Peripheral sensory abnormalities in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Although multiple sclerosis primarily affects myelin within the central nervous system, both pathologic and physiological studies suggest that mild deficits in peripheral nervous system myelin may be common. To evaluate this question further, we performed near nerve studies on sural nerves of 14 patients with multiple sclerosis. Peak-to-peak amplitude and maximum conduction velocity were normal in 9 of 14 patients, while minimum conduction velocity, or the velocity of the slowest-conducting component of the sensory action potential, was abnormally reduced in 9 patients. In addition, the supernormal period was evaluated for patients and compared with a control sample; multiple sclerosis patients showed a significant reduction in the amplitude of supernormality. Both the reduction in minimum conduction velocity and the alteration in the supernormal period are consistent with a mild defect in peripheral myelin.


Removal by centrifugation of leukocytes and red cells from apheresis platelets.
Platelets prepared by discontinuous flow centrifugation contain significant numbers of leukocytes and red cells. Platelet products often are centrifuged further to remove this cellular "contamination." A method is described by which platelet products obtained by cytapheresis were prepared using an additional slow centrifugation step (121 X g for 7.5 minutes). In a production environment, we removed an average of 97 percent of leukocytes and most of the contaminating red cells with this method, while retaining 89 percent of the platelets in the final product. This method is an improvement over methods described previously and was consistently effective in routine use.


Revisiting tolerance to ocean acidification: Insights from a new framework combining physiological and molecular tipping points of Pacific oyster.
Studies on the impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms involve exposing organisms to future acidification scenarios, which has limited relevance for coastal calcifiers living in a mosaic of habitats. Identification of tipping points beyond which detrimental effects are observed is a widely generalizable proxy of acidification susceptibility at the population level. This approach is limited to a handful of studies that focus on only a few macro-physiological traits, thus overlooking the whole organism response. Here we develop a framework to analyze the broad macro-physiological and molecular responses over a wide pH range in juvenile oyster. We identify low tipping points for physiological traits at pH 7.3-6.9 that coincide with a major reshuffling in membrane lipids and transcriptome. In contrast, a drop in pH affects shell parameters above tipping points, likely impacting animal fitness. These findings were made possible by the development of an innovative methodology to synthesize and identify the main patterns of variations in large -omic data sets, fitting them to pH and identifying molecular tipping points. We propose the broad application of our framework to the assessment of effects of global change on other organisms.


Ultrasensitive detection of microRNAs using catalytic hairpin assembly coupled with enzymatic repairing amplification.
A novel isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology is developed by coupling catalytic hairpin assembly with enzymatic repairing amplification as a highly sensitive and selective platform for miRNA detection.


A Data Simulation Method to Optimize a Mechanistic Dose-Response Model for Viral Loads of Hepatitis A.
Driven by the quantitative estimate of risk via the dose-response models, quantitative microbial risk assessment has been used successfully for public health interventions. The dose-response models are derived starting from an average exposed dose of infectious particles, this dictates the of dose data units required. Then dose-response data from animal model experiments are used to optimize these mechanistic dose-response models. For hepatitis A (Hep-A), the only available dose-response data use grams of feces for dose units. Therefore, to develop a dose-response model for Hep-A a method of converting these doses in grams of feces into infectious particles, while accounting for the uncertainty of this conversion is needed. This research develops a method to couple data simulation with the likelihood estimation method for model optimization to accomplish this. This adapted method uses data simulation to model the doses as viral particles while accounting for the within-group variability of this simulation. Then these simulated doses, coupled with the original dose-response data, are used to optimize the mechanistic dose-response models. This method results in a more computationally rigorous means of modeling these types of dose-response data. The resulting dose-response model for Hep-A is also more appropriate to use than the current option for Hep-A risk models.


Effect of combined active recovery from supramaximal exercise on blood lactate disappearance in trained and untrained man.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different modalities of individualized active recovery on blood lactate disappearance after supramaximal exercise in subjects with different levels of aerobic fitness. Fourteen healthy subjects (7 trained and 7 untrained subjects mean age 20 +/- 1.5 and 19.5 +/- 1.5, respectively) participated in this study. They performed three supramaximal intermittent exercises at 60 % of the time to exhaustion at 120 % of the maximum aerobic power (MAP) with 5-min recovery periods (2 x 5 min). The third exercise was followed by 20 min of recovery. The effects of four types of recovery were compared in trained and untrained subjects: passive recovery (PR), an active recovery at an intensity corresponding to the first anaerobic ventilatory threshold minus 20 % (VT1), an active recovery at an intensity corresponding to the second anaerobic ventilatory threshold minus 20 % (VT2) and a combined active recovery (CR) which consisted of 7 min at VT2 followed by 13 min at VT1. Blood lactate levels were measured at rest and during the recovery periods. Peak blood lactate after supramaximal exercise was observed significantly earlier with VT2 and CR (4th min) than VT1 and PR (7th min) in trained and in untrained subjects. Combined active recovery (CR) showed a significantly faster lactate disappearance than did PR, VT1, or VT2 from the 7th min of recovery in trained subjects (p < 0.05) and at the 20th min in untrained subjects (p < 0.05). CR and VT2 conditions showed earlier peak blood lactate (4th min) than PR or VT1 (7th min). Blood lactate disappearance was faster in trained than untrained subjects during combined active recovery. This result suggests that the level of physical fitness plays an important role mainly in the pattern of blood lactate decrease during combined active recovery.


Compensation for byssinosis in Great Britain.
Byssinosis first became compensatable in Great Britain in May 1941. The claimants were examined by a specially constituted board consisting of chest physicians and medical specialists from the Manchester area. Following the Industrial Injuries Act of 1946, which became operative in July 1948, the examinations were taken over by the Manchester Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel. At first only men who had worked for at least 20 years up to and including cotton carding processes could claim. They had to be permanently and totally incapacitated by the disease. Women workers were included from July 1948, and the disablement required was reduced from total to 50 percent in December 1948. As experience with the diagnosis was gained, the law was changed to cover any degree of disablement in 1956, and in 1974 those with byssinosis grade II was accepted. In 1956 ten years replaced the 20-year qualifying period in the cotton industry, reduced to five years in 1974 and to any period in 1979. In 1951 insurance against the disease was extended to workers in the waste cotton industry and in 1965 to workers in the flax industry. In 1974 the scheduled area in the mill was extended from the carding process up to and including beaming and winding.


Sex differences in fatigability after ischemic preconditioning of non-exercising limbs.
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is suggested to decrease fatigability in some individuals but not others. Sex differences in response to IPC may account for this variability and few studies systematically investigated the effects of IPC in men and women. The goal of this study was to determine if time to task failure, perception of pain, and neuromuscular mechanisms of fatigability were altered by IPC in men and women. Ten women (29 ± 5 years old) and 10 men (28 ± 6 years old) performed isometric contractions with the plantar flexor muscles of the dominant leg at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction until task failure. We used a repeated measures design where each individual performed 3 randomized and counterbalanced test sessions: (A) IPC session, cuff inflation and deflation (5 min each repeated 3 times) performed before the exercise by inflating cuffs to the non-dominant leg and arm; (B) sham session, cuffs were inflated for a short period (1 min); and (C) control session, no cuffs were involved. Compared with control, IPC increased time to task failure in men (mean difference, 5 min; confidence interval (CI) of mean difference, 2.2; 7.8 min; P = 0.01) but not women (mean difference, - 0.6 min; CI of mean difference, - 3.5; 2.4 min; P = 0.51). In men, but not women, the IPC-induced increase in time to task failure was associated with lower response to pressure pain (r = - 0.79). IPC further exposed sex differences in arterial pressure during fatiguing contractions (session × sex: P < 0.05). Voluntary activation, estimated with the twitch interpolation technique, and presynaptic inhibition of leg Ia afferents were not altered after IPC for men and women. The tested variables were not altered with sham. The ergogenic effect of IPC on time to task failure was observed only in men and it was associated with reductions in the perception of pain. This pilot data suggest the previously reported inter-individual variability in exercise-induced fatigability after IPC could be a consequence of the sex and individual response to pain.


Quantitative Single-Molecule Measurements of Membrane Charges with DNA Origami Sensors.
Charges in lipid head groups generate electrical surface potentials at cell membranes, and changes in their composition are involved in various signaling pathways, such as T-cell activation or apoptosis. Here, we present a DNA origami-based sensor for membrane surface charges with a quantitative fluorescence read-out of single molecules. A DNA origami plate is equipped with modifications for specific membrane targeting, surface immobilization, and an anionic sensing unit consisting of single-stranded DNA and the dye ATTO542. This unit is anchored to a lipid membrane by the dye ATTO647N, and conformational changes of the sensing unit in response to surface charges are read out by fluorescence resonance energy transfer between the two dyes. We test the performance of our sensor with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy by exposing it to differently charged large unilamellar vesicles. We achieve a change in energy transfer of ∼10% points between uncharged and highly charged membranes and demonstrate a quantitative relation between the surface charge and the energy transfer. Further, with autocorrelation analyses of confocal data, we unravel the working principle of our sensor that is switching dynamically between a membrane-bound state and an unbound state on the timescale of 1-10 ms. Our study introduces a complementary sensing system for membrane surface charges to previously published genetically encoded sensors. Additionally, the single-molecule read-out enables investigations of lipid membranes on the nanoscale with a high spatial resolution circumventing ensemble averaging.


Atomic and Electronic Structure of Solid-Density Liquid Carbon.
A liquid carbon (l-C) sample is generated through constant volume heating exposing an amorphous carbon foil to an intense ultrashort laser pulse. Time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the C K edge is used to monitor the dynamics of the melting process revealing a subpicosecond rearrangement of the electronic structure associated with a sudden change of the C bonding hybridization. The obtained l-C sample, resulting from a nonthermal melting mechanism, reaches a transient equilibrium condition with a temperature of about 14 200 K and pressure in the order of 0.5 Mbar in about 0.3 ps, prior to hydrodynamic expansion. A detailed analysis of the atomic and electronic structure in solid-density l-C based on time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy and theoretical simulations is presented. The method can be fruitfully used for extending the experimental investigation of the C phase diagram in a vast unexplored region covering the 10^{3}-10^{4} K temperature range with pressures up to 1 Mbar.


Short-term ex-vivo exposure to hydrogen sulfide enhances murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell migration, homing, and proliferation.
For successful transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem cells (HSCs), it is quite necessary that efficient homing, engraftment and retention of HSC self-renewal capacity takes place, which is often restricted due to inadequate number of adult HSCs. Here, we report that short-term ex-vivo treatment of mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) to Sodium Hydrogen Sulfide (NaHS, hydrogen sulfide-H2S donor) can be used as a possible strategy to overcome such hurdle. H2S increases the expression of CXCR4 on HSPCs, enhancing their migration toward SDF-1α in-vitro and thus homing to BM niche. . Additionally, in-vitro studies revealed that H2S has a role in activating mitochondria, thus, pushing quiescent HSCs into division. These results suggest a readily available and cost-effective method to facilitate efficient HSC transplantation.


Efficacy of entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) as influenced by Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) developmental stage and host plant stage.
Entomopathogenic nematodes were investigated as an alternative biological control strategy for western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in ornamental greenhouse crops, by using potted chrysanthemum as a model crop. The susceptibility of various life stages of F. occidentalis to different concentrations of the nematode Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) was investigated in petri dish bioassays. This was followed with trials using potted chrysanthemums comparing the efficacy of nematode application to plants in vegetative (exposed habitat) versus flowering (cryptic habitat) stages. In both trials, the effect of the wetting agent Agral 90 (nonylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol), which is used in combination with the nematode spray, on F. occidentalis mortality was assessed. In petri dish trials, the prepupae and pupae were the most susceptible developmental stages of F. occidentalis to infection by S. feltiae. First and second instars were killed by very high rates of nematodes (> or =20,000 infective juveniles per milliliter), but corrected mortality was only approximately 28-37%. No significant mortality was observed for adult thrips. Results from the petri dish trials were confirmed on chrysanthemum plants. Foliar application of S. feltiae did not result in significant mortality in larvae or adults. No significant differences in efficacy were detected by application of nematodes on vegetative versus flowering chrysanthemum. Agral 90 had a significant impact on mortality on the first stage larvae and prepupae in the petri dish trials but not in the plant trials. Thrips control by S. feltiae in greenhouses may be partly or completely due to prepupal and pupal mortality.


Low estimated glomerular filtration rate and chronic kidney failure following liver transplant: a retrospective cohort study.
Patients undergoing orthotropic liver transplant (LTx) often present with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Identification of patients who will progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) might allow not only the implementation of kidney protective measures but also simultaneous kidney transplant. Retrospective cohort study in adults who underwent LTx at a single center. ESRD, death, and composite of ESRD or death were studied outcomes. 331 patients, who underwent LTx, were followed up for 2.6 ± 1.4 years; 31 (10%) developed ESRD, 6 (2%) underwent kidney transplant after LTx and 25 (8%) remained on chronic hemodialysis. Patients with preoperative eGFR lesser than 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 had a 4-fold increased risk of developing ESRD after adjustment for sex, diabetes mellitus, APACHE II score, use of nephrotoxic drugs, and severe liver graft failure (HR = 3.95, 95% CI 1.73, 9.01; p = 0.001). Other independent risk factors for ESRD were preoperative diabetes mellitus and post-operative severe liver graft dysfunction. These findings emphasize low eGFR prior to LTx as a predictor for ESRD or death. The consideration for kidney after liver transplant as a treatment modality should be taken into account for those who develop chronic kidney failure after LTx.


Platelet function studies in women on oral contraceptive pills.
A study was conducted on a total of 100 women attending the Family Planning Clinic in Kuala Lumpur. 50 took combined low-dose estrogen and progesterone pills for a year or more and the other 50 used different methods of birth control. Platelet aggregation, ATP release, Thromboxane B2, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha estimations were made to evaluate the effect of oral contraceptives (OCs) on platelet function and prostanoid production. The results showed no significant differences in the parameters measured in the 2 groups investigated. These findings are comparable to those reported by other studies, suggesting relatively low risk, if any, of thrombosis in OC users.


g-matrix based on configuration interaction and Stone's perturbation theory
Stone's formula, which has usually been applied to the calculation of the g-matrix, is based on a single-configuration treatment. Here a limited configuration interaction is included to obtain the expressions of the principal g values for an orbitally nondegenerate molecule with spin S = 12. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.


Unique features of the rice blast resistance Pish locus revealed by large scale retrotransposon-tagging.
R gene-mediated resistance is one of the most effective mechanisms of immunity against pathogens in plants. To date some components that regulate the primary steps of plant immunity have been isolated, however, the molecular dissection of defense signaling downstream of the R proteins remains to be completed. In addition, R genes are known to be highly variable, however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this variability remain obscure. To identify novel factors required for R gene-mediated resistance in rice, we used rice insertional mutant lines, induced by the endogenous retrotransposon Tos17, in a genetic screening involving the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. We inoculated 41,119 mutant lines with the fungus using a high throughput procedure, and identified 86 mutant lines with diminished resistance. A genome analysis revealed that 72 of the 86 lines contained mutations in a gene encoding a nucleotide binding site (NBS) and leucine rich repeat (LRR) domain-containing (NBS-LRR) protein. A genetic complementation analysis and a pathogenesis assay demonstrated that this NBS-LRR gene encodes Pish, which confers resistance against races of M. oryzae containing avrPish. The other 14 lines have intact copies of the Pish gene, suggesting that they may contain mutations in the signaling components downstream of Pish. The genome analysis indicated that Pish and its neighboring three NBS-LRR genes are high similar to one another and are tandemly located. An in silico analysis of a Tos17 flanking sequence database revealed that this region is a "hot spot" for insertion. Intriguingly, the insertion sites are not distributed evenly among these four NBS-LRR genes, despite their similarity at the sequence and expression levels. In this work we isolated the R gene Pish, and identified several other mutants involved in the signal transduction required for Pish-mediated resistance. These results indicate that our genetic approach is efficient and useful for unveiling novel aspects of defense signaling in rice. Furthermore, our data provide experimental evidence that R gene clusters have the potential to be highly preferred targets for transposable element insertions in plant genomes. Based on this finding, a possible mechanism underlying the high variability of R genes is discussed.


Label-free bacterial imaging with deep-UV-laser-induced native fluorescence.
We introduce a near-real-time optical imaging method that works via the detection of the intrinsic fluorescence of life forms upon excitation by deep-UV (DUV) illumination. A DUV (<250-nm) source enables the detection of microbes in their native state on natural materials, avoiding background autofluorescence and without the need for fluorescent dyes or tags. We demonstrate that DUV-laser-induced native fluorescence can detect bacteria on opaque surfaces at spatial scales ranging from tens of centimeters to micrometers and from communities to single cells. Given exposure times of 100 μs and low excitation intensities, this technique enables rapid imaging of bacterial communities and cells without irreversible sample alteration or destruction. We also demonstrate the first noninvasive detection of bacteria on in situ-incubated environmental experimental samples from the deep ocean (Lo'ihi Seamount), showing the use of DUV native fluorescence for in situ detection in the deep biosphere and other nutrient-limited environments.


Pathophysiology underlying drooling in Parkinson's disease: oropharyngeal bradykinesia.
We aimed to investigate the association between drooling and possible etiological factors in Parkinson's disease (PD) and to determine its effect on the quality of life. Demographic data of the 63 patients with idiopathic PD were recorded. Radboud Oral Motor Inventory for Parkinson's disease (ROMP) test was administered to all patients to evaluate speech, swallowing functions, and saliva control. The freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ) was used to evaluate gait and freezing of gait. Dynamic Parkinson gait scale (DYPAGS) was administered for the objective quantification of PD gait features. Disease severity was assessed by UPDRS and modified Hoehn & Yahr Scale. PD specific health-related quality was evaluated by PDQ-39 questionnaire. Drooling was only significantly correlated to UPDRS score; a stronger association was found between drooling and UPDRS 3 motor score; and a more significant association was determined between drooling and the bradykinesia questions of the motor part of UPDRS 3. Interestingly, no significant association was found between sialorrhea score and PDQ-39 score. Based on the results of this study, we concluded that oropharyngeal bradykinesia may be responsible for drooling in PD. In contrast to a general expectation, we did not find any adverse impact of drooling on the quality of life.


[Clinical application of total or subtotal aortic replacement on the one stage].
To summarize the experience of the application of total and subtotal aortic replacement on the one stage in the treatment of the patients with extensive aortic aneurysm and chronic Stanford type A dissecting aneurysm. From February to November 2004, 8 patients (7 male and 1 female; ranging from 23 to 47 years old) underwent one-stage total or subtotal aortic replacement under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and selective antegrade cerebral perfusion. Two patients received subtotal aortic replacement (from the aortic valve to the abdominal aorta). Six patients underwent total aortic replacement (from the aortic valve to the aortic bifurcation), of which 3 patients had aortic valve replacement. Patients were with mid-sternotomy and thoracoabdominal incision. The ascending aorta was firstly replaced, following which the aortic arch was reconstructed. Finally, the thoracoabdominal aorta was fully replaced. There was no operative or early postoperative death. One patient had cerebral infarction secondary to embolism. Spinal neurological deficits didn't occur. All 8 patients were alive and had good functional status 2 to 12 months after operation. The patients performed with one-stage total and subtotal aortic replacement achieves good results. It can eliminate the risk of remnant aneurysm rupture in staged total aortic replacement.


Clinically relevant drug interactions of current antifungal agents.
Antifungal agents are often prescribed in critically ill patients who are receiving many other medications. When using systemic antifungals, clinicians may possess susceptibility data and they are typically aware of the potential toxicity of these agents. However, the myriad of potential drugs that antifungal agents can interact with is daunting and can be confusing. This article reviews the pharmacokinetic properties of antifungal agents and their clinically relevant drug interactions. The antifungal agents differ markedly in their pharmacokinetic properties and in how they interact with other medicines. The amphotericin B formulations interact with other medicines primarily by reducing their renal elimination or producing additive toxicities. The azoles interact with other medicines primarily by inhibiting biotransformation or by affecting drug distribution and elimination. The echinocandins have the lowest propensity to interact with other medicines. The clinical relevance of antifungal-drug interactions varies substantially. While certain interactions are benign and result in little or no untoward clinical outcomes, others can produce significant toxicity or compromise efficacy if not properly managed through monitoring and dosage adjustment. However, certain interactions produce significant toxicity or compromise efficacy to such an extent that they cannot be managed and the particular combination of antifungal and interacting medicine should be avoided.


Total synthesis of a marine alkaloid from the tunicate Dendrodoa grossularia.
A short synthesis of an indole marine alkaloid (1) from the tunicate Dendrodoa grossularia is described. The key step in the synthesis involves a novel twist on an underutilized oxazole rearrangement, which produces the quaternary stereocenter in the molecule.


Reversal of thiopental-induced anesthesia by 4-aminopyridine, yohimbine, and doxapram in dogs pretreated with xylazine or acepromazine.
Groups of atropinized dogs (6 dogs/group) were sedated, using xylazine HCl (2.2 mg/kg of body weight, IM) or acepromazine maleate (0.25 mg/kg, IM), and were anesthetized to loss of pedal reflexes, using thiopental, IV. The dogs were given 1 of the following test antagonists, IV: saline solution (2 ml; control group), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 0.5 mg/kg), yohimbine (0.4 mg/kg), doxapram (5.0 mg/kg), or dual combinations of the latter 3 substances in the same doses as used for each agent. In xylazine-treated dogs, the mean dosage of thiopental required to induce anesthesia was 4.8 mg/kg. Control mean arousal time (MAT) and walk time (MWT) were 37.1 minutes and 53.8 minutes, respectively. These values were decreased to less than 2 minutes and less than 3 minutes, respectively, by yohimbine, 4-AP + yohimbine, and doxapram + yohimbine. With doxapram and with 4-AP + doxapram, MAT was less than 2 minutes and MWT was less than 8 minutes. In acepromazine-treated dogs, the mean dosage of thiopental required for anesthesia was 15.0 mg/kg. Control MAT and MWT were 20.7 minutes and 36.5 minutes, respectively. These values were decreased to 8.1 minutes and 18.1 minutes, respectively, by doxapram, and to 3.5 minutes and 19.9 minutes, respectively, by doxapram + yohimbine. Doxapram, 4-AP + doxapram, and doxapram + yohimbine caused periodic extensor rigidity before and during arousal. This rigidity was accompanied by opisthotonos in 2 dogs of the doxapram + yohimbine group and may have been mild tonic seizures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


COP1 regulates plant growth and development in response to light at the post-translational level.
Photoreceptors perceive different wavelengths of light and transduce light signals downstream via a range of proteins. COP1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates light signaling by mediating the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of photoreceptors such as phytochromes and cryptochromes, as well as various development-related proteins including other light-responsive proteins. COP1 is itself regulated by direct interactions with several signaling molecules that modulate its activity. The control of photomorphogenesis by COP1 is also regulated by its localization to the cytoplasm in response to light. COP1 thus acts as a tightly regulated switch that determines whether development is skotomorphogenic or photomorphogenic. In this review, we discuss the effects of COP1 on the abundance and activity of various development-related proteins, including photoreceptors, and summarize the regulatory mechanisms that influence COP1 activity and stability in plants.


Coexisting Thymic and Pulmonary Carcinoid Tumors Associated with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type1.
An anterior mediastinal tumor was detected in a 45-year-old female during a medical checkup. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed the anterior mediastinal tumor and a pulmonary tumor in the right lower lobe. Furthermore, tumors of the parathyroid gland, pancreas, and pituitary gland were also detected. She was clinically diagnosed with multiple endocrine neoplasia type1 (MEN1). The patient underwent extended thymectomy combined with mediastinal lymph node dissection and wedge resection of the lung including the right pulmonary lesion via a median sternotomy. We diagnosed the patient with an atypical carcinoid tumor of the thymus, a typical pulmonary carcinoid tumor.


Sequence composition and environment effects on residue fluctuations in protein structures.
Structure fluctuations in proteins affect a broad range of cell phenomena, including stability of proteins and their fragments, allosteric transitions, and energy transfer. This study presents a statistical-thermodynamic analysis of relationship between the sequence composition and the distribution of residue fluctuations in protein-protein complexes. A one-node-per-residue elastic network model accounting for the nonhomogeneous protein mass distribution and the interatomic interactions through the renormalized inter-residue potential is developed. Two factors, a protein mass distribution and a residue environment, were found to determine the scale of residue fluctuations. Surface residues undergo larger fluctuations than core residues in agreement with experimental observations. Ranking residues over the normalized scale of fluctuations yields a distinct classification of amino acids into three groups: (i) highly fluctuating-Gly, Ala, Ser, Pro, and Asp, (ii) moderately fluctuating-Thr, Asn, Gln, Lys, Glu, Arg, Val, and Cys, and (iii) weakly fluctuating-Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Tyr, Trp, and His. The structural instability in proteins possibly relates to the high content of the highly fluctuating residues and a deficiency of the weakly fluctuating residues in irregular secondary structure elements (loops), chameleon sequences, and disordered proteins. Strong correlation between residue fluctuations and the sequence composition of protein loops supports this hypothesis. Comparing fluctuations of binding site residues (interface residues) with other surface residues shows that, on average, the interface is more rigid than the rest of the protein surface and Gly, Ala, Ser, Cys, Leu, and Trp have a propensity to form more stable docking patches on the interface. The findings have broad implications for understanding mechanisms of protein association and stability of protein structures.


Effective theories for circuits and automata.
Abstracting an effective theory from a complicated process is central to the study of complexity. Even when the underlying mechanisms are understood, or at least measurable, the presence of dissipation and irreversibility in biological, computational, and social systems makes the problem harder. Here, we demonstrate the construction of effective theories in the presence of both irreversibility and noise, in a dynamical model with underlying feedback. We use the Krohn-Rhodes theorem to show how the composition of underlying mechanisms can lead to innovations in the emergent effective theory. We show how dissipation and irreversibility fundamentally limit the lifetimes of these emergent structures, even though, on short timescales, the group properties may be enriched compared to their noiseless counterparts.


Anthropogenic-estuarine interactions cause disproportionate greenhouse gas production: A review of the evidence base.
Biologically productive regions such as estuaries and coastal areas, even though they only cover a small percentage of the world's oceans, contribute significantly to methane and nitrous oxide emissions. This paper synthesises greenhouse gas data measured in UK estuary studies, highlighting that urban wastewater loading is significantly correlated with both methane (P < 0.001) and nitrous oxide (P < 0.005) concentrations. It demonstrates that specific estuary typologies render them more sensitive to anthropogenic influences on greenhouse gas production, particularly estuaries that experience low oxygen levels due to reduced mixing and stratification or high sediment oxygen demand. Significantly, we find that estuaries with high urban wastewater loading may be hidden sources of greenhouse gases globally. Synthesising available information, a conceptual model for greenhouse gas concentrations in estuaries with different morphologies and mixing regimes is presented. Applications of this model should help identification of estuaries susceptible to anthropogenic impacts and potential hotspots for greenhouse gas emissions.


[Rapidly progressive dementia due to neurosyphilis (general paralysis). A treatable case of dementia].
Rapidly progressive dementias are conditions of impairment in more than one cognitive domain with functional compromise that progress in less than 1 to 2 years; and neurosyphilis is one of the etiologies. Syphilis is a chronic bacterial infection that causes a series of highly variable clinical conditions during the first 2 to 3 years, followed by a prolonged latent stage that can progress to a tertiary infection stage. After a period of years, or even decades, a third of people with untreated latent syphilis will have clinical manifestations of tertiary syphilis such as neurosyphilis. We present the case of a 41-year-old man who consulted for prostration symptoms, preceded by progressive behavioral cognitive alterations of 18 months of evolution. A dementia picture was found associated with pharmacological parkinsonism secondary to risperidone, so this treatment was suspended. Neuroimaging showed severe cerebral atrophy; serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) reactive VDRL, in addition to a slight increase in CSF proteins. The diagnosis of late neurosyphilis was made and treated with crystalline penicillin G 1 400 000 IU every 4 h for 14 days with an excellent response. Our case allows us to reflect on the importance of requesting diagnostic studies of syphilis in young patients who present a rapidly evolving dementia, since this disease has a treatment that can partially or totally reverse the symptoms.


A novel method for accurate estimation of HRV from smartwatch PPG signals.
Photoplethysmography(PPG) as a non-invasive tool for monitoring various cardiovascular parameters, has become popular due to the ease of wearable integration and pervasive nature. Due to unobtrusive nature of sensor placement at wrist, smartwatches and wrist based fitness bands have gained popularity. However, any movement of the wrist along with frequent loose contacts significantly corrupts the PPG signal. Reliable peak detection from the corrupted PPG signal is essential for any further processing, as many physiological quantities such as heart rate variability (HRV) depends on the peak-to-peak distances in the PPG signal, known as the RR Series. This paper attempts to provide a robust algorithm for peak detection in noise & motion artefact corrupted PPG signals. The algorithm consists of steps to remove the baseline drift in the PPG signal using wavelet filtering and trend removal and subsequent peak detection using autocorrelation for each pseudo-periodic segment of the signal. The validation of the method is done by comparing the PPG peaks detected by the algorithm with RR series extracted from simultaneously captured ECG signal.


Degradation of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP): hydrolysis, elimination, and reduction by iron and zinc.
1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) is an emerging contaminant because of increased recognition of its occurrence in groundwater, potential carcinogenicity, and resistance to natural attenuation. The physical and chemical properties of TCP make it difficult to remediate, with all conventional options being relatively slow or inefficient. Treatments that result in alkaline conditions (e.g., permeable reactive barriers containing zerovalent iron) favor base-catalyzed hydrolysis of TCP, but high temperature (e.g., conditions of in situ thermal remediation) is necessary for this reaction to be significant. Common reductants (sulfide, ferrous iron adsorbed to iron oxides, and most forms of construction-grade or nano-Fe(0)) produce insignificant rates of reductive dechlorination of TCP. Quantifiable rates of TCP reduction were obtained with several types of activated nano-Fe(0), but the surface area normalized rate contants (k(SA)) for these reactions were lower than is generally considered useful for in situ remediation applications (10(-4) L m(-2) h(-1)). Much faster rates of degradation of TCP were obtained with granular Zn(0), (k(SA) = 10(-3) - 10(-2) L m(-2) h(-1)) and potentially problematic dechlorination intermediates (1,2- or 1,3-dichloropropane, 3-chloro-1-propene) were not detected. The advantages of Zn(0) over Fe(0) are somewhat peculiar to TCP and may suggest a practical application for Zn(0) even though it has not found favor for remediation of contamination with other chlorinated solvents.


Harnessing the Periplasm of Bacterial Cells To Develop Biocatalysts for the Biosynthesis of Highly Pure Chemicals.
Although biocatalytic transformation has shown great promise in chemical synthesis, there remain significant challenges in controlling high selectivity without the formation of undesirable by-products. For instance, few attempts to construct biocatalysts for de novo synthesis of pure flavin mononucleotide (FMN) have been successful, due to riboflavin (RF) accumulating in the cytoplasm and being secreted with FMN. To address this problem, we show here a novel biosynthesis strategy, compartmentalizing the final FMN biosynthesis step in the periplasm of an engineered Escherichia coli strain. This construct is able to overproduce FMN with high specificity (92.4% of total excreted flavins). Such a biosynthesis approach allows isolation of the final biosynthesis step from the cytoplasm to eliminate undesirable by-products, providing a new route to develop biocatalysts for the synthesis of high-purity chemicals.IMPORTANCE The periplasm of Gram-negative bacterial hosts is engineered to compartmentalize the final biosynthesis step from the cytoplasm. This strategy is promising for the overproduction of high-value products with high specificity. We demonstrate the successful implementation of this strategy in microbial production of highly pure FMN.


Modulation of acetylcholine release from rat striatal slices: interaction between 4-aminopyridine and atropine.
The objective of these studies was to determine whether the muscarinic receptor-mediated autoregulation of the basal release of acetylcholine (ACh), like the modulation of evoked release, involves 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-sensitive potassium channels. To accomplish this, striatal and hippocampal slices were incubated with 4-AP in the absence or presence of atropine, and the release of ACh was measured. 4-AP increased the release of ACh in a concentration-dependent manner; a maximal effect (280% of control release) was achieved in the presence of 100 microM. The maximal release of ACh from hippocampal slices was approximately 150% of control release and was achieved in the presence of a broad range of concentrations (33-333 microM 4-AP). Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) totally abolished the 4-AP-induced release of ACh from hippocampal slices, but only attenuated the 4-AP-induced release from striatal slices, i.e., in the presence of tetrodotoxin, the 4-AP-induced release of ACh from the latter was significantly greater than control release by 54%. Atropine (0.1 microM) increased significantly the basal release of ACh from striatal slices by 61%. When striatal slices were incubated with 4-AP in the presence of this maximally effective concentration of atropine, ACh release was significantly greater than release from slices incubated with either atropine or 4-AP alone, suggesting that atropine and 4-AP increase neurotransmitter release by independent mechanisms. Although oxotremorine did not alter either the 4-AP- or atropine-induced release of ACh, it prevented the potentiated response exhibited by slices incubated with both atropine and 4-AP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Purification and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of beta-microseminoprotein from human seminal plasma.
beta-Microseminoprotein (beta-MSP) is a small cysteine-rich protein with a molecular mass of 10 kDa. It was first isolated from human seminal plasma and has subsequently been identified from several species. Comparison of the amino-acid sequences of beta-MSP proteins suggests that the protein is a rapidly evolving protein. The function of beta-MSP is poorly understood. Furthermore, no crystal structure has been reported of any beta-MSP; therefore, determination of the crystal structure of beta-MSP is the foremost task in order to understand the function of this protein completely. Here, the purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of beta-MSP from human seminal plasma are described. The protein was purified using anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography and the purified protein was crystallized using 0.1 M ammonium sulfate, 0.1 M HEPES buffer pH 7.0 and 20%(w/v) PEG 3350. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P4(3)22 and contained three beta-MSP molecules in the asymmetric unit. X-ray intensity data were collected to 2.4 A resolution.


Regional differences in the intranodal distribution of tumor cells.
The intranodal distribution of tumor cells was examined in 103 mesenteric and 135 axillary nodes to determine the frequency of a circumferential type of distribution and its relationship, if any, to central necrosis. Eighteen percent of the mesenteric nodes removed at surgery from patients with colon cancer contained a circumferential rim of viable tumor cells in an area corresponding wholly or in part to the normal location of the marginal sinus. In each case this rim of tumor cells surrounded a large central area of necrosis. In contrast, only one of the 135 axillary nodes removed from patients with breast cancer demonstrated this pattern. These findings suggest that by interrupting blood and lymph vessels, the circumferential spread of tumor cells underlies development of central necrosis. Previously described structural dissimilarities between mesenteric and axillary nodes may explain the striking difference in incidence of this pattern in these nodes.


Choledocholithiasis in a horse.
Choledocholithiasis was diagnosed in a five-year-old gelding on the basis of laboratory results and histopathology. Surgery was performed to relieve the obstruction. The horse responded favorably and at 39 days postoperatively was clinically and clinicopathologically normal.


Serpins of oat (Avena sativa) grain with distinct reactive centres and inhibitory specificity.
Most proteinase inhibitors from plant seeds are assumed to contribute to broad-spectrum protection against pests and pathogens. In oat (Avena sativa L.) grain the main serine proteinase inhibitors were found to be serpins, which utilize a unique mechanism of irreversible inhibition. Four distinct inhibitors of the serpin superfamily were detected by native PAGE as major seed albumins and purified by thiophilic adsorption and anion exchange chromatography. The four serpins OSZa-d are the first proteinase inhibitors characterized from this cereal. An amino acid sequence close to the blocked N-terminus, a reactive centre loop sequence, and the second order association rate constant (ka') for irreversible complex formation with pancreas serine proteinases at 24 degrees C were determined for each inhibitor. OSZa and OSZb, both with the reactive centre scissile bond P1-P1' Thr downward arrow Ser, were efficient inhibitors of pancreas elastase (ka' > 105M-1 s-1). Only OSZb was also an inhibitor of chymotrypsin at the same site (ka' = 0.9 x 105M-1 s-1). OSZc was a fast inhibitor of trypsin at P1-P1' Arg downward arrow Ser (ka' = 4 x 106M-1 s-1); however, the OSZc-trypsin complex was short-lived with a first order dissociation rate constant kd = 1.4 x 10-4 s-1. OSZc was also an inhibitor of chymotrypsin (ka' > 106M-1 s-1), presumably at the overlapping site P2-P1 Ala downward arrow Arg, but > 90% of the serpin was cleaved as substrate. OSZd was cleaved by chymotrypsin at the putative reactive centre bond P1-P1' Tyr downward arrow Ser, and no inhibition was detected. Together the oat grain serpins have a broader inhibitory specificity against digestive serine proteinases than represented by the major serpins of wheat, rye or barley grain. Presumably the serpins compensate for the low content of reversible inhibitors of serine proteinases in oats in protection of the grain against pests or pathogens.


Enhanced Electrorheological Response of Cellulose: A Double Effect of Modification by Urea-Terminated Silane.
As a natural polymer with abundant sources, cellulose was one of the earliest applied electrorheological (ER) materials. However, cellulose-based ER materials have not attracted much attention because of their relatively low ER effect and sensitivity to water. In this study, cellulose rods were decorated with a urea-terminated silane, 1-(3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl) urea, after being swelled in sodium hydroxide solution. The morphologies and structures of the cellulose particles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, confirming the dramatic differences of the treated cellulose particles from the pristine cellulose. Rheological behaviors of the pristine and modified cellulose particles in silicone oil were observed using a rotational rheometer. It was found that the silane-modified cellulose showed higher ER effect and higher dielectric properties than the pristine cellulose particles, which was not only related to the grafted polar molecules but may also be associated with the porous morphologies of the treated cellulose particles.


[A case of thalamic cavernous hemangioma in an infant].
The case reports an asymmetric, slowly increasing hydrocephalus with left leg monoplegia. The vascular origin of the tumor was suspected by CT scan and confirmed by surgery and the pathology analysis. These tumors are infrequent in childhood especially in this region. The surgical treatment before hemorrhagic complication permits to hope good results in the absence of malignancy.


Can additive measures add to an intersectional understanding? Experiences of gay and ethnic discrimination among HIV-positive Latino gay men.
The current study investigated a methodological question of whether traditional, additive, quantitative data can be used to address intersectional issues, and illustrated such an approach with a sample of 301 HIV-positive, Latino gay men in the United States. Participants were surveyed using A-CASI. Hierarchical logistic set regression investigated the role of sets of variables reflecting demographic characteristics, gender nonconformity, and gay and ethnic discrimination in relation to depression and gay collective identity. Results showed the discrimination set was related to depression and to gay collective identity, as was gender nonconformity. Follow-up logistic regression showed that both types of discrimination were associated with greater depression, but gender nonconformity was not. Gay discrimination and gender nonconformity were positively associated with gay collective identity, whereas ethnic discrimination was negatively associated. Results are discussed in terms of the use of traditional quantitative data as a potential means of understanding intersectional issues, as well as of contributing to knowledge about individuals facing multiple structural inequalities.


The deteriorating administrative efficiency of the U.S. health care system.
In 1983 the proportion of health care expenditures consumed by administration in the United States was 60 percent higher than in Canada and 97 percent higher than in Britain. To assess the effects of recent health policy initiatives on the administrative efficiency of health care, we examined four components of administrative costs in the United States and Canada for 1987: insurance overhead, hospital administration, nursing home administration, and physicians' billing and overhead expenses. Most data were provided by the two nations' federal health and statistics agencies, supplemented by state and provincial data and published sources. Because data on physicians' billing costs were limited, we estimated a range for these costs by two methods that rely on different sources of data. All figures are reported in 1987 U.S. dollars. In 1987 health care administration cost between $96.8 billion and $120.4 billion in the United States, amounting to 19.3 to 24.1 percent of total spending on health care, or $400 to $497 per capita. In Canada, between 8.4 and 11.1 percent of health care spending ($117 to $156 per capita) was devoted to administration. Administrative costs in the United States increased 37 percent in real dollars between 1983 and 1987, whereas in Canada they declined. The proportion of health care spending consumed by administration is now at least 117 percent higher in the United States than in Canada and accounts for about half the total difference in health care spending between the two nations. If health care administration in the United States had been as efficient as in Canada, $69.0 billion to $83.2 billion would have been saved in 1987. The administrative structure of the U.S. health care system is increasingly inefficient as compared with that of Canada's national health program. Recent health policies with the avowed goal of improving the efficiency of care have imposed substantial new bureaucratic costs and burdens.


Prevalence and clinical significance of cardiac murmurs in neonates.
To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of murmurs detected during routine neonatal examination. In a two year prospective study, 7204 newborn babies underwent routine examination by senior house officers. All those with murmurs underwent echocardiographic examination. All babies presenting later in infancy were also identified, to ascertain the total prevalence of congenital heart disease in infancy. Murmurs were detected in 46 babies (0.6%) of whom 25 had a cardiac malformation. The most common diagnosis was a ventricular septal defect, although four babies had asymptomatic left heart outflow obstruction. A further 32 infants from the same birth cohort had a normal neonatal examination but were found to have a cardiac malformation before 12 months of age. The neonatal examination detects only 44% of cardiac malformations which present in infancy. If a murmur is heard there is a 54% chance of there being an underlying cardiac malformation. Parents and professionals should be aware that a normal neonatal examination does not preclude a clinically significant cardiac malformation. The detection of a murmur should prompt early referral to a paediatric cardiologist for diagnosis or appropriate reassurance.


Radiographic imaging of muscle strain injury.
We reviewed our experience with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of acute muscle strain injury. We imaged 50 athletes (average age, 28 years; range, 17 to 42) who had an acute muscle strain involving either the adductor, hamstring, quadriceps, or triceps surae muscles. Computed tomography (axial imaging) was used from 1982 to 1987 for 27 athletes. Spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (axial, coronal, sagittal imaging) was used from 1987 to 1991 for 23 athletes. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging localize the strain injury to a single muscle within a group of synergists; the adductor longus, rectus femoris, and medial head of gastrocnemius muscles are most prone to strain injury. A disruption occurs predictably at the myotendinous junction; fluid collects at the disruption site and dissects along the epimysium and subcutis. Muscle tissue remote from the myotendinous junction clearly demonstrates extensive injury with abundant magnetic resonance imaging signal changes consistent with edema and inflammation. Follow-up computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging studies can clearly demonstrate atrophy, fibrosis, and calcium deposition.


Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Environment Induce Delirium-Like Behaviors and Impairment of Synaptic Function-Related Gene Expression in Aged Mice.
To establish a clinically relevant mouse model of perioperative delirium. Aged C57BL/6J mice were tested at baseline in the Y-maze novel arm preference, buried food, simple discrimination task of the attentional set-shifting test, and open field tests. They were subsequently randomized to insult (anesthesia, surgery, and Intensive Care Unit environment) or control group. Insult-exposed mice received laparotomy under sevoflurane anesthesia, propofol sedation and exposure to intermittent lights, sounds and cage shaking. Controls did not receive anesthesia, surgery, or intensive care environment. All mice were tested in the Y-maze novel arm preference, buried food, attentional, and open field tests at the end of intensive care environment (0 h) and every 6 h up to 24 h. Mouse hippocampi were collected at 24 h for gene expression analyses. Surgery, anesthesia and Intensive Care environment decreased the entries in the Y-maze novel arm at 0 h (P = 0.001), 6 h (P < 0.001), 18 h (P = 0.002), and 24 h (P = 0.029). Insult exposure increased the latency to find a buried cereal reward at 18 h (P = 0.035) and 24 h (P = 0.027), and increased the trials to criterion in the reverse compound discrimination (P = 0.013) and extradimensional shift (P < 0.001) tasks of the attentional test. The overall incidence of delirium was 72% in A/S/I mice. Messenger RNA levels of synuclein alpha (-3.785 fold change relative to controls), Neurotrophic Receptor Tyrosine Kinase1 (-2.267), and syntaxin1a (-1.498) were decreased in the hippocampus of mice 24 h after insult exposure. Protein levels of syntaxin 1a (P = 0.012), Neurotrophic Receptor Tyrosine Kinase1 (P = 0.039), synuclein alpha (P = 0.017), phosphorylated synuclein alpha (P = 0.008), synaptophysin (P = 0.002), postsynaptic density protein 95 (P = 0.003), and microtubule-associated protein 2 (P = 0.013) were also decreased, relative to controls. Surgery, anesthesia and Intensive Care environment impaired mouse behaviors that depend on attention, memory, and thought organization. The changes were acute in onset and fluctuating in time. Mice with delirium exhibited decreased expression of key synaptic function-related genes. The behavioral changes induced by anesthesia, surgery, and Intensive Care environment in aged mice are consistent with the clinical features of human delirium, and support the use of this animal model for future mechanistic studies of perioperative delirium.


Cross-modal relationships of neural gating with the subjective perception of respiratory and somatosensory sensations.
Neural gating is a phenomenon whereby the response to a stimulus in the electroencephalogram (EEG) is attenuated when preceded by an identical stimulus. Attenuation of paired auditory clicks has repeatedly been shown to be affected in mental disorders, for example, schizophrenia. Neural gating has also been measured for respiratory and somatosensory sensations, however the attenuation of bodily relevant stimuli has not yet been systematically related to the subjective perception of bodily sensations. This research direction is potentially relevant to explaining disease trajectories in psychosomatic conditions characterized by chronic breathlessness and/or pain. In the present study, we recorded high-density EEG from 85 healthy young adults while they experienced brief paired respiratory occlusions and brief paired electrocutaneous stimulation of the wrist. The event-related potential N1 was measured centro-laterally in response to the second relative to the first stimulus to quantify neural gating in both sensory domains. Participants experienced resistive loaded breaths and electrocutaneous stimuli of various intensities, rated their perceived intensity and unpleasantness, and performed magnitude estimation. Relationships of respiratory and somatosensory neural gating to the subjective intensity and unpleasantness of sensations, as well as the ability to discriminate sensations of varying intensities, were investigated intra-modally and cross-modally. We report significant relationships of the somatosensory neural gating to perceived intensity and unpleasantness of respiratory and somatosensory sensations, with the stronger neural gating relating to a stronger subjective intensity and unpleasantness. We discuss these unexpected findings through the lens of individual differences and different theoretical accounts on the origins of cortical attenuation of repetitive stimuli.


Physiological and Molecular Mechanism of Nitric Oxide (NO) Involved in Bermudagrass Response to Cold Stress.
Bermudagrass is widely utilized in parks, lawns, and golf courses. However, cold is a key factor limiting resource use in bermudagrass. Therefore, it is meaningful to study the mechanism of bermudagrass response to cold. Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial signal molecule with multiple biological functions. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate whether NO play roles in bermudagrass response to cold. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was used as NO donor, while 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramentylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-xide (PTIO) plus NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were applied as NO inhibitor. Wild bermudagrass was subjected to 4 °C in a growth chamber under different treatments (Control, SNP, PTIO + L-NAME). The results indicated lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage (EL), higher value for chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities after SNP treatment than that of PTIO plus L-NAME treatments under cold stress. Analysis of Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transient displayed that the OJIP transient curve was higher after treatment with SNP than that of treated with PTIO plus L-NAME under cold stress. The values of photosynthetic fluorescence parameters were higher after treatment with SNP than that of treated with PTIO plus L-NAME under cold stress. Expression of cold-responsive genes was altered under cold stress after treated with SNP or PTIO plus L-NAME. In summary, our findings indicated that, as an important strategy to protect bermudagrass against cold stress, NO could maintain the stability of cell membrane, up-regulate the antioxidant enzymes activities, recover process of photosystem II (PSII) and induce the expression of cold-responsive genes.


A rare case of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma involving multiple bones.
A 36-year-old female patient with recurrent fever and abdominal pain for 20 days underwent a whole-body FDG PET/CT to detect the potential source of the fever. The images showed intense FDG uptake in multiple bones. Eventually, follicular dendritic cell sarcoma was diagnosed following the biopsy from the lesion in the left iliac bone.


Higher severity of cocaine addiction is associated with tactile and somatic hallucinations.
The aim of this study is to describe the features of cocaine-dependent patients who have had cocaine-induced tactile/somatic hallucinations (CITSH), and to analyze the association with addiction-related variables and psychiatric comorbidity, comparing patients with CITSH, patients with cocaine psychotic symptoms (CIP) and no CITSH, and patients without any psychotic symptom. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 767 cocaine-dependent patients in an outpatient treatment center for addictions. The following data were obtained: sociodemographic characteristics, CIP information, addiction-related variables and psychiatric comorbidity. A bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed. Of the whole sample, 6.6% reported CITSH at some point of their lives, 48.4% had suffered some CIP other than CITSH, and 45% had not experienced any psychotic symptom. According to multivariate analysis, risk of overdose increases by 12.1 (OR) times the probability of having had CITSH compared patients with CIP-no-CITSH. Other variables associated to patients with CITSH were: age of drug use onset, presence of episodes of overdose, prevalence of psychotic disorder induced by cocaine. In general, in all variables studied, patients with CITSH presented worse clinical features (addiction variables and psychiatric comorbidity) than patients with CIP without CITSH and non-CIP group. CITSH are usually associated with other psychotic symptoms induced by cocaine. The patients who experienced CITSH are more severe cases compared both with patients with CIP without CITSH and patients without CIP. Increased risk of overdose is an important issue in this type of patients.


Sex releases the speed limit on evolution.
Explaining the evolutionary maintenance of sex remains a key problem in evolutionary biology. One potential benefit of sex is that it may allow a more rapid adaptive response when environmental conditions change, by increasing the efficiency with which selection can fix beneficial mutations. Here I show that sex can increase the rate of adaptation in the facultatively sexual single-celled chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, but that the benefits of sex depend crucially on the size of the population that is adapting: sex has a marked effect in large populations but little effect in small populations. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the benefits of sex in a novel environment, including stochastic effects in small populations, clonal interference and epistasis between beneficial alleles. These results indicate that clonal interference is important in this system.


Iodine/Copper Iodide-Mediated C-H Functionalization: Synthesis of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and Indoles from N-Aryl Enamines.
A practical intramolecular C-H functionalization reaction of N-aryl enamines has been carried out with molecular iodine (I2) as the sole oxidant in the presence of copper iodide (CuI). The efficient and versatile synthetic method described here is compatible with both N-heteroaryl and N-aryl substituted enamines and produces diverse imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine and indole derivatives via I2-mediated oxidative C-N and C-C bond formation, respectively. This ligand-free C-H functionalization methodology also works well with crude enamines, which allows for the sequential synthesis of the products directly from arylamines and ketones (or alkynes) without purification of the enamine intermediates.


The role of biologic treatment in special scenarios in hidradenitis suppurativa: Facial and nape phenotype, dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, and lymphedema.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the hair follicle which typically affects the axilla, inguinal, submammary, and perianal areas. Atypical HS, such as facial HS, dissecting cellulitis of the scalp (DCS), nape HS, and HS lymphedema has also been described. There is scarce evidence about the treatment of atypical HS. To describe the efficacy of biologic drugs and adjuvant therapeutic interventions used in patients with atypical HS who had an inadequate response to systemic antibiotics. Prospective case series study of patients with atypical HS (facial HS, DCS, nape HS, and HS lymphedema) treated with biologic drugs in a HS Clinic setting. Disease activity indexes, sociodemographic, clinical, and safety variables were collected. Two patients met criteria for Facial HS, three met criteria for DCS/nape HS and three patients met criteria for HS lymphedema. Patients with facial HS achieved rapid improvement without requiring other therapies. Patients with DCS, nape HS, and HS lymphedema showed variable response, with decrease of activity indexes, and requiring adjuvant treatments. Biologic drugs are useful in the management of special HS locations. In the case of facial HS, biologic therapy seems to be quite effective as monotherapy. In the cases of DCS, HS lymphedema and nape HS, treatment combination or intensification may be needed.


Injury-related deaths in Enugu, Nigeria from 2010 to 2016: a descriptive review.
death from injuries is a global public health problem. Ninety percent occur in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the burden and demographic characteristics of injury-related death in Enugu, Nigeria. this is a retrospective study of injury-related deaths in Enugu over a 7-year period. Standardized forms were used to collect data from autopsy reports archived in the Forensic Unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu and a descriptive analysis of collected data performed. of the Coroner deaths examined in the period reviewed, 1,067 (86.9%) were injury-related. The male-to-female ratio was 5.2: 1. Mean age of victims was 34.2 ± 14.3years and range was 8 months to 86 years. Most victims (56.7%) aged 21-40 years. Accidents accounted for most deaths (53.2%) followed by homicide (44.3%). Road traffic deaths (51.4%), cult/gang violence (20.8%) and robbery (14.7%) were the commonest. Suicide (0.5%) and domestic violence (0.7%) were the least. More females died in domestic incidents while more males died in all other circumstances. Firearm (56.7%) was the most common weapon followed by knife (19%). Knife and wood (28.7% each) were the commonest weapons in domestic violence. Generally, fatal incidents occurred more in the day-time (65.5%). Most robberies (80.4%) occurred at night. Most cult/gang killings (75.2%) and robberies (81.7%) occurred in public places and at homes respectively. injury is the highest source of Coroner's death in Enugu. Efforts to curb it are insufficient. A definitive policy on the prevention and management of injury-related deaths is needed.


The role of glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase in nitrogen assimilation and possibilities for improvement in the nitrogen utilization of crops.
This short review outlines the central role of glutamine synthetase (GS) in plant nitrogen metabolism and discusses some possibilities for crop improvement. GS functions as the major assimilatory enzyme for ammonia produced from N fixation, and nitrate or ammonia nutrition. It also reassimilates ammonia released as a result of photorespiration and the breakdown of proteins and nitrogen transport compounds. GS is distributed in different subcellular locations (chloroplast and cytoplasm) and in different tissues and organs. This distribution probably changes as a function of the development of the tissue, for example, GS1 appears to play a key role in leaf senescence. The enzyme is the product of multiple genes with complex promoters that ensure the expression of the genes in an organ- and tissue-specific manner and in response to a number of environmental variables affecting the nutritional status of the cell. GS activity is also regulated post-translationally in a manner that involves 14-3-3 proteins and phosphorylation. GS and plant nitrogen metabolism is best viewed as a complex matrix continually changing during the development cycle of plants. Along with GS, a number of other enzymes play key roles in maintaining the balance of carbon and nitrogen. It is proposed that one of these is glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). There is considerable evidence for a GDH shunt to return the carbon in amino acids back into reactions of carbon metabolism and the tri-carboxylic acid cycle. Results with transgenic plants containing transferred GS genes suggest that there may be ways in which it is possible to improve the efficiency with which crop plants use nitrogen. Marker-assisted breeding may also bring about such improvements.


[Localization and size as prognostic factors of response to treatment with 5% imiquimod cream in non circumcised males with penile condyloma acuminata].
To evaluate the relevance of size and location of penile condylomatous lesions as prognostic factors to Imiquimod 5% cream treatment response in uncircumcised men. Twenty-two patients with condylomatous lesions in the glans, prepuce and penile shaft were included in this study. Size was no exclusion criteria. Patients with lesions on scrotal, suprapubic, inguinal or perineal area were excluded from this study. Treatment with Imiquimod 5% cream 3 times per week was given and follow up was at the first and second week and afterwards every second week. Response was classified as complete when all lesions disappeared, partial when lesions diminished in more than 50% of its original size and absence of response if no change was seen or if they diminished less than 50% of its original size. Six patients were excluded from the study because they did not come for follow up. Mean age was 33 years (24-51). Sevenly five (12) percent of the patients had a complete response, 18.7% (3) did not have response and 6.3% (1) had partial response. A complete response was observed in 75% (9) of patients with lesions on glans and prepuce. The same response rate was observed in patients with penile shaft lesions. There was complete response in patients with lesions as big as 7 cm and as small as 0.3 cm. Response was observed between the first and fourth week. Non responders were classified after 12 weeks of treatment and alternative treatment was advocated. Site and size of penile lesions of condyloma acuminata had no relevance as prognostic factors for treatment response of Imiquimod 5% cream. If Imiquimod was the treatment selected, alternative therapeutic approaches should be advised if no response is seen after the fourth week of treatment.


A new function for the LH/CG receptor: transcytosis of hormone across the endothelial barrier in target organs.
Gonadotropins cross the vascular endothelial barrier to reach their target organs. Hormone concentrations in blood are very low and fluctuate rapidly to give sharp biological effects. Nonspecific transendothelial transport mechanisms are slow and markedly concentration dependent. There is thus a need for specific transendothelial transport mechanisms for these hormones. We will describe a specific transcytosis mechanism involving endothelial lutropin/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) receptors identical to those observed in the target Leydig cells. A new role for the LH/CG receptor as a transcytotic carrier of its ligands in endothelial cells is suggested.


Population genetic diversity and species relationships in the genus Rhinanthus L. based on microsatellite markers.
The genus Rhinanthus L. is complex, containing many taxonomically unresolved taxa. In this paper we studied genetic variation and species relationships in 15 populations of six Rhinanthus species from three sections. For this purpose, we developed new microsatellite primers for R. osiliensis and used them to investigate genetic variation in two narrow endemics (R. osiliensis, R. javorkae) and in four widespread species (R. rumelicus R. wagneri, R. angustifolius and R. minor). Species-specific private alleles were found in all species except R. osiliensis and R. angustifolius. The Bulgarian endemic R. javorkae showed the lowest genetic variation, followed by widespread R. minor and Estonian endemic R. osiliensis. Rhinanthus javorkae and R. minor were genetically most differentiated. Section Cleistolemus is weakly structured genetically, indicating close affinity between R. osiliensis, R. rumelicus, R. wagneri and R. angustifolius.


AAV-mediated gene supply for treatment of degenerative and neovascular retinal diseases.
Common blinding diseases that are currently untreatable include conditions characterized by progressive neuronal degeneration, such as retinitis pigmentosa, leber congenital amaurosis or glaucoma, or characterized by ocular neovascularization, like wet age-related macular degeneration, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying either neuronal degeneration or new vessel formation may be similar and independent of the mutation underlying the disease, thus allowing to test therapeutic strategies acting downstream of the primary causative event. Gene supply is the delivery of a gene that can prevent or arrest disease progression without being directly implicated in the disease pathogenesis. To this end, one of the most efficient and safe retinal gene delivery vehicles derives from the small adeno-associated virus (AAV). We review studies on AAV-mediated gene supply of: neurotrophic/antiapoptotic factors to prevent retinal neurons degeneration, and anti-angiogenic molecules to inhibit retinal neovascularization. Successful gene supply may represent a one-fit-all treatment for inherited and acquired blinding diseases.


Dentoalveolar reconstruction of a missing premaxilla using bone graft and endosteal implants.
We report here on a patient with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) and a missing premaxilla, who underwent dentoalveolar reconstruction of the cleft and premaxillary alveolus using endosteal implants after bone grafting. The patient, whose maxillary incisors and premaxilla were missing, had corticocancellous bone grafting from the iliac crest, followed by excellent bone formation at the anterior alveolus. After the placement of the endosteal implants and the completion of the pre-surgical orthodontic alignment, orthognathic surgery was performed for the restoration of a Class III open bite. After post-operative orthodontic preparation, the final fixed prostheses were completed. This treatment procedure offers an option of dentoalveolar reconstruction for BCLP patients with an excised premaxilla.


[Scanning electron microscopy of the kidney glomerulus during development].
Consecutive stages of renal glomerulogenesis were studied in white rats using scanning electron microscopy of microvessel corrosion casts and specimens dried through critical point. The splitting of ingrowing capillaries was shown to be the leading mechanism of glomerulogenesis. The differentiation of endothelial and epithelial components of glomerular filter involves two main processes: progressive spreading and arborization of cells. A suggestion is put forward that the growth and spatial reorganization of cytoskeletal elements in the endothelial and epithelial cells are the basic mechanisms of their differentiation during glomerulogenesis.


Electrophysiological characteristics of seizure clusters.
The phenomenon of temporal clustering of seizures is well known, but its effect on seizure localization has not been rigorously analyzed. The aim of our study was to assess electrophysiological localization during Video EEG (VEEG) monitoring in patients with intractable epilepsy demonstrating a cluster of seizures. The study was conducted on 203 intractable epilepsy patients, aged 2 to 60 years (19.96 +/- 10.87). Patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy having clusters were compared with patients not having clusters, and the effect of clustering on concordance was addressed. Fully consistent localization was observed in 116 patients, partially consistent localization in 18 patients, and inconsistent localization in 19 patients. ANOVA did not reveal any significant difference in these groups (p=0.65). A total of 770 seizures recorded from 149 patients was analyzed for clustering effect. Clustering was present in 603/770 seizures pairs (78.31%). In the cluster group, 483 (80.09%) seizure pairs were concordant for seizure onset, while 98 (16.25%) were discordant and 22 (3.65%) were indeterminate. In the noncluster group, 134 (80.24%) seizure pairs were concordant for seizure onset, while 23 (13.77%) were discordant and 10 (5.98%) were indeterminate. The study found that cluster seizures occurring within an interseizure interval (ISI) less than 8 hours are independent and have the same localizing value as those seizures with longer ISIs.


Longer Duration of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Case of Mild COVID-19 With Weak Production of the Specific IgM and IgG Antibodies.
Background: The relationship between SARS-CoV-2-carrying time and specific antibody production has not yet been reported in re-admitted COVID-19 patients. We reported a case of mild COVID-19 with long virus-carrying time, weak production of virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies, and recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stool specimens after discharge. Case Presentation: A 27-year-old male was diagnosed as COVID-19 after returning to Meizhou from Wuhan. Despite extremely mild symptoms, the patient was hospitalized for 24 days because of persistent positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. Three days after recovery discharge, he was hospitalized again for 7 days due to a recurrence of the positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA result, while in a good physical condition. Serological assay, using a fluorescent immunochromatography detection kit specific to SARS-CoV-2, showed that SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM antibodies were undetectable and IgG antibodies were very low on day 8 after onset; both of the antibodies seemingly reached top concentrations on day 15 (just a 6-fold increase of the IgG titer), and then decreased, remaining relatively stable from day 25 after onset until discharge. The production of the IgM and IgG targeting SARS-CoV-2 in this very mild case was much lower than that in a severe case of COVID-19 during the same hospitalizing period, and the latter was used as a control. Conclusion: Mild COVID-19 patients could carry SARS-CoV-2 for a long time, which may be related to the weak production of the virus-specific IgG and IgM. Recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA could occur in mild COVID-19 possibly due to intermittent virus shedding, so strict quarantine and health surveillance should be taken for all discharged COVID-19 patients to prevent a potential virus spread.


The role of olfactory cues in mother-pup, groupmate, and sex recognition of lesser flat-headed bats, Tylonycteris pachypus.
Tylonycteris pachypus is a gregarious bat species with tens of individuals in a colony. The mechanisms by which mother bats recognize their pups and adult bats recognize each other are not clear. We hypothesized that such recognition is achieved by chemical discrimination and performed experiments to test the hypothesis. Results showed that mother bats were much more attracted to the scent from their own pups. For adult bats, females were attracted to the scent from both male and female groupmates but had a higher preference to the scent from female than from male groupmates. Male bats were much more attracted to the scent from male groupmates while showed no preference to the scent from female groupmates. Within a group, both female and male bats had no difference in preference to the scent from the same or opposite sex. These results suggest that mother-pup and groupmate recognition of T. pachypus can be achieved by olfactory cues.


Associations Between Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain and Daughter's Age at Menarche: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
Earlier puberty and menarche are associated with adverse health outcomes. Reported associations of maternal adiposity with daughter's age at menarche are inconsistent. We examined associations between maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2) and gestational weight gain (GWG) and daughter's ages at menarche (n = 3,935 mother-offspring pairs), pubarche (Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair) (n = 2,942 pairs), and thelarche (Tanner stage 2 for breast development) (n = 2,942 pairs) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective United Kingdom pregnancy cohort study (baseline 1991-1992). During a follow-up period of up to 17 years (1991-2008), mean menarcheal age was 12.6 (standard deviation, 1.2) years. Both maternal prepregnancy BMI and GWG were inversely associated with daughter's age at menarche after adjustment for maternal age, parity, socioeconomic status, smoking, maternal menarcheal age, and ethnicity (mean differences were -0.34 months (95% confidence interval: -0.45, -0.22) per BMI unit and -0.17 months (95% confidence interval: -0.26, -0.07) per kg, respectively). Associations remained unchanged after adjustment for birth weight and gestational age but were attenuated to the null when results were adjusted for daughter's prepubertal BMI. Similar results were found for ages at pubarche and thelarche. These findings indicate that greater prepregnancy BMI and GWG are associated with earlier puberty in daughters and that these associations are mediated by daughters' prepubertal BMIs.


Synthesis of pyrroles by gold(I)-catalyzed amino-claisen rearrangement of N-propargyl enaminone derivatives.
The cationic N-heterocyclic carbene-gold(I) complex catalyzes the formation of tri- and tetrasubstituted pyrroles via the amino-Claisen rearrangement of N-propargyl beta-enaminone derivatives and the cyclization of alpha-allenyl beta-enaminone intermediates.


[Psychiatric out-patient care].
There is a dearth of solid scientific data on the effectiveness of regular psychiatric outpatient care. Models for psychiatric community treatment rose from pioneering work, but these models have been tested in a reletively small number of high quality randomized and controlled trials. Some of psychiatric hospital care could be replaced by day-hospital care and use of hospital treatment may be decreased among some of the patients with severe psychiatric disorders by using home-based care by mental health teams. Early intervention in psychosis may provide possibilities to decrease need of hospital care. Closure of psychiatric hospitals is unlikely to lead to the development of community care. High quality care necessitates follow-up of effectiveness and, additionally, good working conditions, where treatment may be applied according to the best information available.


A methodological strategy for PAH genotyping in populations with a marked molecular heterogeneity of hyperphenylalaninemia.
The elucidation of the molecular basis of hyperphenylalaninemia in various world populations (PKU Consortium Database: http://www.mcgill/ca/pahdb/) has revealed a remarkable molecular heterogeneity at the locus encoding for phenylalanine hydroxylase. As a consequence, genotyping of HPA patients has prompted the establishment of an impressive number of mutatIon detection protocols. In spite of the large variety of methods proposed so far, no comprehensive strategy has been yet developed for the detection of PAH gene mutations. Therefore, new approaches, combining the advantages of individual methods are required, especially in populations with a high number of PAH gene mutations. In this study, we propose the use of Reverse Dot Blot Analysis within a general mutation protocol to simplify the genotyping of hyperphenylalaninemics in the very heterogeneous population of Sicily (Italy).


The effectiveness of state-level tobacco control interventions: a review of program implementation and behavioral outcomes.
In 2001, nearly one billion dollars will be spent on statewide tobacco control programs, including those in California, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Oregon, funded by cigarette tax revenues, and the program in Florida, funded by the state's settlement with the tobacco industry. With such large expenditures, it is imperative to find out whether these programs are working. This paper reviews the effectiveness of the statewide tobacco control programs in California, Massachusetts, Arizona, Oregon, and Florida. It focuses on two aspects of process evaluation--the funding and implementation of the programs and the tobacco industry's response, and four elements of outcome evaluation--the programs' effects on cigarette consumption, adult and youth smoking prevalence, and protection of the public from secondhand smoke. The paper formulates general lessons learned from these existing programs and generates recommendations to improve and inform the development and implementation of these and future programs.


The HKA test revisited: a maximum-likelihood-ratio test of the standard neutral model.
We present a maximum-likelihood-ratio test of the standard neutral model, using multilocus data on polymorphism within species and divergence between species. The model is based on the Hudson-Kreitman-Aguade (HKA) test, but allows for an explicit test of selection at individual loci in a multilocus framework. We use coalescent simulations to show that the likelihood-ratio test statistic is conservative, particularly when the assumption of no recombination is violated. Application of the method to polymorphism data from 18 loci from a population of Arabidopsis lyrata provides significant evidence for a balanced polymorphism at a candidate locus thought to be linked to the centromere. The method is also applied to polymorphism data in maize, providing support for the hypothesis of directional selection on genes in the starch pathway.


[Evidence-based medicine, health costs and treatment of intra-abdominal infection].
Anti-infectious drugs are among the most-prescribed medications in the community, in 1997 being more than 9% of all drugs prescribed by the Spanish National Health System. In the particular case of the treatment of patients with moderate or severe intra-abdominal infection, economic aspects are important. Antimicrobial therapy is responsible for as much as 50% of the drug budget in some Spanish hospitals. On the other hand, as more options become available for the treatment of intra-abdominal infection, it is important to know their clinical and economic consequences. Imipenem/cilastatin (IC) is a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic that has demonstrated its effectiveness in the treatment of nosocomial and community-acquired bacterial infections. The objective of this study was to determine if IC has a favorable cost-effectiveness relation compared to other antibiotic therapies for the treatment of intra-abdominal infections. A cost-effectiveness analysis was made based on retrospective information on the treatment of patients over 18 with clinical suspicion of moderate-to-severe intra-abdominal infection. Health-care results were measured in natural health units (percentage of clinically favorable cases) in a systematic review of the literature. Direct health-care costs associated with the treatments compared were calculated. The other options studied, apart from IC, included the most common and least expensive option (a combination of an aminoglycoside and an anaerobicide [AA]) and an antibiotic from the same family as IC, meropenem (M). The results, in terms of the percentage of patients with clinically favorable results, showed that the effectiveness of IC was equivalent to that of M (95.2% vs. 96.4%) and the AA association (88.0% vs. 86.6%). Analysis of cost minimization showed that the total cost per patient treated with the IC and M options was similar, but that the lower price of IC slightly reduced the total cost per patient treated (ptas. 455,320 IC and ptas. 483,404 M). In the comparison of IC and AA, the higher price of IC was compensated for by the lower cost associated with the duration of hospitalization in patients treated with IC (total cost per patients treated ptas. 844,678 IC and ptas. 1,009,180 AA). The results of the meta-analysis showed that imipenem/cilastatin was highly effective (more than 90% clinically favorable results) and that it can be considered a minimum equivalent to meropenem and to the combination of an aminoglycoside and anaerobicide for the treatment of patients with moderate or severe intra-abdominal infection. Given the equivalence in effectiveness of the options studied, analysis of cost minimization was used to study their relative effectiveness. This analysis showed that IC was accompanied by lower costs per patient than M and AA. The most relevant variables in the study of the efficiency of the treatment of intra-abdominal infections were, in conditions of equivalent effectiveness, days of hospitalization (and associated costs) and drug price.


Modulation of Immune Components on Stem Cell and Dormancy in Cancer.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) refer to a certain subpopulation within the tumor entity that is characterized by restricted cellular proliferation and multipotent differentiation potency. The existence of CSCs has been proven to contribute to the heterogeneity of malignancies, accounting for intensified tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and metastatic spread. Dormancy was proposed as a reversible state of cancer cells that are temporarily arrested in the cell cycle, possessing several hallmarks that facilitate their survival within a devastating niche. This transient period is evoked to enter an actively proliferating state by multiple regulatory alterations, and one of the most significant and complex factors comes from local and systemic inflammatory reactions and immune components. Although CSCs and dormant cancer cells share several similarities, the clear relationship between these two concepts remains unclear. Thus, the detailed mechanism of immune cells interacting with CSCs and dormant cancer cells also warrants elucidation for prevention of cancer relapse and metastasis. In this review, we summarize recent findings and prospective studies on CSCs and cancer dormancy to conclude the relationship between these two concepts. Furthermore, we aim to outline the mechanism of immune components in interfering with CSCs and dormant cancer cells to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of relapse and metastasis.


Remission of transformed myelodysplastic syndrome with fibrosis after danazol therapy.
Danazol has been used with success in some hematological diseases, but there is no report of this treatment in acute leukemia. We report here a case of remission of myelodysplastic syndrome with myelofibrosis in transformation after danazol therapy in a 72-yr-old man. The role of danazol in remission induction is briefly discussed.


[More separations than divorces].
"In the Netherlands, the yearly numbers of divorces have been rather stable since the mid eighties. Yet the numbers of separations of couples are on the increase. This is caused by two factors. First of all, more and more women cohabit at some point in their lives....Secondly, cohabiting couples have a much higher likelihood of disruption than married couples. About one in seven women born in 1950-1954 was ever divorced before age 38. If disruption of cohabitation is added to this figure, one in five women born in the early fifties has ever separated. For more recent birth cohorts, difference between divorce and disruption of both marriage and cohabitation is much larger. Of women born in the early sixties, only 4 per cent were ever divorced before age 28, whereas 17 percent of these women were ever separated." (SUMMARY IN ENG)


The molluscicidal properties of Ambrosia maritima L. (Compositae). 2. Results from a field trial using dry plant material.
A field trial in Egypt of the plant molluscicide, Ambrosia maritima is described. Applications of 140, 70 and 35 mg/l-1 dry, whole plant were made to irrigation canals and drains in June. The treatment effect took between 1 and 5 weeks to become fully established. The reduction in the numbers of alive Biomphalaria alexandrina snails was generally more than 90% and was virtually the same at all treatment levels and in both types of watercourse. The snail population remained at a low level for at least 3 months until September-October. The possible use of a single, annual application in April or May in controlling snails throughout the main schistosomiasis transmission season in Lower Egypt is suggested.


A new approach to the failed, failed back syndrome.
A new screening test and operative technique for the relief of intractable pain in the failed back syndrome has been devised and has yielded a 72% success rate on short-term follow-up (9--30 months) in 26 patients. This syndrome is thought to represent pain emanating from permanently damaged nerve roots and not from the arachnoiditis that was always present. Multiple spinal nerve blocks are carried out sequentially in the foramina under local anesthesia and fluoroscopic control, and if fewer than three nerves are implicated in the causation of the major portion of the patient's pain syndrome, a microsurgical dorsal root rhizotomy in which not more than two contiguous roots are severed is performed. This procedure can be adopted despite severe adhesive arachnoiditis.


Bacteria and fungi of marine mammals: a review.
A list of the different bacterial and fungal agents isolated from marine mammals in different parts of the world is presented. Importance is given to some of the most recently identified bacterial agents, including Actinobacillus delphinicola, A. scotiae, and Brucella spp. A list, in alphabetical order, of bacteria recovered from different tissues or organs from marine mammals is presented for the integumentary, respiratory, digestive, genitourinary, and reticuloendothelial systems. Infectious bacterial agents associated with abscesses and with cases of septicemia are also listed. Information about the different fungal agents recovered from marine mammals is summarized. A section covering some of the zoonotic infectious agents recovered from marine mammals is included.


Basis for the Development of a Rearing Technique of Aganaspis pelleranoi (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) in Anastrepha fraterculus (Tephritidae: Diptera).
Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is among the most important pests of fruit trees in South America, where it can cause losses of up to 100% in fruit orchards. The endoparasitoid Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) is one of the main natural enemies of A. fraterculus in Neotropical countries and can be used as a biological control agent against this pest. This study aimed to provide background biological information for the development of a method for mass rearing of A. pelleranoi in larvae of A. fraterculus . We determined the effects of diet on the longevity and parasitism capacity of A. pelleranoi adults, the optimal instar of A. fraterculus for parasitism, the ideal exposure time of the larvae to the parasitoid, and the parasitism capacity of females of A. pelleranoi . The results showed that a 30% honey:water solution maximized parasitoid longevity. Third-instar larvae of A. fraterculus should be used in parasitoid multiplication. An exposure time of 4 h of A. fraterculus larvae produced a larger number of parasitoid offspring, with the highest proportion of females. In addition, the estimated mean parasitism capacity of females of A. pelleranoi was 10 larvae per day. This information can help to develop a mass-rearing method for A. pelleranoi in larvae of A. fraterculus .


Chromosomal abnormalities in amenorrhea: a retrospective study and review of 637 patients in South India.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the chromosomal abnormalities and to identify the most prevalent or frequent type of chromosomal abnormalities in cases of amenorrhea from the southern region of India. A total of 637 cases with amenorrhea were analyzed using G- banding, C-banding, Silver staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization was done wherever necessary. Out of the 637 cases involved in our study, 132 abnormalities were detected. The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in cases with primary and secondary amenorrhea was around 20.7 %. In addition to the numerical anomalies, various structural aberrations of the X chromosome like deletions, isochromosomes, duplications, ring chromosome, and also male karyotype were detected. Review of the literature and overall incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in patients with amenorrhea suggests the need for cytogenetic analysis to be performed in all the cases referred for amenorrhea with or without short stature. Precise identification of chromosomal abnormalities helps in confirming the provisional diagnosis; it helps the secondary amenorrhea patients in assisted reproduction and to understand the clinical heterogeneity involved and in efficient genetic counseling.