Hemispheric differences in detection of deception with content-filtered speech.
Participants (N = 139) listened to 15 speakers (8 deceptive, 7 truthful) in one of three conditions, left ear (right hemisphere), right ear (left hemisphere), and both ears (combined hemispheres) and attempted to decide which speakers were deceptive. Accuracy of detection was not significantly different across the three conditions.


Measurement of breath amplitudes: comparison of three noninvasive respiratory monitors to integrated pneumotachograph.
Measurement of breath amplitude (BA) and similarly tidal volume (VT) in newborn infants is the standard for detection of apnea and hypopneas. The purpose of our study was to compare the accuracy for BA by three frequently utilized noninvasive respiratory monitors: respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP), mercury in silastic strain gauges (SG), and impedance pneumography (IP). Twenty healthy full-term infants were studied in both supine and prone postures. The RC and AB gain factors for RIP were obtained using qualitative diagnostic calibration (QDC) procedure. The electrical gain of IP was set equivalent to the BA signal of a pneumotachograph (PNT). The three devices were calibrated in the supine posture and measurements were repeated in the prone posture without changing their calibration factors. Compared to PNT, postural change did not significantly alter BA measured by RIP. The accuracy of breath-to-breath BA measurement in the prone posture was worse for IP and SG compared to RIP and PNT. In contrast to SG or IP, the accuracy of BA measurement maintained was by RIP after a postural change from supine to prone in fullterm newborns.


Mental health consequences of detaining children and families who seek asylum: a scoping review.
Almost 80 million people globally are forcibly displaced. A small number reach wealthy western countries and seek asylum. Over half are children. Wealthy reception countries have increasingly adopted restrictive reception practices including immigration detention. There is an expanding literature on the mental health impacts of immigration detention for adults, but less about children. This scoping review identified 22 studies of children detained by 6 countries (Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Netherlands, the UK and the US) through searches of Medline, PsychINFO, Emcare, CINAHL and Scopus data bases for the period January 1992-May 2019. The results are presented thematically. There is quantitative data about the mental health of children and parents who are detained and qualitative evidence includes the words and drawings of detained children. The papers are predominantly small cross-sectional studies using mixed methodologies with convenience samples. Despite weaknesses in individual studies the review provides a rich and consistent picture of the experience and impact of immigration detention on children's wellbeing, parental mental health and parenting. Displaced children are exposed to peri-migration trauma and loss compounded by further adversity while held detained. There are high rates of distress, mental disorder, physical health and developmental problems in children aged from infancy to adolescence which persist after resettlement. Restrictive detention is a particularly adverse reception experience and children and parents should not be detained or separated for immigration purposes. The findings have implications for policy and practice. Clinicians and researchers have a role in advocacy for reception polices that support the wellbeing of accompanied and unaccompanied children who seek asylum.


Influence and analysis of low-dosage steroid therapy in severe aristolochic acid nephropathy patients.
To investigate the effect of low-dosage steroid therapy in patients with severe aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Forty-three chronic AAN patients in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College were included in this study from November 1998 to October 2013. According to the treatment method, the patients were divided into a steroid group (SG, n = 25) and a control group (CG, n = 18). The serum biochemical indicators at the basement in the two groups exhibited no obvious statistical differences. In comparison with the baseline data, the levels of serum creatinine at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were analyzed. The blood pressure, haemoglobin, serum biochemical indicators, and the side-effects of steroid application were also observed. Urinary macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) amounts were measured as well. (i) The serum creatinine content in the CG group was significantly higher than the baseline level during the follow-up(6, 9, and 12 months later), whereas in the SG group it decreased during the 3-6 month period and remained stable within 1 year. (ii) The biochemical indicators, blood pressure, and haemoglobin persisted stable. (iii) The side-effects of low-dosage steroid therapy were not severe and were tolerated by the AAN patients. (4) Urinary MCP-1 and TGF-1 concentrations were positively correlated with serum creatinine and decreased in the SG group. Low-dosage steroid therapy reversed or delayed the renal failure progression in severe chronic AAN patients, which may be associated with the suppression of MCP-1 and TGF-β1 activities.


Population-level analysis reveals the widespread occurrence and phenotypic consequence of DNA methylation variation not tagged by genetic variation in maize.
DNA methylation can provide a source of heritable information that is sometimes entirely uncoupled from genetic variation. However, the extent of this uncoupling and the roles of DNA methylation in shaping diversity of both gene expression and phenotypes are hotly debated. Here, we investigate the genetic basis and biological functions of DNA methylation at a population scale in maize. We perform targeted DNA methylation profiling for a diverse panel of 263 maize inbred genotypes. All genotypes show similar levels of DNA methylation globally, highlighting the importance of DNA methylation in maize development. Nevertheless, we identify more than 16,000 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that are distributed across the 10 maize chromosomes. Genome-wide association analysis with high-density genetic markers reveals that over 60% of the DMRs are not tagged by SNPs, suggesting the presence of unique information in DMRs. Strong associations between DMRs and the expression of many genes are identified in both the leaf and kernel tissues, pointing to the biological significance of methylation variation. Association analysis with 986 metabolic traits suggests that DNA methylation is associated with phenotypic variation of 156 traits. There are some traits that only show significant associations with DMRs and not with SNPs. These results suggest that DNA methylation can provide unique information to explain phenotypic variation in maize.


Early diagnosis of ALS/MND.
With the advent of a specific biological therapy for ALS there is an increasing imperative for early diagnosis. As new, more effective therapies become available, this will become more important. It is intuitively probable that early therapy will prevent disability in this otherwise relentlessly progressive disorder. The difficulties posed by this need for early diagnosis in clinical practice are discussed.


Carbon monoxide intoxication: an updated review.
Carbon monoxide (CO), a highly toxic gas produced by incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, is a relatively common cause of human injury. Human toxicity is often overlooked because CO is tasteless and odorless and its clinical symptoms and signs are non specific. The brain and the heart may be severely affected after CO exposure with carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels exceeding 20%. Damage occurs because the affinity of hemoglobin for CO is 210 times higher than for O(2). Hypoxic brain damage predominates in the cerebral cortex, cerebral white matter and basal ganglia, especially in the globus pallidus. Diagnosis requires clinical acumen and a high index of suspicion, combined with epidemiological data, clinical examination, analysis of ambient air CO and patient COHb levels; also required are cardiology evaluation including ECG as well as neurological evaluation including brain imaging (CT and/or MRI, MR spectroscopy), and neuropsychological testing. Although immediate O(2) breathing is sometimes an adequate treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is favored. Subsequently, only symptomatic therapy is available for the long-term sequelae of CO poisoning.


The Effectiveness of Physical Exercise After Lumbar Fusion Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The aim of the study was to review the effect of exercise interventions in patients after lumbar fusion surgery. It was sought to reveal the effect of exercise protocols on various clinical parameters. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were searched. "Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (ROB 2)" and "The Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX)" were used to evaluate the bias risk and quality assessment, respectively. A literature search yielded 1595 studies. After the procedures, eight and three studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. TESTEX scores of the studies ranged from 4 to 10 (median: 7.50). The majority (n = 5) of the studies' bias risk was classified as "some concerns" in ROB 2. The superiority of trunk-stabilization training was controlled in two studies. The most focused (n = 3) intervention was cognitive therapy plus exercise. Evidence proved that cognitive therapy plus exercise intervention was not superior to only exercise therapy on long-term pain (effect size [ES]: 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.44 to 1.47) and quality-of-life (ES: 1.34, 95% CI: -4.12 to 1.13) level. On the other hand, low-quality evidence demonstrated that cognitive therapy plus exercise yielded better results on long-term disability (ES: 0.78, 95% CI: -0.27 to 2.78) and kinesiophobia (ES: 0.14, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.67). The systematic review results demonstrated that cognitive therapy or consultation during the exercise program provides better outcomes in lumbar fusion surgery over exercise alone. Positive effects of core stabilization training on muscle strength and endurance were observed in the short term; however, this superiority was not the case in long-term studies. Meta-analysis results proved the positive effect of additional cognitive therapy to exercise on disability and kinesiophobia.


Alexithymia and related factors among patients with epilepsy.
Alexithymia is a psychiatric symptom characterized by difficulties in emotion recognition, expression, and regulation. The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence of alexithymia among patients with epilepsy (PWE) and related factors. By the means of a cross-sectional study, we consecutively recruited PWE who visited the First Hospital of Jilin University. The demographical information and clinical data were collected. Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Kilifi Stigma Scale for Epilepsy (KSSE), Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk scale (NGASR) scales were applied to assess alexithymia, emotion regulation strategies, and the presence of comorbid psychiatric symptoms. A total of 203 PWE were included. The differences in education, monthly per capita income of the family, and the number of antiepileptic drugs were statistically significant among these three groups with alexithymia, possible alexithymia, and non-alexithymia (p < 0.05). Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 scores were significantly and positively correlated with BMI (rho = 0.143, p = 0.042). Expression suppression, stigma, and generalized anxiety were independent risk factors for alexithymia (R2 = 0.471, F = 19.075, p < 0.001). A high prevalence of alexithymia (18.7%) was found in PWE. Alexithymia is primarily influenced by the emotional regulation strategies, anxiety, and stigma among PWE. It tends to be a mood symptom or personality trait rather than a direct result of epilepsy.


Cross-conjugated oligothiophenes derived from the (C2S)n helix: asymmetric synthesis and structure of carbon-sulfur [11]helicene.
(-)-Sparteine-mediated asymmetric synthesis of di-n-octyl-substituted carbon-sulfur [11]helicene, a helical (C2S)n beta-undecathiophene, is described. The atom-efficient routes rely on one-step tri-annelation or two-step di- and mono-annelation to provide enantiomeric excess of (+)- or (-)-[11]helicene, respectively. X-ray structures for homologous [11] and [7]helicenes indicate similar helical curvatures. The optical band gap, Eg approximately 3.5 eV, is estimated for the (C2S)n helix polymer, with onset of electron localization at n </= 7.


A benefit/risk assessment of existing therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of painful inflammatory conditions.
Pain remains the leading reason for which patients consult their doctors. Pain also motivates over-the-counter sales of analgesic medicines, to be taken orally or even transcutaneously. Prescription medicines usually follow attempts at self-medication that fail to achieve the desired results. Acute pain usually subsides spontaneously but medicines are needed until that occurs; in arthritic conditions--especially osteoarthritis--anti-inflammatory drugs work best in short-term administration for flares that aggravate chronic but tolerable pain. In cases of chronic pain that exceeds the level of easy tolerance, anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce the pain to tolerable levels more effectively than simple analgesics and narcotic combinations. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most useful medicines providing an array of drugs that differ chiefly in time of onset of action, duration of action and persistence in the blood. The benefit they provide is pain amelioration; none is curative. The risks are well known and do not differ greatly among the drugs; unwanted gastrointestinal (GI) effects are the most common, but the skin, kidneys, liver and blood forming organs may also be affected. As the benefits are similar, when balancing risk and benefit it is important to: consider the cause and expected duration of pain, balance the risks (GI unwanted effects far outnumber others), assess the severity and likelihood of specific reactions, and consider the costs--not only of the medicines themselves but also those of treating untoward reactions. Thus NSAIDs number among the most successful therapeutic options of modern medicine and, as pain will continue to require intervention, will likely continue--at least as ancillary medications--even as more definitive treatments are developed. In addition, the target population, its characteristics and the duration and acceptance of the intervention need to be considered.


3-[(E)-(acridin-9'-ylmethylidene)amino]-1-substituted thioureas and their biological activity.
This paper describes the synthesis of a novel series of acridine thiosemicarbazones through a two-step reaction between various isothiocyanates and hydrazine followed by treatment with acridin-9-carbaldehyde. The properties of this series of seven new derivatives are studied using NMR and biochemical techniques, and the DNA-binding properties of the compounds are determined using spectrophotometric studies (UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, and circular/linear dichroism) and viscometry. The binding constants K are estimated as being in the range of 2.2 to 7.8×104M-1 and the percentage of hypochromism was found to be 22.11-49.75% (from UV-vis spectral titration). Electrophoretic experiments prove that the novel compounds demonstrate moderate inhibitory effects against Topo I activity at a concentration of 60×10-6M.


Self-sampling for cervical screening offered at the point of invitation: A cross-sectional study of preferences in England.
This study assessed preferences for human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling if offered as an alternative to clinician-based screening at the point of invitation for cervical screening. An online questionnaire was completed by screening-eligible women living in England (n = 3672). Logistic regressions explored associations between demographic characteristics and screening preferences, stratified by previous screening attendance. Reasons for preferences were also assessed. Half of participants (51.4%) intended to choose self-sampling, 36.5% preferred clinician screening, 10.5% were unsure, and <2% preferred no screening. More irregular and never attenders chose self-sampling, compared with regular attenders (71.1% and 70.1% vs. 41.0% respectively). Among regular attenders, self-sampling was preferred more frequently by the highest occupational grade, older and lesbian, gay and bisexual women, and those with experience of blood self-tests. In the irregular attender group, older women and those with experience of blood self-tests were more likely to choose self-sampling. In 'never attenders', self-sampling was less popular in ethnic minority groups. If offered a choice of screening, around half of women in England may choose self-sampling, but a substantial proportion would still opt for clinician screening. Screening providers will need to manage a high take-up of self-sampling if many regular attenders switch to self-sampling.


Integrating computational fluid dynamics data into medical image visualization workflows via DICOM.
Communicating complex blood flow patterns generated from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to clinical audiences for the purposes of risk assessment or treatment planning is an ongoing challenge. While attempts have been made to develop new software tools for such clinical visualization of CFD data, these often overlook established medical imaging/visualization practice and data infrastructures. Here, leveraging the clinical ubiquity of the DICOM file format, we present techniques for the translation of CFD data to DICOM series, facilitating interactive visualization in standard radiological software. Unstructured CFD data (volumetric fields of velocity magnitude, Q-criterion, and pathlines) are resampled to structured grids. Novel raster-based techniques that simulate experimental optical blurring are presented for bringing simulated pathlines into structured image volumes. DICOM series are created by strategically encoding these data into the file's PixelArray tag. Lumen surface information is also strategically encoded into a different range of pixel intensities, allowing hemodynamics and morphology to be co-visualized in a single volume using opacity-based rendering transfer functions. We show that 3D temporal CFD data represented as structured DICOM series can be rendered interactively in Horos, a widely-used medical imaging/radiology software. Our transfer function-based approach allows for representations of scalar isosurfaces, volumetric rendering, and tubular pathlines to be modified in real-time, resembling conventional unstructured visualizations. Careful selection of voxelization ROIs helps to ensure that data are kept lightweight for real-time rendering and minimal storage. While our approach inherently sacrifices some of the advanced visualization capabilities of specialized software tools, we believe our closer consideration of standardization can help to facilitate meaningful clinical interaction. This work opens up possibilities for the complete integration of measured and simulated data in established radiological software environments and workflows from PACS storage to 3D/4D visualization.


Study on factors affecting the occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in elderly acute stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.
To investigate factors affecting upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in elderly first-time acute stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. Three hundred and thirty-one elderly first-time acute stroke patients (age ≥65 years) transferred to our rehabilitative ward from July 2002 to June 2009 were included in the study. We divided patients into UGIB and non-UGIB groups. Demographic data and possible precipitating factors were analyzed. Sixty-eight (20.5%) patients experienced UGIB. The patients with UGIB were of older age (75.4 vs. 72.92 years, P = 0.003), had a longer rehabilitative ward stay (26.32 vs. 21 days, P = 0.002), more frequently had stroke-induced consciousness impairment (60.3 vs. 38%, P = 0.001), had a higher incidence of bilateral brain lesion (7.4 vs. 1.9%, P = 0.034), and more frequently used anticoagulants (17.6 vs. 9.1%, P = 0.044) than patients in the non-UGIB group. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, stroke-induced impaired consciousness (odds ratio: 2.806, 95% CI = 1.588-4.957, P = 0.000) was the most important risk factor for UGIB. UGIB may prolong a patient's length of stay in a rehabilitative ward. These identified factors may help clinicians identify risks of UGIB before it develops.


Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Registry-Based Studies of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review.
Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient registries both play important roles in assessing patient outcomes. However, no study has examined the use of PROMs among registries involving patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our objective is twofold: first, to review the range of PROMs used in registry-based studies of patients with T2DM; second, to describe associations between these PROMs, T2DM and its complications. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) Diabetes Standard Set recommended routine usage of PROMs to assess psychological well-being, diabetes distress, and depression among patients with T2DM. A wide variety of PROMs were used among the 15 studies included in this review. Quality of life, depressive symptoms and treatment adherence were the most common aspects of T2DM that utilised PROMs for assessment. Adoption of PROMs among registries of patients with T2DM remains uncommon, non-routine and with few that are validated before use.


The differentiation of the porphyrias by means of high pressure liquid chromatography.
The analysis of faecal and urinary porphyrins by high pressure liquid chromatography (H.P.L.C.) provides characteristic profiles and facilitates rapid diagnosis of variegate (porphyria cutanea tarda hereditaria), symptomatic porphyria (porphyria cutanea tarda symptomatica), hereditary coproporphyria, acute intermittent porphyria, erythro-hepatic protoporphyria and congenital porphyria (erythropoietic porphyria).


Raising the bar: reassessing standards for procedural competence.
How often passing standards for clinical skills examinations should be reexamined is unknown. The goal is to determine if improved resident performance affects the passing standard imposed by expert judges. In 2006, we set a passing standard for a central venous catheter insertion clinical skills examination using an expert panel. From 2007 to 2010, trainee scores improved steadily. In 2010, a new expert panel provided judgments for the examination using 4 consecutive years of resident performance data. Interrater reliabilities and test-retest reliability (stability) were calculated. Passing standards from 2006 and 2010 were compared. Judgments provided were reliable and stable. The new passing standard was 88% for internal jugular and 87% for subclavian central venous catheter insertion compared to 79% for both sites in 2006. Cumulative performance data influenced experts to set a more stringent minimum passing standard. Standards should be regularly reviewed to ensure they are fair and appropriately rigorous.


Radioactive puromycin formation as an assay for the proportion of active ribosomes in mammalian cells: correlation with polysome profiles under different physiological conditions.
We have established optimal conditions for the in vitro formation of peptidyl-[3H] puromycin by mammalian ribosomes. The growth conditions of cultured Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were manipulated to produce changes in the polysome profiles. The correlation between polysome content and peptidyl-[3H] puromycin formation was linear and excellent when different cell densities were compared. The percentage of ribosomes actively engaged in protein synthesis, calculated from the number of 3H-peptide bonds formed, was similar in rapidly growing Ehrlich cells (47%) and in young rat gastrocnemius muscle (44%). Starvation resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of puromycin-reactive ribosomes in rat gastrocnemius.


The effect of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on the pathogenesis of angina decubitus.
To investigate the effect of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on the pathogenesis of angina decubitus (AD). The study population consisted of three groups: 20 individuals without cardiovascular studied as group I. Group II included 20 patents with coronary artery disease and without AD. Thirty-one patients with AD and ejection fraction (EF) > 50% were studied as group III. Group II and III were matched for age, EF and extent of coronary artery disease. Left ventriculography (LVG) showed that left ventricular (LV) first 1/3 filling fraction (1/3FF) was significantly lower in group III than in group II and I (both P < 0.001), but LV late 1/3 FF was much higher in group III than in group II and I (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was markedly increased before and after LVG in group II and III as compared with group I (both P < 0.05, both P < 0.001). The difference of LVEDP caused by left atrial contraction (left atrial contraction pressure difference, LACPD) before and after LVG was much higher in group III than in group I ( P < 0.01, P < 0.001). However, there we significant differences in LVEDP and in LACPD between before and after LVG only in group III (both P < 0.01). The patients with AD have LV diastolic dysfunction, which may be closely related to the pathogenesis of angina decubitus.


A degrading view of regulatory T cells.
Studies by van Loosdregt et al. and Chen et al. in this issue of Immunity provide evidence for previously unrecognized players that regulate FOXP3 degradation. These are interesting developments that point to unappreciated mechanisms by which inflammatory signals can impact expression of FOXP3 and possibly the stability of Treg cell phenotypes.


Changes in body segment inertial parameters of obese individuals with weight loss.
Forward dynamic simulation of human movement has the potential to investigate the biomechanical effects of weight loss in obese individuals. However, guidelines for altering body segment inertial parameters (BSIPs) of a biomechanical model to approximate changes that occur with weight loss are currently unavailable. Therefore, the goal of this study was to quantify three-dimensional changes in BSIPs with weight loss. Nineteen Caucasian men of age 43.6+/-7.5 years (mean+/-standard deviation) were evaluated. Body mass and body mass index prior to weight loss were 102.7+/-3.6 kg and 32.6+/-3.2 kg/m2, respectively. Both before and after weight loss, magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired along the length of the body to discriminate muscle, bone, organ, and adipose tissues. Segment masses, center of mass (COM) positions, and radii of gyration were determined from these scans using published tissue densities and established methods. A number of significant changes in BSIPs occurred with the 13.8+/-2.4% average weight loss. Mass decreased in all segments. COM position moved distally for the thigh and upper arm, superiorly for the trunk, and inferiorly for the whole body. Radius of gyration, in general, decreased in all segments. The changes in BSIPs with weight loss reported here could be used in forward dynamic simulations investigating the biomechanical implications of weight loss.


Manipulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors differentially affects behavioral inhibition in human subjects with and without disordered baseline impulsivity.
Evidence for a relationship between cigarette smoking and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has prompted investigations into nicotinic treatments for this disorder. Impulsivity is a hallmark of ADHD and is measured in the laboratory as behavioral inhibition (BI) using the stop signal task (SST). Acute nicotine improves SST performance in adolescents and young adults who have both ADHD and impaired baseline SST performance, raising questions about the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function in BI. The specificity of this effect to those with ADHD, the component processes of the SST affected by nicotine, and the effects of nicotinic antagonism are yet unknown. This study investigated the effects of both a nicotinic receptor agonist and antagonist on the SST and choice reaction time task (CRT) in highly impulsive (HI) and control (CTRL) subjects. This was a within-subjects, double-blind study of: 7 mg transdermal nicotine, 20 mg oral mecamylamine, and placebo. Subjects were recruited into HI (n = 11) and CTRL (n = 14) groups based on both SST and clinical criteria. BI was significantly improved by nicotine compared with placebo in the HI group and impaired by mecamylamine in the CTRL group. Go signal reaction time on the SST was improved by nicotine compared with placebo in the CTRL group and was unchanged in both groups on the CRT. These findings demonstrate nicotinic modulation of BI in subjects with both normal and disordered baseline performance. The effects on BI are consistent with cholinergic enhancement of signal detection processes and/or modulation of noradrenaline by nicotine.


Clinical trials in the surgical management of congestive heart failure: surgical ventricular restoration and autologous skeletal myoblast and stem cell cardiomyoplasty.
Despite continued advances in medical and surgical approaches for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure (CHF) remains a growing cause of morbidity and mortality. Historically, surgical options for end-stage CHF have been limited. However, there are several surgical therapies now under clinical investigation that appear promising in the effort to reverse or restore the remodeled left ventricle. This review will focus on early but current clinical studies examining surgical ventricular restoration and autologous skeletal myoblast and stem cell transplantation. Although these emerging therapeutic options remain in the early stages of study and development, they hold promise in providing options to those patients with end-stage CHF.


STAT1 acts as a tumor promoter for leukemia development.
The tumor suppressor STAT1 is considered a key regulator of the surveillance of developing tumors. Here, we describe an unexpected tumor-promoting role for STAT1 in leukemia. STAT1(-/-) mice are partially protected from leukemia development, and STAT1(-/-) tumor cells induce leukemia in RAG2(-/-) and immunocompetent mice with increased latency. The low MHC class I protein levels of STAT1(-/-) tumor cells enable efficient NK cell lysis and account for the enhanced tumor clearance. Strikingly, STAT1(-/-) tumor cells acquire increased MHC class I expression upon leukemia progression. These findings define STAT1 as a tumor promoter in leukemia development. Furthermore, we describe the upregulation of MHC class I expression as a general mechanism that allows for the escape of hematopoietic malignancies from immune surveillance.


Domperidone: secretion in breast milk and effect on puerperal prolactin levels.
The possible effect on the infant of dopamine antagonists used to promote lactation is cause for concern. Domperidone (Motilium) may be safer than other drugs in this group as it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. The mean serum level of prolactin 2 h after treatment with 20 mg of domperidone in the puerperium was 255 ng/ml compared with 150 ng/ml after a placebo. The mean domperidone level in all breast milk samples during treatment with 10 mg, three times daily, was 2.6 ng/ml. This was significantly more than levels after a single 20 mg dose sampled at 2 h (0.24 ng/ml) and at 4 h (1.1 ng/ml), and considerably less than values available for metoclopramide and sulpiride, relative to the therapeutic dosage. The effectiveness of domperidone to augment lactation requires further study.


Ultrastructural study on hepatic melanin in Xenopus laevis.
The livers of Xenopus laevis, grouped by chronological age (0.5, 2 and 3 yrs), were studied electron microscopically. Ultrastructurally most of the melanin granules in the mature female liver showed an internal structure similar to the melanin granules of the oocytes. The hepatic melanin granules of immature females and of all males were pleomorphic and failed to show the characteristic internal structure similar to those of the oocytes. The oocyte is the probable source of most of the hepatic melanin of the mature female.


Human umbilical cord blood cells form epidermis in the skin equivalent model.
Recently, human embryonic stem cells have been differentiated in vitro into functional epidermal keratinocytes. Here, we demonstrated that these cells can be generated also from non-embryonic, human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) cells that have the potential to differentiate into cells of non-hematopoietic lineage. Human UCB mono-nucleated cells were cultivated in monolayer and in three-dimensional skin equivalent cultures and assayed for the presence of phenotype-specific markers. Our results determined that after one month of culturing in serum containing medium, the hUCB cells produced morphologically homogeneous colonies of epithelial cells expressing keratinocyte-specific markers. They also formed stratified epidermis in organ cultures that contained sporadic CD1a-positive cells within the accurate strata. We concluded that hUCB cells have the capacity to differentiate into functional epidermal keratinocytes and may serve as a source of high-quality keratinocytes for clinical applications.


EEG alpha band functional connectivity reveals distinct cortical dynamics for overt and covert emotional face processing.
Current knowledge regarding how the focus of our attention during face processing influences neural responses largely comes from neuroimaging studies reporting on regional brain activations. The present study was designed to add novel insights to this research by studying how attention can differentially impact the way cortical regions interact during emotional face processing. High-density electroencephalogram was recorded in a sample of fifty-two healthy participants during an emotional face processing task. The task required participants to either attend to the expressions (i.e., overt processing) or attend to a perceptual distractor, which rendered the expressions task-irrelevant (i.e., covert processing). Functional connectivity in the alpha band was estimated in source space and modeled using graph theory to quantify whole-brain integration and segregation. Results revealed that overt processing of facial expressions is linked to reduced cortical segregation and increased cortical integration, this latter specifically for negative expressions of fear and sadness. Furthermore, we observed increased communication efficiency during overt processing of negative expressions between the core and the extended face processing systems. Overall, these findings reveal that attention makes the interaction among the nodes involved in face processing more efficient, also uncovering a connectivity signature of the prioritized processing mechanism of negative expressions, that is an increased cross-communication within the nodes of the face processing network.


Autophagy in acute brain injury.
Autophagy is an evolutionarily ancient mechanism that ensures the lysosomal degradation of old, supernumerary or ectopic cytoplasmic entities. Most eukaryotic cells, including neurons, rely on proficient autophagic responses for the maintenance of homeostasis in response to stress. Accordingly, autophagy mediates neuroprotective effects following some forms of acute brain damage, including methamphetamine intoxication, spinal cord injury and subarachnoid haemorrhage. In some other circumstances, however, the autophagic machinery precipitates a peculiar form of cell death (known as autosis) that contributes to the aetiology of other types of acute brain damage, such as neonatal asphyxia. Here, we dissect the context-specific impact of autophagy on non-infectious acute brain injury, emphasizing the possible therapeutic application of pharmacological activators and inhibitors of this catabolic process for neuroprotection.


The transmembrane adaptor protein, linker for activation of T cells (LAT), regulates RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation.
RANKL induces the formation of osteoclasts, which are responsible for bone resorption. Herein we investigate the role of the transmembrane adaptor proteins in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. LAT positively regulates osteoclast differentiation and is up-regulated by RANKL via c-Fos and NFATc1, whereas LAB and LIME act as negative modulators of osteoclastogenesis. In addition, silencing of LAT by RNA interference or overexpression of a LAT dominant negative in bone marrow-derived macrophage cells attenuates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation. Furthermore, LAT is involved in RANKL-induced PLC(γ) activation and NFATc1 induction. Thus, our data suggest that LAT acts as a positive regulator of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis.


Craniocerebral epidermoids and dermoids. A review of 44 cases.
We review 40 epidermoids and 4 dermoids of the skull and brain treated surgically in our Department between 1976 and 1987. Fourteen were extradural and 30 intradural. The mean duration of symptoms was 3 years for extradural and 10 years for intradural tumours. Symptoms varied with tumour site, in some sites being helpful in differential diagnosis. Skull X-rays and CT were the key diagnostic investigations in extradural and CT in intradural lesions, the latter, with few exceptions, presenting a characteristic CT scan. In 7 cases MRI supplied important details on the tumour boundaries. All the diploic and orbital lesions were removed totally, with a good outcome. Twelve of the intradural lesions were removed totally, 9 subtotally and 9 partially, with a good outcome in 21 patients and a poor outcome in 4; 5 patients died. Outcome was unrelated to degree of removal.


Protocol to alter a protein's phase separation capacity to control cell fate transitions.
Phase separation of proteins regulates transcription. Here, we present a protocol to manipulate phase separation capacity of a protein. We use this protocol to disrupt phase separation by mutating residues at intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Further, we rescue the disabled phase separation by fusing an IDR known to drive phase separation. Phase separation promotes cell fate transitions, whereas disruption of phase attenuates the transitions. The major challenge is how to effectively predict mutation residues. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wang et al. (2021).


Clinical and molecular prognostic factors in adrenocortical carcinoma.
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer, with an incidence less than 0.7-1.5 per 1 million people per year, with a poor prognosis. The overall survival (OS) depends on the ENSAT stage: in particular in metastatic ACC the OS varies from 10 to 20 months, with a 5-year survival around 10%. ACC has a different behavior, probably due to a different biology. For this reason, a careful prognostic classification is mandatory, in order to stratify the patients and propose a specific management. Prognostic factors can be divides in three groups: clinical factors (tumor stage, age, hormone-related symptoms), pathological factors (Weiss Score, mitotic count, Ki-67, SF-1 and AVA2, P53, beta-catenin immunohistochemistry, resection status), molecular factors (chromosomal aberrations, methylation profile, altered gene expression and miRNA expression, gene mutations). The best way to stratify ACC patients and propose the best therapeutic option is to combine clinical, pathological and molecular factors. Individualizing patients' prognosis and tumor biology appears as a necessary step for personalized medicine. In addition to tumor stage and tumor grade, the genomic classification may precise the risk stratification and thus help defining therapeutic strategy.


Image resizing using saliency strength map and seam carving for white blood cell analysis.
A new image-resizing method using seam carving and a Saliency Strength Map (SSM) is proposed to preserve important contents, such as white blood cells included in blood cell images. To apply seam carving to cell images, a SSM is initially generated using a visual attention model and the structural properties of white blood cells are then used to create an energy map for seam carving. As a result, the energy map maximizes the energies of the white blood cells, while minimizing the energies of the red blood cells and background. Thus, the use of a SSM allows the proposed method to reduce the image size efficiently, while preserving the important white blood cells. Experimental results using the PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and ROD (Ratio of Distortion) of blood cell images confirm that the proposed method is able to produce better resizing results than conventional methods, as the seam carving is performed based on an SSM and energy map. For further improvement, a faster medical image resizing method is currently being investigated to reduce the computation time, while maintaining the same image quality.


Effects of terbutaline on the pressure volume relationship in fetal rabbit lung.
The pressure-volume relationship in preterm rabbit lung was studied at 28 days of gestation. Injection of 0.1 mg terbutaline, a selective beta2-receptor stimulating drug, significantly increased the volume of air at equivalent low transpulmonary pressures, compared to a saline treated group and an untreated group. These findings indicate an increased pulmonary distensibility of the fetal rabbit lung after terbutaline administration. The mechanism of action is discussed and surfactant mediated effects are suggested to be the probable explanation.


Monitoring utilizations of amino acids and vitamins in culture media and Chinese hamster ovary cells by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
Monitoring amino acids and vitamins is important for understanding human health, food nutrition and the culture of mammalian cells used to produce therapeutic proteins in biotechnology. A method including ion pairing reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and optimized to quantify 21 amino acids and 9 water-soluble vitamins in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and culture media. By optimizing the chromatographic separation, scan time, monitoring time window, and sample preparation procedure, and using isotopically labeled (13)C, (15)N and (2)H internal standards, low limits of quantitation (≤0.054 mg/L), good precision (<10%) and good accuracy (100±10%) were achieved for nearly all the 30 compounds. Applying this method to CHO cell extracts, statistically significant differences in the metabolite levels were measured between two cell lines originated from the same host, indicating differences in genetic makeup or metabolic activities and nutrient supply levels in the culture media. In a fed-batch process of manufacturing scale bioreactors, two distinguished trends for changes in amino acid concentrations were identified in response to feeding. Ten essential amino acids showed a zigzag pattern with maxima at the feeding days, and 9 non-essential amino acids displayed a smoothly changing profile as they were mainly products of cellular metabolism. Five of 9 vitamins accumulated continuously during the culture period, suggesting that they were fed in access. The method serves as an effective tool for the development and optimization of mammalian cell cultures.


The effects of insulin on the level and activity of the GLUT4 present in human adipose cells.
Human adipose cells are much less responsive to insulin stimulation of glucose transport activity than are rat adipocytes. To assess and characterize this difference, we have determined the rates of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport in human adipose cells and have compared these with the levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) assessed by using the bis-mannose photolabel, 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis-(D-mannos- 4-yloxy)-2-propyl-amine, ATB-BMPA. The rates of 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport and the cell-surface level of GLUT4 are very similar in the human and rat adipocyte in the basal state. The Vmax for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport in fully insulin-stimulated human adipose cells is 15-fold lower than in rat adipose cells. Photolabelling of GLUT4 suggests that this low transport activity is associated with a low GLUT4 abundance (39 x 10(4) sites/cell; 19.9 x 10(4) sites at the cell surface). The turnover number for human adipose cell GLUT4 (5.8 x 10(4) min-1) is similar to that observed for GLUT4 in rat adipose cells and the mouse cell line, 3T3L1. Since 50% of the GLUT4 is at the cell surface of both human and rat adipose cells in the fully insulin-stimulated state, an inefficient GLUT4 exocytosis process cannot account for the low transport activity. The intracellular retention process appears to have adapted to release, in the basal state, a greater proportion of the total-cellular pool of GLUT4 to the cell surface of the larger human adipocytes. These cell-surface transporters are presumably necessary to provide the basal metabolic needs of the adipocyte.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Withdrawal Notice: Anti-cancer Effect of Urginea Maritima Bulb Extract In Vitro through Cell Cycle Arrest and Induction of Apoptosis in Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines
The article has been withdrawn by agreement between the editors and publisher of Current Drug Discovery Technologies. The authors are not responding to the editor's requests to provide the language-edited version. Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused. The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.


Oxidation-proof microemulsions: Microstructure and reactivity in the presence of dioxiranes.
Dioxiranes are used as reagents in a myriad of synthetically useful oxidations performed in aqueous medium. To extend such an approach also to substrates that are highly hydrophobic, we propose here the use of microemulsions based on the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium hydrogen sulphate (CTAHS) because of its high stability against peroxide species. In this paper, we examine the dioxirane (isolated or generated in situ) reactivity in different CTAHS microemulsions. Yield and selectivity of the oxidation of β-methylstyrene by dimethyldioxirane (DDO) generate "in situ" and of laurolactam by isolated methyl(trifluorometyl)dioxirane (TFDO) were studied. For each microemulsion, the aggregate size and the localization of the components were determined by a combination of NMR and light scattering techniques. The hydrodynamic radius of the micelles is close to the length of the surfactant and this suggests they are spherical in shape. When acetone (the precursor of DDO) is present in the formulation, it partitions itself between the aqueous bulk and the micellar palisade so that the dioxirane eventually formed is readily available to oxidize substrates secluded in the micelle. Apolar substrates, confined within the micelles, are protected from uncontrolled oxidations, leading to an astonishing high selectivity of oxidation of laurolactam to 12-nitro-lauric acid by TFDO. This opens the way to an easy procedure (performed in water under mild conditions) to synthetize ω-nitroacids.


Optimal release timing of temporary drain clamping after total knee arthroplasty.
Bleeding control is critical after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the optimal time to release the clamped drain after TKA. We performed unilateral TKA in 120 patients using three methods of drainage. Group A (N = 40) had a 3-hour clamp applied, and group B (N = 40) had a 4-hour clamp applied. Group C (N = 40) underwent conventional negative drainage. We evaluated the drainage volume, as well as the hemodynamic markers, transfusion volume, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and range of motion (ROM). The drained blood volume in groups A and B was significantly less than that in group C. No significant difference was found between groups A and B. The level of hemoglobin in group A was significantly higher than that in group C at 2 days after surgery. The ROM of groups A and C was larger than that of group B at 5 days after surgery. Furthermore, the VAS scores of groups A and C were significantly lower than those of group B at both 2 and 5 days after surgery. The temporary drain clamping method after TKA significantly reduced the volume of bleeding and blood transfusion. The 3-h clamping method reduced the drained volume as effectively as the 4-hour clamping method and resulted in less acute phase pain and more rapid recovery of ROM than the 4-hour clamping method. In conclusion, we recommend 3-h clamping after TKA as the optimal release time to reduce blood loss and acute phase pain.


Opposing changes of trimeric G protein levels during ontogenetic development of rat brain.
Developmental changes in the distribution of guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins) were investigated in the rat brain during postnatal development. Using a standard or high-resolution urea-SDS-PAGE and specific polyclonal antipeptide antibodies oriented against G(i)alpha1/G(i)alpha2, G(i)alpha3, G(s)alpha, G(o)alpha1/G(o)alpha2, G(q)alpha/G(11)alpha and Gbeta subunit, all these proteins were determined by quantitative immunoblotting in homogenates prepared from cortex, thalamus, hippocampus and pituitary of 1-, 7-, 12-, 18-, 25- and 90-day-old animals. The levels of the majority of G protein alpha subunits, namely G(i)alpha1, G(i)alpha2, G(i)alpha3, G(o)alpha1, G(o)alpha2, G(q)alpha, G(11)alpha and Gbeta, were high already at birth. Whereas the short variant of G(s)alpha, G(s)alphaS, rose sharply in all tested brain regions between postnatal day (PD) 1 and 90, the long variant of G(s)alpha, G(s)alphaL, was unchanged in cortex and thalamus and slightly increased in hippocampus. An increase was observed also in expression of G(i)alpha1/G(i)alpha2 and G(o)alpha1 protein, while G(o)alpha2 remained constant. Minority protein G(o)alpha* dramatically increased in cortex and thalamus, was unchanged in hippocampus and not detectable in pituitary. By contrast, the highest levels of G(i)alpha3 and G(q)alpha/G(11)alpha were detected as early as at PD 1. During the next 90 days, the immunological signal of G(i)alpha3 almost disappeared and G(q)alpha/G(11)alpha continuously declined to the levels corresponding to 50% of the levels determined at birth. Expression of Gbeta subunit was basically unchanged during postnatal development. Our present analysis indicates that G(s)alpha, G(i)alpha/G(o)alpha and G(q)alpha/G(11)alpha proteins are differently expressed in the course of brain development. Differential expression of the individual alpha subunits of trimeric G proteins during postnatal development suggests their different roles in maturation of the brain tissue.


Micronucleus scoring: a potential adjunct for diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma on cervical samples.
Micronucleus (MN) is an additional, small nucleus formed due to failure of incorporation of a fragment or the whole chromosome into the main daughter nuclei during cell division. MN scoring is a useful indicator of exposure to genotoxic agents and of malignancy. This study was conducted to know whether the MN score was significantly different in cervical cytology smears of patients with endometrial carcinoma, atypical and benign cells. Three groups of cervical smears were taken up for MN scoring: Group 'A' included benign endometrial cells, Group 'B', atypical glandular cells - endometrial and Group 'C', endometrial adenocarcinoma. Post hoc analysis of variance test was used to determine significant differences between the three groups. There were 30 cases in Group 'A', 31 cases in Group 'B' and 39 cases in Group 'C'. The mean MN score was 0.67 ± 0.711 in Group A, 1.74 ± 0.930 in Group B and 4.10 ± 2.500 in Group C. MN scores were significantly different between all three groups (p < 0.05). The MN score is significantly higher in cervical smears of patients with endometrial carcinoma; as compared to smears showing atypical and benign cells and that this finding may be useful for further research.


Accuracy of coding for possible warfarin complications in hospital discharge abstracts.
Hospital discharge abstracts could be used to identify complications of warfarin if coding for bleeding and thromboembolic events are accurate. To measure the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9CM) codes for bleeding and thromboembolic diagnoses. University affiliated, tertiary care hospital in Ottawa, Canada. A random sample of patients discharged between September 1999 and September 2000 with an ICD-9-CM code indicating a bleeding or thromboembolic diagnosis. Gold-standard coding was determined by a trained chart abstractor using explicit standard diagnostic criteria for bleeding, major bleeding, and acute thromboembolism. The abstractor was blinded to the original coding. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of the original ICD-9CM codes for bleeding or thromboembolism diagnoses. We reviewed 616 medical records. 361 patients (59%) had a code indicating a bleeding diagnosis, 291 patients (47%) had a code indicating a thromboembolic diagnosis and 36 patients (6%) had a code indicating both. According to the gold standard criteria, 352 patients experienced bleeding, 333 experienced major bleeding, and 188 experienced an acute thromboembolism. For bleeding, the ICD-9CM codes had the following sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values [95% CI]: 93% [90-96], 88% [83-91], 91% [88-94], and 91% [87-94], respectively. For major bleeding, the ICD-9CM codes had the following sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values: 94% [91-96], 83% [78-87], 87% [83-90], and 92% [88-95], respectively. For thromboembolism, the ICD-9CM codes had the following sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values: 97% [94-99], 74% [70-79], 62% [57-68], and 98% [96-99], respectively. By selecting a sub-group of ICD-9CM codes for thromboembolism, the positive predictive value increased to 87%. In our centre, the discharge abstract could be used to identify and exclude patients hospitalized with a major bleed or thromboembolism. If coding quality for bleeding is similar in other hospitals, these ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes could be used to study population-based warfarin-associated hemorrhagic complications using administrative databases.


Malignancy and lymphoid proliferation in primary immune deficiencies; hard to define, hard to treat.
Regarding the difficulties in recognition and management of the malignancies in primary immune deficiencies (PIDs), we aimed to present the types, risk factors, treatment options, and prognosis of the cancers in this specific group. Seventeen patients with PID who developed malignancies or malignant-like diseases were evaluated for demographics, clinical features, treatment, toxicity, and prognosis. The median age of malignancy was 12.2 years (range, 2.2-26). Lymphoma was the most frequent malignancy (n = 7), followed by adenocarcinoma (n = 3), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 2), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 1), Wilms tumor (n = 1), and acute myeloid leukemia (n = 1). Nonneoplastic lymphoproliferation mimicking lymphoma was observed in five patients. The total overall survival (OS) was 62.5% ± 12.1%. The OS for lymphoma was 62.2% ± 17.1% and found to be inferior to non-PID patients with lymphoma (P = 0.001). In patients with PIDs, malignancy may occur and negatively affect the OS. The diagnosis can be challenging in the presence of nonneoplastic lymphoproliferative disease or bone marrow abnormalities. Awareness of susceptibility to malignant transformation and early diagnosis with multidisciplinary approach can save the patients' lives.


Screening for a new Streptomyces strain capable of efficient keratin degradation.
Keratinous wastes could be degraded by some microorganisms in nature. Native human foot skin (NHFS) was used as sole nitrogen source to screen microorganisms with keratin-degrading capability. From approximately 200 strains, a strain of Streptomyces sp. strain No.16 was found to possess the strongest keratinolytic activity, and the total activity in the culture was 110 KU/ml with specific activity of 2870 KU/mg protein (KU: keratinase unit). Substrate specificity test indicated that the crude keratinase could degrade keratin azure, human hair, cock feathers and collagen. The optimal pH of the crude keratinase ranged from 7.5 to 10 and the temperature ranged from 40 degrees C to 55 degrees C. Metal chelating agent ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid obviously stimulated the keratinolytic activity but suppressed the proteolytic activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report on specific induction of keratinases by NHFS from an actinomycete. Moreover, excellent characteristics of its crude keratinase may lead to the potential application in waste treatment and recovery, poultry and leather industry, medicine, and cosmetic development.


Physician counseling for hypertension: what do doctors really do?
To describe patient counseling by physicians on hypertension and lifestyle and assess its impact on participants' satisfaction. An analysis was conducted of transcripts of audio-recorded outpatient visits, augmented with patient and physician surveys. Participants were 30 primary care physicians, 11 cardiologists, and 120 hypertensive patients. Each transcript was coded into categories descriptive of physicians' counseling behaviors. Patients and physicians completed pre- and post-visit questionnaires; patients also completed a survey 2 weeks after their visit. Most physicians assessed patient medication adherence, but counseling on hypertension and lifestyle was limited. Receipt of lifestyle counseling had a positive, short-lived impact on patient satisfaction. Physicians reported greater satisfaction with visits characterized by more lifestyle counseling. Amount of counseling provided was unrelated to the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities. Provision of counseling was not associated with physicians' perceptions of visit burden. Lifestyle counseling was associated with longer visits. Hypertensive patients received relatively little information about hypertension and beneficial lifestyle changes. Office visits provide an important opportunity for physicians to reinforce key hypertension-related educational messages. Physicians could do more to underscore the importance of medication adherence and healthy living to their patients with hypertension.


Do work-related factors contribute to differences in doctor-certified sick leave? A prospective study comparing women in health and social occupations with women in the general working population.
Doctor -certified sick leave is prevalent in the health and social sector. We examined whether the higher risk of doctor-certified sick leave in women in health and social occupations compared to women in other occupations was explained by particular work-related psychosocial and mechanical risk factors. A randomly drawn cohort aged 18-69 years from the general population in Norway was surveyed in 2009 (n = 12,255, response at baseline = 60.9 %), and was followed up in the national registry of social transfer payments in 2010. Eligible respondents were women registered with an active employee relationship for ≥100 actual working days in 2009 and 2010 (n = 3032). Using this sample, we compared health and social workers (n = 661) with the general working population (n = 2371). The outcome of interest was long-term sick leave (LTSL) ≥21 working days during 2010. Eight psychosocial and eight mechanical factors were evaluated. After adjusting for age, previous LTSL, education and working hours/week, women in health and social occupations had a higher risk for LTSL compared with women in the general working population (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI = 1.13-1.79; p = 0.003). After adjusting for psychosocial and mechanical factors, 70 % of the excess risk for LTSL was explained compared with the initial model. The main contributory factors to the increased risk were threats of violence and violence, emotional demands and awkward lifting. Psychosocial and mechanical factors explained much of the excess risk for LTSL in women in health and social occupations compared with working women in general. Psychosocial risk factors were the most important contributors.


The effect of computed tomographic scanner parameters and 3-dimensional volume rendering techniques on the accuracy of linear, angular, and volumetric measurements of the mandible.
This study investigates the effect of scanning parameters on the accuracy of measurements from three-dimensional (3D), multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) mandible renderings. A broader range of acceptable parameters can increase the availability of computed tomographic (CT) studies for retrospective analysis. Three human mandibles and a phantom object were scanned using 18 combinations of slice thickness, field of view (FOV), and reconstruction algorithm and 3 different threshold-based segmentations. Measurements of 3D computed tomography (3DCT) models and specimens were compared. Linear and angular measurements were accurate, irrespective of scanner parameters or rendering technique. Volume measurements were accurate with a slice thickness of 1.25 mm, but not 2.5 mm. Surface area measurements were consistently inflated. Linear, angular, and volumetric measurements of mandible 3D MDCT models can be confidently obtained from a range of parameters and rendering techniques. Slice thickness is the primary factor affecting volume measurements. These findings should also apply to 3D rendering using cone-beam CT (CBCT).


Comparisons of high, medium, and low feedback sensitivity for the control of heart-rate acceleration.
Thirty-four student volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three feedback sensitivity conditions: high sensitivity, medium sensitivity, or low sensitivity. Each subject received four sessions of biofeedback training with instructions to accelerate heart rate. In each condition, analogue feedback was provided during heart-rate acceleration trials. In addition to heart rate, frontal EMG and digital skin temperature were also recorded. Results replicated and extended the findings of a previous study in that medium and low sensitivity feedback was found to be superior to high sensitivity feedback during the final training session. These results confirm previous findings that a high sensitivity feedback produces very poor control of heart-rate acceleration. These data were discussed in terms of motor skills theory and in terms of possible effects of feedback sensitivity upon the motivation of subjects.


Foliage quality changes during canopy development of some northern hardwood trees.
The ephemerality of high quality foliage in spring may act as a defense for trees against early season folivores, but only if the duration of high quality is so short that it is difficult for insects to synchronize their eclosion with the period of high quality foliage that follows budbreak. The rate of change in foliage quality on a day to day basis through the spring was determined for 9 species of hardwood trees in 2-3 years. Measurement of physical and chemical parameters and a bioassay with gypsy moth larvae both showed decreasing quality during the three to five weeks of canopy development in all species. Rates of decline differed among species but the patterns were similar from year to year on a degree-day scale. Growth rates of larvae raised through the first stadium on foliage of differing ages reflected these changes in foliage acceptability. Increasing toughness and declining nitrogen and water contents of leaves were correlated with changes in acceptability to larvae but explained only a small part of the variation in acceptability. The host-seeking period of gypsy moth larvae over-lapped with the availability of highly acceptable foliage of the most preferred host species. Less preferred species had more rapid declines in foliage acceptability, and hence narrower overlaps with the host-seeking period, which may provide defense against use by this generalist forest pest.


Prevalence of high risk genital papillomaviruses in the Belgian female population determined by fast multiplex polymerase chain reaction.
Because in situ/filter hybridisation is not sensitive enough and because classical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols are generally not sufficiently reproducible and specific, there is little accurate information on the prevalence of human papillomaviruses (HPV) 16, 18, and 33 infections in women without dyskaryotic changes of the cervix. In our hands, our Fast Multiplex PCR protocol has always been the most sensitive, specific, and reproducible DNA detection assay in all the microbiological and haematological applications we attempted (Vandenvelde C, Verstraete M, Van Beers D [1990]: Journal of Virological Methods 30:215-228; Vandenvelde C, Scheen R, Corazza F, Van Beers D [1991a]: Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hematology 33:293-297; Vandenvelde C, Scheen R, Van Beers D, Fondu P [1991b]: Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hematology 30:25-29). Using this new technique, cervical scrapes from 336 Belgian women attending the cervical cancer screening clinic were examined for the presence of these three high-risk genital papillomaviruses. Positive results were confirmed using another set of HPV-specific primers. Exactly one sixth of our population was found positive for one or more of these HPVs. Types 33 and 16 were significantly more prevalent than type 18. The nonparametric statistical analysis of the data suggests that some risk factors such as particular sexual habits, that are inversely related to age, must exist.


Beer consumption in rats: the influence of ethanol content, food deprivation, and cocaine.
A series of experiments examined various aspects of beer consumption in male Wistar rats. In the first experiment, rats were given home cage access to either beer or ethanol solutions under free access conditions. It was found that rats consumed greater amounts of moderate strength beer (2.7% ethanol by volume) or regular strength beer (5.0% ethanol) than equivalent dilute ethanol solutions in water. Consumption of 2.7% beer was greater than 5.0% beer and access to either beer, but not dilute ethanol, solutions caused substantial increases in total fluid intake per day. In the second experiment, individual rats given daily 30-min drink sessions consumed more 2.7% beer than 3.85% beer and more 3.85% than 5.0% beer. A "hangover" effect was evident after the first day of consumption of 5.0% beer with subsequent intake of this beer suppressed after high intake on first exposure. Intake of the low-strength beer approached intake of isocaloric (8.6%) sucrose solution. In a third experiment, a lick-based progressive ratio paradigm was implemented where rats had to emit progressively greater number of licks for a fixed volume (0.1 ml) of 2.7% beer or 8.6% sucrose. Using this paradigm, it was shown that food deprivation increased the motivation to consume beer and sucrose as shown by elevated break points (the highest ratio reached). Food deprivation also increased locomotor activity in the drinking environment. In contrast, cocaine (20 but not 10 mg/kg) caused a decrease in the break point for sucrose and beer, an effect probably mediated by the anorexic properties of the drug. It is concluded that rats will avidly consume beer, particularly of moderate alcohol content, but that such consumption may be mediated more by the nutritive and palatable characteristics of the beer rather than by the psychoactive effects of the alcohol it contains.


ESPR Uroradiology Taskforce--imaging recommendations in paediatric uroradiology, part VIII: retrograde urethrography, imaging disorder of sexual development and imaging childhood testicular torsion.
Three new consensus-based recommendations of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology Uroradiology Taskforce and the European Society of Urogenital Radiology Paediatric Working Group on paediatric uroradiology are presented. One deals with indications and technique for retrograde urethrography, one with imaging in the work-up for disorders of sexual development and one with imaging workflow in suspected testicular torsion. The latter is subdivided to suggest a distinct algorithm to deal with testicular torsion in neonates. These proposals aim to outline effective imaging algorithms to optimise diagnostic accuracy and to harmonize diagnostic imaging among institutions and practitioners.


The life histories and population dynamics of two carabid species on a Dutch heathland : 1. Fecundity and the mortality of immature stages.
We deal with the causes of the synchronously fluctuating numbers of subpopulations of the carabid species Calathus melanocephalus as compared with the asynchronously fluctuating numbers of subpopulations of the carabid Pterostichus versicolor. Both species continuously occupy a large heath area, Dwingelder Veld (1600 ha), in The Netherlands, and are studied there in the same localities with the same methods. Of the adults of C. melanocephalus, 90% do not cover more than 2 ha during the entire reproductive season, while 90% of adults of P. versicolor cover no more than 12 ha. In C. melanocephalus egg production in the field is usually similar to that under optimal feeding conditions in the laboratory, but in P. versicolor egg production seems to be much lower in the field. In the field 70-80% of the eggs most probably are killed by eelworms, followed by more than 90% mortality among the remaining larvae. Comparing mortality of developmental stages in laboratory experiments with that in field experiments in enclosures, it appears that mortality of larvae is not density-dependent, even when density in the experiments is much higher than it ever is in the field. Larval mortality mainly results from the poor ability of the larvae to find prey, even when in field experiments prey density is increased far above natural densities. We discuss why these poor prey-finding abilities are not improved by natural selection. In the spring breeder P. versicolor differences between localities both in abiotic factors, soil moisture and surface temperature, and biotic factors, reactions of prey species to abiotic factors, in spring and summer when the larvae are maturing contribute to the asynchronous fluctuations of numbers between subpopulations. In the autumn breeder C. melanocephalus possible differences in biotic factors between sites are outnumbered by the effects of winters with a higher or lower than normal amount of precipitation respectively. During a wet winter mortality among the larvae is much higher than during a dry winter. As these winter conditions are similar over large areas (many km2) the fluctuations of numbers between subpopulations are synchronous.


Autoradiographic characterization of high-affinity adenosine A2 receptors in the rat brain.
Binding of the non-selective adenosine receptor agonist, [3H]NECA (5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) was evaluated in sections of rat brain using quantitative receptor autoradiography. [3H]NECA bound specifically to a variety of different brain regions including striatum, cerebellum and thalamus. In the presence of the selective adenosine A1 receptor agonist, cyclopentyladenosine (CPA: 50 nM), [3H]NECA binding was exclusively localized to the striatum and olfactory tubercle. Binding in rat striatum occurred at a single site (Kd = 9 nM) with limited capacity (apparent Bmax = 230 fmol/mg tissue). Competition experiments in both striatum and olfactory tubercle with various adenosine agonists and antagonists indicated that the sites labeled by [3H]NECA in the presence of 50 nM CPA were A2 in nature, the rank order of activity for agonists being NECA greater than 2-chloroadenosine (2-CADO), greater than R-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) greater than CPA greater than S-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (S-PIA). For xanthine antagonists the order was greater than 1,3-dipropyl-8(2-amino-4-chloro)phenylxanthine (PACPX) greater than xanthine amino acid congener (XAC) greater than xanthine carboxylic acid congener (XCC) greater than 1,3-diethyl-8-phenylxanthine (DPX). The localization of A2 receptors to discrete regions of rat brain indicates that the purine may have a selective role in modulating basal ganglia function.


Carbon dots as nanocatalytic medicine for anti-inflammation therapy.
Aberrant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is one of the crucial mediators in the pathogenesis of inflammation. So, the development of nanocatalytic medicine to catalyze the ROS-scavenging reactions in pathological regions are promising for anti-inflammatory therapy. Herein, a type of biocompatible metal free carbon dots is prepared via a hydrothermal method which can exhibit peroxidase (POD)-like, catalase (CAT)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities. It has been found that the carbon dots have the capability to efficiently deplete the excessive ROS such as peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2-) and hydroxyl radical (OH) for their abundant functional groups. After the tail injection in mice with liver inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide, the carbon dots efficiently reduced the excessive production of ROS and proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. Both in vitro and in vivo results endowed the biocompatible carbon dots with great potential in nanocatalytic medicine for the treatment of disease.


Interface Molecules of Angiostrongylus cantonensis: Their Role in Parasite Survival and Modulation of Host Defenses.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode parasite that causes eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Disease presents following the ingestion of third-stage larvae residing in the intermediate mollusk host and disease manifests as an acute inflammation of the meninges characterized by eosinophil infiltrates which release a battery of proinflammatory and cytotoxic agents in response to the pathogen. As a mechanism of neutralizing these host defenses, A. cantonensis expresses different molecules with immunomodulatory properties that are excreted or secreted (ES). In this paper we discuss the role of ES proteins on disease exacerbation and their potential use as therapeutic targets.


Constructing an account by contrast in counselling for childhood genetic testing.
Genetic counselling sessions are rich and complex sites of accounting practices for decision-making in which clinicians are meant to facilitate rather than control the decisions made by their clients. This often means the adoption of a non-directive stance as counsellors lay out various possible courses of action from which the client can choose, while both client and counsellor may need to bear in mind a wide range of practical and ethical issues. With regard to childhood predictive testing, the complexity of decision-making is manifest not only in relation to the severity of the genetic condition being discussed, but also in terms of who controls the information, who might be affected by it and who makes decisions on whose behalf. In this paper we use discourse analytic methods to examine a single case where the clinician and the parent negotiate decisions about childhood testing and the extent to which the parent can influence this process. In discursive terms, we show how the child's future autonomy is juxtaposed against the parent's current rights. In order fully to understand the various characters and events deployed in the accounting practices of the parent and the genetic counsellor, we focus on one rhetorical device, i.e., contrast, as it is manifest at different levels of representation. We conclude that the interplay between a selected set of the contrast pairs contributes towards recursive interactional patterns as far as non-directive counselling is concerned, and consequently has implications for procedural outcomes.


Association between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 +49A/G polymorphism and persistent hepatitis B virus infection in the Asian population: evidence from the current studies.
A number of studies assessed the association between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) +49A/G polymorphism and persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection risk. However, the results are quite contradictory. In order to obtain a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Pubmed, ISI Web of Knowledge, HuGE Navigator, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of this association. Six publications were included in the final meta-analysis with 1075 cases and 1321 controls for CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. We observed that the CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism was significantly correlated with chronic HBV infection risk (the homozygote codominant model: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.30-2.15; the dominant model: OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.01-1.78; the recessive model: OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.24-1.96; the allele contrast model: OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.59). No publication bias was observed in this study according to Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test. CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism is assumed to confer a higher risk for persistent HBV infection in the Asian population.


Comparing cancer patients who enroll in a smoking cessation program at a comprehensive cancer center with those who decline enrollment.
Despite the availability of smoking interventions for cancer patients, many eligible patients decline enrollment into such programs. We examined reasons patients provide for declining smoking treatment and compared treatment decliners to enrollees. Eligible cancer patients (N = 231) were offered smoking cessation treatment. During recruitment, demographic, medical (eg, cancer stage), and smoking-related behavioral (eg, readiness to quit) data were collected, and decliners stated a reason for refusal. Patients who enrolled in the cessation program (N = 109) were compared with those who declined (N = 122) in terms of recruitment data, and reasons for declining were compiled. Decliners were significantly more likely to: (1) have head and neck cancer (vs lung cancer); (2) exhibit fewer physical symptoms (eg, shortness of breath); (3) report a lower readiness to quit smoking; (4) indicate no intention to quit smoking; and (5) smoke fewer cigarettes. A preference to quit without professional assistance was the most common reason for declining treatment. Our findings highlight important differences between patients who enroll in a smoking cessation program and those who decline and underscore the need for motivational interventions to facilitate enrollment into smoking interventions for cancer patients.


Extremely slow dynamics of ionic liquid self-assembled nanostructures near a solid surface.
The dynamics of the self-assembled liquid nanostructure of the ionic liquids (ILs) near a mica surface can be determined from video-rate atomic force microscopy (AFM) data. Video-rate AFM has been used to record the nanostructure dynamics of two most widely studied ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMIM TFSI) and ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), as well as EAN-water mixtures, above a model anode, mica. Diffusion coefficients were extracted from the AFM videos using dynamic differential microscopy and direct tracking. Video rate AFM is able to record the movement of the IL nanostructure. This is the first time that any liquid has been directly visualized at a scale of 10 nm × 10 nm in real-time. Diffusion coefficients determined from AFM videos reveal IL nanostructures near surfaces diffuse orders of magnitude more slowly than individual ions in the bulk. Thus, rather than free-flowing liquid, the near-surface nanostructure is better conceptualized as self-assembled aggregates of IL ions diffusing slowly over the cation-rich Stern layer, akin to adsorbed surfactant micelles in aqueous systems. This new and surprising insight affects wide-ranging processes involving the interfacial dynamics of concentrated electrolytes.


Oxytocin facilitates the induction of long-term potentiation in the accessory olfactory bulb.
When female mice are mated, they form a memory to the pheromonal signal of their male partner. Several lines of evidence indicate that the neural changes underlying this memory occur in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) at the first stage of the vomeronasal system. The formation of this memory depends on the mating-induced release of noradrenaline in the AOB. In addition to noradrenaline, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is also released within the central nervous system during mating. Because OT has been implicated in social memory and its receptors are expressed in the AOB, we hypothesized that OT might promote the strength of synaptic transmission from mitral to granule cells in the AOB. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the lateral olfactory tract-evoked field potential that represents the granule cell response to mitral cell activation and its plasticity in parasagittal slices of the AOB. Of the 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-Hz stimulations tested, the 100-Hz stimulation was optimal for inducing long-term potentiation (LTP). OT paired with 100-Hz stimulation that only produced short-term potentiation enhanced LTP induction in a dose-dependent manner. OT-paired LTP was blocked by both the selective OT antagonist desGly-NH(2),d(CH(2))(5)[Tyr(Me)(2),Thr(4)]-ornithine vasotocin and the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dl-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid. These results indicate that OT can function as a gate to modulate the establishment of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP at the mitral-to-granule cell synapse in the AOB.


Patterns of vegetation and grasshopper community composition.
A study was conducted to evaluate differences in rangeland grasshopper communities over environmental gradients in Gallatin Valley, Montana, USA. The concept of habitat type (Daubenmire 1966) was used as a basis for discriminating between groupings of patches based on vegetation. A total of 39 patches were selected that represented five recognized grassland habitat types (Mueggler and Stewart 1980), as well as two disturbed types (replanting within a known habitat type). Repeated sampling in 1988 of both the insect and plant communities yielded a total of 40 grasshopper (19 664 individuals) and 97 plant species. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) indicated that patch classifications based on presence and percent cover of plants were appropriate and showed good between-group (habitat type) separation for patches along gradients of precipitation/elevation and plant community complexity. Results from undisturbed habitats showed that plant and grasshopper species composition changed over observed environmental gradients and suggested that habitat type influenced not only species presence, but also relative abundance. Discussion is presented that relates results with patch-use and core and satellite species paradigms.


Donor specific blood transfusions and successful spousal kidney transplantation.
Donor-specific blood transfusions have improved significantly 1-haplotype living related donor kidney transplant results. We have applied this concept successfully in 2 spousal kidney transplants. This technique may provide an additional source of kidney grafts, especially in developing countries without cadaver kidney transplant programs.


A decade of alkyne-tag Raman imaging (ATRI): applications in biological systems.
Alkyne functional groups have Raman signatures in a region (1800 cm-1 to 2800 cm-1) that is free from interference from cell components, known as the "silent region", and alkyne signals in this region were first utilized a decade ago to visualize the nuclear localization of a thymidine analogue EdU. Since then, the strategy of Raman imaging of biological samples by using alkyne functional groups, called alkyne-tag Raman imaging (ATRI), has become widely used. This article reviews the applications of ATRI in biological samples ranging from organelles to whole animal models, and briefly discusses the prospects for this technique.


Wandering spleen with torsion of pedicle in a child presenting as an intermittently-appearing abdominal mass.
Wandering spleen with torsion of the splenic pedicle is a rare condition with vague clinical manifestations. If this diagnosis is under condiseration, it can be established by angiography or by splenic scan.


Detection of O-GlcNAc modifications on cardiac myofilament proteins.
In this chapter it is described a general method that has been used successfully by more than one laboratory interested in detecting O-GlcNAc in myofilament proteins. Alternative reagents for chemo-enzymatic or metabolic labeling will be indicated, as well as references for more details in alternative methods. The outline is divided into (1) Enrichment of O-GlcNAc Stoichiometry, (2) Cardiac Myofilament Protein Isolation, (3) SDS-PAGE, (4) "Reduction and Alkylation," (5) In-Gel Protein Digestion, (6) Chemo-enzymatic Labeling of O-GlcNAc Moieties (Click Chemistry), (7) Biotin Alkyne Tagging, (8) Strong Cation Exchange (SCX) and Streptavidin, and (9) β-Elimination and Michael Addition (BEMAD) for O-GlcNAc Site-Mapping.


[Effect of spiramycin on the interbacterial aggregation process in dental plaque formation].
The Authors valued on 18 periodontal patients the bleeding, probing depth, plaque indexes before and after antibiotic therapy with spiramycin. After bacteriological test and coaggregation test the Authors concluded spiramycin all day long is endowed with a good activity in periodontal diseases.


Acute Treatment Regimens for Migraine in the ED.
Researchers at Children's Hospital, Boston, studied the comparative effectiveness of acute medication regimens for the prevention of ED visits with migraine.


A qualitative exploration of self-identity during the role transition to a nurse educator.
There is a critical shortage of nursing faculty in the U.S. and globally that is limiting the number of eligible nursing students admitted into nursing programs. To assist in recruitment and retention of faculty, it is necessary to understand how the transition from clinical bedside nursing practice to college and university nursing education work impacts the educator's self-identity. This purpose of this study was to explore the effect of transitioning from a nursing role to an educator role on nurses' self-identity. The research question was, "How do nurses perceive the impact on their self-identity when transitioning from a nursing practice role to an educator role?" In this qualitative study, data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and a demographic survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually one-on-one with one of the researchers. After the interviews, the data was analyzed, and themes essential to the experience were identified. The participants were a sample of eight registered nurses who currently work in a nurse educator's role and were enrolled as doctoral graduate nursing students. Eight nurse educators were interviewed about their transition from clinical nursing to academia and its' impact on their self-identity. Analysis of data included open, axial and selective coding. Four themes emerged from data analysis, including: transition to academia shock, being a novice, grief and loss, and grounded in purpose. To recruit and retain faculty, it may benefit nursing programs to develop processes that mitigate the shock, grief and loss that occurs with transition to academia while leveraging strategies that emphasize educators' impact on the profession and society.


The significance of multidose cardioplegia and hypothermia in myocardial preservation during ischemic arrest.
A standard experimental protocol was developed to explore the optimal technique for myocardial preservation during 120 minutes of ischemic arrest followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Eight different experimental groups were evaluated with the use of an in vivo pig heart preparation. The parameters measured included myocardial contractility and compliance, myocardial blood flow, and endocardial/epicardial blood flow ratio. Myocardial preservation was inadequate after hypothermic arrest alone, cardioplegic arrest alone (at normothermia), and single-dose cardioplegia plus hypothermia. Adequate myocardial preservation was found only after hypothermia and multidose cardioplegia with either potassium (35 mEq. per liter) or magnesium-procaine solutions. Continuous cardioplegia and hypothermia, while providing a moderate degree of myocardial preservation, was not as satisfactory as multidose cardioplegia and hypothermia. No difference in myocardial preservation was apparent when potassium-induced cardioplegia was compared with magnesium-procaine-induced cardioplegia.


Transdiagnostic factors predicting the 2-year disability outcome in patients with anxiety and depressive disorders.
Both anxiety and depressive disorders are associated with significant long-term disability. Since experienced impairments vary between patients independent of diagnosis and disease severity, identifying transdiagnostic factors that predict the course of disability may provide new targets to reduce disability. This study examines transdiagnostic factors predicting the 2-year disability outcome in patients with anxiety and/or depressive disorders (ADD), focusing on potentially malleable factors. Six hundred fifteen participants with a current diagnosis of ADD from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) were included. Disability was assessed at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up, using the 32-item WHODAS II questionnaire. Transdiagnostic predictors of 2-year disability outcome were identified using linear regression analysis. In univariable analyses, transdiagnostic factors associated with the 2-year disability outcome were locus of control (standardized β = -0.116, p = 0.011), extraversion (standardized β = -0.123 p = 0.004) and experiential avoidance (standardized β = 0.139, p = 0.001). In multivariable analysis, extraversion had a unique predictive value (standardized β = -0.143 p = 0.003). A combination of sociodemographic, clinical and transdiagnostic variables resulted in an explained variance (R2) of 0.090). The explained variance of a combination of transdiagnostic factors was 0.050. The studied transdiagnostic variables explain a small but unique part of variability in the 2-year disability outcome. Extraversion is the only malleable transdiagnostic factor predictive of the course of disability independent of other variables. Due to the small contribution to the variance in the disability outcome, the clinical relevance of targeting extraversion seems limited. However, its predictive value is comparable to that of accepted disease severity measures, supporting the importance of looking beyond using disease severity measures as predictors. Furthermore, studies including extraversion in combination with other transdiagnostic and environmental factors may elucidate the unexplained part of variability of the course of disability in patients with ADD.


Respiration and circulation during swimming activity in the dogfish Scyliorhinus stellaris.
A number of respiratory and circulatory parameters was measured in the Larger Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus stellaris before, during and after periods of spontaneous swimming. During swimming the gill ventilation was increased, mainly due to increased ventilatory stroke volume, the respiratory frequency showing a small rise only, and the cardiac output was increased at only slightly elevated cardiac frequency. Coordination between cardiac, ventilatory or locomotor (tail-beat) rhythms was not observed. The decrease in utilization of inspired water O2 during swimming was attributable to diffusion limitation in branchial O2 transfer. A considerable fraction of the total net amount of O2 required for swimming was taken up during the recovery phase. From the observations that (1) the decrease in gill ventilatory flow after cessation of swimming revealed a very rapid component (followed by a slow component), and that (2) changes in swimming speed were reflected by immediate changes in momentary ventilatory flow, it is concluded that the increased ventilation during swimming was in part mechanical-passive and/or due to nervous coupling between respiratory and locomotor centers.


Hemispheric control of the initial and corrective components of aiming movements.
This study examined whether the left and right hemispheres play differential roles in controlling the initial and corrective components of aiming movements. A simple aiming task was administered to 31 normal control subjects and 29 unilateral stroke patients (14 with right hemisphere damage and 15 with left hemisphere damage). Movement amplitude was varied (25, 64 and 100 mm) and reaction time, movement time and accuracy were measured. Through a trajectory analysis, initial and corrective movements were separated. The stroke patients performed the task with their ipsilateral arm which was compared to the normal controls' right or left are performance. Regardless of the movement amplitude the left hemisphere group's reaction time was slower, and the execution of the initial movement component was less accurate than controls. No performance deficits were found on corrective movements. Performance was not impaired for the right hemisphere group on any measures. These results are discussed in terms of the hemispheres' possible roles in controlling movements which are largely open or closed loop.


Disturbances of rapid-eye-movement sleep in 3 brothers with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.
The electrophysiological features of 3 brothers with the classic form of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) were studied. Two consecutive overnight polygraphic sleep recordings indicated a gross distortion of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep for all patients. A lower than normal percentage of REM sleep in these patients was consistent with their retarded intellectual development, which supports current thinking that REM sleep may be a sensitive index of brain function integrity. Non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, in contrast to reported findings in 1 patient with PMD, was uniformly characterized by distinct stages in which the electroencephalograms contained frequent vertex waves and spindles. Tests of peripheral nerve conduction velocity, acoustic brainstem reflexes, and visual and auditory evoked potentials did not indicate any abnormalities, nor did electroencephalograms obtained during wakefulness. One patient did have epileptiform spikes and spike waves recorded during an all-night EEG, an unusual finding in a child with cerebral white matter disease.


Dexamethasone-resistant cystic fibrosis fibroblasts show cross-resistance to sex steroids.
Diploid skin fibroblasts derived from individuals with the autosomal recessive disease, cystic fibrosis (CF), were shown previously to be significantly more resistant to the cytotoxicity of dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid hormone, than were normal human fibroblasts. Here cystic fibrosis fibroblasts are also shown to be more resistant than normal human fibroblasts to the cytotoxic effects of the sex hormones, 17 beta-estradiol, dihydrotestosterone and progesterone. Since cells are believed to contain different receptors for each of the steroid hormones, it is not probable than the resistance of CF cells to these hormones results from a receptor deficiency. This was shown by the fact that CF cells were found to exhibit the same receptor activity as normal cells for 3-H-dexamethasone. Furthermore, neither normal human nor CF fibroblasts could be demonstrated to contain detectable receptor activity for 3H-17 beta-estradiol. In addition, the studies of fibroblast killing by hormones led to the further interesting observation that normal human diploid fibroblasts, regardless of the sex of the tissue donor, are sensitive to killing by each of the sex hormones. These findings suggest that the cytotoxic effects of the steroid hormones may be observed independently of the specific hormone receptors. The studies reported here thus suggest that the resistance of CF cells to the different steroid hormones is probably the result of a defect in a pathway in cellular steroid hormone metabolism other than that involving receptors.