Prenatal ultrasound has led to earlier detection and repair of ureteropelvic junction obstruction.
We hypothesized that the widespread adoption of prenatal ultrasound in the early 1980s has led to earlier and increased numbers of repairs for ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction. The New York State Department of Health database was used to identify all patients who underwent pyeloplasty between 1984 and 2002. A total of 7,758 repairs were evaluated (6,725 pyeloplasties and 1,033 endopyelotomies). There was no substantial change in the rate of repair when adjusted for age specific population during the study period. The annual rate of repair in patients younger than 1 year increased from 94 to 156 per 100,000 live births between the periods 1984 to 1988 and 1989 to 2002. This same upward trend was seen in the children 1 to 9 years old. In contrast, there was a substantial decrease in the rate of repairs in patients 10 to 19 years old and in those 20 to 29 years old (from 10 to 9 per 100,000 and from 12 to 8 per 100,000 population, respectively). The male-to-female ratio of newborns in our series was approximately 3:1, which is consistent with previous reports. Among older patients males underwent fewer repairs such that the male-to-female ratio in patients older than 30 years was 1:2. The overall rate of UPJ repair has not changed during the last 19 years, but there has been a substantial trend toward repair at an earlier age. This finding suggests that prenatal ultrasound has led to earlier diagnosis of UPJ obstruction, allowing earlier repair and obviating later repair. We also report the novel finding of a decreasing rate of pyeloplasty in males with age. This decrease was not observed in females.


Calcium hydroxyl-apatite (Radiesse) for the correction of periorbital hollows, dark circles, and lower eyelid bags.
To describe the authors experience with calcium hydroxyl-apatite (CaHa) injections for the aesthetic correction of tear trough, infraorbital hollows, deep upper sulcus, dark circles and lower eyelid bags. The records of 63 patients (127 eyelids) injected with CaHa for aesthetic rejuvenation of the periocular region between March 2012 and March 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. All injections were carried out using a 25-gauge cannula after adding 0.5 ml of 2% lidocaine to 1.5 ml vials of the original product. Postoperative visits were scheduled at 1 week and 1 month. Any previous treatment was recorded, and necessity of retreatments and side effects was evaluated. Patient satisfaction was recorded at 1 month with self-evaluation of the treatment result as "worsened," "unchanged," or "improved." Standard pre- and postinjection photographs were taken and compared to analyze the success of the procedure. Pictures were retrospectively graded by the authors on a similar improvement scale of 1 (worse), 2 (no change), and 3 (improvement). Fifty-eight/sixty-three patients were women (92%), with an average age of 42 years (range; 18-57 years). Chief complaints were "hollows" in 94% of patients, "dark circles" in 33%, lower eyelid "bags" in 17%, and deep upper sulcus in 4.7%. Twenty-three patients (36.5%) required an additional correction 1 month after the primary treatment. Satisfaction was as high as 98% among patients treated primarily for hollowness, and the overall satisfaction rate was 92%. Associated dark circles were satisfactorily treated in 68% of the patients. Temporary side effects involved mild erythema and swelling for 2 to 3 days and pseudoxanthalesma effect in 22 eyelids (17.4%) lasting <6 weeks. In 2 patients, erythema lasted longer than 4 weeks. The 2 worse complications in this series were migration of the product above the medial canthal tendon in 1 patient and overcorrection in another patient. These complications were all managed conservatively and resolved spontaneously within 6 to 8 weeks. No case of irregular contour, palpable lumpiness, or unevenness were encountered. In the end, only 1 patient thought she was worsened after the treatment. Treatment of the periocular region with CaHa injections is a safe and effective treatment with high patient satisfaction and low complication rate. Advanced technical skills may have to be acquired for the specific treatment of this area using this particulate material.


Diminishing adenovirus gene expression and viral replication by promoter replacement.
The adenovirus E4 promoter was replaced by a synthetic promoter composed of a minimal TATA box and five consensus 17-mer yeast GAL4-binding-site elements. The viral vectors, which also contained human factor IX (hFIX) cDNA driven by Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat in the E1 region, were then constructed and expanded in 293 cells permanently expressing GAL4/VP16 fusion protein. Viral replication and expression of adenovirus E4 genes and late genes (hexon and fiber) were evaluated in vitro in the human lung carcinoma cell line H1299. Viral replication and viral gene expression were dramatically reduced in the cells transduced by vectors with a replaced E4 promoter compared to the levels in the cells transduced by vectors with the wild-type E4 promoter. The levels of transgene (hFIX) expression remained similar between vectors with or without E4 promoter replacement. These results indicate that diminution of viral gene expression and viral replication is achievable by promoter replacement.


A critical assessment of docking programs and scoring functions.
Docking is a computational technique that samples conformations of small molecules in protein binding sites; scoring functions are used to assess which of these conformations best complements the protein binding site. An evaluation of 10 docking programs and 37 scoring functions was conducted against eight proteins of seven protein types for three tasks: binding mode prediction, virtual screening for lead identification, and rank-ordering by affinity for lead optimization. All of the docking programs were able to generate ligand conformations similar to crystallographically determined protein/ligand complex structures for at least one of the targets. However, scoring functions were less successful at distinguishing the crystallographic conformation from the set of docked poses. Docking programs identified active compounds from a pharmaceutically relevant pool of decoy compounds; however, no single program performed well for all of the targets. For prediction of compound affinity, none of the docking programs or scoring functions made a useful prediction of ligand binding affinity.


Three classes of pyramidal neurons in layer V of rat perirhinal cortex.
Whole-cell recordings from 140 pyramidal neurons in layer V of rat perirhinal cortex (PR) revealed three distinct firing patterns: regular spiking (RS, 76%), burst spiking (BS, 9%), and late spiking (LS, 14%). LS neurons have not previously been reported in layer V of any cortical region. LS cells in layer V of PR exhibited delays of up to 12 s from onset of a depolarizing current step to spike threshold, followed by sustained firing. In contrast, pyramidal cells in layer V of other cortical regions contain only RS and BS cells. Within PR, the percentage of LS neurons in layer V differs markedly from what we previously observed in layers II/III (50% LS) and VI (90% LS). Morphologically, BS neurons in layer V of PR had thick primary apical dendrites that terminated in a tuft within layer I, whereas RS and LS cells had relatively thin primary apicals that terminated either diffusely or in a layer I tuft. At holding potentials near rest, PR neurons exhibited small (approximately 15 pA), inward, spontaneous postsynaptic currents (PSCs) that were indistinguishable among the three cell types. Currents evoked by minimal stimulation of layer I were about 2.8 times larger than the spontaneous PSCs. Evoked currents had unusually long onset latencies with little variation in latency, consistent with monosynaptic responses evoked by stimulation of unmyelinated fibers. The prevalence of LS cells in combination with the long-latency monosynaptically evoked PSCs suggested that PR is not a region of rapid throughput. This is consistent with anatomical data suggesting that PR is a higher-level association cortex. These data further advance an emerging picture of PR as a cortical region with a unique distribution of cell types different from other cortical regions.


Kinetics of the Reaction of the Cyclopentadienyl Radical with Nitrogen Dioxide.
The kinetics of the reaction of the cyclopentadienyl radical (c-C5H5) with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was studied by laser photolysis/photoionization mass spectroscopy. Overall rate constants were obtained in direct real-time experiments in the temperature region 305-800 K and at bath gas densities of (3.0-12.0) × 1016 molecules cm-3. The overall rate constant is independent of temperature between 300 and 400 K but decreases by a factor of approximately 7 above 400 K, without any discernible pressure dependence. A potential energy surface study of the reaction was performed, and an RRKM/master equation model was created. The reaction proceeds via initial addition to one of the two types of atoms of the NO2 molecule (nitrogen or oxygen). The N-bonded adduct can isomerize and decompose back to the reactants; this channel is significantly affected by falloff above 400 K and, although dominant at room temperature, becomes negligible at 600 K and above. The O-bonded adduct undergoes chemically activated isomerizations and decomposition, with a minor contribution from stabilization at low temperatures; this channel dominates at high temperatures and is effectively pressure-independent. The model provides a quantitative explanation for the observed temperature dependence of the rate constant.


The use of technology to promote physical activity in Type 2 diabetes management: a systematic review.
With increasing evidence available on the importance of physical activity in the management of Type 2 diabetes, there has been an increase in technology-based interventions. This review provides a systematic and descriptive assessment of the effectiveness of technology to promote physical activity in people with Type 2 diabetes. For this review, technology included mobile phones and text messages, websites, CD-ROMs and computer-learning-based technology, and excluded telephone calls. A systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve articles from January 2001 to March 2013 using the following databases: the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and PubMed. Articles had to describe an intervention that used technology to promote physical activity in people with Type 2 diabetes. A methodological quality assessment of the studies was conducted and data synthesis was performed. In total, 15 articles were eligible for review: web-based (9), mobile phone (3), CD-ROM (2) and computer based (1). All studies found an increase in physical activity but only nine were significant. The use of a personal coach, logbooks and reinforcement strategies such as phone calls and email counselling were found to be effective components for behaviour change. No studies were ranked as low in terms of methodological quality. Technology-based interventions to promote physical activity are effective; using further methods to promote participant adherence is associated with greater benefit. Further research should look into strategies to enhance adherence and sustainability in order to increase the effectiveness of technology-based physical activity intervention in diabetes care.


Mental health of single fathers living in an urban community in South Korea.
The aims of this study were to understand the mental health of single fathers relative to married fathers as the population of single fathers continues to increase and to use the resultant data for the establishment of public health policies. We evaluated the mental health of 58 single fathers and 256 married fathers living in an urban community in South Korea. Self-reported questionnaires including the Global Assessment of Recent Stress, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression, Scale for Suicidal Ideation, the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument were used for evaluation. The mental health scale scores and the prevalence of mental health problems were compared between the single and the married fathers. We also assessed the factors associated with poor QOL, depressive symptoms, and severe stress among single fathers. The single fathers had poorer quality of life (OR 7.30, 95% CI 2.82-18.74), more depressive symptoms (OR 3.85, 95% CI 1.29-11.45), and more stress (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.25-8.98) than did the married fathers even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Among the single fathers, poor socioeconomic conditions, such as no house ownership, manual occupations, having two or more children, and having a youngest child in elementary school or middle school, were significantly associated with poorer mental health. This study demonstrated that single fathers have poorer mental health than do married fathers. Single parenthood was significantly associated with their mental health. Therefore, we should attempt to provide practical support to reduce the social burden and offer earlier psychological interventions to reduce distress in single fathers.


[Membrane proton conductivity and energy-dependent fluxes of hydrogen ions in bacteria Enterococcus hirae grown in media with different pH values].
It was shown that the proton conductivity of Enterococcus hirae ATCC9790 membrane increases three times as pH of the growth medium decreases from 8.5 to 5.5. The changes in proton conductivity are interrelated to the values of membrane and redox potentials of the cell, which in turn vary depending on the pH value of growth medium. The energy-dependent H+ efflux for cells fermenting sugar (the glucose) decreases 1.5 times as pH decreases from 8.5 to 5.5; in this case, the N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide at lower pH values suppresses the H+ efflux more intensively than at higher pH values, the H+ efflux nonsensitive to N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide being practically unchanged. The H+ efflux in the ATPase mutant MS116 is significantly (approximately 3 times) lower than that in the precursor strain and does not depend on pH. The results show that the proton conductivity of the membrane of this bacterium depends on pH of the growth medium. It is possible that the energy-dependent H+ efflux through F1F0-ATPase is interrelated with membrane proton conductivity.


Giant lipomas of the hand and forearm.
Giant lipomas of the upper extremity are infrequently reported. They can alter function by restricting motion or producing compressive neuropathies. This report of four cases of giant lipoma in the hand and forearm illustrates these functional losses. The role of MRI and CT in preoperative evaluation of these lesions is discussed and a report of an anterior interosseous syndrome caused by a giant lipoma is presented.


Treatment characteristics of effective psychiatric programs.
As part of a large cooperative study undertaken by the Veterans Administration (VA) to identify the ward characteristics of effective psychiatric programs, 123 treatment characteristics were analyzed using four measures of patient posthospital community adjustment derived from the Veterans Adjustment Scale and the Personal Adjustment and Role Skills Scale. The authors found that wards that performed best on the measures were characterized by staff who perceived less order and organization on the ward, nursing staffs with less shift rotations, a lower percentage of socially passive patients, a higher percentage of patients off the ward, a higher percentage of neurotic patients on no antipsychotic drugs at discharge, and lower dosages of the minor tranquilizers. These six treatment characteristics accounted for 29 percent of the variance in the outcome measures. After discussing the relationship of the findings from this study to the findings from a previous article on the VA study, which analyzed ward setting characteristics and program outcome, the authors conclude that ward programs differ in their effectiveness as measured by ratings of patient post-hospital community adjustment and that both setting and treatment characteristics make a difference in that adjustment.


[Specific follow-up for pregnant patients with a thyroid dysfunction].
Association between thyroidian disease and pregnancy is a frequent event. Thyroidian hormones are mandatory for foetal development especially at the level of brain structures. Any shortage of thyroidian hormone can severely and irreversibly alter neurological development. On the other hand it is also clear that an excess of thyroidian hormone can jeopardize the embryo then the foetus. In case of maternal hyperthyroidism, strict guidelines relying mainly on foetal thyroid monitoring echographic scanning will allow in most cases the delivery of a healthy euthyroid newborn. Hypothyroidia, providing an adequate substitution, has no significant impact on pregnancy. Biological monitoring is the key of monitoring. Iodine deficiency is a matter of concern when considering neurodevelopmental outcome, however it is still an unsolved issue in France. A multidisciplinary team will sometimes be necessary for taking care of pregnant patients with active Graves' disease.


Higher body mass index predicts cardiac autonomic dysfunction: A longitudinal study in adolescent type 1 diabetes.
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity in adults with diabetes. To examine the predictive role of body mass index (BMI) and adiposity on cardiac autonomic function in childhood onset type 1 diabetes. Two hundred and fifty-three participants with type 1 diabetes (aged 8-30 years) were assessed for diabetes complications at a tertiary hospital, and followed over 7 years (total 922 visits). Heart rate variability (HRV) measures assessed by 10-minute electrocardiography recording using LabChart Pro were standard deviation of RR intervals, time between consecutive QRS complexes, [SDNN], root mean squared difference of successive RR intervals (RMSSD), triangular index (TI), and low to high frequency ratio [LF:HF]. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to model the longitudinal associations between HRV measures and clinical variables (BMI standard deviation scores [SDS], waist:height ratio, total daily insulin dose/kg (TDD) and hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]). At baseline, mean age was 14.4 ± 2.7 years, diabetes duration 7.1 ± 3.7 years, HbA1c 8.3% ± 1.5% (67 ± 16 mmol/mol), and 33% were overweight/obese (BMI ≥85th percentile). At final visit, mean age was 18.5 ± 2.7 years, duration 11.3 ± 3.9 years, HbA1c 9.0% ± 1.8% (75 ± 20 mmol/mol), and 40% were overweight/obese. Adiposity (higher BMI SDS or waist: height ratio) was a significant predictor of worse HRV (lower SDNN, RMSSD; P < .05), while higher HbA1c and TDD predicted all adverse HRV measures (lower SDNN, RMSSD, TI; P < .05) and abnormal sympathovagal balance (higher LF:HF ratio; P < .05). Higher BMI and central adiposity are associated with cardiac autonomic dysfunction in childhood onset type 1 diabetes, after adjusting for HbA1c. Interventions targeting overweight/obesity during adolescence may optimize long-term vascular health in type 1 diabetes.


Generalized survival in equilibrium step fluctuations.
We investigate the dynamics of a generalized survival probability S(t,R) defined with respect to an arbitrary reference level R (rather than the average) in equilibrium step fluctuations. The exponential decay at large time scales of the generalized survival probability is numerically analyzed. S(t,R) is shown to exhibit simple scaling behavior as a function of system size L, sampling time deltat, and the reference level R. The generalized survival time scale tau(s) (R) associated with S(t,R) is shown to decay exponentially as a function of R.


A Novel Approach to Geographically Mapping Effective Family-Based Services: Feasibility and Quality Comparison with 2-1-1.
Community social services are often fragmented and difficult to navigate. This presents a barrier to programs, such as health navigation, that focus on connecting individuals to available services. Existing service mapping efforts, such as those generated by 2-1-1, are helpful but limited in the specificity they provide, particularly with regard to whether services are based on evidence-informed principles. This may lead to a distrust of service quality or poor referral match. We developed a novel service mapping protocol to identify local, evidence-informed, family-based services, and compared results to 2-1-1's resource list. Our mapping protocol identified more evidence-informed services than 2-1-1 and collected greater detail related to accessibility. Recommendations for integrating this approach into routine community mapping efforts (e.g., 2-1-1) or as a stand-alone approach are discussed.


A comparison of anxiety and depressive symptomatology in postpartum and non-postpartum mothers.
The aim of the study was to compare the distribution of symptoms of anxiety and depression among postpartum as compared with non-postpartum mothers, and to estimate the impact of the postpartum period on the risk of anxiety and depression when adjusted for other risk factors. A questionnaire survey approaching all women 18-40 years of age in two municipalities in Norway during the period 1998-1999 was conducted. A total of 2,730 women were included, of whom 416 were in the postpartum period. Only women with one or more deliveries (n = 1,794) were included in the multivariate analyses. The crude prevalence of anxiety and depression was lower in postpartum as compared to non-postpartum mothers. However, when controlling for other risk factors, the odds ratio for anxiety was 1.2 (95% CI: 0.6-2.3) and for depression 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1-2.9) during the postpartum period. The overall risk of anxiety appeared to be the same in both groups, whereas the risk of depression was increased in the postpartum group.


[Chemical constituents in higher polar substances from Desmodium caudatum].
In this study the chemical constituents of the higher polar sustances from Desmodium caudatum were investigated.The compounds were isolated by using column chromatographies over silicagel, polyamide, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, and preparative HPLC. The structures of these compounds were identified on the basis of NMR and MS spectra. Thirteen compounds were obtained and their structures were identified as vanillin(1), loliolide(2), indole-3-carboxaldehyde(3), salicylic acid(4), swertisin(5), saccharumoside C(6), isosinensin (7), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (8), isovitexin (9), vitexin (10), nothofagin(11), resveratroloside (12), and 2"-α-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-methylvitexin (13). Except for compound 5, the remaining compounds were isolated from D. caudatum for the first time. Compounds 2, 3, 6-8, 11-13 were separated from the genus Desmodium for the first time.


Systematic ranking of filaments regarding their particulate emissions during fused filament fabrication 3D printing by means of a proposed standard test method.
The diversity of fused filament fabrication (FFF) filaments continues to grow rapidly as the popularity of FFF-3D desktop printers for the use as home fabrication devices has been greatly increased in the past decade. Potential harmful emissions and associated health risks when operating indoors have induced many emission studies. However, the lack of standardization of measurements impeded an objectifiable comparison of research findings. Therefore, we designed a chamber-based standard method, i.e., the strand printing method (SPM), which provides a standardized printing procedure and quantifies systematically the particle emission released from individual FFF-3D filaments under controlled conditions. Forty-four marketable filament products were tested. The total number of emitted particles (TP) varied by approximately four orders of magnitude (109 ≤ TP ≤ 1013 ), indicating that origin of polymers, manufacturer-specific additives, and undeclared impurities have a strong influence. Our results suggest that TP characterizes an individual filament product and particle emissions cannot be categorized by the polymer type (e.g., PLA or ABS) alone. The user's choice of a filament product is therefore decisive for the exposure to released particles during operation. Thus, choosing a filament product awarded for low emissions seems to be an easily achievable preemptive measure to prevent health hazards.


Preconditioning with 15-minute ischemia extends myocardial infarct size after subsequent 30-minute ischemia in rabbits.
Ischemic preconditioning (PC) induced by 1 cycle of 5-min coronary occlusion and 5-min reperfusion limits infarct size (IS) after 30-min sustained ischemia in rabbits. The shortest ischemic period that induces the PC effect in rabbits is 3 min. To establish the maximum ischemic period to induce a beneficial PC effect, we examined the effect of PC periods of 10 and 15 min on IS after sustained ischemia. The IS in control rabbit hearts after 30 min of sustained occlusion of the left anterolateral coronary artery and 48-h reperfusion was compared with that of hearts treated as follows before being subjected to PC: 5-min occlusion and 5-min reperfusion; 10-min occlusion and 5-min reperfusion; or 15-min occlusion and 5-min reperfusion. In addition, the IS after 15-min or 45-min occlusion and 48-h reperfusion was measured. There was no significant difference in blood pressure, heart rate, or area at risk (AAR) among the rabbits in 5 groups. The IS measured histologically was 40 +/- 4% of AAR in the control, 10 +/- 3% after 5-min PC, and 12 +/- 2% after 10-min PC. However, in the 15-min PC group, the IS was 77 +/- 4% of AAR, which was significantly larger than that of the controls, but similar to that of hearts subjected to 45-min ischemia and reperfusion (67 +/- 3%). As 15 min of preconditioning ischemia alone caused small infarcts (18 +/- 1% of AAR), the infarcts caused by sustained ischemia per se in the 15-min PC group was estimated to be 72 +/- 5% of AAR, which was still significantly higher than in the control groups. We conclude that the maximum period of preconditioning ischemia that induces cardioprotection in rabbits is 10 min. When the ischemic period is longer than this, the IS after sustained ischemia is increased rather than restricted. However, the infarcted size in the 15-min PC group was not higher than that in the group subjected to 45-min continuous ischemia. This may be a major limitation for any clinical application of PC.


A Case of Bilateral Frosted Branch Angiitis after mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination.
We report a case of bilateral frosted branch angiitis (FBA) following mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccination. A 79-year-old male was referred to our hospital with a sudden onset of blurred vision in the right eye, which occurred during his return home after receiving the third dose of a messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine. Fundoscopy revealed severe retinal vasculitis with sheathing of the artery and vein in the right eye more so than in the left eye, suggestive of bilateral FBA. Optical coherence tomography showed significant macular edema and serous retinal detachment in the right eye. Polymerase chain reaction assay detected Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the aqueous humor, and antibody against the EBV viral capsid antigen was positive for IgM. The next day, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worsened to 0.08 due to macular edema in the left eye. After 2 courses of pulse steroid therapy and intravenous infusion of acyclovir, macular edema had disappeared and sheathing of retinal vessels was improving. At 5 months after the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, BCVA was maintained 0.15 in the right eye and 0.7 in the left eye. Severe uveitis, such as FBA, can occur after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.


Silencing shrimp white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) genes by siRNA.
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a major shrimp pathogen causing large economic losses all over the world. So far, however, there is no efficient approach to control this virus. RNA interference (RNAi), which has been applied to silence virus genes in eukaryotic organisms. In this investigation, a specific 21bp short interfering RNA (vp28-siRNA) targeting a major envelope protein gene (vp28) of WSSV was used to induce gene silencing in vivo in Penaeus japonicus shrimp. It was found that the transcription and expression of vp28 gene were silenced by the sequence-specific vp28-siRNA. However, the RNAi effect disappeared or significantly weakened even if one-nucleotide mutation existed in the vp28-siRNA. As revealed by quantitative PCR, the vp28-siRNA caused a significant reduction in viral DNA production of WSSV-infected shrimp. When treated with the vp28-siRNA, WSSV-infected shrimp had a reduced mortality rate. After three injections of the vp28-siRNA, the virus was completely eradicated from WSSV-infected shrimp. These findings suggest that RNAi is capable of silencing sequence-specific genes of WSSV and might constitute a new therapeutic strategy for WSSV infection in shrimp.


Development of low-cost amine-enriched solid sorbent for CO2 capture.
CO2 capture amine-enriched solid sorbent using agricultural wastes, such as bagasse, or industrial wastes, such as mullite, as support materials could provide efficient alternative CO2 reduction due to their low cost and ability to shape into many forms. These amine-enriched solid sorbents were prepared by treatment with monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine, piperazine (PZ), 2-(2-aminoethyl-amino) ethanol (AEEA) and mixtures of these amines. The performance of amine-enriched solid sorbents with various amine compositions was studied in a tubular column at 1 atm and an adsorption temperature of 303 K. The CO2 capture capacities of the amine-enriched solid sorbents were determined by gas chromatography at a desorption temperature of 393 K. Amine-enriched solid sorbents in this study exhibited high performance CO2 capture. The MEA-PZ-enriched solid sorbent does have the highest CO2 capture performance of the amine-enriched bagasse support-based sorbents, and the results indicate that PZ is the most effective promoter in this study. The CO2 capture performances of solid sorbents in this study were compared with commercial solid sorbents. This study could lead to the development of low-cost solid sorbents for CO2 capture that can be used in many industrial applications.


Air insufflation of the colon as an adjunct to computed tomography of the pelvis.
Air insufflation of the colon as an adjunct to pelvic CT examinations was performed in 49 patients for evaluation of a known or suspected pelvic mass or in follow-up of treated pelvic tumors. This safe, simple method of colonic visualization clearly outlines the rectosigmoid colon and permits a reliable assessment of the mucosa, wall thickness, and extrinsic abnormalities, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy in staging pelvic malignancy and evaluating pelvic pathology.


Effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the antitumor activity of bleomycin.
The effect of bleomycin (BLM) on the growth of the tumor, murine B16 melanoma, implanted onto the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo was examined. The inhibition ratio of BLM was about 30% at 3 micrograms/egg. This inhibitory effect of BLM on the growth of the tumor was enhanced by an appropriate dose of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The inhibition ratios of BLM irradiated for 10, 30 and 60 min were in order of about 50, 30 and 30% at 3 micrograms/egg. However, when these BLMs pretreated with 1 mM 1,2-benzenediol (catechol) were administrated, the inhibition ratios of BLM irradiated for 0, 10, 30 and 60 min were about 30, 20, 10 and 10%, respectively. On the other hand, the direct cytotoxicity of BLM to cultured murine B16 melanoma cells was depressed with UV irradiation and its toxic activity was further decreased by treatment with catechol after irradiation. These findings show that, although the antitumor activity of BLM is enhanced by UV irradiation, the activity of UV-irradiated BLM is inhibited by catechol. Moreover, it seems to show that the present results may provide a useful manner for the in vivo activation of BLM.


Single fibers of skeletal muscle as a novel graft for cell transplantation to the heart.
Skeletal myoblast transplantation is a promising alternative to treat heart failure. A single fiber, the minimal functional unit of skeletal muscle, retains skeletal myoblasts beneath the basal lamina. When surrounding muscle is injured, myoblasts migrate from the fiber into the damaged area to regenerate muscle. We hypothesized that such isolated fibers could be used as an efficient vehicle to deliver myoblasts into damaged myocardium, resulting in improved cardiac function. Living single fibers of rat skeletal muscle were isolated, and their behavior was characterized in vitro. Single fibers were injected into the myocardium (at 4 sites, each receiving a single fiber) of rats in 2 models of heart failure induced either by means of doxorubicin administration or left coronary artery occlusion. Skeletal myoblasts dissociated from an isolated single fiber, proliferated, and differentiated into multinucleated myotubes in vitro. Within 3 days after grafting in vivo, original fibers provided putative myoblasts and disappeared. At 4 weeks, discrete loci consisting of several multinucleated myotubes were observed. Furthermore, single-fiber transplantation significantly improved cardiac function compared with the control treatment in either doxorubicin-treated hearts (maximum dP/dt, 4013.9 +/- 96.1 vs 3603.1 +/- 102.3 mm Hg/s; minimum dP/dt, -2313.7 +/- 75.1 vs. -2057.1 +/- 52.4 mm Hg/s) or ischemic hearts (maximum dP/dt, 3905.6 +/- 103.0 vs 3572.6 +/- 109.7 mm Hg/s; minimum dP/dt, -2336.1 +/- 69.7 vs -2106.4 +/- 74.2 mm Hg/s). Single-fiber transplantation acts as a vehicle for delivering putative skeletal myoblasts that appear to differentiate into myotubes within the myocardium. This was associated with improved function of failing hearts, suggesting its efficacy as a novel graft for cellular cardiomyoplasty.


Immunologic mechanisms in Lyme neuroborreliosis: the potential role of autoimmunity and molecular mimicry.
Most of the clinical manifestations of Lyme disease are due to the local presence of the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, in the affected tissues. However, the precise means of tissue damage are not well understood and there is no proof that the organism, live or dead, is always present. An understanding of the complex interaction between the organism, the immune response elicited by the organism, and the host can explain manifestations of the disease and persistence of symptoms and signs after the antibiotic-induced death of the organism. It is possible that dead spirochetes, or fragments thereof may persist and act as a focus of ongoing inflammation. Different immunogenetic types may predispose to different immunologic responses, with distinct clinical outcomes. Vascular changes induced by the infection, either by local infection or the effects of cytokines on the vessel wall, may underlie tissue pathology. Finally, the immune response to B. burgdorferi may elicit the production of antibodies capable of recognizing and damaging or modifying normal host tissues. Only by establishing the mechanisms causing tissue damage in Lyme disease can rational therapeutic strategies be developed. Only by understanding these mechanisms can physicians and patients interpret clinical responses to therapy and accurately appreciate the clinical prognosis.


Monoclonal antibodies to the murine Ly-2.1 cell surface antigen.
Six monoclonal anti-Ly-2.1 antibodies are described that arose from a single fusion using the spleen from a 129/ReJ mouse immunized with CBA/H thymus cells. The specificity was determined from the strain distribution, and testing of congenic strains where all six monoclonal antibodies detected the Ly-2.1 alloantigen. Furthermore, the antibodies fall into two groups: Group I (four antibodies) detected the expected number of Ly-2+ thymocytes and peripheral T cells, whereas Group II (two antibodies) detected 10% fewer peripheral T cells. Functional studies demonstrated that the Ly-2.1 determinant detected by a Group I antibody (49-31.1) was presented on cytotoxic T cells (Ly-1+2+), on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor T cells (Ly-1-2+), but absent from helper T cells (Ly-1+2-). One antibody (49-11.1) precipitated a 68,000-75,000 mol.wt glycoprotein, which on reduction yielded 30,000 and 35,000 mol.wt moieties. Thus, by functional, genetic and biochemical criteria these antibodies detected the Ly-2.1 specificity. In addition, a monoclonal, noncytotoxic, IgGl, anti-Thy-1.2 antibody is described.


3,5-Dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol attenuated oxidative stress-induced toxicity on cardiomyoblast cells.
Myocardial ischemia is the main reason for ischemic heart diseases. Antioxidant treatment is considered as a possible approach to prevent myocardial ischemia injury, because oxidative stress is a key factor triggering it. This study was to investigate the protective effects of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol (DHM) against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity on H9c2 cells and further explore its mechanisms. The oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were detected by H2DCFDA fluorescent measurement, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR and Western blot. Results showed DHM exerted inhibitory effects against H9c2 cell damage. Furthermore, DHM decreased oxidative stress in H9c2 cells through up-regulating protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). Moreover, DHM inhibited inflammatory responses through down-regulating the protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). DHM exerted protective activities against oxidative stress-induced cell damage, at least through decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammatory responses, indicating that DHM have the potential to be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of myocardial ischemia.


Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy in post-transplant patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Persistent hyperparathyroidism is frequent in postrenal transplant patients. Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is an alternative for treatment of patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism but it was not described in postrenal transplant patients. We report our experience with PEIT to control hyperparathyroidism in the post-transplant period. We performed PEIT under ultrasonographic guidance and local anesthesia in eight patients because of persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism after renal transplantation. Indications for PEIT were: high intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels with hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, osteopenia and/or bone pain. All patients had at least one visible parathyroid nodule by ultrasonography. Biochemical assays were performed immediately before PEIT, between 1 and 7 days after last PEIT, and a mean of 8.0 +/- 2.8 months after PEIT. Serum iPTH and calcium levels decreased significantly after treatment and remained unchanged until final control. Serum iPTH decreased from 286.9 +/- 107.2 to 154.6 +/- 42.2 pg/ml (P < 0.01) after PEIT (percentual reduction 36.5 +/- 9.5%). This response was significantly correlated to total ethanol volume used (r: 0.94, P < 0.0001). Hypercalcemia disappeared in six of eight patients treated. Only minor complications were registered. There were no changes in renal function related to the treatment. Our findings show that PEIT is a useful and safe alternative for patients with persistent post-transplant secondary hyperparathyroidism.


Contrast studies.
Contrast media plays an important role in imaging soft tissues and organs. Though contrast imaging is considered safe, radiologic technologists can improve the safety of contrast examinations by reviewing institutional safety procedures, safe practices for different methods of contrast administration and possible complications. The need for efficient communication and attention to detail during contrast procedures is essential for patient safety.


Differential expression of nerve growth factor receptors leads to altered binding affinity and neurotrophin responsiveness.
The low-affinity p75 neurotrophin receptor is believed to participate with the Trk receptor tyrosine kinase in the formation of high-affinity binding sites for nerve growth factor (NGF). To investigate the functional significance of the two NGF receptors, a truncated p75 receptor was stably expressed in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells, yielding cells with greatly reduced levels of wild-type p75 and normal Trk levels. Although these cells were capable of normal differentiation by NGF, very few high-affinity NGF binding sites were detected. These findings indicate that high-affinity binding may be functionally dissociated from biological responses. Furthermore, an increased responsiveness to neurotrophin 3 was observed, as manifested by increased neurite outgrowth. These results suggest that a correct ratio of p75 and p140trk is required to create high-affinity sites and that p75 expression may assist in the discrimination between related but different neurotrophin factors.


Conformational switches in winged-helix domains 1 and 2 of bacterial translation elongation factor SelB.
The crystal structure of the first two winged-helix motifs of translation elongation factor SelB from Moorella thermoacetica has been determined at 1.1 A resolution. Compared with the previous structure of the two domains in conjunction with winged-helix modules 3 and 4, the first winged-helix domain underwent a substantial conformational change during which the alpha-helical and beta-sheet portions of the element opened up like a shell. This conformational rearrangement was elicited by a change in the orientation of Trp396, leading to the disclosure of a bona fide ligand-binding site in the direct vicinity of Trp396. Additionally, the C-terminal tail of the second domain followed a different path compared with the previous structure. It is conceivable that these conformational switches constitute part of the molecular mechanism that underlies the communication between the N-terminal part of SelB, which binds Sec-tRNA(Sec) and GTP, and the C-terminal part of the protein, which binds selenocysteine-insertion sequences.


EVALUATION OF SURGICAL TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER INSTABILITY.
To evaluate the results of arthroscopic surgery in patients with traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation. This retrospective study analyzed 76 patients with a mean age of 28 and mean postoperative follow-up period of 62 months. Evaluation consisted of physical examination, and X-rays; results were classified according to the UCLA and Rowe scales. Patients showed decrease of range of motion in all planes, except elevation and lateral rotation with 90º abduction. According to the Rowe score, significant postoperative improvement was found compared with preoperative evaluations, with 89.4% of satisfactory results. According to the UCLA score, good or excellent results were observed in 97.4% of the cases. We found a 6.5% rate of recurrence. Arthroscopic treatment for traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation is effective, as long as indications are used. Level of Evidence IV, Case Series.


Functional renal insufficiency: role of adenosine.
Adenosine, a direct degradative product of 5'AMP, could be a physiological regulator of glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow, acting on the renal arteriolar tone and the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism. Recent experimental evidence strongly suggests an important role for intrarenal adenosine in the hemodynamic renal changes observed in postocclusive acute renal failure, in hypoxemia-induced renal insufficiency, as well as in various experimental models of acute renal failure. In these conditions, adenosine appears to induce predominant postglomerular vasodilatation, as well as preglomerular vasoconstriction when the renin-angiotensin system is activated. Theophylline, a xanthine with strong adenosine antagonistic properties, prevents the hypoxemia-induced renal changes, while enprofylline, a xanthine devoid of such properties, does not prevent these changes. Available data favor the hypothesis that intrarenal adenosine is involved in the pathophysiology of the renal changes observed in the early phase of vasomotor nephropathy.


Rapid development and spontaneous regression of pancreatic pseudocysts documented by ultrasound.
Three cases of pancreatic pseudocyst were followed serially by ultrasound examination. The entity was found to be more dynamic than has been generally thought. The rapid development and spontaneous regression of pancreatic pseudocysts was documented. The timing of surgical intervention in these cases must be reevaluated.


Bone mechanobiology in mice: toward single-cell in vivo mechanomics.
Mechanically driven bone (re)modeling is a multiscale process mediated through complex interactions between multiple cell types and their microenvironments. However, the underlying mechanisms of how cells respond to mechanical signals are still unclear and are at the focus of the field of bone mechanobiology. Traditionally, this complex process has been addressed by reducing the system to single scales and cell types. It is only recently that more integrative approaches have been established to study bone mechanobiology across multiple scales in which mechanical load at the organ level is related to molecular responses at the cellular level. The availability of mouse loading models and imaging techniques with improved spatial and temporal resolution has made it possible to track dynamic bone (re)modeling at the tissue and cellular level in vivo. Coupled with advanced computational models, the (re)modeling activities at the tissue scale can be associated with the mechanical microenvironment. However, methods are lacking to link the molecular responses of different cell types to their local mechanical microenvironment and bone (re)modeling activities occurring at the tissue scale. With recent improvements in "omics" technologies and single-cell molecular biology, it is now possible to sequence the complete genome and transcriptome of single cells. These technologies offer unique opportunities to comprehensively investigate the cellular transcriptional profiles within their specific microenvironment. By combining single-cell "omics" technologies with well-established tissue-scale models of bone mechanobiology, we propose a mechanomics approach to locally analyze the transcriptome of single cells with respect to their local 3D mechanical in vivo environment.


The features of lymph node reactions to tissue damage of lymph collecting region at old rats.
The features of submandibular lymph node (LN) reactions after lower jaw tissue damage at old rats were studied by method of light microscopy. In LN of old rats for all terms of observation, including intact control, the volume of connective tissue is considerable increased. Besides, old animals in LN have of more change duration of a cortical plateau volume, less - of paracortex and lymphoid nodules without light centers. Features of cellular element number consisted in considerable decrease in quantity of lymphocytes, mitotic figures, immunoblasts and plasmablasts against increase in keeping of macrophages, cells with destruction, stromal elements and erythrocytes.


Association study of interleukin-1 family, interleukin-6, and its receptor gene polymorphisms in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral chronic ulcerative disease in which proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are thought to play an important role. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between polymorphisms in the IL-1 cytokine family, IL-6 or its receptor and RAS in the Czech population. A total of 248 subjects, 184 healthy controls, and 64 patients with RAS were genotyped for IL-1A-889C>T, IL-1B-511C>T, IL-1B+3953C>T, IL-1RN86 bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) in intron 2, IL-6-597G>A, IL-6-572G>C, IL-6-174G>C, and IL-6R+48992A>C by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. No significant differences between investigated polymorphisms in healthy subjects and patients with RAS were detected (P>.05). In addition, complex analysis also revealed similar IL-1 or IL-6 haplotype frequencies between both groups (P>.05). In conclusion, IL-1 and IL-6 or its receptor gene variants cannot be used as markers for identification of Czech patients with increased risk of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.


[Indications and results of gastric bypass in the treatment of extreme obesity].
A report is presented on gastric bypass (n = 27) and gastroplasty (n = 2) in patients with morbid obesity. One patient died postoperatively (mortality 3.4%). Mean weight prior to operation was 129 kg (96 to 205 kg), i.e. 117% (63 to 253%) in excess of the ideal weight. During a follow-up period of 6 to 46 months, the mean loss of weight amounted to 38 kg (3 to 77 kg). 86% of the patients judged their condition as being very good to good. Diseases related to obesity were reduced to a remarkable degree: hypertension from 43 to 5%, hypertriglyceridaemia from 50 to 5% and diabetes mellitus from 52 to 13%. Two patients had to be reoperated on due to a peptic jejunal ulcer, five because of an incisional hernia. No patient suffered from diarrhoea, calculi of the biliary or urinary tract or electrolyte disorders. On the basis of these results gastric bypass would appear to be indicated for the treatment of obesity not amenable to conventional therapy.


Effect of maternal age and conditions of fertilization on programmed cell death during murine preimplantation embryo development.
One of the major morphological anomalies observed in many human pre-embryos is extensive cellular fragmentation. Previously we confirmed that embryo fragmentation seemed to be associated with the activation of programmed cell death (PCD). The purpose of our experiments was to establish a rate for murine embryo fragmentation in vivo after hormonal stimulation in young versus older females and to compare it with the rate of embryo fragmentation during in-vitro fertilization (IVF). While murine maternal age beyond 40 weeks increased the rate of embryo fragmentation following in-vivo fertilization (P = 0.001), oocytes from females of all ages had a uniformly high rate of fragmentation when fertilized in vitro (33%). None of the fragmented murine embryos proceeded further in development. In the mouse, fragmentation occurs exclusively during the first cell cycle. Furthermore, IVF significantly reduced the rate of blastocyst formation (P = 0.0001) and decreased the mean cell number at the blastocyst stage in comparison with embryos produced in vivo (P < 0.0001). The cell death index was significantly affected by both maternal age (P = 0.005) and IVF (P = 0.0001). Identification of specific factors which trigger PCD, especially those associated with IVF, may enable us to lower the rates of fragmentation in preimplantation embryos and thereby increase pregnancy rates after human IVF.


Corticotropin releasing factor-1 receptor antagonist, CP-154,526, blocks the expression of ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in DBA/2J mice.
Manipulation of glucocorticoid receptor signaling has been shown to alter the acquisition and expression of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization in mice. It is unknown if other components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis modulate locomotor sensitization resulting from repeated ethanol administration. In the present investigation, we determined if pretreatment with an i.p. injection of CP-154,526, a selective corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) type-1 receptor antagonist, would block the acquisition and/or expression of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization in male DBA/2J mice. To assess the role of the CRF1 receptor in the acquisition of behavioral sensitization, mice were pretreated with an i.p. injection of CP-154,526 30 min before each of 10 sensitizing i.p. injections of ethanol. To determine the role of the CRF1 receptor in modulating the expression of ethanol-induced sensitization, mice that had previously been sensitized to the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol were pretreated with CP-154,526 30 min before an i.p. injection of ethanol on the test day. In a third study, ethanol-naïve mice were pretreated with CP-154,526 30 min before an initial i.p. injection of ethanol to determine the combined effects of the CRF1 receptor antagonist and ethanol on locomotor activity. Blood ethanol concentrations were assessed at the termination of sensitization studies. Pretreatment with CP-154,526 blocked the expression of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization in DBA/2J mice but did not prevent the acquisition of sensitization. The ability of CP-154,526 to block the expression of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization was not attributable to alterations in blood ethanol levels or possible sedative effects produced by the combined administration of CP-154,526 and ethanol. These data provide novel evidence that CRF1 receptor signaling modulates the expression of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization, and add to a growing literature suggesting a role for neurochemicals and hormones associated with the HPA-axis in behavioral sensitization resulting from repeated exposure to drugs of abuse.


Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizes intestinal microbiota.
Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common diagnosis in gastroenterology. Trials suggest certain probiotics to be beneficial. To investigate the effects of multispecies probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, L. rhamnosus Lc705, Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12) on abdominal symptoms, quality of life, intestinal microbiota and inflammatory markers in irritable bowel syndrome. Eighty-six irritable bowel syndrome patients (Rome II criteria) participated in this randomized, placebo-controlled 5-month intervention. Patients were randomized to receive daily either multispecies probiotic supplementation or placebo. Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, quality of life, microarray-based intestinal microbiota stability (n = 20), serum cytokines and sensitive C-reactive protein were monitored. The composite irritable bowel syndrome score had at 5 months decreased 14 points (95% CI: -19 to -9) from baseline with the multispecies probiotic vs. three points (95% CI: -8 to 1) with placebo (P = 0.0083). Especially, distension and abdominal pain were affected. A stabilization of the microbiota was observed, as the microbiota similarity index increased with the probiotic supplementation (1.9 +/- 3.1), while it decreased with placebo (-2.9 +/- 1.7). No differences were seen in C-reactive protein. This multispecies probiotic seems to be an effective and safe option to alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and to stabilize the intestinal microbiota.


Projections from neocortex mediate top-down control of memory retrieval.
Top-down prefrontal cortex inputs to the hippocampus have been hypothesized to be important in memory consolidation, retrieval, and the pathophysiology of major psychiatric diseases; however, no such direct projections have been identified and functionally described. Here we report the discovery of a monosynaptic prefrontal cortex (predominantly anterior cingulate) to hippocampus (CA3 to CA1 region) projection in mice, and find that optogenetic manipulation of this projection (here termed AC-CA) is capable of eliciting contextual memory retrieval. To explore the network mechanisms of this process, we developed and applied tools to observe cellular-resolution neural activity in the hippocampus while stimulating AC-CA projections during memory retrieval in mice behaving in virtual-reality environments. Using this approach, we found that learning drives the emergence of a sparse class of neurons in CA2/CA3 that are highly correlated with the local network and that lead synchronous population activity events; these neurons are then preferentially recruited by the AC-CA projection during memory retrieval. These findings reveal a sparsely implemented memory retrieval mechanism in the hippocampus that operates via direct top-down prefrontal input, with implications for the patterning and storage of salient memory representations.


Omasal sampling technique for assessing fermentative digestion in the forestomach of dairy cows.
A procedure allowing digesta sampling from the omasum via a ruminal cannula without repeated entry into the omasum was developed. The sampling system consisted of a device inserted into the omasum via the ruminal cannula, a tube connecting the device to the ruminal cannula, and a single compressor/vacuum pump. Eight cows given ad libitum access to a total mixed diet were used in a crossover design to evaluate the effects of the sampling system on digestive activity, animal performance, and animal behavior. Results indicated that the omasal sampling system has minimal effect on normal digestive and productive functions of high-producing dairy cows. Dry matter intake was reduced (24.0 vs 21.8 kg/d; P < .02) and seemed related more to the sampling procedures than to the device in the omasum. Observations of animal behavior indicated that cows with the sampling device were similar to control cows, although rumination and total chewing times were reduced slightly. The composition of digesta samples was biased toward an over-abundance of the liquid phase, but using a double-marker system to calculate digesta flow resulted in fairly small coefficients of variation for measurements of ruminal digestion variables. This technique may prove useful for partitioning digestion between the fermentative portion of the forestomach and the lower gastrointestinal tract. The omasal sampling procedure requires less surgical intervention than the traditional methods using abomasal or duodenal cannulas as sampling sites to study forestomach digestion and avoids potentially confounding endogenous secretions of the abomasum.


Gastric dilation and intestinal obstruction in 76 rabbits.
Eighty-four incidents of gastric dilation (bloat) were investigated in 76 pet rabbits, and an intestinal obstruction was confirmed in 64 of them. In 49 the obstruction was due to pellets of compressed hair, in four to locust bean seeds, in five to neoplasia, in two to postspay adhesions, and in one case each to carpet fibre, tapeworm cysts, a strangulated hernia and diverticulosis. In all but four cases, the obstruction was in the small intestine. The condition affected a variety of breeds fed on a variety of diets. Radiography was a useful diagnostic tool because gas and/or fluid in the digestive tract outlined the dilated stomach and intestines. Twenty-nine of the rabbits died or were euthanased without treatment, and 40 underwent exploratory surgery; of these, 10 died during surgery, three were euthanased because of intestinal neoplasia, eight died postoperatively and 19 recovered. Fifteen rabbits in which radiography indicated that a foreign body had passed out of the small intestine did not undergo surgery; of these, 13 recovered and two died.


Chicken DNA virus sensor DDX41 activates IFN-β signaling pathway dependent on STING.
The recognition of pathogenic DNA is important to the initiation of antiviral responses. Here, we report the identification of the first avian DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 41 (DDX41), an important DNA sensor, in chicken cells. In our study, we confirmed that chDDX41 is not an interferon-inducible gene. Knockdown of chDDX41 expression by shRNA blocked the ability of DF-1 cells to mount an IFN-β response to DNA and associated viruses. ChDDX41 mRNAs could be upregulated by double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) analogue poly(dA:dT), but not by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) analogue poly(I:C). In poly(dA:dT) stimulation assays, the immune molecules involved in the DDX41-mediated IFN-β pathway in human cells were universally upregulated in chicken cells. Via coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments, we found that chDDX41 could strongly interact with chicken stimulator of IFN genes (chSTING). Therefore, our results suggest that chDDX41 is involved in the dsDNA- and dsDNA virus-mediated chDDX41-chSTING-IFN-β signaling pathway in chicken cells.


Prophylactic treatment of haemophilia patients with inhibitors: clinical experience with recombinant factor VIIa in European Haemophilia Centres.
Many patients with haemophilia develop inhibitors to factor VIII and require bypassing agents to provide haemostatic cover for limb- or life-threatening bleeding episodes. Due to the reduced risk of blood-borne pathogen transmission with recombinant products, on-demand recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa; NovoSeven is the treatment of choice for children with inhibitors. In haemophiliac patients without inhibitors, primary prophylaxis has been clinical practice for several years. This paper summarises 13 case histories of rFVIIa secondary prophylaxis for haemophilia patients with inhibitors. This was a retrospective survey of adult and paediatric severe haemophilia patients with inhibitors treated with rFVIIa from ten European Haemophilia Centres. There was a wide variation in administered rFVIIa dose, from 200-250 microg kg(-1) per week to 220 microg kg(-1) daily. In many cases, this was lower than the recommended on-demand dose of rFVIIa. In 12/13 cases, prophylaxis with rFVIIa considerably reduced the number of bleeding episodes compared with previous treatment. Eight/nine patients were satisfied or very satisfied with rFVIIa treatment, and in cases reporting subjective quality of life (QoL), all were improved, much improved, or significantly improved. In haemophilia patients with inhibitors, prophylaxis with rFVIIa is highly effective in reducing the number of bleeding episodes and results in good patient compliance and improved QoL. Randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings. Results of a recently completed clinical trial on secondary prophylaxis with rFVIIa in frequently bleeding haemophilia patients with inhibitors are expected in late 2006.


A Survey of the Knowledge of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis among the Medical Staff of Intensive Care Units in North China.
Guideline concordance for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) varies across different countries. To explore how the medical staff of ICUs in China comprehend and practice VTE prophylaxis. Questionnaires comprising 39 questions and including 4 dimensions of thromboprophylaxis were administered in ICUs in North China. In all, 52 ICUs at 23 tertiary hospitals in 7 Chinese provinces and municipalities were surveyed. A total of 2500 questionnaires were sent, and 1861 were returned, corresponding to a response rate of approximately 74.4%. Of all surveyed medical staff, 36.5% of physicians and 22.2% of nurses were aware of the guidelines in China, and 19.0% of physicians and 9.5% of nurses comprehended the 9th edition of the guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). Additionally, 37.6% of the medical staff chose a prophylaxis method based on the related guidelines, and 10.3% could demonstrate the exact indication for mechanical pattern application. Worries about skin injury, difficulty with removal and discomfort during mechanical thromboprophylaxis were cited by more than 30% of nurses, which was significantly more frequent than for physicians (graduated compression stockings: 54.3% VS 34.1%, 60.7% VS 49%, and 59.4% VS 54%, p = 0.000; intermittent pneumatic compression: 31% VS 22.2%, 19.2% VS 13.9%, and 37.8% VS 27.2%, p = 0.000). The knowledge of VTE prophylaxis among the medical staff of ICUs in North China remains limited, which may lead to a lack of standardization of VTE prophylaxis. Strengthened, standardized training may help medical staff to improve their comprehension of the relevant guidelines and may finally reduce the occurrence of VTE in ICUs and improve the prognosis of critically ill patients with VTE.


Impaired homeostatic mechanism of potassium handling after acute oral potassium load in diabetes mellitus.
Chronic stable diabetic patients (n = 6) were compared with healthy control subjects (n = 5) after acute oral intake of 50 mEq of potassium chloride (KCl) to investigate for possible derangements of homeostatic responses for acute term (3 hrs) to acute potassium load. Plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA), and transtubular potassium concentration gradient (TTKG) known as a useful semiquantative index of distal nephron potassium secretion were measured. All the baseline parameters were comparable between diabetic and non-diabetic subjects except for significantly reduced creatinine clearance in diabetics (mean +/- SEM, 105 +/- 4 vs. 85 +/- 5 ml/min, p < 0.05). Following acute oral KCl load, the peak increases of serum potassium changes from basal levels were noted at 2 hours in both groups, but were higher in diabetic subjects (mean +/- SEM, 0.42 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.62 +/- 0.09 mEq/L). Also, 4 out of 6 diabetic subjects but none of the control subjects at 2 hours after oral KCl load became hyperkalemic ( > 5.0 mEq/L). PRA did not show any significant changes, whereas PA was increased simultaneously with increments in serum potassium in both groups, with blunted increases in the diabetics. However, TTKG was increased prominently in control subjects (8.18 from 4.98), but only slightly in diabetic subjects (4.55 from 4.18), with statistical difference between the two groups (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Preparation of spin-labelled sulfatides for EPR studies on model membranes.
Using the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of the fatty acids, galactosylceramide I3-sulfate containing a 5-or 16-doxyl-stearoyl residue was prepared in good yield by acylation of the galactosylsphingosine I3-sulfate (lysosulfatide) obtained from the saponification of the bovine brain sulfatide. The EPR behavior of the two semisynthetic sulfatides was analyzed in natural sulfatide micelles and in multilamellar vesicles of egg phosphatidylcholine. The evaluated parameters demonstrate that these spin-labelled sulfatides can be used for the study of sulfatide behavior in lipid structures.


Development and characterization of a multiple-coincidence ion-momentum imaging spectrometer.
The design and performance of a high-resolution momentum-imaging spectrometer for ions which is optimized for experiments using synchrotron radiation is presented. High collection efficiency is achieved by a focusing electrostatic lens; a long drift tube improves mass resolution and a position-sensitive detector enables measurement of the transverse momentum of ions. The optimisation of the lens for particle momentum measurement at the highest resolution is described. We discuss the overall performance of the spectrometer and present examples demonstrating the momentum resolution for both kinetics and for angular measurements in molecular fragmentation for carbon monoxide and fullerenes. Examples are presented that confirm that complete space-time focussing is possible for a two-field three-dimensional imaging spectrometer.


A case of papillary thyroid carcinoma in struma ovarii and review of the literature.
Malignancy in struma ovarii is a rare form of ovarian germ cell tumour. Because of its rarity, the diagnosis and management of the tumour have not been clearly defined. We present a case of 67- year-old female with papillary carcinoma arising in struma ovarii and review the literature on malignancy in struma ovarii cases, focusing on management of these cases.


Emergence of ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from healthy children and pediatric patients in Portugal.
We describe 66 ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pyogenes isolates recovered from colonized and infected children. The ParC S79A substitution was frequent and associated with the emm6/sequence type 382 (emm6/ST382) lineage. The ParC D83G substitution was detected in two isolates (emm5/ST99 and emm28/ST52 lineages). One isolate (emm89/ST101) had no quinolone resistance-determining region codon substitutions or other resistance mechanisms. Five of 66 isolates were levofloxacin resistant. Although fluoroquinolones are not used in children, they may be putative disseminators of fluoroquinolone-nonsusceptible strains in the community.


Can attachment and peer relation constructs predict anxiety in ethnic minority youths? A longitudinal exploratory study.
Anxiety is the most prevalent psychiatric disturbance in childhood effecting typically 15-20% of all youth. It has been associated with attachment insecurity and reduced competence in peer relations. Prior work has been limited by including mainly White samples, relying on questionnaires, and applying a cross-sectional design. The present study addressed these limitations by considering how at-risk non-White youth (n = 34) responded to the Friends and Family Interview (FFI) in middle childhood and how this linked up with anxiety symptoms and an anxiety diagnosis three years later in early adolescence. Five dimensions of secure attachment, namely, (i) to mother, (ii) to father, (iii) coherence, (iv) developmental understanding, and (v) social competence and quality of contact with best friend in middle childhood, were found to correlate significantly (and negatively) with self-reported anxiety symptoms. Linear regression results showed independent influences of female gender, and (low) quality of best friend contact as the most efficient model predicting anxiety symptoms. Logistic regression results suggested a model that included female gender, low social competence, and immature developmental understanding as efficient predictors of an anxiety diagnosis, evident in only 18% of the sample. These results point to the usefulness of after-school programs for at-risk minority youth in promoting peer competence, developmental awareness, and minimizing anxiety difficulties.


SARS-CoV-2 historical global testing and genomic variability.
The world has been dealing with the SARS-COV-2 pandemic since December 2019 and a lot of effort has focused on tracking the spread of the virus by gathering information regarding testing statistics and generating viral genomic sequences. Unfortunately, there is neither a single comprehensive resource with global historical testing data nor a centralized database with summary statistics of the identified genomic variants. We merged different pre-aggregated historical testing data and complemented them with our manually extracted ones, which consist of 6852 historical test statistics from 76 countries/states unreported in any other dataset, at the date of submission, making our dataset the most comprehensive to date. We also analyzed all publicly deposited SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences in GISAID and annotated their variants. Both datasets can be accessed through our interactive dashboard which also provides important insights on different outbreak trends across countries and states. The dashboard is available at https://bioinfo.lau.edu.lb/gkhazen/covid19 . A daily updated version of the datasets can be downloaded from github.com/KhazenLab/covid19-data.


The Effect and Mechanism of Transdermal Penetration Enhancement of Fu's Cupping Therapy: New Physical Penetration Technology for Transdermal Administration with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Characteristics.
In this paper, a new type of physical penetration technology for transdermal administration with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) characteristics is presented. Fu's cupping therapy (FCT), was established and studied using in vitro and in vivo experiments and the penetration effect and mechanism of FCT physical penetration technology was preliminarily discussed. With 1-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methylindole-3-ylacetic acid (indomethacin, IM) as a model drug, the establishment of high, medium, and low references was completed for the chemical permeation system via in vitro transdermal tests. Furthermore, using chemical penetration enhancers (CPEs) and iontophoresis as references, the percutaneous penetration effect of FCT for IM patches was evaluated using seven species of in vitro diffusion kinetics models and in vitro drug distribution; the IM quantitative analysis method in vivo was established using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology (UPLC-MS/MS), and pharmacokinetic parameters: area under the zero and first moment curves from 0 to last time t (AUC0-t, AUMC0-t), area under the zero and first moment curves from 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞, AUMC0-∞), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and mean residence time (MRT), were used as indicators to evaluate the percutaneous penetration effect of FCT in vivo. Additionally, we used the 3K factorial design to study the joint synergistic penetration effect on FCT and chemical penetration enhancers. Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging, micro- and ultrastructural changes on the surface of the stratum corneum (SC) were observed to explore the FCT penetration mechanism. In vitro and in vivo skin permeation experiments revealed that both the total cumulative percutaneous amount and in vivo percutaneous absorption amount of IM using FCT were greater than the amount using CPEs and iontophoresis. Firstly, compared with the control group, the indomethacin skin percutaneous rate of the FCT low-intensity group (FCTL) was 35.52%, and the enhancement ratio (ER) at 9 h was 1.76X, roughly equivalent to the penetration enhancing effect of the CPEs and iontophoresis. Secondly, the indomethacin percutaneous ratio of the FCT middle-intensity group (FCTM) and FCT high-intensity group (FCTH) were 47.36% and 54.58%, respectively, while the ERs at 9 h were 3.58X and 8.39X, respectively. Thirdly, pharmacokinetic data showed that in vivo indomethacin percutaneous absorption of the FCT was much higher than that of the control, that of the FCTM was slightly higher than that of the CPE, and that of the FCTM group was significantly higher than all others. Meanwhile, variance analysis indicated that the combination of the FCT penetration enhancement method and the CPE method had beneficial effects in enhancing skin penetration: the significance level of the CPE method was 0.0004, which was lower than 0.001, meaning the difference was markedly significant; the significance level of the FCT was also below 0.0001 and its difference markedly significant. The significance level of factor interaction A × B was lower than 0.0001, indicating that the difference in synergism was markedly significant. Moreover, SEM and TEM images showed that the SC surfaces of Sprague-Dawley rats treated with FCT were damaged, and it was difficult to observe the complete surface structure, with SC pores growing larger and its special "brick structure" becoming looser. This indicated that the barrier function of the skin was broken, thus revealing a potentially major route of skin penetration. FCT, as a new form of transdermal penetration technology, has significant penetration effects with TCM characteristics and is of high clinical value. It is worth promoting its development.


Relationship between travoprost and central corneal thickness in ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma.
To evaluate whether treatment with travoprost, an F2a prostaglandin analog, affects central corneal thickness (CCT) and whether intraocular pressure (IOP) response to the medication is related to baseline CCT. This was a prospective, interventional, nonrandomized, nonconsecutive, clinical trial. In this multicenter study, 379 total patients, 220 with newly or previously diagnosed open-angle glaucoma (OAG), 141 with ocular hypertension (OHT), and 18 unspecified, were recruited from 15 Canadian sites. IOP and CCT assessments were performed at baseline and 6 weeks after treatment with travoprost. Patients on IOP-lowering therapy at the time of enrollment were washed out for 4 weeks before baseline examinations. IOP was measured with Goldmann tonometers and CCT with Accutome IV pachymeters. Statistical analysis was performed with S-PLUS software. Posttherapy mean IOP decreased by 6.31 mm Hg or 24.4% (P < 0.001), and regression analysis indicated relatively greater IOP reduction in patients with higher pretherapy IOP (slope = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54-0.76). Mean CCT decreased by 6.9 microm (P < 0.001). IOP reduction was not related to CCT reduction (slope = 0.253; 95% CI, -0.232 to 0.739; P = 0.305). Percent IOP decrease was not related to baseline CCT (slope = -0.02; 95% CI, -0.06 to 00.02; P = 0.33) in the total study sample. When OHT and OAG groups were considered separately, the OAG patients had less percent IOP decrease with thicker baseline CCT (slope = -0.067; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.004; P = 0.037). Treatment with travoprost decreased IOP significantly and was associated with CCT thinning, which had little or no effect on actual IOP decrease. In the OAG group, IOP decrease was found to be statistically smaller in patients with thicker corneas.


Metabolic Engineered Biocatalyst: A Solution for PLA Based Problems.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester. In 2010, PLA became the second highest consumed bioplastic in the world due to its wide application. Conventionally, PLA is produced by direct condensation of lactic acid monomer and ring opening polymerization of lactide, resulting in lower molecular weight and lesser strength of polymer. Furthermore, conventional methods of PLA production require a catalyst which makes it inappropriate for biomedical applications. Newer method utilizes metabolic engineering of microorganism for direct production of PLA through fermentation which produces good quality and high molecular weight and yield as compared to conventional methods. PLA is used as decomposing packaging material, sheet casting, medical implants in the form of screw, plate, and rod pin, etc. The main focus of the review is to highlight the synthesis of PLA by various polymerization methods that mainly include metabolic engineering fermentation as well as salient biomedical applications of PLA.


Neutralising antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 and wild-type virus in patients with inflammatory bowel disease following three doses of COVID-19 vaccine (VIP): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study.
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving anti-TNF and JAK-inhibitor therapy have attenuated responses to COVID-19 vaccination. We aimed to determine how IBD treatments affect neutralising antibody responses against the Omicron BA.4/5 variant. In this multicentre cohort study, we prospectively recruited 340 adults (69 healthy controls and 271 IBD) at nine UK hospitals between May 28, 2021 and March 29, 2022. The IBD study population was established (>12 weeks therapy) on either thiopurine (n = 63), infliximab (n = 45), thiopurine and infliximab combination therapy (n = 48), ustekinumab (n = 45), vedolizumab (n = 46) or tofacitinib (n = 24). Patients were excluded if they were being treated with any other immunosuppressive therapies. Participants had two doses of either ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or BNT162b2 vaccines, followed by a third dose of either BNT162b2 or mRNA1273. Pseudo-neutralisation assays against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and BA.4/5 were performed. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (NT50) of participant sera was calculated. The primary outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralising response against wild-type virus and Omicron BA.4/5 variant after the second and third doses of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, stratified by immunosuppressive therapy, adjusting for prior infection, vaccine type, age, and interval between vaccination and blood collection. This study is registered with ISRCTN (No. 13495664). Both heterologous (first two doses adenovirus vaccine, third dose mRNA vaccine) and homologous (three doses mRNA vaccine) vaccination strategies significantly increased neutralising titres against both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Omicron BA.4/5 variant in healthy participants and patients with IBD. Antibody titres against BA.4/5 were significantly lower than antibodies against wild-type virus in both healthy participants and patients with IBD (p < 0.0001). Multivariable models demonstrated that neutralising antibodies against BA.4/5 after three doses of vaccine were significantly lower in patients with IBD on infliximab (Geometric Mean Ratio (GMR) 0.19 [0.10, 0.36], p < 0.0001), infliximab and thiopurine combination (GMR 0.25 [0.13, 0.49], p < 0.0001) or tofacitinib (GMR 0.43 [0.20, 0.91], p = 0.028), but not in patients on thiopurine monotherapy, ustekinumab, or vedolizumab. Breakthrough infection was associated with lower neutralising antibodies against wild-type (p = 0.037) and BA.4/5 (p = 0.045). A third dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine based on the wild-type spike glycoprotein significantly boosts neutralising antibody titres in patients with IBD. However, responses are lower against the Omicron variant BA.4/5, particularly in patients taking anti-TNF and JAK-inhibitor therapy. Breakthrough infections are associated with lower neutralising antibodies and immunosuppressed patients with IBD may receive additional benefit from bivalent vaccine boosters which target Omicron variants. Pfizer.


Clinical efficacy of orlistat therapy in overweight and obese patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes: A 1-year randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE; Weight loss improves glycemic control, lipid profiles, and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, successful long-term weight loss is difficult for these patients, particularly those treated with insulin. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, on weight loss, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients. This study was a 1-year multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of orlistat (120 mg three times a day) or placebo combined with a reduced-calorie diet in overweight or obese adults (BMI 28-40 kg/m(2)) with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin alone or combined with oral agents, but with suboptimal metabolic control (HbA(1c) 7.5-12.0%). Outcome measurements included changes in body weight, glycemic control, blood pressure, and serum lipids. RESULTS; After 1 year, the orlistat group lost significantly more weight (-3.89 +/- 0.3% of baseline body weight, means +/- SE) than the placebo group (-1.27 +/- 0.3%, P < 0.001). Orlistat treatment, compared with placebo, produced greater decreases in HbA(1c) (-0.62 +/- 0.08 vs. -0.27 +/- 0.08%, P = 0.002), fasting serum glucose (-1.63 +/- 0.3 vs. -1.08 +/- 0.3 mmol/l, P = 0.02), and the required doses of insulin and other diabetic medications. Orlistat also produced greater improvements than placebo in serum total cholesterol (P = 0.0002) and LDL cholesterol concentrations (P = 0.001) and LDL/HDL ratio (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS; Orlistat therapy produces clinically significant weight loss, with improvements in glycemic control and cardiovascular disease risk factors, in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes who have suboptimal metabolic control with insulin therapy.


Relationships Between RNA Polymerase II Activity and Spt Elongation Factors to Spt- Phenotype and Growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The interplay between adjacent transcription units can result in transcription-dependent alterations in chromatin structure or recruitment of factors that determine transcription outcomes, including the generation of intragenic or other cryptic transcripts derived from cryptic promoters. Mutations in a number of genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confer both cryptic intragenic transcription and the Suppressor of Ty (Spt(-)) phenotype for the lys2-128∂ allele of the LYS2 gene. Mutants that suppress lys2-128∂ allow transcription from a normally inactive Ty1 ∂ promoter, conferring a LYS(+) phenotype. The arrangement of transcription units at lys2-128∂ is reminiscent of genes containing cryptic promoters within their open reading frames. We set out to examine the relationship between RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) activity, functions of Spt elongation factors, and cryptic transcription because of the previous observation that increased-activity Pol II alleles confer an Spt(-) phenotype. We identify both cooperating and antagonistic genetic interactions between Pol II alleles and alleles of elongation factors SPT4, SPT5, and SPT6 We find that cryptic transcription at FLO8 and STE11 is distinct from that at lys2-128∂, though all show sensitivity to reduction in Pol II activity, especially the expression of lys2-128∂ found in Spt(-) mutants. We determine that the lys2-128∂ Spt(-) phenotypes for spt6-1004 and increased activity rpo21/rpb1 alleles each require transcription from the LYS2 promoter. Furthermore, we identify the Ty1 transcription start site (TSS) within the ∂ element as the position of Spt(-) transcription in tested Spt(-) mutants.


Gum arabic-assisted green synthesis of biocompatible MoS2 nanoparticles for methylene blue photodegradation.
The current work reports the gum arabic-mediated greener synthesis of MoS2 nanoparticles (NPs) and its utilization for the solar light-assisted degradation of methylene blue. Furthermore, the safety analyses were performed on human-beneficial gut bacterium, L. delbrueckii, and human blood cells to confirm the biocompatibility of NPs synthesized. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were done to explore their usefulness for biological applications. Sonication and microwave treatment were used to obtain spherical 10-12 nm MoS2 NPs as characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. FT-IR characterization revealed the occurrence of gum arabic on the NPs surface. The MoS2 NPs exhibited ~ 98% MB degradation within 8 h under direct sunlight exposure. Moreover, the reusability studies have also been evaluated and free radical trapping experiments indicated that superoxide (•O2-) is the dominant active species of the reaction system. Furthermore, 98.89% MB degradation efficiency was observed within 150 min in the case of real textile industry MB effluent samples. Untreated MB inhibited the growth of L. delbrueckii on MRS agar plates, while growth was observed in the case of MoS2 NPs-treated MB samples indicating safety of current MB degradation approach. MoS2 NPs inhibited the growth of E. coli MTCC1698 and S. aureus MTCC 3160 with 26 mm and 21 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. Furthermore, MoS2 NPs have shown antioxidant properties, resulting in 82.3 ± 0.43% of DPPH scavenging activity which was comparable to ascorbic acid (81.6 ± 0.6%), a standard antioxidant molecule. The NPs have not shown any hemolytic activity at 0.0625 and 0.125 mg/mL doses to human blood proving their biocompatible nature. Gum arabic-synthesized biocompatible MoS2 NPs have good potential to treat MB released as waste from the textile industry and other biological applications.


Tumor Growth Suppression Induced by Biomimetic Silk Fibroin Hydrogels.
Protein-based hydrogels with distinct conformations which enable encapsulation or differentiation of cells are of great interest in 3D cancer research models. Conformational changes may cause macroscopic shifts in the hydrogels, allowing for its use as biosensors and drug carriers. In depth knowledge on how 3D conformational changes in proteins may affect cell fate and tumor formation is required. Thus, this study reports an enzymatically crosslinked silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel system that can undergo intrinsic conformation changes from random coil to β-sheet conformation. In random coil status, the SF hydrogels are transparent, elastic, and present ionic strength and pH stimuli-responses. The random coil hydrogels become β-sheet conformation after 10 days in vitro incubation and 14 days in vivo subcutaneous implantation in rat. When encapsulated with ATDC-5 cells, the random coil SF hydrogel promotes cell survival up to 7 days, whereas the subsequent β-sheet transition induces cell apoptosis in vitro. HeLa cells are further incorporated in SF hydrogels and the constructs are investigated in vitro and in an in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane model for tumor formation. In vivo, Angiogenesis and tumor formation are suppressed in SF hydrogels. Therefore, these hydrogels provide new insights for cancer research and uses of biomaterials.


[Cardiovascular proteomics: challenges and opportunities for cardiologists of the future].
Proteomics is the study of the "proteome", that is the entire protein complement of a genome. However, it is well recognized that the proteome is far more complex than previously suggested by the "one-gene, one-protein" central dogma of biology. The proteome encompasses all proteins of a cell or organism at a given time, including not only those translated directly from genetic information but also the array of modified proteins arising from alternative splicing of transcripts and post-translational processing, resulting in modifications that have the potential to alter protein structure or biological function. As proteins are involved in virtually every cellular function, control every regulatory mechanism, and are modified in disease states, the proteome dictates the phenotype of the cell and, consequently, the tissue or organ that the cells comprise. This results in a dynamic, ongoing process of protein expression and modifications. The proteome thus consists of information from protein expression, post-translational modifications, processing and turnover, localization and time. Proteomics is aimed at identifying and characterizing these protein changes and, if applied to the field of cardiovascular sciences, it has the potential to reveal those proteins that are associated with pathogenesis and could be potentially used as predictive or prognostic markers. Cardioproteomic is still in its infancy and relatively few cardiovascular diseases have been investigated. However, it has enormously increased our knowledge of the complexity of the myocardium in terms of protein composition at cellular and organelle levels. The cardiac proteome is further complicated by protein post-translational modifications, which may regulate organelle function in physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, the incorporation of proteomics into cardiovascular research will provide a means of exploring the mechanisms of disease onset and progression. This will in turn ultimately lead to increased efficiency of diagnosis and/or monitoring of treatment, which could dramatically increase the ability of the clinician to recognize cardiovascular disease states at a relatively early stage, and to improve the therapeutic approach.


Thyrolipoma: A Rare Presentation of the Thyroid Gland.
Thyrolipoma is a rare disorder marked by substantial adipose tissue growth inside the thyroid gland. Fatty tissue is frequently seen in salivary glands, thymus, breasts, and pancreas but rarely in the thyroid gland. The fascinating and unusual illness known as thyrolipoma presents challenging diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Due to the rarity of thyrolipoma, doctors must evaluate thyroid nodules with a high index of suspicion, especially those who are radiologically and clinically worrisome. We present a study of a 50-year-old female who came with the complaint of midline neck mass for one year. On clinical examination, a diagnosis of multinodular goiter was made. Computed tomography (CT) scan was suggestive of a heterogenous enhanced thyroid mass lesion. Thus, a total thyroidectomy was performed. On histopathological examination, a final diagnosis of thyrolipoma was made. The abstract aims to provide an overview of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment options of thyrolipoma, as well as highlight the importance of early recognition and appropriate management of this rare tumor.


Three operational taxonomic units of Eimeria are common in Nigerian chickens and may undermine effective molecular diagnosis of coccidiosis.
Chicken is fast becoming the world's most consumed meat. As a consequence poultry health is more important now than ever before, with pathogens of chickens recognised as serious threats to food security. One such threat are Eimeria species parasites, protozoa which can cause the disease coccidiosis. Eimeria can compromise economic poultry production and chicken welfare, and have serious consequences for poor livestock keepers. Seven Eimeria species that infect chickens are recognised with a global enzootic distribution. More recently three cryptic Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUx, y and z) have been described in populations of Eimeria recovered from chickens in Australia. Two of the three OTUs have also been detected in sub-Saharan Africa, but their occurrence, pathology and the risk they pose is largely unknown. Nigeria has witnessed a dramatic expansion in poultry production and is now the largest poultry producer in Africa. Here, faecal samples collected from nine of 12 commercial chicken farms sampled in Kaduna state, Nigeria, were found to contain eimerian oocysts. After amplification by in vivo propagation all three cryptic OTU genotypes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including OTUy for the first time outside of Australia. Comparison with a widely used, established Eimeria species-specific PCR assay revealed failure to detect the OTU genotypes. All three of the Eimeria OTU genotypes appear to be common in north-western Nigeria. The failure of a leading species-specific molecular assay to detect these genotypes indicates a risk of false negative Eimeria diagnosis when using molecular tools and suggests that the spatial occurrence of each OTU may be far wider than has been recognised. The risk posed by these novel genotypes is unknown, but it is clear that a better understanding of Eimeria occurrence is required together with the validation of effective diagnostics.


Assessment of the effect of anthropometric data on the alterations of cardiovascular parameters in Lithuanian elite male basketball players during physical load.
OBJECTIVES. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the anthropometric data of basketball players on the alterations of cardiovascular parameters during the physical load applying the model of integrated evaluation. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The research sample consisted of 113 healthy Caucasian male basketball players, candidates of the Lithuanian National men's basketball teams. Basketball players were divided into 2 groups: 69 taller and heavier male basketball players (with a higher percentage of body fat) (TMB) and 44 shorter and less heavy male basketball players (with a lower percentage of body fat) (SMB). The amount of fat, expressed in percentage, was measured using the body composition analyzer TBF-300. "Kaunas-Load," a computerized ECG analysis system, was used to evaluate the functional condition of the cardiovascular system during the load. RESULTS. The TMB group had a lower heart rate during the warming-up phase and the steady state of the load as compared with the SMB group (P<0.05). The JT interval in the TMB group was greater during the warming-up and the steady state as compared with the SMB group (P<0.05). The JT/RR ratio index in the TMB group was found to be lower in the warming-up phase and in the steady state compared with the respective parameter in the SMB group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS. The cardiovascular system of taller and heavier male basketball players with a greater relative amount of body fat functioned more economically.


In silico Prediction of Human Secretory Proteins in Plasma Based on Discrete Firefly Optimization and Application to Cancer Biomarkers Identification.
The early control and prevention of cancer contributes effectively interventions and cancer therapies. Secretory protein, one of the richest biomarkers, is proved important as molecular signposts of the physiological state of a cell. In this work, we aim to propose a proteomic high-throughput technology platform to facilitate detection of early cancer by means of biomarkers that secreted into the bloodstream. We compile a new benchmark dataset of human secretory proteins in plasma. A series of sequence-derived features, which have been proved involved in the structure and function of the secretory proteins, are collected to mathematically encode these proteins. Considering the influence of potential irrelevant or redundant features, we introduce discrete firefly optimization algorithm to perform feature selection. We evaluate and compare the proposed method SCRIP (Secretory proteins in plasma) with state-of-the-art approaches on benchmark datasets and independent testing datasets. SCRIP achieves the average AUC values of 0.876 and 0.844 in five-fold the cross-validation and independent test, respectively. Besides that, we also test SCRIP on proteins in four types of cancer tissues and successfully detect 66∼77% potential cancer biomarkers.