The effect of the use of a walkway and the choice of the foot on plantar pressure assessment when using pressure platforms.
Plantar pressure assessment is routinely used in a clinical setting for diagnosing foot problems and prescribing orthoses or footwear. Despite this, the measurement procedures and protocols that might have an effect on the results are not standardised. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, if variations in the data collection protocol such as the use of a walkway and stepping preference influence the measured plantar pressure parameters. 21 participants who were recruited from a convenience sample and consented to participate were tested under a number of different conditions through which the effect of these variations was tested. A paired T-test was used to determine whether a significant difference in the data corresponding to each subject for different testing conditions existed. Although there were significant differences between the plantar pressure measurement with the choice of the foot, there were no significant difference in the majority of plantar pressure parameters whilst using or not using the walkway. The results suggest that in a clinical and research setting extrinsic factors such as stepping preference needs to be considered to eliminate the effect of variability in plantar pressure data.


Primary transitional cell carcinoma of prostatic periurethral ducts.
Primary transitional cell carcinoma of the prostatic periurethral ducts is a distinct histologic variety of prostate carcinoma. Traditional methods of therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate are ineffective. A review of the literature suggests that appropriate radical surgical therapy should be considered for early control of this disease.


Anatomical basis of intervertebral disc puncture with chemonucleolysis.
Transparietal puncture of the lumbar intervertebral discs is done to achieve enzymatic nucleolysis. This technique requires firm understanding of the morphology and topography of the anatomical structures traversed by the needle as well as those to be avoided. Vertebral disc puncture with chemonucleolysis has been done by the author for four years. The aim of this study was to identify the parameters allowing facilitation of this procedure, thereby leading to a decreased X-ray exposure. To achieve this goal an analytical study of the target structure and its neurovascular, osseous and visceral relations was carried out. The results of this study led to practical conclusions regarding especially the parameters of disc puncture, their preoperative identification and the risks encountered in case of erroneous puncture.


Effect of bed net colour and shape preferences on bed net usage: a secondary data analysis of the 2017 Malawi Malaria Indicator Survey.
Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the paediatric population in Malawi. Insecticide-treated bed nets are a key vector malaria control intervention, however, advancement towards universal access is progressing slowly. Malawi Malaria indicator surveys (MMIS) show diverse user preferences of bed net shape and colour. The objective of this work was to understand if bed net shape and colour preferences affect usage. This is a secondary analysis of data from households that participated in the 2016-2017 MMIS. The main outcome variable was net usage defined, at net level, whether someone slept under a particular net on the night before the survey. The main exposure variables were preference attributes, whether a particular net is of a preferred colour or shape as defined by the household respondent. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to determine the association between the exposure and outcome variables. A total of 3729 households with 16,755 individuals were included in this analysis. There were a total 7710 bed nets in households that participated in the survey of which 5435 (70.5%) of these nets had someone sleep under them the previous night before the survey. Bed nets that are of a preferred shape have 3.55 times higher odds of being used than those not preferred [AOR 3.55 (95% CI 2.98, 4.23; p value < 0.001)]. Bed nets that are of a preferred colour have 1.61 times higher odds of being used than those that are not of a preferred colour [AOR 1.61 (95% CI 1.41, 1.84; p value < 0.001]. The results indicate that if a bed net is of a preferred colour or shape, it is more likely to be used. Bed net purchase by malaria stakeholders need to balance more factors on top of preferences such as price and efficacy.


Early increase in graft-versus-host reactivity during pregnancy in the mouse.
Alloreactive T levels of para-aortic lymph nodes (PALN) and spleen were determined on different days of pregnancy in BALB/c females by local and systemic graft-versus-host (GvH) assays. A significant increase in GvH reactivity was registered early in both allogeneic and syngeneic matings, operating not only towards paternal but also towards third party strains. Immunoregulatory mechanisms in PALN also involved the appearance of progressive suppression during the first days of pregnancy. The possible role of non-specific early increases in T alloreactivity in triggering suppressor mechanisms and the nature of the immunogens responsible for the alterations in GvH reactivity are discussed.


Determination of the binding sites of propranolol HCl on bovine serum albumin by direct and reverse procedures.
To characterize the binding site of propranolol hydrochloride, the free concentration of warfarin (site-I-specific probe) bound to BSA was measured upon the addition of propranolol hydrochloride. It was found that the free concentration of warfarin sodium was increased from 100% (as % of initial) to 552.35% when the ratio of propranolol to BSA was increased 1-6. In contrast, under the same experimental conditions, when diazepam was used as a site-II-specific probe, the increment of the free concentration of diazepam by propranolol was from 100% (as % of initial) to 415.42. From these data it is evident that the increment of free concentration of warfarin sodium is obviously greater than that of diazepam by propranolol. So it can be concluded that propranolol preferentially binds to site-I. Again as the displacement of diazepam is quite enough it can also be suggested that propranolol in addition to site-I also binds to site-II on the BSA molecule but to a lower extent. Again in the reverse experiment, the free concentration of propranolol was increased from 100% (as % of initial) to 476% when warfarin to BSA ratio was 1-6 as shown, on the other hand, the free concentration of propranolol was increased from 100% (as % initial) to 222.39% when the ratio of diazepam to BSA was also 1-6. From the data it is clear that the increment of propranolol due to displacement by warfarin (site-I probe) is higher than that of propranolol when displaced by diazepam (site-II probe). Thus this reverse experiment also agrees with the previous experiment.


Speech motor facilitation is not affected by ageing but is modulated by task demands during speech perception.
Motor areas for speech production activate during speech perception. Such activation may assist speech perception in challenging listening conditions. It is not known how ageing affects the recruitment of articulatory motor cortex during active speech perception. This study aimed to determine the effect of ageing on recruitment of speech motor cortex during speech perception. Single-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was applied to the lip area of left primary motor cortex (M1) to elicit lip Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs). The M1 hand area was tested as a control site. TMS was applied whilst participants perceived syllables presented with noise (-10, 0, +10 dB SNRs) and without noise (clear). Participants detected and counted syllables throughout MEP recording. Twenty younger adult subjects (aged 18-25) and twenty older adult subjects (aged 65-78) participated in this study. Results indicated a significant interaction between age and noise condition in the syllable task. Specifically, older adults significantly misidentified syllables in the 0 dB SNR condition, and missed the syllables in the -10 dB SNR condition, relative to the clear condition. There were no differences between conditions for younger adults. There was a significant main effect of noise level on lip MEPs. Lip MEPs were unexpectedly inhibited in the 0 dB SNR condition relative to clear condition. There was no interaction between age group and noise condition. There was no main effect of noise or age group on control hand MEPs. These data suggest that speech-induced facilitation in articulatory motor cortex is abolished when performing a challenging secondary task, irrespective of age.


Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in ischemic stroke.
We reviewed the records of all patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy at our institution during the period from January 1970 through December 1986 to determine the frequency of postoperative occlusions and the role of heparin-induced thrombosis in patients with such occlusions. After 2,527 carotid endarterectomies, a total of 19 occlusions occurred in 18 patients. Of these 18 patients, 6 had an associated heparin-induced coagulation disorder, 3 of whom are described in detail. Although heparin is a useful anticoagulant, it may precipitate occlusion of vessels after an endarterectomy procedure, either at the endarterectomy site or elsewhere. Physicians should be aware of the potentially increased risk for embolic or thrombotic cerebrovascular events in patients who receive heparin therapy.


Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in MiR219-1 and MiR137 and susceptibility to schizophrenia in a Chinese population.
Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental disorders to severely affect human health worldwide. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within related genes are candidate susceptible factors for the disorder. Rs107822 within MiR219-1 and rs1625579 within MiR137 were genotyped in 589 cases and 622 controls to investigate the possible association between the loci and schizophrenia in a Chinese population. Our results showed significant association between rs107822 and the disorder in allele (C vs. T: adjusted OR = 0.773, 95%CI = 0.655-0.912), co-dominant (TC vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.734, 95%CI = 0.571-0.943; CC vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.655, 95%CI = 0.459-0.936), dominant (TC + CC vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.707, 95%CI = 0.559-0.895), and recessive (CC vs. TC + TT: adjusted OR = 0.724, 95%CI = 0.524-0.999) models, respectively. Meanwhile, negative associations were also observed between rs107822 and the disorder in male and female subgroups, and genotype CC of the locus was significantly associated with a lower positive symptom score of PANSS compared to genotype TT carrier in the cases group. However, we didn't observe a significant association between rs1625579 and the disorder. These findings indicate that rs107822 within MiR219-1 might be involved in pathogenesis of schizophrenia and that genotypes TC, CC and allele C of the locus are protective factors for schizophrenia in a Chinese population.


Hemispheric differences in the interference among components of compound gratings.
The relationship between local/global and high/low spatial-frequency processing in hemispheric asymmetries was explored. Subjects were required to judge the orientation of a high- or low-spatial-frequency component of a compound grating presented in the left visual field (LVF) or right visual field (RVF). In Experiment 1, attention was focused on one or the other component. A signal detection analysis indicated that sensitivity (d') to the high-spatial-frequency target was reduced more by the presence of the low-spatial-frequency component when both were presented in the LVF rather than in the RVF. In Experiment 2, subjects determined whether a target orientation was present, independent of spatial frequency at only a single level (i.e., at the high- or low-spatial-frequency level), as opposed to both or neither level. An RVF/LH (left hemisphere) advantage was found when the decision was based on the orientation of the high-frequency component. The asymmetrical influence of visual field of presentation and spatial frequency upon sensitivity is discussed in terms of hemispheric differences in the magnitude of inhibition between spatial-frequency channels and in the role of transient channel activity to capture and direct higher order attentional processes.


Endometrial osseous metaplasia: an evolving cause of secondary infertility.
To present an endometrial osseous metaplasia case and reemphasize that the condition is a cause of secondary infertility. Case report. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in a university hospital in Turkey. A 33-year-old multiparous woman was admitted to our institution with secondary infertility that had lasted for 2 years. She had experienced one first-trimester and one second-trimester abortion, 3 years and 2 years ago, respectively. On transvaginal sonography, a linear curvy echogenity was observed. Hysteroscopic examination revealed multiple bony spicules, extending perpendicularly from the posterior uterine wall in to the uterine cavity and occupying almost two thirds of the cavity. Thereafter, a resectoscopic excision of the bony spicules was performed. A normal endometrium and uterine cavity. Two weeks after the operation, ultrasonographic evaluation was in the normal range, and the patient currently is trying to conceive spontaneously. Although the role of office hysteroscopy in the evaluation of infertile couple is still under debate, clinicians should keep this rare disorder in mind, especially in patients with a history of late abortion, and should evaluate such cases by hysteroscopy when sonographic features are encountered.


Soil water availability and capacity of nitrogen accumulation influence variations of intrinsic water use efficiency in rice.
Leaf intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) coupling maximum assimilation rate (Amax) and transpirable water lost via stomatal conductance (gsc) has been gaining increasing concern in sustainable crop production. Factors that influence leaf Amax and WUEi in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv Unkang) at flooding and rainfed conditions were evaluated. Positive correlations for leaf nitrogen content (Nm) and maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), for nitrogen allocation in Rubisco enzymes and mesophyll conductance (gm) were evident independent of cropping cultures. Rainfed rice exhibited enriched canopy leaf average Nm resulting in higher Amax, partially supporting improved leaf WUEi. Maximum WUEi (up to 0.14 μmol mmol(-1)) recorded in rainfed rice under drought conditions resulted from increasing gm/gsc ratio while at cost of significant decline in Amax due to hydraulically constrained gsc. Amax sensitivity related to gsc which was regulated by plant hydraulic conductance. WUEi was tightly correlated to Vcmax/gsc and gm/gsc ratios across the paddy and rainfed not to light environment, morphological and physiological traits, highlighting enhance capacity of Nm accumulation in rainfed rice with gsc at moderately high level similar to paddy rice facilitate optimization in Amax and WUEi while, is challenged by drought-vulnerable plant hydraulic conductance.


T3-4 squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx treated with radiation therapy alone.
This article reviews the results of radiation therapy alone for T3-4 squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Local control after radiation therapy is approximately 65% for patients with T3 glottic and supraglottic carcinoma. The likelihood of local control is inversely related to tumor volume and, for those with glottic cancers, is adversely influenced by cartilage sclerosis on pretreatment computed tomography of the larynx. Local control after radiotherapy is approximately 60% for T4 glottic cancers and 50% for T4 supraglottic carcinomas. The probability of severe complications is related to primary site and T-stage.


Influence of glenohumeral conformity on glenoid stresses after total shoulder arthroplasty.
Glenohumeral conformity has been reported to be one of the most critical implant-related features that may affect the occurrence of glenoid loosening. This study evaluated the mechanical effects of this parameter with a 3-dimensional finite element model of a prosthetic shoulder, which included the scapula, the humerus, and the rotator cuff muscles. Aequalis humeral and glenoid components were implanted numerically according to manufacturer's recommendations for 2 different orientations of the glenoid component (0 degrees and 15 degrees of retroversion). Different values of glenohumeral conformity (1-15 mm of radial mismatch) were tested by a progressive flattening of the glenoid surface. Free and countered rotation movements were simulated. Glenohumeral contact pressure, cement stress, shear stress, and micromotions at the bone-cement interface were calculated. At 0 degrees of retroversion, conformity had only a slight effect, whereas at 15 degrees of retroversion, all quantities increased by more than 200% and exceeded critical values above 10 mm of mismatch.


A phase II study of tasisulam sodium (LY573636 sodium) as second-line or third-line treatment for patients with unresectable or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.
Tasisulam sodium (hereafter tasisulam), a novel anticancer agent, is being studied in a broad range of tumors. The primary objective of this phase II study was to determine progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with 1 or 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for unresectable/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Secondary objectives included objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), overall survival (OS), pharmacokinetics, and safety. Tasisulam was administered intravenously on day 1 of 21-day cycles according to a lean body weight-based dosing algorithm targeting a peak plasma concentration (C(max)) of 420 μg/mL; a 360-μg/mL dose level was also explored. The median age of patients treated at 420 μg/mL was 58.3 years (range, 18.6-80.4; n = 63). Median PFS was 2.64 months (90 % CI, 1.41-3.38), with a 6-month PFS rate of 11 % (90 % CI, 4-17). Median OS was 8.71 months (90 % CI, 7.39-16.23); ORR, 3.2 %; and CBR, 46.0 % (stable disease, n = 27; partial response/confirmed, n = 2 [angiosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma]; partial response/unconfirmed, n = 1 [desmoplastic small round cell tumor]). The most frequent drug-related grade 3/4 toxicities in patients treated at 420 μg/mL were thrombocytopenia (27.0 %) and neutropenia (22.2 %). Incidences of grade 4 thrombocytopenia and/or neutropenia were 20.6 % in patients treated at 420 μg/mL and 15.8 % in those treated at 360 μg/mL (n = 38). Tasisulam at a target C(max) of 420 μg/mL on day 1 of 21-day cycles demonstrated modest activity as second-/third-line treatment in patients with STS. Grade 4 hematologic toxicity posed some challenges in these heavily pre-treated patients. Tasisulam dosing continues to be refined.


Facile synthesis of benzyl beta-D-galactofuranoside. A convenient intermediate for the synthesis of D-galactofuranose-containing molecules.
Benzyl beta-D-galactofuranoside was efficiently obtained from 1,2,3,5,6-penta-O-benzoyl-alpha,beta-D-galactofuranose, via benzyl 2,3,5,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-beta-D-galactofuranoside. Conditions for the O-debenzylation were investigated in order to evaluate the synthetic application of the benzyl group as an anomeric protector of a galactofuranose moiety in synthetic strategies involving galactofuranose.


Pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone and valspodar, a P-glycoprotein (mdr1) modulator: implications for coadministration.
To assess the potential for a drug-drug interaction between valspodar, a P-glycoprotein (mdrl) modulator used as a chemotherapy adjunct, and dexamethasone, widely included in oncology antiemetic regimens. Randomized, open-label, three-period crossover study. Clinical pharmacology research center. Eighteen healthy men volunteers (age 25.8+/-3.5 yrs, weight 71.6+/-10.3 kg). Subjects received single fasting oral doses of valspodar 400 mg, dexamethasone 8 mg, and both drugs concomitantly with 2- to 3-week washout phases between administrations. Lack of a pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction with respect to valspodar was conclusively demonstrated for both Cmax,b (2.3+/-0.4 vs 2.4+/-0.5 microg/ml) and AUCb (19.8+/-4.8 vs 19.6+/-4.9 microg x hr/ml) inasmuch as bioequivalence criteria were satisfied when comparing administration alone with coadministration, respectively. Although no changes in the rate of dexamethasone absorption were noted on coadministration with valspodar (Cmax 88+/-23 vs 91+/-20 ng/ml), overall exposure was significantly increased by 24% on average (AUC 400+/-87 vs 494+/-90 ng x hr/ml). Regression analysis of valspodar Cmax,b and AUCb during coadministration versus the extent of the interaction (percentage increase in dexamethasone AUC) did not reveal a concentration-effect relationship (p=0.7299 and 0.9718, respectively). Given dexamethasone's wide therapeutic index and the short duration of coadministration foreseen for these drugs in a clinical setting (maximum 1 wk/chemotherapy cycle), the 24% increase in dexamethasone's AUC is unlikely to be relevant. Thus no alterations in valspodar or dexamethasone dosages appear warranted when the two drugs are coadministered. Multiple-dose experience in patients would be desirable to confirm these conclusions.


31P NMR measurements of myocardial pH in vivo.
A 31P NMR magnetization transfer method for measuring myocardial pH in vivo is demonstrated in the lamb, dog and cat. The method involves measuring the difference in chemical shift between the resonances of phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate in magnetization transfer difference spectra in which the gamma-phosphate resonance of ATP has been saturated. The method has been verified by measuring the chemical shift difference between the resonances of 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate and phosphocreatine following infusion of the animals with 2-deoxyglucose. The measured pH values are significantly lower than those obtained in previous studies on the heart in vivo.


Antibiotic expectations of patients attending an emergency department with upper respiratory tract infections: clinical and behavioural determinants of antibiotic use.
Antibiotics are often prescribed for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in emergency departments (EDs) due to patient requests and expectations perceived by physicians. This study aimed to identify clinical and behavioural factors associated with patient antibiotic expectations. A cross-sectional study was undertaken of 717 patients attending the ED at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for URTIs between June 2016 and November 2018. A questionnaire was administered and electronic medical records were accessed. Principal component analysis was used to derive latent behavioural factors associated with antibiotic use, and these were applied in multi-variable multi-nomial logistic regression analyses. Independent factors associated with patient antibiotic expectations and requests were identified. Patients were predominantly young [mean age 40.5 (standard deviation 14.7) years], had no comorbidities (66.5%, 477/717), presented within <7 days of symptom onset (62.9%, 451/717), and did not fulfil the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's influenza-like illness (ILI) criteria (79.1%, 567/717). Behavioural factors identified were: (1) non-compliance with prescribed antibiotic regimen; (2) self-administration of antibiotics that were not prescribed for the illness episode; and (3) self-discontinuation of antibiotics upon experiencing adverse effects or allergies. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, comorbidities, influenza vaccination history, and illness duration, patients with ILI [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-2.59; P=0.008] or who self-administered antibiotics that were not prescribed for an illness episode (adjusted OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04-1.57; P=0.021) were more likely to expect antibiotics at the ED visit. Patients with ILI or who previously self-administered antibiotics were more likely to expect antibiotics at ED visits. Public education on appropriate antibiotic use is imperative to ensure optimal antibiotic use.


Image processing for optical mapping.
Optical Mapping is an established single-molecule, whole-genome analysis system, which has been used to gain a comprehensive understanding of genomic structure and to study structural variation of complex genomes. A critical component of Optical Mapping system is the image processing module, which extracts single molecule restriction maps from image datasets of immobilized, restriction digested and fluorescently stained large DNA molecules. In this review, we describe robust and efficient image processing techniques to process these massive datasets and extract accurate restriction maps in the presence of noise, ambiguity and confounding artifacts. We also highlight a few applications of the Optical Mapping system.


[A rare cause of embolic ischemia of the hand: an isolated aneurism of a branch of the axillary artery].
A 48-year-old man was admitted for subacute ischemia of the right hand of sudden onset. The patient, who participated in amateur sports, had an uneventful medical history. Duplex ultrasonography revealed thrombosis of the right radial and ulnar arteries. On heparin, the clinical course was favorable and investigations to search for an embolic source revealed an aneurism of the posterior circumflex artery (arteriography). The etiological work-up was negative as was the search for other aneurismal locations. Surgical excision was carried out. Pathology examination of the surgical specimen revealed a thrombosed aneurism that had developed on an atherosclerotic plaque. Aneurisms of the posterior circumflex artery have been described in professional baseball and volleyball players, but all sports that involve repetitive movements of the arm at extension, external rotation and forced abduction can complicate such damage. Compression of the aneurismal artery by the humeral head leads to extrusion of the thrombus under pressure and to retrograde embolisation towards the leg arteries. Thus, in the same way as for hypothenar hammer syndrome, signs of distal ischemia in an athlete should lead to a search for this type of injury.


Ovarian ependymoma presenting in pregnancy: a case report and literature review.
Ovarian ependymoma is a rare malignancy. Because of the extreme rarity, certain features of the neoplasm, including its clinical behaviour and optimal therapy, are incompletely characterized. A 32-year-old pregnant woman at term presented with a left ovarian neoplasm that occurred in the early stage of pregnancy. She underwent left adnexectomy during the caesarean section, and the neoplasm was histologically and immunohistochemically identified to be ovarian ependymoma. Immunohistochemical staining with oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors showed strong positive staining. According to reports in the literature, the pathological type of ovarian ependymoma in our patient was the extra-axial type. Interestingly, the foetus was also found to have bilateral ependymal cysts during pregnancy. The patient received no further surgical treatment or adjuvant therapy. She and her 14-month-old baby both have no evidence of disease at present. The follow-up of both mother and child is still continuing. The case presented here illustrates high levels of oestrogen during pregnancy may stimulate viable malignant ependymal cells to proliferate. Hence, young women with extra-axial-type ependymomas may not be suitable for fertility preservation. Moreover, hormone-based therapies can be a potentially effective treatment for women with extra-axial ependymomas.


Delayed Injection Site Reaction to Fremanezumab for Chronic Migraine Treatment.
Fremanezumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody administered through a subcutaneous injection. It is used for treatment of migraines, and occasional injection site reactions have developed after usage. This case report describes a nonimmediate injection site reaction on the right thigh of a 25-year-old female patient after starting treatment with fremanezumab. The injection site reaction presented as 2 warm, red annular plaques 8 days following a second injection of fremanezumab and about 5 weeks following the first injection. She was prescribed a 1-month course of prednisone that relieved her symptoms of redness, itching, and pain. Similar nonimmediate injection site reactions have been reported before, but this particular injection site reaction was significantly more delayed. Our case illustrates that injection site reactions to fremanezumab can be delayed after the second dose and may require systemic therapy to alleviate symptoms.


Quality of life impairments among adults with social phobia: the impact of subtype.
Social phobia is characterized by extreme fear in social or performance situations in which the individual may be exposed to embarrassment or scrutiny by others, which creates occupational, social and academic impairment. To date, there are few data examining the relationship of social phobia impairments to quality of life. In this investigation, we examined how demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and social competence are related to quality of life among patients with social phobia and normal controls. In addition, we examined the impact of social phobia subtype. Results indicated that individuals with generalized social phobia had significantly impaired quality of life when compared to individuals with no disorder or individuals with nongeneralized social phobia. Comorbid disorders decreased quality of life only for patients with nongeneralized social phobia. Hierarchical linear regression revealed that a diagnosis of social phobia and observer ratings of social effectiveness exerted strong and independent effects on quality of life scores. Results are discussed in terms of the role of social anxiety, social competence, and comorbidity on the quality of life for adults with social phobia.


Complex surgery and optimal consent: A variety of opinions exist among healthcare professionals.
Establishing healthcare professional's views on optimal consent in complex surgery could guide tailored consent policy, improving the process in challenging scenarios. To date, no studies have established if professionals of differing specialities agree on major aspects of consent in areas such as emergency surgery and cancer surgery. An anonymous web based survey was distributed to a variety of disciplines in a tertiary referral centre. Questions regarding optimal methods and timing of consent in emergency and cancer surgery were posed. Comparative analyses of quantitative data were performed using chi-squared test. 57 responses were received from doctors and nurses of varying disciplines. Differences were found between doctors of separate specialities and nurses in opinion of optimal timing of consent (p = 0.02), consent validity over time (p < 0.001) and the utility of introducing more specific consent policy (p = 0.01). Almost all respondents agreed that healthcare professionals have differing ideas of what consent is. This study demonstrates differences in opinion regarding optimal consent for cancer and emergency surgery. Consideration should be given to developing consensus among healthcare professionals regarding what consent for complex surgery constitutes.


RHCE and Kell genotyping and alloimmunization profile in patients with sickle cell disease in the Federal District of Brazil.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most important hemoglobinopathy worldwide. The treatment often requires phenotype-matched red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, but alloimmunization to non-ABO antigens may occur in a part of the SCD patients. The genotyping has been used for RBC antigen prediction, reducing the possibility of the alloimmunization. In this study we performed the genotyping for the Kell and RHCE blood groups in samples from 77 phenotyped Brazilian SCD patients, whose alloimmunization profiles were also assessed. Discrepancies between genotyping and phenotyping for the RHCE and Kell blood groups systems were observed in 22.07% (17/77) of the SCD patients. We found C/c and E/e discrepancies in 11.68% and 9.09% of patients, respectively; one SCD patient (1.3%) presented a discrepancy in the Kell group. Two SCD patients with discrepancies between genotype and phenotype were alloimmunized. In total, twenty-eight patients (36.4%) developed alloantibodies, of which 55.17% were directed against antigens in the Rh system, 8.62% were directed against antigens in the Kell system and 36.20%, against other groups. Finally, the frequency of discrepancies is significantly higher in non-alloimmunized patients (30.61%), compared to alloimmunized patients (7.14%) (p = 0.0217). In part, the alloimmunization of the SCD patients may have been triggered by these discrepancies, indicating that the integration of serological and molecular tests in the immunohematology routine could help to increase the transfusion safety. However, the higher number of alloimmunized patients without discrepancies showed that reasons other than the discrepancies appear to have influenced more strongly the alloimmunization in the SCD patients in this study.


Penile crural injury due to perineal penetrating trauma: a case report.
Perineal traumas are rarely seen in males, and can affect the anterior urethra and corpus cavernosum of the penis. In this paper, we report the case of a 14-year-old boy admitted to the emergency room with a pencil entering the perineum. We performed perineal exploration and observed that the urethra was totally intact, and that the pencil had entered into the right penile cavernosal structure.


Production and storage of (125-I) thyroxine and (125-I) triiodothyronine of high specific activity.
High specific activity [125-I] triiodothyronine and [125-I] thyroxine have been produced regularly by the chloramine T radioiodination method. Simultaneous production of [125-I] triiodothyronine and [125-I] thyroxine is usual when diiodothyronine or triiodothyronine are employed as the starting materials. Specific activities reached vary with the starting compound (diiodothyronine, triiodothyronine, thyroxine) used, as both substitution and, less readily, exchange of iodine atoms take place. Starting with diiodothyronine specific activities of approximately 2400 and 5200 Ci/g were achieved for [125-I]triidothyronine and [125I] thyroxine, respectively, and, similarly, specific activities of approximately 1200 and 4000 Ci/g for [125I] triiodothyronine and [125I]-thyroxine, respectively, were reached when triiodothyronine was the starting material. [125-I] Triiodoacetic acid and [125I] tetraiodoacetic acid have been produced in the same way from triiodoacetic acid. By column chromatography on Sephadex G-25 (fine), eluting with alkaline phosphate buffer, good separation of the radioiodinated products has been readily achieved. Studies on the stability of the radioiodinated hormones showed that 50% methanol, ethanol, propanol and propylene glycol were all equivalent as preserving agents and, further, that the stability of the radioiodinated hormones was linearly related to the concentration of these preserving agents.


Codon optimization of the adenoviral fiber negatively impacts structural protein expression and viral fitness.
Codon usage adaptation of lytic viruses to their hosts is determinant for viral fitness. In this work, we analyzed the codon usage of adenoviral proteins by principal component analysis and assessed their codon adaptation to the host. We observed a general clustering of adenoviral proteins according to their function. However, there was a significant variation in the codon preference between the host-interacting fiber protein and the rest of structural late phase proteins, with a non-optimal codon usage of the fiber. To understand the impact of codon bias in the fiber, we optimized the Adenovirus-5 fiber to the codon usage of the hexon structural protein. The optimized fiber displayed increased expression in a non-viral context. However, infection with adenoviruses containing the optimized fiber resulted in decreased expression of the fiber and of wild-type structural proteins. Consequently, this led to a drastic reduction in viral release. The insertion of an exogenous optimized protein as a late gene in the adenovirus with the optimized fiber further interfered with viral fitness. These results highlight the importance of balancing codon usage in viral proteins to adequately exploit cellular resources for efficient infection and open new opportunities to regulate viral fitness for virotherapy and vaccine development.


Pseudacteon notocaudatus and Pseudacteon obtusitus (Diptera: Phoridae), two new species of fire ant parasitoids from South America.
Ongoing studies in South America of phorid flies of the genus Pseudacteon Coquillett 1907 have revealed two further new species in this genus that are described here: P. obtusitus and P. notocaudatus. Both species are parasitoids of Solenopsis (F.) fire ants.


Respiratory symptom prevalence in adults: the comparative importance of smoking and family factors.
In a study of the prevalence of chronic cough and phlegm production in a group of nearly 4000 young adults, those adults who had several children had a higher prevalvalence of these symptoms than those with few children, especially if the children suffered from bronchitis or pneumonia. Nevertheless, cigarette smoking was the factor most strongly associated with chronic cough and phlegm production in young adults in this study.


Health-related quality of life in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with subcutaneous interferon β-1a in Iran.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) requires long-term therapy and can affect many aspects of a patient's life, including quality of life. MS patients score lower on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures. The efficacy of subcutaneous interferon (IFN) β-1a has been extensively evaluated by using objective measures but its impact on HRQoL is currently unclear. In this observational study, we evaluated HRQoL of Iranian patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) treated with IFN β-1a by using short-form 36 (SF-36) and multiple sclerosis international quality of life (MusiQoL) questionnaires. Four hundred recruited RRMS patients were treated with human serum album free IFN β-1a for 1 year. Patients were required to fill in SF-36 and MusiQoL questionnaires at the first visit and at each follow-up visit. Expanded disability status scale (EDSS) evaluation was performed at baseline and at each visit. Comparisons in HRQoL between visits were calculated using Cohen's d effect size. The relationship between change in EDSS score and the score of each questionnaire was calculated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Three-hundred and eighty three completed the study. Two-hundred and thirty nine were female. Mean (SD) age was 28.75 (±5.49). After 1 year, overall MusiQoL Index score effect size was -0.16 and SF-36 physical component and mental component showed overall effect sizes of -0.28 and -0.53, respectively. Mean (range) EDSS change was 1 (1-4). Three-hundred and seventy four were clinically stable with mean (range) EDSS change of 0.1 (-2-0.5). Increase in EDSS was linked to a decrease in both MusiQoL and SF-36. We found that, HRQoL did not change significantly over the first year of therapy. Furthermore, decreases in HRQoL were inversely correlated with increases in EDSS score.


Spatial structure determination of antiarrhythmic peptide using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
The peptide AAP10 was synthesized according to the Merrifield technique following the Fmoc-strategy and its spatial structure in aqueous solution studied with NMR principles. It is known from previous studies that the peptide has antiarrhythmic activity and inhibits cardiac ischemia induced alterations of the activation pattern, decreases the activation-recovery interval (ARI) dispersion and improves cellular coupling via enhancement of gap junction conductance (2, 2, 3, 4). The peptide was synthesized as a peptide amide. Two different semi cyclic conformations were characterized.


Ripples in the pond: Evidence for contagious cooperative role modeling through moral elevation and calling in a small pre-study.
Existing research has identified the importance of role models in the imitation of cooperative behaviors. This Pre-Study attempted to explore the contagion effects of cooperative models. Drawing on goal contagion theory, we proposed that encountering cooperative models could catalyze participants' cooperation when participants joined new groups without role models, and that moral elevation and calling would play a chain-mediating role in this process. To test the hypothesis, we designed a four-person public goods game consisting of two phases in which participants were formed into teams with different people in each phase. We randomly assigned 108 participants to either a consistent contributor (CC) or control condition. The only difference was that participants in the CC condition encountered a cooperative role model (i.e., CC) in the first phase, while those in the control group did not. The results moderately supported all hypotheses. Briefly, our findings provide empirical evidence supporting the two processes of goal contagion theory: when individuals encounter a CC, they first make inferences about the CC's goal, as reflected by moral elevation, and then adopt the model's prosocial goals (i.e., calling), resulting in increased cooperative behaviors in new groups. These findings could extend our understanding of the contagion effect of cooperative modeling, but require high-powered replication studies before such conclusions can be drawn.


Telomere lengths are characteristic in each human individual.
A great deal of attention has been focused on telomeres in relation to cellular aging, immortality, and cancer. However, there is no simple link between telomeres and tissue turnover. We recently proposed a hypothesis that telomere shortening with aging and telomere lengths in different organs are characteristic for human individuals. To test this, telomere lengths were measured using DNA from cerebral cortex, myocardium, liver, renal cortex and spleen tissues obtained from human subjects ranging in age from neonates to centenarians. Regression analyses demonstrated telomere reduction rates of 29-60 base pair (bp) per year in the liver, renal cortex and spleen, but no such decrease in the cerebral cortex and myocardium. Significant correlation was found between tissues within individuals, such as cerebral cortex versus (vs) myocardium, cerebral cortex vs liver, cerebral cortex vs renal cortex, myocardium vs liver, myocardium vs renal cortex, and liver vs renal cortex. In most cases, the longest telomeres were observed in the myocardium and the shortest in the liver or renal cortex. Telomere lengths did not show clear correlation with tissue renewal times in vivo, but rather were characteristic for individuals.


Study of the Ochratoxin A effect on Aspergillus parasiticus growth and aflatoxin B1 production.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic metabolite produced by certain Aspergillus species. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a metabolite of Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium verrucosum. AFB1 and OTA are amongst the most frequent combinations of mycotoxins found in plant products. Thus, synergistic effects or interactions between the two mycotoxins could be taking place. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of OTA on Aspergillus parasiticus growth and AFB1 production in yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium at concentrations of 0.16, 1.6 and 16 ng OTA flask(-1). The AFB1 extracted from cultures and purified with immunoaffinity columns was then quantitated by HPLC. The recovery and detection limit of the method were 95.3% and 0.02 ng AFB1 mL(-1), respectively. Maximum AFB1 productions in cultures with OTA were observed from 9 to 12 days (76.09-82.52 ng AFB1 flask(-1)) while in control cultures (without OTA) maximum production (197.2 ng AFB1 flask(-1)) was observed on 14th day. Maximum AFB1 levels in cultures with OTA were reduced by a percentage of 58-61% compared to control cultures. Furthermore AFB1 levels in cultures with OTA were practically (92%) degraded after 18 days of incubation. Conclusively when OTA is present the production of AFB1 by A. parasiticus in YES medium is inhibited.


Biomarkers of disease severity in patients with visceral leishmaniasis co-infected with HIV.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by the protozoan Leishmania spp, transmitted by sand fly bites. VL is one of the deadliest tropical infection diseases, yet the coinfection with HIV virus drastically increases relapses, treatment failure and mortality. The concomitant action of these two pathogens leads to high cellular activation independently of the progression to AIDS. In addition, microbial translocation and bacterial infections are thought to contribute worsening the clinical picture. Identifying biomarkers associated with disease severity is of interest for clinical management of patients with VL-HIV/AIDS. Thus, we analyzed in the sera several markers including interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-17), interferon-γ (IFN- γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), soluble CD14 (sCD14), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (IFABP). These markers were compared with disease severity in 24 patients with VL/HIV presenting different clinical outcomes. Disease severity was defined by the probability of death calculated using a score set system derived by the Kala-Cal® software. Probability of death ranged from 3.7% to 97.9%, with median of 28.8%. Five patients died (20%). At the univariate analysis, disease severity was correlated with TNF, IFN-γ and sCD14. LPS was positively correlated with sCD14 specifically in patients with low CD4+ count (CD4+ T-cell <200 cells/mL). Most importantly, the multivariate analysis including LPS, CD4+count and sCD14 showed that sCD14 was the only independent predictor for disease severity and death. Altogether, our results indicated that sCD14 is a powerful marker of pathogenicity and death for patients with VL-HIV/AIDS.


Long-Term Follow-Up of Peripheral Pigmentary Retinopathy in Asian Patients with Danon Disease.
Peripheral pigmentary changes are common amongst women with Danon disease; however, there is currently a lack of longitudinal observational studies of the retinal changes in this condition, and the long-term visual prognosis is not well understood. In this report, we present long-term follow-up data (12 years of follow-up) regarding peripheral retinopathy in an Asian woman and her mother who were both diagnosed with Danon disease. Both patients showed a novel nonsense mutation of the LAMP2 gene (c.123 of exon 2). During the follow-up period, no evident extension of peripheral pigmented lesions or visual field progression was observed. We report, for the first time, the long-term longitudinal follow-up of Danon disease-related retinopathy in an Asian patient featuring an indolent macular-sparing peripheral lesion.


Assessment of the risk of pollution by sulfur compounds and heavy metals in soils located in the proximity of a disused for 20 years sulfur mine (SE Poland).
The study assessed the long-term effects of anthropogenic pressure of the sulfur industry on turf-covered soils located in the vicinity of the sulfur mine Grzybów. The study assumes that 20 years which elapsed since the end of the exploitation of sulfur is a period sufficiently long for the content of sulfur compounds in soils not to exceed the permissible level and that soil of the region can be classified as not contaminated. A part of the study involved identification of changes in the contents Stot. and SSO4(2-) in soils collected in the 1970s and early twenty-first century. It was also traced the relationship between the content of sulfur compounds and selected soil properties and estimated risk of soil environment pollution by heavy metals. Mean contents of trace elements studied amounted to 10.2-10.8 mg kg(-1) for Pb, 14.3-39.4 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 0.2-0.4 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 3.8-32.2 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 2.7-15.1 mg kg(-1) for Cu and 2.9-18.7 mg kg(-1) for Ni. Based on the results of SSO4(2-) content in soils collected at a distance of 1 km from the mine, it was found out that despite the passage of years, the amount of this type of sulfur still is increased and exceeds 0.14 g kg(-1). As the distance from the mine grew lower (from 0.017 to 0.03 g kg(-1)) average content of the sulfur form was observed. In the studied soil material we found generally positive, strong correlation between the Stot. and SSO4(2-) content and analyzed trace elements. The degree of contamination of examined soils with heavy metals was estimated on the basis of the integrated pollution index, which pointed to a moderate and low level of antropogenization of this area. In addition, the relationship between the determined characteristics of soils (Corg. contents, the fraction <0.002 mm and pH) and heavy metals confirms that the trace elements present in soils do not occur in mobile forms in the soil solution.


Intestinal disease secondary to tocilizumab.
It is presented a case study of intestinal affectation on a patient under tocilizumab treatment for giant cell arteritis.


Production and Testing of RNA Origami Anticoagulants.
Nucleic acid nanotechnology provides the ability to create unprecedented nanostructures with diverse architectures and functions that can be utilized in myriad fields. A set of self-folding, single-stranded RNA origami structures bearing thrombin RNA aptamers have been demonstrated to act as anticoagulants. Here, we describe the detailed methods of producing and testing of such RNA origami anticoagulants. This method highlights the potential of RNA origami for biomedical applications.


Critical assessment of current adeno-associated viral vector production and quantification methods.
Adeno-associated viral vectors have emerged as one of the most studied vectors for gene therapy. Numerous production methods have been described, each with its advantages and disadvantages. A challenge in assessing the current state of the art exists in comparing yields from one production system to the next due to the wide variety of quantification techniques. In this review, AAV vector production methods are summarized and the yields of the different processes are standardized to the number of harvested cells. Titers are further streamlined into five categories: transduction units, enhanced transduction units, infectious particles, DNase-resistant particles and total particles, and the importance of each type of measure is discussed.


Angiotensin II stimulates cardiac myocyte hypertrophy via paracrine release of TGF-beta 1 and endothelin-1 from fibroblasts.
We sought to determine whether angiotensin II (Ang II) promotes hypertrophy of cardiac directly or via paracrine mechanisms mediated by cardiac fibroblasts. We studied neonatal rat cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts in culture as a model system. Paracrine effects of Ang II were identified using conditioned medium and co-culture experiments. Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptors responsible for myocyte growth localized to fibroblasts in radioligand binding, emulsion autoradiography, Western analysis, and immunofluorescence staining experiments. The bulk of AT1 receptor binding in myocyte cultures (1343 +/- 472 sites/cell) was to Ang II receptors on contaminating fibroblasts (9747 +/- 2126 sites/cell). Ang II induced significant paracrine trophic effects on myocytes in conditioned medium (40% increase in protein synthesis over control) and co-culture (4-fold increase over control) experiments. TGF-beta 1 and endothelin-1 were paracrine mediators of hypertrophy in neutralization experiments. Ang II stimulates cardiac myocyte hypertrophy via paracrine release of TGF-beta 1 and endothelin-1 from cardiac fibroblasts in a neonatal rat cell culture model.


Prevalence of frailty and its associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional analysis.
The aims of the present research were to assess the prevalence of frailty and its potential associated factors in a cohort of adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Consecutive RA patients and healthy controls were assessed according to the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI), and classified as frail, pre-frail, or non-frail. Chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to test the prognostic value of frailty for the outcomes of interest. Two hundred and ten consecutive RA patients (65.7% female, mean age 60.4 years) and 100 healthy controls (63% female, mean age 59.1 years) were included. According to SHARE-FI criteria, 35 RA patients (16.6%) were categorized as frail, 68 (32.4%) as pre-frail, and 107 (51%) as non-frail, while 8 control subjects were categorized as frail, (8%), 17 as pre-frail (17%), and 75 as non-frail (75%) (chi-squared 12.8; P = 0.0016). The results from logistic regression analysis revealed that age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.17; P < 0.0001), comorbidities (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.01-2.27; P = 0.0446), and high disease activity (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.04-1.16; P = 0.0006) were independently associated with frailty in RA. Frailty or pre-frailty are common in RA. The SHARE-FI may be a useful tool for the screening of frailty in RA and may summarize the results of a comprehensive RA assessment providing a marker of deficits accumulation.


Tricyclic heterocycles display diverse sensitivity to the A147T TSPO polymorphism.
The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) is a target for the development of imaging agents to detect neuroinflammation. The clinical utility of second-generation TSPO ligands has been hindered by the presence of a polymorphism, rs6971, which causes a non-conservative substitution of alanine for threonine at amino acid residue 147 (TSPO A147T). Given the complex nature of TSPO binding, and the lack of non-discriminating high-affinity ligands at both wild type and A147T forms of TSPO, a series of novel TSPO ligands containing various heterocyclic scaffolds was developed to explore the pharmacophoric drivers of affinity loss at TSPO A147T. In general, N-benzyl-N-methyl-substituted amide ligands showed increased affinity at TSPO A147T, and a pyrazolopyrimidine acetamide containing this motif displayed low nanomolar binding affinities to both TSPO forms.


WEEE management in Europe and China - A comparison.
Over the last years Europe and China have developed specific regulations to address the challenge of managing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Households in today's urban China are similarly equipped with electrical and electronic appliances as households in European metropolitan areas, which in turn will lead to similar per capita generation rates in WEEE. While the challenge is a similar one, the systems, technologies and legislation in place in Europe and China are partly different, partly aligned to each other. In Europe WEEE collection is based on existing municipal structures. Additionally, retail and other take-back channels are in place. In China the informal sector dominates WEEE collection, being more competitive and flexible and offering pecuniary reimbursement to consumers. In Europe manual dismantling as a first treatment step has been gradually replaced by mechanical break up of appliances, followed by sorting out of hazardous and valuable components. In the subsequent second treatment level, cathode ray tubes are separated, whereby compound materials like motors and coils are mechanically treated, printed circuit boards go to special smelters, and plastics are separated and partly recycled. In China large formal dismantling capacities have been set up in recent years. There dismantling practices follow similar principles as in European plants; however, further processing is only partly implemented in Chinese recycling facilities. Specifically metallurgical treatment of printed circuit boards is still not existent in China. Companies selling electrical and electronic products within the EU are obliged to organise collection and treatment. This has led to a larger number of producer responsibility organisations. Financed and controlled by producers and importers, these systems aim to fulfil legal requirements at optimised costs subject to compliance with environmental standards and monitoring requirements. The Chinese system is built on a state controlled fund which subsidies formal recyclers. For these recyclers this financial support is essential to compete with informal recyclers, who operate at lower costs and do not necessarily comply with environmental standards.


A comparison of dopexamine and dopamine to prevent renal impairment in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.
The efficacy of low-dose dopamine as a renal protective agent was compared with that of dopexamine in patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. Twelve patients who received a continuous infusion of dopexamine (1-3 micrograms/kg/minute) were matched for age, diagnosis, pre-operative creatinine clearance and blood loss with 12 patients who received a low-dose infusion of dopamine (2 micrograms/kg/minute). The catecholamine infusion was started after induction of anaesthesia and continued for 48 hours after surgery. Patients in the dopexamine group had less evidence of renal impairment and failure than those in the dopamine group during 7 days after the operation, although the differences between groups did not achieve statistical significance. Similarly there were no significant differences between the two groups in peri-operative urine output, urine/plasma osmolality ratio or creatine clearance. Dopexamine is at least as effective as dopamine for renal protection in patients who undergo liver transplantation.


Utility of multimodal evoked potential study and electroencephalography in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy.
We performed electroencephalography (EEG) and multimodal evoked potential (EP) studies in 16 patients with various forms of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy (ME). The electrophysiological investigations revealed signs of involvement of the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) in 14 patients, with a high incidence of visual-EP (VEP) alterations, indicative of visual pathway vulnerability in mitochondrial diseases. No specific pattern of abnormalities emerged and, in particular, clinical and laboratory findings did not correlate with each other. EP (particularly VEP and electroretinogram) investigations should be part of the diagnostic work-up of patients with mitochondrial disorders in order to better characterize the clinical picture, disclose involvement of specific sensory systems of the CNS, and assess patients with atypical clinical presentations.


CI-960 (PD127391 or AM-1091), sparfloxacin, WIN 57273, and isepamicin activity against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium avium-intracellularae complex, M. chelonae, and M. fortuitum.
A 7H9 broth microdilution method against CI-960, sparfloxacin, WIN57273, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, isepamicin, amikacin, kanamycin, ethambutol, isoniazid, and rifampin was used to test 35 Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAI) and five M. chelonae-fortuitum strains. The majority of MAI isolates were inhibited by all tested compounds, with sparfloxacin (MIC90, 0.5 micrograms/ml) being the most active among the fluoroquinolones; isepamicin (MIC90, 4 micrograms/ml), the most potent aminoglycoside; and isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol also demonstrating some degree of activity. Mycobacterium chelonae strains were resistant to all drugs except ciprofloxacin (MIC50, 1 microgram/ml). Mycobacterium fortuitum isolates were generally susceptible, especially to the newer fluoroquinolones.


Growth, spectroscopic and physicochemical properties of bis mercury ferric chloride tetra thiocyanate: a nonlinear optical crystal.
Single crystal of bis mercury ferric chloride tetra thiocyanate [Hg2FeCl3(SCN)4; (MFCTC)] was grown from ethanol-water (3:1) mixed solvent using slow evaporation solvent technique (SEST) for the first time. The cell parameters of the grown crystal were confirmed by single crystal XRD. The coordination of transition metal ions with the SCN ligand is well-identified using FT-IR spectral analysis. The chemical composition of MFCTC was confirmed using CHNS elemental test. The ESR spectral profile of MFCTC was recorded from 298 K to 110K, which strongly suggests the incorporation of Fe(3+) ion and its environment with respect to SCN ligand. The HPLC chromatogram of MFCTC highlights the purity of the compound. The UV-Vis-NIR studies revealed the ultra violet cut-off wavelength of MFCTC in ethanol as 338 nm. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the sample were studied as a function of frequency and temperature. The TGA-DTA and DSC thermal analysis show that the sample is thermally stable up to 234.31 °C, which is comparatively far better than the thermal stability of Hg3CdCl2(SCN)6; (171.3 °C) and other metal-organic coordination complex crystals such as CdHg(SCN)4 (198.5 °C), Hg(N2H4CS)4Mn(SCN)4 (199.06 °C) and Hg(N2H4CS)4Zn(SCN)4 (185 °C). The SHG conversion efficiency of MFCTC is found to be higher than KDP.


Anther Culture in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).
Anther culture is the most popular of the techniques used to induce microspore embryogenesis. This technique is well set up in a wide range of crops, including pepper. In this chapter, a protocol for anther culture in pepper is described. The protocol presented hereby includes the steps from the selection of buds from donor plants to the regeneration and acclimatization of doubled haploid plants derived from the embryos, as well as a description of how to analyze the ploidy level of the regenerated plants.


Fresh and cryopreserved arterial homografts: immunological and clinical results.
This prospective study defined the immunological and clinical results after fresh and cryopreserved arterial homograft replacement due to graft infection. Thirty patients who underwent ABO-compatible homograft transplantation were studied for anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA): antibody production and CD3- and CD4- versus CD8-positive lymphocyte subsets. Nine patients (30%) received immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine (1 to 3 mg/kg/d). Immunological studies were performed preoperatively, and early (1, 3, 7 days) and late (1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 months) during follow-up. Abdominal computed tomography scans were performed postoperatively at 1, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months of follow-up. Preoperatively, antibodies were not detected. Postoperatively, a progressive increase in percent panel reactive antibodies was observed in all patients 1 month after the transplant. There were no difference between fresh and cryopreserved homografts. The antibody response among patients treated with cyclosporine was less pronounced and delayed. Recipient antibodies were directed against donor-specific antigens. During the immediate postoperative period (1, 3, 7 days) there was a slight increase in CD3- and CD4-positive T lymphocytes and a concomitant decrease in the CD8 subset. Later, CD3 and CD4 progressively decreased and the CD8 set increased. Clinically, no patients had signs of recurrent infection upon late follow-up. Four patients died (13%), but only one death was homograft-related (rupture of the graft). At 2-year follow-up, two patients showed stenotic lesions due to chronic rejection. Clinically, no differences were noted between fresh and cryopreserved homografts, or between patients treated with or without cyclosporine. Fresh and cryopreserved arterial homografts are immunogenic; they induce a strong anti-HLA antibody response, similar to chronic rejection.


LHC II protein phosphorylation in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants deficient in non-photochemical quenching.
Phosphorylation of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex II (LHC II) proteins is induced in light via activation of the LHC II kinase by reduction of cytochrome b(6)f complex in thylakoid membranes. We have recently shown that, besides this activation, the LHC II kinase can be regulated in vitro by a thioredoxin-like component, and H2O2 that inserts an inhibitory loop in the regulation of LHC II protein phosphorylation in the chloroplast. In order to disclose the complex network for LHC II protein phosphorylation in vivo, we studied phosphorylation of LHC II proteins in the leaves of npq1-2 and npq4-1 mutants of Arabidopis thaliana. In comparison to wild-type, these mutants showed reduced non-photochemical quenching and increased excitation pressure of Photosystem II (PS II) under physiological light intensities. Peculiar regulation of LHC II protein phosphorylation was observed in mutant leaves under illumination. The npq4-1 mutant was able to maintain a high amount of phosphorylated LHC II proteins in thylakoid membranes at light intensities that induced inhibition of phosphorylation in wild-type leaves. Light intensity-dependent changes in the level of LHC II protein phosphorylation were smaller in the npq1-2 mutant compared to the wild-type. No significant differences in leaf thickness, dry weight, chlorophyll content, or the amount of LHC II proteins were observed between the two mutant and wild-type lines. We propose that the reduced capacity of the mutant lines to dissipate excess excitation energy induces changes in the production of reactive oxygen species in chloroplasts, which consequently affects the regulation of LHC II protein phosphorylation.


Phosphofructokinase interacts with molecular chaperonins GroEL and GroES.
For studying the possible interaction between the chaperonins and phosphofructokinase (PFK), bacterial chaperonins GroEL, GroES, and the PFK were co-purified from chaperonin over-expressing, heat treated E. coli strains. GroEL interacted with PFK in the presence of Mg2+, leading to a gradual decrease in the activity of the enzyme. This type of GroEL-PFK interaction was overcame by the GroES. On the effect of the addition of ATP to the GroEL-PFK complex, the decreased activity of the enzyme was recovered suggesting release of the GroEL-bound enzyme. Contrary to this, in a complete refolding system containing GroEL, GroES, ATP and Mg2+, activity of heat treated bacterial PFK gradually increased showing, that GroEL and GroES together play a role in the folding and/or assembly of PFK. Similar effect of refolding system was also observed on rabbit muscle PFK. The data show that PFK can interact with GroEL, which results in binding of the enzyme; by contrast, GroEL and GroES together has a folding effect leading ultimately to increase of the activity of the enzyme.


Comparative analysis, distribution, and characterization of microsatellites in Orf virus genome.
Genome-wide in-silico identification of microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the Orf virus (ORFV), the causative agent of contagious ecthyma has been carried out to investigate the type, distribution and its potential role in the genome evolution. We have investigated eleven ORFV strains, which resulted in the presence of 1,036-1,181 microsatellites per strain. The further screening revealed the presence of 83-107 compound SSRs (cSSRs) per genome. Our analysis indicates the dinucleotide (76.9%) repeats to be the most abundant, followed by trinucleotide (17.7%), mononucleotide (4.9%), tetranucleotide (0.4%) and hexanucleotide (0.2%) repeats. The Relative Abundance (RA) and Relative Density (RD) of these SSRs varied between 7.6-8.4 and 53.0-59.5 bp/kb, respectively. While in the case of cSSRs, the RA and RD ranged from 0.6-0.8 and 12.1-17.0 bp/kb, respectively. Regression analysis of all parameters like the incident of SSRs, RA, and RD significantly correlated with the GC content. But in a case of genome size, except incident SSRs, all other parameters were non-significantly correlated. Nearly all cSSRs were composed of two microsatellites, which showed no biasedness to a particular motif. Motif duplication pattern, such as, (C)-x-(C), (TG)-x-(TG), (AT)-x-(AT), (TC)- x-(TC) and self-complementary motifs, such as (GC)-x-(CG), (TC)-x-(AG), (GT)-x-(CA) and (TC)-x-(AG) were observed in the cSSRs. Finally, in-silico polymorphism was assessed, followed by in-vitro validation using PCR analysis and sequencing. The thirteen polymorphic SSR markers developed in this study were further characterized by mapping with the sequence present in the database. The results of the present study indicate that these SSRs could be a useful tool for identification, analysis of genetic diversity, and understanding the evolutionary status of the virus.


CT brain scan and EEG in the diagnosis of adult onset seizures.
Incidence of CT abnormalities and their correlation with clinical and EEG features were evaluated in a consecutive series of 202 adult patients with newly diagnosed epileptic seizures. Abnormal CT findings were found in 36% of these patients; the abnormalities consisted of brain tumors (17%), atrophic lesions (11%) and other organic findings (8%) such as arteriovenous malformations. Focal features of seizures, in neurological examination and/or in EEG, correlated significantly with CT abnormalities. The absence of these findings did, however, not exclude the possibility of brain lesions, which in many cases were treatable by surgery.


Tick infestations of wildlife and companion animals in Ontario, Canada, with detection of human pathogens in Ixodes scapularis ticks.
The growing risk of transmission of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens to humans in Ontario, Canada, warrants investigations into regional tick distribution, tick burdens of local peridomestic animals, and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens. The objectives of this study were to investigate the geographic distribution and magnitude of tick infestations in opportunistically sampled mammalian wildlife and companion animals (i.e., dogs) in southern Ontario and to test these ticks for evidence of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. Ticks collected from wildlife carcasses, live-trapped wildlife and companion animals (2015-2016), as well as wildlife diagnostic cases (2011-2013), were identified to species and life stage. Ixodes scapularis ticks were tested by real-time PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). Amblyomma americanum ticks were tested for Ehrlichia chaffeensis. A total of 1687 ticks of six species were collected from 334 animals, including 224 raccoons (n = 1381 ticks) and 50 dogs (n = 67 ticks). The most common tick species collected from parasitized raccoons were Ixodes texanus (n = 666 ticks) and Dermacentor variabilis (n = 600 ticks), which were removed from 58.5% (median: 2 ticks; range: 1-36) and 49.1% (median: 2 ticks; range: 1-64) of raccoons, respectively. Of I. scapularis tested, 9.3% (4/43) were positive for Bo. burgdorferi s.s. and 2.3% (1/43) for A. phagocytophilum. These results reveal that numerous tick species parasitize common, peridomestic wildlife and that at least two zoonotic, tick-borne pathogens circulate in southern Ontario. Host-tick vector-pathogen dynamics should continue to be monitored in the face of global climate change, landscape alterations and expanding human populations.


LEC1-LIKE paralog transcription factor: how to survive extinction and fit in NF-Y protein complex.
Transcription factor function is crucial for eukaryotic systems. The presence of transcription factor families in genomes represents a significant technical challenge for functional studies. To understand their function, we must understand how they evolved and maintained by organisms. Based on genome scale searches for homologs of LEAFY COTYLEDON-LIKE (L1L; AtNF-YB6), NF-YB transcription factor, we report the discovery and annotation of a complete repertoire of thirteen novel genes that belong to the L1L paralogous gene family of Solanum lycopersicum. Gene duplication events within the species resulted in the expansion of the L1L family. Sequence and structure-based phylogenetic analyses revealed two distinct groups of L1Ls in tomato. Natural selection appears to have contributed to the asymmetric evolution of paralogs. Our results point to key differences among SlL1L paralogs in the presence of motifs, structural features, cysteine composition and expression patterns during plant and fruit development. Furthermore, differences in the binding domains of L1L members suggest that some of them evolved new binding specificities. These results reveal dramatic functional diversification of L1L paralogs for their maintenance in tomato genome. Our comprehensive insights on tomato L1L family should provide the basis for further functional and genetic experimentation.


Variants of transketolase from human erythrocytes.
Analytical isoelectric focusing and a stain for transketolase have been applied to partially purified samples of human erythrocyte hemolysates and have detected individual species of transketolase having pI values of 6.6, 7.3, 7.5, 7.8, 8.1, 8.2, 8.4 and 9.2. Six different patterns of these species were detected in 25 healthy subjects. The species of pI 7.5, 7.8 and 8.1 were common to all six patterns. Species isolated by electrofocusing could be rerun in the same system with identical pI value. The addition of thiamin diphosphate to the staining mixture darkened some but not all bands of transketolase activity. Thus human erythrocyte transketolase is heterogeneous and appears to share with human fibroblast transketolase heterogeneity for affinity of the cofactor. This heterogeneity might need recognition when thiamin nutritional sufficiency is assessed by the 'thiamin diphosphate effect' on erythrocyte transketolase.


Checking the Biocompatibility of Plant-Derived Metallic Nanoparticles: Molecular Perspectives.
Understanding the biocompatibility of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) is pivotal for biomedical applications. The biocompatibility of plant-derived MNPs has been mostly attributed to capped plant molecules. This claim seems to be straightforward but lacks conclusive evidence. The capped phytochemicals and the metallic core might have decisive and individual roles in imparting the overall biocompatibility. Whether capped phytochemicals really make sense in diminishing the toxicity effect of the otherwise naked or metallic core needs further analysis. Here, we readdress the biocompatibility of plant-derived MNPs with references to contemporary cellular assays, different reactants for green synthesis, possible epigenetic involvement, and nanobiocompatibility at the molecular level. Finally, we discuss relevant in vivo studies and large-scale production issues.


MRI patterns of T1 enhancing radiation necrosis versus tumour recurrence in high-grade gliomas.
Despite the emergence of new imaging technologies, the differentiation of treatment-related changes from recurrent tumour in patients with high-grade gliomas remains a difficult challenge. We evaluated whether specific MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) T1 post-contrast enhancement patterns can help to distinguish between radiation necrosis and tumour recurrence. This study was approved by local institutional review board. Fifty-one patients with World Health Organization grade III-IV glioma underwent reoperation after prior chemoradiation. The percentage of radiation necrosis versus recurrent tumour in reoperation specimens was estimated by an experienced neuropathologist. Enhancement patterns on T1 post-contrast sequences from the MRIs obtained prior to reoperation were evaluated according to pathology. T1 contrast enhancement patterns correlating with recurrent tumour included focal solid nodules and solid uniform enhancement with distinct margins. Eighty-five per cent (17/20) of patients with ≥70% recurrent tumour at reoperation demonstrated one of these patterns on preoperative MRI. Enhancement patterns correlating with radiation necrosis included a hazy mesh-like diffuse enhancement and rim enhancement with feathery indistinct margins. Ninety-four per cent (17/18) of patients with ≥70% radiation necrosis demonstrated one of these two patterns. Thirteen cases had more mixed pathology (>30% of tumour/necrosis) and demonstrated patterns associated with recurrence and/or necrosis. Compared to MR spectroscopy performed in 10 patients, enhancement patterns on MRI were just as accurate in predicting pathologic diagnosis. Identifying distinct patterns of contrast enhancement on MRI may help to differentiate between radiation necrosis and tumour recurrence in high-grade gliomas.


Ionic colloidal crystals of oppositely charged particles.
Colloidal suspensions are widely used to study processes such as melting, freezing and glass transitions. This is because they display the same phase behaviour as atoms or molecules, with the nano- to micrometre size of the colloidal particles making it possible to observe them directly in real space. Another attractive feature is that different types of colloidal interactions, such as long-range repulsive, short-range attractive, hard-sphere-like and dipolar, can be realized and give rise to equilibrium phases. However, spherically symmetric, long-range attractions (that is, ionic interactions) have so far always resulted in irreversible colloidal aggregation. Here we show that the electrostatic interaction between oppositely charged particles can be tuned such that large ionic colloidal crystals form readily, with our theory and simulations confirming the stability of these structures. We find that in contrast to atomic systems, the stoichiometry of our colloidal crystals is not dictated by charge neutrality; this allows us to obtain a remarkable diversity of new binary structures. An external electric field melts the crystals, confirming that the constituent particles are indeed oppositely charged. Colloidal model systems can thus be used to study the phase behaviour of ionic species. We also expect that our approach to controlling opposite-charge interactions will facilitate the production of binary crystals of micrometre-sized particles, which could find use as advanced materials for photonic applications.


Schistosoma mansoni miracidial host-finding: species specificity of an Egyptian strain.
The effect of snail-conditioned water (SCW) from Biomphalaria alexandrina, a pigmented and an albino strain of B. glabrata, and Lymnaea stagnalis on the host-finding behavior of miracidia of two Brazilian and one Egyptian strain of Schistosoma mansoni was studied. Miracidia of the Egyptian strain significantly preferred their suitable host B. alexandrina versus the other snail species with their behavior patterns of host location and their responses after contact with the host. However, miracidia of both Brazilian strains did not differentiate between SCW from three of the snail species; only the pigmented B. glabrata elicited weaker responses. The releasing cues of SCW for miracidial host-finding phases are macromolecular glycoconjugates. An analysis of SCW by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), blotting, and subsequent carbohydrate detection showed that the band patterns of glycoconjugates differed significantly among the four snail strains. Therefore, differing chemical characteristics of the signaling glycoconjugates could be the basis for the observed host specificity in miracidial host-finding.


Effect of temperature on microbial population and performance of an aerobic thermophilic reactor treating cattle slurry and waste food.
This study was carried out to quantify and identify the presence of somatic coliphages, RNA coliphages, sulphite-reducing clostridia, Clostridium tyrobutyricum or its related clostridia, faecal coliforms, enterococci and heterotrophs in a mixture of cattle slurry and waste food (whey and jam) that had undergone aerobic thermophilic treatment (ATT). We also investigated the influence of different factors, including pH, COD, temperature, odour removal, addition of waste food (whey and jam) and nitrogen losses, on the long-term ATT process. The processes were conducted semi-continuously with retention time of five days and with the waste food and slurry mixture (1:4) being added daily into the reactor. The experiments lasted seven days for each thermophilic temperature (50, 60 and 70 degrees C). Our work showed that, at the higher temperature of the ATT operation, the number of microorganisms declined much more rapidly than at the lower temperature and the final product was hygienically safe. The use of waste food (whey and jam) was beneficial because it buffered pH.


Aluminum chloride does not facilitate deposition of human synthetic amyloid beta1-42 peptide in the rat ventricular system of a short-term infusion model.
Recent data have demonstrated that a 39-43 amino acid peptide called beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta), which predominantly contains 42 residues (Abeta1-42), has a strong tendency to form insoluble aggregates and that the toxic effects of Abeta are based on its aggregation. In a previous study, we reported that infusion of 100 microg of human synthetic Abeta1-42 (sAbeta1-42), which is a main component of diffuse plaques, into the lateral ventricle of the rat brain of a short-term infusion model resulted in almost complete disappearance of sAbeta1-42 aggregates from the ventricles by 28 days. In addition, aluminum is considered a potential etiological factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurotoxicity from excess brain exposure to aluminum has been documented from both clinical observations and animal experiments, although a direct relationship between aluminum and AD has yet to be clearly established. We therefore investigated the effects of sAbeta1-42 aggregates with aluminum chloride (AlCl3) in the ventricular system of the rat brain of a short-term infusion model. At either 2 or 7 days following infusion, sAbeta1-42 formed aggregates with AlCl3 that spread throughout the entire ventricular system. However, sAbeta1-42 aggregates with AlCl3 had almost disappeared from the ventricles by 28 days, resulting in similarities with respect to the time-course and the neuropathological changes observed in sAbeta1-42 aggregation without AlCl3. We herein report for the first time that considerable amounts of sAbeta1-42 aggregates with AlCl3 almost disappear from the rat ventricular system by 28 days post-infusion.


Genome-wide association analysis of natural variation in seed tocochromanols of barley.
Tocochromanols (tocols for short), commonly called Vitamin E, are lipid-soluble plant antioxidants vital for regulating lipid peroxidation in chloroplasts and seeds. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds contain all eight different isoforms of tocols; however, the extent of natural variation in their composition and their underlying genetic basis is not known. Tocol levels in barley seeds were quantified in diverse H. vulgare panels comprising 297 wild lines from a diversity panel and 160 cultivated spring-type accessions from the mini-core panel representing the genetic diversity of the USDA barley germplasm collection. Significant differences were observed in the concentration of tocols between the two panels. To identify the genes associated with tocols, genome-wide association analysis was conducted with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from Illumina arrays for the mini-core panel and genotyping-by-sequencing for the wild barley panel. Forty unique SNPs in the wild barley and 27 SNPs in the mini-core panel were significantly associated with various tocols. Marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified on chromosomes 1, 6, and 7 for key genes in the tocol biosynthesis pathway, which have also been reported in other studies. Several novel MTAs were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 4 and 5 and were found to be in proximity to genes involved in the generation of precursor metabolites required for tocol biosynthesis. This study provides a valuable resource for barley breeding programs targeting specific isoforms of seed tocols and for investigating the physiological roles of these metabolites in seed longevity, dormancy, and germination.


Antimicrobial stewardship intervention to reduce unnecessary antibiotic doses in neonates.
The wording of the antibiotic duration orders for neonatal sepsis was changed as an antimicrobial stewardship initiative to reduce the administration of unnecessary antibiotic doses. The change in wording allowed the patient to stop receiving antibiotics after they received 48 hours of therapy if the health care team had not received notification of a positive culture. This initiative led to a decrease in the number of neonates that received extra unnecessary doses from 50% to 7.2%.


Revealing the surface structure-performance relationship of interface-engineered NiFe alloys for oxygen evolution reaction.
NiFe alloys are among the most promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, a comprehensive study is yet to be done to reveal the surface structure-performance relationship of NiFe alloys. In particular, the role of the ultrathin surface oxide layer, which is unavoidable for pure NiFe alloys, is always neglected. Herein, a series of NiFe alloys with different Ni/Fe ratios are fabricated. It is found that different Ni/Fe ratios lead to significant differences in surface composition and structure of the NiFe alloys, and thus affect their catalytic performance. Then, the oxide/metal interface of the Ni4Fe1 alloy is tailored by adjusting the hydrogenation temperature to further understand the surface structure-activity relationship, and the optimal OER performance is achieved at the oxide/metal interfaces that have suitable surface Fe/Ni ratio and an appropriate amount of oxygen vacancies. In-situ Raman characterization shows that the Ni4Fe1 alloy with well-tailored oxide/metal interface facilitates the formation of active species. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the ultrathin surface oxide layers are responsible for the high catalytic activity of the NiFe alloys, and that the quantity of oxygen vacancies in the surface oxides affects the adsorption energy of O* and thus to a great extent determines the catalytic activity.


The implications of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema for the paediatric otolaryngologist.
Three patients presented within a 6-month period with pneumomediastinum. The underlying cause in each was distinct. One case occurred due to blunt laryngeal trauma and required urgent surgical intervention due to a decompensating airway. The second case was related to tracheal perforation secondary to a myofibroblastic tracheal tumour and the final case was related to adenovirus upper respiratory tract infection. Pneumomediastinum may be spontaneous or secondary to an underlying cause. Children should be managed using a multidisciplinary approach. Investigation and management should be influenced by clinical stability and invasive procedures should only be considered in patients who exhibit respiratory distress.


Different Ways of Making a Point: A Study of Gestural Communication in Typical and Atypical Early Development.
Deictic pointing is among the most impaired gestures in children with autism. Research on typical development demonstrates that contact with the referent and handshape when pointing, are associated with different communicative intentions and developmental stages. Despite their importance, the morphological features of pointing remain largely unexplored in autism. The aim of the present study was to map out pointing production in autism with a focus on handshape and contact with the referent. Participants (age range = 1-6 years old) with ASD (n = 16), at high risk for autism (n = 13) and typically developing children (n = 18) interacted with their caregivers in a gesture elicitation task. Results showed that children with ASD produced fewer pointing gestures overall and fewer index finger pointing without contact with the referent compared to the typically developing children. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism produce less gestures than typical children, and pointing gestures appear to be more affected than other gesture types. Whether children point using their index finger or the palm, and whether they touch or not the referent is crucial for understanding communicative intentions. This is the first study to document experimentally exactly how pointing gestures differ in autism in comparison to typical development. We found important qualitative differences in the communicative patterns of children with autism and at risk for autism, that may serve to identify potential new markers for early diagnosis. Autism Res 2021, 14: 984-996. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.


A comparison of physiological responses between attached and pelagic populations of Sargassum horneri under nutrient and light limitation.
Large-scale Sargassum blooms have been increasingly observed in coastal zones in recent years. Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh blooms (pelagic) have been observed in Jeju Island (Korea) and the southwest of the Korean Peninsula, causing serious problems for seaweed and abalone farms as well as for fisheries, tourism and recreational industries. The present study explored the physiological responses of attached and pelagic S. horneri populations cultivated under different nutrient concentrations (HN: 50 μM of nitrogen and 5 μM of phosphorus; LN: 5 μM of nitrogen and 0.5 μM of phosphorus) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (H-PAR: 250; M-PAR: 150; L-PAR: 50 μmol photons m-2 s-1) for 25 days. Relative growth rates (RGR) were significantly lower in the pelagic population than that in the attached population. All thalli from the pelagic population died within 20 days. Chlorophyll a and c, and carotenoids were significantly higher at HN than at LN, and decreased as PAR increased for both populations. For the attached population, photosynthetic rate, tissue nitrogen, and carbon and nitrogen removal were also significantly higher at HN than at LN. These results suggest that high nutrient and lower PAR increased the biomass accumulation of attached populations in coastal areas. Nutrient limitation and high PAR may accelerate senescence of the pelagic populations while traveling on the sea surface from their point of origin.


Mensenchymal stem cells can delay radiation-induced crypt death: impact on intestinal CD44(+) fragments.
Intestinal stem cells are primitive cells found within the intestinal epithelium that play a central role in maintaining epithelial homeostasis through self-renewal and commitment into functional epithelial cells. Several markers are available to identify intestinal stem cells, such as Lgr5, CD24 and EphB2, which can be used to sort intestinal stem cells from mammalian gut. Here, we identify and isolate intestinal stem cells from C57BL/6 mice by using a cell surface antigen, CD44. In vitro, some CD44(+) crypt cells are capable of forming "villus-crypt"-like structures (organoids). A subset strongly positive for CD44 expresses high levels of intestinal stem-cell-related genes, including Lgr5, Bmi1, Hopx, Lrig1, Ascl2, Smoc2 and Rnf43. Cells from this subset are more capable of developing into organoids in vitro, compared with the subset weakly positive for CD44. However, the organoids are sensitive to ionizing irradiation. We investigate the specific roles of mesenchymal stem cells in protecting organoids against radiation-induced crypt death. When co-cultured with mesenchymal stem cells, the crypt domains of irradiated organoids possess more proliferative cells and fewer apoptotic cells than those not co-cultured with mesenchymal stem cells. Cd44v6 continues to be expressed in the crypt domains of irradiated organoids co-cultured with mesenchymal stem cells. Our results indicate specific roles of mesenchymal stem cells in delaying radiation-induced crypt death in vitro.


Scleroderma associated with ANCA-associated vasculitis.
We have recently reported on two cases of scleroderma patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis for the first time in Korea. In order to explore the nature of this disease combination, we pooled together all the previously known cases and statistically analyzed them. Out of the 50 selected cases, survival analysis was done for comparison of the scleroderma disease period and the clinical factors associated with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients having anti-topoisomerase antibody (anti-Scl-70) and, probably, PR-3 ANCA are at a higher risk for developing AAV than patients without both anti-topoisomerase antibody and anti-centromere antibody (ACA), and patients with MPO-ANCA. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed having anti-topoisomerase antibody as a risk factor for developing AAV [OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.11-8.55), P=0.031]. We suggest that having anti-topoisomerase antibodies may play a role among scleroderma patients in developing AAV.


Effects of intercostal nerve resection on the longitudinal rib growth in the growing rabbit.
Two, three, or four intercostal nerves with their vasoconstrictive sympathetic fibers were resected on the right side of 15 growing rabbits. Animals submitted to sham operations and intact animals formed two control groups. A scintigraphic study with 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate, performed on the test group 2 months after the resection, showed a significantly greater uptake of the isotope on the right than on the left costochondral junctions (p less than 0.05). Three months later the difference was still larger. There was no such significant difference in the rabbits of the two reference groups. In the rabbits of both these groups, the right and left ribs of each pair were almost equal in length. Of the denervated ribs of the rabbits composing the test group, the right ribs increased in length to a greater extent than the corresponding left ribs. The difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). As a consequence of this left-right difference in length, mild thoracic scoliosis convex to the left developed 2 months after the resection. The total weight and volume of the denervated right ribs increased significantly more than those of the corresponding control left ribs (p less than 0.05), but their mineral content per unit of weight or volume showed no significant difference.


A test strip constructed by molecular imprinting for ratiometric fluorescence with ultra-low limit of detection for selective monitoring of Sudan I in chili powder.
An up-conversion molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent probe with a monodisperse nuclear-satellite structure and its test strip are designed which can avoid fluorescent background interference to detect Sudan I in chili powder highly selective and sensitive. The detection mechanism is based on the selective recognition of Sudan I by imprinted cavities on the surface of ratiometric fluorescent probe and the inner filter effect between Sudan I molecules and the emission of up-conversion materials (NaYF4:Yb,Tm). Under optimized experimental conditions, the response of fluorescent ratio signals (F475/F645) of this test strip show a good linear relationship in the range 0.02-50 μM Sudan I. The limits of detection and quantitation are as low as 6 nM and 20 nM, respectively. Sudan I is selectively detected in the presence of fivefold higher concentrations of interfering substances (imprinting factor up to 4.4). Detection of Sudan I in chili powder samples show ultra-low LOD (44.7 ng/g), satisfactory recoveries (94.99-105.5%) and low relative standard deviation (≤ 2.0%). This research offers a reliable strategy and promising scheme for highly selective and sensitive detection of illegal additives in complex food matrix via an up-conversion molecularly imprinted ratiometric fluorescent test strip.


Sagebrush carbon allocation patterns and grasshopper nutrition: the influence of CO2 enrichment and soil mineral limitation.
Artemisia tridentata seedlings were grown under carbon dioxide concentrations of 350 and 650 μl l-1 and two levels of soil nutrition. In the high nutrient treatment, increasing CO2 led to a doubling of shoot mass, whereas nutrient limitation completely constrained the response to elevated CO2. Root biomass was unaffected by any treatment. Plant root/shoot ratios declined under carbon dioxide enrichment but increased under low nutrient availability, thus the ratio was apparently controlled by changes in carbon allocation to shoot mass alone. Growth under CO2 enrichment increased the starch concentrations of leaves grown under both nutrient regimes, while increased CO2 and low nutrient availability acted in concert to reduce leaf nitrogen concentration and water content. Carbon dioxide enrichment and soil nutrient limitation both acted to increase the balance of leaf storage carbohydrate versus nitrogen (C/N). The two treatment effects were significantly interactive in that nutrient limitation slightly reduced the C/N balance among the high-CO2 plants. Leaf volatile terpene concentration increased only in the nutrient limited plants and did not follow the overall increase in leaf C/N ratio. Grasshopper consumption was significantly greater on host leaves grown under CO2 enrichment but was reduced on leaves grown under low nutrient availability. An overall negative relationship of consumption versus leaf volatile concentration suggests that terpenes may have been one of several important leaf characteristics limiting consumption of the low nutrient hosts. Digestibility of host leaves grown under the high CO2 treatment was significantly increased and was related to high leaf starch content. Grasshopper growth efficiency (ECI) was significantly reduced by the nutrient limitation treatment but co-varied with leaf water content.