Efficacy of Behavioral Interventions on Biological Outcomes for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction among Latinos: a Review of the Literature.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among Latinos. Designing and delivering culturally appropriate interventions are critical for modifying behavioral and nutritional behavior among Latinos and preventing CVD. This literature review provides information on evidence-based behavioral intervention strategies developed for and tested with at-risk Latinos, which reported impacts on biological outcomes. A literature search was performed in PubMed that identified 110 randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions for CVD risk reduction with at-risk Latinos (≥1 CVD risk factor, samples >30 % Latino), four of which met the inclusion criteria of reporting biological outcomes (BP, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and body mass index (BMI)). All the studies used promotoras (Hispanic/Latino community member with training that provides basic health education in the community without being a professional healthcare worker) to deliver culturally appropriate interventions that combined nutritional and physical activity classes, walking routes, and/or support groups. One study reported statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure and an increase in physical activity. One study reported reductions in cholesterol levels compared to the control group. Two studies did not have significant intervention effects. Most studies demonstrated no significant changes in LDL, HDL, or BMI. Methodological limitations include issues related to sample sizes, study durations, and analytic methods. Few studies met the inclusion criteria, but this review provides some evidence that culturally appropriate interventions such as using promotoras, bilingual materials/classes, and appropriate cultural diet and exercise modifications provide potentially efficacious strategies for cardiovascular risk improvement among Latinos.


Prognostic Impact of Echocardiographic Congestion Grade in HFpEF With and Without Atrial Fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of echocardiographic markers of congestion that can be applied to both AF and patients without AF with HFpEF. We conducted a multicenter study of 505 patients with HFpEF admitted to hospitals for acute decompensated heart failure. The ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity to mitral annulus velocity (E/e'), the tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity, and the collapsibility of the inferior vena cava were obtained at discharge. Congestion was determined by echocardiography if any one of E/e' ≥14 (E/e' ≥11 for AF), tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity ≥2.8 m/s, or inferior vena cava collapsibility <50% was positive. We classified patients into grade A, grade B, and grade C according to the number of positive congestion indices. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization. During the follow-up period (median: 373 days), 162 (32%) patients experienced the primary endpoint. Grade C patients had a higher risk for the primary endpoint than grade A (HR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.97-4.52) and grade B patients (HR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29-2.86) (log-rank P < 0.0001). Echocardiographic congestion grade improved the predictive value when added to the age, sex, New York Heart Association functional class, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, not only in sinus rhythm (Uno C-statistic: 0.670 vs 0.655) but in AF (Uno C-statistic: 0.667 vs 0.639). Echocardiographic congestion grade has prognostic value in patients with HFpEF with and without AF.


Detoxification and repair process of ozone injury: from O3 uptake to gene expression adjustment.
Plants react to O(3) threat by setting up a variety of defensive strategies involving the co-ordinated modulation of stress perception, signalling and metabolic responses. Although stomata largely controls O(3) uptake, differences in O(3) tolerance cannot always be ascribed to changes in stomatal conductance but cell protective and repair processes should be taken into account. O(3)-driven ROS production in the apoplast induces a secondary, active, self-propagating generation of ROS, whose levels must be finely tuned, by many enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, to induce gene activation without determining uncontrolled cell death. Additional signalling molecules, as ethylene, jasmonic and salicylic acid are also crucial to determine the spreading and the containment of leaf lesions. The main recent results obtained on O(3) sensing, signal transduction, ROS formation and detoxification mechanisms are here discussed.


Putative agmatinase inhibitor for hypoxic-ischemic new born brain damage.
Agmatine is an endogenous brain metabolite, decarboxylated arginine, which has neuroprotective properties when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into rat pups following hypoxic-ischemia. A previous screen for compounds based on rat brain lysates containing agmatinase with assistance from computational chemistry, led to piperazine-1-carboxamidine as a putative agmatinase inhibitor. Herein, the neuroprotective properties of piperazine-1-carboxamidine are described both in vitro and in vivo. Organotypic entorhinal-hippocampal slices were firstly prepared from 7-day-old rat pups and exposed in vitro to atmospheric oxygen depletion for 3 h. Upon reoxygenation, the slices were treated with piperazine-1-carboxamidine or agmatine (50 μg/ml agents), or saline, and 15 h later propidium iodine was used to stain. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine or agmatine produced substantial in vitro protection compared to post-reoxygenated saline-treated controls. An in vivo model involved surgical right carotid ligation followed by exposure to hypoxic-ischemia (8 % oxygen) for 2.5 h. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine at 50 mg/kg i.p. was given 15 min post-reoxygenation and continued twice daily for 3 days. Cortical agmatine levels were elevated (+28.5 %) following piperazine-1-carboxamidine treatment with no change in arginine or its other major metabolites. Histologic staining with anti-Neun monoclonal antibody also revealed neuroprotection of CA1-3 layers of the hippocampus. Until endpoint at 22 days of age, no adverse events were observed in treated pups' body weights, rectal temperatures, or prompted ambulation. Piperazine-1-carboxamidine therefore appears to be a neuroprotective agent of a new category, agmatinase inhibitor.


Efficient maximal repeat finding using the burrows-wheeler transform and wavelet tree.
Finding repetitive structures in genomes and proteins is important to understand their biological functions. Many data compressors for modern genomic sequences rely heavily on finding repeats in the sequences. The notion of maximal repeats captures all the repeats in the data in a space-efficient way. Prior work on maximal repeat finding used either a suffix tree or a suffix array along with other auxiliary data structures. Their space usage is 19--50 times the text size with the best engineering efforts, prohibiting their usability on massive data. Our technique uses the Burrows-Wheeler Transform and wavelet trees. For data sets consisting of natural language texts, the space usage of our method is no more than three times the text size. For genomic sequences stored using one byte per base, the space usage is less than double the sequence size. Our method is also orders of magnitude faster than the prior methods for processing massive texts, since the prior methods must use external memory. For the first time, our method enables a desktop computer with 8GB internal memory to find all the maximal repeats in the whole human genome in less than 17 hours. We have implemented our method as general-purpose open-source software for public use.


Effects of Chemotherapy on Hematological Parameters and CD4+/CD8+ Ratio in Cats with Mediastinal Lymphoma and Seropositive to Feline Leukemia Virus.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the COP chemotherapeutic protocol on hematological parameters, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and the mortality of 18 client-owned FeLV-infected cats with mediastinal lymphoma. The complete blood count, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were measured four times before treating with chemotherapy in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks. The white blood cell (WBC) counts at the 1st week were significantly different from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th inductions (p = 0.0075, p = <0.0001, and p = 0.0271, respectively). The neutrophils at the 1st week were significantly different from the 2nd and 3rd inductions (p = 0.0179, and p < 0.0001, respectively). The packed cell volume (PCV) at the 1st week was significantly differed from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th induction times (p = 0.0029, p = 0.0006, and p = 0.0029, respectively. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) at the 1st week was significantly different from the 4th week (p = 0.0145). We found that chemotherapy did not cause any significant change in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p-value 0.7407). The Kaplan-Meier curves showed the median survival time (MST) for the cats with a CD4+/CD8 ratio of less than 1 after the 1st week of chemotherapy was 134 days. This suggested that COP chemotherapy was a safe treatment for FeLV-infected cats with mediastinal lymphoma.


A comparative study of nitrogen fixation by the Anabaena-Azolla symbiosis and free-living populations of Anabaena spp. in Lake Ngahawa, New Zealand.
The symbiotic fern Azolla filiculoides var. rubra, which contains a blue-green nitrogen fixing alga Anabaena azollae, fixed 164 Kg N·ha-1·ann-1 in the littoral zone of a small eutrophic lake. Associated planktonic Anabaena spp. blooms, dominated by Anabaena spiroides, fixed 29.5Kg N·ha-1·ann-1. Nitrogen fixation in both organisms was not obviously related to ambient dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels. By comparing 15N-N2 and acetylene reduction techniques, we determined a ratio of 3 moles C2H2 reduced to 1 mole of N2 fixed. Combining this with results from one diurnal investigation, it was estimated that 24% of the total daily fixation by Azolla occurred at night. Highest nitrogen fixation rates in Azolla occurred when plant density was lowest. Nitrogen fixation by planktonic Anabaena spp. generally paralleled changes in biomass. Frond breakage due to wind caused a decrease in Azolla nitrogen fixation and growth which was followed by a bloom of planktonic Anabaena spp. A second Anabaena spp. bloom was instrumental in the summer decline of Azolla. Maximum growth and nitrogen fixation of both organisms did not occur simultaneously. If physical disruption to the Azolla mat does not occur, it is likely that growth of the population would continue throughout the year.


Adhesive and self-healing materials for central nervous system repair.
The central nervous system (CNS) has a limited ability to regenerate after a traumatic injury or a disease due to the low capacity of the neurons to re-grow and the inhibitory environment formed in situ. Current therapies include the use of drugs and rehabilitation, which do not fully restore the CNS functions and only delay the pathology progression. Tissue engineering offers a simple and versatile solution for this problem through the use of bioconstructs that promote nerve tissue repair by bridging cavity spaces. In this approach, the choice of biomaterial is crucial. Herein, we present recent advances in the design and development of adhesive and self-healing materials that support CNS healing. The adhesive materials have the advantage of promoting recovery without the use of needles or sewing, while the self-healing materials have the capacity to restore the tissue integrity without the need for external intervention. These materials can be used alone or in combination with cells and/or bioactive agents to control the inflammation, formation of free radicals, and proteases activity. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of different systems. The remaining challenges that can bring these materials to clinical reality are also briefly presented.


Intravenous Immunoglobulin Plus Methylprednisolone Mitigate Respiratory Morbidity in Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Dysregulated neutrophil and platelet interactions mediate immunothrombosis and cause lung injury in coronavirus disease 2019. IV immunoglobulin modulates neutrophil activation through FcγRIII binding. We hypothesized that early therapy with IV immunoglobulin would abrogate immunothrombosis and improve oxygenation and reduce progression to mechanical ventilation in coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia. Prospective randomized open label. Inpatient hospital. Hypoxic subjects with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia were randomized 1:1 to receive standard of care plus IV immunoglobulin 0.5 g/kg/d with methylprednisolone 40 mg 30 minutes before infusion for 3 days versus standard of care alone. Sixteen subjects received IV immunoglobulin and 17 standard of care. Median ages were 51 and 58 years for standard of care and IV immunoglobulin, respectively. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Charlson comorbidity scores were similar for IV immunoglobulin and standard of care. Seven standard of care versus two IV immunoglobulin subjects required mechanical ventilation (p = 0.12, Fisher exact test). Among subjects with A-a gradient of greater than 200 mm Hg at enrollment, the IV immunoglobulin group showed: 1) a lower rate of progression to requiring mechanical ventilation (2/14 vs 7/12, p = 0.038 Fisher exact test), 2) shorter median hospital length of stay (11 vs 19 d, p = 0.01 Mann Whitney U test), 3) shorter median ICU stay (2.5 vs 12.5 d, p = 0.006 Mann Whitey U test), and 4) greater improvement in Pao2/Fio2 at 7 days (median [range] change from time of enrollment +131 [+35 to +330] vs +44·5 [-115 to +157], p = 0.01, Mann Whitney U test) than standard of care. Pao2/Fio2 improvement at day 7 was significantly less for the standard of care patients who received glucocorticoid therapy than those in the IV immunoglobulin arm (p = 0.0057, Mann Whiney U test). This pilot study showed that IV immunoglobulin significantly improved hypoxia and reduced hospital length of stay and progression to mechanical ventilation in coronavirus disease 2019 patients with A-a gradient greater than 200 mm Hg. A phase 3 multicenter randomized double-blinded clinical trial is under way to validate these findings.


Simple decompression or subcutaneous anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve for cubital tunnel syndrome.
The purpose of this prospective randomised study was to evaluate which operative technique for treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome is preferable: subcutaneous anterior transposition or nerve decompression without transposition. This study included 66 patients suffering from pain and/or neurological deficits with clinically and electromyographically proven cubital tunnel syndrome. Thirty-two patients underwent nerve decompression without transposition and 34 underwent subcutaneous transposition of the nerve. Follow-up examinations evaluating pain, motor and sensory deficits as well as motor nerve conduction velocities, were performed 3 and 9 months postoperatively. There were no significant differences between the outcomes of the two groups at either postoperative follow-up examination. We recommend simple decompression of the nerve in cases without deformity of the elbow, as this is the less invasive operative procedure.


The Cdc48/p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex: its potential role in coordinating cellular morphogenesis during the M-G1 transition.
The AAA ATPase Cdc48/p97 together with its adaptors, Ufd1-Npl4, regulate membrane-related functions and mitotic spindle disassembly by directly binding to membrane-associated proteins or spindle assembly factors, modulating their interactions with membranes or spindles, respectively. Here, we discuss the possibility that the Cdc48/ p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex has a more general role in mediating morphological transitions as the cell exits mitosis and enters G(1).


Studies of the natural history of stinging-insect allergy: long-term follow-up of patients without immunotherapy.
This study reports the clinical and immunologic responses of 29 patients who were observed during a prolonged period after insect-sting anaphylaxis without venom immunotherapy. At the time of their initial evaluation, all patients had venom-specific IgE, detected by skin test or RAST. Their mean age was 21 years; 16 patients were 16 years of age or less. There were 18 male and 11 female patients. Eleven patients had urticaria and angioedema as their only symptoms of anaphylaxis, and 18 patients had respiratory and/or cardiovascular symptoms. Reassessment was done 5 or more years after the initial evaluation. The average time at reevaluation was 10.1 years after the initial sting reaction. There had been 25 re-stings in 17 patients, with three systemic reactions occurring in two patients, an overall reaction rate of 12%. The time interval between the initial sting reaction and the follow-up sting was 2 to 14 years, mean 7.3 years. In patients with initial urticaria/angioedema symptoms only, there were 11 re-stings with no reactions. In patients with initial cardiovascular/respiratory symptoms, there were 14 re-stings with three reactions. At the time of follow-up evaluation, venom-specific IgE had generally decreased. In six of 25 patients, venom skin tests became negative, and in eight of 24 patients, the RAST became negative. These observations suggest that in many patients, stinging insect allergy is a self-limited process, with loss of clinical sensitivity and immunologic reactivity.


Effect of single and multilayered Ti3C2TX MXene as a catalyst and adsorbent on enhanced sonodegradation of diclofenac and verapamil.
Single and multilayered Ti3C2TX MXene (referred to as SLM and MLM in this study, respectively) was applied as catalysts in the ultrasonic (US) process to treat selected pharmaceutical compounds including diclofenac and verapamil (VRP). Due to solid surface, elemental composition, and functional groups of Ti3C2TX MXene, the free OH• production was increased by 48.8% for the US treatment with SLM and 59.8% for the US treatment with MLM compared with the US-only treatment. Additionally, adsorption affected the performance during the US treatment in the presence of the catalyst. Thus, the US treatment in the presence of Ti3C2TX MXene had an enhanced performance not only because of increased oxidation but also because of adsorption, particularly between positively charged VRP and negatively charged Ti3C2TX MXene. Moreover, although the degradation of the performance was higher for SLM (85.1%) than for MLM (81.8%), by improving the dispersion and reducing the size via sonication, the US treatment in the presence of MLM showed the highest synergy effect. In other words, the US treatment in the presence of MLM showed higher performance than the simple sum of oxidation and adsorption. These findings confirm that the US treatment in the presence of MLM may be a promising technology to treat various pharmaceuticals as a more degradable, strongly reusable, and less toxic process.


Successful vaginal delivery in a parturient with long QT syndrome type 2 using double-catheter epidural analgesia: A CARE-compliant case report.
Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) can cause syncope or sudden death due to ventricular arrhythmia. Congenital LQTS has 3 major types, 1, 2, and 3. Life-threatening arrhythmias are triggered by emotion in patients with LQTS type 2. As patients with LQTS type 2 have a higher incidence of postnatal cardiac events, careful perinatal management especially during delivery is required. To the best of our knowledge, perinatal management of a patient with LQTS type 2 has not been properly described with consideration to its type-specific risk factors for ventricular tachyarrhythmia. A 36-year-old pregnant woman, gravida 1, para 0, with LQTS type 2 was scheduled to undergo vaginal delivery under epidural labor analgesia in the 38th week of pregnancy. No fainting episodes were reported since she began to take 40 mg of propranolol once daily at the age of 25. Despite this, we instituted maximum preventive measures for the safety of both the parturient and the fetus to minimize the risk of maternal cardiac events throughout the perinatal period. She was diagnosed with LQTS type 2 by genetic testing at the age of 25. Two epidural catheters were placed at levels T11-T12 and L5-S1. Injection of 0.2% ropivacaine and subsequent infusion of ropivacaine 0.1% with fentanyl (2 μg/mL) was directed through each catheter according to the stage of labor. Concurrently, landiolol, a selective and short-acting β1 receptor antagonist, was infused intravenously at a dose of 1 to 7 μg/kg/min. The delivery proceeded uneventfully without pain. No adverse cardiac events were observed during the perinatal period. Vaginal delivery under epidural labor analgesia using 2 catheters might be a viable option for maternal perinatal care and delivery of patients with LQTS type 2.


Microbial community structure elucidates performance of Glyceria maxima plant microbial fuel cell.
The plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC) is a technology in which living plant roots provide electron donor, via rhizodeposition, to a mixed microbial community to generate electricity in a microbial fuel cell. Analysis and localisation of the microbial community is necessary for gaining insight into the competition for electron donor in a PMFC. This paper characterises the anode-rhizosphere bacterial community of a Glyceria maxima (reed mannagrass) PMFC. Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) were located on the root surfaces, but they were more abundant colonising the graphite granular electrode. Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria dominated the area where most of the EAB were found, indicating that the current was probably generated via the hydrolysis of cellulose. Due to the presence of oxygen and nitrate, short-chain fatty acid-utilising denitrifiers were the major competitors for the electron donor. Acetate-utilising methanogens played a minor role in the competition for electron donor, probably due to the availability of graphite granules as electron acceptors.


Sulfonamide inhibition of human alkaline phosphatase.
Several sulfonamides used as antibacterial or diuretic drugs are potent alkaline phosphatase inhibitors. The mechanism of inhibition may involve binding of the zinc in the active site of the enzyme by the unbonded electron pair on the sulfonamide group nitrogen atom as well as binding of the drug to a second site. Addition of progressively larger groups to this nitrogen leads to an increasing loss of inhibitory capability. Isoenzymes from human liver, bone, kidney, granulation tissue and intestine are inhibited to a similar extent while the placenta isoenzyme is more resistant. It is suggested that some pharmacologic actions of sulfonamides may be due to inhibition of alkaline phosphatase, rather than carbonic anhydrase.


Protocol for the measurement of the absorbed dose rate to water for a planar 32P beta emitting brachytherapy source: A multi-institutional validation.
This is a multi-institutional report on inter-observer and inter-instrument variation in the calibration of the absorbed dose rate for a planar 32P beta emitting brachytherapy source. Measurement accuracy is essential since the dose profile is steep and the source is used for the treatment of tumors that are located in close proximity to healthy nervous system structures. An RIC-100 32P source was calibrated by three institutions using their own equipment and following their standard procedures. The first institution calibrated the source with an electron diode and EBT3 film. The second institution used an electron diode. The third institution used HD810 film. Additionally, each institution was asked to calibrate the source using an electron diode and procedure that was shared among all institutions and shipped along with the radiation source. The dose rate was reported in units of cGy*min-1 at a water equivalent depth of 1 mm. Close agreement was observed in the measurements from different users and equipment. The variation across all diode detectors and institutions had a standard deviation of 1.8% and maximum difference of 4.6%. The observed variation among two different diode systems used within the same institution had a mean difference of 1.6% and a maximum variation of 1.8%. The variations among film and diode systems used within the same institution had a mean difference of 2.9% and a maximum variation of 4.3% CONCLUSIONS: The absorbed dose rate measurement protocol of the planar beta-emitting 32P source permits consistent dosimetry across three institutions and five different electron diode and radiochromic film systems. The methodologies presented herein should enable measurement consistency among other clinical users, which will help ensure high quality patient treatments and outcomes analysis.


Opioid rotation for toxicity reduction in terminal cancer patients.
Accumulation of active (toxic) metabolites of opioids might explain cases of opioid toxicity when high doses are used for long periods of time. Other mechanisms of late toxicity of opioids may be found at the receptor level. Whatever the cause, a change of opioids using equianalgesic doses can be expected to improve symptoms of toxicity in some patients, while maintaining pain control. We reviewed the experience with this technique in patients admitted to the Palliative Care Unit of the Edmonton General Hospital. Of 191 patients, 80 underwent opioid rotation (OR) for cognitive failure, hallucinations, myoclonus, nausea and vomiting, local toxicity, and persistent pain. These leading symptoms improved in 58/80 patients (73%, P < 0.01). Pain control, as measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS), improved from 4.4 +/- 2.3 to 3.6 +/- 2.0 (P < 0.004) at a dose significantly lower than that predicted to be equianalgesic (577 +/- 1535 mg before OR versus 336 +/- 593 mg after OR, P < 0.04). We conclude that symptoms of opioid toxicity can be relieved by OR, and that a choice of two or three different opioids is necessary to obtain satisfactory long-term pain control.


Risk factors for reduced fetal movements in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Maternal perception of reduced fetal movements (RFM) is an important clinical marker to identify women at higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Preventing and reducing stillbirths can only be achieved through better detection and management of women with RFM, however the characteristics of women who present with RFM in pregnancy vary. A systematic review was conducted to explore the risk factors associated with reduced fetal movements (RFM) in pregnancy. PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Maternity and Infant Care, PsycINFO and Science Citation Index were searched, from their inception date, for studies published up to 16th May 2019. Non-randomised observational studies reporting risk factors in pregnant women presenting with a primary complaint of RFM during pregnancy were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed with the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 software for each identified risk factor where two or more studies reported on the same risk factor. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Twenty-seven studies reporting on risk factors for RFM during pregnancy were included. Women presenting with RFM during pregnancy are more likely to be Caucasian, smokers, and have an anterior placenta, oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios. No difference was found in parity or the mean age of women presenting with RFM and women who did not present with RFM. Previous caesarean section, postdates >42 weeks', and other medical conditions, including diabetes and hypertensive disorders were not predictive for RFM during pregnancy. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with RFM in pregnancy were identified. These results can be used to raise awareness of factors associated with RFM, and prompt women to attend their maternity care provider should concerns arise.


Cross correlation of heart rate and respiration versus deep breathing. Assessment of new test of cardiac autonomic function in diabetes.
Cross correlation is a mathematical function whereby spectral analysis is used to describe the relationship between heart-rate fluctuations (256 R-R intervals) and respiration (simultaneously obtained by pneumotacograph). To assess its usefulness for testing autonomic integrity, cross correlation and deep breathing were compared in 141 diabetic subjects (aged 39 +/- 14 yr) and in 77 control subjects (aged 33 +/- 13 yr). To characterize patients, Valsalva maneuver, 30:15 ratio, tilt, and handgrip tests were performed in 96 of these patients; 23 had two or more abnormal tests (group A), 28 had one (group B), and 45 had none (group C). Sensitivity to parasympathetic withdrawal was compared in 9 control subjects (aged 26 +/- 4 yr) by four sequential 0.01-mg/kg i.v. atropine administrations. Reproducibility was compared in 11 control subjects (aged 25 +/- 2 yr) by repeating the tests four times for 2 consecutive days. Considering all 141 patients, cross correlation and deep breathing were less than 2SD of the mean of control subjects in 64 and 36 subjects, respectively. Considering patients who also performed other tests of autonomic function, cross correlation and deep breathing were less than 2SD of the mean of controls in 42 and 30 subjects, respectively (group A, 20 and 15; group B, 12 and 9; group C, 10 and 6). Cross correlation had better reproducibility than deep breathing (C.V. 10.3 vs. 30.6% at 6 breaths/min) and greater sensitivity to atropine (after the 1st injection, cross correlation and deep breathing decreased to 34.6 and 48.2% of baseline values, respectively; P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Environmental remediation by tea waste and its derivative products: A review on present status and technological advancements.
The rising consumption of the popular non-alcoholic beverage tea and its derivative products caused massive growth in worldwide tea production in the last decade, leading to the generation of huge quantities of waste tea residues every year. Most of these wastes are usually burnt or disposed in landfills without proper treatment which results in serious environmental issues by polluting water, air and soil. In the recent times, 'waste to wealth' is a fast-growing concept for environment friendly sustainable development. Utilization of the large amount of tea wastes for the production of low-cost adsorbents to reduce the expenses of water and wastewater treatment can be a sustainable way of management of these wastes which at the same time will improve circular economy also. This review endeavours to evaluate the potential of both raw and modified tea wastes towards the adsorption of pollutants from wastewater. The production of various adsorptive materials such as biochar, activated carbon, nanocomposites, hydrogels, nanoparticles from tea wastes are summarized. The advancements in their applications for the removal of different emerging contaminants from wastewater as well as potable water, air and soil are exhaustively reviewed. The outcome of the present review reveals that tea waste and its derivatives are appropriate candidates to be used as adsorbents that show tremendous effectiveness in cleaning the environment. This article will provide the readers with an in-depth knowledge on the sustainable utilization of tea waste as adsorbent materials and will assist them to explore this abundant cheap waste biomass for environmental remediation.


MAGE qPCR improves the sensitivity and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for the detection of lymphatic cancer spread.
Microscopic examination of histologic slides or cytologic specimens of mediastinal lymph node samples obtained by diagnostic mediastinoscopy or endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is routinely used for the staging of lung cancer patients. Therefore, we explored whether the detection of tumor-associated mRNA in lymph node samples from patients with suspected lung cancer adds diagnostic accuracy to conventional histopathological staging. We examined 202 lymph nodes obtained by EBUS-TBNA or mediastinoscopy from 89 patients with lung cancer. Lymph node samples from patients with nonmalignant disease were available as controls (60 samples from 31 patients). Real-time quantitative mRNA analysis was performed for melanoma antigen-A genes (MAGE-A 1-6, MAGE-A 12) using a LightCycler 480 instrument. MAGE transcript levels in control and cancer patients differed widely, and the 95% confidence interval served to define the threshold between negative and positive samples. MAGE 1 to 6 transcripts were detected in 35 of 122 (28.7%) lymph nodes obtained by EBUS-TBNA and 16 of 80 (20.0%) lymph nodes obtained by mediastinoscopy. MAGE 12 transcripts were detected in 10 of 122 (8.2%) lymph nodes obtained by EBUS-TBNA and 9 of 80 (11.3%) lymph nodes obtained by mediastinoscopy. Although the accuracy of histopathological diagnosis after EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy was 69.6% and 84.1%, respectively, it increased to 81.2% and 86.4%, respectively, when combined with MAGE-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The combination of EBUS-TBNA and MAGE-quantitative polymerase chain reaction increases the accuracy of tumor cell detection to the level seen with mediastinoscopy.


The incidence of retrograde conduction in children.
With the increasing use of "physiological" pacemakers in the pediatric age group, retrograde conduction in children has become of clinical importance. Pacemakers which sense atrial depolarization may sense "retrograde" P waves. The pacemaker may then act as the antegrade limb of a reciprocating tachycardia circuit, while the patient's own conduction system acts as the retrograde limb. We reviewed the data of 127 patients who underwent antegrade and retrograde electrophysiologic study at Texas Children's Hospital, with regard to retrograde conduction. Sixty percent of the patients had ventriculo-atrial conduction through the A-V node; the incidence of retrograde conduction in patients after surgical correction of a tetralogy of Fallot was significantly lower (33%). None of the patients with third-degree A-V block had retrograde conduction. The mean retrograde conduction time was 162 ms (range 70-335 ms) at the slowest pacing rate and 257 ms (range 80-475 ms) at the fastest pacing rate. This high incidence of retrograde conduction and the variability of conduction times must be taken into account when "physiological" pacemakers are to be implanted.


Collection and storage of red blood cells with anticoagulant and additive solution with a physiologic pH.
A donation of whole blood is most commonly collected in acidic citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) variants with pH 5.2 to 6.2 as anticoagulants. Previously, we have shown that the initial pH after red blood cell (RBC) preparation can have an effect on RBCs during storage. First, we investigated the effect of the pH of the anticoagulant on RBCs. Second, we investigated the possibility of decreasing the pH of our new additive solution (AS) phosphate-adenine-glucose-guanosine-gluconate-mannitol (PAGGGM) from pH 8.2 to 7.4 in combination with an anticoagulant with a physiologic pH. Whole blood was collected in CPD (pH 5.6) or trisodiumcitrate (TNC; pH 7.4), and leukoreduced units were prepared using saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol as AS. Second, whole blood was collected in TNC (pH 7.4), and leukoreduced units were prepared using PAGGGM (pH 7.4) or PAGGGM (pH 8.2) as AS. During cold storage, several in vitro characteristics were analyzed. In agreement with our previous findings, the initial pH of whole blood has an effect during storage of RBCs. In the second part we show that there are no differences between PAGGGM (pH 7.4) and PAGGGM (pH 8.2) units when an anticoagulant with a physiologic pH was used. These results indicate that the pH of the anticoagulant used during whole blood collection has an effect during storage of RBCs. When an anticoagulant with a physiologic pH is used during whole blood collection, the pH of PAGGGM can be decreased to physiologic levels, while maintaining adenosine triphosphate and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels.


Present status of hepatitis virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan: a cross-sectional study of 1019 patients.
The present study was designed to determine the frequency of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. We examined the clinical features of 1019 patients with HCC who visited our hospitals between January and December 1999. The ratio of men to women was 709 : 310, and the peak incidence of HCC was in the seventh decade of life in both men and women. In the majority of the patients, HCC showed association with HCV infection (74%) compared with HBV infection (17%). HBV-associated HCC was more common in young patients, while HCV-associated HCC was more common in patients with a history as a "daily drinker", or with a history of blood transfusion, liver cirrhosis, and persistently high serum transaminases before the diagnosis of HCC. HCC was initially suspected by ultrasonography or computed tomography in 776 of the 874 patients for whom there was a history of mode of detection of HCC (89%). Tumor size at the time of diagnosis of HCC in patients who had been regularly followed up for liver diseases at our hospitals was significantly smaller than that in patients who were not followed up regularly before the diagnosis ( P < 0.01). Our results indicate that the proportions of patients with HBV or with HCV infection among HCC patients in Nagasaki Prefecture are similar to those found in a nationwide survey in Japan, and there are some differences between the clinical manifestations of HBV- and HCV-associated HCC. Our results emphasize the importance of close follow-up for the high-risk group (i.e. those with HBV- or HCV-associated chronic liver diseases) for the early detection of HCC.


Seroprevalence, spatial dispersion and factors associated with flavivirus and chikungunha infection in a risk area: a population-based seroprevalence study in Brazil.
The State of Ceará, in Northeastern Brazil, suffers from a triple burden of arboviruses (dengue, Zika and chikungunya). We measured the seroprevalence of chikungunya, dengue and Zika and its associated factors in the population of Juazeiro do Norte, Southern Ceará State, Brazil. A cross-sectional study of analytical and spatial analysis was performed to estimate the seroprevalence of dengue, Zika and chikungunya, in the year 2018. Participants were tested for IgM and IgG against these three viruses. Those with IgM and/or IgG positive tests results were considered positive. Poisson regression was used to analyze the factors associated with positive cases, in the same way that the spatial analysis of positive cases was performed to verify whether the cases were grouped. Of the 404 participants, 25.0% (103/404) were positive for CHIKV, 92.0% (373/404) for flavivirus (dengue or Zika) and of these, 37.9% (153/404) samples were classified as probable dengue infection. Of those who reported having had an arbovirus in the past, positive CHIKV cases had 58.7% arthralgia (PR = 4.31; 95% CI: 2.06-9.03; p = 0.000) mainly in the hands, ankles and feet. Age over 60 years had a positive association with cases of flavivirus (PR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.09-1.54; p = 0.000). Fever, muscle pain, joint pain and skin rash were the most reported symptoms (46.1, 41.0, 38.3 and 28.41%, respectively). The positive cases of chikungunya and dengue or Zika were grouped in space and the city center was most affected area. Four years after the introduction of CHIKV, where DENV has been in circulation for over 30 years, 1/4 of the population has already been exposed, showing the extent of the epidemic. The measured prevalence was much higher than that reported by local epidemiological surveillance.


Hapten-specific carrier-dependent tolerance induction in man in vitro.
We sought to determine whether hapten-specific tolerance can be induced in cultured human lymphocytes in vitro. Unfractionated as well as T and B cells from peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy human volunteers were cultured with different hapten-carrier conjugates before in vitro challenge with dinitrophenyl (DNP) linked to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Hapten-specific antibody was detected in the supernatant by solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Both hapten specificity and carrier dependence in addition to the cellular basis of tolerance induction were examined. The results show that hapten-specific tolerance of antibody production was induced by human gamma-globulin (HGG) conjugated to DNP but not by other conjugates of DNP nonhuman gamma-globulin, as well as human serum albumin. Moreover, both T and B cells are involved in tolerance induction to DNP-HGG in vitro. The significance of tolerance in human in vitro for the specific therapy of autoimmune disease is discussed.


Radical surgery and conservative treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.
70 cases of strictly intraductal breast carcinoma were treated from January 1975 to December 1987. 34 patients underwent radical modified mastectomy, and 36 patients had local excision (2), lumpectomy (26) or quadrantectomy (8), with a complementary irradiation in 34/36 cases (with boost in 32). The main histological subtype is comedocarcinoma (25/70). One local relapse (3%) is noted in radical surgery group at 55 months. 3 local relapses (9%) are noted in conservative treatment group, respectively at 27, 48 and 52 months. The obvious factor influencing the local recurrence is the inefficient surgical excision. Since breast screening programs may lead to early duct carcinoma in situ identification, our results suggest that appropriate conservative surgery associated to radiation therapy could be an adequate alternative to mastectomy in the treatment of this in situ lesion.


Alzheimer's disease-related changes in regional spontaneous brain activity levels and inter-region interactions in the default mode network.
The degree of Granger causal modeling estimated influence for a brain region was reported to predict its blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity level in the resting-state default mode network (DMN). Many brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), may alter the influence strength, activity levels, or both. Whether the relationship or prediction between these two will be affected under disease condition is unknown. In this study, the spontaneous brain activity, and inter-regional Granger causality connection were investigated over eight core DMN regions in AD patients in contrast to that in normal controls. Compared to normal control (NC), AD patients had both decreased BOLD activity level and Granger causal influence in medial prefrontal cortex and decreased activity level in inferior parietal cortex showed. However, the positive correlation between the BOLD activity level and the degree of the Granger causal modeling defined influence was found not altered by AD.


A simple and effective technique for identification of intersegmental planes by infrared thoracoscopy after transbronchial injection of indocyanine green.
Pulmonary segmentectomy has been recognized as an operative option for complete resection of early-stage lung cancer in patients with poor pulmonary function. However, identification of anatomic pulmonary segments is sometimes difficult in patients with emphysema. We developed an intraoperative method for identifying intersegmental planes of the lung with high-sensitivity infrared fluorescence imaging after transbronchial injection of indocyanine green. The study included 10 patients with early-stage lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy. Under general anesthesia, indocyanine green was injected into the bronchus of target pulmonary segments. The target segments of the lung were identified using the indocyanine green fluorescence endoscope (Hamamatsu Photonics, Hamamatsu, Japan). The intersegmental lines and planes were identified and allowed removal of the segments. To evaluate operative outcomes, we compared the indocyanine green injection group with a retrospective control group with 10 matched-pair patients who underwent traditional thoracoscopic segmentectomy. Accurate, real-time intraoperative detection of indocyanine green with an infrared thoracoscope was confirmed. Sparing of intersegments was safely performed using both staples and electric cautery. Furthermore, infrared thoracoscopy allowed visualization of any residual portion of resected segments after segmentectomy. There was no difference between the experimental indocyanine green and control groups in terms of operative time, duration of postoperative chest drainage, or postoperative complications. Length of stay was shorter in the indocyanine green group than in the control group (P = .055). Transbronchial indocyanine green injection into the relevant bronchus with the use of an infrared thoracoscope allows identification of intersegmental lines and planes during thoracoscopic segmentectomy.


Dynamics of the enzymatic antioxidants during experimental caprine coccidiosis.
Caprine coccidiosis, caused by coccidian parasites from genus Eimeria, is considered as one of the most common and significant diseases in goats worldwide. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the responses of the enzymatic antioxidant systems during experimental coccidiosis. For this purpose, 20 newborn kids were selected. Ten were infected with sporulated oocysts of the most pathogenic species of Eimeria, and the remainder served as the control. Blood samples were taken at 0 (before inoculation), 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days post-infection (dpi), and antioxidant-oxidant-related parameters were measured. Our data showed that the activities of the main erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes revealed significant declines at 7 dpi. These decreases were more evident at 14 to 21 dpi and then gradually enhanced to the normal values until 35 dpi; however, total antioxidant capacity revealed a remarkable decrease at 7 dpi and remained on the same level toward the end of the study. By contrast, serum levels of malondialdehyde (a biomarker of lipid peroxidation) and total homocysteine significantly increased at 21 and 14, 21, and 28 dpi, respectively. These observations suggest that caprine coccidiosis can impair the major antioxidant systems leading to remarkable oxidative damages during the infection. Furthermore, oxidative injuries could have a considerable linkage to the pathogenesis of Eimeria parasites.


Intrahippocampal colchicine injection results in spectrin proteolysis.
Neurons in the hippocampal formation vary markedly in their susceptibility to colchicine toxicity. The present study was directed at evaluating the effects of colchicine on the proteolytic breakdown of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin within the hippocampus in the rat. Quantified by immunoblot analysis of spectrin breakdown products, the extent of proteolysis was found to correlate with the relative vulnerability of different hippocampal subfields to colchicine toxicity. Levels of breakdown products increased dramatically between 1 and 2 days after colchicine injection, peaked between 2 and 4 days, and remained detectably elevated for at least 35 days. Two days after colchicine injection, the spectrin breakdown products were significantly more concentrated in the molecular layer than in the granule cell/hilar region of the dentate gyrus. The colchicine-induced increase in spectrin breakdown products was significantly reduced by pretreatment with the protease inhibitor leupeptin and was significantly elevated by pretreatment with the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine. Immunohistochemical analyses of the hippocampus at various times after colchicine injection revealed changes in the distribution of spectrin-like immunoreactivity that paralleled the changes observed by Western blot analysis. Thus increased staining was observed in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus at 2 and 4 days after the injection, while staining in CA3 was only slightly increased. In addition, abnormal staining of reactive astrocytes was prominent at 2 days. The mechanism whereby colchicine results in neuronal death is as yet unknown. However, the results presented here demonstrate that extensive proteolysis of a cytoskeletal protein occurs in response to the drug, suggesting a plausible mechanism for its neurotoxicity. The protease responsible for the effect is likely to be calpain since the process is non-lysosomal, leupeptin-sensitive and produces spectrin breakdown products indistinguishable from those generated by calpain treatment in vitro. These data support the hypothesis that calpain-mediated degradation of cytoskeletal elements is a common and early response to neurodegenerative events and serves as a trigger in the development of various neuropathologies.


Disclosing tau tangles using PET imaging: a pharmacological review of the radiotracers available in 2021.
Neurological symptoms depend on the topography of the lesions in the nervous system, hence the importance of brain imaging for neurologists. Neurological treatment, however, depends on the biological nature of the lesions. The development of radiotracers specific for the proteinopathies observed in neurodegenerative disorders is, therefore, crucially important for better understanding the relationships between the pathology and the clinical symptoms, as well as the efficacy of therapeutical interventions. The tau protein is involved in several neurodegenerative disorders, that can be distinguished both biologically and clinically as the type of tau isoforms and filaments observed in brain aggregates, and the brain regions affected differ between tauopathies. Over the past few years, several tracers have been developed for imaging tauopathies with positron emission tomography. The present review aims to compare the binding properties of these tracers, with a specific focus on how these properties might be relevant for neurologists using these biomarkers to characterize the pathology of patients presenting with clinical symptoms suspect of a neurodegenerative disorder.


Examination of intrinsic sulfonamide resistance in Bacillus anthracis: a novel assay for dihydropteroate synthase.
Dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) catalyzes the formation of dihydropteroate and Mg-pyrophosphate from 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin diphosphate and para-aminobenzoic acid. The Bacillus anthracis DHPS is intrinsically resistant to sulfonamides. However, using a radioassay that monitors the dihydropteroate product, the enzyme was inhibited by the same sulfonamides. A continuous spectrophotometric assay for measuring the enzymatic activity of DHPS was developed and used to examine the effects of sulfonamides on the enzyme. The new assay couples the production of MgPPi to the pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase/aldolase/triose isomerase/alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase reactions and monitors the disappearance of NADH at 340nm. The coupled enzyme assay demonstrates that resistance of the B. anthracis DHPS results in part from the use of the sulfonamides as alternative substrates, resulting in the formation of sulfonamide-pterin adducts, and not necessarily due to an inability to bind them.


[Treatment of fractures by traditional healers in Morocco].
Traditional traumatologists, specialized in the treatment of fractures, practise throughout Morocco. Their original technique is described and its efficiency evaluated through twenty or so cases studied during three years of medical work in the Great South of the country. Theories are propounded to explain the population's preference for these treatments to the detriment of the medical methods, which have a bad reputation. In the present situation, the medical infrastructure is unable to replace the benefits of these bonesetters, neither in quality--with the exception of the main centres-nor, above all, in quantity. Their activities are decentralized, socially integrated and economical for both the population and the state. These considerations lead to the conclusion that their practice should be maintained, improving it if need be.


HapFlow: visualizing haplotypes in sequencing data.
HapFlow is a python application for visualizing haplotypes present in sequencing data. It identifies variant profiles present and reads and creates an abstract visual representation of these profiles to make haplotypes easier to identify. HapFlow is freely available (under a GPL license) for download (for Mac OS X, Unix and Microsoft Windows) from github (http://mjsull.github.io/HapFlow). firstname.lastname@example.com.


Tl-201 myocardial SPECT in differentiation of ischemic from nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
The differentiation between ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy by noninvasive modalities is of clinical importance. Whether thallium 201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) could accurately distinguish the two groups remains unclear. Twenty-nine patients with chronic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction < or =40%), including fourteen patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and fifteen patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, underwent Tl-201 SPECT. The stress protocols included treadmill exercise in 8 patients, dipyridamole in 6 patients, and dobutamine infusion in 15 patients. Myocardial SPECT was interpreted with the use of a 17-segment model and 0- to 4-point scale system. Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy had higher summed stress defect scores (27.9 +/- 9.4 vs 20.6 +/- 8.9, P =.04), more fixed defect segments (5.9 +/- 2.9 vs 3.8 +/- 2.9, P =.05), and more moderate or severe perfusion defect segments on stress scan (7.2 +/- 2.0 vs 4.5 +/- 2.6, P =.004) than did those with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. However, considerable overlap of the scan patterns between the two groups existed. Moderate or severe perfusion defects on stress scan in at least 7 segments were noted in 71% of patients (10/14) with ischemic cardiomyopathy, as compared with 20% of patients (3/15) with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (P =.016). Assessment of Tl-201 myocardial SPECT yields only modest value to distinguish nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy from ischemic cardiomyopathy in patients with chronic heart failure. This technique cannot clearly differentiate individual patients.


Characteristics and short-term outcomes of young women with acute myocardial infarction in Malaysia: a retrospective analysis from the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database registry.
Young women form a minority but an important group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) as it can potentially cause devastating physical and socioeconomic impact. This study was aimed to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of young women with MI in Malaysia. This is a retrospective analysis of women with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) from 18 hospitals across Malaysia using the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database registry-acute coronary syndrome (NCVD-ACS). Women patients diagnosed with acute MI from year 2006 to 2013 were identified and divided into young (age ≤ 45, n=292) and older women (age >45, n=5580). Comparison of demographics, clinical characteristics and in-hospital management was performed between young and older women. In-hospital and 30-day all-cause mortality were examined. Young women (mean age 39±4.68) made up 5% of women with MI and were predominantly of Malay ethnicities (53.8%). They have a higher tendency to present as STEMI compared with older women. Young women have significantly higher rates of family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) (20.5% vs 7.8% p<0.0001). The prevalence of risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia was high in both groups. The primary reperfusion strategy was thrombolysis with no significant differences observed in the choice of intervention for both groups. Other than aspirin, rates of prescriptions for evidence-based medications were similar with >80% prescribed statins and aspirin. The all-cause mortality rates of young women were lower for both in-hospital and 30 days, especially in those with STEMI with adjusted mortality ratio to the older group, was 1:9.84. Young women with MI were over-represented by Malays and those with a family history of premature CAD. Preventive measures are needed to reduce cardiovascular risks in young women. Although in-hospital management was similar, short-term mortality outcomes favoured young compared with older women.


Bending not breaking: coping among Filipino University students experiencing psychological distress during the Global Health Crisis.
The impact of the global health crisis on students' mental health has been well documented. While most of the studies looked into the psychological impact of the coronavirus disease, the process of coping with psychological distress as experienced by university students in the Philippines remains unexamined. Cognizant of the dearth in literature, this grounded theory study purports to investigate and understand the coping processes among 20 Filipino university students. A comprehensive model highlights Filipino university students' coping techniques with psychological distress through vertical and horizontal analysis of the field text, open, axial, and selective coding. To ensure the trustworthiness and truthfulness of the theory and for refinement and consistency, triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checking validation strategies were likewise employed. The novel and distinct B.E.N.D. Model of Coping with Psychological Distress illustrates a substantive four-phased process symbolic of the challenges that a bamboo tree underwent, namely: (1) Befuddling Phase, (2) Enduring Phase, (3) Navigating Phase, and (4) Developing Phase. The phases that emerged had the advanced appreciable understanding of the university students' coping processes that may provide evidence-based information in crafting programs and specific interventions to support and safeguard students' mental health.


Clinical-radiological approach for the diagnosis of cleidocranial dysplasia in adults: A familial cases series.
Cleidocranial dysplasia is a rare disease with an autosomal-dominant inheritance that mainly affects the bones of the axial skeleton. In this report, we discuss the clinical and radiological signs of a case series comprising three sisters and the son of one of the sisters, all with suspected bone dysplasia.


CCR 4 and CCR 5 expression in conjunctival specimens as differential markers of T(H)1/ T(H)2 in ocular surface disorders.
Accurate inflammatory mechanisms in chronic ocular surface diseases (OSDs) cannot routinely be assessed. New techniques for investigating ocular surface inflammatory pathways are of major importance. To investigate the expressions of CCR 4 and CCR 5, known to be related to the T(H)2 and T(H)1 systems, respectively, and HLA-DR in conjunctival impression cytology specimens from patients with chronic OSDs. In this case-controlled study, impression cytology specimens were taken in a series of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (n=21), giant papillary conjunctivitis (n=6), or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS; n=17), or receiving topical antiglaucoma treatments (n=31), and from 20 normal subjects. Conjunctival cells were incubated with mAbs to CCR 4, CCR 5, CD45, and HLA-DR to quantify conjunctival inflammation in a masked manner using flow cytometry. HLA-DR was higher in the glaucoma and KCS groups than in allergic and normal eyes. CCR 4 was overexpressed in allergy and glaucoma, whereas CCR 5 was higher in the KCS and glaucomatous groups. CD45 was expressed by only few cells in all groups, with almost no significant differences. CCR 4 expression was negatively correlated with CCR 5 and HLA-DR, whereas CCR 5 was positively correlated with HLA-DR. This study confirms the overexpression of chemokine receptors by the conjunctival epithelium in OSDs. CCR 4 and CCR 5 expression may vary according to the immune pathway involved. Accurate mechanisms in ocular surface inflammatory reactions-that is, those related to the T(H)1 or T(H)2 systems-could be differentiated by CCR 4/CCR 5 profiles. Our results also suggest that long-term use of topical treatments may stimulate both systems.


The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in adult ADHD compared with non-ADHD populations: A systematic literature review.
Comorbid psychiatric disorders in adults with ADHD are important because these comorbidities might complicate the diagnosis of ADHD and also worsen the prognosis. However, the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders in adult ADHD varies according to the diagnostic tools used and the characteristics of target populations. The purpose of this review was to describe the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders in adults with ADHD compared with adults without ADHD. Thirty-two studies published before August 2022 were identified and classified according to diagnosis of other psychiatric disorder in those with ADHD. The most frequent comorbid psychiatric disorder in the ADHD group was substance use disorder (SUD), followed by mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. The prevalence of these four disorders was higher in the ADHD group, whether or not subjects were diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders. In addition, the diversity of ADHD diagnostic tools was observed. This also might have affected the variability in prevalence of comorbidities. Standardization of ADHD diagnostic tools is necessary in the future.


Cerebellar lamellar bodies in two strains of murine scrapie.
Lamellar inclusion bodies have been described by other authors in the granular layer of the cerebellum of people suffering from the unconventional slow-virus disease of kuru and were thought to be associated with the disease. In this study, these bodies were also found in mice infected with scrapie, which belongs to the same group of diseases, as well as their age-matched controls.


Prediction of the tertiary structure of the alpha-subunit of tryptophan synthase.
The tertiary structure of the alpha-subunit of tryptophan synthase was proposed using a combination of experimental data and computational methods. The vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectrum was used to assign the protein to the alpha/beta-class of supersecondary structures. The two-domain structure of the alpha-subunit (Miles et al.: Biochemistry 21:2586, 1982; Beasty and Matthews: Biochemistry 24:3547, 1985) eliminated consideration of a barrel structure and focused attention on a beta-sheet structure. An algorithm (Cohen et al.: Biochemistry 22:4894, 1983) was used to generate a secondary structure prediction that was consistent with the sequence data of the alpha-subunit from five species. Three potential secondary structures were then packed into tertiary structures using other algorithms. The assumption of nearest neighbors from second-site revertant data eliminated 97% of the possible tertiary structures; consideration of conserved hydrophobic packing regions on the beta-sheet eliminated all but one structure. The native structure is predicted to have a parallel beta-sheet flanked on both sides by alpha-helices, and is consistent with the available data on chemical cross-linking, chemical modification, and limited proteolysis. In addition, an active site region containing appropriate residues could be identified as well as an interface for beta 2-subunit association. The ability of experimental data to facilitate the prediction of protein structure is discussed.


Vibrio splendidus biotype 1 as a cause of mortalities in hatchery-reared larval turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.).
To characterize bacteria associated with turbot larvae feeding on Artemia and identify pathogens causing mortalities in larvae. To identify bacteria associated with mortalities in larval turbot rearing, bacteria were isolated from homogenates of Artemia or from several batches of well-performing or poorly performing turbot larvae. Samples were plated onto marine agar and were characterized using biochemical tests and BIOLOG GN plates. Total culturable aerobic bacteria ranged from 1.9 x 10(5) to 1.8 x 10(6) CFU per larva and >96% of bacteria identified were vibrios. Almost all bacteria were haemolytic and clustered into two phenons represented by Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio splendidus. The bacterial flora of Artemia was almost entirely V. alginolyticus, whereas V. splendidus biotype 1 dominated the larval turbot gut flora (69/115 isolates in seven experiments) and formed four different groups based on BIOLOG GN reactions. Of 16 isolates tested for virulence towards turbot larvae, four of the 11 V. splendidus biotype 1 isolates were lethal and all belonged to the same group of V. splendidus biotype 1 isolates. In a commercial turbot hatchery, the microbial flora of the larval gut was dominated by V. splendidus biotype 1. Four of the 11 V. splendidus biotype 1 isolates caused mortalities in larval turbot and all belonged to one group of the biotype 1 strains identified. Identification of four isolates of V. splendidus that are pathogenic for turbot larvae from three separate batches of larval turbot will allow these to be compared with avirulent isolates to define how V. splendidus causes mortalities in larval turbot.


Collagens and elastin genetic variations and their potential role in aging-related diseases and longevity in humans.
Collagens and elastin are 'building blocks' of tissues and extracellular matrix. Mutations in these proteins cause severe congenital syndromes. Adverse genetic variations may accelerate the aging process in adults contributing to premature morbidity, disability and/or mortality. Favorable variants may contribute to longevity and/or healthy aging, but this is much less studied. We reviewed the association between variation in the genes of collagens and elastin and premature aging, accelerated aging, age-related diseases and/or frailty; and the association between genetic variation in those and longevity and/or healthy aging in humans. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE and other online databases (OMIM, Genetics Home Reference, Orphanet, ClinVar). Results suggest that genetic variants lead to aging phenotypes of known congenital disease, but also to association with common age-related diseases in adults without known congenital disease. This may be due to the variable penetrance and expressivity of many variants. Some collagen variants have been associated with longevity or healthy aging. A limitation is that most studies had <1000 participants and their criterion for statistical significance was p < 0.05. Results highlight the importance of adopting a lifecourse approach to the study of the genomics of aging. Gerontology can help with new methodologies that operationalize biological aging.


A monoclonal antibody to an oocyte-specific poly(A) RNA-binding protein.
Xenopus oocyte-specific poly(A) RNA-binding proteins were isolated and used to prepare monoclonal antibodies. One antibody was used to characterize one particular antigen by immunoblot analysis. The antigen had a molecular weight of 56,000 was oocyte-specific, and decreased in amount during oogenesis. The antigen was localized in the cytoplasm throughout oogenesis and sedimented mainly at 40-60 S. The antigen also was shown to bind poly(A) RNA following chromatography of ribonucleoprotein particles on oligo(dT)-cellulose. The antibody was used to immunoadsorb nontranslating ribonucleoprotein particles. Fifty-five per cent of the poly(A) RNA sedimenting between 40-60 S was shown to be bound by the antigen. The further use of this antibody in attempting to examine other components of the ribonucleoprotein particle is discussed.


Surfactant protein D (SP-D) as a biomarker of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Surfactant protein-D (SP-D) is a lung-resident protein that has emerged as a potential biomarker for COVID-19. Previous investigations on acute respiratory distress syndrome patients demonstrated a significant increment of SP-D serum levels in pathological conditions. Since SP-D is not physiologically permeable to alveoli-capillary membrane and poorly expressed by other tissues, this enhancement is likely due to an impairment of the pulmonary barrier caused by prolonged inflammation. A retrospective study on a relatively large cohort of patients of Hospital Pio XI of Desio was conducted to assess differences of the hematic SP-D concentrations among COVID-19 patients and healthy donors and if SP-D levels resulted a risk factor for disease severity and mortality. The first analysis, using an ANOVA-model, showed a significant difference in the mean of log SP-D levels between COVID-19 patients and healthy donors. Significant variations were also found between dead vs survived patients. Results confirm that SP-D concentrations were significantly higher for both hospitalized COVID-19 and dead patients, with threshold values of 150 and 250 ng/mL, respectively. Further analysis conducted with Logistic Mixed models, highlighted that higher SP-D levels at admission and increasing differences among follow-up and admission values resulted the strongest significant risk factors of mortality (model predictive accuracy, AUC = 0.844). The results indicate that SP-D can be a predictive marker of COVID-19 disease and its outcome. Considering its prognostic value in terms of mortality, the early detection of SP-D levels and its follow-up in hospitalized patients should be considered to direct the therapeutic intervention.


The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in surgical patients with chronic alcohol misuse.
The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid was reported to be elevated for a period of up to 22 h following acute alcohol ingestion. Therefore, the ratio could detect continuous alcohol consumption, in what was considered to be a high-risk surgical group, on the evening prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the preoperative ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in patients with continuous preoperative alcohol misuse. Forty-two patients participated in this institutionally approved study, once their written informed consent had been obtained. Chronic alcoholics were defined by meeting the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria and an ethanol consumption > or =60 g/day. The urine samples were taken preoperatively and determined by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. The urinary ratio of 5-hydroxytryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid was significantly increased in chronic alcoholics. The ICU stay of these patients was significantly prolonged due to an increased incidence of pneumonia and sepsis. Five chronic alcoholics died, whereas no deaths occurred in the nonalcoholic group (p = 0.05). As the measurement of the urinary ratio of 5-hydroxy-tryptophol to 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid could detect alcohol consumption immediately prior to operation, this marker could assist the carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in screening for patients with high-level dependency; these patients were considered to be at a high risk of developing intercurrent complications.


Validity and psychometric properties of the measure of psychologically abusive behaviors among young women and women in distressed relationships.
The Measure of Psychologically Abusive Behaviors (MPAB) was developed recently to improve on prior scales. Two nationally solicited samples of women were utilized to further validate the MPAB through the use of a criterion group, factor analysis, and designation of a threshold for accurate classification. MPAB scores were twice as high in the criterion group (M = 38.75 vs. M = 18.85; F = 22.17). Using a cutpoint of 1, the sensitivity and specificity for MPAB were .725 and .628, respectively. Cronbach's alpha was .97 for both samples. These data provide additional evidence for the MPAB as valid and internally consistent.


Adolescent development: From neurobiology to psychopathology.
Adolescence is a time of major psychological development in the cognitive, affective, and social domains. Development in these domains can also show interactions with each other. One way in which these interactions between these domains become apparent is in the form of risk-taking behavior in adolescence. Compared to children and adults, adolescents show increased risky decision-making. An example of risk-taking behavior is substance use, including smoking and the use of e-cigarettes (Huizink). A leading explanation for risk-taking behavior has been an increase in reward sensitivity in adolescence. However, adolescents also show differential processing of risk compared to children and adults. A focus on risk processing could broaden the perspective on adolescent risk-taking behavior (van Duijvenvoorde).


[Obtention, characterization of antigens and evaluation of the immunotransfer technique for the detection of systemic candidiasis].
A culture media containing peptone, glucose, yeast extract and serum was evaluated to promote the development of the mycelium formation in Candida albicans and it was compared with the commercial media Tc 199. No significant difference was found between them. Somatic antigens characterized by PAGE-SDS were obtained from yeast and mycelial forms. Proteins reported as having high diagnostic value were expressed in both antigens. It was determined by immunotransference that the antigenic proteins predominating in the mycelium formation had molecular weights of 19, 21, 27 and 57 Kda. The immunotransference was standardized for detecting antibodies in patients with systemic candidiasis. 24 positive sera were evaluated by this technique and it was compared with the ELISA technique, which proved to be more sensitive and less specific. The most recognized proteins were those of 136 and 21 Kda and the complex from 42 to 45 Kda.


Limitations of growth-parameters in Lemna gibba bioassays for arsenic and uranium under variable phosphate availability.
Growth behaviour of Lemna gibba L. at different phosphorus supply, and arsenic or uranium exposure levels was investigated in batch culture. Total frond count, total frond area, and dry biomass were used to observe growth at four phosphate, arsenic, and uranium concentrations. L. gibba dry biomass had a linear relationship with the total frond area (r=0.96 at P<0.001), but a non-linear relationship with the total frond count. Using total frond count led to significantly lower growth rates than did the use of total frond area in high phosphate supply, whereas the use of total frond count led to higher growth rates than did total frond area under low phosphorus conditions. The results under uranium loading were more or less a mirror of the results obtained under phosphate variation, except that the growth rates for L. gibba under uranium exposure were lower than in the phosphate experiments. At the lowest arsenic loading, the total frond count was significantly higher than the total frond area, whereas at higher arsenic loading, this was not observed because of arsenic was toxic to L. gibba. The longest roots were observed in lowest phosphate supply, and in highest uranium load. No significant influences on root length were observed with arsenic loading. The individual frond area increased with an increase in phosphate and decreased considerably with uranyl and arsenate loading. L. gibba multiplied rapidly into small and yellowish fronds under low phosphorus supply, and under high levels of arsenic and uranium exposure. L. gibba first developed the individual frond size before multiplying in a favourable environment. The effect of uranium may be attributed to an interaction between uranyl ions and phosphates that results in a precipitate of uranyl phosphates. The results revealed that L. gibba growth behaviour is very much influenced by multiple stresses in a bioassay. Therefore, growth rate calculation models should be chosen according to the parameter used, and toxicity estimation differs considerably with the growth parameter measured. Consequently, the interpretation of L. gibba bioassay results can be significantly influenced.


Antibacterial activity of licochalcone A against spore-forming bacteria.
Licochalcone A was isolated from the roots of licorice, Glycyrrhiza inflata, which has various uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries; isolation was followed by extraction with ethanol and column chromatography with silica gel. In this study, the activities of licochalcone A against some food contaminant microorganisms were evaluated in vitro. The vegetative cell growth of Bacillus subtilis was inhibited in a licochalcone A concentration-dependent manner and was completely prevented by 3 micrograms of licochalcone A/ml. Licochalcone A showed a high level of resistance to heating at 80 to 121 degrees C for 15 min. Licochalcone A did not inhibit the germination of heat-treated spores of B. subtilis induced by L-alanine. Licochalcone A showed effects against all gram-positive bacteria tested and especially was effective against all Bacillus spp. tested, with MICs of 2 to 3 micrograms/ml, but was not effective against gram-negative bacteria or eukaryotes at 50 micrograms/ml. Although the cationic antimicrobial peptides protamine and epsilon-poly-L-lysine resulted in the loss of antimicrobial activity in the presence of either 3% (wt/vol) NaCl or protease at 20 micrograms/ml, the antibacterial activity of licochalcone A was resistant to these conditions. Thus, licochalcone A could be a useful compound for the development of antibacterial agents for the preservation of foods containing high concentrations of salts and proteases, in which cationic peptides might be less effective.


Comparison of the effects of infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis, T. vitrinus and T. rugatus in merino lambs.
Groups of six worm-free merino lambs were infected with 100,000 larvae of T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, T. rugatus or a mixture of the three species and were slaughtered 21 days later. Nematodes were distributed predominantly in the first 3 m of the small intestine where they caused subtotal villus atrophy. T. vitrinus caused severe erosion of the epithelium; erosion was less severe with T. colubriformis infections and mild with T. rugatus infections. Plasma concentrations of albumin declined during the experiment and were most marked in sheep infected with T. vitrinus. Plasma phosphate concentrations declined during infection with all three species, while plasma concentrations of globulin and calcium declined only in sheep infected with T. vitrinus. Food intake was reduced in all groups, but was most marked with sheep infected with T. vitrinus. T. vitrinus appeared to be more pathogenic than the other species.


Disinfection byproduct formation from chlorination of pure bacterial cells and pipeline biofilms.
Disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation is commonly attributed to the reaction between natural organic matters and disinfectants, yet few have considered the contribution from disinfecting bacterial materials - the essential process of water disinfection. Here, we explored the DBP formation from chlorination and chloramination of Escherichia coli and found that most selected DBPs were detectable, including trihalomethanes, haloacetonitriles, chloral hydrate, chloropicrin, and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanone. A positive correlation (P = 0.08-0.09) between DBP formation and the log reduction of E. coli implied that breaking down of bacterial cells released precursors for DBP formation. As Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a dominant bacterial species in pipeline biofilms, the DBP formation potentials (DBPFPs) from its planktonic cells and biofilms were characterized. Planktonic cells formed 7-11 times greater trihalomethanes per carbon of those from biofilms but significantly lower (P < 0.05) chloral hydrate, highlighting the bacterial phenotype's impact on the bacteria-derived DBPFP. Pipe material appeared to affect the DBPFP of bacteria, with 4-28% lower bromine incorporation factor for biofilms on polyvinyl chloride compared to that on galvanized zinc. This study revealed both the in situ disinfection of bacterial planktonic cells in source water and ex situ reaction between biofilms and residual chlorine in pipeline networks as hitherto unknown DBP sources in drinking water.


Characterization of U small nuclear RNA-associated proteins.
Differential immunoaffinity chromatography using a combination of autoimmune antibodies allows for the rapid bulk separation of specific small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). Passage of a HeLa cell extract over a column constructed of human anti-Sm autoantibodies results directly in the elution of complexes containing the small nuclear RNA species, U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6, and nine major polypeptides of molecular weight 69,000, 32,000, 27,000, 26,000, 18,500, 13,000, 11,000 doublet, and less than 10,000. Passage of crude extracts through a column bearing murine monoclonal antibodies directed against the 69,000 molecular weight (U1)RNP peptide gives an enriched population of U1 snRNP particles in the retained material. When the flowthrough material from the (U1)RNP column is passed through an anti-Sm column, the retained material is enriched in U2, U4, U5 plus U6 snRNP complex. The 69,000, 32,000, and 18,500 molecular weight polypeptides are confined to the U1 fraction while the remaining proteins are recovered in both fractions. The procedure is simple and rapid, producing complexes with a high degree of resolution and in sufficient yield to provide a ready source of snRNP complexes for functional studies.


Insights into the relationship between usability and willingness to use a robot in the future workplaces: Studying the mediating role of trust and the moderating roles of age and STARA.
Human-robot collaboration is the key component of the fourth industrial revolution concept. Workers' willingness to collaborate with industrial robots is a basic requirement for an efficient and effective interaction. The roles of human-robot trust and technology affinity as mediators in the relationship between robot usability and worker willingness were analyzed in this study. As other critical variables, the mediator roles of Age and STARA were also calculated. This study included 400 workers from a car company who interacted with industrial robots in their daily work activities. After examining the questionnaires' validity and reliability, the main variables were determined to be willingness to use robots and robot usability. AMOS software also considered human-robot trust and worker technology affinity as mediators. The bootstrapping method was used to evaluate indirect relationships. A set of goodness-of-fit indices were presented to determine the adequacy of the goodness of fit between the proposed model and the data. Based on model fit indices, an overall satisfactory model fit was obtained for the direct/indirect relationship between robot usability and worker willingness to use it (with mediating role of human-robot trust). Workers' age and fear of Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms (STARA) were identified as moderators in the relationship between usability and willingness. Attention to the robot usability and the role of workers' trust in robots appears to be required to ensure workers' willingness to use robots and the success of human-robot collaboration in future workplaces. As the workers age and their fear of robots grows, usability can play a larger role in increasing their willingness to put robots to work.


Zath3, a neural basic helix-loop-helix gene, regulates early neurogenesis in the zebrafish.
We have isolated a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene homologous to the Drosophila proneural gene atonal, termed zath3, from zebrafish. zath3 is expressed in neurons of the central nervous system and in subsets of cranial ganglia. Zebrafish mindbomb (mib) mutants have a higher density of zath3 expressing cells and narrowminded (nrd) mutants lack zath3 expression in a domain corresponding to primary sensory neurons showing that the expression of zath3 is regulated by both mib and nrd. Injection of synthetic zath3 RNA into zebrafish embryos expands the neural plate size, promotes ectopic expression of neuronal markers, and partially rescues the deficit of sensory neurons seen in nrd mutants. Interfering with zath3 function using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (MO) has no significant effect on early neurogenesis. However, a double knock down of zath3 and neurogenin1 (ngn1), another atonal homologue, with morpholinos (MOs) leads to more severe defects in neurogenesis than are seen with ngn1 MO alone: a subtle reduction of motor and inter-neurons, and an almost complete loss all cranial ganglia. This study suggests that zath3 and ngn1 have partially overlapping roles in early neurogenesis.


Violent behaviors in early adolescent minority youth: results from a "middle school youth risk behavior survey".
To describe the prevalence and characteristics of violence and violence-related behaviors among six populations of U.S. minority adolescents in grades 6-8. Six thousand four hundred non-White adolescents were recruited from six sites that were part of a collaborative project. Surveys were administered either during the school day or at community facilities. All students at each site were asked 10 questions about recent violence-related behaviors (including use of threats, fighting, weapon carrying, and weapon use). Prevalence of each violence-related behavior was reported within and across sites, and stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and other characteristics expected to influence the behaviors. Sixty-six percent (66%) of the middle school students sampled reported being involved in some type of recent fighting and/or weapon-related behaviors. Sixty-one percent (61%) indicated some form of fighting behavior in the past 3 months (threatening to beat someone up, physical fighting, and/or being hurt in a fight). Thirty percent (30%) of participating youth reported one or more weapon-related behaviors (threatening to use a weapon, carrying a weapon, using a weapon, and/or being cut, stabbed or shot at). Reported gun carrying among males varied depending upon site, but was as high as 20%. Grade in school was positively associated with reported violent behaviors. Adolescents who reported living full-time with a parent or parent figure, and those who reported religious observance or beliefs, were less likely to report violence involvement. All violence-related behaviors were more common among male than female adolescents. Violence prevention efforts should begin in elementary school and continue throughout adolescence. Programs should be prepared to provide services or referrals to victims of violence, implement programs tailored toward females as well as males, and build partnerships with churches and other community organizations in which youth are involved.


Using the locus-of-slack logic to determine whether inhibition of return in a cue-target paradigm is delaying early or late stages of processing.
Inhibition of return (IOR) is a phenomenon characterized by slower responses to targets at cued locations relative to those at uncued locations. Based on the results of previous research, it has been suggested that IOR affects a process at the input end of the processing continuum when it is generated while the reflexive oculomotor system is suppressed (cf. Satel, Hilchey, Wang, Story, & Klein, 2013). To test this theory, we employed a modified psychological refractory period paradigm designed to elicit input IOR with visual stimuli, allowing us to use the locus-of-slack logic to determine whether an early or late stage of processing was inhibited by IOR. On each trial a visual cue was presented, followed by an auditory target (T1) and visual target (T2) separated by a target-target onset asynchrony (TTOA) of varying lengths (200 ms, 400 ms, or 800 ms). Participants (31 young adults) were instructed to ignore the cue and respond to the targets as quickly and accurately as possible. Eye tracking was used to ensure that participants actively suppressed eye movements during trials. As predicted, the inhibitory effect of the cue was observed at the longest TTOA but not when TTOAs were short, supporting our hypothesis that, when generated while the reflexive oculomotor system is suppressed, IOR affects processing before response selection. (PsycINFO Database Record


Drug-Drug Interactions Between Antiretrovirals and Carbamazepine/Oxcarbazepine: A Real-Life Investigation.
Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are potent modulators of metabolic enzymes. Hence, potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may occur between these 2 drugs and antiretrovirals. Here, we aimed to assess the relevance of these drug-drug interactions in real-life clinical settings. Patients treated concomitantly with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine and antiretrovirals for at least 3 months were considered. Data on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of both antiepileptic and antiretrovirals as trough concentrations were collected. HIV-infected patients not concomitantly treated with antiepileptic drugs and who underwent TDM for antiretrovirals in the previous 2 years were considered as controls. Eleven HIV-positive patients prescribed carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine were identified. All the TDM evaluations for carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine that resulted were within the therapeutic ranges. TDM results of darunavir measured in these patients were comparable with values usually measured in the control group. Conversely, the trough concentrations for atazanavir and dolutegravir demonstrated significantly lower values when compared with values usually measured in HIV-infected patients not treated with antiepileptic drugs (190 ± 91 versus 546 ± 380 ng/mL; -65%, P < 0.001; 191 ± 78 versus 1096 ± 510 ng/mL; -83%, P < 0.001, respectively). Co-administration of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine with atazanavir or dolutegravir should be avoided owing to the potential risk of virological failure; in case of these 2 drugs, the adoption of TDM is strongly advisable, eventually combining with increased antiretroviral doses.


Comparative Analysis of Far East Sikhotinsky Rhododendron (Rh. sichotense) and East Siberian Rhododendron (Rh. adamsii) Using Supercritical CO2-Extraction and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS Spectrometry.
Rhododendron sichotense Pojark. and Rhododendron adamsii Rheder have been actively used in ethnomedicine in Mongolia, China and Buryatia (Russia) for centuries, as an antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, vitality-restoring agent. These plants contain various phenolic compounds and fatty acids with valuable biological activity. Among green and selective extraction methods, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction has been shown to be the method of choice for the recovery of these naturally occurring compounds. Operative parameters and working conditions have been optimized by experimenting with different pressures (300-400 bar), temperatures (50-60 °C) and CO2 flow rates (50 mL/min) with 1% ethanol as co-solvent. The extraction time varied from 60 to 70 min. A HPLC-UV-VIS-ESI-MS/MS technique was applied to detect target analytes. A total of 48 different biologically active components have been identified in the Rh. adamsii SC-CO2 extracts. A total of 31 different biologically active components have been identified in the Rh. sichotense SC-CO2 extracts.


Technical development of an implantable cochlear prosthesis in Canada.
A new cochlear implant device is currently being developed by a group of research teams in Canada. This is an update on the progress of this development, including a brief description of the cochlear electrode array, the implantable stimulator, and the software development for the speech processor.


Ligand-induced nuclear translocation of S1P(1) receptors mediates Cyr61 and CTGF transcription in endothelial cells.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor subtype 1 (S1P(1)), a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), regulates many biological activities of endothelial cells (ECs). In this report, we show that S1P(1) receptors are present in the nuclei of ECs by using various biochemical and microscopic techniques such as cellular fractionation, immunogold labeling, and confocal microscopic analysis. Live cell imaging showed that plasma membrane S1P(1) receptors are rapidly internalized and subsequently translocated to nuclear compartment upon S1P stimulation. Utilizing membrane biotinylation technique further supports the notion that nuclear S1P(1) receptors were internalized from plasma membrane S1P(1) after ligand treatment. Moreover, nuclear S1P(1) is able to regulate the transcription of Cyr61 and CTGF, two growth factors functionally important in the regulation of vasculature. Collectively, these data suggest a novel S1P-S1P(1) signaling axis present in the nuclear compartment of endothelial cells, which may regulate biological responses of endothelium.


Nucleic acid-functionalized metal-organic framework for ultrasensitive immobilization-free photoelectrochemical biosensing.
This work established an immobilization-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor for ultrasensitive determination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) based on the DNA-functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and T7 exonuclease-aided recycling amplification. In this proposal, MOFs were served as nanocarriers for efficient encapsulation of electron donors, while an ingeniously designed hairpin probe (HP) employed as the recognition element. The recognition of CEA by its aptamer sequence in HP triggered the conformational change and the T7 exonuclease-aided recycling amplification, which opened the pore of MOFs to release a large number of electron donors, producing a significantly increased photocurrent. Benefitting from the high loading ability of MOFs and the excellent amplification efficiency of the T7 exonuclease-assisted recycling process, the proposed biosensor is capable of ultrasensitive and highly selective determination of CEA with a detection limit down to 0.36 fg mL-1 and a wide linear range from 1.0 fg mL-1 to 10 ng mL-1. Moreover, the proposed biosensor can also apply to measure CEA in spiked serum samples, indicating that this PEC biosensor holds excellent potential for application in bioanalysis and early disease diagnosis.


County-level socio-economic disparities in COVID-19 mortality in the USA.
Preliminary studies have suggested a link between socio-economic characteristics and COVID-19 mortality. Such studies have been carried out on particular geographies within the USA or selective data that do not represent the complete experience for 2020. We estimated COVID-19 mortality rates, number of years of life lost to SARS-CoV-2 and reduction in life expectancy during each of the three pandemic waves in 2020 for 3144 US counties grouped into five socio-economic status categories, using daily death data from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine and weekly mortality age structure from the Centers for Disease Control. During March-May 2020, COVID-19 mortality was highest in the most socio-economically advantaged quintile of counties and lowest in the two most-disadvantaged quintiles. The pattern reversed during June-August and widened by September-December, such that COVID-19 mortality rates were 2.58 times higher in the bottom than in the top quintile of counties. Differences in the number of years of life lost followed a similar pattern, ultimately resulting in 1.002 (1.000, 1.004) million years in the middle quintile to 1.381 (1.378, 1.384) million years of life lost in the first (most-disadvantaged) quintile during the whole year. Diverging trajectories of COVID-19 mortality among the poor and affluent counties indicated a progressively higher rate of loss of life among socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Accounting for socio-economic disparities when allocating resources to control the spread of the infection and to reinforce local public health infrastructure would reduce inequities in the mortality burden of the disease.


Hypothyroidism as the cause of atrioventricular block in an elderly patient.
Syncope is a common problem in the older patient. Sometimes syncope is caused by extreme bradycardia secondary to atrioventricular (AV) block. We describe a case in which a 90-year-old woman presented with complete AV block due to severe hypothyroidism. After suppletion with levothyroxine, AV conduction was restored. (Neth Heart J 2008;16:57-9.).


Early reconstruction of pharynx and esophagus following corrosive injury with radial forearm flap in preparation for colon interposition.
In 24 patients, corrosive injuries involving the floor of the mouth, the pharynx, and the esophagus were repaired in two stages using a combined free forearm flap and colon for functional restoration of the alimentary tract. The results were satisfactory. Morbidity was decreased, complications were minimal, and there were no failures. In the first stage, early reconstruction with a forearm flap for the oral floor, the pharynx, and the cervical esophagus can be done safely 3 months after the original injury when the acute inflammation of the tissue has disappeared. The forearm flap is thin and pliable, and has a good blood supply for primary healing without failure or stricture. Dysphagia is eliminated because food passes down by gravity. There is no constriction or hyperperistalsis of the colon, both of which are occasionally seen with the traditional colon interposition. In the second stage, the traditional method is used to finish the reconstruction of the remainder of the esophagus.