Relevance of Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP) on a worldwide scale to assess soil vulnerability to 137Cs contamination.
The extent of radiocaesium retention in soil is important to quantify the risk of further foodchain contamination. The Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP -Cremers et al., 1988, Nature 335, 247-249) is an intrinsic soil parameter which can be used to categorize soils or minerals in terms of their capacity to selectively adsorb radiocaesium. In this study, we measured RIP for a large soil collection (88 soil samples) representative of major FAO soil reference groups on a worldwide scale and tested the possibility to predict the RIP on the basis of other easily accessible or measurable soil data. We also compared RIP values with those obtained from separate chemical extraction experiments. The range of measured RIP values (1.8-13300 mmol kg(-1)) was shown to include nearly all possible cases of agricultural soil contamination. Only Podzols, Andosols and Ferralsols were clearly characterized by a very low RIP (<2000 mmol kg(-1)). On a worldwide scale, RIP was in fact slightly related to soil reference type or other simple major physicochemical parameters such as clay percentage or organic matter. Conversely our results indicated a link between the RIP and radiocaesium extractability across very different soils. We showed that, with the proposed scale of RIP values, a simple acid extraction method can provide an operational result highly predictive of potential RIP despite very contrasting soil properties. The RIP could be estimated from the empirical equation: RIP = (-31.701 ∗ log(AER) + 58.886)(2) where AER is the fraction of acid-extractable radiocaesium.


Determination of nickel in lung specimens of thirty-nine autopsied nickel workers.
Lung specimens from 39 nickel refinery workers autopsied during the period from 1978 to 1984 were analyzed for nickel. Fifteen of the workers were employed in the Roasting and Smelting Department, where exposure to nickel was predominantly in the form of nickel-copper oxides, Ni3S2 and metallic dust. The remaining 24 men worked in the Electrolysis Department. Exposure in this group was considered to be mostly to the water-soluble compounds, NiSO4 and NiCl2, but also to a lesser degree to water-insoluble nickel compounds such as nickel-copper oxides and sulphides. The arithmetic mean +/- SD for nickel concentration in lung tissues expressed in micrograms g-1 dry wt for the 39 workers was 150 +/- 280. In the workers employed in the Roasting and Smelting Department, the average nickel concentration was 330 +/- 380; for those who worked in the Electrolysis Department it was 34 +/- 48. Lung tissue from 16 autopsied persons not connected with the refinery had an average nickel concentration of 0.76 +/- 0.39. Statistical analysis based on log-normal distributions of the measured nickel concentrations allowed three major conclusions to be formulated: (1) nickel refinery workers exhibit elevated nickel levels in lung tissues at autopsy; (2) workers of the Electrolysis Department and the Roasting Smelting Department constitute distinct groups with respect to the accumulation of nickel in lung tissue; (3) workers who were diagnosed to have lung cancer had the same lung nickel concentrations at autopsy as those who died of other causes.


Technological Capabilities to Assess Digital Excellence in Hospitals in High Performing Health Care Systems: International eDelphi Exercise.
Hospitals worldwide are developing ambitious digital transformation programs as part of broader efforts to create digitally advanced health care systems. However, there is as yet no consensus on how best to characterize and assess digital excellence in hospitals. Our aim was to develop an international agreement on a defined set of technological capabilities to assess digital excellence in hospitals. We conducted a two-stage international modified electronic Delphi (eDelphi) consensus-building exercise, which included a qualitative analysis of free-text responses. In total, 31 international health informatics experts participated, representing clinical, academic, public, and vendor organizations. We identified 35 technological capabilities that indicate digital excellence in hospitals. These are divided into two categories: (a) capabilities within a hospital (n=20) and (b) capabilities enabling communication with other parts of the health and social care system, and with patients and carers (n=15). The analysis of free-text responses pointed to the importance of nontechnological aspects of digitally enabled change, including social and organizational factors. Examples included an institutional culture characterized by a willingness to transform established ways of working and openness to risk-taking. The availability of a range of skills within digitization teams, including technological, project management and business expertise, and availability of resources to support hospital staff, were also highlighted. We have identified a set of criteria for assessing digital excellence in hospitals. Our findings highlight the need to broaden the focus from technical functionalities to wider digital transformation capabilities.


Investigation of scrambled ions in tandem mass spectra, part 2. On the influence of the ions on peptide identification.
A comprehensive investigation was performed to understand the influence of sequence scrambling in peptide ions on peptide identification results. To achieve this, four tandem mass spectrometry datasets with scrambled ions included and with them excluded were analyzed by Crux, X!Tandem, SpectraST, Lutefisk, and PepNovo. While the different algorithms differed in their performance, an increase in the number of correctly identified peptides was generally observed when removing scrambled ions, with the exception of the SpectraST algorithm. However, the variation of the match scores upon removal was unpredictable. Following these investigations, an interpretation was given on how the scrambled ions affect peptide identification. Lastly, a simulated theoretical mass spectral library derived from the NIST peptide Libraries was constructed and searched by SpectraST to study whether scrambled ions in predicted mass spectra could affect peptide identification. Consistent with the peptide library search results, no significant variations for dot product scores as well as peptide identification results were observed when these ions were included in the theoretical MS/MS spectra. From the five adopted algorithms, the SpectraST and Crux provided the most robust results, whereas X!Tandem, PepNovo, and Lutefisk were sensitive to the existence of the scrambled ions, especially the latter two de novo sequencing algorithms.


Natural seric anti-fatty acid antibodies in multiple sclerosis.
Naturally occurring anti-oleic acid conjugate antibodies were detected in human sera using an adapted direct immunoenzymatic assay. They were present to a higher level in the sera of patients with multiple sclerosis in acute relapse compared to patients with other neurological diseases or healthy subjects and even patients with multiple sclerosis in progressive form.


Life History Theory and the Industrial Revolution.
The most general theory of life history evolution, that of r versus K selection, implies that innovation in the form of plasticity is more likely to be adaptive under poor rather than good resource conditions, the opposite of how Baumard has it. However, this does focus on benefits rather than costs, and including both allows for greater diversity of outcomes.


Antihepatotoxic actions of Cochlospermum tinctorium rhizomes.
The antihepatotoxic activity of the rhizomes of Cochlospermum tinctorium was investigated using carbon tetrachloride- and galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Because the methanol and ethanol extracts of C. tinctorium rhizomes exhibited antihepatotoxic effects, the former was fractionated in order to elucidate the active constituents. Polyphenol compounds (gallic and ellagic acids) were detected in the active fractions and may account for much of the antihepatotoxic activity. Carotenoids could also be implicated in the activity of the total extracts.


Lipoprotein remnants and dense LDL are associated with features of unstable carotid plaque: a flag for non-HDL-C.
We investigated the association between cholesterol across the LDL density range and in the VLDL and IDL particles with the prevalence of inflammatory cells in plaques of patients with severe carotid artery stenosis. Forty-five patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were studied. Plaque specimens were analyzed for cellular composition by immunocytochemistry using monoclonal antibodies. Lipoprotein subclasses were separated by gradient ultracentrifugation. We found no correlations between LDL-C, HDL-C and plasma triglyceride levels with plaque cellular composition. On the other hand, macrophage content was significantly related to cholesterol in the dense LDL subclasses (r = 0.30, p < 0.01) and in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, namely dense VLDL and IDL particles (r = 0.46, p < 0.01). HDL subclasses were not correlated with plaque cellular composition. In a mirror manner, smooth muscle cells were inversely associated with cholesterol levels of the dense LDL subclasses (r = -0.32, p < 0.01 fraction 10; r = -0.26, p < 0.05 fraction 11) while only a non-significant trend was observed with the cholesterol in the VLDL-IDL fractions. These results provide the pathophysiological background to account for the relevance of non-HDL-C as the only lipid parameter, aside LDL density, significantly associated (β = 0.351, p = 0.021) with carotid plaque macrophage content. We provide evidence that lipoprotein subclasses, specifically cholesterol in the dense LDL fractions and in the triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, significantly affect carotid plaque cellular composition, in particular macrophages content.


The relationship between microplastics in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and surrounding environmental compartments in Long Island Sound.
Microplastics (MP, <5 mm) are found in coastal waters across various environmental compartments (biota, water, marine snow, sediment). The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a commercially important species that ingests MP; however, oysters are discriminant suspension feeders that do not consume all particles to which they are exposed. This study explored the relationship between MP in oysters on a recreational oyster bed and the surrounding environmental compartments in Long Island Sound (LIS; USA). The quantity and types of MP in oysters, water, marine snow, and sediment samples were determined. Precautions were taken to minimize and monitor MP contamination in the field and laboratory to improve the quality of data collected. Microplastics were isolated from samples via chemical digestion, and any suspected particles were identified using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A total of 86 MP were identified out of 885 suspected particles across environmental media. The highest MP count in an individual oyster was nine, indicating low concentrations of MP in oysters and the surrounding environment. Few polymers, except polyethylene terephthalate, were shared between oysters and the surrounding environmental compartments. Sediments contained the highest number of MP across all environmental compartments (42 total). These data aid in determining the types of MP (polymer composition, shape, size) to which oysters are exposed and identified those ingested. The low numbers of MP recorded, coupled with the lack of alignment of polymers between oysters and their surrounding environment, demonstrates further that oysters are a poor bioindicator species for MP pollution.


Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal tumors decreases the incidence of post-electrocoagulation syndrome.
Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection (U-ESD) is a recently developed procedure that has the potential to prevent post-ESD coagulation syndrome (PECS) owing to its heat-sink effect. We aimed to clarify whether U-ESD decreases the incidence of PECS compared with conventional ESD (C-ESD). A total of 205 patients who underwent colorectal ESD (C-ESD: 125; U-ESD: 80) were analyzed. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to adjust for patient backgrounds. Ten C-ESD and two U-ESD patients with muscle damage or perforation during ESD were excluded when comparing PECS. The primary outcome was to compare the incidence of PECS between the U-ESD and C-ESD groups (54 matched pairs). Secondary outcomes were to compare procedural outcomes between the C-ESD and U-ESD groups (62 matched pairs). Among the 78 patients who underwent U-ESD, PECS occurred in only one patient (1.3%). Adjusted comparisons between the U-ESD and C-ESD groups demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of PECS in the U-ESD group (0% vs 11.1%; P = 0.027). Median dissection speed was significantly faster in the U-ESD than in the C-ESD group (10.9 mm2 /min vs 6.9 mm2 /min; P < 0.001). En bloc and complete resection rates were 100% in the U-ESD group. Although perforation and delayed bleeding occurred in one patient each (1.6%) as adverse events in the U-ESD group, there were no differences compared with the C-ESD group. Our study demonstrates that U-ESD effectively decreases the incidence of PECS and is a faster and safer method for colorectal ESD.


Effect of Silicon Supplementation on Bone Status in Ovariectomized Rats Under Calcium-Replete Condition.
Previous studies have suggested that silicon (Si) had positive effects on bone, but such benefits from Si may be dependent on calcium status. Also, several biochemical roles of Si in osteoblastic mineralization, the regulation of gene expression related to bone matrix synthesis, and the decrease in reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory mediators were reported, but these effects were mostly shown in cell culture studies. Hence, we tested the effect of Si supplementation on bone status and the gene expression related to bone metabolism and inflammatory mediators in young estrogen-deficient rats under calcium-replete condition (0.5 % diet). Results showed that 15-week supplementation of both high and very high doses of Si (0.025 and 0.075 % diet, respectively) could not restore the ovariectomy (OVX)-induced decrease of bone mineral density (BMD) of vertebrae, femur, and tibia. Also, several bone biochemical markers (ALP, osteocalcin, CTx) and mRNA expression of COL-I, RANKL, IL-6, and TNF-α in femur metaphysis were not significantly changed by Si in OVX rats. However, a very high dose (0.075 %) of Si supplementation significantly increased OPG expression and decreased the ratio of RANKL/OPG in mRNA expression comparable to that of sham-control animals. Taken together, Si supplementation did not increase BMD under calcium-replete condition but the decrease in the ratio of RANKL/OPG expression to the normal level suggests the possibility of a bone health benefit of Si in estrogen deficiency-induced bone loss.


Starting out in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in the UK.
Here we aim to describe in detail the logical procedure and philosophical approach to establish a minimally access aortic valve replacement programme in the current era. A real example of a National Health Service Trust in the United Kingdom has been described in a step-wise manner. The outcomes of the new procedure established in this fashion are reported and the philosophical lessons learnt from the experiences are highlighted. It is hoped that this paper will act as a template for newly established surgeons to embark onto a mini-AVR programme. An open-minded and enthusiastic team will undoubtedly be able to facilitate the introduction of this 'new service'. A sensible approach will provide safe and sustainable outcomes.


Engineering Spin States of Isolated Copper Species in a Metal-Organic Framework Improves Urea Electrosynthesis.
The catalytic activities are generally believed to be relevant to the electronic states of their active center, but understanding this relationship is usually difficult. Here, we design two types of catalysts for electrocatalytic urea via a coordination strategy in a metal-organic frameworks: CuIII-HHTP and CuII-HHTP. CuIII-HHTP exhibits an improved urea production rate of 7.78 mmol h-1 g-1 and an enhanced Faradaic efficiency of 23.09% at - 0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, in sharp contrast to CuII-HHTP. Isolated CuIII species with S = 0 spin ground state are demonstrated as the active center in CuIII-HHTP, different from CuII with S = 1/2 in CuII-HHTP. We further demonstrate that isolated CuIII with an empty [Formula: see text] orbital in CuIII-HHTP experiences a single-electron migration path with a lower energy barrier in the C-N coupling process, while CuII with a single-spin state ([Formula: see text]) in CuII-HHTP undergoes a two-electron migration pathway.


Identification of mononuclear cells in cell suspension from cutaneous infiltrates freed by a suction blister method.
Mononuclear cells were liberated from superficial skin inflammations by a suction blister method which yielded a sufficient number of cells for histochemical and immunocytochemical analysis. The cell population consisted mainly of T cells which were identified as sheep red blood cell rosettes. Very few B cells were found as rosettes with immunobeads. Macrophages and eosinophils were found in varying numbers and they were identified histochemically. The method is suitable for studying nontumorous skin infiltrates.


An animal model of a behavioral intervention for depression.
Although conditioned inhibition of fear (or learned safety) is a learning process critical for preventing chronic stress, a predisposing factor for depression and other psychopathologies, little is known about its functional purposes or molecular mechanisms. To obtain better insight into learned safety, we investigated its behavioral and molecular characteristics and found that it acts as a behavioral antidepressant in two animal models. Learned safety promotes the survival of newborn cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, while its antidepressant effect is abolished in mice with ablated hippocampal neurogenesis. Learned safety also increases the expression of BDNF in the hippocampus and leads to downregulation of genes involved in the dopaminergic and neuropeptidergic but not the serotonergic system in the basolateral amygdala. These data suggest that learned safety is an animal model of a behavioral antidepressant that shares some neuronal hallmarks of pharmacological antidepressants but is mediated by different molecular pathways.


[Fibromyalgia].
Although chronic musculoskeletal pain represents the main symptom of fibromyalgia, those affected usually experience many and various accompanying symptoms of differing frequency and extent. While symptoms such as non-restful sleep, daytime fatigue, impaired memory and concentration, morning stiffness, as well as digestive and urination disorders help to establish the diagnosis, they represent a particular disease burden on patients, those around them and on the social system. Pathogenetic research is focussed increasingly on a central dysregulation in pain perception and pain processing, leading to the concept of "central sensitisation" as a final common pathway for fibromyalgia and similar syndromes. This supports the recommendations for prompt multimodal therapy based on pharmaco-, functional and behavioural therapy.


Cost estimates of COVID-19 clinical management in Myanmar.
This study aims to estimate the cost of clinical management of COVID-19 infected patients based on their severity by exploring the resources used in health care provision in Myanmar. A multicenter retrospective cost analysis of COVID-19 patients was performed using the micro-costing approach from the perspective of the health system. It covered two cost components, namely direct and indirect cost of treating a patient. Input data and their quantities were obtained from COVID-19 Standard Treatment Guidelines of Ministry of Health and Sports, and administrative and financial records of resource utilization of three designated health facilities in Yangon Region. Valuation of these resources was based on the price list from the Procurement Section of the Ministry. This study estimated the unit cost of clinical management of COVID-19 infected patients with no symptom to be 953,552 MMK(717 USD), with mild-moderate symptoms to be 1,155,222 MMK(869 USD) and with severe-critically ill conditions to be 5,705,052 MMK(4290 USD). Average cost for a patient par day was 86,687 MMK(65 USD) for asymptomatic patients, 105,020 MMK(79 USD) for mild-moderate patients and 283,252 MMK(214 USD) for severe-critically ill patients. Since the first case detected till December 31, 2020, COVID-19 clinical management cost was accounted for 139 Billion MMK (104 Million USD) for total 124,630 confirmed cases. COVID-19 pandemic has caused health systems to incur the significant health care expenses. Timely implementation of the sustainable, affordable and efficient policy for COVID-19 responses is of utmost important for every nation especially in the face of a pandemic. This study provides the fundamental inputs for strategic planning, for future economic evaluations of different policy interventions, and policy recommendations for health systems to remain resilient during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar.


Brain tumor imaging with synthesized 18F-fluorophenylalanine and positron emission tomography.
Two patients with cerebral gliomas were studied with 18F-fluorophenylalanine, newly synthesized by the electrophilic substitution reaction, using positron emission tomography. The tracer accumulated markedly in the tumor lesion and delineated the extent of the lesion. This new tracer will be promising in the diagnosis of gliomas.


High-dose IgG therapy mitigates bile duct-targeted inflammation and obstruction in a mouse model of biliary atresia.
A proposed etiology of biliary atresia (BA) entails a virus-induced, progressive immune-mediated injury of the biliary system. Intravenous Ig (IVIg) has demonstrated clinical benefit in several inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic effects of high-dose IgG treatment in the rhesus rotavirus (RRV)-induced mouse model of BA. Newborn mice were infected with RRV, and jaundiced mice were given high-dose IgG or albumin control. Survival, histology, direct bilirubin, liver immune cell subsets, and cytokine production were analyzed. There was no difference in overall survival between RRV-infected groups, however high-dose IgG resulted in decreased bilirubin, bile duct inflammation, and increased extrahepatic bile duct patency. High-dose IgG decreased vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, resulting in limited migration of immune cells to portal tracts. High-dose IgG significantly decreased CD4(+) T cell production of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and CD8(+) T cell production of IFN-γ, as well as increased levels of regulatory T cells. High-dose IgG therapy in murine BA dramatically decreased Th1 cell-mediated inflammation and biliary obstruction. This study lends support for consideration of IVIg clinical trials in infants with BA, to diminish the progressive intrahepatic bile duct injury.


Is Financial Capability a Determinant of Health? Theory and Evidence.
Financial capability, the combination of financial literacy (ability to act) and financial access (opportunity to act), improves people's access to resources, and thus has the potential to improve health and well-being. This paper positions financial capability under the framework of social determinants of health and discusses theory and presents empirical evidence on the link between financial capability and health. Using data from the RAND American Life Panel and the structural equation modeling approach, we distinguish financial capability from the common socioeconomic position indicators such as income and education. We find that financial capability has a positive and longitudinal effect on health, independent of race/ethnicity, gender, income, education, and employment. This study demonstrates that financial capability is an independent social determinant of health. It can be theoretically and conceptually defined, empirically measured, and can inform clinical interventions that may improve population health and well-being. Implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.


Effect of dietary paraquat on a rat mutant unable to synthesize ascorbic acid.
To obtain some insight into the toxicity of paraquat (PQ) in humans, PQ dichloride at 250 ppm in the diet was administered to both normal (NO) rats and ODS-od/od (OD) rats which are unable to synthesize ascorbic acid (AsA). Firstly, OD rats and NO rats treated with PQ were compared with untreated NO rats (CO). Only OD rats displayed several symptoms of PQ poisoning such as anorexia, hypokinesia, diarrhea, epistaxis, tremor and their pili became rough about 9 days after. Their cysteine proteinase inhibitor level in plasma and lung increased to 2- and 6-fold, respectively, of CO. In contrast, NO rats treated with PQ resembled CO rats, and their cysteine proteinase inhibitor levels were unchanged until 11 days. After this period they began to display symptoms. Secondly, OD rats fed with different amounts of AsA were compared. Excess AsA delayed the onset of symptoms by only 1 day. Thirdly, the day of onset of symptoms was found to be influenced with the weight of rats.


How to create radiology papers and presentations in Windows with Open-Source software.
To illustrate the availability, effectiveness, and practical use of Open-Source tools in developing a radiology paper from its beginning to its presentation and publication. Practical use of a complete set of Open-Source applications for writing, e-mail corresponding, slide show, image retrieval, and manipulation is shown by simulating a scientific paper development. Open-Source software proved to be an inexpensive, effective, widely compatible, and user-friendly alternative to commercial toolkits in developing and deploying a scientific paper, either on paper or on slide show.


Effects of aging on the anorectal sphincters and their innervation.
The effects of aging on the pelvic floor musculature and its innervation are described in 102 women and 19 men without colorectal or pelvic floor disease. In the women, a reduction in anorectal "squeeze" pressure was found in the fifth decade, but the resting anal pressure remained unchanged. This reduction in squeeze anal pressure was accompanied by an increase in the mean pudendal nerve terminal motor latency, indicating damage to this nerve, and increased perineal descent in the resting and straining positions. The fiber density, recorded by single fiber electromyography in the external anal sphincter muscle, a muscle innervated by the pudendal nerves, was increased in the sixth decade, indicating the later development of compensatory reinnervation in this muscle. The interrelation of aging, menopausal effects, and parity in these changes is difficult to define from currently available data, but the authors suggest, from other evidence, that menopausal effects may be relevant.


Adolescents de facto deported in Oaxaca, Mexico: Mental and emotional health impacts.
This paper examines the experiences of adolescents from mixed migratory status families affected by deportation. We analyze the impacts on their mental and emotional health when they are separated from one parent in the United States, forcibly displaced with another to Oaxaca, and experience the consequences of their deportation in Mexico. We use a qualitative and ethnographic methodology. This paper focuses on data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 15 parents who had been deported from the United States and 53 adolescents who moved with them to Mexico. The data was collected between 2018 and 2020. The main findings show the existence of emotions that are sustained in the transnational flow and acquire new nuances upon return. They also show the emergence of new conditions related to family separation, all of which have an impact on the adolescents' well-being and on important areas of their lives, such as education. The research contributes to knowledge in two main ways: 1) it addresses the impacts of parental deportation on the well-being of adolescents in mixed-status families, which have typically focused on children; 2) it studies how parental deportation affects the mental and emotional health of adolescents de facto deported to Mexico, a field still little studied.


Heterogeneity of human procoagulant factor VIII (VIIIC) antibodies in their reaction with factor VIII related antigen (VIIIRAG).
Human inhibitors to procoagulant factor VIII (VIIIC) were tested for possible reactivity with factor VIII related antigen (VIIIRAg) by a modified VIIIRAg immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Inhibitor IgG's were screened for anti-VIIRAg by competition with I125 labelled VIIIRAg antibodies for common antigenic determinants using either an VIIIRAg concentrate from which factor VIII coagulant antigen (VIIICAg) had been dissociated, or normal plasma (containing VIIIRAg and VIIICAg) as an antigen source. There was no evidence of VIIIRAg antibodies in the five haemophilic VIIIC inhibitor IgG's tested but low titre VIIIRAg antibodies were detected in one spontaneous VIIIC inhibitor IgG.


Revisiting occupational sex segregation in the United States, 1910-1990: results from a log-linear approach.
I reexamine trends in the strength and structure of occupational sex segregation in the United States from 1910 to 1990. Log-multiplicative models show significant change in the association between gender and occupation. Contrary to conventional characterizations, a substantial proportion of this change occurred before 1970. Likewise, a margin-free index shows more integration over the century than do conventional indices. These discrepancies arise from occupation-specific variations in the trajectory of sex segregation: Highly segregated occupations were especially likely to integrate between 1930 and 1940. I identify regions of the occupational structure and pivotal periods in which shifts in segregation occurred and compare these results with conventional historical accounts.


Correction to: Building Behavioral Health Homes: Clinician and Staff Perspectives on Creating Integrated Care Teams.
The Publisher regrets that due to a malfunction in production, there are duplications and errors and rogue addresses in the author affiliations of the published article. The correct author affiliations are listed below.


DNA barcoding of hard ticks (Ixodidae), notes on distribution of vector species and new faunal record for Croatia.
Molecular methods are increasingly being utilized for accurate identification of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), especially in cases of morphologically highly similar species. In this study, we performed molecular research of the tick fauna in Croatia using DNA barcoding method. Ticks were sampled in three biogeographical regions and thirteen species were recorded: Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis concinna, Haemaphysalis inermis, Haemaphysalis punctata, Hyalomma marginatum, Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes hexagonus, Ixodes kaiseri, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and Rhipicephalus turanicus. Ixodes kaiseri is for the first time recorded in the fauna of Croatia. Of the thirteen hard tick species analyzed in this study, pathogens from different groups (bacteria, protozoa and viruses) have been detected in eight species in Croatia so far. For the important vector species R. sanguineus s.s., new distributional data for Croatia are given. The standard COI barcoding region was amplified, and the sequences were analyzed by species delimitation methods together with the sequences of conspecific and congeneric species from the public BOLD database. Our specimens of H. punctata represent a new, genetically distinct MOTU. A brief overview of the available public DNA barcoding data for Ixodidae is presented, highlighting the need for an integrative approach for the clarification of the taxonomic status of problematic Ixodid taxa. The results provide a basis for the establishment of a molecular data platform for the Ixodidae of the Croatian fauna.


Time course of the effects of static stretching on cycling economy.
Stretching has been implemented as part of the warm-up before physical events and widely thought to promote increased sport performance and decreased injury risk. However, recent research has concluded that static stretching before many exercises inhibits acute power, strength, and sprinting performance. There is little research examining the time course of these effects on moderate intensity cycling. The purpose of this study was to examine the time course of static stretching on cycling economy. The subjects consisted of 5 men and 5 women highly trained endurance cyclists. The first of 3 visits was baseline testing of their cycling VO2max. The second and third visits were either stretching or no stretching before a 30-minute stationary ride at 65% of their VO2max. The stretching condition consisted of four 30-second repetitions of 5 stretches with an average total stretching time of 16 minutes. VO2 demonstrated a significant condition by time interaction with the 5-minute time point being significantly less in the nonstretching condition (32.66 ± 5.35 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) than stretching (34.39 ± 5.39 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)). No other time points were different. Our results demonstrate that static stretching yielded an acute increase in submaximal VO2; therefore, coaches and highly trained endurance cyclists should exclude static stretching immediately before moderate intensity cycling because it reduces acute cycling economy.


Sex steroid hormones and epilepsy: Effects of hormonal replacement therapy on seizure frequency of postmenopausal women with epilepsy-A systematic review.
Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is used for symptomatic treatment of menopause. Some evidence suggests a proconvulsant effect of estrogen and an anticonvulsant role of progesterone. Thus, the use of exogenous sex steroid hormones might influence the course of epilepsy in peri- and postmenopausal women with epilepsy (WWE). We conducted a systematic review on the impact of HRT on the frequency of seizures of WWE. PubMed and Scopus were searched for articles published from inception until August 2022. Abstracts from the past 5 years from the European Academy of Neurology and European Epilepsy Congresses were also reviewed. Article reference lists were screened, and relevant articles were retrieved for consultation. Interventional and observational studies on WWE and animal models of estrogen deficiency were included. Critical appraisal was performed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and ROBINS-E tool. Of 497 articles screened, 13 studies were included, including three human studies. One cross-sectional study showed a decrease in seizure frequency in WWE using combined HRT, a case-control study showed an increase in comparison with controls, and a randomized clinical trial found a dose-dependent increase in seizure frequency in women with focal epilepsy taking combined HRT. Ten studies addressing the impact of HRT in rat models were also included, which showed conflicting results. There is scarce evidence of the impact of HRT in WWE. Further studies should evaluate the harmful potential, and prospective registries are needed for monitoring this population.


Parasite infection influences the biomarker response and locomotor activity of Gammarus fossarum exposed to conventionally-treated wastewater.
Modern wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove pollutants. Often, effluents entering the aquatic environment still contain micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals or pesticides, which may impose adverse effects on aquatic biota. At the same time, a large proportion of free-living aquatic species are known to be infected with parasites, which raises the question of interactions between environmental stressors (such as micropollutants) and parasite infection. We chose the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum (Koch, 1835) as a test organism to investigate potential pollutant-parasite interactions. This gammarid is frequently used in ecotoxicological tests and is also commonly infected with larvae of the acanthocephalan parasite species Polymorphus minutus (Zeder, 1800) Lühe, 1911. We exposed infected and uninfected specimens of G. fossarum to conventionally-treated wastewater and river water in a 22-day flow channel experiment. The test organisms' response was measured as mortality rates, concentrations or activities of five biomarkers, and overall locomotor activity. No significant differences were found between mortality rates of different exposure conditions. Contrastingly, three biomarkers (phenoloxidase activity, glycogen, and lipid concentrations) showed a significant increase in infected gammarids, while the effect of the water type was insignificant. Infected gammarids also showed a significantly higher locomotor activity in both water types. Our results suggest that the response of G. fossarum during the exposure experiments was mainly driven by parasite infection. This implies that parasites may act as additional biotic stressors in multiple stressor scenarios, and therefore, might play an important role when measuring the response of organisms to chemical stressors. Future ecotoxicological studies and assessments thus should consider parasite infection as an additional test parameter.


Acute renal failure: recognition and treatment in ward patients.
Nurses play a key role in the prevention and early detection of acute renal failure (ARF). This article provides an overview of patients in general ward settings who are at greatest risk of developing ARF and outlines the appropriate nursing interventions to assist diagnosis, prevention and management of this condition.


[Fudenine, relative to blood glucose-control, is a novel membrane protein].
To determine whether Fudenine is a novel membrane protein. Green fluorescence protein(GFP) was used to localize Fudenine in vivo. GFP, as a control, was targeted to cytoplasm. Epithelial cell, CBRH7919, and non-epithelial cell, L-6TG, were cultured and transiently transfected by using the lipofectamine reagent. After 48 h, intact cells were examined with fluorescence microscope for Fudenine. Reporter plasmid pEGFP-N1, as a control, was expressed and localized to cytoplasm. But Fudenine, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoterenhancer contained in the pEGFP-N1 vector, was overexpressed and targeted to cellular membrane. Fudenine is a novel membrane protein. It may play the similar role with its homologues AC133 antigen and prominin in human and mouse, respectively. It might be involved in signaling transduction and regulate blood glucose metabolism in vivo.


[Effect of para-aminobenzonic acid on cell-surface hydrophobicity of Actinomyces viscosus].
To study the effect of Para-aminobenzonic acid (PABA) on cell-surface hydrophobicity of Actinomyces viscosus. Microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons (MATH) was used to measure the cell-surface hydrophobicity of Actinomyces viscosus which grew in modified Carlsson medium with different dilution of PABA. Following the increase of concentration of PABA, the value of cell-surface hydrophobicity of Actinomyces viscosus decreased, which were 0.38900 +/- 0.00026, 0.25462 +/- 0.00168, 0.16360 +/- 0.00026 respectively(P < 0.05). PABA could inhibit the adherence of Actinomyces viscosus by way of changing its cell-surface hydrophobicity.


Effect of septal ablation on choline acetyltransferase in the paraventricular nucleus.
To determine whether there is a cholinergic projection from the lateral septum to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH), a quantitative histochemical analysis of the effects of unilateral ablation (0.5 microliter of a 10 micrograms/ml solution of ibotenic acid) of the lateral septum (LSV) on the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity of the PVH and surrounding perinuclear area was undertaken. Comparisons of the ChAT activity of the PVH region ipsilateral to the LSV lesion (lesioned side) with that of the PVH contralateral (nonlesioned side) to the ablated LSV showed a 20% reduction (p less than 0.05) of ChAT activity in 2 areas of the PVH on the lesioned side. When ChAT activity of LSV-ablated and intact control rats was compared, a 20% difference in activity (p less than 0.05) was noted in four areas on the nonlesioned side and a 35% difference (p less than 0.05) of ChAT activity was noted in five regions of the PVH on the lesioned side of LSV-ablated animals. Taken together these data suggest that the pathway from the LSV to the PVH contains a small, bilateral cholinergic component. However, the data also indicate that this is not the only cholinergic projection to the PVH.


Successful acyclovir treatment of herpes simplex type 2 hepatitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report and meta analysis.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) hepatitis is a rare complication of HSV infection with a high reported mortality rate in untreated patients. The authors present a case of HSV hepatitis in a 26-year-old female with focal proliferative lupus nephropathy who was status post one cycle of pulse high-dose (1 gm/ m2) cyclophosphamide. Treatment with parenteral acyclovir was successful. A meta analysis of well-documented cases of HSV hepatitis treated with acyclovir, excluding those that omit initial serum concentrations of hepatic transaminases, suggests that the early administration of parenteral acyclovir may have been instrumental in the achievement of a successful outcome, and that a patient's serum levels of hepatic transaminases at the time of treatment initiation may predict outcome. This is the first reported case of successful parenteral acyclovir treatment of HSV hepatitis in a patient with lupus nephritis who has recently undergone cyclophosphamide immunosuppression, and includes a meta analysis to examine the hypothesis that initial markers of hepatic injury may predict outcome of acyclovir treatment.


Noninvasive fetal sex determination in maternal plasma: a prospective feasibility study.
To prospectively validate a protocol for noninvasive fetal sex determination in maternal plasma and demonstrate its applicability to clinical practice. Peripheral blood from 404 pregnant women undergoing prenatal invasive testing was collected from 6 to 23 weeks of gestation. Real-time PCR was performed for the SRY gene and multicopy DYS14 marker sequence located within the TSPY gene by the TaqMan minor groove binder probe assay as a first-line test. Owing to a false-positive result, amplification of repetitive motifs of the DAZ gene region was also tested as a second-line test performed in the last 232 patients enrolled in our series. A diagnostic algorithm was designed using a combination of these three markers. Fetal gender determined by noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) was compared with that diagnosed by quantitative fluorescent PCR after invasive testing or ultrasound. A single false-positive result was obtained in the first 172 pregnancies. Reporting criteria were modified in the subsequent 232 pregnancies, giving an overall sensitivity and specificity of 100% (95% CI 99.8-100%) and 99.5% (95% CI 98.1-100%), respectively. Pregnancy outcome was obtained in all cases, including 221 male-bearing and 183 female-bearing pregnancies. NIPD for fetal sex determination in maternal plasma is highly accurate and clinically applicable if robust reporting criteria are applied.


NDUFA12L mitochondrial complex-I assembly factor: Implications for taupathies.
There is a strong correlation between taupathies and the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Abnormal tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and dissociated from microtubules with the aggregation of intracellular tau aggregates within the patient's brain. The current review is divided into two broad sections. In the first section we discuss the molecular biology and the clinicopathologic features of taupathies. While in the second section we discuss the relationship between mitochondrial complex-I and taupathies. Polymorphism in NDUFA12L may be a crucial factor for development of neurodegenerative taupathies. Thus NDUFA12L screening may be an early biomarker for identifying risk groups for such disorders.


Key role of the dorsal root ganglion in neuropathic tactile hypersensibility.
Cutting spinal nerves just distal to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) triggers, with rapid onset, massive spontaneous ectopic discharge in axotomized afferent A-neurons, and at the same time induces tactile allodynia in the partially denervated hindlimb. We show that secondary transection of the dorsal root (rhizotomy) of the axotomized DRG, or suppression of the ectopia with topically applied local anesthetics, eliminates or attenuates the allodynia. Dorsal rhizotomy alone does not trigger allodynia. These observations support the hypothesis that ectopic firing in DRG A-neurons induces central sensitization which leads to tactile allodynia. The question of how activity in afferent A-neurons, which are not normally nociceptive, might induce allodynia is discussed in light of the current literature.


Sulodexide Improves Contraction and Decreases Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in Veins Under Prolonged Stretch.
High pressure in the lower-limb veins is often associated with chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins (VVs), making it important to search for the mechanisms and agents that control venous function. We have shown that protracted increases in venous stretch/wall tension reduce vein contraction and augment matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Also, MMP-2 and MMP-9 promote venodilation, a hallmark of VVs. Sulodexide (SDX) is a blend of glycosaminoglycans with efficient profibrinolysis and antithrombosis activities, but its actions on vein function and the mechanisms involved are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that SDX enhances venous contractile response by decreasing MMP expression/activity in veins subjected to protracted stretch. Rat inferior vena cava (IVC) rings were treated with SDX (0.001-1 mg/mL) or vehicle, equilibrated under control 0.5-g resting tension or protracted 2-g stretch for 18 hours, and the contractile response to 96-mM KCl and phenylephrine (Phe) in SDX-treated and nontreated veins was recorded. In IVC rings under control 0.5-g resting tension, SDX caused dose-dependent contraction, 96-mM KCl caused marked contraction (176-mg/mg tissue), and Phe caused dose-dependent contraction with a maximum (56-mg/mg tissue) at 10 M. In IVC subjected to protracted 2-g stretch, 96-mM KCl-induced contraction was reduced to 112 mg/mg and maximal Phe-induced contraction was decreased to 23 mg/mg. In IVC subjected to protracted 2-g stretch plus SDX, 96-mM KCl-induced contraction was restored to 228 mg/mg and maximal Phe-induced contraction was improved to 115 mg/mg. Gelatin zymography and Western blots revealed increases in MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels/gelatinolytic activity in veins subjected to protracted 2-g stretch and reversal to control levels in veins subjected to 2-g stretch plus SDX. Thus, SDX improves vein function and augments the contractile response in veins subjected to protracted stretch. The SDX-induced improvement of contraction and restoration of vein function appear to involve decreases in MMP-2 and MMP-9 and may contribute to the benefits of SDX in chronic venous insufficiency and VVs.


Clinical significance of loss of Fhl1 expression in human gastric cancer.
Human four-and-a-half LIM domains 1 (Fhl1) gene has been reported to achieve cancer suppressive effects. The purpose of this study is to clarify clinical significance of Fhl1 expression in gastric cancer. Fhl1 mRNA expression was quantified by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using paired tumor and normal clinical samples from a total of 110 gastric cancer patients. Fhl1 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between Fhl1 mRNA expression and clinicopathological factors was statistically analyzed. Fhl1 mRNA expression in tumor tissue was significantly downregulated compared with that in normal mucosa (P < 0.0001). Fhl1 protein expression was also diminished in cancer cells by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that the patients with low Fhl1 expression tumor showed significantly shorter survival (P < 0.05) than those with high Fhl1 expression tumor. Furthermore, the tumors with low Fhl1 expression showed deeper invasion into the serosal layer (P < 0.05) or more frequent distant metastasis (P < 0.01). Fhl1 gene was underexpressed in clinical gastric cancer. Loss of Fhl1 expression would be a novel biomarker to determine biological aggressiveness of gastric cancer.


A motion direction preference map in monkey V4.
In the primate visual system, area V4 is located in the ventral pathway and is traditionally thought to be involved in processing color and form information. However, little is known about its functional role in processing motion information. Using intrinsic signal optical imaging over large fields of view in V1, V2, and V4, we mapped the direction of motion responses in anesthetized macaques. We found that V4 contains direction-preferring domains that are preferentially activated by stimuli moving in one direction. These direction-preferring domains normally occupy several restricted regions of V4 and tend to overlap with orientation- and color-preferring domains. Single-cell recordings targeting these direction-preferring domains also showed a clustering, as well as a columnar organization of V4 direction-selective neurons. These data suggest that, in contrast to the classical view, motion information is also processed in ventral pathway regions such as area V4.


Construction of a calorimeter prototype with a high sensitivity pulsed signal detection circuit.
A calorimeter based on a Wheatstone bridge detector is considered to be an ideal absolute absorbed dose measuring device. One drawback of the calorimeter is that its output signals are extremely small. The signal size can be increased by increasing the bridge excitation voltage, which, however, may lead to excess self-heating of a temperature-sensing thermistor in the calorimeter detector and may require corrections. The use of pulsed excitation was investigated in this study in place of a conventional DC excitation to induce higher bridge output voltage while keeping the average self-heating of a thermistor to a reasonably low value. Performance evaluations of our prototype pulsed calorimeter are presented.


Expression of Plasmodium falciparum G6PD-6PGL in laboratory parasites and in patient isolates in G6PD-deficient and normal Nigerian children.
As the production of NADPH in the pentose phosphate pathway is the main antioxidant defence mechanism available to the Plasmodium falciparum, we have studied the expression of P. falciparum glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase-6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfG6PD-6PGL) in G6PD-deficient and normal erythrocyte host cells. Both erythrocytes infected in vitro with a laboratory isolate and erythrocytes from natural human infections were used. Total RNA was prepared from parasites collected from five G6PD-deficient and nine G6PD-normal children in Ibadan, Nigeria, selected after screening 189 rural schoolchildren and 68 clinical malaria patients, and was subjected to Northern blot analysis. The probe was a cDNA fragment of the G6PD domain of the PfG6PD-6PGL gene, with an internal control probe of P. falciparum 18S ribosomal RNA. Quantification was performed using a phosphoimager. Relative to internal control, the abundance of PfG6PD-6PGL mRNA (mean +/- standard deviation) was lower in parasites from G6PD-deficient children (0.29 +/- 0.27) than in G6PD-normal control subjects (0.74 +/- 0.26) (P = 0.014, Mann-Whitney U-test). Although confirmation in a larger study is required, our results suggest a lower relative abundance of PfG6PD-6PGL, and presumably antioxidant activity, in malaria parasites from G6PD-deficient hosts, thus extending the current knowledge of the mechanism of G6PD-deficiency related host protection.


Prospects and prejudices of human papillomavirus vaccines in India.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer and a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in developing countries. The disease is caused due to persistent infection of one or more of about 15 high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), most commonly by HPV types 16/18. In India, over 98% of cervical cancer cases harbor HPV infection and HPV 16 is the type exclusively (80-90%) prevalent. Unlike the West, HPV infection is most common in women in their third decade (26-35 years) of sexual activity and invasive cancer also arises much later with a peak at about 45-55 years of age. Recently, two successful prophylactic HPV vaccines, a quadrivalent (HPV16/18/6/11) 'Gardasil' by Merck and a bivalent (HPV16/18) 'Cervarix' by GSK have been developed. Several other approaches including plant-based edible, pentameric capsomere-based intranasal and DNA-based vaccines have also been employed to develop prophylactic vaccines. Also, several therapeutic vaccines either protein/peptide based or DNA based are in clinical trials but are yet to establish their efficacy. Though there are several issues regarding implementation of the already developed vaccines in resource limited countries, efforts are being made to develop cost-effective second-generation vaccines. If cost minimized, HPV related new technologies involved in screening tests and vaccines are expected to reduce incidence of cervical cancer and deaths it causes in women from developing countries.


Standards to support development of terminological systems for healthcare telematics.
The Technical Committee on "Medical Informatics" of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN/TC251) is supporting developers of terminological systems in healthcare by a series of standards. The dream of "universal" coding system was abandoned in favor of a coherent family of terminologies, diversified according to tasks; two ideas were introduced: (1) the "categorical structure", i.e. a model of semantic categories and their relations within a subject field and (2) the "cross-thesaurus", i.e. a system of descriptors to build a systematic representation (called here "dissection") for each terminological phrase, coherent across diverse terminologies on a given subject field. The goal is to assure coexistence and interoperability (and reciprocal support for development and maintenance) to three generations of systems: (1) traditional paper-based systems (first generation); (2) compositional systems built according to a categorical structure and a cross-thesaurus (second generation) and (3) formal models (third generation). Various scenarios are presented, on the exploitation of computer-based terminological systems. The idea of "operational meaning" of terminological phrases within administrative and organizational contexts and the idea of "task-oriented details" are also introduced, to justify and exploit design constraints on terminological systems.


Real-time imaging of the intracellular glutathione redox potential.
Dynamic analysis of redox-based processes in living cells is now restricted by the lack of appropriate redox biosensors. Conventional redox-sensitive GFPs (roGFPs) are limited by undefined specificity and slow response to changes in redox potential. In this study we demonstrate that the fusion of human glutaredoxin-1 (Grx1) to roGFP2 facilitates specific real-time equilibration between the sensor protein and the glutathione redox couple. The Grx1-roGFP2 fusion protein allowed dynamic live imaging of the glutathione redox potential (E(GSH)) in different cellular compartments with high sensitivity and temporal resolution. The biosensor detected nanomolar changes in oxidized glutathione (GSSG) against a backdrop of millimolar reduced glutathione (GSH) on a scale of seconds to minutes. It facilitated the observation of redox changes associated with growth factor availability, cell density, mitochondrial depolarization, respiratory burst activity and immune receptor stimulation.


Delayed esophageal hemorrhage caused by a metal stent: treatment with embolization.
We report a case of life-threatening esophageal hemorrhage after metal stent implantation successfully treated by arterial embolization. An 85-year-old woman was admitted in shock secondary to massive hematemesis and melena. Recent medical history revealed esophageal cancer treated 8 weeks previously by endoesophageal radiotherapy (40 Gy) and endoscopic placement of a covered Wall-stent prosthesis. Selective arteriography of the fifth posterior right intercostal artery showed massive contrast extravasation in the esophagus. Embolization was performed with 150-250-micron polyvinyl alcohol particles. Follow-up at 5 months was uneventful. Arteriography and embolization are advised when severe hemorrhage occurs after esophageal implantation of metal stents.


Association between polymorphisms in serine protease inhibitor, kazal type 5 and asthma phenotypes in a large German population sample.
Atopic diseases are characterized by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated immune responses towards common allergens, many of which are proteases. Recently it has been suggested that a proteinase inhibitor gene, SPINK5, which is located on chromosome 5q31, may play a role in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases. We investigated the association between the polymorphism G1258A leading to a putative amino acid change (Glu420Lys) in serine protease inhibitor, kazal type 5 (SPINK5) and phenotypes of atopic diseases in a large general population sample of German children. Parental questionnaires were used and children underwent skin prick testing, pulmonary function testing and bronchial challenge. Blood was collected for serum IgE measurements and DNA extraction. In total, 1161 children were genotyped for the SPINK5 Glu420Lys polymorphism and association studies were performed. A significant association between SPINK5 420Lys and the development of asthma was observed (OR 1.77; 95%CI: 1.02-3.06, P=0.041 for 420Lys homocygotes). Atopic carriers of SPINK5 420Lys showed an increased risk for asthma and asthma symptoms (OR 2.06; 95%CI: 1.01-4.20, P=0.047). When children with a combination of asthma and atopic dermatitis were compared with normal controls, the SPINK5 420Lys genotype was more prevalent in the disease group (OR 4.56; 95%CI: 1.370-15.12, P=0.007). No association between SPINK5 420Lys genotypes and total serum IgE levels, skin prick test (SPT) reactivity or atopic dermatitis was observed. These results suggest that SPINK5 Glu420Lys polymorphism may be associated with certain asthma phenotypes characterized by the concomitant expression of asthma and atopic dermatitis or SPT reactivity.


Addition of IGF-I to storage-cooled boar semen and its effect on sperm quality.
To evaluate in vitro IGF-I treatment during warming of storage-cooled boar semen and its effect on seminal quality parameters and metabolism in spermatic cells. Semen samples (n=7) warmed after stored at 15°C for 24 or 72h were divided into four equal parts. Different IGF-I concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150ng/mL) were added to the semen samples. The samples were incubated at 37°C, and assessments were made after 0 and 120min of incubation. For semen samples that were stored for 24h, the addition of IGF-I had no effect (p>0.05) on the total motility and intensity of movements by spermatic cells, osmotic resistance, live:dead cell ratio or total spermatic abnormalities. However, incubation with 150ng/mL IGF-I did decrease glutathione peroxidase activity (p<0.05) and reduce lipid peroxidation after 120min of incubation. For semen samples stored for 72h and incubated with IGF-I for 120min, there was a linear relationship between the IGF-I concentration and the live:dead ratio (p<0.05). There was a quadratic relationship between the IGF-I concentration and both the osmotic resistance (peak results at IGF-I=62.4ng/mL) and glutathione peroxidase activity (peak results at IGF-I=77.8ng/mL). There was no effect on lipid peroxidation (p>0.05) after 120min of incubation. Addition of IGF-I also decreased fructose utilization by spermatic cells regardless of semen storage time (p<0.05). This study suggests that IGF-I may be beneficial to semen stored for longer periods of time. Adding 150ng/mL IGF-I improved the quality of semen stored for 24h, and adding 78ng/mL IGF-I improved the quality of semen stored for 72h.


Segmental irradiation of the bladder with neodymium YAG laser irradiation.
The Neodymium YAG laser energy source can be readily adapted for cystoscopic use by some simple modifications of existing urologic equipment. Both the fiberoptic resectoscope and a deflecting cystourethroscope have been adapted for this purpose. Fixation of the fiber tip 1 cm. from the target and use of a divergent beam of 36 degrees allows the delivery of standardized dosage to a relatively large bladder tissue volume. Animal experiments involving 35 mongrel dogs established that repetitive overlapping doses of 200 joules ech can successfully treat a large area of bladder resulting in a full thickness bladder wall injury. This technique has been used in 4 high risk patients with infiltrating bladder cancer without adverse sequelae. The ability to reliably produce a full thickness lesion may give this modality a therapeutic advantage over conventional cautery techniques especially for the treatment of residual infiltrative carcinoma.


Synthesis of anticancer heptapeptides containing a unique lipophilic β(2,2) -amino acid building block.
We report a series of synthetic anticancer heptapeptides (H-KKWβ(2,2) WKK-NH(2)) containing eight different central lipophilic β(2,2) -amino acid building blocks, which have demonstrated high efficiency when used as scaffolds in small cationic antimicrobial peptides and peptidomimetics. The most potent peptides in the present study had IC(50) values of 9-23 µm against human Burkitt's lymphoma and murine B-cell lymphoma and were all nonhaemolytic (EC(50) > 200 µm). The most promising peptide 10e also demonstrated low toxicity against human embryonic lung fibroblast cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and exceptional proteolytic stability.


Southern Ocean phytoplankton turnover in response to stepwise Antarctic cooling over the past 15 million years.
It is not clear how Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities, which form the base of the marine food web and are a crucial element of the carbon cycle, respond to major environmental disturbance. Here, we use a new model ensemble reconstruction of diatom speciation and extinction rates to examine phytoplankton response to climate change in the southern high latitudes over the past 15 My. We identify five major episodes of species turnover (origination rate plus extinction rate) that were coincident with times of cooling in southern high-latitude climate, Antarctic ice sheet growth across the continental shelves, and associated seasonal sea-ice expansion across the Southern Ocean. We infer that past plankton turnover occurred when a warmer-than-present climate was terminated by a major period of glaciation that resulted in loss of open-ocean habitat south of the polar front, driving non-ice adapted diatoms to regional or global extinction. These findings suggest, therefore, that Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities tolerate "baseline" variability on glacial-interglacial timescales but are sensitive to large-scale changes in mean climate state driven by a combination of long-period variations in orbital forcing and atmospheric carbon dioxide perturbations.


Early Nonfood Parent-Infant Interactions and Development of Obesity in a High-Risk, Diverse Sample.
This study aimed to understand the protective role of positive mother-infant interactions in the context of food and nonfood behaviors against obesity risk later in life among a cohort of low-income children at high prenatal risk due to maternal substance use during pregnancy. The sample consisted of 216 mother-infant dyads (49% boys) participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Mother-infant interactions during a feeding episode and a free-play task were measured at child age 1 and 7 months, respectively. Children's length/height and weight were measured at 1, 7, 13, 24, 36, and 48 months of age; at kindergarten age (approximately 60 months); and in second grade (approximately 84 months). BMI growth trajectories were modeled. No significant associations were found between mother-child feeding interactions and child BMI trajectories. Maternal warmth (95% CI: -0.020 to -0.0005; P = 0.04) and child positive affect (95% CI: -0.020 to -0.002; P = 0.014) during free play were associated with a more normative child BMI trajectory. Results from this study indicated that high maternal warmth and child positive affect during play, but not feeding interactions, are associated with reduced obesity risk from infancy to middle childhood in the context of high pre- and postnatal risks.


Effect of nicorandil administration on cardiac burden and cardio-ankle vascular index after coronary intervention.
Myocardial injury is a problem associated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to clarify the role of nicorandil administration in preventing myocardial injury. This study included patients with stable angina who underwent PCI from November 2013 to June 2016. Of 58 consecutive patients, the first 20 patients received only saline infusion after PCI (control group); the other 38 patients received a continuous intravenous infusion of nicorandil and saline after PCI (nicorandil group). Troponin I and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured. Vascular parameters, such as blood pressure (BP), cardiac output, cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), and estimated systemic vascular resistance (eSVR), were measured. Troponin I of both groups increased 12 h after PCI. Changes in BNP levels between immediately after PCI and 12 h after PCI were significantly higher in the control than in the nicorandil group (10.8 ± 44.2 vs. - 2.6 ± 14.6 pg/ml, p = 0.04). In the nicorandil group, BP, eSVR, and CAVI decreased significantly at 12 h after PCI compared with those immediately after PCI (p < 0.0001), whereas no change was observed in the control group. In a single linear analysis, the change in BP (r = 0.36, p < 0.01) and nicorandil administration (r = - 0.47, p < 0.001) was significantly correlated with the change in CAVI, multiple regression analysis revealed that the changes in CO and eSVR were significant contributing factors for the changes in CAVI. PCI could result in myocardial injury and/or cardiac burden in patients with stable angina. Nicorandil administration after PCI may be effective in relieving the burden by decreasing arterial stiffness (CAVI).


Radiological studies of the cheiro-oral syndrome.
Four cases of the cheiro-oral syndrome are reported, with a review of the clinical symptoms and signs and the neuroradiological methods used to demonstrate the responsible lesion. In each case, angiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. The lesion was found in the thalamus in three cases and in the pons in one. Infarction had occurred in three cases and haemorrhage in one. Angiography revealed normal findings in all cases. CT at the onset of the symptoms demonstrated a small haemorrhage in the thalamus in one case but was not helpful in the others, and MRI was required to identify infarction. The anatomical sites responsible for the cheiro-oral syndrome have been reported to be in the central gyrus, in the thalamus, and in the brain stem. The clinical symptoms and signs reported in the literature and in our four cases are reviewed to evaluate aetiological factors and clinical features according to the three different sites of lesions causing this syndrome.


Scalp simulation - A novel approach to site-specific biomechanical modeling of the skin.
This study aimed to determine the hardness of the human scalp in vivo in order to identify an appropriate scalp simulant, from a range of commercially available silicone materials, for force impact assessment. Site-dependent variation in scalp hardness, and the applicability of contemporary skin simulants to the scalp were also considered. A Shore A-type durometer was used to collected hardness data from the scalps of 30 human participants (five males and five females in each of the three age categories: 18-30, 31-40, 41-50) and four commercially available silicones (light, medium, and heavy-bodied PVS, and duplication silicone). One-sample t-tests were used to compare the mean hardness of simulants to that of the scalp. Site-dependent variation in the hardness of the scalp was assessed using a mixed-model repeated measures ANOVA. Mean human scalp hardness derived from participants was 20.6 Durometer Units (DU; SD = 3.4). Analysis revealed only the medium-bodied PVS to be an acceptable scalp simulant when compared to the mean hardness of the human scalp (p = 0.869). Scalp hardness varied significantly anteroposteriorly (with an observable linear trend, p < 0.001), but not mediolaterally (p = 0.271). Comparisons of simulants to site-specific variation in scalp hardness anteroposteriorly found the medium-bodied PVS to be only suitable in the central region of the scalp (p = 0.391). In contrast, the duplication silicone (p = 0.074) and light-bodied PVS (p = 0.147) were only comparable to the posterior region. Contemporary skin simulants fail to accurately represent the scalp in terms of hardness. There is strong support for the use of medium-bodied PVS as a scalp simulant. Human scalp hardness varies significantly anteroposteriorly, but not mediolaterally, corresponding to regional anatomical variation within the scalp. A number of materials were identified as potential simulants for different regions of the scalp when more site-specific simulant research is required.


T7 lysozyme inhibits transcription by T7 RNA polymerase.
The selectivity of T7 RNA polymerase for its own promoters is used to direct all transcription and replication to bacteriophage T7 DNA during infection. We now find that T7 lysozyme, which is known to cut a bond in the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall, forms a specific complex with T7 RNA polymerase and inhibits transcription. Mutations that weaken this interaction have been found in the coding sequence for T7 RNA polymerase; an affinity column containing wildtype polymerase selectively binds T7 lysozyme, but a similar column containing mutant polymerase does not. The lysozyme-polymerase interaction ensures a controlled burst of late transcription during infection, and could possibly have some direct role in replication and/or control of lysis.


What Is the Role of Dexmedetomidine in Modern Anesthesia and Critical Care?
Dexmedetomidine's unique sedative properties have led to its widespread use. Dexmedetomidine has a beneficial pharmacologic profile including analgesic sparing effects, anxiolysis, sympatholysis, organ-protective effects against ischemic and hypoxic injury, and sedation which parallels natural sleep. An understanding of predictable side effects, effects of age-related physiologic changes, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of dexmedetomidine is crucial to maximize its safe administration in adults and children. This review focuses on the growing body of literature examining advances in applications of dexmedetomidine in children and adults.


Adverse effects of homeopathy, what do we know? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Homeopathy is a popular treatment modality among patient, however there is sparse research about adverse effects of homeopathy. A concept unique for homeopathy, is homeopathic aggravation that is understood as a transient worsening of the patients' symptoms before an expected improvement occurs. From a risk perspective it is vital that a distinction between homeopathic aggravations and adverse effects is established. There is a lack of systematic information on how frequent adverse effects and homeopathic aggravations are reported in studies. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Sixteen electronic databases were searched for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). The searches were limited from the year 1995 to January 2011. Forty-one RCTs, with a total of 6.055 participants were included. A subtotal of 39 studies was included in the additional meta-analysis. A total of 28 trials (68%) reported adverse effects and five trials (12%) reported homeopathic aggravations. The meta-analysis (including six subgroup comparisons) demonstrated that no significant difference was found between homeopathy and control with OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86-1.14, I(2)=54%. More than two third of the adverse effects were classified as grade 1 (68%) and two third were classified as grade 2 (25%) and grade 3 (6%) according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects. Homeopathic aggravation was classified as grade 1 (98%) and grade 3 (2%), suggesting that homeopathic aggravations were reported to be less severe than adverse effects. The methodological quality according to a method recommended in the Cochrane handbook for RCTs, was high. Adverse effects including the concept of homeopathic aggravations are commonly reported in trials. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the proportion of patients experiencing adverse effects to be similar for patients randomized to homeopathic treatment compared to patients randomized to placebo and conventional medicine.


Age-related changes in prefrontal oxygenation during memory encoding and retrieval.
Memory dysfunction is a major component of age-related cognitive decline, and is a marker of cognitive impairment. Emerging evidence suggests that the prefrontal cortex is required for maintenance of memory functions. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate age-related changes in prefrontal oxygenation during memory encoding and retrieval using near-infrared spectroscopy. We examined 21 young (mean age 24.3 years), 52 young-old (mean age 69.7 years) and 50 old-old (mean age 79.5 years) participants. The concentration of oxyhemoglobin, which is a reliable biomarker of changes in regional cerebral blood flow, in the right and left prefrontal cortex was measured during encoding and delayed retrieval of a list of 10 target words. The average number of correct answers in the retrieval task was used as a measure of task performance. During encoding, oxyhemoglobin was significantly and bilaterally lower in young-old and old-old participants compared with young participants. Meanwhile, during retrieval, only old-old participants showed significantly decreased oxyhemoglobin compared with young and young-old participants. The old-old participants showed fewer correct answers in the retrieval period than the young and young-old participants. Old-old participants showed reduced prefrontal oxygenation during both encoding and retrieval, and decreased memory performance compared with younger participants. It is necessary for the clinical application of near-infrared spectroscopy to consider the effects of demographic variables on cerebral oxygenation. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1296-1304.


Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: A History of Procedure, Technology, Culture, Specialty, and Economics.
Percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) progressed from a virtually unknown procedure to one performed on hundreds of thousands of patients annually. The development of VP provides a historically exciting case study into a rapidly adopted procedure. VP was the synthesis of information gained from spinal biopsy developments, the inception of biomaterials used in medicine, and the unique health care climate in France during the 1980s. It was designed as a revolutionary technique to treat vertebral body fractures with minimal side effects and was rapidly adopted and marketed in the United States. The impact of percutaneous vertebroplasty on spine surgery was profound.


Cell Division: Tailoring a Swiftly Scaling Spindle.
A new study looks across frog species to identify molecular factors important in meiotic spindle scaling.


Consensus and development of document for management of stabilized acute decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in India.
Ensuring adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is an effective strategy to reduce mortality and readmission rates for heart failure (HF). Use of a checklist is one of the best tools to ensure GDMT. The aim was to develop a consensus document with a robust checklist for stabilized acute decompensated HF patients with reduced ejection fraction. While there are multiple checklists available, an India-specific checklist that is easy to fill and validated by regional and national subject matter experts (SMEs) is required. A total of 25 Cardiology SMEs who consented to participate from India discussed data from literature, current evidence, international guidelines and practical experiences in two national and four regional meetings. Recommendations included HF management, treatment optimization, and patient education. The checklist should be filled at four time points- (a) transition from intensive care unit to ward, (b) at discharge, (c) 1st follow-up and (d) subsequent follow-up. The checklist is the responsibility of the consultant or the treating physician which can be delegated to a junior resident or a trained HF nurse. This checklist will ensure GDMT, simplify transition of care and can be used by all doctors across India. Institutions, associations, and societies should recommend this checklist for adaptability in public and private hospital. Hospital administrations should roll out policy for adoption of checklist by ensuring patient files have the checklist at the time of discharge and encourage practice of filling it diligently during follow-up visits.


High-Preservation Single-Cell Operation through a Photo-responsive Hydrogel-Nanopipette System.
Single-cell and in situ cell-based operation with nanopipette approach offers a possibility to elucidate the intracellular processes and may aid the improvement of therapy efficiency and precision. We present here a photo-responsive hydrogel-nanopipette hybrid system that can achieve single-cell operation with high spatial/temporal resolution and negligible cell damage. This strategy overcomes long-time obstacles in nanopipette single-cell studies as high electric potential (ca. 1000 mV) or organic solvent is always used during operations, which would inevitably impose disturbance and damage to targeted cells. The light-triggered system promotes a potential-free, non-invasive single-cell injection, resulting in a well-retained cell viability (90 % survival rate). Moreover, the photo-driven injection enables a precisely dose-controllable single-cell drug delivery. Significantly reduced lethal doses of doxorubicin (163-217 fg cell-1 ) are demonstrated in corresponding cell lines.


The prognostic value of serum amyloid A for long-term mortality among patients with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
Despite extensive research in the last decade, the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) in atherogenesis remains highly controversial. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether SAA is associated with long-term mortality in patients with subclinical carotid artery disease. One thousand sixty-five patients with neurological asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis as evaluated by duplex sonography were prospectively followed for cause-specific mortality. During a median of 11.8 years, a total of 549 deaths, including 362 cardiovascular deaths, were recorded. Patients who died within the follow-up period had significantly higher baseline SAA serum levels compared to those who survived (12.9 vs 9.5 mg/dL; P < 0.001). In univariable Cox regression analysis, the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality significantly increased in patients with elevated serum levels of SAA (crude hazard ratio for cardiovascular mortality per increase of 1 SD of SAA levels was 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.22], P < 0.0001). However, SAA lost its significance after adjusting for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), suggesting that SAA might not be directly associated with atherogenesis, but rather be a mere reflection of the individual patient's inflammatory status. Serum amyloid A is not independently associated with (cardiovascular) mortality in patients with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.


Evaluation of five different renal recovery definitions for estimation of long-term outcomes of cardiac surgery associated acute kidney injury.
The commonly used recommended criteria for renal recovery are not unequivocal. This study compared five different definitions of renal recovery in order to evaluate long-term outcomes of cardiac surgery associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). Patients who underwent cardiac surgery between April 2009 and April 2013 were enrolled and divided into acute kidney injury (AKI) and non-AKI groups. The primary endpoint was 3-year major adverse events (MAEs) including death, new dialysis and progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). We compared five criteria for complete renal recovery: Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN): serum creatinine (SCr) at discharge returned to within baseline SCr + 0.5 mg/dL; Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI): returned to within 50% above baseline SCr; Pannu: returned to within 25% above baseline SCr; Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO): eGFR at discharge ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2; Bucaloiu: returned to ≥90% baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare risk factors for 3-year MAEs. The rate of complete recovery for ATN, ADQI, Pannu, KDIGO and Bucaloiu were 84.60% (n = 1242), 82.49% (n = 1211), 60.49% (n = 888), 68.60% (n = 1007) and 46.32% (n = 680). After adjusting for confounding factors, AKI with complete renal recovery was a risk factor for 3-year MAEs (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.20-2.38, P < 0.05; OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.03-2.04, P < 0.05) according to ATN and ADQI criteria, but not for KDIGO, Pannu and Bucaloiu criteria. We found that relative to patients who recovered to within 0% baseline SCr or recovered to ≥100% baseline eGFR, the threshold values at which significant differences in 3-year MAEs were observed were > 30% or > 0.4 mg/dL above baseline SCr or < 70% of baseline eGFR. ADQI or ATN-equivalent criteria may overestimate the extent of renal recovery, while KDIGO, Pannu and Bucaloiu equivalent criteria may be more appropriate for clinical use. Our analyses revealed that SCr at discharge > 30% or > 0.4 mg/dL of baseline, or eGFR < 70% of baseline led to significant 3-year MAE incidence differences, which may serve as hints for new definitions of renal recovery.


Web-based need-supportive parenting program to promote physical activity in secondary school students: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
Current global trend of insufficient physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents highlights the necessity of finding effective ways to promote PA in childhood. Self-determination theory (SDT) has demonstrated efficacy as a conceptual framework for developing interventions aimed at promoting diverse health behaviours. Parents have potential to influence children's health behaviours to a great extent, which could be enhanced from an online, self-paced training to gain knowledge on how to support children's intrinsic motivation towards particular health behaviour. In this pilot study, we developed and tested an online SDT-informed need-supportive training for parents, enabling them to interact with their children in a way to support their intrinsic motivation towards leisure-time physical activity. Sixty eight students (Mage = 12.5 ± 0.72) and one parent for each child were randomly assigned to the 6-week intervention condition or control condition. Students completed psychological measures (i.e., perceptions of parents' need-supportive behaviours, basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, autonomous and controlled forms of motivation, as well as social cognition beliefs towards leisure-time PA) and self-reported PA pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to test the effects of the intervention condition and time. While a statistically significant intervention effect on children's leisure-time PA was not found, students in the intervention group reported higher, albeit marginal, perceptions of intrinsic motivation (F(2, 84) = 3.095, p = 0.050) and lower perceptions of introjected regulation (F(2, 88) = 3.107, p = 0.050) and autonomy frustration (F(2, 84) = 2.987, p = 0.056) at follow-up. Contrary to expectations, children in the control group demonstrated higher perceptions of intention (F(2, 84) = 4.838, p = 0.010) and effort (F(2, 80) = 3.473, p = 0.036) towards leisure-time physical activity at follow-up. No significant changes were found in perceptions of need-supportive behaviour from parents, attitude, and perceived behavioural control. Our pilot study highlights the importance of parental training and the potential for SDT-informed interventions to support children's intrinsic motivation towards physical activity. Further research is needed to test the intervention in other domains and combine interventions in several domains to have the highest impact. This pilot study is part of preparation for the main study, prospectively registered in ISRCTN registry as ISRCTN78373974 (15.12.2022). The current stage of the main study is 'recruiting'.


3D Culture and Interferon-γ Priming Modulates Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells by Modifying the Expression of Both Intracellular and Exosomal microRNAs.
Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a therapeutic tool in regenerative medicine. Recent studies have shown that exosome (EXO)-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in mediating MSC functions. Additionally, intracellular miRNAs have been found to regulate MSC therapeutic capacities. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying miRNA-mediated MSC effects are not fully understood. We used 3D culture and IFN-γ to prime/enhance the MSC therapeutic effects in terms of functional miRNAs. After priming, our analysis revealed stable variations in intracellular miRNA among the MSC biological replicates. Conversely, a significant variability of miRNA was observed among EXOs released from biological replicates of the priming treatment. For each priming, we observed distinct miRNA expression profiles between the MSCs and their EXOs. Moreover, in both types of priming, gene ontology (GO) analysis of deregulated miRNAs highlighted their involvement in tissue repair/regeneration pathways. In particular, the 3D culture enhanced angiogenic properties in both MSCs and EXOs, while IFN-γ treatment enriched miRNAs associated with immunomodulatory pathways. These findings suggest that 3D culture and IFN-γ treatment are promising strategies for enhancing the therapeutic potential of MSCs by modulating miRNA expression. Additionally, the identified miRNAs may contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the miRNA-mediated therapeutic effects of MSCs.


Prazosin alone and combined with a beta-adrenoreceptor blocker in treatment of hypertension.
We recorded intra-arterial ambulatory blood pressure in 13 patients with essential hypertension before and after long-term twice-daily prazosin therapy (mean dosage 13.8 mg, SD 4.2 mg). Nine other patients with essential hypertension inadequately controlled with beta-adrenoreceptor blocking drugs were studied before and after the addition of long-term twice-daily prazosin therapy (mean dosage 8.8 mg, SD 6.7 mg). Ten patients, responders from both groups, then received once-daily prazosin, and intraarterial monitoring was repeated for a third time. Circadian curves from pooled hourly data showed no significant reduction of intra-arterial ambulatory blood pressure with prazosin alone. There was a slight reflex tachycardia. Nine patients receiving combination therapy showed a daytime reduction in blood pressure averaging 24/6 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Postural hypotension was recorded in both groups. Once-daily prazosin failed to control the blood pressure after 1700 h in the group of 10 patients defined as responders. Following combination therapy the blood pressure was reduced by 19/14 mm Hg at the peak of isometric hand grip and by 25/9 mm Hg on dynamic bicycle exercise. These data indicate that prazosin as an antihypertensive agent is best used in combination therapy with beta-adrenoreceptor blockade.


Changes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers during prolonged recombinant interferon alpha-2A treatment of chronic HBV infection.
Eleven HBsAg chronic carriers were treated with recombinant-interferon (rIFN)-alpha-2A with either 20 X 10(6) (n = 6) or 10 X 10(6) IU/m2 body surface (n = 5), i.m. twice weekly for 6 months. HBV-markers were tested monthly for 15 months. Throughout the follow-up, 6 patients (54%) became HBeAg, HBV-DNAp and HBV-DNA negative (responders). In addition, 8 were HBcAg-negative, 10 anti-HBc-IgM-negative and 2 HBsAg/IgM complexes negative. All patients gave polymerized human serum albumin receptors and HBsAg-positive results. The low rIFN dose seems to be more efficient for clearing HBV-markers than the high dose. Responder patients already showed lower (P less than 0.05) HBsAg concentration and HBsAg/IgM complexes levels in their basal samples as compared to non-responders, and exhibited under rIFN treatment significant decreases (P less than 0.05) in all HBV-markers studied. In conclusion, the most reliable HBV-markers to be assayed in the evaluation of antiviral therapy are HBV-DNA, HBV-DNAp or HBcAg. The testing of pHSA-R, HBsAg/IgM complexes and anti-HBc-IgM does not seem to be very useful.


Estimated Technological Obsolescence of Computed Tomography Equipment.
To evaluate a model for predicting technological obsolescence of computed tomography (CT) equipment. Baseline data consisted of various models of CT scanners that have been on the market since 1974 and represent a technological leap in CT. In documenting the CT scans, a principal component analysis was performed to reduce the number of variables. A Cox regression model was used to calculate the probability of a technology leap. The CT parameters were divided into three main components: detection system, image resolution, and device performance. Cox regression odds ratios show that a technology leap can be expected as a function of the variables device power (1.457), detection system (0.818), and image resolution (0.964). Our results show that the variables that predict the technological leap in CT are device performance, image resolution, and detection system. The results provide a better understanding of the expected technological changes in CT, which will lead to advances in planning investments in this technology, purchasing and installing equipment in hospitals where this type of technology is not yet available, and renewing the technological base already installed.


Immunological approaches to fertility regulation in domestic livestock.
Antibodies to hormones have been used extensively to study endocrine regulation of reproduction and in recent times they have been commercially exploited as therapeutic agents to manipulate reproduction. Despite the release of two commercial products, little is known about the mechanism of action of immunoneutralization. The presence of hormone-binding antibodies in the circulation and the detection of hormone antibody complexes in blood has led investigators to suggest a vascular site of action for immunoneutralization. However, a vascular site of action is difficult to reconcile with some of the known effects of immunoneutralization to the boar taint steroid (5 alpha-androst-16-en-3-one) to androstenedione and to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone. In this paper we review some of our recent research into the mechanism of action of androstenedione immunoneutralization. We suggest that hormonal immunoneutralization of androstenedione may take place in the extracellular compartment or within the plasma membrane where antibodies to androstenedione may bind to a specific steroid-binding protein in the plasma membrane of granulosa cells.


Assessment of vinyl polysiloxane as an innovative injection material for the anatomical study of vasculature.
There are numerous injection materials for the study of vasculature in anatomical specimens, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Latex and resins are the most widely used injection materials but need several days to set. The development of new materials taking shorter time to polymerize might be very useful to improve anatomic specimen study conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate vinyl polysiloxane (VPS), a silicon material widely used for dental impressions with the advantage to set very rapidly, as an injection material. We assessed the preparation, use, diffusion and setting time of the product in different anatomical regions (central nervous system, external carotid/jugular, lower limb) to observe its behavior in variably sized vessels. Our results suggest that VPS might be of interest for the study of vessels in anatomical specimens. The main strengths of the product are represented by (1) simplicity of use, as it is a ready-to-use material, (2) very rapid polymerization, (3) availability in a range of viscosities making easier the exploration of small vessels, (4) its better elasticity compared to resins, (5) and finally its availability in a range of colors making it a material of choice for vascular system dissections including those with very small caliber vessels.


Prolonged international normalized ratio and vascular injury at divisional level predict embolization failures of patients with iatrogenic renal vascular injuries.
Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), as an alternative to surgery for iatrogenic renal vascular injury (IRVI), may have unsatisfactory outcomes. Nonetheless, there is inadequate information regarding the predictors of TAE outcomes for IRVI in the literature. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the predictors of TAE outcomes for IRVI. Of 47 patients, none had major complications, 17 (36.2%) patients had minor complications, and none suffered significant renal function deterioration after TAE. Technical success and clinical success were 91.5% and 93.6%, respectively. Technical failure was associated with older age, thrombocytopenia, prolonged international normalized ratio (INR) and divisional IRVI. Clinical failure was associated with kidney failure, use of steroids, prolonged INR, and divisional IRVI. In addition, prolonged INR was a significant predictor of technical failure. This implies that aggressive measures to control the INR prior to TAE are warranted to facilitate technical success, and technical success could then be validated on post-TAE images. Furthermore, divisional IRVI was a predictor of clinical failure. Thus, divisional IRVI should undergo surgery first since TAE is prone to clinical failure. The avoidance of clinical failure is validated if divisional IRVI does not need further intervention.


Evaluation of radioactivity in soil and rock samples from an undiscovered sea beach in the southeastern coastline of Bangladesh and associated health risk.
This study marks the first-ever assessment of radiological hazards linked to the sands and rocks of Patuartek Sea Beach, situated along one of the world's longest sea beaches in Cox' Bazar of Bangladesh. Through the utilization of an HPGe detector, a comprehensive analysis of the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40 K was conducted, and their activity ranged from 7 to 23 Bq/kg, 9-58 Bq/kg, and 172-340 Bq/kg, respectively, in soils, and 19-24 Bq/kg, 27-39 Bq/kg, and 340-410 Bq/kg, respectively, in rocks. Some sand samples exhibited elevated levels of 232Th, while the rock samples displayed higher levels of 40 K compared to the global average. The radiological hazard parameters were assessed, and no values surpassed the recommended limits set by several international organizations. Hence, the sands and rocks of Patuartek sea beach pose no significant radiological risk to the residents or tourists. The findings of this study provide crucial insights for the development of a radiological baseline map in the country, which is important due to the commissioning of the country's first nuclear power plant Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The data may also stimulate interest in the rare-earth minerals present in the area, which is important for the electronics industry, thorium-based nuclear fuel cycles.


Effect of cavity depth on dentine sensitivity in man.
To determine if dentine at the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) in man is more sensitive to hydrostatic pressure stimuli then deeper dentine. Cavities (1mm diam.) were cut at the tips of the buccal and lingual cusps of 8 premolars in 3 subjects (ages: 22-25 years). Both cavities were initially deepened to expose the EDJ then one (the test cavity) was deepened in steps of 0.5mm to a maximum of 2.0 mm below the EDJ. The cavities were tested at each stage, before and after etching, with 5s, hydrostatic pressure stimuli between 400 mm above, and 400 mm below atmospheric. The intensity of any pain produced was recorded on a VAS scale and electrodes were placed in both cavities in an attempt to monitor any action potentials evoked in intradental nerves. In all the teeth, the intensity of the pain produced by a stimulus tended to increase as the cavity was deepened, as did the number of action potentials recorded (in 6 of the 8 teeth). The responses were greater from etched than unetched dentine, and negative pressures evoked greater responses than the corresponding positive pressures. There was no evidence that dentine close to the EDJ was more sensitive to hydrostatic pressure stimuli than deeper dentine. It may however be more sensitive to mechanical stimuli as it is more compliant.