The Use of Biochar for Plant Pathogen Control.
To support the search for alternative, nonchemical plant disease control strategies, we present a review of the pathogen-suppressive effects of biochar, a product derived from agricultural and other organic wastes, used as a soil amendment. A wide range of biochar effects contribute to the control of root or foliar fungal pathogens through modification of root exudates, soil properties, and nutrient availability, which influence the growth of antagonist microorganisms. The induction of systemic plant defenses by biochar in the roots to reduce foliar pathogenic fungi, the activation of stress-hormone responses, as well as changes in active oxygen species are indicative of a coordinated hormonal signaling within the plant. Although scarce data are available for oomycetes and bacterial pathogens, reports indicate that biochar promotes changes in the soil microbiota influencing pathogen motility and colonization, and the induction of plant systemic defenses, both contributing to disease suppression. Biochar also suppresses nematode and insect pests. For plant-parasitic nematodes, the primary modes of action are changes in soil microbial community diversity, the release of nematicidal compounds, and the induction of plant defenses. Use of biochar-based soil amendments is a promising strategy compatible with a circular economy, based on zero waste, as part of integrated pathogen and pest management. Since biochars exert complex and distinct modes of action for the control of plant pathogens, its nature and application regimes should be designed for particular pathogens and its effects studied locally.


Surgery for Malignant Sublingual and Minor Salivary Gland Neoplasms.
Malignant sublingual gland neoplasms are rare, early-stage neoplasms presenting as painless non-ulcerated masses in the antero-lateral floor of the mouth. The majority of patients present with advanced disease, with symptoms of pain or anaesthesia of the tongue. Malignant minor salivary gland neoplasms are more common, the majority (>80%) of which present in the oral cavity, most frequently in the palatal area, as painless masses or as obstructive symptoms in the head and neck region. The most frequent pathologies are adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (>85%), with the majority presenting at an advanced stage (III/IV). Wide tumour-free surgical margin excision is the treatment of choice, followed by radiotherapy, after discussion of the multidisciplinary head and neck cancer tumour board. Improvements in survival and quality of life have been achieved since the introduction of endoscopic and robotic surgeries for many minor salivary gland malignancies.


Prostaglandin F2 alpha metabolite levels in normal and uterine-infected postpartum cows.
The stable metabolite of prostaglandin F2 alpha,15 keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM), was measured from peripheral blood samples collected at specified intervals postpartum from 7 normal dairy cows and 4 cows with apparent endometritis. Plasma PFGM levels were significantly (P less than .05) elevated for the first 5 days postpartum in the cows with endometritis (ranging from 4.0 to 5.0 ng/ml) compared to the controls (approximately 1.0 ng/ml). Beyond 5 days postpartum, plasma PGFM levels were not significantly different and decreased to approximately 0.4 ng/ml by day 13 in both groups. Time to uterine involution was not different between groups (less than 30 days). Therefore, uterine infections in cows during the puerperium was associated with elevated circulating PGFM levels. These findings and the observation that PGF2 alpha is not uterotonic in the puerperal cow do not suggest a therapeutic use of PGF2 alpha in order to evacuate the uterus.


Changes in concentrations of follicular fluid factors during follicle selection in mares.
The temporal relationships in the changes in concentrations of follicular fluid factors during follicle selection were characterized in mares. All follicles > or =5 mm were ablated 10 days after ovulation, followed by follicular fluid collection from the three largest follicles (F1, F2, and F3) when F1 of the new wave reached a diameter of 8.0-11.9, 12.0-15.9, 16.0-19.9, 20.0-23.9, 24.0-27.9, or 28.0-31.9 mm (n = 4-8 mares/range). Diameter deviation between F1 and F2 began during the 20.0- to 23.9-mm range, as indicated by a greater difference in diameter between the two follicles at the 24.0- to 27.9-mm range than at the 20.0- to 23.9-mm range. Androstenedione concentrations increased in F1, F2, and F3 between the 16.0- to 19.9- and 20.0- to 23.9-mm ranges. In contrast, estradiol, free insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, activin-A, and inhibin-A concentrations increased only in F1 beginning at the 16.0- to 19.9-mm range. As a result, the concentrations of all four factors were higher in F1 than in F2 and F3 at all the later ranges, including the 20.0- to 23.9-mm range (beginning of diameter deviation). Concentrations of progesterone differentially increased in F1, concentrations of androstenedione and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-2 increased only in F2 and F3, and concentrations of inhibin-B differentially decreased in F2 and F3 simultaneous with the beginning of deviation. Concentrations of FSH, LH, pro-alphaC inhibin, and total inhibin did not change differentially among follicles. Results indicated that, on a temporal basis, estradiol, free IGF-1, activin-A, and inhibin-A may have played a role in the initiation of follicle deviation. In addition, these four factors as well as progesterone, androstenedione, IGFBP-2, and inhibin-B may have been involved in the subsequent differential development of the follicles.


Head Stabilization in the Pigeon: Role of Vision to Correct for Translational and Rotational Disturbances.
Stabilization of the head in animals with limited capacity to move their eyes is key to maintain a stable image on the retina. In many birds, including pigeons, a prominent example for the important role of head stabilization is the characteristic head-bobbing behavior observed during walking. Multimodal sensory feedback from the eyes, the vestibular system and proprioceptors in body and neck is required to control head stabilization. Here, we trained unrestrained pigeons (Columba livia) to stand on a perch that was sinusoidally moved with a motion platform along all three translational and three rotational degrees of freedom. We varied the frequency of the perturbation and we recorded the pigeons' responses under both light and dark conditions. Head, body, and platform movements were assessed with a high-speed motion capture system and the data were used to compute gain and phase of head and body movements in response to the perturbations. Comparing responses under dark and light conditions, we estimated the contribution of visual feedback to the control of the head. Our results show that the head followed the movement of the motion platform to a large extent during translations, but it was almost perfectly stabilized against rotations. Visual feedback only improved head stabilization during translations but not during rotations. The body compensated rotations around the forward-backward and the lateral axis, but did not contribute to head stabilization during translations and rotations around the vertical axis. From the results, we conclude that head stabilization in response to translations and rotations depends on different sensory feedback and that visual feedback plays only a limited role for head stabilization during standing.


Bivariate Spatio-Temporal Shared Component Modeling: Mapping of Relative Death Risk due to Colorectal and Stomach Cancers in Iran Provinces.
Gastrointestinal cancers make for nearly half fatal cancers with colorectal and stomach cancers' being listed among the ten most common in Iran. This research aims to determine the spatial pattern and temporal trend of death risk due to colorectal and stomach cancers among provinces of Iran and estimate the effect of shared and specific components as surrogates of risk factors for the aforementioned cancers on changes of death due to the cancers over time and place. In this ecological study, the data regarding death causes in colorectal and stomach cancers during 2006-2011 were obtained from the death registration system of the Iranian Ministry of Health. The estimation of relative risk (RR) of death due to the target cancers was performed applying Bayesian spatiotemporal shared component (SC) model in OpenBUGS software. North-Western provinces ranked first regarding stomach cancer RR of death (RR >1.75). Furthermore, some North-Western and central provinces had the highest RR of death due to colorectal cancer (RR >1.5). The SC surrogating the risk factor shared between both cancers had the most effect in Northern, North-Western and western provinces, and the least effect in Southern and South-Eastern ones. North and North-West of Iran found to be the high-risk area for death due to both stomach and colorectal cancers and South-East and South provinces shown to have the lowest RR. The obtained results can be illuminating to health resource allocation to the health policymakers.


Medicaid nursing home reimbursement policies, rates, and expenditures.
Nursing home expenditures, along with those of hospitals, have been a target of cost containment efforts because they constitute a growing share of overall public expenditures for health. Of the total $287 billion spent on personal health care in 1982, $27 billion (9.5 percent) was spent on nursing home care (Gibson, Waldo, and Levit, 1983). Nationally, nursing home expenditures increased at a rate of 17.4 percent between 1980 and 1981 and 12.9 percent between 1981 and 1982, more rapidly than overall health care expenditures (Gibson, Waldo, and Levit, 1983).


Boron neutron capture therapy and add-on bevacizumab in patients with recurrent malignant glioma.
Although boron neutron capture therapy has shown excellent survival data, previous studies have shown an increase in radiation necrosis against recurrent malignant glioma. Herein, we proposed that bevacizumab may reduce radiation injury from boron neutron capture therapy by re-irradiation. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a boron neutron capture therapy and add-on bevacizumab combination therapy in patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Patients with recurrent malignant glioma were treated with reactor-based boron neutron capture therapy. Treatment with bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) was initiated 1-4 weeks after boron neutron capture therapy and was administered every 2-3 weeks until disease progression. Initially diagnosed glioblastomas were categorized as primary glioblastoma, whereas other forms of malignant glioma were categorized as non-primary glioblastoma. Twenty-five patients (14 with primary glioblastoma and 11 with non-primary glioblastoma) were treated with boron neutron capture therapy and add-on bevacizumab. The 1-year survival rate for primary glioblastoma and non-primary glioblastoma was 63.5% (95% confidence interval: 33.1-83.0) and 81.8% (95% confidence interval: 44.7-95.1), respectively. The median overall survival was 21.4 months (95% confidence interval: 7.0-36.7) and 73.6 months (95% confidence interval: 11.4-77.2) for primary glioblastoma and non-primary glioblastoma, respectively. The median progression-free survival was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval: 4.2-12.1) and 15.6 months (95% confidence interval: 3.1-29.8) for primary glioblastoma and non-primary glioblastoma, respectively. Neither pseudoprogression nor radiation necrosis were identified during bevacizumab treatment. Alopecia occurred in all patients. Six patients experienced adverse events ≥grade 3. Boron neutron capture therapy and add-on bevacizumab provided a long overall survival and a long progression-free survival in recurrent malignant glioma compared with previous studies on boron neutron capture therapy alone. The add-on bevacizumab may reduce the detrimental effects of boron neutron capture therapy, including pseudoprogression and radiation necrosis. Further studies of the combination therapy with a larger sample size and a randomized controlled design are warranted.


Sjögren's syndrome associated with protein losing gastroenteropathy manifested by intestinal lymphangiectasia successfully treated with prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine.
Protein-losing gastroenteropathy (PLGE), a rare manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), is characterized by profound edema and severe hypoalbuminemia secondary to excessive serum protein loss from the gastrointestinal tract and is clinically indistinguishable from nephrotic syndrome. We report a case of a 30-year-old Taiwanese woman with PLGE-associated SS. In addition to a positive Schirmer's test, she had eye-dryness, thirst, and high levels of anti-SSA antibodies, fulfilling SS criteria. PLGE diagnosis was highly appropriate given the clinical profile of hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, pleural effusion, and ascites, with absent cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease. We were unable to perform technetium-99 m-labeled human serum albumin scintigraphy ((99m)Tc-HAS). However, the patient's edema and albumin level improved dramatically in response to a 3-month regime of oral prednisolone followed by oral hydroxychloroquine.


[Influence of gentian leaf blight on the output and quality of Chinese gentian].
To study the influecnce of gentian leaf blight on the output and quality of rough gentian. The same grade seedlings were transplanted, disease of every plant was investigated in autumn and the output of gentian was determined. HPLC was applied to determine the content of gentiopicroside and swertiamarin. The output decreased with the aggravation of the disease, and the decrease was obvious when the index of disease was above 60. The content of gentiopicroside and swertiamarin began to drop when the index of disease was above 70. The loss of output and the drop of quality are relatively heavy when the disease is serious. The loss of income is not obvious when the index of disease is under 60.


[Partial purification of endogenous inhibitors of (+)-[3H] SKF 10047 binding with sigma-opioid receptors of the liver].
Porcine liver extract inhibits (+)-[3H]SKF 10047 binding to rat liver membranes. The inhibitors of (+)-[3H]SKF 10047 binding were detected in acetone supernatant and in acid acetonated powder of the liver extract. Partial purification of the acetone supernatant revealed some characteristics of these inhibitors: low molecular weight (less than 1000), thermostability, resistance to pronase digestion, solubility in water and organic solvents.


Autoimmune aspects in glaucoma.
The pathogenesis of glaucoma, a common neurodegenerative disease, involves an immunologic component. Studies demonstrate changes of autoantibody concentrations against retinal and optic nerve head antigens in glaucoma patients. Furthermore we found antibody deposits in human glaucomatous retinae in a pro-inflammatory environment. Clinical studies showed up regulated, but also significantly down-regulated autoantibody levels. These antibodies belong to the natural autoimmunity. The upregulation of autoantibodies can be associated with fatal conditions, but several studies demonstrate that natural autoantibodies entail also neuroprotective characteristics and influence the protein expression of neuroretinal cells. A misbalance in the physiological equilibrium may shift from regulatory immunity into a neuroinflammatory degenerative process, what may lead to a predisposition to glaucoma. However, the protective nature of autoantibodies and the molecular mechanisms underlying the very sensitive equilibrium of natural autoimmunity between autoaggression and neuroprotection offer promising target sites for new therapeutic approaches. Finally, the changes in antibody profiles represent a new opportunity as highly sensitive and specific biomarkers for diagnostics purposes.


RNs' perceptions of their baccalaureate programs: meeting their adult learning needs.
The American Nurses' Association's (ANA) 1985 resolutions have resulted in an influx of registered nurses into a variety of baccalaureate programs. The purpose of this study was to compare ways in which 12 baccalaureate programs in nursing were perceived by RN students and to note significant differences among programs in meeting adult learning needs. Data were gathered using the Beeman Educational Environment Measure for Adult Nurses instrument, which contains statements related to adult learning principles. Findings revealed significant differences among three groups of students on three scales: RNs in RN-only programs (BRNs; n = 129); RNs in basic BSN programs (n = 59); and non-RNs (n = 96). RNs in basic programs indicated that facets of their programs often inhibited learning while BRNs found that their programs better promoted an orientation to learning, met their practical concerns, and more often fostered adult characteristics such as self-direction and independence. All students found their educational environments offered them some support.


Model of visually evoked cortical potentials.
The pattern-reversal (P-VEPs) and the motion-onset (M-VEPs) of visual evoked potentials were modeled by means of three damped oscillators (O1, O2, O3) of identical construction. The O1, assumed to simulate the response of primary visual area (V1), was driven by the firing density of the lateral geniculate nuclei. 01 contributed mainly to the N75 and P100 peaks of the P-VEPs. The O2, driven by the O1 output, mimics the activity of V2, V3a, and MT. It contributed to the negative peak N145 of the P-VEPs or to the N160 in the M-VEPs. The O3 was suggested to model late slow processes probably of an attentive origin. The model parameters were set by optimization to follow the P-VEPs and M-VEPs obtained as a grand average of four young volunteers (Pz - A2 lead). The evoked potentials were described with normalized root mean square error lower than 13%.


Sox2 Ablation in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Perturbs Anxiety- and Depressive-like Behaviors.
Mood disorders negatively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide every year, yet the precise molecular mechanisms by which they manifest remain elusive. Circadian dysregulation is one avenue by which mood disorders are thought to arise. SOX2 is a transcription factor that is highly expressed in the murine suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the circadian master clock, and has been recently found to be an important regulator of Per2, a core component of the molecular clock. Genetic ablation of the Sox2 gene in GABAergic neurons selectively impacts SCN neurons, as they are one of very few, if not the only, GABAergic populations that express Sox2. Here, we show that GABAergic-restricted ablation of Sox2 results in anxio-depressive-like phenotypes in mice as observed in the elevated plus maze, forced swim test, tail suspension test, and sucrose preference test. We further observe a reduction in basal and/or forced swim-induced c-Fos expression, a marker of neuronal activation, in the nucleus incertus, arcuate nucleus, and dentate gyrus of Sox2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. Given the restricted disruption of SOX2 expression in the SCN of Sox2 cKO mice, we propose that their mood-associated phenotypes are the consequence of a dysregulated central clock that is unable to communicate appropriately timed signals to other brain nuclei that regulate affective behaviors.


The anxiolytic but not the sedative properties of tracazolate are reversed by the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, Ro 15-1788.
The effects of the novel putative anxiolytic, tracazolate, were investigated in the social interaction of anxiety and the holeboard. Tracazolate (5 mg/kg) had an anxiolytic action that was no longer observed at higher doses (10-25 mg/kg); in the holeboard tracazolate produced a dose-related (5-25 mg/kg) depression of exploratory head-dipping, locomotor activity and rearing. The effects of tracazolate in the social interaction test, but not in the holeboard, could be reversed by the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg).


Learning to kill: Why a small handful of counties generates the bulk of US death sentences.
We demonstrate strong self-referential effects in county-level data concerning use of the death penalty. We first show event-dependency using a repeated-event model. Higher numbers of previous events reduce the expected time delay before the next event. Second, we use a cross-sectional time-series approach to model the number of death sentences imposed in a given county in a given year. This model shows that the cumulative number of death sentences previously imposed in the same county is a strong predictor of the number imposed in a given year. Results raise troubling substantive implications: The number of death sentences in a given county in a given year is better predicted by that county's previous experience in imposing death than by the number of homicides. This explains the previously observed fact that a large share of death sentences come from a small number of counties and documents the self-referential aspects of use the death penalty. A death sentencing system based on racial dynamics and then amplified by self-referential dynamics is inconsistent with equal protection of the law, but this describes the United States system well.


Effects of photoperiod on secretory patterns of growth hormone in adult male goats.
The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of photoperiod on secretory patterns of growth hormone (GH) in male goats. Adult male goats were kept at 20°C with an 8-h or 16-h light photoperiod, and secretory patterns of GH secretion were compared. In addition, plasma profiles of prolactin (PRL), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and testosterone (T) were also examined to characterize GH secretion. GH was secreted in a pulsatile manner. There was no significant difference in pulse frequency between the 8-h and 16-h photoperiods. However, GH pulse amplitude tended to be greater in the group with the 16-h photoperiod (P = 0.1), and mean GH concentrations were significantly greater in the 16-h photoperiod (P < 0.05). The GH-releasing response to GH releasing hormone was greater in the 16-h than 8-h photoperiod (P < 0.05). Plasma PRL and IGF-I levels were higher in the 16-h than 8-h photoperiod (P < 0.05). In contrast, plasma T levels were lower in the 16-h photoperiod (P < 0.05). These results show that a long light photoperiod enhances the secretion of GH as well as PRL and IGF-I, but reduces plasma T concentrations in male goats.


Taming the stability of Pd active phases through a compartmentalizing strategy toward nanostructured catalyst supports.
The design and synthesis of robust sintering-resistant nanocatalysts for high-temperature oxidation reactions is ubiquitous in many industrial catalytic processes and still a big challenge in implementing nanostructured metal catalyst systems. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy for designing robust nanocatalysts through a sintering-resistant support via compartmentalization. Ultrafine palladium active phases can be highly dispersed and thermally stabilized by nanosheet-assembled γ-Al2O3 (NA-Al2O3) architectures. The NA-Al2O3 architectures with unique flowerlike morphologies not only efficiently suppress the lamellar aggregation and irreversible phase transformation of γ-Al2O3 nanosheets at elevated temperatures to avoid the sintering and encapsulation of metal phases, but also exhibit significant structural advantages for heterogeneous reactions, such as fast mass transport and easy access to active sites. This is a facile stabilization strategy that can be further extended to improve the thermal stability of other Al2O3-supported nanocatalysts for industrial catalytic applications, in particular for those involving high-temperature reactions.


Standard tool for quantification in health impact assessment a review.
The health impact assessment (HIA) of policy proposals is becoming common practice. HIA represents a broad approach with quantification of the impact of policy options at its core. However, no standard tool is available and it remains unclear whether any current model can serve as a standard for the field. The aim of this study is to assess whether already existing models can be used as a standard tool for the quantification step in an HIA. A search in 2008 identified 20 models for HIA, of which six are sufficiently generic to allow for various and multiple diseases and different risk factors: Age-Related Morbidity and Death Analysis, Global Burden of Disease, Population Health Modeling, PREVENT, Proportional Life Table Method, and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (the Netherlands) Chronic Disease Model. These were evaluated along three proposed model structure criteria (real-life population, dynamic projection, explicit risk-factor states) and three usability criteria (modest data requirements, rich model output, generally accessible) developed to address the needs and requirements of the HIA framework. Of the six generic models investigated, none fulfills all the proposed criteria as a standard HIA tool. The models are either technically advanced with no or limited accessibility, or they are accessible but oversimplified. Further work on models for HIA with equal emphasis on technical appropriateness, availability of data, and end-user-friendly implementation is warranted if the field is to move forward.


Reproducibility of the gadolinium concentration measurements and of the fitting parameters of the vascular input function in the superior sagittal sinus in a patient population.
It is widely recognised that the measurement of the arterial input function (AIF) is a key issue and a major source of errors in the pharmacokinetic modelling of dynamic, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data, and the modality of the AIF determination is still a matter of debate. In this study we addressed the problem of the intrinsic variability of the AIF within the imaged volume of a DCE-MRI scan by systematically investigating the change in the concentration of contrast agent over time and the fit parameters of the derived vascular input function (VIF) obtained from the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) of a patient population that was scanned longitudinally during treatment for high grade glioma. From a total of 82 scanning sessions, we compared the results obtained with three different DCE-MRI protocols and between two different fitting functions. We applied a correction algorithm to the measured concentration-time curves to minimize the effect of the low temporal resolution on the VIF, and investigated the effect of this algorithm on the reproducibility. Finally, where possible, we compared the signal obtained in the SSS to the signal obtained in the middle cerebral artery. We found a good intrapatient reproducibility of both the measured gadolinium concentrations and VIF parameters, and that the variation of the parameters due to slice location within a patient was significantly lower than the intra patient variation. Intrapatient, interscan differences were significantly less marked than inter-patient differences showing a good intraclass correlation coefficient. We did encounter a MRI protocol dependence of the VIF fitting parameters. The correction algorithm significantly improved the reproducibility of the fitting parameters. These results support the idea that the use of a patient specific measured AIF, not necessarily averaged over a large volume, offers a significant benefit with respect to an external AIF or a measured cohort average AIF.


Lifetime-based measurement of stress during cyclic elastic deformation using mechanoluminescence of SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺.
The present study focused on the rise time and decay times of mechanoluminescence (ML) during cyclic elastic deformation of SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺. The time constants during compression and decompression, τup and τdown, respectively, did not change from the 2nd to the 5th cycle. Both τup and τdown were expressed by a linear function of the maximum load and the inverse of the loading rate. τup depended only on the loading time, whereas τdown was affected by the loading time and the rate of change of the strain energy. Measuring τdown may enable evaluation of the loading conditions even under cyclic loading and may enhance the practicality of a ML phosphor.


Stainless steel bands in endodontics: effects on cuspal flexure and fracture resistance.
This study investigated the effect of stainless steel bands on cuspal flexure and fracture resistance of extracted maxillary premolars. Twenty extracted maxillary premolars (10 matched pairs) with mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavities and endodontic access were subjected to occlusal loading tests (100 N) using a servo-hydraulic testing machine. Cuspal deflections were measured by an extensometer, with and without the band present. Ten teeth (one of each pair) then had the band removed, and all teeth were subjected to loading until fracture. Mean cuspal flexure of teeth with bands was one-half of flexure without bands (P < 0.001). Teeth with bands fractured at higher load than their matched pairs with the band removed (P < 0.001), with mean loads at fracture of 1282 N and 729 N, respectively. The study showed that stainless steel bands used in endodontics reduce the cuspal flexure of maxillary premolars and increase their fracture resistance.


Cellular proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis: molecular targets for nutritional preemption of cancer.
Malignant cells are characterized by abnormal signaling pathways involving proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. These cancer centric pathways are known to be modified by several bioactive dietary components, although admittedly there are inconsistencies in the response. The response is dependent on the amount and duration of exposure to the dietary component and the cell type. While caution should be exercised when extrapolating in vitro data to in vivo conditions, such studies do provide valuable insights into plausible mechanisms. Significant gene-nutrient and nutrient-nutrient interactions may contribute to the uncertainty of the response to foods and/or their components. One of the challenges is the identification of which process(es), either singly or in combination, is/are most important in leading to a dietary-mediated phenotypic change. The dearth of controlled intervention studies that have investigated molecular targets for nutritional preemption in humans make firm dietary recommendations difficult. Until more definite information surfaces, a balanced but varied diet is most prudent.


Anticonvulsant activities of phenyl-substituted bicyclic 2,4-oxazolidinediones and monocyclic models. Comparison with binding to the neuronal voltage-dependent sodium channel.
8,9-Dioxo-6-phenyl-1-aza-7-oxabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane (1) and 9,10-dioxo-7-phenyl-1-aza-8-oxabicyclo[5.2.1]decane (2), examples of anti-Bredt bicyclic 2,4-oxazolidinediones, were investigated as anticonvulsants in mice. Compound 2 was the more potent (anti-MES ED50 = 66 mg/kg), and its in vivo anti-MES effect was consistent with its in vitro potency of binding to the voltage-sensitive sodium channel (IC50 = 160 microM for the inhibition of binding of [3H]BTX-B), suggesting that 2 may be a new class I anticonvulsant. Several partial structures of 2, either monocyclic lactams or monocyclic 2,4-oxazolidinediones, were also evaluated in these assays, but no correlation was observed between sodium channel binding and anti-MES effects. A significant finding was that monocyclic 5-alkyl-5-phenyl-2,4-oxazolidinediones provided relatively potent, nontoxic, broad-spectrum anticonvulsants.


Reactive pleural inflammation caused by intratracheal instillation of killed microbes.
To investigate the pleural leucocyte response to severe alveolar inflammation, heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum were instilled intratracheally into the lungs of PVG rats and pleural lavage was performed. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils are not normally resident in the pleural space but were found transiently after intratracheal instillation of C. parvum. Macrophages increased gradually in the pleural space following instillation, reaching a peak at day 5. The activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor in the pleural leucocyte supernatants was increased at day 1, but returned to control levels by day 5. The activities of interleukin-1 and tumour necrosis factor secreted by pleural leucocytes were decreased compared with control pleural leucocytes at day 1 and were further reduced at day 5. The analysis of particle translocation showed that intratracheally instilled C. parvum and fluorescent beads with or without C. parvum did not reach the pleural space. We hypothesize that pleural inflammation resulting from C. parvum-induced inflammation in the lung is the result of transfer of a diffusible factor from the adjacent parenchyma.


Involvement of extracellular and intracellular enzymes of Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010 for biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
This study examined the interrelation between the biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010 and its fungal enzyme systems. The degradation rates of Aroclor 1254 and 1260 were 29.01% on day 5 and 36.80% on day 10, respectively. MnP (Manganese dependent peroxidase) and laccase activities showed the greatest increases in the samples containing Aroclors, indicating that extracellular enzymes of Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010 were affected by the addition of Aroclors. However, the relationship between the biodegradation rate and extracellular enzymes might be obscured by the complexity of the biodegradation process. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase was inhibited and the biodegradation rate of the Aroclor decreased by adding the inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that intracellular enzymes play a significant role in the biodegradation of Aroclor. Complex extracellular and intracellular enzyme systems in Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010 play an important role in degrading PCBs. Physiological changes of Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010 caused by PCBs appeared to affect biodegradation of PCBs. However, it is necessary to further study the unidentified enzymes related to the biodegradation of Aroclor.


[The effect of taurine on the electrically controlled ion channels of the somatic membrane of pond snail neurons].
Isolated and internally dialysed neurons from the molluscs Lymnaea stagnalis were investigated under voltage-clamp conditions. The increasing of taurin concentration (from 1.10(-8) to 1.10(-2) mol/l) reduced the calcium inward--and delayed potassium outward currents, and exerted no effect on the fast potassium outward current. Sodium inward current was increased by taurin concentrations 1.10(-8)-1.10(-4) mol/l, and reduced by 1.10(-3)-1.10(-2) mol/l. Membrane leakage currents were reduced by small taurin concentrations and increased by large concentrations.


Surgical strategy for Kommerell's diverticulum with aberrant subclavian artery.
Kommerell's diverticulum is an extremely rare congenital aortic anomaly. Because of its rarity, the optimal surgical strategy for Kommerell's diverticulum has not been established. In this study, we reviewed our experience of surgical correction of this anomaly. Between 2007 and 2013, we managed 9 surgical cases of Kommerell's diverticulum; 7 had a right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery, and 2 had a left aortic arch with an aberrant right subclavian artery. None of these patients had any symptom resulting from structural compression between the aneurysm and the aberrant subclavian artery. All patients underwent surgical treatment to prevent aneurysmal rupture. Six patients had replacement of the thoracic descending aorta and in-situ reconstruction of the aberrant subclavian artery through a right thoracotomy, and 3 underwent the same procedures through a left thoracotomy. Three different methods of extracorporeal circulation were applied, according to the anatomical features of each case. There was one hospital death. This patient developed severe cerebral infarction and died of multiple organ failure on the 65th postoperative day. There were no other major complications nor any need for rehospitalization. Kommerell's diverticulum should be treated using an optimal strategy based on each patient's anatomical features and other characteristics.


Surfactant protein A regulates surfactant phospholipid clearance after LPS-induced injury in vivo.
Previous in vitro studies have suggested that surfactant protein A (SP-A) may play a role in pulmonary surfactant homeostasis by mediating surfactant secretion and clearance. However, mice made deficient in SP-A [SP-A (-/-) animals] have relatively normal levels of surfactant compared with wild-type SP-A (+/+) animals. We hypothesize that SP-A may play a role in surfactant homeostasis after acute lung injury. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide was instilled into the lungs of SP-A (-/-) mice and SP-A (+/+) mice to induce injury. Surfactant phospholipid levels were increased 1.6-fold in injured SP-A (-/-) animals, although injury did not alter [3H]choline or [14C]palmitate incorporation into dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), suggesting no change in surfactant synthesis/secretion 12 h after injury. Clearance of [3H]DPPC from the lungs of injured SP-A (-/-) animals was decreased by approximately 40%. Instillation of 50 microg of exogenous SP-A rescued both the clearance defect and the increased phospholipid defect in injured SP-A (-/-) animals, suggesting that SP-A may play a role in regulating clearance of surfactant phospholipids after acute lung injury.


Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia: a retrospective study of busulfan-cytoxan versus total body irradiation-cytoxan as preparative regimen in Koreans.
From January 1990 to December 1997, 53 Korean patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donors conditioned with either busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BU/CY regimen) or total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide (TBI/CY regimen) were compared retrospectively. Transplantation-related mortality was 19% in BU/CY and 12% in TBI/CY, and early death (<100 d) occurred in 3 patients conditioned with BU/CY. Grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 9% of BU/CY and 52% of TBI/CY patients. Overall incidence of chronic GVHD was 50% of BU/CY and 52% of TBI/CY patients. In patients with chronic phase, 5-yr overall survival was 73% in the BU/CY group compared with 87% in the TBI/CY group (p=NS), and overall disease-free survival was 75% in the BU/CY group and 59% in the TBI/CY group (p=NS). So far, with a median follow-up of 45 months, 11 patients have relapsed; three relapses occurred after BU/CY and 8 after TBI/CY. The actuarial 5-yr relapse rate was 15% after BU/CY, 34% after TBI/CY (p=0.46). For patients transplanted in chronic phase within 1 yr after diagnosis, there was a clear trend for a lower relapse rate in the BU/CY group (5-yr relapse rate 0%) compared with the TBI/CY group (5-yr relapse rate 30%). The BU/CY group had similar BMT-related toxicity and similar overall survival and showed a clear trend of low relapse compared with the TBI/CY group. Therefore, BU/CY is an acceptable alternative for patients with CML during HLA-identical sibling allogeneic BMT.


An in oculo model for quantitation of vascular growth in the rat heart.
The aim was to describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, vascularisation in an in oculo model that may prove useful for studying neovascularisation in the myocardium. Whole hearts from 13-14 d rat fetuses were implanted into the anterior chamber of host Sprague Dawley rats. Implant growth was monitored and at 3 months postimplantation grafts were recovered. Fixed tissue sections were histologically characterised with light and electron microscopy and morphometrically analysed using image analysis. At two weeks, 92% of implanted hearts were beating. At 1 month, well vascularised implants that were beating were slightly larger than those not beating, at 16.0(SD 1.0) v. 12.3(2.0)mm2. By 2 months, beating implants were significantly (p less than 0.05) larger than non-beating implants, at 23.5(3.0) v. 12.4(1.7)mm2. In non-beating implants, the larger the extent of vascularisation, the larger the implant size. Histologically, well vascularised beating implants showed normal adult cardiac myocyte structure, with normal appearing sarcomeres and intercalated discs, but no preferential fibre orientation. The amount of area occupied by muscle and connective tissue varied between implants. Implant vasculature, including arterioles and capillaries, appeared normal. The percentage of vascular area was consistent between grafts. A small percentage of total area was occupied by lymphocytes. This investigation indicates that sufficient vascularisation is important for growth of grafts, provides for the first time quantitative morphometric data characterising the in oculo cardiac implant model, and reports baseline data that will be useful for comparison to myocardium treated with putative angiogenic factors in the future.


A unique postmarket outpatient surveillance program of cimetidine: report on phase II and final summary.
A unique outpatient surveillance program consisting of an initial phase (phase I) and a follow-up phase (phase II) was initiated 7 months after FDA approval of cimetidine. The methodology used in this extensive postmarket surveillance program provided information on adverse effects in a large number of patients both on an acute and chronic (up to 12 months) basis. Phase I gathered data on 9907 patients from 1049 physicians over a 3-month period. The overall incidence of adverse effects in this phase was 4.4%, and they did not differ in type from those of premarketing controlled studies. Six months after termination of phase I, phase II was initiated, and follow-up data were requested on the same group of patients from the same 1049 physicians. Case report forms were received from 905 physicians on 7248 patients representing 9763 courses of cimetidine therapy. A total of 162 adverse effects were reported by 138 patients for an incidence of 1.8%. As in postmarket surveillance I, the adverse effects reported in postmarket surveillance II were not different from those previously reported in clinical studies, published reports, or via the spontaneous reporting system. This postmarket surveillance program designed and successfully tested methodology useful for future surveillance studies, and confirmed the safety of cimetidine in a large cohort of patients which remains a valuable source for future data accumulation.


Reactivity of a Ru(III)-hydroxo complex in substrate oxidation in water.
A mononuclear Ru(III)-OH complex oxidizes substrates such as hydroquinones in water through a pre-equilibrium process based on adduct formation by hydrogen bonding between the Ru(III)-OH complex and the substrates. The reaction mechanism switches from hydrogen atom transfer to electron transfer depending on the oxidation potential of substrates.


Development and use of the lens epithelial explant system to study lens differentiation and cataractogenesis.
Over the last two decades much progress has been made in identifying and characterizing many of the molecules involved in understanding normal lens biology and its pathology. Much of this has been made possible through the establishment and use of the lens epithelial explant system. This simplistic tissue culture model, comprised of a sheet of lens epithelium on its native substratum, has been used effectively to study many cellular processes, including lens epithelial cell proliferation, fiber cell differentiation, cell apoptosis as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation of cells. In doing so, a number of key growth factors and cytokines, including members of the FGF, Wnt and TGFbeta family have been shown to play essential roles in many of these cellular events. This has led to further studies exploring the signaling pathways downstream of these molecules in the lens, paving the way for the development of a number of in situ models (primarily transgenic mouse lines) to further explore in more detail the nature of these molecular and cellular interactions. To reciprocate, the lens epithelial explant system is increasingly being used to further characterize the nature of many complex phenotypes and pathologies observed in these in situ models, allowing us to selectively isolate and examine the direct impact of an individual molecule on a specific cellular response in lens cells. There is no question that the lens epithelial explant system has served as a powerful tool to further our understanding of lens biology and pathology, and there is no doubt that it will continue to serve in such a capacity, as new developments are realized and putative treatments for aberrant lens cell behavior are to be trialed.


ERbeta1 and the ERbeta2 splice variant (ERbetacx/beta2) are expressed in distinct cell populations in the adult human testis.
Estrogens can regulate germ cell function. Estrogen action is mediated via high affinity ERs; two subtypes (ERalpha and ERbeta) have been identified. We have shown previously that ERbeta is expressed in nuclei of multiple human testicular cells. A variant isoform of human (h) ERbeta (hERbetacx/2), formed by alternative splicing, has been identified in testicular cDNA libraries by two laboratories. The present study examined the expression of wild-type (ERbeta1) and variant (ERbeta2) beta receptors in human testes by 1) RT-PCR with isoform specific primers, and 2) single and double immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies raised against peptides unique to the C termini of hERbeta1 and hERbeta2. PCR products specific for ERbeta1 and ERbeta2 were amplified from cDNA pools prepared from human testes and granulosa cells. On Western blots, the anti-ERbeta1 monoclonal antibody bound to recombinant ERbeta1 and the anti-ERbeta2 monoclonal to recombinant hERbeta2. Neither bound to the other ERbeta isoform nor to recombinant ERalpha. ERbeta1 and ERbeta2 proteins were both detected in human testis. Immunoexpression of ERbeta1 was most intense in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids, whereas low levels of expression were detected in Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, preleptotene, leptotene, zygotene, and diplotene spermatocytes. Highest levels of expression of ERbeta2 protein were detected in Sertoli cells and spermatogonia with low/variable expression in preleptotene, pachytene, and diplotene spermatocytes. No immunostaining was detected in elongating spermatids. Most interstitial cells expressed more ERbeta2 than ERbeta1. It is speculated that the cells most susceptible to modulation by estrogenic ligands are round spermatids in which levels of expression of ERbeta1 are high. In contrast, expression of ERbeta2, an isoform that may act as a dominant negative inhibitor of ER action, in Sertoli cells and spermatogonia, could protect these cells from adverse effects of estrogens.


RAR and RXR selective ligands cooperatively induce apoptosis and neuronal differentiation in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells.
Retinoids cause differentiation in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, thus mimicking events in mammalian development. Here, we show that retinoids also cause apoptosis in P19 EC cells. Characteristic DNA fragmentation was observed within 36 h after addition of retinoic acid (RA). Synthetic retinoids that are selective for RA receptors (RAR) were also effective in inducing apoptosis, whereas RXR selective ligands were without effect. The combination of RAR and RXR ligands resulted in a synergistic increase in apoptotic cell death. As with apoptosis, neuronal differentiation of P19 cells was synergistically induced by the combination of RAR and RXR ligands. Data obtained with an RAR antagonist and with P19 cells carrying a dominant negative RXR indicate that the two processes are receptor mediated. Together, our results indicate that retinoid-induced apoptosis and neuronal differentiation are closely coupled, and that both RAR and RXR play a role in these processes as active receptors for their respective ligands.


Patient support networks: something for everyone.
With the emphasis of American health care shifting toward patient rights and education, the resources available through patient support networks are a valuable supplement to physician services. Support networks are groups organized around specific conditions or disorders, their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. As with other forms of patient education, support networks enable patients to become more informed about their disease and to play a more active role in their health care. Following a summary of patient-physician-support network relationships and the benefits thereof, a list of patient support resources is provided.


Exploring characteristics of specialization as moderators of the link between specialization and patient experience of care.
Hospitals are increasingly pursuing specialization as a strategy to operate efficiently while delivering high-quality care. To date, however, evidence is lacking on whether hospital specialization has a consistent effect on patients' experience of care or whether different specialization characteristics influence how specialization works. This study investigates whether specialization characteristics, that is, the within-specialty concentration and the within-specialty urgency score, moderate the link between hospital specialization and patient experience of care. We use patient-reported and administrative data from German hospitals between 2014 and 2017, with orthopedic and trauma care as the research setting. Our sample consists of 157,458 patient observations nested within 483 hospitals. We apply random-intercept multilevel modeling. Our results indicate that the effect of specialization on patient experience of care (a) decreases as the within-specialty concentration increases and (b) increases as the within-specialty urgency score increases. This study provides novel insights into the specialization characteristics that make hospital specialization in orthopedic and trauma care particularly effective at improving patient experiences. Although specialization is gaining popularity as a strategy for pooling scarce resources and facilitating high-quality health care, hospital managers and policymakers should consider that certain characteristics of specialization can influence the way that specialization works and how effective it is in improving patient experiences. Within the scope of orthopedic and trauma care, our study suggests that a low concentration of diagnoses within a service area and a high average level of medical urgency make specialization particularly effective at improving patient experiences.


On-line coupling of immunoaffinity-based solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography for the determination of s-triazines in aqueous samples.
The potential of immunoaffinity-based solid-phase extraction (IASPE) coupled on-line to gas chromatography (GC) for the determination of micropollutants was studied with emphasis on the interfacing of the immunoaffinity-based SPE and GC parts of the system. The cartridge containing the immobilized antibodies was coupled to the gas chromatograph via a reversed-phase cartridge (copolymer sorbent). After trace enrichment of the analytes on the immunoaffinity cartridge, they were desorbed and recollected on the reversed-phase cartridge by means of an acidic buffer. After clean-up and drying with nitrogen, desorption and transfer to the GC was done with ethyl acetate via an on-column interface in the partially concurrent solvent evaporation mode. The antibodies used in the immunoaffinity cartridge were raised against atrazine; several s-triazines were used as test compounds. Triazines that were structurally similar to atrazine, showed quantitative recovery. As an application, immunoaffinity SPE-GC was used for the analysis of river and waste water and orange juice. The selectivity of the system was such that non-selective flame ionization detection (FID) could be used to detect the analytes of interest in these complex matrices. The detection limits for 10-ml water samples were 15-25 ng/l for FID and about 1.5 ng/l for the nitrogen-phosphorus detection.


One shall become two: Separation of the esophagus and trachea from the common foregut tube.
The alimentary and respiratory organ systems arise from a common endodermal origin, the anterior foregut tube. Formation of the esophagus from the dorsal region and the trachea from the ventral region of the foregut primordium occurs by means of a poorly understood compartmentalization process. Disruption of this process can result in severe birth defects, such as esophageal atresia and tracheo-esphageal fistula (EA/TEF), in which the lumina of the trachea and esophagus remain connected. Here we summarize the signaling networks known to be necessary for regulating dorsoventral patterning within the common foregut tube and cellular behaviors that may occur during normal foregut compartmentalization. We propose that dorsoventral patterning serves to establish a lateral region of the foregut tube that is capable of undergoing specialized cellular rearrangements, culminating in compartmentalization. We review established as well as new rodent models that may be useful in addressing this hypothesis. Finally, we discuss new experimental models that could help elucidate the mechanism behind foregut compartmentalization. An integrated approach to future foregut morphogenesis research will allow for a better understanding of this complex process.


False positive results: a challenge for laboratory physicians and hematologists in treating multiple myeloma with daratumumab.
Daratumumab injection was approved by China in 2019 for the treatment of recurrent or refractory multiple myeloma. However, the molecular weight of daratumumab, an immunoglobin G1 kappa human monoclonal antibody, was similar to that of M protein and could not be distinguished from IgG κ M protein in SPEP and SIFE. It might lead to false-positive detection resulting in misdiagnose and confusing evaluation of therapeutic response, especially for patients with IgG κ M proteins. Herein, we reported two cases encountered in our daily clinical work. These two case reports could serve as a reminder to global hematologists who have not yet started or just begun to use the drug of daratumumab.


Circadian rhythm of catecholamine excretion in rats after phase shift of light-dark cycle.
To clarify the time course of circadian rhythm adaptation to a phase shift of the light-dark (LD) cycle, urinary excretion of catecholamines was measured in rats before and after a 12-hour or 6-hour phase delay of a 12-hour light and 12-hour dark schedule. In rats under a basal condition, distinct circadian rhythms in catecholamine excretion were observed, especially in adrenaline excretion. During the 1st and 2nd days after a 12-hour phase delay, the acrophase and amplitude of adrenaline rhythm remained almost unchanged, but thereafter the acrophase was retarded and the amplitude was reduced. The acrophase once again became constant after 5 or 6 days, but the ratio of amplitude to mesor in the circadian rhythm of adrenaline excretion and the ratio of light-period to 24-hour noradrenaline excretion were readjusted to the new LD schedule on 11th or 12th day. IN the 6-hour phase delay of the LD cycle, similar findings were observed, and the results suggested adaptation on the 5-6th day. It is considered that the circadian rhythms of the sympathetic adrenomedullary function are restored, at the latest, 12 days after a 12-hour delay of the LD cycle, and 6 days after a 6-hour delay, suggesting that rats need approximately 1 day to adapt to a 1-hour phase shift.


Primary telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the cervical spine.
Telangiectatic osteosarcoma (TOS) is one of the 8 subtypes of osteosarcoma that infrequently affects the spine. The radiopathological features of TOS overlap with those of more benign entities, most commonly the aneurysmal bone cyst), and therefore is a significant diagnostic challenge. It is a rare but well-described entity in the thoracolumbar and sacral spine, and to the authors' knowledge has not been previously reported in the cervical spine. The authors report the case of a 15-year-old boy who presented with a 6-month history of neck pain and torticollis. He underwent preoperative glue embolization followed by a staged subtotal C-5 spondylectomy and posterior fusion for a C-5 vertebral body lytic expansile lesion. Histopathological examination showed the lesion to be TOS. The surgery was followed by adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy with a favorable outcome at the 1-year follow-up. This report reiterates that TOS is an important differential diagnosis for aneurysmal bone cyst and giant-cell tumor of the spine, as its biological behavior and clinical outcome differ from those of these more benign lesions, which it mimics.


Identification and Quantitation of C═C Location Isomers of Unsaturated Fatty Acids by Epoxidation Reaction and Tandem Mass Spectrometry.
Unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) serve as nutrients, energy sources, and signaling molecules for organisms, which are the major components for a large variety of lipids. However, structural characterization and quantitation of unsaturated FAs by mass spectrometry remain an analytical challenge. Here, we report the coupling of epoxidation reaction of the C═C in unsaturated FAs and tandem mass spectrometry (MS) for rapid and accurate identification and quantitation of C═C isomers of FAs in a shotgun lipidomics approach. Epoxidation of the C═C leads to the production of an epoxide which, upon collision induced dissociation (CID), produces abundant diagnostic ions indicative of the C═C location. The total intensity of the same set of diagnostic ions for one specific FA C═C isomer was also used for its relative and absolute quantitation. The simple experimental setup, rapid reaction kinetics (<2 min), high reaction yield (>90% for monounsaturated FAs), and easy-to-interpret tandem MS spectra enable a promising methodology particularly for the analysis of unsaturated FAs in complex biological samples such as human plasma and animal tissues.


Sexual orientation and education politics: gay and lesbian representation in American schools.
In what has sometimes provoked a "culture war" over America's schools, gays and lesbians have sought an expanded voice in the making of education policy. This paper explores the factors that promote gay representation on school boards, how this variable in turn influences gay representation in both administrative and teaching positions, and how all three forms of gay representation relate to school board policies regarding sexual orientation education. Three of the four models drawn from the social movement literature help to explain gay school board representation. In a manner similar to other minority groups, gay representation on school boards directly or indirectly promotes the appointment of gays to administrative and teaching positions and the adoption of policies that address the problems faced by gay and lesbian students in the public schools.


Factor structure of the Condoms Barriers Scale with a sample of men at high risk for HIV.
This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Condom Barriers Scale (CBS), an instrument originally designed to measure women's perceptions and attitudes regarding male condom use, with a sample of men at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Participants include 590 male patients in drug abuse treatment involved in a gender-specific HIV prevention intervention for teaching safer sex skills. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis generally supported the underlying four-factor subscale structure of the CBS. However, exploratory factor analysis revealed a few specific discrepancies in the factor structure between men and women. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability estimates were moderate to high in value. CBS scores correlated with use of condoms for men with high-risk sexual partners, supporting criterion-related validity. Overall, the analysis indicates that the CBS is a potentially valid and reliable instrument and has utility for assessing barriers to condom use with men, but may need some item content modifications to allow appropriate assessment of gender differences and comparisons across studies.


[Body weight related data: results of the 2007 Swiss Health Survey].
The 2007 Swiss Health Survey is the fourth survey conducted on a random sample of nearly 19,000 adults, living in Switzerland. 37% are overweight or obese, but between 2002 and 2007 no increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity were observed anymore. Overweight and obesity are associated with a number of socio-demographic and life-style factors. 9% of 15 to 34 years old women are underweight. Of the group of 15 to 49 years old men and women, 52% would like to change their body weight (to loose weight 87%, to gain weight 13%). 20% of them eat very irregularly and binge eating happens to 22%. In summary, life-style modifications are needed in relation to overweight, underweight and eating disorders.


Web-based portal for patients undergoing bariatric surgical procedures.
As demand for bariatric surgery continues to grow, a streamlined, convenient method of registering and pre-qualifying patients becomes critical to maintaining quality care. Web-based health record software for bariatric surgeons and practices has been developed with enhancements to provide an easy to use patient registration and medical history portal. The results are more accurate patient qualification, improved office efficiency, and high quality structured data.


Key motion characteristics of side-step movements in hip-hop dance and their effect on the evaluation by judges.
In hip-hop dance, the elements of motion that discriminate the skill levels of dancers and that influence the evaluations by judges have not been clearly identified. This study set out to extract these motion characteristics from the side-step movements of hip-hop dancing. Eight expert and eight non-expert dancers performed side-step movements, which were recorded using a motion capture system. Nine experienced judges evaluated the dancers' performances. Several parameters, including the range of motion (ROM) of the joint angles (neck, trunk, hip, knee, and face inclination) and phase delays between these angular motions were calculated. A quarter-cycle phase delay between the neck motion and other body parts, seen only in the expert dancers, is highlighted as an element that can distinguish dancers' skill levels. This feature of the expert dancers resulted in a larger ROM during the face inclination than that for the non-expert dancers. In addition, the experts exhibited a bottom-to-top segmental sequence in the horizontal direction while the non-experts did not demonstrate any such sequential motion. Of these kinematic parameters, only the ROM of the face inclination was highly correlated to the judging score and is regarded as being the most appealing element of the side-step movement.


Myth of mental health nursing and the challenge of recovery.
Although the concept of 'mental health nursing' has grown in popularity over the past 35 years, it remains a myth. People believe that they know what it is and value it highly, but cannot describe or define it other than in vague terms. This paper briefly charts the rise of 'mental health nursing', emphasizing its political implications, and in particular, the drive towards an embrace of a person-centred, recovery-focused approach to care. If nurses are to realize such ambitions, they must resolve their historical association with psychiatric nursing. The concept of the 'mental health nurse' might signal the emergence of a new vision for human services, but might also signal the need for 'mental health nurses' to negotiate a formal separation from the traditional 'psychiatric' family.


Synthetic Consortium of Escherichia coli for n-Butanol Production by Fermentation of the Glucose-Xylose Mixture.
The microbial production of n-butanol using glucose and xylose, the major components of plant biomass, can provide a sustainable and renewable fuel as crude oil replacement. However, Escherichia coli prefers glucose to xylose as programmed by carbohydrate catabolite repression (CCR). In this study, a synthetic consortium consisting of two strains was developed by transforming the CCR-insensitive strain into a glucose-selective strain and a xylose-selective strain. Furthermore, the dual culture was reshaped by distribution of the synthetic pathway of n-butanol into two strains. Consequently, the co-culture system enabled effective co-utilization of both sugars and production of 5.2 g/L n-butanol at 30 h. The result leads to the conversion yield and productivity accounting for 63% of the theoretical yield and 0.17 g L-1 h-1, respectively. Overall, the technology platform as proposed is useful for production of other value-added chemicals, which require complicated pathways for their synthesis by microbial fermentation of a sugar mixture.


Hydrogen-rich bath with nano-sized bubbles improves antioxidant capacity based on oxygen radical absorbing and inflammation levels in human serum.
This study compared the effects of hydrogen-water (HW) bath on the oxygen radical absorption-based antioxidant capacity and the inflammatory indicator, C-reactive protein (CRP), in serum between healthy volunteers and inflammatory/collagen disease-patients. The HW bath apparatus supplied nano-bubbles with a diameter of 110 ± 10 nm and 338-682 μg/L of dissolved hydrogen after 120 minutes electrolysis, and nano-bubbles increased to 9.91 × 107/mL along with the increase of correlative dissolved hydrogen. Ten-minute HW bath increased the oxygen radical absorption-based antioxidant capacity to 110.9 ± 9.2% at post-bathing 120 minutes, although unaltered with 10-minute normal water bath at 40°C in healthy subjects. The CRP level was repressed to 70.2 ± 12.1% at 120 minutes after HW bath, although rather increased for normal water bath. In the patients with connective tissue diseases, the CRP level was repressed to 3-24% upon 9 days to 4 months of HW bathing. In another six patients with diverse autoimmune-related diseases, upon daily HW bathing as long as 2-25 months, the pre-bathing CRP level of 5.31 mg/dL decreased to 0.24 mg/dL being within the standard-range, with relief of visible inflammatory symptoms for some cases. Thus, the HW bath with high-density nano-bubbles has beneficial effects on serum antioxidant capacity, inflammation, and the skin appearance. The study was approved by the Committee of Ethics, Japanese Center of Anti-Aging Medical Sciences (Authorization No. H-15-03-2, on January 15, 2019), which was a non-profitable organization officially authenticated by the Hiroshima Prefecture Government of Japan.


Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda succeeded to this Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons on 25 October 1988.


Providing an oxidizing environment for the cell-free expression of disulfide-containing proteins by exhausting the reducing activity of Escherichia coli S30 extract.
We developed a novel method of producing proteins containing multiple disulfide bonds in a cell-free protein synthesis system. To provide an optimized redox potential during the synthesis of truncated plasminogen activator (rPA), we pretreated the E. coli S30 extract with an excess amount of oxidized glutathione based on the anticipation that the reducing potential of the S30 extract would be exhausted through the reduction of the oxidized glutathione molecules. As expected, it was found that the reducing activity of the S30 extract was remarkably decreased through the pretreatment, and active rPA was produced when the pretreated S30 extract was used after removing the residual glutathione molecules. In particular, compared to the method involving the iodoacetamide treatment of S30 extract, the present protocol was effective in producing active rPA during the batch reaction of cell-free protein synthesis.


Iron accumulation with age, oxidative stress and functional decline.
Identification of biological mediators in sarcopenia is pertinent to the development of targeted interventions to alleviate this condition. Iron is recognized as a potent pro-oxidant and a catalyst for the formation of reactive oxygen species in biological systems. It is well accepted that iron accumulates with senescence in several organs, but little is known about iron accumulation in muscle and how it may affect muscle function. In addition, it is unclear if interventions which reduced age-related loss of muscle quality, such as calorie restriction, impact iron accumulation. We investigated non-heme iron concentration, oxidative stress to nucleic acids in gastrocnemius muscle and key indices of sarcopenia (muscle mass and grip strength) in male Fischer 344 X Brown Norway rats fed ad libitum (AL) or a calorie restricted diet (60% of ad libitum food intake starting at 4 months of age) at 8, 18, 29 and 37 months of age. Total non-heme iron levels in the gastrocnemius muscle of AL rats increased progressively with age. Between 29 and 37 months of age, the non-heme iron concentration increased by approximately 200% in AL-fed rats. Most importantly, the levels of oxidized RNA in gastrocnemius muscle of AL rats were significantly increased as well. The striking age-associated increase in non-heme iron and oxidized RNA levels and decrease in sarcopenia indices were all attenuated in the calorie restriction (CR) rats. These findings strongly suggest that the age-related iron accumulation in muscle contributes to increased oxidative damage and sarcopenia, and that CR effectively attenuates these negative effects.


Colorectal neoplasms. Screening can save lives.
Colorectal cancer is a very important cause of death and disability throughout the world. In the future, it may be possible to reduce the risk of this disease through such measures as dietary modification or use of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but this remains to be proved. It may also be possible to detect persons at high risk or those with early lesions by using noninvasive studies, such as genetic tests or detection of trace markers in the stool, but these approaches either are not yet available or are not proved in clinical trials. However, through careful and systematic clinical history taking and appropriate screening studies, neoplasms can be detected early or in the precancerous stage. Mortality from colon cancer could be reduced dramatically by applying currently available methods as part of a health maintenance program. Fecal occult blood testing and flexible sigmoidoscopy must be integrated into practice routines in the same way that Pap smears and mammography have been accepted by physicians and patients as a way to save lives.


A contemporary definition and classification of hydrocephalus.
This review focuses on the problems related to defining hydrocephalus and on the development of a consensus on the classification of this common problem. Such a consensus is needed so that diverse research efforts and plans of treatment can be understood in the same context. The literature was searched to determine the definition of hydrocephalus and to identify previously proposed classification schemes. The historic perspective, purpose, and result of these classifications are reviewed and analyzed. The concept of the hydrodynamics of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a hydraulic circuit is presented to serve as a template for a contemporary classification scheme. Finally, a definition and classification that include all clinical causes and forms of hydrocephalus are suggested. The currently accepted classification of hydrocephalus into "communicating" and "noncommunicating" varieties is almost 90 years old and has not been modified despite major advances in neuroimaging, neurosciences, and treatment outcomes. Despite a thorough search of the literature using computerized search engines and bibliographies from review articles and book chapters, I identified only 6 previous attempts to define and classify different forms of hydrocephalus. This review proposes the following definition for hydrocephalus: hydrocephalus is an active distension of the ventricular system of the brain related to inadequate passage of CSF from its point of production within the ventricular system to its point of absorption into the systemic circulation. Based on this definition (potential points of flow restriction) and on the view of the CSF system as a hydraulic circuit, a classification system is proposed. The acceptance of this proposed definition and classification schema would allow clinicians and basic scientists to communicate effectively, to share information and results, and to develop testable hypotheses.


Solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotide glycoconjugates bearing three different glycosyl groups: orthogonally protected bis(hydroxymethyl)-N,N'-bis(3-hydroxypropyl)malondiamide phosphoramidite as key building block.
Diethyl O,O'-(methoxymethylene)bis(hydroxymethyl)malonate (3) was observed to undergo a stepwise aminolysis when treated with 3-aminopropanol. This allowed convenient preparation of bis(hydroxymethyl)-N,N'-bis(3-hydroxypropyl)malondiamide bearing orthogonal levulinyl (Lev) and tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) protections at the two N-hydroxypropyl groups (8). One of the hydroxylmethyl functions was then protected with a 4,4'-dimethoxytrityl (DMTr) group, and the other one was phosphitylated to obtain a methyl N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite (1). This building block was used for the synthesis of oligonucleotide glycoconjugates (25 and 26) carrying three different sugar units. After conventional phosphoramidite chain assembly of the sequence containing 1, the 5'-terminal DMTr group was removed and an appropriate glycosyl 6-O-phosphoramidite was coupled. The remaining protections of the branching unit were removed in the order of Lev and TBDPS, and the exposed hydroxyl functions were reacted one after another with the desired glycosyl 6-O-phosphoramidites. Global deprotection and cleavage of the conjugate from the support were achieved by conventional ammonolysis.


Comparative study of three automatic programs of left ventricular ejection fraction evaluation.
The aim of this study was to compare three automatic programs (P1, P2, P3) for evaluating radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and to emphasize the clinical consequences. Gated radionuclide ventriculography was performed in 73 subjects, 15 of whom were healthy and 58 of whom had experienced heart failure. All scintigraphic data were processed with the three programs. Good inter-observer, intra-observer and automatic-manual reproducibility were observed using each of the three programs. On the other hand, in the normal subjects, the three mean normal LVEF values were significantly different from each other (P1 = 77 +/- 5%, P2 = 63 +/- 7%, P3 = 68 +/- 8%; P < 0.0001) In the pathological patients, the values obtained with P2 were significantly different from those obtained using P1 and P3 (P1= 32 +/- 15%, P2 = 26 +/- 13%; P < 0.0001), Moreover, the linear regression studies between the three automatic programs were always significantly different from the identity line equation (y = x). This study shows that LVEF criteria for normality depend on the program used, and inter-program measurement of LVEF is poorly reproducible. Caution is recommended when comparing data obtained from different centres (or different computers), either in the follow-up of a given patient or in gathering results from patient groups.


Circulating immunoreactive somatostatin in man. Effect of age, pregnancy, growth hormone deficiency and achlorhydria.
Plasma immunoreactive somatostatin (IRS) levels were measured fasting at 09.00 h in groups of adult individuals and children of different ages, as well as in pregnant women, in patients with pernicious anaemia documented to be achlorhydric, and in children with growth hormone deficiency. There was a gradual rise in the mean level of IRS from the third decade (mean 35.8 +/- 3.8 pg/ml), which reached significance at the seventh (61.1 +/- 8.4 pg/ml), eighth (66.7 +/- 5 pg/ml) and ninth decade (82.6 +/- 13.8 pg/ml). No change was observed in the second 28.3 +/- 3.8 pg/ml) and third (31.1 +/- 3.2 pg/ml) trimester of pregnancy when compared with matched, non-pregnant controls (29.7 +/- 2.2 pg/ml); however, the children aged under 2 years (69.6 +/- 11.2 pg/ml) had significantly higher values than the eldest group (12 to 16 years old) (46.3 +/- 7.2 pg/ml) (P less than 0.05). In achlorhydric patients, basal (27.2 +/- 3.7 pg/ml; P less than 0.01) and postprandial IRS (42.8 +/- 7.7 pg/ml; P less than 0.001) was significantly lower than in a matched, normal control group (basal 59.4 +/- 7.2; postprandial 132.1 +/- 26.3 pg/ml). Growth hormone deficiency was not associated with any differences in circulating IRS, basally or after insulin hypoglycaemia, when compared with values in normal children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Adaptation of the patient feedback survey at a community treatment setting.
The Patient Feedback Survey is a performance improvement measure designed to assess the quality of outpatient substance abuse treatment. We modified and administered this measure to 500 individuals at a multisite treatment provider. Although the feedback scores were high in general, analyses of variance showed score variability in relation to type and length of treatment. Moreover, respondents who reported any use of marijuana, cravings for substances, or mutual-support group attendance (ie, Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) had lower feedback scores than respondents without these experiences. We highlight the importance of investigating treatment evaluations in the context of other recovery experiences.


Response Efficacy and Self-Efficacy Mediated the Relationship between Perceived Threat and Psychic Anxiety among College Students in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Applying Fear Appeals Theory and Social Learning Theory, this study aims to explore the impact of perceived threat on psychic anxiety among college students in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mediating roles of response efficacy and self-efficacy. An empirical study was conducted using an online cross-sectional survey in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. A random sampling method was applied to administer questionnaires to 646 Chinese college students. The results showed that: (1) the perceived threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, including perceived susceptibility and severity, was positively correlated with psychic anxiety; (2) self-efficacy mediated the effect of both perceived susceptibility and severity on psychic anxiety, while the response efficacy only mediated the effect of perceived susceptibility on psychic anxiety; and (3) response efficacy and self-efficacy played a serial mediating role on the relationship between perceived susceptibility and psychic anxiety. This study elucidates the relationship between perceived threat and psychic anxiety from the perspective of cognitive appraisal of threat, showing the role positive efficacy appraisal played in reducing psychic anxiety, which could be induced by the perceived threat of major public health emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic.


Cardiac reactions to two psychological stressors, acting in combination.
56 student volunteers (mean age 21 yr.) participated in a study designed to assess how the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback affect cardiac activity when they are used individually as well as when they are combined in the same task. In a preliminary study, listening to tape-recorded instructions on how to relax produced a significant decrease in cardiac activity. In the major study, when used individually, both the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback produced significant increases in cardiac activity. The largest increase, however, occurred with systolic blood pressure and was induced by delayed auditory feedback. When the Stroop procedure was used in combination with delayed auditory feedback, systolic blood pressure again increased, but this effect was no greater than when delayed auditory feedback was used alone. This pattern of results implies that, when combined, the Stroop procedure and delayed auditory feedback have largely independent effects on cardiac activity and that, when tested under similar conditions, delayed auditory feedback has the larger effect.


[CT guided radioactive seed 125I implantation in treatment of pancreatic cancer].
To investigate the clinical value of CT guided radioactive seed (125)I implantation in treatment of pancreatic cancer. Twenty-six patients with pancreatic cancer 6.1 cm in size on average, 21 males and 5 females, aged 60 +/- 13 (47 - 73), underwent CT guided radioactive seed (125)I implantation. Of the 26 patients 15 had the symptom of severer abdominal pain and 10 had jaundice. Three of them were in the TNM (pTNM) stage II, 30 in the stage III, and 3 in the stage IV. Treatment plan system was used to design the distribution of the seed (125)I needed. Under CT guidance, the (125)I seeds of (2.2 - 3.3) Mq were implanted into the pancreatic cancer at a distance of 1.0 - 1.5 cm. A follow-up for 3 - 12 months was conducted. Complete relief (CR) of the symptoms was seen in 9 patients, partial relief (PR) in 2 patients, and no change (NC) in 4 cases with an effective rate of 73.4%. The abdominal pain was relieved 3 - 7 days after the implantation. CT performed 2 months after implantation showed CR in 2 cases, PR in 13 cases, NC in 5 cases, and progression in 5 cases with an overall effective rate of 57.7%. Four patients died of local progression and 2 patients died of distant metastasis. Migration of the seeds into the liver was seen in 3 patients and slight decrease of white blood cells was seen in 1 patient during the 2-month follow-up. No severe complications, such as pancreatic leakage, acute pancreatitis, intestinal hemorrhage, etc, were found. Safe and with minimal damage and few complications, CT guided radioactive seed (125)I implantation is effective in treatment of pancreatic cancer.


Neuronal avalanches imply maximum dynamic range in cortical networks at criticality.
Spontaneous neuronal activity is a ubiquitous feature of cortex. Its spatiotemporal organization reflects past input and modulates future network output. Here we study whether a particular type of spontaneous activity is generated by a network that is optimized for input processing. Neuronal avalanches are a type of spontaneous activity observed in superficial cortical layers in vitro and in vivo with statistical properties expected from a network operating at "criticality." Theory predicts that criticality and, therefore, neuronal avalanches are optimal for input processing, but until now, this has not been tested in experiments. Here, we use cortex slice cultures grown on planar microelectrode arrays to demonstrate that cortical networks that generate neuronal avalanches benefit from a maximized dynamic range, i.e., the ability to respond to the greatest range of stimuli. By changing the ratio of excitation and inhibition in the cultures, we derive a network tuning curve for stimulus processing as a function of distance from criticality in agreement with predictions from our simulations. Our findings suggest that in the cortex, (1) balanced excitation and inhibition establishes criticality, which maximizes the range of inputs that can be processed, and (2) spontaneous activity and input processing are unified in the context of critical phenomena.


New methodology for measuring blood pressure in awake baboons with use of behavioral training techniques.
Adult male baboons were behaviorally conditioned to extend an arm outside of the living cage and to accept repeated cuff inflations for manual auscultatory blood pressure measurements. Frequency distributions of systolic and diastolic blood pressure for both normotensive and renovascular hypertensive baboons generally were normally distributed. The procedure accurately tracked rapid changes in blood pressure after oral administration of antihypertensive drugs. Advantages over direct arterial cannulation for blood pressure measurement during extended, chronic experiments are discussed.


Unusual surgical approach in a bilateral case of mandibular buccal infected cyst.
In the new edition of WHO's "Histological typing of odontogenic tumors", the mandibular infected buccal cyst, that is associated with the lower first or second permanent molars, is considered a paradental cyst as well as the inflammatory collateral cyst, which is usually related to the lower third molar. The lesion occurs on the buccal and lateral aspects of the roots of mandibular molars with vital pulp, at the eruption time, in children aged between 6 and 10 years. The inflammation is always present in these cysts and may have an important role in their pathogenesis because it stimulates hyperplasia and cystic change of the reduced enamel epithelium or the epithelial cell rests of Malassez. The authors report the case of a 7-year-old girl, in whom both first mandibular molars were affected by an infected buccal cyst. A different surgical approach was performed with marsupialization on the left side and cystectomy on the right side. The case reported here seems to be interesting because it is the second well documented case of bilateral mandibular infected cyst associated with unerupted molars and because the adopted treatment differs from the therapeutical approach suggested in the literature. A 6-year follow-up demonstrates a correct dental and bone evolution on both mandibular molar sides.


Uterine rupture risk in a trial of labor after cesarean section with and without previous vaginal births.
Previous cesarean delivery (CD) is the main risk factor for uterine rupture when attempting a trial of labor. Previous vaginal delivery (PVD) is a predictor for the trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) success and a protective factor against uterine rupture. We aimed to assess the magnitude of PVD as a protective factor from uterine rupture. A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including women who underwent TOLACs from 2003 to 2015. Women with and without PVD were compared. Inclusion criteria were one previous CD, trial of labor at ≥ 24 weeks' gestation, and cephalic presentation. We excluded pre-labor intrauterine fetal death and fetal anomalies. The primary outcome was a uterine rupture. Secondary outcomes were maternal and fetal complications. Logistic regression modeling was applied to analyze the association between PVD and uterine rupture while controlling for confounders. A total of 11,235 women were included, 6795 of which had a PVD. Women with PVD had significantly lower rates of uterine rupture (0.18% vs. 1.1%; OR 0.19, p < 0.001), were less likely to be delivered by an emergency CD (13.2% vs. 39.4%, OR 0.17, p < 0.0001), were more likely to undergo labor induction (OR 1.56, p < 0.0001), and were less likely to undergo an instrumental delivery (OR 0.14, p < 0.001). Logistic regression modeling revealed that PVD was the only independent protective factor, with an aOR of 0.22. PVD is the most important protective factor from uterine rupture in patients undergoing TOLAC. A trial of labor following one CD should therefore be encouraged in these patients.


Real-time prediction of neuronal population spiking activity using FPGA.
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based hardware architecture is proposed and utilized for prediction of neuronal population firing activity. The hardware system adopts the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) generalized Laguerre-Volterra model (GLVM) structure to describe the nonlinear dynamic neural process of mammalian brain and can switch between the two important functions: estimation of GLVM coefficients and prediction of neuronal population spiking activity (model outputs). The model coefficients are first estimated using the in-sample training data; then the output is predicted using the out-of-sample testing data and the field estimated coefficients. Test results show that compared with previous software implementation of the generalized Laguerre-Volterra algorithm running on an Intel Core i7-2620M CPU, the FPGA-based hardware system can achieve up to 2.66×10(3) speedup in doing model parameters estimation and 698.84 speedup in doing model output prediction. The proposed hardware platform will facilitate research on the highly nonlinear neural process of the mammal brain, and the cognitive neural prosthesis design.


Identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis secreted proteins using an in vitro system mimicking the phagosomal environment.
Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis is a common intracellular pathogen that infects patients with HIV/AIDS and cause lung infection in patients with underlying lung pathology. M.avium preferably infects macrophages and uses diverse mechanisms to alter phagosome maturation. Once in the macrophage, the pathogen can alter the host cellular defenses by secreting proteins into the cytosol of host cells, but despite considerable research, only a few secreted effector proteins have been identified. We hypothesized that the environmental cues inside the phagosome can trigger bacterial protein secretion. To identify M. avium secretome within the phagosome, we utilized a previously established in vitro system that mimics the metal ion concentrations and pH of the M. avium phagosome. M. avium was exposed to phagosome metal concentrations for different time points and exported proteins were profiled and analyzed against bacterial proteins secreted in the culture medium. Mass spectrometric analysis of the secreted proteome identified several proteins, of which 46 were unique to bacteria incubated in the metal mixture. Ten of potential effectors were selected and secretion of these proteins was monitored within M. avium infected mononuclear phagocytic cells using the beta-lactamase FRET-based reporter system. In addition, pull-down assay was performed for secreted calmodulin-like protein MAV_1356 protein to evaluate for eukaryotic target. All examined M. avium proteins were secreted into the macrophage cytosol, and gene expression analysis suggested that the metal environment likely stimulates secretion of pre-made proteins. Further investigation of bacterial secreted MAV_1356 protein, lead to the observation that the MAV_1356 interacts with the host proteins Annexin A1 and Protein S100-A8. We established an in vitro system for the study if proteins secreted intracellularly, and revealed that the metal mixture mimicking the concentration of metals in the phagosome environment, triggers protein secretion.


Predictors of volunteer status in a retirement community.
In the present study, actual volunteers, latent volunteers, conditional volunteers, and definite nonvolunteers living in a retirement community are compared on social-structural, role, environmental, resource, lifestyle, and individual difference variables. Three functions emerged from the discriminant analysis. Actual volunteers attend church frequently, are free of activity limitations due to health, have volunteered previously, and belong to several clubs and organizations. Latent volunteers engage in informal religious behaviors, attend church about once a month, are about seventy years old (i.e., they are younger than the other groups), and are very satisfied with their neighborhood. Conditional volunteers engage infrequently informal religious behavior, have no instrumental activity limitations due to health, did not attend college, have very high neighborhood satisfaction, and are seventy-four years old (i.e., older than latent volunteers and actual volunteers). Implications for recruiting latent and conditional volunteers are discussed.


Impact of plantaris ligamentous tendon.
There are countless morphological variations among the muscles, tendons, ligaments, arteries, veins and nerves of the human body, many of which remain undescribed. Anatomical structures are also subject to evolution, many disappearing and others continually emerging. The main goal of this pilot study was to describe a previously undetected anatomical structure, the plantaris ligamentous tendon, and to determine its frequency and histology. Twenty-two lower limbs from 11 adult cadavers (11 left, and 11 right) fixed in 10% formalin were examined. The mean age of the cadavers at death was 60.1 years (range 38-85). The group comprised six women and five men from a Central European population. All anatomical dissections of the leg and foot area accorded with the pre-established protocol. Among the 22 lower limbs, the PLT was present in 16 (72.7%) and absent in six (27.3%). It originated as a strong fan-shaped ligamentous tendon from the superior part of the plantaris muscle, the posterior surface of the femur and the lateral aspect of the knee joint capsule. It inserted to the ilio-tibial band. Histologically, a tendon and ligament were observed extending parallel to each other. A new anatomical structure has been found, for which the name plantaris ligamentous tendon is proposed. It occurs around the popliteal region between the plantaris muscle, the posterior surface of the femur, and the ilio-tibial band.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa RhlR is required to neutralize the cellular immune response in a Drosophila melanogaster oral infection model.
An in-depth mechanistic understanding of microbial infection necessitates a molecular dissection of host-pathogen relationships. Both Drosophila melanogaster and Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been intensively studied. Here, we analyze the infection of D. melanogaster by P. aeruginosa by using mutants in both host and pathogen. We show that orally ingested P. aeruginosa crosses the intestinal barrier and then proliferates in the hemolymph, thereby causing the infected flies to die of bacteremia. Host defenses against ingested P. aeruginosa included an immune deficiency (IMD) response in the intestinal epithelium, systemic Toll and IMD pathway responses, and a cellular immune response controlling bacteria in the hemocoel. Although the observed cellular and intestinal immune responses appeared to act throughout the course of the infection, there was a late onset of the systemic IMD and Toll responses. In this oral infection model, P. aeruginosa PA14 did not require its type III secretion system or other well-studied virulence factors such as the two-component response regulator GacA or the protease AprA for virulence. In contrast, the quorum-sensing transcription factor RhlR, but surprisingly not LasR, played a key role in counteracting the cellular immune response against PA14, possibly at an early stage when only a few bacteria are present in the hemocoel. These results illustrate the power of studying infection from the dual perspective of host and pathogen by revealing that RhlR plays a more complex role during pathogenesis than previously appreciated.


Yield, Grain Quality, and Starch Physicochemical Properties of 2 Elite Thai Rice Cultivars Grown under Varying Production Systems and Soil Characteristics.
Rice production systems and soil characteristics play a crucial role in determining its yield and grain quality. Two elite Thai rice cultivars, namely, KDML105 and RD6, were cultivated in two production systems with distinct soil characteristics, including net-house pot production and open-field production. Under open-field system, KDML105 and RD6 had greater panicle number, total grain weight, 100-grain weight, grain size, and dimension than those grown in the net-house. The amounts of reducing sugar and long amylopectin branch chains (DP 25-36) of the RD6 grains along with the amounts of long branch chains (DP 25-36 and DP ≥ 37), C-type starch granules, and average chain length of the KDML105 were substantially enhanced by the open-field cultivation. Contrastingly, the relative crystallinity of RD6 starch and the amounts of short branch chains (DP 6-12 and DP 13-24), B- and A-type granules, and median granule size of KDML105 starch were significantly suppressed. Consequently, the open-field-grown RD6 starch displayed significant changes in its gelatinization and retrogradation properties, whereas, certain retrogradation parameters and peak viscosity (PV) of KDML105 starches were differentially affected by the distinct cultivating conditions. This study demonstrated the influences of production systems and soil characteristics on the physicochemical properties of rice starches.


An unusual approach for a cervical mass: sternotomy for the treatment of a giant cervico-thoracic lipoma.
Lipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor. It is a very common tumor and in 13% of cases occurs in head and neck. Giant lipomas are extraordinary and cervical involvement with mediastinal extension is an exceedingly rare presentation. Only a few cases of thoracic extension are reported in literature. We describe the case of a 62-years-old man with a giant cervico-mediastinic lipoma which required a combined approach through cervicotomy and sternotomy to ensure surgical radicality. Differential diagnoses could be thymolipoma, liposarcoma or familiar lipomatosis. The mass was removed en-bloc with thymus and locoregional lymph nodes. The patient recovered uneventfully. The aim of this report is to discuss potential pitfalls of differential diagnosis and implementation of the therapeutic treatment. Focus on the relevance of performing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for MDM2 amplification is reported, a necessary technique for the differential diagnosis. (www.actabiomedica.it).