A recombinant multi-antigen vaccine with broad protection potential against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.
Chickens are a major source of protein worldwide, yet infectious diseases continue to threaten the poultry industry. Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), a subgroup of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), causes colibacillosis in chickens resulting in economic loss because of treatment, condemnation of products, and death. In this study, we evaluated a recombinant antigens (rAg) vaccine combining common ExPEC surface proteins EtsC, OmpA, OmpT, and TraT for broad protective potential against APEC infections in chickens. The specific objectives were to evaluate antibody (serum) and cytokines (lymphoid organs) responses to vaccination; in vitro bactericidal ability of serum and splenocytes against multiple APEC serotypes; and in vivo protection against APEC challenge in chickens. Groups of four-day old chickens (N = 10) were vaccinated twice (two-week interval) subcutaneously with rAgs alone or in combination and CpG adjuvant or PBS (control). IgY antibody in the serum and mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, IFN-γ, IL-4, IFN-β, and IL-8 in bursa, spleen, and thymus were measured using ELISA and RT-qPCR, respectively. Serum and splenocytes were tested for their bactericidal ability in vitro against multiple APEC isolates. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated chickens were challenged with 108 CFU of APEC-O2 via air sac at 31 days post first vaccination. Vaccine protection was determined by the decrease of bacterial loads in blood and organs (lung, heart, spleen, and liver), as well as gross colibacillosis lesion scores in air sac, heart, and liver. Vaccination significantly (P < 0.05) elicited IgY against specific antigens, induced immune related mRNA expression in the spleen and bursa, reduced in vitro growth of multiple APEC serotypes, and decreased bacterial loads in the heart and spleen, and gross lesion scores of the air sac, heart and liver in chickens. The vaccine reported may be used to provide broad protection against APEC strains, increasing animal welfare and food production.


Bilateral talar avulsion fractures secondary to seizure: a case report.
Musculoskeletal injury as a result of seizure activity is not uncommon, posterior shoulder dislocation being a well-described example. In this report, we describe what we believe to be the first published case of bilateral talar avulsion fractures secondary to seizure.


Quality of life assessment. An independent prognostic variable for survival in lung cancer.
Improved quality of life has long been the goal of cancer treatment, but only recently have investigators begun to include a systematic assessment of quality of life in clinical trials. The major interest for its inclusion in clinical trials has been to assess treatment outcome. An evaluation of the relationship between patient-rated quality of life and survival is reported in a homogeneous sample of patients with advanced metastatic lung cancer participating in a clinical trial. Under the Cox proportional-hazards model (with quality of life, marital status, and their interaction in the model), a statistically significant relationship was observed between initial patient-rated quality of life and subsequent survival. In addition, being married led to a significantly improved survival. These findings suggest that nonmedical factors, such as quality of life assessment and marital status, play a role in survival and that they should be evaluated and described as potential predictors of survival in cancer patients in clinical trials.


Characterization of vagal pathways mediating gastric accommodation reflex in rats.
1. We investigated the vagal pathways mediating the gastric accommodation reflex in the rat stomach. 2. Gastric distension (6 ml) evoked an increase of 9.0 +/- 1.0 cmH2O of intragastric pressure in vivo. Pretreatment with tetrodotoxin (TTX) caused a significant pressure increase by gastric distension, reaching 17.0 +/- 1.7 cmH2O, suggesting mediation by neural pathways. 3. The pressure increase evoked by gastric distension was significantly enhanced in vivo by acute truncal vagotomy (TV), hexamethonium (C6), and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), but not by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) antiserum, guanethidine, or splanchnicotomy. 4. Gastric distension (6 ml) evoked a much larger intragastric pressure in the denervated, vascularly isolated, perfused rat stomach in vitro. Intra-arterial application of TTX and L-NAME did not cause further pressure increases evoked by gastric distension. 5. The pressure increase evoked by gastric distension remained high 2 weeks after TV in vivo. However, the accommodation reflex was fully restored 4 weeks after TV in vivo. This reflex was antagonized by TTX, C6 and L-NAME, but not by VIP antiserum, guanethidine and splanchnicotomy. 6. Similar to in vivo studies, gastric distension caused a smaller increase in intragastric pressure in response to gastric distension in the denervated, vascularly isolated, perfused stomach obtained from rats 4 weeks after vagotomies in vitro. The pressure increase evoked by gastric distension was significantly enhanced by L-NAME, hexamethonium and TTX. 7. It is suggested that the vago-vagal reflex plays an important role in mediating the accommodation reflex. This involves a vagal efferent pathway that uses nitric oxide as a final neurotransmitter mediating gastric relaxation in intact rats. It is also suggested that the adaptive mechanism mediating the accommodation reflex following vagotomy occurs in the gastric myenteric plexus.


Synthesis and Applications of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Modified TiO₂ Nanomaterials: A Review.
Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanomaterials have caused a widespread concern in the past several decades for their bulk characteristics and potential applications in many different areas. Lately, the combination between molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and TiO₂ nanomaterials have been proven to improve the relative adsorption capacity, selectivity and accelerate the rate of mass transfer of analyte which is not possible using TiO₂ alone. Considering the unique performance of the MIPs modified TiO₂ nanomaterials, this review intends to give an overview of the recent progresses in the development of MIPs modified TiO₂ nanomaterials, the potential applications of their tailor-made characteristics. The limitations and challenges in this practically promising nanomaterials have also been raised and summarized. By means of the points raised in this article, we would like to provide some assistance for further development of preparation methodologies and the expansion of some potential applications in the field of MIPs modified TiO₂ nanomaterials.


A technique for estimating activity in whole nerve trunks applied to the cervical sympathetic trunk, in the rabbit.
The changes in sympathetic outflow may be evaluated from the amplitude of the antidromic compound action potential (ACAP) according to the collision technique described by Douglas and Ritchie (Douglas, W.W. and Ritchie J.M., A technique for recording functional activity in specific groups of medullated and non-medullated fibers in whole nerve trunks. J. Physiol., 138(1957) 19-30). This technique was revised, taking into account the depressant action exerted by antidromic stimulation on sympathetic preganglionic neurones (SPNs). Cervical sympathetic nerve (CSN) of rabbits was used as experimental model. Stimulation frequencies of 0.2-0.5 Hz were found to be sufficiently low to avoid depressant actions on CSN spontaneous activity; they were employed to test the sensitivity of the technique during different experimental manoeuvres, such as changes in pulmonary-ventilation, baroreceptor unloading and arousal stimuli. In addition a procedure was devised to calibrate the ACAP amplitude: high frequency antidromic stimulation was used to induce a complete and transient inhibition of SPNs which allows to record the ACAP maximum amplitude. ACAPs recorded in various experimental conditions can then be expressed as percentage of this value.


Detailed characterization of the porcine MC4R gene in relation to fatness and growth.
In contrast to the human MC4R gene, where multiple variants have been described, several of which are associated with appetite and obesity, few MC4R variants have been reported in the pig. The most interesting polymorphism reported to date in the pig is p.Asp298Asn, which is significantly associated with variation in growth and fatness traits in most breeds and crosses. However, some reports have seemingly failed to confirm this association. The discrepancy of p.Asp298Asn associations in some pig populations suggested that further discovery of SNPs in MC4R would be useful. Utilizing the recently released pig genome sequence information, we obtained the whole MC4R genome sequence and detected five additional SNPs, a variable (CA)(n) repeat and a C indel in the ISU Berkshire x Yorkshire pig resource family. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed that the additional five SNPs were not in strong LD with p.Asp298Asn, but single marker association analysis indicated that they were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with fatness measures and very highly significantly (P < 0.0001) associated with average daily gain on test (ADGTEST). Three major haplotypes were identified and the subsequent association analyses suggested that the two non-synonymous SNPs had different effects, e.g. p.Arg236His influenced back fat and growth on test while p.Asp298Asn was primarily associated with variation in growth rate in this population. An interaction effect between these two SNPs was found for ADGTEST, which may partly explain some of the previous discrepancies reported for MC4R in different pig populations. Examination of the p.Arg236His polymorphism in populations where the effect of p.Asp298Asn is limited is warranted.


Stabilization from autoproteolysis and kinetic characterization of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 proteinase.
We have developed a system for expression and purification of wild-type human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) proteinase to attain sufficient quantities for structural, kinetic, and biophysical investigations. However, similar to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proteinase, HTLV-1 proteinase also undergoes autoproteolysis rapidly upon renaturation to produce two products. The site of this autoproteolytic cleavage was mapped, and a resistant HTLV-1 proteinase construct (L40I) as well as another construct, wherein the two cysteine residues were exchanged to alanines, were expressed and purified. Oligopeptide substrates representing the naturally occurring cleavage sites in HTLV-1 were good substrates of the HTLV-1 proteinase. The kinetic parameters kcat and Km were nearly identical for all the three enzymes. Although three of four peptides representing HTLV-1 proteinase cleavage sites were fairly good substrates of HIV-1 proteinase, only two of nine peptides representing HIV-1 proteinase cleavage sites were hydrolyzed by the HTLV-1 proteinase, suggesting substantial differences in the specificity of the two enzymes. The large difference in the specificity of the two enzymes was also demonstrated by inhibition studies. Of the several inhibitors of HIV-1 or other retroviral proteinases that were tested on HTLV-1 proteinase, only two inhibit the enzyme with a Ki lower than 100 nM.


Lumpers and splitters: Darwin, Hooker, and the search for order.
Classification was a key practice of the natural history sciences in the early 19th century, but leading taxonomists disagreed over basic matters, such as how many species the British flora contained. In this arena, the impact of Charles Darwin's ideas was surprisingly limited. For taxonomists like Darwin's friend, Joseph Dalton Hooker, the priority was to establish a reputation as a philosophical naturalist, and to do so Hooker embarked on a survey of global vegetation patterns. He believed that taxonomic "splitters" hindered his ambition to create natural laws for botany (and hence establish it as a prestigious science) by generating a multitude of redundant synonyms for every plant variety. Despite the fact that Darwin's ideas apparently promised a justification for splitting, they also offered a philosophical justification for Hooker's taxonomic practice, and so he enthusiastically championed his friend.


The effect of acetyl salicylic acid (Aspirin) on trophoblast-endothelial interaction in vitro.
Early administration of low dose acetyl salicylic acid (Aspirin) in high risk women reduces the risk of early onset preeclampsia. This study aims to investigate the effect of aspirin on trophoblast integration and the its effect on angiogenic and invasive pathways in an in-vitro model of preeclampsia. Red fluorescent-labeled human uterine myometrial microvascular endothelial cells (UtMVECs) were seeded on matrigel to form endothelial networks. Green fluorescent-labeled trophoblastic HTR-8/SVneo cells were co-cultured with the endothelial networks with/without TNF-a (0.5ng/mL) and/or aspirin (0.1mM) for 24h. Fluorescent images were captured and quantified by Image J to examine the effects of TNF-a and aspirin on the trophoblast-endothelial integration. Conditioned media were collected to measure free VEGF, PlGF and sFlt-1 by ELISA and PGF1a by Enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Cells were retrieved to examine mRNA expression of angiogenic factors (VEGF, PlGF and sFlt-1), invasion markers (MMP-2 and TIMP-1), endothelial cell activation markers (E-selectin and VCAM), eNOS and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 by quantitative PCR. Aspirin reversed the inhibitory effect of TNF-a on trophoblast cell integration into endothelial cellular networks. TNF-a increased PGF1a production (128±11%, p<0.05), whilst aspirin reversed the TNF-a effect on PGF1a production (19±4%, p<0.01). TNF-a decreased the mRNA expression of PlGF, eNOS, MMP-2 and TIMP-1, and stimulated COX2, E-selectin and VCAM mRNA expression. Aspirin did not reverse the TNF-a effect on these molecules. Aspirin improves trophoblast cell integration into endothelial cellular networks by inhibiting the effect of TNF-a via PGI2 with no significant effect on antiangiogenic, invasive or endothelial activation markers.


[Fluvastatin affects HLA class I expression on endothelial cells].
Originally designed to target elevated lipids, the "traditional" cause of atherosclerosis, statins might also confer vascular benefit by directly or indirectly modulating both the inflammatory and immune responses. Statins have been shown to downregulate MHC class II and CD40 expression on activated endothelial cells (EC). In this study, we investigate the potential effect of statins on MHC class I expression and regulation in response to IFNgamma. Primary cultures of human ECs have been treated with increasing doses of fluvastatin (0.01; 0.1 and 1 microM) with or without IFNgamma for 48 hours. Surface expression of MHC class I and class II has been analyzed by flow cytometry. Our data indicate that fluvastatin increases MHC class I expression on quiescent ECs by a dose-dependent effect. Furthermore, fluvastatin potentiates the MHC class I upregulation but prevents MHC class II induction triggered by IFNgamma. These effects are reversed by mevalonate. In conclusion, our results suggest that while decreasing MHC class II expression, fluvastatin (at 0.1 and 1 microM) upregulates MHC class I expression on ECs. Functional consequences of statin-mediated modulation of MHC on ECs have still to be elucidated in vitro and in vivo.


Influence of mannan and glucan on complement activation and C3 binding by Candida albicans.
The complement system is important for host resistance to hematogenously disseminated candidiasis. However, modulation of complement activation by cell wall components of Candida albicans has not been characterized. Although intact yeast display mannan on the surface, glucan, typically located in the interior, becomes exposed during C. albicans infection. We show here the distinct effects of mannan and glucan on complement activation and opsonophagocytosis. Previous studies showed that intact cells are resistant to initiation of complement activation through the alternative pathway, and antimannan antibody reverses this resistance via an Fc-independent mechanism. The present study shows that this mannan-dependent resistance can be overcome by periodate-borohydride conversion of mannose polysaccharides to polyalcohols; cells treated with periodate-borohydride initiate the alternative pathway without the need for antibody. These observations identify an inhibitory role for intact mannan in complement activation. Next, removal of the surface-displayed mannan by acid treatment of periodate-borohydride cells exposes glucan. Glucan-displaying cells or purified beta-glucan initiate the alternative pathway when incubated with the purified proteins of the alternative pathway alone, suggesting that C. albicans glucan is a natural activator of the alternative pathway. Finally, ingestion of mannan-displaying cells by human neutrophils requires anti-mannan antibody, whereas ingestion of glucan-displaying cells requires complement. These results demonstrate a contrasting requirement of natural antibody and complement for opsonophagocytosis of C. albicans cells displaying mannan or glucan. Thus, differential surface expression of mannan and glucan may influence recognition of C. albicans by the complement system.


Detecting biological warfare agents.
We developed a fiber-optic, microsphere-based, high-density array composed of 18 species-specific probe microsensors to identify biological warfare agents. We simultaneously identified multiple biological warfare agents in environmental samples by looking at specific probe responses after hybridization and response patterns of the multiplexed array.


Temperature effect on structure-opacity relationships of nonfat mozzarella cheese.
Our objective was to determine the effect of heating on the structure of nonfat Mozzarella cheese and then to relate changes in structure to changes in cheese opacity. Cheese was made according to a direct-acid, stirred-curd procedure. Cheese samples, at 4 degrees C, were taken on d 1 and placed into glass bottles, which were sealed and heated. Once the cheese reached 10 degrees C or 50 degrees C, the bottles were placed on a scanner and color values measured. Samples were also taken on d 1 for chemical, micro, and ultrastructural analyses. Applying heat increased cheese opacity. At 50 degrees C the cheese was more opaque than at 10 degrees C. The increase in temperature induced changes in cheese structure. Larger high-density protein aggregates and increased protein concentration in the protein matrix were observed in cheese at 50 degrees C. Applied heat would favor hydrophobic interactions, and possibly, re-association of beta-casein and calcium with the protein matrix, promoting protein-to-protein interactions. Thus, the protein matrix contracts, occupying less cheese matrix area, and microphase separation occurs, causing serum pockets to grow in size, and microstructural heterogeneity to increase. It is proposed that the increased size of aggregates and heterogeneity of the cheese at 50 degrees C promote light reflection, thus increasing cheese opacity. We concluded that applying heat alters protein interactions in the cheese matrix, manifested as changes in cheese structure. Such changes in structure help provide an understanding of changes in cheese opacity.


Morphology and surface properties of LiVOPO4: a first principles study.
First principles calculations were used to investigate the surface energies, equilibrium morphology, surface redox potentials, and surface electrical conductivity of LiVOPO4. Relatively low-energy surfaces are found in the (100), (010), (001), (011), (111), and (201) orientations of the orthorhombic structure. Thermodynamic equilibrium shape of the LiVOPO4 crystal is built with the calculated surface energies through a Wulff construction. The (001) and (111) orientations are the dominating surfaces in the Wulff shape. Similar calculations for VOPO4 display a larger decrease in surface energies for the (100) surface rather than those in the other surfaces. It suggests that the Wulff shape of LiVOPO4 is closely related to the chemical environment around. Surfaces (100), (010) and (201) present lower Li surface redox potentials in comparison with the bulk material. Therefore, the Li migration rate on surfaces could be effectively increased by maximizing the exposure of these low redox potential surfaces. In addition, lower surface band gaps are found in all orientations compared to the bulk one, which indicates that electrical conductivity can be improved significantly by enlarging surfaces with relatively low band gaps in the particle. Therefore, synthesizing (201) and (100) nanosheets will greatly improve the electrochemical properties of the material.


Inhibition of neutrophil function by human milk.
Human colostrum, the first product of lactation, has antioxidant properties and inhibits selected enzyme and bactericidal activities of human neutrophils. We examined the subsequent product of lactation, mature human milk, with respect to its antioxidant activities, its effects on neutrophil enzyme activities (myeloperoxidase, beta-glucuronidase, and lysozyme), and its effects on neutrophil bactericidal and phagocytic activities. Mature human milk displayed antioxidant characteristics similar to those of human colostrum, reducing cytochrome c and consuming H2O2. Mature milk also displayed colostrum-like characteristics in depressing neutrophil myeloperoxidase and beta-glucuronidase activities, but not in altering lysozyme activity. Neutrophil bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus was depressed by both mature milk and colostrum, without dramatic effects on phagocytic activity. These data show that mature milk shares characteristics with human colostrum that may result in anti-inflammatory effects, but the magnitude of these effects is generally smaller.


Hematocytometry analysis as discriminative marker for asthma phenotypes.
There is an increasing demand for easy to measure biomarkers in clinical practice. We created the relational database Utrecht Patient Oriented Database (UPOD) to develop tools for identifying new biomarkers for disease. In this study, we used UPOD to identify better biomarkers for discriminating different asthma phenotypes. We performed a prospective study at the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht using blood from patients with asthma and a healthy reference group. Since asthma is an inflammatory disease, absolute leukocyte counts and leukocyte differential parameters were analyzed using raw data files and a logistic regression model. We compared 17 difficult-to-treat asthma (DTA) cases, 13 non-difficult-to-treat asthma cases, and 19 healthy volunteers. Absolute leukocyte counts and differential parameters for leukocytes were able to discriminate asthma patients from healthy volunteers. However, among patients with asthma, difficult-to-treat cases could be more accurately defined with a neutrophil morphology change (OR 8.0; 95% CI 1.5-42.0), compared to the absolute neutrophil count (OR 4.0; 95% CI 0.8-21.0). In this asthma patient population, we were able to define asthma phenotypes more precisely using neutrophil morphology parameters, compared to absolute counts. Using UPOD with differential parameters, it is possible to conduct larger scale biomarker studies, combining clinical, laboratory medicine, and epidemiological techniques.


Resistance by allostery: a novel perspective for eg5-targeted drug design.
Talapatra et al. elucidated the molecular basis of resistance by characterizing the binding interactions between Eg5 and the allosteric inhibitor SB743921. The investigation, employing biochemical, biophysical, and structural analyses, made path-breaking revelations in Eg5 studies and discussed a novel phenomenon "resistance by allostery", which could have far-reaching consequences from a rational drug design perspective.


Self-structured surface patterns on molecular azo glass films induced by laser light irradiation.
In this work, formation of photoinduced self-structured surface pattern and its correlation with chromophoric structures were studied by using a series of star-shaped azo compounds, which exist as stable molecular glass at room temperature. For the synthesis, a star-shaped precursor (Tr-AN) was prepared by a ring-open reaction between 1, 3, 5-triglycidyl isocyanurate and N-methylaniline. The star-shaped azo compounds were then synthesized through azo-coupling reactions between the precursor and diazonium salts of 4-nitroaniline, 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline, and 4-aminobenzonitrile, respectively. Through these steps, three azo compounds were obtained to bear different donor-acceptor type azo chromophores at the peripheral positions. The formation of the photoinduced self-structured patterns was investigated by irradiating solid thin films of the molecular azo glass with a uniform laser beam (532 nm, 200 mW/cm(2)) at normal incidence. For comparison, formation of surface-relief-gratings (SRGs) was also investigated by exposing the thin films to an interference pattern of the laser beams (532 nm, 80 mW/cm(2)). The results show that SRGs can be inscribed on the films of all three star-shaped azo compounds, but self-structured surface patterns is only observed on film of the azo compound containing 4-cyanoazobenzene moieties (Tr-AZ-CN) under the same irradiation condition. The electron-withdrawing groups, which control the absorption band position, show a significant influence on both the self-structured pattern formation and SRG inscription rate. Under proper experimental conditions, both self-structured surface pattern and SRG can simultaneously be observed on the Tr-AZ-CN films. The observations can lead to a deeper understanding of the photoinduced effects, especially their correlation with molecular structures.


Switching of Electron Transport Direction from the Long Axis to Short Axis in a Radial SnO2(Head)-Rutile TiO2 Nanorod(Tail) Heteromesocrystal Photocatalyst.
Heteroepitaxial growth of rutile TiO2 nanorods from SnO2 seeds yielded radial heteromesocrystals consisting of SnO2(head) and rutile TiO2 nanorod(tail) with the SnO2(head) oriented toward the center (TiO2-NR//SnO2 HEMCs). Iron oxide clusters were formed on the surface by the chemisorption-calcination technique. The FeOx-surface modification gives rise to drastic increases in the photocatalytic activity for aerobic oxidation of 2-naphthol under irradiation of UV and visible light. As a 2D-model for 3D-TiO2-NR//SnO2 HEMC, electrochemical measurements were performed for the rutile TiO2-NR array formed on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (SnO2:F) electrode. The results showed that the FeOx clusters possess electrocatalytic activity for a multielectron oxygen reduction reaction, and the high photocurrent of the electrode is remarkably reduced by the FeOx-surface modification. Consequently, the striking photocatalytic activity of FeOx/TiO2-NR//SnO2 HEMCs was ascribable to the switching of the electron transport direction necessary for the charge separation from the long axis of the TiO2 NR to the short axis.


Chemotherapy of disseminated testicular cancer--a Singapore experience.
Eighteen patients with bulky Stage II B or disseminated germinal neoplasms of the testis were treated with 4 months induction chemotherapy regimen of vinblastine, bleomycin and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum since July 1980. Subsequent maintenance therapy for responding patients consisted of monthly vinblastine and bleomycin. The duration of maintenance therapy was 10 months. Twelve patients (66%) entered into complete remission while 4 patients (22%) were partial responders. VP 16-213 (Etoposide) was added to the regimen for those partial and nonresponders. However there was a high percentage (66%) of relapse at 1 year. Major toxicities were severe gastrointestinal toxicities and mild myelosuppression. There was no drug related death. Problems encountered with this programme were compliance of patients, high costs of drugs and short-lived duration of complete remission. It can be concluded that disseminated germinal cells tumours of testis is highly responsive to combination chemotherapy containing cis-platinum, bleomycin and vinblastine.


Alterations of the occipital lobe in schizophrenia.
The relationship of the occipital lobe of the brain with schizophrenia is not commonly studied; however, this topic is considered an essential subject matter among clinicians and scientists. We conducted this systematic review to elaborate the relationship in depth. We found that most schizophrenic patients show normal occipital anatomy and physiology, a minority showed dwindled values, and some demonstrated augmented function and structure. The findings are laborious to incorporate within single disease models that present the involvement of the occipital lobe in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia progresses clinically in the mid-twenties and thirties and its prognosis is inadequate. Changes in the volume, the gray matter, and the white matter in the occipital lobe are quite evident; however, the mechanism behind this involvement is not yet fully understood. Therefore, we recommend further research to explore the occipital lobe functions and volumes across the different stages of schizophrenia.


Dual role of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate metabolism in cancer monitor and therapy.
We uncovered the neurotransmitter N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) as a reservoir providing glutamate to promote cancer growth, and demonstrated that inhibition of NAAG hydrolysis by targeting glutamate carboxypeptidase II is a viable strategy for cancer therapy. Our study also suggests that NAAG concentration in plasma could be a non-invasive measurement to monitor cancer progression.


Implementing a personalized resource management program for a small medical library by using LinkOut.
End users want easy access to electronic full-text articles from their desktops. This small medical library has implemented an easy and cost-effective resource management program to meet this user need. This column will describe the implementation, use, and maintenance of the National Library of Medicine's LinkOut, a personalized resource management program that provides immediate access to the library's online journal full-text holdings via hyperlinks.


Mitigation of indoor air pollution: A review of recent advances in adsorption materials and catalytic oxidation.
Indoor air pollution with toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a threat to human health, causing cancer, leukemia, fetal malformation, and abortion. Therefore, the development of technologies to mitigate indoor air pollution is important to avoid adverse effects. Adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation are the current approaches for the removal of VOCs and PM2.5 with high efficiency. In this review we focus on the recent development of indoor air pollution mitigation materials based on adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition. First, we review on the primary indoor air pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene compounds, PM2.5, flame retardants, and plasticizer: Next, the recent advances in the use of adsorption materials including traditional biochar and MOF (metal-organic frameworks) as the new emerging porous materials for VOCs absorption is reviewed. We review the mechanism for mitigation of VOCs using biochar (noncarbonized organic matter partition and adsorption) and MOF together with parameters that affect indoor air pollution removal efficiency based on current mitigation approaches including the mitigation of VOCs using photocatalytic oxidation. Finally, we bring forward perspectives and directions for the development of indoor air mitigation technologies.


Outbreak and Regression of COVID-19 Epidemic Among Chinese Medical Staff.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out first in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. In the process of controlling the pandemic, many Chinese medical staff (MS) were infected. We used government data, post mortem reports, and the medical literature on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, as well as prevention-and-control guidelines from the government, hospitals and media, to discuss the main risks factors faced by MS. We suggest that, when dealing with a similar pandemic in the future, guidance on personal protective equipment must be provided and materials reserved in advance. Also, the emergency response of medical institutions should be enhanced, and information shared with other countries facing identical severe challenges.


Experimental and theoretical study of the antisymmetric magnetic behavior of copper inverse-9-metallacrown-3 compounds.
Use of PhPyCNO (-)/X (-) "blends" (PhPyCNOH = phenyl 2-pyridyl ketoxime; X (-) = OH (-), alkanoato, ClO 4 (-)) in copper chemistry yielded trinuclear clusters that have been characterized as inverse-9-metallacrown-3 compounds and accommodate one or two guest ligands. The magnetic behavior showed a large antiferromagnetic interaction and a discrepancy between the low-temperature magnetic behavior observed experimentally and that predicted from a magnetic model. The discrepancy between the Brillouin curve and the experimental result provides clear evidence of the influence of the antisymmetric interaction. Introducing the antisymmetric terms derived from the fit of the susceptibility data into the magnetization formula caused the simulated curve to become nearly superimposable on the experimental one. The EPR data indicated that the compound [Cu 3(PhPyCNO) 3(mu 3-OH)(2,4,5-T) 2] ( 1), where 2,4,5-T is 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate, has isosceles or lower magnetic symmetry (delta not equal 0), that antisymmetric exchange is important ( G not equal 0), and that Delta E > hnu. The structures of the complexes 1 and [Cu 3(PhPyCNO) 3(mu 3-OH)(H 2O)(ClO 4) 2] ( 2) were determined using single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory were performed using the full crystal structures of 1, 2, [Cu 3(PhPyCNO) 3(OH)(CH 3OH) 2(ClO 4) 2] ( 3), and [Cu 3(PhPyCNO) 3(mu 3-OMe)(Cl)(ClO 4)] ( 4). The geometries of the model compounds [Cu 3(kappa (3) N, N, O-HNCHCHNO) 3(mu 3-OH)(mu 2-HCOO)(HCOO)] ( 5), [Cu 3(kappa (3) N, N, O-HNCHCHNO) 3(mu 2-HCOO)(HCOO)] (+) ( 6), [Cu 3(kappa (3) N, N, O-HNCHCHNO) 3(mu 3-O)] (+) ( 7), and [Cu 3(kappa (3) N, N, O-HNCHCHNO) 3] (3+) ( 8) were optimized at the same level of theory for both the doublet and quartet states, and vibrational analysis indicated that the resulting equilibrium geometries corresponded to minima on the potential energy surfaces. Both e g and t 2g magnetic orbitals seem to contribute to the magnetic exchange coupling. The latter contribution, although less important, might be due to overlap of the t 2g orbitals with the p-type orbitals of the central triply bridging oxide ligand, thereby affecting its displacement from the Cu 3 plane and contributing to the antiferromagnetic coupling. The crucial role of the triply bridging oxide (mu 3-O) ligand on the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the three Cu(II) magnetic centers is further evidenced by the excellent linear correlation of the coupling constant J with the distance of the mu 3-O ligand from the centroid of the Cu 3 triangle.


Phosphodiesterase inhibitors in clinical urology.
To date, benign diseases of the male and female lower urinary and genital tract, such as erectile dysfunction, bladder overactivity, lower urinary tract symptomatology secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and symptoms of female sexual dysfunction (including arousal and orgasmic disorders), can be therapeutically approached by influencing the function of the smooth musculature of the respective tissues. The use of isoenzyme-selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors is considered a great opportunity to treat various diseases of the human urogenital tract. PDE inhibitors, in particular the PDE5 (cyclic GMP PDE) inhibitors avanafil, lodenafil, sildenafil, tadalafil, udenafil and vardenafil, are regarded as efficacious, having a fast onset of drug action and an improved effect-to-adverse event ratio, combining a high response rate with the advantage of an on-demand intake. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent as well as potential future indications, namely, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, overactive bladder, urinary stone disease, lower urinary tract symptomatology secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and premature ejaculation, for the use of PDE inhibitors in clinical urology.


Consumption patterns and why people fish.
Recreational and subsistence fishing play major roles in the lives of many people, although their importance in urban areas is often underestimated. There are fish and shellfish consumption advisories in the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary, particularly in the waters of the Newark Bay Complex. This paper examines fishing behavior, consumption patterns, and the reasons that people fish in the Newark Bay Complex. I test the null hypotheses that there are no differences among Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites in consumption patterns for fish and crabs and in the reasons that they fish or crab. Most people either fished or crabbed, but not both. People who fish and crab ate more grams of crab than fish in a given meal; people who crab only consumed more grams of crab at a meal than those who fish only consumed of fish. Although 30% or more of the people who fished and crabbed in the Newark Bay Complex did not eat their self-caught fish or crabs 8-25% of the people ate more than 1500 g/month. Some people angling in the Newark Bay Complex are eating crabs at a rate well over 1500 g/month, and about 70% are eating crabs even though there is a total ban on both harvest and consumption because of the health risks from dioxin. Consumption patterns were negatively correlated with mean income and positively correlated with mean age. Most people rated relaxation and being outdoors the highest reasons for angling, although on an open-ended question they usually listed recreation. There were no ethnic differences in reasons for angling, although other studies have shown ethnic differences in consumption. Obtaining fish or crabs to eat, give away, trade, or sell were rated low, suggesting that consumption advisories fail partly because people are not primarily fishing for food.


Biomarkers of aging: prediction of longevity by using age-sensitive T-cell subset determinations in a middle-aged, genetically heterogeneous mouse population.
Seven T-cell subset values were measured in each of 559 mice at 8 months of age, and then again in the 494 animals that reached 18 months of age. The group included virgin males, virgin females, and mated females, and it was produced by using a four-way cross-breeding system that generates genetic heterogeneity equivalent to a very large sibship. An analysis of covariance showed that four T-cell subsets-CD4, CD4 memory, CD4 naïve, and CD4 cells expressing P:-glycoprotein-were significant predictors (p <.003) of longevity when measured at 18 months of age after adjustment for the possible effects of gender and mating. The subset marked by CD4 and P:-glycoprotein expression showed a significant interaction effect: this subset predicted longevity only in males. Among subsets measured when the mice were 8 months of age, only the levels of CD8 memory cells predicted longevity (p =.016); the prognostic value of this subset was largely limited to mated females. A cluster analysis that separated mice into two groups based upon similarity of T-cell subset patterns measured at 18 months showed that these two groups differed in life expectancy. Specifically, mice characterized by relatively low levels of CD4 and CD8 memory cells, high levels of CD4 naïve cells, and low levels of CD4 cells with P:-glycoprotein (64% of the total) lived significantly longer (50 days = 6%; p <.0007) than mice in the other cluster. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that patterns of T-cell subsets vary among mice in a manner than can predict longevity in middle age, and they suggest that these subsets may prove to be useful for further studies of the genetics of aging and age-sensitive traits.


Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations with laboratory-confirmed influenza in Greece during the 2014-2015 season: A test-negative study.
The 2014-2015 influenza season was marked by circulation of antigenically drifted A/H3N2 strains, raising the possibility of low seasonal influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (VE). We assessed VE against hospitalization with laboratory-confirmed influenza for the 2014-2015 season, using routine surveillance data. Non-sentinel swab samples from Greek hospital inpatients were tested for influenza by RT-PCR in three laboratories, covering the entire country. We estimated VE using a test-negative design. Out of 883 patients with known vaccination status, 161 (18.2%) were vaccinated, and 392/883 patients (44.4%) tested positive for influenza, of whom 162 (41.3%) had type B and 151 (38.5%) had A/H3N2. Adjusted VE was 31.6% (95%CI: 2.9-51.8%) against any influenza, 46.8%, 95%CI: 12.5-67.6%) against type B and -1.9%, 95%CI: -69.5 to 38.7%) against A/H3N2. VE against non-ICU hospitalization appeared to be higher, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Circulating A/H3N2 viruses showed substantial antigenic drift, while about half of the type B strains were similar to the vaccine strain. Despite the antigenic drift of the A/H3N2 strains, the vaccine still offered substantial protection against hospitalization with laboratory-confirmed influenza, mostly due to a surge in type B influenza late in the season. Vaccine coverage was low, even among groups targeted for vaccination, and considerable effort should be made to improve it. J. Med. Virol. 88:1896-1904, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Role of extrinsic innervation in modulating nitrergic transmission in the canine ileocolonic region.
The human colon can dilate, often to life-threatening proportions. Our aim was to explore nitrergic mechanisms underlying colonic dilation in conscious dogs with enterically isolated ileocolonic loops either extrinsically innervated (n = 4) or extrinsically denervated (n = 4). We recorded phasic pressures in ileum and ileocolonic sphincter (ICS), colonic tone, compliance, and relaxation during ileal distension. By NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry, we assessed effects of extrinsic denervation and enteric isolation on nitrergic fibers. Extrinsic denervation increased phasic pressures in ileum, ICS, and colon and abolished ICS and colonic relaxation in response to ileal distension. The nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) increased phasic pressures at all sites and ICS tone but did not abolish colonic relaxation during ileal distension in innervated loops. L-NNA reduced compliance and induced colonic high-amplitude propagated contractions in denervated loops. The NOS substrate donor L-arginine reversed effects of L-NNA. The number of NADPH-diaphorase fibers increased in both enterically isolated preparations. Nonnitrergic extrinsic nerve pathways mediate reflex colonic relaxation during ileal distension. Enteric isolation augments the number of NOS fibers, an effect not modified by extrinsic denervation.


Drop impact onto a liquid layer of finite thickness: dynamics of the cavity evolution.
In the present work experimental, numerical, and theoretical investigations of a normal drop impact onto a liquid film of finite thickness are presented. The dynamics of drop impact on liquid surfaces, the shape of the cavity, the formation and propagation of a capillary wave in the crater, and the residual film thickness on the rigid wall are determined and analyzed. The shape of the crater within the film and the uprising liquid sheet formed upon the impact are observed using a high-speed video system. The effects of various influencing parameters such as drop impact velocity, liquid film thickness and physical properties of the liquids, including viscosity and surface tension, on the time evolution of the crater formation are investigated. Complementary to experiments the direct numerical simulations of the phenomena are performed using an advanced free-surface capturing model based on a two-fluid formulation of the classical volume-of-fluid (VOF) model in the framework of the finite volume numerical method. In this model an additional convective term is introduced into the transport equation for phase fraction, contributing decisively to a sharper interface resolution. Furthermore, an analytical model for the penetration depth of the crater is developed accounting for the liquid inertia, viscosity, gravity, and surface tension. The model agrees well with the experiments at the early times of penetration far from the wall if the impact velocity is high. Finally, a scaling analysis of the residual film thickness on the wall is conducted demonstrating a good agreement with the numerical predictions.


Female employment and fertility: further investigation of an ambivalent association.
"This study of the relationship between female employment and fertility is based on a survey of 1,000 ever-married women in Karachi, [Pakistan]. A distinct pattern of differentials in actual performance and in desired fertility is observed across working and non-working women.... Women in higher status occupations marry much later than and have half the completed family size of those women working in lower status occupations. The fertility of non-working women lies somewhere in between these two groups. Some reasons for the fertility differentials found are identified in variations in point of entry into the labour force relative to the stage in child-bearing, in expectations from sons in old age support, and in relative facility in seeking means of fertility control. Working women in higher status occupations also have better chances of their children surviving, whereas women in lower status occupations suffer a greater toll of child deaths."


Upcycling Waste Pine nut Shell Membrane for Highly Efficient Separation of Crude Oil-in-Water Emulsion.
Discharge of oily sewage and frequent oil spills have caused serious harm to human production, life, and ecological environment. Due to the presence of a large number of surfactants in water, these oil-water mixtures are easy to form oil-in-water emulsion, which is difficult to separate by traditional methods. At the same time, the water-soluble pollutants such as dyes and heavy metal ions in oily wastewater also cause great harm to the human body and the environment. A pine nut shell is a kind of common domestic waste material. Herein, an underwater superoleophobic pine nut shell membrane (PNSM) was prepared by the simple pumping filtration method, which realized the separation of oil-in-water emulsion and adsorption of dyes and heavy metal ions. In addition, the filter membrane can be used for separating corrosive emulsions of strong acid, strong alkali, and 3.5% NaCl solutions (simulated seawater). Besides, the PNSM showed excellent toughness and flexibility. Due to the abovementioned performance, this cost-efficient and environmentally friendly membrane can be a promising candidate for multifunctional oily water remediation.


[Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease].
The aim of the work was to evaluate the possibility to use CT techniques (SCT and MRT) for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease. A total of 426 patient aged 0-54 years were examined (171 by MRT and 255 by SCT. SCT of the heart with bolus injection of a contrast medium was performed on an Evolution C-150 superfast tomograph in the step-scanning regime and prospective synchronization with ECG (slice thickness 1.5-3 mm). Fasting SCT was used to examine children in the first year of life during quiet (unforced) breathing. Contrast material (Omnipack-300, 350; Visipack-270, 320) was administered at a dose of 1.5-2.0 ml/ kg b.w. at 0.2-0.6 ml/s. MRT was performed using a conventional MR tomograph with a 1 T field and pulsed spin-echo sequences synchronized with ECG for obtaining the anatomic picture and gradient echo-signals (cine-MRT) for the assessment of functional parameters (slice thickness 4-7 mm). Babies were examined under medicamentous sedation. All images were treated and analysed using an Advantage Windows 2.0 workstation and a program package for heart image analysis. A rational procedure of CT and image analysis was developed in the course of the study. It provided data on the formation of all segments and intercommunications of the heart, mutual localization of its cavities and major vessels, permitted to perform morphometry of selected cardiac structures and detect anatomic defects. The informative and diagnostic value of methods for comprehensive evaluation of the heart and mediastinum in patients with congenital heart disease was assessed. Methods of choice for the diagnosis of abnormalities and follow-up of the patients in different periods after surgery were identified.


Influence of inoculated gut bacteria on the development of Bactrocera dorsalis and on its susceptibility to the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae.
Symbiotic interactions between insects and bacteria have been associated with a vast variety of physiological, ecological and evolutionary consequences for the host. A wide range of bacterial communities have been found in association with the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), an important pest of cultivated fruit in most regions of the world. We evaluated the diversity of gut bacteria in B. dorsalis specimens from several populations in Kenya and investigated the roles of individual bacterial isolates in the development of axenic (germ-free) B. dorsalis fly lines and their responses to the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae. We sequenced 16S rRNA to evaluate microbiomes and coupled this with bacterial culturing. Bacterial isolates were mono-associated with axenic B. dorsalis embryos. The shortest embryonic development period was recorded in flies with an intact gut microbiome while the longest period was recorded in axenic fly lines. Similarly, larval development was shortest in flies with an intact gut microbiome, in addition to flies inoculated with Providencia alcalifaciens. Adult B. dorsalis flies emerging from embryos that had been mono-associated with a strain of Lactococcus lactis had decreased survival when challenged with a standard dosage of M. anisopliae ICIPE69 conidia. However, there were no differences in survival between the germ-free lines and flies with an intact microbiome. These findings will contribute to the selection of probiotics used in artificial diets for B. dorsalis rearing and the development of improved integrated pest management strategies based on entomopathogenic fungi.


Fantome Island lock hospital and aboriginal venereal disease sufferers 1928-45.
In this article the Queensland government's response to suspected and confirmed cases of venereal disease amongst the state's Aboriginal population is examined through the micro history of Fantome Island lock hospital, which operated between 1928 and 1945. This history offers an interesting case study into the complexities of medical and racial segregation in twentieth century Queensland. While other scholars have positioned Fantome Island lock hospital as a justifiable attempt to control syphilis and gonorrhoea infections amongst the Queensland Aboriginal population, I propose a different interpretation and argue that white perceptions of Aboriginal sexuality and health contributed to government depictions of an Aboriginal venereal disease 'epidemic.' I demonstrate that disease diagnosis was still highly problematic prior to World War II and was differentially applied across different sub-populations.


[State influence on the health of the child].
"This article follows the major historical steps with respect to the protection of the child aged less than three years in France and in Canada over the course of a century. Analysis focuses first on the motives behind increased intervention by political leaders on behalf of the child; next on the protection of the welfare of the mother and child; and finally on the evolution of demographic characteristics, in relation with processes of social and geographic differentiation. A remarkable convergence is observed between the two countries, despite veritable differences in political pressures and actions, traceable back to certain common structural traits, and linked with emerging patterns of international exchanges favouring the modelling of a new culture regarding childhood." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND SPA)


Antireflection coating design for plastic optics.
The coating of plastics for optical applications is intended to improve the mechanical durability of soft polymers and to serve an antireflection function. Usually a classic four-layer antireflection system is added on top of a single-layer hard coating. With needle optimization, an alternative coating design has been developed. The design is characterized by thin high-refractive-index layers that are almost evenly distributed over the whole stack. Plasma ion-assisted deposition was used to deposit coatings upon poly(methyl methacrylate), polycarbonate, and cyclo-olefin copolymer. Uniform antireflection and high scratch resistance have been achieved.


Microarray bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics has become an increasingly important tool for molecular biologists, especially for the analysis of microarray data. Microarrays can produce vast amounts of information requiring a series of consecutive analyses to render the data interpretable. The direct output of microarrays cannot be directly interpreted to show differences in settings, conditions of samples, or time points. To make microarray experiments interpretable, it is necessary that a series of algorithms and approaches be applied. After normalization of generated data, which is necessary to make a comparison feasible, significance analysis, clustering of samples and biological compounds of interest and visualization are generally performed. This chapter will focus on providing a basic understanding of the generally approaches and algorithms currently employed in microarray bioinformatics.


Melanin-containing films: growth from dopamine solutions versus layer-by-layer deposition.
Films formed by oxidation of dopamine are of interest for functionalisation of solid-liquid interfaces owing to their versatility. However, the ability to modulate the properties of such films, for example, permeability to ionic species and the absorption coefficient, is urgently needed. Indeed, melanin films produced by oxidation of dopamine absorb strongly over the whole UV/Vis part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are impermeable to anions even for a film thickness as low as a few nanometers. Herein we combine oxidation of dopamine to produce a solution containing dopamine-melanin particles and their alternating deposition with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) to produce films which have nearly the same morphology as pure dopamine-melanin films but are less compact, more transparent and more permeable to ferrocyanide anions.


Rational reduction of periodic propagators for off-period observations.
Many common solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance problems take advantage of the periodicity of the underlying Hamiltonian to simplify the computation of an observation. Most of the time-domain methods used, however, require the time step between observations to be some integer or reciprocal-integer multiple of the period, thereby restricting the observation bandwidth. Calculations of off-period observations are usually reduced to brute force direct methods resulting in many demanding matrix multiplications. For large spin systems, the matrix multiplication becomes the limiting step. A simple method that can dramatically reduce the number of matrix multiplications required to calculate the time evolution when the observation time step is some rational fraction of the period of the Hamiltonian is presented. The algorithm implements two different optimization routines. One uses pattern matching and additional memory storage, while the other recursively generates the propagators via time shifting. The net result is a significant speed improvement for some types of time-domain calculations.


The diagnosis of viral respiratory disease in older adults.
Viral respiratory disease in older adults has been increasingly recognized as a significant cause of hospitalizations and death. Unfortunately, the recognition and diagnosis of infection due to many viral respiratory pathogens in older adults can be elusive because of atypical clinical presentations and the insensitivity of current laboratory diagnostic tests in this population. For influenza diagnosis, rapid antigen tests followed by viral culture (if antigen test results are negative), can be useful in older adults as long as clinicians are mindful of test limitations. Although specific, rapid antigen tests are insensitive in this population. Erroneous negative results may lead to delays in timely administration of antiviral treatment and institution of appropriate isolation precautions. The increasing availability of new, rapid, and sensitive molecular diagnostics, such as polymerase chain reaction testing, should provide more accurate and timely diagnoses of viral respiratory infections in older adults in the near future.


Transvaginal ultrasound measurement of endometrial thickness and endometrial pipelle sampling as an alternative diagnostic procedure to hysteroscopy and dilatation and curettage in the management of post-menopausal bleeding.
In order to evaluate pipelle endometrial sampling combined with ultrasound measurement of endometrial thickness as an initial diagnostic procedure in the assessment of endometrial pathology in patients presenting with postmenopausal bleeding, 50 consecutive patients were studied prospectively. In each patient measurement of endometrial thickness and pipelle endometrial biopsy were performed as an out-patient procedure before hysteroscopy and dilatation and curettage (D&C). The diagnostic sensitivity with pipelle endometrial sampling alone in detecting endometrial pathology was 25% with a specificity of 100%. The measurement of endometrial thickness had a sensitivity of 62% with a specificity of 87.8%. Pipelle sampling combined with endometrial thickness increased the sensitivity to 87.5% with a specificity of 87.8%. Therefore, we suggest that pipelle sampling combined with sonographic measurement of endometrial thickness is an acceptable, less invasive alternative to hysteroscopy and D&C as a first-line investigation in the management of post-menopausal bleeding.


Immunosuppression in sepsis.
The often fatal sepsis syndrome is characterized by the systemic release of inflammatory mediators, which is regulated and counterbalanced by the coordinated expression of anti-inflammatory molecules. The magnitude of sepsis-induced tissue injury and subsequent risk of infectious complications is dictated by the balance between the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators. As our understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis continues to evolve, we have gained a greater appreciation for the profound effects that sepsis and similar states of overwhelming stress have on host innate and adaptive immunity. Impaired leukocyte function in sepsis has important clinical consequences, as high mortality rates have been observed in patients who display evidence of sepsis-induced immune dysregulation. Functional defects in leukocytes isolated from patients with sepsis include diminished expression of important cell surface molecules, dysregulated cytokine production, alterations in antigen-presenting ability, and accelerated apoptosis. In this article, we review the current literature supporting the notion that dysregulation of host immunity occurs during sepsis syndrome, and describe novel therapeutic interventions directed at augmenting host immunity during sepsis.


Interplay between nonadiabatic dynamics and Frenkel exciton transfer in molecular aggregates: formulation and application to a perylene bismide model.
The quantum dynamics of linear molecular aggregates in the presence of S0 → S1 and S0 → S2 transitions is investigated by putting emphasis on the interplay between local nonadiabatic S2 to S1 deactivation and Frenkel exciton transfer. The theoretical approach combines aspects of the linear vibronic coupling and Frenkel exciton models. Dynamics calculations are performed for the absorption spectrum and the electronic state populations using the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree approach. As an application, perylene bisimde J-type dimer and trimer aggregates are considered, including four tuning and one coupling mode per monomer. This leads to a dynamical model comprising up to 7 electronic states and 15 vibrational modes. The unknown nonadiabatic coupling strength is treated as a parameter that is chosen in accordance with available absorption spectra. This leaves some flexibility that can be limited by the clearly distinguishable population dynamics.


Equatorial Non-muscle Myosin II and Plastin Cooperate to Align and Compact F-actin Bundles in the Cytokinetic Ring.
Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division that physically partitions the mother cell into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis requires the assembly and constriction of a contractile ring, a circumferential array of filamentous actin (F-actin), non-muscle myosin II motors (myosin), and actin-binding proteins that forms at the cell equator. Cytokinesis is accompanied by long-range cortical flows from regions of relaxation toward regions of compression. In the C. elegans one-cell embryo, it has been suggested that anterior-directed cortical flows are the main driver of contractile ring assembly. Here, we use embryos co-expressing motor-dead and wild-type myosin to show that cortical flows can be severely reduced without major effects on contractile ring assembly and timely completion of cytokinesis. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in the ingressing furrow reveals that myosin recruitment kinetics are also unaffected by the absence of cortical flows. We find that myosin cooperates with the F-actin crosslinker plastin to align and compact F-actin bundles at the cell equator, and that this cross-talk is essential for cytokinesis. Our results thus argue against the idea that cortical flows are a major determinant of contractile ring assembly. Instead, we propose that contractile ring assembly requires localized concerted action of motor-competent myosin and plastin at the cell equator.


Sperm motility inhibiting activity of a phytosterol from Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. leaf extract: a tribal medicine.
The role of methanolic extract and n-butanol fraction of A. macrophylla leaves was investigated on the forward motility of goat spermatozoa. The methanol extract (600 micro/g/ml) and one n-butanol fraction (Fraction A; 100 microg/ml) showed marked inhibition of sperm forward motility, tested by microscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Approximately, 50-60% of the spermatozoa lost their motility when treated with 600 microg/ml of methanol extract or 100 microg/ml of Fraction A. The Fraction A at 400 microg/ml concentration showed complete inhibition of sperm forward motility at 0 min. The inhibitory activity increased with the increasing concentrations of the fraction. The motility inhibitory activity of the Fraction A was stable to heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 2 min. The compound showed high inhibitory effect in the pH range 6.7-7.6. Fraction A also showed high efficacy for inhibiting human sperm motility, assessed by the microscopic method. The phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract of A. macrophylla leaves revealed the presence of sterols, triterpene, flavonoid, alkaloid, tannin and reducing sugar, while the Fraction A contains beta-sitosterol, a common phytosterol. The results demonstrate that Fraction A (beta-sitosterol) is a potent inhibitor of sperm motility and thus it has the potential to serve as a vaginal contraceptive.


Placebo effect in burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review.
Placebo controls play a critical role in the evaluation of any pharmacotherapy. This review surveys the placebo arm in 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and documents a positive placebo response in 6 of them. On average, treatment with placebos produced a response that was 72% as large as the response to active drugs. The lack of homogeneity in the use of placebos adds to the difficulty in comparing results and aggregating data. Future RCTs investigating BMS would benefit from larger sample sizes, adequate follow-up periods, and use of a standard placebo.


5S RNA structure and interaction with transcription factor A. 1. Ribonuclease probe of the structure of 5S RNA from Xenopus laevis oocytes.
The structure of Xenopus laevis oocyte (Xlo) 5S ribosomal RNA has been probed with single-strand-specific ribonucleases T1, T2, and A with double-strand-specific ribonuclease V1 from cobra venom. The digestion of 5'- or 3'-labeled renatured 5S RNA samples followed by gel purification of the digested samples allowed the determination of primary cleavage sites. Results of these ribonuclease digestions provide support for the generalized 5S RNA secondary structural model derived from comparative sequence analysis. However, three putative single-stranded regions of the molecule exhibited unexpected V1 cuts, found at C36, U73, U76, and U102. These V1 cuts reflect additional secondary structural features of the RNA including A.G base pairs and support the extended base pairing in the stem containing helices IV and V which was proposed by Stahl et al. [Stahl, D. A., Luehrsen, K. R., Woese, C. R., & Pace, N. R. (1981) Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 6129-6137]. A conserved structure for helix V having a common unpaired uracil residue at Xlo position 84 is proposed for all eukaryotic 5S RNAs. Our results are compared with nuclease probes of other 5S RNAs.


[Infectious diseases--the progress is huge--a lot remains to be done].
Huge progress has been achieved in the last century in preventing and treating infections. The discovery of antibiotics and the ongoing development of appropriate vaccines have decreased the incidence of many infectious diseases. This led Sir McFarland Burnett to state in 1962 that 'By the end of the Second World War it was possible to say that almost all of the major practical problems of dealing with infectious disease had been solved.' More recently, however, new challenges have emerged: antibiotic resistance is spreading in hospitals as well as in communities, nosocomial infections are both a health problem and economic burden, and new infections have been emerging while others are reemerging. The articles included in this issue of Harefuah, which is dedicated to infectious diseases, exemplify the continuing challenges presented to the medical community by these diseases.


Can illness narratives contribute to the delay of hospice admission?
Patients who could benefit from the end-of-life care that hospice provides frequently underuse this service because their admission occurs very late in the course of their dying. Admission to hospice requires that patients and their physicians shift their treatment goals from cure to comfort care. However, this shift is not likely to occur unless there is a parallel shift of hope, from hope for a cure to hope for the best possible quality of life. This study considers how a prominent type of illness narrative, the restitution narrative, delays decisions for hospice by inhibiting the transformation of hope from a hope for cure to a hope for quality at life's end.


Comprehensive Flow Cytometry Profiling of the Immune System in COVID-19 Convalescent Individuals.
SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 200 million people worldwide, with more than 4 million associated deaths. Although more than 80% of infected people develop asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 can induce a profound dysregulation of the immune system. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether clinically recovered individuals present immune sequelae. The potential presence of a long-term dysregulation of the immune system could constitute a risk factor for re-infection and the development of other pathologies. Here, we performed a deep analysis of the immune system in 35 COVID-19 recovered individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared to 16 healthy donors, by flow cytometry. Samples from COVID-19 individuals were analysed from 12 days to 305 days post-infection. We observed that, 10 months post-infection, recovered COVID-19 patients presented alterations in the values of some T-cell, B-cell, and innate cell subsets compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we found in recovered COVID-19 individuals increased levels of circulating follicular helper type 1 (cTfh1), plasmablast/plasma cells, and follicular dendritic cells (foDC), which could indicate that the Tfh-B-foDC axis might be functional to produce specific immunoglobulins 10 months post-infection. The presence of this axis and the immune system alterations could constitute prognosis markers and could play an important role in potential re-infection or the presence of long-term symptoms in some individuals.


Emergency medical care in developing countries: is it worthwhile?
Prevention is a core value of any health system. Nonetheless, many health problems will continue to occur despite preventive services. A significant burden of diseases in developing countries is caused by time-sensitive illnesses and injuries, such as severe infections, hypoxia caused by respiratory infections, dehydration caused by diarrhoea, intentional and unintentional injuries, postpartum bleeding, and acute myocardial infarction. The provision of timely treatment during life-threatening emergencies is not a priority for many health systems in developing countries. This paper reviews evidence indicating the need to develop and/or strengthen emergency medical care systems in these countries. An argument is made for the role of emergency medical care in improving the health of populations and meeting expectations for access to emergency care. We consider emergency medical care in the community, during transportation, and at first-contact and regional referral facilities. Obstacles to developing effective emergency medical care include a lack of structural models, inappropriate training foci, concerns about cost, and sustainability in the face of a high demand for services. A basic but effective level of emergency medical care responds to perceived and actual community needs and improves the health of populations.


A novel multi-phase treatment scheme for odorous rubber effluent.
Despite the great profits of rubber latex production, its preliminary processing releases a large amount of wastewater into the water bodies from several processing steps. This rubber effluent is rich in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Therefore, the study addressed a liquid phase treatment of the effluent using an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor followed by coagu-flocculation and aeration. In addition, the gas phase (containing odorous hydrogen sulphide of 10-12% by volume) from the UASB reactor was sent to a caustic scrubber where the H2S removal efficiency of 63 ± 5% was achieved. This integrated multi-phase treatment scheme proved to be an effective approach by reducing TKN, TDS, BOD and COD by 68-87%, 61-69%, 81-84% and 81-87% respectively in the final effluent.


Leukotriene C4 synthase: a candidate gene for the aspirin-intolerant asthmatic phenotype.
The features of the allergic inflammation underlying asthma occur as a consequence of mediators such as the cysteinyl LTs. The generation of the cysteinyl LTs is carefully regulated and dependent on the 5-LO/LTC4S pathway, of which LTC4S is the pivotal and only committed enzyme involved. Although LTC4S is related to other proteins involved in eicosanoid metabolism, it is clearly a distinct member within a novel gene family, and site directed mutagenic studies of LTC4S have identified two critical residues necessary for its specific conjugation of LTA4 to GSH. This observation, as well as the limited cellular distribution, and chromosomal localization are consistent with LTC4S as a candidate gene for asthma, having diverged from its other gene family members. More specifically, profound overexpression of LTC4S in aspirin-induced asthma seems to be a principal determinant of the respiratory reactions to aspirin, and a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' regulatory region associates significantly with the aspirin-intolerant phenotype in Polish patients. This data strongly support LTC4S as a candidate gene in this phenotype of asthma, and further characterization of LTC4S in terms of enzymatic function and gene regulation will likely contribute to the understanding of the gene as one potentially responsible for the allergic inflammation underlying aspirin-intolerance. Additionally, discovery of additional polymorphism within this gene may lead to identification of susceptibility to adverse aspirin reactions, and inhibition of this enzyme may represent a therapeutic target for compounds useful in the treatment of asthma and allergic diseases.


Glycosaminoglycan: cell interactions; their role in lipoprotein lipase secretion from isolated cardiac muscle cells.
When cardiac muscle cells from mature rats were incubated in vitro in the presence of heparin (8.7 nmole ml-1) lipoprotein lipase activity appeared in the incubation medium. The intracellular activity of the enzyme remained unchanged. Other glycosaminoglycans (heparan sulphate, dermatan sulphate, keratan sulphate and chrondroitin 6-sulphate) at the same or higher concentrations were totally ineffective in producing any enzyme redistribution between cells and medium. The release seen in the presence of heparin was blocked by the presence of cycloheximide. Cycloheximide by contrast had no effect on the release observed in the presence of dexamethasone, The action of endogenous glycosaminoglycans are unlikely therefore to have a significant role to play in the movement of lipoprotein lipase in heart tissue in vivo.


The recording and analysis of EMG and jaw tracking. II. Reproducibility of jaw tracking.
In 10 male and 10 female adults jaw movements and muscle activity were monitored during chewing. Subjects had a Class I occlusion and fluent unrestricted jaw movements; non exhibited signs or symptoms of craniomandibular disorders. Recordings were made on two occasions separated by 2 weeks. Within each recording session the subjects carried out a number of tasks under direction, including eating nuts and gum. The jaw movements were monitored with a Sirognathograph which had been interfaced to a computer for data logging and analysis. A computer program identified each chewing stroke and after scrutiny a data base was constructed of measurements from a subset of 4447 suitable strokes. Mean values of 10 parameters selected to describe jaw movements during chewing were entered into an ANOVA. This indicated that the major contribution to variance was due to the subject from whom the data was recorded. This intersubject variability is well known, but can its separation from the other contributions to the variation within the data be assessed? To provide an estimate of the spread of data the variance for each parameter was calculated, transformed and these values entered into an analysis of variance. All subject differed significantly in their chewing movements from one another. But 15 of the 20 subjects showed a greater degree of consistency than the other five: they exhibited good inter- and intra-recording reproducibility. The food being eaten made a major contribution to the variability. The timing of the chewing strokes was also more consistent than the dimensions of the chewing envelope.


Retinoblastoma cell-derived Twist protein promotes regulatory T cell development.
The development of tumor tissue-infiltrating regulatory T cell (Treg) is incompletely understood. This study investigates the role of retinoblastoma cell (Rbc)-derived Twist‑related protein 1 (Twist) in the Treg development. The surgically removed Rb tissues were collected. Rbcs were cultured with CD4+ T cells to assess the role of Rbc-derived Twist in the Treg generation. We found that more than 90% Rbcs expressed Twist. Foxp3+ Tregs were detected in the Rb tissues that were positively correlated with the Twist expression in Rbcs, negatively associated with Rb patient survival and sight survival. Treating Rbcs with hypoxia promoted the Twist expression that could be detected in the cytoplasm, nuclei and on the cell surface. Twist activated CD4+ T cells by binding the TLR4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 complex and promoted the transforming growth factor-β-inducible early gene 1 product and Foxp3 expression. These Rbc-induced Foxp3+ Tregs showed immune-suppressive function on CD8+ T cell proliferation. Rbcs express Twist, that induces IL-4+ Foxp3+ Tregs; the latter can inhibit CD8+ cytotoxic T cell activities. Therefore, Twist may play an important role in the pathogenesis of Rb.


Viral mechanisms of adipose dysfunction: lessons from HIV-1 Vpr.
HIV-associated lipodystrophy is a heterogeneous, evolving condition associated with fundamental defects in adipose tissue differentiation, turnover and function. Although many antiretroviral drugs can affect adipose tissues adversely, clinical evidence suggests that factors associated with the virus per se could play a role. We have focused on the possibility that an HIV accessory protein, viral protein R (Vpr) could dysregulate metabolically critical transcription factors to cause the adipose dysfunction. In a recent study published in Science Translational Medicine, we utilized 2 animal models to show that Vpr, produced in tissues that sequester HIV after antiretroviral therapy, can act in a paracrine or endocrine fashion to disrupt adipocyte differentiation and function by inhibiting PPARγ target gene expression and activating glucocorticoid target gene expression. The phenotypic consequences included many features typical of the human syndrome, including accelerated lipolysis, increased macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue, diminished size of white adipose depots and hepatic steatosis. In this commentary, we summarize the background, results, and implications of these studies, and raise important questions for future investigation. More broadly, these studies suggest that chronic viral infections may be a causative factor in the pathogenesis of some forms of lipid metabolic disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes.


In vivo binding of the radioiodinated peptide YIGSR on B16 melanoma cells.
It has been reported that metastatic melanoma cell lines selectively bind in vitro with the synthetic laminin pentapeptide tyrosyl-isoleucyl-glycyl-seryl-arginine (YIGSR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the same peptide can bind on melanoma cells in vivo as well. Iodine-125-labeled YIGSR was administered to B16 melanoma-bearing animals. Microscopic autoradiography of tumor and organ sections taken 24 h after peptide administration showed that the peptide did accumulate on the surface of certain tumor cells. The peptide binding cells were frequent in metastatic sites and tumors grown for 24 days and rare in tumors grown for 10 days. A similarly radiolabeled control pentapeptide (peptide DRLKY) did not bind to any tumor cell. It is suggested that the YIGSR binding tumor cells may represent a distinct melanoma cell population with a high metastatic potential.


Cortical anatomy plasticity in cases of cervical spondylotic myelopathy associated with decompression surgery: A strobe-compliant study of structural magnetic resonance imaging.
Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), we studied cortical gray matter volume changes in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) before and after cervical cord surgical decompression. We then discussed the structural damage mechanisms and the neural plasticity mechanisms involved in postsurgical CSM.Forty-five presurgical CSM patients, 41 of the same group followed-up 6 months after decompression surgery and 45 normal controls (NC) matched for age, sex and level of education underwent high-resolution 3-dimensional T1-weighted scans by 3.0 T MR. Then, VBM measurements were compared and cortical gray matter volume alterations were assessed among pre- or postsurgical CSM patients and NC, as well as correlations with clinical indexes by Pearson correlation.Compared with NC, presurgical CSM patients showed reduced gray matter volume in the left caudate nucleus and the right thalamus. After 6 months, postsurgical CSM patients had lower gray matter volume in the bilateral cerebellar posterior lobes but had higher gray matter volume in the brain-stem than did presurgical CSM patients. Postsurgical CSM patients had significantly lower gray matter volume in the left caudate nucleus but greater regional gray matter volume in the right inferior temporal gyrus, the right middle orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the bilateral lingual gyrus / precuneus /posterior cingulate cortex than did NC. Abnormal areas gray volume in presurgical CSM and postsurgical CSM patients showed no significant correlation with clinical data (P > .05).Myelopathy in the cervical cord may cause chronic cerebral structural damage before and after the decompression stage, markedly in outlier brain regions involving motor execution/control, vision processing and the default mode network and in areas associated with brain compensatory plasticity to reverse downstream spinal cord compression and respond to spinal cord surgical decompression.


The effects of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in COPD induced by cigarette smoke: an update.
Cigarette smoke is a complex aerosol containing a large number of compounds with a variety of toxicity and carcinogenicity. Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases the risk of a variety of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a unique biological process, that refers to epithelial cells losing their polarity and transforming into mobile mesenchymal cells, playing a crucial role in organ development, fibrosis, and cancer progression. Numerous recent studies have shown that EMT is an important pathophysiological process involved in airway fibrosis, airway remodeling, and malignant transformation of COPD. In this review, we summarized the effects of cigarette smoke on the development and progression of COPD and focus on the specific changes and underlying mechanisms of EMT in COPD induced by cigarette smoke. We spotlighted the signaling pathways involved in EMT induced by cigarette smoke and summarize the current research and treatment approaches for EMT in COPD, aiming to provide ideas for potential new treatment and research directions.


Peptide-Enabled Targeted Delivery Systems for Therapeutic Applications.
Receptor-targeting peptides have been extensively pursued for improving binding specificity and effective accumulation of drugs at the site of interest, and have remained challenging for extensive research efforts relating to chemotherapy in cancer treatments. By chemically linking a ligand of interest to drug-loaded nanocarriers, active targeting systems could be constructed. Peptide-functionalized nanostructures have been extensively pursued for biomedical applications, including drug delivery, biological imaging, liquid biopsy, and targeted therapies, and widely recognized as candidates of novel therapeutics due to their high specificity, well biocompatibility, and easy availability. We will endeavor to review a variety of strategies that have been demonstrated for improving receptor-specificity of the drug-loaded nanoscale structures using peptide ligands targeting tumor-related receptors. The effort could illustrate that the synergism of nano-sized structures with receptor-targeting peptides could lead to enrichment of biofunctions of nanostructures.


Carotid atherosclerosis among middle-aged individuals predicts cognition: A 10-year follow-up study.
There is a lack of studies simultaneously evaluating the impact of structural and functional atherosclerosis on cognition. We investigated the long-term predictive and interaction effects of structural and functional carotid atherosclerosis markers on future cognitive decline. Five hundred and twenty-eight middle-aged participants enrolled in the carotid atherosclerosis examination in Kaohsiung Atherosclerosis Longitudinal Study (KALS) between 2006 and 2009 were tested for cognition between 2016 and 2019. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used for the cognitive test. Baseline structural atherosclerosis was assessed by carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque, whereas functional atherosclerosis was evaluated by carotid stiffness (β, Ep, and pulse wave velocity). Participants in the top quartile of cIMT and those with plaques were considered to have advanced structural atherosclerosis, whereas participants with all three stiffness parameters in the top quartile were defined to have advanced functional atherosclerosis. The mean participant age at baseline was 53.88 ± 8.37 years. Each case of advanced structural atherosclerosis and advanced functional atherosclerosis was associated with low 10-year MoCA scores with p < 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively. An interaction effect was observed between structural and functional atherosclerosis on the MoCA score 10 years later (p = 0.02). Participants with both advanced structural and functional markers showed a marked impact on future cognitive function, especially executive and language domains. Carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged individuals can predict their cognitive function in 10 years. Integrated information regarding both arterial wall and stiffness could help improve the predictive power for cognitive decline.


The cancer glycocalyx mediates intravascular adhesion and extravasation during metastatic dissemination.
The glycocalyx on tumor cells has been recently identified as an important driver for cancer progression, possibly providing critical opportunities for treatment. Metastasis, in particular, is often the limiting step in the survival to cancer, yet our understanding of how tumor cells escape the vascular system to initiate metastatic sites remains limited. Using an in vitro model of the human microvasculature, we assess here the importance of the tumor and vascular glycocalyces during tumor cell extravasation. Through selective manipulation of individual components of the glycocalyx, we reveal a mechanism whereby tumor cells prepare an adhesive vascular niche by depositing components of the glycocalyx along the endothelium. Accumulated hyaluronic acid shed by tumor cells subsequently mediates adhesion to the endothelium via the glycoprotein CD44. Trans-endothelial migration and invasion into the stroma occurs through binding of the isoform CD44v to components of the sub-endothelial extra-cellular matrix. Targeting of the hyaluronic acid-CD44 glycocalyx complex results in significant reduction in the extravasation of tumor cells. These studies provide evidence of tumor cells repurposing the glycocalyx to promote adhesive interactions leading to cancer progression. Such glycocalyx-mediated mechanisms may be therapeutically targeted to hinder metastasis and improve patient survival.


Ability of 3- to 5-year-old children to use simplified self-report measures of pain intensity.
Little is known about self-report pain intensity scales best suited for young children. We tested the ability of preschool children to use two simplified scales (concrete ordinal and faces). Three- to 5-year-olds (n = 123) were asked to make binary discriminations ('less' vs 'more' pain) between response options using the Simplified Faces Pain Scale and Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale and to complete a seriation task. Eighty participants were also asked to use the Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale, with modified verbal anchors, to rate the loudness of tones and to assess practice effects. Binary discrimination accuracy and seriation ability improved with age. When using the Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale to rate the loudness of tones, even the 3-year-olds performed significantly better than chance, and performance was better in 4- and 5-year-olds. Little evidence supported the ability of 3-year-olds to use either of the simplified tools in the pain context. The 4-year-olds demonstrated greater accuracy in using the Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale than the Simplified Faces Pain Scale, suggesting that the Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale may be more appropriate for this age group.


[Follow-up study for newborns and infants who failed hearing screening].
To study the audiological characteristics of newborns and infants who failed hearing screening. One hundred and six infants failed hearing screening received follow-up study with routine audiological evaluations (auditory brainstem response, distortion product otoacoustic emission, tympanometry and visual reinforcement audiometry). Sixty-five infants (61.3%) of this group were normal hearing subjects and 39(36. 8% ) of the infants had hearing loss. Two cases (1.9%) received follow-up by phone. Fifteen cases (14.2%) with conductive hearing loss and 24 cases (22.6%) with sensorineural hearing loss. Thirteen (12.3%), 14 (13.2%), 6 (5.7%), and 6 (5.7%) cases were found to be mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss respectively. Diagnosis of hearing loss in the thirty-nine infants conducted a prevalence of 0.264% (39/14 785) of congenital hearing loss (both binaural and monaural). The hearing level of those cases with severe and profound hearing loss basically did not change, but that of cases with mild and moderate hearing loss changed. Early identification and intervention of infants with severe and profound hearing loss by 6 months of age were successful. Infants with mild and moderate hearing loss should be followed up to six or eight months and received routine audiologic evaluations.


Liquid Spreading under Nanoscale Confinement.
Dynamic atomic force microscopy in the noncontact regime is used to study the morphology of a nonvolatile liquid (squalane) as it spreads along wettable nanostripes embedded in a nonwettable surface. Results show that the liquid profile depends on the amount of lateral confinement imposed by the nanostripes, and it is truncated at the microscopic contact line in good qualitative agreement with classical mesoscale hydrodynamics. However, the width of the contact line is found to be significantly larger than expected theoretically. This behavior may originate from small chemical inhomogeneity of the patterned stripes as well as from thermal fluctuations of the contact line.


The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the problems with emergency medical care.
One of the world's largest port cities, Kobe and its vicinity, was hit by a so-called "shallow and direct hit" type earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale in the early morning of January 17, 1995. A total of 6308 people were killed and approximately 35,000 people were injured. About 400,000 houses and buildings were more or less damaged, and electricity, water, and city gas supply were suspended in a wide area. Medical facilities were also greatly damaged. The destruction of roads, highways, bridges, and railways made it difficult for people to move within this area. Extraordinary traffic congestion occurred. Telephone lines were disconnected or overloaded. Thus, the modern healthy urban lives that the people had taken for granted were lost in a moment. Emergency responses to the disaster fell behind. Transportation of severely injured patients away from the disaster area to the non-affected area was not smooth because of the interruption of communications and traffic congestion. The scope of the damage from the disaster, types of injuries, characteristics of the victims, problems with emergency medical care encountered in this disaster, and revisions of countermeasures executed after the disaster are reported.


Psychological Capital and Family Satisfaction among Employees: Do Occupational Stressors Moderate the Relationship?
The COVID-19 pandemic has created more occupational stressors, particularly work-family interface issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderating role of occupational stressors in the relationship between a personal resource (psychological capital) and family satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 787 employees (367 males, 420 females) from the Greater Bay Area of China between October and November 2020. Participants completed an online survey which included the Chinese version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, measures of occupational stressors from the Work Stress Management DIY Kit and a measure of family satisfaction. Latent moderated structural equation modeling revealed that family satisfaction was positively associated with psychological capital and negatively associated with occupational stressors. Furthermore, occupational stressors weakened the positive association between psychological capital and family satisfaction. These findings provided empirical evidence for the work-home resources model and may suggest that it would be beneficial to boost psychological capital and reduce occupational stressors of employees.


Measuring Sports' Perceived Benefits and Aggression-Related Risks: Karate vs. Football.
Little is known about people's perceived benefits and risks of sports, despite their role in shaping people's intentions to engage in them. Here, we developed and tested a scale to measure perceived physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits as well as aggression-related risks of karate and football. Additionally, we compared these perceptions within and between these two sports, as well as among undergraduates with current/former participation in different types of physical activity (viz., martial artists, team sports players, participants in other types of physical activity, and non-participants). After a literature review, we created a 5-factor scale with 20 items administered to 184 undergraduates, along with questions about physical activity participation. After removing five items, confirmatory factor analyses supported the factor structure of the scale. Factor loadings and reliability indices were acceptable, though less than desirable results were found concerning the average variance extracted of all benefits dimensions and the reliability of the social benefits dimension. Analyses of variance showed that: (a) physical benefits were seen as the salient outcomes of karate and football, though martial artists perceived karate's physical, emotional, and social benefits to the same extent; (b) in comparison to football, karate was perceived to bring more emotional and cognitive benefits and to entail less aggressiveness risks; (c) karate and football perceptions varied as a function of participant's involvement in physical activity. This study presents a promising instrument to gather information on people's perceptions about karate and football, which can be used to foster people's engagement in them.


Practical Aspects and Avoidance of Complications in Microendoscopic Spine Surgeries: A Review.
Although the indications for endoscopic procedures have increased in recent times, there are also some limitations. This review discusses the practical points to prevent and treat complications in microendoscopic spine surgery. A literature search was conducted for the relevant articles after a topic search on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline. The review is based on the experience of 1,574 spinal endoscopic procedures performed by the senior author. Advantages of endoscopic surgery include better visualization, panoramic vision, and the ability to work around corners. Limitations with endoscopic procedures include proximal blind areas, obstruction in instrument handling due to a narrow corridor, disorientation, frequent lens fogging, loss of depth perception, and difficulty in achieving hemostasis, leading to complications and longer operative time during the learning curve. Surgeons need to learn endoscopic skills in addition to microsurgical ones to perform microendoscopic procedures properly. Attending live workshops, watching operative videos, visiting various departments, watching an experienced and accomplished endoscopic surgeon, proper case selection, a multidisciplinary team approach, practicing on models, hands-on cadaveric workshops, laboratory training, and simulators can improve results and shorten the learning curve.


Influence of sulfur for oxygen substitution in the solvolytic reactions of chloroformate esters and related compounds.
The replacement of oxygen within a chloroformate ester (ROCOCl) by sulfur can lead to a chlorothioformate (RSCOCl), a chlorothionoformate (ROCSCl), or a chlorodithioformate (RSCSCl). Phenyl chloroformate (PhOCOCl) reacts over the full range of solvents usually included in Grunwald-Winstein equation studies of solvolysis by an addition-elimination (A-E) pathway. At the other extreme, phenyl chlorodithioformate (PhSCSCl) reacts across the range by an ionization pathway. The phenyl chlorothioformate (PhSCOCl) and phenyl chlorothionoformate (PhOCSCl) react at remarkably similar rates in a given solvent and there is a dichotomy of behavior with the A-E pathway favored in solvents such as ethanol-water and the ionization mechanism favored in aqueous solvents rich in fluoroalcohol. Alkyl esters behave similarly but with increased tendency to ionization as the alkyl group goes from 1° to 2° to 3°. N,N-Disubstituted carbamoyl halides favor the ionization pathway as do also the considerably faster reacting thiocarbamoyl chlorides. The tendency towards ionization increases as, within the three contributing structures of the resonance hybrid for the formed cation, the atoms carrying positive charge (other than the central carbon) change from oxygen to sulfur to nitrogen, consistent with the relative stabilities of species with positive charge on these atoms.