Does aortic valve disease etiology predict postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing aortic valve surgery?
Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common complications of cardiac surgery and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. We analyzed 830 patients without prior atrial fibrillation who underwent aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis and/or aortic regurgitation. The incidence of POAF was 38%. The patients with POAF were older, predominately male and hypertensive. The incidence of POAF was significantly different according to the valve etiology. At multivariate analysis, rheumatic and degenerative aortic valve etiologies were independent predictors of POAF. Aortic valve disease etiology affects the development of POAF. Rheumatic and degenerative etiologies have a higher risk of developing POAF independently of other clinical, functional and hemodynamic variables.


Effect of smoking on skin elastic fibres: morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis.
It has been established during recent years that smoking is an independent risk factor for the development of premature facial wrinkling. The underlying mechanism is not well known, but elastic fibres of the dermis seem to be the major target of smoke components. To determine quantitative and qualitative changes of the dermal elastic tissue of non-sun-exposed skin induced by smoking, as well as the possible mechanisms responsible for them. Sixty-nine patients were recruited (20 nonsmokers, 19 former smokers and 30 smokers). Using static morphometry and immunohistochemistry and lectin staining we analysed elastic fibres of the dermis and their major components, elastin and microfibrillar component. Significantly higher values for the number of elastic fibres mm(-2) and the percentage of the area filled by them in the reticular dermis were found in smokers. Cumulative tobacco dose showed statistically significant correlations with both morphological parameters (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the two main components of elastic fibres were altered in smokers. Plasma protease inhibitors and lectin staining were negative in all the samples. Smoking is an independent risk factor for the increase of elastic fibres in the reticular dermis of nonexposed skin, and it acts on their two main structural components, elastin and microfibrillar component. This increase in the area of elastic fibres in smokers is not due to newly synthesized elastic material, but to their degradation, as occurs in solar elastosis and which acts in an additive manner.


Establishment of inbred strain of long-haired golden hamster.
Features of a long-haired mutant and inheritance of mutation were investigated in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). The hair of adult long-haired hamsters was longest at the rump and flanks (approximately 70 mm) and was also unusually long at the neck (45 to 50mm). The hair length of males was more striking than that of females. Mating experiments indicated that an autosomal recessive gene is responsible for the inheritance of long hair. An albino long-haired hamster strain was established by continuous full-sib mating from F2 hybrids, descendants of (acromelanic albino x agouti long-haired) F1 progeny, and genetic homogeneity was confirmed by DNA fingerprinting. The long-haired strain was characterised by the fact that males grew larger than females, in contrast to the other strains of hamsters.


Using Corpus Analyses to Help Address the DIF Interpretation: Gender Differences in Standardized Writing Assessment.
Addressing differential item functioning (DIF) provides validity evidence to support the interpretation of test scores across groups. Conventional DIF methods flag DIF items statistically, but often fail to consolidate a substantive interpretation. The lack of interpretability of DIF results is particularly pronounced in writing assessment where the matching of test takers' proficiency levels often relies on external variables and the reported DIF effect is frequently small in magnitude. Using responses to a prompt that showed small gender DIF favoring female test takers, we demonstrate a corpus-based approach that helps address DIF interpretation. To provide linguistic insights into the possible sources of the small DIF effect, this study compared a gender-balanced corpus of 826 writing samples matched by test takers' performance on the reading and listening components of the test. Four groups of linguistic features that correspond to the rating dimensions, and thus partially represent the writing construct were analyzed. They include (1) sentiment and social cognition, (2) cohesion, (3) syntactic features, and (4) lexical features. After initial screening, 123 linguistic features, all of which were correlated with the writing scores, were retained for gender comparison. Among these selected features, female test takers' writing samples scored higher on six of them with small effect sizes in the categories of cohesion and syntactic features. Three of the six features were positively correlated with higher writing scores, while the other three were negative. These results are largely consistent with previous findings of gender differences in language use. Additionally, the small differences in the language features of the writing samples (in terms of the small number of features that differ between genders and the small effect size of the observed differences) are consistent with the previous DIF results, both suggesting that the effect of gender differences on the writing scores is likely to be very small. In sum, the corpus-based findings provide linguistic insights into the gender-related language differences and their potential consequences in a testing context. These findings are meaningful for furthering our understanding of the small gender DIF effect identified through statistical analysis, which lends support to the validity of writing scores.


European Health Examination Survey--towards a sustainable monitoring system.
Health examination surveys (HESs), including both questionnaire and physical measurements, and in most cases also collection of biological samples, can provide objective health indicators. This information complements data from health interview surveys and administrative registers, and is important for evidence-based planning of health policies and prevention activities. HESs are valuable data sources for research. The first national HESs in Europe were conducted in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They have recently been carried out in an increasing number of countries, but there has been no joint standardization between the countries. The European Health Examination Survey Pilot Project was conducted in 2009-2012. The European Health Examination Survey Pilot Reference Centre was established and pilot surveys were conducted in 12 countries. European standardized protocols for key measurements on main chronic disease risk factors (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipids and fasting glucose or HbA1c) were prepared. European-level training and external quality assessment were organized. Although the level of earlier experience, infrastructures, economic status and cultural settings varied between the pilot countries, it was possible to standardize measurements of HESs across the populations. Obtaining high participation rates was challenging. HESs provide high-quality and representative population data to support policy decisions and research. For future national HESs, centralized coordination, training and external quality assessment are needed to ensure comparability of the results. Further studies on effects of different survey methods on comparability of the results and on recruitment and motivation of survey participants are needed.


Radial density profile measurement by using the multichannel microwave interferometer in GAMMA 10.
Plasma density radial profile measurements are an important study for fusion plasma researches. We reconstructed a multichannel microwave interferometer for radial plasma electron density and density fluctuation measurements with both changing the transmission horn position and using the Teflon lens by only using this system in a single plasma shot. By using this system, we can successfully measure the radial density and density fluctuation spectra in a single plasma shot.


Association between exercise load, resting heart rate, and maximum heart rate and risk of future ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
This study aimed to examine the association between exercise workload, resting heart rate (RHR), maximum heart rate and the risk of developing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study included all participants from the UK Biobank who had undergone submaximal exercise stress testing. Patients with a history of STEMI were excluded. The allowed exercise load for each participant was calculated based on clinical characteristics and risk categories. We studied the participants who exercised to reach 50% or 35% of their expected maximum exercise tolerance. STEMI was adjudicated by the UK Biobank. We used Cox regression analysis to study how exercise tolerance and RHR were related to the risk of STEMI. A total of 66 949 participants were studied, of whom 274 developed STEMI during a median follow-up of 7.7 years. After adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, peak expiratory flow and diabetes, we noted a significant association between RHR and the risk of STEMI (p=0.015). The HR for STEMI in the highest RHR quartile (>90 beats/min) compared with that in the lowest quartile was 2.92 (95% CI 1.26 to 6.77). Neither the maximum achieved exercise load nor the ratio of the maximum heart rate to the maximum load was significantly associated with the risk of STEMI. However, a non-significant but stepwise inverse association was noted between the maximum load and the risk of STEMI. RHR is an independent predictor of future STEMI. An RHR of >90 beats/min is associated with an almost threefold increase in the risk of STEMI.


"It Could Have Been Me": An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Health Care Providers' Experiences Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults with Terminal Cancer.
Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with terminal cancer are a marginalized population with unique medical and psychosocial needs. AYAs commonly report challenges with their health care experiences, however, little is known about the experiences of the health care providers (HCPs) who deliver this specialized care. The purpose of the current study was to understand HCPs' experiences caring for AYAs with terminal cancer. Methods: Nine HCPs (four nurses and five physicians) took part in in-depth semistructured interviews. Participants were eligible if they were a nurse or physician in Atlantic Canada; cared for at least one AYA patient with terminal cancer in the past 3 years; and were able to speak and understand English. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results: Analyses revealed four superordinate themes present in the data: (1) many unknowns and uncertainties associated with providing care for AYAs compounded by minimal or no training specifically concerning this population; (2) an intense emotional experience compared with caring for patients with terminal cancer of other ages; (3) personal identification with patients and their families; and (4) attempts to make sense of the circumstance thwarted by feelings of injustice and unfairness. Conclusions: HCPs experienced unique emotional and logistical challenges when caring for AYAs with terminal cancer, which can influence the care they provide. HCPs' experiences highlight the need for training to support clinicians in caring for AYAs with terminal cancer to optimize their own well-being and delivery of health care services to this population.


Lupus Miliaris Disseminatus Faciei With Isolated Axillary Involvement.
Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF) is a chronic, granulomatous inflammatory disorder, commonly localized to the face. To present an unusual manifestation of LMDF and review the literature. We document a 41-year-old woman with LMDF with isolated axillary involvement. A literature review was conducted using Pubmed, Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar for similar cases using search terms lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei, LMDF, acne agminata, and acnitis. Extrafacial LMDF without concomitant facial involvement is rare; there has been only 1 other report of LMDF with exclusive axillary involvement to date. In addition, we report the successful use of doxycycline monohydrate combined with topical tacrolimus in the treatment of LMDF. Physicians should note that LMDF can occur in body sites other than the face and should be aware of the available treatment options to manage this condition.


Cloning and sequencing of Enterobacter aerogenes OmpC-type osmoporin linked to carbapenem resistance.
Using outbreak-related strains of Enterobacter aerogenes, we cloned and sequenced ompK39, the structural gene coding for outer membrane protein OmpK39. Its lack of expression was closely associated with a phenotype exhibiting low-level carbapenem resistance. Detailed alignment of the predicted amino acid sequence revealed that OmpK39 is a member of the OmpC subclass of enterobacterial porins, with the highest degree of homology to Klebsiella pneumoniae OmpK36. Based on a computerized alignment including Escherichia coli PhoE and OmpF, the 3D structures of which are known from X-ray studies, OmpK39 can be assumed to form the typical beta-barrel structure which is common to all enterobacterial porins. Since no inhibitory DNA sequences could be detected in ompk39 in the resistant strains, porin deficiency leading to carbapenem resistance seems to involve alterations in key regulatory genes and/or the promotor sequence rather than a direct mutation in the structural gene.


Design of Photoredox-Catalyzed Giese-Type Reaction for the Synthesis of Chiral Quaternary α-Aryl Amino Acid Derivatives via Clayden Rearrangement.
Chiral quaternary α-aryl amino acids are biologically valued but synthetically challenging building blocks. Herein, we report a strategy for the synthesis of molecular architectures by unifying a photoredox catalytic asymmetric Giese-type reaction and Clayden rearrangement. A new class of chiral Karady-Beckwith dehydroalanines is designed and serves as a versatile handle for the photoredox-mediated highly stereoselective Giese-type reaction with feedstock carboxylic acids and tertiary amines. Subsequent Clayden rearrangement delivers chiral quaternary α-aryl amino acid derivatives with high stereoselectivity. The versatile approach offers a reliable source for the assembly of highly demanding chiral building blocks.


Geometric phase and nonadiabatic effects in an electronic harmonic oscillator.
Steering a quantum harmonic oscillator state along cyclic trajectories leads to a path-dependent geometric phase. Here we describe its experimental observation in an electronic harmonic oscillator. We use a superconducting qubit as a nonlinear probe of the phase, which is otherwise unobservable due to the linearity of the oscillator. We show that the geometric phase is, for a variety of cyclic paths, proportional to the area enclosed in the quadrature plane. At the transition to the nonadiabatic regime, we study corrections to the phase and dephasing of the qubit caused by qubit-resonator entanglement. In particular, we identify parameters for which this dephasing mechanism is negligible even in the nonadiabatic regime. The demonstrated controllability makes our system a versatile tool to study geometric phases in open quantum systems and to investigate their potential for quantum information processing.


Risk of melanocytic nevi and nonmelanoma skin cancer in children after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
There is a known increased risk of skin cancer in the adult population after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, late dermatologic effects that children may experience after HSCT have not been well described. The primary objective of this study was to characterize nevi and skin cancers affecting children after allogeneic HSCT. A cross-sectional cohort study of 85 pediatric HSCT recipients and 85 controls matched for age, sex and skin phototype was performed at a single institution. All participants underwent a full skin examination. Median age at study visit was 13.8 years in HSCT patients with median time post-HSCT of 3.6 years. HSCT patients had significantly more nevi than control patients (median (range): 44 (0-150) vs 11 (0-94), P<0.0001). HSCT patients also had significantly more nevi >5 mm in diameter and atypical nevi than controls. Factors associated with increased nevus count included malignant indication for HSCT, pretransplant chemotherapy, TBI exposure and myeloablative conditioning. A total of 16.5% of HSCT patients developed cancerous, precancerous lesions and/or lentigines. Our study suggests that pediatric HSCT recipients have an increased risk of benign and atypical melanocytic proliferations and nonmelanoma skin cancer that can manifest even during childhood.


Negatively-charged Liposome Nanoparticles Can Prevent Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerosis Progression in the Rabbit Model.
Negatively charged nanoliposomes have a strong attraction towards plasma lipoprotein particles and can thereby regulate lipid metabolism. Here, the impact of such nanoliposomes on dyslipidaemia and progression of atherosclerosis was investigated in a rabbit model. Two sets of negatively-charged nanoliposome formulations including [Hydrogenated Soy Phosphatidylcholine (HSPC)/1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphoglycerol (DSPG)] and [1,2- Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DMPC)/1,2-Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DMPG)/Cholesterol] were evaluated. Rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=5/group) intravenously administrated with HSPC/DSPG formulation (DSPG group; 100 mmol/kg), DMPC/DMPG formulation (DMPG group; 100 mmol/kg), or the normal saline (control group; 0.9% NaCl) over a 4-week period. The atherosclerotic lesions of the aortic arch wall were studied using haematoxylin and eosin staining. Both DSPG and DMPG nanoliposome formulations showed a nano-sized range in diameter with a negatively-charged surface and a polydispersity index of <0.1. After 4 weeks administration, the nanoliposome formulations decreased triglycerides (-62±3% [DSPG group] and -58±2% [DMPG group]), total cholesterol (-58±9% [DSPG group] and -37±5% [DMPG group]), and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (-64±6% [DSPG group] and -53±10% [DMPG group]) levels, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+67±28% [DSPG group] and +35±19% [DMPG group]) levels compared with the controls. The nanoliposomes showed a significant decrease in the severity of atherosclerotic lesions: mean values of the intima to media ratio in DMPG (0.96±0.1 fold) and DSPG (0.54±0.02 fold) groups were found to be significantly lower than that in the control (1.2±0.2 fold) group (p<0.05). Anionic nanoliposomes containing [HSPC/DSPG] and [DMPC/DMPG] correct dyslipidaemia and inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis.


A new model of implant-related osteomyelitis in rats.
Infection related to osteosynthesis often has dramatic consequences for the patient. Prolonged hospitalization with systemic antibiotic therapy, several revision procedures, possible amputation, and even death may occur. To investigate the pathology of infection in orthopedic surgery, a new rat model of implant related osteomyelitis was developed. Three different concentrations (10(6), 10(3), and 10(2) colony-forming units (CFU)/10 microl) of Staphylococcus aureus were inoculated into the tibial medullary cavity with simultaneous insertion of a titanium Kirschner wire. Controls received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Each group consisted of 10 animals. Animals were followed for 4 weeks until sacrifice. X-rays of the tibiae were taken weekly, blood counts were analyzed, and body temperature and weight were determined. After sacrifice, infection was evaluated by histological and microbiological investigations. All animals inoculated with Staph. aureus in either concentration developed microbiological, histological, and radiological signs of osteomyelitis in correlation to the amount of inoculated bacteria. X-rays clearly revealed osseous destruction after 14 days with progression of osteomyelitis during the following weeks. CFU/g bone and bone weight after sacrifice showed dependence on the amount of inoculated CFU. The histological results confirmed the radiological findings. No significant changes in blood counts, body weight, and body temperature between the groups could be observed. The results demonstrate that it is possible to develop a model of implant-related osteomyelitis in rats with dependence on the amount of inoculated bacteria. No other promoters of infection besides intramedullary insertion of titanium Kirschner wires were used in this model.


[Impact of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus on cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease without ischemia on stress thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography after percutaneous coronary intervention].
The metabolic syndrome defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) is a predictor of cardiovascular events. However, the significance of metabolic syndrome for cardiovascular events has been not clarified in Japan. The impact of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus on cardiovascular events was investigated, especially in the high risk group after percutaneous coronary intervention. We studied 456 patients (mean age 63 +/- 10 years, range 36-88 years) without ischemia on stress thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography after percutaneous coronary intervention. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was made according to the modified NCEP ATP III criteria. Cardiovascular events were examined for mean 3.7 +/- 1.8 years (range 2.0-8.7 years). There were 196 patients without diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome (Group D - M -), 89 patients without diabetes mellitus but with metabolic syndrome (Group D - M +), 61 patients with diabetes mellitus but without metabolic syndrome (Group D + M -), and 110 patients with both diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (Group D + M +). The event-free survival curve in Group D - M + was significantly lower than that in Group D - M - (p < 0.05), but not different from that in Group D + M -. The survival curve was markedly lower in Group D + M + than that in Group D - M + (p < 0.005). The Cox proportional hazard model revealed that diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome were independent significant risk factors for events. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was helpful for identification of patients with high cardiovascular event rate even in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. The combination of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus markedly increases the risk for cardiovascular events.


Accent-independent adaptation to foreign accented speech.
Foreign-accented speech can be difficult to understand but listeners can adapt to novel talkers and accents with appropriate experience. Previous studies have demonstrated talker-independent but accent-dependent learning after training on multiple talkers from a single language background. Here, listeners instead were exposed to talkers from five language backgrounds during training. After training, listeners generalized their learning to novel talkers from language backgrounds both included and not included in the training set. These findings suggest that generalization of foreign-accent adaptation is the result of exposure to systematic variability in accented speech that is similar across talkers from multiple language backgrounds.


Expanded strain coverage for a highly successful public health tool: Prophylactic 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine.
Human papillomavirus is considered the causative factor for cervical cancer, which accounts for approximately 5% of the global cancer burden and more than 600,000 new cases annually that are attributable to HPV infection worldwide. The first-generation prophylactic HPV vaccines, Gardasil® and Cervarix®, were licensed approximately a decade ago. Both vaccines contain the most prevalent high-risk types, HPV16 and 18, which are associated with 70% of cervical cancer. To further increase the type coverage, 5 additional oncogenic HPV types (31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) were added to the existing Gardasil-4 to develop a 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV), Gardasil 9®, increasing the potential level of protection from ∼70% to ∼90%. The efficacy of the vaccine lies primarily in its ability to elicit type-specific and neutralizing antibodies to fend off the viral infection. Therefore, type-specific and neutralizing murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were used to quantitate the antigenicity of the individual vaccine antigens and to measure the antibody levels in the serum samples from vaccinees in a type- and epitope-specific manner in a competitive immunoassay. Assays for 9vHPV are extended from the proven platform used for 4vHPV by developing and adding new mAbs against the additional types. In Phase III clinical trials, comparable safety profile and immunogenicity against the original 4 types were demonstrated for the 9vHPV vaccine, and these were comparable to the 4vHPV vaccine. The efficacy of the 9vHPV vaccine was established in trials with young women. Immunobridging for younger boys and girls was performed, and the results showed higher immunogenicity in the younger age group. In a subsequent clinical trial, the 2-dose regimen of the 9vHPV vaccine used among girls and boys aged 9-14 y showed non-inferior immunogenicity to the regular 3-dose regimen for young women (aged 16-26 years). Overall, the clinical data and cost-effectiveness analysis for the 9vHPV vaccine support its widespread use to maximize the impact of this important, life-saving vaccine.


The effects of patterned calorie-restricted diets on mammary tumor incidence and plasma endothelin levels in DMBA-treated rats.
Chronic caloric restriction has been shown to inhibit mammary tumor promotion in the 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA) rat mammary tumor model. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) the effects of chronic caloric cycling (yo-yo dieting) on mammary tumor promotion by high fat diets and (ii) the effect of three dietary regimens +/- superimposed mammary tumor burden on plasma endothelin-1,2 (ET) levels. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with DMBA (5 mg/rat) and divided into three dietary groups: ad libitum (AL) (containing 15% corn oil); 40% calorie restricted (CR) (containing 20% corn oil so consumption of fat was equivalent between AL and CR); a calorie cycled (CC) group fed alternatively AL and CR diets each 48 h period. After 10 weeks, tumor incidences were: AL, 63%; CR, 27%; CC, 57% (AL versus CR, P < 0.05; CC versus CR, P < 0.05; AL versus CC, NSD). ET levels (pg/ml plasma) were: AL, 16.0 +/- 6.54; CR, 32.31 +/- 0.34; CC, 23.44 +/- 5.04 (AL versus CR, P < 0.01; CC versus CR, P < 0.01; AL versus CC, P < 0.05). Plasma ET levels were independent of tumor incidence and tumor burden, but plasma ET levels were significantly increased in rats with a prior history of calorie restriction. As expected, maintained caloric restriction reduced mammary tumor incidence but intermittent caloric restriction (caloric cycling or yo-yo dieting) was without similar benefit.


Liraglutide preserves intracellular calcium handling in isolated murine myocytes exposed to oxidative stress.
In ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injured hearts, severe oxidative stress occurs and is associated with intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) overload. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues have been shown to exert cardioprotection in I/R heart. However, there is little information regarding the effects of GLP-1 analogue on the intracellular Ca(2+) regulation in the presence of oxidative stress. Therefore, we investigated the effects of GLP-1 analogue, (liraglutide, 10 microM) applied before or after hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2), 50 microM) treatment on intracellular Ca(2+) regulation in isolated cardiomyocytes. We hypothesized that liraglutide can attenuate intracellular Ca(2+) overload in cardiomyocytes under H(2)O(2)-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from the hearts of male Wistar rats. Isolated cardiomyocytes were loaded with Fura-2/AM and fluorescence intensity was recorded. Intracellular Ca(2+) transient decay rate, intracellular Ca(2+) transient amplitude and intracellular diastolic Ca(2+) levels were recorded before and after treatment with liraglutide. In H(2)O(2) induced severe oxidative stressed cardiomyocytes (which mimic cardiac I/R) injury, liraglutide given prior to or after H(2)O(2) administration effectively increased both intracellular Ca(2+) transient amplitude and intracellular Ca(2+) transient decay rate, without altering the intracellular diastolic Ca(2+) level. Liraglutide attenuated intracellular Ca(2+) overload in H(2)O(2)-induced cardiomyocyte injury and may be responsible for cardioprotection during cardiac I/R injury by preserving physiological levels of calcium handling during the systolic and diastolic phases of myocyte activation.


Does spore ultrastructure mirror different dispersal strategies in mosses? A study of seven iberian orthotrichum species.
Most mosses have xerochastic dispersal (i.e., they open their capsules when conditions are dry), which is thought to favor long-distance dispersal. However, there are several species that use a hygrochastic strategy: spores are dispersed when conditions are wet. The significance of this strategy in the Mediterranean region is unknown. In this study, we explored whether ultrastructural features related to differences in spore resistance may explain these different strategies of spore dispersal. To this end, we examined the ultrastructural features of the spores of seven closely related species in the moss genus Orthotrichum. These species all grow as epiphytes in sub-Mediterranean forests, and the group includes both xerochastic and hygrochastic members. First, we found that the spore wall layers exhibit several features previously undescribed in mosses. Second, we discovered that there are only subtle differences in spore ultrastructure with regards to spore wall thickness, the degree of plastid development, or the storage substances used. We suggest that the hygrochastic dispersal in mosses from Mediterranean environments might be related to a safe-site strategy, rather than to drought avoidance, and we underscore the necessity of conducting spore ultrastructural studies on a greater number of bryophyte species.


Construction of Carbon-Coated firstname.lastname@example.com Nanorod Composites for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries.
The carbon-coated firstname.lastname@example.com nanorod composites (denoted as C/LMFP@LLTO) have been successfully obtained according to a common hydrothermal synthesis following a post-calcination treatment. The morphology and particle size of LiMn0.5Fe0.5PO4 (denoted as LMFP) are not changed by the coating. All electrode materials exhibit nanorod morphology; they are 100-200 nm in length and 50-100 nm in width. The Li0.33La0.56TiO3 (denoted as LLTO) coating can facilitate the charge transfer to enhance lithiation/delithiation kinetics, leading to an excellent rate performance and cycle stability of an as-obtained C/LMFP@LLTO electrode material. The reversible discharge capacities of C/LMFP@LLTO (3 wt %) at 0.05 and 5 C are 146 and 131.3 mA h g-1, respectively. After 100 cycles, C/LMFP@LLTO (3 wt %) exhibits an outstanding capacity of 106.4 mA h g-1 with an 81% capacity retention rate at 5 C, indicating an excellent reversible capacity and good cycle capacity. Therefore, it can be considered that LLTO coating is a prospective pathway to exploit the electrochemical performances of C/LMFP.


Frondoplysins A and B, Unprecedented Terpene-Alkaloid Bioconjugates from Dysidea frondosa.
The chemical investigation of the marine sponge Dysidea frondosa discovered a pair of unprecedented bioconjugates that are composed of a meroterpene and an unusual psammaplysin alkaloid. The structures of frondoplysins A (1) and B (2) were characterized by analysis of HRMS and NMR data coupled with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Frondoplysin A was found to be a potent inhibitor targeting protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) with an IC50 value of 0.39 μM.


Rank Pooling for Action Recognition.
We propose a function-based temporal pooling method that captures the latent structure of the video sequence data - e.g., how frame-level features evolve over time in a video. We show how the parameters of a function that has been fit to the video data can serve as a robust new video representation. As a specific example, we learn a pooling function via ranking machines. By learning to rank the frame-level features of a video in chronological order, we obtain a new representation that captures the video-wide temporal dynamics of a video, suitable for action recognition. Other than ranking functions, we explore different parametric models that could also explain the temporal changes in videos. The proposed functional pooling methods, and rank pooling in particular, is easy to interpret and implement, fast to compute and effective in recognizing a wide variety of actions. We evaluate our method on various benchmarks for generic action, fine-grained action and gesture recognition. Results show that rank pooling brings an absolute improvement of 7-10 average pooling baseline. At the same time, rank pooling is compatible with and complementary to several appearance and local motion based methods and features, such as improved trajectories and deep learning features.


Lychnophora pinaster ethanolic extract and its chemical constituents ameliorate hyperuricemia and related inflammation.
Lychnophora pinaster, known as "Brazilian arnica" is used in folk medicine as alcoholic extract to treat inflammation, pain, rheumatism and bruises. Evaluate the effects of the Lychnophora pinaster's ethanolic extract and its chemical constituents on inflammation and hyperuricemia. Ethanolic and hexanic extracts were obtained from the aerial parts of L. pinaster. Sesquiterpene E-lychnophoric acid was isolated from hexanic extract and identified by RMN, GC/MS and IR. In vivo anti-hyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanolic extracts from L. pinaster (40, 125, 375 mg/kg), E-lychnophoric acid and other constituents previous isolated from L. pinaster and identified in the ethanolic extract by HPLC/UV/DAD (rutin, quercetin and vitexina flavonoids, caffeic, cinnamic and chlorogenic acids, lupeol and stigmasterol, at dose of 15 mg/kg) were assayed by experimental model of oxonate-induced hyperuricemia in Swiss mice, liver xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition and by MSU-induced paw edema in mice. Ethanolic extract and all its components presented anti-hyperuricemic activity by inhibiting the hepatic xanthine oxidase activity. Ethanolic extract and its chemical constituents, except quercetin and vitexin, were able to reduce paw edema size induced by urate crystals. Hypouricemic and anti-inflammatory results obtained for the ethanolic extract (40, 125, 375 mg/kg) and E-lychnophoric acid (15 mg/kg) were similar those obtained for standard drugs, allopurinol (10 mg/kg) and indomethacin (3 mg/kg). Ethanolic extract and E-lychnophoric, chlorogenic, cinnamic and caffeic acids, rutin, lupeol and stigmasterol presented anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperuricemic actvities. These compounds are responsible for the activities presented by the ethanolic extract of L. pinaster. Ethanolic extract and its chemical constituents can be considered promising agents in the therapeutic of inflammation, hyperuricemia and gout.


Induction of ATP Release, PPIX Transport, and Cholesterol Uptake by Human Red Blood Cells Using a New Family of TSPO Ligands.
Two main isoforms of the Translocator Protein (TSPO) have been identified. TSPO1 is ubiquitous and is mainly present at the outer mitochondrial membrane of most eukaryotic cells, whereas, TSPO2 is specific to the erythroid lineage, located at the plasma membrane, the nucleus, and the endoplasmic reticulum. The design of specific tools is necessary to determine the molecular associations and functions of TSPO, which remain controversial nowadays. We recently demonstrated that TSPO2 is involved in a supramolecular complex of the erythrocyte membrane, where micromolar doses of the classical TSPO ligands induce ATP release and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPPIX) transport. In this work, three newly-designed ligands (NCS1016, NCS1018, and NCS1026) were assessed for their ability to modulate the functions of various erythrocyte's and compare them to the TSPO classical ligands. The three new ligands were effective in reducing intraerythrocytic Plasmodium growth, without compromising erythrocyte survival. While NCS1016 and NCS1018 were the most effective ligands in delaying sorbitol-induced hemolysis, NCS1016 induced the highest uptake of ZnPPIX and NCS1026 was the only ligand inhibiting the cholesterol uptake. Differential effects of ligands are probably due, not only, to ligand features, but also to the dynamic interaction of TSPO with various partners at the cell membrane. Further studies are necessary to fully understand the mechanisms of the TSPO's complex activation.


Epidemiology of anemia among 4- to 17-month-old children living in south central Nepal.
To describe the distribution of hemoglobin and prevalence of anemia in Nepali children living in the Terai region by potential risk factors for deficiency. This was a cross-sectional, community-based study of baseline characteristics of children enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial between January and March 2002. Participants were weighed and measured and had their blood drawn. Their mothers contributed demographic, morbidity, and feeding data. There were 569 4- to 17-month-old children. Statistical models were based on 490 children. Anemia was prevalent: 58% of the children had a hemoglobin <105 g/l. Iron-deficiency anemia (anemia with erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) > or =90 micromol/mol heme) was present in 43% of the children. Severe anemia was rare: less than 2% of the children had a hemoglobin <70 g/l. The mean (s.d.) hemoglobin concentration was 101 (12.5) g/l. Stunting and wasting were prevalent: 30.8% were stunted (length-for-age Z-score <-2) and 18.1% were wasted (weight-for-length Z-score <-2). Bivariate analyses revealed that age, caste, socioeconomic status, dietary diversity, stunting, and underweight were associated with hemoglobin concentration and/or anemia. In multivariate models with and without EP, age and caste were found to be strong predictors of both hemoglobin concentration and anemia. Anemia and iron deficiency increased strongly with age and low-caste status among the study children. The data reveal the importance of targeting interventions to children in the first year of life before they become anemic and iron deficient.


Chronic Administration of High Doses of Nandrolone Decanoate on the Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Male Rats.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are abused by athletes. The present study was designed to evaluate chronic administration of high doses of nandrolone decanoate (ND) on the pituitary-gonadal axis and hematological parameters in normal male rats. Thirty Wistar-Albino male rats were divided assigned to control (C), placebo (P) and test (T) groups (n = 10). Group T received 15 mg/kg intramuscular (IM) ND for eight weeks. Group P received the same volume of peanut oil, but group C did not receive any agent during the trial period. At the end, animals were anesthetized, killed and blood samples collected from cervical vessels. Serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were determined by sensitive rat gonadotropins kit, using ELISA methods. Serum testosterone and hematological parameters were measured by ordinary laboratory methods. Obtained data was analyzed using SPSS 17 by ANOVA and Tukey statistical tests. Results were expressed as Mean ± SD. Statistical difference considered significantly by P < 0.05. Serum testosterone, LH, FSH, weight gain, food and water intake in group T were significantly decreased compared to other groups (P < 0.05). In addition erythrocyte, leucocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit in group T were significantly increased compared to those of other groups (P < 0.05). Chronic administration of high doses of ND can alter serum FSH, LH and testosterone and hematological parameters in male rats.


Differential Profile of BRCA1 vs. BRCA2 Mutated Families: A Characterization of the Main Differences and Similarities in Patients.
The identification of families at-risk for hereditary breast cancer (BC) is important because affected individuals present a much higher cancer risk than the general population. The aim of this study was to identify the most important factors associated with the presence of a pathogenic BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation. Family history (FH), histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics were compared among BC women with pathogenic BRCA1/BRCA2 variants; VUSs in BRCA1/BRCA2; BRCA1/BRCA2 WT and sporadic BC. The most significative differences observed concerned the molecular subtype of the tumors, age at cancer diagnosis and FH of cancer. The presence of bilateral breast cancer (BBC), number of BC cases and the presence of ovarian cancer (OC) increased (respectively) 5.797, 5.033 and 4.412 times the risk of being a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carrier. Besides, women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations presented different tumor and FH profiles. The main characteristics associated with a BRCA1 mutation were triple negativity (OR: 17.31), BBC history (OR: 4.96) and occurrence of OC (OR: 4.32). There were no major discerning components associated with BRCA2 mutations. Thus, we conclude that tumor pathology and FH of cancer might be considered together at the time of genetic testing mainly in countries where access to genetic testing is still restricted.


The Baseplate of Lactobacillus delbrueckii Bacteriophage Ld17 Harbors a Glycerophosphodiesterase.
Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterases (GDPDs; EC 22.214.171.124) typically hydrolyze glycerophosphodiesters to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (Gro3P) and their corresponding alcohol during patho/physiological processes in bacteria and eukaryotes. GDPD(-like) domains were identified in the structural particle of bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) specifically infecting Gram-positive bacteria. The GDPD of phage 17 (Ld17; GDPDLd17), representative of the group b Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Ldb)-infecting bacteriophages, was shown to hydrolyze, besides the simple glycerophosphodiester, two complex surface-associated carbohydrates of the Ldb17 cell envelope: the Gro3P decoration of the major surface polysaccharide d-galactan and the oligo(glycerol phosphate) backbone of the partially glycosylated cell wall teichoic acid, a minor Ldb17 cell envelope component. Degradation of cell wall teichoic acid occurs according to an exolytic mechanism, and Gro3P substitution is presumed to be inhibitory for GDPDLd17 activity. The presence of the GDPDLd17 homotrimer in the viral baseplate structure involved in phage-host interaction together with the dependence of native GDPD activity, adsorption, and efficiency of plating of Ca(2+) ions supports a role for GDPDLd17 activity during phage adsorption and/or phage genome injection. In contrast to GDPDLd17, we could not identify any enzymatic activity for the GDPD-like domain in the neck passage structure of phage 340, a 936-type Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bacteriophage.


Evaluation of the Universal Immunization Program and Challenges in Coverage of Migrant Children in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India.
Studies show that immunization among migrant children is poor. India has a dropout rate of 17.7% between Bacillus Calmette-Guιrin (BCG) and measles (District Level Household Survey (DLHS)-3). Haridwar district had the highest dropout rate of 27.4% from BCG to diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) 3 (DLHS-3) in Uttarakhand. We evaluated the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) among migrants in Haridwar in two blocks. We developed input, process, and output indicators on infrastructure, human resources, and service delivery. A facility, session site and cross-sectional survey of 180 children were done and proportions for various indicators were estimated. We determined factors associated with not taking vaccination using multivariate analysis. We surveyed 11 cold chain centers, 25 subcenters, 14 sessions, and interviewed 180 mothers. Dropouts were supposed to be tracked using vaccination card counterfoils and tracking registers. The dropout rate from BCG to DPT3 was 30%. Lack of knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.6,95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-16.7), mother not being decision maker (AOR 4.0,95%CI 1.7-9.2), lack of contact by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA; AOR 3.0,95%CI 1.1-7.7), not being given four post-vaccination messages (AOR 7.7, 95% CI 2.9-20.2), and longer duration of stay in Haridwar (AOR 3.0 95% 1.9-7.6) were risk factors for nonimmunization. The reasons stated by mothers included lack of awareness of session site location (67%) and belief that child should only be vaccinated in their resident district (43%). There was low immunization coverage among migrants within adequate supervision, poor cold chain maintenance, and improper tracking of dropouts. Mobile immunization teams, prelisting of migrant children, and change in incentives of ASHAs for child tracking were needed. A monitoring plan for sessions and cold chain needed enforcement.


Demonstration of a 3 mW threshold Er-doped random fiber laser based on a unique fiber Bragg grating.
We demonstrate a novel random laser based on a single fiber Bragg grating. A long fiber Bragg grating fabrication technique allows the insertion of a large number of randomly distributed phase errors in the structure of the grating which induces light localization. By writing such a grating in a polarisation maintaining Er-doped fiber, a random laser is demonstrated by pumping the fiber with 976 and 1480 nm pump lasers. The number of emitted modes is observed to be a function of the length of the grating and of the pump power and single-mode operation is shown to be possible. The random fiber laser shows low-threshold (approximately 3 mW) and measured approximately 0.5 pm emission linewidth at a wavelength of around 1534 nm.


Polyamine and differentiation: induction of ornithine decarboxylase by parathyroid hormone is a good marker of differentiated chondrocytes.
The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (OD-Case:L-ornithine carboxy-lyase, EC 18.104.22.168) in rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture increased markedly after addition of parathyroid hormone (PTH), reaching a maximum 4 to 5 hr after PTH addition. The increase in ODCase activity was followed by increase in the intracellular concentrations of polyamines, especially putrescine, which increased in 6 hr to about 3-fold that of untreated cultures. The induction of ODCase by PTH was not observed in L, 3T3, HeLa, buffalo rat liver, or BHK cells. Retinyl acetate and retinoic acid both inhibited expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes by rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture within 3 days after their addition, as judged by morphological change and decrease in sulfate incorporation into glycosaminoglycans but did not inhibit cell proliferation. PTH could not induce an increase in ODCase in de-differentiated cells that had been pretreated with retinyl acetate or retinoic acid for 3 days. but 4 days after removal of the retinoids, these de-differentiated cells regained the ability to synthesize ODCase in response to PTH. These facts suggest that the induction of ODCase and the formation of putrescine by PTH are good markers of the differentiated phenotype of cultured chondrocytes.


Characterization of auricular chondrocytes and auricular/articular chondrocyte co-cultures in terms of an application in articular cartilage repair.
Cartilage injury remains a challenge in orthopedic surgery as articular cartilage only has a limited capacity for intrinsic healing. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is a suitable technique for cartilage repair, but requires articular cartilage biopsies for autologous chondrocyte expansion. The use of heterotopic chondrocytes derived from non-articular cartilage sources such as auricular chondrocytes may be a novel approach for ACT. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether co-cultured articular/auricular chondrocytes exhibit characteristics comparable to articular chondrocytes. Analysis of the proliferation rate, extracellular cartilage matrix (ECM) gene and protein expression (type II and I collagen, elastin, lubricin), beta1-integrins and the chondrogenic transcription factor sox9 in articular/auricular chondrocytes was performed using RTD-PCR, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. Additionally, three-dimensional (3D) chondrocyte mono- and co-cultures were established. The proliferative activity and elastin gene expression were lower and that of type II collagen and lubricin was higher in articular compared with auricular chondrocytes. The species generally did not influence the chondrocyte characteristics, with the exception of type I collagen and sox9 expression, which was higher in porcine but not in human articular chondrocytes compared with both types of auricular chondrocytes. beta1-integrin gene expression did not differ significantly between the chondrocyte types. The type II collagen gene and protein expression was higher in articular chondrocyte monocultures and was slightly higher in co-cultures compared with monocultured auricular chondrocytes. Both chondrocyte types survived in co-culture. Despite their differing expression profiles, co-cultures revealed some adjustment in the ECM expression of both chondrocyte types.


[Postoperative prevention of thrombosis through the tonicizing of the caudal venous system. A new principle of drug therapy].
Haemostasis of the lower extremities is among the constituent factors of postoperative thrombosis risks ("Virchow's Trias"). Therapeutical efforts have, therefore, ever since focused on the idea of accelerating vein circulation. An equivalent effect is produced by Dihydergot which is thus qualified for postoperative thrombo-prophylaxis. This investigation proves the efficiency ofDihydergot. Results are based on 148 patients subject to longitudinal section tests along the 125-J-fibrinogen-test lines, from the 1st through to the 6th day after operation. In comparison with a control group, the results with the members of the therapy group gave evidence of a highly significant reduction of thrombosis frequency in the leg veins. Side-effects have not been noted. Tonus of the vessels and acceleration of the vein backflow by Dihydergot form a new therapeutical principle within the scope of postoperative thrombo-prophylaxis. The method is advantageous because it is highly efficient, practicable without complications, and is riskfree.


Comparison of the effectiveness in bacterial decontamination between chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine solution in foot and ankle: a pilot study.
The decontamination for foot and ankle surgery should be considered as a special preparation due to higher rate of bacterial contamination. The footwear and humidity is also the issue of interest especially in tropical country. The contamination before surgery should be reduced to avoid the infection. The effectiveness of antiseptics and special condition for the foot and ankle surgery should be elucidated for better medical care. The twenty volunteers were included in the present study. In group 1, the foot was scrubbed with 7.5% Povidone-lodine and painted with 10% Povidone-lodine solution. In group II, the foot was scrubbed with Chlorhexidine gluconate scrub and painted with 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol. At the beginning and end of the preparation, specimens were taking from all toes, nailfold, interdigital web spaces. These samples were sent for aerobic bacterial cultures. The results were interpreted as positive or negative cultivation and the number of bacterial colonies. All of the samples from 40 feet were collected; In Group I, positive culture was 5 samples (25%). In Group II, positive culture was 2 samples (10%) (p = 0.2). The Chlorhexidine gluconate and Povidone-lodine are effective in reduction the number of bacterial colonization. The steps of preparation before surgery also play an important role in eliminating the pathogenic bacteria. Both antiseptics were found no significant different in efficacy of pathogenic bacteria reduction.


Differential identification of Sporothrix spp. and Leishmania spp. by conventional PCR and qPCR in multiplex format.
Sporotrichosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis are skin infections with similar clinical manifestations but different treatment methods. The present study aimed to evaluate qPCR and conventional PCR for differential detection of the etiological agents of both infections in multiplex format. Assays were designed using two sets of reported primers: SS1/SS2, designed on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene from Sporothrix spp., and JW11/JW12, designed on the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles of Leishmania spp. qPCR detected 200 fg of DNA per reaction for both Sporothrix and Leishmania. Melting curve analysis revealed two distinctive Tm peaks for Sporothrix spp. (85.5°C), and Leishmania spp. (82.6°C). A detection limit of 20 pg was determined for the diagnosis of both with conventional PCR. No other clinically important organisms were detected by either PCR or qPCR. However, a Blast analysis on GenBank databases, using as query the sequence of the PCR fragment obtained with primers SS1/SS2, showed 100% identity to environmental fungi of the Ophiostomales order. Lower percentages of identity (≤80%), with mismatches at primers' sequence regions were obtained for other environmental or clinically important fungi. Proper handling of clinical samples is required to avoid false negatives due to contamination with environmental fungi of the Ophiostomales order.


Update to the Newly Developed Expression for the Stability Ratio of Colloidal Dispersions.
The colloidal stability, one of the basic and important properties of a colloidal dispersion, is commonly evaluated in terms of the stability ratio. In this study, a recently developed expression for the stability ratio is updated, by reformulating the fraction of successful collisions leading to secondary minimum coagulation. The updated formula reinterprets the statistical meaning of the fraction of successful collisions leading to primary or secondary minimum coagulation, ensuring that the total fraction of successful collisions is always less than or equals to 1. It was shown to be superior to the available expressions in accounting for the contribution of the primary and secondary minimum coagulations on the stability ratio. It can well interpret the stability of colloidal dispersions of spherical particles; moreover, it is of great potential to be applied to colloidal dispersions of plate-like particles. In addition, this formula is found to be consistent with the concept of the critical coagulation concentration and well interpret the effects of particle size, counterion valence, surface potential, and Hamaker constant on the colloidal stability.


Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis and outcome of placenta previa accreta after cesarean delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Women with a history of previous cesarean delivery, presenting with a placenta previa, have become the largest group with the highest risk for placenta previa accreta. The objective of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta and the impact of the depth of villous invasion on management in women presenting with placenta previa or low-lying placenta and with 1 or more prior cesarean deliveries. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, clinicalTrials.gov, and MEDLINE for studies published between 1982 and November 2016. Criteria for the study were cohort studies that provided data on previous mode of delivery, placenta previa, or low-lying placenta on prenatal ultrasound imaging and pregnancy outcome. The initial search identified 171 records, of which 5 retrospective and 9 prospective cohort studies were eligible for inclusion in the quantitative analysis. The studies were scored on methodological quality using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. The 14 cohort studies included 3889 pregnancies presenting with placenta previa or low-lying placenta and 1 or more prior cesarean deliveries screened for placenta accreta. There were 328 cases of placenta previa accreta (8.4%), of which 298 (90.9%) were diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound. The incidence of placenta previa accreta was 4.1% in women with 1 prior cesarean and 13.3% in women with ≥2 previous cesarean deliveries. The pooled performance of ultrasound for the antenatal detection of placenta previa accreta was higher in prospective than retrospective studies, with a diagnostic odds ratios of 228.5 (95% confidence interval, 67.2-776.9) and 80.8 (95% confidence interval, 13.0-501.4), respectively. Only 2 studies provided detailed data on the relationship between the depth of villous invasion and the number of previous cesarean deliveries, independently of the depth of the villous invasion. A cesarean hysterectomy was performed in 208 of 232 cases (89.7%) for which detailed data on management were available. Positive correlations were found in the largest prospective studies between the cumulative rates of the more invasive forms of accreta placentation and the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound imaging but not with diagnostic odds ratio values. We found no data on the ultrasound screening of placenta accreta at the routine midtrimester ultrasound examination from the nonexpert ultrasound units. Planning individual management for delivery is possible only with accurate evaluation of prenatal risk of accreta placentation in women presenting with a low-lying placenta/previa and a history of prior cesarean delivery. Ultrasound is highly sensitive and specific in the prenatal diagnosis of accreta placentation when performed by skilled operators. Developing a prenatal screening protocol is now essential to further improve the outcome of this increasingly more common major obstetric complication.


Salinomycin inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell invasion and migration through JNK/JunD pathway-mediated MMP9 expression.
The antibiotic salinomycin (Salin) was recently identified as an antitumor drug for the treatment of several types of solid tumors. However, the effects of Salin on the migratory and invasive properties of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are unclear. The present study aimed to determine the antitumor efficacy and mechanism of Salin in HCC cells. Human HCC cells (HCCLM3) treated with Salin showed a concentration-dependent reduction in cell migration and invasion, and this was associated with reduced MMP9 expression. The MMP9 promoter and enhancer in a luciferase reporter assay revealed that Salin can regulate MMP9 expression through an activator protein (AP-1) site within the MMP9 enhancer. JunD, one of the AP-1 components, was significantly decreased by Salin in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Salin was able to induce c-Jun NH2-kinase (JNK) phosphorylation and to block both JunD and MMP9 expression. Our results showed that JNK phosphorylation and JunD may be involved in the Salin-regulated MMP9 signaling pathway in HCCLM3 cells and may mediate HCC cell biological characteristics. Our studies provide new insight into the antitumor effects of Salin.


The effectiveness of surgical management of oroantral communications: a systematic review of the literature.
An oroantral communication (OAC) is a common complication in alveolar surgery that usually occurs as a result of the extraction of maxillary posterior teeth. To avoid further complications, several closure techniques are used; most of them need a flap elevation. Recently, simpler conservative flapless techniques for OAC closure have been described. To appraise the effectiveness of different techniques for closure of OACs also in comparison to nothing. The following electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials regarding techniques for closure of OACs: PubMed; SciVerse Scopus; Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences; The Scientific Electronic Library Online and The Cochrane Library (from January 1949 to August 2014). Unspecific algorithms were chosen in order to maximise search sensibility. Additional manual searching was performed in PubMed related citations, in five journals and in the references of the selected articles. There were no restrictions with regard to publication language. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing techniques for closing oroantral communications to nothing, or different techniques for closing oroantral communications reporting the success rate with at least two months follow-up. The screening of eligible studies, the assessment of methodological quality and data extraction were done by two independent reviewers working in duplicate. The research individuated 1256 publications. After screening, only five articles were assessed for eligibility. Only two RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of techniques for OAC closure fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the present review. One trial including 30 patients assessed whether flapless techniques (resorbable root analogues and haemostatic gauze) could be as effective as the Rehrmann's buccal flap; all the patients were reported as successfully healed in the three intervention groups. Another RCT with 20 patients compared the effectiveness of the buccal fat pad flap (100% success rate) with a sandwich graft with hydroxyapatite crystals within collagen sheaths (90% success rate). The authors found no significant difference. There are no RCTs evaluating whether an oroantral communication should be closed or not. There is weak evidence from two RCTs showing good results with five different techniques for closure of OACs (resorbable root analogues, haemostatic gauze, Rehrmann's buccal flap, buccal fat pad flap, sandwich graft with hydroxyapatite crystals). Until sufficiently high quality RCTs are conducted, elevating or not a flap for closure of OACs will be left to the personal choice of the surgeon.


Targeted imaging of integrins in cancer tissues using photocleavable Ru(ii) polypyridine complexes as mass-tags.
Targeted epitope-based mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) utilizes laser cleavable mass-tags bound to targeting moieties for detecting proteins in tissue sections. Our work constitutes the first proof-of-concept of a novel laser desorption ionization (LDI)-MSI strategy using photocleavable Ru(ii) polypyridine complexes as mass-tags for imaging of integrins αvβ3 in human cancer tissues.


A prospective evaluation of foreign bodies presenting to the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
The results of a prospective study of 94 patients with history of ear, nose or aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were analysed. Sixty six to 94% of patients presented within 24 hours to a primary care doctor, 80 to 94% was referred to the ENT Department within 24 hours and 89 to 93% of patients had their foreign bodies removed within 24 hours. Overall, 58% of aural foreign bodies, 67% nasal foreign bodies and 94% of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were removed within 48 hours of insertion. As a result of the prompt removal of foreign bodies in the majority of patients, no significant complications occurred. Foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract tend to present earlier and more promptly removed compared with ear and nose foreign bodies. There was a significantly higher proportion of foreign body in the right ear and nostril compared to the left.


In vitro biocompatibility study of EDC/NHS cross-linked silk fibroin scaffold with olfactory ensheathing cells.
In this paper, we investigated silk fibroin (SF) cross-linked by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) and its biocompatibility with olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). After cross-linked with different concentrations of EDC/NHS solutions, SF scaffolds were analyzed by different techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, x-ray diffraction, tensile machine and water contact angle assay. As to their structures, we found 4.5% EDC/NHS cross-linked SF possessed a more significant increase of β-sheet and a decrease of α-helix than 1.5% group. These changes helped SF achieve excellent mechanical properties. While more remarkable improvement of hydrophilicity was seen in 1.5% EDC/NHS treated SF. Immunofluorescence, MTT, Annexin-V/PI and ELISA analysis were then conducted to determine the states and functions of OECs on the scaffolds. OECs on 4.5% EDC/NHS cross-linked SF seemed insufficient to spread, and the proliferation was limited on 4 and 6 days. Moreover, 4.5% EDC/NHS exerted adverse effects on cell survival and nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion at day 4, but not 1.5% EDC/NHS. Taken together, SF scaffolds showed improved physical and hydrophilic properties through cross-linking. 1.5% EDC/NHS cross-linked SF scaffolds showed significant advantages between mechanical property and the states and functions with OECs, which has the potential to be used for neural repairing.


A simplified model for equilibrium and transient swelling of thermo-responsive gels.
A simplified model is developed for the elastic response of thermo-responsive gels subjected to swelling under an arbitrary deformation with finite strains. The constitutive equations involve five adjustable parameters that are determined by fitting observations in equilibrium water uptake tests and T-jump transient tests on thin gel disks. Two scenarios for water release under heating are revealed by means of numerical simulation. When the final temperature in a T-jump test is below the volume-phase transition temperature, deswelling is characterized by smooth distribution of water molecules and small tensile stresses. When the final temperature exceeds the critical temperature, a gel disk is split into three regions (central part with a high concentration of water molecules and two domains near the boundaries with low water content) separated by sharp interfaces, whose propagation is accompanied by development of large (comparable with the elastic modulus) tensile stresses.


Palladium-catalyzed glycal imidate rearrangement: formation of alpha- and beta-N-glycosyl trichloroacetamides.
A novel palladium(II)-catalyzed stereoselective synthesis of alpha- and beta-N-glycosyl trichloroacetamides has been developed. The alpha- and beta-selectivity at the anomeric carbon depends on the nature of the palladium-ligand catalyst. While the cationic palladium(II) promotes the alpha-selectivity, the neutral palladium(II) favors the beta-selectivity.


Perinatal depression: treatment options and dilemmas.
The treatment of depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period raises unique concerns about safety for the developing fetus and the infant. An increasing number of studies suggest adverse effects from untreated stress, anxiety and depression as well as adverse effects from antidepressant and other psychotropic medications. Even when studies suggest a lack of short-term adverse effects with some medications, the paucity of systematic longitudinal follow-up studies investigating the development of children exposed to medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding causes apprehension. This review's objective is to highlight what is currently known about the negative effects of untreated disease and exposure to psychotropic medication, the treatment dilemmas confronting women with perinatal depression and issues that future studies should address so that a woman with perinatal depression can make an optimally informed decision.


Duration and degree of adiposity: effect on cardiovascular risk factors at early adulthood.
The effect of adiposity dynamics throughout adolescence on adult cardiometabolic outcomes is not well known. We aimed to assess the effect of duration and degree of adiposity from adolescence to early adulthood on blood pressure and insulin resistance at 24 years. We used data from 2253 participants evaluated at 13, 17, 21 and 24 years of age in the EPITeen cohort, Porto, Portugal. The area under the curve of body mass index (BMIAUC) was computed to summarize duration and degree of BMI for the 11-year period. Outcomes were systolic blood pressure (SBP) and insulin resistance at 24 years. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used as an indicator of insulin resistance and the variable was log-transformed. Associations between BMIAUC and each outcome were estimated by linear regression models. The median BMIAUC was 243.1 (223.9-268.6) kg m-2 in 11 years, corresponding to 22.1 kg m-2 on average per year. In crude analyses, both BMIAUC and BMI at 24 years were positively associated with SBP (β=0.096 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.077; 0.115 for BMIAUC; β=4.616 mm Hg, 95% CI 3.082; 6.151 for BMI at 24 years) and ln HOMA-IR (β=0.004, 95% CI 0.003; 0.005 for BMIAUC; β=0.047, 95% CI 0.036; 0.057 for BMI at 24 years). After adjustment for confounders and for BMI at 24 years, the magnitude of the association of BMIAUC attenuated for both outcomes, mostly for SBP, but the association remained statistically significant. Results using standardized variables confirmed that both outcomes were more strongly associated with BMI at 24 years than with BMIAUC. In addition to the effect of adult attained BMI, cumulative exposure to higher BMI throughout adolescence, taking into account duration and degree, was also relevant for adult cardiovascular risk factors, mainly for insulin resistance.


Implementing Structured Clinical Templates at a Single Tertiary Hospital: Survey Study.
Electronic health record (EHR) systems have been widely adopted in hospitals. However, since current EHRs mainly focus on lowering the number of paper documents used, they have suffered from poor search function and reusability capabilities. To overcome these drawbacks, structured clinical templates have been proposed; however, they are not widely used owing to the inconvenience of data entry. This study aims to verify the usability of structured templates by comparing data entry times. A Korean tertiary hospital has implemented structured clinical templates with the modeling of clinical contents for the last 6 years. As a result, 1238 clinical content models (ie, body measurements, vital signs, and allergies) have been developed and 492 models for 13 clinical templates, including pathology reports, were applied to EHRs for clinical practice. Then, to verify the usability of the structured templates, data entry times from free-texts and four structured pathology report templates were compared using 4391 entries from structured data entry (SDE) log data and 4265 entries from free-text log data. In addition, a paper-based survey and a focus group interview were conducted with 23 participants from three different groups, including EHR developers, pathology transcriptionists, and clinical data extraction team members. Based on the analysis of time required for data entry, in most cases, beginner users of the structured clinical templates required at most 70.18% more time for data entry. However, as users became accustomed to the templates, they were able to enter data more quickly than via free-text entry: at least 1 minute and 23 seconds (16.8%) up to 5 minutes and 42 seconds (27.6%). Interestingly, well-designed thyroid cancer pathology reports required 14.54% less data entry time from the beginning of the SDE implementation. In the interviews and survey, we confirmed that most of the interviewees agreed on the need for structured templates. However, they were skeptical about structuring all the items included in the templates. The increase in initial elapsed time led users to hold a negative opinion of SDE, despite its benefits. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to structure the clinical templates for optimum use. In addition, user experience in terms of ease of data entry must be considered as an essential aspect in the development of structured clinical templates.


Resistance to venous outflow during laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic herniorrhaphy.
The effects of pneumoperitoneum on peak venous flow velocity in the common femoral vein and the vena cava have already been studied. The results suggested that venous stasis occurs during surgical pneumoperitoneum. This study determines the effects of pneumoperitoneum on the overall venous outflow resistance of the lower limbs. Venous outflow resistance was measured during surgical procedures by impedance plethysmography in 12 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 4 patients undergoing laparoscopic herniorrhaphy, 4 patients undergoing conventional cholecystectomy, and 2 patients undergoing conventional herniorrhaphy. Venous outflow resistance did not change significantly during laparoscopic cholecystectomy or herniorrhaphy. No difference in venous outflow resistance between laparoscopic cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy was found. During pneumoperitoneum, no obstruction to total lower limb venous outflow could be demonstrated, indicating that venous stasis in the limbs did not occur, and consequently, flow in the iliac and inferior caval veins was not compromised. Hypothetically, active vasodilatation resulting from mild compression may explain this. In our view, no special measures to prevent deep venous thrombosis have to be taken during laparoscopic procedures.


Monocyte-derived cytokine--IL-12, TGF-beta 1 and TNF-alpha in patients with tuberculosis.
Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This microorganism is capable of inducing a delayed hypersensitivity in the lung, with subsequent expression of the disease. This reaction depends on the presence of different cytokines that exert specific functions. To study the variability of different cytokine responses after MTB antigenic challenge, we used antigens derived from MTB to stimulate the monocytes from both normal healthy contact and the patients with active tuberculosis. We found in the resting state monocytes from healthy contact secreted higher amounts of IL-12 than those from patients. After stimulation with MTB antigen, the secretion of IL-12 did not increase in normal healthy contact, but in patients with tuberculosis the secretion increased. After MTB antigen stimulation, monocytes from patients with active tuberculosis secreted a higher amount of TNF-alpha. In summary, the patterns of monocyte-derived cytokine secretion upon mycobacterial antigen challenge were different in these two groups.


Activation of human B lymphocytes by nanogram concentrations of anti-IgM-dextran conjugates.
Surface immunoglobulin (sIg) cross-linking on B lymphocytes by high concentrations of anti-Ig antibody has been used to mimic antigen-stimulated B cell activation. In order to develop a system to study sIg-mediated T cell-independent B cell activation using low concentrations of anti-Ig antibody that more closely resemble the concentrations of antigen that are achieved under in vivo conditions, we conjugated monoclonal anti-human IgM antibody (anti-mu) to dextran (molecular weight 2 X 10(6)) thereby increasing its valency. This dextran conjugate (anti-mu-Dex) stimulated comparable levels of thymidine incorporation and B cell size increases as were seen with unconjugated anti-mu but at 100- to 1000-fold lower concentrations. Anti-mu-Dex also stimulated increases in intracellular ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i) in a higher percentage of cells, of greater magnitude and of longer duration than that stimulated by unconjugated anti-mu. Interestingly, there was no direct correlation between the increases in [Ca2+]i that were stimulated by anti-mu-Dex and its ability to stimulate B cell proliferation. The concentrations of anti-mu-Dex (10 micrograms/ml) that led to the highest increase in [Ca2+]i resulted in thymidine incorporation that was no greater than that of medium control, whereas 0.01 to 0.1 microgram/ml stimulated significant thymidine incorporation with 50% lower levels of stimulation of [Ca2+]i. These data demonstrate that anti-mu-Dex is a potent activator of human B lymphocytes, is effective even at ng/ml concentrations which over a 2-h time period do not induce detectable modulation of sIg, and its stimulation of B cells into G1 and S may not be directly related to its ability to stimulate increases in levels of [Ca2+]i.


Complete response and long-term survival of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from breast cancer with maintenance endocrine therapy.
Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis carries a poor prognosis in breast cancer. Treatment modalities are geared towards tumour molecular characteristics, as well as symptoms and patient performance status. It has previously been postulated that endocrine treatments used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer do cross the blood-brain barrier and can achieve antineoplastic effects in the central nervous system. We report a case of metastatic breast cancer in a 65-year-old woman who developed leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. She was initially treated with intrathecal methotrexate, which was stopped due to toxicity, followed by maintenance endocrine therapy. She achieved a sustained complete radiological and cerebrospinal fluid cytological response for over 9 years. She eventually passed away of ischaemic bowel unrelated to her cancer.


Does HL7 Go towards an Architecture Standard?
Starting as a rather simple message standard to be used within hospitals, the scope of HL7 has been extended to covering all domains and institutions in health. The most important development of the HL7 standard set was its development towards a model-based message specification methodology and the further movement towards a unified development process: HL7 Version 3. The focus was design for interoperability, which is also the driving aspect of architectural standards such as OMG's CORBA or the CEN EN 13606 Electronic Health Record Communication. The paper gives an overview about the HL7 standard set, comparing it with the principles of advanced information systems architecture.


Dietary and pharmacological compounds altering intestinal calcium absorption in humans and animals.
The intestine is the only gate for the entry of Ca to the body in humans and mammals. The entrance of Ca occurs via paracellular and intracellular pathways. All steps of the latter pathway are regulated by calcitriol and by other hormones. Dietary and pharmacological compounds also modulate the intestinal Ca absorption process. Among them, dietary Ca and P are known to alter the lipid and protein composition of the brush-border and basolateral membranes and, consequently, Ca transport. Ca intakes are below the requirements recommended by health professionals in most countries, triggering important health problems. Chronic low Ca intake has been related to illness conditions such as osteoporosis, hypertension, renal lithiasis and incidences of human cancer. Carbohydrates, mainly lactose, and prebiotics have been described as positive modulators of intestinal Ca absorption. Apparently, high meat proteins increase intestinal Ca absorption while the effect of dietary lipids remains unclear. Pharmacological compounds such as menadione, dl-butionine-S,R-sulfoximine and ursodeoxycholic acid also modify intestinal Ca absorption as a consequence of altering the redox state of the epithelial cells. The paracellular pathway of intestinal Ca absorption is poorly known and is under present study in some laboratories. Another field that needs to be explored more intensively is the influence of the gene × diet interaction on intestinal Ca absorption. Health professionals should be aware of this knowledge in order to develop nutritional or medical strategies to stimulate the efficiency of intestinal Ca absorption and to prevent diseases.


Does intestinal resection affect the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, and bile salts? An overview of the literature.
As the number of persons living long lives following ostomy and bowel resection surgery increases, so do their questions about the effect of surgery on chronic conditions commonly associated with aging. The literature was reviewed to evaluate current evidence about the effect of bowel resection on the absorption of vitamins and minerals and related health concerns such as osteoporosis, gallstones, and renal calculi. Present knowledge about the process of vitamin and mineral absorption in the intestine and clinical study results suggest that chronic inflammation and corticosteroid use may adversely affect absorption. In general, a history of bowel resection does not appear to increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, gallstones, or renal calculi and the body can adjust to losing significant sections of intestine. Strategies to help prevent the majority of long-term complications should be encouraged, including monitoring hydration and transit time, consuming low-digestible carbohydrates, and avoiding processed foods as well as agents with chelating properties.


Water-Repellent Perovskites Induced by a Blend of Organic Halide Salts for Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.
Despite tremendous progress in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs), the long-term stability issue remains a significant challenge for commercialization. In this study, by blending organic halide salts, phenylethylammonium halide (PEAX, X = I, Br), with CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), we achieved remarkable enhancements in the water-repellency of perovskite films and long-term stability of PeSCs, together with enhanced PCE. The hydrophobic aromatic PEA+ group in PEAX protects the perovskite film from destruction by water. In addition, the smaller halide Br- in PEABr restructures MAPbI3 to form MAPbI3-xBrx during post-annealing, leading to lattice contraction with beneficial crystallization quality. The perovskite films modified by PEAX exhibited excellent water resistance. When the perovskite films were directly immersed in water, no obvious decompositions were observed, even after 60 s. The PEAX-decorated PeSCs exhibited considerable long-term stability. Under high-humidity conditions (60 ± 5%), the PEAX-decorated PeSCs held 80.5% for PEAI and 85.2% for PEABr of their original PCE after exposure for 100 h, whereas the pristine PeSC device lost more than 99% of its initial PCE after exposure for 60 h under the same conditions. Moreover, compared to the pristine device with a PCE of 13.28%, the PEAX-decorated PeSCs exhibited enhanced PCEs of 17.33% for the PEAI device and 17.18% for the PEABr device.


Minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer in USA: current status and future perspectives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared gastric carcinoma a global health concern and gastric cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. With the rising incidence of gastric cancer, a body of both retrospective and randomized data has emerged since the early 1990's evaluating the role of minimally invasive platforms in the management of gastric cancer. While Eastern studies have shown that the laparoscopic approach is safe and feasible for advanced gastric cancer in Eastern patients, it is not clear whether this is true for patients in the West. Differences in tumor biology, stage at presentation, institutional volume, and surgeon experience all may impact the efficacy and widespread utilization of minimally invasive approaches in regions where gastric cancer is less prevalent. The majority of studies have pointed to a number of improvements associated with minimally invasive approaches including decreased blood loss, shorter length of hospital stay, lower analgesic requirements, decreased minor complications, and faster recovery without any significant difference in overall or disease specific survival (DSS). The benefits associated with minimally invasive approaches and evidence supporting similar oncologic outcomes compared to the traditional open approach will hopefully expand the indications for minimally invasive surgery in the management of gastric cancer. In the United States, results following initial experiences with minimally invasive techniques, including robotic platforms, have revealed promising results. Well-established laparoscopic and robotic techniques are emerging, particularly from high volume United States institutions, which will hopefully pave the way for increased utilization of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer in the West.


The Barrier for CO2 Functionalization to Formate on Hydrogenated Pt.
Understanding heterogeneous catalysis is based on knowing the energetic stability of adsorbed reactants, intermediates, and products as well as the energetic barriers separating them. We report an experimental determination of the barrier to CO2 functionalization to form bidentate formate on a hydrogenated Pt surface and the corresponding reaction energy. This determination was possible using velocity resolved kinetics, which simultaneously provides information about both the dynamics and rates of surface chemical reactions. In these experiments, a pulse of isotopically labeled formic acid (DCOOH) doses the Pt surface rapidly forming bidentate formate (DCO*O*). We then record the (much slower) rate of decomposition of DCO*O* to form adsorbed D* and gas phase CO2. We establish the reaction mechanism by dosing with O2 to form adsorbed O*, which efficiently converts H* or D* to gas phase water. H2O is formed immediately reflecting rapid loss of the acidic proton associated with formation of formate, while D2O formation proceeds more slowly and on the same time scale as the CO2 production. The temperature dependence of the reaction rate yields an activation energy that reflects the energy of the transition state with respect to DCO*O*. The derived heat of formation for DCO*O* on Pt(111) agrees well with results of microcalorimetry. The maximum release of translational energy of the formed CO2 provides a measure of the energy of the transition state with respect to the products and the barrier to the reverse process, functionalization of CO2. The comparison between the results on Pt(111) and Pt(332) shows that the barrier for CO2 functionalization is reduced by the presence of steps. The approach taken here could provide a method to optimize catalysts for CO2 functionalization.


An Algorithm to Predict Success of Indirect Decompression Using the Extreme Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Procedure.
The purpose of this study is to define an algorithm that will predict the success of indirect decompression without the need for direct decompression in patients undergoing lateral lumbar interbody fusions. A prospective cohort study was undertaken for patients undergoing indirect decompression with lateral lumbar interbody fusion. Patients had to meet the following criteria prior to indirect fusion: lack of facet fusion on CT, absence of free disc fragment or compressive facet joint cyst on MRI, absence of frank osteoporosis, lack of congenital and/or severe spinal stenosis on MRI, and significant reduction (greater than 50%) in leg and back pain at rest. We then assessed which patients at follow-up required a second stage open decompression procedure because of continued back and/or leg pain. Our series included 28 patients who underwent indirect decompression with extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion. Of the 28 patients, one patient required a second stage open decompression at follow-up. The most common level operated on was the L4-L5 level. Twelve patients underwent more than a single level fusion. Average preoperative lumbar lordosis was 29 degrees and average postoperative lordosis was 45 degrees. The average patient age was 66.3 years and average follow-up was 1.21 years. Our algorithm can be used as an aid to assess which patients may benefit from indirect decompression alone, compared to indirect decompression combined with posterior decompression procedures.


Releasing properties of proteins on SBA-15 spherical nanoparticles functionalized with aminosilanes.
Based on morphology of SBA-15 particles, each has its own synthetic procedure and characteristics, resulting in different adsorption capacity as well as application in drug delivery system. This study focused on the synthesis mesoporous material SBA-15 with spherical morphology. The synthesized mesoporous silica SBA-15 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and BET analysis. The release study of original and modified samples were carried out to assess application for controlled drug delivery system. The adsorbed proteins can be readily desorbed on amine-modified samples. Especially, the diamine-modified sample has the highest release amount for two proteins, Lysozyme (LYS) and Myoglobin (MYO).


Glutamine synthetase of Phaseolus vulgaris L.: organ-specific expression of a multigene family.
A recombinant plasmid (pcPvNGS-01) containing sequences related to glutamine synthetase (GS) has been identified from a cDNA library constructed from poly (A)+ RNA isolated from root nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris L. The identification of this recombinant relied on the observations that: (a) the clone hybridized strongly to purified GS mRNA; (b) in hybrid-select translation experiments, the clone selected mRNA that produced a polypeptide identical in molecular weight to purified GS subunits which was immunoprecipitated with anti-GS-antiserum; and (c) the translated nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA was homologous to a partial amino acid sequence of higher plant GS. The cloned cDNA hybridized to poly (A)+ RNA of different mobilities from leaves, roots, and nodules of P. vulgaris. In RNA "dot" blots washed at different stringencies, differences were observed both in the relative amounts of GS mRNA in different tissues and in the strength of their hybridization to the cDNA probe. The cloned probe hybridized to several fragments of restricted P. vulgaris DNA but not to DNA from Rhizobium phaseoli. These results suggest that GS is coded for by a small multigene family showing organ-specific expression.


DNA-Encoded Bidirectional Regulation of the Peroxidase Activity of Pt Nanozymes for Bioanalysis.
Rational regulation of nanozyme activity can promote biochemical sensing by expanding sensing strategies and improving sensing performance, but the design of effective regulatory strategies remains a challenge. Herein, a rapid DNA-encoded strategy was developed for the efficient regulation of Pt nanozyme activity. Interestingly, we found that the catalytic activity of Pt nanozymes was sequence-dependent, and its peroxidase activity was significantly enhanced only in the presence of T-rich sequences. Thus, different DNA sequences realized bidirectional regulation of Pt nanozyme peroxidase activity. Furthermore, the DNA-encoded strategy can effectively enhance the stability of Pt nanozymes at high temperatures, freezing, and long-term storage. Meanwhile, a series of studies demonstrated that the presence of DNA influenced the reduction degree of H2PtCl6 precursors, which in turn affected the peroxidase activity of Pt nanozymes. As a proof of application, the sensor array based on the Pt nanozyme system showed superior performance in the accurate discrimination of antioxidants. This study obtained the regulation rules of DNA on Pt nanozymes, which provided theoretical guidance for the development of new sensing platforms and new ideas for the regulation of other nanozyme activities.


The role of poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s in hydrogels and biofabrication.
Poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s (PAOXAs) have been rapidly emerging as starting materials in the design of tissue engineering supports and for the generation of platforms for cell cultures, especially in the form of hydrogels. Thanks to their biocompatibility, chemical versatility and robustness, PAOXAs now represent a valid alternative to poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) and their derivatives in these applications, and in the formulation of bioinks for three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. In this review, we summarize the recent literature where PAOXAs have been used as main components for hydrogels and biofabrication mixtures, especially highlighting how their easily tunable composition could be exploited to fabricate multifunctional biomaterials with an extremely broad spectrum of properties.


The clinical implications of a staging system for carcinoma of the anus.
During the past 20 years, several treatment regimens have been proposed for the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Our results confirm the general impression that a wide abdominoperineal resection is the treatment of choice, although some good results have been obtained with the use of radium implants and megavoltage radiotherapy in isolated instances. In our series, two patients survived nine years with this form of treatment. To dissipate much of the confusion that surrounds the terminology of those tumors arising in the anal region, we concur with Morson's suggestion that they should be designated as keratinizing and nonkeratinizing. There was no statistically difference in survival rate between tumors arising in the anal canal and in the perianal skin. The importance of delimitating the extent of the disease, before any form of treatment is attempted, has been emphasized, and our staging system has been presented. Finally, the question concerning the management of inguinal node metastases has been further developed with special emphasis on their different significance whether they appear early or late in the course of the disease.


Fractionation of Escherichia coli cell populations at different stages during growth transition to stationary phase.
Cultures of Escherichia coli could be separated into more than 15 cell populations, each forming a discrete band after Percoll gradient centrifugation. The cell separation was found to result from the difference in buoyant density but not the size difference. The cell density increases upon transition from exponential growth to stationary phase. Exponential phase cultures formed at least five discrete bands with lower densities, whereas stationary phase cultures formed more than 10 bands with higher densities. Two molecular markers characterizing each cell population were identified: the functioning promoter species, as identified by measuring the expression of green fluorescent protein under the control of test promoters; and the expressed protein species, as monitored by quantitative immunoblotting. These findings together suggest that the growth phase-coupled transition of E. coli phenotype is discontinuous.


New bisabolane sesquiterpene from the mycelia of Amanita virgineoides.
A bisabolane type of sesquiterpene was isolated from the culture medium of Amanita virgineoides BAS, together with two known compounds, including lignoren, and harziandion. The structure of the new compound "virgineol" was established using a combination of different NMR spectroscopy techniques, whereas the chemical structure of the known compound was identified as lignoren, and the structure of harziandion was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis.


Neutrophil function in cured cancer patients.
Spontaneous and endotoxin-stimulated nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction was evaluated in 86 individuals cured of various types of solid malignancies and in 55 healthy adults. Oxygen consumption tests, at rest and during phagocytosis, were performed with polymorphonuclear leukocytes of 22 patients and 10 controls, chosen at random. The results revealed an impaired capacity of patients' neutrophils to reduce NBT. The decrease in the stimulated reduction values was more pronounced (p less than 0.0005) than in spontaneous values (p less than 0.01), and was also noticed in patients who had been treated by surgery alone and in those with a disease-free interval of 10 years or more. Oxygen consumption by patients' leukocytes was similar to that of controls. The present results, especially those of the endotoxin-stimulated NBT test, might reflect a neutrophil dysfunction in cured cancer patients. The nature of such an abnormality and its possible clinical implication are still obscure.


Time-stretched multi-hit 3D velocity map imaging of photoelectrons.
The 2D photoelectron velocity map imaging (VMI) technique is commonly employed in gas-phase molecular spectroscopy and dynamics investigations due to its ability to efficiently extract photoelectron spectra and angular distributions in a single experiment. However, the standard technique is limited to specific light-source polarization geometries. This has led to significant interest in the development of 3D VMI techniques, which are capable of measuring individual electron positions and arrival times, obtaining the full 3D distribution without the need for inversion, forward-convolution, or tomographic reconstruction approaches. Here, we present and demonstrate a novel time-stretched, 13-lens 3D VMI photoelectron spectrometer, which has sub-camera-pixel spatial resolution and 210 ps (σ) time-of-flight (TOF) resolution (currently limited by trigger jitter). We employ a kHz CMOS camera to image a standard 40 mm diameter microchannel plate (MCP)/phosphor anode detector (providing x and y positions), combined with a digitizer pick-off from the MCP anode to obtain the electron TOF. We present a detailed analysis of time-space correlation under data acquisition conditions which generate multiple electrons per laser shot, and demonstrate a major advantage of this time-stretched 3D VMI approach: that the greater spread in electron TOFs permits for an accurate time- and position-stamping of up to six electrons per laser shot at a 1 kHz repetition rate.