Degradation of rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 heme by 3,5-dicarbethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-4-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine to irreversibly bound protein adducts.
Administration of 3,5-dicarbethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-4-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine (DDEP) (a structural analog of the dihydropyridine Ca2+ antagonists) to untreated, phenobarbital-, or dexamethasone-pretreated rats results in time-dependent losses of hepatic cytochrome P-450 content. Functional markers for various cytochrome P-450 isozymes have permitted the identification of P-450h, P-450 PB-1/k, and P-450p as the isozymes inactivated preferentially by the drug. DDEP-mediated cytochrome P-450 destruction may be reproduced in vitro, is most prominent after pretreatment of rats with dexamethasone, pregnenolone 16 alpha-carbonitrile or phenobarbital, and is blocked by triacetyloleandomycin. These findings together with the observation that DDEP markedly inactivates hepatic 2 beta- and 6 beta-testosterone hydroxylase and erythromycin N-demethylase tend to indict the steroid-inducible P-450p isozyme as a key protagonist in this event. The precise mechanism of such DDEP-mediated P-450p heme destruction is unclear, but involves prosthetic heme alkylation of the apocytochrome at its active site in what appears to be a novel mechanism-based "suicide" inactivation. Such inactivation appears to involve fragmentation of the heme to reactive metabolites that irreversibly bind to the protein, but the chemical structure of the heme-protein adducts is yet to be established. Intriguingly, such DDEP-mediated P-450p destruction in vivo also results in accelerated loss of immunochemically detectable apocytochrome P-450p. It remains to be determined whether or not this loss is due to enhanced proteolysis triggered by the structural modification of the apocytochrome.


Association between high normal-range thyrotropin concentration and carotid intima-media thickness in euthyroid premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
There are currently no established cutoff levels for thyrotropin (TSH) within the reference intervals associated with carotid atherosclerosis to prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to determine the TSH cutoff level associated with carotid maximum intima-media thickness (max IMT) in euthyroid premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 468 euthyroid women who had not been treated for or diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and/or metabolic disorders among 1221 Japanese women who participated in a comprehensive medical examination at the Hidaka Hospital, Japan. Participants' weight, blood pressure, plasma glucose, serum lipoprotein, free thyroxine and TSH were measured and an interview about menstruation was conducted. Carotid ultrasonography was performed to determine max IMT. Max IMT significantly increased stepwise as menopausal status progressed (p < 0.001). Serum TSH levels were significantly higher in participants with carotid plaques, defined as max IMT ≥1.1 mm (p = 0.038), and were independently associated with the presence of carotid plaque using multivariate logistic regression analysis (β =1.218, p = 0.036). In postmenopausal women, significantly higher carotid max IMT values were observed in women with serum TSH ≥2.5 μIU/mL compared with women with concentrations <2.5 μIU/mL (p = 0.018) without elevated total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. These differences were not observed in premenopausal women. Laboratory finding of serum TSH concentration ≥2.5 μIU/mL may be useful to assess risk of atherosclerosis, especially in postmenopausal women.


Nephrotoxigenic Penicillium species occurring on farm-stored cereal grains in western Canada.
The incidence of nephrotoxigenic Penicillium species on farm-stored cereals in western Canada was determined by morphological and metabolite profile examination. Of the 142 isolates examined 102 were toxin producers with 61 P. aurantiogriseum and 27 P. freii. Other nephrotoxigenic species included P. tricolor (6 isolates), P. verrucosum Chemotype II (4 isolates) and P. viridicatum Westling (4 isolates). The nephrotoxigenic Penicillium species profile for western Canada appears to differ from that of Denmark where P. verrucosum, P. cyclopium, P. freii and, to a lesser extent, P. aurantiogriseum, P. polonicum, and P. viridicatum predominate.


Antisense snoRNAs: a family of nucleolar RNAs with long complementarities to rRNA.
A growing subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) contains long stretches of sequence complementarity to conserved sequences in mature ribosomal RNA (rRNA). This article reviews current knowledge about these complementarities and proposes that these antisense snoRNAs might function in pre-rRNA folding, base modification and ribosomal ribonucleoprotein assembly, in some cases acting as RNA chaperones.


Conformal Conductive Features on Curvilinear Surfaces with Self-Assembled Silver Nanoplate Thin Films.
In this study, a water transfer method was developed to fabricate conducive thin-film patterns on 3D curvilinear surfaces. Crystalline silver nanoplates (AgNPLs) with a dimension of 700 nm and a thickness of 35 nm were suspended in ethanol with an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, to improve the suspension stability. The prepared AgNPL suspension was then spread over the water surface via the Langmuir-Blodgett approach to generate a self-assembled thin film. By dipping an accepting object with a robotic arm, the floating AgNPL thin film with nanometer thickness can be effectively transferred to the object surfaces and exhibited a superior conductivity up to 15% of bulk silver without thermal sintering. Besides good conductivity, the AgNPL conductive thin films can also be transferred efficiently on any curvilinear (concave and convex) surface. Moreover, with the help of masks, conductive patterns can be produced on water surfaces and transferred to curvilinear surfaces for electronic applications. As a proof of concept, several examples were demonstrated to display the capability of this approach for radiofrequency identification and other printed circuit applications.


Adapting to the world: The determination and plasticity of T follicular helper cells.
Antibodies are crucial in host defenses as well as in allergic diseases. T follicular helper (TFH) cells play essential roles in germinal center reactions by facilitating B-cell differentiation and immunoglobulin affinity maturation and isotype switching. Although TFH cells have a unique gene transcription program and regulatory network, recently there has been increasing evidence of TFH cell plasticity, with some TFH cells expressing genes typically related to other types of effector T cells associated with different types of Ig subclasses and in the context of different pathogen infections and health conditions. Here, we review the plasticity of TFH cells in various types of immune responses. We also point out the important implications of TFH plasticity in understanding and treating human diseases, including allergy.


Using support vector machine to predict eco-environment burden: a case study of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
The human socio-economic development depends on the planet's natural capital. Humans have had a considerable impact on the earth, such as resources depression and environment deterioration. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of socio-economic development on the ecological environment of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, during the general planning period 2006-2020. Support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed to simulate the process of eco-economic system of Wuhan. Socio-economic factors of urban total ecological footprint (TEF) were selected by partial least squares (PLS) and leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV). Historical data of socio-economic factors as inputs, and corresponding historical data of TEF as target outputs, were presented to identify and validate the SVM model. When predicted input data after 2005 were presented to trained model as generalization sets, TEFs of 2005, 2006,..., till 2020 were simulated as output in succession. Up to 2020, the district would have suffered an accumulative TEF of 28.374 million gha, which was over 1.5 times that of 2004 and nearly 3 times that of 1988. The per capita EF would be up to 3.019 gha in 2020. The simulation indicated that although the increase rate of GDP would be restricted in a lower level during the general planning period, urban ecological environment burden could not respond to the socio-economic circumstances promptly. SVM provides tools for dynamic assessment of regional eco-environment. However, there still exist limitations and disadvantages in the model. We believe that the next logical step in deriving better dynamic models of ecosystem is to integrate SVM and other algorithms or technologies.


Updated genetic testing of Italian patients referred with a clinical diagnosis of primary hyperoxaluria.
Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) is a rare autosomal recessive disease commonly arising in childhood and presenting with nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis and/or chronic renal failure. Three genes are currently known as responsible: alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGXT, PH type 1), glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase (GRHPR, PH type 2), and 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate aldolase (HOGA1, PH type 3). In our Centre, at the end of 2014 molecular diagnosis of PH1 had been performed in 80 patients, while one patient received a PH2 diagnosis. Fifteen patients referred to our Centre and suspected to have PH on clinical grounds were negative for pathogenic variants in the entire coding sequence and exon-intron boundaries of the AGXT gene. Therefore, we extended the analysis to the AGXT promoter region and the GRHPR and HOGA1 genes. Two patients were heterozygous for two novel AGXT-promoter variants (c.-647C > T, c.-424C > T) that were probably non pathogenic. One patient was homozygous for a novel HOGA1 variant of intron 2 (c.341-81delT), whose pathogenicity predicted by in silico splicing tools was not confirmed by a minigene splicing assay in COS-7 and HEK293T cells. New genetic subtypes of PH can be hypothesized in our patients, that may be caused by mutations in other gene encoding proteins of glyoxylate metabolism. Alternatively, some kind of mutations (e.g., deletions/duplications, deep intronic splicing regulatory variants) could be missed in a few cases, similarly to other genetic diseases.


68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT Uptake in Cutis Verticis Gyrata.
68 Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT scan for restaging revealed increased 68 Ga-PSMA uptake in cutis verticis gyrata (CVG) in a patient with prostate cancer. Cutis verticis gyrata is an uncommon disorder in which the scalp thickens and mimics the cerebral cortex with deep grooves and folds. Several studies have demonstrated 68 Ga-PSMA uptake in noncancerous conditions. This case illustrates another instance of a benign illness accompanied by increased 68 Ga-PSMA uptake.


An improved neutron autoradiography set-up for (10)B concentration measurements in biological samples.
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a binary hadrontherapy which exploits the neutron capture reaction in boron, together with a selective uptake of boronated substances by the neoplastic tissue. There is increasing evidence that future improvements in clinical BNCT will be triggered by the discovery of new boronated compounds, with higher selectivity for the tumor with respect to clinically used sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boronophenylalanine (BPA). Therefore, a (10)B quantification technique for biological samples is needed in order to evaluate the performance of new boronated formulations. This article describes an improved neutron autoradiography set-up employing radiation sensitive films where the latent tracks are made visible by proper etching conditions. Calibration curves for both liquid and tissue samples were obtained. The obtained calibration curves were adopted to set-up a mechanism to point out boron concentration in the whole sample.


A Comparison of Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion Combined With Artificial Disc Replacement and Cage Fusion in Patients With Multilevel Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.
A retrospective study. The aim of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes of anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) combined with artificial disc replacement (C-ADR) and ACCF combined with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with consecutive 3-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). The optimal surgical strategy for multilevel CSM (MCSM) remains undefined. C-ADR maintains motion at the level of the surgical procedure and decreases strain on the adjacent segments. The clinical results of multilevel C-ADR have not yet been elucidated. ACCF combined with 1-level C-ADR for the treatment of consecutive 3-level CSM may be a reasonable alternative to 3-level fusion. We retrospectively reviewed the histories of patients who underwent surgery for consecutive 3-level CSM between C3-4 and C6-7 from June 2007 to August 2011. A total of 42 patients were divided into 2 groups. Group A (n = 19) underwent ACCF combined with 1-level C-ADR; group B (n = 23) underwent ACCF combined with 1-level ACDF. We compared perioperative parameters, clinical parameters, and radiological parameters. There were no significant differences in the average age, sex ratio, the preoperative heights of the disc space or average blood loss between the 2 groups. Group A had longer operation times than group B (P < 0.05). During the follow-up period, group A showed a better Neck Dysfunction Index recovery (P < 0.05) at 24 months postoperatively, and less visual analogue scale scores at 12 and 24 months postoperatively (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, group A exhibited better C2-C7 range of motion recovery at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively (P < 0.05, respectively). Group A was superior to Group B in terms of better Neck Dysfunction Index recovery, less intermediate term pain, and better C2-C7 ROM recovery. ACCF hybrid 1-level C-ADR may be a suitable choice for the management of 3-level CSM in appropriate patients. 3.


The Effect of Different Output Powers of Blue Diode Laser along with Curcumin and Riboflavin against Streptococcus mutans around Orthodontic Brackets: An In Vitro Study.
The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) using the blue diode laser (BDL) with different output powers and the photosensitizers riboflavin and curcumin on reducing the number of Streptococcus mutans around orthodontic brackets. A total of 36 orthodontic brackets were contaminated with S. mutans and randomly assigned to 12 groups as follows: control, riboflavin alone, riboflavin + BDL with an output power of 200, 300, 400, or 500 mW, and curcumin alone, curcumin + BDL with an output power of 200, 300, 400, or 500 mW, and 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX-positive control). Orthodontic brackets were irradiated with a BDL (wavelength 445 nm) at a power density of 0.4-1.0 W/cm2 for 30 s. All orthodontic brackets were examined under a stereomicroscope at 10× magnification. Mean colony-forming units (CFUs)/mL were measured before and after treatment. A one-way analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test was performed to compare CFU/mL between groups. CHX and curcumin plus BDL with an output power of 500 mW had the highest reduction in S. mutans colony numbers (p < 0.001). The curcumin groups were more effective than the riboflavin groups. Riboflavin alone and riboflavin + BDL with an output power of 200 mW showed no significant difference from the control group (p = 0.99 and 0.74, respectively). Our results suggest that aPDT using curcumin as a photosensitizer plus BDL with an output power of 500 mW and a power density of 1.0 W/cm2 at a wavelength of 445 nm can effectively reduce colonies of S. mutans around stainless steel brackets.


Pharmacological control of ciliary activity in the young sea urchin larva. Studies on the role of Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotides.
The ciliary stimulation by monoamines is enhanced by adenylcyclase activators and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor indicating that cAMP is a mediator, a conclusion supported by the effects of db-cAMP. The role of cGMP is also examined. When stimulation exceeds certain levels, it is overpowered by some inhibitory feedback mechanism. The effects of altered Ca2+ concentrations, Ca2+ antagonists and a Ca2+ ionophore suggest that Ca2+ is involved in ciliary excitation as well as in the inhibitory mechanism. These suggestions are examined by experiments on the influence of altered Ca2+ concentrations and of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor on the response to various agents.


Comparison of the effects on penetration capacity of human spermatozoa between using Ham's F-10 medium and a medium based on the composition of human tubal fluid.
The penetration ability of human spermatozoa on zona-free hamster ovum when using Ham's F-10 (HF-10) medium was compared with that when using a medium based on the composition of human tubal fluid. Forty semen specimens were each divided into two aliquots; one aliquot was washed with and incubated in HF-10 medium and the other in HTF medium. The penetration rate of sperm with motility between 30 to 60 percent was significantly increased when HTF medium was used (67.9 +/- 6.9%) compared with the rate when HF-10 medium was used (49.2 +/- 7.3%) (P less than 0.05). This study shows that the ZFHO penetration ability of human spermatozoa with poor motility can be improved by using HTF medium as compared with the use of HF-10 medium.


Shear bond strength of AH-26 and Epiphany to composite resin and Resilon.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative bond strengths of AH-26 and Epiphany sealers to both Resilon and composite resin. Four groups of substrate/bonded sealer combinations were tested: group A, composite resin substrate + Epiphany sealer; group B, composite resin substrate + AH-26 sealer; group C, Resilon substrate + Epiphany sealer; and group D, Resilon substrate + AH-26 sealer. Bond strength was evaluated in shear mode by using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Statistical analysis (Kruskall-Wallis and Dunn tests) showed that the bond strength of AH-26 to both substrates was significantly greater than the bond strength of Epiphany. Therefore, the monoblock in the root canal might be more effectively achieved by combining Resilon core material with the epoxy resin-based sealer (AH-26) rather than Epiphany sealer.


Evaluation of a novel chromogenic medium for Candida spp. identification and comparison with CHROMagar™ Candida for the detection of Candida auris in surveillance samples.
A shift to Candida non-albicans infections has been noted during the last years, and the emergence of multi-resistant Candida auris has complicated their management. The aim of this study was first to compare the performance of the novel chromogenic medium CHROMagar™ Candida Plus (CHROMagar, France) with CHROMagar™ Candida (Becton Dickinson, Germany) for the presumptive identification of Candida species; and then, to evaluate its utility in the detection of C. auris in surveillance samples. CHROMagar™ Candida Plus showed a good performance compared with the reference medium CHROMagar™ Candida. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% in both media for tested species at 48 h of incubation, except for Candida glabrata and Candida lusitaniae. Furthermore, the new medium allows a reliable presumptive identification of C. auris, as a new specific color for this species is assigned (light blue with a blue halo), obtaining a sensitivity and specificity of 100% at 36 h of incubation.


Simulation analysis of conduction of excitation in the atrioventricular node.
The excitation conduction in the atrioventricular node was simulated based on the spatially discrete model of the heart proposed in an earlier paper (Kawato et al., 1986). We constructed a model system composed of the atrium, the atrioventricular node and the Purkinje fiber. Coupling coefficients between these tissues were quantitatively estimated from experimental data on size and membrane capacitance of the three kinds of cardiac cells. We found the following three important features in the simulated excitation conduction along the atrioventricular node. First, shape of action potential was found to be different at different locations of the atrioventricular node although the membrane properties were assumed uniform through the atrioventricular node. Our analysis suggests that the difference in the action potential waveforms observed by Paes de Carvalho & De Almedia (1960) can be ascribed to the electrical influences of the atrium and the His bundle on the atrioventricular node. Second, when the excitation wavefront invaded the atrioventricular node from the atrium, a step was observed in the depolarization phase of the action potential at the atrioventricular node neighboring with the atrium. Janse found a similar step in the real experiment (1969). It is revealed that this step is caused by termination of the junctional current which flows from the atrium to the atrioventricular node. Finally, we found that the conduction velocity measured near the boundary between the atrium and the atrioventricular node was lower than that in the middle part of the atrioventricular node, which is in accordance with the experimental observation by Scher et al. (1959).


Acute changes in whole body corticosterone in response to perceived predation risk: A mechanism for anti-predator behavior in anurans?
Anuran larvae exhibit behavioral and morphological plasticity in response to perceived predation risk, although response type and magnitude varies through ontogeny. Increased baseline corticosterone is related to morphological response to predation risk, whereas the mechanism behind behavioral plasticity remains enigmatic. Since tadpoles alter behavioral responses to risk immediately upon exposure to predator cues, we characterized changes in whole body corticosterone at an acute (<1h post-exposure) timescale. Tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) at Gosner stage (GS) 25 (free-swimming, feeding larvae) increased corticosterone levels to a peak at 10-20min post-exposure to predator cues, paralleling the acute stress response observed among other taxa. Tadpoles reared for 3weeks (mean GS29) with predation risk (caged, fed Aeshnid dragonfly nymph) had lower corticosterone levels at 10-20min post-exposure to dragonfly cues than predator-naïve controls, suggesting habituation, although the magnitude of increase was markedly diminished when compared to younger tadpoles (GS25). These experiments represent the first assessment of tadpole hormonal responses to predation risk at the acute timescale. Further research is required to establish causality between hormonal responses and behavioral changes, and to examine how and why responsiveness changes over ontogeny and with chronic exposure to risk.


hipFG: High-throughput harmonization and integration pipeline for functional genomics data.
Preparing functional genomic (FG) data with diverse assay types and file formats for integration into analysis workflows that interpret genome-wide association and other studies is a significant and time-consuming challenge. Here we introduce hipFG, an automatically customized pipeline for efficient and scalable normalization of heterogenous FG data collections into standardized, indexed, rapidly searchable analysis-ready datasets while accounting for FG datatypes (e.g., chromatin interactions, genomic intervals, quantitative trait loci).


A study on the sustainability assessment of China's basic medical insurance fund under the background of population aging-evidence from Shanghai.
As China's population aging process accelerates, the expenditure of China's basic medical insurance fund for employees may increase significantly, which may threaten the sustainability of China's basic medical insurance fund for employees. This paper aims to forecast the future development of China's basic medical insurance fund for employees in the context of the increasingly severe aging of the population. This paper taking an empirical study from Shanghai as an example, constructs an actuarial model to analyze the impact of changes in the growth rate of per capita medical expenses due to non-demographic factors and in the population structure on the sustainability of the basic medical insurance fund for employees. Shanghai basic medical insurance fund for employees can achieve the goal of sustainable operation in 2021-2035, with a cumulative balance of 402.150-817.751 billion yuan in 2035. The lower the growth rate of per capita medical expenses brought about by non-demographic factors, the better the sustainable operation of the fund. Shanghai basic medical insurance fund for employees can operate sustainably in the next 15 years, which can further reduce the contribution burden of enterprises, which lays the foundation for improving the basic medical insurance treatment for employees.


Expression of p53 protein in normal, dysplastic, and malignant gastric mucosa: an immunohistochemical study.
Mutations in the p53 nuclear oncogene are the most frequent genetic abnormalities encountered in human malignancies. Using the polyclonal antibody CM-1, we have examined the expression of the p53 oncoprotein immunohistochemically in archival material of normal, dysplastic, and malignant gastric mucosa. Abnormal expression of this protein was not observed in biopsies of normal gastric tissue (n = 30) but was detected in 22 of the 36 gastric cancers analysed (61 per cent). Nuclear staining was diffuse in 15 of the positive cancer cases, the remaining seven showing a more varied heterogeneous staining pattern. Abnormal p53 protein was not detected in mild (n = 14) or moderate (n = 16) gastric dysplasia but was present in 3 out of 15 severe dysplasia cases. The results suggest that expression of the p53 oncoprotein is a common finding in gastric cancer and occurs as a late event in the malignant transformation process.


Multicentric experience with interferon gamma therapy in sepsis induced immunosuppression. A case series.
The sepsis-induced immunodepression contributes to impaired clinical outcomes of various stress conditions. This syndrome is well documented and characterized by attenuated function of innate and adaptive immune cells. Several pharmacological interventions aimed to restore the immune response are emerging of which interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is one. It is of paramount relevance to obtain clinical information on optimal timing of the IFNγ-treatment, -tolerance, -effectiveness and outcome before performing a RCT. We describe the effects of IFNγ in a cohort of 18 adult and 2 pediatric sepsis patients. In this open-label prospective multi-center case-series, IFNγ treatment was initiated in patients selected on clinical and immunological criteria early (< 4 days) or late (> 7 days) following the onset of sepsis. The data collected in 18 adults and 2 liver transplanted pediatric patients were: clinical scores, monocyte expression of HLA-DR (flow cytometry), lymphocyte immune-phenotyping (flow cytometry), IL-6 and IL-10 plasma levels (ELISA), bacterial cultures, disease severity, and mortality. In 15 out of 18 patients IFNγ treatment was associated with an increase of median HLA-DR expression from 2666 [IQ 1547; 4991] to 12,451 [IQ 4166; 19,707], while the absolute number of lymphocyte subpopulations were not affected, except for the decrease number of NK cells 94.5 [23; 136] to 32.5 [13; 90.8] (0.0625)]. Plasma levels of IL-6 464 [201-770] to 108 (89-140) ng/mL (p = 0.04) and IL-10 from IL-10 from 29 [12-59] to 9 [1-15] pg/mL decreased significantly. Three patients who received IFNγ early after ICU admission (<4 days) died. The other patients had a rapid clinical improvement assessed by the SOFA score and bacterial cultures that were repeatedly positive became negative. The 2 pediatric cases improved rapidly, but 1 died for hemorrhagic complication. Guided by clinical and immunological monitoring, adjunctive immunotherapy with IFNγ appears well-tolerated in our cases and improves immune host defense in sepsis induced immuno suppression. Randomized clinical studies to assess its potential clinical benefit are warranted.


[Effect of nutritional state on cardiopulmonary exercise performance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
To explore the effect of nutritional state on cardiopulmonary exercise performance of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. 43 COPD patients and 20 healthy controls performed incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing with cycle ergometer. Nutritional assessment and routine lung function studies were performed in all subjects before testing. (1) Compared with the normally nourished COPD group, the malnourished group showed greater reduction in Wmax, VO(2)max, O(2)pulsemax, and AT (P < 0.05), whereas VO(2)/W/V(E) and DImax were higher in the malnourished group (P < 0.05). (2) IBW% was positively correlated with VO(2)max, Wmax, O(2)pulsemax, AT (r = 0.696, 0.432, 0.717, 0.822, P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with DImax and VO(2)/W/V(E) (r = -0.450, -0.640, P < 0.01) in COPD patients. Malnutrition adversely affected muscle aerobic capacity and exercise tolerance in COPD patients.


Tumoral form of aspergillosis in central nervous system (cerebral aspergilloma): case report.
Aspergillosis of the central nervous system is an uncommon infection, mainly occurring in immunocompromised patients. It may be presented in several forms: meningitis, mycotic aneurysms, infarcts and the tumoral form (aspergilloma). The authors report a case of a diabetic patient with cerebral aspergilloma.


Co-inoculation of Staphylococcus piscifermentans and salt-tolerant yeasts inhibited biogenic amines formation during soy sauce fermentation.
With the increasing popularity of soy sauce containing high amounts of amino acid nitrogen (AAN) in China and the positive correlation of biogenic amines (BAs) with AAN, reducing BAs formation during soy sauce fermentation has become an urgent task. In this work, the effect of salt-tolerant yeasts and Staphylococcus piscifermentans on BAs formation was extensively studied. Combined inoculation for different osmotolerant yeast strains indicated that Z. rouxii CICC 1417 and T. candida CICC 1019 co-inoculation produced the lowest amount of BAs (89.43 mg/L). Furthermore, co-inoculation of soy sauce mash with S. piscifermentans and salt-tolerant yeasts reduced the BAs production by 31.51% under laboratory-scale experiments. Only 133.40 g/L BAs were produced after S. piscifermentans inoculation in 50-T fermentator, and this value was 63.25% lower than that of the control. Most of the alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, and esters were increased, whereas bacteria, such as Pediococcus, Weissella, and Streptococcus, were inhibited and thus reduced BAs formation. The increased abundance in Zygosaccharomyces and Pichia may contribute to the improvement in volatile compound production. These findings reveal the high potential of the co-inoculation of S. piscifermentans and salt-tolerant yeasts for soy sauce production with limited BAs formation.


Hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HGS) and guanylate kinase 1 (GUK1) are differentially expressed in GH-secreting adenomas.
Pituitary tumors, adenomas in their vast majority, represent around 10-15% of the intracranial neoplasms. Pituitary carcinomas are exceedingly rare. Clinically, these neoplasms cause hormonal dysfunctions, and mass effect symptoms as headache and visual disorders in the case of macroadenomas. Pituitary tumorigenesis is still poorly understood. In order to investigate the expression of cancer-related genes in pituitary tumors, we employed a human cancer cDNA macroarray membrane with 1176 well-characterized human genes related to cancer and tumor biology. We were able to identify several differentially expressed genes, among them hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HGS) and guanylate kinase 1 (GUK1) which were over expressed in a pool of clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, compared with a spinal cord metastasis of a nonfunctioning pituitary carcinoma. HGS and GUK1 mRNA expression were chosen to be validated by quantitative RT-qPCR, however, only GUK1 had the differential expression confirmed between the adenomas and the metastasis of a pituitary carcinoma. We have also investigated HGS and GUK1 mRNA expressions in a series of 46 pituitary adenomas (18 nonfunctioning, 12 GH-secreting, nine PRL-secreting, and seven ACTH-secreting adenomas). HGS and GUK1 were significantly over expressed in GH-secreting adenomas, compared with ACTH-secreting adenomas and nonfunctioning tumors, and with PRL-secreting adenomas, respectively. We have shown that these genes, involved in tumorigenesis in other tissues, are as well over expressed in the pituitary tumors, however, their role in the oncogenesis of these tumors need to be further investigated.


Examination of the Relationship and Dissociation Between Minimum Minute Ventilation/Carbon Dioxide Production and Minute Ventilation vs. Carbon Dioxide Production Slope.
Minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (V̇E/V̇CO2) is a variable of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), which is evaluated by arterial CO2pressure and ventilation-perfusion mismatch via invasive methods. This study evaluated substitute non-invasively obtained variables for minimum V̇E/V̇CO2(Min) and V̇E vs. V̇CO2slope (Slope) and the relationship between Min and Slope.Methods and Results:This study enrolled 1,052 patients with heart disease who underwent CPET and impedance cardiography simultaneously. At first, the correlations between the end-tidal CO2pressure (PETCO2), tidal volume/respiratory rate (TV/RR) ratio, V̇E and V̇CO2Y-intercept (Y-int), and cardiac index (CI) and the Min and Slope were investigated. Second, the correlation between Min and Slope was investigated. PETCO2showed the largest correlation value among the 4 variables. These 4 variables could reveal 84.2% and 81.9% of Min and Slope, respectively. Although Slope correlated with Min (R=0.868) and predicted 78.9% of Min, considering these 4 variables, Slope+Y-int was more strongly correlated with Min (R=0.940); the Slope+Y-int revealed 90.6% of the Min relationship in the multiple regression analysis. Over 80% of the Min and Slope values were revealed with the above-mentioned 4 variables collected non-invasively. The formula, Min∝Slope+Y-int, can reveal >90% of the Min/Slope relationships, and the Y-int may be a crucial factor to clarify the relationship between Min and Slope.


Restriction of glycolipids to the outer half of a plasma membrane: concanavalin A labeling of membrane halves in Acanthamoeba castellanii.
Fracture-label, a method that permits the cytochemical characterization of faces produced by freeze-fracture, was used to determine the partition and distribution of a glycolipid on membrane fracture faces of Acanthamoeba castellanii cells. After treatment with concanavalin A (Con A), the glycolipid (a lipophosphonoglycan, LPG) was labeled with colloidal gold coated with horseradish peroxidase. The label was abundant over exoplasmic fracture faces (face E) of plasma membranes, but absent from protoplasmic fracture faces (face P). We conclude that, in A. castellanii, glycolipid molecules are restricted to the outer half of the plasma membrane. This conclusion is confirmed by experiments with cells disrupted by freezing and thawing, where access of label to the cell interior did not result in labeling of the inner surface. Our results establish the exclusive localization of a glycolipid to the outer half of a plasma membrane. Fracture-label is proposed as a new technique to investigate the distribution and partition of glycolipids in plasma and intracellular membrane halves.


Improving a cortical pyramidal neuron model's classification performance on a real-world ecg dataset by extending inputs.
Pyramidal neurons display a variety of active conductivities and complex morphologies that support nonlinear dendritic computation. Given growing interest in understanding the ability of pyramidal neurons to classify real-world data, in our study we applied both a detailed pyramidal neuron model and the perceptron learning algorithm to classify real-world ECG data. We used Gray coding to generate spike patterns from ECG signals as well as investigated the classification performance of the pyramidal neuron's subcellular regions. Compared with the equivalent single-layer perceptron, the pyramidal neuron performed poorly due to a weight constraint. A proposed mirroring approach for inputs, however, significantly boosted the classification performance of the neuron. We thus conclude that pyramidal neurons can classify real-world data and that the mirroring approach affects performance in a way similar to non-constrained learning.


Three immunologically similar atrial natriuretic factor receptors.
One of the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) receptors is a 180 kDa protein (180 kDa mGC) which possesses the extraordinary characteristic of being bifunctional: it is both a receptor and a guanylate cyclase. In addition to the 180 kDa mGC, there exists another 120-130 kDa protein which is also bifunctional and a 120 kDa disulfide-linked dimeric cell surface protein that is an ANF receptor, but is not a part of guanylate cyclase. A fundamental question that needs to be resolved is: Are these three apparently biochemically distinct ANF receptors structurally similar? With the aid of affinity crosslinking techniques, a highly specific antibody to the 180 kDa mGC, and GTP-affinity techniques, we now demonstrate the presence of three immunologically similar proteins in rat adrenal gland and testes. These proteins migrate as 180 kDa, 130 kDa and 65 kDa under denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and specifically bind ANF, raising one or more of the following possibilities about their relationships: 1) Degradation of 180 kDa to 130 kDa and 65 kDa occurs during purification; 2) 180 kDa bears a precursor-product relationship with 130 kDa and 65 kDa, suggesting the role of a protease in the processing procedure; 3) these proteins are a result of gene splicing; or 4) they are the products of three separate, but very closely related genes.


Naloxone as narcotic antagonist after balanced anaesthesia.
Different modes of naloxone administration were studied in 100 patients following N2O-O2-relaxant anaesthesia, where fentanyl was administered for analgesia according to a standardized dose schedule (mean 4.3 microgram/kg/h). After reversal of muscular relaxation, the patients were randomly given naloxone--either 1.0 or 2.5 microgram/kg i.v. or 2.5 or 5.0 microgram/kg i.m., or none (control). Each group consisted of 20 patients. Awakening was fastest after 2.5 microgram/kg i.v. of naloxone (1.8 +/- 0.1 min), the time being significantly shorter (P less than 0.025) than in the control group (2.7 +/- 0.4 min). After 15 min, the minute volume and frequency of respiration were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in all naloxone groups than in the control group. However, the arterialized venous PCO2 did not show significant differences during the recovery. It is therefore suggested that naloxone reversal may cause an increase in CO2 production. The immediate postoperative pain (score 0-3) was mildest in the control group (1.0 mean) and severest after 2.5 microgram/kg i.v. of naloxone (1.8 mean); the difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). The groups receiving 1.0 microgram/kg i.v. and 2.5 microgram/kg i.m. did not differ from each other (1.2 mean). Nausea and vomiting were reported more often after 5.0 microgram/kg im. of naloxone than in other groups. After moderate doses of fentanyl during balanced anaesthesia, routine use of naloxone does not seem to be necessary, but if rapid recovery is essential, 1.0 microgram/kg i.v. or 2.5 microgram/kg i.m. of naloxone may be recommended and these doses do not cause a higher incidence of side effects.


Understanding the link between antimicrobial properties of dietary olive phenolics and bacterial ATP synthase.
The naturally occurring olive phenolics tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), and oleuropein are known to have antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial properties. In the current study, we examined whether the antimicrobial properties of tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, DHPG, and oleuropein were linked to the inhibition of bacterial ATP synthase. Tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, DHPG, and oleuropein inhibited Escherichia coli wild-type and mutant membrane-bound F1Fo ATP synthase to variable degrees. The growth properties of wild-type, null, and mutant strains in presence of above olive phenolics were also abrogated to variable degrees on limiting glucose and succinate. Tyrosol and oleuropein synergistically inhibited the wild-type enzyme. Comparative wild-type and mutant F1Fo ATP synthase inhibitory profiles suggested that αArg-283 is an important residue and olive phenolics bind at the polyphenol binding pocket of ATP synthase. Growth patterns of wild-type, null, and mutant strains in the presence of tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, DHPG, and oleuropein also hint at the possibility of additional molecular targets. Our results demonstrated that ATP synthase can be used as a molecular target and the antimicrobial properties of olive phenolics in general and tyrosol in particular can be linked to the binding and inhibition of bacterial ATP synthase.


Delayed relapse of Churg-Strauss syndrome manifesting as colon ulcers with mucosal granulomas: 3 cases.
Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is characterized by small vessel vasculitis and extravascular granulomas. The American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for CSS include asthma, eosinophili, and clinical manifestation of vasculitis. Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations occur in 30% of patients, but are inaugural in only 16%. They denote vasculitis of the stomach and small bowel wall, and consist in protean, nonspecific pain. GI involvement is of adverse prognostic significance in CSS. Ulcer formation in the GI tract mucosa is a rarer manifestation, usually discovered upon laparotomy or autopsy. We describe 3 new cases of colonic ulcers in CSS. Unusual features were diagnosis of the ulcers during a delayed relapse and presence of eosinophilic granulomas within the mucosa.


Fluorescence and energy transfer of tryptophans in Aplysia myoglobin.
The fluorescence decay of tryptophan residues in apo and met Aplysia limacina myoglobin and sperm whale myoglobin were measured in aqueous solution at 10 degrees-15 degrees C. In all species, multiexponential behavior was observed in which the individual components displayed unique frequency-dependent emission characteristics. The results suggest that the tryptophan fluorescence in all met samples are quenched by rapid Forster energy transfer to the heme as predicted from the crystal geometry. Fluorescence from the apo protein is similar to that in solutions of free tryptophans. In addition, the fluorescence properties of the reversible thermal denaturation of Aplysia limacina met myoglobin was investigated between 25 degrees and 75 degrees C.


An insight into the micellization of dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA).
In this work, we report the effect of concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the micellization of a cationic surfactant, dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB). Several samples covering a wide range of concentrations of protein and surfactant have been investigated. The interactions between the moieties are investigated by measuring fluorescence quenching of BSA molecules. The aggregation number of DDAB micelles is found to be small in the presence of BSA. The formation of DDAB-BSA complex is confirmed by FTIR. Absorbance spectroscopy indicates that at higher concentration, the conformational stability of BSA in DDAB is higher. The viscosity data for protein-surfactant systems confirm conformational changes in protein chains induced by the surfactant. The cmc values for DDAB increase with increasing concentration of BSA. At higher temperatures the micellization-complexation becomes enthalpy-dominated.


Two Birds with One Stone: Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Small Cell Lung Cancer Imaged with [18F]Fluorocholine Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.
We describe the case of a 67-year-old male patient with a moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of the right liver lobe who underwent [18F]fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for staging due to a suspicious lung lesion at previous CT scan. [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT showed increased radiopharmaceutical uptake in a liver lesion corresponding to the known HCC. Furthermore, a right pulmonary hilar lesion suspicious for metastatic spread of HCC showed increased radiopharmaceutical uptake. Surprisingly, the histological assessment of the thoracic lesion demonstrated the presence of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The patient underwent treatment with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for the SCLC and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for the HCC. The patient died after one year due to progressive SCLC. This case demonstrates that coexisting tumors showing increased cell membrane turnover, including SCLC, can be detected by [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT. In our case, [18F]fluorocholine PET/CT findings influenced the patient management in terms of histological verification and different treatment of the detected lesions.


Primary anterior mediastinal malignant teratoma. A case report with long-term survival.
Primary anterior mediastinal malignant teratoma is an uncommon tumor. A 17-year-old girl presented with an advanced tumor extending parasternally. Therapy consisted of intraarterial iododeoxyuridine and irradiation followed by surgical resection after failing multidrug therapy. The patient is without evidence of disease 23 years after therapy.


Recurrence in a different location of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation in a child after radiosurgery.
The case of a 9-year-old girl with a right parietal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain obliterated after gamma knife (GK) radiosurgery with subsequent regrowth in a different site is reported. As far as we know, this is the first reported case of regrowth of an AVM in a different location after radiosurgery in a child. This situation has to be considered within the context of causes of unsuccessful treatment of AVMs with radiosurgery and justifies angiographic monitoring of pediatric patients until they reach adulthood.


Structural, biosynthetic and serological cross-reactive elucidation of capsular polysaccharides from Streptococcus pneumoniae serogroup 28.
Capsular polysaccharides (CPS) are the key virulent factors in the pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The previously unknown CPS structures of the pneumococcal serotype 28F and 28A were thoroughly characterized by NMR spectroscopy, chemical analysis and AF4-MALS-dRI. The following repeat unit structures were determined: -4)[α-l-Rhap-[4-P-2-Gro]]-(1-3)-α-d-Sug-[6-P-Cho]-(1-3)-β-l-Rhap-[2-OAc]-(1-4)-β-d-Glcp-(1-; 28F: Sug = Glcp, Mw: 540.5 kDa; 28A: Sug = GlcpNAc, Mw: 421.9 kDa; The correlation of CPS structures with biosynthesis showed that glycosyltransferase WciU in serotypes 28F and 28A had different sugar donor specificity toward α-d-Glcp and α-d-GlcNAcp, respectively. Furthermore, latex agglutination tests of de-OAc and de-PO4 CPS were conducted to understand cross-reactions between serogroup 28 with factor antiserum 23d. Interestingly, the de-OAc 28F and 28A CPS can still weakly react with factor antiserum 23d, while de-PO4 CPS did not react with factor antiserum 23d. This indicated that OAc group could affect the affinity and P-2-Gro was crucial for cross-reacting with factor antiserum 23d.


Nursing in Brazil: socioeconomic analysis with a focus on the racial composition.
to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of nurses and nursing technicians living in Brazil according to color/race. based on the 2010 Demographic Census sample, 62,451 nursing professionals (nurses and technicians) living in Brazil were selected. Differences in monthly income were estimated by multivariate models, stratified by color or race groups (white, brown, and black). the majority were technicians (61.9%) of white color (54.3%). The income of white nurses exceeded that of brown and black nurses by more than a quarter; among technicians, white professionals had an income approximately 11% higher than brown and black nurses. differences between incomes of nursing workers were associated with ethnic/racial background, revealing situations in which white professionals systematically presented more favorable job and income conditions than black and brown professionals.


Localized giant pseudopolyposis of the colon in granulomatous colitis: a case report and review of the literature.
A case of localized giant pseudopolyposis of the colon is presented. The case was proven histologically to be granulomatous colitis. This unusual manifestation of granulomatous colitis may mimic a large bowel carcinoma or less frequently villous adenoma. This is the first proven reported case of granulomatous colitis presenting in this manner.


Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay.
A new syndrome of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia has been isolated in the Charlevoix-Saguenay region of Quebec. This syndrome is remarkably homogeneous and includes: spasticity, dysarthria, distal muscle wasting, foot deformities, truncal ataxia, absence of sensory evoked potentials in the lower limbs, retinal striation reminiscent of early Leber's atrophy and the frequent presence (57%) of a prolapse of the mitral valve. Biochemically, many cases show impaired pyruvate oxidation, others have hyperbilirubinaemia and some have low serum beta-lipoproteins and HDL apoproteins. These features are similar to those found in typical Friedreich's ataxia.


Development and validation of the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS).
The goal of the current investigation was to develop and validate a measure to assess an individual's eating-related behaviors related to alcohol consumption, specifically behaviors intended to compensate for calories so that more alcohol could be consumed or restrict calories to enhance the psychoactive effects of alcohol consumption. Two hundred and seventy four undergraduate students (n=51 males; 75.2% Caucasian) completed a newly developed scale, the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS), along with measures of eating restriction, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction. An exploratory factor analysis on the CEBRACS revealed the existence of 4 clear-cut factors: alcohol effects, bulimia, dieting and exercise, and restriction. Internal consistency statistics for all subscales ranged from .79 to .95. Pearson product-moment correlations between the CEBRACS and measures of bulimia, restriction, and body dissatisfaction ranged from .04 to .44. T-tests revealed no gender differences in compensatory eating behaviors. Future research directions and limitations of the current study are discussed.


Decoding the Debate: A Comparative Study of Brain-Computer Interface and Neurofeedback.
Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Neurofeedback (NF) both rely on the technology to capture brain activity. However, the literature lacks a clear distinction between the two, with some scholars categorizing NF as a special case of BCI while others view BCI as a natural extension of NF, or classify them as fundamentally different entities. This ambiguity hinders the flow of information and expertise among scholars and can cause confusion. To address this issue, we conducted a study comparing BCI and NF from two perspectives: the background and context within which BCI and NF developed, and their system design. We utilized Functional Flow Block Diagram (FFBD) as a system modelling approach to visualize inputs, functions, and outputs to compare BCI and NF at a conceptual level. Our analysis revealed that while NF is a subset of the biofeedback method that requires data from the brain to be extracted and processed, the device performing these tasks is a BCI system by definition. Therefore, we conclude that NF should be considered a specific application of BCI technology. By clarifying the relationship between BCI and NF, we hope to facilitate better communication and collaboration among scholars in these fields.


catena-Poly[[[tetrakis(1-methylimidazole-kappaN3)copper(II)]-mu2-sulfato-kappa2O:O'] acetonitrile hemisolvate sesquihydrate].
The title compound, [Cu(C(4)H(8)N(2))(4)]SO(4).0.5CH(3)CN.1.5H(2)O, consists of a double chain wherein the Cu centres are octahedrally coordinated by four 1-methylimidazole ligands in the equatorial plane and by two axial sulfate ions which act as bridges between the Cu centres. The Cu-N bond lengths lie between 1.9929(14) and 2.0226(14)A, but the Cu-O bond distances are longer, with values between 2.3496(13) and 2.8276(14)A. The water molecules participate in the formation of a network of hydrogen bonds of significance in maintaining the connectivity of the structure.


Draft Genome Sequence of the Growth-Promoting Endophyte Paenibacillus sp. P22, Isolated from Populus.
Paenibacillus sp. P22 is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobic endospore-forming bacterium isolated from poplar hybrid 741 (♀[Populus alba × (P. davidiana + P. simonii) × P. tomentosa]). This bacterium shows strong similarities to Paenibacillus humicus, and important growth-promoting effects on in vitro grown explants of poplar hybrid 741 have been described.


Quantification of thallium-201 scintigrams in acute myocardial infarction.
A method has been developed for measurement of myocardial infarct size from thallium-201 scintigrams that depends on computer measurement of levels of radioactivity in the myocardium. In 16 dogs, thallium-201 scintigrams were obtained in the left lateral and left anterior oblique projections 48 hours after ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Scintigraphic results were obtained by two independent observers and were compared with tissue measurements of infarct volume calculated from thallium autoradiograms and nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT)-stained tissue slices. Infarct volumes derived from tissue measurements were used to develop criteria for the computer scintigraphic technique. There was no significant difference in the scintigraphic measurements made by the two observers. Scintigraphic infarct size in the left lateral and left anterior oblique projections correlated with tissue infarct size with r values of 0.88 and 0.75, respectively, for thallium autoradiography and 0.71 and 0.70, respectively, for NBT tissue staining. The range of infarct volume was 3.3 to 14.8 percent of the left ventricular mass. Results of this study suggest that scintigraphic quantitation of infarct size is feasible in this dog model.


Mountain Bike Injury Incidence and Risk Factors Among Members of a Wisconsin Mountain Bike Club.
This study aimed to assess the incidence of and risk factors for mountain bike injuries among users of a local mountain bike trail system. An email survey was sent to 1,800 member households, and 410 (23%) responded. Exact Poisson test was used to calculate rate ratios, and a generalized linear model was used for multivariate analysis. The injury incidence rate was 3.6 injuries per 1,000 person-hours of riding, with beginners at a significantly higher risk compared to advanced riders (rate ratio = 2.6, 95% CI, 1.4-4.4). However, only 0.4% of beginners required medical attention, compared to 3% of advanced riders. More injuries occur among beginning riders, but the injuries are more severe with experienced riders, suggesting higher risk-taking or less attention to safety measures.


Remodeling of the leptomeningeal microvascular plexus in neonatal rats.
In order to better understand the mechanisms of cerebrovascular development and differentiation, the leptomeningeal microcirculation was analyzed using in vivo fluorescence video-microscopy in neonatal (1, 9, and 12 day old) Sprague-Dawley rats. The pattern of flow distribution was reconstructed, the location of radially emerging intracortical veins was identified and the minimum distance between these vessels was measured. We found no AV connections in the leptomeningeal vasculature of the neonatal rat in all examined animals. The LVP in the neonatal period of life is a venous system and probably does not serve as a major source of oxygen supply to cerebral tissue. After birth, the number of radial vessels does not increase, suggesting that intracortical vascularization continues by the branching of existing radial vessels.


Concentration of the main persistent organic pollutants in sewage sludge in relation to wastewater treatment plant parameters and sludge stabilisation.
Concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sewage sludge from 40 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was investigated. Relationship between pollutant sludge contents, main WWTP parameters and type of sludge stabilisation was carefully evaluated. Average load of PAHs, PCBs, and OCPs in different sludges from Czech Republic was 3096, 95.7 and 76.1 μg/kg dry weight, respectively. There were moderate/strong correlations among the individual tested pollutants in sludge (r = 0.40-0.76). Relationship between total pollutant contents in sludge, common WWTP parameters and sludge stabilisation was not evident. Only individual pollutants such anthracene and PCB 52 correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with biochemical oxygen demand (r = -0.35) and chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies (r = -0.35), suggesting recalcitrance to degradation during wastewater treatment. When sorted according to the design capacity, a linear correlation between WWTP size and pollutant contents in sludge was evident with growing WWTP capacity. Our study indicated that WWTPs with anaerobic digestion are prone to accumulate a statistically higher content of PAHs and PCBs (P < 0.05) in digested sludges compared to aerobically digested ones. The influence of anaerobic digestion temperature of treated sludge on tested pollutants was not evident.


Enteral and intranasal treatment for vasopressor-dependent hypotension in C1 tetraplegia.
A complete traumatic C1 spinal cord lesion leads to bradycardia and temporary hypotension until fluid administration can restore blood volume and pressure to the autosympathectomized capacitance vessels. In spite of adequate volume status, however, our patient required intravenous pressor agents to maintain adequate arterial and central venous pressure several weeks after injury. Using oral pseudoephedrine and occasional nasal phenylephrine, intravenous lines could be removed with maintenance of arterial pressure and resolution of bradycardia.


Classification of bioaccumulative and non-bioaccumulative chemicals using statistical learning approaches.
The present work aimed at developing in silico models allowing for a reliable prediction of bioaccumulative compounds and non-bioaccumulative compounds based on the definition of Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) using a diverse data set of 238 organic molecules. The partial least squares analysis (PLS), C4.5, support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) algorithms were applied, and their performance classifying these compounds in terms of their quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) was evaluated and verified with 5-fold cross-validation and an independent evaluation data set. The obtained results show that the overall prediction accuracies (Q) of the optimal PLS, C4.5, SVM and RF models are 84.5-87.7% for the internal cross-validation, with prediction accuracy (CO) of 86.3-91.1% in the external test sets, and C4.5 is slightly better than the three other methods which presents a Q of 87.7%, and a CO of 91.1% for the test sets. All these results prove the reliabilities of the in silico models, which should be valuable for the environmental risk assessment of the substances.


Early Versus Delayed Microdiscectomy for Chronic Sciatica Lasting 4-12 Months Secondary to Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
To compare the effect of delaying surgery on clinical outcome in patients with chronic sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation. Patients with sciatica lasting 4-12 months and lumbar disc herniation at the L4-L5 or L5-S1 level were randomized to undergo microdiscectomy (early surgery) or to receive 6 months of nonoperative treatment followed by surgery if needed (delayed surgery). Outcomes were leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index score (ODI), back pain, SF-36 physical component (PCS) and mental component (MCS) summary scores, employment, and satisfaction measured preoperatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Of the 64 patients in the early surgery group, 56 underwent microdiscectomy an average of 3 ± 2 weeks after enrollment. Of the 64 patients randomized to nonoperative care, 22 patients underwent delayed surgery an average of 53 ± 24 weeks after enrollment. The early surgery group experienced less leg pain than the delayed surgery group, which was the primary outcome, at 6 months after surgery (early surgery 2.8 ± .4 vs delayed surgery 4.8 ± .7; difference, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, .5-3.5). The overall estimated mean difference between groups significantly favored early surgery for leg pain, ODI, SF36-PCS, and back pain. The adverse event rate was similar between groups. Patients presenting with chronic sciatica treated with delayed surgery after prolonging standardized non-operative care have inferior outcomes compared to those that undergo expedited surgery.


Expression and X-Ray Structural Determination of the Nucleoprotein of Lassa Fever Virus.
We describe methods to express the nucleoprotein (NP) of Lassa fever virus (LASV) in E. coli, to purify and crystallize it using the sitting-drop vapor diffusion method. The crystals were screened using Rigaku micro-007 X-ray generator and a dataset was collected at a resolution of 2.36 Å. The crystals belong to space group P3, with the unit cell parameters a = b = 176.35 Å, c = 56.40 Å, α = β = 90°, and γ = 120°. Using the X-ray diffraction method, we constructed a three-dimensional structure of the LASV NP that should aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies against this virus, for which vaccine and effective treatment modalities are currently unavailable.


Segmental alterations of the corpus callosum in motor neuron disease: A DTI and texture analysis in 575 patients.
Within the core neuroimaging signature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the corpus callosum (CC) is increasingly recognized as a consistent feature. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of the microstructural segmental CC morphology, assessed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and high-resolution T1-weighted (T1w) imaging, in a large cohort of ALS patients including different clinical phenotypes. In a single-centre study, 575 patients with ALS (classical phenotype, N = 432; restricted phenotypes primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) N = 55, flail arm syndrome (FAS) N = 45, progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) N = 22, lower motor neuron disease (LMND) N = 21) and 112 healthy controls underwent multiparametric MRI, i.e. volume-rendering T1w scans and DTI. Tract-based fractional anisotropy statistics (TFAS) was applied to callosal tracts of CC areas I-V, identified from DTI data (tract-of-interest (TOI) analysis), and texture analysis was applied to T1w data. In order to further specify the callosal alterations, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was used to discriminate between motor neuron disease patients and controls. The analysis of white matter integrity revealed predominantly FA reductions for tracts of the callosal areas I, II, and III (with highest reductions in callosal area III) for all ALS patients and separately for each phenotype when compared to controls; texture analysis demonstrated significant alterations of the parameters entropy and homogeneity for ALS patients and all phenotypes for the CC areas I, II, and III (with again highest reductions in callosal area III) compared to controls. With SVM applied on multiparametric callosal parameters of area III, a separation of all ALS patients including phenotypes from controls with 72% sensitivity and 73% specificity was achieved. These results for callosal area III parameters could be improved by an SVM of six multiparametric callosal parameters of areas I, II, and III, achieving a separation of all ALS patients including phenotypes from controls with 84% sensitivity and 85% specificity. The multiparametric MRI texture and DTI analysis demonstrated substantial alterations of the frontal and central CC with most significant alterations in callosal area III (motor segment) in ALS and separately in all investigated phenotypes (PLS, FAS, PBP, LMND) in comparison to controls, while no significant differences were observed between ALS and its phenotypes. The combination of the texture and the DTI parameters in an unbiased SVM-based approach might contribute as a neuroimaging marker for the assessment of the CC in ALS, including subtypes.


Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Behaviors among College Students in Northeastern China: a Cross-Sectional Study.
The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of suicidal behaviors among college students in Jilin Province, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2016, using a self-reported questionnaire. Convenience sampling method was used to select college students as participants. The analysis was based on a sample of 730 college students. We use multivariate logistic model to determine the risk factors of suicidal behaviors.The prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, suicidal attempts were respectively 13.2%, 3.3% and 3.4%. After controlling for the potential confounding factors, history of family psychiatric illness, depression and quality of life were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Besides, suicidal plan was predicted significantly by not living together with university roommates and depression. In terms of suicidal attempts, not living together with university roommates and history of family psychiatric illness were its risk factors. Comprehensive interventions regarding aims at risk factors may be critical as effective strategies to protect college students from suicide.


Genetically engineered epidermal growth factor conjugate crosses cell membrane.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a well-known pleiotropic growth factor in mammal, and has been attempted to be used in many different fields. However, the application of EGF is limited because of its poor cell permeation. In order to increase membrane permeation ability of EGF, a genetically modified recombinant EGF (GST-TAT-EGF) was prepared through conjugation of EGF with two protein transduction domains, glutathione-S-transferase and TAT47-57. The results showed that the GST-TAT-EGF fusion protein exhibited higher ability in biomembrane penetration than that of the EGF alone. The results also implied that two different mechanisms (EGF receptor-mediated endocytosis and direct penetration) might be involved in GST-TAT-EGF transmembrane delivery.


Cationic lipid saturation influences intracellular delivery of encapsulated nucleic acids.
An analogous series of cationic lipids (1,2-distearyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropane (DSDMA), 1,2-dioleyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropane (DODMA), 1,2-dilinoleyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropane (DLinDMA) and 1,2-dilinolenyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropane (DLenDMA)) possessing 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds per alkyl chain respectively, was synthesized to determine the correlation between lipid saturation, fusogenicity and efficiency of intracellular nucleic acid delivery. 31P-NMR analysis suggests that as saturation increases, from 2 to 0 double bonds, lamellar (L(alpha)) to reversed hexagonal (H(II)) phase transition temperature increases, indicating decreasing fusogenicity. This trend is largely reflected by the efficiency of gene silencing observed in vitro when the lipids are formulated as Stable Nucleic Acid Lipid Particles (SNALPs) encapsulating small inhibitory RNA (siRNA). Uptake experiments suggest that despite their lower gene silencing efficiency, the less fusogenic particles are more readily internalized by cells. Microscopic visualization of fluorescently labelled siRNA uptake was supported by quantitative data acquired using radiolabelled preparations. Since electrostatic binding is a precursor to uptake, the pKa of each cationic lipid was determined. The results support a transfection model in which endosomal release, mediated by fusion with the endosomal membrane, results in cytoplasmic translocation of the nucleic acid payload.


Molecular characterization of methyl methanesulphonate (MMS)-induced HPRT mutations in V79 cells.
Spontaneous and methyl methanesulphonate-induced HPRT-deficient mutants were analysed for changes in the hprt gene structure using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The PCR amplification pattern of 21 MMS-induced mutations revealed one total deletion of the hprt coding exons and one small deletion within exon 5, while 19 mutants showed the V79 wild-type pattern. Molecular analysis of 30 spontaneous mutations revealed no mutants with amplification patterns which differed from those of wild-type cells. We further analysed MMS-induced mutants in a different V79 cell line with a high (40%) spontaneous deletion frequency. MMS caused a dose-dependent increase in the mutant frequency but the incidence of deletions was reduced to 6% at 2 x 10(-4) M and to 13% at 5 x 10(-4) M indicating that mainly point mutations were induced. The repair inhibitor cytosine arabinoside (araC) enhanced mutation induction by MMS but did not change the proportion of deletions in the mutation spectrum. The results indicate that different V79 cell lines spontaneously produce different amounts of deletion mutations. The frequency of MMS-induced deletions does not depend on the frequency of spontaneous deletions in a given cell line. The MMS-induced mutation spectrum seems to be unchanged even at high concentrations with a strong cytotoxic effect. Deletions are not increased as a consequence of araC-inhibited repair of MMS-induced lesions.


Giant neglected ameloblastoma: single stage treatment and clinicopathological review.
Giant ameloblastomas may present with massive swelling of the jaws. We report a giant ameloblastoma of the mandible in a Nigerian patient that measured 15.1x12.2x13.6cm and was managed with a single procedure. The tumour was removed by segmental mandibulectomy and reconstructed with a fibular free flap. The excess soft tissue was treated with a bilateral commissuroplasty. Single stage treatment that establishes early functional and aesthetic recovery offers advantages over multi staged procedures, and is therefore the treatment of choice for giant ameloblastomas.


Potential mechanism underlying the effect of matrine on COVID-19 patients revealed through network pharmacological approaches and molecular docking analysis.
The clinical efficacy of matrine in treating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been confirmed; however, its underlying mechanism of action remains unknown. TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction, SEA, GeneCards, CTD, and TTD were used to identify potential targets for matrine in SARS-CoV-2. Cytoscape software was used to determine the target-pathway network for topographical analysis. The online STRING analysis platform and Cytoscape were together used to generate a PPI network and for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, molecular docking simulations were performed to study matrine-Mpro, matrine-ACE2, and matrine-RdRp interactions. Ten common matrine targets were obtained, particularly including TNF-α, IL-6, and CASP3. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed five significantly enriched signalling pathways involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, programmed cell death, and immune responses. During COVID-19 treatment, matrine regulates viral replication, host cell apoptosis, and inflammation by targeting the TNF-α, IL-6, and CASP3 in the TNF signalling pathway.


Girls in Foster Care: Risk and Promotive Factors for School Adjustment Across the Transition to Middle School.
Girls in foster care may face difficulties across the transition to middle school. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine trajectories and predictors of academic competence and aggression from and against peers for 75 girls in foster care from the end of elementary school to the 2(nd) year of middle school. Across the transition to middle school, academic competence increased. Poor self-regulation was associated with decreased academic competence, and higher caregiver support was associated with increased academic competence. Frequency of aggression from peers decreased across the transition, with perceived school competence predicting smaller decreases. Aggression against peers dropped initially and then increased to pretransition levels by the end of the 2(nd) year of middle school. Lower caregiver support was associated with higher rates of aggression against peers at the end of the 1(st) year of middle school. The results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions for girls in foster care.


Emergency department visits for asthma: the role of frequent symptoms and delay in care.
Use of the emergency department (ED) for asthma care is a costly form of health care that is largely preventable. However, little is known about how to reduce the number of people using the ED for asthma care. To identify modifiable factors related to ED visits for asthma among a diverse nonelderly adult population. This study used cross-sectional data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. A total of 4,359 adult respondents ages 18 to 64 years who reported being diagnosed as having asthma and experiencing symptoms in the past year were included. Any ED visits due to asthma in the previous 12 months among all nonelderly respondents with asthma, with stratification by those with daily or weekly symptoms and with less frequent symptoms, were examined. Adults with daily or weekly asthma symptoms, with fair or poor health status, and who delayed care for asthma because of cost or insurance issues were more likely to visit the ED for asthma. Stratification of the study population into those with daily or weekly symptoms and those with less frequent symptoms revealed that delay in care due to cost or insurance issues and fair or poor health status remained significant for both groups. Latinos and women were more likely to visit the ED in the severe asthma group, whereas Asian, African American, and uninsured adults were more likely to visit the ED in the group with less severe asthma. Results suggest that to prevent ED visits for asthma, it is important to control asthma symptoms. However, it is equally if not more important to reduce delays in receiving asthma care.


Adeno-associated viral vector-mediated hypoxia-regulated VEGF gene transfer promotes angiogenesis following focal cerebral ischemia in mice.
Uncontrolled expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vivo may cause unexpected side effects, such as brain hemangioma or tumor growth. Because hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is upregulated during cerebral ischemia and regulates gene expression by binding to a cis-acting hypoxia-responsive element (HRE), we therefore used a novel HRE, originating in the 3'-end of the erythropoietin (Epo) gene, to control gene expression in the ischemic brain. A concatemer of nine copies (H9) of the consensus sequence of HRE was used to mediate hypoxia induction. Three groups of adult CD-1 mice received AAVH9-VEGF, AAVH9-lacZ or saline injection, and then underwent 45 min of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Results show that HIF-1 was persistently expressed in the ischemic brain. VEGF was overexpressed in the ischemic perifocal region in AAVH9-VEGF-transduced mice. Double-labeled immunostaining showed that VEGF expressed in neurons and astrocytes but not endothelial cells, suggesting that adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors transduced neurons and astrocytes predominantly. The total number of microvessels/enlarged microvessels was greatly increased in the AAVH9-VEGF-transduced mice (180+/-29/27+/-4) compared to the AAVH9-lacZ (118+/-19/14+/-3) or saline-treated (119+/-20/14+/-2) mice after tMCAO (P<0.05). Cell proliferation examination demonstrated that these microvessels were newly formed. Regional cerebral blood flow recovery in the AAVH9-VEGF-transduced mice was also better than in AAVH9-lacZ or saline-treated mice (P<0.05). Our data indicated that HRE is a novel trigger for the control of VEGF expression in the ischemic brain. VEGF overexpression through AAVH9-VEGF gene transfer showed stable focal angiogenic effects in post-ischemic repair process, providing an opportunity to rebuild injured brain tissue.


FDA-cleared artificial intelligence and machine learning-based medical devices and their 510(k) predicate networks.
The US Food and Drug Administration is clearing an increasing number of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-based medical devices through the 510(k) pathway. This pathway allows clearance if the device is substantially equivalent to a former cleared device (ie, predicate). We analysed the predicate networks of cleared AI/ML-based medical devices (cleared between 2019 and 2021), their underlying tasks, and recalls. More than a third of cleared AI/ML-based medical devices originated from non-AI/ML-based medical devices in the first generation. Devices with the longest time since the last predicate device with an AI/ML component were haematology (2001), radiology (2001), and cardiovascular devices (2008). Especially for devices in radiology, the AI/ML tasks changed frequently along the device's predicate network, raising safety concerns. To date, only a few recalls might have affected the AI/ML components. To improve patient care, a stronger focus should be placed on the distinctive characteristics of AI/ML when defining substantial equivalence between a new AI/ML-based medical device and predicate devices.


Graphical analysis of the life history evolution of Oenothera glazioviana Micheli.
Five-year census data of a semelparous Oenothera glazioviana population in a sand dune system were graphically analyzed. Changes in survivorship until seed production and potential fecundity were calculated from the size-dependent growth, survival and reproduction. The net reproductive rates after logarithmic transformation were plotted against the presumed age of reproduction. The optimal age and size at reproduction that maximize the intrinsic rate of natural increase were determined as a gradient of the tangent drawn from the origin. The natural population reproduced a little earlier than the calculated optimal age but at nearly the optimal size. Examination of the effect of environment on the optimal age and size revealed that an environment imposing higher mortality increases both the optimal age and size, while an environment imposing lower fecundity increases the optimal age but not the optimal size. The relatively large critical size for reproduction of O. glazioviana causes delayed reproduction in infertile environments, which helps the species maintain itself in a risky environment such as the sand dunes.


Superior "green" electrode materials for secondary batteries: through the footprint family indicators to analyze their environmental friendliness.
As secondary batteries are becoming the popular production of industry, especial for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the degree of environmental friendliness will gather increasing attention to their products of the whole life cycle. The research combines the life cycle assessment (LCA) and footprint family definition to establish a framework to calculate the footprint family of secondary battery materials. Through the method, we calculated the values of carbon footprint, water footprint, and ecological footprint about this eight kinds of secondary cathode battery materials with Ni-MH, Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2/C, LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2/C, LiNi0.8Co0.2O2/C, LiFePO4/C, LiFe0.98Mn0.02PO4/C, FeF3(H2O)3/C, and NaFePO4/C. When comparing and analyzing their values in each footprint, it can summarize the evaluation method for some secondary batteries by footprint indicators and construct the evaluation system. Through the comprehensive evaluation of footprint family system, the NaFePO4/C battery gets the best performance of three main footprints when combining 1 kg of cathode materials, while Ni-MH is opposite. Hence, among these eight batteries environmental impacts evaluation, the NaFePO4/C battery is regarded as the superior "green" battery, albeit the current application is restricted because of the synthesis limitation on large scale and energy density of storage. In LIBs comparison, the FeF3(H2O)3 material shows its characteristics of environmental friendliness, which is expected to be a greener battery material of LIB. In conventional LIBs, the iron-containing cathode materials show lower environmental burden than ternary cathode materials. We can reduce environmental impacts through developing new advanced materials and reducing the content of high sensitivity element in raw materials.


Renal tubular acidosis and skeletal demineralization in patients on long-term anticonvulsant therapy.
Three children ranging from seven to 12 years of age from unrelated families were given long-term anticonvulsant therapy including acetazolamide (Diamox). These children had rickets and renal tubular acidosis. Investigations have suggested (1) secondary hyperparathyroidism due to hypocalcemia of rickets and (2) prolonged acetazolamide therapy were responsible for acidosis as a result of reduction of bicarbonate reabsorption in the kidney. A clear-cut recovery from acidosis and rickets was seen in two patients following medication with high doses of vitamin D, an oral supplement of phosphorus, and discontinuance of acetazolamide therapy.


A Preliminary Study on Sympathetic Skin Response in Acute Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease.
The study aims to identify the characteristics of SSR in patients with AICVD and their correlation with clinical presentations. SSR of the upper limbs, the National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), the Barthel index (BI), the Essen stroke risk score (ESRS), and imaging examinations, was evaluated in 30 healthy subjects and 66 patients with AICVD. All results were recorded and analyzed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 22.0) software. t-test and Spearman rank correlation were used. Compared to the control group, SSR of upper limbs in patients with AICVD showed prolonged latency, reduced amplitude, and disappeared waveform (p=0.000, p=0.015, p=0.004), No statistically significant difference was observed between the affected side and the healthy side (p=0.068, p=0.661). In the case group, the higher the abnormal rate of SSR, the more severe the neurological impairment (NIHSS and ADL scores) and the worse the long-term prognosis. Specific results are as follows: Firstly, the total abnormality rate of SSR, prolonged SSR latency were positively related to the NIHSS, also the ESRS (r=0.347, p=0.004; r=0.437, p<0.001), (r=0.371, p=0.005; r=0.433, p=0.001), the reduced amplitude was positively related to the NIHSS (r=0.341, p=0.012) while the disappeared waveform was positively related to the ESRS (r=0.299, p=0.015); Secondly, the total abnormality rate of SSR, prolonged SSR latency and reduced amplitude were negatively related to the BI (r=-0.346, p=0.004) (r=-0.426, p=0.001) (r=-0.316, p=0.020). There may be inhibition of sympathetic reflex activity in patients with AICVD, SSR abnormality rate in patients with AICVD may be correlated with the degree of neurological impairment and long-term prognosis.


Effect of static compressive force on in vitro cultured PDL fibroblasts: monitoring of viability and gene expression over 6 days.
The aim was to investigate the impact of static compressive force (CF) application on human PDL-derived fibroblasts (HPDF) in vitro for up to 6 days on the expression of specific genes and to monitor cell growth and cell viability. CF of 2 g/cm2 was applied on HPDFs for 1-6 days. On each day, gene expression (cFOS, HB-GAM, COX2, IL6, TNFα, RUNX2, and P2RX2) and secretion (TNFα, PGE2) were determined by RT-qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Cell growth and cell viability were monitored daily. In comparison with controls, significant upregulation of cFOS in compressed HPDFs was observed. HB-GAM showed no changes in expression, except on day 5 (P < 0.001). IL6 expression was significantly upregulated from day 2-5, reaching the maximum on day 3 (P < 0.001). TNFα expression was upregulated on all but day 2. COX2 showed upregulation, reaching the plateau from day 3 (P < 0.001) until day 4 (P < 0.001), and returning to the initial state till day 6. P2RX7 was downregulated on days 2 and 4 to 6 (P < 0.001). RUNX2 was downregulated on days 2 and 5 (both P < 0.001). Cells in both groups were proliferating, and no negative effect on cell viability was observed. Results suggest high molecular activity up to 6 days, therefore introducing further need for in vitro studies with a longer duration that would explain other genes and metabolites involved in orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Extension of an established in vitro force application system for prolonged force application (6 days) simulating the initial phase of OTM.


Modelling and forecasting non-renewable energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in China using a PSO algorithm-based fractional non-linear grey Bernoulli model.
In China, the consumption of non-renewable energy increases not only in general economic growth but also in large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which cause disasters and catastrophic damages to the environment. To alleviate environmental pressure, it is neccessary to forecast and model the relationship between energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In this study, a fractional non-linear grey Bernoulli (FANGBM(1,1)) model based on particle swarm optimization is proposed to forecast and model non-renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China. Firstly, based on the FANGBM(1,1) model, non-renewable energy consumption in China is predicted. The comparison results of several competitive models show that the FANGBM(1,1) model has the best predictive performance. Then, the relationship between non-renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions is modeled. On this basis, China's future CO2 emissions are effectively predicted based on the established model. The forecast results show that the growth trend of China's CO2 emissions will continue to grow to 2035, while the prediction results in different scenarios also show that that the different growth rates of renewable energy share lead to different times to peak CO2 emissions. In the end, relevant suggestions are proposed to support China's dual carbon goals.


Socioeconomic characteristics of pediatric traumatic brain injury patients.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) play a significant role in pediatric mortality and morbidity. Environment may play a role in the type, severity, and outcome of pediatric TBI (pTBI). Our objective was to characterize the impact of poor socioeconomic status (PSES) on the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of pTBI patients. The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was queried from 2016 to 2019 for with TBI using International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD 10) codes. Data defining demographics, complications, procedures, and outcomes was extracted. PSES was defined as Medicaid insurance and Q1 median income category. 26,417 patients had pTBI. 11,040 (41.8 %) of pTBI patients were on Medicaid insurance. 13,119 and 8165 (30.9 %) were in Q1 median income category. Land transport caused the majority of pTBI (41 %). Patients on Medicaid or Q1 median income were more likely to experience assault (OR 2.927, CI 95 % 2.455-3.491, p < 0.001 OR 2.033, CI 95 % 1.722-2.4000 p < 0.001 respectively). On propensity matched analysis, PSES was associated with increased mortality (OR 1.667, 95 % CI 1.322-2.100, p < 0.01), length of stay (LOS) (OR 1.369, 95 % CI 1.201-1.559, p < 0.01), and major complicated trauma (OR 1.354 95 % CI 1.090-1.682 p = 0.007). Total hospital charges were higher in pTBI patients on Medicaid ($112,101.52, +/- $203,716.35) versus non-Medicaid ($109,064.37 +/- $212,057.98) (p < 0.001). PSES is correlated with increased mortality, complications, and longer LOS. Healthcare coverage and clinical training should take these disparities into account to provide improved care and optimize healthcare resource utilization. Level IV, Retrospective Database.


A Case Study of Critical Reasons Behind Hospital Nurses Turnover Due to Challenges Across System Levels.
The aim of this study was to analyze how critical factors at different levels in a health-care system interact and impact nurses' intention to leave and decision to quit their job at a hospital unit. A case study of assistant and registered nurses' intentions to leave as well as staff turnover at a smaller Swedish public hospital was performed. Employee surveys and interviews with assistant and registered nurses who had quit their job at four units in the hospital during the period 2012-2019 were performed. Critical factors regarding nurses' intention to leave and staff turnover are analyzed by combining narrative methods with a critical incidence technique. Three main themes emerge from the analysis of factors contributing to the decision to quit, namely lack or loss of buffering factors, not owning your spare time and not feeling valued by and listened to by upper management. Decision-makers, including hospital management, need to consider how supportive factors in nurses' closest work environment that promote staff retention may be impacted by decisions at higher levels, such as health-care reorganizations and stricter governance. In this context, upper management adopting a servant leadership approach might contribute to employees to a greater extent feeling valued and being listened to. Finally, the results indicate that individual nurses' recovery, ability to work and ability to coordinate their personal life with their work life need to be supported by policies and decisions at higher levels in order to retain nurses in intensive and emergency health-care settings.


Impairment of ascorbic acid's anti-oxidant properties in confined media: inter and intramolecular reactions with air and vanadate at acidic pH.
The anti-oxidant properties of L-ascorbic acid were investigated in the confined medium produced by a sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (aerosol-OT, AOT) self-assembled reverse micelle. Using 1H-1H NOESY (proton-proton 2D nuclear overhauser enhancement correlation spectroscopy) NMR spectroscopy, the location of ascorbic acid was investigated and found to be at the AOT-interface in contrast to earlier studies where the ascorbate was assumed to be in the water pool in these microemulsions. The reaction of ascorbic acid with oxygen was investigated using EPR spectroscopy. A delocalized monoanionic ascorbate radical was observed in microemulsions prepared from pH 5.6 stock solutions. This is in contrast to studies carried out in aqueous media where no radical formation was observed. The oxidation of ascorbic acid by aqueous V(V) was investigated in reverse micelles. Modest changes in the kinetic parameters were observed for this system compared to that in water. Details of these reactions were examined and can be summarized as the microemulsion solvating and stabilizing reactive intermediates via rate inhibition or enhancement. The inhibition of the oxidation is due to solvation stabilization of ascorbic acid in microemulsion media. Since ascorbate is a valuable marker of oxidative stress, our results suggest that compartmentization can modify the stabilization of the ascorbate radical and the changes in properties could be important in biological systems.


Identification of the Sequence and the Length of Telomere DNA.
Telomeres are essential nucleoprotein structures at the very ends of linear eukaryote chromosomes. They shelter the terminal genome territories against degradation and prevent the natural chromosome ends from being recognized by repair mechanisms as double-strand DNA breaks.There are two basic characteristics of telomeric DNA, its sequence and its length. The telomere sequence is important as a "landing area" for specific telomere-binding proteins, which function as signals and moderate the interactions required for correct telomere function. While the sequence forms the proper "landing surface" of telomeric DNA, its length is similarly important. Too short or exceptionally long telomere DNA cannot perform its function properly. In this chapter, methods for the investigation of these two basic telomere DNA characteristics are described, namely, telomere motif identification and telomere length measurement.


Asian scorpion BmK venom induces plasma extravasation and thermal hyperalgesia in the rat.
In the present study, the effects of scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK) venom on plasma extravasation and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to radiant heat have been investigated in rats. BmK venom (20-200 microg/kg) by subcutaneous injection under the surface of the rat hindpaw causes dose-dependant increased plasma extravasation that could be partially inhibited by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injected morphine (6 mg/kg). Peak plasma extravasation was reached at 10 min and persisted for 60 min at a dose of 200 microg/kg. BmK venom induced cutaneous hyperalgesia as indicated by decreased PWL to radiant heat in the ipsilateral paw following subcutaneous injection of 20 microg/kg BmK venom without effect on PWL of the contralateral hindpaw. Meanwhile, it was found that i.p. morphine injection could inhibit this decreased ipsilateral PWL. The results thus suggest that BmK venom could induce peripheral inflammation in rat by subcutaneous injection, and may prove a valuable animal model for investigating the pathophysiology of a number of inflammatory diseases and identifying potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.


Reducing Sodium Consumption in Mexico: A Strategy to Decrease the Morbidity and Mortality of Cardiovascular Diseases.
Hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are important public health problems in Mexico. High sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure and increased risk of developing CVD. International organizations suggest consuming <2 g of sodium/day; however, the Mexican population consumes amounts above what is recommended: 3.1 g/day. Although efforts have been made to mitigate this problem, interventions are needed to improve cardiovascular health. This policy brief offers a short review of the current sodium consumption situation in Mexico and the importance of why decision makers should consider actions to reduce consumption. Recommendations to reduce sodium/salt intake include: Reformulation of ultra-processed-foods, promote the use warning labels, communication campaign, reduce the use of table salt, and monitor sodium intake.


A gene bank's collection of genetic diversity among minor chicken breeds.
Genetic differences among heritage or fancier breeds of chickens have not been quantified in the United States. Gene banks collecting germplasm for conserving these breeds need this information as do breeders and companies raising them. Our goal was to evaluate genetic diversity of 10 heritage/fancier chicken breeds that are a component of the national collection and to use this information to establish a baseline of their genetic diversity and future conservation efforts. Breeds could be broadly classified as European, Asian, Mediterranean, and United States (US) in origin. The US breeds were composite breeds developed between the 1849 and 1935. Animals (n = 24-31 per breed) were sampled for DNA analysis from 2 or 3 hatcheries per breed and a total of 8 hatcheries. The hatcheries were assumed to maintain and breed their own populations of the studied breeds. Effective population sizes ranged from 47 to 145 and used to estimate probabilities of extinction for a 50-generation timeline. It was determined that Crevecoeur and Aseel had a probability of extinction that exceeded 40%, the remaining 8 breeds had probabilities of <28%. ADMIXTURE analysis indicated the minimal CV corresponded to 9 populations. In that analysis New Hampshire and Rhode Island Red were classified as the same population, which was not unusual given that New Hampshire was developed as a subpopulation of Rhode Island Red. Crevecoeur and Buttercup were the 2 most genetically divergent breeds based on pairwise Fst among the breeds and principal component analysis, which was supported by the ADMIXTURE results. Inbreeding coefficients computed from genomic information was lowest for Crevecoeur, Rhode Island Red, Buttercup, and Andalusian (0.8-2.6%), while New Hampshire, Buckeye, and Aseel were highest (12.8-14.3%). Within breed Fst among hatcheries supplying animals for sampling generally indicated a genetic structure was present on a breed-by-breed basis. Genetic relationships within hatchery were also computed for each breed. Several of the hatcheries had sent samples that suggested genetic relationships as high as half-sibs while several others had genetic relationships closer to first cousins. We conclude that the chicken breeds evaluated have substantial genetic variability within the in situ populations and the gene bank has captured this diversity for future use.