Difference in electrodynamic transduction between speaker and alternator in thermoacoustic applications.
Conventional reciprocating pistons, normally found in thermoacoustic engines, tend to introduce complex impedance characteristics, including acoustic, mechanical, and electrical portions. System behavior and performance usually rely on proper tuning processes and selection of an optimal point of operation, affected substantially by complementary hardware, typically adjusted for the specific application. The present study proposes an alternative perspective on the alternator behavior, by considering the relative motion between gas and piston during the engine mode of operation. Direct analytical derivation of the velocity distribution inside a tight seal gap and the associated impedance is employed to estimate the electro-acoustic conversion efficiency, thus indicating how to improve the system performance. The influence of acoustic phase, gap dimensions, and working conditions is examined, suggesting the need to develop tighter and longer seal gaps, having increased impedance, to allow optimization for use in upcoming sustainable power generation solutions and smart grids.


[Tuberculous pericarditis].
Tuberculosis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the extrapulmonary presentation represents up to 20% of this disease. The pericardial compromise of this disease has been estimated between 1% and 4% of diagnosed patients. This presentation may have a mortality rate as high as 90% without proper treatment and diagnosis, dropping to 12% with timely diagnosis and treatment. We present the case of a 55 year-old female patient hospitalized for two weeks with constitutional symptoms, intermittent fever, dry cough, pleuritic pain and some symptoms of heart failure. The imaging studies (chest x-rays and ultrasound), revealed bilateral pleural effusion: 300 cc on the right side, 1,000 cc on the left side, and 500 cc of pericardial effusion. Direct bacilloscopy of the pleural fluid, the pericardial fluid and the sputum were negative, as well as the C-reactive protein (CRP); however, the Löwenstein-Jensen culture of the pericardial fluid was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The result of the purified protein derivative (PPD) test showed a 23 mm swelling, and after quadruple therapy her clinical condition rapidly improved until final discharge. Tuberculous pericarditis can be considered as a rare manifestation of tuberculosis, with high morbidity and significant mortality which decrease with effective early diagnosis and treatment. Although several diagnostic criteria for tuberculous pericarditis have been suggested, a definitive diagnosis may suppose several technical challenges.


Intravenous calcium treatment of refractory hypotension in Reye's syndrome.
Hypotension refractory to volume infusion and sympathomimetic drugs developed in a child with Reye's syndrome who had received prochlorperazine prior to admission. Calcium chloride given intravenously restored autonomic tone, resulting in restoration of a normal BP and cerebral perfusion pressure. Calcium may reverse the hypotensive effects of prochlorperazine maleate and may help reverse hypotension in patients with Reye's syndrome who have been pretreated with phenothiazine antiemetics.


Mechanism for alpha-MnO2 nanowire-induced cytotoxicity in Hela cells.
Alpha-Manganese dioxide (alpha-MnO2) nanowires are used as electrode materials to significantly enhance the performance of lithium batteries. In this study, we investigate the nanotoxicity of alpha-MnO2 nanowires toward Hela cells. The alpha-MnO2 nanowires, which were successfully synthesized using the hydrothermal approach, can induce cytotoxicity dose-dependently in Hela cells. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depletion of glutathione (GSH) are also observed in the nanowire-treated cells. In addition, comet assays and cell nucleus morphology show that both DNA damage and cell apoptosis occur in the nanowires exposure group. Based on these results, a mechanism for alpha-MnO2 nanowire-induced cytotoxicity in Hela cells, which involves the accumulation of ROS, formation of oxidative stress, DNA oxidative damage and cell apoptosis, is proposed. This investigation may provide a fundamental insight to understand the nanotoxicity of wire-shaped nanomaterials.


Does ambivalence about becoming pregnant explain social class differentials in use of contraception?
Manual social class background has consistently been associated with markers of poorer sexual health. This study of adults examines contraceptive use across social classes and the role of ambiguity towards pregnancy in non-use. A nationally representative sample of Irish men and women aged 18-45 years were surveyed (n = 3317). Use of contraception in the last year and at the last occasion of vaginal sexual intercourse was queried. Reasons for non-use were examined. The consistency of contraceptive use in the last year was higher among women than men with lower use in unskilled manual social classes for both sexes. 'Not having planned for sex' was the most commonly cited reason for non-use (47% of men and 40% of women). 'Not caring if pregnancy occurred' was cited by 11% of women and 12% of men, while 'took a chance' was cited by 8% of both men and women. Results showed semi and unskilled manual women more likely to report that sex was unplanned or that they 'took a chance'. Among men, all other classes were more likely to report each of the ambivalence statements than the professional and managerial class. The study provides evidence of social class differentials in use of contraception among adults, and shows that these may be due, in part, to higher levels of ambivalence about pregnancy among working class women. The article adds to the socio-demographic literature on class differentials in unwanted pregnancy and extends research on adolescents to cover patterns for adult women and men.


Plasma and organ counts of 3H in normal or immune mice and sheep injected with 3H-epsilon-dinitrophenyl-lysine.
Mice and sheep with circulating antibody to dinitrophenol (Dnp) retained injected 3H-epsilon-Dnp-lysine in their circulation for three and seven days respectively. In normal mice and sheep the 1 h post injection counts of 3H/g of kidney were higher than those per ml of plasma. In immune mice, plasma 3H counts were always higher than kidney counts, whereas at 1 h in immune sheep, plasma and kidney counts were similar. Liver, spleen and lung counts were also made in some experiments. Increased 3h counts could be demonstrated in mice treated passively with sheep anti-Dnp serum and then given 3h-epsilon-Dnp-lysine. The fast gamma-globulin of sheep antiserum is mainly responsible for retention of hapten in mouse plasma.


Financial aspects of organ procurement from deceased donors in the USA-Relevance to xenotransplantation.
When clinical xenotransplantation is introduced, the costs associated with acquisition of a genetically engineered pig organ are as yet unknown. How will these costs compare with those currently associated with the acquisition of deceased human organs? An understanding of the financial aspects of deceased organ and tissue procurement in the USA is therefore worthwhile. We have therefore attempted to review certain economic aspects of non-profit and for-profit organizations that provide cadaveric organs and/or tissues for purposes of transplantation into patients with end-stage organ failure, cellular deficiencies, or in need of reconstructive procedures. We briefly consider the laws, organizations, and business practices that govern the acquisition, processing, and/or distribution of cadaveric organs and tissues, and the economic implications of industry practices. In particular, we explore and highlight what we perceive as a lack of transparency and oversight with regard to financial practices, and we question whether donor families would be entirely happy with the business environment that has developed from their altruistic donations. Until xenotransplantation becomes established clinically, which will negate the need for any system of organ procurement and allocation, we suggest that those involved in organ and cell transplantation, as well as those who participate in reconstructive surgery, should take responsibility to ensure that the financial practices associated with procurement are transparent, and overseen/regulated by a responsible authority. We suggest the major transplant societies should take a lead in this respect. The ability to acquire a genetically engineered pig organ whenever required through a simple commercial transaction (as in the acquisition of a life-saving drug) will be greatly to the patient's benefit.


The humoral activity of the avian thymic microenvironment.
The thymic microenvironment (composed of the lymphoepithelial stroma and the secretory products of the thymic epithelium) provides the required milieu for the development of the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells). There is limited information characterizing or identifying the active secretory components of the avian thymus. The work discussed here has focused on examination of the presence, regulation, and activity of one of the thymic hormones (thymulin) in the chicken. A thymulin-like product has been shown to exist in chicken serum as assessed by the mammalian bioassay and an ELISA immunoassay; thymectomy removes this product from the serum. Serum thymulin activity has been shown to be directly related to the thyroid status of the chick with the functionally hypothyroid Cornell sex-linked dwarf strain having lower levels than the euthyroid K strain. Alterations in circulating thymulin concentrations produced by daily thymulin injections resulted in an altered profile of the major peripheral blood T cell subpopulations and produced significant changes in the autoimmune pathology present within the Obese strain chicken. These approaches represent preliminary attempts to study the role of thymulin in avian immune development and in immune-neuroendocrine interactions.


Metastatic acinar cell carcinoma of the liver from a benign-appearing pancreatic lesion: a mimic of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare pancreatic tumour with a favourable prognosis compared with the more common ductal adenocarcinoma. The radiological findings of this tumour have been described in the literature; however, only limited data are available regarding the metastatic features of ACC of the liver, the most common metastatic site. We report a case of ACC of the pancreas with a hepatic metastasis from a benign-appearing malignant pancreatic lesion.


Inferring sex-specific demographic history from SNP data.
The relative female and male contributions to demography are of great importance to better understand the history and dynamics of populations. While earlier studies relied on uniparental markers to investigate sex-specific questions, the increasing amount of sequence data now enables us to take advantage of tens to hundreds of thousands of independent loci from autosomes and the X chromosome. Here, we develop a novel method to estimate effective sex ratios or ESR (defined as the female proportion of the effective population) from allele count data for each branch of a rooted tree topology that summarizes the history of the populations of interest. Our method relies on Kimura's time-dependent diffusion approximation for genetic drift, and is based on a hierarchical Bayesian model to integrate over the allele frequencies along the branches. We show via simulations that parameters are inferred robustly, even under scenarios that violate some of the model assumptions. Analyzing bovine SNP data, we infer a strongly female-biased ESR in both dairy and beef cattle, as expected from the underlying breeding scheme. Conversely, we observe a strongly male-biased ESR in early domestication times, consistent with an easier taming and management of cows, and/or introgression from wild auroch males, that would both cause a relative increase in male effective population size. In humans, analyzing a subsample of non-African populations, we find a male-biased ESR in Oceanians that may reflect complex marriage patterns in Aboriginal Australians. Because our approach relies on allele count data, it may be applied on a wide range of species.


Genetics of octanol and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenases in the mosquito Aedes (Finlaya) togoi.
Genetic studies were performed on octanol dehydrogenase (EC 126.96.36.199) and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (EC 220.127.116.11) in the mosquito Aedes (Finlaya) togoi by agar gel electrophoresis. The electrophoretic survey revealed two octanol dehydrogenase loci (Odh-1, Odh-2) and one alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus (alpha-Gpdh) in this species. Five alleles were observed at the Odh-2 locus in seven laboratory strains, whereas the alpha-Gpdh locus was completely monomorphic in six of seven strains examined and the second allele at this locus was detected in only one strain at a frequency of 0.14. Both loci code for dimeric enzymes. Linkage studies on Odh-2 and alpha-Gpdh suggested that the gene arrangement and recombination units were Odh-2--(25.8)--M (sex locus)--(30.5)--s (strawcolored larva) and M--(25.6)--alpha-Gpdh--(15.4)--s. These results, together with linkage data previously reported, give the following gene linkage on the sex chromosome: Odh-2--Est-3 (carboxylesterase)--Acph (acid phosphatase)--M--alpha-Gpdh--s--Est-2 (carboxylesterase). The total map length of this arrangement is approximately 75 map units.


Can the treatment duration be shortened in bismuth-containing therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication?
The duration of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy as a range (e.g., 10-14 days) is an ignored problem. There is no any particular treatment duration described in current guidelines, and the conditions for when to use 10-day therapy vs. 14-day therapy have not been elucidated. The aim of this study is to determine an effective and reliable H. pylori treatment duration in clinical practice. There were four different treatment modalities administered to groups, and success rates were compared. Patients were eligible to participate in the study if they had a biopsy-proven H. pylori infection. Each patient was randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups according to a predetermined sequence: 14-day or 10-day bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BQT) groups and 14-day or 10-day moxifloxacin-bismuth-combined treatment (MBCT) groups. A total of 216 patients (54 per group) were enrolled. Two-hundred six patients (95.3%) completed therapy. There was no significant difference in the eradication rates between those patients who received 10- and 14-days BQT regimens (p=0.67). The 14-BQT protocol had the highest eradication rate, the MBCT regimes had the highest compliance, and the 10-MBCT protocol had the poorest results for H. pylori eradication. The posttreatment questionnaire on adverse effects identified nausea/vomiting as the most common side effect (35.7%). Overall, the results of our study suggest that shortening the BQT protocol duration to 10 days does not weaken the H. pylori eradication rate. Moreover, quinolone-containing therapies with the lowest eradication rate among the groups should not be offered as a salvage treatment in case of the BQT failure.


The linear no-threshold debate: where do we go from here?
For the past several years, the LNT (linear no-threshold) theory has come under attack within the scientific community. Analysis of a number of epidemiological studies of the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings and workers exposed to low level radiation suggest that the LNT philosophy is overly conservative, and low-level radiation may be less dangerous than commonly believed. Proponents of current standards argue that risk conservatism is justified because low level risks remain uncertain and it is prudent public health policy; LNT opponents maintain that regulatory compliance costs are excessive, and there is now substantial scientific information arguing against the LNT model. Regulators use the LNT theory in the standards setting process to predict numbers of cancers due to exposure to low level radiation because direct observations of radiation-induced cancers in populations exposed to low level radiation are difficult. The LNT model is simplistic and provides a conservative estimate of risk. Abandoning the LNT philosophy and relaxing regulations would have enormous economic implications. However, alternative models to predict risk at low dose are as difficult to justify as the LNT model. Perhaps exposure limits should be based on model-independent approaches. There is no requirement that exposure limits be based on any predictive model. It is prudent to base exposure limits on what is known directly about health effects of radiation exposure of human populations.


Characterizing Breast Deformities After Massive Weight Loss: Utilizing the Pittsburgh Rating Scale to Examine Factors Affecting Severity Score and Surgical Decision Making in a Retrospective Series.
Massive weight loss (MWL) can result in variable contour deformities of the breasts. The Pittsburgh Rating Scale (PRS) was designed to describe the multitude of deformities after MWL and recommends operations to consider for surgical improvement. We present the first comprehensive description of breast deformities in a large sample of MWL patients, examine factors affecting the severity of deformities, and report the correlation between PRS score and surgical decision making. A retrospective review of all MWL patients presenting for breast surgery at our institution's Life After Weight Loss program from 2004 to 2015 was performed. Information including demographics, body mass indices (BMIs), method of weight loss, and type of surgical intervention was collected. Preoperative breast photographs were blinded and scored according to the PRS. A total of 204 MWL patients were identified; 26% (53) scored 1, 34% (69) scored 2, and 40% (82) scored 3 on the PRS. Greater deformities were seen after weight loss from bariatric surgery versus diet and exercise alone (P = 0.031), in mastopexy versus augmentation/mastopexy (P = 0.001), and in breast reduction versus augmentation/mastopexy patients (P > 0.0001). Patients who underwent reduction mammaplasty had the greatest maximum BMI compared with other procedures (P = 0.016). The PRS scores were positively correlated to maximum BMI (P < 0.001), delta BMI (P < 0.001), and current BMI (P < 0.001). Massive weight loss patients have variable, and often severe, breast deformities, and the PRS remains a valuable classification tool. Severity scores correlate with BMI, procedure, and weight loss mechanism. Similar scores between mastopexy-only and reduction mammaplasty patients may reflect a composite of personal cosmetic expectations and cost. The PRS scale should also be expanded to include breast reduction as a surgical remedy for PRS grade 3 breast deformities. Understanding breast deformities in this unique population has applications in both preoperative planning and surgical expectations for this unique patient population.


Treatment of primary mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using photodynamic therapy: results after 25 treated cases.
The use of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of malignant and non-malignant conditions is increasing. This paper demonstrates the efficacy of a second-generation photosensitizer, Foscan, in the primary treatment of a wide range of mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Tumours ranged in stage from T(1) to T(3). A complete response to primary treatment was seen in 19/21 patients (90 per cent). In laryngeal cancer recurrent after radical radiotherapy, one out of four patients treated obtained a complete response (25 per cent). Six patients (24 per cent) required surgery after photodynamic therapy, for local recurrence or dysplasia. Mean follow up was for 27.3 months (standard deviation 20.6 months).


New Levan-Type Exopolysaccharide from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as an Antiadhesive Agent against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
A special levan-type exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JN4 with antiadhesive activity against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was purified and identified. Chemical analysis indicated that EPS-JN4 with a low molecular weight of 8 kDa is composed of fructose and glucose with a molar ratio of 46.1:1. Structural analysis clarified that EPS-JN4 contains a main chain of β-(2,6)-linked Fruf residues and intensive branches of a single 2-linked Fruf at every six residues. Furthermore, the superior antiadhesive activity of EPS-JN4 against ETEC showed its potential usage as an antiadhesive agent for diarrhea prevention. EPS-JN4 is a specific type of levan family, for its small molecular size and intensive branches. The results expand the knowledge on structural types of levan and illustrate its potential as an antiadhesive agent for diarrhea prevention, which will be conducive to elucidate the relation between structure and function.


Are plasma citrulline and glutamine biomarkers of intestinal absorptive function in patients with short bowel syndrome?
Sensitive biomarkers for intestinal absorptive function would be clinically useful in short bowel syndrome (SBS). Citrulline (Cit) is a product of the metabolism of glutamine (Gln) and derived amino acids by enterocytes. Cit is produced almost exclusively by the gut, which is also a major site of Gln metabolism. The goals of this study were to examine whether plasma Cit and Gln concentrations are biomarkers of residual small intestinal length and nutrient absorptive functions in adult SBS patients followed prospectively. We studied 24 stable adults with severe SBS receiving chronic parenteral nutrition (PN) in a double-blind, randomized trial of individualized dietary modification +/- recombinant human growth hormone (GH). During a baseline week, intestinal absorption studies (% absorption of fluid, kcal, nitrogen, fat, carbohydrate, sodium, phosphorus, and magnesium) were performed and concomitant plasma Cit and Gln concentrations determined. Individualized dietary modification and treatment with subcutaneous injection of placebo (n = 9) or GH (0.1 mg/kg daily x 21 days, then 3 times/week; n = 15) were then begun. PN weaning was initiated after week 4 and continued as tolerated for 24 weeks. Repeat plasma amino acid determination and nutrient absorption studies were performed at weeks 4 and 12. Residual small bowel length at baseline was positively correlated with baseline plasma Cit (r = 0.467; p = .028). However, no significant correlations between absolute Cit or Gln concentrations and the percent absorption of nutrient substrates at any time point were observed. Similarly, no correlation between the change in Cit or GLN concentration and the change in % nutrient absorption was observed (baseline vs weeks 4 and 12, respectively). By weeks 12 and 24, 7 and 13 subjects were weaned completely from PN, respectively. However, baseline plasma Cit or Gln did not predict PN weaning at these time points. We concluded that plasma Cit (but not Gln) concentrations appeared to be an indicator of small intestinal length in adult SBS. However, neither plasma Cit nor Gln was a biomarker for intestinal absorptive function in this cohort of patients with SBS.


Global Prevalence Estimates of Toxascaris leonina Infection in Dogs and Cats.
Toxascaris leonina is an ascaridoid nematode of dogs and cats; this parasite affects the health of these animals. This study estimated the global prevalence of Ta. leonina infection in dogs and cats using random effects meta-analysis as well as subgroup, meta-regression and heterogeneity analyses. The data were stratified according to geographical region, the type of dogs and cats and environmental variables. A quantitative analysis of 135 published studies, involving 119,317 dogs and 25,364 cats, estimated prevalence rates of Ta. leonina in dogs and cats at 2.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Prevalence was highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region (7.2% for dogs and 10.0% for cats) and was significantly higher in stray dogs (7.0% vs. 1.5%) and stray cats (7.5% vs. 1.8%) than in pets. The findings indicate that, worldwide, ~26 million dogs and ~23 million cats are infected with Ta. leonina; these animals would shed substantial numbers of Ta. leonina eggs into the environment each year and might represent reservoirs of infection to other accidental or paratenic hosts. It is important that populations of dogs and cats as well as other canids and felids be monitored and dewormed for Ta. leonina and (other) zoonotic helminths.


Characterization of an immobilized cell, trickle bed reactor during long term butanol (ABE) fermentation.
Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was performed continuously in an immobilized cell, trickle bed reactor for 54 days without, degeneration by maintaining the pH above 4.3. Column clogging was minimized by structured packing of immobilization matrix. The reactor contained two serial glass columns packed with Clostridium acetobutylicum adsorbed on 12- and 20-in.-long polyester sponge strips at total flow rates between 38 and 98.7 mL/h. Cells were initially grown at 20 g/L glucose resulting in low butanol (1.15 g/L) production encouraging cell growth. After the initial cell growth phase a higher glucose concentration (38.7 g/L) improved solvent yield from 13.2 to 24.1 wt%, and butanol production rate was the best. Further improvement in solvent yield and butanol production rate was not observed with 60 g/L of glucose. However, when the fresh nutrient supply was limited to only the first column, solvent yield increased to 27.3 wt% and butanol selectivity was improved to 0.592 as compared to 0.541 when fresh feed was fed to both columns. The highest butanol concentration of 5.2 g/L occurred at 55% conversion of the feed with 60 g/L glucose. Liquid product yield of immobilized cells approached the theoretical value reported in the literature. Glucose and product concentration profiles along the column showed that the columns can be divided into production and inhibition regions. The length of each zone was dependent upon the feed glucose concentration and feed pattern. Unlike batch fermentation, there was no clear distinction between acid and solvent production regions. The pH dropped, from 6.18-6.43 to 4.50-4.90 in the first inch of the reactor. The pH dropped further to 4.36-4.65 by the exit of the column. The results indicate that the strategy for long term stable operation with high solvent yield requires a structured packing of biologically stable porous matrix such as polyester sponge, a pH maintenance above 4.3, glucose concentrations up to 60 g/L and nutrient supply only to the inlet of the reactor.


[A quantitative cytochemical study of mouse hepatocyte chromatin in the early periods following hepatectomy].
Mouse hepatocytes of different ploidy react to the partial hepatectomy by changes in cytochemical properties of the chromatin, leading to an increased binding to DNA of a basic dye acridine orange and an antibiotic actinomycin D, and to decreased DNP stability to acid hydrolysis. These alterations reach their maximum 1.5 and 2.5 hours after the operation in di-and tetraploid, and octaploid cells, resp. and decrease markedly by 5 hours after the operation. The differences in the chromatin reaction of cells with different ploidy to the activation stimulus reflects presumably the particular roles played by these cells in liver regeneration. The difference in chromatin cytochemical properties of activated and non-activated hepatocytes is interpreted as a result of changes in DNA interaction with chromatin proteins.


Comparison of functional dorsal attention network alterations in breast cancer survivors before and after chemotherapy.
Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among women worldwide, and a high number of breast cancer patients are suffering from psychological and cognitive disorders. This cross-sectional study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical neuropsychological tests to evaluate the possible underlying mechanisms.We enrolled 32 breast cancer patients without chemotherapy (BC), 32 breast cancer patients within 6 to 12 months after the completion of chemotherapy (BC_CTx) and 46 healthy controls. Participants underwent neuropsychological tests and rs-fMRI with mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity analyses. Between groups whole-brain voxel-wise rs-fMRI comparisons were calculated using two-sample t test. rs-fMRI and neuropsychological tests correlation analyses were calculated using multiple regression. Age and years of education were used as covariates. A false discovery rate-corrected P-value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant.We found significantly alteration of mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity in the frontoparietal lobe and occipital lobe in the BC group compared with the other 2 groups, indicating alteration of functional dorsal attention network (DAN). Furthermore, we found the DAN alteration was correlated with neuropsychological impairment.The majority of potential underlying mechanisms of DAN alteration in BC patients may due to insufficient frontoparietal lobe neural activity to drive DAN and may be related to the effects of neuropsychological distress. Further longitudinal studies with comprehensive images and neuropsychological tests correlations are recommended.


Characterization of offensive responses during the maturation of play-fighting into aggression in male golden hamsters.
In hamsters, the maturation of aggression during puberty is associated with a gradual reduction of offensive responses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes during this decrease to provide an enhanced description of the behavior. During early puberty, play-fighting is characterized by long and continuous contact duration throughout the encounter and repetitive attacks within bouts of agonistic interaction. By mid-puberty, adult patterns of offensive behavior emerge. Contact time becomes shorter in duration and shifts to the beginning of the test, while attacks become less repetitive per bout. In late puberty, animals show an enhanced efficiency of behavior, as indicated by an increased percentage of attacks followed by bites. This study provides a better understanding of the development of aggression by characterizing the differences between juvenile play-fighting and adult aggression and the process of the maturation of aggression.


[Cognitive-behavioral therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder].
To describe the cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Through the revision of text books and articles the origins and fundamentals of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder are presented. Through the review of randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis in Medline the evidences of effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder are highlighted. The cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in reducing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder by approximately 70% of patients who adhere to treatment. The challenges ahead are to clarify the reasons why many patients do not respond to this kind of treatment and develop new strategies to increase its effectiveness.


Antioxidative effects of exercise training in patients with chronic heart failure: increase in radical scavenger enzyme activity in skeletal muscle.
In chronic heart failure (CHF), cross-talk between inflammatory activation and oxidative stress has been anticipated in skeletal muscle (SM). The role of the radical scavenger enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (Cat), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), which remove oxygen radicals, has never been assessed in the SM in this context. Moreover, it remains unknown whether exercise training augments the activity of these enzymes in CHF. Twenty-three patients with CHF were randomized to either 6 months of exercise training (T) or a sedentary lifestyle (C); 12 age-matched healthy subjects (HS) were studied in parallel. Activity of Cat, SOD, and GPX was assessed in SM biopsies before and after 6 months (6 months). Oxidative stress was determined by measuring nitrotyrosine formation. SOD, Cat, and GPX activity was reduced by 31%, 57%, and 51%, respectively, whereas nitrotyrosine formation was increased by 107% in SM in CHF (P<0.05 versus HS). In CHF, exercise training augmented GPX and Cat activity in SM by 41% (P<0.05 versus before and group C) and 42% (P<0.05 versus before and group C), respectively, and decreased nitrotyrosine production by 35% (from 3.8+/-0.4% tissue area before to 2.5+/-0.3% after 6 months; P<0.05 versus before). The reduced activity of major antioxidative enzymes in the SM of CHF patients is associated with increased local oxidative stress. Exercise training exerts antioxidative effects in the SM in CHF, in particular, due to an augmentation in activity of radical scavenger enzymes.


Accurate pKa calculation of the conjugate acids of alkanolamines, alkaloids and nucleotide bases by quantum chemical methods.
The pKa of the conjugate acids of alkanolamines, neurotransmitters, alkaloid drugs and nucleotide bases are calculated with density functional methods (B3LYP, M08-HX and M11-L) and ab initio methods (SCS-MP2, G3). Implicit solvent effects are included with a conductor-like polarizable continuum model (CPCM) and universal solvation models (SMD, SM8). G3, SCS-MP2 and M11-L methods coupled with SMD and SM8 solvation models perform well for alkanolamines with mean unsigned errors below 0.20 pKa units, in all cases. Extending this method to the pKa calculation of 35 nitrogen-containing compounds spanning 12 pKa units showed an excellent correlation between experimental and computational pKa values of these 35 amines with the computationally low-cost SM8/M11-L density functional approach.


Early detection and prevention of colon cancer. The role of colonscopy.
The incidence of and mortality associated with colon cancer has not decreased during the past 25 years despite several innovations in therapy. Earlier detection and prevention by polypectomy though the sigmoidoscope and colonoscope have been suggested as one alternative offering improvement. The polyp-cancer sequence is controversial, but recent evidence indicates that polyps with a papillary component have a substantial potential for becoming malignant. Forty-four polyps were resected from 26 patients. Nineteen polyps from 14 patients had papillary features of "in-situ" carcinoma. Thus, colonoscopic polypectomy may play an important role not only in early detection but also in the prevention of colon cancer.


Evidence for the effectiveness of minimum pricing of alcohol: a systematic review and assessment using the Bradford Hill criteria for causality.
To assess the evidence for price-based alcohol policy interventions to determine whether minimum unit pricing (MUP) is likely to be effective. Systematic review and assessment of studies according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, against the Bradford Hill criteria for causality. Three electronic databases were searched from inception to February 2017. Additional articles were found through hand searching and grey literature searches. We included any study design that reported on the effect of price-based interventions on alcohol consumption or alcohol-related morbidity, mortality and wider harms. Studies reporting on the effects of taxation or affordability and studies that only investigated price elasticity of demand were beyond the scope of this review. Studies with any conflict of interest were excluded. All studies were appraised for methodological quality. Of 517 studies assessed, 33 studies were included: 26 peer-reviewed research studies and seven from the grey literature. All nine of the Bradford Hill criteria were met, although different types of study satisfied different criteria. For example, modelling studies complied with the consistency and specificity criteria, time series analyses demonstrated the temporality and experiment criteria, and the analogy criterion was fulfilled by comparing the findings with the wider literature on taxation and affordability. Overall, the Bradford Hill criteria for causality were satisfied. There was very little evidence that minimum alcohol prices are not associated with consumption or subsequent harms. However the overall quality of the evidence was variable, a large proportion of the evidence base has been produced by a small number of research teams, and the quantitative uncertainty in many estimates or forecasts is often poorly communicated outside the academic literature. Nonetheless, price-based alcohol policy interventions such as MUP are likely to reduce alcohol consumption, alcohol-related morbidity and mortality.


Roseovarius carneus sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a coastal phytoplankton bloom in Xiamen.
A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, ovoid or short rod shaped and aerobic marine bacterium, designated as strain LXJ103T, was isolated from a coastal phytoplankton bloom in Xiamen, PR China. Cells were oxidase- and catalase-positive. Strain LXJ103T grew at 4-40 °C (optimum, 28-37 °C), at pH 6-10 (optimum, pH 8.5) and with 1-15 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3 %). The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C18 : 1 ω7c/iso-C18 : 1 ω6c (70.2 %) and C16 : 0 (10.3 %). The following polar lipids were found to be present: phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids and five unknown glycolipids. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. Strain LXJ103T exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Roseovarius litorisediminis D1-W8T (96.97 %). The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain LXJ103T was a member of the genus Roseovarius. The draft genome size of strain LXJ103T is 3.05 Mb with a genomic G+C content of 61.22 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA genome hybridization value of strain LXJ103T compared with the most similar type strain R. litorisediminis CECT 8287T was 18.80 %. The average nucleotide identity value between strain LXJ103T and R. litorisediminis CECT 8287T was 72.60 %. On the basis of polyphasic data, strain LXJ103T represents a novel species of the genus Roseovarius, for which the name Roseovarius carneus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LXJ103T (=CGMCC 1.19168T=MCCC 1K06527T=JCM 34778T).


[Effect of dietary therapy in a school health program for obese children].
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a health education program based on nutritional treatment for control of obesity. The study site was the public elementary school system which was selected because of easier implementation and effectiveness of the program. The subjects were chosen from public elementary schools in Morioka (5 out of 33) who were either 4th or 5th graders with an obesity level of 30% or above. Fifty students agreed to participate (35 boys and 15 girls) and all had parental consent. They were placed on a restricted diet of low carbohydrate and high protein for three months. Before and after the three month dietary program, level of obesity were measured. This study produced the following results: 1. After education the caloric level as well as the three main elements of nutrition were clearly decreased in both boys and girls. Nutrient intakes were in the appropriate range of recommended allowances for boys but both energy level and iron were less than the appropriate amount for girls. A decrease in carbohydrates energy and an increase in protein was observed for both boys and girls. 2. The intake of selected foods such as rice, wheat, snacks, fats and oils, decreased dramatically for both boys and girls. 3. This diet and exercise treatment program was very effective because obesity level dropped to 10.4% for boys and 7.5% for girls.


Morphological study of Trichophyton rubrum: ultrastructural findings after treatment with 4-amino-3-methyl-1-phenylpyrazolo-(3,4-c)isothiazole.
The antifungal activity of 4-amino-3-methyl-1-phenylpyrazolo-(3,4-c)isothiazole was studied on Trichophyton rubrum. The compound, at concentrations between 20 and 10 microg ml(-1), induces a remarkable reduction in the growth and causes deep morphogenetic anomalies. The ultrastructural modifications have demonstrated that the compound targets the cell membrane of the fungus, breaking down not only the endomembrane system, but also the 'outer' membrane, with consequent extrusion of materials in the medium. The results suggests a mechanism of action similar to other azoles clinically utilized.


Rule 15 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria: a current source of confusion.
There is some degree of confusion surrounding Rule 15 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria and the fact that it appears to contradict the general principle of priority, which is central to codes of nomenclature. The present overview attempts to highlight the problem and also to provide a basis for discussion towards a solution.


Natural compounds with cell growth inhibitory activity in human tumor cell lines.
Twenty six compounds (coumarins, flavonoids and alkaloids) were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of three human tumor cell lines: breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H460) and melanoma (A375-C5). Three of them [3-hydroxyflavone (6), 2'-hydroxy-3,4,4',5,6'-pentamethoxychalcone (11), Siderin (20)] were very potent in inhibiting all human tumor cell lines tested. The structure / activity relationship is discussed.


Small bowel evisceration from vagina.
Vaginal evisceration is a rare condition where abdominal contents herniate through a vaginal wall defect. The estimated incidence is 0.032-1.2% after hysterectomy, trachelectomy or upper vaginectomy. We present a 78-year-old lady who developed vaginal evisceration 2 years after radical cystectomy and hysterectomy for bladder cancer. It is rare surgical emergency that requires prompt recognition and damage control with bowel reduction and packing. We discuss the initial management and surgical options for definitive repair.


The interplay between metabolic stochasticity and cAMP-CRP regulation in single E. coli cells.
The inherent stochasticity of metabolism raises a critical question for understanding homeostasis: are cellular processes regulated in response to internal fluctuations? Here, we show that, in E. coli cells under constant external conditions, catabolic enzyme expression continuously responds to metabolic fluctuations. The underlying regulatory feedback is enabled by the cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cAMP receptor protein (CRP) system, which controls catabolic enzyme expression based on metabolite concentrations. Using single-cell microscopy, genetic constructs in which this feedback is disabled, and mathematical modeling, we show how fluctuations circulate through the metabolic and genetic network at sub-cell-cycle timescales. Modeling identifies four noise propagation modes, including one specific to CRP regulation. Together, these modes correctly predict noise circulation at perturbed cAMP levels. The cAMP-CRP system may thus have evolved to control internal metabolic fluctuations in addition to external growth conditions. We conjecture that second messengers may more broadly function to achieve cellular homeostasis.


Cystatin C adaptation in the first month of life.
Je-Hyan Lee et al. have published a study on cystatin C concentrations in the first 30 days of life in 127 pre-term and 119 term neonates in this edition of Pediatric Nephrology, thereby closing a knowledge gap of detailed cystatin C concentrations beyond 72 h of life by day of life and by post-conceptional age. While the study objective has merit and a large number of measurements were included, there are some methodological limitations that bring the validity of the data into question as pure reference intervals for children up to 1 month of age, mostly because of the inclusion of patients that potentially could have an impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR), for instance due to exposure to nephrotoxic drugs. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the study and outline an approach to definitely close this knowledge gap. We call for a worldwide collaboration to use Box-Cox transformations similar to the methodology used with growth charts to calculate age-independent z-scores and percentiles of neonatal and infant markers of GFR. This could also lead to better definitions of acute kidney injury in infants if GFR markers cross the percentiles based on post-conceptional or chronological age.


Serum miRNA signature diagnoses and discriminates murine colitis subtypes and predicts ulcerative colitis in humans.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific and variable symptoms, and lack of reliable diagnostic tests. Current methods are invasive, non-sensitive, non-predictive, and do not easily discriminate between its two main forms. Consequently, there remains a great need for reliable serum markers for IBD. Here, using a longitudinal study of various mouse models of colitis, we identified a serum miRNA signature that indicated the development of colitis and discriminated between inflammations of various origins (colitis from arthritis). Unlike the existing biomarkers, the newly identified signature also serves to distinguish individuals at risk, predict the type of inflammation, and evaluate the response to therapeutics. Moreover, the miRNA signature identified in mice predicted ulcerative colitis with 83.3% accuracy. In future, the signature identified herein could play a central role in monitoring inflammatory disorders and therapeutic responses in patients, thereby paving the way for personalized medicine.


Redox-Robust Pentamethylferrocene Polymers and Supramolecular Polymers, and Controlled Self-Assembly of Pentamethylferricenium Polymer-Embedded Ag, AgI, and Au Nanoparticles.
We report the first pentamethylferrocene (PMF) polymers and the redox chemistry of their robust polycationic pentamethylferricenium (PMFium) analogues. The PMF polymers were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a PMF-containing norbornene derivative by using the third-generation Grubbs ruthenium metathesis catalyst. Cyclic voltammetry studies allowed us to determine confidently the number of monomer units in the polymers through the Bard-Anson method. Stoichiometric oxidation by using ferricenium hexafluorophosphate quantitatively and instantaneously provided fully stable (even in aerobic solutions) blue d(5) Fe(III) metallopolymers. Alternatively, oxidation of the PMF-containing polymers was conducted by reactions with Ag(I) or Au(III) , to give PMFium polymer-embedded Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs). In the presence of I2 , oxidation by using Ag(I) gave polymer-embedded Ag/AgI NPs and AgNPs at the surface of AgI NPs. Oxidation by using Au(III) also produced an Au(I) intermediate that was trapped and characterized. Engineered single-electron transfer reactions of these redox-robust nanomaterial precursors appear to be a new way to control their formation, size, and environment in a supramolecular way.


Simultaneous human papillomavirus 6 (HPV 6) -positive condyloma acuminatum, HPV 31-positive Bowen's disease, and non HPV-associated extramammary Paget's disease coexisting within an area presenting clinically as condyloma acuminatum.
An 83-year-old Japanese man presented with multiple verrucous papules clustering on a plaque located on the frontal aspect of the scrotum. Histologically, there were three distinct epithelial changes compatible with condyloma acuminatum, Bowen's disease, and extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD). By in situ hybridization, the zone of condyloma acuminatum was positive for HPV 6 and well demarcated from HPV 31-positive Bowen's disease. EMPD was negative for targeted HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33 probes. Immunohistochemically, Paget's cells expressing cytokeratin 7 were distributed as scattered single cells or clusters mainly in the lower part of the HPV 6/31-positive epithelium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the occurrence of condyloma acuminatum, Bowen's disease, and EMPD within the same lesion.


Counseling in Pemphigus.
Pemphigus is a chronic, potentially life threatening, autoimmune intraepidermal blistering disease affecting the skin and the mucous membrane. Pemphigus may have profound impact on the quality of life in the affected patients. Counselling and adjuvant psychotherapy may be beneficial at least in few patients and should be considered as a part of multidisciplinary approach.


AI-based diagnosis in mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly using external ear shapes.
Mandibulo-Facial Dysostosis with Microcephaly (MFDM) is a rare disease with a broad spectrum of symptoms, characterized by zygomatic and mandibular hypoplasia, microcephaly, and ear abnormalities. Here, we aimed at describing the external ear phenotype of MFDM patients, and train an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based model to differentiate MFDM ears from non-syndromic control ears (binary classification), and from ears of the main differential diagnoses of this condition (multi-class classification): Treacher Collins (TC), Nager (NAFD) and CHARGE syndromes. The training set contained 1,592 ear photographs, corresponding to 550 patients. We extracted 48 patients completely independent of the training set, with only one photograph per ear per patient. After a CNN-(Convolutional Neural Network) based ear detection, the images were automatically landmarked. Generalized Procrustes Analysis was then performed, along with a dimension reduction using PCA (Principal Component Analysis). The principal components were used as inputs in an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, optimized using a 5-fold cross-validation. Finally, the model was tested on an independent validation set. We trained the model on 1,592 ear photographs, corresponding to 1,296 control ears, 105 MFDM, 33 NAFD, 70 TC and 88 CHARGE syndrome ears. The model detected MFDM with an accuracy of 0.969 [0.838-0.999] (p < 0.001) and an AUC (Area Under the Curve) of 0.975 within controls (binary classification). Balanced accuracies were 0.811 [0.648-0.920] (p = 0.002) in a first multiclass design (MFDM vs. controls and differential diagnoses) and 0.813 [0.544-0.960] (p = 0.003) in a second multiclass design (MFDM vs. differential diagnoses). This is the first AI-based syndrome detection model in dysmorphology based on the external ear, opening promising clinical applications both for local care and referral, and for expert centers.


Risk assessment of genotoxic and carcinogenic alkenylbenzenes in botanical containing products present on the Chinese market.
In the present study, a risk assessment of plant food supplements (PFS), traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and herbal teas containing alkenylbenzenes was performed using the Margin of Exposure (MOE) approach. The levels of alkenylbenzenes in botanical preparations collected on the Chinese market were quantified and the combined estimated daily intake (EDI) was determined using dose additivity. The combined EDI values obtained assuming equal potency of all alkenylbenzenes detected in the PFS, TCM and herbal teas were 0.3 to 14.3, 0.05 to 539.4 and 0.04 to 42.5 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Calculating combined EDI values taking into account the toxic equivalency (TEQ) approach, the values for PFS, TCM and herbal teas were 0.3 to 7.7, 0.05 to 278.0 and 0.02 to 16.5 μg estragole equivalents/kg bw/day, respectively. The MOE values resulting from consumption of these PFS, TCM and one cup of herbal tea per day during life-time were generally lower than 10 000, suggesting a potential priority for risk management. For short-term exposure such as two weeks consumption, applying Haber's rule, only one TCM 6 () still had an MOE value below 10 000. It is concluded that selected consumption of Chinese botanical preparations raise a concern because of exposure to alkenylbenzenes, especially when exposure is for longer periods of time.


Presence of complement-fixing anti-endothelial cell antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Vasculitis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with the deposition of IgG and complement in blood vessel walls. However, it is not known whether immune injury to endothelial cells is a part of this process. Therefore, we used a solid phase radioimmunoassay to study the ability of IgG from normal human sera and sera from patients with SLE to bind to endothelial cells. In this assay, cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells were sequentially incubated with normal or SLE sera, goat anti-human IgG, and 125I-labeled staphylococcal protein A (*SPA). After exposure to normal sera, 2.5 +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SD) of the added *SPA bound to the cells, whereas after exposure to SLE sera 13.8 +/- 7.6% of the added *SPA bound to these cells. This difference in binding was highly significant (P less than 0.001). Binding was partially reduced when SLE sera were preincubated with B-lymphocytes or monocytes, but not after exposure to erythrocytes, platelets, or T lymphocytes. Incubation of endothelial cells with the 7S fraction of SLE sera or with the F(ab')2 fragment of SLE-IgG resulted in the deposition of greater than 80% as much IgG as was deposited on endothelial cells by whole serum. However, since higher molecular weight fractions (greater than 7S) of SLE sera were also active, we tested the capacity of endothelial cells to bind IgG complexes. Endothelial cells bound heat-aggregated IgG (HA-IgG) in a saturable manner at one log concentration below the binding of normal monomeric IgG. Binding of HA-IgG to endothelial cells was markedly enhanced by preincubation with a serum source of complement. Both HA-IgG and SLE-IgG also bound to freshly obtained endothelial cells in suspension, as detected by automated fluorescence flow cytometry. Binding of SLE-IgG and HA-IgG to endothelium initiated complement activation, deposition of the third component of complement, and disruption of the monolayer. In addition, SLE-IgG and HA-IgG caused endothelial cells to secrete prostacyclin and caused the adherence of platelets, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. These studies demonstrate that IgG anti-endothelial antibodies are present in the sera of patients with active SLE. These sera may also contain IgG complexes that are capable of binding to endothelial cells. The association of IgG and complement with endothelial cells may initiate vascular injury in SLE and other human disorders.


Mycobacterium branderi infection: Case report and literature review of an unusual and difficult-to-treat non-tuberculous mycobacterium.
A 67-year-old man with significant smoking history presented with fever, unintentional weight loss, night sweats, productive cough, and progressive dyspnea. Multiple respiratory specimens grew Mycobacterium branderi. Computed tomography scanning of the chest revealed a cavitary right upper lung lesion. Bronchoscopy and thoracoscopic biopsy were negative for malignancy but showed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, which was culture negative. Due to clinical and radiologic progression despite therapy with clarithromycin, ethambutol and moxifloxacin, the lesion was surgically resected and the patient's symptoms resolved. Mycobacteria were seen in histopathology but did not grow from resected tissue. The patient received an additional 6 months of medical therapy and remains asymptomatic 1 month after completing antimicrobials. Cases of M. branderi causing human infection are very rarely reported. This is a novel case of multi-drug resistant M. branderi pulmonary infection in an apparently immunocompetent patient, progressive despite medical therapy and requiring surgical resection for definitive management.


Numerical investigation of mode characteristics of nanoscale surface plasmon-polaritons using a pseudospectral scheme.
This study uses a full vector pseudospectral scheme in the frequency domain to investigate the mode characteristics of surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) waveguides. The wave equations solved in this study are based on the transverse magnetic field components, and thus the spurious modes are removed due to the constraint of divergence-free magnetic vector. The waveguide dimension dependences on the mode confinement and propagation length of the dielectric-loaded surface plasmon-polariton waveguide (DLSPPW) are extensively studied and characterized. The numerical results of the DLSPPW show that the proposed scheme is highly efficient and yields accurate complex effective indices while requiring much less memory than the commonly used finite element method. This study also analyzes the propagation characteristics and figures of merit of an inverted metal slot waveguide (IMSW) in detail. The IMSW achieves a propagation loss an order of magnitude lower than nanoparticle chains with comparable degrees of lateral confinement.


Esophageal endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration with an on-site cytopathologist: high accuracy for the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy.
To analyze the accuracy of esophageal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with real-time, guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) with an on-site cytopathologist in patients with (presumed) lung cancer presenting with mediastinal lymphadenopathy (ML) or a suspect left adrenal gland (LAG). A single-center prospective study. Sixty-seven outpatients with (presumed) lung cancer with ML or a suspect LAG on either CT and/or positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) scan. All patients underwent EUS-FNA under conscious sedation. A cytopathologist was present during all procedures. EUS with and without fine-needle aspiration (FNA) as compared to FDG-PET was evaluated for accuracy in diagnosing cancer, safety, and rate of avoidance for further surgery. Of 67 consecutive patients (56 men; median age, 64 years), malignant ML or LAG were found in 47 patients (70.1%). In 20 patients (29.9%) without EUS-FNA proof of malignancy, confirmation was obtained by surgical procedure in 13 patients (sarcoidosis [n = 5], infection [n = 1], lung cancer [n = 7]) or by clinical follow-up in 5 patients suggesting benign disease. Sixty-five patients were included in the calculation of test characteristics. With malignancy as an end point, the accuracy for EUS-FNA was 100%. This was better than EUS without FNA (accuracy, 75.4%; p < 0.001) or FDG-PET (accuracy, 75.0% [n = 28]; p = 0.0011). When using final histopathologic diagnosis as an end point, the accuracy of EUS-FNA was 92.3%, since EUS-FNA was unable to show noncaseating granulomas in those patients with sarcoidosis diagnosed after mediastinoscopy. Related to the presence of the in situ cytopathologist, there were no inconclusive samples. No adverse events were recorded, and 67.7% of surgical interventions were avoided following EUS-FNA. The accuracy in this series of EUS-FNA with cytopathologist-assisted rapid on-site evaluation is high. The technique is safe and greatly reduces the number of surgical interventions.


Determining Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes Using the SF-6D Following Total Hip Arthroplasty.
Following total hip arthroplasty, patients' perception of their postoperative improvement and health plays a large role in satisfaction with and success of the surgical procedure. The Short Form-6D (SF-6D) is a health-related quality-of-life measure that assigns numerical value to the perception of patients' own health. The purpose was to determine SF-6D values of patients after total hip arthroplasty, to determine whether score changes were clinically relevant, and to compare these with postoperative functional improvements. We evaluated 188 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty at 7 institutions and who had a mean age of 69 years (range, 47 to 88 years) and a mean body mass index of 28.8 kg/m (range, 19.8 to 38.9 kg/m). The SF-6D values were obtained from patients' SF-36 scores, and clinical relevance of value changes was determined using effect size. Using previous research, effect sizes were considered small between 0.2 and 0.5, moderate between 0.6 to 0.8, and large at >0.8. Clinical correlation was assessed using the Lower-Extremity Activity Scale and Harris hip scores. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years. The SF-6D scores improved from preoperatively and achieved significance (p < 0.05) at all points. The effect size demonstrated good clinical relevance up to the latest follow-up: 1.27 at 6 months, 1.30 at 1 year, 1.07 at 2 years, 1.08 at 3 years, and 1.05 at 5 years. The Lower-Extremity Activity Scale improved at all follow-up points from preoperatively to 1.8 at 6 months, 2.0 at 1 year, 1.8 at 2 years, 1.5 at 3 years, and 1.6 points at 5 years. The Harris hip score improved to 38 points at 6 months, 40 points at 1 year, 38 points at 2 years, 39 points at 3 years, and 41 points at 5 years postoperatively. The improvements in the Lower-Extremity Activity Scale and the Harris hip score significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01) with the SF-6D scores at all time points. SF-6D scores after total hip arthroplasty correlate with functional outcomes and have clinical relevance, as demonstrated by their effect size. Incorporating this straightforward and easy-to-use measurement tool when evaluating patients following total hip arthroplasty will facilitate future cost-utility analyses. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Follicular Lymphoma: Favorable Long-Term Survival Irrespective of Pretransplantation Rituximab Exposure.
High-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT/ASCT) has contributed to modify the natural history of follicular lymphoma (FL); however, an overall survival (OS) benefit has been demonstrated at relapse only after a rituximab-free chemotherapy regimen. A total of 655 patients with FL were reported to the Spanish GELTAMO (Grupo Español de Linfomas y Trasplantes de Médula Ósea) registry and underwent first ASCT between 1989 and 2007. A total of 203 patients underwent ASCT in first complete response (CR1), 174 in second complete response (CR2), 28 in third complete response (CR3), 140 in first partial response (PR1), 81 in subsequent PR, and 29 with resistant/refractory disease; 184 patients received rituximab before ASCT. With a median follow-up of 12 years from ASCT, median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 9.7 and 21.3 years, respectively. Actuarial 12-year PFS and OS were 63% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58%-68%) and 73% (95% CI, 68%-78%), respectively, for patients in CR (with a plateau in the curve beyond 15.9 years), 25% (95% CI, 19%-28%) and 49% (95% CI 42%-56%), respectively, for patients in PR, and 23% (95% CI, 8%-48%) and 28% (95% CI, 9%-45%), respectively, for patients with resistant/refractory disease (P < .001). In patients who received rituximab before ASCT, the estimated 9-year PFS and OS from ASCT were 59.5% (95% CI, 51%-67%) and 75% (95% CI, 68%-83%), respectively. Interestingly, for patients who underwent transplantation in CR ≥2 or PR ≥2 who had received rituximab before ASCT (n = 90), 9-year PFS and OS were 61% (95% CI, 51%-73%) and 75% (95% CI, 65%-80%), respectively, with no relapses occurring beyond 5.1 years after ASCT. The cumulative incidence of second malignancies in the global series was 6.7% at 5 years and 12.8% at 10 years. This analysis strongly suggests that ASCT is a potentially curative option for eligible patients with FL. In the setting of relapse, it is of especial interest in pretransplantation rituximab-sensitive patients with FL.


International jurisprudence on trade and environmental health: one step forward, two steps back?
Since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), there has been considerable debate regarding the impact of its rules on public health. By contrast, the role of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism has received little attention, even though the bodies responsible for settling disputes are the ultimate interpreters of WTO rules and agreements. To date, three WTO disputes that relate to occupational and/or environmental health have been fully litigated. A review of the decisions and reasoning in these cases indicates that WTO jurisprudence is evolving, as Panels and the Appellate Body try--with varying degrees of success--to balance countries' rights and obligations under international trade agreements with their right to protect occupational and environmental health. Disputes between nations can have an impact beyond the parties concerned, and raise questions about the relationship between trade agreements and other international agreements, especially multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).


Body Armor-Inspired Double-Wrapped Binder with High Energy Dispersion for a Stable SiOx Anode.
The high specific capacity and relatively low volume expansion of silicon suboxide (SiOx) highlight its potential as one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, the traditional binder of polyacrylic acid (PAA) still cannot adapt to enormous stress during the repeated volume expansion/contraction owing to its intrinsic rigid backbone. Inspired by the "soft and hard composite body armor", we herein design a double-wrapped binder consisting of PAA with a high internal Young's modulus (hard part) and polyurethane (DOU) with a low external Young's modulus (soft part). When the SiOx particle expands during lithiation, the rigid PAA firstly accommodates the volume change to dissipate most of the inner stress, and the elastic DOU with triple dynamic bonds serves as a buffer layer to absorb the residual stress via the breakage/formation of dynamic bonds. By optimizing the PAA/DOU ratio, the SiOx anode can maintain the integrity during long-term cycling and deliver a relatively high reversible capacity of 1064.1 mAh g-1 with a preeminent capacity retention of 83.7% at 0.5C after 300 cycles. Such a double-wrapped binder can provide a novel design strategy for multicomponent functional polymer binders toward high-performance SiOx anodes.


Calcified acoustic neurinoma.
An unusual case history of a patient with an acoustic neurinoma is reported. The patient had a two-year history of unilateral sensori-neural hearing impairment, normal radiological appearance of the internal acoustic meatus at tomography and on CT a grossly calcified tumour in the cerebello-pontine angle, indicating pathology other than an neurinoma. Vertebral angiography was normal, and at surgery a grossly calcified tumour was found, while microscopy revealed a typical neurinoma pattern. The tumour had to be removed in two stages, both via the translabyrinthine approach, with a satisfactory post-operative condition, including near-normal facial function. It is concluded that dense calcifications in tumours in the cerebello-pontine angle do not necessarily exclude a neurinoma, and vertebral angiography is therefore not indicated routinely. However, such findings do predict difficulties at surgery.


Characterization of a molecular clone of RFM/Un mouse chromosomal DNA that contains a full-length endogenous murine leukaemia virus-related proviral genome.
A 12.4 kbp HindIII chromosomal DNA fragment harbouring an apparently intact 9.2 kbp endogenous murine leukaemia virus (MuLV)-related proviral genome was isolated from an RFM/Un strain mouse by molecular cloning and designated pRFM #6. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the following characteristic features in the pRFM #6 provirus: a distinct 200 bp sequence in the long terminal repeat (LTR) mid-U3 region, a primer binding site for glutamine tRNA, a 3' pol region encoding an 'endonuclease' protein of 390 amino acids, and the mink cell focus-forming virus type-specific sequence at the 5' portion of the env gene. The 699 bp 5' LTR and 700 bp 3' LTR of pRFM #6 provirus were identical except for three base changes in the U3 'enhancer' region. At the cell-provirus DNA junction, 4 bp direct repeats were present. The proviral genome was found at the same chromosomal DNA site in BALB/c, AKR, C3H, CBA and RFM strain mice, but not in NFS/N or C57BL/6 strain mice.


Insulin degradation: mechanisms, products, and significance.
Although much remains to be learned, our understanding of the mechanisms and processes by which insulin is degraded has advanced considerably over the past few years. The roles of receptor binding and internalization in mediating insulin degradation have been clarified, and the endosomal pathway for intracellular insulin degradation has been established and partially characterized. The importance of IP (IDE) in cellular insulin degradation has been established and the importance of lysosomal degradation questioned. Studies on IP have identified the degradation products resulting from insulin metabolism by this enzyme and shown that the degradation products by IP are identical with those produced by isolated hepatocytes. A major remaining question for future investigation is the potential role of insulin degradation and intracellular processing in insulin action.


Novel Acinetobacter parvus HANDI 309 microbial biomass for the production of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) using swollen chitin substrate in submerged fermentation.
N-acetyl-β-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc)6 is extensively used as an important bio-agent and a functional food additive. The traditional chemical process for GlcNAc production has some problems such as high production cost, low yield, and acidic pollution. Therefore, to discover a novel chitinase that is suitable for bioconversion of chitin to GlcNAc would be of great value. Here, we describe the complete isolation and functional characterization of a novel exo-chitinase from Acinetobacter parvus HANDI 309 for the conversion of chitin. The identified exo-chitinase mainly produced N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, using chitin as a substrate by submerged fermentation. The A. parvus HANDI 309 biofuels producing exo-chitinase were characterized by TLC, and was further validated and quantified by HPLC. Furthermore, the optimal temperature and pH for the exo-chitinase activity was obtained in the culture conditions of 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The maximum growth of the stationary phase was reached in 24 h after incubation. These results suggest that A. parvus HANDI 309 biofuels producing exo-chitinases may have great potential in chitin to N-acetyl-d-glucosamine conversion. The excellent thermostability and hydrolytic properties may give the exo-chitinase great potential in chitin to GlcNAc conversion in industry. This is the first report that A. parvus HANDI 309 is a novel bacterial strain that has the ability to produce an enormous amount of exo-chitinase-producing bio-agents in a short time on an industrial scale without any pretreatment, as well as being potentially valuable in the food and pharmaceutical industries.


Stress Evaluation in Simulated Autonomous and Manual Driving through the Analysis of Skin Potential Response and Electrocardiogram Signals.
The evaluation of car drivers' stress condition is gaining interest as research on Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS) progresses. The analysis of the stress response can be used to assess the acceptability of ADS and to compare the driving styles of different autonomous drive algorithms. In this contribution, we present a system based on the analysis of the Electrodermal Activity Skin Potential Response (SPR) signal, aimed to reveal the driver's stress induced by different driving situations. We reduce motion artifacts by processing two SPR signals, recorded from the hands of the subjects, and outputting a single clean SPR signal. Statistical features of signal blocks are sent to a Supervised Learning Algorithm, which classifies between stress and normal driving (non-stress) conditions. We present the results obtained from an experiment using a professional driving simulator, where a group of people is asked to undergo manual and autonomous driving on a highway, facing some unexpected events meant to generate stress. The results of our experiment show that the subjects generally appear more stressed during manual driving, indicating that the autonomous drive can possibly be well received by the public. During autonomous driving, however, significant peaks of the SPR signal are evident during unexpected events. By examining the electrocardiogram signal, the average heart rate is generally higher in the manual case compared to the autonomous case. This further supports our previous findings, even if it may be due, in part, to the physical activity involved in manual driving.


alphabeta sequence of F is IS31.
Previous studies have shown that there is a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segment, of length 1.3 kb and denoted as the alphabeta sequence, which occurs twice on the F plasmid at corrdinates 93.2 to 94.5/OF kb and 13.7 to 15.0F kb. In the present investigation, heteroduplexes were prepared between a phage DNA carrying the insertion sequence IS3 and suitable F-prime DNAs. The hybrids formed show that IS3 is the same as alphabeta. This result plus previous studies support the view that: (i) the insertion sequence IS2 and IS3 occur on F and, in multiple copies, on the main bacterial chromosome of Escherichia coli K-12; and (ii)these IS sequences on the main bacterial chromosomes are hot spots for Hfr formation by reciprocal recombination with the corresponding sequences of F.


Inflammatory signaling in genomically instable cancers.
Recent studies have shown that genomic instability in tumor cells leads to activation of inflammatory signaling through the cGAS/STING pathway. In this review, we describe multiple ways by which genomic instability leads to cGAS/STING-mediated inflammatory signaling, as well as the consequences for tumor development and the tumor microenvironment. Also, we elaborate on how tumor cells have apparently evolved to escape the immune surveillance mechanisms that are triggered by cGAS/STING signaling. Finally, we describe how cGAS/STING-mediated inflammatory signaling can be therapeutically targeted to improve therapy responses.


Living-related versus deceased donor pediatric liver transplantation: a multivariate analysis of technical and immunological complications in 235 recipients.
Timely access to a living donor (LD) reduced pretransplant mortality in pediatric liver transplantation (LT). We hypothesized that this strategy may provide better posttransplant outcome. Between July 1993 and April 2002, 235 children received a primary LT from a LD (n = 100) or a deceased donor (DD) (n = 135). Demographic, surgical and immunological variables were compared, and respective impact on posttransplant complications was studied using a multivariate analysis. Five-year patient survival rates were 92% and 85% for groups LD and DD, respectively (p = 0.181), the corresponding graft survival rates being 89% and 77% (p = 0.033). At multivariate analysis: (1) type of donor (DD) was correlated with higher rate of artery thrombosis (p < 0.012); (2) biliary complication rate at 5 years was 29% and 23% for groups LD and DD, respectively (p = 0.451); (3) lower acute rejection incidence could be correlated with type of donor (DD) (p = 0.001), and immunosuppressive therapy (tacrolimus) (p < 0.001). We conclude that (1) according to the multivariate analysis, LT with LD provided similar patient and graft outcome, when compared to DD; (2) a higher rate of artery thrombosis and a lower rate of rejection were observed in group DD; (3) this study confirms the efficacy of tacrolimus for immunoprophylaxis, whatever the type of organ donor is.


The reality of dietary compliance in the management of phenylketonuria.
In phenylketonuria (PKU), it is common for blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations to be outside optimal target ranges, particularly in teenagers and adults, indicating inadequate compliance. It is well known that significant noncompliance exists, and the situation in PKU would appear no different than other chronic conditions. In PKU, compliance is complex, being subject to diverse definitions, and factors influencing compliance include the nature and nurture of the patient, as well as the inconvenience, cost and availability of dietary treatment. It is also a dynamic process, with many patients changing between a state of compliance and partial and noncompliance. In PKU, compliance has received little rigorous study, and there have been few observational reports identifying barriers and behaviors impacting dietary compliance. Compliance assessment measures remain inadequately defined. The direct assessment of blood Phe concentration is perhaps the best overall measure, but there is no universal agreement about the number of Phe concentrations that should be within target range and frequency or timing of measurement. Although no one strategy for improving compliance is universally effective, and an individualized approach to noncompliance is essential, it is important to have clear evidence about the most effective strategies in achieving long-term dietary adherence in PKU.


Asbestos accelerates disease onset in a genetic model of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Hypothesis: Asbestos-driven inflammation contributes to malignant pleural mesothelioma beyond the acquisition of rate-limiting mutations. Methods: Genetically modified conditional allelic mice that were previously shown to develop mesothelioma in the absence of exposure to asbestos were induced with lentiviral vector expressing Cre recombinase with and without intrapleural injection of amosite asbestos and monitored until symptoms required euthanasia. Resulting tumours were examined histologically and by immunohistochemistry for expression of lineage markers and immune cell infiltration. Results: Injection of asbestos dramatically accelerated disease onset and end-stage tumour burden. Tumours developed in the presence of asbestos showed increased macrophage infiltration. Pharmacological suppression of macrophages in mice with established tumours failed to extend survival or to enhance response to chemotherapy. Conclusion: Asbestos-driven inflammation contributes to the severity of mesothelioma beyond the acquisition of rate-limiting mutations, however, targeted suppression of macrophages in established epithelioid mesothelioma showed no therapeutic benefit.


Attention-based bidirectional-long short-term memory for abnormal human activity detection.
Abnormal human behavior must be monitored and controlled in today's technology-driven era, since it may cause damage to society in the form of assault or web-based violence, such as direct harm to a person or the propagation of hate crimes through the internet. Several authors have attempted to address this issue, but no one has yet come up with a solution that is both practical and workable. Recently, deep learning models have become popular as a means of handling massive amounts of data but their potential to categorize the aberrant human activity remains unexplored. Using a convolutional neural network (CNN), a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), and an attention mechanism to pay attention to the unique spatiotemporal characteristics of raw video streams, a deep-learning approach has been implemented in the proposed framework to detect anomalous human activity. After analyzing the video, our suggested architecture can reliably assign an abnormal human behavior to its designated category. Analytic findings comparing the suggested architecture to state-of-the-art algorithms reveal an accuracy of 98.9%, 96.04%, and 61.04% using the UCF11, UCF50, and subUCF crime datasets, respectively.


Nonuniform shortening in the biceps brachii during elbow flexion.
This study tested the common assumption that skeletal muscle shortens uniformly in the direction of its fascicles during low-load contraction. Cine phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging was used to characterize shortening of the biceps brachii muscle in 12 subjects during repeated elbow flexion against 5 and 15% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) loads. Mean shortening was relatively constant along the anterior boundary of the muscle and averaged 21% for both loading conditions. In contrast, mean shortening was nonuniform along the centerline of the muscle during active elbow flexion. Centerline shortening in the distal region of the biceps brachii (7.3% for 5% MVC and 3.7% for 15% MVC) was significantly less (P < 0.001) than shortening in the muscle midportion (26.3% for 5% MVC and 28.2% for 15% MVC). Nonuniform shortening along the centerline was likely due to the presence of an internal aponeurosis that spanned the distal third of the longitudinal axis of the biceps brachii. However, muscle shortening was also nonuniform proximal to the centerline aponeurosis. Because muscle fascicles follow the anterior contour and centerline of the biceps brachii, our results suggest that shortening is uniform along anterior muscle fascicles and nonuniform along centerline fascicles.


Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of endocyclic allenes and their application in stereoselective [2 + 2]cycloaddition with ketenes.
Palladium-catalyzed reactions of various 2-bromo-3-exo-methylenecycloalkenes with a stabilized nucleophile were examined. When the carbocycles were nine-membered or larger, the corresponding endocyclic allenes were isolated in excellent yields. In a reaction of the eight-membered cyclic substrate, initial formation of a cycloocta-1,2-diene derivative was detected; however, it dimerized slowly. The seven-membered carbocycle was inert to the reaction. Using a chiral Pd-catalyst, an axially chiral endocyclic allene was obtained in 65% ee. The cyclic allenes were applied to [2 + 2]cycloaddition with ketenes, and the stereoselectivity was studied.


Preparation and structural characterization of RuS2 nanoislands on Au(111).
Among all the transition metal sulfides, ruthenium sulfide (RuS2) has been shown to be the most active catalyst for the hydrodesulfuriztion processes. Using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we have found a novel approach for the preparation of RuS2 nanoislands on an Au(111) substrate. Chemical vapor deposition of Ru3(CO)12 leads to metallic Ru nanoclusters on the gold substrate. Although sulfidation has not been observed on extended Ru (0001) surface, Ru nanoclusters react with S2, forming ruthenium sulfide. While the majority of the sulfide is in the form of nanosized clusters that aggregate into clustered islands, a small fraction of the sulfide is seen as flat islands. When Ru3(CO)12 was deposited on a sulfur-modified gold substrate at elevated temperature, flat islands of ruthenium sulfide are formed exclusively. The flat islands are single-layer RuS2 nanocrystals with a (111) surface termination which exhibits an ordered array of sulfur vacancies. On such RuS2 (111) surfaces, excess sulfur is stable at low temperature and induces surface reconstruction, and desorbs at high temperature. The RuS2(111)/Au system provides an excellent model system for ruthenium sulfide catalysts.


Clinical comparison of elastic supports for venous diseases of the lower limb.
Compression garments for the lower limb were tested in two groups--general support garments and anti-embolism supports. A total of 98 patients was examined. The method used was by the interposition of partly fluid-filled pressure sensors between garment and skin. A combination of roller bandage with shaped tubigrip (SBB--Seton) and Sigvaris stockings afforded effective pressure in the general support group but only the roller bandage plus pressure garment (Seton) did so in the anti-embolism group, both in the acute and prolonged studies.


The NMDA receptor regulates competition of epithelial cells in the Drosophila wing.
Cell competition is an emerging principle that eliminates suboptimal or potentially dangerous cells. For 'unfit' cells to be detected, their competitive status needs to be compared to the collective fitness of cells within a tissue. Here we report that the NMDA receptor controls cell competition of epithelial cells and Myc supercompetitors in the Drosophila wing disc. While clonal depletion of the NMDA receptor subunit NR2 results in their rapid elimination via the TNF/Eiger>JNK signalling pathway, local over-expression of NR2 causes NR2 cells to acquire supercompetitor-like behaviour that enables them to overtake the tissue through clonal expansion that causes, but also relies on, the killing of surrounding cells. Consistently, NR2 is utilised by Myc clones to provide them with supercompetitor status. Mechanistically, we find that the JNK>PDK signalling axis in 'loser' cells reprograms their metabolism, driving them to produce and transfer lactate to winners. Preventing lactate transfer from losers to winners abrogates NMDAR-mediated cell competition. Our findings demonstrate a functional repurposing of NMDAR in the surveillance of tissue fitness.


Some phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of prevailing gonococcal strains in northern Norway.
Ninety two non-penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (non-PPNG) strains were investigated by the restriction enzyme technique with Hind III enzyme. Serogrouping by coenzyme. A with monoclonal antibodies and testing susceptibility to doxycycline were also performed by an agar dilution method. Fifteen different restriction enzyme patterns were shown, of which three represented 50% (46/92) of all strains. One band, representing a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragment of 1.45 kilobase pairs, was shared by all the strains investigated. Serogroup WI dominated, representing 57 isolates (62%) with four serovars, one of which was found in 82% (47/57) of the WI serogroups. Eight serovars were found among WII and WIII serogroups, but no one serovar dominated, as happened among WI serogroups. Identical serovars and restriction enzyme patterns were found in eight patients who were epidemiologically linked. All strains were highly or moderately sensitive to doxycycline, and the strains belonging to serogroup WI were more sensitive than those in the WII or WIII serogroups.


Measurement of carbon effect in land consolidation projects and evaluation of low-carbon promotion paths: a case study of Wudi County, Shandong Province, China.
Against the backdrop of China's "double carbon" objective, the exploration of low-carbon land consolidation has become a prominent area of focus for enhancing the development of ecological civilization. In this study, three typical projects at different time points (2016, 2019, and 2022) in Wudi County were selected to measure the carbon effect of land consolidation from four perspectives: artificial and industrial materials, mechanical shift consumption, land use structure, and farmland ecosystem. Based on the calculation of carbon effect of land consolidation by using carbon emission coefficient method, the changes of land use structure and carbon storage of farmland ecosystem before and after land consolidation were corrected by using GIS tools and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) model based on remote sensing technology, and the carbon emission intensity of each land consolidation project was finally obtained. The study summarized the influencing factors of carbon emissions through the above analysis and uses the fuzzy interpretation structure (FISM) model to provide the hierarchy of influencing factors of carbon emissions, thus proposing a low-carbon promotion path for land consolidation. The findings of this study can serve as a useful reference for low-carbon land consolidation efforts. The results showed that (1) the first, second, and third projects emitted 6140.06 t, 1243.78 t, and 17,604.62 t of carbon, respectively. Among them, the largest contributors to these emissions were labor and industrial materials, followed by mechanical shift; land use structure and farmland ecosystem were the main sources of carbon sinks and have a positive impact on the carbon cycle. (2) The carbon emission intensity of project one, project two, and project three after standardization is 0.26, 0.49, and 0.25, respectively, which are all at a high level. (3) According to the FISM model categorized 15 low-carbon upgrading paths, it was recommended that the government take a leading role in Wudi County by developing a scientific and rational construction plan. Additionally, efforts were made to actively protect farmland and forest land from destruction, reduce energy and material consumption, increase carbon storage in the farmland ecosystem, and promote low carbonization of land consolidation to the fullest extent possible.


Aminothiols linked to quinoline and acridine chromophores efficiently decrease 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine formation in gamma-irradiated DNA.
In a search for more active radioprotective compounds, we have prepared and examined a series of model molecules in which the radioprotective beta-aminothiol unit (free or derivatized as acetate or phosphorothioate) is tethered to the DNA-binding chromophores quinoline and acridine through links of variable length. The modifying activity of these 'hybrid' molecules was estimated by measuring the formation of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) in double-strand DNA upon exposure to gamma-rays in oxygen-free solution in the presence of the drugs. We show that all hybrid molecules protect the guanine moiety from oxidation more efficiently than the parent beta-aminothiol units. The degree of protection is the highest for the molecules in which the thiol is linked to the strong binding intercalator acridine through a long polyaminochain.


[Early diagnosis of subtype in early clinical stage lung adenocarcinoma by using an autoantibody panel and computed tomography].
Objective: To explore the value of CT and autoantibody panel to diagnosis the subtype in early clinical stage lung cancer,especially lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA),and to provide the correct information for the clinical and the prognosis evaluation. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 60 patients (total 63 subsolid nodules,which included 39 PSN and 24 pGGN) who underwent surgical resection or needle biopsy for stage Ⅰa or Ⅰb lung adenocarcinoma at Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2017 and April 2018,age from 28 to 82 years old,and the average age was (52±7) years. All patients underwent a pretreatment chest LDCT and the peripheral blood of all patients were used to detect the tumor related antibody (including p53, GAGE7, PGP9.5, CAGE, MAGEA1, SOX2, GBU4-5) through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. All the patients were divided into LPA group (43 subsolid nodules, which included AIS 10 subsolid nodules, MIA 11 subsolid nodules, LPA 22 subsolid nodules) and invasive predominant adenocarcinoma (IPA) group (20 subsolid nodules). The information of CT scanning was measured and assessed in lung and mediastinal windows with double blind method. The mean computed tomography (m-CT) value and the solid component/tumor ratio in three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) planes were measured and analyzed using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system. Results: There were 20 partial solid nodules in IPA group, 19 partial solid nodules in LPA group and 24 ground-glass nodules (χ(2)=19.278,P=0.000). There were 4 circular nodules, 16 irregular nodules in the IPA group, 21 circular nodules, 5 oval nodules and 7 irregular nodules in the LPA group χ(2)=8.587,P=0.003). The incidence of burr, vascular aggregation and bronchial truncation in IPA group was higher than that in LPA group (40.0% vs 16.3%, 70.0% vs 18.6%, 30.0% vs 2.3%, χ(2)=4.234,15.860,10.580, P=0.040,0.000, 0.001). The incidence of clear tumor lung interface in patients in LPA group was significantly higher than that in patients in IPA group (97.7% vs 65.0%, χ(2)=13.146,P=0.00). Of all the quantitative analysis of nodules,the m-CT value, the solid component/tumor ratios in three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) planes in IPA group were higher than those of LPA group ((-180±156) vs (-410±213) HU, 0.44±0.32 vs 0.14±0.26, 0.54±0.26 vs 0.18±0.26, t=-4.208, -3.951、-5.166, P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000). Among the 60 patients with lung cancer, there were 33 cases with positive antibody in peripheral blood, with a positive rate of 55.0%. The positive rate of 7-AABs was 70.0% in IPA group and 44.2% in LPA group, which had no statistical difference (χ(2)=3.647, P=0.056), the positive expression of tumor-associated antibodies was independent of the patient's age, CT value and nodular solid components and lung nodular volume ratio and area ratio, P>0.05, only in correlation with pleural traction (χ(2)=3.866, P=0.049). Conclusion: Compared with IPA, the imaging features of LDCT about the mGGN and PGGN appearance, clear tumor-lung interface, low m-CT and the solid component/tumor ratio in two-dimensional or three-dimensional (3D) planes are benefit for the diagnosis of the LPA; the expression of tumor-associated antibody group is independent of the age of the patient and the number of nodular solid components, and is only related to pleural depression, which is not conducive to the identification of LPA and IPA.


Overview of cancer pathology.
A brief review of cancer pathology is presented for physical therapists interested in cancer treatment programs. The relationship of cancer pathology to diagnosis and treatment is illustrated. Cancer biology definitions, cancer classification, grading and staging, and the multidisciplinary approach to treatment are discussed.


Mode of action of the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline on Mycoplasma gallisepticum.
Various physiological important activities of Mycoplasma gallisepticum were inhibited by the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline [Cu(DMP)2NO3]. The energy-yielding metabolism was inhibited because the conversion of pyruvate into lactate was found to be blocked by Cu(DMP)2NO3, indicating a selective inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase. Also, the production rate of acetate and the rate of oxygen uptake by whole cells of M. gallisepticum appeared to be strongly decreased. Experiments with crude cell extracts showed an inhibition of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase by Cu(DMP)2NO3 and an even stronger inhibition of NADH oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase by CuSO4. No preferential inhibition of adenosine 5'-triphosphatase and pyruvate kinase was found. Investigations on the influence of Cu(DMP)2NO3 on deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis with growing cells of M. gallisepticum showed a selective inhibition of the incorporation of [14C]thymidine into deoxyribonucleic acid. Cu(DMP)2NO3 induced a decrease in the total amount of accessible sulfhydryl groups of whole cells of M. gallisepticum, indicating that the observed diverse toxicity of Cu(DMP)2NO3 may be associated with the interaction of copper ions with protein sulfhydryl groups.


Novel hydroxamate and anilide derivatives as potent histone deacetylase inhibitors: synthesis and antiproliferative evaluation.
There is a currently growing interest in the development of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACs) as anticancer agents. Histone deacetylases are critically important in the functional regulation of gene transcription as well as in chromatin structure remodeling. A number of small molecule inhibitors of HDAC, such as the naturally occurring trichostatin A (TSA), as well as synthetic compounds, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), scriptaid, oxamflatin or MS-275, have been reported to induce differentiation of several cancer cell lines and suppress cell proliferation. This article will review the recent progress being made in our laboratories in the development of two new families of potent HDAC inhibitors: sulfonamide hydroxamic acids and anilides, as well as TSA-like straight chain derivatives. Some of these compounds inhibit partially purified recombinant human HDAC enzymes with IC(50)'s in the micromolar to low nanomolar range and can induce hyperacetylation of histones in human cancer cells. These compounds significantly inhibit proliferation, induce expression of p21(WAF1/Cip1), and cause cell cycle arrest in various human cancer cells. The lead candidates were screened in a panel of human tumor and normal cell lines. The inhibition of HDAC activity represents a novel approach for intervening in cell cycle regulation and may be used in future cancer therapies. The structure-activity relationships, the antiproliferative activity and the in vivo efficacy are discussed.


Functional analysis of the twin-arginine translocation pathway in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13869.
Compared to those of other gram-positive bacteria, the genetic structure of the Corynebacterium glutamicum Tat system is unique in that it contains the tatE gene in addition to tatA, tatB, and tatC. The tatE homologue has been detected only in the genomes of gram-negative enterobacteria. To assess the function of the C. glutamicum Tat pathway, we cloned the tatA, tatB, tatC, and tatE genes from C. glutamicum ATCC 13869 and constructed mutants carrying deletions of each tat gene or of both the tatA and tatE genes. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused with the twin-arginine signal peptide of the Escherichia coli TorA protein, we demonstrated that the minimal functional Tat system required TatA and TatC. TatA and TatE provide overlapping function. Unlike the TatB proteins from gram-negative bacteria, C. glutamicum TatB was dispensable for Tat function, although it was required for maximal efficiency of secretion. The signal peptide sequence of the isomaltodextranase (IMD) of Arthrobacter globiformis contains a twin-arginine motif. We showed that both IMD and GFP fused with the signal peptide of IMD were secreted via the C. glutamicum Tat pathway. These observations indicate that IMD is a bona fide Tat substrate and imply great potential of the C. glutamicum Tat system for industrial production of heterologous folded proteins.