Global Host Partner Perspectives: Utilizing a Conceptual Model to Strengthen Collaboration with Host Partners for International Nursing Student Placements.
Collaboration in international nursing student placements requires equitable partnerships between global partners to address areas of shared importance, such as equity and justice in health promotion. This qualitative study was the first to use the Leffers and Mitchell Conceptual Model for Partnership and Sustainability in Global Health to elicit global host partners' perspectives regarding effective collaboration for Canadian community health nursing placements in the Dominican Republic. Focus group and semi-structured interview methodology was conducted with Dominican Republic (Dominican and Haitian) host partners (n = 23) about the engagement processes and host partner factors for effective partnership. Dominican (83%) and Haitian (17%) participants, comprised similar numbers of male and female adults aged 18-60 years (mean age = 36 years), represented the full range of the Dominican Republic host partners (e.g., teachers, health professionals). Interpretive analysis revealed themes that included (1) the unique role of the cultural broker; (2) relational collaboration in a collective society; (3) reciprocal approaches that honor local expertise; and (4) contextual socioeconomic and cultural factors that influence partnerships. Future research and implications at the individual, community, and policy levels are discussed.


Impact of Institutional Universal Microsatellite-Instability (MSI) Reflex Testing on Molecular Profiling Differences Between Younger and Older Patients with Colorectal Cancer.
DNA mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC) is found in about 15% of early-stage diseases and 5% of metastatic diseases. We reviewed a large, single-institutional database after implementation of universal reflex dMMR/MSI-H testing in CRC to compare profiles of younger (≤50) and older (>50) patients. Between 2009 and 2017, all patients diagnosed with CRC at the University of Florida underwent reflex somatic tumor testing for dMMR by immunohistochemistry (MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6), MSI by PCR, and Next-Generation Sequencing. Statistical analysis was conducted with 2-sample comparison tests and logistic regression models. There were 375 patients included in the final analysis. Patients were grouped as younger (ages ≤50 years-old; n = 80) or older (>50 years-old; n = 295). Compared to tumors from older patients, tumors from younger patients were less likely to be dMMR/MSI-H (12.5% vs. 21.4%, P = .013) and less likely to have a BRAF mutation (1.5% vs. 16.1%, P = .002). BRAF mutation status was highly associated with MMR status; BRAF-mutated tumors were 29.7 times more likely than BRAF-WT tumors to be dMMR/MSI-H (P = < .001, 95% CI 11.3-78.3). Tumors of younger patients were less likely than tumors of older patients to have a dMMR/MSI-H or BRAF mutation. Universal MMR/MSI testing in our dataset identified a relatively large population of older patients with sporadic CRC who were eligible for immunotherapy.


Audit reduces the reluctance to use single fractions for painful bone metastases.
We have conducted three audits of the number of fractions used within our department to treat symptomatic bone metastases. The initial audit identified 133 patients treated for bone metastases in a 3-month period using 538 fractions (mean number of fraction = 4.1, range 1-14). These figures were presented at our audit meeting along with a literature review which provided no evidence of any advantage of multiple fractions over single fractions. Departmental guidelines recommending the use of single fractions were established. A subsequent audit identified 149 patients treated with 520 fractions (mean number of fractions = 3.5, range 1-11). A third audit identified 148 patients treated with 335 fractions (mean number of fractions = 2.3, range 1-10). Audit has resulted in a reduction in the number of fractions used to treat bone metastases in our department. The major effect was seen after the second audit.


[Adaptation of the SMAC for the determination of uric acid with an uricase/perioxidase procedure (author's transl)].
We describe the enzymatic determination of uric acid (uricase/peroxidase) with the SMAC system. The method correlates well with known SMA 12 and Autoanalyzer methods. The change from the original uric acid method to the enzymatic one is simple and does not require any change of the software.


Asymmetric synthesis of benzothiazolopyrimidines with high catalytic efficiency and stereoselectivity under bifunctional phosphonium salt systems.
An efficient formal [4+2] annulation between 2-benzothiazolimines and allenoates mediated by an amino acid-derived bifunctional phosphonium salt catalyst is developed. This protocol provides a new and facile synthetic approach to create a broad range of isothiourea-based benzothiazolopyrimidine derivatives under mild reaction conditions with high isolated yields and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.


Osteoporosis in men: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment possibilities.
The neglect of the problem of fractures in men may be the result of the focus on the enormity of the problem in women, attention to vertebral fractures and the role of menopause in the pathogenesis of fractures and cardiovascular disease, and the role of hormone replacement therapy in the prevention of fractures and cardiovascular disease. The use of epidemiology as a means of understanding the disease in individuals has confirmed that fractures are a common and serious consequence of osteoporosis in women--and in men.


Type VI secretion system is not required for virulence on rice but for inter-bacterial competition in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola.
The type VI secretion system (T6SS), a multifunctional protein secretion device, plays very important roles in bacterial killing and/or virulence to eukaryotic cells. Although T6SS genes have been found in many Xanthomonas species, the biological function of T6SSs has not been elucidated in most xanthomonads. In this study, we identified two phylogenetically distinct T6SS clusters, T6SS1 and T6SS2, in a newly sequenced Chinese strain GX01 of Xanthomonas oryzea pv. oryzicola (Xoc) which causes bacterial leaf streak (BLS) of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Mutational assays demonstrated that T6SS1 and T6SS2 are not required for the virulence of Xoc GX01 on rice. Nevertheless, we found that T6SS2, but not T6SS1, played an important role in bacterial killing. Transcription and secretion analysis revealed that hcp2 gene is actively expressed and that Hcp2 protein is secreted via T6SS. Moreover, several candidate T6SS effectors were predicted by bioinformatics analysis that might play a role in the antibacterial activity of Xoc. This is the first report to investigate the type VI secretion system in Xanthomonas oryzae. We speculate that Xoc T6SS2 might play an important role in inter-bacterial competition, allowing this plant pathogen to gain niche advantage by killing other bacteria.


Quantifying the barrier lowering of ZnO Schottky nanodevices under UV light.
In this study we measured the degrees to which the Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) are lowered in ZnO nanowire (NW) devices under illumination with UV light. We measured the I-V characteristics of ZnO nanowire devices to confirm that ZnO is an n-type semiconductor and that the on/off ratio is approximately 10(4). From temperature-dependent I-V measurements we obtained a SBH of 0.661 eV for a ZnO NW Schottky device in the dark. The photosensitivity of Schottky devices under UV illumination at a power density of 3 μW/cm(2) was 9186%. Variations in the SBH account for the superior characteristics of n-type Schottky devices under illumination with UV light. The SBH variations were due to the coupled mechanism of adsorption and desorption of O2 and the increase in the carrier density. Furthermore, through temperature-dependent I-V measurements, we determined the SBHs in the dark and under illumination with UV light at power densities of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 μW/cm(2) to be 0.661, 0.216, 0.178, 0.125, and 0.068 eV, respectively. These findings should be applicable in the design of highly sensitive nanoscale optoelectronic devices.


Janus kinase (JAK) 2 V617F mutation as the cause of primary thrombocythemia in acromegaly with severe visceromegaly and divergence between growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations during the follow-up: causal or casual association?
An increased prevalence of hematological abnormalities is reported in acromegaly, but to date no reports about the presence of the Janus Kinase (JAK) 2 mutation in acromegalic patients have been described. We report the complex clinical presentation of the unique case, never described, of acromegaly due to GH-secreting pituitary adenoma associated with JAK2 V617F mutation. The patient shows primary thrombocythemia and myelofibrosis, due to JAK2 V617F mutation, severe visceromegaly and a peculiar clinical course of the disease characterized by discrepant values of GH and IGF-1 during somatostatin analog (SA) treatment despite a significant reduction in pituitary adenoma size and therapeutic resistance both to SA and pegvisomant. The presence of JAK2 V617F mutation is a cause of primary thrombocythemia and myelofibrosis in acromegaly. In this patient, a peculiar clinical course of acromegaly was observed, with the difficulty in controlling the disease. More data, on a larger cohort of patients, could clarify whether JAK2 V617F mutation has a serious impact on the clinical features and course of acromegaly.


Pleurodesis with polidocanol in pigs. An experimental study.
Polidocanol was instilled in five pleural cavities of three pigs. Adhesions formed in all. Adhesion distribution varied from covering a minor part to most of the lung, depending on the amount of polidocanol. One control cavity treated with sodium chloride was unaffected. Microscopy showed fibrous bridges between the pleural layers and mild submesothelial fibrosis and inflammation.


Factors Associated with Attendance after Referral to a Pediatric Weight Management Program.
To evaluate factors affecting attendance or nonattendance at an initial interprofessional pediatric weight management visit after referral. We hypothesized that increased severity of obesity, farther distance from the program, lower education level of the primary caregiver, public insurance or no insurance, and lower socioeconomic status would all decrease likelihood of attending initial visit after referral. We examined referral and visit data over 4 years and 5 months. We used geocoding and multivariable logistic regression to analyze links between attendance and demographic factors, baseline body mass index, insurance type, and distance from patients' homes to the program site. Over the study period, 41.2% of the 4783 children referred to the pediatric weight management clinic attended at least 1 visit. A total of 4086 children were included in the full analyses. Factors associated with attendance were female sex, higher body mass index severity class, private health insurance, residence in areas with higher median income, and residence in areas with a higher prevalence of high school completion. The current project expands our understanding of factors linked to children's attendance at an initial pediatric weight management visit. Despite limitations including missing data, results have important implications for pediatric weight management clinics, referring providers, and policymakers to target populations with low attendance and optimize use of these evidence-based programs.


Characterization of a titanium(IV)-porphyrin complex as a highly sensitive and selective reagent for the determination of hydrogen peroxide: a computational chemistry approach and a critical review.
The Ti-TPyP reagent, i.e. an acidic aqueous solution of the oxo[5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrinato] titanium(IV) complex, TiO(tpyp), was developed as a highly sensitive and selective spectrophotometric reagent for determination of traces of hydrogen peroxide. Using this reagent, determination of hydrogen peroxide was performed by flow-injection analysis with a detection limit of 0.5 pmol per test. The method was actually applied to determination of several constituents of foods, human blood, and urine mediated by appropriate oxidase enzymes. The reaction specificity of the TiO(tpyp) complex for hydrogen peroxide was clarified from the viewpoint of the reaction mechanisms and molecular orbitals based on ab initio calculations. The results provided a well-grounded argument for determination of hydrogen peroxide using the Ti-TPyP reagent experimentally. This review deals with characterization of the high sensitivity and reaction specificity of the Ti-TPyP reagent for determination of hydrogen peroxide, to prove its reliability in analytical applications.


A Four-Gene Panel for the Prediction of Prognosis and Immune Cell Enrichment in Gliomas.
Gliomas is a deadly disease without effective therapy. Although immunotherapy has provided novel choices for glioma treatment, the curative efficacy is unsatisfactory due to the complex immune micro-environment and the heterogeneity of the disease. Therefore, it is urgent to identify effective biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Overall survival, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes, and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and immune infiltration were analyzed by bioinformatics software with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Based on the TCGA database and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed a four-gene panels [DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A); ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2); kinesin family member 20 A (KIF20A) and DLG associated protein 5 (DLGAP5)], which correlated with poor prognosis, including overall survival (OS), disease specific survival (DSS) and progress free interval (PFI), mitosis, cell cycle, Th2 cells and macrophages enrichment. The four-gene panels correlates with the biomarkers of Th2 cells, macrophages tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and the immune checkpoint molecules in gliomas. The four-gene panels represented a novel prognostic indicator and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma. In addition, the four-gene panels might contribute to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in glioma.


Gross Tumor Delineation in Esophageal Cancer on MRI Compared With 18F-FDG-PET/CT.
Current delineation of the gross tumor volume (GTV) in esophageal cancer relies on computed tomography (CT) and combination with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). There is increasing interest in integrating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in radiation treatment, which can potentially obviate CT- or FDG-PET/CT-based delineation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of target delineation on T2-weighted (T2W) MRI and T2W including diffusion-weighted MRI (T2W + DW-MRI) compared with current-practice FDG-PET/CT. Ten observers delineated primary esophageal tumor GTVs of 6 patients on FDG-PET/CT, T2W-MRI, and T2W + DW-MRI. GTVs, generalized conformity indices, in-slice delineation variation (root mean square), and standard deviations in the position of the most cranial and caudal delineated slice were calculated. Delineations on MRI showed smaller GTVs compared with FDG-PET/CT-based delineations. The main variation was seen at the cranial and caudal border. No differences were observed in conformity indices (FDG-PET/CT, 0.68; T2W-MRI, 0.66; T2W + DW-MRI, 0.68) and in-slice variation (root mean square, 0.13 cm on FDG-PET/CT; 0.10 cm on T2W-MRI; 0.14 cm on T2W + DW-MRI). In the 2 tumors involving the gastroesophageal junction, addition of DW-MRI to T2W-MRI significantly decreased caudal border variation. MRI-based target delineation of the esophageal tumor is feasible with interobserver variability comparable to that with FDG-PET/CT, despite limited experience with delineation on MRI. Most variation was seen at cranial-caudal borders, and addition of DW-MRI to T2W-MRI may reduce caudal delineation variation of gastroesophageal junction tumors.


Light-mediated in cell downregulation of G-quadruplex-containing genes using a photo-caged ligand.
The use of a caged G-quadruplex ligand allows for transcriptional control of quadruplex-containing genes using UV light as an external trigger. An important oncogene, SRC, involved in the initiation and proliferation of epithelial tumours is shown to be significantly downregulated in cells treated by the caged ligand in synergy with UV light treatment.


A Fractional Order Recovery SIR Model from a Stochastic Process.
Over the past several decades, there has been a proliferation of epidemiological models with ordinary derivatives replaced by fractional derivatives in an ad hoc manner. These models may be mathematically interesting, but their relevance is uncertain. Here we develop an SIR model for an epidemic, including vital dynamics, from an underlying stochastic process. We show how fractional differential operators arise naturally in these models whenever the recovery time from the disease is power-law distributed. This can provide a model for a chronic disease process where individuals who are infected for a long time are unlikely to recover. The fractional order recovery model is shown to be consistent with the Kermack-McKendrick age-structured SIR model, and it reduces to the Hethcote-Tudor integral equation SIR model. The derivation from a stochastic process is extended to discrete time, providing a stable numerical method for solving the model equations. We have carried out simulations of the fractional order recovery model showing convergence to equilibrium states. The number of infecteds in the endemic equilibrium state increases as the fractional order of the derivative tends to zero.


Long-pulsed dye laser treatment for facial telangiectasias and erythema: evaluation of a single purpuric pass versus multiple subpurpuric passes.
Subpurpuric treatments with the pulsed dye laser can be effective for treatment of vascular lesions, although less so than when purpuric fluences are used. Increased efficacy may be achieved by performing multiple passes at the time of treatment. We performed a split-face bilateral paired comparison of multiple low-fluence subpurpuric passes compared with a single high-fluence purpuric pass in the treatment of facial telangiectasias. Nine patients were included in the study. One cheek was chosen to be treated with four passes of a nonpurpuric fluence, and the contralateral cheek was treated with a single purpuric pass. Reductions in vessel density, diameter, arborization, and background erythema were evaluated 3 weeks after treatment. We found a 43.4% reduction in surface area covered by telangiectasias on the cheek treated with a single purpuric pass compared with 35.9% on the cheek treated with four subpurpuric passes. The purpuric fluences produced greater reduction in vessel diameter and arborization, whereas the subpurpuric protocol was more effective in reducing background erythema. Purpuric fluences were also noted to produce more significant edema and transient hyperpigmentation in one patient. The multipass subpurpuric approach to treatment with the pulsed dye laser is both cosmetically acceptable and effective, although purpuric treatments may be required to effectively eliminate larger-caliber, more highly networked vessels.


Intradural chordoma without bone involvement: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) appearance. Case report.
This paper presents a rare case of intradural chordoma which involved the pons but had no radiological or surgical evidence of bone involvement. The appearance of this tumor on nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is presented.


Inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor signalling induces autophagy in malignant glioma cells.
Malignant gliomas highly coexpress platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and its receptor, suggesting the presence of an autocrine loop. Therefore, disruption of PDGF ligand/receptor complex represents a promising strategy for the treatment of malignant gliomas. However, the mechanisms of the antitumour effect exerted by the inhibition of PDGF-mediated cell growth remain unclear. In the present study, using anti-PDGF neutralising antibody, we investigated the effect of the inhibition of PDGF signalling on malignant glioma U87-MG, D54, and T98G cells with high levels of PDGF-A and -B. As a control, normal fibroblast MRC5 cells expressing low levels of PDGF-A and -B were used. Treatment with anti-PDGF neutralising antibody did not affect the expressions of PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and Akt, but suppressed the level of phosphorylated Akt in tumour cells, indicating the inhibition of PDGF signalling. The cell viability of all malignant glioma cells tested in this study was significantly inhibited in a time-dependent manner following the treatment compared to that of fibroblast cells (P<0.02 to <0.05). The antitumour effect of anti-PDGF antibody was suppressed by the activation of Akt and enhanced by the downregulation of Akt. Interestingly, the inhibition of PDGF signalling induced the development of acidic vesicular organelles and the autophagosome membrane association of the microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, which are characteristic of autophagy, in malignant glioma cells, while apoptotic cell death was not observed. Together these findings imply a new concept of autophagy for PDGF autocrine inhibition in malignant gliomas.


Simulations of Test Reduction Using Pooled Heavy Metals Analysis in Cannabis.
Cannabis species have a propensity to bioaccumulate toxic heavy metals from their growth media. Increased testing for these metals is required to improve the safety of the legal medical and recreational cannabis industries. However, the current methods used for mandated heavy metals tests are not efficient for a large framework. As a result, there is limited testing capacity, high testing costs, and long wait times for results across North America. This study aimed to demonstrate that pooling strategies can be used to increase the throughput in cannabis testing labs and reduce some of the strain on the industry. This paper presents an algorithm to simulate different pooling strategies. The algorithm was applied to real world data sets collected from Washington and California state testing labs. Using a single pooling method, a pool size of three samples on average resulted in a 23.8% reduction in tests required for 100 samples for the Washington lab. For the California lab, pooling four samples on average resulted in a 54.1% reduction in tests required for 100 samples. The algorithms generated from the Washington and California lab data demonstrated that pooled testing strategies can be developed on a case-by-case method to reduce the time, effort, and costs associated with heavy metals tests. The benefits of pooled testing will vary depending on the region and rate of contamination seen in each testing lab. Overall, our results demonstrate pooled testing has the potential to reduce the fiscal costs of testing through increased efficiency, allowing increased testing, leading to greater safety.


Sirt4: the glutamine gatekeeper.
Little is known about how DNA damage and metabolism are interconnected. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Jeong and colleagues report that an important component of the DNA damage response is the SIRT4-mediated blockade of glutamine catabolism. Failure to shut down glutamine consumption results in unscheduled proliferation, genomic instability, and cancer.


Reactive arthritis: an update.
Arthritides tend to move in the classification flow sheet in a characteristic way: inflammatory--reactive--postinfectious--infective. A distinction between reactive and postinfective arthritis is rarely made in clinical practice and does not have therapeutic implications. In Finland, they are routinely lumped together and termed reactive arthritis (ReA). Native or modified HLA-B27 molecules may be directly involved in the pathogenesis of ReA, perhaps as targets for cytotoxic cells. Individuals with inadvertently strong non-specific inflammatory responses may be particularly disease-prone. The occurrence of different ensuing triggering infections in individual patients further confirms the idea that activation of the immune response and the immunogenetic make-up rather than the type and location of causative microbes as such are relevant. It is also possible that antigen processing of several microbe species of different types ends up with identical cross-reactive epitopes to be presented. It has been and certainly will to an increasing extent be reported that microbial antigens can be demonstrated in the diseased joints. It is assumed that they are involved in the local immune-inflammatory response manifesting clinically as arthritis. It has been shown that the cellular arm of the immune response is activated and for example that most of the local CD4 lymphocytes of chronic arthritides belong to the CDw29 helper-inducer memory cell subset, perhaps responding briskly to antigens originating from the triggering micro-organisms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Genetic reporter for live tracing fluid flow forces during cell fate segregation in mouse blastocyst development.
Mechanical forces are known to be important in mammalian blastocyst formation; however, due to limited tools, specific force inputs and how they relay to first cell fate control of inner cell mass (ICM) and/or trophectoderm (TE) remain elusive. Combining in toto live imaging and various perturbation experiments, we demonstrate and measure fluid flow forces existing in the mouse blastocyst cavity and identify Klf2(Krüppel-like factor 2) as a fluid force reporter with force-responsive enhancers. Long-term live imaging and lineage reconstructions reveal that blastomeres subject to higher fluid flow forces adopt ICM cell fates. These are reinforced by internal ferrofluid-induced flow force assays. We also utilize ex vivo fluid flow force mimicking and pharmacological perturbations to confirm mechanosensing specificity. Together, we report a genetically encoded reporter for continuously monitoring fluid flow forces and cell fate decisions and provide a live imaging framework to infer force information enriched lineage landscape during development. VIDEO ABSTRACT.


Disposition kinetics of moclobemide, a monoamine oxidase-A enzyme inhibitor: single and multiple dosing in normal subjects.
The absorption and disposition kinetics of moclobemide (Ro 11-1163), a new reversible and preferential monoamine oxidase-A enzyme inhibitor, were examined in 12 normal male subjects. An intravenous infusion was administered before and after a 15-day multiple oral dosing regimen (100 mg t.i.d.). Plasma concentration-time data were obtained after each intravenous infusion, after the first oral dose, during two dosing intervals at steady state, and before the second daily dose on several days. The disposition values (percent coefficient of variation in parentheses) after the first and second intravenous infusions, respectively, were: clearance, 39.4 (15%) and 29.1 (12%) L/hr; elimination half-life, 1.60 (15%) and 2.00 (18%) hours; and volume of distribution at steady state, 84.3 (11%) and 80.7 (15%) L. The absolute oral bioavailability increased from 0.56 after the first oral dose to 0.86 and 0.90 after the first and second weeks of administration, respectively. The reduced metabolic, presumably hepatic, clearance may be the result of self-inhibition or metabolite inhibition of moclobemide clearance.


CGP 6809--a new nitrosoureido-sugar derivative with activity in human tumor xenografts.
CGP 6809 [ethyl-6-deoxy-3,5-di-O-methyl-6-(3-methyl-3-nitrosoureido)-alpha-D- glucofuranoside] is a new methylnitrosoureido-sugar derivative that has been shown to be active against a broad spectrum of transplantable tumours in mice and rats. We investigated the anti-tumour effect of CGP 6809 in ten selected, human tumour xenograft lines growing s.c. in nude mice. The p.o. administration of 125 mg/kg per day for 10-15 days was less toxic (lethality 12% in tumour-bearing nude mice) than the i.p. injection of 62.5 mg/kg per day (lethality 22%). The anti-tumour effect was similar for both application routes; two large bowel cancers responded to treatment with CGP 6809, rectal cancer CXF 158 showed a remission, and the rapidly growing, undifferentiated colonic cancer CXF 280 exhibited a transient no-change. Furthermore, remissions were observed in the epidermoid lung cancer LXF 322 and in thyroid cancer 117. Tumour progression was found in another epidermoid lung cancer and in three stomach cancers, one melanoma, and one soft tissue sarcoma. CGP 6809 is a promising new agent for clinical trials, especially for large bowel and epidermoid lung cancer.


Limbal-conjunctival autograft healing process-early postoperative OCT angiography study.
To assess the normal healing process of limbal-conjunctival autograft (LCA) after pterygium removal during the early postoperative period using anterior segment optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Prospective case series of seven patients undergoing pterygium removal with LCA transplantation procedure, imaged with anterior segment OCTA, and anterior segment colour photos prior to the procedure and on postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, 7 and 30. Revascularization of the graft was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to estimate patterns of blood vessel growth. Association between revascularization to graft thickness was also investigated. On POD 1, all autografts showed either minimal flow signal or no signal at all (Mean 7.1 ± 3.3%). Regrowth of blood vessels into the graft was detected on OCTA scans on POD3 (8.7 ± 3.6%) to 7 (14.3 ± 4.1%), as nonorganised vessels formation in their appearance. Blood vessels were seen growing in a centrifugal pattern towards the surrounding conjunctiva, originating from the underlying episcleral vessels. Revascularization flow signal was seen throughout nearly all graft extent on day 30 (21.6 ± 2.2%). Graft oedema was evident on the first week (Mean 611 ± 120 μm, 695 ± 84 μm, 639 ± 96 μm of POD 1, 3 and 7, respectively), reducing substantially by day 30 (300 ± 108 μm). OCTA imaging can be used to assess the LCA healing process during the early postoperative period. Revascularization occurring as early as 3-7 days post-surgery, seems to originate from the underlying episcleral vessels. Therefore, careful handling of the bare scleral surface during surgery may be prudent for achieving an adequate healing process.


Effects of superior mesenteric artery stenosis on splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics in conscious rats with biliary cirrhosis.
Since portal tributary blood flow is increased in portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, a reduction in mesenteric arterial blood flow should decrease portal pressure. Calibrated stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery was performed in bile duct ligated rats, using a 22-gauge needle. Arterial stenosis was performed 4 weeks after bile duct ligation. Hemodynamic studies were performed in the 5th week following bile duct ligation in conscious rats. At that time, no digestive tract alterations were observed. In rats with mesenteric arterial stenosis, portal pressure was 12.2 +/- 2.0 mmHg; this value was lower than in rats with cirrhosis without arterial stenosis (14.5 +/- 1.1 mmHg) but higher than normal rats (5.8 +/- 0.7 mmHg). In rats with cirrhosis with mesenteric arterial stenosis, portal tributary and mesenteric blood flows were lower than in rats with cirrhosis without arterial stenosis and not significantly different from normal rats. In rats with mesenteric stenosis, cardiac index was significantly lower than in rats with cirrhosis and not significantly different from normal rats. This study shows that calibrated superior mesenteric arterial stenosis normalized portal tributary blood flow and reduced but did not normalize the degree of portal hypertension.


Use of small intestinal submucosal and acellular dermal matrix grafts in giant omphaloceles in neonates and a rabbit abdominal wall defect model.
The described surgical strategies for the management of omphalocele include primary closure, staged closure, and delayed closure. A primary repair is not suitable for all giant omphaloceles. We implanted two grafts, small intestinal submucosal (SIS) and acellular dermal matrix (ADM) onto abdominal wall defects in neonates to study the safety and efficacy of SIS and ADM graft techniques for initial closure of giant omphaloceles in infants, and we also implanted these grafts onto abdominal wall defects in an animal model. Twenty-four patients with giant omphaloceles were divided into two groups (ADM group, 12 patients; SIS group, 12 patients). The operative time, skin healing time postoperatively, and the incidence of skin infections, and abdominal wall hernias were observed. In the rabbit animal model, bilateral full-thickness incisions were made through the rabbit rectus abdominus muscles and a 2×4cm longitudinal whole layer defect was created on either the left or right lateral anterior abdominal wall. A four-layered variant of the SIS graft was used to repair the right abdominal defect; ADM was used to repair the left. Tensile strength was measured using an Instron tensiometer. Electron scanning and light microscopy were used to evaluate neovascularization, collagen deposition, and muscle fibers at 2, 4, 8, and 16weeks postimplantation. In the neonatal patients, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to operative time, skin healing time postoperatively, the incidence of skin infections, or abdominal wall hernias. In the SIS group, only one patient developed a skin infection, which led to skin necrosis and sloughing. In the ADM group, four patients developed skin infection postoperatively, and the patch was gradually removed. In the animal study, there was no significant difference between the mean breaking strength of ADM versus SIS repairs. Scanning electron and light microscopy showed collagen deposition, increased vascularization, fibroblasts, and muscular regeneration in both SIS and ADM repairs. SEM showed that the SIS graft was absorbed, while ADM was not. Light microscopy showed foreign body macrophages in ADM, but not in the SIS repairs. SIS and ADM grafts adequately enhance healing with a low complication rate. Compared with ADM grafts, SIS is absorbable, induces less inflammation, and is more biocompatible, and therefore might be more useful and suitable for closure of abdominal wall defects.


The multi-purse string maze procedure: a new surgical technique to perform the full maze procedure without atriotomies.
The maze procedure is the most effective surgical procedure for atrial fibrillation. In recent years, a number of different surgical ablation devices were introduced and gradually replaced the need for the procedure to be performed by using the cut-and-sew technique. In this article a new surgical approach is presented using a full maze IV lesion set, without atriotomies. Between January 2005 and June 2006, 12 patients underwent operations with the multi-purse string technique: 9 patients as a combined procedure with coronary artery bypass grafting, 2 patients as a combined procedure with aortic valve replacement, and 1 patient as a standalone procedure. In 5 additional patients, a small left atrial atriotomy was required to ensure the completeness of the mitral valve isthmus lesion. A combination of bipolar radiofrequency and cryothermal energies was used in all cases. All patients were part of our comprehensive follow-up and local atrial fibrillation registry. No perioperative morality, cerebrovascular accidents/transient ischemic attacks, or both were documented in this series. In a mean follow-up of 13 +/- 6 months, 1 late death was documented, and 91% of the patients are free from atrial fibrillation or flutter. Our experience suggests that the maze IV procedure can be performed without the need for atriotomies by using the multi-purse string approach. The intermediate results are promising, with high rates of success in ablating atrial fibrillation. Future studies should be performed to validate the safety of the use of bipolar radiofrequency devices endocardially on a beating heart.


Role of the central muscarinic receptor of prostaglandin I2 in cardiovascular function in rat.
The effects of injection of prostaglandin (PG) I2 into the cerebral ventricle on cardiovascular responses and their modification by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) pretreatment with several drugs were studied in male Wistar rats under urethane anesthesia. When injected into the ventricle, PG I2 (50 nmol/kg) caused a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate which were of short duration and were significantly inhibited by i.c.v. pretreatment with drugs, such as atropine (0.4 mumol/kg) and diphenhydramine (1 mumol/kg), having an anticholinergic effect. The similar effects induced by intravenous (i.v.) injection of PG I2 (5 nmol/kg) were not inhibited by i.v. pretreatment with these drugs. These results suggest that PG I2 play a role in regulation of cardiovascular function through central muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.


Self-powered bifunctional sensor based on tribotronic planar graphene transistors.
With the development of material science, micro-nano-fabrication and microelectronics, the higher level requirements are posed on the electronic skins (E-skin). The lower energy consumption and multiple functions are the imperative requirements to spurred scientists and mechanists to make joint efforts to meet. To achieve lower energy consumption, a promising energy-harvesting style of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) is incorporated into the field effect transistors (FETs) to play the important role for sensor. For bifunctional sensor, to harness the difficult for reflecting the magnitude of frequency, we resorted to synaptic transistors to achieve more intelligentization. Furthermore, with regards to the configuration of FET, we continued previous work: using the electrolyte gate dielectrics of FET-ion gel as the electrification layer to achieve high efficient, compact and extensively adoption for mechanosensation. The working principle of the GFET was based on the coupling effects of the FET and the TENG. This newly emerged self-powered sensor would offer a new platform for lower power consumption sensor for human-machine interface and intelligent robot.


Evaluation of interface trap densities and quantum capacitance in carbon nanotube network thin-film transistors.
The interface trap density in single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) network thin-film transistors (TFTs) is a fundamental and important parameter for assessing the electronic performance of TFTs. However, the number of studies on the extraction of interface trap densities, particularly in SWNT TFTs, has been insufficient. In this work, we propose an efficient technique for extracting the energy-dependent interface traps in SWNT TFTs. From the measured dispersive, frequency-dependent capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics, the dispersive-free, frequency-independent C-V curve was obtained, thus enabling the extraction and analysis of the interface trap density, which was found to be approximately 8.2 × 10(11) eV(-1) cm(-2) at the valence band edge. The frequency-independent C-V curve also allows further extraction of the quantum capacitance in the SWNT network without introducing any additional fitting process or parameters. We found that the extracted value of the quantum capacitance in SWNT networks is lower than the theoretical value in aligned SWNTs due to the cross point of SWNTs on the SWNT network. Therefore, the method proposed in this work indicates that the C-V measurement is a powerful tool for obtaining deep physical insights regarding the electrical performance of SWNT TFTs.


Gold Nanoparticle-Decorated g-C3N4 Nanosheets for Controlled Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species upon 670 nm Laser Illumination.
Conventional photosensitizer-based photodynamic therapy is triggered by UV-light irradiation and depends on oxygen. However, it is hard to be applied to the deep and hypoxic tumor. To address this issue, we reported a new kind of g-C3N4 nanosheet decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which could generate a high amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under a 670 nm laser irradiation in an oxygen-free environment. This synthesized semiconductor-metal heterojunction served as a superior photodynamic agent, showing prominent cancer cell-killing and tumor growth-suppressing effects in the presence of a 670 nm light and g-C3N4-AuNP composites, and its excellent ROS generation property was also validated by further bactericidal experiment.


Pirenzepine (LS 519): a weak inhibitor of acid secretion by isolated rat parietal cells.
Carbamylcholine-stimulated potentiation of dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced acid secretion by isolated rat parietal cells was specifically inhibited by the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist pirenzepine at an IC50 of 1.1 microM. In contrast to the weak inhibition by pirenzepine, the potentiation was inhibited by atropine at an IC50 of 4.6 nM. In vivo, pirenzepine is one-tenth as potent as atropine as an inhibitor of acid secretion. The weak activity of pirenzepine shown in this study suggests that its in vivo inhibitory activity is likely due to an interaction with a site involved in the regulation of gastric acid secretion which has higher-affinity muscarinic receptors for pirenzepine than those associated with parietal cells.


Do Magnet®-accredited hospitals show improvements in nurse and patient outcomes compared to non-Magnet hospitals: a systematic review.
The Magnet model proposes an accreditation for hospitals having demonstrated a healthy work environment and, as a result, positive staff and patient outcomes. Yet there are conflicting findings surrounding the actual impact of Magnet's organizational model on these outcomes, as well as a wide range of designs influencing the quality of these results. To conduct a systematic review that explores the effect of Magnet accreditation on objective nurse and patient outcomes. Magnet and non-Magnet accredited hospitals matched according to their similarity (e.g. size, type [urban or rural], level of acuity, location, etc.). Hospitals could be either university based or non-teaching hospitals and in any geographical location. As the focus of the study was outcomes specific to Magnet accreditation, studies reporting on "reputational Magnets" (the original hospitals), Magnet-aspiring and non-Magnet hospitals alone were excluded from the review. TYPES OF INTERVENTION(S)/PHENOMENA OF INTEREST: Exposure to Magnet accreditation. A Magnet hospital is defined as a hospital with American Nursing Credentialing Center -designated Magnet status at the time of study and having received this accreditation in the last four years, as this is the length of time for which the accreditation is valid, after which the hospital must reapply for another four-year accreditation. TYPES OF STUDIES: This review considered any quantitative study comparing nurse and patient outcomes in Magnet accredited hospitals with those in non-Magnet hospitals. Controlled clinical trials, controlled before and after and interrupted time series were considered first. When these were not available, case-controlled, descriptive comparative and descriptive correlational designs were considered. All studies presenting a "case study" with no comparison and other studies reporting on interviews and other qualitative data were excluded. TYPES OF OUTCOMES: The outcomes of interest were nurse outcomes related to turnover and absenteeism, as measured by the actual turnover rate if available, or the Anticipated Turnover Scale, the Revised Nursing Work Index or the Maslach Burnout Inventory, as well as nursing-sensitive patient outcomes (such as fall rates and hospital-acquired pressure ulcers) as measured by retrospective patient records, discharge abstracts, incident reports and reimbursement forms. Both published and unpublished literature between 1994 and 2014 were searched. The electronic databases searched were the following: CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Academic Search Complete and Web of Science. Other resources included ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database /Dissertation Abstracts Online and OpenGrey, the American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Credentialing Center websites, and the Sigma Theta Tau International library of abstracts. In April 2015, a search update was conducted including the years 2014-2015 in the databases listed above. No cut-off point for the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool criteria was selected for inclusion of studies. Data from included studies were extracted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Data Extraction Form for experimental/observational studies. Two reviewers extracted the data independently and results were compared for accuracy and categorized according to nurse and patient outcomes. All the studies analyzed retrospective data obtained from either combined databases or from questionnaires. The methodological heterogeneity and poor quality of the designs did not make it possible to pool quantitative results in a statistical meta-analysis. Results are presented in descriptive narrative form. From the 141 screened studies, ten met the inclusion criteria. Nine of these studies were retrospective analyses of data extracted from existing databases, one study collected original data. Of the seven studies examining patient outcomes, three found clear statistically significant improvements related to lower pressure ulcers, patient falls, failure to rescue and 30-day inpatient mortality in Magnet hospitals compared to non-Magnet hospitals. In the studies examining nurse outcomes, three found statistically significant improvements related to higher job satisfaction and lower intent to leave and turnover rates in Magnet compared to non-Magnet hospitals. Based on the mixed results and poor quality in the research designs in the ten included studies, it was not possible to conclude that Magnet accreditation has effects on nurse and patient outcomes. There is a need for more robust designs that can confidently measure the impact of hospital accreditation on objective outcomes.


Physical investigations of the hemocyanin of the chiton, Cryptochiton stelleri (Middendorff).
The hemocyanin of the giant Pacific chiton, Cryptochiton stelleri has a molecular weight of 4.2 +/- 0.3 X 10(6), determined by light-scattering, and a sedimentation coefficient of 60S. The fully dissociated subunits in nondenaturing solvents, at pH 10.6, 1 X 10(-2)M EDTA and in 8.0 M urea, pH 7.4 have molecular weights of 4.10 X 10(5) and 4.35 X 10(5), close to one-tenth of the molecular mass of the parent hemocyanin decamers. In the pH region from about 3.5 to 11 the molecular weight (Mw), determined at constant protein concentration of 0.10 g1(-1) exhibits a bell-shaped molecular weight profile centering about the physiological pH of the hemolymph of 7.2. The pH-Mw profile is best accounted for in terms of a three state, decamer-dimer-monomer dissociation scheme. Analysis of the Mg2+ and Ca2+ effects on the molecular weight transitions suggest stabilization of the hemocyanin decamers through one bound divalent ion per hemocyanin monomer or dimer. Urea, GdmCl, and the higher members of the chaotropic salt series are effective dissociating agents for Cryptochiton stelleri hemocyanin. The dissociation profile obtained with urea at pH 8.5, 0.01 M Mg2+, 0.01 M Ca2+ has been analyzed in terms of both the two- and three-species schemes of subunit-dissociation. Hydrophobic stabilization of the subunit contacts is suggested by the large number of apparent amino acid groups (Napp), of the order of 30 between dimers stabilizing the decamers, and 120 apparent amino acid groups between each monomer forming the constituent dimers.


Effect of intratracheal dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine on postoperative sore throat: a prospective randomised double-blinded controlled trial.
The present study aimed to investigate whether intratracheal dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine reduces the severity and incidence of postoperative sore throat after tracheal intubation under general anaesthesia. Two hundred patients with American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I-II who were subjected to general anaesthesia were randomly divided into four groups, namely, Group D, Group R, Group DR and Group S; these groups received intratracheal dexmedetomidine (1 µg/kg), 0.8% ropivacaine (40 mg), dexmedetomidine (1 µg/kg) combined with 0.8% ropivacaine (40 mg) and normal saline before endotracheal intubation, respectively. The primary outcomes were the incidence and grade of sore throat and hoarseness at 2 h and 24 h after surgery. Moreover, the modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale results were recorded at each time point. The secondary outcomes were intraoperative haemodynamic fluctuations, intraoperative anaesthetic drug requirements, and adverse reactions during and after surgery. The patients' vital signs before induction, before superficial anaesthesia, after superficial anaesthesia, before intubation, after intubation, and 1 min after intubation were recorded. The use of anaesthetic drugs and occurrence of adverse effects were also recorded. The incidence and severity of sore throat were significantly lower in Group DR than in the other three groups 2 h after the operation, but they were only significantly lower in Group DR than in the control group 24 h after the operation. Moreover, compared with Group S and Group D, Group DR exhibited more stable haemodynamics during intubation. The doses of remifentanil and propofol were significantly lower in Group DR than in the other groups. The combined use of dexmedetomidine and ropivacaine for surface anaesthesia before intubation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat. This treatment also decreased anaesthetic drug requirements and intraoperative haemodynamic fluctuations and caused no adverse effects. This clinical research was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900022907, Registration date 30/04/2019).


Yearly measurements of blood lead in Swedish children since 1978: the declining trend continues in the petrol-lead-free period 1995-2007.
We have measured blood lead concentrations (B-Pb) in Swedish children, yearly since 1978. As reported previously, a substantial decrease of B-Pb was found for the period 1978-1994 (2440 children measured), as an effect of gradual reduction of lead in petrol. In another report focusing on the petrol-lead-free period 1995-2001, we noted that B-Pb seemed to stabilize at an average level close to 20 microg/L. We here analyze data from the extended petrol-lead-free period 1995-2007. B-Pb was measured in 1268 children, aged 7-11 years, from the municipalities of Landskrona and Trelleborg in southern Sweden, yielding 1407 measurements on B-Pb (since 139 children were measured in two different calendar years). We observed statistically significant decreases of the average concentrations during the recent years. The average B-Pb reduction rate was close to 5%/yr in the petrol-lead-free period 1995-2007; a similar reduction rate was estimated for the period with gradual reduction of lead in petrol, 1978-1994. The most recent geometric mean of B-Pb was 13.1 (range, 6.9-29.1)microg/L in Trelleborg (sample year 2005) and 13.2 (5.7-58.5)microg/L in Landskrona (2007). A declining B-Pb time trend was observed during the recent years among children who lived in near smelter, urban, and rural residential areas, respectively. B-Pb was influenced by the variables sex (boys had higher B-Pb), parents' smoking habits (children with one or both parents smoking had higher B-Pb), and potentially lead-exposing hobbies (for example, shooting air guns). Children's B-Pb levels can continue to decline markedly more than a decade after lead in petrol has been phased out in a country.


Delivery and expression of pDNA embedded in collagen matrices.
Collagen matrices can be used as non-viral biocompatible gene carriers for localized implantable gene therapy. Collagen matrices embedding pDNA with enhanced binding through condensing agent linkage to the matrix or to the pDNA have been formulated, and characterized in various systems. pDNA and condensed pDNA were released intact from the matrices within 1-2 days. In vitro transfection with collagen matrices containing pDNA (luciferase encoding), pDNA in liposome (LIP), and pDNA with polyethylenimine (PEI) resulted in significantly higher expression levels in comparison to naked pDNA. pDNA-LIP matrices exhibited a dose response transfection of NIH 3T3, 293, MDA-MB-231 and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in cell cultures. Subdermal implantations of collagen-polylysine-pDNA matrices in rats resulted in significantly higher gene expression levels in comparison to non-condensed pDNA matrices. Perivascular treatment with pDNA matrix and of naked pDNA solution in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries resulted in significant expression. In conclusion, a facile method for embedding cationic formulations of pDNA in collagen matrices was developed. These bioactive matrices seem to be suitable for tissue engineering and local gene therapy strategies.


Genome-wide analysis of potential cross-reactive endogenous allergens in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
The proteins in the food are the source of common allergic components to certain patients. Current lists of plant endogenous allergens were based on the medical/clinical reports as well as laboratory results. Plant genome sequences made it possible to predict and characterize the genome-wide of putative endogenous allergens in rice (Oryza sativa L.). In this work, we identified and characterized 122 candidate rice allergens including the 22 allergens in present databases. Conserved domain analysis also revealed 37 domains among rice allergens including one novel domain (histidine kinase-, DNA gyrase B-, and HSP90-like ATPase, PF13589) adding to the allergen protein database. Phylogenetic analysis of the allergens revealed the diversity among the Prolamin superfamily and DnaK protein family, respectively. Additionally, some allergens proteins clustered on the rice chromosome might suggest the molecular function during the evolution.


A new concept for early recovery after surgery for patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: results of a prospective randomized study.
Early recovery after surgery concepts have gained wide acceptance in various surgical specialties. However, limited data are available for radical cystectomy. A new early recovery after surgery concept was compared to a more conservative regimen in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. A total of 101 consecutive patients were prospectively randomized to early recovery after surgery (62) or a conservative regimen (39) (intended randomization ratio was 2 early recovery after surgery-to-1 conservative regimen). Primary end points were differences in quality of life, and secondary end points included postoperative morbidity, demand for analgesics, time spent in the intermediate care unit, mobility and number of gastrointestinal events during hospital stay. Quality of life parameters, as measured by the EORTC (European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer) Quality of Life questionnaire QLQ-30 did not change significantly between postoperative days 3 and 7 and at discharge from hospital in the conservative regimen group, whereas a significant improvement was observed in the early recovery after surgery group. Postoperative morbidity was lower in the early recovery after surgery group in terms of wound healing disorders (p = 0.006), fever (p = 0.004) and thrombosis (p = 0.027). The demand for analgesics was significantly lower in the early recovery after surgery group. The amount of food consumed in relation to the amount of food offered was significantly higher for the early recovery after surgery group as early as day 3 (p = 0.02). Time spent in the intermediate care unit was significantly shorter for the early recovery after surgery group (p <0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to gastrointestinal events. The main limitations of this study were the lack of long-term data as well as the single center approach. Early recovery after surgery of patients who underwent radical cystectomy appears to have significant benefits compared to a conservative regimen in terms of postoperative morbidity, quality of life, use of analgesics and time spent in the intermediate care unit.


Isolated hypoxic perfusion with mitomycin C in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Chemotherapy as a palliative therapy option for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer remains disappointing. Some authors have recently claimed high response rates and a prolongation of median survival after regional chemotherapy. Isolated perfusion may result in the highest drug concentrations within the target tissue without causing systemic side-effects. An established, commercially available system of isolated hypoxic perfusion (IHP) was therefore evaluated in patients with unresectable or recurrent pancreatic cancer. IHP was performed in 17 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Five women and 12 men with a median age of 61 years were treated. A 20-min isolated hypoxic perfusion was performed after 40 mg of mitomycin C (MMC) had been instilled into the running perfusion system over 5 min. Tumour response was evaluated by CT-scan 6 weeks after IHP. Twenty perfusions were carried out in 17 patients. Within 10 min of perfusion, the perfusate's PO2 decreased to 13% of the baseline value. Five minutes after the infusion of MMC a local concentration of 15.2 mg/litre was observed. Toxicity-related deaths did not occur. Nausea and vomiting (NCI> or =II: 12 episodes) were the most frequently observed toxicities after IHP. In five patients (29%) a deep vein thrombosis occurred. None of the treated patients responded to the regimen used in this trial. The median survival time after IHP was 4.2 months (range 1.3-21). The overall rate of side-effects and complications after IHP was high. In spite of some hopeful reports on this treatment in recent years, IHP did not show any benefit in terms of tumour response or median survival. On the basis of these experiences, this procedure should no longer be used as treatment for patients with unresectable or recurrent pancreatic cancer.


An energy harvesting shock absorber for powering on-board electrical equipment in freight trains.
To realize smart detection and safe operation of freight trains, a continuous and stable energy source is required for electrical equipment on the train. It is a feasible scheme to harvest the vibration energy of train suspension to supply power for on-board electrical equipment. This paper presents an energy-harvesting shock absorber (EHSA) based on the slider-crank mechanism and ratchet-pawl mechanism, which provide a vibration reduction effect and renewable electricity. To determine the damping performance and the power generation performance of EHSA, a dynamic model is established based on MATLAB. According to the tests on the mechanical testing and sensing (MTS) bench, the maximum power generation mechanical efficiency of the EHSA is 67.75%, and the maximum output power of the EHSA is 1.65W. In addition, the charging tests on the MTS bench show that the proposed device is applicable to power on-board electrical equipment on freight trains.


Attentional and motivational deficits in rats withdrawn from intravenous self-administration of cocaine or heroin.
Identifying the long-term neurocognitive sequelae of drug addiction may have important implications for understanding the compulsive, chronically relapsing nature of this brain disorder. Our aim was to investigate the consequences of chronic intravenous self-administration of cocaine or heroin on visual attentional processes in rats. Adult male rats were pretrained on a five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) of sustained visual attention and impulsivity and later trained to self-administer cocaine or heroin intravenously during multiple 'long-access' self-administration cycles. Control rats had identical training and surgical experience, but received passive infusions of saline during self-administration sessions. Executive cognitive processes of selection and inhibitory response control were evaluated 24 h after drug discontinuation and for a further 6 days prior to the next cycle of self-administration. Findings indicate similar behavioural disturbances on the five-choice task in cocaine- and heroin-withdrawn rats with significantly impaired attentional accuracy, increased omissions and slower latencies to respond correctly during the early, but not late, withdrawal period. The self-administration of either drug was not associated with significant alterations in impulsive actions, and there was no evidence of persistent alterations in visual attentional performance. However, unlike rats self-administering cocaine, the motivation to collect food reward on the 5-CSRTT was significantly reduced in heroin-withdrawn animals for a period of at least 6 weeks. These data, together with recent findings of attentional dysfunction during the withdrawal of intravenous self-administration of amphetamine, suggest that generically different drugs of abuse produce similar disturbances in visual attentional performance during the early withdrawal period.


The effect of Ca2+ channel antagonists on plasma concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in essential hypertension.
The ability of some antihypertensive drugs to protect from vascular damage in hypertension might be partially due to their ability to control matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-mediated extracellular matrix metabolism, which in turn may contribute to vascular remodeling. This study was designed to investigate whether treatment with felodipine or diltiazem has any effect on plasma levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in essential hypertensive patients. We measured plasma levels of active MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 72 hypertensive subjects and 45 controls, both before and after 6 months of treatment with felodipine (group A) or diltiazem (group B). Mean adjusted differences, before and after each treatment, for MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels were: 19.8 (P =.01) for MMP-2, 0.2 (P =.5) for MMP-9 (group A), and 1.4 (P =.4) for MMP-2, 0.2 (P =.7) for MMP-9 (group B). These findings show that MMP-2 level is raised by treatment with felodipine but not diltiazem, whereas MMP-9 is unaffected by either treatment.


Biosynthesis of heparan sulfate on beta-D-xylosides depends on aglycone structure.
We have reported that 3-estradiol-beta-D-xyloside primes heparan sulfate synthesis in Chinese hamster ovary cells and that the proportion of heparan sulfate made rises with increasing concentration of xyloside (Lugemwa, F.N. and Esko, J.D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 6674-6677). Using estradiol as a guide, we varied the structure of the aglycone and showed that beta-D-xylosides containing two fused aromatic rings efficiently prime heparan sulfate. Thus, 2-naphthol-beta-D-xyloside primed heparan sulfate at low dose (< or = 10 microM) and the proportion of heparan sulfate increased with concentration (up to 50% of total glycosaminoglycan). Various ring additions and heterocyclic ring substitutions altered the efficiency of heparan sulfate priming, but had no effect on the overall level of glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Replacement of the bridging oxygen with sulfur (2-naphthalenethiol-beta-D-xyloside) increased the efficiency of heparan sulfate priming. Priming of heparan sulfate correlated with hydrophobicity of the xyloside, but several exceptions suggested that the chemical structure of the aglycone played an equally important role. Interestingly, the heparan sulfate chains generated on 2-naphthol-beta-D-xyloside showed a 2-fold decrease in the proportion of disaccharides containing 6-O-sulfate groups and a striking diminution in non-sulfated iduronic acid containing disaccharides compared to the chains attached to cellular proteoglycans. Thus, both the type of glycosaminoglycan made on a xyloside and its fine structure depends on the aglycone.


A comparative study of argon and krypton laser. Photocoagulation in the treatment of presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome.
Ninety eyes from 88 patients with active macular subretinal neovascular membranes of presumed ocular histoplasmosis were treated with photocoagulation: 45 eyes with blue-green argon laser and 45 with red krypton laser. Final visual results are compared between these two series and natural course of the disease. The krypton laser photocoagulated eyes obtained better final visual results when compared with both the argon laser treated series and natural course.


Prospective study of HBV reactivation risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients who received conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Studies that reported hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have caused attention of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-related HBV reactivation. Most of the studies were focused on HBV reactivation risk of biologic DMARDs; insufficient data are available to identify the exact risk of conventional DMARD (c-DMARD)-related HBV reactivation. This prospective study aimed to investigate the risk of HBV reactivation in HBV-infected RA patients who received c-DMARDs. A total of 476 RA patients were screened in this prospective non-randomized, non-controlled study. HBV-infected patients characterized by hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive or HBsAg negative/anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positive were analyzed for HBV DNA, followed with HBV DNA monitoring scheduled every 3 months, serum alanine aminotransferase test at 2-month intervals, or more frequently. Prevalence of HBsAg positive and HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive was 6.51 and 51.1 %, respectively, among the 476 RA patients. Among 211 patients (23 patients were HBsAg positive and 188 patients were HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive) who received c-DMARDs without antiviral prophylactic treatment, 4 patients developed HBV reactivation. Both HBsAg positive and HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive patients have the possibility of developing HBV reactivation. There was no correlation between HBV reactivation and any specific c-DMARD. Glucocorticoid coadministration and negative anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) at baseline showed correlation with reactivation. In conclusion, it would be rational to initiate antiviral prophylaxis according to risk stratification rather than universal prophylaxis for HBV-infected RA patients. Conventional DMARDs are relatively safe to HBV-infected patients with low reactivation risk (low HBV DNA level, no GCs administration, and anti-HB positive).


Development and evaluation of triple gene transgenic cotton lines expressing three genes (Cry1Ac-Cry2Ab-EPSPS) for lepidopteran insect pests and herbicide tolerance.
Cotton is an international agricultural commodity and the main cash crop of Pakistan of which quality and quantity are subject to various whims of nature. Climate change, insect pest complex, and weeds are reducing its productivity. Here, we have developed triple gene cotton containing EPSPS gene along with two Bt toxin genes Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab using a strategy where all three genes are cloned in the same T-DNA, followed by successful cotton transformation via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. This strategy has been developed to help cotton breeders in developing new cultivars by incorporating these genes into the non-transgenic or single Bt (Cry1Ac) gene cotton background where all three genes will inherit together. The expression of all three proteins was confirmed through immunostrips and was quantified through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The spatio-temporal expression of Bt protein in different parts of triple gene NIBGE cotton plants was determined. Maximum expression was found in leaves followed by seeds and boll rinds. Insect bioassays with cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera), armyworms (Spodoptera litura), and pink bollworms (Pectinophora gossypiella) showed more than 90% mortality. The best performing line (NIBGE-E2) on the basis of spatiotemporal expression, glyphosate assays, and insect mortality data, was used for event characterization by using the genome sequencing approach. The event was successfully characterized and named NIBGE 20-01. A diagnostics test based on event-specific PCR was developed and its ability to distinguish NIBGE 20-01 event from other commercial transgenic cotton events was confirmed. To confirm stable expression of all three proteins in the field conditions, homozygous transgenic lines were grown in the field and the expression was confirmed through immunostrip assays. It was found that all three genes are expressed under field conditions. To show that all three genes are inherited together upon crossing with local elite cotton lines, the F1 generation was grown under glasshouse and field conditions. The expression of all three genes was confirmed under field conditions. Our results showed that transgenic cotton with three genes cloned in the same T-DNA can express all genes and can be conveniently transferred into elite cotton lines through a single cross.


Metabotropic glutamate receptor modulation, translational methods, and biomarkers: relationships with anxiety.
The increasing awareness of the need to align clinical and preclinical research to facilitate rapid development of new drug therapies is reflected in the recent introduction of the term "translational medicine". This review examines the implications of translational medicine for psychiatric disorders, focusing on metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor biology in anxiety disorders and on anxiety-related biomarkers. This review aims to (1) examine recent progress in translational medicine, emphasizing the role that translational research has played in understanding of the potential of mGlu receptor agonists and antagonists as anxiolytics, (2) identify lacunas where animal and human research have yet to be connected, and (3) suggest areas where translational research can be further developed. Current data show that animal and human mGlu(5) binding can be directly compared in experiments using the PET ligand (11)C-ABP688. Testing of the mGlu(2/3) receptor agonist LY354740 in the fear-potentiated startle paradigm allows direct functional comparisons between animals and humans. LY354740 has been tested in panic models, but in different models in rats and humans, hindering efforts at translation. Other potentially translatable methods, such as stress-induced hyperthermia and HPA-axis measures, either have been underexploited or are associated with technical difficulties. New techniques such as quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis may be useful for generating novel biomarkers of anxiety. Translational medicine approaches can be valuable to the development of anxiolytics, but the amount of cross-fertilization between clinical and pre-clinical departments will need to be expanded to realize the full potential of these approaches.


Microbial Remediation of Crude Oil in Saline Conditions by Oil-Degrading Bacterium Priestia megaterium FDU301.
Salinity greatly affects the microbial degradation process of crude oil; thus, the isolation and identification of halotolerant microbes is essential. Limited studies explored how microbes respond to increased salinity. In this study, an oil-degrading bacterium Priestia megaterium FDU301 was isolated from the Dagang oil field, which can tolerate a salinity of 6%. Compared to the non-saline condition, oil degradation ratios by P. megaterium FDU301 increased by 15.27% and 11.26% in 0.5% and 3.5% salinity media, respectively. Meanwhile, bacteria degraded various components of crude oil more thoroughly in saline environments, especially mid-chain hydrocarbons (C11-C18). Surface tension under salt stress was lower than that in the non-saline medium, indicating that the amount of biosurfactants produced by bacteria was increased. The microbial activity enhanced markedly in response to increased salinity, which was the main factor for the high degradation ability. As a vital component of biofilms, the production of polysaccharides was accelerated with P. megaterium FDU301 inoculation in saline environments. These results indicate that P. megaterium FDU301 has great potential application in oil bioremediation in saline environments.


Depression, locus of control, and the effects of epilepsy surgery.
The purposes of this investigation were (a) to determine the relationship between interictal depression and a potential psychosocial risk factor (locus of control), (b) to examine changes in self-reported depression after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), and (c) relate postoperative changes in depression to alterations in surgical outcome and locus of control. Thirty-seven patients with intractable seizures of temporal lobe origin were administered measures of depression and locus of control both preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Results revealed a significant preoperative relationship between depression and an external locus of control, but this relationship no longer existed postoperatively. Postoperative declines in depression were independent of any alterations in locus of control. Further analyses revealed that depression declined significantly only in patients rendered completely seizure-free by ATL, whereas patients who were significantly improved (greater than or equal to 75% reduction in seizure frequency) but continued to experience some seizure activity showed no changes in self-reported depression. Finally, a wide variety of neurologic and seizure-related variables were shown to be unrelated to depression. The clinical and theoretical significance of these findings is discussed.


Delayed medical care and its perceived health impact among US older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical care delivery has been substantially disrupted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, leading to delays in medical care, particularly among older adults. Less is known about how these delays have affected different segments of this population. Understanding the negative health consequences older adults face from delayed care will provide critical insights into the longer-term population health needs following the pandemic. We used data from a COVID-19 substudy embedded in a nationally representative longitudinal study of older adults, the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Data were collected between September 14, 2020, and January 27, 2021. Two thousand six hundred seventy-two individuals responded to the survey. Using logistic and multinomial logistic regressions, we determined respondent-level characteristics associated with delayed medical care, experiencing a negative impact on physical health from delayed care, and with reporting worsening physical health during the pandemic. Nearly, one-third (32.8%) of older adults reported delayed medical care during the pandemic. Female sex, higher levels of education, greater concerns about the pandemic, and poorer self-rated physical health were associated with delayed medical care. Blacks and those who are 70 and older were less likely to report delayed care. Among those whose care was delayed, 76.5% reported having already recovered delayed care. Nearly one in five (17.6%) reported that delayed care negatively affected their health. Older adults with worse self-rated physical and mental health or who had not fully recovered delayed care were more likely to report perceived negative health impacts from the delay. Regardless of delayed medical care, 10.2% reported worse physical health during the pandemic. One-third of older adults experienced care delays during the pandemic. Despite high rates of care recovery, nearly one in five older adults who experienced delayed care reported being negatively affected. Strategies must be developed to reach these vulnerable patients to increase their healthcare utilization.


Bayesian prediction-based individualized dosing of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus treatment: Recent advancements and prospects in therapeutic drug monitoring.
As one of the efficient techniques for TDM, the population pharmacokinetic (popPK) model approach for dose individualization has been developed due to the rapidly growing innovative progress in computer technology and has recently been considered as a part of model-informed precision dosing (MIPD). Initial dose individualization and measurement followed by maximum a posteriori (MAP)-Bayesian prediction using a popPK model are the most classical and widely used approach among a class of MIPD strategies. MAP-Bayesian prediction offers the possibility of dose optimization based on measurement even before reaching a pharmacokinetically steady state, such as in an emergency, especially for infectious diseases requiring urgent antimicrobial treatment. As the pharmacokinetic processes in critically ill patients are affected and highly variable due to pathophysiological disturbances, the advantages offered by the popPK model approach make it highly recommended and required for effective and appropriate antimicrobial treatment. In this review, we focus on novel insights and beneficial aspects of the popPK model approach, especially in the treatment of infectious diseases with anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agents represented by vancomycin, and discuss the recent advancements and prospects in TDM practice.


Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on child abuse and neglect: A cross-sectional study in a French Child Advocacy Center.
This study aimed to describe the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown in France on the activity of a Child Advocacy Center. This cross-sectional, observational study included all children involved in the activity of the CAC during the first lockdown, from March 16 to May 10, 2020 and the next 3 months and the corresponding periods in 2018 and 2019. Cases were considered severe when a hospitalization, social alert and/or judicial report to the prosecutor was decided. Data for 1583 children were analyzed. During the lockdown, the global center activity decreased with 26.4 consultations per 100.000 children in 2018, 46 in 2019 and 20.7 in 2020 (p < 0.001). Judicial activity decreased (forensic examinations and child forensic interview recordings), whereas assessment consultations increased. Cases were more severe during the lockdown than in 2019 and 2018 (12.3, 9.4 and 6.04/100.000 children, respectively, p < 0.0001). The global activity of the center increased in the 3 months after the lockdown as compared with during the lockdown (38.2/100.000 versus 20.7/100.000, respectively, p < 0.001) but did not differ from activity in 2018 and 2019. Severe cases were more frequent in the 3 months after the lockdown than the previous years (13.7/100.000 in 2020, 9.62 in 2019 and 8.17 in 2018, p = 0.0002). The CAC activity decreased during the lockdown in France but the increase in incidence of severe abuse cases during the lockdown and the next 3 months confirm the need for optimal screening, care and support of child abuse and neglect victims even in the context of health crisis.


The position of the gene locus for monocyte alloantigens (HMA system) on chromosome 6.
In ten families with 65 children (with 64 informative meioses), a close linkage between the monocyte antigen locus (HMA) and HLA was found with a recombination frequency of 1.56%.


Effect of transmembrane pressure on Factor VIII yield in ATF perfusion culture for the production of recombinant human Factor VIII co-expressed with von Willebrand factor.
In this study, we evaluated three cell retention devices, an alternating tangential flow (ATF) system, a spin-filter, and a Centritech Lab III centrifuge, for the production of recombinant human Factor VIII co-expressed with von Willebrand factor. From the results, it was found that the FVIII activity in bioreactor was significantly higher in the ATF perfusion culture than two other perfusion cultures. Moreover, the FVIII activity yield was unexpectedly low in the ATF perfusion culture. We have, therefore, studied the reasons for this low FVIII activity yield. It was revealed that the inactivation and the surface adsorption of FVIII onto the harvest bag were not the main reasons for the low yield in the ATF perfusion culture. The FVIII activity yield was not increased by the use of a hollow fiber filter with 0.5 μm pore size instead of 0.2 μm pore size. Additionally, the retention of FVIII molecules by the hollow fiber filter was a dominant factor in the low FVIII activity yield in the ATF perfusion culture. We demonstrated that FVIII yield was significantly improved by controlling transmembrane pressure (TMP) across the hollow fiber filter membrane. Taken together, these results suggest that TMP control could be an efficient method for the enhancement of FVIII yield in an ATF perfusion culture.


Contrast enhancement of intracranial lesions at 1.5 T: comparison among 2D spin echo, black-blood (BB) Cube, and BB Cube-FLAIR sequences.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of T1W black-blood Cube (BB Cube) and T1W BB Cube fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (BB Cube-FLAIR) sequences for contrast-enhanced brain imaging, by evaluating flow-related artefacts, detectability, and contrast ratio (CR) of intracranial lesions among these sequences and T1W-SE. Phantom studies were performed to determine the optimal parameters of BB Cube and BB Cube-FLAIR. A clinical study in 23 patients with intracranial lesions was performed to evaluate the usefulness of these two sequences for the diagnosis of intracranial lesions compared with the conventional 2D T1W-SE sequence. The phantom study revealed that the optimal parameters for contrast-enhanced T1W imaging were TR/TE = 500 ms/minimum in BB Cube and TR/TE/TI = 600 ms/minimum/300 ms in BB Cube-FLAIR imaging. In the clinical study, the degree of flow-related artefacts was significantly lower in BB Cube and BB Cube-FLAIR than in T1W-SE. Regarding tumour detection, BB Cube showed the best detectability; however, there were no significant differences in CR among the sequences. At 1.5 T, contrast-enhanced BB Cube was a better imaging sequence for detecting brain lesions than T1W-SE or BB Cube-FLAIR. • Cube is a single-slab 3D FSE imaging sequence. • We applied a black-blood (BB) imaging technique to T1W Cube. • At 1.5 T, contrast-enhanced T1W BB Cube was valuable for detecting brain lesions.


Suicide risk among individuals at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis in a developing North African country: A 12-month naturalistic prospective cohort study from the TRIP project.
The limited studies that focused on suicidality in individuals at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis were predominantly cross-sectional, emerging from Western countries. We aimed to examine suicide risk among Tunisian UHR and First Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients at baseline, and to evaluate the evolution and correlates of suicidal ideation over a 12-month period in the UHR group exclusively. 35 UHR (aged 22.8 ± 4.0 years, 45.7% male) and 33 FEP (aged 27.3 ± 4.8 years, 63.6% male) participants were included. The Comprehensive Assessment of at Risk Mental States, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used. No significant differences were found between the UHR and the FEP groups with regard to levels of suicidal ideation at baseline. Suicidal ideation scores showed a significant decrease over time in UHR participants (p=.014; η2=0.242). An increase in total PANSS scores at 1 year (Beta=0.03; p=.048; 95%CI 0.001, 0.060; η2=0.182) significantly increased suicidal ideation scores at 1 year in the UHR group. Our findings contribute to the limited body of evidence on this topic by providing new prospective data from a population, country and region that has never been researched previously.


Implementation of online genetic laboratories by using free resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the adoption of online laboratories. The present article discusses the virtual laboratories used by students. The questions posed by students provided targeted teaching opportunities.


Chemical Modification of Polysaccharides: A Review of Synthetic Approaches, Biological Activity and the Structure-Activity Relationship.
Natural polysaccharides are macromolecular substances with great potential owing to their wide biological activity and low toxicity. However, not all polysaccharides have significant pharmacodynamic activity; hence, appropriate chemical modification methods can be selected according to the unique structural characteristics of polysaccharides to assist in enhancing and promoting the presentation of their biological activities. This review summarizes research progress on modified polysaccharides, including common chemical modification methods, the change in biological activity following modification, and the factors affecting the biological activity of chemically modified polysaccharides. At the same time, the difficulties and challenges associated with the structural modification of natural polysaccharides are also outlined in this review. Thus, research on polysaccharide structure modification is critical for improving the development and utilization of sugar products.


Disorders of paravertebral lumbar muscles: from pathology to cross-sectional imaging.
Paravertebral lumbar muscles are important for spine stabilization and mobility. They may be abnormal in several disorders that may be associated with pain or functional impairment. Special attention should be paid to the paravertebral muscles during imaging, so that a possible muscular disease is not overlooked, especially in patients with low back pain. This article reviews such imaging abnormalities.


Cultivation and properties of Echinamoeba thermarum n. sp., an extremely thermophilic amoeba thriving in hot springs.
Here we describe a new, extremely thermophilic amoeba growing between 33 degrees C and 57 degrees C ( Topt.=50 degrees C). Isolates had been obtained from hot springs at Agnano Terme (Italy), Yellowstone National Park (USA), Kamchatka (Russia), and the Arenal Volcano (Costa Rica). They could be cultured monoxenically on a thermophilic alpha-proteobacterium. The morphology of the amoeba was studied using a microscope situated under a heatable polyacrylate hood. At 50 degrees C, the cells appeared flat with an irregular triangular or elongate shape, sometimes exhibiting fine spine-like subpseudopodia. On average, they were 22 microm long and 11 microm wide and had one nucleus with a central nucleolus. Based on morphology and on SSU rRNA comparisons, the amoeba belonged to the genus Echinamoeba, where it represents a new species. Referring to its extremely thermophilic lifestyle and its hydrothermal habitat, we name it E. thermarum.


A fluorescence assay for tetradecyltrimethylammonium mono-oxygenase activity that catalyzes the cleavage of the C-N bond with the production of trimethylamine.
This article describes a simple fluorescence method for the determination of tetradecyltrimethylammonium mono-oxygenase (TTAB mono-oxygenase) activity involving N-dealkylation of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide with concomitant production of trimethylamine (TMA). Activity was determined by measuring the formation of TMA using the morin reagent and aluminum (Al). Morin reacts with Al to form a fluorescent complex, Al-morin. In the presence of TMA, Al is tightly associated with TMA and cannot be sequestered by morin, thus providing evidence for formation of the Al-TMA complex. The concentration of TMA is estimated by calibration graphs constructed by plotting the fluorescence intensity of the Al-morin complex versus TMA concentration. The fluorescence intensities of the Al-morin complexes quenched by TMA are linearly dependent on both the time of the TTAB mono-oxygenase reaction and the amount of protein used in the reaction. The kinetic behavior is characterized by K0.5=4.26x10(-4) M, and the apparent Hill coefficient (napp)=2.24. These values are both comparable to those determined by GC-MS (K0.5=4.41x10(-4) M and napp=2.35). The advantages of this assay include rapid and efficient implementation and potential employment for routine accurate determinations of TTAB mono-oxygenase activity over a wide range of substrate concentrations.


Minimizing risk to the capsule during surgery for posterior polar cataract.
Posterior polar cataract is associated with a deficiency of the posterior capsule in a high percentage of cases, leading to a high incidence of capsule rupture and potential vitreous loss. We describe an approach that minimizes the risk of vitreous loss. The key is viscodissection, a technique that can be applicable in other situations.


Stimulation of aortic protein synthesis in experimental rabbit atherosclerosis.
Collagen, elastin and non-fibrous protein synthesis were measured in the aortas of male New Zealand white rabbits fed a diet containing 2% cholesterol for 140 or 180 days. At these time periods increases in aortic cholesterol and cholesteryl esters were evident. The atherosclerotic lesions induced were predominantly of the foam cell type although some areas of early fibrous lesion formation were noted. These changes in lipid concentration and arterial morphology were accompanied by a significant increase in collagen synthesis as determined by the formation of [14C]hydroxyproline. This increase, however, was not confined specifically to collagen since both elastin and non-collagenous proteins were also being synthesized at a higher rate. The two-fold increase in the rates of both fibrous and non-fibrous protein synthesis may in part be a consequence of marked intimal hyperplasia necessitating a general increase in protein synthesis.


The role of new oral anticoagulants in orthopaedics: an update of recent evidence.
Rivaroxaban, dabigatran, apixaban and edoxaban are the four available new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) which are currently approved for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after total hip and knee replacement. Large phase 3 and phase 4 studies comparing NOAC with low molecular weight heparins have shown similar results regarding the efficacy and safety of these two categories of anticoagulants. Management of bleeding complications is a matter of great significance. Three reversal agents have been developed: idarucizumab, andexanet alfa and ciraparantag. Idarucizumab is now commercially available. Regarding the perioperative management of NOAC, two main scientific groups have published their own recommendations. The European Heart Rhythm Association recommends 48-h period of stoppage preoperatively for factor Xa inhibitors and at least 3 or 4 days for dabigatran, while the French Study Group on Thrombosis and Haemostasis recommends 5-day discontinuation for all NOAC. Conventional clot tests can only be used as rough indicators for laboratory assessment of the activity of NOAC. Specific laboratory tests have been developed for more accurate measurements of NOAC blood levels, including a dilute thrombin time test (Hemoclot test) and the ecarin clot test for dabigatran and chromogenic anti-factor Xa assays for direct factor Xa inhibitors. Due to the beneficial properties of NOAC, these drugs are gaining ground in daily orthopaedic practice, and many studies are being conducted in order to extend the indications of these anticoagulants agents.


Pathology, protein expression and signaling in myxomatous mitral valve degeneration: comparison of dogs and humans.
Myxomatous degenerative mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a common heart disease in dogs. Although several morphological similarities occur between human and canine MMVD differences exist. However, in advanced stages the accumulation of proteoglycans is the main finding in both species. The extracellular matrix (ECM) in normal canine and human mitral valves is similar. In MMVD of both species proteoglycans is the major alteration, although specific changes in collagen distribution exists. The valvular expression pattern of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and of their inhibitors (TIMPs) differs, in part, between dogs and humans. The MMPs and TIMPs expression patterns are similar in normal canine and human mitral valves, but they are quite different during degenerative progression. Valve endothelial cells (VEC) and interstitial cells (VIC) are phenotypically transformed in canine and human MMVD. Inflammation is an unlikely cause of valve degeneration in humans and dogs. There are several lines of evidence suggesting that transforming growth factor β1 (TGF β1) and serotonin signaling may mediate valve degeneration in humans and dogs. Although human and canine MMVD share structural similarities, there are some differences in ECM changes, enzyme expression and cell transformation, which may reflect a varied pathogenesis of these diseases.


[The vegetative status in patients with vertebrogenic vertebral artery syndrome, and its correction with health resort treatment].
According to statistics, osteochondrosis is one of the most prevalent diseases resulting in changes in the musculoskeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. In vertebral artery syndrome, the irritation of sympathetic plexuses around this artery results in vasomotor changes in the vertebrobasilar system and determines the clinical picture of the syndrome, i.e. its vegetalgic and angiodystonic components. Pathology of central regulatory mechanisms and suprasegmental divisions of the vegetative nervous system appears.


Subcutaneous power supply by NIR-II light.
Implantable medical devices are wished to be recharged via contactless power transfer technologies without interventional operations. Superior to subcutaneous power supply by visible light or electromagnetic wave, second near-infrared (NIR-II) light is predicted to possess 60 times subcutaneous power transmission but hard to be utilized. Here we report a photo-thermal-electric converter via the combination of photothermal conversion and thermoelectric conversion. It is able to generate an output power as high as 195 mW under the coverage of excised tissues, presenting advantages of non-invasion, high output power, negligible biological damage, and deep tissue penetration. As an in vivo demonstration, the output power of a packaged converter in the abdominal cavity of a rabbit reaches 20 mW under NIR-II light irradiation through the rabbit skin with a thickness of 8.5 mm. This value is high enough to recharge an implanted high-power-consumption wireless camera and transfer video signal out of body in real-time.


Effects of environmental and pharmacological manipulations on cocaine-vs-negative reinforcer choice in male and female rats.
The adverse consequences of human addictive drug use could be the result of either addictive drug consumption resulting in punishment (e.g., incarceration) or failure to engage in negative-reinforced behaviors that might compete with drug-maintained behaviors (e.g., contingency management strategies that reset payment amounts for drug free urines). The goal of the present study was to establish a discrete-trial cocaine-vs-negative reinforcer (SNR) choice procedure where rats were presented with a simplified model of this conflict: choose negative reinforcement (i.e., escape or avoid foot shock) or choose an intravenous (IV) cocaine infusion followed by an inescapable shock. Responding was maintained in male and female rats by IV cocaine infusions (0.32-1.8 mg/kg/inf) and a SNR (0.1-0.7 mA shock) under a discrete-trial concurrent "choice" schedule during daily sessions. Following parametric reinforcer magnitude and response requirement experiments, the effects of 12 h extended access cocaine self-administration and acute diazepam (0.32-10 mg/kg, IP) pretreatment were determined on cocaine-vs-SNR choice. Negative reinforcement was chosen over all cocaine doses. Lowering shock magnitude or increasing SNR response requirement failed to promote behavioral reallocation towards cocaine. Extended access cocaine self-administration sessions resulted in high daily cocaine intakes but failed to significantly increase cocaine choice in all (19) but one rat. Acute diazepam pretreatment also did not alter choice behavior up to doses that produced behavioral depression. These results suggest that SNRs may be a source of reinforcement that effectively compete with and mitigate maladaptive addictive drug-maintained behaviors in the general population.


Shared decision making, satisfaction with care and medication adherence among patients with diabetes.
We examined factors associated with shared decision making and whether shared decision-making (SDM) was associated with satisfaction with care or with adherence to anti-diabetic medication. A retrospective study was conducted using 2011-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. Inclusion criteria were 18 years or older and visit to a usual source of care during the prior 12 months. Exclusion criteria were reported cognitive limitation, proxy response, less than two prescription fills, or missing data on study variables. SDM was assessed using seven MEPS items. Satisfaction with care was assessed using a single MEPS item 12 months after SDM measurement. Adherence was assessed using Medication Possession Ratio in 12 months after SDM measurement. The weighted sample of 797 respondents represented 15.6 million with diabetes. Being older, male, or uninsured were associated with low SDM. High SDM was associated with higher satisfaction (p < 0.0001). SDM was not associated with adherence. Patients with higher SDM were more satisfied with their healthcare. We did not find association between SDM and adherence to antidiabetic medication. Involvement in SDM is encouraged to improve patient satisfaction. Providers may consider age, sex and insurance status in facilitating communications to improve SDM.