Optimal path selection and secured data transmission in underwater acoustic sensor networks: LSTM-based energy prediction.
The Underwater Acoustic Sensor Network (UASN) is a large network in which the vicinity of a transmitting node is made up of numerous operational sensor nodes. The communication process may be substantially disrupted due to the underwater acoustic channel's time-varying and space-varying features. As a result, the underwater acoustic communication system faces the problems of reducing interference and enhancing communication effectiveness and quality through adaptive modulation. To overcome this issue, this paper intends to propose a model for optimal path selection and secured data transmission in UASN via Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) based energy prediction. The proposed model of transmitting the secured data in UASN through the optimal path involves two major phases. Initially, the nodes are selected under the consideration of constraints like energy, distance and link quality in terms of throughput. Moreover, the energy is predicted with the aid of LSTM and the optimal path is selected with the proposed hybrid optimization algorithm termed as Pelican Updated Chimp Optimization Algorithm (PUCOA), which is the combination of two algorithms including the Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA) and Chimp Optimization Algorithm (COA). Further, the data is transmitted via the optimal path securely by encrypting the data with the proposed improved blowfish algorithm (IBFA). At last, the developed LSTM+PUCOA model is validated with standard benchmark models and it proves that the performance of the proposed LSTM+PUCOA model attains 90.85% of accuracy, 92.78% of precision, 91.78% of specificity, 89.79% of sensitivity, 7.21% of FPR, 89.76% of F1 score, 89.77% of MCC, 10.20% of FNR, 92.45% of NPV, and 10.22% of FDR for Learning percentage 70.


Endocrine changes associated with onset of spermatogenesis in Holstein bulls.
After birth, a bull enters a period of infancy during which the reproductive organs are relatively quiescent. This is followed by the prepubertal period, which starts at 10 to 12 wk in well-fed Holstein bulls, characterized by profound changes of hypothalamic, pituitary, and gonadal function that culminate in puberty. The prepubertal sequence of events probably is: a) initiation of spontaneous discharge of luteinizing hormone; b) hormone induced differentiation of Leydig cells with increased secretion of androstenedione in response to luteinizing hormone stimulation; c) further differentiation of Leydig cells resulting in luteinizing hormone-stimulated secretion of testosterone; d) testosterone-induced differentiation of indifferent supporting cells to Sertoli cells concomitant with testosterone-induced differentiation of gonocytes to prespermatogonia and A-spermatogonia; e) increased sensitivity of the hypothalamus-anterior pituitary to negative feedback of gonadal steroids; f) diminished frequency and amplitude of luteinizing hormone discharge; g) formation of junctional complexes between Sertoli cells and establishment of the blood-testis barrier; h) formation of primary spermatocytes and ultimately spermatids and spermatozoa; and i) continued increase of efficiency of spermatogenesis until sufficient sperm are produced to provide the first ejaculum around 37 to 38 wk. Following puberty, the reproductive capacity of a bull increases for several years until the male is sexually mature.


Simulation of the reversal of neuromuscular block by sequestration of the free molecules of the muscle relaxant.
The study examined in simulations the interaction between a muscle relaxant and an antagonist that binds the free molecules of the relaxant, as experimentally demonstrated for rocuronium and sugammadex. The hypothetical muscle relaxant D and the hypothetical antagonist X were assigned pharmacokinetic properties to define the time course of their concentrations in plasma, and pharmacodynamic properties to define binding of D to either X or the receptors at the motor end plates. D, X, and their complex DX were postulated to diffuse between plasma and the effect compartment. The first and the fourth twitch elicited in sequential trains of four stimuli were evaluated in a model of neuromuscular transmission. The rates of reactions were formulated as differential equations and the equations solved numerically. If the affinity of D for X is comparable to that of D for the postsynaptic receptors, doses of X two to four times larger than the dose of D produce a fast and a complete recovery of the twitches. Smaller doses of X or lower affinities of D for X accomplish a slower and only partial recovery. Additionally, the complete restoration of twitch strength within 2 min after the injection of X requires that X and DX diffuse into the effect compartment. The simulations reveal the physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties of an antagonist that restores twitch strength by sequestering the free molecules of the muscle relaxant.


Histopathology of Corneal Lenticules Obtained from Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) versus Microkeratome Excision.
To study the alterations on the lenticules extracted after femtosecond (Femto) small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) versus the corneal free cap removed using a microkeratome. The visuMax (500 kHz; laser energy: 180 nJ) was used for small-incision lenticule extraction. Free caps from human cadaveric corneas were excised by microkeratome. The collected lenticules were examined with the light and transmission electron microscope (TEM) for histological analysis, DNA fragmentation was assessed by agarose gel electrophoresis, DNA damage was evaluated using comet assay, and corneal proteins secondary structure was assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Light microscopic examination showed the presence of more edematous stroma under Femto SMILE than under free cap with a percentage change of 101.6%. In the Femto SMILE group, TEM examination showed pyknotic keratocytes, disruption, and cavitation of the collagen arrays stromal area under Femto SMILE. The DNA fragmentation for the Femto SMILE group revealed one undefined band with a size of 1.1 Kbp. The comet assay analysis indicated the presence of 3% and 8.0% tailed cells for the free cap and Femto SMILE groups, respectively. The tail lengths were 1.33 ± 0.16 and 1.67 ± 0.13 µm (P < 0.01), the percentage of tail DNA was 1.41 ± 0.18% (P < 0.01) and 1.72 ± 0.15%, and the tail moments were 1.88 ± 0.12 AU and 2.87 ± 0.14 AU (P < 0.001) for the free cap and Femto SMILE groups, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy of the Femto smile group revealed disorders in the secondary and tertiary structure of the proteins. Femto SMILE technique induced more structural changes, DNA fragmentation, DNA damage, and corneal proteins secondary structure alteration than those induced by a microkeratome cutting. These changes may be attributed to the deep penetration of high energy levels to the corneal layer. These findings may highlight the potential impact of the Femto SMILE on the cornea and the necessity for managing the laser parameters used.


Adaptive cytoprotection against deoxycholate-induced injury in human gastric cells in vitro: is there a role for endogenous prostaglandins?
The majority of previous work investigating adaptive cytoprotection has involved in vivo studies, which have suggested that this protective response is in large part mediated by endogenous prostaglandins (PGs). The aim of this study was to investigate adaptive cytoprotection under in vitro conditions in human gastric cells and to better delineate the role of endogenous PGs in this protective response. AGS cells (a human gastric carcinoma cell line) were characterized morphologically and subsequently used for all experiments. Sodium deoxycholate was used as both the mild irritant and the damaging agent, and cell injury was quantified using both a commercial viability/cytotoxicity kit as well as transepithelial permeability studies. Finally, endogenous PG synthesis in response to varying concentrations of deoxycholate was determined. AGS cells were determined to be morphologically similar to gastric mucous cells. Pretreatment of cells with low-dose deoxycholate significantly attenuated injury upon subsequent exposure to damaging concentrations of deoxycholate, and this protection was determined to be dependent upon both concentration and duration of mild irritant exposure. Preincubation of AGS cells with indomethacin reversed protection induced by mild irritant pretreatment and also significantly increased cellular susceptibility to injury. Results of the permeability studies closely paralleled those assessing cell mortality. While deoxycholate exposure increased PG synthesis, the concentrations required were much higher than those needed to initiate protection. Adaptive cytoprotection exists in AGS cells under in vitro conditions independent of intact blood flow, neural innervation, or circulating humoral mediators. While this protection is reversed by indomethacin, it appears that this reversal results from increased cellular injury secondary to diminished basal PGs, rather than inhibition of endogenous PG synthesis.


Adaptive Radiation Therapy: A Review of CT-based Techniques.
Adaptive radiation therapy is a feedback process by which imaging information acquired over the course of treatment, such as changes in patient anatomy, can be used to reoptimize the treatment plan, with the end goal of improving target coverage and reducing treatment toxicity. This review describes different types of adaptive radiation therapy and their clinical implementation with a focus on CT-guided online adaptive radiation therapy. Depending on local anatomic changes and clinical context, different anatomic sites and/or disease stages and presentations benefit from different adaptation strategies. Online adaptive radiation therapy, where images acquired in-room before each fraction are used to adjust the treatment plan while the patient remains on the treatment table, has emerged to address unpredictable anatomic changes between treatment fractions. Online treatment adaptation places unique pressures on the radiation therapy workflow, requiring high-quality daily imaging and rapid recontouring, replanning, plan review, and quality assurance. Generating a new plan with every fraction is resource intensive and time sensitive, emphasizing the need for workflow efficiency and clinical resource allocation. Cone-beam CT is widely used for image-guided radiation therapy, so implementing cone-beam CT-guided online adaptive radiation therapy can be easily integrated into the radiation therapy workflow and potentially allow for rapid imaging and replanning. The major challenge of this approach is the reduced image quality due to poor resolution, scatter, and artifacts. Keywords: Adaptive Radiation Therapy, Cone-Beam CT, Organs at Risk, Oncology © RSNA, 2023.


Intra-operative prostate examination: predictive value and effect on margin status.
To evaluate the ability of intra-operative prostate examination (IOPE) to predict extraprostatic extension (EPE) and its effect on margin status in the region of the neurovascular bundle (NVB) when combined with wide excision. We retrospectively reviewed 403 patients with clinical stage T1c prostate adenocarcinoma undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). All patients had IOPE during RRP, and those with palpable abnormalities in the region of the NVB underwent wide excision. Pathological outcomes were analysed. Of 403 patients, 49 (12%) had a palpable abnormality in the region of the NVB. After wide excision, 18 (37%) of these 49 patients were found to have EPE at the site of the palpable abnormality; with wide excision of the NVB, only one of these 18 patients (6%) had a corresponding positive surgical margin (PSM). In 354 patients with a normal IOPE and who underwent bilateral NVB preservation, 30 were found to have EPE in the region of the NVB. The PSM rate in this subset was 23% (seven of 30). The positive predictive value of IOPE for detecting EPE was 37%. IOPE detects abnormalities in 12% of patients with preoperative stage T1c prostate cancer. Although the predictive value of this test is limited, IOPE may decrease PSMs in a subset of patients with EPE in the region of the NVB. The present study reaffirms the value of IOPE for assessing the risk of extraprostatic disease, and for guiding surgical management.


Complement C1s as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target: Progress and propective.
The molecules of the complement system connect the effectors of innate and adaptive immunity and play critical roles in maintaining homeostasis. Among them, the C1 complex, composed of C1q, C1r, and C1s (C1qr2s2), is the initiator of the classical complement activation pathway. While deficiency of C1s is associated with early-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and increased susceptibility to bacteria infections, the gain-of- function variants of C1r and C1s may lead to periodontal Ehlers Danlos syndrome. As C1s is activated under various pathological conditions and associated with inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer development, it is becoming an informative biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases. Thus, more sensitive and convenient methods for assessing the level as well as activity of C1s in clinic samples are highly desirable. Meanwhile, a number of small molecules, peptides, and monoclonal antibodies targeting C1s have been developed. Some of them are being evaluated in clinical trials and one of the antibodies has been approved by US FDA for the treatment of cold agglutinin disease, an autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In this review, we will summarize the biological properties of C1s, its association with development and diagnosis of diseases, and recent progress in developing drugs targeting C1s. These progress illustrate that the C1s molecule is an effective biomarker and promising drug target.


Non-viral liver disease burden in HIV-monoinfected individuals: a longitudinal observational retrospective cohort study.
Recent advances in antiviral therapy have improved outcomes in HIV-positive individuals co-infected with hepatitis B and C virus (HBV/HCV). Our aim was to assess prevalence and predictors of chronic liver disease (CLD) due to the metabolic syndrome (MS), alcohol and antiretrovirals (ARVs) use in HIV-monoinfected individuals. This was a retrospective cohort study (2005-2012). HIV-positive patients with negative HBV/HCV serology and at least two elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels six months apart were included. Data are presented as mean ± SD or percentage. Despite negative viral serology, 27% (1047/3872) of HIV-positive individuals had persistently elevated ALT. Only 243 (23.2%) were investigated (by imaging in the majority, only 58 undergoing liver biopsy/transient elastography). CLD was identified in 66.2%, this being clinically significant in one in four individuals. Potential CLD risk factors were alcohol (44.2%), hepatotoxic ARVs (74.1%) and MS risk factors (68%) with 68.7% having >1 risk factor. On multivariate logistic regression analysis serum triglyceride (OR 1.482, 95% CI 1.053-2.086, p = .024) was the only independent predictor of CLD. Overall, 4.3% were referred to Hepatology services. In conclusion, less than 6% of HIV-monoinfected individuals with persistently elevated ALT undergo objective assessment of hepatic fibrosis. Despite non-stringent criteria, some degree of non-viral CLD is identified in approximately two-thirds of those investigated, risk factors being synonymous with those for the MS. This increasing yet under-recognised non-viral CLD burden warrants timely recognition to prevent long-term morbidity and mortality.


Source-Receptor Relationship Analysis of the Atmospheric Deposition of PAHs Subject to Long-Range Transport in Northeast Asia.
The source-receptor relationship analysis of PAH deposition in Northeast Asia was investigated using an Eulerian regional-scale aerosol chemical transport model. Dry deposition (DD) of PAH was controlled by wind flow patterns, whereas wet deposition (WD) depended on precipitation in addition to wind flow patterns. The contribution of WD was approximately 50-90% of the total deposition, except during winter in Northern China (NCHN) and Eastern Russia (ERUS) because of the low amount of precipitation. The amount of PAH deposition showed clear seasonal variation and was high in winter and low in summer in downwind (South Korea, Japan) and oceanic-receptor regions. In the downwind region, the contributions from NCHN (WD 28-52%; DD 54-55%) and Central China (CCHN) (WD 43-65%; DD 33-38%) were large in winter, whereas self-contributions (WD 20-51%; DD 79-81%) were relatively high in summer. In the oceanic-receptor region, the deposition amount decreased with distance from the Asian continent. The amount of DD was strongly influenced by emissions from neighboring domains. The contributions of WD from NCHN (16-20%) and CCHN (28-35%) were large. The large contributions from China in summer to the downwind region were linked to vertical transport of PAHs over the Asian continent associated with convection.


Codon and amino-acid specificities of a transfer RNA are both converted by a single post-transcriptional modification.
An Escherichia coli isoleucine transfer RNA specific for the codon AUA (tRNA(2Ile) or tRNA(minorIle] has a novel modified nucleoside, lysidine in the first position of the anticodon (position 34), which is essential for the specific recognition of the codon AUA. We isolated the gene for tRNA(2Ile) (ileX) and found that the anticodon is CAT, which is characteristic of the methionine tRNA gene. Replacement of L(34) of tRNA(2Ile) molecule enzymatically with unmodified C(34) resulted in a marked reduction of the isoleucine-accepting activity and, surprisingly, in the appearance of methionine-accepting activity. Thus, both the codon and amino-acid specificity of this tRNA are converted by a single post-transcriptional modification of the first position of the anticodon during tRNA maturation.


Results of diagnostic ophthalmic testing in healthy guinea pigs.
OBJECTIVE-To report values for tear production, central corneal touch threshold (CTT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy guinea pigs and determine results of aerobic bacterial culture and cytologic examination of conjunctival swab specimens. DESIGN-Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS-31 Healthy guinea pigs (62 eyes) of various ages and breeds. PROCEDURES-Tear production was measured by the phenol red thread tear test (PRT) and Schirmer tear test (STT) before and after topical anesthetic application, CTT was measured with an esthesiometer, and IOP was measured by applanation tonometry. RESULTS-Combining data from all eyes, mean +/- SD PRT values before and after topical anesthetic administration were 21.26 +/- 4.19 mm/15 s and 22.47 +/- 3.31 mm/15 s, respectively, and mean IOP was 18.27 +/- 4.55 mm Hg. Median STT values before and after topical anesthetic administration were 3 mm/min (range, 0 to 12 mm/min) and 4 mm/min (range, 0 to 11 mm/min), respectively, and median CTT was 2.0 cm (range, 0.5 to 3.0 cm). Values did not differ between eyes for any test, but significant differences were identified for PRT values between males and females and between values obtained before and after topical anesthetic administration. Common bacterial isolates included Corynebacterium spp, Streptococcus spp, and Staphylococcus spp. Cytologic examination of conjunctival swab specimens revealed mainly basal epithelial cells; lymphocytes were common. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Results provided information on values for PRT, STT, CTT, and IOP in healthy guinea pigs and on expected findings for aerobic bacterial culture and cytologic examination of conjunctival swab specimens.


Pylethrombosis associated with gastric cancer in Moschcowitz's disease: successful management with anticoagulant. Report of a case.
Portal vein thrombosis secondary to gastric cancer has been rarely reported. The main difficulty is represented by the correct differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thrombus and therefore by its treatment. In this report we describe a 62-year-old woman with Moschcowitz's disease who developed pylethrombosis and gastric cancer. Preoperative examination confirmed the relationship between the portal vein thrombosis and Moschcowitz's disease. She underwent an aggressive surgical procedure for the gastric cancer and conservative treatment of the thrombosis with subcutaneus administration of 8000 IU/day of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) at the time of diagnosis, interrupted eight hours before surgery and resumed eight hours after with 4000 IU/day. At discharge LMWH treatment was replaced with oral sodium warfarin home treatment to keep the international normalized ratio range between 2 and 3. Regression of the thrombosis with low molecular weight heparin was confirmed by computed tomography. The patient survived more than two years. We believe that patients with gastric cancer complicated by benign partial portal vein thrombosis could gain particular benefit from adjuvant anticoagulant treatment, so that the surgical approach can be limited to gastric cancer.


The Yersinia enterocolitica inv gene product is an outer membrane protein that shares epitopes with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis invasin.
An essential virulence attribute for Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is the ability to invade the intestinal epithelium of mammals. The chromosomal invasin gene (inv) has been cloned from both of these Yersinia species, and the Y. pseudotuberculosis invasin has been well characterized (R. R. Isberg, D. L. Voorhis, and S. Falkow, Cell 50:769-778, 1987). Here we constructed TnphoA translational fusions to the Y. enterocolitica inv gene to identify, characterize, and localize the inv protein product in Escherichia coli. The cloned Y. enterocolitica inv locus encoded a unique protein of ca. 92 kilodaltons when expressed in minicells. A protein of comparable size was detected in immunoblots by using monoclonal antibodies directed against the Y. pseudotuberculosis invasin. This protein, which we also refer to as invasin, promoted both attachment to and invasion of cultured epithelial cells. These two functions were not genetically separable by insertional mutagenesis. We determined that the Y. enterocolitica invasin was localized on the outer membrane and that it was exposed on the bacterial cell surface, which may have implications for how invasin functions to mediate invasion.


Naturally occurring steroids in Xenopus oocyte during meiotic maturation. Unexpected presence and role of steroid sulfates.
In the ovary, oocytes are surrounded by follicle cells and arrested in prophase of meiosis I. Although steroidogenic activity of follicle cells is involved in oogenesis regulation, clear qualitative and quantitative data about the steroid content of follicles are missing. We measured steroid levels of Xenopus oocytes and follicles by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We show that dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is the main steroid present in oocytes. Lower levels of free steroids are also detected, e.g., androgens, whereas progesterone is almost undetectable. We propose that sulfatation is a protective mechanism against local variations of active steroids that could be deleterious for follicle-enclosed oocytes. Steroid levels were measured after LH stimulation, responsible for the release by follicle cells of a steroid signal triggering oocyte meiosis resumption. Oocyte levels of androgens rise slowly during meiosis re-entry whereas progesterone increases abruptly to micromolar concentration, therefore representing the main physiological mediator of meiosis resumption in Xenopus oocyte.


Modulating the Conduction Band Energies of Si Electrode Interfaces Functionalized with Monolayers of a Bay-Substituted Perylene Bisimide.
The confinement of π-conjugated chromophores on silicon (Si) electrode surfaces is a powerful approach to engineer electroresponsive monolayers relevant to microelectronics, electrocatalysis, and information storage and processing. While common strategies to functionalize Si interfaces exploit molecularly dissolved building blocks, only a handful number of studies have leveraged the structure-function relationships of π-aggregates to tune the electronic structures of hybrid monolayers at Si interfaces. Herein, we show that the semiconducting properties of n-type monolayers constructed on Si electrodes are intimately correlated to the initial aggregation state of π-conjugated chromophore precursors derived from bay-substituted perylene bisimide (PBI) units. Specifically, our study unravels that for n-type monolayers engineered using PBI π-aggregates, the cathodic reduction potentials required to inject negative charge carriers into the conduction bands can be stabilized by 295 mV through reversible switching of the maximum anodic potential (MAP) that is applied during the oxidative cycles (+0.5 or +1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl). This redox-assisted stabilization effect is not observed with n-type monolayers derived from molecularly dissolved PBI cores and monolayers featuring a low surface density of the redox-active probes. These findings unequivocally point to the crucial role played by PBI π-aggregates in modulating the conduction band energies of n-type monolayers where a high MAP of +1.5 V enables the formation of electronic trap states that facilitate electron injection when sweeping back to cathodic potentials. Because the structure-function relationships of PBI π-aggregates are shown to modulate the semiconducting properties of hybrid n-type monolayers constructed at Si interfaces, our results hold promising opportunities to develop redox-switchable monolayers for engineering nonvolatile electronic memory devices.


Hereditary Renal Hypouricemia Type 1 and Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.
Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is a heterogeneous inherited disorder characterized by impaired tubular uric acid (UA) transport with severe complications, such as acute kidney injury. Type 1 is caused by a mutation in the SLC22A12 gene (URAT1) and type 2 in the SLC2A9 gene (GLUT9). In this article, the authors present a coexpression functional characterization of variants responsible for RHUC type 1 in a Czech family with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). The serum UA concentration in the proband was 1.1 mg/dL and was expressed as an increase in the fractional excretion of UA (43%). The URAT1 allelic variants were prepared and their urate uptake and subcellular localization were studied by Xenopus oocytes expression system. Linkage analysis using a panel of 4 CA-repeat flanking markers for chromosome 16 and a panel of 3 CA-repeat flanking markers for chromosome 4 was performed, which carry the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, respectively. Coexpression results showed that p.G366R and p.R477H suppressed urate transport by wild types. Colocalization studies showed an accumulation of URAT1 in the endoplasmic reticulum of the p.G366R variant and mainly retention of wild-type protein by variants p.G366R and p.R477H. The findings suggest that not only loss-of-function mutation of URAT1 but also the dominant-negative effect cause RHUC through loss of UA absorption, partly due to protein misfolding caused by accumulation of URAT1 protein in the endoplasmic reticulum.


Proline uptake promotes activation of lymphoid tissue inducer cells to maintain gut homeostasis.
Metabolic regulation is integral to the proper functioning of innate lymphoid cells, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that disruption of exogenous proline uptake, either through dietary restriction or by deficiency of the proline transporter Slc6a7, in lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, impairs LTi activation and aggravates dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice. With an integrative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, we profile the metabolic characteristics of various innate lymphoid cell subsets and reveal a notable enrichment of proline metabolism in LTi cells. Mechanistically, defective proline uptake diminishes the generation of reactive oxygen species, previously known to facilitate LTi activation. Additionally, LTi cells deficient in Slc6a7 display downregulation of Cebpb and Kdm6b, resulting in compromised transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of interleukin-22. Furthermore, our study uncovers the therapeutic potential of proline supplementation in alleviating colitis. Therefore, these findings shed light on the role of proline in facilitating LTi activation and ultimately contributing to gut homeostasis.


Very-long-term chromatic adaptation: test of gain theory and a new method.
This research had two goals. First, a new method of very-long-term chromatic adaptation was compared to an older method of long-wavelength ambient illumination. In the new method, the observer viewed for 1 h per day for 12 or 14 days a CRT screen composed of oriented lines that appeared red. One observer also replicated a previous procedure (Neitz et al., 2002) in which she was exposed to long-wavelength room illumination for 4 h per day for 14 days. For both methods, equilibrium yellow was measured each day about 20 h after the end of the adaptation period. Both methods of very-long-term chromatic adaptation gave similar results. Second, shifts in equilibrium yellow were measured over a 30:1 range of light levels to determine if changes in color percepts were explained solely by a gain change in cone sensitivities (von Kries coefficient law). The magnitude of shift of equilibrium yellow depended on the level of the test light, which was not consistent with a gain theory of very-long-term chromatic adaptation.


The place of the dead, the time of dictatorship: Nostalgia, sovereignty, and the corpse of Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1993, the body of former Philippine dictator, Ferdinand E Marcos, was moved from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he died in exile, to a private mausoleum attached to his ancestral home in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Preserved and placed in a refrigerated coffin while his wife, Imelda, lobbied for his burial at the Heroes' Cemetery, Marcos's body remained on display until 2016, when permission for his interment was granted by the newly elected president, Rodrigo Duterte. Drawing on fieldwork conducted at the Marcos Mausoleum prior to the controversial burial and at the protests that came in its wake, this essay examines the sense of loss and longing that has animated the rise of authoritarian nostalgia. Banished yet unburied, the dictator's embalmed corpse, I suggest, speaks to what remains unmourned under democracy and which thus always threatens to return-namely, a figure of unfettered freedom and authority, whose power might be said to extend over life, death, and time itself. I argue that it is this figure-the figure of a sovereign gone missing-that authoritarian nostalgia takes as its object and which grows more seductive in light of the hollowing out of popular sovereignty that has come to define the post-revolutionary experience.


Diabetic retinopathy: two faces of the same coin.
We report two contrasting cases of diabetic retinopathy to illustrate vascular and retinal abnormalities in this condition. In the first case, mild diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed in an asymptomatic patient with diabetes mellitus of recent onset. The second patient has severe diabetic retinopathy, causing vision loss as a consequence of poor metabolic control.


[Placebo effect in the treatment of pain].
The placebo induces a significant analgesia on average in 35% patients with some variations according to the studied pathology and the modalities of the therapy. This placebo effect is especially influenced by the expectations and beliefs of the patient, the doctor, the environment and the quality of the doctor-patient relationship. As with a real psychogenic analgesia, this effect could partly result in a release of endogenous opioid substances. By a good relationship with his patient and a treatment corresponding to his expectations and his beliefs, the doctor induces a powerful placebo effect which increases the specific effects of his analgesic treatment.


Improving farm-level antimicrobial stewardship benchmarks by reporting antimicrobial use within the context of both the magnitude of disease pressure and the outcome of therapy.
This manuscript explores a method of benchmarking antimicrobial use within the context of farm level therapeutic incidence (a proxy for disease incidence), and the outcome of that therapy. This is reported both within the same farm over time (2016-2019), as well as evaluated across participating farms. Reporting antimicrobial use in this format addresses multiple primary questions necessary for evaluating on farm antimicrobial stewardship: How much disease is recorded? How much antimicrobial use is recorded? How often are antimicrobials included in therapy for each disease? What is the outcome of therapy? The three primary metrics reported are: therapeutic events per 100 cow years (TE/100CY), antimicrobial regimens per 100 cow years (REG/100CY), and the percent therapeutic success (% Success). Success was defined as: the cow remained in the herd and had no further TE recorded within 30 days of the end of the TE being evaluated. These measures identify opportunities for change on an individual farm, such as improvement in disease prevention, or a change in choices about when to include an antimicrobial in the treatment protocol. Therapeutic outcomes provide additional context, in some instances demonstrating differences in recording practices and case definitions, while in other cases serving to safeguard animal welfare as efforts are made to decrease antimicrobial use in the future. Although developed for farm level reporting, the metrics may also be more broadly summarized to meet future reporting requirements for marketing chain or national level antimicrobial use reports. The process outlined here serves as a prototype to be considered when developing antimicrobial use reporting systems where farm level antimicrobial stewardship is the primary objective.


Pumpless extracorporeal lung assist using an arterio-venous shunt. Applications and limitations.
We report the use of a pumpless extracorporeal lung assist (PECLA) in 70 patients with severe pulmonary failure of various causes. The device was used under rescue conditions in patients with preserved cardiac function. By establishing a shunt between femoral artery and vein using the arterio-venous pressure gradient as the driving force for the blood flow through the oxygenator, PECLA proved to be extremely effective in terms of oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal.


Epidermization in the esophageal mucosa: unusual epithelial changes clearly detected by Lugol's staining.
A 58-year-old Japanese man with superficial esophageal cancer accompanied by unusual epithelial changes, including esophageal mucosal epidermization, is reported. Staining with Lugol's iodine clearly showed irregular unstained lesions, which could not be seen clearly macroscopically, in the resected specimen. Histologic examination of the irregular unstained areas showed definite granular and horny layers regarded as epidermization, acanthosis with slight nuclear enlargement, and epithelial atrophy. The immunohistochemical staining patterns of keratins in the epidermized and atrophic lesions were similar to those in the epidermis, and the keratin staining patterns of the acanthotic lesion were similar to those of the oral epithelium.


Text Mining of the Electronic Health Record: An Information Extraction Approach for Automated Identification and Subphenotyping of HFpEF Patients for Clinical Trials.
Precision medicine requires clinical trials that are able to efficiently enroll subtypes of patients in whom targeted therapies can be tested. To reduce the large amount of time spent screening, identifying, and recruiting patients with specific subtypes of heterogeneous clinical syndromes (such as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF]), we need prescreening systems that are able to automate data extraction and decision-making tasks. However, a major obstacle is the vast amount of unstructured free-form text in medical records. Here we describe an information extraction-based approach that automatically converts unstructured text into structured data, which is cross-referenced against eligibility criteria using a rule-based system to determine which patients qualify for a major HFpEF clinical trial (PARAGON). We show that we can achieve a sensitivity and positive predictive value of 0.95 and 0.86, respectively. Our open-source algorithm could be used to efficiently identify and subphenotype patients with HFpEF and other disorders.


[Evaluation of renal lesions using 99mTc-DMSA in children with urinary tract infection and the relation with vesicoureteral reflux].
Paediatric patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) have risk of developing renal scarrings. Although it is known that vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) predisposes to UTIs and it seems to have an important role in the development of renal lesions, some recent published studies question that relation. The aim of the study was to evaluate renal scarring by using renal scintigraphy 99mTc-DMSA and see the relation with or without the presence of VUR. We evaluated retrospectively a total of 230 patients (460 renal units), mean age: 11 months (range: 12d-5y), with UTI probed by urinoculture. All were studied with voiding cistourethrography (MCU) to evaluate the presence or absence of VUR. Patients were evaluated with 99mTc-DMSA scan 6 months after UTI to determine if UTI caused renal scarring. Renal scans with 99mTc-DMSA 6 months post-infection were abnormal in 62 renal units, affecting 54 patients (23 %). From all patients studied, 110 were diagnosis of VUR being affected 161 renal units, 43 of them (27 %) presented renal scarrings. From the remaining 120 patients without VUR that is 240 renal units, 19 of them (8 %) presented parenchymatous damage. Renal scarring resulting from UTI are in some cases related to VUR, but sometimes are caused by the infection itself. Not all patients with VUR develop renal lesions, and neither the presence of VUR always predispose children to renal lesions. MCU and direct isotopic cystography are useful for diagnosis of VUR but we shouldn't avoid 99mTc-DMSA scan in the management of children with UTI.


Continuous multilayered composite hydrogel as osteochondral substitute.
Cartilage is a highly organized avascular soft tissue that assembles from nano-to macro-scale to produce a complex structural network. To mimic cartilage tissue, we developed a stable multilayered composite material, characterized by a tailored gradient of mechanical properties. The optimized procedure implies chemical crosslinking of each layer directly onto the previous one and ensures a drastic reduction of the material discontinuities and brittleness. The multilayered composite was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy in order to compare its physico-chemical characteristics with those of cartilage tissue. The rheological behavior of the multilayered composite was similar to that of human cartilage. Finally its cytocompatibility toward chondrocytes and osteoblasts was evaluated.


Experimental studies on bone induction using low-molecular-weight poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) as a carrier for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2.
An appropriate carrier acting as a slow delivery vehicle for the BMPs is required for maximal clinical effectiveness of these bone-inductive proteins. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a low-molecular-weight PLGA copolymer as a synthetic, biodegradable carrier for rhBMP-2 implantation in vivo. Two, 10, or 50 microg of recombinant human BMP-2 were mixed with 10 mg of a poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) 50:50 copolymer and implanted into the calf muscles of Wistar rats. Soft X-ray analysis and histologic examination indicated that new bone formation occurred at all rhBMP-2-implanted sites within 3 weeks after implantation. Correlation of rhBMP-2 concentration with the amount of bone induction was confirmed by specific alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium content assay. In vitro analysis indicated that 78.5% of the PLGA copolymer was degraded to smaller molecular weight material after 14 days in PBS solution. It is suggested that rhBMP-2 was released in an active form at the implant site during the degradation of the copolymer, resulting in the induction of new bone formation. Thus this low-molecular-weight PLGA copolymer material represents a promising delivery vehicle for BMPs, and possibly other growth factors, around dental and orthopedic implants.


Epitope mapping of region 11-70 of ovalbumin (Gal d I) using five synthetic peptides.
Five successively located peptides, in region 11-70 of the major allergen of ovalbumin (OA) Gal d I (11-19, 20-33, 34-46, 47-55, 56-70), were obtained by manual solid-phase peptide synthesis. These peptides together with the previously reported OA region 1-10 comprise a segment of 70 amino acid residues located at the N-terminal of ovalbumin. The crude peptides were purified by gel filtration and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographies and their sequences were verified. Polyclonal antibodies against the peptides conjugated to carrier protein (BSA) were raised in rabbits. Rocket line immunoelectrophoresis showed that four peptides (20-33, 34-46, 47-55 and 56-70), could deflect OA-line immunoprecipitates. The peptide's affinity to rabbit polyclonal Ig was examined by quantitative precipitation inhibition and the results suggested that an epitope was encompassed in segments 34-55 and 47-55. Allergenicity was tested by inhibition of specific IgE binding of ovalbumin, using several sera and a serum pool from 16 egg-allergic patients. The results showed that the allergenicity was distributed over the whole region. These findings suggested that: (a) the region 11-70 of OA seemed not to encompass continuous epitopes; (b) the antigenicity of this region was convincing for peptides 34-46 and 47-55; (c) the allergenicity, though dependent on the patient serum used, was distributed over the whole of region 11-70; (d) peptide 11-19, although weak antigenically was capable of specific IgE inhibition; (e) human and rabbit polyclonal antibodies did not show analogous affinities to the present peptides.


Learning Doctor-Patient Communication - Evaluating the effectiveness of the communication training course at Leipzig University from the students' point of view.
At the University of Leipzig, the requirements of the Licensing Regulations for Doctors (Approbationsordnung für Ärzte) for the practical training of communication skills are actively implemented by a two-semester communication course. During this course, student tutors impart the basics of interpersonal as well as selected aspects of doctor-patient communication using interactive training methods. This article reports on the effect the training has on the self-assessed communication skills of the medicine students. The students' self-perceived communication skills were assessed, both at the beginning and after the completion of the first and second course semesters using questionnaires related to the course's learning goals. Pre-post comparisons were then carried out. 142 students (of 163 students in total) participated in the survey at the start of the course, of which 117 completed the T2-questionnaire at the end of the first course semester. Only the 84 students who also completed the questionnaires in the second course semester were included in the statistical analysis. These responses were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The comparison of the self-assessments between the four measurement points showed that statistically significant learning progress for all assessed communication skills had taken place from the point of view of the students. The largest changes between measurements, and therefore the greatest learning progress, could be seen in knowledge related skills. From the students' point of view the communication training contributes significantly to the acquisition of communication skills. The results suggest that this "hands-on" course concept is suited to successfully enhance the students' communication skills. The course concept should therefore be retained for both the course in its current form as well as for any extension of the course into the clinical part of medical school. However, further assessments on the exam results and long-term effects should take place.


[Epidemiology of pertussis in industrialized countries].
Pertussis remains present in the industrialized world, although the widespread use of whole-cell pertussis vaccine has led to a dramatic decline of the disease. Great differences in immunization policies and coverage explain the uneven epidemiological pattern across the developed world. Different situations can be described. In some countries such as Japan, UK and Italy, concerns about the occurrence of severe adverse events following pertussis vaccination in the 70's led to a reduced acceptance and thus, to a significant decrease in immunization coverage. In Sweden, the protective efficacy of pertussis vaccine was questioned and vaccination was discontinued in 1979. In all these countries, severe epidemics of pertussis were observed in the following years, and immunization was then reinforced in some (UK). In Japan, considerable efforts were made to develop new and safer pertussis acellular vaccines which have replaced the whole-cell vaccine since 1981. In other countries such as the USA and France, despite a continuous immunization programme maintaining a sustained and high coverage, a resurgence of the disease was observed in association with a modification of the age-distribution. Vaccinated adults became susceptible to the infection because of progressive waning, vaccine-induced immunity. These patients contaminated very young and thus, unvaccinated infants. These observations underline the need for early immunization in infants as well as the importance of late booster doses to be given to older children or adults.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Manageability of acute severe heart failure complicated with left ventricular thrombosis during therapy for breast cancer.
Trastuzumab-related cardiac dysfunction may be manageable and completely reversible with suitable cardiac medication, allowing optimal breast cancer treatment to continue. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman who developed severe systolic left ventricular failure with impaired contractility of the right ventricle, pulmonary hypertension, and clots in the left ventricular cavity during adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. The patient was initially diagnosed with early breast cancer and underwent surgery on her left breast. She received 6 cycles of anthracycline chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy in the left breast area, then 5 cycles of trastuzumab. After the fifth cycle of trastuzumab, she experienced dyspnoea and leg edema. Fluid was detected in the pleural cavities but no lung metastases were identified. Echocardiography was performed, revealing a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (10%) with impaired contractility of the right ventricle and pulmonary hypertension. Standard medication for heart failure resulted in complete recovery of normal systolic and diastolic function of the left and right ventricles. The combination of low molecular weight heparin and acetylsalicylic acid completely resolved the thrombotic complications. The patient regained her full range of social, occupational, and family activities. This case study is the first to demonstrate the manageability and reversibility of trastuzumab-related cardiac complications in a patient who had developed severe heart failure complicated with left ventricular thrombosis during sequential anthracycline and trastuzumab therapy for breast cancer. The findings contradict other opinions that trastuzumab-related acute heart failure is analogous to stunning or hibernation and recovers without specific cardiac treatment.


Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and its determinants in the very old: the Newcastle 85+ Study.
Data on vitamin D status in very old adults are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and its predictors in 775 adults aged 85 years old living in North-East England. Low 25(OH)D was alarmingly high during winter/spring months, but its biological significance is unknown. Despite recent concerns about the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in much of the British adult and paediatric population, there is a dearth of data on vitamin D status and its predictors in very old adults. The objective of the present study was to describe vitamin D status and its associated factors in a broadly representative sample of very old men and women aged 85 years living in the North East of England (55° N). Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were analysed in 775 participants in the baseline phase of the Newcastle 85+ cohort study. Season of blood sampling, dietary, health, lifestyle and anthropometric data were collected and included as potential predictors of vitamin D status in ordinal regression models. Median serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 27, 45, 43 and 33 nmol/L during spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency according to North American Institute of Medicine guidelines [serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L] varied significantly with season with the highest prevalence observed in spring (51%) and the lowest prevalence observed in autumn (23%; P < 0.001). Reported median (inter-quartile range) dietary intakes of vitamin D were very low at 2.9 (1.2-3.3) μg/day. In multivariate ordinal regression models, non-users of either prescribed or non-prescribed vitamin D preparations and winter and spring blood sampling were associated with lower 25(OH)D concentrations. Dietary vitamin D intake, disability score and disease count were not independently associated with vitamin D status in the cohort. There is an alarming high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<30 nmol/L) in 85-year-olds living in North East England at all times of the year but particularly during winter and spring. Use of vitamin D containing preparations (both supplements and medications) appeared to be the strongest predictor of 25(OH)D concentrations in these very old adults.


The role of the air traffic controller in future air traffic management: an empirical study of active control versus passive monitoring.
Proposals for air traffic management such as Free Flight call for a transfer of responsibility for separation between aircraft from air traffic controllers (ATCos) to pilots. Under many proposals, the role of the ATCo will change from one of active control to passive monitoring. The present study directly compared these types of control with respect to ATCo mental workload, conflict detection, and memory. Eighteen ATCos participated in an air traffic control simulation of Free Flight procedures under moderate and high traffic load. Dependent variables included accuracy and timeliness in detecting potential conflicts, accepting and handing off aircraft, mental workload (as assessed by a secondary task, heart rate variability, and subjective ratings), and memory for aircraft location. High traffic density and passive control both degraded conflict detection performance. Actual or potential applications of this research include the recommendation that designs for future air traffic management keep authority for separation of aircraft with the controller.


Bicyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbenes (BICAACs): Stable Carbenes More Ambiphilic than CAACs.
A straightforward strategy allows for the synthesis of storable bicyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbenes (BICAACs), which feature enhanced σ-donating and π-accepting properties compared to monocyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbenes (CAACs). Due to the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane skeleton, the steric environment around the carbene center is different from that of CAACs and similar to that observed in classical N-heterocyclic carbenes. The different electronic properties of BICAACs as compared to CAACs allow for ligand exchange reactions not only at a metal center, but also at main group elements.


Evaluation of Nrf2, Keap1 and Apoptotic Pathway Genes Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression Nrf2 (Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-p45 derived factor 2) and Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1) genes and Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2), Bcl-XL (B-cell lymphoma-extra large), Bax (Bcl2-associated X protein) apoptotic pathway genes in acute myeloid leukemia patients. In this case-control study, the expression of genes encoding Nrf2, Keap1, Bcl2, Bcl- XL and Bax in 40 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients were compared with 40 normal individuals in the Iranian population. We evaluated the mRNA expression of genes by using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of Nrf2, Bcl2 and Bcl- XL genes in new AML patients were increased (p < 0.05). The patients treated with chemotherapy had a significantly more than four times higher expression level of Nrf2 than new case patients (P < 0.05), while there was a decrease in the expression level of Bcl2 and Bcl-XL, which was not statistically significant. In other hands in relapsed patients, the expressions of Nrf2, Bcl2 and Bcl- XL were higher level than new case patients (p < 0.05) but this was less than patients treated with chemotherapy (p > 0.05). The high levels of mentioned genes may be associated with poor treatment response, chemoresistance and disease recurrence. Because of hyperactivation and overexpression of Nrf2 in leukemia, suggest that Nrf2 inhibitors could be used as a pharmacological target in combination with classical chemotherapeutic agents to increase the efficacy of anticancer therapy.


[The definition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)].
The new, revised CDC case definition of AIDS (1) specifies precisely, which laboratory results and which diseases may indicate HIV-infection. The indicator diseases are divided into those with HIV-positive and HIV-not positive laboratory findings. The latter group is subdivided into diseases diagnosed definitely and diagnosed presumptively. Appendices contain directions for the interpretation of results of laboratory examinations indicating, under which circumstances the diagnosis of AIDS can be excluded or can definitely be established or which findings must be considered inconclusive. Further, the methods are listed, which have to be employed in order to provide a definitive diagnosis of an indicator disease and under which conditions a presumptive diagnosis of a disease, indicative of AIDS, is admitted.


Pictorial essay of developmental thyroid anomalies identified by Technetium thyroid scintigraphy.
Developmental anomalies and anatomic variations of the thyroid gland in the general population with no known thyroid dysfunction usually goes unnoticed. Only those patients with neck swellings, incidentally detected hypo or hyperthyroidism, and those with a maternal history of hypothyroidism undergo screening for the thyroid gland. Neck ultrasound and scintigraphic techniques are the imaging tools routinely used to identify these anomalies. We present interesting technetium (Pertechnetate and sestaMIBI) scintigraphic images of adults and children who presented to our department with thyroid dysfunction showing developmental anomalies of the thyroid.


Advanced glycation end-product cross-linking inhibits biomechanical plasticity and characteristic failure morphology of native tendon.
Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are formed in vivo from the nonenzymatic reaction between sugars and proteins. AGEs accumulate in long-lived tissues like tendons, cross-linking neighboring collagen molecules, and are in part complicit in connective tissue pathologies experienced in aging and with diabetes. We have previously described discrete plasticity: a characteristic form of nanoscale collagen fibril damage consisting of serial fibril kinking and collagen denaturation that occurs in some mechanically overloaded tendons. We suspect that this failure mechanism may be an adaptive trait of collagen fibrils and have published evidence that inflammatory cells may be able to recognize and digest the denatured collagen produced by overload. In this study, we treated bovine tail tendons with ribose to simulate long-term AGE cross-linking in vitro. We hypothesized that a high degree of cross-linking would inhibit the intermolecular sliding thought to be necessary for discrete plasticity to occur. Tendons were mechanically overloaded, and properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning election microscopy. Ribose cross-linking treatment altered the mechanical response of tendons after the yield point, significantly decreasing postyield extensibility and strain energy capacity before rupture. Coincident with altered mechanics, ribose cross-linking completely inhibited the discrete plasticity failure mechanism of tendon. Our results suggest that discrete plasticity, which may be an important physiological mechanism, becomes pathologically disabled by the formation of AGE cross-links in aging and diabetes. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We have previously shown that mechanically overloaded collagen fibrils in mammalian tendons accrue nanoscaled damage. This includes development of a characteristic kinking morphology within a shell of denatured collagen: discrete plasticity. Here, using a ribose-incubation model, we show that advanced glycation end-product cross-linking associated with aging and diabetes completely inhibits this mechanism. Since discrete plasticity appears to cue cellular remodeling, this result has important implications for diabetic tendinopathy.


Human (HLA-A and HLA-B) and murine (H-2K and H-2D) histocompatibility antigens are cell surface receptors for Semliki Forest virus.
The proteins coded for by the HLA-A and HLA-B loci in man and the H-2K and H-2D loci in mice were identified as cell surface receptors for Semliki Forest virus. This conclusion is based on the following observations: (i) Water-soluble octamers of viral coat proteins inhibit the complement-dependent cytotoxicity of antibodies directed against H-2K and H-2D antigens in mouse cells. (ii) Isolated detergent-soluble HLA-A and HLA-B antigens reconstituted in lipid vesicles inhibit the binding of viral proteins to human cells (as do the water-soluble antigens to a lesser extent). (iii) Reconstituted HLA-A and HLA-B vesicles interact in solution with Semliki Forest virus (or with vesicles containing viral spike proteins), as demonstrated by coprecipitation with antisera. (iv) Complexes between viral spoke proteins and HLA-A and HLA-B antigens or H-2K and H-2D antigens can be isolated from the cell surface by utilizing affinity chromatography or immunoprecipitation.


Performance of PtPd electrocatalysts in direct methanol fuel cell.
PtPd nanoparticles on carbon black were prepared to investigate the role of Pd in the anode and cathode of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The PtPd catalysts in the anode showed a significantly lower performance than the PtRu catalyst. However, the cell performances of these catalysts in the cathode were comparable to that of the Pt catalyst. From cyclic voltammetry, it was observed that the Pd with the Pt catalyst lowered the peak potential and increased the coulombic charge for oxide reduction on the surface of the catalyst. Also, the Pd catalyst without Pt showed relatively high activity for oxygen reduction reaction.


Preoperative Education and Decreasing Preoperative Anxiety Among Children Aged 8 - 10 Years Old and Their Mothers.
Preoperative anxiety is associated with adverse clinical, behavioral, and psychological outcomes. Various effective interventions targeting preoperative anxiety in children exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational intervention by residents on children and maternal anxiety and their satisfaction from anxiety management. After obtaining the institutional ethics committee approval and written informed parental consent, 36 ASA-I, II children (age range, 8 - 10 years) underwent small operations were included in this prospective randomized study. The participants were allocated into the intervention (n =18) and control (n =18) groups. Children in the first group were prepared routinely. In the second group children and their mothers received data about anesthesia and operation by the booklet. Children-maternal anxiety was assessed using the anxiety level form, at the night and in the morning before surgery. Few days after surgery mothers, residents, and children experiences and satisfaction from anxiety management were assessed in the focus group discussion. Mean scores and standard deviations of state anxiety in the intervention group before and after training were 33.1 ± 5.5 and 30.8 ± 6, respectively (P = 0.06). In the control group it was 32 ± 6.5 on the night and 34.1 ± 6.7 in the morning before surgery (P = 0.00). Comparison between groups was not significant (P = 0.6) and (P = 0.1). The mean levels of anxiety in the control group mothers on the night before and in the morning of surgery were 39.2 ± 13.1 and 42.8 ± 14 (P = 0.00), respectively. In the intervention group, mothers' anxiety before education was 41 ± 12.7 and after education it was 35.6 ± 9.5 (P = 0.04). Comparison between groups was not significant (P = 0.7) and (P = 0.1). According to the focus group discussions, booklet study, provided education, sympathy of medical team, spiritual issues and beliefs reduced anxiety and fear of surgery. Anesthesia and lack of knowledge of what will happen, crying and restlessness of children increased preoperative anxiety. In this study, the preoperative anxiety was reduced by explaining anesthesia and surgery to the mothers and children (in mothers it was significant P < 0.05). Since there is a direct relation between mothers' and their children's anxiety, using an effective method to reduce anxiety in children and their mothers together at the same time would be very useful for children and their mothers.


[Alexandre Frias i Roig: childcare pediatrician, medical doctor and scientific disseminator. Tireless fighter in favor of breastfeeding and childhood].
Alexandre Frias was born in Reus, the city where he developed most of his professional activity. Medical doctor and childcare pediatrician, he worked tirelessly in order to improve children's health. He created the first Instituto de Puericultura Integral (Integral Institute of Childcare) in Spain in 1919, which remained in operation until his death. The Institute's activities began with a clinic for breastfeeding children, breastfeeding service and a biochemical analysis laboratory, later expanding with prenatal childcare services, a refectory for pregnant women and general women, a pediatric office with a vaccination service and, as a complement, a home health care service and medical obstetrics. Convinced that breastfeeding and hygiene were fundamental for the prevention of diseases, he carried out an enormous educational work among mothers, doctors, governors and society in general. Forerunner of numerous initiatives for curative and preventive purposes, he established health education for mothers and professionals, school colonies, medical-school inspection, home delivery of scales for weight control and incubators for premature children and even a hygienic dress model for newborns. He made numerous publications as books form, such as the one entitled "Lo que deben saber las madres", booklets and newspapers articles. He founded and directed the scientific journal Puericultura (child care), published in Reus and distributed throughout the country until 1936. Its incessant activity in favor of the fight against infant mortality drastically reduced infant/children mortality in Reus and influenced the health and demographic improvement of all of Spain.


Hemodialysis vascular access preferences and outcomes in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).
Synthetic grafts have generally been found to exhibit lower survival rates and higher complication rates than native arteriovenous fistulae. We investigated whether survival of grafts relative to fistulae was better in facilities with a preference for grafts, hypothesizing that such facilities may place more grafts because grafts produced superior outcomes. The study was based on a national U.S. sample of 133 hemodialysis facilities participating in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), a prospective, observational study of dialysis treatment practices and outcomes. Vascular access preferences were ascertained from medical directors, nurse managers, and actual practice within each facility (% graft use among prevalent patients). Logistic regression was used to model the odds ratio (OR) of graft placement (vs. fistula) and Cox regression was used to model time from access creation to initial failure. Grafts were preferred by 21% of medical directors and 40% of nurse managers. Patients in facilities in which the medical director or nurse manager expressed a preference for grafts were more than twice as likely to have a graft than a fistula (AOR = 2.3, P < 0.01; reference group = facilities that did not prefer grafts), suggesting that facility preferences influence the type of access created. Overall, grafts were more prevalent than fistulae in dialysis facilities, but displayed a higher relative risk of failure (RR 1.33, P < 0.0001). However, the risk of graft versus fistula failure did not vary by expressed preference of the medical director: the relative risk of graft versus fistula failure was 1.39 in facilities in which the medical director preferred grafts and 1.39 in facilities in which the medical director preferred fistulae. Moreover, the relative risk of graft versus fistula failure was 1.57 in facilities that used more than the median percentage of grafts and 1.19 in facilities that used less than the median percentage of grafts. No evidence was found that graft outcomes are superior in facilities that prefer grafts to fistulae. The observed variation in vascular access practice patterns suggests opportunities for quality improvement if optimal practices can be defined.


Structural characterization of intrinsically curved AT-rich DNA sequences.
AT-rich DNA sequences other than AnTm tracts (n + m > or = 4) are known to be intrinsically curved. The AATAT-element constitutes one known example of these sequences. In this paper, the elucidation of the structural basis of the curvature induced by this sequence element was addressed. As judged by the patterns of cleavage by the hydroxyl radical and DNase I, the AATAT sequence shows a narrow minor groove. Furthermore, the 5' adenine residue of the AA dinucleotide contained within the sequence is hyperreactive to diethylpyrocarbonate. Similar structural properties are shown by several sequences inducing intrinsic DNA curvature, such as an A5-tract or the closely related ATAAT, AATATA and TAATAT sequences, which are also shown here to induce curvature. On the other hand, other related sequences, such as TATAA and ATATA, that do not induce curvature, show different structural characteristics.


Cysteine-capped gold nanoparticles suppress aggregation of proteins exposed to heat stress.
Gold nanoparticles show a lot of promise as potential agents for drug delivery and disease diagnosis. Because of this, it is important that the interaction between gold nanoparticles and biomolecules be well characterized to avoid undesirable consequences. In this study, gold nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of gold salt by sodium borohydride in the presence of cysteine as the capping agent. The physical features of the nanoparticles were analyzed using Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy. The interaction between gold nanoparticles and the following proteins: bovine serum albumin, citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, and human heat shock protein 70 was investigated by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The stability of the proteins against heat stress was assessed by monitoring their aggregation at 48 °C, either in the presence or absence of gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles were capable of suppressing the heat-induced aggregation of the proteins. Furthermore, apart from possessing independent protein-aggregation suppression function, the AuNPs also augmented the chaperone function of human heat shock protein 70. Findings from this study demonstrate that cyteine-coated gold nanoparticles exhibit chaperone-like activity and have the capability to stabilize proteins to which they may be conjugated.


Demographic, health, and behavioral factors associated with smoking in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
To identify demographic, health, and behavioral factors associated with smoking behavior in adults with diabetes. Canadian adults 18+ years with type 1 (n=697) or type 2 (n=1621) were investigated. Logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for both diabetes subgroups. When comparing never versus ever smokers, never versus current smokers, and former smokers who quit versus current smokers, similarities and differences for demographic, health, and behavioral factors were found for the 2 diabetes subgroups. Diabetes type, demographic, health, and behavioral factors should be considered when tailoring smoking cessation and prevention programs.


Long-term operational studies of lab-scale pumice-woodchip packed stormwater biofilters.
The performance of three pumice-woodchip packed stormwater biofilter (PWSWBF) systems with three packing volume ratios of pumice to woodchip (1:2, 1:1 and 2:1) were compared. The results show that the PWSWBF system packed with a lower percentage of woodchip attained a higher removal efficiency of TCOD, TN, NH4-N and TP, whereas all three systems completely removed nitrate. The highest removal efficiencies for TCOD, TN, NH4-N, NO3-N and TP were 95%, 70%, 86%, 100% and 100%, respectively. In the biofilter with a lower percentage of woodchip, the pollutants that get removed through aerobic biological processes were removed more significantly, which is attributed to less oxygen depletion via woodchip decomposition, which is common under wet conditions. Nitrate was significantly removed via denitrification in all three systems, indicating that the woodchip that occupied one-third of the main media was sufficient for denitrification, and also that the oxygen condition inside the column was proper for denitrification to proceed. A smaller amount of woodchip as the packing material also mitigated the adverse effect of the release of organics from the media during the initial period. In addition, the system showed very good buffering capacity, in that the outflow pH was constant within the optimal range for microorganism growth.


[CEA, GICA, TPA, fibrinopeptide-A, gamma-GT and gastric cancer. A contribution to the rationalization of a combined assay].
CEA, GICA, TPA, Fibrinopeptide-A (FpA) and Gamma-GT serum levels were evaluated in 312 patients affected by gastric cancer, to assess their effectiveness in diagnosis, evaluation of disease extension and follow-up of gastric cancer. In 204 patients neoplasia was limited to the stomach, in 108 liver metastases, ascertained by ultrasonography and/or TAC, were present. CEA was increased in 224 cases (71.8%); mean values were significantly higher in metastatic patients than in metastasis-free group (p less than 0.001), but overlap of values between the two groups was observed in about one third of cases. GICA was increased in 268 patients (86%) and TPA in 306 (98%), without significant differences between metastatic and metastasis-free group. FpA was increased in all patients; when metastases were present it was significantly higher than in metastasis-free patients (p less than 0.001), with negligible overlap of values between the two groups. Gamma-GT was normal in 202 metastasis-free patients (99%) and increased in 105 patients with liver metastases (97%). On the basis of these data CEA does not seem to have striking diagnostic sensibility nor reliability in differentiating presence from absence of liver metastases in patients with gastric cancer. Combined assay of TPA, FpA and Gamma-GT seems to be the most reliable serological approach in diagnosis, staging and follow-up of gastric cancer.


Cytokine disturbances in systemic lupus erythematosus.
The pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is complex, and the resulting disease manifestations are heterogeneous. Cytokine dysregulation is pervasive, and their protein and gene expression profiles may serve as markers of disease activity and severity. Importantly, biologic agents that target specific cytokines may represent novel therapies for SLE. Four cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, IFNα, and BLyS) are being evaluated as therapeutic targets in SLE. The present review will examine the roles of each of these cytokines in murine and human SLE, and will summarize results from clinical trials of agents that target these cytokines.


Catalysis and selectivity in prebiotic synthesis: initiation of the formation of oligo(U)s on montmorillonite clay by adenosine-5'-methylphosphate.
Adenosine-5'-methylphosphate (MepA) initiates the oligomerization of the 5'-phosphorimidazolide of uridine (ImpU) in the presence of montmorillonite clay. Longer oligomers form because the 5'-phosphate is blocked with a methyl group that prevents the formation of cyclic- and pyrophosphate-containing compounds. The MepA initiates 69-84% of the 5-9 charge oligomers, respectively. The montmorillonite catalyst also provides selectivity in the oligomerization reactions so that the main reaction pathway is MepA --> MepA3'pU --> MepA3'pU2'pU --> MepA3'pU2'pU3'pU. MepA did not enhance the oligomerization of ImpA. The relative rates of the reactions were determined from an investigation of the products in competitive reactions. Selectivity was observed in the reaction of ImpU with equimolar amounts of MepA3'pU and MepA2'pU where the relative reaction rates are 10.3:1, respectively. In the reaction of ImpA with MepA3'pA and MepA2'pA the ImpA reacts 5.2 times faster with MepA3'pA. In the competitive reaction of ImpU and ImpA with MepA3'pA and MepA3'pU the elongation proceeds on MepA3'pA 5.6 times more rapidly than with MepA3'pU. There is no correlation between the extent of binding to the montmorillonite and reaction rates in the formation of longer oligomers. The formation of more than two sequential 2',5'-linkages in the oligomer chain proceeds more slowly than the addition to a single 2',5'-link or a 3',5'-link and either chain termination or elongation by a 3',5'-linage occurs. The central role that catalysis may have had in the prebiotic formation of biopolymers is discussed.


Functional analysis of three sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase homologs in Chlorobaculum tepidum.
Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) catalyzes sulfide oxidation during sulfide-dependent chemo- and phototrophic growth in bacteria. The green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum (formerly Chlorobium tepidum) can grow on sulfide as the sole electron donor and sulfur source. C. tepidum contains genes encoding three SQR homologs: CT0117, CT0876, and CT1087. This study examined which, if any, of the SQR homologs possess sulfide-dependent ubiquinone reduction activity and are required for growth on sulfide. In contrast to CT0117 and CT0876, transcripts of CT1087 were detected only when cells actively oxidized sulfide. Mutation of CT0117 or CT1087 in C. tepidum decreased SQR activity in membrane fractions, and the CT1087 mutant could not grow with >or=6 mM sulfide. Mutation of both CT0117 and CT1087 in C. tepidum completely abolished SQR activity, and the double mutant failed to grow with >or=4 mM sulfide. A C-terminal His(6)-tagged CT1087 protein was membrane localized, as was SQR activity. Epitope-tagged CT1087 was detected only when sulfide was actively consumed by cells. Recombinantly produced CT1087 and CT0117 proteins had SQR activity, while CT0876 did not. In summary, we conclude that, under the conditions tested, both CT0117 and CT1087 function as SQR proteins in C. tepidum. CT0876 may support the growth of C. tepidum at low sulfide concentrations, but no evidence was found for SQR activity associated with this protein.


[Study on the risk factors of repeated abortion among unmarried adolescents].
To find out the rate of repeated induced abortion among unmarried abortion women and to study the relevant risk factors. From July to September 2005, we used the method of hospital based descriptive epidemiological study to investigate 2295 abortion women below 25 years of age in Beijing, Shanghai and Zhengzhou. Case-control study was used as the method. We considered the women with history of repeated abortion as case group (736 women) and considered the women without history of repeated abortion as control group (1559 women). The mean age of respondents was 21.92 years with minimal age as 15 years. 17.2 % aborted women aged below 20 years with 32. 1% of them were ever having a history of previous induced abortion. Among 736 women with repeated abortion, 75.3 % of them had one time of induced abortion previously, 18.1% having two times, 4.2% having 3 times, 13 women having 4 times and 4 women having 5 times and one even with the maximum of having 8 times of previous abortion. In comparison with control group, the case group had higher rate among women whose first sex was below 18 years (16.2% vs. 9.4% , P<0.01). There were higher rates of women under following conditions: having exposed to sexual behavior for more than 3 years (33.6% vs. 6.6 % , P<0.01), having cohabited with male partner for over 1 year (64.6% vs. 23.9%, P <0.01), having regular sexual life (48.5 % vs. 37. 1%, P < 0.05), having multiple sexual partners (36.0% vs. 15.0%,P<0.01) having unwanted sex (6.0% vs. 3.9%, P<0.05), whose current pregnancy resulted from contraceptive failure (39.3% vs. 31.6%, P< 0.01), having a history of high-risk abortion (30.8% vs. 3.1%, P< 0.01) etc. In comparison with the control group, the case group showed higher rates of male partners not supporting this induced abortion, male partner not participating in decision-making on abortion and male partner not accompanying the female partners to seek for abortion service (rates of the three major factors in case group and in control group were 10.3% vs. 5.9%, P< 0.01, 30.3% vs. 24.0%, and 27.5% vs. 23.5%, P<0.01, respectively). The rate of repeated induced abortion among unmarried abortion women was relatively high. The risk factors for females would include: younger age of sex debut, longer duration from the beginning of first sex to the current abortion, cohabitation, regular sexual life, multiple sexual partners, unwanted sex, contraceptive failure and high risk induced abortion. Meanwhile, unmarried but repeated abortion was related to the differences of gender between males and females and male partner's concern on induced abortion.


Whistle sequences in wild killer whales (Orcinus orca).
Combining different stereotyped vocal signals into specific sequences increases the range of information that can be transferred between individuals. The temporal emission pattern and the behavioral context of vocal sequences have been described in detail for a variety of birds and mammals. Yet, in cetaceans, the study of vocal sequences is just in its infancy. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of sequences of stereotyped whistles in killer whales off Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A total of 1140 whistle transitions in 192 whistle sequences recorded from resident killer whales were analyzed using common spectrographic analysis techniques. In addition to the stereotyped whistles described by Riesch et al., [(2006). "Stability and group specificity of stereotyped whistles in resident killer whales, Orcinus orca, off British Columbia," Anim. Behav. 71, 79-91.] We found a new and rare stereotyped whistle (W7) as well as two whistle elements, which are closely linked to whistle sequences: (1) stammers and (2) bridge elements. Furthermore, the frequency of occurrence of 12 different stereotyped whistle types within the sequences was not randomly distributed and the transition patterns between whistles were also nonrandom. Finally, whistle sequences were closely tied to close-range behavioral interactions (in particular among males). Hence, we conclude that whistle sequences in wild killer whales are complex signal series and propose that they are most likely emitted by single individuals.


Generation of Thy1 Constructs for Pronuclear Injection.
With easy access to core facilities or commercial providers of pronuclear injections, generating simple Thy1-XFP transgenic mice (where XFP stands for any fluorescent protein) is now a possibility even for small laboratories. The generation of new Thy1 transgenic lines generally consists of five steps: (1) engineering and characterization of the desired fluorescent reporter protein, (2) cloning of the reporter protein into the Thy1 vector, (3) linearization and purification of the new Thy1 construct, (4) pronuclear injection to generate founders, and (5) screening of founder progeny to establish transgenic lines. Here, we provide a protocol for Steps 2 and 3. The sequence for a desired fluorescent reporter protein is cloned into the XhoI restriction site of the Thy1 vector. This usually involves blunt-end cloning because the traditional Thy1 vector does not carry an intact multiple cloning site. Following successful cloning, the DNA is prepared for pronuclear injection by linearizing it using EcoRI and PvuI restriction enzymes. The purified linearized DNA must then be sent to a facility specializing in pronuclear injection to generate transgenic founder mice.


[Zoonoses in working- and wild animals and their significance in Germany. An overview].
The control of infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans (zoonoses) was recently put on a new basis in the European Union when a new Zoonoses Directive entered into force. Brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, echinococcosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, trichinosis, and the respective causative agents, tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis, and verotoxigenic Escherichia coli must be included in monitoring. Additional zoonoses and zoonotic agents are to be monitored according to the epidemiological situation. Against this background, the current knowledge on important zoonoses transmitted from livestock and some wildlife animals to humans as well as the epidemiological situation in Germany with regard to these diseases is summarized.


Inhibitory effect of synthetic histatin 5 on leukotoxin from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative bacterium strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of juvenile periodontitis. This periodontal pathogen synthesizes a leukotoxin that destroys human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and this toxin is thought to be responsible for the virulence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. It was therefore of interest to assess whether major virulence factors of periodontal pathogens were neutralized by salivary components. This study focuses on the effect of histatins, components of the nonimmune oral defense system, on leukotoxin activity. Leukotoxin was extracted with polymyxin B from freshly grown anaerobic cultures of A. actinomycetemcomitans strain Y4. PMNs isolated from blood of healthy human volunteers were incubated in a cytotoxicity assay containing PMNs (10(7) cells/ml) and leukotoxin preparation (0-500 microg/ml) in Hanks' balanced salt solution at 37 degrees C for 0-120 min with or without synthetic histatin 5 (0-500 microM). Cytotoxicity was measured by release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) at different time intervals. Histatin 5 neutralized the toxic effect of the leukotoxin preparation in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC(50) value of 150 microM. When PMNs were preincubated with histatin 5 (300 microM), washed and subsequently exposed to leukotoxin, no protective effect was observed. This observation suggests a mechanism of inhibition whereby histatin 5 either directly neutralizes the leukotoxin or interferes with the leukotoxin-PMN interaction. The inhibitory effect of histatin 5 on leukotoxic activity may suggest a new biological function of histatins in the oral cavity as a naturally occurring secondary antibiotic.


Coupling internal cerebellar models enhances online adaptation and supports offline consolidation in sensorimotor tasks.
The cerebellum is thought to mediate sensorimotor adaptation through the acquisition of internal models of the body-environment interaction. These representations can be of two types, identified as forward and inverse models. The first predicts the sensory consequences of actions, while the second provides the correct commands to achieve desired state transitions. In this paper, we propose a composite architecture consisting of multiple cerebellar internal models to account for the adaptation performance of humans during sensorimotor learning. The proposed model takes inspiration from the cerebellar microcomplex circuit, and employs spiking neurons to process information. We investigate the intrinsic properties of the cerebellar circuitry subserving efficient adaptation properties, and we assess the complementary contributions of internal representations by simulating our model in a procedural adaptation task. Our simulation results suggest that the coupling of internal models enhances learning performance significantly (compared with independent forward and inverse models), and it allows for the reproduction of human adaptation capabilities. Furthermore, we provide a computational explanation for the performance improvement observed after one night of sleep in a wide range of sensorimotor tasks. We predict that internal model coupling is a necessary condition for the offline consolidation of procedural memories.


Machine learning-enabled multitrust audit of stroke comorbidities using natural language processing.
With the increasing adoption of electronic records in the health system, machine learning-enabled techniques offer the opportunity for greater computer-assisted curation of these data for audit and research purposes. In this project, we evaluate the consistency of traditional curation methods used in routine clinical practice against a new machine learning-enabled tool, MedCAT, for the extraction of the stroke comorbidities recorded within the UK's Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) initiative. A total of 2327 stroke admission episodes from three different National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, between January 2019 and April 2020, were included in this evaluation. In addition, current clinical curation methods (SSNAP) and the machine learning-enabled method (MedCAT) were compared against a subsample of 200 admission episodes manually reviewed by our study team. Performance metrics of sensitivity, specificity, precision, negative predictive value, and F1 scores are reported. The reporting of stroke comorbidities with current clinical curation methods is good for atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, but poor for congestive cardiac failure. The machine learning-enabled method, MedCAT, achieved better performances across all four assessed comorbidities compared with current clinical methods, predominantly driven by higher sensitivity and F1 scores. We have shown machine learning-enabled data collection can support existing clinical and service initiatives, with the potential to improve the quality and speed of data extraction from existing clinical repositories. The scalability and flexibility of these new machine-learning tools, therefore, present an opportunity to revolutionize audit and research methods.


A combined approach to preventing dental caries in schoolchildren : caries reductions after 3 years.
A combination of preventive methods have been used to reduce dental caries in children residing in a fluoridated area of Southeastern Michigan. These children had very low restorative treatment levels. The methods used include dental health education, prophylaxis, pit and fissure sealants, topical application of fluoride and restorative care. Prophylaxis, sealant and fluoride procedures were repeated every 6 months. Sealant was applied to all caries-free posterior teeth in the mouth. Three-year results show reduction of occlusal caries increments of nearly 73% for both 1st and 6th school grades. Although at baseline examination there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in mean DMF teeth and surface scores, the difference in mean increments at the end of 3 years was statistically significant (P less than 0.01). Percent reductions in caries increment for permanent first molars in 1st graders were 65.6 for DMF teeth and 66.7 for DMF surfaces. Corresponding figures for permanent teeth among 6th graders were 71% and 58.3%.


[Ethnic genetics: ethnogeographic diversity of the gene pool of human populations around the world].
The study was undertaken to estimate a degree of genetic differentiation in human all-world population at the ethnic level of its structure. The genetic information for this work came from well-known A. Mourant's et al. world-wide survey on human genetic polymorphisms and from regional survey on the same polymorphisms of the USSR peoples. The data were grouped into 9 regional populations studied for 49 alleles and haplotypes belonging to 20 polymorphic loci. Average genetic distances from the all-world human gene pool to each of regional one, and from these to gene pools of ethnic groups within regions were estimated and compared. An unexpected result of this within-between-region comparative analysis is the shortest genetic distance between gene pools of the USSR peoples as a whole on the one hand, and all-world peoples on the other. At the same time, a considerable part of the total human genetic polymorphism is persisted in the USSR region.


Citrus transcription factor CsHB5 regulates abscisic acid biosynthetic genes and promotes senescence.
Senescence is a gradual physiological process involving the integration of numerous internal and environmental signals. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a well-known inducer of senescence. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying ABA-mediated senescence remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the citrus homeodomain leucine zipper I (HD-ZIP I) transcription factor CsHB5 functions as a regulator of ABA-triggered senescence. CsHB5 acts as a nucleus-localized transcriptional activator, the expression of which appeared to be closely associated with citrus senescence. Overexpression of CsHB5 in citrus calli upregulated the expression of ABA- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes, and significantly increased the content of ABA and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), whereas silencing CsHB5 in citrus calli downregulated the expression of ABA-related genes. Additionally, heterogenous overexpression of CsHB5 in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) leads to early leaf yellowing under dark-induced senescence conditions. Meanwhile, the levels of ABA and H2 O2 in transgenic tomatoes increased significantly and the lycopene content decreased. Transcriptome analysis of CsHB5-overexpressing citrus calli and tomato showed that CsHB5 was involved in multiple senescence-associated processes, including chlorophyll degradation, nutrient compound biosynthesis and transport, as well as ABA and ROS signal transduction. The results of yeast one-hybrid assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and dual luciferase assays indicated that CsHB5 directly binds to the promoters of ABA biosynthetic genes, including β-carotene hydroxylase 1 (BCH1) and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2 (NCED2), thereby activating their transcription. Our findings revealed that CsHB5 participates in senescence, at least partly, by directly controlling ABA accumulation. Our work provides insight into the regulatory mechanisms underlying ABA-mediated senescence.


Toward a successful vocational rehabilitation in adults with disabilities: Does residential arrangement matter?
The objective of this study was to assess whether successful vocational rehabilitation (that is, obtaining employment) among people with disabilities was affected by residential arrangement. Five groups of residential placement were considered: individuals living in a private residence, community or group residential, correctional and rehabilitation facilities, nursing home/mental health facilities, and homeless/shelter/other type of residential arrangement. The study involved a total of 46,570 vocational rehabilitation consumers aged 18 to 65 at referral in a Midwestern state. Statistical modeling was performed using quasibinomial logistic regression. It was found that compared to individuals living in private residences, those in correctional or rehabilitation facilities were at increased odds of successful rehabilitation, whereas those living in homeless/shelter/other residential arrangement and those living in nursing homes/mental health facilities were in significantly decreased odds of being rehabilitated. Individuals living in community or group residential, however, had no statistical difference in vocational rehabilitation outcomes compared to individuals living in private residences. The implications for rehabilitation research and practice are discussed.


Herb pairs containing Curcumae Rhizoma (Ezhu): A review of bio-active constituents, compatibility effects and t-copula function analysis.
An herbal pair is a classic form of clinical dispensing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), often used in prescriptions to enhance the effect or reduce potential side effects. It is the smallest component unit of Chinese medicine prescription and an essential bridge between Chinese medicine and prescription. Curcumae Rhizoma (called Ezhu in Chinese) is a representative TCM herb that promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis. It has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Ezhu is generally used in clinical applications as a part of a "drug pair" to treat heartburn, stomach pain, tumour, amenorrhea and abdominal pain caused by blood stasis, qi stagnation and injury. This review aims to summarize the latest and comprehensive situation of the biological activity and clinical application of drug pairs containing Ezhu, find the law of Ezhu compatibility application, and discuss the rationalization of Ezhu drug compatibility. For Ezhu, herb pairs to provide a theoretical basis for clinical research in TCM and serve as a research foundation for developing new drugs. Using a self-built prescription database and Apriori algorithm for association rule mining. A systematic search for studies on herb pairs containing Ezhu was carried out by using the internet databases of PubMed, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar and Web of Science, as well as other relevant textbooks, reviews and documents (e.g. Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 2020 edition, Chinese herbal classic books and PhD and MSc theses, etc.). Among them with keywords including "Curcumae Rhizoma", "Ezhu", "herb pairs", "clinical application", etc. and their combinations. Moreover, the t-copula function was used to analyse the dose-coupling effect of five drug pairs, including Ezhu. The preliminary statistical analysis retrieved Ezhu prescriptions from self-built prescription database and internet databases. The results showed that the compatibility frequency of Ezhu with the other five Chinese medicines was high. Most of these selected herbal combinations are used to treat internal diseases. In this paper, the progress of the ethnopharmacology of Ezhu was reviewed, emphasizing the changes in bioactive components and compatibility of Chinese traditional medicine combinations such as Ezhu and Astragalus Curcuma (Sparganium stoloniferum Buch. -Ham; called Sanleng in Chinese), Ezhu and Astragali Radix (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao, Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge.; called Huangqi in Chinese). Some other varieties, such as Ezhu and Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.; called Chuanxiong in Chinese), Trionycis Carapax (Trionyx sinensis Wiegmann; called Biejia in Chinese), and Coptidis Rhizoma (Coptis chinensis Franch., Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao, Coptis teeta Wall.; called Huanglian in Chinese), are also recorded in ancient books but rarely researched. The dose of Ezhu is strongly correlated with the amount of Sanleng, Huangqi, Biejia, Chuanxiong and Huanglian, respectively. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between them. The bioactive components and compatibility effects of Ezhu herb pairs were studied in detail using data mining and t-copula function analysis. Ezhu and Astragalus Curcuma (Sanleng) mainly treat gynecological disorders by activating blood circulation and relieving congestion. Ezhu and Astragali Radix (Huangqi) drug pair and Ezhu and Trionycis Carapax (Biejia) drug pair are all commonly used in the clinical treatment of tumors, the former is mainly used clinically for the treatment of digestive tract-related inflammation and tumors, liver cancer and gynecological tumors, and the latter is commonly used for the treatment of malignant tumors, such as liver cancer and mammary cancer.