Localization of cyclooxygenase and production of prostaglandins in bovine spermatozoa.
Ejaculated bovine spermatozoa were examined for their capacity to synthesize prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha (PGE2, PGF2 alpha). It was found that in the absence of exogenous substrate, arachidonic acid, basal PGF2 alpha production was less than that of PGE2. However, addition of 61 mumol arachidonic acid I-1 resulted in at least a twofold increase in PGE2 and PGF2 alpha above control values (1.3 ng and 0.3 ng per 10(8) spermatozoa, respectively). Addition of calcium and the calcium ionophore A23187 to the incubation medium did not cause a significant increase in the production of either PG. The presence of indomethacin (100-200 micrograms ml-1) caused a 50-70% inhibition of the production of both PGs. Activity of cyclooxygenase was determined by western blot analysis, using a specific polyclonal antiserum, and by fluorescence immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody. The western blot displayed a clear signal for the presence of cyclooxygenase in ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa. The immunohistochemical studies showed that the enzyme is localized in the apical region of the head, the post-acrosomal region and the mid-piece of the tail. Since the synthesis of PGs in the absence of exogenous arachidonic acid is low, the effect of melittin, a known phospholipase A2 activator, on PG production was examined. Incubation of spermatozoa with melittin produced a threefold increase in PGE2 and a sixfold increase in PGF2 alpha. Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the effect of melittin indicating that activation of phospholipase A2 by protein kinase C is an obligatory step in PG synthesis by bovine spermatozoa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Anesthetic action of methyleugenol and other eugenol derivatives.
A comparative study of four natural eugenol compounds found in the volatile oil fraction of Myristica fragans, namely eugenol (E), methyleugenol (ME), isoeugenol and methylisoeugenol, was carried out in mice. Using a mixture of saline + tween-80 to suspend the compounds and the intraperitoneal route, ME revealed to be the most active and the less toxic in inducing the loss of the righting reflex. ME was further compared with pentobarbital and with the synthetic E derivative, propanidid, using the intraperitoneal route in rats. ME anesthetized the rats more rapidly than pentobarbital; however, the duration of anesthesia was the same for both drugs. Propanidid was not active when injected through the intraperitoneal route. Rats under ME anesthesia could be more easily operated, showed less cyanosis, and recovered better than those under pentobarbital. When injected intravenously in rabbits, ME and propanidid showed equivalent anesthetic effects. Daily intraperitoneal injections of ME in rats and mice for up to 42 days, showed that the drug was not toxic and that the animals became more sensitive to the anesthetic action with repeating the injections. Similarly to pentobarbital, ME induced large amounts of slow wave activity in EEG of rats and did not change the total brain levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine.


A hands-on practical tutorial on performing meta-analysis with Stata.
Statistical synthesis of research findings via meta-analysis is widely used to assess the relative effectiveness of competing interventions. A series of three papers aimed at familiarising mental health scientists with the key statistical concepts and problems in meta-analysis was recently published in this journal. One paper focused on the selection and interpretation of the appropriate model to synthesise results (fixed effect or random effects model) whereas the other two papers focused on two major threats that compromise the validity of meta-analysis results, namely publication bias and missing outcome data. In this paper we provide guidance on how to undertake meta-analysis using Stata, one of the most commonly used software packages for meta-analysis. We address the three topics covered in the previous issues of the journal, focusing on their implementation in Stata using a working example from mental health research.


Abortive initiation and long ribonucleic acid synthesis.
In vitro transcription assays have been used to study the rate of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis from the Escherichia coli lactose promotor mutant lacL8UV5 contained on a 203-bp (base pair) restriction fragment. The half-life of long (63-base) RNA production from heparin-resistant RNA polymerase-promotor complexes was found to be related to the amount of oligonucleotides released during the initiation process (abortive initiation). Studies indicate that once a ternary complex between the promoter, RNA polymerase, and a newly synthesized RNA seven and nine nucleotides long is formed, abortive initiation is reduced and the rate of synthesis of long RNAs is increased. The promoter for the left inverted repeat of the transposable element Tn5 was also examined. It was observed to have a much slower rate of production of long RNAs, and it released oligonucleotides 4 times as often as the lactose promoter. The correlation between the amount of abortive initiation and the half-time of long RNA production is discussed.


Resting state intrinsic EEG impacts on go stimulus-response processes.
Neuropsychological research and practice rely on cognitive task performance measures as indicators of brain functioning. The neural activity underlying stimulus-response processes can be assessed with ERPs, but the relations between these cognitive processes and the brain's intrinsic resting state EEG activity are less understood. This study focused on the neurocognitive functioning of 20 healthy young adults in an equiprobable go/no-go task to map the ERP correlates of behavioral responses and examine contributions of the resting state intrinsic EEG to task-related outcomes. Continuous EEG was recorded during pretask eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) conditions, and in the subsequent task. Delta, theta, alpha, and beta band amplitudes were assessed for the EC state and also for the reactive change to EO. Go/no-go ERPs were submitted to temporal principal components analysis, where the P2, N2, P3, and slow wave components of interest were extracted. The performance measure of reaction time (RT) variability was positively correlated with no-go and go errors, and also with go P2 amplitude, linking these to stimulus discrimination efforts involved in appropriate response selection. An N2c-P3b pairing was enhanced for shorter mean RTs, supporting their involvement in the decision to execute a response. A stepwise regression model identified EC midline delta as a predictor of P3b positivity, highlighting the relevance of delta in the neural mechanisms of attentional processes. These findings clarify the electrophysiology underlying decision-making processes in executive function, and provide a platform for further research assessing performance outcomes in larger samples and in developmental/clinical contexts.


Balance retraining after stroke using force platform biofeedback.
Balance is a somewhat ambiguous term used to describe the ability to maintain or move within a weight-bearing posture without falling. Balance can further be broken down into three aspects: steadiness, symmetry, and dynamic stability. Steadiness refers to the ability to maintain a given posture with minimal extraneous movement (sway). The term symmetry is used to describe equal weight distribution between the weight-bearing components (eg, the feet in a standing position, the buttocks in a sitting position), and dynamic stability is the ability to move within a given posture without loss of balance. All of these components of balance (steadiness, symmetry, and dynamic stability) have been found to be disturbed following stroke. Balance testing of patients with hemiparesis secondary to stroke has revealed a greater amount of postural sway during static stance, asymmetry with greater weight on the nonparetic leg, and a decreased ability to move within a weight-bearing posture without loss of balance. Furthermore, research has demonstrated moderate relationships between balance function and gait speed (r = -.67 and .42, respectively), independence (r = .62), appearance (defined as "significantly abnormal," "slightly abnormal," and "nearly normal") (r = .50), dressing (r.55-.69), wheelchair mobility (r = .51), and reaching (r = .49-.78). Thus, a principal construct within physical therapy practice is the reestablishment of balance function in patients following stroke. Recent advances in technology have resulted in the commercial availability of numerous force platform systems for the retraining of balance function in patient populations, including patients with stroke. These systems are designed to provide visual or auditory biofeedback to patients regarding the locus of their center of force (COF) or center of pressure (COP), as well as training protocols to enhance stance symmetry, steadiness, and dynamic stability. Typical force platform biofeedback systems consist of at least two force plates to allow the weight on each foot to be determined, a computer and monitor to allow visualization of the COF or COP, and software that provides training protocols and data analysis capabilities. Some units allow auditory feedback in addition to the visual feedback in response to errors in performance.


Reversibility of the adverse effects of 1-bromopropane exposure in rats.
Previous experiments indicated that 1-bromopropane (1-BP), an alternative to chloroflurocarbons, is neurotoxic and inhibits spermiation in the testis. Here we investigated the reversibility of the toxic effects of 1-BP in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into three equal groups of 24 each and exposed by inhalation to 0, 400 or 1000 ppm of 1-BP for 6 weeks (8 hrs/day, 7 days/week). Eight rats from each group were sacrificed at the end of 6 weeks exposure, and at 4 and 14 weeks after the end of exposure, to assess the recovery processes. We studied sperm count, motility, morphology and testicular histopathology, as well as blood pressure, skin temperature and hindlimb muscle strength. At the end of 6 weeks of exposure to 1000 ppm (0 week recovery), testicular weight, epididymal weight, sperm count and motility were low, morphologically abnormal sperm were increased and spermatogenic cells showed diffuse degeneration. These changes did not show full recovery at 14 weeks recovery, with the exception of the prostate and seminal vesicular weights, which recovered back to control values. At 400 ppm, increased retained spermatids at 0 week recovery returned to normal at 4 weeks recovery. Exposure to 1000 ppm produced sustained reduction of hindlimb muscle strength at 14 weeks recovery, whereas normalization of the skin temperature and blood pressure was noted after transient changes. Our study showed that the effect of 1-BP on spermatogenesis is dose-dependent; low exposure inhibited spermiation and hormone-dependent organ weight reduction and these changes were transient, while a higher dose of 1000 ppm 1-BP caused persistent depletion of spermatogenic cells.


Mapping wave packet bifurcation at a conical intersection in CH3I by attosecond XUV transient absorption spectroscopy.
Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy has emerged as a sensitive tool for mapping the real-time structural and electronic evolution of molecules. Here, attosecond XUV transient absorption is used to track dynamics in the A-band of methyl iodide (CH3I). Gaseous CH3I molecules are excited to the A-band by a UV pump (277 nm, ∼20 fs) and probed by attosecond XUV pulses targeting iodine I(4d) core-to-valence transitions. Owing to the excellent temporal resolution of the technique, passage through a conical intersection is mapped through spectral signatures of nonadiabatic wave packet bifurcation observed to occur at 15 ± 4 fs following UV photoexcitation. The observed XUV signatures and time dynamics are in agreement with previous simulations [H. Wang, M. Odelius, and D. Prendergast, J. Chem. Phys. 151, 124106 (2019)]. Due to the short duration of the UV pump pulse, coherent vibrational motion in the CH3I ground state along the C-I stretch mode (538 ± 7 cm-1) launched by resonant impulsive stimulated Raman scattering and dynamics in multiphoton excited states of CH3I are also detected.


Genome Sequence of Cluster W Mycobacteriophage Taptic.
The Taptic genome is the first to be annotated from the W cluster of mycobacteriophages infecting Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. All 92 predicted open reading frames (ORFs) and a single tRNA specifying glycine (tRNA-gly) are transcribed rightward. Many functionally uncharacterized ORFs appear to be W cluster specific, as nucleotide similarity is shared only with other W cluster genomes.


Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in hemodialysis patients in madinah Al munawarah.
This study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in our hemodialysis (HD) unit at Madinah Al Munawarah in Saudi Arabia. Fifty six of the 94 patients (60%) studied were positive for HCV, while none of the thirty staff members working in the same unit were positive. The positivity of HCV correlated significantly with duration on HD. No significant correlation was found with the number of blood transfusions, hepatitis B markers or liver enzymes.


Normal values for CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte subsets in healthy Chinese adults from Shanghai.
The aim of this study was to establish reference ranges for lymphocyte subsets in Chinese adults. Venous blood specimens were obtained from 614 healthy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative adults in Shanghai. Flow cytometry was used to determine percentages and absolute numbers of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes. Mean values for CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes were 727 and 540 cells/microl, respectively, yielding a CD4/CD8 ratio of 1.49. While CD8 lymphocyte values varied with age and gender, no significant differences in CD4 lymphocyte values were observed. Shanghai adults had approximately 100 fewer CD4 lymphocytes/microl on average than Caucasians, suggesting that lower CD4 lymphocyte cutoffs for classifying and monitoring HIV infection may be needed in China.


The effect of high and low intensity cool-white fluorescent lighting on the reproductive performance of turkey breeder hens.
Large White turkey breeder hens were exposed to incandescent or cool-white (CW) fluorescent light of either high or low light intensity as the sole light source. Light treatments were quantified in both photometric and radiometric units for the entire visible spectrum as well as the 600 to 700 nm range of the visible spectrum. Photostimulation with these light sources occurred at 32 weeks of age and the subsequent effects on body weight, feed intake, and reproductive performance were observed over a 20-week egg laying period. Body weights and feed intakes were similar among the treatments. There were no significant differences in early season egg production (0 to 10 weeks) or fertility, hatchability, egg weight, and egg specific gravity due to light intensity or light source over the 20-week test period. However, CW fluorescent light delayed the onset of egg production from that of hens exposed to incandescent light (20.7 vs. 19.3 days, respectively) and significantly depressed late season (10 to 20 weeks) egg production from that observed in hens on incandescent light (23.9 vs. 31.9 eggs per hen, respectively). As a result, total egg production was significantly lower in the CW fluorescent (67.9 eggs/hen) than the incandescent treatment (75.2 eggs/hen). No significant differences in total eggs per hen occurred between the low and high light intensity treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Water deficit-induced oxidative stress affects artemisinin content and expression of proline metabolic genes in Artemisia annua L.
Water stress is one of the most critical abiotic stresses that restricts growth, development, and alters physiological and biochemical mechanisms of plant. The effects of long-term water shortage-induced oxidative stress on morphophysiological parameters, proline metabolic genes, and artemisinin content were studied in Artemisia annua L. under greenhouse conditions. Plant growth, biomass accumulation, relative water content, and chlorophyll content were reduced under drought. Leaf water potential ranged from -0.3248 MPa to -1.22 MPa in stress conditions. Increased levels of proline accumulation, protein concentration, and lipid peroxidation were detected in water-stressed plants. Stage-dependent increases in activity of antioxidants including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase were observed. The expression of proline biosynthetic genes including pyrroline-5-carboxylase synthase1, 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase synthase2, and 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase reductase was induced, while the ornithine aminotransferase transcript showed a variable response and the expression of proline catabolic genes including proline dehydrogenase1, proline dehydrogenase1, and proline 5-carboxylate dehydrogenase was reduced by water stress. Our results indicate that the glutamine pathway is predominant under drought stress in A. annua and a reduction of catabolic gene expression is adopted as a defense strategy in adverse conditions. Higher expression of biosynthetic genes and lower expression of catabolic genes at the preflowering stage confirmed the important role of proline in flower development. Artemisinin content decreased owing to water stress, but the slightly higher amounts were detected in leaves of severely stressed plants compared with moderately stressed plants. The artemisinin content of A. annua might be regulated by controlling irrigation regimes.


Batch and Flow Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2-a]-quinolines via an Allene-Based Reaction Cascade.
An efficient reaction cascade delivering a series of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolines bearing phosphonate or phosphine oxide moieties is presented. This sequence exploits the in situ transformation of propargylic alcohols into transient allenes by means of a strategic [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by trapping of the resulting allenes by an adjacent pyrrole ring. Furthermore, the initial small scale batch process was successfully translated into a continuous flow process allowing efficient preparation of selected pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolines on multigram scale without any safety concerns due to the reaction's inherent exothermic profile.


Interaction between estrogens and androgen receptor genes microsatellites, prostate-specific antigen and androgen receptor expressions in breast cancer.
The role of estrogen and androgen receptors signaling in breast cancer is widely accepted, but the interrelations between them are not well understood. It was suggested that PSA could be a marker of endogenous balance between androgens and estrogens. In this context, we intended to investigate the potential of relationship between polymorphic tandem repeats (CAG, TA and CA) in AR (androgen receptor), ERalpha (estrogen receptor alpha) and ERbeta (estrogen receptor beta) genes and the immunoexpression of PSA and AR proteins. We assessed also the possible influences of CAG, TA, and CA variables and other available prognostic factors (ER, PR, AR, HER2/neu, PSA expression, and nodal status) on disease-free survival. We assessed the polymorphic tandem repeats lengths by genotyping, followed by high-resolution denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 163 breast cancers. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expressions of AR, PSA, ER, PR and HER2/neu proteins. Our results showed that PSA was correlated with the length of CA repeats in the 3'-untranslated region of ERbeta, shorter CA repeats being correlated with PSA expression (p=0.03). AR immunoexpression was correlated with CAG repeats on AR gene, higher number of repeats being linked to a higher AR immunoexpression (p=0.04). Performing logistic regression to investigate relationships with prognosis, we observed that PSA immunoexpression (p=0.004), the nodal status (p-<0.001) and marginally, longer TA repeats (p=0.05) were correlated with increased disease-free survival. AR expression presented a low statistical value (p=0.054) in predicting evolution and was not entered into the multivariate regression analysis. Altogether, our findings supports the hypothesis that estrogens, through both alpha and beta-receptors variants are mediating the AR signaling pathway.


[Revision of the Dutch College of General Practitioners practice guideline 'Children with fever'].
- Fever in children is usually caused by benign viral infection.- Approximately 1-10% of children with fever has or develops a serious infection such as pneumonia, meningitis or pyelonephritis.- It is more important to timely recognize symptoms that may indicate a potentially serious disease course than to make an exact diagnosis.- Children < 3 months are at greater risk for a serious disease course.- During follow-up it is important to provide parents with proper advice on the expected disease course and who they should contact, and when, in cases of deterioration or concern.- Paracetamol or ibuprofen should only be given when there is a combination of fever and pain. Combating fever is not an end in itself.


Dual-distribution discrepancy with self-supervised refinement for anomaly detection in medical images.
Medical anomaly detection is a crucial yet challenging task aimed at recognizing abnormal images to assist in diagnosis. Due to the high-cost annotations of abnormal images, most methods utilize only known normal images during training and identify samples deviating from the normal profile as anomalies in the testing phase. Many readily available unlabeled images containing anomalies are thus ignored in the training phase, restricting the performance. To solve this problem, we introduce one-class semi-supervised learning (OC-SSL) to utilize known normal and unlabeled images for training, and propose Dual-distribution Discrepancy for Anomaly Detection (DDAD) based on this setting. Ensembles of reconstruction networks are designed to model the distribution of normal images and the distribution of both normal and unlabeled images, deriving the normative distribution module (NDM) and unknown distribution module (UDM). Subsequently, the intra-discrepancy of NDM and inter-discrepancy between the two modules are designed as anomaly scores. Furthermore, we propose a new perspective on self-supervised learning, which is designed to refine the anomaly scores rather than directly detect anomalies. Five medical datasets, including chest X-rays, brain MRIs and retinal fundus images, are organized as benchmarks for evaluation. Experiments on these benchmarks comprehensively compare a wide range of anomaly detection methods and demonstrate that our method achieves significant gains and outperforms the state-of-the-art. Code and organized benchmarks are available at https://github.com/caiyu6666/DDAD-ASR.


Normal urinary calcium/creatinine ratios in Turkish children.
A random urine calcium/creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) is of practical use in screening for hypercalciuria. However, due to worldwide variations, reference values for the pediatric population are not yet well established. Furthermore, no study has been conducted to establish normal UCa/Cr values in Turkish children. The objectives of the present study were to set normal values of random UCa/Cr by age in the pediatric population of Istanbul City. A total of 324 healthy children of both genders were enrolled in the study. They were divided into four age groups as follows: (1) < 7 months, (2) 8-18 months, (3) 19 months to 6 years, and (4) 7-14 years. A non-fasting random urine specimen from each subject was analyzed for calcium and creatinine. The median UCa/Cr values were 0.19, 0.20, 0.14 and 0.10 respectively. The data showed a strong inverse relationship with age. The age-dependent 95th percentiles of UCa/Cr values were 0.76, 0.60, 0.69 and 0.24 respectively. The child's age and geographic location should be taken into consideration when interpreting UCa/Cr ratio.


Effect of genetic variation in the human S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase gene on total homocysteine concentrations and risk of recurrent venous thrombosis.
Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent and graded risk factor for arterial vascular disease and venous thrombosis. It is still debated via which mechanism homocysteine (Hcy) causes vascular disease. S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) catalyses the reversible hydrolysis of S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) to Hcy. As an increase in AdoHcy, a strong inhibitor of many methyltransferases, is observed in hyperhomocysteinemic individuals, AdoHcy may play a role in the development of cardiovascular diseases by inhibiting transmethylation reactions. We sequenced the entire coding region and parts of the untranslated regions (UTRs) of the AHCY gene of 20 patients with recurrent venous thrombosis in order to identify genetic variation within this gene. We identified three sequence variants in the AHCY gene: a C > T transition in the 5' UTR (-34 bp C > T), a missense mutation in exon 2, which mandates an amino-acid conversion at codon 38 (112 C > T; Arg38Trp) and a silent mutation in exon 4 (390 C > T; Asp130Asp). We studied the effect of the first two variants on total plasma Hcy and venous thrombosis risk in a case-control study on recurrent venous thrombosis. The two polymorphisms under study seem to have no evident effect on tHcy. The adjusted relative risk of venous thrombosis associated with the 112CT genotype compared with 112CC individuals was 1.27 (95% CI 0.55-2.94), whereas the -34CT genotype confers a risk of 1.25 (95% CI 0.44-3.52) compared with the wild-type genotype at this locus. However, the wide confidence intervals do not allow firm conclusions to be drawn.


Exploring the periodicity of cardiovascular events in Switzerland: variation in deaths and hospitalizations across seasons, day of the week and hour of the day.
The purpose of this study is to explore the periodical patterns of events and deaths related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke in Swiss adults (≥ 18 years). Mortality data for period 1969-2007 (N=869,863 CVD events) and hospitalization data for period 1997-2008 (N=959,990 CVD events) were used. The annual, weekly and circadian distribution of CVD-related deaths and events were assessed. Multivariate analysis was conducted using multinomial logistic regression adjusting for age, gender and calendar year and considering deaths from respiratory diseases, accidents or other causes as competitive events. CVD deaths and hospitalizations occurred less frequently in the summer months. Similar patterns were found for AMI and stroke. No significant weekly variation for CVD deaths was found. Stratification by age and gender showed subjects aged <65 years to present a higher probability of dying on Mondays and Saturday, only for men. This finding was confirmed after multivariate adjustment. Finally, a circadian variation in CVD mortality was observed, with a first peak in the morning (8-12 am) and a smaller second peak in the late afternoon (2-6 pm). This pattern persisted after multivariate adjustment and was more pronounced for AMI than for stroke. There is a periodicity of hospitalizations and deaths related to CVD, AMI and stroke in Switzerland. This pattern changes slightly according to the age and sex of the subjects. Although the underlying mechanisms are not fully identified, preventive measures should take into account these aspects to develop better strategies of prevention and management of CVD.


The orienting response in schizophrenia: proposed resolution of a controversy.
The habituation of the skin conductance orienting response ( SCOR ) was studied in 36 schizophrenic and 11 normal male subjects. Scoring criteria significantly influenced results: more inclusive criteria (used in most SCOR studies) scored 56% of patients as nonresponders and 19% as slow habituators . More restrictive criteria scored 75% of patients as nonresponders, and the remainder as faster habituators than normals. The faster habituation of patient responders could be explained by the effects of low response amplitude. Evidence is given for the greater validity of the restrictive scoring criteria; on this basis the schizophrenic patients in this study were SCOR nonresponders or fast habituators . The data suggest that the more inclusive scoring criteria can confuse spontaneous and orienting activity. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.


Ability of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and myocardial/carotid ultrasound to predict the location and the severity of coronary artery lesions in normotensive patients: a clinical study.
Pulse pressure has been recognized as a marker of cardiovascular disease in normotensives. Moreover, internal carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has been proposed to reflect coronary artery lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of other parameters derived from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), myocardial ultrasound, and carotid ultrasound to predict the location and the severity of coronary artery disease in normotensives. One hundred and thirteen patients with suspected coronary artery disease underwent coronary angiography, 24-h ABPM and myocardial/carotid ultrasound. Multivariate analysis was applied and equations were extrapolated based on independent variables derived from ABPM and ultrasound. The Gensini score was independently correlated with male gender, pulse pressure, average heart rate for both 24-h (p=0.001) and night (p=0.006) values, as well as percentage of high systolic blood pressure (BP), average diastolic BP, average mean BP, and heart rate concerning daily mesurements (p=0.001). Moreover, the Gensini score was independently correlated with end-systolic volume, posterior wall thickness during systole and intraventricular septum thickness during diastole, along with male gender and age (p=0.001), as well as mean internal and right common carotid artery IMT (p=0.002). Similar mathematical formulas have been calculated separately for the coronary arteries and their main branches. In conclusion, the location and the severity of coronary disease can be effectively evaluated by ABPM and myocardial/carotid ultrasound in normotensives. This approach could be useful for determining atypical patients at risk and/or for treating patients with suspected coronary disease who refuse coronary angiography.


2-[4-(Methyl-sulfan-yl)phen-yl]naphtho[1,8-de][1,3,2]diaza-borinane.
The title compound, C(17)H(15)BN(2)S, is one member in a series of diaza-borinanes featuring substitution at the 1-, 2- and 3-positions in the nitro-gen-boron heterocycle. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the naphthalene and phenyl ring systems is 19.86 (6)°. In the crystal structure, two C-H⋯π inter-actions link the mol-ecules into sheets which lie parallel to the bc plane. There is a π-π inter-action between each pair of centrosymmetrically related sheets [centroid-centroid distance = 3.5922 (8) Å].


Synthesis and antitumor activity of 7-ethyl-9-alkyl derivatives of camptothecin.
A series of new camptothecin derivatives, as topoisomerase I inhibitor, were synthesized to identify potent antitumor agents. The synthesis method was based on the Claisen rearrangement of 10-allyloxy-7-ethylcamptothecin. All of the compounds were assayed for cytotoxicity against two human tumor cell lines, Bel7402, HCT116, and showed good potency in vitro. Compounds 2, 4, 9, were assessed for the stability of lactone in human plasma. And then compound 2 was tested for antitumor activity in vitro against mouse tumor sarcoma-180. The results suggested that the small alkyl groups in the both 7- and 9-positions of camptothecin could promote liposolubility, antitumor activity in vitro and vivo, though did not bring much increase of the stability of lactone.


New employment regimes in cities: the impact on immigrant workers.
"The major cities of highly developed countries exhibit marked changes in job supplies and employment relations. It is frequently held that post-industrial societies require plentiful supplies of highly educated workers and will hold no openings for the low skilled. It is this latter category of jobs that immigrants have tended to fill in recent decades. Empirical data on major cities in advanced economies negate this supposition, revealing that there is an ongoing demand for immigrant labour and a continuing stream of employment opportunities which do not require high educational levels and which pay low wages. The article examines whether this job supply is merely a residue, to some extent augmented by the supply of low wage workers themselves, or whether it is a feature of a reconfigured labour market in advanced urban economies, i.e. a systemic development."


Descriptive epidemiology of major depression in Canada.
The Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being (CCHS 1.2) is the first national study to use a full version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. For this reason, and because of its large sample size, the CCHS 1.2 is capable of providing the best currently available description of major depression epidemiology in Canada. Using the CCHS 1.2 data, our study aimed to describe the epidemiology of major depression in Canada. All estimates used appropriate sampling weights and bootstrap variance estimation procedures. The analysis consisted of estimating proportions supplemented by logistic regression modelling. The lifetime prevalence of major depressive episode was 12.2%. Past-year episodes were reported by 4.8% of the sample; 1.8% reported an episode in the past 30 days. As expected, major depression was more common in women than in men, but the difference became smaller with advancing age. The peak annual prevalence occurred in the group aged 15 to 25 years. The prevalence of major depression was not related to level of education but was related to having a chronic medical condition, to unemployment, and to income. Married people had the lowest prevalence, but the effect of marital status changed with age. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the annual prevalence may increase with age in men who never married. The prevalence of major depression in the CCHS 1.2 was slightly lower than that reported in the US and comparable to pan-European estimates. The pattern of association with demographic and clinical variables, however, is broadly similar. An increasing prevalence with age in single (never-married) men was an unexpected finding.


Haplotype study. linkage between HLA--A, B, C and Bf alleles: results obtained by different statistical methods.
325 HLA-A, B and Bf haplotypes obtained from family studies were investigated. In addition, 216 of these were tested for HLA-Cw2, Cw4, Cw5. Four different statistical methods were employed to study 2, 3 or 4 loci gametic associations in order to compare the results obtained by these different methods. Our results were then compared with those of other authors who employed similar methods. Piazza's method, used to identify gametic associations, was not able to show any 3 loci associations in our material. The Delta Standard Method employed in conjunction with Factorial Correspondence Analysis was found suitable for the study of chromosomal prevalence in a population.


Advice to individuals involved in misconduct accusations.
The author offers advice to faculty, students, and staff who become involved in issues of research misconduct, whether as the accuser or as the accused. After reviewing the different definitions of research misconduct used by various authorities and discussing other kinds and degrees of misconduct, he provides information to those who suspect research misconduct, to help them identify their responsibilities and the risks involved: he makes it clear that an accusation of research fraud or other misconduct has serious consequences for all parties. The author then discusses how to pursue concerns about improper research practices, emphasizing a nonconfrontational approach and the use of proper channels for reporting. He explains the process of a formal review, including characteristic institutional responses; the role of the Office of Research Integrity; and when to seek the advice of an attorney. He argues that education is clearly preferable to denunciation as a way to improve scientists' ethics and practices. The author then gives similarly detailed advice to the accused, including a caution not to take criticism of methods or results as an accusation of fraud. He discusses the significances of the two stages of review of an allegation of misconduct, with practical advice for cooperative participation in any review; use of legal counsel; the importance of avoiding retaliation; information about due process and material evidence; the impact of a formal investigation; peer standards for evaluating misconduct; and the unavoidable discomfort that the accused will experience during the lengthy process. He advises that practicing good science is the first step in avoiding this unpleasant experience.


Pathogenic seedborne viruses are rare but Phaseolus vulgaris endornaviruses are common in bean varieties grown in Nicaragua and Tanzania.
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an annual grain legume that was domesticated in Mesoamerica (Central America) and the Andes. It is currently grown widely also on other continents including Africa. We surveyed seedborne viruses in new common bean varieties introduced to Nicaragua (Central America) and in landraces and improved varieties grown in Tanzania (eastern Africa). Bean seeds, harvested from Nicaragua and Tanzania, were grown in insect-controlled greenhouse or screenhouse, respectively, to obtain leaf material for virus testing. Equal amounts of total RNA from different samples were pooled (30-36 samples per pool), and small RNAs were deep-sequenced (Illumina). Assembly of the reads (21-24 nt) to contiguous sequences and searches for homologous viral sequences in databases revealed Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1 (PvEV-1) and PvEV-2 in the bean varieties in Nicaragua and Tanzania. These viruses are not known to cause symptoms in common bean and are considered non-pathogenic. The small-RNA reads from each pool of samples were mapped to the previously characterized complete PvEV-1 and PvEV-2 sequences (genome lengths ca. 14 kb and 15 kb, respectively). Coverage of the viral genomes was 87.9-99.9%, depending on the pool. Coverage per nucleotide ranged from 5 to 471, confirming virus identification. PvEV-1 and PvEV-2 are known to occur in Phaseolus spp. in Central America, but there is little previous information about their occurrence in Nicaragua, and no information about occurrence in Africa. Aside from Cowpea mild mosaic virus detected in bean plants grown from been seeds harvested from one region in Tanzania, no other pathogenic seedborne viruses were detected. The low incidence of infections caused by pathogenic viruses transmitted via bean seeds may be attributable to new, virus-resistant CB varieties released by breeding programs in Nicaragua and Tanzania.


Injuries in adolescent workers. Health promotion and primary prevention.
1. Adolescent workers experience significant morbidity and mortality. Specific characteristics and lifestyle issues of adolescents increase their susceptibility to injury and illness. 2. Occupational and environmental health nurses need to advocate for improved legislation to protect children and adolescents and to develop better data collection and surveillance. 3. Occupational and environmental health nurses must bring awareness of the specific concerns for adolescent workers and developmentally appropriate injury prevention strategies to the community, industry, and labor groups. 4. Nurses in the workplace can become involved in STW programs and CLWT projects and provide impetus for promoting a comprehensive approach that recognizes the unique characteristics of adolescents, their health promotion needs, and their need to recognize and avoid hazards.


The relationship of beliefs about controlled drinking to recidivism in alcoholic men.
A total of 100 men were studied to determine the relationship between belief in the abstinence theory and outcome after treatment of alcoholism. Twenty-seven subjects reported believing that at least some alcoholics can tolerate a single drink without losing control or can learn to drink in moderation and the remaining 73 rejected both contentions. The mean alcohol-consumption ratings of the two groups over 10 evaluations covering the first 18 months after treatment did not differ. The Groups X Time interaction effect, which would have indicated a difference in the rates at which recidivism developed in the two groups, was also nonsignificant. Finally, the percentages of the two groups who were rated as abstinent, in complete control of their drinking or in control most of the time were compared at each of 10 follow-up points. Only a chance number of these differences were significant. The results suggest that there is little relationship between belief in or rejection of the abstinence theory and recidivism.


The cellular retinol binding protein II gene. Sequence analysis of the rat gene, chromosomal localization in mice and humans, and documentation of its close linkage to the cellular retinol binding protein gene.
Cellular retinol binding protein II (CRBP II) is an abundant, 134-residue protein present in the small intestinal epithelium. It is thought to participate in the uptake and/or intracellular metabolism of vitamin A. We have isolated and sequenced the rat CRBP II gene. Its four exons span 0.65 kilobases and are interrupted by three introns with an aggregate length of 19.5 kilobases. Southern blot hybridization analysis indicated that this gene is highly conserved in rats, mice, and humans. CRBP II belongs to a protein family that contains eight known members. Computer-assisted comparative sequence analyses indicated that a region of internal homology spans its first two exons and that oligopeptide domains specified by these first two exons exhibit significant homology to all other family members as well as to a portion of the all-trans-retinol binding domain that has previously been defined in serum retinol binding protein. The CRBP II gene was mapped in mice using recombinant inbred strains and restriction fragment length polymorphisms. It is located on chromosome 9 within 5.3 centimorgans of the phosphoglucomutase-3 locus and is closely linked (within 3.0 centimorgans) to the gene specifying a highly homologous intracellular retinol binding protein known as CRBP. Mouse-human somatic cell hybrids were used to determine that both the CRBP and CRBP II genes are located on human chromosome 3.


Serum bilirubin concentration in patients with an established coronary artery disease.
Bilirubin has been considered an antioxidant, with capacity to remove reactive species of oxygen. Studies have suggested that an increased bilirubin level promotes protection against atherosclerosis. The case group was composed of 100 patients with coronary artery disease and the control group 100 patients with normal coronaries. Blood samples were collected to determine bilirubin concentrations. Bivariate analysis, multiple logistic regression models, and Spearman's correlation index were performed. A P value < 0.05 was considered to be significant. The case group was predominantly composed of men and the control group of women, with a mean age of 60 +/- 8.8 versus 56 +/- 10.9 (P = 0.015). The total bilirubin average was significantly higher in the control group than in the case group (0.76 mg/dL versus 0.39 mg/dL, P < 0.001). The level of ultrasensitive C reactive protein (us-CRP) was increased in the case group (3.63 mg/L versus 0.93 mg/L, P < 0.001). Although the correlation index for this inverse association has been weak, both are independently associated with a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease, total bilirubin <or= 0.56 mg/dL (OR: 10.04; IC: 3.48-28.90; P < 0.001), and ultrasensitive C reactive protein > 3 mg/L (OR: 1.17; IC: 1.04-1.33; P = 0.009). Reduced serum levels of bilirubin were shown to be associated with a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease emerging as a new potential risk factor marker. Additional studies are still necessary to confirm and demonstrate the association of these findings with clinical outcomes.


[Progress in treatment of acute achilles tendon rupture].
To review the progress in the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture. Recent literature about the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture was reviewed and analyzed. Treatments of acute Achilles tendon rupture include operative and non-operative treatments. Operative treatments include open surgery and percutaneous minimally invasive surgery. Compared with non-operative treatment, operative treatment can effectively reduce the re-rupture incidence, but it had higher complication incidences of wound infection and nerve injury. Although early functional rehabilitation during non-operative treatment could reduce the re-rutpture incidence, there is no consistent orthopaedic device and guideline for functional rehabilitation. Both operative and non-operative treatments have advantages and disadvantages for the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture. No consistent conclusion is arrived regarding functional recovery. Future studies should explore the strategy of early functional rehabilitation during non-operative treatment and its mechanism of promoting tendon healing.


Advances in the theoretical understanding of photon upconversion in rare-earth activated nanophosphors.
Photon upconversion in rare earth activated phosphors involves multiple mechanisms of electronic transitions. Stepwise optical excitation, energy transfer, and various nonlinear and collective light-matter interaction processes act together to convert low-energy photons into short-wavelength light emission. Upconversion luminescence from nanomaterials exhibits additional size and surface dependencies. A fundamental understanding of the overall performance of an upconversion system requires basic theories on the spectroscopic properties of solids containing rare earth ions. This review article surveys the recent progress in the theoretical interpretations of the spectroscopic characteristics and luminescence dynamics of photon upconversion in rare earth activated phosphors. The primary aspects of upconversion processes, including energy level splitting, transition probability, line broadening, non-radiative relaxation and energy transfer, are covered with an emphasis on interpreting experimental observations. Theoretical models and methods for analyzing nano-phenomena in upconversion are introduced with detailed discussions on recently reported experimental results.


Antibacterial Effects of Garlic Extracts and Ziziphora Essential Oil on Bacteria Associated with Peri-Implantitis.
Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory process, characterized by loss of bone around implants and bleeding on probing. Colonization of bacteria in the pocket created around the implant is one of the most important aetiologic factors involved. Although antibiotics are routinely used and are effective agents against this bacterial infection, due to the side effects and drug resistance of these medications, researchers are more interested in using herbal derivatives. There are relatively limited number of studies in this respect. To evaluate and compare the antibacterial effects of the extracts of Allium sativum and Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oil on S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. In this in vitro study conducted at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences between March 2016 and July 2016, aqueous and methanolic extracts of garlic and ziziphora essential oil were prepared and then their effects on one standard strain of P. aeruginosa and two standard strains of S. aureus and 18 clinical strains, (nine strains of P. aeruginosa and nine strains of S. aureus) which had been isolated from wound and blood cultures, were evaluated using the reference broth macro dilution method and disk diffusion technique. Data were evaluated with descriptive statistical techniques and t-test for independent groups, using SPSS 17. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of garlic did not exhibit inhibitory effects on S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) for ziziphora essential oil against S. aureus were 0.25 and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. The mean diameter of growth inhibition zone for S. aureus in the ziziphora essential oil group (0.25μg/mL) and Vancomycin group (10 μg/mL) were 26.09±5.8 and 14.63±1.20 mm respectively (p<0.001). Growth inhibition zone for P. aeruginosa were observed in only one (35 mm) and three cases (12.5±3.4 mm) in the ziziphora essential oil group (0.5 μg/mL) and Nalidixic acid group (10 μg/mL) respectively. The essential oil of ziziphora exhibited a favourable antibacterial effect on S. aureus; therefore, its extract can be used as an effective antimicrobial agent alone or in association with other antibiotics in the treatment of infections due to S. aureus.


Pre-operative evaluation of circulating KL-6 levels as a biomarker for epithelial ovarian carcinoma and its correlation with tumor MUC1 expression.
Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), a mucinous sialylated sugar chain on human mucin-1 glycoprotein (MUC1), is a diagnostic marker for interstitial lung diseases. Furthermore, elevated serum KL-6 levels have been observed in certain malignant tumor types of epithelial origin. The expression of MUC1 has been observed in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and is considered a potential therapeutic target. In the present study, KL-6 serum levels were investigated in patients clinically suspected of having malignant ovarian tumors. A total of 219 patients were enrolled in the study, which analyzed their serum KL-6 levels in addition to tumor expression of MUC1 using immunohistochemistry. High serum KL-6 levels were predominantly observed in patients with EOC, and did not occur in patients with benign or borderline tumors. The level of serum KL-6 was highly correlated with tumor stage, grade and histological type, and demonstrated superior sensitivity for the detection of ovarian cancer compared with that of serum cancer antigen 125. High serum KL-6 was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival. In addition, tumor MUC1 expression status was significantly correlated with serum KL-6 levels. These data suggest that serum KL-6 may be a useful, non-invasive biomarker surrogate for tumor MUC1 expression in future clinical trials of MUC1-targeted therapy.


Sequential detection of pseudocowpox virus and bovine papular stomatitis virus in a same calf in Japan.
We detected parapoxviruses from environmental samples and calves with and without intraoral clinical signs and conducted molecular and serological analyses. Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) was detected from a calf showing anorexia, frothy salivation, and erosion in the mucosa of the lip and tongue. At the time that PCPV was detected, bovine papular stomatitis viruses (BPSVs) were detected in environmental samples as well as in calves without intraoral clinical signs. BPSV, but not PCPV, was detected in the same calf after 22 days. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that genetically different PCPV strains exist in Japan. This is the first report on the detection of PCPV and BPSV sequentially in the same calf and coexistence of PCPV and BPSV in the same farm in Japan.


Total IgE at 6 months predicts remittance or persistence of atopic dermatitis at 14 months.
Some patients with infantile atopic dermatitis (AD) achieve remission around 1 year old, but in others it persists. The difference between them is unclear. We performed a birth cohort study to find the markers predicting the outcome of infantile AD. We followed up a cohort (n = 314) from birth to 14 months of age, and cord blood was taken from the participants. Some of them (n = 144) had a physical examination and a blood test at 6 and 14 months of age. The subjects who had AD at 6 months (n = 34) were divided into two groups, named the transient group (those who had no AD at 14 months of age; n = 16) and the persistent group (those who still had AD at 14 months of age; n = 18). Then, laboratory data were compared between these two groups. Percentage of CD8 in cord blood lymphocytes and total IgE at 6 months of age in the persistent group was significantly higher than those of the transient group. The area under the curves of a receiver operating characteristic analysis were 0.792 (p = 0.007) and 0.722 (p = 0.027). In the persistent group, total IgE, percentages of T-helper (Th) 2 and phytohemagglutinin-induced IL-4 production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 14 months of age were also significantly higher than those of the transient group. Thus Th2 polarization in the persistent group was confirmed. In clinical use, total IgE at 6 months of age is the most useful predictive marker to know the outcome of infantile AD. The clinical trial registration ID is UMIN000002926.


[Sildenafil as a substitute for subcutaneous prostacyclin in pulmonary hypertension].
Subcutaneous prostacyclin (treprostinil) is an effective short-term treatment for pulmonary hypertension. The most frequently described adverse effect-pain in the area of injection-rarely requires that treatment be withdrawn. Sildenafil is a selective fosfodiesterase-5 inhibitor with pulmonary vasodilating effects. We describe the use of sildenafil as a substitute for treprostinil in a patient with pulmonary hypertension associated with lupus erythematosus. Treatment with treprostinil was discontinued due to uncontrollable abdominal pain.


[Isotretinoin embryopathy: An entity that can be avoided].
Isotretinoin is the most effective drug in the treatment of severe recalcitrant nodulocystic acne. However, treatment with this drug is associated with adverse effects, the most severe being teratogenesis. It has been estimated that 40% of pregnancies exposed to isotretinoin present spontaneous abortion and 35% develop embryopathy. We present the case of a newborn with a history of prenatal exposure to isotretinoin, a clinical entity that can be avoided, with severe congenital defects in the central nervous system and important facial dysmorphisms, with unfavorable clinical course.


Virucidal Activity of the Antiseptic Mouthwash and Dental Gel Containing Anionic Phthalocyanine Derivative: In vitro Study.
This research suggested an in vitro virucidal action of a dental gel and a mouthwash with phthalocyanine derivative. The aim of this study was to report an in vitro study evaluating the virucidal capacity of mouthwash and dental gel containing anionic phthalocyanine derivate (APD). The research followed the recommendations of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and adapted methodology, described in the standards EN14776: 2015; ASTM E1053-11 and the Robert Koch Institute - RKI, in addition to good laboratory practices (GLP). The determination of the percentage of inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles was carried out by imposing the viral solution in contact with the respective tested products, with intervals of 30 seconds, 1 and 5 minutes, with subsequent submission of the aliquots, recovered in cell culture microplates following virus titration using the TCID50 (50% Median Tissue Culture Infectious Dose). The Mouthwash APD presented 90% of viral inactivation percentage, while the dental gel APD demonstrated 99.99% of viral inactivation. In vitro analyses showed that mouthwash and dental gel APD can reduce the viability of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles.


Vertical dislocation of the C1 and C2 vertebrae in rheumatoid arthritis.
In a retrospective analysis of 450 patients with rheumatoid arthritis the cervical films were reviewed to detect vertical dislocation of the C1 and C2 vertebrae. A frequency of 10 per cent was found among all patients and of 24 per cent among those with cervical arthritis. The authors' method of measuring vertical dislocation at conventional radiography turned out to be superior to the method of McGregor , especially in cases with severe dislocation. The vertical dislocation was shown to be preceded by a horizontal dislocation and the appearance of vertical dislocation diminished or abolished the horizontal dislocation. Progression occurred in many cases and was combined with erosions of the atlas and axis. In more than half of the patients there was also contemporaneously a subaxial dislocation. Neurologic symptoms were more often occurring in patients with a severe vertical dislocation and in patients with spinal stenosis at the C1 level.


Shot noise in linear macroscopic resistors.
We report on direct experimental evidence of shot noise in a linear macroscopic resistor. The origin of the shot noise comes from the fluctuation of the total number of charge carriers inside the resistor associated with their diffusive motion under the condition that the dielectric relaxation time becomes longer than the dynamic transit time. The present results show that neither potential barriers nor the absence of inelastic scattering are necessary to observe shot noise in electronic devices.


Moyamoya disease with hypertension in a young adult.
A 13 year old boy presented with recurrent TIAs and was found to have high blood pressure. On investigations he was detected to be Moyamoya disease. Hypertension is known to be associated with Moyamoya disease; the cause being renal artery stenosis. Our patient had normal renal arteries on imaging. We report this case for its rarity.


A highly sensitive probe for guanine N7 in folded structures of RNA: application to tRNA(Phe) and Tetrahymena group I intron.
A nickel complex has been shown to promote conformation-specific oxidation of guanosine in polynucleotide RNA. In all cases, reaction was strictly dependent on the solvent exposure and surface properties of guanine N7. Modification of native tRNA(Phe) (yeast) was detected at G18, G19, G20, and Gm34 and concurred with predictions based on its crystal structure. Additional guanine derivatives became exposed to oxidation only after the tRNA unfolded in the absence of Mg2+. Reaction of the Tetrahymena group I intron RNA (L-21 ScaI) also compared favorably to its three-dimensional model by appropriately identifying guanosine residues in hairpin loops, duplex termini, and the essential cofactor binding site. These results complemented prior data generated by hydroxyl radical, and in combination they served to distinguish the solvent accessibility of sugar backbone and base positions in guanosine residues. Most importantly, this nickel complex exhibited greater selectivity than either dimethyl sulfate or RNase T1 for characterizing tRNA(Phe) and intron RNA.


Clinical significance of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) over fasting blood sugar for monitoring metabolic control in diabetic patients with or without complications.
Glycosylated haemoglobin was studied in 30 cases of mild to severe diabetes in the age group 12-60 years. Ten patients were keto-acidotic. Glycosylated haemoglobin and fasting blood sugar levels were studied in patients with various complications of diabetes like neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, keto-acidosis, cardiac and respiratory complications. There was a significant correlation between fasting blood sugar and glycosylated haemoglobin in normal subjects as well as in diabetic patients. There was a significant correlation between levels of glycosylated haemoglobin and blood sugar over preceding 4-6 weeks. Most frequent complication being retinopathy and keto-acidosis was associated with maximum glycosylated haemoglobin with poor metabolic control.


Downscaling Land Surface Temperature in Complex Regions by Using Multiple Scale Factors with Adaptive Thresholds.
Many downscaling algorithms have been proposed to address the issue of coarse-resolution land surface temperature (LST) derived from available satellite-borne sensors. However, few studies have focused on improving LST downscaling in urban areas with several mixed surface types. In this study, LST was downscaled by a multiple linear regression model between LST and multiple scale factors in mixed areas with three or four surface types. The correlation coefficients (CCs) between LST and the scale factors were used to assess the importance of the scale factors within a moving window. CC thresholds determined which factors participated in the fitting of the regression equation. The proposed downscaling approach, which involves an adaptive selection of the scale factors, was evaluated using the LST derived from four Landsat 8 thermal imageries of Nanjing City in different seasons. Results of the visual and quantitative analyses show that the proposed approach achieves relatively satisfactory downscaling results on 11 August, with coefficient of determination and root-mean-square error of 0.87 and 1.13 °C, respectively. Relative to other approaches, our approach shows the similar accuracy and the availability in all seasons. The best (worst) availability occurred in the region of vegetation (water). Thus, the approach is an efficient and reliable LST downscaling method. Future tasks include reliable LST downscaling in challenging regions and the application of our model in middle and low spatial resolutions.


Identification and structural characterization of a sialylated lacto-N-neotetraose structure in the lipopolysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae.
A sialylated lacto-N-neotetraose (Sial-lNnT) structural unit was identified and structurally characterized in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the genome-sequenced strain Rd [corrected] (RM118) of the human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae grown in the presence of sialic acid. A combination of molecular genetics, MS and NMR spectroscopy techniques showed that this structural unit extended from the proximal heptose residue of the inner core region of the LPS molecule. The structure of the Sial-lNnT unit was identical to that found in meningococcal LPS, but glycoforms containing truncations of the Sial-lNnT unit, comprising fewer residues than the complete oligosaccharide component, were not detected. The finding of sialylated glycoforms that were either fully extended or absent suggests a novel biosynthetic feature for adding the terminal tetrasaccharide unit of the Sial-lNnT to the glycose acceptor at the proximal inner core heptose.


Obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and atherothrombosis: a role for the intestinal microbiota?
Whereas the association between intestinal microorganisms and health has been widely accepted in the area of infectious disease, recent advances have now implied a role for the intestinal microbiota in human energy balance. In fact, numerous studies support an intricate relationship between the intestinal microbiota and obesity, as well as subsequent insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Intestinal microorganisms also seem to be involved in haemostatic tone and atherogenesis. However, as most of the findings stem from observational data, intervention studies in humans using interventions selectively aimed at altering the composition and activity of the intestinal microbiota are crucial to prove causality. If substantiated, this could open the arena for modulation of the intestinal microbiota as a future target in obesity-associated disease, both as a diagnostic test for personalized algorithms and for selective therapeutic strategies.


Effects of safety and care services on psychological outcomes and housing satisfaction in Korean middle-aged and older adults living alone.
Korean society has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of single-person households at risk for loneliness or solitary deaths. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of safety and care services (SCS) on the psychological outcomes and housing satisfaction of Korean middle-aged and older adults living alone. This study was a randomized controlled trial on residents of public rental housing. A total of 40 people underwent a 3-month intervention. For the experimental group, a caring service IoT solution was installed in participants' houses, and coordinators provided services using IoT information. The control group received only visits by coordinators. The experimental group showed significant positive changes in depressive symptoms. An interaction effect of time and condition was observed, indicating that the loneliness scores of the experimental group were significantly reduced, whereas those of their counterparts were negligible. Both groups showed significant decreases in suicidal thoughts. Housing satisfaction in both groups significantly increased over time, but group differences were observed. This study demonstrated the positive effects of SCS on depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and housing satisfaction for people living alone, suggesting that technology can be a useful tool for helping vulnerable people.


Ultrasonography of the hand in rheumatoid arthritis.
High resolution ultrasonography of the hand and wrist was performed on 20 patients with definite or probable rheumatoid arthritis (ARA standard criteria) in its early stage. In all the patients, swelling of the soft tissues of the fingers corresponded to an enlargement of the joint capsule containing a hypoechoic exudate. The rheumatoid nodules appeared as fluid-filled rounded cavities with sharp borders. Rheumatoid tenosynovitis was observed in 18/20 patients. This corresponded to oval or spindle-shaped cavities with a hypoechoic (10/18 cases) or anechoic content (8/18 cases) and with the tendon ribbon inside. Rupture of a tendon was diagnosed in 8/20 cases and it was always confirmed at surgery. Tenosynovitis of the flexor carpi ulnaris at the wrist level was observed in 10/20 patients. Ultrasonography is proposed as an effective first-line approach and as a periodical follow-up survey in early stage rheumatoid arthritis, in combination with standard radiography.


Beta oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus and its relation to dopaminergic response in Parkinson's disease.
Recent studies suggest that beta (15-30 Hz) oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is dramatically increased in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may interfere with movement execution. Dopaminergic medications decrease beta activity and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the STN may alleviate PD symptoms by disrupting this oscillatory activity. Depth recordings from PD patients have demonstrated beta oscillatory neuronal and local field potential (LFP) activity in STN, although its prevalence and relationship to neuronal activity are unclear. In this study, we recorded both LFP and neuronal spike activity from the STN in 14 PD patients during functional neurosurgery. Of 200 single- and multiunit recordings 56 showed significant oscillatory activity at about 26 Hz and 89% of these were coherent with the simultaneously recorded LFP. The incidence of neuronal beta oscillatory activity was significantly higher in the dorsal STN (P = 0.01) and corresponds to the significantly increased LFP beta power recorded in the same region. Of particular interest was a significant positive correlation between the incidence of oscillatory neurons and the patient's benefit from dopaminergic medications, but not with baseline motor deficits off medication. These findings suggest that the degree of neuronal beta oscillatory activity is related to the magnitude of the response of the basal ganglia to dopaminergic agents rather than directly to the motor symptoms of PD. The study also suggests that LFP beta oscillatory activity is generated largely within the dorsal portion of the STN and can produce synchronous oscillatory activity of the local neuronal population.


Maternal and neonatal data collection systems in low- and middle-income countries for maternal vaccines active safety surveillance systems: A scoping review.
Most post-licensure vaccine pharmacovigilance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are passive reporting systems. These have limited utility for maternal immunization pharmacovigilance in LMIC settings and need to be supplemented with active surveillance. Our study's main objective was to identify existing perinatal data collection systems in LMICs that collect individual information on maternal and neonatal health outcomes and could be developed to inform active safety surveillance of novel vaccines for use during pregnancy. A scoping review was performed following the Arksey and O'Malley six-stage approach. We included studies describing electronic or mixed paper-electronic data collection systems in LMICs, including research networks, electronic medical records, and custom software platforms for health information systems. Medline PubMed, EMBASE, Global Health, Cochrane Library, LILACS, Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS), and CINAHL were searched through August 2019. We also searched grey literature including through Google and websites of existing relevant perinatal data collection systems, as well as contacted authors of key studies and experts in the field to validate the information and identify additional sources of relevant unpublished information. A total of 11,817 records were identified. The full texts of 264 records describing 96 data collection systems were assessed for eligibility. Eight perinatal data collection systems met our inclusion criteria: Global Network's Maternal Newborn Health Registry, International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and their Health; Perinatal Informatic System; Pregnancy Exposure Registry & Birth Defects Surveillance; SmartCare; Open Medical Record System; Open Smart Register Platform and District Health Information Software 2. These selected systems were qualitatively characterized according to seven different domains: governance; system design; system management; data management; data sources, outcomes and data quality. This review provides a list of active maternal and neonatal data collection systems in LMICs and their characteristics as well as their outreach, strengths, and limitations. Findings could potentially help further understand where to obtain population-based high-quality information on outcomes to inform the conduct of maternal immunization active vaccine safety surveillance activities and research in LMICs.


Dynamic Non-Rigid Objects Reconstruction with a Single RGB-D Sensor.
This paper deals with the 3D reconstruction problem for dynamic non-rigid objects with a single RGB-D sensor. It is a challenging task as we consider the almost inevitable accumulation error issue in some previous sequential fusion methods and also the possible failure of surface tracking in a long sequence. Therefore, we propose a global non-rigid registration framework and tackle the drifting problem via an explicit loop closure. Our novel scheme starts with a fusion step to get multiple partial scans from the input sequence, followed by a pairwise non-rigid registration and loop detection step to obtain correspondences between neighboring partial pieces and those pieces that form a loop. Then, we perform a global registration procedure to align all those pieces together into a consistent canonical space as guided by those matches that we have established. Finally, our proposed model-update step helps fixing potential misalignments that still exist after the global registration. Both geometric and appearance constraints are enforced during our alignment; therefore, we are able to get the recovered model with accurate geometry as well as high fidelity color maps for the mesh. Experiments on both synthetic and various real datasets have demonstrated the capability of our approach to reconstruct complete and watertight deformable objects.


[Effects of emodin on proliferation cycle and apoptotic gene of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line Anip 973].
To study the suppressive role of emodin on the growth and its effect on the proliferation cycle and apoptotic gene of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line Anip 973. The survival rate and the inhibitory rate of Anip 973 cell in vitro were detected by MTT colorimetric assay and cell growth curve assay at different time points under different concentration of emodin; the cell proliferation cycle and the apoptotic rate were examined with flow cytometry analysis, and Caspase-3 protein expression was measured by immunoblotting assay. Emodin inhibited the proliferation of Anip 973 cell at G0/G1 phase, decreased the cell ratio at S phase and activated the Caspase-3 protein. It suppressed the growth of tumor cells and raised the apoptotic rate in a concentration and time depending manner in a certain extent. Emodin could suppress the proliferation of Anip 973 cell, and its mechanism of anticancer effect may be through activating Caspase-3, to induce apoptosis and block cell cycle.


Investigation of lithium distribution in the rat brain ex vivo using lithium-7 magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging at 17.2 T.
Lithium is the first-line mood stabilizer for the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. However, its mechanisms of action and transport across the blood-brain barrier remain poorly understood. The contribution of lithium-7 magnetic resonance imaging (7 Li MRI) to investigate brain lithium distribution remains limited because of the modest sensitivity of the lithium nucleus and the expected low brain concentrations in humans and animal models. Therefore, we decided to image lithium distribution in the rat brain ex vivo using a turbo-spin-echo imaging sequence at 17.2 T. The estimation of lithium concentrations was performed using a phantom replacement approach accounting for B1 inhomogeneities and differential T1 and T2 weighting. Our MRI-derived lithium concentrations were validated by comparison with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements ([Li]MRI = 1.18[Li]MS , R = 0.95). Overall, a sensitivity of 0.03 mmol/L was achieved for a spatial resolution of 16 μL. Lithium distribution was uneven throughout the brain (normalized lithium content ranged from 0.4 to 1.4) and was mostly symmetrical, with consistently lower concentrations in the metencephalon (cerebellum and brainstem) and higher concentrations in the cortex. Interestingly, low lithium concentrations were also observed close to the lateral ventricles. The average brain-to-plasma lithium ratio was 0.34 ± 0.04, ranging from 0.29 to 0.39. Brain lithium concentrations were reasonably correlated with plasma lithium concentrations, with Pearson correlation factors ranging from 0.63 to 0.90.


[KRAS mutation testing in therapeutic algorithm for treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma].
Targeted therapy has become an integral part of treatment procedures of malignant tumors. Colorectal carcinomas are frequently targeted with monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies (cetuximab and panitumumab). Activating somatic mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the exon 2 of KRAS gene are considered negative predictive factors of response to anti-EGFR therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. In the Czech Republic, evaluation of mutational status of KRAS gene is performed in several referral laboratories. In 2009, these laboratories performed 2580 tests of the KRAS mutational status--out of these, 60.2% cases reported non-mutated, wild-type KRAS. In one of the referral laboratories, we demonstrate the logistics of KRAS testing procedure. Stratification of patients with metastatic colorectal tumors based on their KRAS mutational status has evolved to a standard procedure. Laboratories performing these methods shall therefore adhere to the recommendations of the professional and accredited societies.


siRNA off-target effects can be reduced at concentrations that match their individual potency.
Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are routinely used to reduce mRNA levels for a specific gene with the goal of studying its function. Several studies have demonstrated that siRNAs are not always specific and can have many off-target effects. The 3' UTRs of off-target mRNAs are often enriched in sequences that are complementary to the seed-region of the siRNA. We demonstrate that siRNA off-targets can be significantly reduced when cells are treated with a dose of siRNA that is relatively low (e.g. 1 nM), but sufficient to effectively silence the intended target. The reduction in off-targets was demonstrated for both modified and unmodified siRNAs that targeted either STAT3 or hexokinase II. Low concentrations reduced silencing of transcripts with complementarity to the seed region of the siRNA. Similarly, off-targets that were not complementary to the siRNA were reduced at lower doses, including up-regulated genes that are involved in immune response. Importantly, the unintended induction of caspase activity following treatment with a siRNA that targeted hexokinase II was also shown to be a concentration-dependent off-target effect. We conclude that off-targets and their related phenotypic effects can be reduced for certain siRNA that potently silence their intended target at low concentrations.


Generation of primitive neural stem cells from human fibroblasts using a defined set of factors.
In mice, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-dependent primitive neural stem cells (NSCs) have a higher neurogenic potential than bFGF-dependent definitive NSCs. Therefore, expandable primitive NSCs are required for research and for the development of therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases. There is a dearth of suitable techniques for the generation of human long-term expandable primitive NSCs. Here, we have described a method for the conversion of human fibroblasts to LIF-dependent primitive NSCs using a strategy based on techniques for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These LIF-dependent induced NSCs (LD-iNSCs) can be expanded for >100 passages. Long-term cultured LD-iNSCs demonstrated multipotent neural differentiation potential and could generate motor neurons and dopaminergic neurons, as well as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, indicating a high level of plasticity. Furthermore, LD-iNSCs easily reverted to human iPSCs, indicating that LD-iNSCs are in an intermediate iPSC state. This method may facilitate the generation of patient-specific human neurons for studies and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.


A review of minodronic acid hydrate for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Minodronic acid hydrate was the first bisphosphonate developed and approved for osteoporosis treatment in Japan. With regard to inhibition of bone resorption, minodronic acid hydrate is 1000 times more effective than etidronic acid and 10-100 times more effective than alendronic acid. Clinical trials conducted to date have focused on postmenopausal female patients suffering from primary osteoporosis. In these trials, 1 mg of oral minodronic acid hydrate was administrated once daily, and a significant increase was observed in lumbar-spine and hip-joint bone density 1-2 years after administration. All markers of bone metabolism urinary collagen type 1 cross-linked N-telopeptide, urinary free deoxypyridinoline, serum bone alkaline phosphatase, and serum osteocalcin were decreased. The incidence rate of new vertebral and nonvertebral fractures was also decreased. Therefore, effectiveness in fracture prevention was confirmed. A form of minodronic acid (50 mg) requiring once-monthly administration has been developed and is currently being used clinically. A comparative study between this new formulation and once-daily minodronic acid (1 mg) showed no significant differences between the two formulations in terms of improvement rates in lumbar-spine and hip-joint bone density, changes in bone metabolism markers, or incidence of side effects. This indicates the noninferiority of the monthly formulation. Side effects such as osteonecrosis of the jaw or atypical femoral fractures were not reported with other bisphosphonates, although it is believed that these side effects may emerge as future studies continue to be conducted. On the basis of studies conducted to date, minodronic acid hydrate is considered effective for improving bone density and preventing fractures. We anticipate further investigations in the future.


Case Fatality in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Finland: A Nationwide Register-Based Study.
Although single-center studies have reported declining case fatality rates (CFRs) of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), nationwide reports that also include sudden-death SAHs with long uninterrupted study periods have remained limited. Moreover, little is known about whether the time-dependent trends of SAH CFR differ by age and/or sex. Thus, we aimed to characterize the nationwide changes of SAH CFRs in Finland between 1998 and 2017. We used 2 externally validated nationwide registers to identify all hospitalized and nonhospitalized (sudden-death) aneurysmal SAH events in Finland during 1998-2017. In addition to overall 30-day CFRs, we determined annual proportions of sudden-death and 30-day CFRs among hospitalized patients with SAH. To estimate time-dependent trends, we calculated annual age-adjusted and sex-adjusted CFR changes (percent with 95% CIs). Between 1998 and 2017, we identified 9,443 cases with SAH (57.6% women), of which 2,245 (23.8%) died before hospitalization and 3,715 (39.3%) died within 30 days after SAH. Among the 7,198 hospitalized patients with SAH, the 30-day CFR was 20.4%. During the study period, the overall age-adjusted and sex-adjusted CFR declined by an average of 1.8% (1.1%-2.6%) per year. The decreases were especially notable in the proportion of sudden deaths among middle-aged (aged 40-64 years) and older (aged 65 years or older) women (2.9% [1.1%-4.7%] and 2.3% [0.7%-4.0%] per year, respectively) and in the CFRs of hospitalized young (younger than 40 years) and middle-aged women (9.1% [2.3%-15.7%] and 4.3% [2.3%-6.5%] per year, respectively). On the contrary, the 30-day CFR of older (aged 65 years or older) hospitalized men increased by 3.5% (0.7%-6.3%) per year, while the proportions of older men who died before hospitalization remained unchanged. The overall CFR of SAH seems to be decreasing, at least among women. The continued high CFR of hospitalized older men requires attention from clinicians and epidemiologists, especially if this trend is also common in other countries.


Do patient preferences for core outcome domains for chronic gout studies support the validity of composite response criteria?
To determine patient-derived weights or prioritization for core outcome domains in chronic gout clinical studies. Three patient groups participated in a conjoint decision-making exercise using 1000Minds software, which asked participants to make repeated judgments regarding which of 2 hypothetical patients with gout represented the best response to treatment. Each scenario compared 2 patients on the basis of change in 2 of 5 core outcome domains at a time. Agreement of 80% of the group was required to answer each scenario. Re-voting was performed once after discussion in instances of disagreement. The relative importance accorded to each outcome domain was different across the 3 groups of patients. There was some consistency that tophi was the least or second to least important outcome domain for every group and pain between attacks was ranked in the bottom third of priority for all groups. Gout attacks were ranked as the second or third most important domain in each group. However, the relative importance of serum urate (SUA) and activity limitations was quite different among the 3 groups, with 1 group ranking SUA as the most important outcome and 1 group ranking it as the second to least important outcome. Despite some consistency in the relative value of some outcome domains for chronic gout studies, there is sufficient disagreement in the relative importance of other domains of outcome to challenge the validity of constructing a composite index of response that would be applicable to most gout patients.


Comparative analysis of dual specificity protein phosphatase genes 1, 2 and 5 in response to immune challenges in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus.
Dual-specificity MAP kinase (MAPK) phosphatases (DUSPs) are well-established negative modulators in regulating MAPK signaling in mammalian cells and tissues. Our previous studies have shown the involvement of DUSP6 in regulating innate immunity in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. In order to gain a better understanding of the role of DUSPs in fish innate immunity, in the present study we identified and characterized three additional DUSP genes including DUSP1, 2 and 5 in P. olivaceus. The three Japanese flounder DUSP proteins share common domain structures composed of a conserved N-terminal Rhodanase/CDC25 domain and a C-terminal catalytic phosphatase domain, while they show only less than 26% sequence identities, indicating that they may have different substrate selectivity. In addition, mRNA transcripts of all the three DUSP genes are detected in all examined Japanese flounder tissues; however, DUSP1 is dominantly expressed in spleen while DUSP2 and 5 are primarily expressed in skin. Furthermore, all the three DUSP genes are constitutively expressed in the Japanese flounder head kidney macrophages (HKMs) and peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) with unequal distribution patterns. Moreover, all the three DUSPs gene expression was induced differently in response to the LPS and double-stranded RNA mimic poly(I:C) stimulations both in the Japanese flounder HKMs and PBLs, suggesting an association of DUSPs with TLR signaling in fish. Taken together, the co-expression of various DUSPs members together with their different responses to the immune challenges indicate that the DUSP members may operate coordinately in regulating the MAPK-dependent immune responses in the Japanese flounder.


A magnetic non-reciprocal isolator for broadband terahertz operation.
A Faraday isolator is an electromagnetic non-reciprocal device, a key element in photonics. It is required to shield electromagnetic sources against the effect of back-reflected light, as well as to limit the detrimental effect of back-propagating spontaneous emissions. A common isolator variant, the circulator, is widely used to obtain a complete separation between forward- and backward-propagating waves, thus enabling the realization of a desired transfer function in reflection only. Here we demonstrate a non-reciprocal terahertz Faraday isolator, operating on a bandwidth exceeding one decade of frequency, a necessary requirement to achieve isolation with the (few-cycle) pulses generated by broadband sources. The exploited medium allows a broadband rotation, up to 194°/T, obtained using a SrFe12O19 terahertz-transparent permanent magnet. This in turn enables the design of a stand-alone complete terahertz isolator without resorting to an external magnetic field bias, as opposed to all the optical isolators realized so far.


Dengue fever in US military personnel in Haiti.
To describe clinical manifestations and public health implications of an outbreak of dengue fever (DF) during Operation Uphold Democracy, Haiti, 1994. Consecutive sample. Military combat support hospital, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A total of 101 US military personnel with acute febrile illnesses. A disease surveillance team collected clinical and epidemiologic data from US military clinics throughout Haiti. Febrile patients admitted to the combat support hospital were evaluated with standardized clinical and laboratory procedures. The surveillance team followed patients daily. Arbovirus isolation and specific antibody determination and symptoms and physical findings. Febrile illnesses accounted for 103 (25%) of the 406 combat support hospital admissions during the first 6 weeks of deployment. All patients with febrile illness recovered. A total of 30 patients had DF; no patient had evidence of infection with malaria. Dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, and 4 were isolated from 22 patients, and 8 patients developed IgM antibody to dengue virus. Patients with DF could not be distinguished from other febrile patients on clinical grounds alone. No arboviruses other than dengue were identified. Active surveillance, with clinical and laboratory evaluation directed by an epidemiologic team, led to the timely recognition of an outbreak of febrile illness among US troops in Haiti. Viral isolation and serological studies were essential in confirming DF. During the surveillance period, DF accounted for at least 30% of the febrile illnesses among hospitalized US troops. Dengue fever is a significant threat to military personnel and civilian travelers in Haiti and has the potential for introduction to and transmission in the United States.


Sulfur isotopes as indicators of amended bacterial sulfate reduction processes influencing field scale uranium bioremediation.
Aqueous uranium (U(VI)) concentrations in a contaminated aquifer in Rifle Colorado have been successfully lowered through electron donor amended bioreduction. Samples collected during the acetate amendment experiment were analyzed for aqueous concentrations of Fe(ll), sulfate, sulfide, acetate, U(VI), and delta(34)S of sulfate and sulfide to explore the utility of sulfur isotopes as indicators of in situ acetate amended sulfate and uranium bioreduction processes. Enrichment of up to 7% per hundred in delta(34)S of sulfate in down-gradient monitoring wells indicates a transition to elevated bacterial sulfate reduction. A depletion in Fe(II), sulfate, and sulfide concentrations atthe height of sulfate reduction, along with an increase in the delta(34)S of sulfide to levels approaching the delta(34)S values of sulfate, indicates sulfate limited conditions concurrent with a rebound in U(VI) concentrations. Upon cessation of acetate amendment, sulfate and sulfide concentrations increased, while delta(34)S values of sulfide returned to less than -20% per hundred and sulfate delta(34)S decreased to near-background values, indicating lower levels of sulfate reduction accompanied by a corresponding drop in U(VI). Results indicate a transition between electron donor and sulfate-limited conditions at the height of sulfate reduction and suggest stability of biogenic FeS precipitates following the end of acetate amendment.


Ultrasound-guided wire localisation to facilitate removal of an abnormal neck lymph node - a technical note.
Ultrasound-guided wire localisation is a technique that is well established in breast surgery, but is not well described in head and neck practice. It can be used to locate impalpable lesions for surgical removal, without the need for more extensive surgery. This paper describes a case where the technique was used to assist in the removal of an impalpable but radiologically abnormal lymph node. The technique offers a safe and effective method for removing lesions within the head and neck.


Numerical analysis of beam propagation in pulsed cavity ring-down spectroscopy.
A numerical simulation of pulsed cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is developed with the commercially available software package GENERAL LASER ANALYSIS AND DESIGN. The model is verified through a series of numerical experiments. Several issues of concern in CRDS are investigated, including spatial resolution, misalignment, non-Gaussian beam input, and the effect of flames inside a ring-down cavity. Suggestions for the design of pulsed CRDS instruments are provided.


Decompressive surgery in a patient with posttraumatic syringomyelia.
Posttraumatic syringomyelia may result from a variety of inherent conditions and traumatic events, or from some combination of these. Many hypotheses have arisen to explain this complex disorder, but no consensus has emerged. A 28-year-old man presented with progressive lower extremity weakness, spasticity, and decreased sensation below the T4 dermatome five years after an initial trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large, multi-septate syrinx cavity extending from C5 to L1, with a retropulsed bony fragment of L2. We performed an L2 corpectomy, L1-L3 interbody fusion using a mesh cage and screw fixation, and a wide decompression and release of the ventral portion of the spinal cord with an operating microscope. The patient showed complete resolution of his neurological symptoms, including the bilateral leg weakness and dysesthesia. Postoperative MRI confirmed the collapse of the syrinx and restoration of subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. These findings indicate a good correlation between syrinx collapse and symptomatic improvement. This case showed that syringomyelia may develop through obstruction of the subarachnoid CSF space by a bony fracture and kyphotic deformity. Ventral decompression of the obstructed subarachnoid space, with restoration of spinal alignment, effectively treated the spinal canal encroachment and post-traumatic syringomyelia.


[Studies on rapid detection of food-borne pathogenic bacteria by nucleic acid testing and related technology].
The traditional methods of bacteria isolation, cultivation and identification are time-consuming, which can't meet the needs of the control and prevention of food-borne diseases. Recently, various kinds of rapid methods for food-borne pathogenic bacteria detection have emerged with the prompt development of nucleic acid testing technology. The application studies on polymerase chain reaction and the techniques derived from it, nucleic acid isothermal amplification, oligonucleotide microarray, immunomagnetic separation and DNA biosensing on food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterohemorrhagic Escherchia coli, etc. were reviewed.


How feedback, motor imagery, and reward influence brain self-regulation using real-time fMRI.
The learning process involved in achieving brain self-regulation is presumed to be related to several factors, such as type of feedback, reward, mental imagery, duration of training, among others. Explicitly instructing participants to use mental imagery and monetary reward are common practices in real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NF), under the assumption that they will enhance and accelerate the learning process. However, it is still not clear what the optimal strategy is for improving volitional control. We investigated the differential effect of feedback, explicit instructions and monetary reward while training healthy individuals to up-regulate the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal in the supplementary motor area (SMA). Four groups were trained in a two-day rtfMRI-NF protocol: GF with NF only, GF,I with NF + explicit instructions (motor imagery), GF,R with NF + monetary reward, and GF,I,R with NF + explicit instructions (motor imagery) + monetary reward. Our results showed that GF increased significantly their BOLD self-regulation from day-1 to day-2 and GF,R showed the highest BOLD signal amplitude in SMA during the training. The two groups who were instructed to use motor imagery did not show a significant learning effect over the 2 days. The additional factors, namely motor imagery and reward, tended to increase the intersubject variability in the SMA during the course of training. Whole brain univariate and functional connectivity analyses showed common as well as distinct patterns in the four groups, representing the varied influences of feedback, reward, and instructions on the brain. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3153-3171, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Recombinant human anti-transforming growth factor beta1 antibody therapy in systemic sclerosis: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase I/II trial of CAT-192.
To evaluate CAT-192, a recombinant human antibody that neutralizes transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), in the treatment of early-stage diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). Patients with SSc duration of <18 months were randomly assigned to the placebo group or to 1 of 3 CAT-192 treatment groups: 10 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg. Infusions were given on day 0 and weeks 6, 12, and 18. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of CAT-192. Secondary outcomes included the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS), the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire, assessment of organ-based disease, serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor, collagen propeptides (N propeptide of type I [PINP] and type III collagen), and tissue levels of messenger RNA for procollagens I and III and for TGFbeta1 and TGFbeta2. Forty-five patients were enrolled. There was significant morbidity and mortality, including 1 death in the group receiving 0.5 mg/kg of CAT-192 and 3 deaths in the group receiving 5 mg/kg of CAT-192. There were more adverse events and more serious adverse events in patients receiving CAT-192 than in those receiving placebo, although these events were not more frequent in the high-dose treatment group. The MRSS improved in all groups during the study, but there was no evidence of a treatment effect for CAT-192. Improvement in the MRSS correlated with the disease duration (r = -0.54, P = 0.0008). Changes in the PINP level from baseline correlated with changes in the MRSS (r = 0.37, P = 0.027). We report the first evaluation of a systemically administered and repeatedly dosed anti-TGFbeta1 drug. In this pilot study, CAT-192, in doses up to 10 mg/kg, showed no evidence of efficacy. The utility of clinical and biochemical outcome measures and the feasibility of multicenter trials of early dcSSc were confirmed.