Babesia bovis: characterization of the T helper cell response against the 42-kDa merozoite surface antigen (MSA-1) in cattle.
The Babesia bovis major merozoite surface antigen (MSA-1) is a 42-kDa integral membrane glycoprotein previously shown to induce immunodominant antibody responses in cattle protectively immune to B. bovis and to induce neutralizing antibody. Recent studies have also shown that MSA-1 B cell epitopes common to New World strains of B. bovis are not present in either Israel or Australia strains. To understand the potential role of this protein in protective immunity, T helper cell responses specific for MSA-1 were characterized in Babesia-immune cattle. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from immune cattle proliferated against affinity-purified recombinant MSA-1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli. MSA-1 preferentially stimulated the growth of CD4+ T cells in cell lines cultured with antigen for 4 weeks. MSA-1-reactive cell lines responded to a membrane fraction of B. bovis merozoites, suggesting recognition of the native protein. However, B. bovis-reactive T cell lines and T helper clones established by stimulation with crude parasite membrane antigen failed to respond to recombinant MSA-1, indicating that this antigen is not immunodominant for T cells. The majority of MSA-1-specific T helper clones reacted to unfractionated merozoite membrane antigen from New World B. bovis strains, but none of the clones responded to Australia B. bovis or to a Mexico strain of Babesia bigemina. Several T helper clones produced low levels of cytokines when stimulated with concanavalin A and interleukin-2. Northern blot analysis revealed the expression of interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha messenger RNA in mitogen-stimulated T helper clones, showing that the clones examined expressed an unrestricted T helper phenotype. We conclude that the MSA-1 protein, although serologically immunodominant and capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies as well as a T helper cell response, is not an immunodominant T cell antigen. Furthermore, the parasite strain specificity of the Th clones supports previous findings of extensive polymorphism in the MSA-1 glycoprotein and suggests that like B cell epitopes, T cell epitopes reside in a nonconserved portion of the protein.


Mebendazole (R 17635) in enterobiasis. A clinical trial in mental retardates.
The efficacy of mebendazole against enterobiasis was tested on 150 institutionalized mental retardates (range 5-25 years). At the start of the trial all patients swallowed on tablet containing 100 mg mebendazole. Another tablet was administered to all patients 2 weeks and 1, 2 and 3 months later. 19 patients were further treated with one tablet 4 and 5 months after the start of the trial. The presence of E. vermicularis was checked with cellophane adhesive tapes from the anal skin and from the right-hand finger-tips before the trial and after 1, 3 and 6 months. 94 subjects were positive before the trial. At the first post-treatment examination, all patients were found negative. However, 12% were reinfected. No side effects were observed or reported.


Monitoring the failure forms of a composite laminate system by using panda polarization maintaining fiber Bragg gratings.
In this paper, the property of panda polarization maintaining fiber Bragg gratings (PPM-FBGs) embedded in a composite laminate system (CLS) under a transversal force from 1 × 105 Pa to 5 × 105 Pa is explored. Both the wavelengths shift and the rotation angle of the principal axes of the PPM-FBGs are surveyed theoretically. We investigate the corresponding relation between the direction of external force and the rotation angle of principal axes of the PPM-FBGs and prove that the magnitude and direction of the strain distribution in the CLS can be monitored simultaneously, which can realize the detection of interlaminar damage of the CLS. We find that the strain, which corresponds to the shift of wavelengths of the PPM-FBGs, has a different angular dependence, and therefore the potential failure forms of the CLS can be differentiated.


The afferent projections to the centrum medianum of the cat as demonstrated by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.
The afferent projections of nucleus centrum medianum (CM) of the thalamus were studied, in the cat, by means of retrograde transport of electrophoretically ejected horseradish peroxidase. Several variations of method--survival time, fixatives, substrates, etc.--were tried to improve the amount of visible reaction product. Labeled neurons were localized primarily in two categories of nuclei in the brain. The first consisted of structures making up or closely related to the basal ganglia: the entopeduncular nucleus, the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra, and motor cortex. The second category was made up of nuclei closely related to postural and orienting functions: the deep layers of the superior colliculus ipsilaterally, and the medial and lateral vestibular nuclei bilaterally. Other nuclei containing retrogradely labeled neurons were the periaqueductal gray and locus coeruleus. Brain stem reticular projections were sparse and widely scattered. These results identify CM as an important element in the loop system linking medial thalamus and neostriatrum; the probable attention and orientation related functions of this system are discussed.


Fluorescent grating patterns of photopolymer film containing ethylene glycol phenyl ether acrylate.
Photopolymer films containing photoreactive monomers in the presence of fluorescent polyanthracene were investigated for fluorescent grating pattern formation using a 3D holographic method. A monofunctional acrylate, ethylene glycol phenyl ether acrylate (PA), was used as the core monomer for the formation of the polymerization induced grating pattern. Photopolymer films were prepared from a mixture of PA and polyanthracene with a binder polymer and a photo radical initiator. The film's thickness was adjusted by the solution's composition to optimize grating pattern efficiency (>90%). The diffraction efficiency was increased in the presence of polyanthracene. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensity was more enhanced after grating formation. A vivid fluorescent gap electrode pattern with fine gratings was patterned, providing a new method for patterning organic thin films with distinct read-out processes.


[liposarcoma. Aspects of pathomorphology--an analysis of 209 tumos].
Among the heterogeneous group of adult soft tissue sarcomas, liposarcomas represent the largest entity along with malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH). This article summarizes the results of pathomorphological data on 209 liposarcomas resected over a 10-year period. The most common tumor site was the thigh, and the peak age incidence was in the 5th and 6th decades. In general, three major subtypes of liposarcoma can be distinguished in terms of pathomorphology: well-differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma, myxoid/round cell liposarcoma, and pleomorphic liposarcoma. Well-differentiated liposarcomas represent malignancy grade 1 tumors without biological potential to metastasize, but which are able to relapse locally in cases of incomplete resection. When a local relapse has occurred, the liposarcoma may show dedifferentiation and may metastasize. In the pathologic-anatomical diagnosis of liposarcomas, conventional light-microscopic findings are decisive. Additional methods of molecular pathology may help in single cases to gain further insights.


A role of Wnt/beta-catenin signals in hepatic fate specification of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) are expected to be an excellent source of cells for transplantation. In addition, the stem cell plasticity of human UCBMSCs, which can transdifferentiate into hepatocytes, has been reported. However, the mechanisms involved remain to be clarified. To identify the genes and/or signals that are important in specifying the hepatic fate of human UCBMSCs, we analyzed gene expression profiles during the hepatic differentiation of UCBMSCs with human telomerase reverse transcriptase, UCBMSCs immortalized by infection with a retrovirus carrying telomerase reverse transcriptase, but whose differentiation potential remains unchanged. Efficient differentiation was induced by 5-azacytidine (5-aza)/hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/oncostatin M (OSM)/fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) treatment in terms of function as well as protein expression: 2.5-fold increase in albumin, 4-fold increase in CCAAT enhancer-binding protein alpha, 1.5-fold increase in cytochrome p450 1A1/2, and 8-fold increase in periodic acid-Schiff staining. Consequently, we found that the expression of Wnt/beta-catenin-related genes downregulated, and the translocation of beta-catenin was observed along the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm, although some beta-catenin was still in the nucleus. Downregulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signals in the cells by Fz8-small interference RNA treatment, which was analyzed with a Tcf4 promoter-luciferase assay, resulted in similar hepatic differentiation to that observed with 5-azacytidine/HGF/OSM/FGF2. In addition, the subcellular distribution of beta-catenin was similar to that of cells treated with 5-azacytidine/HGF/OSM/FGF2. In conclusion, the suppression of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling induced the hepatic differentiation of UCBMSCs, suggesting that Wnt/beta-catenin signals play an important role in the hepatic fate specification of human UCBMSCs.


A role for cAMP-dependent protein kinase in early embryonic divisions.
The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) pathway affects cell cycle progression in "cycling" Xenopus egg extracts. The concentration of free PKA catalytic subunit oscillates during the cell cycle with a peak at the mitosis-interphase transition and a minimum at the onset of mitosis. Inhibition of endogenous PKA in interphase hastens the onset of mitosis. Stimulation of PKA induces interphase arrest, preventing the activation of the M-phase-promoting factor. PKA does not block the accumulation of cyclin or its binding to p34cdc2, but the resultant complex lacks kinase activity and p34cdc2 remains tyrosine-phosphorylated. PKA appears to stimulate an okadaic acid-sensitive serine/threonine phosphatase that acts upon cdc25. In this way PKA could downregulate the p34cdc2 tyrosine phosphatase activity of cdc25 and consequently block the activation of the M-phase-promoting factor.


3D printing of flexible strain sensor based on MWCNTs/flexible resin composite.
The flexible strain sensor is an indispensable part in flexible integrated electronic systems and an important intermediate in external mechanical signal acquisition. The 3D printing technology provides a fast and cheap way to manufacture flexible strain sensors. In this paper, a MWCNTs/flexible resin composite for photocuring 3D printing was prepared using mechanical mixing method. The composite has a low percolation threshold (1.2%ωt). Based on the composite material, a flexible strain sensor with high performance was fabricated using digital light processing technology. The sensor has a GF of 8.98 under strain conditions ranging between 0% and 40% and a high elongation at break (48%). The sensor presents mechanical hysteresis under cyclic loading. With the increase of the strain amplitude, the mechanical hysteresis becomes more obvious. At the same time, the resistance response signal of the sensor shows double peaks during the unloading process, which is caused by the competition of disconnection and reconstruction of conductive network in the composite material. The test results show that the sensor has different response signals to different types of loads. Finally, its practicability is verified by applying it to balloon pressure detection.


Effect of prolactin and relaxin on in vitro rat uterine contractions and prolactin interaction with relaxin.
The balance between relaxin and prolactin has been suggested to be significant in the control of uterine activity during pregnancy. The current study was designed to determine the effect of rat prolactin on rat uterine horn segment contractility and its interaction with relaxin. Rat uterine segments mounted on a smooth muscle transducer were treated sequentially with prolactin and relaxin, and stimulated electrically. No stimulatory effect of prolactin was noted. Relaxin-inhibited uterine horn segment activity was not altered by prolactin. The reported stimulatory effect of prolactin may have been a pharmacologic effect of human prolactin on rat uterine horn segments, or may have resulted from contaminants in the preparations used.


A study on the dental disease of the handicapped.
Opinions vary as to what extent handicapped children differ in oral health from children without handicapping conditions. The present study was a comprehensive study and evaluation of oral health comparing 267 handicapped and 128 nonhandicapped persons with regard to caries rate, occlusion, and periodontal condition. The dft, dfs, and DMFT indices of handicapped according to age were significantly lower than those of nonhandicapped subjects. The prevalence of gingivitis in handicapped persons increased with age and was significantly higher than that reported for nonhandicapped subjects. The handicapped group had a significantly higher percentage of Class II and Class III occlusion than that observed in the comparison group.


Convenient radioimmunoassay for urinary human choriogonadotropin without interference by urinary human lutropin.
We have devised a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human choriogonadotropin (hCG) in first morning-voided urine specimens. Concanavalin A, a lectin, is used to extract and concentrate the hCG from urine. A high-affinity antiserum is used, directed to the hCG beta carboxy-terminal peptide, a unique immunological determinant not shared by the beta subunit of human lutropin. This ensures that urinary human lutropin-related molecules, which interfere with RIAs involving antisera to the intact hCG beta subunit, will not cross react in this assay. A concentrations of hCG as low as 0.4 microgram/L can be detected in the first morning-voided urine. The effective sensitivity of this assay for the unequivocal detection of hCG production is somewhat better than that achieved with the serum hCG RIA involving antisera to the hCG beta subunit. The improved specificity and sensitivity of this assay, and the greater convenience of collecting samples of urine rather than blood, are clinical useful advantages of this approach to assessing hCG production in humans.


Correlation of magnesium intake with metabolic parameters, depression and physical activity in elderly type 2 diabetes patients: a cross-sectional study.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major global public health problem in the worldwide and is increasing in aging populations. Magnesium intake may be one of the most important factors for diabetes prevention and management. Low magnesium intake may exacerbate metabolic abnormalities. In this study, the relationships of magnesium intake with metabolic parameters, depression and physical activity in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated. This cross-sectional study involved 210 type 2 diabetes patients aged 65 years and above. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on lifestyle and 24-hour dietary recall. Assessment of depression was based on DSM-IV criteria. Clinical variables measured included anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical determinations of blood and urine samples. Linear regression was applied to determine the relationships of magnesium intake with nutritional variables and metabolic parameters. Among all patients, 88.6% had magnesium intake which was less than the dietary reference intake, and 37.1% had hypomagnesaemia. Metabolic syndromes and depression were associated with lower magnesium intake (p < 0.05). A positive relationship was found between magnesium intake and HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.005). Magnesium intake was inversely correlated with triglyceride, waist circumference, body fat percent and body mass index (p < 0.005). After controlling confounding factor, HDL-cholesterol was significantly higher with increasing quartile of magnesium intake (p for trend = 0005). Waist circumference, body fat percentage, and body mass index were significantly lower with increase quartile of magnesium intake (p for trend < 0.001). The odds of depression, central obesity, high body fat percentage, and high body mass index were significantly lower with increasing quartile of magnesium intake (p for trend < 0.05). In addition, magnesium intake was related to high physical activity level and demonstrated lower serum magnesium levels. Serum magnesium was not significantly associated with metabolic parameters. The majority of elderly type 2 diabetes who have low magnesium intake may compound this deficiency with metabolic abnormalities and depression. Future studies should determine the effects of increased magnesium intake or magnesium supplementation on metabolic control and depression in elderly people with type 2 diabetes.


Synthesis of fatty aldehydes and their cyclic acetals (new derivatives for the analysis of plasmalogens).
Saturated and unsaturated fatty aldehydes were prepared in good yield by the reduction of acid chlorides with lithium aluminum tri-t-butoxy hydride. Saturated odd and even numbered aldehydes were prepared by the ozonolysis-reduction of 1-alkenes. Ozonides were hydrogenated with a Lindlar catalyst or reduced with dimethyl sulfide. Several diols, including 1,3-propanediol and ethylene glycol, were used to synthesize cyclic acetals from aldehydes and plasmalogens in quantitative yield. Cyclic acetals were synthesized from 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazones when an exchanger such as acetone or acetylacetone was included in the reaction mixture. A number of physical and chemical properties indicate that cyclic acetals are stable compounds which do not decompose during storage or gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) analysis. The cyclic acetals have unusually long retention volumes which are probably related to the large dipole moments found with cyclic compounds. These derivatives are, therefore, readily separated from their aldehyde and methyl ester analogues on polar and nonpolar stationary phases. GLC analysis of the aldehydogenic moieties in plasmologens may be conveniently carried out by direct conversion to cyclic acetals without preliminary isolation of aldehydes or removal of methyl esters by saponification.


Extracellular Recording of Neuronal Activity Combined with Microiontophoretic Application of Neuroactive Substances in Awake Mice.
Differences in the activity of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, and consequently different neural responses, can be found between anesthetized and awake animals. Therefore, methods allowing the manipulation of synaptic systems in awake animals are required in order to determine the contribution of synaptic inputs to neuronal processing unaffected by anesthetics. Here, we present methodology for the construction of electrodes to simultaneously record extracellular neural activity and release multiple neuroactive substances at the vicinity of the recording sites in awake mice. By combining these procedures, we performed microiontophoretic injections of gabazine to selectively block GABAA receptors in neurons of the inferior colliculus of head-restrained mice. Gabazine successfully modified neural response properties such as the frequency response area and stimulus-specific adaptation. Thus, we demonstrate that our methods are suitable for recording single-unit activity and for dissecting the role of specific neurotransmitter receptors in auditory processing. The main limitation of the described procedure is the relatively short recording time (~3 hr), which is determined by the level of habituation of the animal to the recording sessions. On the other hand, multiple recording sessions can be performed in the same animal. The advantage of this technique over other experimental procedures used to manipulate the level of neurotransmission or neuromodulation (such as systemic injections or the use of optogenetic models), is that the drug effect is confined to the local synaptic inputs to the target neuron. In addition, the custom-manufacture of electrodes allows adjustment of specific parameters according to the neural structure and type of neuron of interest (such as the tip resistance for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the recordings).


The pathology of naturally-occurring bovine schistosomiasis in the Sudan.
The gross and histopathological lesions of naturally-occurring bovine schistosomiasis in the Sudan are detailed. Out of 61 animals examined, 53 were found infected with Schistosoma bovis, showing lesions in their livers, intestinal tracts and other organs. Apart from granulomas, periportal inflammatory infiltration, fibrosis and pigmentation of Kupffer cells, livers of infected cattle revealed peculiar lesions in the form of "nodular sclerosis", medial hypertrophy of portal veins and lymphoid nodule and follicle formation around parasites. In the intestines, variable manifestations of catarrh, with eosinophilic infiltration, granulomatous reaction and vascular changes, were observed. Pancreatic schistosomiasis was common and some animals had lesions in their lungs and lymph nodes. Urogenital lesions, rectal and colonic polyps, congestive splenomegaly, gastro-oesophageal variaces and Symmer's clay-pipe stem fibrosis of the liver were not seen in cattle. The haematological and serum protein findings in infected animals were included. The findings were related to the lesions observed and the need for detailed study of functional disturbances in bovine schistosomiasis is indicated.


Evaluation of 25(OH) Vitamin D3 with Reference to Magnesium Status and Insulin Resistance in T2DM.
Calcium is a recognized second messenger implicated in insulin secretion. Vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, Calcitriol) plays a role in calcium metabolism. This explains the indirect role of Vitamin D in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. Hence, low Vitamin D levels are implicated in decreased insulin secretion and increased insulin resistance. In this study, we tried to find out the probable association of Vitamin D3, calcium and magnesium with reference to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases. It is well documented that measurement of circulating 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol {25 (OH)Vitamin D3} is a marker of total Vitamin D status. We measured 25(OH) Vitamin D3 levels in thirty T2DM subjects with thirty age and sex matched healthy controls. We estimated Vitamin D status, calcium and magnesium levels in the light of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Twenty five (OH) Vitamin-D3 level was significantly low among T2DM cases (12.29+2.32ng/ml) in comparison to healthy controls (19.55+0.50ng/ml) (p<0.01). The levels of calcium and magnesium were also significantly low in T2DM cases as compared to healthy controls (p<0.01). There was significant negative correlation between Vitamin D status and insulin levels, and insulin resistance (p<0.01). A significant negative correlation between Vitamin D status and insulin levels suggest that the supplementation of Vitamin D has the potential to increase insulin sensitivity and lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.


Predictors of response to pegylated interferon treatment in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Although pegylated interferons (pegIFNs) alpha-2a and alpha-2b have been used in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment for many years, there are few studies concerning predictors of sustained virologic response (SVR) to pegIFN therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictors of response to pegIFN treatment in cases with HBeAg-negative CHB infection. Seventeen tertiary care hospitals in Turkey were included in this study. Data from consecutively treated HBeAg-negative CHB patients, who received either pegIFN alpha-2a or alpha-2b, were collected retrospectively. SVR is defined as an HBV DNA concentration of less than 2,000 IU/mL six months after the completion of therapy SVR was achieved in 40 (25%) of the 160 HBeAg-negative CHB patients. Viral loads in patients with SVR were lower compared to those with no SVR, beginning in the third month of treatment (p < 0.05). The number of cases with a decline of 1 log10 IU/mL in viral load after the first month of treatment and with a serum HBV DNA level under 2,000 IU/mL after the third month of treatment was higher in cases with SVR (p < 0.05). The number of patients who had undetectable HBV DNA levels at week 48 among responders was significantly greater than among post-treatment virological relapsers (p < 0.05). Detection of a 1 log10 decline in serum HBV DNA level at the first month of treatment and a serum HBV DNA level < 2000 IU/mL at the third month of therapy may be predictors of SVR.


The trend of managing prostate cancer in Taiwan.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the current trends of Taiwanese urologists in managing prostate cancer (CaP). This will help us to establish our own consensus and recommend appropriate treatment options to the related patients. From November 2000 to April 2001, a questionnaire concerning the alertness of detecting CaP, diagnostic tools used for establishing the staging of CaP before radical surgery, the tolerated age for surgery and the use of hormone therapy for advanced CaP was mailed to the 465 urologists in active practice in the Taiwan area. A total of 240 (51.6%) physicians responded to our questionnaire. 89.1% of the respondents would add serum prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) to detect suspected malignancy during the work-up for benign prostatic hyperplasia in their daily practice. About three quarters of the respondents adopted free/total PSA in assisting the decision for prostate biopsy. 78% require a bone scan before radical surgery even when PSA is less than 10 ng/mL and the age tolerated for radical surgery is 75 years. 60.8% still believed that maximal androgen blockade is effective for advanced CaP. The trend of treating CaP provides a useful insight into the variations in clinical practice of Taiwanese urologists and may help to develop a more widely accepted guideline by our urological community.


Color and surface temperature variation during bleaching in human devitalized primary teeth: an in vitro study.
This study's purpose was to make an in vitro assessment of 2 whitening techniques in primary teeth, regarding color and temperature surface variation, during dental bleaching using different catalytic sources. Twenty-one extracted human upper central deciduous incisors were used in this in vitro study. The teeth were darkened with human blood for a period of 21 days. After preparing the teeth, they were randomly distributed into 2 groups, according to bleaching source of activation: (1) a diode laser (DL) group; and (2) a halogen lamp (HL) group. The bleaching process was performed, according to the manufacturer's guidelines, using Whiteness HP (FGM, Joinville, Brazil). The color was assessed by spectrophotometer (CIELab) and the VITA scale (3M) before and immediately after tooth whitening. The temperature increase in the radicular surface during the bleaching was registered with a thermographic camera ThermaCAM SC 3000 (Flir Systems, Danderyd, Sweden) at the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN-CNEN (São Paulo, Brazil). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of color changes, but there was a statistically significant difference for temperature variation. The use of a diode laser and halogen lamp both promoted whitening in devitalized primary teeth in vitro. As a catalytic source of energy, the diode laser--with the applied parameters--promoted a smaller temperature increase compared to the halogen lamp during the bleaching procedure on nonvital primary teeth.


Effects of fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids from Cimicifuga species on collagenolytic activity.
The inhibitory collagenolytic activity (47-64% inhibition in 0.22-0.24 microM) of fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids A, B, and C, which are esters of fukiic acid (3',4'-dihydroxybenzyl tartaric acid) was more potent than that (20-37% inhibition in 0.23-0.24 microM) of cimicifugic acids D, E, F, which are esters of pscidic acid (4'-hydroxybenzyl tartaric acid). Since fukiic acid showed weaker inhibition, and caffeic acid, ferulic acid, isoferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid showed far weaker activities, the entire structures of fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids A, B, and C proved to be responsible for the inhibitory activities. Trypsin and pronase E hydrolyzed collagen nonselectively alone or in addition to collagenase. These collagenolytic activities were also inhibited by fukinolic acid. These results show that fukinolic acid may inhibit either the collagenolytic activities specific to collagenase or nonspecific to other emzymes. The present studies suggest the potential effect of fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids of Cimicifuga rhizomes in preventing collagen degradation by collagenases or collagenolytic enzymes under pathological conditions, wound healing, or inflammation.


Development of nonstoichiometric CuInS₂ as a light-harvesting photoanode and catalytic photocathode in a sensitized solar cell.
A simple one-pot approach was developed to obtain nonstoichiometric CuInS2 nanocrystals. Using this approach, both In-rich and Cu-rich CuInS2 nanocrystals could be reliably synthesized by tuning stoichiometric combinations of [Cu]/[In] precursor constituents. By designing Cu-rich CuInS2 heteronanostructures to serve as counter electrodes, quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) equipped with In-rich CuInS2 and CdS cosensitizers delivered a power conversion efficiency of 2.37%, which is significantly more efficient than conventional Pt counter electrodes. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first report utilizing nonstoichiometric CuInS2 nanocrystals as a photon-harvesting sensitizer comprised of a photoanode and photocathode in QDSSCs; also unique to this report, these nonstoichiometric CuInS2 nanocrystals were formed by simply changing the cationic molar ratios without complicated precursor preparation. Impedance spectroscopy and Tafel polarization indicated that these Cu-rich CuInS2 heteronanostructures had electrocatalytic activities (used for reducing S(2-)/Sn(2-)) that were superior to a Pt catalyst. Moreover, we demonstrated that Cu-rich CuInS2 heteronanostructures were also useful counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells, and this finding revealed a promising conversion efficiency of 6.11%, which was ∼96% of the efficiency in a cell with a Pt-based counter electrode (6.32%).


Phenotypic heterogeneity drives differential disease outcome in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer.
The triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer that has poor clinical outcome and is an unmet clinical challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that intratumoral heterogeneity or the presence of phenotypically distinct cell populations within a tumor play a crucial role in chemoresistance, tumor progression and metastasis. An increased understanding of the molecular regulators of intratumoral heterogeneity is crucial to the development of effective therapeutic strategies in TNBC. To this end, we used an unbiased approach to identify a molecular mediator of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer by isolating two tumor cell populations (T1 and T2) from the 4T1 TNBC model. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the cells are different in terms of their morphology, proliferation and self-renewal ability in vitro as well as primary tumor formation and metastatic potential in vivo. Bioinformatic analysis followed by Kaplan Meier survival analysis in TNBC patients identified Metastasis associated colon cancer 1 (Macc1) as one of the top candidate genes mediating the aggressive phenotype in the T1 tumor cells. The role of Macc1 in regulating the proliferative phenotype was validated and taken forward in a therapeutic context with Lovastatin, a small molecule transcriptional inhibitor of Macc1 to target the T1 cell population. This study increases our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer that is critical to improve the treatment of women currently living with the highly aggressive TNBC subtype.


Effect of upright posture on the aldosterone responses to dopamine, metoclopramide, angiotensin II, and adrenocorticotropin.
Aldosterone secretion in man is stimulated by potassium (K), ACTH, and angiotensin II (AII) and inhibited by dopamine (DA). In normal sodium-replete supine individuals, aldosterone secretion is under maximum tonic inhibition by DA and is not inhibited further by DA administration. Sodium depletion alters plasma aldosterone responses to secretogogues. Upright posture, another physiological stimulus to aldosterone secretion, recently was demonstrated to sensitize the adrenal cortex to inhibition of aldosterone secretion by a large quantity of DA (4.0 micrograms/kg X min). The effect of upright posture on aldosterone responses to other secretogogues is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of upright posture on aldosterone responses to low infusion rates of DA, to the DA antagonist metoclopramide (M) and to AII and ACTH. Fourteen normal men eating a normal sodium diet were studied. In eight, PRA, plasma aldosterone (PAC), plasma cortisol (F), and serum K concentrations were determined after 4 h of upright posture and infusion of vehicle (D5W) or DA at 0.1, 0.4, and 2.0 micrograms/kg X min. Six other normal men were kept supine for 3 h and, on separate days, upright for 3 h and given iv M (10-mg bolus dose), AII (1 and 4 pmol/kg X min for 30 min), and ACTH (20 and 120 mU/h for 30 min). PAC, PRA, F, and K were measured before and after these three secretogogues were administered. In the presence of vehicle, mean PAC increased by 15.1 +/- 4.3 (+/- SEM) ng/dL after 4 h of upright posture. In the presence of DA infused at 0.1, 0.4, and 2.0 micrograms/kg X min, the PAC response to upright posture was decreased to 9.7 +/- 2.5 (P = NS), 7.5 +/- 3.9 (P less than 0.05), and 8.1 +/- 2.0 (P less than 0.05) ng/dL, respectively. This occurred without a decrease in PRA, F, or K. The stimulation of PAC 10 and 20 min after a 10-mg bolus dose of M was 9.6 +/- 3.3 and 9.3 +/- 2.6 ng/dL, respectively, in supine subjects and 8.3 +/- 2.3 and 10.8 +/- 3.4 ng/dL 10 and 20 min after the M dose in upright subjects. The responses of PAC to ACTH and AII also were unchanged after 3 h of upright posture. We conclude that upright posture sensitizes the adrenal cortex to inhibition of aldosterone secretion by DA without affecting other modifiers of aldosterone secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


[Roles of insulin-like growth factor system in colorectal carcinoma and its applications].
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation, and inhibiting apoptosis. In the development, maintenance, and progression of tumor, any abnormality in IGF signal pathway can stimulate tumor growth. In vivo and in vitro experiments have confirmed that IGF system takes part in the malignant cell transformation, growth, invasion, and metastasis of tumor. This review summarized the roles of IGF system in colorectal carcinoma, and discussed its application perspective to early screening and target therapy for colorectal carcinoma.


Outcomes of "Real-World" Insulin Strategies in the Management of Hospital Hyperglycemia.
Guidelines recommend scheduled long-acting basal and short-acting bolus insulin several times daily to manage inpatient hyperglycemia. In the "real world," insulin therapy is complicated, with limited data on the comparative effectiveness of different insulin strategies. This work aimed to evaluate the association of different insulin strategies with glucose control and hospital outcomes after adjustment for patient and physician factors that influence choice of therapy. This retrospective, observational study took place at an academic hospital. Participants included noncritically ill hospitalized medical/surgical patients (n = 4558) receiving subcutaneous insulin for 75% or longer during admission. Insulin therapy was grouped into 3 strategies within the first 48 hours: basal bolus (BB: scheduled long and short/rapid n = 2358), sliding scale (SS: short/rapid acting n = 1855), or basal only (BO: long only: n = 345). Main outcome measures included glucose control: hypoglycemic days, hyperglycemic days, euglycemic days, mean glucose; and hospitalization: in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Initial therapy with BB was associated with more hypoglycemic (2.40; CI, 2.04 to 2.82) (P < .001) and fewer euglycemic days (0.90; CI, 0.85 to 0.97) (P = .003) than SS, whereas BO was associated with fewer hyperglycemic days (0.70; CI, 0.62 to 0.79) (P < .001), lower mean glucose (-18.03; CI, -22.46 to -12.61) (P < .001), and more euglycemic days (1.22; CI, 1.09 to 1.37) (P < .001) compared to SS. No difference in mortality, LOS, and readmissions was found. However, decreased LOS was observed in the BB subgroup with a medical diagnostic related group (0.93; CI, 0.89 to 0.97) (P < .001). BO had a more favorable hyperglycemia profile than SS. BB, on the other hand, showed worse glycemic control as compared to SS. In the real-world hospital, BO may be a simpler and more effective insulin strategy.


Granular medium under vertical tapping: change of compaction and convection dynamics around the liftoff threshold.
A granular medium submitted to vertical tapping reveals simultaneously compaction and convection. The two phenomena are directly coupled and their dynamics can be quantified by a characteristic compaction time and by an estimation of the convective downhill speed along the wall. A remarkable change of behavior is observed around the liftoff acceleration threshold of the whole packing, with a drastic slowing down of both dynamics below this threshold. Above it, a collective shock wave densifies the packing at each tap, whereas, below it, cumulative localized rearrangements will compact the entire system in the long time range.


Paeonol inhibits oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced monocyte adhesion to vascular endothelial cells by inhibiting the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by increased expression of adhesion molecules, which contribute to monocytes adhesion to vascular endothelial cells (VECs). Paeonol, an active compound isolated from cortex Moutan, has been shown to have therapeutic effects on atherosclerotic animals. The present study aims to investigate whether paeonol can inhibit monocyte adhesion to vascular endothelial cells induced by oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and its possible therapeutic molecular mechanism. Exposure to ox-LDL (50, 100 µg/mL) induced damaged to VECs leading to decreased survival rates (p<0.01). Paeonol (7.2-18.0 µM) partially restored survival and reduced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in VECs in a concentration-dependent manner (p<0.01). Adhesion of monocytes to VECs was dramatically prevented by paeonol at 21.6 and 25.2 μM (p<0.01). In addition, paeonol (14.4-21.6 μM) repressed the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and lowered the levels of phosphor-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (P-JNK)1/2, phosphor-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (P-ERK)1/2 and P-p38 in a dose-dependent manner. The molecular effects of paeonol were more pronouced when companied with mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) inhibitors. These data suggest that paeonol (10.8-25.2 μM), at certain concentrations, prevents monocyte adhesion to VEC induced by ox-LDL, probably by means of blocking one or more target proteins on MAPKs signaling pathway. These results indicate that paeonol has potential protective effects on the development of atherosclerosis.


Evidence against a role of cyclic nucleotides in the regulation of anaphylactic histamine release in isolated rat mast cells.
The effect of different phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors on the antigen or 48/80 induced histamine release from isolated Hooded Lister rat mast cells was tested. The unselective PDE inhibitors theophylline (2.5 mM) and IBMX (0.2 mM) and the selective cyclic GMP PDE inhibitor M & B 22948 (0.1 mM) inhibited the antigen induced histamine release by 50% while 48/80 induced release was inhibited by about 25%. The cyclic AMP selective PDE inhibitors ICI 63197 (0.5 mM) or Ro 20-1724 (0.2 mM) had no effect on 48/80 induced histamine release but tended to enhance antigen induced release. There was no correlation between the measured levels of cyclic AMP and the effect on histamine release by the investigated PDE inhibitors. Cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP up to 10(-3) M did not affect the anaphylactic histamine release. Dibutyryl-cAMP and dibutyryl-cGMP (10(-4) M) both inhibited the release about 20% but this effect could be explained by the effect of butyric acid as sodium butyrate (2 X 10(-4) M) also inhibited the release by 20%. The presence results suggest that cyclic nucleotides are not important regulators of histamine release from isolated mast cells.


Hidradenitis suppurativa in Crohn's disease during adalimumab therapy: a paradox?
A sporadic association between hidradenitis suppurativa and other diseases is reported in the literature, but few authors have described the association with Crohn's disease. Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeted at tumor necrosis factor alpha approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease and, recently, for active moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa in adult patients that do not respond adequately to systemic conventional treatment. We report an unusual case of a paradoxical effect of adalimumab in the onset of hidradenitis suppurativa in a 40-year-old woman during the treatment of Crohn's disease.


A frequency shifting of LDV for blood velocity measurement by a moving wedged glass.
Blood flow in the vessel of microcirculation (that is, red blood cells) usually has very slow velocity and a broadening of the frequency spectrum, so that the Doppler frequency signal component overlaps with the pedestal. To solve this problem, a new method is described for the frequency shifting in LDV, that is, a wedged glass is moved across one of the dual incident light beams. To demonstrate that this method is useful for blood flow measurement, the velocity (0.01-0.1 mm/sec) in the small vessels of a caudal fin of a goldfish was measured in vivo.


The Escape of Cancer from T Cell-Mediated Immune Surveillance: HLA Class I Loss and Tumor Tissue Architecture.
Tumor immune escape is associated with the loss of tumor HLA class I (HLA-I) expression commonly found in malignant cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that the efficacy of immunotherapy depends on the expression levels of HLA class I molecules on tumors cells. It also depends on the molecular mechanism underlying the loss of HLA expression, which could be reversible/"soft" or irreversible/"hard" due to genetic alterations in HLA, β2-microglobulin or IFN genes. Immune selection of HLA-I negative tumor cells harboring structural/irreversible alterations has been demonstrated after immunotherapy in cancer patients and in experimental cancer models. Here, we summarize recent findings indicating that tumor HLA-I loss also correlates with a reduced intra-tumor T cell infiltration and with a specific reorganization of tumor tissue. T cell immune selection of HLA-I negative tumors results in a clear separation between the stroma and the tumor parenchyma with leucocytes, macrophages and other mononuclear cells restrained outside the tumor mass. Better understanding of the structural and functional changes taking place in the tumor microenvironment may help to overcome cancer immune escape and improve the efficacy of different immunotherapeutic strategies. We also underline the urgent need for designing strategies to enhance tumor HLA class I expression that could improve tumor rejection by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL).


Modeling Depression Symptoms from Social Network Data through Multiple Instance Learning.
Mental health issues are widely accepted as one of the most prominent health challenges in the world, with over 300 million people currently suffering from depression alone. With massive volumes of user-generated data on social networking platforms, researchers are increasingly using machine learning to determine whether this content can be used to detect mental health problems in users. This study aims to develop a deep learning model to classify users with depression via multiple instance learning, which can learn from user-level labels to identify post-level labels. By combining every possibility of posts label category, it can generate temporal posting profiles which can then be used to classify users with depression. This paper shows that there are clear differences in posting patterns between users with depression and non-depression, which is represented through the combined likelihood of posts label category.


Role of centrally active cardiovascular agents in cognitive disorders.
Cardiovascular drugs are used to treat patients with cardiac function and hemodynamic problems. Because of the relationship between the cardiovascular (CVS), and central nervous (CNS) systems, alteration of CVS activity can potentially alter CNS function. Of particular concern is regulation of lipids, because of the link between neural functionality, lipids, and cognitive disorders, and perfusion, because of the link between hypo-perfusion and vascular dementia. Positive and negative evidence of the effect of CVS drugs in cognitive disorders is available. Awareness of the need to tailor treatments with CVS drugs to patients with consideration of gender, race, lifestyle, and co-morbidities is increasing. Evidence for the importance of cerebral perfusion in vascular dementia development is strong, supporting the importance of physician vigilance in the treatment of hypertension, particularly in vulnerable populations. Evidence for the role of plasma lipid control in development of Alzheimer disease is not as strong. However, physician vigilance in treating hyperlipidemias is strongly encouraged, particularly in vulnerable populations.


A novel technique for measuring solute diffusivities in entrapment matrices used in immobilization.
A novel technique has been developed for measuring effective solute diffusivities in entrapment matrices used for cell immobilization. In this technique radiotracers were used to measure effective diffusivities and equilibrium partition coefficients of the solute between the liquid and solid matrix. Ca-alginate was used in this study, because it is one of the most commonly employed matrices for the immobilization of microbial, plant and mammalian cells. The experimental apparatus consisted of a single spherical Ca-alginate bead which was attached to a rotating rod and immersed in water containing C(14)-glucose. The rotational speed of the spherical bead was controlled and resulted in excellent mixing, and negligible external film mass transfer resistance, which allowed the measurement of true effective solute diffusivity within the solid matrix. The rates of C(14)-glucose diffusion within the Ca-alginate sphere were measured using a scintillation spectrometer. A mathematical model of unsteady-state diffusion in a sphere was used with appropriate boundary conditions, and the effective diffusivity of glucose was found from the best fit of the experimental data using a computer regression analysis method. Using 2% (w/v) Ca-alginate beads in this new radiotracer technique the effective diffusivity and partition coefficient of glucose were found to be 6.62 x 10(-10) m(2)/s and 0.98, respectively. The accuracy, advantages, and simplicity of this new method for diffusivity measurements are also compared to other existing methods.


Discovery of a Novel Hypervirulent Acinetobacter baumannii Strain in a Case of Community-Acquired Pneumonia.
Acinetobacter baumannii is associated with both hospital-acquired infections and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Here, we describe a novel strain of A. baumannii in a case of CAP in a previously healthy rural villager from Central Eastern China. A. baumannii isolated from the patient (LS01) was compared to well-characterized pathogenic strain (AB5075), nosocomial circulating strain in China (ZJ06), and wild-type strain (ATCC17978). Growth rate studies were conducted under different environmental stressors, and virulence studies were performed using Galleria mellonella larvae. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using MinIon and MiSeq. Center for Genomic Epidemiology, CLCbio, Geneious, and Virulence Factors of Pathogenic Bacteria database were used for genomic analysis. LS01 grew significantly faster at 37°C and 42°C and in the presence of zinc compared to other strains. LS01 was more virulent in G. mellonella, killing all larvae within 8 h. Although WGS revealed 44 virulence genes, these genes were also present in the other strains. While two chromosomally encoded β-lactamases were identified, there were no plasmids identified and LS01 was pan-susceptible to all antibiotics tested. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the closest related strains were only 72.552% identical, supporting a novel strain. LS01 is a novel strain of hypervirulent yet pan-drug susceptible A. baumannii isolated from a patient with no prior hospitalizations, sick contacts, or any of the typical risk factors. This raises concerns for an emerging pathogen, and more epidemiological studies should be conducted to assess the prevalence of this A. baumannii strain.


Time course of MDR gene amplification during in vivo selection for doxorubicin-resistance and during reversal in murine leukemia L 1210.
MDR gene expression in murine leukemia L 1210 cells was investigated during treatment in vivo with 0.5 mg doxorubicin/kg body weight (BW). Drug resistance (measured by an in vitro short-term test and immunohistochemistry) increased with the number of treatments and the maximum resistance reached after 8 treatments was similar with that of an established multidrug- resistant cell line (20 treatments, 2 mg/kg BW). Southern-blot and DNA dot-blot analyses show that development of MDR is associated with MDR-gene amplification and correlates with the degree of drug resistance and P-glycoprotein-expression. After cessation of doxorubicin treatment, resistance decreased continuously and disappeared after 20 passages. This decrease in resistance is accompanied by a loss of MDR gene amplification and P-glycoprotein expression. Furthermore, P-glycoprotein expression was analyzed in the first hours after treatment with doxorubicin in vivo (0.5 mg/kg BW). Expression was markedly increased and peaked at about 24 hours after treatment. In contrast, only slightly increased resistance and no MDR gene amplification could be detected.


Mechanism of intranuclear crystal formation of herpes simplex virus as revealed by the negative staining of thin sections.
Structural alterations induced in HeLa cells by herpes simplex virus and the mechanism whereby the virus is formed in the nucleus in crystal arrays were studied by electron microscopy with both the usual and negatively stained sections. Aggregates of granular and filamentous material were observed in the cytoplasm of infected cells with both sections. On the other hand, no remarkable alterations in appearance of the cytoplasmic ground substance were observed with the usual sections of infected cells. However, the cytoplasmic ground substance of infected cells when negatively stained consisted of granular material which was different in appearance from the spongy material constituting the cytoplasmic matrix of uninfected cells. In the nucleus of infected cells, complexes consisting of round bodies, amorphous material, aggregates of uniform granules in rows, and viral crystals were often observed near the nuclear membrane in both types of sections. Examinations of the granular aggregates with negatively stained sections suggested that each granule represents a subunit and that the several adjoining subunits (approximately eight) constitute the requirement for formation of a single viral capsid with a core. Thus, rapid and simultaneous formation of the core and capsid within the aggregate would replace the rows of the granules with the viral crystal. The advantages of negative staining of thin sections for visualization of fine structural alterations are discussed.


Osmotic, biomass, and oxygen effects on the growth rate of Fusarium oxysporum using a dissolved-oxygen-controlled turbidostat.
The system described is a modified Hospodka's turbidostat. This device helps to measure the maximum growth rate of fungi in steady-state aerobic conditions with defined and independent concentration of dissolved oxygen, biomass, and substrate even unlimited. The principle consists of a turbidostat controlled by the dissolved oxygen concentration. The inlet medium pump operates when the dissolved oxygen concentration falls below the set point value. This method allows us to study independently effects of different physical and chemical variables on the maximum specific growth rate of microorganisms. A fungus, Fusarium oxysporum 47 isolated from soil, does not show a depressive effect on growth when dissolved oxygen concentration decreases to 5% and osmotic potential to -25 bars. Increasing biomass concentration in the range 0.1-1.0 g/L appears to depress markedly the maximum growth rate.


Laminin Levels Regulate Tissue Migration and Anterior-Posterior Polarity during Egg Morphogenesis in Drosophila.
Basement membranes (BMs) are specialized extracellular matrices required for tissue organization and organ formation. We study the role of laminin and its integrin receptor in the regulation of tissue migration during Drosophila oogenesis. Egg production in Drosophila involves the collective migration of follicle cells (FCs) over the BM to shape the mature egg. We show that laminin content in the BM increases with time, whereas integrin amounts in FCs do not vary significantly. Manipulation of integrin and laminin levels reveals that a dynamic balance of integrin-laminin amounts determines the onset and speed of FC migration. Thus, the interplay of ligand-receptor levels regulates tissue migration in vivo. Laminin depletion also affects the ultrastructure and biophysical properties of the BM and results in anterior-posterior misorientation of developing follicles. Laminin emerges as a key player in the regulation of collective cell migration, tissue stiffness, and the organization of anterior-posterior polarity in Drosophila.


Examination of the factor structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire with clinical populations.
The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire in a clinical population. The questionnaire, designed to measure coping behaviors in a community-residing well population, contained eight empirically constructed factors. Confirmatory factor analysis with LISREL was used to validate this original eight-factor model with 655 community-residing adults with multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury. The hypothesized model was not a good fit to the data. Subsequent analyses, using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis procedures, identified three different coping factors: Cognitive Reframing, Emotional Respite, and Direct Assistance. These factors appeared to have greater applicability to people with chronic conditions. The kinds of coping behaviors used to manage stressful situations by individuals who are well may be quite different from those used by community-residing populations with long-term chronic conditions.


Procalcitonin-guided antibiotic treatment in critically ill patients.
In critically ill patients, length of antibiotic treatment can be effectively guided by procalcitonin (PCT) protocols. International sepsis guidelines and guidelines on antibiotic stewardship strategies recommend PCT as helpful laboratory marker for a rational use of antibiotics. A number of studies and meta-analyses have confirmed the effectiveness of PCT-protocols for shortening antibiotic treatment without compromising clinical outcome in critically ill patients. But in clinical practice, there is still uncertainty how to interpret PCT levels and how to adjust antibiotic treatment in various infectious situations, especially in the perioperative period. This narrative review gives an overview on the application of PCT-protocols in critically ill patients with severe bacterial infections on the basis of 5 case reports and the available literature. Beside strengths and limitations of this biomarker, also varying kinetics and different maximum values with regard to the infectious focus and pathogens are discussed. PCT-guided antibiotic treatment appears to be safe and effective. Most of the studies revealed a shorter antibiotic treatment without negative clinical outcomes. Cost effectiveness is still a matter of debate and effects on bacterial resistance due to shorter treatments, possible lower rates of drug-related adverse events, or decreased rates of Clostridium difficile infections are not yet evaluated. Guidance of antibiotic treatment can effectively be supported by PCT-protocols. However, it is important to consider the limitations of this biomarker and to use PCT protocols along with antibiotic stewardship programmes and regular clinical rounds together with infectious diseases specialists.


Coupling of the biochemical composition and calorific content of zooplankters with the Microcystis aeruginosa proliferation in a highly eutrophic reservoir.
The impact of the Cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa on zooplankton dynamics was studied in the hypertrophic Villerest Reservoir (France). Samples were collected and their biochemical composition and calorific content examined. Three most abundant zooplankton species in the reservoir were considered: the cladoceran Daphnia longispina and the copepods Cyclops vicinus and Eudiaptomus gracilis. The three species were differently affected by the Microcystis aeruginosa blooms. Daphnia longispina did not seem to suffer from the proliferation of the M. acruginosa, although its biomass decreased concomitantly to the bloom. This collapse would be attributable to the lack of nutritional value of algae. Cyclops vicinus seemed to move away when Microcystis invaded the superficial layers of the reservoir. Because this zooplankter had migratory abilities, it reached the littoral zone where food was available. The energetic costs linked to this migration were clearly pointed out when the species recovered the pelagial zone in early fall. The behaviour of Eudiaptomus gracilis was not clear. This species underwent diapause as M. aeruginosa proliferated. This suggests that Eudiaptomnus gracilis moved away from the pelagial zone over the cyanobacterial blooms. In most cases, the cyanobacterial toxins affected the growth of zooplankton and the potential to use herbivorous zooplankton as a means to combat Microcystis proliferation in the Villerest reservoir seems limited.


Determination of urinary oxalate with oxalate oxidase and peroxidase immobilized on to glass beads.
We have reported the immobilization of barley oxalate oxidase on to alkylamine glass beads through glutaraldehyde coupling (Pundir, C. S., Satyapal and Kuchhal, N. K. (1993) Clinical Chemistry 39, 1750-1751). The present report describes the immobilization of commercially available horseradish peroxidase on to zirconia-coated arylamine glass beads through diazotization and a new method for the discrete assay of urinary oxalate using both immobilized oxalate oxidase and peroxidase. In the method, urinary oxalate is precipitated with CaCl2, redissolved in HCl and then assayed using immobilized enzymes. The oxalate in 24 h urine samples from apparently healthy male adults was measured by this method and found to be in the range of 12.2-28.0 mg with a mean of 19.8 mg. The percentage recovery of added oxalate (17.5 mg/l) was 96.7 +/- 3.4 (mean +/- SD). The mean value of urinary oxalate by our method is comparable with those obtained by the Sigma kit method. The cost of oxalate determination in 100 urine samples by the present method has been compared with that of the Sigma kit method.


Mismatch Repair Proteins and Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Carcinoma (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2): Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is detected in about 15% of all colorectal cancers. CRC with MSI has particular characteristics such as improved survival rates and better prognosis. They also have a distinct sensitivity to the action of chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to detect microsatellite instability in a cohort of colorectal cancer Egyptian patients using the immunohistochemical expression of mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2). Cases were divided into Microsatellite stable (MSS), Microsatellite unstable low (MSI-L) and Microsatellite unstable high (MSI-H). This Microsatellite stability status was correlated with different clinicopathological parameters. There was a statistically significant correlation between the age of cases, tumor site & grade and the microsatellite stability status. There was no statistically significant correlation between the gender of patients, tumor subtype, stage, mucoid change, necrosis, tumor borders, lymphocytic response, lymphovascular emboli and the microsatellite stability status. Testing for MSI should be done for all colorectal cancer patients, especially those younger than 50 years old, right sided and high-grade CRCs.


On the Effects of Constitutive Properties and Roughness of a Hard Inclusion in Soft Tissue on B-mode Images.
We perform finite element modeling of pulse-echo ultrasound of a hard inclusion in a soft tissue to gain a better understanding of B-mode image brightness characteristics. We simulate a pressure wave emitted by an ultrasound transducer through the inclusion-tissue medium by prescribing suitable boundary conditions, and collect the scattered wave response to simulate the behavior of the transducer array used for pulse-echo ultrasound. We form B-mode images from simulated channel data using standard delay and sum beamforming. We establish the accuracy of the finite element model by comparing the point spread function with that obtained from Field II ultrasound simulation program. We also demonstrate qualitative validation by comparing the brightness characteristics of rough and smooth surfaced circular inclusions with experimental images of a cylindrical metal tool immersed in a water tank. We next conduct simulation studies to evaluate changes in B-mode image brightness intensity and contrast related to different constitutive properties, namely, compressibility of the inclusion, impedance contrast between the host and inclusion, and surface roughness of the inclusion. We find that the intensity observed behind a hard inclusion in the axial direction is strongly affected by the compressibility and roughness of the inclusion. Also, the perceived width of the stone based on the intensity is greater for rougher stones. Our study indicates that imaging of compressible inclusions may benefit from targeted B-mode image forming algorithms. Our modeling framework can potentially be useful in differentiating hard inclusions from surrounding parenchyma, and for classifying kidney stones or gallstones.


Resonance raman excitation profile of a ruthenium(II) complex of dipyrido[2,3-a:3',2'-c]phenazine.
The lowest energy transition of [Ru(CN)(4)(ppb)](2-) (ppb = dipyrido[2,3-a:3',2'-c]phenazine), a metal-to-ligand charge transfer, has been probed using resonance Raman spectroscopy with excitation wavelengths (488, 514, 530, and 568 nm) spanning the lowest energy absorption band centered at 522 nm. Wave packet modeling was used to simultaneously model this lowest energy absorption band and the cross sections of the resonance Raman bands at the series of excitation wavelengths across this absorption band. A fit to within +/-20% was obtained for the Raman cross sections, close to the experimental uncertainty which is typically 10-20%. Delta values of 0.1-0.4 were obtained for modes which were either localized on the ppb ligand (345-1599 cm(-1)) or the CN modes (2063 and 2097 cm(-1)). DFT calculations reveal that the resonance Raman bands observed are due to modes delocalized over the entire ppb ligand.


Transferrin receptor assay and zinc protoporphyrin as markers of iron-deficient erythropoiesis in end-stage renal disease patients.
To evaluate storage iron deficiency and iron-deficient erythropoiesis we determined, in a cross-sectional study of 95 patients mainly including end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) with (32) and without rh-EPO therapy (55), the following parameters: hemoglobin, mean corpuscular red cell volume, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TS), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) and soluble transferrin receptor (TfR). In the dialysis group the percentage of positive samples with each marker of tissue iron supply defined as TS < 20%, ZPP > 40 mumol/mol Heme and TfR > 3.05 microgram/ml was as follows: TS 43.7% and 32.2% at a diagnostic threshold level of < 16%, ZPP 33.3% and TfR 17.2%. Manifest storage iron deficiency defined as ferritin < 30 ng/ml was observed in 5.7% of the samples while the mean ferritin concentration of the rh-Epo treated dialysis patients was 509.3 ng/ml compared to 262.5 ng/ml in the group without rh-EPO therapy. These data reflect a generous iron substitution in our series taking a TS < 20% as an intervention criterion. Looking at the different results of the three markers the best correspondence was found between ZPP and TfR resulting in a weak positive correlation (+0.64). In conclusion, we found quite different results with different assays when evaluating endogenous iron availability in our series of mainly ESRD patients in a cross-sectional study. Because a gold-standard is not defined further firm conclusions cannot be drawn from this type of study. The adequacy of the different parameters of iron metabolism including threshold levels and, consequently, the decision and route of iron substitution deserve an evaluation in a longitudinal study to characterize the best marker or marker combination in this setting.


Complete mitochondrial genome of Japanese Konosirus punctatus (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae).
The long polymerase chain reaction and primer walking methods were employed for the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of Japanese Konosirus punctatus. The mitogenome is a circular molecule 16,698 bp in length, including the typical structure of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions (L-strand replication origin and control region), the gene contents of which are identical to those observed in most bony fishes. Within the control region, we identified the termination-associated sequence domain, the central conserved sequence block domains (CSB-F, CSB-E, CSB-D, CSB-C, and CSB-B), and the conserved sequence block domains (CSB-2 and CSB-3).


Staining for Bcl-2 protein helps to distinguish benign from malignant lymphoid aggregates in bone marrow biopsies.
Lymphoid nodules in a bone marrow biopsy may be either benign or malignant. Morphological clues may help to differentiate the benign from the malignant nodules. However, it is sometimes difficult, if not impossible, to make this distinction, especially in patients with a known low-grade lymphocytic malignancy. This study was undertaken to determine whether staining bone marrow biopsies with an antibody to the bcl-2 protein might aid in making this differentiation. Using a monoclonal antibody to bcl-2, we stained 26 bone marrows with benign lymphoid aggregates, 19 with a follicular lymphoma, 10 with small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia, three with other non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and three with other miscellaneous hematopoietic lesions. Only one of the 26 benign lymphoid aggregates had moderate to intense staining with this antibody; in contrast, 79% of the follicular lymphomas stained positively. Eight of the 10 small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases stained with moderate to intense intensity; the other two cases had weak staining. No consistent pattern was seen with the other six lesions. Based on this data, we conclude that lack of staining of small lymphoid aggregates within the bone marrow with the antibody to the bcl-2 protein is suggestive of a benign aggregate, whereas moderate to strong staining intensity is most consistent with a malignant process.


Linking Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: the case for Indonesia.
Indonesia has the fifth highest rate of annual cigarette consumption per person of all countries worldwide. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was developed to provide data on youth tobacco use to countries for their development of youth-based tobacco control programs. Data in this report can be used as baseline measures for future evaluation of the tobacco control program implemented by Indonesia's Ministry of Health. The 2006 Indonesia GYTS is a school-based survey that included separate samples for Java and Sumatera, representing more than 84% of the population of Indonesia. Each sample used a two-stage cluster sample design that produced representative samples of students in secondary grades 1-3, which are associated with ages 13-15 years. This report shows that more than 1 in 10 students (12.6%) currently smoked cigarettes, with the prevalence among boys (24.5%) significantly higher than among girls (2.3%). Of the students who currently smoked, more than 7 in 10 (75.9%) reported that they desired to stop smoking now. Regarding secondhand smoke exposure, more than 6 in 10 students (64.2%) reported that they were exposed to smoke from other people in their home during the week before the survey. More than 9 in 10 students (92.9%) had seen a lot of advertisements for cigarettes on billboards during the past month and more than 8 in 10 (82.8%) had seen a lot of advertisements for cigarettes in newspapers or in magazines. Tobacco control in Indonesia will likely not move forward until the government evaluates and strengthens existing laws, considers passing new strong laws, and develops protocols for enforcing all laws. The Indonesian government also should strongly consider accession to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.


Two Filters for Acquiring the Profiles from Images Obtained from Weak-Light Background, Fluorescence Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscope, and Near-Infrared Camera.
Extracting the profiles of images is critical because it can bring simplified description and draw special attention to particular areas in the images. In our work, we designed two filters via the exponential and hypotenuse functions for profile extraction. Their ability to extract the profiles from the images obtained from weak-light conditions, fluorescence microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, and near-infrared cameras is proven. Moreover, they can be used to extract the nesting structures in the images. Furthermore, their performance in extracting images degraded by Gaussian noise is evaluated. We used Gaussian white noise with a mean value of 0.9 to create very noisy images. These filters are effective for extracting the edge morphology in the noisy images. For the purpose of a comparative study, we used several well-known filters to process these noisy images, including the filter based on Gabor wavelet, the filter based on the watershed algorithm, and the matched filter, the performances of which in profile extraction are either comparable or not effective when dealing with extensively noisy images. Our filters have shown the potential for use in the field of pattern recognition and object tracking.


Unusual Versatility of the Filamentous, Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium Anabaena torulosa Revealed for Its Survival during Prolonged Uranium Exposure.
Reports on interactions between cyanobacteria and uranyl carbonate are rare. Here, we present an interesting succession of the metabolic responses employed by a marine, filamentous, diazotrophic cyanobacterium, Anabaena torulosa for its survival following prolonged exposure to uranyl carbonate extending up to 384 h at pH 7.8 under phosphate-limited conditions. The cells sequestered uranium (U) within polyphosphates on initial exposure to 100 μM uranyl carbonate for 24 to 28 h. Further incubation until 120 h resulted in (i) significant degradation of cellular polyphosphates causing extensive chlorosis and cell lysis, (ii) akinete differentiation followed by (iii) extracellular uranyl precipitation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy established the identity of the bioprecipitated uranium as a U(VI) autunite-type mineral, which settled at the bottom of the vessel. Surprisingly, A. torulosa cells resurfaced as small green flakes typical of actively growing colonies on top of the test solutions within 192 to 240 h of U exposure. A consolidated investigation using kinetics, microscopy, and physiological and biochemical analyses suggested a role of inducible alkaline phosphatase activity of cell aggregates/akinetes in facilitating the germination of akinetes leading to substantial regeneration of A. torulosa by 384 h of uranyl incubation. The biomineralized uranium appeared to be stable following cell regeneration. Altogether, our results reveal novel insights into the survival mechanism adopted by A. torulosa to resist sustained uranium toxicity under phosphate-limited oxic conditions.IMPORTANCE Long-term effects of uranyl exposure in cyanobacteria under oxic phosphate-limited conditions have been inadequately explored. We conducted a comprehensive examination of the metabolic responses displayed by a marine cyanobacterium, Anabaena torulosa, to cope with prolonged exposure to uranyl carbonate at pH 7.8 under phosphate limitation. Our results highlight distinct adaptive mechanisms harbored by this cyanobacterium that enabled its natural regeneration following extensive cell lysis and uranium biomineralization under sustained uranium exposure. Such complex interactions between environmental microbes such as Anabaena torulosa and uranium over a broader time range advance our understanding on the impact of microbial processes on uranium biogeochemistry.


Visceral obesity and anastomotic leakage rates in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Numberous studies have heatedly discussed whether obesity is a risk factor for anastomotic leakage (AL) because of the increasing number of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases and high incidence of CRC in patients with obesity. We aimed to explore the relationship between visceral obesity(VO) and AL after CRC surgery. The databases of Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant data and articles published until November 1, 2022. We identified the difference in the incidence of AL after CRC surgery between patients with and without VO. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle- Ottawa Scale, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to assess the association between VO and AL. This meta-analysis included 7 studies with 2,136 patients. The OR of patients with VO versus those without VO was 2.15 (95%CIs = 1.46-3.15, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.29, I2 = 18%) based on the fixed-effect model in seven studies. Notably, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (Z = 3.91 P < 0.0001). Patients with VO in the colon cancer group exhibited a higher incidence of AL (OR = 2.88, 95% CIs = 1.38-5.99, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.27, I2 = 20%) than those in the rectal cancer group (OR = 2.74, 95% CIs = 1.13-6.65, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.20, I2 = 38%). In the studies in the relevant literature, heterogeneity was low. Regarding patients with VO, four Asian studies reported increased morbidity due to AL (OR = 2.79, 95% CIs = 1.35-5.78, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.35, I2 = 9%) compared with three non-Asian studies. Our findings confirmed the significant relationship between VO and AL. Thus, VO could be considered a reliable risk factor of surgery for colon cancer.


Anti-TNF-α Biologics Do Not Reverse CDX2 Downregulation in Patients with Crohn's Disease.
The caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) plays an important role in intestinal epithelial differentiation, proliferation, migration, and adhesion. It has been previously reported that TNF-α reduces CDX2 expression in cultured colon epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner, and that this effect was reduced by adding the anti-TNF-α drug infliximab to the culture medium. The aim of this study was to determine whether CDX2 expression is reduced in biopsies from patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and whether treatment with anti-TNF-α drugs reverses CDX2 downregulation in these patients. Sections of ileocolonic biopsy tissues from patients with CD, CD treated with anti-TNF-α biologics (CD-T), and controls were stained for CDX2 and evaluated using OTMIAS digital image analysis. CDX2 expression in biopsies from patients with CD and CD-T was lower than in controls (p=0.0003). CDX2 expression in CD-T did not increase (p=0.3292) and remained significantly lower than controls (p=0.0002). Although CDX2 is downregulated in CD, it did not revert to normal in patients treated with anti-TNF-α biologics.


Coordinated gene expression for pheromone biosynthesis in the pine engraver beetle, Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae).
In several pine bark beetle species, phloem feeding induces aggregation pheromone production to coordinate a mass attack on the host tree. Male pine engraver beetles, Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), produce the monoterpenoid pheromone component ipsdienol de novo via the mevalonate pathway in the anterior midgut upon feeding. To understand how pheromone production is regulated in this tissue, we used quantitative real-time PCR to examine feeding-induced changes in gene expression of seven mevalonate pathway genes: acetoacetyl-coenzyme A thiolase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase, isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase, geranyl-diphosphate synthase (GPPS), and farnesyl-diphosphate synthase (FPPS). In males, expression of all these genes significantly increased upon feeding. In females, the expression of the early mevalonate pathway genes (up to and including the isomerase) increased significantly, but the expression of the later genes (GPPS and FPPS) was unaffected or decreased upon feeding. Thus, feeding coordinately regulates expression of the mevalonate pathway genes necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in male, but not female, midguts. Furthermore, basal mRNA levels were 5- to 41-fold more abundant in male midguts compared to female midguts. This is the first report of coordinated regulation of mevalonate pathway genes in an invertebrate model consistent with their sex-specific role in de novo pheromone biosynthesis.


Purification of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase from bovine anterior pituitary glands.
CMP-beta-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-neuNAc) is the substrate for the sialylation of glycoconjugates by sialyltransferases in microbes and higher eukaryotes. CMP-neuNAc synthetase catalyzes the formation of this substrate, CMP-neuNAc, from CTP and neuNAc. In this report we describe the purification of CMP-neuNAc synthetase from bovine anterior pituitary glands. The enzyme was purified by ion exchange, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography. The protein was homogeneous on SDS-PAGE with a molecular weight of 52 kDa, a subunit size similar to that of the E.coli K1 (48.6 kDa). The identity of the 52 kDa protein band was confirmed by native gel electrophoresis in that the position of the enzyme activity in gel slices coincided with the position of major bands in the stained gel. Photoaffinity labeling with 125I-ASA-CDP ethanolamine resulted in the modification of a 52 kDa polypeptide that was partially protected against modification by the substrate CTP. Enzyme activity in crude fractions could be adsorbed onto an immunoadsorbent prepared from antibody against the purified 52 kDa protein. Taken together these data suggest that the 52 kDa polypeptide purified by this procedure described in this report is indeed CMP-neuNAc synthetase. The active enzyme chromatographed on a gel filtration column at 158 kDa suggesting it exists in its native form as an oligomer.


Clinical determination of methemalbumin.
We developed an assay for methemalbumin in biological fluids by using diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography to separate this protein from interfering components, including hemopexin, transferrin, hemoglobin, and haptoglobin/hemoglobin complex. Initial screening of the samples requires measurement of A280/A405 ratios of the peak tubes of the isolated albumin fraction. Values exceeding 30 indicate that methemalbumin is absent, and no further work is required. Values of less than 30 suggest that methemalbumin is present in the original sample, whereupon the presence and amount of methemalbumin can be ascertained by coloremetric assay for iron with use of ferrozine. Results may be expressed either in terms of micrograms of methemalbumin iron per gram of albumin or in milligrams of methemalbumin per liter. The reproducibility of the method is of the order of +/- 7% (SD). Normal persons have essentially no methemalbumin iron in their serum. Three individuals with hemorrhagic pancreatitis showed values of 65, 98, and 198 mug of methemalbumin Fe per gram of albumin.


Patient Reported Outcome Measures of Sleep Quality in Fibromyalgia: A COSMIN Systematic Review.
Poor sleep quality is a common concern and a troublesome symptom among patients suffering from fibromyalgia. The purpose of this review was to identify and describe the available patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) of sleep quality validated in adult people diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The COSMIN and PRISMA recommendations were followed. An electronic systematized search in the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, and ISI Web of Science was carried out. Validation studies of PROMs of sleep quality in fibromyalgia published in English or Spanish were included. The selection of the studies was developed through a peer review process through the online software "COVIDENCE". The quality of the studies was assessed using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. A total of 5 PROMs were found validated in patients with fibromyalgia: (1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (2) Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS), (3) Sleep Quality Numeric Rating Scale (SQ-NRS), (4) Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep Scale (MOS-SS), and (5) Fibromyalgia Sleep Diary (FSD). The quality of the evidence was very good and the quality of the results ranged from moderate to high. All the included PROMs, except for the FSD, showed adequate psychometric properties and, therefore, are valid and reliable tools for assessing sleep quality in the context of FM. However, none of the studies analyzed all the psychometric properties of the included PROMs as established in the COSMIN guidelines, highlighting that this is a potential field of research for future investigations.


Bile-duct cyst with cystlithiasis: a case report.
Cystic dilatation of the biliary tree is an uncommon congenital condition, most often discovered in infancy. It should be suspected in an adult who has a history, over a long period, of intermittent pain in the right upper quadrant, episodes of jaundice or cholangitis, or both, and has a palpable mass in the right hypochondrium. Ultrasonography and especially endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography allow the biliary cyst to be diagnosed preoperatively more often than previously. The authors describe the case of a 60-year-old woman with congenital cystic dilatation of extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts with cystlithiasis that followed an unusual course. Of the various theories of causation, Babbitt 's is now the most widely accepted, especially since the advent of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The presence of stones is an uncommon and late complication. The treatment is surgical, excision of the biliary cysts being the treatment of choice; however, Roux-en-Y choledochocystojejunostomy is performed when excision is technically impossible.


The origin of anisotropy and high density of states in the electronic structure of Cr2GeC by means of polarized soft x-ray spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.
The anisotropy in the electronic structure of the inherently nanolaminated ternary phase Cr2GeC is investigated by bulk-sensitive and element selective soft x-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy. The angle-resolved absorption/emission measurements reveal differences between the in-plane and out-of-plane bonding at the (0001) interfaces of Cr2GeC. The Cr L(2, 3), C K, and Ge M1, M(2, 3) emission spectra are interpreted with first-principles density-functional theory (DFT) including core-to-valence dipole transition matrix elements. For the Ge 4s states, the x-ray emission measurements reveal two orders of magnitude higher intensity at the Fermi level than DFT within the General Gradient Approximation (GGA) predicts. We provide direct evidence of anisotropy in the electronic structure and the orbital occupation that should affect the thermal expansion coefficient and transport properties. As shown in this work, hybridization and redistribution of intensity from the shallow 3d core levels to the 4s valence band explain the large Ge density of states at the Fermi level.


A comparison of the effects of two commonly used vasoconstrictors on nasal mucosal blood flow and nasal airflow.
This study compared two commonly used vasoconstrictors, cocaine and xylometazoline. Non-invasive techniques of measurement were utilised, with active anterior rhinomanometry indirectly assessing changes in nasal mucosal blood volume, and laser Doppler flowmetry assessing changes in nasal mucosal blood flow. Twelve healthy volunteers received 0.1 ml of the topical vasoconstrictor at the anterior end of both inferior turbinates. Following the application of xylometazoline, a significant rise in nasal airflow (p less than 0.005), and a significant fall in blood flux occurred in the probe nostril (p less than 0.05). Following the application of cocaine, no significant change in nasal airflow occurred (p less than 0.05), but a significant fall in blood flux occurred in the probe nostril (p less than 0.02). A comparison of the paired data for the same subject demonstrated no significant difference in the change in blood flux produced by xylometazoline and cocaine, but a significant difference in the change in airflow produced by the two vasoconstrictors (p less than 0.005).


Communication: identification of daughter ions through their electronic spectroscopy at low temperature.
We present experimental results on photofragmentation of cooled fragments issued from the photofragmentation of cold parent ions. The cooling of the daughter ions at a few K allows its characterization not only through its fragmentation pattern but also through its well resolved electronic spectroscopy. The proof of principle of the method is demonstrated on the photofragment resulting from Cα-Cβ bond rupture in protonated tyrosine (TyrH(+)). The analysis of the daughter ion (m/z 108) photofragmentation spectrum is in agreement with the proposed mechanism implying a proton transfer to the phenyl ring as the first step of the fragmentation mechanism of TyrH(+).


Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and knee osteoarthritis.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a traumatic event that can lead to significant functional impairment and inability to participate in high-level sports-related activities. ACL reconstruction is considered the treatment of choice for symptomatic ACL-deficient patients and can assist in full functional recovery. Furthermore, ACL reconstruction restores ligamentous stability to normal, and, therefore, can potentially fully reinstate kinematics of the knee joint. As a consequence, the natural history of ACL injury could be potentially reversed via ACL reconstruction. Evidence from the literature is controversial regarding the effectiveness of ACL reconstruction in preventing the development of knee cartilage degeneration. This editorial aims to present recent high-level evidence in an attempt to answer whether ACL injury inevitably leads to osteoarthritis and whether ACL reconstruction can prevent this development or not.


Pseudoelevation of carboxyhemoglobin levels in firefighters.
Carbon monoxide is a common and potentially lethal exposure documented by an elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level. We conducted an investigation of unexpectedly high carboxyhemoglobin levels in a group of firefighters. Twelve of 34 (35%) nonsmokers tested had levels greater than 4% COHb and 9 of 34 (26%) had levels of 10% or higher. Quadruplicate blood samples from hospital staff and firefighters were sent in duplicate to the original laboratory, which used manual spectrophotometry, and to a second reference facility using a cooximeter. Cooximeter results were lower and also more reproducible. By cooximetry, all 24 nonsmoking firefighters retested had COHb levels less than 3%. Cooximetry is widely available and is the most suitable methodology in clinical situations. Spurious results despite the use of a large reference laboratory argue for the standardization of analytic methods for COHb among laboratories.


Duodenojejunostomy in gastric operations for postbulbar duodenal ulcer.
In two cases, two different techniques of duodenojejunostomy were employed as an alternative to an insecure closure of the "difficult duodenal stump." The arrangements are either duodenojejunostomy Roux-en-Y or isoperistaltic jejunal interposition. A single-layered suture line is employed. The ampulla of Vater is visualized during the construction of these anastomoses. In addition to obviating a tenuous stump closure, this technique has the theoretical advantage of providing internal drainage.


[Histochemiscal characteristics of lipids in different forms of goiter].
Histochemical studies were carried out of the content and localization of neutral and acid lipids, cholesterol and its ethers, phospholipids, free fatty acids and soaps in various forms of goiter (96 of the thyroid glands removed during during the operation in connection with goiter). It was shown that thyreo-toxic strumas were characterized by a very small amount of neutral lipids in the apical part of thyreocytes and some small amount in the stroma. The greatest amount of lipids (predominantly acid ones, free fatty acids and soaps) were identified in euthyroid macro-microfollicular strumas which were characterized by cystic degeneration of the glandular parenchyma and by a marked process of desquamation of the follicular epithelium. Histochemically, the desquamated Kulesh-Lauer's cells were found to contain moderate and insignificant amounts of neutral lipids, cholesterol and its ethers, with the help of the reaction with Nile bleu sulphate a great amount of acid lipids was identified, by Fischer's method--a great amount of free fatty acids. The results obtained also showed that Ashkinazi's cells were free from lipids. C-cells, which hardly identifiable in thyreotoxic colloid-parenchymatous strumas, were found to be rich in phospholipids, whereas in other cellular elements of the thyroid gland they were not detected, which in the authors' opinion, may serve as a histochemical test of C-cells.


Mammalian and yeast U3 snoRNPs are matured in specific and related nuclear compartments.
Nucleolar localization of vertebrate box C/D snoRNA involves transit through Cajal bodies, but the significance of this event is unknown. To define better the function of this compartment, we analyzed here the maturation pathway of mammalian U3. We show that 3'-extended U3 precursors possess a mono-methylated cap, and are not associated with fibrillarin and hNop58. Importantly, these precursors are detected at both their transcription sites and in Cajal bodies. In addition, mature U3, the core box C/D proteins and the human homolog of the methyltransferase responsible for U3 cap tri-methylation, hTgs1, are all present in Cajal bodies. In yeast, U3 follows a similar maturation pathway, and equivalent 3'-extended precursors are enriched in the nucleolus and in the nucleolar body, a nucleolar domain that concentrates Tgs1p under certain growth conditions. Thus, spatial organization of U3 maturation appears to be conserved across evolution, and involves specialized and related nuclear compartments, the nucleolus/nucleolar body in yeast and Cajal bodies in higher eukaryotes. These are likely places for snoRNP assembly, 3' end maturation and cap modification.


Cementogenic potential of multipotential mesenchymal stem cells purified from the human periodontal ligament.
The periodontal ligament (PDL) consists of a group of specialized connective tissue fibers embedded in the alveolar bone and cementum that are believed to contain progenitors for mineralized tissue-forming cell lineages. These progenitors may contribute to regenerative cell therapy or tissue engineering methods aimed at recovery of tissue formation and functions lost in periodontal degenerative changes. Some reports using immortal clonal cell lines of cementoblasts, which are cells containing mineralized tissue-forming cell lineages, have shown that their phenotypic alteration and gene expression are associated with mineralization. Immortal, multipotential PDL-derived cell lines may be useful biological tools for evaluating differentiation-inducing agents. In this study, we confirmed the gene expression and mineralization potential of primary and immortal human PDL cells and characterized their immunophenotype. Following incubation with mineralization induction medium containing β-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid, and dexamethasone, normal human PDL (Pel) cells and an immortal derivative line (Pelt) cells showed higher levels of mineralization compared with cells grown in normal growth medium. Both cell types were positive for putative surface antigens of mesenchymal cells (CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105). They were also positive for stage-specific embryonic antigen-3, a marker of multipotential stem cells. Furthermore, PDL cells expressed cementum attachment protein and cementum protein 1 when cultured with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 or -7. The results suggest that normal and immortal human PDL cells contain multipotential mesenchymal stem cells with cementogenic potential.


Physical therapy in patients with disorders of consciousness: Impact on spasticity and muscle contracture.
Spasticity is a frequent complication after severe brain injury, which may prevent the rehabilitation process and worsen the patients' quality of life. In this study, we investigated the correlation between spasticity, muscle contracture, and the frequency of physical therapy (PT) in subacute and chronic patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). 109 patients with subacute and chronic disorders of consciousness (Vegetative state/Unresponsive wakefulness syndrome - VS/UWS; minimally conscious state - MCS and patients who emerged from MCS - EMCS) were included in the study (39 female; mean age: 40±13.5y; 60 with traumatic etiology; 35 VS/UWS, 68 MCS, 6 EMCS; time since insult: 38±42months). The number of PT sessions (i.e., 20 to 30 minutes of conventional stretching of the four limbs) was collected based on patients' medical record and varied between 0 to 6 times per week (low PT = 0-3 and high PT = 4-6 sessions per week). Spasticity was measured with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) on every segment for both upper (UL) and lower limbs (LL). The presence of muscle contracture was assessed in every joint. We tested the relationship between spasticity and muscle contracture with the frequency of PT as well as other potential confounders such as time since injury or anti-spastic medication intake. We identified a negative correlation between the frequency of PT and MAS scores as well as the presence of muscle contracture. We also identified that patients who received less than four sessions per week were more likely to be spastic and suffer from muscle contracture than patients receiving 4 sessions or more. When separating subacute (3 to 12 months post-insult) and chronic (>12months post-insult) patients, these negative correlations were only observed in chronic patients. A logit regression model showed that frequency of PT influenced spasticity, whereas neither time since insult nor medication had a significant impact on the presence of spasticity. On the other hand, PT, time since injury and medication seemed to be associated with the presence of muscle contracture. Our results suggest that, in subacute and chronic patients with DOC, PT could have an impact on patients' spasticity and muscles contractures. Beside PT, other factors such as time since onset and medication seem to influence the development of muscle contractures. These findings support the need for frequent PT sessions and regular re-evaluation of the overall spastic treatment for patients with DOC.