Sucrose regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase subunit genes transcript levels in leaves and fruits.
ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase, EC126.96.36.199) is a key regulatory enzyme in starch biosynthesis. The enzyme is a heterotetramer with two S and two B subunits. In tomato, there are three multiple forms of the S subunit gene. Agp S1, S2 and B are highly expressed in fruit from 10 to 25 days after anthesis. Agp S3 is only weakly expressed in fruit. Sucrose significantly elevates expression of Agp S1, S2 and B in both leaves and fruits. Agp S1 exhibits the highest degree of regulation by sucrose. In fact, sucrose may be required for Agp S1 expression. For excised leaves incubated in water, no transcripts for Agp S1 could be detected in the absence of sucrose, whereas it took up to 16 h in water before transcripts were no longer detectable for Agp S2 and B. Neither Agp S3 nor the tubulin gene is affected by sucrose, demonstrating that this response is specifically regulated by a carbohydrate metabolic signal, and is not due to a general increase in metabolism caused by sucrose treatment. Truncated versions of the promoter for Agp S1 indicate that a specific region 1.3-3.0 kb upstream from the transcription site is responsible for sucrose sensitivity. This region of the S1 promoter contains several cis-acting elements present in the promoters of other genes that are also regulated by sucrose.


Secalonic acid- F inhibited cell growth more effectively than 5-fluorouracil on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common types of liver cancer, could be treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Due to its side effects, 5-FU is more often used as the co-administration drug in clinical practice. Secalonic acid-F (SAF), isolated from a fungal strain identified in our lab as Aspergillus aculeatus, showed potent biological activities. The goal of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of SAF on hepatocellular carcinoma and to compare it with that of 5-FU. Results showed that SAF effectively inhibited cell growth with a dose-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo. And the inhibitory effects of SAF were stronger than that of 5-FU. Importantly, the cytotoxicity of SAF to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was similar to that of 5-FU. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that SAF arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase and induced apoptosis with a dose-dependent manner by activating caspase3 and caspase9 through a mitochondrial pathway. Consequently, SAF may be a better potential candidate compound for human cancer treatment; these results will afford more data for antitumor agent design in detail.


Coordination of autonomic and endocrine stress responses to the Trier Social Stress Test in adolescence.
Dysregulations in autonomic and endocrine stress responses are linked to the emergence of psychopathology in adolescence. However, most studies fail to consider the interplay between these systems giving rise to conflicting findings and a gap in understanding adolescent stress response regulation. A multisystem framework-investigation of parasympathetic (PNS), sympathetic (SNS), and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis components and their coordination-is necessary to understand individual differences in stress response coordination which contribute to stress vulnerabilities. As the first investigation to comprehensively evaluate these three systems in adolescence, the current study employed the Trier Social Stress Test in 72 typically developing adolescents (mean age = 13) to address how PNS, SNS, and HPA stress responses are coordinated in adolescence. Hypotheses tested key predictions of the Adaptive Calibration Model (ACM) of stress response coordination. PNS and SNS responses were assessed via heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) respectively. HPA responses were indexed by salivary cortisol. Analyses utilized piecewise growth curve modeling to investigate these aims. Supporting the ACM theory, there was significant hierarchical coordination between the systems such that those with low HRV had higher sAA and cortisol reactivity and those with high HRV had low-to-moderate sAA and cortisol responsivity. Our novel results reveal the necessity of studying multisystem dynamics in an integrative fashion to uncover the true mechanisms of stress response and regulation during development. Additionally, our findings support the existence of characteristic stress response profiles as predicted by the ACM model.


Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antioxidant Activities of Byrsonima duckeana W. R. Anderson (Malpighiaceae).
Background. Byrsonima is a promising neotropical genus, rich in flavonoids and triterpenes, with several proven pharmacological properties. Nevertheless, Byrsonima duckeana W. R. Anderson is an Amazonian species almost not studied. Objective. To assess the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of Byrsonima duckeana leaves. Materials and Methods. We analyzed an ethanol extract and its fractions for polyphenol content and UHPLC-MS/MS, phosphomolybdenum, DPPH, TBARS antioxidant tests, formalin-induced pain, carrageenan-induced peritonitis, acetic acid-induced abdominal writhings, and hot plate assays. Results. All the samples showed high polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity in the phosphomolybdenum, DPPH, and TBARS tests. We identified ethyl gallate, quinic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, quercetrin, and quercetin in the samples. B. duckeana was able to reduce leukocyte migration in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis by 43% and the licking time in the formalin test by 57%. In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, the chloroform (FCL) and ethyl acetate (FEA) fractions were the most active samples. FEA was selected for the hot plate test, where all the dosages tested (5, 50, and 200 mg·kg-1) showed significant analgesic activity. Conclusion. B. duckeana has interesting analgesic and antioxidant activities, due to its high phenolic content, especially phenolic acids.


Open-Source, Platform-Independent Library and Online Scripting Environment for Accessing Thermo Scientific RAW Files.
Mass spectrometers typically output data in proprietary binary formats. While converter suites and standardized XML formats have been developed in response, these conversion steps come with non-negligible computational time and storage space overhead. As a result, simple, everyday data inspection tasks are often beyond the skills of the mass spectrometrist, who is unable to freely access the acquired data. We therefore here describe the unthermo library for convenient, platform-independent access to Thermo Scientific RAW files and the associated online playground to transform small and easily understandable scriptlets into executable programs for end-users. By fostering the provision of code examples and snippet exchange, the interested mass spectrometrist or researcher can use this playground to quickly assemble custom scripts for their particular purpose. In this way, the data in these RAW files can be mined much more readily and directly by the user, and fast, automated raw data extraction or analysis can finally become part of the daily routine of the mass spectrometrist.


Gender differences in the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status: systematic review of 51 publications.
Sex hormones may influence the activity of enzymes which are involved in the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The objective of this review was to assess the role of gender in determining the fatty acid composition of human samples, like plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipids, and adipose tissue. The method included a structured search strategy on MEDLINE, Scopus and the Cochrane databases, with formal inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction procedure and meta-analysis. We evaluated 51 publications, dated from 1975 to 2011. Meta-analysis showed significantly lower values of both arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in total plasma lipids (32 and 33 studies) and in plasma phospholipids (PL; 21 and 23 studies) in men than in women. Primary analysis of the phospholipid fraction showed the mean difference in AA to be 0.42% weight/weight (95% CI: 0.18-0.65, n = 7,769) and in DHA 0.37% weight/weight (95% CI: 0.24-0.51, n = 8,541), while there was no gender difference in the values of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid. This systematic review based on 51 publications showed significantly lower contribution of AA and DHA to plasma total lipids and plasma PL in men than in women. Gender distribution should be regarded as a significant potential confounding factor in every study assessing data on fatty acid composition.


Activation of NAD-linked malic enzyme in intact plant mitochondria by exogenous coenzyme A.
O2 uptake by potato and cauliflower bud mitochondria oxidizing malate was progressively inhibited as the pH of the external medium was increased, in response to accumulation of oxaloacetate. Adding 0.5 mM coenzyme A to the medium reversed this trend by stimulating intramitochondrial NAD-linked malic enzyme at alkaline pH. In intact potato mitochondria, coenzyme A stimulation of malic enzyme was not observed when the external pH was above 7.5; in cauliflower mitochondria, coenzyme A stimulated even at pH 8. This difference in the response of intact mitochondria was attributed to an inherent difference in the properties of malic enzyme from the two tissues. Malic enzyme solubilized from potato mitochondria was inactive at pH values above 7.8, while that from cauliflower mitochondria retained its activity at pH 8 in the presence of coenzyme A. In potato mitochondria, coenzyme A stimulation of O2 uptake at alkaline pH was only observed when NAD+ was also provided exogenously. The results show that coenzyme A can be taken up by intact mitochondria and that pH, NAD+, and coenzyme A levels in the matrix act together to regulate malate oxidation.


Environmental exposure measurement in cancer epidemiology.
Environmental exposures, used in the broadest sense of lifestyle, infections, radiation, natural and man-made chemicals and occupation, are a major cause of human cancer. However, the precise contribution of specific risk factors and their interaction, both with each other and with genotype, continues to be difficult to elucidate. This is partially due to limitations in accurately measuring exposure with the subsequent risk of misclassification. One of the primary challenges of molecular cancer epidemiology therefore is to improve exposure assessment. Progress has been made with biomarkers such as carcinogens and their metabolites, DNA and protein adducts and mutations measured in various tissues and body fluids. Nevertheless, much remains to be accomplished in order to establish aetiology and provide the evidence base for public health decisions. This review considers some of the principles behind the application of exposure biomarkers in cancer epidemiology. It also demonstrates how the same biomarkers can contribute both to establishing the biological plausibility of associations between exposure and disease and be valuable endpoints in intervention studies. The potential of new technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics to provide a step change in environmental exposure assessment is discussed. An increasing recognition of the role of epigenetic changes in carcinogenesis presents a fresh challenge as alterations in DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA in response to environmental exposures demand a new generation of exposure biomarker. The overall importance of this area of research is brought into sharp relief by the large prospective cohort studies (e.g. UK Biobank) which need accurate exposure measurement in order to shed light on the complex gene:environment interactions underlying common chronic disorders including cancer. It is suggested that a concerted effort is now required, with appropriate funding, to develop and validate the required exposure assessment methodology before these cohorts come to maturity.


The cell cycle block and lysis of an activated T cell hybridoma are distinct processes with different Ca2+ requirements and sensitivity to cyclosporine A.
Stimulation of transformed T cells leads to both lymphokine secretion and inhibition of spontaneous growth. Studies performed with an Ag-specific T cell hybridoma demonstrated that growth inhibition is an early (within 1 h) manifestation of activation. Experiment in which extracellular Ca2+ was chelated or in which cyclosporine A was included indicated that activation-associated growth inhibition is a two-step process. The first phase is the establishment of a G1/S cell cycle block; it does not require extracellular Ca2+ and is not prevented by the addition of cyclosporine A. The second phase is cell lysis. It can be detected 4 to 6 h after activation, requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+, and is prevented when stimulation occurs in the presence of cyclosporine A. The observation that both Ca2+ depletion and cyclosporine A prevented IL-2 secretion at all time points indicates that the pathways leading to lymphokine secretion and the G1/S block diverge early in the course of the cellular response, and establish the cell cycle block as a distinct activation event with unique characteristics.


Support Vector Machine (SVM) Models for Predicting Inhibitors of the 3' Processing Step of HIV-1 Integrase.
Inhibition of the 3' processing step of HIV-1 integrase by small molecule inhibitors is one of the most promising strategies for the treatment of AIDS. Using a support vector machine (SVM) approach, we developed six classification models for predicting 3'P inhibitors. The models are based on up to 48 selected molecular descriptors and a comprehensive data set of 1253 molecules, with measured activities ranging from nanomolar to micromolar IC50 values. Model B2, the most robust SVM model, obtains a prediction accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 93 %, 81 %, 94 % and 0.67 on the test set, respectively. The presence of hydrogen bonding features and hydrophilicity in general were identified as key determinants of inhibitory activity. Further important properties include molecular refractivity, π atom charge, total charge, lone pair electronegativity, and effective atom polarizability. Comparative fragment-based analysis of the active and inactive molecules corroborated these observations and revealed several characteristic structural elements of 3'P inhibitors. The models built in this study can be obtained from the authors.


Specific Therapy Based on the Genotype in a Malignant Form of Long QT3, Carrying the V411M Mutation.
Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac channelopathy that leads to the prolongation of the QT interval. This prolongation can lead to ventricular tachyarrhythmia, syncope, and sudden cardiac death. There are various types of LQTS. Treatment of LQT1 and LQT2 is mainly based on antiadrenergic therapy. LQT3, on the other hand, is a result of a mutation of the SCN5A gene, which encodes the sodium channels. In this type, patients are sensitive to vagal stimuli and episodes tend to occur at rest. Sodium channel blocking compounds, such as ranolazine, mexiletine, and flecainide, have been found to be effective in selective mutations.In this case report, we report the case of a child with congenital LQT3 (V411M) who presented first with sudden cardiac death and three weeks later with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator storm. Knowing the specific mutation and understanding the mechanism at the molecular level through an in vitro study yielded a clinically meaningful result. The patient's arrhythmia burden was totally eliminated following successful treatment with flecainide.


Practice education: delivering the vision.
While acknowledging the inherent challenges of the practice education rhetoric being translated into reality, the aim of this paper is to examine the challenges, issues and innovations surrounding the delivery of education in practice within a departmental context. Organisational context, national initiatives, political directives and departmental challenges were added to the intrinsic educational issues which were required to be addressed in order for the authors' shared educational vision to be delivered within their own sphere of responsibility.


microRNA biomarkers in cystic diseases.
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting the 3'-untranslated region of multiple target genes. Pathogenesis results from defects in several gene sets; therefore, disease progression could be prevented using miRNAs targeting multiple genes. Moreover, recent studies suggest that miRNAs reflect the stage of the specific disease, such as carcinogenesis. Cystic diseases, including polycystic kidney disease, polycystic liver disease, pancreatic cystic disease, and ovarian cystic disease, have common processes of cyst formation in the specific organ. Specifically, epithelial cells initiate abnormal cell proliferation and apoptosis as a result of alterations to key genes. Cysts are caused by fluid accumulation in the lumen. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cyst formation and progression remain unclear. This review aims to introduce the key miRNAs related to cyst formation, and we suggest that miRNAs could be useful biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in several cystic diseases.


Turbulence-driven shifts in holobionts and planktonic microbial assemblages in St. Peter and St. Paul Archipelago, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Brazil.
The aim of this study was to investigate the planktonic and the holobiont Madracis decactis (Scleractinia) microbial diversity along a turbulence-driven upwelling event, in the world's most isolated tropical island, St Peter and St Paul Archipelago (SPSPA, Brazil). Twenty one metagenomes were obtained for seawater (N = 12), healthy and bleached holobionts (N = 9) before, during and after the episode of high seawater turbulence and upwelling. Microbial assemblages differed between low turbulence-low nutrient (LLR) and high-turbulence-high nutrient (HHR) regimes in seawater. During LLR there was a balance between autotrophy and heterotrophy in the bacterioplankton and the ratio cyanobacteria:heterotrophs ~1 (C:H). Prochlorales, unclassified Alphaproteobacteria and Euryarchaeota were the dominant bacteria and archaea, respectively. Basic metabolisms and cyanobacterial phages characterized the LLR. During HHR C:H < < 0.05 and Gammaproteobacteria approximated 50% of the most abundant organisms in seawater. Alteromonadales, Oceanospirillales, and Thaumarchaeota were the dominant bacteria and archaea. Prevailing metabolisms were related to membrane transport, virulence, disease, and defense. Phages targeting heterotrophs and virulence factor genes characterized HHR. Shifts were also observed in coral microbiomes, according to both annotation-indepent and -dependent methods. HHR bleached corals metagenomes were the most dissimilar and could be distinguished by their di- and tetranucleotides frequencies, Iron Acquision metabolism and virulence genes, such as V. cholerae-related virulence factors. The healthy coral holobiont was shown to be less sensitive to transient seawater-related perturbations than the diseased animals. A conceptual model for the turbulence-induced shifts is put forward.


Molecular detection, quantification and characterization of human polyomavirus JC from waste water in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Polyomavirus JC (JCPyV) is largely excreted by the human population through the urinary route and has been recognized as a potential viral marker for human waste contamination. This study aims to investigate the dissemination of JCPyV in waste water from a sewage treatment plant (STP) located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to describe the prevalence of JCPyV subtypes currently present in this population. Raw and treated sewage samples were collected bimonthly during one year, and examined for the presence of JCPyV using nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). JCPyV was detected by nPCR in 96% and 43% of raw and treated sewage samples, respectively. The concentration of JCPyV present in the samples ranged from 1.2x10(3) to 3.2x10(5) and 2.6x10(2) to 6.2x10(3) genome copies per 2 ml of concentrated raw and treated sewage sample, respectively. The strains were characterized and the obtained nucleotide sequences indicated that the detected JCPyV strains clustered with subtypes of East African, West African and European origin. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing the incidence and diversity of JCPyV strains in raw and treated sewage in Brazil.


Gene gain and loss during evolution of obligate parasitism in the white rust pathogen of Arabidopsis thaliana.
Biotrophic eukaryotic plant pathogens require a living host for their growth and form an intimate haustorial interface with parasitized cells. Evolution to biotrophy occurred independently in fungal rusts and powdery mildews, and in oomycete white rusts and downy mildews. Biotroph evolution and molecular mechanisms of biotrophy are poorly understood. It has been proposed, but not shown, that obligate biotrophy results from (i) reduced selection for maintenance of biosynthetic pathways and (ii) gain of mechanisms to evade host recognition or suppress host defence. Here we use Illumina sequencing to define the genome, transcriptome, and gene models for the obligate biotroph oomycete and Arabidopsis parasite, Albugo laibachii. A. laibachii is a member of the Chromalveolata, which incorporates Heterokonts (containing the oomycetes), Apicomplexa (which includes human parasites like Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii), and four other taxa. From comparisons with other oomycete plant pathogens and other chromalveolates, we reveal independent loss of molybdenum-cofactor-requiring enzymes in downy mildews, white rusts, and the malaria parasite P. falciparum. Biotrophy also requires "effectors" to suppress host defence; we reveal RXLR and Crinkler effectors shared with other oomycetes, and also discover and verify a novel class of effectors, the "CHXCs", by showing effector delivery and effector functionality. Our findings suggest that evolution to progressively more intimate association between host and parasite results in reduced selection for retention of certain biosynthetic pathways, and particularly reduced selection for retention of molybdopterin-requiring biosynthetic pathways. These mechanisms are not only relevant to plant pathogenic oomycetes but also to human pathogens within the Chromalveolata.


An improvement model to optimise hospital interdisciplinary learning.
Purpose - Interdisciplinary healthcare education and collaboration facilitates healthcare quality improvement (QI). Education challenges include cost, logistics and defining the optimum staff-engaging method. The purpose of this paper is to determine the optimum QI educational model and measure its impact using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. Design/methodology/approach - The authors established an on-site interdisciplinary QI learning collaborative: weekly 30-minute learning sessions close to the working environment; a learning materials Twitter repository; and junior doctor-led QI work streams aligned with surgical directorate quality goals supported by a mentorship network. Delivery style (lectures, workshops and QI project reporting) and learning session content was planned weekly using PDSA cycles and modified using participant feedback (score 0-10). All surgical directorate QI work streams were measured before and at nine months. Findings - From May 2014 to February 2015, there were 32 learning sessions with 266 scores (median 12 weekly, range 5-21). Workshop delivery scored the highest (mean score 9.0), followed by live project reports (mean score 8.8). The surgical QI work streams increased threefold from four to 12, including six junior doctor-led projects. Practical implications - By proactively acting upon feedback, the authors centralised QI measurement and tailored learning sessions to staff needs. Building sustainability involves continually refining learning curriculum and QI work streams, and expanding the mentorship network. Originality/value - The collaborative was established at no additional cost. Twitter is used to promote meetings, facilitate conversations and act as a learning repository. The mentorship framework builds QI and coaching expertise.


Baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses in nursing homes: Experiences and opinions of administrators and nursing staff.
To understand how nursing homes employ baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses (BRNs) and how they view the unique contributions of baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses to staff and residents in their organizations. Although providing care for nursing home residents is complex and thus requires a high level of skills, organizations often struggle to recruit and retain BRNs. Some nursing home organizations do not employ baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses at all. Among those that do, it is unknown how well these organizations make use of baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses' expertise or if their roles are different from those of other staff. A qualitative study, consisting of 26 individual and three group interviews was conducted in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted at the board-, management- and staff-level in six nursing home organizations. Data were collected between January 2016-May 2016. Organizations employed baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses to fulfil an informal leadership role for direct care teams. Organizations that do not employ baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses were unable to articulate their role in the nursing home setting. Difficulties baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses experienced during role implementation depended on role clarity, the term used to refer to the baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurse, the extent to which nurses received support, openness from direct care teams and baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses' own behaviour. The unique contribution of baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses perceived by respondents differed between and in organizations. Our findings suggest that there is no "one size fits all" approach to employing baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses in nursing homes. To ensure the satisfaction of both baccalaureate-educated Registered Nurses and the organizations that employ them, careful implementation and evaluation of their role is crucial.


Evidence for cytosolic p27(Kip1) ubiquitylation and degradation during adipocyte hyperplasia.
Subcellular localization has been shown to play an important role in determining activity and accumulation of p27 protein during cell cycle progression. The purpose of this study was to examine p27 localization and ubiquitylation in relation to E3 ligase expression during adipocyte hyperplasia. This study used the murine 3T3-L1 preadipocyte model to examine p27 regulation during synchronous cell cycle progression. Cell lysates were isolated over time after hormonal stimulation, fractionated to cytosolic and nuclear compartments, and immunoblotted for relative protein determinations. Data presented in this study show that p27 was present in the cytosol and nucleus in density-arrested preadipocytes and that abundance in both compartments decreased in a phase-specific manner as preadipocytes synchronously re-entered the cell cycle during early phases of adipocyte differentiation. Blocking CRM1-mediated nuclear export did not prevent degradation, nor did it cause nuclear accumulation of p27, suggesting that distinct mechanisms mediating cytosolic and nuclear p27 degradation were involved. Treating preadipocytes with a potent and specific proteasome inhibitor during hormonal stimulation prevented Skp2 accumulation and p27(187) phosphorylation, which are essential events for SCF(Skp2) E3 ligase activity and nuclear p27 ubiquitylation during S/G(2) phase progression. Proteasome blockade also resulted in the first evidence of cytosolic p27 ubiquitylation during late G(1) phase as preadipocytes undergo the transition from quiescence to proliferation. These data are consistent with the postulate that p27 is ubiquitylated and targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome in a phase-specific manner by distinct ubiquitin E3 ligases localized to the cytosol and nucleus during adipocyte hyperplasia.


Limitations of pacemaker system analyzers for the evaluation of implantable pulse generators.
A variety of commercial pacemaker system analyzers have been used to evaluate the electrical performance of pulse generators prior to implant or at the time of reoperation for pacemaker malfunction. We evaluated the ability of seven commercially available pacemaker system analyzers to provide the data required to determine if a given pulse generator was operating according to its manufacturer's specifications. While all pacemaker system analyzers provided accurate data for rate and pulse duration, values displayed for amplitude and sensitivity were inconsistent due to the methods each pacemaker system analyzer employed to measure these parameters. Overall, 22% of representative test sequences yielded data which would have resulted in the inappropriate rejection of the subject pulse generators for implantation. These observations suggest that pacemaker system analyzers are not suitable for evaluating all pulse generators. Moreover, physicians must be aware of these deficiencies in order to avoid the pitfalls of relying exclusively on pacemaker system analyzer data when troubleshooting pacemaker malfunction.


Subtype-specific intracellular trafficking of alpha2-adrenergic receptors.
The three alpha2-adrenergic receptor subtypes (alpha2a, alpha2b, and alpha2c) are highly homologous G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors all couple to pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins and have relatively similar pharmacological properties. To further explore functional differences between these receptors, we used immunocytochemical techniques to compare the ability of the three alpha2-receptor subtypes to undergo agonist-mediated internalization. The alpha2a-receptor does not internalize after agonist treatment. In contrast, we observed that the alpha2b-receptor is able to undergo agonist-induced internalization and seems to follow the same endosomal pathway used by the beta2-adrenergic receptor. Attempts to examine internalization of the alpha2c-receptor were complicated by the fact that the majority of the alpha2c receptor resides in the endoplasmic reticulum and cis/media Golgi and there is relatively little cell surface localization. Nevertheless, we were able to detect some internalization of the alpha2c-receptor after prolonged agonist treatment. However, we observed no significant movement of alpha2c-receptor from the intracellular pool to the plasma membrane during a 4-hr treatment of cells with cycloheximide, suggesting that these cells are unable to process alpha2c-receptors in the same way they process the alpha2a or alpha2b subtypes.


[Prognostic factors for patients with the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss].
To assess the prognostic factors associated with the sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss, to predict the prognosis of patient with idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss precisely. Eight hundreds and eighty two patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss were retrospectively reviewed during January 2006 to March 2007. Patients whose initial hearing threshold < or =40 dB were excluded. The patients with initial hearing threshold >40 dB were recruited, which was divided into six subgroups based on the patterns of audiogram: downgrade audiogram subgroup, upgrade audiogram subgroup, flat audiogram subgroup, concave audiogram subgroup, profound audiogram subgroup and total deafness subgroup. Regarding to the relationship between the time point for initial intervention and the prognosis, better prognosis was obtained in patients whose initial intervention was within 3 days of the disease, good prognosis was achieved within 1 or 2 weeks of the disease, poor prognosis was noted beyond 2 weeks of this disease. Furthermore, comparison with the initial intervention within 3 week, 1 month and 1 month later, the prognosis among them was not statistical different. 97.7% hearing recovery was achieved in the concave subgroup with the initial hearing threshold >40 dB group. Comparison with the other subgroup (except total deafness subgroup), the cure rate and recovery rate was 23.8% and 57.9% respectively in the profound subgroup. Poor prognosis was demonstrated in the total deafness subgroup and inefficacy rate was 67.4% in the total deafness subgroup. Comparison with patients without companying complications, the prognosis of patients with companying complications such as diabetes or high blood pressure has negative impact in hearing recovery. The age was correlated with the prognosis, elder had poor prognosis, patients more than 50 years old present with worse hearing than that less than 50 years old (H = 7.851, P = 0.0051). The initial intervention beyond 2 weeks had negative impact on the prognosis. The initial audiogram patterns and hearing threshold were both significant factors on the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In addition, old patient had poor prognosis. The companying complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes had negative impact on the prognosis of idiopathic sudden hearing sensorineural loss.


Effectiveness Error: Measuring and Improving RadViz Visual Effectiveness.
RadViz contributes to multidimensional analysis by using 2D points for encoding data elements and interpreting them along the original data dimensions. For these characteristics it is used in different application domains, like clustering, anomaly detection, and software visualization. However, it is likely that using the dimension arrangement that comes with the data will produce a plot that leads users to make inaccurate conclusions about points values and data distribution. This article attacks this problem without altering the original RadViz design: It defines, for both a single point and a set of points, the metric of effectiveness error, and uses it to define the objective function of a dimension arrangement strategy, arguing that minimizing it increases the overall RadViz visual quality. This article investigated the intuition that reducing the effectiveness error is beneficial for other well-known RadViz problems, like points clumping toward the center, many-to-one plotting of non-proportional points, and cluster separation. It presents an algorithm that reduces to zero the effectiveness error for a single point and a heuristic that approximates the dimension arrangement minimizing the effectiveness error for an arbitrary set of points. A set of experiments based on 21 real datasets has been performed, with the goals of analyzing the advantages of reducing the effectiveness error, comparing the proposed dimension arrangement strategy with other related proposals, and investigating the heuristic accuracy. The Effectiveness Error metric, the algorithm, and the heuristic presented in this article have been made available in a d3.js plugin at https://aware-diag-sapienza.github.io/d3-radviz.


[Comparative analysis of different methods of geroprotective].
In the monitoring process 110 representatives of different age groups held a comparative analysis of the efficacy and safety of several geroprotective techniques, including the use of dry carbon dioxide baths, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, therapeutic massage and receiving Oligopeptide preparations containing complexes lysyl-glutamyl-asparagin and glutamyl-asparagin-arginine (Vezugen and Pinealon). The most pronounced positive impact on indicators of biological age were detected during the combined use of these two Oligopeptide complexes. The most safe from the point of view of influence on a number of biochemical, immunological parameters, clinical condition of the patients were therapeutic massage and Oligopeptide drugs. The use of dry carbon dioxide baths and hyperbaric oxygenation with an undoubtedly positive influence on the indices of biological age has a number of limitations and contraindications regarding its security.


Opioid Use in Surgical Management in Musculoskeletal Oncology.
Opioid prescribing in the context of orthopaedic surgery has been recognized as having a critical role in the ongoing opioid epidemic. Given the negative consequences of chronic opioid use, great efforts have been made to reduce both preoperative and postoperative opioid prescribing and consumption in orthopaedic surgery. Musculoskeletal oncology patients represent a unique subset of patients, and there is a paucity of data evaluating perioperative opioid consumption and the risk for chronic use. The objective of the present study was to describe opioid consumption patterns and evaluate predictors of chronic opioid use in musculoskeletal oncology patients undergoing limb-salvage surgery and endoprosthetic reconstruction. The present study was a secondary analysis of the recently completed PARITY (Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumor Surgery) trial and included musculoskeletal oncology patients undergoing lower-extremity endoprosthetic reconstruction. The primary outcome was the incidence of opioid consumption over the study period. A multivariate binomial logistic regression model was created to explore predictors of chronic opioid consumption at 1 year postoperatively. Overall, 193 (33.6%) of 575 patients were consuming opioids preoperatively. Postoperatively, the number of patients consuming opioids was 82 (16.7%) of 492 at 3 months, 37 (8%) of 460 patients at 6 months, and 28 (6.6%) of 425 patients at 1 year. Of patients consuming opioids preoperatively, 12 (10.2%) of 118 had continued to consume opioids at 1 year postoperatively. The adjusted regression model found that only surgery for metastatic bone disease was predictive of chronic opioid use (odds ratio, 4.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.54 to 15.40; p = 0.007). Preoperative opioid consumption, older age, sex, longer surgical times, reoperation rates, and country of origin were not predictive of chronic use. Despite a high prevalence of preoperative opioid use, an invasive surgical procedure, and a high rate of reoperation, few patients had continued to consume opioids at 1 year postoperatively. The presence of metastases was associated with chronic opioid use. These results are a substantial departure from the existing orthopaedic literature evaluating other patient populations, and they suggest that specific prescribing guidelines are warranted for musculoskeletal oncology patients. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Diaphragmatic hernia and preaxial polydactyly in spondylothoracic dysplasia.
We report on two cases (male twins), and a female sib terminated at 20 weeks, whose autopsy revealed features of spondylothoracic dysplasia (STD) and also a diaphragmatic hernia and preaxial polydactyly. We present the findings and review STD and the closely related spondylocostal dysostosis. On the basis of the discussion we suggest that our cases are possibly the first report of preaxial polydactyly in spondylothoracic dysplasia and that STD and spondylocostal dysostosis may be allelic.


Isolation of a low molecular weight constituent from Kentucky blue grass pollen possessing carrier activity of high molecular weight constituent(s).
An immunologically active fraction, designated as C-I-3 was isolated from the dialysate of the aqueous extract of defatted Kentucky Blue Grass pollen by differential dialysis and gel filtration. This fraction was shown to consist of a glycoprotein with a molecular size corresponding to 4,800 daltons and with a pI value of 3.6, and to contain all amino acids except cysteine. The intraperitoneal administration of C-I-3 in saline into mice or rats prior to their immunization with the nondialyzable constituents of the aqueous extract of Kentucky Blue Grass (i.e., the retentate, R) in presence of Al(OH)3 resulted in the enhanced production of anti-R IgE antibodies. The enhancement of the anti-R murine IgE response was shown in adoptive cell transfer experiments to be due to the generation of R-specific T helper cells. Hence, it is suggested that the structural elucidation of C-I-3 may prove useful in establishing the nature of carrier determinant(s) of the major allergenic components of Kentucky Blue Grass pollen.


Identification of two transcription factors activating the expression of OsXIP in rice defence response.
Xylanase inhibitors have been confirmed to be involved in plant defence. OsXIP is a XIP-type rice xylanase inhibitor, yet its transcriptional regulation remains unknown. Herbivore infestation, wounding and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment enhanced mRNA levels and protein levels of OsXIP. By analyzing different 5' deletion mutants of OsXIP promoter exposed to rice brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens stress, a 562 bp region (-1451 - -889) was finally identified as the key sequence for the herbivores stress response. Using yeast one-hybrid screening, coupled with chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, a basic helix-loop-helix protein (OsbHLH59) and an APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) transcription factor OsERF71 directly binding to the 562 bp key sequence to activate the expression of OsXIP were identified, which is further supported by transient expression assay. Moreover, transcriptional analysis revealed that mechanical wounding and treatment with MeJA resulted in an obvious increase in transcript levels of OsbHLH59 and OsERF71 in root and shoot tissues. Our data shows that two proteins as direct transcriptional activators of OsXIP responding to stress were identified. These results reveal a coordinated regulatory mechanism of OsXIP, which may probably be involved in defence responses via a JA-mediated signaling pathway.


New Medicare-approved prescription drug discount card.
Patients who are on Medicare and have income under 135% of Federal poverty level and are not on Medicaid probably should obtain one of the new Medicare discount cards that became available on June 1, 2004, because all these cards include $600 annual credit for prescription-drug purchases for persons within that income limit. Unfortunately this program is complex, no one yet knows how it will work in practice, and after choosing a card one is locked in and cannot change cards until November 15. The most difficult part of the choice of which card to get may involve how it interacts with other programs, including ADAP, and pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs.


Differences in Treatment Outcomes and Prognosis between Elderly and Younger Patients Receiving Definitive Radiotherapy for Cervical Cancer.
The aim was to compare the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of cervical cancer between elderly and younger women, and to explore which treatment strategy is more appropriate for elderly patients. We retrospectively reviewed patients with cervical cancer receiving definitive radiotherapy (RT) between 2007 and 2016, and divided them into two age groups: age < 70 vs. age ≥ 70. The clinical outcomes were compared between the two age groups. The median follow-up was 32.2 months. A total of 123 patients were eligible, 83 patients in group 1 (age < 70), and 40 patients in group 2 (age ≥ 70). Patients in group 2 received less intracavitary brachytherapy (ICRT) application, less total RT dose, and less concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), and tended to have more limited external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) volume. The treatment outcomes between the age groups revealed significant differences in 5-year overall survival (OS), but no differences in 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS), 66.2% vs. 64.5%, and other loco-regional control. In multivariate analyses for all patients, the performance status, pathology with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and ICRT application were prognostic factors of CSS. The elderly patients with cervical cancer had comparable CSS and loco-regional control rates, despite receiving less comprehensive treatment. Conservative treatment strategies with RT alone could be appropriate for patients aged ≥ 70 y/o, especially for those with favorable stages or histopathology.


Rituximab-associated neutropenia.
Several recent studies have reported the phenomenon of late-onset neutropenia occurring usually several months following the administration of rituximab or rituximab-based therapies. While it appears that late-onset neutropenia is usually not clinically significant and is self-limited, it is important to recognize its existence given the expanding use of rituximab in both hematologic and nonhematologic disorders. Late-onset neutropenia is intriguing biologically and while its pathogenesis and mechanism are not completely understood, many interesting hypotheses have been proposed to explain its occurrence.


Anthropometric variation among Koyas.
Koyas, a tribe of Andhra Pradesh (India) have been studied for anthropometric variation. 15 anthropometric measurements showed significant sex difference.


GCH1-regulated miRNAs are potential targets for microglial activation in neuropathic pain.
Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic pain directly caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Previous studies suggest that GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH1) may play a pivotal role in microglial activation, which has been shown to be essential for NP. However, its underlying mechanisms in microglial activation remain unclear. A wide range of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in microglial activation-induced NP. To identify the miRNAs regulated by GCH1 and predict their functions in the progression of microglial activation, we analyzed the miRNA expression profiles of GCH1-knockdown (KD) BV2 microglial cells. Small RNA-sequencing analysis revealed 13 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in GCH1-KD cells. The target genes of DE miRNAs mainly participate in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, peroxisome and ferroptosis. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network analysis showed that GCH1, MAP4K5 and YWHAB acted as hub genes. qRT-PCR results further verified the expression levels of mmu-miR-1a-3p, mmu-miR-133a-3p, mmu-miR-7a-5p and mmu-miR-10a-5p in GCH1-KD cells, which were consistent with the sequencing data. In addition, our data indicated that overexpression of mmu-miR-133a-3p alleviated the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), indicating that mmu-miR-133a-3p has a negative effect on microglial activation. Taken together, our findings suggest that many miRNAs regulated by GCH1 may be involved in microglial activation, which may provide new potential targets for GCH1 in the pathogenesis of NP.


Optimization of multi-cycle two-color laser fields for the generation of an isolated attosecond pulse.
The effect of the mixing of pulsed two color fields on the generation of an isolated attosecond pulse has been systematically investigated. One main color is 800 nm and the other color (or secondary color) is varied from 1.2 to 2.4 microm. This work shows that the continuum length behaves in a similar way to the behavior of the difference in the square of the amplitude of the strongest and next strongest cycle. As the mixing ratio is increased, the optimal wavelength for the extended continuum shifts toward shorter wavelength side. There is a certain mixing ratio of intensities at which the continuum length bifurcates, i.e., the existence of two optimal wavelengths. As the mixing ratio is further increased, each branch bifurcates again into two sub-branches. This 2D map analysis of the mixing ratio and the wavelength of the secondary field easily allows one to select a proper wavelength and the mixing ratio for a given pulse duration of the primary field. The study shows that an isolated sub-100 attosecond pulse can be generated mixing an 11 fs full-width-half-maximum (FWHM), 800 laser pulse with an 1840 nm FWHM pulse. Furthermore the result reveals that a 33 fs FWHM, 800 nm pulse can produce an isolated pulse below 200 as, when properly mixed.


AKR1B10 expression predicts response of gastric cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Effective methods for predicting tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy are required. Aldo-ketoreductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is predominantly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract and serves an important function in cancer development and progression. The present study investigated whether AKR1B10 expression may predict the therapeutic response of locally advanced gastric cancer. A total of 53 patients with gastric cancer underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery between January 2006 and December 2015. The protein expression level of AKR1B10 was determined in paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens using immunohistochemistry. Western blotting confirmed that the AKR1B10 protein is primarily localized to the cytoplasm. χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the association of AKR1B10 with a number of clinic opathological features. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the prognostic factors. Survival rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves with a log-rank test. The positive rate of AKR1B10 protein expression was 58.5%, whereas 41.5% samples exhibited negative expression. The frequency of AKR1B10-positive gastric cancer samples was increased in patients with lymph node metastasis and decreased in those exhibiting tumor regression. The 5-years overall survival rate for the AKR1B10-positive group was significantly poorer than that for the AKR1B10-negative group. AKR1B10 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis and a poorer prognosis, along with a poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy suggesting that AKR1B10 may be a potential predictor for the therapeutic response of locally-advanced gastric cancer.


PI3K p110γ overexpression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung tissue and fibroblast cells: in vitro effects of its inhibition.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibroproliferative disease whose molecular pathogenesis remains unclear. In a recent paper, we demonstrated a key role for the PI3K pathway in both proliferation and differentiation into myofibroblasts of normal human lung fibroblasts treated with TGF-β. In this research, we assessed the expression of class I PI3K p110 isoforms in IPF lung tissue as well as in tissue-derived fibroblast cell lines. Moreover, we investigated the in vitro effects of the selective inhibition of p110 isoforms on IPF fibroblast proliferation and fibrogenic activity. IHC was performed on normal and IPF lung tissue. Expression levels of PI3K p110 isoforms were evaluated by western blot and flow cytometry analysis. Fibroblast cell lines were established from both normal and IPF tissue and the effects of selective pharmacological inhibition as well as specific gene silencing by small interfering RNAs were studied in vitro. No significant differences between normal and IPF tissue/tissue-derived fibroblasts were observed for the expression of PI3K p110 α, β and δ isoforms whereas p110γ was more greatly expressed in both IPF lung homogenates and ex vivo fibroblast cell lines. Myofibroblasts and bronchiolar basal cells in IPF lungs exhibited strong immunoreactivity for p110γ. Positive staining for the markers of proliferation proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1 was also shown in cells of fibrolastic foci. Furthermore, both p110γ pharmacological inhibition and gene silencing were able to significantly inhibit proliferation rate as well as α-SMA expression in IPF fibroblasts. Our data suggest that PI3K p110γ isoform may have an important role in the etio-pathology of IPF and can be a specific pharmacological target.


A decremental PEEP trial identifies the PEEP level that maintains oxygenation after lung recruitment.
To assess the ability of a decremental trial of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to identify an optimal PEEP level that maintains oxygenation after a lung-recruitment maneuver. Prospective clinical trial. Surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. Twenty sedated patients with acute lung injury and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome, ventilated for 1.2 +/- 0.4 d. Each patient received up to 3 lung-recruitment maneuvers with continuous positive airway pressure of 40 cm H2O sustained for 40 s to increase the ratio of P(aO2) to F(IO2) by > 20%. Following the lung-recruitment maneuver, PEEP was set at 20 cm H2O and then the F(IO2) was decreased until the oxygen saturation (measured via pulse oximetry [S(pO2)]) was 90-94%. PEEP was then decreased in 2-cm H2O steps until the S(pO2) dropped below 90%. The step preceding the drop to below 90% was considered the optimal PEEP. The lung was then re-recruited and PEEP and F(IO2) were set at the identified levels. The patients were followed for 4 h after the PEEP trial and the setting of PEEP and F(IO2). After the lung-recruitment maneuver, all the patients' P(aO2)/F(IO2) increased > 50%. The mean + SD P(aO2)/F(IO2) on the optimal decremental trial PEEP was 211 + 79 mm Hg, versus 135 + 37 mm Hg at baseline (p < 0.001), and was sustained at that level for the 4-h study period (227 + 81 mm Hg at 4 h). F(IO2) at baseline was 0.54 + 0.12 versus 0.38 + 0.12 (p < 0.001) at 4 h. PEEP was 11.9 + 3.0 cm H2O at baseline and 9.1 + 4.7 cm H2O (p = 0.011) at 4 h. A decremental PEEP trial identifies a PEEP setting that sustains for 4 h the oxygenation benefit of a 40-cm H2O, 40-s lung-recruitment maneuver.


Changing patterns of keratin expression during progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
The expression of keratins in normal cervical epithelia, metaplastic epithelium, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades I, II, and III is investigated with a panel of keratin polypeptide-specific monoclonal antibodies. This approach allowed the detection of individual keratins 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 18, and 19 at the single-cell level. By using an antibody recognizing keratins 5 and 8 (RCK 102) and two antibodies specific for keratin 8 (CAM 5.2 and M 20), it was also possible to derive information on the distribution of keratin 5. Our results show that during immature squamous metaplasia there is an acquisition of keratins typical of squamous epithelium, ie, keratins 4, 5, 13, and 14. This process continues during further differentiation to mature squamous metaplasia. In premalignant lesions the expression pattern of the progenitor reserve cells and immature squamous metaplastic epithelium is partly conserved. However, in most cases an induction in the expression of the keratins 4, 13, and 14 was observed. Furthermore, CIN III shows a more extensive expression of keratins typical of simple epithelia, ie, keratins 8 and 18, as compared to CIN I and CIN II.


Risk of Hospital Readmission Among Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome that may last for months. Our objective was to determine if infants with NAS are at increased risk for hospital readmission compared with uncomplicated term and late preterm newborns. In this longitudinal retrospective cohort study, administrative data were used for all births from 2006 to 2009 in the New York State Inpatient Database. We identified infants with NAS, born late preterm or uncomplicated term, as independent groups using diagnostic codes and determined readmission rates. We fit a multivariable logistic regression model with 30-day readmission after discharge as the outcome and infant characteristics, clinical morbidities, insurance type, and length of birth hospitalization as predictors. From 2006 to 2009 in New York State, 700 613 infants were classified as uncomplicated term, 51 748 were born late preterm, and 1643 infants were diagnosed with NAS. After adjusting for confounders, infants with NAS (odds ratio [OR] 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-3.55) were more likely than uncomplicated term infants to be readmitted within 30 days of birth hospitalizations. The risk of readmission was similar to late preterm infants (OR 2.26, 95% CI 2.09-2.45). Length of birth hospitalization in days was inversely related to odds of being readmitted within 30 days of birth hospitalization (OR 0.94 95% CI 0.92-0.96). When compared with uncomplicated term infants, infants diagnosed with NAS were more than twice as likely to be readmitted to the hospital. Future research and state-level policies should investigate means to mitigate risk of hospital readmission for infants with NAS.


In vivo functions of small GTPases in neocortical development.
The complex mammalian cortex develops from a simple neuroepithelium through the proliferation of neuronal progenitors, their asymmetric division and cell migration. Newly generated neurons transiently assume a multipolar morphology before they polarize to form a trailing axon and a leading process that is required for their radial migration. The polarization and migration events during cortical development are under the control of multiple signaling cascades that coordinate the different cellular processes involved in neuronal differentiation. GTPases perform essential functions at different stages of neuronal development as central components of these pathways. They have been widely studied using cell lines and primary neuronal cultures but their physiological function in vivo still remains to be explored in many cases. Here we review the function of GTPases that have been studied genetically by the analysis of the embryonic nervous system in knockout mice. The phenotype of these mutants has highlighted the importance of GTPases for different steps of development by orchestrating cytoskeletal rearrangements and neuronal polarization.


Study on the Effect of Main Chain Molecular Structure on Adsorption, Dispersion, and Hydration of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers.
Polycarboxylate ether (PCE) with different main chain structures was prepared by aqueous solution free radical polymerization using unsaturated acids containing sulfonic acid groups, acrylamide groups, and carboxyl groups and isoprenyl polyoxyethylene ether (IPEG). The molecular structure was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and gel chromatography, while adsorption, dispersion, and hydration properties were studied using a total organic carbon analyzer, rheometer, and isothermal microcalorimeter, respectively. The results show that the adsorption process of PCE on cement particles is spontaneous physical adsorption. The adsorption forces are mainly electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. The introduction of sulfonic acid groups and polycarboxylic acid groups reduces the initial adsorption amount of PCE but can accelerate the adsorption rate of PCE on cement and increase the adsorption amount at the adsorption equilibrium. The introduction of acrylamide groups in the PCE main chain is beneficial to the initial dispersion of PCE and can reduce the plastic viscosity of cement slurry. PCE can delay the hydration of cement. The introduction of acrylamide groups and dicarboxylic acid groups in the PCE main chain helps prolong the induction period of cement hydration, while the introduction of sulfonic acid groups is not conducive to its retarding effect.


Alpha-lipoic acid protects against methylmercury-induced neurotoxic effects via inhibition of oxidative stress in rat cerebral cortex.
MeHg is one of the environmental pollutants that lead to oxidative stress and an indirect excitotoxicity caused by altered glutamate (Glu) concentration. However, little was known of the interaction. Therefore, we developed a rat model of MeHg poisoning to explore its neurotoxic effects, and whether LA could attenuate MeHg-induced neurotoxicity. Seventy-two rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, MeHg-treated groups (4 and 12μmol/kg), and LA pre-treatment group. Administration of the 12μmol/kg MeHg for 4 weeks significantly increased ROS formation that might be critical to aggravate oxidative damages in cerebral cortex. Meanwhile, Glu metabolism as well as GLAST and GLT-1 appeared to be disrupted by MeHg exposure. Pre-treatment of the 35μmol/kg LA significantly prevented MeHg-induced oxidative stress and Glu dyshomoestasis. In conclusion, findings indicated that MeHg could induce oxidative stress and Glu uptake/metabolism disorders in cerebral cortex, LA might antagonize these neurotoxic effects induced by MeHg.


Deciding Where to Turn: A Qualitative Investigation of College Students' Helpseeking Decisions After Sexual Assault.
Sexual assault is a widespread problem on college campuses that has been the subject of substantial attention in recent years (Ali, 2011; Krebs, Lindquist, Berzofsky, Shook-Sa, & Peterson, 2016). Resources designed to address the problem exist, but there is evidence that they are underutilized by survivors (Campbell, 2008). The current study used grounded theory to explore how sexual assault survivors make decisions about helpseeking. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 college sexual assault survivors to develop a theoretical model for their decision-making process. The resulting model, Deciding Where to Turn, suggests that survivors engage in three key decision points: determining if there is a problem related to the sexual assault (Do I Need Help), considering options (What Can I Do), and weighing the consequences of these options (What Will I Do). This process results in one of four behavioral choices: cope on one's own, seek support from friends/family, seek support from formal resources, or covert helpseeking, where needs are met without disclosure. Deciding Where to Turn contributes to the literature by providing a framework for understanding helpseeking decisions after sexual assault, highlighting the need to match reactions to survivor perceptions. The concept of covert helpseeking in particular adds to the way researchers and practitioners think about helpseeking. Research and practice implications are discussed.


Transarterial Chemoembolization Combined with Simultaneous Thermal Ablation for Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinomas in Regions with a High Risk of Recurrence.
We evaluated the safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization combined with percutaneous thermal ablation (radiofrequency or microwave ablation) in the treatment of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma tumors ranging from 2 to 4.5 cm at subdiaphragmatic, subcapsular, or perivascular locations. Fifteen patients (12 men, mean [range] age of 66.6 ± 10.88 [34-75] y) who received transarterial chemoembolization combined with simultaneous percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (n = 5) or microwave ablation (n = 10) for hepatocellular carcinoma in regions with high risk of recurrence (subdiaphragmatic, subcapsular, or perivascular) between 2012 and 2018 were evaluated. We retrospectively investigated tumor diameter and localization, success rate, safety, local efficacy (imaging at month 1 after treatment), local tumor response (3 months posttreatment), local tumor progression, intrahepatic distant recurrence, overall survival and complications. Tumor diameter ranged from 20 to 45 mm (mean 31.7 ± 7.37 mm). Hepatocellular carcinoma diameter was 2 to 3 cm in 7 patients and 3.1 to 4.5 cm in 8 patients. The technical success rate was 100%, with no life-threatening complications. At enhanced imaging at 1-month follow-up, the complete necrosis rate was 100%; at 3 months, 100% of patients had a complete response. During a mean follow-up of 26 ± 13.6 months, 7 patients (46.7%) had tumor progression. Three patients (20%) had local tumor response, and 4 patients (26.7 %) experienced distant recurrences in the untreated liver. The mean local tumor progression and mean intrahepatic distance recurrence times were 11 months and 29.5 months, respectively. Overall survival rates were 100% at 1 year, 73% at 3 years, and 47% at 5 years. Transarterial chemoembolization combined with simultaneous percutaneous thermal ablation is safe, feasible, and effective in enhancing the local control rate for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma ranging from 2 to 4.5 cm in regions with high risk of recurrence.


Structural origins of mammalian albumin.
The amino acid sequence and disulfide bridges of bovine serum albumin reveal nine double loops formed by the bridges. The pattern and size of loops and connecting segments between loops indicate that a basic repeating unit (domain) consists of "large double loop-short connecting segment-small double loop-long connecting segment-large double loop-connecting segment between "domains" and repeats exactly three times. Thus, albumin arose by duplication of the primordial single domain gene, followed some time later by a half-gene duplication to give the ancestor of the present triple domain structure. These duplications are estimated to have occurred about 700 million years ago, based on the differences between domain (75 to 82%), the difference between bovine and human albumins (20%),and reported time estimates for globin and immunoglobulin evolution. Still farther back in time, the single domain arose by triplication of a gene of a primordial subdomain of about 77 amino acid residues, consisting of one large double loop with a segment on each end. The structure resulting from this triplication consisted of three large loops and three long connecting segments. Later, a gene deletion for part of a connecting segment and part of the middle large loop occurred to produce the large-small-large loop pattern. A proposed three dimensional structure for the "subdomain" shows spatial and sequence similarity with the G-H helical regions of myoglobin or hemoglobin, suggesting that it arose by duplication and separation of a gene for a C-terminal segment of a primitive globin. The CYS residues were introduced as an adaptive, convergent evolutionary event after separation from globin, but before duplication of the subdomain gene.


The utility of polysomnography for the diagnosis of NREM parasomnias: an observational study over 4 years of clinical practice.
Polysomnography (PSG) is considered the gold standard for diagnosis of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) parasomnias, however its diagnostic yield has been rarely reported. We aimed to assess the diagnostic value of polysomnography in different categories of patients with suspected NREM parasomnia and define variables that can affect the outcome. 124 adults referred for polysomnography for suspected NREM parasomnia were retrospectively identified and divided into clinical categories based on their history. Each polysomnography was analysed for features of NREM parasomnia or different sleep disorders and for presence of potential precipitants. The impact on the outcome of number of recording nights and concomitant consumption of benzodiazepines and antidepressants was assessed. Overall, PSG confirmed NREM parasomnias in 60.5 % patients and showed a different sleep disorder in another 16 %. Precipitants were found in 21 % of the 124 patients. However, PSG showed limited value when the NREM parasomnia was clinically uncomplicated, since it rarely revealed a different diagnosis or unsuspected precipitants (5 % respectively), but became essential for people with unusual features in the history where different or overlapping diagnoses (18 %) or unsuspected precipitants (24 %) were commonly identified. Taking benzodiazepines or antidepressants during the PSG reduced the diagnostic yield. PSG has a high diagnostic yield in patients with suspected NREM parasomnia, and can reveal a different diagnosis or precipitants in over 40 % of people with complicated or atypical presentation or those with a history of epilepsy. We suggest that PSG should be performed for one night in the first instance, with leg electrodes and respiratory measurements and after benzodiazepine and antidepressant withdrawal.


[Changes in the expression of H-2 antigenic determinants in several sublines proceeding from the same tumor].
Four sublines of the chemically induced BALB/c tumour MCG4 have been obtained after serial intraperitoneal transplantation in syngeneic recipients and have been named MCG4-O, MCG4-A, MCG4-B and MCG4-C. The four subline have been typed for H-2 antigens in a complement dependent microradioassay with H-2 alloantisera defining H-2 specificities as well as with two syngeneic anti tumour sera: BALB/c anti MCG4-O and BALB/c anti MCG4-A. The results obtained showed a progressive loss of the foreign H-2 antigens detected in the primitive line, MCG4-O, with a simultaneous appearance of the appropriate H-2 antigens detected in MCG4-B and MCG4-C. Furthermore the immunogenic capacity of the sublines decrease progressively with the transplantation procedures, rendering MCG4-O and MCG4-A highly immunogenic and capable of producing isoantibodies while MCG4-B and MCG4-C are poorly immunogenic. The results could suggest that the primitive subline is heterogeneous mixture of (H-2d) are immunoselected by the transplantation procedures with rejection of the most immunogenic clones, which would express the foreign H-2 antigens.


Propranolol Specifically Suppresses the Viability of Tumorous Schwann Cells Derived from Plexiform Neurofibromas In Vitro.
Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign tumors of the periph eral nerves sheath, which can damage neighboring organs, impair functions, cause pain and serious maxillofacial disfigurement, and have a high risk of malignant transformation. Complete resection is usually not possible since PNFs often extend through multiple layers of tissue. Therefore, it is necessary and beneficial to find a reasonable drug treatment for PNFs. Propranolol-treatment is the first-line therapy for infantile hemangiomas and the side effects are reversible and mostly benign. The present study aimed to examine the possible effect of propranolol for suppressing PNFs in vitro. Paired primary Schwann-cell-rich cultures and fibroblast-rich cultures were obtained from 4 PNFs of unrelated patients. Human Schwann cells (HSCs) were used as the control. These cultures were treated with propranolol for 7 days at concentrations up to 150 μM. Cells were then measured for their viability and immune-stained with S100 to label the tumorous Schwann cells. Propranolol inhibited the viability of the tumorous Schwann cells in a dose-dependent manner, while did not substantially suppress viability of the non-tumorous fibroblasts derived from the same PNFs. Propranolol may provide a treatment option for suppressing the growth of PNFs.


Ultrasonic measurement of fetal abdomen circumference in the estimation of fetal weight.
A method of estimating fetal weight by ultrasonic measurement of the fetal abdominal circumference is descirbed. Assessment of birth weight predictions on 140 fetuses who were delivered within 48 hours of this measurement showed that the accuracy of predictions varied with the size of the fetus; at a predicted weight of 1 kg, 95 per cent of birth weights fell within 160 g, while at 2 kg, 3 kg and 4 kg the corresponding values were 290 g, 450 g and 590 g respectively. Expressed as a percentage of the predicted weight, confidence limits remained constant throughout the birth weight range. Extrapolation of these data to routine screening of the obstetric population showed that with a single measurement at 32 weeks menstrual age, 87 per cent of babies below the 5th centile would be detected by this method but that the diagnosis rate would fall to 63 per cent at 38 weeks. The false positive diagnosis rate would remain constant between 32 and 38 weeks at just over 1 per cent.


Inflammatory responses induced by interleukin-17 family members in human colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts.
We investigated the potential role of interleukin (IL)-17 family members (IL-17A to IL-17F) in the induction of inflammatory responses in human colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs). The expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and MMP-3 were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Northern blotting. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was assessed by immunoblotting. IL-17A and IL-17F significantly enhanced IL-6, IL-8, LIF, MMP-1, and MMP-3 secretion. The effects of IL-17A were relatively stronger than those induced by IL-17F. The effects of IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, and IL-17E were modest as compared with those induced by IL-17A and IL-17F. Both IL-17A and IL-17F augmented IL-1beta-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, LIF, MMP-1, and MMP-3. A similar augmentation was also observed in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced cytokine and MMP secretion. IL-17A and IL-17F rapidly induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2, p38 MAPKs, and c-Jun-NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) as early as 15 min after stimulation. Inhibitors for ERK (PD98059 and U0216) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) significantly reduced the IL-17F-induced IL-6, IL-8, LIF, MMP-1, and MMP-3 secretion. Among IL-17 family members, IL-17A and IL-17F strongly stimulate human colonic SEMFs, inducing inflammatory responses.


Psychiatric and functional evaluation of professional athletes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
The aim of this study is to evaluate early phase depression and anxiety in the proffessional athletes who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and compare them with the functional improvement of knee. Thirty-eight patients (35 males, 3 females; mean age±SD: 26.84±8.03) were included in this study. Measurements were obtained immediately following the operation and at Week 6 of postoperative rehabilitation. Depression and anxiety symptoms were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and knee function was evaluated by Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (LKSS). Change in total LKSS scores from the time of admission (56.4±20.2) to the end of the sixth week (78.7±13.8) was significant (t=-8.21, p<0.001). Neither the HADS depression nor the HADS anxiety scores were above the cutoff values in the 2 assessments. Significant difference was noted in HADS anxiety scores between the time of admission (6.21±3.50) and at the sixth week (5.33±3.33) (t=2.02, p=0.05). However, HADS depression scores were not statistically different between the 2 evaluations (5.95±3.68 and 5.35±3.50 at admission and Week 6 week, respectively) (t=1.07, p=0.29). Changes between the 2 LKSS and HADS anxiety assessments were negatively correlated (r=-0.49, p=0.002), but there no correlation was detected between the total LKSS and HADS score changes. The decline of the signs of anxiety and depression at the sixth week of rehabilitation indicate that proper rehabilitation positively affects the emotional status of ACL reconstruction patients.


Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Centeredness: Assessing the Impact of Feedback Following a Best Practices Workshop.
Regularly reported patient surveys are an important dimension of hospital quality management. This study investigates whether providing hospital staff with interim feedback on patient survey results following a best practices workshop can help hospitals improve patient centeredness. Standardized surveys with consecutive patient samples were administered in accredited breast cancer center (BCC) hospitals in one German state (18 million inhabitants), over a 6-month period, in 2012. Two studies were conducted by applying a combination of regression point displacement (RPD) and interrupted time series (ITS) designs. In Study 1, 2 of the 27 hospitals that had previously participated in a best practices workshop to discuss patient-centeredness issues were randomly chosen and were provided interim feedback of patient survey results and workshop minutes. In Study 2, 4 randomly chosen hospitals of 32 that had not participated in the workshop also received interim feedback but no workshop minutes. Control hospitals in both studies neither received feedback nor workshop minutes. The impact of interim feedback was evaluated by applying graphical assessments and multiple regression analyses. Both graphical assessments (locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) lines, RPD plots) suggested an effect of interim feedback. Multiple regression results did not unambiguously support these findings. The suggested design approach may prove particularly useful to assess effects in pilot studies, when resources are not available to conduct a randomized study or when its conduct is contingent on initial, positive evidence.


Ergonovine-induced myocardial ischemia: no role for serotonergic receptors?
Because ergonovine appears to produce coronary contractions by a serotonergic (5-HT) mechanism, we attempted to prevent ergonovine-induced ischemia in patients with vasospastic angina by pretreatment with ketanserin, a new selective 5-HT blocker. We studied seven patients with consistently positive results of ergonovine testing (ST segment elevation in three and ST segment depression in four). Ergonovine testing was performed before and after a bolus of 10 mg of ketanserin (all patients) and infusion of 2 to 4 mg/hr for 8 hr (six patients). To assess 5-HT blockade during ketanserin infusion, the constrictor response of hand veins to 5-HT was tested before and after ketanserin. Despite evidence of 5-HT blockade in hand veins, ergonovine-induced ischemia was not prevented by ketanserin in any patient, and there was no significant change in the dose of ergonovine required to provoke ischemia. In one patient, four spontaneous episodes of ST segment elevation occurred during infusion of ketanserin. The plasma concentrations of ketanserin at the time of ergonovine testing ranged from 61 to 127 ng/ml (mean 102) and were well above those that completely inhibit canine coronary 5-HT contractions in vitro. Although human coronary arteries may differ in their responsiveness to 5-HT or ketanserin, these data suggest that ischemia from ergonovine-induced coronary vasospasm is not mediated by 5-HT receptors.


Elimination by Hydra interstitial and nerve cells by means of colchicine.
Hydra treated with colchicine or Colcemid become depleted of 95-99% of their interstitial cells and derivatives of this stem cell: nematoblasts, nematocytes and nerve cells. A second treatment removes most or all remaining interstitial cells. The most effective treatment is an 8-h immersion of whole Hydra attenuata in 0.04% Colcemid or 0.4% colchicine. Interstitial cells are eliminated through phagocytosis by both ectodermal and endodermal epithelial cells. The endodermal digestive cells send processes through the mesoglea which engulf interstitial cells and retract them into the endoderm. The resultant hydra, though devoid of nematocysts, can be artificially fed: these animals grow and bud and can be used to study the behaviour and development of tissue lacking nerve and interstitial cells.


A Comparison of Capacitive Deionization and Membrane Capacitive Deionization Using Novel Fabricated Ion Exchange Membranes.
Another technique for desalination, known as membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI), has been investigated as an alternative. This approach has the potential to lower the voltage that is required, in addition to improving the ability to renew the electrodes. In this study, the desalination effectiveness of capacitive deionization (CDI) was compared to that of MCDI, employing newly produced cellulose acetate ion exchange membranes (IEMs), which were utilized for the very first time in MCDI. As expected, the salt adsorption and charge efficiency of MCDI were shown to be higher than those of CDI. Despite this, the unique electrosorption behavior of the former reveals that ion transport via the IEMs is a crucial rate-controlling step in the desalination process. We monitored the concentration of salt in the CDI and MCDI effluent streams, but we also evaluated the pH of the effluent stream in each of these systems and investigated the factors that may have caused these shifts. The significant change in pH that takes place during one adsorption and desorption cycle in CDI (pH range: 2.3-11.6) may cause problems in feed water that already contains components that are prone to scaling. In the case of MCDI, the fall in pH was only slightly more noticeable. Based on these findings, it appears that CDI and MCDI are promising new desalination techniques that has the potential to be more ecologically friendly and efficient than conventional methods of desalination. MCDI has some advantages over CDI in its higher salt removal efficiency, faster regeneration, and longer lifetime, but it is also more expensive and complex. The best choice for a particular application will depend on the specific requirements.


Tagraxofusp in myeloid malignancies.
Tagraxofusp (or SL-401) is a recombinant molecule composed of human interleukin-3 that binds CD123 on neoplastic cells fused to a truncated diphtheria toxin (DT). Tagraxofusp's most significant success has come from studies involving patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), an aggressive disease that is usually refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Tagraxofusp had an acceptable safety profile and high efficacy in early phase I/II studies on patients with BPDCN. Another phase II study confirmed the good response rates, resulting in Food and Drugs Administration and European Medicine Agency approval of tagraxofusp for the treatment of BPDCN. Considering its high efficacy and its manageable safety profile, tagraxofusp has been suddenly explored in other myeloid malignancies with high expression of cell surface CD123, both in monotherapy or combination strategies. The triplet tagraxofusp-azacytidine-venetoclax appears to be of particular interest among these combinations. Furthermore, combination strategies may be used to overcome tagraxofusp resistance. The downregulation of DPH1 (diphthamide biosynthesis 1), the enzyme responsible for the conversion of histidine 715 on eEF2 to diphthamide, which is then the direct target of ADP ribosylation DT, is typically associated with this resistance phenomenon. It has been discovered that azacitidine can reverse DHP1 expression and restore sensitivity to tagraxofusp. In conclusion, the success of tagraxofusp in BPDCN paved the way for its application even in other CD123-positive malignancies. Nowadays, several ongoing trials are exploring the use of tagraxofusp in different myeloid neoplasms. This review aims to summarize the actual role of tagraxofusp in BPDCN and other CD123-positive myeloid malignancies.


The Feasibility of Choosing D4 Embryo Transfer-Analysis of Nanomaterials Affecting the Outcome of Frozen-Thaw Embryo Transfer.
FET is to resuscitate the endometrium and transfer the embryo into the uterus after the endometrium is ready. The quality of transferred embryos is an important factor affecting the outcome of assisted reproductive technology. This paper aims to explore the feasibility of D4 frozen-thaw embryo transfer and analysis of related factors affecting the outcome of freeze-thaw embryo transfer. A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 2925 patients who received frozen-thaw embryo transfer (FET) in the Department of Reproductive Medicine, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from January 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019. Including the woman's age, body mass index (BMI), endometrial thickness on the day of transplantation, number of embryos to be transferred, and type of embryos to be transferred. A single factor, multivariate logistic regression and nomogram were used to analyze the influence of different factors on the clinical outcome of FET. Nanomedicines and related nanomedicines are rapidly developing and establishing their importance in embryo transfer. This paper uses nanomaterials to explore the feasibility of D4 frozen-thawed embryo transfer. The woman's age, endometrial thickness on the day of transplantation, BMI, the number of embryos transferred, and the type of embryos transferred all affect the outcome of FET. The pregnancy rate of the D5 and D4 transplantation groups was, respectively, higher than that of the D3 transplantation group, with statistically significant differences. In the FET cycle, the age of the woman, endometrial thickness on the day of transplantation, the number of embryos transferred, and the type of embryos transferred are all independent factors influencing the outcome of FET. D5 blastocyst is the easiest to get pregnant, and that has the best clinical outcome which is better than the D6 blastocyst group; D4 morula and D5 blastocyst FET have little difference in clinical pregnancy outcomes, but both of them are significantly better than D3 cell embryos, so D4 morula can be considered for transplantation in the FET cycle. In conclusion, whether it is a patient who has failed the fresh cycle transplantation or the whole embryo freezing cycle whose transplantation is canceled due to high hormone levels on the transplantation day, FET is required.


The Preventative Effect of Hydrocolloid Dressings on Nasal Bridge Pressure Ulceration in Acute Non-Invasive Ventilation.
Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a valuable treatment in the management of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. NIV is not without risks. One such adverse effect is the development of pressure ulcers over the nasal bridge which have an incidence of up to 20% of patients requiring NIV in this setting. The role of medical devices in the development of hospital acquired pressure ulcers has been increasingly recognised with 10-35% of all hospital acquired ulcers attributed to medical devices. Guidelines on acute NIV use suggest good skin care strategies. However, data on the magnitude of the problem of nasal bridge pressure ulceration and the effect of proactive preventative steps remains scant. A quality improvement project was designed to reduce the incidence of nasal bridge pressure ulcers during acute NIV. Hydrocolloid dressings were placed over the nasal bridge in all patients requiring NIV between 30th October 2015 and the 29th October 2016. Tissue viability was assessed daily with new pressure ulceration defined as grade 2 or above. Rates of nasal bridge pressure ulcers were compared to all patients requiring NIV in the 12-month period prior to intervention. In Group 1, there were 161 admissions and 9 grade 2 pressure ulcers from 666 NIV bed-days. In Group 2 there were 134 admissions and 0 pressure ulcers from 718 NIV bed-days. There was a statistically significant reduction in grade 2 pressure ulceration rates (p= 0.0013) in Group 2 compared to Group 1. Application of an early prophylactic pressure-relieving hydrocolloid nasal dressing reduces the risk of developing grade 2 pressure ulcers in patients in patients requiring acute NIV.


Sonographic diagnosis and treatment of ganglion cysts causing suprascapular nerve entrapment.
One cause of shoulder pain is suprascapular nerve entrapment resulting from compression by a ganglion cyst. We discuss the sonographic diagnosis and treatment of these ganglion cysts and the use of sonographically guided aspiration of these cysts. Previous authors have described CT or MR imaging diagnosis and CT guided aspiration of ganglion cysts. Sonographically guided aspiration appears to be an equally effective but less expensive method to treat these cysts.


Resonance-Based Sparse Signal Decomposition and its Application in Mechanical Fault Diagnosis: A Review.
Mechanical equipment is the heart of industry. For this reason, mechanical fault diagnosis has drawn considerable attention. In terms of the rich information hidden in fault vibration signals, the processing and analysis techniques of vibration signals have become a crucial research issue in the field of mechanical fault diagnosis. Based on the theory of sparse decomposition, Selesnick proposed a novel nonlinear signal processing method: resonance-based sparse signal decomposition (RSSD). Since being put forward, RSSD has become widely recognized, and many RSSD-based methods have been developed to guide mechanical fault diagnosis. This paper attempts to summarize and review the theoretical developments and application advances of RSSD in mechanical fault diagnosis, and to provide a more comprehensive reference for those interested in RSSD and mechanical fault diagnosis. Followed by a brief introduction of RSSD's theoretical foundation, based on different optimization directions, applications of RSSD in mechanical fault diagnosis are categorized into five aspects: original RSSD, parameter optimized RSSD, subband optimized RSSD, integrated optimized RSSD, and RSSD combined with other methods. On this basis, outstanding issues in current RSSD study are also pointed out, as well as corresponding instructional solutions. We hope this review will provide an insightful reference for researchers and readers who are interested in RSSD and mechanical fault diagnosis.


Diagnostic Value of the Morphometric Model and Adjusted Neck Circumference in Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a major public health problem. The morphometric model and the Sleep Apnea Clinical Score are widely used to evaluate adults; however, neither of these tools has been validated in a Mexican population. To determine the diagnostic value of the morphometric model and the Sleep Apnea Clinical Score and compare them with conventional clinical instruments. A total of 97 individuals were recruited prospectively. Initial screening excluded 36, of whom nine were subjects without apnea; the remaining 52 were consecutive patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome diagnosed by nocturnal polysomnography. Diagnostic values of each test were calculated. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients had significantly higher scores with both instruments than controls: morphometric model: 61.3 (95% CI: 45.5-75.3) vs. 41.0 (95% CI: 35.6-45.6); Sleep Apnea Clinical Score: 45.3 (95% CI: 39.5-40.3) vs. 36 (95% CI: 34.0-36.5), respectively. For severe cases, the best cutoff point for morphometric model was 46, with a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI: 62.5-92.6) and specificity of 46.7% (95% CI: 66.4-100), while for Sleep Apnea Clinical Score it was > 48, with a sensitivity of 61% (95% CI: 46.1-74.2) and specificity of 80.4% (95% CI: 66-90.6). A morphometric model value of ≥ 46 or an adjusted neck circumference (Sleep Apnea Clinical Score) > 48 were adequate for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.


Synthesis and structural characterization of alkaline-earth-metal bis(amido)silane and lithium oxobis(aminolato)silane complexes.
Several of alkaline-earth-metal complexes [(η(2):η(2):μ(N):μ(N)-Li)(+)](2)[{η(2)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)}(2)Mg](2-) (4), [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Ca·3THF] (5), [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Sr·THF] (6), and [η(2)(N,N)-Me(2)Si(DippN)(2)Ba·4THF] (7) of a bulky bis(amido)silane ligand were readily prepared by the metathesis reaction of alkali-metal bis(amido)silane [Me(2)Si(DippNLi)(2)] (Dipp = 2,6-i-Pr(2)C(6)H(3)) and alkaline-earth-metal halides MX(2) (M = Mg, X = Br; M = Ca, Sr, Ba, X = I). Alternatively, compounds 5-7 were synthesized either by transamination of M[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2)·2THF (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) and [Me(2)Si(DippNH)(2)] or by transmetalation of Sn[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2), [Me(2)Si(DippNH)(2)], and metallic calcium, strontium, and barium in situ. The metathesis reaction of dilithium bis(amido)silane [Me(2)Si(DippNLi)(2)] and magnesium bromide in the presence of oxygen afforded, however, an unusual lithium oxo polyhedral complex {[(DippN(Me(2)Si)(2))(μ-O)(Me(2)Si)](2)(μ-Br)(2)[(μ(3)-Li)·THF](4)(μ(4)-O)(4)(μ(3)-Li)(2)} (8) with a square-basket-shaped core Li(6)Br(2)O(4) bearing a bis(aminolato)silane ligand. All complexes were characterized using (1)H, (13)C, and (7)Li NMR and IR spectroscopy, in addition to X-ray crystallography.


Sleep breathing and periodic leg movement pattern in Angelman Syndrome: a polysomnographic study.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the sleep breathing patterns and to detect the eventual presence of periodic leg movements (PLMs) in patients affected by Angelman syndrome (AS). Ten children with AS were recruited to participate in the study; the clinical diagnosis was confirmed by the genetic analysis (maternal 15q deletion, uniparental paternal disomy, or mutation of the UBE3A gene). All patients but two had presented epileptic seizures. Two age-matched groups of patients with mental retardation (MR) associated (MRE+) or not (MRE-) to epilepsy were used as control groups. All subjects underwent one polysomnographic recording, after one adaptation night. Sleep stages were scored according to standard criteria slightly modified in order to take into account the specific EEG patterns of AS, also the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) was quantified; PLMs were identified and the PLM index (PLMI) was computed. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the one-way ANOVA, followed by the Fisher LSD post-hoc test, when appropriate, and by means of the linear correlation coefficient between AHI and PLMI. Sleep macrostructure showed only few significant differences between children with AS and the other two groups of subjects: AS patients showed higher percentage of wakefulness after sleep onset and sleep onset latency; moreover, the percentage of REM sleep was reduced in AS and in MRE+ subjects. A tendency for AS subjects to present a higher PLMI than the other two groups was also found. AHI >5 was found in 30% of AS subjects, in 30.8% of MRE+, and only in 20% of MRE- patients (chi(2) = 2.359, NS); 70% of AS patients, 38.5% of MRE+, and 46.7% of MRE- subjects had PLMI >5 (chi(2) = 3.088, NS). These results confirm our previous questionnaire-based findings of a high prevalence of sleep breathing disorder and important PLMs in AS and allow us to hypothesize that epilepsy, rather than mental retardation, might exacerbate these sleep disorders. Sleep breathing disorder and PLMs might contribute to the cognitive impairment and to the worsening of life quality of subjects with AS and with MR (mostly those with epilepsy). Therefore, our findings suggest the need to explore these sleep disorders in children affected by MR and to set up a correct treatment.


Improving the energy efficiency in Lonza Ltd, Visp.
Over the past few decades, the development of the energy market was marked by market liberalization, a surging appetite for energy in the developing world, constantly high energy prices, energy security concerns, a growing awareness of climate change, and introduction of the emissions trading. These issues result in the growing importance of energy efficiency for the chemical and life science industries. This article describes a systematic approach to achieve higher energy efficiency in the Swiss chemical and life science company Lonza Ltd. A particular energy-saving project focusing on the optimization of infrastructure is presented.


Is It Necessary to Prepare the Enamel before Dental Bleaching?
The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the influence of distinct surface treatments on the microhardness and color of enamel that will be bleached. Surface treatments are tested, accordingly: G1, no treatment; G2, 2% sodium fluoride; G3, casein phosphopeptide paste; G4, 2% fluoride+Nd:YAG laser. Forty blocks from bovine teeth composed the sample that were tested in Knoop microhardness (n = 10) and in color change (n = 10). After 24 h, bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide was performed for 45 min. Microhardness and color changes (using parameters ΔE, ΔL, Δa, and Δb) were assessed before and after bleaching. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Despite all surface treatments, a reduction of enamel microhardness occurred immediately after bleaching in all groups, being greater in G1. Enamel color changed in all groups. Immediately after bleaching, there was a decrease on enamel microhardness. However, after 7 days, some of those specimens previously treated before bleaching significantly recovered their initial microhardness without influencing the esthetic results of bleaching.


Influencing factors of sedentary behavior in European preschool settings: an exploration through focus groups with teachers.
Sedentary behavior refers to activities involving sitting down and reclining (eg, watching TV, using the computer) and has been associated with different health outcomes. In preschool, children are sedentary for 50% to 80% of the time, in the classroom as well as during recess. Because of the absence of qualitative studies examining influencing factors of preschoolers' sedentary behavior in preschool settings, this study explored teachers' opinions on potentially influencing factors of this behavior. Eighty-seven teachers of 4- to 6-year-old preschoolers from 6 European countries participated in a total of 18 focus groups between October 2010 and January 2011. Key findings were reported separately by country, and were independently analyzed by 2 researchers using qualitative content analysis. Teachers perceive the lack of play space and small classroom size as being influential factors on preschoolers' sedentary behavior; increasing play equipment and using teachers' prompts are mentioned as ways to stimulate children to be less sedentary on the playground. Computer use is reported to be more common in preschool than watching TV. Interventions should focus on increasing teachers' awareness of how sedentary preschoolers are during the preschool day. Teachers also should be informed about strategies to decrease sedentariness in the classroom and on the playground.