[Ovitraps evaluation for surveillance and control of Aedes aegypti in two urban settlements of Urabá, Antioquia].
Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti is the main vector of dengue. Chemical insecticides have been used to control the mosquito and it has developed resistance. It is necessary to evaluate alternative strategies that are efficient, economical and easy to apply, such as ovitraps with Bacillus thuringiesis israeliensis . To evaluate the impact of ovitraps loaded with B. t. israeliensis on traditional indexes, as strategies for surveillance and control of A. aegypti . We selected eight neighborhoods from the municipalities of Apartadó and Carepa. Two neighborhoods in each municipality were chosen for intervention and two for control. The intervention consisted in the installation of ovitraps with B. t. israeliensis in every house. The traps were visited each month between September, 2009, and March, 2010. Traditional indexes were obtained and compared among the neighborhoods. Ovitrap positivity index and egg density index were calculated and we generated density maps. Five hundred and nineteen ovitraps were placed monthly; 3,114 samples were obtained, from which 76.4% were positive. We collected 501,425 eggs. In Apartadó, statistically significant differences were observed in the house, container and Breteau indexes. The ovitrap positivity index showed high risk of A. aegypti infestation and traditional indexes showed medium and low risk levels. Ovitraps had an impact on traditional indexes and proved to be useful strategies for surveillance and control of A. aegypti in Urabá, Antioquia.


Exploring reasons for sick leave due to common mental disorders from the perspective of employees and managers - what has gender got to do with it?
The purpose of this study was to explore the employee and the managerial experience of reasons for sick leave due to CMDs in relation to work and private life, through the lens of a transactional perspective of everyday life occupation and gender norms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 employees on sick leave due to CMDs and 11 managers. By using transactional and gender perspectives in a reflexive thematic analysis, themes were generated in a constant comparative process. Four themes were identified: a) struggling to keep up with work pressure and worker norms; b) struggling with insecurity in an unsupportive work environment; c) managing private responsibilities through flexible work schedules, and d) managing emotions alongside unfavourable working conditions. Sick leave due to CMDs was understood as related to experiences of accumulated events situated in different social, cultural, and societal contexts of everyday life. Practices and policies should encourage an open dialogue about work and private life and health between employees and managers. To build healthy and sustainable work environments practices should also aim for increased awareness of social norms. A better understanding may facilitate the identification of situations in work and private life that are problematic for the employee.


Rhesus expression in a green alga is regulated by CO(2).
The function of the Rhesus (Rh) complex in the human red cell membrane has been unknown for six decades. Based on the organismal, organ, and tissue distribution of Rh proteins, and on our evidence that their only known paralogues, the ammonium and methylammonium transport proteins (also called methylammonium permeases), are gas channels for NH(3), we recently speculated that Rh proteins are biological gas channels for CO(2). Like NH(3), CO(2) differs from other gases in being readily hydrated. We have now tested our speculation by studying expression of the RH1 gene in the photosynthetic microbe Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Expression of RH1 was high for cells grown in air supplemented with 3% CO(2) or shifted from air to high CO(2) (3%) for 3 h. Conversely, RH1 expression was low for cells grown in air (0.035% CO(2)) or shifted from high CO(2) to air for 3 h. These results make viable the hypothesis that Rh1 and Rh proteins generally are gas channels for CO(2).


Reasons for the utilization of the services of traditional birth attendants during childbirth: A qualitative study in Northern Ghana.
Skilled delivery reduces maternal and neonatal mortality. Ghana has put in place measures to reduce geographical and financial access to skilled delivery. Despite this, about 30% of deliveries still occur either at home or are conducted by traditional birth attendants. We, therefore, conducted this study to explore the reasons for the utilization of the services of traditional birth attendants despite the availability of health facilities. Using a phenomenology study design, we selected 31 women who delivered at facilities of four traditional birth attendants in the Northern region of Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to recruit only women who were resident at a place with a health facility for an in-depth interview. The interviews were recorded and transcribed into Microsoft word document. The transcripts were imported into NVivo 12 for thematic analyses. The study found that quality of care was the main driver for traditional birth attendant delivery services. Poor attitude of midwives, maltreatment, and fear of caesarean section were barriers to skilled delivery. Community norms dictate that womanhood is linked to vaginal delivery and women who deliver through caesarean section do not receive the same level of respect. Traditional birth attendants were believed to be more experienced and understand the psychosocial needs of women during childbirth, unlike younger midwives. Furthermore, the inability of women to procure all items required for delivery at biomedical facilities emerged as push factors for traditional birth attendant delivery services. Preference for squatting position during childbirth and social support provided to mothers by traditional birth attendants are also an essential consideration for the use of their services. The study concludes that health managers should go beyond reducing financial and geographical access to improving quality of care and the birth experience of women. These are necessary to complement the efforts at increasing the availability of health facilities and free delivery services.


Autophagy Regulators in Cancer.
Autophagy plays a complex impact role in tumor initiation and development. It serves as a double-edged sword by supporting cell survival in certain situations while also triggering autophagic cell death in specific cellular contexts. Understanding the intricate functions and mechanisms of autophagy in tumors is crucial for guiding clinical approaches to cancer treatment. Recent studies highlight its significance in various aspects of cancer biology. Autophagy enables cancer cells to adapt to and survive unfavorable conditions by recycling cellular components. However, excessive or prolonged autophagy can lead to the self-destruction of cancer cells via a process known as autophagic cell death. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying autophagy regulation in cancer is crucial for the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. In this review, we seek to present a comprehensive summary of current knowledge regarding autophagy, its impact on cancer cell survival and death, and the molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of autophagy for cancer therapy.


Algerian ivy dermatitis; a California disease.
A hitherto unrecognized cause of contact dermatitis in California is the widely cultivated plant known as Algerian ivy. This plant, which grows in California (and its close relative, English ivy) causes a dermatitis which is similar to although milder than that caused by poison oak. Dermatitis from this cause occurs most frequently when persons who have become sensitive to it by previous contact trim the plant back in the spring after its seasonal spurt of growth. For persons whose occupations require repeated contact with the plant, dermatitis from this cause is an occupational hazard. Dermatitis from this plant is easily diagnosed by means of a simple patch test. In a series of 12 cases the only effective treatment was with corticosteroid agents.


A case report of spontaneous pneumothorax during flight.
Although spontaneous pneumothorax can usually be considered lightly when it occurs at ground level, its occurrence in aviation may result in the abort of a mission, a serious accident, or a major disaster. A case of spontaneous pneumothorax during chamber altitude and aerial flight is presented. A better understanding of the etiologies, precipitating causes, complications, likelihood of recurrence, and treatment may lead to the prevention of accidents. Diagnostic technics, operative procedures, and evaluation studies are discussed from the point of view of continuing a flying career.


Complications of Peripheral Venous Access Devices: Prevention, Detection, and Recovery Strategies.
Most hospitalized patients have placement of a peripheral venous access device, either a short peripheral catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter. Compared with central venous catheters that are not peripherally inserted, the other 2 types are generally perceived by health care providers as safer and less complicated to manage, and less emphasis is placed on the prevention and management of complications. Expertise of nurses in inserting, managing, and removing these devices may reduce the likelihood of complications, and increased recognition of complications associated with use of the devices is important to ensure continued improvements in the safety, quality, and efficiency of health care. Complications associated with short peripheral catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters include tourniquet retention, tubing and catheter misconnections, phlebitis, air embolism, device fragment embolization, and inadvertent discharge with a retained peripheral venous access device. Integration of prevention, detection, and recovery strategies into personal nursing practice promotes the quality and safety of health care delivery.


Pharmaceutical Approval Update.
Ribociclib (Kisqali) for HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women; safinamide (Xadago) as adjunctive treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease; and avelumab (Bavencio) for metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.


Cyclometalated Gold(III) Complexes Containing N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands Engage Multiple Anti-Cancer Molecular Targets.
Metal N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes are a promising class of anti-cancer agents displaying potent in vitro and in vivo activities. Taking a multi-faceted approach employing two clickable photoaffinity probes, herein we report the identification of multiple molecular targets for anti-cancer active pincer gold(III) NHC complexes. These complexes display potent and selective cytotoxicity against cultured cancer cells and in vivo anti-tumor activities in mice bearing xenografts of human cervical and lung cancers. Our experiments revealed the specific engagement of the gold(III) complexes with multiple cellular targets, including HSP60, vimentin, nucleophosmin, and YB-1, accompanied by expected downstream mechanisms of action. Additionally, PtII and PdII analogues can also bind the cellular proteins targeted by the gold(III) complexes, uncovering a distinct pincer cyclometalated metal-NHC scaffold in the design of anti-cancer metal medicines with multiple molecular targets.


Understanding Student Perceptions and Practices for Pre-Lecture Content Reading in the Genetics Classroom.
Many faculty members assign textbook readings prior to their traditional lectures. In this study, we assessed students' level of class preparedness and surveyed their textbook reading practices weekly along with entrance and exit surveys concerning their attitudes toward reading the textbook. We report that pre-lecture reading is a significant variable in explaining pre-lecture preparedness as well as exam scores. We also report the reasons participants cited for not reading more of the textbook. We hope this analysis will allow educators to have a better understanding of the level of pre-lecture reading that is occurring in a traditional lecture-style course and the impacts of pre-lecture reading on student success.


The effect of health on urban-settlement intention of rural-urban migrants in China.
Previous studies have not paid enough attention to the effect of health on urban-settlement intention of rural-urban migrants in China. Using survey data from the Rural Urban Migration in China project, this article examines how self-rated physical and mental health influence rural-urban migrants' intention to settle down in cities. First, the results show that both self-rated physical and mental health are significant factors influencing the migrants' intention to permanently move to cities. Second, the effect of physical health on rural-urban migrants' intentions to permanently reside in cities can be moderated by their length of urban residence. Third, the impact of health on rural-urban migrants' urban-settlement intention shows no generational differences. According to the research findings, this paper discusses how urban-settlement intention of rural-urban migrants based on health selection might impair urbanization, exacerbate health disparity between the rural and urban areas, and aggravate the burden on healthcare system in rural areas of China in the long run.


The Role of the Secondary Coordination Sphere in a Fungal Polysaccharide Monooxygenase.
Polysaccharide monooxygenases (PMOs) are secreted metalloenzymes that catalyze the oxidative degradation of polysaccharides in a copper-, oxygen-, and reductant-dependent manner. Cellulose-active fungal PMOs degrade cellulosic substrates to be utilized as a carbon source for fungal growth. To gain insight into the PMO mechanism, the role of conserved residues in the copper coordination sphere was investigated. Here, we report active-site hydrogen-bonding motifs in the secondary copper coordination sphere of MtPMO3*, a C1-oxidizing PMO from the ascomycete fungus Myceliophthora thermophila. A series of point substitutions that disrupt this conserved network are used to interrogate its function. Activity assays, in conjunction with EPR spectroscopy, demonstrate that residues H161 and Q167 are involved in stabilizing bound oxygen, and H161 appears to play a role in proton transfer. Additionally, Q167 increases the ligand donor strength of Y169 to the copper via a hydrogen-bonding interaction. Altogether, H161 and Q167 are important for oxygen activation, and the results are suggestive of a copper-oxyl active intermediate.


Generation by limited proteolysis of a catalytically active 39-kDa protein from the 115-kDa form of phosphatidylinositol-glycan-specific phospholipase D from bovine serum.
It has been suggested previously that small amounts of the mature 115-kDa form of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns)-glycan-specific phospholipase D from bovine serum may exist as a 47-kDa form which can also be generated in vitro by treatment with proteases. In this study, we investigated the possible proteolytic processing by trypsin of partially purified PtdIns-glycan- specific phospholipase D from bovine serum and found that tryptic digestion caused an apparent activation of the enzyme when assayed in the presence of 0.1% (mass/vol.) Triton X-100. Trypsin cleaved the 115-kDa form of PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipase D into three major polypeptides with molecular masses of 33, 39, and 47 kDa. Under non-denaturing conditions, the polypeptides remained tightly but noncovalently associated with each other. However, in the presence of 6 M urea, the polypeptides could be separated by anion-exchange chromatography. After renaturation, PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipase D activity was found to be associated with a 39-kDa fragment. Based on its size and its amino acid sequence, the active-site-containing fragment consisted of approximately 275 residues of the N-terminal region of PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipase D. The active 39-kDa fragment hydrolyzed the PtdIns-glycan-anchors of solubilized acetylcholinesterase from bovine erythrocytes and variant surface glycoprotein from blood stream trypanosomes. However, this fragment was inactive on membrane-associated acetylcholinesterase and PtdIns.


[Alfred Velpeau (1795-1867): an exceptional career].
Alfred Velpeau (1795-1867) was the most famous and the most popular French surgeon of his time. His exceptional career was due to the conjunction of a rare quality of mind and providential circumstances. His life, a true fairy tale, is an example to be honored. Nothing is more original, wrote Paul Valery, than to feed from others.


A need to provide explanations for observed biological effects of radiofrequency exposure.
Although there is scientific consensus that radiofrequency (RF) exposure at high intensity can cause thermal effects, including well-established adverse health effects, there is still considerable controversy on whether low-intensity RF exposure can cause biological effects, especially adverse health effects. The objective of this paper is to describe several reported "non-thermal" effects that were later shown to be due to a weak thermal effect or an experimental artifact by properly conducted and thorough follow-on scientific research. First, the multiple factors that can cause different RF energy absorption in biological tissues are reviewed and second, several examples of experimental artifacts in published papers are described to demonstrate the importance of paying attention to dosimetry and temperature control. For example, isolated nerve response studies show that when temperature of the RF-exposed tissues is controlled, effects disappeared. During RF exposure, conductive electrodes routinely used in physiological studies have been shown to cause field intensification at the tips or contacts of the electrodes with biological tissue; thus, the RF exposure at the site of measurement could be much higher than the incident field. In some in vitro studies, a lack of temperature uniformity in RF-exposed cell cultures and rate of heating explain changes originally reported to be due to low-level RF exposure. In other studies, detailed dosimetry studies have identified artifacts that explain the reasons why so-called "non-thermal" effects were mistakenly reported. Researchers should look for explanations for their own findings, and not expect others to figure out what was the reason for their observed effects.


Pitch discrimination without awareness in congenital amusia: evidence from event-related potentials.
Congenital amusia is a lifelong disorder characterized by a difficulty in perceiving and producing music despite normal intelligence and hearing. Behavioral data have indicated that it originates from a deficit in fine-grained pitch discrimination, and is expressed by the absence of a P3b event-related brain response for pitch differences smaller than a semitone and a bigger N2b-P3b brain response for large pitch differences as compared to controls. However, it is still unclear why the amusic brain overreacts to large pitch changes. Furthermore, another electrophysiological study indicates that the amusic brain can respond to changes in melodies as small as a quarter-tone, without awareness, by exhibiting a normal mismatch negativity (MMN) brain response. Here, we re-examine the event-related N2b-P3b components with the aim to clarify the cause of the larger amplitude observed by Peretz, Brattico, and Tervaniemi (2005), by experimentally matching the number of deviants presented to the controls according to the number of deviants detected by amusics. We also re-examine the MMN component as well as the N1 in an acoustical context to investigate further the pitch discrimination deficit underlying congenital amusia. In two separate conditions, namely ignore and attend, we measured the MMN, the N1, the N2b and the P3b to tones that deviated by an eight of a tone (25 cents) or whole tone (200 cents) from a repeated standard tone. The results show a normal MMN, a seemingly normal N1, a normal P3b for the 200 cents pitch deviance, and no P3b for the small 25 cents pitch differences in amusics. These results indicate that the amusic brain responds to small pitch differences at a pre-attentive level of perception, but is unable to detect consciously those same pitch deviances at a later attentive level. The results are consistent with previous MRI and fMRI studies indicating that the auditory cortex of amusic individuals is functioning normally.


Ultrastructure of the eggs of Culicoides circumscriptus, Culicoides gejgelensis, and Culicoides imicola (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae).
The eggs of Culicoides circumscriptus Kieffer, Culicoides gejgelensis Dzhafarov, and Culicoides imicola Kieffer collected in Israel are described and illustrated by scanning electron micrographs. Eggs of all 3 species were morphologically similar, generally sausage- or cigar-shaped, with slight dorsal-ventral curvature and longitudinal rows of tubercle pillars covered with a thin adhesive layer. Tubercle pillars were scarce on C. circumscriptus and C. imicola eggs, but were common on C. gejgelensis eggs, forming longitudinal plastrons with an associated hydrofuge meshwork. All 3 species had micropyle domes and associated aeropyles at the anterior end of their eggs.


Wound infections after cardiac surgery--a wound scoring system may improve early detection.
This study was aimed at describing the early development of wound infections after cardiac surgery to identify markers for upcoming infections. We followed a cohort of 200 patients for 3 months after cardiac surgery to establish the incidence of all types of postoperative infections. Wound healing and C-reactive protein (CRP) were followed for the first 2 weeks. A total of 175 patients out of 200 could be followed up. Using a broad definition of wound infection a total of 30% of the patients had some kind of wound infection. The diagnosis of most infections occurred after the patients had left the cardiac surgery unit (median 12 d after surgery). Our wound scoring method shows significant differences at an early stage between infected and non-infected wounds. At the time of diagnoses CRP was elevated in patients with deep sternal infection. A long follow-up period is needed to establish the true incidence of infection. Wound scoring can give an early indication of wound infections and CRP can help in the diagnoses of deep infections.


Endoscopic partial corpectomy using anterior decompression for cervical myelopathy.
Symptomatic ventral cervical cord compressions have been treated by anterior discectomy with fusion, anterior corpectomy and fusion, discectomy with an artificial disc, and minimally invasive techniques. There are complications associated with the fusion procedure, especially when a long segment fusion is undertaken. Partial removal of the vertebral body without fusion could help in avoiding fusion and its associated complications. We are describing the detailed surgical technique, indications, limitations, and early results of endoscopic partially corpectomy. The detailed endoscopic technique of how to remove minimal portion of the anterior and middle part of the vertebra with the removal of compressing posterior portion is described. To the best of the author's knowledge, this procedure has not been described in the literature till date. This technique has the advantages of preservation of most of the vertebral body and disc. The stability of the spine is maintained without the patient having to undergo the additional procedure of spinal fusion. There is a shorter length of hospital stay. The technique can also be used in special conditions, such as when a migrated disc behind the vertebral body or any bony compression opposite the vertebral body is encountered. It avoids injury to the longus colli muscles and damage to most of the annulus fibrosis. It preserves motion segments at the operated and adjacent segments without any significant decrease in the disc and vertebral height. A relatively short follow-up and the experience in a relatively small number of patients till now, are the limitations to the widespread use of this technique. Although long-term follow-up of this procedure in a large number of patients is not currently available, endoscopic partial corpectomy seems to be an effective and an alternative method for dealing with anteriorly located cervical compression. Long-term follow-up in a large number of patients is required to assess for the safety and effectiveness of the procedure.


Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as a Novel Cell-Free Therapy for Cutaneous Regeneration.
Adult wound healing often results in fibrotic scarring that is caused by myofibroblast aggregation. Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) exhibit significantly anti-fibrotic scarring properties during wound healing. However, it is little known whether hAFSCs directly or indirectly (paracrine) contribute to this process. Using the full-thickness skin-wounded rats, we investigated the therapeutic potential of hAFSC-derived exosomes (hAFSC-exo). Our results showed that hAFSC-exo accelerated the wound healing rate and improved the regeneration of hair follicles, nerves, and vessels, as well as increased proliferation of cutaneous cells and the natural distribution of collagen during wound healing. Additionally, hAFSC-exo suppressed the excessive aggregation of myofibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. We identified several miRNAs, including let-7-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-27a-3p, miR-21-5p, and miR-23a-3p, that were presented in hAFSC-exo. The functional analysis demonstrated that these hAFSC-exo-miRNAs contribute to the inhibition of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway by targeting the TGF-β receptor type I (TGF-βR1) and TGF-β receptor type II (TGF-βR2). The reduction of TGF-βR1 and TGF-βR2 expression induced by hAFSC-exo was also confirmed in the healing tissue. Finally, using mimics of miRNAs, we found that hAFSC-exo-miRNAs were essential for myofibroblast suppression during the TGF-β1-induced human dermal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition in vitro. In summary, this study is the first to show that exosomal miRNAs used in hAFSC-based therapy inhibit myofibroblast differentiation. Our study suggests that hAFSC-exo may represent a strategic tool for suppressing fibrotic scarring during wound healing.


Time-related cotyledonary effects of laser coagulation of superficial chorionic vessels in an ovine model.
Endoscopic Nd:YAG laser coagulation of superficial chorionic plate vessels has been suggested as a 'causal' therapy for severe twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTS), as it is believed to arrest flow over vascular anastomoses. The therapy remains debated, partly because it is questioned whether coagulation of superficial chorionic vessels can arrest blood flow over deeply located anastomoses. The latter are believed to be responsible for the majority of cases of severe TTs. In this study, the coagulation performance, and the immediate and delayed tissue effects of laser coagulation were evaluated in an in vivo ovine model. Eight pregnant ewes of about 100 days' gestational age (term= 145 days) were studied. In utero coagulation was done through a 1.2 mm fetoscope loaded with a 600 microm laser fibre, connected to an Nd:YAG laser in continuous mode. Superficial cotyledonary vessels were coagulated under visual control at a distance of 1 cm with a mean power of 60 watts. 31 lasered cotyledons were harvested, either immediately (n= 15), 14 days (n = 8) or 42 days (n = 8) after the surgery and evaluated by inspection and histology. Control cotyledons were either neighbouring cotyledons from the same amniotic sac (internal control) or cotyledons from another gestational-age-matched sac (external control). Immediate effects consisted of localized coagulation necrosis at the zone of laser impact with no significant histological effect at more than 2 mm distance, except tissue congestion. Long-term effects consisted of fibrosis without any vascular recanalization or tissue regeneration extending from the impact site over the whole cotyledon. All treated cotyledons underwent complete infarction over time. This study provides experimental evidence supporting that laser coagulation of superficial chorionic vessels entering a cotyledon achieves complete functional elimination of the involved cotyledon.


Alpha-synuclein promoter haplotypes and dementia in Parkinson's disease.
Dementia is a common complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). It correlates significantly with the presence of cortical, limbic or nigral Lewy bodies, mainly constituted of alpha-synuclein. Mutations of the alpha-synuclein gene (SNCA) have been linked to rare familial forms of PD, while association studies on the promoter polymorphisms have given conflicting results in sporadic patients. We have performed a case control study to investigate whether genetic variability in the promoter of the alpha-synuclein gene could predispose to dementia in PD. A total of 114 demented patients and 114 non-demented patients with sporadic PD were included in the study. Six polymorphic loci (including the Rep1 microsatellite) in the promoter of the SNCA gene were examined. Each marker, taken individually, did not show association to dementia and no significant differences were observed in the inferred haplotype frequencies of demented and non-demented patients. Our data suggest the lack of involvement of the SNCA promoter in the pathogenesis of dementia in PD. Further studies in other populations are needed to confirm these results.


Evidence for cost-effectiveness of lifestyle primary preventions for cardiovascular disease in the Asia-Pacific Region: a systematic review.
Countries of the Asia Pacific region account for a major share of the global burden of disease due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and this burden is rising over time. Modifiable behavioural risk factors for CVD are considered a key target for reduction in incidence but their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness tend to depend on country context. However, no systematic assessment of cost-effectiveness of interventions addressing behavioural risk factors in the region exists. A systematic review of the published literature on cost-effectiveness of interventions targeting modifiable behavioural risk factors for CVD was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were (a) countries in Asia and the Pacific, (b) studies that had conducted economic evaluations of interventions (c) published papers in major economic and public health databases and (d) a comprehensive list of search words to identify appropriate articles. All authors independently examined the final list of articles relating to methodology and findings. Under our inclusion criteria a total of 28 studies, with baseline years ranging from 1990 to 2012, were included in the review, 19 conducted in high-income countries of the region. Reviewed studies assessed cost-effectiveness of interventions for tobacco control, alcohol reduction, salt intake control, physical activity and dietary interventions. The majority of cost-effectiveness analyses were simulation analyses mostly relying on developed country data, and only 6 studies used effectiveness data from RCTs in the region. Other than for Australia, no direct conclusions could be drawn about cost-effectiveness of interventions targeting behavioural risk factors due to the small number of studies, interventions that varied widely in design, and varied methods for measurement of costs associated with interventions. Good quality cost-effectiveness information on interventions targeting behavioural interventions for the Asia-Pacific region remains a major gap in the literature.


Study on the suitability of sow colostrum for the serological diagnosis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
Serum and colostrum from 73 sows were collected. The serum samples were tested by Immuno. Peroxidase Monolayer Assay (IPMA) and the corresponding colostrum samples with the indirect Immuno fluorescent Antibody (IFA) technique. All serum positive sows were colostrum positive and all colostrum negative were serum negative. Eight sows only reacted positively in the colostral testing. Compared to the serum standard test the specificity was 82.6% and the sensitivity 100%. The observed agreement between both tests was 89.2%. In addition all serum samples were also tested with the IF test (IFT). Of the eight sows which were negative in the IPMA serum test and positive in the IFA colostrum test, three were found positive when the serum was tested with IFA. Consequently, the observed agreement was higher at 93.2%. After the suitability of colostrum for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) diagnosis was demonstrated, 1915 colostrum samples collected from 135 different farms were tested in a comparative study with the IPMA and IFA techniques. Of the 1915 colostrum samples 139 were positive with both IPMA and IFA. With IPMA only, 43 samples were positive compared with 192 samples found positive with the IFA technique. A total of 1541 samples were negative in both tests. The observed agreement between both tests was 87.5%. The quotient of the observed agreement minus chance agreement and the maximum possible agreement beyond chance level (Kappa Quotient) was 0.49. In 90% of the farms that tested IFA positive there was a seroconversion of more than 50% of all colostrum tested. By comparison only 29% of the IPMA positive farms were positive with more than 50%. Based on the epidemiological findings on PRRS it was concluded that the IFA technique indicates a higher sensitivity for the detection of PRRS virus antibodies in sow colostrum. Finally the possible advantages and disadvantages of sow colostrum testing and serum testing are discussed.


Direct NMR evidence of phase solitons in the spin ground state of overdoped manganites.
Charge ordering phenomena in overdoped La1-xCaxMnO3 (LCMO) manganites with x>or=0.5 are generally believed to be associated with the formation of charge stripes composed of alternating Mn3+ and Mn4+ charges. However, a number of recent experiments indicate that instead of stripes the charge in these systems is spatially organized in a uniform charge density wave. At the same time theory predicts that the ground state is modulated by an incommensurate (IC) orbital and charge soliton lattice. Here, by using nuclear magnetic resonance we provide the first direct evidence that the spin ground state in overdoped LCMO manganites is IC modulated with phase solitons. At higher temperatures the solitonic superstructure is replaced by a uniform spin-density wave, subjected to coherent slow fluctuations, showing a striking similarity with slow fluctuations in the striped phase of high T{c} cuprates and nickelates.


Abscisic acid signal off the STARting block.
The year 2009 marked a real turnaround in our understanding of the mode of abscisic acid (ABA) action. Nearly 25 years had elapsed since the first biochemical detection of ABA-binding proteins in the plasmalemma of Vicia guard cells was reported. This recent--and laudable--achievement is owed largely to the discovery of the soluble ABA receptors whose major interacting proteins happen to be some of the most well-established components of earliest steps in ABA signaling. These soluble receptors, with the double name of PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE (PYR) or REGULATORY COMPONENT OF ABA RECEPTOR (RCAR), are a family of Arabidopsis proteins of about 150-200 amino acids that share a conserved START domain. The ABA signal transduction circuitry under non-stress conditions is muted by the clade A protein phosphatases 2C (PP2C) (notably HAB1, ABI1, and ABI2). During the initial steps of ABA signaling, the binding of the hormone to the receptor induces a conformational change in the latter that allows it to sequester the PP2Cs. This excludes them from the negative regulation of the downstream ABA-activated kinases (OST1/SnRK2.6/SRK2E, SnRK2.2, and SnRK2.3), thus unleashing the pathway by freeing them to phosphorylate downstream targets that now include several b-ZIP transcription factors, ion channels (SLAC1, KAT1), and a NADPH oxidase (AtrbohF). The discovery of this family of soluble receptors and the rich insight already gained from structural studies of their complexes with different isoforms of ABA, PP2C, and the synthetic agonist pyrabactin lay the foundation towards rational design of chemical switches that can bolster drought hardiness in plants.


Cellular and molecular effects of nonreciprocal chromosome translocations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains harboring a nonreciprocal, bridge-induced translocation (BIT) between chromosomes VIII and XV exhibited an abnormal phenotype comprising elongated buds and multibudded, unevenly nucleated pseudohyphae. In these cells, we found evidence of molecular effects elicited by the translocation event and specific for its particular genomic location. Expression of genes flanking both translocation breakpoints increased up to five times, correlating with an increased RNA polymerase II binding to their promoters and with their histone acetylation pattern. Microarray data, CHEF, and quantitative PCR confirmed the data on the dosage of genes present on the chromosomal regions involved in the translocation, indicating that telomeric fragments were either duplicated or integrated mostly on chromosome XI. FACS analysis revealed that the majority of translocant cells were blocked in G(1) phase and a few of them in G(2). Some cells showed a posttranslational decrease of cyclin B1, in agreement with elongated buds diagnostic of a G(2)/M phase arrest. The actin1 protein was in some cases modified, possibly explaining the abnormal morphology of the cells. Together with the decrease in Rad53p and the lack of its phosphorylation, these results indicate that these cells have undergone adaptation after checkpoint-mediated G(2)/M arrest after chromosome translocation. These BIT translocants could serve as model systems to understand further the cellular and molecular effects of chromosome translocation and provide fundamental information on its etiology of neoplastic transformation in mammals.


Stereotactic radiosurgery for orbital cavernous hemangiomas.
The goal of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of single-session Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for orbital cavernous hemangiomas (OCHs). Patients who presented with an OCH between September 1999 and May 2022 and were treated with single-session GKRS were included in this single-center cohort study. There were 23 patients (7 males and 16 females) in this study. The median margin dose was 12 Gy (range 11-13 Gy). The median clinical and radiological follow-ups were 45 months (range 5-190 months) and 45 months (range 6-190 months), respectively. Nine (69.2%) of 13 patients with visual acuity impairment had improvement in best corrected visual acuity. Of the 8 patients with visual field defects, 5 patients (62.5%) had complete resolution. Tumor regression was observed in 22 patients (95.7%). The mean relative reduction in tumor volume was 82.6% ± 23.7%. The relative reductions in tumor volume were 33%, 49%, 72%, 84%, and 89% at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months, respectively. Adverse effects of radiation were not observed. GKRS appears to be safe and efficacious for treating OCHs over long-term follow-up. The treatment is associated with a high rate of regression in OCHs and remarkable improvement in both visual acuity and visual field deficits.


Improved detection of Sugarcane yellow leaf virus using a real-time fluorescent (TaqMan) RT-PCR assay.
Yellow leaf syndrome (YLS) of sugarcane has been associated with Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV) and has been reported from most sugarcane growing countries around the world. As sugarcane is vegetatively propagated, it is important to use effective and sensitive detection methods to screen new propagating material. Virus detection in symptomatic tissue is currently achieved using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA) or a conventional RT-PCR based assay. This paper reports the development of an improved assay based on multiplex real-time fluorescent RT-PCR. The new assay is 100-fold more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR, and incorporates a novel 'RNA specific' internal positive control (based around the intron of the caffeic acid 3-o-methyltransferase gene) to guard against false negative results. The paper also describes the comparison of eight RNA extraction methods for sugarcane tissue giving a number of alternatives for different laboratory situations. The sensitivity of this assay has allowed the detection of ScYLV in many samples that were thought to be healthy following conventional testing (RT-PCR, ELISA or TBIA). The detection of ScYLV using this TaqMan assay can be applied to the production of ScYLV-free plants and prevents its spread through the propagation material.


Vertical gastrectomy and gastric bypass in Roux-en-Y induce postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease?
The association between obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease has a high incidence and may be present in half of obese patients with surgical indication. Bariatric operations can also induce reflux alone - differently from BMI factors - and its mechanisms are dependent on the type of procedure performed. To perform a literature review comparing the two procedures currently most used for surgical treatment of obesity and analyze their relationship with the advent of pre-existing reflux disease or its appearance only in postoperative period. The literature was reviewed in virtual database Medline/PubMed, SciELO, Lilacs, Embase and Cochrane crossing the following MeSH descriptors: gastric bypass AND / OR anastomosis, Roux-en-Y AND / OR gastroesophageal reflux AND / OR gastroenterostomy AND / OR gastrectomy AND / OR obesity AND / OR bariatric surgery AND / OR postoperative period. A total of 135 relevant references were considered but only 30 were used in this article. Also was added the experience of the authors of this article in handling these techniques on this field. The structural changes caused by surgical technique in vertical gastrectomy shows greater commitment of antireflux mechanisms predisposing the induction of GERD postoperatively compared to the surgical technique performed in the gastrointestinal Bypass Roux-en-Y.


Cell proliferation in normal epidermis.
A detailed examination of cell proliferation kinetics in normal human epidermis is presented. Using tritiated thymidine with autoradiographic techniques, proliferative and differentiated cell kinetics are defined and interrelated. The proliferative compartment of normal epidermis has a cell cycle duration (Tc) of 311 h derived from 3 components: the germinative labeling index (LI), the duration of DNA synthesis (ts), and the growth fraction (GF). The germinative LI is 2.7% +/- 1.2 and ts is 14 h, the latter obtained from a composite fraction of labeled mitoses curve obtained from 11 normal subjects. The GF obtained from the literature and from human skin xenografts to nude mice is estimated to be 60%. Normal-appearing epidermis from patients with psoriasis appears to have a higher proliferation rate. The mean LI is 4.2% +/- 0.9, approximately 50% greater than in normal epidermis. Absolute cell kinetic values for this tissue, however, cannot yet be calculated for lack of other information on ts and GF. A kinetic model for epidermal cell renewal in normal epidermis is described that interrelates the rate of birth/entry, transit, and/or loss of keratinocytes in the 3 epidermal compartments: proliferative, viable differentiated (stratum malpighii ), and stratum corneum. Expected kinetic homeostasis in the epidermis is confirmed by the very similar "turnover" rates in each of the compartments that are, respectively, 1246, 1417, and 1490 cells/day/mm2 surface area. The mean epidermal turnover time of the entire tissue is 39 days. The Tc of 311 h in normal cells in 8-fold longer than the psoriatic Tc of 36 h and is necessary for understanding the hyperproliferative pathophysiologic process in psoriasis.


Resonance Rayleigh-scattering method for the determination of proteins with some monoazo dyes of chromotropic acid.
In a weak acid medium, protein reacts with a monoazo dye of chromotropic acid, such as Chromazol KS (CALKS), Acid Chrome Dark Blue (ACDB), Chrome Blue SE (CBSE), Acid Chrome Blue K (ACBK), Chlorophosphonazo I (CPAI), Arsennazo I (AAI) and Chromotrope 2R (CT2R), to form a combination product. This results in a significant enhancement of the resonance Rayleigh-scattering (RRS) intensity, and the corresponding RRS spectrum appears. The characteristics of the RRS spectra of the combination products and the optimum conditions for the reactions were investigated. The intensity of RRS is directly proportional to the concentration of protein in a certain range. The RRS methods have high sensitivity for the determination of protein, the detection limits for bovine serum albumin (BSA) are 10.0 - 30.2 ng/ml, and the sensitivity order is CALKS > AAI = CPAI > ACBK = CT2R > ACDB > CBSE. The selectivity for CALKS has been examined, and the method was applied to the determination of a microg amount of protein in a synthetic sample with satisfactory results.


A Collaborative Neurodynamic Optimization Approach to Distributed Nash-Equilibrium Seeking in Multicluster Games With Nonconvex Functions.
In this article, we propose a collaborative neurodynamic optimization (CNO) method for the distributed seeking of generalized Nash equilibriums (GNEs) in multicluster games with nonconvex functions. Based on an augmented Lagrangian function, we develop a projection neural network for the local search of GNEs, and its convergence to a local GNE is proven. We formulate a global optimization problem to which a global optimal solution is a high-quality local GNE, and we adopt a CNO approach consisting of multiple recurrent neural networks for scattering searches and a metaheuristic rule for reinitializing states. We elaborate on an example of a price-bidding problem in an electricity market to demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach.


Components of working memory and visual selective attention.
Load theory (Lavie, N., Hirst, A., De Fockert, J. W., & Viding, E. [2004]. Load theory of selective attention and cognitive control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 133, 339-354.) proposes that control of attention depends on the amount and type of load that is imposed by current processing. Specifically, perceptual load should lead to efficient distractor rejection, whereas working memory load (dual-task coordination) should hinder distractor rejection. Studies support load theory's prediction that working memory load will lead to larger distractor effects; however, these studies used secondary tasks that required only verbal working memory and the central executive. The present study examined which other working memory components (visual, spatial, and phonological) influence visual selective attention. Subjects completed an attentional capture task alone (single-task) or while engaged in a working memory task (dual-task). Results showed that along with the central executive, visual and spatial working memory influenced selective attention, but phonological working memory did not. Specifically, attentional capture was larger when visual or spatial working memory was loaded, but phonological working memory load did not affect attentional capture. The results are consistent with load theory and suggest specific components of working memory influence visual selective attention.


Initial stability of porous coated acetabular implants. The effect of screw placement, screw tightness, defect type, and oversize implants.
The effects of screw location, screw tightness, acetabular bony defects, and implant size on the initial stability of porous coated acetabular implants was studied in vitro using 12 fresh frozen cadaver pelves. The fixation of porous coated acetabular implants was compared following fixation with either rim or center screws. Implants were tested first under axial and torsional stress. Then, either a peripheral or central bony defect was created in the acetabulum and testing was repeated in a similar fashion. Rim screws were noted to significantly improve the initial fixation of implants in intact acetabula and in acetabula with central bony defects. It was also shown that the tightness of the screws is an important factor affecting the strength of fixation. Although bony defects compromise the fixation of implants, specimens with central defects were very stable, particularly when tested with axial load. Acetabula with peripheral defects lost significant stability. The use of larger implants in acetabula with bony defects was shown to increase bony coverage and the overall implant stability.


Advanced clinical monitoring: considerations for real-time hemodynamic diagnostics.
In an effort to ease staffing burdens and potentially improve patient outcome in an intensive care unit (ICU) environment, we are developing a real-time system to accurately and efficiently diagnose cardiopulmonary emergencies. The system is being designed to utilize all relevant routinely-monitored physiological data in order to automatically diagnose potentially fatal events. The initial stage of this project involved formulating the overall system design and appropriate methods for real-time data acquisition, data storage, data trending, waveform analysis, and implementing diagnostic rules. Initially, we defined a conceptual analysis of the minimum physiologic data set, and the monitoring time-frames (trends) which would be required to diagnose cardiopulmonary emergencies. Following that analysis, we used a fuzzy logic diagnostic engine to analyze physiological data during a simulated arrhythmic cardiac arrest (ACA) in order to assess the validity of our diagnostic methodology. We used rate, trend, and morphologic data extracted from the following signals: expired CO2 time-concentration curve (capnogram), electrocardiogram, and arterial blood pressure. The system performed well: The fuzzy logic engine effectively diagnosed the likelihood of ACA from the subtle hemodynamic trends which preceded the complete arrest. As the clinical picture worsened, the fuzzy logic-based system accurately indicated the change in patient condition. Termination of the simulated arrest was rapidly detected by the diagnostic engine. In view of the effectiveness of this fuzzy logic implementation, we plan to develop additional fuzzy logic modules to diagnose other cardiopulmonary emergencies.


Redox Signaling and Bioenergetics Influence Lung Cancer Cell Line Sensitivity to the Isoflavone ME-344.
ME-344 [(3R,4S)-3,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-7-ol] is a second-generation derivative natural product isoflavone presently under clinical development. ME-344 effects were compared in lung cancer cell lines that are either intrinsically sensitive or resistant to the drug and in primary immortalized human lung embryonic fibroblasts (IHLEF). Cytotoxicity at low micromolar concentrations occurred only in sensitive cell lines, causing redox stress, decreased mitochondrial ATP production, and subsequent disruption of mitochondrial function. In a dose-dependent manner the drug caused instantaneous and pronounced inhibition of oxygen consumption rates (OCR) in drug-sensitive cells (quantitatively significantly less in drug-resistant cells). This was consistent with targeting of mitochondria by ME-344, with specific effects on the respiratory chain (resistance correlated with higher glycolytic indexes). OCR inhibition did not occur in primary IHLEF. ME-344 increased extracellular acidification rates in drug-resistant cells (significantly less in drug-sensitive cells), implying that ME-344 targets mitochondrial proton pumps. Only in drug-sensitive cells did ME-344 dose-dependently increase the intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species and cause oxidation of total (mainly glutathione) and protein thiols and the concomitant immediate increases in NADPH levels. We conclude that ME-344 causes complex, redox-specific, and mitochondria-targeted effects in lung cancer cells, which differ in extent from normal cells, correlate with drug sensitivity, and provide indications of a beneficial in vitro therapeutic index.


Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphisms and intracranial aneurysm susceptibility: A meta-analysis.
Various studies have evaluated the association between polymorphisms of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and intracranial aneurysm (IA) risk; however, the results remain inconsistent. The PubMed, Embase, and Wanfang Data databases were systematically searched until January 6th 2016. Case-control studies investigating the association between the ACE polymorphism and IA risk were included. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with the fixed or random-effects model assuming allele, homozygote comparison of codominant, heterozygote comparison of codominant, dominant, and recessive models. Seven studies including 1,074 cases and 1,500 controls were included in the current meta-analysis. The results of the analysis indicated that the ACE polymorphism significantly increased IA risk in the allele, homozygote comparison of codominant and dominant models. According to the further stratified analysis by ethnicity, source of control and sample sizes, a significant association was identified between the ACE variant and IA risk in Asian individuals, hospital-based, or large (>300) subgroups in all of the genetic models, not including the recessive model. Furthermore, no significantly increased risk was indicated in Caucasian individuals, population-based, or small (<300) subgroups in the heterozygote comparison of codominant, dominant and recessive models. The available evidence indicates that the ACE polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of IA, particularly in Asian individuals. However, other factors may impact this association. Further large, well-designed multicenter studies are required to validate the findings from the present study.


[Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma with low signal intensity lesions on T2 weighted spinal magnetic resonance image that were suspected to be hemorrhages].
A 79-year-old female had a spinal lesion that was definitely diagnosed as intravascular large B-cell lymphoma on the basis of skin biopsy findings, and she was treated by rituximab-containing chemotherapy. The spinal lesion showed high and low signal intensities on T₂ weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, those low signal intensity lesions were suspected to be hemorrhages. The hemorrhages were thought to have been caused by interaction between atypical lymphoma cells and the endothelial cells of spinal blood vessels, by hemorrhagic infarction or by rupture of the capillary endothelium due to interaction between rituximab and lymphoma cells. Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma cases rarely show low signal intensity on spinal T₂ weighted MRI scans.


Peripheral leukocytes in psoriasis.
The white blood cell (WBC) count and differential count, including the morphology and acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) activity of lymphocytes, in psoriatic patients of different types, stages, and extensiveness of skin lesions were analyzed. The number of total WBC and polymorphonuclear leukocytes was markedly increased in psoriasis erythrodermica and psoriasis pustulosa. Lymphocytopenia, especially T-lymphocytopenia, was noticed in all types of psoriasis. Antineoplastic drugs and immunosuppressants intensified the degree of T-lymphocytopenia. This might be the cause of recurrence and more recalcitrant course of the disease. Therefore, it is considered that these drugs should not be the first choice in the treatment of psoriasis.


Engagement and Leadership in Firearm-Related Violence Prevention: The Role of the Pediatric Hospitalist.
Gun violence is a US public health crisis. Approximately 7000 children are hospitalized each year because of firearm-related injuries. As pediatric hospitalists, we are poised to address this crisis, whether we care directly for patients who are victims of gun violence. In this article, we aim to provide practical tools and opportunities for pediatric hospitalists to address the epidemic of gun safety and gun violence prevention, including specifics related to the inpatient setting. We provide a framework to act within 4 domains: clinical care, advocacy, education and research.


Epidemiology of breast cancer in europe and Africa.
Breast cancer continues to remain the most lethal malignancy in women across the world. This study reviews some of the epidemiological similarities and differences in breast cancer between white European women and black African women with the aim of optimising care for women with breast malignancy across the world. The incidence of breast cancer is lower among African women than their European counterparts. Majority of women in Europe are postmenopausal when they present with breast cancer; however, the peak incidence among African women is in the premenopausal period. Ductal carcinoma is the commonest type of breast cancer among women in Africa and Europe. However, medullary and mucinous carcinomas are more common in Africa than in Europe. While European women usually present at an early stage especially with the advent of screening, African women generally present late for treatment resulting in lower survival rates. There should be more research at the molecular level among African women to identify genetic factors that may contribute to the risk of developing breast cancer. There should also be improvement in the health care system in Africa in order to optimise care for women with breast cancer.


Mental health circumstances among health care workers and general public under the pandemic situation of COVID-19 (HOME-COVID-19).
After the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally, upgraded quarantine and physical distancing strategy, strict infection measures, and government's strict lockdown have been abided to confront the spread of the COVID-19 in Thailand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about the mental health and psychosocial problems among health care workers and the general population are now arising. Yet, information on mental health and psychosocial problems among health care workers and the general population have not been comprehensively reported in Thailand. As such, we conduct a cross-sectional study, a national online survey to describe the short- and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and psychosocial problems among health care workers and the general population in Thailand. This study is a repeated cross-sectional study, an open online voluntary national-based survey during the wave I (April 21-May 4, 2020) follow-up in the wave II (August 3-16, 2020), wave III (November 15-28, 2020), and a 1-year follow-up survey (wave IV: April 21-May 4, 2021) in Thailand. Health care workers at the hospitals and the adult general population will be invited to participate in the online survey via the SurveyMonkey that limits one-time participation per unique internet protocol address. The target sample size of at least 1182 health care workers and 1310 general populations will be required to complete the online survey for each wave of the survey. Sociodemographic characteristics and a set of measurement tools for mental and psychosocial problems for each subcohort including depression, anxiety, stress, resilient copings, neuroticism, perceived social support, wellbeing, somatic symptoms, insomnia, burnout (for healthcare workers), and public stigma toward COVID-19 infection (for the general population) will be collected. For all estimates of prevalence, we will weigh data for all wave analyses under the complex design of the survey. Subgroup analyses stratified by key characteristics will also be done to analyze the proportion differences. For the repeated cross-sectional survey, we will combine the data from the wave I to wave IV survey to analyze changes in the mental health status. We will perform multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts to explore associations with individual-level and region-level/hospital-level predictors. We also plan to perform an ancillary systematic review and meta-analysis by incorporating data from our findings to all available evidence. Our findings will provide information on the short- and long-term mental health status as well as the psychosocial responses to the COVID-19 outbreak in a national sample of health care workers and the general population in Thailand. This prospective, nationally based, a repeated cross-sectional study will describe the mental health status and psychosocial problems among health care workers and the general population in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Faculty of Public Health and Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University. The findings will be disseminated through public, scientific, and professional meetings, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. TCTR20200425001.


Immature Megakaryocytes in the Mouse: Morphology and quantitation by acetylcholinesterase staining.
Three types of immature megakaryocytes, detected by their morphological properties, have been characterized in bone marrow of normal C57BL/6 mice. Morphological classification of these cells was carried out by determining (1) presence and relative amount of acetylcholinesterase, (2) cell size, (3) nuclear/cytoplasm ratio, and (4) nuclear shape. The immature megakaryocytes were classified as: (A) cells distinguished by a round nucleus (10.6 +/- 1.1 mu diameter; mean +/- SEM), which had the highest nucleus / cytoplasm ratio and lowest content of acetylcholinesterase; (B) cells with an indented nucleus (13.0 +/- 1.9 mu diameter), which had increased acetylcholinesterase content and reduced nucleus/cytoplasm ratio compared to the round-nucleus cell type; and (C) lobed-nucleus cells (14.5 +/- 2.9 mu diameter), which showed further increase in acetylcholinesterase content and reduction in nucleus/cytoplasm ratio. Increased numbers of immature megakaryocytes were detected, indicating that a proportion of these cells are undetected using conventional staining techniques. Based on the observed alterations in size, acetylcholinesterase content, and nuclear complexity, it was concluded that these cells constitute part of a progressive maturation sequence intermediate between the progenitor cell (CFU-Mk) and mature easily recognizable megakaryocytes.


[Inpatient health care utilization for musculoskeletal disorders and injuries: a forecast study for Germany up to 2010].
The study is part of the project "Orthopaedics 2010 -- evaluation of the demand for the orthopaedic work force in the year 2010", initiated by the professional association of orthopaedists (BVO). The aim is to estimate the prospective number of orthopaedists for the sufficient medical care of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. The main data source was the official statistics of discharge rates from 1994 to 1999 and the German population forecasts from 1994 to 2010 of the Federal Office of Statistics, Wiesbaden, Germany. An univariate forecasting analysis was done using the Granger and Newbold method. All diagnostic categories of musculoskeletal disorders (arthropathies, dorsopathies, rheumatism, osteopathies) will increase up to four-fold from 1994 to 2010. Three of the four diagnostic categories of injuries (dislocations, sprains and strains; contusion; injuries and open wounds) will decrease by up to 15 percent, the diagnostic category of fractures will increase (10 percent). The stratified analyses by gender and age reveal that women and persons over 65 years old are more often affected by musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Both demographic changes and changes in the utilization of inpatient care will lead to a substantial increase of hospital cases up to 2010. The presented results should be looked at together with their confidence limits as interval estimations. In addition, there are independent external factors such as the new prospective payment system (G-DRGs) that will influence the hospital admission rates as well.


Increase in nitric oxide formation after chronic voluntary exercise in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
The effect of chronic voluntary exercise on the plasma level of nitrate, a major stable metabolite of nitric oxide (NO) was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Exercise consisted of spontaneous running in wheels for 3-35 days. Blood samples were collected after 3, 7, 14, 21 and 35 days of exercise and all samples were drawn after the running wheel had been locked during the preceding 12 h. The plasma nitrate level was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in SHR after 35 days of exercise. Surprisingly after 7 days of exercise a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in the nitrate level in plasma was noted. Further research is needed to elucidate this biphasic change in nitrate seen in this study. The elevated level of plasma nitrate seen after 35 days of voluntary exercise was still present up to 36 h after termination of exercise. We conclude that exercise training in SHR elicits an enhanced formation of NO.


A critical evaluation of high density lipoprotein cholesterol as an index of coronary artery disease risk in Malaysians.
Fasting serum specimens from (a) 217 male and 46 female patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), aged 35-75 years, who had undergone angioplasty (PTCA) / coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and (b) 160 apparently healthy controls (106 males, 54 females, aged 30-75 years), were assessed for serum lipid profile. Both sex and ethnicity significantly influenced the levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC); in the controls, females had higher HDLC levels than males (46.7 mg/dl vs 38.5 mg/dl, p<0.00l), while the Indian males possessed significantly lower HDLC values than the male Malay or Chinese. HDLC, triglycerides (TG) and the atherogenic index- LDLC/HDLC ratio were significantly different between the CAD patients and the healthy controls, while total cholesterol (TC) and LDLC did not seem to be of diagnostic value. Serum HDLC was lower in the CAD patients compared to the healthy controls in both sexes (p<0.001), either expressed as HDLC per se or as % HDLC. This observation combined with the odds ratio (OR) values of 0.24 and 0.28 for HDLC and % HDLC respectively in males, firmly establishes HDL as a protective factor of CAD in Malaysians. Significance testing for the X2 values associated with the OR values for the various lipid indices, together with the findings on the receiver-operating characteristices (ROC) curves, i.e. plots of sensitivity vs 1-specificity, indicated that HDLC, % HDLC and TQ were equally efficient as a means of risk assessment to CAD in Malaysians.


Constituents of Burasaïa madagascarensis: a new clerodane-type diterpene.
From an ethanol extract of the stems of Burasaïa madagascarensis Thouars (Menispermaceae) were isolated N-acetylnornuciferine and two clerodane-type diterpenes, one of them, epicordatine, being new. The structures were established by the interpretation of the spectral data. All the described compounds exhibited weak antimalarial activity.


Expression of hepatocyte growth factor and c-Met in non-small-cell lung cancer and association with lymphangiogenesis.
Previous experimental studies have demonstrated that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c‑Met serve an important function in lymphangiogenesis, but their biological functions in malignant tumors have remained elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the expression patterns of HGF‑α and c‑Met and their association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‑C, lymphatic vessel density and lymph node metastasis in non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, the lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) and the expression levels of HGF‑α, its receptor c‑Met and VEGF‑C were determined in 113 human NSCLC tissues and 113 normal lung tissue samples, using immunohistochemical staining. As a result, it was determined that the expression levels of HGF‑α, c‑Met and VEGF‑C were significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than those in normal lung tissues (HGF‑α, 67.3 vs. 20.4%, P<0.001; c‑Met, 74.3 vs. 23.0%, P<0.001; and VEGF‑C, 65.5 vs. 23.9%, P<0.001). HGF‑α expression was observed to be significantly associated with that of VEGF‑C (r=0.234, P=0.012) or c‑Met (r=0.648, P<0.001). In addition, there was a positive correlation between the expression levels of VEGF‑C and c‑Met (r=0.224, P=0.017). In NSCLC tissues, the expression of HGF‑α, c‑Met or VEGF‑C was significantly correlated with the LMVD (P=0.045, 0.002 and 0.001, respectively), and lymph node metastasis was more common in HGF‑α, c‑Met or VEGF‑C‑positive groups (P=0.020, 0.020 and 0.009, respectively). In addition, the HGF‑α or VEGF‑C‑positive groups presented shorter survival time periods. In conclusion, the expression of HGF‑α or c‑Met was closely correlated with VEGF‑C, LMVD and metastases of lymph nodes, indicating that HGF‑α, c‑Met and VEGF‑C may perform important and collaborative actions in lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of primary NSCLC.


Lymphocyte subsets and adhesion molecules expression in heatstroke and heat stress.
We examined the specificity of the recently reported alterations in circulating lymphocytes in heatstroke by determining lymphocyte subsets in 14 consecutive heatstroke patients before and after cooling and in 7 heat-stressed controls using single- or two-color immunofluorescence flow cytometry. The relationship with catecholamine levels was also studied. In heatstroke, percentages of T (CD3(+)/CD19(-)), T-helper (CD4(+)/CD8(-)), T-inactive [CD3(+)/human leukocyte antigen-DR-], CD11a+, CD11c+, and CD44(+) lymphocytes were significantly decreased, whereas percentages of T-suppressor-cytotoxic (CD8(+)/CD4(-)), natural killer (NK; CD3(-)/CD16(+) or CD56(+)), CD3(+)/CD16(+) or CD56(+), and CD54(+) lymphocytes were significantly increased, compared with 11 normal controls. The changes in the absolute numbers of lymphocyte subsets were in the same direction and were significant for T-helper, T-suppressor-cytotoxic, NK, CD3(+)/CD16(+) or CD56(+), and CD11c+ lymphocytes. Milder but significant changes in percentages of T-helper, T-suppressor-cytotoxic, CD11c+, and CD44(+) lymphocytes were seen in heat stress. Cooling was associated with partial or complete normalization, further derangement (CD11a+, CD11c+), or overcorrection (NK, T-suppressor-cytotoxic, CD11b+) of abnormal percentages of lymphocyte subsets. Norepinephrine levels were significantly elevated in heatstroke (4.7-fold) and heat stress (3.2-fold), but did not significantly correlate with lymphocyte subsets. We conclude that heatstroke is associated with significant changes in percentages and in absolute numbers of a wide range of circulating lymphocyte subsets that are not related to elevated catecholamine levels or totally normalized by cooling. Similar, albeit milder, changes are seen in heat stress, suggesting that the two syndromes represent a continuum.


Production of fengycin from D-xylose through the expression and metabolic regulation of the Dahms pathway.
D-Xylose is a key component of lignocellulosic biomass and the second-most abundant carbohydrate on the planet. As one of the most powerful cyclo-lipopeptide antibiotics, fengycin displays strong wide-spectrum antifungal and antiviral, as well as potential anti-cancer activity. Pyruvate is a key metabolite linking the biosynthesis of fatty acids and amino acids, the precursors for fengycin. In this study, the genes encoding the Dahms xylose-utilization pathway were integrated into the amyE site of Bacillus subtilis 168, and based on the metabolic characteristics of the Dahms pathway, the acetate kinase (ackA) and lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) genes were knocked out. Then, the metabolic control module II was designed to convert glycolaldehyde, another intermediate of the Dahms pathway, in addition to pathways for the conversion of acetaldehyde into malic acid and oxaloacetic acid, resulting in strain BSU03. In the presence of module II, the content of acetic and lactic acid decreased significantly, and the xylose uptake efficiency increased. At the same time, the yield of fengycin increased by 87% compared to the original strain. Additionally, the underlying factors for the increase of fengycin titer were revealed through metabonomic analysis. This study therefore demonstrates that this regulation approach can not only optimize the intracellular fluxes for the Dahms pathway, but is also conducive to the synthesis of secondary metabolites similar to fengycin. KEY POINTS: • The expression and effect of the Dahms pathway on the synthesis of fengycin in Bacillus subtilis 168. • The expression of regulatory module II can promote the metabolic rate of the Dahms pathway and increase the synthesis of the fengycin.


A Comparison of Fully-Coupled 3D In-Stent Restenosis Simulations to In-vivo Data.
We describe our fully-coupled 3D multiscale model of in-stent restenosis, with blood flow simulations coupled to smooth muscle cell proliferation, and report results of numerical simulations performed with this model. This novel model is based on several previously reported 2D models. We study the effects of various parameters on the process of restenosis and compare with in vivo porcine data where we observe good qualitative agreement. We study the effects of stent deployment depth (and related injury score), reendothelization speed, and simulate the effect of stent width. Also we demonstrate that we are now capable to simulate restenosis in real-sized (18 mm long, 2.8 mm wide) vessel geometries.


[Primary antiphospholipid syndrome diagnosed in hemodialysis].
We present the next case: male, 30 years old, primary APLA syndrome diagnosed after 6 months of treatment with recurrent haemodialysis. The patient, who had a history of vascular thrombosis, presented with thrombotic problems in his arteriovenous fistula made as vascular access for hemodialysis. The discovery of celic trunk and superior mesenteric artery occlusions led us to the clinical diagnosis, which was confirmed by presence of a pathological type of lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies in plasma. We started treatment with oral anticoagulation, warfarin therapy. Since then there have been no more thrombotic events, though the period under observation is still short.


[Application of intravenous immunoglobulin preparations (IVIGs) in organ transplantation].
In clinical setting intravenous immunoglobulin preparations (IVIGs) are used for over thirty years. They were used initially as a substitutive treatment. Discovering of IVIG immunosuppressive properties has led to its use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Since then the range of indications in this group of diseases is becoming wider. With regard to IVIG's multidirectional influence exerted on the immune system it has also find its application in transplantology. In the article IVIG's mechanism of action, possible applications in transplantation and adverse effects are discussed.


Cascade strategy for glucose oxidase-based synergistic cancer therapy using nanomaterials.
Nanomaterial-based cancer therapy faces significant limitations due to the complex nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Starvation therapy is an emerging therapeutic approach that targets tumor cell metabolism using glucose oxidase (GOx). Importantly, it can provide a material or environmental foundation for other diverse therapeutic methods by manipulating the properties of the TME, such as acidity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels, and hypoxia degree. In recent years, this cascade strategy has been extensively applied in nanoplatforms for ongoing synergetic therapy and still holds undeniable potential. However, only a few review articles comprehensively elucidate the rational designs of nanoplatforms for synergetic therapeutic regimens revolving around the conception of the cascade strategy. Therefore, this review focuses on innovative cascade strategies for GOx-based synergetic therapy from representative paradigms to state-of-the-art reports to provide an instructive, comprehensive, and insightful reference for readers. Thereafter, we discuss the remaining challenges and offer a critical perspective on the further advancement of GOx-facilitated cancer treatment toward clinical translation.


Environmental health risks perception, attitude, and avoidance behaviour toward municipal solid waste incinerator.
This study aims to assess the relationship between risk perception, attitude, and avoidance among residents toward an urban incinerator in Taichung, Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted and three schools were enrolled. The case group was composed of 514 residents who live near an incinerator. The control group was composed of 264 people nearly the same age and who have lived in that area basically the same period of time. All participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between the exposure group and the control group in risk perception and attitude regarding the incinerator. However, the exposure group showed a significantly higher desire to move within one year or move sometime in the future than the control group. Therefore, these people should encourage the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to do everything it can to make sure that the incinerator operates safely.


Distribution of Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG antibody seropositivity among age groups and gestational periods in pregnant women.
Background: Toxoplasmosis is a globally distributed parasitic disease. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence and geographic distribution of toxoplasmosis as well as determine the percentage of toxoplasmosis-associated IgM and IgG seropositivity among different age groups. In addition, it aimed to estimate the proportion of toxoplasma IgM seropositivity among pregnancy trimesters. Methods: A total of 500 pregnant women were included in this study. From each participant, a 5-ml venous blood sample was collected and centrifuged to obtain serum that was tested for Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG antibodies using immunochromatographic testing and ELISA. Results: The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 24.8%. Out of the total of 500 participants, only 8% had a serological marker of acute toxoplasmosis). There is a statistically significant difference in the seroprevalence of disease among the study areas. Amongst positive cases of every trimester, 54.34% of first trimester positive cases had a serologic marker for acute toxoplasmosis. Conclusions: In this study, there is a high prevalence of toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it is necessary to test every pregnant woman for toxoplasmosis and distinguish the type of infection, as well as the conduction of public health education programs to generate the awareness.


Face Transplantation and Identity: Hidden Identities, Exceptions, and Exclusions.
Face transplantation has been undertaken for over ten years as a surgical means to restore eating, swallowing, speech, and facial esthetics. Nevertheless, debates continue given numerous risks and lifelong immunosuppression. For many, face transplantation is still an experimental procedure, with unfinished philosophical and ethical explanations. This article aims to ascertain how identity features in the justification of facial allograft transplantation, and to critically investigate four neglected interpretations of identity. Firstly, the minimization of identity in transplantation of the vascular composite allograft. Second, the manipulation and management of identity in immunosuppression. Thirdly, how identity is de-centered in the exception of face transplantation for the blind. Finally, how fading face recognition abilities cause identity to be compromised in psychological exclusions. All these accounts reveal how the public "face" of face transplantation and its discourse favor individual esthetic identity over against more social dimensions that are often overlooked.


Low second-to-fourth digit ratio predicts indiscriminate social suspicion, not improved trustworthiness detection.
Testosterone administration appears to make individuals less trusting, and this effect has been interpreted as an adaptive adjustment of social suspicion, that improved the accuracy of trusting decisions. Here, we consider another possibility, namely that testosterone increases the subjective cost of being duped, decreasing the propensity to trust without improving the accuracy of trusting decisions. In line with this hypothesis, we show that second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D, a proxy for effects of testosterone in the foetus) correlates with the propensity to trust, but not with the accuracy of trusting decisions. Trust game players (n = 144) trusted less when they had lower 2D:4D (high prenatal testosterone), but their ability to detect the strategy of other players was constant (and better than chance) across all levels of digit ratio. Our results suggest that early prenatal organizing effects of testosterone in the foetus might impair rather than boost economic outcomes, by promoting indiscriminate social suspicion.


Renewed interest in the role of consolidative radiotherapy in advanced stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the United States, and two-thirds of these patients will present with advanced stage (stage III-IV) disease. Although radiation therapy (RT) alone was the first curative therapy for limited stage DLBCL, the advancement of combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) with the addition of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab became the cornerstone of current management. The role of consolidative RT as part of first-line therapy in the management of patients with advanced stage DLBCL remains unclear, and represents an area of controversy with considerable differences in patterns of practice across different institutions. Emerging data now challenge the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, and give support to the use of consolidative RT in patients with advanced stage DLBCL. This review summarizes the major studies as reflected in our current practice and provides further insight into future directions for randomized trials which would help better define the role of consolidative RT in such a cohort.


Turnover of biliary epithelial cells in Clonorchis sinensis infected rats.
We performed bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) staining to observe the proliferation pattern of epithelial cells on the biliary mucosa in Clonorchis sinensis infection. Albino rats were infected with 100 metacercariae each and their livers were processed for histopathological observation after BrdU injection. Five to six sites in the liver of a rat were selected for paraffin section, and stained immunohistochemically to visualize BrdU incorporating cells. The flukes were mainly in the common bile duct and right or left hepatic bile ducts. The proportion of stained epithelial cells in the infected bile ducts where the worms were found on the section was 2.9-10.2% at 1 week after infection, 7.3-12.8% at 2 weeks, 7.3-13.4% at 5 weeks, and 8.4-14.8% at 15 weeks while in the non-infected ducts 0 to 2.7% cells were stained. The stained cells were mainly at the base of the mucosal layer. It is suggested that mucosal epithelial cells of the bile ducts infected with C. sinensis become hyperplastic mainly by direct and local stimulation of the worms.


Fibroblasts: the neglected cell type in peripheral sensitisation and chronic pain? A review based on a systematic search of the literature.
Chronic pain and its underlying biological mechanisms have been studied for many decades, with a myriad of molecules, receptors and cell types known to contribute to abnormal pain sensations. Besides an obvious role for neurons, immune cells like microglia, macrophages and T cells are also important drivers of persistent pain. While neuroinflammation has therefore been widely studied in pain research, there is one cell type that appears to be rather neglected in this context: the humble fibroblast. Fibroblasts may seem unassuming but actually play a major part in regulating immune cell function and driving chronic inflammation. Here, our aim was to determine the breadth and quality of research that implicates fibroblasts in chronic pain conditions and models. We set out to analyse the current literature on this topic-using systematic screening and data extraction methods to obtain a balanced view on what has been published. We categorised the articles we included-stratifying them according to what was investigated, the estimated quality of results and any common conclusions. We found that there has been surprisingly little research in this area: 134 articles met our inclusion criteria, only a tiny minority of which directly investigated interactions between fibroblasts and peripheral neurons. Fibroblasts are a ubiquitous cell type and a prominent source of many proalgesic mediators in a wide variety of tissues. We think that they deserve a more central role in pain research and propose a new, testable model of how fibroblasts might drive peripheral neuron sensitisation.


Erbium-Doped Nanoparticle-Polymer Composite Thin Films for Photonic Applications: Structural and Optical Properties.
Erbium-doped nanocrystal (NC)-dispersed polymer thin films are attractive core materials for use in optical waveguides as they can provide high optical gain and enable the formation of compact waveguide amplifiers. Nonetheless, there are significant challenges associated with obtaining good dispersibility of NCs into a polymer matrix and favorable optical properties. Therefore, in this paper, we report the fabrication of Er3+-doped ceria (EGC) NCs employing the Leeds alginate process (LAP) and their incorporation into a siloxane polymer matrix. The surface morphology and compositional, structural, and optical properties of the fabricated films are evaluated to assess the NC dispersion and their suitability for the waveguide amplifier. The photoluminescence (PL) and lifetime measurements of the NCs-polymer nanocomposite thin film samples show intense, broadband PL emission of the Er3+ ions at 1534 nm (4I13/2 → 4I15/3 transition) with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of ∼64 nm and lifetime in the range of 2.6-3.0 ms. The inhomogeneously broadened PL spectra and improvement in lifetime of NCs in the polymer are important results that we report. The EGC NCs-polymer nanocomposite thin films also exhibit excellent transparency in the NIR wavelength range and a refractive index in the range of 1.53-1.58 in the visible wavelength. The work presented here clearly demonstrates the potential of using high-quality Er-doped nanocomposite polymer thin films for interesting applications such as compact low-cost waveguide amplifiers and lasers.


EGF-induced activation of the EGF receptor does not trigger mobilization of caveolae.
Caveolae-dependent endocytosis has recently been proposed in the uptake of EGF receptor (EGFR) at high concentrations of ligand. Consistently, upon incubation of HEp2 and HeLa cells with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, we observed a small inhibitory effect on endocytosis of ligated EGFR in HEp2 cells. However, immunoelectron microscopy showed the same relative amount of bound EGF localizing to caveolae on incubation with high and low concentrations of EGF, not supporting rapid recruitment of EGFR to caveolae. Live-cell microscopy furthermore demonstrated that incubating HEp2 cells with high concentrations of EGF did not increase the mobility of caveolae. By RNA-interference-mediated knockdown of clathrin heavy chain in HEp2 and HeLa cells, we found that endocytosis of EGFR was efficiently inhibited both at high and low concentrations of EGF. Our results show that caveolae are not involved in endocytosis of EGF-bound EGFR to any significant degree and that high concentrations of EGF do not further mobilize caveolae.


The passage of fluid into the peritoneal cavity during hysteroscopy in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal patients.
The present study aimed to determine the amount of fluid medium passing through the Fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity during a hysteroscopy. This was done to understand the pathophysiology of complications related to the hysteroscopy. Conducted in a general hospital setting, the study examined the fluid inflow-outflow during a hysteroscopy both in pre- and post-menopausal women. A hysteroscopy was performed vaginoscopically for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The study involved 117 patients. 84 (71.8%) of them were pre-menopausal and 33 (28.2%) were classified as post-menopausal. The fluid volume difference in the peritoneal cavity prior to hysteroscopy was 26.0 ± 4.2 mL in the pre-menopausal and 7.7 ± 2.4 mL (p = .001) in the post-menopausal group. The pre-menopausal group's flow rate through the Fallopian tubes was 1.5 ± 0.2 mL/min. In the post-menopausal group, it was 0.4 ± 0.1 mL/min (p < .05). It was found that during the hysteroscopy in the pre-menopausal patients, more fluid flows through the Fallopian tubes and at a higher flow rate. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? The complications during a hysteroscopy (HSC) are usually fluid-related and can result in adverse events such as a fluid overload, the dissemination of malignant cells, or electrolyte misbalance. Currently, there is a poor understanding of how HSC fluid behaviour impacts on the pathophysiology of these adverse procedure effects. What do the results of this study add? There have been no quantitative studies of the behaviour of fluid inside the uterine cavity during HSC, which means a quantification of fluid inflow and absorption is required. Our study adds a quantitative understanding of fluid behaviour during HSC. It shows increased rates of fluid passage, as well as fluid speed, into the peritoneal cavity in pre-menopausal patients. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Due to the higher rates of fluid passage and speed in pre-menstrual patients, caution regarding the complications during hysteroscopy and further studies are needed on the impact of different fluid distribution.


Glutathione-S-transferase activity in various organs of Crocodylus siamensis and its attenuation role in aflatoxin B1-induced cell apoptosis in human hepatocarcinoma cells.
The crocodile is a model for studying relevant sources of environmental contamination. They were determined an appropriate biomonitoring species for various toxins. The cytosolic and microsomal fraction of crocodiles plays a role in detoxifying xenobiotics. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) metabolizes aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to aflatoxin M1, while glutathione-S-transferase (GST) catalyzes carcinogenic agents. This study aimed to investigate the GST activity in various organs of Crocodylus siamensis. Further, the fate of microsomal and cytosolic fractions from various crocodile organs against AFB1-induced apoptosis in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells was investigated. The liver, lungs, intestines, and kidneys tissues from a 3-year-old crocodile (C. siamensis) (n=5) were collected. The cytosolic and microsomal fraction of all tissues was extracted, and protein concentrations were measured with a spectrophotometer. Subsequently, a comparison of GST activity from various organs was carried out by spectrophotometry, and the protective effects of CYP450 and GST activity from various crocodile organs were studied. In vitro AFB1-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Comparisons between the metabolisms of the detoxification enzyme in organs were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Dunn's multiple comparison tests. All kinetic parameters were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software version 5.01 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, USA). Total GST activity in the liver was significantly higher than in the kidneys, intestines, and lungs (p<0.05, respectively). The highest GST pi (GSTP) activity was found in the liver, while the highest GST alpha-isoform activity was in the crocodile lung. The kinetics of total GST and GST mu activity in the liver had the highest velocity compared to other organs. In contrast, the kinetics of GSTP enzyme activity was the highest in the intestine. The in vitro study of microsome and cytosol extract against apoptosis induced by AFB1 revealed that the level of messenger RNA expression of the Bax and Bad genes of HepG2 cells decreased in the treatment group in a combination of cytosolic and microsomal fractions of the crocodile liver but not for Bcl-2. Interestingly, the downregulated expression of Bax and Bad genes was also found in the microsome and cytosol of crocodile kidneys. The crocodile liver revealed very effective GST activity and expression of the highest kinetic velocity compared to other organs. The combination of liver microsomal and cytosolic fractions could be used to prevent cell apoptosis induced by AFB1. However, further study of the molecular approaches to enzyme activity and apoptosis prevention mechanisms should be carried out.


Comparison of element technologies for modeling stent expansion.
Numerical analysis has become a standard, and in fact required, component of the process in which new biomedical stent devices are designed and approved. Despite this, very little work has been performed comparing the efficiency of various numerical techniques currently available to the analyst. The present paper begins this study by comparing the computational efficiency and results achieved using various element technologies in the context of stent deployment simulations. The findings indicate that the methodologies most commonly adopted in the present literature/industrial practice are in many cases less than optimal with regard to computational efficiency.


Frequency of menopausal symptoms and their impact on the quality of life of women: a hospital based survey.
To asses the menopause related symptoms and to determine the impact of these symptoms on the quality of life of menopausal women. It was a cross sectional hospital based survey conducted at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Isra University Hyderabad Sindh Pakistan from November 2007 to August 2008. Two hundred two women of age 40-60 years, who presented in out patient department were included. Women with induced menopause, receiving hormonal treatment, having medical problems like thyroid disorders, diabetes mellitus and hypertension and those who refused to participate were not included. Menopause specific quality of life questionnaire (MENQOL) was used to assess the frequency and severity of symptoms. Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson Co-efficient of correlation was used for statistical analysis. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Mean age of women was 52.17 +/- 6.019 years. Mean length of time since menopause was 8.39 +/- 6.0 years. Most prevalent symptom within study subjects was body ache 165 (81.7%). Frequencies of some classical symptoms were 134 (66.3%) reported "hot flushes", 139 (68.8%) and 134 (66.3%) reported "lack of energy" and decrease in "physical strengths" respectively. The less frequently reported symptom was increase in facial hair 20 (9.9%). Scores of Physical domain were significantly more in postmenopausal (PM) group P < 0.002 while the scores of psychological domain were significantly high in menopause transition (MT) group P < 0.003. Menopause related symptoms had negative affect on the quality of life of postmenopausal women.


Crossover randomized study comparing the efficacy and tolerability of preservative-free Tafluprost 0.0015% to Latanoprost 0.005% in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.
To compare the efficacy and the tolerability of preservative-free Tafluprost 0.0015% (TP) vs Latanoprost 0.005% (LP) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Prospective, randomized, crossover study included patients with early POAG attending the outpatient clinic from July 2019 to February 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A included patients receiving TP and group B receiving LP. After 2 months, treatment was stopped for 1 month (washout period) then drops were switched between the groups for further 2 months. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded at baseline and monthly until 5 months. Efficacy was measured by the IOP reduction at the end of each treatment period. Tolerability was assessed both subjectively (questionnaire on ocular comfort) and objectively (ocular findings) at the end of each period. A total of 30 patients were allocated into two groups (15 patients each). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in baseline clinical examinations. All the eyes in both groups achieved IOP reduction >20% compared to baseline values, with no statistically significant difference in between. Corneal erosions and conjunctival hyperemia were significantly higher in LP-treated eyes throughout the study, regardless of the sequence. Tear break-up time scores significantly worsened after LP at the 2nd and 5th month (P < 0.001and P = 0.026 respectively) but not after TP treatment (P = 0.719 and P = 0.164). Significant exacerbation in all patients' symptoms was noticed on switching from TP to LP. : Tafluprost was proved to exhibit a comparable effect on IOP control in POAG patients, as Latanoprost drops resulted in marked alleviation in both subjective and objective ocular discomfort manifestations.