Microvascular changes in lymph nodes draining skin allografts.
Histological, histochemical, ultrastructural, and radiolabeling characteristics of the microvasculature in regional nodes draining skin allograft sites are described. From 12 to 48 hours after grafting, these nodes show increased vascular permeability and altered lymphocyte traffic pattern. The rapid rise in lymphocyte migration indices and the apparent plugging of intermediate sinuses by lymphocytes suggest that both increased entry and decreased egress of recirculating cells contribute in "lymphocyte trapping." This is followed by redistribution of cortical capillary arcades as existing germinal centers dissolve and proliferating lymphocytes infiltrate the cortex. Normal microvascular patterns reappeared at 7 to 14 days as primary and secondary nodules form in the enlarged nodes. Increased length and arborization of high endothelial venules resulted from focal proliferation of endothelial cells in transition zones from high to low endothelium. In stimulated nodes, high endothelial cells exhibit increased cytoplasmic basophilia and acid hydrolase activities which correlate with the appearance of numerous polyribosomes, RER cisternae, and lysosomes in their cytoplasm. These "activated" endothelial cells phagocytose microthrombi within venular lumens.


Two high-risk susceptibility loci at 6p25.3 and 14q32.13 for Waldenström macroglobulinemia.
Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM)/lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is a rare, chronic B-cell lymphoma with high heritability. We conduct a two-stage genome-wide association study of WM/LPL in 530 unrelated cases and 4362 controls of European ancestry and identify two high-risk loci associated with WM/LPL at 6p25.3 (rs116446171, near EXOC2 and IRF4; OR = 21.14, 95% CI: 14.40-31.03, P = 1.36 × 10-54) and 14q32.13 (rs117410836, near TCL1; OR = 4.90, 95% CI: 3.45-6.96, P = 8.75 × 10-19). Both risk alleles are observed at a low frequency among controls (~2-3%) and occur in excess in affected cases within families. In silico data suggest that rs116446171 may have functional importance, and in functional studies, we demonstrate increased reporter transcription and proliferation in cells transduced with the 6p25.3 risk allele. Although further studies are needed to fully elucidate underlying biological mechanisms, together these loci explain 4% of the familial risk and provide insights into genetic susceptibility to this malignancy.


Comparisons between oral pulse alfacalcidol therapy and daily therapy in maintenance hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism: a randomized, controlled, and multicenter study.
To investigate the efficacy and safety of 1alpha-(OH)-D3 high-dose pulse therapy or daily low-dose therapy in secondary hyperthyroidism in maintenance hemodialysis patients in China. Maintenance hemodialysis patients of both gender with intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level above 200 pg/mL were randomly divided into a pulse group and a daily group. They were treated for 20 weeks, with 2 microg oral Alfacalcidol twice weekly or thrice weekly in the pulse group, and 0.5 microg oral Alfacalcidol per day in the daily group. The therapeutic end point was parathyroid hormone level < 200 pg/ mL. The iPTH levels during the study were monitored, and parameters representative of calcium and phosphate metabolism and side effects were also observed. One hundred and fifty-eight patients were initially enrolled, 91 in the pulse therapy group and 67 in the daily therapy group. There was no significant difference in age, hemodialysis duration, proportion of diabetic nephropathy and systemic diseases, proportion of patients who had received active vitamin D therapy previously, mean initial iPTH level (pulse group 570.47 +/- 295.86 pg/mL; daily group 498.33 +/- 207.84 pg/mL), serum calcium, serum phosphate, alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and albumin between two groups. In the pulse therapy group there were more patients with iPTH levels of 500 to approximately 1,000 pg/mL and > 1,000 pg/mL, so stratified analysis according to iPTH level was used. In therapeutic end point, iPTH levels in both groups were significantly lower compared with those before therapy (pulse group 261.29 +/- 234.97 pg/mL, P < .01; daily group 262.17 +/- 274.82 pg/mL, P < .01). After 4 weeks, the ratio of reaching end point in the pulse group was 35.2%, which was significantly higher than that (19.4%) in the daily group (P < .05). More obvious change was seen in the 200 to approximately 500 pg/mL subgroup by stratified analysis (P < .05), whereas there was no significant difference between the 500 to approximately 1,000 pg/mL and > 1,000 pg/mL subgroup (P > .05). At therapeutic end point, the total ratio of reaching end point did not differ between the two groups, and there were no obvious differences between each subgroup. In the iPTH 200 to approximately 500 pg/mL subgroup, mean iPTH%/week in the pulse group was significantly higher than that in the daily group, and no obvious difference was seen in other subgroups. AKP levels decreased significantly in both groups at therapeutic end point (pulse group 98.42 +/- 54.52 vs. 74.21 +/- 30.68 IU/L, P < .01; daily group 103.3 +/- 68.04 vs. 75.40 +/- 34.12 IU/L, P < .01). On the 4th week, AKP level in pulse group (82.39 +/- 35.23 IU/L) was significantly lower than the initial level (98.42 +/- 54.52 IU/L, P < .05), whereas in the daily group there was no difference between each week. The mean serum calcium, phosphate, and [Ca2+] x [P3+] levels in both groups did not change greatly. Nine patients in the pulse group (9.9%) and 8 patients in the daily group (11.9%) suffered hypercalcemia at least once. Persistent hypercalcemia occurred in 8 patients in the pulse group (8.8%) and 9 patients in the daily group (13.4%), but the difference in proportion did not show statistical significance. The serum phosphate in the daily group was higher after the therapy (1.74 +/- 0.36 vs. 1.89 +/- 0.36 mmol/L, P < .05), whereas that in the pulse group remained unchanged. At therapeutic end point, [Ca2+] x [P3+] level in the daily group was higher than that before the therapy (48.04 +/- 11.71 vs. 55.46 +/- 12.66, P < .05), whereas in the pulse group there was no significant difference. Side effects for both groups were minimal and well tolerated. Alfacalcidol [1alpha-(OH)-D3] has good and safe effects on secondary hyperparathyroidism in maintenance hemodialysis patients. The efficacy and early effects of pulse therapy are superior to those of daily therapy in moderate hyperparathyroidism patients.


Two-dimensional self-assembly of a two-component molecular system: formation of an ordered and homogeneous molecular mesh.
The formation of nanoscaled objects often relies on the two-dimensional self-assembly of organic molecules on solid substrates, leading to a number of interesting structures with nanometer dimensions. Assembly of single-component systems driven by chain-chain van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding, and dipolar interactions governs the structures typically formed. The two-dimensional self-assembly of a two-component molecular system is described here, where the structure involves mixing of the components at the molecular level. A mixture of 5-octadecyloxyisophthalic acid and octanoic acid forms an ordered stoichiometric array of homogeneous nanometer-sized openings of dimension 8.5 A x 13.5 A x1.8 A, verified by atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. Assembly in the structure is driven by van der Waals and hydrogen bonding interactions between the molecular components.


Olfactory neuroblastoma. Observations on seven patients treated with radiation therapy and review of the literature.
Seven patients with olfactory neuroblastoma were treated, using the staging classification proposed by Kadish (stage A two patients, stage B one, stage C three, and local recurrence one patient). Treatment was not uniform. Radiation therapy was employed initially as the only treatment modality in three patients who had stage A, B, and C, respectively. In one instance, it was used to treat a local recurrence after surgical treatment. Surgery and radiation therapy was employed in three patients: one with stage A and two with stage C. Chemotherapy was used as an adjuvant to radiation and surgery in one patient with stage C, and in three individuals, it was used for advanced disease. Four of the seven patients are alive without evidence of disease from 23 months to 16 years 8 months after treatment. A review of 11 series from the recent medical literature is presented. It is essential to follow these patients for long periods of time because of the slow growth and the propensity of local recurrence that some of these tumors have. The actual tendency in the management of this neoplasm seems to be combined therapy with surgery and radiation. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy is not well established, but has been recommended for locally advanced disease.


Progression from marijuana use to daily smoking and nicotine dependence in a national sample of U.S. adolescents.
While it has been demonstrated that smoking cigarettes in adolescence increases the likelihood of progressing to marijuana use, few studies have considered the reverse scenario in which early use of cannabis leads to greater tobacco smoking. Participants (n=5963), who had never smoked cigarettes daily by wave I of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, were followed 6 years (waves I-III) from adolescence into young adulthood. Measures of marijuana use (lifetime use, monthly use, age at first use), as assessed at wave I within 12-16 (n=3712) and 17-21 (n=2251) year-olds, were separately modeled as predictors of three tobacco-related outcomes: (1) age at onset of daily cigarette smoking, (2) lifetime nicotine dependence, (3) current nicotine dependence. In the older cohort (17-21-year-olds at wave I), lifetime (>10 times) and past-month marijuana use at wave I were predictive of an earlier initiation into daily cigarette smoking and a greater likelihood of developing nicotine dependence by wave III. Furthermore, age at first use of cannabis was negatively associated with risk of nicotine dependence in the older, but not younger cohort. After controlling for baseline measures of tobacco smoking and other demographic risk factors, the use of marijuana in adolescence was modestly associated with daily cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence in young adulthood.


Polymerase chain reaction in pediatric post-traumatic fungal endophthalmitis among Egyptian children.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in accurate and rapid diagnosis of fungal endophthalmitis in comparison with conventional Gram stain and culture in pediatric fungal endophthalmitis. This study included 26 cases with endophthalmitis. Age was less than 16 years old, and all were males with history of ocular trauma and with clinical picture suggestive of fungal endophthalmitis. A prospective nonrandomized study was done. For all cases pars plana vitrectomy was done and sample of vitreous wash was collected from the vitrectomy cassette and was sent for laboratory diagnosis. At the end of surgery, intravitreal injection of 1.0 mg/0.1 mL vancomycin was given. PCR, culture sensitivity and ultrasound were done for all cases. Follow-up of cases by visual acuity, full ophthalmological examination, ultrasound, PCR, and other laboratory investigation. The schedule for follow-up was daily for 1 week, weekly for 1 month, and monthly for 1 year than all data collected and analysed. The ages ranged from 7 to 16 years old. All cases were males. Seventeen cases had central corneal ulcer, 5 of them with penetration full thickness, and 9 cases had peripheral corneal ulcer, 2 of them with penetration. Ophthalmological examination revealed a marked drop of vision ranging from HM to PL in the affected eye. Although Gram stain gave negative results in 20 cases (was positive in only 6 cases), KOH wet mount preparation revealed septate hyphae in only 4 cases, and culture on blood agar was negative in all samples, suggestive of Aspergillus niger and showing Candida albicans colonies in 8 samples. PCR assay was positive for the universal as well as for the Aspergillus-specific primers, but it was negative for Candida-specific primer in 4 samples. No recurrence of infection was noticed for the following 1 year The mean follow-up period was 10.3 months (range, 5-24 months), but with trivial improvement in visual acuity. The sensitivity of PCR assay was found to be highly significant, p < .0001, much superior to that of microscopy and culture in detecting fungal endophthalmitis. PCR assay was found to be a highly sensitive and specific test that allows rapid and accurate diagnosis of pediatric fungal endophthalmitis. PCR was found to give a much more sensitive and more rapid result than Gram stain and culture technique with comparable high specificity. Thus, we recommend the use of conventional methods as culture and stained smears as they are useful if positive, inexpensive, and available in all laboratories. This is in addition to PCR assay, which must be added to the protocol of management of cases of pediatric fungal endophthalmitis.


Prospective and retrospective time perception are related to mental time travel: evidence from Alzheimer's disease.
Unlike prospective time perception paradigms, in which participants are aware that they have to estimate forthcoming time, little is known about retrospective time perception in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our paper addresses this shortcoming by comparing prospective and retrospective time estimation in younger adults, older adults, and AD patients. In four prospective tasks (lasting 30s, 60s, 90s, or 120s) participants were asked to read a series of numbers and to provide a verbal estimation of the reading time. In four other retrospective tasks, they were not informed about time judgment until they were asked to provide a verbal estimation of four elapsed time intervals (lasting 30s, 60s, 90s, or 120s). AD participants gave shorter verbal time estimations than older adults and younger participants did, suggesting that time is perceived to pass quickly in these patients. For all participants, the duration of the retrospective tasks was underestimated as compared to the prospective tasks and both estimations were shorter than the real time interval. Prospective time estimation was further correlated with mental time travel, as measured with the Remember/Know paradigm. Mental time travel was even higher correlated with retrospective time estimation. Our findings shed light on the relationship between time perception and the ability to mentally project oneself into time, two skills contributing to human memory functioning. Finally, time perception deficits, as observed in AD patients, can be interpreted in terms of dramatic changes occurring in frontal lobes and hippocampus.


Decreased MYC-associated factor X (MAX) expression is a new potential biomarker for adverse prognosis in anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
MYC-associated factor X (MAX) is a protein in the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper family, which is ubiquitously and constitutively expressed in various normal tissues and tumors. MAX protein mediates various cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis through the MYC-MAX protein complex. Recently, it has been reported that MYC regulates the proliferation of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. However, the expression and function of MAX in anaplastic large cell lymphoma remain to be elucidated. We herein investigated MAX expression in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) and found 11 of 37 patients (30%) with ALCL lacked MAX expression, whereas 15 of 15 patients (100%) with PTCL-NOS expressed MAX protein. ALCL patients lacking MAX expression had a significantly inferior prognosis compared with patients having MAX expression. Moreover, patients without MAX expression significantly had histological non-common variants, which were mainly detected in aggressive ALCL cases. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that MAX expression was related to the expression of MYC and cytotoxic molecules. These findings demonstrate that lack of MAX expression is a potential poor prognostic biomarker in ALCL and a candidate marker for differential diagnosis of ALCL and PTCL-NOS.


Bereavement issues and prolonged grief disorder: A global perspective.
The death of a loved one - bereavement - is a universal experience that marks the human mental health condition. Grief - the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to bereavement - is thus experienced by virtually everyone at some point in life, while mourning is a process through which grievers come to terms with the loss envisioning life without the deceased. Although distress subsides over time among most bereaved individuals, a minority will develop a condition recently identified as prolonged grief disorder (PGD). The present review provides a global perspective on bereavement, grief reactions, and PGD. Although the loss of a loved one and grief reactions are in general experienced consistently across different cultures, differences and variations in their expression may exist across cultures. Especially within specific populations that may be more at risk for PGD, possibly due to risk factors associated with the mechanisms of loss (e.g., refugees, migrants, and conflict survivors). The diagnostic criteria for PGD are mostly based on Western grieving populations, and cultural adaptations of PGD treatments are limited. Therefore, cross-cultural development and validation of PGD screening/assessment is critical to support future research on grief reactions and PGD, especially in non-Western contexts, and concerning the potential future global changes and challenges that appear to have a major impact on PGD. More transcultural research on PGD is needed to contextualize and will lead to culture-bound symptom identification of PGD, and the adaptation of current treatment protocols, which may ultimately improve health at the individual level, and health-care systems.


[Tolosa-Hunt syndrome following traumatic eye injury].
Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is an idiopathic condition involving unilateral eye pain with involvement of oculomotor nerves which responds well to treatment with steroids. It is produced by idiopathic granulomatous inflammation of the cavernous sinus or the orbital apex. A 37-year-old male who was admitted to hospital due to a six-week history of blurred vision and pain in the left eye, which was later accompanied by full ipsilateral ophthalmoplegia. Some days prior to the onset of the clinical features, he suffered an accident which resulted in traumatic injury to the left eye. An examination showed data pointing to optic neuropathy in the left eye with complete extrinsic ocular motor palsy. Results of general analyses and lumbar puncture were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head revealed a thickening of the wall of the left cavernous sinus and of the ipsilateral orbital apex, which enhanced with gadolinium. Evoked potential studies showed axonal and demyelinating optic neuropathy on the left-hand side. Suspecting this to be a case of THS, treatment was established with high doses of corticoids, which brought about an improvement in the pain and eye movement but not in the blurred vision. A MRI control scan showed a clear improvement in comparison to the one carried out initially. In cases of painful ophthalmoplegia, the professional should suspect the existence of THS. If the apex of the orbit is affected through the superior orbital fissure, the optic nerve may be damaged. Traumatic injury can be one of the situations that trigger THS.


A 3D microfluidic perfusion system made from glass for multiparametric analysis of stimulus-secretioncoupling in pancreatic islets.
Microfluidic perfusion systems (MPS) are well suited to perform multiparametric measurements with small amounts of tissue to function as an Organ on Chip device (OOC). Such microphysiolgical characterization is particularly valuable in research on the stimulus-secretion-coupling of pancreatic islets. Pancreatic islets are fully functional competent mini-organs, which serve as fuel sensors and transduce metabolic activity into rates of hormone secretion. To enable the simultaneous measurement of fluorescence and oxygen consumption we designed a microfluidic perfusion system from borosilicate glass by 3D femtosecond laser ablation. Retention of islets was accomplished by a plain well design. The characteristics of flow and shear force in the microchannels and wells were simulated and compared with the measured exchange of the perfusion media. Distribution of latex beads, MIN6 cell pseudo islets and isolated mouse islets in the MPS was characterized in dependence of flow rate and well depth. Overall, the observations suggested that a sufficient retention of the islets at low shear stress, together with sufficient exchange of test medium, was achieved at a well depth of 300 μm and perfusion rates between 40 and 240 μl/min. This enabled multiparametric measurement of oxygen consumption, NAD(P)H autofluorescence, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, and insulin secretion by isolated mouse islets. After appropriate correction for different lag times, kinetics of these processes could be compared. Such measurements permit a more precise insight into metabolic changes underlying the regulation of insulin secretion. Thus, rapid prototyping using laser ablation enables flexible adaption of borosilicate MPS designs to different demands of biomedical research.


Aminolysis of Y-substituted phenyl diphenylphosphinates and benzoates: effect of modification of electrophilic center from C=O to P=O.
The effect of modification of the electrophilic center from C=O to P=O on reactivity and reaction mechanism has been investigated for aminolysis of Y-substituted phenyl diphenylphosphinates (1a-j) and benzoates (2a-i). The phosphinates 1a-j are less reactive than the benzoates 2a-i. The reactions of 2,4-dinitrophenyl diphenylphosphinate (1a) with alicyclic secondary amines resulted in a linear Brønsted-type plot with a beta(nuc) value of 0.38, while the corresponding reactions of 2,4-dinitrophenyl benzoate (2a) yielded a curved Brønsted-type plot. Similarly, a linear Brønsted-type plot with a beta(lg) value of -0.66 was obtained for the reactions of 1a-j with piperidine, while the corresponding reactions of 2a-i gave a curved Brønsted-type plot. The linear Brønsted-type plots for the reactions of 1a-j have been taken as evidence for a concerted mechanism, while the curved Brønsted-type plots for the reactions of 2a-i have been suggested to indicate a change in the rate-determining step of a stepwise mechanism. The Hammett plot for the reactions of 1b-j exhibited a poor correlation with sigma(-) constants (R(2) = 0.962) but slightly better correlation with sigma(o) (R(2) = 0.986). However, the Yukawa-Tsuno plot for the same reactions resulted in an excellent correlation (R(2) = 0.9993) with an r value of 0.30. The aminolysis of 1a-j has been suggested to proceed through a concerted mechanism with an early transition state on the basis of the small beta(nuc) and small r values.


Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccination with a misleading first cerebral MRI scan.
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) have been recently described as rare complications following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with vector vaccines. We report a case of a young woman who presented with VITT and cerebral CVST 7 days following vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (AstraZeneca). While the initial MRI was considered void of pathological findings, MRI 3 days later revealed extensive CVST of the transversal and sigmoidal sinus with intracerebral haemorrhage. Diagnostic tests including a platelet-factor-4-induced platelet activation assay confirmed the diagnosis of VITT. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins and argatroban resulted in a normalisation of platelet counts and remission of CVST.


Renal progenitor cells modulated by angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) medication and differentiation towards podocytes in anti-thy1.1 nephritis.
Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) is an epidemic disease with increasing occurrence. As important as mesangial cells, podocytes are key innate cells for MsPGN prognosis and recovery. Renal progenitor cells, located at the urinary pole (UP) of Bowman's capsule (BC), could alleviate kidney injury through their capacity to differentiate into podocytes. Seventy-two male rats were categorized randomly into the sham (n=24), untreated Thy-1 (n=24) and losartan-treated (n=24) groups. We administered vehicle or losartan (50 mg/kg by gavage) daily to treat rats with anti-thy1.1 nephritis, an ideal model to simulate human MsPGN. Two weeks after the intravenous injection of antibody, urinary protein and blood samples were analyzed, pathological changes were examined, the number of podocytes was determined, and renal progenitor cells were studied. Anti-thy1.1 nephritis was significantly alleviated after losartan treatment, as reported previously and as expected. Compared with the untreated Thy-1 group, the number of podocytes in the losartan group increased, and the area of renal progenitor cells significantly increased. The protein expression of components of the p-ERK pathway was determined during the development of renal progenitor cells differentiating into podocytes. The data in this paper show the direct glomerular cell action of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) treatment in improving outcomes in anti-thy1.1 nephritis. The positive effects of ARB medication on anti-thy1.1 nephritis were due to an increase in the number of renal epithelial progenitor cells (defined as PECs that expressed only stem cell markers without podocyte proteins).


[Trend of aging on the number of teeth investigated through a survey of dental health representation in a simple equation by using a kinetic method and its application].
A survey of dental health was conducted on 6,933 residents (aged 61.8 +/- 11.1) in 4 villages Nara Prefectural Uchiyoshino Health Center administers. Examinees were divided into 7 ages groups. The mean value of present teeth at each age group was calculated. Age dependency of number of teeth was investigated with a kinetic model based on the following premise. 1. Changes between age groups can be treated as a time series occurrence. 2. Number of missing teeth can be estimated as 29 - that of present teeth. Results show that the rate of decrease of the number of present teeth is of a first order in itself and the number of missing teeth. It can be mathematically expressed as follows: -dX/dt = k.X.(29 - X).......eq. (1). in which X = number of present teeth, 29 - x = number of missing teeth k = rate constant, t = time. From this simple relationship the following are suggested 1. Tooth loss is caused by the interaction of present teeth and sites where teeth are lost. 2. Integration of eq. (1) yields ln¿(29 - X)/X¿ = 29.k.t + a.......eq. (2). in which 0 < X < 29, t = time from the youngest age group (20-29), a = constant. It appears that, from eq. (2), the dental health of a community is determined by two coefficients, 29.k and a. 3. Helping a person realize his present and future dental state and to motivate action for prevention of tooth loss by showing him his rate of decrease, "tooth age" and the predicted number of teeth a certain years later calculated from eq. (1) and eq. (2), can be of great value. 4. Eq. (2) is transformed to X = 29/¿exp(29.k.t + a) + 1¿, which represents the reverse S-shaped curve of the age dependency of the number of teeth. 5. Applying this method to cohort analysis will enable forecast of the trend of the number of teeth.


Loss of pili and decreased attachment to human cells by Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics.
Recent evidence has suggested that surface structures of pathogenic bacteria, which are important in attachment to human mucosal surfaces, may be absent on bacteria grown in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. We studied the effect of tetracycline and penicillin on meningococcal and gonococcal pili. Subinhibitory concentrations of tetracycline and penicillin were found to markedly reduce the number of pili per meningococcus or gonococcus and the percentage of meningococci or gonococci with pili, as determined by negative-staining electron microscopy. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of outer membrane preparations suggested that tetracycline decreased expression of pili by inhibiting synthesis of pilin subunits. In contrast, pilin subunit synthesis was unaltered by penicillin, suggesting a defect in assembly of pilin subunits or in anchoring of assembled pili. The decrease in the number of pili that occurred with subinhibitory concentrations of both tetracycline and penicillin was accompanied by a marked decrease in the ability of the organisms to attach to human cells. Gonococci or meningococci removed from the influence of subinhibitory concentrations of the antibiotics regained piliation, and attachment returned to levels near those of controls. The expression of meningococcal and gonococcal pili may be affected by factors that influence synthesis of pilin subunits or factors that interfere with the assembly and anchoring of pili in the outer membrane.


Diagnostic Neuroimaging in Headache Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Neuroimaging in headache patients identifies clinically significant neurological abnormalities and plays an important role in excluding secondary headache diagnoses. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing guidelines and studies surrounding neuroimaging in headache patients. The research question involved determining the prevalence of detecting clinically significant neurological abnormalities using neuroimaging in patients suspected of primary headache. Searches of the PubMed and Embase databases were conducted on English-language studies published from 1991 to 2016, and the reference lists of the retrieved articles were also checked manually. All headache subtypes and patients aged ≥15 years were included in the analysis. Ten studies met the selection criteria. The pooled prevalence of detecting clinically significant abnormalities in the neuroimaging of headache patients was 8.86% (95% confidence interval: 5.12-15.33%). Subsequently, diverse subgroup analyses were performed based on the detection method, headache type, study type, study region, age group, and disease type. The present findings indicate that limited neuroimaging methods should be carefully considered for headache diagnostic purposes when there are red flag symptoms. Limitations and suggested directions for future studies on neuroimaging in headache patients are described.


miR-375 targets 3'-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 and regulates glucose-induced biological responses in pancreatic beta-cells.
MicroRNAs are short, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. We hypothesized that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) cascade known to be important in beta-cell physiology could be regulated by microRNAs. Here, we focused on the pancreas-specific miR-375 as a potential regulator of its predicted target 3'-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), and we analyzed its implication in the response of insulin-producing cells to elevation of glucose levels. We used insulinoma-1E cells to analyze the effects of miR-375 on PDK1 protein level and downstream signaling using Western blotting, glucose-induced insulin gene expression using quantitative RT-PCR, and DNA synthesis by measuring thymidine incorporation. Moreover, we analyzed the effect of glucose on miR-375 expression in both INS-1E cells and primary rat islets. Finally, miR-375 expression in isolated islets was analyzed in diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. We found that miR-375 directly targets PDK1 and reduces its protein level, resulting in decreased glucose-stimulatory action on insulin gene expression and DNA synthesis. Furthermore, glucose leads to a decrease in miR-375 precursor level and a concomitant increase in PDK1 protein. Importantly, regulation of miR-375 expression by glucose occurs in primary rat islets as well. Finally, miR-375 expression was found to be decreased in fed diabetic GK rat islets. Our findings provide evidence for a role of a pancreatic-specific microRNA, miR-375, in the regulation of PDK1, a key molecule in PI 3-kinase signaling in pancreatic beta-cells. The effects of glucose on miR-375 are compatible with the idea that miR-375 is involved in glucose regulation of insulin gene expression and beta-cell growth.


Cardiovascular changes during and following 1-min exposure to +Gz stress.
Magnitude and duration of cardiovascular responses following anesthetized dogs. During lower G forces (+1 to +3GZ), responses were variable. In most dogs during higher G forces (+4 or +5GZ), aortic pressure, cardiac output, left ventricular pressure, and dp/dt were dramatically compromised. These changes were observed whether the onset of the gravitational inertial force was slow (0.1 G/s) or rapid (1.0 G/s). Cardiovascular changes after acceleration were consistent. Left atrial pressure and arterial pressure rose and a transient rise in dp/dt was often observed. Cardiac output rose briefly, then fell; hence, peripheral resistance increased. Magitude and duration of these changes were directly related to G forces during acceleration. Our results confirm that +GZ stress produces major cardiovascular changes. Our experiments also demonstrate that responses following +GZ stress may be dramatic and prolonged. Increased peripheral resistance elevates perfusion pressure and, concurrently, the increased preload may cause acute cardiopulmonary congestion.


Vaginal microbiota in healthy pregnant women and prenatal screening of group B streptococci (GBS).
The microbiota of the lower female genital tract was evaluated from vaginal swabs obtained from 623 healthy pregnant women at gestation periods of 35-40 weeks. Isolated and identified microorganisms were expressed as percentages of total samples. As expected, lactobacilli made up the dominant vaginal microbiota (70%). Enterobacteriaceae, mainly Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Proteus, were present in 38% of the samples, which might reflect the possible contamination of vaginal tract with rectal microorganisms. Candida albicans was present in 10% of healthy pregnant woman assayed. Streptoccocci (Streptococcus sp. and Enterococcus faecalis with 3% and 4%, respectively) and other gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus sp., 5%), along with other microorgansisms such as Gardnerella vaginalis (5%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2%) may represent a potential infection risk. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci beta-hemolytic, GBS) was detected in 7% of the samples. GBS infection is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Furthermore, GBS was often co-isolated with C. albicans (54.5%) in the samples. A complete and detailed evaluation of the vaginal biota swab, with particular attention to the presence of potential pathogens such as GBS, is a preventive strategy that can provide useful information to obstetricians and gynecologist in managing the last days of pregnancy and delivery.


"There are more important things to worry about": attitudes and behaviours towards leisure noise and use of hearing protection in young adults.
Noise-induced hearing problems among young adults are increasing due to participation in loud activities. This study explored attitudes towards leisure noise, hearing protection, and perceived susceptibility to noise damage in young adults with no diagnosed hearing problems. Understanding attitudes and behaviours will assist with the future development of strategies to improve awareness and use of hearing protection. A qualitative study. Four focus groups, with 28 adults aged 18-35 years (6 male; 22 female; mean age 23 years). Using framework analysis, five themes emerged. Earplug use occurred when participants had experienced previous temporary hearing damage (i.e. short-lived tinnitus or hearing loss). Others chose not to use earplugs because music venues are expected to be loud. Peer behaviours and opinions also had a strong influence over earplug use. A lack of knowledge of hearing-related damage resulted in a lack of concern for hearing health and other health conditions taking priority. The challenge is to present hearing health messages that are relevant and accessible to young adults. Music and entertainment venues must also take greater responsibility to protect the hearing of its customers by at least informing visitors of the dangers of loud music.


PTSD 40 years later: incidence and person-situation correlates in former POWs.
A statewide sample of WWII ex-POWs (N = 442) responded to questionnaires that sampled current and past difficulties with PTSD-related symptoms; an incidence of serious difficulties with these symptoms of 56% was revealed. Retrospective reports of temporal patterns revealed no consistent patterns of symptom occurrence, but, rather, a waxing and waning of difficulties over the 40-year period. Unexpectedly, measures of severity of the POW experiences did not predict current symptomatology. Rank at time of capture, however, was consistently and strongly predictive of PTSD. It is suggested that PTSD is a highly persistent phenomenon and that both situation and person variables contribute to the development and maintenance of PTSD.


Use of natural teeth in an interim partial denture.
A clinical case is presented in which the patient's natural teeth were used in an interim partial denture. The patient accepted this treatment despite his reluctance to have the periodontally hopeless anterior teeth extracted. This technique may be used when the patient is emotionally unprepared for tooth loss, when the teeth to be replaced are highly characterized, or when no suitable denture tooth is available.


Interaction of Flaviviruses with Reproduction Inhibitors Binding in β-OG Pocket: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
Flaviviral diseases, including dengue fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever, tick-borne encephalitis, Omsk haemorrhagic fever, and Powassan encephalitis, threaten human health all over the world. Lack of effective antivirals targeting replication cycle of flaviviruses makes the search of such compounds a challenging task. Recently we have identified a reproduction inhibitor effective against tick-borne encephalitis virus and Powassan virus (POWV) (ACS Med. Chem. Lett., 2013, 4, 869-874). To enable using this inhibitor as a template for 3D pharmacophore search, a biologically active conformation of this molecule should have been established. Here we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the complexes between the different enantiomers of the inhibitor and POWV envelope (E) proteins, putative targets of the inhibitor, in the different protonation states corresponding to the different stages of membrane fusion process. Several stable conformations of the inhibitor were identified, opening routes for further design of more advanced molecules.


Summary of Recent Developments in Primordial Nucleosynthesis.
This paper summarizes the recent observational and theoretical results on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. In particular, it is shown that the new Pop II (6)Li results strongly support the argument that the Spite Plateau lithium is a good estimate of the primordial value. The (6)Li is consistent with the Be and Be found in Pop II stars, assuming those elements are cosmic ray produced. The HST (2)D value tightens the (2)D arguments and the observation of the (3)He in planetary nebula strengthens the (3)He +(2)D argument as a lower bound on Ωb. The new low metalicity (4)He determinations slightly raise the best primordial (4)He number and thus make a better fit and avoid a potential problem. The quark-hadron inspired inhomogeneous calculations now unanimously agree that only relatively small variations in Ωb are possible vis-à-vis the homogeneous model; hence, the robustness of Ωb∼ 0.05 is now apparent. A comparison with the ROSAT cluster data is also shown to be consistent with the standard BBN model. Ωb∼ 1 seems to be definitely excluded, so, if Ω= 1, as some recent observations may hint, then non-baryonic dark matter is required.


Prognostic biomarker GSTK1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with immune infiltration and DNA methylation.
Background: Glutathione S-transferase kappa 1 (GSTK1) is critical in sarcoma and breast cancer (BRCA) development. However, the clinical significance of GSTK1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) remains unclear. This study is the first investigation into the role of GSTK1 in HNSC. Methods: All original data were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and verified by R Base Package 4.2.0. The expression of GSTK1 in various cancers was explored with TIMER and TCGA databases. Prognostic value of GSTK1 was analyzed via survival module of Kaplan-Meier plotter and Human Protein Atlas database and Cox regression analysis. The association between GSTK1 and clinical features was evaluated by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression analysis. The relationship between GSTK1 and immune infiltration and methylation level was further explored. The expression of GSTK1 and its correlation with immune cell infiltration was verified by Immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Results: GSTK1 was lower in HNSC, BRCA, Lung squamous cell carcinoma, and Thyroid carcinoma than in para-carcinoma. Low GSTK1 expression was associated with worse overall survival in Bladder urothelial carcinoma, Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, BRCA, and HNSC. However, only in BRCA and HNSC, GSTK1 expression in tumors was lower than that in normal tissues. Cox regression analyses confirmed that GSKT1 was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in HNSC patients. The decrease in GSTK1 expression in HNSC was significantly correlated with high T stage and smoker history. IHC showed that the expression level of GSTK1 in HNSC was lower than that in para-carcinoma. In addition, GSEA showed that three pathways related to immune infiltration were positively correlated, while two pathways related to DNA methylation were negatively correlated with expression of GSTK1. Further analysis showed that GSTK1 was moderately positively correlated with the infiltration level of T cells and Cytotoxic cells, which was further confirmed by IHC. The methylation level of GSTK1 was associated with prognosis in patients with HNSC. Conclusion: Low GSTK1 expression may be a potential molecular marker for poor prognosis in HNSC and provide new insight for the development of diagnostic marker or therapeutic target.


Radiation hygiene in photofluorography.
This paper comprises measurements and experiences from the surveillance of 36 photofluorographic units in Norway. Measured patient doses are given. Practical means for reducing the doses are emphasized. The radiation hygiene for the personnel in mass chest surveys is discussed.


Human p53 induces cell death and downregulates thioredoxin expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The p53 tumour suppressor protein has a crucial role in controlling cell cycle and apoptosis in human cells and its inactivation by selective point mutations is associated with human cancers. Here we show that overexpression of the human wild-type (wt) p53 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae completely inhibits yeast growth under minimal media conditions. In contrast, the R248W 'hot spot' p53 mutant (one of the most frequent p53 mutations encountered in human cancers) does not impair yeast growth. Moreover, we report, for the first time, that the human wt p53 induces yeast cell death with characteristic markers of apoptosis: exposure of phosphatidylserine and DNA strand cleavage as shown by Annexin V staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling assay, respectively. In addition, p53 also has an impact on the expression of yeast genes. Using differential display and Northern blot analysis, we demonstrated that human wt p53 expression in yeast leads to gene repression of thioredoxin (TRX1/2), a highly conserved multifunctional antioxidative and antiapoptotic protein family. Accordingly, we demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly produced in p53 yeast induced cell death as shown by dihydrorhodamine 123 staining. These results suggest that the generation of ROS is a key event in p53 yeast induced cell death.


Colorectal cancer screening in Canada: results of a national survey.
Canadian guidelines recommend colorectal-cancer (CRC) screening for individuals aged 50 to 74 years. The study objective was to estimate rates of CRC screening according to individual and geographical characteristics, and of adherence to current CRC screening guidelines. Respondents to the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.1 (aged >or= 50 years, without past or present CRC) participated. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and endoscopy utilization and screening rates were calculated. The sample included 16,747 residents of Newfoundland, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Overall, the FOBT screening rate was 7.7% in the past year, and the endoscopy screening rate was 8.8% in the past 5 years. FOBT screening rates were higher in older and male respondents; endoscopy screening rates were higher in older respondents. Individuals aged 50 to 59 and over 90 years were least likely to have been screened. Approximately 70% of respondents were non-adherent to current CRC screening guidelines. Non-adherence rates were higher in most health regions of British Columbia. National survey data suggest CRC screening in Canada is low; younger persons and residents of British Columbia were least likely to report CRC screening.


Predictive factors for perioperative blood transfusion in surgeries for correction of idiopathic, neuromuscular or congenital scoliosis.
To evaluate the association of clinical and demographic variables in patients requiring blood transfusion during elective surgery to treat scoliosis with the aim of identifying markers predictive of the need for blood transfusion. Based on the review of medical charts at a public university hospital, this retrospective study evaluated whether the following variables were associated with the need for red blood cell transfusion (measured by the number of packs used) during scoliosis surgery: scoliotic angle, extent of arthrodesis (number of fused levels), sex of the patient, surgery duration and type of scoliosis (neuromuscular, congenital or idiopathic). Of the 94 patients evaluated in a 55-month period, none required a massive blood transfusion (most patients needed less than two red blood cell packs). The number of packs was not significantly associated with sex or type of scoliosis. The extent of arthrodesis (r = 0.103), surgery duration (r = 0.144) and scoliotic angle (r = 0.004) were weakly correlated with the need for blood transfusion. Linear regression analysis showed an association between the number of spine levels submitted to arthrodesis and the volume of blood used in transfusions (p = 0.001). This study did not reveal any evidence of a significant association between the need for red blood cell transfusion and scoliotic angle, sex or surgery duration in scoliosis correction surgery. Submission of more spinal levels to arthrodesis was associated with the use of a greater number of blood packs.


Bandgap- and Radial-Position-Dependent Mn-Doped Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS Core/Shell Nanocrystals.
This paper presents a mechanistic study on the doping of Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with Mn by changing the Zn-Cu-In-S QD bandgap and dopant position inside the samples (Zn-Cu-In-S core and ZnS shell). Results show that for the Mn:Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS system, a Mn-doped emission can be obtained when the bandgap value of the QDs is larger than the energy of Mn-doped emission. Conversely, a bandgap emission is only observed for the doped system when the bandgap value of QDs is smaller than the energy gap of the Mn-doped emission. In the Zn-Cu-In-S/Mn:ZnS systems, doped QDs show dual emissions, consisting of bandgap and Mn dopant emissions, instead of one emission band when the value of the host bandgap is larger than the energy of the Mn-doped emission. These findings indicate that the emission from Mn-doped Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS core/shell QDs depends on the bandgap of the QDs and the dopant position inside the core/shell material. The critical bandgap of the host materials is estimated to have the same value as the energy of the Mn d-d transition. Subsequently, the mechanism of photoluminescence properties of the Mn:Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS and Zn-Cu-In-S/Mn:ZnS core/shell QD systems is proposed. Control experiments are then carried out by preparing Mn-doped Zn(Cu)-In-S QDs with various bandgaps, and the results confirm the reliability of the suggested mechanism. Therefore, the proposed mechanism can aid the design and synthesis of novel host materials in fabricating doped QDs.


tRNA tertiary structure in solution as probed by the photochemically induced 8-13 cross-link.
The conformation of ten purified tRNAs from Escherichia Coli has been investigated by means of the photo-induced cross-linking of 4Srd8 and Cyd13, which is sensitive to the juxtaposition of the two bases. Three tRNAs photo-react abnormally slowly; tRNAPhe, tRNAMet/m a and tRNAVal/2; a comparison with normally reacting species suggests that base 47 (Urd or modified Urd) is involved in a tertiary interaction in Class I tRNAs with the triplet 8, 14, 28. The UGA suppressor tRNATrp photoreacts significantly slower than the wild type. Thus the single base change Gua 24 to Ade induces a conformational change that alters the rate constant for the cross-linking reaction.


EFFECT OF ALANINE AND THREONINE ON THE SYNTHESIS OF SERINE BY LEUCONOSTOC MESENTEROIDES.
O'Barr, Thomas P. (Agricultural Research Service, Washington, D.C.). Effect of alanine and threonine on the synthesis of serine by Leuconostoc mesenteroides. J. Bacteriol. 86:1321-1325. 1963.-Growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides in the absence of serine was inhibited by l-alanine and l-threonine. Varying the glycine concentration when l-alanine was present suggested a direct relationship between the molar ratio of these two amino acids and the amount of growth achieved by the test organism. Supplements of leucovorin did not reverse the effect of l-alanine upon growth. In experiments with washed cells of L. mesenteroides, both l-alanine and l-threonine reduced the amount of C(14)-labeled formate fixed into serine and the amount of glycine-1-C(14) found in boiling-water extracts of the cells. Neither l-alanine nor l-threonine had any inhibitory effect upon the glycine-dependent disappearance of formaldehyde by acetone powders prepared from L. mesenteroides.


[Asystole due to complex partial epilepsy].
A 56-year-old man was seen in the Emergency Room because of sudden and transient loss of consciousness. An asystole was diagnosed with 10 S duration after which a pacemaker was implanted. The patient had experienced such collapses before, preceded by odd smell sensations. After the implantation of the pacemaker, the patient did not collapse again but still experienced attacks of the same smell sensations combined with a strange feeling in his stomach. An EEG, recorded during such an attack, showed epileptic activity predominantly over the right hemisphere while at the same moment a pacemaker rhythm was observed. After the epileptic activity had stopped, normal sinus rhythm reappeared. On anticonvulsant therapy the attacks disappeared completely.


[Lateness in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy: the efficacy of an effective treatment].
Despite the efficacy of laser photocoagulation as the treatment for diabetic retinopathy, this condition is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries. In this survey we have tried to find out whether this lack of effectiveness is due to a lack of adequate control and screening. As a proxy measure for this we have developed an indicator called "lateness" and we have followed a sample of diabetics drawn from the two public hospitals in Vizcaya (Spain). Seventy five percent of them were not at regular intervals and half of the sample was late for treatment. Among these, Insulin-dependent diabetics of older age and with more years of the disease are at a higher of entering late for treatment. We could not find any risk factor lateness among non insulin dependent diabetics. We concluded that most of diabetics are not adequately followed up for the prevention of diabetic retinopathy, and when they are referred to treatment it is too take the most advantage of it.


[Clinical features and prognostic analysis of neuromyelitisoptica spectrum disease with sjogrensyndrome].
Objective: To explore the clinical features and conduct prognostic analysis about visual recovery and relapse of neuromyelitisoptica (NMO) spectrum disease (NMOSD) with sjogren syndrome (SS). Methods: A retrospective and prospective observational study was conducted.Between July 2013 and June 2016, 172 patients with NMOSD (NMOSD-non SS: 116/172, 67.4%; NMOSD-SS: 56/172, 32.6%) were assessed at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.The prognostic factors of NMOSD-SS patients were also analyzed. Results: As compared with NMOSD-non SS patients, NMOSD-SS patients had worse visual impairment (percentage of patients with visual acuity less than 0.1, 83.9% vs 69.8%, P<0.05), higher positive rate of SSA (92.9% vs 0.0%, P<0.05), higher proportion of dryness of mouth and eye (66.1% vs 5.2%, P<0.05) as well as higher percentage of reduced visual evoked potential (VEP) amplitude (60.7% vs 43.1%, P<0.05). NMOSD-SS patients had a significantly higher average year recurrent frequency (0.58 vs 0.53) and significantly shorter mean recurrence time (6.7 months vs 12.4 months, P<0.05). The results showed that recurrent eyes, the worst visual acuities of onset less than 0.1 were independent risk factors of visual impairment (visual activity <0.1), according to at least six months' follow-up of all NMOSD-SS patients (OR=6.410 and 9.434, respectively, P<0.05). Meanwhile, immunosuppressive drugs were protective factors of relapse in NMOSD-SS patients (OR=0.107, P<0.05). Conclusions: NMOSD-SS patients have worse visual impairment, and they are more vulnerable to relapse than NMOSD-non SS patients, and the vision is lack of recovery for NMOSD-SS with recurrent eyes or the worst vision of onset less than 0.1.Immunosuppressive drugs can reduce the recurrence of NMOSD-SS relapse.


The gene mpn310 (hmw2) from Mycoplasma pneumoniae encodes two proteins, HMW2 and HMW2-s, which differ in size but use the same reading frame.
The gene mpn310 from Mycoplasma pneumoniae encodes the proteins HMW2 with a molecular weight of 215 621 and the smaller P28, here called HMW2-s. Because HMW2-s is not well defined, it was isolated from protein extracts of M. pneumoniae cells and its N-terminal end was determined by MS. HMW2-s starts with the methionine at the amino acid position 1620 of HMW2 and its residual sequence is identical to the last 198 amino acids of HMW2, predicting a molecular weight of 23 204. These results were confirmed by the comparative MS analysis of HMW2-s that had been synthesized in Escherichia coli. A precursor-product relationship between HMW2 and HMW2-s could be excluded, because HMW2-s can be translated from a specific mRNA starting within mpn310. The conservation of an HMW2-s like protein in M. pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium emphasizes its possible functional importance.


Lattice corneal dystrophy type IV (p.Leu527Arg) is caused by a founder mutation of the TGFBI gene in a single Japanese ancestor.
Lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD) type IV (LCD4) is a late-onset corneal dystrophy with amyloid deposition at the deep stromal layer of cornea. As with other corneal dystrophies, this LCD subtype is also caused by a mutation (p. Leu527Arg) of the transforming growth factor, beta-induced (TGFBI) gene. Although LCD type I has been reported worldwide, LCD4 has been reported only in the Japanese population. In the present study, a haplotype analysis was performed to investigate whether this LCD subtype is caused by a founder mutation. Genomic DNA samples were extracted from 13 unrelated patients with LCD4. As a control, genomic DNA samples from 96 normal volunteers were also analyzed. For the haplotype analysis, the samples were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), TA-cloned, isothermally amplified, and subjected to a 1-base primer extension assay against a mutation site (c.1580T>G) and six known single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs4669, rs2072239, rs7727725, rs17689879, rs6871571, and rs3792900), which are located adjacent to the mutation site. The haplotype analysis revealed that all the disease-carrying alleles from the 13 LCD4 patients shared an identical haplotype, whereas non-disease-carrying alleles from the normal volunteers and the LCD4 patients exhibited four haplotypes. There was a statistically significant difference in the haplotype distribution between the disease-carrying and the non-disease-carrying alleles. The findings of this study strongly indicate that LCD4 was caused by a founder mutation of the TGFBI gene that occurred in a single Japanese ancestor.


The Adaptability of Somatic Stem Cells: A Review.
Cell and tissue specific somatic stem cells develop as dynamic populations of precursor cells to discrete tissue and organ differentiation during embryonic and fetal stages and their potential evolves with development. Some of their progeny are sequestered into separate cell niches of tissues as adult somatic stem cells at various times during organ development and differentiation These are diverse cell populations of stem and progenitor cells that respond to homeostatic needs for cell and tissue maintenance and the cycling of differentiated cells for physiological/ endocrinological changes. Nominally, multipotent stem cells in one or more niches follow specific lineages of differentiation that can be followed by diverse markers of differentiation. The activation of precursors appears to be stochastic and results in a population of heterogeneous progenitor cells. When variations in the functional need of the tissue or organ occurs, the progenitor cells exhibit flexibility in their differentiation capacity. Regulation of the progenitors is the result of signals from the stem cell niche that can cause adaptive changes in the behavior or function of the stem -progenitor cell lineage. A possible mechanism may be alteration in the differentiation capacity of the resident or introduced cells. Certain quiescent stem cells also serve as a potential cell reservoir for trauma induced cell regeneration through adaptive changes in differentiation of stem cells, progenitor cells and differentiated cells. If the stem-progenitor cell population is normally depleted or destroyed by trauma, differentiated cells from the niche microenvironment can restore the specific stem potency which suggests the process of dedifferentiation.


[When to start the long-term anticoagulation if antiphospholipid antibodies are present in high concentration--case report of the twin brothers].
The authors describe the observation of twin brothers with high concentrations of antiphospholipid anibodies in both of them, and the clinical manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and later systemic lupus erythematosus in first, without any clinical signs and symptoms in the other. The literature reports of twins with APS were analyzed and the discussion about long-term anticoagulation beginning proposed.


Isolation of brain alpha-actinin. Its characterization and a comparison of its properties with those of muscle alpha-actinins.
A rapid purification procedure has been developed for the isolation of alpha-actinin from chicken brain. Brains were homogenized in cold water containing 0.5 mM phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), the homogenate was centrifuged, and the alpha-actinin was extracted from the pelleted material in a low ionic strength buffer for 30 min at 22 degrees C. Purification of the protein to homogeneity on sodium dodecyl sulfate containing polyacrylamide gels required an ammonium sulfate precipitation step followed by chromatography on columns of DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and Sepharose CL-6B. The alpha-actinins from chicken pectoral muscle (skeletal) and gizzard (smooth muscle) were purified in a similar fashion but without the DEAE-cellulose chromatography step. All three alpha-actinins have an identical Stokes radius of 7.1 nm determined by gel filtration chromatography. The individual proteins are homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis but do not comigrate; however, all three alpha-actinins have identical retardation coefficients, obtained from electrophoretic mobilities at different acrylamide concentrations, which indicates that they all have similar subunit molecular weights (about 105 000). All three proteins behave similarly on isoelectric focusing gels (pI of native proteins congruent to 4.7-4.9) and have similar UV and CD spectroscopic properties. Significant differences exist both in their amino acid composition and in their peptide maps, obtained from limited proteolysis, which indicates that the proteins are all unique gene products.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptional landscape in breast cancer identifies LINC01614 as non-favorable prognostic biomarker regulated by TGFβ and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a class of epigenetic regulators implicated in a number of physiological and pathological conditions. Herein, we characterized the lncRNA expression portrait from 837 patients with invasive breast cancer and 105 normals from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), which revealed eighteen upregulated and forty-six downregulated lncRNAs. Clustering analysis revealed distinct lncRNA profile for the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and normal breast tissue, while less separation was observed among the HER2+HR+, HER2+HR-, HER2-HR+ molecular subtypes. LINC01614, and LINC01235 correlated with worse disease-free survival (DFS), while the expression of lnc-LRR1-1, lnc-ODF3B-2, AC015712.5, lnc-LAMB3-1, lnc-SPP2-3, and lnc-MAP9-2 correlated with better DFS. The expression of LINC01235 correlated with worse overall survival (OS), while the expression of MIR205HG, lnc-MAP2K6-5, FGF14-AS2, lnc-SPP2-3 correlated with better OS. Highest expression of LINC01614 was observed in progesterone receptor (PR)+, Estrogen receptor (PR)+, and HER2+ tumors, while lowest expression was in TNBC. Concordantly, LINC01614 was highly expressed in the luminalB/HER2+ subtype from the SRP062132 dataset. Elevated expression of LINC01614 was subsequently validated in primary breast cancer tissue and breast cancer cell lines. Bioinformatics and pathway analyses on LINC01614high vs. LINC01614low BC tissue revealed TGFβ1 and ECM as the most activated networks in LINC01614high tumors. Concordantly, strong correlation between the expression of LINC01614 and COL10A1 (R 2 = 0.6929), SPOCK1 (R 2 = 0.5156), ZEB1 (R 2 = 0.3372), TGFBI (R 2 = 0.2978), TGFB1 (R 2 = 0.1985), ACTA2 (R 2 = 0.1833), and TAGLN (R 2 = 0.1909) was observed. Mechanistically, exogenous TGFB1 induced LINC01614 expression in the BT474 triple positive BC model, while small-molecule inhibition of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ, SB-431542) or focal adhesion kinase (FAK, PF-573228) abrogated LINC01614 expression. Our data revealed the lncRNA transcription landscape in breast cancer and its molecular subtypes. Our data provide novel insight implicating LINC01614 as unfavorable prognostic marker in BC, its association with the HR+/HER2+ BC molecular subtype and its regulation by TGFβ and FAK signaling.


Are alternative investments the right approach for your organization?
The decision by a healthcare provider to implement and monitor an alternative investment program requires careful consideration and planning. There are several things an organization should do when making this decision: Begin slowly. Consider access and liquidity. Don't force the investment to fill a target allocation. View an alternative investment as an opportunity investment."


N-Methyl-4-(4-pivalamido-phenyl-sulfan-yl)picolinamide hemihydrate.
In the title compound, C(18)H(21)N(3)O(2)S·0.5H(2)O, the benzene ring makes dihedral angles of 88.59 (6) and 40.74 (8)° with the pyridine ring and the amide group, respectively. The water O atom lies on a twofold axis. In the crystal, the organic mol-ecules and the water mol-ecules are linked via O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, while the organic mol-ecules are connected to each other via N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network.


Low-expression of E-cadherin in leukaemia cells causes loss of homophilic adhesion and promotes cell growth.
E-cadherin (epithelial cadherin) belongs to the calcium-dependent adhesion molecule superfamily and is implicated in the interactions of haematopoietic progenitors and bone marrow stromal cells. Adhesion capacity to bone marrow stroma was impaired for leukaemia cells, suggesting that a breakdown of adhesive mechanisms governed by an adhesion molecule may exist in leukaemic microenvironment. We previously found that E-cadherin was low expressed in primary acute leukaemia cells compared with normal bone marrow mononuclear cells. In this study, we investigate the functional importance of low E-cadherin expression in leukaemia cell behaviours and investigate its effects in the abnormal interaction of leukaemic cells with stromal cells. After expression of E-cadherin was restored by a demethylating agent in leukaemia cells, E-cadherin-specific adhesion was enhanced. Additionally, siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated silencing of E-cadherin in Raji cells resulted in a reduction of cell homophilic adhesion and enhancement of cell proliferation and colony formation. These results suggest that low expression of E-cadherin contributes to the vigorous growth and transforming ability of leukaemic cells.


Tone in Noise Detection in Children with a History of Temporary Conductive Hearing Loss.
Children with a history of temporary conductive hearing loss (CHL) during early development may show long-term impairments in auditory processes that persist after restoration of normal audiometric hearing thresholds. Tones in noise provide a simplified paradigm for studying hearing in noise. Prior research has shown that adults with sensorineural hearing loss may alter their listening strategy to use single-channel energy cues for tone-in-noise (TIN) detection rather than rove-resistant envelope or spectral profile cues. Our objective was to determine the effect of early CHL on TIN detection in healthy children compared to controls. Children ages 4-7 years, with and without a history of CHL due to otitis media with effusion (OME) before age 3 years, participated in a two-alternative forced choice TIN detection task. Audiometric thresholds were normal at the time of testing. Thresholds for detection of a 1000 Hz tone were measured in fixed-level noise and in roving-level noise that made single-channel energy cues unreliable. Participants included 23 controls and 23 with a history of OME-related CHL. TIN thresholds decreased with increasing age across participants. Children in both groups showed similar TIN sensitivity and little or no threshold elevation in the roving-level condition compared to fixed-level tracks, consistent with use of rove-resistant cues. In contrast to older listeners with sensorineural hearing loss, there was no detectable change in TIN sensitivity with roving level for children with a history of OME-related CHL.


Intraoperative analgesic effect of intravertebral lidocaine injection during percutaneous kyphoplasty in the treatment of thoracolumbar compression fractures in elderly patients.
In recent years, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) has been increasingly used in clinical settings. In this study, we aimed to determine the analgesic effect of intravertebral lidocaine injections in PKP. A total of 60 patients who were treated with PKP were enrolled in this study. Lidocaine hydrochloride was chosen as the medication for the experimental group. Patients were randomly assigned into three groups using a double-blind study design: In group A (20 cases), no drugs were injected into the vertebral body during surgery; group B (20 cases) received intravertebral injection of normal saline; and in group C (20 cases), lidocaine hydrochloride was administered into the vertebral body during surgery. The age of patients, operation time, balloon dilatation pressure, balloon dilatation volume, and amount of bone cement injected were compared across the three groups. A pain visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess pain suffered by the patients before, during, and 24 hours after the surgery. Age, operation time, balloon dilatation pressure, balloon dilatation volume, and amount of bone cement injected did not differ significantly among the three groups (P> 0.05). The differences in VAS scores 24 hours before and after surgery were not statistically significant (P> 0.05). Group C had lower intraoperative VAS scores than groups A and B, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between group A and group B (P> 0.05). Intravertebral injections of lidocaine during PKP can successfully reduce intraoperative pain.


Voiding pressure as it relates to outlet and/or sphincteric resistance.
Electrically quantitated and controlled detrusor contraction can produce either minimal or excessive rise in intravesical pressure depending upon openness or occlusion of the bladder outlet. Higher rise in intravesical pressure thus does not imply stronger detrusor contraction but should be viewed as a reflection of the outflow resistance mechanism. Possible damaging hydrodynamic effect of sudden partial or complete functional occlusion of the bladder outlet by intermittent or sustained voluntary sphincter activity is illustrated.


Cooperative downconversion in Yb3+/-RE3+ (RE=Tm or Pr) codoped lanthanum borogermanate glasses.
We report on cooperative downconversion in Yb(3+)-RE(3+) (RE=Tm or Pr) codoped lanthanum borogermanate glasses (LBG), which are capable of splitting a visible photon absorbed by Tm(3+) or Pr(3+) ions into two near-infrared photons. The results indicate that Pr(3+)-Yb(3+) is a more efficient ion couple than Tm(3+)-Yb(3+) in terms of cooperative downconversion. We have obtained a highest quantum yield of 165% and 138% for Pr(3+)-Yb(3+) and Tm(3+)-Yb(3+) codoped LBG glasses under 468 nm excitation, respectively. However, ultraviolet light excitation to the charge transfer band of Yb(3+) does not result in quantum splitting as rapid relaxation from the charge transfer band to 4f(13) levels of Yb(3+) dominates.


The demand for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kenya.
The goal of achieving herd immunity to the coronavirus requires high vaccination acceptance levels on the part of the population. The objectives of this study were to: 1) Measure individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for a COVID-19 vaccine in Kenya; 2) evaluate the effect of vaccine characteristics (duration of protection and efficacy) and individuals' socioeconomic variables on WTP, and 3) estimate the aggregate demand and economic value of a COVID-19 vaccine. The contingent valuation (CV) method was used as the basis for the analyses. Data for this study were obtained from a survey of 1,050 individuals in Kenya conducted from April 7 to April 15, 2020. The survey included CV questions using a double-bounded dichotomous choice format. Results reveal that most of the individuals in Kenya (at least 96%) were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 80% of individuals were willing to pay a positive amount. Conservative estimates of individuals' mean WTP for the vaccine range from USD 49.81 to USD 68.25 (depending on vaccine characteristics). Both vaccine duration of protection and efficacy were found to influence WTP (p < .10). The perceived probability of being hospitalized, age, gender, education, location and region of residence, and household income were also found to be associated with WTP for the vaccine (p < .10). In conclusion, the COVID-19 vaccine is highly valued and accepted by the Kenyan population; however, a high percent of the population is unwilling to pay for it or is only willing to pay a low price.


Matching protein structures with fuzzy alignments.
Unraveling functional and ancestral relationships between proteins as well as structure-prediction procedures require powerful protein-alignment methods. A structure-alignment method is presented where the problem is mapped onto a cost function containing both fuzzy (Potts) assignment variables and atomic coordinates. The cost function is minimized by using an iterative scheme, where at each step mean field theory methods at finite "temperatures" are used for determining fuzzy assignment variables followed by exact translation and rotation of atomic coordinates weighted by their corresponding fuzzy assignment variables. The approach performs very well when compared with other methods, requires modest central processing unit consumption, and is robust with respect to choice of iteration parameters for a wide range of proteins.


[Comparison of the effects of niflumic acid and aloxiprin in patients with progressive chronic rheumatoid arthritis in a double blind trial].
The effects of niflumic acid (trifluoro-methyl-3-phenylamino-2-nicotinic acid) and of aloxiprin (aluminium acetyl-salicylate) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were compared in a double-blind cross-over trial. Check-up examinations prior to the institution and after the termination of the therapy, as well as after individual treatment periods of two weeks with alternating sequential administration of the two drugs, were carried out with a standardized method. The assessment included subjective (pain intensity) and objective criteria (Lansbury's index), as well as laboratory results (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, uricaemia). With the exception of the articular index disclosing a superior effect of niflumic acid, the other criteria showed no statistically significant differences between the effects of the two drugs.


Pre-clinical models of reward deficiency syndrome: A behavioral octopus.
Individuals with mood disorders or with addiction, impulsivity and some personality disorders can share in common a dysfunction in how the brain perceives reward, where processing of natural endorphins or the response to exogenous dopamine stimulants is impaired. Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) is a polygenic trait with implications that suggest cross-talk between different neurological systems that include the known reward pathway, neuroendocrine systems, and motivational systems. In this review we evaluate well-characterized animal models for their construct validity and as potential models for RDS. Animal models used to study substance use disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), early life stress, immune dysregulation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compulsive gambling and compulsive eating disorders are discussed. These disorders recruit underlying reward deficiency mechanisms in multiple brain centers. Because of the widespread and remarkable array of associated/overlapping behavioral manifestations with a common root of hypodopaminergia, the basic endophenotype recognized as RDS is indeed likened to a behavioral octopus. We conclude this review with a look ahead on how these models can be used to investigate potential therapeutics that target the underlying common deficiency.


Fractional noise destroys or induces a stochastic bifurcation.
Little seems to be known about the stochastic bifurcation phenomena of non-Markovian systems. Our intention in this paper is to understand such complex dynamics by a simple system, namely, the Black-Scholes model driven by a mixed fractional Brownian motion. The most interesting finding is that the multiplicative fractional noise not only destroys but also induces a stochastic bifurcation under some suitable conditions. So it opens a possible way to explore the theory of stochastic bifurcation in the non-Markovian framework.


Ventricular fibrillation refractory to ICD therapy.
A 14-year-old boy was admitted for the evaluation of recurrent syncope. His ECG on admission revealed a sinus rhythm with an undetermined QRS axis, T wave inversion at leads V3, V4 and abnormal q at leads I, aVL, V5 and V6. However, no underlying disease could be detected by any morphological examination. Programmed ventricular stimulation also induced no ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation (VF). Only signal-averaged ECG showed ventricular late potential and the cause of syncope was not clarified. As his brother with a similar ECG had died suddenly, he was prophylactically treated with an ICD. However, 14 months later he died suddenly after playing a video game. The ICD recorded VF, which was not converted despite 6 cardioversion attempts by the ICD. Progression of myocardial damages and/or elevation of defibrillation threshold may have been the cause of unsuccessful cardioversion.


A simple technique for determining nuclear quadrupole coupling constants with RAPT solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
An enhanced Rotor Assisted Population Transfer (RAPT) experiment is presented and used as a simple and fast technique to measure the magnitude of the nuclear quadrupolar coupling constant of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. The enhanced RAPT sequence consists of a train of Gaussian pulses with alternating off-resonant frequencies of +/-nuoff. Simulated and experimental results demonstrating the method are given in the case of 87Rb (spin 3/2) and 27Al (spin 5/2) nuclei. The RAPT sequence is also used to selectively suppress resonances based on their quadrupolar coupling constant.


Study of Early-Age Hydration, Mechanical Properties Development, and Microstructure Evolution of Manufactured Sand Concrete Mixed with Granite Stone Powder.
This study explored the potential of granite stone powder (GSP) as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The 72 h early hydration process stages of GSP-mixed slurry were analyzed in depth, and the mechanical properties of manufactured sand concrete (MSC) mixed with GSP were investigated. Physical phase types, morphological characteristics, and pore structure evolution were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, and mercury intrusion approach (MIP). Atomic force microscopy was used to show the interface transition zone between aggregate and slurry in phase images, height images, and 3D images, allowing quantification of ITZ and slurry by calculating the roughness. Gray entropy analysis was used to evaluate the significance of the effect of pore size distribution parameters on mechanical strength, and the GSP-content-mechanical-strength gray model GM (1, 1) was established to predict mechanical strength. The results indicate that, compared with the reference group, the GSP cement slurry system exhibited a delayed hydration process acceleration rate, with a 1.04% increase in cumulative heat of hydration observed in the 5% test group and an 11.05% decrease in the 15% test group. Incorporating GSP in MSC led to decreased mechanical properties at all ages, with significant decay observed when incorporation ranged from 10% to 15%. Although the type of hydration products remained unchanged, there was a decrease in the number of C-S-H gels and gel pores, while large pores increased, resulting in increased porosity and roughness of the interface transition zone and slurry. Large pores (>1000 nm) were found to have the greatest influence on mechanical strength, with gray correlation above 0.86. The GM (1, 1) model yielded accurate predictions, showing good agreement with measured data and thus it can be identified as belonging to a high-precision prediction model category. These findings provide theoretical support and a reference for applying GSP as an SCM, laying the groundwork for data-based specification development.


Nine year experience with the clinical use of total artificial hearts as cardiac support devices.
One hundred sixteen total artificial hearts (TAH) were implanted in 113 patients by 29 centers between April 4, 1969 and March 1, 1988. Five were permanent and 111 were temporary implants (3 patients received second implants). Eight different types of TAHs have been used. The ages ranged from 15 to 62 (mean age: permanent 57, temporary 42). Sixty-seven percent (72/108) of patients receiving the TAH for temporary support were transplanted; 6 patients were waiting for a transplant. Forty-seven percent (34/72) were alive after transplantation. Of the 92 patients receiving the Jarvik TAH (the most frequently used device) as a temporary device, 67% (62/92) were transplanted (6 currently supported) and 55% were alive after transplantation; 85% were back to work, with a normal life-style. The thromboembolic rate for patients who received the device as a temporary support was 10%, with 3 patients having residual sequellae. No deaths resulted from mechanical failure. Experience to date suggests that the use of the TAH as a temporary device can be beneficial if patients are carefully selected.


Acute Liver Failure Complicated with Severe Heart Failure.
A young pregnant woman was hospitalized due to hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute liver failure (ALF). The cardiac function was normal on admission. However, she developed ALF concurrently with a coma and severe cardiac failure. The patient was diagnosed with severe acute cardiomyopathy due to diffuse hypokinesis of the left ventricle wall on ultrasound cardiography. Following intensive treatment, both the liver and cardiac function dramatically recovered. Although some factors, such as HBV, pregnancy and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, are possible causes of acute cardiomyopathy in the present case, ALF itself may be a risk factor for heart failure.


Subcellular Partitioning of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B to the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria Depends Sensitively on the Composition of Its Tail Anchor.
The canonical protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B is an important regulator of diverse cellular signaling networks. PTP1B has long been thought to exert its influence solely from its perch on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); however, an additional subpopulation of PTP1B has recently been detected in mitochondria extracted from rat brain tissue. Here, we show that PTP1B's mitochondrial localization is general (observed across diverse mammalian cell lines) and sensitively dependent on the transmembrane domain length, C-terminal charge and hydropathy of its short (≤35 amino acid) tail anchor. Our electron microscopy of specific DAB precipitation revealed that PTP1B localizes via its tail anchor to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy establishing that this OMM pool contributes to the previously reported cytoplasmic interaction of PTP1B with endocytosed epidermal growth factor receptor. We additionally examined the mechanism of PTP1B's insertion into the ER membrane through heterologous expression of PTP1B's tail anchor in wild-type yeast and yeast mutants of major conserved ER insertion pathways: In none of these yeast strains was ER targeting significantly impeded, providing in vivo support for the hypothesis of spontaneous membrane insertion (as previously demonstrated in vitro). Further functional elucidation of the newly recognized mitochondrial pool of PTP1B will likely be important for understanding its complex roles in cellular responses to external stimuli, cell proliferation and diseased states.


Isoprenaline-induced facilitation of the Eustachian tube opening.
Isoprenaline was given i.v. to rats and its ability to change the air pressure necessary to open the Eustachian tube (ET) was studied. Air was injected once a minute into the middle ear via a tube glued to a hole in the tympanic bulla. The rate of pressure increase was 0.7 kPa/sec. The air pressure at which the ET opened was in 10 rats 3.4 +/- 0.3 (SE) kPa. Isoprenaline in a dose of 1 microgram/kg decreased this pressure opening level (Pol) by 0.14 +/- 0.03 kPa and with 10 micrograms/kg by 0.22 +/- 0.03 kPa. These effects were reduced by propranolol. Isoprenaline did not act via released adrenaline. A surface tension lowering substance, Tween 20, instilled into the middle ear, decreased Pol by about 0.9 kPa. It is suggested that isoprenaline evokes a decreased Pol via secretion of surface tension lowering substances.


Passivation mechanism of thermal atomic layer-deposited Al2O3 films on silicon at different annealing temperatures.
Thermal atomic layer-deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) acquires high negative fixed charge density (Qf) and sufficiently low interface trap density after annealing, which enables excellent surface passivation for crystalline silicon. Qf can be controlled by varying the annealing temperatures. In this study, the effect of the annealing temperature of thermal ALD Al2O3 films on p-type Czochralski silicon wafers was investigated. Corona charging measurements revealed that the Qf obtained at 300°C did not significantly affect passivation. The interface-trapping density markedly increased at high annealing temperature (>600°C) and degraded the surface passivation even at a high Qf. Negatively charged or neutral vacancies were found in the samples annealed at 300°C, 500°C, and 750°C using positron annihilation techniques. The Al defect density in the bulk film and the vacancy density near the SiOx/Si interface region decreased with increased temperature. Measurement results of Qf proved that the Al vacancy of the bulk film may not be related to Qf. The defect density in the SiOx region affected the chemical passivation, but other factors may dominantly influence chemical passivation at 750°C.


Analysis of the Spatial Nonuniformity of the Electric Field in Spectroscopic Diagnostic Methods of Atmospheric Electricity Phenomena.
The spatial nonuniformity of the electric field in air discharges, such as streamers, can influence the accuracy of spectroscopic diagnostic methods and hence the estimation of the peak electric field. In this work, we use a self-consistent streamer discharge model to investigate the spatial nonuniformity in streamer heads and streamer glows. We focus our analysis on air discharges at atmospheric pressure and at the low pressure of the mesosphere. This approach is useful to investigate the spatial nonuniformity of laboratory discharges as well as sprite streamers and blue jet streamers, two types of transient luminous events taking place above thunderclouds. This characterization of the spatial nonuniformity of the electric field in air discharges allows us to develop two different spectroscopic diagnostic methods to estimate the peak electric field in cold plasmas. The commonly employed method to derive the peak electric field in streamer heads underestimates the electric field by about 40-50% as a consequence of the high spatial nonuniformity of the electric field. Our diagnostic methods reduce this underestimation to about 10-20%. However, our methods are less accurate than previous methods for streamer glows, where the electric field is uniformly distributed in space. Finally, we apply our diagnostic methods to the measured optical signals in the second positive system of N2 and the first negative system of N 2 + of sprites recorded by Armstrong et al. (1998, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6826(98)00026-1) during the SPRITE's 1995 and 1996 campaigns.


Phase evolution and photoluminescence of Eu(3+)-doped ZrO2.
Eu3+ doped ZrO2 nanocrystals were prepared by decanoic acid-assisted hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the phase evolution, morphology, surface species, and optical properties of the samples. At low Eu3+ content, monoclinic ZrO2 was achieved to show a rod-like morphology. With increasing the Eu3+ content, tetragonal ZrO2 nanocrystals were obtained to show a ball-like shape. Decanoic acid molecules were decorated on the surfaces of ZrO2 nanocrystals, which gave rise to a typical absorption centered at 300 nm. In addition to the characteristic emission of Eu3+, an intense broad emission was detected for pure and Eu(3+)-doped ZrO2 nanocrystals under ultraviolet excitation, which is interpreted in terms of the F/F+ and/or AOD+ centers that are related with the oxygen vacancies.


Are changes in consumption of "healthy" foods related to changes in consumption of "unhealthy" foods during pediatric obesity treatment?
Increasing fruits and vegetables (FVs), a dietary recommendation for pediatric weight management, is theorized to reduce energy intake by reducing intake of more energy-dense foods, such as snack foods (SFs). This study examined the relationship between changes in FV, SF, and energy intake in children enrolled in a 6-month, family-based behavioral pediatric weight management trial. Secondary data analyses examined dietary intake in 80 overweight (≥ 85th to <95th percentile for body mass index [BMI]) and obese (≥ 95th percentile for BMI) children (7.2 ± 1.7 years) with complete dietary records at 0 and 6 months. Participants were randomized to one of three treatment conditions: (1) increased growth monitoring with feedback; (2) decrease SFs and sugar sweetened beverages; or (3) increase FVs and low-fat dairy. With treatment condition controlled in all analyses, FV intake significantly increased, while SF and energy intake decreased, but not significantly, from 0 to 6 months. Change in FV intake was not significantly associated with change in SF consumption. Additionally, change in FV intake was not significantly related to change in energy intake. However, reduction in SF intake was significantly related to reduction in energy intake. Changing only FVs, as compared to changing other dietary behaviors, during a pediatric obesity intervention may not assist with reducing energy intake.


Catalytic Intermolecular Carboamination of Unactivated Alkenes via Directed Aminopalladation.
An intermolecular 1,2-carboamination of unactivated alkenes proceeding via a Pd(II)/Pd(IV) catalytic cycle has been developed. To realize this transformation, a cleavable bidentate directing group is used to control the regioselectivity of aminopalladation and stabilize the resulting organopalladium(II) intermediate, such that oxidative addition to a carbon electrophile outcompetes potential β-hydride elimination. Under the optimized reaction conditions, a broad range of nitrogen nucleophiles and carbon electrophiles are compatible coupling partners in this reaction, affording moderate to high yields. The products of this reaction can be easily converted to free γ-amino acids and γ-lactams, both of which are common structural motifs found in drug molecules and bioactive compounds. Reaction kinetics and DFT calculations shed light on the mechanism of the reaction and explain empirically observed reactivity trends.


[Ureterocutaneous fistula after nephrectomy: two cases].
The ureteral fistulas are related to the gynecological surgery, digestive surgery and reconstructive urologic surgery of the upper urinary tract. Fistulas are described ureterovaginal, ureteroduodenal, ureterocolonic, ureteropleural, ureterovascular, etc. However, the ureterocutaneous fistulas of the ureteral stump after nephrectomy are a very unusual entity. We report two cases as well as their resolution by means of surgery.


Genotype and haplotype analysis of ABCB1 at 1236, 2677 and 3435 among systemic sclerosis patients.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) belongs to the group of systemic diseases of the connective tissue, which are characterized by a chronic autoimmune inflammatory process. P-glycoprotein, initially associated with the drug resistance in patients with cancer, becomes more and more often a subject of considerations in terms of its significance in the development of illnesses, including autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was an attempt to answer the question whether there was a relationship between ABCB1 polymorphisms and morbidity of systemic sclerosis in a Polish population. The study was carried out in 61 patients with SSc and 100 healthy volunteers. Determination of polymorphisms C1236T and C3435T in ABCB1 was carried out with the PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism) method. The G2677T/A ABCB1 polymorphism was analysed with the allele-specific PCR method. No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of ABCB1 genotypes and alleles between SSc patients and the control group. It was observed that haplotype 1236 C-2677 G-3435 T occurred in the group of patients with SSc statistically more frequently than in the group of healthy volunteers (25% vs. 15%; p = .032). Carriers of the haplotype demonstrated almost a twofold greater risk of SSc (OR = 1.85; p = .032). No statistically significant correlations for the other nine haplotypes were found. Presented results concerning the relationship of ABCB1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis are the first ones that were obtained in a Polish population. They imply that single nucleotide polymorphisms do not affect the risk for SSc, but the 1236 C-2677 G-3435 T haplotype might increase this risk.


[Psychodynamics of psoriasis vulgaris in the Rorschach test].
The intention of this report has been to proof the pattern of psychosomatic aspects in Psoriasis vulgaris, as it was developed by Vogel. The method used was the psychoanalytic interpretation of the Rorschach-Test. First this method is described. Important test-results are reported and discussed in comparison with the psychosomatic aspects found by Vogel. There is some coincidence, particularly in sexualisation of intentional and oral desires, and also in the somatisation of the conflict between libidinous and aggressive impulses. Finally an example of test-setting is reported to demonstrate the method of interpretating.


Fasciectomy for Recurrent Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome of the Anterior Leg.
This study aimed to determine whether a fasciectomy for recurrent chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the anterior leg (ant-CECS) after a minimally invasive fasciotomy is safe and beneficial. Demographics and clinical course of patients undergoing a fasciectomy for ongoing exercise-related leg pain (ERLP) after an earlier minimally invasive fasciotomy for ant-CECS were prospectively obtained using questionnaires. Patient-reported severity and frequency of pain, tightness, weakness, cramping, and paresthesia in rest and during exercise were scored before and after surgery. A successful outcome was defined as a self-reported good or excellent result. Between January 2013 and March 2019, 24 of the 958 patients evaluated for ERLP were included in the study (15 females; median age, 24 yr; range, 14-37 yr). Intracompartmental pressure values before the minimally invasive fasciotomy and before the fasciectomy were not different. Perioperative findings were fibrotic bands, pseudofascias, or complete fusions of fascial edges. Postoperative superficial wound infections requiring oral antibiotics occurred in four legs. After rehabilitation, the total symptom scores during exercise and resting conditions decreased threefold compared with preoperatively (exercise, 55 ± 5 to 17 ± 3, P < 0.001; rest, 30 ± 4 to 10 ± 2, P < 0.001). All cardinal symptoms decreased significantly, but the largest improvements were reported for pain and tightness. At follow-up (median, 12 months; range, 2-65 months), 79% of patients reported a successful outcome, whereas 75% had returned to physical activity. An anterior fasciectomy with associated treatment of correlated pathologies can be safe and beneficial in patients with ongoing ERLP who previously underwent a minimally invasive fasciotomy for ant-CECS.