The impact of polyunsaturated fatty acid-based dietary supplements on disease biomarkers in a metabolic syndrome/diabetes population.
Ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been proposed to influence several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease (CHD) and type-2 diabetes (T2D).There is strong evidence that omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs provide protection against CHD and biomarkers of atherosclerosis. In contrast, there is more limited and inconsistent data for T2D. Few studies have examined the impact of n-3 PUFA-containing botanical oils on T2D. Fifty-nine subjects with early-stageT2D or metabolic syndrome participated in an 8-week, randomized, single-blind, parallel intervention study and were provided PUFA-containing oils. Individuals received either corn oil (CO), a botanical oil (BO) combination (borage [Borago officinalis L.]/echium oil [Echium plantagineum L.]) or fish oil (FO). The BO combination was enriched in alpha-linolenic, gamma-linolenic, and stearidonic acids and the FO in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. Serum fatty acids and other serum lipids(triglycerides and total, HDL and LDL cholesterol), as well as markers of inflammation (leptin, and C-reactive protein) and glucose regulation (glucose and hemoglobin A1c) were assessed from fasting participants at baseline and after the intervention. Compliance was verified by expected increases in specific PUFAs in each of the three oil arms. Participants in the CO group showed no differences in serum lipids, markers of inflammation or glucose regulation between pre- and post-treatment measures. Supplementation with BO significantly lowered total and LDL cholesterol levels and FO reduced serum triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c and increased HDL-cholesterol. Short-term dietary supplementation with BO and FO improved biomarkers associated with T2D/metabolic syndrome. Clinicaltrial.gov NCT01145066.


The Science of Cohesivity and Elements of Form Stability.
Silicone gel implants vary in terms of gel cohesivity and form stability. Various degrees of gel cohesivity are obtained by varying the density of crosslinking between silicone polymers. Less cohesive gels are less crosslinked, are more elastic, and have a softer feel while more cohesive gels more crosslinked, are less elastic, and have a firmer feel. When a highly cohesive gel is able to maintain its intended distribution within an implant, the gel is referred to as being form stable. Thus, a form-stable implant is able to retain its designed shape and dimensions in any position. Gel cohesivity and form stability influence breast shape, softness/firmness, and in vivo implant performance and an understanding of these parameters is critical to implant selection.


Phenotypic heterogeneity in neural tube defects: a clue to causal heterogeneity.
We report here retrospective data on 991 liveborn and stillborn infants with neural tube defects (NTDs) born to Utah residents from January 1, 1940 to December 31, 1979. Data were obtained from multiple sources including approximately 1.25 million vital statistics records and several hundred physician and hospital charts. Causal heterogeneity among NTD patients is presumed because 6% of our cases have other congenital anomalies not part of the NTD field defect. A significant association of NTDs with oral clefts is noted. Sex ratios and empiric recurrence risks for isolated NTDs and NTDs associated with other major malformations are also calculated.


Long-term effect of cromolyn sodium on nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness: a review.
Long-term treatment with cromolyn sodium will reduce airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with bronchial asthma. Short-term use of cromolyn sodium (less than 6 weeks) is effective in preventing seasonal increases in allergen-induced hyperresponsiveness. Cromolyn sodium therapy for greater than 12 weeks appears to be beneficial in reducing baseline hyperresponsiveness. The effect of cromolyn sodium on bronchial hyperresponsiveness may result from its ability to stabilize mast cells. Other contributory properties of cromolyn sodium are reviewed.


The eardrums move when the eyes move: A multisensory effect on the mechanics of hearing.
Interactions between sensory pathways such as the visual and auditory systems are known to occur in the brain, but where they first occur is uncertain. Here, we show a multimodal interaction evident at the eardrum. Ear canal microphone measurements in humans (n = 19 ears in 16 subjects) and monkeys (n = 5 ears in three subjects) performing a saccadic eye movement task to visual targets indicated that the eardrum moves in conjunction with the eye movement. The eardrum motion was oscillatory and began as early as 10 ms before saccade onset in humans or with saccade onset in monkeys. These eardrum movements, which we dub eye movement-related eardrum oscillations (EMREOs), occurred in the absence of a sound stimulus. The amplitude and phase of the EMREOs depended on the direction and horizontal amplitude of the saccade. They lasted throughout the saccade and well into subsequent periods of steady fixation. We discuss the possibility that the mechanisms underlying EMREOs create eye movement-related binaural cues that may aid the brain in evaluating the relationship between visual and auditory stimulus locations as the eyes move.


Reasons for using power tilt: perspectives from clients and therapists.
A power tilt wheelchair allows independence in changing body position to address a variety of needs throughout the day; however, literature and clinical practice suggest that actual use varies greatly. This grounded theory study examined how power tilt was used in daily life from the perspectives of adults who used power tilt and therapists who prescribed this technology. A constant comparative approach was used to collect and analyze interview data from five people who use power tilt and six therapists who prescribe this technology. This paper presents the findings specific to understanding the reasons why power tilt was used, focusing on the relationships between tilt use and (1) the reasons for use, (2) the reasons for prescribing power tilt and (3) the associated amplitudes of tilt. This study advances knowledge related to how power tilt is used in daily life by elucidating that how the reasons for use are conceptualized is complex. The three relationships related to the reason for power tilt use identified in this paper have the potential to influence the quality of communication about power tilt use in clinical practice between therapist and client and in research between researcher and participant. Implications for Rehabilitation: Understanding the inconsistencies and variations in how power tilt is used in daily life is dependent on exploring the reasons beyond the words or terms expressed to describe use. Reasons for tilt use are context dependent, particularly the activity occurring at the time of tilt use, the associated amplitude of tilt and the influence of other reasons occurring at the same time.


[The extracellular protein of Luteococcus japonicus subsp casei reactivates cells inactivated by ultraviolet radiation or heating].
The culture liquid of Luteococcus japonicus subsp. casei was found to be able to reactivate cells of this bacterium inactivated by UV irradiation or heat shock. The antistress activity of the culture liquid was due to the presence of an extracellular exometabolite of a protein nature with a molecular mass of more than 10 kDa. When the bacterium was grown in nutrient broth or glucose-containing mineral medium, the antistress protein was secreted by cells in the logarithmic growth phase. The reactivating effect of the antistress protein was inversely proportional to the survival rate of stressed cells.


[Development of site-specific integration system to high-level expression recombinant proteins in CHO cells].
Stable transformants for mammalian cells from gene transfer often show extreme variability in expression of the introduced transgene. This occurs from the highly variable number of copies integrated into the genome and from position effects on gene expression due to random integration. We constructed engineered CHO strains that can be used for high-level production of foreign proteins by gene-targeting. After transfecting dihydroforate reductase (DHFR)-deficient CHO cells with a newly screening vector plasmid pMCEscan, which carrying a FRT-neo*-IRES-k2tPA fusion gene and a DHFR gene, we screened colonies by k2tPA expression level. We selected 7 clones that expressed high level of k2tPA and carried one copy of the plasmid in their chromosomes. These clones showed in high level k2tPA production without amplification. So we targeted reporter gene (k2tPA) to test the basal expression ability of these cells clones. The clone, 8-1, showed the same effect to high base expression level. In this clone, the FRT-neo*-IRES-tPA gene was integrated at a transcription-active, DHFR-mediated, gene-amplifiable locus in the chromosomes. A gene-targeting vector, carrying a FRT-fused hygromycin-resistance gene, was constructed to target desired genes in chromosomal FRT by FLP recombinase-mediated site-specific recombination. Using this cell-vector system, we could reproducibly obtain high producers of recombinant proteins by gene-targeting and gene amplification. Using the site-specific integration CHO/dhfr- cell line 8-1, the expression level of k2tPA could amount to 17.1 microg/10(6) cell x 24 h.


Transfection of Lactobacillus bulgaricus protoplasts by bacteriophage DNA.
A protoplast transfection system has been developed for Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The procedure involves a polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion of bacteriophage DNA encapsulated in liposomes into mutanolysin-treated cells. With L. bulgaricus B004 and DNA isolated from the phage phi c5004, transfection reached a maximum when at least 95% of the cells were osmotically fragile. The incorporation of phage DNA into liposomes was essential; no transfectants were detected in the absence of liposomes. The largest number of transfectants was observed after longer periods (20 min) of fusion of mutanolysin-treated cells and liposomes with polyethylene glycol. The maximum efficiency of 5 x 10(7) PFU/microgram of DNA was reached after a 24-h incubation in growth media prior to plating transfected cells in an agar overlay to detect the appearance of plaques. A minimum of 4 h of incubation in growth medium after fusion was required to detect the production and release of virions. The possibility that the high frequencies observed were due to bursting of transfected cells and subsequent infection of additional cells was found not to be a factor. The number of transfectants observed was directly proportional to the quantity of DNA added. These results define conditions appropriate for the introduction of DNA into L. bulgaricus.


[Advance in the role of innate lymphoid cells in inflammation].
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are newly identified innate lymphocytes in humans and mice that are important and effective cells of innate immunity and regulate adaptive immunity. ILCs have been found to promote the start, regulation and resolution of inflammation. ILCs play an important role in the progress of infection, inflammation and tissue repair in the mouse model, and clinic researches also indicate the importance of ILCs in human health and disease. Based on the previous related researches, the types of ILCs and the role of these populations in promoting acute and chronic inflammation as well as resolution inflammation and tissue repair were mainly reviewed to provide new insights for the further study.


Changes in the neurosecretory cells of the brain and thoracic ganglion of male crab, Uca (celuca) lactea annulipes with respect to seasons.
The change in the neurosecretory cells with males with respect to seasons was investigated. The brain is provided with three types of neurosecretory cells namely A, B and C and thoracic ganglion with four types of neurosecretory cells A, B, C and D. They vary in number and neurosecretory activity according to seasons which may be responsible for the increase in the size and development of the reproductive and associated structures.


Natural Course of Ophthalmoplegia after Iatrogenic Ophthalmic Artery Occlusion Caused by Cosmetic Filler Injections.
Besides the devastating complication of blindness, paralysis of the eye muscles, namely ophthalmoplegia, may occur after cosmetic facial filler injection. However, little is known of the clinical characteristics and prognosis of such complications. This study was performed to investigate the natural course of ophthalmoplegia and development of sensory strabismus secondary to blindness after iatrogenic occlusion of the ophthalmic artery and its branches resulting from cosmetic facial filler injection. A retrospective study of 21 patients with occlusion of the ophthalmic artery and its branches after cosmetic facial filler injection was performed. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of ophthalmoplegia after cosmetic filler injection were evaluated. At the final examination, development of sensory strabismus defined as deviation of the eye secondary to unilateral vision loss was evaluated. At initial presentation, ophthalmoplegia was found in 15 of 21 patients (71 percent) and was significantly associated with the presence of anterior segment ischemia (p = 0.017). Among patients with ophthalmoplegia at initial presentation, ocular motility recovered completely in 77 percent and incomplete recovery was found in 23 percent. At the final examination, sensory strabismus developed in 42 percent after an average follow-up of 2.5 years. Ophthalmoplegia frequently occurs after iatrogenic occlusion of the ophthalmic artery and its branches caused by cosmetic facial filler injection. Ocular motility recovers spontaneously in most patients. However, as most patients are blind, sensory strabismus may develop in nearly half of patients during follow-up that requires strabismus surgery. Risk, IV.


Interleukin-10- and corticosteroid-induced reduction in type I procollagen in a human ex vivo scar culture.
Fibroblasts act as the effector cells of the fibrotic response via production of collagen. In an attempt to understand the regulation of fibroblasts from areas of active human tissue fibrosis, we have developed an ex vivo model in which biopsies of scars from patients 6 weeks post thoracotomy were cultured. This model has been used to investigate whether interleukin-10 (IL-10) and triamcinolone acetonide modulate the expression of type I procollagen mRNA and protein. In situ hybridization and a quantitative competitive RT-PCR were used to measure type I procollagen mRNA. Type I procollagen protein was evaluated by immunochemistry. Viability of biopsies in culture using 3H-uridine incorporation into RNA was observed to be > 80% for at least 96 hours. Following addition of either IL-10 or triamcinolone acetonide there was a modest but significant decrease (P < 0.05) in type I procollagen mRNA expression. Similarly, each agent added individually to biopsies reduced the proportion of cells staining positively for type I procollagen when compared to biopsies treated with medium alone (P < 0.05). These results extend in vitro data that IL-10 and corticosteroids down-regulate collagen synthesis in skin fibroblast cell lines and suggest that this ex vivo model may offer a closer approximation to the post-operative scarring process when testing new therapeutic agents for reducing an over-exuberent fibrotic response.


Comparison of plasma uric acid levels in five varieties of the domestic turkey, Meleagris gallopavo.
Plasma uric acid (PUA) is a consensus physiological biomarker for many phenotypes in vertebrates because it is a reliable indicator for processes such as oxidative stress and tubular function. In birds, it is considered a major antioxidant and is also the primary endproduct of nitrogen metabolism. Despite this importance, knowledge of baseline levels of PUA in physiologically normal birds, including the turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, is limited. Here, we compared PUA levels in a total of 106 apparently normal male and female birds at 8 and 32 wk of age from 5 strains of the domestic turkey, including Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Blue Slate, Royal Palm, and Spanish Black. Though differences in PUA were not significant at 8 and 32 wk of age, BW, variety, and sex effects were highly significant. When adjusted for BW, female birds had, on average, a higher PUA per kilogram of BW than male birds. When adjusted for both sex and BW, Royal Palm birds had the lowest average PUA, and Blue Slate had the highest PUA. Results of these investigations represent the first comparative analysis of PUA in physiologically normal turkey varieties. They suggest that differences in basal plasma levels of uric acid in physiologically normal turkeys are influenced by sex, weight, and genetic background but may be independent of age.


Antitumor activity of histone deacetylase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer cells: development of a molecular predictive model.
To ascertain the potential for histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor-based treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we analyzed the antitumor effects of trichostatin A (TSA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (vorinostat) in a panel of 16 NSCLC cell lines via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. TSA and vorinostat both displayed strong antitumor activities in 50% of NSCLC cell lines, suggesting the need for the use of predictive markers to select patients receiving this treatment. There was a strong correlation between the responsiveness to TSA and vorinostat (P < 0.0001). To identify a molecular model of sensitivity to HDAC inhibitor treatment in NSCLC, we conducted a gene expression profiling study using cDNA arrays on the same set of cell lines and related the cytotoxic activity of TSA to corresponding gene expression pattern using a modified National Cancer Institute program. In addition, pathway analysis was done with Pathway Architect software. We used nine genes, which were identified by gene-drug sensitivity correlation and pathway analysis, to build a support vector machine algorithm model by which sensitive cell lines were distinguished from resistant cell lines. The prediction performance of the support vector machine model was validated by an additional nine cell lines, resulting in a prediction value of 100% with respect to determining response to TSA and vorinostat. Our results suggested that (a) HDAC inhibitors may be promising anticancer drugs to NSCLC and (b) the nine-gene classifier is useful in predicting drug sensitivity to HDAC inhibitors and may contribute to achieving individualized therapy for NSCLC patients.


Cellular prion protein in ovine milk.
Cellular prion protein, PrP(C), is essential for the development of prion diseases where it is considered to be a substrate for the formation of the disease-associated conformer, PrP(Sc). In sheep, PrP(C) is abundant in neuronal tissue and is also found at lower concentrations in a range of non-neuronal tissues, including mammary gland. Here, we demonstrate the presence of soluble PrP(C) in the non-cellular, non-lipid fraction of clarified ovine milk. Compared with brain-derived PrP(C), ovine milk PrP(C) displays an increased electrophoretic mobility. Ovine milk PrP(C) is mainly present as three species that differ in the extent of their N-linked glycosylation, with glycoform profiles varying among animals. Similar PrP(C) species are also present in fresh and commercial homogenised/pasteurised bovine milk, with additional N-terminal PrP(C) fragments detectable in ruminant milk and commercial milk products.


The genetic toxicology of some hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvents.
Two hydrocarbon solvents (heptane and Special Boiling Point Spirit 100/140) and eight oxygenated solvents [methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, diacetone alcohol, di-isobutyl ketone, isopropyl ether, hexylene glycol, secondary butyl alcohol and ME 6K (pentoxone)] have been tested for genotoxic activity. The solvents were tested in bacterial mutation assays, a yeast assay for mitotic gene conversion and in cultured mammalian cells (either rat liver or Chinese hamster ovary) for structural chromosome damage. All of the solvents gave a negative response in the bacterial mutation assays and the yeast mitotic gene conversion assay. In the rat liver chromosome assay, diacetone alcohol evoked a weak positive response, the remaining solvents gave a negative response.


Modulation of collagen synthesis in human glomerular epithelial cells by interleukin 1.
Human glomerular epithelial cells produce matrix material e.g. collagen type IV. In vitro, the synthesis of collagen can be monitored by the incorporation of 3H-proline, a precursor molecule of the collagens. We report on the enhancement of collagen synthesis by glomerular epithelial cells with highly purified or recombinant I1-1. Since I1-1 is released from monocytes or glomerular mesangial cells by inflammatory mediators, our results point to a participation of I1-1 in the development of sclerosis, which is seen in many forms of chronic inflammatory diseases.


An analysis of suicide and undetermined deaths in 17 predominantly Islamic countries contrasted with the UK.
Suicide is expressly condemned in the Qu'ran, and traditionally few Islamic countries have reported suicide. Undetermined deaths are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Other Violent Deaths (OVD) in ICD-9, or Other External Causes (OEC) in ICD-10. It has been suggested that to avoid under-reporting of suicides, both formal suicide verdicts and OVD should be considered together because OVD may contain 'hidden' suicides. The latest WHO mortality data, by age and gender, were analysed and tested by chi2 tests. Levels of suicide and OVD in 17 Islamic countries were examined and contextually compared with UK rates. The regional Islamic cultural differences in Middle Eastern, South Asian, European Islam countries and those of the former Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (FUSSR) were analysed separately to test the hypotheses that there would be no difference between regional suicide and OVD rates per million (pm) and 17 Islamic countries and UK rates. Suicide rates were higher for males than females, and 'older' (65+) higher than 'younger' (15-34) rates in every country reviewed. The rate for Middle Eastern males was 0-36 pm, South Asian 0-12 pm, European 53-177 pm and FUSSR 30-506 pm, with three countries exceeding the UK rate of 116 pm. The Western male average OVD rate was 22 pm; the UK 55 pm rate was highest. Middle Eastern OVD was 1-420 pm, South Asian 0-166 pm, European 1-66 pm and FUSSR 11-361 pm. OVD rates in 10 Islamic countries were considerably higher than the Western average and eight had OVD rates considerably higher than their suicide rates. Islamic suicide rates varied widely and the high OVD rates, especially the Middle Eastern, may be a repository for hiding culturally unacceptable suicides.


Urinary acidification response to furosemide administration in patients on low-dose cyclosporine therapy.
The response of urinary acidification parameters and electrolytes to furosemide administration was prospectively studied in 9 psoriatic patients treated with a low-dose cyclosporine A schedule (initial dose: 5 mg/kg body weight) before beginning cyclosporine A, after 3 months on cyclosporine A and 1 month after cyclosporine A withdrawal. The test was also performed in 29 psoriatic patients after 3 months on 5 mg/kg body weight cyclosporine A treatment. There were no significant differences between before and after cyclosporine A treatment regarding furosemide-induced changes in urinary volume, sodium or potassium excretion. Contrarily, the post-furosemide urinary pH decrease and ammonium and titrable acid increase were significantly lower in cyclosporine-A-treated patients. Five of the 29 studied patients showed abnormal furosemide tests (17%). These patients had lower total serum CO2, urea and creatinine but similar serum potassium and fractional potassium excretion. We conclude that some patients treated with low-dose cyclosporine A therapy develop an abnormal tubular distal response to furosemide administration, suggesting an alteration in the H(+)-ATPase pump or a voltage-dependent mechanism.


Suicide prevention and ketamine: insights from computational modeling.
Suicide is a pressing public health issue, with over 700,000 individuals dying each year. Ketamine has emerged as a promising treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), yet the complex mechanisms underlying ketamine's anti-suicidal effect are not fully understood. Computational psychiatry provides a promising framework for exploring the dynamic interactions underlying suicidality and ketamine's therapeutic action, offering insight into potential biomarkers, treatment targets, and the underlying mechanisms of both. This paper provides an overview of current computational theories of suicidality and ketamine's mechanism of action, and discusses various computational modeling approaches that attempt to explain ketamine's anti-suicidal effect. More specifically, the therapeutic potential of ketamine is explored in the context of the mismatch negativity and the predictive coding framework, by considering neurocircuits involved in learning and decision-making, and investigating altered connectivity strengths and receptor densities targeted by ketamine. Theory-driven computational models offer a promising approach to integrate existing knowledge of suicidality and ketamine, and for the extraction of model-derived mechanistic parameters that can be used to identify patient subgroups and personalized treatment approaches. Future computational studies on ketamine's mechanism of action should optimize task design and modeling approaches to ensure parameter reliability, and external factors such as set and setting, as well as psychedelic-assisted therapy should be evaluated for their additional therapeutic value.


Dual-controlled optogenetic system for the rapid down-regulation of protein levels in mammalian cells.
Optogenetic switches are emerging molecular tools for studying cellular processes as they offer higher spatiotemporal and quantitative precision than classical, chemical-based switches. Light-controllable gene expression systems designed to upregulate protein expression levels meanwhile show performances superior to their chemical-based counterparts. However, systems to reduce protein levels with similar efficiency are lagging behind. Here, we present a novel two-component, blue light-responsive optogenetic OFF switch ('Blue-OFF'), which enables a rapid and quantitative down-regulation of a protein upon illumination. Blue-OFF combines the first light responsive repressor KRAB-EL222 with the protein degradation module B-LID (blue light-inducible degradation domain) to simultaneously control gene expression and protein stability with a single wavelength. Blue-OFF thus outperforms current optogenetic systems for controlling protein levels. The system is described by a mathematical model which aids in the choice of experimental conditions such as light intensity and illumination regime to obtain the desired outcome. This approach represents an advancement of dual-controlled optogenetic systems in which multiple photosensory modules operate synergistically. As exemplified here for the control of apoptosis in mammalian cell culture, the approach opens up novel perspectives in fundamental research and applications such as tissue engineering.


Interplay between inflammation and cancer.
Tumor-promoting inflammation is one of the hallmarks of cancer. It has been shown that cancer development is strongly influenced by both chronic and acute inflammation process. Progress in research on inflammation revealed a connection between inflammatory processes and neoplastic transformation, the progression of tumour, and the development of metastases and recurrences. Moreover, the tumour invasive procedures (both surgery and biopsy) affect the remaining tumour cells by increasing their survival, proliferation and migration. One of the concepts explaining this phenomena is an induction of a wound healing response. While in normal tissue it is necessary for tissue repair, in tumour tissue, induction of adaptive and innate immune response related to wound healing, stimulates tumour cell survival, angiogenesis and extravasation of circulating tumour cells. It has become evident that certain types of immune response and immune cells can promote tumour progression more than others. In this review, we focus on current knowledge on carcinogenesis and promotion of cancer growth induced by inflammatory processes.


Grandparenting and well-being: How important is grandparent-role centrality?
The purpose of the study was to examine the association between the centrality of the grandparent's role and well-being in the population of European grandparents, aged 50 and older. The study was a secondary analysis of data gathered in the first wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The sample included grandparents who looked after their grandchildren without the presence of the parents (n=3,888). Respondents' scores on the CES-D Depression Scale were regressed on the frequency of contact with grandchildren, beliefs and attitudes about grandparenting and grandparent-focused role occupancy, and on a composite measure of grandparent-role centrality, controlling for age, gender, education, household income, physical status and country. The findings negated the hypothesized positive association between grandparent-role centrality and well-being. Only one of the three indices of grandparenthood was related to well being when background and health variables were taken into account. The related aspect-grandparent-focused role occupancy-was positively associated with depressive symptoms. the study refutes the central claim of role theory according to which salient roles are more beneficial to the psychological well-being of the individual than are other roles, especially in old age. It also questions the theoretical framework of grandparent role meaning that is commonly cited in the literature.


Impact of cognitive fatigue on gait and sway among older adults: A literature review.
Cognitive fatigue is an alteration in central nervous system (CNS) processing due to prolonged performance of mentally demanding tasks. Decreased gait speed and increased stride length variability have been noted in cognitively fatigued older adults (≥ 65 years). Further, cognitive fatigue may weaken the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems of the CNS, contributing to increased postural sway. Detriments in gait and sway caused by cognitive fatigue could increase fall risk. The objective of this literature review was to evaluate the impact of cognitive fatigue on changes in gait and postural sway and its role in fall risk.


Infection rate treating radial and ulnar fractures using bone plate fixation without antibiotic prophylaxis.
To evaluate the effectiveness and complication rate of a 1.5- and 2.0-mm titanium locking plate for the treatment of radial and ulnar fractures in small dog breeds and cats without peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis in a prospective case series. Medical records and radiographs of closed radial and ulnar fractures treated using internal fixation with a 1.5- or 2.0-mm titanium locking plate without antibiotic prophylaxis were collected prospectively. Patients were clinically followed up until radiographical fracture healing was complete. Thirty-two fractures in small breed dogs and cats with an average bodyweight of 3.9 kg met the inclusion criteria. The follow-up time radiographically and clinically was 4-35 weeks. All fractures showed radiographical fracture union, and all patients had a good clinical outcome. The superficial infection rate in this case series was 0%; the deep infection rate involving the implant/bone was 3.1%. The novel 1.5- and 2.0-mm titanium locking plate system was successfully used to treat simple closed radial and ulnar fractures in small breed dogs and cats without peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis, resulting in good clinical outcome and a low infection rate.


QUALITY OF LIFE EVALUATION IN CELIAC PATIENTS FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL.
Restrictions imposed by the gluten-free diet generate large changes in the daily habits of the celiac patient, causing a negative impact on quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of patients with celiac disease on a capital in Southern Brazil. Patients older than 18 years were included, with confirmed celiac disease for at least 60 days in the period from June to October 2013. A validated questionnaire, with specific questions to assess the patient's quality of life celiac was applied. A total score ranged from 20 to 100 points; the higher the score, worse quality of life. A total of 103 questionnaires were evaluated, 96 (93.2%) female, with average score 56.6±12.35 (28 to 88 points). The comparison between the questionnaire scores and family income was not significant (P=0.139). Patients diagnosed less than 1 year have poorer quality of life than those with more than 10 years (P=0.063). Patients older than 60 years had better quality of life compared with the younger ones (P=0.04). There was no association between quality of life and factors such as family income, length of diet and age at diagnosis. Chronological age greater than 60 years has positively influenced the quality of life of celiac patients.


Estimating the available energy content of feeds for dairy cattle.
The available energy content of feeds must be known before diets can be formulated, but the difficulty in measuring energy availability requires that estimated values be used. Based on production data, the current system using net energy for lactation (NEL) or total digestible nutrients (TDN) over-valued the energy in feeds by 7 to 8%. A standard discount of 8 TDN units was used for both NEL and TDN. When the discount was calculated from actual intake (4 units per increment of maintenance), feed values for NEL and TDN were overestimated by 5 to 6%. Most feed values for NEL and TDN are estimated from acid detergent fiber. These models do not account for all sources of variation in digestibility, do not allow for variable discounts based on intake and associative effects, and are specific for a given population. Mechanistic models account for many sources of variation and can be modified to include variable discounts based on digestion and passage kinetics. The equation used to convert TDN to NEL does not consider the source of the digestible energy. The NEL of the fat that is contained within feeds is under-valued, and fiber is probably overvalued. Single-component equations are not adequate to describe the complex processes that determine energy availability. The current NEL and TDN systems overvalue the energy in feeds, but both systems still work remarkably well. These systems need to be modified to improve accuracy, but they should not be discarded.


Cd and Cu accumulation, translocation and tolerance in Populus alba clone (Villafranca) in autotrophic in vitro screening.
The present study investigated accumulation, translocation and tolerance of autotrophic Populus alba clone "Villafranca" in response to excess concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) provided to the plants. For this purpose, increasing concentrations of Cd (0, 5, 50 and 250 μM) and Cu (0, 5, 50, 250 and 500 μM) were administered to the growth medium in which micropropagated poplar plantlets were exposed to metal treatments for 15 days. Filter bags, instead of the conventional in vitro screening, were applied to improve the experimental design. Results showed that Cd and Cu increased in shoots and roots at increasing metal concentration in the medium. The highest Cd content was found in leaves, while the highest Cu content was found in roots. In "Villafranca", Cu showed toxic effects on the development of the seedlings, especially at the highest concentrations, reducing plant dry mass. However, the tolerance index (Ti) indicated good tolerance in this clone under exposure to excess metal concentrations, whereas plants had higher translocation factor (Tf). We recommend in vitro selection of tolerant genotypes, aimed at providing early indication on accumulation potentiality and tolerance capability in research on plant sensitivity to excess heavy metal concentrations.


Crystal structure and site-directed mutagenesis of a nitroalkane oxidase from Streptomyces ansochromogenes.
Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) catalyzes neutral nitroalkanes to their corresponding aldehydes or ketones, hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. The crystal structure of NAO from Streptomyces ansochromogenes was determined; it consists of two domains, a TIM barrel domain bound to FMN and C-terminal domain with a novel folding pattern. Site-directed mutagenesis of His179, which is spatially adjacent to FMN, resulted in the loss of enzyme activity, demonstrating that this amino acid residue is important for catalysis. The crystal structure of mutant H179D-nitroethane was also analyzed. Interestingly, Sa-NAO shows the typical function as nitroalkane oxidase but its structure is similar to that of 2-nitropropane dioxygenase. Overall, these results suggest that Sa-NAO is a novel nitroalkane oxidase with TIM barrel structure.


Physiological elevation in plasma angiotensinogen increases blood pressure.
Hepatic angiotensinogen secretion is controlled by a complex pattern of physiological or pathophysiological mediators. Because plasma concentrations of angiotensinogen are close to the Michaelis-Menten constant, it was hypothesized that changes in circulating angiotensinogen affect the formation rate of ANG I and ANG II and, therefore, blood pressure. To further test this hypothesis, we injected purified rat angiotensinogen intravenously in Sprague-Dawley rats via the femoral vein and measured mean arterial blood pressure after arterial catheterization. In controls, mean arterial pressure was 131 +/- 2 mmHg before and after the injection of vehicle (sterile saline). The injection of 0.8, 1.2, and 2.9 mg/kg angiotensinogen caused a dose-dependent increase in mean arterial blood pressure of 8 +/- 0.4, 19.3 +/- 2.1, and 32 +/- 2.4 mmHg, respectively. In contrast, the injection of a purified rabbit anti-rat angiotensinogen antibody (1.4 mg/kg) resulted in a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (-33 +/- 3.2 mmHg). Plasma angiotensinogen increased to 769 +/- 32, 953 +/- 42, and 1,289 +/- 79 pmol/ml, respectively, after substrate and decreased by 361 +/- 28 pmol/ml after antibody administration. Alterations in plasma angiotensinogen correlated well with changes in plasma renin activity. In summary, variations in circulating angiotensinogen can result in changes in blood pressure. In contrast to renin, which is known as a tonic regulator for the generation of ANG I, angiotensinogen may be a factor rather important for long-term control of the basal activity of the renin-angiotensin system.


Analytic methods for individually randomized group treatment trials and group-randomized trials when subjects belong to multiple groups.
Participants in trials may be randomized either individually or in groups and may receive their treatment either entirely individually, entirely in groups, or partially individually and partially in groups. This paper concerns cases in which participants receive their treatment either entirely or partially in groups, regardless of how they were randomized. Participants in group-randomized trials are randomized in groups, and participants in individually randomized group treatment trials are individually randomized, but participants in both types of trials receive part or all of their treatment in groups or through common change agents. Participants who receive part or all of their treatment in a group are expected to have positively correlated outcome measurements. This paper addresses a situation that occurs in group-randomized trials and individually randomized group treatment trials-participants receive treatment through more than one group. As motivation, we consider trials in The Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research Consortium, in which each child participant receives treatment in at least two groups. In simulation studies, we considered several possible analytic approaches over a variety of possible group structures. A mixed model with random effects for both groups provided the only consistent protection against inflated type I error rates and did so at the cost of only moderate loss of power when intraclass correlations were not large. We recommend constraining variance estimates to be positive and using the Kenward-Roger adjustment for degrees of freedom; this combination provided additional power but maintained type I error rates at the nominal level.


Problems with balance and binocular visual dysfunction are associated with post-stroke fatigue.
Fatigue after stroke is hard to define and measure and how it is associated with other complications after stroke still needs to be explored. These issues are relevant in stroke rehabilitation and in the patient's daily life. To investigate fatigue after stroke and its relation to balance, gait, and Binocular Visual Dysfunction (BVD). Adults with stroke (n = 29, age 18-67 years) were tested with the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), objective and subjective BVD measures, Balance Evaluation Systems Test, Ten Meter Walk Test, and a Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire, before and after a four-month intervention program and at three- and six-month follow-ups. We used principle component analysis to extract underlying factors of MFIS. Associations between MFIS factors and patient characteristics were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. The associations between MFIS factors and physical measures were assessed using pairwise correlations. Three components were extracted from the MFIS, explaining 71% of variance: Cognitive fatigue, Physical fatigue and Arousal. We found that women register higher MFIS scores than men. There was a strong association between the level of Cognitive and Physical Fatigue and BVD, between Arousal and balance and dizziness, and between Cognitive Fatigue and gait. The three extracted components of MFIS proved clinically informative. The arousal component revealed particularly interesting results in studying fatigue. The correlation analysis shown at this component differs from cognitive and physical fatigue and describes another aspect of PSF, important in future treatment and research.


[Determination of primary amines and protein by using fluorescamine in microorganism suspensions].
The paper describes a fluorimetric technique for determining the overall amount of primary amines and protein using fluorescamine directly in suspensions of yeast and bacterial microorganisms. The optimal conditions are selected for the reaction. The technique is highly sensitive and has an advantage over biochemical methods when one has to make many assays of amine containing compounds in biological material. The technique can find wide application in industrial practice.


Cancellous bone screws for repair of proximal growth plate fractures of the tibia in foals.
Proximal growth plate fractures of the tibia in 4 foals were treated surgically. A medial approach was utilized in 3 cases and a lateral approach in the fourth. Bone screw fixation was achieved with cancellous screws and washers. In 3 cases, the screw shaft crossed the proximal tibial growth plate with no adverse effects. In all animals, there was rapid and cosmetic healing. At 8 to 18 months after surgery, all horses were sound at a walk, trot, and canter.


Graph Cut-Based Human Body Segmentation in Color Images Using Skeleton Information from the Depth Sensor.
Segmentation of human bodies in images is useful for a variety of applications, including background substitution, human activity recognition, security, and video surveillance applications. However, human body segmentation has been a challenging problem, due to the complicated shape and motion of a non-rigid human body. Meanwhile, depth sensors with advanced pattern recognition algorithms provide human body skeletons in real time with reasonable accuracy. In this study, we propose an algorithm that projects the human body skeleton from a depth image to a color image, where the human body region is segmented in the color image by using the projected skeleton as a segmentation cue. Experimental results using the Kinect sensor demonstrate that the proposed method provides high quality segmentation results and outperforms the conventional methods.


Widespread requirement for Hedgehog ligand stimulation in growth of digestive tract tumours.
Activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway by sporadic mutations or in familial conditions such as Gorlin's syndrome is associated with tumorigenesis in skin, the cerebellum and skeletal muscle. Here we show that a wide range of digestive tract tumours, including most of those originating in the oesophagus, stomach, biliary tract and pancreas, but not in the colon, display increased Hh pathway activity, which is suppressible by cyclopamine, a Hh pathway antagonist. Cyclopamine also suppresses cell growth in vitro and causes durable regression of xenograft tumours in vivo. Unlike in Gorlin's syndrome tumours, pathway activity and cell growth in these digestive tract tumours are driven by endogenous expression of Hh ligands, as indicated by the presence of Sonic hedgehog and Indian hedgehog transcripts, by the pathway- and growth-inhibitory activity of a Hh-neutralizing antibody, and by the dramatic growth-stimulatory activity of exogenously added Hh ligand. Our results identify a group of common lethal malignancies in which Hh pathway activity, essential for tumour growth, is activated not by mutation but by ligand expression.


Brain Pericytes Acquire Stemness via the Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant System.
Pericytes (PCs) are a mural support cell population elongated at intervals along the walls of capillaries. Recent studies reported that PCs are multipotent cells that are activated in response to tissue injury and contribute to the regenerative process. Using a C.B-17 mouse model of ischemic stroke, it has been proposed that normal brain pericytes (nPCs) are converted to ischemic pericytes (iPCs), some of which function as multipotent stem cells. Furthermore, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) promoted mesenchymal-epithelial transition in nPCs; however, nestin was not induced under OGD conditions. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the PC reprogramming phenomenon. We herein isolated nPCs from the cortex of C.B-17 mice, and compared the traits of iPCs and nPCs. The results obtained showed that nPCs and iPCs shared common pericytic markers. Furthermore, intercellular levels of reactive oxygen species and the nuclear accumulation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a key player in antioxidant defenses, were higher in iPCs than in nPCs. OGD/reoxygenation and a treatment with tBHQ, an Nrf2 inducer, increased nestin levels in nPCs. Moreover, epithelial marker levels, including nestin, Sox2, and CDH1 (E-cadherin) mRNAs, were elevated in Nrf2-overexpressing PCs, which formed neurosphere-like cell clusters that differentiated into Tuj1-positive neurons. The present results demonstrate that oxidative stress and Nrf2 are required for the generation of stem cells after stroke and will contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke.


Construction of crystal structure prototype database: methods and applications.
Crystal structure prototype data have become a useful source of information for materials discovery in the fields of crystallography, chemistry, physics, and materials science. This work reports the development of a robust and efficient method for assessing the similarity of structures on the basis of their interatomic distances. Using this method, we proposed a simple and unambiguous definition of crystal structure prototype based on hierarchical clustering theory, and constructed the crystal structure prototype database (CSPD) by filtering the known crystallographic structures in a database. With similar method, a program structure prototype analysis package (SPAP) was developed to remove similar structures in CALYPSO prediction results and extract predicted low energy structures for a separate theoretical structure database. A series of statistics describing the distribution of crystal structure prototypes in the CSPD was compiled to provide an important insight for structure prediction and high-throughput calculations. Illustrative examples of the application of the proposed database are given, including the generation of initial structures for structure prediction and determination of the prototype structure in databases. These examples demonstrate the CSPD to be a generally applicable and useful tool for materials discovery.


Unusually dense crystal packings of ellipsoids.
In this Letter, we report on the densest-known packings of congruent ellipsoids. The family of new packings consists of crystal arrangements of spheroids with a wide range of aspect ratios, and with density phi always surpassing that of the densest Bravais lattice packing phi approximately equal to 0.7405. A remarkable maximum density of phi approximately equal to 0.7707 is achieved for maximal aspect ratios larger than sqrt[3], when each ellipsoid has 14 touching neighbors. Our results are directly relevant to understanding the equilibrium behavior of systems of hard ellipsoids, and, in particular, the solid and glassy phases.


Augmented cecal mucosa appears pink under hexylaminolevulinate "blue light" fluorescence cystoscopy.
Hexylaminolevulinate (hexa ALA) "blue light" fluorescence for detecting cellular changes in mucosal epithelium is used in urology to detect transitional-cell carcinoma and carcinoma in situ in the bladder. It is is also being studied for the detection of precancerous/cancerous lesions in the colon. We present a case in which hexa ALA fluorescence cystoscopy was used in the evaluation of cecal mucosa that was incorporated into the bladder as an augmentation cystoplasty. To our knowledge, this is the first time the imaging appearance of an augmented bladder under Hexa ALA fluorescence cystoscopy is described.


[Results of calcitonin therapy of the painful symptoms caused by osteolytic metastases of prostatic carcinoma].
Albeit within the limits imposed on us by the restricted number of cases, we can state that--in the present state of research--calcitonin constitutes a useful complement in treatment of osteolytic metastasis induced by carcinoma of the prostate. Is utilisation is justified by the effects observed: on the one hand, osteogenesis as a factor protecting against the aggressivity of the tumoural cells, and on the other the considerable antalgic strength allied with improvement in the calcium, phosphorus and phosphatase values. For some time we have replaced pig calcitonin with salmon calcitonin: the comparative results with this second product will be the subject of a subsequent paper.


[The current status and problems of the intestinal tuberculosis through a review of the Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan].
From 1997 to 1999 the incidence rate of tuberculosis increased and extrapulmonary tuberculosis has also increased during the same period. Among various types of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, intestinal tuberculosis is one of the diseases difficult to diagnose. Recently doctors could not make appropriate diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis because they did not pay much attention to tuberculosis. With a background described above, we reviewed the Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan in previous five years 1994-1998, in order to investigate a current status of intestinal tuberculosis. Out of 140,358 autopsied cases, the number of cases with active and old tuberculosis was 5,103 (3.6%), in which the intestinal tuberculosis was accompanied in 80 (0.057%). The 80 cases were consisting of 45 males and 35 females and their mean age was 72.7 years old ranging from 28 to 96. Of the 80 intestinal tuberculosis cases, 71 were seen in pulmonary tuberculosis cases and six cases were considered to be intestinal tuberculosis alone. In terms of the location of intestinal tuberculosis the most commonly affected site was ileocecum which occupied 72.7% of all intestinal tuberculosis. Among the 80 cases, 14 cases were complicated with malignant tumor and only 30 cases (37.5%) were diagnosed clinically as intestinal tuberculosis before their death. Clinical diagnosis of other cases were ileus, simple constipation, severe diarrhea, malignant tumor or its tumor. The delay in diagnosing intestinal tuberculosis may result in fatal outcome in the aged persons, so that in general practice much attention should be paid not only to pulmonary but also extrapulmonary tuberculosis including intestinal tuberculosis.


The contribution of MYC and PLK1 expression to proliferative capacity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) regulates the MYC-dependent kinome in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. However, the role of PLK1 and MYC toward proliferation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is unknown. We use multiplexed fluorescent immunohistochemistry (fIHC) to evaluate the co-localization of MYC, PLK1 and Ki67 to study their association with proliferation in DLBCL. The majority (98%, 95% CI 95-100%) of MYC/PLK1-double positive tumor cells expressed Ki67, underscoring the key role of the MYC/PLK1 circuit in proliferation. However, only 38% (95% CI 23-40%) and 51% (95% CI 46-51%) of Ki67-positive cells expressed MYC and PLK1, respectively. Notably, 40% (95% CI 26-43%) of Ki67-positive cells are MYC- and PLK-negative. A stronger correlation exists between PLK1 and Ki67 expression (R = 0.74, p < .001) than with MYC and Ki67 expression (R = 0.52, p < .001). Overall, the results indicate that PLK1 has a higher association than MYC in DLBCL proliferation and there are mechanisms besides MYC and PLK1 influencing DLBCL proliferation.


[Abortion in Japan].
In Japan, the artificial abortion is a penal offence; only in the presence of certain conditions it is authorized under the provision of the Eugenic Protection Law which was promulgated in 1948. According to the law, the artificial abortion is restricted to the period, in which the fetus is not viable outside of the uterus. This period is prescribed by notification from the Ministry of Public Welfare; up to now it has been shortened twice (1976, 1991). Due to the introduction of economic reasons in the list of conditions and the simplification of the procedure the artificial abortion in Japan was virtually liberalized. Prosecution for illegal abortion is very rare in recent years. The number of reported artificial abortions decreases; in the about last 30 years it reduced by half. However, the increase in the number of abortions in women younger than 20 years of age is a problem. The abortion in teenagers is late compared with that in other age groups. Although the number of neonaticides does not seem to increase, the increase in the number of abortions in teenagers remains a serious problem in Japan.


The ethics consultation and the pediatric surgeon.
The cultural, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational diversity of the patient population and the expanded surgical options provided by innovation and technology can pose significant ethical challenges. The questions confronting pediatric surgeons and their patients' families have greater complexity, and both the pediatric surgeon and the family perceive increasing vulnerability and uncertainty. The analysis and management of ethical issues in pediatric surgery cannot simply be extrapolated from the approach applied to adult cases. By reviewing the history of the events that contributed to the creation and utilization of hospital ethics committees and examining the role of the ethics consultant in the context of pediatric surgical care, practitioners and trainees will be better able to address these multifaceted situations.


Design of Heterogeneous Chalcogenide Nanostructures with Pressure-Tunable Gaps and without Electronic Trap States.
Heterogeneous nanostructures, such as quantum dots (QDs) embedded in solid matrices or core-shell nanoparticles, are promising platforms for a wide variety of applications, including phosphors with increased quantum yield, photocatalysis, and solar energy conversion. However, characterizing and controlling their interfacial morphology and defects, which greatly influence their electronic properties, have proven difficult in numerous cases. Here we carried out atomistic calculations on chalcogenide nanostructured materials, i.e., PbSe QDs in CdSe matrices and CdSe embedded in PbSe, and we established how interfacial and core structures affect their electronic properties. In particular, we showed that defects present at interfaces of PbSe nanoparticles and CdSe matrices give rise to detrimental intragap states, degrading the performance of photovoltaic devices. Instead, the electronic gaps of the inverted system (CdSe dots in PbSe) are clean, indicating that this material has superior electronic properties for solar applications. In addition, our calculations predicted that the core structure of CdSe and in turn its band gap may be tuned by applying pressure to the PbSe matrix, providing a means to engineering the properties of new functional materials.


Effects of FTO and PPARγ variants on intrauterine growth restriction in a Brazilian birth cohort.
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is related to a higher risk of neonatal mortality, minor cognitive deficit, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. In previous studies, genetic variants in the FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) and PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma) genes have been associated with metabolic disease, body mass index, and obesity among other outcomes. We studied the association of selected FTO (rs1421085, rs55682395, rs17817449, rs8043757, rs9926289, and rs9939609) and PPARγ (rs10865710, rs17036263, rs35206526, rs1801282, rs28763894, rs41516544, rs62243567, rs3856806, and rs1805151) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with IUGR, through a case-control study in a cohort of live births that occurred from June 1978 to May 1979 in a Brazilian city. We selected 280 IUGR cases and 256 controls for analysis. Logistic regression was used to jointly analyze the SNPs as well as factors such as maternal smoking, age, and schooling. We found that the PPARγ rs41516544 increased the risk of IUGR for male offspring (OR 27.83, 95%CI 3.65-212.32) as well as for female offspring (OR=8.94, 95%CI: 1.96-40.88). The FTO rs9939609 TA genotype resulted in a reduced susceptibility to IUGR for male offspring only (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.26-0.86). In conclusion, we demonstrated that PPARγ SNP had a positive effect and FTO SNP had a negative effect on IUGR occurrence, and these effects were gender-specific.


Predicting incidence of hepatitis E for thirteen cities in Jiangsu Province, China.
Hepatitis E has placed a heavy burden on China, especially in Jiangsu Province, so accurately predicting the incidence of hepatitis E benefits to alleviate the medical burden. In this paper, we propose a new attentive bidirectional long short-term memory network (denoted as BiLSTM-Attention) to predict the incidence of hepatitis E for all 13 cities in Jiangsu Province, China. Besides, we also explore the performance of adding meteorological factors and the Baidu (the most widely used Chinese search engine) index as additional training data for the prediction of our BiLSTM-Attention model. SARIMAX, GBDT, LSTM, BiLSTM, and BiLSTM-Attention models are tested in this study, based on the monthly incidence rates of hepatitis E, meteorological factors, and the Baidu index collected from 2011 to 2019 for the 13 cities in Jiangsu province, China. From January 2011 to December 2019, a total of 29,339 cases of hepatitis E were detected in all cities in Jiangsu Province, and the average monthly incidence rate for each city is 0.359 per 100,000 persons. Root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) are used for model selection and performance evaluation. The BiLSTM-Attention model considering meteorological factors and the Baidu index has the best performance for hepatitis E prediction in all cities, and it gets at least 10% improvement in RMSE and MAE for all 13 cities in Jiangsu province, which means the model has significantly improved the learning ability, generalizability, and prediction accuracy when comparing with others.


Advanced practice geriatric nursing education. New options in Kansas.
Knowledgeable practitioners with the skills needed to serve in a variety of clinical settings are the primary objective of the Adult-Geriatric Advanced Nursing Program and the FNP elective, Advanced Practice Nursing Care of the Frail Elderly. The continued blending of long term and acute care settings will further cloud and challenge the school responsible for educating APNs in the care of older adults, particularly the frail elderly. Education needs to provide flexibility for students through new service designs such as interactive computer courses. Nurses with an orientation to the future should consider geriatric nursing education.


Assay of random RNA oligomerisation in buffers with high concentrations of divalent metal ions.
Certain conditions, such as high concentrations of divalent metal ions in the reaction buffer or low pH, can cause aggregation and precipitation of RNA species with complementary sequences. If oligomerisation has gone unnoticed, some sequences from the pool of random RNA may be underrepresented or even lost at the very beginning of the selection experiment. Two simple assays for RNA oligomerisation are suggested. One is based on electrophoresis in non-denaturing gels, and the other uses gel-filtration.


Development of a porcine brain cDNA library, EST database, and microarray resource.
Recent developments in expressed sequence tag (EST) and cDNA microarray technology have had a dramatic impact on the ability of scientists to study responses of thousands of genes to internal and external stimuli. In neurobiology, studies of the human brain have been expanding rapidly by use of functional genomics techniques. To enhance these studies and allow use of a porcine brain model, a normalized porcine brain cDNA library (PBL) has been generated and used as a base for EST discovery and microarray generation. In this report, we discuss initial sequence analysis of 965 clones from this resource. Our data revealed that library normalization successfully reduced the number of clones representing highly abundant cDNA species and overall clone redundancy. Cluster analysis revealed over 800 unique cDNA species representing a redundancy rate for the normalized library of 6.9% compared with 29.4% before normalization. Sequence information, BLAST results, and TIGR cluster matches for these ESTs are publicly available via a web-accessible database (http://nbfgc.msu.edu). A cDNA microarray was created using 877 unique porcine brain EST amplicons spotted in triplicate on glass slides. This microarray was assessed by performing a series of experiments designed to test hybridization efficiency and false-positive rate. Our results indicate that the PBL cDNA microarray is a robust tool for studies of brain gene expression using swine as a model system.


Place, green exercise and stress: An exploration of lived experience and restorative effects.
This paper reports on inter-disciplinary research designed to investigate the stress-buffering effects of green exercise, and the importance of the context in which exercise takes place. This investigation of context effects examines both individual physiological responses (salivary cortisol) and the phenomenological interpretation of lived experiences of the intervention, reported by a subsample of participants in a randomized, controlled trial, in which healthy, physically inactive university students were randomly allocated to three activities: walking on a treadmill in a gym, walking in semi-natural recreational area, and sitting and watching nature-based videos on TV. The study found clear indications of context effects, notably in the connections between positive appraisals of perceived circumstances, enjoyment in the enacted context, and physiological stress-reduction.


[Study of the volt-ampere characteristics of ion channels by transmembrane current harmonics].
A method is proposed for measuring the coefficient of non--linearity beta of current--voltage characteristics of the class i (U) approximately U (1 + beta U2) of ionic channels formed by grammicidine A (Gra) and amphotericine B by the 3rd harmonics of the membrane current. For Gra A beta depends on the concentration of electrolyte c increasing lg c from -17 B-2 at 0.03 M to 8 B-2 at 3.4 M KCl turning to 0 at c0 = 0.3 divided by 1 M. The membranes of egg lecithin and glycerylmonooleate (GMO) differ in c0 value. Substitution of K+ ion for Li+, of the membrane solvent (n-heptane for n-hexadecane) and freezing of the GMO membrane do not affect beta.


Platelet activating factor in allergies.
The platelet-activating factor (PAF) produced and released by mast cells, basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, fibroblasts, platelets, endothelial cells, and even cardiac muscle cells plays an important role in inflammatory and thrombotic diseases. PAF has been shown to be an important mediator in anaphylaxis. Serum level of the factor correlates with the severity of systemic reactions. PAF is also involved in asthamatic patients' bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and inflammation of bronchi. Furthermore, increased plasma levels of PAF have been reported in patients with urticarial. Studies have shown that PAF increases the permeability of skin's capillaries and indices the development of wheals, flare, and inflammatory reactions in the skin.This review focuses on the actions of the PAF on the eosinophiles and mast cells. Following that pathophysiological mechanism of the PAF in anaphylaxis bronchial asthma and urticaria was discussed.


[Bilateral thromboses of the internal carotid].
A recent case of bilateral internal carotid artery thrombosis encountered by the authors prompted a review of the literature on this subject. The lesion is compatible with, if not a normal life, at least prolonged survival, owing to the development of collateral circulation, which until the onset of thrombosis is of negligible proportions. The prognosis, although poor, may nonetheless be improved in future years if the practice is adopted of investigating the patient completely upon the appearance of the slightest symptoms. This may lead to early diagnosis and perhaps to better treatment results.


[Effect of genistein on hepatic stellate cell proliferation and lipid peroxidation in vitro].
To investigate the effect of genistein on the proliferation and lipid peroxidation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in vitro and its the protective effect against hepatic fibrosis. Rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6 cells) were divided into 3 groups and incubated in the presence of 0.1 mol/L hydrogen dioxide followed by washing with PBS for 3 times. Genistein at different concentrations was added into the cell culture meclia, and after 48 h of incubation, the cell proliferation was assessed with MTT assay and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonaldehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in the supernatant of the cell culture were measured. Genistein at different concentrations inhibited the cell proliferation, showing a dose-effect relationship. Genistein significantly decreased the production of intracellular MDA and GSH and increased SOD and GSH PX activity. Genistein can prevent the formation of hepatic fibrosis probably by decreasing HSC proliferation and lipid peroxidation.


Genomic analysis of the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) uncover polygenic signatures of reinforcement speciation.
Speciation can involve phases of divergent adaptation in allopatry and ecological/reproductive character displacement in sympatry or parapatry. Reproductive character displacement can result as a means of preventing hybridization, a process known as reinforcement speciation. In this study, we use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of two closely related primate species that have experienced introgression in their history, the rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus (M. fascicularis) macaques, to identify genes exhibiting reproductive character displacement and other patterns consistent with reinforcement speciation. Using windowed scans of various population genetic statistics to identify signatures of reinforcement, we find 184 candidate genes associated with a variety of functions, including an overrepresentation of multiple neurological functions and several genes involved in sexual development and gametogenesis. These results are consistent with a variety of genes acting in a reinforcement process between these species. We also find signatures of introgression of the Y-chromosome that confirm previous studies suggesting male-driven introgression of M. mulatta into M. fascicularis populations. This study uses WGS to find evidence of the process of reinforcement in primates that have medical and conservation relevance.


The polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent: a device with multiple potential advantages.
The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered stent has emerged in the past year as a device with multiple potential advantages. Its structure (a sandwich composed of a layer of PTFE membrane between two stents) makes this the ideal tool for treating coronary ruptures, and for excluding coronary aneurysms. Furthermore, this device may be useful in the treatment of aortocoronary vein graft stenosis. In the present review, the authors summarize experiences with covered stents, and focus attention on available data on the implantation of PTFE-covered stents in human beings to treat coronary ruptures, aneurysms and aortocoronary vein graft stenosis.


Rare Undiagnosed Primary Amyloidosis Unmasked During Surgical Treatment of Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Case Report.
Primary amyloidosis (PA) is a protein deposition disorder that presents with localized or multisystemic disease. The incidence is low in the general public, ranging from three to eight cases per million, and with nonspecific presenting symptoms typically occurring later in life. Due to late presentation, substantial and irreversible damage has usually already occurred by the time of the diagnosis. However, if inadvertent diagnosis occurs before irreversible damage has taken place, as it did in the following case, some patients may benefit from the disease-arresting treatment. A 70-year-old female with a history of obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and arthritis presented with worsening dysphagia and biochemically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Further workup demonstrated multinodular goiter with compressive symptoms and substernal extension, osteopenia, and discrepant parathyroid localization on imaging. Intraoperatively, markedly difficult dissection and obliteration of tissue planes were encountered. Extensive, diffuse amyloid deposition in both the normal and pathologic parathyroid glands and thyroid tissue on surgical pathology leads to subsequent fibril typing by mass spectrometry and leads to the diagnostic of primary amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis (PA; λ light chains). Subsequent workup for the underlying cause of the amyloid deposition revealed an immunoglobulin A monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance. The surgical treatment of PHPT and compressive thyroid nodule unmasked an undiagnosed PA, allowing for early workup and monitoring of the progression of amyloidosis. The temporal comorbidity of PHPT and PA raises an interesting and, as yet, unanswered question regarding the pathophysiologic association between the two conditions.


Perspectives of comparing risks of environmental carcinogens.
In 1987, investigators (Ames et al.) concluded that the risks of man-made industrial carcinogens and pesticides (outside of the workplace) are trivial compared with the risks of naturally occurring carcinogens found mostly in the diet. They used a ranking system based on human exposure and rodent potency (HERP) data to arrive at this conclusion. As a result, they recommend that regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, base their priorities in this area on their HERP system. We analyzed the assumptions and data set upon which the HERPs were based, concluding that such a simplified approach to set public health policy is inappropriate given the underlying uncertainties. However, we note that when comparisons are consistently based on estimates of average daily exposure to common carcinogens, the HERP scores of many man-made pollutants are comparable to those of naturally occurring carcinogens in the diet.


Beam-position monitors in the X-ray undulator beamline at PETRA.
At the 12 GeV storage ring PETRA, the first synchrotron radiation beamline uses a 4 m-long undulator. The beamline, with a length of 130 m between source and sample, delivers hard X-ray photons usable up to 300 keV. The photon beam has a total power of 7 kW. Combined with the high brilliance, the powerful beam is very critical for all beamline components. Copper, located at a distance of 26 m, hit by the full undulator beam, melts within 20 ms. Different monitors are described for stable, safe and reliable operation of beam and experiments.


Nonylphenol promotes the proliferation of colorectal cancer COLO205 cells by upregulating the expression of protein kinase C ζ.
Previous studies have indicated the potential role of estrogen in the development and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Nonylpheno (NP) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical, which may influence the development of estrogen-dependent types of cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of NP in the development of CRCs remains unclear. In the present study, various concentrations of NP were used to treat COLO205 CRC cells, and the expression of protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) was knocked down using PKCζ small interfering RNA. The effects of NP in various concentrations on the cell cycle and apoptosis of COLO205 cells were examined, and the change in the expression level of PKCζ was analyzed. The results indicated that NP may significantly induce proliferation of COLO205 CRC cells, and significantly reduce cell apoptosis. However, suppression of PKCζ expression may inhibit proliferation, while NP could reduce this inhibition. The results of a western blot analysis indicated that the expression level of cyclin D1 and E were significantly increased following NP treatment, and the expression of p27 was significantly decreased. The phosphorylation of PKCζ and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 was significantly increased following NP treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, NP induced human CRC COLO205 cell proliferation and inhibited the apoptotic rate of COLO205 cells by increasing the activity of PKCζ and ERK1/2.


Sympathetic Activation in Hypertension: Importance of the Central Nervous System.
The sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The central nervous system (CNS) organizes the sympathetic outflow and various inputs from the periphery. The brain renin-angiotensin system has been studied in various regions involved in controlling sympathetic outflow. Recent progress in cardiovascular research, particularly in vascular biology and neuroscience, as well as in traditional physiological approaches, has advanced the field of the neural control of hypertension in which the CNS plays a vital role. Cardiovascular research relating to hypertension has focused on the roles of nitric oxide, oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity, and the network among various organs, including the heart, kidney, spleen, gut, and vasculature. The CNS mechanisms are similarly networked with these factors and are widely studied in neuroscience. In this review, I describe the development of the conceptual flow of this network in the field of hypertension on the basis of several important original research articles and discuss potential future breakthroughs leading to clinical precision medicine.


Shear dynamics of hydration layers.
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to investigate the shear dynamics of hydration layers of the thickness of D=0.61-2.44 nm confined between two mica surfaces. Emphases are placed on the external shear response and internal relaxation properties of aqueous films. For D=0.92-2.44 nm liquid phase, the shear responses are fluidic and similar to those observed in surface force balance experiments [U. Raviv and J. Klein, Science 297, 1540 (2002)]. However, for the bilayer ice (D=0.61 nm) [Y. S. Leng and P. T. Cummings, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 74711 (2006)] significant shear enhancement and shear thinning over a wide range of shear rates in MD regime are observed. The rotational relaxation time of water molecules in this bilayer ice is found to be as high as 0.017 ms (10(-5) s). Extrapolating the shear rate to the inverse of this longest relaxation time, we obtain a very high shear viscosity for the bilayer ice, which is also observed quite recently for D< or =0.6+/-0.3 nm hydration layers [H. Sakuma et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 46104 (2006)]. We further investigate the boundary slip of water molecules and hydrated K(+) ions and concluded that no-slip boundary condition should hold for aqueous salt solution under extreme confinement between hydrophilic mica surfaces, provided that the confined film is of Newtonian fluid.


Dataset of banana leaves and stem images for object detection, classification and segmentation: A case of Tanzania.
Banana is among major crops cultivated by most smallholder farmers in Tanzania and other parts of Africa. This crop is very important in the household economy as well as food security since it serves as both food and cash crops. Despite these benefits, the majority of smallholder farmers are experiencing low yields which are attributed to diseases. The most problematic diseases are Black Sigatoka and Fusarium Wilt Race 1. Black Sigatoka is a disease that produces spots on the leaves of bananas and is caused by an air-borne fungus called Pseudocercospora fijiensis, formerly known as Mycosphaerella fijiensis. Fusarium Wilt Race 1 disease is one of the most destructive banana diseases that is caused by a soil-borne fungus called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Cubense (Foc). The dataset of curated banana crop image is presented in this article. Images of both healthy and diseased banana leaves and stems were taken in Tanzania and are included in the dataset. Smartphone cameras were used to take pictures of the banana leaves and stems. The dataset is the largest publicly accessible dataset for banana leaves and stems and includes 16,092 images. The dataset is significant and can be used to develop machine learning models for early detection of diseases affecting bananas. This dataset can be used for a number of computer vision applications, including object detection, classification, and image segmentation. The motivation for generating this dataset is to contribute to developing machine learning tools and spur innovations that will help to address the issue of crop diseases and help to eradicate the problem of food security in Africa.


Knowledge and perception of COVID-19 and its treatment. A community-based survey in South Nigeria.
Media channels increased COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty and disputes, hindering dissemination and acceptance of evidence-based health information. Socioeconomic, cultural, and developmental factors affect a community's access to credible health information. This community-based study aims to assess semi-urban residents' understanding of COVID-19. This was a cross-sectional study of 384 multistage-sampled residents of the study site. Sociodemographic, psychographic, and COVID-19 and treatment knowledge were obtained using a semistructured questionnaire. Six questions were used to measure knowledge, which was deemed adequate (three or more correct answers) or inadequate (fewer than three correct responses). 54 out of 364 responders (14.8%) knew COVID-19. 68.9% of respondents stated citrus fruits or spices, 46.1% mentioned infection safety, and 13.3% mentioned chloroquine for prevention. Regarding treatment, 55.5% of responders reported chloroquine and 20.9% hydroxychloroquine. 17% chose "none of the above." Class I workers were four times more likely to have adequate knowledge than class V workers (p=0.019), while class III workers were 79% less likely (p=0.046). Males had 68%less knowledge than females (p=0.008). Conclusions: In this study, adequate knowledge of COVID-19 was low and associated with higher socioeconomic class.


The relationship of background mammographic pattern to hormone dependency in breast cancer.
We have studied the relationship between mammographic parenchymal pattern of the breast and oestrogen receptor (ER) status in the primary tumour in 337 patients with operable invasive breast cancer, and the response to endocrine therapy in patients subsequently developing secondary disease. Patients with dysplastic (DY) parenchymal pattern are significantly more likely to develop tumours which are ER-positive. In 92 patients who subsequently developed secondary disease, those whose primary tumour arose in a DY pattern breast were significantly more likely to respond to endocrine therapy irrespective of their ER status.


TLR4-dependent immune response promotes radiation-induced liver disease by changing the liver tissue interstitial microenvironment during liver cancer radiotherapy.
Liver tissue interstitial fluid (TIF) a special microenvironment around liver cells, which may play a vital role in cell communication during liver injury. Moreover, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important trigger of the immune response that may also play a role in liver injuries, including radiation-induced liver disease (RILD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the roles of the TLR4-dependent immune response and TIFs in RILD after radiation therapy (RT) for liver cancer. This study consisted of two phases, and in the primary phase, the livers of TLR4 mutant (TLR4(-)) and normal (TLR4(+)) mice were irradiated with 30 Gy. TIF was then obtained from mouse livers and assessed by cytokine array analysis 20 days after irradiation, and cytokines in the TIFs, TLR4 and RILD were analyzed. In the second or validation phase, hepatocytes were isolated from TLR4(+) or TLR4(-) mice irradiated with 8 Gy and were co-cultured with TIFs from mouse livers, apoptosis of the hepatocytes was then measured using flow cytometry. We found that severe RILD was accompanied by higher expression of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR-2) in liver TIFs, from in TLR4(+) mice compared with TLR4(-) mice (P < 0.05). In both TLR4(+) and TLR4(-) hepatocytes, apoptosis after irradiaton was increased significantly after co-culture in TIFs from TLR4(+) mice that had their livers irradiated, compared with TIFs from TLR4(-) mice that had their livers irradiated or TIFs from unirradiated mice (P < 0.05). In summary, these findings indicate that the TLR4-dependent immune response may promote RILD by enhancing the expression of GM-CSF, VEGFR-2 and TRAIL in liver TIFs.


Combinatorial Probes for High-Throughput Electrochemical Analysis of Circulating Nucleic Acids in Clinical Samples.
The analysis of circulating tumour nucleic acids (ctNAs) provides a minimally invasive way to assess the mutational spectrum of a tumour. However, effective and practical methods for analyzing this emerging class of markers are lacking. Analysis of ctNAs using a sensor-based approach has notable challenges, as it is vital to differentiate nucleic acids from normal cells from mutation-bearing sequences emerging from tumours. Moreover, many genes related to cancer have dozens of different mutations. Herein, we report an electrochemical approach that directly detects genes with mutations in patient serum by using combinatorial probes (CPs). The CPs enable detection of all of the mutant alleles derived from the same part of the gene. As a proof of concept, we analyze mutations of the EGFR gene, which has more than 40 clinically relevant alterations that include deletions, insertions, and point mutations. Our CP-based approach accurately detects mutant sequences directly in patient serum.


Bendamustine is effective in relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Bendamustine, an alkylating agent with a nitrogen mustard group and a purine-like benzimidazol group, has been shown to be effective in several solid tumors and indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, but has not yet been studied for efficacy in aggressive lymphomas. We conducted a phase II study in patients with relapsed or refractory high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, using bendamustine at a dose of 120 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 2, every 3 weeks for up to six cycles. Twenty-one patients were enrolled; 18 were evaluable for response and toxicity, 10 of whom were refractory to previous chemotherapy. With three patients achieving a complete response (at 6, >or=8 and >or=22 months) and five a partial response (three at 2 months, one at 3 months and one at 10 months), the total response rate of the evaluable patients was 44% (eight out of 18; 38% of all patients). Two complete and two partial responders were refractory to prior treatment. In 10 patients, treatment had to be stopped after one to three cycles due to progressive disease or hematological toxicity (n = 2). Non-hematological side effects were mild. Eight (13%) WHO grade 3 and no grade 4 events were observed in 60 evaluable treatment cycles. Hematologic toxicity was moderate (grade 3 and 4): anemia in five cycles (8%), leukopenia in seven (12%) and thrombocytopenia in eight (13%). Bendamustine as a single agent is effective against aggressive lymphoma, even in cases of refractory disease. Further studies are warranted to determine the significance of bendamustine in the treatment of aggressive lymphomas.


Galectin-3 Expression in Colorectal Cancer and its Correlation with Clinical Pathological Characteristics and Prognosis.
To explore the expression levels of galectin-3 in colorectal cancer and the association between galectin-3 and its clinical pathological parameters, as well as the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. An immunohistochemistry assay was used to test the expression levels of galectin-3 in cancer tissues of 61 colorectal cancer cases and in normal intestinal tissues adjacent to the cancer tissues of 23 cases. The associations between protein expression levels of galectin-3 and the clinicopathological features, such as age, sex, pathology type, lymphatic metastasis, and prognosis were also analyzed. The positive rate of galectin-3 in cancer tissues was significantly higher than that of cancer-adjacent tissues: 62.5% (38/61) versus 13.0% (3/23) (P<0.05), respectively. Correlation was found between the protein expression of galectin-3 and the tumor size (P<0.05), as well as between the tumor differentiation (P<0.05) and Duke staging (P<0.05). The median progression-free survival times of patients with galectin-3 positive and negative expression were 19.2 and 35.1 months, respectively, with significant statistical difference (P<0.05). Galectin-3 expression was correlated with the genesis and development of colorectal cancer and which could be used a biological marker for the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.


Role of mRNA stability in growth phase regulation of gene expression in the group A streptococcus.
The impressive disease spectrum of Streptococcus pyogenes (the group A streptococcus [GAS]) is believed to be determined by its ability to modify gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. Virulence gene expression is controlled tightly by several different transcriptional regulators in this organism. In addition, expression of most, if not all, GAS genes is determined by a global mechanism dependent on growth phase. To begin an analysis of growth-phase regulation, we compared the transcriptome 2 h into stationary phase to that in late exponential phase of a serotype M3 GAS strain. We identified the arc transcript as more abundant in stationary phase in addition to the sag and sda transcripts that had been previously identified. We found that in stationary phase, the stability of sagA, sda, and arcT transcripts increased dramatically. We found that polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase [encoded by pnpA]) is rate limiting for decay of sagA and sda transcripts in late exponential phase, since the stability of these mRNAs was greater in a pnpA mutant, while stability of control mRNAs was unaffected by this mutation. Complementation restored the wild-type decay rate. Furthermore, in a pnpA mutant, the sagA mRNA appeared to be full length, as determined by Northern hybridization. It seems likely that mRNAs abundant in stationary phase are insensitive to the normal decay enzyme(s) and instead require PNPase for this process. It is possible that PNPase activity is limited in stationary phase, allowing persistence of these important virulence factor transcripts at this phase of growth.


Hemifacial Spasm Caused by Vascular Compression of the Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery-Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Common Trunk Anomaly at the Cisternal Portion of the Facial Nerve: A Case Report.
W report the first case of hemifacial spasm (HFS) caused by vascular compression of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) common trunk anomaly at the cisternal portion of cranial nerve VII (CN VII). A 71-year-old female with a typical right HFS was admitted to our hospital. As per her magnetic resonance (MR) imaging results, no offending arteries were noted around the CN VII root exit zone (REZ). Computed tomography angiography revealed an AICA-PICA common trunk anomaly with a dominant PICA, with the rostral branch of the AICA-PICA common trunk anomaly compressing the CN VII at the cisternal portion. The patient underwent microvascular decompression (MVD), and the HFS disappeared after surgery. The amplitude of the abnormal muscle responses (AMR) disappeared immediately after complete transposition of the offending artery. However, the patient experienced mild transient facial palsy 3 days after MVD which was eventually resolved with the administration of vitamin B12. No HFS recurrence was observed during the 1-year follow-up period. The AICA-PICA common trunk anomaly has been found to cause HFS as it compressed the CN VII at the cisternal portion, and not at the REZ. AMR monitoring might be helpful for cases where the unusual vessel particularly compresses the CN VII.


[Incidence of nosocomial infections. Comparison of 2 surveillance systems: clinical vs microbiological follow-up].
The effectiveness of a clinical and a microbiological follow-up systems for the detection of hospital-acquired infection (HI), both independently and simultaneously applied, were prospectively evaluated. The observed incidence rate was 11.4%. The clinical follow-up detected 81.3% of HI while microbiological follow-up detected 59.7%. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.001). It took 43 and 45 minutes to detect each instance of HI with the clinical and microbiological methods, respectively. Clinical methods are the most adequate to obtain maximal sensitivity in the overall surveillance of hospital-acquired infection, whereas microbiological follow-up may be useful for the detection of some types of HI such as bacteremia or urinary tract infection.


A Rare Case of Asymmetric Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy Diagnosed In vivo with Magnetic Resonance/Positron Emission Tomography.
PSP and CBD are usually multi system sporadic disorders characterized by tau inclusions in neurons and glia. The clinical and neuroimaging features are different .However in some cases overlapping of features are noted. Here we present a case of a 65 years old female patient, presenting a 3 years history of insidious onset of asymmetric right upper and lower limb dystonia, followed by slowness, falls and injuries to the back, Parkinsonism, urinary incontinence and cognitive dysfunction and upward gaze palsy. MRI findings were suggestive of moderate cerebral and cerebellar atrophy with prominent ventricular system, reduced antero-posterior midline midbrain diameter, at the level of superior colliculus on axial imaging (morning glory sign was positive) on the left side. PET showed asymmetric hypo metabolism noted in the left superior and middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal and mid temporal gyrus in addition to striatum and thalamus, as well as midbrain, pons and right cerebellar hemisphere. Overall MR/PET was suggestive of unilateral PSP (left) and it corroborated with clinical history of unilateral dystonia and supranuclear gaze palsy. Based on MRI the differential considered was also CBD, but PET showed metabolic activity in the motor cortex. Additionally based on the hummingbird sign and morning glory sign a rare diagnosis of unilateral PSP could be made which also corroborated with the clinical picture.The case report emphasizes the utility of PETMRI simultaneously in situations like these to pick atypical variants or cases with overlapping pathology to reach a diagnosis with in vivo imaging methods.


Lipolysis and glycerol gluconeogenesis in simultaneously fasting and lactating northern elephant seals.
Adult female elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) combine long-term fasting with lactation and molting. Glycerol gluconeogenesis has been hypothesized as potentially meeting all of the glucose requirements of the seals during these fasts. To test this hypothesis, a primed constant infusion of [2-(14)C]glycerol was administered to 10 ten adult female elephant seals at 5 and 21-22 days postpartum and to 10 additional adult females immediately after the molt. Glycerol kinetics, rates of lipolysis, and the contribution of glycerol to glucose production were determined for each period. Plasma metabolite levels as well as insulin, glucagon, and cortisol were also measured. Glycerol rate of appearance was not significantly correlated with mass (P = 0.14, r2 = 0.33) but was significantly related to the percentage of glucose derived from glycerol (P < 0.01, r2 = 0.81) during late lactation. The contribution of glycerol to glucose production was <3% during each fasting period, suggesting a lower contribution to gluconeogenesis than is observed in other long-term fasting mammals. Because of a high rate of endogenous glucose production in fasting elephant seals, it is likely that glycerol gluconeogenesis still makes a substantial contribution to the substrate needs of glucose-dependent tissues. The lack of a relationship between glucoregulatory hormones and glycerol kinetics, glycerol gluconeogenesis, and metabolites supports the proposition that fasting elephant seals do not conform to the traditional insulin-glucagon model of substrate metabolism.


Regions of the amino terminus of the P2X receptor required for modification by phorbol ester and mGluR1alpha receptors.
The potentiation of P2X(1) receptor currents by phorbol ester (PMA) treatment and stimulation of mGluR1alpha receptors was sensitive to inhibition of novel forms of protein kinase C. Potentiation was also reduced by co-expression of an amino terminal P2X(1) receptor minigene. Cysteine point mutants of residues Tyr(16)-Gly(30) were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Peak current amplitudes to ATP for Y16C, T18C and R20C mutants were reduced, however this did not result from a decrease in surface expression of the channels. The majority of the mutants showed changes in the time-course of desensitization of ATP evoked currents indicating the important role of this region in regulation of channel properties. PMA and mGluR1alpha potentiation was abolished for the mutants Y16C, T18C, R20C, K27C and G30C. Minigenes incorporating either Y16C, K27C, V29C or G30C still inhibited PMA responses. However D17C, T18C or R20C mutant minigenes were no longer effective suggesting that these residues are important for interaction with regulatory factors. These results demonstrate that the conserved YXTXK/R sequence and a region with a conserved glycine residue close to the first transmembrane segment contribute to PMA and GPCR regulation of P2X(1) receptors.


Phylogenetic reconstruction of Bantu kinship challenges Main Sequence Theory of human social evolution.
Kinship provides the fundamental structure of human society: descent determines the inheritance pattern between generations, whereas residence rules govern the location a couple moves to after they marry. In turn, descent and residence patterns determine other key relationships such as alliance, trade, and marriage partners. Hunter-gatherer kinship patterns are viewed as flexible, whereas agricultural societies are thought to have developed much more stable kinship patterns as they expanded during the Holocene. Among the Bantu farmers of sub-Saharan Africa, the ancestral kinship patterns present at the beginning of the expansion are hotly contested, with some arguing for matrilineal and matrilocal patterns, whereas others maintain that any kind of lineality or sex-biased dispersal only emerged much later. Here, we use Bayesian phylogenetic methods to uncover the history of Bantu kinship patterns and trace the interplay between descent and residence systems. The results suggest a number of switches in both descent and residence patterns as Bantu farming spread, but that the first Bantu populations were patrilocal with patrilineal descent. Across the phylogeny, a change in descent triggered a switch away from patrifocal kinship, whereas a change in residence triggered a switch back from matrifocal kinship. These results challenge "Main Sequence Theory," which maintains that changes in residence rules precede change in other social structures. We also indicate the trajectory of kinship change, shedding new light on how this fundamental structure of society developed as farming spread across the globe during the Neolithic.