The NSAID dexketoprofen trometamol is as potent as mu-opioids in the depression of wind-up and spinal cord nociceptive reflexes in normal rats.
The aim of this study was to examine the potency of the antinociceptive effects of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), Dexketoprofen Trometamol (the active enantiomer of ketoprofen) on spinal cord nociceptive reflexes. These effects were compared with those of the mu-opioid receptor agonist fentanyl in normal animals. The experiments were performed in male Wistar rats anaesthetised with alpha-chloralose. The nociceptive reflexes were recorded as single motor units in peripheral muscles, activated by mechanical and electrical stimulation. Both dexketoprofen and fentanyl inhibited responses evoked by mechanical and electrical stimulation with doses in the same nanomolar range (dexketoprofen ID50s: 100 and 762 nmol kg-1 and fentanyl: 40 and 51 nmol kg-1, respectively). Dexketoprofen and fentanyl also significantly inhibited wind-up. Since fentanyl has been shown to be some 1000 times more potent than morphine in this type of experiments, we conclude that dexketoprofen has central analgesic actions in normal animals and depresses nociceptive responses with a potency similar to that of mu-opioid agonists.


Corrigendum to "Acupuncture regulates the Th17/Treg balance and improves cognitive deficits in a rat model of vascular dementia" [Heliyon 9 (2) (February 2023) Article e13346].
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13346.].


A boy with cutaneous necrosis occurring during treatment with levamisole.
We present a child on long-term treatment with levamisole, and heterozygous for factor V Leiden, who developed cutaneous necrosis associated with formation of p-ANCA and lupus anticoagulant. Symptoms resolved when the levamisole treatment was stopped.


Endothelium-derived dopamine modulates EFS-induced contractions of human umbilical vessels.
Electrical field stimulation (EFS) induces contractions of both snake aorta and human umbilical cord vessels (HUCV) which were dependent on the presence of the endothelium. This study aimed to establish the nature of the mediator(s) responsible for EFS-induced contractions in HUCV. Rings with or without endothelium from human umbilical artery (HUA) or vein (HUV) were mounted in organ bath chambers containing oxygenated, heated Krebs-Henseleit's solution. Basal release of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline, and adrenaline was measured by LC-MS-MS. Cumulative concentration-response curves were performed with dopamine in the absence and in the presence of L-NAME or of dopamine antagonists. EFS studies were performed in the presence and absence of L-NAME, the α-adrenergic blockers prazosin and idazoxan, and the dopamine antagonists SCH-23390 and haloperidol. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopa-decarboxylase (DDC) were studied by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridizations. Basal release of dopamine requires an intact endothelium in both HUA and HUV. TH and DDC are present only in the endothelium of both HUA and HUV as determined by immunohistochemistry. Dopamine induced contractions in HUA only in the presence of L-NAME. Dopamine-induced contractions in HUV were strongly potentiated by L-NAME. The EFS-induced contractions in both HUA and HUV were potentiated by L-NAME and inhibited by the D2-like receptor antagonist haloperidol. The α-adrenergic antagonists prazosin and idazoxan and the D1-like receptor antagonist SCH-23390 had no effect on the EFS-induced contractions of HUA and HUV. Endothelium-derived dopamine is a major modulator of HUCV reactivity in vitro.


Schizophrenia in Greenland: a follow-up study.
A total of 289 Greenlanders admitted for the first time to a mental hospital from 1980 to 1983, were followed for 7 years. Thirty-seven patients, 24 men and 13 women, were diagnosed with schizophrenia at least once during the follow-up period. The annual first admission rate per 100,000 was 41 for men and 23 for women. The schizophrenics were compared with a group of non-schizophrenics at the same age admitted in the same period. The main results were young age at first admittance, high male-female ratio and poor clinical and social outcome. The results were compared with WHO's cross-cultural studies. Young age and a high male-female ratio are in accordance with the developing countries, whereas poor outcome is in accordance with the industrialized countries.


Enhancement of ribonucleic acid synthesis by chromium(III) in mouse liver.
The effect of Cr(III) administration on hepatic RNA synthesis in mice was studied. It was found that Cr accumulated in mouse liver. Forty-eight hours after intraperitoneal injection of CrCl3 (0.005-5 mg Cr/kg body weight) approximately 10% of the administered dose per g of tissue remained. The accumulated Cr was still retained 64 days after administration (5 mg Cr/kg) with only a slight decrease. Approximately 20% of the hepatic Cr was detected in the nuclei. By administering CrCl3. RNA synthesis in mouse liver was markedly enhanced without altering the pool size of nucleotides. This enhancement was dose-dependent and statistically significant at doses of 0.05 (p less than 0.05), 0.5 (p less than 0.01), and 5 mg Cr/kg (p less than 0.01), and remained so for at least 16 days after administration of 5 mg Cr/kg. The synthesis of DNA and protein in mouse liver were not significantly changed by CrCl3 administration. On the other hand, Cr(VI) administration did not enhance but rather inhibited RNA synthesis in mouse liver. These results suggest that Cr(III) specifically enhances RNA synthesis in mouse liver.


Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: a rare vascular tumor with an unpredictable diagnosis.
We present the case of a 58-year-old female with no relevant medical or surgical history, who was referred to our hospital with a solitary hepatic lesion. She presented a slightly abnormal liver function in a routine blood test: ALT 71 U/l (range 0-33), AST 40 U/l (range 0-32) and GGT 71 U/l (range 0-40), with no symptoms. Ultrasound imaging showed a 3-cm-size focal lesion with a peripheral hypoechoic rim in the right hepatic lobe. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan after contrast injection revealed a subcapsular hypodense lesion in segment VII with capsular retraction. Other extrahepatic lesions were not seen.


Lesion of Serotonergic Afferents to the Retrotrapezoid Nucleus Impairs the Tachypneic Response to Hypercapnia in Unanesthetized Animals.
Hypercapnia promotes an increase in pulmonary ventilation due to the stimulation of brainstem chemosensory cells that are connected to the respiratory network. Among these cells are the raphe serotonergic neurons which widely send projections to distinct central respiratory compartments. Nevertheless, the physiological role of specific raphe serotonergic projections to other chemosensitive sites on the emergence of hypercapnia ventilatory response in vivo still remains to be elucidated. Here we investigated whether the ventilatory response to hypercapnia requires serotonergic inputs to the chemosensitive cells of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) in the ventrolateral medulla. To test this, pulmonary ventilation was evaluated under baseline conditions and during hypercapnia (7% CO2) in unanesthetized juvenile Holtzman rats (60-90 g) that received bilateral microinjections of either vehicle (control) or anti-SERT-SAP (0.1 mM, 10 pmol/100 nl) toxin in the RTN to retrogradely destroy serotonergic afferents to this region. Fifteen days after microinjections, baseline ventilation was not different between anti-SERT-SAP (n = 8) and control animals (n = 9). In contrast, the ablation of RTN-projecting serotonergic neurons markedly attenuated the hypercapnia-induced increase in respiratory frequency which was correlated with reduced numbers of serotonergic neurons in the raphe obscurus and magnus, but not in the raphe pallidus. The increase in tidal volume during hypercapnia was not significantly affected by anti-SERT-SAP microinjections in the RTN. Our data indicate that serotoninergic neurons that send projections to the RTN region are required for the processing of ventilatory reflex response during exposure to high CO2 in unanesthetized conditions.


Mechanical bowel preparation before elective colorectal surgery: is it necessary?
To present the worldwide accepted guidelines concerning the use of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) before elective colorectal surgery (ECS). We conducted a retrospective review of the Pubmed Databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses, which included adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery. We compared the patients who had a preoperative MBP with those who did not. Significant factors that were taken into account were postoperative septic complications and anastomotic dehiscence. Our search revealed 5 RCTs and 2 meta-analyses that met our criteria. Patients who underwent emergency colorectal surgery were excluded from the study. We identified the recommendations for 6 different types of elective colorectal surgery. MBP has been for many years a standard clinical procedure for patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. However, many recent researches suggest the omission of MBP, since there are no significant differences regarding postoperative infectious complications, such as anastomotic dehiscence and superficial surgical site infections. Furthermore, MBP is a time-consuming, expensive procedure and causes severe discomfort to the patient. More importantly, the application of MBP has been associated with serious complications in both healthy patients and patients with existing cardiac or renal disease, such as electrolyte and volume disturbances.


The effects of chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine on alpha-adrenoceptor and muscarinic cholinoceptor binding in rat heart ventricle.
The specific binding of 3H-dihydroergocryptine to alpha-adrenoceptors in membranes from the heart ventricle of rats chemically denervated with 6-hydroxydopamine was significantly decreased in comparison with control animals. In contrast the muscarinic cholinoceptor binding of 3H-quinuclinidyl benzilate was unchanged after chemical sympathectomy. These results are interpreted as indicating that the muscarinic receptors are principally postsynaptic but that a significant proportion of the alpha-adrenoceptors are located on noradrenergic nerve terminals.


An assessment of methods for routine local monitoring of vaccine efficacy, with particular reference to measles and pertussis.
The efficacy of measles and pertussis vaccines was investigated using several different procedures based upon data routinely available at Local Health Authority level in England and Wales. It is demonstrated that such estimates can be derived by methods which can be carried out simply and routinely by local health department staff. Several theoretical and practical difficulties in the procedures are discussed. It is recommended that Health Authorities consider monitoring by a routine procedure based on crude case-control analysis of recorded vaccination status of notified cases compared with that of the population in the Child Health computer file, or of matched controls drawn from Child Health Registers. A simple protocol for such studies is provided.


Effects of defined formula diets with and without fibre on ultratrace mineral serum levels in rats.
34 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided to receive one of 3 diets; a standard diet, a defined formula diet (DFD) or DFD plus fibre, which were administered through a catheter using a pump infusion system. Serum levels of selenium, molybdenum, and chromium were measured before and after 4 weeks of the respective diets. Rats fed the standard diet adequately maintained serum levels of the 3 minerals, but in those fed DFD the levels were reduced. Selenium levels declined by 14.5% in rats fed DFD and by 23.4% in rats fed DFD plus fibre. Molybdenum levels decreased by 23.6% and 22.8% in rats fed DFD with and without fibre, respectively. Chromium levels decreased by 45.5% in rats fed DFD and by 67.7% in rats fed DFD plus fibre. These results corroborate previous evidence that prolonged enteral or parenteral feeding may deplete ultratrace minerals and suggest that addition of ultratrace minerals to DFD may be beneficial.


[Ecological isolation and the importance of competition, exemplified by the distributional pattern of the lycosids of a coastal landscape].
In a coastal landscape at the Baltic Sea the distribution of the Lycosidae was analysed, mainly by pitfall traps. 11 dominant species occurred in the 17 different types of habitat-belonging to salt meadows, dry heath, and dunes-and were isolated with only a few exceptions. Isolation of the species was observed 1. in the macrospatial distribution, 2. in the microspatial horizontal distribution, 3. in the microspatial vertical distribution, 4. in fluctuations of population density during a period of 6 years, 5. in the seasonal periodicity, 6. in the diurnal activity.In some cases the distributional pattern overlapped in such a way that biotic relations between lycosid spiders of comparable dominance were possible. In a model study such pairs of species were observed in glass jars in the laboratory as mixed and unmixed populations with a high density (Pirata piraticus-Pardosa purbeckensis, Pardosa purbeckensis-Pardosa pullata, Alopecosa pulverulenta-Pardosa pullata). In comparison with the unmixed populations the death rate of one species in the mixed populations was higher, so that this species became extinct after a period shorter than 30 days. The factors of mortality were: 1. interference (spatial competition)-in some cases the rival was even killed (without being eaten); 2. competitive exploitation of food; 3. predator-prey-relations. These components were not clearly seperated. As this is also true for interference and predation, the predator-prey-relations should be part of the definition of "competition", at least for predatory groups. In the natural habitats only predator-prey-relations between species of lycosids not being isolated may have played a certain role.The quantitative spatial distribution of the lycosids in the 17 habitats was expressed as biovolume of the catches of one pitfall trap. It was clearly correlated with a "prey index" calculated from the biovolume of catches of collemboles, leafhoppers, and flies (r=+0.86). In contrast the Carabidae did not show any correlation with the prey index. There were "vacant niches" in the spatial and temporal distribution of predators with the same potential prey as the lycosids (in addition mainly carabids). Lycosids and carabids scarcely overlapped in their seasonal periodicity. When, in spring, both groups occurred together, obviously interference did not play an important role.Abiotic factors obviously were most important in limiting the abundance of those lycosid spiders that attained only low densities in some types of habitat. The possibility of competitive displacement of one lycosid by another was analysed on the basis of ecological data concerning the North German species. It was considered to be improbable in most cases.To sum up, the distributional pattern of the lycosids in the investigated area and their relation to other predators depend much more on endogenous factors (e.g. environmental requirements, periodicity) than on competition.


Detection of crystallization inhibitory activity of whole urine with a gel model.
The inhibitory activity of urine on calcium oxalate crystallization was measured as an inhibitory index using a gel model modified from Schneider et al. [8]. Urine samples from 36 recurrent stone formers and 21 controls in 3 separate periods (morning, afternoon and evening) were tested. Mean inhibitory indices of greater than 0 were observed among normal controls in the 3 sampled periods and among stone formers in the morning and afternoon samples. A significantly lower (negative) value was observed in the evening samples of stone formers, indicating a higher tendency towards crystallization than normal. The gel method may be applied to identify individuals at risk of stone formation if sufficient numbers of period-defined urine samples from the individual are tested for a statistically significant mean inhibitory index but whether this is practical in a clinical laboratory will need further evaluations.


[Construction of rye-wheat amphidiploids with the cytoplasm of rye-secalotriticum (RRAABB, 2n = 42): meiosis characteristics in rye-triticale F1 hybrids (RRABR, 5x = 35)].
Results of cytogenetic analysis of microsporogenesis in rye-triticale F1 hybrids (RRABR, 5x = 35) are presented. Meiosis of pentaploids is described as the key stage in the synthesis of secalotriticum, lines with intergenomic substitutions of chromosomes, or alloplasmic rye and wheat lines. Properties of meiotic processes and cytological mechanisms in formation of functional gametes and plants of various genomic and chromosomal composition are discussed.


An order parameter without magic angle effect (OPTIMA) derived from R1ρ dispersion in ordered tissue.
MR R2 imaging of ordered tissue exhibits the magic angle effect, potentially masking subtle pathological changes in cartilage. This work aimed to develop an orientation-independent order parameter (S) exclusively sensitive to collagen degeneration. A theory was developed based on R1ρ dispersion coupled with a simplified molecular motion model in which anisotropic R2a(θ) became directly proportional to correlation time τbθ and S could be derived. This new parameter was validated with ex vivo R1ρ dispersion reported on orientated (n = 4), enzymatically depleted bovine cartilage (n = 6), and osteoarthritic human knee specimens (n = 14) at 9.4 Tesla, which was further demonstrated on 1 healthy human knee in vivo at 3 Tesla. τbθ from orientation-dependent R1ρ dispersion revealed a significantly high average correlation (r = 0.89 ± 0.05, P < 0.05) with R2a (θ) on cartilage samples and a moderate correlation (r = 0.48, P < 0.001) for the human knee in vivo. The derived S (10-3 ) significantly decreased in advanced osteoarthritis (1.64 ± 0.03 vs. 2.30 ± 0.11, P < 0.001) and collagen-depleted samples (1.30 ± 0.11 vs. 2.12 ± 0.12, P < 0.001) when compared with early osteoarthritis and the control, respectively. The proposed order parameter could be a potentially useful orientation-independent MR biomarker for collagen alterations in cartilage and other highly structured tissues.


Clinical Debriefing in Cardiology Teams: A National Survey in Spain.
Clinical debriefing (CD) improves patient safety and builds team resilience. We describe the current use of CD by multiprofessional Spanish cardiology team members. A self-administered survey exploring 31 items was disseminated online in October 2020. A comparison was made between respondents that who experience in CD with inexperienced respondents. Inferential analysis was done using Pearson's χ 2 test. Out of 167 valid responses, 45.5% had been completed by cardiology nurses. One-third of the respondents had experience in CD. Most common situations preceding CD were those with negative outcomes (81.8%). Time constraint was the most commonly reported barrier (76.3%); however, it was significantly less than the expectation of inexperienced respondents (92%, P < .01). Overall, only 28.2% reported self-confidence in their skills to lead a CD. There is a necessity in Spanish cardiology teams to receive training in CD and embed it in their daily practice.


Incidence and risk factors for removal of an internal fixation following surgery for ankle fracture: A retrospective cohort study of 997 patients.
Implant removal in ankle fractures treated by open reduction and fixation is often based on diffuse complaints. This study determined the incidence of implant removal and identified risk factors for two principal causes for removal: complaints and surgical site infection (SSI). Retrospective cohort study involving 997 patients operated on 2009-2011 with follow-up through to 2013. The incidence of implant removal was analysed using competing risk analysis. Risk factors for implant removal were assessed using cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) from a Cox regression analysis. The mean age at surgery was 51.6 years, 550 (55%) of the patients were female, and 170 patients (17%) had implant removal: 144 due to complaints and 26 due to infection. Multivariable HRs for implant removal due to complaints were 0.70 for male sex (p=0.047), 0.79 for each 10-year increase in age (p<0.001), 0.70 for treatment with a syndesmosis screw (p=0.038), and 1.09 for each 15-min increase in operation duration (p=0.007). HRs for hardware removal due to infection were 1.42 for each 10-year increase in age (p=0.006) and 3.15 for current smoking (p=0.005). In total 17% of patients had implant removal after open reduction and fixation; the majority because of subjective complaints. The risk factors for implant removal were different for removal due to complaints than for those removed due to infection. This information may be used to inform patients about the risk and risk factors for future implant removal.


Hsp27, Hsp70, and metallothionein in MDCK and LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells: effects of prolonged exposure to cadmium.
Cadmium is a widely distributed industrial and environmental toxin. The principal target organ of chronic sublethal cadmium exposure is the kidney. In renal epithelial cells, acute high-dose cadmium exposure induces differential expression of proteins, including heat shock proteins. However, few studies have examined heat shock protein expression in cells after prolonged exposure to cadmium at sublethal concentrations. Here, we assayed total cell protein, neutral red uptake, cell death, and levels of metallothionein and heat shock proteins Hsp27 and inducible Hsp70 in cultures of MDCK and LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells treated with cadmium for 3 days. Treatment with cadmium at concentrations equal to or greater than 10 microM (LLC-PK1) or 25 microM (MDCK) reduced measures of cell vitality and induced cell death. However, a concentration-dependent increase in Hsp27 was detected in both cell types treated with as little as 5 microM cadmium. Accumulation of Hsp70 was correlated only with cadmium treatment at concentrations also causing cell death. Metallothionein was maximally detected in cells treated with cadmium at concentrations that did not reduce cell vitality, and further increases were not detected at greater concentrations. These results reveal that heat shock proteins accumulate in renal epithelial cells during prolonged cadmium exposure, that cadmium induces differential expression of heat shock protein in epithelial cells, and that protein expression patterns in epithelial cells are specific to the cadmium concentration and degree of cellular injury. A potential role for Hsp27 in the cellular response to sublethal cadmium-induced injury is also implicated by our results.


EPR and redox properties of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki hydrogenase: comparison with the Ni-Fe enzyme from Desulfovibrio gigas.
We have carried out a detailed redox titration monitored by EPR on the hydrogenase from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki. Typical 3Fe and nickel signals have been observed, which are very similar to those given by Desulfovibrio gigas hydrogenase in all the characteristic redox states of the enzyme. This confirms that D. vulgaris Miyazaki hydrogenase is a Ni-Fe enzyme closely related to that from D. gigas, as was recently proposed on the basis of sequence comparisons (Deckers, H.M., Wilson, F.R. and Voordouw, G. (1990) J. Gen. Microb. 136, 2021-2028).


The Mediating Role of Sexual Self-Efficacy on Protected Sex.
Ascribed traditional gender role has rarely been examined in the topical area of protected sex. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between HIV knowledge, ascribed cultural gender roles of machismo and marianismo, acculturation, attitudes toward risky sexual behaviors and sexual self-efficacy on protected sex, and the mediating effect of sexual self-efficacy between these predictors and protected sex. Part of a larger study, Hispanic college students from a Hispanic-serving institution in a U.S. southern border city were recruited. Sexual self-efficacy was found a significant mitigating factor against sexual risks associated with machismo as well as a positive reinforcing element on attitudes toward protected sex. Study findings have implications toward the development of culturally sensitive evidence-based interventions that promote sexual self-efficacy skills among Hispanic males who strongly identify with culturally ascribed gender roles.


Spectroscopic studies of Rhodobacter capsulatus cytochrome c' in the isolated state and in intact cells.
Ferricytochrome c' from Rhodobacter capsulatus was investigated by 1H-NMR, EPR and optical spectroscopies. A haem-linked ionisation, occurring with a pKa of 8.4 at 25 degrees C, was observed and assigned to the ionisation of the axial histidine ligand by comparison with data for related proteins. At pH values below this pKa the spin-state of the haem Fe3+ is shown to be a quantum mechanically admixed S = 3/2, 5/2 state. Above the pKa the Fe3+ is high-spin. EPR studies of intact cells grown photoheterotrophically reveal that in situ cytochrome c' exists largely in the ferrous state. Upon the addition of [Fe(CN)6]3- the protein becomes oxidised and EPR spectra reveal that the Fe3+ spin-state is a quantum mechanically admixed S = 3/2, 5/2 state. These data indicate that the unusual spin-state of ferricytochrome c' is not a consequence of changes to the protein on its isolation, as had been suggested previously. They also indicate that in situ cytochrome c' is located in an environment with a pH less than 7.


Histone H5 and H1 cross-reacting material is restricted to erythroid cells in chicken.
Monoclonal H5 antibodies and a polyclonal antiserum, raised against the globular domain of chicken H5 (GH5) but which cross-reacts with histone H1(0) from mouse liver, were used to search for H5 or H1 (0)-like proteins in chicken embryo and adult tissue sections by indirect immunofluorescence. Chicken cell lines in culture were examined for H5 protein and H5 mRNA. Histone H5 was detected only in erythroid cells in tissue sections of chicken embryos or adult livers. H5 protein and H5 mRNA were found only in erythroid cells in culture. No cross-reacting proteins were detected in any other tissue or cell line examined.


Methyl donor supplementation in rats reverses the deleterious effect of maternal separation on depression-like behaviour.
Adverse early life events are associated with altered stress responsiveness and metabolic disturbances in the adult life. Dietary methyl donor supplementation could be able to reverse the negative effects of maternal separation by affecting DNA methylation in the brain. In this study, maternal separation during lactation reduced body weight gain in the female adult offspring without affecting food intake, and altered total and HDL-cholesterol levels. Also, maternal separation induced a cognitive deficit as measured by NORT and an increase in the immobility time in the Porsolt forced swimming test, consistent with increased depression-like behaviour. An 18-week dietary supplementation with methyl donors (choline, betaine, folate and vitamin B12) from postnatal day 60 also reduced body weight without affecting food intake. Some of the deleterious effects induced by maternal separation, such as the abnormal levels of total and HDL-cholesterol, but especially the depression-like behaviour as measured by the Porsolt test, were reversed by methyl donor supplementation. Also, the administration of methyl donors increased total DNA methylation (measured by immunohistochemistry) and affected the expression of insulin receptor in the hippocampus of the adult offspring. However, no changes were observed in the DNA methylation status of insulin receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) promoter regions in the hypothalamus. In summary, methyl donor supplementation reversed some of the deleterious effects of an early life-induced model of depression in rats and altered the DNA methylation profile in the brain.


A survey of mental health status of obstetric nurses during the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic.
To investigate the mental health status of obstetric nurses and its influencing factors during the novel coronavirus epidemic period, so as to provide theoretical reference for hospital decision-makers and managers.From February 25 to March 20, 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey through online questionnaire, and selected obstetric nurses from Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces as the research objects by convenience sampling.Three hundred eighteen valid questionnaires were collected; the results of Symptom Checklist 90 showed that the scores of "obsessive-compulsive", "depression", "anxiety", "hostility", "phobia", and "psychosis" were higher than the Chinese norm (P < .01). There were 107 people whose total score of Symptom Checklist 90 was more than 160, and 83 people whose number of positive items was more than 43. Logistic regression results showed that married, temporary employment, lack of support and communication from family and relatives, onerous task, and unbearable responsibility were independent risk factors for mental disorder.There is a great psychological burden for obstetric nurses during the epidemic period. Decision makers should focus on necessary psychological intervention for those that are married, temporarily employed, and those lacking family supports including communication. At the same time, managers should distribute tasks reasonably to avoid psychological burdens caused by overwork.


Cigarette price-minimization strategies by U.S. smokers.
Smokers may react to cigarette excise tax increases by engaging in price-minimization strategies (i.e., finding ways to reduce the cost of cigarette smoking) rather than by quitting or reducing their cigarette use, thereby reducing the public health benefits of such tax increases. To evaluate the state and national prevalence of five common cigarette price-minimization strategies and the size of price reductions obtained from these strategies. Using data from the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, the prevalence of five common price-minimization strategies by type of strategy and by smoker's cigarette consumption level were estimated. The price reductions associated with these price-minimization strategies also were evaluated. Analyses took place in November 2012. Approximately 55.4% of U.S. adult smokers used at least one of five price-minimization strategies in the previous year, with an average reduction of $1.27 per pack (22.0%). Results varied widely by state. Cigarette price-minimization strategies are practiced widely among current smokers, and resulting price reductions are relatively large. Policies that decrease opportunities to effectively apply cigarette price-minimization strategies would increase the public health gains of cigarette excise tax increases.


Cesium cholate: determination of X-ray crystal structure indicates participation of the ring hydroxyl groups in metal binding.
The crystal structure of cesium cholate, C(24)H(36)(OH)(3) COOCs has been determined with three-dimensional X-ray diffractometer data. It crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2(1) with unit-cell dimensions a = 11.543(5) A, b = 8.614(3) A, and c = 12.662(5) A, beta(deg) = 107.95(2), V = 1197.7 A(3) and Z = 2. The atomic parameters were refined to a final r = 0.0269 and R(omega) = 0.0280 for 2342 observed reflections. Each Cs(+) is coordinated to 7 oxygen atoms from 5 different cholate anions with Cs-O distances ranging from 2.957(4) A to 3.678(5) A. In this crystal, 5 cholates are coordinated with 1 Cs(+), and 5 Cs(+) are coordinated with 1 cholate anion. Carboxyl and all the 3 ring hydroxyl groups of cholate anion participate in binding to Cs(+) simultaneously, and there is no water molecule coordinated with the Cs(+). The pattern of successive rows arranged with polar (p) and non-polar (n) faces in apposition leads to the formation of a sandwich sheet structure with polar and non-polar channels. The Cs ions lie within the polar interior of the sandwich. The H-bond network is reorganized in forming cesium cholate from cholic acid. All the oxygen atoms in cholate anion are involved in H-bonding reciprocally or with water molecules to form an extensive 3-dimensional network of H-bonds. Compared with cholic acid and other similar type of steroids, the coordination structure and H-bonding of Cs cholate crystal are distinct.


Exploring heterogeneity of adrenal cortical tumors in children: The French pediatric rare tumor group (Fracture) experience.
Pediatric adrenal cortical tumors are characterized by a wide spectrum of behavior. Questions remain regarding intermediate disease stages with isolated tumor rupture or relapse. To describe clinical characteristics, treatment strategy, and outcome of patients depending on disease stage, tumor rupture, or in case of a refractory tumor, to discuss optimal management. Pediatric patients with histological material reviewed and treated between 2000 and 2018 in 23 French oncology centers were included. Among 95 cases, 59% of patients had stage I tumors (n = 55), 16% had stage II tumors (n = 16), 19% had stage III tumors (n = 17), and 5% had stage IV tumors (n = 5) (missing data: 2). Overall, 27% of patients (n = 25) had an unfavorable histology. Initial tumor resection was performed for 90% of patients (n = 86). Systemic therapies included mitotane in 20 cases and chemotherapy in 13 cases. Among 17 stage III patients, 12 had microscopic residual tumor due to an initial biopsy (n = 5), intraoperative rupture (n = 8), or surgical resection with microscopic residue or tumor spillage surgery (n = 1) (two patients with two modalities). After a median follow-up of 96 months (25-119), four early progressions and two relapses occurred. A total of seven patients died, including five of disease. Stage III diseases due to microscopic residual disease correlated with a worse prognosis: 5-year progression-free survival 44% (95% CI, 22-87%) versus 82% (95% CI, 73-91%) for the whole cohort (P < .0001). Among the 14 patients with refractory disease, only 3 were alive and free of disease after multimodal second-line therapy. Stage III diseases due to a microscopic residual tumor have a dismal prognosis, arguing for the systematic use of adjuvant therapy. Patients with a relapsed disease should be included in experimental studies.


Somatic embryogenesis in artificially pollinated seed families of 2nd generation plus trees and cryopreservation of embryogenic tissue in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (Sugi).
Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (common name is Sugi or Japanese cedar) is the most important forestation tree species in Japan, and 2nd generation plus trees with superior traits have been selected by breeding projects. Biotechnological approaches such as genetic transformation and genome editing are expected to accelerate to add useful traits (e.g., no-pollen traits) to superior trees in short time. To develop a platform for genetic transformation and genome editing of C. japonica superior trees, this study investigated the embryogenic potential of 2nd generation plus trees and obtained good cell lines with high embryogenic potential, which could be useful material for adding new and useful traits to superior trees by genetic transformation. However, the maintenance of embryogenic cell lines is laborious, and prolonged subculture leads to a loss of embryogenesis potential. Therefore, cell lines need to be cryopreserved for long without subculture. Therefore, in this study we made a simple cryopreservation protocol suitable for most C. japonica cell lines. We showed that cryopreserved cells using this protocol formed somatic embryos, which were then converted to plantlets. Transgenic cells produced from cryopreserved cells expressed transgene, gfp. These results indicated that our cryopreservation protocol can be used for prolonged storage of genetic transformation target materials in C. japonica.


A single-centre randomized controlled clinical trial on the adjunct treatment of intra-bony defects with autogenous bone or a xenograft: results after 12 months.
Limited evidence exists on the efficacy of regenerative treatment of peri-implantitis. Subjects receiving antibiotics and surgical debridement were randomly assigned to placement of autogenous bone (AB) or bovine-derived xenograft (BDX) and with placement of a collagen membrane. The primary outcome was evidence of radiographic bone fill and the secondary outcomes included reductions of probing depth (PD) bleeding on probing (BOP) and suppuration. Twenty-two subjects were included in the AB and 23 subjects in the BDX group. Statistical analysis failed to demonstrate differences for 38/39 variables assessed at baseline. At 12 months, significant better results were obtained in the BDX group for bone levels (p < 0.001), BOP (p = 0.004), PI (p = 0.003) and suppuration (p < 0.01). When adjusting for number of implants treated per subject, a successful treatment outcome PD ≤ 5.0 mm, no pus, no bone loss and BOP at 1/4 or less sites the likelihood of defect fill was higher in the BDX group (LR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.0-10.6, p < 0.05). Bovine xenograft provided more radiographic bone fill than AB. The success for both surgical regenerative procedures was limited. Decreases in PD, BOP, and suppuration were observed.


Effect of glycemic control on soluble RAGE and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients.
The interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and its receptor (RAGE) has played an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. A soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) has been reported as a decoy receptor for AGEs. Oxidative stress is demonstrated in pathological condition such as atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus. It has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of both macro- and microvascular complications. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of glycemic control on sRAGE and oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetic patients. Seventy patients with type 2 diabetes and 20 healthy subjects were recruited into the study. Blood glutathione (GSH) and plasma total nitric oxide (NOx) levels were measured using commercially available colorimetric kits, blood superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was measured by the method of Marklund and Marklund, and plasma C-peptide, oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), sRAGE, and VCAM-1 levels were measured using competitive ELISA kits. Plasma sRAGE levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) while VCAM-1 levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in poorly controlled diabetic patients compared with healthy control. Blood GSH levels were significantly lower in diabetic patients compared with healthy control (p < 0.05). Plasma C-peptide, NOx, ox-LDL levels, and SOD activity were not significantly different in diabetic patients compared with healthy control. Plasma levels of sRAGE were negatively associated with circulating VCAM-1 levels in diabetic patients. Poor glycemic control decreases plasma sRAGE and increases VCAM-1 levels while good glycemic control improves these abnormalities which provides benefit to diabetic patients.


Association of bacteria in diabetic and non-diabetic foot infection - An investigation in patients from Bangladesh.
The microbial community on a host relies on its immune status and pathophysiological condition. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with a 25% increased risk of developing foot infection. The pathophysiological differences between diabetic foot infection (DFI) and non-DFI patients may alter the microbial composition in infections. The present study aims to comparatively analyze the microbes colonized in DFI and non-DFI patients in Bangladesh. Pus specimens were collected from 67 DFI and 12 non-DFI patients to investigate the bacteria associated with foot infection. For this investigation, an array of microbiological, molecular biological and immunological approaches were performed. Common bacteria detected in both DFI/non-DFI samples were Pseudomonas spp. (22/29%), Bacillus spp. (12/3%), Enterobacter spp. (22/7%), Staphylococcus spp. (13/13%) and Acinetobacter spp. (10/10%). Enterococcus spp. (9%) and Klebsiella spp. (8%) occurred only in DFI patients, whereas Citrobacter spp. (29%) was only detected in non-DFI samples. The rate of occurrence of three organisms, namely, Enterococcus spp. |Z|=2.2125, Klebsiella spp. |Z|=1.732, Bacillus spp. |Z|=1.9034, were also statistically significant. Most of the isolates from DFI patients were commonly resistant to the cephalosporin (Ceftazidime, Ceftriazone, Cefurozime) and monobactam (Aztreonam) groups of antibiotics. DFI patients had comparatively higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels than non-DFI patients, and a positive correlation was observed between multi-antibiotic resistance and CRP levels (one of the markers of chronic subclinical inflammation). The present investigation implicated a complex association of the bacterial population in DFI compared with non-DFI with different antimicrobial resistance properties, which was linked with CRP levels.


Pharyngeal airspace of asthmatic individuals and those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: Study by CBCT.
The objective of the present study was to comparatively evaluate the oropharyngeal space of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) and asthma by means of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images. The study included individuals with OSA and asthma (n=10), with OSA and without asthma (n=6), asthmatics without OSA (n=6) and healthy individuals (n=25). All patients were evaluated by a pneumologist and submitted to a nocturnal polysomnogram. Participants underwent CBCT examinations using an I-CAT® device (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA, U.S.A.) and all images were exported to Dolphin Image 3D® software. Cephalometric measurements were taken, as well as measurements of length (C), volume (VOL), sagittal area (SA) and minimum cross-sectional area (MCA); an evaluation was made of the format and contour of the upper airway in three dimensions, with p<0.05 considered significant. In the results of the present study, a statistically significant difference was found between VOL, SA and MCA (p=0.011; p=0.009; p=0.010) with reduced elevated values among the OSA+Asthma, OSA, Asthma and Control groups. Significant differences were seen between the linear (AP), cross-sectional (TR) and mean transverse area (TA) measurements in the group of patients with OSA and asthma as compared to the control group. In the control group, the greatest narrowing of the airway was observed either in the retroglossal or retropalatal area, while more patients in the experimental groups showed narrowing in the retropalatal area. The condition of OSA+asthma was associated with a substantial reduction in upper airway measurements in comparison to controls.


In vivo mesolimbic D2/3 receptor binding predicts posttherapeutic clinical responses in restless legs syndrome: a positron emission tomography study.
Although D2/3 agonists have been used as a first-line medication for idiopathic restless legs syndrome (iRLS), findings on D2/3 receptors have been inconsistent. Here, we aimed to clarify the contribution of D2/3 receptor function to the clinical symptoms of iRLS by comparing the binding potential (BP(ND)) of [(11)C]raclopride with clinical improvements after D2/3 stimulation by pramipexole. Eight drug-naïve, iRLS patients and eight age-matched healthy subjects were scanned with positron emission tomography (PET). After PET scans, all patients received pramipexole (0.125 mg) orally for 2 weeks. Patients were evaluated every day with several standardized clinical tests. The BP(ND) values were compared using regions of interest and voxel-based methods. Results showed that the mean magnitude of [(11)C]raclopride BP(ND) in the mesolimbic dopamine region (nucleus accumbens (NA) and caudate) was significantly lower in the iRLS group. No significant differences between groups were observed in the putamen. The NA [(11)C]raclopride BP(ND) levels correlated negatively with clinical severity scores and positively with the degree of posttreatment improvement in iRLS. The present results suggest that alterations in mesolimbic D2/3 receptor function reflect the pathophysiology of iRLS, and the baseline availability of D2/3 receptors may predict the clinical outcome after D2/3 agonist treatment.


Alpha-synuclein and the prion hypothesis in Parkinson's disease.
Protein intracellular inclusions within the central nervous system are hallmarks of several progressive neurodegenerative disorders in man. The protein constituents of those deposits and the affected regions within the brain differ from one neurodegenerative disorder to another. Until recently, the vicious circle consisting of spread, seeded assembly and accumulation over time within the central nervous system of misfolded proteins aggregates was thought to be restricted to the prion protein PrP. Recent reports suggest that other protein aggregates spread and amplify within the central nervous system leading to distinct diseases. How alpha-synuclein protein assemblies traffic between cells, amplify by recruiting endogenous monomeric alpha-synuclein and cause distinct synucleinopathies is unclear. I review here the experimental evidence supporting the propagation of alpha-synuclein mega-dalton assemblies in a manner similar to prion protein aggregates. I also describe how alpha-synuclein aggregates. I also explain why the aggregation of alpha-synuclein may lead to distinct synucleinopathies.


The development of internal forensic review boards in the management of hospitalized insanity acquittees.
When working well, internal forensic review boards generally: (1) have the support of the courts and communities; (2) consider and review effective individual treatment and public safety; (3) permit direct care treatment teams the opportunity to advocate for the patient; (4) focus clinical and security considerations on the individual patient rather than dwelling on system issues; (5) identify resource needs for inpatient and community care; (6) provide a foundation for monitoring patient adjustment to various levels of stressors, both in the hospital and the community; (7) provide a mechanism for timely crisis intervention for individual patients; (8) afford administrative and clinical staff a mechanism for peer review; (9) are cost effective compared with external review boards; (10) provide data and a tracking mechanism for quality improvement for the forensic system of care; and (11) provide an education/training function for direct care and professional staff.


Mutational burden and potential oligogenic model of TBX6-mediated genes in congenital scoliosis.
Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a spinal deformity due to vertebral malformations. Although insufficiency of TBX6 dosage contributes to a substantial proportion of CS, the molecular etiology for the majority of CS remains largely unknown. TBX6-mediated genes involved in the process of somitogenesis represent promising candidates. Individuals affected with CS and without a positive genetic finding were referred to this study. Proband-only exome sequencing (ES) were performed on the recruited individuals, followed by analysis of TBX6-mediated candidate genes, namely MEOX1, MEOX2, MESP2, MYOD1, MYF5, RIPPLY1, and RIPPLY2. A total of 584 patients with CS of unknown molecular etiology were recruited. After ES analysis, protein-truncating variants in RIPPLY1 and MYF5 were identified from two individuals, respectively. In addition, we identified five deleterious missense variants (MYOD1, n = 4; RIPPLY2, n = 1) in TBX6-mediated genes. We observed a significant mutational burden of MYOD1 in CS (p = 0.032) compared with the in-house controls (n = 1854). Moreover, a potential oligogenic disease-causing mode was proposed based on the observed mutational co-existence of MYOD1/MEOX1 and MYOD1/RIPPLY1. Our study characterized the mutational spectrum of TBX6-mediated genes, prioritized core candidate genes/variants, and provided insight into a potential oligogenic disease-causing mode in CS.


[Lower mortality in patients with stroke and atrial fibrillation who received anticoagulation treatment].
A registry of hospitalized stroke patients in Denmark included 1,909 patients with stroke and atrial fibrillation (AF) without contraindications to anticoagulation (AC) treatment. AC instituted in 60.2% was significantly associated to age and stroke severity. In a Cox Proportional Hazard regression model the risk of death was doubled in patients who had no AC treatment (HR =1.91, 95% CI=1.44 to 2.52). The study indicates under-use of AC in elderly stroke patients with AF, leading to increased mortality.


Detection of the local H+ gradients on the internal mitochondrial membrane.
Respiration-dependent responses of a pH probe (fluorescein isothiocyanate, FITC), covalently bound to the membrane proteins of mitochondria and submitochondrial particles (SMP) have been studied. A spectral shift indicating FITC deprotonation was observed when respiration was activated in coupled mitochondria. Such a response was increased by valinomycin and reduced by uncoupler. Some FITC deprotonation was detected in the presence of excess of an uncoupler, but the response was smaller and insensitive to valinomycin. FITC deprotonation was also observed in submitochondrial particles after succinate addition. In this case it was not affected by uncoupler. Increase in the buffer concentration was found to (i) decrease the FITC response and (ii) increase the rate of uncoupled respiration in both mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. The results are consistent with the assumption that respiration initiates appearance of local H+ activity gradients on the inner side of the internal mitochondrial membrane during the steady-state H+ pumping. We suggest that the formation of this gradient is due to kinetic barrier to proton transfer from the bulk phase to the respiratory proton pump vicinity.


Multidrug resistance protein 4 is a critical protein associated with the antiviral efficacy of nucleos(t)ide analogues.
Multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) has been associated with nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) antiretroviral therapy failure, though is unclear if MRP4 is also correlated with the failure of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy. Multidrug resistance protein 4 expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), liver tissues and human hepatoma cell lines was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays. Supernatant and intracellular HBV DNA levels of MRP4-overexpressing or silenced HepG2.4D14 (wild-type) and HepG2.A64 (entecavir-resistant mutant) cells were measured by quantitative PCR. NA concentrations and HBV mutational analysis were assessed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry assays and DNA sequencing. Multivariate analysis was used to assess predictive factors for treatment failure. High expression of MRP4 was found in hepatoma cell lines and PBMCs, and up- or down-regulation of MRP4 expression altered the susceptibility of cells to NAs. MRP inhibitors increased NA intracellular accumulation and decreased extracellular levels. Moreover, MRP4 expression in PBMCs was correlated with that in paired liver tissues. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed MRP4 mRNA expression to be an independent predictor of NA treatment failure. Multidrug resistance protein 4 is a critical protein associated with the antiviral efficacy of NAs, and combination therapy of NA and MRP inhibitors could reduce the dosage for long-term NA use. This is the first report to demonstrate that MRP4 expression is an important factor predicting treatment failure in chronic hepatitis B patients and will provide a potential therapeutic target against HBV.


Immunohistochemical demonstration of ribonuclease and amylase in normal and neoplastic parotid glands.
Antibodies specific for bovine ribonuclease A (antiRNase A) were raised in rabbits, and immunologic cross-reactivity between bovine RNase A and human salivary gland RNase was demonstrated. The antiRNase A served as the primary antibody in the peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemical technique. Paraffin blocks of five normal human parotids and 20 parotid tumors were examined. In normal parotid and in cases of cystadenoma lymphomatosum, immunoreactive RNase was localized in the ductal epithelium, evidence of the ductal cell origin of these benign tumors. RNase immunoreactivity was noted in the adenomatous structures and in cells isolated in the myxoid matrix of pleomorphic adenomas, which supports recent evidence of an epithelial origin of these tumors. Malignant acinar cells of acinic cell carcinoma were strongly positive for immunoreactive RNase, while acinar cells of normal parotid were uniformly negative. This expression of the gene for RNase A probably represents a loss of differentiation (i.e., control) of the neoplastic acinar cells. Further evidence for this hypothesis was obtained by treating these tumors with an antihuman salivary amylase antibody, which is localized in normal acinar cells. No immunoreactive amylase was observed. The results support the idea that immunoreactivity need not accompany enzyme activity, as the presence of immunoreactive RNase was noted in all neoplastic tissues examined. Immunohistochemical localization of two antigens in the same tissue demonstrates the varied biochemical changes associated with parotid neoplasia.


Extracellular vesicular miRNA expression is not a proxy for skeletal muscle miRNA expression in males and females following acute, moderate intensity exercise.
Skeletal muscle and extracellular vesicle (EV) miRNA expression increases following acute endurance exercise. However, research to date has only been performed in males. The aim of this study was to describe the expression levels of a subset of miRNAs in EVs following acute exercise and compare it to skeletal muscle miRNA expression. Twelve males (age 22.9 ± 2.6 years, mean ± SD) and eight females (age 23.0 ± 3.4 years) cycled for 60 min at 70% VO2 peak. Muscle biopsies and blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after and 3 hr after exercise. Acute exercise did not significantly alter the expression of miR-1, miR-16, miR-23b and miR-133a/b in EVs in males and females combined. There were no correlations between EV and skeletal muscle miRNA expression in any of the measured species at any time point. Exploratory analysis revealed differential miRNA responses to exercise between males and females. In males, a weak negative correlation was observed between skeletal muscle and EV miR-16 expression immediately following exercise; however, the physiological relevance of this correlation is unknown. Additionally, when compared with values at rest, male skeletal muscle miR-16 expression significantly increased immediately following exercise, whereas miR-133a expression significantly decreased 3 hr post exercise. Our findings suggest that miRNAs isolated from EVs are not a proxy for skeletal muscle miRNA content. Our exploratory data is the first known evidence of sex-specific differences in the miRNA response to an acute bout of endurance exercise, particularly for miRNA species implicated in mitochondrial metabolism and angiogenesis.


[Abdominal surgery in Togo (West-Africa) and Central Europe (author's transl)].
Experience of two African and one German Surgical Units on abdominal operations in a two-years period are reported. Appendicitis, gall-stones, cancer of the colon and intestinal diverticulosis are rare in Africa, but frequent in Europe. Possible relations to dietry habits are discussed.


Monocyte-derived dendritic cells: development of a cellular processor for clinical applications.
Since dendritic cells (DCs) are the most professional antigen-presenting cells, (Schuler et al., 1997), increasing interest in their use in clinical approaches has been observed. (Nestle et al., 1998; Murphy G. et al., 1996). We have developed an ex vivo standardized process for the generation of dendritic-like cells (MAC-DCs) from human blood circulating monocytes. Human monocytes can differentiate into very different functional cells according to the conditions of culture, media and cytokines used. In the present study, we demonstrate that both pure monocytes and mononuclear cells differentiate into DCs when they are grown in defined medium AIM-V in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus IL13 and in approved biocompatible non-adherent bags. Quality and functional controls of the immature DCs obtained rely on bacterial sterility, viability, morphology and recovery. The MAC-DCs also present an immature DC phenotype with a low expression of CD14 and CD64, and high expression of MHC-I, MHC-II and CD40. They also express B7 costimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86), CD83, and CD1a molecules. They induce strong allogenic T-cell proliferation (mixed lymphocyte reaction as well as proliferation of autologous memory T lymphocytes when incubated in the presence of recall antigens (tuberculosis, Candida albicans, and tetanus toxoid). They also show an increase in phagocytic uptake of yeast, tumour cells and debris. The global closed system which, under reproducible good medical practice (GMP) conditions, enables the production of dendritic cells of clinical quality, has been optimized ("Vac Cell Processor"). It contains all bags, connections, media, reagents, washing solutions, control antibodies, standard operating procedures, data management, traceability and help in the form of dedicated software.


Hepatotoxicity associated with chronic acetaminophen administration in patients without risk factors.
To evaluate the literature regarding the potential of acetaminophen to cause toxicity in adult patients without risk factors, when used chronically in daily doses < or = 4 g. Key tertiary literature was reviewed, along with searches of MEDLINE (1966-July 2001). International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-May 2001), and PREMEDLINE (July Week 5, 2001). Key search terms included acetaminophen, paracetamol, toxic hepatitis, hepatotoxicity, liver dysfunction, overdose, drug toxicity, and poisoning. Most tertiary references state that the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen is 4 g. Patients taking more than this amount, especially those with certain risk factors, are more likely to develop toxicity. However, a few patients may develop toxicity regardless of risk. An evaluation of the literature regarding the toxic potential of acetaminophen when given at doses < or = 4 g/d chronically (> or = 4 d) to adult patients without risk factors was conducted. Acetaminophen should be used cautiously on a chronic basis because several case reports show that it may be hepatotoxic at therapeutic doses.


Electronic information resources for food toxicology.
This manuscript provides a brief overview of many useful Internet resources concerning food toxicology. Specific topic areas include pesticide residues, food additives, natural toxins, environmental contaminants, and food allergies; numerous links and evaluative information are provided within each topic area. Several helpful Internet resources have been identified and include government, industry, academic, and consumer sites.


Squamous cell carcinoma of the brain with sarcoma-like stroma.
A cerebral neoplasm containing a well differentiated epidermoid cyst surrounded by islands of infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma and a pleomorphic spindle cell stroma was described. By immunoperoxidase staining all these components contained keratin. The lesion was therefore similar to malignant squamous cell lesions with sarcoma-like stroma occurring in other body sites.


Metabolomic study reveals the acute hypotensive effect of S-1-propenylcysteine accompanied by alteration of the plasma histidine level in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Our previous study has shown that a single dose of S-1-propenylcysteine (S1PC) exerted an antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), while its mode of action remained to be further investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the potential mechanism of the antihypertensive effect of S1PC in SHR using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomic approach. Blood samples were serially collected from SHR after a single oral administration of S1PC (6.5 mg/kg body weight). The metabolomics data acquired from the LC-MS analysis of plasma samples were processed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). In addition, the SHR were treated with S1PC or histidine (10 mg/kg body weight) with and without intravenous preinjection of thioperamide, a histamine H3 receptor antagonist. The blood pressure of SHR was measured by the tail-cuff method at different times after administration. In the PLS-DA score plots, the clusters of the S1PC groups were clearly or partly separated from those of the control groups at 1.5 and 3 h after administration, indicating the metabolic profiles were substantially altered by the S1PC treatment at these time points. Comparative analysis based on variable importance in the projection (VIP) values obtained from PLS-DA led to the identification of 14 and 15 metabolites differing between the two groups at 1.5 and 3 h, respectively, which included various amino acids. Among the metabolites identified, the plasma histidine level in the S1PC group significantly increased at 1.5 and 3 h, and decreased to that in the control group at 6 h. Moreover, pretreatment with thioperamide inhibited the blood pressure lowering effect of S1PC as well as that of histidine. These results suggested that S1PC alters histidine metabolism and consequently exerts the antihypertensive effect via the central histamine H3 receptor.


An unusual presentation of Wegener disease of the cervix: presenting as cervical cancer.
: Wegener granulomatosis is a rare autoimmune disease of unknown cause. It commonly affects the respiratory tracts, lungs, and kidneys.Involvement of the uterine cervix is rare, with only 4 previously published cases in the literature. : This is a case report. : We describe the unusual presentation of Wegener granulomatosis involving the uterine cervix, presenting as cervical cancer. : A review of previously published cases of Wegener granulomatosis involving the uterine cervix is presented.We report the first case of Wegener granulomatosis involving the cervix without antecedent diagnosis or treatment of Wegener granuloma in any other organ.


Master Patient Index Standardization Patient Search Identification Service (PSIS) of the National Directorate of Health Information Systems (DNSIS) Argentina.
Correct patient identification is the cornerstone for the proper implementation of electronic health records. Up to 20% of the registered patients are duplicated in most systems. Strong identification policies and robust systems can minimize such errors. In this poster we share the Ministry of Health recommendations for the Master Patient Index improvement using search algorithms.


Fetal demise due to herpes simplex virus: an illustrated case report.
We report and illustrate a case of fetal demise at 31 weeks caused by fulminant herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. The 15-year-old mother reported no past history or symptoms of an HSV infection during pregnancy. Autopsy revealed extensively ulcerated skin and necrosis of the liver, adrenal glands, brain, and placental membranes. Fluorescent in situ hybridization studies of the lungs, liver, adrenal glands and placenta were positive for HSV, but did not distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2. A maternal postpartum blood sample was positive for HSV-2 by immunoblot assay.


Predictors of mortality in pediatric trauma: experiences of a level 1 trauma center and an assessment of the International Classification Injury Severity Score (ICISS).
Injury severity scoring tools allow systematic comparison of outcomes in trauma research and quality improvement by indexing an expected mortality risk for certain injuries. This study investigated the predictive value of the empirically derived ICD9-derived Injury Severity Score (ICISS) compared to expert consensus-derived scoring systems for trauma mortality in a pediatric population. 1935 consecutive trauma patients aged <18 years from 1/2000 to 12/2012 were reviewed. Mechanism of injury (MOI), Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Trauma Score ISS (TRISS), and ICISS were compared using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic analysis. The population was a median age of 11 ± 6 year, 70 % male, and 76 % blunt injury. Median ISS 13 ± 12 and overall mortality 3.5 %. Independent predictors of mortality were initial hematocrit [odds ratio (OR) 0.83 (0.73-0.95)], HCO3 [OR 0.82 (0.67-0.98)], Glasgow Coma Scale score [OR 0.75 (0.62-0.90)], and ISS [OR 1.10 (1.04-1.15)]. TRISS was superior to ICISS in predicting survival [area under receiver operator curve: 0.992 (0.982-1.000) vs 0.888 (0.838-0.938)]. ICISS was inferior to existing injury scoring tools at predicting mortality in pediatric trauma patients.


Group cognitive behavioural therapy for first episode psychosis: who's referred, who attends and who completes it?
Most national guidelines recommend psychological therapy for people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) but interventions proven effective in randomized control trials (RCTs) conducted in research settings do not always translate effectively to real-world clinical environments. In a limited health system, it is important to understand the system and patient barriers to participation in effective treatment. We sought to determine what patient characteristics influenced clinicians' decision to refer or not to refer to group cognitive behavioural therapy for FEP and what characteristics were associated with those referred attending/not attending and adhering/not adhering to the programme. Between 2006 and 2008, all cases of confirmed FEP from a defined geographical region were examined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnoses, the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia and Birchwood Insight Scale. Duration of untreated psychosis was established using the Beiser Scale. Of the 124 (77 males, 47 females) people in the final sample, 88 (72%) were referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), 52 (59%) attended and 12 (23%) did not complete CBT. Those with higher levels of insight into the need for treatment (U = 740.00, z = -2.63, P = 0.008) and higher levels of positive symptoms (t (120) = -3.064, P = 0.003) were more likely to be referred to CBT. Those with higher educational attainment (χ(2) = 9.48, P = 0.03) and fewer negative symptoms, particularly in relation to global attention (t (85) = 2.32, P = 0.03), were more likely to attend and complete CBT. Within an early intervention service for FEP, it appears that individuals with less education, more negative symptoms and less insight experienced significant barriers to successfully completing group CBT. More information for referring clinicians about the benefits of CBT for FEP could help increase referral rates. Assertive outreach for people at risk of disengaging or non-adherence should also be considered.


[Patients' University, illness and learning].
The Patients' University, a pilot project at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, enables patients-experts to follow a degree program in patient therapeutic education (University Diploma and Master). Recently, graduate patients and patients directly concerned proposed to co-create a new university certificate for treatment pathway coordinators for breast cancer, rounding out the 120-hour university certificate program on healthcare democracy and meeting the recommendations of the new cancer plan.


Suppression of cyclin D1 by plasmid-based short hairpin RNA ameliorated experimental pulmonary vascular remodeling.
Our previous study has demonstrated that a plasmid-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against cyclin D1 could attenuate the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in smoking rats. In this report, we examined the efficiency of this shRNA plasmid in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. A single injection of monocrotaline induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and cyclin D1 over-expression in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle. The shRNA successfully suppressed the up-regulation of cyclin D1 in pulmonary vessels of monocrotaline-treated rats. Moreover, this shRNA decreased the percentage of muscularized vessels and the wall thickness of pulmonary vessels. So, we concluded that plasmid-based shRNA against cyclin D1 ameliorated pulmonary vascular remodeling in monocrotaline-treated rats. Cyclin D1 might be a potential target for the therapy of pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension.


Post-thrombolysis early neurological deterioration occurs with or without hemorrhagic transformation in acute cerebral infarction: risk factors, prediction model and prognosis.
Early neurological deterioration (END) after ischemic stroke is a severe clinical event and can be caused by hemorrhagic and ischemic injury. We studied the difference between the risk factors of END occurs with or without hemorrhagic transformation after intravenous thrombolysis. Consecutive cerebral infarction patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis from 2017 to 2020 in our hospital were retrospectively recruited. END was defined as a ≥2 points increase on 24-h National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score after therapy compared with the best neurological status after thrombolysis and divided into two types based on the computed tomography (CT): symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ENDh) and non-hemorrhagic factors (ENDn). Potential risk factors of ENDh and ENDn were assessed by multiple logistic regression and applied to establish the prediction model. A total of 195 patients were included. In multivariate analysis, the previous history of cerebral infarction (odds ratio [OR],15.19; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.43-161.17; P = 0.025), previous history of atrial fibrillation (OR,8.43; 95%CI,1.09-65.44; P = 0.043), higher baseline NIHSS score (OR,1.19; 95%CI,1.03-1.39; P = 0.022) and higher alanine transferase level (OR,1.05; 95%CI, 1.01-1.10; P = 0.016) were independently associated with ENDh. While higher systolic blood pressure (OR,1.03; 95%CI,1.01-1.05; P = 0.004), higher baseline NIHSS score (OR,1.13; 95%CI,2.86-27.43; P < 0.000) and large artery occlusion (OR,8.85, 95%CI,2.86-27.43; P < 0.000) were independent risk factors of ENDn. The prediction model showed good specificity and sensitivity in predicting the risk of ENDn. There are differences between the major contributors to ENDh and ENDn, while a severe stroke can increase the occurrence of both sides.


Maternal and childhood medical history and the risk of childhood brain tumours: a case-control study in Ontario, Canada.
Studies to date have yielded inconclusive results as to whether maternal medical history during pregnancy, and a child's early-life medical history contribute to the development of childhood brain tumours (CBTs). This study examined associations between maternal and childhood medical history and the risk of CBTs. The Childhood Brain Tumour Epidemiology Study of Ontario (CBREO) examined children 0-15 years of age with newly diagnosed CBTs from 1997 to 2003. Multivariable logistic regression analysis determined associations for prenatal medications and childhood medical history, adjusted for child's demographics, and maternal education. Analyses were stratified by histology. A latency period analysis was conducted using 12- and 24-month lead times. Maternal intake of immunosuppressants during the prenatal period was significantly associated with glial tumours (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.17-6.39). Childhood intake of anti-epileptics was significantly associated with CBTs overall, after accounting for 12-month (OR 8.51, 95% CI 3.35-21.63) and 24-month (OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.06-17.70) lead time before diagnosis. No associations for other medications were found. This study underscores the need to examine potential carcinogenic effects of the medication classes highlighted and of the indication of medication use. Despite possible reverse causality, increased CBT surveillance for children with epilepsy might be warranted.


Primary Umbilical endometriosis - case series and review of clinical presentation, diagnosis and management.
Umbilical endometriosis is the most common cutaneous form and is seen mostly secondary to surgical scar and rarely occurs as primary umbilical endometriosis. The objective of this retrospective case series evaluation is to report the presentation, diagnosis, and management of patients with primary umbilical endometriosis. We present a retrospective, observational and descriptive review of cases presenting with primary umbilical endometriosis among Indian women managed in two private tertiary care centres between 2018 and 2020. Patients were assessed at the gynaecological outpatient department. We analysed age, parity, presenting symptoms and duration, associated symptoms, imaging, size of the lesion, associated pelvic endometriosis or any pelvic pathology, management, and histopathological diagnosis for confirmation in all four patients. The patients were aged between 25 and 31 years with an average of 28 years with no previous history of any abdominal surgeries. The mean duration of the symptoms presented in these cases was 25.5 months, with a range from 18 to 48 months. The diagnosis was made by clinical examination supported by imaging followed by complete surgical excision and confirmation on histopathology. Primary umbilical endometriosis is a rare disease with a limited number of cases reported in the literature and should be included in the differential diagnosis if women present with umbilical lesions with cyclical pain. Diagnosis is clinical but can be aided by high resolution imaging such as Ultrasound (US) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice.


Distribution of nutrients and functional potential in fractions of Eugenia pyriformis: An underutilized native Brazilian fruit.
Uvaia is a Brazilian native species whose fruit has few studies on the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the proximate composition, mineral content, carbohydrate profile, identification of organic compounds, and determination of antioxidant properties in two fractions of this fruit (edible fraction and seed). Edible fraction showed the highest content of ash, lipids, proteins, total fibers, minerals mainly K and Mg (1557.61 and 124.40 mg 100 g-1, respectively), and carbohydrates such as fructose, sucrose, glucose (123.08; 64.40; and 42.39 mg g-1, respectively), and maltotetraose (G4). From the ESI-LTQ-XL-MS/MS analysis, it was possible to identify 22 compounds in the edible fraction and 16 compounds in the uvaia seed, including organic acids, phenolic acids and flavonoids. On the other hand, uvaia seed had the highest content of total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity. These results suggest that this fruit has great potential to be used in industry, with emphasis on making food with functional claims.


[Action of high temperature on the integrity of LS fibroblasts. II. Effect of duration of presence in a medium containing sucrose].
The resistance to high temperatures of LS fibroblasts starts lowering quite rapidly when the cells have been suspended in a culture medium containing sucrose. On the other hand, transferring back to normal medium for increasing times cells cultivated for 4 days in the presence of sucrose seems to gradually improve their resistance.


Altered expression of TMEM16A in colorectal carcinoma and its clinical significance.
TMEM16A has been reported to be over-expressed in some malignant tumors recently. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of TMEM16A in the progression of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) by detecting the expression of TMEM16A in CRC tissues, adjacent normal tissues, and adenoma tissues. Then, to investigate the relationship between TMEM16A expression and the clinicopathological features of patients with CRC.


13C assignments of the carbon atoms in the aromatic rings of lignin model compounds of the arylglycerol beta-aryl ether type.
The 13C NMR signals from the aromatic ring carbons in a series of lignin model compounds of the arylglycerol beta-aryl ether type in DMSO solution have been assigned. The model compounds investigated are representative of the erythro and threo forms of differently substituted arylglycerol beta-aryl ethers.


Synergy of medial and lateral hamstrings at three positions of tibial rotation during maximum isometric knee flexion.
Rotation of the knee has been used to isolate the strength of the medial and lateral hamstrings during manual testing of the knee flexors. The purpose of this study was to determine if medial and lateral rotation of the knee during manual knee flexor strength testing increased the electromyographic activity of the respective hamstrings. Twenty-three women between 22 and 36 years old with no history of lower extremity injury or disease participated in the study. Indwelling fine wire electrodes were used to record EMG activity of the medial (semitendinosus and semimembranosus) and lateral (long and short heads of the biceps femoris) hamstring muscles during maximally resisted knee flexion with neutral, medial, and lateral rotation of the knee. Repeated measures analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni adjustments were used to compare EMG activity across the three tests. EMG activity increased significantly for the target hamstrings during ipsilateral rotation (P<0.05). The semitendinosus had a mean activity of 109% Max. during medial rotation as opposed to 95% Max. during lateral rotation. The semimembranosus averaged 107 and 89% Max. in medial and lateral rotation respectively. Conversely, both the long and short head of the biceps muscle showed significantly higher activity (P<0.05) during lateral compared to medial rotation (110 and 108% compared to 93 and 97%, respectively). Even though the differences are statistically significant they ranged from 2 to 13% only of maximum activity, the clinical importance of this small change in EMG activity is questionable.


Report calls for nurses to have a greater role on governing bodies.
Nurses need to be seen as more than 'tokenistic' members of clinical commissioning group governing bodies, the RCN said.


Lived experiences of breast cancer in patients under the age of 40: A phenomenological study.
The purpose of this study was to understand and describe the experiences of breast cancer in patients under age 40 years in South Korea. Data were collected from December 2020 to January 2021 through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 patients aged <40 years less than one year after they had completed treatment for breast cancer. We performed a qualitative study using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The six theme clusters for intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural categories were as follows: 1) physical pain, 2) psychological response and need, 3) positive relationships with family members, 4) non-familial support system, 5) age stereotypes of cancer, and 6) Confucian culture in Korea. The study provides insights into the specific issues and major concerns of young breast cancer patients from multiple perspectives. Based on the results, optimized support should be developed to relieve the physical, psychological, and social burden on young breast cancer patients. Specific information and communication training should be offered to oncology nurses to provide counseling in order to reduce patient anxiety and fear related to these issues. The study emphasizes the importance of positive relationships with family and the non-familial support system and suggests that nursing intervention can help support these relationships to prevent social isolation.


HRP-catalyzed bioactivation of carcinogenic hydroxamic acids. The greater reactivity of glycolyl- versus acetyl-derived hydroxamic acids.
An analysis of the hydroxamic acid oxidation reaction by H2O2 and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was made with three pairs of hydroxamic acids. Each pair consisted of the aceto- and glycolhydroxamic acid derivatives from one of three different arylhydroxylamines. The parent arylhydroxylamines were the known carcinogens, N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene and N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl and the noncarcinogen 4-chlorophenyl-hydroxylamine. All the hydroxamic acids appeared to be converted to products that were expected on the basis of the previously-proposed mechanism of this peroxidative reaction. Each acetohydroxamic acid gave the corresponding nitroso compound and O-acetyl ester of the starting material in approximately equal amounts. The glycolhydroxamic acids gave the corresponding nitroso compound and a relatively unstable product that was proposed, by analogy, to be the O-glycolyl ester of the starting material. A comparison of the initial rates of reaction of each hydroxamic acid pair showed that the glycolhydroxamic acid was much more susceptible to the peroxidation reaction than was the corresponding acetohydroxamic acid. The initial rate of the reaction was also highly dependent upon the nature of the aromatic ring in the order fluorene greater than biphenyl greater than 4-chlorophenyl. The relative degree of HRP-catalyzed covalent binding to DNA of the aceto- and glycolhydroxamic acids in the fluorene series was studied and found to parallel the relative rates of reaction of these substrates in the H2O2/HRP system. It was proposed that glycolhydroxamic acids are likely to be more genotoxic than are acetohydroxamic acids when subjected to peroxidative bioactivation conditions.


Evaluating the effect of acute diesel exhaust particle exposure on P-glycoprotein efflux transporter in the blood-brain barrier co-cultured with microglia.
A growing public health concern, chronic Diesel Exhaust Particle (DEP) exposure is a heavy risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's (AD). Considered the brain's first line of defense, the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) and perivascular microglia work in tandem to protect the brain from circulating neurotoxic molecules like DEP. Importantly, there is a strong association between AD and BBB dysfunction, particularly in the Aβ transporter and multidrug resistant pump, P-glycoprotein (P-gp). However, the response of this efflux transporter is not well understood in the context of environmental exposures, such as to DEP. Moreover, microglia are seldom included in in vitro BBB models, despite their significance in neurovascular health and disease. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of acute (24 hr.) DEP exposure (2000 μg/ml) on P-gp expression and function, paracellular permeability, and inflammation profiles of the human in vitro BBB model (hCMEC/D3) with and without microglia (hMC3). Our results suggested that DEP exposure can decrease both the expression and function of P-gp in the BBB, and corroborated that DEP exposure impairs BBB integrity (i.e. increased permeability), a response that was significantly worsened by the influence of microglia in co-culture. Interestingly, DEP exposure seemed to produce atypical inflammation profiles and an unexpected general downregulation in inflammatory markers in both the monoculture and co-culture, which differentially expressed IL-1β and GM-CSF. Interestingly, the microglia in co-culture did not appear to influence the response of the BBB, save in the permeability assay, where it worsened the BBB's response. Overall, our study is important because it is the first (to our knowledge) to investigate the effect of acute DEP exposure on P-gp in the in vitro human BBB, while also investigating the influence of microglia on the BBB's responses to this environmental chemical.


Intracranial compliance and volumetry in patients with traumatic brain injury.
Cerebral edema (CE) and intracranial hypertension (IHT) are complications of numerous neurological pathologies. However, the study of CE and noninvasive methods to predict IHT remains rudimentary. This study aims to identify in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients the relationship between the volume of the lateral ventricles and the parameters of the noninvasive intracranial pressure waveform (nICPW). This is an analytical, descriptive, and cross-sectional study with nonsurgical TBI patients. The monitoring of nICPW was performed with a mechanical strain gauge, and the volumetry of the lateral ventricles was calculated using the free 3D Slicer software, both during the acute phase of the injury. The linear model of fixed and random mixed effects with Gamma was used to calculate the influence of nICPW parameters (P2/P1 and time-to-peak [TTP]) values on volumetry. Considering only the fixed effects of the sample, there was P = 0.727 (95% CI [-0.653; 0.364]) for the relationship between P2/P1 and volumetry and 0.727 (95% CI [-1.657; 1.305]) for TTP and volumetry. Considering the fixed and random effects, there was P = 8.5e-10 (95% CI [-0.759; 0.355]) for the relationship between P2/P1 and volumetry and 8.5e-10 (95% CI [-2.001; 0.274]) for TTP and volumetry. The present study with TBI patients found association between nICPW parameters and the volume of the lateral ventricles in the 1st days after injury.


A longitudinal study of the incidence of major endemic and epidemic diseases affecting semi-scavenging chickens reared under the Participatory Livestock Development Project areas in Bangladesh.
A 17-month (from January 2002 to May 2003) longitudinal study was undertaken to elucidate the epidemiology of important endemic and epidemic diseases affecting semi-scavenging chickens reared in the Participatory Livestock Development Project area in Bangladesh. This project was implemented in 17 northern and north-central districts of Bangladesh, under which 361 839 rural poor people were assisted to undertake poultry-rearing activity as a tool of poverty reduction. Of the total beneficiaries 93% were "key rearers". A key rearer is defined as a beneficiary who generally rears 10 to 13 hens in a semi-scavenging system with little additional feed supply. Households of 650 key rearers and some chick rearers were observed. During the study period 1227 birds, which belonged to different age, breed and sex categories, were found dead as a result of disease occurrence. From every dead bird organ samples such as the liver, heart, spleen, brain lung, trachea and bursa of Fabricius were collected. The incidence rate of mortality was 0.01976 per bird-months at risk. Of the total deaths 58.44% had single or mixed type of infections. Newcastle disease had the highest proportional mortality rate (15.81%). The proportional mortality caused by fowlpox, fowl cholera, salmonellosis, colibacillosis, aspergillosis, infectious bursal disease, mixed infections and undiagnosed cases were 8.96%, 6.76%, 7.09%, 6.93%, 0.33%, 2.04%, 10.51% and 41.56%, respectively. Newcastle disease affected a significant higher proportion (18.81%) of birds older than 60 days of age (P=0.00). Younger birds (age < or = 60 days) had a higher proportional mortality due to fowlpox and infectious bursal disease than older birds (P=0.00). Sonali (male Rhode Island Red x female Fayoumi) birds reared under the semi-scavenging system had a higher infection rate with Newcastle disease virus compared with indigenous and Fayoumi birds (P=0.00). Fowlpox was more prevalent in Fayoumi birds compared with Sonali. Surprisingly, Newcastle disease was more common in the vaccinated birds rather than the unvaccinated birds.


A conserved loop in the ATPase domain of the DnaK chaperone is essential for stable binding of GrpE.
The activity of DnaK (Hsp70) chaperones in assisting protein folding relies on DnaK binding and ATP-controlled release of protein substrates. The ATPase activity of DnaK is tightly controlled by the nucleotide exchange factor GrpE. We find that GrpE interacts stably with the amino-terminal ATPase domain of DnaK. Analysis of the mutant DnaK756 protein, which has a lower affinity for GrpE, reveals a role for residue Gly 32 in GrpE binding. Gly 32 is located in an exposed loop near the nucleotide binding site of DnaK. Deletion of this loop prevents stable GrpE binding, ATPase stimulation by GrpE, and DnaK chaperone activity. Conservation of this loop within the Hsp70 family suggests that cooperation between Hsp70 and GrpE-like proteins may be a general feature of this class of chaperone.


Antibody interference with biochemical tests and its clinical significance.
Antibody interference with routine biochemical tests is becoming increasingly recognized as a cause of spurious results. It is important to recognize these interferences because inappropriate investigation may be instituted in response to the abnormal test result. The present review deals with the various biochemical tests in which antibody interference occurs. The tests include measurement of enzymes, hormones, immunoglobulins, vitamin B12, and a variety of other molecules and ions.


Leveraging open dataset and transfer learning for accurate recognition of chronic pulmonary embolism from CT angiogram maximum intensity projection images.
Early diagnosis of the potentially fatal but curable chronic pulmonary embolism (CPE) is challenging. We have developed and investigated a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) model to recognise CPE from CT pulmonary angiograms (CTPA) based on the general vascular morphology in two-dimensional (2D) maximum intensity projection images. A CNN model was trained on a curated subset of a public pulmonary embolism CT dataset (RSPECT) with 755 CTPA studies, including patient-level labels of CPE, acute pulmonary embolism (APE), or no pulmonary embolism. CPE patients with right-to-left-ventricular ratio (RV/LV) < 1 and APE patients with RV/LV ≥ 1 were excluded from the training. Additional CNN model selection and testing were done on local data with 78 patients without the RV/LV-based exclusion. We calculated area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) and balanced accuracies to evaluate the CNN performance. We achieved a very high CPE versus no-CPE classification AUC 0.94 and balanced accuracy 0.89 on the local dataset using an ensemble model and considering CPE to be present in either one or both lungs. We propose a novel CNN model with excellent predictive accuracy to differentiate chronic pulmonary embolism with RV/LV ≥ 1 from acute pulmonary embolism and non-embolic cases from 2D maximum intensity projection reconstructions of CTPA. A DL CNN model identifies chronic pulmonary embolism from CTA with an excellent predictive accuracy. • Automatic recognition of CPE from computed tomography pulmonary angiography was developed. • Deep learning was applied on two-dimensional maximum intensity projection images. • A large public dataset was used for training the deep learning model. • The proposed model showed an excellent predictive accuracy.


Social variables and patient acceptance of complete dentures. A study of patients attending a dental school.
It has been suggested that the social conditions under which patients live may influence their acceptance of dentures. In this paper a sample of 74 complete-denture wearers has been interviewed with regard to several social variables. These variables include the patients' marital status, occupation, interests, social activities, economy, housing conditions, relationship to neighbors, and other people's opinion of their new dentures. The last factor appeared to influence denture acceptance strongly. The other social variables tested showed no significant or only minimal effects in this respect.


Enhancing the sensitivity of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) of different SARS-CoV-2 variants and lineages using fluorescence-labeled antibodies and a fluorescent meter.
RT-qPCR is considered the gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19; however, it is laborious, time-consuming, and expensive. RADTs have evolved recently as relatively inexpensive methods to address these shortcomings, but their performance for detecting different SARS-COV-2 variants remains limited. RADT test performance could be enhanced using different antibody labeling and signal detection techniques. Here, we aimed to evaluate the performance of two antigen RADTs for detecting different SARS-CoV-2 variants: (i) the conventional colorimetric RADT (Ab-conjugated with gold beads); and (ii) the new Finecare™ RADT (Ab-coated fluorescent beads). Finecare™ is a meter used for the detection of a fluorescent signal. 187 frozen nasopharyngeal swabs collected in Universal transport (UTM) that are RT-qPCR positive for different SARS-CoV-2 variants were selected, including Alpha (n = 60), Delta (n = 59), and Omicron variants (n = 108). Sixty flu and 60 RSV-positive samples were included as negative controls (total sample number = 347). The conventional RADT showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 62.4% (95%CI: 54-70), 100% (95%CI: 97-100), 100% (95%CI: 100-100), and 58% (95%CI: 49-67), respectively. These measurements were enhanced using the Finecare™ RADT: sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 92.6% (95%CI: 89.08-92.3), 96% (95%CI: 96-99.61), 98% (95%CI: 89-92.3), and 85% (95%CI: 96-99.6) respectively. The sensitivity of both RADTs could be greatly underestimated because nasopharyngeal swab samples collected UTM and stored at -80 °C were used. Despite that, our results indicate that the Finecare™ RADT is appropriate for clinical laboratory and community-based surveillance due to its high sensitivity and specificity.


Effect of Different Concentrations of Sodium Hypochlorite on the Compressive Strength of Endodontically Treated Roots.
The aim was to compare the compressive strength of dentin after irrigation with different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). A total of 259 extracted human tooth roots with no root caries or previous endodontic treatment were collected. They were sorted by size and length, and assigned to 7 groups (n = 37): negative control (no instrumentation, no irrigant), positive control (saline irrigant), 1%, 2.5%, 4%, 5.25%, and 10% NaOCl. A total of 13 mL NaOCl or saline (in 1-mL increments) was used per canal while being instrumented to #35 files (approximately 13 minutes). EDTAC (15%) was then used to remove the smear layer (2 minutes), followed by NaOCl as a final rinse. The roots were sectioned into 2-mm-thick disks and subjected to compression testing. There was a significant difference between the negative control group and all instrumented groups (P < .05). The positive control group was significantly different from the 5.25% group (P < .05) and had a low P value when compared with the 2.5% group and the other higher concentrations (P ≅ .1). When the NaOCl groups were compared with each other, there was a significant difference between 1% NaOCl and all higher concentrations (P < .05), but no significant difference when 2.5% NaOCl was compared with higher concentrations. A concentration of 1% NaOCl had the least effect on the compressive strength of dentin and this was significantly different from all higher concentrations tested. Therefore, the use of concentrations of NaOCl above 1% should be reconsidered.


The role of ubiquitin in down-regulation and intracellular sorting of membrane proteins: insights from yeast.
Ubiquitination is a versatile tool used by all eukaryotic organisms for controlling the stability, function, and intracellular localization of a wide variety of proteins. Two of the best characterized functions of protein ubiquitination are to mark proteins for degradation by cytosolic proteasome and to promote the internalization of certain plasma membrane proteins via the endocytotic pathway, followed by their degradation in the vacuole. Recent studies of membrane proteins both in yeast and mammalian cells suggest that the role of ubiquitin may extend beyond its function as an internalization signal in that it also may be required for modification of some component(s) of the endocytotic machinery, and for cargo protein sorting at the late endosome and the Golgi apparatus level. In this review, I will attempt to bring together what is currently known about the role of ubiquitination in controlling protein trafficking between the yeast plasma membrane, the trans-Golgi network, and the vacuole/lysosome.


The Promise and Limitations of Anti-Inflammatory Agents for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.
This review provides a critical perspective on recent meta-analyses suggesting that several anti-inflammatory modalities, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), omega-3 fatty acids, and cytokine antagonist, possess generalizable antidepressant properties. By examining confounds and limitations in the available literature it is suggested that current data suggest that only a sub-group of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have evidence of increased inflammatory biomarkers and it is in these individuals that anti-inflammatory agents show promise for reducing depressive symptoms. The treatment implications of this cautionary perspective are discussed.