New Staphylococcus aureus genotyping method based on exotoxin (set) genes.
A variety of methods for genotyping Staphylococcus aureus isolates exists: the two most widely used methods are pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Here, we describe a sequence-based genotyping method based on genes encoding S. aureus superantigen-like proteins, which belong to a family of exotoxins called staphylococcal exotoxins. The sequences of PCR-amplified internal fragments of three different set genes (set2, set5, and set7) of 61 well-characterized clinical methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates and reference strains were compared. Phylogenetic analysis was performed based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The SNP dendrograms of the set gene sequences differentiated the 61 isolates into 22 distinct subgroups, designated exotoxin sequence types (ETST), while the standard seven-gene MLST profiles differentiated the same 61 isolates into 19 subgroups. Of the 19 different MLST subgroups, 16 corresponded to 16 distinct ETST groups. However, three MLST subgroups, ST1, ST30, and ST36, were each further separated into more than one ETST subgroup. The exotoxin-based genotyping method was able to discriminate MRSA and MSSA isolates according to their specific epidemiological characteristics. This SNP analysis of the three set genes is thus equally or more discriminatory than the seven-gene MLST method, providing a good alternative typing tool for a laboratory that has sequencing capability.


The effectiveness of lifestyle intervention in early pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese overweight and obese women: A quasi-experimental study.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and is associated with substantially elevated risk of adverse health outcomes for both mothers and offspring. This quasi-experimental trial was conducted to assess whether a lifestyle intervention in early pregnancy can reduce the incidence of GDM and excessive gestational weight (GWG) gain among Chinese overweight women. Convenience samples of 74 women in gestational weeks 8-12 with a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m(2) were enrolled. They were divided into intervention (N=37) or control group (N=37) according to the time sequence of seeing the doctor. The intervention group was provided with exercise, dietary, weight gain counseling and detailed plans at weeks 8-12 and every month in the second trimester. In addition, each counseling session included a personalized feedback based on their 5-day-records. Follow-up phone calls or emails were conducted every week between antenatal visits. The control group was just provided with exercise, dietary and weight gain counseling at weeks 8-12, besides the usual health education provided at the O&G outpatient department. The lifestyle intervention resulted in a lower incidence of gestational diabetes in the intervention group (9/32, 28.1%) compared with the control group (19/34, 55.9%), p=0.023. Women in the intervention group gained much less weight (6.86 ± 2.31 versus 10.08 ± 3.84 kg, p=0.000) at the end of second trimester. Lifestyle intervention in early pregnancy can reduce the incidence of GDM and prevent excessive maternal weight gain in overweight and obese pregnant women.


Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen isotope ratios of cellulose from plants having intermediary photosynthetic modes.
Carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of cellulose nitrate and oxygen isotope ratios of cellulose from species of greenhouse plants having different photosynthetic modes were determined. When hydrogen isotope ratios are plotted against carbon isotope ratios, four clusters of points are discernible, each representing different photosynthetic modes: C(3) plants, C(4) plants, CAM plants, and C(3) plants that can shift to CAM or show the phenomenon referred to as CAM-cycling. The combination of oxygen and carbon isotope ratios does not distinguish among the different photosynthetic modes. Analysis of the carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of cellulose nitrate should prove useful for screening different photosynthetic modes in field specimens that grew near one another. This method will be particularly useful for detection of plants which show CAM-cycling.


Designing and Evaluating Bamboo Harvesting Methods for Local Needs: Integrating Local Ecological Knowledge and Science.
Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, a large, clump-forming bamboo, has great potential to contribute towards poverty alleviation efforts across its distributional range. Harvesting methods that maximize yield while they fulfill local objectives and ensure sustainability are a research priority. Documenting local ecological knowledge on the species and identifying local users' goals for its production, we defined three harvesting treatments (selective cut, horseshoe cut, clear cut) and experimentally compared them with a no-intervention control treatment in an action research framework. We implemented harvesting over three seasons and monitored annually and two years post-treatment. Even though the total number of culms positively influenced the number of shoots regenerated, a much stronger relationship was detected between the number of culms harvested and the number of shoots regenerated, indicating compensatory growth mechanisms to guide shoot regeneration. Shoot recruitment declined over time in all treatments as well as the control; however, there was no difference among harvest treatments. Culm recruitment declined with an increase in harvesting intensity. When univariately assessing the number of harvested culms and shoots, there were no differences among treatments. However, multivariate analyses simultaneously considering both variables showed that harvested output of shoots and culms was higher with clear cut and horseshoe cut as compared to selective cut. Given the ease of implementation and issues of work safety, users preferred the horseshoe cut, but the lack of sustainability of shoot production calls for investigating longer cutting cycles.


Dichlorido(2,3-di-2-pyridyl-pyrazine-κN,N)palladium(II).
The Pd(II) ion in the title complex, [PdCl(2)(C(14)H(10)N(4))], has a slightly distorted square-planar environment defined by the two pyridine N atoms of the chelating 2,3-di-2-pyridyl-pyrazine ligand and two chloride anions. The pyridine rings are considerably inclined to the least-squares plane of the PdCl(2)N(2) unit [maximum deviation = 0.073 (1) Å], with dihedral angles of 64.19 (9) and 66.55 (9)°. The pyrazine ring is almost perpendicular to this plane and the dihedral angle is 88.2 (1)°. Two independent inter-molecular C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, both involving the same Cl atom as a hydrogen-bond acceptor, give rise to chains running along the a and b axes, generating a layer structure extending parallel to (001). Mol-ecules are stacked in columns along the a axis. Along the b axis, successive mol-ecules stack in opposite directions.


Supramolecular assembly affording a ratiometric two-photon fluorescent nanoprobe for quantitative detection and bioimaging.
Fluorescence quantitative analyses for vital biomolecules are in great demand in biomedical science owing to their unique detection advantages with rapid, sensitive, non-damaging and specific identification. However, available fluorescence strategies for quantitative detection are usually hard to design and achieve. Inspired by supramolecular chemistry, a two-photon-excited fluorescent supramolecular nanoplatform (TPSNP) was designed for quantitative analysis with three parts: host molecules (β-CD polymers), a guest fluorophore of sensing probes (Np-Ad) and a guest internal reference (NpRh-Ad). In this strategy, the TPSNP possesses the merits of (i) improved water-solubility and biocompatibility; (ii) increased tissue penetration depth for bioimaging by two-photon excitation; (iii) quantitative and tunable assembly of functional guest molecules to obtain optimized detection conditions; (iv) a common approach to avoid the limitation of complicated design by adjustment of sensing probes; and (v) accurate quantitative analysis by virtue of reference molecules. As a proof-of-concept, we utilized the two-photon fluorescent probe NHS-Ad-based TPSNP-1 to realize accurate quantitative analysis of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), with high sensitivity and good selectivity in live cells, deep tissues and ex vivo-dissected organs, suggesting that the TPSNP is an ideal quantitative indicator for clinical samples. What's more, TPSNP will pave the way for designing and preparing advanced supramolecular sensors for biosensing and biomedicine.


Standardization of a traditional polyherbo-mineral formulation - Brahmi vati.
The present study deals with standardization of an in-house standard preparation and three marketed samples of Brahmi vati, which is a traditional medicine known to be effective in mental disorders, convulsions, weak memory, high fever and hysteria. Preparation and standardization have been done by following modern scientific quality control procedures for raw material and the finished products. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis showed the reduction of metals and minerals (particle size range 2-5 µm) which indicates the proper preparation of bhasmas, the important ingredient of Brahmi vati. Findings of EDX analysis of all samples of Brahmi vati suggested the absence of Gold, an important constituent of Brahmi vati in two marketed samples. All the samples of Brahmi vati were subjected to quantitative estimation of Bacoside A (marker compound) by HPTLC technique. Extraction of the samples was done in methanol and the chromatograms were developed in Butanol: Glacial acetic acid: water (4.5:0.5:5 v/v) and detected at 225nm. The regression analysis of calibration plots of Bacoside A exhibited linear relationship in the concentration range of 50-300 ng, while the % recovery was found to be 96.06% w/w, thus proving the accuracy and precision of the analysis. The Bacoside A content in the in-house preparation was found to be higher than that of the commercial samples. The proposed HPTLC method was found to be rapid, simple and accurate for quantitative estimation of Bacoside A in different formulations. The results of this study could be used as a model data in the standardization of Brahmi vati.


Rib fracture following stereotactic body radiotherapy: a potential pitfall.
Although the incidence of rib fractures after conventional radiotherapy is generally low (<2%), rib fractures are a relatively common complication of stereotactic body radiotherapy. For malignancy adjacent to the chest wall, the incidence of rib fractures after stereotactic body radiotherapy is as high as 10%. Unrecognized bone fractures can mimic bone metastases on bone scintigraphy, can lead to extensive workup, and can even lead to consideration of unnecessary systemic chemotherapy, as treatment decisions can be based on imaging findings alone. Nuclear medicine physicians and diagnostic radiologists should always consider rib fracture in the differential diagnosis.


Water Deficit and Associated Changes in Some Photosynthetic Parameters in Leaves of ;Valencia' Orange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck).
Photosynthetic CO(2) assimilation, transpiration, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase), and soluble protein were reduced in leaves of water-deficit (stress) ;Valencia' orange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck). Maximum photosynthetic CO(2) assimilation and transpiration, which occurred before midday for both control and stressed plants, was 58 and 40%, respectively, for the stress (-2.0 megapascals leaf water potential) as compared to the control (-0.6 megapascals leaf water potential). As water deficit became more severe in the afternoon, with water potential of -3.1 megapascals for the stressed leaves vs. -1.1 megapascals for control leaves, stressed-leaf transpiration declined and photosynthetic CO(2) assimilation rapidly dropped to zero. Water deficit decreased both activation and total activity of RuBPCase. Activation of the enzyme was about 62% (of fully activated enzyme in vitro) for the stress, compared to 80% for the control. Water deficit reduced RuBPCase initial activity by 40% and HCO(3) (-)/Mg(2+)-saturated activity by 22%. However, RuBPCase for both stressed and control leaves were similar in K(cat) (25 moles CO(2) per mole enzyme per second) and K(m) for CO(2) (18.9 micromolar). Concentrations of RuBPCase and soluble protein of stressed leaves averaged 80 and 85%, respectively, of control leaves. Thus, reductions in activation and concentration of RuBPCase in Valencia orange leaves contributed to reductions in enzyme activities during water-deficit periods. Declines in leaf photosynthesis, soluble protein, and RuBPCase activation and concentration due to water deficit were, however, recoverable at 5 days after rewatering.


Biochemical Studies of Paraquat-Tolerant Mutants of the Fern Ceratopteris richardii.
Enzymes and metabolites associated with mitigation of paraquat toxicity were compared in two paraquat-tolerant mutants and a sensitive wild-type strain of the fern Ceratopteris richardii Brongn. In 21-day-old gametophytes, the specific activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, glutathione reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and ascorbate peroxidase showed no differences that would explain mutant tolerance. Constitutive levels of ascorbate and glutathione also did not differ significantly in the three strains. An experiment testing the inducibility of paraquat tolerance revealed no change in the dose response of mutant or wild type gametophytes after exposure to sublethal concentrations of the herbicide. Uptake of paraquat by whole gametophytes was also equivalent in mutants and wild type. These data suggest that the physiological basis for tolerance in these mutants, unlike several other tolerant biotypes reported, does not lie in the oxygen radical scavenging system, in an inducible stress response, or in a block to whole-plant uptake.


Extrapituitary effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone.
Besides their regulation of the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-thyroidal axis, respectively, the neurohormones CRH and TRH act within the central nervous system to evoke and modulate a number of behavioral and physiological processes. In particular, an increase in the sympathetic nervous system and respiratory activity has been observed. The data communicated in this review article emphasize the role of these neurohormones with regard to the neuroendocrine regulation of the autonomic nervous system, sleep and cognitive performance. Moreover, a possible therapeutic role is suggested by the beneficial effects in patients at risk of hypoventilation-associated disorders.


Monte Carlo exact methods used for analysing interethnic unions in Great Britain.
The value of using exact rather than asymptotic tests to measure intermarriage in the United Kingdom is examined. "We develop Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for estimating the exact conditional p-value and the exact distribution of the residuals, for quasi-independence and quasi-symmetry. These methods are used to analyse a sparse 10 x 10 symmetric table of interethnic unions, extracted from the 1% household sample of anonymized records from the 1991 U.K. census. With the exception of Pakistani/White and Other Asian/White unions, there is no evidence against quasi-symmetry. We conclude that, with these exceptions, there are no gender differences in the affinities between ethnic groups."


Serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein profiles in workers exposed to low arsenic levels: Lipid profiles and occupational arsenic exposure.
Epidemiologic studies have reported that exposure to arsenic (As) is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e., coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial heart disease) and mortality. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare serum lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein profiles in workers exposed to As. The subjects of this study included 57 workers exposed to As and 57 controls. Demographic characteristics and occupational information were collected through questionnaires. Exposure to As was assessed in indoor air of a workplace and determined using the creatinine values in the urine. Blood samples were collected using immunochemistry and nephelometry to measure the levels of total cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TRIG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), apolipoprotein-A1 (Apo-A1), and apolipoprotein-B (Apo-B). No significant difference in the demographic data was detected between the two groups. Urinary As concentration was significantly (p<0.001) higher in exposed subjects than in the controls (13.4±6.1 and 4.4±6.1μg/gCreat, respectively). No statistically significant differences were observed in CHOL, TRIG, HDL, and LDL concentrations between the two groups. Lp(a), Apo-B, and Apo-B/Apo-A1 ratio values were significantly higher and the Apo-A1 level was significantly lower in the exposed group than in the control subjects. Regression analysis highlighted a significant (p<0.001) association between urinary As and Lp(a), Apo-A1, and Apo-B concentration, and Apo-B/Apo-A1 ratio. This study revealed the influence of As on apolipoproteins, suggesting a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases in subjects exposed to low levels of As.


Production of anti-cancer agent using microbial biotransformation.
Microbial biotransformation is a great model system to produce drugs and biologically active compounds. In this study, we elucidated the fermentation and production of an anti-cancer agent from a microbial process for regiospecific hydroxylation of resveratrol. Among the strains examined, a potent strain showed high regiospecific hydroxylation activity to produce piceatannol. In a 5 L (w/v 3 L) jar fermentation, this wild type Streptomyces sp. in the batch system produced 205 mg of piceatannol (i.e., 60% yields) from 342 mg of resveratrol in 20 h. Using the product, an in vitro anti-cancer study was performed against a human cancer cell line (HeLa). It showed that the biotransformed piceatannol possessed a significant anticancer activity. This result demonstrates that a biotransformation screening method might be of therapeutic interest with respect to the identification of anti-cancer drugs.


Knowledge, attitudes and practices of hepatitis B prevention and immunization of pregnant women and mothers in northern Vietnam.
Infection at birth due to mother-to-child (MTC) transmission is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Vietnam. This study was undertaken to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pregnant women and mothers in Vietnam concerning HBV prevention and immunization. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh provinces in 2017. A standardized questionnaire was administered to women when they received care at primary and tertiary maternal health clinics. Multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of HBV knowledge and practices. Among the 380 women surveyed, 50.3% were pregnant and 49.7% were postpartum. Despite 70.3% of participants reported having received information about HBV during their pregnancy, only 10.8% provided correct answers to all questions regarding HBV transmission routes and preventive measures. Around half of the participants incorrectly believed that HBV is transmitted through sneezing, contaminated water or sharing foods with chronic HBV patients. Although 86.1% of participants believed that HBV vaccination is necessary for infants, only 66.1% responded they were definitely willing to have their own child vaccinated within 24 hours. More than a third of participants expressed concern about having casual contacts or sharing foods with chronic HBV patients. In multivariate analysis, having received information about HBV during their pregnancy was significantly associated with better HBV knowledge score. Delivery at provincial level clinics was a strong predictor for perinatal HBV screening and hepatitis B birth dose administration. The results highlight the need to prioritize educating pregnant women and mothers in future public health campaigns in order to increase knowledge, reduce misperception, and improve hepatitis B vaccine birth dose coverage in Vietnam.


Engineered culture models for studies of tumor-microenvironment interactions.
Heterogeneous microenvironmental conditions play critical roles in cancer pathogenesis and therapy resistance and arise from changes in tissue dimensionality, cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, soluble factor signaling, oxygen as well as metabolic gradients, and exogeneous biomechanical cues. Traditional cell culture approaches are restricted in their ability to mimic this complexity with physiological relevance, offering only partial explanation as to why novel therapeutic compounds are frequently efficacious in vitro but disappoint in preclinical and clinical studies. In an effort to overcome these limitations, physical sciences-based strategies have been employed to model specific aspects of the cancer microenvironment. Although these strategies offer promise to reveal the contributions of microenvironmental parameters on tumor initiation, progression, and therapy resistance, they, too, frequently suffer from limitations. This review highlights physicochemical and biological key features of the tumor microenvironment, critically discusses advantages and limitations of current engineering strategies, and provides a perspective on future opportunities for engineered tumor models.


Photophysical properties and electropolymerization of gold complexes of 3,3''-diethynyl-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene.
The preparation and crystal structures of 3,3''-diethynyl-2,2':5',2''-terthiophene (A(2)T(3)) and three Au(I) complexes containing this ligand are reported. One of the complexes, Au(2)(dppm)(A(2)T(3)), has a short Au-Au distance (3.1969 A) because of an aurophilic interaction. UV/vis absorption and emission spectra of the complexes and ligand at 298 and 85 K and photoinduced electron transfer to methyl viologen are reported. A(2)T(3) and two of the complexes may be electropolymerized, and the resulting gold-containing films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry.


Congenital methaemoglobinaemia: a rare cause of cyanosis in an adult patient.
Cyanosis is a physical finding that can occur at any age but presents a great challenge as the causes are multiple and varied. When patients present with cyanosis and dyspnoea that are unrelated to cardiopulmonary causes, methaemoglobinaemia should be considered as a possible diagnosis although rare. Methaemoglobinaemia can be asymptomatic even when methaemoglobin (metHb) levels are as high as 40% of the total haemoglobin values. Although acquired methaemoglobinaemia caused by environmental oxidizing agents is common; congenital deficiency of the innate reducing enzymes is so rare that very few cases have been documented. We report this case of type I congenital methaemoglobinaemia.


Massive Pulmonary Embolism Complicating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia: A Case Report.
Patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia are hypercoagulable and are at risk for acute pulmonary embolism. Timely diagnosis is imperative for their prognosis and recovery. This case describes an otherwise healthy 55-year-old man with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilatory support secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia. Massive acute pulmonary embolism with right heart failure complicated his course. A healthy 55-year-old man presented to our emergency department (ED) with a sore throat, cough, and myalgia. A nasopharyngeal swab was obtained, and he was discharged for home quarantine. His swab turned positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection on real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) on day 2 of his ED visit. A week later, he represented with worsening shortness of breath, requiring intubation for hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Initially, he was easy to oxygenate, had no hemodynamic compromise, and was afebrile. On day 3, he became febrile and developed significant hemodynamic instability requiring maximum vasopressor support and oxygenation difficulty. His ECG revealed sinus tachycardia with S1Q3T3 pattern. On bedside TTE, there was evidence of right heart strain and elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 45 mmHg. All data was indicative of a massive APE as the etiology for his hemodynamic collapse. A decision was made to forgo computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), given his clinical instability, and systemic thrombolytic therapy was administered. Within the next 12-24 hours, his hemodynamic status significantly improved. This case highlights the importance of considering massive APE in COVID-19 patients as a cause of the sudden and rapid hemodynamic decline. Furthermore, timely diagnosis can be made to aid in appropriate management with the help of bedside TTE and ECG in cases where CTPA is not feasible secondary to the patient's hemodynamic instability.


Biomechanical evaluation of acellular collagen matrix augmented Achilles tendon repair in sheep.
The rate of rerupture of repaired Achilles tendon in young and athletic populations remains high despite improvement in surgical techniques, suture design, and postsurgical management. Acellular biological matrices can be used to enhance the immediate strength of repaired tendons and to serve as scaffolds for cell in-growth and constructive tissue remodeling. A number of commercially available matrices have been used clinically, albeit with varying degrees of success and failure. The disparity is likely attributable to the different physical and biochemical properties of individual matrices. In this study, we investigated the biomechanical characteristics of 2 different acellular collagen matrices, namely TissueMend and GraftJacket, using a sheep Achilles tendon repair model. Static and cyclic creep, cyclic and linear construct stiffness, maximum load to failure, and displacement at maximum load were determined at time zero. We found that the maximum load to failure, displacement, and ultimate failure mode were similar between tendons augmented with either acellular collagen matrix; however, TissueMend augmentation yielded lower creep and smaller construct elongation than did GraftJacket. The results indicated that the strength of TissueMend-augmented tendons and GraftJacket-augmented tendons was not statistically significantly different, although tendons augmented with TissueMend displayed greater stiffness, which may be clinically advantageous in the restoration of ruptured tendons.


Complementary amide-based donor-acceptor with unique nano-scale aggregation, fluorescence, and band gap-lowering properties: a WORM memory device.
Organic fluorescent semiconducting nanomaterials have gained widespread research interest owing to their potential applications in the arena of high-tech devices. We designed two pyrazaacene-based compounds, their stacked system, and the role of gluing interactions to fabricate nanomaterials, and determined the prospective band gaps utilizing the density functional theory calculation. The two pyrazaacene derivatives containing complementary amide linkages (-CONH and -NHCO) were efficiently synthesized. The synthesized compounds are highly soluble in common organic solvents as well as highly fluorescent and photostable. The heterocycles and their mixture displayed efficient solvent dependent fluorescence in the visible region of the solar spectrum. Notably, the compounds were associated through complementary NH•••O = C type hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and hydrophobic interactions, and thereby afforded nanomaterials with a low band gap. Fascinatingly, the fabricated stacked nanomaterial system exhibited resistive switching behavior, leading to the fabrication of an efficient write-once-read-many-times memory device of crossbar structure.


Physical activity levels from a meta-analysis of doubly labeled water studies for validating energy intake as measured by dietary assessment.
Studies using doubly labeled water have identified underreporting of food intake as a problem of dietary surveys. However, reported energy intakes may be evaluated by comparison with energy requirements expressed as multiples of the basal metabolic rate, and a formula for calculating the value below which reported intake cannot be either a valid measure of habitual intake or a true low intake obtained by chance is presented. The energy requirements of different age-sex groups needed for the comparison with energy intakes have been obtained from a meta-analysis of doubly labeled water data.


[Prevention of bacterial and fungal infections in neutropenic patients with malignant hematologic diseases].
Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. This report discusses bacterial and mycotic infections prophylaxis in the granulocytopenic patients with hematologic malignancies. Various strategies have been derived to prevent the infections: a combination of oral antibacterial and antifungal prophylaxis with quinolones and newer azoles (fluconazole, itraconazole), high efficiency particulate air filtration, protective isolation and management of central venous catheter. However, the emergence of antibiotic resistant organism continues to pose a major challenge to the successful eradication and prevention of infections in neutropenic host, and demands the development of innovative approaches to antibiotic use and infection control procedures.


The glutamine cyclotransferase reaction of Streptococcus bovis: a novel mechanism of deriving energy from non-oxidative and non-reductive deamination.
Streptococcus bovis deaminated glutamine by a mechanism that did not involve glutaminase. Since pyroglutamate and ammonia were the only end-products, it appeared that glutamine deamination was catalyzed by a cyclotransferase reaction. Stationary S. bovis cells had essentially no intracellular ATP or membrane potential (delta psi), however, when they were provided with glutamine, intracellular ATP and delta psi increased to 0.52 mM and 158 mV, respectively. When glutamine-energized cells were treated with N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD, 150 microM), there was an even greater increase in intracellular ATP (> 5-fold) and the delta psi was dissipated. Because toluene-treated cells produced ATP from ADP and Pi, it did not appear that the cell membrane was directly involved in glutamine-dependent ATP generation. The rate of ammonia production was directly proportional to the glutamine concentration, but the stoichiometry of ATP to ammonia was always 1 to 1. Based on these results, it appeared that glutamine was deaminated by glutamine cyclotransferase which was coupled to ATP formation. The membrane bound ATPase then used the ATP to create a delta psi.


Function of COP9 signalosome in regulation of mouse oocytes meiosis by regulating MPF activity and securing degradation.
The COP9 (constitutive photomorphogenic) signalosome (CSN), composed of eight subunits, is a highly conserved protein complex that regulates processes such as cell cycle progression and kinase signalling. Previously, we found the expression of the COP9 constitutive photomorphogenic homolog subunit 3 (CSN3) and subunit 5 (CSN5) changes as oocytes mature for the first time, and there is no report regarding roles of COP9 in the mammalian oocytes. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated transient knockdown of each subunit on the meiotic cell cycle in mice oocytes. Following knockdown of either CSN3 or CSN5, oocytes failed to complete meiosis I. These arrested oocytes exhibited a disrupted meiotic spindle and misarranged chromosomes. Moreover, down-regulation of each subunit disrupted the activity of maturation-promoting factor (MPF) and concurrently reduced degradation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) substrates Cyclin B1 and Securin. Our data suggest that the CSN3 and CSN5 are involved in oocyte meiosis by regulating degradation of Cyclin B1 and Securin via APC/C.


Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric studies of canine urinary metabolism.
After the urine was treated with urease, lyophilized, and trimethylsilylated, it was examined for metabolic profiles in Dalmatian dogs and Shetland sheepdogs by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which simultaneously analyzes organic acids, amino acids, sugars, sugar alcohols, purine and pyrimidine bases, and nucleosides. The profiles were compared with those from human specimens. As clarified in past studies, Dalmatian dogs showed an extreme decrease in allantoin, which is the final product of purine metabolism in the canine of other species, and a marked detection of uric acid peak. This finding suggests that purine metabolism in Dalmatian dogs is different from that in the other species. Only two Shetland sheepdogs, whose mother had chronic renal failure, showed a marked excretion of uric acid, as in Dalmatian dogs. In addition, some Dalmatian dogs, who were maintained on a protein-restricted diet, showed a little excretion of uric acid. A large amount of uric acid is detected in combination with pentose-monosaccharides, hexose-monosaccharides and sugar alcohols in neonatal human urine in comparison with the present dog samples. A marked difference between the canine and the humans is that phenylacetylglycine, which is derived from the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine, is excreted in the canine urine. Phenylacetylglycine is not detected in the human urine, and there have been no reports of its excretion in canine urine.


Accuracy of wrist-worn heart rate monitors during physical therapy sessions among hemiparetic inpatients with stroke.
[Purpose] We aimed to examine the accuracy of heart rate monitors worn on the wrist by patients with stroke. The wrist worn heart rate monitor could improve the quality of rehabilitation by monitoring exercise intensity during physical therapy. [Participants and Methods] Thirty inpatients with subacute hemiparetic stroke wore heart rate monitors on both (non-paretic and paretic) wrists, as well as a chest heart rate monitor. We recorded the heart rate values measured at the wrist and chest every minute during physical therapy sessions. The wrist monitors were an optical heart rate measurement device based on photoplethysmography, and the chest monitor was a traditional chest device based on electrocardiography. The relative and absolute reliabilities between the heart rate measurements from the wrist and chest monitors were calculated. [Results] The intraclass correlation coefficients for model 2.1 ranged from 0.75 to 0.79. Bland-Altman analysis revealed a very slight fixed bias; however, no significant proportional bias was observed. For the non-paretic and paretic sides, the lower and upper limits of agreement ranged from -21.8 to 23.8 beats/min and from -20.8 to 21.6 beats/min, and the mean absolute percentage errors were 6.7% and 5.9%, respectively. The Cohen's d value was small. [Conclusion] The relative reliability of the wrist heart rate monitors was substantial. The absolute reliability as bias in wrist heart rate and chest heart rate was small, but heart rates estimated from wrist monitors were not particularly accurate.


Circular RNA circ_0000517 Facilitates The Growth and Metastasis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Sponging miR-326/miR-330-5p.
There is growing evidence showing that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are crucial regulators in modulating the biological behavior of tumors. This work is aimed to probe the role of circ_0000517 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to elucidate its mechanism of action. In this experimental study, the differentially expressed circRNAs in NSCLC were screened using the GEO database (GSE158695). Circ_0000517, miR-326, miR-330-5p, and MMP2 expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and Western blot. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells were detected by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down, and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were performed to clarify the association between the circ_0000517 and miR-326/miR-330-5p. Circ_0000517 was shown to be up-regulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The up-regulation of circ_0000517 is closely associated with advanced clinical stage of cancer, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Circ_0000517 knockdown impeded the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells and enhanced their apoptosis. Mechanistically, circ_0000517 was demonstrated to up-regulate MMP2 expression via decoying miR-326 and miR-330-5p to facilitate the malignant biological behaviors of NSCLC cells. This work reveals that circ_0000517 is implicated in NSCLC cell growth and metastasis through the modulation of miR-326/miR-330-5p/MMP2, providing novel insights into the role of circRNAs in NSCLC progression.


Cost-effectiveness of sorafenib versus best supportive care in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt.
In light of constrained budgets and the need to fund efficient treatment options, this study set out to assess the cost-effectiveness of sorafenib as a first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to best supportive care (BSC) from the military hospital perspective in Egypt. A decision analytic Markov model simulated disease progression with clinical parameters and utility values derived from published data. Data on direct medical costs were collected from the local healthcare system or payer. Costs and effects were discounted at 3.5% annually and reported in USD using purchasing power parity adjustments. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Mortality occurred less frequently in the sorafenib group (sorafenib group: 99.96%, BSC group: 99.99%). The total quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of the sorafenib cohort were estimated to be 46.24 compared with 42.27 for the BSC cohort, which resulted in an incremental gain of 3.96 QALYs. The total costs for the sorafenib and BSC cohorts were USD 4,229,940 and USD 3,092,886, respectively (incremental cost = $1,137,054), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of USD 286,776 per QALY gained for the sorafenib cohort. One-way sensitivity analyses that addressed the uncertainty of the BSC estimates indicated that the progression-free survival for BSC and utility value of progression had the greatest effects on the results. This study concluded that sorafenib does offer increased survival and quality-of-life at an increased cost but at an ICER that exceeds the nationally accepted cost-effectiveness threshold. The findings support healthcare decision-making of the efficient allocation of healthcare system resources to improve the health of the Egyptian population. Whether sorafenib is cost-effective in specific sub-groups with additional risk factors needs to be addressed in future studies.


Impact of Dietary Modifications on Plasma Sirtuins 1, 3 and 5 in Older Overweight Individuals Undergoing 12-Weeks of Circuit Training.
Sirtuins are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent deacetylases that regulate numerous pathways such as mitochondrial energy metabolism in the human body. Lower levels of these enzymes were linked to diseases such as diabetes mellitus and were also described as a result of aging. Sirtuins were previously shown to be under the control of exercise and diet, which are modifiable lifestyle factors. In this study, we analyzed SIRT1, SIRT3 and SIRT5 in blood from a subset of healthy elderly participants who took part in a 12-week randomized, controlled trial during which they performed, twice-weekly, resistance and aerobic training only (EX), the exercise routine combined with dietary counseling in accordance with the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (EXDC), the exercise routine combined with intake of 2 g/day oil from Calanus finmarchicus (EXCO), or received no treatment and served as the control group (CON). In all study groups performing exercise, a significant increase in activities of SIRT1 (EX: +0.15 U/mg (+0.56/-[-0.16]), EXDC: +0.25 U/mg (+0.52/-0.06), EXCO: +0.40 U/mg (+0.88/-[-0.12])) and SIRT3 (EX: +0.80 U/mg (+3.18/-0.05), EXDC: 0.95 U/mg (+3.88/-0.55), EXCO: 1.60 U/mg (+2.85/-0.70)) was detected. Group comparisons revealed that differences in SIRT1 activity in EXCO and EXDC differed significantly from CON (CON vs. EXCO, p = 0.003; CON vs. EXDC, p = 0.010). For SIRT3, increases in all three intervention groups were significantly different from CON (CON vs. EX, p = 0.007; CON vs. EXDC, p < 0.001, CON vs. EXCO, p = 0.004). In contrast, differences in SIRT5-activities were less pronounced. Altogether, the analyses showed that the activity of SIRT1 and SIRT3 increased in response to the exercise intervention and that this increase may potentially be enhanced by additional dietary modifications.


Interaction of pollinators and herbivores on plant fitness suggests a pathway for correlated evolution of mutualism- and antagonism-related traits.
Different kinds of plant-animal interactions are ordinarily studied in isolation, yet considering the combined fitness effects of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions is essential to understanding plant character evolution. Functional, structural, or phylogenetic associations between attractive and defensive traits may be nonadaptive or result from correlational selection on sets of herbivory- and pollination-linked traits. Nonadditivity of fitness effects of mutualists and antagonists, a requisite for correlational selection, was experimentally tested in the field. We created experimental populations of the insect-pollinated perennial herb, Helleborus foetidus, at 16 different locations distributed among three regions in the Iberian Peninsula. Plants experienced one of four possible selective regimes generated by independently weakening the effects of pollinators and herbivores (flower and fruit predators) according to a two-way fully factorial design. Effects were assessed in terms of number of next-generation offspring recruited per mother plant under natural field conditions. Differences among H. foetidus plants in the strength of their interactions with pollinators and herbivores translated into differential fitness, as measured in terms of recruited offspring, and subsequent changes in plant population densities. A strong, geographically consistent nonadditivity in the fitness consequences of pollinators and herbivores was found also. Plants possessing the particular combination of "traits" simultaneously enhancing pollination and escape from herbivores enjoyed a disproportionate fitness advantage over plants possessing any of the other three possible "trait" combinations. Results suggest a simple, possibly widespread ecological pathway favoring the adaptive correlated evolution of mutualism- and antagonism-related plant traits in pollinator-dependent plants suffering intense flower and fruit herbivory.


[Assessment and treatment of transsexualism].
Transsexualism, a gender identity disorder, is manifested by a strong and persistent cross-gender identification and the desire to adapt the body to the preferred sex by hormonal and surgical sex reassignment. The etiology of gender identity disorder is not known. Treatment takes place gradually in phases in a interdisciplinary setting (psychiatry, endocrinology, gynecology and surgery). In Switzerland, in contrast to other European countries, there is no special legislation to regulate the change of the name and personal status.


Investigating the possibility of intervertebral disc regeneration induced by granulocyte colony stimulating factor-stimulated stem cells in rats.
Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a multifactorial process that is influenced by contributions from genetic predisposition, the aging phenomenon, lifestyle conditions, biomechanical loading and activities, and other health factors (such as diabetes). Attempts to decelerate disc degeneration using various techniques have been reported. However, to date, there has been no proven technique effective for broad clinical application. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is a growth factor cytokine that has been shown to enhance the availability of circulating hematopoietic stem cells to the brain and heart as well as their capacity for mobilization of mesenchymal bone marrow stem cells. GCSF also exerts significant increases in circulating neutrophils as well as potent anti-inflammatory effects. In our study, we hypothesize that GCSF can induce bone marrow stem cells differentiation and mobilization to regenerate the degenerated IVD. We found that GCSF had no contribution in disc regeneration or maintenance; however, there were cell proliferation within end plates. The effects of GCSF treatment on end plates might deserve further investigation.


Genomic and experimental evidence that ALKATI does not predict single agent sensitivity to ALK inhibitors.
Genomic data can facilitate personalized treatment decisions by enabling therapeutic hypotheses in individual patients. Mutual exclusivity has been an empirically useful signal for identifying activating mutations that respond to single agent targeted therapies. However, a low mutation frequency can underpower this signal for rare variants. We develop a resampling based method for the direct pairwise comparison of conditional selection between sets of gene pairs. We apply this method to a transcript variant of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in melanoma, termed ALKATI that was suggested to predict sensitivity to ALK inhibitors and we find that it is not mutually exclusive with key melanoma oncogenes. Furthermore, we find that ALKATI is not likely to be sufficient for cellular transformation or growth, and it does not predict single agent therapeutic dependency. Our work strongly disfavors the role of ALKATI as a targetable oncogenic driver that might be sensitive to single agent ALK treatment.


Purification and characterization of a halotolerant serine proteinase from thermotolerant Bacillus licheniformis RKK-04 isolated from Thai fish sauce.
A gram-positive thermotolerant bacterium, designated strain RKK-04, was isolated from a fermented Thai fish sauce broth as it demonstrated high proteolytic activity. A phylogenetic analysis based on comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain RKK-04 is Bacillus licheniformis. The proteolytic enzyme, which was purified 80-fold with 18% yield, has a molecular mass of 31 kDa and an isoelectric point higher than 9.3. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme activity were found to be 10.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively. The addition of diisopropyl fluorophosphate and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride completely inhibited enzymatic activity. These results showed that the enzyme is a subtilisin-like alkaline serine proteinase. On the other hand, the enzyme exhibited unique cleavage sites in oxidized insulin B-chain that differed from those of other subtilisin-like proteases. High enzymatic activity was also retained under high salt conditions (30% NaCl). The myosin heavy chain of fish protein was completely digested by reaction with this enzyme. Thus the halotolerant proteinase from B. licheniformis RKK-04 is a key enzyme for fish sauce fermentation.


Analyses of adult age differences in associative learning.
Data from a recent project concerned with adult age differences in associative learning were reanalyzed to identify the processes involved in the age-related differences in trial-by-trial performance in this task. A measure reflecting the failure to retain feedback relevant to one's previous response accounted for a large proportion of the age differences in the early trials of associative learning. The speed with which individuals completed simple processing operations also contributed to the age differences both in measures of accuracy (percentage correct) and in measures of feedback retention.


Language disorders as a window on universal grammar: an abstract theory of agreement for IP, DP, and V-PP.
A new concept of Agreement (AGR) has been represented as a Formal Feature that can appear in a wide range of different configurations (Chomsky, 1998). A case study from language disorders supports and extends this abstract concept. The child shows no agreement in Inflectional Phrase me can and Determiner Phrase them eyes. We then extend the notion of AGR to include verb-Prepositional Phrase relations, where the child also systematically avoids certain prepositions (go beach). The analysis is supported by intuitional data from compounds (sweep with broom --> broom-swept). We also define a systematic notion of Possible deficit as a premature fixation of functional items which normally require additional Phi-features. The notion of Maximization of Formal Features then emerges as a significant feature of learnability from both a normal and disordered perspective.


Polar-Induced Selective Epitaxial Growth of Multijunction Nanoribbons for High-Performance Optoelectronics.
Semiconductor heterostructures are basic building blocks for modern electronics and optoelectronics. However, it still remains a great challenge to combine different semiconductor materials in single nanostructures with tailored geometry and chemical composition. Here, a polar-induced selective epitaxial growth method is reported to alternately grow CdS and CdS xSe1- x heterostructure nanoribbons (NRs) side by side in the lateral direction, with the heterointerface (junction) number to be well controlled. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and spatial-resolved μ-PL spectra are employed to characterize the heterostructure NRs, which indicate that the achieved NRs are high-quality heterostructures with sharp interfaces. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and femtosecond pump-probe characterizations further confirm the efficient charge-transfer process across the interfaces in the multijunction NRs. Photodetectors based on the achieved NRs are realized and systematically investigated, demonstrating junction number-dependent optoelectronic response behaviors. NRs with more junctions exhibit more superior device performances, reflecting the important roles of the high-quality interface regions. Based on this multijunction NRs device, high on-off ratio (107) and remarkable responsivity (1.5 × 105 A/W) are demonstrated, both of which represent the best results compared to the reported CdS, CdSe, and their heterostructures. These novel multijunction NRs may find broad applications in future integrated photonics and optoelectronics devices and systems.


Comparative 6-Month Wild-Type and Delta-Variant Antibody Levels and Surrogate Neutralization for Adults Vaccinated with BNT162b2 versus mRNA-1273.
While mRNA vaccines are highly efficacious against short-term COVID-19, long-term immunogenicity is less clear. We compared humoral immunogenicity between BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines 6 months after the first vaccine dose, examining the wild-type strain and multiple Delta-variant lineages. Using samples from a prospective observational cohort study of adult paramedics, we included COVID-19-negative participants who received two BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines, and provided a blood sample 170 to 190 days post first vaccine dose. We compared wild-type spike IgG concentrations using the Mann-Whitney U test. We also compared secondary outcomes of: receptor binding domain (RBD) wild-type antibody concentrations, and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) binding to spike proteins from the wild-type strain and five Delta-variant lineages. We included 571 adults: 475 BNT162b2 (83%) and 96 mRNA-1273 (17%) vaccinees, with a mean age of 39 (SD = 10) and 43 (SD = 10) years, respectively. Spike IgG antibody concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) for those who received mRNA-1273 (GM 601 BAU/mL [GSD 2.05]) versus BNT162b2 (GM 375 BAU/mL [GSD 2.33) vaccines. Results of RBD antibody comparisons (P < 0.0001), and inhibition of ACE-2 binding to the wild-type strain and all tested Delta lineages (all P < 0.0001), were consistent. Adults who received two doses of mRNA-1273 vaccines demonstrated improved wild-type and Delta variant-specific humoral immunity outcomes at 6 months compared with those who received two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine. IMPORTANCE The BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy for preventing short-term COVID-19. However, comparative long-term effectiveness is unclear, especially pertaining to the Delta variant. We tested virus-specific antibody responses 6 months after the first vaccine dose and compared individuals who received the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We found that individuals who received the mRNA-1273 vaccine demonstrated superior serological markers at 6 months in comparison with those who received the BNT162b2 vaccine.


Population density functions: a differential equation approach.
"This paper introduces a new mathematical technique to describe population density functions. Two length scales, which characterize the variation of these density functions within a region, are identified. A differential equation is derived and asymptotic solutions obtained. Two specific techniques, the method of matched asymptotic expansions and the method of multiple scales, are introduced and illustrated by application to population densities at both the metropolitan and regional levels."


Automated Quantitative Lung CT Improves Prognostication in Non-ICU COVID-19 Patients beyond Conventional Biomarkers of Disease.
(1) Background: COVID-19 continues to represent a worrying pandemic. Despite the high percentage of non-severe illness, a wide clinical variability is often reported in real-world practice. Accurate predictors of disease aggressiveness, however, are still lacking. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of quantitative analysis of lung computed tomography (CT) on non-intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 patients' prognostication; (2) Methods: Our historical prospective study included fifty-five COVID-19 patients consecutively submitted to unenhanced lung CT. Primary outcomes were recorded during hospitalization, including composite ICU admission for the need of mechanical ventilation and/or death occurrence. CT examinations were retrospectively evaluated to automatically calculate differently aerated lung tissues (i.e., overinflated, well-aerated, poorly aerated, and non-aerated tissue). Scores based on the percentage of lung weight and volume were also calculated; (3) Results: Patients who reported disease progression showed lower total lung volume. Inflammatory indices correlated with indices of respiratory failure and high-density areas. Moreover, non-aerated and poorly aerated lung tissue resulted significantly higher in patients with disease progression. Notably, non-aerated lung tissue was independently associated with disease progression (HR: 1.02; p-value: 0.046). When different predictive models including clinical, laboratoristic, and CT findings were analyzed, the best predictive validity was reached by the model that included non-aerated tissue (C-index: 0.97; p-value: 0.0001); (4) Conclusions: Quantitative lung CT offers wide advantages in COVID-19 disease stratification. Non-aerated lung tissue is more likely to occur with severe inflammation status, turning out to be a strong predictor for disease aggressiveness; therefore, it should be included in the predictive model of COVID-19 patients.


Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: epidemiology, risk/prognostic factors, and treatment landscape.
To summarise the epidemiology, risk and prognostic factors, and treatment landscape of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). Targeted and systematic literature reviews were conducted to characterise the epidemiology and treatment landscape associated with RA-ILD, respectively. MEDLINE®, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched via OvidSP in March 2019 and December 2018. The results were narratively summarised. A total of 24 and 20 publications were captured through targeted and systematic literature review, respectively. No randomised controlled trials were identified; publications were observational cohort studies, cross-sectional, or case-control. Unadjusted incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) ranged from 1.3/1,000 person-years for interstitial pneumonia-type ILD to 5.0/1,000 person-years for 'probable or definite ILD'. Prevalence of ILD ranged from 1.8% to 67% (median: 24.9%) and varied with case definition and sample size. Few publications identified the same risk and prognostic factors; age, male sex, duration of disease, and antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides were the most frequently reported risk factors for development of RA-ILD, and age was the most common predictor of mortality. Despite identification of a variety of pharmacotherapeutic interventions, assessment of the comparative efficacy and safety of the available treatments were difficult due to heterogenous reporting of outcomes and small sample size. A wide range of estimates were identified for incidence and prevalence of RA-ILD. Further, there was no consensus on risk and prognostic factors. Sufficiently powered clinical trials are needed to confirm the findings of the observational studies with respect to efficacy and safety of current treatments.


Estimation of major immunoglobulins in smokers and gutkha chewers.
To estimate the level of IgG and IgA major immunoglobulins in patients having the habit of smoking, gutkha chewing and in patients without any tobacco habit as control. Estimation of major immunoglobulins IgG and IgA was carried out by automated Nephelometry method in ten patients (control group), forty patients who had habit of smoking either bidi or cigarette and forty patients who had the habit of gutkha chewing. Among forty patients who smoked, twenty patients were without any lesion while twenty patients had homogenous leukoplakia. Among the forty patients who had habit of gutkha chewing, twenty patients were without any lesion while twenty patients had oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). The obtained data were analyzed using independent sample t-test. IgG and IgA levels were higher in smokers and gutkha chewers as compared to control group and were higher in gutkha chewers as compared to smokers. IgG and IgA levels of non- lesional smokers and gutkha chewers showed no change as compared to the controls while it was increased in patients with homogenous leukoplakia and patients with OSMF as compared to control group. IgG and IgA levels were also significantly higher in patients with OSMF as compared to that of homogenous leukoplakia. IgG and IgA levels were higher in all the grades of OSMF as compared to the controls and both IgG and IgA levels were directly correlated with the grades of OSMF. Higher major immunoglobulins levels in present study among the study groups indicate the use of immunoprofile estimation in etiology and pathogenesis and would prove a great asset in the proper assessment of the lesions.


Pharmacological properties of a potent and selective nonpeptide substance P antagonist.
We describe here the pharmacological properties of RP 67580 [(3aR,7aR)-7,7-diphenyl-2-[1-imino-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethyl] perhydroisoindol-4-one], a nonpeptide antagonist of substance P (SP). In vitro, the compound was found to inhibit in a competitive manner (Ki = 4.16 +/- 0.59 nM) [3H]SP binding to neurokinin receptors type 1 (NK1 receptors) in rat brain membranes. Contractions induced by SP and septide (a selective NK1 agonist) in guinea pig ileum were competitively inhibited by RP 67580 (pA2 = 7.16 and 7.59, respectively). Moreover, RP 67580 displayed the profile of a specific antagonist of NK1 receptors: it was not active on NK2 and NK3 receptors as seen in binding assays and in isolated preparations of rabbit pulmonary artery and rat portal vein. In the rat, low intravenous doses of RP 67580 totally inhibited the plasma extravasation induced by SP in the urinary bladder (ED50 = 0.04 mg/kg i.v.) and by antidromic electrical stimulation of the saphenous nerve in the hind paw skin (ED50 = 0.15 mg/kg i.v.). This compound was also active in two classical analgesic tests in mice: phenylbenzoquinone-induced writhing (ED50 = 0.07 mg/kg s.c.) and the formalin test (ED50 = 3.7 mg/kg s.c.). Its potency was of the same order as that of morphine. Thus we conclude that RP 67580, a SP antagonist, belongs to a class of drugs that may be useful in the management of various clinical pathologies where pain and neurogenic inflammation are involved.


[Epidural hematoma after an epidural block in a patient with no coagulopathy].
We report a case of epidural hematoma after a single epidural block. The patient was a 67-year-old woman with sciatica and osteoarthritis of the spine. She had no coagulopathy. She underwent a single epidural block without difficulty 3 times in 5 days. She had a lumbar MRI for an examination of the spine 4 days after the final epidural block. Subacute epidural hematoma of 0.8 x 1.5 x 3.0 cm was revealed on MRI at L 3-4. She had no new neurological symptoms. MRI 1 month later revealed a resolution of the hematoma. Epidural hematoma after an epidural block might occur in an outpatient with no bleeding tendency.


[Complication due to arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver metastasis from colorectal cancer].
Arterial infusion chemotherapy is considered to be an extremely effective treatment for liver metastasis from colorectal cancer in terms of its tumor reduction and preventing recurrence in residual liver after resection. However, there still remain some unclear points as to the influence on hepatic artery and bile duct when this treatment is used over the long term. We report some conclusions obtained by examining cases of hepatic arterial occlusion (stenosis) and biliary complication who received this treatment. Thirty-six cases who received this treatment over 3 months were the objects of this study, with the aim of direct effect against metastatic focus (21 cases) and prevention of recurrence in residual liver (15 cases). The ages were from 27 to 81; 22 cases were male and 14 were female. Indwelling routes of catheter were gastroduodenal artery (GDA) in 28 cases and femoral artery (FA) in 8 cases. Intermittent high-dose infusion (WHF: 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2/5 hrs qw) was adopted as the method. Hepatic arterial occlusion or stenosis was observed in 12 cases (GDA: 10; FA: 2). There seemed to be no correlation with the total dosage of 5-FU or the number of administrations. Even when hepatic arterial occlusion or stenosis occurred, no change was observed in liver function, and there no death was caused by this. However, CT showed a low-density area followed by atrophy in the right lobe in one case with right hepatic arterial stenosis, despite normal portal blood flow. Of the 6 cases which developed obstructive jaundice, 4 were due to the increase of metastatic focus or lymph nodes, and 1 case without dilatation of bile duct died from suspected sclerosing cholangitis. In this case, ALP had been increasing since 1 month before the onset of jaundice. Another case which developed biloma accompanied by the increase of serum bilirubin improved by discontinuance of chemotherapy. Since arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver metastasis from colorectal cancer causes hepatic arterial occlusion (stenosis) at a high rate, early detection of abnormalities by liver function test and imaging diagnosis which leads to early treatment is important.


Temperature stability of the interfacial structure between a sulfonated crystalline alkyl side-chain polymer and a soft adhesive.
The fracture toughness of interfaces between a sulfonated alkyl side-chain graft copolymer and a soft acrylic random copolymer containing acrylic acid monomers was investigated with a probe test method. Interfaces between a thin (100 nm) layer of the block copolymer and a thick (100 microm) layer of the acrylic copolymer were prepared at room temperature and subsequently annealed for 7 h at different temperatures. After the annealing step, the interface was quenched to room temperature and tested, a strategy that provides the advantage of keeping constant the mechanical properties of the materials on both sides of the interface so that any major difference in adhesive behavior can only be attributed to a change in the interfacial structure. For annealing temperatures below the crystalline to liquid crystalline transition temperature (86 degrees C), the adhesion energy remained very low and failure occurred by interfacial crack propagation. However when the interface was annealed above that temperature, a much higher adhesion energy was observed at room temperature because of the formation of a fibrillar structure upon debonding. The results indicate that the crystalline order at low temperature is very stable presumably because of the strong interactions between the sulfone groups in the side chains. However, when these interactions weaken and the side chains become liquid crystalline, the surface reconstruction mechanism cannot be prevented and strong interactions formed between the polar parts of the copolymer and the acrylic acid. These strong interactions remain during the cooling step, and a mechanism of surface reconstruction is proposed.


How do people make continence care happen? An analysis of organizational culture in two nursing homes.
Although nursing homes (NHs) are criticized for offering poor quality continence care, little is known about the organizational processes that underlie this care. This study investigated the influence of organizational culture on continence care practices in two NHs. This ethnographic study explored continence care from the perspectives of NH stakeholders, including residents and interdisciplinary team members. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews, and archival records. Human relations dimensions of organizational culture influenced continence care by affecting institutional missions, admissions and hiring practices, employee tenure, treatment strategies, interdisciplinary teamwork, and group decision making. Closed system approaches, parochial identity, and an employee focus stabilized staff turnover, fostered evidence-based practice, and supported hierarchical toileting programs in one facility. Within a more dynamic environment, open system approaches, professional identity, and job focus allowed flexible care practices during periods of staff turnover. Neither organizational culture fully supported interdisciplinary team efforts to maximize the bladder and bowel health of residents. Organizational culture varies in NHs, shaping the continence care practices of interdisciplinary teams and leading to the selective use of treatments across facilities. Human relations dimensions of organizational culture, including open or closed systems, professional or parochial identity, and employee or job focus are critical to the success of quality improvement initiatives. Evidence-based interventions should be tailored to organizational culture to promote adoption and sustainability of resident care programs.


An Original Monomer Sampling from a Ready-Made Aβ42 NMR Fibril Suggests a Turn-β-Strand Synergetic Seeding Mechanism.
Aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is a central step of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ42 monomers are building blocks in the formation of both "on pathway" intermediate structures and "off pathway" oligomers. How to sample an Aβ monomer becomes a problem however due to the instinct of Aβ high flexibility and diversity as well as aggregation propensity. Currently, (1) most samplings focus on either the ready-made helix-rich 1Z0Q/1IYT NMR structure, or the completely extended conformation, but (2) few on a ready-made Aβ NMR fibril (i. e., 2BEG). Here we compare the simulation results from sampling in scheme (1) with that in scheme (2), and find that the coil and β-sheet contents in the 1Z0Q-sampled system are comparable to the counterparts in the 2BEG-sampled system, but with a large difference in simulation time and dynamics character. 1Z0Q-sampled system not only takes several times longer than the 2BEG-sampled one, and only β1-seeding dynamics characteristic is observed probably due to far insufficient conformation transition in the limited simulation time. Two dynamics characteristics of Aβ42 folding observed experimentally, that either β1 region or β2 region aggregates first, reproduce in the present simulations for 2BEG-sampled system however, suggesting a preferential sampling in the future simulation. In addition, a turn-β-strand synergetic seeding mechanism of aggregation is first proposed based on the trajectory analyses on the four regions of Aβ42 chain.


Candida parapsilosis endocarditis. Report of cases and review of the literature.
Infective endocarditis (IE) due to Candida species is a rare disease representing about 1-2% of all IE cases and carries a high mortality rate. Given the rarity of the disease, there are no clear guidelines on the type and duration of antifungal therapy. Thus, long-term or even life-long antifungal treatment is commonly used. We report two patients with prosthetic valve C. parapsilosis IE and persistent candidemia that failed conservative treatment and ultimately developed heart failure. They underwent prosthetic valve replacement and prolonged antifungal treatment with favorable outcome. Candida IE commonly occurs in the setting of underlying malignancy, chronic liver disease, previous endocarditis, previous antimicrobial exposure, previous abdominal surgery, intravenous drug use, presence of a central venous catheter, and previous cardiac surgery. Both present patients had undergone a cardiac surgery and had a prosthetic heart valve, while one patient had an underlying autoimmune disease that could be associated with higher risk of IE. In both patients transthoracic ultrasound failed to diagnose IE. In our patients, conservative treatment alone was not enough to control the infection, thus, both patients underwent valve replacement and were subsequently treated with antifungals for 6 weeks. Furthermore, both patients were put on long-term antifungal suppression treatment. Given the absence of controlled randomized trials, the treatment of Candida endocarditis mostly relies on experts' opinion, and, thus, future studies focusing on the type and duration of antifungal treatment are required.


Physics design of the injector source for ITER neutral beam injector (invited).
Two Neutral Beam Injectors (NBI) are foreseen to provide a substantial fraction of the heating power necessary to ignite thermonuclear fusion reactions in ITER. The development of the NBI system at unprecedented parameters (40 A of negative ion current accelerated up to 1 MV) requires the realization of a full scale prototype, to be tested and optimized at the Test Facility under construction in Padova (Italy). The beam source is the key component of the system and the design of the multi-grid accelerator is the goal of a multi-national collaborative effort. In particular, beam steering is a challenging aspect, being a tradeoff between requirements of the optics and real grids with finite thickness and thermo-mechanical constraints due to the cooling needs and the presence of permanent magnets. In the paper, a review of the accelerator physics and an overview of the whole R&D physics program aimed to the development of the injector source are presented.


Anal High-risk HPV and Liquid-based Cytology of Immunocompetent Brazilian Women with Genital High-risk HPV.
The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of the occurrence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and abnormal anal cytology in immunocompetent women with and without HPV-induced genital lesions. This analytical cross-sectional, observational study was conducted between July 2017 and December 2018 in a specialized outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Fortaleza, CE. Fifty-seven immunocompetent women with and without genital intraepithelial lesions were assessed; they were divided into two groups: group 1 was comprised of women with HPV-associated genital lesions (n = 26), and group 2 was comprised of those without HPV-associated genital lesions (n = 31). Samples for liquid-based cytology and high-risk DNA-HPV polymerase chain reaction real-time tests were collected from the cervix and anus. All cases were evaluated using high-resolution anoscopy; biopsies were performed when required. The Fisher exact and chi-squared tests were applied for consolidated data in the contingency table, and the Student t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test for independent variables. Anal high-risk HPV infections were more frequent in group 1 (odds ratio [OR], 4.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-18.3; p = 0.012), along with concomitant high-risk HPV infections in the uterine cervix and the anus (OR 18.8; 95% CI, 2.20-160; p < 0.001). The incidence of high-risk cervical HPV infection was associated with high-risk anal HPV infection (OR, 4.95; 95% CI, 1.34-18.3; p = 0.012). There was no statistical difference concerning abnormal anal cytology or anoscopy between the groups, and no anal intraepithelial lesion was found in either group. Immunocompetent women with HPV-associated genital lesions and high-risk cervical HPV were more likely to have high-risk anal HPV.


Mapping of the nuclear matrix-bound chromatin hubs by a new M3C experimental procedure.
We have developed an experimental procedure to analyze the spatial proximity of nuclear matrix-bound DNA fragments. This protocol, referred to as Matrix 3C (M3C), includes a high salt extraction of nuclei, the removal of distal parts of unfolded DNA loops using restriction enzyme treatment, ligation of the nuclear matrix-bound DNA fragments and a subsequent analysis of ligation frequencies. Using the M3C procedure, we have demonstrated that CpG islands of at least three housekeeping genes that surround the chicken α-globin gene domain are assembled into a complex (presumably, a transcription factory) that is stabilized by the nuclear matrix in both erythroid and non-erythroid cells. In erythroid cells, the regulatory elements of the α-globin genes are attracted to this complex to form a new assembly: an active chromatin hub that is linked to the pre-existing transcription factory. The erythroid-specific part of the assembly is removed by high salt extraction. Based on these observations, we propose that mixed transcription factories that mediate the transcription of both housekeeping and tissue-specific genes are composed of a permanent compartment containing integrated into the nuclear matrix promoters of housekeeping genes and a 'guest' compartment where promoters and regulatory elements of tissue-specific genes can be temporarily recruited.


[Patterns of metachronous adenoma after colorectal cancer surgery].
After colorectal cancer surgery, colonoscopic surveillance should be done for prevention and early detection of secondary cancer. This study aimed to identify the group with high risk of developing colorectal adenoma after curative surgery of colorectal cancer. We retrospectively investigated the medical records of the subjects of 130 patients who had been examined using colonoscopy before and after the curative surgery. The average age was 59.4 years. Synchronous adenomas were in 42 patients (32.3%). The occurrence rate was significantly high in men (38.8%) than women (22.0%). After the operation, the mean interval of examining colonoscopy was 11.6 months (3-24 months) and metachronous adenomas were detected in 26 patients (20.0%). The patients who have both metachronous and synchronous adenomas were observed in 13/42 (30.9%) and the patients of metachronous adenomas without synchronous adenomas were observed in 13/88 (14.8%). The occurrence rate of metachronous adenomas with synchronous adenomas was significantly high. The frequency of synchronous adenomas didn't increase with age. However, the frequency of metachronous adenomas increased with age: 0/9 (0%) under 40 years, 7/49 (14.3%) in 41-61 years and 19/72 (26.4%) over 61 years. The occurrence rate was higher in men (26.3%) than women (10.0%). The occurrence rate of metachronous adenomas after colorectal cancer surgery was higher in the patients with synchronous adenomas, male gender and old aged patients.


Conserved and Diversified Mechanism of Autophagy between Plants and Animals upon Various Stresses.
Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation mechanism in eukaryotes, executing the breakdown of unwanted cell components and subsequent recycling of cellular material for stress relief through vacuole-dependence in plants and yeast while it is lysosome-dependent in animal manner. Upon stress, different types of autophagy are stimulated to operate certain biological processes by employing specific selective autophagy receptors (SARs), which hijack the cargo proteins or organelles to the autophagy machinery for subsequent destruction in the vacuole/lysosome. Despite recent advances in autophagy, the conserved and diversified mechanism of autophagy in response to various stresses between plants and animals still remain a mystery. In this review, we intend to summarize and discuss the characterization of the SARs and their corresponding processes, expectantly advancing the scope and perspective of the evolutionary fate of autophagy between plants and animals.


Thin-Layer Chromatography/Desorption Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry of Lipids.
Desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI) allows surface analysis in the open atmosphere and is thus an appropriate method for the direct coupling of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). Here, the capability of DAPPI-MS for ionizing and detecting lipids, namely, cholesterol, triacylglycerols, 1,2-diol diesters, wax esters, cholesteryl esters, and hydrocarbons, from TLC and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates in MS and MS2 modes was tested. Limits of detection for lipid standards separated using normal-phase (NP)-TLC and NP-HPTLC were established. TLC/DAPPI-MS was applied for lipids of vernix caseosa, a white creamy proteolipid biofilm that progressively coats the fetus during the last trimester of the pregnancy, and plant oils including caraway, parsley, safflower, and jojoba oils. Various lipids were identified by means of high resolution/accurate mass measurement of Orbitrap and comparison of the retardation factors with standards. Lipid class separation was carried out on the NP-HPTLC plates, whereas individual triacylglycerol and wax ester species were separated on the reversed-phase HPTLC plates. DAPPI-MS was found to be a simple, rapid, and efficient approach for detecting lipids separated by TLC.


Phosphorus-doped TiO2 catalysts with stable anatase-brookite biphase structure: synthesis and photocatalytic performance.
Phosphorus-doped (P-doped) TiO2 catalysts with a stable anatase-brookite biphase structure were successfully synthesized by integrating ultrasonication with phosphorus doping and Pluronic P123 surfactant. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Ultrasonication facilitates the appearance of brookite phase. Phosphorus doping was demonstrated an effective strategy to stabilize the anatase-brookite biphase structure and inhibits undesirable grain growth. Triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 used in the reaction facilitates the formation of catalyst particles with mesoporous structure and large surface area and prevents particles from agglomeration. The low band-gap of brookite phase enables the synthesized P-doped TiO2 catalysts outperform commercial P25 TiO2 and N-doped TiO2 in the degradation of methylene blue under both solar light and visible light irradiation.


Purified TMEM16A is sufficient to form Ca2+-activated Cl- channels.
Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels (CaCCs) are key regulators of numerous physiological functions, ranging from electrolyte secretion in airway epithelia to cellular excitability in sensory neurons and muscle fibers. Recently, TMEM16A (ANO1) and -B were shown to be critical components of CaCCs. It is still unknown whether they are also sufficient to form functional CaCCs, or whether association with other subunits is required. Recent reports suggest that the Ca(2+) sensitivity of TMEM16A is mediated by its association with calmodulin, suggesting that functional CaCCs are heteromultimers. To test whether TMEM16A is necessary and sufficient to form functional CaCCs, we expressed, purified, and reconstituted human TMEM16A. The purified protein mediates Ca(2+)-dependent Cl(-) transport with submicromolar sensitivity to Ca(2+), consistent with what is seen in patch-clamp experiments. The channel is synergistically gated by Ca(2+) and voltage, so that opening is promoted by depolarizing potentials. Mutating two conserved glutamates in the TM6-7 intracellular loop selectively abolishes the Ca(2+) dependence of reconstituted TMEM16A, in a manner similar to what was reported for the heterologously expressed channel. Well-characterized CaCC blockers inhibit Cl(-) transport with Kis comparable to those measured for native and heterologously expressed CaCCs. Finally, direct physical interactions between calmodulin and TMEM16A could not be detected in copurification experiments or in functional assays. Our results demonstrate that purified TMEM16A is necessary and sufficient to recapitulate the biophysical and pharmacological properties of native and heterologously expressed CaCCs. Our results also show that association of TMEM16A with other proteins, such as calmodulin, is not required for function.


Dispersion, distribution, and movement of Lygus spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) in trap-cropped organic strawberries.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a highly attractive plant host to Lygus spp. and is used as a trap crop in California organic strawberries to influence the dispersion and dispersal of these pests, particularly Lygus hesperus Knight. The abundance and distribution of Lygus spp. nymphs between two trap crops separated by 50 strawberry rows was analyzed in 2008 and 2010. Nymphs demonstrated a bimodal distribution in strawberries between trap crops, where nymphs were most abundant and aggregated in alfalfa, when compared with interior strawberry rows, where nymphs were less abundant. The majority of nymphs were concentrated in trap crops and nymphal densities in interior strawberry rows were well below economic thresholds. The movement of Lygus spp. from a marked alfalfa trap crop into adjacent strawberry rows or trap crops was also studied in 2008 and 2009 using a chicken egg albumin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay mark-capture technique. The majority of marked-captured L. hesperus adults and Lygus spp. nymphs remained in alfalfa trap crops, rather than dispersing out into strawberry rows at 24 h, 48 h, and 2 wk, postprotein application. The attenuation of Lygus spp. movement in alfalfa associated with organic strawberries is a key component of successful trap cropping. A small percentage of marked adults and nymphs were captured in neighboring alfalfa trap crops, located 62 m from the point of protein application, highlighting the dispersal capacity of this key pest.


Legionella pneumophila: The Paradox of a Highly Sensitive Opportunistic Waterborne Pathogen Able to Persist in the Environment.
Legionella pneumophila, the major causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is found in freshwater environments in close association with free-living amoebae and multispecies biofilms, leading to persistence, spread, biocide resistance, and elevated virulence of the bacterium. Indeed, legionellosis outbreaks are mainly due to the ability of this bacterium to colonize and persist in water facilities, despite harsh physical and chemical treatments. However, these treatments are not totally efficient and, after a lag period, L. pneumophila may be able to quickly re-colonize these systems. Several natural compounds (biosurfactants, antimicrobial peptides…) with anti-Legionella properties have recently been described in the literature, highlighting their specific activities against this pathogen. In this review, we first consider this hallmark of Legionella to resist killing, in regard to its biofilm or host-associated life style. Then, we focus more accurately on natural anti-Legionella molecules described so far, which could provide new eco-friendly and alternative ways to struggle against this important pathogen in plumbing.


Update: influenza activity -- United States, 1997-98 season.
CDC conducts surveillance for influenza viruses and related disease activity in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), its collaborating laboratories, and state and local health departments. This report summarizes influenza surveillance data in the United States from September 28, 1997, through the week ending November 8, and describes two recent cruise ship outbreaks of influenza. The findings indicate that, during this period, influenza activity in the United States was low and that influenza A predominated.


Simulation of genes and genomes forward in time.
The importance of simulation software in current and future evolutionary and genomic studies is just confirmed by the recent publication of several new simulation tools. The forward-in-time simulation strategy has, therefore, re-emerged as a complement of coalescent simulation. Additionally, more efficient coalescent algorithms, the same as new ideas about the combined use of backward and forward strategies have recently appeared. In the present work, a previous review is updated to include some new forward simulation tools. When simulating at the genome-scale the conflict between efficiency (i.e. execution speed and memory usage) and flexibility (i.e. complex modeling capabilities) emerges. This is the pivot around which simulation of evolutionary processes should improve. In addition, some effort should be made to consider the process of developing simulation tools from the point of view of the software engineering theory. Finally, some new ideas and technologies as general purpose graphic processing units are commented.


Lateral lumbar interbody fusion with unilateral pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of adjacent segment disease: a preliminary report.
To assess the clinical outcomes of 20 patients who underwent single level unilateral pedicle screw fixation following lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) for treatment of lumbar adjacent segment disease (ASD). Demographic, comorbidity, clinical assessment, peri-operative, and complication data were assessed. Visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and short form-12 (SF-12) were used to assess clinical outcomes. Post-operative radiographs were assessed for subsidence, cage migration, and fusion. Average age of patients was 63.2±13.7 years (range, 41-86 years), with 8 males and 12 females. Recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) was utilized in 18 LLIF cages (90%) and 12 posterolateral fusions (60%). Mean operation time was 214.1±47.2 minutes (range, 146-342 minutes), mean estimated blood loss of 187.5±90.1 cc (range, 50-400 cc). No patients received a blood transfusion. There were no intra-operative complications. Mean hospital length of stay was 4.4±1.7 days (range, 2-9 days). At final follow-up (mean: 13.0±12.7 months after surgery), there was significant improvement in post-op VAS (P=0.006) score compared to pre-op, but not ODI (P=0.181), SF-12 PC (P=0.480), and SF-12 MC (P=0.937). Patients with >6 months of post-operative imaging (14/20, 70%) demonstrated successful fusion in 13 out of 14 cases (93%). There was grade 0 subsidence of adjacent cranial vertebra in all cases (100%). There was grade 0 subsidence of the adjacent caudal vertebra in 13 cases (93%) and grade 1 subsidence in 1 case (7%). There was evidence of cage migration in 3 cases (21%). There were 4 patients (20%) who experienced transient neurological deficits that eventually resolved. Two patients required surgery for further ASD. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that patients who undergo LLIF with unilateral pedicle screw fixation for treatment of ASD may have significantly reduced pain and favorable radiographic results. Further investigation in techniques for treatment of ASD is warranted.


Methylbromide intoxication: a clinical case study.
The port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is the world's largest container port. In 2006, one of these containers caused a chemical incident. Methylbromide is used in some countries as a pesticide for the fumigation of maritime containers. Because of an insufficiently performed detoxification, this insecticide intoxicated several employees and some of the ambulance crew and Mobile Medical Team (MMT). The victims displayed symptoms of sore throat, irritated eyes, and hypersalivation. One of the victims suffered from multiple epileptic seizures. Two victims were admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory support. Three other employees showed milder symptoms and received supportive care but were not admitted to the hospital. This complicated case shows that the safety of the ambulance crew and MMT must be guaranteed. It also demonstrates that healthcare providers cannot always oversee the accident scene and that there are some pitfalls that are almost impossible to prevent.


Bacillus cabrialesii sp. nov., an endophytic plant growth promoting bacterium isolated from wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico.
Strain TE3T, an endophytic plant growth promoting bacterium, was isolated from wheat (Triticumturgidum subsp. durum) sampled in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico. Biochemical, phenotypic and genotypic approaches were used to clarify the taxonomic affiliation of this strain. Based on analysis of its full-length 16S rRNA gene, strain TE3T was assigned to the genus Bacillus (similarity ≥98.7 %). This finding was supported by morphological and metabolic characteristics, such as rod shape, strictly aerobic metabolism, spore formation, Gram-positive staining, catalase-positive activity, reduction of nitrate to nitrite, starch and casein hydrolysis, growth in presence of lysozyme and 2 % NaCl, citrate utilization, growth pH from 6.0 to 8.0, and acid and indole production from glucose and tryptophan, respectively. The whole-genome phylogenetic relationship showed that TE3T formed an individual clade with Bacillus tequilensis KCTC 13622T, distant from that generated by all Bacillus subtilis subspecies. The maximum values for average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization were 93.85 and 54.30 %, respectively, related to Bacillus subtilissubsp. inaquosorum KCTC 13429T. Analysis of its fatty acid content showed the ability of strain TE3T to bio-synthetize fatty acids that are not present in closely related Bacillus species, such as C12 : 0, C12 : 0 2OH, C12 : 0 3OH, C17 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3OH and C18 : 1ω9c. These results provide evidence that strain TE3T is a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacilluscabrialesii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Bacilluscabrialesii is TE3T (CM-CNRG TB54T=CCStamb A1T).


Coaxial probes for scanning near-field microscopy.
This paper deals with the development of coaxial aperture tips integrated in a cantilever probe for combined scanning near-field infrared microscopy and scanning force microscopy. A fabrication process is introduced that allows the batch fabrication of hollow metal aperture tips integrated on a silicon cantilever. To achieve the coaxial tip arrangement a metal rod is deposited inside the hollow tip using the focused ion beam technique. Theoretical calculations with a finite integration code were performed to study the transmission characteristics of coaxial tips in comparison with conventional aperture probes. In addition, the influence of the geometrical design parameters of the coaxial probe on its optical behaviour is investigated.


Hospital experience, body image, and cosmesis after laparoscopic or open splenectomy.
Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is becoming the "gold standard" technique for splenectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hospital experience, body image, and cosmesis after LS or open splenectomy (OS). Patients who underwent LS or OS were invited to fill out questionnaires evaluating their hospital experience, body image, and cosmetic results. A total of 72 patients (34 LS and 38 OS) agreed to participate in the study. No significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of age, sex, body mass index, or indication for splenectomy. Mean spleen weight and postoperative complications were slightly higher (P>0.05) and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer (P<0.05) in the OS group compared with the LS group. Scores from the modified Body Image, Hospital Experience, and Photo Series Questionnaires were higher (favorable) in the LS group compared with the OS group (P<0.01, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively). LS is the procedure of choice for most indications of splenectomy, which has comparable or better perioperative outcomes and complication rate as well as the advantages of better body image, cosmesis, and hospital experience compared with OS. Our results presenting improved outcomes with LS will contribute to the widespread application of laparoscopy for splenectomy.


Adolescent school absenteeism: modelling social and individual risk factors.
School absenteeism is a complex problem that includes risk factors associated with individual traits, socio-economic conditions, family structure, the school and society. The consequences of extensive school absenteeism can be detrimental for the youth. In this exploratory study we aimed to investigate the relative importance of different risk factors on school absenteeism. We assessed 865 Norwegian high school students testing a model of school absenteeism using Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM). Analysis show that on the individual level most of the measured risk factors were significantly associated with absenteeism. School absenteeism was predicted by externalising behaviour, family work and health, and school environment directly. The implications of the findings on school absenteeism are that it will be important to focus more on the context and co-occurrence of these problems in order to fully understand them.


Determination of the appropriate fraction number and size of the HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer.
Based on the linear-quadratic model, we have made two isoeffect tables for transforming the traditional low dose rate (LDR) point A doses at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 Gy to those of the high dose rate (HDR) dose per fraction. HDR fractions ranged from 1 to 12, with corresponding sizes for each fraction. We also propose the therapeutic gain ratio (TGR) method for determining the appropriate fraction number of HDR brachytherapy in cervical cancer. TGR is defined as addition of the calculated biological therapeutic difference with the supposed physical therapeutic difference of HDR brachytherapy. Through the TGR method, we predicted that after 2 to 3, 2 to 4, and 4 to 7 fractions of HDR treatments, the tumor control rate and complication rate would be equivalent to those of LDR point A doses of 30, 40, and 70 Gy, respectively. The TGR is affected by many factors, such as the equivalent total dose of LDR, dose rate of LDR, HDR fraction number, T1/2, and differences between LDR and HDR in the dose in critical organs. The TGR method might explain why a low fraction number of HDR can be used in clinical practice. We may use this principle to replace the traditional trial-and-error method for transcribing the relationship between LDR and HDR treatments.


Cytotoxic activity of chimeric proteins composed of acidic fibroblast growth factor and Pseudomonas exotoxin on a variety of cell types.
Chimeric proteins composed of acidic fibroblast growth factor (acidic FGF) and several forms of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) that cannot bind to the PE receptor have been produced in Escherichia coli by expressing chimeric genes in which DNA encoding acidic FGF is fused to various mutant forms of PE. These acidic FGF-PE fusion proteins were found to be cytotoxic to a variety of tumor cell lines including hepatocellular (PLC/PRF/5 and HEPG2), prostatic (LNCaP), colon (HT29), and breast (MCF-7) carcinomas at concentrations of 1-70 ng/ml. The cytotoxic effects of acidic FGF-PE were FGF-receptor specific as demonstrated by competition with excess acidic FGF and by showing that acidic FGF-PE bound to the FGF receptor with the same affinity as acidic FGF. Furthermore, the cell-killing activity of acidic FGF-PE was toxin-mediated, as an acidic FGF-PE mutant, which does not possess ADP-ribosylation activity, failed to kill cells. These findings demonstrate that acidic FGF-PE is a potent cytotoxic molecule that can be targeted to FGF receptor-bearing cells. Because acidic FGF is a potent angiogenic molecule, cytotoxic acidic FGF-PE chimeras may have utility as anti-angiogenic agents. These molecules could be helpful in determining the functional role of FGF receptors in cellular processes.