QOL) in chronic illness is affected by various physical and psychosocial factors. Recent studies in other chronic illnesses have used remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) to help predict changes in disease activity and provide opportunities for patient self-management. It has been proposed that bowel inflammation can lead to suboptimal sleep, circadian rhythm disruption and even additional immune system activation. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a validated metric that has been used to predict outcomes and help manage other disease states. To date, there is limited data on the benefit of RPM in IBD care. We wish to explore the potential benefit of the Whoop Strap (new wearable technology device) as a method of RPM for IBD patients. We recruited patients with Ulcerative Colitis from our tertiary care IBD center 18 years and older willing to wear the Whoop Strap 3.0 for 12 months with support from the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 2020 Department of Medicine House Staff Grant; Clinical Trial Identifier is NCT04333810. During this time, participants were encouraged to use the Whoop mobile application to record symptoms. Physiologic metrics of interest included sleep, resting heart rate (RHR), and HRV; each were correlated to IBD related symptoms. Additionally, we performed monthly "check-ins" to collect disease activity (SCCAI), mood (HADS) and stress (PSS4) questionnaire data. Descriptive statistics were utilized along with correlation coefficient testing to explore potential relationships between Whoop metrics, disease activity scores and patient reported outcomes. Enrollment is ongoing with 7 participants, one of which was lost to follow up. Of note, 2 patients proactively reached out to communicate concern for an underlying disease flare as they noticed significant change in their Whoop metrics in conjunction with worrying symptoms. Patient 1 subsequently had serologic testing after having increased HRV and elevated RHR several days prior to symptoms; results were consistent with active inflammation exhibiting a rise in C-reactive protein from 0.25 mg/dL in 2020 to 2.82 mg/dL. Fecal calprotectin was also elevated at 566 ug/g. Colonoscopy is scheduled for the near future. Patient 2 also had noticeable HRV and RHR changes alongside significant sleep disturbances, which has prompted additional testing. Remote physiologic monitoring is a feasible way to give patients ownership of their medical care and involve them in the diagnostic and treatment process of their underlying IBD. As exhibited with our preliminary results, the Whoop device appears easy to use and may empower patients to reach out to providers even before symptoms occur, leading to an expedited evaluation for increased disease activity. Our feasibility study will hopefully lead to larger prospective efforts utilizing wearable technology devices such as the Whoop in IBD patients.


Protein Analysis of Sapienic Acid-Treated Porphyromonas gingivalis Suggests Differential Regulation of Multiple Metabolic Pathways.
Lipids endogenous to skin and mucosal surfaces exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important colonizer of the oral cavity implicated in periodontitis. Our previous work demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of the fatty acid sapienic acid (C(16:1Δ6)) against P. gingivalis and found that sapienic acid treatment alters both protein and lipid composition from those in controls. In this study, we further examined whole-cell protein differences between sapienic acid-treated bacteria and untreated controls, and we utilized open-source functional association and annotation programs to explore potential mechanisms for the antimicrobial activity of sapienic acid. Our analyses indicated that sapienic acid treatment induces a unique stress response in P. gingivalis resulting in differential expression of proteins involved in a variety of metabolic pathways. This network of differentially regulated proteins was enriched in protein-protein interactions (P = 2.98 × 10(-8)), including six KEGG pathways (P value ranges, 2.30 × 10(-5) to 0.05) and four Gene Ontology (GO) molecular functions (P value ranges, 0.02 to 0.04), with multiple suggestive enriched relationships in KEGG pathways and GO molecular functions. Upregulated metabolic pathways suggest increases in energy production, lipid metabolism, iron acquisition and processing, and respiration. Combined with a suggested preferential metabolism of serine, which is necessary for fatty acid biosynthesis, these data support our previous findings that the site of sapienic acid antimicrobial activity is likely at the bacterial membrane. P. gingivalis is an important opportunistic pathogen implicated in periodontitis. Affecting nearly 50% of the population, periodontitis is treatable, but the resulting damage is irreversible and eventually progresses to tooth loss. There is a great need for natural products that can be used to treat and/or prevent the overgrowth of periodontal pathogens and increase oral health. Sapienic acid is endogenous to the oral cavity and is a potent antimicrobial agent, suggesting a potential therapeutic or prophylactic use for this fatty acid. This study examines the effects of sapienic acid treatment on P. gingivalis and highlights the membrane as the likely site of antimicrobial activity.


Astragaloside IV Downregulates β-Catenin in Rat Keratinocytes to Counter LiCl-Induced Inhibition of Proliferation and Migration.
Re-epithelialization is a crucial step towards wound healing. The traditional Chinese medicine, Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge, has been used for hundreds of years for many kinds of ulcerated wounds. Recent research has identified the active compound in this drug as astragaloside IV (AS-IV), but the underlying molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic action on keratinocytes remain poorly understood. In this study, we used an in vitro model of ulcer-like wound processes, lithium chloride (LiCl)-induced cultured mouse keratinocytes, to investigate the effects of AS-IV treatment. The effects on cell proliferation were evaluated by the MTS/PMS colorimetric assay, effects on cell migration were determined by a wound-healing scratch experiment, effects on the cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry, and effects on protein expression were analyzed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. LiCl strongly inhibited cell proliferation and migration, up-regulated β-catenin expression, and down-regulated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression. AS-IV treatment attenuat the inhibition of proliferation and migration, significantly reducing the enhanced β-catenin expression, and recovering PCNA and β-tubulin expression. Thus, AS-IV mediates mouse keratinocyte proliferation and migration via regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Down-regulating β-catenin to increase keratinocyte migration and proliferation is one mechanism by which AS-IV can promote ulcerated wound healing.


Neural basis of impaired safety signaling in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The ability to assign safety to stimuli in the environment is integral to everyday functioning. A key brain region for this evaluation is the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). To investigate the importance of vmPFC safety signaling, we used neuroimaging of Pavlovian fear reversal, a paradigm that involves flexible updating when the contingencies for a threatening (CS+) and safe (CS-) stimulus reverse, in a prototypical disorder of inflexible behavior influenced by anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Skin conductance responses in OCD patients (n = 43) failed to differentiate during reversal compared with healthy controls (n = 35), although significant differentiation did occur during early conditioning and amygdala BOLD signaling was unaffected in these patients. Increased vmPFC activation (for CS+ > CS-) during early conditioning predicted the degree of generalization in OCD patients during reversal, whereas vmPFC safety signals were absent throughout learning in these patients. Regions of the salience network (dorsal anterior cingulate, insula, and thalamus) showed early learning task-related hyperconnectivity with the vmPFC in OCD, consistent with biased processing of the CS+. Our findings reveal an absence of vmPFC safety signaling in OCD, undermining flexible threat updating and explicit contingency knowledge. Although differential threat learning can occur to some extent in the absence of vmPFC safety signals, effective CS- signaling becomes crucial during conflicting threat and safety cues. These results promote further investigation of vmPFC safety signaling in other anxiety disorders, with potential implications for the development of exposure-based therapies, in which safety signaling is likely to play a key role.


Energy landscapes for proteins described by the UNRES coarse-grained potential.
The self-assembly of proteins is encoded in the underlying potential energy surface (PES), from which we can predict structure, dynamics, and thermodynamic properties. However, the corresponding analysis becomes increasingly challenging with larger protein sizes, due to the computational time required, which grows significantly with the number of atoms. Coarse-grained models offer an attractive approach to reduce the computational cost. In this Feature Article, we describe our implementation of the UNited RESidue (UNRES) coarse-grained potential in the Cambridge energy landscapes software. We have applied this framework to explore the energy landscapes of four proteins that exhibit native states involving different secondary structures. Here we have tested the ability of the UNRES potential to represent the global energy landscape of proteins containing up to 100 amino acid residues. The resulting potential energy landscapes exhibit good agreement with experiment, with low-lying minima close to the PDB geometries and to results obtained using the all-atom AMBER force field. The new program interfaces will allow us to investigate larger biomolecules in future work, using the UNRES potential in combination with all the methodology available in the computational energy landscapes framework.


Changes in protein expression in Burkholderia vietnamiensis PR1 301 at pH 5 and 7 with and without nickel.
Burkholderia vietnamiensis PR1(301) (PR1) exhibits pH-dependent nickel (Ni) tolerance, with lower Ni toxicity observed at pH 5 than at pH 7. The Ni tolerance mechanism in PR1 is currently unknown, and traditional mechanisms of Ni resistance do not appear to be present. Therefore, 2D gel electrophoresis was used to examine changes in protein expression in PR1 with and without Ni (3.4 mM) at pH 5 and 7. Proteins with both a statistically significant and at least a twofold difference in expression level between conditions (pH, Ni) were selected and identified using MALDI-TOF-MS or LC-MS. Results showed increased expression of proteins involved in cell shape and membrane composition at pH 5 compared with pH 7. Scanning electron microscopy indicated elongated cells at pH 5 and 6 compared with pH 7 in the absence of Ni. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the percentages of long- and short-chain fatty acids at pH 5 and 7. These findings suggest that changes in membrane structure and function may be involved in the ability of PR1 to grow at higher concentrations of Ni at pH 5 than at pH 7.


Cultural models of diarrheal illness: conceptual framework and review.
Health planning for diarrheal diseases must be responsive to both epidemiological patterns and local perceptions of health, illness and need. A conceptual framework that relates patterns of distress, explanatory models, help seeking and treatment practices to knowledge and use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT), dietary management, other specific treatments and health policy issues provides the basis for our review of research on diarrheal illness-related beliefs and practices. The ethnomedical model asserts that efforts to secure the compliance of target populations are likely to be inadequate without an alliance between health professionals and communities to identify and address mutually comprehensible objectives that are perceived locally as meaningful and relevant. An appreciation of local cultural models and the diversity of cultural contexts enables health professionals to (1) recognize the significance of local perceptions of diarrheal illness with respect to pertinent outcomes and perceived needs, (2) develop ways to introduce recommendations that communities will accept, and (3) make appropriate use of existing community resources representing local traditions. An agenda for needed research concludes the review.


Explaining rural/non-rural disparities in physical health-related quality of life: a study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina.
Researchers have documented lower health-related quality of life (HRQL) in rural areas. This study seeks to identify factors that can explain this disparity. United Methodist clergy in North Carolina (N = 1,513) completed the SF-12 measure of HRQL and items on chronic disease diagnoses, health behaviors, and health care access from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Differences in HRQL between rural (N = 571) and non-rural clergy (N = 942) were examined using multiple regression analyses. Physical HRQL was significantly lower for rural clergy (-2.0; 95% CI: -2.9 to -1.1; P < 0.001). Income, body mass index, and joint disease partially accounted for the rural/non-rural difference, though a sizable disparity remained after controlling for these mediators (-1.02; 95% CI: -1.89 to -.15; P = 0.022). Mental HRQL did not differ significantly between rural and non-rural respondents (1.0, 95% CI: -0.1 to 2.1; P = 0.067). Rural/non-rural disparities in physical HRQL are partially explained by differences in income, obesity, and joint disease in rural areas. More research into the causes and prevention of these factors is needed. Researchers also should seek to identify variables that can explain the difference that remains after accounting for these variables.


Propranolol, a β-adrenergic antagonist, attenuates the decrease in trabecular bone mass in high calorie diet fed growing mice.
We investigated the effects of high calorie and low calorie diets on skeletal integrity, and whether β-adrenergic blockade (BB) attenuates bone loss induced by dietary calorie alteration. Male 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were assigned to either an ad-lib fed control diet (CON), a high calorie diet (HIGH), or a low calorie diet (LOW) group. In each diet group, mice were treated with either vehicle (VEH) or propranolol, a β-adrenergic antagonist. Over 12-weeks, β-blockade mitigated body weight and fat mass increases induced by the high calorie diet. Femoral trabecular bone mineral density and the expression levels of osteogenic marker genes in bone marrow cells were reduced in HIGHVEH and LOWVEH mice, and BB significantly attenuated this decline only in HIGH mice. In summary, the magnitude of bone loss induced by low calorie diet was greater than that caused by high calorie diet in growing mice, and β-blockade mitigated high calorie diet-induced bone loss.


[Abdominal multi-organ transplantation in dogs].
Abdominal multi-organ transplantation including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands and gastrointestinal tract was attempted in 8 dogs. Each experiment was discontinued when the recipient deteriorated. Immersion hypothermia was introduced in both the donor and recipient until the esophageal temperature reached 27-30 degrees C. Whole abdominal organs of the donor were removed in an en-bloc fashion at 20 degrees C of the graft temperature after additional cooling by ice slush scattering into the abdominal cavity. Transplantation was carried out orthotopically in the following sequence: (1) the proximal aorta, (2) suprahepatic vena cava, (3) distal aorta, (4) infrahepatic vena cava. The alimentary tract was reconstructed by gastro-gastrostomy and colo-colostomy. The ureters were implanted in the bladder. Cold ischemic time of the graft was about 40 minutes. Heparin was not used throughout the procedure. Five out of eight dogs were alive for more than 24 hours and two of them survived for 60 hours with good recovery. No immunosuppressant was given. Though the result in the present study was far from satisfaction, the experiment may provide a possibility of a new experimental model for transplantation, especially regarding pathophysiology and interrelationship of the transplanted complex organs.


Group-specific multiplex PCR detection systems for the identification of flying insect prey.
The applicability of species-specific primers to study feeding interactions is restricted to those ecosystems where the targeted prey species occur. Therefore, group-specific primer pairs, targeting higher taxonomic levels, are often desired to investigate interactions in a range of habitats that do not share the same species but the same groups of prey. Such primers are also valuable to study the diet of generalist predators when next generation sequencing approaches cannot be applied beneficially. Moreover, due to the large range of prey consumed by generalists, it is impossible to investigate the breadth of their diet with species-specific primers, even if multiplexing them. However, only few group-specific primers are available to date and important groups of prey such as flying insects have rarely been targeted. Our aim was to fill this gap and develop group-specific primers suitable to detect and identify the DNA of common taxa of flying insects. The primers were combined in two multiplex PCR systems, which allow a time- and cost-effective screening of samples for DNA of the dipteran subsection Calyptratae (including Anthomyiidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae), other common dipteran families (Phoridae, Syrphidae, Bibionidae, Chironomidae, Sciaridae, Tipulidae), three orders of flying insects (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Plecoptera) and coniferous aphids within the genus Cinara. The two PCR assays were highly specific and sensitive and their suitability to detect prey was confirmed by testing field-collected dietary samples from arthropods and vertebrates. The PCR assays presented here allow targeting prey at higher taxonomic levels such as family or order and therefore improve our ability to assess (trophic) interactions with flying insects in terrestrial and aquatic habitats.


Machine Learning Predictive Outcomes Modeling in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
There is a rising interest in use of big data approaches to personalize treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and to predict and prevent outcomes such as disease flares and therapeutic nonresponse. Machine learning (ML) provides an avenue to identify and quantify features across vast quantities of data to produce novel insights in disease management. In this review, we cover current approaches in ML-driven predictive outcomes modeling for IBD and relate how advances in other fields of medicine may be applied to improve future IBD predictive models. Numerous studies have incorporated clinical, laboratory, or omics data to predict significant outcomes in IBD, including hospitalizations, outpatient corticosteroid use, biologic response, and refractory disease after colectomy, among others, with considerable health care dollars saved as a result. Encouraging results in other fields of medicine support efforts to use ML image analysis-including analysis of histopathology, endoscopy, and radiology-to further advance outcome predictions in IBD. Though obstacles to clinical implementation include technical barriers, bias within data sets, and incongruence between limited data sets preventing model validation in larger cohorts, ML-predictive analytics have the potential to transform the clinical management of IBD. Future directions include the development of models that synthesize all aforementioned approaches to produce more robust predictive metrics.


Elastic tissue in early intraoral wounds.
Histochemical analysis of elastic tissue in early intraoral healing of wounds demonstrated that these fibers were concentrated in the perivascular areas of granulation tissue and within newly formed connective tissues at the base of the wound. These results were consistent with previous reports indicating that the cellular origin of this tissue is smooth muscle cells or fibroblasts.


Fluorescent Noncovalent Organic Framework for Supporting Gold Nanoparticles as Heterogeneous Catalyst with Merits of Easy Detection and Recycle.
A porous noncovalent organic framework with AIE effect is designed and synthesized as the support for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The framework is fabricated through the electrostatic complexation between carboxymethyl cellulose and tetraphenylethene-containing ammonium surfactant, which can complex AuNPs via the noncovalent interactions to offer a heterogeneous catalyst. Compared to the covalent modification on cellulose, this noncovalent framework gains superiorities in the catalyst synthesis and the size control of AuNPs. The AIE property and water-insolubility allow such heterogeneous catalysts to be easily detected, separated, and recycled, opening a new pathway for the reduction of nitrobenzene compounds and some dye compounds in aqueous conditions, which present the features of green chemistry. The use of cellulose for developing new heterogeneous metal catalysts, especially in a noncovalent way, would promote the value-added utilization of cellulose. This work provides a design strategy for gaining heterogeneous metal catalysts by taking advantage of natural bioresources.


Intellectual Disabilities and Neglectful Parenting: Preliminary Findings on the Role of Cognition in Parenting Risk.
Parents with intellectual disabilities (PID) are over-represented in the child protective services (CPS) system. This study examined a more nuanced view of the role of cognition in parenting risk. Its goal was to validate a social information processing (SIP) model of child neglect that draws on social cognition research and advances in neuroscience. Mothers who had CPS child neglect cases were compared with mothers with no CPS involvement on a set of SIP factors. Mothers with low IQs were oversampled. As predicted, the Neglect group had significantly greater SIP problems than the Comparison mothers. SIP problems were associated with direct measures of neglect (e.g., cognitive stimulation provided children, home hygiene, belief regarding causes of child injuries). Further, for the direct measures that were most closely linked to CPS Neglect Status, IQ did not add significant predictive capacity beyond SIP factors in preliminary model testing. Implications for intervention with PID discussed.


Enhanced Catalytic Performance for Hydrogenation of Substituted Nitroaromatics over Ir-Based Bimetallic Nanocatalysts.
IrM (M = Fe, Co, and Ni) alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in a solution by employing butyllithium as a reduction agent and oleylamine as a stabilizing agent, and the alumina-supported IrM bimetallic nanoparticles were tested for selective hydrogenation of various substituted nitroaromatics. The relevant characterizations including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra, transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance fourier transform infrared with CO probes confirm that IrM NPs are uniform alloys. The obtained IrM/Al2O3 catalysts show significantly enhanced catalytic activity as well as selectivity relative to individual monometallic Ir catalysts, indicating a unique catalytic property of bimetallic alloy nanostructures. Among these bimetallic catalysts, IrNi/Al2O3 illustrate the highest activity and selectivity for hydrogenation of various substituted nitroaromatics. Calculations by density functional theory suggest that bimetallic structures of IrNi facilitate the reactant adsorption and product desorption, resulting in enhanced catalytic performance.


Preparation of a specifically tritiated locust adipokinetic hormone analog with full biological potency.
A synthetic peptide related to locus adipokinetic hormone ( AKH ) and shrimp red pigment concentrating hormone ( RPCH ) containing a tyrosine residue in place of phenylalanine was iodinated and the 3,5- diiodotyrosyl derivative was isolated by reverse phase HPLC. Catalytic dehalogenation of the diiodo derivative in the presence of tritium yielded the tritiated AKH analog which was isolated by gel filtration on Sephadex LH-20 and reverse phase HPLC. The tritiated peptide was formed to be identical to AKH in its ability to stimulate lipid release into the hemolymph of locusts in vivo where the diiodotryrosyl derivative was inactive. The specific radioactivity of the tritiated peptide was 57.2 Ci/mmol, or 99% of the theoretical value.


Characteristics of Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Intractable Unilateral Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients with Impaired Executive Control Function.
Executive control function (ECF) deficit is a common complication of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Characteristics of brain network connectivity in TLE with ECF dysfunction are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (FC) changes in patients with unilateral intractable TLE with impaired ECF. Forty right-handed patients with left TLE confirmed by comprehensive preoperative evaluation and postoperative pathological findings were enrolled. The patients were divided into normal ECF (G1) and decreased ECF (G2) groups according to whether they showed ECF impairment on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Twenty-three healthy volunteers were recruited as the healthy control (HC) group. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Group-information-guided independent component analysis (GIG-ICA) was performed to estimate resting-state networks (RSNs) for all subjects. General linear model (GLM) was employed to analyze intra-network FC (p < 0.05, false discovery rate, FDR correction) and inter-network FC (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction) of RSN among three groups. Pearson correlations between FC and neuropsychological tests were also determined through partial correlation analysis (p < 0.05). Eleven meaningful RSNs were identified from 40 left TLE and 23 HC subjects. Comparison of intra-network FC of all 11 meaningful RSNs did not reveal significant difference among the three groups (p > 0.05, FDR correction). For inter-network analysis, G2 exhibited decreased FC between the executive control network (ECN) and default-mode network (DMN) when compared with G1 (p = 0.000, Bonferroni correction) and HC (p = 0.000, Bonferroni correction). G1 showed no significant difference of FC between ECN and DMN when compared with HC. Furthermore, FC between ECN and DMN had significant negative correlation with perseverative responses (RP), response errors (RE) and perseverative errors (RPE) and had significant positive correlation categories completed (CC) in both G1 and G2 (p < 0.05). No significant difference of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was found between G1 and G2, while intelligence quotient (IQ) testing showed significant difference between G1and G2.There was no correlation between FC and either MoCA or IQ performance. Our findings suggest that ECF impairment in unilateral TLE is not confined to the diseased temporal lobe. Decreased FC between DMN and ECN may be an important characteristic of RSN in intractable unilateral TLE.


Sugar-salt and sugar-salt-water complexes: structure and dynamics of glucose-KNO3-(H2O)n.
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out for the complex of glucose with KNO(3) and for complexes of the type glucose-KNO(3)-(H(2)O)(n), for n < or = 11. Structure and dynamic properties of the systems are explored. The MD simulations are carried out using primarily the DL_POLY/OPLS force field, and global and local minimum energy structures of some of the systems are compared with ab initio calculations. The main findings include: (1) complexation with KNO(3) leads to an "inverse anomeric effect", with the beta-glucose complex more stable than the alpha-glucose by approximately 1.74 kcal mol(-1); (2) as temperature is increased to 600 K, the KNO(3) remains undissociated in the 1 : 1 complex, with the K(+) hooked to the equilibrium site, and the NO(3)(-) bound to it, undergoing large-amplitude bending/torsional motions; (3) for n > or = 3 water molecules added to the system, charge separation into K(+) and NO(3)(-) ions takes place; (4) for the sugar-water system with n = 11 water molecules all hydroxyl groups are hydrated with the glucose adopting a surface position, indicative of a surfactant property of the sugar; and (5) comparison of DL_POLY with MP2/TZP structure predictions indicates that the empirical force field predicts global and local minimum structures reasonably well, but errs in giving the energy rankings of the different minima. The implications of the results on the effects of salts on saccharides are discussed.


Effect of aging temperature on formation of sol-gel derived fluor-hydroxyapatite nanoparticles.
Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) has been recognized as one of the most important bone substitute materials in orthopaedics and dentistry over past few decades because of its chemical and biological similarity to the mineral phase of human bone. One solution for reduction the solubility of HA in biological environments is replacing F- by OH in HA structure and forming fluor-hydroxyapatite (FHA) solid solution. In this paper, FHA nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method. Also, the influence of aging temperature on formation of FHA powder was studied. Equimolar solutions of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, triethyl phosphite and ammonium fluoride in ethanol were used as Ca, P and F precursors. After aging at different temperatures, the synthesized powders were heat treated at 550 degrees C. The powders were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED), energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) and zetasizer measurement. The results of XRD proved the presence of fluorapatite (FA) and HA in all samples. In addition, the formation of FHA was confirmed by FT-IR results. XRD studies also showed that the crystallites were in nanometric scale. At the same time, this result was in good agreement with the result of zetasizer analysis.