Comparison of the effects of erythropoietin and anakinra on functional recovery and gene expression in a traumatic brain injury model.
The goal of this study was to compare the effects of two inflammatory modulators, erythropoietin (EPO) and anakinra, on functional recovery and brain gene expression following a cortical contusion impact (CCI) injury. Dosage regimens were designed to provide serum concentrations in the range obtained with clinically approved doses. Functional recovery was assessed using both motor and spatial learning tasks and neuropathological measurements conducted in the cortex and hippocampus. Microarray-based transcriptional profiling was used to determine the effect on gene expression at 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days post-CCI. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to evaluate the effect on relevant functional categories. EPO and anakinra treatment resulted in significant changes in brain gene expression in the CCI model demonstrating acceptable brain penetration. At all three time points, EPO treatment resulted in significantly more differentially expressed genes than anakinra. For anakinra at 24 h and EPO at 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days, the genes in the top 3 functional categories were involved in cellular movement, inflammatory response and cell-to-cell signaling. For EPO, the majority of the genes in the top 10 canonical pathways identified were associated with inflammatory and immune signaling processes. This was true for anakinra only at 24 h post-traumatic brain injury (TBI). The immunomodulation effects of EPO and anakinra did not translate into positive effects on functional behavioral and lesion studies. Treatment with either EPO or anakinra failed to induce significant beneficial effects on recovery of function or produce any significant effects on the prevention of injury induced tissue loss at 30 days post-injury. In conclusion, treatment with EPO or anakinra resulted in significant effects on gene expression in the brain without affecting functional outcome. This suggests that targeting these inflammatory processes alone may not be sufficient for preventing secondary injuries after TBI.


Age-Related Intrinsic Functional Connectivity Changes of Locus Coeruleus from Childhood to Older Adults.
The locus coeruleus is critical for selective information processing by modulating the brain's connectivity configuration. Increasingly, studies have suggested that LC controls sensory inputs at the sensory gating stage. Furthermore, accumulating evidence has shown that young children and older adults are more prone to distraction and filter out irrelevant information less efficiently, possibly due to the unoptimized LC connectivity. However, the LC connectivity pattern across the life span is not fully examined yet, hampering our ability to understand the relationship between LC development and the distractibility. In this study, we examined the intrinsic network connectivity of the LC using a public fMRI dataset with wide-range age samples. Based on LC-seed functional connectivity maps, we examined the age-related variation in the LC connectivity with a quadratic model. The analyses revealed two connectivity patterns explicitly. The sensory-related brain regions showed a positive quadratic age effect (u-shape), and the frontal regions for the cognitive control showed a negative quadratic age effect (inverted u-shape). Our results imply that such age-related distractibility is possibly due to the impaired sensory gating by the LC and the insufficient top-down controls by the frontal regions. We discuss the underlying neural mechanisms and limitations of our study.


Evaluating the taxa that provide shared pollination services across multiple crops and regions.
Many pollinator species visit multiple crops in multiple regions, yet we know little about their pollination service provisioning at local and regional scales. We investigated the floral visitors (n = 13,200), their effectiveness (n = 1718 single visits) and response to landscape composition across three crops avocado, mango and macadamia within a single growing region (1 year), a single crop (3 years) and across different growing regions in multiple years. In total, eight wild visitor groups were shared across all three crops. The network was dominated by three pollinators, two bees (Apis mellifera and Tetragonula spp.) and a fly, Stomorhina discolor. The visitation network for the three crops was relatively generalised but with the addition of pollen deposition data, specialisation increased. Sixteen managed and wild taxa were consistently present across three years in avocado, yet their contribution to annual network structure varied. Node specialisation (d') analyses indicated many individual orchard sites across each of the networks were significantly more specialised compared to that predicted by null models, suggesting the presence of site-specific factors driving these patterns. Identifying the taxa shared across multiple crops, regions and years will facilitate the development of specific pollinator management strategies to optimize crop pollination services in horticultural systems.


Effect of metal containing compounds on superoxide release from phorbol myristate acetate stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages: inhibition by auranofin and spirogermanium.
A variety of metal containing compounds were examined for their ability to inhibit the respiratory burst of murine peritoneal macrophages. Auranofin (AF), a gold containing complex used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is a potent inhibitor of the macrophage respiratory burst. Ten rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium containing complexes were inactive in inhibiting superoxide production. The only active nongold organometallic complex was spirogermanium which had an equivalent IC50 for activity as AF. The inhibitory activity of AF, but not spirogermanium, was reduced in the presence of the sulfhydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol. This suggests that interactions other than those with sulfhydryl groups may be involved in the action of spirogermanium.


[Expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase and bcl-2 in ameloblastoma].
To study the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and bcl-2 in ameloblastoma (AB), METHODS: hTERT mRNA in 54 cases of AB (primary AB 31 cases, recurrent AB 17 cases, malignant AB 4 cases) and 7 cases of oral normal mucosa was detected by in situ hybridization, and bcl-2 by S-P method. The expression of hTERT mRNA was negative or weak in normal oral mucosa (14.3%), moderate or strong in AB (94.4%). There was a significant difference in these two groups (P < 0.001). The difference between the expressions of hTERT in primary, recurrent and malignant AB was significant (P < 0.05). The positive ratio of bcl-2 in AB and normal oral mucosa was respectively 88.0%, 44.4%. There was a significant statistical difference in these two groups (P < 0.001). hTERT mRNA was stronger in recurred or malignantly transformed AB (P < 0.05). The expression of hTERT and bcl-2 is stronger in recurred or malignantly transformed AB, and it could be used as an indicator of AB prognosis. Telomerase activity and bcl-2 expression play an important role in genesis and development of AB.


Pythium segnitium sp. nov., isolated from the Canary Islands--its taxonomy, ITS region of rDNA, and comparison with related species.
Pythium segnitium (CI-44) was isolated from some soil samples taken in the Canary Islands (Spain). This new species is a slow-growing fungus and is perfectly adapted to terrestrial habitat. It belongs to the group of Pythium that have smooth-walled oogonia, mostly hypogynous antheridia, and plerotic oospores. The fungus lacks sporangia, zoospores, and hyphal bodies are rarely formed. Thus the asexual reproduction, which is so common for fungi and especially for the aquatic ones, is completely lacking in this case. However the fungus reproduces sexually by the formation of oogonia, antheridia and oospores plentifully. The taxonomic description of this fungus, the nucleotide sequence of the internal transcribed region (spacers ITS1, ITS2, and the gene 5.8 S) of its ribosomal nuclear DNA, and its comparison with related species are given here.


The role of parathyroid hormone-related protein in the regulation of osteoclastogenesis by cementoblasts.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) promotes osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a decoy receptor for the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANK), and by enhancing production of RANK ligand (RANKL) by osteoblasts. However, little is known regarding the role of PTHrP in regulating cementoblast-mediated osteoclastogenesis. This study determined the impact of PTHrP on osteoclastogenesis using: 1) OCCM-30 (immortalized murine cementoblasts), 2) RAW 264.7 cells (murine myeloid cells), or 3) OCCM-30 plus RAW 264.7 cells. Cells were treated with PTHrP (1-34), RANKL, or PTHrP and RANKL combined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for OPG and RANKL were performed on media and cell lysates, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and mRNA detection for the osteoclast associated receptor (OSCAR) were performed. The highest numbers of TRAP-positive cells and cells expressing OSCAR were found in the RAW cell group treated with either RANKL alone or RANKL and PTHrP. TRAP-positive cells were fewer when OCCM cells were co-cultured with RAW, but the greatest numbers were still with both PTHrP and RANKL. OPG levels were highest from OCCM cells and PTHrP decreased these levels. In contrast, RANKL levels were low in OCCM cell lysates and PTHrP increased RANKL. In vivo studies also revealed high osteoclastic activity surrounding developing teeth in mice administered PTH. These results demonstrate that PTHrP influences the balance of OPG and RANKL production by cementoblasts, and further indicate that this effect, in the context of surrounding cells, might have a significant impact on osteoclastogenesis, root resorption, and tooth eruption.


Patient-reported outcomes in randomised clinical trials of bladder cancer: an updated systematic review.
Despite international recommendations of including patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in randomised clinical trials (RCTs), a 2014 review concluded that few RCTs of bladder cancer (BC) report PRO as an outcome. We therefore aimed to update the 2014 review to synthesise current evidence-based knowledge of PROs from RCTs in BC. A secondary objective was to examine whether quality of PRO reporting has improved over time and to provide evidence-based recommendations for future studies in this area. We conducted a systematic literature search using PubMed/Medline, from April 2014 until June 2018. We included the RCTs identified in the previous review as well as newly published RCTs. Studies were evaluated using a predefined electronic-data extraction form that included information on basic trial demographics, clinical and PRO characteristics and standards of PRO reporting based on recommendation from the International Society of Quality of Life Research. Since April 2014 only eight new RCTs for BC included PROs as a secondary outcome. In terms of methodology, only the proportion of RCTs documenting the extent of missing PRO data (75% vs 11.1%, p = 0.03) and the identification of PROs in trial protocols (50% vs 0%, p = 0.015) improved. Statistical approaches for dealing with missing data were not reported in most new studies (75%). Little improvement into the uptake and assessment of PRO as an outcome in RCTs for BC has been made during recent years. Given the increase in (immunotherapy) drug trials with a potential for severe adverse events, there is urgent need to adopt the recommendations and standards available for PRO use in bladder cancer RCTs.


Genome-wide association study for semen traits of the bulls in Chinese Holstein.
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify markers and candidate genes for five semen traits in the Holstein bull population in China. The analyzed dataset consisted of records from 692 bulls from eight bull stations; each bull was genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip. Association tests between each trait and the 41 188 informative high-quality SNPs were achieved with gapit software. In total, 19 suggestive significant SNPs, partly located within the reported QTL regions or within or close to the reported candidate genes, associated with five semen traits were detected. By combining our GWAS results with the biological functions of these genes, eight novel promising candidate genes, including ETNK1, PDE3A, PDGFRB, CSF1R, WT1, DSCAML1, SOD1 and RUNX2, were identified that potentially relate to semen traits. Our findings may provide a basis for further research on the genetic mechanism of semen traits and marker-assisted selection of such traits in Holstein bulls.


Modification of thiol functionalized aptamers by conjugation of synthetic polymers.
Aptamers are known for their short in vivo circulating half-life and rapid renal clearance. Their conjugation to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a way to improve their residence in the body. Two aptamers (AptD and AptF), having a disulfide protected thiol modification on the 3' end, have been conjugated to maleimide activated PEGs of various molecular weights and structures (linear PEG20; branched PEG20 and 40; PolyPEG17, 40, and 60 kDa). The high yield coupling (70-80% in most of the cases) could be achieved using immobilized tris[2-carboxyethyl]phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP) as reducing agent at pH 4. The affinity of PEGylated AptD for its target was reduced by conjugation to linear PEG20 and branched PEG40, but not to branched PEG20 and PolyPEGs. This work demonstrates an alternative approach to PEGylation of aptamers, and that the effect of PEG on the affinity for the target varies according to the structure and conformation of the synthetic polymer.


Global-Local Spatial-Temporal Residual Correlation Network for Urban Traffic Status Prediction.
The recent proposed Spatial-Temporal Residual Network (ST-ResNet) model is an effective tool to extract both spatial and temporal characteristics and has been successfully applied to urban traffic status prediction. However, the ST-ResNet model only extracts the local spatial characteristics and ignores the very important global spatial characteristics. In this paper, a novel Global-Local Spatial-Temporal Residual Correlation Network (GL-STRCN) model is proposed for urban traffic status prediction to further improve the prediction accuracy of the existing ST-ResNet model. The GL-STRCN model firstly applies Pearson's correlation coefficient method to extract high correlation series. Then, considering both global and local spatial properties, two components consisting of 2D convolution and residual operation are used to capture spatial features. After that, based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) or Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), a novel long-term temporal feature extraction component is proposed to capture temporal features. Finally, the spatial and temporal features are aggregated together in a weighted way for final prediction. Experiments have also been performed using two datasets from TaxiCD and PEMS-BAY. The results indicated that the proposed model produces a better prediction performance compared with the results based on other baseline solutions, e.g., CNN, ST-ResNet, GL-TCN, and DGLSTNet.


Effects of respite care for children with developmental disabilities: evaluation of an intervention for at risk families.
Respite child care programs that provide temporary child care, support, and referral services to families of children with developmental disabilities are thought to be a critical component of formal social support interventions deemed necessary to promote healthy family functioning and prevent child maltreatment. This study describes sociodemographic characteristics, parenting stress levels, foster care placement, and founded child maltreatment rates in families of children with developmental disabilities who were using respite care services in a rural Midwestern state. Comparison of matched pre- and post-test Parenting Stress Index scores indicated significant decreases in Total Stress scores (t=3.27, df=86, p=0.0016), Parent Domain scores (t=3.55, df=86, p=0.0006), and Child Domain scores (t=2.2, df=86, p=0.02) following provision of respite care. Through logistic regression, it was determined that life stress, social support, and service level were significantly related to the occurrence of child maltreatment during enrollment ( p < 0.05). The investigator suggests that public health nurses can enhance their case management strategies when working with the parents of children with developmental disabilities by monitoring for caregiver burnout in addition to ensuring that the child is receiving care appropriate for his or her level of need.


Collagen XII mediated cellular and extracellular mechanisms regulate establishment of tendon structure and function.
Tendons have a uniaxially aligned structure with a hierarchical organization of collagen fibrils crucial for tendon function. Collagen XII is expressed in tendons and has been implicated in the regulation of fibrillogenesis. It is a non-fibrillar collagen belonging to the Fibril-Associated Collagens with Interrupted Triple Helices (FACIT) family. Mutations in COL12A1 cause myopathic Ehlers Danlos Syndrome with a clinical phenotype involving both joints and tendons supporting critical role(s) for collagen XII in tendon development and function. Here we demonstrate the molecular function of collagen XII during tendon development using a Col12a1 null mouse model. Col12a1 deficiency altered tenocyte shape, formation of interacting cell processes, and organization resulting in impaired cell-cell communication and disruption of hierarchal structure as well as decreased tissue stiffness. Immuno-localization revealed that collagen XII accumulated on the tenocyte surface and connected adjacent tenocytes by building matrix bridges between the cells, suggesting that collagen XII regulates intercellular communication. In addition, there was a decrease in fibrillar collagen I in collagen XII deficient tenocyte cultures compared with controls suggesting collagen XII signaling specifically alters tenocyte biosynthesis. This suggests that collagen XII provides feedback to tenocytes regulating extracellular collagen I. Together, the data indicate dual roles for collagen XII in determination of tendon structure and function. Through association with fibrils it functions in fibril packing, fiber assembly and stability. In addition, collagen XII influences tenocyte organization required for assembly of higher order structure; intercellular communication necessary to coordinate long range order and feedback on tenocytes influencing collagen synthesis. Integration of both regulatory roles is required for the acquisition of hierarchal structure and mechanical properties.


Ultrathin molecularly imprinted polymer sensors employing enhanced transmission surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy.
An ultrathin novel nanosensor (31.5 +/- 4.1 nm thick in the absence of analytes), employing a molecularly imprinted polymer as a recognition element for cholesterol and gold nanoparticle enhanced transmission surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy for detection, was constructed.


Late intervention with anti-BRAF(V600E) therapy induces tumor regression in an orthotopic mouse model of human anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Human anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a lethal disease with an advanced clinical presentation and median survival of 3 months. The BRAF(V600E) oncoprotein is a potent transforming factor that causes human thyroid cancer cell progression in vitro and in vivo; therefore, we sought to target this oncoprotein in a late intervention model of ATC in vivo. We used the human ATC cell line 8505c, which harbors the BRAF(V600E) and TP53(R248G) mutations. Immunocompromised mice were randomized to receive the selective anti-BRAF(V600E) inhibitor, PLX4720, or vehicle by oral gavage 28 d after tumor implantation, 1 wk before all animals typically die due to widespread metastatic lung disease and neck compressive symptoms in this model. Mice were euthanized weekly to evaluate tumor volume and metastases. Control mice showed progressive tumor growth and lung metastases by 35 d after tumor implantation. At that time, all control mice had large tumors, were cachectic, and were euthanized due to their tumor-related weight loss. PLX4720-treated mice, however, showed a significant decrease in tumor volume and lung metastases in addition to a reversal of tumor-related weight loss. Mouse survival was extended to 49 d in PLX4720-treated animals. PLX4720 treatment inhibited cell cycle progression from 28 d to 49 d in vivo. PLX4720 induces striking tumor regression and reversal of cachexia in an in vivo model of advanced thyroid cancer that harbors the BRAF(V600E) mutation.


Mammotome biopsy in diagnosing and treatment of intraductal papilloma of the breast.
Intraductal papilloma is a benign breast tumor which needs histopathological verification because of the risk of cancer coincidence. To assess the value of the mammography-guided and ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted core biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of intraductal papillomas of breast and to answer the question if mammotome biopsy allows to avoid surgery in these patients. In the period 2000-2011, a total of 2246 vacuum-assisted core biopsies were performed, of which 1495 were ultrasound-guided and 751 were mammography-guided (stereotaxic). In 76/2246 patients (3.4%), aged 19-88 years (mean age was 51,5) histopathological examination confirmed intraductal papilloma. Atypical lesions were accompanying intraductal papilloma in 16/76 cases (21%). Open surgical biopsy performed in these group revealed invasive cancer in 3 women. In all 60 cases (79%) with benign papilloma in biopsy specimens, further clinical observation did not show recurrence or malignant transformation of lesions. Vacuum-assisted core biopsy is a minimally invasive and efficient method used for diagnosing intraductal papilloma of the breast. If histopathological examination confirms a benign character of the lesion, surgery may be avoided but regular follow-up is recommended. However, in all cases histopathological diagnosis of papilloma with atypical hyperplasia, should always be indication for surgical excision.


Respiratory function in patients with thalassaemia major: relation with iron overload.
(1) To determine the pattern of respiratory impairment in children with thalassaemia major (TM); (2) to assess the relation between the degree of respiratory impairment and total body iron content. Twenty nine TM patients were recruited. All underwent physical examination, standardised pulmonary function tests (spirometry, lung volume, and single breath diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide), and magnetic resonance imaging measurements of the liver. Serum ferritin was measured. The signal intensity ratio of liver to that of paraspinal muscle (T1 weighted sequence) and serum ferritin were used as surrogate index of body iron content. Sixteen boys and 13 girls (median age 14.2 years) were studied. None had clinical evidence of congestive heart failure. Sixteen had normal lung function. Impairment of diffusion capacity (median DL(co) 83.5% predicted) was the most common abnormality, being observed in 34% of patients. Pure restrictive and obstructive ventilatory impairment was found in one and two patients respectively. Five patients had a combination of ventilation and diffusion defects. There was no correlation between the degree of impairment of each respiratory abnormality and body iron content. Diffusion impairment was the commonest abnormality found in our cohort of paediatric TM patients. Our data did not support the notion that respiratory function impairment was correlated with body iron content.


Targeting Phosphatidylserine with a 64Cu-Labeled Peptide for Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis.
Molecular imaging of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in vivo is an innovative strategy for early assessment of treatment response and treatment efficacy in cancer patients. Externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the cell membrane surface of dying cells makes this phospholipid an attractive molecular target for the development of apoptosis imaging probes. In this study, we have radiolabeled PS-binding 14-mer peptide FNFRLKAGAKIRFG (PSBP-6) with positron-emitter copper-64 (64Cu) for PET imaging of apoptosis. Peptide PSBP-6 was conjugated with radiometal chelator 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA) through an aminovaleric acid (Ava) linker for subsequent radiolabeling with 64Cu to prepare radiotracer 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6. PS-binding potencies of PSBP-6, NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6, and natCu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 were determined in a competitive radiometric PS-binding assay. Radiotracer 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 was studied in camptothecin-induced apoptotic EL4 mouse lymphoma cells and in a murine EL4 tumor model of apoptosis using dynamic PET imaging. Peptide PSBP-6 was also conjugated via an Ava linker with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). FITC-Ava-PSBP-6 was evaluated in flow cytometry and fluorescence confocal microscopy experiments. Radiopeptide 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 was synthesized in high radiochemical yields of >95%. The IC50 values for PS-binding potency of PSBP-6, NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6, and natCu-NOTA-PSBP-6 were 600 μM, 30 μM, and 23 μM, respectively. A competitive radiometric cell binding assay confirmed binding of 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 to camptothecin-induced apoptotic EL4 cells in a Ca2+-independent manner. PET imaging studies demonstrated significantly higher uptake of 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 in apoptotic EL4 tumors (SUV5min 0.95 ± 0.04) compared to control tumors (SUV5min 0.74 ± 0.03). Flow cytometry studies showed significantly higher binding of FITC-Ava-PSBP-6 to EL4 cells treated with camptothecin compared to untreated cells. Fluorescence microscopy studies revealed that FITC-Ava-PSBP-6 was binding to cell membranes of early apoptotic cells, but was internalized in late apoptotic and necrotic cells. The present study showed that radiotracer 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 holds promise as a first peptide-based PET imaging agent for molecular imaging of apoptosis. However, additional "fine-tuning" of 64Cu-NOTA-Ava-PSBP-6 is required to enhance PS-binding potency and in vivo stability to improve tumor uptake and retention.


Receptor mechanisms in the human epicardial coronary artery. Heterogeneous pharmacological response to histamine and carbachol.
We studied isolated ring segments from a number of sites along the course of epicardial coronary arteries from 24 human hearts in order to characterize regional responsiveness to vasoactive agents. Concentration-response curves revealed heightened sensitivity to histamine in the proximal portion of the coronary arteries, and increased sensitivity to carbachol in the distal portion of these same vessels. In contrast, the response to stimulation by calcium or phenylephrine was uniform throughout the length of the vessels examined. These data suggest that regional variations in agonist response reflect heterogeneity in receptor populations along the course of the human epicardial coronary artery.


Deubiquitinase OTUD7B is a potential prognostic biomarker in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
OTUD7B is a deubiquitinase and has been reported as a prognostic factor in various solid tumors. However, its prognostic value in lymphoma patients remains unclear. We detected OTUD7B expression levels in 160 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissue samples by immunohistochemistry, and analyzed correlations between its expression and clinic-pathologic parameters as well as clinical outcomes. We also investigated association between OTUD7B expression and chemotherapeutic drugs anti-tumor activity in vitro. We found that OTUD7B overexpressed in 129 (80.6%) cases, and patients with overexpression of OTUD7B experienced better overall survival comparing to those with OTUD7B low expression (P=0.021). Multivariate Cox regression analysis illustrated that OTUD7B was an independent prognostic indicator. In DLBCL cell lines, we found that Chidamide could up-regulate OTUD7B in several DLBCL cell lines, and also had synergistic effect with doxorubicin at low concentration. Our data illustrated that OTUD7B deficiency is a negative predictor of clinical outcome, and might be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.


Generation and analysis of canine retinal ESTs: isolation and expression of retina-specific gene transcripts.
Canine generalized progressive retinal atrophies (gPRA) are a group of degenerative retinal diseases that are a major cause of hereditary blindness in a number of dog breeds. The expressed sequence tag (EST) approach was used to identify and characterize potential candidate genes from canine retinal cDNA libraries. Both conventional and subtractive canine retinal cDNA libraries were constructed and analyzed. Differential hybridization was performed to identify abundantly retinal expressed cDNA clones. Sequences of both random and abundantly expressed clones were analyzed using GCG software and searched against GenEMBL databases. For genes of interest isolated from the libraries, Northern blotting and RT-PCR were performed to determine mRNA expression of the genes. DNA sequences from 85 differentially expressed clones and 100 random cDNAs were obtained and analyzed. A higher percentage of abundantly retina-expressed clones showed homology to database sequences compared with random clones (72 versus 43%). Five retinal genes and 2 anonymous retinal ESTs were selected to analyze mRNA expression. The five known genes, namely HRG4/unc119, cGMP-PDEA, transducin 1A, opsin, and sFRP2 showed retina-specific expression. In anonymous ESTs, clone p81 revealed retina-specific expression, while p3 showed expression in each of 14 canine tissues. Transcripts of the canine secreted frizzled related protein 2 (sFRP2) gene showed surprisingly high abundance in the canine retina. The isolated retinal ESTs here will be useful resources for further investigation of canine retinal function and canine genome mapping.


Economic Burden of Stroke in Iran: A Population-Based Study.
This study was conducted to estimate the annual societal costs in Iran associated with the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients using a prevalence-based cost-of-illness framework. A prevalence-based cost-of-illness framework was applied. Key model parameters included annual incidence of stroke; use of stroke therapies, medicines, and other medical care resources; work days missed; wage rates; and annual costs per patient. The outcomes measured were total societal costs, societal cost per year, and societal cost per patient-year. For the studied 1940 patients, the economic burden of stroke in 2018 was roughly $4 081 124 in US dollars. Bearing in mind that there are about 100 000 cases of stroke, including new (35%) and old cases (65%) of 2 types of strokes, per year in Iran, the estimated economic impact is about $368 925 000. Lodging, medication, and consumables account for 69% of all direct medical costs ($299 959). The main cost factors were mortality costs (76.6%) and disability costs (14.7%). The economic impact of stroke in Iran is considerable. The premature deaths and resulting disability from strokes accounted for the main productivity losses and all societal costs of stroke (approximately 91% of all costs). To control hypertension and decrease the burden of stroke, especially in elderly age groups, it is recommended that Iran look into how to focus on and expand healthy lifestyle choices.


Effects of Extracellular pH on UV-Induced K Efflux from Cultured Rose Cells.
Ultraviolet (UV) light causes a specific leakage of K(+) from cultured rose cells (Rosa damascena). During K(+) efflux, there is also an increase in extracellular HCO(3) (-) and acidification of the cell interior. We hypothesized that the HCO(3) (-) originated from intracellular hydration of respiratory CO(2) and served as a charge balancing mechanism during K(+) efflux, the K(+) and HCO(3) (-) being cotransported out of the cell through specific channels. An alternative hypothesis which would yield similar results would be the countertransport of K(+) and H(+). To test these hypotheses, we studied the effect of a range of external pH values (pH 5-9), regulated by various methods (pH-stat, 100 millimolar Tris-Mes buffer, or CO(2) partial pressure), on the UV-induced K(+) efflux. Both UV-C (<290 nanometers) and UV-B (290-310 nanometers) induced K(+) efflux with a minimum at about pH 6 to 7, and greater efflux at pH values of 5, 8, and 9. Since pH values of 8 and 9 increased instead of reduced the efflux of K(+), these data are not consistent with the notion that the efflux of K(+) is dependent on an influx of H(+), a process that would be sensitive to external H(+) concentration. We suggest that the effect of pH on K(+) efflux may be mediated through the titration of specific K(+)-transporting proteins or channels in the plasma membrane. Since we could not detect the presence of carbonic anhydrase activity in cell extracts, we could not use the location of this enzyme to aid in our interpretation regarding the site of hydration of CO(2).


Development of a nonisotopic capillary electrophoresis-based method for measuring glomerular filtration rate.
The conditions for quantitative measurement of nonisotopic iothalamate meglumine (Conray) in urine and plasma by capillary zone electrophoresis (CE) have been developed. The impetus for developing this methodology was to replace the traditional [125I]iothalamate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) marker assay, a routine tool in the measurement of kidney function. This new approach for measuring kidney function is attractive since it avoids the cost of administration of radioisotopic compounds to patients, as well as the cost associated with purchase and disposal of isotopic compounds and contaminated samples. The concentration of iothalamate in urine and plasma determined by CE can be used directly to calculate GFR. The GFR in patients injected with [125I]iothalamate and nonisotopic iothalamate simultaneously showed an excellent correlation (0.998) with between-day coefficient of variation of 2.30% and a recovery of 102% and 98%, respectively, when added to urine and plasma. Interference from drugs and other urinary compounds is eliminated with this method. Collectively, this study has shown that CE is a cost-effective alternative to the current methodology for measuring GFR.


Both muscle-specific and ubiquitous nuclear factors are required for muscle-specific expression of the myosin heavy-chain beta gene in cultured cells.
Expression of the myosin heavy-chain beta gene is controlled by multiple cis-acting regulatory elements in the 5' flanking region; two of these, referred to as A (-276 to -263) and B (-207 to -180), are essential for conferring muscle-specific activation on homologous and heterologous promoters. Here we report on the identification of nuclear protein factors that specifically bind to these two elements. By using the A element as a probe, as well as nuclear extracts from muscle cells, we found two protein-DNA complexes that displayed distinct bands in a gel mobility shift assay but had identical methylation interference patterns. One complex was present mainly in nuclear extracts from undifferentiated muscle and nonmuscle cells, whereas the other was observed mainly in nuclear extracts from differentiated muscle cells. Thus, the muscle-specific complex formation with the A element appears to be involved in determining tissue-specific expression. Furthermore, competition analysis demonstrated that the A-element-binding factors also bind to the muscle-CAT motif in the cardiac troponin T gene. By using the B element as a probe, we saw similar patterns of gel-shifted bands and methylation interference in nonmuscle and muscle nuclear extracts. In addition, both elements A and B were found to be necessary for tissue-specific expression, suggesting that the muscle-specific activation of the myosin heavy-chain beta gene may require interaction between a muscle-specific and a ubiquitous protein-DNA complex.


Dehydration of glycerol over niobia-supported silicotungstic acid catalysts.
Liquid-phase dehydration of glycerol to acrolein over nanosized niobia-supported silicotungstic acid catalysts was performed to investigate the effect of the silicotungstic acid loading on the catalytic performance of the catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by following an impregnation method with different HSiW loadings in the range of 10-50 wt%. The prepared catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, XRD, FT-IR, TPD of ammonia, and TGA. Dehydration of glycerol was conducted in an autoclave reactor under the conditions of controlled reaction temperatures under corresponding pressure. Increasing HSiW loading rapidly increased the acidity of HSiW/Nb205 catalyst and rate of glycerol conversion, but acrolein selectivity decreased due to enhanced deactivation of the catalyst by carbon deposit. Consequently, it was confirmed that catalytic activity for the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was dependant on the acidity of catalyst and can be controlled by HSiW loading.


Telemedicine in the British Antarctic Survey Medical Unit.
The system of telemedical care practised by the British Antarctic Survey has developed over a period of 50 years. It is a system that deals with everyday routine medical problems as well as occasional emergencies. It is tried and tested, but undergoes continual modification. Although the Antarctic stations represent a unique setting, the system has the potential for being adapted to many different situations, wherever there are small groups in remote areas needing medical backup. Initial telemedicine work conducted in the Antarctic has led to projects to improve primary care in Scottish communities some distance from specialist centres. As telecommunication links to the Antarctic stations improve, in future the lessons learnt in UK-based projects can be applied in the Antarctic. The evolutionary process will thus continue.


Flow-sorted ram spermatozoa are highly susceptible to hydrogen peroxide damage but are protected by seminal plasma and catalase.
To determine whether flow sorting increased the susceptibility of spermatozoa to reactive oxygen species (ROS), ram semen was either diluted with Tris medium (100 x 10(6) spermatozoa mL(-1); D) or highly diluted (10(6) spermatozoa mL(-1)) before being centrifuged (DC) at 750g for 7.5 min at 21 degrees C or flow-sorted (S) before cryopreservation. Thawed spermatozoa were resuspended in graded concentrations of hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress. In Experiment 1, following exposure to 30 or 45 muM hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), the total motility (%) of DC (41.0 +/- 7.3 or 25.7 +/- 6.7, respectively) and S spermatozoa (33.8 +/- 6.3 or 20.1 +/- 6.3, respectively) was lower (P < 0.001) than that of D spermatozoa (58.7 +/- 5.6 or 44.5 +/- 6.7, respectively). In Experiment 2, supplementation of samples containing H(2)O(2) with catalase (150 IU mL(-1)) or seminal plasma proteins (4 mg protein per 10(8) spermatozoa) negated oxidative stress, resulting in comparable values to samples receiving no H(2)O(2)in terms of the proportion of spermatozoa with stable plasmalemma (as determined using merocyanine-540 and Yo-Pro-1) in the D and S groups, the proportion of viable, acrosome-intact spermatozoa (as determined by fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining) in the D group and the motility of control (undiluted) and S spermatozoa. Neither H(2)O(2) nor sperm type (i.e. D, DC or S) had any effect on intracellular concentrations of ROS. These results show that flow sorting increases the susceptibility of spermatozoa to ROS, but the inclusion of anti-oxidants or seminal plasma as part of the sorting protocol improves resistance to oxidative stress.


Molecular MRI of VEGFR-2 reveals intra-tumor and inter-tumor heterogeneity.
Non-invasive and quantitative imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) expression levels is highly important in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and patient management. Although various literature reports have investigated the tumor expression levels of VEGFR-2 using imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, targeted ultrasound, etc., accurate evaluation of the dynamic microdistribution of VEGFR-2 in vivo with good spatial and temporal resolution remains a major challenge. In this issue of the American Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, He at al. reported the use of a VEGFR-2 targeted probe for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of VEGFR-2 in two glioma models in rats (i.e. C6 and RG2). The heterogeneity of VEGFR-2 expression was non-invasively imaged with MRI and validated with various in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo experiments. Not only was heterogeneous expression of VEGFR-2 found in different glioma tumors, it was also observed in different regions within the same tumor (e.g. tumor periphery, peri-necrotic area, and tumor interior). This report highlights the complex nature of gliomas, which may offer invaluable insights into tumor heterogeneity and potential clinical management of glioma patients. These patients have dismal clinical outcomes and are in urgent need of better tools to improve brain tumor treatment.


[The role of local immune response in gastric mucosa in the protection induced by Helicobacter pylori vaccine with chitosan as adjuvant].
To study the immunological protection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) vaccine with chitosan as adjuvant and it's mechanism. One-grade female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into nine groups and immunized by (1) PBS alone, (2) chitosan solution alone, (3) chitosan particles alone, (4) H. pylori antigen alone, (5) H. pylori antigen plus chitosan solution, (6) H. pylori antigen plus chitosan particles, (7) H. pylori antigen plus CT, (8) H. pylori antigen plus chitosan solution and cholera toxin (CT), (9) H. pylori antigen plus chitosan particles and CT orally respectively once a week for four weeks. At 4 weeks after the last immunization, these mice were challenged by alive H. pylori (1 x 10(9)/ml) twice at two days intervals. At 4 weeks after the last challenge, these mice were all killed and Gastric mucosa were embedded in paraffin, sectioned and assayed with Giemsa stain. The other gastric mucosa were used to quantitatively culture H. pylori. An ELISA was used to detect anti-H. pylori IgA in saliva and gastric mucosa and a quantitative ELISA was used to detect IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 content in gastric mucosa, and SP immunohistochemical method was used to detect secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in gastric mucosa. (1) In the groups with chitosan as adjuvant, 60% mice could achieve immunological protection, which was according to that with CT as adjuvant (58.33%), and was significantly higher than H. pylori antigen alone and other groups without H. pylori antigen (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). While the rates of protection in the groups with chitosan plus CT as adjuvant were 84.62%, 85.71% and the H. pylori colonization score in it was significantly lower than that in the groups with CT as adjuvant and without adjuvants (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). (2) the labeling index for sIgA-positive lumen of glands and special anti-H. pylori IgA levels in gastric mucosa in the groups with chitosan as an adjuvant had no difference with those in the group with CT as an adjuvant (P > 0.05) and were significantly higher than those in non-adjuvant groups, while those in the groups with chitosan plus CT were significantly higher than those in the group with CT as an adjuvant (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). (3) Before challenge, the content of IL-2 in gastric mucosa were no different among different groups (P > 0.05). After challenge the content of IL-2 were significantly higher in the groups with adjuvant than those in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), Moreover, those in the groups with antigen after challenge were significantly higher than those before challenge (P < 0.05). (4) Before challenge, the content of IL-10 in gastric mucosa were significantly higher in the groups with chitosan as adjuvant than those in the control group and the group without adjuvant (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). After challenge, the content of IL-10 were no different among different groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, those in the groups with adjuvant after challenge were significantly lower than those before challenge (P < 0.01). (5) Before challenge, the content of IL-4 in gastric mucosa were significantly higher in the groups with chitosan as adjuvant than those in the control group and the group without adjuvant (P < 0.05), After challenge, the content of IL-4 were significantly higher in the groups with chitosan particles as an adjuvant than those in the group with CT as an adjuvant (P < 0.05), and those in the group with chitosan solution as an adjuvant were significantly higher than those in control group, non-adjuvant group and the groups with CT (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), Moreover, those in the groups with adjuvant after challenge were significantly lower than those before challenge (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). (1) H. pylori vaccine with chitosan as adjuvant could protect against H. pylori infection, this suggested that chitosan could be a mucosa adjuvant of H. pylori vaccine, and it could effectively elicit special humoral immune response of systemic and local mucosa, which might be one of its protective mechanism. (2) H. pylori vaccine with chitosan as adjuvant may induce both Th1 and Th2 type immune response, and after challenge it could reverse the inhibition of Th2 induced by H. pylori infection and recover the Th1/Th2 imbalance. which might contribute to the immune protection against H. pylori.


Intracranial vessels in trigeminal transmitted pain: A PET study.
The underlying principle in interpreting data from positron emission tomography (PET) is that increases and decreases of synaptic activity in the brain are accompanied by equivalent changes in regional blood flow. However, given the relatively low spatial resolution of PET, regional indices of neural activity can be influenced by signals from nonneural elements in the intracranial space. We have used PET to study the functional neuroanatomy of headache syndromes, such as cluster headache and experimental headache, by observing activation in brain that is due to synaptic activity. In these studies we noted a bilateral activation in midline structures over several planes that, based on its anatomy, is likely to arise from bilateral large intracranial arteries in the region of the cavernous sinus. We have observed this activity in two different group studies and in 11 of 17 single-subject studies. The most likely explanation for this "activation" is the increased volume of space occupied by dilated large vessels containing H215O. We further defined the anatomy of the PET findings using magnetic resonance angiography, which showed bilateral vasodilatation of the internal carotid artery and the basilar artery in nitroglycerin-induced cluster headache attacks. While the fact that vascular structures can contaminate PET-based blood flow studies may be well known to methodological experts, the issue is less well recognized outside the immediate field.


[Noninvasive first-pass study of the heart with the short-lived radionuclide gold 195m].
The new shortlived radionuclide Aurum 195 m (T1/2: 30.5 sec) has been used for 1,596 first-pass examinations of 792 patients. During first-pass the same maximum count rates of an average of 300,000 cts/sec and after background subtraction the same enddiastolic counts over the left ventricle averaging 10,000 cts/sec can be achieved as with the previously used Tc-99 m pertechnetate injections. The short half-life and fast regeneration of Au-195 m within 3 minutes allow repeated, subsequent injections with significant reduction in radiation exposure. Half of the studies were done at rest and exercise, one third in two oblique projections, RAO and LAO. Examinations in two projections improve the information facilitating the localization of ischemic or infarcted LV-regions particularly with respect of septal and/or lateral extension. Strictly lateral dysfunction may sometimes be only recognizable in the second LAO-projection. The RAO-view best discriminates the extension along the anterior and infero-posterior wall.


Structural and functional differences in the dio1 gene in mice with inherited type 1 deiodinase deficiency.
The type 1 deiodinase (D1) provides the major portion of the circulating T3 in vertebrates. In C3H and certain other inbred mice, liver and kidney D1 activity is 5- to 10-fold lower than in the common phenotype, C57. The lower D1 levels are paralleled by a decreased normal-sized dio1 mRNA and hyperthyroxinemia. Low activity cosegregates with a restriction fragment length variant (RFLV) in both inbred and recombinant strains, indicating it is due to differences in the dio1 gene. The exonic structure and the deduced amino acid sequences are identical for both strains and highly homologous to that of the rat. The RFLV is due to an approximately 150-base pair expansion of repetitive sequences in the second intron of the C3H gene, but this segment does not differentially affect the transient expression of a human GH gene. The promoter and 5'-flanking regions of the C3H and C57 dio1 genes are very similar and are GC rich without TATA or CCAAT boxes. However, functional assays of 1.5-kilobase 5'-flanking dio1-CAT constructs showed 2- to 3-fold higher activity of the C57-CAT constructs. Deletion mutants showed that sequences between -705 and -162 were the cause of this. In this region, the only major difference between the two genes is a 21-base pair insert containing five CTG repeats in the C3H promoter. This difference also cosegregates with low D1 activity and the intron RFLV in four other mouse strains. The correlation of the CTG repeat insert with both in vitro and in vivo expression and the absence of other significant sequence differences in the 5'-flanking region argue that this is the major explanation for the impaired expression of the dio1 gene and the resulting hyperthyroxinemia of the C3H mouse.


Convergence in segmental reflex pathways from nociceptive and non-nociceptive afferents to alpha-motoneurones in the cat.
1. Reflex interaction between nociceptive and non-nociceptive segmental afferents was investigated by testing for spatial facilitation of postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in alpha-motoneurones recorded in anaemically decapitated, high spinal cats. Nociceptive segmental afferents were activated by applying noxious radiant heat to the skin. Non-nociceptive skin mechanoreceptors were activated by puffs of air. Non-nociceptive skin, joint and group I-III muscle afferents were stimulated by electrical pulses delivered to various nerves. 2. Conditioning by stimulation of nociceptive afferents facilitated transmission in various ipsilateral segmental pathways. Such spatial facilitation occurred in both excitatory and inhibitory pathways. Pathways that were facilitated included those activated by low to medium threshold cutaneous afferents, joint afferents, and group Ib and II muscle afferents. 3. In contrast, monosynaptic EPSPs evoked by stimulating ipsilateral group Ia muscle afferents did not show spatial facilitation but rather inhibition during conditioning stimulation of nociceptive afferents. Spatial facilitation of reciprocal group Ia IPSPs was rare and small if it occurred. 4. Pathways activated by cutaneous and group II muscle afferents were depressed by contralateral stimulation of nociceptive afferents. 5. We conclude that spatial facilitation observed between nociceptive and non-nociceptive afferents results from a convergence of inputs on common interneurones in the reflex pathways to alpha-motoneurones. Therefore nociceptive afferents have to be regarded as constituents of flexor reflex afferents (FRAs) and may add a specific nocifensive function to the FRA system.


Interfacial mechanisms governing cyclopentane clathrate hydrate adhesion/cohesion.
The present work uses a micromechanical force apparatus to directly measure cyclopentane clathrate hydrate cohesive force and hydrate-steel adhesive force, as a function of contact time, contact force and temperature. We present a hydrate interparticle force model, which includes capillary and sintering contributions and is based on fundamental interparticle force theories. In this process, we estimate the cyclopentane hydrate tensile strength to be approximately 0.91 MPa. This hydrate interparticle force model also predicts the effect of temperature on hydrate particle cohesion force. Finally, we present the first direct measurements of hydrate cohesive force in the gas phase to be 9.1 ± 2.1 mN/m at approximately 3 °C (as opposed to 4.3 ± 0.4 mN/m in liquid cyclopentane).


Infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy of gas-phase mass-selected hydrocarbon-Fe+ complexes.
Infrared spectra in the mid-infrared region (800-1600 cm(-1)) of highly unsaturated Fe(+)-hydrocarbon complexes isolated in the gas phase are presented. These organometallic complexes were selectively prepared by ion-molecule reactions in a Fourier transform ion cycloton mass spectrometer (FTICR-MS). The infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) technique has been employed using the free electron laser facility CLIO (Orsay, France) to record the infrared spectra of the mass selected complexes. The experimental IRMPD spectra present the main features of the corresponding IR absorption spectra calculated ab initio. As predicted by these calculations, the experimental spectra of three selectively prepared isomers of Fe+(butene) present differences in the 800-1100 cm(-1) range. On the basis of the comparison with calculated IR spectra, the IRMPD spectrum of Fe(butadiene)(+) suggests that the ligand presents the s-trans isomeric form. This study further confirms the potentialities of IRMPD spectroscopy for the structural characterization of organometallic ionic highly reactive intermediates in the gas phase. In conjunction with soft ionization techniques such as electrospray, this opens the door to the gas-phase characterization of reactive intermediates associated with condensed phase catalysts.


Computer-based design of novel protein structures.
Over the past 10 years there has been tremendous success in the area of computational protein design. Protein design software has been used to stabilize proteins, solubilize membrane proteins, design intermolecular interactions, and design new protein structures. A key motivation for these studies is that they test our understanding of protein energetics and structure. De novo design of novel structures is a particularly rigorous test because the protein backbone must be designed in addition to the amino acid side chains. A priori it is not guaranteed that the target backbone is even designable. To address this issue, researchers have developed a variety of methods for generating protein-like scaffolds and for optimizing the protein backbone in conjunction with the amino acid sequence. These protocols have been used to design proteins from scratch and to explore sequence space for naturally occurring protein folds.


Translocation of the Dictyostelium TRAP1 homologue to mitochondria induces a novel prestarvation response.
Dd-TRAP1 is a Dictyostelium homologue of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP-1). Dd-TRAP1 is located in the cortex of cells growing at a low density, but was found to be translocated to mitochondria with the help of a novel prestarvation factor that was accumulated in growth medium along with increased cell densities. The knockdown mutant of Dd-TRAP1 (TRAP1-RNAi cells) exhibited a significant defect in prestarvation response. Although TRAP1-RNAi cells showed normal expressions of classical prestarvation genes [dscA (discoidin I) and car1 (carA; cAMP receptor)], the expression of differentiation-associated genes (dia1 and dia3) induced by the prestarvation response were markedly repressed. By contrast, transformants overexpressing Dd-TRAP1 showed an early prestarvation response and also increased expression of dia1 and dia3 in a cell-density-dependent manner. Importantly, introduction of Dd-TRAP1 antibody into D. discoideum Ax-2 cells by electroporation inhibited the translocation of Dd-TRAP1 from the cortex to mitochondria and greatly inhibited the initiation of differentiation. Taken together, these results indicate that Dd-TRAP1 is translocated to mitochondria by sensing the cell density in growth medium and enhances the early developmental program through a novel prestarvation response.


Ionic Porous Aromatic Framework as a Self-Degraded Template for the Synthesis of a Magnetic γ-Fe2O3/WO3·0.5H2O Hybrid Nanostructure with Enhanced Photocatalytic Property.
An ionic porous aromatic framework is developed as a self-degraded template to synthesize the magnetic heterostructure of γ-Fe2O3/WO3·0.5H2O. The Fe3O4 polyhedron was obtained with the two-phase method first and then reacted with sodium tungstate to form the γ-Fe2O3/WO3·0.5H2O hybrid nanostructure. Under the induction effect of the ionic porous network, the Fe3O4 phase transformed to the γ-Fe2O3 state and complexed with WO3·0.5H2O to form the n-n heterostructure with the n-type WO3·0.5H2O on the surface of n-type γ-Fe2O3. Based on a UV-Visible analysis, the magnetic photocatalyst was shown to have a suitable band gap for the catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Under irradiation, the resulting γ-Fe2O3/WO3·0.5H2O sample exhibited a removal efficiency of 95% for RhB in 100 min. The charge transfer mechanism was also studied. After the degradation process, the dispersed powder can be easily separated from the suspension by applying an external magnetic field. The catalytic activity displayed no significant decrease after five recycles. The results present new insights for preparing a hybrid nanostructure photocatalyst and its potential application in harmful pollutant degradation.


Cytokine expression in the duodenal mucosa of patients with visceral leishmaniasis.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease with a complex immune response in different organs. This pattern of organ-specific immune response has never been evaluated in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine the in situ immune response in duodenal biopsies on patients with VL. A case-control study was conducted on 13 patients with VL in comparison with nine controls. The immune response was evaluated using immunohistochemistry, for CD4, CD8, CD68, IL-4, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-10. Histological findings from the villi, crypts and inflammatory process were analyzed. All the cases of VL presented Leishmania antigens. No antigen was detected in the control group. The villus size was greater in the VL patients (p < 0.05). CD68 (macrophages) and CD4 levels were higher in the VL patients (p < 0.05). No differences in the expression of CD8, TNF-alpha, IL-10 or IL-4 were demonstrated. The number of cells expressing IFN-gamma was lower in the VL patients (p < 0.05). Low levels of cytokines were found in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with VL. This pattern was not found in other organs affected by the disease. Immunotolerance of this tissue against Leishmania could explain these findings, as occurs with intestinal bacteria.


Differential influence of the calcium antagonist nitrendipine and the vasodilator hydralazine on normal and elevated blood pressure.
The relationship between pre-treatment blood pressure and its reduction by the calcium antagonist nitrendipine (NIT) and the vasodilator hydralazine (HYD) was studied in conscious normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In SHR the correlation was linear and similar after NIT and HYD. In WKY, however, the hypotensive effect of HYD was greater than that of NIT. As revealed by the dose-response curves in SHR both drugs produce similar maximal drops in blood pressure by about 54%. In WKY, HYD also caused a similar relative reduction in blood pressure. In contrast, after NIT initial blood pressure was reduced by only 27% at maximum. The greater hypotensive effect of HYD in WKY is not caused by impaired sympathetic counterregulation since in both substrains tachycardia was more prominent after HYD. Possible mechanisms of the enhanced depressor action of NIT in hypertension are discussed.


Inhibition of Propionibacterium acnes lipase by extracts of Indian medicinal plants.
Lipases play an important role in pathogenesis of acne by hydrolysing sebum triglycerides and releasing irritating free fatty acids in the pilosebaceous follicles. Lipase is a strong chemotactic and proinflammatory antigen. Therefore, lipase has generated a high interest as a pharmacological target for antiacne drugs. The aim of this study was to identify inhibitory effects of plant extracts on the lipase activity of Propionibacterium acnes. Colorimetric microassay was used to determine lipase activity. Extracts from Terminalia chebula and Embelia ribes showed lower IC(50) value (1 μg mL(-1) ) for lipase inhibition as compared to Vitex negundo and Picrorhiza kurroa (19 and 47 μg mL(-1) , respectively). The active component responsible for lipase inhibition was isolated. This study reports for the first time the novel antilipase activity of chebulagic acid (IC(50) : 60 μmol L(-1) ) with minimum inhibitory concentration value of 12.5 μg mL(-1) against P. acnes. The inhibitory potential of plant extracts was further confirmed by plate assay. The organism was grown in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of extracts from P. kurroa, V. negundo, T. chebula, E. ribes and antibiotics such as clindamycin and tetracycline. Extract from T. chebula showed significant inhibition of lipase activity and number of P. acnes.


Relationship between natural tooth shade and skin colour.
The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation of skin colour and tooth shade. One hundred and twenty six individuals aging between 18 to 25 years participated in this study. Colour of the maxillary central incisors was examined by VITA easy shade. Tooth shades were assigned to four ordinal values. Nivea Beauty Protect Foundation shade sample was used as a guide to assess facial skin colour Shin colours were also assigned to four ordinal values. Spearman test revealed that there was a significant relationship between tooth shade and skin colour Total co-relation factor was 51.6% (p <0 .01). Co-relation factors were 57% for women and 27% for men (p <0 .01). The highest tooth shade prevalence belonged to the second group and the highest skin colour prevalence was also in the second skin colour group.


Antigen Discovery in Circulating Extracellular Vesicles From Plasmodium vivax Patients.
Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite with 7 million annual clinical cases and 2.5 billion people living under risk of infection. There is an urgent need to discover new antigens for vaccination as only two vaccine candidates are currently in clinical trials. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound vesicles involved in intercellular communication and initially described in reticulocytes, the host cell of P. vivax, as a selective disposal mechanism of the transferrin receptor (CD71) in the maturation of reticulocytes to erythrocytes. We have recently reported the proteomics identification of P. vivax proteins associated to circulating EVs in P. vivax patients using size exclusion chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (MS). Parasite proteins were detected in only two out of ten patients. To increase the MS signal, we have implemented the direct immuno-affinity capture (DIC) technique to enrich in EVs derived from CD71-expressing cells. Remarkably, we identified parasite proteins in all patients totaling 48 proteins and including several previously identified P. vivax vaccine candidate antigens (MSP1, MSP3, MSP7, MSP9, Serine-repeat antigen 1, and HSP70) as well as membrane, cytosolic and exported proteins. Notably, a member of the Plasmodium helical interspersed sub-telomeric (PHIST-c) family and a member of the Plasmodium exported proteins, were detected in five out of six analyzed patients. Humoral immune response analysis using sera from vivax patients confirmed the antigenicity of the PHIST-c protein. Collectively, we showed that enrichment of EVs by CD71-DIC from plasma of patients, allows a robust identification of P. vivax immunogenic proteins. This study represents a significant advance in identifying new antigens for vaccination against this human malaria parasite.


Fast track protocol for primary total hip arthroplasty in non-trauma cases reduces the length of hospital stay: Prospective French multicenter study.
Fast-track (FT) procedures continue to evolve; however, their benefits are still controversial. This led us to conduct a prospective study of FT procedures for total hip arthroplasty (THA) on a national scale in France with historical control data. The aims were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of FT procedures after THA on the length of hospital stay (LOS) in a multicenter analysis, (2) measure the immediate return to home, rehospitalization and reoperation rates. FT procedures reduce the LOS after primary THA for non-traumatic indications relative to national historical data. A prospective observational study was done at 11 hospital facilities throughout France. Patients who underwent primary THA for a non-traumatic condition and FT procedures were followed for 3 months. The average LOS, discharge to home, unexpected readmissions, and reoperation rate were compared to 2016 figures from the French national database of 104,745 procedures on the same population. The study included 1,110 patients, 499 men (45%) and 611 women (55%), with a mean age of 67.5±11.9 years. The average LOS was 3.3±2.9 days versus 7.5±5.3 days in the national database (p<0.001). Eight hundred eighty patients (79%) were discharged directly to home versus 72,577 (69%) in the national database (p<0.001). Forty-two patients (4%) were readmitted to the hospital within 90 days of the THA versus 11,092 (11%) in the national database (p<0.001). Eighteen patients (1.6%) were reoperated within 90 days of the THA procedure versus 2100 (2.0%) in the national database (p=0.72). FT procedures help to significantly reduce the average LOS and rehospitalization rate after primary THA for non-traumatic conditions and significantly increased the percentage of patients being discharged directly to home relative to national historical data, without altering the risk of reoperation. FT procedures should become the standard of care after THA. III; prospective case-control study.


Intracellular [Ca(2+)] transients in Ca(2+) wave in single rat ventricular myocyte.
Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in heart muscle grades depending on Ca(2+) influx in the physiological twitch; Ca(2+( wave results from regenerative Ca(2+) release from the SR. To examine if the Ca(2+) release from the SR in the Ca(2+) wave takes a duration similar to the physiological one, a transient rise of intracellular [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](i) transient) was recorded during both a propagating Ca(2+) wave and an electrically evoked twitch with single rat ventricular myocytes, using a laser scanning confocal microscope. Care was taken to record the fluo-3 fluorescence from a segmental region with little lateral movement, especially during a propagating Ca(2+) wave. During a typical Ca(2+) wave, the time-to-peak (TP) and the half-width (HD) of the averaged [Ca(2+)](i) transient were 161 and 253 ms respectively, but they were 76 and 145 ms during an electrically evoked twitch. The difference in the duration between the two types of [Ca(2+)](i) transients could not be accounted for by modification of duration of [Ca(2+)](i) transient by possible asynchronous Ca(2+) release from the SR during a Ca(2+) wave, suggesting that the regenerative Ca2+) release from the SR in the Ca2+) wave occurs more slowly than the physiological one in rat ventricular myocytes.


Preparing the "new" biologist of the future: student research at the interface of mathematics and biology.
We describe a unique Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Veterinary students summer program at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The program focused on interdisciplinary research at the interface of biology and mathematics. Participants were selected to work on projects with a biology mentor and a mathematics mentor in an environment that promoted collaboration outside of the students' respective disciplines. There were four research projects with teams of four participants and two faculty mentors. The participants consisted of a mixture of 10 undergraduates in biology- and mathematics-related disciplines, four veterinary students, and two high-school teachers. The activities included lectures on both the biological and mathematical backgrounds of the projects, tutorials for software, and sessions on ethics, graduate school, and possible career paths for individuals interested in biology and mathematics. The program was designed to give students the ability to actively participate in the scientific research process by working on a project, writing up their results in a final report, and presenting their work orally. We report on the results of our evaluation surveys of the participants.


Surgical Intervention is Associated With Improvements in the ASIA Impairment Scale in Gunshot-induced Spinal Injuries of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine.
Retrospective cohort study of patients from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC). The aim was to compare the outcomes of patients with gunshot-induced spinal injuries (GSIs) treated operatively and nonoperatively. The treatment of neurological deficits associated with gunshot wounds to the spine has been controversial. Treatment has varied widely, ranging from nonoperative to aggressive surgery. Patient demographics, clinical information, and outcomes were extracted. Surgical intervention was defined as a "laminectomy, neural canal restoration, open reduction, spinal fusion, or internal fixation of the spine." The primary outcome was the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale. Statistical comparisons of baseline demographics and neurological outcomes between operative and nonoperative cohorts were performed. In total, 961 patients with GSI and at least 1-year follow-up were identified from 1975 to 2015. The majority of patients were Black/African American (55.6%), male (89.7%), and 15-29 years old (73.8%). Of those treated surgically (19.7% of all patients), 34.2% had improvement in their ASIA Impairment Scale score at 1 year, compared with 20.6% treated nonoperatively. Overall, surgery was associated with a 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-2.8] times greater likelihood of ASIA Impairment Scale improvement at 1 year. Specifically, benefit was seen in thoracic (odds ratio: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4-4.6) and lumbar injuries (odds ratio: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-3.1), but not cervical injuries. While surgical indications are always determined on an individualized basis, in our review of GSIs, surgical intervention was associated with a greater likelihood of neurological recovery. Specifically, patients with thoracic and lumbar GSIs had a 2.5 and 1.7-times greater likelihood of improvement in their ASIA Impairment Scale score 1 year after injury, respectively, if they underwent surgical intervention.


P-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Determination of Phosphate Compartmentation in Leaves of Reproductive Soybeans (Glycine max L.) as Affected by Phosphate Nutrition.
Most leaf phosphorus is remobilized to the seed during reproductive development in soybean. We determined, using (31)P-NMR, the effect phosphorus remobilization has on vacuolar inorganic phosphate pool size in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) leaves with respect to phosphorus nutrition and plant development. Phosphate compartmentation between cytoplasmic and vacuolar pools was observed and followed in intact tissue grown hydroponically, at the R2, R4, and R6 growth stages. As phosphorus in the nutrient solution decreased from 0.45 to 0.05 millimolar, the vacuolar phosphate peak became less prominent relative to cytoplasmic phosphate and hexose monophosphate peaks. At a nutrient phosphate concentration of 0.05 millimolar, the vacuolar phosphate peak was not detectable. At higher levels of nutrient phosphate, as plants progressed from the R2 to the R6 growth stage, the vacuolar phosphate peak was the first to disappear, suggesting that storage phosphate was remobilized to a greater extent than metabolic phosphate. Under suboptimal phosphate nutrition (</= 0.20 millimolar), the hexose monophosphate and cytoplasmic phosphate peaks declined earlier in reproductive development than when phosphate was present in optimal amounts. Under low phosphate concentrations (0.05 millimolar) cytoplasmic phosphate was greatly reduced. Carbon metabolism was coincidently disrupted under low phosphate nutrition as shown by the appearance of large, prominent starch grains in the leaves. Cytoplasmic phosphate, and leaf carbon metabolism dependent on it, are buffered by vacuolar phosphate until late stages of reproductive growth.


[Analysis of the results and methods on proficiency testing of determination of Fe, Mn in drinking water].
To analyse the results and methods on proficiency testing(PT) for determination of Fe, Mn in drinking water and to discuss the influencing factors. With a view to the laboratory for accurate determination of drinking water iron and manganese to provide technical support. 180 labs from 30 provinces (cities), autonomous regions took part in the PT. Based on methods of PT, statistical analysis of the results, to find the causes of dissatisfactory results. According to the results of the report for the first time, the PT showed that 85.56% labs presented satisfactory results of determination of Fe and 87.71% labs presented satisfactory results of determination of Mn. In addition to ICP/MS, it showed that 76.00%, 88.89%, 93.75% respectively presented satisfactory results of the methods of AAS, ICP-AES and chemical of determination of Fe. It showed that 79.23%, 94.29%, 72.73% respectively presented satisfactory results of the methods of chemical, AAS and ICP-AES of determination of Mn. The initial results of 37 labs had dissatisfactory. Results of statistics showed that iron, manganese at the same time [ZB] > or = 3 for the 11 labs. Most of the labs that took part in the PT have good competence in analyzing Fe, Mn. The main reasons of the dissatisfactory results were larger systematic errors, experimental blank, matrix interference and feeble control ability of the key point of the experiment.


[Clinical evaluation on fengweicao granule in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia].
To report the effect of Fengweicao Granule (FWCCG), a Chinese herbal preparation made of herba Pteris multifidae, in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). One hundred and fifty-five patients were assigned to two groups, the 108 patients in the treated group were administered orally with FWCG twice a day, 5 g every time; the 47 patients in the control group were treated with Proscar 5 mg per day for 3 months. The effects were evaluated by the change of the related indexes before and after treatment, including scoring by international prostatic symptom scale (I-PSS), maximum flowing rate of urine (MFR), residue urine volume (RU) in urinary bladder determined by abdominal B-ultrasonography and volume of prostate. After being treated for 3 months, the I-PSS, MFR and RU improved remarkably in both groups (P <0.05 or P <0.01), but with no significant change in the volume of prostate, neither with significant difference in comparison between the two groups (P >0.05). FWCG has a good effect with less adverse reaction in treating BPH.


Demographic determinants of delayed divorce.
This study identifies factors that predict delayed divorce in the US. The findings show that factors which influence marital stability in general also correlate with delayed divorce in the same direction. Wife's age at marriage, age of the youngest child, wife's religion, region of residence, and metropolitan residence have substantial effects of delayed divorce, but the effects of race, parental divorce, premarital pregnancy, and socioeconomic status are small.


CD64-directed immunotoxin inhibits arthritis in a novel CD64 transgenic rat model.
Macrophages are known to play a key role during inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Inflammatory macrophages have increased expression of CD64, the high-affinity receptor for IgG. Targeting this receptor through a CD64-directed immunotoxin, composed of an Ab against CD64 and Ricin A, results in effective killing of inflammatory macrophages. In this study, we show elevated levels of CD64 on synovial macrophages in both synovial lining and synovial fluid in RA patients. The CD64-directed immunotoxin efficiently eliminates activated synovial macrophages in vitro, while leaving quiescent, low CD64-expressing macrophages unaffected. To examine whether killing of CD64 macrophages results in therapeutic effects in vivo, we established an adjuvant arthritis (AA) model in newly generated human CD64 (hCD64) transgenic rats. We demonstrate that hCD64 regulation in this transgenic rat model is similar as in humans. After AA induction, treatment with CD64-directed immunotoxin results in significant inhibition of disease activity. There is a direct correlation between immunotoxin treatment and decreased macrophage numbers, followed by diminished inflammation and bone erosion in paws of these hCD64 transgenic rats. These data support synovial macrophages to play a crucial role in joint inflammation in AA in rats and in human RA. Selective elimination of inflammatory macrophages through a CD64-directed immunotoxin may provide a novel approach for treatment of RA.


Ten and a half years seroepidemiology of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in Denmark.
The study was based on a computerized card index of 9161 patients who had at least one positive blood specimen in the Mycoplasma pneumoniae complement fixation test. A total of 12,562 specimens from these patients had been sent to Statens Seruminstitut from hospitals and general practitioners during a 10.5-year period. The period encompassed a previously described endemic period in a 30-year study of the epidemiological pattern of M. pneumoniae infection in Denmark. The serological data presented support the hypothesis advanced here that a more than sixfold increase of children in day care might have contributed to a change in the epidemiological pattern. The correlation between age and level of specific antibodies, as well as persistence of seropositivity, were also investigated.


Acupuncture and Global Health: Providing Medical Acupuncture Education and Service in Georgetown, Guyana.
Objective: Guyana is located on the north coast of the South American continent and is a middle-income developing country in the Caribbean. There is little educational opportunity for individuals interested in medical acupuncture. The aim of this project was to develop an introductory medical acupuncture curriculum for perioperative use. Materials and Methods: Through a carefully coordinated teaching-and-care plan, with support from physicians and various medical organizations, an educational opportunity in medical acupuncture was established at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, a medical university teaching hospital in Georgetown, Guyana. The project involved development of a medical acupuncture curriculum, as well as teaching and patient care. Anesthesia staff members, resident trainees, and perioperative and pain-clinic patients participated. Results: Medical acupuncture-trained physicians were able to provide medical acupuncture education and services in a third-world country because of this project. Conclusion: This project is an ideal example of utilizing medical acupuncture for promoting global heath.


Radiofrequency therapy for severe idiopathic vulvodynia.
The study aimed to provide a description of a new and a hopeful possibility in the treatment of severe vulvodynia, which does not respond to treatments used so far. The use of radiofrequency therapy in vulvodynia treatment is described for the first time. This method was suggested by a neurosurgeon after applying all available possibilities. In this article, we are reporting on the successful use of the pulsed radiofrequency treatment in a patient with intractable chronic vulvodynia. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a successful use of pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of chronic vulvodynia. If efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency is confirmed by more studies, it would be a welcome addition to the treatment modalities used to treat this sometimes truly intractable condition.


Social skills training for depressed, visually impaired older adults. A treatment manual.
Late-onset visual impairment due to cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy afflicts approximately 10% of people older than 65, and often results in depression and social dysfunction. Whereas the majority of sighted older adults are active participants in their community, individuals suffering from progressively worsening vision experience heightened levels of isolation and reduced social support, and participate in fewer reinforcing recreational activities. This article describes our social skills training package for the treatment of depressed, visually impaired, older adults. Our treatment focuses on increasing the frequency and level of assertiveness with which visually impaired older adults interact with each other. In addition to specified treatment methods, our empirically derived program employs standardized assessment measures to evaluate therapeutic progress. Sessions are implemented to reinforce efforts to apply social skills in the environment and reestablish skills that have begun to fade.


Yeast DNA primase is encoded by a 59-kilodalton polypeptide: purification and immunochemical characterization.
The DNA primase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been purified 9200-fold to homogeneity. The yeast DNA primase is a monomeric protein of molecular weight 59,000, and under conditions described in this report, it is stable at 4 or -80 degrees C. The primase does not bind to DEAE-cellulose, is not inhibited by a high concentration of alpha-amanitin (4 mg/mL), and is capable of synthesizing small (up to 15 nucleotides in length) ribo or ribo-deoxy mixed initiator RNA primers. The primer synthesis is stimulated by ATP; however, other ribonucleotides could be replaced by deoxynucleotides without any measurable effect on the overall DNA synthesis. Thus, the purified primase is distinct from the RNA polymerases of S. cerevisiae. Immunoblot analysis of the polypeptides in a crude cell extract using a mouse polyclonal antibody prepared against the highly purified primase indicates that the 59-kilodalton polypeptide is the native form and not a degraded form of a larger polypeptide; however, primase is degraded rapidly to smaller polypeptides by yeast proteases especially in the absence of protease inhibitors.


Lees-Edwards boundary conditions for lattice Boltzmann suspension simulations.
When sheared suspensions are simulated, Lees-Edwards boundary conditions allow more realistic computational setups as they remove the need of a domain bounded by shearing walls (as in Couette-type flow) which bias typical flow structures. Lees-Edwards boundary conditions therefore allow investigation of pure bulk properties in a quasi-infinite system. In addition, they improve the computational efficiency of the simulations as the whole domain can be used to calculate averages. We propose an implementation of Lees-Edwards boundary conditions for lattice Boltzmann simulations of particulate suspensions, combined with an accurate treatment of fluid-particle interactions. The algorithm is validated using a simple single-particle benchmark and further applied to a fully resolved suspension flow. Shear-thickening behavior, which is prolonged to higher shear rates as compared to Couette flow results, could be observed.


Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit presenting in pregnancy.
A 32-year-old woman, three months pregnant, reported with the complaint of protrusion of the right eye for six months. She gave history of rapid protrusion of eyeball for the last two months along with the history of double vision for the last one month. Computer tomography (CT) scan revealed a well-defined mass lesion in the intraconal space of the right orbit which was excised through a lateral orbitotomy approach. Histological examination and immunohistochemistry revealed a solitary fibrous tumor, which showed a rapid progression in pregnancy.


Susceptibility to the development of pigment cell tumors in a clone of the Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa, introduced through a microchromosome.
The Amazon molly Poecilia formosa is a gynogenetic fish that reproduces through the development of ameiotic diploid eggs triggered by insemination by males of related species without following karyogamie. This leads to clonal offspring. In rare cases, however, this gynogenesis is leaky, and paternal DNA in the form of small supernumerary chromosomes is included into the maternal genome. We have obtained a clone where one such microchromosome contains a pigmentary locus, resulting in macromelanophore pigmentation of the carrier. Approximately 5% of these fish spontaneously develop exophytic nodular or papillomatous pigment cell tumors. The tumors display considerable differences with respect to growth characteristics and invasiveness, despite the genetic uniformity of the affected animals. Following transplantation to syngeneic hosts, a remarkable clonal variability was observed. Oncogenes that are involved in tumorigenesis in hereditary melanoma of the closely related fish Xiphophorus appear not to be instrumental for induction of the P. formosa pigment cell tumors. Moreover, a new genetic locus is defined that mediates susceptibility to pigment cell tumor development and leads to transformation of chromatoblasts.


A 2.3-ps RMS Resolution Time-to-Digital Converter Implemented in a Low-Cost Cyclone V FPGA.
We present a nonuniform multiphase (NUMP) method to construct a high-resolution time-to-digital converter (TDC) for low-cost field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. The NUMP method involves a system clock being passed through a series of delay elements to generate multiple clocks with different phase shifts. The phases of the rising and falling edges of all the clocks are sorted in order and the states of all the clocks are latched when a hit signal arrives. The sizes of the time bins (and precision) of the NUMP method are not limited by the uniformity and minimum value of the time delays of the delay lines. In theory, any delay sources with small jitters in an FPGA, not just very fine carry chains, can be used in the NUMP method to delay and randomize the clocks. Thus, the NUMP method can achieve excellent TDC timing resolutions in low-cost FPGAs without very fine delay lines. We implemented four NUMP TDC channels in a low-cost FPGA device (an Altera Cyclone V 5CEBA4F23C7N). The performance of the four NUMP TDCs was evaluated using both internal and external pulses. The root mean square (rms) for the timing resolution measured using the internal and the external pulses with short-time intervals (less than 1 ns) was 2.3 and 5.2 ps, respectively. A 14.1-ps rms timing resolution was measured at a time interval of 517 ns. The NUMP method is suitable for applications that require a number of high-performance TDC channels in a low-cost FPGA.


Thyrotropin-releasing hormone degradation in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Effects of metabolic control.
We investigated thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) degradation in terms of half-life (t1/2) and metabolic clearance rate (MCR) in eight subjects with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) before and after strict metabolic control. The results were compared with those of six healthy control subjects. The basal plasma TRH-IR levels (31 +/- 9 fmoles/ml) were on the lowest normal limit in the IDDM patients and were not considerably changed (24 +/- 10) after strict metabolic control. The basal and delta max rise of TSH to TRH (200 micrograms i.v.) were not significantly different before or after improved metabolic control in IDDM and as compared to controls. The TRH-degradation curves showed similar exponential decay before and after improvement of metabolic control (t1/2: 7.6 +/- 0.4 min and 7.3 +/- 0.3 respectively; 6.5 +/- 0.4 min for the controls). The MCR of exogenously administered TRH in IDDM before (65.5 +/- 8.6 l/m2/day) and after (65.0 +/- 8.9) control was not different compared to the normals (76.5 +/- 9.6). The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) in IDDM before (52.193 +/- 6.773 fmoles.ml-1.min) and after improvement of metabolic control (53.186 +/- 7.856) was slightly higher than in the healthy subjects (40.151 +/- 3.741, n.s.). These findings demonstrate that a) the degradation of exogenous TRH is not dependent on the glucose metabolic state, b) insulin deficient diabetes mellitus does not affect the enzymatic system responsible for TRH degradation and, c) the hypothalamic-pituitary axis appears to be intact in IDDM.


[Evaluation Method of Static Balance Ability Based on Human Pelvic Center Measurement].
This study evaluates the static balance ability of human body based on lower limb rehabilitation robot.According to the balance parameters obtained from the movement trajectory of the center of human pelvis, SPSS statistical software was used to verify that there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). Principal component analysis is used to allocate the weight of each parameter and establish the comprehensive evaluation value. The comprehensive evaluation value of the control group was 0.383±0.038, and the experimental group was 0.875±0.136. When the subject's comprehensive evaluation value is between 0.739 and 1.011, it indicates the presence of balance dysfunction, and when it is between 0.345~0.421, it indicates that the balance of the lower limbs of the subject is normal. Experimental results show that this evaluation method can objectively and quantitatively reflect the static equilibrium state of human body.


[A study on the DNA histogram pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma--application of a high resolution analytical system using a charge couple device (CCD)].
In 25 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinomas, the relationships between clinical, pathological features and DNA histogram patterns were investigated. Nuclear DNA histogram that represents cell cycle and indicates biological malignancy of carcinoma was analyzed by rapid image sensor analytical system scanning enable to measure the density, area and perimeter of nuclei even on thin tissue sections. Histograms of over 65 years old patients showed low ploidy pattern rather than that of less than 65 patients whose AFP values are over 1000 ng/ml showed statistically higher ploidy pattern compared to those of under 10 ng/ml. No significant relations were verified between pathological findings and DNA histogram patterns. But patients who died within 18 months after hepatectomy showed broad and high ploidy histogram patterns compared to patients who lived over 18 months. These results suggested that DNA histogram analysis is useful for evaluate the biological malignancy of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.


Gene polymorphisms (rs324957, rs324981) in NPSR1 are associated with increased risk of primary insomnia: A cross-sectional study.
Neuropeptide S and neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR1) are associated with sleep regulation. Herein, the possible contribution of 6 polymorphisms in NPSR1 on the chromosome to primary insomnia (PI) and objective sleep phenotypes was investigated.The study included 157 patients with PI and 133 age- and sex-matched controls. All subjects were investigated by polysomnography for 3 consecutive nights. The genotyping of 6 polymorphisms was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.A significant difference was detected for rs324957 and rs324981 between PI and controls. The PI patients had a higher frequency of AA than controls in rs324957 (P = .02) and rs324981 (P = .04). However, for other single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs323922, rs324377, rs324396, and rs324987), no significant differences were observed between PI patients and controls. There were 2 different allelic combinations that were associated with PI susceptibility (CATGTC, GCCAAT) and its risk factor. A significant difference in sleep latency was observed among 3 genotype carriers of NPSR1 gene polymorphism rs324957 in PI group (P = .04), with carriers of the A/A genotype having the longest sleep latency (mean ± SD: 114.80 ± 58.27), followed by the A/G genotype (112.77 ± 46.54) and the G/G genotype (92.12 ± 42.72).This study provided the evidence that the NPSR1 gene polymorphisms (rs324957, rs324981) might be susceptibility loci for PI. Further studies are needed to explore the role of NPSR1 gene polymorphisms in molecular mechanisms of PI in a larger sample size.


[National expert consensus on application of phototherapy in acute and chronic wounds (2020 version)].
In general, different kinds of light play different roles in the treatment of wound, but the different kinds of light with similar wavelengths have some similar or the same therapeutic function. The importance of phototherapy has been gradually discovered and phototherapyhas become an important means of clinical wound treatment. At present, red light is the most widely used light in wound treatment for the outstanding effects in accelerating wound healing, alleviating pain, controlling effusion volume. Through reviewing a large number of literature and screening out high-quality evidence articles, combined with the repeated discussion of experts in the field of wound repair, the expert consensus on phototherapy in acute and chronic wounds is formulated with guiding significance, which can provide scientific and standardized application guidance for light treatment in wound repair.


The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Cancer Patients Undergoing Conventional Treatment: A Single-Centre Experience.
The alternative medicine is increasingly accepted by modern man. People realize that healing based on natural methods is much more affordable and not more aggressive than taking potent drugs of synthetic origin. The aim of this study was to collect data on the use of complementary agents and alternative medicine in cancer patients treated at the Oncology Clinic of the University Clinical Hospital in Mostar. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 100 patients. Data were collected from a questionnaire compiled for this research, which comprised two groups of questions. The first group examined the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, and the second the modalities of using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and health and conceptual reasons for use. A total of 72 patients (72.0%) had used a CAM during their anticancer treatment. Only 23% of patients had used CAM before the diagnosis of cancer. Among them, 26 (36.1%) previously discussed the topic with their oncologist. CAMs ranged from herbal medicine (58.3%), cannabinoid oil (19.4%) and different vitamins and minerals (22.2%). CAMs were mainly used to improve the health (40.3%). Among patients who used CAM only 25% find it financially demanding, 90.3% of patients were satisfied with effects of CAMs, and 78.1% would recommend it to other cancer patients. Our data showed that in our region, many patients used complementary and alternative methods of treatment. These results are very important because they provide information and give a clearer picture of the use of CAM among cancer patients and, accordingly, the right approach of the health practitioners to the patient, leading to optimized cancer therapy and increased safety.


Problems of maintaining repair parts in the biomedical shop.
The diversity and complexity of medical instrumentation found in the modern hospital requires that today's Biomedical Equipment Laboratory be prepared for various types of repairs without significant instrumentation downtime. The rising cost of repair parts for medical instrumentation necessitates that the laboratory be more selective in the type and quantity of repair parts that it stocks. Consideration must be given to local availability of parts; the repair capability of the personnel; and the availability of local manufacturers' service. Great care must be taken in storing parts and in keeping stock records.


Preparation and characterization of nanomaterials for sustainable energy production.
The use of nanotechnology to develop a suite of sustainable energy production schemes is one of the most important scientific challenges of the 21st century. The challenge is to design, to synthesize, and to characterize new functional nanomaterials with controllable sizes, shapes, and/or structures. To summarize the progress of the research and development made in this important field, the Fuel Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) organized a symposium on "Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy and Fuels" during the 240th ACS National Meeting in Boston, MA on August 22-26, 2010, with the ACS Catalysis Division as the cosponsor. This symposium was a global gathering of leading scientists at the intersection of energy and nanotechnology. The topics discussed at the symposium included nanotechnology, not only for traditional fossil fuel production but also for novel processes for renewable energy applications. This article aims to highlight some of the most exciting advances presented at the symposium, including the preparation and characterization of nanomaterials for clean fuel production, CO(2) capture, solar cells and solar fuels, energy conversion and storage materials, hydrogen storage materials, and fuel cells. Finally, possible future developments in this important and timely area are discussed.