Acrylonitrile induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by promoting the formation of reactive oxygen species in human choriocarcinoma cells.
Acrylonitrile (AN), which is widely utilized in the manufacture of plastics, acrylamide, acrylic fibers, and resins, is also one of main components of cigarette smoke (CS). In this study, we examined the effects of AN on the cell viability and apoptosis of JEG-3 and BeWo human choriocarcinoma cancer cell lines. A cell viability assay confirmed that AN decreased the cell proliferation of JEG-3 and BeWo cells in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, Western blot assay revealed that protein expression of cyclin D and cyclin E decreased, while protein expression of p21 and p27 increased in response to AN treatment for 48 hr. The changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in JEG-3 and BeWo cells exposed to AN were also measured by a dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay, which revealed that ROS levels increased in response to AN treatment for 48 hr. Moreover, western blot assay confirmed that AN treatment of JEG-3 and BeWo cells for 4 hr promoted the expression of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha protein (p-eIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase 12, which are known to be involved in ROS-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER-stress)-related apoptosis. Overall, the protein expression of p53 and Bax (a pro-apoptosis marker) increased, while the expression of Bcl-xl (an anti-apoptotic marker) decreased and the number of apoptotic cells increased in response to AN treatment for 48 hr. Taken together, these results suggest that AN has the potential to induce apoptosis of JEG-3 and BeWo human choriocarcinoma cancer cells by activating ROS.


Improvement of a plasma uniformity of the 2nd ion source of KSTAR neutral beam injector.
The 2nd ion source of KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) NBI (Neutral Beam Injector) had been developed and operated since last year. A calorimetric analysis revealed that the heat load of the back plate of the ion source is relatively higher than that of the 1st ion source of KSTAR NBI. The spatial plasma uniformity of the ion source is not good. Therefore, we intended to identify factors affecting the uniformity of a plasma density and improve it. We estimated the effects of a direction of filament current and a magnetic field configuration of the plasma generator on the plasma uniformity. We also verified that the operation conditions of an ion source could change a uniformity of the plasma density of an ion source.


All-optical switching in a highly efficient parametric fiber mixer: design study.
Ultrafast all-optical switching in a highly nonlinear fiber with a longitudinally varied zero-dispersion wavelength was investigated theoretically and experimentally. We describe fiber-matched methodology for construction of a fast, low energy photon switch. The design relies on static and dynamic models and allows performance target selection, under constraints of physical fiber characteristic. The new design methodology was used to construct one-pump switch in the highly efficient parametric mixer. We demonstrate that such a parametric gate can operate at 100 GHz rate, with 2 aJ control energy, while achieving better than 50% extinction ratio. Theoretical analysis and experimental measurements indicate that accurate mapping of the fiber local dispersion is critical in optimizing the bandwidth and control energy of the switch. Switching performance limits are discussed and means for impairment mitigation are described.


Social media use and impact on plastic surgery practice.
Social media platforms have revolutionized the way human beings communicate, yet there is little evidence describing how the plastic surgery community has adopted social media. In this article, the authors evaluate current trends in social media use by practicing plastic surgeons. An anonymous survey on the use of social media was distributed to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Prevalent patterns of social media implementation were elucidated. One-half of respondents were regular social media users. Reasons for using social media included the beliefs that incorporation of social media into medical practice is inevitable (56.7 percent), that they are an effective marketing tool (52.1 percent), and that they provide a forum for patient education (49 percent). Surgeons with a primarily aesthetic surgery practice were more likely to use social media. Most respondents (64.6 percent) stated that social media had no effect on their practice, whereas 33.8 percent reported a positive impact and 1.5 percent reported a negative impact. This study depicts current patterns of social media use by plastic surgeons, including motivations driving its implementation and impressions on its impact. Many feel that social media are an effective marketing tool that generates increased exposure and referrals. A small number of surgeons have experienced negative repercussions from social media involvement. Our study reveals the presence of a void. There is a definite interest among those surveyed in developing best practice standards and oversight to ensure ethical use of social media platforms throughout the plastic surgery community. Continuing discussion regarding these matters should be ongoing as our experience with social media in plastic surgery evolves.


Tumor persistence in high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion patients with positive surgical margin post loop electrosurgical excision procedure.
To determine the rates of persistent and recurrent tumors in patients with High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL) who had positive surgical margin from Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). Clinical and pathological data of all women who underwent LEEP procedures and revealed HSIL lesions with positive surgical margin between July 1997 and December 2004 were recorded. Histologic diagnoses of HSIL with positive surgical margin were found in 95 cases during the study period. Residual diseases were identified at ectocervical margins in 46 cases (48.4%), endocervical margin in 26 cases (27.4%), and both margins in 23 cases (24.2%). Subsequent hysterectomy was performed in 58 cases (61.0%). The remaining 37 cases (38.9%) underwent periodic follow-up with the median follow up period of 11 months (range, 1-74 months). Persistent diseases were identified in 18 of 58 hysterectomized cases but none in 37 follow-up cases. Recurrent disease was identified in only one case in the follow-up group. Overall the rates of persistent and recurrent disease were found in 18.9% and 1.1% respectively. In HSIL patients with positive surgical margin from LEEP the rate of persistent disease was 18.9%, while the rate of recurrence was 1.1%.


Gastroesophageal reflux after repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Mechanisms of postoperative gastroesophageal reflux (GER) remain unclarified in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The aim of this study was to examine clinical features of CDH contributing to GER. GER was evaluated as esophageal acid exposure measured with 24-hour pH monitoring at the average age of 1.7 +/- 0.9 months in 26 survivors of CDH. Correlations between the percentage total time pH below 4.0 (reflux index: RI)/number of long acid reflux (long reflux) and clinical features were investigated. The subjects were divided into 2 groups; group A: RI < or = 4.0% (n = 7) and group B: R greater than 4.0% (n = 19). Clinical features were compared between the 2 groups. No significant correlation was noted between RI/long reflux and birth weight, preoperative AaDO2, duration of artificial ventilation, and dimension of the defect. The incidence of direct closure was significantly higher, but use of nitric oxide inhalation and a presence of intrathoracic liver lobe herniation were significantly lower in group B. There was no significant difference of other clinical features indicating the severity of CDH between the 2 groups. An association of GER is not rare in early infancy after repair of CDH, which is influenced by the repair methods.


Localization patterns of dopamine active transporter synthesizing cells during development of brine shrimp.
There have been many studies on dopamine active transporter (DAT) in humans and laboratory animals; however, there is a lack of information on DAT in brine shrimp. In this study, we demonstrated the neuronal and nonneuronal characteristics of DAT-synthesizing (DAT+ cells) during development of brine shrimp. In neuronal cells, the DAT+ neurons in the central body and lobes of a protocerebrum (PC) controlled the deutocerebrum. The sensory cells of nauplius eyes projected their decussated axons to the PC, and the DAT+ cells at the posterior region were associated with migration and control of the 10 posterior neurons during the early nauplius stage. In nonneuronal cells, the five types of glands, that is, the salt, antennal, mandible, and accessory glands and posterior gland1 and gland2 synthesized DAT protein. In addition, the gut and rectum dilator muscles and renal cells expressed DAT protein. Thus, DAT protein acts in the development of several types of cells during development of brine shrimp.


Distribution and pattern of BCL-6 mutations throughout the spectrum of B-cell neoplasia.
BCL-6 mutations are accumulated during B-cell transit through the germinal center (GC) and provide a histogenetic marker for B-cell tumors. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis of 308 B-cell neoplasms, we (1) expand the spectrum of tumors associated with BCL-6 mutations; (2) corroborate the notion that mutations cluster with GC and post-GC B-cell neoplasms; and (3) identify heterogeneous mutation frequency among B-lineage diffuse large cell lymphoma (B-DLCL) subsets. Mutations are virtually absent in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (P <.001) and mantle cell lymphoma (P <.05), whereas they occur frequently in GC or post-GC neoplasms, including lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, MALT lymphomas, B-DLCL and Burkitt lymphoma. Among B-DLCL, mutations occur frequently in systemic nodal B-DLCL, primary extranodal B-DLCL, CD5(+) B-DLCL, CD30(+) B-DLCL, and primary splenic B-DLCL, suggesting a similar histogenesis of these B-DLCL subsets. Conversely, mutations are rare in primary mediastinal B-DLCL with sclerosis (10.0%; P <.01), supporting a distinct histogenesis for this lymphoma. Longitudinal follow-up of B-DLCL transformed from follicular lymphoma shows that they BCL-6 mutations may accumulate during histologic progression. Mutations also occur in some B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias, small lymphocytic lymphomas, and hairy cell leukemias, consistent with the hypothesis that a fraction of these lymphoproliferations are related to GC-like cells. Finally, the molecular pattern of 193 mutational events reinforces the hypothesis that mutations of BCL-6 and immunoglobulin genes are caused by similar mechanisms. (Blood. 2000;95:651-659)


Boosting antibiotics performance by new formulations with deep eutectic solvents.
The critical scenario of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics highlights the need for improved therapeutics and/or formulations. Herein, we demonstrate that deep eutectic solvents (DES) formulations are very promising to remarkably improve the solubility, stability and therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin. DES aqueous solutions enhance the solubility of ciprofloxacin up to 430-fold while extending the antibiotic stability. The developed formulations can improve, by 2 to 4-fold, the susceptibility of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria to the antibiotic. They also improve the therapeutic efficacy at concentrations where bacteria present resistance, without promoting tolerance development to ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, the incorporation of DES decreases the toxicity of ciprofloxacin towards immortalized human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCat cells). The results herein reveal the pioneering use of DES in fluoroquinolone-based formulations and their impact on the antibiotic's characteristics and on its therapeutic action.


Judging the social value of controlled human infection studies.
In controlled human infection (CHI) studies, investigators deliberately infect healthy individuals with pathogens in order to study mechanisms of disease or obtain preliminary efficacy data on investigational vaccines and medicines. CHI studies offer a fast and cost-effective way of generating new scientific insights, prioritizing investigational products for clinical testing, and reducing the risk that large numbers of people are exposed to ineffective or harmful substances in research or in practice. Yet depending on the pathogen, CHI studies can involve significant risks or burdens for participants, pose risks to individuals or communities not involved in the research, and lead to public controversy. It is therefore essential to ensure that the risks of CHI studies are justified by their social value-that is, their potential to generate benefits for society-and that public trust can be maintained. In this paper, we aim to clarify how research sponsors, research ethics committees and other reviewers should judge the social value of CHI studies. We develop a list of relevant considerations for making social value judgments based on the standard view of social value. We then use this list to discuss the example of potentially conducting dengue virus CHI studies in endemic settings. We argue that dengue virus CHI studies in endemic settings would fall on the higher end of the spectrum of social value, mostly because of their potential to redirect all fields of future dengue research. Drawing on this discussion, we derive several general recommendations for how reviewers should judge the social value of CHI studies.


The relations between the alexithymia levels and social media addictions of nursing students.
The present study was conducted in a cross-sectional and descriptive design to examine the relations between alexithymia levels and social media addictions of nursing students. The study population consisted of nursing department students, and the sampling consisted of 202 students who had social media accounts and who volunteered to participate in the study. The study data were collected online between November 01, 2020 and November 08, 2020 with the questionnaire, Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The data were evaluated with the Student's t, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and correlation analysis. It was found that 75.2% of the students were female, 57.9% were in the 18-20 age group, 60.3% of them spent 2-3 h a day on social media; social media addiction mean score was 64.81 ± 5.80 alexithymia mean score was 71.27 ± 8.62, and 46.03% were completely alexithymic. It was also found that there was a statistically positive and significant relation between the social media addiction and alexithymia scores of the students (p < 0.05). It was determined that the mean alexithymia and social media addiction scores of the students were high, and they affected each other. In this respect, it is recommended that students be given training on limiting the use of social media. Social media addiction average score was found to be high in nursing department students. The alexithymia score averages of the nursing department students were found to be high. It was determined that the COVID pandemic nursing department students increased the time they use social media.


Lipomatous meningioma: a clinicopathologic study of 18 cases with special reference to the issue of metaplasia.
We report 18 cases of lipomatous meningioma occurring in patients aged 14 to 79, most being females (72%). Sixteen were supratentorial and 2 involved the spinal meninges. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 120 months. Fifteen patients were cured with surgery alone and 3 (17%) experienced a recurrence at 7, 8 and 24 months. Of these, one died with disease 4 years after resection of the primary lesion. Histologically, 12 tumors were meningothelial, 3 transitional, 2 showed myxoid stromal changes and 1 was microcystic. The 2 spinal tumors were atypical. The proportion of fatty cells ranged from 10 to 90%. These resembled mature adipocytes or less commonly lipoblasts. Xanthomatous meningothelial cells were also noted in 6 tumors (30%). Both conventional meningothelial as well as lipid-laden cells exhibited epithelial membrane antigen immunoreactivity. In addition, occasional cells resembling mature adipocytes showed reactivity for S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, lipidization of neoplastic cells varied from intracytoplasmic lipid droplets to a single massive globule. Moreover, lipid-laden meningothelial cells featured interdigitating cell membranes and well-formed desmosomes. Lipid droplets were not membrane-bound. In that metaplasia denotes differentiation of one mature cell type to another, lipid accumulation in meningiomas cannot be considered true metaplasia since their lipid-laden cells retain the immunophenotype and ultrastructural features of meningothelium. We suggest that this distinctive subset of meningiomas be termed "lipidized meningiomas" rather than being included in the metaplastic category.


Thermal evolution of Mg-Al and Ni-Al layered double hydroxides: the structure of the dehydrated phase.
Simulation of X-ray diffraction patterns on the basis of the models of one-dimensional disordered crystals was used to investigate the structure of the dehydrated phase produced by dehydration of Mg-Al and Ni-Al layered double hydroxides at a temperature of ∼473-498 K. It was found that the removal of water molecules transforms the initial structure, which is a mixture of 3R1 and 2H1 polytypes, into a structure that comprises preferentially fragments of 3R2 and 1H polytypes and has some turbostratic disorder.


Luteolin Ameliorates Hepatic Steatosis and Enhances Mitochondrial Biogenesis via AMPK/PGC-1α Pathway in Western Diet-Fed Mice.
Luteolin (LU), a natural compound, has diverse bioactivities; it alleviates lipid accumulation by enhancing the oxidation of fatty acids in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Mitochondrial dysfunction promotes the development of steatosis in NAFLD. However, few studies have focused on the mechanism by which LU affects mitochondrial function in NAFLD. In the present study, we investigated whether LU could ameliorate hepatic steatosis and affect mitochondrial function in Western diet-fed mice. After LU treatment, the indicators of hepatic function and markers of mitochondrial biogenesis were evaluated. The results showed that LU intervention 1) decreased the levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; 2) increased the succinate dehydrogenase activity of mitochondrial enzyme; and 3) increased mitochondrial biogenesis by upregulating the AMPK/PGC-1α pathway. Therefore, LU might have the potential to prevent NAFLD.


DNA-Mediated Au-Au Dimer-Based Surface Plasmon Coupling Electrochemiluminescence Sensor for BRCA1 Gene Detection.
Herein, we constructed a DNA-mediated Au-Au dimer-based surface plasmon coupling electrochemiluminescence (SPC-ECL) sensor. In the SPC-ECL sensing system, graphite phase carbon nitride quantum dots (GCN QDs) worked as an ECL emitter. A DNA rigid chain structure was employed to connect two Au NPs in an equilateral triangle configuration to form the Au-Au dimers. Due to the hot spot effect, the designed Au-Au dimers had a strong electromagnetic field intensity, which can greatly enhance the ECL signal of GCN QDs than a single Au nanoparticle. The gap distance of dimers can be effectively regulated by the DNA length, which resulted in different electromagnetic field intensities. Therefore, the different SPC-ECL amplification effects on the GCN QD signal by Au-Au dimers have been revealed. The maximum ECL signal of GCN QDs can be enhanced fourfold based on the Au-Au dimers with a gap distance of 2 nm. Furthermore, the biosensor showed good analytical performance for the detection of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1 genes) (1 fM-1 nM) with a detection limit of 0.83 fM. This work provided an effective and precise SPC-ECL sensing mode for the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.


Design and synthesis of a fluorescent probe based on naphthalene anhydride and its detection of copper ions.
Copper, as the third most abundant transition metal ions of human, plays an essential role in the redox reaction, signal transduction, hematopoiesis, and other physiological processes. Abnormal content of copper ions in the body will cause some diseases such as anemia, coronary heart disease, Menkes' syndrome. In this article, a new fluorescence probe L for Cu2+ was designed and synthetized by using 4-bromo-1,8 naphthalene anhydride and 2-thiophene formaldehyde as raw materials. Fluorescent probe L itself exhibited strong fluorescence, upon the addition of Cu2+ ions, the fluorescence was quenched. The fluorescent detection limit for Cu2+ ions was determined to be 1.8 μM based on a 3δ/S method. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra indicated that probe L showed good selectivity and sensitivity for Cu2+, and this selectivity was not interfered by other metal ions and anions. Further cell fluorescence imaging experiments indicated that the probe L had potential to be used to examine copper ions in vivo.


Moss and liverwort xyloglucans contain galacturonic acid and are structurally distinct from the xyloglucans synthesized by hornworts and vascular plants.
Xyloglucan is a well-characterized hemicellulosic polysaccharide that is present in the cell walls of all seed-bearing plants. The cell walls of avascular and seedless vascular plants are also believed to contain xyloglucan. However, these xyloglucans have not been structurally characterized. This lack of information is an impediment to understanding changes in xyloglucan structure that occurred during land plant evolution. In this study, xyloglucans were isolated from the walls of avascular (liverworts, mosses, and hornworts) and seedless vascular plants (club and spike mosses and ferns and fern allies). Each xyloglucan was fragmented with a xyloglucan-specific endo-glucanase and the resulting oligosaccharides then structurally characterized using NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF and electrospray mass spectrometry, and glycosyl-linkage and glycosyl residue composition analyses. Our data show that xyloglucan is present in the cell walls of all major divisions of land plants and that these xyloglucans have several common structural motifs. However, these polysaccharides are not identical because specific plant groups synthesize xyloglucans with unique structural motifs. For example, the moss Physcomitrella patens and the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha synthesize XXGGG- and XXGG-type xyloglucans, respectively, with sidechains that contain a beta-D-galactosyluronic acid and a branched xylosyl residue. By contrast, hornworts synthesize XXXG-type xyloglucans that are structurally homologous to the xyloglucans synthesized by many seed-bearing and seedless vascular plants. Our results increase our understanding of the evolution, diversity, and function of structural motifs in land-plant xyloglucans and provide support to the proposal that hornworts are sisters to the vascular plants.


One-Dimensional Glassy Behavior of Ultraconfined Water Strings.
Water is renowned for its anomalous behaviors, which can be linked to a distributed H-bond network in bulk water. Ultraconfinement of the water molecule can remove H-bonding, leaving only molecular water. In natural cordierite crystals, water is trapped in an orthorhombic channel with an average diameter of 5.7 Å, running through the center of the unit cell parallel to the c-axis. Calorimetric measurements reveal the existence of a one-dimensional (1D) glass linked to this water. In these channels, water molecules in truncated, sparse 1D strings interact only via dipole-dipole correlations. A physical 1D glass is formed from these strings. This unusual state can be explained by a modified Ising model. This model predicts a dependence of the glass transition temperature, Tg, on the size of these domains. This is confirmed experimentally.


Heparin inhibits the inflammation and proliferation of human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast‑like synoviocytes through the NF‑κB pathway.
Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lead to cartilage destruction, and the activation of NF‑κB is important in the proliferation of FLSs. Heparin is a glycosaminoglycan, which is widely used as an anticoagulant. In the present study, the effect of heparin on the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α induced proliferation of FLSs was investigated. Western blot and polymerase chain reaction analyses were used to assess the expression levels of cytokines. The results revealed that TNF‑α induced the expression of interleukin (IL)‑6, IL‑8, TNF‑α and cyclin D1. Heparin inhibited the growth rate of the FLSs induced by TNF‑α. Heparin also decreased the TNF‑α‑induced mRNA and protein expression levels of IL‑6, IL‑8, TNF‑α and cyclin D1 in a dose‑dependent manner. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the expression of cytoplasmic TNF‑α was significantly reduced by heparin treatment. Furthermore, the levels of p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)‑κB phosphorylation were inhibited by heparin treatment, suggesting that heparin induced the inhibition of NF‑κB. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that heparin inhibited the TNF‑α‑induced proliferation, cytokine production, expression of cyclin D1 and activation of NF‑κB signaling in FLSs, indicating the therapeutic potential of heparin in the treatment of RA.


Perceived injustice after traumatic injury: Associations with pain, psychological distress, and quality of life outcomes 12 months after injury.
There is growing recognition that individuals who experience traumatic injuries perceive themselves as victims of injustice and that elevated levels of perceived injustice are associated with problematic physical and psychological outcomes. To date, research regarding injustice perception and injury outcomes has been restricted to a small number of musculoskeletal pain conditions. No research to date has examined the potential impact of perceived injustice among individuals admitted for trauma care. As part of this cross-sectional study, individuals (n = 155) admitted to a Level-1 trauma center completed measures of perceived injustice, pain, depression, posttraumatic stress, and health related (physical and mental/emotional) quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes 12 months after trauma admission. Bivariate analyses revealed significant associations between perceived injustice and demographic variables (education, income, race, and age) as well as injury-related variables (type of injury and length of hospital stay). Perceived injustice was correlated with greater pain intensity, depression, and PTSD symptoms, as well as poorer physical and mental HRQoL. Controlling for relevant demographic and injury-related variables, perceived injustice accounted for unique variance in pain intensity, depression severity, the presence and intensity of PTSD symptoms, mental HRQoL, and was marginally significant for physical HRQoL. This is the first study to examine perceived injustice in a trauma sample. Results support the presence of injustice perception in this group and its associations with pain and quality of life outcomes. Additional research is suggested to explore the impact of perceived injustice on recovery outcomes among individuals who have sustained traumatic injury.


Carina as a useful and reliable radiological landmark for detection of accidental arterial placement of central venous catheters.
Central venous catheters are commonly used in the management of critically ill patients. Their insertion can be challenging in hemodynamically unstable patients and in those with altered thoracic anatomy. Although ultrasound guided insertion can reduce this problem, this facility may not be available in all locations and in all institutions. Accidental arterial puncture is one of the very serious complications that can occur during central venous catheter insertion. This is usually detected clinically by bright color and projectile/pulsatile flow of the returning blood. However, such means are known to be misleading especially in hypoxic and hemodynamically unstable patients. Other recognized measures used to identify arterial puncture would be blood gas analysis of the returning blood, use of pressure transducer to identify waveform pattern and the pressures. In this article, we propose that trachea and carina can be used as a reliable radiological landmark to identify accidental arterial placement of central venous catheters. We further conclude that this information could be useful especially when dealing with post-resuscitation victims and hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients.


Inhibition of hepatitis-B-virus DNA polymerase by phosphonoformate: studies on its mode of action.
Phosphonoformate (PFA) and phosphonoacetate (PAA) were tested for their ability to inhibit the hepatitis-B-virus associated DNA polymerase. The HBV DNA polymerase was inhibited by 100 microM/liter PFA 50% while it was highly resistant to PAA. The inhibition of the Dane particle-associated DNA polymerase by PFA was not competitive to substrates and not affected by changes in the magnesium concentration. PFA was active also after initiation of the DNA polymerase reaction. Competition studies revealed that PFA had a higher affinity to a proposed pyrophosphate binding site than PAA or--alternatively--that both compounds bind to different sites.


Going to the roots of the stem cell controversy.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the scientific background to the current ethical and legislative debates about the generation and use of human stem cells, and to give an overview of the ethical issues underlying these debates. The ethical issues discussed are 1) stem cells and the status of the embryo, 2) women as the sources of ova for stem cell production, 3) the use of ova from other species, 4) slippery slopes towards reproductive cloning, 5) the public presentation of stem cell research and 6) the evaluation of scientific uncertainty and its implications for public policy.


Climate change and lithium mining influence flamingo abundance in the Lithium Triangle.
The development of technologies to slow climate change has been identified as a global imperative. Nonetheless, such 'green' technologies can potentially have negative impacts on biodiversity. We explored how climate change and the mining of lithium for green technologies influence surface water availability, primary productivity and the abundance of three threatened and economically important flamingo species in the 'Lithium Triangle' of the Chilean Andes. We combined climate and primary productivity data with remotely sensed measures of surface water levels and a 30-year dataset on flamingo abundance using structural equation modelling. We found that, regionally, flamingo abundance fluctuated dramatically from year-to-year in response to variation in surface water levels and primary productivity but did not exhibit any temporal trends. Locally, in the Salar de Atacama-where lithium mining is focused-we found that mining was negatively correlated with the abundance of two of the three flamingo species. These results suggest continued increases in lithium mining and declines in surface water could soon have dramatic effects on flamingo abundance across their range. Efforts to slow the expansion of mining and the impacts of climate change are, therefore, urgently needed to benefit local biodiversity and the local human economy that depends on it.


Interactions of nurses with elderly patients: relationship to nurses' attitudes and to formal activity periods.
Two different strategies are possible for improving nurses' interactions with elderly patients. One is to arrange special periods, such as reality orientation, in which a high level of appropriate interaction is encouraged. The other is to improve nurses' attitudes to patients and treatment, or select nurses with better attitudes, on the grounds that poor attitudes might underly poor behaviour. This study was designed to find out whether nurses' interactions with elderly patients varied in relation to their attitudes, or differed between periods of routine care or of special activities based on reality orientation organized by the nurses. Systematic observations were made of the behaviour of 27 nurses working on two psychogeriatric wards, before all nurses completed questionnaires measuring attitudes to nursing care and to elderly people. A higher proportion of interactions were 'positive' (i.e. involved nurses' informing, questioning or making general conversation) during activity periods than at other times. No attitudinal measure predicted the proportion of interactions which were positive, although this was greater in qualified nurses. The results are consistent with the view that formal reality orientation periods can improve the quality of nurses' interactions with elderly patients, but are inconsistent with the view that targeting nurses' attitudes would be effective.


Air quality around schools: Part I - A comprehensive literature review across high-income countries.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental health impacts of poor air quality. In the UK, recent initiatives at local council level have focussed on mitigating children's air pollution exposure at school. However, an overview of the available evidence on concentration and exposure in school environments - and a summary of key knowledge gaps - has so far been lacking. To address this, we conducted a review bringing together recent academic and grey literature, relating to air quality in outdoor school environments - including playgrounds, drop-off zones, and the school commute - across high-income countries. We aimed to critically assess, synthesise, and categorise the available literature, to produce recommendations on future research and mitigating actions. Our searches initially identified 883 articles of interest, which were filtered down in screening and appraisal to a final total of 100 for inclusion. Many of the included studies focussed on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM) in both the coarse and fine fractions, around schools across a range of countries. Some studies also observed ozone (O3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) outside schools. Our review identified evidence that children can encounter pollution peaks on the school journey, at school gates, and in school playgrounds; that nearby traffic is a key determinant of concentrations outside schools; and that factors relating to planning and urban design - such as the type of playground paving, and amount of surrounding green space - can influence school site concentrations. The review also outlines evidence gaps that can be targeted in future research. These include the need for more personal monitoring studies that distinguish between the exposure that takes place indoors and outdoors at school, and a need for a greater number of studies that conduct before-after evaluation of local interventions designed to mitigate children's exposure, such as green barriers and road closures. Finally, our review also proposes some tangible recommendations for policymakers and local leaders. The creation of clean air zones around schools; greening of school grounds; careful selection of new school sites; promotion of active travel to and from school; avoidance of major roads on the school commute; and scheduling of outdoor learning and play away from peak traffic hours, are all advocated by the evidence collated in this review.


The graying of Japan.
Japan's rapidly aging population has become a top policy issue, especially as the increasing costs of pensions and medical care are debated. With the highest life expectancy on earth, the Japanese potentially face long periods of retirement, as well as the possibility of long periods of disability. Although family support of the elderly is thought to have been strong traditionally, the recent decline in co-residence with children is 1 indication that the way support is given may be changing. This issue is of particular concern to the government, which wants to avoid any greater responsibility for the elderly than is necessary given the dramatic population aging yet to come. The government is also encouraging employers to provide more employment opportunities for the elderly at the same time that it is trying to raise the eligibility age for the receipt of public pensions. There is resistance on the part of employers, however, because wages and retirement allowances in Japan are positively related to length of employment. Furthermore, it is not clear whether elderly Japanese of the future will be as willing to work, if they learn to enjoy increased leisure early in their careers. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that population aging will lead to Japan's economic decline. Although the savings rate may decline somewhat, restructuring of the economy and continued overseas investment should keep the economy growing in the long run. Important in both the care of the frail elderly and the continued growth of the economy will be the roles played by middle-aged Japanese women.


Laryngeal tremor: co-occurrence with other movement disorders.
Limited epidemiologic information exists regarding the co-occurrence of laryngeal tremor (LT) and tremor in other parts of the body, and of other movement disorders. Tremor is the involuntary skeletal muscle contraction that leads to oscillatory movement. It can affect many parts of the body including the chin, neck, laryngeal muscles, or limbs. When it is not associated with parkinsonism, it is called an essential tremor. We reviewed our 5-year experience with LT patients and the presence of other movement disorders. We performed a retrospective review of 29 patients with LT seen in a voice clinic over a 5-year period from January 2004 to April 2009. Of the 29 patients, 27 (93%) had co-incidence of another movement disorder. Of these patients, 45% had spasmodic dysphonia, 41% had oropharyngeal tremors, 38% had essential limb tremor, 31% had orofacial dystonias, and 24% had essential head and neck tremor. Only 1 patient (3%) presented with Parkinson's disease. Otolaryngologists may be the first to evaluate a patient for tremors. It is important to consider other movement disorders when examining these patients as neurologic assessment and treatment of other tremors may be beneficial.


Topology of Schwann cells and sympathetic innervation along preglomerular vessels: a confocal microscopic study in protein S100B/EGFP transgenic mice.
Schwann cells (Sc), associated axons, and nearby vascular endothelium constitute a functional trilogy of major importance during the development and regrowth of peripheral vascular nerves. The goal of the present study is to provide a technique of triple fluorescence confocal imaging of these cell types along renal preglomerular vessels. We took advantage of a protein S100B/EGFP transgenic mouse to visualize Sc. The endothelium was labeled with an intravenous injection of fluorescently tagged lectin, and after tissue processing, adrenergic nerves were revealed with an antibody against the marker protein synaptophysin. As a validation step, we found that EGFP-positive perivascular cells with prominent cell bodies and extensive, multidirectional cell processes were protein S100B positive. They were identified as Sc and indirectly assumed to be unmyelinated Sc. By contrast, we found strong EGFP expression in proximal epithelial cells and in the epithelium lining thin limbs of Henle. This epithelial fluorescence was not associated with immunoreactive protein S100B and thus corresponded to ectopic EGFP expressions in this mouse strain. Sc were organized in bundles or as a meshwork surrounding the preglomerular vasculature from arcuate arteries to afferent arterioles. No Sc were detected in the medulla. Although most Sc were closely apposed to adrenergic varicosities, many varicosities were not associated with detectable Sc processes. The present technique, and the capacity of confocal microscopy to yield three-dimensional imaging, allow the study of the microtopology of Sc and related sympathetic axons in the renal perivascular interstitium.


Dilation of the septal collateral artery and subsequent cardiac tamponade during retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention using a microcatheter for chronic total occlusion.
Microcatheters are often used for percutaneous coronary intervention via the retrograde approach through a collateral channel for chronic total occlusion lesions. Recently, we encountered an alarming case in which a septal collateral artery was dilated after the removal of a microcatheter. This dilated septal artery ruptured spontaneously and resulted in a cardiac tamponade, which was successfully treated by pericardiocentesis and coil embolization.


Enhanced activity of Akt in Teff cells from children with lupus nephritis is associated with reduced induction of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 and increased OX40 expression.
The breakdown of peripheral tolerance mechanisms is central to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although true Treg cells in patients with SLE exhibit intact suppressive activity, Teff cells are resistant to suppression. The underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. This study was undertaken to examine the Akt signaling pathway and molecules that may alter its activity in T cells in lupus patients. The Akt pathway and its regulators were analyzed in Teff and Treg cells from children with lupus nephritis and controls using flow cytometry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. T cell proliferation was assessed by analysis of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester dilution. CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3(low) and FoxP3- Teff cells from children with lupus nephritis expressed high levels of activated Akt, resulting in the down-regulation of the proapoptotic protein Bim and an enhanced proliferative response. The induction of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) was impaired, and TRAF6 levels inversely correlated with Akt activity. Although the expression of OX40 was enhanced on Teff cells from children with lupus nephritis compared to controls, OX40 stimulation failed to significantly increase TRAF6 expression in cells from patients, in contrast to those from healthy controls, but resulted in further increased Akt activation that was reversed by blockade of OX40 signaling. Moreover, inhibition of Akt signaling markedly decreased the proliferation of Teff cells from lupus patients. Our findings indicate that hyperactivation of the Akt pathway in Teff cells from children with lupus nephritis is associated with reduced induction of TRAF6 and up-regulation of OX40, which may cause Teff cell resistance to Treg cell-mediated suppression.


Nigral volume loss in prodromal, early, and moderate Parkinson's disease.
The loss of melanized neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is a hallmark pathology in Parkinson's disease (PD). Melanized neurons in SNc can be visualized in vivo using magnetization transfer (MT) effects. Nigral volume was extracted in data acquired with a MT-prepared gradient echo sequence in 33 controls, 83 non-manifest carriers (42 LRRK2 and 41 GBA nonmanifest carriers), 65 prodromal hyposmic participants, 105 de novo PD patients and 26 48-month PD patients from the Parkinson's Progressive Markers Initiative. No difference in nigral volume was seen between controls and LRRK2 and GBA non-manifest carriers (F=0.076; P=0.927). A significant main effect in group was observed between controls, prodromal hyposmic participants, and overt PD patients (F=5.192; P=0.002). Longer disease duration significantly correlated with lower nigral volume (r=-0.252; P=0.010). This study shows that nigral depigmentation can be robustly detected in prodromal hyposmic participants and overt PD patients.


Hypnotizability, preference for an imagic cognitive style, and memory creation in hypnosis.
We sought to extend the finding (Laurence & Perry, 1983) that it is possible through hypnosis to create a pseudomemory of a specific event. Subjects were compared on their responses to a hypnotic suggestion. We also examined the relation between nonhypnotic measures (Preference for an Imagic Cognitive Style [PICS] test and the Tellegen Absorption Scale [TAS]) and response to the suggestion. Highly (45.45%) and moderately-highly (46.15%) susceptible subjects believed that the pseudomemory was veridical, but none of the low susceptible subjects did so. Together, hypnotic susceptibility, the PICS, and their interaction more strongly predicted pseudomemory creation than any of these main effects alone. Performance on the TAS was also related to the occurrence of pseudomemory, but this relation was redundant with performance on the other measures. These results point to the complexity of the variables involved in pseudomemory creation during hypnosis.


Acoustic power delivery to pipeline monitoring wireless sensors.
The use of energy harvesting for powering wireless sensors is made more challenging in most applications by the requirement for customization to each specific application environment because of specificities of the available energy form, such as precise location, direction and motion frequency, as well as the temporal variation and unpredictability of the energy source. Wireless power transfer from dedicated sources can overcome these difficulties, and in this work, the use of targeted ultrasonic power transfer as a possible method for remote powering of sensor nodes is investigated. A powering system for pipeline monitoring sensors is described and studied experimentally, with a pair of identical, non-inertial piezoelectric transducers used at the transmitter and receiver. Power transmission of 18mW (Root-Mean-Square) through 1m of a118mm diameter cast iron pipe, with 8mm wall thickness is demonstrated. By analysis of the delay between transmission and reception, including reflections from the pipeline edges, a transmission speed of 1000m/s is observed, corresponding to the phase velocity of the L(0,1) axial and F(1,1) radial modes of the pipe structure. A reduction of power delivery with water-filling is observed, yet over 4mW of delivered power through a fully-filled pipe is demonstrated. The transmitted power and voltage levels exceed the requirements for efficient power management, including rectification at cold-starting conditions, and for the operation of low-power sensor nodes. The proposed powering technique may allow the implementation of energy autonomous wireless sensor systems for monitoring industrial and network pipeline infrastructure.


Weight, volume and surface area of placenta of normal pregnant women and their relation to maternal and neonatal parameters in Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups.
This study was conducted to determine the effect of ethnicity on maternal, placental and neonatal parameters. Maternal, placental, and the newborn parameters were corrected for gestational age. The male:female sex ratio was 1:1.03. One hundred and forty-four freshly delivered placentae from 55 Malaysian, 51 Chinese, and 38 Indian normal healthy patients were collected and standard stereological methods used to estimate the placental parameters. Pearson's correlation, Spearman's correlation and 1-way ANOVA were used to test significance of differences. Placental surface area, placental weight and placental volume of Indians were lower than Malays (P< 0.05). Placental weight correlated significantly with neonatal length (r=0.527), birthweight (r=0.665), head circumference (r=0.371) and booking weight (r=0.193) while placental volume correlated with neonatal length (r=0.588), birthweight (r=0.688), head circumference (r=0.384), parity (r=0.202) and booking weight (r=0.219) at P< 0.05. Indian babies weight and length were less than Chinese and Malay babies (P< 0.05) while booking weight of Indian mothers was less than those of Chinese mothers (P< 0.05). Even after being corrected for booking weight, placental parameters of Indian patients were still significantly less than Malays and Chinese (P< 0.05).


Effects of habitual physical exercise on physiological age in men aged 20-85 years as estimated using principal component analysis.
A population of 221 healthy adult men (aged 20-85 years) was studied to determine whether those who exercised regularly were in good biological condition, and also whether those who were in a state of high physical fitness were in a good state biologically, in terms of physiological age (PA) and physical fitness age (FA) as estimated by principal component analysis. A group of 17 physiological function tests and 5 physical fitness tests were employed to estimate PA and FA, respectively. The results of this study indicated that those who maintained high physical fitness at all age decade groups from 20 to 79 years had a trend towards maintaining a relatively lower PA (physiologically younger). Mean PA and FA of the trained group were younger by 4.7 and 7.3 years, respectively than those of the untrained group. In addition, the slope of regression line of PA on chronological age was more gentle in the trained group than that in the untrained group. These results would suggest that those who are in a state of high physical fitness maintain a relatively good physiological condition, and that regular physical exercise may delay physiological changes normally seen with aging, and consequently may increase the life span.


Clinical supervision as a model for clinical leadership.
Clinical leadership and clinical supervision are topical areas of nursing development. A project was established to facilitate the growth of leadership ability with a group of ward sisters through individual clinical supervision. The work revealed that ward managers struggled to fulfil their leadership roles largely because of embodied ways of relating within a prevailing organizational culture that constrained them. The paper also reflects on the impact of supervision to develop leadership practice.


Secretion of active and inactive renin by rabbit kidney cortex slices: effects of verapamil, flunarizine and A23187.
Secretion control for active and inactive (acid-activatable) renin was investigated using a rabbit kidney cortex slice preparation. In complete Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.4) the calcium-channel-blocking drugs verapamil (50 microM) and flunarizine (50 microM) had no effect on active renin release but increased inactive renin secretion. In Ca-free or Ca-depleted (+EGTA) buffers secretion of both active and inactive renin was increased. Neither verapamil nor flunarizine under these conditions had any additional effect on active renin secretion but inactive renin release was stimulated by verapamil and inhibited by flunarizine. Although having no effect in the presence of Ca++ ions, the ionophore A23187 (17 microM) selectively abolished the secretion of inactive renin in the absence of calcium. The mechanisms regulating the secretion of the two forms of renin are clearly not identical. Differential release of active and inactive renin by the kidney may contribute to the overall control of the renin-angiotensin system.


Women's decision-making processes and experiences of vaginal birth after caesarean birth: A phenomenological study.
To discover, identify, and interpret the decision-making processes and experiences of women on vaginal birth after caesarean section. This Husserlian phenomenological qualitative study was conducted using semistructured individual interviews with 12 women who experienced vaginal birth after caesarean section between August and December 2017. Colaizzi's qualitative analysis method was used. Four themes emerged: "finding a way to have vaginal birth after caesarean section," "healing by giving birth," "advantageous birth," and "being at the centre of the care," with 13 subthemes. Women defined vaginal birth after caesarean section as an important aspect of their femininity and a sense of motherhood. The women noted that traumatic experiences in caesarean section birth had been removed with vaginal birth and regarded this as an important spiritual experience and life event. The women reported that the important advantage of vaginal birth after caesarean section was not being in need of others in the post-partum period. However, women described negative experiences where health care professionals did not respect their birth preference or provide adequate information and support. Continuing professional development training is recommended in order to improve health care professionals' caring consciousness about the importance of shared decision making for women's birth type.


A 24 keV liquid-metal-jet x-ray source for biomedical applications.
We present a high-brightness 24-keV electron-impact microfocus x-ray source based on continuous operation of a heated liquid-indium/gallium-jet anode. The 30-70 W electron beam is magnetically focused onto the jet, producing a circular 7-13 μm full width half maximum x-ray spot. The measured spectral brightness at the 24.2 keV In K(α) line is 3 × 10(9) photons∕(s × mm(2) × mrad(2) × 0.1% BW) at 30 W electron-beam power. The high photon energy compared to existing liquid-metal-jet sources increases the penetration depth and allows imaging of thicker samples. The applicability of the source in the biomedical field is demonstrated by high-resolution imaging of a mammography phantom and a phase-contrast angiography phantom.


Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection in association with acute gastroenteritis in 7 dogs from Saskatchewan.
Seven dogs diagnosed with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection in association with acute gastroenteritis are described. Disease severity ranged from mild in adults to fatal disease in young dogs. Enteropathogenic E. coli infection should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis in dogs with diarrhea.


Prisoner knowledge about head injury is Improved by brief psychoeducation.
The high prevalence of head injury (HI) in prisoners and its association with offending indicates a need for interventions. However, there is little evidence and none for the effectiveness of psychoeducation in improving prisoner knowledge about HI and its effects. Small groups of males in two Scottish prisons underwent a 1 hour psychoeducation session delivered by PowerPoint and combined with question and answer, video clips and a booklet about HI. A pre-post intervention design was used to assess knowledge about HI from vignettes. Participants indicated effects of HI using unprompted free recall and then with a questionnaire (the Symptom Checklist; SCL), pre-education (n = 34), post-education (n = 19) and at 4-week follow-up (n = 11). Free recall was scored using symptom lists from national guidelines (FR-SIGN) or the SCL (FR-SCL). Within-subject comparisons were made between pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up scores. Knowledge about HI significantly increased pre- to post-education for FR-SIGN (d = 0.91; 95% CI 0.62, 2.53) and FR-SCL (d = 0.99; 95% CI 0.95, 4.00) without decrement at follow-up (FR-SIGN d = 1.27; 95% CI 0.53, 2.56; FR-SCL r = 0.60). Scores on the SCL did not change over time (p > .05). Prisoner knowledge about HI was improved by brief psychoeducation suitable for delivery in prisons.


Early identification of preterm neonates at birth with a Tablet App for the Simplified Gestational Age Score (T-SGAS) when ultrasound gestational age dating is unavailable: A validation study.
In low resource settings recall of the date of the mother's last menstrual period may be unreliable and due to limited availability of prenatal ultrasound, gestational age of newborns may not be assessed reliably. Preterm babies are at high risk of morbidity and mortality so an alternative strategy is to identify them soon after birth is needed for early referral and management. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy in assessing prematurity of newborn, over and above birthweight, using a pictorial Simplified Gestational Age Score adapted for use as a Tablet App. Two trained nurse midwives, blinded to each other's assessment and the actual gestational age of the baby used the app to assess gestational age at birth in 3 hospitals based on the following 4 parameters-newborn's posture, skin texture, breast and genital development. Inter-observer variation was evaluated and the optimal scoring cut-off to detect preterm birth was determined. Sensitivity and specificity of gestational age score using the tablet was estimated using combinations of last menstrual period and ultrasound as reference standards to assess preterm birth. The predictive accuracy of the score using the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve was also determined. To account for potential reference standard bias, we also evaluated the score using latent class models. A total of 8,591 live singleton births whose gestational age by last menstrual period and ultrasound was within 1 weeks of each other were enrolled. There was strong agreement between assessors (concordance correlation coefficient 0.77 (95% CI 0.76-0.78) and Fleiss' kappa was 0.76 (95% CI 0.76-0.78). The optimal cut-off for the score to predict preterm was 13. Irrespective of the reference standard, the specificity of the score was 90% and sensitivity varied from 40-50% and the predictive accuracy between 74%-79% for the reference standards. The likelihood ratio of a positive score varied between 3.75-4.88 while the same for a negative likelihood ratio consistently varied between 0.57-0.72. Latent class models showed similar results indicating no reference standard bias. Gestational age scores had strong inter-observer agreement, robust prediction of preterm births simplicity of use by nurse midwives and can be a useful tool in resource-limited scenarios. The Tablet App for the Simplified Gestational Age Score (T-SGAS) study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02408783.


Inhibition of platelet activation by lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS)-silenced (tearless) onion juice.
Onion and garlic are renowned for their roles as functional foods. The health benefits of garlic are attributed to di-2-propenyl thiosulfinate (allicin), a sulfur compound found in disrupted garlic but not found in disrupted onion. Recently, onions have been grown with repressed lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) activity, which causes these onions to produce increased amounts of di-1-propenyl thiosulfinate, an isomer of allicin. This investigation into the key health attributes of LFS-silenced (tearless) onions demonstrates that they have some attributes more similar to garlic and that this is likely due to the production of novel thiosulfinate or metabolites. The key finding was that collagen-induced in vitro platelet aggregation was significantly reduced by tearless onion extract over normal onion extract. Thiosulfinate or derived compounds were shown not to be responsible for the observed changes in the inflammatory response of AGS (stomach adenocarcinoma) cells to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) when pretreated with model onion juices. A preliminary rat feeding trial indicated that the tearless onions may also play a key role in reducing weight gain.


Adaptive computer control of anesthesia in humans.
This paper presents an efficient computer control technique for regulation of anesthesia in humans. The anesthetic used is propofol and the objective is to control the degree of hypnosis of the patient. The paper describes the basic hardware/software setup of the system and the closed-loop methodologies. The bispectral index (BIS) is considered as the feedback signal. The control methods proposed here are based in the use of proportional integral controllers with dead-time compensation to avoid undesirable oscillations in the BIS signal during the process. The compensation is based on the Smith predictor. To guarantee the applicability of the method to different patients, an adaptive module to tune the compensator is developed. Some real and simulated results are presented in this work to attest the efficiency of the methods used.


Value of wireless personal digital assistants for practice: perceptions of advanced practice nurses.
The aims were to explore advanced practice nurses' perceptions on wireless Personal Digital Assistant technologies, to establish the type and range of tools that would be useful to support their practice and to identify any requirements and limitations that may impact the implementation of wireless Personal Digital Assistants in practice. The wireless Personal Digital Assistant is becoming established as a hand-held computing tool for healthcare professionals. The reflections of advanced practice nurses' about the value of wireless Personal Digital Assistants and its potential to contribute to improved patient care has not been investigated. A qualitative interpretivist design was used to explore advanced practice nurses' perceptions on the value of wireless Personal Digital Assistant technologies to support their practice. The data were collected using survey questionnaires and individual and focus group interviews with nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and information technology managers based in British Columbia, Canada. An open-coding content analysis was performed using qualitative data analysis software. Wireless Personal Digital Assistant's use supports the principles of pervasivity and is a technology rapidly being adopted by advanced practice nurses. Some nurses indicated a reluctance to integrate wireless Personal Digital Assistant technologies into their practices because of the cost and the short technological life cycle of these devices. Many of the barriers which precluded the use of wireless networks within facilities are being removed. Nurses demonstrated a complex understanding of wireless Personal Digital Assistant technologies and gave good rationales for its integration in their practice. Nurses identified improved client care as the major benefit of this technology in practice and the type and range of tools they identified included clinical reference tools such as drug and diagnostic/laboratory reference applications and wireless communications. Nurses in this study support integrating wireless mobile computing technologies into their practice to improve client care.


[Comparison of results of short- and long-term therapy of obesity].
A study concerning long term results of dietetic treatment of obesity has been conducted on 1479 obese women, aged 16 to 76 years, who attended the ambulatory during the period 1992-1995. Best results in short term reduction of weight excess were found in obesity due to sedentariness or arisen after operations or emotional stress. Also, it has been noticed that percentage of subjects who went on to loose weight decreased after first year of treatment instead, percentage of subjects who grew fat increased. So, authors believe that long term therapy main object in obese people isn't loss of weight but to avoid further weight increases.


Targeting oncogenes and tumor suppressors genes to mitigate chemoresistance.
Malfunctions in membrane transporters or disruptions in signaling cascades induce resistance to chemotherapy in cancer cells resulting in treatment failure. To adjust the genetic alterations leading to these cellular protective measures, dissection and verification of the contributing routes would be required. In justification of knockdown of the key genes, RNA interference provides a reliable probing tool, enabling exploration of phenotypic manifestation of targeted genes. Investigation of the non-transporter targets, predominantly oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, by means of small interfering RNA with the aim to re-sensitize cancer cells to therapeutics will be discussed in this review.


Characterization of tenascin secreted by human melanoma cells.
Tenascin is a large glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix. It shows a site-restricted expression during embryogenesis and can be found in adult tissues during wound healing and tumorigenesis. Because of the potential involvement of tenascin in adhesion and invasion during metastasis, the study of the interactions of tumor cells with tenascin is of considerable interest. Using five anti-melanoma monoclonal antibodies to four different epitopes of human tenascin, we found that most melanoma cells secrete tenascin in vitro constitutively. Transforming growth factor beta 1 in the medium increased secretion in tenascin-producing cells. Tenascin was present in sera of melanoma patients, with significantly elevated levels in patients with advanced melanomas as compared to patients with low tumor burden or to normal donors. Normal and malignant melanocytes did not attach to tenascin as substrate within 1 to 2 h and tenascin could also inhibit fibronectin-dependent adhesion. These results indicate that tenascin may play a critical role in cell-substrate interactions of melanoma cells.


G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 phosphorylates p53 and inhibits DNA damage-induced apoptosis.
G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are an important family of Ser/Thr kinases that specifically phosphorylate and desensitize the activated receptor in response to environmental stimulation. Here we identify p53, a key tumor suppressor, as a novel GRK substrate in vivo, revealing a previously unknown function of GRKs in regulation of genome stability. Knockdown GRK5 in osteosarcoma cells inhibits DNA damage-induced apoptosis via a p53-mediated mechanism. Furthermore, GRK5, but not GRK2 or GRK6, phosphorylates p53 at Thr-55, which promotes the degradation of p53, leading to inhibition of p53-dependent apoptotic response to genotoxic damage. Consistently, the increase of p53 and irradiation-induced apoptosis were observed in GRK5-deficient mice. These results demonstrate GRK5 as a novel kinase of p53, as well as a negative regulator of p53-mediated signal transduction.


Stability of chloroplastic triazine resistance in rutabaga backcross generations.
Triazine resistance originally observed in a weed biotype of birdsrape (Brassica campestris L.) has been transferred through cytoplasmic substitution into rutabaga (Brassica napus ssp. Rapifera [Metzg.] Minsk.) by conventional backcrossing. Photosynthetic function and resistance to triazines were examined in six backcross generations of rutabaga as well as in the original parents. Chloroplast thylakoid membranes were isolated and their sensitivity to atrazine, metribuzin, and diuron assayed by measuring the inhibition of photoreduction of 1,6-dichlorophenol indophenol as well as the alteration of in vitro chlorophyll fluorescence rise characteristics. Both assay methods indicated that triazine resistance persisted in all rutabaga backcross generations, and that it involved triazine binding sites in chloroplasts. There was little resistance to diuron. In vivo chlorophyll fluorescence was also monitored, in the absence of herbicides, as an indicator of the electron transfer properties of the chloroplast photosystem II complex. The results indicated that electron transport from Q(A) to Q(B) was slower (as indicated by a larger intermediate level fluorescence during the transient rise) in the triazine resistant parents as well as in all the rutabaga backcross generations.


Engineering non-covalently assembled protein nanoparticles for long-acting gouty arthritis therapy.
As an incurable metabolic disease, gouty arthritis (GA) requires long-term treatment with frequent drug administration several times per day. Compared to non-specific small organic medications, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) blocking therapies, such as IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), show great therapeutic potential in clinical trials of GA. However, IL-1Ra application is starkly limited due to its short half-life and poor bioavailability. Herein, we demonstrate a new type of nanotherapeutic formulation via noncovalent assembly of an engineered IL-1Ra chimera protein. PEGylation was employed to induce such assembly by exploiting electrostatic complexation and hydrophobic interactions. The engineered protein nanoparticles had a combination of biocompatibility, improved bioavailability and therapeutic performance. It showed extraordinary long-term anti-inflammatory effect and robust bio-efficacy for GA therapy in acute GA rat models. Strikingly, this nanoprotein system possesses an ultralong half-life of 27 hours and a bioavailability 7 times higher than that of pristine IL-1Ra, thus extending the dosing interval from several hours to more than 3 days. Therefore, our noncovalent assembly strategy via an engineered chimeric protein empowers the construction of potent delivery nanosystems for efficient GA treatment, and this might be adapted for other therapeutics to form long-acting formulations.


Adaptive fiber optics collimator based on flexible hinges.
In this manuscript, we present a new design for an adaptive fiber optics collimator (AFOC) based on flexible hinges by using piezoelectric stacks actuators for X-Y displacement. Different from traditional AFOC, the new structure is based on flexible hinges to drive the fiber end cap instead of naked fiber. We fabricated a real AFOC based on flexible hinges, and the end cap's deviation and resonance frequency of the device were measured. Experimental results show that this new AFOC can provide fast control of tip-tilt deviation of the laser beam emitting from the end cap. As a result, the fiber end cap can support much higher power than naked fiber, which makes the new structure ideal for tip-tilt controlling in a high-power fiber laser system.


Subcellular analysis of starch metabolism in developing barley seeds using a non-aqueous fractionation method.
Compartmentation of metabolism in developing seeds is poorly understood due to the lack of data on metabolite distributions at the subcellular level. In this report, a non-aqueous fractionation method is described that allows subcellular concentrations of metabolites in developing barley endosperm to be calculated. (i) Analysis of subcellular volumes in developing endosperm using micrographs shows that plastids and cytosol occupy 50.5% and 49.9% of the total cell volume, respectively, while vacuoles and mitochondria can be neglected. (ii) By using non-aqueous fractionation, subcellular distribution between the cytosol and plastid of the levels of metabolites involved in sucrose degradation, starch synthesis, and respiration were determined. With the exception of ADP and AMP which were mainly located in the plastid, most other metabolites of carbon and energy metabolism were mainly located outside the plastid in the cytosolic compartment. (iii) In developing barley endosperm, the ultimate precursor of starch, ADPglucose (ADPGlc), was mainly located in the cytosol (80-90%), which was opposite to the situation in growing potato tubers where ADPGlc was almost exclusively located in the plastid (98%). This reflects the different subcellular distribution of ADPGlc pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) in these tissues. (iv) Cytosolic concentrations of ADPGlc were found to be close to the published K(m) values of AGPase and the ADPGlc/ADP transporter at the plastid envelope. Also the concentrations of the reaction partners glucose-1-phosphate, ATP, and inorganic pyrophosphate were close to the respective K(m) values of AGPase. (v) Knock-out of cytosolic AGPase in Riso16 mutants led to a strong decrease in ADPGlc level, in both the cytosol and plastid, whereas knock-down of the ADPGlc/ADP transporter led to a large shift in the intracellular distribution of ADPGlc. (v) The thermodynamic structure of the pathway of sucrose to starch was determined by calculating the mass-action ratios of all the steps in the pathway. The data show that AGPase is close to equilibrium, in both the cytosol and plastid, whereas the ADPGlc/ADP transporter is strongly displaced from equilibrium in vivo. This is in contrast to most other tissues, including leaves and potato tubers. (vi) Results indicate transport rather than synthesis of ADPGlc to be the major regulatory site of starch synthesis in barley endosperm. The reversibility of AGPase in the plastid has important implications for the regulation of carbon partitioning between different biosynthetic pathways.


Transmembrane orientation of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor in isolated clathrin-coated vesicles.
The mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) receptor is an integral membrane glycoprotein which mediates intracellular transport and receptor-mediated endocytosis of lysosomal proteins. Clathrin-coated vesicles, which have been shown to be significantly involved in these processes, have also been shown to be a major subcellular site of the receptor. In order to define the orientation of the Man-6-P receptor within the coated vesicle membrane, highly purified preparations of coated vesicles were prepared from bovine brain employing D2O/sucrose gradient centrifugation and Sephacryl S-1000 column chromatography. Using [35S]methionine-labeled lysosomal enzymes secreted by Chinese hamster ovary cells as receptor ligand, significant binding activity was detected only upon permeabilization of the coated vesicle membranes with detergent. Prior treatment of intact vesicles with proteinase K resulted in similar binding activity upon permeabilization. However, examination of the receptor by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with rabbit anti-receptor serum revealed that proteinase K treatment of intact vesicles reduced the size of the receptor by 12,000 daltons. A similar decrease in size was obtained when the vesicles were treated with carboxypeptidase Y. These results suggest that the Man-6-P receptor is a transmembrane protein with its lysosomal enzyme binding site oriented toward the lumen of the coated vesicle and its C-terminal end exposed to the exterior or cytoplasmic portion of the vesicle membrane.


Exercise training in chronic heart failure: beneficial effects on cardiac (11)C-hydroxyephedrine PET, autonomic nervous control, and ventricular repolarization.
Abnormalities of autonomic nervous function are associated with a poor prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We studied the effects of a 6-mo exercise training program on Q-T interval dispersion, heart rate and blood pressure variability, baroreflex sensitivity, myocardial blood flow (MBF), and presynaptic sympathetic innervation in 13 patients with New York Heart Association class II-III heart failure. MBF was measured with the H(2)(15)O and C(15)O technique. Cardiac presynaptic innervation was studied by (11)C-hydroxyephedrine (HED) retention assessed with PET. Heart rate and blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity were tested with the phenylephrine method. All studies were performed before and after a 6-mo exercise training program. The exercise capacity was determined by spiroergometry, and Q-T dispersion was measured from a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram. Q-T dispersion was reduced after the training period (mean +/- SEM, from 52 +/- 5 to 36 +/- 5 ms [P = 0.01]). Global (11)C-HED retention improved from 0.228 +/- 0.099 to 0.263 +/- 0.066 s(-1) (P < 0.05). Global MBF was not affected by training, but MBF increased in areas of low initial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease (from 0.382 +/- 0.062 to 0.562 +/- 0.083 mL/g/min [P < 0.005]). The high-frequency spectrum and total R-R interval variability increased (from 4.53 +/- 0.30 to 5.02 +/- 0.36 ms(2) [P < 0.05] and from 3.60 +/- 0.34 to 4.31 +/- 0.37 ms(2) [P < 0.005], respectively). Both changes correlated significantly with the observed change in (11)C-HED retention. There was a significant reduction of total and a near-significant reduction of low-frequency (LF) systolic blood-pressure (SBP) variability (from 4.89 +/- 1.03 to 3.18 +/- 0.48 [P < 0.05] and from 2.79 +/- 0.38 to 1.76 +/- 0.24 [P = 0.059], respectively). The decrease in LF SBP variability correlated inversely with the enhancement of (11)C-HED retention (r = -0.66; P < 0.05). Baroreflex sensitivity increased from 5.83 +/- 0.82 to 10.15 +/- 1.66 ms/mm Hg (P < 0.05). Exercise training induces beneficial changes in functional and imaging measures of cardiovascular autonomic nervous control. These observations point to a training-induced shift toward normalization of the compensatory autonomic nervous imbalance in CHF.


[The best of thrombosis and thromboembolic disease in 1999].
1999 has been a good year in the field of innovation in thrombosis. In coronary syndrome without ST elevation: low molecular weight heparin has been confirmed to be more effective than non-fractionated heparin (enoxaparin) and to improve the prognosis of non-revascularised patients (dalteparin) after the hospital phase; hirudin has been shown to be more effective in terms of incidence of myocardial infarction and recurrence of angina than non-fractionated heparin without a higher incidence of bleeding complications; the anti-GP IIb-IIIa (abciximab) has confirmed all its advantages at 6 months and 1 year after a coronary event. The association of heparin and aspirin, which has been the mainstay of antithrombotic treatment of acute coronary syndromes without ST elevation, will soon be improved upon at the beginning of the third millennium. In myocardial infarction, medical thrombolysis has probably reached a turning point in its history. The association of half doses of rt-Pa and anti-GP IIb-IIIa has been shown to be more effective in obtaining good reflow than the thrombolytic agent alone at conventional doses. These results were obtained without any increase in bleeding complication. The same anti-GP IIb-IIIa also improve mechanical revascularisation by optimising reperfusion after the 24th hour. This benefit is rapidly transformed into reduced left ventricular dysfunction. Pulmonary embolism remains a critical illness as the ICOPER registry reports a 3 year mortality of nearly 16%. This emphasises the importance of early diagnosis which is usually possible without resorting to invasive procedures and by modulating all the results of paraclinical investigations with respect to the pretest clinical probability.


Kinetics of virus spread and changes in levels of several cytokine mRNAs in the brain after intranasal infection of rats with Borna disease virus.
We have used the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique to gain insight into the pathogenesis of encephalitis caused by Borna disease virus (BDV). RNA specific for BDV was first detected in the olfactory bulb of intranasally infected rats at 6 days postinfection (p.i.). At 14 days p.i., high levels of BDV RNA were found in all brain regions, and at 26 days p.i., BDV-specific RNA was also present in the eye, nasal mucosa, and facial skin. In the chronic phase of the disease, BDV RNA was identified in many peripheral organs but not in blood. Analysis of brain tissue for the presence of cytokine mRNAs revealed that the mRNA levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL-1 alpha had increased sharply at 14 and 26 days p.i. These cytokine mRNAs reached maximum levels at the peak of inflammatory reactions and decreased drastically in the chronic phase of the disease. Although IL-2 mRNA was also found in normal brain, it was markedly increased in BDV-infected brain at 14 days p.i. Expression of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) mRNA, which was not observed in normal rat brain, was detected at 14 days p.i. and reached a maximum level at 38 days p.i. IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA expression correlated with expression of CD4 and CD8 mRNAs, indicating that both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes are induced in the early stages of BDV infection. Since IFN-gamma and CD8 mRNA levels were still highly elevated in the chronic phase of Borna disease, it is likely that CD8+ T lymphocytes act to reduce inflammation and to ameliorate neurological signs during the chronic phase of infection.


Kinetic analysis of the positive inotropic action (PIA) of ouabain in isolated perfused rabbit heart. Slow onset of PIA and slow binding to Na+, K+-adenosine triphosphatase.
The positive inotropic action (PIA) of ouabain was analyzed kinetically using isolated perfused rabbit heart. The input function of the ouabain concentration in the perfusate (Ci) into the heart was controlled by changing the volume of the reservoir and the rate of ouabain infusion into the reservoir fixed in front of the heart. The time courses of PIA were measured continuously with different infusion rates. The relationship between Ci and PIA clearly depended on the infusion rate in isolated perfused rabbit heart. The binding kinetics of ouabain to Na+, K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in the cardiac homogenate showed two kinds of binding sites. The association rate constant (kappa 1), the dissociation rate constant (kappa-1) and the binding capacity of each site was estimated by the simultaneous fitting method. The occupation curve of the high affinity site corresponded well with the PIA measured in the isolated perfused heart at steady state. These results indicate that ouabain binding to the high affinity site is related to the PIA, and the slow binding process of ouabain to Na+, K+-ATPase may be one of the principal reasons for the infusion-rate dependence of ouabain PIA.


Rituximab decreases the risk of lymphoma in patients with HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease.
HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (MCD) is associated with a high risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Rituximab is effective in HIV-MCD, but its impact on NHL incidence remains unknown. From a single-center prospective cohort, 113 patients were identified with a diagnosis of HIV-MCD for the present study. To compare the incidence of NHL between patients who had received a rituximab-based treatment (R+ group) and those who had not (R- group), data were analyzed before and after matching on propensity scores and after multiple imputation. The mean follow-up was 4.2 years. In the R- group (n = 65), 17 patients developed NHL (incidence, 69.6 of 1000 person years). In the R+ group (n = 48), only 1 patient developed NHL (incidence, 4.2 of 1000 person years). Based on the propensity score-matching method, a significant decrease in the incidence of NHL was observed in patients who had been treated with rituximab (hazard ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.70). Ten Kaposi sarcoma (KS) exacerbations and 1 newly diagnosed KS were observed in 9 patients after rituximab therapy. Rituximab was associated with an 11-fold lower risk of developing lymphoma. KS exacerbation was the most challenging adverse event after rituximab therapy.


Induction of DNA double-strand breaks in primary gingival fibroblasts by exposure to dental resin composites.
Dental resin composites and their reactive monomers/co-monomers have been shown to elicit cytotoxic responses in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF), and their metabolic radical intermediates have the potential to attack the DNA backbone, which may induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In this study we have tested the cytotoxicity and induction of DSBs by the most common composite resin monomers/co-monomers: BisGMA, HEMA, TEGDMA, and UDMA in gingival fibroblasts using the sensitive gamma-H2AX DNA repair focus assay. Our results show increasing monomer cytotoxicities in the order of BisGMA>UDMA>TEGDMA>HEMA, an order that was also observed for their capacity to induce DSBs. BisGMA at the EC50 concentration of 0.09 mm evoked the highest rate of gamma-H2AX foci-formation that was 11-fold higher DNA DSBs as compared to the negative controls that ranged between 0.25 and 0.5gamma-H2AX foci/HGF cell. Our results for the first time show that exposure to dental resin monomers can induce DSBs in primary human oral cavity cells, which underscores their genotoxic capacity.


Manganese(II) EOB-Pyclen Diacetate for Liver-Specific MRI.
MRI is increasingly utilized for the diagnosis of liver disease and focal liver lesions. Although liver-targeted gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have high efficacy, there continue to be safety concerns regarding release of toxic Gd(III) ions. Herein, Mn(EOB-PC2A) is synthesized as a nongadolinium alternative for liver-specific MRI. Mn(EOB-PC2A) has an r1 relaxivity of 2.8 mM-1 s-1 in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) and 5.9 mM-1 s-1 in saline containing human serum albumin at 1.5 T. It has a strong uptake in hepatocytes with minimal toxicity and demonstrated robust liver-specific enhancement at a dose of 60 μmol/kg. Mn(EOB-PC2A) is a promising liver-specific contrast agent for liver MRI.


What's the return? Assessing the effect of "pay-for-performance" initiatives on the quality of care delivery.
This article evaluates the impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services/Premier pay-for-performance demonstration project on performance improvement in three clinical areas in a multihospital health care system. The study compares a group of hospitals participating in this project against a control group of similar hospitals that did not participate. Although the incentives are extremely small, the findings show that participation in the pay-for-performance initiative had a significant impact on the rate and magnitude of performance improvement. The project led to marked improvement in the quality of clinical process delivery and accelerated the adoption of evidence-based practices.


[Self-determination of the disabled (author's transl)].
Self-determination of the disabled is examined in the present paper on the criteria stated in the constitutional document of the Federal Republic of Germany, and in the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, with a view to determining the extent to which disabled people are infringed upon in practising self-determination. It is shown that restrictions in self-determination are directly related to the severity of the disability, arising in particular from dependence on personal care, wheelchair dependence, financial difficulties, and in an institutional setting. Self-determination is a central concern in the entirely of disability work in the Federal Republic of Germany. Its implementation can be achieved only if a greater level of awareness and acceptance on the part of the non-disabled is brought about, as a basis of the will for positive partnership with the disabled. The disabled must equally accept the changes necessary to their lifestyles, in order to translate their right to fully develop their personality into actually self-determined life.


Impact of therapeutic regional lymph node dissection for medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland.
Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland (MCT) is a disease commonly associated with regional metastases. Apart from surgical resection, there are limited therapeutic options for such patients. Given the variable and often prolonged survival of such patients, the benefit of surgical resection is difficult to evaluate. We have reviewed our experience with regional lymph node dissection for metastatic MCT. From Jan. 1, 1980, to Dec. 31, 1991, 36 patients underwent dissection of regional lymph node metastases for MCT at our institution. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and comparisons by log rank analysis. Significance was defined as p < 0.05. Thirty-six patients (13 women), with a mean age of 48 years (range 16 to 78 years), underwent operation for clinically palpable or radiologically identified nodal disease. Median follow-up was 53 months, with an overall actuarial 5-year survival of 65%. Factors significantly associated with a poor outcome included the following: age greater than 40 years, mediastinal metastases, incomplete excision, extranodal disease, and failure to reduce the thyrocalcitonin level. The resection of metastatic MCT to regional lymph nodes can be associated with appreciable survival. Prognostic parameters are identified that adversely affect survival.


A preliminary mapping of QTL qsg5.1 controlling seed germination in melon (Cucumis melo L.).
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) seed germination significantly affects its economic value. Cultivation of melon varieties with high germination ability and seedling vigor is beneficial in large-scale melon propagation. In this study, two melon genotypes differing in their germination ability, P5 with low and P10 with high germination ability, were used to identify the optimal seed germination conditions by evaluating different water immersion times and germination temperatures. The germination rate of the P5 and P10 parental genotypes and their segregating population, consisting of 358 F2:3 families, were evaluated for 2 years to identify their genetic basis. QTL analysis was performed on a high-density genetic map constructed using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). The germination rate of F1 and F2 populations treated with water immersion for 8 h at 28°C and measured at 48 h showed a normal distribution Genetic mapping carried out using the high-density genetic map revealed eight QTLs in chromosomes 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 that control melon seed germination, of which 2020/2021-qsg5.1 was consistently significant in both years of experimentation. qsg5.1 explained 15.13% of the phenotypic variance with a LOD of 4.1. To fine map the candidate region of qsg5.1, eight cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence (CAPS) markers were used to construct a genetic map with another 421 F2 individual fruits. The major QTL qsg5.1 was located between SNP53 and SNP54 within a 55.96 Kb interval containing four genes. qRT-PCR gene expression analysis of the candidate genes showed that MELO3C031219.2 (Phosphorus transporter PHO-5) exhibited a significant difference in gene expression between the parental lines at 24, 32, and 48 h after germination, potentially being the underlying gene controlling melon seed germination. These results provide a theoretical basis for the molecular mechanisms controlling melon seed germination and can practically contribute to further improving germination to increase the propagation efficiency of commercial melon cultivars.


Macrophages and dendritic cells for treating kidney disease.
Based on new understanding of the diverse biological functions of macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), the focus of studies on these cells has been expanded from their pathogenic role in renal diseases to include their potential to regulate inflammation and restore renal architecture and function. By exploiting their regulatory function, macrophages or DC have been used to treat experimental renal disease following their adoptive transfer. This review summarizes current progress in the therapeutic use of macrophages and DC in renal diseases. Key issues for ongoing research are discussed.


The effect of pentoxifylline on impaired red cell deformability following open-heart surgery.
Red blood cell deformability is essential for a normal nutritional blood flow. The effect of pentoxifylline on impaired red cell deformability following open-heart surgery was studied in 25 patients. The controls were 25 patients with equivalent surgery but no pentoxifylline. After 3 days of preoperative peroral pentoxifylline (1 200 mg/day) there was significant (mean 14%) increase of deformability. Intraoperatively, just before extracorporeal circulation, 300 mg pentoxifylline was given intravenously. During the cardiopulmonary bypass there was nevertheless significant decrease in red cell deformability in the test group (by 29%) as well as in the controls (28%). In the first 2 postoperative days there was further decrease in both groups (31% and 26%). Thereafter, however, deformability improved in the pentoxifylline group but showed additional slight decrease in the controls. By the 6th postoperative day the increase in the test group thus was 35%, whereas the controls showed a further 4% decrease. The reduction in deformability from the preoperative to the 6-day value was significantly less in the pentoxifylline group than in the controls. The study proved that red cell deformability is greatly impaired by extracorporeal circulation. Pre-bypass pentoxifylline medication had a significant prophylactic effect by enhancing the postoperative restitution of deformability.


The content of bone morphogenetic proteins in platelets varies greatly between different platelet donors.
Platelet derivates and platelet rich plasma have been used to stimulate bone formation and wound healing because of the rich content of potent growth factors. However, not all reports have been conclusive since some have not been able to demonstrate a positive effect. We investigated the interindividual variation of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in platelets from healthy donors, and the pH-dependent effect on the release of BMPs in preparations of lysed platelets in buffer (LPB). Platelet concentrates from 31 healthy donors were prepared in pH 4.3 and pH 7.4 buffers and investigated with respect to BMP-2, -4, -6, and -7. BMP-2 and BMP-4 were significantly more common in acidic LPBs in comparison with neutral preparations. We also observed a considerable variation among platelet donors with respect to the release of BMPs at pH 4.3 and 7.4. In conclusion, a considerable variation was found among platelet donors, which may be of importance considering the ambiguous results previously reported on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.


High resolution ordering of DNA markers by multi-color fluorescent in situ hybridization of prophase chromosomes.
To improve resolution for physical ordering of adjacent DNA loci, prophase chromosomes were used for multi-color fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The prophase chromosomes were prepared from cultured lymphocytes by a thymidine synchronization, bromodeoxyuridine release technique and then treating the synchronized cultures with topoisomerase II inhibitors ICRF154 or ICRF193. Almost all mitotic figures exhibited highly elongated prophase chromosomes without significant reduction of the mitotic index. Using multi-color FISH with these prophase chromosomes, we were able to distinguish signals for loci separated by as little as 50 kb, and determine their orientation. Furthermore, using this prophase ordering system, we confirmed the linear order and defined the orientation of seven cosmid markers within a 360-kb region surrounding D10S102, a locus that is closely linked to the disease locus in families segregating an allele causing multiple endocrine neoplasia IIA (MEN2A). This prophase FISH system, by rapidly and precisely providing the linear order of loci that are very close, can expedite construction of fine cytogenetic maps and contribute to positional-cloning studies in which the precise ordering of DNA loci in a target region is critical.


Prevalence of gingivitis among school attendees in Qazvin, Iran.
The purpose of this study was to determine the gingival status in six to nine years old (6-9 years). A Total (n=792) patients comprised 396 girls and 396 boys between 6-9 years were selected from school in Qazvin. Names, ages, sex, addresses and gingival status of each patient were recorded in separate questionnaires. Intra oral examinations were performed with mirror, probe and good light. Among total n=792 patients, the female were 396 (50%) and male were 396 (50%). The prevalence of gingivitis was 97% (in 6-7 years), 98.1% (7-8 years), 98.5% (in 8-9 years) and 97.9% in all groups. In present study the frequency of gingivitis was found to be higher. According to the high prevalence of gingivitis the most prevalent areas of plaque and gingivitis identified in this study should be taken in consideration during oral hygiene instructions, which should be given to children, parents, and teachers.


Optimal Dissemination of Scientific Manuscripts via Social Media: A Prospective Trial Comparing Visual Abstracts Versus Key Figures in Consecutive Original Manuscripts Published in European Urology.
Visual abstracts (VAs) are graphical representations of the key findings in manuscripts and have been adopted by many journals to improve content dissemination via social media. We sought to assess whether VAs, compared to key figures (KFs), increased reader engagement via social media using articles published in European Urology. We prospectively randomized 200 consecutive new publications to representation on Twitter and Instagram using either a VA (n = 99) or a KF (n = 101). Randomization was stratified by prostate cancer content. The primary outcome was Twitter impressions. Secondary outcomes included Twitter total engagements, link clicks, likes, and retweets, as well as Instagram likes. Analysis of covariance was conducted using the stratification variable as a covariate. We found that Twitter impressions were greater for tweets containing VAs compared to KFs (8385 vs 6882; adjusted difference 1480, 95% confidence interval [CI] 434-2526; p = 0.006). VA use was also associated with more retweets and likes (p < 0.002), but fewer full-article link clicks than KFs (60 vs 105, adjusted difference 45, 95% CI 21-70; p = 0.0004). The choice between VA and KF should depend on the relative value given to impressions versus full-article link clicks. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that use of a visual abstract increases the social media reach of new urology articles when compared to key figures from the manuscript, but was associated in a significantly lower click-through rate. In the increasingly virtual world of academic medicine, these findings may assist authors, editors, and publishers with dissemination of new research.


[Scientific approaches to the Mexican mestizo].
The colonial category of mestizo was an ideological tool that shaped national identity in the post-revolutionary period in Mexico. The Indian-mestizo axis functioned to organize the ethnic and political interactions of the state. Doctors and anthropologists reinforced this dual taxonomy in studies of human populations, using biomedical markers to produce differentiated descriptions of the Indian and the mestizo. Genomic descriptions have contributed both to the construction of the scientistic notion of the mestizo based on the percentage of Indian, European and African ancestry, and also to the rise of two technoscientific objects that we call the molecular mestizo and the bioinformatic mestizo. Here we describe the interactions between the ideological and scientific incarnations of the mestizo.