Age-related changes in the secretion of LH in vivo and in vitro in infantile and prepubertal Holstein bull calves.
The objectives of this study were (i) to determine whether age-related changes in the secretion of LH are associated with alterations in secretory activity or numbers of gonadotrophs, and (ii) to determine whether gonadotrophs obtained from the pars distalis and pars tuberalis undergo similar age-related changes in function. Blood samples were collected from Holstein bull calves every 15 min for 12 h at < 1, 12, and 42 weeks of age (n = 5 per age group) to characterize the secretion of LH. Calves were killed 3-5 days later. The pars distalis and pars tuberalis were enzymatically dispersed into suspensions of single cells. Cells from the pars distalis were (i) extracted with 0.01 mol NaHCO3 l-1, (ii) fixed for immunocytochemical analysis, and (iii) cultured in six-well plastic plates at a density of 500,000 cells per well in media containing 2.5% homologous calf serum for 18 and 72 h. Cells from the pars tuberalis were cultured as for pars distalis cells. As expected, LH pulse frequency increased (P < 0.01) between one and 12 weeks of age and then declined. The percentage of cells from the pars distalis containing immunoreactive LH averaged 8.4%, and did not change with age. The mass of the pars distalis and the total number of cells recovered increased with age (P < 0.05); consequently, the number of gonadotrophs recovered also increased. The initial content of LH of pars distalis cells changed with age and was greatest at 12 weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


[How do Affected Children and Adolescents Experience their Short Stature, and what is the Point of View of their Parents?].
How do Affected Children and Adolescents Experience their Short Stature, and what is the Point of View of their Parents? Despite a large number of publications on the psychosocial situation of short statured children and their parents only a few qualitative studies focus on the perspective of the affected families. Within the European QoLISSY study ("Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth") an instrument to assess the health related quality of life of short statured children was developed. The aim of this project was to examine the self-perceived quality of life of the children themselves in comparison to their parents' perspective. During the development of the QoLISSY instrument, focus groups were conducted as a first step of this study. A total of 23 short statured children and 31 parents participated and discussed their experiences in separate groups with trained moderators. The discussions were analyzed qualitatively und results were used to generate a first list of items for the questionnaire to be developed. While parents focused on socio-emotional problems, children talked much more about their growth hormone treatment and problems in their social environment. In comparison to other studies children rated their quality of life worse than their parents. Not only medical treatment but also a psychological and socio-emotional intervention seems to be indicated.


Accelerated para-articular osteochondroma formation within the knee: a case report.
Intra-articular osteochondroma and acoustic neuroma are rare entities. We report the rare occurrence of a para-articular osteochondroma of the knee developing over short duration, 5 months, following minor injury. Predisposition to heterotrophic ossification after previous neurosurgery and a second acoustic neuroma may have accelerated the growth of this benign tumour. The development of these two rare entities suggests they may be associated.


Age-Friendly University environmental scan: Exploring "age-friendliness" with stakeholders at one regional comprehensive university.
Internationally, universities are recognizing the importance of understanding and enhancing age as a component of diversity and inclusion efforts through the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. Eastern Michigan University (EMU) joined the AFU Network in 2018 and has been conducting an environmental scan of supports, weaknesses, and opportunities for age inclusiveness since this time. This article describes a qualitative exploratory study undertaken as part of the Environmental Scan that aimed to understand the perspectives of university stakeholders on supports, barriers, and opportunties to age-friendliness. Twenty-eight participant stakeholders from divisions across the university campus were purposefully sampled to engage in in-depth interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative thematic findings generated through constant comparative method of analysis include: Experience Sharing, Need for Intentionality in Age-Friendly Efforts, and Existence of Age-Inclusivity Barriers and Opportunities for Change.


Modeling spatial trajectories in dynamics testing using basis splines: application to tracking human volunteers in low-speed frontal impacts.
Designing motor vehicle safety systems requires knowledge of whole body kinematics during dynamic loading for occupants of varying size and age, often obtained from sled tests with postmortem human subjects and human volunteers. Recently, we reported pediatric and adult responses in low-speed (<4 g) automotive-like impacts, noting reductions in maximum excursion with increasing age. Since the time-based trajectory shape is also relevant for restraint design, this study quantified the time-series trajectories using basis splines and developed a statistical model for predicting trajectories as a function of body dimension or age. Previously collected trajectories of the head, spine, and pelvis were modeled using cubic basis splines with eight control points. A principal component analysis was conducted on the control points and related to erect seated height using a linear regression model. The resulting statistical model quantified how trajectories became shorter and flatter with increasing body size, corresponding to the validation data-set. Trajectories were then predicted for erect seated heights corresponding to pediatric and adult anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), thus generating performance criteria for the ATDs based on human response. This statistical model can be used to predict trajectories for a subject of specified anthropometry and utilized in subject-specific computational models of occupant response.


Impact of pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin on liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Liver fibrosis is an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatitis C. The effect of pegylated (PEG) interferon alone or its combination with ribavirin on fibrosis has not been established. We pooled individual data from 3010 naive patients with pretreatment and posttreatment biopsies from 4 randomized trials. Ten different regimens combining standard interferon, PEG interferon, and ribavirin were compared. The impact of each regimen was estimated by the percentage of patients with at least 1 grade improvement in the necrosis and inflammation (METAVIR score), the percentage of patients with at least 1 stage worsening in fibrosis METAVIR score, and by the fibrosis progression rate per year. Necrosis and inflammation improvement ranged from 39% (interferon 24 weeks) to 73% (optimized PEG 1.5 and ribavirin; P < 0.001). Fibrosis worsening ranges from 23% (interferon 24 weeks) to 8% (optimized PEG 1.5 and ribavirin; P < 0.001). All regimens significantly reduced the fibrosis progression rates in comparison to rates before treatment. The reversal of cirrhosis was observed in 75 patients (49%) of 153 patients with baseline cirrhosis. Six factors were independently associated with the absence of significant fibrosis after treatment: baseline fibrosis stage (odds ratio [OR] = 0.12; P < 0.0001), sustained viral response (OR = 0.36; P < 0.0001), age < 40 years (OR = 0.51; P < 0.001), body mass index < 27 kg/m(2) (OR = 0.65; P < 0.001), no or minimal baseline activity (OR = 0.70; P = 0.02), and viral load < 3.5 millions copies per milliliter (OR = 0.79; P = 0.03). PEG-interferon and ribavirin combination significantly reduces the rate of fibrosis progression in patients with hepatitis C.


Unemployment, mental health and the psychological functions of work in male welfare clients in Stockholm.
The effects of unemployment and the relationship to symptoms of psychological distress was studied in young, male and single clients on welfare in Stockholm in 1985. One hypothesis was that unemployed men would report more symptoms of psychological distress than men who had employment. Another hypothesis concerned the relationship between the social-psychological functions of work according to the so-called "deprivation theory" of Marie Jahoda and psychological distress as measured by the General Health Questionnaire. Results showed significantly more signs of psychological distress among the unemployed and also more distress among unemployed men with low access to the social-psychological functions of work compared to unemployed men with higher values. Stepwise regression analysis showed that the latent functions had a strong effect on well-being but the effect of employment/unemployment was weaker. This cross-sectional study gave no indications of different reactions in this group of hard-core unemployed men compared to other groups of unemployed in Sweden. Longitudinal studies are needed on this group to test the direction of the causal influence.


The contribution of immunocytochemistry in diagnostic cytology. Comparison and evaluation with immunohistology.
This study reports on the use and evaluation of immunocytochemistry in diagnostic cytology by correlation with (immuno)histology. The cytologic material was collected during a period of 3 years. Sixty-four patients were selected and studied retrospectively. The reactivity of a number of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies was investigated and applied to a diverse group of tumors. Marker expression on routine cytologic and histologic material was compared and the use of immunocytochemistry in diagnosis was evaluated. Immunocytochemistry proved to be an easy and valuable technique for the identification and classification of tumor cells, and there was a good concordance with immunohistology. A discrepancy in marker expression was found in 10% of the slides that were investigated. Immunocytochemistry led to a misdiagnosis in only four cases; however, in these cases cytology alone would not have led to the correct diagnosis. The causes for the discrepancies are discussed. It is estimated that immunocytochemistry contributed to the diagnosis of approximately 50% of the cases, supplying either additional or essential information. A wide variety of markers can be applied reliably on cytologic preparations. The use of panels of antibodies is mandatory.


Comparison of Recurrence and Quality of Life Between Myoma Embolization and Myomectomy.
Uterine myomas represent the most frequently diagnosed tumors among women of childbearing age. Symptoms often include profuse menstrual bleeding, diminished quality of life, and in some cases, infertility. The size and position of the fibroids typically influence the condition's manifestations. Moreover, symptomatology often varies depending on the fibroids' location. This investigation aimed to discern if there exists a significant correlation between life quality, reoccurrence rate, quality of life, and recurrence levels among patients who have undergone myomectomy and uterine fibroid embolization, respectively. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the rates of recurrence and impacts on life quality between uterine fibroid embolization and myomectomy in women diagnosed with uterine myomas. Data were collected from 152 women who sought treatment at the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic and also the Interventional Radiology clinic between January 2009 and January 2021. Thirteen participants were excluded due to the inability to maintain contact. The trial encompassed 76 patients who underwent myomectomy and 63 who had uterine fibroid embolization. In both groups, the life quality of 50 patients, five years postsurgery, was assessed using the UFS-QOL measure. Eligible participants were females between 20 and 40 years, with symptomatic Type 3-5 fibroids as per the FIGO classification, and with no comorbidities. Individuals under 20 or over 40 years, or those with fibroids classified as FIGO types 1,2,6,7,8, were not included. Other exclusion criteria included pregnancy status, abnormal endometrial biopsy results, abnormal smear tests, polyps, cancer, adenomyosis and coagulation disorders. The recurrence of fibroids was identified through symptomatology and diagnostic radiological methods. The recurrence rate was found to be 31.6% (n=24) for myomectomy patients and 14.3% (n=9) for those who underwent uterine fibroid embolization, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The group subjected to myomectomy exhibited fewer symptoms, lower anxiety, and better physical mood scores. The myomectomy group displayed higher average anxiety scores (p<0.01). There were no significant disparities in control, consciousness, sexual function, or overall scores between the two groups. Symptoms and anxiety saw a marked reduction in the first postoperative year compared to the preoperative period (p<0.01). Compared to presurgery, energy, mood, awareness, and sexual function exhibited significant improvements in the first and fifth postoperative years (p<0.01). Our findings suggest a nonsignificant recurrence rate in the myomectomy group compared to the uterine artery embolization group. Notably, the decrease in symptom occurrence and anxiety following myomectomy was significantly favorable in terms of quality of life. While embolization was offered as a therapeutic option, myomectomy yielded more favorable results concerning quality of life.


Relativistic double group spinor representations of nonrigid molecules.
The character theory of relativistic double group spinor representations is developed in order to represent the total rovibronic states of nonrigid molecules. It is shown that the double groups can be represented in terms of wreath products and powerful matrix cycle type generators that are used to construct their character tables. It is shown that these tables are of use when spin-orbit coupling is included in the Hamiltonian even for molecules containing lighter atoms. Applications to nonrigid molecules such as Tl2H4/Tl2H4+ are considered. It is shown that the tunneling splittings and the nuclear spin statistical weights can be obtained for such species using the character tables thus constructed. The spinor double groups of several other molecules such as hexamethyl dilead and heavy weakly bound clusters such as (PoH2)4 are also considered.


Predictive Value of Mean Platelet Volume/Platelet Count for Prognosis in Acute Myocardial Infarction.
Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We aim to assess whether MPV/platelet count (MPV/PC) ratio is a useful marker to predict long-term prognosis in patients with STEMI undergoing PCI. Moreover, the prognostic accuracy of MPV/PC ratio is compared with MPV. 962 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with P-PCI were considered. According to the admission MPV/PC values, the population was divided into two groups: high MPV/PC group (n = 320, MPV/PC ≥ 0.055) and low MPV/PC group (n = 642, MPV/PC < 0.055). Multivariate analysis showed that high MPV/PC was an independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; hazard ratio [HR]: 1.121, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.056-1.190, P < 0.01), all-cause mortality (HR: 1.109, 95% CI: 1.016-1.209, P = 0.020), cardiac mortality (HR: 1.141, 95% CI: 1.038-1.253, P = 0.006), nonfatal myocardial reinfarction (HR: 1.148, 95% CI: 1.044-1.262, P = 0.004), and unplanned repeat revascularization (HR: 1.073, 95% CI: 1.007-1.144, P = 0.030), respectively. MPV/PC ratio has good accuracy for predicting MACE (the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve: 0.764), and the cut-off value was 0.054 with a sensitivity of 0.813 and a specificity of 0.662. The discriminatory performance of MPV/PC ratio was better than MPV for predicting MACE (MPV/PC ratio versus MPV: z = 2.285, P = 0.022), in patients with STEMI undergoing P-PCI. MPV/PC ratio is able to but better than MPV to predict long-term adverse outcomes in patients with STEMI undergoing P-PCI.


Effect of benzene and its closed ring metabolites on intrachromosomal recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Genome rearrangements, such as DNA deletions, translocations and duplications, are associated with cancer in rodents and humans, and clastogens are capable of inducing such genomic rearrangements. The clastogen benzene and several of its toxic metabolites have been shown to cause cancer in animals. Benzene is associated with leukemia and other blood related disorders in humans. Benzene and metabolites tested negative in short-term bacterial mutation assays such as the Salmonella Mutagenicity Test and the Escherichia coli Tryptophan Reversion Assay. These assays, while reliable for the detection of point-mutagenic carcinogens, are incapable of detecting DNA strand break inducing xenobiotics. The yeast DEL assay is based on intrachromosomal recombination events resulting in deletions and is very sensitive in detecting DNA strand breaks. In previous results the DEL assay detected 17 Salmonella positive as well as 25 Salmonella negative carcinogens [Bishop, Schiestl, Hum. Mol. Genet. 9 (2000) 2427-2434]. The carcinogen benzene and its metabolites including phenol, catechol, p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone induced DEL recombination. The benzene metabolite 1,2,4-benzenetriol was negative. Interestingly, p-benzoquinone induced DEL recombination at a dose 300-fold lower than any of the other metabolites, suggesting that it might be responsible for much of benzene's genotoxicity. In addition, an excision repair deficient strain was used, but no difference was detected compared to the wildtype, indicating that DNA adducts subject to excision repair were not formed by benzene or its metabolites.


Genetic and host factors for dementia in Down's syndrome.
The high risk for dementia in adults with Down's syndrome has been attributed to triplication and overexpression of the gene for amyloid precursor protein (APP). But the wide variation in age at onset must be due to other risk factors. To identify factors which influence age at onset of dementia in Down's syndrome. Studies of factors which influence formation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) were reviewed, including atypical karyotypes, susceptibility genotypes, gender and oestrogen deficiency, and individual differences in Abeta peptide levels. The apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele, oestrogen deficiency and high levels of Abeta1-42 peptide are associated with earlier onset of dementia, while atypical karyotypes and the apolipoprotein E epsilon2 allele are associated with reduced mortality and reduced risk of dementia. Factors which influence Abeta levels, rather than overexpression of APP, may account for the differences in age at onset of dementia in Down's syndrome.


Acetaminophen and myocardial infarction in dogs.
The hypothesis that acetaminophen can reduce necrosis during myocardial infarction was tested in male dogs. Two groups were studied: vehicle- (n=10) and acetaminophen-treated (n=10) dogs. All dogs were obtained from the same vendor, and there were no significant differences in their ages (18 +/- 2 mo), weights (24 +/- 1 kg), or housing conditions. Selected physiological data, e.g., coronary blood flow, nonspecific collateral flow, epicardial temperature, heart rate, systemic mean arterial pressure, left ventricular developed pressure, the maximal first derivative of left ventricular developed pressure, blood gases, and pH, were collected at baseline and during regional myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. There were no significant differences in coronary blood flow, nonspecific collateral flow, epicardial temperature, heart rate, systemic mean arterial pressure, or blood gases and pH between the two groups at any of the three time intervals, even though there was a trend toward improved function in the presence of acetaminophen. Infarct size, the main objective of the investigation, was markedly and significantly reduced by acetaminophen. For example, when expressed as a percentage of ventricular wet weight, infarct size was 8 +/- 1 versus 3 +/- 1%(P <0.05) in vehicle- and acetaminophen-treated hearts, respectively. When infarct size was expressed as percentage of the area at risk, it was 35 +/- 3 versus 13 +/- 2% (P <0.05) in vehicle- and acetaminophen-treated groups, respectively. When area at risk was expressed as percentage of total ventricular mass, there were no differences in the two groups. Results reveal that the recently reported cardioprotective properties of acetaminophen in vitro can now be extended to the in vivo arena. They suggest that it is necessary to add acetaminophen to the growing list of pharmaceuticals that possess cardioprotective efficacy in mammals.


[Hepatitis E virus infection in patients with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia].
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emergent virus of global importance; it is the etiological agent of sporadic cases and outbreaks of hepatitis. The epidemiology of this infection in Colombia is unknown. To determine the seropositivity for hepatitis E virus in Colombia in cases with clinical diagnosis of viral hepatitis. Serum samples from patients that were sent to the Instituto Nacional de Salud during the period 2005-2010 (group 1) and samples sent to the Laboratorio Departamental de Salud Pública de Antioquia during the 2008-2009 period were included in this study (group 2). Serum samples were analyzed by immunoassay with commercial kits. From the 344 analyzed samples, 8.7% were positive for anti-HEV; the frequency of anti-HEV IgM was 1.74% (6/344) and the frequency of anti-HEV IgG was 7.5% (26/344). A difference in frequency of anti-HEV between group 1 (6.3%) and group 2 (1.3%) was observed. The cases were identified in nine departments of Colombia. This is the first study of hepatitis E virus infection in patients with diagnosis of hepatitis in Colombia. The frequency of anti-HEV described in this population of patients in Colombia is similar to that described in other Latin American countries like Brazil, Perú and Uruguay. Considering the results of this study, it could be necessary to include hepatitis E virus infection serological markers in the differential diagnosis of viral hepatitis in Colombia.


Relationship between myoelectric signals and blood lactate during incremental forearm exercise.
Five men performed incremental forearm exercise by using a modified hand grip dynamometer while external loads (1 Kg metal plate) were added at each succeeding minute until volitional exhaustion occurred. Myo-electric signals were recorded from the belly of the flexor carpi radialis-palmaris longus. By the use of an LSI-11/23 minicomputer, the digitized data were processed for integrated EMG (IEMG) and mean power frequency (MPF) by means of 512 point fast Fourier transform. Data from individuals revealed that venous lactate correlated highly with IEMG (range: 0.977 to 0.857, P less than 0.001) and MPF (-0.960 to -0.862, P less than 0.001) during the incremental exercise. Group data revealed that none of the parameters tested showed any significant changes between the onset of lactate threshold (LT), i.e., the onset of abrupt increases in lactate, and one minute prior to LT. However, when these parameters were tested between LT and one minute after LT, significant differences were observed for venous lactate (t = 3.16, P less than 0.05), IEMG (t = 3.02, P less than 0.05) and MPF (t = 3.84, P less than 0.05). It was concluded that analysis of myo-electric signals may provide a non-invasive measure of lactate threshold after which dynamic equilibrium of lactate production and utilization becomes unbalanced during the incremental forearm exercise.


[The effect of varicocele on fertility and the significance of operative therapy within the scope of refertilization].
The significance of varicocele is presented in terms of its frequency and its role in causing impairment of fertility. In this context the problems of subclinical varicocele and idiopathic sterility without detectable varicocele are dealt with. Interesting views on these questions from the literature are presented.


Pressure tuning of iron-based superconductor Ca10(Pt3As8) ((Fe0.95Pt0.05)2As2)5.
Systematic high pressure transport measurements were performed on underdoped Ca10(Pt3As8)((Fe0.95Pt0.05)2As2)5 single crystal sample. At ambient pressure, the sample shows a metallic behavior at high temperatures and then increases with further decreasing temperature. The resistivity dip, which is associated with metal to semiconductor transition is monotonically suppressed by increasing pressure. In contrast, the superconducting transition temperature [Formula: see text] first increases with pressure and then decreases with further increasing pressure. Magnetization measurements, which gives the bulk [Formula: see text], show the same trend as the one obtained from resistivity measurements. An upward curvature is observed in the temperature dependence of the upper critical field [Formula: see text], which suggests the multiband nature of the superconductivity. The constructed temperature-pressure (T-P) phase diagram is very similar to the reported temperature-doping (T - x) phase diagram, suggesting the similar role played by pressure and chemical doping.


Biosorption of Cr (VI) with Trichoderma viride immobilized fungal biomass and cell free Ca-alginate beads.
Ability of Cr (VI) biosorption with immobilized Trichoderma viride biomass and cell free Ca-alginate beads was studied in the present study. Biosorption efficiency in the powdered fungal biomass entrapped in polymeric matric of calcium alginate compared with cell free calcium alginate beads. Effect of pH, initial metal ion concentration, time and biomass dose on the Cr (VI) removal by immobilized and cell free Ca-alginate beads were also determined. Biosorption of Cr (VI) was pH dependent and the maximum adsorption was observed at pH 2.0. The adsorption equilibrium was reached in 90 min. The maximum adsorption capacity of 16.075 mgg(-1) was observed at dose 0.2 mg in 100 ml of Cr (VI) solution. The high value of kinetics rate constant Kad (3.73 x 10(-2)) with immobilized fungal biomass and (3.75 x 10(-2)) with cell free Ca- alginate beads showed that the sorption of Cr (VI) ions on immobilized biomass and cell free Ca-alginate beads followed pseudo first order kinetics. The experimental results were fitted satisfactory to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The hydroxyl (-OH) and amino (-NH) functional groups were responsible in biosorption of Cr (VI) with fungal biomass spp. Trichoderma viride analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer.


Robotic cardiac surgery.
To outline current techniques in robotic cardiac surgery and to report the recent results. Robot-assisted surgery is the latest iteration toward less-invasive surgical procedures. Cardiac surgeons have slowly adopted robotic techniques into their armamentarium. In particular, robotic mitral valve surgery has evolved over the last decade and become the preferred method of mitral valve repair and replacement at certain specialized centers worldwide because of excellent results. Robotic single-vessel and double-vessel total endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting procedures have likewise been standardized on the beating and arrested heart. Other cardiac procedures are in various stages of evolution. Results to date have matched the outcomes of major trials for sternotomy-based procedures. In addition, patients may benefit from shorter hospital stays and experience faster return to full activity. Stepwise progression of robotic technology and procedure development will continue to make robotic operations simpler and more efficient, which will encourage more surgeons to take up this technology and extend the benefits of robotic surgery to a larger patient population. Long-term results are needed to determine whether robotic techniques could become the new standard in cardiac surgery.


Gender and time allocation of cohabiting and married women and men in France, Italy, and the United States.
Women, who generally do more unpaid and less paid work than men, have greater incentives to stay in marriages than cohabiting unions, which generally carry fewer legal protections for individuals that wish to dissolve their relationship. The extent to which cohabitation is institutionalized, however, is a matter of policy and varies substantially by country. The gender gap in paid and unpaid work between married and cohabiting individuals should be larger in countries where cohabitation is less institutionalized and where those in cohabiting relationships have relatively fewer legal protections should the relationship dissolve, yet few studies have explored this variation. Using time diary data from France, Italy, and the United States, we assess the time men and women devote to paid and unpaid work in cohabiting and married couples. These three countries provide a useful diversity in marital regimes for examining these expectations: France, where cohabitation is most "marriage like" and where partnerships can be registered and carry legal rights; the United States, where cohabitation is common but is short-lived and unstable and where legal protections vary across states; and Italy, where cohabitation is not common and where such unions are not legally acknowledged and less socially approved than in either France or the United States. Cohabitating men's and women's time allocated to market and nonmarket work is generally more similar than married men and women. Our expectations about country differences are only partially borne out by the findings. Greater gender differences in the time allocated to market and nonmarket work are found in Italy relative to either France or the U.S.


An isoleucine residue acts as a thermal and regulatory switch in wheat Rubisco activase.
The regulation of Rubisco, the gatekeeper of carbon fixation into the biosphere, by its molecular chaperone Rubisco activase (Rca) is essential for photosynthesis and plant growth. Using energy from ATP hydrolysis, Rca promotes the release of inhibitors and restores catalytic competence to Rubisco-active sites. Rca is sensitive to moderate heat stress, however, and becomes progressively inhibited as the temperature increases above the optimum for photosynthesis. Here, we identify a single amino acid substitution (M159I) that fundamentally alters the thermal and regulatory properties of Rca in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Using site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that the M159I substitution extends the temperature optimum of the most abundant Rca isoform by 5°C in vitro, while maintaining the efficiency of Rubisco activation by Rca. The results suggest that this single amino acid substitution acts as a thermal and regulatory switch in wheat Rca that can be exploited to improve the climate resilience and efficiency of carbon assimilation of this cereal crop as temperatures become warmer and more volatile.


[Separation of benzoxazine enantiomers on beta-cyclodextrin bonded chiral stationary phases].
Chiral separation of benzoxazine enantiomers was studied on click chemistry based beta-cyclodextrin stationary phases under reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic mode. The effects of the type and percentage of the organic modifier, the concentration of triethylammonium acetate buffer (TEAA), and pH on enantioselective separation were examined and studied. It was demonstrated that acetonitrile was better for the chiral separation of benzoxazine enantiomers than methanol. It was observed that the retention time and the resolution of benzoxazine enantiomers decreased with the increase of the volume ratio of TEAA from 0.1% to 1.0%. The separation of benzoxazine enantiomers was of the maximum resolution at pH 4.1. With the optimized mobile phase of the mixture of acetonitrile and 0. 1% TEAA (pH 4.1), all the enantiomers were separated at the baseline. The chiral recognition mechanism is also discussed. The separation was probably based on the inclusion complex interaction and the hydrogen bonding between enantiomers and chiral stationary phases. This work provided the experience for the intensive study of click beta-cyclodextrin bonded stationary phases, and it also illustrated the potential of click chemistry in the preparation of beta-cyclodextrin based chiral stationary phase.


Switching from EPA + DHA (Omega-3-acid Ethyl Esters) to High-Purity EPA (Icosapent Ethyl) in a Statin-Treated Patient with Persistent Dyslipidemia and High Cardiovascular Risk: A Case Study.
Cardiovascular (CV) risk may remain despite statin treatment, and there is a need to address this risk with add-on therapy. The lipid effects of two different prescription omega-3 fatty acid therapies are described in a 55-year-old statin- and niacin-treated female with severe dyslipidemia and high CV risk. The patient was initially treated with omega-3-acid ethyl esters (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid) 4 g/day. Due to persistently elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), she was switched to icosapent ethyl (high-purity EPA ethyl ester) 4 g/day. Approximately 28 months after switching to icosapent ethyl, her LDL-C decreased by 69% to 52 mg/dL, triglycerides decreased by 35% to 119 mg/dL, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) decreased by 63% to 76 mg/dL, total cholesterol decreased by 44% to 137 mg/dL, and HDL-C increased by 45% to 61 mg/dL. Total and small dense LDL particle concentrations decreased by 60 and 59%, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, with improvements maintained over two years.


Quality of life of elderly. Comparison between urban and rural areas.
Comparing the scores of quality of life according to place of residence (urban and rural areas). A cross-sectional study involving 2142 elderly in urban area and other 850 in rural area of the municipality of Uberaba (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Instruments used: Olders Americans Resources and Services, World Health Organization Quality of Life--BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment for Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD). We found that in urban area predominated women and men in rural areas. It was common in two areas: 60Ⱶ70 years old, married marital status, schooling of 4 to 8 years of study and the income of a minimum wage. The elderly residing in the urban area with their children and in rural areas did so with the spouse. In the evaluation of the quality of life, rural elders presented scores significantly higher than the urban area in the domains of physical, psychological, and social relations in the WHOQOL-BREF; and in the facets of autonomy, past, present and future activities, social participation and intimacy of the WHOQOL-OLD. For the latter instrument facets sensory ability and of death and dying the elderly's urban area had higher scores than the rural area. The elders of the urban area showed a greater involvement of the quality of life than the residents in the rural area. Nurses who work in primary care should address health strategies according to the specific needs of the urban and rural areas.


Drosophila Lgr3 Couples Organ Growth with Maturation and Ensures Developmental Stability.
Early transplantation and grafting experiments suggest that body organs follow autonomous growth programs [1-3], therefore pointing to a need for coordination mechanisms to produce fit individuals with proper proportions. We recently identified Drosophila insulin-like peptide 8 (Dilp8) as a relaxin and insulin-like molecule secreted from growing tissues that plays a central role in coordinating growth between organs and coupling organ growth with animal maturation [4, 5]. Deciphering the function of Dilp8 in growth coordination relies on the identification of the receptor and tissues relaying Dilp8 signaling. We show here that the orphan receptor leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 3 (Lgr3), a member of the highly conserved family of relaxin family peptide receptors (RXFPs), mediates the checkpoint function of Dilp8 for entry into maturation. We functionally identify two Lgr3-positive neurons in each brain lobe that are required to induce a developmental delay upon overexpression of Dilp8. These neurons are located in the pars intercerebralis, an important neuroendocrine area in the brain, and make physical contacts with the PTTH neurons that ultimately control the production and release of the molting steroid ecdysone. Reducing Lgr3 levels in these neurons results in adult flies exhibiting increased fluctuating bilateral asymmetry, therefore recapitulating the phenotype of dilp8 mutants. Our work reveals a novel Dilp8/Lgr3 neuronal circuitry involved in a feedback mechanism that ensures coordination between organ growth and developmental transitions and prevents developmental variability.


Perspective: Quantum or classical coherence?
Some coherence effects in chemical dynamics are described correctly by classical mechanics, while others only appear in a quantum treatment--and when these are observed experimentally it is not always immediately obvious whether their origin is classical or quantum. Semiclassical theory provides a systematic way of adding quantum coherence to classical molecular dynamics and thus provides a useful way to distinguish between classical and quantum coherence. Several examples are discussed which illustrate both cases. Particularly interesting is the situation with electronically non-adiabatic processes, where sometimes whether the coherence effects are classical or quantum depends on what specific aspects of the process are observed.


Aspergillus nodules in chronic granulomatous disease attributable to Aspergillus ochraceus.
Aspergillus ochraceus is a rare pulmonary pathogen. A 39 year old male with COPD and chronic granulomatous disease presented with severe breathlessness and recurrent infections. CT scan demonstrated multiple pulmonary nodules diagnosed as chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. The patient's sputum grew Aspergillus ochraceus thrice over 6 months, alongside positive Aspergillus IgG and serum galactomannan. Despite treatment with itraconazole, the patient continued to be symptomatic. We present the first case associating A. ochraceus with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.


CX3CL1/CX3CR1 and CCL2/CCR2 chemokine/chemokine receptor complex in patients with AMD.
The chemokine receptors CX3CR1 and CCR2 have been implicated in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The evidence is mainly derived from experimental cell studies and murine models of AMD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between expression of CX3CR1 and CCR2 on different leukocyte subsets and AMD. Furthermore we measured the plasma levels of ligands CX3CL1 and CCL2. Patients attending our department were asked to participate in the study. The diagnosis of AMD was based on clinical examination and multimodal imaging techniques. Chemokine plasma level and chemokine receptor expression were measured by flow-cytometry. A total of 150 participants were included. We found a significantly lower expression of CX3CR1 on CD8+ T cells in the neovascular AMD group compared to the control group (p = 0.04). We found a significant positive correlation between CCR2 and CX3CR1 expression on CD8+ cells (r = 0.727, p = 0.0001). We found no difference in plasma levels of CX3CL1 and CCL2 among the groups. Our results show a down regulation of CX3CR1 on CD8+ cells; this correlated to a low expression of CCR2 on CD8+ cells. Further studies are needed to elucidate the possible role of this cell type in AMD development.


Young Children Prefer and Remember Satisfying Explanations.
Research with preschool children shows that explanations are important to them in that they actively seek explanations in their conversations with adults. But, what sorts of explanations do they prefer, and what, if anything, do young children learn from the explanations they receive? Following a preliminary study with adults (N=67) to establish materials for use with children, we addressed this question using a semi-naturalistic methodology. 4- and 5-year-olds (N=69) were dissatisfied when receiving non-explanations to their explanatory questions, but satisfied when receiving explanations, and their satisfaction varied appropriately across several levels of explanatory information. Moreover, using recall as a measure of learning, whereas children typically failed to recall non-explanations, their recall of explanatory information was consistently high and also varied appropriately across differing levels of information provided. These results confirm that children not only actively seek informative explanations in their everyday conversational interactions with adults, they selectively retain the answers they receive.


Cytotoxic T-cell response against steroidogenic acute regulatory protein using DNA vaccination followed by vaccinia virus infection in a mouse adrenal carcinoma model.
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is still one of the most devastating human tumors with a five year survival as low as 20 %. In a previous study, we showed that DNA vaccination followed by vaccinia virus was able to break immune tolerance against murine steroidogenic acute regulatory (mStAR). Prophylactic vaccination in syngenic mice resulted in protective immunity against Sp2-0 tumor cells expressing mStAR. However, approximately a third of the animals developed tumors despite vaccination. This prompted us to investigate whether vaccination failure is responsible for this phenomenon. BALB/cBALB/c mice (in groups of 6 - 9 animals) were vaccinated intramuscularly by injection of cDNA expression vectors encoding mStAR three times at weekly intervals. This was followed by a recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV-mStAR) infection to boost immune response. Ten days after the last vaccination, Sp2-mStAR or parental Sp2-0 cells (as controls) were injected s. c. Tumor development was monitored by daily palpation. Approximately two weeks later, the animals were sacrificed and the spleens removed. After restimulation with the cell lines expressing mStAR, the splenocytes were tested for presence of mStAR self-reactive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes using ELISPOT analysis. With this approach, we were able to show that those animals protected from tumor growth had a specific T-cell response against StAR whereas mice without a specific T-cell response developed Sp2-mStAR tumors. Our data demonstrate that vaccination failure, probably due to the low antigenicity of mStAR, is responsible for tumor growth in our model system.


The Progress of Small Molecule Targeting BCR-ABL in the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a malignant myeloproliferative disease. According to the American Cancer Society's 2021 cancer data report, new cases of CML account for about 15% of all leukemias. CML is generally divided into three stages: chronic phase, accelerated phase, and blast phase. Nearly 90% of patients are diagnosed as a chronic phase. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation and chemotherapeutic drugs, such as interferon IFN-α were used as the earliest treatments for CML. However, they could generate obvious side effects, and scientists had to seek new treatments for CML. A new era of targeted therapy for CML began with the introduction of imatinib, the first-generation BCR-ABL kinase inhibitor. However, the ensuing drug resistance and mutant strains led by T315I limited the further use of imatinib. With the continuous advancement of research, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and BCR-ABL protein degraders with novel structures and therapeutic mechanisms have been discovered. From biological macromolecules to classical target protein inhibitors, a growing number of compounds are being developed to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia. In this review, we focus on summarizing the current situation of a series of candidate small-molecule drugs in CML therapy, including TKIs and BCR-ABL protein degrader. The examples provided herein describe the pharmacology activity of small-molecule drugs. These drugs will provide new enlightenment for future treatment directions.


The improvement/rehabilitation of auditory memory functioning with EEG biofeedback.
Five clinical case studies (1 normal, 3 brain injured and 1 subject who had a left frontal hematoma) are presented which addressed the effectiveness of EEG biofeedback for auditory memory impairment. A normative QEEG activation database of 59 right-handed subjects was developed, which delineated the QEEG variables which were positively related to auditory memory performance (paragraphs). Persons who had experienced a brain injury underwent the same procedure employed in the development of the database. The person's values on the effective parameters of memory functioning were determined. EEG biofeedback interventions were determined by the individual's deviation from the normative reference group in terms of the relevant QEEG parameters of effective auditory memory (paragraph recall). Improvements ranged from 39% subjects who had a follow up assessment that occurred from one month to one year following termination of treatment.


The use of sequential extraction procedures for the characterization and management of contaminated soils.
Metal mobility and availability in solid samples, such as soils, sediments and sludges, is frequently studied with sequential extraction procedures, which allow to partition the total metal content into classes of different reactivity. From the experimental point of view, each extraction step requires many practical operations, which can represent sources of error if they are not properly executed. The first part of the paper gives indication on how to perform sequential extractions, from sample pretreatment to extract analysis, in order to reduce experimental errors. The second part describes the main applications of sequential extraction schemes for the characterization and management of contaminated soils: the assessment of the risks associated to metal pollution, the evaluation of the feasibility and efficiency of remediation techniques, the study of soil properties and of metal behaviour and plant availability.


Design, synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of novel glycosylated-fluoroquinolones derivatives.
Herein we report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of structurally modified ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and moxifloxacin standard drugs, featuring amide functional groups at C-3 of the fluoroquinolone scaffold. In vitro antimicrobial testing against various Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi revealed potential antibacterial and antifungal activity. Hybrid compounds 9 (MIC 0.2668 ± 0.0001 mM), 10 (MIC 0.1358 ± 00025 mM) and 13 (MIC 0.0898 ± 0.0014 mM) had potential antimicrobial activity against a fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate, compared to ciprofloxacin (MIC 0.5098 ± 0.0024 mM) and norfloxacin (MIC 0.2937 ± 0.0021 mM) standard drugs. Interestingly, compound 10 also exerted potential antifungal activity against Candida albicans (MIC 0.0056 ± 0.0014 mM) and Penicillium chrysogenum (MIC 0.0453 ± 0.0156 mM). Novel derivatives and standard fluoroquinolone drugs exhibited near-identical cytotoxicity levels against L6 muscle cell-line, when measured using the MTT assay.


Influence of chitosan type on the properties of extruded pellets with low amount of microcrystalline cellulose.
The purpose of this research was to study the influence of type of chitosan with different molecular weights, ie, 190 and 419 kDa, on properties of pellets prepared by extrusion/spheronization. The formulations, consisting of acetaminophen as model drug, chitosan, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate with/without sodium alginate, were extruded using a twin-screw extruder and water as the granulating liquid. With 30% wt/wt MCC and no added sodium alginate, spherical pellets were produced containing low and high molecular weight chitosan at a maximum amount of 60% and 40% wt/wt, respectively. With sodium alginate (2.5% wt/wt), pellets with either type of chitosan (60% wt/wt), MCC (17.5% wt/wt), and acetaminophen (20% wt/wt) could be produced indicating an improved pellet-forming ability. Type and amount of chitosan and added sodium alginate affected physical properties of pellets including size, roundness, crushing force, and drug release. Low molecular weight chitosan produced pellets with higher mean diameter, sphericity, and crushing force. Additionally, the pellets made of low molecular weight chitosan and added sodium alginate showed faster drug release in 0.1 N HCl but had slower drug release in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer. This indicated that drug release from pellets could be modified by the molecular weight of chitosan. In conclusion, the molecular weight of chitosan had a major influence on formation, physical properties, and drug release from the obtained pellets.


Porcine mitral valve interstitial cells in culture.
There are connective tissue cells present within the interstitium of the heart valves. This study was designed to isolate and characterize mitral valve interstitial cells from the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Explants obtained from the distal part of the leaflet, having been scraped free of surface endocardial cells, were incubated in medium 199 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells grew out of the explant after 3 to 5 days and by 3 weeks these cells were harvested and passaged. Passages 1 to 22 were characterized in several explant sets. The cells showed a growth pattern reminiscent of fibroblasts. Growth was dependent on serum concentration. Cytoskeletal localization of actin and myosin showed prominent stress fibers. Ultrastructural studies showed many elongated cells with prominent stress fibers and some gap junctions and few adherens junctions. There were as well cells with fewer stress fibers containing prominent Golgi complex and dilated endoplasmic reticulum. In the multilayered superconfluent cultures, the former cells tended to be on the substratum of the dish or surface of the multilayered culture, whereas the latter was generally located within the layer of cells. Extracellular matrix was prominent in superconfluent cultures, often within the layers as well. Labeling of the cells with antibody HHF 35 (Tsukada T, Tippens D, Gordon D, Ross R, Gown AM: Am J Pathol 126:51, 1987), which recognizes smooth muscle cell actin, showed prominent staining of the elongated stress fiber-containing cells and much less in the secretory type cells. These studies show that interstitial mitral valve cells can be grown in culture and that either two different cell types or one cell type with two phenotypic expressions is present in culture.


Patterns of pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder: A GBC survey.
To understand treatment practices for bipolar disorders (BD), this study leveraged the Global Bipolar Cohort collaborative network to investigate pharmacotherapeutic treatment patterns in multiple cohorts of well-characterized individuals with BD in North America, Europe, and Australia. Data on pharmacotherapy, demographics, diagnostic subtypes, and comorbidities were provided from each participating cohort. Individual site and regional pooled proportional meta-analyses with generalized linear mixed methods were conducted to identify prescription patterns. This study included 10,351 individuals from North America (n = 3985), Europe (n = 3822), and Australia (n = 2544). Overall, participants were predominantly female (60%) with BD-I (60%; vs. BD-II = 33%). Cross-sectionally, mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants (44%), second-generation antipsychotics (42%), and antidepressants (38%) were the most prescribed medications. Lithium was prescribed in 29% of patients, primarily in the Australian (31%) and European (36%) cohorts. First-generation antipsychotics were prescribed in 24% of the European versus 1% in the North American cohort. Antidepressant prescription rates were higher in BD-II (47%) compared to BD-I (35%). Major limitations were significant differences among cohorts based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, data source, and time/year of enrollment into cohort. Mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants, second-generation antipsychotics, and antidepressants were the most prescribed medications suggesting prescription patterns that are not necessarily guideline concordant. Significant differences exist in the prescription practices across different geographic regions, especially the underutilization of lithium in the North American cohorts and the higher utilization of first-generation antipsychotics in the European cohorts. There is a need to conduct future longitudinal studies to further explore these differences and their impact on outcomes, and to inform and implement evidence-based guidelines to help improve treatment practices in BD.


Genetically selected stem cells from human adipose tissue express cardiac markers.
In the present study, the potential of human adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into cells with characteristics of cardiomyocytes was investigated. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were transduced with two different lentiviral vectors simultaneously: (1) a lentiviral vector expressing eGFP controlled by the Nkx2.5 promoter and (2) a lentiviral vector expressing DsRed2 controlled by the myosin light chain-2v promoter (MLC-2v). Nkx2.5-eGFP and MLC-2v-DsRed2 dual positive cells were isolated by FACS. Immunostaining and RT-PCR analysis of the dual positive cells revealed that these cells are positive for Nkx2.5, cardiac troponin I, and L-type calcium channel alpha-1c subunit. Electrophysiology studies demonstrated the presence of functional voltage-dependent calcium and potassium channels. These observations confirm that cardiac progenitor cells can be isolated and enriched from human adipose-derived stem cells using lentiviral selection, and they might represent a new source for cell therapy for myocardial infarction and heart failure.


[Tri-dimensional omics analysis on effect of zhuanggu zhitong capsule against experimental postmenopausal osteoporosis].
To propose the new concept of multidimensional omics, and define that the multidimensional omics is a proper method for studying the material base and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds. Zhuanggu Zhitong capsule was taken for example to study its effect against experimental postmenopausal osteoporosis. From the perspective of chemi-omics, genomics and proteomics of TCM, it systematically interpreted the efficacious materials and mechanisms of Zhuanggu Zhitong capsule in preventing and treating experimental postmenopausal osteoporosis, while taking the lead in designing a three dimensional form to intuitively exhibit the results of the multidimensional omics study. This study provides a new idea and solution for studies on the efficacious materials and mechanisms of TCM compounds.


The Influence of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Counselling on Perceptions of Physical Activity in Individuals with COPD - A Qualitative Study.
The aim of this study was to explore to what extent a combined counselling and pulmonary rehabilitation program (PR) influences the perception of physical activity (PA) and motivation for behavioral change in PA in individuals with COPD. The results of previous quantitative trial that investigated the effect of this combined treatment on daily PA were inconclusive. It is conjectured that a more targeted tailoring of the counselling and PR intervention could improve its effectiveness. Eighteen individuals with COPD (median age 69, 8 females) who had participated in the PneumoReha program were interviewed twice (following PR and at three-month follow-up). These interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Based on the codes thus identified, three categories 'perception of PA intensity', 'quality of motivation to perform PA', and 'strategies to cope with barriers' were used to differentiate 'types' of participants. Four different types of COPD individuals were distinguished. Study findings indicate that those individuals who participated in the PR program combined with embedded counselling tended to be more active and intrinsically motivated. A typology of four types of people with COPD was developed, characterized by their perception of activity, individual motivation and strategies for managing barriers. The patients' physical activity level might be influenced by their concept of physical activity and the quality of motivation. Recognizing patients' different activity behaviors is important for improving the quality of outpatient PR programs and developing tailored (according to each type) counselling interventions embedded in outpatient PR programs. The study was registered on the website of https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ with the identifier NCT02455206 (27/05/2015), as well as on the Swiss National Trails Portal SNCTP000001426 (05/21/2015).


B-Doped δ-Layers and Nanowires from Area-Selective Deposition of BCl3 on Si(100).
Atomically precise, δ-doped structures forming electronic devices in Si have been routinely fabricated in recent years by using depassivation lithography in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). While H-based precursor/monatomic resist chemistries for incorporation of donor atoms have dominated these efforts, the use of halogen-based chemistries offers a promising path toward atomic-scale manufacturing of acceptor-based devices. Here, B-doped δ-layers were fabricated in Si(100) by using BCl3 as an acceptor dopant precursor in ultrahigh vacuum. Additionally, we demonstrate compatibility of BCl3 with both H and Cl monatomic resists to achieve area-selective deposition on Si. In comparison to bare Si, BCl3 adsorption selectivity ratios for H- and Cl-passivated Si were determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling (SIMS) to be 310(10):1 and 1529(5):1, respectively. STM imaging revealed that BCl3 adsorbed readily on bare Si at room temperature, with SIMS measurements indicating a peak B concentration greater than 1.2(1) × 1021 cm-3 with a total areal dose of 1.85(1) × 1014 cm-2 resulting from a 30 langmuir BCl3 dose at 150 °C. In addition, SIMS showed a δ-layer thickness of ∼0.5 nm. Hall bar measurements of a similar sample were performed at 3.0 K, revealing a sheet resistance of ρ□ = 1.9099(4) kΩ □-1, a hole carrier concentration of p = 1.90(2) × 1014 cm-2, and a hole mobility of μ = 38.0(4) cm2 V-1 s-1 without performing an incorporation anneal. Finally, 15 nm wide B δ-doped nanowires were fabricated from BCl3 and were found to exhibit ohmic conduction. This validates the use of BCl3 as a dopant precursor for atomic-precision fabrication of acceptor-doped devices in Si and enables development of simultaneous n- and p-type doped bipolar devices.


3T MR for clinical use: update.
Clinical experience with 3-tesla MRI for body applications has only a short history; to date, it has no proven practical advantage over 1.5-tesla or less powerful systems. However, the theoretical advantage of higher field strength-which includes a higher signal-to-noise ratio with identical scan parameters, higher special resolution available within clinically acceptable scan time, and better spectral resolution-can contribute to the clinical outcome. This paper seeks to demonstrate some of the clinical advantages of the 3-tesla system through preliminary experiences as well as the potential advantages of a 3-tesla system when combined with much of the hardware and software that is clinically accepted in the 1.5-tesla world.


Identification of key genes and pathways involved in microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer.
Microsatellite instability (MSI) has emerged as one of the key biological features of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, controversies remain regarding the association between the MSI status and clinicopathological characteristics of CRC. Therefore, it is crucial to identify potential key genes and pathways associated with MSI in CRC. In the present study, the GSE25071 gene expression profile was retrieved, with thirty‑eight cases of microsatellite stable (MSS), five of MSI‑High (MSI‑H) and three of MSI‑Low (MSI‑L) CRC patients. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene co‑expression network analysis. Weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was used for the gene modules and correlation of clinical traits. A total of forty‑nine DEGs were identified between MSI‑H and MSS, including six upregulated and forty‑three downregulated DEGs. Only the DEGs of MSI‑H and MSS were subjected to subsequent analysis (limited number of DEGs of MSI‑L and MSS, MSI‑H and MSI‑L). RNA metabolic process, endoplasmic reticulum and chemokine receptor binding were the top ranked terms in GO enrichment. The hub genes of co‑expression network of DEGs included zinc finger protein (ZNF) 813, ZNF426, ZNF611, ZNF320 and ZNF573. The GSEA of MSI‑H and MSS indicated that the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling was significantly enriched with a nominal P‑value of 0.038 and normalized enrichment score of 0.446. The WGCNA results showed that the pink module was the top in correlation with MSI status (R2=0.5, P=0.0004). The genes in the pink module were significantly enriched in proteins targeting to endoplasmic reticulum, cytosolic part, structural constituent of ribosome and ribosome pathway. The hub genes identified in the pink module were ribosomal protein L12 (RPL12), RPS3A, RPS9, RPL27A, RPL7, RPL28, RPL14, RPS17, mitochondrial ribosomal protein L16, and G elongation factor, mitochondrial 2. The present study identified key genes and pathways associated with MSI, providing insightful mechanisms.


Mechanistic Studies on the Radical SAM Enzyme Tryptophan Lyase (NosL).
Tryptophan lyase (NosL) is a radical SAM enzyme that catalyzes the formation of 3-methyl-2-indolic acid from l-tryptophan in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic nosiheptide. NosL is the newest addition to the radical SAM-dependent aromatic amino acid lyase subfamily which includes ThiH, HydG, and CofH. The recently solved crystal structure of NosL challenged the previously accepted mechanistic hypothesis and spurred a renewed interest in investigating the reaction. This led to a series of studies that unraveled several fascinating aspects of the fragmentation-recombination reaction. This chapter describes the various methodologies used for the overexpression of NosL, its purification, in vitro reconstitution, preparation of isotopically labeled substrates, and chemoenzymatic synthesis of substrate analogs. The methods described here can be used to further investigate other aromatic amino acid lyases as well as reactivity of fleeting radicals in enzymology.


Effect of oxycodone combined with ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral nerve block on postoperative analgesia in patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic surgery: protocol for a randomised controlled study.
Postoperative pain is a main component influencing the recovery of patients with lung cancer. The combination of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) and paravertebral nerve block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer can achieve a satisfactory analgesic effect and promote early rehabilitation of patients. The objective is to investigate the optimal dose of oxycodone for PCIA combined with paravertebral nerve block, to achieve effective multimodal analgesia management in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung cancer lobectomy. This prospective, double-blind, single-centre, parallel-group, superiority study from 7 April 2023 to 31 December 2024 will include 160 participants scheduled for thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer. Participants will be randomly assigned to four groups in a 1:1:1:1 ratio: OCA group (oxycodone: 0.5 mg/kg), OCB group (oxycodone: 1.0 mg/kg), OCC group (oxycodone: 1.5 mg/kg) and one sufentanil group (sufentanil: 2 µg/kg). Flurbiprofen 50 mg and ondansetron 16 mg are added to each group. All the drugs are diluted with 0.9% saline in a 100 mL volume, with a background infusion rate of 2 mL/hour, a bolus dose of 0.5 mL and a lockout interval of 15 min. The primary outcome is pain scores at rest and dynamic at 24 hours after surgery using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Dynamic NRS scores are defined as NRS when coughing. NRS scores will be assessed at 2, 4, 12, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. The secondary outcomes include the following variables: (1) NRS score at rest and dynamic at 2, 4, 12 and 48 hours postoperatively; (2) total dose of sufentanil or oxycodone consumption in PCIA; (3) the times of patient-controlled analgesia; (4) Ramsay Sedation Score (RSS) at 2, 4, 12, 24 and 48 hours after the surgery; (5) extubation time; (6) serum C-reactive protein and interleukin six levels; (7) incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting; (8) incidence of itching; (9) incidence of respiratory depression and (10) gastrointestinal recovery (exhaust time). The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University's Ethics Committee granted consent for this study (approval number: YXLL-KY-2022(116)). To enable widespread use of the data gathered, we plan to publish the trial's findings in an appropriate scientific journal after it is complete. NCT05742256.


Foot problems as risk factors of fractures.
This case-control study examines whether foot problems are risk factors of fractures of five sites among people aged 45 years or older at six Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in northern California. From October 1996 to May 2001, interviewers collected information through a standardized questionnaire. Incident cases of distal forearm (n = 1,000), foot (n = 827), proximal humerus (n = 448), shaft of the tibia/fibula (n = 168), and pelvis (n = 172) fractures and 1,913 controls from the same medical centers were included. After adjustment for potential confounders and for each additional foot problem, the odds of a foot fracture increased by 8% (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.13). In contrast, each additional foot problem was associated with a reduction in the odds of a forearm fracture (adjusted odds ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.89, 0.98). In general, foot problems were not related to fractures of other sites, although diabetes, which may result in foot problems, increased the odds of a proximal humerus fracture (adjusted odds ratio = 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 1.20, 2.26). If these findings are supported by data from other studies, preventive measures to retard the development of foot problems could reduce the incidence of foot fractures.


Hypercalciuria following ceftriaxone a fact or myth.
Nephrolithiasis is a common worldwide problem both in children and adults. Ceftriaxone as a widely used antibiotic can contribute to the formation of renal stones and hypercalciuria. To find the effect of ceftriaxone, a widely used antibiotic, on urinary calcium excretion rate in children. 84 infants and children over 3 months admitted to hospital for non-renal problems. They were all previously healthy children affected with a condition mandating hospitalisation. They were randomly divided into 2 groups; those who received ceftriaxone according to their physician decision as the case group and those who did not receive antibiotics as the control group. The patients urinary calcium excretion was determined as calcium to creatinine ratio in a random urine sample in the first and third day of their admission. All data was expressed by mean ± SD and analysed by t independent and chi-square tests by SPSS 16. P P value less than 0.05 was significant. Eighty-four cases were analysed. Calcium excretion in received and non-received ceftriaxone groups was 0.13 ± 0.06 and 0.14 ± 0.02 respectively at first day of admission ( P = 0.1). After 3 days, the urine calcium to creatinine ratio increased to 0.27 ± 0.2 and 0.26 ± 0.08 in received and non- received ceftriaxone groups ( P = 0.8). In children, urinary calcium excretion increases 2 times in average in a short time after admission because of gastroenteritis, and ceftriaxone is not different to other antibiotics for increase urinary calcium excretion in 3 days after admission.


Control of epidermal and hair root protein synthesis.
Within the past several years, studies of protein synthesis in a variety of systems have focused upon translational control and post-translational modification. In parallel, the specific studies of keratin biosynthesis in tissues of epithelial origin have been directed at these same areas. Multiple proteins which effect positive and negative control over formation of the 80S initiation complex have been identified in mammalian epidermis. The current status of studies of these proteins is reviewed in this presentation. In addition, we discuss our studies of epidermal messenger RNA. The mRNA for keratin has been identified in tissue of avian origin and, more recently, mRNA has been isolated and partially purified from guinea pig epidermis. The messenger has a poly A-rich region and a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 18S. It codes for keratins in heterologous cell-free systems.


Evaluating the Viability of a Smartphone-Based Annotation Tool for Faster and Accurate Image Labelling for Artificial Intelligence in Diabetic Retinopathy.
Deep Learning (DL) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become widespread due to the advanced technologies and availability of digital data. Supervised learning algorithms have shown human-level performance or even better and are better feature extractor-quantifier than unsupervised learning algorithms. To get huge dataset with good quality control, there is a need of an annotation tool with a customizable feature set. This paper evaluates the viability of having an in house annotation tool which works on a smartphone and can be used in a healthcare setting. We developed a smartphone-based grading system to help researchers in grading multiple retinal fundi. The process consisted of designing the flow of user interface (UI) keeping in view feedback from experts. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of change in speed of a grader over time and feature usage statistics was done. The dataset size was approximately 16,000 images with adjudicated labels by a minimum of 2 doctors. Results for an AI model trained on the images graded using this tool and its validation over some public datasets were prepared. We created a DL model and analysed its performance for a binary referrable DR Classification task, whether a retinal image has Referrable DR or not. A total of 32 doctors used the tool for minimum of 20 images each. Data analytics suggested significant portability and flexibility of the tool. Grader variability for images was in favour of agreement on images annotated. Number of images used to assess agreement is 550. Mean of 75.9% was seen in agreement. Our aim was to make Annotation of Medical imaging easier and to minimize time taken for annotations without quality degradation. The user feedback and feature usage statistics confirm our hypotheses of incorporation of brightness and contrast variations, green channels and zooming add-ons in correlation to certain disease types. Simulation of multiple review cycles and establishing quality control can boost the accuracy of AI models even further. Although our study aims at developing an annotation tool for diagnosing and classifying diabetic retinopathy fundus images but same concept can be used for fundus images of other ocular diseases as well as other streams of medical science such as radiology where image-based diagnostic applications are utilised.


Repair of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in infants.
Anatomical repair seems an ideal method for the surgical treatment of the anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) in infancy. The medium-term outcome has been investigated for infants with ALCAPA following the restoration of a dual-coronary arterial circulation. Between April 1995 and July 2012, 23 infants with a median age of 4 months underwent surgical repair of ALCAPA in our department. Direct implantation of the anomalous coronary artery into the ascending aorta was feasible in 16 patients. A trap door flap method was used in 5 cases and a tubular extension technique in 2. No infant underwent mitral valve repair at the time of ALCAPA surgery. Left ventricular function and the degree of mitral valve regurgitation were assessed during a 10-year follow-up. Four patients died in the early postoperative period, without independent predictors associated with this mortality. During follow-up, improvement in myocardial function occurred in all patients both early and late. There was only one improvement in severe mitral valve regurgitation. Subsequently, 2 children needed mitral valve replacement. There were no early or late reoperations of the reimplanted coronary arteries. Aortic reimplantation is an effective surgical treatment for ALCAPA in infants burdened with a low risk of reoperation due to coronary artery stenosis. There was good potential for myocardial recovery within the first year after surgery. Restoration of the anatomical coronary circulation did not improve mitral valve function in infants with severe preoperative mitral incompetence.


Accelerated kindling epileptogenesis in Tg4510 tau transgenic mice, but not in tau knockout mice.
The biologic processes underlying epileptogenesis following a brain insult are not fully understood, but several lines of evidence suggest that hyperphosphorylation of tau may be an important factor in these processes. To provide further insight into the causal relationship between tau and epileptogenesis, this study applied amygdala kindling to rTg4510 mice that, concurrent with other pathologies, overexpress phosphorylated tau, tau knockout mice, or their respective wild-type controls. Mice were electrically stimulated twice daily, 5 days per week for 3 weeks. Electroencephalography was recorded to measure the primary afterdischarge duration, and the behavioral progression of kindling-induced seizures was assessed. rTg4510 mice (n = 10) had increased primary afterdischarge durations (p < 0.001), and significantly more rapid progression of kindling (p < 0.001), compared with wild-type mice (n = 10). Tau knockout mice (n = 7), however, did not differ from their wild-type counterparts (n = 8) on any of the seizure outcomes. These results suggest that Tg4510 mice are more vulnerable to epileptogenesis, but that the presence of tau itself is not necessary for kindling epileptogenesis to occur.


Ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae, Ixodidae) of Brazil: Updated species checklist and taxonomic keys.
Ticks are ectoparasites of great medical and veterinary significance in the neotropical region. In Brazil, they are responsible for enormous economic losses to the livestock industry and also for considerable morbidity and mortality in companion animals and humans. Therefore, recognizing the identity of a given species is important, not only from a biodiversity perspective, but also from the medical and veterinary standpoints. The Brazilian tick fauna is one of the most diverse and well-studied in the neotropical region. In the past few years, several new species were discovered and/or recorded for the first time in this country. The main objectives of this study were to provide an updated list of tick species occurring in Brazil and taxonomic keys for their identification. The updated list of Brazilian ticks includes 70 species, 47 in the family Ixodidae and 23 in the family Argasidae. The genera Amblyomma (32 spp.) and Ornithodoros (18 spp.) are the most representative. Updated taxonomic keys for the identification of ticks of Brazil are provided. Finally, the medico-veterinary significance of ticks occurring in this country is briefly discussed.


A Generalizable Scaffold-Based Approach for Structure Determination of RNAs by Cryo-EM.
Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can reveal the structures of large and often dynamic molecules, but smaller biomolecules remain challenging targets due to their intrinsic low signal to noise ratio. Methods to resolve small proteins have been applied but development of similar approaches for small structured RNA elements have lagged. Here, we present a scaffold-based approach that we used to recover maps of sub-25 kDa RNA domains to 4.5 - 5.0 Å. While lacking the detail of true high-resolution maps, these are suitable for model building and preliminary structure determination. We demonstrate this method faithfully recovers the structure of several RNA elements of known structure, and it promises to be generalized to other RNAs without disturbing their native fold. This approach may streamline the sample preparation process and reduce the optimization required for data collection. This first-generation scaffold approach provides a system for RNA structure determination by cryo-EM and lays the groundwork for further scaffold optimization to achieve higher resolution.


The treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts by laparoscopic drainage: endoluminal and lesser sac techniques.
A variety of approaches are now available to drain pancreatic pseudocysts (PP) when indicated. In addition to open surgery, endoscopic, laparoscopic, intra-luminal, and percutaneous techniques are available as therapeutic options to facilitate drainage of mature symptomatic PP. The laparoscopic lesser sac technique is appealing since it • relies on a secure stapled anastomosis, • provides an adequate sized cystgastrostomy to facilitate drainage, and • utilizes minimally invasive techniques to diminish operative morbidity and expedite return to normal activities. Short-term follow-up data suggest that this approach is feasible, effective and reproducible, Long-term studies demonstrating the efficacy of laparoscopic drainage of PP using the lesser sac technique are needed to validate these early favorable outcomes.


Cryptococcal infection presenting with lumbosacral polyradiculopathy: report of a case.
Cryptococcal infection presenting primarily as lumbosacral polyradiculopathy is rare. We report on a 57-year-old man with lumbosacral polyradiculopathy, and in which a culture from the cerebrospinal fluid grew Cryptococcus neoformans. A serum cryptococcal antigen study showed a positive reaction. Biopsy specimens from the spinal nerve rootlet showed evidence of arachnoiditis and direct involvement of the nerve root by Cryptococcus neoformans. It is important to remember that localized lumbosacral polyradiculopathy can be the sole initial manifestation of cryptococcosis.


On the origin of thermal untwisting of DNA.
In aqueous solutions, the helical twist of DNA decreases with temperature. This phenomenon was noticed and studied experimentally several decades ago, but its physical origin remains elusive. The present paper shows that the thermal untwisting can be predicted from the specific properties of the torsional elasticity of the double helix revealed in recent computational studies. The temperature coefficient of untwisting estimated using coarse-grained models fitted to all-atom MD data accounts for the experimental results nearly quantitatively. The agreement is further improved with the computed torsional rigidity scaled to remove the discrepancy from experiment. The results confirm that the torsional rigidity of DNA is strongly anharmonic. They indicate that for random DNA, its value grows with small twisting and decreases with untwisting.


Curcumin-mediated Photodynamic Therapy for the treatment of oral infections-A review.
Recent evidences show the promising applications of Curcumin (CUR) against different diseases, including some of the main oral pathologies. The objective of this review paper was to catalog articles that investigated the photodynamic effect of CUR for oral diseases in the last 15 years. The establishment of defined criteria for data collection was proposed and a total of 173 articles were identified, but only 26 were eligible for full text reading. Their main findings were critically reviewed to provide a state-of-the-art overview of the use of CUR in Dentistry. Antimicrobial potential of CUR was the subject of the majority of the articles. CUR showed great potential for photodynamic action against oral bacteria, fungi, and strains resistant to conventional drugs. Some authors indicated the efficacy of CUR-mediated Photodynamic Therapy to reduce tumor cells while others observed low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells and healthy oral mucosa. However, CUR solubility and stability is still a problem for the photodynamic technique, and to overcome these drawbacks, biocompatible vehicles need to be better explored. Investigations have used different CUR concentrations and formulations, as well as different light parameters. This fact, together with the lack of in vivo studies, clearly shows that clinical protocols have not been established yet. Investigations are necessary in order to establish the best concentrations and safe vehicles to be used for this technique.


Influence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine on Drug Therapy for Urological Cancer.
We investigated whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and its adverse events would cause cancer treatment of patients with urological cancer to be postponed or changed. We collected COVID-19 vaccination information including adverse events from the medical records of 214 patients with urological cancer receiving cancer drug therapy. The cancer types were renal cancer in 40 cases (18.7%), upper urinary tract cancer in 10 cases (4.7%), bladder cancer in 21 cases (9.8%), prostate cancer in 140 cases (65.4%), and others in 3 cases (1.4%). Of the 214 patients, 178 (83.2%) had received the second dose of the vaccine. Out of 180 vaccinated patients, some adverse events were observed in 69 (38.3%). Vaccination rates for males and females were 85.4% (169/198) and 68.8% (11/16), respectively, and were not significantly different (p=0.081). The incidence of adverse events was significantly higher in females [72.7% (8/11)] than in males [36.1% (61/169)]; p=0.015. Treatment was modified in 11 vaccinated patients; postponed or changed at the discretion of the attending physician in 8 cases, skipped at the discretion of the patient in 1 case, and postponed due to side effects of the immune checkpoint inhibitor in 1 case. Treatment for one patient with upper urinary tract cancer on pembrolizumab was postponed for three weeks due to adverse events of the vaccine. Only 0.6% of the adverse events of the vaccine required postponement of treatment, suggesting that vaccination is safe even during cancer drug therapy.


16S rRNA gene mutations associated with decreased susceptibility to tetracycline in Mycoplasma bovis.
Mycoplasma bovis isolates with decreased susceptibilities to tetracyclines are increasingly reported worldwide. The acquired molecular mechanisms associated with this phenomenon were investigated in 70 clinical isolates of M. bovis. Sequence analysis of the two 16S rRNA-encoding genes (rrs3 and rrs4 alleles) containing the primary binding pocket for tetracycline (Tet-1 site) was performed on isolates with tetracycline hydrochloride MICs of 0.125 to 16 μg/ml. Mutations at positions A965T, A967T/C (Escherichia coli numbering) of helix 31, U1199C of helix 34, and G1058A/C were identified. Decreased susceptibilities to tetracycline (MICs, ≥2 μg/ml) were associated with mutations present at two (A965 and A967) or three positions (A965, A967, and G1058) of the two rrs alleles. No tet(M), tet(O), or tet(L) determinants were found in the genome of any of the 70 M. bovis isolates. The data presented correlate (P<0.0001) the mutations identified in the Tet-1 site of clinical isolates of M. bovis with decreased susceptibility to tetracycline.


Process Evaluation of the New Mexico Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Competitive Development Grant.
This article describes the evaluation of the New Mexico Home Visiting Competitive Development Grant, which sought to pilot test the use of implementation supports to improve the development and implementation of home visiting programs. Each community was to use Getting To Outcomes® (GTO) and ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) to support their work. The GTO framework promotes capacity for high-quality programming by specifying ten steps that practitioners should take and by providing support to complete those steps. ECHO involves specialists providing training and technical assistance via distance technology to community practitioners in rural areas to improve the quality of services. The grant was delayed, and the project's scope shifted significantly from the original plan. The evaluation documents significant challenges in meeting grant goals. A local team hired to facilitate GTO did not use it as designed, and no communities were trained in GTO. The coalitions that were developed operated with few resources or accountability, and made little progress on plans to enhance services. Only two of the four communities started home visiting after nearly a year and a half. ECHO was used with fidelity with those two programs. There was no change in the continuum of services to support children and families. Due to delays and lack of implementation of the proposed intervention, the evaluation was not able to assess the project's impact on child or family outcomes, nor did the project serve as a robust pilot test of the use of GTO and ECHO to improve home visiting implementation.


COVID-19 and dengue: a deadly duo.
While COVID-19 wreaks havoc across the world, countries in South and South-East Asia and Latin America are faced with the prospect of a second epidemic: dengue. Further complicating the picture is that the early signs and symptoms of dengue and COVID-19 could be similar, making it a risk that patients may be wrongly diagnosed early in the course of disease. This is confounded further by a report from Singapore of false-positive dengue antibody testing in two COVID-19 patients, and the presence of co-infection of dengue and COVID-19 in Thailand. Unless urgent measures are taken, there is a risk that dengue and COVID-19 could overwhelm healthcare systems across multiple countries.


Observations on a consecutive series of patients who have had Trilucent breast implants removed as recommended by the MDA Hazard Notice (May 2000).
A prospective study of 25 female cosmetic-surgery patients who had a total of 50 Trilucent breast implants forms the basis of this paper. All but one patient elected to have new implants, of which all but three patients had silicone implants (the others selected glucose saline implants). The Trilucent implants were more difficult to remove than expected because of a 'Velcro-like' attachment to the internal surface of their capsules. As a result, several implants were ruptured on removal (though none were ruptured on initial exposure). The sites of rupture suggest a structural weakness, possibly related to the microchip panel or folds in the implant shell. Varying degrees of encrustation of the implants and internal capsules were found, which did not appear to be related to the duration of implantation. Histological studies of the capsule changes generally showed lipids and giant cell infiltrations. It would seem that, contrary to expectations, leaking of the filler occurs early and is associated with varying degrees of cellular reactions. The adherence problem appears to be related to the amount and distribution of the leaked material. Only three patients in this series had problems with their Trilucent implants that required additional surgery. One of these remains a significant and unsolved problem.


Interactions between seasonal temperature variation and temporal synchrony drive increased arbovirus co-infection incidence.
Though instances of arthropod-borne (arbo)virus co-infection have been documented clinically, the overall incidence of arbovirus co-infection and its drivers are not well understood. Now that dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses are all in circulation across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, it is important to understand the environmental and biological conditions that make co-infections more likely to occur. To understand this, we developed a mathematical model of co-circulation of two arboviruses, with transmission parameters approximating dengue, Zika and/or chikungunya viruses, and co-infection possible in both humans and mosquitoes. We examined the influence of seasonal timing of arbovirus co-circulation on the extent of co-infection. By undertaking a sensitivity analysis of this model, we examined how biological factors interact with seasonality to determine arbovirus co-infection transmission and prevalence. We found that temporal synchrony of the co-infecting viruses and average temperature were the most influential drivers of co-infection incidence. Our model highlights the synergistic effect of co-transmission from mosquitoes, which leads to more than double the number of co-infections than would be expected in a scenario without co-transmission. Our results suggest that appreciable numbers of co-infections are unlikely to occur except in tropical climates when the viruses co-occur in time and space.


Rapid iconic erasure without masking.
We report on the erasure of the iconic memory of an array of 12 black letters flashed on a continuously- present white field. Erasure is accomplished by replacing the 16 ms letter array (frame 1) with a blank white frame for 16 ms (frame 2). The letter array returns in frame 3, with from one to six letters missing. Report of the missing letters is accurate without the blank white frame but is impoverished with it, as if interposing the blank erases the icon. Erasure occurs without any obvious luminance masking, 'mud splashes', pattern masking (backward, forward, or metacontrast), lateral masking, or masking by object substitution. Erasure is greatly decreased if the blank is presented one frame earlier or later. We speculate that erasure is due to a rapid reset of the icon produced by an informational mis-match.


Anthropometric Indices Associated with Variation in Cardiovascular Parameters among Primary School Pupils in Ile-Ife.
Purpose. This study investigated the anthropometric indices associated with variations in cardiovascular parameters among primary school pupils in Ile-Ife. Method. One thousand and twenty-six pupils (age range 6-14 years, mean age 10.12 years) from ten schools were recruited with parents' informed consent. Anthropometric (Height (Ht), Weight (Wt), Abdominal Circumference (AC)) and cardiovascular (Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Heart Rate (HR)) parameters were measured using standard instruments and procedures. Blood pressure (BP) was measured after ten minutes of quiet sitting. Body Mass Index (BMI), Rate Pressure Product (RPP) and Pulse Pressure (PP) were estimated. Results. Age, Ht, Wt, BMI, and AC correlated significantly (P < .01) with BP and PP. AC and BMI were predictors of BP, HR, RPP, and PP. Conclusion. Significant correlations exist between age, Ht, Wt, BMI, AC, and BP with weight being a more viable predictor of SBP and age a more viable predictor of DBP.


Prevalence of lower limb deep venous thrombosis among adult HIV positive patients attending an outpatient clinic at Mulago Hospital.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and its major complication pulmonary embolism (PE) are collectively known as venous thromboembolism. In Uganda, the prevalence of DVT among HIV patients has not been previously published. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and sonographic features of lower limb deep venous thrombosis among HIV positive patients on anti-retroviral treatment (ART). This was a cross sectional study in which HIV positive patients on ART were recruited from an out-patient HIV clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Patients were randomly selected and enrolled until a sample size of 384 was reached. Study participants underwent compression and Doppler ultrasound studies of both lower limb deep veins using Medison Sonoacer7 ultrasound machine. We found a prevalence of DVT of 9.1% (35 of 384 participants) among HIV patients on ART. The prevalence of latent (asymptomatic) DVT was 2.3%. Among 35 patients with DVT, 42.8% had chronic DVT; 31.1% had acute DVT and the rest had latent DVT. Among the risk factors, the odds of occurrence of DVT among patients with prolonged immobility were 4.81 times as high as in those with no prolonged immobility (p = 0.023; OR = 4.81; 95% CI 1.25-18.62). Treatment with second line anti-retroviral therapy (ART) including protease inhibitors (PIs) was associated with higher odds of DVT occurrence compared with first line ART (p = 0.020; OR = 2.38; 95% CI 1.14-4.97). The odds of DVT occurrence in patients with a lower CD4 count (< 200 cells/µl) were 5.36 times as high as in patients with CD4 counts above 500 cells/µl (p = 0.008). About 48.6% patients with DVT had a low risk according to Well's score. DVT was shown in nearly 10% of HIV patients attending an out-patient clinic in an urban setting in Uganda. Risk factors included protease inhibitors in their ART regimen, prolonged immobility, and low CD4 count (< 200 cells/µl). Clinicians should have a low threshold for performing lower limb Doppler ultrasound scan examination on infected HIV patients on ART who are symptomatic for DVT. Therefore, clinicians should consider anti-coagulant prophylaxis and lower deep venous ultrasound screening of patients who are on second line ART regimen with low CD4 cell counts and/or with prolonged immobility or hormonal contraception.


Quantifying a spectrum of clinical response in atrial tachyarrhythmias using spatiotemporal synchronization of electrograms.
There is a clinical spectrum for atrial tachyarrhythmias wherein most patients with atrial tachycardia (AT) and some with atrial fibrillation (AF) respond to ablation, while others do not. It is undefined if this clinical spectrum has pathophysiological signatures. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the size of spatial regions showing repetitive synchronized electrogram (EGM) shapes over time reveals a spectrum from AT, to AF patients who respond acutely to ablation, to AF patients without acute response. We studied n = 160 patients (35% women, 65.0 ± 10.4 years) of whom (i) n = 75 had AF terminated by ablation propensity matched to (ii) n = 75 without AF termination and (iii) n = 10 with AT. All patients had mapping by 64-pole baskets to identify areas of repetitive activity (REACT) to correlate unipolar EGMs in shape over time. Synchronized regions (REACT) were largest in AT, smaller in AF termination, and smallest in non-termination cohorts (0.63 ± 0.15, 0.37 ± 0.22, and 0.22 ± 0.18, P < 0.001). Area under the curve for predicting AF termination in hold-out cohorts was 0.72 ± 0.03. Simulations showed that lower REACT represented greater variability in clinical EGM timing and shape. Unsupervised machine learning of REACT and extensive (50) clinical variables yielded four clusters of increasing risk for AF termination (P < 0.01, χ2), which were more predictive than clinical profiles alone (P < 0.001). The area of synchronized EGMs within the atrium reveals a spectrum of clinical response in atrial tachyarrhythmias. These fundamental EGM properties, which do not reflect any predetermined mechanism or mapping technology, predict outcome and offer a platform to compare mapping tools and mechanisms between AF patient groups.


Treatment of multiple adjacent Miller Class I and II gingival recessions with collagen matrix and the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique.
To clinically evaluate the treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions using the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique combined with a newly developed bioresorbable collagen matrix of porcine origin. Eight healthy patients exhibiting at least three multiple Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions (a total of 42 recessions) were consecutively treated by means of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique and collagen matrix. The following clinical parameters were assessed at baseline and 12 months postoperatively: full mouth plaque score (FMPS), full mouth bleeding score (FMBS), probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), keratinized tissue thickness (KTT), and keratinized tissue width (KTW). The primary outcome variable was complete root coverage. Neither allergic reactions nor soft tissue irritations or matrix exfoliations occurred. Postoperative pain and discomfort were reported to be low, and patient acceptance was generally high. At 12 months, complete root coverage was obtained in 2 out of the 8 patients and 30 of the 42 recessions (71%). Within their limits, the present results indicate that treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions by means of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique and collagen matrix may result in statistically and clinically significant complete root coverage. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the performance of collagen matrix compared with connective tissue grafts and other soft tissue grafts.