Influence of oral anticoagulation on success rates and risk of bleeding events after iStent inject implantation combined with phacoemulsification.
We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect, the success rates, and the risk of bleeding events of patients receiving an iStent inject combined with phacoemulsification under anticoagulation therapy compared with a matched control group. In this retrospective study, sixty-four eyes underwent an iStent inject implantation combined with phacoemulsification at two centers. Thirty-two eyes received surgery while under anticoagulation therapy, and another thirty-two eyes served as a control group matched for visual acuity, IOP, and medication score. Success was defined as criteria A and B (IOP < 18/21 mmHg, > 20% IOP reduction, no resurgery) and criteria C (IOP ≤ 15 mmHg, IOP reduction ≥ 40%, no resurgery). The clinical goal of the study was to determine the difference between the study and control groups with respect to IOP, medication score, and the frequency of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding events. After a mean follow-up time of 1 year, the IOP lowered 28% from 20.1 ± 4.8 to 14.5 ± 3.7 mmHg in the group of 64 eyes. The medication score lowered 38% from 2.1 ± 1.1 to 1.3 ± 1.2. The two groups with and without anticoagulant agents did not significantly differ in postoperative IOP, medication score, success rates, or number of bleeding events. We conclude that in cataract surgery combined with the iStent inject a discontinuation of anticoagulant agents might not be necessary. It might be a good option in glaucoma surgery when anticoagulation treatment should not be interrupted and the target pressure is not very low.


The endosomal-lysosomal system: from acidification and cargo sorting to neurodegeneration.
The endosomal-lysosomal system is made up of a set of intracellular membranous compartments that dynamically interconvert, which is comprised of early endosomes, recycling endosomes, late endosomes, and the lysosome. In addition, autophagosomes execute autophagy, which delivers intracellular contents to the lysosome. Maturation of endosomes and/or autophagosomes into a lysosome creates an unique acidic environment within the cell for proteolysis and recycling of unneeded cellular components into usable amino acids and other biomolecular building blocks. In the endocytic pathway, gradual maturation of endosomes into a lysosome and acidification of the late endosome are accompanied by vesicle trafficking, protein sorting and targeted degradation of some sorted cargo. Two opposing sorting systems are operating in these processes: the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) supports targeted degradation and the retromer supports retrograde retrieval of certain cargo. The endosomal-lysosomal system is emerging as a central player in a host of neurodegenerative diseases, demonstrating potential roles which are likely to be revealed in pathogenesis and for viable therapeutic strategies. Here we focus on the physiological process of endosomal-lysosomal maturation, acidification and sorting systems along the endocytic pathway, and further discuss relationships between abnormalities in the endosomal-lysosomal system and neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD).


No detection of BK virus, JC virus, KI, WU and Merkel cell polyomaviruses in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurological complications after hematopoetic stem cell transplantation.
Neurological complications, often due to viral reactivation, after allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are associated with increased mortality. Here, cerebrospinal fluid from 20 HSCT patients with neurological symptoms were analyzed and found to be negative by PCR for BK virus, JC virus, KI, WU and Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA.


Psychogenic sensory loss: magnetic source imaging reveals normal tactile evoked activity of the human primary and secondary somatosensory cortex.
We investigated the activation of the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) in three patients with unilateral psychogenic sensory loss in the hand. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields were recorded in response to tactile stimulation of the index finger of the affected and the unaffected hand. Brain sources were estimated by magnetic source imaging. In all subjects, responses in both the contralateral primary somatosensory (SI) and bilateral SII areas were normal as compared with a healthy control group, irrespective of the stimulated side. The results extend previous findings of normal evoked activity in SI.


Does the disruption of horizontal anterior ciliary vessels affect the blood-aqueous barrier function?
To investigate the significance of the anterior ciliary vessels (ACVs) preservation during the conventional horizontal strabismus surgery. Patients (≥ 8 years) with horizontal strabismus were randomly allocated into group 1 (with ACV preservation) and group 2 (without ACV preservation). The surgical eyes in group 1 were further divided into group A (one rectus muscle operated) and group B (two rectus muscles operated). Similarly, eyes in group 2 were divided into group C (one rectus muscle operated) and group D (two rectus muscles operated). The success rate of ACV preservation was calculated. The anterior chamber flare measurements of each eye by laser flare photometry were recorded on the day prior to and after operation. The flare values between groups and between pre- and post-operation in each group were compared by one-way analysis of variance and a paired t-test respectively. In groups A and B, the success rate of ACV preservation was 82% (27/33) and 70% (28/40)respectively, and the flare values between pre- and post-operation showed no significant differences(4.378 ± 1.527, 4.544 ± 1.452, P = 0.526; 4.625 ± 1.090, 4.989 ± 1.468, P = 0.101 respectively). However, the postoperative values were significantly increased in group C and group D(4.661 ± 1.031, 5.039 ± 1.310, P = 0.025; 4.933 ± 1.691, 5.502 ± 1.430, P = 0.000 respectively). The postoperative flare readings of group D were significantly higher than group B, while group A and group C had no significant variation. ACV preservation probably has clinical significance in reducing the undesirable influence on the blood-aqueous barrier.


Extended dissipative state estimation for memristive neural networks with time-varying delay.
This paper investigates the problem of extended dissipative state estimation for memristor-based neural networks (MNNs) with time-varying delay. Based on both nonsmooth analysis and the construction of a new Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, the extended dissipative state estimation criteria are obtained by mainly applying differential inclusions, set-valued maps and many new integral inequalities. The extended dissipative state estimation can be adopted to deal with l2-l∞ state estimation, H∞ state estimation, passive state estimation and dissipative state estimation by valuing the corresponding weighting matrices. Finally, two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and less conservatism of the proposed criteria.


Meta-analysis: glutathione S-transferase T1 null allele is associated with gastric cancer risk.
Allelic variant within genes encoding glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) has been suggested to be a possible risk factor of gastric cancer, but previous studies provide controversial results. This study aimed to assess the effects of GSTT1 polymorphism on gastric cancer by means of meta-analysis. We included published studies on the relationship between GSTT1 null allele and gastric cancer risk after searching electronic databases. A meta-analysis was conducted by calculating the pooled odds ratios (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Forty-two studies with a total of 8,203 gastric cancer cases and 13,866 controls were included into this meta-analysis. When all 42 studies were pooled into this meta-analysis, there was a significant association between the GSTT1 null allele and gastric cancer risk (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.36, P < 0.00001). Sensitivity analysis by excluding individual studies showed that there was no effect on the pooled OR with 95% CI. After excluding studies with low quality, there was still a significant association between the GSTT1 null allele and gastric cancer risk (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.36, P < 0.00001). In the subgroup analysis, there was a significant association between the GSTT1 null allele and gastric cancer risk in both Europeans and Asians. There was no risk of publication bias in this meta-analysis. Our results suggest that GSTT1 null allele is associated with increased risk of gastric cancer.


Effects of female hormones on the activity of 3'-phosphoadenylylsulphate: desulphated heparan sulphate sulphotransferase in the endometrium of rabbit uterus.
Sulphotransferase activity in the microsomal fraction of the uterine endometrium of rabbits was measured with heparan sulphate, N-desulphated heparan sulphate and N-, O-desulphated heparan sulphate as exogenous substrates in the presence of 3'-phosphoadenylyl[35S]sulphate. Of the three acceptors, N-, O-desulphated heparan sulphate was most effectively radiolabelled. When N-, O-desulphated heparan sulphate was used as an acceptor, it was found that estrogen enhanced the sulphotransferase activity and that progesterone suppressed the effect of estrogen.


A narrative therapy approach to counseling: a model for working with adolescents and adults with language-literacy deficits.
Remediation efforts with adolescents and adults with language-literacy deficits (LLD) may be hindered by concomitant factors such as decreased self-esteem and self-efficacy. Despite sound linguistically based remediation practices, treatment lacking integrated counseling components may fail to achieve optimal outcomes. In this tutorial, we recount a counseling approach, specifically a narrative therapy counseling approach based on constructivist theory, to be used with adolescents and adults with LLD. A review of the literature includes research on the use of counseling in communication disorders settings and on the application of a narrative therapy counseling approach with individuals with decreased self-esteem. The key components and steps of narrative therapy are described, and applications for use with adolescents and adults with LLD are suggested. Sample vignettes of a counseling component for a 22-year-old student with LLD who is enrolled in literacy intervention are used to illustrate some of the key points of a narrative therapy counseling approach. A narrative therapy counseling approach that is integrated into language-literacy remediation may be an effective way of addressing concomitant factors such as decreased self-esteem in adolescents and adults with LLD. Readers of this article are challenged to seek additional counseling training and to begin to conduct research to determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and efficacy of integrating a counseling component into speech and language therapy.


The morphology and projections of retrogradely labeled myenteric neurons in the human intestine.
Myenteric ganglia in the human gastrointestinal tract contain a mixture of many different types of nerve cells that cannot be distinguished by their location. The aim of this study was to characterize different functional types of cells by using retrograde labeling in vitro to identify neurons according to their targets. The retrograde label 1,1'-didodecyl 3,3,3',3'-indocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil) was applied to different target layers of human small or large intestine. After 3-5 days in organotypic culture, myenteric neurons projecting to the Dil application site were visualized and mapped using fluorescence microscopy. Myenteric motor neurons projecting to the external muscle layer were typically unipolar cells with lamellar dendrites (Dogiel type I) and had short projections up to 16 mm long. In contrast, presumed interneurons with Dogiel type I morphology were shown to project up to 68 mm aborally or up to 38 mm orally. Multipolar Dogiel type II neurons with smooth cell bodies were labeled most frequently from the submucous plexus. No myenteric neurons were labeled by Dil applied to the mucosa. Myenteric neurons labeled from each target had characteristic size, morphology, polarity, and length of projections, indicating that there is a high degree of organization in the human enteric nervous system.


The effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on axonal growth and myelination of central motor fibers. A morphometric study on rat cortico-spinal tract.
A morphometric study of the axon circumference and myelin sheath thickness in the rat corticospinal tract was undertaken to establish the effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition and subsequent nutritional rehabilitation. Both axonal growth and myelin deposition were affected by undernutrition. Rats subjected to postnatal nutritional rehabilitation revealed a catch-up in axonal growth; whereas the process of myelination remained affected.


Planar covariation of elevation angles in prosthetic gait.
In order to achieve efficacious walking, transfemoral amputees must adapt coordination within both the artificial and the sound lower limb. We analyzed kinematic strategies in amputees using the planar covariation of lower limb segments approach. When the elevation angles of the thigh, shank and foot are plotted one versus the others, they describe a regular loop which lies close to a plane in normal adults' gait. Orientation of this plane changes with increased speed, in relation to mechanical energetic saving. We used an opto-electronic device to record the elevation angles of both limbs' segments of novice and expert transfemoral amputees and compared them to those of control subjects. The statistical structure underlying the distribution of these angles was described by principal component analysis and Fourier transform. The typical elliptic loop was preserved in prosthetic walking, in both limbs in both novice and expert transfemoral amputees. This reflects a specific control over the thigh elevation angle taking into account knowledge of the other elevation angles throughout the gait cycle. The best-fitting plane of faster trials rotates around the long axis of the gait loop with respect to the plane of slower trials for control subjects, and even more for the sound limb of expert amputees. In contrast, plane rotation is very weak or absent for the prosthetic limb. We suggest that these results reveal a centrally commanded compensation strategy.


Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in the hospital setting: length of stay, charges, and mortality.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important viral cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children worldwide. No vaccine against RSV is available, but prophylactic interventions have been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials. This retrospective analysis was conducted to examine the health and economic burden of hospitalization for RSV pneumonia. Nationally weighted hospital discharges for RSV pneumonia among children 4 years old and younger were analyzed by using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample. In 1993, there were estimated to be 16,500 hospital discharges with RSV pneumonia, which increased to 19,700 and 20,800 in 1994 and 1995, respectively. Children less than 1 year of age accounted for over 70% of these discharges. Hospital charges (in 1998 dollars) for RSV pneumonia-associated episodes were $295,100,000 in 1993; $392,300,000 in 1994; and $295,800,000 in 1995. With inpatient charges of $300 to $400 million per year in the United States, the disease burden of RSV pneumonia is very high in terms of both morbidity and economic costs. Emerging prophylactic interventions should have an impact on the high burden of RSV pneumonia.


The "battle of the sexes": a genetic model with limit cycle behavior.
A two-locus genetic model, based on Dawkins "sex war" game, with the fitness of the genotypes at each locus depending on the gene frequencies at the other, is shown to give rise to a stable limit cycle. The mathematical analysis involves averaging techniques and elliptic integrals.


Kluyveromyces: systematics since 1970.
The taxonomy of Kluyveromyces has been the object of intense study since van der Walt's (1970) monograph. This is an account of the major developments and the classification to be adopted in the 4th edition of The Yeasts, a Taxonomic Study. The guiding principles that will be followed in eventual revisions of the genus are presented.


Magnetic resonance imaging findings in Hunter syndrome.
Hunter syndrome is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disease that is caused by a deficiency, or absence, of iduronate-2-sulphatase, an enzyme needed to break down specific glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). As a result, GAGs build up in various tissues throughout the body leading to adverse neurological and non-neurological effects. This literature review focuses on the neurological findings. Although few magnetic resonance imaging studies have been conducted, those done have shown that patients with Hunter syndrome generally exhibit brain atrophy, enlarged periventricular spaces and ventriculomegaly. Similar findings have been reported in other mucopolysaccharide disorders. Enzyme replacement therapy is a novel treatment which has had success in treating peripheral disease in mice and humans. Future studies should focus on how structural and chemical signatures in the brain of Hunter patients are altered before and after enzyme replacement therapy, and how those alterations correlate with clinical outcome.


Impacts of human activities on coral reef ecosystems of southern Taiwan: a long-term study.
In July 2001, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, co-sponsored by the Kenting National Park Headquarters and Taiwan's National Science Council, launched a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program to monitor anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystems of southern Taiwan, specifically the coral reefs of Kenting National Park (KNP), which are facing an increasing amount of anthropogenic pressure. We found that the seawater of the reef flats along Nanwan Bay, Taiwan's southernmost embayment, was polluted by sewage discharge at certain monitoring stations. Furthermore, the consequently higher nutrient and suspended sediment levels had led to algal blooms and sediment smothering of shallow water corals at some sampling sites. Finally, our results show that, in addition to this influx of anthropogenically-derived sewage, increasing tourist numbers are correlated with decreasing shallow water coral cover, highlighting the urgency of a more proactive management plan for KNP's coral reefs.


Diagnostic considerations prior to pediatric tracheocutaneous fistula closure.
An airway assessment often occurs prior to tracheocutaneous fistula (TCF) closure in children. Bronchoscopy (MLB) with or without fistula-occluded polysomnography (PSG) helps determine candidacy and localize potential obstruction. To date, little has been published on MLB or PSG findings in children before surgically closing a TCF. A case series with chart review of children between 2017 and 2020 who underwent repair of a TCF after tracheostomy decannulation. Thirty-six children were included for review. Mean age was 5.9 years (95% CI: 4.5-7.3), 58.3% were male, and 50% had chronic lung disease. Surgery occurred 13.3 months (95% CI: 11.9-14.8) after decannulation, with 80.6% by primary closure and 19.4% by secondary intention. There was one unsuccessful closure and two patients (5.6%) presented with a postoperative complication. An MLB was performed in 97.2% of children, where 22.9% identified supraglottic pathology, 11.4% had grade 2 subglottic stenosis, and 11.4% had difficult exposure of the larynx. Further, one child had a non-obstructing subglottic cyst, one had a supraglottoplasty for redundant arytenoid mucosa, and two children had suprastomal granulomas requiring removal. A PSG was obtained in 36.1%, with a mean Apnea-Hypopnea Index of 2.4 events/hour (95% CI: 0.9-3.9), nadir Oxygen saturation of 90.5% (95% CI: 87.9-93.0), and peak end-tidal CO2 of 46.1 mmHg (95% CI: 43.7-48.5). The selection of candidates for pediatric TCF closure requires careful evaluation of the airway. Surgeons should be familiar with the potential findings on MLB and PSG prior to closure.


Expression of histone H3 cell cycle-related gene, vimentin and MYC genes in pediatric brain tumors. A preliminary analysis showing the different malignant cell growth potential.
Eleven pediatric brain tumors were studied for the histone H3, Vimentin and MYC gene expression. H3, an S phase cell cycle-related gene (ccr), was found prevalently expressed in tumors with a high mitotic index (MI). Vimentin gene, which contributes to maintaining the cell structure but is also demonstrated to be an early responder gene to growth stimulation was found variously expressed. The different expression of Vimentin gene in the examined samples suggests the active proliferation of the tumor cells. Analysis of MYC gene expression was found increased only in a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma while in other samples MYC mRNA was undetectable. Medulloblastoma, chondrosarcoma, and choroid plexus carcinoma have high S phase H3 gene expression associated with a high MI. Differently an astrocytoma shows a low MI associated with high H3 gene expression. This first preliminary report of H3, Vimentin and MYC gene expression in brain tumors demonstrates that malignant cells are characterized by a different gene expression and different growth potentials.


Analysis of Repair Type and Hypogastric Artery Antegrade Perfusion and Erectile Function following Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.
Published reports suggest that exclusion of antegrade hypogastric artery flow may have deleterious effects on erectile function after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Off-label and open surgical hybrid procedures and, more recently, purpose-built branched devices have been developed to maintain antegrade pelvic perfusion in patients undergoing endovascular repair. Maintaining antegrade perfusion may reduce a spectrum of risks, including buttock claudication, colorectal ischemia, and spinal cord ischemia when patients undergo subsequent thoracic aortic procedures, as well as erectile dysfunction (ED). This project specifically focuses on erectile function, and analyzes baseline associations and relationships of hypogastric artery exclusion on changes in erectile function following aneurysm repair. Male patients in the Veterans Affairs Open Versus Endovascular Repair (CSP#498; OVER) Trial had erectile function assessed preoperatively and postoperatively by administration of the International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire. Bayesian mixed-effects regression models were created with the outcome variable (erectile function) treated as a latent variable. Primary effects of differences in erectile function between groups with and without preservation of bilateral antegrade hypogastric flow were compared. 876 men (442 randomized to endovascular repair) were enrolled in the trial and included in the analysis comparing treatment assignment. There is significant ED in elderly men with aortic aneurysm at baseline. Over 5 years of follow-up, there is modest decrease in erectile function and the endovascular group has improved function compared to open repair (0.082; 95% credible interval (CI) 0.008 and 0.155). A fifth of patients did not have bilateral preservation of antegrade hypogastric artery perfusion, with no difference in erectile function by univariate analysis. A more detailed regression analysis was applied--and after adjustment for baseline score, age, beta blocker use, diabetes, activity level, ejection fraction, preoperative ankle-brachial indices and time--preservation of both antegrade hypogastric arteries' perfusion showed transient improvement in survey scores compared to occlusion of at least 1 hypogastric artery at 6 months and 12 months after treatment, although this was not sustained at 60 months (score change: 0.046; 95% CI: -0.123, 0.215). Retesting this model in the cohort with complete data as a sensitivity analysis did not meaningfully change the conclusions. In this large prospective aneurysm treatment trial with systematic measurement of erectile function with a validated instrument, endovascular repair is associated with improved erectile function. Preservation of antegrade hypogastric flow with any repair is associated with early improved erectile function; however, it is not a sustained benefit. There is limited benefit of maintaining bilateral hypogastric artery perfusion for this specific indication in unselected men undergoing AAA repair.


Clinical sepsis in neonates and young infants, United States, 1988-2006.
To describe the burden and characteristics of clinical neonatal sepsis in the United States and evaluate incidence rates after the issuance of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) guidelines. This is a cross-sectional study of hospitalizations of infants aged <3 months diagnosed with sepsis from the 1988-2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey. The National Hospital Discharge Survey collects data annually on inpatient discharges from a national probability sample of approximately 500 short-stay hospitals. We examined sepsis hospitalizations, defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, and compared sepsis hospitalization rates for 2 time periods after the issuance of IAP guidelines (1996-2001 and 2002-2006) with 1988-1995 using national natality data as the population denominator. We used Joinpoint (Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland) regression to assess the average annual percent change (AAPC) in rates. Between 1988 and 2006, there were more than 2.5 million sepsis-related hospitalizations in infants aged <3 months (112 000-146 000 annually). In 2006, the sepsis hospitalization rate was 30.8/1000 births. The rate was more than 3 times higher in preterm infants compared with term infants (85.4/1000 preterm births vs 23.1/1000 term births). The AAPC in sepsis hospitalization rate was -3.6% (95% CI, -5.1% to 2.0%) [corrected] for term infants during 1996-2002 and did not change significantly after issuance of the revised 2002 guidelines. For preterm infants, the AAPC was -1.2% (95% CI, -2.2% to -0.1%) [corrected] annually from 1988 to 2006. Clinical neonatal sepsis declined in the post-IAP era, mirroring trends observed in group B streptococcal early-onset neonatal sepsis surveillance. Preterm infants were affected disproportionately and exhibited a modest but steady decline in sepsis hospitalization rate.


The role of H2O2 and the lactoperoxidase-SCN(-)-H2O2 system on the interaction between two bacteria originating from human dental plaque, Streptococcus rattus (mutans) BHT and Streptococcus mitior LPA-1, grown on human teeth in an artificial mouth.
Teeth were inoculated with either the organisms separately or with a freshly-prepared mixture of both. The apparatus was swept with 5 per cent (v/v) CO2 in either air or N2, and incubated for 90 h. A nutrient supplement containing 1 per cent (w/v) glucose was supplied for 1 h in every 6 h. Both organisms achieved similar numbers when grown aerobically in pure culture, yet in mixed culture there was pronounced inhibition of BHT (p less than 0.001). When the synthetic saliva was supplemented with catalase the strain BHT count in mixed culture was much higher (p less than 0.001). It was concluded, therefore, that the strain LPA-1 produced inhibitory levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the tooth surface under aerobic conditions. This was supported by finding that a lower viable count of LPA-1 in pure culture was attained when lactoperoxidase (LPO) was included in the saliva (p less than 0.005), as all components of the LPO-SCN-H2O2 system were presumably present. With the N2-CO2 mixture, conditions were not strictly anaerobic and both catalase and LPO increased all viable counts. Under these conditions, therefore, when H2O2 was limiting, LPO protected bacteria against its bactericidal effect.


Corneal lenticule harvest using a microkeratome and an artificial anterior chamber system at high intrachamber pressure.
To evaluate the safety and accuracy of a manual microkeratome and an artificial anterior chamber used at high intrachamber pressure to harvest corneal lenticules for lamellar keratoplasty. Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA. Forty-seven human eye-bank corneoscleral rims were mounted on an artificial anterior chamber. A manual microkeratome was used to perform lamellar keratectomy at a mean intrachamber pressure of 95.8 mm hg +/- 4.8 (sd). Two thicknesses (300 microm and 360 microm microkeratome heads) and diameters (8.0 mm and 9.0 mm) were attempted, and the resultant lenticules were analyzed by pachymetry and digital photography. In the 9.0 mm/360 microm group, corneal perforation occurred in 12 of 17 lenticules (71.2%). Except for this group, 24 of 30 corneas (80.0%) showed a less than 0.5 mm deviation from the expected diameter. Neither the horizontal nor the vertical diameter differences were statistically significant (P >.05). The difference between the horizontal and vertical diameters was within +/-0.2 mm in 23 corneas (76.7%). Three (10.0%) corneal beds contained a slightly uneven keratectomy margin. This system provided accurate and smooth lenticules for lamellar keratoplasty. The precision and accuracy of the obtained corneal lenticules were better than those in previous reports. However, the 9.0 mm diameter/360 microm thickness head with high intrachamber pressure should not be applied in the clinical setting without further testing. In this laboratory study, a minimal corneal thickness of 588 microm was required to avoid perforation.


Two new species of Pyrgulopsis Call amp; Pilsbry, 1886 (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from springs in the Rio Grande watershed in Texas.
Pyrgulopsis Call Pilsbry, 1886 is a genus of small (<5 mm) spring snails, usually endemic to single freshwater springs. Two new populations of Pyrgulopsis found in very small, isolated springs and spring runs in the mainstem Rio Grande watershed of western Texas are distinguished from congeners. Mitochondrial and nuclear sequences, morphometrics, and morphological characteristics support Pyrgulopsis rubra sp. nov. and Pyrgulopsis harrymilleri sp. nov. as distinct from other known Pyrgulopsis species, including the geographically proximate P. metcalfi.


Intrahepatic endothelial and Kupffer cells involved in immunosuppressive cytokines and natural killer (NK)/NK T cell disorders in viral acute hepatitis.
During acute viral hepatitis, the intrahepatic tolerance sustained by immunosuppressive cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), produced by Kupffer cells (KC), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC), natural killer (NK) T cells and natural regulatory T cells may be disturbed. NK cells are recruited normally in the liver and produce interferon (IFN)-gamma to control viral replication. The use of mouse hepatitis virus type 3 (MHV3) attenuated variants showing selected tropisms for KC or LSEC have allowed determining their roles in the disturbances of immune tolerance during viral hepatitis. Groups of C57BL/6 mice were infected with the pathogenic L2-MHV3 (KC+, LSEC+), low attenuated 51.6-MHV3 (KC+, LSEC-) or high attenuated CL12-MHV3 (KC-, LSEC-) variants for the first 3 days. Results showed that IL-10, TGF-beta and PGE2 production in the liver decreased in L2-MHV3-infected mice and increased in 51.6-MHV3- and CL12-MHV3-infected mice. The ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 in liver decreased in L2-MHV3-infected mice, while it was not (or low) altered in mice infected with the attenuated MHV3 variant mice. Phenotypic analysis of intrahepatic mononuclear cells revealed that apoptotic NK and NK T cells increased in mice infected with the L2-MHV3, but were minor in 51.6-MHV3- and CL12-MHV3-infected mice. The numbers of CD4+ forkhead box P3+ cells increased in the livers from low pathogenic CL12-MHV3 and YAC-MHV3-infected mice. These results indicate that viral permissivity of KC and LSEC is involved in the decrease of IL-10 and PGE2, while KC may play an additional role in the apoptosis of NK and NK T cells during acute viral hepatitis.


Quenching of magnetism in NaO2 due to electrostatic interaction induced partial orbital ordering.
The transport properties of sodium superoxide (NaO2) are governed by the transfer of charge between O2- complexes. Although it goes through a plethora of structural phase transitions, its electronic and magnetic ground state remains shrouded in mystery. In this work, we perform first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand the relationship between electronic structure and the reason for the non-observation of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state in NaO2 vis-a-vis in KO2. In the cubic phase, uniform < Na-O-Na bond angles result in high symmetry and hence degeneracy in the O-2p orbitals. The freely rotating O2- molecules result in orbital degeneracy and hence paramagnetism at room temperature. Although the degeneracy between the bonding and anti-bonding orbitals of O2 dimers is lifted in the pyrite phase, the degeneracy between σ (σ*) and π (π*) states is still maintained and hence orbital degeneracy is partially lifted as the dimers are restricted to four directions now. The O-π* states are localized in such a manner that results in a substantial magnetic moment in the π*-orbital. The < O-Na-O bond angle (= 180°) in the c-axis facilitates a superexchange mechanism and thereby the system should be AFM in the pyrite phase. In the marcasite phase, the O-atoms are aligned parallel in alternative planes. The preservation of degeneracy among the two π* orbitals leading to only long-range orbital ordering negates any chance of quasi-one-dimensional AFM spin chains in NaO2. The difference in magnetic ground states of NaO2 and KO2 arises due to the difference in the electrostatic repulsion between electrons of Na+ and K+ ions with the O2- dimers.


Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure and Native Lung Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Exacerbation in Single-lung Transplant Patients with Cytomegalovirus Disease: A Case Series.
Our case series describes three patients who have received single-lung transplantations for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that develop cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease and hypoxemic respiratory failure with radiographic opacification of the native lung and sparing of the allograft. Hypoxemia resolved with treatment and with resolution of CMV viremia. Viral infections causing IPF exacerbations have been described in the literature, however, pulmonary CMV disease in single-lung transplant recipients has typically been observed as pneumonitis of the allograft. These clinical scenarios are consistent with acute exacerbation of native-lung IPF and subradiographic pneumonitis of the allograft caused by CMV disease.


Positron emission tomography assessment of 8-OH-DPAT-mediated changes in an index of cerebral glucose metabolism in female marmosets.
As part of a larger experiment investigating serotonergic regulation of female marmoset sexual behavior, this study was designed to (1) advance methods for PET imaging of common marmoset monkey brain, (2) measure normalized FDG uptake as an index of local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose, and (3) study changes induced in this index of cerebral glucose metabolism by chronic treatment of female marmosets with a serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT(1A)) agonist. We hypothesized that chronic treatment with the 5-HT(1A) agonist 8-OH-DPAT would alter the glucose metabolism index in dorsal raphe (DR), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), medial preoptic area of hypothalamus (mPOA), ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus (VMH), and field CA1 of hippocampus. Eight adult ovariectomized female common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) were studied with and without estradiol replacement. In a crossover design, each subject was treated daily with 8-OH-DPAT (0.1mg/kg SC daily) or saline. After 42-49 days of treatment, the glucose metabolism radiotracer FDG was administered to each female immediately prior to 30 min of interaction with her male pairmate, after which the subject was anesthetized and imaged by PET. Whole brain normalized PET images were analyzed with anatomically defined regions of interest (ROI). Whole brain voxelwise mapping was also used to explore treatment effects and correlations between alterations in the glucose metabolism index and pairmate interactions. The rank order of normalized FDG uptake was VMH/mPOA>DR>mPFC/CA1 in both conditions. 8-OH-DPAT did not induce alterations in the glucose metabolism index in ROIs. Voxelwise mapping showed a significant reduction in normalized FDG uptake in response to 8-OH-DPAT in a cluster in medial occipital cortex as well as a significant correlation between increased rejection of mount attempts and reduced normalized FDG uptake in an overlapping cluster. In conclusion, PET imaging has been used to measure FDG uptake relative to whole brain in marmoset monkeys. Voxelwise mapping shows that 8-OH-DPAT reduces this index of glucose metabolism in medial occipital cortex, consistent with alterations in female sexual behavior.


Which measures of perceived vulnerability predict protective intentions-and when?
Assessing perceived vulnerability to a health threat is essential to understanding how people conceptualize their risk, and to predicting how likely they are to engage in protective behaviors. However, there is limited consensus about which of many measures of perceived vulnerability predict behavior best. We tested whether the ability of different measures to predict protective intentions varies as a function of the type of information people learn about their risk. Online participants (N = 909) read information about a novel respiratory disease before answering measures of perceived vulnerability and vaccination intentions. Type-of-risk information was varied across three between-participant groups. Participants learned either: (1) only information about their comparative standing on the primary risk factors (comparative-only), (2) their comparative standing as well as the base-rate of the disease in the population (+ base-rate), or (3) their comparative standing as well as more specific estimates of their absolute risk (+ absolute-chart). Experiential and affective measures of perceived vulnerability predicted protective intentions well regardless of how participants learned about their risk, while the predictive ability of deliberative numeric and comparative measures varied based on the type of risk information provided. These results broaden the generalizability of key prior findings (i.e., some prior findings about which measures predict best may apply no matter how people learn about their risk), but the results also reveal boundary conditions and critical points of distinction for determining how to best assess perceived vulnerability.


Interobserver agreement of the injury diagnoses obtained by postmortem computed tomography of traffic fatality victims and a comparison with autopsy results.
The present study investigated the interobserver variation between a radiologist and a forensic pathologist in 994 injury diagnoses obtained by postmortem computed tomography (CT) of 67 traffic fatality victims, and the results were compared with diagnoses obtained by autopsy. The injuries were coded according to the abbreviated injury scale (AIS). We found a low interobserver variability for postmortem CT injury diagnoses, and the variability was the lowest for injuries with a high AIS severity score. The radiologist diagnosed more injuries than the pathologist, especially in the skeletal system, but the pathologist diagnosed more organ injuries. We recommend the use of a radiologist as a consultant for the evaluation of postmortem CT images. Training in radiology should be included in forensic medicine postgraduate training. CT was superior to autopsy in detecting abnormal air accumulations, but autopsy was superior to CT in the detection of organ injuries and aortic ruptures. We recommend a combination of CT and autopsy for the postmortem investigation of traffic fatality victims.


The association between exocrine pancreatic dysfunction and insulin resistance in an insulin-resistant population in Turkey: A cross-sectional study.
In insulin resistance (IR), it is thought that pancreatic fat accumulation may decrease pancreatic volume, cause an impaired endocrine function, and simultaneously lead to an exocrine dysfunction before diabetes develops. The association between pancreatic exocrine function and insulin resistance (IR) was assessed in a population with insulin resistance. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that included 43 IR cases with no other comorbid diseases or pregnancy and 41 healthy controls. Fasting blood adiponectin, leptin, pancreatic amylase, lipase, and stool fecal elastase-1 (FE-1) were studied and compared in both groups. The IR group consisted of 38 females (88.3%) and five males (11.6%), while the control group consisted of 31 females (75.6%) and ten males (24.3%). FE-1 levels were significantly lower in the IR group (P-value <0.01). Blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c levels were significantly higher in the IR group than in the control (P-value of <0.01, <0.01, <0.01, respectively). Leptin levels were significantly higher in the IR group compared to the controls (P-value = 0.013). After dividing the whole group (n: 84) into two groups as FE-1 <200 μg/g (n: 61) and FE-1 ≥200 μg/g (n: 23), logistic regression analysis was performed; the significant predictor of low FE-1 was HOMA-IR (ODD ratio: 4.27, P-value <0.01, 95% confidence interval for ODD ratio: 1.95-9.30). This study showed that IR is associated with pancreatic exocrine dysfunction.


Arginine-aminopeptidase in rat cardiac fibroblastic cells participates in angiotensin peptide turnover.
The aim of the present study was to elucidate the presence in rat cardiac fibroblastic cells of arginine-aminopeptidase and its involvement in the hydrolysis of angiotensin peptides. Peptidase activity was measured as hydrolysis of the synthetic substrates, aryl-p-nitroanilides. Immunoblottings were performed with antibodies to aminopeptidase B and Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Arginine-aminopeptidase found in cardiac fibroblasts (Fb) was arginine and lysine specific, sensitive to various aminopeptidase (AP) inhibitors and to the inhibitor of metalloproteases, 1.10-phenatroline. Experiments with arphamenine A, a specific inhibitor of aminopeptidase B, have shown the presence of two Arginine-aminopeptidase activities: arphamenine-sensitive: chloride-stimulated Arginine-aminopeptidase, and arphamenine-insensitive: chloride-insensitive Arginine-aminopeptidase. Transforming growth factor-beta1 stimulated both Arginine-aminopeptidase activities by approximately threefold. Immunoblot with an antibody specific to rat aminopeptidase B has revealed that arphamenine-sensitive: chloride stimulated aminopeptidase is aminopeptidase B. Arginine-p-nitroanilide hydrolysis was significantly inhibited by angiotensin peptides such as angiotensin (1-10), (1-8), (1-7), (1-4), (5-8), (4-8), (3-8), and (2-8) at the concentration of 50 micromol/l which was fourfold less than the Arginine-p-nitroanilide concentration. Our data show that chloride-insensitive Arginine-aminopeptidase could contribute to the hydrolysis of all studied angiotensin peptides in concert with other peptidases present in fibroblasts. Some of the peptides could probably not be hydrolyzed by Arginine-aminopeptidase. Instead, they could be first hydrolyzed by another peptidase in fibroblasts and the product of this hydrolysis could be a substrate for Arginine-aminopeptidase. The data obtained suggest that Arginine-aminopeptidase could perform processing of angiotensin peptides in the myocardium and participate in processes regulated by angiotensins such as fibrosis.


Dual stabilization in potassium Prussian blue and cathode/electrolyte interface enables advanced potassium-ion full-cells.
Potassium Prussian Blue (KPB) have been investigated as promising cathode materials for potassium-ion batteries. However, numerous structure defects and side reactions at electrode/electrolyte interface will deteriorate the electrochemical properties. Herein, dual stabilization strategy of structure of KPB particles and cathode/electrolyte interface is reported to enhance the capacity and electrochemical stability. The structure of KPB is stabilized through inhibiting nucleation and growth by addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt during co-precipitation, which can enlarge the particle size. Meanwhile, stabilizing the cathode/electrolyte interface via changing potassium hexafluorophosphate to potassium bis (fluorosulfonyl) imide (KFSI) electrolyte can further reduce side reactions to boost the coulombic efficiency of KPB cathode. Benefiting from dual engineering in structure of KPB and cathode/electrolyte interface, the half-cell in KFSI electrolyte possesses two discharge potential plateaus at 3.4 and 4.0 V with reversible capacity of 92.7 mAh g-1 at 0.03 A g-1. To demonstrate its practical use, KPB//graphite full-cell device is successfully constructed, exhibiting the capacity up to 102.4 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, high-rate (40.4 mAh g-1 at 1.5 A g-1) and superior cyclic stability (88% capacity retention from cycle 25 to 400 at 1 A g-1). This work provides a synergetic engineering strategy to realize the powerful application of high-performance potassium-ion full-cell devices in energy storage.


Cerebellar influence on parasympathetic neurones innervating intra-ocular muscles.
Previous work has suggested that cerebellum may control the size of the pupil and transmission in the pathway mediating the pupillary light reflex. In this work we found that electrical stimulation of the cerebellar nuclei (nucleus fastigius and nucleus interpositus bilaterally) evoked a discharge in the short ciliary nerves which innervate the intraocular muscles. The latency was 5.7 msec, which is short enough for a direct excitatory connexion from cerebellar efferents onto the preganglionic neurones in the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. These neurones are controlling the ciliary muscle of the lens system as well as the constrictor muscle of the pupil and it was therefore important to elucidate whether both of these groups participate in the discharge. Studies on interaction between the response to cerebellar stimulation and 'pupilloconstrictor' responses from optic tract fibres as well as recording from individual cells in the ciliary ganglion (identified with diffuse light stimuli) led to the conclusion that the short latency excitation is more or less confined to units controlling accommodation. Cerebellar inhibition (or disfacilitation) of longer latency affects both pupilloconstrictor and accommodation units.


Identification and characterization of odorant receptors in Plutella xylostella antenna response to 2,3-dimethyl-6-(1-hydroxy)-pyrazine.
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a worldwide migratory pest that is developing strong resistance to various chemical insecticides. It has been determined that four natural pyrazines isolated from Allium tuberosum showed significant repellent activity to P. xylostella, but the molecular target still unknown. In the present study, a novel synthetic route for 2,3-dimethyl-6-(1-hydroxy)-pyrazine which has the most significant repellent activity with a purity of 90.60% was established. Simultaneously, the bioassay result declared that the repellent grade was IV at a dosage of 0.01 mg which was the same as to the published data. Transcriptomics analysis detected 1643 upregulated and 3837 downregulated genes in P. xylostella antennae following this pyrazine exposure. Then, 2142 differentially expressed genes were annotated using Gene Ontology and 2757 genes were annotated by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Moreover, this procedure identified 84 odour perception-related genes, 58 odorant receptor (OR) genes including 57 conventional ORs and the odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco, atypical odorant receptor) gene, and 26 odorant-binding protein (OBP) genes. Based on quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR) and differential expression results, 9 OR genes including the Orco were cloned and characterised. In summary, this study provides important basis for the utilization of pyrazines as the main active ingredients or lead compounds to developing new botanical pesticides, which will reduce application of chemical pesticides and postpone the development of resistance.


Noradrenaline and ethanol intake in the rat.
Intracerebral injection of 4 microgram of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was used to deplete forebrain noradrenaline (NA) in rats to less than 5% of control values without affecting brain dopamine (DA) and the oral consumption of ethanol examined. Control rats showed a progressive increase in their intake of a 15% ethanol solution and after 15 days were consuming large quantities. This increase did not occur in NA depleted rats, which after 15 days had consumed no more than a few millilitres of the solution in total. The results are discussed in terms of a central noradrenergic basis of ethanol reward.


Blockade of LGR4 inhibits proliferation and odonto/osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papillae.
During tooth root development, stem cells from apical papillae (SCAPs) are indispensable, and their abilities of proliferation, migration and odontoblast differentiation are linked to root formation. Leucine-rich repeat-containing GPCR 4 (LGR4) modulates the biological processes of proliferation and differentiation in multiple stem cells. In this study, we showed that LGR4 is expressed in all odontoblast cell lineage cells and Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) during the mouse root formation in vivo. In vitro we determined that LGR4 is involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulating proliferation and odonto/osteogenic differentiation of SCAPs. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed that LGR4 is expressed during odontogenic differentiation of SCAPs. CCK8 assays and in vitro scratch tests, together with cell cycle flow cytometric analysis, demonstrated that downregulation of LGR4 inhibited SCAPs proliferation, delayed migration and arrested cell cycle progression at the S and G2/M phases. ALP staining revealed that blockade of LGR4 decreased ALP activity. QRT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated that LGR4 silencing reduced the expression of odonto/osteogenic markers (RUNX2, OSX, OPN, OCN and DSPP). Further Western blot and immunofluorescence studies clarified that inhibition of LGR4 disrupted β-catenin stabilization. Taken together, downregulation of LGR4 gene expression inhibited SCAPs proliferation, migration and odonto/osteogenic differentiation by blocking the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results indicate that LGR4 might play a vital role in SCAPs proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation.


An assessment of current views on epilepsy.
The current neurologic literature tends to equate the term "epilepsy" with "epileptic seizures" and regards the condition mainly as a symptom of several different neurologic disorders. This has led to the creation of a great variety of "epilepsies" and a proposal to establish an International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. The assumptions underlying the proposed classification were reviewed, and it was pointed out that in spite of the differences in manifestations and etiologies there may be an underlying commonality. The suggestion is made that epilepsy may be viewed as a process that can express itself in various degrees of intensity, and a definition is proposed that takes into account not only the ictal but also the interictal phenomena. The implications for future research directed toward the solution of the epilepsy problem are discussed.


In vivo analysis and three-dimensional visualisation of blood flow patterns at vascular end-to-side anastomoses.
The aim of this study was to describe the velocity fields at distal vascular end-to-side anastomoses with different anastomosis angles in vivo. The abdominal aorta of ten 90 kg pigs was exposed from the superior mesenteric artery to the trifurcation. A segment of the aorta was bypassed using a polyurethane graft. Three anastomosis angles: 90 degrees (n = 3), 45 degrees (n = 3) and 15 degrees (n = 4) were studied. The bypass length, the anatomical position and the geometry of the anastomoses were standardised. During measurements, the proximal outflow segment was occluded and the flow rate was controlled by reversible iliac artery cross-clamping. Using a colour Doppler system the velocity fields were measured at various positions in the anastomosis. The colour Doppler velocity data were transferred to a computer for dynamic three-dimensional visualisation of the velocity profiles. The angulation was reproduced within 10%. During the experiment, the flow rate was kept constant with Reynold's numbers typical for peripheral arteries. In the 90 degrees anastomoses very disturbed flow fields were seen. The 45 degrees anastomoses were characterised by: (1) low antegrade and retrograde velocities at the heel and (2) a zone of reverse and oscillating velocities at the toe and at one diameter downstream of the toe (1DDD) during deceleration. In the 15 degrees anastomoses no flow disturbances were seen either at the toe or at 1DDD. The velocity profiles were close to parabolic at peak flow at both positions. It is concluded that the 15 degrees anastomosis is preferable from a haemodynamic point of view.


Use of a filtering process to remove solid waste and antibiotic resistance genes from effluent of a flow-through fish farm.
The objective of this study was to investigate reduction in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via targeting solid waste in effluent from a flow-through aquaculture in South Korea. The level of suspended solids in the filtrates was approximately 12.5±2.3mg/L, corresponding to a removal efficiency of 68.8±5.7% irrespective of variations in the size of the filter pores. The total number of particles in the effluent was reduced to the lowest numbers of particles using a filter pore size of 25μm, corresponding to a removal efficiency of 40.3%. Among the 23 ARGs conferring resistance to tetracyclines, beta-lactam antibiotics, sulfonamides, quinolones, macrolides, florfenicol and multidrug, tetracycline resistance genes were the most prevalent with a relative abundance of 67.5%. Of eleven tetracycline resistance genes (tetA, tetB, tetD, tetE, tetG, tetH, tetM, tetQ, tetX, tetZ, tetB/P) analyzed, the relative abundance of tetG was the highest in the effluent. The removal efficiency of the total number of particles showed similar patterns to the removal efficiency of ARGs depending on the size of the filter pores. Levels of ARGs in the filtrates were reduced to approximately 60.5% of those of the ARGs in the effluents. With a filter pore size of 25μm, a maximum removal efficiency of 66.0% was achieved. In particular, the relative abundance of detected tetracycline resistance genes decreased only after passing through the filters, perhaps reflecting the presence of high quantities of tetracycline resistance genes in particles from the fish farm. Using Illumina sequencing based on a 16S rRNA gene, the dominant phyla were found to be Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia in the effluent. Although the overall composition of the bacterial communities was not significantly changed via filtering tests, only the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria was changed. These results demonstrate that a filtering process in aquaculture facilities can be used to reduce solid waste as well as ARGs from aquaculture farms.


Therapeutic Efficacy and Migration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells after Intracerebral Transplantation in Rats with Experimental Ischemic Stroke.
We studied therapeutic efficacy and migration characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the human placenta after their intracerebral (stereotactic) administration to rats with the experimental ischemic stroke. It was shown that cell therapy significantly improved animal survival rate and reduced the severity of neurological deficit. New data on the migration pathways of transplanted cells in the brain were obtained.


The impact of analyst attention on the firms' innovation paths from a life cycle perspective: Evidence from China.
This paper uses the IV-2SLS model to explore the impact of analyst attention on firms' innovation paths from a dynamic perspective of the life cycle. When firms are in the growth stage, the higher the analyst attention, the more firms will significantly increase their internal R&D expenses and make active technology acquisitions; As firms enter maturity, analyst attention plays a role in promoting R&D investment and corporate venture capital activities; When enterprises are in the decline period, firms are more inclined to innovate independently under the influence of analyst attention. This bias is more significant in non-state enterprises and high-tech enterprises. Further study finds that the interaction between analyst attention and firms' innovation paths under different life cycles effectively enhances innovation output.


Utilization of calcium-based and aluminum-based materials for the treatment of stabilized landfill leachate: a comparative study.
This study explored the efficiencies and mechanisms of refractory organic matters removal in the stabilized landfill leachate by adding different reagents. Calcium-based and aluminum-based materials were added into the leachate as comparing experiments. XRD, FTIR, and EEM were adopted to analyze the solid products and leachate. As a result, the in situ synthesized CaAl-LDHs were more beneficial for refractory organic matters removal, especially for benzodiazepines. When CaAl-LDHs were formed, the removal efficiencies of COD, UV254, and TOC were best and achieved 58.48, 81.22, and 71.30%, respectively. For fluorescent substances, humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like compounds were efficiently removed by CaAl-LDHs. In particular, CaAl-LDHs had selective removal effects on fulvic acid-like compounds, which were characteristic of small molecular weight and major carboxyl groups.


Association of Percentage Body Fat and Metabolic Health in Offspring of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases.
Family history was one of the major risk factors for developing adverse health outcomes such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN). Our aim was to examine the relationship between different family histories and cardiometabolic events, including DM, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and HTN. Participants who attended the health examinations at the Tri-Service General Hospital from 2010 to 2016 were enrolled in the study and were categorized into four groups by representing different family history. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for the associations between various family history with the cardiometabolic events. Subjects with family history of DM were divided into quartiles by percentage body fat (PBF) to be analyzed for these adverse outcomes. In the cross-sectional analysis, subjects with family history of DM had significant association with MetS (OR = 1.34 [95%CI: 1.17-1.54]) and DM (OR = 3.03 [95%CI: 2.44-3.76]), and those with family history of HTN were positively associated with HTN (OR = 1.60 [95%CI: 1.41-1.81]). Notably, those with family history of DM in higher PBF quartiles had substantially increased association of cardiometabolic events (MetS: OR = 15.20 [95%CI: 9.87-23.39]; DM: OR = 3.35 [95%CI: 1.91-5.90]; HTN: 2.81 [95%CI: 1.84-4.29]). Individuals with family history of DM were positively associated with MetS and DM, and those with family history of HTN was associated with HTN. Family history assessment was requested especially in obese population for screening adverse health outcomes.


The virtual lecture: delivery of live and recorded presentations over the Internet.
Our objective was to deliver live and recorded lectures, with images, over the Internet using streaming media. Streaming media are an emerging technology that can deliver live lectures over the Internet using standard PCs and modems. These lectures are also simultaneously recorded and can be played back at any time by individuals with access to the Web.


Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Colonic Diverticulitis in Hospitalized Patients in Thailand.
Colonic diverticular disease exhibits mucosal outpouchings through the large intestine. Common complications of this disease are diverticular bleeding and diverticulitis. The prevalence of the disease is age-dependent, and some patients with diverticulitis develop complications especially the elderly, the obese and those with co-morbid diseases. In a retrospective study in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the mortality rate was 3.6% at 30 days and 9.2% at 1 year. To determine the financial burden, clinical characteristics and factors associated with severity and mortality of patients with colonic diverticulitis. This was a retrospective study of in-patients from hospitals nationwide, and data were retrieved from three major health care system databases in the fiscal year 2010, searching for ICD code 10. Patients diagnosed with diverticular disease of the large intestine were included in this study, and baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee of Rajavithi Hospital. One thousand seven hundred and fifty patients with colonic diverticulitis were enrolled in the study and their data were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 61.15+16.12 years old, about 70% of patients had co-morbid diseases, and the incidence of complicated colonic diverticulitis was 14.51%. The median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 6 days, half of the patients underwent surgery, and the mortality rate was 3.26%. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the parameters associated with disease severity were number of co-morbid diseases, the universal coverage health care system, and surgical treatment, while the parameters associated with mortality were having more than two co-morbid diseases and being in the universal coverage health care system. Colonic diverticulitis was common in elderly patients and associated with co-morbid diseases. Most patients had mild severity but a high rate of surgery, and the mortality rate was higher than in western countries. Parameters associated with disease severity and mortality were having co-morbid disease, being in the universal coverage healthcare system and having surgical treatment.


Cytotoxicity of commonly used solvents at elevated temperatures.
At 43 degrees C (but not at 41 degrees C), organic solvents used to dissolve water-insoluble chemotherapeutic agents become themselves lethal to cells. This finding is not unique to Chinese hamster cells (HA-1); mouse mammary sarcoma cells (EMT-6) behave similarly. The solvent concentrations involved are in the range of those needed to make drug solutions. Hence experiments measuring drug-cell interactions at elevated temperatures must include controls which independently measure solvent effects.


OTUCD: Unsupervised GCN based metagenomics non-overlapping community detection.
Metagenomics is a discipline that studies the genetic material of all tiny organisms in the biological environment. In recent years, the interaction between metagenomic microbial communities, the transfer of horizontal genes, and the dynamic changes of microbial ecosystems have attracted more and more attention. It is of great significance to use the community detection algorithm to divide the metagenomic microbes into modules, and it has a positive guiding role for the follow-up research on human, drug, microbial interaction study and drug prediction and development. At present, there are challenges in mining the effective information hidden in large-scale microbial sequence data. The non-linear characteristics and non-scalability of microbial sequence data still bother people. This paper proposes an end-to-end unsupervised GCN learning model OTUCD (Operational Classification Unit Community Detection), which divides large-scale metagenomic sequence data into potential gene modules. We construct an OTU network, and then performs subsequent nonoverlapping community detection task with graph convolutional networks. Experimental scores show that the community detection effect of this method is better than other latest metagenomic algorithms.


Mechanisms of oral staphylococcal enterotoxin B-induced emesis in the monkey (38553).
Vomition is the most consistent response to oral SEB challenge in the monkey. The technique of cross-circulation clearly differentiates local neural phenomenon from humoral mechanisms. Our results support the theory that SED-induced vomition follows stimulation of local neural receptors in the gut. The evidence indicates no significant amount of enterotoxin absorption or stimulation of vomition by any centrally acting humoral mechanism.


Long-lasting astrocyte reaction to persistent Junin virus infection of rat cortical neurons.
Immunoperoxidase labeling was performed in histological sections from rat brain harvested during acute (10-30 days), clinically inapparent (90-270 days) and late (450-540 days) stages of Junin virus-induced neurological disease. In frontoparietal cortex, count of viral antigen (+) neurons peaked during the acute period (27.7+/-6.8), dropped within the intermediate (4.8+/-4.0 to 1.4+/-1.1) and increased (7.6+/-4.3) at the onset of the late neurological syndrome. In infected vs. control rats, the number of GFAP (+) astrocytes maximized during the acute stage (19+/-4 vs. 11+/-5), and from the end of the intermediate (27+/-5 vs. 21+/-5) up to the late (37+/-7 vs. 26+/-6) periods. In turn, surface density of GFAP (+) material in infected samples peaked at 0.196+/-0.066, while it failed to exceed 0.090+/-0.043 in controls. Both astrocyte hypertrophy relapsing into chronicity, as depicted by surface density, and astrocyte hyperplasia preceding the onset of the late neurological syndrome, support their pathogenic contribution to disease expression.


Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,3,4-triaryl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones, a new class of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.
The synthesis and structure activity relationships (SAR) of a series of novel selective COX-2 inhibitors are reported. The results show that some of the 1,3,4-triaryl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones 1 are more potent as COX-2 inhibitors than celecoxib, and that lactam Id has the same selectivity.


The inverted L osteotomy for treatment of skeletal open-bite deformities.
Numerous surgical procedures have been proposed for the correction of the skeletal open-bite deformity. Mandibular ramus procedures have not been uniformly successful due to the amount of observed relapse in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The authors studied 20 patients who underwent correction of an open-bite deformity using the inverted L ramus osteotomy technique. Results indicated that this procedure may have more stability in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions than previously reported ramus procedures.


MicroRNA-505 suppresses proliferation and invasion in hepatoma cells by directly targeting high-mobility group box 1.
MicroRNA-505 (miR-505) expressions have been reported to be altered in the serum of HCC patients. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of miR-505 in hepatoma cells remains poorly understood. The present study intended to investigate the expression levels and the probable role and molecular basis of miR-505 in hepatoma cells. Real-time PCR was used to determine the miR-505 expressions in hepatoma cell lines QGY-7703, SMMC-7721 and MHCC97. Furthermore, an up-or down-regulation of miR-505 was performed in MHCC97 by transfected with miR-505 mimics or anti-miR-505, respectively. Cell proliferation, cell invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were determined. Moreover, the target gene of miR-505 was also investigated. The expressions of miR-505 were down-regulated in three hepatoma cell lines. MHCC97 possessed the lowest miR-505 levels among the three hepatoma cell lines. Furthermore, the up-regulation of miR-505 suppressed, whereas the down-regulation of miR-505 promoted proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MHCC97. Moreover, miR-505 could directly bind to the 3'-untranslated region of High-Mobility Group Box 1. Notably, High-Mobility Group Box 1 knockdown apparently promoted cell proliferation and invasion in MHCC97. We investigated that MiR-505 regulates proliferation and invasion in MHCC97 cells via targeting High-Mobility Group Box 1.


Fine-mapping and candidate gene analysis of qFS-Chr. D02, a QTL for fibre strength introgressed from a semi-wild cotton into Gossypium hirsutum.
Fibre strength (FS) is an important quality attribute in the modern textile industry, which is genetically controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Fine-mapping stable QTLs for FS to identify candidate genes would be valuable for uncovering the genetic basis of fibre quality traits in cotton. Here, a single segment introgression line, IL-D2-2, from the cross of (TM-1×TX-1046) reported in our previous studies, was found to have significantly improved FS compared with the recurrent parent TM-1. To fine-map the QTLs of the FS, we further crossed IL-D2-2 with its recurrent parent TM-1 to produce F2 and F2:3 populations. QTL analysis and substitution mapping showed qFS-Chr. D02 was anchored into a 550.66 kb-interval between two markers, INTR1027 and JESPR-231. This interval contained 67 genes, among which 27 genes related to cell-wall synthesis were selected to conduct qRT-PCR. The results revealed seven genes were expressed significantly differently during the fibre secondary-wall-thickening stage (10-25 days post-anthesis), three being upregulated and four downregulated in IL-D2-2. Both GH_D02G2269 (UDP-glucosyl transferase 84B1) and GH_D02G2289 (unknown function (DUF869)) with nonsynonymous SNPs in IL-D2-2 had significantly downregulated expression, suggesting they were candidates for qFS-Chr. D02. This research provides information about marker-assisted selection for cotton fibre strength improvement.


Antiproliferative activity of ferulic acid-encapsulated electrospun PLGA/PEO nanofibers against MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells.
Ferulic acid (FA) is a polyphenolic phytonutrient which possesses strong antiproliferative effect; however, it has limited therapeutic applications due to its physiochemical instability and low bioavailability at the tumor site. In present study, these shortcomings associated with FA were overcome by fabricating FA-encapsulated poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/polyethylene oxide (PLGA/PEO) blend nanofibers using electrospinning technique. FESEM and fluorescence microscopic analysis imitates the smooth morphology and even distribution of FA within the polymeric nanofibers at optimum 2 wt% concentration of FA. The average diameters were recorded to be 150 ± 47.4 and 200 ± 79 nm for PLGA/PEO and FA-encapsulated PLGA/PEO nanofibers, respectively. The encapsulation, compatibility, and physical state of FA within the nanofibers were further confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XRD analysis. In vitro drug delivery studies demonstrated initial burst liberation of FA within 24 h followed by a sustained release for the subsequent time. MTT assay revealed the effectiveness of FA-encapsulated nanofibers against human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7) cells as compared to control. FESEM and fluorescence microscopic analysis further confirmed the apoptotic effect of FA-encapsulated PLGA/PEO nanofibers against MCF-7. These fabricated nanofibers hold enormous potential to be used as a therapeutic agent for various biomedical applications.


Maximizing the use of abdominoplasty incision in oncoplastic and aesthetic breast surgery: four transabdominal (transumbilical-like) augmentations.
The transabdominal (transumbilical [TUBA]) procedure for breast implant insertion is known for aesthetic aims, but cosmetic and psychosocial improvements reported in aesthetic surgery should be transferred to breast reconstruction patients. Surgical and psychological aspects were analyzed in four cases through clinical evaluation and psychosocial assessment. Three patients were candidates for postmastectomy reconstruction by transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, and one patient was a candidate for cosmetic abdominoplasty. The expectations of the patients were met, and body image improvement was provided through contralateral breast augmentation in all cases. Details of the surgical approach focused on the inframammary fascial system. The psychosocial implications of the TUBA-like breast augmentation combined with the abdominoplasty procedure were emphasized through the analysis of the technical details and the psychological behaviors affecting the surgery. The result, after long-term clinical follow-up (37 months) and administration of a satisfaction questionnaire (CSQ-8), established the importance of scarless surgery to healthy breast tissue and the positive reception by women with different life histories. This report concerns only a few potential patients, but supports a trend that surgeons should consider. An elective indication for transabdominal breast augmentation can be represented even by those few patients who are candidates for TRAM flap reconstruction, who are agreeable to a small augmentation in the absence of a scar on their healthy breast, and whose reconstructed breast is larger and more prominent at the central part of the mound than on the contralateral side.


Gene expression in the female tree swallow brain is associated with inter- and intra-population variation in glucocorticoid levels.
Studies of the evolutionary causes and consequences of variation in circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) have begun to reveal how they are shaped by selection. Yet the extent to which variation in circulating hormones reflects variation in other important regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and whether these relationships vary among populations inhabiting different environments, remain poorly studied. Here, we compare gene expression in the brain of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from populations that breed in environments that differ in their unpredictability. We find evidence of inter-population variation in the expression of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors in the hypothalamus, with the highest gene expression in a population from an extreme environment, and lower expression in a population from a more consistent environment as well as in birds breeding at an environmentally variable high-altitude site that are part of a population that inhabits a mixture of high and low altitude habitats. Within some populations, variation in circulating GCs predicted differences in gene expression, particularly in the hypothalamus. However, some patterns were present in all populations, whereas others were not. These results are consistent with the idea that some combination of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may modify components of the HPA axis affecting stress resilience. Our results also underscore that a comprehensive understanding of the function and evolution of the stress response cannot be gained from measuring circulating hormones alone, and that future studies that apply a more explicitly evolutionary approach to important regulatory traits are likely to provide significant insights.


Esophagus stretch tests: Biomechanics for tissue engineering and possible implications on the outcome of esophageal atresia repairs performed under excessive tension.
Esophageal biomechanical studies are important to understand structural changes resulting from stretches during repair of esophageal atresias as well as to obtain values to compare with the biomechanics of tissue-engineered esophagus in the future. This study aimed to investigate light microscopic changes after uniaxial stretching of the ovine esophagus. In vitro uniaxial stretching was performed on esophagi (n = 20) of 1-month-old lambs within 4-6 h post-mortem. Esophagi were divided into 5 groups: control and stretched (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4). Force and lengthening were measured with 5 cycles performed on every specimen using a PBS organ bath at 37 °C. Histological studies were performed on the 5 groups. Low forces of ~ 2 N (N) were sufficient for a 1.2-1.25 stretch in the 1st cycle, whereas a three times higher force (~ 6 N) was needed for a stretch of 1.3. In the 2nd to 5th cycle, the tissue weakened and a force of ~ 3 N was sufficient for a stretch of 1.3. Histologically, in the 1.3-1.4 stretch groups, rupture of muscle fibers and capillaries were observed, respectively. Changes in mucosa and collagen fibers could not be observed. These results offer norm values from the native esophagus to compare with the biomechanics of future tissue-engineered esophagus. Esophageal stretching > 1.3 leads to tears in muscle fibers and to rupture of capillaries. These findings can explain the decrease in microcirculation and scarring in mobilized tissue and possibly offer clues to impaired motility in esophagus atresias repaired under excessive tension.


Estrogenic compounds inhibit gap junctional intercellular communication in mouse Leydig TM3 cells.
Some estrogenic compounds are reported to cause testicular disorders in humans and/or experimental animals by direct action on Leydig cells. In carcinogenesis and normal development, gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis. In this study, we examine the effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES, a synthetic estrogen), 17beta-estradiol (E(2), a natural estrogen), and genistein (GEN, a phytoestrogen) on GJIC between mouse Leydig TM3 cells using Lucifer yellow microinjection. The three compounds tested produced GJIC inhibition in the TM3 cells after 24 h. Gradually, 10 microM DES began to inhibit GJIC for 24 h and this effect was observed until 72 h. On the other hand, both 20 microM E(2) and 25 microM GEN rapidly inhibited GJIC in 6 h and 2 h, respectively. The effects continued until 24 h, but weakened by 72 h. Furthermore, a combined effect at microM level between DES and E(2) on GJIC inhibition was observed, but not between GEN and E(2). DES and E(2) showed GJIC inhibition at low dose levels (nearly physiological estrogen levels) after 72 h, but GEN did not. DES-induced GJIC inhibition at 10 pM and 10 microM was completely counteracted by ICI 182,780 (ICl), an estrogen receptor antagonist. On the other hand, the inhibitory effects on GJIC with E(2) (10 pM and 20 microM) and GEN (25 microM) were partially blocked by ICI or calphostin C, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, and were completely blocked by the combination of ICI and calphostin C. These results demonstrate that DES inhibits GJIC between Leydig cells via the estrogen receptor (ER), and that E(2) and GEN inhibit GJIC via ER and PKC. These estrogenic compounds may have different individual non-genotoxic mechanism including PKC pathway on testicular carcinogenesis or development.


Shifting the Evolving CAR T Cell Platform into Higher Gear.
In this issue of Cancer Cell, Zhao and colleagues test various chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to show that CD28-CD3ζ CAR T cells that constitutively express 4-1BBL promote T cell expansion and tumor eradication while reducing exhaustion. The results have important implications for the development of effective CAR T cell therapies in cancer patients.


Spectrophotometric plasma iron determination from fingerpuncture specimens.
A simple, sensitive, precise and reproducible micromethod for the determination of plasma iron in a 50-microliter sample has been devised by modification of the ICSH reference procedure, which requires a 2-ml sample. The micromethod uses microcuvettes and substitutes ferrozine for the bathophenanthroline chromogen of the ICSH. Comparison of plasma iron values on 47 paired specimens obtained by fingerpuncture and venipuncture determined by the micro- and ICSH-methods respectively gave identical means of 15.8 mumol/l (88 microgram/dl); the correlation of the two methods was r = 0.92 (p less than 0.0001). The micromethod has been successfully used to measure plasma iron levels in fingerpuncture specimens collected in a field study of 429 children.


Effect of different finish line preparations on the marginal and internal adaptation of cobalt-chromium metal alloy copings fabricated by using CAD-CAM technology: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The marginal and internal adaptation of a fixed dental prosthesis depends on a variety of factors, finish line designs being one of them. A clear consensus as to which finish line design can provide a better marginal and internal adaptation with respect to cobalt-chromium metal alloy copings fabricated by using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology is lacking. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of different finish line preparations on the marginal and internal adaptation of cobalt-chromium metal alloy copings fabricated by using CAD-CAM technology. Electronic (PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar) and manual searches were conducted for articles published from January 2010 to December 2020 to identify relevant studies evaluating the effect of different finish line preparations (chamfer, deep chamfer, shoulder, rounded shoulder) on the marginal and internal adaptation of cobalt-chromium metal alloy copings fabricated by using CAD-CAM technology. A total of 573 articles were obtained via electronic search, and 10 articles were obtained through manual search, of which 24 in vitro studies were selected after title, abstract, and full-text screening and were included for both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The marginal adaptation was evaluated under the parameters of marginal gap, absolute marginal discrepancy, and vertical marginal discrepancy, whereas internal adaptation was evaluated under the parameters of internal gap, cervical discrepancy, axial discrepancy, and occlusal discrepancy. The methods of CAD-CAM fabrication (direct metal laser sintering, hard milling, and soft milling) were considered under the subgroup analysis. An overall better marginal and internal adaptation was observed with shoulder and rounded shoulder finish line designs when CAD-CAM methods were used for coping fabrication. Marginal and internal adaptation in chamfer and deep chamfer finish line designs showed better results with soft milling and direct metal laser sintering methods, whereas shoulder finish line showed better results with hard milling.


Binding assay for opioid peptides with neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells: specificity of the receptor site.
A sensitive and rapid radioreceptor assay has been developed to monitor opioid peptides in column effluents. It is based on competitive binding to NG 108-15 cells using [3H-Tyr]Leu-enkephalin as the displaced ligand. The specificity of binding to the cells of naturally occurring opioid peptides and synthetic analogs has been shown to be similar to that found with synaptic plasma membranes.


High dietary retinoic acid inhibits tumor promotion and malignant conversion in a two-stage skin carcinogenesis protocol using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene as the initiator and mezerein as the tumor promoter in female SENCAR mice.
We studied the effect of dietary retinoic acid (RA) in a two-stage protocol of skin carcinogenesis in female SENCAR mice. At 3 weeks of age mice were initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA, 20 micrograms) and promoted with either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 2 micrograms) once per week or mezerein (MEZ, 4 micrograms) twice per week for 20 weeks. At the week of DMBA initiation mice were also put on a purified diet containing either 3 (physiological dose) or 30 micrograms (pharmacological dose) of RA/g of diet. High dietary RA significantly inhibited papilloma yield but not incidence in the MEZ-promoted group. Papilloma incidence and yield were also lower in the MEZ- than in the TPA-treated groups. Cumulative carcinoma incidence and yield, and conversion efficiency (= (carcinomas/maximal papillomas) x 100%), were all decreased by high dietary RA in both MEZ- and TPA-treated groups. These results demonstrate that high dietary RA inhibited skin carcinogenesis in MEZ-promoted mice at the stages of tumor promotion and malignant conversion, while this inhibition occurred only at the malignant conversion stage in TPA-promoted mice.


Aggregate formation analysis of GFAPR416W found in one case of Alexander disease.
Alexander disease (AxD) is a neurodegenerative disease in astrocytes caused by a mutation in the gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP. We herein present the case of a 12-year-old girl who showed intermittent exotropia at 3 years of age and central precocious puberty at 7 years of age. The periventricular and medulla oblongata showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was diagnosed with AxD after direct sequencing revealing a de novo recurrent mutation, c.1246C>T (p.R416W) in GFAP. The transient expression of GFAPR416W in cells resulted in the significant formation of aggregates, which recapitulated the hallmark of AxD. We firstly utilized In Cell analyzer to prove the tendency of aggregate formation by mutants of GFAP.


The frequency of hepatitis B virus infection in Greek patients with various types of glomerulonephritis.
The frequency of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was studied in the sera of 622 patients with glomerulonephritis (GN). The prevalence of HBs-antigenemia was 2.8% (18/622; eleven adults and seven children); the difference from 2.6% in the general population of Central and Southern Greece was not statistically significant (chi 2 = 0.01; p > 0.50). Two of the 11 HBsAg-seropositive adult patients with GN suffered from IgA nephropathy, one from IgA and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN), four from diffuse proliferative GN, two from membranous GN and one each from crescentic GN and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Five children out of 12 with membranous glomerulonephritis, one out of 24 with IgA nephropathy and one out of 16 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis had HBs-antigenemia. The frequency of HBs-antigenemia in children with MGN was 41.7%, which is significantly higher than in children with other types of GN (0.9%). All seropositive patients were asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, while one seropositive HBsAg child with MGN suffered from chronic persistent hepatitis. HBsAg was detected by the immunoperoxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method in the glomeruli of only 3 children with MGN and HBs antigenemia, while HBcAg was not detected in any case. Our study suggests that in the Greek population there is no increased prevalence of HBs-antigenemia in patients with glomerulonephritis. Moreover, HBsAg was not found to contribute in the pathogenesis of GN in adults but it may be associated with the pathogenesis of membranous GN in children.


Detection of Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O103, O111 and O145 from bovine faeces using immunomagnetic separation and PCR/DNA probe techniques.
The aim of this study was to isolate Escherichia coli O26, O103, O111 and O145 from 745 samples of bovine faeces using (i) immunomagnetic separation (IMS) beads coated with antibodies to lipopolysaccharide, and slide agglutination (SA) tests and (ii) PCR and DNA probes for the detection of the Verocytotoxin (VT) genes. IMS-SA tests detected 132 isolates of presumptive E. coli O26, 112 (85%) were confirmed as serogroup O26 and 102 had the VT genes. One hundred and twenty-two strains of presumptive E. coli O103 were isolated by IMS-SA, 45 (37%) were confirmed as serogroup O103 but only one of these strains was identified as Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC). Using the PCR/DNA probe method, 40 strains of VTEC O26 and three strains of VTEC O103 were isolated. IMS-SA identified 21 strains of presumptive E. coli O145, of which only four (19%) were confirmed as serogroup O145. VTEC of this serogroup was not detected by either IMS-SA or PCR/DNA probes. E. coli O111 was not isolated by either method. IMS beads were 2.5 times more sensitive than PCR/DNA probe methods for the detection of VTEC O26 in bovine faeces. IMS-SA is a sensitive method for detecting specific E. coli serogroups. However, the specificity of this method would be enhanced by the introduction of selective media and the use of tube agglutination tests for confirmation of the preliminary SA results.


The brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay: A simple method to assess the toxicity of fumonisin mycotoxins.
Several fumonisin mycotoxins were compared for their toxicity using the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay. Of the substances tested, fumonisin FB1 emerged to be the most toxic whereas its N-carboxymethyl analogue 1 was 100-fold less effective. The hydrolysed fumonisins showed a four- to six-fold reduced toxicity compared to FB1. N-Palmitoyl-HFB1 2 had a higher LC50 value than its precursor HFB1. The brine shrimp assay proved to be a convenient and rapid system for toxicity assessment of this group of mycotoxins. The detailed results have been published recently (1).


Pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland: a 13-year experience of consequent management by lateral or total parotidectomy.
Optimal surgical management of parotid pleomorphic adenoma is important because of a considerable risk of tumour recurrence and complications. Our series of primary surgery cases with standardised parotidectomy technique in a university hospital were evaluated. Medical records of 295 patients treated from 1987 to 1999 were reviewed, and 171 patients answered a questionnaire about long-term sequelae. Sixty-two patients reporting major complications were re-examined in the hospital. At a mean follow-up of 8 years, one patient (0.6%) re-appeared with a recurrence. Twenty-four percent left the hospital with a partial and 3% with a complete paresis. Only 5% developed a permanent partial paresis, whereas a permanent total paresis was not seen. Half of the patients indicated gustatory sweating, but treatment was required in only 6%. Other major permanent complications were not seen. Treatment of pleomorphic adenoma by standardised parotidectomy in a university hospital demonstrates favourable results with low perioperative and long-term morbidity, as well as minimal risk of tumour relapse.


Importance of Advocacy from the Orthopedic Surgeon.
Over the past century, governmental involvement in the delivery of health care has grown steadily through health policy initiatives and increased regulations. Traditionally, the involvement in this process for the orthopedic surgeon was minimal because they were focused primarily on direct patient care. These two pathways have met a crossroads, however, where it has now become necessary for the orthopedic surgeon to advocate on behalf of themselves and their patients to guide and influence the legislative and regulatory processes. This article reviews the background of orthopedic advocacy and discusses ways in which the interested surgeon can become involved.


Characterization of the human CD4(+) T-cell repertoire specific for major histocompatibility class I-restricted antigens.
While CD4(+) T lymphocytes usually recognize antigens in the context of major histocompatibility (MHC) class II alleles, occurrence of MHC class-I restricted CD4(+) T cells has been reported sporadically. Taking advantage of a highly sensitive MHC tetramer-based enrichment approach allowing detection and isolation of scarce Ag-specific T cells, we performed a systematic comparative analysis of HLA-A*0201-restricted CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell lines directed against several immunodominant viral or tumoral antigens. CD4(+) T cells directed against every peptide-MHC class I complexes tested were detected in all donors. These cells yielded strong cytotoxic and T helper 1 cytokine responses when incubated with HLA-A2(+) target cells carrying the relevant epitopes. HLA-A2-restricted CD4(+) T cells were seldom expanded in immune HLA-A2(+) donors, suggesting that they are not usually engaged in in vivo immune responses against the corresponding peptide-MHC class I complexes. However, these T cells expressed TCR of very high affinity and were expanded following ex vivo stimulation by relevant tumor cells. Therefore, we describe a versatile and efficient strategy for generation of MHC class-I restricted T helper cells and high affinity TCR that could be used for adoptive T-cell transfer- or TCR gene transfer-based immunotherapies.


Phylogeny of the North American catfish family Ictaluridae (Teleostei: Siluriformes) combining morphology, genes and fossils.
We performed the first combined-data phylogenetic analysis of ictalurids including most living and fossil species. We sampled 56 extant species and 16 fossil species representing outgroups, the seven living genera, and the extinct genus †Astephus long thought to be an ictalurid. In total, 209 morphological characters were curated and illustrated in MorphoBank from published and original work, and standardized using reductive coding. Molecular sequences harvested from GenBank for one nuclear and four mitochondrial genes were combined with the morphological data for total evidence analysis. Parsimony analysis recovers a crown clade Ictaluridae composed of seven living genera and numerous extinct species. The oldest ictalurid fossils are the Late Eocene members of Ameiurus and Ictalurus. The fossil clade †Astephus placed outside of Ictaluridae and not as its sister taxon. Previous morphological phylogenetic studies of Ictaluridae hypothesized convergent evolution of troglobitic features among the subterranean species. In contrast, we found morphological evidence to support a single clade of the four troglobitic species, the sister taxon of all ictalurids. This result holds whether fossils are included or not. Some previously published clock-based age estimates closely approximate our minimum ages of clades.


Feeding of an Iberian stream cyprinid assemblage: seasonality of resource use in a highly variable environment.
Food resource use by seven cyprinids from an Iberian stream was analysed over 9 months. Differences in food resource use were found both between species and within species between seasons. Plant material was a more important food for carp, nase, goldfish and barbel than for gudgeon, roach and chub, irrespective of the season. Chironomid larvae were the staple animal food for the former five species throughout the year. Roach and chub, especially the latter, displayed large seasonal variations in prey use, with chironomid larvae only being important during autumn. Ephemerellid nymphs and ephemeropteran imagos dominated the animal diet of chub during spring and summer, respectively. Dipteran adults and Formicidae were the most important prey for roach during spring and summer, with other common prey being ephemerellid nymphs and hydropsychid larvae. Food resource overlap among the three dominant species (roach, barbel and chub) displayed a large seasonal variation. High overlaps were observed during autumn when these species used the same resources. During summer overlaps were much lower with each species specialising on different prey. The remaining less abundant species had large diet overlaps amongst themselves and with barbel, over all seasons. It is suggested that morphological constraints, habitat partitioning and temporal changes in food resource limitation may be involved in producing these patterns of food resource use.


Extracardiac Fontan operation with adjustable communication.
A modified technique for the Fontan operation is described in which an adjustable communication between the extracardiac conduit (systemic venous chamber) and the right atrium (pulmonary venous chamber) is constructed. Potential advantages of this technique consist of minimization of surgical manipulation of atrial tissue, reduction or elimination of myocardial ischemia, creation of a uniform and stable inferior vena cava-to-pulmonary artery conduit, and increased flexibility and safety in certain high-risk patients such as those with increased pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary hypertension, and impaired ventricular function.


Seizures in neurofibromatosis 1.
Neurofibromatosis 1 is a common, genetically transmitted neurodevelopmental disorder with a high potential to cause subcortical focal brain lesions. Although seizures occasionally complicate neurofibromatosis 1, they have not been characterized adequately in the disease. Other phacomatoses with attendant subcortical focal brain lesions have been associated with an evolution from generalized to focal-onset epilepsy. This evolution may be related to the cortical dysplasias that also appear in such disorders. Cortical dysplasias, although occasionally found in neurofibromatosis 1 epileptic patients, are not as frequent as in other phacomatoses. The authors retrospectively screened 499 neurofibromatosis 1 patients for the prevalence and etiology of seizures, their response to therapy, and the evolution of seizure type over time. The prevalence of epileptic seizures (4.2%) was about twice the prevalence in the general population. There were no significant cortical dysplasias identified radiographically nor was there a relationship among the presence of subcortical focal brain lesions and seizure type, response to treatment, or evolution of epilepsy in the neurofibromatosis 1 population. The authors' data do not suggest an ontogeny of epilepsy in neurofibromatosis 1 that is different from the general epileptic population.