Genes that can be mutated to unmask hidden antigenic determinants in the cuticle of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Rabbit antisera directed against a mixture of proteins solubilized from the wild-type adult Caenorhabditis elegans cuticle were used to isolate mutants, induced by ethyl methanesulfonate treatment, that exhibit alterations in surface antigenicity by immunofluorescence. Genetic mapping and complementation data for four such mutations define two genes, srf-2(I) and srf-3(IV). The mutant phenotypes observed by immunofluorescence appear to result from unmasking of antigenic determinants that are normally hidden in the wild-type cuticle. In support of this hypothesis, surface radioiodination experiments indicate that components labeled on the wild-type surface are missing or less readily labeled on the surface of srf-2 and srf-3 mutants.


Accurate small and wide angle x-ray scattering profiles from atomic models of proteins and nucleic acids.
A new method is introduced to compute X-ray solution scattering profiles from atomic models of macromolecules. The three-dimensional version of the Reference Interaction Site Model (RISM) from liquid-state statistical mechanics is employed to compute the solvent distribution around the solute, including both water and ions. X-ray scattering profiles are computed from this distribution together with the solute geometry. We describe an efficient procedure for performing this calculation employing a Lebedev grid for the angular averaging. The intensity profiles (which involve no adjustable parameters) match experiment and molecular dynamics simulations up to wide angle for two proteins (lysozyme and myoglobin) in water, as well as the small-angle profiles for a dozen biomolecules taken from the BioIsis.net database. The RISM model is especially well-suited for studies of nucleic acids in salt solution. Use of fiber-diffraction models for the structure of duplex DNA in solution yields close agreement with the observed scattering profiles in both the small and wide angle scattering (SAXS and WAXS) regimes. In addition, computed profiles of anomalous SAXS signals (for Rb(+) and Sr(2+)) emphasize the ionic contribution to scattering and are in reasonable agreement with experiment. In cases where an absolute calibration of the experimental data at q = 0 is available, one can extract a count of the excess number of waters and ions; computed values depend on the closure that is assumed in the solution of the Ornstein-Zernike equations, with results from the Kovalenko-Hirata closure being closest to experiment for the cases studied here.


Segmental Zoster Paresis of the Unilateral Lower Extremity With Neuritis MRI Findings: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common clinical condition caused by the reactivation of the latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Neurological complications after HZ have been described, including a rare condition of segmental zoster paresis (SZP), which results in unilateral motor impairment in the extremities. Only two cases of HZ patients with radiculopathy and MRI findings of neuritis have been reported. We present a 62-year-old male with a HZ rash in the right calf and low back pain radiating to the right leg accompanied by a right leg great toe weakness for one week. Neurological examination revealed 4/5 dorsiflexion of the right great toe. Also, the patient's rash was distributed on the L5 dermatome. The lumbar MRI showed a contrast enhancement of the right L5 nerve root with enlargement diagnosed as neuritis. The patient was treated with valacyclovir. The neuromotor deficit and the cutaneous rash started to improve on the third day of treatment. This case emphasizes the necessity of considering SZP in the differential diagnosis of elderly patients presenting with muscle weakness in the lower extremity with or without a rash. MRI evaluations of HZ patients with radiculopathy may include contrast-enhanced sequences.


[Nanostructural analysis of the lumbar intervertebral disc on the various stages of degenerative process].
Intraoperative specimens of lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) on the various stages of degeneration was studied by the method of atomic-force microscopy using hardware complex (probe nanolaboratory with video microscope Ntegra Prima). New nanostructural data, characterizing the staging of degenerative changes of IVD were revealed.


Euclidization in the Almagestum parvum.
The Almagestum parvum, a summary of Ptolemy's Almagest written around the year 1200, provided a new stylistic framework for the content of theAlmagest's first six books. The author of the Almagestum parvum used a narrower range of types of mathematical writing and supplied his work with principles, which were listed at the beginning of each book and which were followed by propositions and demonstrations. Specific values were to a large extent replaced by general quantities, which would stand for a class of particulars. These and similar changes in the Almagestum parvum reveal the author's concern with reshaping astronomy into a discipline in the mold of Euclid's Elements, which emphasized the generality of propositions and proofs and connected Ptolemaic astronomy to the "mathematical toolbox" available in the Middle Ages. The Almagestum parvum was an influential part of a larger trend of understanding Ptolemaic astronomy in a non-Ptolemaic style.


[Anti-ischemic properties of the novel antioxidant enoxifol].
The antiischemic properties of the new antioxidant drug enoxifol, representing a derivative of N9-imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazole, was studied in rats on the models of a double-vessel occlusion of common carotid arteries under normal conditions and on the background of irradiation. In addition, we studied the effect of enoxifol on the rehabilitation of experimental animals in the early reperfusion period after total brain ischemia.


The biosynthesis of streptomycin. The origin of the C-formyl group of streptose.
1. The biosynthesis of streptomycin in Streptomyces griseus has been studied by adding d-[3,4-(14)C(2)]glucose or d-[1,3-(14)C(2)]glucose to the growth medium and degrading the streptomycin produced. 2. The results suggest that the C-3' branch carbon atom of l-streptose arises from C-3 of d-glucose. 3. The mechanism of biosynthesis of streptose from glucose is discussed. It probably involves an intramolecular rearrangement of a 6-deoxy-4-oxyhexose derivative, and it is suggested that the nucleoside diphosphate sugar derivative hitherto recognized as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of l-rhamnose might participate in such a rearrangement.


Peptides derived from cardiovascular G-protein-coupled receptors induce morphological cardiomyopathic changes in immunized rabbits.
An experimental model of early-stage cardiomyopathy was created by immunizing rabbits for 1 year with synthetic peptides corresponding to the sequence of the second extracellular loop of either beta-adrenoceptors or M2-muscarinic receptors. Thirty male rabbits were used and divided into three groups: a control group (n = 10), a group immunized with the peptide corresponding to the beta-adrenoceptor (beta 1 group) (n = 10) and a group immunized with the peptide corresponding to the M2-muscarinic receptor (M2 group) (n = 10). If the sera from both groups of immunized rabbits high-titres of anti-peptide antibodies were found throughout the study period but not in the sera from control rabbits or in the preimmune sera of immunized rabbits. No significant cross-reaction with peptides other than those used for immunization was found. The myocardial receptor density of both immunized groups displayed a strong trend toward receptor up-regulation. This was significant in the beta 1 group but not in the M2 group. Both groups of immunized rabbits displayed significantly enlarged ventricles and thinner walls, as compared with the control group. However, in contrast to the beta 1 group, which showed enlarged cavities in both left and right ventricles, the M2 group was mainly affected in the right ventricles. Moreover, morphological examinations of the hearts of rabbits from both immunized groups demonstrated focal myofibrillar lysis, loss of myofilament, mitochondrial swelling and condensation, sarcoplasmic vacuolation, deposition of dense granules in the sarcoplasm and the myofibrils. One of the sex control rabbit hearts which were examined showed mild degenerative changes in the myocardium and scant mononuclear cell infiltration. However, when all the control rabbit hearts were examined by electron microscopy, no significant alterations were found. These results suggest that immunization by peptides, corresponding to the target sequences for anti-receptor autoantibodies in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, induces morphological changes in the heart similar to those found in the human disease.


Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents - the recent trends in South Korea.
Although the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in childhood is increasing worldwide and becoming a significant public health problem, some countries report trends for stabilization. After 2005, the Health Plan 2010 of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has carried out the standardization of school lunch provisions for all students and reinforced nutritional and physical education in schools. Thus, an investigation of changes in the prevalence of MetS in Korean children and adolescents is important and intriguing in the aspect of evaluating the national public health intervention. We investigated trends in the prevalence of MetS among a nationally representative sample of 5652 children and adolescents aged 10-18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) I (1998), II (2001), III (2005), and IV (2008). Prevalence trends in MetS were 7.5%, 9.8%, 10.9%, and 6.7% in the KNHANES I through IV, respectively (p<0.001). Among the five components of MetS, the prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased most over the 1998-2005 period and decreased over the 2005-2008 period. The prevalence of MetS has decreased since 2005 mainly because of changes in the prevalence of low levels of HDL cholesterol.


Appraisal of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire in a perinatal cohort: The APrON study.
Depression and anxiety are routinely screened as part of perinatal care. However, other Axis 1 disorders and specific anxiety disorders are less likely to be screened or assessed as part of obstetric care. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) is a potentially useful tool to screen for psychiatric conditions in pregnant and postpartum women in a community setting. We compared the prevalence of DSM Axis I disorders obtained on the PDSQ with: (1) the prevalence of these disorders reported in previous studies of pregnant and postpartum women, and (2) scores obtained on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90R) anxiety scale. Data were obtained from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study. The PDSQ was completed by 1575 women prenatally and 1481 postnatally. The three most prevalent PDSQ conditions were social phobia, somatic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The prevalence of social phobia, alcohol disorder, OCD and psychosis were higher in the APrON cohort compared with statistics in the literature. The proportion of women meeting depression and anxiety cut-offs on the PDSQ were lower than for the EPDS and the SCL-90R. The Cohens Kappa index ( k) indicated poor to fair agreement between the measures in classifying pregnant women as depressed or anxious. The PDSQ subscales may not be appropriate for the pregnant population. Research into instruments more specific to pregnant and postpartum women are needed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this population.


Approaches for generation of anti-leukemia specific T cells.
As three decades ago, it was reported that adoptive T cell immunotherapy by infusion of autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) mediated objective cancer regression in patients with metastatic melanoma. A new era of T cell immunotherapy arose since the improvement and clinical use of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) for the treatment of refractory and relapsed B lymphocyte leukemia. However, several challenges and difficulties remain on the way to reach generic and effective T cell immunotherapy, including lacking a generic method for generating anti-leukemia-specific T cells from every patient. Here, we summarize the current methods of generating anti-leukemia-specific T cells, and the promising approaches in the future.


Global birth hypoxia increases the neonatal testosterone surge in the rat.
Global birth hypoxia in rats has been shown to produce long-term changes in central nervous system functions, known to be influenced by neonatal testosterone secretion. Birth hypoxia alters levels of several circulating hormones, but it is unknown if it affects neonatal testosterone. Using a rat model of acute global hypoxia during cesarean section (C-section) birth, this study tested whether birth hypoxia affects neonatal testosterone. We then evaluated whether the observed hypoxia-induced changes in neonatal testosterone may be mediated via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation and/or altered luteinizing hormone (LH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or corticosterone levels. Longer-term effects of birth hypoxia on testosterone-related function were also assessed. Rats born by C-section + 15 min of anoxia had significantly higher plasma testosterone at 2 and 3 h after birth compared to controls born either vaginally or by C-section. Administration of an NMDA receptor antagonist at birth increased neonatal testosterone in both anoxic pups and controls. Pups exposed to birth anoxia under hypothermic conditions also showed increased neonatal testosterone. Circulating LH, follicle-stimulating hormone and corticosterone in neonates, and testosterone at adulthood were unaffected by birth hypoxia. However, plasma ACTH was significantly increased in anoxic neonates at 2 h after birth. Birth condition had no effect on anogenital distance or juvenile play behavior. It is concluded that birth hypoxia augments plasma testosterone during the critical period of the neonatal testosterone surge, by a mechanism that is independent of NMDA-mediated LH secretion, but may involve increased circulating ACTH.


The Impact of Emotional Characteristics in the Chronicity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
The research objective was to identify overstated emotional characteristics in armed conflict veterans as well as both the similarities and differences in personality profiles between patients suffering from acute and chronic forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our study's sample consisted of 60 participants in the armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February, 1998 until 11 June, 1999. All of them were diagnosed with PTSD, during the six months period after their return from active duty. In 2014 we retested the same subjects to see their current psychological state. Diagnoses of PTSD were made using Structure Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I), while the assessment of emotional characteristics was made using Plutchik's emotion profile index (PIE). We established no statistically significant difference in PIE profiles between both groups in recent re-testing. The only significant difference as per PIE classification was found earlier when the subjects were initially diagnosed. The amplified emotional dimension was exploration, and only the group of chronic PTSD patients displayed significantly higher values (p<0.05). Emotional profiles, as a whole, proved to be very similar amongst subjects with both acute and chronic form of the PTSD. The only noted difference is in the significantly higher values of exploration emotional dimension, but only at the time when they were first given initial diagnosis, and only in the group of subjects who later developed the chronic form of PTSD which can indicate that exploration is a factor of vulnerability which is important in chronicity.


Spin Fluctuations from Hertz to Terahertz on a Triangular Lattice.
The temporal magnetic correlations of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet NiGa_{2}S_{4} are examined through 13 decades (10^{-13}-1 sec) using ultrahigh-resolution inelastic neutron scattering, muon spin relaxation, and ac and nonlinear susceptibility measurements. Unlike the short-ranged spatial correlations, the temperature dependence of the temporal correlations show distinct anomalies. The spin fluctuation rate decreases precipitously upon cooling towards T^{*}=8.5 K, but fluctuations on the microsecond time scale then persist in an anomalous dynamical regime for 4 K<T≤T^{*}. As this time scale exceeds that of single-site dynamics by 6 orders of magnitude, these fluctuations bear evidence of emergent degrees of freedom within the short-range correlated incommensurate state of NiGa_{2}S_{4}.


AT1b receptor predominantly mediates contractions in major mouse blood vessels.
In rodents, angiotensin (Ang) II type-1 (AT1) receptors exist as two pharmacologically identical subtypes: AT1a and AT1b. Recent studies have utilized mouse models with specific subtype receptor deletions to differentiate the functional difference between AT1 subtypes. However, little information is available on AT1 subtype expression in mouse vasculature. Therefore, in this study, AT1a-/- mice and wild-type littermates (AT1a+/+) were used to examine AT1 subtype expression and its functional relevance in mouse arterial vessels. Using RT-PCR and restriction enzyme digestion, we showed that AT1b accounts for most of the total AT1 mRNA in mouse abdominal aorta and femoral artery. In contrast, AT1a is the predominant subtype in kidney. To study the functional role of AT1 subtypes, we measured the in vitro contractility in vessels from AT1a-/- and AT1a+/+ mice. The Ang II concentration response curves in abdominal aorta and femoral artery were comparable between the two mouse strains. Furthermore, the Ang II response in AT1a-/- mouse vessels was completely antagonized by losartan, an AT1 antagonist. These results demonstrate that AT1b receptor is a major mediator for Ang II contractile response in mouse vessels, such as abdominal aorta and femoral artery.


Psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia.
Based upon educational and social learning principles, social skills training and family management modalities have been validated as effective in improving coping skills and symptomatic course and outcome of schizophrenia. Combined with judicious doses of antipsychotic medication, these modalities have been designed from the conceptualization of schizophrenia as a stress-related, biomedical disorder, with those afflicted having enduring vulnerability to the emergence or exacerbation of psychotic symptoms with associated social disability. Behaviorally oriented modalities require integration with a comprehensive psychiatric service delivery system to confer protection against relapse.


Osteoblast-like cell responses to ion products released from magnesium- and silicate-containing calcium carbonates.
Inorganic ions released from bioceramics and bioactive glasses have been reported to influence osteogenic cell functions. Cell responses depend on types of the ions provided, for example, silicate ion has been found to up-regulate their proliferation, differentiation and mineralization. Mouse osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) were cultured in media containing silicate and calcium ions with/without magnesium ion to evaluate their combined effects on the cell's functions. The cells were cultured in the media containing the extract of silicate-containing vaterite (SiV) and magnesium- and siloxane-containing one (MgSiV) and normal medium and then their adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and mineralization were evaluated. The adhesion of the cells was enhanced when they were cultured in the medium containing MgSiV-extract. Their proliferation and differentiation were up-regulated in both media containing MgSiV-extract and SiV-extract. In particular, the MgSiV-extract significantly enhanced their differentiation than the SiV-extract. This was supported by the mineralization test's results, which showed a large amount of mineral deposit was observed in the cells cultured in the MgSiV-extract medium. Providing the three kinds of ions was effective for up-regulating the cell's mineralization compared to providing silicate and calcium ions without magnesium ion.


CNS manifestations of cytomegalovirus infections: diagnosis and treatment.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the CNS occurs most commonly in patients with severe immunosuppression such as those with advanced HIV infection (i.e. AIDS) or those who have undergone bone marrow or solid organ transplantation. Immunocompetent patients are affected very rarely. The infection of the CNS may affect the brain (diffuse encephalitis, ventriculoencephalitis, cerebral mass lesions) or the spinal cord (transverse myelitis, polyradiculomyelitis). Diagnosis is very difficult and should be based on clinical presentation, results of imaging and virological markers. The most specific diagnostic tool is the detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction in the CSF. Treatment should be initiated promptly if CMV infection is suspected. Antiviral therapy consists of intravenous ganciclovir, intravenous foscarnet or a combination of both. Cidofovir is the treatment of second choice. Patients who experience clinical improvement or stabilisation during induction therapy should be given maintenance therapy. After immune reconstitution (in HIV-positive patients) or discontinuation of immunosuppressive therapy (in transplant recipients), maintenance therapy may be stopped. Despite therapy, the prognosis for long-term survival is very poor, especially in patients with AIDS.


Physicians' Difficulties Due to Patient Safety Incidents in Korea: a Cross-Sectional Study.
Medical professionals who experience patient safety incidents (PSIs) are vulnerable to emotional pain and other difficulties; such individuals are referred to as "second victims." This study quantitatively examines the characteristics of physicians' experiences of PSIs, along with the consequent difficulties and levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED) regarding the events. An anonymous, self-report online survey was administered to physicians. This collected information regarding PSI characteristics (e.g., type, severity of harm) and impact (e.g., sleep disorder, consideration of career change), as well as participants' socio-demographic characteristics. Meanwhile, to quantitatively assess PSI impacts, PTSD and PTED scales were also administered. PSI characteristics and impacts were analyzed using frequency analysis, and the differing effects of indirect and direct PSI experience regarding consequent difficulties were analyzed using chi-square tests. Factors associated with PTSD and PTED scores were identified using linear regression. Of 895 physicians, 24.6% and 24.0% experienced PSI-induced sleep disorder and eating disorder, respectively. Moreover, 38.9% reported being overly cautious in subsequent similar situations, and 12.6% had considered changing jobs or career. Sleep disorder was significantly more common among participants who directly experienced a PSI (32.8%) than among those with indirect experience (15.3%; P < 0.001). Linear regression showed that indirectly involved physicians had a lower mean PTSD score (by 8.44; 95% confidence interval, -12.28 to -4.60) than directly involved physicians. This study found that many physicians experience PSI-induced physical symptoms and behavioral responses, and that the severity of these symptoms varies depending on the type of incident and degree of harm involved. Our findings can provoke more active discussion regarding programs for supporting second victims, and can also encourage the establishing of a system for addressing PSIs that have already occurred, such as through disclosure of PSIs.


Comparison of Blepharoptosis Correction Using Müller-aponeurosis Composite Flap Advancement and Frontalis Muscle Transfer.
Treatments for severe blepharoptosis are well documented and include the most common operations for restoring upper eyelid ptosis, which are levator surgery and frontal muscle transfers; however, the choice of treatment is still controversial. There are different approaches to the restoration of upper eyelid ptosis, and the choice will be based on ptosis severity and the surgeon's skill and experience. Two hundred and fourteen patients presenting with a levator function of between 2 and 4 mm received ptosis correction between 1991 and 2010 at our clinic. Of these, 71 patients underwent Müller aponeurosis composite flap advancement for correction of 89 eyelids, and frontalis muscle transfer was performed on 143 patients (217 eyelids). Postoperative results were evaluated with an average follow-up period of 23 months. The preoperative average for marginal reflex distance (MRD1) in the Müller aponeurosis composite flap advancement group was 1.25 mm, and in the frontal muscle transfer group, it was 0.59 mm. The area of corneal exposure (ACE) was 57.2% in the Müller aponeurosis composite flap advancement group and 53.6% in the frontal muscle transfer group. The postoperative average distance was not significantly different for the 2 techniques. In the Müller aponeurosis composite flap advancement group, MRD1 was 2.7 mm and ACE was improved to 73.5%. In the frontal muscle transfer group, MRD1 was 2.3 mm and ACE was 71.2%. Undercorrection and eyelid asymmetry were the most frequently observed postoperative complications for both techniques. In our study, we confirmed that Müller aponeurosis composite flap advancement and the frontalis transfer technique are both effective in the correction of severe blepharoptosis; our results showed no significant differences between the 2 techniques.


Self-Expandable Metallic Stent Placement for the Palliation of Esophageal Cancer.
Esophageal stents have been used to palliate patients with dysphagia caused by esophageal cancer. Early rigid plastic prostheses have been associated with a high risk of complications. However, with the development of self-expanding stents, it has developed into a widely accepted method for treating malignant esophageal strictures and esophagorespiratory fistulas (ERFs). The present review covers various aspects of self-expanding metallic stent placement for palliating esophageal cancer, including its types, placement procedures, indications, contraindications, complications, and some of innovations that will become available in the future.


Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the oriT region of the IncI1 plasmid R64.
The nucleotide sequence at the oriT region of the IncI1 plasmid R64 was determined. A recombinant plasmid carrying a 141-base-pair R64 sequence was mobilized with a normal frequency, while a plasmid carrying only 44 base pairs of this R64 sequence was mobilized with a frequency 1/10 that of the original plasmid. The oriT region of the R64 plasmid contains two inverted-repeat sequences.


Impacts of Inherent Components and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Eating and Cooking Quality of Rice: A Review.
With the continuous improvement of living standards, the preferences of consumers are shifting to rice varieties with high eating and cooking quality (ECQ). Milled rice is mainly composed of starch, protein, and oil, which constitute the physicochemical basis of rice taste quality. This review summarizes the relationship between rice ECQ and its intrinsic ingredients, and also briefly introduces the effects of nitrogen fertilizer management on rice ECQ. Rice varieties with higher AC usually have more long branches of amylopectin, which leach less when cooking, leading to higher hardness, lower stickinesss, and less panelist preference. High PC impedes starch pasting, and it may be hard for heat and moisture to enter the rice interior, ultimately resulting in worse rice eating quality. Rice with higher lipid content had a brighter luster and better eating quality, and starch lipids in rice have a greater impact on rice eating quality than non-starch lipids. The application of nitrogen fertilizer can enhance rice yield, but it also decreases the ECQ of rice. CRNF has been widely used in cereal crops such as maize, wheat, and rice as a novel, environmentally friendly, and effective fertilizer, and could increase rice quality to a certain extent compared with conventional urea. This review shows a benefit to finding more reasonable nitrogen fertilizer management that can be used to regulate the physical and chemical indicators of rice grains in production and to improve the taste quality of rice without affecting yield.


Eosinophilic Esophagitis in a Kitten.
A 4 mo old intact male kitten was presented for chronic regurgitation and failure to thrive after weaning to dry food. Esophageal dilatation and severe diffuse proliferative lesions of the esophageal mucosa were found via radiography and esophagoscopy, respectively. Histopathologic examination revealed severe, chronic, diffuse, hyperplastic eosinophilic and mastocytic esophagitis. Eosinophilic infiltrates were prominent, with a mean of 29.8 eosinophils per high power field, supportive of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Significant clinical improvement was seen with dietary modification using a hydrolyzed diet. The addition of glucocorticoids did not result in further improvement in clinical signs. Repeat histopathology showed near resolution of eosinophilic infiltration. EoE is an uncommon and rarely reported condition in dogs and cats. Diagnosis involves histopathologic confirmation and exclusion of other causes of eosinophilic infiltration within the esophagus. This case report demonstrates the importance of biopsy in identification of EoE and the efficacy of dietary modification in the treatment of this disease in a kitten.


Acute effects of exogenous growth hormone in man: time- and dose-bound modification of glucose tolerance and glucose-induced insulin release.
The time and dose dependency of the effects of a 30-min long iv infusion of human growth hormone (GH) on glucose tolerance and glucose-stimulated insulin release was investigated in 19 healthy subjects. Glucose tolerance deteriorated immediately following GH, and the k-value continued to decrease up to 300 min later. A small but significant reduction of glucose tolerance persisted 24 h after GH administration. Significant deterioration of glucose tolerance was observed with the smallest GH dose used (5 mug per kg body weight), increasing the amount of the hormone having no further major influence. Glucose-stimulated insulin release was significantly inhibited 1 h after administration of a relatively high GH dose (40 mug per kg), both if expressed as mean plasma insulin levels, or as insulin release per magnitude of glucose stimulation (insulinogenic index). In the majority of subjects, insulin release was inhibited also by lower GH doses (5-20 mug GH per kg). However, the mean change with these doses was not statistically significant. The inhibitory effect of GH on insulin secretion seemed to have a duration of several hours. Five hours, but not 24 h, after GH administration (10 mug GH per kg) insulin release was still significantly suppressed. It is suggested that the initial effect of GH on pancreatic beta cells may be inhibition of insulin release, in contrast with the enhancement of insulin secretion observed during chronic administration of GH.


Facilitating acceptance of a patient's decision to stop treatment.
Quality of life is a very personal issue. When illness reaches a point where life is believed to be intolerable, people may choose to stop treatment. This paper presents an intervention model for psychiatric liaison nurses to utilize in order to facilitate acceptance of such a decision. The model contains two parts: assessment and intervention. The assessment process can be broken down into five parts to include the assessment of self, patient, family, nursing, and medical staff. Intervention strategies to expedite acceptance include opening communication, resolving conflict, being a go-between, and advocating for the patient.


[Variations in health: a starting point for quality assurance in health care].
Variations in health outcomes may reflect variations in the quality of care. The monitoring of health outcome variations (for example between hospitals or groups of caregivers) may therefore be considered as an instrument for quality assessment in health care. As health care is not the only determinant of health, further research is needed to find out whether health outcome variations are related to variations in the quality of care. Until now, health outcomes have been based mainly on mortality and morbidity measures. In the Netherlands various registries are useful for the monitoring of health outcome variations, such as the cause of death statistics, the national medical registry, the national obstetrics registry and the complications registry of the Netherlands Association of Surgeons.


Effect of prolactin on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in ovine ovarian granulosa cells.
Prolactin (PRL) has been reported to be associated with oxidative stress, which is an important contributor leading to cell apoptosis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the effects of PRL on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs). Ovine ovarian GCs were treated with 0, 4, 20, 100 and 500 ng/mL of PRL. Then, the cytotoxicity, cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of GCs were detected. Additionally, 500 ng/mL PRL was chosen as the high PRL concentration (HPC) due to its high cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. Proteomic and metabonomic were performed to examine the overall difference in proteins and metabolic pathways between C (control: 0 ng/mL PRL) and P groups (500 ng/mL PRL). The results indicated that GCs treated with 4 ng/mL PRL significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the cytotoxicity, ROS and MDA, increased (P < 0.05) the cell viability, SOD and T-AOC, and the GCs treated with 500 ng/mL PRL showed the opposite trend (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 500 ng/mL PRL significantly increased the proteins of MT-ND1, MAPK12, UBA52 and BCL2L1, which were enriched in ROS and mitophagy pathways. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the pentose phosphate pathway was significantly enriched in the P group. A low concentration of PRL inhibited cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. HPC induced oxidative stress in ovine ovarian GCs via the pentose phosphate pathway by modulating the associated proteins MT-ND1 in ROS pathway and UBA52, MAPK12 and BCL2L1 in mitophagy pathway, resulting in cytotoxicity.


Predictive factors for final pathologic ureteral sections on 700 radical cystectomy specimens: Implications for intraoperative frozen section decision-making.
To identify preoperative predictive factors for final ureteral section invasion after radical cystectomy (RC) and to validate significant factors on an external independent cohort. We retrospectively reviewed data of all consecutive RC performed for bladder cancer in 2 high-volume institutions. Clinical, pathological, and follow-up data were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Pathological evaluation was performed by 2 well-trained uropathologists in each center. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictive factors for final ureteral sections involvement. Significant factors in cohort A were validated in cohort B. Receiver operating curve and area under curve were modeled to evaluate predictive accuracy of the markers. A total of 441 RC were performed in center A and 307 RC were performed in center B. Mean follow-ups were 36.2 and 38.1 months, respectively. Invasion of the final ureteral section was observed on 5.5% of patients in cohort A and 4.8% of patients in cohort B. In cohort A, multivariable logistic regression identified preoperative hydronephrosis on computed tomography scan (odds ratio [OR] = 4.9, P = 0.004) and presence of Carcinoma in situ (CIS, OR = 3.9, P = 0.01) as the only factors associated with ureteral sections positivity. In cohort B, hydronephrosis and CIS were both associated with ureteral sections positivity in univariable analysis. In multivariable analysis, only hydronephrosis remained significant (OR = 5.9, P = 0.01). Predictive accuracy of hydronephrosis and CIS combined in 1 variable was 0.72. Hydronephrosis and bladder CIS have good accuracy in predicting ureteral sections positivity after RC. In the presence of those factors, ureteral frozen sections should be performed.


Priorities for Bark Anatomical Research: Study Venues and Open Questions.
The bark fulfils several essential functions in vascular plants and yields a wealth of raw materials, but the understanding of bark structure and function strongly lags behind our knowledge with respect to other plant tissues. The recent technological advances in sampling and preparation of barks for anatomical studies, along with the establishment of an agreed bark terminology, paved the way for more bark anatomical research. Whilst datasets reveal bark's taxonomic and functional diversity in various ecosystems, a better understanding of the bark can advance the understanding of plants' physiological and environmental challenges and solutions. We propose a set of priorities for understanding and further developing bark anatomical studies, including periderm structure in woody plants, phloem phenology, methods in bark anatomy research, bark functional ecology, relationships between bark macroscopic appearance, and its microscopic structure and discuss how to achieve these ambitious goals.


Characterization of the heterochromatic chromosome regions in sheep.
In order to elucidate the structural chromosome organization of the heterochromatic regions in sheep, we have used C-banding, silver-staining, sequential CDD technique and restriction endonuclease banding. By these banding techniques we obtained four fractions of repetitive DNA, the autosomal fractions A and B, the C fraction in the X chromosome, and the D fraction in the Y chromosome. Silver staining revealed active nucleolus organizer regions (NOR's) on the telomeric GC-rich areas of chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 25 which were digested with HaeIII restriction endonuclease.


Connatal brain tumors in patients with tuberous sclerosis.
Two neonates with tuberous sclerosis and giant cell astrocytomas diagnosed soon after birth are described. During attempted surgical resection of their tumors, both infants developed refractory intraoperative cardiac arrhythmias and died. At autopsy, both patients had multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas. Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas rarely present in the neonate, but genetic implications and associated cardiac hamartomas warrant special consideration of these connatal tumors. Surgical considerations suggest that an operative approach to these tumors should be delayed beyond the neonatal period.


Biomechanical testing of an innovative fixation procedure to stabilize olecranon osteotomy.
For the treatment of distal humerus an approach involving olecranon osteotomy is frequently preferred as it offers a clearer view, especially in cases of complex intraarticular fractures. It is however associated with the high risk of osteotomy-related complications such as nonunion, delayed healing, implant failure and migration of wires. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the stability of different new procedures that stabilize olecranon osteotomy compared with conventional tension band wiring. We hypothesize that the new implants provide equivalent stability as the conventional tension band wiring. To test the hypothesis 27 biomechanically evaluated synthetic ulnae were osteotomized and stabilized with either the application of tension band wiring, the Olecranon Hook LCP (Synthes, Switzerland), or the Olecranon Osteotomy nail (Synthes, Switzerland). Loading was performed providing a tensile load to simulate the tensile force applied by the triceps muscle. Cyclic force-controlled loading was performed at 300 alternating forces between 10N and 500N at a speed of 200N/sec. An ultrasound-based system measured displacement to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Statistical analysis showed significantly less displacement in the Olecranon Hook LCP and Olecranon Osteotomy nail groups compared with tension banding. Comparison of plate and nail yielded no differences in stability. Biomechanical testing did however show significantly higher stability for newer fixation methods for olecranon osteotomies compared with the frequently applied technique of tension band wiring. Whether the use of these implants will also lower complication rates remains to be evaluated in future clinical studies. Basic Science Study, Biomechanical Study.


Screening for osteoporosis in men aged 70 years and older in a primary care setting in the United States.
Osteoporosis in men is an underrecognized and undertreated condition. Despite the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommending osteoporosis screening in men aged 70 years and older since 2008, screening rates in the United States remain undefined. In our study, we analyzed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening rates in a primary care setting. Overall, screening rates were low (11.3%). Although there was an increase with age in both the 10-year osteoporotic and 10-year hip fracture probabilities, no association was found between increased age and bone mineral density testing using DXA. Only 23.2% of patients were prescribed bone protective treatments. The performance of DXA screening strongly predicted prescription of bone protective treatment. Increased age raised the likelihood of bone protective treatment prescriptions; however, smokers were less likely to be prescribed these medications. As the population in the United States ages, an increased awareness of this major public health problem is warranted.


Bitter taste receptors of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata).
Despite the important role of bitter taste for the rejection of potentially harmful food sources, birds have long been suspected to exhibit inferior bitter tasting abilities. Although more recent reports on the bitter recognition spectra of several bird species have cast doubt about the validity of this assumption, the bitter taste of avian species is still an understudied field. Previously, we reported the bitter activation profiles of three zebra finch receptors Tas2r5, -r6, and -r7, which represent orthologs of a single chicken bitter taste receptor, Tas2r1. In order to get a better understanding of the bitter tasting capabilities of zebra finches, we selected another Tas2r gene of this species that is similar to another chicken Tas2r. Using functional calcium mobilization experiments, we screened zebra finch Tas2r1 with 72 bitter compounds and observed responses for 7 substances. Interestingly, all but one of the newly identified bitter agonists were different from those previously identified for Tas2r5, -r6, and -r7 suggesting that the newly investigated receptor fills important gaps in the zebra finch bitter recognition profile. The most potent bitter agonist found in our study is cucurbitacin I, a highly toxic natural bitter substance. We conclude that zebra finch exhibits an exquisitely developed bitter taste with pronounced cucurbitacin I sensitivity suggesting a prominent ecological role of this compound for zebra finch.


Case Report of Complete Second Branchial Fistula.
Branchial fistulas are anomalies of embryonic development of the branchial apparatus, with the most common being second branchial fistulas. However, complete fistulas are infrequent and may relapse. Furthermore, they are difficult to manage without adequate treatment. This article presents the case of a complete second branchial fistula in a 1-year-old female patient who had a sinus on the right side of the neck since birth. Excision of the fistula tract was performed without preoperative fistulography. The tract was then ligated and dissected immediately below the mucosa. The postoperative course was uneventful, and there was no evidence of recurrence. Previous case reports have also demonstrated good outcomes without excision of the internal opening or tonsillectomy.


Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among pregnant women in a rural district in Egypt.
Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world. Screening of HCV during pregnancy is not as routinely done in Egypt compared with many other countries, although pregnancy is an important period where screening of HCV infection is important owing to low immunity, the possibility of vertical transmission and possible horizontal transmission to the baby or other household contacts at a later stage. To determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies (HCV-Ab) and risk factors associated with infection among pregnant women in Egypt. A total of 360 pregnant women visiting the healthcare units for routine antenatal care were tested using third generation ELISA test for detection of HCV-Ab. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for seropositive cases. A total of 6.1% (22/360) of pregnant women were HCV seropositive; of them only 45% (9/20) had viraemia. Risk factors were their age, the age of their husband and the presence of chronic liver disease in the husband. The prevalence of HCV infection in pregnant women in Egypt appears to be lower than previously reported. The detected risk factors are old age of the pregnant women and their husbands, and chronic liver disease in the husbands. None of the other known risk factors was found to be significantly associated with HCV infection in pregnant women.


Basal vs. luminal A breast cancer subtypes: a matched case-control study using estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2 as surrogate markers.
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses several distinct entities with different biological characteristics and clinical behavior. Basal subtype is considered as a prognostically unfavorable subset. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinico-pathological characteristics and outcome of basal vs. luminal A subtype, as approximated by ER, PR, and HER-2. Sixty-four patients with basal breast cancer were matched for age, stage, and year of diagnosis with 64 patients having luminal A disease. Basal tumors were immunohistochemically defined by a lack of expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER-2, while luminal A cancers were ER+ or PR+, and HER-2-. As compared with luminal A, basal subtype patients had significantly larger primary tumor size, higher percentage of grade III tumor, more tumor that showed lymphovascular invasion, less presence of non-invasive disease, and higher proportion of extranodal extension. There was no statistically significant difference in metastatic sites, pathology type, or in the axillary lymph nodal status. A few patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy--13 and 9 patients in basal and luminal A groups, respectively). The complete pathological response was 20% and 14%, respectively (not significant). At a median follow-up of approximately 2 years, there was no statistically significant difference in the overall survival rate between basal and luminal A patients. Analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) for stage I-III (53 patients in each group) showed that the median DFS for basal patients was 41.4 months (95% CI, 26.5-55.3 months), whereas the DFS for the luminal A patients was not reached (P = 0.014). After adjusting for several significant prognostics variables identified in a univariate analysis, a multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis identified the negative effect of lymphovascular invasion and the favorable influence of the use of neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. This matched case-control study confirmed the poor clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with basal subtype and their unfavorable outcome compared with luminal A disease. Management of basal tumors remains a challenging task, and new therapeutic strategies are warranted.


An Assessment of the Impact of Multimedia, Technology-Based Learning Tools on the Cardiac Auscultation Skills of Third-Year Medical Students.
Previous studies have shown that medical students and post-graduate trainees need to improve their proficiency in cardiac auscultation. Technologic advances have created new learner-centered opportunities to enhance proficiency in this important physical examination skill. We sought to determine if technology-based, self-directed learning tools improved the cardiac auscultation skills of third-year medical students. Sixteen (16) third-year medical (M3) students were exposed to three educational inter-ventions: a one-hour cardiac auscultation lecture that featured computer-generated heart sounds, a PDA-based heart sounds/murmur form and a web-based cardiac auscultation program. Thirteen (13) internal medicine (IM) residents who served as a comparison group attended a cardiac auscultation lecture identical in content and format to the student lecture. At the end of the study period, we evaluated the ability of both groups to accurately identify heart sounds and cardiac murmurs via a twelve-item performance-based examination utilizing computer-generated heart sounds. Following our teaching interventions, findingsM3 students correctly identified 80% of the computer-simulated heart sounds/murmurs while the comparison group of IM residents accurately detected 60% of the same cardiac findings (p<. 005). The combination of traditional lecture and multi-media, technology-based, self-directed learning tools appears to be an effective and efficient strategy for teaching and reinforcing cardiac auscultation skills to third year medical students.


Positive feedback loop and synergistic effects between hypoxia-inducible factor-2α and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 promote tumorigenesis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
Adapting to hypoxic stress is pivotal in tumor progression and determining tumor malignancy. The transcriptional factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is crucial in modulating tumorous hypoxic responses through altering cell energy metabolism, which includes the modification of glucose and lipid metabolism-associated gene expression. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is the main isoform of SCDs, the rate-limiting enzymes in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids, which is extensively activated in cancer progression. In this study, we found that SCD1 and HIF-2α were overexpressed in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tissues and ccRCC cell lines, and were upregulated in the 786-0 ccRCC cell line under hypoxia. Knockdown of SCD1 or HIF-2α impacted the other's expression. Enhancing SCD1 resulted in HIF-2α upregulation, which could be blocked by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway. Deficiency of SCD1 or HIF-2α in 768-0 cells led to apoptosis, less colony formation ability, and decreased cell migration. More obvious effects were observed in 786-0 cells with double SCD1 and HIF-2α knockdown. These results indicate a PI3K/Akt-mediated loop between SCD1 and HIF-2α that mutually enhances their protein levels. Both SCD1 and HIF-2α are critical to promoting tumorigenesis by synergistically acting on maintaining cell survival, triggering cell migration, and enhancing the colony formation ability of cancer cells.


Effects of Wenxin Keli on Cardiac Hypertrophy and Arrhythmia via Regulation of the Calcium/Calmodulin Dependent Kinase II Signaling Pathway.
We investigated the effects of Wenxin Keli (WXKL) on the Calcium/Calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMK II) signal transduction pathway with transverse aortic constriction (TAC) rats. Echocardiographic measurements were obtained 3 and 9 weeks after the surgery. Meanwhile, the action potentials (APDs) were recorded using the whole-cell patch clamp technique, and western blotting was used to assess components of the CaMK II signal transduction pathway. At both 3 and 9 weeks after treatment, the fractional shortening (FS%) increased in the WXKL group compared with the TAC group. The APD90 of the TAC group was longer than that of the Sham group and was markedly shortened by WXKL treatment. Western blotting results showed that the protein expressions of CaMK II, phospholamban (PLB), and ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2) were not statistically significant among the different groups at both treatment time points. However, WXKL treatment decreased the protein level and phosphorylation of CaMK II (Thr-286) and increased the protein level and phosphorylation of PLB (Thr-17) and the phosphorylation of RYR2 (Ser-2814). WXKL also decreased the accumulation of type III collagen fibers. In conclusion, WXKL may improve cardiac function and inhibit the arrhythmia by regulating the CaMK II signal transduction pathway.


Antegrade Dissection and Reentry: Tools and Techniques.
The hybrid approach to chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention requires facility with antegrade and retrograde strategies to achieve high success rates in a time-efficient and safe manner. Antegrade dissection and reentry is an integral component of this approach but historically has been limited by low success rates and an inability to control the site of reentry. The advent of the BridgePoint device, and multiple iterations of technique in conjunction with its use, have markedly improved success rates and procedure efficiency.


Analysis of data associated with seemingly temporal clustering of a rare disease.
Three statistical tests aimed at detecting temporal clustering within a given short series of diagnoses are presented. These tests are based on a standardized time interval between consecutive diagnoses. Two of the tests (the Cuscore and the Sets tests) are derived from sequential monitoring techniques which are sensitive to temporal clustering within the data set. The third test (R test) is not sequential and its sensitivity is focused on the average increase in the overall rate of the disease rather than on clustering within the series. Power curves are presented for conditions related to the intensity level of the subtle epidemic, the cluster size and the number of diagnoses. None of the techniques showed highest efficiency over all the specified conditions. The R test is the most efficient when the relative risk is 2 or less, and the Cuscore test is the most efficient method when the relative risk is > or = 2.5.


Identification of a Gene Signature Predicting (Nano)Particle-Induced Adverse Lung Outcome in Rats.
Nanoparticles are extensively used in industrial products or as food additives. However, despite their contribution to improving our quality of life, concerns have been raised regarding their potential impact on occupational and public health. To speed up research assessing nanoparticle-related hazards, this study was undertaken to identify early markers of harmful effects on the lungs. Female Sprague Dawley rats were either exposed to crystalline silica DQ-12 with instillation, or to titanium dioxide P25, carbon black Printex-90, or multi-walled carbon nanotube Mitsui-7 with nose-only inhalation. Tissues were collected at three post-exposure time points to assess short- and long-term effects. All particles induced lung inflammation. Histopathological and biochemical analyses revealed phospholipid accumulation, lipoproteinosis, and interstitial thickening with collagen deposition after exposure to DQ-12. Exposure to the highest dose of Printex-90 and Mitsui-7, but not P25, induced some phospholipid accumulation. Comparable histopathological changes were observed following exposure to P25, Printex-90, and Mitsui-7. Comparison of overall gene expression profiles identified 15 potential early markers of adverse lung outcomes induced by spherical particles. With Mitsui-7, a distinct gene expression signature was observed, suggesting that carbon nanotubes trigger different toxicity mechanisms to spherical particles.


Impact of Abbreviated Filgrastim Schedule on Survival and Hematopoietic Recovery after Irradiation in Four Mouse Strains with Different Radiosensitivity.
Filgrastim (Neupogen®, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) is among the few countermeasures recommended for management of patients in the event of lethal total-body irradiation. Despite the plethora of studies using filgrastim as a radiation countermeasure, relatively little is known about the optimal dose schedule of filgrastim to mitigate radiation lethality. We evaluated the efficacy of filgrastim in improving 30-day survival of CD2F1 mice irradiated with a lethal dose (LD70/30) in the AFRRI cobalt-60 facility. We tested different schedules of 1, 3, 5, 10 or 16 once-daily injections of filgrastim initiated one day after irradiation. Time optimization studies with filgrastim treatment were also performed, beginning 6-48 h postirradiation. Maximum survival was observed with 3 daily doses of 0.17 mg/kg filgrastim. Survival efficacy of the 3-day treatment was compared against the conventional 16-day filgrastim treatment after irradiation in four mouse strains with varying radiation sensitivities: C3H/HeN, C57BL/6, B6C3F1 and CD2F1. Blood indices, bone marrow histopathology and colony forming unit assays were also evaluated. Filgrastim significantly increased 30-day survival (P < 0.001) with a 3-day treatment compared to 16-day treatment. Filgrastim did not prevent cytopenia nadirs, but facilitated faster recovery of white blood cells, neutrophils, red blood cells, platelets, lymphocytes and hematocrits in all four strains. Accelerated hematopoietic recovery was also reflected in faster bone marrow reconstitution and significant increase in hematopoietic progenitors (P < 0.001) in all four mouse strains. These data indicate that prompt and abbreviated filgrastim treatment has potential benefit for triage in the event of a radiological incident for treating acute hematopoietic syndrome.


Solution structure of mu-conotoxin PIIIA, a preferential inhibitor of persistent tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels.
Mu-conotoxins are peptide inhibitors of voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSCs). Synthetic forms of mu-conotoxins PIIIA and PIIIA-(2-22) were found to inhibit tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive VSSC current but had little effect on TTX-resistant VSSC current in sensory ganglion neurons. In rat brain neurons, these peptides preferentially inhibited the persistent over the transient VSSC current. Radioligand binding assays revealed that PIIIA, PIIIA-(2-22), and mu-conotoxins GIIIB discriminated among TTX-sensitive VSSCs in rat brain, that these and GIIIC discriminated among the corresponding VSSCs in human brain, and GIIIA had low affinity for neuronal VSSCs. (1)H NMR studies found that PIIIA adopts two conformations in solution due to cis/trans isomerization at hydroxyproline 8. The major trans conformation results in a three-dimensional structure that is significantly different from the previously identified conformation of mu-conotoxins GIIIA and GIIIB that selectively target TTX-sensitive muscle VSSCs. Comparison of the structures and activity of PIIIA to muscle-selective mu-conotoxins provides an insight into the structural requirements for inhibition of different TTX-sensitive sodium channels by mu-conotoxins.


Fenton's Reagent Catalyzed Release of Carbon Monooxide from 1,3-Dihydroxy Acetone.
Triose sugar, 1,3-dihydroxy acetone (DHA) on treatment with Fenton's reagent releases CO under physiological conditions. The release of CO has been demonstrated by myoglobin assay and quantum chemical studies. The mechanistic study has been carried out using B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) and CCSD(T)//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theories in aqueous medium with dielectric constant of 78.39 by employing the polarized continuum model (PCM). The theoretical investigation shows that DHA breaks down completely into 2 equiv of CO, 1 equiv of CO2, and 6 equiv of H2O without formation of toxic metabolites. The activation barriers of some steps are as high as ∼50 kcal mol-1 along with barrierless intermediate steps resulting from highly stabilized intermediates. The quantum tunneling mechanism of proton transfer steps has been confirmed through kinetic isotope effect study. The natural bond orbital analysis is consistent with the proposed mechanism. The present protocol does not require any photoactivation and thus it can serve as a promising alternative to transition metal CO-releasing molecules. The present work can initiate the study of carbohydrates as CO-releasing molecules for therapeutic applications and it could also be useful in generation of CO for laboratory applications.


Alteration of calmodulin distribution does not accompany dopaminergic supersensitization of the mouse striatum.
Membrane-bound calmodulin increases following dopaminergic supersensitization of the rat striatum. To assess the generality of this relationship, mice were treated with two different supersensitization paradigms. Calmodulin levels and subcellular distribution were determined by radioimmunoassay. Chronic haloperidol treatment increased striatal D2 dopamine receptor density by 25% but had no effect on membrane-bound calmodulin levels. Similarly, 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) lesions depleted striatal dopamine content greater than 95% without affecting membrane-bound calmodulin. In contrast, soluble calmodulin levels decreased by 15% in the 6-OHDA-lesioned striatum, suggesting that soluble calmodulin is enriched in presynaptic dopaminergic terminals. We conclude that dopaminergic supersensitization can occur in the mouse striatum in the absence of any change in calmodulin distribution.


Changes in colour discrimination during the menstrual cycle.
A group of normal women of reproductive age were recruited to investigate colour discrimination during the various phases of the menstrual cycle. Colour vision was tested with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue arrangement test, and the test was administered at 3 time points: the beginning of the cycle, ovulation, and the end of the cycle. We found that colour discrimination was better at ovulation than at the other 2 time points. It is possible that psychological as well as hormonal factors could contribute to improved colour vision performance at ovulation.


Interplay between PKCδ and Sp1 on histone deacetylase inhibitor-mediated Epstein-Barr virus reactivation.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) undergoes latent and lytic replication cycles, and its reactivation from latency to lytic replication is initiated by expression of the two viral immediate-early transactivators, Zta and Rta. In vitro, reactivation of EBV can be induced by anti-immunoglobulin, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate, and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi). We have discovered that protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) is required specifically for EBV reactivation by HDACi. Overexpression of PKCδ is sufficient to induce the activity of the Zta promoter (Zp) but not of the Rta promoter (Rp). Deletion analysis revealed that the ZID element of Zp is important for PKCδ activation. Moreover, the Sp1 putative sequence on ZID is essential for PKCδ-induced Zp activity, and the physiological binding of Sp1 on ZID has been confirmed. After HDACi treatment, activated PKCδ can phosphorylate Sp1 at serine residues and might result in dissociation of the HDAC2 repressor from ZID. HDACi-mediated HDAC2-Sp1 dissociation can be inhibited by the PKCδ inhibitor, Rotterlin. Furthermore, overexpression of HDAC2 can suppress the HDACi-induced Zp activity. Consequently, we hypothesize that HDACi induces PKCδ activation, causing phosphorylation of Sp1, and that the interplay between PKCδ and Sp1 results in the release of HDAC2 repressor from Zp and initiation of Zta expression.


Assessment of the association between drug disposal practices and drug use and storage behaviors.
Keeping unnecessary drugs at home is a situation showing both causes and consequences of irrational use of medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the approaches of a company's employees regarding drug storage, use, and disposal. This online-based descriptive study was held in a multi-centered private-sector company in a voluntary basis. The survey assessing participants' drug handling and storage behaviors was answered by 1121 employees from across eight provinces of Turkey in 2016. Main outcome measures were storage and disposal of unused/unwanted drugs at home in a rational way. The percentage of participants who declared that they keep unused/unwanted drugs at home was 28.0%. About one-third of participants disposed their unused/unwanted drugs via the "garbage, sink, toilet, etc.". Participants ≥30 years old and living with <4 household members significantly tended to bring their unused/unwanted drugs to the company's drug-box. Nearly half of all participants (46.5%) stated a recent change in their disposal behavior. The vast majority of participants (94.6%) who previously took drugs back to the company's drug-box stated that they either had, or would, help their contacts adopt such behaviors. These participants were also significantly less likely to dispose of drugs inappropriately, practice self-medication, be unaware of expired drugs at home, or fail to store drugs according to the labelling. While our findings showed that a substantial number of participants still had unused drugs at home and disposed of them inappropriately, it is understood that they started to exhibit more favorable behaviors in recent years.


Effect of Novaluron (Rimon 10 EC) on the mosquitoes Anopheles albimanus, Anopheles pseudopunctipennis, Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus from Chiapas, Mexico.
Dengue fever is a serious problem in Mexico and vector control has not been effective enough at preventing outbreaks. Malaria is largely under control, but it is important that new control measures continue to be developed. Novaluron, a novel host-specific insect growth regulator and chitin synthesis inhibitor, has proved to be effective against agricultural pests, but its efficacy against larval mosquito vectors under field conditions remains unknown. In accordance with the World Health Organization Pesticide Evaluation Scheme, phase I, II and III studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and residual effect of Novaluron (Rimon 10 EC, Makhteshim, Beer-Sheva, Israel) on the malaria vectors Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles pseudopunctipennis Theobald, the dengue vectors Aedes aegypti (L) and Aedes albopictus Skuse and the nuisance mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say. Laboratory susceptibility tests yielded diagnostic concentrations for all five target species. Field trials to identify the optimum field dosage of Novaluron against Anopheles mosquitoes were carried out under semi-natural conditions in artificial plots and in vessels with wild mosquitoes. Efficacy was measured by monitoring mortality of larvae and pupae and the percentage of inhibition of emergence from floating cages. Dosages of Novaluron for field tests were based on pupal LC(99) (lethal concentration 99%) of An. pseudopunctipennis (0.166 mg/L) in plots and average pupal LC(99) of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus (0.55 mg/L). At all dosages tested, Novaluron significantly reduced larval populations of An. albimanus, Culex coronator Dyar & Knab, Ae. albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus by approximately 90%, inhibited adult emergence of An. albimanus and An. pseudopunctipennis by approximately 97% for almost 4 months in experimental plots, and inhibited adult emergence of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus by approximately 97% for up to 14 weeks. Recommended dosages of Novaluron for non-container breeding and container breeding mosquitoes are 0.166 mg/L and 0.55 mg/L, respectively. Overall, the residual effect was more sustained than that of temephos. The lowest dosage of Novaluron had less of an impact on non-target organisms than did temephos. Small-scale field trials in natural breeding sites treated with Novaluron at 0.6 L/ha eliminated adult emergence of An. albimanus and Cx. coronator for 8 weeks. For phase III studies, Novaluron was tested at the local and village levels, applying the optimum field rate to all natural breeding habitats within 1 km of a pair of neighbouring villages. Village-scale trials of Novaluron at 0.6 L/ha reduced An. albimanus larval populations for at least 8 weeks and, more importantly, sharply reduced the densities of adult host-seeking mosquitoes approaching houses. We conclude that Novaluron is effective and environmentally safer than temephos.


Sensitivity and specificity of audiological tests in patients with vertigo.
In patients with vertigo a comprehensive test battery has been used for localizing pathological processes responsible for the symptoms. Audiological tests have been an integral part of the otoneurological investigation. However, in many studies the diagnostic sharpness of psychoacoustic tests in the localization of specific disease in the cranial nerve system has been called in question. Other tests, such as stapedius reflex and auditory brainstem response, have been of increasing importance in the diagnostic set-up. The purpose of this paper is to present a survey of the literature regarding the position of audiological tests in otoneurology.


The effect of ammonia on olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ neuroepithelium of rabbits. A histological and histochemical study.
In recent studies, the vomeronasal organ (VNO), although vestigial and with unknown function in humans, was reported to be present in almost every person examined. In rabbits, it is a well-developed organ, one lying on each side of the nasal septum. Histologically it was found to contain neuroepithelium which is considered an accessory olfactory system taking charge of an olfactory discrimination different from that of olfactory epithelium. Experimental removal of the VNO in male animals reduces reproductive performance and aggression. In this study, the effects of prolonged exposure to ammonia vapor on the histological pattern and enzymatic activity of the olfactory epithelium and the VNO neuroepithelium of 30 adult male rabbits were investigated and compared with a control group. In the exposed animals, the supporting cells in both types of epithelia showed hyperplasia which was more marked in the olfactory epithelium. Manifestations of cytotoxicity were found more in the bipolar cells of the olfactory epithelium than in the VNO neuroepithelium. The enzymatic activity in the exposed group supported the histological results. The presence of the VNO neuroepithelium of the rabbit in a narrow duct with a minute nasal orifice could have some protective effects on the cells.


Taste and odor profiles (off-flavors) in the drinking waters of the Barcelona area (1996-2000).
The Aigües de Barcelona laboratory systematically monitors the organoleptic quality of the water it supplies. The water comes mainly from the Llobregat and Ter rivers, with the two sources having cleary differentiated chemical characteristics. Water is monitored by the tasting panel, which works according to FPA (Flavor Profile Analysis) principles. This paper reports the results from the period 1996-2000: characteristic organoleptic profiles, evolution of descriptors and the overall organoleptic evaluation of the water. The results show that in Llobregat water the descriptors chlorinous, medicinal, rubbery and salty are the most relevant, whereas in Ter water fresh nature/grassy and metallic are. The Aesthetic Quality Index drawn up by our laboratory confirms that Ter water has better organoleptic quality than Llobregat water. Monitoring also found that neither water lost quality significantly within the distribution network.


Individualised decision making: interpretation of risk for extremely preterm infants-a survey of UK neonatal professionals.
The British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) published a revised framework for perinatal management of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) in 2019. We aimed to assess UK neonatal professionals' interpretation of elements of this framework, as well as the consistency of their estimates of outcome for EPIs. An online survey gave participants five cases involving anticipated extremely preterm birth with different favourable and unfavourable risk factors. Respondents were asked to assign a risk category and management option using the BAPM framework and to estimate the chance of survival if the baby received active resuscitation and the chance of severe disability if they survived. Respondents were consistent in interpretation of risk categories. The majority would follow parental wishes about management. Management decisions did not always correspond with risk assessment, with less inclination to recommend palliative (comfort) care. There were wide estimates of survival or severe disability (5%-90%) with consultants providing lower estimates of severe disability than other groups. UK neonatal professionals deferred to parental wishes in the cases presented, indicating an emphasis on shared decision making. However, they did not necessarily use the risk stratification approach for management decisions. Variation in estimates of outcome raises questions about the accuracy of informed decision making and suggests support is needed for UK clinicians to incorporate risk factors into individualised counselling. There may be value in validating existing online risk calculators for UK infants or in developing a UK specific risk model.


Pro-inflammatory human Th17 cells selectively express P-glycoprotein and are refractory to glucocorticoids.
IL-17A-expressing CD4(+) T cells (Th17 cells) are generally regarded as key effectors of autoimmune inflammation. However, not all Th17 cells are pro-inflammatory. Pathogenic Th17 cells that induce autoimmunity in mice are distinguished from nonpathogenic Th17 cells by a unique transcriptional signature, including high Il23r expression, and these cells require Il23r for their inflammatory function. In contrast, defining features of human pro-inflammatory Th17 cells are unknown. We show that pro-inflammatory human Th17 cells are restricted to a subset of CCR6(+)CXCR3(hi)CCR4(lo)CCR10(-)CD161(+) cells that transiently express c-Kit and stably express P-glycoprotein (P-gp)/multi-drug resistance type 1 (MDR1). In contrast to MDR1(-) Th1 or Th17 cells, MDR1(+) Th17 cells produce both Th17 (IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-22) and Th1 (IFN-γ) cytokines upon TCR stimulation and do not express IL-10 or other anti-inflammatory molecules. These cells also display a transcriptional signature akin to pathogenic mouse Th17 cells and show heightened functional responses to IL-23 stimulation. In vivo, MDR1(+) Th17 cells are enriched and activated in the gut of Crohn's disease patients. Furthermore, MDR1(+) Th17 cells are refractory to several glucocorticoids used to treat clinical autoimmune disease. Thus, MDR1(+) Th17 cells may be important mediators of chronic inflammation, particularly in clinical settings of steroid resistant inflammatory disease.


Direct cytopathic effects of particular hepatitis B virus genotypes in severe combined immunodeficiency transgenic with urokinase-type plasminogen activator mouse with human hepatocytes.
Little is known about the direct cytopathic effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its association with particular viral genotypes or genetic mutations. We investigate HBV genotype-related differences in viral replication, antigen expression, and histopathology in severe combined immunodeficiency transgenic with urokinase-type plasminogen activator mice harboring human hepatocytes. Mice were inoculated with wild-type of different genotype strains (3 for each HBV/A2, B1, and C2) recovered from preinfected-mice sera or patient sera. Histologic analysis of mice infected with HBV/C2 for 22-25 weeks showed abundant ground-glass appearance of the hepatocytes and fibrosis in the humanized part of the murine liver owing to the activation of hepatic stellate cells mediated by oxidative stress through transforming growth factor-beta1 signaling, whereas neither was observed with HBV/A2 and B1. The HBV-DNA level in sera was the highest in mice infected with HBV/C2 compared with those with HBV/A2 and HBV/B1 (10(9), 10(7), and 10(4) log copies/mL, respectively, P < .05) during 6-8 weeks postinoculation. HB core-related antigen excretion had a similar trend among the genotypes, whereas secretion of HB surface antigen was more pronounced for HBV/A2 followed by HBV/C2 and much less for HBV/B1. Introduction of precore stop-codon mutation in the HBV/B1 caused a significant increase in viral replication, antigen expression, and a histopathologic picture similar to HBV/C2. By using a humanized in vivo model, we show that different HBV genotypes and even particular mutations resulted in different virologic and histopathologic outcomes of infection, indicating that particular genetic variants of HBV may be directly cytopathic in immunosuppressive conditions.


Decision Making Concepts for the Remote, Personalized Evaluation of COPD Patients' Health Status.
This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Biosignal Interpretation: Advanced Methods for Neural Signals and Images". This paper presents the main concepts of a decision making approach for the remote management of COPD patients based on the early detection of disease exacerbation episodes. An e-diary card is defined to evaluate a number of physiological variables and clinical parameters acquired remotely by means of wearable and environmental sensors deployed in patients' long-stay settings. The automatic evaluation of the card results in a so-called Chronic Status Index (CSI) whose computation is tailored to patients' specific manifestation of the disease (i.e., patient's phenotype). The decision support method relies on a parameterized analysis of CSI variations so as to early detect worsening changes, identify exacerbation severity and track the patterns of recovery. A preliminary study, carried out in real settings with 30 COPD patients monitored at home, has shown the validity and sensitivity of the method proposed, which was effectively able to timely and correctly identify patients' critical situation. The preliminary results showed that the proposed e-diary card, which presents several novel features with respect to other solutions presented in the literature, can be practically used to remotely monitor COPD patients.


Shell-confined hydrogen atom.
Calculations of electronic energy and static dipole polarizability are reported for the hydrogen atom in the ns states (n = 1-6) confined between two impenetrable concentric spheres of inner and outer radii placed at the locations of the radial nodes corresponding to the free hydrogen ns (n = 2-7) orbitals. Interesting new conditions of degeneracy arising due to the shell confinement are discussed. Shell-confined states of unusually high polarizability are predicted for hydrogen atom as the inner sphere radius is shifted towards the outer nodal points of the free atom corresponding to the higher principal quantum numbers.


DNA methylation dynamics in blood after hematopoietic cell transplant.
Epigenetic deregulation is considered a common hallmark of cancer. Nevertheless, recent publications have demonstrated its association with a large array of human diseases. Here, we explore the DNA methylation dynamics in blood samples during hematopoietic cell transplant and how they are affected by pathophysiological events during transplant evolution. We analyzed global DNA methylation in a cohort of 47 patients with allogenic transplant up to 12 months post-transplant. Recipients stably maintained the donor's global methylation levels after transplant. Nonetheless, global methylation is affected by chimerism status. Methylation analysis of promoters revealed that methylation in more than 200 genes is altered 1 month post-transplant when compared with non-pathological methylation levels in the donor. This number decreased by 6 months post-transplant. Finally, we analyzed methylation in IFN-γ, FASL, IL-10, and PRF1 and found association with the severity of the acute graft-versus-host disease. Our results provide strong evidence that methylation changes in blood are linked to underlying physiological events and demonstrate that DNA methylation analysis is a viable strategy for the study of transplantation and for development of biomarkers.


Comparison of the force required for dural puncture with different spinal needles and subsequent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.
An in vitro model was used to determine the force required to pierce bovine dura with a range of new spinal needles and to measure the subsequent leakage rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A significantly greater force was required to pierce the dura with pencil-point style needles compared to Quincke needles of the same size. Quincke needles caused a greater loss of CSF than their pencil-point equivalents. The results suggest that there is not likely to be a significant reduction in postdural puncture headache (PDPH) using a 27-gauge pencil-point needle compared to a 25-gauge needle that may be easier to use. Different makes of the same design and gauge of needle showed significant differences in the amount of CSF leakage, which may influence the clinician's choice of needle.


[Psychotherapy of patients with brain lesions: an integrative model based on neuropsychological and psychodynamic perspectives].
Our model of psychotherapy for patients with brain lesions is based on an integrative approach of psychobehavioral symptoms, especially from the neuropsychological and psychodynamic perspectives. Adjustment of technical modalities and aims of psychoanalytical therapy is required for these patients. The analysis of the influence of cognitive disorders on transference and contre-transference plays a major role, including the role of procedural processes in changes in the intersubjective relationship between the patient and the therapist. Two vignettes are presented to illustrate our model, which respects the integrity of the cognitive and psychodynamic approaches and can be implemented by only one therapist, using alternatively each lecture, or by a working team bringing to light the different aspects of the same symptom.


HYP1, a hydrophobin gene from Aspergillus fumigatus, complements the rodletless phenotype in Aspergillus nidulans.
Aspergillus fumigatus produces conidia that are highly dispersable and resistant to degradation. We have sought to analyze these properties by studying the rodlets which form the outer spore coat protein. Degenerate primers based on hydrophobins in other fungi were applied to genomic DNA from A. fumigatus in PCR. A product of this reaction with similarity to an Aspergillus nidulans gene as judged by Southern hybridization was chosen for further study. Cloning and sequencing revealed a gene with two introns which encodes a protein of 159 amino acids. Structural characteristics consistent with those of other fungal hydrophobin genes, especially conserved cysteine residues, are present. The expression of the gene is limited to the developmental stages in which maturing conidiophores are present. This A. fumigatus gene, HYP1, was used to transform a mutant strain of A. nidulans that lacks rodlets. Transformants with a single copy of HYP1 expressed a rodlet layer on their conidia as observed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy.


Comparison of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate metabolism between fetal and postnatal pig red cells.
A four-fold increase in red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels occurs within 1-2 weeks after birth resulting in a decrease in oxygen affinity in the newborn pig. In this study, we found that although newborn pig red blood cells seem to be equally capable of net DPG synthesis as adult pig cells when challenged by a mixture of inosine, pyruvate and phosphate, the cells from newborns degrade DPG much faster than do cells from adults. As a result, DPG levels in the newborn's cells do not seem to increase in comparison to the adult's cells. Using a density centrifugation technique, it was found that the postnatal cells initially entering the circulation have a relatively low rather than high DPG content. However, DPG content quickly increases as they age. These findings suggest that the rapid rise of DPG seen in the growing piglet is brought about in part (a) by an elimination of the fetal cells with low DPG, and (b) by an emergence of postnatal cells having the capacity to augment their DPG content while in circulation.


Breast-feeding reduces the risk for childhood eczema.
The evidence for a preventive effect of breast-feeding on the development of eczema in childhood remains controversial. To investigate the effect of breast-feeding in various phenotypes of eczema to 4 years. A birth cohort of 4089 children made up the study base. Data on breast-feeding, allergic symptoms, and potential confounders were obtained from questionnaires when the children were 2 months and 1, 2, and 4 years old. At 4 years, blood specific IgE was analyzed. Children with symptoms of eczema and asthma during the period of breast-feeding were excluded in most analyses on risk assessment of eczema and asthma, respectively, to avoid disease-related modification of exposure. Exclusive breast-feeding for >or=4 months reduced the risk for eczema at the age of 4 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.63--0.96) irrespective of combination with asthma, sensitization to common allergens, or parental allergic disease. This decreased risk was most evident for children with onset of eczema during the first 2 years persisting to 4 years (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.45--0.77). Among children with early-onset eczema, irrespective of persistency, followed by late onset of asthma or early-onset asthma irrespective of persistency, followed by late-onset eczema to 4 years, a protective effect of breast-feeding was also seen (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30--0.76). Breast-feeding 4 months or more reduces the risk for eczema and onset of the allergy march to age 4.


Potable groundwater quality in some villages of Haryana, India: focus on fluoride.
The fluoride concentration in ground water was determined in ten villages of Rohtak district of Haryana state (India). The fluoride concentration in the underground water of these villages varied from 0.034-2.09 mg/l. Various other water quality parameters, viz., pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved salts, total hardness, total alkalinity sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride and sulfate were also measured. A systematic calculation of correlation coefficients among different physicochemical parameters indicated considerable variations among the analyzed samples with respect to their chemical composition. Majority of the samples do not comply with Indian as well as WHO standards for most of the water quality parameters measured. Overall water quality was found unsatisfactory for drinking purposes. Fluoride content was higher than permissible limit in 50% samples.


PLIT: An alignment-free computational tool for identification of long non-coding RNAs in plant transcriptomic datasets.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs which play a significant role in several biological processes. RNA-seq based transcriptome sequencing has been extensively used for identification of lncRNAs. However, accurate identification of lncRNAs in RNA-seq datasets is crucial for exploring their characteristic functions in the genome as most coding potential computation (CPC) tools fail to accurately identify them in transcriptomic data. Well-known CPC tools such as CPC2, lncScore, CPAT are primarily designed for prediction of lncRNAs based on the GENCODE, NONCODE and CANTATAdb databases. The prediction accuracy of these tools often drops when tested on transcriptomic datasets. This leads to higher false positive results and inaccuracy in the function annotation process. In this study, we present a novel tool, PLIT, for the identification of lncRNAs in plants RNA-seq datasets. PLIT implements a feature selection method based on L1 regularization and iterative Random Forests (iRF) classification for selection of optimal features. Based on sequence and codon-bias features, it classifies the RNA-seq derived FASTA sequences into coding or long non-coding transcripts. Using L1 regularization, 31 optimal features were obtained based on lncRNA and protein-coding transcripts from 8 plant species. The performance of the tool was evaluated on 7 plant RNA-seq datasets using 10-fold cross-validation. The analysis exhibited superior accuracy when evaluated against currently available state-of-the-art CPC tools.


Blue bodies in cytology specimens in a case of pulmonary talcosis.
Unusual extracellular birefringent laminated ovoid structures are seen in bronchial brushing, aspiration, and washing specimens in a 28-year-old woman who had histologic evidence of pulmonary talcosis. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis and microchemical studies have identified them to be calcium carbonate. These structures are known as pulmonary blue bodies and are seen mainly in histologic paraffin sections. Their occurrence in cytologic preparations and association with talcosis have not been reported.


Microgroove-Structured PDA/PEI/PPy@PI-MS Photothermal Aerogel with a Multilevel Water Transport Network for Highly Salt-Rejecting Solar-Driven Interfacial Evaporation.
Desalination of seawater through solar-driven interfacial evaporation is an efficient approach to solve the freshwater resource shortage problem. However, the salt formation and crystallization during interfacial evaporation limit the long-term stability of the solar evaporator. To further improve the salt-rejecting capability of the solar evaporator, we developed a porous framework photothermal microgroove-structured aerogel (PDA/PEI/PPy@PI-MS MGA, pppMGA) through a combined freeze drying, laser engraving, and chemical polymerization technique. A multilevel water transport network consisting of a three-dimensional (3D) skeleton, a microgroove-structured water channel, and a cotton core is constructed, which can effectively improve the salt-rejecting capability of the aerogel. At the same time, the combination of the 3D porous microgroove structure of the pppMGA evaporative interface and the efficient light absorption capacity of PPy effectively increases the vapor-liquid evaporation area and the light absorption rate (98%). A high evaporation rate (∼1.38 kg m-2 h-1) and high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼93.04%) can be achieved on the pppMGA evaporator under 1 sun illumination, which can operate stably in high salt concentration (20%) water for 8 h. Even under 3 sun illumination and a 20 wt % NaCl solution, the pppMGA evaporator can operate stably without salt crystallization. Such a photothermal aerogel with high salt-rejecting performance provides a new avenue for designing an interfacial evaporation system that can operate stably under high salt concentration conditions.


Acute renal injury after partial hepatectomy.
Currently, partial hepatectomy is the treatment of choice for a wide variety of liver and biliary conditions. Among the possible complications of partial hepatectomy, acute kidney injury (AKI) should be considered as an important cause of increased morbidity and postoperative mortality. Difficulties in the data analysis related to postoperative AKI after liver resections are mainly due to the multiplicity of factors to be considered in the surgical patients, moreover, there is no consensus of the exact definition of AKI after liver resection in the literature, which hampers comparison and analysis of the scarce data published on the subject. Despite this multiplicity of risk factors for postoperative AKI after partial hepatectomy, there are main factors that clearly contribute to its occurrence. First factor relates to large blood losses with renal hypoperfusion during the operation, second factor relates to the occurrence of post-hepatectomy liver failure with consequent distributive circulatory changes and hepatorenal syndrome. Eventually, patients can have more than one factor contributing to post-operative AKI, and frequently these combinations of acute insults can be aggravated by sepsis or exposure to nephrotoxic drugs.


Pregnancy in Budd-Chiari Syndrome: Case Report and Proposed Risk Score.
Due to its rarity, experience with pregnancy in Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is limited. With the advent of new treatment modalities, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in particular, numbers of affected women seeking pregnancy with BCS are expected to rise. Here, we use a case that ended lethal within 2 years after delivery to discuss the effect of pregnancy on BCS and vice versa, and to highlight the necessity of a multidisciplinary teamwork. Additionally, a risk classification is proposed which may serve as a framework for preconception counseling and assist in the establishment and evaluation of treatment algorithms; its criteria need to be defined and assessed for their applicability in further studies.


Ancient sedimentary structures in the <3.7 Ga Gillespie Lake Member, Mars, that resemble macroscopic morphology, spatial associations, and temporal succession in terrestrial microbialites.
Sandstone beds of the <3.7 Ga Gillespie Lake Member on Mars have been interpreted as evidence of an ancient playa lake environment. On Earth, such environments have been sites of colonization by microbial mats from the early Archean to the present time. Terrestrial microbial mats in playa lake environments form microbialites known as microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS). On Mars, three lithofacies of the Gillespie Lake Member sandstone display centimeter- to meter-scale structures similar in macroscopic morphology to terrestrial MISS that include "erosional remnants and pockets," "mat chips," "roll-ups," "desiccation cracks," and "gas domes." The microbially induced sedimentary-like structures identified in Curiosity rover mission images do not have a random distribution. Rather, they were found to be arranged in spatial associations and temporal successions that indicate they changed over time. On Earth, if such MISS occurred with this type of spatial association and temporal succession, they would be interpreted as having recorded the growth of a microbially dominated ecosystem that thrived in pools that later dried completely: erosional pockets, mat chips, and roll-ups resulted from water eroding an ancient microbial mat-covered sedimentary surface; during the course of subsequent water recess, channels would have cut deep into the microbial mats, leaving erosional remnants behind; desiccation cracks and gas domes would have occurred during a final period of subaerial exposure of the microbial mats. In this paper, the similarities of the macroscopic morphologies, spatial associations, and temporal succession of sedimentary structures on Mars to MISS preserved on Earth has led to the following hypothesis: The sedimentary structures in the <3.7 Ga Gillespie Lake Member on Mars are ancient MISS produced by interactions between microbial mats and their environment. Proposed here is a strategy for detecting, identifying, confirming, and differentiating possible MISS during current and future Mars missions.


The Halogen-Samarium Exchange Reaction: Synthetic Applications and Kinetics.
Fast I/Sm and Br/Sm exchanges take place when various aromatic or heterocyclic iodides and bromides are treated with nBu2 SmCl⋅4 LiCl and nBu3 Sm⋅5 LiCl, respectively. The resulting organosamarium reagents were efficiently quenched with aldehydes, ketones, and imines. Also, they undergo acylations when treated with N,N-dimethylamides leading to ketones. The rate of the Br/Sm exchange for a typical aryl bromide was determined and found to be 8.5×105 faster than the Br/Mg exchange, indicating that the rate of a metal-exchange is related to the ionic character of the carbon-metal bond and to the metal electronegativity.


Richter's syndrome of the central nervous system diagnosed concurrently with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: A case report and literature review.
Central nervous system (CNS) infiltration of Richter's syndrome (RS) is rare and only a few cases were discussed. Of these published cases, either they were accompanied with lymph node involvement or with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To our knowledge, this is the first published case of RS of the brain and meninges diagnosed concurrently with CLL in the absence of any evidence of lymphoma outside of the CNS. A 67-year-old female presented with slurred speech, headache, and left-sided hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an irregular lesion 30 mm in diameter in the right parietal lobe. The mass was totally removed and pathology revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of non-germinal center type by Hans' classification. The patient's leukocyte count was 12.1 × 109/L (76.9% lymphocytes), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of blood revealed a clonal B-cell population (36.75% leukocytes) corresponding to the immunological CLL profile (Matutes score of 5/5). Bone marrow (BM) aspiration and biopsy also indicated CLL. The analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) and kappa chain gene (IGK) in the patient's BM and CNS tissue indicated that the DLBCL of the brain was derived from the CLL clone. RS of the CNS diagnosed concurrently with CLL. The patient received intravenous chemotherapy (6.0 g methotrexate) and intrathecal chemotherapy (10 mg methotrexate, 50 mg cytarabine, 5 mg dexamethasone). The patient returned to our department with left-sided hemiparesis and headache 2 weeks after the chemotherapy. Repeat MRI showed progression of the brain lesion. Her general condition deteriorated significantly with confusion and high fever, and she died within a few days at only 10 weeks after the onset of symptoms. The survival of CNS-RS patients is very poor and and is always complicated with multiple and different genetic alterations. Because of chemotherapy insensitivity, a multidisciplinary treatment including surgery and radiotherapy together with novel agents may be an option to improving patient outcomes.