MR in neurological syndromes of connective tissue diseases.
Neurological complications in the course of SLE are mostly associated with vascular changes. An important role in their pathogenesis is played by immune mechanisms. The aim of the study was to determine the value of modern imaging techniques, with special reference to selected MR sequences (FLAIR, DWI) in the diagnosis of cerebral changes in patients with neurological symptoms of SLE. Fifty patients with neurological symptoms of SLE underwent CT and MR of CNS in routine sequences. In 12 cases EPI DWI sequences were also performed. Serum levels of antinuclear, anti-native DNA and antiphospholipid antibodies were also determined. The changes in CNS were detected in 48 patients in MR and in 42 patients in CT. Focal changes were observed in 29 cases, while atrophic changes were seen in the majority of subjects. In 10 cases, DWI showed changes typical for acute stroke. The extend and advancement of changes in CT and MR correlated with the severity of neurological symptoms; there was also a correlation between the changes and elevated levels of antiphospholipid antibodies. FLAIR was useful in the detection of gliosis and cortical scar, while DWI enabled us to detect acute ischaemic foci and to distinguish them from coexistent scars. MRI with FLAIR and DWI sequences enhances the sensitivity and specifity of neuroimaging techniques in the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disease in SLE. There is a correlation between elevated titre of antiphospholipid antibodies and the presence of vascular changes in patients with neurological manifestations of SLE.


Neoplastic cells of Hodgkin's disease show differences in EBV expression between Kenya and Italy.
The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease (HD). However, the association of EBV with this disease varies greatly from series to series and from country to country. Epidemiological studies have shown differences in HD occurring in different parts of the world. In particular, it has been reported that HD in developing countries differs from HD in Western countries in terms of epidemiological, pathological and clinical characteristics. These discrepancies among populations suggest an interaction with environmental factors and a direct role of different etiological agents. At present, there are no data on the frequency of association of EBV with HD in equatorial Africa. In this study, a large series of HD cases have been collected at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and at the Universities of Bologna and Siena, Italy. The cases have been reviewed and classified according to the REAL Classification and the presence of EBV has been assessed by in situ hybridization (ISH). A statistical difference in EBV expression was found between HD from Kenya and HD from Italy. EBV-positive neoplastic cells were detected in 92% of Kenyan cases, whereas only 48% of Italian cases showed EBER1/2 positivity in the neoplastic cells. Our results suggest that, in Kenya, EBV plays a more direct role in the pathogenesis of HD, as it does for endemic Burkitt lymphoma.


Uncommon cytidine-homopolymer dimorphism in 5'-UTR of the human otoferlin gene.
Human otoferlin, homologous to the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis factor FER-1 that was shown to be involved in membrane vesicle fusion, belongs to a group of membrane-anchored cytosolic proteins and is found expressed in brain, cochlear inner hair cells and vestibular type I sensory cells. Nonsense and missense mutations of OTOF lead to an autosomal recessive deafness phenotype (DFNB9). We describe here an unusual C-homopolymer dimorphism at position -136 of 5'-UTR of the OTOF short splice form. Although at first identified within a family with a hereditary component of hearing deficiency this C3/C5 dimorphism is found frequently in European populations (0.4 for C3, 0.6 for C5) and does not segregate with the deafness phenotype. The polymorphic site may become useful for studying the origin of different OTOF mutations within various populations, for assessing recombination events within large pedigrees as well as founder effects and for association studies in further deafness phenotypes.


Left paracardiac mass caused by dilated pericardiacophrenic vein: report of four cases.
The pericardiacophrenic vein is a possible route of collateral circulation when either the superior or the inferior vena cava is obstructed. When the vein is dilated, it can cause an abnormal appearance on chest radiographs. We describe four such patients. We studied four patients who had abnormalities on conventional chest radiographs due to a grossly dilated pericardiacophrenic vein, confirmed by means of venacavography, CT, or MR imaging. We analyzed the cause of the dilatation and the radiologic findings associated with the dilated pericardiacophrenic vein. The cause of the dilated pericardiacophrenic vein was the membranous obstruction of the inferior vena cava in all four patients. Chest radiographs revealed an undulating vascular shadow (in two cases) or a shadow of several masses (in one case) along the left border of the heart or a poorly defined haziness mimicking a pulmonary parenchymal infiltrate (in one case). A direct communication between the left hepatic vein and the left inferior phrenic vein was seen near their insertion into the inferior vena cava in three cases. Hepatic venous outflow and some of the systemic venous return were directed to this left inferior phrenic-pericardiacophrenic route. When obstruction of the inferior vena cava is clinically suspected and the chest radiograph shows abnormalities at the left paracardiac area, a dilated pericardiacophrenic vein due to obstruction in the suprahepatic portion of the inferior vena cava, most likely a membrane, should be considered in the differential diagnosis.


Metal analysis in citrus sinensis fruit peel and psidium guajava leaf.
The determination of metal traces is very important because they are involved in biological cycles and indicate high toxicity. The objective of the present study is to measure the levels of heavy metals and mineral ions in medicinally important plant species, Citrus sinensis and Psidium guajava. This study investigates the accumulation of Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Aluminum (Al), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se) and inorganic minerals like Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) in C. sinensis (sweet orange) fruit peel and P. guajava (guava) leaf, to measure the levels of heavy metal contamination. Dried powdered samples of the plants were digested using wet digestion method and elemental determination was done by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation and analysed by student's 't' test. Values are considered significant at P < 0.05. The results were compared with suitable safety standards and the levels of Cu, Zn, Cd, Mg and Ca in C. sinensis fruit peel and P. guajava leaves were within the acceptable limits for human consumption. The order of concentration of elements in both the samples showed the following trend: Mg > Ca > Al > Zn > Cu > Cd > Hg = As = Se. The content of Hg, As and Se in C. sinensis fruit peel and P. guajava leaves was significantly low and below detection limit. The content of toxic metals in tested plant samples was found to be low when compared with the limits prescribed by various authorities (World Health Organization, WHO; International Centre for Materials Research, ICMR; American Public Health Association, APHA). The content of Hg, As and Se in C. sinensis fruit peel and P. guajava leaves was not detectable and met the appropriate safety standards. In conclusion, the tested plant parts taken in the present study were found to be safe.


Disseminated intravascular coagulation and massive obstetric hemorrhage. Management dilemma.
The objective of this retrospective study is to reflect on our experience on an optimal management for major postpartum hemorrhage, which would prevent the occurrence and complications of disseminated intravascular coagulation and minimize maternal mortality and morbidity. Ten cases out of the 30,000 of total deliveries of severe obstetric hemorrhage associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation were studied. This study was carried out over a 7 year period, October 1988 through to September 1995, at the Obstetric Unit, King Khalid University Teaching Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All of the 10 women received packed red blood cells, 8 had fresh frozen plasma, and 6 received platelet transfusion. The 10 cases developed disseminated intravascular coagulation following medical and surgical management, all women needed hysterectomy, 4 subtotal, 6 total, and 5 women had relaparotomy and pelvic packing. Two had bladder injuries. There was no maternal death. An early resort to hysterectomy when conservative measures fail, will minimize maternal morbidity and mortality. In case of continuous bleeding after hysterectomy, pelvic packing proved to be effective.


Stress, Coping, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Pregnant Women in Outpatient Care During the 2021 Second-Wave COVID-19 Pandemic.
Aims: Women face many sources of stress throughout their lives, and some periods are particularly sensitive; pregnancy is one of them. The COVID-19 pandemic is a likely source of additional stress for pregnant women. Moreover, there is evidence that pregnant women have experienced high levels of anxiety and depression symptoms during the pandemic. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of pregnancy-specific stress, pandemic-related stress, and coping strategies with anxiety, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology in Italian women during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020-June 2021). We also investigated whether there were differences in these levels of psychopathology compared to a prior study conducted during the first pandemic wave (April-August 2020) in Italian pregnant women. Methods: We assessed 325 pregnant women receiving outpatient prenatal care, using the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS), the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) screening. The main analysis was conducted comparing multiple logistic regression models predicting each psychopathological outcome from specific covariates and NuPDQ, PREPS, and NuPCI scores. Results: 42.8% of the sample reported significant levels of anxiety, while 10.3% was positive on depression screening and 13.1% on OCD screening. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of high anxiety, depression, or OCD screening scores compared with the first pandemic wave. Controlling for covariates, we found that GAD-7 and PHQ-2 scores were predicted by pregnancy-specific stress; positive OCD screening was not. The model of high anxiety was improved by adding pandemic-related stress as a predictor (in particular, feeling unprepared for delivery and postpartum). Finally, coping strategies (avoidance, spiritual coping, and planning-preparation) significantly improved prediction of all three psychopathological outcomes. Conclusions: The present study suggests the importance of pregnancy-related stress, COVID-19 pandemic stress, and of coping strategies in counteracting or contributing to psychiatric symptomatology during the current pandemic.


Jejunal arterial access for retrograde mesenteric stenting.
Endovascular approaches have replaced open surgical revascularization in most patients with mesenteric ischemia; however, flush ostial occlusions may not be amenable to traditional antegrade access. Retrograde mesenteric stenting has been previously described, but this technique requires a formal laparotomy and dissection of the proximal superior mesenteric artery. We present here a modification of this technique that requires only a "mini-laparotomy" and no open vascular repair of the superior mesenteric artery as well as a review of our initial institutional experience with this procedure. Our approach differs from previously described work by minimizing mesenteric dissection, avoiding the need for repair of an arteriotomy, and limiting the size of the laparotomy incision in this population of profoundly comorbid patients.


Development and characterization of sugar palm starch and poly(lactic acid) bilayer films.
The development and characterization of environmentally friendly bilayer films from sugar palm starch (SPS) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were conducted in this study. The SPS-PLA bilayer films and their individual components were characterized for their physical, mechanical, thermal and water barrier properties. Addition of 50% PLA layer onto 50% SPS layer (SPS50-PLA50) increased the tensile strength of neat SPS film from 7.74 to 13.65MPa but reduced their elongation at break from 46.66 to 15.53%. The incorporation of PLA layer significantly reduced the water vapor permeability as well as the water uptake and solubility of bilayer films which was attributed to the hydrophobic characteristic of the PLA layer. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of SPS50-PLA50 revealed lack of strong interfacial adhesion between the SPS and PLA. Overall, the incorporation of PLA layer onto SPS films enhances the suitability of SPS based films for food packaging.


Antitumor effect of Bothrops jararaca venom.
Many experimental studies have been carried out using snake venoms for the treatment of animal tumors, with controversial results. While some authors have reported an antitumor effect of treatment with specific snake venom fractions, others have reported no effects after this treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Bothrops jararaca venom (BjV) on Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells in vivo and in vitro. In the in vivo study, Swiss mice were inoculated with EAT cells by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route and treated with BjV venom (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.), on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, and 13th days. Mice were evaluated for total and differential cells number on the 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th and 14th days. The survival time was also evaluated after 60 days of tumor growth. In the in vitro study, EAT and normal peritoneal cells were cultivated in the presence of different BjV concentrations (2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, 40.0, and 80 microg) and viability was verified after 3, 6, 12 and 24 h of cultivation. Results were analyzed statistically by the Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests at the 5% level of significance. It was observed that in vivo treatment with BjV induced tumor growth inhibition, increased animal survival time, decreased mortality, increased the influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes on the early stages of tumor growth, and did not affect the mononuclear cells number. In vitro treatment with BjV produced a dose-dependent toxic effect on EAT and peritoneal cells, with higher effects against peritoneal cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that BjV has an important antitumor effect. This is the first report showing this in vivo effect for this venom.


Effect of practice distribution and experience on the performance and retention of a discrete sport skill.
This study examined how practice distribution influenced performance and learning of a discrete sport skill, the Australian Football (AF) handball pass. A secondary aim was to assess whether previous experience playing competitive Australian Football influenced learning. Participants performed the handball 50 times (5 blocks x 10 repetitions) using either a massed (1 sec. between repetitions or distributed (30 sec. between repetitions) practice schedule. Testing consisted of pre-test, acquisition, immediate retention (10 min.), and delayed retention (2 weeks) sessions. Performance accuracy scores improved in the massed practice condition from pre-test to immediate retention and from pre-test to delayed retention. Likewise, performance improved in the distributed practice group from pretest to immediate retention, but scores were not different from pre-test to delayed retention, and decreased from immediate retention to delayed retention. While students with previous AF experience performed better overall, there were no differences between the massed and distributed groups based on experience. Results suggested that, regardless of previous related skill, massed practice of a discrete sport skill may lead to better retention of learning over a two-week period.


Small area population estimation: a note on the state of the art.
"Inadequacies of the present migration data supply system in Scotland have been recently highlighted. The purpose of the present item is to enlarge upon problems of monitoring migration and in particular to draw attention to difficulties encountered in the use of the Register of Sasines as a migration data source. Finally, recent progress among Scottish local authorities in the matter of small area population estimation is documented."


The concept of an evolved adaptation.
A Darwinian adaptation is an organism's feature that was functionally designed by the process of evolution by selection acting in nature in the past. Functional design rules out explanations of drift, incidental effect, phylogenetic legacy and mutation. Elucidation of the functional design of an adaptation entails an implicit reconstruction of the selection that made the adaptation. Darwinian adaptations and other individual traits may be currently adaptive, maladaptive or neutral. One relatively recent meaning of adaptation is inconsistent with the Darwinian conception of adaptation. The inconsistent meaning characterizes much research on humans and non-human species in behavioural ecology. Its focus is on equating Darwinian adaptation with current adaptiveness. Current adaptiveness is not an actual scientific prediction of a hypothesis about Darwinian adaptation. Some aspects of the discussion in the evolutionary literature surrounding the current adaptiveness view of adaptation are evaluated. Contrary to claims by some who advocate current adaptiveness, the environment of evolutionary adaptedness of humans and other organisms is scientifically knowable through discovery of the functional design of Darwinian adaptations.


Phylogenetic Analysis of Polygalacturonase-Producing Bacillus and Pseudomonas Isolated From Plant Waste Material.
Keeping in mind the commercial application of polygalacturonase (PG) in juice and beverages industry, bacterial strains were isolated from rotten fruits and vegetables to screen for competent producers of PG. In this study, the plate method was used for preliminary screening of polygalacturonase-producing bacteria, while the Dinitrosalicylic Acid (DNS) method was used for quantifications of PG. Biochemically-identified polygalacturonase-producing Bacillus and Pseudomonas species were further characterized by molecular markers. The genetic diversity among these selected strains was analyzed by investigating microsatellite distribution in their genome. Out of 110 strains, 17 competent strains of Bacillus and eight strains of Pseudomonas were selected, identified and confirmed biochemically. Selected strains were characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing and data was submitted to the national center for biotechnology information (NCBI) website for accession numbers. Among the Bacillus, Bacillus vallismortis (JQ990307) isolated from mango was the most competent producer of PG; producing up to 4.4 U/µL. Amongst Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (JQ990314) isolated from oranges was the most competent PG producer equivalent to B. vallismortis (JQ990307). To determine genetic diversity of different strains of Pseudomonas and Bacillus varying in PG production, fingerprinting was done on the basis of Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) or microsatellites. The data was analyzed and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the Minitab 3 software for comparison of bacterial isolates producing different concentrations of PG. Fingerprinting showed that presence or absence of certain microsatellites correlated with the ability of PG production. Bacteria from biological waste were competent producers of PG and must be used on an industrial scale to cope with the demand of PG in the food industry.


A novel antimicrobial peptidoglycan recognition protein in the cornea.
In an earlier gene expression study, the authors identified a novel antimicrobial gene, Peptidoglycan recognition protein 1 (Pglyrp1), in the mouse cornea. Here the expression of the Pglyrp1 transcript and the encoded protein, PGLYRP1, in the cornea was investigated. The role of PGLYRP1 in the cornea was further investigated using wild-type and Pglyrp1-deficient mice. This is the first report of this antimicrobial protein in the cornea. PGLYRP1 was detected in the cornea and was further localized to the epithelium by immunohistology, confocal microscopy, immunoblotting, and real-time PCR. The role of PGLYRP1 in the cornea was investigated by comparing the response of wild-type and Pglyrp1(-/-) mice to corneal epithelial wounds and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mediated corneal infections. The antibacterial effects of corneal PGLYRP1 were assayed by measuring bacterial growth in vitro, in the presence of wild-type corneal epithelial extracts, before and after antibody-mediated blocking of PGLYRP1. PGLYRP1 is expressed at high levels in the mouse corneal epithelium. PGLYRP1 was localized to the mouse corneal epithelium and the human corneal epithelium. The Pglyrp1(-/-) mouse shows delayed healing and poor clearing of bacterial keratitis; in vitro its epithelial protein extract shows reduced bacteriostatic activity compared with wild-type mice. PGLYRP1 is a novel antimicrobial protein of the corneal epithelium and protects the ocular surface from bacterial infections.


Induction of cytokines in cynomolgus monkeys by the immune response modifiers, imiquimod, S-27609 and S-28463.
Imiquimod, S-27609 and S-28463 are imidazoquinolines known to have antiviral and antitumour properties mediated by the induction of cytokines, in particular interferon alpha (IFN-alpha). This study evaluated these compounds for their ability to induce cytokines and cytokine specific messenger RNAs (mRNA) in cynomologus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from monkeys produced IFN, interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6 and IL-8 after treatment with imiquimod, S-27609 and S-28463. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was also increased in cultures stimulated with S-27609 or S-28463. Monkey PBMCs stimulated with imiquimod, S-27609 and S-28463 showed increased mRNA levels of IFN-alpha, IL-1alpha, IL-6 and the IFN inducible protein, MxA above those seen in untreated cultures. S-27609 and S-28463 also had higher TNF-alpha mRNA expression than cultures not receiving drugs. When compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), S-27609 was less effective at inducing IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha but induced higher concentrations of IFN. Similar results were seen when evaluating cytokine mRNA levels. Upon oral administration to monkeys, S-28463 stimulated a dose-dependent increase in serum concentrations of IFN, TNF-alpha, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-6, while imiquimod induced increases in IFN and IL-1Ra concentrations. Finally, skin biopsies from monkeys treated topically with S-28463 had increases over baseline in mRNA for IFN-alpha, IL-1alpha, IL-6 and MxA protein. The data show that imidazoquinolines induce cytokines and cytokine specific mRNA in cynomolgus monkeys. These results demonstrate the usefulness of human amplimers and human ELISAs in the detection of cytokine specific mRNAs and proteins in cynomolgus monkeys.


Energetic N,N'-ethylene-bridged bis(nitropyrazoles): diversified functionalities and properties.
A new class of N,N'-ethylene-bridged bis(nitropyrazoles) was synthesized and fully characterized. The highly efficient formation of the N,N'-ethylene bridge was accomplished using dibromoethane and ammonium or potassium pyrazolate. Further functional-group transformations of diaminobis(pyrazole) and dichlorobis(pyrazole) gave rise to diversified derivatives, including dinitramino-, diazido- and hexanitrobis(pyrazole). Single-crystal X-ray diffractions were obtained for hexanitro and diazido derivatives to illustrate the structural characteristics. Heats of formation and detonation performance were calculated by using Gaussian 03 and EXPLO5 v6.01 programs, respectively. Because of the different functionalized groups, the impact and friction sensitivities of these new compounds range from insensitive to sensitive. Among them, the hexanitro derivative displays the most promising overall energetic properties (density (ρ)=1.84 g cm(-3) ; decomposition temperature (Td )=250 °C; detonation pressure (P)=34.1 GPa; detonation velocity (vD )=8759 m s(-1) ; impact sensitivity (IS)=25 J; friction sensitivity (FS)=160 N), which is competitive with those of 1,3,5-trinitrotriazacyclohexane (ρ=1.80 g cm(-3) ; Td =205 °C; P=35.0 GPa; vD =8762 m s(-1) ; IS=7 J; FS=120 N).


Pseudogaps in an incoherent metal.
How are the properties of a metal changed by strong inelastic scattering? We investigate this question within the two-dimensional t-J model using extended dynamical mean field theory and a generalized noncrossing approximation. Short-ranged antiferromagnetic fluctuations lead to a strongly incoherent single particle dynamics, large entropy, and resistance. Close to the Mott transition at low hole doping a pseudogap opens, accompanied by a drop in resistivity and an increase in the Hall constant for both lower temperatures T and doping levels. The behavior obtained bears surprising similarity to properties of the cuprates.


A systematic approach to erectile dysfunction in the cardiovascular patient: a Consensus Statement--update 2002.
Sexual activity is no more stressful to the heart when compared with a number of other natural daily activities, e.g. walking one mile on the level in 20 minutes. The cardiac risk of sexual activity in patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease is minimal in properly assessed and advised patients. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is extremely common, affecting over half of men aged 40-70 years, and increases in frequency with age. ED and cardiovascular disease share many of the same risk factors and commonly coexist. ED in the otherwise asymptomatic man may be a marker for underlying coronary artery disease. ED in the diagnosed cardiovascular patient should be identified by routine questioning in general practice. Modern therapies can restore a sexual relationship in the majority of patients with ED and can lead to a substantial improvement in quality of life. The majority of patients assessed to be at low or intermediate cardiac risk, as defined later in this paper, can be effectively managed in primary care. Primary care treatment for ED in patients defined as high risk can be initiated following a specialist opinion and/or confirmation that the patient's cardiovascular condition is stabilised. There is no evidence that currently licensed treatments for ED add to the overall cardiovascular risk in patients with or without diagnosed cardiovascular disease. If one form of therapy is not effective, follow-up will identify the need for alternative approaches. The pro-active management of ED in the cardiovascular patient provides an ideal and effective opportunity to address other cardiovascular risk factors and improve treatment outcomes.


Detection and identification of a soy protein component that cross-reacts with caseins from cow's milk.
Soy-based formulas are the most employed cow's milk substitutes in the treatment of cow's milk allergy in our country. Since adverse reactions have been reported in allergic patients as a consequence of exposure to soy proteins, we have investigated the possible cross-reactivity between components from soybean and cow's milk. A cow's milk specific polyclonal antiserum and casein specific monoclonal antibodies were used in immunoblotting and competitive ELISA studies to identify a 30-kD component from soybean that cross-reacts with cow's milk caseins. Its IgE binding capacity was tested by EAST, employing sera from cow's milk allergic patients, not previously exposed to soy proteins. The 30 kD protein was isolated and partially sequenced. It is constituted by two polypeptides (A5 and B3) linked by a disulphide bond. The protein's capacity to bind to the different antibodies relies on the B3 poly-peptide. These results indicate that soy-based formula, which contains the A5-B3 glycinin molecule, could be involved in allergic reactions observed in cow's milk allergic patients exposed to soy-containing foods.


Motivating people living with HIV to initiate antiretroviral treatment outside national guidelines in three clinics in the HPTN 071 (PopART) trial, South Africa.
Background: The HPTN 071 (PopART) trial implemented universal test and treat (UTT) in three clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa at a time when antiretroviral treatment (ART) was only offered by CD4 threshold and World Health Organization clinical staging. This required a concomitant shift in the way health workers communicated ART initiation messages. We provide insight into front-line ART initiation communication pre-national policy shift.Method: The design of this study was exploratory with a case descriptive analysis of ART initiation in three clinics. To characterise their demographic profiles, we reviewed 134 randomly selected patient clinical folders of people who initiated ART at CD4 counts greater than the recommended standard. Further, we conducted 12 key informant interviews with health workers at these facilities and thematically analysed health workers' responses.Results: The median age of patients initiating ART regardless of CD4 count (above the threshold level) was 33 years and most were women (73.9%), married (76.1%), and unemployed (48.5%). The median CD4 count of patients initiating outside guidelines was 566.5 cells/µl. Contrary to expectations, key informants indicated no radical shift in messaging to explain ART initiation regardless of CD4 count. Rather, they encouraged people living with HIV (PLHIV) to initiate ART while they still "feel well". The reduced risk of onward HIV transmission did not factor significantly in how health workers motivated clients.Conclusion: Motivating PLHIV to initiate ART regardless of CD4 count in high burden settings is possible. However, there are still opportunities to improve messaging about immediate ART initiation or at high CD4 counts for the prevention of onward transmission.


Differential control of renal and lumbar sympathetic nerve activity during freezing behavior in conscious rats.
The present study was designed to document changes in sympathetic nerve activity and cardiovascular function when conscious rats were challenged with a noise stressor to induce freezing behavior. The potential contribution of the arterial baroreceptors in regulating sympathetic nerve activity and cardiovascular adjustments during the freezing behavior was then examined. Wistar male rats were assigned to sham-operated (SO) and sinoaortic-denervated (SAD) groups and instrumented chronically with electrodes for measurements of renal (RSNA) and lumbar (LSNA) sympathetic nerve activity, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, and electrocardiogram and catheters for measurements of systemic arterial and central venous pressure. Both SO and SAD rats were exposed to 90 dB of white noise for 10 min, causing freezing behavior in both groups. In SO rats, freezing behavior was associated with an immediate and significant (P < 0.05) increase in RSNA, no changes in LSNA or mean arterial pressure, and a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in heart rate. SAD attenuated the magnitude of the immediate increase in RSNA and had no influence on the response in LSNA during freezing behavior compared with SO rats. Moreover, in SAD rats, mean arterial pressure increased significantly (P < 0.05) while heart rate did not change during the freezing behavior. These data indicate that freezing behavior evokes regionally different changes in sympathetic outflows, which may be involved in generating the patterned responses of cardiovascular function to stressful or threatening sensory stimulation. Moreover, it is suggested that the arterial baroreceptors are involved in generating the differential changes in RSNA and LSNA and thus the patterned changes in cardiovascular functions observed during freezing behavior in conscious rats.


Comparisons of studies on diabetic complications hampered by differences in GHb measurements.
To compare glycated hemoglobin (GHb) values of the relationship between glycemic control and complications of diabetes from laboratories involved in long-term studies (Steno, Oslo, Stockholm, Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, and Linköping.) Blood samples were collected from 25 subjects selected to represent the clinically relevant measurement range. Fresh whole-blood samples were distributed and analyzed within 4 days of sample collection. Pretreatment of samples and analyses of GHb were performed according to the routine method of each study's central or reference laboratory. Results from each laboratory were compared with the group mean, i.e., the mean of all results for each sample. Regression analyses with the group mean values as independent variables and results from each laboratory as dependent variables showed that Oslo's result had a slope significantly different from the group mean. Laboratories used by the DCCT, Oslo, and Steno studies gave, on average, 0.4, 0.4, and 0.7% higher HbA1c readings than the group mean, respectively, while HbA1c results from Linköping and Stockholm were, on average, 0.6 and 1.0% lower, respectively. There were large differences in GHb values among laboratories participating in studies of diabetic complications. The present data offer a guide to the comparison of results from the studies and underscores the need for standardization of GHb measurements.


Systolic rightward displacement of the left anterior descending artery: a novel cineangiographic sign for tricuspid regurgitation.
A new sign for the detection of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is described. The systolic displacement of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery during coronary angiography in left anterior oblique (LAO) view was quantitatively calculated in 3 groups of 20 patients each with either TR, mitral stenosis, or normal coronary arteriograms. The mean LAD displacement in the TR group was significantly rightward compared to the other groups. Uniform rightward displacement of the lower two-thirds of the LAD had a 90% sensitivity and 90-95% specificity for the presence of TR. Such displacement is probably the angiographic counterpart of the systolic paradoxical septal displacement demonstrated by echocardiography in patients with right ventricular volume overload. There was a positive correlation between the severity of TR and the magnitude of LAD displacement. Attention to the LAD displacement on LAO view may raise suspicion of TR, and indicate its severity.


Management of Plantar KeratodermasLessons from Pachyonychia Congenita.
Plantar keratodermas can arise due to a variety of genetically inherited mutations. The need to distinguish between different plantar keratoderma disorders is becoming increasingly apparent because there is evidence that they do not respond identically to treatment. Diagnosis can be aided by observation of other clinical manifestations, such as palmar keratoderma, more widespread hyperkeratosis of the epidermis, hair and nail dystrophies, or erythroderma. However, there are frequent cases of plantar keratoderma that occur in isolation. This review focuses on the rare autosomal dominant keratin disorder pachyonychia congenita, which presents with particularly painful plantar keratoderma for which there is no specific treatment. Typically, patients regularly trim/pare/file/grind their calluses and file/grind/clip their nails. Topical agents, including keratolytics (eg, salicylic acid, urea) and moisturizers, can provide limited benefit by softening the skin. For some patients, retinoids help to thin calluses but may lead to increased pain. This finding has stimulated a drive for alternative treatment options, from gene therapy to alternative nongenetic methods that focus on novel findings regarding the pathogenesis of pachyonychia congenita and the function of the underlying genes.


Targeting of the diabetes prevention program leads to substantial benefits when capacity is constrained.
Approximately 84 million people in the USA have pre-diabetes, but only a fraction of them receive proven effective therapies to prevent type 2 diabetes. We estimated the value of prioritizing individuals at highest risk of progression to diabetes for treatment, compared to non-targeted treatment of individuals meeting inclusion criteria for the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). Using microsimulation to project outcomes in the DPP trial population, we compared two interventions to usual care: (1) lifestyle modification and (2) metformin administration. For each intervention, we compared targeted and non-targeted strategies, assuming either limited or unlimited program capacity. We modeled the individualized risk of developing diabetes and projected diabetic outcomes to yield lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life expectancy, from which we estimated net monetary benefits (NMB) for both lifestyle and metformin versus usual care. Compared to usual care, lifestyle modification conferred positive benefits and reduced lifetime costs for all eligible individuals. Metformin's NMB was negative for the lowest population risk quintile. By avoiding use when costs outweighed benefits, targeted administration of metformin conferred a benefit of $500 per person. If only 20% of the population could receive treatment, when prioritizing individuals based on diabetes risk, rather than treating a 20% random sample, the difference in NMB ranged from $14,000 to $20,000 per person. Targeting active diabetes prevention to patients at highest risk could improve health outcomes and reduce costs compared to providing the same intervention to a similar number of patients with pre-diabetes without targeted selection.


Genes and neurons: molecular insights to fear and anxiety.
Experimental animal models provide an important tool for the identification of inheritable components of fear and anxiety. 'Pavlovian' fear conditioning has been tremendously successful to characterize the neuronal circuitry and cellular mechanisms of the formation, consolidation and extinction of fear memories. Here we summarize recent progress that has led to the identification of gene products contributing to such experience-dependent changes in fear and anxiety and may guide the search for genetic factors involved in the development and treatment of human anxiety disorders.


miR-9 induces cell arrest and apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma via CDK 4/6 pathway.
Oral cancer remains a major public concern with considerable socioeconomic impact in the world, especially in southeast Asia. Despite substantial advancements have been made in treating oral cancer, the five-year survival rate for OSCC remained undesirable, and 35-55% patients developed recurrence within two years even with multimodality therapeutic strategies. Hence, identification of novel biomarkers for diagnosis and evaluating clinical outcome is of vital importance. MicroRNAs are 22-24 nt non-coding RNAs that could bind to 3' UTR of target mRNAs, thereby inducing degradation of mRNA or inhibiting translation. Due to its implication in regulation of post-transcriptional processes, the role of miRNAs in malignancies has been extensively studied, among which the discovery of functional miR-9 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remained to be elucidated. We first demonstrated that miR-9 was down-regulated in 21 OSCC patients, and we further found that forced expression of miR-9 could result in deterred cell proliferation and decreased ability to migrate and form colonies. Flow cytometry displayed cell-cycle arrested at G0/G1 phase. We next used Targetscan to predict target genes of miR-9. CDK6, a protein highly implicated in cell cycle control, was chosen for verification. Down-regulation of CDK6 and Cyclin D1 in Tca8113 transfected with miR-9 mimics indicate that the complex formed by both proteins may be the effector of the antiproliferative function of miR-9 in OSCCs. Considering small molecules are developed to target CDK4/6, our finding may provide valuable scientific evidence for research and development of therapies and diagnostic methodology in OSCCs.


Childhood Obesity: Is the Built Environment More Important Than the Food Environment?
Obesity continues to be a health burden to society and new efforts may be needed to combat this epidemic. This study aims to investigate the contribution of parents education and level of income, food environment (grocery stores and fast food restaurants), and built environment (perceived safety, availability/quantity of parks) on childhood obesity. This cross-sectional observational study explored whether parents education and income level, built environment, and food environment can affect children with obesity. Participants were selected from 3 separate elementary schools located in an urban community with higher risk to have children with obesity in Montclair, California. Children living in families with low incomes have 2.31 times greater odds to be affected by obesity than children living in higher income homes. Children whose parents did not feel safe in their neighborhoods had odds of obesity 2.23 times greater than those who reported their neighborhoods as safe. Age also appeared to be a risk factor, and the odds of children affected by obesity among children 8 to 9 years was 0.79, and the odds of being affected by obesity among children 10 to 11 years of age was 0.36, when compared to children 6 to 7 years old. Findings suggest that low family income, perceptions of neighborhoods as unsafe, and young age are associated with higher body mass index (BMI) percentiles among children living in poor neighborhoods in Montclair, California.


Partition constant and volume of distribution as predictors of clinical efficacy of lipid rescue for toxicological emergencies.
Lipid infusion is useful in reversing cardiac toxicity of local anesthetics, and recent reports indicate it may be useful in resuscitation from toxicity induced by a variety of other drugs. While the mechanism behind the utility of lipid rescue remains to be fully elucidated, the predominant effect appears to be creation of a "lipid sink". Determine whether the extraction of drugs by lipid, and hence the clinical efficacy of lipid rescue in toxicological emergencies can be predicted by specific drug properties. Each drug investigated was added individually to human drug-free serum. Intralipid® was added to this drug-containing serum, shaken and then incubated at 37°C. The lipid was removed by ultracentrifugation and the concentration of drug remaining in the serum was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. In this in vitro model, the ability of lipid emulsion to bind a drug was largely dependent upon the drug's lipid partition constant. Additionally, using a multiple linear regression model, the prediction of binding could be improved by combining the lipid partition constant with the volume of distribution together accounting for approximately 88% of the variation in the decrease in serum drug concentration with the administration of lipid emulsion. The lipid partition constant and volume of distribution can likely be used to predict the efficacy of lipid infusion in reversing the cardiac toxicity induced by anesthetics or other medications.


Type 2 cytokine serum levels in healthy sickle cell disease patients.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by significant morbidity and early mortality. Children with this hemoglobinopathy exhibit many of the manifestations associated with immunodeficiency disorders. Serum was obtained from 56 healthy SCD subjects and 45 normal healthy controls. Type 2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, and IL-10 serum levels were measured. Concentrations were determined by reference to a standard curve, and results were expressed in pg/mL. Results revealed significant levels of IL-4 in 6 (13%) of 45 SCD patients compared with 1 (2%) of 45 controls. Increased levels of IL-6 were present in 35 (78%) of 45 SCD patients and 12 (41%) of 29 controls. Elevated levels of IL-10 were detectable in 13 (41%) of 42 SCD patients and 1 (4%) of 25 controls. High circulating levels of type 2 cytokines may suppress both humoral and cell-mediated immune functions in SCD, with resultant increased morbidity.


Audit of bloodborne virus infections in injecting drug users in general practice.
Two hundred and ninety patients attending a single general practice in Edinburgh were known to have used illegal drugs, 145 of whom were identified as past or present injectors. Data on bloodborne virus infections and immunisation against hepatitis B virus (HBV) were gathered during 1998, attempts were made to improve the level of testing for bloodborne viruses and immunisation against HBV, and follow up was carried out between October 1999 and February 2000. One hundred and fifteen patients were studied in detail. Evidence of previous HBV infection was found in 31 of 71 tested in 1998 (44%) and 40 of 99 tested at follow up (40%). In 1998 54 out of the 75 tested for hepatitis C antibodies (72%) were positive compared with 73 out of 108 (68%) at follow up. Twenty-six of the 80 tested for HIV antibodies were positive in 1998 (33%) and 26 of 105 at follow up (25%). Large numbers of injecting drug users in our study were found to be not immune to hepatitis B and required immunisation. An abbreviated protocol for immunisation was devised, including post vaccination checks and boosting as necessary. Hepatitis C testing was requested after counselling in most cases, resulting in important and positive interventions. Prevention opportunities for all three bloodborne viruses were identified.


Azo-Crosslinked Double-Network Hydrogels Enabling Highly Efficient Mechanoradical Generation.
Double-network (DN) hydrogels have recently been demonstrated to generate numerous radicals by the homolytic bond scission of the brittle first network under the influence of an external force. The mechanoradicals thus generated can be utilized to trigger polymerization inside the gels, resulting in significant mechanical and functional improvements to the material. Although the concentration of mechanoradicals in DN gels is much higher than that in single-network hydrogels, a further increase in the mechanoradical concentration in DN gels will widen their application. In the present work, we incorporate an azoalkane crosslinker into the first network of DN gels. Compared with the traditional crosslinker N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide), the azoalkane crosslinker causes a decrease in the yield stress but significantly increases the mechanoradical concentration of DN gels after stretching. In the azoalkane-crosslinked DN gels, the concentration of mechanoradicals can reach a maximum of ∼220 μM, which is 5 times that of the traditional crosslinker. In addition, DN gels with the azoalkane crosslinker show a much higher energy efficiency for mechanoradical generation. Interestingly, DN gels crosslinked by a mixture of azoalkane crosslinker and traditional crosslinker also exhibit excellent radical generation performance. The increase in the mechanoradical concentration accelerates polymerization and can broaden the application range of force-responsive DN gels to biomedical devices and soft robots.


A normal livebirth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection for globozoospermia without assisted oocyte activation: case report.
The successful outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with round-headed spermatozoa (globozoospermia) is reported. A couple with infertility secondary to globozoospermia received ICSI treatment. Fertilization, cleavage and pregnancy outcomes were recorded. This couple experienced 40, 10 and 42% fertilization rates after ICSI in their first, second and third cycles respectively. Pregnancy did not occur in the first or second cycle but was successfully achieved after the third ICSI cycle. It is concluded that current ICSI procedures may overcome the infertility associated with globozoospermia and result in normal healthy livebirth without assisted oocyte activation.


Soft Robotic Deployable Origami Actuators for Neurosurgical Brain Retraction.
Metallic tools such as graspers, forceps, spatulas, and clamps have been used in proximity to delicate neurological tissue and the risk of damage to this tissue is a primary concern for neurosurgeons. Novel soft robotic technologies have the opportunity to shift the design paradigm for these tools towards safer and more compliant, minimally invasive methods. Here, we present a pneumatically actuated, origami-inspired deployable brain retractor aimed at atraumatic surgical workspace generation inside the cranial cavity. We discuss clinical requirements, design, fabrication, analytical modeling, experimental characterization, and in-vitro validation of the proposed device on a brain model.


How safe are the biologicals in treating asthma and rhinitis?
A number of biological agents are available or being investigated for the treatment of asthma and rhinitis. The safety profiles of these biologic agents, which may modify allergic and immunological diseases, are still being elucidated. Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy, the oldest biologic agent in current use, has the highest of frequency of the most serious and life-threatening reaction, anaphylaxis. It is also one of the only disease modifying interventions for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Efforts to seek safer and more effective allergen immunotherapy treatment have led to investigations of alternate routes of delivery and modified immunotherapy formulations. Sublingual immunotherapy appears to be associated with a lower, but not zero, risk of anaphylaxis. No fatalities have been reported to date with sublingual immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with modified formulations containing Th1 adjuvants, DNA sequences containing a CpG motif (CpG) and 3-deacylated monophospholipid A, appears to provide the benefits of subcutaneous immunotherapy with a single course of 4 to 6 preseasonal injections. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events or anaphylaxis in the clinical trials of these two immunotherapy adjuvants. Omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody against IgE, has been associated with a small risk of anaphylaxis, affecting 0.09% to 0.2% of patients. It may also be associated with a higher risk of geohelminth infection in patients at high risk for parasitic infections but it does not appear to affect the response to treatment or severity of the infection. Clinical trials with other biologic agents that have targeted IL-4/IL-13, or IL-5, have not demonstrated any definite serious treatment-related adverse events. However, these clinical trials were generally done in small populations of asthma patients, which may be too small for uncommon side effects to be identified. There is conflicting information about the safety TNF-alpha blocking agents, which have been primarily used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with serious infections, cardiovascular disease and malignancies being the most frequent serious adverse events. An unfavorable risk-benefit profile led to early discontinuation of a TNF-blocking agent in a double-blind placebo controlled of severe asthmatics. In summary, the risk of anaphylaxis and other treatment-related serious events with of all of the biological agents in this review were relatively small. However, most of the clinical trials were done in relatively small patient populations and were of relatively short duration. Long term studies in large patient populations may help clarify the risk-benefit profile of these biologic agents in the treatment of asthma.


Optical data exchange of m-QAM signals using a silicon-organic hybrid slot waveguide: proposal and simulation.
We present modulation-format-transparent data exchange for m-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (m-QAM) signals using a single silicon-organic hybrid slot waveguide which offers tight light confinement and enhanced nonlinearity. By exploiting the parametric depletion effect of non-degenerate four-wave mixing (ND-FWM) process in the slot waveguide, we simulate low-power (<10 mW) ultrahigh-speed optical data exchange of 640 Gbaud (2.56 Tbit/s) optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) 16-QAM and 640 Gbaud (3.84 Tbit/s) OTDM 64-QAM signals and characterize the operation performance in terms of error vector magnitude (EVM) and bit-error rate (BER). The calculated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) penalties of data exchange are negligible for 2.56 Tbit/s 16-QAM signals and less than 2 dB for 3.84 Tbit/s 64-QAM signals at a BER of 2e-3. For a given pump power of 9 mW, the operation performance dependence on the waveguide length is studied, showing an optimized waveguide length of ~17 mm. For a given waveguide length of 17 mm, the SNR penalty of data exchange, at a BER of 2e-3, is kept below 4 dB when varying input pump power from 8.4 to 9.8 mW for 2.56 Tbit/s 16-QAM and from 8.9 to 9.2 mW for 3.84 Tbit/s 64-QAM. In addition, data exchange running at low speed (e.g. 20 Gbaud) and data exchange taking into account waveguide propagation loss are also analyzed with favorable operation performance.


The use of antidepressants and introduction of new types in different socio-economic groups: a Danish registry-based cross-sectional study.
Danish registry-based studies have found socio-economic differences in drug use. The extent to which the use of antidepressants differs between socio-economic groups is unknown. 1) to examine the association between socio-economic status (SES) and use of antidepressants 2) to evaluate the introduction of new types of antidepressants. A registry-based cross-sectional study linking information from administrative registries in North Jutland County, Denmark, 1995-99. 1) the prevalence proportion for use of antidepressants in different SES groups and by sex, and the estimated prevalence proportion ratio; 2) the proportion using the new drugs in different socio-economic groups through the study period. Women used antidepressants more than twice as often as men with an increasing tendency for both men and women. The use of antidepressants was highest in persons outside the labour market. Among employees, the proportion using new types of antidepressants increased from 1% to 18%. High SES seemed to correlate to higher use of new antidepressants. The new antidepressants were introduced faster among men compared with women. The study showed differences in purchase of antidepressants in different SES groups. Furthermore, it showed faster introduction of new antidepressants among men and employees with high SES.


Skeletal maturation analysis by morphological evaluation of the cervical vertebrae.
The determination of skeletal maturation by morphological evaluation of the cervical vertebrae was evaluated in a 100 cephalograms. The analysis showed that this method was reproducible for assessing the individual's growth curve.


Impact of optical and structural aging in As₂S₃ microstructured optical fibers on mid-infrared supercontinuum generation.
We analyze optical and structural aging in As₂S₃ microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) that may have an impact on mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. A strong alteration of optical transparency at the fundamental OH absorption peak is measured for high-purity As₂S₃ MOF stored in atmospheric conditions. The surface evolution and inherent deviation of corresponding chemical composition confirm that the optical and chemical properties of MOFs degrade upon exposure to ambient conditions because of counteractive surface process. This phenomenon substantially reduces the optical quality of the MOFs and therefore restrains the spectral expansion of generated supercontinuum. This aging process is well confirmed by the good matching between previous experimental results and the reported numerical simulations based on the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation.


Improved method for the storage of groundwater samples containing volatile organic analytes
The sorption of volatile organic analytes from water samples by the Teflon septum surface used with standard glass 40-ml sample collection vials was investigated. Analytes tested included alkanes, isoalkanes, olefins, cycloalkanes, a cycloalkene, monoaromatics, a polynuclear aromatic, and two chloroethenes. Both laboratory prepared test mix solutions and petroleum contaminated groundwater from three field sites were tested. A rapid loss of n-alkane and isoalkane concentrations (>10%) was observed within 24 h when stored at room temperature. Aliphatic losses were also observed (>10%) over a 21-day holding period when samples were held at 4 degrees C. Loss of the less sorptive analytes was demonstrated by exposing analyte solutions to greater Teflon surface areas. The demonstrated sorption of aliphatics from water samples by Teflon-lined septa indicates that the accuracy of volatile petroleum hydrocarbon determinations may be reduced by the traditional storage method. An alternative storage protocol is reported combining a lead foil septum surface and 1% (w/w) tribasic sodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na3PO4. 12H2O) preservative. This method prevented loss of the test analytes, including alkanes and isoalkanes for at least 21 days at room temperature.


Sodium citrate blood contamination by K2 -ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): impact on routine coagulation testing.
The potential cross-contamination of additives between primary blood tubes is a well-known problem during sample collection. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of citrated blood contamination with different amounts of dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic (K2 EDTA blood) on activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen. Blood was collected from 15 ostensibly healthy volunteers into four 0.109 m citrate blood tubes followed by one K2 EDTA blood tube. The citrate tubes of each subject were pooled and divided in five aliquots. The whole blood of the K2 EDTA tube was then added in scalar amounts to autologous citrated blood aliquots, to obtain K2 EDTA contamination ranging from 0% to 43%, and thus mimic potential pre-analytical contamination. A statistically and clinically significant prolongation was observed for both APTT and PT between 29% and 43% K2 EDTA contamination, whereas the decrease of fibrinogen values became statistically and clinically significant at 43% K2 EDTA contamination. The results of this investigation show that contamination of citrated blood with as much as 29% of K2 EDTA blood generates a significant bias in results of routine clotting assays. This has serious implications for patient safety and management.


Modeling fan effects on the time course of associative recognition.
We investigated the time course of associative recognition using the response signal procedure, whereby a stimulus is presented and followed after a variable lag by a signal indicating that an immediate response is required. More specifically, we examined the effects of associative fan (the number of associations that an item has with other items in memory) on speed-accuracy tradeoff functions obtained in a previous response signal experiment involving briefly studied materials and in a new experiment involving well-learned materials. High fan lowered asymptotic accuracy or the rate of rise in accuracy across lags, or both. We developed an Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) model for the response signal procedure to explain these effects. The model assumes that high fan results in weak associative activation that slows memory retrieval, thereby decreasing the probability that retrieval finishes in time and producing a speed-accuracy tradeoff function. The ACT-R model provided an excellent account of the data, yielding quantitative fits that were as good as those of the best descriptive model for response signal data.


Immunization with hybrid hepatitis B virus core particles carrying circumsporozoite antigen epitopes protects mice against Plasmodium yoelii challenge.
The hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid antigen (HBcAg) was investigated as a carrier moiety for circumsporozoite protein (CS) repeat B cell epitopes of the rodent malaria agent Plasmodium yoelii. A vector expressing a hybrid gene coding for the dominant CS repeat epitope (QGPGAP)4 was constructed and transformed into avirulent Salmonella typhimurium. The resulting hybrid HBcAg-CS polyproteins were purified from recombinant Salmonella typhimurium. They purified as particles and displayed HBc as well as P. yoelii CS antigenicity. To investigate immunogenicity and protective efficacy, BALB/c mice were immunized with the hybrid HBcAg-CS particles. Immunization resulted in high titered antinative CS serum IgG antibody litres. BALB/c mice immunized with hybrid HBcAgCS particles were between 90-100% protected against subsequent P. yoelli challenge. Protective immunity persisted for a minimum of three months. These data confirm the previous suggestion (Schödel et al., 1994), that hybrid HBcAg particles could become a useful component of future human malaria vaccines.


The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC): development and multi-institution psychometric data.
This study was designed to develop a psychometrically sound instrument to measure attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in health profession students and practitioners regardless of their professions and areas of practice. Based on a review of the literature a list of 27 items was generated, 12 faculty judged the face validity of the items, and 124 health profession faculty examined the content validity of the items. The preliminary version of the instrument was administered to 1976 health profession students in three universities (Thomas Jefferson University, n = 510; Midwestern University, n = 392; and Monash University, n = 1074). Twenty items that survived the psychometric scrutiny were included in the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration (JeffSATIC). Two constructs of "working relationships" and "accountability" emerged from factor analysis of the JeffSATIC. Cronbach's α coefficients for the JeffSATIC ranged from 0.84 to 0.90 in the three samples. Women obtained significantly higher JeffSATIC mean scores than men. Medical students obtained lower mean score on the JeffSATIC than most other health profession students at the same university. Psychometric support from a relatively large sample size of students in a variety of health profession programs in this multi-institutional study is encouraging which adds to the credibility of the JeffSATIC.


Naming, the formation of stimulus classes, and applied behavior analysis.
The methods used in Sidman's original studies on equivalence classes provide a framework for analyzing functional verbal behavior. Sidman and others have shown how teaching receptive, name-referent matching may produce rudimentary oral reading and word comprehension skills. Eikeseth and Smith (1992) have extended these findings by showing that children with autism may acquire equivalence classes after learning to supply a common oral name to each stimulus in a potential class. A stimulus class analysis suggests ways to examine (a) the problem of programming generalization from teaching situations to other environments, (b) the expansion of the repertoires that occur in those settings, and (c) the use of naming to facilitate these forms of generalization. Such research will help to clarify and extend Horne and Lowe's recent (1996) account of the role of verbal behavior in the formation of stimulus classes.


The effect of butylphthalide on improving the neurological function of patients with acute anterior circulation cerebral infarction after mechanical thrombectomy.
Butylphthalide can improve blood circulation in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Complement 3a receptor 1 (C3aR1) is involved in the regulation of innate immune response and pathogen monitoring, which is closely related to the pathophysiological processes of breast cancer, neurogenesis and lipid catabolism. Our study explored the therapeutic effect of butylphthalide on improving the neurological function of patients with acute anterior circulation cerebral infarction after mechanical thrombectomy, and evaluated the correlation between serum C3aR1 and butylphthalide on improving the neurological function after mechanical thrombectomy. 288 patients with acute anterior circulation cerebral infarction who were admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to November 2022 and were treated with mechanical thrombectomy for the first time were included in this retrospective study and divided into the butylphthalide group and control group that they received treatment methods. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scale was used to evaluate the patient neurological function treatment efficacy, and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scale was used to measure the patient neurological function status 3 months after surgery. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was used to determine the content of C3aR1 in serum. Two weeks after thrombus removal, the NIHSS efficacy of the butylphthalide group and the control group were 94.44% and 72.22%, respectively. The butylphthalide group was significantly higher than the control group (P < .001). Three months after the operation, the mRS score of the butylphthalide group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = .001), and the excellent and good rate was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < .001). The serum C3aR1 level of the butylphthalide group was significantly lower than that of the control group 2 weeks after operation and 3 months after operation (P < .001). The serum C3aR1 was positively correlated with the efficacy of NIHSS (R = 0.815, P = .004), which was positively correlated with mRS score (R = 0.774, P = .007). Butylphthalide can improve the therapeutic effect of neurological function in patients with acute anterior circulation cerebral infarction after mechanical thrombus removal. The patient serum C3aR1 is related to the patient neurotherapy efficacy and neurological function status, and its level can reflect the patient neurological function recovery to a certain extent.


Inhibition by acetaminophen of intestinal cancer in rats induced by an aromatic amine similar to food mutagens.
The widely used analgesic acetaminophen (APAP) was studied in rats for its ability to inhibit intestinal carcinogenesis induced by 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB), which was selected as the carcinogen because of its similarity to the heterocyclic amines formed during cooking and which are postulated to be involved in colon cancer in humans. APAP was fed to male F344 rats at 250 ppm, which is about 1/4 the human therapeutic dose and at 5000 ppm, which is about fivefold the human dose. DMAB was injected subcutaneously at 50 mg/kg body weight weekly for 20 weeks, to assure identical exposures to all animals, followed by 22 weeks of maintenance. The DMAB was an effective inducer of tumours in the small and large intestines, producing an average of 1.3 tumours per animal. Feeding of APAP began 2 weeks before DMAB administration and continued for 44 weeks. A 9% reduction in the number of colon tumours per rat cancer at the low dose and an 86% reduction at the high dose were found. Small intestinal tumour incidence was reduced at both doses. The number of multiple intestinal tumours per rat was reduced by 27% and 49% for the low and high doses, respectively. The dimensions of these neoplasms, especially those in the colon, were also reduced in both dose groups. Thus, APAP, even at a sub-therapeutic dose, inhibited intestinal carcinogenesis induced by DMAB. This allows us to speculate that the effects of low exposures to dietary carcinogens of the heterocyclic amine type could be inhibited by therapeutic doses of APAP.


Transmission intensity determines lymphocyte responsiveness and cytokine bias in human lymphatic filariasis.
Humans living in areas where filariasis is endemic vary greatly in their exposure to mosquito-borne infective third-stage larvae (L3) of these parasitic helminths. Because the intensity of exposure to Ags affects T cell differentiation and susceptibility to parasitic infections in murine models, we compared T cell and cytokine responses in 97 residents of two villages in Papua New Guinea, where transmission intensity of Wuchereria bancrofti differed by 63-fold (37 vs 2355 L3 per person per year). Residents of the high transmission village had 4- to 11-fold lower proliferation and IFN-gamma responses to filarial Ags, nonparasite Ag, and PHA by PBMC compared with the low transmission village (p < 0.01) even when subjects were matched for intensity of infection. In contrast, filarial Ag-driven IL-5 production was 5.5-fold greater (p < 0.001), and plasma IL-4 and TGF-beta levels were 4-fold and 34% higher, respectively, in residents of the high transmission village. IL-4 and IL-10 responses by PBMC differed little according to village, and increased production of the counterregulatory cytokines IL-10 or TGF-beta by PBMC did not correlate with weak proliferation and IFN-gamma responses. Plasma IL-5, IFN-gamma, and IL-10 levels were similar in the two villages. These data demonstrate that the intensity of exposure to L3 affects lymphocyte responsiveness and cytokine bias possibly by a mechanism that alters APC function.


Resonance modes in stereometamaterial of square split ring resonators connected by sharing the gap.
Stereometamaerials can fully utilize the 3D degrees of freedom to exploit the coupling and hybridization between multiple split ring resonators (SRRs), enabling more extraordinary resonances and properties over their planar counterparts. Here we propose and numerically study a kind of structure based on connected SRRs sharing their gap in a rotational fashion. It is shown that there are three typical resonance modes in such cage-like SRR (C-SRR) stereometamaterial in the communication and near infrared range. In the order of increasing energy, these modes can be essentially ascribed to magnetic torodial dipole, magnetic dipole, and a mixture of electric-dipole and magnetic toroidal dipole. We show that the latter two are derived from the second-order mode in the corresponding individual SRR, while the first one from the fundamental one. The highest energy mode remains relatively "dark" in an individual C-SRR due to the high-order feature and the rotational symmetry. However, they are all easily excitable in a C-SRR array, offering multiband filtering functionality.


Purification of hsp104, a protein disaggregase.
Hsp104 is a hexameric AAA+ protein(1) from yeast, which couples ATP hydrolysis to protein disaggregation (Fig. 1). This activity imparts two key selective advantages. First, renaturation of disordered aggregates by Hsp104 empowers yeast survival after various protein-misfolding stresses, including heat shock. Second, remodeling of cross-beta amyloid fibrils by Hsp104 enables yeast to exploit myriad prions (infectious amyloids) as a reservoir of beneficial and heritable phenotypic variation. Remarkably, Hsp104 directly remodels preamyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils, including those comprised of the yeast prion proteins Sup35 and Ure2). This amyloid-remodeling functionality is a specialized facet of yeast Hsp104. The E. coli orthologue, ClpB, fails to remodel preamyloid oligomers or amyloid fibrils. Hsp104 orthologues are found in all kingdoms of life except, perplexingly, animals. Indeed, whether animal cells possess any enzymatic system that couples protein disaggregation to renaturation (rather than degradation) remains unknown. Thus, we and others have proposed that Hsp104 might be developed as a therapeutic agent for various neurodegenerative diseases connected with the misfolding of specific proteins into toxic preamyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils. There are no treatments that directly target the aggregated species associated with these diseases. Yet, Hsp104 dissolves toxic oligomers and amyloid fibrils composed of alpha-synuclein, which are connected with Parkinson's Disease as well as amyloid forms of PrP. Importantly, Hsp104 reduces protein aggregation and ameliorates neurodegeneration in rodent models of Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's disease. Ideally, to optimize therapy and minimize side effects, Hsp104 would be engineered and potentiated to selectively remodel specific aggregates central to the disease in question. However, the limited structural and mechanistic understanding of how Hsp104 disaggregates such a diverse repertoire of aggregated structures and unrelated proteins frustrates these endeavors. To understand the structure and mechanism of Hsp104, it is essential to study the pure protein and reconstitute its disaggregase activity with minimal components. Hsp104 is a 102 kDa protein with a pI of -5.3, which hexamerizes in the presence of ADP or ATP, or at high protein concentrations in the absence of nucleotide. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for the purification of highly active, stable Hsp104 from E. coli. The use of E. coli allows simplified large-scale production and our method can be performed quickly and reliably for numerous Hsp104 variants. Our protocol increases Hsp104 purity and simplifies His(6)-tag removal compared to a previous purification method from E. coli. Moreover, our protocol is more facile and convenient than two more recent protocols.


[The Budd-Chiari syndrome--case report of a patient with hepatic vein occlusion and adenocarcinoma of the lung].
The case of a patient with sudden onset of abdominal pain, hepatomegaly and laboratory findings which indicated necrosis of a parenchymal organ is reported. Patient died soon after the admission to hospital after fulminant disease development. At the time of admission diagnosis of hepatic vein occlusion, i.e., Budd-Chiari syndrome was made based on ultrasonographic finding. Obduction confirmed this finding showing lung adenocarcinoma with liver metastases as well as occlusion of all hepatic vein branches with thrombi. This report emphasizes the role of ultrasonographic diagnostics in the early diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome.


A multiscale method for selecting indicator species and priority conservation areas: a case study for broadleaved forests in Lombardy, Italy.
Our purpose was to define a quantitative and expeditious method to analyze the effects of processes that influence species distribution and abundance at different organizational scales. We considered habitat loss, the breaking apart of habitat patches, and habitat structural alteration critical processes that affect species distribution and abundance. We evaluated the effects of these processes by considering the response of selected indicator species to isolation (landscape scale), patch size and edge effect (patch scale), and habitat structure (plot scale). We used broadleaf forests as our case-study ecosystem and birds as indicator species. Faunal data came from a georeferenced, long-term, breeding-bird database, and environmental data were obtained from field surveys and land-use digital cartography Birds, grouped according to their sensitivity to patch isolation, patch size, edge effect, and habitat structure, indicated how environmental conditions affected species abundance. The most sensitive group to the above-mentioned processes included the Marsh Tit (Parus palustris), Nuthatch (Sitta curopaea), and Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). We evaluated the umbrella effect of these species for the conservation of the other co-occurring birds and found that their effectiveness varied according to the criterion used to select sites for protection. Site selection based on indicator species identified forest patches with greater species abundance than an alternative criterion that chose sites based on patch isolation and size, edge effect, and.forest structure. The alternative criterion, although not as efficient as indicator species, may nevertheless be useful and effective for conservation when faunal data are lacking and guidelines for habitat management or restoration are needed. Our method is applicable to other ecosystems and taxa because the processes we considered occur in many ecosystems and may have significant effects on species from all taxonomic groups.


Polarizer-free, high-contrast inverted top-emitting organic light emitting diodes: effect of the electrode structure.
Circular polarizer (CP)-free, high-contrast inverted top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (ITOLEDs) are demonstrated by using a semitransparent Ag electrode capped with a single dielectric layer as a top anode and Cs(2)CO(3) (1.5 nm)/Al (1.5 nm)/Cr (100nm) as a partially absorbing bottom cathode. Low luminous reflectance is achieved by combining the broadband absorption of Cr, the weak but inherent cavity structure, and the optimal thickness of the capping layer yielding a high transmittance of a top electrode. With the optimized organic capping layer, contrast-enhanced ITOLEDs exhibit a luminous reflectance as low as 3.6% with a large thickness margin. Their luminous efficiency is shown to be comparable to or even higher than that of CP-based conventional OLEDs.


The Changing Landscape of Doctoral Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: PhD Students, Faculty Advisors, and Preferences for Varied Career Options.
The landscape of graduate science education is changing as efforts to diversify the professoriate have increased because academic faculty jobs at universities have grown scarce and more competitive. With this context as a backdrop, the present research examines the perceptions and career goals of advisors and advisees through surveys of PhD students (Study 1, N = 195) and faculty mentors (Study 2, N = 272) in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Study 1 examined actual preferences and career goals of PhD students among three options: research careers, teaching careers, and non-academic careers in industry, and compared the actual preferences of students with what they perceived as being the normative preferences of faculty. Overall, students had mixed preferences but perceived that their advisors had a strong normative preference for research careers for them. Moreover, students who ranked research positions as most desirable felt the most belonging in their academic departments. Further analyses revealed no differences in career preferences as a function of underrepresented minority (URM) student status or first-generation (FG) status, but URM and FG students felt less belonging in their academic departments. Study 2 examined faculty preferences for different careers for their advisees, both in general and for current students in particular. While faculty advisors preferred students to go into research in general, when focusing on specific students, they saw their preferences as being closely aligned with the career preference of each PhD student. Faculty advisors did not perceive any difference in belonging between their students as a function of their URM status. Discrepancies between student and faculty perceptions may occur, in part, because faculty and students do not engage in sufficient discussions about the wider range of career options beyond academic research. Supporting this possibility, PhD students and faculty advisors reported feeling more comfortable discussing research careers with each other than either non-academic industry positions or teaching positions. Discussion centers on the implications of these findings for interpersonal and institutional efforts to foster diversity in the professoriate and to create open communication about career development.


Fast and mechanistic ultrasound simulation using a point source/receiver approach.
Ultrasound simulators relying on impulse response methods are faithful to the mechanisms of image formation from the underlying radio-frequency signals, but as a result tend to be relatively slow. At the other extreme are fast techniques, often motivated by the development of teaching and training simulators, which approximate the image formation processes rather than rigorously modeling the underlying physics. Previously, we have shown that transmit field distributions from linear phased-array transducers can be modeled accurately and efficiently using arrays of point sources. This approach is now extended to point sources/receivers, which allows for simulation of the transmit/receive fields, and thus the physical processes underlying ultrasound image formation. Field distributions and fast-time signals are shown to compare favorably to those obtained using the impulse response method. Doppler spectrogram and B-mode images derived from these signals also show excellent agreement with the results obtained using the impulse response method, but with a computational savings of nearly two orders of magnitude. Because of the inherent simplicity of our Fast and Mechanistic Ultrasound Simulation (FAMUS) approach, CPU parallelization was readily achieved, and further orders of magnitude speed improvements, and thus real-time performance, can be anticipated via extension to modern graphics processing units.


Myelin gene expression in immortalized Schwann cells: relationship to cell density and proliferation.
Myelin gene expression was investigated in the immortalized S16 Schwann cell line grown in the presence and absence of serum and at different densities. Protein expression was monitored by western blotting, and message levels were determined by RNase protection assays. To study cell proliferation rates at different cell densities and serum conditions, [3H]thymidine uptake assays and cell counts were performed. Although serum deprivation decreased cell proliferation as expected, the proliferation of S16 cells was unchanged or slightly increased at high density under the conditions of our experiments in either serum-containing or serum-free medium. This increased cell division at high density appeared to be due to greater release of an autocrine growth factor to the medium by dense cell populations. For both sparse and dense cells, substantially more P0 glycoprotein (P0) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) per milligram of total cellular protein were expressed when the cells were proliferating slowly in defined medium in comparison with more rapidly proliferating cells in serum-containing medium. Furthermore, in both serum-containing and defined media, dense cell populations expressed more MAG and PO than sparse ones. PO mRNa and MAG mRNA levels generally paralleled protein levels. The level of mRNA for peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP-22) was also increased at high cell density but did not change much when proliferation was decreased by serum deprivation. PMP-22 protein was not detected under any of the growth conditions. The changes in expression of these genes with growth conditions may be specific for myelin proteins, because the expression of a nonmyelin glycoprotein, L1, remained constant. The level of cyclic AMP in the cells did not change with the different growth conditions tested. The results indicate that the S16 Schwann cell line mimics primary or secondary Schwann cells by down-regulating myelin gene expression when it proliferates more rapidly in the presence of serum. Furthermore, in both the presence and absence of serum, there was greater expression of myelin genes at high cell density that was not associated with a decreased proliferative rate. Because evidence for a role of secretory factors in affecting myelin gene expression was not obtained by treating sparse S16 cells with medium conditioned by dense S16 cells, the results suggest that the higher expression of myelin genes at high density may be mediated by cell-to-cell contact.


The conversion in application of percutaneous coronary intervention following the introduction of drug eluting stents.
In order to determine the changes in the pattern of techniques applied during elective coronary intervention, data from 688 patients prior to Sirolimus. Drug-Eluting Stents (DES) approval was compared to 438 patients who underwent coronary intervention after DES approval. There was increased intervention to higher risk lesions, including smaller vessels and re-stenotic lesions after DES approval. Total number of stents per patient significantly decreased, despite longer stent length per patient or per lesion after DES approval. No significant difference was found in multivessel interventions.


Bleomycin-induced chronic lung damage does not resemble human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Administration of bleomycin into the lungs of experimental animals has been utilized as a model to understand human pulmonary fibrosis. Most of the studies, however, have focused on early stages of the lung reaction. We hypothesized that chronic stages of the model may not mimic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, since in preliminary studies, lung volume and compliance were not decreased. Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats receiving intratracheal bleomycin (0.5 U/100 g body weight) underwent measurement of FRC, inspiratory capacity, and lung compliance 120 d later. Lung histologic changes were evaluated using light microscopy. Eight rats without intervention served as controls. Results show that our model, in early stages, has histologic changes no different from those previously described elsewhere. In chronic stages, however, the model does not behave as a restrictive syndrome: FRC is normal or increased, whereas lung compliance is normal. Focal peribronchiolar inflammation and fibrosis associated with paracicatricial emphysematous changes are the main histologic features of long-term lung remodeling after bleomycin. We conclude that while the chronic stages of the model may be informative in understanding mechanisms of fibrosis, care should be taken not to extrapolate to human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We speculate that the model might resemble a particular subgroup of human interstitial lung disease, namely, those involving peribronchiolar structures.


Ureaplasma septic polyarthritis in a young woman with neuromyelitis optica receiving rituximab.
We report a case of septic polyarthritis caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum in a woman with neuromyelitis optica who was receiving rituximab. Her case exemplifies some of the unique characteristics of invasive Ureaplasma infections that can lead to delayed diagnosis as well as treatment challenges including recurrence following antibiotic discontinuation.


Efficient visible laser operation of Pr,Mg:SrAl12O19 channel waveguides.
We report the fabrication and visible laser operation of Pr,Mg:SrAl12O19 waveguides. Waveguiding structures were created by focusing the radiation of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser into bulk material. Guiding losses were determined to be as low as 0.12 dB cm(-1) at 632.8 nm. By employing a frequency-doubled optically pumped semiconductor laser, waveguide laser operation was realized at wavelengths of 525.3, 644.0, and 724.9 nm with output powers as high as 36, 1065, and 504 mW, respectively. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of green laser operation in a Pr(3+)-doped crystalline waveguide laser.


Airborne fungi and endotoxin concentrations in different areas within textile plants in Taiwan: a 3-year study.
Bioaerosols have been found in many occupational environments, including animal feeding houses, poultry slaughter houses, and cotton textile plants. This study was undertaken to examine a group of bioaerosols, the endotoxins, fungi, and bacteria, inside two textile factories over 3 years in Taiwan, where temperature and humidity are usually high year-round. Airborne dust was collected with filter cassettes attached to personal pumps and analyzed by the Kinetic Limulus Assay with Resistant-parallel-line Estimation. For fungi and bacteria determination, samples were collected using duplicated single-stage impactors, and organisms were counted after incubation. Endotoxin was the major contamination inside textile plants. Indoor levels were substantially higher than outdoor concentrations by 63- to 278-fold. The average values of fungi inside and outside the plants were not significantly different. Airborne bacteria levels were higher inside the plants as compared to outside. The carding sites, using only cotton, had extremely high endotoxin levels, greater than those at sites using synthetic fibers. Cotton, may be a major source of endotoxin contamination. In conclusion, the early stage of textile processing seems to generate high endotoxin and bacteria contamination. Priorities should be given to occupational hygiene programs for workers at various sites in textile plants.


Near-term fetuses process temporal features of speech.
The perception of speech and music requires processing of variations in spectra and amplitude over different time intervals. Near-term fetuses can discriminate acoustic features, such as frequencies and spectra, but whether they can process complex auditory streams, such as speech sequences and more specifically their temporal variations, fast or relatively slow acoustic variations, is unclear. We recorded the cardiac activity of 82 near-term fetuses (38 weeks GA) in quiet sleep during a silent control condition and four 15 s streams presented at 90 dB SPL Leq: two piano melodies with opposite contours, a natural Icelandic sentence and a chimera of the sentence--all its spectral information was replaced with broadband noise, leaving its specific temporal variations in amplitude intact without any phonological information. All stimuli elicited a heart rate deceleration. The response patterns to the melodies were the same and differed significantly from those observed with the Icelandic sentence and its chimera, which did not differ. The melodies elicited a monophasic heart rate deceleration, indicating a stimulus orienting reflex while the Icelandic and its chimera evoked a sustained lower magnitude response, indicating a sustained attentional response or more focused information processing. A conservative interpretation of the data is that near-term fetuses can perceive sound streams and the rapid temporal variations in amplitude that are specific to speech sounds with no spectral variations at all.


From dislocation junctions to forest hardening.
The mechanisms of dislocation intersection and strain hardening in fcc crystals are examined with emphasis on the process of junction formation and destruction. Large-scale 3D simulations of dislocation dynamics were performed yielding access for the first time to statistically averaged quantities. These simulations provide a parameter-free estimate of the dislocation microstructure strength and of its scaling law. It is shown that forest hardening is dominated by short-range elastic processes and is insensitive to the detail of the dislocation core structure.


Cognitive behavior therapy for people with schizophrenia.
This article summarizes the current literature on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for people with schizophrenia for the primary symptoms of illness, the secondary social impairments, comorbid disorders, and for enhancing the effectiveness of other treatments and services, such as medication and vocational support. Ways in which cognitive behavioral therapy techniques can be incorporated into the current mental health system is suggested. It should be acknowledged that a few recent reviews and studies have called into question the quality of the evidence or the true effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders and comorbid conditions.


Abnormal Glucose Metabolism in Male Mice Offspring Conceived by in vitro Fertilization and Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer.
Frozen and thawed embryo transfer (FET) is currently widely applied in routine assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure. It is of great necessity to assess the safety of FET and investigate the long-term effect including glucose metabolism on FET-conceived offspring. The mouse model is a highly efficient method to figure out the relationship between the process of FET and offspring health. In this study, we obtained mouse offspring of natural conception (NC), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and FET. Glucose and insulin tolerance test (GTT/ITT) were performed on both chow fed or high fat diet (HFD) fed offspring to examine the glucose metabolism status. We detected hepatic PI3K/AKT pathway by western blotting and transcriptome status by RNA-sequencing. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and decreased insulin tolerance were occurred in FET conceived male offspring. After challenged with the HFD-fed, male offspring in FET group performed earlier and severer IGT than IVF group. Furthermore, higher HOMA-IR index and higher serum insulin level post glucose injected in FET-chow group suggested the insulin resistance status. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, the major pathway of insulin in the liver, were also disrupted in FET group. Transcriptomics of the liver reveals significantly downregulated in glucose metabolic process and insulin resistance in the FET-chow group. In our study, FET-conceived male mouse offspring presented glucose metabolism dysfunction mainly manifesting insulin resistance. The hepatic insulin signaling pathway were in concordance with reduced glycogen synthesis, increased glycolysis and enhanced gluconeogenesis status in FET-conceived male offspring.


Examining racial and ethnic minority differences among YMSM during recruitment for an online HIV prevention intervention study.
HIV disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM). HIV prevention research does not include these YMSM commensurate to their HIV burden. We examined racial and ethnic differences during a unique three-step recruitment process for an online, YMSM HIV prevention intervention study (N = 660). Step one was completed in-person; steps two and three online. Fewer Black and Latino YMSM completed step two-initiating online participation-than White YMSM. Internet use frequency accounted for the Latino versus White difference in initiating online participation, but not the Black versus White difference. Future online HIV prevention interventions recruiting diverse YMSM should focus on initiating online engagement among Black participants.


Extremely efficient and recyclable absorbents for oily pollutants enabled by ultrathin-layered functionalization.
Oils and organic solvents that leak into water bodies must be promptly removed to avoid ecological disasters, for example, by selective absorption using oleophilic absorbents. However, it remains a challenge for the low-cost synthesis of efficient and recyclable absorbents for oily pollutants. By surface functionalization to inexpensive polyurethane (PU) foams, we synthesize oil absorbents exhibiting the highest absorption capacity and the best recyclability among all polymeric absorbents. The synthesis is enabled by atomic layer deposition of ∼5 nm-thick Al2O3 transition layer onto the skeleton surface of PU foams, followed by coupling a single-molecule layer of silanes to the Al2O3 layer. The sub-10 nm functionalization layer provides the PU foam an outstanding water-repelling and oil-absorbing functionality without compromising its high porosity and elasticity. The functionalized foam is able to quickly absorb oily pollutants spread on water surfaces or precipitated in water with a capacity more than 100 times its own weight. This ultrathin-layer-functionalization method is also applicable to renewable porous biomaterials, providing a sustainable solution for oil spills. Moreover, we propose devices than can continuously operate to efficiently collect oil spills from water surfaces based on the functionalized PU foam developed in this work.


Burnout and Psychological Vulnerability in First Responders: Monitoring Depersonalization and Phobic Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It is common knowledge that first responders are among the helping professionals most at risk of burnout and psychological vulnerability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their mental health has been subjected to various risk factors. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and psychological vulnerability (SCL-90-R) were obtained from 228 subjects (55.3% female; M age = 45.23, SD = 13.14) grouped on the basis of their actual involvement during the emergency phases (82% First Responders and 18% Second Responders). First responders exceeded the MBI clinical cut-off, while SRs did not (χ² ≥ 0.5); specifically, EE = 89.8%, DP = 85.8%, and PA = 82.1%. The FR group showed a higher mean in the global severity index (GSI = 49.37) than did the SRs (=43.95), and the FR group exceeded the clinical cut-off in the SCL-90-R scales of SOM (51.06), ANX (52.40), and PHOB (53.60), while the SF group did so only for the PHOB scale (50.41). The MBI dimensions correlated significantly (p = 0.05) with all investigated clinical scales of the SCL-90-R. Emergency situations expose first responders to specific risk factors related to work performance and relational aspects, which contribute to increased psychological vulnerability and burnout.


Kidney-bone, bone-kidney, and cell-cell communications in renal osteodystrophy.
The relationship between bone and the kidney in renal osteodystrophy is a complex interplay of kidney to bone connections, bone to kidney connections, and cell to cell connections. In addition, such interactions have a profound effect on the vasculature. In this review, we discuss the role of the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in the skeleton, kidney, and vasculature. In addition, we propose that deficiencies of these BMPs seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD) result in decreased bone remodeling and a compensatory secondary hyperparathyroidism (high turnover state). Treatment of the hyperparathyroidism blocks this compensatory arm and thus decreased bone remodeling occurs (low turnover). We review animal models of CKD in which treatment with BMP-7 resulted in normalization of both high and low turnover states. Finally, we discuss vascular calcification as it relates to bone metabolism. We discuss the roles of BMP-7 and 2 other bone regulatory proteins, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and alpha2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG, human fetuin), in the human vasculature and their implications for vascular calcification.