The Bunyamwera virus mRNA transcription signal resides within both the 3' and the 5' terminal regions and allows ambisense transcription from a model RNA segment.
Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is the prototype of the Bunyaviridae family of RNA viruses. BUNV genomic strands are templates for both replication and transcription, whereas the antigenomic RNAs serve only as templates for replication. By mutagenesis of model templates, we showed that the BUNV transcription promoter comprises elements within both the 3' and the 5' nontranslated regions. Using this information, we designed a model ambisense BUNV segment that transcribed BUNV S mRNA from the genomic strand and green fluorescent protein (GFP) mRNA from the antigenome. Demonstration of GFP expression showed that this ambisense strategy represents a viable approach for generating BUNV segments able to express additional proteins.


Assessing Bacillus subtilis biosurfactant effects on the biodegradation of petroleum products.
Microbial pollutant removal capabilities can be determined and exploited to accomplish bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted environments. Thus, increasing knowledge on environmental behavior of different petroleum products can lead to better bioremediation strategies. Biodegradation can be enhanced by adding biosurfactants to hydrocarbon-degrading microorganism consortia. This work aimed to improve petroleum products biodegradation by using a biosurfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis. The produced biosurfactant was added to biodegradation assays containing crude oil, diesel, and kerosene. Biodegradation was monitored by a respirometric technique capable of evaluating CO₂ production in an aerobic simulated wastewater environment. The biosurfactant yielded optimal surface tension reduction (30.9 mN m(-1)) and emulsification results (46.90% with kerosene). Biodegradation successfully occurred and different profiles were observed for each substance. Precise mathematical modeling of biosurfactant effects on petroleum degradation profile was designed, hence allowing long-term kinetics prediction. Assays containing biosurfactant yielded a higher overall CO₂ output. Higher emulsification and an enhanced CO2 production dataset on assays containing biosurfactants was observed, especially in crude oil and kerosene.


Individualized head-related transfer functions based on population grouping.
A method is proposed to divide a population into different groups for partial individualization of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). Borrowing the basic idea in sizing system design, factor analysis is used to identify the most representative measurements which are then in a case study used to group the population. The comparison between the group mean HRTFs and the population mean HRTFs shows that the group mean HRTFs could greatly reduce spectral distortion at most sampled positions.


Severe optic neuropathy caused by dichloromethane inhalation.
In this paper, we report a case of severe optic neuropathy caused by dichloromethane inhalation. A 65-year-old man fell unconsciousness while cleaning a dichloromethane tank containing a small amount of dichloromethane (purity greater than 99%) and was transported to the emergency department of our hospital, after which he was treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After 1 month, narrowing of the visual field in both eyes was noted and the patient was referred to our department for additional examinations. Visual acuity was 0.3 in both eyes, which demonstrated normal reactions to light, while the critical flicker frequency (CFF) values were 30 and 25 Hz in the right and left eye, respectively. There were no abnormal findings shown in slit-lamp and fundus examinations, except for a mild cataract. Concentric contractions of the visual field by 10 degrees in both eyes were shown by a Goldmann perimetry examination, while an electroretinogram (ERG) and visual evoked cortical potential (VECP) examination exhibited nearly normal results. We diagnosed the condition as optic neuropathy caused by organic solvent poisoning, based on the decreased visual acuity, decreased CFF values, and visual-field narrowing. Although the patient was treated with vitamin B(12), visual disturbance, optic nerve atrophy, and results of VECP examinations worsened in both eyes, whereas ERG examination results were normal. Based on our findings, we considered that the central nervous system, including the optic nerve, was more severely damaged than the retina due to the normal findings in the ocular fundus and ERG examinations. Since dichloromethane produces carbon monoxide when catabolized in the liver, carbon monoxide toxicity together with the direct toxic effect of dichloromethane were considered to contribute to optic neuropathy in this case. The outcome for the present patient was poor.


Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers for Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides).
Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides) is one of the most important fur-bearing animal species. Information about the genetic background of farmed Chinese raccoon dogs is limited. In this study, 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and identified from an (AC)n-microsatellite-enriched library of Chinese raccoon dogs. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 8 based on 48 individuals tested. The expected and observed heterozygosity and polymorphism information content per locus ranged from 0.383 to 0.8378, 0.3200 to 0.8696, and 0.3047 to 0.7947, respectively. Cross-species amplification of these loci in 2 other Canidae species indicated that 9 and 11 of these loci could also be amplified successfully in the arctic and silver fox, respectively. These microsatellite loci developed in the present report will provide useful tools for population genetic studies, individual identification, and phylogenetic analysis in the Chinese raccoon dog and other Canidae species.


Pulmonary manifestations revealing Rosai-Dorfman disease.
Rosai-Dorfman disease is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, mainly involving cervical nodes. We present the case of a patient with a pulmonary form of Rosai-Dorfman disease without peripheral or intra-thoracic lymph nodes, characterized by the presence of pulmonary nodules and cysts associated with bilateral pleural effusions.


Bed surfaces and pressure sore prevention: an abridged report.
This article summarizes the results of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials testing the effectiveness of special beds, mattresses, and cushions in preventing and treating pressure sores. The review's citation is Cullum, N., Deeks, J., Sheldon, T.A., Song, F., & Fletcher, A.W. (2000). Beds, mattresses and cushions for pressure sore prevention and treatment (Cochrane Review). The Cochrane Library, 4. An integrative research review. 37 studies were included in the analysis. A broad search of databases and unpublished studies was conducted. Data were extracted from those that met the inclusion criteria. Studies were grouped in various ways but mainly by type of product evaluated. Many special products designed to prevent or treat pressure sores are more effective than standard hospital foam mattresses in preventing and treating pressure sores. Special pressure-relieving surfaces should be used for patients at risk for skin breakdown. Individual practitioners and agencies should have a systematic protocol for assessing patients' risk of skin breakdown and for taking action when patients are determined to be at risk. The findings of this review provide some guidance for choosing particular products, albeit not definitive evidence for matching risk levels to products.


Effect of high-carbon dioxide atmospheres on infestations of apple maggot (Diptera: Tephritidae) in apples.
Short-term storage regimens containing elevated atmospheres of carbon dioxide (CO2) were evaluated for their ability to disinfest newly harvested 'McIntosh' apples of apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). Infested fruits containing newly laid eggs were either placed directly into the high-CO2 atmosphere at 10 degrees C to expose this life stage, or else held first for 7 d at room temperature, to allow development to the neonate larval stage. Treatment combinations consisted of three different CO2 levels (10.6, 14.9, and 19.0% CO2) and two periods of exposure (7 and 14 d). Apple maggot eggs subjected to the treatments always exhibited some survival, which was lower for the 14-d than the 7-d exposure periods. In contrast, newly hatched larvae were less able to survive the treatments. The 7-d exposure allowed low levels of survival of this life stage, but virtually none survived the 14-d exposure period. To determine the age at which eggs become more susceptible to high-CO2 atmospheres, infested fruits containing eggs three or 3d old were submitted to a 14-d exposure to 19.0% CO2. Survival of 3-d old eggs was similar to that of eggs exposed at an age of 1 d or less, but this dropped to near zero for 5-d old eggs, indicating an increase in susceptibility sometime during the 3-5-d age range. Fruits exposed to 19.0% CO2 for 14 d were significantly firmer than untreated fruits. No apparent browning, internal breakdown or other fruit defects were detected in any of the treatments.


Diabetic polyneuropathy, sensory neurons, nuclear structure and spliceosome alterations: a role for CWC22.
Unique deficits in the function of adult sensory neurons as part of their early neurodegeneration might account for progressive polyneuropathy during chronic diabetes mellitus. Here, we provide structural and functional evidence for aberrant pre-mRNA splicing in a chronic type 1 model of experimental diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). Cajal bodies (CBs), unique nuclear substructures involved in RNA splicing, increased in number in diabetic sensory neurons, but their expected colocalization with survival motor neuron (SMN) proteins was reduced - a mislocalization described in motor neurons of spinal muscular atrophy. Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), also participants in the spliceosome, had abnormal multiple nuclear foci unassociated with CBs, and their associated snRNAs were reduced. CWC22, a key spliceosome protein, was aberrantly upregulated in diabetic dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and impaired neuronal function. CWC22 attenuated sensory neuron plasticity, with knockdown in vitro enhancing their neurite outgrowth. Further, axonal delivery of CWC22 siRNA unilaterally to locally knock down the aberrant protein in diabetic nerves improved aspects of sensory function in diabetic mice. Collectively, our findings identify subtle but significant alterations in spliceosome structure and function, including dysregulated CBs and CWC22 overexpression, in diabetic sensory neurons that offer new ideas regarding diabetic sensory neurodegeneration in polyneuropathy.


Effects of the beta-glycosidase reaction on bio-conversion of isoflavones and quality during tofu processing.
Isoflavones are the most common group of phytoestrogens which are present in significantly large amounts in soybean and soy products such as tofu. Isoflavones occur naturally in glycoside forms having lower bioavailability than their aglycone forms. beta-Glycosidase acts as a bio-catalyst for the conversion of isoflavone glycosides to isoflavone aglycones, raising the bioavailability of isoflavones; therefore, it can be used to improve the quality of tofu. We need to establish process conditions for the optimal outcome of the enzyme reaction in tofu. By using the beta-glycosidase (0.02% w/v) reaction at 55 degrees C for 30 min, a maximum 84.5% conversion of isoflavone glycoside to isoflavone aglycone was obtained. The enzyme reaction caused no significant effects on the sensory acceptability of soft tofu. The hardness of enzyme-treated hard tofu increased with the coagulant amount whereas prolonged heating resulted in decrease of hardness. Incorporation of enzyme reaction before the coagulation process during soft tofu processing provided a sufficient bio-conversion of isoflavones at optimal conditions. beta-Glycosidase can be effectively used for the bioconversion of isoflavones in soft tofu manufacturing process at optimal reaction conditions before the onset of coagulation process.


Improved short adjacent repeat identification using three evolutionary Monte Carlo schemes.
This paper employs three Evolutionary Monte Carlo (EMC) schemes to solve the Short Adjacent Repeat Identification Problem (SARIP), which aims to identify the common repeat units shared by multiple sequences. The three EMC schemes, i.e., Random Exchange (RE), Best Exchange (BE), and crossover are implemented on a parallel platform. The simulation results show that compared with the conventional Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm, all three EMC schemes can not only shorten the computation time via speeding up the convergence but also improve the solution quality in difficult cases. Moreover, we observe that the performances of different EMC schemes depend on the degeneracy degree of the motif pattern.


Effect of vasodilator therapy on mortality in chronic congestive heart failure.
The reduction of mortality in patients with chronic congestive heart failure treated with the vasodilator regimen hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate compared to those treated with placebo or prazosin in the Veterans Administration Cooperative Study (V-HeFT) was examined in order to explore the possible mechanism of the favourable effect. Similar efficacy in coronary and non-coronary disease patients tends to discount a prominent effect on myocardial perfusion. The most likely explanation for the prolonged survival on the effective vasodilator regimen is that these drugs tend to increase left ventricular ejection fraction, probably by a sustained effect on preload and impedance.


BDNF and Cognitive Function in Chilean Schizophrenic Patients.
Despite cognitive symptoms being very important in schizophrenia, not every schizophrenic patient has a significant cognitive deficit. The molecular mechanisms underlying the different degrees of cognitive functioning in schizophrenic patients are not sufficiently understood. We studied the relation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cognitive functioning in two groups of schizophrenic patients with different cognitive statuses. According to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) results, the schizophrenic patients were classified into two subgroups: normal cognition (26 or more) and cognitive deficit (25 or less). We measured their plasma BDNF levels using ELISAs. The statistical analyses were performed using Spearman's Rho and Kruskal-Wallis tests. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the plasma BDNF levels and MoCA score (p = 0.04) in the subgroup of schizophrenic patients with a cognitive deficit (n = 29). However, this correlation was not observed in the patients with normal cognition (n = 11) and was not observed in the total patient group (n = 40). These results support a significant role for BDNF in the cognitive functioning of schizophrenics with some degree of cognitive deficit, but suggest that BDNF may not be crucial in patients with a normal cognitive status. These findings provide information about the molecular basis underlying cognitive deficits in this illness.


Purification and characterization of a novel polysaccharide involved in the pellicle produced by a thermotolerant Acetobacter strain.
Acetobacter strains able to produce a thick pellicle at 37 degrees C were screened among many thermotolerant strains isolated from fruits in Thailand. As a result, Acetobacter sp. SKU 1100 was selected as the producer of a relatively thick pellicle even when cultured at higher temperatures such as 37 degrees C or 40 degrees C. This strain could produce a pellicle polysaccharide in a shaking submerged culture as well as under static culture conditions. The polysaccharide was found to be attached to the bacterial cells. Although the polysaccharide production was higher at 30 degrees C than at 37 degrees C in shaking submerged culture, the productivity in static culture was not decreased even at higher temperatures. The membrane-attached polysaccharide was purified from the SKU 1100 strain by cell disruptions using either ultrasonic treatment or lysozyme treatment, followed by ultracentrifugation, enzyme treatments, dialysis against SDS, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, alcohol precipitation, and gel filtration chromatography. The polysaccharide purified by the sonic treatment and also by the mild conditions using lysozyme treatment had the same average molecular mass of 120 kDa. The purified polysaccharide was composed of three different monosaccharides; glucose, galactose, and rhamnose, in an approximately equimolar ratio of 1:1:1.


Indel PDB: a database of structural insertions and deletions derived from sequence alignments of closely related proteins.
Insertions and deletions (indels) represent a common type of sequence variations, which are less studied and pose many important biological questions. Recent research has shown that the presence of sizable indels in protein sequences may be indicative of protein essentiality and their role in protein interaction networks. Examples of utilization of indels for structure-based drug design have also been recently demonstrated. Nonetheless many structural and functional characteristics of indels remain less researched or unknown. We have created a web-based resource, Indel PDB, representing a structural database of insertions/deletions identified from the sequence alignments of highly similar proteins found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Indel PDB utilized large amounts of available structural information to characterize 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional features of indel sites. Indel PDB contains 117,266 non-redundant indel sites extracted from 11,294 indel-containing proteins. Unlike loop databases, Indel PDB features more indel sequences with secondary structures including alpha-helices and beta-sheets in addition to loops. The insertion fragments have been characterized by their sequences, lengths, locations, secondary structure composition, solvent accessibility, protein domain association and three dimensional structures. By utilizing the data available in Indel PDB, we have studied and presented here several sequence and structural features of indels. We anticipate that Indel PDB will not only enable future functional studies of indels, but will also assist protein modeling efforts and identification of indel-directed drug binding sites.


Linezolid-associated peripheral neuropathy.
Linezolid is the first drug in a new class of synthetic antimicrobials, the oxazolidinones, to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Linezolid is active against methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant gram-positive microorganisms. We describe 2 patients who developed peripheral neuropathy after prolonged treatment with linezolid. Linezolid-associated peripheral neuropathy has not been well documented. Most reported cases of linezolid-associated peripheral neuropathy have occurred in patients who took linezolid for a period longer than the recommended 28 or fewer days. Health care providers must be alert to the potential for serious adverse effects associated with linezolid use, including peripheral neuropathy.


Electronic-photonic arithmetic logic unit for high-speed computing.
The past two decades have witnessed the stagnation of the clock speed of microprocessors followed by the recent faltering of Moore's law as nanofabrication technology approaches its unavoidable physical limit. Vigorous efforts from various research areas have been made to develop power-efficient and ultrafast computing machines in this post-Moore's law era. With its unique capacity to integrate complex electro-optic circuits on a single chip, integrated photonics has revolutionized the interconnects and has shown its striking potential in optical computing. Here, we propose an electronic-photonic computing architecture for a wavelength division multiplexing-based electronic-photonic arithmetic logic unit, which disentangles the exponential relationship between power and clock rate, leading to an enhancement in computation speed and power efficiency as compared to the state-of-the-art transistors-based circuits. We experimentally demonstrate its practicality by implementing a 4-bit arithmetic logic unit consisting of 8 high-speed microdisk modulators and operating at 20 GHz. This approach paves the way to future power-saving and high-speed electronic-photonic computing circuits.


Percutaneous Image-Guided Cryoablation as Second-Line Therapy of Soft-Tissue Venous Vascular Malformations of Extremities: A Prospective Study of Safety and 6-Month Efficacy.
To report the safety and short-term efficacy of percutaneous image-guided cryoablation performed as second-line therapy of venous vascular malformations (VVM) of extremities. In this non-blinded, no-randomized trial, cryoablation was proposed in 14 patients presenting with symptomatic VVM for recurrences after treatment. Eligibility criteria were: cryoablation feasible, localization at least 5 mm from skin and nerves, absence of contra-indication for anesthesia. Safety was evaluated by the common terminology criteria for adverse events (AE). Clinical response was assessed by evaluating pain at day 7, month 2 and 6 using visual analog scale; quality of life before cryoablation and at 2 and 6 months after using questionnaire. Evolution of volume was evaluated by MRI at 6 months. Comparison was performed using the Wilcoxon test. A technical success was observed in all cases. While 11 patients (78.6%) presented AE (13 grade 1-2 and 3 grade 3), only two severe AE (grade 3) related to cryoablation occurred in two patients (14.3%) during the 6-month follow-up: one immediate sciatic paralysis and one delayed paresthesia. A clinical response was observed in 12 patients (85.7%) at 6 months. Pain decreased significantly from 42.5 ± 14.2 mm before the intervention to 11.8 ± 17.9 mm at 6 months (P = 0.002). A significant decrease in the mean volume from 12.8 ± 14.3 to 3 ± 2.7 cm3 was observed at 6 months (P = 0.002). Percutaneous cryoablation is a promising alternative treatment for sclerotherapy-resistant venous malformations. However, to improve safety, careful patient selection and treatment planning will be mandatory.


Recombinant Sox Enzymes from Paracoccus pantotrophus Degrade Hydrogen Sulfide, a Major Component of Oral Malodor.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is emitted from industrial activities, and several chemotrophs possessing Sox enzymes are used for its removal. Oral malodor is a common issue in the dental field and major malodorous components are volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), including H2S and methyl mercaptan. Paracoccus pantotrophus is an aerobic, neutrophilic facultatively autotrophic bacterium that possesses sulfur-oxidizing (Sox) enzymes in order to use sulfur compounds as an energy source. In the present study, we cloned the Sox enzymes of P. pantotrophus GB17 and evaluated their VSC-degrading activities for the prevention of oral malodor. Six genes, soxX, soxY, soxZ, soxA, soxB, and soxCD, were amplified from P. pantotrophus GB17. Each fragment was cloned into a vector for the expression of 6×His-tagged fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. Recombinant Sox (rSox) proteins were purified from whole-cell extracts of E. coli using nickel affinity chromatography. The enzyme mixture was investigated for the degradation of VSCs using gas chromatography. Each of the rSox enzymes was purified to apparent homogeneity, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The rSox enzyme mixture degraded H2S in dose- and time-dependent manners. All rSox enzymes were necessary for degrading H2S. The H2S-degrading activities of rSox enzymes were stable at 25-80°C, and the optimum pH was 7.0. The amount of H2S produced by periodontopathic bacteria or oral bacteria collected from human subjects decreased after an incubation with rSox enzymes. These results suggest that the combination of rSox enzymes from P. pantotrophus GB17 is useful for the prevention of oral malodor.


Visible femtosecond fiber laser.
Femtosecond fiber lasers have revolutionized the industry of laser technology by providing ultrashort pulses of high brightness through compact, affordable, and reliable setups. In this work, we extend the scope of application of such sources by reporting, to our knowledge, the first femtosecond fiber laser operating in the visible spectrum. The passively mode-locked ring cavity is based on nonlinear polarization evolution in a single-mode Pr3+-doped fluoride fiber and runs in an all-normal dispersion regime. Compressed pulses at 635 nm have a duration of 168 fs, a peak power of 0.73 kW, and a repetition rate of 137 MHz.


Normative ultrasound references for the paediatric wrist; dorsal soft tissues.
To report novel ultrasound (US) references for the healthy paediatric wrist. Healthy children and adolescents had an US examination including Doppler, of the right wrist, using a mid-sagittal image through the radiocarpal (RC)/midcarpal (MC) joints. These features were noted: appearances and depth of the recess, with an additional measurement in the flexed position and number of Doppler signals within the recess in close proximity to the joint. In a second, blinded session, all images were reassessed by the same observer. In total, 116 subjects (59 girls) aged 6-16 years (mean 10 years and 11 months) were included. The RC recess was visible in 71, of which 60 were non-bulging and 11 were bulging. In flexion, the thickness decreased in 60 (84.5%), suggestive of joint fluid. Of the 54 visible MC recesses, 45 (83.3%) thinned in flexion. The mean depths of the RC and MC recesses were 0.4 mm (SD 0.5, range 0-2.9) and 0.5 mm (SD 0.6, range 0-2.4), respectively, with no differences according to sex, but with increasing depths by age.For the RC joints, at least one Doppler signal was seen in the recess in 9/116 joints (7.8%), whereas this was true for 3.5% of the MC recesses. There were no statistically significant association between the depth of the RC or MC recesses and number of hand active sport activities (P=0.733 and P=0.091, respectively). The appearances of the dorsal RC and MC recesses in healthy children may mimic pathology. Hence, findings should be interpreted carefully.


Surgical treatment of vertigo in cochlear implantees by electrode resealing.
Our present findings demonstrate that resealing to cover the electrode is an effective method to treat vertigo after CI. An insufficient cochleostomy sealing can be regarded as a cause of postoperatively newly occuring vertigo after CI. A transtympanic revision is a promising treatment option in cases of post-operative dizziness. Intoduction: A well-known and frequently reported complication after cochlear implantation is the appearance of postoperative vertigo symptoms. The aim of the present study was to observe if the postoperatively new occurrence of vertigo can be treated by resealing of the round window patch after cochlear implantation. A retrospective analysis revealed that 10 patients underwent revision surgery transtympanally. Vertigo was assessed preoperatively and directly postoperatively and after 6 month after revision surgery by using the Dizziness Handycap Inventory (DHI). The most common symptom was rotating vertigo. A spontanous nystagmus was seen in four cases. No nystagmus was found after the revision surgery. In three cases, the onset of dizziness was associated with an event (sneezing, otitis media, climbing a mountain). A preoperative CT showed insuspectible results in seven patients but revealed pathologies two patients. Vertigo was improved significantly in six patients, and three of them were symptom-free.


In vitro effects of exogenous carbon monoxide on oxidative stress and lipid metabolism in macrophages.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a major constituent of traffic-related air pollution and is also produced endogenously under conditions of oxygen-mediated stress. It has been shown to affect both oxidative stress and inflammation. However, its role in lipid metabolism has been neglected. Using short exposure times, the effect of CO on J774A.1 macrophage atherogenic functions was investigated up to 16 h after exposure. Exposure of macrophages was found to be pro-atherogenic as it significantly increased triglyceride mass, up to 60%, and decreased high-density lipoprotein-mediated cholesterol efflux, up to 27%. In contrast, paraoxonase 2 lactonase activity was increased, up to 65%, and cellular oxidative stress was attenuated by 29%, compared with the control cells. The above results on lipid metabolism may lead to arterial macrophage foam cell formation, the hallmark of early atherogenesis.


Ag/BiPO4 heterostructures: synthesis, characterization and their enhanced photocatalytic properties.
Ag/BiPO4 heterostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal method combined with an impregnation technique. The heterostructures exhibit much higher activity than pure BiPO4 for degradation of methylene blue, which may be primarily ascribed to highly efficient photogenerated electron-hole pair separation. They also show good recyclability and slightly strong absorption in the visible region. In addition, the possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic properties of Ag/BiPO4 heterostructures is discussed. Moreover, radical scavengers experiments confirmed that holes are the main active species instead of hydroxyl radicals when coupled with the BiPO4 surface by the noble nanocrystalline metal Ag.


Combination of intratumoral injections of vaccinia virus MVA expressing GM-CSF and immunization with DNA vaccine prolongs the survival of mice bearing HPV16 induced tumors with downregulated expression of MHC class I molecules.
Downregulation of MHC class I molecules is believed to be often the cause of tumor immune escape and at the same time it is the major obstacle to T-cell based immunotherapy of tumors. In our experimental model, the C57BL/6 mice bearing tumors induced by TC-1/A9 cells characterized by expression of HPV16 oncogenes and downregulation of H-2b molecules were immunized with highly immunogenic E7GGG.GUS DNA vaccine expressing the fused gene of modified HPV16 E7 (E7GGG) with E.coli beta-glucuronidase (GUS). The DNA vaccine was administered by gene gun on days 7 and 14 after s.c. injection of tumor cells. The tumors in situ were injected with recombinant vaccinia virus MVA expressing the gene for murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MVA-GM-CSF). Two doses of the DNA vaccine combined with at least two consecutive local treatments with MVA-GM-CSF were able to inhibit significantly the growth of tumors. We have shown by ELISPOT-IFNgamma that in situ expression of the GM-CSF gene did not enhance the E7 specific systemic Tcell response. We found that local injections of MVA-GM-CSF induced an increase of intratumoral CD3+ T cell counts and that the DNA vaccination resulted in up-regulation of MHC type I molecules on tumor cells in vivo. We suppose that i.t. delivery of MVA-GM-CSF changed the local tumor microenvironment and rendered tumors more attractive and better accessible to effector T cells.


Isoliquiritigenin exerts antioxidant activity in Caenorhabditis elegans via insulin-like signaling pathway and SKN-1.
Glycyrrhiza uralensis is a well-known medicinal plant. Different therapeutic effects have been reported for its secondary metabolites, including neuroprotective activity. Antioxidant properties have also been documented for some of its compounds and it could be a possible mechanism of neuroprotection. The present study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant effect and underlying pathways of G. uralensis and its main compounds. The experiments were conducted with Caenorhabditis elegans, a simple in vivo model, widely used in this context. The methanol extract of G. uralensis and its main compounds isoliquiritigenin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid were tested for their effects on heat shock protein expression under mild oxidative stress and survival rate under lethal oxidative stress. To clarify the underlying pathways, the effect on the transcription factors DAF-16, SKN-1, and HSF-1 was tested. Isoliquiritigenin was the most potent compound in both assays, leading to a 31% decrease in expression of the stress marker heat shock protein and an 87% increase in survival rate. It significantly activated DAF-16 and SKN-1, but not HSF-1. The present study identified isoliquiritigenin as the most active antioxidant compound in G. uralensis. It exerts its effect by activating the transcription factors DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2 which regulate many genes, including those which code for proteins of antioxidative response. This implicates isoliquiritigenin as a possible supplement drug against oxidative stress especially in neurodegenerative diseases.


Clinical significance of abnormal relaxation pattern of the transmitral flow velocity waveform in older patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.
The pathophysiology of abnormal relaxation pattern in the transmitral flow (TMF) velocity waveform has not been fully elucidated. A total of 173 patients who underwent comprehensive Doppler echocardiography and diagnostic cardiac catheterization for coronary artery disease were enrolled in the study. Peak early and late diastolic TMF velocities (E and A, respectively) were measured. Minimum left ventricular (LV) pressure; LV pre-A wave pressure (surrogate of mean left atrial [LA] pressure); time constant (τ) of LV pressure decay; and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated. Patients with E/A ratio <1.0 and LVEF ≥ 50% were enrolled. Patients with τ ≥ 48 ms and those with τ <48 ms were compared. The 2 groups had no significant differences in E or E/A. Minimum LV pressure (6.9 ± 2.2 mmHg vs. 3.6 ± 2.9 mmHg, P<0.0001) and LV pre-A wave pressure (9.5 ± 2.4 mmHg vs. 6.1 ± 3.0 mmHg, P<0.0001) were significantly higher in patients with τ ≥ 48 ms compared to those with τ <48 ms, but the difference between the LV pre-A and minimum LV pressures was similar between the groups (2.6 ± 1.4 mmHg vs. 2.5 ± 1.5 mmHg, P=0.89). Proportional elevations in minimum LV and pre-A pressures, due to deteriorated LV relaxation, resulted in no changes in the pressure gradient between the LA and LV in early diastole, E, or E/A.


The effect of door-to-balloon delay in primary percutaneous coronary intervention on clinical outcomes of STEMI: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a medical emergency in which sudden occlusion of coronary artery(ies) results in ischemia and necrosis of the cardiac tissues. Reperfusion therapies that aim at reopening the occluded artery remain the mainstay of treatment for AMI. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which enables the restoration of blood flow by reopening the occluded artery(ies) via a catheter with an inflatable balloon, is currently the preferred treatment for AMI with ST segment elevation (STEMI). The door-to-balloon (D2B) delay refers to the time interval counting from the arrival of a patient with STEMI at a hospital to the time of the balloon inflation (or stent deployment) that reopens the occluded artery(ies). Reducing this delay in primary PCI is thought to be an important strategy toward achieving better patient outcomes. Unfortunately, significant reduction of D2B delay in the USA over the last decade has not been shown to be associated with improved STEMI mortality. It has been suggested that the lack of impact could be due to the expanding use of primary PCI in STEMI as well as the survival cohort effect, leading to a shift toward a higher risk population receiving the procedure. Others have suggested that reduction in D2B delay may not be as impactful as expected, given that it only represents a small fraction of the total ischemic time. Although most existing evidence have pointed to the presence of a beneficial effect of shorter D2B delay, some inconsistencies however exist. This study aims to synthesize available evidence in order to answer the following questions: (1) what is the overall effect of D2B delay on clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI? (2) What factors explain the differences of the effect estimates among the studies? (3) What are the important strength and limitation of the existing body of evidence? We will search PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry, CINAHL Database, and the Cochrane Library using a predefined search strategy. Other sources of literature will include proceedings from the European Society of Cardiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the EUROPCR, and the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. We will include data from observational studies (case-control and cohort study design) and randomized control trials (that have investigated the relationship of D2B time and clinical outcome(s) in an adult (older than 18) STEMI population). Mortality (cardiac related and all-cause) and incidence heart failure (HF) have been prioritized as the primary outcomes. All eligible studies will be assessed for risk of bias using the Risk Of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tool. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework will be used to report the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. We will proceed to analyze the data quantitatively if the pre-specified conditions are satisfied. Recent discussion on the negative findings of improved D2B delay over time being unrelated to better STEMI outcomes at the population level has reminded us of an important knowledge gap we have on this domain. This systematic review will serve to address some of these key questions not previously examined. Answers to these questions could clarify the controversies and offer empirical support for or against the suggested hypotheses. PROSPERO CRD42015026069.


Flavonoids of Korean Citrus aurantium L. Induce Apoptosis via Intrinsic Pathway in Human Hepatoblastoma HepG2 Cells.
Korean Citrus aurantium L. has long been used as a medicinal herb for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The present study investigates the anticancer role of flavonoids extracted from C. aurantium on human hepatoblastoma cell, HepG2. The Citrus flavonoids inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This result was consistent with the in vivo xenograft results. Apoptosis was detected by cell morphology, cell cycle analysis, and immunoblot. Flavonoids decreased the level of pAkt and other downstream targets of phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway - P-4EBP1 and P-p70S6K. The expressions of cleaved caspase 3, Bax, and Bak were increased, while those of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were decreased with an increase in the expression of Bax/Bcl-xL ratio in treated cells. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was also observed in flavonoid-treated HepG2 cells. It was also observed that the P-p38 protein level was increased both dose and time dependently in flavonoid-treated cells. Collectively, these results suggest that flavonoid extracted from Citrus inhibits HepG2 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis via an intrinsic pathway. These findings suggest that flavonoids extracted from C. aurantium L. are potential chemotherapeutic agents against liver cancer.


Metallic ground state in an ion-gated two-dimensional superconductor.
Recently emerging two-dimensional (2D) superconductors in atomically thin layers and at heterogeneous interfaces are attracting growing interest in condensed matter physics. Here, we report that an ion-gated zirconium nitride chloride surface, exhibiting a dome-shaped phase diagram with a maximum critical temperature of 14.8 kelvin, behaves as a superconductor persisting to the 2D limit. The superconducting thickness estimated from the upper critical fields is ≅ 1.8 nanometers, which is thinner than one unit-cell. The majority of the vortex phase diagram down to 2 kelvin is occupied by a metallic state with a finite resistance, owing to the quantum creep of vortices caused by extremely weak pinning and disorder. Our findings highlight the potential of electric-field-induced superconductivity, establishing a new platform for accessing quantum phases in clean 2D superconductors.


Detection of occult hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
To investigate the problem of occult HCV & HBV infections in patients with persistently longstanding abnormal liver function test results of unknown etiology and to investigate occult HCV in patients with sustained virological response (SVR). The study included two groups; first group included 40 patients with persistently longstanding abnormal liver function test, in addition to 62 patients with history of hepatitis C who developed SVR. HCV RNA status was tested in serum by conventional RT-PCR and by real-time PCR in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs). HBV DNA in PBMCs was done in first group only. In first group, PCR in PBMCs was positive for HCV RNA in 4 patients with elevated liver enzymes and HBV DNA was positive in PBMCs in 3 patients. In patients with SVR, 7 patients were positive for HCV RNA in PBMCs. Patients with long-standing abnormal results of liver-function tests with unknown etiology may have HCV RNA or HBV DNA in their PBMCs in the absence of anti-HCV antibodies, HBV markers, serum HBV DNA and serum HCV RNA.In Patients with SVR, HCV RNA in PBMCs is recommended to detect residual infection especially in those with high serum HCV RNA levels before treatment.


Effects of mannan oligosaccharide and an antimicrobial product in nursery diets on performance of pigs reared on three different farms.
The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and a feed-grade antimicrobial (AM) on growth performance of nursery pigs reared on three different farms (A and B were large-scale commercial farms, and C was located at Michigan State University). On all farms, production was continuous flow by building, but all-in/all-out by room. Within each nursery facility, all pigs on the experiment were in one room. Pigs (Farm A, n = 771, weaning age = 18.4 d; Farm B, n = 576, weaning age = 19.0 d; Farm C, n = 96, weaning age = 20.6 d) were blocked (within farm) by BW and sex and allotted randomly to dietary treatments arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial. The two factors were 1) with and without MOS (0.3% in Phase I, 0.2% in Phases II, III, and IV; as-fed basis) and 2) with and without AM (110 mg of tylosin and 110 mg of sulfamethazine/kg of diet in all phases; as-fed basis). The four nursery phases were 4, 7, 14, and 17 d, respectively. With 35, 20, and 4 pigs per pen on Farms A, B, and C, respectively, space allowances per pig were 0.29, 0.26, and 0.56 m2. Across all farms, the addition of AM and MOS plus AM increased (P < 0.05) ADG (368, 406, and 410 g/d for control, AM, and MOS plus AM, respectively and increased ADFI (661, 703, and 710 g/d for control, AM, and MOS plus AM, respectively) for the entire 42-d experiment. The addition of MOS also increased ADG (P < 0.05) from d 0 to 42 of the experiment (394 g/d). Performance differed depending on farm (P < 0.01). Antimicrobial did not affect growth performance on Farm B, but it increased (P < 0.05) ADG on Farms A and C, ADFI on Farm A, and G:F on Farm C. Growth improvements with MOS on Farms A and B were not significant; however, pigs on Farm C fed MOS had greater (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and G:F than controls. The results of this study suggest that MOS may be an alternative to tylosin and sulfa-methazine as a growth promotant in nursery diets.


Estimated use of industrial chemicals in Connecticut.
Chemical exposures in the workplace are poorly documented and researched, yet appear to be widespread and with significant potential for impacting worker health. There are few reporting requirements for chemical usage on a national level. Chemical usage reports and employment data from Massachusetts were categorized by manufacturing subsector. Connecticut employment was compared to Massachusetts data, with the employment fraction used to estimate chemical usage in Connecticut. The chemical manufacturing sector was estimated to use 620 million pounds of chemicals annually in Connecticut, and all other manufacturing sectors combined used an estimated 50 million pounds, with approximately half listed as carcinogens or reproductive hazards. Potential health effects are presented. Widespread chemicaluse underscores the need for the development and use of safer alternatives, as well as additional documentation of potential health effects. Physicians should be aware of potential chemical exposures for patients and provide preventive advice.


Soluble and particle-bound trehalase in the silk glands during larval-pupal development of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.
Trehalase localization in silk glands of the silkworm, Bombyx mori has been studied during larval-pupal development. Subcellular distribution of the silk gland trehalase depends upon larval-pupal development. The activity increases in the soluble fraction with a concomitant decrease in the particle-bound fraction during larval-pupal development. The pH-optimum value of trehalase activity in the particle-bound fraction changes from 6.5 to 6.0, and in the soluble fraction from 5.5 to 4.5 in the course of the silk gland degeneration during metamorphosis.


[Clinico-laboratory, immunologic and radionuclide joint indices in psoriatic arthropathy].
A juxtaposition between the clinical-laboratory, immunologic and radionucleotide articular parameters was performed in 50 patients with psoriatic arthropathy, distributed according to the incidence of X-ray manifestations. The late and moderate changes in ESK, leukocytes, fibrinogen, DPA and phosphatasemia do not characterize the severity of the disease. A tendency to hyperuricemia and hypercalcemia is established in the period of arthralgia before the X-ray image for bone-tissue damage. The genetic HLA-B27 predetermination plays a certain role for the more frequent involvement of the spine and sacroiliac joints in the pathological process. The disturbances in the immune system are manifested with increased number of early T-lymphocytes, FcG-receptor lymphocytes, complement (C3b)--receptor lymphocytes and spontaneously blast-transformed cells. The increasing IgG content correlates with the accumulation of macromorphological X-ray images and with the index of mineral metabolism from the articular study with 99MTc-pyrophosphate. The changes in the pertechnetium index for articular vascularization are quantitatively insignificant and do not allow the joining of the psoriatic arthropathy to the group of primary synoviarthritis. The accumulation of technetium pyrophosphate in the articular structures is asymmetric, focal and precedes the changes in the X-ray image.


Young stroke patient with patent foramen ovale and intracranial stenosis-a case report.
The prevalence of patent foramen ovale is approximately 20% in the global population. In patients under the age of 55 years, it has been proven as a cause of acute ischemic embolic stroke of otherwise undetermined source. We present a case of a 25-year-old patient who experienced an acute stroke of dominant hemisphere due to internal carotid artery occlusion.The patient underwent mechanical thrombectomy, followed by acute intracranial stenting due to persistent subocclusion of internal carotid artery. Further diagnostic investigations revealed a significant patent foramen ovale. During subsequent follow-up periods, the patient encountered multiple transient ischemic attacks despite receiving antithrombotic therapy. The indicated angiography examination revealed in-stent stenosis and thrombosis, which were resolved after optimal medical treatment. Following patent foramen ovale closure, the patient remained free from further neurological events during the subsequent two-year follow-up periods. This case emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive diagnostic evaluations in young individuals with stroke and underscores the importance of prudent slection of medical therapies.


[Effects of dopamine and adenosine on regulation of water-electrolyte exchange in Amoeba proteus].
Dopamine and adenosine both regulate transport of sodium chloride in the renal tubules in mammals. We have studied the effect of dopamine and adenosine on spontaneous activity of contractile vacuole of Amoeba proteous. Both substances stimulated contractile vacuole. The effect of dopamine was suppressed by D2 receptor antagonist, haloperidol, but not by D1 antagonist, SCH 39166. Adenylate cyclase inhibitor, 2.5-dideoxyadenosine, suppressed the effect of dopamine, but not of adenosine. Inhibitor of protein kinase C, staurosporine, in contrast, blocked the effect of adenosine, but not dopamine. Notably, dopamine opposed effect of adenosine and vice versa. These results suggest that similar effects of dopamine and adenosine could be mediated by different intracellulare mechanisms.


Dental arch shape and size in Malay schoolchildren with Class II malocclusion.
To quantify and localise differences in Class I and Class II dental arches in Malay schoolchildren. The subjects were 50 Malay schoolchildren (Mean age: 15 + 0.7 years) with either Class I (N = 25) or Class II (N = 25) malocclusions. Fourteen homologous landmarks on the upper and lower study models of the subjects were digitised using MorphoStudio software, and the Procrustes means were computed. The mean Class I and Class II configurations were subjected to ftests and finite element analysis. Normalised upper arch Class I and Class II configurations were statistically different (p < 0.05), but the lower arches were not. However, normalised Class II linear parameters were statistically smaller in the upper arch and larger in the lower arch. The upper Class II dental arch was narrower by 15 per cent and asymmetric changes in size (11-20 per cent) were localised in the labial and buccal regions of the lower Class II arch. Size and shape differences between Class I and Class II dental arches can be identified with finite element analysis.


Chemically assisted directed assembly of carbon nanotubes for the fabrication of large-scale device arrays.
We report the directed assembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at lithographically defined positions on gate oxide surfaces, allowing for the high yield ( approximately 90%) and parallel fabrication of SWCNT device arrays. SWCNTs were first chemically functionalized through diazonium chemistry with a hydroxamic acid end group that both renders the SWCNTs water-soluble and discriminately binds the SWCNTs to basic metal oxide surfaces (i.e., hafnium oxide (HfO2)). The functionalized SWCNTs are then assembled from an aqueous solution into narrow trenches etched into SiO2 films with HfO2 at the bottom. The side walls of the patterned trenches induce alignment of the SWCNTs along the length of the trenches. Heating the structures to 600 degrees C removes the organic moieties, leaving pristine SWCNTs as evidenced by Raman spectroscopy and electrical measurements. Palladium source-drain electrodes deposited perpendicular to the trench length readily contact the ends of the aligned SWCNTs. The resultant devices exhibit the electrical performance expected for SWCNT devices, with no performance deterioration as a result of the placement process. This technique allows for the directed assembly and alignment of SWCNTs over a large area and results in a high yield of working devices, presenting a promising path toward large-scale SWCNT device integration.


HOXB7 Expression is a Novel Biomarker for Long-term Prognosis After Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Homeobox B7 (HOXB7) gene is involved in various cellular functions. We investigated the clinical significance of HOXB7 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HOXB7 mRNA expression in 103 HCC samples and 58 matched non-cancerous liver tissues were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). HOXB7 protein expression was also examined by immunohistochemistry. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using a public dataset. HOXB7 expression was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in liver parenchyma. Ten-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) of cases with higher HOXB7 expression were significantly poorer than those with lower HOXB7 expression. HOXB7 expression was significantly associated with larger tumor size and higher rate of biliary invasion and constituted an independent prognostic factor for OS by multivariate analysis. These results were supported by GSEA. HOXB7 expression in HCC could be a novel biomarker for long-term prognosis after tumor resection.


Flavin and iron-sulfur containing ferredoxin-linked glutamate synthase from spinach leaves.
Ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (native enzyme) [EC 188.8.131.52] of spinach has been purified to homogeneity in the presence of 2-oxoglutarate and sodium chloride and the properties of the enzyme have been studied. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 140,000 by gel filtration. Subunit analysis by SDS-gel electrophoresis yielded a single protein band whose molecular weight was about 170,000. This purified enzyme showed a flavo-protein-like absorption spectrum having maxima at 279 and 438 nm with shoulders at 415 and 460 nm and a broad band around 360 nm. Fluorometric data indicated the presence of 2 mol of flavin per mol of the enzyme. Preliminary paper chromatography results indicated the presence of FAD and FMN in the purified enzyme. The enzyme also contained 4 mol of acid-labile sulfide and 4 g-atoms iron per mol of enzyme. In the absence of 2-oxoglutarate and/or sodium chloride, the purified enzyme was separated by either DE-52 cellulose chromatography or gel filtration with Ultrogel AcA 34 into two molecular forms (modified enzymes) with considerable inactivation. When reduced methyl viologen plus ferredoxin was used as the electron donor, the purified (native) enzyme showed high ferredoxin-dependent activity with a specific activity of 100 units/mg protein. Methyl viologen-dependent activity was negligible in the absence of ferredoxin. Kinetic properties and results of ESR studies were described. The results indicate that ferredoxin-linked glutamate synthase of spinach leaves is an iron-sulfur flavoprotein.


BIOGEOGRAPHY OF NEW WORLD TAIGA-DWELLING MICROTUS (MAMMALIA: ARVICOLIDAE): A HYPOTHESIS TEST THAT ACCOUNTS FOR PHYLOGENETIC UNCERTAINTY.
If we adopt a statistical approach to systematics and recognize that phylogenies are estimated with error, then we can begin to explore statistically justified methods for testing a variety of comparative hypotheses, including those concerning the evolution of life-history characters and biogeography. In this paper I examine two biogeographic hypotheses concerning the rodent genus Microtus. Like many comparative hypotheses, these can be phrased so that each predicts the existence of a particular monophyletic group. Neither of the predicted groups appear on the single best phylogeny as determined by both Dollo parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis of restriction site maps of mitochondrial DNA. Simulation studies, however, suggest that often the best phylogeny from a single data set has only a low probability of being exactly correct. We must also examine those trees that, while not the single best-supported tree, are not rejected by the data. If we find the best phylogeny for which a hypothesis is satisfied, then likelihood methods can be used to test whether that phylogeny is significantly worse then the best tree overall. If that tree can be rejected, then so can the hypothesis. Computational constraints limit the use of likelihood methods for searching among topologies, so parsimony is used as a data exploratory tool. One of the predicted groups cannot be rejected, even though the most parsimonious tree which includes that group requires 11 more steps than does the most parsimonious tree.


[EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT FLAPS FOR REPAIR OF SEVERE PALM SCAR CONTRACTURE DEFORMITY].
To evaluate the effectiveness of different flaps for repair of severe palm scar contracture deformity. Between February 2013 and March 2015, thirteen cases of severe palm scar contracture deformity were included in the retrospective review. There were 10 males and 3 females, aged from 14 to 54 years (mean, 39 years). The causes included burn in 9 cases, hot-crush injury in 2 cases, chemical burn in 1 case, and electric burn in 1 case. The disease duration was 6 months to 6 years (mean, 2.3 years). After excising scar, releasing contracture and interrupting adherent muscle and tendon, the soft tissues and skin defects ranged from 6.0 cm x 4.5 cm to 17.0 cm x 7.5 cm. The radial artery retrograde island flap was used in 2 cases, the pedicled abdominal flaps in 4 cases, the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap in 2 cases, the anterolateral thigh flap in 1 case, and the scapular free flap in 4 cases. The size of flap ranged from 6.0 cm x 4.5 cm to 17.0 cm x 7.5 cm. All flaps survived well. Venous thrombosis of the pedicled abdominal flaps occurred in 1 case, which was cured after dressing change, and healing by first intention was obtained in the others. The mean follow-up time was 8 months (range, 6-14 months). Eight cases underwent operation for 1-3 times to make the flap thinner. At last follow-up, the flaps had good color, and the results of appearance and function were satisfactory. Severe palm scar contracture deformity can be effectively repaired by proper application of different flaps.


Sulfide removal characteristics, pathways and potential application of a novel chemolithotrophic sulfide-oxidizing strain, Marinobacter sp. SDSWS8.
Sulfide generally exists in wastewater, black and odor river, as well as aquaculture water, and give rise to adverse effect on ecological stability and biological safety, due to the toxicity, corrosivity and malodor of sulfide. In the present study, a chemolithotrophic sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) was isolated and identified as Marinobacter maroccanus strain SDSWS8. And it produced no hemolysin and was susceptible to most antibiotics. There were no accumulation of sulfide, sulfate and thiosulfate during the sulfide removal process. The optimum conditions of sulfide removal were temperature 15-40 °C, initial pH value 4.5-9.5, salinity 10-40‰, C/N ratio 0-20 and sulfide concentration 25-150 mg/L. The key genes of sulfide oxidation, Sox system (soxB, soxX, soxA, soxZ, soxY, soxD, soxC), dissimilatory sulfur oxidation (dsrA, aprA and sat) and sqr, were successfully amplified and expressed, indicating the three pathways coordinated to complete the sulfide oxidation. Besides, strain SDSWS8 had inhibitory effect on four pathogen Vibrio (V. harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus, V. anguillarum and V. splendidus). Furthermore, efficient removal of sulfide from real aquaculture water and sludge mixture could be accomplished by strain SDSWS8. This study may provide a promising candidate strain for sulfide-rich water treatment.


[Primary glucocorticoid resistance syndrome presenting as pseudo-precocious puberty and galactorrhea].
Primary glucocorticoid resistance syndrome (PGRS) is a rare condition characterized by hypercortisolism without Cushing's syndrome. This report describes a 7-year-old boy of PGRS with pseudo-precocious puberty and galactorrhea as the main manifestation. His height was 135 cm and body weight was 31 kg. Pigmentation could be seen in the skin, mammary areola and penis. He had hirsutism, low hair line, coarse voice, Tanner stage 3 pubic hair, penis in adult form, accelerated linear growth, and advanced bone age (13 yr.), but normal (for age) testes. Furthermore, he had mammoplasia and galactorrhea. There were no features of glucocorticoid (GC) excess. Hepatic function was impaired (ALT 1426 IU/L, AST 611 IU/L) with no definite causes. Serum cortisol concentration was 1294 nmol/L, 777 nmol/L, 199.3 nmol/L at 8:00, 16:00 and 24:00 respectively. Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was normal or a little higher (43.9-80 ng/L). Urinary-free cortisol (UFC) was normal (55.5-62.4 microg/24 h). Serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were normal. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS, 60 microg/dL) and serum prolactin (PRL, 58.7-183.9 ng/mL) level were high, urinary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) level was also elevated (0.96-3.2 mg/mL). Gonadotrophin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test was negative. Serum cortisol responded normally to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. However, serum cortisol and plasma ACTH concentration was suppressed to more than 50% by 0.5 mg dexamethasone (DEX). The diagnosis of PGRS was made. TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP: The patient received a treatment of 0.75-1.0 mg/d DEX. Because of galactorrhea, bromocriptine was given by 1.25-3.75 mg/d. After 24 months follow-up, the pigmentation was relieved and galactorrhea disappeared. No advanced development of the external genitalia and breast was found. The acceleration of the bone age was also slowed down. But he still had obvious hirsutism. No side effect of DEX was found. PGRS may present with pseudo-precocious puberty and galactorrhea. The aim of treatment in glucocorticoid resistance is to suppress the excessive secretion of ACTH and the increased production of adrenal androgens. The administration of synthetic GC with minimal intrinsic mineralocorticoid activity, such as DEX, provides a rational treatment for PGRS. Long-term DEX treatment should be individualized and carefully titrated based on the clinical manifestations and biochemical profile in order to control the clinical manifestations of the disease.


COX-2-deficient mice are less prone to MPTP-neurotoxicity than wild-type mice.
The primary lesion in Parkinson's disease is the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The role of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in the etiology of Parkinson's disease was explored using COX-2 gene knockout mice. Mortality after injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, a chemical known to cause parkinsonism in humans) in heterozygous COX-2-deficient mice was lower than that in wild-type mice. The number of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of MPTP-treated wild-type mice declined to a greater extent than in heterozygous mice. Inhibition of COX-2 protein expression decreased the lesion caused by MPTP and protected the dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta. This result suggested that inhibition of COX-2 has potential therapeutic implications.


Cerebrovascular histopathology after intracarotid infusion of Gelfoam in the rat.
To evaluate the histopathology of Gelfoam on the cerebral vasculature, 42 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250 to 300 g received internal carotid artery infusions of 0.3 ml of Gelfoam solution (5 mg/ml) or normal saline (0.9%). The animals were killed at 1 hour, 5 hours, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the infusion. The brains were removed, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Examination of brain sections revealed Gelfoam emboli lodged primarily in the small leptomeningeal arteries. At 5 hours after infusion, inflammatory cells were noted in the arterial walls with vessel occlusion. Further canalization of vessels was noted at 1 week. At 4 weeks, Gelfoam was not seen in the specimens. This study suggests that Gelfoam acts as an embolic agent in vessels over short periods of time with no residual inflammatory activity postinfusion.


Morphine treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome: huge dosing variability underscores the need for a better clinical study design.
At present, morphine is the most commonly used first-line therapy to treat Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Unfortunately, there is still lack of evidence and consensus to guide pharmacologic therapy for NAS. In this review, we provide an overview on dosing regimens of morphine currently reported to treat NAS, with the aim to stimulate discussion on the need for a standardized dosing through better study design. A search strategy was performed in PubMed to identify studies that provide a dosing regimen used, or advised by a review or guideline for morphine to treat NAS. In addition, dosing regimens from labels and formularies were collected. On 138 articles identified, 33 were retained after reading the full-text. In addition, 10 articles were included based on reference check. Extensive variability was observed for dosing advice, threshold in the initiating phase, dosing advice and maximum dose in the escalating phase. The same applies for dosing advice and detail during weaning, dosing interval and stabilization phase. This review shows a large variability in dosing regimens of morphine used to treat NAS. This is likely a reflection of the heterogeneous populations included in NAS studies, the lack of standardization in assessment tools and study outcomes. We suggest that the development and validation of a core outcome set, subsequently applied in pragmatic point-of-care clinical trials or specific subgroups (e.g. iatrogenic postnatal NAS) are useful approaches to improve the current setting.


Subclavian artery aneurysm in a patient with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
We describe our experience of surgical treatment in a 28-year-old woman with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A right subclavian artery aneurysm was detected. The right vertebral artery arose from the aneurysm. Digital subtraction angiography showed interruption of the left vertebral artery. The aneurysm was excised and the right vertebral artery was anastomosed end-to-side to the right common carotid artery under deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest. The patient remained very well 4 years after surgery, with no late vascular complication.


Blend Hydrogel Microspheres of Carboxymethyl Chitosan and Gelatin for the Controlled Release of 5-Fluorouracil.
Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was synthesized and blended with gelatin (GE) to prepare hydrogel microspheres by w/o emulsion cross-linking in the presence of glutaraldehyde (GA), which acted as a cross-linker. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was encapsulated to investigate its controlled release (CR) characteristics in acidic (pH 1.2) and alkaline (pH 7.4) buffer media. The microspheres which formed were spherical in nature, with smooth surfaces, as judged by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the carboxymethylation of CS and the chemical stability of 5-FU in the formulations. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the physical state and molecular level dispersion of 5-FU. Equilibrium swelling of microspheres was performed in water, in order to understand the water uptake properties. The in vitro release of 5-FU was extended up to 12 h in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer, revealing an encapsulation efficiency of 72%. The effects of blend composition, the extent of cross-linking, and initial drug loading on the in vitro release properties, were investigated. When analyzed through empirical equations, the release data suggested a non-Fickian transport mechanism.


Altered temporoparietal junction activity during reflected self-evaluation in sub-clinical depression.
Negative self-schema is a core symptom of depression. According to social psychological theories, two types of self-evaluations play important roles in forming the negative self-view: direct self-evaluation (that is, evaluating the self directly through one's first-person perspective introspection) and reflected self-evaluation (which requires theory of mind (ToM) ability, and is evaluating the self through reflecting on a third person's perspective). Although many previous studies have investigated the processing of the direct self-evaluation in depression, few have extended research on the reflected self-evaluation. In the current study, functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired in 26 dysphoric (individuals with elevated number of depressive symptoms) and 28 control participants during both direct and reflected self-evaluation tasks. Two regions of interest were defined within bilateral temporoparietal junctions (TPJs) because their significant role in ToM. Results showed that the dysphoric participants evaluated themselves more negatively than the control participants, regardless of whose perspective they were taking. More importantly, the enhanced TPJs' activations were observed in the control group during the reflected self-evaluation task versus the direct self-evaluation task, whereas no such difference was observed in the dysphoric participants. The results are interpreted in the framework of impaired ToM ability in sub-clinical depression. General Scientific Summary (GSS) Negative self-schema is one of the core symptoms of depression. This study suggests that the negative self-schema reflects not only in direct self-evaluation (i.e. evaluating the self via one's own introspection) but also in reflected self-evaluation (i.e. evaluating the self via others' perspective). Importantly, altered TPJ activity was found during a reflected self-evaluation task among individuals with depressive symptoms. These changes in brain function might be associated with impaired ToM ability in sub-clinical depression.


FAMILY INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF CHILDREN'S MOTIVATION FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.
The aim: To study the family influence on the formation of children's motivation for a healthy lifestyle. Materials and methods: The medical and sociological study among parents was conducted to assess their children's adherence to the principles of a healthy lifestyle and the influence of the family on the formation of children's motivation for a healthy lifestyle. The survey was conducted using a specially designed questionnaire using Google Forms. The design of the questionnaire was typical and contained the following structural components: addressing the respondent, obtaining informed consent to participate in the survey, and blocks with targeted questions (25 questions in total). The research involved 150 parents (including 54.7 % (82 people) of women and 45.3 % (68 people) of men). Methods: bibliosemantic, system-oriented analysis and logical generalization, medical and sociological (questionnaire), statistical data processing. Results: It has been found that positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle prevail in the families of the respondents (44.0 %), 42.0 % of parents indicated that their family members regularly adhere to a healthy lifestyle. Herewith, 48.0 % are interested in teaching their children about a healthy lifestyle. The main motives that most parents form in their children regarding a healthy lifestyle are maintaining and promoting health (38.0 %), improving physical condition (16.0 %), and creating a healthy family (10.0 %). However, almost a third of parents do not instill responsibility for their children's life and health due to a lack of time and knowledge about a healthy lifestyle. Conclusions: To foster a positive attitude toward a healthy lifestyle in children, parents should set their example, create favorable conditions for a healthy lifestyle, and follow traditions related to active recreation, sensible nutrition, and the absence of bad habits. Children's motivation for a healthy lifestyle is the main responsibility of the family.


Wood anatomy and dendrochronological potentiality of some woody shrubs from the southern Mediterranean coast in Egypt.
In tropical and subtropical regions, much research is still required to explore the dendrochronological potential of their trees. This study aims to evaluate the anatomical structure and dendrochronological potential of three Mediterranean desert shrubs in Egypt (Lycium schweinfurthii var. schweinfurthii, L. europaeum, and Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosum) supported by X-ray density. The results showed that the target species had distinct growth rings at macroscopic and microscopic levels. The vessel traits reflected the adaptability of each species with the prevailing arid climate conditions. After the exclusion of the non-correlated series, we obtained three site chronologies that cover the years 2013-2022 for L. schweinfurthii, 2012-2022 for L. europaeum, and 2011-2022 for C. comosum. The mean series intercorrelation was 0.746, 0.564, and 0.683 for L. schweinfurthii, L. europaeum, and C. comosum, respectively. The EPS (expressed population signal) values ranged from 0.72 to 0.80, while the SNR (species-to-noise ratio) ranged from 9.1 to 21.5. Compiling all series of L. schweinfurthii raised the EPS value to 0.86. The chronologies developed for the studied species were relatively short since we dealt with multi-stemmed shrubs. The average percentage difference between latewood density (LWD) and earlywood density (EWD) in C. comosum, L. europaeum, and L. schweinfurthii were 11.8% ± 5.5, 5.2%± 1.87, and 3.6% ± 1.86, respectively. X-ray densitometry helped in the precise determination of the ring borders of the studied species. The relationships between the radial growth of the studied species and the climate variables were weak to moderate but mostly not significant (i.e., r < 0.7). Generally, the radial growth of the target species had a weak to moderate positive correlation with temperature and precipitation during the wet season (winter), while negatively correlated with temperature for the rest of the year, particularly in summer. Our data agrees with earlier findings that ring formation starts at the beginning of the long vegetative stage, then the rest of the assimilated carbohydrates are directed to the flowering and fruiting at the end of the vegetative stages. For more efficient dendrochronological studies on subtropical and Mediterranean trees, we recommend carrying out xylogenesis studies, collection of phenological data, sampling 45-80 trees per species, using new techniques, and choosing homogeneous and close sites for wood sampling.


Bending the Cost Curve-Establishing Value in Spine Surgery.
As publically promoted by all stakeholders in health care reform, prospective outcomes registry platforms lie at the center of all current evidence-driven value-based models. To demonstrate the variability in outcomes and cost at population level and individual patient level for patients undergoing spine surgery for degenerative diseases. Retrospective analysis of prospective longitudinal spine registry data was conducted. Baseline and postoperative 1-year patient-reported outcomes were recorded. Previously published minimal clinically important difference for Oswestry Disability Index (14.9) was used. Back-related resource utilization and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were assessed. Variations in outcomes and cost were analyzed at population level and at the individual patient level. A total of 1454 patients were analyzed. There was significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes at postoperative 1 year ( P < .0001). For patients demonstrating health benefit at population level, 12.5%, n = 182 of patients experienced no gain from surgery and 38%, n = 554 failed to achieve minimal clinically important difference. Mean 1-year QALY-gained was 0.29; 18% of patients failed to report gain in QALY. For patients with 2-year follow-up, surgery resulted in 0.62 QALY-gained at average direct cost of $28 953. A wide variation in both QALY-gained and cost was observed. Spine treatments that on average are cost-effective may have wide variability in value at the individual patient level. The variability demonstrated here represents an opportunity, through registries, to identify specific care that may be less effective, and refine patient-specific care delivery and indications to drive overall group-level treatment value. Understanding value of spine care at an individualized as well as population level will allow clinicians, and eventually payers, to better target resources for improving care for nonresponders, ultimately driving up the average health for the whole population.


The hybridoma-an immunochemical laser.
The advent of hybridoma technology has provided the immunotechnologist a finely tunable instrument that should permit a marked advance in the immunologic sciences. The ability to choose the precise antibody required and the virtually unlimited availability of easily purified antibodies have already resulted in the simultaneous immunometric assay and potential reagents for immunoscintigraphy and immunotherapy. Using an antibody with a specific affinity and recognition for a specific antigenc determinant can greatly influence the shape and range of a radioimmunometric calibration curve. With monoclonal antibodies, assay systems based on immune complexes (e.g., turbidimetric assays and counterimmunoelectrophoresis) can be made more precise, thus permitting study of the basic physicochemical principles underlying the antigen-antibody reaction and the development of greatly improved quantitative assays. On the other hand, the ability to select an antibody exhibiting specific characteristics implies the necessity to select. One no longer has the luxury of using a mixture of antibodies, hoping to take advantage of the fact that some will have desirable secondary characteristics such as electrophoretic mobility or the ability to absorb to plastics.


An illusory transformation of optic flow fields.
We compared a human observer's ability to locate the focus of expansion (FOE) of a radial optic flow field when this flow field was either combined with, or overlapped by, planar motion. With combined stimuli, in which the FOE was displaced in the direction opposite to the planar motion, subjects accurately located the displaced FOE. With overlapping (transparent) stimuli and the FOE remaining in the center of the display, we found an illusory transformation of the radial pattern: the focus of expansion appeared to be shifted in the direction of the planar motion. The speed of both the planar and radial patterns of motion influenced the illusion. Presence or absence of visual fixation had little effect. We suggest that this illusion might provide a clue as to the way the brain processes planar and radial motion which might in turn be relevant to the interaction of the planar and radial motion components of optic flow fields.


[Study on ITS sequences of Aconitum vilmorinianum and its medicinal adulterant].
To analyze and compare the ITS sequences of Aconitum vilmorinianum and its medicinal adulterant Aconitum austroyunnanense. Total genomic DNA were extracted from sample materials by improved CTAB method, ITS sequences of samples were amplified using PCR systems, directly sequenced and analyzed using software DNAStar, ClustalX1.81 and MEGA 4.0. 299 consistent sites, 19 variable sites and 13 informative sites were found in ITS1 sequences, 162 consistent sites, 2 variable sites and 1 informative sites were found in 5.8S sequences, 217 consistent sites, 3 variable sites and 1 informative site were found in ITS2 sequences. Base transition and transversion was not found only in 5.8S sequences, 2 sites transition and 1 site transversion were found in ITS1 sequences, only 1 site transversion was found in ITS2 sequences comparting the ITS sequences data matrix. By analyzing the ITS sequences data matrix from 2 population of Aconitum vilmorinianum and 3 population of Aconitum austroyunnanense, we found a stable informative site at the 596th base in ITS2 sequences, in all the samples of Aconitum vilmorinianum the base was C, and in all the samples of Aconitum austroyunnanense the base was A. Aconitum vilmorinianum and Aconitum austroyunnanense can be identified by their characters of ITS sequences, and the variable sites in ITS1 sequences are more than in ITS2 sequences.


Accessory cells with a veiled morphology and movement pattern generated from monocytes after avoidance of plastic adherence and of NADPH oxidase activation. A comparison with GM-CSF/IL-4-induced monocyte-derived dendritic cells.
Veiled cells (VC) present in afferent lymph transport antigen from the periphery to the draining lymph nodes. Although VC in lymph form a heterogeneous population, some of the cells clearly belong on morphological grounds to the Langerhans cell (LC)/ dendritic cell (DC) series. Here we show that culturing monocytes for 24 hrs while avoiding plastic adherence (polypropylene tubes) and avoiding the activation of NADPH oxidase (blocking agents) results in the generation of a population of veiled accessory cells. The generated VC were actively moving cells like lymph-borne VC in vivo. The monocyte (mo)-derived VC population existed of CD14(dim/-) and CD14(brighT) cells. Of these the CD14(dim/-) VC were as good in stimulating allogeneic T cell proliferation as immature DC (iDC) obtained after one week of adherent culture of monocytes in granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)/interleukin (IL)-4. This underscores the accessory cell function of the mo-derived CD14(dim/-) VC. Although the CD14(dim/-)VC had a modest expression of the DC-specific marker CD83 and were positive for S100, expression of the DC-specific markers CD1a, Langerin, DC-SIGN, and DC-LAMP were absent. This indicates that the here generated CD14(dim/-) VC can not be considered as classical LC/DC. It was also impossible to turn the CD14(dim/-) mo-derived VC population into typical DC by culture for one week in GM-CSF/IL-4 or LPS. In fact the cells died tinder such circumstances, gaining some macrophage characteristics before dying. The IL-12 production from mo-derived CD14(dim/-) VC was lower, whereas the production of IL-10 was higher as compared to iDC. Consequently the T cells that were stimulated by these mo-derived VC produced less IFN-gamma as compared with T cells stimulated by iDC. Our data indicate that it is possible to rapidly generate a population of CD14(dim/-) veiled accessory cells from monocytes. The marker pattern and cytokine production of these VC indicate that this population is not a classical DC population. The cells might earlier be related to the veiled macrophage-like cells also earlier described in afferent lymph.


Predictive value of spinal CSF volume in the preoperative assessment of patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus.
The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) remain unclear. Although some prognostic tests recommended in iNPH guidelines should have high sensitivity and high predictive value, there is often no positive clinical response to surgical treatment. In our study, 19 patients with clinical and neuroradiological signs of iNPH were selected for preoperative evaluation and possible further surgical treatment according to the guidelines. MR volumetry of the intracranial and spinal space was performed. Patients were exposed to prolonged external lumbar drainage in excess of 10 ml per hour during 3 days. Clinical response to lumbar drainage was assessed by a walk test and a mini-mental test. Twelve of 19 patients showed a positive clinical response and underwent a shunting procedure. Volumetric values of intracranial space content in responders and non-responders showed no statistically significant difference. Total CSF volume (sum of cranial and spinal CSF volumes) was higher than previously published. No correlation was found between spinal canal length, CSF pressure, and CSF spinal volume. The results show that there is a significantly higher CSF volume in the spinal space in the responder group (n = 12) (120.5 ± 14.9 ml) compared with the non-responder group (103.1 ± 27.4 ml; n = 7). This study demonstrates for the first time that CSF volume in the spinal space may have predictive value in the preoperative assessment of iNPH patients. The results suggest that patients with increased spinal CSF volume have decreased compliance. Additional prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm our results.


The effects of violence exposure on the development of impulse control and future orientation across adolescence and early adulthood: Time-specific and generalized effects in a sample of juvenile offenders.
Impulse control and future orientation increase across adolescence, but little is known about how contextual factors shape the development of these capacities. The present study investigates how stress exposure, operationalized as exposure to violence, alters the developmental pattern of impulse control and future orientation across adolescence and early adulthood. In a sample of 1,354 serious juvenile offenders, higher exposure to violence was associated with lower levels of future orientation at age 15 and suppressed development of future orientation from ages 15 to 25. Increases in witnessing violence or victimization were linked to declines in impulse control 1 year later, but only during adolescence. Thus, beyond previous experiences of exposure to violence, witnessing violence and victimization during adolescence conveys unique risk for suppressed development of self-regulation.


Donor Diabetes and Prolonged Cold Ischemia Time Synergistically Increase the Risk of Graft Failure After Liver Transplantation.
Both prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) and donor history of diabetes mellitus (DM) are associated with reduced graft survival after liver transplantation. However, it is unknown whether the adverse effect of prolonged CIT on posttransplant graft survival is more pronounced after transplant with DM versus non-DM donor grafts. The study sample included 58 226 liver transplant recipients (2002-2015) from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Multivariable Cox survival regression with interaction analysis was used to quantify the extent to which history of donor DM (n = 6478) potentiates the adverse effect of prolonged (≥8 hours) CIT (n = 18 287) on graft survival. Donor DM and CIT 8 hours or longer were each associated with increased risk of graft failure (GF) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.35 and aHR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.32-1.53, respectively) compared with transplanted grafts without either risk factor. However, the combination of DM and CIT 8 hours or longer was associated with a higher risk of GF than either factor alone (aHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.55-2.06) and had a synergy index of 1.30. The interaction was significant on a multiplicative scale in the later postoperative period, days 31 to 365 (P = 0.047). These results suggest that liver grafts from DM donors are more susceptible to the adverse effects of prolonged CIT than livers from non-DM donors. We need to be cognizant that they are more susceptible to ischemic injury, and this may be considered during the allocation process.


Amniotic membrane transplantation in severe bacterial keratitis.
To determine whether a combination of early amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and early topical corticosteroid treatment could be a safe adjuvant therapy during antibacterial treatment in severe bacterial keratitis (BK) for relieving pain, avoiding iatrogenic epithelial toxicity, and allowing earlier use of topical steroids. In a prospective noncomparative case series, 12 patients with severe microscopically-proven BK were treated with immediate maximal topical antibiotics followed by AMT at 48 hours (single-layer epithelial side-down or multilayer epithelial side-up), plus topical steroid treatment at 72 hours. Pain relief (NRS-11 numeric rating pain scale) and the corneal epithelium healing were measured. The follow-up rate was 7.5 person-months, with AMT performed once in 2 patients and twice in 10 patients with BK caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1), Moraxella cattharalis (1), Staphylococcus aureus (1), Staphylococcus epidermidis (2), or Streptococcus pneumoniae (1). A significant decrease in the pain score was noted from the admission day (median, 8; range, 7-10) to shortly after AMT (at day 3: median, 2; range, 1-3). Epithelial healing was achieved between 8 and 45 days (mean, 25.5 +/- 9.7 days). Neither perforation nor neovascularization was observed. Early AMT combined with topical corticosteroid in severe BK provides immediate pain relief and allows epithelial healing.


Effects of modified carbon black nanoparticles on plant-microbe remediation of petroleum and heavy metal co-contaminated soils.
Little is known about the effect of modified carbon black nanoparticles (MNCB) on the availability of heavy metals and petroleum degradation in petroleum and heavy metals co-contaminated soils. The overall objective of this study was to investigate the simultaneous effect of MNCB on heavy metal immobilization and petroleum biodegradation in co-contaminated soil in plant and plant-microbe combined remediation. The results showed that the petroleum degradation increased by 50% in petroleum-Cd co-contaminated soil and 65% in petroleum-Ni co-contaminated soil in plant-microbe combined remediation, comparing with the plant remediation and the application of MNCB did not show significant improvement on petroleum degradation in both plant and plant-microbe combined remediation. MNCB could significantly reduce the availability of heavy metals in soil and the uptakes of Cd and Ni by Suaeda salsa by roughly 18 and 10% and improve the growth of plant by alleviating the growth inhibition caused by heavy metals. The application of Bacillus subtilis and Sphingobacterium multivorum (heavy metal tolerant bacteria) inhibited the biomass of Suaeda salsa by enhancing the petroleum degradation. It could be concluded that MNCB played a major role in immobilizing the heavy metals and bacteria dominated the petroleum degradation in petroleum-metal co-contaminated soil.


Association of seropositivity for hepatitis viruses and aplastic anemia in Thailand.
Aplastic anemia is more common in the Orient than in western countries, with an incidence in Thailand that is 2- to 3-fold higher than in Europe. Aplastic anemia after hepatitis is a well characterized clinical entity, and clinical hepatitis is also prevalent in the Far East. We performed a prospective case-control study to determine risk factors for aplastic anemia in Bangkok and two rural regions during 1989 to 1994. A total of 375 cases were identified, along with 1,174 hospital controls matched for age and sex. Historical data were collected by trained interviewers. Sera from a subset of cases (N = 177) and controls (N = 183) were tested for antibodies to hepatitis viruses A, B, and C and hepatitis B surface antigen. There was no evidence of association of aplastic anemia with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Previous exposure to hepatitis A, as determined by immunoglobulin G (IgG) seropositivity, was significantly associated with aplastic anemia: the relative risk adjusted for confounding was 2.9 (95% confidence interval 1.2-6.7). The same association also existed for persons under age 25 years, in whom the prevalence of hepatitis A IgG was lower than in the total population. However, no patients showed evidence of recent infection with hepatitis A (immunoglobulin M [IgM] seropositivity). These results indicate that exposure to a hepatitis virus is a risk indicator for aplastic anemia in Thailand, and while itself unlikely to be etiologic, hepatitis A may be a surrogate marker for another enteric microbial agent.


Impact of education for physicians on patient outcomes.
This study was conducted to assess the impact of an interactive seminar based on self-regulation theory on 1) the treatment practices and communications and education behavior of physicians, 2) the health status and medical care utilization of their pediatric patients with asthma, and 3) the satisfaction with care of the subjects' parents. A total of 74 general practice pediatricians were assigned to either a program or a control group in a randomized controlled study. Data were collected from physicians at baseline, and 69 (93%) provided follow-up data 5 months after the program. Data were also collected from 637 of their patients at baseline, and in a 22-month window after the intervention, 472 (74%) of this number provided follow-up data. After the seminar, physicians in the program group were more likely than were control group physicians to address patients' fears about medicines, review written instructions, provide a sequence of educational messages, write down how to adjust the medicines at home when symptoms change, and report that they spent less time with their patients. Parents of the children treated by program physicians were significantly more likely than were control group parents to report that the physician had been reassuring, described as a goal that the child be fully active, and gave information to relieve specific worries. After a visit with the physician, these parents were also more likely to report that they knew how to make management decisions at home. After the intervention compared to controls, patients of physicians in the program group were more likely to have received a prescription for inhaled antiinflammatory medicine and to have been asked by the physician to demonstrate how to use a metered-dose inhaler. After the intervention, children seen by program physicians made significantly fewer nonemergency office visits and visits for follow-up of an episode of symptoms; however, there were no differences in emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Among children who were placed on inhaled corticosteroids during this study, however, children treated by physicians who had received education had significantly fewer symptoms and fewer follow-up office visits, nonemergency physician office visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. The interactive seminar based on theories of self-regulation led to patient-physician encounters that were of shorter duration, had significant impact on the prescribing and communications behavior of physicians, led to more favorable patient responses to physicians' actions, and led to reductions in health care utilization.


Evaluation of the toxic potency of selected cadmium compounds on A549 and CHO-9 cells.
Cytotoxicity of cadmium sulphide, oxide and chloride was tested using A549 and CHO-9 cells. Metabolic activity of cells (MTT test) and cell membrane permeability (NRU test) were used as cytotoxicity endpoints. The results revealed unexpectedly low toxicity of cadmium sulphide as compared to chloride and oxide. This preliminary report does not provide any explanation for this effect, but the result may nevertheless be interesting for future studies of toxicity mechanisms of cadmium compounds. First cadmium compounds caused damage or change in the permeability of cell membranes, then inhibition of metabolic activity of mitochondria. It cannot be ruled out that the cell lysosomes are at first exposed to the effect of cadmium.


Evaluation of four topical preparations for the treatment of cannon hyperkeratosis in a horse.
The response to treatment with four topical preparations was evaluated in an 11-year-old Morgan horse mare with histologically confirmed quadrilateral cannon hyperkeratosis. Each limb was treated for 30 days with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, 0.1% adapalene gel, 0.2% phytosphingosine spray or a water-based emollient. Response to treatment was evaluated both histologically and visually. A water-based emollient and 0.1% tacrolimus ointment produced encouraging clinical responses. Pre-treatment histopathology identified marked, mostly compact, hyperkeratosis and follicular hyperkeratosis, most prominent in the infundibular area. Following treatment, histopathology identified a mild reduction in follicular keratin production and stratum corneum thickness.


[Determination of the activity of urinary enzymes derived from renal tubulus].
There are several problems in measuring the activities of urinary enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) which are derived from renal tubulus. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the basic methodological problems in measuring these enzyme activities. Our results indicate that it is not necessary to dialyze urine when determining these three enzymes, except for alkaline phosphatase activity measured by the Kind-King method. Because of contamination of urine by bacteria and cell elements, the enzyme activity is influenced by centrifugal conditions that depend on time and speed. Our results propose that it is necessary, at least, to centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes to obtain satisfactory data. Generally, a 24 hour urine sample instead of spot urine sample should be used for measuring the enzyme activity. However if correcting gamma-GTP activity by creatinine, even a spot urine sample may be used for clinical use.


A High-Continuity Genome Assembly of Chinese Flowering Cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) Provides New Insights into Brassica Genome Structure Evolution.
Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis) is a popular and widely cultivated leaf vegetable crop in Asia. Here, we performed a high quality de novo assembly of the 384 Mb genome of 10 chromosomes of a typical cultivar of Chinese flowering cabbage with an integrated approach using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi-C technology. We modeled 47,598 protein-coding genes in this analysis and annotated 52% (205.9/384) of its genome as repetitive sequences including 17% in DNA transposons and 22% in long terminal retrotransposons (LTRs). Phylogenetic analysis reveals the genome of the Chinese flowering cabbage has a closer evolutionary relationship with the AA diploid progenitor of the allotetraploid species, Brassica juncea. Comparative genomic analysis of Brassica species with different subgenome types (A, B and C) reveals that the pericentromeric regions on chromosome 5 and 6 of the AA genome have been significantly expanded compared to the orthologous genomic regions in the BB and CC genomes, largely driven by LTR-retrotransposon amplification. Furthermore, we identified a large number of structural variations (SVs) within the B. rapa lines that could impact coding genes, suggesting the functional significance of SVs on Brassica genome evolution. Overall, our high-quality genome assembly of the Chinese flowering cabbage provides a valuable genetic resource for deciphering the genome evolution of Brassica species and it can potentially serve as the reference genome guiding the molecular breeding practice of B. rapa crops.