The Fe2+-mediated decomposition, PfATP6 binding, and antimalarial activities of artemisone and other artemisinins: the unlikelihood of C-centered radicals as bioactive intermediates.
The results of Fe(2+)-induced decomposition of the clinically used artemisinins, artemisone, other aminoartemisinins, 10-deoxoartemisinin, and the 4-fluorophenyl derivative have been compared with their antimalarial activities and their ability to inhibit the parasite SERCA PfATP6. The clinical artemisinins and artemisone decompose under aqueous conditions to give mixtures of C radical marker products, carbonyl compounds, and reduction products. The 4-fluorophenyl derivative and aminoartemisinins tend to be inert to aqueous iron(II) sulfate and anhydrous iron(II) acetate. Anhydrous iron(II) bromide enhances formation of the carbonyl compounds and provides a deoxyglycal from DHA and enamines from the aminoartemisinins. Ascorbic acid (AA) accelerates the aqueous Fe(2+)-mediated decompositions, but does not alter product distribution. 4-Oxo-TEMPO intercepts C radicals from a mixture of an antimalaria-active trioxolane, 10-deoxoartemisinin, and anhydrous iron(II) acetate to give trapped products in 73 % yield from the trioxolane, and 3 % from the artemisinin. Artemisone provides a trapped product in 10 % yield. Thus, in line with its structural rigidity, only the trioxolane provides a C radical eminently suited for intermolecular trapping. In contrast, the structural flexibility of the C radicals from the artemisinins allows facile extrusion of Fe(2+) and collapse to benign isomerization products. The propensity towards the formation of radical marker products and intermolecular radical trapping have no relationship with the in vitro antimalarial activities of the artemisinins and trioxolane. Desferrioxamine (DFO) attenuates inhibition of PfATP6 by, and antagonizes antimalarial activity of, the aqueous Fe(2+)-susceptible artemisinins, but has no overt effect on the aqueous Fe(2+)-inert artemisinins. It is concluded that the C radicals cannot be responsible for antimalarial activity and that the Fe(2+)-susceptible artemisinins may be competitively decomposed in aqueous extra- and intracellular compartments by labile Fe(2+), resulting in some attenuation of their antimalarial activities. Interpretations of the roles of DFO and AA in modulating antimalarial activities of the artemisinins, and a comparison with antimalarial properties of simple hydroperoxides and their behavior towards thapsigargin-sensitive SERCA ATPases are presented. The general basis for the exceptional antimalarial activities of artemisinins in relation to the intrinsic activity of the peroxide within the uniquely stressed environment of the malaria parasite is thereby adumbrated.


Working Toward the Experimenter: Reconceptualizing Obedience Within the Milgram Paradigm as Identification-Based Followership.
The behavior of participants within Milgram's obedience paradigm is commonly understood to arise from the propensity to cede responsibility to those in authority and hence to obey them. This parallels a belief that brutality in general arises from passive conformity to roles. However, recent historical and social psychological research suggests that agents of tyranny actively identify with their leaders and are motivated to display creative followership in working toward goals that they believe those leaders wish to see fulfilled. Such analysis provides the basis for reinterpreting the behavior of Milgram's participants. It is supported by a range of material, including evidence that the willingness of participants to administer 450-volt shocks within the Milgram paradigm changes dramatically, but predictably, as a function of experimental variations that condition participants' identification with either the experimenter and the scientific community that he represents or the learner and the general community that he represents. This reinterpretation also encourages us to see Milgram's studies not as demonstrations of conformity or obedience, but as explorations of the power of social identity-based leadership to induce active and committed followership.


Competing classical and quantum effects in shape relaxation of a metallic island.
Pb islands grown on a Si substrate transform at room temperature from a flattop facet geometry into an unusual ring shape. The volume-preserving mass transport is catalyzed by the electrical field from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. The ring morphology results from the competing classical and quantum effects in the shape relaxation. The latter is enhanced by the large anisotropy of the effective mass, and leads to a sequential strip-flow growth on alternating strips of the same facet defined by substrate steps, showing its dynamical impact on the stability of a nanostructure.


NH/pi interaction in a spin-crossover complex [FeII(HLMe)2](BPh4)2.2CH3CN (BPh4-=Tetraphenylborate; HLMe=2-Methylimidazol-4-yl-methylideneamino-2-ethylpyridine).
Three FeII complexes, [Fe(HLR)2](BPh4)2.solvent (R=H, Me, Ph), were synthesized, where BPh4-=tetraphenylborate and HLR=2-substituted-imidazol-4-yl-methylideneamino-2-ethylpyridine. The magnetic susceptibility measurements in 5-300 K revealed that [Fe(HLH)2](BPh4)2.H2O, [Fe(HLMe)2](BPh4)2.2CH3CN, and [Fe(HLPh)2](BPh4)2.CH3CN are low-spin (LS), spin-crossover (SC), and high-spin (HS) FeII complexes, respectively, indicating that the spin state can be effectively tuned by the bulkiness of the substituent. Complex shows a steep SC around 250 K, where it assumes a cyclic structure of {[Fe(HLMe)2]BPh4}2 constructed by four NH/pi bonds between the imidazole group and the phenyl ring of BPh4- in the HS state and a deformed structure with NH/pi bonds and linear CH3CN...HN hydrogen bonds at the terminals in the LS state.


Individual variation in brain network topology is linked to course of illness in major depressive disorder.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and highly recurrent disorder. The functional connectivity in depression is affected by the cumulative effect of course of illness. However, previous neuroimaging studies on abnormal functional connection have not mainly focused on the disease duration, which is seen as a secondary factor. Here, we used a data-driven analysis (multivariate distance matrix regression) to examine the relationship between the course of illness and resting-state functional dysconnectivity in MDD. This method identified a region in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is most linked to course of illness. Specifically, follow-up seed analyses show this phenomenon resulted from the individual differences in the topological distribution of three networks. In individuals with short-duration MDD, the connection to the default mode network was strong. By contrast, individuals with long-duration MDD showed hyperconnectivity to the ventral attention network and the frontoparietal network. These results emphasized the centrality of the anterior cingulate cortex in the pathophysiology of the increased course of illness and implied critical links between network topography and pathological duration. Thus, dissociable patterns of connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex is an important dimension feature of the disease process of depression.


Physical attraction to reliable, low variability nervous systems: Reaction time variability predicts attractiveness.
The human face cues a range of important fitness information, which guides mate selection towards desirable others. Given humans' high investment in the central nervous system (CNS), cues to CNS function should be especially important in social selection. We tested if facial attractiveness preferences are sensitive to the reliability of human nervous system function. Several decades of research suggest an operational measure for CNS reliability is reaction time variability, which is measured by standard deviation of reaction times across trials. Across two experiments, we show that low reaction time variability is associated with facial attractiveness. Moreover, variability in performance made a unique contribution to attractiveness judgements above and beyond both physical health and sex-typicality judgements, which have previously been associated with perceptions of attractiveness. In a third experiment, we empirically estimated the distribution of attractiveness preferences expected by chance and show that the size and direction of our results in Experiments 1 and 2 are statistically unlikely without reference to reaction time variability. We conclude that an operating characteristic of the human nervous system, reliability of information processing, is signalled to others through facial appearance.


Fully automatic registration and segmentation of first-pass myocardial perfusion MR image sequences.
Derivation of diagnostically relevant parameters from first-pass myocardial perfusion magnetic resonance images involves the tedious and time-consuming manual segmentation of the myocardium in a large number of images. To reduce the manual interaction and expedite the perfusion analysis, we propose an automatic registration and segmentation method for the derivation of perfusion linked parameters. A complete automation was accomplished by first registering misaligned images using a method based on independent component analysis, and then using the registered data to automatically segment the myocardium with active appearance models. We used 18 perfusion studies (100 images per study) for validation in which the automatically obtained (AO) contours were compared with expert drawn contours on the basis of point-to-curve error, Dice index, and relative perfusion upslope in the myocardium. Visual inspection revealed successful segmentation in 15 out of 18 studies. Comparison of the AO contours with expert drawn contours yielded 2.23 ± 0.53 mm and 0.91 ± 0.02 as point-to-curve error and Dice index, respectively. The average difference between manually and automatically obtained relative upslope parameters was found to be statistically insignificant (P = .37). Moreover, the analysis time per slice was reduced from 20 minutes (manual) to 1.5 minutes (automatic). We proposed an automatic method that significantly reduced the time required for analysis of first-pass cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion images. The robustness and accuracy of the proposed method were demonstrated by the high spatial correspondence and statistically insignificant difference in perfusion parameters, when AO contours were compared with expert drawn contours.


Vibrotactile coding capacities of spinocervical tract neurons in the cat.
The response characteristics and tactile coding capacities of individual dorsal horn neurons, in particular, those of the spinocervical tract (SCT), have been examined in the anesthetized cat. Twenty one of 38 neurons studied were confirmed SCT neurons based on antidromic activation procedures. All had tactile receptive fields on the hairy skin of the hindlimb. Most (29/38) could also be activated transynaptically by electrical stimulation of the cervical dorsal columns, suggesting that a common set of tactile primary afferent fibers may provide the input for both the dorsal column-lemniscal pathway and for parallel ascending pathways, such as the SCT. All but 3 of the 38 neurons studied displayed a pure dynamic sensitivity to controlled tactile stimuli but were unable to sustain their responsiveness throughout 1s trains of vibration at vibration frequencies exceeding 5-10 Hz. Stimulus-response relations revealed a very limited capacity of individual SCT neurons to signal, in a graded way, the intensity parameter of the vibrotactile stimulus. Furthermore, because of their inability to respond on a cycle-by-cycle pattern at vibration frequencies >5-10 Hz, these neurons were unable to provide any useful signal of vibration frequency beyond the very narrow bandwidth of approximately 5-10 Hz. Similar limitations were observed in the responsiveness of these neurons to repetitive forms of antidromic and transynaptic inputs generated by electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. In summary, the observed limitations on the vibrotactile bandwidth of SCT neurons and on the precision and fidelity of their temporal signaling, suggest that SCT neurons could serve as little more than coarse event detectors in tactile sensibility, in contrast to DCN neurons the bandwidth of vibrotactile responsiveness of which may extend beyond 400 Hz and is therefore broader by approximately 40-50 times than that of SCT neurons.


[Three-step sequential method for limb skin and soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound].
To explore clinical effect of VSD technology, coverage of artificial dermis and autograft for the treatment of limb skin soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound. Eighteen patients suffered from limb skin soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound treated by three-step sequential method from January 2013 to June 2015. Among them, including 13 males and 5 females aged from 23 to 72 years old with an average of 34.6 years old; the time from injury to operation ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 hours with an average of 2.5 h. The area of skin and soft tissue injury ranged from 4.2 cm×3.1 cm to 7.4 cm×5.2 cm. Wound recovery and taken skin wound recovery were observed to evaluate clinical results. All patients were followed up from 5 to 16 months, with an average of 7.6 months. Deep bone tendon tissue of wounds were effectively recovered, artificial dermis survived, and quality of healed wound was tough and shape was good. Wound transplant flap was survived, no obvious scar tissue formation, appearance was flat, skin color was a little deeper than normal skin, the overall effect was satisfactory. Three-step sequential method has good curative effect for patients suffered from limb skin soft tissue defect with bone or tendon exposed wound and refused to repair the flap, and has advantage of simple operation, operation risk, less invasive.


Patient experiences with technology enabled care across healthcare settings- a systematic review.
Healthcare services are facing extensive challenges due to the increased proportion of elderly persons and persons with chronic disease. Technology enabled care (TEC) is a collective term for telecare, telehealth, telemedicine, mobile (m)-, digital- and electronic (e) health services. TEC is increasingly seen as a solution to many of the challenges facing the health sector. Patient perspectives may provide a useful evaluation tool for new healthcare technologies that have limited clinical data to support their effectiveness. More studies need to be done to better understand the acceptance of technology in healthcare. This review aim to summarize empirical studies exploring patient experiences with TEC. Findings in this study can be used to better understand what is needed to develop, implement and improve such services. Systematic searches were conducted in the Pubmed, Psycinfo, Cinahl, Embase, Cochrane systematic reviews and Cochrane clinical trials databases. These studies were systematically reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, subjected to quality appraisals using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), and synthesized via integrative analysis. After removal of duplicates, languages other than English, and non-scientific records, 4087 titles and abstracts were screened. After assessment against inclusion and exclusion criteria, 69 records were screened in full-text, and underwent quality appraisal. 21 records were included in the integrative analysis. Patients' experiences with TEC related to 1) technological features, namely functionality and appearance, and 2) evolving independence, namely empowerment, autonomy and security. Technological challenges lead to frustrations and negative experiences, while a stigmatizing appearance lead to patients not using the solution. Through the use of TECs, patients felt more empowered, learning about their condition, increasing awareness to their symptoms and treatment, and feeling more safe and self-efficient. Patient participation was seen as a central aspect of the development of the TECT, as well as when using it. This review deepens the understanding of patients' experiences with technology enabled care solutions. Patients' experiences not only relate to the practical/technical element of the device or solution, but to how this impact on their everyday life. Patient participation in development and planned use of such solutions should be considered an integral part in healthcare quality initiatives.


Acoustic reflection: review and clinical applications for sleep-disordered breathing.
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects more than 4% of the adult population with an even higher prevalence within high-risk groups. Nasal continuous positive air pressure, although considered the current gold standard treatment for SDB, demonstrates poor patient compliance. Alternative therapies, such as palatal surgeries and airway orthotics, lack validated candidacy selection protocols, resulting in varying success rates. Although much has been published over the last several years regarding the effect of these therapies on the upper airway, no publication has presented an accounting of the use of acoustic reflection (AR) to evaluate airway characteristics pre- and post-treatment with these alternative therapies. This article will review AR and our current knowledge base of the pathological airway characteristics that can be assessed through AR. It will include the advantages, limitations, and potential clinical usefulness of this diagnostic modality in the treatment of patients with SDB.


Association of maternal interaction with emotional regulation in 4- and 9-month infants during the Still Face Paradigm.
This study used the Still Face Paradigm to investigate the relationship of maternal interaction on infants' emotion regulation responses. Seventy infant-mother dyads were seen at 4 months and 25 of these same dyads were re-evaluated at 9 months. Maternal interactions were coded for attention seeking and contingent responding. Emotional regulation was described by infant stress reaction and overall positive affect. Results indicated that at both 4 and 9 months mothers who used more contingent responding interactions had infants who showed more positive affect. In contrast, mothers who used more attention seeking play had infants who showed less positive affect after the Still Face Paradigm. Patterns of stress reaction were reversed, as mothers who used more attention seeking play had infants with less negative affect. Implications for intervention and emotional regulation patterns over time are discussed.


Gene expression in fibroblasts and fibrosis: involvement in cardiac hypertrophy.
Structural remodeling of the ventricular wall is a key determinant of clinical outcome in heart disease. Such remodeling involves the production and destruction of extracellular matrix proteins, cell proliferation and migration, and apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Cardiac fibroblasts are crucially involved in these processes, producing growth factors and cytokines that act as autocrine and paracrine factors, as well as extracellular matrix proteins and proteinases. Recent studies have shown that the interactions between cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes are essential for the progression of cardiac remodeling. This review addresses the functional role played by cardiac fibroblasts and the molecular mechanisms that govern their activity during cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. A particular focus is the recent progress toward our understanding of the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms involved.


Explaining Order among Those Who Share Positions in the Author Byline.
In an effort to reduce gender biases in authorship positions, mBio will now require an explanation for how order was determined among those who share positions in the author byline. We hope that by requiring explanations, the explanation will help those in second and third positions get their full share of credit, even when not listed first.


Youth are more sensitive to price changes in cigarettes than adults.
Virtually all smoking begins in our population's youth and remains as a habit into those smokers' elder years. If we desire to halt smoking in its infancy, we should seek to deter and induce cessation in the youth years. It has been cited that taxation is an effective means to deter smoking at all ages, particularly efficacious in the youth population. This paper explores the merits of this method of preventative medicine, and intends to investigate differences between the price elasticity of cigarette demand between various cohorts, particularly the adult versus the youth population. We use a two-variable log-log, ordinary least-squares econometric regression to determine the extent that price alterations have on participation rates and quantity smoked. Our results show that youth are quite responsive to price increases showing a decrease of 14 percent prevalence in smoking for a 10 percent increase in price; whereas, the adult population is relatively less responsive to such price changes, exhibiting nearly a 2 percent decrease in prevalence for a 10 percent increase in price. We conclude that taxation is an effective means of socially-enacted preventative medicine in deterring youth smoking.


Highly Stretchable, Self-Healable, Ultrasensitive Strain and Proximity Sensors Based on Skin-Inspired Conductive Film for Human Motion Monitoring.
Recently, flexible electronics have been paid great attention due to their unique characteristics, such as high stretchability, arbitrary bending, and recoverable deformation. As a core component, flexible conductive materials with skin-like properties are desirable and valuable for the development of flexible electronics. However, the integration of skin-like mechanical properties, inherent self-healing ability, ultrahigh sensitivity, and electrical conductivity into one material is difficult to be realized. Here, this study reports a kind of conductive film (PAM-dc-fGO) fabricated by cross-linking intrinsic self-repair polyazomethine (PAM) and ethylenediamine-functionalized graphene oxide (fGO) through dynamic covalent bonds (imine bonds, -CH═N-). The as-prepared conductive films exhibit skin-like mechanical properties with a stretchability of 212-275% and elastic moduli of 0.76-4.23 MPa. In addition, the healing efficiency in mechanical properties of the 24 h healed specimen can restore up to 99%, and the healing efficiency in terms of electrical conductivity still maintains above 95% after five breaking/healing cycles, indicating an excellent capability of self-repair. Due to the ultrahigh sensing sensitivity with the gauge factor (GF) of 641, the PAM-dc-fGO film-based strain sensor can precisely detect the weak signals from the human body. Moreover, the remote monitoring of human motions with a long distance of about 100 cm has been successfully conducted by a PAM-dc-fGO proximity sensor. This work provides a new path for the development of multifunctional soft materials, and the sensors show great potential in health diagnoses and security protection applications.


[Acute non-bacterial interstitial tubular nephritis].
With the idea in mind to review the etiologic characteristics and evolution of nonbacterial acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, 29 cases seen at the Hospital Infantil de México between 1972 and 1978 were studied. The ages of patients fluctuated from 3 months to 14 years; 18 of them were males. The disease was associated with the administration of nephrotoxic agents, fundamentally antibiotics, being in order of frequency; gentamicin, kanamycin, ampicillin and streptomycin. The main initial manifestations were hematuria and oliguria. At the onset of the disease, acute renal failure was found in 5 of the patients. Two patients developed chronic renal failure, which in one of them was caused by diphenylhydantoin and was reversible on discontinuance of the drug. There were 3 deaths which in 2 cases followed infectious complication and in 1, renal failure. Considerations are made on the pathogenesis of the disease which is predominantly immunologic of following direct toxic action.


Adverse effects of incorporating ketoprofen into established rodent studies.
The use of analgesics to prevent or treat postprocedural pain in rodents is increasingly encouraged by the laboratory animal community and federal funding agencies. However, the effects of analgesics on experimental outcomes are not well-documented. In this study, we incorporated ketoprofen into a well-established experimental protocol. Of the 44 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats obtained from vendor A that were given either ketoprofen (10 mg/kg s.c.) or saline and underwent ovariectomy, 19 that received ketoprofen died or were euthanized due to clinical illness within 3 to 7 d after surgery. Necropsy revealed gastrointestinal ulceration consistent with toxicity from nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. In an attempt to identify factors responsible for this unanticipated outcome, SD rats from vendors A and B were subjected to the same protocol, but no clinical signs or pathologic lesions were observed in any of these rats, regardless of source. A third experiment with rats obtained from vendor A and housed in barriers 1 and 2 was done to clarify the conflicting results and to determine whether response to ketoprofen differed at the barrier level. Three of the 6 rats from barrier 2 that received ketoprofen in the third study had gastrointestinal lesions similar to those observed in the fi rst study, whereas none of the rats from barrier 1 had any lesions. These results suggest that the adverse effects seen after administration of ketoprofen were due to differences between barriers.


Two new lignans from the fruits of Forsythia suspensa.
Two new lignans, wikstronoside B (1) and forsysesquinorlignan (2), were isolated from the fruits of Forsythia suspensa, along with two known sesquineolignans, hedyotol A and hedyotol C (3 and 4). The structures of new compounds were established via extensive spectroscopy techniques, including UV, IR, HRESIMS, NMR, and ECD. Compounds 3 and 4 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Their anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated via a detection model with LPS-induced murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells, and compound 3 showed a moderate activity.


Amikacin administration in open heart surgery.
Amikacin is usually administered to the patients during open heart surgery immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) because the serum levels of this drug may decrease due to the volume overload and hemodilution caused by intravenously administered fluids (1.2-2 liters prime solution). We investigated whether this application of amikacin is necessary immediately after CPB. A total of ten patients from Dokuz Eylül University Hospital, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, who were scheduled for open heart surgery were studied. Serum sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine values of the patients were found to be within normal limits before the operation. Amikacin was administered to patients just before open heart surgery and 2 ml blood samples were collected from all patients 15 minutes after the drug administration, just before cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB), at the 30th and 60th minutes of the CPB, after CPB and after the cessation of operation, 4 hours after drug administration. A significant decrease was observed between the values of 10 patients by ANOVA (p < 0.05). Serum amikacin values were found to be 9.80 +/- 0.96 micrograms/ml at the end of the operation, 4 hours after the drug administration. Since serum amikacin levels do not fall below the trough concentrations at the end of the fourth hour we conclude that it is unnecessary to repeat the dose at the end of the operation.


Psychosocial factors as predictors of maternal well-being and pregnancy-related complaints.
The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of psychosocial variables on well-being and on pregnancy-related complaints throughout pregnancy. Three hundred and ninety-six nulliparous women completed questionnaires on number of daily stressors, social support, gestational factors and mental and physical work load in each trimester of pregnancy. In addition, the following dependent measures were assessed: depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and the pregnancy-related complaints fatigue, nausea and back pain. The independent variables predicted depression best (r2 = 42-44%), followed by anxiety (R2 = 13-20) and somatic complaints (R2 = 16-21%). Number of daily stressors explained most of the variance. Satisfaction with social support and maternal age were negatively correlated with depression. In contrast, pregnancy-related complaints could be less accurately predicted by psychosocial factors. The amount of explained variance for fatigue ranged between 6 and 10%, for nausea between 2 and 6%, and for back pain between 5 and 7% for the three trimesters. It is concluded that depressive symptoms during pregnancy are associated with negative psychosocial factors, particularly the number of daily stressors and low satisfaction with received social support. To a lesser degree, this is also the case with anxiety and somatic complaints. Pregnancy-related complaints, on the other hand, appear to be relatively independent of psychosocial conditions.


Critical care for clonidine poisoning in toddlers.
Clonidine may be a source of serious toxicity when ingested by toddlers. We describe 11 cases of clonidine ingestion by toddlers (mean dose 0.15 mg/kg; range 0.01 to 0.57). The source of the clonidine was a grand-parent in six of 11 cases. Symptoms included altered level of consciousness (n = 11), miosis (n = 5), bradycardia (n = 8), hypotension (n = 5), apnea and respiratory depression (n = 6), hypothermia (n = 5) and hypertension (n = 3). Therapeutic interventions included naloxone (n = 8) and atropine (n = 4), dopamine (n = 1), fluid resuscitation (n = 4), and endotracheal intubation (n = 1). There were no deaths. Symptoms of clonidine ingestion were typically mild if the dose ingested was less than 0.01 mg/kg, while bradycardia and hypotension occurred usually with doses of greater than 0.01 mg/kg. Apnea and respiratory depression were common when the dose exceeded 0.02 mg/kg. More effective measures are needed to prevent these potentially serious intoxications.


Estimation of optical rotation of chiral molecules with weak measurements.
From its beginning, the measurement of optical rotation (OR) is crucial for the analysis of chiral molecules in many fields. However, the precision measurement of a weak OR signal with conventional setup remains elusive. In this Letter, we experimentally propose a precision method to determine the OR of glucose and fructose based on weak measurements. By using the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) as a probe, a nonlinear weak measurements model is established that is applicable beyond the Aharonov-Albert-Vaidman (AAV) limit. Due to the high sensitivity of weak measurements amplification with respect to the OR, a tremendous variation of the amplified beam displacement of the SHEL is observed, while the concentration of glucose and fructose is slightly changed.


Risk factors for allergy.
Host factors involved in the risk for allergy are heredity, sex, race and age, with heredity being by far the most important. Exposure to allergens has been identified as an influential environmental factor, whereas passive smoking and pollution may act as an adjuvant. The atopic mother may during pregnancy add to an atopy-prone environment. Whereas respiratory infections are associated with attacks of bronchial asthma, infections in early life might play a role in the protection against atopy by preferential stimulation of a Th1 response, with mutual down-regulation of the Th2 response. Recognition of the risk factors for allergy is important in order to select the factors that could be modified for individuals at risk and in order to identify those factors of which the modulation could evolve in general preventive measures.


Sequence-specific RNA recognition by the Xenopus Y-box proteins. An essential role for the cold shock domain.
The Xenopus Y-box protein FRGY2 has a role in the translational silencing of masked maternal mRNA. Here, we determine that FRGY2 will recognize specific RNA sequences. The evolutionarily conserved nucleic acid-binding cold shock domain is required for sequence-specific interactions with RNA. However, RNA binding by FRGY2 is facilitated by N- and C-terminal regions flanking the cold shock domain. The hydrophilic C-terminal tail domain of FRGY2 interacts with RNA independent of the cold shock domain but does not determine sequence specificity. Thus, both sequence-specific and nonspecific RNA recognition domains are contained within the FRGY2 protein.


Post-cholecystectomy syndrome: A new look at an old problem.
Despite being the most commonly performed operations, sometimes cholecystectomy fails to relieve symptoms; this is now a well-recognised clinical entity termed 'post-cholecystectomy syndrome' (PCS). Very few studies from India deal with PCS, and the present study was carried out to find the incidence and risk factors for PCS in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The records of 207 patients undergoing elective LC were prospectively maintained for 6 months after surgery. Persistence or appearance of new symptoms after surgery was documented and investigated only when they persisted beyond 30 days of surgery. There were 185 (89.4%) female patients and 22 (10.6%) male patients with a mean age of 44.4 years (age range: 12-79 years). Conversion to open cholecystectomy was done in 18 patients (8.69%), mainly due to adhesions and unclear anatomy. The incidence of symptoms was found to be 13% at 6 months follow-up, showing a reducing trend from 58% in the 1st week after LC; the most common symptom in symptomatic patients was dyspepsia (55.56%). On investigation, a cause for symptoms could be detected in only 0.97%. Symptoms are common after LC, but they settle over time. Very few patients have a detectable cause for symptoms after LC, and it is difficult to predict which patients will become symptomatic after LC; in the present series, previous attacks of cholecystitis and presence of co-morbid conditions were the only consistent risk factors for symptoms after LC.


Strategies for management and treatment of dyslipidemia in HIV/AIDS.
With the improved survival of HIV-infected patients, there are increased concerns about the long-term effects of treatment, including protease inhibitor (PI)-related dyslipidemia. Some 50-70% of patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) involving PIs develop lipid abnormalities consisting of elevated levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides that are well-known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Treatment of HIV dyslipidemia should include lifestyle modifications such as a low-fat diet, increased exercise, reduced alcohol consumption and smoking cessation. In many patients, however, these changes alone will not correct lipid levels. In some patients, changing the PI component of ART to another PI or non-PI and/or lipid-lowering drugs has proven successful. Each approach is associated with advantages and limitations and the need to maintain viral suppression must be balanced with the need to treat abnormal lipid levels.


Akt downregulation by flavin oxidase-induced ROS generation mediates dose-dependent endothelial cell damage elicited by natural antioxidants.
High intake of natural antioxidants (NA) from plant-derived foods and beverages is thought to provide cardiovascular benefits. The endothelium plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular homeostasis, and for this reason, the molecular events resulting from NA actions on endothelial cells (ECs) are actively investigated. Here, we show the direct impact of two NA, coumaric acid and resveratrol, on intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, protein carbonylation, and cell physiology in human ECs. While at lower doses, both NA promoted antioxidant effects, at moderately high doses, NA elicited a dose-dependent pro-oxidant effect, which was followed by apoptosis, cell damage, and phospho-Akt downregulation. NA-induced pro-oxidant effects were counteracted by N-acetyl cysteine and diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), suggesting a role for flavin oxidases in NA-induced toxicity. DPI also prevented NA-induced phospho-Akt downregulation indicating that Akt can work downstream of flavin oxidases in mediating cellular responses to NA. Stimulation of phospho-Akt by insulin dramatically counteracted NA-induced cell death, an effect abolished by Akt inhibition further suggesting that mechanistically Akt regulates cell survival in response to NA-induced stress. Although further studies are required to better characterize the molecular mechanism of NA-induced cell toxicity, our study is the first to show in a human vascular model that moderately high doses of NA can induce cell damage mediated by flavoproteins and the Akt pathway.


Calcific metamorphosis of pulp after extrusive luxation.
The literature on the pathogenesis of extrusive dental luxation has been focused on periodontal tissue responses, with little attention given to the pulp. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of dental pulp of teeth following extrusive luxation in a rat model. The maxillary right central incisors of 30 rats were extrusively luxated and repositioned after 5 minutes. The animals were euthanized after 7, 15, and 30 days to provide three groups: I, II, and III, respectively (n = 10). Histological sections were stained with H and E for histomorphometric analysis of the odontoblast layer, reparative dentin deposition, Hertwig's epithelial root sheath, pulp necrosis, and periapical inflammatory infiltrate. In most cases, new vascular formation occured in association with reparative dentin deposition on the root walls and within the pulp. In some cases, dentin deposition occupied the entire pulp space over time, with no other types of non-odontogenic hard tissues being observed. Pulp necrosis with the presence of periapical inflammatory infiltrate was also observed in a few cases. No statistical differences were observed among the studied groups. Following extrusive luxation, calcific metamorphosis of the pulp is very likely to occur.


Patient approach in advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma: focus on the elderly population and treatment-related toxicity.
Recent therapeutic advances have changed the treatment landscape of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Unfortunately, the seven agents now available are not based on biomarkers that would indicate which one could provide the best benefit for every patient. We have reviewed the avaliable information concerning the impact of each treatment on comorbidities or status that are frequently seen before commencing treatment for the advanced disease: elderly and patients with cardiovascular complications, metabolic and endocrinology disorders, and infections, as well as impaired organ function (kidney, liver and heart). Additional new drugs will be launched, but no predictive biomarkers are available. Head-to-head studies to evaluate the safety of the different drugs are rare. In this quite complex scenario, we believe that a decision-making approach focused on the patient may represent a suitable strategy.


Novel tumor immunotherapy: Targeting dysfunctional antigen presenting cells.
Extract: The immune system is similar to the nervous system to some degree. Both systems are highly organized and orchestrated within multiple levels (molecular, cellular, and organ) and have memory capacity. Furthermore, both systems encounter environmental challenges: the nervous system receives social challenges whereas the immune system receives natural challenges. In contrast to the nervous system, where the functional units are connected by nerve fibers and the decisions are made by the brain, the immune response is based on collaboration between functional cellular and molecular units without permanent physical connection or instruction from a centralized organ. Nonetheless, in the immune system, antigen presenting cells (APCs) are some times considered commanders in the immune system whereas T cells, B cells, and NK cells are considered the soldiers. Antigen presenting cells can capture, process, and present antigens; and they initiate and induce antigen specific T cell immunity. Thus, antigen presenting cells are used as adjuvants to treat cancer. Recent studies demonstrated that these commanders, antigen presenting cells, are often found in the tumor microenvironment. Strikingly, these commanders (including macrophages, dendritic cells, and myeloid suppressor cells) in the tumor microenvironment are largely dysfunctional and induce T cell suppression (instead of stimulation) and tumor angiogenesis. Thus, depleting tumor environmental antigen presenting cells may be a novel therapeutic strategy in tumor immunotherapy.


The use of sea urchin eggs as a model to investigate the effects of crassolide, a diterpene isolated from a soft coral.
Crassolide, a monocyclic diterpene isolated and purified from the soft coral Lobophytum crassum, inhibited the cell cleavage of sea urchin eggs without affecting fertilization. The effect was observed with concentrations above 2 x 10(-5)m in egg suspensions. Addition of crassolide between 5 and 40 min post-fertilization totally blocked the first cleavage, which in the control occurs 1 hr after fertilization. When added between 50 and 60 min post-fertilization, crassolide produced polynucleated cells in embryos. Crassolide did not affect the egg permeability to Na(+) and Ca(2+), but caused an increase of 0.2 units in the intracellular pH of fertilized eggs coupled with a proton efflux. Crassolide, which does not affect Ca(2+) influx or permeability at the level of storage in reticular vesicles, could be used as a negative control when analysing calcium changes in short-term toxicological studies. The relationship between the pH increase and the cell cleavage needs further investigation.


Mechanics of the Compression Wood Response: II. On the Location, Action, and Distribution of Compression Wood Formation.
A new method for simulation of cross-sectional growth provided detailed information on the location of normal wood and compression wood increments in two tilted white pine (Pinus strobus L.) leaders. These data were combined with data on stiffness, slope, and curvature changes over a 16-week period to make the mechanical analysis. The location of compression wood changed from the under side to a flank side and then to the upper side of the leader as the geotropic stimulus decreased, owing to compression wood action. Its location shifted back to a flank side when the direction of movement of the leader reversed. A model for this action, based on elongation strains, was developed and predicted the observed curvature changes with elongation strains of 0.3 to 0.5%, or a maximal compressive stress of 60 to 300 kilograms per square centimeter. After tilting, new wood formation was distributed so as to maintain consistent strain levels along the leaders in bending under gravitational loads. The computed effective elastic moduli were about the same for the two leaders throughout the season.


S100A8/A9 is not involved in host defense against murine urinary tract infection.
Inflammation is commonly followed by the release of endogenous proteins called danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that are able to warn the host for eminent danger. S100A8/A9 subunits are DAMPs that belong to the S100 family of calcium binding proteins. S100A8/A9 complexes induce an inflammatory response and their expression correlates with disease severity in several inflammatory disorders. S100A8/A9 promote endotoxin- and Escherichia (E.) coli-induced sepsis showing its contribution in systemic infection. The role of S100A8/A9 during a local infection of the urinary tract system caused by E. coli remains unknown. We investigated the contribution of S100A8/A9 in acute urinary tract infection (UTI) by instilling 2 different doses of uropathogenic E. coli transurethrally in wild type (WT) and S100A9 knockout (KO) mice. Subsequently, we determined bacterial outgrowth, neutrophilic infiltrate and inflammatory mediators in bladder and kidney 24 and 48 hours later. UTI resulted in a substantial increase of S100A8/A9 protein in bladder and kidney tissue of WT mice. S100A9 KO mice displayed similar bacterial load in bladder or kidney homogenate compared to WT mice using 2 different doses at 2 different time points. S100A9 deficiency had little effect on the inflammatory responses to E. Coli-induced UTI infection, as assessed by myeloperoxidase activity in bladder and kidneys, histopathologic analysis, and renal and bladder cytokine concentrations. We show that despite high S100A8/A9 expression in bladder and kidney tissue upon UTI, S100A8/A9 does not contribute to an effective host response against E. Coli in the urinary tract system.


Lexical representation and morpho-syntactic parallelism in the left hemisphere.
This experiment investigated the sensitivity of the left and right cerebral hemispheres to morphologically ambiguous verbs (i.e., chased) and to morphologically unambiguous verbs (i.e., stolen) in a divided visual-field paradigm with normal subjects. Lexical decisions made to the ambiguous verbs were faster than those to the unambiguous verbs only when presented in the right visual field. The results suggest that the traditional notion of left-hemispheric specialization for syntactic processing can be extended to the retrieval of lower-level morphological representations.


Pretreatment of old-age landfill leachate by microwave-assisted catalytic oxidation in the presence of activated carbon.
Landfill leachate is posing an ever-greater environmental hazard. Recently, a process for purification combining activated carbon, microwave (MW) and Fenton oxidation has drawn much attention. In this study, the effectiveness of this process for the pretreatment of an old-age landfill leachate was tested. The effects of various parameters were investigated and the optimal condition included as follows: MW energy density, 6 W/mL; MW power, 300 W; radiation time, 8 min; H2O2 dosage, 0.1 mol/L; Fe(2+)-EDTA dosage, 0.02 mol/L; granular activated carbon (GAC) dosage, 6 g/L. Within the present experimental condition applied, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal reached 56.5%, and the ratio of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand to chemical oxygen demand (BOD5/COD) was enhanced from 0.122 to 0.462. Comparing with GAC, MW and Fenton alone or the combinations of any two of them, MW/Fenton/GAC displayed superior treatment efficiency. The MW/Fenton/GAC process is believed to be a promising pretreatment technology for biorefractory old-age landfill leachate.


Contribution of miRNAs, tRNAs and tRFs to Aberrant Signaling and Translation Deregulation in Lung Cancer.
Transcriptomics profiles of miRNAs, tRNAs or tRFs are used as biomarkers, after separate examination of several cancer cell lines, blood samples or biopsies. However, the possible contribution of all three profiles on oncogenic signaling and translation as a net regulatory effect, is under investigation. The present analysis of miRNAs and tRFs from lung cancer biopsies indicated putative targets, which belong to gene networks involved in cell proliferation, transcription and translation regulation. In addition, we observed differential expression of specific tRNAs along with several tRNA-related genes with possible involvement in carcinogenesis. Transfection of lung adenocarcinoma cells with two identified tRFs and subsequent NGS analysis indicated gene targets that mediate signaling and translation regulation. Broader analysis of all major signaling and translation factors in several biopsy specimens revealed a crosstalk between the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways and downstream activation of eIF4E and eEF2. Subsequent polysome profile analysis and 48S pre-initiation reconstitution experiments showed increased global translation rates and indicated that aberrant expression patterns of translation initiation factors could contribute to elevated protein synthesis. Overall, our results outline the modulatory effects that possibly correlate the expression of important regulatory non-coding RNAs with aberrant signaling and translation deregulation in lung cancer.


Anomalous behavior in length distributions of 3D random Brownian walks and measured photon count rates within observation volumes of single-molecule trajectories in fluorescence fluctuation microscopy.
Based on classical mean-field approximation using the diffusion equation for ergodic normal motion of single 24-nm and 100-nm nanospheres, we simulated and measured molecule number counting in fluorescence fluctuation microscopy. The 3D-measurement set included a single molecule, or an ensemble average of single molecules, an observation volume DeltaV and a local environment, e.g. aqueous solution. For the molecule number N << 1 per DeltaV, there was only one molecule at a time inside DeltaV or no molecule. The mean rate k of re-entries defined by k = N/tau(dif) was independent of the geometry of DeltaV but depended on the size of DeltaV and the diffusive properties tau(dif). The length distribution l of single-molecule trajectories inside DeltaV and the measured photon count rates I obeyed power laws with anomalous exponent kappa =-1.32 approximately -4/3.


Socioeconomic evaluation in medicine in Europe. Core economic concepts.
In most European countries, healthcare cost-containment programmes have failed to meet their targets on a long term basis. For this reason, decision-makers sought effective and rational strategies to assist in the optimal allocation of available resources. The scholarly discipline of economics provides methods and instruments for investigating the rational use of limited resources. In the context of these efforts, socioeconomic evaluations of healthcare programmes have become increasingly important during the last decade. A socioeconomic evaluation is an analysis of all costs and consequences over a relevant time-period for a particular healthcare intervention. For example, a socioeconomic evaluation of an influenza prevention programme should consider the total costs of preventing influenza (costs of the vaccine, vaccination programme and treatment of adverse events), as well as the benefits of such a programme (costs saved as a result of cases of influenza avoided). In general, socioeconomic evaluations usually compare costs and benefits relative to alternative treatment strategies. The core concepts of socioeconomic analyses are as follows: costs and consequences, discounting, marginal and incremental costs, and externalities (spill-over effects). All these concepts are fixed components of published guidelines and should be considered when conducting a socioeconomic evaluation.


Comparison on chemical features and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula by three different enzymes.
To investigate and compare the chemical features and antioxidant activities of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAPs), three different AAPs (AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C) were prepared by mannanase, β-dextranase, and cellulase. Their chemical features were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The antioxidant properties were performed both in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that the surface morphology of the A. auricula cell wall treated with three enzymes was slightly different under scanning electron microscopy. The extraction yields of AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C were 18.33% ± 1.93%, 26.42% ± 0.87%, and 17.17% ± 0.08% under optimal conditions, respectively. The monosaccharide composition, molecular weight (AAP-M, AAP-D, and AAP-C were 1.03E+03 kDa, 1.76E+03 kDa, and 1.15E+03 kDa, respectively), and antioxidant activities of the three AAPs were different. AAP-C composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and galactose, exhibiting the remarkable ability of scavenging ABTS+ , DPPH, and H2 O2 (IC50 was 0.065, 0.081, and 0.293 mg/ml, respectively). Moreover, AAP-C could significantly prolonged the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans under oxidative stress (p < .05). The results showed that cellulase could be served as an efficient enzyme to prepare AAPs with higher antioxidant capacity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: According to the statistics of China Edible Fungi Association in 2019, the output of Auricularia auricula was accounting for 17.54% of the total output of edible fungi. AAPs account for more than 60% of the fruiting bodies and have various biological activities. Cell wall breaking is an important process of extracting AAPs which has always been the bottleneck restricting the production of AAPs. The traditional chemical acid-base method will pollute the environment, and the yield of hot water extraction is low. In contrast, the bioenzyme method widely used because of its mild conditions and environmental friendly. In this paper, three common bioenzymes which have been widely used in food industry were used to extract AAPs, and Box-Behnken design to improve the yield of AAPs. The results show that AAP-C had high yield and strong antioxidant activity. This study could provide a reference for the industrial production of AAPs.


Differentiation of vasospastic angina from noncardiac chest pain by history and coronary risk factors in patients with chest pain at rest.
To determine the efficacy of the medical interview and the coronary risk factor profile in differentiating vasospastic angina from other causes of chest pain, we examined 59 patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography with selective intracoronary injection of acetylcholine. In the medical interview, a questionnaire on the characteristics of chest pain and additional symptoms was given. We examined coronary risk factors from laboratory tests, life history, and physical examination. Chest pain accompanied by cold sweat and occurring in the early morning was the only significant discriminating information; the location of pain and the duration were not discriminating. Classic coronary risk factors did not differ between vasospastic angina and noncardiac chest pain except for gender. We conclude that history taking is the most important means to distinguish vasospastic angina from other causes of chest pain.


A comparison of methods for collecting self-report data on sensitive topics.
Insufficient attention has been paid to whether disclosure rates of sensitive or stigmatizing information vary as a function of method of inquiry. Methods vary both in terms of the anonymity afforded the participant and the opportunity to make a connection with the researcher, both of which might affect participants' willingness to disclose such information. In this investigation, 215 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to complete identical questionnaires using one of the three most common methods of data collection (in-person interview, telephone interview, and paper-and-pencil questionnaire) or an automated telephonic data collection (ATDC) system. Questions on six topic areas of increasing social sensitivity (study habits, substance use, physical and sexual aggression, victimization and perpetration) were included. The results indicated that there were no differences in disclosure rates due to methods and no method by topic interaction, but the two telephonic methods both produced significantly higher participation rates than the two other methods. The results suggest that, at least for a college student sample, an automated telephonic system produces data comparable to that of more traditional methods, while offering greater convenience, economy, and participation.


Use of machine learning to improve autism screening and diagnostic instruments: effectiveness, efficiency, and multi-instrument fusion.
Machine learning (ML) provides novel opportunities for human behavior research and clinical translation, yet its application can have noted pitfalls (Bone et al., 2015). In this work, we fastidiously utilize ML to derive autism spectrum disorder (ASD) instrument algorithms in an attempt to improve upon widely used ASD screening and diagnostic tools. The data consisted of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores for 1,264 verbal individuals with ASD and 462 verbal individuals with non-ASD developmental or psychiatric disorders, split at age 10. Algorithms were created via a robust ML classifier, support vector machine, while targeting best-estimate clinical diagnosis of ASD versus non-ASD. Parameter settings were tuned in multiple levels of cross-validation. The created algorithms were more effective (higher performing) than the current algorithms, were tunable (sensitivity and specificity can be differentially weighted), and were more efficient (achieving near-peak performance with five or fewer codes). Results from ML-based fusion of ADI-R and SRS are reported. We present a screener algorithm for below (above) age 10 that reached 89.2% (86.7%) sensitivity and 59.0% (53.4%) specificity with only five behavioral codes. ML is useful for creating robust, customizable instrument algorithms. In a unique dataset comprised of controls with other difficulties, our findings highlight the limitations of current caregiver-report instruments and indicate possible avenues for improving ASD screening and diagnostic tools.


Kinome-wide selectivity profiling of ATP-competitive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and characterization of their binding kinetics.
An intensive recent effort to develop ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitors has resulted in several potent and selective molecules such as Torin1, PP242, KU63794, and WYE354. These inhibitors are being widely used as pharmacological probes of mTOR-dependent biology. To determine the potency and specificity of these agents, we have undertaken a systematic kinome-wide effort to profile their selectivity and potency using chemical proteomics and assays for enzymatic activity, protein binding, and disruption of cellular signaling. Enzymatic and cellular assays revealed that all four compounds are potent inhibitors of mTORC1 and mTORC2, with Torin1 exhibiting ∼20-fold greater potency for inhibition of Thr-389 phosphorylation on S6 kinases (EC(50) = 2 nM) relative to other inhibitors. In vitro biochemical profiling at 10 μM revealed binding of PP242 to numerous kinases, although WYE354 and KU63794 bound only to p38 kinases and PI3K isoforms and Torin1 to ataxia telangiectasia mutated, ATM and Rad3-related protein, and DNA-PK. Analysis of these protein targets in cellular assays did not reveal any off-target activities for Torin1, WYE354, and KU63794 at concentrations below 1 μM but did show that PP242 efficiently inhibited the RET receptor (EC(50), 42 nM) and JAK1/2/3 kinases (EC(50), 780 nM). In addition, Torin1 displayed unusually slow kinetics for inhibition of the mTORC1/2 complex, a property likely to contribute to the pharmacology of this inhibitor. Our results demonstrated that, with the exception of PP242, available ATP-competitive compounds are highly selective mTOR inhibitors when applied to cells at concentrations below 1 μM and that the compounds may represent a starting point for medicinal chemistry efforts aimed at developing inhibitors of other PI3K kinase-related kinases.


Study of a novel three-dimensional scaffold to repair bone defect in rabbit.
Both decalcified bone matrix (DBM) and fibrin gel possess good biocompatibility, so they are used as scaffolds to culture bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The feasibility and efficacy of using compound material being made of decalcified bone matrix and fibrin gel as a three-dimensional scaffold for bone growth were investigated. BMSCs were isolated from the femur of rabbit, then seeded in prepared scaffolds after incubation for 28 days in vitro. In vivo: 30 New Zealand White Rabbits received bone defect in left radius and divided three treatment groups randomly: (1) BMSCs/decalcified bone matrix/fibrin glue as experimental group; (2) decalcified bone matrix/fibrin glue without cells as control group; (3) nothing was implanted into the bone defects as blank group. The observation period of specimens was 12 weeks, and were analyzed bone formation in terms of serum proteomics (2D-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS), hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, ALP staining, and Osteopontin immunofluorescence detection. The experimental group present in three peculiar kinds of proteins, whose Geninfo identifier (GI) number were 136466, 126722803, and 126723746, respectively, correspond to TTR protein, ALB protein, RBP4 protein, and the histological inspections were superior to the other group. The content of osteopontin in experimental group was significantly higher than control group (p < 0.05). The overall results indicated that a combined material being made of BMSCs/decalcified bone matrix/fibrin glue can result in successful bone formation and decalcified bone matrix/fibrin glue admixtures can be used as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering.


The Altered Triple Networks Interaction in Depression under Resting State Based on Graph Theory.
The triple network model (Menon, 2011) has been proposed, which helps with finding a common framework for understanding the dysfunction in core neurocognitive network across multiple disorders. The alteration of the triple networks in the major depression disorder (MDD) is not clear. In our study, the altered interaction of the triple networks, which include default model network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN), was examined in the MDD by graph theory method. The results showed that the connectivity degree of right anterior insula (rAI) significantly increased in MDD compared with healthy control (HC), and the connectivity degree between DMN and CEN significantly decreased in MDD. These results not only supported the proposal of the triple network model, but also prompted us to understand the dysfunction of neural mechanism in MDD.


Skeletal modifications of β-carboline alkaloids and their antiviral activity profile.
To study the effect of the variation of fused ring size and substitution on the antiviral activity of [Formula: see text]-carboline alkaloids, four types of structurally novel [Formula: see text]-carboline alkaloids analogues, with indole-fused six- to nine-membered-rings motifs, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for the inhibition of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Bioassay results indicated that most of these analogues had significant anti-TMV activity; especially I-14 (54 [Formula: see text] 3 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vitro; 51 [Formula: see text] 2, 45 [Formula: see text] 2, and 42 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vivo), II-4 (53 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vitro; 49 [Formula: see text] 2, 57 [Formula: see text] 2, and 48 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vivo), and II-8 (48 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vitro; 53 [Formula: see text] 2 %, 56 [Formula: see text] 2 %, and 46 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vivo), which were more potent vs. TMV than was ribavirin (36 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vitro; 37 [Formula: see text] 2, 41 [Formula: see text] 2, and 38 [Formula: see text] 1 % at 500 [Formula: see text]g/mL in vivo). The size of the fused ring has important effects on anti-TMV potency, which may be ascribed to conformational differences. The X-ray structures of I-1, I-6, II-8, and III show differing conformational preferences. The most potent compounds can be used as leads for further optimization as antiphytoviral agents.


Maternal and fetal infection.
Although their incidence varies among populations, maternal-fetal infections are increasingly recognized to be among the most common causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity. The use of new techniques, including nucleic acid hybridization and direct fetal or trophoblastic cell sampling, continues to accelerate our knowledge of the epidemiology, microbiology, and immunology, as well as means to diagnose, treat, and prevent individual congenitally transmitted infections. Given the number and complexity of these infections, only selected aspects of recent advances are presented.


Light-Harvesting Function in the Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum: I. Isolation and Characterization of Pigment-Protein Complexes.
Three pigment-protein complexes were isolated from the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bohlin) by treatment of thylakoid membrane fragments with 1% Triton X-100 at 4 degrees C followed by centrifugation on sucrose density gradients. The major complex contains chlorophyll a, c(1), c(2), and the carotenoid fucoxanthin (chlorophyll a: c(1): c(2): fucoxanthin = 1.0: 0.09: 0.28: 2.22) bound to an apoprotein doublet of 16.4 and 16.9 kilodaltons. This complex accounts for >70% of the total pigment and 20 to 40% of the protein in the thylakoid membranes. Efficient coupling of chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin absorption to chlorophyll a fluorescence supports a light-harvesting function for the complex. A minor light-harvesting complex containing chlorophyll a, c(1), and c(2) but no fucoxanthin (chlorophyll a: c(1): c(2) = 1.0: 0.23: 0.26) was also isolated at Triton: chlorophyll a ratios between 20 and 40. These pigments are bound to a similar molecular weight apoprotein doublet. The third complex isolated was the P700-chlorophyll a protein, the reaction center of photosystem I, which showed characteristics similar to those isolated from other plant sources. The yield of the chlorophyll a/c-fucoxanthin complex was shown to respond strongly to changes in light intensity during growth, accounting for most of the changes in cellular pigmentation.


Cutaneous Small/Medium CD4+ Pleomorphic T-Cell Lymphoma-Like Nodule in a Patient With Erythema Chronicum Migrans.
CD4+ small/medium pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma is a relatively rare subtype of cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorder with an indolent clinical behavior. The place of this condition among lymphomas is debatable. The authors describe a rare case of the direct association of CD4 small/medium pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma-like solitary nodule with Borrelia burgdorferi infection in a 5-year-old boy, discuss the reactive nature of this condition, and emphasize the importance of clinicopathological correlation.


Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus sphaericus Strains from Chinese Soils Toxic to Mosquito Larvae
During our research to isolate and screen microbial agents, eight Bacillus thuringiensis isolates and five Bacillus sphaericus isolates were shown to have high toxicity to mosquito larvae. Comparing the LC50 values, four B. sphaericus isolates with LC50 values ranging from 0.50 to 1.47 ng/ml were about two to six times more toxic than strain 1593 (LC50 3.00 ng/ml) against larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. Four B. thuringiensis isolates (LC50 values ranging from 3.80 to 7.54 ng/ml) and four B. sphaericus isolates with LC50 of 17.0 to 43.7 ng/ml were more toxic to Aedes aegypti than strain 1897 (LC50 8.46 ng/ml) and strain 1593 (LC50 67.3 ng/ml). As to Anopheles hyrcanus, the LC50 values of three B. sphaericus isolates ranging from 3.63 to 5.73 ng/ml were three to five times smaller than that of strain 1593 (LC50 16.1 ng/ml). Two B. sphaericus isolates showed high toxicity against mosquito larvae in the three genera Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles.


Liposomal cisplatin: a new cisplatin formulation.
Over the last three decades, cisplatin has been one of the most effective cytotoxic agents, but its administration has been hindered by its nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity and myelo toxicity. Recently, liposomal cisplatin, lipoplatin, has been formulated and tested thoroughly in preclinical (in vitro) and phase I, II and III trials, as documented in the literature. Experiments in animals showed that lipoplatin is less toxic than cisplatin and that it produces tumour reduction. The histological examination of treated tumours from mouse xenografts was consistent with apoptosis in the tumour cells in a mechanism similar to that of cisplatin. Lipoplatin infusion in patients and measurements of platinum levels in tumour specimens showed 10-50 times higher levels in tumours and metastases than in the adjacent normal specimens. A phase I-II study using a combination of lipoplatin and gemcitabine in pretreated patients (with disease progression or stable disease) with advanced pancreatic cancer was conducted. No nephrotoxicity was observed. With lipoplatin monotherapy the dose-limiting toxicity was determined to be 350 mg/m and the maximum tolerated dose 300 mg/m; when used in combination with paclitaxel the dose-limiting toxicity for lipoplatin was 250 mg/m and for paclitaxel 175 mg/m, and the maximum tolerated dose was 200 and 175 mg/m, respectively. In two phase II randomized studies comparing the lipoplatin combination versus the cisplatin combination, it was found that the former was statistically significantly less toxic than the latter, whereas the response rate and survival were similar. Up to now, the data on lipoplatin treatment in malignant tumours are quite impressive, because of the negligible toxicity and because it is equal if not superior to cisplatin with regard to response rate. This review aims to chronologically document publications relevant to liposomal cisplatin to date.


Energy requirements from infancy to adulthood.
To investigate how age and body composition affect energy requirements, the sedentary daily expenditure (SDE) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 101 infants, 82 girls, and 27 adults were measured. Energy expenditure was scaled for differences in body size to test the effects of age and body fatness. A power function was superior to linear models. For all subjects, WT0.63 (where WT is weight) or FFM0.63 (where FFM is fat-free mass) explained 94% of the variability in BMR, and WT0.70 or FFM0.70 explained 97% of the variability in SDE. The effects of height and fat mass (kg or % body wt) on BMR and SDE scaled for weight or fat-free mass were age dependent. Best-fitted exponents relating BMR or SDE to body size differed between children (0.40-0.52) and infants (1.04-1.30) (P = 0.001). Human energy requirements from infancy to adulthood appear to be a power, not a linear, function of body weight and composition.


Effect of Thoracentesis on Intubated Patients with Acute Lung Injury.
Pleural effusions occur frequently in mechanically ventilated patients, but no consensus exists regarding the clinical benefit of effusion drainage. We sought to determine the impact of thoracentesis on gas exchange in patients with differing severities of acute lung injury (ALI). A retrospective analysis was conducted on therapeutic thoracenteses performed on intubated patients in an adult surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary center. Effusions judged by ultrasound to be 400 mL or larger were drained. Subjects were divided into groups based on their initial P:F ratios: normal >300, ALI 200 to 300, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) <200. Baseline characteristics, physiologic variables, arterial blood gases, and ventilator settings before and after the intervention were analyzed. The primary end point was the change in measures of oxygenation. Significant improvements in P:F ratios (mean ± SD) were seen only in patients with ARDS (50.4 ± 38.5, P = 0.001) and ALI (90.6 ± 161.7, P = 0.022). Statistically significant improvement was observed in the pO2 (31.1, P = 0.005) and O2 saturation (4.1, P < 0.001) of the ARDS group. The volume of effusion removed did not correlate with changes in individual patient's oxygenation. These data support the role of therapeutic thoracentesis for intubated patients with abnormal P:F ratios.


Fatal outcome of deep-penetrating lower limb primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphomas in two immunocompromised patients.
The occurrence of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PCALCL) in immunocompromised patients is rare. Only 11 cases have been reported to date, all of them in organ transplant recipients and none in patient with idiopathic CD4+ T-cell lymphocytopaenia. We describe here the original clinical pattern of deep, fascia and muscle-penetrating PCALCL of the lower limb in two immunocompromised patients, one in a renal transplant recipient, the other in a patient with idiopathic CD4+ T-cell lymphocytopaenia. Both patients experienced a negative outcome, contrasting with the usually indolent course of PCALCL in immunocompetent patients, since both died of complications related to the lymphoma 30 and 13 months later, respectively. The unusual clinical aggressiveness of these two cases of PCALCL suggests that, in this peculiar subset with a deep structures involvement hallmark, a worse prognosis could be expected, especially in immunocompromised patients. This information should be taken into consideration when making therapeutic choices.


The management of cervical incompetence with protruded membranes into the vagina by vaginal irrigation with granulocyte elastase inhibitor: ulinastatin and PVP-iodine solution.
In an attempt to prevent preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) and to prolong the duration of pregnancy in patients with a dilated cervix and with the membranes protruding into the vagina, the combination therapy of irrigation with a solution containing granulocyte elastase inhibitor (ulinastatin) and PVP-iodine onto the membranes, as well as the use of antibiotics and tocolytic agents, was tested. Ten patients with protruding membranes were treated by this combination therapy and five patients were instructed to have strict bedrest without any medication. In the non-treated group, all patients were delivered within 2 days of admission and all babies had a poor prognosis. In the treated group, the pregnancy was prolonged by between 3 and 108 days (mean values 33.6 days). Only two out of 10 patients had PPROM. In cases with protruding membranes, this combination therapy seemed to be useful in preventing rupture and so prolonging the pregnancy and increasing the survival rate of the infants.


Characterization of human breast adenocarcinoma SK-BR-3 cells resistant to doxorubicin.
Doxorubicin shows a wide spectrum of activities in solid tumors, especially against breast carcinoma. The aim of this study was to examine if doxorubicin, when given at lower concentrations than applied in clinic, may induce changes in treated cells. With this purpose we developed human breast adenocarcinoma SK-BR-3 cell line resistant to doxorubicin. The sensitivity of these cells to doxorubicin and to some other cytostatics used in cancer treatment was determined by colorimetric MTT assay. Some parameters which may be of importance as prognostic factors in treatment of breast cancer were analyzed as well. The expression of genes involved in mitotic signal pathway (EGF, TGF alpha, EGF-R, erbB-2, erbB-3, c-myc and c-H-ras) was determined immunocytochemically. The concentrations of cathepsins were determined using quantitative immunoreactive assays (cathepsins B and L) or immunoradiometric assay (cathepsin D). The results revealed that even low doses of doxorubicin can induce numerous changes in treated cells: they become resistant to doxorubicin, and cross-resistant to several other cytostatics. The expression of the above mentioned genes involved in mitotic signal transduction, as well as cathepsins D and L, was similar in both parental and doxorubicin treated cells.


[The anti-influenza effect of rimantadine and isoprinosine when used in combination in mice].
The antiviral effect of rimantadine and isoprinosine applied in combination against fowl plague virus (FPV) in cell cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts and in experimental influenza infection in mice has been studied. Isoprinosine does not inhibit the reproduction of FPV when given alone and does not increase the antiviral activity of rimantadine. After oral application of both substances according to an appropriate scheme in mice infected with influenza virus A/Aichi (N3N2), an increase in the antiviral effect with an index of protection by 12% higher than the theoretically calculated one for additive effect was established. The results suggest that the combined effect is synergic.


Influence of Sensory Properties in Moderating Eating Behaviors and Food Intake.
Sensory properties inform likes and dislikes, but also play an important functional role in guiding food choice and intake behavior. Odors direct food choice and stimulate sensory-specific appetites and taste helps to anticipate calorie and nutrient content of food. Food textures moderate eating rate and the energy consumed to satiation and post-ingestive metabolism. We summarize how sensory cues moderate intake, and highlight opportunities to apply sensory approaches to improve dietary behavior. Salt, sweet and savory taste influence liking, but also influence energy intake to fullness, with higher taste intensity and duration linked to lower intake. Psycho-physical studies show it is relatively easy to rank taste intensities at different concentrations but more challenging to discriminate fat contents, and fat discrimination declines further when combined with high-taste intensity. Fat has low impact on sensory intensity, but makes significant contributions to energy content. Combinations of high taste and fat-content can promote passive energy over-consumption, and adding fat also increases energy intake rate (kcals/min), reducing opportunities to orally meter consumption. Consumers adapt their oral processing behaviors to a foods texture, which can influence the rate and extent of energy intake. Understanding how texture influences eating behaviors and bolus formation, affords new opportunities to impact eating rate, energy intake and metabolic response to food. Food formulation has traditionally focused on composition and sensory appeal. Future research needs to consider the role of sensory properties in moderating consumer interaction with their food environment, and how they influence calorie selection, and shape our eating behaviors and intake.


Clinical efficacy of recombinant factor VIII. The rFactor VIII Clinical Trial Group.
This investigation has been an ongoing, multistage evaluation of the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of a factor VIII concentrate prepared through recombinant DNA technology. In vivo activity of the rFVIII has been comparable to that of pdFVIII including half life and in vivo recovery. Recombinant factor VIII is safe and effective for prophylaxis and treatment of hemophilic bleeding episodes. Efficacy of rFVIII appears comparable with that of pdFVIII concentrates. Infusions were well tolerated with infrequent adverse reactions. As with any new product, the verdict regarding induction of inhibitors to factor VIII awaits evaluation of sufficient numbers of patients and passage of adequate observation time.


Fibroblast proliferation induced by silica-exposed human alveolar macrophages.
Inhalation of silica dust is an important cause of pulmonary fibrosis. In these studies, we demonstrate that supernatants of silica-stimulated human alveolar macrophages cause significantly (p less than 0.05) greater amounts of fibroblast proliferation than do supernatants of macrophages stimulated with optimal amounts of endotoxin (LPS). The amount of fibroblast proliferation was similar (p greater than 0.2) in the presence of supernatants of LPS-stimulated macrophages and supernatants of unstimulated adherent macrophages. When macrophages were stimulated with LPS in the presence of indomethacin (to inhibit the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid), the supernatants stimulated the same amount of proliferation of fibroblasts as did supernatants of silica-stimulated macrophages. Indomethacin did not increase the growth factor activity of supernatants of silica-stimulated or unstimulated macrophages. Consistent with these observations, supernatants of LPS-stimulated macrophages contained 25.5 +/- 3.8 nM of PGE2, whereas supernatants of silica-stimulated macrophages and unstimulated macrophages contained essentially no PGE2. These findings were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. The amounts of PGE2 present in supernatants of LPS-stimulated macrophages were sufficient to cause a 75% reduction in the proliferation of maximally stimulated fibroblasts. These studies suggest that silica may be a very effective stimulus for fibroblast proliferation in vivo since it causes macrophages to release growth factors for fibroblasts without triggering the release of PGE2, an inhibitor of fibroblast proliferation.


Spike-triggered reaction-time EEG as a possible assessment tool for driving ability.
The impact of interictal epileptic activity (IEA) on driving is a rarely investigated issue. We analyzed the impact of IEA on reaction time in a pilot study. Reactions to simple visual stimuli (light flash) in the Flash test or complex visual stimuli (obstacle on a road) in a modified car driving computer game, the Steer Clear, were measured during IEA bursts and unremarkable electroencephalography (EEG) periods. Individual epilepsy patients showed slower reaction times (RTs) during generalized IEA compared to RTs during unremarkable EEG periods. RT differences were approximately 300 ms (p < 0.001) in the Flash test and approximately 200 ms (p < 0.001) in the Steer Clear. Prior work suggested that RT differences >100 ms may become clinically relevant. This occurred in 40% of patients in the Flash test and in up to 50% in the Steer Clear. When RT were pooled, mean RT differences were 157 ms in the Flash test (p < 0.0001) and 116 ms in the Steer Clear (p < 0.0001). Generalized IEA of short duration seems to impair brain function, that is, the ability to react. The reaction-time EEG could be used routinely to assess driving ability.


A prospective cohort study of 6-month mortality in a community hospital experiencing a gradual reduction in critical care services.
To analyse the effect of reduction of critical care services on admissions, resource consumption and outcome. Observation outcome study with analysis of patient data collected prospectively during 1993, 1995 and 1997. High dependency and intensive care unit (HDU/ICU) of a community hospital serving a population of 168,000. The number of beds decreased from 12 (1993), to 10 (1995) and to 8 (1997) with concomitant decrease in staff. Three patient cohorts admitted to the HDU/ICU during 1993, 1995 and 1997. Admissions were classified into recovery room care or critical care admissions and stratified according to workload (Levels I-IV). Illness severity scores of critical care admissions were recorded according to the APACHE II system. Mortality data were acquired from a national database. The total number of admissions to the unit did not change over the years. Length of stay decreased significantly over the years. Standardised mortality rates based on mortality within 30 days of discharge from the HDU/ICU were 1.17 (95% confidence interval 0.96-1.43) for critical care admissions during 1993, 0.86 (0.70-1.06) for 1995 and 0.98 (0.79-1.22) for 1997. Survival 180 days after discharge from the HDU/ICU did not differ significantly over the years. The results suggest that an excess of resources were used in critical care services during 1993 and 1995. Reduction of HDU/ICU beds by 30% from 7.1 to 4.8 beds/100,000 was not associated with increased 6-month mortality of the patients admitted.


[Investigation of actual conditions of mammography in Kagoshima Prefecture].
We surveyed the actual conditions of mammography with regard to image quality and radiation dose at 44 facilities in Kagoshima prefecture in 1999. In April 2004, guidelines for mammography newly included the standard of digital mammography. From September to October 2005, the survey was conducted at 48 facilities, and the results of the survey were compared with that in 1999. We visited 44 of the 48 facilities, and visually evaluated the image quality of mammograms for RMI156 and clinical mammograms. In addition, we measured average mammary gland dose at each facility. The number of the mammography device that satisfied the specified guideline criterion was larger than that in 1999. Image quality for the RMI156 mammograms improved. However, the results of the present survey revealed several problems. First, the number of facilities that had quality control instruments for mammography are few. Second, radiological technologists, medical doctors, and nurses did not share knowledge or information regarding mammography. Finally, there were differences in devices and image quality for mammography among the facilities. We achieved an understanding of the actual conditions of mammography in Kagoshima prefecture by visiting many facilities, evaluating image quality, and communicating with many staff members. Our results may be useful for the development of mammography examinations.


Hydroxyl-containing porous organic framework coated stir bar sorption extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector for analysis of triazole fungicides in grape and cabbage samples.
In this work, a hydroxyl-containing porous organic framework (HC-POF) was prepared by a simple solvothermal reaction with 1,4-phthalaldehyde and phloroglucinol as monomers. Sol-gel method was used to coat HC-POF on the glass stir bar. The prepared HC-POF coated stir bar shows better extraction performance for six triazole fungicides (TFs) compared to commercial polydimethylsiloxane and ethylene glycol-silicone coated stir bars. Fourier transform infrared Spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron Spectrometry were used to explore interactions between HC-POF coating and TFs. It is assumed that the coating mainly adsorbs TFs through π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Based on this fact, a new method of HC-POF coated stir bar sorptive extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector was developed for the determination of six TFs in grape and cabbage samples. A series of extraction and desorption conditions were carefully optimized, including salt concentration, sample solution pH, stirring rate and desorption solvent. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the proposed method displayed limits of detection in the range of 0.022 -0.071 μg L-1, which is the lowest among the reported SBSE methods for target TFs analysis. The linear range for six TFs was 0.1/0.2-500 μg L-1 and the recoveries for the spiked grape and cabbage were 81.0-109% and 80.7-111%, respectively.


Rat diaphragm during postnatal development. I. Changes in distribution of muscle fibre type and in oxidative potential.
The changes occurring in the histochemical characteristics of the rat diaphragm during the postnatal period were examined. Fibre-type distribution, fibre oxidative capacity, i.e. succinate-dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, and cross-sectional area were compared in the costal (COS) and crural (CRU) regions, and across their abdominal and thoracic surfaces. The proportions of type I and IIb fibres in both COS and CRU increased with age, while the proportion of type IIa fibres progressively decreased. For COS, fibre distribution was homogeneous over the entire muscle and did not change after 4 weeks. For CRU, it was heterogeneous with a higher proportion of type I fibres on the thoracic surface as from the first week. All fibre types significantly increased in cross-sectional area between 1 and 8 weeks, with no significant differences in COS and CRU. Mean SDH activity did not differ between COS and CRU or across the muscles. Mean SDH activitiĕs-were low and identical in all fibre types at birth, and then increased, peaking at the 6th week in type I and IIa fibres. When total muscle fibre oxidative capacity was calculated from an index including fibre-type proportion, cross-sectional area and mean SDH activity, it was significantly higher at 1 than at 8 weeks after birth; this might have functional implications for the newborn.


Ion Transport in Nanostructured Phosphonated Block Copolymers Containing Ionic Liquids.
The morphology and conductivity of poly(styrenephosphonate-b-methylbutylene) block copolymers containing ionic liquids are investigated. The block copolymers display a series of well-defined self-assembled morphologies, i.e., lamellae, gyroid, hexagonal cylinder (HEX), body-centered cubic, and A15 lattice, in the absence and presence of ionic liquids. The observation of an equilibrium A15 lattice for linear diblock copolymers, in contrast to a number of theoretical studies, is ascribed to the packing frustration accompanied by prevailing electrostatic interactions. The samples having the A15 lattice show a substantially higher morphology factors (0.83-0.96) than those with the HEX phases (0.42-0.69). This indicates the structural advantage of the A15 lattice with a well-defined 3D symmetry over the 2D HEX structure for constructing less tortuous ion-conduction pathways. This unprecedented study portends the rational design of nanostructured phosphonated polymer membranes with improved conductivity.


Performance evaluation of an Inveon PET preclinical scanner.
We evaluated the performance of an Inveon preclinical PET scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions), the latest MicroPET system. Spatial resolution was measured with a glass capillary tube (0.26 mm inside diameter, 0.29 mm wall thickness) filled with (18)F solution. Transaxial and axial resolutions were measured with the source placed parallel and perpendicular to the axis of the scanner. The sensitivity of the scanner was measured with a (22)Na point source, placed on the animal bed and positioned at different offsets from the center of the field of view (FOV), as well as at different energy and coincidence windows. The noise equivalent count rates (NECR) and the system scatter fraction were measured using rat-like (Phi = 60, L = 150 mm) and mouse-like (Phi = 25 mm, L = 70 mm) cylindrical phantoms. Line sources filled with high activity (18)F (>250 MBq) were inserted parallel to the axes of the phantoms (13.5 and 10 mm offset). For each phantom, list-mode data were collected over 24 h at 350-650 keV and 250-750 keV energy windows and 3.4 ns coincidence window. System scatter fraction was measured when the random event rates were below 1%. Performance phantoms consisting of cylinders with hot rod inserts filled with (18)F were imaged. In addition, we performed imaging studies that show the suitability of the Inveon scanner for imaging small structures such as those in mice with a variety of tracers. The radial, tangential and axial resolutions at the center of FOV were 1.46 mm, 1.49 and 1.15 mm, respectively. At a radial offset of 2 cm, the FWHM values were 1.73, 2.20 and 1.47 mm, respectively. At a coincidence window of 3.4 ns, the sensitivity was 5.75% for EW = 350-650 keV and 7.4% for EW = 250-750 keV. For an energy window of 350-650 keV, the peak NECR was 538 kcps at 131.4 MBq for the rat-like phantom, and 1734 kcps at 147.4 MBq for the mouse-like phantom. The system scatter fraction values were 0.22 for the rat phantom and 0.06 for the mouse phantom. The Inveon system presents high image resolution, low scatter fraction values and improved sensitivity and count rate performance.


[Relation between the DNA content in laryngeal cancer cell and its clinical behaviour].
The DNA contents of 45 cases of laryngeal cancer have been analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The DNA index (DI) ranged from 0.9 to 3.39; proliferative index (PI) was 27.3%. Among them, 13 cases (28.8%) were diploid and 31 (68.8%) distinctly aneuploid. Correlation has been found between DI and the histopathologic grades of the tumors. The larger the DI, the higher the histopathologic grade (P less than 0.05). The mean value of the PI in supraglottic types was higher than that of glottic types. DNA content analysis also showed that diploid tumor had a better prognosis and longer survival than those with higher DI values. In addition, the proliferative activity of cancer cell was found to be markedly reduced after irradiation which demonstrates that preoperative radiotherapy is favourable for laryngeal cancer.


Super-lncRNAs: identification of lncRNAs that target super-enhancers via RNA:DNA:DNA triplex formation.
Super-enhancers are characterized by high levels of Mediator binding and are major contributors to the expression of their associated genes. They exhibit high levels of local chromatin interactions and a higher order of local chromatin organization. On the other hand, lncRNAs can localize to specific DNA sites by forming a RNA:DNA:DNA triplex, which in turn can contribute to local chromatin organization. In this paper, we characterize a new class of lncRNAs called super-lncRNAs that target super-enhancers and which can contribute to the local chromatin organization of the super-enhancers. Using a logistic regression model based on the number of RNA:DNA:DNA triplex sites a lncRNA forms within the super-enhancer, we identify 442 unique super-lncRNA transcripts in 27 different human cell and tissue types; 70% of these super-lncRNAs were tissue restricted. They primarily harbor a single triplex-forming repeat domain, which forms an RNA:DNA:DNA triplex with multiple anchor DNA sites (originating from transposable elements) within the super-enhancers. Super-lncRNAs can be grouped into 17 different clusters based on the tissue or cell lines they target. Super-lncRNAs in a particular cluster share common short structural motifs and their corresponding super-enhancer targets are associated with gene ontology terms pertaining to the tissue or cell line. Super-lncRNAs may use these structural motifs to recruit and transport necessary regulators (such as transcription factors and Mediator complexes) to super-enhancers, influence chromatin organization, and act as spatial amplifiers for key tissue-specific genes associated with super-enhancers.


Alveolar adenoma combined with multifocal cysts: case report and literature review.
Alveolar adenoma is an extremely rare and benign pulmonary neoplasm; it is always asymptomatic and is usually detected incidentally on routine chest X-radiography. Typically on imaging examinations, alveolar adenoma exhibits as a peripheral, solitary, cystic nodule in the lung, which may easily imitate other lung lesions, consequently leading to difficulties in the differential diagnosis of this condition. Surgical resection is the primary treatment option. The diagnosis of alveolar adenoma is mainly based on postoperative histopathology, with features of proliferative type 2 alveolar epithelial cells and septal mesenchyme. The present case was a 60-year-old woman with alveolar adenoma, combined with systemic mutifocal cystic lesions. She underwent surgery following the obvious enlargement of this mass and a cystic nodule 7 cm in maximum diameter was resected. Postoperative histopathology confirmed a diagnosis of alveolar adenoma; her prognosis was favourable. In addition to reporting a rare case of alveolar adenoma coexisting with multifocal cysts, the English-language literature was reviewed for similar cases of alveolar adenoma.


Ordered Mesoporous Carbonaceous Materials with Tunable Surface Property for Enrichment of Hexachlorobenzene.
A gradient pyrolysis approach has been adopted for synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbonaceous materials with different surface and textural properties for removal of hexachlorobenzene. The resultant ordered mesoporous carbonaceous materials possess high surface areas (364-888 m2/g), large pore volumes (0.23-0.47 cm3/g), uniform pore sizes (2.6-3.8 nm), and tunable hydrophobic properties. They show high-efficiency removal performances for hexachlorobenzene with high adsorption capacity of 594.2-992.1 μg/g. An enhanced removal rate (>99%) can be obtained with the increasing pyrolysis temperature (900 °C) as a result of the strong hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction between the carbon framework and hexachlorobenzene molecules. Furthermore, the adsorption behaviors follow the Sips isotherm model and obey the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.


Pacemaker laser lead extraction and reimplantation of dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator via Mustard baffle in complete transposition of great arteries.
We present a case of a complicated lead extraction and reimplantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in a young woman with complete transposition of great arteries (CTGA), a cyanotic congenital heart defect in which the aorta and the pulmonary trunk are transposed. The malformation results in two parallel circulations, whereby the left ventricle is attached to the pulmonary trunk and the right ventricle is attached to the aorta. Survival depends on the mixing of these two circulations at the level of the atria or ventricles or great arteries. Balloon atrial septostomy and creation of an intra-atrial baffle are procedures that increase atrial mixing, increase systemic oxygenation, and hence improve survival. With the improved survival of patients with CTGA, there is an increasing need for permanent pacemakers (PPMs) and ICDs for rhythm disturbances. These leads and/or devices are often inserted when the patients are very young and need to be replaced or explanted in adulthood due to device or lead malfunction, device-associated infection, or generator replacement or upgrades. These procedures are often complicated by the patients' complex anatomy and/or shunts. We describe a patient with CTGA who had an intra-atrial baffle and a nonfunctioning dual-chamber PPM. The lead was extracted via the baffle and the old PPM was upgraded to an ICD. Such descriptions are rare.


Evaluation of the mutagenic potential of enflurane and isoflurane by sister chromatid exchange.
Chinese hamster lung cells were exposed to varying doses of enflurane and isoflurane mixed with oxygen, 5% carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Anesthetic concentrations varied between 0.5% and 4.0%. Controls were exposed to room air and 5% carbon dioxide. Following culturing and preparation, the number of sister chromatid exchanges were counted for each concentration. No significant difference occurred between the control and any of the drug exposed cultures. There was no correlation in the number of exchanges with the varying drug concentrations. Enflurane and isoflurane do not appear to be mutagenic under these conditions.