Observation of volatile and semi-volatile carbonyls in an Algerian urban environment using dinitrophenylhydrazine/silica-HPLC and pentafluorophenylhydrazine/silica-GC-MS.
Lower carbonyls and n-alkanals from C5 to C10 were measured from late autumn 2000 to summer 2001 in two urban areas in the Algerian territory: Algiers and Ouargla. They were collected on silica cartridges coated with dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) and pentafluorophenylhydrazine (PFPH), which were analysed by HPLC-UV and high-resolution GC-MS. respectively. The two methods were used in parallel samplings in a suburban Algiers site and provided consistent results for semi-volatile congeners, as differences in the concentration data did not exceed 21% on average for individual carbonyl levels ranging from 0.0 to 0.5-2.6 microg m(-3). Concentrations of formaldehyde up to 27 and 5 microg m(-3) were monitored during 10 h samplings in the daytime in Algiers and Ouargla, respectively; acetaldehyde reached values of 13 and 5 microg m(-3), whilst acetone was the most abundant ketone with peak levels of 14 and 4 microg m(-3), respectively. High night-time levels of lower carbonyls were also measured at both locations. Among the semi-volatile alkanals, the highest levels were observed in suburban Algiers for hexanal and nonanal (2.2 microg m(-3)) and in downtown Algiers for valeraldehyde (2.6 microg m(-3)), whilst in Ouargla only hexanal and nonanal levels within the C5-C10 fraction exceeded 1 microg m(-3). Moreover, benzaldehyde concentrations as high as 5 microg m(-3) were measured in the centre of Algiers. Algiers data are comparable with those found in photochemically polluted urban areas of Europe and the USA. Strong correlations between formaldehyde and acetaldehyde and between formaldehyde and benzaldehyde were observed; by contrast, acetone did not show any correlation with the lower aldehydes, suggesting the existence of carbonyl sources other than vehicular traffic. Diurnal variations of almost all carbonyls suggested that motor vehicles were the most important source in the winter, whereas photochemical production appeared to predominate during the summer.


Optimizing cropping systems to close the gap between economic profitability and environmental health.
Supporting food security while maintaining ecosystem sustainability is one of the most important global challenges for humanity. Optimization of cropping systems is expected to promote the ecosystem services of agroecosystems. Yet, how and why cropping system influences the trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services remain poorly understood. We investigate the influence of six cropping systems on trade-offs between economic profitability and multiple ecosystem services after considering 36 agricultural ecosystem properties using field experiment data from 2020 to 2022. We show that designing cropping system is a critical tool to closing the gap between ecosystem sustainability and commercial profitability. Cropping system with three harvests within 2 yr had higher performance in overall ecosystem multiple services through enhancement of supporting, regulating, and economic performance without compromising provisioning compared with four other systems. These systems diminished the trade-off among multiple services, resulting in a 'win-win' situation for economics and multiple services. By contrast, the monoculture and double cropping systems lead to a strong trade-off between pairwise services including ecosystem health and profitability. Our work illustrates the substantial potential of rotation systems with three harvests within 2 yr in enforcing ecosystem services and closing the trade-offs among multiple agricultural ecosystem services.


Method for optimal sensor deployment on 3D terrains utilizing a steady state genetic algorithm with a guided walk mutation operator based on the wavelet transform.
One of the most critical issues of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is the deployment of a limited number of sensors in order to achieve maximum coverage on a terrain. The optimal sensor deployment which enables one to minimize the consumed energy, communication time and manpower for the maintenance of the network has attracted interest with the increased number of studies conducted on the subject in the last decade. Most of the studies in the literature today are proposed for two dimensional (2D) surfaces; however, real world sensor deployments often arise on three dimensional (3D) environments. In this paper, a guided wavelet transform (WT) based deployment strategy (WTDS) for 3D terrains, in which the sensor movements are carried out within the mutation phase of the genetic algorithms (GAs) is proposed. The proposed algorithm aims to maximize the Quality of Coverage (QoC) of a WSN via deploying a limited number of sensors on a 3D surface by utilizing a probabilistic sensing model and the Bresenham's line of sight (LOS) algorithm. In addition, the method followed in this paper is novel to the literature and the performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with the Delaunay Triangulation (DT) method as well as a standard genetic algorithm based method and the results reveal that the proposed method is a more powerful and more successful method for sensor deployment on 3D terrains.


Exploring stories of learning and professional development: interactions between GP personal tutors and medical students.
The demanding environment at medical school results in some students being prone to a high risk of mental health issues. GMC recommendations include positioning personal tutors for pastoral support and to act as academic role models. Tutors who are clinicians, such as GPs, could help students develop their academic and professional narratives. Our study explores interactions between GP tutors and students and evaluates how personal tutoring can support the ways in which students respond to the medical school culture and its demands. Six pairs of GP tutors and medical students had three personal tutor meetings over 9 months. Twelve meetings were recorded. A dialogical narrative analytical approach was used to assess how students' problems and reflective processes were negotiated with tutors. Three themes were formed to consolidate findings. Tutors' affirmations helped students develop an alternative narrative to perfectionism focusing on 'doing well' and self-care. Reflection on students' perceptions of a medical career were prompted by tutors who encouraged students to keep an open-minded and enthusiastic outlook. Active participation from students sometimes required tutors to relinquish hierarchical power and share personal experiences. GP tutors can help reframe student narratives of perfectionism and professionalism by expressing their vulnerabilities and working collaboratively. With clear guidance, there is potential for personal tutors working as GPs, to benefit students in the long run both academically and professionally. However, this should go hand in hand with a transformation of medical school culture to prevent sole focus on building student resilience.


Diamond Blackfan Anemia: A Nonclassical Patient With Diagnosis Assisted by Genomic Analysis.
Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is an inherited syndrome usually presenting with severe macrocytic anemia in infancy, paucity of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow, and congenital anomalies. We describe a child with mild, transfusion independent normocytic anemia whose diagnosis of DBA was established by identification of a novel de novo mutation disrupting normal splicing of the ribosomal protein RPL5. The diagnosis of DBA was confirmed by elevated erythrocyte adenosine deaminase levels and an abnormal ribosomal RNA profile. This case demonstrates the usefulness of genomic analysis in establishing the diagnosis of DBA in patients with a nonclassical presentation of the disease.


Healthcare professionals' perceptions of the use of pain scales in postoperative pain assessments.
To describe how healthcare professionals perceive the use of pain scales in postoperative care. Pain scales are important but not an obvious choice to use in postoperative care. No study has explored how healthcare professionals experience the use of pain scales. An explorative design with a phenomenographic approach was used. The sample consisted of 25 healthcare professionals. Semistructured interviews were performed. Four descriptive categories emerged - the use of pain scales facilitated the understanding of postoperative pain, facilitated treatment, demanded a multidimensional approach and was affected by work situations. Healthcare professionals described that pain scales contribute to the understanding of patient's postoperative pain. It is important to ensure patient understanding and be aware about variations in pain ratings. Dialogue and observations are necessary to be certain what the ratings mean to the patient. The use of pain scales depends on patient's needs and organization.


Evaluation of lithium determination in three analyzers: flame emission, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion selective electrode.
Lithium carbonate salt has become an increasingly important substance in the treatment of manic depressive disorders, and its relatively narrow therapeutic range has caused laboratories to monitor the serum concentration carefully. In the present work we evaluated lithium measurement in 3 different analyzers. METHODS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; Three different analyzers including Flame Emission (FES), Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS), and Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) were used. All chemicals had a grade suitable for trace metal analysis. Within-day precision of CV was ≤ 1.5% for FES & FAAS, except for ISE (1.9% CV). Between-days precision of CV was less for FES than for FAAS and ISE (1.3% versus 2.2% & 2.3%). The percent recovery of added lithium in pooled patients' serum was higher for ISE than for FASS and FES (103.4% versus 96.2% and 94.6%). We also obtained a higher average lithium concentration for patients' serum samples (n=16) measured by ISE than for FAAS and FES (0.825±0.30 versus 0.704±0.26 & 0.735±0.19). Paired t-test results revealed a significant difference (p< 0.001) for patient sera analyzed with FAAS and ISE. We report higher results for ISE than the other two analyzers and conclude that the choice between the two flame methods for patients' serum lithium determination is arbitrary and that FES analyzer is a more attractive routine alternative for lithium determination than FAAS because of its cost and ease of performance. In addition, the results obtained by ISE are precise. However, its accuracy may depend on other interfering factors.


Synchronization in populations of electrochemical bursting oscillators with chaotic slow dynamics.
We investigate the synchronization of coupled electrochemical bursting oscillators using the electrodissolution of iron in sulfuric acid. The dynamics of a single oscillator consisted of slow chaotic oscillations interrupted by a burst of fast spiking, generating a multiple time-scale dynamical system. A wavelet analysis first decomposed the time series data from each oscillator into a fast and a slow component, and the corresponding phases were also obtained. The phase synchronization of the fast and slow dynamics was analyzed as a function of electrical coupling imposed by an external coupling resistance. For two oscillators, a progressive transition was observed: With increasing coupling strength, first, the fast bursting intervals overlapped, which was followed by synchronization of the fast spiking, and finally, the slow chaotic oscillations synchronized. With a population of globally coupled 25 oscillators, the coupling eliminated the fast dynamics, and only the synchronization of the slow dynamics can be observed. The results demonstrated the complexities of synchronization with bursting oscillations that could be useful in other systems with multiple time-scale dynamics, in particular, in neuronal networks.


Vitamin C Intake and Cancers: An Umbrella Review.
Based on the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we conducted this umbrella review aiming at evaluating the quality of evidence, validity and biases of the relationship between vitamin C (VC) intake and incidence and outcomes of multiple cancers. We identified 22 cancer outcomes within 3,562 articles. VC consumption was associated with lower incidence of bladder cancer, breast cancer, cervical tumors, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, glioma, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell cancer, and total cancer occurrence. VC intake was also related to decreased risk of breast cancer prognosis (recurrence, cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality).


Clinical trials update. 2013: year in review.
This section of Headache annually reviews the status of recently completed and ongoing major clinical trials involving common headache disorders. The review will focus on multicenter trials of new therapies, as well as novel formulations of previously approved therapeutics. Table 1 summarizes the major therapeutic headache trials that are ongoing at the present time, according to data obtained from both the "ClinicalTrials.Gov" website and from corporate press releases and presentations.


Herbal Medicine Use During Pregnancy: A Review of the Literature With a Special Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Herbal medicine use has grown considerably worldwide among pregnant women, and is particularly widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. However, herbal medicines used across sub-Saharan Africa are associated with important research gaps and a lack of regulatory framework. This is particularly problematic, as herbal medicine use during pregnancy raises several concerns attributed to the herbal ingredient itself, conventional drug-herbal medicine interactions, and contamination or adulteration of herbal remedies. Moreover, several local herbal remedies used by sub-Saharan African pregnant women have never been botanically identified. In this review, an overview of the practice of herbal medicine, including the regulations, challenges and overall safety, is provided. Then, we discuss the prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy across different sub-Saharan African countries, as well as the indications, adverse outcomes, and effectiveness of the most commonly used herbal medicines during pregnancy in that region.


One-step Minimally Invasive Pedicle Screw Instrumentation Using O-Arm and Stealth Navigation.
Description of a navigated, single-step, minimally invasive technique for the placement of pedicle screws. To describe a new technique for minimally invasive placement of pedicle screws in the lumbar spine using O-arm and StealthStation navigation in combination. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are described in the literature as safe and effective methods for pedicle screw instrumentation. These techniques increase radiation exposure and prompt multiple instrument passes through the pedicle. In total, 35 adult patients (187 screws) underwent lumbar surgery with pedicle screw placement using the 1- (8 patients/48 screws) or 2-step (27 patients/139 screws) technique. Complications associated with instrumentation were noted. Pedicle screw position was evaluated. Of 187 screws placed, 181 (96.8%) were found to be fully contained within the pedicle (grade 1) and 4 (2.1%) had a breach of <2 mm. In the 1-step technique, no screws were malpositioned. One screw at S1 with inadequate fixation was replaced with a screw 1 mm larger in diameter. In the 2-step technique, 2 screws (1.06% overall) were revised due to inferior breach of the pedicle. No neurological sequelae were noted. Also, 1 screw was deemed too long at S1 and was replaced with a shorter screw. None of the revised pedicle screws caused neuromonitoring changes and the breaches were found intraoperatively on 3D imaging. Using O-arm and StealthStation navigation with minimally invasive surgical technology for placement of posterior spinal instrumentation is safe, effective, and limits radiation exposure.


Altered gene expression and repressed markers of autophagy in skeletal muscle of insulin resistant patients with type 2 diabetes.
This case-control study was designed to investigate the gene expression profile in skeletal muscle from severely insulin resistant patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes (T2D), and to determine associated signaling pathways. Gene expression profiles were examined by whole transcriptome, strand-specific RNA-sequencing and associated signaling was determined by western blot. We identified 117 differentially expressed gene transcripts. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis related these differences to abnormal muscle morphology and mitochondrial dysfunction. Despite a ~5-fold difference in plasma insulin, we did not observe any difference in phosphorylation of AKT or AS160, although other insulin-sensitive cascades, as mTOR/4EBP1, had retained their sensitivity. Autophagy-related gene (ATG14, RB1CC1/FIP200, GABARAPL1, SQSTM1/p62, and WIPI1) and protein (LC3BII, SQSTM1/p62 and ATG5) expression were decreased in skeletal muscle from the patients, and this was associated with a trend to increased phosphorylation of the insulin-sensitive regulatory transcription factor FOXO3a. These data show that gene expression is highly altered and related to mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal morphology in skeletal muscle from severely insulin resistant patients with T2D, and that this is associated with decreased expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins. We speculate that prolonged treatment with high doses of insulin may suppress autophagy thereby generating a vicious cycle maintaining insulin resistance.


Grit, Subjective Happiness, Satisfaction With Life, and Academic Resilience Among Pharmacy and Physical Therapy Students at Two Universities.
The primary objective of this study was to compare grit, subjective happiness, satisfaction with life, and academic resilience among pharmacy and occupational therapy/physical therapy (OT/PT) students at 2 distinct universities using the short grit scale, subjective happiness scale (SHS), satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), and the academic resilience scale (ARS-30). In January 2019, investigators administered an online survey to students at 2 universities using a cross-sectional, voluntary, anonymous survey design using grit scale, SHS, SWLS, and ARS-30. Descriptive statistics, t tests, a 2-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between these scores. There were 227 respondents who consented to participate in the study and completed all 4 surveys. The overall response rate for pharmacy students was 44% and 43% for OT/PT students, with most pharmacy and OT/PT students in the 19-25-year range. Grit scores did not differ between pharmacy students and OT/PT students, while SHS scores were significantly higher in OT/PT students. Subjective happiness was higher in the private university, with young, female students at the private university reporting higher SHS scores. Although the grit score was not correlated with SWLS, SHS, or ARS-30 scores, the SWLS was correlated with SHS. The SHS was a strong predictor of academic resilience in both OT/PT and pharmacy students. Subjective happiness and satisfaction with life were found to be strong predictors of academic resilience among pharmacy students. Colleges of pharmacy may consider administering the SHS and/or SWLS at baseline and annually to measure well-being.


Analysis of transcriptional and translational activities of Marek's disease (MD) virus genes in MD central nervous system lesions in chickens.
The expression of Marek's disease virus (MDV) gene products and transcripts was observed in tissues obtained from the central nervous system (CNS) of chickens experimentally infected with a very virulent strain (Md/5) of MDV. Many cells antigen-positive for MDV early gene products, but not for late gene products, were detected immunohistochemically in the necrotizing lymphomatous lesions. The positive signals were found only in necrotic or degenerated neoplastic lymphoblasts. Abundant transcriptional activity of MDV genes was observed in the necrotizing lymphomatous lesions for immediate-early and early genes, but not for late ones, by the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In the non-necrotizing lymphomatous lesions, as well as non-suppurative ones, there were no or very few antigen-positive lymphoblasts for early and late genes, and little transcriptional activity of MDV genes. The necrotizing lesions of the lymphoma were associated with necrotizing vasculitis in which endothelial cells exhibited up-regulation of MHC class II antigen but no viral antigens. The present results indicate that only necrotizing lymphomatous lesions revealed abundant incomplete cytolytic cycle in MDV latently infected neoplastic lymphoblasts.


Theoretical analysis and computer simulation of fluorescence lifetime measurements. I. Kinetic regimes and experimental time scales.
The configuration-controlled regime and the diffusion-controlled regime of conformation-modulated fluorescence emission are systematically studied for Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics of the reaction coordinate. A path integral simulation is used to model fluorescence quenching processes on a semiflexible chain. First-order inhomogeneous cumulant expansion in the configuration-controlled regime defines a lower bound for the survival probability, while the Wilemski-Fixman approximation in the diffusion-controlled regime defines an upper bound. Inclusion of the experimental time window of the fluorescence measurement adds another dimension to the two kinetic regimes and provides a unified perspective for theoretical analysis and experimental investigation. We derive a rigorous generalization of the Wilemski-Fixman approximation [G. Wilemski and M. Fixman, J. Chem. Phys. 60, 866 (1974)] and recover the 1/D expansion of the average lifetime derived by Weiss [G. H. Weiss, J. Chem. Phys. 80, 2880 (1984)].


Significant impact of amount of PCR input templates on various PCR-based DNA methylation analysis and countermeasure.
Methylation changes of CpG islands can be determined using PCR-based assays. However, the exact impact of the amount of input templates (TAIT) on DNA methylation analysis has not been previously recognized. Using COL2A1 gene as an input reference, TAIT difference between human tissues with methylation-positive and -negative detection was calculated for two representative genes GFRA1 and P16. Results revealed that TAIT in GFRA1 methylation-positive frozen samples (n = 332) was significantly higher than the methylation-negative ones (n = 44) (P < 0.001). Similar difference was found in P16 methylation analysis. The TAIT-related effect was also observed in methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and denatured high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) analysis. Further study showed that the minimum TAIT for a successful MethyLight PCR reaction should be ≥ 9.4 ng (CtCOL2A1 ≤ 29.3), when the cutoff value of the methylated-GFRA1 proportion for methylation-positive detection was set at 1.6%. After TAIT of the methylation non-informative frozen samples (n = 94; CtCOL2A1 > 29.3) was increased above the minimum TAIT, the methylation-positive rate increased from 72.3% to 95.7% for GFRA1 and 26.6% to 54.3% for P16, respectively (Ps < 0.001). Similar results were observed in the FFPE samples. In conclusion, TAIT critically affects results of various PCR-based DNA methylation analyses. Characterization of the minimum TAIT for target CpG islands is essential to avoid false-negative results.


Characterisation of a haemagglutinin from Hokkaido red bean (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean).
A haemagglutinin was purified from Japanese Hokkaido red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Hokkaido red bean) with a procedure that included three chromatographic media. Haemagglutinating activity was adsorbed on DEAE cellulose, Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. The pure haemagglutinin was a homodimer and each subunit was around 30 kDa in molecular mass. The haemagglutinating activity of this agglutinin could not be inhibited by a variety of simple sugars at 200 mmol L(-1) concentration including alpha-L-fucose, D(+)-galactose, D(+)-glucose, D(+)-glucosamine, D(-)galactosamine, galacturonic acid, (+)-lactose, D(+)-melibose, L(-)-mannose, D(+)-mannose, D-mannosamine, D(+)-raffinose, L-rhamnose, (+)-xylose and galacturonic acid. The haemagglutinating activity was fully retained at pH 4-11 and at 0-80 degrees C, but was completely lost at extreme pH values (0-2 and 13-14) and at very high temperatures (90 degrees C and 100 degrees C). The haemagglutinin exhibited a weak mitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, a stronger anti-proliferative activity than Con A toward HepG2 (human hepatoma) cells and inhibited >80% of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity at 3.3 micromol L(-1). It was devoid of anti-fungal activity. Hokkaido red bean haemagglutinin possesses a potent anti-proliferative effect on HepG2 cells.


Children in clinical trials: towards evidence-based pediatric pharmacotherapy using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling.
In pediatric pharmacotherapy, many drugs are still used off-label, and their efficacy and safety is not well characterized. Different efficacy and safety profiles in children of varying ages may be anticipated, due to developmental changes occurring across pediatric life. Beside pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, pharmacodynamic (PD) studies are urgently needed. Validated PKPD models can be used to derive optimal dosing regimens for children of different ages, which can be evaluated in a prospective study before implementation in clinical practice. Strategies should be developed to ensure that formularies update their drug dosing guidelines regularly according to the most recent advances in research, allowing for clinicians to integrate these guidelines in daily practice. Expert commentary: We anticipate a trend towards a systems-level approach in pediatric modeling to optimally use the information gained in pediatric trials. For this approach, properly designed clinical PKPD studies will remain the backbone of pediatric research.


A unique type of pyrrole-based cyanine fluorophores with turn-on and ratiometric fluorescence signals at different pH regions for sensing pH in enzymes and living cells.
The development of new functional fluorescent dyes has attracted great attention. Herein we have described a novel strategy to design a unique type of cyanine dyes by attaching two indolium moieties at the α-positions of the pyrrole core. The new type of cyanine dyes is named as PyCy fluorophores. Importantly, PyCy dyes can exhibit an exceptional feature, fluorescence turn-on response at pH varying from acidic to near-neutral conditions, and a ratiometric fluorescence response at pH varying from near-neutral to basic conditions. By taking advantage of the fluorescence turn-on response of PyCy2 at pH varying from acidic to near-neutral conditions and emission properties of PyCy2, we have demonstrated that a small-molecule fluorescent probe can image pH variations in living cells. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that PyCy2 can sense real-time pH changes under alkaline conditions induced by enzymes based on the ratiometric fluorescence response of PyCy2 at pH varying from near-neutral to basic conditions. We expect that the new design strategy for PyCy fluorophores may prompt the development of a wide variety of cyanine derivatives with desirable properties.


[Cognition problems during rehabilitation of stroke patients in a nursing home].
In many regions in the Netherlands the care for stroke patients is organised in a coordinated stroke service. Within these stroke services, each year more patients are referred to nursing homes for a period of rehabilitation. A stroke leads to lasting cognitive and emotional consequences in more than half of the stroke patients. These consequences interfere with the daily life of the patients and their caregivers. Due to the nature and severity of these problems specific care is needed in the nursing home. In the present article a procedure for cognitive screening in a nursing home is described and data of a large group of patients are presented. These data clearly show the magnitude of the cognitive problems: high percentages of impairments are found in many cognitive domains. In the discussion therefore arguments are given for specialised care - assessment as well as treatment - in the nursing home for stroke patients with cognitive deficits.


Associating executive dysfunction with behavioral and socioemotional problems in children with epilepsy. A systematic review.
As children with epilepsy may have a number of learning and behavioral problems, it is important that insight into the underlying neurocognitive differences in these children, which may underlie these areas of challenge is gained. Executive function (EF) problems particularly are associated with specific learning abilities as well as behavioral problems. We aim to review systematically the current status of empirical studies on the association between EF problems and behavior and socioemotional problems in children with epilepsy. After search, 26 empirical studies were identified, most of them of moderate quality. Overall, attention problems were the most reported cognitive deficit in test assessment and the most reported problem by parents. In 54% of the studies, children with epilepsy scored below average compared to controls/normative samples on different aspects of EF. Most studies reported behavior problems, which ranged from mild to severe. Forty-two percent of the studies specifically reported relationships between EF deficits and behavioral problems. In the remaining studies, below average neuropsychological functioning seemed to be accompanied by above average reported behavioral problems. The association was most pronounced for cognitive control and attention in relation to externalizing behavior problems. This cognitive control is also associated with social functioning. Relevant epilepsy variables in this relationship were early age at onset and high seizure frequency.Future research should distinguish specific aspects of EF and take age into account, as this provides more insight on the association between EF and behavior in pediatric epilepsy, which makes it possible to develop appropriate and early intervention.


Phorbol ester-induced apoptosis is accompanied by NGFI-A and c-fos activation in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells.
We have previously demonstrated the induction of the early response transcription factor NGFI-A in castration-induced regression of the rat ventral prostate. We have developed an in vitro model to investigate the role of kinase signal transduction and early transcriptional regulation in apoptosis of androgen-sensitive prostate cells. Cell death was induced in the androgen-sensitive human prostate line, LNCaP, by addition of the protein kinase activator, 12-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). TPA-induced death of LNCaP cells was asynchronous and exhibited morphological and ultrastructural features indicative of apoptosis. Specifically, cytoplasmic contraction, condensation of nuclear chromatin, and formation of membrane-bound "apoptotic bodies" were observed. Additionally, the characteristic endonuclease-generated DNA ladder, commonly associated with apoptosis, was observed in TPA-treated LNCaP cultures. TPA-induced LNCaP apoptosis was preceded by rapid yet transient induction of the early response transcription factors NGFI-A and c-fos. In dose-response experiments, NGFI-A and c-fos gene activation parallels the induction of death in LNCaP cells. TPA-induced expression of NGFI-A and c-fos and death of LNCaP cultures were blocked by pretreatment with staurosporine, a potent inhibitor of several protein kinases. Based on these studies, we suggest that activation of a TPA-inducible kinase(s) mediates apoptosis of androgen-sensitive prostate cells by means of an intracellular pathway that may involve the transient activation of the early response transcription factors NGFI-A and c-fos.


Heteroatoms doped porous carbon derived from hydrothermally treated sewage sludge: Structural characterization and environmental application.
The heteroatoms (N and S) doped porous carbons (HAPCs) were prepared from sewage sludge by hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation for the first time. The porous structures and surface properties of HAPCs were characterized by multiple techniques including SEM-EDS, TEM, BET, XRD, Raman spectroscopy and Boehm's titration. The resultant materials were showed to be naturally N and S dual-doped porous carbons (HAPCs), especially for HAPCHCl+HF obtained by HCl-HF-washing, which was typical 3D hierarchically porous structure with abundant mesopores as well as big pore diameter. Then the performance of HAPCHCl+HF on AO7 removal was determined through Response surface methodology. The results showed the adsorption behavior obeyed Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption capacity was up to 440.53 mg g-1 at 25 °C. Kinetics study revealed that the adsorption followed pseudo second-order kinetic and intra-particle diffusion was the main control step. The high removal rate of AO7 was ascribed to the unique properties of HAPCHCl+HF. The great Vmes and big pore diameter facilitated the diffusion of AO7 into the intra surface of particle. Meanwhile, the basic groups and doping of N and S made HAPCHCl+HF surface had positive charges, then strong π-π stacking interaction and electrostatic attraction contributed to the highly effective adsorption. This study indicated hydrothermal carbonization coupled with chemical activation was a cost-effective approach to prepare efficient heteroatoms doped porous carbon from sewage sludge towards azo dye contaminated wastewater treatment.


Combined spa-exercise therapy is effective in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a randomized controlled trial.
To determine the efficacy of combined spa-exercise therapy in addition to standard treatment with drugs and weekly group physical therapy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A total of 120 Dutch outpatients with AS were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 40 patients each. Group 1 (mean age 48 +/- 10 years; male:female ratio 25:15) was treated in a spa resort in Bad Hofgastein, Austria; group 2 (mean age 49 +/- 9 years; male:female ratio 28:12) in a spa resort in Arcen, The Netherlands. The control group (mean age 48 +/- 10 years; male:female ratio 34:6) stayed at home and continued their usual drug treatment and weekly group physical therapy during the intervention weeks. Standardized spa-exercise therapy of 3 weeks duration consisted of group physical exercises, walking, correction therapy (lying supine on a bed), hydrotherapy, sports, and visits to either the Gasteiner Heilstollen (Austria) or sauna (Netherlands). After spa-exercise therapy all patients followed weekly group physical therapy for another 37 weeks. Primary outcomes were functional ability, patient's global well-being, pain, and duration of morning stiffness, aggregated in a pooled index of change (PIC). Analysis of variance showed a statistically significant time-effect (P < 0.001) and time-by-treatment interaction (P = 0.004), indicating that the 3 groups differed over time with respect to the course of the PIC. Four weeks after start of spa-exercise therapy, the mean difference in PIC between group 1 and controls was 0.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.82, P = 0.004) and between group 2 and controls was 0.46 (95% CI 0.15-0.78, P = 0.005). At 16 weeks, the difference between group 1 and controls was 0.63 (95% CI 0.23-1.02, P = 0.002) and between group 2 and controls was 0.34 (95% CI--0.05-0.73; P = 0.086). At 28 and 40 weeks, more improvement was found for group 1 compared with controls (P = 0.012 and P = 0.062, respectively) but not for group 2 compared with controls. In patients with AS, a 3-week course of combined spa-exercise therapy, in addition to drug treatment and weekly group physical therapy alone, provides beneficial effects. These beneficial effects may last for at least 40 weeks.


Virtual reality applied to home-visit rehabilitation for hemiplegic shoulder pain in a stroke patient: a case report.
Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to facilitate rehabilitation at hospitals by distracting patients' attention from pain and by providing a virtual environment favorable for motivating the patients to continue rehabilitation. However, the application of VR in a home-visit rehabilitation remains to be validated. Here, we report a case in which home-visit rehabilitation using immersive VR was effective for post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain. Case presentation: After treatment, at a general hospital, for the hypertensive hemorrhage in the right brain capsule that resulted in the residual attention deficit disorder and left hemiplegia, a 63-year-old woman was cared for with a home-visit rehabilitation in a rural area. The patient had persistent pain in her left shoulder, which increased during activities of daily living and during rehabilitation, and the pain precluded rehabilitation. A VR relaxation program was delivered to the patient to alleviate pain during rehabilitation. Her shoulder pain was successfully alleviated using VR during training for muscle stretching and passive joint mobilization. Conclusion: The application of VR to home rehabilitation in rural areas may augment the effectiveness of home rehabilitation by alleviating pain during the procedure and sustaining the motivation for home rehabilitation.


Gene silencing and overexpression of porcine peptidoglycan recognition protein long isoforms: involvement in beta-defensin-1 expression.
Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a group of newly identified proteins with emerging functions in mammalian innate immunity. Here we report the identification and characterization of two long isoforms of porcine PGRP. Their complete cDNA sequences encode predicted peptides of 252 and 598 residues and are named pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2, respectively. These porcine isoforms share identical PGRP domains at their C terminus, which are highly conserved with human and mouse orthologs. pPGRP-L1 is expressed constitutively in several tissues, including bone marrow, intestine, liver, spleen, kidney, and skin. pPGRP-L2 is highly expressed in the duodenum and liver, and expression in intestinal tissues is increased by Salmonella infection. In intestinal cells, expression of both pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2 is increased by bacterial infection. Recombinant pPGRP-L1 and pPGRP-L2 have N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase activity. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments indicate that these two pPGRPs are involved in expression of the antimicrobial peptide beta-defensin-1. Silencing of pPGRP-L2 in intestinal cells challenged with Listeria monocytogenes results in downregulation of beta-defensin-1. Conversely, overexpression of pPGRP-L1 or pPGRP-L2 dramatically upregulates expression of beta-defensin-1. Collectively, these findings suggest that porcine PGRPs are involved in antimicrobial peptide expression.


Medical futility: legal and ethical aspects.
I welcome the long-overdue recognition of medical futility represented by the contributions of Koch, et al., Miles, and Dew [in this issue of Law, Medicine and Health Care], although I would be more comfortable with using the more global (and optimistic) term of "beneficence." However labeled, the notion that medical treatment decisions are primarily that -- medical decisions -- is a far more appropriate starting point in both law and ethics than the customary departure point of patient autonomy. This is particularly true in cases in which the patient is not competent, and prior expressions of intent are remote, vague, or otherwise unreliable. Despite such flaws, prior statements have been invested with a talismanic quality, permitting avoidance of the genuine moral issues of duty and benefit that are presented by every severely ill and incompetent patient.


Role of very-long-chain fatty acids in plant development, when chain length does matter.
Very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are essential components for eukaryotes. They are elongated by the elongase complex in the endoplasmic reticulum and are incorporated into four major lipid pools (triacylglycerols, waxes, phospholipids, complex sphingolipids). Functional analysis of several components of the elongase complex demonstrated the essential role of VLCFAs in plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. Although VLCFAs changes in the triacylglycerol pool has no consequence for plant development, modifications of the nature and levels of VLCFAs in waxes, phospholipids and complex sphingolipids have, collectively, profound effects on embryo, leaf, root and flower development. VLCFAs levels in epicuticular waxes are critical for the regulation of epidermal fusions during organogenesis. VLCFAs phospholipids and sphingolipids are involved in membrane structure and dynamics regulating cell size but also division and differentiation. This review summarizes the recent findings in plants but also in other organisms, highlighting the importance of very long acyl chain length during development.


Embedding and Chemical Reactivation of Green Fluorescent Protein in the Whole Mouse Brain for Optical Micro-Imaging.
Resin embedding has been widely applied to fixing biological tissues for sectioning and imaging, but has long been regarded as incompatible with green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled sample because it reduces fluorescence. Recently, it has been reported that resin-embedded GFP-labeled brain tissue can be imaged with high resolution. In this protocol, we describe an optimized protocol for resin embedding and chemical reactivation of fluorescent protein labeled mouse brain, we have used mice as experiment model, but the protocol should be applied to other species. This method involves whole brain embedding and chemical reactivation of the fluorescent signal in resin-embedded tissue. The whole brain embedding process takes a total of 7 days. The duration of chemical reactivation is ~2 min for penetrating 4 μm below the surface in the resin-embedded brain. This protocol provides an efficient way to prepare fluorescent protein labeled sample for high-resolution optical imaging. This kind of sample was demonstrated to be imaged by various optical micro-imaging methods. Fine structures labeled with GFP across a whole brain can be detected.


Felbamate as an add-on therapy for refractory partial epilepsy.
This review is an update of a previously published review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Issue 7, 2014) on 'Felbamate as an add-on therapy for refractory epilepsy'. Epilepsy is a chronic and disabling neurologic disorder, affecting approximately 1% of the population. Up to 30% of people with epilepsy have seizures that are resistant to currently available drugs. Felbamate is one of the second-generation antiepileptic drugs and we have assessed its effects as an add-on therapy to standard drugs in this review. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of felbamate versus placebo when used as an add-on treatment for people with refractory partial-onset epilepsy. For the latest update we searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Specialized Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, up to 20 October 2016. There were no language and time restrictions. We reviewed the reference lists of retrieved studies to search for additional reports of relevant studies. We also contacted the manufacturers of felbamate and experts in the field for information about any unpublished or ongoing studies. Randomised placebo-controlled add-on studies of people of any age with refractory partial-onset seizures. The studies could be double-blind, single-blind or unblinded and could be of parallel or cross-over design. Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion and extracted information. We resolved disagreements by discussion. If disagreements persisted, the third review author arbitrated. We assessed the following outcomes: 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency; absolute or percentage reduction in seizure frequency; treatment withdrawal; adverse effects; quality of life. We included four randomised controlled trials with a total of 236 participants. Two trials were parallel design, the third had a two-period cross-over design, and the fourth had a three-period cross-over design. Two studies were at an unclear risk of bias for random sequence generation and allocation concealment. These two studies did not include any description of their methods for outcome assessment and performance blinding (i.e. participants or doctors). Two studies were at high risk of bias for incomplete outcome data. Due to significant methodological heterogeneity, clinical heterogeneity and differences in outcome measures, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis of the results. Only one study reported 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency. One study reported absolute and percentage reduction in seizure frequency compared to placebo, P values were 0.046 and 0.018, respectively. One study reported percentage reduction in seizure frequency compared to placebo, but there were no P values. Adverse effects rates were higher during the felbamate period than the placebo period, particularly headache, nausea and dizziness. In view of the methodological deficiencies, limited number of individual studies and differences in outcome measures, we have found no reliable evidence to support the use of felbamate as an add-on therapy in people with refractory partial-onset epilepsy. A large-scale, randomised controlled trial conducted over a longer period of time is required to inform clinical practice.


Inter-physician variation in follow-up colonoscopies after screening colonoscopy.
Surveillance is an integral part of the colorectal cancer (CRC) screening process. We aimed to investigate inter-physician variation in follow-up procedures after screening colonoscopy in an opportunistic CRC screening program. A historical cohort study in the German statutory health insurance system was conducted. 55,301 individuals who underwent screening colonoscopy in 2006 in Bavaria, Germany, and who were not diagnosed with CRC were included. Utilization of follow-up colonoscopies performed by the same physician (328 physicians overall) within 3 years was ascertained. Mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to assess the effect of physicians and other potential predictors (screening result, age group, and sex) on re-utilization of colonoscopy. Physicians were grouped into quintiles according to individual effects estimated in a preliminary model. Predicted probabilities of follow-up colonoscopy by screening result and physician group were calculated. The observed rate of follow-up colonoscopy was 6.2% (95% confidence interval: 5.9-6.4%), 18.6% (17.8-19.4%), and 37.0% (35.5-38.4%) after negative colonoscopy, low-risk adenoma and high-risk adenoma detection, respectively. All considered predictors were statistically significantly associated with follow-up colonoscopy. The predicted probabilities of follow-up colonoscopy ranged from 1.7% (1.4-2.0%) to 11.0% (10.2-11.7%), from 7.3% (6.2-8.5%) to 35.1% (32.6-37.7%), and from 17.9% (15.5-20.6%) to 56.9% (53.5-60.3%) in the 1(st) quintile (lowest rates of follow-up) and 5(th) quintile (highest rates of follow-up) of physicians after negative colonoscopy, low-risk adenoma and high-risk adenoma detection, respectively. This study suggests substantial inter-physician variation in follow-up habits after screening colonoscopy. Interventions, including organizational changes in CRC screening should be considered to reduce this variation.


Hormonal mechanisms involved in the control of oestrous cycle duration by the odour of urine in the rat.
The mechanisms involved in the reduced cycle duration following exposure to the odour of urine were studied in natural and experimental 5-day cyclic female Wistar rats. A decrease in the rate of ovarian progesterone secretion from the morning of dioestrus I to that of dioestrus II was observed in females whose cycle duration was reduced from 5 to 4 days following exposure to the odour of rat urine. No decrease in ovarian progesterone secretion occurred in females maintaining a 5-day cyclicity despite exposure to this odour. An increase in follicular growth was noted in females with cycle duration reduced from 5 to 4 days, when compared with those maintaining a 5-day rhythm. As a result of exposure to the odour of urine no reduced cycle duration occurred in females with cycles lengthened from 4 to 5 days as a result of progesterone injection on dioestrus I of 4-day cycles. Hence the decrease in ovarian progesterone secretion, induced by exposure to the odour of urine, is considered to cause a speeding up in follicular growth, thereby reducing oestrous cycle duration in 5-day cyclic rats.


Metabolomics analysis reveals the mechanism underlying the improvement in the color and taste of yellow tea after optimized yellowing.
In this study, an optimized yellowing process for yellow tea (YT) was developed by response surface methodology. The results showed that increasing the yellowing temperature from 20 °C to 34 °C, increasing the relative humidity from 55% to 67%, and reducing the yellowing time from 48 h to 16 h, caused a 40.5% and 43.2% increase in the yellowness and sweetness of YT, respectively, and improved the consumer acceptability by 36.8%. Moreover, metabolomics was used to explore the involved mechanisms that resulted in the improved YT quality. The optimized yellowing promoted the hydrolysis of 5 gallated catechins, 6 flavonoid glycosides, theogallin and digalloylglucose, resulting in the accumulation of 5 soluble sugars and gallic acid. Meanwhile, it promoted the oxidative polymerization of catechins (e.g., theaflagallin, δ-type dehydrodicatechin and theasinensin A), but decelerated the degradation of chlorophylls. Overall, this optimized yellowing process could serve as a guide to a shorter yellowing cycle.


In vivo prophylactic activity of QR-435 against H3N2 influenza virus infection.
Prophylaxis against influenza infection can take several forms, none of which is totally effective at preventing the spread of the disease. QR-435, an all-natural compound of green-tea extract and other agents, has been developed to protect against a range of viral infections, including the influenza subtype H3N2. Several different QR-435 formulations were tested against the two influenza A H3N2 viruses (A/Sydney/5/97 and A/Panama/2007/99) in the ferret model. Most experiments included negative (phosphate-buffered saline) and positive (oseltamivir 5 mg/kg, twice daily) controls. QR-435 and the control were administered 5 minutes after intranasal delivery of the virus as prophylaxis against infection resulting from exposure to infected but untreated ferrets and for prevention of transmission from infected and treated ferrets to untreated animals. Effects of QR-435 on seroconversion, virus shedding, and systemic sequelae of infection (weight loss, fever, reduced activity) were evaluated. QR-435 prevented transmission and provided prophylaxis against influenza virus H3N2. Prophylaxis with QR-435 was significantly more than with oseltamivir in these experiments. Optimal in vivo efficacy of QR-435 requires a horseradish concentration of at least 50% of that in the original formulation, and the benefits of this preparation appear to be dose dependent. QR-435 is effective for both prevention of H3N2 viral transmission and prophylaxis. These preclinical results warrant further evaluation of its prophylactic properties against avian influenza virus infection in humans.


Physical, psychological and biochemical recovery from anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism: a scoping review.
Hypogonadism can result following anabolic steroid abuse. The duration and degree of recovery from anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism (ASIH) is immensely variable, and there is a paucity of prospective controlled data characterising the trajectory of natural recovery following cessation. This poses difficulties for users trying to stop androgen abuse, and clinicians wanting to assist them. The objective of this paper was to synthesise evidence on the physical, psychological and biochemical patterns of ASIH recovery. We present the pathophysiology of ASIH through a literature review of hypothalamic-pituitary-testosterone axis recovery in supraphysiological testosterone exposure. This is followed by a scoping review of relevant observational and interventional studies published on PubMed and finally, a conclusion that is an easy reference for clinicians helping patients that are recovering from AAS abuse. Results indicate that ASIH recovery depends on age and degree of androgen abuse, with physical changes like testicular atrophy expected to have near full recovery over months to years; spermatogenesis expected to achieve full recovery over months to years; libido returning to baseline over several months (typically less potent than during AAS use); and recovery from gynaecomastia being unlikely. For psychological recovery, data are insufficient and conflicting, indicating a transient withdrawal period which may be followed by persisting longer-term milder symptoms. For biochemical recovery, near complete recovery of testosterone is seen over months, and complete gonadotropin recovery is expected over 3-6 months. Further prospective studies are indicated to more closely describe patterns of recovery.


Molecular insights into the phylogeny of mormyriform fishes and the evolution of their electric organs.
In this report we generate a partial phylogeny of the mormyriform fishes using mitochondrial DNA sequences from twelve species of mormyriforms belonging to five genera. Electric organs and electric organ discharges are also examined. We have sequenced and aligned 373 bases from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and 559 bases from the 16s rRNA from fourteen species of the superorder Osteoglossomorpha. Two non-mormyriform genera were used as outgroups. Three phylogenetic methods generated concordant partial phylogenies for these fish. Our analysis focuses on the genus Brienomyrus, which is a heterogeneous clade with at least eleven nominal species. Six morphs from Gabon had distinctive EODs but were morphologically 'cryptic' in that they all had the brachyistius-like body morphology. DNA analysis fully supports the EOD data that the six morphs represent distinct clades. The group from Gabon is monophyletic, while B. brachyistius from West Africa is a separate lineage. B. niger, a second distinct lineage, is a sister group to the six species from Gabon. Petrocephalus is the sister group of all the genera of the subfamily Mormyrinae so far analyzed, thereby confirming previous osteological results. Gymnarchus niloticus is the sister group of the family Mormyridae, also confirming an earlier phylogenetic hypothesis based on morphology. The molecular data adds polarity to electric organ characteristics. Stalkless electrocytes appear to be primitive. Petrocephalus, with non-penetrating stalked electrocytes innervated on the posterior side, represents an ancestral state for the Mormyridae, while Marcusenius. Brienomyrus and Gnathonemus with penetrating-stalked electrocytes, represent the apomorphic condition. Two species with doubly-penetrating electrocytes innervated on the posterior side may represent a transitional stage. At least two species of Brienomyrus appear to have reverted to non-penetrating stalked electrocytes, possibly through paedomorphosis.


Associations of short-term exposure to air pollution with respiratory hospital admissions in Arak, Iran.
Ambient air pollution, is one of the most frequently stated environmental problems. Many epidemiological studies have documented adverse health effects for ambient air pollution. This study aimed to investigate the association between ambient air pollution and respiratory hospital admissions. In this ecological time series study data about air pollutant concentrations including CO, NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10 and SO2 and, respiratory hospital admissions in the urban population of Arak, from January 1st 2010 to December 31st 2015; were inquired, from the Arak Department of Environment, and two major hospitals, respectively. Meteorological data were inquired for the same period as well. Time-series regression analysis with a distributed lag model, controlled for seasonality long-time trends, weather and day of the week, was used for data analysis. Every 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2, and PM10 and every 1 mg/m3 increase in CO at lag 0 corresponded to a RR = 1.032 (95%CI, 1.003-1.06), RR = 1.01 (95%CI, 1.004-1.017) and RR = 1.09 (95%CI, 1.04-1.14), increase in respiratory disease hospitalizations, respectively. Males and the elderly were found to be more susceptible than females and other age groups to air pollutants in regard to respiratory disease admissions. The results of this study showed that outdoor air pollutants significantly increase respiratory hospital admissions; especially among the men and elders in Arak.


Defect structure of a nematic liquid crystal around a spherical particle: adaptive mesh refinement approach.
We investigate numerically the structure of topological defects close to a spherical particle immersed in a uniformly aligned nematic liquid crystal. To this end we have implemented an adaptive mesh refinement scheme in an axi-symmetric three-dimensional system, which makes it feasible to take into account properly the large length scale difference between the particle and the topological defects. The adaptive mesh refinement scheme proves to be quite efficient and useful in the investigation of not only the macroscopic properties such as the defect position but also the fine structure of defects. It can be shown that a hyperbolic hedgehog that accompanies a particle with strong homeotropic anchoring takes the structure of a ring.


Long-term Intraocular Pressure Elevation after Primary Angle Closure Treated with Early Phacoemulsification.
To assess long-term changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and the development of glaucoma after early phacoemulsification in acute primary angle closure. Retrospective chart review of acute primary angle closure patients treated with phacoemulsification in attack eyes versus fellow eyes. Within a month after the angle closure attack, all subjects underwent cataract surgery and were divided into two groups: group A received cataract surgery on their attack eyes. Group B also received cataract surgery on their fellow eye after phacoemulsification of the attack eyes. Study outcomes were the prevalence of IOP rise (occurrence of IOP >21 mmHg) and the incidence of newly developed glaucoma. Eighty-nine eyes were included, with 62 attack eyes in group A and 27 fellow eyes in group B. Group A (14 eyes, 22.58%) had a higher cumulative rate of IOP rise than group B (3 eyes, 11.11%) at 12 months (p = 0.001). Newly developed glaucoma was not observed in group B; however, 6 patients in group A developed glaucoma during the 12-month follow-up period (p < 0.001). The attack eyes treated with phacoemulsification showed a significantly higher prevalence of IOP rise and newly developed glaucoma than fellow eyes that received phacoemulsification. These findings suggest that there is a possibility of IOP rise and development of glaucoma even when angle closure and successful IOP control have apparently been achieved after phacoemulsification.


Supraorbital trans-eyebrow craniotomy and fluorescence-guided resection of fronto-basal high grade gliomas.
To determine the effectiveness of fluorescence-guided resection of fronto-basal high grade gliomas by using the supraorbital trans-eyebrow craniotomy. We present a single-institution experience of 6 consecutive patients presenting high grade brain glioma located on the fronto-basal area that were operated through a supraorbital trans-eyebrow craniotomy. Previous to surgery all patients were administered 20mg/kg of 5 aminolevulic acid so microscopic fluorescence-guided resection could be accomplished. Tumors were located on gyrus rectus (3 patients), medial orbital gyrus (2 patients), and anterior orbital gyrus (1 patient). Despite the narrow surgical corridor, fluorescence was useful in all cases. Fluorescence-guided resection allowed inclusion into the margins of resection of areas previously considered as normal under white light. Complete resection was obtained in 5 patients. No neurological postoperative new deficit was observed in this series. All six cases corresponded to glioblastoma. Only one case of superficial infection with delayed wound healing was reported as complication. All patients expressed a high level of satisfaction related to cosmetic result. Fluorescence-guided resection of fronto-basal high grade gliomas can be successfully achieved through supraorbital trans-eyebrow craniotomy. Benefits of supraorbital craniotomy in the management of fronto-basal high grade gliomas as well as usefulness of fluorescence-guided resection through a very narrow corridor are exposed.


[Hepatic glycogenosis: a case report].
The glycogen storage diseases contain a range of diseases that are characterized by the abnormal storage or utilization of glycogen, the organs most affected being muscle and / or liver. Hepatomegaly may be a clinical sign that could guide to the diagnosis. We describe a 15-year-old patient with hepatomegaly, hypertransaminasemia and growth retardation. He was diagnosed with a glycogen storage disease by liver biopsy.


Adhesive organ regeneration in Macrostomum lignano.
Flatworms possess pluripotent stem cells that can give rise to all cell types, which allows them to restore lost body parts after injury or amputation. This makes flatworms excellent model systems for studying regeneration. In this study, we present the adhesive organs of a marine flatworm as a simple model system for organ regeneration. Macrostomum lignano has approximately 130 adhesive organs at the ventral side of its tail plate. One adhesive organ consists of three interacting cells: one adhesive gland cell, one releasing gland cell, and one modified epidermal cell, called an anchor cell. However, no specific markers for these cell types were available to study the regeneration of adhesive organs. We tested 15 commercially available lectins for their ability to label adhesive organs and found one lectin (peanut agglutinin) to be specific to adhesive gland cells. We visualized the morphology of regenerating adhesive organs using lectin- and antibody staining as well as transmission electron microscopy. Our findings indicate that the two gland cells differentiate earlier than the connected anchor cells. Using EdU/lectin staining of partially amputated adhesive organs, we showed that their regeneration can proceed in two ways. First, adhesive gland cell bodies are able to survive partial amputation and reconnect with newly formed anchor cells. Second, adhesive gland cell bodies are cleared away, and the entire adhesive organ is build anew. Our results provide the first insights into adhesive organ regeneration and describe ten new markers for differentiated cells and tissues in M. lignano. The position of adhesive organ cells within the blastema and their chronological differentiation have been shown for the first time. M. lignano can regenerate adhesive organs de novo but also replace individual anchor cells in an injured organ. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of organogenesis in flatworms and enable further molecular investigations of cell-fate decisions during regeneration.


Cross-frequency coupling explains the preference for simple ratios in rhythmic behaviour and the relative stability across non-synchronous patterns.
Rhythms are important for understanding coordinated behaviours in ecological systems. The repetitive nature of rhythms affords prediction, planning of movements and coordination of processes within and between individuals. A major challenge is to understand complex forms of coordination when they differ from complete synchronization. By expressing phase as ratio of a cycle, we adapted levels of the Farey tree as a metric of complexity mapped to the range between in-phase and anti-phase synchronization. In a bimanual tapping task, this revealed an increase of variability with ratio complexity, a range of hidden and unstable yet measurable modes, and a rank-frequency scaling law across these modes. We use the phase-attractive circle map to propose an interpretation of these findings in terms of hierarchical cross-frequency coupling (CFC). We also consider the tendency for small-integer attractors in the single-hand repeated tapping of three-interval rhythms reported in the literature. The phase-attractive circle map has wider basins of attractions for such ratios. This work motivates the question whether CFC intrinsic to neural dynamics implements low-level priors for timing and coordination and thus becomes involved in phenomena as diverse as attractor states in bimanual coordination and the cross-cultural tendency for musical rhythms to have simple interval ratios. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology'.


Growth-inhibiting activity of active component isolated from Terminalia chebula fruits against intestinal bacteria.
The growth-inhibitory activity of materials derived from the fruit of Terminalia chebula was evaluated against six intestinal bacteria by means of an impregnated paper disk agar diffusion method. The butanol fraction of T. chebula extract had profound growth-inhibitory activity at a concentration of 5 mg per disk. The biologically active component isolated from the T. chebula fruits was identified with a variety of spectroscopic analyses as ethanedioic acid. The growth responses varied in accordance with the bacterial strain, chemical, and dosage tested. In a test with concentrations of 2 and 1 mg per disk, ethanedioic acid had strong and moderate inhibitory activity against Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli, respectively, with no associated adverse effects on the growth of the four tested lactic acid-producing bacteria. Ellagic acid derived from T. chebula fruits exerted a potent inhibitory effect against C. perfringens and E. coli, but little or no inhibition was observed with treatments of behenic acid, P-caryophyllene, eugenol, isoquercitrin, oleic acid, ca-phellandrene, 3-sitosterol, stearic acid, a-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, terpinolene, or triacontanoic acid. These results may be an indication of at least one of the pharmacological properties of T. chebula fruits.


The immunoperoxidase technique a review of its application to diseases of the female genital tract.
Immunoperoxidase techniques (IMPO) have gained widespread acceptance by virtue of their potential use in the fields of pathologic diagnosis and research. The increasing availability of specific antisera have enabled investigators to localize a variety of hormones, enzymes, oncofetal antigens, viral antigens, micro-organisms, and other biologic markers. IMPO techniques have been employed extensively in the investigation of gynecologic diseases and have been useful, not only as special stains identifying specific neoplasms, but also for providing addtional insight into the biologic behavior of gynecologic neoplasms, and the functional and pathogaenetic nature of germ cell tumors, gonadal stromal neoplasms, and peptide hormone-producing neoplasms. Recent studies using IMPO to localize hormone receptors and viral antigens promise the continued use of this technique as a research tool to complement the more complex methods currently in use.


Effects of glutamine supplements and radiochemotherapy on systemic immune and gut barrier function in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.
The objective of this study was to determine whether oral glutamine supplements can protect lymphocyte and gut barrier function in patients with advanced esophageal cancer undergoing radiochemotherapy. Glutamine supplements improved protein metabolism in tumor bearing rats who underwent chemotherapy and reduced the toxicity of chemotherapy through an enhancement of glutathione production in rats. Thirteen patients with esophageal cancer were randomly placed in either a control or a glutamine group. Glutamine was administered orally (30 g/day) at the start of radiochemotherapy and for the subsequent 28 days. All patients underwent mediastinal irradiation and chemotherapy consisting of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. The lymphocyte count was determined, and blast formation was assessed after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A. Gut barrier function was assessed by measuring the total amount of phenolsulfonphthalein excreted in the urine after the oral administration of phenolsulfonphthalein. Glutamine supplements prevented a reduction in the lymphocyte count (control: 567 +/- 96/mm3 vs. glutamine: 1007 +/- 151, p < 0.05), and blast formation of lymphocyte (phytohemagglutinin, control: 19478 +/- 2121 dpm vs. glutamine: 33860 +/- 1433, p < 0.01, concanavalin A, control: 19177 +/- 1897 dpm vs. glutamine: 29473 +/- 2302, p < 0.01), and amount of phenolsulfonphthalein excretion in the urine was greater with control than with glutamine group (control: 15.4 +/- 2.4% vs. glutamine: 7.4 +/- 1.2, p < 0.05) 7 days after the initiation of radiochemotherapy. Oral glutamine supplementation protects lymphocytes and attenuates gut permeability in patients with esophageal cancer during radiochemotherapy.


Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of phenolic compounds from vegetable oils using a magnetic ionic liquid.
A novel method was developed for the determination of two endocrine-disrupting chemicals, bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol, in vegetable oil by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Using a magnetic liquid as the microextraction solvent, several key parameters were optimized, including the type and volume of the magnetic liquid, extraction time, amount of dispersant, and the type of reverse extractant. The detection limits for bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol were 0.1 and 0.06 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were 70.4-112.3%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 4.2%. The method is simple for the extraction of bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol from vegetable oil and suitable for routine analysis.


Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay: Degradation of Defective Transcripts Is Only Part of the Story.
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic surveillance mechanism that monitors cytoplasmic mRNA translation and targets mRNAs undergoing premature translation termination for rapid degradation. From yeasts to humans, activation of NMD requires the function of the three conserved Upf factors: Upf1, Upf2, and Upf3. Here, we summarize the progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of NMD in several model systems and discuss recent experiments that address the roles of Upf1, the principal regulator of NMD, in the initial targeting and final degradation of NMD-susceptible mRNAs. We propose a unified model for NMD in which the Upf factors provide several functions during premature termination, including the stimulation of release factor activity and the dissociation and recycling of ribosomal subunits. In this model, the ultimate degradation of the mRNA is the last step in a complex premature termination process.


Organic Solar Cells Based on a 2D Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-Conjugated Polymer with High-Power Conversion Efficiency.
A novel 2D benzodifuran (BDF)-based copolymer (PBDF-T1) is synthesized. Polymer solar cells fabricated with PBDF-T1 show high power conversion efficiency of 9.43% and fill factor of 77.4%, which is higher than the performance of its benzothiophene (BDT) counterpart (PBDT-T1). These results provide important progress for BDF-based copolymers and demonstrate that BDF-based copolymers can be competitive with the well-studied BDT counterparts via molecular structure design and device optimization.


Ameliorative effect of kaempferol, a flavonoid, on oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of kaempferol against oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male, adult albino rats of the Wistar strain, by intraperitoneal administration of STZ (40 mg/kg body weight (BW)). Kaempferol (100 mg/kg BW) or glibenclamide (600 µg/kg BW) was administered orally once daily for 45 days to normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats. The STZ-induced diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of plasma glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides, and conjugated dienes in plasma, liver, kidney, and heart whereas they showed significantly decreased level of plasma insulin. The levels of non-enzymic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, reduced glutathione) in plasma, liver, kidney, and heart and the activities of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase) in liver, kidney, and heart were significantly decreased in diabetic rats. Administration of kaempferol to diabetic rats was showed brought back in plasma glucose, insulin, lipid peroxidation products, enzymatic, and non-enzymatic antioxidants to near normal. The present study indicates that kaempferol has a good antioxidant property, as evidenced by its increase of antioxidant status and decrease of lipid peroxidation markers, thus providing protection from the risks of diabetic complications.


Phonemic and phonetic factors in adult cross-language speech perception.
Previous research has indicated that young infants can discriminate speech sounds across phonetic boundaries regardless of specific relevant experience, and that there is a modification in this ability during ontogeny such that adults often have difficulty discriminating phonetic contrasts which are not used contrastively in their native language. This pattern of findings has often been interpreted as suggesting that humans are endowed with innate auditory sensitivities which enable them to discriminate speech sounds according to universal phonetic boundaries and that there is a decline or loss in this ability after being exposed to a language which contrasts only a subset of those distinctions. The present experiments were designed to determine whether this modification represents a loss of sensorineural response capabilities or whether it shows a shift in attentional focus and/or processing strategies. In experiment 1, adult English-speaking subjects were tested on their ability to discriminate two non-English speech contrasts in a category-change discrimination task after first being predisposed to adopt one of four perceptual sets. In experiments 2, 3, and 4 subjects were tested in an AX (same/different) procedure, and the effects of both limited training and duration of the interstimulus interval were assessed. Results suggest that the previously observed ontogenetic modification in the perception of non-native phonetic contrasts involves a change in processing strategies rather than a sensorineural loss. Adult listeners can discriminate sounds across non-native phonetic categories in some testing conditions, but are not able to use that ability in testing conditions which have demands similar to those required in natural language processing.


Predictors and consequences of in-hospital formula supplementation for healthy breastfeeding newborns.
Although exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months, the use of breast milk substitutes is widespread around the world. To describe the patterns of infant formula supplementation among healthy breastfeeding newborns, to identify factors contributing to in-hospital formula supplementation, and to assess the dose-response relationship between the amount of in-hospital formula supplementation and the duration of any breastfeeding. A sample of 1246 breastfeeding mother-infant pairs was recruited from 4 public hospitals in Hong Kong and followed prospectively for 12 months or until weaned. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with in-hospital supplementation. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the impact of in-hospital supplementation on breastfeeding duration. Of the total, 82.5% of newborns were supplemented in the hospital; one-half received formula within 5 hours of birth. Assisted vaginal delivery (odds ratio [OR] = 2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03, 4.15), cesarean section (OR = 3.45, 95% CI 1.75, 6.80), and higher birth weight (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.12, 2.18) were positively associated with in-hospital formula supplementation, whereas initiating breastfeeding in the delivery room (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.33, 0.89) was associated with decreased likelihood of in-hospital supplementation. Any infant formula in the first 48 hours was associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, 95% CI 1.27, 1.80), but there was no dose-response effect. In-hospital formula supplementation is common in Hong Kong hospitals and appears to be detrimental to breastfeeding duration. Continued efforts should be made to avoid the provision of infant formula to breastfeeding babies while in the hospital unless medically indicated.


Differences among U.S. states in estimating the number of people living with HIV/AIDS: impact on allocation of federal Ryan White funding.
We assessed the impact of differing laboratory reporting scenarios on the completeness of estimates of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA) in the U.S., which are used to guide allocation of federal Ryan White funds. We conducted a four-year simulation study using clinical and laboratory data on 1,337 HIV-positive women, including 477 (36%) who did not have AIDS at baseline. We estimated the completeness of HIV (non-AIDS) case ascertainment for three laboratory reporting scenarios: CD4 < 200 cells/microL and detectable viral load (Scenario A); CD4 < 500 cells/microL and no viral load reporting (Scenario B); and CD4 < 500 cells/microL and detectable viral load (Scenario C). Each scenario resulted in an increasing proportion of HIV (non-AIDS) cases being ascertained over time, with Scenario C yielding the highest by Year 4 (Year 1: 69.0%, Year 4: 88.1%), followed by Scenario A (Year 1: 63.3%, Year 4: 84.5%), and Scenario B (Year 1: 43.0%, Year 4: 67.7%). Overall completeness of PLWHA ascertainment after four years was highest for Scenario C (95.8%), followed by Scenario A (94.5%), and Scenario B (88.5%). Differences in laboratory reporting regulations lead to substantial variations in the completeness of PLWHA estimates, and may penalize jurisdictions that are most successful at treating HIV/AIDS patients or those with weak or incomplete HIV/AIDS surveillance systems.


The chronically reserpinized rat as a model for cystic fibrosis: alterations in pancreatic enzyme secretion and storage.
Alterations in the pancreatic secretion of fluid and of enzymes in response to either pilocarpine (15 mg/kg) or an octapeptide of cholecystokinin (0.1 microgram/kg) have been found in rats that received daily injections of reserpine (0.5 mg/kg) for 7 days. During a 3-hr secretory period, significant reductions in the volume of pancreatic juice and in the total output of protein, amylase, and trypsin were observed in these animals. In the first hour of the secretory response, however, protease output was increased in the treated animals, particularly that of chymotrypsin, which was also increased in the longer secretory period following pilocarpine, but not cholecystokinin, stimulation. Zymogen granules isolated from the pancreas of the treated rats by differential centrifugation in a 0.3 M sucrose buffer had increased specific activities of the proteases when compared to those of untreated controls. Ultrastructurally, zymogen granules isolated from the pancreas of the treated rats showed changes in density, with bizonal and trizonal configurations being frequently observed, and had less distinct limiting membranes. In some, the membrane appeared broken at intervals, and there was granular material, presumably derived from the granule contents, lining the surface of the granule. It is concluded that pretreatment with reserpine inhibits fluid secretion and alters enzyme secretion in the rat exocrine pancreas. The latter effect is related to a nonparallel storage of amylase and proteases in the secretory granules induced by the drug treatment, probably through an action on protein synthesis or intracellular transport. An accumulation of proteases may lead to activation of these enzymes and to granule lysis. Inasmuch as the reserpine-treated rat has been proposed as an experimental model for cystic fibrosis, these findings are relevant in terms of possibly pathogenetic mechanisms in this disease.


Avascular necrosis after osteotomy of the talar neck to correct residual club-foot deformity in children. A long-term review.
In order to determine the incidence of avascular necrosis after osteotomy of the talar neck, we re-evaluated 11 patients (16 feet) with idiopathic club foot who had undergone this procedure at a mean age of eight years (5 to 13) to correct a residual adduction deformity. All had been initially treated conservatively and operatively. The mean follow-up was 39 years (36 to 41). Surgery consisted of a closing-wedge osteotomy of the talar neck combined, in 14 feet, with lengthening of the first cuneiform and a Steindler procedure. At follow-up eight feet were free from pain, three had occasional mild pain and five were regularly painful after routine activities. Two patients were unlimited in their activity, six occasionally limited after strenuous and three regularly limited after strenuous activity. Using the Ponseti score, the feet were rated as good in four, fair in three and poor in nine. In seven feet avascular necrosis with collapse and flattening of the talar dome had occurred. In all of these feet the children were younger than ten years of age at the time of surgery. In three feet, avascular necrosis of the talar head was also observed. We conclude that osteotomy of the talar neck in children under the age of ten years can cause avascular necrosis and should be abandoned.


Cu-catalyzed multicomponent polymerization to synthesize a library of poly(N-sulfonylamidines).
We report a versatile Cu-catalyzed multicomponent polymerization (MCP) technique that enables the synthesis of high-molecular-weight, defect-free poly(N-sulfonylamidines) from monomers of diynes, sulfonyl azides, and diamines. Through a series of optimizations, we discovered that the addition of excess triethylamine and the use of N,N'-dimethylformamide as a solvent are key factors to ensure efficient MCP. Formation of cyclic polyamidines was a side reaction during polymerization, but it was readily controlled by using diynes or diamines with long or rigid moieties. In addition, this polymerization is highly selective for three-component reactions over click reactions. The combination of the above factors enables the synthesis of high-molecular-weight polymers, which was challenging in previous MCPs. All three kinds of monomers (diynes, sulfonyl azides, and diamines) are readily accessible and stable under the reaction conditions, with various monomers undergoing successful polymerization regardless of their steric and electronic properties. Thus, we synthesized various high-molecular-weight, defect-free polyamidines from a broad range of monomers while overcoming the limitations of previous MCPs, such as low conversion and defects in the polymer structures.


CowMesh: a data-mesh architecture to unify dairy industry data for prediction and monitoring.
Dairy is an economically significant industry that caters to the huge demand for food products in people's lives. To remain profitable, farmers need to manage their farms and the health of the dairy cows in their herds. There are, however, many risks to cow health that can lead to significant challenges to dairy farm management and have the potential to lead to significant losses. Such risks include cow udder infections (i.e., mastitis) and cow lameness. As automation and data recording become more common in the agricultural sector, dairy farms are generating increasing amounts of data. Recently, these data are being used to generate insights into farm and cow health, where the objective is to help farmers manage the health and welfare of dairy cows and reduce losses from cow health issues. Despite the level of data generation on dairy farms, this information is often difficult to access due to a lack of a single, central organization to collect data from individual farms. The prospect of such an organization, however, raises questions about data ownership, with some farmers reluctant to share their farm data for privacy reasons. In this study, we describe a new data mesh architecture designed for the dairy industry that focuses on facilitating access to data from farms in a decentralized fashion. This has the benefit of keeping the ownership of data with dairy farmers while bringing data together by providing a common and uniform set of protocols. Furthermore, this architecture will allow secure access to the data by research groups and product development groups, who can plug in new projects and applications built across the data. No similar framework currently exists in the dairy industry, and such a data mesh can help industry stakeholders by bringing the dairy farms of a country together in a decentralized fashion. This not only helps farmers, dairy researchers, and product builders but also facilitates an overview of all dairy farms which can help governments to decide on regulations to improve the dairy industry at a national level.


Hydrogen sulfide increases glutathione biosynthesis, and glucose uptake and utilisation in C2C12 mouse myotubes.
Diabetic patients have lower blood concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), L-cysteine (LC), and glutathione (GSH). Using C2C12 mouse myotubes as a model, this study investigates the hypothesis that the beneficial effects of LC supplementation are mediated by upregulation of the H2S status under diabetic conditions. Results show that exogenous administration of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, 10 or 20 µM; 6 hours), a H2S donor, significantly (p < .05) upregulates the gene expression of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), LC transporter (Slc7a11/xCT), and the genes involved in GSH biosynthesis. Additionally, it reduces homocysteine (HCys), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and enhances cellular LC, H2S, and glucose uptake and utilisation in myoblasts. The use of CSE siRNA to induce deficient endogenous H2S production causes an increase in H2O2, ROS, HCys levels, and downregulation of GSH biosynthesis pathway enzymes. In additional, CSE knockdown downregulates glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) and gene expression of its key transcription factors, and reduces glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. CSE knockdown cells showed specific increases in the protein S-glutathionylation of LC transporter and GLUT4 along with increased total protein S-glutathionylation. Taken together, evidence from this study provides molecular insights into the importance of the CSE/H2S system in maintaining the cellular glutathione and glucose homeostasis in C2C12 myotubes.


Religion and the use of animals in research: some first thoughts.
Religious traditions can be drawn on in a number of ways to illuminate discussions of the moral standing of animals and the ethical use of animals in scientific research. I begin with some general comments about relevant points in the history of major religions. I then briefly describe American civil religion, including the cult of health, and its relation to scientific research. Finally, I offer a critique of American civil religion from a Christian perspective.


Lanthanide(III) and actinide(III) complexes [M(BH4)2 (THF)5][BPh4] and [M(BH4)2(18-crown-6)][BPh4] (M = Nd, Ce, U): synthesis, crystal structure, and density functional theory investigation of the covalent contribution to metal-borohydride bonding.
Treatment of [M(BH4)3(THF)3] with NEt3HBPh4 in THF afforded the cationic complexes [M(BH4)2(THF)5][BPh4] [M = U (1), Nd (2), Ce (3)] which were transformed into [M(BH4)2(18-crown-6)][BPh4] [M = U (4), Nd (5), Ce (6)] in the presence of 18-crown-6; [U(BH4)2(18-thiacrown-6)][BPh4] (7) was obtained from 1 and 18-thiacrown-6 in tetrahydro-thiophene. Compounds 1, 3.C4H8S, 4.THF, 5, and 6.THF exhibit a penta- or hexagonal bipyramidal crystal structure with the two terdentate borohydride ligands in apical positions; the BH4 groups in the crystals of 7.C4H8S are in relative cis positions, and the thiacrown-ether presents a saddle shape, with two diametrically opposite sulfur atoms bound to uranium in trans positions. The crystal structures of these complexes, as well as those of previously reported [M(BH4)2(THF)5]+ cations, do not reveal any clear-cut lanthanide(III)/actinide(III) differentiation. The structural data obtained for [M(BH4)2(18-crown-6)]+ (M = U, Ce) by relativistic density functional theory (DFT) calculations are indicative of a small shortening of the U...B with respect to the Ce...B distance, which is accompanied by a lengthening of the U-Hb bonds and an opening of the Hb-B-Hb angle (Hb = bridging hydrogen atom of the eta3-BH4 ligand). The Mulliken population analysis and the natural bond orbital analysis indicate that the BH4 -->M(III) donation is greater for M = U than for M = Ce, as well as the overlap population of the M-Hb bond, thus showing a better interaction between the uranium 5f orbitals and the Hb atoms. The more covalent character of the B-H-U three-center two-electron bond was confirmed by the molecular orbital (MO) analysis. Three MOs represent the pi bonding interactions between U(III) and the three Hb atoms with significant 6d and 5f orbital contributions. These MOs in the cerium(III) complex exhibit a much lesser metallic weight with practically no participation of the 4f orbitals.


Compositional and beam-size-dependent effects on pressure baseline in clumped isotope mass spectrometry.
The analysis of carbonate samples for the application of clumped isotopes to paleoclimate reconstruction necessitates smaller beam intensities. However, there is a relationship between beam intensity and pressure-dependent baseline (PBL), and therefore between beam intensity and the correction for PBL. Here we explain the relationship between PBL and beam intensity to develop a better correction protocol and an improved understanding of clumped isotope mass spectrometry. We describe a beam size experiment using our Isoprime isotope ratio mass spectrometer in which samples of the carbonate standard IAEA-C1 were analyzed at 30, 50, and 70 nA to establish an optimal protocol and a new method to correct for PBL using the theoretical constraint of invariable Δ47 over a range of δ47 (bulk isotope composition) values. We also explore the effects of both over- and under-correction of PBL on equilibrated and heated gas samples to understand the effect of mis-correction of PBL. The results of our beam size experiments showed that a direct measurement of the baseline consistently introduced variability to measurements of the Δ47 of heated gases, equilibrated gases, and carbonate standards. These results necessitated a new protocol to account for PBL in our system. Our new approach flattens the reference frame line slope to 0 and, importantly, reduces the variability of data points about the heated gas line. We also describe, for the first time, an empirically derived description of the compositional effect of PBL. A seemingly small change in our isotope ratio mass spectrometer resulted in a better understanding of PBL, for which we have developed an empirically based correction protocol to apply. Our new protocol has the potential to reduce analytical time for laboratories measuring PBL, and supports the need for carbonate mineral-based clumped isotope standards.


Human infection by a bovine strain of parainfluenza virus type 3.
Etiological relationship between a bovine strain of parainfluenza virus type 3 and pneumonia in a child is suggested. Haemagglutination inhibition tests have clearly demonstrated that specific antibodies against the bovine virus were present in the patient's serum. The significance of this finding in relation to human infection is discussed.


Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Palestinian people relating to organ donation in 2016: a cross-sectional study.
Organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for organ failure, but organs are scarce and their availability is affected by relational ties, religious beliefs, cultural influences, body integrity, medical mistrust, and other factors. This aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Palestinian population with respect to organ donation. In this cross-sectional study, we used a validated questionnaire delivered by land telephone to collect data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to organ donation in the general population of the West Bank. Stratified sampling and simple random sampling were applied using data obtained from the Palestinian Telecommunication Group in 2016. Stata version 20 was used for statistical analysis, and a p value less than 0·05 was considered significant. Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of An-Najah National University, and all participants gave verbal informed consent. The questionnaire was completed by 385 (68%) of 565 people approached (mean age 42 years [SD 14·13]). 266 (69%) respondents were married, 311 (80%) were employed, and 375 (97%) were Muslim. 136 (35%) respondents were university students or post-graduates. Half of participants lived in urban areas. Local religious clergy were reported as being the source of general information by 150 (40%) participants. 273 (71%) respondents had adequate knowledge about organ donation, TV being the main source of information for 207 (60%) participants. 70 (26%) respondents would consider donation only after death, and 342 (67%) respondents would only consider donating to a close family member, whereas 341 (100%) respondents believed that their organ could be misused and 219 (64%) believed organ donation carries a health risk. 135 (49%) respondents preferred to donate to a recipient of the same religion. 266 (78%) individuals believed that organ donation should be promoted in the occupied Palestinian territory, although 188 (55%) reported organ donation to be culturally unacceptable. Religious beliefs and fears of complications were the main obstacles to organ donation. An adequate level of knowledge was associated with the female sex (p=0·008), level of education (p=0·046), monthly income (p=0·041), and marital status (p=0·012), whereas a positive attitude to organ donation was associated with religious score (p=0·015), marital status (p=0·031), and knowledge score (p=0·003). A high level of knowledge was associated with employment and the perception of organ donation as permitted in religion, whereas a positive attitude was associated with single marital status, high level of knowledge, and residence in cities. Despite adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards organ donation, a comprehensive study is necessary to fully understand the local characteristics that influence organ donation by Palestinians and to better inform decision makers and future policies. None.


Observed Engagement in Community Implemented Evidence-Based Practices for Children and Adolescents: Implications for Practice Delivery.
This observational study characterizes youth and caregiver behaviors that may pose challenges to engagement within a system-driven implementation of multiple evidence-based practices (EBPs). We examined links between Engagement Challenges and therapist EBP implementation outcomes. Community therapists (N = 102) provided audio recordings of EBP sessions (N = 666) for youth (N = 267; 71.54%, Latinx; 51.69%, female; Mage = 9.85, Range: 1-18). Observers rated the extent to which youth and/or caregivers engaged in the following behaviors: Caregiver and/or Youth Expressed Concerns about interventions, and Youth Disruptive Behaviors. Multilevel modeling was used to identify predictors of observable Engagement Challenges, and examine associations between Engagement Challenges, and therapist-reported ability to deliver planned activities, and observer-rated extensiveness of EBP strategy delivery. At least one Engagement Challenge was observed in 43.99% of sessions. Youth Engagement Challenges were not associated with outcomes. Caregiver Expressed Concerns were negatively associated with therapist-reported ability to carry out planned session activities (B = -.21, 95% CI[-.39-(-.02)], p < .05). However, Caregiver Expressed Concerns were positively associated with extensiveness of EBP Content strategy delivery (B = .08, 95% CI[.01-.15], p < .05). Results suggest that Youth Engagement Challenges have little observed impact on EBP delivery. In contrast, although therapists perceive that Caregiver Expressed Concerns derail their planned activities, Caregiver Expressed Concerns are associated with more extensive delivery of content about therapeutic interventions. Community therapists' implementation of EBPs appear unaffected by common youth in-session behavioral challenges, but future research is needed to clarify whether caregivers' concerns about interventions prompt, or are prompted by, more intensive therapist EBP content instruction.