Long-term field application of a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial consortium suppressed root-knot disease by shaping the rhizosphere microbiota.
Root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) is one of the most economically important plant parasitic nematodes, infecting almost all cultivated plants and resulting in severe yield losses every year. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been used extensively to prevent and control root-knot diseases and increase yield. In this study, the effect of a consortium of three PGPR strains (Bacillus cereus AR156, B. subtilis SM21, and Serratia sp. XY21; hereafter "BBS") on a root-knot disease of cucumber was evaluated. The application of BBS significantly reduced the severity of root-knot disease by 56-72%, increased yield by 36-55%, and improved fruit quality by 14 -90% and soil properties by 1-90% relative to the control in the cucumber fields of the Nanjing suburb, Jiangsu Province, from 2015 to 2018. BBS altered the rhizosphere bacterial community. Compared with the control group, it significantly (FDR, p < 0.05) increased the abundance of 14 bacterial genera that were negatively correlated with the disease severity. Additionally, the redundancy analysis suggested that BBS-treated rhizosphere soil samples were dominated by disease-suppressive bacteria, including Iamia, Kutzneria, Salinibacterium, Mycobacterium, Kribbella, Pseudonocardia, Sporichthya, Sphaerisporangium, Actinomadura, Flavisolibacter, Phenylobacterium, Bosea, Hyphomicrobium, Agrobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Nannocystis, which were positively related to TOC, TN, TOM, DOC, NH4+-N and AP content. This suggests that BBS suppresses root-knot nematodes, and improves the soil chemical properties of cucumber by altering the rhizosphere microbial community.


Implementing a trustworthy cost-accounting model.
Hospitals and health systems can develop an effective cost-accounting model and maximize the effectiveness of their cost-accounting teams by focusing on six key areas: Implementing an enhanced data model. Reconciling data efficiently. Accommodating multiple cost-modeling techniques. Improving transparency of cost allocations. Securing department manager participation. Providing essential education and training to staff members and stakeholders.


Creatinine: a review.
Measurement of creatinine has many applications. We review the determination of urinary creatinine as a valid index of completeness of 24-h urine collection, the clinical utility of the determination of creatinine clearance ratios, and measurement of the ratio of the clearance of specific analytes, such as amylase, to the ratio of clearance of creatinine. The chemistry and variables that affect the Jaffé reaction are reviewed, and attempts at improvement of specificity are discussed. We also review and assess techniques other than the Jaffé reaction for measurement of creatinine.


[Efficacy observation on acupuncture and moxibustion combined with hot compress of TCM herbs for scleroderma].
To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of surrounding needle, moxibustion and hot compress of TCM herbs for localized scleroderma. Forty-two cases of localized scleroderma were randomly divided into an acupuncture + herb group (23 cases, group A) and a heparin sodium group (19 cases, group B). Both the two groups were orally administrated with centella triterpenes tablets and vitamin E, group A was additionally treated with surrounding needle at local area, moxibustion at affected site and Hegu (LI 4), Zu sanli (ST 36) as well as hot external application of "hot compress herbs" at local location, while group B was treated with external application of heparin sodium cream. Both the two groups were treated for consecutive 6 months, and scores of skin sclerosis, joint pain and function were compared before and after the treatment. Also the efficacy and safety of TCM syndrome were assessed. Compared with that before the treatment, the scores of skin sclerosis, joint pain and joint function in the group A after treatment were significantly decreased (all P < 0.01), the score of skin sclerosis in the group B was improved (P < 0.05), and the three types of score in the group A was obviously lower than those in the group B (both P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 86.4% (19/22) in the group A, which was superior to 52.6% (10/19) in the group B (P < 0.05). The surrounding needle, moxibustion and external application of "hot compress herbs" could improve skin sclerosis in patients with localized scleroderma, which has obvious efficacy and relative safety.


An assessment of the diet and trophic level of Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae.
A re-assessment of the diet of the Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae was conducted to provide an update on their trophic level. Rhizoprionodon terraenovae primarily consume teleosts, but previously unreported loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta were also found in the diet. Analysis suggests that calculated trophic level may depend on diet and geographic area.


Measuring Access to Family Planning: Conceptual Frameworks and DHS Data.
Expanding access to family planning (FP) is a driving aim of global and national FP efforts. The definition and measurement of access, however, remain nebulous, largely due to complexity. This article aims to bring clarity to the measurement of FP access. First, we synthesize key access elements for measurement by reviewing three well-known frameworks. We then assess the extent to which the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)-a widely used data source for FP programs and research-has information to measure these elements. We finally examine barriers to access by element, using the latest DHS data from four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We discuss opportunities and limitations in the measurement of access, the importance of careful interpretation of data from population-based surveys, and recommendations for collecting and using data to better measure access.


Elucidation of the neural circuits activated by a GABAB receptor positive modulator: Relevance to anxiety.
Although there is much evidence for a role of GABAB receptors in the pathophysiology of anxiety, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are largely unclear. The GABAB receptor allosteric positive modulator, GS39783, exerts anxiolytic effects without interfering with GABAB-mediated modulation of body temperature, cognitive performance and locomotor activity thus offering advantages over GABAB receptor agonists. However, the precise neural circuits underlying the anxiolytic effects of GS39783 are unknown. The aim of the present study was to identify brain structures and associated neuronal circuits that are modulated by GS39783 under either basal or mild stress conditions. To this end, the expression pattern of c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, was examined in mice acutely treated with GS39783 under basal conditions or following a mild anxiogenic challenge induced by exposure to the Open Arm (OA) of an Elevated Plus Maze. OA exposure enhanced c-Fos expression in vehicle-treated animals in several brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, lateral septum, amygdala, hippocampus, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Under basal conditions, GS39783 increased c-Fos in a restricted panel of areas notably amygdala nuclei, cortical areas and PAG subregions, while it inhibited c-Fos expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Under stress conditions, GS39783 reversed OA-induced c-Fos expression in the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus, no longer increased c-Fos expression in the amygdala nor reduced c-Fos expression in the DRN. These specific patterns of neural activation by GS39783 might explain the neurobiological correlates implicated in GABAB-mediated anti-anxiety effects. This article is part of the "Special Issue Dedicated to Norman G. Bowery".


Enzymatic Synthesis of GDP-α-l-fucofuranose by MtdL and Hyg20.
Two mutases, MtdL and Hyg20, are reported. Both are able to functionally drive the biosynthesis of GDP-α-l-fucofuranose. Both enzymes catalyze similar functions, catalytically enabling the bidirectional reaction between GDP-β-l-fucopyranose and GDP-α-l-fucofuranose using only divalent cations as cofactors. This realization is but one of a number of important insights into fucofuranose biosynthesis presented herein.


[Development of a novel liquid injection system].
A liquid jet injector employs compressed gas or spring to produce a high-velocity stream to deliver liquid drug into human body through skin. There are many clinical jet injection products available, none of which is domestic. A new liquid jet injector is designed based on a comprehensive analysis of the current products. The injector consists of an ejector, trigger and a re-positioning mechanism. The jets characteristics of sample injector are tested, and the results show that the maximum exit pressure is above 15 MPa, a threshold value for penetrating into the skin.


Mobile teleradiology system suitable for m-health services supporting content and semantic based image retrieval on a grid infrastructure.
Teleradiology systems tackle the problem of transferring radiological images between medical image workstations for facilitating different medical activities, e.g., diagnosis, treatment and follow up a patient, medical training, or consulting second opinion. Nowadays, m-Health (aka mobile health) is becoming popular because of high quality of mobile displays, although remains a work in progress. In this paper a mobile teleradiology system is reported, which main contribution is the development of a platform: (1) supported by a Grid infrastructure, (2) using biomedical ontologies for adding semantic annotations on medical images, and (3) supporting semantic and content-based image retrieval. Images are located physically in different repositories like; hospitals and diagnostic imaging centers. All these features make the system ubiquitous, portable, and suitable for m-Health services.


Oestrogen synthesis by the peri-implantation conceptus of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).
The ability of the embryonic tissues of the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) to synthesize oestrogens in vitro was studied in 15 conceptuses recovered by non-surgical uterine lavage between 10 and 33 days after ovulation. Definitive evidence for strong aromatase activity with synthesis of considerable quantities of oestrogens was obtained at all stages when conceptus tissues were incubated with [3H]androstenedione. A high proportion of the oestrogens was in the form of oestradiol, which contrasts to the higher ratio of oestrone:oestradiol in the oestrogens synthesized by embryonic tissues of horses and pigs. Biopsies of endometrial tissue recovered from pregnant and nonpregnant camels showed great ability to conjugate both oestradiol and oestrone when incubated with tritium-labelled forms of these two hormones.


Biological functions of maspin.
Maspin (Mammary Serine Protease Inhibitor) was first reported in 1994 as a serpin with tumor suppressive properties. Maspin was initially isolated through subtractive hybridization and differential display analysis as a 42-kDa protein that is expressed in normal mammary epithelial cells but reduced or absent in breast carcinomas (Zou et al., 1994). Further research led to maspin's characterization as a class II tumor suppressor based on its ability to inhibit cell invasion, promote apoptosis, and inhibit angiogenesis (Sheng et al., 1996; Zhang et al., 2000b; Jiang et al., 2002). Since then, efforts have been made to characterize maspin's tumor suppressive mechanisms. In particular, researchers have studied maspin localization, the regulation of maspin expression, and more recently, maspin protein interactions. By elucidating these mechanisms, researchers are beginning to understand the complex, pleiotropic nature of maspin and the pathways through which maspin exerts its tumor suppressive properties. These new findings not only further enhance our understanding of cancer biology but also provide an avenue to develop maspin's potential as a diagnostic marker for cancer progression, and as a potentially powerful therapeutic agent in the fight against breast cancer.


Viral hepatitis markers in antepartum and postpartum women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A seroprevalence study was carried out among a group of women in Rio de Janeiro to determine the prevalence of different markers for viral hepatitis given the limited data among healthy populations. Blood samples collected and tested from 874 women before or after delivery in a public county maternity hospital demonstrated age to be directly related to markers for hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The prevalence of HBV and hepatitis C virus infection were lower than that observed in the blood donor population and might be explained by the younger age group and gender.


Association between the EPHX2 p.Lys55Arg polymorphism and prognosis following an acute coronary syndrome.
Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH, EPHX2) elicits potent cardiovascular protective effects in preclinical models of ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD), and genetic polymorphisms in EPHX2 have been associated with developing ischemic CVD in humans. However, it remains unknown whether EPHX2 variants are associated with prognosis following an ischemic CVD event. We evaluated the association between EPHX2 p.Lys55Arg and p.Arg287Gln genotype with survival in 667 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. No association with p.Arg287Gln genotype was observed (P = 0.598). Caucasian EPHX2 Arg55 carriers (Lys/Arg or Arg/Arg) had a significantly higher risk of 5-year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-2.55, P = 0.045). In an independent population of 2712 ACS patients, this association was not replicated (adjusted HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.70-1.21, P = 0.559). In a secondary analysis, Caucasian homozygous Arg55 allele carriers (Arg/Arg) appeared to exhibit a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.09-6.17). These results demonstrate that EPHX2 p.Lys55Arg and p.Arg287Gln polymorphisms do not significantly modify survival after an ACS event. Investigation of other sEH metabolism biomarkers in ischemic CVD appears warranted.


Silver nanoparticles decrease body weight and locomotor activity in adult male rats.
Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are widely used in FDA regulated products. The physical-chemical properties of Ag-NPs are characterized using various instruments. The dose-dependent activity and body weight alterations are evaluated after rats were exposed to Ag nanoparticles, suggesting a major human health risk, given the wide application of silver nanomaterials.


[Sensitive innervation of the skin of the concha auriculae].
By means of the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HP) method sensitive innervation of the rabbit concha auriculae skin has been studied. For the investigation the skin area 2 X 2 sm large has been chosen on the internal surface of the right concha auriculae 6 sm below the upper edge of the ear. The HP solution is injected in the skin areas 5-6 mm large with normal electrical permeability and with decreased electrical resistance to the constant electrical current. In the first case innervation is ensured only by ipsilateral sensitive neurons of the spinal nodes (SN) CIII. Small neurons make 75% of the total amount of the labelled cells. In the second case about 98% of the skin areas are innervated by the neurons of the SN CIII and about 2% by the neurons of the SN CII. Small and middle neurons make 60% and 38%, respectively. Single labelled cells are revealed in the SN CIV. The HP-positive neurons, innervating the skin areas with an increased electrical permeability nearly 3 times exceed the neurons, projecting on the skin areas with normal electrical permeability. The large labelled neurons make 2% in both cases. Localization of the HP-positive cells in the SN is diffuse, structural compositions of the neurons are not revealed. In the trigeminal node labelled neurons are not found.


Community-based men's health promotion programs: eight lessons learnt and their caveats.
Long-standing commentaries about men's reticence for accessing clinical medical services, along with the more recent recognition of men's health inequities, has driven work in community-based men's health promotion. Indeed, the 2000s have seen rapid growth in community-based programs targeting men, and across this expanse of innovative work, experiential and empirical insights afford some important lessons learnt, and caveats to guide existing and future efforts. The current article offers eight lessons learnt regarding the design, content, recruitment, delivery, evaluation and scaling of community-based men's health promotion programs. Design lessons include the need to address social determinants of health and men's health inequities, build activity-based programming, garner men's permission and affirmation to shift masculine norms, and integrate content to advance men's health literacy. Also detailed are lessons learnt about men-friendly spaces, recruitment and retention strategies, the need to incrementally execute program evaluations, and the limits for program sustainability and scaling. Drawing from diverse community-based programs to illustrate the lessons learnt, caveats are also detailed to contextualize and caution some aspects of the lessons that are shared. The express aim of discussing lessons learnt and their caveats, reflected in the purpose of the current article, is to guide existing and future work in the ever growing field of community-based men's health promotion.


A mitochondrial ribosomal and RNA decay pathway blocks cell proliferation.
Proliferating cells require coordinated gene expression between the nucleus and mitochondria in order to divide, ensuring sufficient organelle number in daughter cells [1]. However, the machinery and mechanisms whereby proliferating cells monitor mitochondria and coordinate organelle biosynthesis remain poorly understood. Antibiotics inhibiting mitochondrial translation have emerged as therapeutics for human cancers because they block cell proliferation [2, 3]. These proliferative defects were attributable to modest decreases in mitochondrial respiration [3, 4], even though tumors are mainly glycolytic [5] and mitochondrial respiratory chain function appears to play a minor role in cell proliferation in vivo [6]. Here we challenge this interpretation by demonstrating that one class of antiproliferative antibiotic induces stalled mitochondrial ribosomes, which triggers a mitochondrial ribosome and RNA decay pathway. Rescue of the stalled mitochondrial ribosomes initiates a retrograde signaling response to block cell proliferation and occurs prior to any loss of mitochondrial respiration. The loss of respiratory chain function is simply a downstream effect of impaired mitochondrial translation and not the antiproliferative signal. This mitochondrial ribosome quality-control pathway is actively monitored in cells and constitutes an important organelle checkpoint for cell division.


[Effects of myopic correction by replacement of spectacles, laser in situ keratomileusis, and phakic intraocular lens implantation on modulation transfer function and retinal magnification].
To compare the modulation transfer function and the retinal magnification after myopic correction by replacement of spectacles, laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), or phakic intraocular lens (phakic IOL) implantation. Using the ray tracing method, we measured the modulation transfer function and the retinal magnification after these myopic corrections in a Gullstrand eye model. The modulation transfer function (3-mm pupil, 100 cycles/mm) after phakic IOL implantation for the correction of low, moderate, and high myopia was 45%, 44%, and 44%, respectively. These same measurements after LASIK were 50%, 47%, and 46%, respectively, and the same measurements after spectacle correction were 41%, 32%, and 21%, respectively. The retinal magnification was least changed by the amount of myopic correction after phakic IOL implantation, more changed by LASIK, and most changed by spectacle correction. Specifically, the improvement in the retinal magnification after phakic IOL implantation, LASIK, and spectacle correction for the correction of high myopia was 1.00, 0.97, and 0.88 times, respectively. There were no significant differences in the modulation transfer function after phakic IOL implantation and LASIK. On the other hand, the modulation transfer function was significantly decreased after spectacle correction, especially when the amount of myopic correction was large. The retinal magnification was least affected by phakic IOL implantation, more affected by LASIK, and most affected by spectacle correction. Phakic IOL implantation and LASIK are considered to be optically excellent correction methods.


Beta-Thalassemia Mutations in the East of Turkey.
This study was planned to determine the frequency of ß-thalassemia trait and mutations in Van Lake region, which is in the eastern part of Turkey, surrounded by Iran in the east and by Iraq in the south. This study consist of 1014 healthy students, between the age of 12 and 18 years who are studying in boarding schools in Van city and cities surrounding Van Lake that includes Van, Ağrı, Hakkari, Bitlis, Muş and Siirt. The students were randomly selected according to their school numbers. Their origin was not taken into consideration in selection. Complete blood counts were performed on all donors. The accepted lower limit of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were 78 fL and 27 pg respectively. HbA2 was measured by DE-52 microcolumn chromatography method. ß-thalassemia trait with high HbA2 was found in 6 children. ß-thalassemia homozygous form of -30 (T-A) mutation was determined in one child and HbD-Los Angeles heterozygous in another. The ß-thalassemia homozygous individual was accepted as two cases in prevalence calculation. We found that the prevalence of ß-thalassemia trait was 0.78% in this area. In DNA analyses, there were ß-thalassemia gene mutations of FSC 8/9 (+G), -30 (T-A), IVS I-110 (G-A), IVS II-1 (G-A) and IVS I-130 (G-A) in 3, 2, 1, 1 and 1 individuals, respectively. We conclude that although five different ß-thalassemia mutation exist in Van Lake region, ß-thalassemia is not a potential risk in the east of Turkey.


Antioxidant activities and antioxidative components in the surf clam, Mactra veneriformis.
Aqueous (ET1) and alcoholic (ET2) extracts from Mactra veneriformis were studied for their antioxidant potentials using various in vitro assays. The ET2 was fractioned into four parts according to the polarity of the extractive medium, viz. ET2-p (petroleum ether), ET2-e (ethyl acetate), ET2-n (n-butanol) and ET2-w (water). Among the four fractions, ET2-w showed the strongest reducing power, and highest 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and metal chelating activities, while the ET2-p possessed higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. It was found that ET2-w had large amounts of free amino acids and oligosaccharides, while ET2-p contained a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids. We conclude that amino acids, oligosaccharides and unsaturated fatty acids all contribute to the antioxidant activity of M. veneriformis. In order to elucidate the above, antioxidative components involved in the antioxidant activities were also detected. It was found that amino acids and carbohydrates were the major components of ET2-w. The amino acids were Tau (0.26%), Tyr (0.38%), Met (0.31%), Cys (0.38%), Arg (1.79%) and so on, while carbohydrates were oligosaccharides that were composed of disaccharides and trisaccharides. The unsaturated fatty acids were the major components of ET2-p, which contained a high amount of docosahexaenoic acid (9.03%) and eicosapentaenoic acid (18.49%).


Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies.
Armed conflicts and natural disasters impact negatively on the mental health and well-being of affected populations in the short- and long-term and affect the care of people with pre-existing mental health conditions. This paper outlines specific actions for mental health and psychosocial support by the health sector in the preparedness, response and recovery phases of emergencies. Broad recommendations for ministries of health are to: (1) embed mental health and psychosocial support in national health and emergency preparedness plans; (2) put in place national guidelines, standards and supporting tools for the provision of mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies; (3) strengthen the capacity of health professionals to identify and manage priority mental disorders during emergencies; and (4) utilize opportunities generated by the emergency response to contribute to development of sustainable mental health-care services.


Updates of Cardiovascular Manifestations in COVID-19: Korean Experience to Broaden Worldwide Perspectives.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide. Not just respiratory complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiac manifestations have drawn attention due to the increased risk of mortality and morbidity related to SARS-CoV-2 infections. The mechanisms of the cardiac injury related to SARS-CoV-2 infections have been direct cardiac injury caused by angiotensin converting enzyme 2, hypoxemia, microvascular damage, and a systemic inflammatory response. Stress induced cardiomyopathy in a critically ill condition and acute coronary syndrome due to a vulnerable plaque rupture with coagulopathy can finally lead to acute heart failure with further cardiac manifestations. When dealing with the highly contagious viral disease-related cardiac manifestations, we should carefully apply the diagnostic and therapeutic methods to achieve the best therapeutic results without adding any risk of disease transmission.


Interleukin-12 inhibits graft-versus-host disease through an Fas-mediated mechanism associated with alterations in donor T-cell activation and expansion.
We have recently made the paradoxical observation that a single injection of recombinant murine interleukin-12 (IL-12) on the day of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) inhibits graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in lethally irradiated mice receiving fully major histocompatability complex (MHC)-mismatched bone marrow and spleen cells. We have now examined the mechanism of this effect of IL-12 on acute GVHD. By day 4 post-BMT, IL-12-treated mice showed marked reductions in splenic donor CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells compared with GVHD controls. Expression of the early activation markers IL-2R alpha chain (CD25) and CD69 on splenic donor CD4(+) cells was considerably higher at early time points (36 and 72 hours post-BMT) in IL-12-treated mice compared with GVHD controls. However, the later, GVHD-associated increase in CD25 and very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) expression on donor T cells was greatly depressed in IL-12-protected mice compared with GVHD controls. The marked GVHD-associated expansion of host-reactive T helper cells by day 4 was also completely inhibited in the IL-12-treated group. Expression of Fas was increased on donor CD4 cells of IL-12-treated mice compared with those of controls on days 3 through 7 post-BMT. Furthermore, the ability of IL-12 to protect against GVHD was at least partially dependent on the ability of donor cells to express functional Fas molecules. We conclude that IL-12 treatment at the time of BMT markedly perturbs the activation of alloreactive donor CD4(+) T cells that play a critical role in the pathogenesis of acute GVHD. We hypothesize that these perturbations culminate in Fas-dependent apoptosis of donor T cells, thus impeding their expansion and their GVHD-promoting activity.


Effects of food and water withdrawal and high temperature exposure on diurnal variation in blood viscosity of broiler chickens.
1. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the diurnal variation of blood viscosity in broilers. In experiment 1 food and water were supplied freely at 20 degrees C (20-FW). In experiment 2 food and water were withdrawn at 20 degrees C (20-NFW), while in experiment 3 food and water were withdrawn at 30 degrees C (30-NFW). 2. Blood sampling time points were 09.00 h, 15.00 h, 21.00 h, 03.00 h and 09.00 h the next day in each experiment. 3. In all experiments, whole blood viscosity (WBV), red blood cell count (RBC) and haematocrit (HCT) were greater during the dark (21.00 h and 03.00 h) than during the light period. During the dark period, there were no differences in WBV, RBC and HCT between 20-FW and 20-NFW, or between 20-NFW and 30-NFW. At 09.00 h, WBV and HCT were higher in 20-FW than in 20-NFW. At 15.00 h and 09.00 h (day 2), WBV and HCT were greater in 20-NFW than in 30-NFW. 4. There were no light-dark differences in plasma viscosity (PV), plasma protein concentration (PPC) or mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in any experiment. However, 20-NFW birds had a lower PPC and higher MCV compared with 20-FW, and a higher PPC and lower MCV compared with 30-NFW, while no difference was found in PV. 5. WBV increased linearly with RBC and HCT. PV increased with PPC, while MCV decreased. 6. These results indicate that there is diurnal variation in whole blood viscosity, which is greater during the dark than during the light period. During the light period it is strongly influenced by high environmental temperature and food and water withdrawal.


Identification of chromosomal changes with comparative genomic hybridization in sporadic breast cancer in Mexican women.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women older than 35 years in Mexico. In this study, we used comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to analyze sporadic breast cancers at stages II and III from untreated patients. We obtained 4.1 chromosomal alterations per sample, less than in previous reports. We identified a small region in Xq27 with high-level amplification in 3 of 16 samples. This amplification has been reported only in pancreatic and gastric cancer cell lines and in testis tumors; in addition, this amplification had been reported in one primary breast cancer, but in a more extended region that we identified. We also identified a loss in 2p13, not previously reported in this neoplasia. The most frequent alterations were amplifications in 4q, 5q, 8q, 12p, and 13q and losses in 1p, 8p, 16p, 19q, and Xp. CGH provides data for better understanding of molecular events in this neoplasia.


α2,6-linked sialic acid serves as a high-affinity receptor for cancer oncolytic virotherapy with Newcastle disease virus.
Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been applied to oncolytic virotherapy for decades due to its naturally oncolytic property. In spite of the substantiation of the sialic acid receptors of NDV on host cells, knowledge of preference of sialic acid linkage in viral attachment and oncolytic effect is lacking and imperative to be elucidated. Surface plasmon resonance analysis and competitive inhibition with sialylated glycan receptor analogues were used to determine the affinity and the preference of sialic acid receptor. Treatments of sialyltransferase inhibitors and linkage-specific sialidases and transfection with sialyltransferase expression vector were performed to regulate sialic acids levels. We demonstrated that sialic acid was essential for NDV binding and infection of tumor cells. α2,6-linked sialic acid served as a high-affinity receptor for NDV and the ST6Gal I sialyltransferase that synthesizes α2-6 linkage of sialylated N-linked glycans in CHO-K1 cells promoted NDV binding and cytopathic effect. More importantly, an enhanced antitumor effect of NDV on aggressive SW620 colorectal carcinoma cells with high-level of cell surface α2,6-sialylation, but not SW480 cells with relative low-level of α2,6-sialylation, was observed both in vitro and in vivo. The study provides evidence of optimized therapeutic strategy in oncolytic virotherapy via partly defining α2,6-sialylated receptor as a "cellular marker" for NDV.


A Novel Major Output Target for Pheromone-Sensitive Projection Neurons in Male Moths.
Even though insects have comparably small brains, they achieve astoundingly complex behaviors. One example is flying moths tracking minute amounts of pheromones using olfactory circuits. The tracking distance can be up to 1 km, which makes it essential that male moths respond efficiently and reliably to very few pheromone molecules. The male-specific macroglomerular complex (MGC) in the moth antennal lobe contains circuitry dedicated to pheromone processing. Output neurons from this region project along three parallel pathways, the medial, mediolateral, and lateral tracts. The MGC-neurons of the lateral tract are least described and their functional significance is mainly unknown. We used mass staining, calcium imaging, and intracellular recording/staining to characterize the morphological and physiological properties of these neurons in the noctuid moth, Helicoverpa armigera. All lateral-tract MGC neurons targeted the column, a small region within the superior intermediate neuropil. We identified this region as a unique converging site for MGC lateral-tract neurons responsive to pheromones, as well as a dense congregating site for plant odor information since a substantial number of lateral-tract neurons from ordinary glomeruli (OG) also terminates in this region. The lateral-tract MGC-neurons responded with a shorter peak latency than the well-described neurons in the medial tract. Different from the medial-tract MGC neurons encoding odor quality important for species-specific signal identification, those in the lateral tract convey a more robust and rapid signal-potentially important for fast control of hard-wired behavior.


Recommendations for anatomical structures to identify on ultrasound for the performance of intermediate and advanced blocks in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.
Recent recommendations describe a set of core anatomical structures to identify on ultrasound for the performance of basic blocks in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA). This project aimed to generate consensus recommendations for core structures to identify during the performance of intermediate and advanced blocks. An initial longlist of structures was refined by an international panel of key opinion leaders in UGRA over a three-round Delphi process. All rounds were conducted virtually and anonymously. Blocks were considered twice in each round: for "orientation scanning" (the dynamic process of acquiring the final view) and for "block view" (which visualizes the block site and is maintained for needle insertion/injection). A "strong recommendation" was made if ≥75% of participants rated any structure as "definitely include" in any round. A "weak recommendation" was made if >50% of participants rated it as "definitely include" or "probably include" for all rounds, but the criterion for strong recommendation was never met. Structures which did not meet either criterion were excluded. Forty-one participants were invited and 40 accepted; 38 completed all three rounds. Participants considered the ultrasound scanning for 19 peripheral nerve blocks across all three rounds. Two hundred and seventy-four structures were reviewed for both orientation scanning and block view; a "strong recommendation" was made for 60 structures on orientation scanning and 44 on the block view. A "weak recommendation" was made for 107 and 62 structures, respectively. These recommendations are intended to help standardize teaching and research in UGRA and support widespread and consistent practice.


Synthesis of Dibenzo[h,rst]pentaphenes and Dibenzo[fg,qr]pentacenes by the Chemoselective C-O Arylation of Dimethoxyanthraquinones.
A convenient method for the syntheses of dibenzo[h,rst]pentaphenes and dibenzo[fg,qr]pentacenes via the ruthenium-catalyzed chemoselective C-O arylation of 1,4- and 1,5-dimethoxyanthraquinones is described. Dimethoxyanthraquinones reacted selectively with arylboronates at the ortho C-O bonds to give diarylation products. An efficient two-step procedure consisting of a Corey-Chaykofsky reaction and subsequent dehydrative aromatization afforded derivatives of dibenzo[h,rst]pentaphenes and dibenzo[fg,qr]pentacenes. Hole-transporting characteristics were observed for a device with a bottom-contact configuration that was fabricated from one of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.


Posttransplant chimeric antigen receptor therapy.
Therapeutic T-cell engineering is emerging as a powerful approach to treat refractory hematological malignancies. Its most successful embodiment to date is based on the use of second-generation chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting CD19, a cell surface molecule found in most B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. Remarkable complete remissions have been obtained with autologous T cells expressing CD19 CARs in patients with relapsed, chemo-refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Allogeneic CAR T cells may also be harnessed to treat relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, the use of donor T cells poses unique challenges owing to potential alloreactivity. We review different approaches to mitigate the risk of causing or aggravating graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), including CAR therapies based on donor leukocyte infusion, virus-specific T cells, T-cell receptor-deficient T cells, lymphoid progenitor cells, and regulatory T cells. Advances in CAR design, T-cell selection and gene editing are poised to enable the safe use of allogeneic CAR T cells without incurring GVHD.


[Results of cyclocryocoagulation].
The success of a cyclocryocogulation is not only defined by the reduction of the intraocular pressure but also by the simplification of the therapy necessary for the regulation of the glaucoma. We examined retrospectively the charts of 27 patients with glaucoma chronicum simplex (GCS) and 63 patients with various types of non-simplex glaucomas (NGCS). All underwent a cyclocryocoagulation made 51 seconds at -70 to -80 degrees C, 4 mm behind the limbus at 6 points. IOP was controlled (i.e. < 25 mm Hg and decreased > 20% of the preoperative value) in 69% of the cases (GCS 70%, NGCS 68%) 3-5 days after the operation. IOP decreased from 31 to 19 mm Hg on average. The effect decreased with time, more than 12 months after the operation only 36% of the eyes were still regulated. 4 eyes with persisting pain had to be enucleated. The cyclocryocoagulation never caused blindness or phthisis bulbi. Therapy with eye drops was necessary in 70% of the patients preoperatively, and in 37% postoperatively. Oral carboanhydrase inhibitors had to be used in 57% of the patients before and in 20% of the cases after the operation. Cyclocryocoagulation is considered an effective method to lower IOP and simplify drug therapy without having serious complications.


The Future of Genomic Research in Athletic Performance and Adaptation to Training.
Despite numerous attempts to discover genetic variants associated with elite athletic performance, an individual's trainability and injury predisposition, there has been limited progress to date. Past reliance on candidate gene studies focusing predominantly on genotyping a limited number of genetic variants in small, often heterogeneous cohorts has not generated results of practical significance. Hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches will in the future provide more comprehensive coverage and in-depth understanding of the biology underlying sports-related traits and related genetic mechanisms. Large, collaborative projects with sound experimental designs (e.g. clearly defined phenotypes, considerations and controls for sources of variability, and necessary replications) are required to produce meaningful results, especially when a hypothesis-free approach is used. It remains to be determined whether the novel approaches under current implementation will result in findings with real practical significance. This review will briefly summarize current and future directions in exercise genetics and genomics.


Distribution of Trichinella spiralis, Trichinella britovi, and Trichinella pseudospiralis in the Diaphragms and T. spiralis and T. britovi in the Tongues of Experimentally Infected Pigs.
There is little or even no data in the global literature on the distribution of different species of Trichinella in the individual parts of the diaphragms and tongues in infected pigs. This is of particular importance from the food safety point of view and for the conduct of routine testing of pig carcasses for Trichinella as well as epidemiological surveys. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis), Trichinella britovi (T. britovi), and Trichinella pseudospiralis (T. pseudospiralis) ML in various parts of the diaphragm (the pillars, costal, and sternal part) and the distribution of encapsulated species of Trichinella (T. spiralis and T. britovi) in various parts of the tongues (the tip, body, and root) of experimentally infected pigs. The diaphragm pillars were the most heavily parasitized part of the diaphragm both in groups of pigs infected with particular species of Trichinella and in groups of pigs presenting different levels of infection; however, statistical differences were observed only in the group of pigs with moderate (21-35 larvae per gram-lpg) or moderately high (35-55 lpg) intensity of Trichinella spp. infection in the entire diaphragm. In all groups of pigs, regardless of the infecting Trichinella species or infection level, larvae showed a homogeneous distribution on both sides of the diaphragm and excluding those of T. pseudospiralis, also in all three parts of the tongue. Histological examination showed features of a differential inflammatory response around larvae of the different Trichinella species. This study confirmed that for mandatory examination of pig carcasses using a pooled-sample digestion assay in which each pig is intended to be represented by a 1 gram sample taken from the diaphragm pillars, if that tissue is not available, the mass of the sample taken from the remaining diaphragm parts (costal or sternal) should be at least double that from the pillars. Histological findings confirmed that the inflammatory pattern of pig muscles varies depending on the Trichinella species triggering the infection and is less intense in the case of infections with T. pseudospiralis than in infections with encapsulated species of Trichinella (T. spiralis and T. britovi).


[Outlook for recurrence prevention from the viewpoint of the guidelines on urolithiasis].
In Japan, the number of patients with urolithiasis has continued to increase at a faster rate, with a lifetime morbidity in 2005 of 15.1% for males and 6.8% for females, possibly due to : 1) westernization of dietary habits and lifestyle, 2) improvement of diagnostic technologies (CT and ultrasound examination), and 3) aging of the population. Additionally, this disease has a higher recurrence rate ; for example, approximately 50% for calcium-containing calculi. The guidelines on urolithiasis consist primarily of the guidelines for treatment and recurrence prevention, and the items concerning recurrence prevention were added in the 2007 updated Guidelines on Urolithiasis by the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the American Urological Association (AUA) (EAU/AUA guidelines). These facts reflect the importance of recurrence prevention. On the other hand, the Japanese guidelines on urolithiasis are now being revised and will adopt the form of "clinical questions". This paper provides an overview of the examination methods for recurrence, lifestyle guidance, and drug therapies based on the current guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of urolithiasis as well as the points for clinical questions to be included in the revised guidelines for a deeper understanding and, consequently, return to routine clinical practice.


Large bowel obstruction due to impaction of a gallstone.
Gallstone ileus is a complication of cholelithiasis resulting from a fistula between the gallbladder and the gastrointestinal tract. If sufficiently large, a gallstone may lodge at the narrowest part of the gastrointestinal tract, usually the terminal ileum, and present with small bowel obstruction. Here the authors present the unusual case of an 82-year-old man who developed symptoms and signs of large bowel obstruction due to an untreated gallstone, measuring 7×4.5 cm, that fistulated into the transvere colon and subsequently impacted in the sigmoid colon. An emergency laparotomy with sigmoid colotomy was undertaken to remove the obstructing gallstone, and the patient made a full recovery.


[Targeted therapy in inflammatory disease: cytokines].
Summarizing 15 years of therapeutic development of a discipline into a few lines is not an easy thing to do. There are many potential targets involved in the inflammatory of auto-immune diseases. Due to the development of biotherapies the choice has become larger, and it is now possible to target practically any molecule (cytokine, chemokine or surface receptor for example). Cytokines represent the first example of therapeutic target that played a major role in the revolution of our discipline. The first part of presentation will focus on the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFalpha, and interleukines 1 and 6). We shall then, detail the development of a new cytokinic target: BLyS (B lymphocyte stimulator) whose role in the autoimmune diseases appeared recently.


Expiratory flow limitation during exercise in COPD: detection by manual compression of the abdominal wall.
Manual compression of the abdomen (MCA) during spontaneous expiration is a simple method for the detection of flow limitation in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients during resting breathing, based on comparison of flow/volume curves obtained during MCA with that of the preceding control breath. It was assessed whether this nonstandardized technique is also feasible during exercise. MCA was performed during resting breathing and constant-exercise work at one- and two-thirds maximal mechanical power output (W'max) in six normal subjects and 12 COPD patients. Changes in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) were also studied. With the aid of inspection, abdominal palpation and lung auscultation, MCA could always be applied during expiration. Flow limitation was never detected in the six normal subjects, whereas four of the COPD patients were flow limited at rest, seven during exercise at one-third W'max and nine during exercise at two-thirds W'max. Expiratory flow limitation detected by MCA was always associated with an increase in EELV during exercise, indicating dynamic hyperinflation occurrence or increase. It is concluded that manual compression of the abdomen is a very simple and reliable method for the detection of flow limitation during exercise.


Patterns of self-reported drug use among secondary school students in Bendel State, Nigeria.
Based on a sample of nearly 1,500 secondary school students in Bendel State, Nigeria, this study shows that students disapprove of most forms of drug use among their peers and that very few of them actually use drugs. No clear evidence emerged for the use of heroin, morphine and cocaine. One finds, however, that chlordiazepoxide (Librium) and diazepam (Valium) are among the most frequently used drugs. One important finding is that there is a kind of "coalescence of drug use" in which certain drugs tend to go together.


Intravitreal ranibizumab for diabetic macular oedema in previously vitrectomized eyes.
There is little information about the efficacy of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition in vitrectomized eyes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anti-VEGF (ranibizumab) on diabetic macular oedema in previously vitrectomized eyes. A nationwide retrospective review of medical records from 2010 to 2013. We identified 33 previously vitrectomized eyes in 28 patients treated with ranibizumab injections for diabetic macular oedema. Median follow-up was 323 days (interquartile range 72-1404 days). Baseline mean visual acuity was 0.57 logMAR (95% CI 0.13-1.01) before injections. After an average of 4.7 injections (range 1-15), mean visual acuity remained stable at 0.54 logMAR (95% CI 0.13-0.95) with a mean improvement of 0.03 (p = 0. 45, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.06). In 12 eyes (36%), visual acuity improved 0.1 logMAR or more, in 12 eyes (36%), vision was unchanged (gain or loss of 0-0.05 logMAR), and in nine eyes (27%), vision decreased 0.1 logMAR or more. Mean central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan was 412 μm (95% CI 390-434 μm) before injections. After injections, the mean CFT decreased to 352 μm (95% CI 334-370 μm). The mean reduction in CFT was 14% (95% CI 4-24%, p = 0.01). Sixteen eyes (48.5%) became devoid of oedema on the last OCT scan. Despite the significant reduction in CFT, the visual acuity remained unchanged. Intravitreal ranibizumab can be effective in previously vitrectomized eyes with diabetic macular oedema. However, the response is variable and should be carefully monitored.


Repurposing approach identifies pitavastatin as a potent azole chemosensitizing agent effective against azole-resistant Candida species.
The limited number of antifungals and the rising frequency of azole-resistant Candida species are growing challenges to human medicine. Drug repurposing signifies an appealing approach to enhance the activity of current antifungal drugs. Here, we evaluated the ability of Pharmakon 1600 drug library to sensitize an azole-resistant Candida albicans to the effect of fluconazole. The primary screen revealed 44 non-antifungal hits were able to act synergistically with fluconazole against the test strain. Of note, 21 compounds, showed aptness for systemic administration and limited toxic effects, were considered as potential fluconazole adjuvants and thus were termed as "repositionable hits". A follow-up analysis revealed pitavastatin displaying the most potent fluconazole chemosensitizing activity against the test strain (ΣFICI 0.05) and thus was further evaluated against 18 isolates of C. albicans (n = 9), C. glabrata (n = 4), and C. auris (n = 5). Pitavastatin displayed broad-spectrum synergistic interactions with both fluconazole and voriconazole against ~89% of the tested strains (ΣFICI 0.05-0.5). Additionally, the pitavastatin-fluconazole combination significantly reduced the biofilm-forming abilities of the tested Candida species by up to 73%, and successfully reduced the fungal burdens in a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model by up to 96%. This study presents pitavastatin as a potent azole chemosensitizing agent that warrant further investigation.


"It Happens to Girls All the Time": Examining Sexual Assault Survivors' Reasons for Not Using Campus Supports.
Sexual assault is a prevalent problem in higher education, and despite the increasing availability of formal supports on college campuses, few sexual assault survivors use them. Experiencing sexual assault can have devastating consequences on survivors' psychological and educational wellbeing, which may intensify if survivors do not receive adequate care. Drawing from existing theoretical frameworks and empirical research, this study used a mixed methodological approach to examine why survivors did not use three key campus supports-the Title IX Office, the sexual assault center, and housing staff-and if these reasons differed across the three supports. Using data from 284 women who experienced sexual assault in college, our qualitative findings identified four overarching themes, including logistical issues (e.g., lacking time and knowledge), feelings, beliefs, and responses that made it seem unacceptable to use campus supports, judgments about the appropriateness of the support, and alternative methods of coping. Quantitative findings revealed that survivors' reasons for not seeking help differed across supports. Collectively, our findings suggest that community norms and institutional policies can make it challenging for survivors to use campus supports. We propose several suggestions for institutional change (e.g., taking a stronger stance against "less serious" forms of sexual assault, reducing a quasi-criminal justice approach to investigation and adjudication, limiting mandated reporting).


Performance of computed tomography versus chest radiography in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with and without diabetes at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Prior research suggests that diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with increasing risk for developing cavitary lung disease in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Additionally, chest computed tomography (CT) scan may be more sensitive than chest X-ray in detecting cavitary disease in such patients. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of chest CT to chest X-ray in detecting cavitary lung disease and to compare the frequency of cavities between TB patients with DM and without DM. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2004 to December 2015. We included patients aged 18 years and older with a positive sputum culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and their medical charts were reviewed from admission to discharge. Of the 133 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 38 (28.6%) patients were known to have DM and were compared with 95 (71.4%) patients without DM. DM patients with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >6.5% had significantly more cavitary lesions when compared to all patients (with or without DM) with HbA1c <6.4% and/or random blood sugar <200 mg/dL. Furthermore, CT was able to detect lung cavities in 58.8% of the patients who had negative chest X-ray findings for cavities. The presence of lung cavities was significantly associated with the presence of DM and levels of HbA1c in patients with pulmonary TB. CT scan in those with normal radiography increased the detection of cavities.


Cardiac transplantation for pediatric patients. With inoperable congenital heart disease.
Recent studies have reported the expanding use of transplantation as the definitive option for pediatric patients with inoperable congenital heart disease. This study compares perioperative risk factors and outcomes in pediatric patients who received heart transplants for congenital heart disease with those in pediatric patients who received heart transplants for cardiomyopathy. Retrospective data collected on 40 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing cardiac transplantation from 1 January 1990 through 31 January 1995 provided the following results: 26 patients with cardiomyopathy (mean age, 7.6 years) and 14 patients with congenital heart disease (mean age, 7.2 years) underwent heart transplantation. Between groups, no significant difference was detected in waiting time for a donor heart (cardiomyopathy = 85 days, range = 2 to 409; congenital heart disease = 126 days, range = 9 to 396; P = NS); in donor/recipient weight ratio (1.27 +/- 0.34 vs 1.27 +/- 0.28, P = NS); or in ischemic times (209 +/- 92 minutes vs 248 +/- 70 minutes, P = NS). Cardiopulmonary bypass times accounted for the only significant difference (73 +/- 21 minutes vs 102 +/- 29 minutes, P = 0.003). No significant difference was found in the number of infection episodes, total days hospitalized, rejection episodes, or incidence of transplant coronary artery disease. Forty-month actuarial survival was 88% +/- 6% and 92% +/- 7% for cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease transplant recipients, respectively (P = NS). We conclude that post-transplantation morbidity and mortality in patients with previous congenital heart disease are not significantly different from morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiomyopathy. Transplantation should be considered an acceptable therapeutic option for patients with congenital heart disease when surgical repair of the native heart is not possible.


Experimental Research on Badminton Teaching of Physical Education Major Based on Deep Learning in the Multimedia Environment.
There are many problems in the routine badminton teaching; there are mainly three aspects in college teaching. One is that the hardware equipment related to badminton is not enough; the second is that the badminton teaching does not meet the educational goals; the third is that the participation of college students is not high, which is no longer suitable for the current practical teaching. In order to improve the teaching method of badminton and improve the students' special performance of badminton, this paper studies the teaching of badminton based on multimedia environment. 82 students majoring in badminton were randomly divided into two classes. The experimental class (n = 41) used multimedia badminton teaching, and the control class (n = 41) used traditional badminton teaching, which lasted for one semester. Before and after the experiment, the students' physical fitness and badminton performance were tested. And the two classes of students were to send questionnaires to investigate interest in learning badminton and teaching satisfaction. The results of standing long jump, 50 m, and 800 m of the experimental class were improved by 0.2 m, 1.13s, and 16.25s, respectively. This shows that the physical quality and badminton performance of the experimental class under the multimedia environment are better than those of the control class under the general teaching. In the experimental class, 16 students are very interested in learning badminton, and 22 students are very satisfied with the multimedia teaching method; in the control class, only 9 students are very interested in learning badminton, and only 13 students are very satisfied with the traditional teaching method, which shows that the interest and satisfaction of students in the experimental class under the multimedia environment are higher than those in the control class under the traditional teaching.


The effect of adhesive strength of hydroxyapatite coating on the stability of hydroxyapatite-coated prostheses in vivo at the early stage of implantation.
With the increase in joint revision surgery after arthroplasty, defects of hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated prostheses have been observed increasingly often. These defects adversely affect the prosthetic stability in vivo. This study has analyzed the potential effect of the adhesive strength of HA coating on the stability of HA-coated prostheses in vivo after its implantation. Sixty experimental rabbits were divided into HA- and Ti-coated groups. HA-coated prostheses were implanted into the bilateral epicondyle of rabbits femurs. Ti-coated prostheses were implanted as control. At different time points(4, 9, and 15 weeks) after implantation, bone tissue samples were fetched out respectively for histomorphometric analysis. Push-out testing was used to detect the ultimate shear strength at the bone-prosthesis interface. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis were used to observe the changes in surface composition of the prostheses after the ultimate shear strength testing. The coating adhesive strength of two kinds of coatings were also examined by scratch testing. Hydroxyapatite coating has an obvious advantage in facilitating osteogenesis and its plays a critical role in the stability of prostheses. However, the ultimate shear strength of HA-coated prostheses is much lower than that of Ti-coated implants (p < 0.01). Further study has demonstrated that the stability of HA-coated prostheses in vivo is affected by the relatively low adhesive strength between coating and substrate. Obvious advantage in facilitating osteogenesis around HA-coated prostheses is not the only factor that determines the stability of prostheses in vivo.


Targeted Ultrasound-Triggered Phase Transition Nanodroplets for Her2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Gene Transfection.
For successful gene therapy, it is imperative to accumulate therapeutic gene in tumor tissues followed by efficiently delivering gene into targeted cells. Ultrasound irradiation, as a noninvasive and cost-effective external stimulus, has been proved to be one of the most potential external-stimulating gene delivery strategies recently in further improving gene transfection. In this study, we developed tumor-targeting ultrasound-triggered phase-transition nanodroplets AHNP-PFP-TNDs comprising a perfluorinated poly(amino acid) C11F17-PAsp (DET) as a core for simultaneously loading perfluoropentane (PFP) and nucleic acids, and a polyanionic polymer PGA-g-PEG-AHNP as the shell for not only modifying the surface of nanodroplets but also introducing an anti-Her2/neu peptide (AHNP) aiming to targeted treatment of Her2-overexpressing breast cancer. The results showed the average diameter of AHNP-PFP-TNDs was below 400 nm, nearly spherical in shape. The modification of PGA-g-PEG-AHNP not only increased the serum stability of the nanodroplets but also improved the affinity between nanodroplets and Her2-overexpressing breast cells. Both intratumor and intravenous injection of AHNP-PFP-TNDs into nude mice bearing HGC-27 xenografts showed that the gene transfection efficiency and the ultrasound contrast effect were significantly enhanced after exposed to the ultrasound irradiation with optimized ultrasound parameters. Therefore, this targeting nanodroplets system could be served as a potential theranostic vector for tumor targeting ultrasound diagnosis and gene therapy.


Effective psychosocial intervention for family caregivers lengthens time elapsed before nursing home placement of individuals with dementia: a five-year follow-up study.
This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention for family caregivers in delaying nursing home placement of individuals with dementia. The participants comprised 153 family caregivers of persons with dementia who underwent intervention and 155 family caregivers who did not. The intervention consisted of five weekly counselling sessions and a three-month conversation group. All patients with dementia underwent a standardized assessment of cognitive and functional ability. The degree of burden and the subjective health of family caregivers were assessed. Participation continued until the patient moved to a nursing home or died, or until five years of living at home had passed. There were significant delays (6 months) in nursing home placement, and a longer time at home for persons with dementia with adult children as caregivers in the intervention group compared to the control group at follow-up (p = 0.004). A greater delay of institutionalization was found where intervention-group caregivers were daughters (p = 0.028). The proportional hazards regression showed factors associated with nursing home placement to be the family caregiver's influence on intervention (OR = 1.55, p = 0.019), caregiver gender (OR = 0.66, p = 0.033) and the patient's severity of dementia (OR = 1.45, p = 0.002). Family caregiver intervention for adult children was significantly associated with prolonged time to nursing home placement.


[The neuroprotective effects of lesion and high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on the substantia nigra neurons].
To investigate the neuroprotective effects of lesion and high frequency stimulation(HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (SIN) on the substantia nigra pars compacta(SNc) neurons and its probable mechanism. The PD models were induced by unilateral administration of 6-hydroxydopamine into right substantia nigra in rats. After the high-frequence stimulation to SIN and injection of ibotenic acid to STN on PD rats, the changes of behavior were observed. The substantia nigra neurons were detected by using special-dyeing, TUNEL techniques and immunohistochemistry methods. In the stimulation group, the apoptotic rate was significantly lower than PD model group and lesion group (P < 0.05). Compared with normal rats, model group and lesion one had the similar results of expression of Bcl-2, Bax and their ratio, which were lower expression of Bcl-2, higher expression of Bax and the decrease of their ratio (P < 0.05). In the stimulation group, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax were much higher than model group and lesion group. The number of apoptotic neurons of rats in lesion group was smaller than model ones (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in expression of Bcl-2, Bax and their ratio (P > 0.05). Lesion or HFS of STN have the neuroprotective effects on SNc neurons of PD rats, and HFS has a better long-term effect.


Crosstalk between the AMP-activated kinase and insulin signaling pathways rescues murine blastocyst cells from insulin resistance.
Maternal insulin resistance results in poor pregnancy outcomes. In vivo and in vitro exposure of the murine blastocyst to high insulin or IGF1 results in the down-regulation of the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R). This in turn leads to decreased glucose uptake, increased apoptosis, as well as pregnancy resorption and growth restriction. Recent studies have shown that blastocyst activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) reverses these detrimental effects; however, the mechanism was not clear. The objective of this study was to determine how AMPK activation rescues the insulin-resistant blastocyst. Using trophoblast stem (TS) cells derived from the blastocyst, insulin resistance was recreated by transfecting with siRNA to Igf1r and down-regulating expression of the protein. These cells were then exposed to AMPK activators 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside and phenformin, and evaluated for apoptosis, insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake, PI3-kinase activity, and levels of phospho-AKT, phospho-mTor, and phospho-70S6K. Surprisingly, disrupted insulin signaling led to decreased AMPK activity in TS cells. Activators reversed these effects by increasing the AMP/ATP ratio. Moreover, this treatment increased insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose transport and cell survival, and led to an increase in PI3-kinase activity, as well as increased P-mTOR and p70S6K levels. This study is the first to demonstrate significant crosstalk between the AMPK and insulin signaling pathways in embryonic cells, specifically the enhanced response of PI3K/AKT/mTOR to AMPK activation. Decreased insulin signaling also resulted in decreased AMPK activation. These findings provide mechanistic targets in the AMPK signaling pathway that may be essential for improved pregnancy success in insulin-resistant states.


Nut consumption among U.S. adults, 2009-2010.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2010. Almost 40% (38.2%) of adults consumed nuts on a given day. More non-Hispanic white (43.6%) than non-Hispanic black (23.7%) or Hispanic (25.5%) adults consumed nuts. Approximately 80% of nuts consumed (84.0% by men and 79.7% by women) were nuts or seeds as single-item foods or nut butters.


[The patient with functional dyspepsia and his/her response to therapy].
We studied during 12 months in the Centro de Especialidades Médicas "Esperanza Macarena" 997 patients with functional dyspepsia (324 males and 673 females) with a mean age of 37.4 and 42.6 years respectively. Patients with any organic disease, including diabetes, were excluded from the study. After completing the study we conclude that patients with functional dyspepsia constitute a large group of patients in gastroenterology clinics, that require multiple diagnostic tests, at great cost and scarce therapeutic successes. Only 36.5 percent of all patients had a good treatment response, most being under 40 years of age and with a relatively high cultural level. Therapeutic response depended on age, sex and social level. The best pharmacological results were obtained with cisapride (10 mg before meals).


[Studies on trigonometric transform enhancement of chest radiograph based on its anatomical feature].
In this paper, we present a novel trigonometric transform contrast enhancement method for digital chest radiograph, which is based on the anatomical feature of the image processed. With automatic segmenting chest image into a lung region and a non-chest region, a positive linear transform and a negative one are used in lung region and the other region respectively. Therefore, it can enhance the contrast both in lung regions and in mediastinum region up to entire dynamic range of display device.


Internal involvement in localized scleroderma.
We studied 76 consecutive patients with localized scleroderma (morphea with or without linear scleroderma) and analyzed the frequency, prognosis, and predictors of internal involvement in a subset of 53 patients systematically investigated for the presence of such involvement. Internal involvement was found by systematic examination in 16 patients. Only 2 of them, including 1 patient who developed systemic scleroderma, had symptomatic and severe visceral disease. The other 14 patients had asymptomatic and minor abnormalities consisting of abnormal lower sphincter pressure, and/or peristaltic failure in the esophagus and slightly impaired carbon monoxide diffusion in the lung. Frequent seroimmunologic abnormalities had no predictive value. Three parameters were found to be associated with internal involvement: male gender (p < 0.05), increasing number of plaque-like lesions (p = 0.02) and hypergamma-globulinemia at 1st examination (p < 0.005). Mild esophageal and pulmonary involvement are not rare in morphea but are usually silent. In our series, after a median follow-up of 48 months, such involvement did not impair the prognosis. The mildness of these visceral abnormalities suggests that they do not justify routine detection in asymptomatic patients. Morphea and systemic scleroderma behave as 2 different diseases.


Detector of UV light chirality based on a diamond metasurface.
Circularly polarized light (CPL) finds diverse applications in fields such as quantum communications, quantum computing, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, polarization imaging, and sensing. However, conventional techniques for detecting CPL face challenges related to equipment miniaturization, system integration, and high-speed operation. In this study, we propose a novel design that addresses these limitations by employing a quarter waveplate constructed from a diamond metasurface, in combination with a linear polarizer crafted from metallic aluminum. The diamond array, with specific dimensions (a = 84 nm, b = 52 nm), effectively transforms left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized light into two orthogonally linearly polarized beams who have a polarization degree of approximately 0.9. The aluminum linear polarizer then selectively permits the transmission of these transformed linearly polarized beams.Our proposed design showcases remarkable circular dichroism performance at a wavelength of 280 nm, concurrently maintaining high transmittance and achieving a substantial extinction ratio of 25. Notably, the design attains an ultraviolet wavelength transmission efficiency surpassing 80%. Moreover, our design incorporates a rotation mechanism that enables the differentiation of linearly polarized light and singly circularly polarized light. In essence, this innovative design introduces a fresh paradigm for ultraviolet circularly polarized light detection, offering invaluable insights and references for applications in polarization detection, imaging, biomedical diagnostics, and circular dichroic spectroscopy.


Enterprise digital assistants: the progression of wireless clinical computing.
By virtue of increasingly pervasive wireless connectivity, the proliferation of wireless handheld devices in clinical care is rapidly transforming the concept of the personal digital assistant (PDA) to the enterprise digital assistant (EDA). Wireless handheld devices are becoming extensions of the central hospital information system, in which it's understood that the health care enterprise, not the clinician carrying the information-dispensing device, owns the data. The practical implication for clinicians is that, despite the potential long-term benefits of seamless, just-in-time clinical data access, this paradigm shift portends decreased efficiency in the short term, as clinicians duplicate clinical data collection on private devices. Assuming eventual clinician acceptance, EDAs can form the basis of a national real-time clinical data acquisition system that ensures uniform prescribing, decision support, and diagnosis, and the means for tracking unusual disease presentation patterns that could be indicative of bioterrorism or natural disease outbreaks.


Scaling effects on metabolism of a teleost.
Scaling effects on citrate synthase (CS), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6-PDH), RNA. RNA/DNA ratio and protein contents of brain, liver and skeletal muscle were studied in a teleost, Clarias batrachus. The activity of white skeletal muscle CS decreased significantly as a function of increasing body mass of the fish. It shows that the fulfilment of energy demand in white skeletal muscle is not dependent on aerobic metabolism. The activity of liver G6-PDH decreased with the increasing body mass showing reduction in NADPH generation for lipogenic activity. However, increase in G6-PDH activity showed enhancement in reductive synthesis in skeletal muscle of the larger-sized individuals. A positive scaling of RNA, RNA/DNA ratio and protein contents reflects changes in macromolecular turnover for ATP-supplying enzymes and proteins.


[The effect of choleragen poisoning on the intestinal apudocytes of gnotobiotic minipigs].
Intragastric administration of the cholera toxin to gnotobiotic mini-pigs results in cyclic morphofunctional alterations of intestinal apudocytes followed by their degranulation, a decrease in their number from 1 to 3 hrs and after 18 hrs, while a slight increase in their number occurred from 3 to 12 hrs. The response of APUD-system cells is similar in large and small intestine. Products of apudocyte secretion may be involved in the diarrheogenic effect of the cholera toxin.


THE LACK OF SELECTIVE REINCORPORATION INTO TISSUE PROTEIN OF THE AMINO ACIDS DERIVED FROM THE CATABOLISM OF SERUM PROTEIN.
Homologous S(35)-labeled albumin, gamma globulin, and alpha-beta globulin were transfused into rabbits and the specific activities of the electrophoretic fractions of the sera of the recipients were determined at various time intervals up to 12 days after injection. Detectable reincorporation into a fraction other than that transfused was found only in the gamma globulin fraction after albumin injection. This activity rose between 2 and 12 days and reached a level of 2 to 3 per cent of the extrapolated zero time activity of the albumin fraction. When homologous serum protein doubly labeled with I(131) and S(35) was transfused into mice, marked drops in the ratios of I(131) to S(35) in the serum and tissue proteins were observed between 1 and 48 hours after injection. On the basis of a determination of the absolute and relative amounts of I(131) and S(35) found in the various tissue and serum proteins, the amount of reincorporation of S(35) into each protein was calculated. The relative amounts of reincorporation of S(35) among the various tissues were remarkably similar to the relative amounts of incorporation of S(35) after the injection of labeled free amino acids. It is concluded that serum protein does not form a major direct source of amino acids to the tissues but feeds them indirectly through the extracellular pool.


The rabbit as an experimental model for biopharmaceutical studies following rectal administration of theophylline.
In order to find a suitable animal model for biopharmaceutical studies after rectal application of theophylline, the pharmacokinetics of theophylline following the administration in rabbits of three different rectal preparations were examined and compared with those of the oral and i. v. route. No significant formulation related impact from the studied rectal dosage forms on the bioavailability of the drug was found. However, the unexpected rapid achievement of peak serum concentration after insertion of the suppository lacked any correlation with human experiments. It was concluded that the evaluation of rectal theophylline medication for man cannot directly be based on the data obtained from rabbits.


Evaluation of the performance of a new continuous spheronizer.
This study aims to evaluate the performance of a new continuous spheronizer with multiple concentric chambers. The characteristics of the pellets produced in the different chambers (moisture content, mechanical strength, density, sphericity, size, release of a drug) were compared by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), when different times of spheronization and chambers were considered. The statistical analysis has shown that both the diameter of the chambers and the time of spheronization affected the properties of the pellets, and, thus, they must be considered when the spheronizer is used. To minimize these effects all the forming pellets should be processed in all chambers for a defined period of time.


Psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak on health workers in a university hospital in Turkey.
We investigated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality and affecting factors on healthcare workers (HWs) without secondary trauma thus far in the period between the first cases in Turkey and the arrival of the first case in ahospital. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 169 HWs. We used Impact of Event Scale (IES-R), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for assessment. The mean age of HWs was 33.9±6.9 years and 56.2% were males. Of the HWs; 20.7% were nurses, 33.7% doctors and 45.6% staff members. IES-R classified the HWs as follows: 15.4% of them were affected mildly, 4.7% moderately and 9.5% of them were affected severely. 42.6% of HWs had apoor sleep quality. This study shows that how HWs were affected when the outbreak had not yet reached the hospital in which they work. In total, 29.6% of the HWs were psychologically affected by mild to severe levels from the outbreak in this period. The most prevalent psychological impact was poor sleep quality. Psychological impact on HWs may have begun before the outbreak reached the hospitals; therefore, necessary measures should be taken as early as possible.


Hepatocyte HSPA12A inhibits macrophage chemotaxis and activation to attenuate liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via suppressing glycolysis-mediated HMGB1 lactylation and secretion of hepatocytes.
Rationale: Liver ischemia-reperfusion (LI/R) injury is characterized by two interconnected phases: local ischemia that causes hepatic cell damage to release damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMPs), and DAMPs that recruit immune cells to elicit inflammatory cascade for further injury of hepatocytes. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a representative DAMP. Studies in macrophages demonstrated that HMGB1 is secreted after lactylation during sepsis. However, whether lactylation mediates HMGB1 secretion from hepatocytes after LI/R is known. Heat shock protein A12A (HSPA12A) is an atypical member of HSP70 family. Methods: Gene expression was examined by microarray analysis and immunoblotting. The hepatic injury was analyzed using released ALT and AST activities assays. Hepatic macrophage chemotaxis was evaluated by Transwell chemotaxis assays. Inflammatory mediators were evaluated by immunoblotting. HMGB1 secretion was examined in exosomes or serum. HMGB1 lactylation was determined using immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Results: Here, we report that LI/R decreased HSPA12A expression in hepatocytes, while hepatocyte-specific HSPA12A overexpression attenuated LI/R-induced hepatic dysfunction and mortality of mice. We also noticed that hepatocyte HSPA12A overexpression suppressed macrophage chemotaxis to LI/R-exposed livers in vivo and to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-exposed hepatocytes in vitro. The LI/R-increased serum HMGB1 levels of mice and the H/R-increased HMGB1 lactylation and secretion levels of hepatocytes were also inhibited by hepatocyte HSPA12A overexpression. By contrast, HSPA12A knockout in hepatocytes promoted not only H/R-induced HMGB1 lactylation and secretion of hepatocytes but also the effects of H/R-hepatocytes on macrophage chemotaxis and inflammatory activation, while all these deleterious effects of HSPA12A knockout were reversed following hepatocyte HMGB1 knockdown. Further molecular analyses showed that HSPA12A overexpression reduced glycolysis-generated lactate, thus decreasing HMGB1 lactylation and secretion from hepatocytes, thereby inhibiting not only macrophage chemotaxis but also the subsequent inflammatory cascade, which ultimately protecting against LI/R injury. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that hepatocyte HSPA12A is a novel regulator that protects livers from LI/R injury by suppressing glycolysis-mediated HMGB1 lactylation and secretion from hepatocytes to inhibit macrophage chemotaxis and inflammatory activation. Therefore, targeting hepatocyte HSPA12A may have therapeutic potential in the management of LI/R injury in patients.


Targeting cancer stem cells with monoclonal antibodies: a new perspective in cancer therapy and diagnosis.
This review discusses some of the impacts that biotechnology, genomics and nanotechnology convergence should have on future cancer management, in particular, the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and cancer stem cells. Emergent therapeutic strategies in cancer have been focusing on the use of mAbs to stimulate an immune response against tumors, to block signaling pathways, or to refine delivery of cytotoxic agents. Now that cancer stem cells are being identified and characterized in different tumor types, their relevance to cancer physiopathology is becoming evident, making them natural targets for mAb development. Cancer stem cells are postulated to be responsible for tumor development, metastasis and relapse after conventional therapies. Therefore, mAbs targeting specific antigens and related pathways altered in cancer stem cells should facilitate earlier diagnosis through molecular imaging techniques and more efficient destruction of tumor initiating cells, thus improving clinical outcome.


Otiorhynchus sulcatus, an autopolyploid general-purpose genotype species?
The weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus is a pest species that has spread rapidly to large parts of the world due to human activities. O. sulcatus is extremely polyphagous and found to attack a large number of agricultural and horticultural plant species despite that all individuals are clonal triploid females. I here compare the genetical variation in specimens from various parts of the distribution using both mtDNA and nuclear DNA. The genetical markers employed indicate O. sulcatus to be an evolutionary young clonal species of non-hybrid origin. The extreme polyphagy and ecological success indicate that these weevils may well be a prime example of general purpose genotypes.


Biomarkers identification by a combined clinical and metabonomics analysis in Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis children.
In children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), the severity of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is considered responsible for the prognosis of HSP. The pathological process from HSP to HSPN is not clear yet and current diagnostic tools have shortcomings in accurate diagnosis of HSPN. This study aims to assess clinical characteristics of HSP and HSPN, to identify metabolic perturbations involved in HSP progress, and to combine metabolic biomarkers and clinical features into a better prediction for HSPN. A total of 162 children were recruited, including 109 HSP patients and 53 healthy children (HC). The clinical characteristics were compared between HSPN and HSP without nephritis (HSPWN). The serum metabonomics analysis was performed to determine the metabolic differences in HSP and HC. Among 109 HSP children, 57 progressed to HSPN. The increased D-dimer level was significantly associated with renal damage in HSP. The metabonomic profiles revealed alterations between various subgroups of HSP and HC, making it possible to investigate small-molecule metabolites related to the pathological process of HSP. In total, we identified 9 biomarkers for HSP vs. HC, 7 for HSPWN vs. HC, 9 for HSPN vs. HC, and 3 for HSPN vs. HSPWN. (S)-3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, p-Cresol sulfate, and 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-pentyl-2-furanpropanoic acid were found associated with the progress of HSP to HSPN. Moreover, resulting biomarkers, when combined with D-dimer, allowed improving the HSPN prediction with high sensitivity (94.7%) and specificity (80.8%). Together these findings highlighted the strength of the combination of metabonomics and clinical analysis in the research of HSP.


Tuberculosis skin testing, anergy and protein malnutrition in Peru.
Malnutrition and intestinal parasites cause immunosuppression. This may cause false-negative tuberculin skin tests (TST) and failure to identify tuberculosis (TB) infection. To assess factors associated with TST positivity and anergy in disadvantaged communities in Peru. A study of 212 randomly selected adults: 102 in a rural Amazonian village and 110 shanty town residents in urban Lima. Respectively 52% and 53% of urban and rural jungle populations were TST-positive. Using simultaneous tetanus and candida skin tests, 99% had at least one positive skin test. Generalised anergy was therefore rare, despite frequent intestinal parasitic infection, including 34% helminth infection prevalence in the jungle. TST positivity was associated with age (P = 0.001), known TB contact (P = 0.02) and poor household ventilation (P = 0.007). TST positivity was not significantly associated with crowding, reported past TB, single/multiple BCG vaccination, income, intestinal parasites, dietary factors, body mass index or body fat. Individuals with lower anthropometric body protein, as measured by corrected arm muscle area, were less likely to be TST-positive (P = 0.02), implying that protein malnutrition caused tuberculin-specific anergy. These results identify the importance of household ventilation for community TB transmission and add to the evidence that protein malnutrition suppresses TB immunity, causing false-negative TST results.


Apical bearing and success with the Bausch and Lomb Soflens (polymacon) contact lens.
Thirty-three patients (63 eyes) were fitted with Bausch and Lomb soflens (polymacon) contact lenses. The initial lenses were selected with the mean posterior apical radius 0.45 mm flatter than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea (S.D. = +/-0.31 MM). Forty-eight eyes (76%) were successfully fitted and 15 eyes (25%) were unsuccessfully fitted. Among the successfully fitted eyes, 31 were fitted with the initial lens, 12 required steeper lenses, and 5 required flatter lenses. The final successfully fitted lenses were on the average 0.40 mm flatter (S.D. = +/-0.32 mm) than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea. The unsuccessfully fitted lenses were not significantly different than the successfully fitted lenses, being 0.47 mm flatter (S.D. = +/-O.32 mm) than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea. Although the central lens-cornea relationship is helpful in fitting the Soflens, the number of successful results are increased significantly by changing to a lens with different parameters when lens performance and patient response are not optimal.


Dynamic regulation of small RNAome during the early stage of cardiac differentiation from pluripotent embryonic stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells (mESCs), having potential to differentiate into three germ-layer cells including cardiomyocytes, shall be a perfect model to help understanding heart development. Here, using small RNA deep sequencing, we studied the small RNAome in the early stage of mouse cardiac differentiation. We found that the expression pattern of most microRNA (miRNA) were highly enriched at the beginning and declined thereafter, some were still insufficiently expressed on day 6, and most miRNAs recovered in the following days. When pluripotent embryonic stem cells are differentiating to cardiomyocytes, targeted genes are concentrated on TGF, WNT and cytoskeletal remodeling pathway. The pathway and network of dynamically changed target genes of the miRNAs at different time points were also investigated. Furthermore, we demonstrated that small rDNA-derived RNAs (srRNAs) were significantly up-regulated during differentiation, especially in stem cells. The pathways of srRNAs targeted genes were also presented. We described the existence and the differential expression of transfer RNA (tRNA), Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) and Endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs) in this process. This study reports the genome-wide small RNAome profile, and provides a uniquely comprehensive view of the small RNA regulatory network that governs embryonic stem cell differentiation and cardiac development.


Characterization of microsatellites in Bambusa arundinacea and cross species amplification in other bamboos.
Microsatellites, tandem repeats of short nucleotide (1-6 bp) sequences, are the DNA marker of choice because of their highly polymorphic, ubiquitous distribution within genome, ease of genotyping through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), selectively neutral, co-dominant and multi allelic nature. Six microsatellites, three polymorphic and three monomorphic, have been characterized for the first time in a bamboo species, Bambusa arudinacea belonging to the family Poaceae. The number of alleles per locus ranges form 2 to 13. Allelic diversity ranges from 0.041 to 0.870. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values for two loci were > 0.3, an indicator of polymorphic allele. Cross species amplification has been tested in other 18 bamboo species. Monomorphic simple sequence repeats (SSRs) have been found to be cross amplified in most of the tested species while polymorphic ones in only three to four species. The utility of the SSR loci in genetic diversity study of B. arundinacea and other cross amplified bamboo species have been discussed.


Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the ankle in long-standing untreated acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans.
Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) represents the persistent late stage of borreliosis in which Borrelia species may survive for decades. Occasionally, B-cell lymphoma may develop in these patients, and additional neoplastic complications such as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have been reported once each over the past 60 years. Here we describe, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of metastatic SCC in a European patient with long-standing ACA caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Our case highlights a potential pathophysiological connection of untreated Borrelia infection with the initiation or progression of SCC and should alert dermatologists to this rare complication.


The effect of forward scattered light on the extinction of aerosols in a White type optical cell.
Photons are traced through a simplified White type cell to determine the adjustment to compensate for detected forward scattered light in measuring aerosol optical depth. Verification is performed by comparing the optical depth determined from optical extinction with that calculated from the measured concentration of monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres. As the adjustments derived for representative urban and marine aerosols are similar to or larger than those required for the PSL spheres, forward scattered light needs to be considered for real world conditions with our instrument. Although the described adjustment is specific to this instrument, it is shown that it may be significant for other detection geometries.


Rabbit Clinical Pathology.
With rabbit patients, as in other species, analyzing blood and urine samples can be useful and informative, although interpretation of the results is sometimes challenging. This article summarizes the interpretation of laboratory results from rabbits. Hematological parameters can yield information about the red blood cell population and leukocyte response to stress and pathogens. Biochemistry evaluation can be used to investigate liver, kidney, and other organ function, and urinalysis results may yield additional information about kidney function and electrolyte imbalances. Serological tests are available for several pathogens of rabbits, including Encephalitozoon cuniculi, although the significance of positive results and antibody titers is not clear. Serum protein electrophoresis aids the understanding of protein disorders and the immune response to acute and chronic inflammation.


[Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with intracorporeal creation of a continent urinary diversion. Future or present?].
Once laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has been mastered, the step to performing a radical cystectomy is not that far. The challenge is to create the urinary diversion by laparoscopy. In this report we describe our experience with 11 laparoscopic radical cystectomies and intracorporeal construction of a continent urinary diversion (Mainz pouch II) as a treatment option in patients with muscle-invading bladder cancer. All 11 procedures could be performed successfully. A conversion to open surgery was not required in any case. The mean surgery time was 6.7 h. Except for two pouch fistulas we did not observe any intra- or postoperative complications. The functional as well as the oncological results are convincing. Less morbidity and faster recovery are the main advantages of this minimally invasive procedure. In addition, the low levels of blood loss, fluid shifts, and electrolyte loss considerably reduce cardiovascular stress. Radical cystectomy and construction of a continent urinary diversion represent the limit of technically feasible laparoscopy and should be done exclusively in specialized centers.


[Systematic review of new protease inhibitors interactions: telaprevir and boceprevir].
The new protease inhibitors (PIs), telaprevir and boceprevir, with peginterferon and ribavirin, have increased the response rate in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. Both are metabolized by CYP3A and they are CYP3A inhibitors. Furthermore, they are substrates, also telaprevir is an inhibitor, for P-glycoprotein. Our aim is to analyze the interactions between these IPs and other medications. We performed a systematic review in PubMed and Cochrane database and in conference abstracts of the last 2-5 years. Another search was performed in Medline to check efficacy clinical trials in phase II and III, in Micromedex database and in label information. In PubMed we found two Phase I clinical trials; we did not find any article in the Cochrane database. 14 conference abstracts were selected, mainly there are phase I studies. In the free search in PubMed was located an in vitro / in vivo preclinical study which analyzed the co-administration of IPs and ritonavir. In phase II and III clinical trials, there was no mention about interactions. Currently, there are pharmacokinetic Phase I studies about the interaction between PIs and representative drugs (potent inducers, potent inhibitors, high protein binding drugs, etc.), but the evidence of these interactions is contradictory. Its incorporation into the therapeutic have to take into account the possibility of complex interactions and not entirely known, about their mechanism of action, which might compromise its effectiveness or increase its toxicity.


Sad Facial Expressions Increase Choice Blindness.
Previous studies have discovered a fascinating phenomenon known as choice blindness-individuals fail to detect mismatches between the face they choose and the face replaced by the experimenter. Although previous studies have reported a couple of factors that can modulate the magnitude of choice blindness, the potential effect of facial expression on choice blindness has not yet been explored. Using faces with sad and neutral expressions (Experiment 1) and faces with happy and neutral expressions (Experiment 2) in the classic choice blindness paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of facial expressions on choice blindness. The results showed that the detection rate was significantly lower on sad faces than neutral faces, whereas no significant difference was observed between happy faces and neutral faces. The exploratory analysis of verbal reports found that participants who reported less facial features for sad (as compared to neutral) expressions also tended to show a lower detection rate of sad (as compared to neutral) faces. These findings indicated that sad facial expressions increased choice blindness, which might have resulted from inhibition of further processing of the detailed facial features by the less attractive sad expressions (as compared to neutral expressions).