Epidural Fat-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell: First Report of Epidural Fat-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell.
Experimental study. To determine whether epidural fat (EF) tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Spine surgeons are unaware of the contents of EF tissue and the reason for its presence between the ligamentum flavum and the dura mater; therefore, EF tissues are routinely eliminated during surgical procedures. However, EF removal causes certain postoperative problems, such as post-laminectomy syndrome. We hypothesized that the EF tissue may play a significant supportive role for the neural structures and other nearby conditions. EF tissues were obtained from consenting patients (n=3) during posterior decompression surgery of the lumbar spine. The primary cells were isolated and cultured as per previously described methods with some modifications, and the cell morphology and cumulation were examined. Thereafter, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, and differentiation potency for differentiation into osteoblasts, chondroblasts, and adipocytes were investigated to identify whether the cells derived from EF are MSC. The cells from the EF tissue had a fibroblast or neuron-like morphology that persisted until the senescence at p18. MSCspecific genes, such as OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, MYC, and GAPDH were expressed in the RT-PCR study, while MSC-specific surface markers such as CD105, CD90, and CD73 were exhibited in the FACS analysis. The differentiation properties of EF-MSC for differentiation into the three types of cells (osteoblast, chondroblast, and adipocyte) were also confirmed. Based on the cell culture, FACS analysis, RT-PCR analysis, and differentiation potent outcomes, all the features of the cells corresponded to MSC. This is the first study to identify EF-MSC derived from the EF tissue.


Novel adipokines: methodological utility in human obesity research.
Adipokines could pose a link between adiposity, systemic inflammation and metabolic disease risk. However, it is unclear whether representative biomarkers are methodologically suitable for use in human obesity research. We assessed the intra-individual reproducibility of selected adipokines in a sample of 207, apparently healthy, participants with available biosample collections over a 4-month period. Concentrations of the following adipokines were measured at each sampling time point: fatty-acid binding protein-4 (FABP-4), lipocalin-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), procalcitonin, progranulin, vaspin and visfatin/Nampt. We calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and examined Bland-Altman plots. The analyses suggested an overall good to excellent biomarker reproducibility over 4 months: FABP-4: ICC=0.73 (95% confidence interval: 0.65, 0.78), lipocalin-2: 0.64 (0.55, 0.71), MCP-1: 0.85 (0.81; 0.89), procalcitonin: 0.78 (0.72, 0.83), progranulin: 0.59 (0.50, 0.68) and vaspin: 0.86 (0.82, 0.89). A good agreement of the repeated measurements was further supported by the Bland-Altman plots. No substantial differences in biomarker performance according to adiposity status could be observed. Reliability of visfatin/Nampt could not be assessed due to a high number of measurements below the lower limit of detection. Results suggest that single measurements of the evaluated adipokines could be used in population-based studies aimed to assess links between obesity, inflammation and metabolic diseases.


A Novel Antibacterial Membrane Electrode Based on Bacterial Cellulose/Polyaniline/AgNO3 Composite for Bio-Potential Signal Monitoring.
We propose a flexible, dry, and antibacterial electrode with a low and stable skin electrode contact impedance for bio-potential signal monitoring. We fabricated a bacterial cellulose/polyaniline/AgNO3 nanocomposite membrane (BC/PANI/AgNO3) and used it for bio-potential signal monitoring. The bacterial cellulose (BC) provides a 3-D nanoporous network structure, and it was used as a substrate material in the BC/PANI/AgNO3 nanocomposite membrane. Polyaniline (PANI) and AgNO3, acting as conductive and antibacterial components, respectively, were polymerized and deposited on the surfaces of BC nanofibers to produce uniform thin film membrane with flexible, antibacterial, and conductive properties. Various measurements were conducted, in terms of antibacterial activity, skin electrode contact impedance, and qualitative analysis of ECG signal recordings. The BC/PANI/AgNO3 membrane revealed 100% antibacterial activities against both the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. The skin electrode contact impedance of the proposed BC/PANI/AgNO3 electrode is lower than that of the Ag/AgCl gel electrode, with the same active area. In addition, the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals acquired with the proposed electrodes have stable characteristic waveforms, and they are not contaminated by noise. The waveform fidelity of the BC/PANI/AgNO3 membrane electrodes over 800 ECG cardiac cycles is 99.49%, and after the electrodes were worn for 24 hours, a fidelity of 98.40% was recorded over the same number of cardiac cycles. With the low and stable skin electrode contact impedance, the proposed dry BC/PANI/AgNO3 membrane electrode provided high fidelity for ECG signal recordings, thus offering a potential approach for bio-potential signal monitoring. With the above benefits, the novel flexible and dry BC/PANI/AgNO3 electrode has a significant antibacterial. Most of all, it is the first research to develop antibacterial in the electrode design.


Advances in Oral Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Oral appliances that advance the mandible are widely used as alternatives to positive airway pressure (PAP) devices or as primary therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. Although PAP is more efficacious at lowering the polysomnographic indices of OSA, the clinical effectiveness of PAP and oral appliances is similar, and patients are more likely to adhere to oral appliance therapy than to PAP treatment. Clinical examination is used to determine the candidacy of oral appliances and to select a particular appliance for a given patient. Endoscopic examination of the pharynx may be used to help assess the potential for efficacy. Otherwise, if available, titration of mandibular protrusion during sleep may be performed prior to appliance production in order to assess efficacy. Once a patient is fitted with a titratable oral appliance, further advancement is usually performed at home to resolve the clinical symptoms and signs of OSA. Clinical follow-up is needed to assess the outcome, side effects, and adherence, as the long-term adherence rate is approximately 50%. Recent advances in oral appliance therapy include the development of embedded temperature sensors for adherence monitoring and the production of thinner, lighter appliances via 3D printing techniques.


The role of wedge resection of the ovary as a cause for mechanical sterility.
The role of wedge resection of the ovary in inducing secondary sterility of a mechanical nature has been evaluated. Two groups of patients were studied. Fifty-seven patients underwent wedge resection of ovary because of symptoms of the Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Of these, eight were found to have extensive peritubal and periovarian adhesions after operation. In the second group, a retrospective study was made. One hundred and ninety-eight women were known to have mechanical sterility. Of these, 28 gave a history of bilateral wedge resection of ovaries because of the Stein-Leventhal syndrome. All pelvic operations for correction of sterility carry a considerable risk of adhesion formation.


Renal cells express different forms of vimentin: the independent expression alteration of these forms is important in cell resistance to osmotic stress and apoptosis.
Osmotic stress has been shown to regulate cytoskeletal protein expression. It is generally known that vimentin is rapidly degraded during apoptosis by multiple caspases, resulting in diverse vimentin fragments. Despite the existence of the known apoptotic vimentin fragments, we demonstrated in our study the existence of different forms of vimentin VIM I, II, III, and IV with different molecular weights in various renal cell lines. Using a proteomics approach followed by western blot analyses and immunofluorescence staining, we proved the apoptosis-independent existence and differential regulation of different vimentin forms under varying conditions of osmolarity in renal cells. Similar impacts of osmotic stress were also observed on the expression of other cytoskeleton intermediate filament proteins; e.g., cytokeratin. Interestingly, 2D western blot analysis revealed that the forms of vimentin are regulated independently of each other under glucose and NaCl osmotic stress. Renal cells, adapted to high NaCl osmotic stress, express a high level of VIM IV (the form with the highest molecular weight), besides the three other forms, and exhibit higher resistance to apoptotic induction with TNF-α or staurosporin compared to the control. In contrast, renal cells that are adapted to high glucose concentration and express only the lower-molecular-weight forms VIM I and II, were more susceptible to apoptosis. Our data proved the existence of different vimentin forms, which play an important role in cell resistance to osmotic stress and are involved in cell protection against apoptosis.


High Prevalence of Anal Canal High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection in Patients With Crohn's Disease.
The increasing incidence of anal canal carcinomas requires better knowledge on anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We aimed to assess anal canal HPV infection prevalence and risk factors among patients seen at a gastroenterology department in France. We analyzed anal tissue samples collected from 469 consecutive patients (median age 54 years, 52% women), including 112 who received immunosuppressant therapies and 101 with inflammatory bowel disease (70 with Crohn's disease), who underwent colonoscopy examinations from April 1, 2012 to April 30, 2015. HPV was detected and genotyped using the INNO-LiPA assay, and we collected medical and demographic data from all subjects. Risk factors for any HPV, high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and HPV16 infection were assessed by bivariate and multivariate analysis. The primary outcomes association of HR-HPV or HPV16 with medical and demographic features. We detected HPV DNA in anal tissues from 34% of the subjects and HR-HPV in 18%. HPV16 was the most prevalent genotype (detected in 7%), followed by HPV51, HPV52, and HPV39. HR-HPV was detected in a significantly higher proportion of samples from women (23.1%) than men (12.8%) (P = .0035); HR-HPV and HPV16 were detected in a significantly higher proportion of patients with Crohn's disease (30.0%) than without (18.1%) (P = .005). Female sex, history of sexually transmitted disease, lifetime and past year-number of sexual partners, active smoking, and immunosuppressive therapies were independent risk factors for anal HR-HPV infection in multivariate analysis. One third of patients who underwent colonoscopy at a gastroenterology department were found to have anal canal HPV infection. We detected HR-HPV infection in almost 20% of patients and in a significantly higher proportion of patients with Crohn's disease than without. Increasing our knowledge of HPV infection of anal tissues could help physicians identify populations at risk and promote prophylaxis with vaccination and adequate screening.


Labeling of human neural precursor cells using ferromagnetic nanoparticles.
Fetal human neural precursor cells (NPCs) are unique with respect to their capacity to proliferate and to preserve their potential to differentiate into neurons and glia. Human mesencephalic neural precursor cells (hmNPCs) provide a source for dopaminergic neurons. Preclinical and clinical research will benefit from reliable in vivo tracking of transplanted cells. Here, we investigate the potency of very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (VSOPs) to label hmNPCs, the effect of VSOPs on survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hmNPCs, and the sensitivity of 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect labeled cells in living rats following transplantation. When incubated with VSOPs at 1.5 mM, >95% of hmNPCs incorporated VSOPs without detectable impact on cell viability (>90%) or proliferative capacity, as measured by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cell cycle distribution. Labeled hmNPCs differentiate into neurons (>30%) and glia with no detectable difference compared to nonlabeled cells. Following transplantation into rat striata, marked paramagnetic signal changes were detected for as long as three months postsurgery using MRI, corresponding to the histologically-identified graft. Our data indicate that hmNPCs can be labeled with VSOPs without impairment of viability, proliferation, or multipotency. Labeled, transplanted cells are detectable in vivo using 1.5T MRI.


So You Think You Don't Plunge? An Assessment of Far Cortex Drill Tip Plunging Based on Level of Training.
Drill bit tip plunging past the far cortex places critical anatomical structures at risk. This study measured plunging past the far cortex based on level of training. The time required for screw placement when a depth gauge was used to measure bone tunnel depth was compared to the time required for screw placement when bone tunnel depth was measured in real time. Thirty orthopedic surgery staff with 1-37 years of experience applied 10-hole plates to cadaveric limbs. Procedures were performed using two different drilling systems. Time and plunge depth were recorded. Penetration past the far cortex ranged from an average of 11.9 mm in the novice group to an average of 6.1 mm in the experienced group (P <0.001). The time required to drill and place a screw decreased by an average of 14 seconds per screw when depth gauge use was eliminated. Penetration past the far cortex occurred at all levels of training, but decreased with increased levels of experience. Real time measurement of bone tunnel length decreased total drilling time. The time saved with real time measurement decreased with increased level of experience.


[Impacts of the expressions of Fas and FasL mRNA and proteins on sperm concentration and motility].
To investigate the influence of the expressions of apoptosis-related Fas and FasL mRNA and proteins on sperm concentration and motility. We collected semen samples from 80 adult males and divided them into four groups of an equal number according to sperm concentration and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS): normal, asthenospermia (AS), oligozoospermia (OS) and oligoasthenospermia (OAS). We examined the routine semen parameters, the levels of Fas and FasL proteins and the expressions of Fas and FasL genes in different groups. The sperm concentrations in the normal, AS, OS and OAS groups were (68.11 ± 35.49), (92.21 ± 60.96), (8.55 ± 2.82) and (5.96 ± 3.80) ×10⁶/ml, respectively, and the percentages of PMS were (49.40 ± 13.86)%, (22.12 ± 7.13)%, (40.77 ± 8.41)% and (14.53 ± 9.74), respectively. The Fas protein level was significantly higher in the AS, OS and OAS than in the normal group ([425.03 ± 50.56], [442.32 ± 84.88] and [448.42 ± 84.79] vs [381.07 ± 52.37] pg/ml, P < 0.05), correlated negatively with sperm concentration (r = -0.377, P < 0.01) and PMS (r = -0.350, P < 0.01), but exhibited no statistically significant differences between the former three and latter group ([166.98 ± 27.39], [169.51 ± 32.62] and [171.46 ± 32.61] vs [167.49 ± 29.91] pg/ml, P > 0.05). The relative levels of the Fas gene in the normal, AS, OS and OAS groups were 1, (0.88 ± 1.17), (2.55 ± 2.11) and (0.69 ± 0.90) respectively, lower in the AS and OAS than in the normal group, and positively correlated with sperm motility; those of the FasL gene were 1, (1.99 ± 1.81), (2.08 ± 2.06) and (2.03 ± 2.23) respectively, higher in the OS and OAS than in the normal group, and negatively correlated with sperm motility. Compared with the normal group, the expressions of Fas and FasL were down-regulated in the AS but up-regulated in the OS group; the expression of Fas, however, was down-regulated and that of FasL up-regulated in the OAS group. The expression of Fas mRNA was positively correlated with the percentage of PMS (r = 0.355, P = 0.01) and total sperm motility (r = 0.358, P < 0.01), while sperm concentration negatively correlated with the expression FasL mRNA (r = -0.305, P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the other parameters. Fas and FasL are differentially expressed in normal, asthenospermia, oligozoospermia and oligoasthenospermia males. Their up-regulated expressions may promote the apoptosis of spermatogenic and sperm cells and induce oligozoospermia, while their down-regulated expressions may indicate the failure of abnormal spermatogenic and sperm cells to immediately undergo programmed death, which can be one of the causes of asthenospermia.


Effects of poloxamer 188 on the characteristics of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles.
We tested the effects of poloxamer 188 on the preparation and characteristics of poly(lactice-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Spherical nanoparticles incorporated ATRA were prepared by an emulsification-diffusion method increasing concentrations of poloxamer 188 decreased nanoparticle size. The endothermic peak of ATRA at 183 degrees C disappeared in the nanoparticles and X-ray diffraction measurements showed the disappearance of characteristics of ATRA suggesting the change of the crystallinity of ATRA in the nanoparticles to an amorphous state. ATRA release in vitro increased as the concentration of poloxamer increased. The mean residence time of ATRA-loaded nanoparticles after the administration of a single intravenous dose to rats was longer than that of the sodium ATRA solution. The anti-cancer activity of ATRA-loaded nanoparticles in the human leukemia-60 cell line was similar to free ATRA. Thus, PLGA/poloxamer nanoparticles can provide a sustained release preparation of ATRA.


Site-specific role of catechol-O-methyltransferase in dopamine overflow within prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum.
Accumulating evidence from clinical and preclinical studies shows that catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a significant role in dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the striatum. However, to what extent dopamine overflow in the prefrontal cortex and striatum is controlled by enzymatic degradation versus reuptake is unknown. We used COMT deficient mice to investigate the role of COMT in these two brain regions with in vivo voltammetry. A real-time analysis of evoked dopamine overflow showed that removal of dopamine was twofold slower in the prefrontal cortex of mice lacking COMT than in wild-type mice, indicating that half of the dopamine decline in this brain region results from COMT-mediated enzymatic degradation. Lack of COMT did not influence dopamine overflow/decline in the dorsal striatum. COMT-deficient mice demonstrated a small (20-25%) but consistent increase in evoked dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the dorsal striatum. Cocaine affected equally dopaminergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex in both genotypes by prolonging 3-4 times dopamine elimination from extracellular space. Paradoxically, this happened without increase of the peak levels of evoked dopamine release. The present findings represent the first demonstration of the significant contribution of COMT in modulating the dynamics of dopamine overflow in the prefrontal cortex and underscore the therapeutic potential of manipulating COMT activity to alter dopaminergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex.


The dual reading of general conditionals: The influence of abstract versus concrete contexts.
A current main issue on conditionals is whether the meaning of general conditionals (e.g., If a card is red, then it is round) is deterministic (exceptionless) or probabilistic (exception-tolerating). In order to resolve the issue, two experiments examined the influence of conditional contexts (with vs. without frequency information of truth table cases) on the reading of general conditionals. Experiment 1 examined the direct reading of general conditionals in the possibility judgment task. Experiment 2 examined the indirect reading of general conditionals in the truth judgment task. It was found that both the direct and indirect reading of general conditionals exhibited the duality: the predominant deterministic semantic reading of conditionals without frequency information, and the predominant probabilistic pragmatic reading of conditionals with frequency information. The context of general conditionals determined the predominant reading of general conditionals. There were obvious individual differences in reading general conditionals with frequency information. The meaning of general conditionals is relative, depending on conditional contexts. The reading of general conditionals is flexible and complex so that no simple deterministic and probabilistic accounts are able to explain it. The present findings are beyond the extant deterministic and probabilistic accounts of conditionals.


Hormonal and biochemical normalization and tumor shrinkage induced by anti-parathyroid hormone immunotherapy in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma.
Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism, and the efficacy of medical therapy and chemo- and radiotherapy is poor in recurrent or metastatic disease. We report the first case of PTH immunization in which tumor shrinkage accompanied hormonal, biochemical, and clinical improvements in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma.A 50-yr-old woman with refractory parathyroid carcinoma and pulmonary metastases was immunized eight times between February 2001 and December 2003 with bovine and modified human PTH fragments and intact human PTH, mixed with Freund's adjuvant. Total and ionized calcium and PTH levels were assayed weekly for 6 months and regularly thereafter. Thoracic computed tomography scans were performed regularly. Antibodies to all PTH fragments were detected after two immunizations. Baseline PTH and total calcium were 213.0 ng/liter and 13.96 mg/dl, respectively, and remained elevated during the first three immunizations. From the fourth immunization onward, PTH and calcium decreased, and the patient's clinical condition improved markedly. PTH and calcium levels have remained controlled for more than 24 months, and the sizes (surface area) of pulmonary metastases decreased from baseline by 39-71%. This is the first evidence that PTH immunization not only can improve clinical, hormonal, and biochemical measures in parathyroid carcinoma but also has an antitumor effect.


A Novel Approach to Improving Patient Experience in Orthopedics.
The patient experience domain comprises a significant portion of the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program. This study investigated whether an intervention focusing on attending physician awareness, resident and physician assistant education, and multidisciplinary patient-centric care had an effect on patient perceived physician communication and overall hospital ratings. Responses to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey were reviewed in 2014 and 2015. Patients' perceptions that the physician explained their condition in ways they understood and the overall hospital rating improved significantly after implantation of the model ( P < .05). Patient-physician communication is important for high-quality health care and is becoming increasingly more important in hospital economics. These methods may serve as a protocol for other institutions to improve the patient experience.


Optimized Production and Analysis of Recombinant Protein-Filled Vesicles from E. coli.
This innovative system, using a short peptide tag, that exports multiple recombinant proteins in membrane bound vesicles from E. coli, provides an effective solution to a range of problems associated with bacterial recombinant protein expression. These recombinant vesicles compartmentalise proteins within a micro-environment that facilitates the production of otherwise challenging, toxic, insoluble, or disulfide-bond containing proteins from bacteria. Protein yield is increased considerably when compared to typical bacterial expression in the absence of the vesicle-nucleating peptide tag. The release of vesicle-packaged proteins supports isolation from the culture medium and permits long-term active protein storage. This technology gives rise to increased yields of vesicle-packaged, functional proteins for simplified downstream processing for a diverse range of applications from applied biotechnology to discovery science and medicine. In the present article and the associated video, a detailed protocol of the method is provided, which highlights key steps in the methodology to maximize recombinant protein-filled vesicle production.


Guillain-Barre syndrome. Another immune-mediated disease with a predilection for young women?
Although the epidemiology of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) has been studied extensively, some important aspects remain unrecognized. In a retrospective study of 92 patients with GBS, we identified an apparent increased frequency in young women, an epidemiological feature shared with other immune-mediated neurological diseases such as myasthenia gravis and multiple sclerosis.


Wound necrosis caused by the venom of stingrays. Pathological findings and surgical management.
Two cases of stingray injury which caused extensive tissue necrosis are reported. In one patient, the wound was allegedly inflicted by Dasyatis kuhlii, the blue-spotted stingray; in the other, by D. sephen, the cowtail ray. After excision of necrotic tissue, the wounds healed rapidly and without complications. Wound exploration and debridement of dead tissue are indicated in at least some stingray injuries, particularly when first-aid measures, such as early immersion in hot water or irrigation of the wound have not been carried out.


Concise Review: Criteria for Chamber-Specific Categorization of Human Cardiac Myocytes Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells.
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) have great potential application in almost all areas of cardiovascular research. A current major goal of the field is to build on the past success of differentiation strategies to produce CMs with the properties of those originating from the different chambers of the adult human heart. With no anatomical origin or developmental pathway to draw on, the question of how to judge the success of such approaches and assess the chamber specificity of PSC-CMs has become increasingly important; commonly used methods have substantial limitations and are based on limited evidence to form such an assessment. In this article, we discuss the need for chamber-specific PSC-CMs in a number of areas as well as current approaches used to assess these cells on their likeness to those from different chambers of the heart. Furthermore, describing in detail the structural and functional features that distinguish the different chamber-specific human adult cardiac myocytes, we propose an evidence-based tool to aid investigators in the phenotypic characterization of differentiated PSC-CMs. Stem Cells 2017;35:1881-1897.


Ethnic-racial identity, gender identity, and well-being in Cherokee early adolescents.
We examined ethnic-racial and gender identities and their relations to self-esteem and well-being among Cherokee early adolescents. We also explored gender differences in the significance to boys and girls of ethnic-racial and gender identities. The sample consisted of 212 Cherokee 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls and boys (Mage = 12.7 years). Adolescents completed survey measures of gender and ethnic-racial centrality, gender private regard, ethnic-racial private regard, ethnic-racial public regard, self-esteem, and three measures of well-being. Both genders reported high levels of the importance of being Cherokee to their identity (i.e., centrality), and strong positive attitudes toward being Cherokee (i.e., ethnic-racial private regard). Boys perceived gender as more important and more positive than girls. Among girls, ethnic-racial identity was more central and was viewed more positively than their gender identity. Mean levels of ethnic-racial and gender centrality did not differ for boys, nor did their reports of ethnic-racial and gender private regard. Youth's perceptions that others hold Cherokees in high regard (public regard) decreased across the grade levels. For both boys and girls, gender identity dimensions had stronger relations than ethnic-racial identity to psychosocial outcomes. For this sample of Cherokee adolescents, ethnic-racial identity held more prominence for girls than for boys, although aspects of gender identity were more strongly related to well-being for both genders. Results of the study indicate the significance of considering multiple identities in understanding identity development in American Indian adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).


Effect of neuromedin S on feeding regulation in the Japanese quail.
Neuromedin S (NMS) was recently isolated from the brains of humans, mice and rats as an endogenous ligand for the orphan G protein-coupled receptors FM-3 and FM-4, which have been identified as neuromedin U (NMU) receptors 1 and 2, respectively. To investigate the role of NMS in avian species, we elucidated the effect of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of rat NMS on food intake, body weight, body temperature and gross locomotor activity in adult Japanese quails. NMS significantly decreased food intake (and consequently body weight) in a time-dependent manner during 12-h light period, but increased both body temperature and gross locomotor activity. On the other hand, i.c.v. injection of rat NMU showed the reverse effects of NMS in Japanese quail. These results suggest that NMS may play an important role in regulating food intake and sympathetic nerve activity in the Japanese quail.


Interplay between time-temperature transformation and the liquid-liquid phase transition in water.
We study the new water model proposed by Mahoney and Jorgensen [J. Chem. Phys. 112, 8910 (2000)], which is closer to real water than previously proposed classical pairwise additive potentials. We simulate the model in a wide range of deeply supercooled states and find (i) the existence of a nonmonotonic "nose-shaped" temperature of maximum density line and a nonreentrant spinodal, (ii) the presence of a low-temperature phase transition, (iii) the free evolution of bulk water to ice, and (iv) the time-temperature-transformation curves at different densities.


Application of quantitative image analysis to a mammalian cell line grown on microcarriers.
Quantitative image analysis has been applied to the monitoring of cultures of a mammalian cell line on microcarriers. Procedures have been developed to investigate microcarrier colonization and cluster formation and to determine the eventual modification of cell size during cultivation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microphotography. The human kidney tumor cells (TCL 598) on which the procedures were tested underwent a slight size decrease during the development of the first cell layer on the microcarriers. The cluster size and the cell size remained constant during the culture stationary phase.


Downstream of guidance receptors: entering the baroque period of axon guidance signaling.
The Roundabout ("Robo") family of transmembrane proteins are the receptors and mediators of the repellent axon guidance signal Slit. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Robo signaling leads to growth cone or neuron repulsion are still poorly understood. A study by Fan et al. in this issue of Neuron expands the repertoire of Robo pathway components and stimulates a new look at axon guidance signaling in general.


How could analyzing the activity of two matrix metalloproteinases unveil the cause of sudden cardiac death.
Sudden cardiac death is natural, unexpected death, related to cardiovascular disease. Its postmortem elucidation is significant, as the family of the deceased aspires to prevent other sudden deaths. Irrespective of the proper etiological entity, the myocardial collagen matrix remodels, associated with the progression of cardiovascular diseases. It has become evident that many mediators such as humoral factors, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 among them, are involved in the remodeling process. Cardiac remodeling is the balance of regenerative and eliminatory processes that include enzymes involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Enzymes capable of degrading native fibrillar collagen are interstitial collagenases, specifically matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and MMP-8. Here, we suggest a technique of visualizing turnover of collagen in cardiac tissue.


[Assessment of sublingual PCO2 during selective cerebral perfusion].
We monitored sublingual tissue PCO2 (PSLCO2) continuously with an ISFET (ion-sensitive field effect transistor) based PCO2 sensor during and after surgical treatment for descending aortic aneurysm. Using femoro-femoral bypass and a beating heart technique, distal end of aneurysm was clamped and then selective cerebral perfusion was performed into the left subclavian and left common carotid arteries. Aneurysmectomy and reconstructive surgery were carried out with proximal end of the left common carotid artery being clamped. Upon starting selective cerebral perfusion, PSLCO2 increased abnormally. PSLCO2 increased from 38 mmHg just after induction of anesthesia to the maximum value of 87 mmHg during selective cerebral perfusion. Three hours after arriving in the intensive care unit, the patient developed convulsion and anisocoria and the computed tomography showed cerebral infraction. Since the blood flow to the tongue is fed through the internal and external carotid arteries, the increase in PSLCO2 is supposed to be caused by the decrease of blood flow to the tongue during selective cerebral perfusion. The monitoring of PSLCO2 may be a useful method to estimate the brain blood flow during selective cerebral perfusion.


[Anesthetic Management Using Frontal Nerve, Greater Occipital Nerve, and Superficial Cervical Plexus Block for Posterior Cervical Spinal Fusion in a Patient with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy].
Here, we report successful anesthetic management of posterior cervical spinal fusion utilizing block of the frontal nerve, the greater occipital nerve, and the superficial cervical plexus in a patient with athetoid cerebral palsy. A 69-year-old woman (height 157 cm; weight 33 kg) with athetoid cerebral palsy was scheduled to undergo posterior cervical spinal fusion for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. After induction of general anesthesia, we performed tracheal intubation using the Pentax-AWS Airwayscope with a thin Intlock. After tracheal intubation, we used ropivacaine for the frontal nerve, greater occipital nerve, and superficial cervical plexus block. Anesthetic maintenance was performed with total intravenous anesthesia utilizing propofol and remifentanil. Continuous administration of dexmedetomidine was started during operation. Following surgery, smooth spontaneous ventilation was observed following uneventful extubation. No significant pain and no athetoid movement were observed under continuous administration of dexmedetomidine.


Antibacterial activity composition of the fermentation broth of Streptomyces djakartensis NW35.
The new compound Z-4-2 was isolated from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces djakartensis NW35, together with the known compound N-acetyltryptamine (Z-9-2) by bioassay-guided fractionation. Its chemical structure was elucidated as (E)-2-methoxy-1,4 naphthoquinone-1-oxime (Z-4-2) mainly by NMR analyses and MS spectral data. Their antibacterial activities against bacteria were evaluated by the filter paper method. The results of indicated that these compounds possess significant antibacterial activities.


On-chip supercapacitors with ultrahigh volumetric performance based on electrochemically co-deposited CuO/polypyrrole nanosheet arrays.
We introduce a new method for fabricating unique on-chip supercapacitors based on CuO/polypyrrole core/shell nanosheet arrays by means of direct electrochemical co-deposition on interdigital-like electrodes. The prepared all-solid-state device demonstrates exceptionally high specific capacitance of 1275.5 F cm(-3) (∼40 times larger than that of CuO-only supercapacitors) and high-energy-density of 28.35 mWh cm(-3), which are both significantly greater than other solid-state supercapacitors. More importantly, the device maintains approximately 100% capacity retention at 2.5 A cm(-3) after 3000 cycles. The in situ co-deposition of CuO/polypyrrole nanosheets on interdigital substrate enables effective charge transport, electrode fabrication integrity, and device integration. Because of their high energy, power density, and stable cycling stability, these newly developed on-chip supercapacitors permit fast, reliable applications in portable and miniaturized electronic devices.


[Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm].
Inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA) is a distinct clinicopathological entity, characterized by: (1) clinical presentation, such as back pain, weight loss, and increased ESR, (2) patchy and/or diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, and (3) marked periaortic fibrosis resulting in thickening of the aneurysmal wall and occasional retroperitoneal fibrosis. Its pathogenesis is unknown, but some authors support the theory that IAAA is a subtype of atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm because of close relationship between IAAA and atherosclerotic change. In this article, we describe clinical and histological features of IAAA on the basis of the literature and our review of 6 cases of IAAA, emphasizing the similarity and difference between IAAA and atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysm. Our review supports that marked lamellar fibrosis completely replacing the media and adventitia, patchy lymphocytic infiltration (mostly B cells) and endarteritis obliterans are characteristic features of IAAA.


On the importance of targeting parasite stem cells in anti-echinococcosis drug development.
The life-threatening diseases alveolar and cystic echinococcoses are caused by larvae of the tapeworms Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus, respectively. In both cases, intermediate hosts, such as humans, are infected by oral uptake of oncosphere larvae, followed by asexual multiplication and almost unrestricted growth of the metacestode within host organs. Besides surgery, echinococcosis treatment relies on benzimidazole-based chemotherapy, directed against parasite beta-tubulin. However, since beta-tubulins are highly similar between cestodes and humans, benzimidazoles can only be applied at parasitostatic doses and are associated with adverse side effects. Mostly aiming at identifying alternative drug targets, the nuclear genome sequences of E. multilocularis and E. granulosus have recently been characterized, revealing a large number of druggable targets that are expressed by the metacestode. Furthermore, recent cell biological investigations have demonstrated that E. multilocularis employs pluripotent stem cells, called germinative cells, which are the only parasite cells capable of proliferation and which give rise to all differentiated cells. Hence, the germinative cells are the crucial cell type mediating proliferation of E. multilocularis, and most likely also E. granulosus, within host organs and should also be responsible for parasite recurrence upon discontinuation of chemotherapy. Interestingly, recent investigations have also indicated that germinative cells might be less sensitive to chemotherapy because they express a beta-tubulin isoform with limited affinity to benzimidazoles. In this article, we briefly review the recent findings concerning Echinococcus genomics and stem cell research and propose that future research into anti-echinococcosis drugs should also focus on the parasite's stem cell population.


[Definition and classification of pulmonary arterial hypertension].
Pulmonary hypertension(PH) is a disorder that may occur either in the setting of a variety of underlying medical conditions or as a disease that uniquely affects the pulmonary vasculature. Because an accurate diagnosis of PH in a patient is essential to establish an effective treatment, a classification of PH has been helpful. The first classification, established at WHO Symposium in 1973, classified PH into groups based on the known cause and defined primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) as a separate entity of unknown cause. In 1998, the second World Symposium on PPH was held in Evian. Evian classification introduced the concept of conditions that directly affected the pulmonary vasculature (i.e., PAH), which included PPH. In 2003, the third World Symposium on PAH convened in Venice. In Venice classification, the term 'PPH' was abandoned in favor of 'idiopathic' within the group of disease known as 'PAH'.


Suggesting new species? Comments on "Evidence for a new species of Anopheles minimus from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan".
Species recognition and identification are crucial for the planning and evaluation of vector control. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to clarify the species composition of vector taxa. The danger exists, however, that new species are suggested on little evidence and that intraspecific variation is insufficiently surveyed. We discuss these topics on the basis of recent studies on the Anopheles minimus complex, one of the most widespread vector groups in Southeast Asia.


The safety of emergency care systems: Results of a survey of clinicians in 65 US emergency departments.
Well-functioning systems are critical to safe patient care, but little is known about the status of such systems in US health care facilities, including high-risk settings such as the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this study is to assess the degree to which EDs are designed, managed, and supported in ways that ensure patient safety. This was a validated, psychometrically tested survey of clinicians working in 65 US EDs that assessed clinician perceptions about the EDs' physical environment, staffing, equipment and supplies, nursing, teamwork, safety culture, triage and monitoring, information coordination and consultation, and inpatient coordination. Overall 3,562 eligible respondents completed the survey (response rate=66%). Survey respondents commonly reported problems in 4 systems critical to ED safety: physical environment, staffing, inpatient coordination, and information coordination and consultation. ED clinicians reported that there was insufficient space for the delivery of care most (25%) or some (37%) of the time. Respondents indicated that the number of patients exceeded ED capacity to provide safe care most (32%) or some of the time (50%). Only 41% of clinicians indicated that most of the time specialty consultation for critically ill patients arrived within 30 minutes of being contacted. Finally, half of respondents reported that ED patients requiring admission to the ICU were rarely transferred from the ED to the ICU within 1 hour. Reports by ED clinicians suggest that substantial improvements in institutional design, management, and support for emergency care are necessary to maximize patient safety in US EDs.


Cows and herds constitute distinct hierarchical levels of heterogeneity in the variability of and association between milk yield and pregnancy outcome in dairy cows.
The objectives of this study were to investigate heterogeneity in the variance of and the association between milk yield (MY) and pregnancy outcome (PO) in dairy cows, formally separating the within-herd (i.e., cow-level residual effects) from the between-herd (i.e., herd-level random effects) components. Based on a recently developed extension to bivariate generalized hierarchical linear mixed models, we specified functions of residual and random effect variances and covariances as linear combinations of fixed and random effects to infer upon heterogeneity in the variation of and the association between MY and PO at first postpartum insemination. As potential sources of heterogeneity, we evaluated various management practices and herd attributes of interest by assessing model fit using the deviance information criterion. Our data consisted of 89,105 Dairy Herd Improvement Association cow records from 379 dairy herds in Michigan. Within herds, no evidence of a cow-level (residual) association between MY and PO was observed, as the corresponding association parameter did not significantly depart from zero. However, the herd-level (random effects) relationship between MY and PO was antagonistic and depended on management practices that determine the baseline level of fertility for a herd. In other words, herds with greater average MY at the time of first postpartum insemination had lower pregnancy rates, but within such herds, cows with higher daily yields did not seem to be any more or less likely to become pregnant than lower-yielding herdmates. Nevertheless, Michigan counties differed in the magnitude of the herd-level association between MY and PO, thus indicating that regional environmental conditions or management practices may partially alleviate the herd-level antagonism between MY and PO. The heterogeneity in variability of MY was substantial and primarily explained at the cow level by management conditions and other herd-specific attributes. In summary, the nature of the variability of and the association between MY and PO in dairy cows is complex due to the heterogeneous contributions of both cow- and herd-level components. Further research should be pursued to investigate additional management scenarios that ameliorate or even enhance the association between MY and PO in commercial dairy cows during first postpartum insemination.


Induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks in the same dose range as the shoulder of the survival curve.
We have used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to test two hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the survival curves with shoulders which are characteristic of low-LET ionizing radiation: (1) Neutral elution studies of the induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) have suggested that ionizing radiation might induce DSBs in a nonlinear fashion at low doses. (2) Based on analogies to enzyme kinetics, DSB repair might be saturating in the shoulder region. We quantified DSB induction and survival resulting from doses between 0 and 5 Gy spanning the shoulder region of the survival curve. We found that DSB induction was linear at all doses tested down to 0.5 Gy, the limits of sensitivity. Therefore, nonlinear DSB induction cannot account for the shape of the survival curve. To determine whether the DSB repair system was saturated in the shoulder region, we quantified the rate of DSB repair as a function of dose of X rays between 1.25 and 20 Gy. The repair of DSBs was exponential with half-times of repair constant for doses below 10 Gy, and averaged 28 min. We determined the initial rate of repair from the exponential repair kinetics for each dose. The initial rate of repair after radiation treatment increased linearly with dose up to at least 10 Gy. Therefore, saturating DSB repair cannot explain the shoulder of the survival curve.


Impaired perception of illusory contours and cortical hypometabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Neuroimaging evidence suggests that areas of the higher-order visual cortex, including the lateral occipital complex (LOC), are engaged in the perception of illusory contours; however, these findings remain unsubstantiated by human lesion data. Therefore, we assessed the presentation time necessary to perceive two types of illusory contours formed by Kanizsa figures or aligned line ends in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Additionally, we used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to measure regional cerebral glucose metabolism in PD patients. Although there were no significant differences in the stimulus durations required for perception of illusory contours formed by aligned line ends between PD patients and controls, PD patients required significantly longer stimulus durations for the perception of Kanizsa illusory figures. Difficulty in perceiving Kanizsa illusory figures was correlated with hypometabolism in the higher-order visual cortical areas, including the posterior inferior temporal gyrus. These findings indicate an association between dysfunction in the posterior inferior temporal gyrus, a region corresponding to a portion of the LOC, and impaired perception of Kanizsa illusory figures in PD patients.


Structural and functional analysis of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3.
Spinocerebellar ataxia types 2 (SCA2) and 3 (SCA3) are autosomal-dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative diseases caused by CAG repeat expansions in the coding regions of the genes encoding ataxin-2 and ataxin-3, respectively. To provide a rationale for further functional experiments, we explored the protein architectures of ataxin-2 and ataxin-3. Using structure-based multiple sequence alignments of homologous proteins, we investigated domains, sequence motifs, and interaction partners. Our analyses focused on presumably functional amino acids and the construction of tertiary structure models of the RNA-binding Lsm domain of ataxin-2 and the deubiquitinating Josephin domain of ataxin-3. We also speculate about distant evolutionary relationships of ubiquitin-binding UIM, GAT, UBA and CUE domains and helical ANTH and UBX domain extensions.


Demonstration of accelerated and increased migration inhibition factor release in vivo in a PPD retest reaction.
Sites at which positive skin-test reactions have been elicited exhibit an accelerated (so-called 'retest') reaction upon local reinjection of the antigen used for primary skin testing. When using a peritoneal cavity inflammation model in guinea pigs, local migration inhibition factor (MIF) release in vivo was studied in both primary and retest reactions to purified protein derivative. Increased retest reactivity could be demonstrated to coincide with an instantaneous and intense local MIF release. Estimation of both the absolute number of the antigen specificity of lymphocytes present in the peritoneal cavity at the time of retesting (170 h after primary testing) showed that the early burst of MIF release is primarily due to nonspecific local retention of increased numbers of lymphocytes.


Efficacy of Vein Visualization Devices for Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Placement in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the efficacy of vein visualization devices and the routine method for insertion of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in preterm infants. The study was conducted between June 2016 and April 2017 in the neonatal intensive care unit of Bakırköy Dr Sadi Konuk Education and Research Hospital. Participants (N = 90) were randomly assigned to the infrared group (n = 30), the transilluminator group (n = 30), or the control group (n = 30). Time to successful cannulation was significantly lower for the infrared group (8.70 ± 2.56 seconds) than for the transilluminator group (45.27 ± 30.83 seconds) and the control group (17.30 ± 8.40 seconds) (P ≤ .001). Success of the first attempt was significantly higher in the infrared and transilluminator groups than in the control group (P ≤ .05). Dwell time of the PIVC in place was significantly higher in the infrared group than in the transilluminator and control groups (P ≤ .05). Neonatal Infant Pain Scale scores were significantly higher in the transilluminator group (0.60 ± 0.855) than in the infrared (0.33 ± 0.182) and control groups (0.33 ± 0.182) while seeking an appropriate vein (P ≤ .001). The use of an infrared device provides efficacy in time to successful cannulation, success of the first attempt, length of the time the catheter is in place, and technique-related pain.


Telemonitoring in Heart Failure Management.
Telemonitoring (TM) aims to predict and prevent worsening heart failure (HF) episodes and improve self-care, patient education, treatment adherence and survival. There is a growing number of TM options for patients with HF, but there are numerous challenges in reaching positive outcomes. Conflicting evidence from clinical trials may be the result of the enormous heterogeneity of TM devices tested, differences in selected patient populations and variabilities between healthcare systems. This article covers some basic concepts of TM, looking at the recent advances in the most frequently used types of TM and the evidence to support its use in the care of people with HF.


Advanced positive airway pressure modes: adaptive servo ventilation and volume assured pressure support.
Volume assured pressure support (VAPS) and adaptive servo ventilation (ASV) are non-invasive positive airway pressure (PAP) modes with sophisticated negative feedback control systems (servomechanism), having the capability to self-adjust in real time its respiratory controlled variables to patient's respiratory fluctuations. However, the widespread use of VAPS and ASV is limited by scant clinical experience, high costs, and the incomplete understanding of propriety algorithmic differences in devices' response to patient's respiratory changes. Hence, we will review and highlight similarities and differences in technical aspects, control algorithms, and settings of each mode, focusing on the literature search published in this area. One hundred twenty relevant articles were identified by Scopus, PubMed, and Embase databases from January 2010 to 2016, using a combination of MeSH terms and keywords. Articles were further supplemented by pearling. Recommendations were based on the literature review and the authors' expertise in this area. Expert commentary: ASV and VAPS differ in their respiratory targets and response to a respiratory fluctuation. The VAPS mode targets a more consistent minute ventilation, being recommended in the treatment of sleep related hypoventilation disorders, while ASV mode attempts to provide a more steady breathing airflow pattern, treating successfully most central sleep apnea syndromes.


Young Sprague Dawley rats infected by Plasmodium berghei: A relevant experimental model to study cerebral malaria.
Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe manifestation of human malaria yet is still poorly understood. Mouse models have been developed to address the subject. However, their relevance to mimic human pathogenesis is largely debated. Here we study an alternative cerebral malaria model with an experimental Plasmodium berghei Keyberg 173 (K173) infection in Sprague Dawley rats. As in Human, not all infected subjects showed cerebral malaria, with 45% of the rats exhibiting Experimental Cerebral Malaria (ECM) symptoms while the majority (55%) of the remaining rats developed severe anemia and hyperparasitemia (NoECM). These results allow, within the same population, a comparison of the noxious effects of the infection between ECM and severe malaria without ECM. Among the ECM rats, 77.8% died between day 5 and day 12 post-infection, while the remaining rats were spontaneously cured of neurological signs within 24-48 hours. The clinical ECM signs observed were paresis quickly evolving to limb paralysis, global paralysis associated with respiratory distress, and coma. The red blood cell (RBC) count remained normal but a drastic decrease of platelet count and an increase of white blood cell numbers were noted. ECM rats also showed a decrease of glucose and total CO2 levels and an increase of creatinine levels compared to control rats or rats with no ECM. Assessment of the blood-brain barrier revealed loss of integrity, and interestingly histopathological analysis highlighted cyto-adherence and sequestration of infected RBCs in brain vessels from ECM rats only. Overall, this ECM rat model showed numerous clinical and histopathological features similar to Human CM and appears to be a promising model to achieve further understanding the CM pathophysiology in Humans and to evaluate the activity of specific antimalarial drugs in avoiding/limiting cerebral damages from malaria.


Successful growth and characterization of mouse pancreatic ductal cells: functional properties of the Ki-RAS(G12V) oncogene.
The Ki-RAS oncogene is altered in pancreatic ductal neoplasms. Pancreatic ductal cells (PDCs) were purified from cytokeratin 19 (K19)-Ki-RAS(G12V) transgenic mice and control littermates to identify properties of Ki-Ras activation in a cell-type-specific context. Because Ki-RAS mutation has prognostic significance in patients treated with radiation, we studied the influence of Ki-RAS status on radiation survival. Pancreatic ductal fragments from mice with Ki-RAS(G12V) mutation or wild-type (WT)-Ki-RAS were cultured. Growth curves, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and analysis of signaling and cell-cycle proteins were established. Farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) treatment with R115777 before and after irradiation was used to determine the effect of Ki-Ras farnesylation on cell survival. PDCs from WT and K19-Ki-RAS(G12V) mice had features of ductal cells with formation of 3-dimensional structures on collagen without differences in morphology, growth, and cell-cycle distribution. This may result from up-regulation of p16INK4 and p27(Kip1) and lack of hyperstimulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in Ki-RAS(G12V) PDCs. No differences in radiation survival between Ki-RAS(G12V) PDCs and WT PDCs were observed. However, Ki-RAS(G12V) PDCs expressing mutant p53(V143A) had enhanced survival compared with WT PDCs transduced with p53(V143A). R115777 treatment sensitized Ki-RAS(G12V) PDCs and Ki-RAS(G12V)/p53(V143A) PDCs, but not WT PDCs. Novel characterization of murine WT PDCs and Ki-RAS(G12V) PDCs is described. Induction of cell-cycle regulators and lack of mitogen-activated protein kinase hyperstimulation likely are responsible for constraining activated Ki-RAS(G12V)-mediated proliferation. Because its activation was required for sensitization by an FTI, R115777 may be useful against pancreatic tumors expressing oncogenic Ki-Ras.


Meta-Analysis of EMT Datasets Reveals Different Types of EMT.
As a critical process during embryonic development, cancer progression and cell fate conversions, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been extensively studied over the last several decades. To further understand the nature of EMT, we performed meta-analysis of multiple microarray datasets to identify the related generic signature. In this study, 24 human and 17 mouse microarray datasets were integrated to identify conserved gene expression changes in different types of EMT. Our integrative analysis revealed that there is low agreement among the list of the identified signature genes and three other lists in previous studies. Since removing the datasets with weakly-induced EMT from the analysis did not significantly improve the overlapping in the signature-gene lists, we hypothesized the existence of different types of EMT. This hypothesis was further supported by the grouping of 74 human EMT-induction samples into five distinct clusters, and the identification of distinct pathways in these different clusters of EMT samples. The five clusters of EMT-induction samples also improves the understanding of the characteristics of different EMT types. Therefore, we concluded the existence of different types of EMT was the possible reason for its complex role in multiple biological processes.


Efficient Network Slicing with SDN and Heuristic Algorithm for Low Latency Services in 5G/B5G Networks.
This paper presents a novel approach for network slicing in 5G backhaul networks, targeting services with low or very low latency requirements. We propose a modified A* algorithm that incorporates network quality of service parameters into a composite metric. The algorithm's efficiency outperforms that of Dijkstra's algorithm using a precalculated heuristic function and a real-time monitoring strategy for congestion management. We integrate the algorithm into an SDN module called a path computation element, which computes the optimal path for the network slices. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm significantly reduces processing time compared to Dijkstra's algorithm, particularly in complex topologies, with an order of magnitude improvement. The algorithm successfully adjusts paths in real-time to meet low latency requirements, preventing packet delay from exceeding the established threshold. The end-to-end measurements using the Speedtest client validate the algorithm's performance in differentiating traffic with and without delay requirements. These results demonstrate the efficacy of our approach in achieving ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) in 5G backhaul networks.


Management of post-keratoplasty ametropia.
Even after a successful corneal transplant, patients experience severe refractive errors, impeding their rehabilitation and satisfaction. Refractive errors can be caused by recipient pathology and corneal thickness, as well as intraoperative factors such as donor-host discrepancy, recipient's eccentric trephination, vitreous length, wound apposition, technique of suturing, and suture material. Also, wound healing and the interim between keratoplasty and suture removal contribute to astigmatism. Lamellar keratoplasty outperforms penetrating keratoplasty in terms of endothelial cell loss and endothelial graft rejection, yet the risk of developing refractive errors is comparable. Nonsurgical interventions such as spectacles and lenses fail to provide desirable vision in cases with high astigmatism and corneal irregularity. When these limitations are encountered, surgical interventions including incisional keratotomy, wedge resection, laser refractive surgeries, intracorneal segments, and intraocular lens implantation are employed. However, occasionally, none of these approaches deliver the desired effects, leading to the need for a repeat keratoplasty.


Microvesicles in vascular homeostasis and diseases. Position Paper of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology.
Microvesicles are members of the family of extracellular vesicles shed from the plasma membrane of activated or apoptotic cells. Microvesicles were initially characterised by their pro-coagulant activity and described as "microparticles". There is mounting evidence revealing a role for microvesicles in intercellular communication, with particular relevance to hemostasis and vascular biology. Coupled with this, the potential of microvesicles as meaningful biomarkers is under intense investigation. This Position Paper will summarise the current knowledge on the mechanisms of formation and composition of microvesicles of endothelial, platelet, red blood cell and leukocyte origin. This paper will also review and discuss the different methods used for their analysis and quantification, will underline the potential biological roles of these vesicles with respect to vascular homeostasis and thrombosis and define important themes for future research.


Maternal health and pregnancy outcomes among women of refugee background from African countries: a retrospective, observational study in Australia.
Women of refugee background from Africa are reported to have a greater risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to women born in resettlement countries. However, there is currently little insight into whether adverse pregnancy outcomes are more common among migrant women of refugee background, compared to women who have migrated for non-humanitarian reasons. To inform whether women of refugee background require additional services in pregnancy compared to non-refugee migrant women from similar world regions we aimed to describe and compare maternal health, pregnancy care attendance and pregnancy outcomes among migrant women from Africa with or without a refugee background. Retrospective, observational study of singleton births at a single, metropolitan, maternity service in Australia 2002-2011, to women born in humanitarian source countries (HSC) and non-HSC from North Africa (n = 1361), Middle and East Africa (n = 706) and West Africa (n = 106). Compared to non-HSC groups, age < 20 years (0-1.4% vs 2.3-13.3%), living in relatively socio-economically disadvantaged geographic areas (26.2-37.3% vs 52.9-77.8%) and interpreter need (0-23.9% vs 9.7-51.5%) were generally more common in the HSC groups. Compared to non-HSC groups, female genital mutilation (0.3-3.3% vs 5.1-13.8%), vitamin D insufficiency (8.7-21.5% vs 23.3-32.0%), syphilis (0-0.3% vs 1.2-7.5%) and hepatitis B (0-1.1% vs 1.2-18%) were also generally more common among the HSC groups. Unplanned birth before arrival at the hospital (3.6%) was particularly high in the North African HSC group. HSC-birth was associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (odds ratio = 3.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.8-7.1) among women from Middle and East Africa, after adjusting for maternal age, parity, body mass index and relative socio-economic disadvantage of area of residence. The West African HSC group had the highest stillbirth incidence (4.4%). Migrant women of refugee background from different African regions appear to be at greater risk of specific adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to migrant women without a refugee background. Awareness of differing risks and health needs would assist provision of appropriate pregnancy care to improve the health of African women and their babies.


Regulation of HSP25 expression and phosphorylation in functionally overloaded rat plantaris and soleus muscles.
Functional overload (FO) is a powerful inducer of muscle hypertrophy and both oxidative and mechanical stress in muscle fibers. Heat shock protein 25 (HSP25) may protect against both of these stressors, and its expression can be regulated by changes in muscle loading and activation. The primary purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that chronic FO increases HSP25 expression and phosphorylation (pHSP25) in hypertrophying rat hindlimb muscle. HSP25 and pHSP25 levels were quantified in soluble and insoluble fractions of the soleus and plantaris to determine whether 3 or 7 days of FO increase translocation of HSP25 and/or pHSP25 to the insoluble fraction. p38 protein and phosphorylation (p-p38) was measured to determine its association with changes in pHSP25. HSP25 mRNA showed time-dependent increases in both the soleus and plantaris with FO. Three or seven days of FO increased HSP25 and pHSP25 in the soluble fraction in both muscles, with a greater response in the plantaris. In the insoluble fraction, HSP25 was increased after 3 or 7 days in both muscles, whereas pHSP25 was only increased in the 7-day plantaris. p38 and p-p38 increased in the plantaris at both time points. In the soleus, p-p38 only increased after 7 days. These results show that FO is associated with changes in HSP25 expression and phosphorylation and suggest its role in the remodeling that occurs during muscle hypertrophy. Increases in HSP25 in the insoluble fraction suggest that it may help to stabilize actin and/or other cytoskeletal proteins during the stress of muscle remodeling.


Compact diode-pumped 1.1 kW Yb:YAG Innoslab femtosecond amplifier.
We demonstrate a compact diode-pumped Yb:KGW femtosecond oscillator-Yb:YAG Innoslab amplifier master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) with nearly transform-limited 636 fs pulses at 620 W average output power, 20 MHz repetition rate, and beam quality of M(x)(2) = 1.43 and M(y)(2) = 1.35. By cascading two amplifiers, we attain an average output power of 1.1 kW, a peak power of 80 MW, and a 615 fs pulse width in a single linearly polarized beam. The power-scalable MOPA is operated at room temperature, and no chirped-pulse amplification technique is used.


Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of men experiencing homelessness: A cross-sectional study in Osaka, Japan.
The novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted not only our physical health but also mental health, including increasing depressive and anxiety symptoms. In particular, socially and physically vulnerable populations, such as people experiencing homelessness (PEH), may be more likely to have their mental health worsened by the pandemic due to having more difficulty meeting basic human needs. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of the homeless in Japan by evaluating depressive and anxiety symptoms and identifying the associated factors particularly, sociodemographic variables as age, employment status and the fear and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional interview survey among 158 PEH in Osaka Prefecture was conducted from April to May 2022. The survey included sociodemographic questions and history and perceived risk of infection with COVID-19. Depressive symptoms were measured using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the fear of COVID-19 using the seven-item Fear of New Coronavirus Scale (FCV-19S). In this study, the prevalence of depression (PHQ-9≥10) was 38.6%, anxiety disorder (GAD≥10) was 19.0%, and high fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S≥19) was 28.5%. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that PEH in younger age groups (18-34 years), and with joblessness, higher perceived infection risk, and higher fear of COVID-19 were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety (p<0.05). These results indicate that the younger PEHs with worsened economic conditions and therefore, feel threatened by COVID-19 the pandemic are at higher risk of mental health deterioration. More focused research and mental health services need to be provided to this population in the future.


Molecular electronics--resonant transport through single molecules.
The mechanically controllable break-junction technique (MCBJ) enables us to investigate charge transport through an individually contacted and addressed molecule in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environment at variable temperature ranging from room temperature down to 4 K. Using a statistical measurement and analysis approach, we acquire current-voltage (I-V) characteristics during the repeated formation, manipulation, and breaking of a molecular junction. At low temperatures, voltages accessing the first molecular orbitals in resonance can be applied, providing spectroscopic information about the junction's energy landscape, in particular about the molecular level alignment in respect to the Fermi energy of the electrodes. Thereby, we can investigate the non-linear transport properties of various types of functional molecules and explore their potential use as functional building blocks for future nano-electronics. An example will be given by the reversible and controllable switching between two distinct conductive states of a single molecule. As a proof-of-principle for functional molecular devices, a single-molecule memory element will be demonstrated.


Backscattering amplitude in ultrasound localization microscopy.
In the last decade, Ultrafast ultrasound localisation microscopy has taken non-invasive deep vascular imaging down to the microscopic level. By imaging diluted suspensions of circulating microbubbles in the blood stream at kHz frame rate and localizing the center of their individual point spread function with a sub-resolution precision, it enabled to break the unvanquished trade-off between depth of imaging and resolution by microscopically mapping the microbubbles flux and velocities deep into tissue. However, ULM also suffers limitations. Many small vessels are not visible in the ULM images due to the noise level in areas dimly explored by the microbubbles. Moreover, as the vast majority of studies are performed using 2D imaging, quantification is limited to in-plane velocity or flux measurements which hinders the accurate velocity determination and quantification. Here we show that the backscattering amplitude of each individual microbubble can also be exploited to produce backscattering images of the vascularization with a higher sensitivity compared to conventional ULM images. By providing valuable information about the relative distance of the microbubble to the 2D imaging plane in the out-of-plane direction, backscattering ULM images introduces a physically relevant 3D rendering perception in the vascular maps. It also retrieves the missing information about the out-of-plane motion of microbubbles and provides a way to improve 3D flow and velocity quantification using 2D ULM. These results pave the way to improved visualization and quantification for 2D and 3D ULM.


Detection of cholinesterase inhibition. The significance of cholinesterase measurements.
Human cholinesterase exists in two forms--acetylcholinesterase located in tissue microsomes and red blood cells and serum cholinesterase found in serum or plasma. The two enzymes display marked differences in structure, substrate specificity, biological function, and origin. Contemporary methods employ acylthiocholine as substrate for serum cholinesterase and a second coupled reaction of thiocholine and chromogenic disulfide agents. Clinical applications are primarily centered on subnormal levels of enzyme activity. The decreased activity levels can be caused by inhibitors, reduced biosynthesis, or dysfunctional genetic variants. Changes in enzyme activity should be related to baseline levels because there is wide individual variation as well as methodological variation. Once baseline levels have been established, cholinesterase activity becomes a sensitive indicator of pesticide intoxication and hepatic biosynthetic capacity. A more sophisticated assay, performed in the presence of an inhibitor, is required to detect the atypical genetic variants of serum or plasma cholinesterase.


Interleukin 2 and interleukin 2 inhibitors in human serum and synovial fluid. II. Mitogenic stimulation, interleukin 2 production and interleukin 2 receptor expression in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Reiter's syndrome.
Peripheral blood and synovial fluid (SF) mononuclear cells from 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were hyporesponsive to mitogenic stimulation with plant lectins and CD3 antibodies, due to depressed interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 receptor upregulation. In contrast, in the seronegative arthritis patient group only SF mononuclear cells were hyporesponsive to mitogenic stimulation and there were no significant differences in IL-2 production or IL-2 receptor upregulation as compared with control subjects. No significant correlations were observed between IL-2 inhibitor levels and mitogenic responses, IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor upregulation on peripheral blood and SF mononuclear cells but an inverse correlation was noted between SF mitogenic responses and the expression of selected activation markers. We conclude that IL-2 abnormalities appear to be most pronounced in RA compared with other inflammatory arthritides and that these changes do not appear to be directly related to serum or SF IL-2 inhibitor levels.


Synthesis of Isothiazoles through N-Propargylsulfinylamide: TFA-Promoted Sulfinyl Group-Involved Intramolecular Cyclization.
A new reactivity mode of tert-butanesulfinamide has been developed, which proceeds through C-S and O-S bond cleavage of N-propargyl tert-butanesulfinylamide allowing rapid assembly of poly functionalized isothiazoles. This intramolecular cyclization reaction could be conducted under mild and convenient conditions and tolerates several fluoroalkyl and substituted phenyl groups with good chemical yields. This reaction not only represents a new reactivity of tert-butanesulfinamide but also provides an easy strategy for the synthesis of isothiazoles.


[Ru(bpy)2dppz-idzo]2+: a colorimetric molecular "light switch" and powerful stabilizer for G-quadruplex DNA.
A new ruthenium complex, [Ru(bpy)2dppz-idzo](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dppz-idzo = dipyrido-[3,2-a:2',3'-c] phenazine-imidazolone), was synthesized and characterized. The luminescent titrations showed that the Ru-complex exhibited an outstanding "light switch" effect with an emission enhancement factor of about 300 in the presence of G-quadruplex DNA in a K(+) solution. This remarkable "light switch" behavior can even be observed by the naked eye under irradiation with UV light. To get an insight into the "light switch" mechanism, quantum-chemical calculations were performed based on the DFT/TDDFT/PCM method at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. Furthermore, the CD titrations and thermal melting experiments indicated that [Ru(bpy)2dppz-idzo](2+) could not only induce the formation of an antiparallel G-quadruplex structure in the absence of monocations, but also has the ability to stabilize the G-quadruplex architecture, implying potential applications in anticancer therapeutics. Both the "light switch" effect and the structure stabilization ability of [Ru(bpy)2dppz-idzo](2+) were found to be superior to the well-known DNA molecular "light switch" [Ru(bpy)2dppz](2+). Finally, a "sandwich-like" binding model was proposed on the basis of molecular docking simulations.


The effect of implicit person theory on performance appraisals.
Four studies examined whether implicit person theory (IPT) regarding the malleability of personal attributes (e.g., personality and ability) affects managers' acknowledgment of change in employee behavior. The extent to which managers held an incremental IPT was positively related to their recognition of both good (Study 1) and poor (Study 2) performance, relative to the employee behavior they initially observed. Incremental theorists' judgments were not anchored by their prior impressions (Study 3). In the 4th study, entity theorists who were randomly assigned to a self-persuasion training condition developed a significantly more incremental IPT. This change in IPT was maintained over a 6-week period and led to greater acknowledgment of an improvement in employee performance than was exhibited by entity theorists in the placebo control group.


Promiscuous mitochondrial group II intron sequences in plant nuclear genomes.
Gene translocations from the organelles to the nucleus are postulated by the endosymbiont hypothesis. We here report evidence for sequence insertions in the nuclear genomes of plants that are derived from noncoding regions of the mitochondrial genome. Fragments of mitochondrial group II introns are identified in the nuclear genomes of tobacco and a bean species. The duplicated intron sequences of 75-140 bp are derived from cis- and trans-splicing introns of genes encoding subunits 1 and 5 of the NADH dehydrogenase. The mitochondrial sequences are inserted in the vicinities of a lectin gene, different glucanase genes and a gene encoding a subunit of photosystem II. Sequence similarities between the nuclear and mitochondrial copies are in the range of 80 to 97%, suggesting recent transfer events that occurred in the basic glucanase genes before and in the lectin gene after the gene duplications in the evolution of the nuclear gene families. Overlapping regions of the same introns are in two instances also involved in intramitochondrial sequence duplications.


A myriad spectrum of seizures on magnetic resonance imaging - A pictorial essay.
Patients with seizures represent a challenging clinical population both in pediatrics and adults. Accurate diagnosis of the cause of a seizure is important in choosing an effective treatment modality, surgical planning, predicting a prognosis, and follow-up. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a dedicated epilepsy protocol plays a key role in the workup of these patients. Additional MR techniques such as T2 relaxometry and MR spectroscopy show a promising role to arrive at a final diagnosis. The spectrum of epileptogenic causes is broad. Radiologists and physicians need to be updated and require a patterned approach in light of clinical history and electroencephalogram findings to arrive at a reasonable differential diagnosis. This pictorial essay aims to review a few of the common and uncommon causes of seizures and their imaging features.


Determinants of Maternal Health Services Use among Vulnerable Women in a Rural Community in the Moroccan High Atlas.
Several factors affect the use of maternal health care services in developing countries. The aim was to describe the knowledge and attitudes of women in a rural area of the Moroccan High Atlas regarding aspects of maternal health, and to identify the determinants of use of maternal health care services. A cross-sectional study of 87 participants was conducted in a mountainous area near Marrakech utilizing two sampling methods (a door-to-door approach, and a mobile health caravan). Fisher test was used to compare two proportions, and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test to compare two means (p value was 0.05). Median participants' age was 24 years old [15-60]. Findings indicated that husband's education (p=0.005), woman's age (p=0.011), awareness of warning signs during pregnancy (p=0.01) and use of health center for other purposes other than pregnancy (p=0.007) were important influencing factors for use of prenatal consultation services. Factors that influenced supervised birth outcomes were the age of the woman (p=0.013), her education (p=0.027) and a positive attitude towards monitoring her pregnancy by a health professional (p=0.006). To improve utilization rates for maternal health services, these factors must be considered when designing interventions that aim to improve the quality of these services in the community.


Preoperative treatment of children with chronic suppurative otitis media.
259 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media were bacteriologically assessed. 12 bacterial strains were isolated in 196 of the cases. The most common species present was Staphylococcus - 77 (39%) cases, followed by Proteus vulgaris isolated in 36 (18%) cases, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 33 (17%) cases. The flora in 25 cases (18%) yielded two bacterial strains with identical oxygen demands, and a mixture of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus in 32%. In 60.6% of cases the flora was sensitive to ototoxic antibiotics (gentamycin, kanamycin and neomycin), especially to gentamycin - 29.9%. The highest sensitivity of the flora to non-ototoxic antibiotics was to chlorocid (in 25.5% of the cases). Topical and systemic treatment were administered based on antibiogram and the inflammation and the otorrhea were controlled in 91.4% of the cases. No or little effect was found in the patients with cholesteatoma (8.6%). A conclusion was made that the monoflora was the commonest in the ear effusion (87%), comprising facultative anaerobes, present in 63.8%, anaerobes in 18.8%, and aerobes, mainly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in 17.4%. The combined (topical and systemic) treatment based on antibiogram is effective in the preoperative management of the inflammation.


Use of a hypogastric flap and split-thickness skin grafting for a degloving injury of the penis and scrotum: A different approach.
Penile and scrotal skin avulsions are not common events and are caused usually by accidents with industrial machines or agricultural machines. We report a case of a 27-year-old newly married thin-built patient with avulsion and traumatic degloving of the penile and scrotal skin, with exposure of the corpora cavernosa and copus spongiosum of penis and testes as his loose clothes got entangled in a paddy harvesting machine accidently. Reconstruction was performed using a hypogastric flap and split skin graft, achieving a satisfactory aesthetic result and sexual functions.


The analgesic action of dexmedetomidine--a novel alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist--in healthy volunteers.
The analgesic efficacy of dexmedetomidine (DEX)--a novel alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist--was studied in man. Single intravenous doses of fentanyl (FEN; 2 micrograms/kg), DEX (0.25, 0.50 and 1.0 micrograms/kg) and placebo were administered to 5 healthy male volunteers in a double-blind, crossover study in randomized order. The analgesic effect of the different treatments was measured by determining the time course of pain threshold with dental dolorimetry and by quantitating subjective pain induced by a standard ischemic pain stimulus on the upper arm using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The drugs were generally well tolerated. FEN and DEX both had analgesic effects on ischemic pain, which was seen as a statistically significant decrease in subjective VAS ratings. FEN appeared to be more effective than DEX; the difference was not, however, statistically significant. Neither of the drugs affected the pain threshold measurements.


The unexpected evolution of basic science studies about cyclic nucleotide action into a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
In these Reflections, I describe my perceived role in discoveries made in the cyclic nucleotide field that culminated in the advent of PDE5 inhibitors that treat erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. The discoveries emphasize the critical role of basic science, which often evolves in unpredictable and circuitous paths, in improving human health.


Maturation competence of swamp buffalo oocytes obtained by ovum pick-up and from slaughterhouse ovaries.
This study was designed with the final goal of improving in vitro embryo production in the Thai swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis carabensis). Oocytes were collected by ovum pick-up (OPU) from six non-lactating multiparous swamp buffalo twice per week for 10 consecutive sessions followed by once-weekly collection for 10 consecutive sessions without hormone stimulation. In addition, oocytes were collected from slaughterhouse ovaries that were classified as follows: ovaries from non-pregnant cows with a visible corpus luteum (NPCL); pregnant cows with a corpus luteum (P); and non-pregnant cows without a corpus luteum (NP). Follicles in each group of ovaries were categorized as small (2-4 mm), medium-sized (5-8 mm) or large follicles (≥ 9 mm). The quality of the oocytes was assessed by their capacity to undergo in vitro maturation. The total number of observed follicles per session (all sizes combined) was larger in the once-weekly OPU group compared with the twice-weekly OPU group. In particular, the numbers of small and large follicles were higher in the once-weekly OPU group (5.2 ± 0.7 and 0.9 ± 0.2, respectively) than in the twice-weekly OPU group (3.9 ± 0.5 and 0.5 ± 0.1). The number of medium-sized follicles did not differ between the groups. The percentages of oocytes with an abnormal spindle morphology were not different between oocytes from the twice-weekly (30.0%) and the once-weekly (28.6%) OPU groups. A higher percentage of oocytes obtained in vitro (49.5%) exhibited nuclear abnormalities compared with those obtained in vivo (≤34.8%) after in vitro maturation. In conclusion, oocytes can be successfully collected by OPU in the swamp buffalo, without hormonal pretreatment, and per week more good-quality oocytes can be collected by twice-weekly OPU. In addition, oocytes collected from slaughterhouse ovaries can be used with the reproductive status of the cow having no influence on the maturation competence of oocytes.


[Expression of P27 protein and cyclin E in colon cancer].
P27 protein and cyclin E were negative cell cycle regulators. Until the present, the influence of P27 protein and cyclin E on progression of colon cancer was unclear. The aim of this study was to observe the expression features of P27 protein and cyclin E in the tissues of colon neoplasms, and to investigate the relationship between colon neoplasms and tumor special growth factor (TSGF). Sixty-nine cases of samples included 23 normal tissues, 28 colon polyps (13 inflammatory polyps and 15 adenomatous polyps), and 18 colon carcinomas. The location and expression of P27 protein and cyclin E were determined using immunohistochemical method in all samples. These samples were diagnosed using formal pathological techniques simultaneously; the relationship between colon neoplasms and TSGF was also investigated. The positive signal of P27 and cyclin E was found mainly in the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix of normal colon tissues, inflammatory polyps, and adenomatous polyps. Less amount of positive expression product of P27 protein and cyclin E was observed in colon carcinoma cells; and the positive signal was only located in the cytoplasm of gland-like cells. The content of TSGF in colon carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues (117.3+/-57.02 versus 64.16+/-27.5,P< 0.01), but there was no significant difference between colon carcinoma tissues and inflammatory polyp tissues (117.3+/-57.02 versus 92.5+/-47.9,P >0.05). P27 protein and cyclin E participate in the adjustment process of colon neoplasm occurrence and progression. The reduced expression of P27 protein and cyclin E may indicate the possibility of colon carcinoma.


Different binding mode in AT and GC sequences for unfused-aromatic dications.
We have previously synthesized a 2,5-diphenylfuranamidine dication (4) and presented evidence that this compound binds to AT sequences in DNA by a minor-groove interaction mode but binds to GC sequences by intercalation (1,2). To probe these sequence-dependent binding modes in more detail, and particularly to obtain additional evidence for the binding mode in GC rich sequences, we have synthesized and studied the DNA complexes of 1-3 which have the furan ring of 4 replaced by 2,6-substituted pyridine (1), pyrimidine (2), or triazine (3) ring systems. The three compounds with a six-membered central ring system bind to AT DNA sequences more weakly than the furan compound, but retain the minor-groove binding mode. The pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives bind to GC sequences of DNA more strongly than the furan, but the triazine derivative binds more weakly. The aromatic proton signals of 1-3, as previously observed with 4 shift upfield by approximately 0.5 ppm or greater on complex formation with polyd(G-C)2. This and other spectroscopic as well as viscosity and kinetics results indicate that 1-4 bind to GC sites in DNA by intercalation. A nonclassical intercalation model, with the twisted-unfused, aromatic ring system intercalated into an intercalation site of matching structure can explain all of our and the literature results for the GC binding mode of these unfused, aromatic compounds.


A Test of The Risk Perception Attitude Framework as a Message Tailoring Strategy to Promote Diabetes Screening.
The risk perception attitude (RPA) framework was tested as a message tailoring strategy to encourage diabetes screening. Participants (N = 602) were first categorized into one of four RPA groups based on their diabetes risk and efficacy perceptions and then randomly assigned to receive a message that matched their RPA, mismatched their RPA, or a control message. Participants receiving a matched message reported greater intentions to engage in self-protective behavior than participants who received a mismatched message or the control message. The results also showed differences in attitudes and behavioral intentions across the four RPA groups. Participants in the responsive group had more positive attitudes toward diabetes screening than the other three groups, whereas participants in the indifferent group reported the weakest intentions to engage in self-protective behavior.


Liquid-liquid phase transitions for soft-core attractive potentials.
Using event-driven molecular dynamics simulations, we study a three-dimensional one-component system of spherical particles interacting via a discontinuous potential combining a repulsive square soft core and an attractive square well. In the case of a narrow attractive well, it has been shown that this potential has two metastable gas-liquid critical points. Here we systematically investigate how the changes of the parameters of this potential affect the phase diagram of the system. We find a broad range of potential parameters for which the system has both a gas-liquid critical point C1 and a liquid-liquid critical point C2. For the liquid-gas critical point we find that the derivatives of the critical temperature and pressure, with respect to the parameters of the potential, have the same signs: they are positive for increasing width of the attractive well and negative for increasing width and repulsive energy of the soft core. This result resembles the behavior of the liquid-gas critical point for standard liquids. In contrast, for the liquid-liquid critical point the critical pressure decreases as the critical temperature increases. As a consequence, the liquid-liquid critical point exists at positive pressures only in a finite range of parameters. We present a modified van der Waals equation which qualitatively reproduces the behavior of both critical points within some range of parameters, and gives us insight on the mechanisms ruling the dependence of the two critical points on the potential's parameters. The soft-core potential studied here resembles model potentials used for colloids, proteins, and potentials that have been related to liquid metals, raising an interesting possibility that a liquid-liquid phase transition may be present in some systems where it has not yet been observed.


Fixation method does not affect restoration of rotation center in hip replacements: a single-site retrospective study.
Aseptic loosening is one of the greatest problems in hip replacement surgery. The rotation center of the hip is believed to influence the longevity of fixation. The aim of this study was to compare the influence of cemented and cementless cup fixation techniques on the position of the center of rotation because cemented cup fixation requires the removal of more bone for solid fixation than the cementless technique. We retrospectively compared pre- and post-operative positions of the hip rotation center in 25 and 68 patients who underwent artificial hip replacements in our department in 2007 using cemented or cementless cup fixation, respectively, with digital radiographic image analysis. The mean horizontal and vertical distances between the rotation center and the acetabular teardrop were compared in radiographic images taken pre- and post-operatively. The mean horizontal difference was -2.63 mm (range: -11.00 mm to 10.46 mm, standard deviation 4.23 mm) for patients who underwent cementless fixation, and -2.84 mm (range: -10.87 to 5.30 mm, standard deviation 4.59 mm) for patients who underwent cemented fixation. The mean vertical difference was 0.60 mm (range: -20.15 mm to 10.00 mm, standard deviation 3.93 mm) and 0.41 mm (range: -9.26 mm to 6.54 mm, standard deviation 3.58 mm) for the cementless and cemented fixation groups, respectively. The two fixation techniques had no significant difference on the position of the hip rotation center in the 93 patients in this study. The hip rotation center was similarly restored using either the cemented or cementless fixation techniques in this patient cohort, indicating that the fixation technique itself does not interfere with the position of the center of rotation. To completely answer this question further studies with more patients are needed.


Genome areas with high gene density and CpG island neighborhood strongly attract porcine endogenous retrovirus for integration and favor the formation of hot spots.
Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) are members of the gammaretrovirus genus and display integration preferences around transcription start sites, a finding which is similar to the preferences of the murine leukemia virus (MLV). Our new genome-wide analysis of the integration profile of a recombinant PERV (PERV A/C), enabled us to examine more than 1,900 integration sites and identify 224 integration hot spots. Investigation of the possible genome features involved in hot-spot formation revealed that the expression level of the genes did not influence distribution of the integration sites of gammaretroviruses (PERV and MLV) or the formation of integration hot spots. However, PERV integration and the presence of hot spots was found to be greater in areas of the genome with high densities of genes with CpG islands. Surprisingly, this was not true for MLV. Simulation of integration profiles revealed that retrovirus integration studies involving the use of the restriction enzyme MseI (widely used in genome integration studies of MLV and gammaretroviral vector) underestimated integration near CpG islands and in gene-dense areas. These results suggest that the integration of gammaretrovirus or gammaretroviral vectors might occur preferentially in genome areas that are highly enriched in genes under CpG island promoter regulation.


Distraction osteogenesis.
The treatment of bone loss resulting from acute trauma has traditionally been a complex surgical problem. Numerous procedures have been devised to reconstitute bone stock, obtain fracture union, and provide a stable functional limb. Traditional internal bone transport has been used successfully for bony reconstruction for both acute and reconstructive bone loss. Potential complications are primarily related to the complexity of the external device, prolonged time in the frame, and nonunion of the docking and regenerate segments. Recent advances in fixator and pin design have reduced the complexity of these devices as well as the incidence of pin- and frame-related complications. Gradual shortening, rapid distraction using autodistractors, transporting over intramedullary devices, and using orthobiologic and adjuvant techniques to assist in the consolidation of regenerate and docking sites are now being combined to decrease the morbidity and excessive frame time required to complete these reconstructions.