Proteins Produced during Salt Stress in Tobacco Cell Culture.
The protein pattern of cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. var Wisconsin 38) cells that have become adapted to a medium containing 10 grams NaCl per liter was compared to that of unadapted cells on one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. Two protein bands (32,000 and 20,000 daltons) were much more abundant in the salt-adapted cells, and one protein (26,000 daltons) was unique to the salt cells. This protein pattern did not change during the growth cycle of the cells. When salt-adapted cells are transferred to control medium, their ability to grow in the salt-containing medium returns to that of control cells after one passage in the control medium (Hasegawa, Bressan, Handa 1980 Plant Cell Physiol 21: 1347). Within this time the levels of the 32,000 and 20,000 dalton proteins also return to that of the control cells, but the 26,000 dalton protein does not disappear until after at least two passages in control medium. Amino acid analyses of these three proteins revealed that they all contain some hydroxyproline.


The orienting of spatial attention to backward masked fearful faces is associated with variation in the serotonin transporter gene.
Threat signals facilitate spatial attention, even when awareness of these signals has been restricted through the use of backward masking. However, unrestricted/unmasked threat cues tend to delay the disengagement of attention, whereas restricted/masked threat facilitates orienting, suggesting different underlying mechanisms. Within the general population, the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5HTTLPR) is associated with one's allocation of attention to unmasked threat signals. However, it is unclear to what extent the 5HTTLPR gene may be involved in nonconscious biases to masked threat, and whether or not such biases are driven by facilitated orienting or delayed disengagement. Participants were genotyped and performed a dot-probe task with backward masked fearful and neutral faces. Results indicate that short-allele carriers of the 5HTTLPR gene nonconsciously orient spatial attention to masked fearful faces. On the other hand, homozygous long-allele individuals tended to direct attention away from masked fearful faces. All participants' performance was at chance in a posttask assessment of awareness for the masked faces. The results add to current literature on the 5HTTLPR and attention biases, and suggest that threat signals facilitate the orienting of attention in short-allele carriers of the 5HTTLPR gene even under restricted processing conditions.


Identification of 14 Differentially-Expressed Metabolism-Related Genes as Potential Targets of Gastric Cancer by Integrated Proteomics and Transcriptomics.
Although research on the metabolism related to gastric cancer (GC) is gradually gaining increasing interest, there are few studies regarding metabolism-related genes in GC. Understanding the characteristic changes of metabolism-related genes at the transcriptional and protein levels in GC will help us to identify new biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets. We harvested six pairs of samples from GC patients and evaluated the differentially expressed proteins using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. RNA sequencing was conducted simultaneously to detect the corresponding expression of mRNAs, and bioinformatics analysis was used to reveal the correlation of significant differentially expressed genes. A total of 57 genes were observed to be dysregulated both in proteomics and transcriptomics. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes were significantly associated with regulating metabolic activity. Further, 14 metabolic genes were identified as potential targets for GC patients and were related to immune cell infiltration. Moreover, we found that dysregulation of branched-chain amino acid transaminase 2 (BCAT2), one of the 14 differentially expressed metabolism-related genes, was associated with the overall survival time in GC patients. We believe that this study provides comprehensive information to better understand the mechanism underlying the progression of GC metastasis and explores the potential therapeutic and prognostic metabolism-related targets for GC.


Pyrearinus termitilluminans larval click beetle luciferase: active site properties, structure and function relationships and comparison with other beetle luciferases.
Several beetle luciferases have been cloned and sequenced. However, most studies on structure and function relationships and bioanalytical applications were done with firefly luciferases, which are pH sensitive. Several years ago we cloned Pyrearinus termitilluminans larval click beetle luciferase, which displays the most blue-shifted bioluminescence among beetle luciferases and is pH insensitive. This enzyme was expressed in E. coli, purified, and its properties investigated. This luciferase shows slower luminescence kinetics, K(M) values comparable to other beetle luciferases and high catalytic constant. Fluorescence studies with 8-anilino-1-naphtalene-sulfonic acid (1,8-ANS) and modeling studies suggest that the luciferin binding site of this luciferase is very hydrophobic, supporting the solvent and orientation polarizability effects as determining mechanisms for bioluminescence colors. Although pH insensitive in the range between pH 6-8, at pH 10 this luciferase displays a remarkable red-shift and broadening of the bioluminescence spectrum. Modeling studies suggest that the residue C312 may play an important role in bioluminescence color modulation. Compared to other beetle luciferases, Pyrearinus termitilluminans luciferase also displays higher thermostability and sustained luminescence in a bacterial cell environment, which makes this luciferase particularly suitable for in vivo cell analysis and bioimaging.


Surgical treatment of infrainguinal arterial occlusive disease in women.
This study reviewed the outcome of 131 women who underwent infrainguinal bypass in 150 limbs from 1984 to 1991 for limb-threatening ischemia (95%) or disabling claudication (5%). These women were compared with 209 men who underwent infrainguinal arterial reconstruction of 231 lower extremities for limb threat (89%) or claudication (11%) during the same interval. On average, women were 3 years older than men (mean age 72 vs 69 years, p < 0.005) but were less frequently cigarette smokers (56% women, 68% men, p < 0.05). Fifty-two percent of women had diabetes and 67% had hypertension, similar to the male patients. Infrainguinal disease distribution necessitated bypass to the above-knee popliteal artery in 10%, to the below-knee popliteal artery in 25%, and to the tibial or pedal arteries in 65% of women, comparable to the disease distribution in men. Autogenous vein grafts were performed in 90% of both groups. Early postoperative (30-day) mortality was 4% for women and 2% for men (not significant). Life-table survival after 3 years, however, was only 54% in women, compared with 72% in men (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that diabetes increased the mortality rate 2.5-fold in women, which was not true in men. Three-year life-table survival of women with diabetes was only 39%, compared with 78% in women without diabetes (p < 0.001). Primary graft patency in women was 59% at 1 year and 54% at 3 years, significantly less than the 73% and 70% graft patency rates observed in men (p < 0.005). Secondary graft patency improved in women to 75% and 69% after 1 and 3 years, but this was still significantly less than the secondary patency rates of 89% and 86% observed in men (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that female sex decreased secondary graft patency 2.4-fold and was the only variable associated with graft failure. Cumulative 3-year limb salvage in women was 82%, not statistically different than the 89% limb salvage rate observed in men. Women and men requiring arterial reconstruction for infrainguinal occlusive disease had comparable operative mortality and limb salvage rates, but long-term survival and graft patency were significantly reduced in women. Our results indicate that sex substantially influences the outcome of patients after infrainguinal bypass.


The roles of language processing in a spoken language interface.
This paper provides an overview of the colloquium's discussion session on natural language understanding, which followed presentations by M. Bates [Bates, M. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 9977-9982] and R. C. Moore [Moore, R. C. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 9983-9988]. The paper reviews the dual role of language processing in providing understanding of the spoken input and an additional source of constraint in the recognition process. To date, language processing has successfully provided understanding but has provided only limited (and computationally expensive) constraint. As a result, most current systems use a loosely coupled, unidirectional interface, such as N-best or a word network, with natural language constraints as a postprocess, to filter or resort the recognizer output. However, the level of discourse context provides significant constraint on what people can talk about and how things can be referred to; when the system becomes an active participant, it can influence this order. But sources of discourse constraint have not been extensively explored, in part because these effects can only be seen by studying systems in the context of their use in interactive problem solving. This paper argues that we need to study interactive systems to understand what kinds of applications are appropriate for the current state of technology and how the technology can move from the laboratory toward real applications.


Retinal hemorrhages and apparent life-threatening events.
To determine the prevalence of retinal hemorrhages in apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs) with the purpose of facilitating the differential diagnosis of the cases of nonaccidental head trauma. Prospective study on children aged 15 days to 2 years admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of an ALTE over a period of 2 years (May 2004-May 2006). All the children underwent detailed ophthalmologic examination within 72 hours of admission. If retinal hemorrhages were detected, further investigation was undertaken to rule out systemic disorder or maltreatment. One hundred eight children with an ALTE were examined. No patient was found to have retinal hemorrhages nor was any found to have experienced child abuse. Therefore, using the Hanley rule of 3, we can be confident to an upper limit of 95% that the chance of retinal hemorrhages occurring as a result of an ALTE alone is at the most 0.028. Apparent life-threatening events alone are unlikely to cause retinal hemorrhages in children younger than 2 years. Therefore, if retinal hemorrhages are detected, investigation into the possibility of nonaccidental injury is essential.


Application of Indocyanine Green in Flap Surgery: A Systematic Review.
The vascularization of the distal portions of transferred tissue represents the most critical factor in the success of reconstructive surgery. In recent years, indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging techniques have been applied during surgery to evaluate flap perfusion. However, this investigation has found that there is little consensus regarding the standard dose of ICG as well as the pre-operative requirements of ICG allergy testing. The aim of this study is to summarize the applications of ICG to tissue transfers and safe dosing practices and to provide insight to the possible adverse effects of ICG on flap surgery with the goal of helping clinicians apply ICG safely and efficiently to tissue transfer procedures. A literature search was performed using, Wiley InterScience, and Springer with the key words, 'Flap,' 'indocyanine green,' 'surgery,' and related mesh words for all publications between 2005 and 2015. Title and abstract screening was performed using predefined in- and exclusion criteria. Seventy-three articles were included. These were classified as "application of ICG in flap surgery" and "the security of applying ICG in flap surgery". ICG fluorescence imaging preoperatively facilitates the detection of perforators in tissue flaps with thickness <20 mm, aids in the evaluation of flap microcirculation and perfusion, and allows surgeons to select dominant cutaneous nerves while evaluating the quality of vascular anastomoses and locating thromboses. The literature also concluded that potential allergic reactions to ICG should be taken into consideration.


Cloning of SEZ-12 encoding seizure-related and membrane-bound adhesion protein.
SEZ-12 is one of the seizure-related cDNAs which was isolated by differential hybridization from primary cultured neurons from the mouse cerebral cortex with or without pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). SEZ-12 expression is transiently down-regulated in the mouse brain by injection of PTZ. To characterize SEZ-12, isolation of full-length cDNA and nucleotide sequence analysis were performed. The deduced amino acid sequence of SEZ-12 revealed that it encodes membrane-bound C-type lectin and has a significant homology to that of human cDNA, DGCR2 and IDD, which were cloned from a balanced translocation breakpoint associated with the DiGeorge syndrome. The isolated cDNA was about 4 kb in length and the message was expressed ubiquitously in various organs with low-abundance. Previously, we also cloned a transmembrane protein which is probably involved in cell-cell interaction by the differential hybridization technique. These findings suggest that transmembrane signaling in neuronal cells may have an important role in PTZ-induced seizure.


Predictors of axillary node response in node-positive patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.
The ability to accurately predict which patients will achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy could help identify those who could safely be spared the potential morbidity of axillary lymph node dissection. We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort of clinically node-positive patients managed with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the goal of identifying predictors of axillary pCR. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had clinical T1-T4, N1-N3, M0 breast cancer and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical axillary lymph node staging between 2001 and 2017 at Misericordia Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta. Patient data, including tumour characteristics, details of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, imaging results before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and final pathologic analysis, were collected from the appropriate provincial electronic data repositories. We summarized the data using descriptive statistics. We characterized associations between clinical/tumour characteristics and pCR using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Of the 323 patients included in the study, 130 (40.2%) achieved axillary pCR. Absence of residual disease in the breast was associated with axillary pCR (odds ratio 6.74, 95% confidence interval 2.89-15.67). HER2-positive, triple-negative and ER-positive/PR-negative/HER2-negative tumours were significantly associated with a pCR on univariate analysis; the association trended toward significance on multivariate analysis. Our findings support the routine use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with an absence of residual disease in the breast, and potentially in those with HER2-positive or triple-negative subtypes, and highlight the ER-positive/PR-negative biomarker subtype as a potential predictor of nodal response.


Feasibility and construct validity of PROMIS and "legacy" instruments in an academic scleroderma clinic.
The National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) roadmap initiative is a cooperative group program of research designed to develop, evaluate, and standardize item banks to measure patient-reported outcomes relevant across medical conditions. The objective of the current study was to assess feasibility and evaluation of the construct validity of PROMIS item banks versus legacy measures in an observational study in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We hypothesized that the PROMIS item banks can be administered in a clinical setting if there is adequate staff support without disrupting the flow of clinic. Patients with SSc in a single academic center completed computerized adaptive test (CAT) administered PROMIS item banks during the clinic visit and legacy measures (using paper and pencil). The construct validity of PROMIS items was evaluated by examining correlations with corresponding legacy measures using multitrait-multimethod analysis. Participants consisted of 143 SSc patients with an average age of 51.5 years; 71% were female and 68% were white. The average number of items completed for each CAT-administered item bank ranged from 5 to 8 (69 CAT items per patient), and the average time to complete each CAT-administered item bank ranged from 48 seconds to 1.9 minutes per patient (average time = 11.9 minutes/per patient for 11 banks). All correlations between PROMIS domains and respective legacy measures were large and in the hypothesized direction (ranged from 0.61 to 0.82). Our study supports the construct validity of the CAT-administered PROMIS item banks and shows that they can be administered successfully in a clinic with support staff. Future studies should assess the feasibility of PROMIS item banks in a busy clinical practice.


In vivo distribution of CGS-19755 within brain in a model of focal cerebral ischemia.
The blood-brain barrier permeability of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist CGS-19755 [cis-4-(phosphonomethyl)-2-piperidine carboxylic acid] was assessed in normal and ischemic rat brain. The brain uptake index of CGS-19755 relative to iodoantipyrine was assessed using the Oldendorf technique in normal brain. The average brain uptake index in brain regions supplied by the middle cerebral artery was 0.15 +/- 0.35% (mean +/- SEM). The unidirectional clearance of CGS-19755 from plasma across the blood-brain barrier was determined from measurements of the volume of distribution of CGS-19755 in brain. These studies were performed in normal rats and in rats with focal cerebral ischemia produced by combined occlusion of the proximal middle cerebral artery and ipsilateral common carotid artery. In normal rats the regional plasma clearance across the blood-brain barrier was low, averaging 0.015 ml 100 g-1 min-1. In ischemic rats this clearance value averaged 0.019 ml 100 g-1 min-1 in the ischemic hemisphere and 0.009 ml 100 g-1 min-1 in the nonischemic hemisphere. No significant regional differences in plasma clearance of CGS-19755 were observed in either normal or ischemic rats except in cortex injured by electrocautery where a 14-fold increase in clearance across the blood-brain barrier was measured. We conclude that CGS-19755 crosses the blood-brain barrier very slowly, even in acutely ischemic tissue.


Unmasking the Critical Role of the Ordering Degree of Bimetallic Nanocatalysts on Oxygen Reduction Reaction by In Situ Raman Spectroscopy.
Precise control and accurate understanding of the ordering degree of bimetallic nanocatalysts (BNs) are challenging yet crucial to acquire advanced materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). AuCu BNs with various ordering degrees were synthesized to evaluate the influence of ordering degree on the ORR at a molecular level using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The activity of AuCu BNs was improved by over 2 times after a disorder-to-order transition, making the performance of highly ordered AuCu BNs exceed that of benchmark Pt/C. Direct Raman spectroscopic evidence of key intermediate (*OH) demonstrates that the active site is the combination site of Au and Cu. Moreover, two distinct *OH species are observed on the ordered and disordered structure, and the ordered site is more beneficial for ORR due to its lower affinity to *OH. This work deepens the understanding on the important role of ordering degree on BNs and enables the design of improved catalysts.


Quantum mechanical reaction probability of triplet ketene at the multireference second-order perturbation level of theory.
Triplet ketene exhibits a steplike structure in the experimentally observed dissociation rates, but its mechanism is still unknown despite many theoretical efforts in the past decades. In this paper we revisit this problem by quantum mechanically calculating the reaction probability with multireference-based electronic structure theory. Specifically, we first construct an analytical potential energy surface of triplet state by fitting it to about 6000 ab initio energies computed at the multireference second-order Mller-Plesset perturbation (MRMP2) level. We then evaluate the cumulative reaction probability by using the transition state wave packet method together with an adiabatically constrained Hamiltonian. The result shows that the imaginary barrier frequency on the triplet surface is 328i cm-1, which is close to the CCSD(T) result (321i cm-1) but is likely too large for reproducing the experimentally observed steps. Indeed, our calculated reaction probability exhibits no signature of steps, reflecting too strong tunneling effect along the reaction coordinate. Nevertheless, it is emphasized that the flatness of the potential profile in the transition-state region (which governs the degree of tunneling) depends strongly on the level of electronic structure calculation, thus leaving some possibility that the use of more accurate theories might lead to the observed steps. We also demonstrate that the triplet potential surface differs significantly between the CASSCF and MRMP2 results, particularly in the transition-state region. This fact seems to require more attention when studying the "nonadiabatic" scenario for the steps, in which the crossing seam between S0 and T1 surfaces is assumed to play a central role.


Shredded beet pulp substituted for corn silage in diets fed to dairy cows under ambient heat stress: Feed intake, total-tract digestibility, plasma metabolites, and milk production.
The effects of substituting increasing concentrations of dried, shredded beet pulp for corn silage on dry matter intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and milk production of lactating dairy cows was evaluated under conditions of ambient heat stress. Four multiparous (126±13d in milk) and 4 primiparous (121±11d in milk) Holstein cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square design experiment with 4 periods of 21d. Each period had 14d of adaptation and 7d of sampling, and parity was the square. Dietary treatments were (dry matter basis): 16% of dietary dry matter as corn silage without BP (0BP, control diet); 8% corn silage and 8% beet pulp (8BP); 4% corn silage and 12% beet pulp (12BP); and 0% corn silage and 16% beet pulp (16BP). Alfalfa hay was included in all diets (24% dietary dry matter). Dietary concentrations of forage neutral detergent fiber and nonfiber carbohydrates were 21.3 and 39.2% (0BP), 16.5 and 40.9% (8BP), 14.1 and 42.2% (12BP), and 11.7 and 43.4% (16BP), respectively (dry matter basis). The ambient temperature-humidity index indicated that the cows were in heat stress for almost the entire duration of the study. Dry matter intake and nutrient digestibilities were similar across treatments and between multi- and primiparous cows. Mean rumen pH tended to decrease with increasing proportions of beet pulp in the diet. Also, increasing proportions of beet pulp in the diet linearly decreased acetate and butyrate concentrations in the rumen and increased propionate concentrations, leading to a linear decrease in acetate:propionate ratio. Milk yield linearly increased (38.5, 39.3, 40.9, and 39.6kg/d for 0BP, 8BP, 12BP, and 16BP, respectively), but fat content linearly decreased (3.46, 3.47, 3.27, and 2.99), such that we observed no effect on fat-corrected milk. Substituting beet pulp for corn silage increased the neutral detergent insoluble crude protein content of the diet, leading to a decrease in rumen concentration of ammonia-nitrogen and milk concentration of urea, corresponding to an increase in percentage of protein in milk. Compared with multiparous cows, primiparous cows had greater rumen pH, metabolite concentrations in plasma (glucose, cholesterol, urea nitrogen, total protein, and globulins), milk production, and concentrations of milk components. Substituting beet pulp for corn silage at up to 12% of dietary dry matter can be beneficial during heat stress conditions.


In vitro iodination of plant ribonucleic acids.
The optimum conditions for in vitro iodination of RNAs have been established which yield specific radioactivities ranging from 10 x 10(4) to 10 x 10(6) cpm/mug. A nomogram has been constructed by correlating specific radioactivities of RNA with concentration of KI, RNA, and (125)I. This nomogram can be used to determine the conditions for the desired specific radioactivities for any unknown RNA. The in vitro iodinated RNA has been compared with in vivo labeled RNA for hybridization characteristics. Competition hybridization between (125)I-labeled chloroplast-rRNA and unlabeled pea (Pisum sativum) chloroplast-rRNA was identical to that found using [(32)P]chloroplast-rRNA. Thermal stability of DNA-(125)I-rRNA hybrids was similar to the thermal stability of DNA-[(32)P]rRNA hybrids. The iodinated RNA was not found to have undergone any changes in its hydrogen-bonding properties.


Substrate and Inhibitor-Specific Conformational Changes in the Human Serotonin Transporter Revealed by Voltage-Clamp Fluorometry.
The serotonin transporter (SERT) regulates neurotransmission by the biogenic monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) in the central nervous system, and drugs inhibiting SERT are widely used for the treatment of a variety of central nervous system diseases. The conformational dynamics of SERT transport function and inhibition is currently poorly understood. We used voltage-clamp fluorometry to study conformational changes in human SERT (hSERT) during 5-HT transport and inhibitor binding. Cys residues were introduced at 12 positions in hSERT to enable covalent attachment of a rhodamine-based fluorophore. Transport-associated changes in fluorescence from fluorophore-labeled hSERT expressed in Xenopus oocytes could be robustly detected at four positions in hSERT: endogenous Cys109 in the top of transmembrane domain (TM) 1b, Cys substituted for Thr323 in the top of TM6, Ala419 in the interface between TM8 and extracellular loop (EL) 4, and Leu481 in EL5. The reporter positions were used for time-resolved measurement of conformational changes during 5-HT transport and binding of cocaine and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors fluoxetine and escitalopram. At all reporter positions, fluorescence changes observed upon substrate application were distinctly different from those observed upon inhibitor application, with respect to relative amplitude or direction. Furthermore, escitalopram, fluoxetine, and cocaine induced a very similar pattern of fluorescent changes overall, which included movements within or around TM1b, EL4, and EL5. Taken together, our data lead us to suggest that competitive inhibitors stabilize hSERT in a state that is different from the apo outward-open conformation as well as inward-facing conformations.


Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in the Greek population.
The APOE gene is located on chromosome 19, and the three common alleles are designated epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4. The epsilon4 allele is associated with increased plasma cholesterol, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and decreased longevity. The objective of the present study was to estimate the distribution of APOE alleles in the Greek population by DNA analysis. The material consisted of 216 voluntary, healthy Greek blood donors (146 males/70 females). The APOE allele frequencies were epsilon2: 5.3%, epsilon3: 88.2%, epsilon4: 6.5%. The epsilon4 allele frequency of 6.5% in the Greek population is, together with the frequency in the Chinese population, among the lowest in the world.


Polyphenol Content of Green Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Hull under In Vitro Digestion and Effects of Digestive Products on Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Intestinal Barrier in the Caco-2/Raw264.7 Coculture Model.
Green pea hulls are a byproduct of the processing of green pea and are rich in phenolic substances. In the present study, in vitro digestion, human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) monolayer, and the Caco-2/macrophage cell lines of the murine origin (Raw264.7) coculture model were established to investigate the release of polyphenols, absorption, and transport of digestive products and their effects on inflammation and intestinal barrier. During the digestive process, polyphenols were constantly released from the pea hulls, reaching the maximum amount in the small intestine (total phenolic content (TPC): 5.41 ± 0.04 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g dry weight (DW)), and the digestive products (800 μg/mL) could reduce the secretion of NO (50.9%), IL-6 (50.6%), and TNF-α (24.6%) and inhibit the mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (37.2%) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (91.1%) compared with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group. A total of 12 phenolic components were quantified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-OrbiTrap-MS) technology. Kaempferol trihexoside in digestive products could be absorbed and transported (1.25 ± 0.13 ng quercetin/mL). The digestive products could promote the expression of claudin-1 (210.8%), occludin (64.9%), and zonulin occludin-1 (ZO-1) (52.0%) compared with the LPS group and exert anti-inflammatory effects after being absorbed. The results indicated that pea hull polyphenols could be continuously released and absorbed to play a positive role in protecting the intestinal barrier and anti-inflammatory activity.


Accuracy of college students' reports of parental handedness.
College students' reports of their parents' handedness were compared with data provided by the parents themselves. The students' reports of their parents' writing hand were highly accurate, the reports of their parents' general handedness somewhat less so. For the latter measure, the students were asked, ''What is your mother's (father's) handedness?'' and were given the choice ''left'',''either'', ''right'',and ''don't know''. Their answers were then compared with the investigators' classification based on the parents' answers to a 10-item hand-use questionnaire. For this measure, the accuracy of the students' reports was also found to be related to the students' own handedness.


Gender differences in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic condition that predominantly affects women. To date, there are few epidemiologic studies on CFS in men. The objective of the study was to assess whether there are gender-related differences in CFS, and to define a clinical phenotype in men. A prospective, cross-sectional cohort study was conducted including CFS patients at the time of diagnosis. Sociodemographic data, clinical variables, comorbid phenomena, fatigue, pain, anxiety/depression, and health quality of life, were assessed in the CFS population. A comparative study was also conducted between genders. The study included 1309 CFS patients, of which 119 (9.1%) were men. The mean age and symptoms onset were lower in men than women. The subjects included 30% single men vs. 15% single women, and 32% of men had specialist work vs. 20% of women. The most common triggering factor was an infection. Widespread pain, muscle spasms, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, Raynaud's phenomenon, morning stiffness, migratory arthralgias, drug and metals allergy, and facial oedema were less frequent in men. Fibromyalgia was present in 29% of men vs. 58% in women. The scores on physical function, physical role, and overall physical health of the SF-36 were higher in men. The sensory and affective dimensions of pain were lower in men. The clinical phenotype of the men with CFS was young, single, skilled worker, and infection as the main triggering agent. Men had less pain and less muscle and immune symptoms, fewer comorbid phenomena, and a better quality of life.


Astigmatism in infancy and childhood.
To evaluate the prevalence of astigmatism in infancy and childhood in a Spanish population. A total of 478 children with astigmatism from Valencia Province, Spain were examined. The patients, ranging in age from 2-12 years, were classified into groups according to age. Astigmatism error and axis orientation were determined using noncyclopegic retinoscopy over each eye. The overall prevalence of astigmatism (> or = 1.00 diopter of cylinder) decreased in relation to increasing age from 44.3% to 5.2%. The prevalence of against-the-rule astigmatism decreased from 61.5% (at 2 years) to 33.4% (at 12 years), with-the-rule astigmatism increased in prevalence from 23.1% (at 2 years) to 66.6% (at 12 years), and oblique astigmatism decreased with age from 15.4% (at 2 years) and 0% (at 12 years). These results do not vary from those observed in other populations. Factors such as race, nutrition, and environmental condition did not vary from the literature regarding the prevalence of astigmatism in infants and children.


[Review of placebo effect and re-evaluation of psychotherapy focusing on depressive disorders].
It is well known that based on the findings of double-blind studies of antidepressants, placebos have an unexpected positive effect on depression. Neuroimaging studies comparing the effect of antidepressants and placebos by means of PET revealed that both placebo and fluoxetine treatment induced regional metabolic increases in such areas as the prefrontal and posterior cingulate, and metabolic decreases in such areas as the subgenual and thalamus. It is indicated that placebos have a similar pharmacological effect as antidepressants (Mayberg et al., 2002). This biological finding strongly suggests that when a patient takes an antidepressant administered by a doctor, and the treatment is effective, a placebo effect is always implicitly appended to any pharmacological effect of the medicine. In other words, the overall curative effect by administration of antidepressants can be schematically expressed as follows: Overall curative effect by antidepressant = Effect specific to pharmacotherapy + Placebo effect. In this case, the placebo effect is based on the patient's expectation and hope of recovery that is working consciously, preconsciously, and unconsciously; it is an essential condition that the patient has confidence and an expectation that the medicine will work. Such linguistic elements and subjective factors help to correct the metabolism of the cranial nerve system that was changed by depression, and thus encourages a cycle of resilience to restore the system to its former healthy state. This mechanism can be considered to operate as a top-down system. As easily inferred from the fact that the placebo effect is made up of a linguistic element and an emotional element found in the doctor-patient relationship, the formation of the doctor-patient relationship itself can be considered to be by tacit consent effective as a kind of psychotherapy. A brief look at the recent biological studies on the placebo effect lends support to the possibility that even one word spoken by a physician to a patient may bring about an effect that corrects any neurotic malfunction inside the brain. This paper indicates that non-pharmacotherapy such as psychotherapy or psychological and social support may have a similar effect to the administration of actual medicines that directly work on neurotransmitters in the brain.


Detection of busulfan adducts on proteins.
Busulfan is a bifunctional alkyl sulfonate antineoplastic drug. This alkylating agent was described as forming covalent adducts on proteins. However, only limited data are available regarding the interaction of busulfan with proteins. Mass spectrometry and bioinformatics were used to identify busulfan adducts on human serum albumin and hemoglobin. Albumin and hemoglobin were incubated with busulfan or control compounds, digested with trypsin and analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) on a Thermo Fisher LTQ Orbitrap Velos Pro. MS data were used to generate spectral libraries of non-modified peptides and an open modification search was performed to identify potential adduct mass shifts and possible modification sites. Results were confirmed by a second database search including identified mass shifts and by visual inspection of annotated tandem mass spectra of adduct-carrying peptides. Five structures of busulfan adducts were detected and a chemical structure could be attributed to four of them. Two were primary adducts corresponding to busulfan monoalkylation and alkylation of two amino acid residues by a single busulfan molecule. Two others corresponded to secondary adducts generated during sample processing. Adducts were mainly detected on Asp, Glu, and His residues. These findings were confirmed by subsequent database searches and experiments with synthetic peptides. The combination of in vitro incubation of proteins with the drug of interest or control compounds, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and open modification search allowed confirmation of the direct interaction of busulfan with proteins and characterization of the resulting adducts. Our results also showed that careful analysis of the data is required to detect experimental artifacts. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Ferroelectric surface induced electron doping in a zigzag graphene nanoribbon.
The interface between a zigzag graphene nanoribbon (zGNR) and the ferroelectric PbTiO3 (0 0 1) surface is studied through first-principles calculations. We investigate how the electric polarization normal to the surface tunes the zGNR electronic and magnetic properties. A ferroelectric single-domain configuration with polarization up and down is considered including explicitly a bottom metallic electrode. Our results show how not only the ferroelectric polarization direction determines the doping in zGNR-the downward polarization induces a p-type doping in a planar zGNR whereas the upward polarization keeps it intrinsic-but also the features of the clean ferroelectric surface, such as the atomic relaxation and the electronic distribution. Interestingly, the surface ferroelectric polarization, besides tuning the carrier type as it does in graphene, also closes the zGNR band gap which can be understood in terms of the weakening of the local magnetic moment of the edge carbon atoms as the polarization increases. The zGNR antiferromagnetic ground state is preserved without breaking the α-β degeneracy.


Counties not countries: Variation in host specificity among populations of an aphid parasitoid.
Parasitic wasps are among the most species-rich groups on Earth. A major cause of this diversity may be local adaptation to host species. However, little is known about variation in host specificity among populations within parasitoid species. Not only is such knowledge important for understanding host-driven speciation, but because parasitoids often control pest insects and narrow host ranges are critical for the safety of biological control introductions, understanding variation in specificity and how it arises are crucial applications in evolutionary biology. Here, we report experiments on variation in host specificity among 16 populations of an aphid parasitoid, Aphelinus certus. We addressed several questions about local adaptation: Do parasitoid populations differ in host ranges or in levels of parasitism of aphid species within their host range? Are differences in parasitism among parasitoid populations related to geographical distance, suggesting clinal variation in abundances of aphid species? Or do nearby parasitoid populations differ in host use, as would be expected if differences in aphid abundances, and thus selection, were mosaic? Are differences in parasitism among parasitoid populations related to genetic distances among them? To answer these questions, we measured parasitism of a taxonomically diverse group of aphid species in laboratory experiments. Host range was the same for all the parasitoid populations, but levels of parasitism varied among aphid species, suggesting adaptation to locally abundant aphids. Differences in host specificity did not correlate with geographical distances among parasitoid populations, suggesting that local adaption is mosaic rather than clinal, with a spatial scale of less than 50 kilometers. We sequenced and assembled the genome of A. certus, made reduced-representation libraries for each population, analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphisms, and used these polymorphisms to estimate genetic differentiation among populations. Differences in host specificity correlated with genetic distances among the parasitoid populations.


Affinity labeling of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase by beta, gamma-Cr(III)(H2O)4ATP.
The interaction of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase with beta, gamma-Cr(III)(H2O)4ATP (CrATP) has been studied. This substitution inert nucleotide functioned as an active site directed irreversible inhibitor of glutamine synthetase in solutions containing 15 mM MgCl2, 100 mM KCl, and 10 mM Pipes (pH 6.6). The inactivation reaction followed pseudo-first order saturation kinetics which demonstrated reversible binding of CrATP prior to the formation of inactive enzyme. CrATP was shown to be a competitive inhibitor versus MgATP. Also, significant protection was afforded by MgATP indicating that CrATP inactivates at the active site. Partial protection was afforded by glutamate or inorganic phosphate while inactivation was enhanced by Mn(II). The stoichiometry of CrATP incorporation was approximately one molecule per enzyme subunit, determined spectrophotometrically. Both the delta and lambda isomers of CrATP bound to glutamine synthetase, but only the lambda isomer was an active site directed irreversible inhibitor.


OPTN/SRTR 2020 Annual Data Report: Heart.
As we enter the third year of the new adult heart allocation policy, we are faced with the new challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, new listings (adult and pediatric) decreased slightly, with 4000 new listings in 2020, compared with 4087 in 2019; however, the number of adult heart transplants performed continued to increase, to 3715 in 2020. The number of pediatric heart transplants declined from 509 in 2019 to 465 in 2020. One-year and six-month posttransplant mortality rates in adult recipients have increased slightly since 2015 but have not significantly changed over the past decade. Overall, posttransplant mortality rates for adult recipients were 7.4% at six months and 9.4% at one year for transplants in 2019, 14.0% at three years for transplants in 2017, and 19.1% at five years for transplants in 2015. Although shorter-term posttransplant mortality rates have slightly increased, there has been a steady downward trend in longer-term mortality. Mortality rates for pediatric recipients were 5.7% at six months and 8.1% at one year for transplants in 2019, 11.6% at three years for transplants in 2017, and 15.2% at five years for transplants in 2015.


The Role of Decision Authority and Stated Social Intent as Predictors of Trust in Autonomous Robots.
Prior research has demonstrated that trust in robots and performance of robots are two important factors that influence human-autonomy teaming. However, other factors may influence users' perceptions and use of autonomous systems, such as perceived intent of robots and decision authority of the robots. The current study experimentally examined participants' trust in an autonomous security robot (ASR), perceived trustworthiness of the ASR, and desire to use an ASR that varied in levels of decision authority and benevolence. Participants (N = 340) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results revealed the participants had increased trust in the ASR when the robot was described as having benevolent intent compared to self-protective intent. There were several interactions between decision authority and intent when predicting the trust process, showing that intent may matter the most when the robot has discretion on executing that intent. Participants stated a desire to use the ASR in a military context compared to a public context. Implications for this research demonstrate that as robots become more prevalent in jobs paired with humans, factors such as transparency provided for the robot's intent and its decision authority will influence users' trust and trustworthiness.


[Immigration to Venezuela].
Immigration to Venezuela is examined using census data with the focus on the period 1971-1981. A brief overview of trends since the beginning of the twentieth century is first presented. The analysis indicates that "immigration to Venezuela is clearly of a short-term nature. Flows follow job opportunities and adjust to the labour market and to the financial capacity of the exchange market. The large increase of migratory movements to Venezuela in the 1970's is characterized by a diversification of their places of origin and by a greater instability. To a large extent, the migrants are illegal, especially those coming from Colombia and the Caribbean islands. Because of the crisis of the early 1980's, which is now worsened by the down trend of both oil prices and the U.S. dollar, Venezuela has become less attractive to immigrants, particularly from neighbouring countries." The authors observe that migrants in Venezuela are not well integrated and may depart, disrupting the labor supply in certain technical and specialized occupations (SUMMARY IN ENG AND SPA)


Successful use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in a complicated flail chest.
The current advanced trauma life support manual states that patients with significant hypoxia namely, SaO2 <90% on room air as a result of pulmonary contusion should be intubated and ventilated within the first hour of injury. Recently, several researchers have shown improved outcomes when patients with acute respiratory failure are managed with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation NIPPV. Trauma patients may also benefit from this therapy. We report a case of 15-year-old boy with isolated flail chest and pulmonary contusion, who was intubated in the emergency room, and was managed successfully with the NIPPV in the intensive care unit ICU despite, having had aspiration pneumonia early in the course of his stay. After initial stabilization, he failed a spontaneous breathing trial. Due to absence of contraindications to the use of NIPPV, the patient was extubated on day 7 from pressure support ventilation of 15 cmH2O and positive end expiratory pressure of 8 cmH2O to immediate NIPPV use. Three days later after a total of 50 hours of NIPPV use in the ICU the patient was successfully discharged home.


Pinelliae rhizoma alleviated acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide via suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome.
Pinelliae rhizoma (PR), one kind of commonly-used Chinese herbs, is generally prescribed to treat various respiratory diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI). However, the accurate bioactive ingredients of PR and the underlying pharmacological mechanism have both not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the bioactive ingredients that could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and explore the possible mechanism involved. Our results confirmed that LPS infection indeed caused acute inflammatory damage in mice lung, accompanying with the enhancement of IL-1β contents and the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in lung tissue and macrophagocyte, all of which were remarkably ameliorated by PR treatment. Next, mechanistically, LPS was found to trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and downstream cellular calcium ions (Ca2+) release via activating Bip/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway. Like PR, 4-PBA (a specific inhibitor of ER stress) not only obviously reversed Bip/ATF4/CHOP-mediated ER stress, but also significantly attenuated LPS-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, the bioactive ingredients of PR, which generated the anti-inflammatory effects, were screened by metabolomics and network pharmacology. In vitro experiments showed that chrysin, dihydrocapsaicin, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) notably suppressed LPS-induced ER stress and following NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In conclusion, our findings suggested that PR alleviated LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting ER stress-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which is mainly relevant with these three bioactive ingredients. This study provided a theoretical basis for the clinical application of PR to treat ALI, and these bioactive ingredients of PR would be promising therapeutic drugs for the treatment of ALI.


[The first pregnancy in the Czech Republic achieved by oocyte fertilization using ICSI--intracytoplasmic sperm injection].
ICSI--an intracytoplasmic sperm injection can fertilize an oocyte in vitro with one sperm, using micromanipulation. ICSI was done on an inverted Diaphot 300 microscope with Hoffmann modulation contrast and Narishige micromanipulators. Between March and May 1995 23 ICSI cycles were performed. Of 166 oocytes (7.2 per cycle) 22% were degenerated or immature and 6% damaged during ICSI. 45% of the injected eggs were fertilized. Embryos were transferred in 65% couples. Three pregnancies resulted (20%/ET), all are viable. ICSI is suitable in cases of severe oligospermia, asthenospermia and teratospermia, immunology infertility and low cleavage rate of oocytes in the first IVF cycle.


Long-Term Follow-Up and Treatment of Postoperative Permanent Hypoparathyroidism in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Differences in Complete and Partial Disease.
This study aimed to identify factors influencing long-term outcome in complete or partial postoperative hypoparathyroidism (parathyroid hormone ≤10 or >10 ng/l, respectively) in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). It was designed as retrospective, long-term follow-up with single-center outpatient visits. Quality of treatment, renal calcification, and function were evaluated. In 33 patients with MTC and postoperative hypoparathyroidism, current medication includes: calcium (73%), calcitriol (73%), alfacalcidol (6%), dihydrotachysterol (3%), and cholecalciferol supplements (21%). Mean hypoparathyroidism duration was 15.9±9.4 years. Initially, 15% of patients received high cholecalciferol dosages. Initial calcium dosages were higher (1 542±1 179 mg/day) than final dosages (1 188 ± 595 mg/day) (p<0.05); calcitriol dosages remained constant. Over the median observation period of about 12 years it was found that serum calcium was within the target range (2.0-2.3 mmol/l) in 63% of visits, decreased (<2.0 mmol/l) in 20.4%, high-normal (2.4-2.6 mmol/l) in 15.8%, and increased (>2.65 mmol/l) in 0.9% of visits. Calcitriol dosages were 0.73±0.22 μg/day and 0.47±0.20 μg/day in patients with complete (n=13) and partial (n=20) hypoparathyroidism, respectively (p=0.008). Renal function decreased slightly during follow-up (eGFR: 102±22 vs. 90±27 ml/min). eGFR was negatively correlated with hypoparathyroidism duration (r=-0.35, p=0.05). Of 9 patients with renal calcification, 5 had received high initial cholecalciferol doses. eGFR was lower in patients with than in those without calcification (77±17 vs. 95±29 ml/min) (p=0.07). At least one tetanic episode occurred in 60.6% of patients, and 9% had repeated tetanic complaints. In conclusion, severity of hypoparathyroidism affects treatment: Partial hypoparathyroidism required lower calcitriol dosages than complete hypoparathyroidism. Renal calcifications occurred more frequently in patients treated initially with high cholecalciferol dosages. Impaired renal function was related to hypoparathyroidism duration and renal calcification.


Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Potential Applications of Sargassum fulvellum.
Sargassum fulvellum is a brown seaweed of the Sargassaceae family which has been demonstrated to exhibit antipyretic, analgesic, antiedema, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, neuroprotective, anticoagulative, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities. It has been widely used as a food additive and as a medicine in oriental medicine to treat lumps, dropsy, swelling, testicular pains, and urinary problems. S. fulvellum has been identified as a potential producer of a wide spectrum of natural compounds such as carotenoids, fucoidans, and phlorotannins, showing different biological activities in various industrial applications including pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and functional food. However, the promising health effects associated with the extracts and compounds isolated from S. fulvellum have not been reviewed to date. The present review thus focuses on the biological activity of S. fulvellum as reported by previous publications, which include antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects. Thus, this review might serve to increase the utilization of this invaluable natural source as a potential component in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.


Enhanced spectral resolution in immobilized peptides and proteins by combining chemical shift sum and difference spectroscopy.
A two-dimensional correlation experiment is introduced that records the sum and difference chemical shift of two scalar or dipolar coupled nuclei. Statistical results indicate that the suggested pulse scheme can significantly increase the possibility of separating chemical shift contributions due to residue type and backbone conformation in immobilized peptides and proteins. Experimental applications demonstrate the theoretical concept and lead to the predicted resolution enhancement between different amino acid types and among protein residues of different secondary structure.


Extrapolation chamber mounted on perspex for calibration of high energy photon and electron beams from a clinical linear accelerator.
The objective of the present study is to establish radiation standards for absorbed doses, for clinical high energy linear accelerator beams. In the nonavailability of a cobalt-60 beam for arriving at Nd, water values for thimble chambers, we investigated the efficacy of perspex mounted extrapolation chamber (EC) used earlier for low energy x-rays and beta dosimetry. Extrapolation chamber with facility for achieving variable electrode separations 10.5mm to 0.5mm using micrometer screw was used for calibrations. Photon beams 6 MV and 15 MV and electron beams 6 MeV and 15 MeV from Varian Clinac linacs were calibrated. Absorbed Dose estimates to Perspex were converted into dose to solid water for comparison with FC 65 ionisation chamber measurements in water. Measurements made during the period December 2006 to June 2008 are considered for evaluation. Uncorrected ionization readings of EC for all the radiation beams over the entire period were within 2% showing the consistency of measurements. Absorbed doses estimated by EC were in good agreement with in-water calibrations within 2% for photons and electron beams. The present results suggest that extrapolation chambers can be considered as an independent measuring system for absorbed dose in addition to Farmer type ion chambers. In the absence of standard beam quality (Co-60 radiations as reference Quality for Nd,water) the possibility of keeping EC as Primary Standards for absorbed dose calibrations in high energy radiation beams from linacs should be explored. As there are neither Standard Laboratories nor SSDL available in our country, we look forward to keep EC as Local Standard for hospital chamber calibrations. We are also participating in the IAEA mailed TLD intercomparison programme for quality audit of existing status of radiation dosimetry in high energy linac beams. The performance of EC has to be confirmed with cobalt-60 beams by a separate study, as linacs are susceptible for minor variations in dose output on different days.


Potentiation of myeloid colony-formation in bone marrow of intact and neonatally thymectomized mice by the thymic hormone THF-gamma 2.
The effect of the thymic hormone THF-gamma 2 on committed stem cells of bone marrow (BM) origin was determined using the myeloid progenitor cell clonal assay. Preincubation of normal BM cells with THF-gamma 2 for 1 hour or 18 hours caused a 2- to 6-fold increase in the number of myeloid colonies in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of colony-stimulating factor (CSF). The optimal dose of THF-gamma 2 causing this enhancement was in the range of 25 to 100 ng/mL. THF-gamma 2 was not able to replace CSF as an inducer in these experiments. THF-gamma 2 neither induced IL-6 activity upon 24-hour incubation with bone marrow cells nor enhanced LPS-induced IL-6 secretion by bone marrow cells in vitro. Neonatal thymectomy (NTx) of Balb/c mice caused a decrease in myeloid progenitors, which was repaired by serial injections of THF-gamma 2. The repair of the stem cell compartment in the bone marrow correlated with an increased percentage of Thy1+ cells in the spleen of THF-gamma 2-treated NTx mice. These findings indicate that THF-gamma 2 is able to regulate committed stem cell functions in the bone marrow of immune-deprived NTx and of normal mice.


Pathological gambling and criminality.
To review research results on the relationship between pathological gambling and criminality, published in 2007 and 2008, in English and in Spanish. An important association between pathological gambling and criminality was confirmed in populations of anonymous gamblers, helpline callers and substance abusers. Helplines provide a timely service to gamblers who have not reached the maximum stages in the development of a pathological gambling pattern. Pathological gambling is associated with violence in couples and dysfunctional families. Inversely, violence is also an antecedent promoting vulnerability toward pathological gambling. Impulsiveness shows diverse relationships with pathological gambling and violence as well. A pathological gambler's involvement in crime is exceptionally considered without responsibility by justice, but it may be an indicator of the disorder severity and the need for special therapeutic tactics. While reviewing the present study, research work was published that contributed to a better understanding of the association between pathological gambling and criminality and went further into their complex relationship and the formulation of explanatory models related to impulsiveness.


Temperament characteristics of premature infants in the first year of life.
Parenting preterm infants in the first months after hospital discharge is challenging. Although preterm infants are considered to be difficult, preterm temperament at less than 3 months is unknown empirically. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the 6-week temperament characteristics of preterm infants in comparison with standardized norms of full-term infants. The sample of 74 infants with gestational ages at birth between 24 and 32 weeks were enrolled in a study of preterm infant neurobehavioral outcomes. Mothers rated temperament at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months of age (adjusted for prematurity). At 6 weeks the premature infants were significantly less rhythmic (regular), more distractible (soothable), less approaching (more withdrawing), and less intense than standardized norms for full-term infants. From these data we conclude that premature infants may be initially more challenging to parent. Temperament moderated over time but remained significantly lower in persistence at 12 months. Considerable change in temperament in the first 12 months of life may be influenced by biological and environmental factors common to the premature birth experience.


Building a minimum frustration framework for brain functions over long time scales.
The minimum frustration principle (MFP) is a computational approach stating that, over the long time scales of evolution, proteins' free energy decreases more than expected by thermodynamical constraints as their amino acids assume conformations progressively closer to the lowest energetic state. This Review shows that this general principle, borrowed from protein folding dynamics, can also be fruitfully applied to nervous function. Highlighting the foremost role of energetic requirements, macromolecular dynamics, and above all intertwined time scales in brain activity, the MFP elucidates a wide range of mental processes from sensations to memory retrieval. Brain functions are compared with trajectories that, over long nervous time scales, are attracted toward the low-energy bottom of funnel-like structures characterized by both robustness and plasticity. We discuss how the principle, derived explicitly from evolution and selection of a funneling structure from microdynamics of contacts, is unlike other brain models equipped with energy landscapes, such as the Bayesian and free energy principles and the Hopfield networks. In summary, we make available a novel approach to brain function cast in a biologically informed fashion, with the potential to be operationalized and assessed empirically. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Assessing student understanding of host pathogen interactions using a concept inventory.
As a group of faculty with expertise and research programs in the area of host-pathogen interactions (HPI), we are concentrating on students' learning of HPI concepts. As such we developed a concept inventory to measure level of understanding relative to HPI after the completion of a set of microbiology courses (presently eight courses). Concept inventories have been useful tools for assessing student learning, and our interest was to develop such a tool to measure student learning progression in our microbiology courses. Our teaching goal was to create bridges between our courses which would eliminate excessive overlap in our offerings and support a model where concepts and ideas introduced in one course would become the foundation for concept development in successive courses. We developed our HPI concept inventory in several phases. The final product was an 18-question, multiple-choice concept inventory. In fall 2006 and spring 2007 we administered the 18-question concept inventory in six of our courses. We collected pre- and postcourse surveys from 477 students. We found that students taking pretests in the advanced courses retained the level of understanding gained in the general microbiology prerequisite course. Also, in two of our courses there was significant improvement on the scores from pretest to posttest. As we move forward, we will concentrate on exploring the range of HPI concepts addressed in each course and determine and/or create effective methods for meaningful student learning of HPI aspects of microbiology.


Bi-trophic mathematical model for pest adaptation to a resistant crop.
A version of the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model with logistic crop growth is modified to explore the rate of adaptation of a herbivore to a pest-resistant crop. This provides a phenotypic model for the evolution of resistance in a population comprising three different pest types each defined by differing parameter values for respiration rate and crop palatability. Expressions estimating the rates of increase of the fitter pest types are obtained as a function of the food qualities, and respiration and mortality rates. Potential strategies for delaying the rate of adaptation with regard to the expressions derived above, via the use of pest-susceptible refugia and natural enemies, are discussed. Although the model is formulated as one in which a single gene is the factor conferring resistance it can be interpreted and used independently of this.


Reduction of Enterococcus faecalis in curved root canals after various sizes and tapers of canal preparation.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reduction of Enterococcus faecalis in curved root canals after various sizes and tapers of the canal preparation. Mandibular first molars (n = 103) with curved mesiobuccal canals were divided into one control (n = 5) and 7 experimental (n = 14) groups, were inoculated with E. faecalis (ATTC 29212) and prepared with the following RaCe files (FKG Dentaire) as master apical file: Groups: 25.04, 25.06, 30.04, 30.06, 35.04, 35.06 and 40.06. All the experimental groups were irrigated with 2 mL of 1% sodium hypochlorite during instrumentation and finally rinsed with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (2 mL) followed by 5.25% NaOCl (2 mL) and sterile distilled water. Colony counting was performed after incubation. Resulting data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test, (P < 0.05). All the experimental groups showed significant bacterial reduction (P < 0.001). Although the greater the size/taper or both led to more decreased amount of bacteria, differences between the groups with the identical size and different tapers, and among the groups with the same taper and different sizes were not significant. Based on this study, 25.04 along with using 2 mL of 1% NaOCl during instrumentation, and using 17% EDTA and 5.25% NaOCl as final rinse successively after the termination of preparation, can effectively reduce intra-canal bacteria and preserve root structure.


Virulence plasmid harbored by uropathogenic Escherichia coli functions in acute stages of pathogenesis.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs), the majority of which are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), afflict nearly 60% of women within their lifetimes. Studies in mice and humans have revealed that UPEC strains undergo a complex pathogenesis cycle that involves both the formation of intracellular bacterial communities (IBC) and the colonization of extracellular niches. Despite the commonality of the UPEC pathogenesis cycle, no specific urovirulence genetic profile has been determined; this is likely due to the fluid nature of the UPEC genome as the result of horizontal gene transfer and numerous genes of unknown function. UTI89 has a large extrachromosomal element termed pUTI89 with many characteristics of UPEC pathogenicity islands and that likely arose due to horizontal gene transfer. The pUTI89 plasmid has characteristics of both F plasmids and other known virulence plasmids. We sought to determine whether pUTI89 is important for virulence. Both in vitro and in vivo assays were used to examine the function of pUTI89 using plasmid-cured UTI89. No differences were observed between UTI89 and plasmid-cured UTI89 based on growth, type 1 pilus expression, or biofilm formation. However, in a mouse model of UTI, a significant decrease in bacterial invasion, CFU and IBC formation of the pUTI89-cured strain was observed at early time points postinfection compared to the wild type. Through directed deletions of specific operons on pUTI89, the cjr operon was partially implicated in this observed defect. Our findings implicate pUTI89 in the early aspects of infection.


Pten loss causes hypertrophy and increased proliferation of astrocytes in vivo.
Somatic mutations of PTEN are found in many types of cancers including glioblastoma, the most malignant astrocytic tumor. PTEN mutation occurs in 25 to 40% of glioblastomas but is rarely observed in low-grade glial neoplasms. To determine the role of Pten in astrocytes and glial tumor formation, we inactivated Pten by a Cre-loxP approach with a GFAP-cre transgenic mouse that induced Cre-mediated recombination in astrocytes. Pten conditional knockout mice showed a striking progressive enlargement of the entire brain. Increased nuclear and soma size was observed in both astrocytes and neurons, which contributed in part to the increase in brain size. Pten-deficient astrocytes showed accelerated proliferation in vitro and aberrant ongoing proliferation in adult brains in vivo. In contrast, neurons lacking Pten did not show alterations in proliferation. This study shows cell-type dependent effects of Pten loss in the adult brain, including increased astrocyte proliferation that may render astroglial cells susceptible to neoplastic transformation or malignant progression.


Inhibition of voluntary activity by thalamic stimulation in humans: relevance for the control of tremor.
The motor effects of stimuli delivered through four-channel, quadripolar macroelectrodes chronically implanted in the ventrolateral thalamus were studied in 20 awake cooperating human subjects. Single stimuli could inhibit voluntary contraction of the contralateral first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI) for up to 200 ms. The inhibition was often followed by a rebound facilitation or by oscillatory activity. This inhibition appeared to arise from the ventrolateral thalamus and could not be obtained in other patients by stimulation of the periventricular grey matter (PVG), the globus pallidus internus (GPI), or the subthalamic nucleus (STN). The neural elements activated by the stimulus had a short chronaxie and a short refractory period, implying that they were large-diameter axons. Similar effects were obtained from each of the four electrodes in the row, suggesting that this fiber system lay parallel rather than perpendicular to the implanted macroelectrode. The inhibition resulting from a single stimulus was diminished by a prior stimulus or train of stimuli. A continuous train of stimuli produced inhibition for only the first 200 ms. We propose that the thalamic stimulus activates a neural network which includes thalamic relay cells and neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus and that the inhibition of thalamic relay cells habituates with repeated stimuli. It has been suggested that parkinsonian rest tremor results from synchronization of the oscillatory activity of this network. If this is the case, continuous thalamic stimulation might disrupt this oscillation by diminishing the inhibitory phase.


Insulin degludec early clinical experience: does the promise from the clinical trials translate into clinical practice--a case-based evaluation.
Clinical experience of patients is an additional source of information that can inform prescribing decisions for new therapies in practice. In diabetes, for example, patients with recurrent hypoglycemia may be excluded from trials conducted for regulatory purposes. Using insulin degludec (IDeg), a new basal insulin with an ultra-long duration of action as an example, an interim analysis is presented describing whether the decision to prescribe IDeg to patients experiencing treatment-limiting problems on their existing insulin regimes represented good clinical and economic value. Records from the first 51 consecutive patients with diabetes (35 type 1 [T1D] and 16 type 2 [T2D]) switching to insulin degludec from either insulin glargine (IGlar) or insulin detemir (IDet), mostly due to problems with hypoglycemia (39/51, 76.5%), were reviewed at up to 37 weeks. Patients indicated frequency of hypoglycemia and completed a disease-specific questionnaire reporting six measures of confidence and treatment satisfaction. For the largest group of exposed patents, the T1D module of the IMS Core Diabetes Model (CDM) was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the treatment decision. HbA1c decreased by 0.5 ± 0.3% points and 0.7 ± 0.3% points for T1D and T2D, respectively. Hypoglycemic events decreased by >90%. Combined mean scores were ≥ 3.7 (1 = much worse, 3 = no change, 5 = much improved) for all six satisfaction and confidence items. In T1D, the treatment decision was highly cost-effective in the CDM lifetime analysis. Even when excluding benefits beyond hypoglycemia reduction, predicted cost per quality-adjusted life-year for IDeg vs IGlar/IDet was £10,754. These data illustrate the complementary nature of clinical trial and practice data when evaluating the value of therapeutic innovations in diabetes care. There were reductions in patient-reported hypoglycemia, reduced HbA1c, and improved treatment satisfaction in relation to the decision to prescribe IDeg. Initial health economic evaluation suggested that the decision to prescribe IDeg in this phenotypic group of T1D patients represented good value for money.


Enhanced recovery after surgery vs conventional care in emergency colorectal surgery.
To investigate the feasibility and beneficial effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programme in the setting of emergency colorectal surgery. Between January 2011 and October 2013, patients undergoing emergency resection for obstructing colorectal cancer at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand using ERAS programme were compared with those using conventional care (1:2 ratio). They were matched for their age, gender, ColoRectal Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity score, and type of surgery. Primary outcomes were length of hospital stay and postoperative morbidity. Secondary outcomes included gastrointestinal recovery, 30-d readmission, and time interval from surgery to chemotherapy. Twenty patients treated with ERAS programme were compared with 40 patients receiving conventional postoperative care. Median of hospital stay was shorter in the ERAS group: 5.5 d (range: 3-16) vs 7.5 d (range: 5-25), P = 0.009. The ERAS group had a non-significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative complication (25% vs 48%, P = 0.094). No 30-d mortality and readmission occurred. Patients with ERAS programme had a shorter time to first flatus (1.6 d vs 2.8 d, P < 0.001) and time to resumption of normal diet (3.5 d vs 5.5 d, P = 0.002). Time interval between operation and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy was significantly shorter in the ERAS group (37 d vs 49 d, P = 0.009). The ERAS programme in the setting of emergency colorectal surgery was safe and feasible. It achieved significantly shorter hospitalisation and faster recovery of bowel function.


[Reduction of astigmatism after perforating keratoplasty by adjustment of single running sutures and its influence on visual acuity].
The authors assess the outcomes of postkeratoplasty single running suture adjustment in 14 eyes (16 adjustments) of 14 patients (4 women, 10 men). The average age of patients was 39.68 year (ranging from 19 to 70 years). The suture adjustment was done in time span 2 to 39 weeks following after perforating keratoplasty (PKP), average 7.5 weeks. Follow up time was from 1 to 12 months, average 10.8 months. The value of keratometric and topographic astigmatism before suture adjustment were compared to the value of keratometric and topographic astigmatism 1, 6 and 12 months after suture adjustment. The changes of corneal refractive power and changes of uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity were noticed as well. The mean value of keratometric astigmatism 7.47 +/- 2.69 D and mean topographic astigmatism 7.75 +/- 3.25 D before suture adjustment was decreased to 4.92 +/- 2.41 D and 4.83 +/- 1.46 D respectively one month after suture adjustment. These reductions of keratometric and topographic astigmatism (2.55 D and 2.92 D respectively) were statistically significant (p = 0.0416, and p = 0.0211 respectively). The mean keratometric astigmatism was still significantly lower (p < 0.05) after 6 and 12 months after suture adjustment in comparison to status before suture adjustment. In assessment of topographic changes we noticed small continuous increasing of astigmatism (1.27 D after 6 months and 0.2 D after 12 months after suture adjustment). These changes of topographic astigmatism were not statistically significant. The changes of mean corneal refractive power were not statistically significant as well. The mean uncorrected visual acuity increased significantly (from 0.13 to 0.34, p < 0.05) 1 month after suture adjustment. This improvement of uncorrected visual acuity was not significant after 6 and 12 months after suture adjustment. The best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.37 to 0.61 after one month after suture adjustment but was not statistically significant and stayed still at the same level with minimal changes during follow up time.


Spatial analyses identify the geographic source of patients at a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.
We examined the geographic distribution of patients to better understand the service area of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer center located in an urban center. Like most NCI cancer centers, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center serves a population beyond city limits. Urban cancer centers are expected to serve their immediate neighborhoods and to address disparities in access to specialty care. Our purpose was to learn the extent and nature of the cancer center service area. Statistical clustering of patient residence in the continental United States was assessed for all patients and by gender, cancer site, and race using SaTScan. Primary clusters detected for all cases and demographically and tumor-defined subpopulations were centered at Baltimore City and consisted of adjacent counties in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey and New York, and the District of Columbia. Primary clusters varied in size by race, gender, and cancer site. Spatial analysis can provide insights into the populations served by urban cancer centers, assess centers' performance relative to their communities, and aid in developing a cancer center business plan that recognizes strengths, regional utility, and referral patterns. Today, 62 NCI cancer centers serve a quarter of the U.S. population in their immediate communities. From the Baltimore experience, we might project that the population served by these centers is actually more extensive and varies by patient characteristics, cancer site, and probably cancer center services offered.


Plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer of Klebsiella sp. rcs genesable to induce colanic acid capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis in Escherichia coli.
Regulation of capsular biosynthesis (rcs) genes, encoding the ability to induce the production of a colanic acid polysaccharide capsule, were transferred to Escherichia coli by conjugation with Klebsiella pneumoniae (aerogenes) of capsular serotype K36. Transfer was mediated by a 58.4-MDa conjugative plasmid of incompatibility group IncM, which carried a copy of Tn7 (specifying resistance to trimethoprim and streptomycin) together with determinants for several further resistances. This plasmid did not carry the rcs genes itself, but mediated the conjugative recA-dependent transfer of part of the Klebsiella chromosome to E. coli. Once resident in E. coli, the rcs gene(s) could not be mobilised to other strains of E. coli, and the mobilising plasmid could be cured from capsulate transconjugants without loss of the ability to produce colanic acid. All such cured transconjugants contained an insertion of Tn7 in the chromosome, suggesting that the transposon might be involved in mobilisation of the rcs genes from Klebsiella sp. to E. coli. These findings explain previous observations that the ability to manufacture capsular polysaccharide could be transferred by plasmids between Klebsiella sp. and E. coli.


WY-50295 tromethamine: a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor without activity in human whole blood.
The 5-LO inhibitor, WY-50295 tromethamine (T) prevented leukotriene release (LTB4 production) in calcium ionophore stimulated, purified human and rat neutrophils. However, whereas WY-50295T inhibited both in vitro and ex vivo rat whole blood leukocyte LTB4 formation (IC50= 40 microM and oral ED50 of 18 mg/kg, respectively), it did not inhibit LTB4 production in calcium ionophore stimulated human whole blood at concentrations to 200 microM. To reduce binding of WY-50295T to serum albumin, 250 microM of a naphthalene sulfonic acid (> 99.9% binding to albumin primarily at the carboxylic site) and 250 microM sulfanilamide (binding to nonspecific sites) separately or in combination were preincubated in whole blood prior to addition of WY-50295T; however, WY-50295T still did not inhibit 5-LO and free drug blood levels were unchanged. When purified human neutrophils in the presence of fatty acid saturated albumin (fraction V) was employed, the 5-LO inhibitory activity of WY-50295T was prevented. Zileuton (5 microM) inhibited LTB4 production by 99% in the presence of these albumins. Also, rat albumin presented WY-50295T to purified rat neutrophils more effectively than human albumin (i.e. WY-50295T was more active in the presence of rat albumin). These results suggest that the high affinity binding of WY-50295T to human albumin and possibly the reduction of drug uptake (passive diffusion) using purified human vs rat neutrophils may account for the inactivity of WY-50295T in the human whole blood assay.


Charnley low-friction arthroplasty in patients 35 years of age or younger. Results at a minimum of 23 years.
We evaluated the outcome of 41 consecutive Charnley low-friction arthroplasties (LFAs) performed by a single surgeon in 28 patients aged ≤ 35 years at operation between 23 and 36 years previously. There were 20 women and eight men with a mean age of 32 years (23 to 35) at surgery. Two patients (three hips) were lost to follow-up at 12 and 17 years post-operatively, respectively, and one patient (one hip) died at 13 years post-operatively. These patients were excluded from the final evaluation. The survival rate of the acetabular components was 92.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 88.7 to 96.7) at ten years, 67.1% (95% CI 59.75 to 74.45) at 20 years and 53.2% (95% CI 45.3 to 61.1) at 25 years. For the femoral component the survival was 95.1% (95% CI 91.8 to 98.5) at ten years, 77.1% (95% CI 73.9 to 80.3) at 20 years and 68.2% (95% CI 60.7 to 75.8) at 25 years. The results indicate that the Charnley LFA remains a reasonable choice in the treatment of young patients and can serve for comparison with newer techniques and implants.


Codon usage of HIV regulatory genes is not determined by nucleotide composition.
Codon usage bias can be a result of either mutational bias or selection for translational efficiency and/or accuracy. Previous data has suggested that nucleotide composition constraint was the main determinant of HIV codon usage, and that nucleotide composition and codon usage were different between the regulatory genes, tat and rev, and other viral genes. It is not clear whether translational selection contributed to the codon usage difference and how nucleotide composition and translational selection interact to determine HIV codon usage. In this study, a model of codon bias due to GC composition with modification for the A-rich third codon position was used to calculate predicted HIV codon frequencies based on its nucleotide composition. The predicted codon usage of each gene was compared with the actual codon frequency. The predicted codon usage based on GC composition matched well with the actual codon frequencies for the structural genes (gag, pol and env). However, the codon usage of the regulatory genes (tat and rev) could not be predicted. Codon usage of the regulatory genes was also relatively unbiased showing the highest effective number of codons (ENC). Moreover, the codon adaptation index (CAI) of the regulatory genes showed better adaptation to human codons when compared to other HIV genes. Therefore, the early expressed genes responsible for regulation of the replication cycle, tat and rev, were more similar to humans in terms of codon usage and GC content than other HIV genes. This may help these genes to be expressed efficiently during the early stages of infection.


Neural mechanisms underlying the processing of Chinese and English words in a word generation task: an event-related potential study.
Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to examine the spatiotemporal cortical activation patterns underlying Chinese and English word generation (forming a new word by adding a stroke or a letter to an old Chinese or English word) for low- and high-proficiency Chinese-English bilinguals. The results revealed that early visual perceptual processing and word identification were similar between the two languages for the N120 and P220 waveforms. However, a greater negative potential (N250-350) was associated with Chinese words than with English words between 250 and 350 ms. Subsequently, for fluent Chinese bilinguals, Chinese words elicited a more positive ERP deflection (LPC) than did English words between 350 and 800 ms. The differences in ERP components between Chinese and English words indicates that there might be a real difference in the processing demands between these languages, and that the processing of English might be affected by the proficiency of the second language.


Molecular forensic profiling of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes in raw water.
The emerging concept of host specificity of Cryptosporidium spp. was exploited to characterize sources of fecal contamination in a watershed. A method of molecular forensic profiling of Cryptosporidium oocysts on microscope slides prepared from raw water samples processed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method 1623 was developed. The method was based on a repetitive nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism-DNA sequencing approach that permitted the resolution of multiple species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium in a single water sample.


Expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase in bone marrow macrophages.
Bone marrow macrophages were found to express tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) under pathological conditions. In chronic granulocytic leukemia and metastatic carcinoma in the bone marrow this phenomenon was striking, all or almost all of the marrow macrophages being reactive. In other conditions, such as hypertransfusion or chemotherapy-induced marrow aplasia, the phenomenon did occur but was clearly a minor one. These observations indicate that tissue macrophages may become TRAP positive under the effect of unknown stimuli operating in certain pathological conditions. The results further suggest that the synthesis of the isoenzyme of acid phosphatase resistant to tartrate inhibition is a marker of macrophage activation rather than of differentiation towards particular subsets of the mononuclear phagocyte system.


[Demographic dynamics of urban growth in Mexico: 1940-1980].
"In this article, the author analyzes the relationship between growth rates and the sizes of cities [in Mexico] to determine what kind of cities are the most dynamic ones in terms of their demographic growth during the 1940-1980 period. [His findings contradict] the widespread belief that in Mexico, as of 1970, there has been a process of 'metropolitanization' and of 'growth of intermediate cities'." He proposes changes to current population policy, which attempts to control urban growth through regulation. (SUMMARY IN ENG)


Ostryopsis davidiana seedlings inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungi facilitate formation of mycorrhizae on Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings.
Reforestation in China is important for reversing anthropogenic activities that degrade the environment. Pinus tabulaeformis is desired for these activities, but survival and growth of seedlings can be hampered by lack of ectomycorrhizae. When outplanted in association with Ostryopsis davidiana plants on reforestation sites, P. tabulaeformis seedlings become mycorrhizal and survival and growth are enhanced; without O. davidiana, pines often remain without mycorrhizae and performance is poorer. To better understand this relationship, we initiated an experiment using rhizoboxes that restricted root and tested the hypothesis that O. davidiana seedlings facilitated ectomycorrhizae formation on P. tabulaeformis seedlings through hyphal contact. We found that without O. davidiana seedlings, inocula of five indigenous ectomycorrhizal fungi were unable to grow and associate with P. tabulaeformis seedlings. Inocula placed alongside O. davidiana seedlings, however, resulted in enhanced growth and nutritional status of O. davidiana and P. tabulaeformis seedlings, and also altered rhizosphere pH and phosphatase activity. We speculate that these species form a common mycorrhizal network and this association enhances outplanting performance of P. tabulaeformis seedlings used for forest restoration.


Signal processing method based on connection fitting of echo peak point with a large slope for ultrasonic gas flow meter.
Ultrasonic gas flow meters are especially suitable for measurement in pipelines with large diameters. However, on the one hand, it is difficult to find a stable feature point to calculate the duration of propagation of the ultrasonic signal, through which we can obtain the real-time flow rate of the gas, and on the other hand, the computation incurred by signal processing methods to this end is burdensome and affects the real-time performance of the flow meter. To solve these problems, this study examines the characteristics of the stability of the echo signal and patterns of variation in the echo contour at different flow rates of gas. We found that peak points of the middle part of the rising segment of the echo signal were relatively stable, and the slope of the envelope of this part was always relatively large but constant, which indicates that peak points in this part were approximately distributed along a straight line. This finding is used to develop a signal processing method based on the connection fitting of the echo peak point with a large slope. This method is easy to implement, incurs a small amount of calculation, and has strong anti-interference ability. Moreover, it can guide research on signal processing methods and the stability of the echo signal. The proposed method was implemented on a dual-core hardware system, and the results of calibration show that it can attain 1.0-level accuracy over a measurable range of 30 m3/h-1100 m3/h.


Reflections on suicide among soldiers.
This commentary considers the Nock et al. review article (this issue) and provides additional perspectives pertaining to current concerns about Soldier suicides. The review article is relevant to the current Army STARRS research project, which is one of the most significant scientific undertakings in the history of suicide research. The review is an outstanding and thorough consideration of psychosocial risk and protective factors that may be related to Soldier suicide. While Army STARRS is a landmark effort, the author does note the need for innovation and alternative approaches to addressing alarming increases in Soldier suicides. Indeed, the dramatic increase seen in Soldier suicides over the past several years poses one of the more vexing challenges that the field of suicidology has faced to date. To this end, the author explores some alternative considerations that were not particularly featured in the review article. Some of these considerations include perspectives on military culture in relation to conventional suicide prevention as well as exciting developments emerging from clinical trial treatment research using suicidal military samples. It is argued that the magnitude of the current problem requires both innovative approaches and a sound scientific foundation to meaningfully impact and reduce the unprecedentedly high rates of Soldier suicide.


Exploiting the Potential of Supported Magnetic Nanomaterials as Fenton-Like Catalysts for Environmental Applications.
In recent years, the application of magnetic nanoparticles as alternative catalysts to conventional Fenton processes has been investigated for the removal of emerging pollutants in wastewater. While this type of catalyst reduces the release of iron hydroxides with the treated effluent, it also presents certain disadvantages, such as slower reaction kinetics associated with the availability of iron and mass transfer limitations. To overcome these drawbacks, the functionalization of the nanocatalyst surface through the addition of coatings such as polyacrylic acid (PAA) and their immobilization on a mesoporous silica matrix (SBA15) can be factors that improve the dispersion and stability of the nanoparticles. Under these premises, the performance of the nanoparticle coating and nanoparticle-mesoporous matrix binomials in the degradation of dyes as examples of recalcitrant compounds were evaluated. Based on the outcomes of dye degradation by the different functionalized nanocatalysts and nanocomposites, the nanoparticles embedded in a mesoporous matrix were applied for the removal of estrogens (E1, E2, EE2), accomplishing high removal percentages (above 90%) after the optimization of the operational variables. With the feasibility of their recovery in mind, the nanostructured materials represented a significant advantage as their magnetic character allows their separation for reuse in different successive sequential batch cycles.


A thermodynamic model of bone remodelling: the influence of dynamic loading together with biochemical control.
Understanding of the bone remodelling process has considerably increased during the last 20 years. Since the ability to simulate (and predict) the effects of bone remodelling offers substantial insights, several models have been proposed to describe this phenomenon. The strength of the presented model is that it includes biochemical control factors (e.g., the necessity of cell-to-cell contact, which is mediated by the RANKL-RANK-OPG chain during osteoclastogenesis) and mechanical stimulation, the governing equations are derived from interaction kinetics (e.g., mass is preserved in running reactions), and the parameters are measurable. Behaviour of the model is in accordance with experimental and clinical observations, such as the role of dynamic loading, the inhibitory effect of dynamic loading on osteoclastogenesis, the observation that polykaryon osteoclasts are activated and formed by a direct cell-to-cell contact, and the correct concentrations of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes. The model does not yet describe the bone remodelling process in complete detail, but the implemented simplifications describe the key features and further details of control mechanisms may be added.


Genomic Insights into the Origin and Evolution of Molluscan Red-Bloodedness in the Blood Clam Tegillarca granosa.
Blood clams differ from their molluscan kins by exhibiting a unique red-blood (RB) phenotype; however, the genetic basis and biochemical machinery subserving this evolutionary innovation remain unclear. As a fundamental step toward resolving this mystery, we presented the first chromosome-level genome and comprehensive transcriptomes of the blood clam Tegillarca granosa for an integrated genomic, evolutionary, and functional analyses of clam RB phenotype. We identified blood clam-specific and expanded gene families, as well as gene pathways that are of RB relevant. Clam-specific RB-related hemoglobins (Hbs) showed close phylogenetic relationships with myoglobins (Mbs) of blood clam and other molluscs without the RB phenotype, indicating that clam-specific Hbs were likely evolutionarily derived from the Mb lineage. Strikingly, similar to vertebrate Hbs, blood clam Hbs were present in a form of gene cluster. Despite the convergent evolution of Hb clusters in blood clam and vertebrates, their Hb clusters may have originated from a single ancestral Mb-like gene as evidenced by gene phylogeny and synteny analysis. A full suite of enzyme-encoding genes for heme synthesis was identified in blood clam, with prominent expression in hemolymph and resembling those in vertebrates, suggesting a convergence of both RB-related Hb and heme functions in vertebrates and blood clam. RNA interference experiments confirmed the functional roles of Hbs and key enzyme of heme synthesis in the maintenance of clam RB phenotype. The high-quality genome assembly and comprehensive transcriptomes presented herein serve new genomic resources for the super-diverse phylum Mollusca, and provide deep insights into the origin and evolution of invertebrate RB.


Use of steroid profiling by UPLC-MS/MS as a second tier test in newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia: the Utah experience.
Newborn screening allows the diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) before symptoms appear, preventing the severe and potentially life-threatening crisis associated with this disease in infancy. Traditional screening by enzyme immunoassay results in a large number of false positives. To reduce the number of unnecessary tests, anxiety to families and physicians, and the burden to the newborn screening follow-up program, we implemented a second-tier test for CAH using steroid profiling by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We measured three steroids: 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, and cortisol and correlated them with the age of infant at the time of sample collection and birth weight. Both age at collection and birth weight affected the levels of adrenal steroids, but the use of appropriate cut offs and analyte ratios allowed the identification of infants with CAH. This approach was effective in identifying infants with CAH, with both salt-wasting and simple virilizing forms, while reducing the false-positive rate from 2.6 to 0.09%.


H2O2 formation during nucleotide degradation in the hypoxic rat liver: a quantitative approach.
In the hypoxic liver an increased rate of cytosolic and peroxisomal H2O2 generation is due to the accelerated purine nucleotide degradation. The relative contribution of the oxidase type of xanthine oxidoreductase activity increases in hypoxia by less than 10%, the dehydrogenase type of this enzyme is hardly inhibited by the increased concentration of free NADH. Nevertheless, due to the high hypoxanthine supply the xanthine oxidase related H2O2 formation is increased six-fold and together with the peroxisomal uricase-mediated share it accounts for half of the oxygen consumption.