Thermal regime, predation danger and the early marine exit of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka.
Marine exit timing of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka populations on the Haida Gwaii Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada, is described, with specific focus on Copper Creek. Marine exit in Copper Creek occurs > 130 days prior to spawning, one of the longest adult freshwater residence periods recorded for any O. nerka population. Copper Creek presents an easy upstream migration, with mild water temperatures (7 to 14° C), short distance (13·1 km) and low elevation gain (41 m) to the lake where fish hold prior to spawning. An energetic model estimates that <1% of the initial energy reserve is required for upstream migration, compared with 62% for lake holding and 38% for reproductive development. Historical records suggest that it is unlikely that water temperature in any of the O.nerka streams in Haida Gwaii has ever exceeded the presumed temperature threshold (19° C) for early marine exit. Although it is not impossible that the thermal tolerance of Copper Creek O.nerka is very low, the data presented here appear inconsistent with thermal avoidance as an explanation for the early marine exit timing in Copper Creek and in three other populations on the archipelago with early marine exit.


Effects of Very Low Dose Fast Neutrons on Cell Membrane And Secondary Protein Structure in Rat Erythrocytes.
The effects of ionizing radiation on biological cells have been reported in several literatures. Most of them were mainly concerned with doses greater than 0.01 Gy and were also concerned with gamma rays. On the other hand, the studies on very low dose fast neutrons (VLDFN) are rare. In this study, we have investigated the effects of VLDFN on cell membrane and protein secondary structure of rat erythrocytes. Twelve female Wistar rats were irradiated with neutrons of total dose 0.009 Gy (241Am-Be, 0.2 mGy/h) and twelve others were used as control. Blood samples were taken at the 0, 4th, 8th, and 12th days postirradiation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of rat erythrocytes were recorded. Second derivative and curve fitting were used to analysis FTIR spectra. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to classify group spectra. The second derivative and curve fitting of FTIR spectra revealed that the most significant alterations in the cell membrane and protein secondary structure upon neutron irradiation were detected after 4 days postirradiation. The increase in membrane polarity, phospholipids chain length, packing, and unsaturation were noticed from the corresponding measured FTIR area ratios. This may be due to the membrane lipid peroxidation. The observed band shift in the CH2 stretching bands toward the lower frequencies may be associated with the decrease in membrane fluidity. The curve fitting of the amide I revealed an increase in the percentage area of α-helix opposing a decrease in the β-structure protein secondary structure, which may be attributed to protein denaturation. The results provide detailed insights into the VLDFN effects on erythrocytes. VLDFN can cause an oxidative stress to the irradiated erythrocytes, which appears clearly after 4 days postirradiation.


Retrospective Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Pyrotinib-Based Therapy for HER2-Positive Nonbreast Advanced Solid Tumors.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a member of the large ErbB family and an important oncogene in many solid tumors. Pyrotinib has been approved for the treatment of HER2-positive, recurrent, or metastatic breast cancer. However, there are very few clinical studies on pyrotinib in other HER2-positive solid tumors. Therefore, more evidence of clinical research is impendently needed to shepherd pyrotinib-based therapy in HER2-positive nonbreast advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of HER2-positive nonbreast advanced solid tumors patients with HER2 amplification or mutations who were administered with pyrotinib-based therapy in Henan Cancer Hospital between July 1, 2019, and December 2, 2021. In our research, 25 eligible patients were included with 16 patients with lung cancer, 6 patients with gastric cancer, 2 patients with colorectal cancer, and 1 patient with cholangiocarcinoma. Progression-free survival (PFS) is our main research end point. The median PFS was 188 days (95% CI: 83-not reached (NR)), and overall survival (OS) was 250 days (95% CI: 188-NR), respectively. 16 patients with lung cancer had a median PFS of 204 days (95% CI: 55-NR) and 6 patients with gastric cancer had PFS of 142 days (95% CI: 83-NR), respectively. The median OS was 366 days (95% CI: 248-NR) in patients with lung cancer and 179 days (95% CI: 90-NR) in patients with gastric cancer. The median PFS and OS of patients receiving >3 line treatment were lower than those receiving ≤3 line treatment (PFS: 188 days vs 204 days, p = 0.92; OS: 188 days vs 366 days, p = 0.43). All 25 patients can be evaluated. The objective response rate (ORR) was 24%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 68%. Lung cancer ORR was 25%, and gastric cancer ORR was 16.7%. In addition, the DCR of lung cancer was 62.5% and that of gastric cancer was 66.7%. In addition, the ORR and DCR of patients receiving treatment ≤3 lines were higher than those receiving treatment >3 lines (ORR: 35.7% vs 9.1%, p = 0.18; DCR: 71.4% vs 63.6%, p > 0.99). The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were diarrhea (84%), but only 3 patients (12%) reported grade 3 diarrhea with good control. These results show that in HER2-positive nonbreast advanced solid tumors, the treatment based on pyrotinib regimen has good antitumor activity and acceptable safety. This retrospective study aims to promote larger clinical studies to further clarify the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in the treatment of nonbreast solid tumors.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa and cystic fibrosis: correlation between exoenzyme production and patient's clinical state.
In this study, we investigated the correlation between the production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates of four exoenzymes (protease, elastase, neuraminidase, and phospholipase C (PLC)) and the clinical state of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We studied 212 P. aeruginosa isolates from 22 CF patients chronically infected with this bacterium. Patients were classified into three clinical groups according to a modified Shwachman-Kulczycki-Khaw (SKK) scoring system. The production of enzymes by isolates from patients in the three populations was analyzed and compared using four statistical tests: chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, principal component analysis, and discriminant analysis. Isolates from patients with excellent or good clinical status (group I, SKK score >/=71) had higher elastase and neuraminidase activities than isolates from the other patients. In contrast, PLC activity, a common characteristic of CF isolates, was higher in isolates from patients with poor or weak clinical status (group III, SKK score </=55). PLC also appeared to be the best parameter for differentiating between groups I and III. Enzyme production was highly variable in group II isolates (SKK score, 56-70). Our results suggest that P. aeruginosa isolates from patients with good clinical status produce large amounts of neuraminidase, and that PLC production may be involved in the decrease in pulmonary function.


Phleborheographic technique for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities.
There has been further experience with a new plethysmographic technique for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity. Now called phleborheography, this technique is highly practical and noninvasive and can be conveniently performed in the laboratory, at the bedside or in the office of the physician by a technician. Interpretation of the permanent tracing may be learned by a physician in a short period of time. Since development of a new specifically designed instrument, the accuracy of the test is approximately 96 per cent when correlatewith phlebography.


A Longitudinal Empirical Investigation of the Pathways Model of Problem Gambling.
The pathways model of problem gambling suggests the existence of three developmental pathways to problem gambling, each differentiated by a set of predisposing biopsychosocial characteristics: behaviorally conditioned (BC), emotionally vulnerable (EV), and biologically vulnerable (BV) gamblers. This study examined the empirical validity of the Pathways Model among adolescents followed up to early adulthood. A prospective-longitudinal design was used, thus overcoming limitations of past studies that used concurrent or retrospective designs. Two samples were used: (1) a population sample of French-speaking adolescents (N = 1033) living in low socio-economic status (SES) neighborhoods from the Greater Region of Montreal (Quebec, Canada), and (2) a population sample of adolescents (N = 3017), representative of French-speaking students in Quebec. Only participants with at-risk or problem gambling by mid-adolescence or early adulthood were included in the main analysis (n = 180). Latent Profile Analyses were conducted to identify the optimal number of profiles, in accordance with participants' scores on a set of variables prescribed by the Pathways Model and measured during early adolescence: depression, anxiety, impulsivity, hyperactivity, antisocial/aggressive behavior, and drug problems. A four-profile model fit the data best. Three profiles differed from each other in ways consistent with the Pathways Model (i.e., BC, EV, and BV gamblers). A fourth profile emerged, resembling a combination of EV and BV gamblers. Four profiles of at-risk and problem gamblers were identified. Three of these profiles closely resemble those suggested by the Pathways Model.


[Hormonal contraception and lupus].
The choice of an optimal contraceptive method (OC) therapy is a significant problem in female SLE patients. In view of the influence of sex hormones on the evolution of SLE, oral contraceptive (OC) therapy has to be efficient, reversible and safe, without aggravating disease activity and causing metabolic and vascular side effects. Ethinyl estradiol-containing preparations, even at 30 micrograms/day, have been shown to trigger a crisis or unmask SLE, and they exert adverse metabolic and vascular effects. Therefore, combination estrogen-progestogen compounds must be avoided in women with SLE. Pure progestogen OC preparations do not stimulate SLE activity, but norsteroids have harmful metabolic effects and microprogestogens are not sufficiently reliable. In light of the decreased level of plasma androgens in female SLE patients, an attempt to modulate the hormonal milieu by lowering the estrogen to androgen ratio, while ensuring contraception was attempted using cyproterone acetate. This agent markedly lowered plasma estrogens and was effective and well tolerated, but its long-term effect on bone mineralization remains to be evaluated. Chlormadinone acetate, a 17-OH progesterone derivative, was proven effective and devoid of any metabolic or vascular side effects, and should be recommended as the safest routine OC therapy in women with SLE.


Anatomical study of blood supply to the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig.
The aim of this study was to describe the arterial arrangement of the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig. The study was carried out on 20 adult English self guinea pigs using corrosion and dissection technique. Batson's corrosion casting kit no. 17(©) was used as a casting medium. The origin of the ventral spinal artery from the left vertebral artery was found on average in 35% of the cases and from the right vertebral artery on average in 40% of the cases. The ventral spinal artery with origin from the anastomosis of two medial branches was found on average in 25% of the cases. The presence of ventral radicular branches of rami spinales entering the ventral spinal artery in the cervical region was observed in 42% of the cases on the right side and in 58% of the cases on the left side. The presence of dorsal radicular branches of rami spinales that reached the spinal cord was observed in 63% of the cases on the left side and in 37% of the cases on the right side. The number of radicular branches supplying the spinal cord is greater in guinea pig than in humans.


Minimal residual disease monitoring in multiple myeloma.
Traditionally, response to treatment in multiple myeloma has been measured by the serum or urinary paraprotein and the percentage of plasma cells in the bone marrow. The use of allogeneic and autologous transplantation has increased the complete response rate and overall survival in patients with myeloma, and in order to assess the effects of such treatments accurately more sensitive methods for assessing residual disease have been introduced. The aim of this chapter, therefore, is to describe the available techniques to assess response, monitor residual disease and predict relapse in myeloma. The traditional techniques of paraprotein measurement using electrophoresis and immunofixation are compared with more sensitive approaches involving the polymerase chain reaction for detecting rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain region and flow cytometry for detecting malignant plasma cells. Emphasis is placed on the advantages and disadvantages of each method and its utility in the clinical setting.


Effect of protective atmosphere on color of goose meat.
The objective of the work was to characterize the color of the of the goose breast meat packaged in protective atmosphere and stored in the refrigerated conditions. The aim was realized by determination of total heme pigment concentration; relative concentration of myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin; parameters of color L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness); and sensory evaluation of the surface color. The experimental material was White Kołuda goose boneless breast meat with the skin from industrial slaughter. The following 2 protective atmospheres were used in the study: vacuum and modified atmosphere (MA) consisting of 80% O2 and 20% CO2. The muscles packed in protective atmosphere were examined on d 4, 7, 11, and 14 of storage. A control sample was goose breast meat stored in air and tested after 24 h after slaughter. The total pigment concentration decreased gradually within 14 d of storage for samples packed in 2 types of atmospheres. The increase in relative concentration of metmyoglobin and the decrease in oxymyoglobin relative concentration in total heme pigments in the meat stored in MA was noticed. However, in all times of storage, the relative concentration of the 3 samples of myoglobin forms stored in vacuum was unchanged. The color parameters (L*, a*, b*) did not change for 14 d of storage in the muscles packed in vacuum. One can state a decrease of the value of the color parameter a* as well as an increase of the value of the color parameter b* in the samples packed in MA. From d 11 to 14 of storage, goose meat packed under MA had lower sensory evaluation intensity of color than muscles under vacuum. The obtained data indicated that the surface color of goose breast meat packed in MA (consisting of 80% O2, 20% CO2) or vacuum packed was maintained for 11 and 14 d, respectively.


Modern brachytherapy.
Brachytherapy consists of placing radioactive sources within, or directly adjacent to a tumor, and is a means of delivering highly targeted and conformal radiation. While its history dates back to the origins of the field, in recent years brachytherapy treatment paradigms have been evolving considerably. This has been driven primarily by advancements in imaging, which allow for precise placement of sources and applicators under image guidance, and volume-based optimization to ensure adequate tumor coverage while sparing adjacent normal tissue. There has been a shift towards high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for many of the disease sites treated with brachytherapy. Simultaneously, with increasingly conformal treatment, there has been a shift towards utilization of higher doses per fraction, over fewer fractions, for specific disease sites where hypofractionation is believed to confer a radiobiological benefit. Here we review recent data and trends for those disease sites and conditions that are commonly treated with brachytherapy, including prostate, gynecologic, breast, head and neck, and skin cancers and salvage of recurrent disease.


Omega-3 for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children.
Question An overweight 12-year-old male patient with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has had little improvement in liver steatosis or triglyceride levels over the past 2 years. Is omega-3 supplementation useful in managing his condition?Answer Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children is prevalent in the Canadian population and can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, transplant, and reduced life expectancy. There is no recommended pharmacologic treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with small improvements in liver steatosis and triglyceride concentrations. There are conflicting results with regard to liver function test results and insulin resistance, and while there might be histologic improvement revealed on biopsy, there is little evidence that fibrosis is improved. In children who have struggled to be consistent with the changes needed in their diet, particularly those with elevated triglyceride levels, there might be a role for omega-3 supplementation while continuing to focus on the mainstays of treatment (diet and physical activity); however, further research is still needed.


Cd2+ Detection by an Electrochemical Electrode Based on MWCNT-Orange Peel Activated Carbon.
This study reports the development of a new electrochemical sensor based on a carbon paste electrode (CPE) composed of biomass-based orange peel activated carbon (ACOP) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and this composite is used for the electrochemical detection of cadmium ions (Cd2+). The ACOP/MWCNT composite was characterized by FTIR, Raman, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical evaluation of Cd2+ was performed using square wave and cyclic voltammetry. The ACOP/MWCNT-CPE electrochemical sensor exhibited a coefficient of determination r2 of 0.9907, a limit of detection of 0.91 ± 0.79 μmol L-1, and a limit of quantification of 3.00 ± 2.60 μmol L-1. In addition, the developed sensor can selectively detect Cd2+ in the presence of different interferents such as Zn2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, and Fe2+ with a relative standard deviation (RSD) close to 100%, carried out in triplicate experiments. The ACOP/MWCNT-CPE presented high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility and was successfully applied for the detection of Cd2+ in river water samples with recovery rate values ranging from 97.33 to 115.6%, demonstrating to be a very promising analytical alternative for the determination of cadmium ions in this matrix.


Genotypic Diversity of Streptococcus mutans in Caries-Free and Caries-Active Preschool Children.
Aim. The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the genotypic diversity of S. mutans in caries-free and caries-active preschool children in Brazil. Design. Twenty-eight preschool children were examined regarding caries experience by the dmft index. DNA from 280 isolates of S. mutans was extracted. S. mutans evaluated using to the PCR method, with primers for the glucosyltransferase gene. The genetic diversity of S. mutans isolates was analyzed by arbitrary primed-PCR (AP-PCR) reactions. The differences between the diversity genotypic and dmft/caries experience were evaluated by chi2 test and Spearman's correlation. Results. The Spearman correlation test showed a strong association between genotypic diversity and caries experience (r = 0.72; P < .001). There were more S. mutans genotypes in the group of preschool children with dental caries, compared with the caries-free group. Among the children with more than 1 genotype, 13 had dental caries (2 to 5 genotypes) and 4 were caries-free (only 2 genotypes). Conclusion. Our results support the previous findings of genetic diversity of S. mutans in preschool children being associated with dental caries. The investigation of such populations may be important for directing the development of programs for caries prevention worldwide.


Epinephrine autoinjector prescription in food-allergic adults: symptom-based only or allergen-based also? An Italian multi-centre study.
Epinephrine is the treatment of choice for acute food-allergic reactions but existing guidelines state that it should be prescribed uniquely to patients who already experienced at least one food-induced anaphylactic episode. We investigated whether in Italy epinephrine auto-injector is prescribed uniquely following the existing guidelines only, or is allergen-informed as well (i.e., based on the potential risk associated with sensitization to certain food allergens), and hence preventive. 1110 adult patients (mean age 31 years; M/F 391/719) with food allergy seen at 19 allergy outpatient clinics were studied. Patients with a history of probable anaphylaxis were identified. Subjects were classified as having primary (type 1) and/or secondary (type 2) food allergy and were divided into several subgroups based on the offending allergen/food. Epinephrine prescriptions were recorded and analyzed both as a whole and by sensitizing allergen. Epinephrine was prescribed to 138/1100 (13%) patients with a significant difference between subjects with type-1 and type-2 food allergy (132/522 [25%] vs. 6/629 [1%]; p < 0.001). The epinephrine group included most patients with a history of anaphylaxis (55/62 [89%]) or emergency department visits 106/138 (77%). In some specific subsets, namely fish-, tree nuts-, and lipid trasfer protein (LTP)-allergic patients, epinephrine was prescribed to patients without a history of systemic allergic reactions. Italian allergy specialists prescribe epinephrine auto-injectors both on the basis of clinical history of severe reactions and on a critical analysis of the hazard associated with the relevant protein allergens, which suggests a good knowledge of allergens as well as acquaintance with the guidelines for prescription of emergency medication.


'Baby Doe' rules. There are alternatives.
The federal government's "Baby Doe" rule has elicited a strong negative response; however, a more constructive option for concerned health care providers would be to formulate reasonable alternatives to such rules. Such an alternative infant advocacy process has been developed within our community. This multistep process, which attempts to optimize individual patient care and provide public accountability, lists (1) six ethical propositions that ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of the infant; (2) five decision-making principles that define physician and parent obligations and ensure that decisions are made only after careful thought; and (3) guidelines for committee review that ensure that decisions are reviewed in a manner that recognizes the rights of the child and the parents as well as society's interest in ensuring that the best decisions are made in matters of life and death.


Visibility of dielectrically passivated graphene films.
The visibility of monolayer graphene is dependent on its surrounding dielectric environment and the presence of any contamination associated with 2D layer transfer. Here, the optical contrast of residually contaminated monolayer graphene encased within a range of dielectric stacks characteristic of realistic devices is examined, highlighting the utility of optical microscopy for a graphene assessment, both during and after lithographic processing. Practically, chemical vapor deposited graphene is encapsulated in dielectric stacks of varying thicknesses of SiO2. Optical contrast is then measured and compared to predictions of a multilayer model. Experimentally measured contrast is in close agreement with simulation only when contamination is included.


The Canadian contribution to the otolaryngology literature: a five year bibliometric analysis.
To assess the 2008-2012 Canadian contribution to the Otolaryngology literature. All articles published from January 2008 - December 2012 in 5 Otolaryngology journals were reviewed. Nationality, number of authors, and study type were extracted. The output, number of authors, and study type of Canadian papers were compared to International papers using Mantel-Haenszel Common Odds Ratio Estimate, Pearson's Chi-Squared or Fishers exact tests. 4519 papers were analyzed. There was a statistically significant decrease in Canadian authored papers from 12.8% in 2008-9 to 10.2% in 2011-12 (Fishers exact, p = .01). Multi-authorship increased in Canadian papers (χ2, p = .01). The types of studies published by Canadian Otolaryngologists did not change over the study period. Canadian authored papers in a sample of Otolaryngology journals decreased from 2008 to 2012. The increase in multiauthorship, whilst indicating increasing collaboration, suggests reduced per capita publication productivity. These findings warrant further study.


Evolution of robotic radical prostatectomy: assessment after 2766 procedures.
Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RAP) is the dominant minimally invasive surgical treatment for patients with localized prostate cancer. Only a few large series have been published to date, with few long-term data available. The current study presents what to the authors' knowledge is the largest series of patients undergoing RAP with the longest follow-up to data available to date. Using a continuous quality improvement initiative, several technical refinements were adopted, evaluating the impact of this on patient outcome. Over a 6-year period, 2766 consecutive men underwent RAP at the study institution. Data were collected prospectively including demographic, surgical, oncologic, and functional outcomes with up to 5-year follow-up. The first 200 and most recent 200 patients were compared to determine the impact of experience and quality improvement for patients. The mean age of the patients was 60.2 years and the mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at time of diagnosis was 6.43 ng/mL; 42.4% and 64.2% of patients, respectively, had a biopsy and pathologic Gleason sum of >/=7. The mean surgical and console time was 154 minutes and 116 minutes, respectively. Estimated blood loss was 100 mL; 96.7% of patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. At a median follow-up of 22 months, 7.3% of men had a PSA recurrence. The 5-year actuarial biochemical free survival rate was 84%. To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first report of 5-year outcomes in men undergoing RAP. These data demonstrate that RAP can be performed with favorable outcomes while minimizing complications. As experience increases, further improvements in clinicopathologic and functional parameters are achieved.


Pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor (inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor): CT features with pathologic correlation.
The objective of this study was to assess the CT features of pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors with pathologic correlation. The authors retrospectively reviewed CT and pathologic findings of 10 patients with surgically resected inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung. On CT, five patients showed a polypoid endotracheal (n = 3) or endobronchial nodule in the left main bronchus (n = 2). Two patients showed a central parenchymal mass, and the remaining three patients showed a peripheral pulmonary nodule. All tumors had well defined margins and were round to ovoid; they ranged in diameter from 13 to 52 mm and showed varying degrees of contrast enhancement (range 13-89 H). On histopathologic examination, the two central parenchymal masses involving segmental bronchi were also mainly endobronchial in location. The three peripheral pulmonary nodules also showed a peribronchiolar location, with a bronchial mucosal lining spared in part. The authors conclude that pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are closely related to the airway.


[A study of parasitic trematodes of Littorina saxatilis and their impact on this mollusc (author's transl)].
A monthly study of populations of Littorina saxatilis (mollusc, gasteropod) very strongly parasited has allowed to establish relations between the said mollusc and some parasite trematodes which live in it. A selection of animals was done in two stations of the Roscoff region (Finistere). A total of more than 1.000 individuals have been examined in each station. Eleven species of cercairs have been spotted. It has appeared that the Microphallus similis was the most represented: 79,86% of the total. This rate of parasitism does not change much throughout the year. The populations of molluscs strongly parasited by Microphallus similis show an important castration. A double association of cercairs remains rare but is yet possible. It appears that aged individuals are the most parasited. It seems that there would be a growth of parasites more important in females than in males.


Strategies for microarray analysis of limiting amounts of RNA.
One of the critical limitations of current microarray technologies for use in expression analyses is the relatively large amount of input RNA required to generate labelled cDNA populations for array analysis. In situations where RNA is limiting, the options for expression profiling are to increase cDNA labelling and hybridisation efficiency, or to use an amplification strategy to generate enough RNA/cDNA for use with a standard labelling method. Sample amplification approaches must preserve the representation of the relative abundances of the different RNAs within the starting population and must also be highly reproducible. This review evaluates current signal and sample amplification technologies, including those that can be used to generate labelled cDNA populations for array analysis from as little as a single cell.


Argon laser photoablation for postburn conjunctival pigmentation.
We report a case of an ocular burn injury from boiling water which resulted in conjunctival pigmentation, 1 week following injury. For cosmetic purposes, 2 sessions of argon laser photoablation were performed. One month after laser treatment, conjunctival pigmentation had been successfully removed and the patient was very satisfied with the results. Argon laser photoablation may be an effective way to remove postburn conjunctival pigmentation.


Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in nonmalignant diseases.
Treatment of patients with nonmalignant hematopoietic diseases by marrow grafts from HLA identical family members has progressed to a point where event free survivals of 75-90% can be expected. For allografts to be successful, conditioning programs have been devised that provide both the immunosuppression and the marrow space required for the incoming grafts to be accepted. Despite graft versus host disease prevention with methotrexate and cyclosporine, the acute and chronic forms of this disease continue to pose problems for a minority of patients after transplant, and they may necessitate prolonged courses of immunosuppressive therapy. The transplant procedures required for patients with these nonmalignant hematopoietic diseases could be directly applied to patients with autoimmune diseases.


Chemical Insights into Antibacterial N-Halamines.
Microbial contamination arising from pathogens poses serious threats to human health and in recent decades has presented an unprecedented challenge to antibacterial research. Of the various antibacterial agents that effectively kill pathogens, halogen-based antibacterial compounds have been successful in eliminating harmful pathogen-associated diseases and are becoming the most popular disinfectants. As a significant subcategory of halogen antibacterial agents, N-halamines have drawn increasing research interest into their chemistry and practical applications. N-Halamines have many advantages over other antibacterial agents, including effectiveness against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, long-term physicochemical stability, high structural durability, and the regenerability of their functional groups, with corresponding renewal of their antibacterial properties. This review examines recent progress and research trends in both theoretical and experimental studies of N-halamines, with the aim of providing a systematic and comprehensive survey and assessment of the significant advances in our understanding of antibacterial N-halamines. This review serves as a practical guide to developing N-halamines through both broad and in-depth basic research and offers suggestions for their potential future applications.


The role of periostin in kidney diseases.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a multi-symptomatic condition resulting from irreversible functional and structural damage to the kidneys. Therefore, finding a specific and sensitive marker to predict the development and progression of CKD is of great interest. Periostin is a matricellular protein involved in tissue remodeling and wound healing. It is highly expressed in various types of kidney diseases, especially in conditions associated with progressive renal fibrosis, while its expression in healthy kidneys is not significant. Numerous experimental and human adult studies indicate the role of periostin in the pathogenesis of various types of kidney disease, though the mechanism of action of periostin appears to be diverse and varies depending on the conditions. The article summarizes current knowledge on the possible roles of periostin in the pathogenesis of kidney injury and its position as a marker in various human renal pathologies. The studies performed so far indicate the potential of urinary and tissue periostin as a promising biomarker of CKD progression.


Alignment of vaccine codes using an ontology of vaccine descriptions.
Vaccine information in European electronic health record (EHR) databases is represented using various clinical and database-specific coding systems and drug vocabularies. The lack of harmonization constitutes a challenge in reusing EHR data in collaborative benefit-risk studies about vaccines. We designed an ontology of the properties that are commonly used in vaccine descriptions, called Ontology of Vaccine Descriptions (VaccO), with a dictionary for the analysis of multilingual vaccine descriptions. We implemented five algorithms for the alignment of vaccine coding systems, i.e., the identification of corresponding codes from different coding ystems, based on an analysis of the code descriptors. The algorithms were evaluated by comparing their results with manually created alignments in two reference sets including clinical and database-specific coding systems with multilingual code descriptors. The best-performing algorithm represented code descriptors as logical statements about entities in the VaccO ontology and used an ontology reasoner to infer common properties and identify corresponding vaccine codes. The evaluation demonstrated excellent performance of the approach (F-scores 0.91 and 0.96). The VaccO ontology allows the identification, representation, and comparison of heterogeneous descriptions of vaccines. The automatic alignment of vaccine coding systems can accelerate the readiness of EHR databases in collaborative vaccine studies.


[Eosinophilic histiocytic granuloma of the vulva and cervix].
In a patient aged 29 a recurrent histiocytic granuloma developed in vulva, vagina and cervix. The patient was treated by cervical resection followed by irradiation. Langerhans cells with Birbeck granules in plasma of the cells, besides multiple eosinophilic leucocytes were evidenced by electron microscope. The eosinophilic histiocytic granuloma is suggested to be a benign variety of histiocytosis X, whose basic cellular component is the Langerhans cell. Eosinophil leucocytes represent a local immune response in the benign variety of histiocytosis X.


The red eye.
A red eye is a cardinal sign of ocular inflammation. Most cases are benign and can be managed by the primary care provider. The key is recognizing cases requiring ophthalmological consultation by differentiating between ciliary and conjunctival injection. Ciliary injection indicates inflammation of the cornea, iris, or ciliary body, whereas conjunctival injection mainly affects the posterior conjunctival blood vessels.


Physician adoption of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of chronic wounds.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a treatment alternative for chronic wounds, has been used for several decades yet little is known about factors that influence physicians to incorporate this therapy into practice. To assess wound care physician knowledge of, attitudes toward, and adoption of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and to identify factors associated with physician adoption of this therapy, a 23-item questionnaire, based on Rogers' diffusion of innovation model, was developed by the authors and distributed to 653 American Academy of Wound Management Board-certified physicians. Of the 246 (43%) physicians in the study population who responded to the study survey, 167 (68%) reported they had used or referred patients for hyperbaric oxygen therapy during the past 12 months. More than half of the respondents reported a relatively high level of familiarity with and a positive attitude toward the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on wound healing. Physician adoption of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was significantly associated with a community of >100,000 residents (adjusted odds ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.05 to 5.04); patient request for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (adjusted odds ratio = 5.38, 95% confidence interval = 2.50 to 11.56); positive attitude toward (adjusted odds ratio = 3.38, 95% confidence interval = 1.49 to 7.66) and high level of familiarity with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (adjusted odds ratio = 5.33, 95% confidence interval = 1.72 to 6.49); and practice location in either Florida or Texas (adjusted odds ratio = 3.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.24 to 9.54). Although the majority of the respondents reported adoption of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, most adopters are concentrated only in a few geographic areas. Despite the limitations of this study, especially the potential effects of sampling and response bias, the results help explain factors that have facilitated and hindered the adoption of this technology into practice.


Assessing the implementation of a bedside service handoff on an academic hospitalist service.
Inpatient service handoffs are a vulnerable transition during a patients' hospitalization. We hypothesized that performing the service handoff at the patients' bedside may be one mechanism to more efficiently transfer patient information between physicians, while further integrating the patient into their hospital care. We performed a 6-month prospective study of performing a bedside handoff (BHO) at the service transition on a non-teaching hospitalist service. On a weekly basis, transitioning hospitalists co-rounded at patient's bedsides. Post-handoff surveys assessed for completeness of handoff, communication, missed information, and adverse events. A control group who performed the handoff via email, phone or face-to-face was also surveyed. Chi-square and item-response theory (IRT) analysis assessed for differences between BHO and control groups. Narrative responses were elicited to qualitatively describe the BHO. In total, 21/31 (67%) scheduled BHOs were performed. On average, 4 out of 6 eligible patients experienced a BHO, with a total of 90 patients experiencing a BHO. Of those asked to perform the BHO, 52% stated the service transition took 31-60 min compared to 24% in the control group. Controlling for the nesting of observations within physicians, IRT analysis found that BHO respondents had statistically significant greater odds of: reporting increased patient awareness of the service handoff, more certainty in the plan for each patient, less discovery of missed information, and less time needed to learn about the patient on the first day compared to control methods. Narrative responses described a more patient-centered handoff with improved communication that was time-consuming and often logistically difficult to implement. Despite its time-intensive nature, performing the service handoff at the patient's bedside may lead to a more complete and efficient service transition.


The transmembrane homotrimer of ADAM 1 in model lipid bilayers.
Fertilin is a transmembrane protein heterodimer formed by the two subunits fertilin alpha and fertilin beta that plays an important role in sperm-egg fusion. Fertilin alpha and beta are members of the ADAM family, and contain each one transmembrane alpha-helix, and are termed ADAM 1 and ADAM 2, respectively. ADAM 1 is the subunit that contains a putative fusion peptide, and we have explored the possibility that the transmembrane alpha-helical domain of ADAM 1 forms homotrimers, in common with other viral fusion proteins. Although this peptide was found to form various homooligomers in SDS, the infrared dichroic data obtained with the isotopically labeled peptide at specific positions is consistent with the presence of only one species in DMPC or POPC lipid bilayers. Comparison of the experimental orientational data with molecular dynamics simulations performed with sequence homologues of ADAM 1 show that the species present in lipid bilayers is only consistent with an evolutionarily conserved homotrimeric model for which we provide a backbone structure. These results support a model where ADAM 1 forms homotrimers as a step to create a fusion active intermediate.


Bacterial community response to petroleum hydrocarbon amendments in freshwater, marine, and hypersaline water-containing microcosms.
Hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities from freshwater, marine, and hypersaline Brazilian aquatic ecosystems (with water salinities corresponding to 0.2%, 4%, and 5%, respectively) were enriched with different hydrocarbons (heptadecane, naphthalene, or crude oil). Changes within the different microcosms of bacterial communities were analyzed using cultivation approaches and molecular methods (DNA and RNA extraction, followed by genetic fingerprinting and analyses of clone libraries based on the 16S rRNA-coding gene). A redundancy analysis (RDA) of the genetic fingerprint data and a principal component analysis (PCA) of the clone libraries revealed hydrocarbon-enriched bacterial communities specific for each ecosystem studied. However, within the same ecosystem, different bacterial communities were selected according to the petroleum hydrocarbon used. In general, the results demonstrated that Acinetobacter and Cloacibacterium were the dominant genera in freshwater microcosms; the Oceanospirillales order and the Marinobacter, Pseudomonas, and Cycloclasticus genera predominated in marine microcosms; and the Oceanospirillales order and the Marinobacter genus were selected in the different hydrocarbon-containing microcosms in hypersaline water. Determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in all microcosms after 32 days of incubation showed a decrease in the hydrocarbon concentration compared to that for the controls. A total of 50 (41.3%) isolates from the different hydrocarbon-contaminated microcosms were associated with the dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs) obtained from the clone libraries, and their growth in the hydrocarbon contaminating the microcosm from which they were isolated as the sole carbon source was observed. These data provide insight into the general response of bacterial communities from freshwater, marine, and hypersaline aquatic ecosystems to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination.


SEXUAL SIZE DIMORPHISM AS A CORRELATED RESPONSE TO SELECTION ON BODY SIZE: AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF THE QUANTITATIVE GENETIC MODEL.
We artificially selected for body size in Drosophila melanogaster to test Lande's quantitative genetic model for the evolution of sexual size dimorphism. Thorax width was used as an estimator of body size. Selection was maintained for 21 generations in both directions on males only, females only, or both sexes simultaneously. The correlated response of sexual size dimorphism in each selection regime was compared to the response predicted by four variants of the model, each of which differed only in assumptions about input parameters. Body size responded well to selection, but the correlated response of sexual size dimorphism was weaker than that predicted by any of the variants. Dimorphism decreased in most selection lines, contrary to the model predictions. We suggest that selection on body size acts primarily on growth trajectories. Changes in dimorphism are caused by the fact that male and female growth trajectories are not parallel and termination of growth at different points along the curves results in dimorphism levels that are difficult to predict without detailed knowledge of growth parameters. This may also explain many of the inconsistent results in dimorphism changes seen in earlier selection experiments.


Tonsillectomy using the thermal welding system.
To evaluate and introduce a new method of tonsillectomy using the Thermal Welding System (TWS). The TWS is a new surgical instrument which uses direct heat and pressure to seal and divide tissues. Fifty consecutive patients underwent tonsillectomy with the use of the TWS. Inclusion criteria were chronic tonsillitis, peritonsilar abscess history and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Patients undergoing adenoidectomy or any other procedure together with tonsillectomy and patients with bleeding disorders were excluded. Intraoperative bleeding, operative time, complication rates and return to normal diet were evaluated. There was no measurable bleeding during surgery in any case. No postoperative hemorrhage or other complication occurred. Mean operative time was 23 min. Mean time for return to normal diet was 8.7 days. The TWS was found quite effective and safe, providing sufficient hemostasis and minimal intraoperative blood loss.


Primed CTLs specific for HLA class I may still be present in sensitized patients when anti-HLA antibodies have disappeared: relevance for donor selection.
The presence of donor-specific HLA antibodies is generally considered to be a contraindication for transplantation, even when these antibodies are only present in historical sera. Previous studies showed that donor-specific antibodies in current sera were associated with the presence of primed cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) with a high avidity for donor HLA class I antigens. The presence of these CTLs is considered to be a reflection of an activated immune system and a contraindication for transplantation with a donor sharing these particular HLA antigens. In the present study we compared the incidence of primed CTLs in patients with anti-HLA antibodies in current sera and in patients with anti-HLA antibodies in historical sera only. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor (CTLp) frequencies and the incidence of primed CTLs directed against HLA class I antigens to which the patient had formed antibodies were studied in 37 sensitized renal patients. As controls, antigens to which a patient has never formed antibodies were tested. In patients with antibodies in current sera mainly primed CTLs were detected, whereas in patients where the antibodies had disappeared mainly naive CTLs were detected. However, in four patients primed CTLs persisted despite the fact that the HLA antibodies had disappeared. Considering the previously described association between primed CTLs and graft rejection, these findings may be relevant for the selection of patients who can be transplanted across a positive historical crossmatch. If the antibodies have disappeared and only naive CTLs are present, a successful transplantation should be feasible. A prospective study will reveal whether this is indeed the case.


Job mobility and job performance: beliefs about social and occupational (dis)advantages as mediators.
Background. Modern working conditions require an increased amount of spatial mobility from employed personnel. Research suggests that different types of job mobility might exert negative effects on well-being and health, and additionally have different costs and benefits for the work and the social domains. Methods. Using data from 3191 members of the German Armed Forces, we investigated the effects of four different types of job mobility (long-distance commuters, overnighters, residential mobiles and multi-mobiles) in contrast to non-mobiles on employees' subjective job performance as an occupationally relevant outcome. Moreover, we expected beliefs about social and occupational advantages and disadvantages to mediate the effects of job mobility on subjective job performance. Results. A single concrete event during relocation had fewer negative consequences compared to the effects of circular mobility or multi-mobility. Moreover, beliefs about occupational and social advantages and disadvantages were differently associated with the different types of job mobility and partially mediated the direct effects of job mobility on job performance. Conclusions. Not all types of job mobility are an impairment and extra-organizational stress. Rather, the evaluation and perception of occupational and social (dis)advantages is crucial for the effects of different types of job mobility on organizational relevant outcomes.


Analysis of complexes pairing hydroperoxyl radical with peroxyformic acid.
Ab initio quantum calculations are used to analyze the binding of complexes pairing OOH with HOOCHO. Six minima are located on the potential energy surface, all of cyclic geometry. Of particular interest are the OH...O and CH...O H-bonds that arise in the complexes and the manner in which these interactions influence the internal properties of the subunits. The analysis is complicated by the presence of an intramolecular H-bond in the unperturbed HOOCHO molecule, which must be broken in order to form the pair of intermolecular H-bonds that are responsible for the binding in the most stable complex. The CH bond of HOOCHO is contracted, and its stretching frequency undergoes a blue shift, when this group participates in a H-bond.


Ethnic differences in glycaemic control in adult Type 2 diabetic patients in primary care: a 3-year follow-up study.
To evaluate ethnic differences and characteristics related to glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes in primary care. Prospective cohort study; 500 adult patients with Type 2 diabetes, who were not on insulin therapy, were followed up annually for 3 years. HbA(1c) at baseline and 3-year changes and subsequent insulin therapy were related to baseline characteristics. Malay patients had significantly higher HbA(1c) (mean 8.7% +/- sd 1.66) compared with Chinese (8.2 +/- sd 1.67) and Indian (8.2 +/- sd 1.55) (P = 0.032) at baseline, and consistently for all years of HbA(1c) assessment (P = 0.017). At baseline, Malay patients were significantly more obese than Chinese or Indians (P < 0.001); fewer of them received structured shared-care intervention (P = 0.001), but they had a significantly higher glucose control educational score (P < 0.05). Multivariable analyses showed that HbA(1c) at baseline was significantly related to age (P = 0.001), BMI (P = 0.031) and ethnicity (P = 0.002). HbA(1c) declined significantly over 3 years in the whole population and in all ethnic groups. Significantly greater HbA(1c) declines were associated with higher baseline HbA(1c), structured shared-care intervention and non-insulin therapy. Correcting for differences on these factors, the decline in HbA(1c) in Malays was significantly less than in the Chinese. Insulin therapy was associated with higher baseline HbA(1c) and higher BMI. Malay ethnicity was associated with persistently poor glycaemic control. Sociocultural and behavioural factors should be addressed in improving care for patients with poorly controlled diabetes.


Addiction severity index profile of persons who reenter treatment for substance use disorders.
Despite a growing interest in persons with multiple treatment reentries, few studies have defined their clinical profile. The aim of this study was to compare the severity profile of substance use disorder and related problems of persons who reenter treatment with the profile of those who come in for treatment for the first time. A data bank containing 6651 Addiction Severity Index (ASI) interviews from 3 rehabilitation centers was used for the analyses. All the ASI composite scores were significantly higher among persons who reentered treatment than among those who came for the first time. The results support the hypothesis of a more severe ASI profile and substance use-related problems among persons who reenter treatment compared with those who come for the first time. Consequently, they have greater needs, and the treatment offered should be adjusted accordingly.


Experimental determination of the dose kernel in high-energy x-ray beams.
A semiempirical method to characterize the pencil-beam dose kernel is presented. Results from measurements are described by mathematical models of the applicable physical processes. The measurements were made with 6 and 25 MV x-ray beams from a linear accelerator. Broad-beam notations were used consistently, and the pencil-beam quantities were obtained by differentiation. The results were compared to pencil-beam kernels calculated by Monte Carlo techniques. The analysis of the measured data included a number of approximations. It was assumed that all the constituent pencil beams in the field are parallel, i.e., the divergence is ignored. Furthermore, the lateral variations of the incident photon fluence and the energy spectrum were disregarded. Monte Carlo calculations, on the other hand, are based on an average energy spectrum over the field, and are free from divergence and variations in the incident photon fluence. Measured and Monte Carlo calculated pencil beams nevertheless agreed well, and the approximations mentioned caused at maximum 2.7% discrepancies for the largest field size at 6 MV.


Endogenous LKB1 knockdown accelerates G(1)/S transition through p53 and p16 pathways.
The tumor suppressor LKB1 is inactivated in 90% of Peutz-Jeghers cancer syndrome, 30-40% of non-small cell lung carcinoma, and a variety of other cancers, indicating the loss of LKB1 activity is a critical step in oncogenesis. However, current understanding of LKB1 function is largely limited to the results from cancer cells, and how LKB1 inactivation initiates malignant transformation in normal cells remains unclear. Here we ablated endogenous expression of LKB1 in two normal cell lines: human embryonic kidney 293T cells (HEK-293T cells) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by LKB1-specific short hairpin RNAs. Downregulation of endogenous LKB1 lead to a facilitated G(1)/S transition, accompanied by a concomitant increase in Rb phosphorylation (Ser(807/811)). Furthermore, reduced expression of p53 and p16 was observed in LKB1 ablated cells, while no differences were detected for cyclin D1 and cyclin E. These results jointly suggest that endogenous LKB1 knockdown accelerates cell cycle progression through G(1)/S checkpoint in HEK-293T cells and HUVECs, which is at least in part, mediated by decline of p53 and p16 pathways. Our findings provided a plausible mechanism by which loss of LKB1 expression in normal cells contributes to the formation of malignancies.


Exposure to bisphosphonates and risk of colorectal cancer.
Animal and in vitro studies suggest that the use of bisphosphonates (BPs) may be associated with reduced risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, results from these studies have been inconsistent. The aim of our study was to review and summarize the evidence provided by longitudinal studies on the association between BP use and CRC risk A comprehensive literature search for articles published up to October 2012 was performed. Prior to performing a meta-analysis, the studies were evaluated for publication bias and heterogeneity. Relative risks (RRs) or odds ratios were calculated. Six reports (four case-control studies and two cohort studies) published between 2010 and 2012 were identified. There was evidence of an association between any use of BPs and CRC risk using a fixed-effects model (RR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.74, 0.85) and a random-effects model (RR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.71, 0.90). However, we did not observe any evidence of a trend with increasing duration of use. Our findings indicate that there is evidence of an association between any use of BP and reduced CRC risk. However, this subject deserves further investigation.


Trans-2-hexenal: mating stimulant for polyphemus moths.
The volatile compound from oak leaves which stimulates the female polyphemus moth to release her sex pheromone has been isolated and identified as trans-2-hexenal. Although leaves of other food plants contain trans-2-hexenal, they also release masking odors which block the activity of the hexenal.


Characterization of candidate genes involved in halotolerance using high-throughput omics in the halotolerant bacterium Virgibacillus chiguensis.
We previously used whole-genome sequencing and Tn5 transposon mutagenesis to identify 16 critical genes involved in the halotolerance of Halomonas beimenensis, a species in the phylum Proteobacteria. In this present study, we sought to determine if orthologous genes in another phylum are also critical for halotolerance. Virgibacillus spp. are halotolerant species that can survive in high-saline environments. Some Virgibacillus species are used in different aspects of food processing, compatible solute synthesis, proteinase production, and wastewater treatment. However, genomic information on Virgibacillus chiguensis is incomplete. We assembled a draft V. chiguensis strain NTU-102 genome based on high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) and used transcriptomic profiling to examine the high-saline response in V. chiguensis. The V. chiguensis draft genome is approximately 4.09 Mbp long and contains 4,166 genes. The expression profiles of bacteria grown in 5% and 20% NaCl conditions and the corresponding Gene Ontology (GO) and clusters of orthologous groups (COG) categories were also analyzed in this study. We compared the expression levels of these 16 orthologs of halotolerance-related genes in V. chiguensis and H. beimenensis. Interestingly, the expression of 7 of the 16 genes, including trkA2, smpB, nadA, mtnN2, rfbP, lon, and atpC, was consistent with that in H. beimenensis, suggesting that these genes have conserved functions in different phyla. The omics data were helpful in exploring the mechanism of saline adaptation in V. chiguensis, and our results indicate that these 7 orthologs may serve as biomarkers for future screening of halotolerant species in the future.


Strategies in the surgical management of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic burden and confers a lifetime risk of up to 25%. Current medical management involves thromboembolism prevention, rate, and rhythm control. An increased understanding of AF pathophysiology has led to enhanced pharmacological and medical therapies; however this is often limited by toxicity, variable symptom control, and inability to modulate the atrial substrate. Surgical AF ablation has been available since the original description of the Cox Maze procedure, either as a standalone or concomitant intervention. Advances in novel energy delivery systems have allowed the development of less technically demanding procedures potentially eliminating the need for median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. Variations in the definition, duration, and reporting of AF have produced methodological limitations impacting on the validity of interstudy comparisons. Standardization of these parameters may, in future, allow us to further evaluate clinical endpoints and establish the efficacy of these techniques.


Echocardiographic and hemodynamic determinations of the ventricular filling pattern in some teleost fishes.
The current concept of ventricular filling in elasmobranch and teleost fishes is that atrial contraction is the primary, if not the exclusive, determinant of ventricular filling. Recent echocardiographic and on-line hemodynamic data for elasmobranchs, however, have demonstrated a biphasic ventricular filling pattern, characterized by an early phase that occurs during ventricular relaxation and a late phase that follows atrial systole. This study reports echocardiographic and hemodynamic analyses of ventricular filling in three teleost genera (Paralabrax, Channa, Monopterus) having markedly different heart morphologies. Both the profiles of the atrioventricular pressure gradient in Paralabrax and the ventricular inflow velocity in all three genera indicate a biphasic ventricular filling pattern. Although the relative contribution of the early and late filling phases differed among the species studied, interspecific differences in heart structure did not obscure the biphasic pattern. Also, pericardiectomy did not affect the biphasic ventricular filling pattern in Paralabrax. The presence of biphasic filling in teleosts establishes a functional similarity with the elasmobranchs and, because the biphasic ventricular filling pattern predominates in higher vertebrates, suggests that this ventricular filling mechanism may be present in the entire subphylum Vertebrata.


[Preventive measures suggested to protect health workers from the risk due to a potential exposure to SARS agents].
The Authors describe the personal and environmental preventive measures suggested to protect health workers from the risks due to a potential exposure to SARS agents. The Authors stress the need that workers are allowed to wear individual protective disposable complying with technical regulations in order to be assured the best protection.


The efficacy and safety of tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor deucravacitinib in the treatment of plaque psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Orally effective therapeutics for plaque psoriasis with improved response rates, lower toxicity and costs are needed in clinical practices. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of the recently approved TYK2 inhibitor deucravacitinib in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis through meta-analysis. A systematic search was performed for eligible studies using electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, the EU Clinical Trials Register, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy and safety of deucravacitinib vs. placebo or active comparators in adult patients with plaque psoriasis were included. The effectiveness of deucravacitinib was evaluated using a 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) from baseline and the proportion of patients achieving the static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) response. The secondary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving PASI 90, PASI 100, ssPGA 0/1, and Dermatology Life Quality Index 0/1 (DLQI). The incidence of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and AE-related treatment discontinuation were statistically analyzed to determine the safety of deucravacitinib. The systematic review and meta-analysis included five RCTs involving 2,198 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Results showed that deucravacitinib was superior to placebo as well as active comparator apremilast in multiple key endpoints, including PASI 75, sPGA 0/1, PASI 90, PASI 100, DLQI 0/1 at week 16. Moreover, a durable response was seen in the two 52-week studies. Safety assessment showed that deucravacitinib was generally well tolerated, and the incidence of AEs, SAEs, and AE-related treatment discontinuation was low and balanced across groups. Deucravacitinib demonstrated superior efficacy to apremilast in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis with an acceptable safety profile and has the potential to be used as the first-line oral therapy for plaque psoriasis.


Organoclays in water cause expansion that facilitates caffeine adsorption.
This study investigates the adsorption of caffeine in water on organically modified clays (a natural montmorillonite and synthetic saponite, which are smectite group of layered clay minerals). The organoclays were prepared by cation-exchange reactions of benzylammonium and neostigmine with interlayer exchangeable cations in the clay minerals. Although less caffeine was uptaken on neostigmine-modified clays than on raw clay minerals, uptake was increased by adding benzylammonium to the clays. The adsorption equilibrium constant was considerably higher on benzylammonium-modified saponite (containing small quantities of intercalated benzylammonium) than on its montmorillonite counterpart. These observations suggest that decreasing the size and number of intercalated cations enlarges the siloxane surface area available for caffeine adsorption. When the benzylammonium-smectite powders were immersed in water, the intercalated water molecules expanded the interlayer space. Addition of caffeine to the aqueous dispersion further expanded the benzylammonium-montmorillonite system but showed no effect on benzylammonium-saponite. We assume that intercalated water molecules were exchanged with caffeine molecules. By intercalating benzylammonium into smectites, we have potentially created an adaptable two-dimensional nanospace that sequesters caffeine from aqueous media.


Structural variations in metal complexes of a tertiary α-hydroxyoxime.
Despite the long term interest in hydroxyoximes as metal ion extractants, there is a lack of information on the possible coordination modes these ligands can assume, particularly in concert with a co-ligand. This is pertinent to the use of these extractants in synergistic systems, where a combination of extractants can achieve commercially useful results. We report here the structures of some metal complexes (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) with (1-hydroxycyclohexyl)-phenyl ketone oxime. The results demonstrate that this ligand can support complexes ranging from mononuclear to trinuclear, in association with anionic and neutral co-ligands in some cases. While these results have been obtained in the solid state, they illustrate a range of possible species that may be formed in extractant solutions.


Comprehensive Study of Sol-Gel versus Hydrolysis-Condensation Methods To Prepare ZnO Films: Electron Transport Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells.
Owing to the high charge mobility and low processing temperature, ZnO is regarded as an ideal candidate for electron transport layer (ETL) material in thin-film solar cells. For the film preparation, the presently dominated sol-gel (SG) and hydrolysis-condensation (HC) methods show great potential; however, the effect of these two methods on the performance of the resulting devices has not been investigated in the same frame. In this study, the ZnO films made through SG and HC methods were applied in perovskite solar cells (Pero-SCs), and the performances of corresponding devices were compared under parallel conditions. We found that the surface morphologies and the conductivities of the films prepared by SG and HC methods showed great differences. The HC-ZnO films with higher conductivity led to relatively higher device performance, and the best power conversion efficiencie (PCE) of 12.9% was obtained; meanwhile, for Pero-SCs based on SG-ZnO, the best PCE achieved was 10.9%. The better device performance of Pero-SCs based on HC-ZnO should be attributed to the better charge extraction and transportation ability of HC-ZnO film. Moreover, to further enhance the performance of Pero-SCs, a thin layer of pristine C60 was introduced between HC-ZnO and perovskite layers. By doing so, the quality of perovskite films was improved, and the PCE was elevated to 14.1%. The preparation of HC-ZnO film involves relatively lower-temperature (maximum 100 °C) processing; the films showed better charge extraction and transportation properties and can be a more promising ETL material in Pero-SCs.


Controlling Brochothrix thermosphacta as a spoilage risk using in-package atmospheric cold plasma.
Brochothrix thermosphacta is the predominant spoilage microorganism in meat and its control in processing environments is important to maintain meat product quality. Atmospheric cold plasma is of interest for control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods. This study ascertained the potential of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) for control of B. thermosphacta, taking microbial and food environment factors into consideration, and investigated the shelf-life of lamb chop after in-package plasma treatment in modified atmosphere. Community profiling was used to assess the treatment effects on the lamb microflora. ACP treatment (80 kV) for 30s inactivated B. thermosphacta populations below detection levels in PBS, while 5 min treatment achieved a 2 Log cycle reduction using a complex meat model medium and attached cells. The antimicrobial efficacy of plasma was reduced but still apparent on lamb chop surface-inoculated with high concentrations of B. thermosphacta. Lamb chop treated under modified atmosphere exhibited reduced microbial growth over the product shelf-life and community profiling showed no evident changes to the microbial populations after the treatment. The overall results indicated potential of ACP to enhance microbial control leading to meat storage life extension through adjusting the modality of treatment.


Mixed results in the safety performance of computerized physician order entry.
Computerized physician order entry is a required feature for hospitals seeking to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic medical record systems and qualify for federal financial incentives. A national sample of sixty-two hospitals voluntarily used a simulation tool designed to assess how well safety decision support worked when applied to medication orders in computerized order entry. The simulation detected only 53 percent of the medication orders that would have resulted in fatalities and 10-82 percent of the test orders that would have caused serious adverse drug events. It is important to ascertain whether actual implementations of computerized physician order entry are achieving goals such as improved patient safety.


Adverse events following DTP immunization in Maryland, 1987.
Between January 1, 1987 and December 31, 1987, a total of 184 adverse events were reported to have occurred within 28 days following diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) immunization in Maryland. More than half the reports (54 percent) were of serious or major vaccine reactions. Screaming episodes were the most frequently reported serious reaction, having occurred in 64 (35 percent) of the reports.


Functional Characterization of Lysophosphatidylcholine: Acyl-CoA Acyltransferase Genes From Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).
Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT, EC 18.104.22.168) is an evolutionarily conserved key enzyme in the Lands cycle that catalyzes acylation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) to produce phosphatidylcholine (PC), the main phospholipid in cellular membranes. In this study, three LPCAT genes from sunflower were identified and the corresponding proteins characterized. These HaLPCAT genes encoded functionally active enzymes that were able to complement a deficient yeast mutant. Moreover, enzymatic assays were carried out using microsomal preparations of the yeast cells. When acyl specificities were measured in the forward reaction, these enzymes exhibited a substrate preference for unsaturated acyl-CoAs, especially for linolenoyl-CoA, while in the reverse reaction, linoleoyl or linolenoyl acyl groups were transferred from PC to acyl-CoA to a similar extent. Expression levels of LPCAT genes were studied revealing distinct tissue-specific expression patterns. In summary, this study suggests that the combined forward and reverse reactions catalyzed by sunflower LPCATs facilitate acyl-exchange between the sn-2 position of PC and the acyl-CoA pool. Sunflower LPCATs displayed different characteristics, which could point to different functionalities, favoring the enrichment of seed triacylglycerols (TAGs) with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA).


[Healthcare for asylum seekers and refugees: our country can do better].
The article 'Mental and physical health problems of and the use of healthcare by Afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees' in this issue shows, as expected, that the health status of all three groups is poorer than that of the Dutch population. Even worse is that the care offered is far from optimal. To interpret these results, it would be important to know who the asylum seekers and refugees are in comparison with their fellow countrymen in their countries of origin, to have a better understanding of the background of their health problems, and to view the care offered to these people critically. Since they are a very heterogeneous and relatively small group, it is not easy to organise appropriate care for asylum seekers and refugees. Although attempts are being made to improve the situation, Dutch society should invest more so as to provide the same quality of care to its guests as it provides for its own population.


Sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley, California.
The sustainability of irrigated agriculture in many arid and semiarid areas of the world is at risk because of a combination of several interrelated factors, including lack of fresh water, lack of drainage, the presence of high water tables, and salinization of soil and groundwater resources. Nowhere in the United States are these issues more apparent than in the San Joaquin Valley of California. A solid understanding of salinization processes at regional spatial and decadal time scales is required to evaluate the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. A hydro-salinity model was developed to integrate subsurface hydrology with reactive salt transport for a 1,400-km(2) study area in the San Joaquin Valley. The model was used to reconstruct historical changes in salt storage by irrigated agriculture over the past 60 years. We show that patterns in soil and groundwater salinity were caused by spatial variations in soil hydrology, the change from local groundwater to snowmelt water as the main irrigation water supply, and by occasional droughts. Gypsum dissolution was a critical component of the regional salt balance. Although results show that the total salt input and output were about equal for the past 20 years, the model also predicts salinization of the deeper aquifers, thereby questioning the sustainability of irrigated agriculture.


[Pneumococcal pneumonia: epidemiology, therapy, immunoprophylaxis].
Despite modern antibiotic therapies, pneumococcal pneumonia still remains a serious epidemiologic problem. Some 25% of pneumococcal pneumonias are accompanied by bacteremia. The mortality rate in these forms is some 17%, and in patients above 50 it is as high as 28%. Early toxic injury is responsible for the high mortality rate, which is as high as 13,000-60,000 deaths every year in the USA. Several resistant strains of pneumococci have recently been discovered, and for all these reasons research into active immunization against pneumococci has been resumed. A vaccine is now available which consists of polysaccharide antigens of the 14 most important serotypes and confers a protection rate of some 80% against pneumococcal pneumonia. Vaccination is recommended for elderly and debilitated persons in particular.


Antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on depression-like behaviors using CUMS model in male rats.
This study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of aqueous extracts of miswak (Salvadora persica) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and their combination on depression-like behaviors using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model of depression and to investigate the underlying possible mechanisms. Results showed that CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and anxiety in male rats, as determined by behavioral tests (FST, EPM, and OFT). CUMS significantly increased the levels of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), cortisol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6), in addition to enhancing acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) activity while plasma total antioxidant capacity and serotonin level were reduced. In the prefrontal cortex, CUMS decreased the expression of CREB and BDNF mRNA. However, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm and their combination effectively ameliorated depressive-like behaviors, body weight loss, and oxidative stress induced by CUMS and restored serotonin and cortisol secretion to normal levels. Furthermore, the studied extracts improved the levels of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB and BDNF mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex. In conclusion, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm have significant antidepressant-like effects on depression-like behaviors in CUMS model in rats. Moreover, their combination has higher antidepressant-like effects than either extract alone, suggesting that it may be an effective treatment for stress-induced depression-like behaviors acting through modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and CREB/BDNF signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chronic stress is a major contributor to the development of depression. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of herbal remedies for the treatment of a variety of diseases, particularly mood disorders. Because of the side effects encountered by antidepressant drugs such as anxiety, sexual dysfunction, loss of appetite, and inadequate response or developing tolerance to these medications, there is a need for more efficient and convenient antidepressant treatments. According to this study, aqueous extracts of miswak and date palm are effective treatments for stress-induced depression-like behaviors.


Microscopical observations on the regenerating tail in the tuatara Sphenodon punctatus indicate a tendency to scarring, but also influence from somatic growth.
The process of tail regeneration in the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) is not entirely known. Similarity to and differences from lizard tail regenerations are indicated in the present histological and ultrastructural study. Regeneration is influenced by the animal's age and ambient temperature, but in comparison to that of lizards it is very slow and tends to produce outgrowths that do not reach the length of the original tail. Although microscopically similar to lizard blastemas, the mesenchyme rapidly gives rise to a dense connective tissue that contains few muscle bundles, nerves, and fat cells. The unsegmented cartilaginous tube forming the axial skeleton is not calcified after 5 months of regeneration, but calcification in the inner region of the cartilage, present after 10 months, increases thereafter. Amyelinic and myelinic peripheral nerves are seen within the regenerating tails of 2-3 mm in length and the spinal cord forms an ependymal tube inside a cartilaginous casing. Tissues of the original tail, like muscles, vertebrae and the adipose mass, are largely replaced by dense connective tissue that occupies most of the volume of the new tail at 5 and 10 months of regeneration. It is unknown whether the differentiation of the dense connective tissue is caused by the relatively low temperature that this species lives under or stems from a genetic predisposition toward scarring as with most other amniotes. Increases of muscle and adipose tissues seen in older regenerated tails derive from somatic growth of the new tail in the years following tail loss and not from a rapid regeneration process like that in lizards.


IgG and IgA antibodies specific for Chlamydia trachomatis in acute epididymitis.
The possibility of using elevated Chlamydia trachomatis-specific serum IgG and IgA as a screening test for Chlamydia-associated epididymitis was analyzed in 28 acute epididymitis patients and 42 apparently healthy men by the single antigen (L2) immunoperoxidase assay. The prevalence rates of C. trachomatis IgG antibody titer greater than or equal to 64 and elevated C. trachomatis IgG titers (greater than or equal to 128) were significantly higher in the epididymitis patients (75 vs. 40%, p less than 0.01, and 39 vs. 14%, p less than 0.025, respectively) than in controls. The prevalence rate of C. trachomatis IgA antibodies (titer greater than or equal to 8) was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) in epididymitis patients as compared to controls (46 vs. 10%, respectively). The potential application of elevated serum C. trachomatis IgG and IgA antibodies as a noninvasive screening marker in epididymitis patients is discussed.


NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Uterine Neoplasms, Version 3.2021.
The NCCN Guidelines for Uterine Neoplasms provide recommendations for diagnostic workup, clinical staging, and treatment options for patients with endometrial cancer or uterine sarcoma. These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on the recent addition of molecular profiling information to aid in accurate diagnosis, classification, and treatment of uterine sarcomas.


Impact of Computer Related Posture on the Occurrence of Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Secondary School Students in Lagos, Nigeria.
Computers have become an essential part of life particularly in industrially advanced countries of the world. Children now have greater accessibility to computers both at school and at home. Recent studies suggest that with this increased exposure, there are associated musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in both school-aged children and adults. To assess the posture assumed by secondary school students during computer use and its impact on the occurrence and severity of reported musculoskeletal discomforts. Posture assumed during normal computer class, occurrence of discomforts, body parts involved and the intensity of discomforts were evaluated in 235 school aged children using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scale, Body Discomfort Chart (BDC) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after normal computer class. Inferential statistics of t-test and chi-square were used to determine significance difference between variables, with level of significant set at p < 0.05. None of the participants demonstrated acceptable posture. Computer use produced significant discomforts on the neck, shoulder and low back. There was a significant relationship between participants height and posture assumed. Two hundred and eleven (89.8%) participants reported discomforts/pain during the use of computer. Weight and height were contributory factors to the occurrence of musculoskeletal discomfort/pain (p < 0.05) in some of the body parts studied. Musculoskeletal discomfort was found to be a problem among the school-aged children during computer use. Weight and height were implicated as factors that influenced the form of posture and the nature of the reported discomfort. Creating awareness about the knowledge of ergonomics and safety for promotion of good posture was therefore recommended.


Evaluation of stress distributions in peri-implant and periodontal bone tissues in 3- and 5-unit tooth and implant-supported fixed zirconia restorations by finite elements analysis.
In this study, it is aimed to compare the distribution of stress on periodontal and peri-implant bone tissues in 3- and 5-unit-dental and implant-supported zirconia restorations using finite element analysis. Stress distribution formed in periodontal and peri-implant bone tissues as a result of chewing forces was analyzed in dental and implant-supported three-dimensional (3D) finite element models of zirconia restoration with 5-unit placed on the numbers of 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 and with 3-unit placed on the number of 45, 46, and 47. Four different loading conditions were used. 200 N force was applied in 30° from the buccal inclination of number 43, 45, and 47 restorations separately and totally 850 N force was applied in 30° from the buccal inclination of whole restoration. The study was performed through static nonlinear analysis with the 3D finite element analysis method. Stress accumulation in bone tissues in the tooth-supported model was found less than in implant-supported models. Stress accumulation was observed in the cervical portion of the implant in implant-supported models, and stress accumulation was observed surrounding bone of roots in tooth-supported models. The highest stress values were occurred in 5 unit implant-supported model in all loadings. In posterior restorations increased in the number of supported teeth and implant can reduce the destructive forces on periodontal and peri-implant bone tissues and may allow longer period retention of the restorations in the mouth.


Function of a conserved residue in the amino terminal alpha-helix of four helical bundle cytokines.
The Glu residue in the helix A is conserved among many cytokines. Mutation in this residue converts some cytokines to an antagonist. Such an artificial cytokine with an antagonist activity may be useful in a clinical area. In this study we generated a mutant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) termed G-CSF.E20K in which this residue is substituted to Lys. It is known that G-CSF binds to a homodimeric receptor, while other cytokines which can be converted to antagonists bind to heterodimeric receptors. We showed that G-CSF.E20K does not bind to the receptor at all, and that it fails to stimulate proliferation. Thus, the mutant did not act as an antagonist. We propose that the nature of the receptor, namely whether it is a homodimer or heterodimer, determines the antagonist activity of the mutant.


Receptor polymorphism restricts contact-dependent growth inhibition to members of the same species.
Bacteria that express contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems outcompete siblings that lack immunity, suggesting that CDI mediates intercellular competition. To further explore the role of CDI in competition, we determined the target cell range of the CDIEC93 system from Escherichia coli EC93. The CdiAEC93 effector protein recognizes the widely conserved BamA protein as a receptor, yet E. coli EC93 does not inhibit other enterobacterial species. The predicted membrane topology of BamA indicates that three of its extracellular loops vary considerably between species, suggesting that loop heterogeneity may control CDI specificity. Consistent with this hypothesis, other enterobacteria are sensitized to CDIEC93 upon the expression of E. coli bamA and E. coli cells become CDIEC93 resistant when bamA is replaced with alleles from other species. Our data indicate that BamA loops 6 and 7 form the CdiAEC93-binding epitope and their variation between species restricts CDIEC93 target cell selection. Although BamA loops 6 and 7 vary dramatically between species, these regions are identical in hundreds of E. coli strains, suggesting that BamAEcoli and CdiAEC93 play a role in self-nonself discrimination. Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems are widespread among Gram-negative bacteria, enabling them to bind to neighboring bacterial cells and deliver protein toxins that inhibit cell growth. In this study, we tested the role of CDI in interspecies competition using intestinal isolate Escherichia coli EC93 as an inhibitor cell model. Although E. coli EC93 inhibits different E. coli strains, other bacterial species from the intestine are completely resistant to CDI. We show that resistance is due to small variations in the CDI receptor that prevent other species from being recognized as target cells. CDI receptor interactions thus provide a mechanism by which bacteria can distinguish siblings and other close relatives (self) from more distant relatives or other species of bacteria (nonself). Our results provide a possible means by which antimicrobials could be directed to one or only a few related bacterial pathogens by using a specific receptor "zip code."


AMH in Males: Effects of Body Size and Composition on Serum AMH Levels.
Serum concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) have been found to decrease with increasing body mass index (BMI) in many studies. It is not yet clear whether this stems from an adverse effect of adiposity on AMH production, or from dilution due to the greater blood volume that accompanies a larger body size. To investigate a possible hemodilution effect, we explored the relationships between serum AMH levels and different parameters of body composition using linear regression models in a cohort of adult males. Body weight, lean mass (LM), and body surface area (BSA) were found to be better predictors of AMH than measures of adiposity, such as BMI or fat mass. Since both LM and BSA correlate with plasma volume better than adipose tissue, we conclude that hemodilution of AMH does occur in adult males and should be considered for normalization in future studies.


Empty nose syndrome.
Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is a rare, late complication of turbinate surgery. The most common clinical symptoms are paradoxical nasal obstruction, nasal dryness and crusting, and a persistent feeling of dyspnea. Little is known about the pathogenesis of ENS, though it is speculated that anatomical changes leading to alterations in local environment, disruption of mucosal cooling, and disruption of neurosensory mechanisms are strongly implicated. The diagnosis is clinical, though often difficult to make due to the poor correlation between subjective and objective findings. Medical therapies include mucosal humidification, irrigations, and emollients. Surgical therapy should be reserved for refractory cases and may involve turbinate reconstruction, most commonly using implantable biomaterials. Ultimately, prevention of this feared complication through turbinate-sparing techniques is essential.


Newly identified proviruses in Thermotogota suggest that viruses are the vehicles on the highways of interphylum gene sharing.
Phylogenomic analyses of bacteria from the phylum Thermotogota have shown extensive lateral gene transfer with distantly related organisms, particularly with Firmicutes. One likely mechanism of such DNA transfer is viruses. However, to date, only three temperate viruses have been characterized in this phylum, all infecting bacteria from the Marinitoga genus. Here we report 17 proviruses integrated into genomes of bacteria belonging to eight Thermotogota genera and induce viral particle production from one of the proviruses. All except an incomplete provirus from Mesotoga fall into two groups based on sequence similarity, gene synteny and taxonomic classification. Proviruses of Group 1 are found in the genera Geotoga, Kosmotoga, Marinitoga, Thermosipho and Mesoaciditoga and are similar to the previously characterized Marinitoga viruses, while proviruses from Group 2 are distantly related to the Group 1 proviruses, have different genome organization and are found in Petrotoga and Defluviitoga. Genes carried by both groups are closely related to Firmicutes and Firmicutes (pro)viruses in phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, one of the groups show evidence of recent gene exchange and may be capable of infecting cells from both phyla. We hypothesize that viruses are responsible for a large portion of the observed gene flow between Firmicutes and Thermotogota.


Tobacco or healthy children: the two cannot co-exist.
Tobacco exposure increases mortality and morbidity of the fetus, the child, the adolescent, and their children in turn. Nearly half the children in the world are exposed. Smoking is not merely personal choice or personal responsibility; those subtle phrases undermine those who have no choice in the matter. Tobacco control must take a multi-pronged attack. Smoking cessation by adults in childbearing years must take center stage of these efforts, because it is the only way to ensure a smoke-free environment for children. Smoke-free parents provide a role model for smoke-free young people, and erode the image of smoking as a desirable adult behavior to emulate. Pediatricians and pediatric pulmonologists have a key role to play here. This goal will reduce morbidity and mortality among adults and children. Legislation regarding taxation, environments, tobacco constituents, product placement and display, packaging, and media education are all key to this core goal. Smoke-free policy must be protected from attack based on trade agreements. Research is needed into more effective ways to attract and help people give up smoking, and into educating and re-deploying tobacco industry workers in emerging and developed countries.


Investigational drugs in Phase I and Phase II for Levodopa-induced dyskinesias.
Prolonged treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) with levodopa (L-DOPA) results in motor complications, including motor fluctuations and involuntary movements known as L-DOPA induced dyskinesias (LIDs). LIDs represent an additional cause of disability for PD patients and a major challenge for the clinical neurologist. Preclinical research has provided invaluable insights into the molecular and neural substrates of LIDs, identifying a number of potential targets for new anti-dyskinetic strategies. Areas covered: This review article is centered on drugs currently in Phase I and II clinical trials for LIDs and their relative pharmacological targets, which include glutamate, acetylcholine, serotonin, adrenergic receptors and additional targets of potential therapeutic interest. Expert opinion: LIDs are sustained by complex molecular and neurobiological mechanisms that are difficult to disentangle or target, unless one or more prevalent mechanisms are identified. In this context, the role of the serotonergic system and mGluR5 glutamate receptors seem to stand out. Interesting results have been obtained, for example, with partial 5-HT1A/5-HT1B receptor agonist eltoprazine and mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator dipraglurant. Confirmation of these results through large-scale, Phase III clinical trials will be needed, to obtain new pharmacological tools that may be used to optimize the treatment of PD patients with motor complications.


Optics of the harbor porpoise eye in water.
A two-dimensional ray-tracing model for the harbor porpoise eye is constructed from new measurements, mainly on two enucleated eyes, and from data found in the literature. Model calculations show that the crystalline lens has too much refractive power to focus light on the retina. The cornea has a high refractive index and acts as a diverging lens of considerable refractive power. The cornea corrects the eye to near emmetropia for axial and temporal (caudal) directions of view. The eye is approximately 5-D myopic for nasal (frontal) directions of view. The iris serves a dual role as a stop: the iris determines the shapes of bundles of light that enter the lens and the iris blocks light that leaves the lens anterior to its equator.


Trends in the prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk and the control of its risk factors Among US adults, 2001-2020.
An accurate assessment of current trends in cardiovascular risks could inform public health policy. This study aims to determine 20-year trends in the prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk and its risk factors' control among US adults. In this serial cross-sectional analysis of 23,594 adults, aged 40-79 years, without clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2020, we calculated the prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk (10-year ASCVD risk ≥ 7.5%) for all participants and subgroups with their risk factors controlled for diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk slightly decreased from 41.5% (95% CI, 39.7-43.3%) in 2001-2004 to 38.6% (95% CI, 36.1-41.1%) in 2017-2020 (P for trend = 0.169) while the respective sex-adjusted prevalence significantly increased from 34.4% (95% CI, 32.8-36.0%) to 39.5% (95% CI, 37.0-42.0%; P for trend <0.001). Sex and race continued to show disparities in cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, a worsening disparity in age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk between young and old and a narrowing gap among different education and poverty index levels (all P trend for interaction <0.05). Differential decomposition analysis found that demographic changes (primarily population aging) led to an 8.8% increase in the prevalence of elevated cardiovascular risk from 2001 to 2004 to 2017-2020, while risk factor control led to a 3.8% decrease. The rate of individuals receiving treatment for diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia increased significantly between 2001 and 2020 (all P for trend <0.05). The rate of participants with hypertension who achieved blood pressure under 130/80 mmHg and those with dyslipidemia who achieved a non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level under 130 mg/dl increased significantly (all P for trend <0.001). There is a slight reduction in the prevalence of age- and sex-adjusted elevated cardiovascular risk among US adults without clinical ASCVD between 2001 and 2020, while the sex-adjusted prevalence significantly increased. The decrease in elevated cardiovascular risk prevalence was mainly attributed to risk factor control, while demographic changes contributed to an increase.