Relationship between genetic alterations and prognosis in sporadic colorectal cancer.
Because chromosomal chromosomal instability (CIN) and microsatellite instability (MSI) are important genetic alterations in colorectal cancers, we classified the sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC) on the status of the CIN and MSI and explored their molecular profiles. A total of 213 colorectal tumors were collected for analysis of DNA ploidy, MSI, loss of heterozygosity (LOH), mutation of p53 (exons 5 to 9), Ki-ras (exons 1 and 2) and BRAF (V599E). Relationships between clinicopathological variables and molecular analyses were analyzed with the chi(2) test (Yates' correction). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared using log-rank test. Variables with p < 0.1 were entered into the Cox regression hazard model for multivariate analysis. High microsatellite instability (MSI-H) existed in 19 tumors (8.9%), which were more likely to be right-sided (31.6%) with poor differentiation (26.3%). Seventy-one (33.3%) tumors were diploid and 142 (66.7%) were aneuploid. Mutations in p53, Ki-ras and BRAF were found in 45.1%, 41.8% and 4.2% of tumors, respectively. Based on MSI, and CIN, 3 classes were defined: (i) High microsatellite instability MSI-H tumors: young age, high carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, right colon, poorly differentiated, mucin production, high BRAF mutation, lower allelic loss and relatively good prognosis; (ii) Microsatellite stability (MSS) diploid tumors: right colon, poorly differentiated, less infiltrative tumor, mucin production, lower allelic loss and low p53, BRAF mutation; (iii) MSS aneuploid tumors: more infiltrative invasion, greater allelic loss and high p53 mutation. According to multivariate analysis, tumor stage and p53 mutation were significantly associated with disease progression. The MSS diploid and MSS aneuploid CRCs could be subtyped with p53 mutation and had different prognostic outcome and molecular profiles. The 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with MSS-diploid, wild-type p53 tumors was 67% and significantly higher than those of patients with MSS-diploid, mutant p53 CRC (30%, p = 0.003). The same trend was found in patients with MSS-aneuploid CRC(wild p53 vs. mutant p53, 64% vs. 41%, p = 0.009). We concluded that CIN, MSI and p53 mutation status might be used as a multiple parameter profile for the prognosis of sporadic colorectal cancer.


Three distinct forms of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins are released by decidual cells in culture.
Recent studies have shown that human decidual explants synthesize a 25,272 dalton form of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-1) that is identical to the most abundant form of IGFBP detected in human amniotic fluid. To determine whether decidual cells also secrete other structurally distinct forms of IGFBP, conditioned medium obtained from human decidual cells was analyzed by ligand blotting and immunoblotting using antisera that were specific for IGFBP-1 or 2. IGFBP-2 is a form of binding protein that is structurally distinct from IGFBP-1. Ligand blotting analysis (which detects all forms of IGFBPs) showed that 3 forms of IGFBP with Mr estimates of 34,000, 30,000 and 24,000 were present in basal, unstimulated, conditioned media. Immunoblotting showed that the 30,000 Mr form reacted with an antibody that is specific for IGFBP-1, whereas the 34,000 Mr form reacted with an antibody that is specific for IGFBP-2. The 24,000 Mr band did not react with antisera to either IGFBP-1 or 2. Basal IGFBP-1 release from human decidual cultures, as measured by RIA, showed a significant decrease during the 5 day period from 34 +/- 1.6 on day 1 to 12 +/- 1.9 ng/ml on day 5. Exposure of the cells to (Bu)2cAMP (1.0 mM) for 5 days had no significant effect on IGFBP-1 release during the first day of exposure, but caused a progressive stimulation of release during the subsequent 4 days. By day 5, exposure to (Bu)2cAMP induced a 5- to 6-fold increase in IGFBP-1 release that was completely inhibited by exposure to cycloheximide. Exposure of the cells to cholera toxin (0.1 micrograms/ml) for 4 days caused a 3.7-fold increase in IGFBP-1 release. The stimulation of IGFBP-1 release by (Bu)2cAMP was completely inhibited by simultaneous exposure to insulin (100 ng/ml) and/or IGF-I (100 ng/ml) (day 5 control = 35 ng/ml, (Bu)2cAMP alone = 248 ng/ml, insulin + (Bu)2cAMP = 36 ng/ml, or IGF-I + (Bu)2cAMP = 10.1 ng/ml). Hydrocortisone and the phorbol ester (phorbol myristate acetate) caused no significant changes in basal IGFBP-1 release but prevented the decrease in the basal rate of release that occurred between day 1 and 5. Ligand blotting studies showed that the 24,000 Mr form of binding protein was also stimulated by (Bu)2cAMP (3.3-fold increase); however, cholera toxin and phorbol myristate acetate were without effect. In contrast, the release of the 34,000 Mr form was unaffected by exposure to any of these agents, suggesting that regulation of this form of IGFBP is distinct from the other 2 forms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


CHO-produced RBD-Fc subunit vaccines with alternative adjuvants generate immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.
Subunit vaccines feature critical advantages over other vaccine platforms such as stability, price, and minimal adverse effects. To maximize immunological protection of subunit vaccines, adjuvants are considered as main components that are formulated within the subunit vaccine. They can modulate adverse effects and enhance immune outcomes. However, the most suitable formulation providing the best immunological outcomes and safety are still under investigation. In this report, we combined recombinant RBD with human IgG1 Fc to create an RBD dimer. This fusion protein was expressed in CHO and formulated with alternative adjuvants with different immune activation including Montanide ISA51, Poly (I:C), and MPLA/Quil-A® as potential vaccine candidate formulations. Using the murine model, a potent induction of anti-RBD IgG antibodies in immunized mice sera were observed. IgG subclass analyses (IgG1/IgG2a) illustrated that all adjuvanted formulations could stimulate both Th1 and Th2-type immune responses in particular Poly (I:C) and MPLA/Quil-A®, eliciting greater balance. In addition, Montanide ISA51-formulated RBD-Fc vaccination provided a promising level of neutralizing antibodies against live wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in vitro followed by Poly (I:C) and MPLA/Quil-A®, respectively. Also, mice sera from adjuvanted formulations could strongly inhibit RBD:ACE2 interaction. This study offers immunogenicity profiles, forecasted safety based on Vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED) caused by Th1-skewed immunity, and neutralizing antibody analysis of candidates of RBD-Fc-based subunit vaccine formulations to obtain an alternative subunit vaccine formulation against SARS-CoV-2.


ELEVATION OF GAMMA DOSE RATE BY CONSTRUCTION OF THE ASIAN HIGHWAY 3 (AH3) BETWEEN ULAANBAATAR AND SAINSHAND, MONGOLIA.
The present study aimed at examining changes of gamma radiation level associated with road construction in Mongolia. A car-borne survey of gamma dose rate was made for a paved, ~450-km long part of the Asian Highway 3 between Ulaanbaatar and Sainshand. The gamma dose rates ranged from 48 to 173 nGy/h. Elevation of the gamma dose rates was observed only on a 86-km long segment of the survey route which was newly constructed from 2011 to 2013. The gamma dose rates over the newer paved segment were twice as high as those over the bare dirt surface alongside it. Outdoor measurements of gamma-ray pulse height distributions also indicated an abundance of natural radionuclides, especially 232Th-series elements in road materials. These findings suggest that the gamma dose rates were elevated by introduction of road materials containing large amounts of natural radionuclides.


"Single-pole dual-control" competing mode in plants.
Plant development and pattern formation depend on diffusible signals and location cues. These developmental signals and cues activate intracellular downstream components through cell surface receptors that direct cells to adopt specific fates for optimal function and establish biological fitness. There may be a single-pole dual-control competing mode in controlling plant development and microbial infection. In plant development, paracrine signaling molecules compete with autocrine signaling molecules to bind receptors or receptor complexes, turn on antagonistic molecular mechanisms, and precisely regulate developmental processes. In the process of microbial infection, two different signaling molecules, competing receptors or receptor complexes, form their respective signaling complexes, trigger opposite signaling pathways, establish symbiosis or immunity, and achieve biological adaptation. We reviewed several "single-pole dual-control" competing modes, focusing on analyzing the competitive commonality and characterization of "single-pole dual-control" molecular mechanisms. We suggest it might be an economical protective mechanism for plants' sequentially and iteratively programmed developmental events. This mechanism may also be a paradigm for reducing internal friction in the struggle and coexistence with microbes. It provides extraordinary insights into molecular recognition, cell-to-cell communication, and protein-protein interactions. A detailed understanding of the "single-pole dual-control" competing mode will contribute to the discovery of more receptors or antagonistic peptides, and lay the foundation for food, biofuel production, and crop improvement.


The evolution of trauma surgery at a high-volume Canadian centre: implications for public health, prevention, clinical care, education and recruitment.
Trauma centres continue to evolve with respect to clinical care and their impact on public health. Despite improvements in patient outcomes, operative volumes, and therefore maintenance of surgical skills, has become a challenging issue. We sought to determine whether injury demographics and treatments at a high-volume centre changed over time. We used the Alberta Trauma Registry to analyze all severely injured (injury severity score [ISS] ≥ 12) patient admissions over a 16-year period (1995-2011). Of the 12,879 severely injured patients requiring admission, there was a 1.5- fold increase in the annual admission rate despite population normalization (p = 0.001). Over the 16-year interval, patients were older with a subsequent lower mortality (p = 0.001) and length of hospital stay (p = 0.007). In patients with the most severe ISS (≥ 48), there was no change in mortality (27%, p = 0.26). In 2011, falls were the most common mechanism compared with motor vehicle crashes (41% v. 23%; p < 0.001); this was a complete reversal compared with 1995 (25% v. 41%). Motorized recreational vehicle and motorcycle injuries also increased (p < 0.001). The mean number of operations performed by trauma surgeons decreased (laparotomies: 67 [17%] in 1995 v. 47 [5%] in 2011, p < 0.001). Thoracotomies and tracheostomies remained unchanged (p = 0.19). Clinical care has improved despite an increasing overall volume of severely injured patient admissions. The number of operative interventions performed by trauma surgeons continues to decrease concurrent to a change in injury mechanisms. Despite these improvements, maintenance of technical skills among trauma surgeons has become an important issue.


Enantioselective construction of functionalized thiopyrano-indole annulated heterocycles via a formal thio [3 + 3]-cyclization.
A formal thio [3 + 3]-cyclization catalyzed by a DPEN-derived chiral thiourea has been reported for the construction of optically active thiopyrano-indole annulated heterocyclic compounds in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The high reactivity between indoline-2-thione (keto-S) and 2-benzylidenemalononitrile has also been supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.


One Hour In Vivo-like Phenotypic Screening System for Anti-cancer Drugs Using a High Precision Surface Plasmon Resonance Device.
In anti-cancer drug (candidate) screening, there is the need for evaluation at physiological concentrations similar to in vivo. This is often performed by three-dimensionally (3D) cultured cells; however, it requires a long culture period of 2 - 4 weeks with tedious experimental procedures. Here, we report on a high precision surface plasmon resonance (HP-SPR)-3D system. We developed the system with average fluctuation of 50 ndeg s-1 using two-dimensionally cultured cells attached onto a sensor chip by applying collagen on the top to change their activity into in vivo-like conditions without cell division. It allowed in vivo-like phenotypic screening for anti-cancer drugs within 1 h of drug addition. The data were collected as the stable linear signal change parts for at least 5 min after 25 min following drug addition. The results provided compatibility to clinically related chemosensitivity test for anti-cancer (P <0.001) using two cell lines of pancreatic cancer and three anti-cancer drugs to represent differences in individual gene expression and drug mode of action.


Adherence and variability in warfarin dose requirements: assessment in a prospective cohort.
Although several genetic and nongenetic factors are associated with warfarin dose, approximately 40% of variability remains unexplained. An as yet unexplored factor is medication adherence. Here, we investigate the influence of adherence on response to warfarin and on pharmacogenetic analyses of association. A total of 311 patients starting warfarin were followed-up prospectively, and adherence was measured at 1, 8 and 26 weeks. The association between adherence and warfarin response was tested, and the additional proportion of variability in response explained by adherence was assessed. Significant associations were found between adherence and achievement of stable dose and time taken to achieve it, with nonadherers taking longer. Adjusting for adherence increased the proportion of explained variability in treatment response by up to 8%. Given the significant contribution of adherence to drug response, we recommend that consideration is given to the value of assessing adherence when designing future pharmacogenetic studies of warfarin and other drugs.


Changing indications for bone scintigraphy in patients with osteosarcoma.
Fifty-six patients with osteosarcoma were studied to determine the onset of pulmonary and bone metastases. While pulmonary metastases were always detected prior to bone metastases in the era before adjuvant chemotherapy, in this study of patients on adjuvant therapy 16% of patients with metastases showed osseous metastases prior to or without pulmonary metastases.


Immunoblotting profiles in 55 systemic lupus erythematosus sera lacking precipitating antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens.
Serum samples from 55 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were selected for the absence of anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies after routine immunodiffusion tests. These sera were immunoblotted for anti-Sm and anti-RNP antibodies on a HeLa cell nuclear extract. Ten (18%) were negative and 45 (82%) produced complex patterns: 10 (18%) suggestive of anti-Sm, three (5%) anti-RNP, and 32 (58%) a combination of anti-Sm and anti-RNP antibodies. These data were very similar to those obtained from sera from a control group of 28 SLE sera selected for positivity of anti-Sm and anti-RNP precipitins with the immunodiffusion test. IgM isotype antibodies to the D peptide were significantly more prevalent than IgG isotype antibodies, whereas antibodies to the 68 kD polypeptide were of both IgM and IgG isotypes. Sera with an anti-Sm/RNP immunoblotting pattern stemmed from a group of patients with SLE with a higher titre of anti-dsDNA antibodies. Among clinical symptoms, the incidence of haemolytic anaemia was higher in the group of patients with the anti-Sm immunoblotting profile. Patients with an anti-RNP immunoblotting profile showed a higher incidence of cutaneous symptoms. It is concluded that immunoblotting for anti-Sm or anti-RNP antibody determination is a very sensitive diagnostic tool in patients with SLE.


Circuit-Depth Reduction of Unitary-Coupled-Cluster Ansatz by Energy Sorting.
Quantum computation represents a revolutionary approach to solving problems in quantum chemistry. However, due to the limited quantum resources in the current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices, quantum algorithms for large chemical systems remain a major task. In this work, we demonstrate that the circuit depth of the unitary coupled cluster (UCC) and UCC-based ansatzes in the algorithm of the variational quantum eigensolver can be significantly reduced by an energy-sorting strategy. Specifically, subsets of excitation operators are first prescreened from the operator pool according to its contribution to the total energy. The quantum circuit ansatz is then iteratively constructed until convergence of the final energy to a typical accuracy. For demonstration, this method has been successfully applied to molecular and periodic systems. Particularly, a reduction of 50%-98% in the number of operators is observed while retaining the accuracy of the original UCCSD operator pools. This method can be straightforwardly extended to general parametric variational ansatzes.


Conformational changes in NhaA Na+/H+ antiporter.
Na(+)/H(+) antiporters play a primary role in Na(+)/H(+) homeostasis in cells and many organelles and have long been drug targets. The X-ray structure of NhaA, the main antiporter of Escherichia coli, provided structural insights into the antiport mechanism and its pH regulation and revealed a novel fold; six of the 12 TMs (Trans membrane segments) are organized in two topologically inverted repeats, each with one TM interrupted by an extended chain creating a unique electrostatic environment in the middle of the membrane at the cation binding site. Remarkably, inverted repeats containing interrupted helices with similar functional implications have since been observed in structures of other bacterial secondary transporters with almost no sequence homology. Finally, the structure reveals that NhaA is organized into two functional regions: a 'pH sensor' - a cluster of amino acyl side chains that are involved in pH regulation; and a catalytic region that is 9 Å removed from the pH sensor. Alternative accessibility of the binding site to either side of the membrane, i.e., functional-dynamics, is the essence of secondary transport mechanism. Because NhaA is tightly pH regulated, structures of the pH-activated and ligand-activated NhaA conformations are needed to identify its functional-dynamics. However, as these are static snapshots of a dynamic protein, the dynamics of the protein both in vitro and in situ in the membrane are also required as reviewed here in detail. The results reveal two different conformational changes characterizing NhaA: One is pH-induced for NhaA activation; the other is ligand-induced for antiport activity.


International standardization of acute phase proteins.
Acute phase proteins (APPs) such as haptoglobin, serum amyloid A and pig major acute phase protein are plasma proteins that increase in concentration following infection, inflammation, or trauma. The circulating concentrations of these proteins in pigs and cattle can provide an objective measure of the health status of an animal and are increasingly being used as markers of animal health and welfare. Plasma concentrations of APPs are related to the severity of the underlying condition, and provide a ready means of evaluating both the presence and extent of disease. Haptoglobin, for example, has been used to identify both clinical and subclinical disease in animals, and for objectively monitoring antibiotic therapy in experimentally infected animals. Interpretative benefit can be further enhanced by the "acute phase index", derived from a mathematical formula that uses both positive- and negative-reacting APPs. Research suggests that in the future, assays for APPs will be used routinely to assess animal health, optimize production rates, monitor antibiotic therapy, detect diseases such as mastitis in dairy cows, and assess the health of animals at slaughter. These applications have considerable benefit for human food safety. Before APP assays can be applied in animal production on a worldwide basis, however, the calibration of assay methods must be harmonized to ensure that results obtained in the laboratory or on the farm are universally comparable and of consistent quality. In February 2000 the European Commission Directorate General Research Concerted Action was established to fulfill the task of international standardization of APPs. The Concerted Action Group consists of a network of 14 institutions representing 9 European countries. In this report, the background and goals of the Concerted Action Group, and scientific presentations from the group's first colloquium are described. In addition, the progress of the group to date and the standardization plan for the full 30-month duration of the Concerted Action are summarized.


STAT3-induced ZBED3-AS1 promotes the malignant phenotypes of melanoma cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Melanoma is considered as the most frequent primary malignancy occurring in skin. Accumulating studies have suggested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical parts in multiple cancers. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism of ZBED3 antisense RNA 1 (ZBED3-AS1) in melanoma. We observed that ZBED3-AS1 expression was remarkably up-regulated in melanoma tissues, and high ZBED3-AS1 level was linked to unsatisfactory survival of melanoma patients. Then, we discovered that ZBED3-AS1 was overexpressed in melanoma cells compared with human epidermal melanocytes. In addition, loss-of-function assays verified that ZBED3-AS1 knockdown restrained cell proliferation, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stemness in melanoma. In addition, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which also showed tumour-facilitating functions in melanoma, was confirmed as a transcriptional activator of ZBED3-AS1. Moreover, ZBED3-AS1 enhanced the expression of AT-rich interaction domain 4B (ARID4B) through sequestering miR-381-3p. Importantly, we further confirmed that ZBED3-AS1 promoted the malignant progression of melanoma by regulating miR-381-3p/ARID4B axis to activate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT serine/threonine kinase (PI3K/AKT) signalling pathway. In a word, our research might provide a novel therapeutic target for melanoma.


Effects of cyanobacterial toxins and cyanobacterial cell-free crude extract on germination of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and induction of oxidative stress.
Cyanobacterial toxins have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic plants. Microcystins are cyclic heptapeptides and an important group of cyanotoxins. When lake water contaminated with cyanobacterial blooms is used for spray irrigation, these toxins can come in contact with agricultural plants. During the exposure to these toxins, reactive oxygen species can form. These reactive oxygen species have a strong reactivity and are able to interact with other cellular compounds (lipids, protein, and DNA). Plants have antioxidative systems that will limit the negative effects caused by reactive oxygen species. These systems consist of enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, and nonenzymatic substances, such as reduced glutathione or vitamins. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of cyanobacterial toxins (microcystins and anatoxin-a) and cyanobacterial cell-free crude extract on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seedlings. Inhibition of germination and root growth was observed with toxin concentrations of 5.0 microg/L. Also, oxidative damage, such as lipid peroxidation, was detected after the exposure of alfalfa seedlings to the toxin. Reactive oxygen detoxifying enzymes were elevated, showing a marked response in alfalfa to oxidative stress caused by the exposure to cyanobacterial metabolites that might influence the growth and development of these plants negatively.


Cases of Ultrasound-Diagnosed Right Aortic Arch with Right Arterial Duct and the Treatment.
This paper aims to discuss the value of ultrasound to diagnose right aortic arch with right arterial duct. A retrospective analysis of fetal echocardiography characteristics of 10 fetuses who were diagnosed as right aortic arch with right arterial duct from December 2016 to March 2021 is made, and focus is put on the relationship between the aortic arch and arterial duct, and the position of aortic arch, arterial duct arch and trachea on the three vessels and trachea view (3VT). As a result, all 10 cases with right aortic arch and right arterial duct do not show aberrant left subclavian artery, and aortic arch with arterial duct are still connected as "V-shaped", and do not get vascular rings. In conclusion, 3VT can simply and clearly detect the right aortic arch, and the key to diagnosing the right aortic arch and right arterial duct is thorough inspection of the aortic arch, arterial duct, and trachea in their respective positions.


Combined Use of Reducing Agents and Biodegradable Chelating Agent for Iron Rust Removal.
Since many of the current chemicals used to remove iron rust are hazardous to the environment and human health, the combined use of a reducing agent and a biodegradable chelating agent has been suggested as an environmental friendly and highly safe alternative. In the present work, the compatibility of the newly devised cleaning test with a model iron rust stain was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the cleaning efficiency of the method was evaluated by X-ray fluorescence. The cleaning mechanism and the synergistic effect of the reducing agent and the chelating agent was investigated using the phenanthroline absorption measurement method, and the results revealed that the reduced iron ions were dissolved by the chelating agent. The cleaning test proved that tetrasodium 3-hydroxy-2,2'-iminodisuccinate (HIDS) is a promising biodegradable chelating agent as an alternative to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for removing iron rust. It was also confirmed that the type of reducing agent used determines the pH at which detergency is enhanced. The detergency of the combination of the reducing agent and the biodegradable chelating agent was equal to or higher than the detergency of the acid agent, and thus, it was concluded that the proposed method has a great potential for commercial use.


Contraceptive use among Jamaican teenage mothers.
To compare the prevalence of contraceptive use among teenage mothers who were participating, and teenage mothers who were not participating, in a program in Jamaica that had been established to deal with the country's serious problem of repeat pregnancies among adolescents. A historical cohort design was used to assess the impact that the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) Programme for Adolescent Mothers had on contraceptive use among the target population of adolescents 16 years and under who had experienced a first live birth in 1994. Contraceptive use at first intercourse was found to be higher among WCJF program participants (44%) than among nonparticipants (37%), but this difference was not significant (P = 0.35). Contraceptive use after first live birth was also higher among WCJF program participants (94%) than among nonparticipants (86%), and this difference was significant (P = 0.04). Contraceptive prevalence at last intercourse (in 1998) did not differ between participants and nonparticipants (both 69%). Contraceptive use among this population in Jamaica was highest when the respondents' perception of vulnerability to pregnancy was most acute, that is, after the first live birth. All adolescents, both males and females, need to be educated about the importance of sustained and effective use of contraception in order to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.


Multiple Methods for Assessing the Dose to Skin Exposed to Radioactive Contamination.
There is the possibility for a worker at a nuclear installation, such as a nuclear power reactor, a fuel production facility or a medical facility, to come in contact with radioactive contaminants. When such an event occurs, the first order of business is to care for the worker by promptly initiating a decontamination process. Usually, the radiation protection personnel performs a G-M pancake probe measurement of the contamination in situ and collects part or all of the radioactive contamination for further laboratory analysis. The health physicist on duty must then perform, using the available information, a skin dose assessment that will go into the worker's permanent dose record. The contamination situations are often complex and the dose assessment can be laborious. This article compares five dose assessment methods that involve analysis, new technologies and new software. The five methods are applied to 13 actual contamination incidents consisting of direct skin contact, contamination on clothing and contamination on clothing in the presence of an air gap between the clothing and the skin. This work shows that, for the cases studied, the methods provided dose estimates that were usually within 12% (1σ) of each other, for those cases where absolute activity information for every radionuclide was available. One method, which relies simply on a G-M pancake probe measurement, appeared to be particularly useful in situations where a contamination sample could not be recovered for laboratory analysis.


Standardization of DNA amount for bisulfite conversion for analyzing the methylation status of LINE-1 in lung cancer.
Highly methylated Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements 1 (LINE-1) constitute approximately 20% of the human genome, thus serving as a surrogate marker of global genomic DNA methylation. To date, there is still lacking a consensus about the precise location in LINE-1 promoter and its methylation threshold value, making challenging the use of LINE-1 methylation as a diagnostic, prognostic markers in cancer. This study reports on a technical standardization of bisulfite-based DNA methylation analysis, which ensures the complete bisulfite conversion of repeated LINE-1 sequences, thus allowing accurate LINE-1 methylation value. In addition, the study also indicated the precise location in LINE-1 promoter of which significant variance in methylation level makes LINE-1 methylation as a potential diagnostic biomarker for lung cancer. A serial concentration of 5-50-500 ng of DNA from 275 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung tissues were converted by bisulfite; methylation level of two local regions (at nucleotide position 300-368 as LINE-1.1 and 368-460 as LINE-1.2) in LINE-1 promoter was measured by real time PCR. The use of 5 ng of genomic DNA but no more allowed to detect LINE-1 hypomethylation in lung cancer tissue (14.34% versus 16.69% in non-cancerous lung diseases for LINE-1.1, p < 0.0001, and 30.28% versus 32.35% for LINE-1.2, p < 0.05). Our study thus highlighted the optimal and primordial concentration less than 5 ng of genomic DNA guarantees the complete LINE-1 bisulfite conversion, and significant variance in methylation level of the LINE-1 sequence position from 300 to 368 allowed to discriminate lung cancer from non-cancer samples.


Pityriasis lichenoides acuta (PLEVA) pemphigoides: A rare bullous variant of PLEVA.
Although the clinical presentations of patients with pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA) may vary, bullae are not usually part of the clinical spectrum. To date, only two other cases of a bullous variant of PLEVA with evidence of autoantibodies against hemidesmosomal antigens have been reported. The term PLEVA pemphigoides was suggested for this unique clinical, pathological and serological combination of both PLEVA and bullous pemphigoid.


Immunoglobulin-E and anti-IgE treatment in lung disease.
A highly specific monoclonal antibody binding IgE (anti-IgE/omalizumab) has made it possible to determine the immunopathogenetic role that this reaginic antibody plays in human allergic disease. It is clear from recently completed studies that IgE is essential to the full generation of early and late asthmatic responses in human bronchoprovocation trials. Importantly, anti-IgE treatment of severe asthma disease significantly improves symptoms and reduces exacerbation episodes. Elevated serum levels of IgE are prominent in the clinical presentation of allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses and IgE-mediated Type I hypersensitivity reactions are of fundamental importance to the immunopathogenesis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Although the role of IgE in mediating immunity to helminth parasites is considerably less clear, it is safe to conclude that the overall balance of evidence does not support a primary role for IgE in host protection with regard to schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis.


Multi-focus image fusion based on dictionary learning with rolling guidance filter.
We present a new multi-focus image fusion method based on dictionary learning with a rolling guidance filter to fusion of multi-focus images with registration and mis-registration. First, we learn a dictionary via several classical multi-focus images blurred by a rolling guidance filter. Subsequently, we present a new model for focus regions identification via applying the learned dictionary to input images to obtain the corresponding focus feature maps. Then, we determine the initial decision map via comparing the difference of the focus feature maps. The latter is to optimize the initial decision map and perform it on input images to obtain fused images. Experimental results demonstrate that the suggested algorithm is competitive with the current state of the art and superior to some representative methods when input images are well registered and mis-registered.


In Vitro Assessment of The Bioactive Compounds and Anticancer Potential of Citrus medica Leaf Extract.
Citrus medica is a horticultural crop grown in different parts of the world. The plant leaves have medicinal importance in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The leaves are an underutilised part of the plant, despite having various bioactive compounds with health benefits, with phytochemical analysis having revealed the presence of flavonoids, fatty acids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, carbohydrates and phytosterols. The biochemical constituents were identified using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which confirmed the presence of terpenoids, alcohols, alkanes, phytosterols and fatty acids. Among these, methyl 8, 11, 14-heptadecatrienoate is a linolenic acid, and α-linolenic acid, trimethylsilyl ester and levulinic acid are the predominant compounds belonging to the omega-3 fatty acid group, which has known health benefits. Further, the antimicrobial activity of C. medica plant leaves were tested against certain food-borne pathogens and showed significant results. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 6.09 mg/mL to 390 mg/mL for bacterial organisms and 48.75 mg/mL to 390 mg/mL for fungal organisms. The antioxidant activity values were 300 μg/mL and 450 μg/mL by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay, respectively. The methanolic extract from the C. medica leaves also showed anticancer activity against MCF7 breast cancer cell lines, with an IC50 value of material for developing a healthy processed food such as nutraceuticals and functional foods.


Optical random micro-phase-shift DropConnect in a diffractive deep neural network.
The formulation and training of unitary neural networks is the basis of an active modulation diffractive deep neural network. In this Letter, an optical random phase DropConnect is implemented on an optical weight to manipulate a jillion of optical connections in the form of massively parallel sub-networks, in which a micro-phase assumed as an essential ingredient is drilled into Bernoulli holes to enable training convergence, and malposed deflections of the geometrical phase ray are reformulated constantly in epochs, allowing for enhancement of statistical inference. Optically, the random micro-phase-shift acts like a random phase sparse griddle with respect to values and positions, and is operated in the optical path of a projective imaging system. We investigate the performance of the full-drilling and part-drilling phenomena. In general, random micro-phase-shift part-drilling outperforms its full-drilling counterpart both in the training and inference since there are more possible recombinations of geometrical ray deflections induced by random phase DropConnect.


Patient safety and quality improvement: a policy assessment.
The regulation implementing the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA) was published on November 21, 2008, and became effective on January 19, 2009 (42 C.F.R. Part 3). PSQIA establishes a voluntary reporting system to enhance the data available to assess and resolve patient safety and health care quality issues. To encourage the reporting and analysis of medical errors, PSQIA provides federal privilege and confidentiality protections for patient safety information. Greater reporting and analysis of patient safety events will yield increased data and better understanding of patient safety events. A PSO's workforce must have expertise in analyzing patient safety events, such as the identification, analysis, prevention, and reduction or elimination of the risks and hazards associated with the delivery of patient care. This new legislation provides a vehicle to better understand at a macro level how the clinical laboratory threatens patient safety and how that threat can be better controlled. What is imperative is that the clinical laboratory staff be involved in collecting and analyzing data. If they are not, the probability is high that data being reported by the laboratory will be misunderstood at the PSO and laboratories may be cited as a threat to patient safety because of a lack of understanding of laboratory operations.


Alpha-adrenergic receptor subtypes in the cerebral circulation of newborn piglets.
The purpose of this study was to identify the alpha-adrenergic receptor subtype mediating cerebral vasoconstriction during sympathetic nerve stimulation in the newborn piglet. The effect of alpha 1- and alpha 2- antagonists prazosin and yohimbine on the cerebrovascular response to unilateral electrical stimulation (15 Hz, 15 V) of the superior cervical sympathetic trunk was studied in 25 newborn piglets. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with tracer microspheres (15 +/- 1 micron). Sympathetic stimulation decreased blood flow to the ipsilateral cerebrum hippocampus, choroid plexus, and masseter muscle by 15 +/- 2, 10 +/- 2, 51 +/- 5, and 94 +/- 5%, respectively. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptor blockade with prazosin (0.5 mg/kg, n = 10) inhibited the sympathetic vasoconstriction in the cerebrum, hippocampus, and masseter muscle (7 +/- 2, 4 +/- 3, and 55 +/- 9%, respectively) and abolished it in the choroid plexus. alpha 2-Adrenergic receptor blockade with yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg, n = 6 and 1.0 mg/kg, n = 5) had no effect. Following the higher dose of yohimbine, however, blood flow to all brain regions was increased by approximately two-fold, possibly due to enhanced cerebral metabolism. These data demonstrate that vascular alpha 1-adrenergic receptors mediate vasoconstriction to neuroadrenergic stimulation in cerebral resistance vessels in the newborn piglet.


On the nature of the molecular ordering of water in aqueous DMSO mixtures.
Computer simulation studies of aqueous dimethyl sulfoxyde (DMSO) mixtures show micro-heterogeneous structures, just like aqueous alcohol mixtures. However, there is a marked difference in the aggregate structure of water between the two types of systems. While water molecules form multiconnected globular clusters in alcohols, we report herein that the typical water aggregates in aqueous DMSO mixtures are linear, favouring a 2 hydrogen bond structure per water molecule, and for all DMSO mole fractions ranging from 0.1 to 0.9. This linear-aggregate structure produces a particular signature in the water site-site structure factors, in the form of a pre-peak at k ≈ 0.2-0.8 Å(-1), depending on DMSO concentration. This pre-peak is either absent in other aqueous mixtures, such as aqueous methanol mixtures, or very difficult to see through computer simulations, such as in aqueous-t-butanol mixtures. This difference in the topology of the aggregates explains why the Kirkwood-Buff integrals of aqueous-DMSO mixture look nearly ideal, in contrast with those of aqueous alcohol mixtures, suggesting a connection between the shape of the water aggregates, its fluctuations, and the concentration fluctuations. In order to further study this discrepancy between aqueous DMSO and aqueous alcohol mixture, two models of pseudo-DMSO are introduced, where the size of the sulfur atom is increased by a factor 1.6 and 1.7, respectively, hence increasing the hydrophobicity of the molecule. The study shows that these mixtures become closer to the emulsion type seen in aqueous alcohol mixtures, with more globular clustering of the water molecules, long range domain oscillations in the water-water correlations and increased water-water Kirkwood-Buff integrals. It demonstrates that the local ordering of the water molecules is influenced by the nature of the solute molecules, with very different consequences for structural properties and related thermodynamic quantities. This study illustrates the unique plasticity of water in presence of different types of solutes.


Imaging of the brain in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
Neurologic disease in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients is related either to opportunistic pathogens or to direct central nervous system (CNS) invasion by the human immunodeficiency virus. Despite the increasing availability of antiretroviral therapy, opportunistic infections continue to afflict patients in the developing world and in other populations with limited access to appropriate treatment. Classic CNS infections in the setting of AIDS include toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and cytomegalovirus encephalitis. Additionally, AIDS patients are far more susceptible to acquiring CNS tuberculosis and neurosyphilis, both of which exhibit altered disease characteristics in the setting of immunosuppression. Neuroimaging is a crucial component of the diagnostic work-up of these conditions, and findings include, but are not limited to, intracranial mass lesions, white matter disease, meningoencephalitis, vascular complications, and hydrocephalus. Though various disease processes can produce imaging findings that overlap with one another, certain characteristic patterns may suggest a particular pathogen, and advanced imaging techniques and laboratory tests allow for definitive diagnosis. Knowledge of the imaging patterns seen in the setting of AIDS-related CNS disease is vital to the neuroradiologist, whose interpretation may guide decisions related to treatment and further work-up.


Attractant resting boxes for rapid collection and surveillance of Aedes aegypti (L.) inside houses.
Three different resting station designs made of cardboard covered with black cloth were evaluated for their attractiveness to Aedes aegypti populations resting inside houses in Thailand. Box designs attracted more females (but not males) than an open-panel design. Thirty to 60% of all adult Ae. aegypti resting inside houses were collected by aspirating from 2-4 resting boxes placed inside houses. Tall boxes (90 cm) did not attract more females or males than short boxes (45 cm). Forty-two percent more females (but fewer males) were attracted to boxes when oviposition bowls were placed inside the boxes. Four boxes per house attracted 32% more mosquitoes than two boxes. Aspirating from artificial resting stations is an efficient and rapid method for sampling male and teneral, bloodfed, and gravid female Ae. aegypti resting inside houses.


Demographic characteristics of persons without a regular source of medical care--selected states, 1995.
Having a regular source of medical care (i.e., a regular provider or site) is one of the strongest predictors of access to health-care services, which has been associated with greater use of preventive health services. This report summarizes state-specific data from the 1995 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and examines demographic factors associated with not having a regular source of medical care among adults in the 10 states for which this information was available. The findings indicate that certain demographic characteristics are associated with lack of a regular source of medical care.


Impact of stent platform of paclitaxel-eluting stents: assessment of neointimal distribution on optical coherence tomography.
The Taxus Express™ paclitaxel-eluting stent (Express-PES) and Taxus Liberté™ PES (Liberté-PES) have identical drugs, drug doses, and polymers, but different stent platforms. The Liberté-PES platform has thinner struts, specifically designed for more uniform drug elution. Fifty-four patients who underwent 6-month follow-up optical coherence tomography (OCT) after Express-PES (n=27) or Liberté-PES (n=27) implantation were enrolled. Longitudinal and circumferential uniformity of neointimal distribution was evaluated in 3-D by computing mean neointimal thickness (NIT) within 360 equally spaced radial sectors for every 1-mm cross-section. After stenting, intravascular ultrasound showed that Liberté-PES had a significantly smaller maximum angle between adjacent struts, with a tendency toward a lower incidence of % length of the segment with maximum angle >90° than Express-PES. Liberté-PES had a significantly thinner mean NIT than the Express-PES with comparable frequency of uncovered struts. Longitudinal and circumferential absolute variation of NIT expressed by standard deviation of NIT from each sector was significantly smaller for Liberté-PES than for Express-PES. Liberté-PES had a tendency toward a decreased incidence of thrombus and peri-strut low-intensity areas (findings suggestive of delayed arterial healing), compared to Express-PES. Stent design and thickness appeared to affect neointima suppression of PES. The stent platform of the Liberté-PES may offer greater and more homogeneous reduction of neointimal proliferation spatially across the full length of the PES.


Modern Electrochemical Aspects for the Synthesis of Value-Added Organic Products.
The use of electricity instead of stoichiometric amounts of oxidizers or reducing agents in synthesis is very appealing for economic and ecological reasons, and represents a major driving force for research efforts in this area. To use electron transfer at the electrode for a successful transformation in organic synthesis, the intermediate radical (cation/anion) has to be stabilized. Its combination with other approaches in organic chemistry or concepts of contemporary synthesis allows the establishment of powerful synthetic methods. The aim in the 21st Century will be to use as little fossil carbon as possible and, for this reason, the use of renewable sources is becoming increasingly important. The direct conversion of renewables, which have previously mainly been incinerated, is of increasing interest. This Review surveys many of the recent seminal important developments which will determine the future of this dynamic emerging field.


[Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Shanghai from 2013 to 2020].
Objective: To use the spatiotemporal distribution model and INLA algorithm to study the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of tuberculosis in Shanghai and to provide a theoretical basis for formulating regional tuberculosis epidemic prevention and control measures. Methods: Based on the data of registered pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Shanghai during 2013-2020 derived from the tuberculosis management information system of China Disease Control and Prevention Information System, the hierarchical Bayesian model was adopted to fit the tuberculosis case data, identify the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of tuberculosis, and explore the potential socioeconomic characteristics and other factors related to health services and spatiotemporal characteristics. Results: From 2013 to 2020, 29 281 registered tuberculosis cases were reported in Shanghai, with an average annual incidence of 25.224/100 000. From 2013 to 2020, the incidence trend increased first and then decreased, the highest incidence was reported in 2014 (27.991/100 000). The incidence of tuberculosis in Shanghai is characterized by spatial clustering. Through the spatial characteristics and risk analysis of the reported incidence of tuberculosis, it is found that the high-risk area of tuberculosis in Shanghai is the suburban communities, whereas downtown communities are the low-risk areas. The incidence risk of pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with the gross domestic product per capita (RR=0.48), the number of beds per 10 000 persons (RR=0.56), the normalized vegetation index (RR=0.50), and the night light index (RR=0.80). Conclusions: With the steady progress of tuberculosis prevention and control in the central urban area of Shanghai, special attention should be paid to the prevention and control in the suburbs further to improve the social and economic level in the suburbs and increase the coverage rate of urban green space, to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and reduce the disease burden of tuberculosis in Shanghai.


Attachment and social competence: a study using MCAST in low-risk Italian preschoolers.
The Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST) is a story stem method suitable for children aged about 4 to 8, aimed at assessing children's attachment representations with a doll-play format that is evaluated with a series of dimensional scales and classifications. Although this instrument has already been validated in previous studies, not all of the findings have been conclusive. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine the factor structure of the MCAST scales, and (2) to test the association between children's dichotomized MCAST classifications and factors with social competence, using the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale (SCBE) with a normative group of Italian preschoolers (age range 4.4 to 6.1). Results obtained from a sample of 64 children confirm the association of MCAST attachment classifications (security vs. insecurity and organization vs. disorganization) with both social skills and behavioral problems. Further independent studies on the variables analyzed are recommended for corroborating the findings obtained.


Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of the halophytes across China.
Halophytes play a crucial role in the ecological restoration of saline and alkaline land and hold promising benefits to food security in China. Although a variety of aspects of halophytes have been extensively addressed, there is still a lack of overall understanding of the leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometric characteristics, especially at a national scale. We compiled a national dataset of 311 observations from 113 sampling sites across China to explore the changing trends and influencing factors on leaf N and P concentrations, and N:P ratio of halophytes. The results showed that leaf N concentration decreased significantly with increasing latitude (LAT), which was mainly driven by the mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The leaf P concentration increased remarkably with increasing longitude (LON), which was induced by the variation in soil total P (TP) content. The leaf N:P ratio increased as LAT increased and LON decreased, which was potentially regulated by the MAT, MAP, and soil TP content. The scaling exponents of the N-P relationship differed significantly among halophyte types and were 0.40, 0.87, and 1.39 for euhalophyte, pseudohalophyte, and recretohalophyte, respectively. The leaf N concentration exhibited significant differences among ecosystem types and halophyte types, whereas the leaf P concentration and N:P ratio remained relatively stable. In summary, the leaf N concentration and N-P scaling exponent might be the classification criteria for halophyte types from the perspective of plant nutrient resource allocation. Moreover, this study characterized the spatial distribution and allocation strategy of leaf N and P stoichiometry in halophytes by data integration analysis, providing the basic information for nutrient management in the processes of the future domestication and introduction of halophytes.


Physical Outdoor Activity versus Indoor Activity: Their Influence on Environmental Behaviors.
There are strong evidences linking physical outdoor activity and health benefits; however, little is known about the impact on environmental behaviors. Thus, this study aims to close this gap by investigating the influence of physical outdoor activity on environmental behaviors. A total of 416 surveys were distributed to students in eight public primary schools located near the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park in Taiwan. Findings from the analysis revealed that subjective norms had a more influential effect on environmental behaviors for participants who engaged in physical activity at outdoor parks. In contrast, descriptive norms had a direct predictive impact on environmental behaviors for participants whose main physical activity venue was at the indoor after-school centers. Research results also highlighted attitude as the strongest predictive variable influence on environmental behaviors for children who engaged in physical indoor and outdoor activities.


Establishing PQ-ERA photoclick reactions with unprecedented efficiency by engineering of the nature of the phenanthraquinone triplet state.
The light-induced photocycloaddition of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) with electron-rich alkenes (ERA), known as the PQ-ERA reaction, is a highly attractive photoclick reaction characterized by high selectivity, external non-invasive control with light and biocompatibility. The conventionally used PQ compounds show limited reactivity, which hinders the overall efficiency of the PQ-ERA reaction. To address this issue, we present in this study a simple strategy to boost the reactivity of the PQ triplet state to further enhance the efficiency of the PQ-ERA reaction, enabled by thiophene substitution at the 3-position of the PQ scaffold. Our investigations show that this substitution pattern significantly increases the population of the reactive triplet state (3ππ*) during excitation of 3-thiophene PQs. This results in a superb photoreaction quantum yield (ΦP, up to 98%), high second order rate constants (k2, up to 1974 M-1 s-1), and notable oxygen tolerance for the PQ-ERA reaction system. These results have been supported by both experimental transient absorption data and theoretical calculations, providing further evidence for the effectiveness of this strategy, and offering fine prospects for fast and efficient photoclick transformations.


Alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtype(s) mediating noradrenaline-induced contractions of the guinea-pig aorta.
The effect of alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtype selective antagonists, WB 4101, SZL-49 and chloroethylclonidine on noradrenaline-induced contractions of the guinea-pig aorta has been studied in an attempt to identify the alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtype(s) involved in the response. Noradrenaline and SDZ NVI 085 induced contractions of the aorta. Noradrenaline-induced contractions were competitively antagonised by WB 4101 (pA2 = 8.92, slope = 1.05). The contractions were significantly reduced by SZL-49 but not by chloroethylclonidine, indicating an action on alpha 1A-adrenoceptor subtype. Noradrenaline-induced contractions of the aorta were not inhibited by nifedipine (10(-6) M). The results are interpreted to suggest that alpha 1A-adrenoceptor subtype mediates noradrenaline-induced contractions of the guinea-pig aorta and that activation of alpha 1A-adrenoceptor subtype in the guinea-pig aorta is probably linked to intracellular Ca++ release.


Risk Factors and Prevalence Associated With Conversion of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy to Open Cholecystectomy: A Tertiary Care Hospital Experience in Western Mexico.
Introduction Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a common procedure used for the treatment of different pathologies caused by gallstones in the gallbladder, and one of the most common indications is acute cholecystitis. The definitive treatment for acute cholecystitis is surgery, and LC is the gold standard. Nevertheless, transoperative complications (like intraoperative bleeding, anatomical abnormalities of the gallbladder, etc.) of LC and some other preoperative factors (like dilatation of bile duct, increased gallbladder wall thickness, etc.) can cause or be a risk factor for conversion to open cholecystectomy (OC). The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors and prevalence associated with the conversion from LC to OC in patients with gallbladder pathology and the indication for LC. Materials and methods This was a prospective cohort study. We included patients of both sexes over 18 years of age with gallbladder disease. To determine the risk factors associated with conversion, we performed a bivariate analysis and then a multivariate analysis. Results The rate of conversion to OC was 4.54%. The preoperative factors associated with conversion, in the bivariate analysis, were common bile duct dilatation (p=0.008), emergency surgery (p=0.014), and smoking (p=0.001); the associated intraoperative variables were: laparoscopic surgery duration (p <0.0001), Calot triangle edema (p=0.033), incapacity to hold the gallbladder with atraumatic laparoscopic tweezers (p=0.036), and choledocholithiasis (p=0.042). Laparoscopic Surgery duration was the only factor with a significant association in the multivariate analysis (p=0.0036); we performed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and found a cut-off point of 120 minutes for the duration of laparoscopic surgery with a sensitivity and a specificity of 67 and 88%, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of conversion from LC to OC is similar to that reported in the international literature. The risk factors associated with conversion to OC, in this study, should be confirmed in future clinical studies, in this same population, with a larger sample size.


Efficacy of zinc in young infants with acute watery diarrhea.
Recent studies reported that zinc significantly reduced the duration and volume of acute watery diarrhea in children aged > or = 4 mo, but there were no data specifically on infants aged < 6 mo. This study investigated the effect of zinc on the duration of illness and the stool quantity in acute watery diarrhea of infants aged 1-6 mo by comparing a 20 mg Zn/d dose with a 5 mg Zn/d dose. Infants hospitalized with at least some dehydration (by World Health Organization classification) were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Infants were randomly assigned to receive 20 mg Zn (acetate)/d, 5 mg Zn/d, or placebo for the duration of illness. Two hundred seventy-five infants were enrolled between 20 September 1998 and 18 December 2000. Neither diarrhea duration nor mean stool volume differed between groups. There were no significant differences in fluid intake, the need for unscheduled intravenous fluid, weight gain, or vomiting rates between the groups. Zinc supplementation did not affect diarrhea duration or stool volume in young infants. Young infants tolerated both zinc doses. A beneficial effect on subsequent illness cannot be ruled out.


Salivary α-amylase reflects change in attentional demands during postural control: comparison with probe reaction time.
The influence of attention on postural control and the relationship between attention and falling has been reported in previous studies. Although a dual-task procedure is commonly used to measure attentional demand, such procedures are affected by allocation policy, which is a mental strategy to divide attention between simultaneous tasks. Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of salivary α-amylase, which is a physiological method for measuring attentional demand during postural control. Sixteen healthy participants performed a postural-control task using the Balance System, which is a device that can be calibrated to a specific stability level ("Level 1 = least stable" to "Level 8 = most stable"). Levels 1, 2, and 3 were used for this study. Dependent variables measured were overall stability index, which represents the variance of platform displacement in degrees from a horizontal plane; probe reaction time, which was measured using a sound stimulator and recorder; and salivary α-amylase, which was measured using a portable salivary amylase analyzer. As stability level of the test task decreased, both stability index and probe reaction time significantly increased. In addition, we identified a positive moderate correlation between probe reaction time and salivary α-amylase. Our results suggest that salivary α-amylase and probe reaction time reflect the change in attentional demands during a postural-control task and that salivary α-amylase may be an effective tool for evaluating attentional demands during postural control because it is noninvasive and simple to perform.


Inverse iron isotope effect on the transition temperature of the (Ba,K)Fe2As2 superconductor.
We report that the (Ba,K)Fe(2)As(2) superconductor (transition temperature, T(c) approximately 38 K) has an inverse iron isotope coefficient alpha(Fe) = -0.18(3) (where T(c) approximately M(-alphaFe) and M is the iron isotope mass); i.e., the sample containing the large iron isotope mass depicts a higher T(c). Systematic inverse shifts in T(c) were clearly observed between the samples using three types of Fe isotopes ((54)Fe, natural Fe, and (57)Fe). This indicates the first evidence of the inverse isotope effect in high-T(c) superconductors. This anomalous mass dependence on T(c) implies an exotic coupling mechanism in Fe-based superconductors.


Susceptibility and detoxifying enzyme activity in two spider mite species (Acari: Tetranychidae) after selection with three insecticides.
Changes in the susceptibility and detoxifying enzyme activity were measured in laboratory strains of Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), and twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, that were repeatedly exposed to three insecticides. Three strains of each mite species were exposed to one of two pyrethroids, bifenthrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin, or an organophosphate, dimethoate, for 10 selection cycles at the LC60 for each insecticide. A reference or nonselected strain of each mite species was not exposed to insecticides. After 10 cycles of exposure, susceptibility to the corresponding insecticides, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and dimethoate, decreased 4.5-, 5.9-, and 289.2-fold, respectively, relative to the reference strain in the respective O. pratensis strains, and 14.8-, 5.7-, and 104.7-fold, respectively, relative to the reference strain in the respective T. urticae strains. In the bifenthrin-exposed O. pratensis strain, there was a 88.9-fold cross-resistance to dimethoate. In the dimethoate-exposed T. urticae strain, there was a 15.9-fold cross-resistance to bifenthrin. These results suggest that there may be cross-resistance between dimethoate and bifenthrin. The reduced susceptibility to dimethoate remained stable for three months in the absence of selection pressure in both mites. The decrease in susceptibility in the O. pratensis strains exposed to bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and dimethoate was associated with a 4.7-, 3.0-, and 3.6-fold increase in general esterase activity, respectively. The decrease in susceptibility in the T. urticae strains exposed to bifenthrin and lambda-cyhalothrin was associated with a 1.3- and 1.1-fold increase in general esterase activity, respectively. The mean general esterase activity was significantly higher in the pyrethroid-exposed O. pratensis and T. urticae strains than in the nonselected strain. There was no significant increase in esterase activity in the dimethoate-exposed T. urticae strain. The decrease in susceptibility to insecticides was also associated with reduced glutathione S-transferase 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene conjugation activity, but this did not appear to be related to changes in insecticide susceptibility. These results suggest that in these mites, the general esterases may play a role in conferring resistance to pyrethroids. However, some other untested mechanism, such as target site insensitivity, must be involved in conferring dimethoate resistance.


Identification of microRNAs present in congenital heart disease associated copy number variants.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly in newborns and about 1.35 million infants are born with CHD each year worldwide. Recently a large category of copy number variants (CNVs), were established to be a major contributor of the pathophysiology of CHD. To date most studies focused on the analysis of CNV categories or the protein coding regions without investigation on the impact of non-coding regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs). Here with an array comparative genome hybridisation data set and a gene expression profile data set, we investigated the contribution of miRNAs in CNVs towards the development of CHD. Approximately 18% of the identified high frequency CNV loci were shown to harbor miRNAs. According the expression profile analysis, 52 target genes of 16 miRNAs showed association with CHD. Targets of hsa-miR-650 was reported to be enriched with genes of cardiac dysfunctions and heart failure categories previously. In the constructed network, all 12 miRNAs directly or indirectly interacts with CHD related genes and hsa-miR-570 showed the highest degree. Our study highlights the significance of CNV-microRNAs and their target genes in the pathogenesis of CHD. This knowledge will facilitate the identification of miRNA biomarkers and the development of new therapeutics for CHD.


Validation of the Turkish Version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) in Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples.
The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) is a widely used self-report instrument developed to overcome the problems with the available instruments. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the revised Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (OCI-R) in Turkish sample. The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) were assessed in clinical samples (n=44 for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and n=44 for patients with major depression (MD) and a non-clinical student sample (n=287). The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the original six-factor structure was valid in the Turkish sample. The overall and each of the subscales showed moderate to good internal consistency and convergent validity as well as test-retest reliability. However, the Cronbach's alpha was excessively low for the hoarding subscale in the OCD group. The total and subscale scores of the OCI-R satisfied at discriminating patients with OCD from both patients with MD and healthy controls, with an exception of the neutralizing subscale. The Turkish version of the OCI-R did not reveal sound psychometric properties. Findings are discussed in the light of current theoretical considerations.


Spectroscopic Line Shapes of Vibrational Quanta in the Presence of Molecular Resonances.
Line shapes of molecular vibrational quanta in inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy may indicate the strength of electron-vibration coupling, the hybridization of the molecule with its environment, and the degree of vibrational damping by electron-hole pair excitation. Bare as well as C60-terminated Pb tips of a scanning tunneling microscope and clean as well as C60-covered Pb(111) surfaces were used in low-temperature experiments. Depending on the overlap of orbital and vibrational spectral ranges different spectroscopic line shapes of molecular vibrational quanta were observed. The energy range covered by the molecular resonance was altered by modifying the adsorption configuration of the molecule terminating the tip apex. Concomitantly, the line shapes of different vibrational modes were affected. The reported observations represent an experimental proof to theoretical predictions on the contribution from resonant processes to inelastic electron tunneling.


Ground reaction forces intersect above the center of mass even when walking down visible and camouflaged curbs.
A main objective in bipedal walking is controlling the whole body to stay upright. One strategy that promotes this objective is to direct the ground reaction forces (GRFs) to a point above the center of mass (COM). In humans, such force patterns can be observed for unperturbed walking, but it is not known whether the same strategy is used for a walkway that changes in height. In this study, 11 volunteers stepped down off a visible (0, 10 and 20 cm) and a camouflaged (0 or 10 cm) curb while walking at two different speeds (1.2±0.1 and 1.7±0.1 m s-1). The results showed that in all conditions the GRFs pointed predominantly above the COM. Vectors directed from the center of pressure (COP) to the intersection point (IP) closely fitted the measured GRF direction not only in visible conditions (R2>97.5%) but also in camouflaged curb negotiation (R2>89.8%). Additional analysis of variables included in the calculation of the IP location showed considerable differences for the camouflaged curb negotiation: compared with level walking, the COP shifted posterior relative to the COM and the vertical GRFs were higher in the beginning and lower in later parts of the stance phase of the perturbed contact. The results suggest that IP behavior can be observed for both visible and camouflaged curb negotiation. For further regulation of the whole-body angle, the asymmetrical vertical GRFs could counteract the effect of a posterior shifted step.


Comparative effectiveness of rivaroxaban in the treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Rivaroxaban is a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) approved for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a common arrhythmia. In this review, we summarize the effectiveness of rivaroxaban versus warfarin and the DOACs dabigatran, apixaban and edoxaban. The primary focus is on primary evidence from clinical trials, indirect comparison studies and real-world studies. While there are gaps in the literature, the evidence thus far indicates that rivaroxaban is superior to warfarin and similar to dabigatran, apixaban and edoxaban for the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, although rivaroxaban may be associated with an elevated bleeding risk compared with other DOACs.


Cytomegalovirus ventriculoencephalitis after unrelated double cord blood stem cell transplantation with an alemtuzumab-containing preparative regimen for Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Despite the prophylaxis and preemptive strategies using potent antiviral agents, cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains a major infectious cause of morbidity and mortality in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) recipients. Delayed immune reconstitution after SCT, such as cord blood and T-cell depleted SCT with the use of alemtuzumab, has been associated with an increased frequency of CMV disease as well as CMV reactivation. CMV disease involving central nervous system is an unusual presentation in the setting of SCT. We report a case of CMV ventriculoencephalitis after unrelated double cord blood SCT with an alemtuzumab-containing preparative regimen for Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.


Phosphorus hyperfine structure in the electronic spectrum of the HPCl free radical.
The 444 nm 2 0 (1) bands of the A 2A'-X 2A" transition of the jet-cooled HP 35Cl and HP 37Cl radicals have been studied at high resolution using the pulsed electric discharge technique with a precursor mixture of PCl3 and H2. Spectra recorded with linewidths of approximately 360 MHz revealed resolved hyperfine structure in both isotopomers arising from the excited state Fermi contact interaction of the unpaired electron with the magnetic moment of the 31P nucleus, with aF'=0.0641(10) cm(-1) and 0.0636(31) cm(-1) for HP 35Cl and HP 37Cl, respectively. No contribution from the ground state, or excited state contributions from the hydrogen or chlorine nuclei were resolved, confirming ab initio predictions that HPCl is a p pi radical in the X state, and an s sigma radical with a substantial contribution from the phosphorus 3s atomic orbital in the A state. The free atom comparison method has been used to estimate that the singly occupied molecular orbital in the excited state has 14% phosphorus 3s character.


Vessel Calcification as a Risk Factor for In-Stent Restenosis in Complex Femoropopliteal Lesions After Zilver PTX Paclitaxel-Coated Stent Placement.
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of vessel calcification on in-stent restenosis (ISR) after drug-coated stent (DCS) placement in the femoropopliteal segment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was undertaken involving 220 consecutive symptomatic patients (mean age 73.1±8.3 years; 175 men) with femoropopliteal lesions in 230 limbs treated with the Zilver PTX DCS and having duplex surveillance after the endovascular procedures. Mean lesion length was 16.4±9.8 cm (range 2-40); there were 104 (45.2%) total occlusions and 68 (29.6%) in-stent restenoses (ISR). Twenty (8.7%) vessels had no runoff. The majority of lesions (148, 64.3%) were calcified according to the peripheral arterial calcium scoring system (PACSS). Primary patency was evaluated by duplex. Lesions were classified as either PACSS 0-2 (none or unilateral wall calcification) or PACSS 3 and 4 (bilateral wall calcification). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables associated with ISR; the results are given as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The 1-, 2-, and 5-year primary patency and freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization estimates were 75.9%, 63.6%, and 45.0%, and 84.7%, 73.7%, and 54.2%, respectively. Major amputations were performed on 4 limbs during follow-up. In multivariate analysis, vessel calcification (adjusted HR 1.718, 95% CI 1.035 to 2.851, p=0.036) was significantly correlated with the occurrence of ISR, along with lesion length (adjusted HR 1.041, 95% CI 1.013 to 1.070, p=0.003), and cilostazol administration (adjusted HR 0.476, 95% CI 0.259 to 0.876, p=0.017). Conclusion: This study suggested that bilateral vessel wall calcification was an independent risk factor for ISR in complex femoropopliteal lesions after Zilver PTX DCS placement, along with lesion length; cilostazol administration had a protective effect.


"mTOR Signaling Pathway": A Potential Target of Curcumin in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury.
The purpose of this review is to discuss the possibility of the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) with curcumin via regulating the mTOR signaling pathway, which may provide another strong support for curcumin to be a promising medicine applied to the treatment of SCI. Curcumin is termed as a multifunctional targeting therapy drug that regulates the mTOR signaling pathway in the treatment of numerous diseases. Previous research has already revealed that mTOR signaling pathway plays a vital role in prognosis, which involves the axon regeneration and autophagy. This review discusses a potential mechanism that curcumin suppresses the activation of this pathway and ameliorates the microenvironment of axons regeneration which would provide a new way that induces autophagy appropriately.


Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in sudden sensorineural hearing loss following spinal anesthesia: case reports.
The management of sudden sensorineural hearing loss following spinal anesthesia is currently an open problem. Several strategies have been used with variable results and, to the best of our knowledge, there are no prior accounts in the literature on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of this complication. We report two cases of acute onset of unilateral hearing loss after spinal anesthesia, with significantly improved results after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A hypothesis on the possible mechanism behind this complication is discussed. A relation is established between hyperbaric oxygen therapy and this hypothetical mechanism, in order to explain successful results in the reported cases.


[A case of spontaneous CSF otorrhea associated with recurrent meningitis (author's transl)].
A 5-year-old girl was admitted to our hopsital on June, 1972, because of meningitis and CSF otorrhea. She had not suffered from head trauma or otological infective disease. Right temporal craniotomy was carried out on October, 1972, but no pathological findings on the anterior surface of the petrous bone was detected, so, the right middle ear bottom was packed with fascia graft by otologist, which stopped the CSF otorrhea for seven months. But the otorrhea recurred on June, 1973, when she caught cold. She was readmitted to our hospital because of recurrent meningitis. On November 7, 1973, when the meningitis abated, posterior fossa exploration was performed microsurgically. Strong arachnoid adhesion due to recurrent meningitis and enlargement of the right internal auditory meatus was observed. Probe could be inserted into the internal auditory meatus easily at a depth of 1.5 cm. Saline which was injected into the meatus from the probe flowed into the right middle ear. So the internal auditory meatus was packed with Gelfoam and muscle piece. By means of this procedure, CSF otorrhea was healed completely. Spontaneous CSF otorrhea, which was initially reported in 1897 by Escat, is a very rare disease. Only 15 cases have been reported in the literature. Two main possible routes of CSF leakage were reported, the one is via the internal auditory meatus, the other is via the cochlear aqueduct (Fig. 3). The former cases were more frequent than the latter. Our case belongs to the former type. (Fig. 4)


Bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate: Whether it is ready to supersede TURP?
According to the EAU Guidelines, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has so far still been considered as the gold standard for surgical treatment for patients with obstructing clinical benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). However, its relatively high rate of complications and postoperative recurrence necessitates further modification and innovation on the surgery technique. We reported the patient outcomes with our technique. We retrospectively analyzed 52 patients with obstructing clinical BPH who underwent bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate (B-TUERP) between March 2015 and September 2015. Pre- and perioperative parameters were obtained from medical charts. Postoperative follow-ups were administrated at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 month(s) after surgery, respectively. All the operations were performed successfully with a mean operative time of 43.1 min and an average tissue removal rate of 74.7%. Qmax was significantly improved immediately after surgery, followed by a continuous improvement throughout the follow-ups. Following a steep decrease in mean prostate specific antigen (PSA) and post void residual (PVR) observed within the first half year after surgery, the serum PSA was then maintained at a constant level of 0.61 ng/mL. Temporary urinary retention was found in four cases (7.7%). Stress urinary incontinence occurred in five patients (9.6%), with the condition resolved in 1-2 weeks without extra treatment. Urethral strictures and bladder neck contractures, as the most commonly observed long-term complications, developed in four patients (7.7%). No recurrence was found during 2 years of follow-ups. An improvement in International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores was witnessed in 17 patients preoperatively with normal sexual function during the first 6 months after surgery, and sustained throughout the 24-month period. Enucleation reflects an improvement on surgical technique in many ways with a need for surgical equipment that can be broadly accessible in clinical practice. Currently, bipolar resection is a commonly employed procedure in clinical settings, and its similarity shared with bipolar enucleation technique warrants a quick learning of B-TUERP by urologists. Based on these findings, we believe that the substitution of TURP by TUERP as the gold standard for prostate endoscopic procedure can be expected in the future.


Specific surface area model for foam permeability.
Liquid foams were recognized early to be porous materials, as liquid flowed between the gas bubbles. Drainage theories have been established, and foam permeability has been modeled from the microscopic description of the equivalent pores geometry, emphasizing similarities with their solid counterparts. But to what extent can the theoretical work devoted to the permeability of solid porous materials be useful to liquid foams? In this article, the applicability of the Carman-Kozeny model on foam is investigated. We performed measurements of the permeability of foams with nonmobile surfactants, and we show that, in introducing an equivalent specific surface area for the foam, the model accurately describes the experimental data over two orders of magnitude for the foam liquid fraction, without any additional parameters. Finally, it is shown that this model includes the previous permeability models derived for foams in the dry foams limit.


Suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (leuprolide acetate).
Cell proliferation and apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma were investigated during therapy with GnRH agonist (GnRHa). Patients with uterine leiomyomas were injected with 3.75 mg GnRHa (depot leuprolide acetate) at intervals of 4 weeks and underwent hysterectomy or myomectomy at the 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th, or 16th week of GnRHa therapy. Tissue sections of leiomyomas from these patients and from control patients (control patients received no GnRHa therapy) were stained with the Ki-67 antibody or by an in situ DNA 3'-end labeling method, and numbers of Ki-67 immunostained cells and DNA 3'-end-labeled cells per cm2 were examined as indices of cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The number of Ki-67 immunostained cells/cm2 in leiomyomas at the 2nd week of the GnRHa therapy was comparable with that of control patients. However, it decreased to a level less than one forth that of control patients at the 4th week, and it remained at similar low levels at the 8th, 12th, and 16th week. The number of DNA 3'-end-labeled cells/cm2 in leiomyomas of control patients and in leiomyomas at the 2nd, 8th, 12th, and 16th weeks of GnRHa therapy were at low levels but, at the 4th week, was at an extremely high level (about 5 times more than that of control patients). The present results indicate that GnRHa therapy suppresses cell proliferation and causes a transient increase in apoptosis in uterine leiomyomas.


Peripheral neurological complications of aortoiliac vascular disease.
Six patients with an aortoiliac vascular disease and a peripheral neurological deficit are presented. Clinical and electromyographic findings revealed lumbosacral plexus, sciatic and femoral nerve lesions. A correlation is made between the level of the vascular lesion (aortic, aortoiliac or distally) and the type of peripheral nerve deficit observed. In a patient complaining of pain, weakness, or numbness in a leg, the differential diagnosis should include aortoiliac vascular disease. The peripheral neurological symptoms may be the initial manifestation of the vascular disease or may appear in the early post-operative period.


What Happens to High-Cost Patients? An Analysis of the Trajectories of Billed Charges Over Time.
A growing literature documents the substantial burden that a small proportion of high-cost, medically complex patients impose on health care systems. However, it is not clear whether high-cost patients remain costly over time. This study looks at the monthly distribution of billed charges for a cohort of high-cost, medically complex patients enrolled in an intensive care management program in a university health care system, and finds that the billing trajectory is heterogeneous and highly nonlinear, characterized by a substantial spike in billed charges prior to identification, followed by a considerable drop prior to enrollment and a sustained drop thereafter. The conclusion is that many high-cost patients experience costly events that resolve without intensive case management. These results also suggest that interventions should target only those high-cost patients with expected continued high cost and that pre-post study designs may overstate the impact of interventions for high-cost, medically complex patients.


The role of luteinizing hormone and prolactin in the regulation of insulin receptors in Leydig cells of the adult rat.
The role of luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin and their combination in the regulation of insulin receptors in Leydig cells was studied. Leydig cells were isolated from adult male Wistar rats and measurement of insulin binding and internalization was done by incubating the cells with a saturating concentration of 125I-insulin in the presence or absence of different doses of unlabeled LH/insulin. LH exposure (100 and 200 ng dose) caused a significant increase in Leydig cell surface and internalized insulin receptor concentrations. Prolactin at all doses was ineffective in inducing a significant change in insulin receptor concentration. Under basal condition, Leydig cell surface binding of 125I-insulin was greater than the internalization at 34 degrees C but at 4 degrees C, surface binding remained lower than that at 34 degrees C with negligible internalization. Internalization of insulin receptors was measured by incubating the cells at 4 degrees C for 16h and then rapidly incubating at 34 degrees C for various time intervals (60, 120, and 180 min). LH/PRL or LH + PRL did not induce any significant change in the internalization of 125I-insulin at 60 and 120 min. The rate of internalization was greater at 120 min in basal as well as LH/PRL exposed Leydig cells, compared to 60 min of incubation. Prolactin alone did not evoke any appreciable change in internalization of 125I-insulin compared to basal at all three time points tested. Total and acid soluble release of 125I-insulin recorded a significant increase in Leydig cells exposed to LH, which was marginally potentiated when prolactin was added along with LH. Monensin treatment of Leydig cells prevented the recycling of insulin receptors to the cell surface and thereby suppressed the surface binding and enhanced the internalized 125I-insulin. Under cycloheximide treatment, neither surface bound nor internalized 125I-insulin recorded a significant change compared to their respective basal values. It is concluded from the present study that LH has dose-dependent biphasic effects on insulin receptors in Leydig cells by modulating the internalization and intracellular processing of hormone-receptor complexes but prolactin has no such effects.


Hemorrhagic brain metastasis from small-cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
Small-cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCCB) accounts for 1% of all bladder tumors. We present a rare case of hemorrhagic metastatic brain tumor from SCCB diagnosed by navigation-guided endoscopic biopsy. A 76-year-old man presented with sudden onset of aphasia and right hemiplegia from 3 weeks previously. He had a medical history of prostate cancer and SCCB. Computed tomography showed a mixed density mass in the left basal ganglia. On magnetic resonance imaging, the mass showed mixed intensity in both T1-weighted images and T2-weighted images, suggesting subacute hemorrhage. The mass was partially enhanced with gadolinium. The patient underwent endoscopic hematoma evacuation and partial removal of the tumor. Histopathological diagnosis was neuroendocrine carcinoma, which was consistent with SCCB metastasis. After surgery, the patient underwent whole-brain radiation therapy of 30 Gy. His general condition gradually deteriorated, however, and he died 4 months after surgery. Our patient had a rare case of brain metastasis derived from SCCB which presented with cerebral hemorrhage. Navigation-guided endoscopic biopsy was useful for the diagnostic sampling of deep localized brain tumors with hemorrhage.


Environmental issue of exotic catfish culture in Uttar Pradesh.
A survey was conducted in Uttar Pradesh to enlist the available exotic fish species in culture. The culture and feeding details of unofficially introduced Clarias gariepinus was collected from 419 ponds existing in rural areas of 23 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The data indicated that 32% ponds were culturing exotic fishes of which 79% cases are of monoculture of exotic African catfish. Feeding analysis of these exotic African catfish revealed that 7% cases subsist on natural pond feed while 29% cases are fed on slaughter house waste. In 32% cases of the exotic magur monoculture, chicken waste was given whereas 11% cases were recorded with fish waste feeding. The possible threats and environmental risks of such unauthorised and indiscreminate culture of exotic magur has been discussed in this paper.


The neurobiology of mentalizing.
Mentalizing is the capacity to understand ourselves and others in terms of intentional mental states, such as feelings, desires, wishes, attitudes, and goals. It is a fundamental capacity in our complex social environment. This article reviews our current understanding of the neurobiology of mentalizing. We first summarize the key assumptions of the mentalizing approach to normal and disrupted development. This is followed by discussion of the multiple dimensions of mentalizing and our emerging knowledge of the neural circuits that underlie these dimensions. We then consider the neurobiology of attachment and arousal regulation in relation to mentalizing, and summarize relevant studies in this area. Finally, we discuss the limitations of extant research and outline implications for future research.


NMR chemical shift computations at second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory using gauge-including atomic orbitals and Cholesky-decomposed two-electron integrals.
We report on a formulation and implementation of a scheme to compute nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shieldings at second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory using gauge-including atomic orbitals (GIAOs) to ensure gauge-origin independence and Cholesky decomposition (CD) to handle unperturbed and perturbed two-electron integrals. We investigate the accuracy of the CD for the derivatives of the two-electron integrals with respect to an external magnetic field and for the computed NMR shieldings, before we illustrate the applicability of our CD-based GIAO-MP2 scheme in calculations involving up to about 100 atoms and more than 1000 basis functions.


Mining expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms in non-small-cell lung cancer by using Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier plotter.
DNA topoisomerases are essential to modulate DNA topology during various cellular genetic processes. The expression and distinct prognostic value of topoisomerase isoforms in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well established. In the current study, we have examined the mRNA expression of topoisomerase isoforms by using Oncomine analysis and investigated their prognostic value via the Kaplan-Meier plotter database in NSCLC patients. Our analysis indicated that the expression level of topoisomerases in lung cancer was higher compared with normal tissues. Especially, high expression of two topoisomerase isoforms, TOP2A and TOP3A, was found to be correlated to worse overall survival (OS) in all NSCLC and lung adenocarcinoma (Ade) patients, but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. In a contrast, high expression of isoforms TOP1 and TOP2B indicated better OS in all NSCLC and Ade, but not in SCC patients. Meanwhile, high expression of TOP1MT and TOP3B was not correlated with OS in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, we also demonstrated a relationship between topoisomerase isoforms and the clinicopathological features for the NSCLC patients, such as grades, clinical stages, lymph node status, smoking status, gender, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These results support that TOP2A and TOP3A are associated with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. In addition, our study also shows that TOP1 and TOP2B contribute to favorable prognosis in NSCLC patients. The exact prognostic significance of TOP1MT and TOP3B need to be further elucidated. Comprehensive evaluation of expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms will be a benefit for the better understanding of heterogeneity and complexity in the molecular biology of NSCLC, paving a way for more accurate prediction of prognosis and discovery of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients.


Neural bases of goal-directed locomotion in vertebrates--an overview.
The different neural control systems involved in goal-directed vertebrate locomotion are reviewed. They include not only the central pattern generator networks in the spinal cord that generate the basic locomotor synergy and the brainstem command systems for locomotion but also the control systems for steering and control of body orientation (posture) and finally the neural structures responsible for determining which motor programs should be turned on in a given instant. The role of the basal ganglia is considered in this context. The review summarizes the available information from a general vertebrate perspective, but specific examples are often derived from the lamprey, which provides the most detailed information when considering cellular and network perspectives.


[Single ventricle. New embryological-anatomical classification. I. Pathology and physiology].
The different nomenclatures which have been given to this malformation are discussed, defining the single ventrical as a single ventricular chamber without an interventricular septum and generally with two well defined atrioventricular orfices, although in some cases there is only one mitral-tricuspid ring. Twelve cases of single ventricle, proven by necropsic study, were examined. A new embriological-anatomical classification was proposed based on the location of the outflow tract (concordant or discordant in relation to the situs viscerae of which it is a part) and the troncoconal morphology (crossed great vessels, transposition of the great arteries, and truncus arteriosus), presenting some examples of these malformations. The pathological characteristics of the malformation in each of the established groups is described, as well as the physiopathology in the most frequent varieties. The defects associated with single ventricle are studied.


Long term quality of life in differentiated thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy and high doses of 131I with or without suppressive treatment.
According to international guidelines, the most frequently applied diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients are those of nuclear medicine. Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and over the past decades has shown the fastest increasing incidence of all malignancies. This cancer has a detrimental impact on a patients' quality of life (QoL), not very well considered in general practice. In this paper we aimed to review the QoL of DTC patients who received high doses of 131I and had (or not) a supplementary treatment. Our review includes physical, mental and social well-being and emotional and physical discomfort. Quality of life is related to the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures which DTC patients still have to undergo. Nuclear medicine physicians can maintain or restore the highest achievable QoL of these patients based on guidelines as well as individualized patient centered practice.


Use of Suvorexant and Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Delirium After Infectious Diseases: A Retrospective Study.
Delirium is often treated on a subjective basis and per the discretion of the attending physician because of a lack of pharmacological evidence in the literature. To address this knowledge gap, we aimed to examine the efficacy of a hypnotic drug, suvorexant, as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of delirium. Fifty-seven patients were targeted. Of the 57 patients, 39 were in the subolexant group, 17 in the antipsychotic group, and 1 was taking antidepressants. The Delirium Rating Scale-Revised 98 was used to evaluate the symptoms of delirium before and 3 and 7 days after drug administration. In addition, the medical history, occurrence of adverse effects, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein level of participants were examined. Both drugs exhibited therapeutic effects on delirium, but suvorexant had a more pronounced effect. Furthermore, the suvorexant group exhibited decreased levels of C-reactive protein, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect. Suvorexant seems to improve the symptoms of inflammation-related delirium without any serious adverse effects, suggesting that it can be explored as a safe treatment option for clinical use in future studies. Our findings will be relevant for physicians interested in learning about new pharmacological treatment options and researchers interested in validating our results.