Broadband electrostatic acoustic transducer for ultrasonic measurements in liquids.
A broadband capacitive electrostatic acoustic transducer (ESAT) has been developed for use in a liquid environment at megahertz frequencies. The ESAT basically consists of a thin conductive membrane stretched over a metallic housing. The membrane functions as the ground plate of a parallel plate capacitor, the other plate being a dc biased electrode recessed approximately 10 mum from the electrically grounded membrane. An ultrasonic wave incident on the membrane varies the membrane-electrode gap spacing and generates an electrical signal proportional to the wave amplitude. The entire assembly is sealed for immersion in a liquid environment. Calibration of the ESAT with incident ultrasonic waves of constant displacement amplitude from 1 to 15 MHz reveals a decrease in signal response with increasing frequency independent of membrane tension. The use of the ESAT as a broadband ultrasonic transducer in liquids with a predictable frequency response is promising.


Homeless alcoholic women on skid row.
Studies of homeless alcoholic women remain rare. Women on Skid Row in New York City were sought out at the Women's Shelter for a study of homeless women alcoholics. The findings in this study of 31 homeless alcoholic women tend to confirm an earlier study by Garrett and Bahr in most respects. A major difference relates to the population's lack of homogeneity. A life-long pattern of marginality does not exist for most of the women. All judged to be alcoholic, some lived with their families, husbands, or a male partner prior to coming to the shelter. Almost a third lived alone. Sometimes the death of someone close or other crisis precipitated homelessness. In many instances there was no apparent crisis. For a substantial group of these women there did seem to be a long-standing pattern of instability and transient living in the two years preceding their move to the shelter. Public resources invested in shelter care are much needed either for individuals whose limited resources run out or where a crisis results in the loss of safe, adequate shelter.


Static mechanical stress induces apoptosis in rat endplate chondrocytes through MAPK and mitochondria-dependent caspase activation signaling pathways.
Mechanical stress has detrimental effects on cartilaginous endplate chondrocytes due to apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we investigated the possible apoptosis signaling pathways induced by mechanical stress in cultured rat cervical endplate chondrocytes. Static mechanical load significantly reduced cell viability in a time- and load-dependent manner, as demonstrated by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Chondrocyte apoptosis induced by mechanical stress was confirmed by annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Western blot analysis revealed that static load-induced chondrocyte apoptosis was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), increased Cytochrome c release, and activated Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, indicating that the mitochondrial pathway is involved in mechanical stress-induced chondrocyte apoptosis. Treatment with inhibitors of JNK (SP600125), p38 MAPK (SB203580), and ERK (PD98059) prior to mechanical stimulation reversed both the static load-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and the activation of JNK, p38 MAPK, and ERK. Taken together, the data presented in this study demonstrate that mechanical stress induces apoptosis in rat cervical endplate chondrocytes through the MAPK-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.


Prolactin receptor expression in lymphocytes from patients with hyperprolactinemia or acromegaly.
Previous reports demonstrated that prolactin receptors (PRL-R) are widely expressed on cells of the immune system. We analyzed a possible regulation of PRL-R expression on human mononucleated blood cells by prolactin (PRL) itself. PRL-R expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence on T and B lymphocytes and monocytes from peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMC) of patients with hyperprolactinemia or acromegaly compared with sex- and age-matched control subjects. The frequency of PRL-R positive cells and the intensity of PRL-R expression was only modified among the CD8+ T cell population of hyperprolactinemic patients with macroadenoma. No correlation was reported between PRL-R expression and circulating PRL levels. The percentage of PRL-R+ cells on B or T lymphocytes and monocytes as well as the capacity of PBMC to proliferate in response to T cell mitogens were not significantly different in bromocriptine-treated compared with untreated patients. These findings suggest that factors other than pituitary PRL play the major role in regulating PRL-R expression on cells of the immune system.


Accumulation mechanism of γ-aminobutyric acid in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under low O2 with and without CO2.
The storage of ripe tomatoes in low-O(2) conditions with and without CO(2) promotes γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation. The activities of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and α-ketoglutarate-dependent GABA transaminase (GABA-TK) were higher and lower, respectively, following storage under hypoxic (2.4 or 3.5% O(2)) or adjusted aerobic (11% O(2)) conditions compared to the activities in air for 7 days at 25 °C. GAD activity was consistent with the expression level of mRNA for GAD. The GABA concentration in tomatoes stored under hypoxic conditions and adjusted aerobic conditions was 60-90% higher than that when they are stored in air on the same day. These results demonstrate that upregulation of GAD activity and downregulation of GABA-TK activity cause GABA accumulation in tomatoes stored under low-O(2) conditions. Meanwhile, the effect of CO(2) on GABA accumulation is probably minimal.


Seroepidemiology of diphtheria and pertussis in Beijing, China: A cross-sectional study.
The aim of this study was to assess the level of humoral immunity against diphtheria and pertussis by measuring IgG to diphtheria toxoid (DT) and pertussis toxin (PT) in general population of Beijing. A total of 2147 subjects aged 0-74 y were selected with a random sample of resident population in Beijing. The information of socio-demographic characteristics, vaccination history, disease history of diphtheria and pertussis were collected for each subject by questionnaire. Serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies to DT and PT by using commercial ELISA kits. The overall positivity rate of anti-DT IgG was 66.28% with the mean concentration of 2.169 IU/ml. Age stratified data showed that the highest positivity rate of 97.63% was observed in 1-4 y and the rates decreased with age. The positivity rates were only around 50% or below since 25 y old. The positivity rate of anti-PT IgG was 12.34% with the mean concentration of 15.163 IU/ml. The highest level of positivity rate (22.23%) and antibody level (23.101 IU/ml) was seen in <1 year old. In subjects older than 10 y old, the anti-PT IgG positivity rate was 10.19%-13.51% and concentration was 13.295 IU/ml -16.353 IU/ml, with no significant differences between these groups (χ2 = 1.664, P = 0.948; F = 0.369, P = 0.899). The subjects with anti-PT IgG ≥ 100 IU/ml were observed in nearly all the groups older than 5 y except for 10-14 age group. The estimated incidences of pertussis infection were higher than 6000/100000 in these age groups. A sharp increase of immunity level of diphtheria was observed at 1 y and 6 y respectively, which was consistent with the current immunization schedule. But there was no significant increase of immunity to pertussis observed after booster immunization at 18-24 months, but the proportions of undetectable were lowest in <1, 1, 2 years in children <14 years. As shown in the present study, the adult population was generally lack of protective antibody against diphtheria and all the age groups showed a low immunity to pertussis indicating the potential risk of transmission and outbreaks of the 2 diseases in Beijing.


Changes in intestinal alpha-methyl-D-glucoside uptake due to pregnancy and lactation in rats.
Uptake of alpha-methyl-D-glucoside, a nonmetabolizable glucose analogue, by everted intestinal sleeves was studied in virgin, pregnant and lactating rats. The animals showed an increase in jejunal and ileal tissue mass, mucosal mass, nominal surface area, and enzymatic activities. No changes were observed in the carrier affinity throughout the breeding stages. Nevertheless there was a significant increase in glucose carrier density (Vmax) per unit of length of jejunum and ileum in pregnant and lactating animals. Integrating the results obtained, and increased overall ability to transport hexoses by nonspecific adaptation can be observed in breeding stages.


Indications for shunting in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus presenting with dementia and brain atrophy (atypical idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus).
The indications for shunt operation in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus accompanied by brain atrophy (atypical idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: AINPH) were investigated in 25 patients who satisfied the diagnostic criteria and underwent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting. All patients had no apparent history of intra- or extracranial disease; dementia and gait disturbance as the main complaints; moderate to severe cerebral atrophy and ventricular dilatation and at least periventricular low density around the anterior horn on computed tomography; normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and filling of ventricles or cortical surface space with contrast medium at 24 hours on cisternography. The 15 male and 10 female patients were aged 47-83 years (mean 60.4 years). VP shunting was effective in 12 improved patients and not effective in 13 unimproved patients according to NPH grading. Pathological pressure wave on epidural pressure monitoring was observed in eight of 12 improved patients, but none of 13 unimproved patients. CSF outflow resistance was 35.33 +/- 11.16 mmHg/ml/min in improved patients and 9.12 +/- 3.51 mmHg/ml/min in unimproved patients. Preoperative serum alpha-1-antichymotrypsin value (alpha-1-ACT) was 42.02 +/- 8.64 mg/dl in improved patients and 61.72 +/- 11.03 mg/dl in unimproved patients. Alpha-1-ACT over 55 mg/dl occurred only in unimproved patients. Cerebral arteriovenous difference of oxygen content value (c-AVDO2) before and after surgery was 6.34 +/- 0.9 ml% and 5.91 +/- 0.78 ml% in improved patients and 4.75 +/- 1.85 ml% and 4.81 +/- 1.73 ml% in unimproved patients, respectively. The two cases with preoperative c-AVDO2 value over 8.5 ml% were both unimproved. Mean cerebral blood flow value before and after surgery was 23.51 +/- 4.20 ml/100 g/min and 45.22 +/- 8.11 ml/100 g/min in improved patients and 21.77 +/- 5.12 ml/100 g/min and 24.82 +/- 4.97 ml/100 g/min in unimproved patients, respectively. Cerebral atrophy in improved patients is caused by a cerebral circulation disturbance defined as a cerebral blood flow of penumbra or more due to cerebral arteriosclerosis, etc. A flow-chart of indications of shunt surgery for AINPH was prepared based on the results of the present study.


The value of serum fructosamine in comparison with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as a screening test for detection of gestational diabetes mellitus.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a single assay of serum fructosamine as a screening test for gestational diabetes in comparison with the oral glucose tolerance test. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 210 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at Colombo South Teaching Hospital. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and serum fructosamine assay in the fasting state and 2 hours after ingestion of oral glucose was performed. The statistical significance of fructosamine values were assessed by Student's t-test and the reliability of the test was assessed by calculating the sensitivity and specificity. There was no significant difference in serum fructosamine levels when measured fasting and 2 hours after ingestion of 75 grams of glucose. In comparison with 75 g glucose tolerance test single assay of serum fructosamine gave a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 94.5% with regard to detection of gestational diabetes mellitus. Therefore a single assay serum fructosamine test at any time of the day can be recommended as a screening test for detection of gestational diabetes mellitus.


Vasomotor symptoms, sleep problems, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling Japanese women.
To assess prevalence and characteristics of vasomotor symptoms in community-dwelling Japanese women. These were cross-sectional analyses using data from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. The main outcome measures were prevalence and severity of hot flashes and sweating. Associations between hot flashes/sweating (slight, moderate, or severe vs none) and sleep problems were explored using logistic regression, with and without adjustment for age, daily physical activity, and number of urinations/night. Associations between hot flashes/sweating and sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and dietary variables were explored in logistic regression models or general linear models. A total of 1152 women between 40 and 91 years of age were enrolled. Hot flashes were reported by 24.5% of participants; with prevalence and severity highest in those 50-54 years or 2-5 years postmenopause. Sleep problems were reported 15 percentage points more frequently by women who reported hot flashes than by those without hot flashes. Adjusted odds ratios [95% CI] for difficulty in falling asleep and difficulty in sleeping through were 2.09 [1.565-2.796] and 2.07 [1.549-2.763]), respectively. Also, hot flashes were associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 2.99 [2.07-4.32]) and lower life satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-rated health status. A similar pattern was observed in women with and without sweating. No associations were found between hot flashes and dietary factors. Clear associations were found between hot flashes and sleeping problems, even after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Women who reported hot flashes also reported worse mental and physical health than those who did not report hot flashes.


c-kit expression profile and regulatory factors during spermatogonial stem cell differentiation.
It has been proven that c-kit is crucial for proliferation, migration, survival and maturation of spermatogenic cells. A periodic expression of c-kit is observed from primordial germ cells (PGCs) to spermatogenetic stem cells (SSCs), However, the expression profile of c-kit during the entire spermatogenesis process is still unclear. This study aims to reveal and compare c-kit expression profiles in the SSCs before and after the anticipated differentiation, as well as to examine its relationship with retinoic acid (RA) stimulation. We have found that there are more than 4 transcripts of c-kit expressed in the cell lines and in the testes. The transcripts can be divided into short and long categories. The long transcripts include the full-length canonical c-kit transcript and the 3' end short transcript. Short transcripts include the 3.4 kb short transcript and several truncated transcripts (1.9-3.2 kb). In addition, the 3.4 kb transcript (starting from intron 9 and covering exons 10 ~ 21) is discovered to be specifically expressed in the spermatogonia. The extracellular domain of Kit is obtained in the spermatogonia stage, but the intracellular domain (50 kDa) is constantly expressed in both SSCs and spermatogonia. The c-kit expression profiles in the testis and the spermatogonial stem cell lines vary after RA stimulation. The wave-like changes of the quantitative expression pattern of c-kit (increase initially and decrease afterwards) during the induction process are similar to that of the in vivo male germ cell development process. There are dynamic transcription and translation changes of c-kit before and after SSCs' anticipated differentiation and most importantly, RA is a significant upstream regulatory factor for c-kit expression.


The Association between Daily Total Dietary Nutrient Intake and Recent Glycemic Control States of Non-Pregnant Adults 20+ Years Old from NHANES 1999-2018 (Except for 2003-2004).
Although daily total dietary nutrient intakes were potentially important factors in maintaining glycemic balance, their overall effect on glycemic control was still unclear among American adults. We aimed to examine the association between daily total dietary nutrient intake and recent glycemic control status (RGCS). This cohort was composed of 41,302 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The daily total intake of dietary nutrients and RGCS were independent and dependent variables, respectively. To evaluate their association, we carried out binary logistic regression, model fitting, linear discriminant analysis, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. The result of robust check model showed that only the daily total dietary vitamin B6 intake (adjusted OR = 0.848; 95% CI: 0.738, 0.973; p-value = 0.019) was significantly negatively correlated with RGCS. When daily total dietary vitamin B6 intake and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were used as independent variables and dependent variables, respectively, to fit the curves and lines, the established robust check model could distinguish American adults with different RGCS well. Moreover, the robust check model results of ROC analysis indicated that daily total dietary vitamin B6 intake might be a potential predictor for RGCS (AUC = 0.977; 95% CI: 0.974, 0.980; p-value < 0.001). This study showed that only daily total dietary vitamin B6 intake was a beneficial factor in RGCS, but it might need further multicenter or prospective studies to verify whether vitamin B6 had biological implications and public health meaning for glycemic control among American adults (specifically referred to non-pregnant participants over 20 years old).


Glutathione elevation and its protective role in acrolein-induced protein damage in synaptosomal membranes: relevance to brain lipid peroxidation in neurodegenerative disease.
Oxidative stress may be a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acrolein is a highly reactive product of lipid peroxidation that is elevated in the brains of persons with AD. This alkenal potentially can react with proteins by Michael addition to alter their structure and function. In the present study, we used electron paramagnetic resonance in conjunction with a protein-specific spin label to monitor synaptosomal membrane protein conformational alterations induced by acrolein. A dose-dependent increased conformational alteration was observed. Consistent with this finding, protein carbonyl levels from protein-bound acrolein were significantly elevated. However, pretreatment of synaptosomes with glutathione ethyl ester (GEE) significantly ameliorated both the conformational alterations and protein carbonyls induced by acrolein. Based on this success, we tested the hypothesis that elevated levels of endogenous glutathione (GSH) would offer protection against acrolein-induced oxidative stress. In-vivo elevation of GSH (215% over control, P<0.04) was produced by i.p. injection of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a known precursor of GSH. Synaptosomes were treated with vehicle or 2 nM acrolein, the level of this alkenal found in AD brain. In contrast to synaptosomes from control animals, which had significantly increased protein carbonyl levels following addition of 2 nM acrolein, synaptosomes that were isolated from NAC-treated rodents and treated with 2 nM acrolein showed no increased carbonyl levels compared to untreated controls. These results demonstrate protection by increased in-vivo GSH levels against acrolein-induced oxidative stress at levels found in AD brain and are consistent with the notion that methods to increase endogenous GSH levels in neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress may be promising.


[Morphology of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in neoplasias of oral mucosa].
The aim of the study was to assess correlation of E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression with proliferative activity and neoplasia grade in oral mucosa. Oral biopsies of 48 patients were studied with focal hyperplasia, squamous intraepithelial neoplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Tissue antigens were determined using a mouse monoclonal antibody to Ki-67 and E-cadherin and rabbit polyclonal antibodies to N-cadherin. The study revealed correlation between the proliferative activity of epithelial cells and N-cadherin synthesis associated with decline of E-cadherin expression. Intercellular junction proteins E- and N-cadherins may be used for early diagnosis of malignant transformation of oral squamous epithelium.


Characterization of powdered fish heads for bone graft biomaterial applications.
The aim of this study was to define the chemical composition, morphology and crystallography of powdered fish heads of the species Argyrosomus regius for bone graft biomaterial applications. Two sizes of powder were prepared by different grinding methods; Powder A (coarse, d50=68.5 µm) and Powder B (fine, d50=19.1 µm). Samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry (TG), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The powder was mainly composed of aragonite (CaCO3) and calcite (CaCO3). The XRD pattern of Powder A and B matched standard aragonite and calcite patterns. In addition, the calcium oxide (CaO) phase was found after the calcination of Powder A. Thermogravimetry analysis confirmed total mass losses of 43.6% and 47.3% in Powders A and B, respectively. The microstructure of Powder A was mainly composed of different sizes and tubular shape, whereas Powder B showed agglomerated particles. The high quantity of CaO and other oxides resemble the chemical composition of bone. In general, the powder can be considered as bone graft after transformation to hydroxyapatite phase.


The relationship between dental caries status and oral health attitudes and behavior in young Israeli adults.
The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic relationship between oral health attitudes and behavior as measured by the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) and dental caries status using the DMF in a sample of young Israeli adults. The HU-DBI (in Hebrew) was used to survey 123 young Israeli army recruits (eighteen and nineteen years old). All participants submitted to a clinical and radiographic dental examination. Dental caries status was evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth and surfaces (DMFT and DMFS, respectively). Data were statistically analyzed. DMFT and DMFS scores, which measure dental disease, ranged from 0 to 24 (average 6.77) and from 0 to 48 (average 10.95), respectively. There were sixteen (13 percent) caries free (DMF=0) participants. When relating the different DMF values to the HU-DBI responses, a statistically significant relation was found between seven items and DMF scores or their components and indices. The HU-DBI score ranged from 2 to 9 (mean 5.8, SD=1.5). Low DS and DT values significantly correlated with a high total HU-DBI score (p<0.05); that is, subjects with low levels of dental disease had more positive oral health attitudes and behavior. In young Israeli adults, dental disease, as measured by DMF scores or their components, were related to HU-DBI, which demonstrate the relationship of dental caries status with oral health behavior. Special emphasis should be given to improving patients' oral health attitudes and behaviors by providing patient education during treatment.


Note: Multi-point measurement of |B| in the gas-dynamic trap with a spectral motional Stark effect diagnostic.
An upgraded spectral motional Stark effect diagnostic has been installed on the gas-dynamic trap (GDT) experiment to enable spatially resolved measurement of |B|. A new low-noise charge-coupled device detector, combined with enhancements of the diagnostic neutral beam, allows single-shot profile measurements. Previously only single-point motional Stark effect measurements were possible, and detector noise severely limited measurement precision, requiring multi-shot averaging. The plasma pressure profile in GDT is derived from the measured diamagnetic modification of |B| and used to examine the conditions of stable plasma confinement at high plasma pressure.


Dynamic expression of proteins associated with adventitial remodeling in adventitial fibroblasts from spontaneously hypertensive rats.
To identify proteins that could potentially be involved in adventitial remodeling in vascular adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). AFs were isolated from thoracic aortas of 4-, 8-, 16-, and 24-week-old male SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and cultured to passage 4. Proteomic differential expression profiles between SHR-AFs and WKY-AFs were investigated using 2-D electrophoresis (2-DE), whereas gel image analysis was processed using Image Master 2D Platinum. Protein spots were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Expression levels of annexin A1 in AFs and aortas from SHR and WKY rats were detected with Western blotting and immunofluorescence techniques. In 4-, 8-, 16-, and 24-week-old SHR-AFs, 49, 59, 54, and 69 protein spots were found to have significant differences from the age-matched WKY-AFs. Fourteen spots with the same changes in patterns were analyzed in 4-, 8-, 16-, and 24-week-old SHR-AFs with mass spectrometry. Except for cytoskeleton proteins such as tubulin beta 5, it was found that annexin A1, translation elongation factor Tu, endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 and calcium-binding protein 1 were expressed in vascular AFs and their levels changed significantly in SHR-AFs compared with those in WKY-AFs. A decrease in annexin A1 in SHR-AFs was confirmed with Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining at the cell and tissue levels. The application of proteomic techniques revealed a number of novel proteins involved in adventitial remodeling of AFs from SHR, which provide new mechanisms responsible for the occurrence and development of hypertension and potential targets for influencing vascular remodeling in hypertension.


Causing a stir: biomolecular mixing.
A proposition is made, and an argument presented for the existence of molecular stirrers inside the living cell. These, as hypothesized, are rotating proteins with long arms mixing the cellular milieu, which is essential for various kinds of interactions. There are no proteins found performing this role, yet. Thus this proposition could be of importance for the progress of scientific finding, by being on the look out for such proteins. Protein stirrers could be rotary motors quite fundamental to the living cell and experimental findings that could suggest the presence of such a stirring machinery are discussed. Possible experimental approaches towards testing this hypothesis are presented.


Hemorrhagic transformation in focal cerebral ischemia: influence of time to artery reopening and tissue plasminogen activator.
We used an adaptation of a well-established rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) that is both minimally invasive and reproducible to determine the effects of time to reperfusion and administration of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) on the development of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in a rat model of acute stroke. Animals were randomized to receive either t-PA 10 mg/kg (29 rats) or an equal volume of saline (29 rats) over 20 minutes, beginning 5 minutes before reperfusion. Time to artery reopening varied between 1 and 24 hours after MCAO in both groups. At 18-24 hours after ischemia, the animals were sacrificed and their brains were preserved for analysis of HT. Logistic regression was used to determine the influence of time on HT risk and calculate the time at which 50% of animals developed HT (HT50%). At 24 hours, HT was present in 17 of 29 animals in each group and was significantly influenced by the time of artery reopening: 3 (15%) of 20 animals reperfused less than 3 hours after onset of ischemia and 32 (84%) of 38 reperfused 3 or more hours after the onset of ischemia (p<0.001). There was no difference in HT50% between groups. Time to artery reopening is an important determinant of HT risk in this model of cerebral ischemia. This model may have utility in developing strategies to reduce HT formation after thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute stroke.


Psychosocial conditioning of depressive disorders in post-menopausal women.
Studies confirm that the period prior to, during, and some time after menopause are the times of increase risk of the development of depressive disorders. It is indicated that the level of depression at this stage of a woman's life depends on the time which had elapsed since the onset of menopause and a number of demographic and psychosocial factors. The objective of the study was evaluation of selected psychosocial factors determining the level of depression in postmenopausal women. The study was conducted in 2011, among 364 rural and 382 urban women living in the south-eastern areas of Poland. Women aged 52-60, who had stopped menstruating within the last three years, and had delivered at least one child, were selected for the study. Analysis of the results of the studies shows that the psychosocial situation of Polish women at postmenopausal age varies. Rural postmenopausal women more often had a poorer material standard than urban women, and also had a significantly higher statistically level of depression. The level of depression among rural and urban women in the study differed and was related with education level, family, and occupational situation, as well as the level of satisfaction with social and sex life. The presents study shows that women living in the rural areas are to a greater extent exposed to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Due to the scale of the phenomenon, at this stage, these women should receive support not only from a psychiatrist, to whom they still too rarely report in Poland, but primarily to a family physician or a gynecologist


Planned NLM/AHCPR large-scale vocabulary test: using UMLS technology to determine the extent to which controlled vocabularies cover terminology needed for health care and public health.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) are sponsoring a test to determine the extent to which a combination of existing health-related terminologies covers vocabulary needed in health information systems. The test vocabularies are the 30 that are fully or partially represented in the 1996 edition of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus, plus three planned additions: the portions of SNOMED International not in the 1996 Metathesaurus Read Clinical Classification, and the Logical Observations Identifiers, Names, and Codes (LOINC) system. These vocabularies are available to testers through a special interface to the Internet-based UMLS Knowledge Source Server. The test will determine the ability of the test vocabularies to serve as a source of controlled vocabulary for health data systems and applications. It should provide the basis for realistic resource estimates for developing and maintaining a comprehensive "standard" health vocabulary that is based on existing terminologies.


Komplexe Untersuchungen zur quartären Eisstausee-Entwicklung in Mitteldeutschland.
Abstract Geological-sedimentological (grain size, micromorphology, varve correlation) and geochemical (stable isotopes: (18)O/(16)O,(13)C/(12)C) investigations with ice-dammed lake sediments of the Dehlitz-Leipzig varved clay enable to elucidate in detail the palaeosedimentologic and palaeoclimatic conditions in the surrounding of the Elsterian Scandinavian inland-ice sheet a relatively short time before its maximum extension in Central Europe took place. For the space of time between formation of the ice-dammed glacial lake and its run-over by Scandinavian inland-ice sheet the obtained results allow to distinguish at least four evolutionary phases. Regarding the palaeosedimentologic relations in the ice-dammed glacial lake these four phases are characterized by differences in the dynamics of sediment input, suspension density within the water body and existence/absence of stagnation events with syngenetic formation of carbonates under anoxic conditions. During the formation of glacial varves the obtained data seem to support the existence of small seasonal differences which can be due to very cold, long winter- and short, cool summer periods. In this way the time of the first Elsterian glacial maximum, reflected by the varved clays, can be classified as a typical glacial climatic period.


[Protaminase activity of plasma. III. Role of conversion enzyme (kininase II) in protaminase activity of plasma].
Kininase I (carboxypeptidase N) and kininase II (angiotensin converting enzyme) were isolated from human plasma by gel filtration on Sephadex G 200, then separated and partially purified by ion exchange chromatography. These two partially purified enzymic preparations allowed us to demonstrate that protamine underwent an extensive degradation only when both kininases acted simultaneously. The effects of CoCl2, an activator, and of several inhibitors, amongst which captopril, suggest that the same enzymatic system is responsible for the in vitro protaminasic activity of diluted unfractionated plasma.


Formants are easy to measure; resonances, not so much: Lessons from Klatt (1986).
Formants in speech signals are easily identified, largely because formants are defined to be local maxima in the wideband sound spectrum. Sadly, this is not what is of most interest in analyzing speech; instead, resonances of the vocal tract are of interest, and they are much harder to measure. Klatt [(1986). in Proceedings of the Montreal Satellite Symposium on Speech Recognition, 12th International Congress on Acoustics, edited by P. Mermelstein (Canadian Acoustical Society, Montreal), pp. 5-7] showed that estimates of resonances are biased by harmonics while the human ear is not. Several analysis techniques placed the formant closer to a strong harmonic than to the center of the resonance. This "harmonic attraction" can persist with newer algorithms and in hand measurements, and systematic errors can persist even in large corpora. Research has shown that the reassigned spectrogram is less subject to these errors than linear predictive coding and similar measures, but it has not been satisfactorily automated, making its wider use unrealistic. Pending better techniques, the recommendations are (1) acknowledge limitations of current analyses regarding influence of F0 and limits on granularity, (2) report settings more fully, (3) justify settings chosen, and (4) examine the pattern of F0 vs F1 for possible harmonic bias.


Mercury-cadmium-telluride waveguides--a novel strategy for on-chip mid-infrared sensors.
We report the first planar waveguides made from mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT)-a material to date exclusively used for mid-infrared (MIR) detector elements-serving as on-chip MIR evanescent field transducers in combination with tunable quantum cascade lasers (tQCLs) emitting in the spectral regime of 5.78-6.35 μm. This novel MIR sensing approach utilizes structured MCT chips fabricated via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) as waveguide enabling sensing via evanescent field absorption spectroscopy, as demonstrated by the detection of 1 nL of acetone. Complementary finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations fit well with the experimentally obtained data and predict an improvement of the limit of detection by at least 2 orders of magnitude upon implementation of thinner MCT waveguides. With the first demonstration of chemical sensing using on-chip MCT waveguides, monolithically fabricated IR sensing systems directly interfacing the waveguide with the MCT detector element may be envisaged.


Improving occupational safety and health in Bangladesh.
The majority of the population in Bangladesh is employed in manual handling tasks, but adequate protections for these workers do not exist. Conditions at a boulder handling site, saw mill, rice packaging plant and construction site show the need for comprehensive reforms in occupational safety and health legislation and practice in Bangladesh. New policies on training, industrial hygiene, safety equipment, and risk assessment are necessary to protect workers in a rapidly developing economy.


Gentianella macrosperma, a new species of Gentianella (Gentianaceae) from Xinjiang, China.
Gentianella macrosperma Ma ex H.F. Cao, J.D. Ya & Q.R. Zhang, a new species of Gentianaceae from Xinjiang, Northwest China is described and illustrated. This new species is unique in having equal length of corolla lobe and corolla tube, nectaries located at the throat of the corolla tube and large seeds up to 1.6 mm in diameter. In addition, an updated identification key to the Chinese species of Gentianella is provided.


Introduction of an automated user-independent quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging breast density measurement system using the Dixon sequence: comparison with mammographic breast density assessment.
The purposes of this study were to introduce and assess an automated user-independent quantitative volumetric (AUQV) breast density (BD) measurement system on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the Dixon technique as well as to compare it with qualitative and quantitative mammographic (MG) BD measurements. Forty-three women with normal mammogram results (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 1) were included in this institutional review board-approved prospective study. All participants were subjected to BD assessment with MRI using the following sequence with the Dixon technique (echo time/echo time, 6 milliseconds/2.45 milliseconds/2.67 milliseconds; 1-mm isotropic; 3 minutes 38 seconds). To test the reproducibility, a second MRI after patient repositioning was performed. The AUQV magnetic resonance (MR) BD measurement system automatically calculated percentage (%) BD. The qualitative BD assessment was performed using the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System BD categories. Quantitative BD was estimated semiautomatically using the thresholding technique Cumulus4. Appropriate statistical tests were used to assess the agreement between the AUQV MR measurements and to compare them with qualitative and quantitative MG BD estimations. The AUQV MR BD measurements were successfully performed in all 43 women. There was a nearly perfect agreement of AUQV MR BD measurements between the 2 MR examinations for % BD (P < 0.001; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.998) with no significant differences (P = 0.384). The AUQV MR BD measurements were significantly lower than quantitative and qualitative MG BD assessment (P < 0.001). The AUQV MR BD measurement system allows a fully automated, user-independent, robust, reproducible, as well as radiation- and compression-free volumetric quantitative BD assessment through different levels of BD. The AUQV MR BD measurements were significantly lower than the currently used qualitative and quantitative MG-based approaches, implying that the current assessment might overestimate breast density with MG.


[Effect of gentamicin on the concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in perilymph of the guinea pig].
The calcium, magnesium and zinc ions in perilymph of the guinea pig were measured after hearing loss induced by gentamicin. The concentration of the calcium ions and magnesium ions increased, the zinc ions decreased in perilymph. The ototoxicity of gentamicin was related to the changes of these electrolytes in inner ear circumstance. The results showed that the changes of ions were the step of gentamicin ototoxicity.


Engineered extracellular vesicle-based sonotheranostics for dual stimuli-sensitive drug release and photoacoustic imaging-guided chemo-sonodynamic cancer therapy.
Sonodynamic therapy has shown promise as an effective alternative to conventional photodynamic therapy owing to its ability to treat deep-seated tumors. However, the development of stimuli-responsive sonosensitizers with high biocompatibility faces a significant challenge. Methods: In this study, we developed dual stimuli-responsive sonosensitizers with desirable biosafety using extracellular vesicles (EVs), a class of naturally occurring nanoparticles. Indocyanine green (ICG), which functions as both a sonosensitizer and photoacoustic (PA) imaging agent, was loaded into EVs, together with paclitaxel (PTX) and sodium bicarbonate (SBC), to achieve pH-responsive PA imaging-guided chemo-sonodynamic combination therapy. Results: The EVs significantly improved the cellular uptake of ICG, thus triggering enhanced sonodynamic effects in breast cancer cells. SBC-, ICG-, and PTX-loaded EV [SBC-EV(ICG/PTX)] efficiently released the PTX in response to acidic pH in the endo/lysosomes because CO2 bubbles generated from the SBC caused the EV membranes to burst. The drug release was further facilitated by ultrasound (US) treatment, demonstrating dual pH/US-responsive drug release. The ICG- and PTX-loaded EVs exhibited efficient anticancer activity against breast tumor cells owing to the combination of chemo-sonodynamic therapy. High-resolution PA imaging visualized the preferential tumor accumulation of SBC-EV(ICG/PTX) in tumor-bearing mice. Notably, a single intravenous injection of SBC-EV(ICG/PTX) with US irradiation significantly suppressed tumor growth in mice without systemic toxicity. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that dual stimuli-responsive SBC-EV(ICG/PTX) are promising sonotheranostic nanoplatforms for safe and efficient chemo-sonodynamic combination cancer therapy and photoacoustic imaging.


Correlations of human herpesvirus 6B and CMV infection with acute GVHD in recipients of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and CMV reactivation were monitored in a cohort of 72 consecutive haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients using RQ-PCR and antigenaemia assay, respectively. The association between acute GVHD (aGVHD) and HHV-6B/CMV was evaluated. We found that on day 100 the cumulative incidence of grades I-IV aGVHD, grades II-IV aGVHD and grades III-IV aGVHD was 55.6, 27.8 and 13.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that HHV-6B reactivation was closely correlated with a higher probability of grade II-IV aGVHD by day 30 (Hazard ratio (HR), 8.9; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.6-31.0; P=0.0006), by day 50 (HR, 6.1; 95% CI, 2.1-17.8; P=0.0010) and by day 100 (HR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.7-13.6; P=0.0028). However, CMV reactivation did not significantly affect the development of aGVHD by day 50 (HR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.1-6.7; P=0.8236) and by day 100 (HR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.1-4.4; P=0.5330) after HSCT. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that active HHV-6B infection, but not CMV, is significantly associated with an increased risk of aGVHD development after HSCT.


Solvent-Induced Single Crystal-Single Crystal Transformation of an Interpenetrated Three-Dimensional Copper Triazole Catalytic Framework.
The 2-fold interpenetrated 3D framework 1 can be solvent-induced to noninterpenetrated framework 1' in a reversible single crystal-single crystal transformation fashion. In addition, 1' represents the first catalyst based on triazole to catalyze the aerobic homocoupling of various substituted arylboronic acids.


Utility of intravascular ultrasound in carotid stenting.
To illustrate the utility of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging during endoluminal interventions in the carotid artery. A patient with symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusive disease was treated with balloon angioplasty and evaluated with both angiography (interpreted as a widely patent outcome) and IVUS, which identified a residual 70% cross-sectional area stenosis. A stent was placed across the lesion, producing a 70% increase in the lumen as documented by IVUS in comparison to the cross-sectional area of the reference vessel. Postprocedural angiography of the stented segment showed only an approximate 20% increase in diameter. This study highlights the utility of IVUS for accurate assessment of angioplasty outcome and for quantitative assessment of luminal volume following intervention and stent placement. The case emphasizes the need for IVUS as an integral part of the procedure to ensure adequate treatment and to accurately document the residual lesion for assessment of recurrence phenomena at follow-up.


Injuries among disabled athletes during the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games.
This prospective injury surveillance study was conducted to better understand the types of and risk factors of injuries sustained by athletes with disabilities competing in adapted winter sports at the elite level. Detailed information was collected on all injuries evaluated by polyclinic or venue medical personnel during the operational 20-d period of the 2002 Winter Paralympics. A total of 39 injuries involving 9% of the Paralympic athletes were recorded in the injury registry. Most of these injuries were of acute, traumatic onset and involved the disciplines of alpine skiing and sledge hockey. Sprains (32%), fractures (21%), and strains and lacerations (14% each) represented the most common diagnoses. Of the recorded injuries, eight (21%) resulted in time lost from training or competition. The injury patterns observed among winter Paralympians in this study are not appreciably different from able-bodied athletes competing in similar disciplines, although in many instances the risk factors for sport-specific injury appear to be unique to disabled or adapted competition. Our preliminary observations suggest that several of the more severe injuries were potentially preventable. Ongoing data collection by the International Paralympic Committee should enable feasible injury prevention strategies to be designed and implemented.


Application of dendrimer-drug complexation in the enhancement of drug solubility and bioavailability.
Dendrimers are 3D, hyperbranched, tree-like polymers having immense potential in drug delivery, targeting, diagnosis and as carriers for DNA/gene delivery. Dendrimers have hydrophilic exteriors and hydrophilic interiors, which are responsible for its unimolecular micellar nature. They form covalent as well as non-covalent complexes with drug molecules and hydrophobes, which are responsible for its solubilisation behaviour. Dendrimer mediated complexation is advantageous in terms of stability, controlled release, high drug payload and reduced toxicity of entrapped drug(s). Studies on non-covalent interaction of dendrimers with drugs are in abundance so far as solubilisation is concerned. However, the non-covalent complexation often leads to lower drug encapsulation and complex stability compared to covalent conjugation. High drug payload and stability leads to higher bioavailability of the drugs. In addition dendrimers can be surface engineered to release the drug at desired site, that is, as targeted drug delivery. This property along with the solubilisation behaviour could improve the bioavailability of drugs.


Engineering bispecificity into a single albumin-binding domain.
Bispecific antibodies as well as non-immunoglobulin based bispecific affinity proteins are considered to have a very high potential in future biotherapeutic applications. In this study, we report on a novel approach for generation of extremely small bispecific proteins comprised of only a single structural domain. Binding to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was engineered into an albumin-binding domain while still retaining the original affinity for albumin, resulting in a bispecific protein composed of merely 46 amino acids. By diversification of the non albumin-binding side of the three-helix bundle domain, followed by display of the resulting library on phage particles, bispecific single-domain proteins were isolated using selections with TNF-α as target. Moreover, based on the obtained sequences from the phage selection, a second-generation library was designed in order to further increase the affinity of the bispecific candidates. Staphylococcal surface display was employed for the affinity maturation, enabling efficient isolation of improved binders as well as multiparameter-based sortings with both TNF-α and albumin as targets in the same selection cycle. Isolated variants were sequenced and the binding to albumin and TNF-α was analyzed. This analysis revealed an affinity for TNF-α below 5 nM for the strongest binders. From the multiparameter sorting that simultaneously targeted TNF-α and albumin, several bispecific candidates were isolated with high affinity to both antigens, suggesting that cell display in combination with fluorescence activated cell sorting is a suitable technology for engineering of bispecificity. To our knowledge, the new binders represent the smallest engineered bispecific proteins reported so far. Possibilities and challenges as well as potential future applications of this novel strategy are discussed.


Treatment of UTIs Due to Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producers: How to Use New Antibiotic Drugs? A Narrative Review.
K. pneumoniae is one of the bacteria most frequently causing health care-associated urinary tract infections, and increasingly incriminating Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase producers (KPCp). Most infections caused by KPCp are nosocomial and might cause serious issues, even leading to death in half of the reported cases. Our aim was to identify the best strategy, based on available scientific data, for the use of new antibiotic treatments to manage KPCp UTIs. this narrative review of the literature was performed according to the criteria of preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses statement (PRISMA) (2020). KPCp-UTIs are a real challenge for physicians. While cefiderocol, meropenem-vaborbactam, ceftazidim-avibactam, and imipenem-relebactam represent a major step forward in the treatment of these UTIs, no guidelines are currently available, in view of choosing the most appropriate treatment, in each specific case.


Modulation of cell migration and vessel formation by vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in cultured embryonic heart.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulate endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and vascular tube formation. We tested the hypotheses that these growth factors stimulate (1) cell migration and (2) assembly into cord-like structures in embryonic rat heart explants cultured on collagen gels. Atrial and ventricular explants from rat embryos at 12 (E12, avascular) and 14 (E14, early vascularization stage) days of gestation were cultured on a collagen substrate. Western blot analysis of the explants indicated that endogenous VEGF was present in both atria and ventricles during incubation. Addition of bFGF to E12 explants markedly increased cell migration, whereas VEGF had no significant effect. In E14 explants neither growth factor influenced cell migration. Cotreatment with VEGF and bFGF did not have a synergistic effect on the migration distance of cells from either E12 or E14 embryonic hearts. However, VEGF stimulated the appearance of cord-like structures in E14, but not E12, explants. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that these cord-like structures consist of elongated cells, some of which aggregate into clusters, or form tube-like structures, similar to capillaries. Serial sections of monolayers revealed that tube formation occurs beneath the surface of collagen gel. We conclude that in this model system VEGF and bFGF play distinct roles, at specific time points, in coronary vascular tube formation in the developing heart.


[Anatomo-clinical observation of atherosclerotic subcortical encephalopathy ("Binswanger's disease") with hypodensity of the white matter on brain scan].
A 54 year-old hypertensive female patient presented dementia evolving progressively over a four-year period in association with motor deficiency and asymmetric pyramidal signs. The scan showed diffuse hypodensity of the white matter without enhancement. Brain biopsy indicated a diagnosis of subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy; this was later confirmed by the post-mortem examination. On the strength of data from the literature, the authors draw attention to the frequency of this syndrome in hypertensive patients. They outline the main clinical characteristics and demonstrate the importance of the scan.


Metastasis to the colon from primary bronchogenic carcinoma presenting as occult gastrointestinal bleeding--report of a case.
A case of colonic metastasis in a 69-year old man detected due to positive fecal blood tests is presented. Histologic and clinical findings suggested bronchogenic small cell carcinoma as the primary tumor. Metastatic involvement of the colon is an unusual feature of primary bronchogenic carcinoma which is rarely recognized during lifetime.


Schistosoma mansoni and Biomphalaria glabrata have some common epitopes. I. Common epitopes are present on the surface of early stages of S. mansoni.
1. The presence of snail and glycocalyx antigens in the Schistosoma mansoni cercarial surface and their permanence throughout development in vitro and in vivo was investigated. 2. Rabbit antisera raised against two fractions of glycocalyx released from cercariae and Biomphalaria glabrata soft tissues or haemolymph were obtained. 3. All four antisera bound to cercariae and schistosomula kept in vitro or in vivo for up to 24 hr. 4. No binding to schistosomula kept in vivo for 5 days or longer was observed. 5. Schistosomula cultured in vitro for up to 12 days bound the antisera throughout the period of culture.


Applications of neural networks in quantitative structure-activity relationships of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors.
Back propagation neural networks is a new technology useful for modeling nonlinear functions of several variables. This paper explores their applications in the field of quantitative structure-activity relationships. In particular, their ability to fit biological activity surfaces, predict activity, and determine the "functional forms" of its dependence on physical properties is compared to well-established methods in the field. A dataset of 256 5-phenyl-3,4-diamino-6,6-dimethyldihydrotriazines that inhibit dihydrofolate reductase enzyme is used as a basis for comparison. It is found that neural networks lead to enhanced surface fits and predictions relative to standard regression methods. Moreover, they circumvent the need for ad hoc indicator variables, which account for a significant part of the variance in linear regression models. Additionally, they lead to the elucidation of nonlinear and "cross-products" effects that correspond to trade-offs between physical properties in their effect on biological activity. This is the first demonstration of the latter two findings. On the other hand, due to the complexity of the resulting models, an understanding of the local, but not the global, structure-activity relationships is possible. The latter must await further developments. Furthermore, the longer computational time required to train the networks is somewhat inconveniencing, although not restrictive.


[Laryngeal interarytenoid neurilemmoma excised via microlaryngeal endoscopy: two case reports].
Laryngeal interarytenoid neurilemmomas (LIN) is a benign encapsulated tumor originating from the schwann cells lining nerve fibers. Even though LINs are extremely rare in incidence, they could present with potential threat to the airway and thus requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Here, we report two cases of LINs. Both patients underwent excision of the tumor via microlaryngeal endoscopic procedures and recovered well postoperatively without complications. No recurrence was observed postoperatively on routine follow-up after 14 months.


Dynamical and transport properties of liquid gallium at high pressures.
Quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations are used to calculate the equation of state, structure, and transport properties of liquid gallium along the principal shock Hugoniot. The calculated Hugoniot is in very good agreement with experimental data up to a pressure of 150 GPa as well as with our earlier classical molecular dynamics calculations using a modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potential. The self-diffusion and viscosity calculated using QMD agree with experimental measurements better than the MEAM results, which we attribute to capturing the complexity of the electronic structure at elevated temperatures. Calculations of the DC conductivity were performed around the Hugoniot. Above a density of 7.5 g/cm(3), the temperature increases rapidly along the Hugoniot, and the optical conductivity decreases, indicating simple liquid metal behavior.


Removal of the toxic effects of chlormadinon acetate on the development of Drosophila melanogaster via the use of nordihydroguaiaretic acid.
In this study, the effects of chlormadinon acetate (CMA) and CMA + nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) on various developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. Different concentrations of CMA (1.0; 3.0; 5.0 and 10.0 μM/100 mL medium) and CMA + NDGA as the concentrations of CMA (1.0 + 1.0; 3.0 + 3.0; 5.0 + 5.0 and 10.0 + 10.0 μM/100 mL medium) were carried out during the developmental periods of the flies. When F(1) progeny of control and application groups were compared, CMA was found to extend the process of metamorphosis and decrease the total offspring numbers. However, these negative effects were inhibited by NDGA treatment at different concentrations. These results suggest that NDGA could effectively inhibit CMA-induced abnormalities in developmental stages of D. melanogaster. It was found that the difference between the groups was significantly important (p < 0.05).


Exploitation in older adults: personal competence correlates of social vulnerability.
Clinical assessment of older people at heightened risk of financial exploitation (also termed social vulnerability) is a difficult task. There are a number of previously untested domains of personal competence which could influence social vulnerability in later life. In this study, intellectual, cognitive, and social-cognitive functioning was assessed in a combined sample of dementia patients (n=31) and neurologically healthy individuals (n=68) aged 50 years or over. Informants provided assessments of participants' social functioning, personality, and social vulnerability. In the combined sample, multiple regression analyses revealed significant relationships between each personal competence domain and (lower) social vulnerability, apart from personality which was non-significant. General cognitive functioning and, in particular, executive functioning showed significant overlap with social vulnerability after controlling for memory and age. Social measures were also important correlates of vulnerability, indicating that both neurocognitive and social cognitive deficits may contribute to financial exploitation in later life.


Psychological screening of adults and young people following the Manchester Arena incident.
Terrorist attacks have increased globally since the late 1990s with clear evidence of psychological distress across both adults and children and young people (CYP). After the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, the Resilience Hub was established to identify people in need of psychological and psychosocial support. To examine the severity of symptoms and impact of the programme. The hub offers outreach, screening, clinical telephone triage and facilitation to access evidenced treatments. People were screened for trauma, depression, generalised anxiety and functioning who registered at 3, 6 and 9 months post-incident. Baseline scores were compared between screening groups (first screen at 3, 6 or 9 months) in each cohort (adult, CYP), and within groups to compare scores at 9 months. There were significant differences in adults' baseline scores across screening groups on trauma, depression, anxiety and functioning. There were significant differences in the baseline scores of CYP across screening groups on trauma, depression, generalised anxiety and separation anxiety. Paired samples t-tests demonstrated significant differences between baseline and follow-up scores on all measures for adults in the 3-month screening group, and only depression and functioning measures for adults in the 6-month screening group. Data about CYP in the 3-month screening group, demonstrated significant differences between baseline and follow-up scores on trauma, generalised anxiety and separation anxiety. These findings suggest people who register earlier are less symptomatic and demonstrate greater improvement across a range of psychological measures. Further longitudinal research is necessary to understand changes over time. None.


Development of an Insulin Pen is a Patient-Centric Multidisciplinary Undertaking: A Commentary.
The goal of human-centered insulin pen design is to relieve the treatment burden of a chronic condition and help affected individuals to feel free of disease. The patient as well as their entire ecosystem should be considered. At Novo Nordisk A/S, we believe that embedding human-centered design at the heart of our development processes is best achieved with multidisciplinary experts in-house to work alongside product development teams and, importantly, the end user. Novo Nordisk introduced the first commercially available insulin pen in 1985 and has continued to develop reusable/durable and prefilled insulin pens to meet different patient needs, through to the latest NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus with SMART technology. Human-centered design is essential for delivering meaningful and practical solutions for individuals with diabetes.


[Statins in older patients: limits to prescription?].
Cardio-vascular diseases are a major contributor to mortality, morbidity and functional decline in the elderly population. Hypercholesterolemia remains a major risk factor in older persons, but treatment decisions are difficult because of the paucity of data specific to this segment of the population. While evidence seems strong enough to support treating patients with cardio-vascular diseases (secondary prevention) up to their eighties, the question remains open whether to treat asymptomatic older patients (primary prevention) or those in their nineties.


Measuring outcomes with tools of proven feasibility and utility: the example of a patient-focused asthma measure.
Best quality care is clearly desirable and instituting quality assurance should be logical and simple. However, the practicality of setting standards for a product or service, and designing systems to measure against the standards, is more difficult. In the health service it is only likely to be feasible if data can be generated from efficient and reliable information systems. The ideal measure of quality is an outcome measure that evaluates whether or not the quality of care has achieved the desired standard of outcome. Direct measures of outcome are not easy to construct and the information systems required to provide data are not widely available. The National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD) has produced a series of indicators in 10 areas of health care, where an indicator is a pointer to, rather than a direct measure of, a desired outcome. Feasibility studies measuring their sensitivity and reliability have drawn attention to their possible utility within different health care settings. This paper reports on an investigation into a patient-focused outcome indicator for asthma. There is broad agreement about the need to measure the outcome of disease. However, when outcome indicators are defined there are major obstacles to their successful uptake. A key challenge for outcomes measurement is to ensure that the cost of collecting the data and ensuring completeness, accuracy and standardization are justified by the benefits derived. Health outcome indicators should not be treated as a panacea, but as a part of the clinical and health care tool kit.


Formation and metabolism of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in liver.
The inositol lipid pools of isolated rat hepatocytes were labeled with [3H]myo-inositol, stimulated maximally with vasopressin and the relative contents of [3H]inositol phosphates were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate accumulated rapidly (peak 20 s), while inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate and a novel inositol phosphate (ascribed to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate) accumulated at a slower rate over 2 min. Incubation of hepatocytes with 10 mM Li+ prior to vasopressin addition selectively augmented the levels of inositol monophosphate, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. A kinase was partially purified from liver and brain cortex which catalyzed an ATP-dependent phosphorylation of [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. Incubation of purified [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate with diluted liver homogenate produced initially inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate and subsequently inositol 1,3-bisphosphate, the formation of which could be inhibited by Li+. The data demonstrate that the most probable pathway for the formation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate is by 3-phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate by a soluble mammalian kinase. Degradation of both compounds occurs first by a Li+-insensitive 5-phosphatase and subsequently by a Li+-sensitive 4-phosphatase. The prolonged accumulation of both inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in vasopressin-stimulated hepatocytes suggest that they have separate second messenger roles, perhaps both relating to Ca2+-signalling events.


Using a systematic approach to strategic innovation in laboratory medicine to bring about change.
There is a growing mismatch with regard to demand, supply, and affordability in healthcare systems in developed countries. Innovation is required to address this, but roadmaps for innovation in laboratory medicine are largely lacking. Advances in process and instrument digitization are driving a revolution in medical laboratory practice but changes are not strategically focused on improved patient care. Laboratory services therefore largely remain transactional so that customer access and experience are suboptimal, especially for vulnerable populations. Laboratory medicine must be integrated back into clinical care pathways, thereby transforming services to be more responsive to end-user needs. Healthcare trends show that patients, physicians, and allied healthcare professionals will increasingly dictate what and how services are provided. Laboratories will be pressed to restructure to address these healthcare trends. Since the primary goal of ambulatory practice is to prevent expensive hospital admissions for patients with complex chronic diseases, specific services (e.g. ambulatory clinics, surgeries, deliveries, procedures) that could be safely provided in the community are moving out of acute care hospitals. This review addresses the existing barriers to innovation faced by medical/scientific and managerial services as well as outlines a systematic approach used by other industries to bring about transformative change. Enabling disruptive innovation that improves the clinical and economic effectiveness of laboratory practice is critical to sustain clinically relevant services as an essential cornerstone of patient care within the healthcare systems of developed countries.


Marek's disease virus-induced transient paralysis in chickens. 2. Ultrastructure of central nervous system.
Ultrastructural changes of the central nervous system (CNS) were compared in inbred White Leghorn chickens that are genetically resistant or susceptible to Marek's disease virus (MDV)-induced transient paralysis (TP). Widened extracellular spaces, containing granular material resembling protein were found in brains of TP-affected chickens. Demyelination was absent in all chickens and intramyelinic oedema was rare, present only in TP-affected chickens. Both MDV-inoculated TP-resistant and TP-susceptible chickens had CNS perivascular mononuclear cell cuffs at all sampling periods, but the TP-affected chickens also had endothelial cell hypertrophy, a greater quantity of intramural phagocytized chromatin debris, and intramural heterophils. Such findings suggest vasculitis as the causative lesion. No open endothelial cell tight junctions, endothelial cells discontinuities, or transendothelial channels were morphologically evident to explain the vasogenic oedema, but an apparent suggestive increase in coated micropinocytotic vesicles in CNS endothelial cells is a possible mechanism to explain the altered blood-brain-barrier.


[Determination of pancreatic blood flow at the early stage of acute haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis induced by sodium taurocholate in rats].
Acute haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis was induced by injecting 5% sodium taurocholate (Na-Tc) directly into the common biliopancreatic duct in rats. In control group 0.9% NaCl was used. The activity of serum lipase and amylase distinctly increased at 3 h and went up to the maximum at 12 h after injection of Na-Tc. The pancreatic blood flow and tissue perfusion per gram increased apparently at 1 h and decreased at 12 h after injection of Na-Tc by using the fractional indicator distribution technique with 86RbCl. The results demonstrated that the early stage of acute haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis induced by Na-Tc in rats was still a primary inflammatory response.


Cylindroma transforming into basal cell carcinoma in a patient with Brooke-Spiegler syndrome.
Brooke-Spiegler syndrome is a rare condition with a predisposition to develop cutaneous adnexal neoplasms, especially cylindromas, trichoepitheliomas and spiradenomas. Malignant transformation of cylindromas is rare. In such cases usually cylindrocarcinomas develop within these lesions. We present an unusual case of basal cell carcinoma developing within a preexisting cylindroma. 58-year-old woman with a 30-year history of multiple dermal cylindromas extensively involving her scalp was referred for dermatological treatment. The patient reported that one of the long-lasting lesions, 5.5 cm in size, ulcerated within the foregoing few weeks. Histopathology confirmed cylindromas and basal cell carcinoma within the ulcerating tumor. Surgical excision of largest cylindroma tumors led to cosmetic and functional improvement. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography showed tumor infiltration into the skull lamina externa. Metastases were excluded by chest radiography and abdominal ultrasound examination. Patients with Brooke-Spiegler syndrome should be followed-up for malignant transformation of skin tumors to prevent deep penetration and possible metastases.


Enantioselective construction of carbobicyclic scaffolds.
Allylic and benzylic Grignard reagents smoothly open phenylalkynyl-activated cyclic trisubstituted epoxides at the more substituted carbon atom to give secondary alcohols with a chiral quaternary center. These alcohols are good substrates for the construction of enantiomerically pure carbobicyclic scaffolds through intramolecular alkylation.


The Role of Risk Prediction Models in Prevention and Management of AKI.
Acute kidney injury is a major health care problem. Improving recognition of those at risk and highlighting those who have developed AKI at an earlier stage remains a priority for research and clinical practice. Prediction models to risk-stratify patients and electronic alerts for AKI are two approaches that could address previously highlighted shortcomings in management and facilitate timely intervention. We describe and critique available prediction models and the effects of the use of AKI alerts on patient outcomes are reviewed. Finally, the potential for prediction models to enrich population subsets for other diagnostic approaches and potential research, including biomarkers of AKI, are discussed.


ZBTB2, a novel master regulator of the p53 pathway.
We found that ZBTB2, a POK family transcription factor, is a potent repressor of the ARF-HDM2-p53-p21 pathway important in cell cycle regulation. ZBTB2 repressed transcription of the ARF, p53, and p21 genes, but activated the HDM2 gene. In particular, ZBTB2 repressed transcription of the p21 gene by acting on the two distal p53 binding elements and the proximal Sp1 binding GC-box 5/6 elements. ZBTB2 directly interacted with Sp1 via its POZ domain and zinc fingers, which was important in the repression of transcription activation by Sp1. ZBTB2 and Sp1 competed with each other in binding to the GC-box 5/6 elements and the two p53 binding elements. ZBTB2 directly interacted with p53 via its zinc fingers, inhibiting p53 binding and repressing transcription activation by p53. The POZ domain, required for transcription repression, interacted with corepressors such as BCoR, NCoR, and SMRT. The interactions deacetylated histones Ac-H3 and -H4 at the proximal promoter. Although ectopic ZBTB2 stimulated cell proliferation, knock-down of ZBTB2 expression decreased cell proliferation and DNA synthesis. Overall, our data suggest that ZBTB2 is a potential proto-oncogenic master control gene of the p53 pathway and, in particular, is a potent transcription repressor of the cell cycle arrest gene p21 by inhibiting p53 and Sp1.


Genome-Wide Association Study of Ustekinumab Response in Psoriasis.
Heterogeneous genetic and environmental factors contribute to the psoriasis phenotype, resulting in a wide range of patient response to targeted therapies. Here, we investigate genetic factors associated with response to the IL-12/23 inhibitor ustekinumab in psoriasis. To date, only HLA-C*06:02 has been consistently reported to associate with ustekinumab response in psoriasis. Genome-wide association testing was performed on the continuous outcome of percent change in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) at 12 weeks of ustekinumab therapy relative to baseline. A total of 439 European ancestry individuals with psoriasis were included [mean age, 46.6 years; 277 men (63.1%)]. 310 (70.6%) of the participants comprised the discovery cohort and the remaining 129 (29.4%) individuals comprised the validation cohort. Chromosome 4 variant rs35569429 was significantly associated with ustekinumab response at 12 weeks at a genome-wide significant level in the discovery cohort and replicated in the validation cohort. Of psoriasis subjects with at least one copy of the deletion allele of rs35569429, 44% achieved PASI75 (75% improvement in PASI from baseline) at week 12 of ustekinumab treatment, while for subjects without the deletion allele, 75% achieved PASI75 at week 12. We found that differences in treatment response increased when rs35569429 was considered alongside HLA-C*06:02. Psoriasis patients with the deletion allele of rs35569429 who were HLA-C*06:02 negative had a PASI75 response rate of 35% at week 12, while those without the deletion allele who were HLA-C*06:02 positive had a PASI75 response rate of 82% at week 12. Through GWAS, we identified a novel SNP that is potentially associated with response to ustekinumab in psoriasis.


Berberine Alleviate Cisplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy by Modulating Inflammation Signal via TRPV1.
Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder caused by chemotherapy drugs. Berberine is a natural monomer compound of Coptis chinensis, which has anti-tumor effect and can improve neuropathy through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1) can sense noxious thermal and chemical stimuli, which is an important target for the study of pathological pain. In both vivo and in vitro CIPN models, we found that berberine alleviated peripheral neuropathy associated with dorsal root ganglia inflammation induced by cisplatin. We confirmed that berberine mediated the neuroinflammatory reaction induced by cisplatin by inhibiting the overexpression of TRPV1 and NF-κB and activating the JNK/p38 MAPK pathways in early injury, which inhibited the expression of p-JNK and mediated the expression of p38 MAPK/ERK in late injury in vivo. Moreover, genetic deletion of TRPV1 significantly reduced the protective effects of berberine on mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in mice. In TRPV1 knockout mice, the expression of NF-κB increased in late stage, and berberine inhibited the overexpression of NF-κB and p-ERK in late injury. Our results support berberine can reverse neuropathic inflammatory pain response induced by cisplatin, TRPV1 may be involved in this process.


Active site and oligosaccharide recognition residues of peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F.
Crystallographic analysis and site-directed mutagenesis have been used to identify the catalytic and oligosaccharide recognition residues of peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (PNGase F), an amidohydrolase that removes intact asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains from glycoproteins and glycopeptides. Mutagenesis has shown that three acidic residues, Asp-60, Glu-206, and Glu-118, that are located in a cleft at the interface between the two domains of the protein are essential for activity. The D60N mutant has no detectable activity, while E206Q and E118Q have less than 0.01 and 0.1% of the wild-type activity, respectively. Crystallographic analysis, at 2.0-A resolution, of the complex of the wild-type enzyme with the product, N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, shows that Asp-60 is in direct contact with the substrate at the cleavage site, while Glu-206 makes contact through a bridging water molecule. This indicates that Asp-60 is the primary catalytic residue, while Glu-206 probably is important for stabilization of reaction intermediates. Glu-118 forms a hydrogen bond with O6 of the second N-acetylglucosamine residue of the substrate and the low activity of the E118Q mutant results from its reduced ability to bind the oligosaccharide. This analysis also suggests that the mechanism of action of PNGase F differs from those of L-asparaginase and glycosylasparaginase, which involve a threonine residue as the nucleophile.


Primary gastric lymphoma.
The records of 30 patients with primary gastric lymphoma and a minimum of 5 years of follow-up were reviewed and clinical and pathologic prognostic factors analyzed. The overall 5-year survival was 40% (median 23 months). No significant relationship between surgical and patient age, sex, duration of symptoms, macroscopic appearance, or size of the primary lesion or degree of serosal infiltration was demonstrated. Stage of disease and site of primary had an impact on prognosis. Survival was improved in patients with stage I-II disease (P < 0.05) and in patients with primary located in the distal third of the stomach (P < 0.05). Although histology in all three classifications did not correlate well with survival, patients with low-grade lymphoma according to Kiel showed improved outcome (P < 0.05). Five-year survival of 11 patients with positive lymph nodes, 6 of whom were treated with cytotoxic therapy, was 54% and comparable to that of 7 patients (56%) with no nodal involvement who did not receive chemotherapy after surgery.


Multidimensional polypyrrole/iron oxyhydroxide hybrid nanoparticles for chemical nerve gas agent sensing application.
Multidimensional FeOOH nanoneedle-decorated hybrid polypyrrole nanoparticles (PFFs) were fabricated using dual-nozzle electrospray and heat stirring process. To decorate metal oxide nanoneedles on the polypyrrole (PPy) surface, metal oxide particle-decorated PPys (E_PPy) were fabricated as starting materials. The E_PPy particles were prepared by dual-nozzle electrospray because ferric ions (Fe(3+)) dispersed on the surface reacted with hydroxide (OH(-)) ions in the collector solution without aggregation of each particles. Multidimensional hybrid PFFs with maximized surface area were then formed by heat stirring reaction in the aqueous metal precursor contained solutions. The decoration morphology of the metal oxide nanoneedles could be controlled by precursor concentration in the aqueous solution. These multidimensional hybrid PPFs were applied to nerve gas agent (DMMP) chemical sensor at room temperature with excellent sensitivity. The minimum detectable level (MDL) of PFFs was as low as 0.1 ppb, which is higher than that for a chemical sensor based on hybrid materials. This is because the metal oxide nanoneedles increase surface area and affinity to DMMP vapor.


Typical doses and typical values for fluoroscopic diagnostic and interventional procedures.
To implement typical doses (TD) and typical values (TV) for fluoroscopic diagnostic and interventional procedures. A total of 3811 fluoroscopic procedures performed within 34 months on three devices were included in this retrospective study. Dose-, patient- and procedure-related information were extracted using the institutional dose management system (DMS). TD/TV were defined as median dose and calculated for the five most frequent procedures per device for dose area product (DAP), cumulative air kerma (CAK) and fluoroscopy time (FT). National diagnostic reference levels and other single facility studies were compared to our results. Additionally, the five procedures with the highest doses of each device were analysed. To evaluate the data coverage of the DMS compared to the picture archiving and communication system (PACS), procedure lists were extracted from the PACS and compared to the procedure information extracted from the DMS. TD/TV for 15 procedures were implemented. Among all devices, TD for DAP ranged between 0.6 Gycm2for port catheter control (n= 64) and 145.9 Gycm2for transarterial chemoembolisation (n= 84). TD for CAK ranged between 5 mGy for port catheter control and 1397 mGy for aneurysm treatment (n= 129) and TV for FT ranged between 0.3 min for upper cavography (n= 67) and 51.4 min for aneurysm treatment. TD for DAP and CAK were lower or within the range of other single facility studies. The five procedures with the highest median DAP per device were identified, 6 of 15 procedures were also found to be among the most frequent procedures. Data coverage of the DMS compared to the PACS ranged between 71% (device 2, stroke treatment) and 78% (device 1, lower limb angiography) for the most common procedure per device. Thus, in 22%-29% of cases dose data of the performed procedure was not transferred into the DMS. We implemented TD/TV for fluoroscopic diagnostic and interventional procedures which enable a comprehensive dose analysis and comparison with previously published values.


Ameliorative effect of a rarely occurring C-methylrotenoid on HMGB1-induced septic responses in vitro and in vivo.
The ubiquitous nuclear protein, high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) functions as a late mediator of sepsis. A new rarely occurring C-methylrotenoid, named boeravinone X (comp 1), was isolated and identified from Abronia nana suspension cultures during our continuous works on the discovery of anti-septic natural products. Here, we investigated the antiseptic effects and underlying mechanisms of comp 1 against HMGB1-mediated septic responses. According to the results, comp 1 effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced release of HMGB1, and suppressed HMGB1-mediated septic responses, such as hyperpermeability, adhesion and migration of leukocytes, and expression of cell adhesion molecules. And, comp 1 suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) by HMGB1. Collectively, these results indicate that comp 1 could be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various severe vascular inflammatory diseases via inhibition of the HMGB1 signaling pathway.


Combination of zoledronic Acid and targeted therapy is active but may induce osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
To investigate the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid (ZA) combined with targeted therapy (TT). A retrospective study was performed in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with ZA and TT. Twenty-one patients received ZA and TT to prevent skeletal-related events and no pretherapy oral and maxillofacial (OM) examination (cohort A). Six patients (29%) developed osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), which was observed only in patients receiving sunitinib and ZA. Sixteen patients received TT and ZA for hypercalcemia and no pretherapy OM examination (cohort B). In these patients, no ONJ was observed. Nine patients received ZA and TT and pretherapy OM examination (cohort C). One patient (11%) developed ONJ during sunitinib and ZA treatment. Mean skeletal morbidity rates were 0.8 for cohort A and 1.2 for cohort C. In the combined cohort (A plus C; n = 30), 47% developed skeletal-related events, 7% pathologic fracture, 7% medullary compression, and 37% progression of bone metastases. Patients who developed ONJ had a significantly improved median survival of 31.6 months compared with 14.5 months in patients without ONJ (P = .039). The combination of ZA and TT resulted in high, clinically meaningful activity. ONJ may be exacerbated by concomitant ZA and sunitinib. Regular OM examinations before and during treatment are recommended.


Designed three-dimensional freestanding single-crystal carbon architectures.
Single-crystal carbon nanomaterials have led to great advances in nanotechnology. The first single-crystal carbon nanomaterial, fullerene, was fabricated in a zero-dimensional form. One-dimensional carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional graphene have since followed and continue to provide further impetus to this field. In this study, we fabricated designed three-dimensional (3D) single-crystal carbon architectures by using silicon carbide templates. For this method, a designed 3D SiC structure was transformed into a 3D freestanding single-crystal carbon structure that retained the original SiC structure by performing a simple single-step thermal process. The SiC structure inside the 3D carbon structure is self-etched, which results in a 3D freestanding carbon structure. The 3D carbon structure is a single crystal with the same hexagonal close-packed structure as graphene. The size of the carbon structures can be controlled from the nanoscale to the microscale, and arrays of these structures can be scaled up to the wafer scale. The 3D freestanding carbon structures were found to be mechanically stable even after repeated loading. The relationship between the reversible mechanical deformation of a carbon structure and its electrical conductance was also investigated. Our method of fabricating designed 3D freestanding single-crystal graphene architectures opens up prospects in the field of single-crystal carbon nanomaterials and paves the way for the development of 3D single-crystal carbon devices.


Vitis amurensis Ruprecht root inhibited α-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells.
The root of Vitis amurensis Ruprecht, a sort of wild-growing grape, has been used in oriental medicine for treatment of skin ailments; however, its dermatological activity is not sufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to investigate tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-melanogenic activities of V. amurensis Ruprecht root methanol extract (VARM) in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells and to attempt to isolate and identify the active compound issued from VARM. Anti-melanogenic activity of VARM was analyzed in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-stimulated B16F10 cells through evaluation of antioxidative activity as well as inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin contents compared with those of kojic acid and arbutin. After anti-melanogenic analysis of VARM, serial fractionation, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thin layer chromatorgraphy (TLC) were applied for identification of active compounds contained in VARM. VARM significantly inhibited oxidative stress and tyrosinase activity and attenuated α-MSH-induced melanin production in B16F10 cells. For isolation of active compounds, VARM was fractionated using a series of organic solvents, including dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol (n-BuOH). Among fractions showing anti-melanogenic activity, the CH2Cl2 fraction induced the most potent attenuation of melanogenesis without cytotoxicity and the major compound in the CH2Cl2 fraction was identified as betulinic acid. Betulinic acid isolated from the CH2Cl2 fraction of VARM significantly attenuated α-MSH-induced melanogenesis in a dose dependent manner, which was stronger than that of arbutin used as a positive control. These results indicate that VARM inhibits oxidative stress, tyrosinase activity, and α-MSH-induced melanogenesis in B16F10 cells, due primarily to the active compound, betulinic acid, in the CH2Cl2 fraction.


A Supervised Segmentation Network for Hyperspectral Image Classification.
Recently, deep learning has drawn broad attention in the hyperspectral image (HSI) classification task. Many works have focused on elaborately designing various spectral-spatial networks, where convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the most popular structures. To explore the spatial information for HSI classification, pixels with its adjacent pixels are usually directly cropped from hyperspectral data to form HSI cubes in CNN-based methods. However, the spatial land-cover distributions of cropped HSI cubes are usually complicated. The land-cover label of a cropped HSI cube cannot simply be determined by its center pixel. In addition, the spatial land-cover distribution of a cropped HSI cube is fixed and has less diversity. For CNN-based methods, training with cropped HSI cubes will result in poor generalization to the changes of spatial land-cover distributions. In this paper, an end-to-end fully convolutional segmentation network (FCSN) is proposed to simultaneously identify land-cover labels of all pixels in a HSI cube. First, several experiments are conducted to demonstrate that recent CNN-based methods show the weak generalization capabilities. Second, a fine label style is proposed to label all pixels of HSI cubes to provide detailed spatial land-cover distributions of HSI cubes. Third, a HSI cube generation method is proposed to generate plentiful HSI cubes with fine labels to improve the diversity of spatial land-cover distributions. Finally, a FCSN is proposed to explore spectral-spatial features from finely labeled HSI cubes for HSI classification. Experimental results show that FCSN has the superior generalization capability to the changes of spatial land-cover distributions.


Plasmon and Plexciton Driven Interfacial Catalytic Reactions.
In this review, we focus on the summary of catalytic reaction driven by surface plasmons and plexciton, where the plexciton is the interaction between plasmon and exciton. We first review the reduction and oxidation reactions driven by plasmons, and analyze the role of plasmons in the two reactions. We then summarize the recent research on the surface catalytic reactions driven by plasmon-exciton coupling and discuss the promotion effect of coupling interaction in oxidation reaction and reduction reaction. The coupling effect of plasmons and excitons can successfully improve the efficiency of catalytic reactions. Finally, this paper demonstrates the research progress in the electrooptical synergic plasmon-exciton co-driven surface catalytic reactions.


The relationship between antioxidant supplements and oxidative stress in renal transplant recipients: a review.
Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) have elevated oxidative stress and a high incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although recent studies do not support the use of antioxidant supplements as a cardioprotectant in the general population, evidence suggests that RTRs may represent individuals that would benefit from this therapy. RTRs have elevated oxidative stress probably caused by the immunosuppressive therapy, and although only a small number of studies have examined the effects of antioxidant supplementation in these patients, most have reported beneficial findings. This review discusses these studies along with the rationale for the use of antioxidant supplements in RTRs and a call for more research to investigate this important topic.


Perceptions and deflections: associations between attitudes towards people with hepatitis C and testing for hepatitis C among Australian gay and bisexual men.
Research indicates that the incidence of hepatitis C (HCV) among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) is increasing. Although injecting drug use remains the predominant means of transmission of HCV in the developed world, there is evidence of sexual transmission of HCV among MSM. Stigma associated with HCV has been shown to negatively impact HCV testing and health-seeking behaviour. There is little research that addresses attitudes towards HCV testing among this population. The current exploratory study focussed on HCV knowledge, HCV testing, sexual practices, perceptions of HCV risk and attitudes towards people with HCV among Australian MSM. The sample consisted of 590 men who completed an online survey. The findings suggest that attitudinal factors related to HCV were associated with HCV testing behaviour. The more negatively respondents felt about people with HCV, the less likely they were to have ever had an HCV test. Behavioural risk factors related to sexual practices (i.e. is condom use and sexual risk activities) were not associated with HCV testing. Testing for HCV was associated with HIV-positive status, more knowledge about HCV and a greater likelihood of ever having injected drugs. The attitudes of MSM towards those who inject drugs are negative, mirroring that of society more generally. Furthermore, these attitudes, coupled with a lack of knowledge of the risk of sexual transmission of HCV among gay men, especially those who are HIV-positive, may act to prevent routine HCV testing among some MSM at potential risk of acquiring HCV.


Sex differences in obesity and cognitive function in a cognitively normal aging Chinese Han population.
Sex differences in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment have been well recognized. However, sex differences in cognitive function and obesity in cognitively normal aging Chinese Han population have not attracted much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sex, obesity, and cognitive function in an elderly Chinese population with normal cognitive function. A total of 228 cognitively normal aging participants (males/females =93/135) entered this study. Their general demographic information (sex, age, and education) was collected by standardized questionnaire. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and serum lipid levels were measured. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess participants' cognitive function. The prevalence of obesity in elderly women (18/133, 13.5%) was significantly higher than that in men (5/92, 5.4%, P=0.009). Regression analyses showed that obesity was associated with drinking alcohol (OR =13.695, P=0.045) and triglyceride (OR =1.436, P=0.048) in women and limited to low-density lipoprotein (OR =11.829, P=0.023) in men. Women performed worse on the naming score for MoCA than men (P<0.01). Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that education (t=3.689, P<0.001) and smoking (t=2.031, P=0.045) were related to the score of naming in female, while high-density lipoprotein (t=-2.077, P=0.041) was related to the score of naming in male; however, no correlation was found between body mass index and cognitive function in both male and female (P>0.05). Our finding suggests that there are significant sex differences in obesity and specific cognitive domains in aging Chinese Han population with normal cognitive function.


The relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum weight change--a systematic review and critical evaluation.
Pregnancy and the postpartum period is a time of increased vulnerability for retention of excess body fat in women. Breastfeeding (BF) has been shown to have many health benefits for both mother and baby; however, its role in postpartum weight management is unclear. Our aim was to systematically review and critically appraise the literature published to date in relation to the impact of BF on postpartum weight change, weight retention and maternal body composition. Electronic literature searches were carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, BIOSIS, CINAHL and British Nursing Index. The search covered publications up to 12 June 2012 and included observational studies (prospective and retrospective) carried out in BF mothers (either exclusively or as a subgroup), who were ≤ 2 years postpartum and with a body mass index (BMI) >18.5 kg m(-2), with an outcome measure of change in weight (including weight retention) and/or body composition. Thirty-seven prospective studies and eight retrospective studies were identified that met the selection criteria; studies were stratified according to study design and outcome measure. Overall, studies were heterogeneous, particularly in relation to sample size, measurement time points and in the classification of BF and postpartum weight change. The majority of studies reported little or no association between BF and weight change (n=27, 63%) or change in body composition (n=16, 89%), although this seemed to depend on the measurement time points and BF intensity. However, of the five studies that were considered to be of high methodological quality, four studies demonstrated a positive association between BF and weight change. This systematic review highlights the difficulties of examining the association between BF and weight management in observational research. Although the available evidence challenges the widely held belief that BF promotes weight loss, more robust studies are needed to reliably assess the impact of BF on postpartum weight management.