Increased concentrations of C-reactive protein and IL-6 but not IL-18 are independently associated with incident coronary events in middle-aged men and women: results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg case-cohort study, 1984-2002.
We performed a prospective case-cohort study in initially healthy, middle-aged men and women from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies conducted between 1984 and 2002 to assess the role of IL-18 in comparison with IL-6 and CRP in the prediction of incident coronary heart disease (CHD). Concentrations of IL-18 were measured in 382 case subjects with incident CHD and 1980 noncases. Mean follow-up was 11 years. Baseline concentrations of IL-18 were slightly higher in cases than in noncases (172.4 [1.0] versus 161.3 [1.0] pg/mL, respectively; P=0.114), but were clearly elevated for C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 in cases compared with noncases. In multivariable analyses, accounting for classical cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers, no statistically significant association was seen between increased concentrations of IL-18 and incident CHD both in men (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence intervals [CIs] comparing extreme tertiles, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.69), and in women (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.34). However, in this population increased concentrations of CRP and IL-6 were found to be independent predictors of future CHD events, even after multivariable adjustment. Elevated concentrations of CRP and IL-6, but not IL-18, were independently associated with risk of CHD in subjects from an area with moderate absolute risk.


Financial Exploitation Is Associated With Structural and Functional Brain Differences in Healthy Older Adults.
Age-related brain changes leading to altered socioemotional functioning may increase vulnerability to financial exploitation. If confirmed, this would suggest a novel mechanism leading to heightened financial exploitation risk in older adults. Development of predictive neural markers could facilitate increased vigilance and prevention. In this preliminary study, we sought to identify structural and functional brain differences associated with financial exploitation in older adults. Financially exploited older adults (n = 13, 7 female) and a matched cohort of older adults who had been exposed to, but avoided, a potentially exploitative situation (n = 13, 7 female) were evaluated. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we examined cortical thickness and resting state functional connectivity. Behavioral data were collected using standardized cognitive assessments, self-report measures of mood and social functioning. The exploited group showed cortical thinning in anterior insula and posterior superior temporal cortices, regions associated with processing affective and social information, respectively. Functional connectivity encompassing these regions, within default and salience networks, was reduced, while between network connectivity was increased. Self-reported anger and hostility was higher for the exploited group. We observed financial exploitation associated with brain differences in regions involved in socioemotional functioning. These exploratory and preliminary findings suggest that alterations in brain regions implicated in socioemotional functioning may be a marker of financial exploitation risk. Large-scale, prospective studies are necessary to validate this neural mechanism, and develop predictive markers for use in clinical practice.


A Rare Case of Cholecystitis Caused by Raoultella planticola.
A 62-year-old female presented with right upper quadrant pain. Clinical examination and ultrasound scan were consistent with gallstones and acute cholecystitis. She received 3 days of intravenous Co-amoxiclav and was discharged with 5-days of oral antibiotics with arrangements to return for an elective cholecystectomy. This was performed 5 months later which revealed an inflamed gallbladder and a localised abscess secondary to gallbladder perforation. Fluid from the gallbladder was taken which cultured Raoultella planticola, a gram-negative, nonmotile environmental bacteria (Bagley et al. (1981)). This is the first report of biliary sepsis with a primary infection by R. planticola. This patient was treated with a 5-day course of oral Co-amoxiclav and made a full recovery.


Activation of Dopamine 4 Receptor Subtype Enhances Gamma Oscillations in Hippocampal Slices of Aged Mice.
Neural network oscillation at gamma frequency band (γ oscillation, 30-80 Hz) is synchronized synaptic potentials important for higher brain processes and altered in normal aging. Recent studies indicate that activation of dopamine 4 receptor (DR4) enhanced hippocampal γ oscillation of young mice and fully recovered the impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity of aged mice, we determined whether this receptor is involved in aging-related modulation of hippocampal γ oscillation. We recorded γ oscillations in the hippocampal CA3 region from young and aged C57bl6 mice and investigated the effects of dopamine and the selective dopamine receptor (DR) agonists on γ oscillation. We first found that γ oscillation power (γ power) was reduced in aged mice compared to young mice, which was restored by exogenous application of dopamine (DA). Second, the selective agonists for different D1- and D2-type dopamine receptors increased γ power in young mice but had little or small effect in aged mice. Third, the D4 receptor (D4R) agonist PD168077 caused a large increase of γ power in aged mice but a small increase in young mice, and its effect is blocked by the highly specific D4R antagonist L-745,870 or largely reduced by a NMDAR antagonist. Fourth, D3R agonist had no effect on γ power of either young or aged mice. This study reveals DR subtype-mediated hippocampal γ oscillations is aging-related and DR4 activation restores the impaired γ oscillations in aged brain, and suggests that D4R is the potential target for the improvement of cognitive deficits related to the aging and aging-related diseases.


Antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance: a snapshot of an Italian neuromuscular rehabilitation center.
The paper presents a snapshot of the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial consumption in an Italian rehabilitation center over a two-year period (2014-2015). Data on microorganism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were obtained from the diagnostic laboratory of the hospital. A set of indicators was assessed, including the incidence density of resistant isolates per 1000 patient-days (IDRI). Data on antimicrobial consumption, semi-annually, obtained from the hospital pharmacy, were expressed as Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 1000 patient-days. The most frequently isolated microorganism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.3%), and a significant increase in piperacillin/tazobactam- resistant K. pneumoniae (p=0.04) was observed. Among all antimicrobials used, carbapenems were the most prescribed antibiotic class (31%).


Short-term effect of acupuncture on intraocular pressure in healthy subjects.
To evaluate the short-term effect of acupuncture on the intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy subjects. A randomised controlled double-blinded trial was performed. 48 healthy volunteers (94 eyes) were randomly allocated to three groups: acupuncture group-19 subjects (38 eyes) were submitted to a 20 min session of acupuncture (GB1, GB14 and BL1); sham group-14 subjects (27 eyes) were submitted to a 20 min session of acupuncture with needles inserted in false points; and control group-15 subjects (29 eyes) who underwent no intervention. All subjects had the IOP measured by a masked investigator using Goldmann applanation tonometry immediately before intervention, as well as 20 min and 24 h after. The mean (SD) IOP in the acupuncture group was 17.9 (3.3) mm Hg at baseline, 16.4 (3.9) mm Hg at 20 min and 16.3 (3.3) mm Hg at 24 h. The mean (SD) IOP in the sham group was 18.6 (3.3) mm Hg at baseline, 17.7 (2.6) mm Hg at 20 min and 15.9 (3.6) mm Hg at 24 h. The mean (SD) IOP in the control group was 16.9 (3.5) mm Hg at baseline, 16.5 (3.8) mm Hg at 20 min and 15.8 (3.3) mm Hg at 24 h. There was no statistically significant difference in the IOP variation (post-intervention minus baseline measurements) between groups after 20 min (p=0.13) and 24 h (p=0.21). Acupuncture in the studied points did not produce significant short-term effect on the IOP of healthy individuals in comparison with control groups.


[Urinary tract infections presenting with jaundice (author's transl)].
Ten two to ten weeks old children are presented with urinary tract infection and jaundice. In six cases "E. coli" was the causative organism. Laboratory data seemed to indicate that hemolisis was an important factor in the pathogenesis of jaundice. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics was favorable in all cases. Urinary tract infection with bacteriemia and jaundice is probably the most frequent cause of jaundice among children of two to ten weeks of age.


Neural Signatures of Predictive Strategies Track Individuals Along the Autism-Schizophrenia Continuum.
Humans develop a constellation of different representations of the external environment, even in the face of the same sensory exposure. According to the Bayesian framework, these differentiations could be grounded in a different weight assigned to prior knowledge vs. new external inputs in predictive inference. Since recent advances in computational psychiatry suggest that autism (ASD) and schizophrenia (SSD) lie on the two diametric poles of the same predictive continuum, the adoption of a specific inferential style could be routed by dispositional factors related to autistic and schizotypal traits. However, no studies have directly investigated the role of ASD-SSD dimension in shaping the neuro-behavioral markers underlying perceptual inference. We used a probabilistic detection task while simultaneously recording EEG to investigate whether neurobehavioral signatures related to prior processing were diametrically shaped by ASD and SSD traits in the general population (n = 80). We found that the position along the ASD-SSD continuum directed the predictive strategies adopted by the individuals in decision-making. While proximity to the positive schizotypy pole was associated with the adoption of the predictive approach associated to the hyper-weighting of prior knowledge, proximity to ASD pole was related to strategies that favored sensory evidence in decision-making. These findings revealed that the weight assigned to prior knowledge is a marker of the ASD-SSD continuum, potentially useful for identifying individuals at-risk of developing mental disorders and for understanding the mechanisms contributing to the onset of symptoms observed in ASD and SSD clinical forms.


Immunological Function of the Antibacterial Peptide Attacin-Like in the Chinese Oak Silkworm, Antheraea pernyi.
Antibacterial peptides play important roles in the innate immune system of insects and are divided into four categories according to their structures. Although many antibacterial peptides have been reported in lepidopteran insects, the roles of an attacin-like gene in immune response of Antheraea pernyi remain unclear. In this study, the cloning and immunological functions of an attacin-like gene from Antheraea pernyi were investigated. The open reading frame of Ap-attacin-like gene was cloned by PCR using the specific primers and then was ligated to the pET-32a vector to construct the recombinant plasmids Ap-attacin- like-pET-32a. The recombinant Ap-attacin-like protein was expressed in E. coli (BL21 DE3) cells and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The expression patterns of Ap-attacin-like in different tissues or under microorganism challenges were investigated by real-time PCR and western blotting. Finally, agar well diffusion assay was performed to determine the antimicrobial activity of the recombinant Ap-attacin-like proteins based on the inhibition rate. The expression level of Ap-attacin-like was highest in the fat body compared with the other examined tissues. The expression of Ap-attacin-like in the fat body was significantly elevated after E. coli, Beauveria bassiana, Micrococcus luteus or Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus challenges. In addition, the recombinant Ap-attacin-like proteins had obvious antibacterial activity against E. coli. Ap-attacin-like was highly expressed in immune-related tissues and its expression level was significantly induced by different microorganism challenges, suggesting that Ap-attacin-like participated in the innate immunity of A. pernyi.


Functional data analysis of running kinematics in chronic Achilles tendon injury.
Chronic Achilles tendon (AT) injuries are common, but kinematic studies confirming the exact mechanisms of injury and how orthoses are effective are lacking. Existing analysis often relies on discrete measures and provides an incomplete analysis because many of the data are discarded. Functional data analysis (FDA) views the entire dataset as a function, thus retaining the main features of the curve. This study uses FDA to examine the mechanisms of chronic AT injury and the functional effects of orthoses. Twelve subjects with a history of chronic AT injury and 12 controls ran on a treadmill with and without customized orthoses. Three-dimensional kinematic data were obtained using Qualisys motion capture systems operating at 200 Hz. Ankle dorsiflexion (ADF), knee flexion (KF), eversion (EV), calcaneal, and leg abduction angles were calculated across stance. These angle data were represented as functions, and functional principal components were extracted to describe the factors accounting for variation in the data. These components were compared in AT versus control groups and orthoses versus no-orthoses conditions. Kinematic differences were observed, with the AT group showing greater EV, ADF, and KF during stance, whereas orthoses reduced ADF but increased EV. Different patterns of frontal plane variation distinguished between groups and conditions. Results provided additional information about movement patterns compared to traditional approaches and identified the first half of stance as the most relevant period in injury occurrence. The study showed evidence that variability is related to the presence of injury in this clinical population. Further FDA focusing on within-subject variation is recommended to gain greater insight into the role of variability in injury occurrence.


A visual equalization strategy for locomotor control: of honeybees, robots, and humans.
Honeybees fly down the center of a corridor by equating the speed of optic flow in the lateral field of the two eyes. This flow-equalization strategy has been successfully implemented in mobile robots to guide behavior in cluttered environments. We investigated whether humans use a similar strategy to steer down a corridor and determined the relative contributions of equating the speed of flow (.27), the splay angles of base lines (.62), and the visual angles of texture on the left and right walls (.03) to steering behavior. A generalized equalization strategy based on the weighted linear combination of these variables closely models human behavior, providing robust visual control.


Classification of normal and arrhythmic ECG using wavelet transform based template-matching technique.
To propose a wavelet-based template matching technique to extract features for automatic classification of electrocardiogram signals of normal and arrhythmic individuals. The study was conducted from December 2014 to December 2015 at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. Electrocardiogram signals analysed in this study were taken from the freely available database www.physionet.org. The data for normal subjects was taken from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Beth Israel Hospital's normal sinus rhythm database and data for diseased subjects was taken from the arrhythmia database. Of the 30 subjects, there were 15(50%) normal and 15(50%) diseased subjects. The group-averaged phase difference indices of arrhythmic subjects were significantly larger than that of normal individuals (p<0.05) within the frequency range of 0.9-1.1 Hz. Moreover, the scatter plot between the phase difference index and magnitude of wavelet cross-spectrum for frequency range of 0.9-1.1 Hz demonstrated a satisfactory delineation between normal and arrhythmic individuals. Wavelet decomposition-based template matching technique achieved satisfactory delineation of normal and arrhythmic electrocardiogram dynamics.


[Determination of neurosteroids in rat brain regions by liquid chromatography/negative atomspheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry].
A simplified method has been established using liquid chromatography-negative atomspheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to simultaneously determine two conjugated neurosteroids from rat brain regions. Neurosteroids were separately isolated in a two-step procedure using chloroform/2-butanol (50: 50, v/v) where the first step was to extract sulfated steroids, then steroid fractions were purified by solid phase extraction (SPE), and finally the sulfated steroid was solvolyzed. Estrogen sulfate was chosen as internal standard. All steroids were derivatized with 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenylhydrazine (2NFPH) and analyzed by LC-MS using selected-ion monitoring. LC-MS was performed on an Agilent 1100 liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface, and the hydrazones of oxosteroids was analyzed in a negative-ion mode. A Zorbax SB C18 column was used with a flow rate of 1 mL/min at 40 degrees C. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and distilled water. The concentrations of PREGS and DHEAS in male rat brain regions were (4.14 +/- 1.33 ) ng/g and (2.26 +/- 0.76) ng/g (pituitary gland), (1.98 +/- 1.13) ng/g and (1.80 +/- 0.93) ng/g (hypothalamus), (1.08 +/- 0.48 ) ng/g and (0.81 +/- 0.23) ng/g (frontal cortex), (0.72 +/- 0.19) ng/g and (0.77 +/- 0.12) ng/g (hippocampus), (1.70 +/- 0.45) ng/g and (1.44 +/- 0.71 ) ng/g (amygdale), (0.92 +/- 0.27) ng/g and (0.85 +/- 0.44) ng/g (striatum), (3.62 +/- 1.77) ng/g and (3.17 +/- 2.11) ng/g (nucleus accumbens), respectively. Good linearity and accuracy were observed for each steroid. The procedure was suitable for measuring concentrations of the sulfated steroids in rat brain regions simultaneously.


Human immunodeficiency virus screening in rural communities of Rivers State, Nigeria: challenges and potential solutions.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and counseling has remained significantly low in rural communities of Nigeria despite the huge benefits of early case detection and treatment. This study aims at evolving strategies based on the health-seeking attitudes of rural people in order to improve their HIV testing access. A cross-sectional study was carried out between May and June 2011 among persons of reproductive ages, that is, 15 years and above for men and 15-49 years for women; normally resident in rural communities of Rivers State, Nigeria, selected using a multistage sampling technique. A total of 267 (42.0%) males and 368 (57.9%) females were interviewed. Most of the respondents (619, 97.5%) had heard about HIV, and 498 (78.4%) were aware of its transmission by sexual route. Condom use was low and non-use with a nonmarital partner 12 months preceding the survey was 33.8% (191). Only 242 (38.1%) had ever tested for HIV: 90 (37.2%) men and 152 (62.8%) women (χ2 = 15.14, degree of freedom (df) =1, P = 0.000), while only 33 (13.6%) had tested for HIV based on sexual risk perceptions. The commonest reasons for HIV testing were pregnancy, premarriages, and test for concordance. Reasons for not testing were lack of perception of HIV risk, fear of stigmatization, and discrimination from positive test result. This study highlights the persistence of low HIV testing culture in rural settings in Nigeria and underscores the need that HIV programs should look beyond the healthcare settings and involve the communities, using home and community-based testing approaches in order to expand HIV testing access.


An ultrasonographic renal parenchymal index.
A method for estimating the renal parenchyma relative to the whole kidney (renal parenchymal index, RPI) by ultrasonography has been developed. This method (the area of the sinus relative to the area of the whole kidney) was applied to sets of renal diseases. Hydronephrosis and fibrolipomatosis lead to enlargement of the renal sinus area. Changes in the proportion of parenchyma are small in chronic parenchymal diseases, but it often increases in thickness in acute cases and the RPI is consequently lower. The scars of chronic pyelonephritis reduce the size of the parenchyma in an irregular manner, and therefore measurement of the RPI is not as suitable in such cases as it is in other diseases, which involve generalized parenchymal changes. Because of the great normal variations the method is not suitable for diagnosis in single cases, but it is appropriate for basic surveys in which the relative changes in the renal parenchyma are being assessed in a large number of cases.


Updates in ophthalmic pathology.
Ophthalmic pathology has a long history and rich heritage in the field of ophthalmology. This review article highlights updates in ophthalmic pathology that have developed significantly through the years because of the efforts of committed individuals and the confluence of technology such as molecular biology and digital pathology. This is an exciting period in the history of ocular pathology, with cutting-edge techniques paving the way for new developments in diagnostics, therapeutics, and research. Collaborations between ocular oncologists and pathologists allow for improved and comprehensive patient care. Ophthalmic pathology continues to be a relevant specialty that is important in the understanding and clinical management of ocular disease, education of eye care providers, and overall advancement of the field.


Chest-wall reconstruction for spondylocostal dysostosis.
A child with respiratory insufficiency due to a lethal syndrome known as spondylocostal dysostosis is described. Severe chest-wall deformities with resultant paradoxical chest-wall motion were successfully corrected by surgical reconstruction of the right thorax. We conclude that patients with the severe lethal form of the syndrome may benefit from aggressive surgical correction of the thoracic abnormality.


Soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose in broilers diets: effects on odor compound concentration and microbiota in cecal digesta.
Soybean oligosaccharides have been previously shown to be associated with the production of major odor-causing compounds in broilers, although little is known about the role of stachyose and raffinose, which are key components of soybean oligosaccharide, in broiler cecal microbiota and odor compound production. To this end, soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose were added to the birds' diets to investigate their effects on odor compound production and the microbial community characteristics of the cecum in broilers. A total of 300 one-day-old Arbor Acre broilers with similar initial live weight were randomly allocated into 5 dietary groups with 6 replicates of 10 birds. The diets included soybean meal (positive control), soybean meal-free (negative control), 0.6% soybean oligosaccharide, 0.6% stachyose, or 0.6% raffinose. After a 49-D feeding period, both ceca were aseptically removed postmortem, and the contents were collected and analyzed for skatole, indole, volatile fatty acids, and lactic acid by using high performance liquid chromatography. Bacterial communities were detected by using a high-throughput sequencing platform based on IlluminaMiSeq 2500. Levels of skatole and indole tended to be lower in the dietary supplementation of oligosaccharides. The lowest levels of skatole and indole were observed in the stachyose group (P < 0.05), while the highest levels were found in the negative control group (P < 0.05). Concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid in the stachyose group were increased (P < 0.05) while those of butyric acid and lactic acid were decreased (P < 0.05) compared with the soybean oligosaccharide and raffinose groups. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were prevalent in all groups, the proportion of Bacteroidetes was slightly decreased in the stachyose group, and Verrucomicrobia was abundant in the raffinose group (P > 0.05). Bacterial genera Alistipes and Parabacteroides were comparably abundant in the stachyose group, while Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia were more abundant in the negative control, stachyose, and raffinose groups, respectively. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that dietary oligosaccharide supplementation significantly reduced odor compound production by modulating the cecal microbial community. Compared with soybean oligosaccharide and raffinose, the addition of stachyose into diets may help improve gut fermentation and minimize odor compound generation in broilers.


Adaptation without Specialization Early in a Host Shift.
AbstractStudents of speciation debate the role of performance trade-offs across different environments early in speciation. We tested for early performance trade-offs with a host shift experiment using a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae). In this clade of plant-feeding insects, different species live on different host plants and exhibit strong behavioral and physiological host specialization. After five generations, the experimental host shifts resulted either in no adaptation or in adaptation without specialization. The latter result was more likely in sympatry; in allopatry, populations on novel host plants were more likely to become extinct. We conclude that in the early stages of speciation, adaptation to novel host plants does not necessarily bring about performance trade-offs on ancestral environments. Adaptation may be facilitated rather than hindered by gene flow, which prevents extinction. Additional causes of specialization and assortative mating may be required if colonization of novel environments is to result in speciation.


Physiologic and anti-G suit performance data from YF-16 flight tests.
Biomedical data were collected during high-G portions of 11 YF-16 test flights. Test pilots monitored revealed increased respiratory rate and volume, decreased tidal volume, and increased heart rate at higher G levels, with one pilot exhibiting various cardiac arrhythmias. Anti-G suit inflation and pressurization lags varied inversely with G-onset rate, and suit pressurization slope was near the design value.


Characterization and risk factors for unexplained female infertility in Sudan: A case-control study.
Female infertility with unknown causes (unexplained) remains one of the mysteries in the reproductive health field, where the diagnostic evidence is still weak and the proposed treatments still work with unknown methods. However, several studies have proposed some possible causes and risk factors for unexplained female infertility. To characterize and identify factors associated with unexplained infertility in Sudanese women. A matched (age and body mass index) case-control study was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022. The study samples were 210 women with unexplained infertility (UI) and 190 fertile women of reproductive age who were attending the maternity hospitals and fertility clinics in Khartoum, Sudan. The risk factors of unexplained infertility were identified using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire containing information on socio-demographic variables, anthropometrics, clinical diagnosis of infertility, behavioral factors, physical activity assessment, diversity, and consumption of different food groups by the study participants. The results showed a higher proportion of women diagnosed with UI were residents of rural areas than controls (21.4% vs 11.1%, P < 0.05), and previous miscarriages and/or abortions were more common in fertile women compared with infertile women (13.16% vs 5.71%, P < 0.05). Additionally, infertile women had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion of family history of infertility (explained and unexplained) compared with controls. Finally, after controlling for the effects of potentially confounding variables using multivariable logistic regression analysis, only marital status, family history of infertility, use of modern contraceptives, smoking, caffeine consumption, physical activity level, meals consumed, other vitamin-A-rich fruits and vegetables, and other vegetables were found to be significant (P < 0.05) factors associated with unexplained infertility among Sudanese women. Married women with a family history of infertility who smoke and consume a high amount of caffeine, who live a sedentary lifestyle, and who consume more than two meals free of vitamin-A-rich fruits and/or vegetables and/or other vegetables per day are at the highest risk of developing unexplained infertility.


Serological responses to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot (WB).
Serological response of 56 patients to primary and recurrent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by Western blot analysis (WB). ELISA test showed a high sensitivity in detecting IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies. From 27 patients with recurrent infection, 13 (48%) had IgM antibody. The percentage of patients positive for IgA was similar among those with primary (72.4%) or recurrent (81%) infection. The band pattern in WB alone did not allow to distinguish between patients with primary or recurrent infections. Furthermore, no correlation between the particular viral proteins and clinical manifestation could be determined. The kinetics of antibody response could be followed with both methods.


Complete mitochondrial genome of Coregonus cluncaformis.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Coregonus cluncaformis was determined in this study. The mitogenome is 16 736 bp in length and contains 1D-loop region, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 13 protein-coding genes. The overall base composition of the heavy strand is 26.79% for A, 29.49% for C, 18.07% for G and 25.66% for T, The percentage of G + C content is 47.56%. This is the first time of the mitochondrial genome sequencing for C. cluncaformis in this study.


Familial micronodular adrenocortical disease, Cushing syndrome, and mutations of the gene encoding phosphodiesterase 11A4 (PDE11A).
We present the pathologic findings in the adrenal glands of 4 patients, aged 10 to 38 years, with Cushing syndrome and germline inactivating mutations of the gene PDE11A4 that encodes phosphodiesterase11A4. The gene is expressed in the adrenal cortex and catalyses the hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate. Two of the patients were mother and daughter; the third had no affected relative; the fourth patient inherited the mutation from her father. Three of the group, including the mother and daughter, had the same pathology, primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, a disorder known to be caused by inactivating mutations of the PRKAR1A gene. In these cases, the adrenal glands were small and the pathologic change was deep in the cortex in which numerous pigmented micronodules developed. In the remaining patient, the glands were slightly enlarged primarily owing to a diffuse hyperplasia of the superficial cortex that extended into the epi-adrenal fat.


Developmental and tissue-specific expression of 2-methyl branched-chain enoyl CoA reductase isoforms in the parasitic nematode, Ascaris suum.
The 2-methyl branched-chain enoyl CoA reductase (ECR) plays a pivotal role in the reversal of beta-oxidation operating in anaerobic mitochondria of the parasitic nematode, Ascaris suum. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the purified ECR yielded multiple spots, with two distinct but overlapping N-terminal sequences. These multiple isoforms were not the result of population effects, as the pattern observed on 2-D gels of the purified ECR was identical to those on immunoblots of muscle homogenates isolated from individual worms. A full-length cDNA coding for the major ECR isoform (ECRI) has been cloned and sequenced and compared with that of the minor isoform (ECRII) which has been described previously (Duran et al. J Biol Chem 1993;268:22391-22396). ECRI contained the 22-nucleotide trans-spliced leader sequence characteristic of many nematode mRNAs, a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 13 nucleotides, an open reading frame (ORF) of 1257 nucleotides, a 3'-UTR of 110 nucleotides that included the polyadenylation signal AATAAA downstream of the termination codon and a short poly(A) tail. The ORF predicted a 16 amino acid leader sequence not found in the native protein and a mature protein of 403 amino acids with a molecular weight of 43 698 and a predicted pI of 6.2. ECRI and ECRII were 73% identical at the predicted amino acid level and their mRNAs exhibited significant structural similarity even though they were products of separate genes. Comparison of ECRI and ECRII with the sequences of acyl CoA dehydrogenases from a variety of different sources revealed a high degree of interspecies sequence identity, suggesting that these enzymes may have evolved from a common ancestral gene. This result is surprising since the ascarid enzymes function as reductases, not as dehydrogenases. Both ECRs were tissue-specific and developmentally regulated and were found in transitional third-stage larvae (L3) and adult muscle, but not in early, aerobic larval stages or adult testis, ovary, or intestine. The ratio of ECRII to ECRI was greater in L3 than in adult muscle. Interestingly, both ECRs also appeared to be expressed in pharyngeal muscle, suggesting that branched-chain fatty acid synthesis may not be confined exclusively to body wall muscle.


A day in the life of a clinical research coordinator: observations from community practice settings.
One of the goals of the NIH Roadmap Initiative is to re-engineer the national clinical research enterprise, with an emphasis on information technology solutions. Understanding end-users' workflow is critical to developing technology systems that are grounded in the context of the users' environment and are designed to fulfill their needs. Community practices are becoming the prevailing setting for conducting clinical research. Few studies have assessed clinical research workflow in such settings. We have conducted a series of investigations to model the workflow and have previously reported on some basic aspects of it, like the lack of information systems to support the workflow. In this paper we describe finer details of the workflow, using results of observational studies. These findings highlight the needs and inefficiencies that suggest the kind of information system that must be developed to enhance collaboration, communication and improve efficiency. This preliminary investigation also opens ground for more extensive studies to further elucidate the workflow.


Everyday Listening Performance of Children Before and After Receiving a Second Cochlear Implant: Results Using the Parent Version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale.
To evaluate change in individual children's performance in general areas of everyday listening following sequential bilateral implantation, and to identify the specific types of listening scenarios in which performance change occurred. The first hypothesis was that parent performance ratings for their child would be higher in the bilateral versus unilateral implant condition for each section of the speech, spatial and qualities of hearing scale for parents, viz.: speech perception, spatial hearing, and qualities of hearing. The second hypothesis was that the rating for the participant group would be higher in the bilateral condition for speech perception items involving group conversation or background noise, spatial hearing items, and qualities of hearing items focused on sound segregation or listening effort. Children receiving sequential bilateral implants at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and fulfilling selection criteria (primarily no significant cognitive or developmental delays, and oral English language skills of child and parent sufficient for completing assessments) were invited to participate in a wider project evaluating outcomes. The assessment protocol for older children included the speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing scale for parents. All children (n = 20; ages 4 to 15 years) whose parents completed the scale preoperatively and at 24-months postoperatively were included in this study. Ratings obtained preoperatively in the unilateral implant condition (or unilateral implant plus hearing aid for 4 participants) were compared with those obtained postoperatively in the bilateral implant condition. Bilateral ratings were significantly higher than unilateral ratings on the speech section for 12 children (W ≥ 7.0; p ≤ 0.03), on the spatial section for 13 children (W ≥ 15.0; p ≤ 0.03), and on the qualities of hearing section for 9 children (W ≥ 15.0; p ≤ 0.047). The difference between conditions was unrelated to time between implants or age at bilateral implantation (r ≤ 0.4; p ≥ 0.082). The median bilateral ratings for the participant group were higher for all eight speech perception items, including, as predicted, those involving group conversation and/or background noise (W ≥ 37.5; p ≤ 0.043). Also, as predicted, the median bilateral ratings for the participant group were higher for all six spatial hearing items (W ≥ 88.0; p ≤ 0.014), and for qualities of hearing items related to sound segregation (W ≥ 94.0; p ≤ 0.029), but not for those related to listening effort (W ≤ 92.0; p ≥ 0.112). Seventy-five percentage of parents perceived change in their child's daily listening performance postoperatively, and 25% perceived change across all three listening areas. For the overall participant group, the parents perceived a change in performance in the majority of specific listening scenarios, although change was limited in the qualities of hearing section, including no change in listening effort. Previous research suggests postoperative change was likely due to the headshadow effect and improved spatial hearing. Additional contributions may have been made by binaural summation, redundancy, and unmasking. For these participants, differences between device conditions may have been limited by their relatively old age at implantation, delay between implants, and limited bilateral experience. These results will provide valuable information to families during preoperative counseling and postoperative discussions about expected progress and evident benefit.


DRESS syndrome in a patient undergoing stem cell transplantation: Can sirolimus be involved?
We present a case of sirolimus-induced drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome in a stem cell transplant patient. Sirolimus is an immunosuppressive drug that inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. A 24-year-old male with a history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) underwent testicular extraction followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). He presented with pruritic eczematous lesions, which were initially treated with topical steroids. However, he later developed diffuse xerosis, fever, chills, generalized edema, weight gain, eosinophilia, and leukopenia. Skin biopsy showed spongiotic dermatitis with eosinophils, suggesting a drug or atopic reaction. Investigations ruled out infections, and the RegiSCAR score indicated drug reaction syndrome with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Sirolimus, an immunosuppressive drug, was suspected as the cause. Sirolimus was discontinued, and oral steroids were initiated. After 3 weeks of therapy, the patient showed improvement with resolution of symptoms. Although no cases of sirolimus-induced DRESS syndrome have been reported, allergic reactions with eosinophilia induced by everolimus have been documented. In our case, the patient's history characterized by stem cell transplantation and multiple immunosuppressive therapies may have contributed to the development of DRESS syndrome after beginning sirolimus therapy. This case may be the first evidence of sirolimus-induced DRESS syndrome in a stem cell transplant patient.


The effects of methylene blue during and after cardiac arrest in a porcine model; a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study.
To evaluate the effect of methylene blue administered as a bolus on return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), lactate levels, vasopressor requirements, and markers of neurological injury in a clinically relevant pig model of cardiac arrest. 40 anesthetized pigs were subjected to acute myocardial infarction and 7 min of untreated cardiac arrest. Animals were randomized into three groups: one group received saline only (controls), one group received 2 mg/kg methylene blue and saline (MB + saline), and one group received two doses of 2 mg/kg methylene blue (MB + MB). The first intervention was given after the 3rd rhythm analysis, while the second dose was administered one hour after achieving ROSC. Animals underwent intensive care and observation for six hours, followed by cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The primary outcome for this study was development in lactate levels after cardiac arrest. Categorical data were compared using Fisher's exact test and pointwise data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or equivalent non-parametric test. Continuous data collected over time were analyzed using a linear mixed effects model. A value of p < .05 was considered statistically significant. Lactate levels increased in all groups after cardiac arrest and resuscitation, however lactate levels in the MB + MB group decreased significantly faster compared with the control group (p = .007) and the MB + saline group (p = .02). The proportion of animals achieving initial ROSC was similar across groups: 11/13 (85%) in the control group, 10/13 (77%) in the MB + saline group, and 12/14 (86%) in the MB + MB group (p = .81). Time to ROSC did not differ between groups (p = .67). There was no significant difference in accumulated norepinephrine dose between groups (p = .15). Cerebral glycerol levels were significantly lower in the MB + MB group after resuscitation compared with control group (p = .03). However, MRI data revealed no difference in apparent diffusion coefficient, cerebral blood flow, or dynamic contrast enhanced MR perfusion between groups. Treatment with a bolus of methylene blue during cardiac arrest and after resuscitation did not significantly improve hemodynamic function. A bolus of methylene blue did not yield the neuroprotective effects that have previously been described in animals receiving methylene blue as an infusion.


Short-term exposure of erythropoietin impairs endothelial function through inhibition of nitric oxide production and eNOS mRNA expression in the rat pulmonary artery.
Administration of recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) is often associated with systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension in animals and human. The present study was conducted to determine whether one-week rEPO-treatment can produce any effect on pulmonary vasomotor function. Male Wistar rats were injected with rEPO (400IU/kg sc) or saline every other day for one week. Tension, biochemical and Real-Time PCR experiments were conducted on left and right branches of pulmonary artery and main pulmonary artery isolated from the rats. ACh-induced relaxation was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in rEPO-treated rats in comparison to control animals. Relaxation to the NO donor SNP was not different between the groups. EDHF-induced relaxation was remarkably higher in rEPO-treated group in comparison to control. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was significantly (p <0.05) reduced in rings from rEPO-treated rats at the second and third lowest concentrations of phenylephrine and its potency was not significantly reduced. No significant difference was observed in CaCl2-induced contraction between the groups. Nitric oxide production was significantly reduced in rEPO-treated rats in comparison to control animals. Real-time PCR studies demonstrated a significant decrease (p<0.05) of eNOS transcript. However, peNOS activity was not altered with rEPO treatment. The present study suggests that EPO-treatment for one week attenuates ACh-stimulated NO production. It does not affect the vasodilatory action of SNP. It showed up-regulation of EDHF and decreased potency of phenylephrine. Thus elevated EPO may diversely affect the vasomotor function of pulmonary artery. Clinically, it is important to observe the use of EPO in hypertensive condition.


Zbtb20 modulates the sequential generation of neuronal layers in developing cortex.
During corticogenesis, genetic programs encoded in progenitor cells at different developmental stages and inherited in postmitotic neurons specify distinct layer and area identities. Transcription factor Zbtb20 has been shown to play a role for hippocampal development but whether it is implicated in mammalian neocortical morphogenesis remains unknown. Here, we report that during embyogenesis transcription factor Zbtb20 has a dynamic spatio-temporal expression pattern in mitotic cortical progenitors through which it modulates the sequential generation of cortical neuronal layer identities. Zbtb20 knock out mice exhibited enhanced populations of early born L6-L4 neuronal subtypes and a dramatic reduction of the late born L3/L2 neurons. This defect was due to a temporal misbalance in the production of earlier versus later born neurons, leading to a progressive diminishing of the progenitor pool for the generation of L3-L2 neurons. Zbtb20 implements these temporal effects in part by binding to promoter of the orphan nuclear receptor CoupTF1/Nr2f1. In addition to its effects exerted in cortical progenitors, the postmitotic expression of Zbtb20 in L3/L2 neurons starting at birth may contribute to their proper differentiation and migration. Our findings reveal Zbtb20 as a novel temporal regulator for the generation of layer-specific neuronal identities.


A divergent member of the transforming growth factor beta receptor family from Schistosoma mansoni is expressed on the parasite surface membrane.
To optimize reproductive success under the limitations determined by conditions within an individual host, parasitic helminths have evolved mechanisms that allow them to detect and respond to host factors such as species, age, sex, reproductive condition, and immune status. Using the model helminth Schistosoma mansoni, we have explored the possibility that parasitic helminths express signal-transducing receptor molecules on their surfaces. Here, we present the identification of a schistosome member of the transforming growth factor beta receptor family of cell-surface receptors, the first member of this family to be identified in a platyhelminth. The putative protein kinase domain of the schistosome receptor displays up to 58% amino acid identity to kinase domains of other type I receptor serine-threonine kinases, and contains a potential "GS domain," suggesting it is a divergent member of the type I receptor subfamily. This receptor is expressed on the surface of the parasite's syncytial tegument and expression of receptor messenger RNA and protein is up-regulated following infection of the mammalian host. The receptor protein can be isolated in a phosphorylated form from adult parasites, which together with its surface location, suggests that it functions in transducing signals across the parasite surface membrane.


A grounded theory of female adolescents' dating experiences and factors influencing safety: the dynamics of the Circle.
This paper describes the nature and characteristics of the dating relationships of adolescent females, including any of their experiences of abuse. A grounded theory approach was used with 22 theoretically sampled female adolescents ages 15-18. Several important themes emerged: Seven stages of dating consistently described the relationships of female adolescents. A circle consisting of two interacting same sex peer groups provided structure for each teen as they navigated the dating course. The circle was the central factor affecting a female adolescent's potential for risk or harm in dating relationships. Teens defined abuse as an act where the intention is to hurt. Having once succumbed to sexual pressure, teens felt unable to refuse sex in subsequent situations. An awareness of both the stages of dating and the dynamics of the circle will assist health care providers to plan and implement interventions in the female adolescent population. Study findings on factors and influences that support non-abusive versus abusive relationship might help identify female teens at risk and/or support interventions aimed at preventing dating violence.


Altered response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with chronic primary insomnia.
We aimed at evaluating the amplitude changes of the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by of low-frequency (LF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) in10 patients with primary insomnia (PI) and in 10 age-matched healthy controls. Median peak-to-peak MEP amplitudes were assessed in all subjects at three times: at baseline (T0), after the first train of a single rTMS session (T1), and after the whole rTMS procedure (T2). This consists of 20 trains of 1 Hz stimulation with 50 stimuli per train and an intertrain interval of 30 s. Resting motor threshold (RMT) and MEPs amplitude did not differ between the two groups at T0. A reduction of MEP size was observed at both T1 and T2 in all subjects, but this was significantly less pronounced in patients than in control subjects. The lack of MEP inhibition reflects an altered response to LF rTMS in patients with PI. These rTMS findings are indicative of an altered cortical plasticity in inhibitory circuits within M1 in PI. Subjects with PI exhibited an impairment of the LTD-like mechanisms induced by inhibitory rTMS, thus providing further support to the involvement of GABA neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of PI.


Epitaxial Growth of Oriented Metalloporphyrin Network Thin Film for Improved Selectivity of Volatile Organic Compounds.
This study reports an oriented and homogenous cobalt-metalloporphyrin network (PIZA-1) thin film prepared by liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) method. The thickness of the obtained thin films can be well controlled, and their photocurrent properties can also be tuned by LPE cycles or the introduction of conductive guest molecules (tetracyanoquinodimethane and C60 ) into the PIZA-1 pores. The study of quartz crystal microbalance adsorption confirms that the PIZA-1 thin film with [110]-orientation presents much higher selectivity of benzene over toluene and p-xylene than that of the PIZA-1 powder with mixed orientations. These results reveal that the selective adsorption of volatile organic compounds highly depends on the growth orientations of porphyrin-based metal-organic framework thin films. Furthermore, the work will provide a new perspective for developing important semiconductive sensing materials with improved selectivity of guest compounds.


Basis set study of classical rotor lattice dynamics.
The reorientational relaxation of molecular systems is important in many phenomenon and applications. In this paper, we explore the reorientational relaxation of a model Brownian rotor lattice system with short range interactions in both the high and low temperature regimes. In this study, we use a basis set expansion to capture collective motions of the system. The single particle basis set is used in the high temperature regime, while the spin wave basis is used in the low temperature regime. The equations of motion derived in this approach are analogous to the generalized Langevin equation, but the equations render flexibility by allowing nonequilibrium initial conditions. This calculation shows that the choice of projection operators in the generalized Langevin equation (GLE) approach corresponds to defining a specific inner-product space, and this inner-product space should be chosen to reveal the important physics of the problem. The basis set approach corresponds to an inner-product and projection operator that maintain the orthogonality of the spherical harmonics and provide a convenient platform for analyzing GLE expansions. The results compare favorably with numerical simulations, and the formalism is easily extended to more complex systems.


Three-Dimensional-Structured Boron- and Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Hydrogel Enabling High-Sensitivity NO2 Detection at Room Temperature.
Heteroatom-doping has been proved as an effective method to modulate the electronic, physical, and chemical properties of graphene (Gr). Developing a new strategy of heteroatom-doping for high-performance gas sensing is a pivotal issue. Here, we demonstrate novel Gr-based gas sensors through three-dimensional (3D)-structured B-/N-doping nanomaterials for high-performance NO2 sensing. The 3D porous B- and N-doped reduced graphene oxide hydrogels (RGOH) are synthesized via one-step hydrothermal self-assembly and employed as transducing materials to fabricate room-temperature high-performance chemiresistors. The systematic characterizations of the as-synthesized B- and N-RGOH clearly show the uniform doping of the B and N heteroatoms and the formation of B and N components with C/O. In comparison with the pristine RGOH counterpart, the 3D B- and N-RGOH sensors exhibit 38.9 and 18.0 times enhanced responses toward 800 ppb NO2, respectively, suggesting the remarkable doping effect of the heteroatoms in improving the sensitivity. Significantly, B- and N-RGOH display the exceptionally low limit of detection of 9 and 14 ppb NO2, respectively, which are much lower than the threshold limit recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the developed NO2 sensors show good linearity, reversibility, fast recovery, and impressive selectivity. This work opens up a new avenue to fabricate room-temperature and high-performance NO2 sensors by incorporating B and N heteroatoms into 3D RGOH via a convenient hydrothermal self-assembly approach.


Hepatoprotective action of various partitions of methanol extract of Bauhinia purpurea leaves against paracetamol-induced liver toxicity: involvement of the antioxidant mechanisms.
Methanol extract of Bauhinia purpurea L. (family Fabaceae) (MEBP) possesses high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and recently reported to exert hepatoprotection against paracetamol (PCM)-induced liver injury in rats. In an attempt to identify the hepatoprotective bioactive compounds in MEBP, the extract was prepared in different partitions and subjected to the PCM-induced liver injury model in rats. Dried MEBP was partitioned successively to obtain petroleum ether (PEBP), ethylacetate (EABP) and aqueous (AQBP) partitions, respectively. All partitions were subjected to in vitro antioxidant (i.e. total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)- and superoxide-radicals scavenging assay, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay) and anti-inflammatory (i.e. lipooxygenase (LOX) and xanthine oxidase (XO) assay) analysis. The partitions, prepared in the dose range of 50, 250 and 500 mg/kg, together with a vehicle (10 % DMSO) and standard drug (200 mg/kg silymarin) were administered orally for 7 consecutive days prior to subjection to the 3 mg/kg PCM-induced liver injury model in rats. Following the hepatic injury induction, blood samples and liver were collected for the respective biochemical parameter and histopathological studies. Body weight changes and liver weight were also recorded. The partitions were also subjected to the phytochemical screening and HPLC analysis. Of all partitions, EABP possessed high TPC value and demonstrated remarkable antioxidant activity when assessed using the DPPH- and superoxide-radical scavenging assay, as well as ORAC assay, which was followed by AQBP and PEBP. All partitions also showed low anti-inflammatory activity via the LOX and XO pathways. In the hepatoprotective study, the effectiveness of the partitions is in the order of EABP>AQBP>PEBP, which is supported by the microscopic analysis and histopathological scoring. In the biochemical analysis, EABP also exerted the most effective effect by reducing the serum level of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) at all doses tested in comparison to the other partitions. Phytochemical screening and HPLC analysis suggested the presence of: flavonoids, condensed tannins and triterpenes in EABP; flavonoids, condensed tannins and saponins in PEBP and; only saponins in AQBP. EABP demonstrates the most effective hepatoprotection against PCM-induced liver injury in rats. This observation could be attributed to its remarkable antioxidant activity and the presence of flavonoids that might probably act synergistically with other biocompounds to cause the hepatoprotection.


Effects of treatment with oral isosorbide dinitrate on platelet function in vivo; a double-blind placebo-controlled study in patients with stable angina pectoris.
1. A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study was performed to investigate the effects of oral isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN; 20 mg twice daily for 2 weeks) on various aspects of platelet function in vivo in 20 patients with stable angina pectoris. Measurements were performed at rest and after platelet activation by physical exercise (bicycle ergometry). 2. Compared with placebo, treatment with ISDN significantly decreased systolic blood pressure at rest by 7 (-14 to -1) mm Hg (mean and 95% CI) and tended to increase exercise capacity by 7 (-1 to 14) W and attenuate perceived chest pain during maximal work. The dosage was high, as judged by side-effects reported (mainly headache). Compliance was good, as assessed by electronic counter equipped tablet bottles (Medication Event Monitoring System); only one patient had a compliance rate below 60%. 3. Exercise significantly increased platelet aggregability as measured by filtragometry ex vivo; the time taken for platelet aggregates in whole blood drawn directly from an antecubital vein to occlude a microfilter was significantly decreased from 155 to 95 s (antilog of mean log values). Platelet secretion in vivo also increased, as indicated by significant elevations of beta-thromboglobulin in plasma; from 22 to 35 ng ml-1 (P = 0.006). 4. ISDN treatment did not inhibit platelet function. Relative to placebo, filtragometry readings (ISDN/placebo ratios; mean and 95% CI) were not altered either at rest (1.05 (0.83 to 1.32)) or immediately after exercise (0.98 (0.80 to 1.20)). Similarly, beta TG in plasma was unaltered by ISDN treatment; 1.09 (0.98 to 1.21) at rest, and 1.04 (0.82 to 1.30) immediately after exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Obesity among Mongolian Adults from Urban and Rural Areas.
Shifts in lifestyles and eating patterns have led to an increasing prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases in the adult population in Mongolia. This article reports the prevalence of obesity, abdominal obesity and body fat among 408 Mongolian adults aged 25 years and above. The subjects included 61.2% from urban areas and 38.8% from rural areas, reflective of the 60: 40 urban rural ratio in the general population. Anthropometric measurements were taken according to standard methods. Classification of overweight/obesity was based on body mass index of WHO while abdominal obesity was based on WPRO for Asians. Men made up 47.8% (200) and women 52.2% (218) of the sample. The mean age of the subjects was 46.7±12.7 years. About one-third (32.8%) of the subjects were overweight and 10.5% obese. A higher proportion of women (13.3%) than men were obese (7.5%). The age groups of 35-54 years in men and 55-64 years in women showed the highest prevalence of overweight. Prevalence of abdominal obesity was found in 46.5% of the men and in 65.1% of the women. Women aged 55-64 years had the highest proportion (78.4%) of abdominal obesity. In terms of body fat, 20.0 % and 51.5% of the men had high and very high levels of body fat respectively, while among the women, 15.1% and 55.5% respectively had high and very high levels of body fat. Mongolian adults face serious risk of cardiovascular diseases and other aspects of ill-health brought about by obesity. Prevention and control of obesity should be targeted as an urgent public health agenda in Mongolia.


Hypocalcemia with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Disparity among Various Reports.
Immune-related adverse events affecting parathyroid function are rarely reported with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs). Activating calcium-sensing receptor antibodies causing autoimmune hypoparathyroidism with nivolumab was recently reported. KEYNOTE-189 and CHECKMATE-067 trials reported a 21-29% hypocalcemia event rate, but the etiology of hypocalcemia was not reported. A chart review was performed to study patients receiving ICPI from 2015 to 2018 at multiple sites affiliated with Saint Vincent Hospital. The study population was divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of calcium altering conditions or medications. True hypocalcemia incidence was calculated after correcting calcium for albumin from the initiation of ICPI to their last follow-up. Group 1 (n = 83) includes patients with no calcium altering conditions or medications. Group 2 (n = 98) includes patients on calcium supplements (n = 17), vitamin D (n = 44), bisphosphonates (n = 24), >stage IIIB chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n = 5), and bone metastasis (n = 38). Hypocalcemia events in Group 1 vs. Group 2 were 8.4% and 19.3%, respectively. Our entire study demonstrated 26.8% vs. 1.1% of Grade I vs. II hypocalcemia events. However, after correcting the calcium for albumin, hypocalcemia incidence was 0.56% (n = 1). No further workup was done to investigate the etiology as that patient passed away. Our data suggest that the true hypocalcemia incidence after using albumin-corrected calcium values is very low in patients receiving IPCI, even in the presence of calcium altering factors. The percentage of patients with hypocalcemia is much higher and similar to the KEYNOTE-189 and CHECKMATE-067 trials when serum calcium values without albumin correction are used. Thus, the higher reported incidence of hypocalcemia in these trials is likely due to the reporting of serum calcium without albumin correction.


[Stress and skin: experimental approach].
The effects of electric stress on epidermal cell mitosis, sebum production, hair growth and tumor induction, was studied in laboratory using Maynert and Levi's technique: reproducible electric stimulations were delivered in mice or hamsters in order to induce standardised stress. Such repeated stimulations increase cutaneous catecholamine concentrations in the early period. Repeated stress induce a decrease in keratinocyte and melanocyte mitoses, an increase of sebaceous excretion, and favours the development of outset of photoinduced tumors. The possible involvement of these data in human dermatopathology and clinical dermatology are discussed for each impaired cutaneous function: mitoses, hair growth, sebaceous function and anti-tumoral immunity.


Protective Effect of Baicalein on Oxidative Stress-induced DNA Damage and Apoptosis in RT4-D6P2T Schwann Cells.
Background: Due to its high antioxidant activity, baicalein, a kind of flavonoid present in Radical Scutellariae, has various pharmacological effects. However, the protective effect against oxidative stress in Schwann cells, which plays an important role in peripheral neuropathy, has not yet been studied. In this study, the effects of baicalein on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in RT4-D6P2T Schwann cells were evaluated. Methods: Cell viability assay was performed using MTT assay and colony formation assay. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry analysis and DNA fragmentation assay. The effects on DNA damage and ATP content were analyzed by comet method and luminometer. In addition, changes in protein expression were observed by Western blotting. Results: Our results show that baicalein significantly inhibits H2O2-induced cytotoxicity through blocking reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. We also demonstrate that baicalein is to block H2O2-induced DNA damage as evidenced by inhibition of DNA tail formation and γH2AX phosphorylation. Moreover, baicalein significantly attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, and restored inhibition of ATP production. The suppression of apoptosis by baicalein in H2O2-stimulated cells was associated with reduction of increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, activation of caspase-9 and -3, and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that baicalein eliminates H2O2-induced apoptosis through conservation of mitochondrial function by the removal of ROS. Therefore, it is suggested that baicalein protects Schwann cells from oxidative stress, and may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of peripheral neuropathy induced by oxidative stress.


Borrowed buildings: Canada's temporary hospitals during World War I.
This article explores the alterations and additions made to houses, colleges, and larger public buildings in their temporary use as convalescent homes for wounded Canadian soldiers during World War I. These ''borrowed buildings'' anticipated and emphasized three important characteristics of subsequent hospital architecture by suggesting that domestic environments enhanced healing, that hospitals should be accessible, and that patients should be segregated according to social status and disease. The broader implications of the study are that temporarily appropriated spaces contribute to the definition of many institutions and often act as arenas of resistance to established practices.


Successful intrauterine management of severe feto-fetal transfusion in a monochorionic triplet pregnancy using bipolar umbilical cord coagulation.
Triplet-to-triplet transfusion is a rare clinical complication of monochorionic pregnancies. We present such a case in a monochorionic triamniotic triplet gestation. After a single fetal demise an ongoing twin-to-twin transfusion continued in the surviving triplets. The donor triplet had ultrasound evidence of secondary structural brain damage. The pregnancy was successfully managed with bipolar umbilical cord coagulation of the donor triplet and spontaneous vaginal delivery of the recipient triplet. The case highlights the clinical spectrum and diagnostic and management options that present themselves in these high-risk pregnancies.


[The Effects of IGHG1 on the Proliferation and Apoptosis of Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia THP-1 Cells].
To investigate the effects of the immunoglobulin G1 heavy chain constant region (IGHG1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) THP-1 cells and its possible mechanism of action. Human AML THP-1 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into control (normally cultured THP-1 cells), pcDNA3.1 [THP-1 cells transfected with IGHG1 overexpression (pcDNA3.1-IGHG1) negative control plasmid], pcDNA3.1-IGHG1 (THP-1 cells transfected with plasmid containing pcDNA3.1-IGHG1), LY364947 [transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/signal transduction protein (Smad) inhibitor LY364947 20 μmol/L treated THP-1 cells], si-NC [THP-1 cells transfected with IGHG1-small interfering RNA (siRNA) negative control], si-IGHG1 (THP-1 cells transfected with IGHG1-siRNA), and si-IGHG1+LY364947 (IGHG1-siRNA and LY364947 co-treated THP-1 cells) a total of 7 groups. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of IGHG1 and immunoglobulin G (IgG) mRNA of THP-1 cells in each group; CCK-8 was used to detect THP-1 cells proliferation activity; flow cytometry was used to detect THP-1 cells apoptosis and cell cycle in each group; Western blot was used to detect the THP-1 cells proliferation, apoptosis and the expression of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway related proteins. Compared with the control group, after overexpression of IGHG1, the expression of IGHG1 and IgG mRNA, cell proliferation viability, S phase cell ratio, expressions of Cyclin D1, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), IgG, TGF-β1, phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3)/Smad3 protein in THP-1 cells were significantly increased (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate, G0/G1 phase cell ratio, expression of p21, Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax), Caspase-3 protein were significantly reduced (P<0.05); after inhibiting TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway or silencing IGHG1, the expression of IGHG1 and IgG mRNA, cell proliferation viability, S phase cell ratio, expression of Cyclin D1, Bcl-2, IgG, TGF-β1, p-Smad3/Smad3 protein in THP-1 cells were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate, G0/G1 phase cell ratio, expressions of p21, Bax, and Caspase-3 protein were significantly increased (P<0.05); and compared with silencing IGHG1, after co-treatment of IGHG1 gene silencing and TGF-β/Smad pathway inhibition, the expression of IGHG1 and IgG mRNA, cell proliferation viability, S phase cell ratio, expressions of Cyclin D1, Bcl-2, IgG, TGF-β1, p-Smad3/Smad3 protein in THP-1 cells were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate, G0/G1 phase cell ratio, expression of p21, Bax, and Caspase-3 protein were significantly increased (P<0.05). Silencing IGHG1 gene can down-regulate the expression of IgG, inhibit the proliferation of human AML THP-1 cells, block cell cycle progression, and induce cell apoptosis; its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad pathway activation.


Natural extracellular nanovesicles and photodynamic molecules: is there a future for drug delivery?
Photodynamic molecules represent an alternative approach for cancer therapy for their property (i) to be photo-reactive; (ii) to be not-toxic for target cells in absence of light; (iii) to accumulate specifically into tumour tissues; (iv) to be activable by a light beam only at the tumour site and (v) to exert cytotoxic activity against tumour cells. However, to date their clinical use is limited by the side effects elicited by systemic administration. Extracellular vesicles are endogenous nanosized-carriers that have been recently introduced as a natural delivery system for therapeutic molecules. We have recently shown the ability of human exosomes to deliver photodynamic molecules. Therefore, this review focussed on extracellular vesicles as a novel strategy for the delivery of photodynamic molecules at cancer sites. This completely new approach may enhance the delivery and decrease the toxicity of photodynamic molecules, therefore, represent the future for photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment.


Accuracy of cerebral monitoring in detecting cerebral ischemia during carotid endarterectomy: a comparison of transcranial Doppler sonography, near-infrared spectroscopy, stump pressure, and somatosensory evoked potentials.
This study compares the accuracy of cerebral monitoring systems in detecting cerebral ischemia during carotid endarterectomy. The authors compared transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), stump pressure (SP) measurement, and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in 48 patients undergoing carotid surgery during regional anesthesia. Cerebral ischemia was assumed when neurologic deterioration occurred. During clamping, the minimum mean middle cerebral artery velocity (TCD(min)), its percentage change (TCD%), the minimum regional saturation of oxygen (NIRS(min)), its percentage change (NIRS%), the mean SP, and the changes of SEP amplitude were recorded. To analyze the corresponding sensitivity and specificity of each parameter, the authors performed receiver operating characteristic analysis. Neurologic deterioration occurred in 12 patients. SP and NIRS were successfully performed in all patients. TCD monitoring was not possible in 10 (21%); SEP was not possible in 2 patients (4%). All parameters provided the ability to distinguish between ischemic and nonischemic patients. TCD% and NIRS% showed significantly better discrimination than TCD(min) and NIRS(min) (P < 0.05). The highest area under the curve (AUC) was found for TCD% (AUC = 0.973), but there was no significant difference compared with NIRS% (AUC = 0.905) and SP (AUC = 0.925). The lowest AUC was found for SEP (AUC = 0.749), which was significantly lower than that for TCD%, NIRS%, and SP. TCD%, NIRS%, and SP measurement provide similar accuracy for the detection of cerebral ischemia during carotid surgery. Lower accuracy was found for SEP monitoring. Because of the high rate of technical difficulties (21%), TCD monitoring was the least practical of the investigated monitoring devices.


Determination of Urea in Swimming Pool Water Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Online Postcolumn Derivatization by Xanthydrol.
A reversed-phase isocratic elution high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with fluorescence detection has been developed to determine urea concentration via online postcolumn derivatization. Swimming pool water samples were filtered through 0.20 μm syringe filters. When the temperature of reaction coil was 40°C, urea was derivatized well with xanthydrol methanol solution (0.1 g/L) containing 0.50% hydrochloric acid with a flow rate of 0.20 mL/min. Successful separation was achieved by using Shim-pack VP-ODS C18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column, with a mobile phase containing phosphoric acid solution (0.01 mol/L) at a flow rate of 0.80 mL/min. Retention time and external standard method were used for qualitative and quantitative urea analysis, respectively. Under the established conditions, the limit of detection, linear range, correlation coefficient, recovery and relative standard deviation was 0.09 mg/L, 1.0-100.0 mg/L, 0.9998, 87.0-105.3% and 0.95-4.8%, respectively. Ammonia, thiourea and trichloroisocyanuric acid did not interfere with urea analysis. The method showed satisfactory results with high precision, accuracy, recovery, as well as sensitivity, for the determination of urea in swimming pool water.


Brumimicrobium oceani sp. nov., isolated from coastal sediment saline lake and environmental adaptability analysis.
A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and orange-colored bacterium, designated as strain C305T, was isolated from marine sediment of the coast area of Weihai, China. Strain C305T growth occurs at 4-40 °C (optimally at 30-33 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimally at pH 8.0) and with 0.5-10.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1.5-3.0%). No growth is observed without NaCl. The major cellular fatty acids of strain C305T were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1G and iso-C17:0 3-OH. The major respiratory quinone was found to be MK-6, and the DNA G + C content was determined to be 35.5 mol%. The predominant polar lipids were mainly phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), unidentified aminophospholipids (APL), andunidentified lipid (L2). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that C305T was a member of the genus Brumimicrobium and had a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 96.9-98.0% with recognized Brumimicrobium species. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic evidences, strain C305T represents a novel species of the genus Brumimicrobium, for which the name Brumimicrobium oceani sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C305T (= KCTC 62371 T = MCCC 1H00297T).


Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrates bacteria in osteoradionecrosis.
According to the current concept of osteoradionecrosis such tissue has become hypoxic, hypovascular and hypocellular and it has previously failed to show any bacterial growth. By using a molecular method, i.e., DNA-DNA hybridization, the presence of microorganisms in radionecrotic bone has formerly been demonstrated by us. The aim of the present study was to visualise bacteria in such bone by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Fourteen deep medullar specimens from resected radionecrotic mandibles were studied. Microorganisms were detected in 9 of the 14 samples (64%). The bacteria seen included rods, spirochetes and cocci, with rods being the predominant cells. One sample also contained yeasts (blastoconida and pseudohyphae). The data from this study strongly suggest an association between microorganisms and osteoradionecrosis. This may call for a revision of its presumed pathophysiology, including the possibility of an infectious etiology.


Vitamin D in patients with intellectual and developmental disability in secure in-patient services in the North of England, UK.
Aims and method To assess the benefits of the introduction of routine vitamin D serum sampling for all patients admitted to a secure in-patient hospital in the North of England providing medium security, low security and rehabilitation services for offenders with intellectual and developmental disability. The vitamin D levels of 100 patients were analysed at baseline. Those with insufficient or deficient levels were offered treatment and retested after 1 year. Vitamin D levels were analysed in the context of level of security, seasonality of test and co-prescription of psychotropic medications. Eighty-three per cent of patients had suboptimal vitamin D levels at initial test (41% deficient and 42% insufficient). This was seen among established patients and new admissions. Regression analysis of baseline vitamin D levels revealed no differences for levels of security, seasonality, whether patients were taking antipsychotic or anticonvulsant medication, or length of stay. Patients with deficiency or insufficiency were all offered supplementation. Those who opted in had significantly higher vitamin D levels at follow-up, compared with those who declined treatment. Clinical implications Established and newly admitted patients in our secure mental health services had substantial levels of vitamin D insufficiency. In the light of the morbidities that are associated with deficient vitamin D levels, routine screening and the offer of supplementation is advisable. Declaration of interest None.


Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Umbilical Cord Serum from Pregnant Women Living Near a Chemical Plant in Tianjin, China.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) are bioaccumulative compounds that may affect fetal growth and infant development. The aim of this study was to determine whether the pregnant women living near a chemical plant in Tianjin had a risk of exposure to dioxins. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in 24 umbilical cord serum samples collected from pregnant women were measured using a high-resolution gas chromatograph with a high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRGC-HRMS) and an isotopic dilution method. The levels of ∑(PCDD/Fs + dl-PCBs) were in the range 476-8307 pg·g-1 lipid, with a mean of 3037 pg·g-1. The mean World Health Organization toxicity equivalent (WHO-TEQ) for PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs was 14.0 and 2.14 pg·g-1 lipid, respectively. The PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs contributed 86.7% and 13.3%, respectively, to the total TEQ. The octa-CDFs and penta-CBs were predominant for the PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs, accounting for 57.6% and 74.3%, respectively. Several PCDD/F and dl-PCB congeners were highly correlated, such as PCB 105 and PCB 118 (r = 0.982, p < 0.001). Although the results hint at decreasing trends for PCDD/F and dl-PCBs by comparison with a similar study in Tianjin, a total TEQ of 41.7% of study participants had a body burden that exceeded the biomonitoring equivalents for dioxins. It was shown that pregnant women and infants had a health risk of exposure to dioxins.


Feeding people is easy: but we have to re-think the world from first principles.
Agriculture designed to make best use of landscape and to be maximally sustainable would also provide food of the highest nutritional and gastronomic standards, and would inevitably employ a great many people. Thus it would solve the world's food problems, and its principal social problem, at a stroke. But agriculture in practice is designed for a quite different purpose--to generate wealth, in the cause of 'economic growth'. The pressing need is not for more science and technology, but to recognise the true cause of the problems and to re-think priorities. We could all be well fed. Indeed, everyone in the world who is ever likely to be born could be fed to the highest standards of gastronomy as well as of nutrition until humanity itself comes to an end. We already have most of the necessary technique--perhaps all that is needed. We could always do with more excellent science but we need not depend, as we are often told from on high, on the next technological fix. The methods that can provide excellent food would also create a beautiful environment, with plenty of scope for other creatures, and agreeable and stable agrarian economies with satisfying jobs for all. In reality, in absolute contrast, we have created a world in which almost a billion are chronically undernourished; another billion are horribly overnourished, so that obesity and diabetes are epidemic, and rising; a billion live on less than two dollars a day; and a billion live in urban slums--a figure set to increase and probably at least to double over the next half century; while other species are disappearing so fast that biologists speak of mass extinction.


Association of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia in bilateral anterior uveitis.
Two female patients with histories of cancer who showed cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) complications and bilateral anterior uveitis with hypopyon were examined. Both patients had suffered from COP and received intermitted systemic corticosteroid administration (SCA). The first patient, a 65-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer, showed bilateral uveitis with hypopyon. The topical corticosteroid treatment was ineffective. After SCA for the treatment of COP was started, the hypopyon gradually dissipated. Upon termination of SCA, uveitis relapses were controlled by renewed SCA. The other patient, a 69-year-old woman with a history of ovarian cancer, showed bilateral anterior uveitis with hypopyon. Her intraocular outcome did not improve by the topical corticosteroid administration, but SCA that was applied to treat COP led to remission of uveitis. Imaging examinations, biochemical analysis, symptoms or HLA-B27 antigen screenings in either patient did not explain the development of uveitis. Bilateral anterior uveitis is commonly related to autoimmune disease or systemic syndrome. We report two cases with COP that developed bilateral anterior uveitis with hypopyon resistant to topical administration but responsive to systemic administration of corticosteroid. These findings suggest that COP can be associated with the etiology of anterior uveitis.


Breaking time reversal symmetry by viscous dephasing.
We show that in generic situations a reversible periodic driving of a Stokes flow will not result in a reversible flow field. Each eigenmode of the Stokes operator responds with a phase delay that depends on frequency and damping, resulting in a viscous dephasing that destroys time reversal symmetry and hence prepares for chaotic advection. The general theory is illustrated for a two-dimensional vortex pattern that can be generated in current driven flows in a magnetic field.


Judgments about judgments: the dissociation of consideration price and transaction commitment judgments.
There are many contexts in which people make judgments about prior judgments. For example, Internet shopping bots (e.g., NexTag.com) allow consumers to search for products and, if the price is too high, list a price at which they would consider making the purchase (i.e., base judgment). If the price drops to this level, the vendor generates an e-mail inviting the consumer to execute the transaction at the reduced price (i.e., contingent judgment). The authors show that the consideration price depends on the content of retrieved information, whereas the willingness to execute the transaction at the consideration price depends on the ease-of-retrieving the information. The authors use different offer prices to encourage the consumer to retrieve information consistent with different product quality levels. The authors also select offer prices so that information retrieval is more difficult at moderate offer prices than at high or low offer prices. Accordingly, the authors show that the consideration price increases as the offer price increases, but the willingness to execute the transaction at the consideration price is greater when there are high and low, as opposed to moderate, offer prices.


Level of alliance, pattern of alliance, and outcome in short-term group therapy.
This study investigated the relationships between initial level of alliance, pattern of alliance over sessions, and outcome in a sample of 107 patients who completed short-term group therapy for complicated grief. Both patient-rated alliance and therapist-rated alliance were studied. For patient-rated alliance, both the initial level of alliance and the linear pattern of alliance were directly and significantly related to favorable outcome. For therapist-rated alliance, no significant direct relationships with outcome were found. Instead, significant interaction effects were found. For patients with relatively high initial alliance, the greater the increase in alliance over sessions, the better the outcome. For patients with relatively low initial alliance, the greater the decrease in alliance over sessions, the better the outcome. Explanations for the findings are considered as well as possible clinical implications.


Old and New Roles and Evolving Complexities of Cardiovascular Clocks.
The cardiovascular (CV) system has been established to be significantly influenced by the molecular components of circadian rhythm. Oscillations of circadian rhythm occur within the circulation to affect thrombosis and blood pressure and within CV tissues including arteries, heart, and kidney to control function. Physiologic and molecular oscillations of circadian rhythm have been well connected via global, tissue-specific, and transgenic reporter mouse models of key core clock signals such as Bmal1, Period, and Clock, which can produce both pathology and protection with their mutation. With different nuances of CV clock action continuing to emerge in studies of the cardiovascular system, new questions are raised in both new and old mouse model system observations that underscore the importance, complexity, and continued study of the circadian clock mechanism in cardiovascular disease.


Novel recombinant-antigen enzyme immunoassay for serological diagnosis of syphilis.
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is an ideal method for screening large numbers of patients for syphilis. We evaluated a novel immune-capture EIA (ICE Syphilis; Murex Diagnostics) that uses three recombinant Treponema pallidum antigens (TpN15, TpN17, and TpN47) and compared the results with those obtained by the native T. pallidum antigen EIA (Captia SelectSyph-G; Centocor) that we currently use for the serodiagnosis of syphilis. Specificity was evaluated by screening 1,184 unselected serum specimens in parallel by the ICE Syphilis and SelectSyph-G assays, while sensitivity was tested with a panel of 101 serum specimens containing antitreponemal antibodies (treated and untreated) from patients with various stages of infection. The specificity of the ICE Syphilis EIA (99.8%) on screening was significantly higher (P < 0.02) than that of the SelectSyph-G EIA (99.2%). The sensitivity of the ICE Syphilis EIA was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that of the SelectSyph-G EIA on both initial (99 versus 91.4%) and repeat (100 versus 92.4%) testing. The ICE Syphilis EIA was also significantly more sensitive (P < 0.01) than the fluorescent treponemal antibody-abs (92.4%) but not the T. pallidum hemagglutination assay (97.1%). Sera containing antitreponemal antibodies gave a much higher antibody index (absorbance of test serum/kit cutoff) by the ICE Syphilis EIA than by the SelectSyph-G EIA. This combined with the overall high sensitivity makes the ICE Syphilis EIA an ideal test for excluding or detecting treponemal infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. The ICE Syphilis EIA was positive with sera from all 15 HIV-infected patients in the study, whereas sera from 3 HIV-infected patients were negative by the SelectSyph-G EIA. We conclude that the high sensitivity and specificity of the ICE Syphilis EIA and its suitability for automation make it an ideal screening test.


Specific genetic aberrations of parathyroid in Chinese patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism using whole-exome sequencing.
Tertiary hyperparathyroidism (THPT) is a peculiar subtype of hyperparathyroidism that usually develops from chronic kidney disease (CKD) and persists even after kidney transplantation. Unlike its precursor, secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), THPT is characterized by uncontrolled high levels of calcium in the blood, which suggests the monoclonal or oligoclonal proliferation of parathyroid cells. However, the molecular abnormalities leading to THPT have not yet been fully understood. In this study, we analyzed DNA samples from hyperplastic parathyroid and corresponding blood cells of 11 patients with THPT using whole-exome sequencing (WES). We identified somatic single nucleotide variants (SNV) and insertions or deletions variants (INDEL) and performed driver mutation analysis, KEGG pathway, and GO functional enrichment analysis. To confirm the impact of selected driver mutated genes, we also tested their expression level in these samples using qRT-PCR. Following quality control and mutation filtering, we identified 17,401 mutations, comprising 6690 missense variants, 3078 frameshift variants, 2005 stop-gained variants, and 1630 synonymous variants. Copy number variants (CNV) analysis showed that chromosome 22 copy number deletion was frequently observed in 6 samples. Driver mutation analysis identified 179 statistically significant mutated genes, including recurrent missense mutations on TBX20, ATAD5, ZNF669, and NOX3 genes in 3 different patients. KEGG pathway analysis revealed two enriched pathways: non-homologous end-joining and cell cycle, with a sole gene, PRKDC, involved. GO analysis demonstrated significant enrichment of various cellular components and cytobiological processes associated with four genes, including GO items of positive regulation of developmental growth, protein ubiquitination, and positive regulation of the apoptotic process. Compared to blood samples, THPT samples exhibited lower expression levels of PRKDC, TBX20, ATAD5, and NOX3 genes. THPT samples with exon mutations had relatively lower expression levels of PRKDC, TBX20, and NOX3 genes compared to those without mutations, although the difference was not statistically significant. This study provides a comprehensive landscape of the genetic characteristics of hyperplastic parathyroids in THPT, highlighting the involvement of multiple genes and pathways in the development and progression of this disease. The dominant mutations identified in our study depicted new insights into the pathogenesis and molecular characteristics of THPT.


Examining nonlinearity using complexity and entropy.
A method based on complexity and Shannon entropy along with surrogate data testing is described to detect nonlinearity in biosignals. The importance of denoising is illustrated in the detection of nonlinearity. The procedure is tested on synthetic linear and Lorenz data and on a large set of surface and intracranial electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. This method provides a measure of the complexity and entropy associated with nonlinearity. The results indicate that EEG signals measured during a seizure and from intracranial recordings show more nonlinearity when compared with surface EEG data and eyes open more than eyes closed signals.


A content analysis of news coverage of skin cancer in China newspapers.
China has the largest population in the world today. Recent epidemiology investigation showed a significant increase in the incidence of skin cancer in China. However, little is known about the content of skin cancer articles in Chinese newspaper coverage. To analyze the skin cancer issues in the newspaper media over an eight-year period from 2000 through 2007 in China, we performed a preliminary search of articles titled by "skin cancer" in Chinese important newspapers database. There were 134 articles about skin cancer in the total 7,643 articles related to cancer in China important newspapers database. The number of reports about skin cancers increased in the main, especially in 2006. The main focus of the articles tended to be about melanoma, accounting for 38.1% of all the articles. The treatment was the overriding subject of the 134 articles, with nearly 41.8%.


In vitro effects of cycloheximide and luteinizing hormone on the estradiol-to-progesterone shift in follicular steroidogenesis.
The objectives of this study were to establish a completely in vitro system that would simulate the in vivo effects of cycloheximide (cyclo) on preovulatory serum levels of estradiol (E2) (prolonged) and progesterone (P4) (reduced). Graafian follicles were removed from proestrous hamsters at 0900 h and incubated for a basal hour (Hour 1) with various doses of cyclo before the medium was replaced; in Hour 2, 100 ng luteinizing hormone (LH) was added with cyclo added every hour for 5 or 6 h. The endpoints were steroid levels/follicle/h per ml medium of P4, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (170HP), androstenedione (A), and E2. The goal was best accomplished with hourly addition of 400 ng cyclo, which reduced follicular protein synthesis by 76%. Cyclo suppressed P4 and 170HP and prolonged the accumulation of A and E2, in Hour 5 and Hour 6, correlated with sustained thecal C-17,20-lyase/17 alpha-hydroxylase as determined by enzyme assays. Cyclo therefore prevented the early demise of the enzyme complex after LH stimulation and hence prolonged the ability of the theca to provide androgens for conversion to E2 by the granulosa cells. Our earlier work established that one of the major effects of LH is to recruit the granulosa compartment as a source of C-21 steroids, and cyclo interferes with the availability of cholesterol to mitochondrial side-chain cleavage (Greenwald and Limback, 1984). Thus, cyclo affects follicular steroidogenesis through different mechanisms in theca and granulosa.


Time-varying feedback matrices in feedback delay networks and their application in artificial reverberation.
This paper introduces a time-variant reverberation algorithm as an extension of the feedback delay network (FDN). By modulating the feedback matrix nearly continuously over time, a complex pattern of concurrent amplitude modulations of the feedback paths evolves. Due to its complexity, the modulation produces less likely perceivable artifacts and the time-variation helps to increase the liveliness of the reverberation tail. A listening test, which has been conducted, confirms that the perceived quality of the reverberation tail can be enhanced by the feedback matrix modulation. In contrast to the prior art time-varying allpass FDNs, it is shown that unitary feedback matrix modulation is guaranteed to be stable. Analytical constraints on the pole locations of the FDN help to describe the modulation effect in depth. Further, techniques and conditions for continuous feedback matrix modulation are presented.


Microfluidic Leaching of Soil Minerals: Release of K+ from K Feldspar.
The rate of K+ leaching from soil minerals such as K-feldspar is believed to be too slow to provide agronomic benefit. Currently, theories and methods available to interpret kinetics of mineral processes in soil fail to consider its microfluidic nature. In this study, we measure the leaching rate of K+ ions from a K-feldspar-bearing rock (syenite) in a microfluidic environment, and demonstrate that at the spatial and temporal scales experienced by crop roots, K+ is available at a faster rate than that measured with conventional apparatuses. We present a device to investigate kinetics of mineral leaching at an unprecedented simultaneous resolution of space (~101-102 μm), time (~101-102 min) and fluid volume (~100-101 mL). Results obtained from such a device challenge the notion that silicate minerals cannot be used as alternative fertilizers for tropical soils.


Mathematical modeling for the synchronization of two interacting active rotors.
We investigate the synchronization of active rotors. A rotor is composed of a free-rotating arm with a particle that releases a surface-active chemical compound. It exhibits self-rotation due to the surface tension gradient originating from the concentration field of the surface-active compound released from the rotor. In a system with two active rotors, they should interact through the concentration field. Thus, the interaction between them does not depend only on the instantaneous positions, but also on the dynamics of the concentration field. By numerical simulations, we show that in-phase and antiphase synchronizations occur depending on the distance between the two rotors. The stability of the synchronization mode is analyzed based on phase reduction theorem through the calculation of the concentration field in the co-rotating frame with the active rotor. We also confirm that the numerical results meet the prediction by theoretical analyses.