Modified Total en Bloc Spondylectomy with Self-Made Intervertebral Hook Blade in Spinal Tumors: A Retrospective Study.
Total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) is an important surgical treatment for spinal tumors that can achieve en bloc resection of the affected vertebral body by using the T-saw. However, the conventional TES process and the surgical instruments currently in use have some inconveniences, which may lead to longer operative times and a higher incidence of complications. To address these obstacles, we developed a modified TES technique using a homemade intervertebral hook blade. The objectives of this study were to describe our modified total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) using a homemade intervertebral hook blade and to assess its clinical effects in patients with spinal tumors. Twenty-three consecutive patients with spinal tumors were included from September 2018 to November 2021. Eleven patients underwent a modified TES using an intervertebral hook blade, and 12 patients underwent a conventional TES using a wire saw. Details of the modified technique for TES were depicted, and the intraoperative blood loss, operative time, and improvement in pain symptom and neurological function measured by visual analog score (VAS) and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) score of all patients was reviewed and analyzed. Nonparametric analysis of covariates (ANCOVA) was performed to compare the clinical outcomes between patients treated with modified TES and conventional TES. The modified TES significantly reduced operative time (F = 7.935, p = 0.010) and achieved favorable improvement of neurological function (F = 0.570, p = 0.459) and relief of pain (F = 3.196, p = 0.088) compared with the conventional TES group. The mean intraoperative blood loss in the modified TES group (2381.82 ml) was lower than that in the conventional TES group (3558.33 ml), although the difference was not statistically significant (F = 0.677, p = 0.420). Modified TES using the intervertebral hook blade can effectively reduce the operation time and intraoperative bleeding, and meanwhile ensure the improvement of neurological function and relief of pain symptoms, suggesting that this modified technique is feasible, safe, and effective for spinal tumors.


Post-ischemic transcriptional and translational responses of EC-SOD in mouse brain and serum.
Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is neuroprotective, but its role in cerebral ischemia remains to be determined. We herein describe the topographical localization and quantitative changes in EC-SOD and its mRNA expression following cerebral ischemia in mice. Mice were subjected to transient forebrain ischemia and varied intervals of reperfusion. The measurements of EC-SOD using ELISA showed increased brain EC-SOD after 24 h of reperfusion and an increase in EC-SOD brain/serum ratio after 3 h. The immunohistochemical examination in normal mice showed strong EC-SOD immunoreactivity in the choroid plexus, pia mater, and ventral tuberal area of the hypothalamus. EC-SOD immunoreactivity in cortical and striatal capillary wall was conspicuous after 3 h. EC-SOD immunoreactivity was also noted in cortical neurons after 24 h. Northern blot analysis showed an increased EC-SOD mRNA expression in the brain after 24 h. An in situ hybridization study in normal mice demonstrated the mRNA expression of EC-SOD in choroid plexus and neurons through the brain especially in the cortex or ventral tuberal area of the hypothalamus, but demonstrated no mRNA expression of EC-SOD in the capillary wall. These findings suggest that EC-SOD accumulates on endothelial cells in response to this injury by an unknown mechanism, while cortical neurons produce EC-SOD themselves after cerebral ischemia with reperfusion.


Fecal calprotectin as a predictor of abnormal colonic histology.
Gastroenterologists have been seeking reliable noninvasive indices of inflammatory and malignant bowel disease. This prospective study was to assess the value of fecal calprotectin in predicting abnormal histologic findings in patients undergoing colonoscopy. Stool specimens supplied before colonoscopy by 72 consecutive patients were measured for calprotectin levels, and the findings correlated with the colonoscopy results and other fecal and blood parameters. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was used to determine the predictive value of fecal calprotectin for abnormal colonic histology. Patients with abnormal histologic findings had significantly higher calprotectin levels (218 +/- 125 mg percent) than patients with normal colonoscopy (77 +/- 100 mg percent). There was a highly significant correlation between calprotectin levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.45, P = 0.008), positive fecal occult blood test (r = 0.57, P = 0.0001), and abnormal colonic histology (r = 0.54, P = 0.0001). Patients with active inflammatory bowel disease had higher calprotectin levels than the rest of the study patients (r = 0.3; P = 0.01). On multivariate analysis, calprotectin was a significant predictor of abnormal colonic histology (P = 0.005; odds ratio, 1.007; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.002-1.012). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.79. A fecal calprotectin concentration of 150 microg/ml had a sensitivity of 75 percent, specificity of 84 percent, positive predictive value of 80 percent, and negative predictive value of 75 percent in predicting abnormal colonic histology. Fecal calprotectin may serve as a simple, noninvasive surrogate marker of abnormal histologic findings in patients scheduled for colonoscopy.


Correlation of left ventricular angiographic casts and biplane left ventricular volumetry in infants and children.
To calculate left ventricular (LV) volumes from biplane cineangiography obtained in nonstandard views, regression equations were developed from LV casts of known volume. Volumes were calculated by the area-length method from casts ranging from 1.4 to 48.9 ml obtained from 30 postmortem cases with heart disease. The casts were divided into 2 groups: group I (n = 17) with abnormal and group II (n = 13) with normal right ventricular hemodynamics. Biplane cinegrams were taken in the anterolateral, anterior and long axial oblique, hepatoclavicular and sitting-up projections. The true volume of each cast was determined from its weight and specific gravity. In both groups, excellent correlations were obtained between measured and true volumes (r = 0.92 to 0.99) in all projections, although each projection overestimated the true volume (slope value less than 1). The regression equations obtained from group I were significantly different from those in group II in all views (p less than 0.025 to 0.05), with smaller mean differences and standard errors of the estimate. These data support the concept that right ventricular hemodynamics influence ventricular septal position and, therefore, LV geometry and measured volumes. Appropriate regression equations are required to allow volume calculation from multiple projections.


Early onset of cardiometabolic risk factor profiles in drug naïve adolescents and young adults with first-episode schizophrenia.
We performed a case-control study, which included antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (FES) of adolescents and young adults and general population controls, to investigate the early-onset cardiometabolic risk factors in FES. FES had more frequent lower HDL-C when compared to controls. However, the distribution of BMI and the frequency of hypercholesterolemia, elevated LDL-C, hypertriglyceridemia in FES were not significantly different to controls. The results indicated that abnormal HDL-C might be an early-onset event in drug-naïve FES of adolescents and young adults who are unlikely to have other cardiometabolic risks.


GATA3-driven expression of miR-503 inhibits prostate cancer progression by repressing ZNF217 expression.
Although increasing evidence demonstrated that deregulation of mircoRNA-503 (miRNA-503) contributes to tumorigenesis, little is known about the biological role and intrinsic regulatory mechanisms of miR-503 in prostate cancer (PCa). In present study, we found that miR-503 was significantly downregulated in advanced PCa tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of miR-503 was strongly associated with aggressive clinical-pathological features and poor prognosis in PCa patients. Ectopic expression of miR-503 significantly inhibited tumor cells growth, cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that ZNF217 was a direct target downstream target of miR-503. Knockdown of ZNF217 mimicked the tumor-suppressive effects of miR-503 overexpression on PCa invasion, whereas ZNF217 overexpression attenuated the tumor-suppressive function of miR-503. Subsequently, miR-503 further modulated the activation of ZNF217-downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes. Besides, we also found that GATA3 directly increased miR-503 expression and thus decreased ZNF217 expression, indicating the involvement of GATA3/miR-503/ZNF217 signaling in EMT process. Collectively, our results demonstrated that GATA3-driven expression of miR-503 inhibits PCa progression by repressing ZNF217 expression, and also implicated the potential application of miR-503 in PCa therapy.


Factors Influencing the Reliability of Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration: Analysis of Thyroid Nodule Size, Guidance Mode for Aspiration and Preparation Method.
We aimed to clarify the influence of ThinPrep preparation, nodule size and guidance mode on the accuracy of thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA). A total of 1,240 thyroid FNAs were reviewed and 489 cases with histological correlations were enrolled in this study. Of the 489 total cases examined, 101 were processed with both ThinPrep and conventional preparation and 388 entirely with ThinPrep. The overall nondiagnostic rate, sensitivity and accuracy of FNA were 2.0, 91.0 and 89.4%, respectively. The cases with a preoperative ultrasound (n = 469) were grouped according to nodule size. The nondiagnostic rate, sensitivity and accuracy of FNA did not differ significantly with nodule size (p1 = 0.339, p2 = 0.179, p3 = 0.119). A total of 101 resections were performed with palpation-guided FNA and 388 were performed with ultrasound-guided FNA. The nondiagnostic rates, sensitivity and accuracy of FNA were similar in these two groups. The ThinPrep technique is a valid method for thyroid FNA and is effective for thyroid nodules ≥ 0.5 cm. The reliability of FNA results is not reduced with larger nodules. The use of palpation-guided FNA for palpable solid nodules is also effective.


Amiloride and vertebrate gustatory responses to NaCl.
Amiloride at < or = 1 microM may block epithelial Na+ channels without affecting other cellular mechanisms, and attenuates gustatory responses to lingual NaCl from the chorda tympani nerves (CT) of gerbil, hamster, rhesus monkey, and several strains of laboratory rat and mouse, and from glossopharyngeally innervated frog taste-receptor cells; at 5 microM to 50 microM, also from Wistar rat and mongrel dog CT. Affected units responded more to NaCl than to KCl. Suppression of CT responses to KCl, HCl, NH4Cl, or saccharides also occurred in some mammals, but amiloride did not elicit responses. Taste-dependent behaviors towards NaCl or KCl were altered. DBA and 129/J laboratory mice, and mudpuppy, were unaffected by amiloride. In humans, 10 microM amiloride both produced taste reports and reduced total intensity of NaCl and LiCl by 15-20%. NaCl and LiCl sourness, and KCl and QHCl bitterness declined, but saltiness generally did not change. Effects on sweetness were inconsistent. Amiloride-sensitive gustatory mechanisms were prominent in some mammals, were not necessary for responses to NaCl, and were of minor importance for human taste.


Physician participation in TQM in geriatric medicine.
Quality improvement (QI) approaches such as total quality management (TQM) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) have great potential for improving the care provided to older people. Geriatricians have the necessary experience and skills to initiate and lead these QI efforts. A national sample of practicing geriatricians was surveyed in 1998 regarding involvement in, satisfaction with, and insights regarding TQM processes in four care settings. Of 537 questionnaires returned in time for analysis, 497 were included for analysis after omitting questionnaires that were undeliverable or unusable (n = 25) and those from respondents who worked fewer than 20 hours per week (n = 15). More than one-third of the respondents (37.1%) reported no TQM activity at all. For the remainder, the primary site for TQM activity was the nursing home (33.0%), the hospital (22.5%), the office (11.4%), and the patient's home (3.7%). A majority of the respondents spent two hours per week or less on TQM projects. Planning an intervention and acting to maintain it in practice after its evaluation were the two stages of the improvement cycle these respondents engaged in most frequently. More geriatricians should be encouraged to participate in TQM training and in specific projects to improve systems of care for older people. Incentives to increase participation should be made available. Rapid-cycle improvement may fit better with physicians' culture of working for outcomes that have relatively short turnaround times.


Inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus does not affect learning during exploration of a novel environment.
The conditioned cue preference (CCP) task was used to study the ability of rats to discriminate between spatial locations. Food-deprived rats explored an eight-arm radial maze with no food present (pre-exposure). On subsequent days, they were alternately confined in one arm of the maze with food and in another arm with no food (training), followed by a preference test with no food present, to determine if they had learned to discriminate between the two arm locations. No injections were given during the two latter phases. With adjacent radial maze arms, rats given three 10-min pre-exposure sessions and four food-pairing trials exhibited a preference for their food-paired arms; rats not pre-exposed did not exhibit this preference. Rats pre-exposed 30 min after dorsal hippocampus injections of muscimol exhibited the preference. With widely separated maze arms, rats given two training trials with no pre-exposure exhibited a preference for the food-paired arm; rats that were given one pre-exposure session did not. Rats pre-exposed 30 min after dorsal hippocampus injections of muscimol did not exhibit the preference. The same intrahippocampal muscimol injections that failed to affect the influence of pre-exposure on CCP learning with both arm configurations impaired win-shift performance, a standard test of spatial learning. These findings suggest that a functional dorsal hippocampus is not required for the (incidental or latent) learning that occurs during unreinforced exploration of a novel environment. The information acquired during this activity subsequently produces a latent learning effect if it is used to discriminate between two ambiguous locations (adjacent arms) or a latent inhibition--like effect if it is used to discriminate between two unambiguous locations (separated maze arms).


Sequence of centromere separation: kinetochore formation and DNA replication in dicentric chromosomes showing premature centromere separation in rat cerebral cells.
A subpopulation of rat cerebral endothelial cells, designated B1, exhibits an array of multicentric chromosomes. Because of the formation of bridges at anaphase, this cell population produced new types of multicentrics at every cell division. These chromosomes showed kinetochore proteins at every centromeric site and all centromeric regions replicated their DNA at the end of the S phase, more or less simultaneously. A new subpopulation of cells, designated B2, obtained from the original sample frozen at Wayne State University displayed several dicentrics. In contrast to B1 these chromosomes exhibit premature centromere separation as reported for mouse and human cell lines. These B2 dicentrics show only one site of kinetochore protein deposition. The timing of DNA replication around the centric region of prematurely separating centromere is also changed similar to the earlier reported premature DNA synthesis for mouse dicentrics. These observations suggest a universality of relationship between premature centromere separation, a lack of kinetochore formation, and early replication of the centric/pericentric DNA associated with these centromeres. The cause of sudden change from activity to inactivity of these chromosomes, though interesting, is not clear.


First records of Synoeca septentrionalis Richards, 1978 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini) in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest.
Nests of Synoeca septentrionalis were collected in two Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest localities (Itabuna and Santa Terezinha, in the state of Bahia and Alfredo Chaves in the state of Espírito Santo). Synoeca septentrionalis was previously recorded only from Central America and northwestern South America. This findingextends its geographical distribution to Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil, and represents the first record for Synoeca septentrionalis in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain forest, raising to three the number of Synoeca species known from Bahia State.


Calcium loading capacity and morphological changes in mitochondria in an ischemic preconditioned model.
The concept of the mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) has been used to explain cell death induced by calcium deregulation, which is in turn induced by a disruption in the mitochondrial loading capacity of cytosolic calcium (CLC). Whether mitochondria have specific morphologies representing the CLC and the mPT remains controversial. We examined ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria of cultured hippocampal neurons preconditioned with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 30 min (30OGD) or 120 min (120OGD). The CLC was then evaluated using simultaneous imaging of the mitochondrial and plasma Ca++ concentrations after the induction of Ca++ influx by the application of glutamate. In the 30OGD group, the CLC increased as the mitochondria rapidly reacted to the increase in plasma Ca++, which was soon cleared. In the 120OGD group, however, the CLC was disturbed because the mitochondrial uptake of Ca was blunted, and the plasma Ca++ was not cleared after glutamate application. We classified the specific morphological changes in the mitochondria according to a previously reported classification. Rounded mitochondria with scarce interior content were observed in the 120OGD group, a model of prolonged lethal OGD, and disruptions in the mitochondrial outer membrane were frequently confirmed, suggesting mPT. The 30OGD group, a model of enhanced CLC in preconditioned neurons, was characterized by round mitochondria with condensed matrices. After glutamate application, the mitochondria became even more rounded with expanded matrices, and outer membrane disruptions were occasionally seen. Our observations suggest that subpopulations of mitochondria with specific morphologies are linked to the CLC and mPT.


Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 expression precedes dentin sialophosphoprotein expression during rat odontoblast differentiation and regeneration.
The molecular mechanisms behind odontoblast differentiation remain obscure. Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (Lef1) is a transcription factor that mediates Wnt signaling and has been suggested to regulate dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp) expression in vitro. This study aimed to clarify their precise relationship in the process of odontoblast differentiation in vivo. The detailed spatiotemporal expression patterns of Lef1 and Dspp together with other known and putative odontoblast differentiation markers such as P21 and heat-shock protein 25 (Hsp25) were examined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections of rat incisors and developing molars at postnatal days 1-100. To observe odontoblast regeneration following tooth injury, a cavity was prepared on the upper first molar of 10-week-old rats and the expressions of Lef1 and Dspp were investigated. Following undifferentiated state expressing none of these examined markers, preodontoblasts begun to express P21, Lef1 and Hsp25 according to their progress of differentiation, although Dspp was undetectable. Immature odontoblasts commenced transcribing Dspp simultaneously with dentin calcification. Lef1, Dspp and Hsp25 were co-expressed in mature odontoblasts. In contrast to continuously growing incisors, Lef1, Dspp and P21 were down-regulated in the resting odontoblasts in molars when primary dentin formation was completed. Remarkably, Lef1 expression also preceded Dspp expression in newly differentiated odontoblast-like cells during the pulpal healing process after tooth injury. Lef1 expression precedes Dspp expression without exception in both primary and reparative dentinogeneses. Our results suggest that Lef1 might play a key role in odontoblast differentiation through regulating Dspp expression.


Acute physical activity on cognitive function: a heart rate variability examination.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of physical activity and cognitive function (as determined by reaction time and the trail-making test) in active versus non-active participants. Participants were divided into one of four groups: active experimental, active control, non-active experimental and non-active control. All groups completed a complex cognitive task (the trail-making test) as well as a set of reaction time tasks both before and after the experimental session. The experimental groups completed a 30-min exercise session while the control groups monitored the physical activity of the experimental group. In addition to the measures of cognitive function, heart rate variability was recorded during the pre- and post-tests. There was significant cognitive performance improvement in tasks with a higher cognitive and perceptual component. Heart rate variability data indicated that a moderate level of arousal based on sympathetic nervous system activity post exercise was associated with an increase in cognitive performance. The findings are discussed in light of the inverted-U hypothesis.


Principles and Reporting of Bayesian Trials.
Bayesian clinical trials are becoming popular owing to their adaptive, flexible, and versatile nature. Such trials typically require specification of the prior distribution and construction of the likelihood function; subsequently, inference is made on the basis of the posterior distribution. In comparison with frequentist trial designs, there are less established guidelines on how to report Bayesian trials. We provide a general overview on key components of the design, conduct, and analysis of Bayesian trials and elaborate on the reporting guidelines dos and don'ts.


Evaluation of Complete Pulpotomy With Biodentine on Mature Permanent Molars With Signs and Symptoms of Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis: 12-months Follow-up.
Complete pulpotomy is the removal of the coronal portion of a vital pulp and is a means of preserving the vitality of the remaining root portion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the 12-months success rate of complete pulpotomy with Biodentine on mature permanent molars with signs and symptoms of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. A total of 68 molars diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in 68 patients aged 20 years and older were included in this study. The exclusion criteria were intraoperative clinical signs of pulp necrosis on the molar to be treated such as no bleeding, or uncontrollable pulp hemorrhage (more than 5 minutes of hemostasis) on at least 1 canal. A complete pulpotomy with Biodentine was performed on molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis by the same operator and with the same protocol. A 12-months postoperative follow-up was conducted to evaluate clinical and radiologic success. A total of 66 patients received complete pulpotomy; 52 could be examined 12 months postoperatively. Clinical and radiologic analysis at 12 months postoperatively revealed a success rate of 87% (45 of 52 molars) and a failure rate of 13% (7 of 52 molars). There was a relationship between age, tooth type, and preoperative periapical condition and treatment success with P < .05. Compliance with the indications and protocol for complete pulpotomy with Biodentine on mature permanent molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis gives positive results at the 12-month follow-up.


Routine heat inactivation of serum reduces its capacity to promote cell attachment.
Heat inactivation (56 degrees C for 40 min) of bovine calf serum was shown to diminish its capacity to promote the attachment of cells to plastic or glass surfaces. This effect was not observed in stationary cultures (culture dishes) but became manifest under conditions in which the cells were subjected to a small amount of liquid shear force, i.e. by growing cells in roller bottles or culture tubes. Of four cell lines tested on bovine calf serum (SV-BHK, BALB-3T3, CV-1, and FS-4) SV-BHK and CV-1 cells showed the greatest sensitivity to loss of attachment-promoting activity. Fetal bovine serum also seemed to be affected by heat inactivation but to a lesser degree than bovine calf serum. Treatment of vessel surfaces with either unheated calf serum or specific attachment factors (gelatin, poly-D-lysine, and fibronectin) greatly increased cell attachment in the presence of heat inactivated serum. Heat inactivation did not seem to affect the ability of cells to grow after attachment. Of the four cell lines tested, the normal human fibroblast line (FS-4) was shown to be most effective at conditioning medium and restoring its capacity to promote the attachment of all four cell lines.


Titanate nanotube coatings on biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds.
Rigid, biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds were coated with titanate nanotubes (TNTs) by using a spin-coating method. TNTs were synthesized by a hydrothermal process at 150 °C under 4.7 bar ambient pressure. The biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds were produced by mask-assisted excimer laser photocuring at 308 nm. For scaffold coating, a stable ethanolic TNT sol was prepared by a simple colloid chemical route without the use of any binding compounds or additives. Scanning electron microscopy along with elemental analysis revealed that the scaffolds were homogenously coated by TNTs. The developed TNT coating can further improve the surface geometry of fabricated scaffolds, and therefore it can further increase the cell adhesion.


Caffeine as an adjuvant therapy to opioids in cancer pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Opioid therapy often shows insufficient efficacy and substantial adverse events in patients with advanced cancer. To assess the efficacy of caffeine infusion as an adjuvant analgesic to opioid therapy in patients with advanced cancer. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in the palliative care wards of two teaching hospitals in South Korea. A total of 20 of 41 participants were assigned to the caffeine group and 21 to the placebo group. The participants received caffeine (200mg) or normal saline intravenously once a day for two days. The primary outcome was pain, which was measured using a 10-point rating scale. Other outcomes included drowsiness, confusion, nausea, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and sadness. Three participants (two in the caffeine group and one in the placebo group) dropped out after the first intervention because of insomnia; thus, 38 participants completed the trial. Pain score was significantly lower in the caffeine group than in the placebo group after the second trial (P=0.038). The mean reduction in pain intensity in the caffeine group was 0.833 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.601-1.066), whereas that in the placebo group was 0.350 (95% CI 0.168-0.532). Considering an improvement higher than 30% from baseline as the threshold value, drowsiness improved significantly in the caffeine group after the first trial (P=0.041). Adverse event rate did not differ between the two groups. Caffeine infusion significantly reduced pain and drowsiness, but the reduction did not reach clinical significance in patients with advanced cancer undergoing opioid therapy. Further investigations are warranted.


Maternal-fetal physical model: image fusion obtained by white light scanner and magnetic resonance imaging.
Physical fetal models developed from three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan data may be used for medical education purposes, for parental counseling/multidisciplinary team management and to improve the maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) in blind pregnant women. We proposed a new technique to create a maternal-fetal physical model by using MRI scan data to improve the MFA. For the construction of the maternal-fetal physical model, two different processes were used. For the internal part of the maternal-fetal physical model, we used the segmentation and the 3D reconstruction made from the MRI scan data, and for the outside, we performed 3D scanning by using a white light scanner. After obtaining the 3D models, we used a registration tool to position them in alignment. Maternal-fetal physical models improve the MFA by using both tactile and visual sensations of the pregnant woman and her fetus.


Intramedullary spinal cord abscess masquerading as spinal tumor.
We report a 5-year-old girl who presented with acute onset paraparesis with differential loss of sensation. Magnetic resonance imaging of spine revealed exophytic intramedullary mass lesion from T12 to L1. Peroperatively, the diagnosis was confirmed as abscess. The patient recovered following decompression and antibiotic treatment.


Ageing drivers: storm in a teacup?
The purpose of this paper is to address two important issues regarding ageing drivers. First, there is a presumption in the road safety arena that the expected increase in the number of ageing drivers on the roads will lead to an increase in crashes. Second, despite extensive research on ageing drivers, especially on their increased vulnerability and reduced driving abilities, the most widely recommended road safety strategy relates to the control of their driving licenses. This presumption and the associated policy recommendation are based mainly on the higher relative crash risks associated with ageing drivers compared to their younger counterparts. This study, however, argues that the average crash risks obtained in previous studies provide only indirect information concerning these issues and any decision based on these results may produce unexpected outcomes. An analytical framework to examine the marginal effect of changing the driver mix on the roads is proposed and a simple empirical model is estimated as an illustration. In contrast to previous studies, we found that increasing the number of licenses issued to ageing drivers had only an insignificant impact on the number of fatal crashes on the roads, suggesting that the concern over ageing drivers may be a storm in a teacup.


Inhibition of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Formation by Cl-Amidine Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Endometritis and Uterine Tissue Damage.
Endometritis is a common disease that affects the production in dairy cows and leads to severe losses in the dairy industry. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation promotes pathogenic invasions of the lumen of the tissue, leading to inflammatory diseases such as mastitis, pancreatitis, and septic infection. However, research that could show the relationship between NETs and endometritis is scarce. Cl-amidine has been shown to ameliorate the disease squealing and clinical manifestation in various disease models. In this study, we investigated the role of NETs in LPS-triggered endometritis in rats and evaluated the therapeutic efficiency of Cl-amidine. An LPS-induced endometritis model in rats was established and found that the formation of NETs can be detected in the rat's uterine tissues in vivo. In addition, Cl-amidine treatment can inhibit NETs construction in LPS-induced endometritis in rats. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity assay indicated that Cl-amidine treatment remarkably alleviated the inflammatory cell infiltrations and attenuated the damage to the uterine tissue. The Western blot results indicated that Cl-amidine decreased the expression of citrullinated Histone H3 (Cit-H3) and high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) protein in LPS-induced rat endometritis. The ELISA test indicated that Cl-amidine treatment significantly inhibited the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The NETs were determined by Quant-iTTMPicoGreen dsDNA kit®, which indicated that Cl-amidine significantly inhibited the NETs in rat serum. All results showed that Cl-amidine effectively reduced the expression of Cit-H3 and HMGB1 proteins by inhibiting the formation of NETs, thereby attenuating the inflammatory response to LPS-induced endometritis in rats. Hence, Cl-amidine could be a potential candidate for the treatment of endometritis.


Electrochemically synthesized NiFe layered double hydroxide modified Cu(OH)2 needle-shaped nanoarrays: A novel sorbent for thin-film solid phase microextraction of antifungal drugs.
Herein, we applied a simple electrosynthesis process to deposit nickel-iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe LDH) on the surface of copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) needle-shaped nanoarrays and introduce a new sorbent for thin-film solid phase microextraction (TF-SPME). For this purpose, the nanoarrays were grown via electrochemical anodization on a copper foil's surface and then modified with NiFe LDH. The synthesized sorbent was characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Barrett-Joiner-Halenda (BJH) analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The Cu(OH)2-NiFe LDH based TF-SPME method was used to measure antifungal drugs in veterinary plasma samples followed by HPLC-UV analysis. The effects of various parameters in the extraction efficiency, including pH (5.0), extraction time (20 min), stirring rate (500 rpm), and salt effect (5.0%), type of eluent (acetonitrile), eluent volume (100 μL) and desorption time (5 min) were thoroughly optimized. Under the optimum conditions, limits of detection for ketoconazole, clotrimazole, and miconazole were obtained below 10 ng mL-1. Intra-day, inter-day and film-to-film RSDs% were obtained less than 6.2%, 7.3% and 7.0%, respectively. Moreover, calibration plots were linear from 30 to 5000 ng mL-1 for ketoconazole, 8.0-1000 ng mL-1 for clotrimazole, and 15-1000 ng mL-1 for miconazole, with determination coefficients between 0.9937 and 0.9971. Finally, good relative recoveries (%) in the range of 85-97% were obtained for measuring trace amounts of antifungal drugs in dogs' plasma samples. As a result, the method can be considered as an appropriate alternative to the conventional sample preparation methods for measuring trace amounts of antifungal drugs in biological samples.


Genetic control and racial variation of beta-glucosidase isozymes in maize (Zea mays L.)
beta-Glucosidase (beta-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, E.C. 188.8.131.52, beta-Glu) isozyme variants were studied in a large number of inbred lines, crosses, and races of maize (Zea mays L.). The pattern of Mendelian inheritance demonstrated for beta-GLU variants indicated that they are under nuclear gene control. Twenty-two allelic forms at a single locus were identified in the materials studied by starch gel electrophoresis. Genetic data indicate that beta-GLU in maize is functionally a dimer. Variation of beta-GLU isozymes in 51 racial collections of maize from Mexico showed little correlation with morphological or geographical data. In 39 collections from Central America, variation patterns appeared to have some association with altitude.


The role of the microbiologist in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries.
Local and systemic infections represent major obstacles to the successful rehabilitation of patients following spinal cord injury. Their detection, prevention and management are greatly aided by the inclusion of a microbiologist in the rehabilitation team and by the provision of a simple laboratory in close geographic proximity to the spinal cord injury unit. The role and scope of activities of the SCI team-microbiologist, and the suggested location and basic equipment for a small laboratory are described. Some of the advantages to be gained from such microbiological monitoring are discussed.


Role of dopamine in distal retina.
Dopamine is the most abundant catecholamine in the vertebrate retina. Despite the description of retinal dopaminergic cells three decades ago, many aspects of their function in the retina remain unclear. There is no consensus among the authors about the stimulus conditions for dopamine release (darkness, steady or flickering light) as well as about its action upon the various types of retinal cells. Many contradictory results exist concerning the dopamine effect on the gross electrical activity of the retina [reflected in electroretinogram (ERG)] and the receptors involved in its action. This review summarized current knowledge about the types of the dopaminergic neurons and receptors in the retina as well as the effects of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists on the light responses of photoreceptors, horizontal and bipolar cells in both nonmammalian and mammalian retina. Special focus of interest concerns their effects upon the diffuse ERG as a useful tool for assessment of the overall function of the distal retina. An attempt is made to reveal some differences between the dopamine actions upon the activity of the ON versus OFF channel in the distal retina. The author has included her own results demonstrating such differences.


Scientists and scientific organizations need to play a greater role in science diplomacy.
Science diplomacy-the use of science to advance diplomatic goals-is critical for addressing challenges to the global commons such as climate change and pandemics. Beyond the formal processes of science diplomacy, scientists and scientific organizations can play important informal diplomatic roles.


Axis selection in transverse magnetic resonance imaging of the brain: electronic angulation techniques.
The cylindrical design of most head coils utilized with current magnetic resonance (MR) imaging units and the necessity of close approximation of the coil to the head to maximize signal-to-noise ratio precludes flexion or extension of the head to any significant degree during of imaging of the brain. For this reason, the canthomeatal line is approximately parallel to the standard transverse magnetic axis. Standard computed tomography (CT) scans in the transverse plane are usually obtained at an approximately 25 degrees angle to Reid's baseline (RBL). This leads to projection differences in viewing and comparing standard transverse MR and CT studies. High convexity lesions which may present anteriorly on a given CT section may present posteriorly on an MR section which appears to be at a comparable level on first inspection. Secondly, one or more transverse MR sections usually display a portion of the occipital lobes behind the cerebellar hemispheres. The region of the tentorium and straight sinus can occasionally give rise to a vermiform appearance (the "AVM artifact"). Thirty patients were studied with MR at a 20-30 degrees angulation to RBL without any loss of image quality and with excellent visualization of the posterior fossa. The effect of transverse axis change on lesion position was demonstrated in five high convexity lesions and by utilizing fixed brain specimens. While clearly MR can accurately localize lesions utilizing orthogonal multiplanar techniques, it is suggested that investigators and clinicians currently performing MR studies of the brain consider potential advantages of electronic angulation techniques for comparative clinical studies and certain research applications.


Compilation of Custom Compound/Bioactivity Datasets from Public Repositories.
Public repositories containing compound-bioactivity data for millions of small molecules offer a valuable resource for chemogenomic compound candidate search. Nonetheless, owning to nonuniform data mining, these databases are often incomplete, thus advocating the combined use of data from several repositories to increase target coverage and data accuracy. Here, we present a workflow to generate custom datasets from public databases for mining chemogenomic compound candidates. The compiled set provides flags for differences in structural and bioactivity data and enables rapid extraction of potent and selective bioactive compounds.


Wolman disease presenting with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis syndrome and a novel LIPA gene variant: a case report and review of the literature.
Wolman disease is a rare disease caused by the absence of functional liposomal acid lipase due to mutations in LIPA gene. It presents with organomegaly, malabsorption, and adrenal calcifications. The presentations can resemble hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, the life threatening hyperinflammatory disorder. Since the disease is very rare, clinicians might not think of it when a patient presents with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and the opportunity to treat it properly can be lost, thus leading to demise of the child. We present a 4.5-month-old Caucasian boy with fever, icterus, and hepatosplenomegaly who was treated according to presumed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis disease. Wolman disease was diagnosed after the death of the child. There are some case reports in the literature presenting patients with Wolman disease primarily diagnosed as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which we discuss in this review. The genetic analysis revealed after his demise was compatible with Wolman disease, introducing a novel mutation in LIPA gene: exon 4: NM_001127605: c. G353A (p.G118D), which converts the glycine amino acid to aspartic acid. Considering the similarities in presentation of Wolman disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, the patient's life can be saved if special attention is paid to presenting features of a patient with suspected hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, that is special attention to symptoms, findings on physical exams, laboratory values, and radiologic findings, and the proper treatment is urgently initiated. Reporting the novel mutations of Wolman disease can help geneticists interpret the results of their patients' genetic studies appropriately, leading to correct diagnosis and treatment.


The Abscopal Effect: Could a Phenomenon Described Decades Ago Become Key to Enhancing the Response to Immune Therapies in Breast Cancer?
The term "abscopal effect" was defined in 1953. In oncology the term is used to describe systemic antitumor effects triggered by local irradiation (nontarget effect). Although the mechanism of the abscopal effect is not completely understood yet, it has been demonstrated that in situ tumor vaccination, and the resulting antitumor immune response, is one of the key factors. The development of immune therapies has recently led to concepts combining local radiotherapy and immune therapy with the aim of enhancing the response to immune therapy by the immunological mechanisms summarized in the term abscopal effect. This concept has also been investigated in less immunogenic tumors such as breast cancer. Initial data are promising but the hypothesis that the combination of checkpoint inhibitors and local radiotherapy could be an effective combination in breast cancer has to be proven by ongoing trials. Substitution of local radiotherapy by local hyperthermia could be an option in selected cases. Combination of checkpoint inhibitors with local radiation or hyperthermia in breast cancer is a promising approach and could enhance the response rates generated by immune therapy alone through the antitumor immune response initiated by the abscopal effect.


Venous thromboembolism and cancer: guidelines of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM).
Thromboembolic complications represent one of the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Although several data have been published demonstrating the strong association between cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE), there is poor perception, among oncologists, of the level of risk of thrombosis and of relevance of managing VTE in these patients. The Associazione Italiana di Oncologia Medica (AIOM) has provided some recommendations to direct clinical practice according to evidence-based data concerning cancer and VTE. In fact, we conducted an extensive literature review (1996-2005) to produce evidence-based recommendations to improve perceptions of the magnitude of this risk among Italian medical and surgical oncologists and alert on the new approaches to prophylaxis and treatment of VTE in cancer patients. Levels of evidence are given according to a five-point rating system, and similarly for each key recommendation a five-point rating system suggests if the evidence is strong and indicate that the benefits do, or do not, outweigh risks and burden.


Retention on antiretroviral therapy in person with HIV and viral hepatitis coinfection in Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.
HIV coinfection with viral hepatitis B (HBV) or viral hepatitis C (HCV) is not uncommon in Ethiopia. Although the coinfections are presumed to interfere with antiretroviral treatment (ART), this is not widely studied in Sub-Saharan African settings. This study was conducted to determine ART retention in persons coinfected with HIV + HBV or HIV + HCV. We reviewed the medical records of HIV-positive adults who initiated ART between 2011 to 2018 in four high-burden hospitals of Addis Ababa. Retention in care was the primary outcome of the study, which was compared between HIV and either HBV or HCV coinfected persons, and HIV-monoinfected persons. A parametric Gompertz regression model was used to compare retention between the coinfected and monoinfected groups. A total of 132 coinfected persons and 514 HIV-monoinfected individuals who initiated ART in 2011-2018 were compared. At 12-months of follow-up, 81.06% [95% CI: 73.3-86.9%] of the coinfected and 86.96% [95% CI: 83.7-89.6%] of the monoinfected were still on ART care. Cumulative retention in the coinfected group was 68.93% [60.4-76.3%] versus 80.35% [76.6-83.5%, p = 0.0048] in the monoinfected group. The cumulative retention was lower (61.25, 95% CI: 49.9-71.4%) in male coinfected patients than male monoinfected patients (77.77, 95% CI: 71.8-82.7%, p = 0.0041). In contrast, cumulative retention was similar in females in the coinfected group (80.76, 95% CI:67.3-89.5%) versus the monoinfected group (82.29, 95% CI:77.4-86.3%, p = 0.792). Overall, HIV-positive with viral hepatitis coinfection were 24 and 31% less likely to still be on ART care than the monoinfected group at 12 months and overall, with sub-distribution adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 0.76(95% CI:0.61-0.96, p = 0.021) and 0.69(95% CI:0.54-0.87, p = 0.002) respectively. We observed that coinfected individuals are less likely to stay on ART than HIV monoinfected individuals. The low retention in the coinfected group from this study may affect the success of survival gained in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the long term. More concerted efforts need to be made to retain coinfected individuals at least at the level of monoinfected persons on long-term ART care. Future studies are needed to better understand the difference in retention, preferable in a prospective manner.


Gene-expression analysis and network discovery using Genevestigator.
The Genevestigator software suite belongs to a new generation of web-based tools that provide categorized quantitative information about elements (genes or annotations) contained in large microarray databases. The first version of Genevestigator, in use since 2004, has now been updated to enable faster, more powerful and more diverse types of queries for gene-function analysis and network discovery.


Selection of ideotype to increase yield potential of GM and non-GM rice cultivars.
Using classical breeding, plant breeders envision a plant type whose yield they aim to enhance by selecting for individual traits to create model/ideal plants or ideotypes. To achieve this, those factors restricting yield need to be identified and controlled through the use of new technologies to achieve the desired ideotype. This study aimed to determine the ideotype of seven genetically modified (GM) and non-GM rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars. Field experiments were carried out in three isolated regions in the north of Iran under the Iranian bio-safety standard protocol. Four of the GM cultivars carried the cry1Ab gene in the vegetative stage while three non-GM cultivars served as the control. R2 values showed that five, six and seven variables in Sari, Amol and Rasht regions accounted for 63 %, 52 % and 74 % of paddy yield variation, respectively. In the same three regions, paddy yield variation due to white heads accounted for 28.38 %, 8.45 % and 3.95 % of the total variation in paddy yield, respectively. The total estimated variation in paddy yield in Sari, Amol and Rasht was 1810.50, 2377.6 and 2176.47 kg ha-1, respectively. Average data over the three regions indicated that highest loss in paddy yield was observed in non-GM 'Nemat', 'Khazar' and 'Tarom Hashemi'. GM cultivars derived from 'Khazar' showed significantly lower paddy yield loss than the non-GM parent. Dead heart, a condition that occurs in the vegetative stage in which the stem borer larva enters the stem and feeds on the growing shoot, causing the central shoot to dry, as well as white heads, which is a condition in which whole ear heads of adult plants become dry and yield chaffy grains, in all three regions were important variables contributing to paddy yield loss. In the future, producing GM rice resistant to striped stem borer with an active promoter in the reproductive growth stage might allow farmers to reduce a significant part of paddy yield loss resulting from white heads, which is directly negatively correlated with filled spikelets per panicle (R2 = -0.57**), in order to achieve an ideotype.


Rare presentation of Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia requiring bilateral above-knee amputations: a case report.
Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia is a rarely encountered B-lymphocytic malignancy. Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia-associated paraproteinaemia is linked to an increase in serum viscosity, which results in a hypercoagulable state. Burning bilateral foot pain in a man with alcohol dependence and controlled atrial fibrillation presenting to the emergency department was attributed to peripheral neuropathy, given satisfactory angiographic evidence of bilateral foot arterial blood supply. Subsequently, his presentation as an emergency with acute bilateral critical lower limb ischemia that was managed by bilateral above-knee amputations, prompted a wider search for other etiologies. We present a hitherto unreported case of Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia-related acute bilateral lower limb ischemia, which required bilateral above-knee amputations. A 50-year-old Caucasian man, who was an alcohol dependent heavy smoker, presented with burning pain in his right foot that was deemed to be related to alcoholic neuropathy. A computerized tomographic angiogram demonstrated an occluded right distal anterior tibial artery but a patent posterior tibial artery supplying the foot arch, findings that were associated with noncritical ischemia. After multiple presentations within a week, he was admitted following sudden clinical deterioration with acute confusion, hyponatremia, and bilateral foot pain. Over the course of 24 hours, the patient deteriorated rapidly, with bilateral lower limb ischemia requiring bilateral above-knee amputations. Subsequent investigations revealed a diagnosis of Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only reported case of Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia-induced bilateral lower limb ischemia requiring major bilateral amputations.


Rapid and sensitive procedure for assigning idiotypic determinants to heavy or light chains: application to idiotopes associated with the major cross-reactive idiotype of A/J anti-phenylarsonate antibodies.
A rapid and sensitive procedure is described for assigning idiotypic determinants to heavy or light polypeptide chains. Heavy and light chains are resolved by electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The electrophoretically resolved polypeptides are then transferred to nitrocellulose filters. Filters containing bound heavy and light chains are incubated with 125I-labelled anti-idiotypic antibody, and idiotype-anti-idiotype reactivity visualized by autoradiography. This procedure is illustrated with three monoclonal anti-idiotopic antibodies which recognize determinants associated with the major cross-reactive idiotype family of A/J anti-phenylarsonate antibodies. All three anti-idiotopic antibodies are shown to react with electrophoretically resolved idiotype heavy chain, but not with idiotype light chain.


Concomitant assessment of rivaroxaban concentration and its impact on thrombin generation.
Reliable assays to measure direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) levels and their activity in critical situations are needed. Drug levels alone are not representative of the effect of DOACs on an individual's coagulation. We developed a technique that provides direct assessment of the global effect of rivaroxaban on the individual's coagulation in addition to plasma concentrations. DOAC concentrations were determined in fifty patients using rivaroxaban, with the new assay, Xross-CAT. The effect of rivaroxaban on coagulation (activity) was measured with thrombin generation (TG) in platelet poor plasma using 5 pM tissue factor on the same device. The levels were validated with the Biophen DiXal assay. The prothrombin time (PT) and dilute Russell viper venom time (dRVVT) were performed to estimate the effect on coagulation. The variability of Xross-CAT was below 12%. Xross-CAT correlates well with Biophen DiXaI (rs = 0.885). The bias, determined by Bland-Altman analysis, was 4.9% and the Passing-Bablok equation was y = 1.1x - 2.1. The correlation of plasma levels with TG was moderate (ETP rs = -0.548; Peak rs = -0.559), as for the PT (rs = 0.739) and the dRVVT (rs = 0.692). Xross-CAT shows a good correlation with Biophen DiXaI that was previously confirmed to accurately assess rivaroxaban levels. Bleeding and thrombotic complications are not necessarily associated with drug levels and could be influenced by concomitant risk factors. The main benefit of Xross-CAT is that it can be performed simultaneously with thrombin generation, providing an overview of the global anticoagulation status of a patient in relation to circulating DOAC levels.


Early expression in (NZB X DBA/2)F1 hybrids of thymus dysfunction and abnormal antibody production inherited from the NZB parent.
NZB mice, DBA/2 mice and reciprocal F1 hybrids between both strains were studied from birth to two months of age for the secretion of a serum thymic factor, thymulin (formerly named Facteur Thymique Sérique) and for spontaneous and antigen-induced immune responses: spontaneous splenic anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) plaque-forming cells (PFC), spontaneous IgM serum levels, immune direct anti-sheep red blood cells (SRBC) PFC and immune serum antibody production to human gamma globulin (HGG) as well as susceptibility to tolerance induction by deaggregated HGG. An early decline of thymulin serum level was detected from two weeks of age both in NZB mice and F1 hybrids, the latter maintaining a level intermediate between that of both parental strains. Such a fall of circulating thymulin was associated to a decreased number of thymulin-secreting cells. F1 hybrids and NZB mice exhibited at two and three weeks of age spontaneous anti-TNP PFC in the spleen, and increased IgM serum levels as compared to DBA/2 mice. When immunized at birth with SRBC or at two weeks of age with HGG, NZB mice and F1 mice similarly exhibited a higher anti-SRBC antibody response, as measured 5 days later by PFC numbers, and a higher anti-HGG serum antibody production 2 weeks post-immunization, than age-matched DBA/2 mice. F1 hybrids tended to develop with age spontaneous and immune antibody responses lower than NZB mice but still much higher than DBA/2 mice. Conversely, after tolerization at birth with deaggregated HGG NZB mice but not the F1 hybrids produced higher titers of anti-HGG antibodies upon challenge than similarly tolerized DBA/2 mice. DBA/2 mothered and NZB mothered F1 hybrids did not differ for any parameter tested and no influence of the sex could be detected.


Reduced capacity to produce specific 'effector' cells after injection of CBA mice with C3H cells.
Lymphocytes from mice of strain CBA are strongly MLC-responsive to lymphocytes from the H-2-compatible but M-antigen-incompatible strain C3H. This strong reactivity disappears after infusion of CBA mice with C3H lymphocytes. This study shows that the host-versus-graft reactivity (swelling of local lymph node after antigen injection) is specifically reduced after injection of CBA mice with C3H times CBA spleen cells. However, lymphocytes from such mice showed a specifically increased GVH reactivity (inhibition of erythroid cell growth) compared with lymphocytes from unimmunized mice. Lymphocytes from normal CBA mice showed a high proliferative rate in the spleens of irradiated C3H times CBA mice. Such 'educated' cells showed strongly increased specific GVH reactivity. Lymphocytes from CBA mice previously injected with C3H times CBA cells showed reduced capacity to proliferate when injected into irradiated C3H times CBA hybrids and a poor capacity to develop new 'effector' cells reactive against C3H times CBA bone marrow target cells. The results indicate that the presence of specifically 'MLC-responsive' lymphocytes in a lymphoid cell population is a prerequisite of its production of 'effector' cells able to respond in this GVH assay.


Ethnography and nursing research: a critical appraisal.
Ethnography has been known and used in anthropology for nearly a century, but it is essentially new in nursing ( 1 ). Its popularity for nursing research is increasing ( 2 ), however, and therefore, it is important to examine the methodology's origins and characteristics, and consider both its value and limitations.


Analysis of the cytochrome c-dependent apoptosis apparatus in cells from human pancreatic carcinoma.
Defects in the apoptotic system are likely to play a role in tumorigenesis. Pancreatic carcinoma cells are extremely resistant to apoptosis induction by chemotherapy suggesting that the apoptosis machinery is faulty. We investigated the integrity of the cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic apparatus in 10 human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Expression of Apaf-1, caspase-3, -6, -7, -8 and -9, Hsp-70 and XIAP was detected in all cell lines. The expression levels of Apaf-1 and caspase-8 were homogenous in all cell lines whereas differences in expression of other caspases were seen. In cytosolic fractions, all investigated caspases were processed in response to cytochrome c but the extent of processing varied between the cell lines. No stringent correlation between the amount of processing of caspase-9 and effector caspases was seen. Cytochrome c-induced effector caspase activity was quantitated by enzyme assay. Especially at low concentrations of added cytochrome c, this response varied greatly between the cell lines. These data demonstrate that the apoptotic system downstream of the mitochondria is qualitatively intact in pancreatic carcinoma. They further show that the response to cytochrome c can be quantitated in a cell-free system and that determinants other than mere expression of apoptotic molecules can regulate cytochrome c-induced apoptosis.


Rhodanobacter umsongensis sp. nov., isolated from a Korean ginseng field.
A bacterial isolate designated GR24-2(T) was isolated from Korean soil used for cultivating ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer). The strain was aerobic, Gram-negative, motile, and rod-shaped. It grew optimally at 28-30°C, pH 7.0, and in a range of 0-1% NaCl. Phylogenetically, the strain clustered with members of the genus Rhodanobacter. The strain exhibited the highest sequence similarities (>98%) with R. panaciterrae LnR5-47(T) (98.4%), R. soli DCY45(T) (98.2%), and R. ginsengisoli GR17-7(T) (98.0%). However, it also showed high sequence similarities (>97%) with some other Rhodanobacter and Dyella species. The strain contained Q-8 as the predominant respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids (greater than 10% of the total fatty acids) were iso-C17:1 ω9c (24.5%), iso-C16:0 (22.8%), anteiso-C15:0 (10.5%), and iso-C15:0 (10.1%). Its major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and an unknown aminophospholipid. The DNA G+C content of strain GR24-2(T) was 65.6 mol%. The strain showed less than 70% DNA relatedness values between the closely related Rhodanobacter and Dyella species. The phylogeny, phenotype, DNA-DNA hybridization, and chemotaxonomic data generated in this study reveal that the isolate is a novel species of the genus Rhodanobacter. The name proposed for this strain is Rhodanobacter umsongensis sp. nov. (type strain GR24-2(T) =KACC 12917(T) =DSM 21300(T)).


Usefulness of phenotypic and genotypic methods for metallo-beta-lactamases detection in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains.
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic microorganism with an increasing role in nosocomial outbreaks. For the last 2 decades, a growing number of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains have been identified, including the metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) producers. The study aimed to investigate the genetic relatedness of, and MBLs production among, a collection of A. baumannii isolates from Poland. This study involved 78 clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. Strain typing of the isolates was performed using PCR-RAPD. The presence of MBLs was phenotypically determined using different double disc synergy tests (DDST), the imipenem/EDTA combination disk test (CDT) and Etest MBL. blaIMP and blaVIM genes were detected using a duplex PCR assay. The isolates were divided into 18 PCR-RAPD patterns. Among 18 examined isolates, 94.4% were MBL-positive by the phenotypic method relying on comparing the bacteria growth inhibition zones diameters between imipenem/EDTA and imipenem discs, 88.9% using Etest MBL, 66.7% using the double disc synergy test with ceftazidime, imipenem, meropenem and EDTA, and 88.9% using a corresponding method with 2-MPA. The existence of blaIMP was identified in 8 (10.3%) strains. MBLs production was an important mechanism of carbapenem resistance among A. baumannii isolates in Poland. Laboratories should routinely screen for MBLs among A. baumannii isolates.


Tailoring and functionalizing the graphitic-like GaN and GaP nanostructures as selective sensors for NO, NO2, and NH3 adsorbing: a DFT study.
Langmuir adsorption of gas molecules of NO, NO2, and NH3 on the graphitic GaN and GaP sheets has been accomplished using density functional theory. The changes of charge density have shown a more important charge transfer for GaN compared to GaP which acts both as the electron donor while gas molecules act as the stronger electron acceptors through adsorption on the graphitic-like GaN surface. The adsorption of NO and NO2 molecules introduced spin polarization in the PL-GaN sheet, indicating that it can be employed as a magnetic gas sensor for NO and NO2 sensing. The partial electron density states based on "PDOS" graphs have explained that the NO and NO2 states in both of GaN and GaP nanosheets, respectively, have more of the conduction band between - 5 and - 10 eV, while expanded contribution of phosphorus states is close to gallium states, but nitrogen and oxygen states have minor contributions. GaN and GaP nanosheets represent having enough capability for adsorbing gases of NO, NO2, and NH3 through charge transfer from nitrogen atom and oxygen atom to the gallium element owing to intra-atomic and interatomic interactions. Ga sites in GaN and GaP nanosheets have higher interaction energy from Van der Waals' forces with gas molecules.


Publisher Correction: Tracking vegetation phenology across diverse biomes using Version 2.0 of the PhenoCam Dataset.
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.


The link between IL-23 and Th17 cell-mediated immune pathologies.
IL-23--produced by dendritic cells--and Th17 cells have both been identified as major factors involved in autoimmune inflammation, yet their relationship with each other remains controversial. This review aims to describe the initial discovery of Th17 cells, their subsequent characterization as a unique T helper subset in mouse and man, as well as the mechanisms involved in regulating these cells. Finally, the roles of IL-23 in inflammatory diseases in relation to Th17 function will be discussed.


Novel therapeutic strategies for autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
Drugs of unknown mechanisms of action are no longer being developed because we have largely capitalized on our improved understanding of the immunopathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and targeted treatments. These therapies have profoundly revolutionized the care of IMIDs. However, because of the heterogeneity of IMIDs and the redundancy of the targeted molecular pathways, some patients with IMIDs might not respond to a specific targeted drug or their disease might relapse secondarily. Therefore, there is much at stake in the development of new therapeutic strategies, which include combinations of mAbs or bispecific mAbs (BsMAbs), nanobodies and nanoparticles (NPs), therapeutic vaccines, small interfering RNA (siRNA) interference, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. With the broad pipeline of targeted treatments in clinical development, the therapeutic paradigm is rapidly evolving from whether new drugs will be available to the complex selection of the most adequate targeted treatment (or treatment combination) at the patient level. This paradigm change highlights the need to better characterize the heterogeneous immunological spectrum of these diseases. Only then will these novel therapeutic strategies be able to fully demonstrate their potential to treat IMIDs.


[Neuromyopathies].
This paper aims at showing the author's experience after 20 years of existence of the Myopathies out-patient clinic, which would better be called out-patient service for diseases of the motor unit. After giving the currently used classification, with 13 items and 95 affections, the author refers only his experience and items over which there is--or not--agreement with the existent literature. Attention is called specially to the value of electromyography and muscle biopsies, both of which are tests which, on their own, are of very little help to the diagnosis. The scope of this paper is not to describe the clinical picture of the different affections, but only to give the collaboration of the author's experience so that specialists in Neurology may profit from the practical data verified in about 2000 patients.


Effect of Different Doses of Inhaled Corticosteroids on the Isolation of Nasopharyngeal Flora in Children with Asthma.
To find the effects of inhaled corticosteroids and the impact of different doses of inhaled corticosteroids on the isolation of nasopharyngeal flora in asthmatic children aged 1-15 years. The study included 75 children with asthma and 25 age-matched controls. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained. Bacteria were identified by standard techniques. Pathogenic organisms were isolated from 36% of asthmatic children and 20% of controls, the difference was not significant statistically (OR=2.25, 95% CI=0.75-6.67, P=0.13). There was no statistically significant association of using a high dose of inhaled corticosteroids with the isolation of pathogenic organisms. Usage of biomass fuel for cooking in the household of asthmatic children increases the risk of colonization (OR=3.4, 95% CI= 1.26-9.10, P=0.03). Inhaled corticosteroids are safe in the treatment of asthma and there is no association between different doses of Inhaled corticosteroids and isolation of the pathogenic organism.


Effectiveness of isometric exercise in the management of tendinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.
To systematically review and critically appraise the literature on the effectiveness of isometric exercise in comparison with other treatment strategies or no treatment in tendinopathy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Electronic searches of Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE and Cochrane were undertaken from inception to May 2020. Overall quality of each study was determined based on a combined assessment of internal validity, external validity and precision. For each outcome measure, level of evidence was rated based on the system by van Tulder et al. Ten studies were identified and included in the review, including participants with patellar (n=4), rotator cuff (n=2), lateral elbow (n=2), Achilles (n=1) and gluteal (n=1) tendinopathies. Three were of good and seven were of poor overall quality. Based on limited evidence (level 3), isometric exercise was not superior to isotonic exercise for chronic tendinopathy either immediately following treatment or in the short term (≤12 weeks) for any of the investigated outcome measures. Additionally, for acute rotator cuff tendinopathy, isometric exercise appears to be no more effective than ice therapy in the short term (limited evidence; level 3). Isometric exercise does not appear to be superior to isotonic exercise in the management of chronic tendinopathy. The response to isometric exercise is variable both within and across tendinopathy populations. Isometric exercise can be used as part of a progressive loading programme as it may be beneficial for selected individuals. CRD42019147179.


Alcohol-induced liver injury after jejunoileal bypass operation in rats.
The objective of this study was to investigate whether alcohol administration exerts a synergistic effect on jejunoileal bypass-induced liver dysfunction in rats. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 90% jejunoileal bypass or sham operation. For 10 weeks, subgroups were pair-fed either an alcohol-containing (36% of total calories) liquid diet or a liquid diet where alcohol was replaced isocalorically by starch. Alcohol feeding in rats with jejunoileal bypass increased hepatic triglyceride content about 6-fold as compared with bypassed rats receiving control diet. Neither jejunoileal bypass nor alcohol feeding led to significant changes in hepatic DNA and protein contents. Alcohol feeding increased cytochrome P-450 levels both in operated and in sham-operated rats. The administration of alcohol-containing diet decreased the activity of succinic dehydrogenase, the decrease being distinctly more pronounced in rats with jejunoileal bypass than in the sham-operated controls. Light microscopy revealed no significant morphological alterations in liver sections of rats fed the control diet after jejunoileal bypass or of rats receiving either the alcohol-containing diet or the control diet after sham operation. Alcohol feeding in bypassed rats, however, produced marked diffuse accumulation of fat, and regularly led to other histological abnormalities in the liver. These abnormalities included ballooning of hepatocytes and disarray of the trabecular structure of the liver lobule, hyalin inclusions resembling megamitochondria, single-cell necrosis and focal clustering of necrosis, increased number of mitotic figures, and infiltrates with inflammatory cells. The histological lesions of the liver of bypassed rats receiving alcohol exhibited no obvious zonal distribution. The results demonstrate that alcohol feeding to rats subjected to jejunoileal bypass leads to marked liver injury which mimics, at least in part, that of alcohol-induced liver disease in man. Rats subjected to jejunoileal bypass may, therefore, provide a new model for the study of alcoholic liver disease.


Comparison of Nissen fundoplication and Belsey Mark IV in the management of gastroesophageal reflux.
Our experience for the past four years with antireflux surgery has been reviewed. The Nissen fundoplication resulted in symptomatic improvement in 87.5 per cent of cases as compared with 64 per cent who were improved after the Belsey Mark IV procedure. Objective evaluation as measured by the standard acid reflux test (SART) revealed recurrent reflux in 9 per cent of those who underwent fundoplication and in 47 per cent of those treated with the Belsey repair. Mortality rates were similar. These results indicate that Nissen fundoplication is superior to the Belsey Mark IV procedure in the management of gastroesophageal reflux.


[Antigenic variants of rabies virus in France. Monoclonal antibodies].
One hundred and sixteen rabies field isolates from France were studied with monoclonal antibodies for analysis of their nucleocapside antigenic characteristics (by direct or indirect immunofluorescence) or glycoprotein determinants (by neutralization in mice). These studies verified that nucleocapside antigens had only two variants, apparently uncorrelated to animal species or geographic areas. Glycoprotein antigens had also variants which could explain partial defection in cross protection observed in mice having received rabies vaccine prepared from heterologous strains.


Air flow in snake ventilation.
Ventilation in resting, unrestrained Boa constrictor, Python regius and Thanmophis s. sirtalis was monitored using various combinations of a closed Kopfkappe (head chamber), intratracheal pressure catheters, strain gauges around the trunk, and a flow meter connected to one of the nostrils. Records of intratracheal pressure with and without closing the Kopfkappe show that the latter device induces artifacts in the normal ventilatory pattern. Flow meter readings from quiescent snakes indicate that ventilation is biphasic (outflow-inflow-pause) rather than triphasic (outflow-inflow-outflow-pause), while simultaneous pressure and strain gauge records are variably tri- or quadriphasic.


Effects of morphine on noxious stimuli-induced release of substance P from rabbit dorsal horn in vivo.
We investigated the effects of morphine on the noxious mechanical stimuli-induced release of immunoreactive substance P (iSP) from the rabbit dorsal horn in vivo. Systemic morphine in a dose of 10 mg/kg, but not 1 mg/kg, inhibited the iSP release induced by noxious stimuli, although both dosages inhibited the nociceptive responses of rabbits to the stimuli. The inhibitory effect of morphine (10 mg/kg) on the iSP release was partially or completely antagonized by the local application of naloxone or prazosin, respectively, to the dorsal horn. The local application of methysergide did not affect the morphine action. The inhibitory effect of morphine (10 mg/kg) on the iSP release was diminished in acute spinal animals. These results suggest that the inhibition of the evoked release of substance P participates only in the action of the larger dose of morphine, and that this inhibition of the substance P release may be mediated by opioid receptors and the noradrenergic system, but not the serotonergic system, in the spinal cord.


Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Does Not Significantly Alter Major COVID-19 Outcomes among Veterans.
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was not a significant, independent risk factor for the four major outcomes studied among veterans with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).ADPKD did not significantly increase the risk for newly starting dialysis (after controlling for CKD) among veterans positive for COVID-19.The established risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness had significant effects in this cohort (e.g., type 2 diabetes and Black race).


Electron microscopic study of the giant cells in the olfactory bulb of labyrinth fish (Belontiidae, perciformes).
The giant cells in the olfactory bulb of labyrinth fish, most likely belonging to the nervus terminalis, show ultrastructural features of active synthesis of secretory material. Dense core vesicles (70--100 nm in diameter), found in the perikaryon as well as in the axon, are the possible storage sites of the secretory substance. Its chemical nature is unknown. In some of these vesicles acid phosphatase is demonstrable. Large membrane-bound bodies (up to 2000 nm in diameter), either containing an electron dense matrix or debris of cytoplasmic organelles, are also acid phosphatase-positive, suggesting their lysosomal nature. Some other ultrastructural characteristics of these cells are also described.


Wineries, drosophila, alcohol, and Adh.
Previous workers (McKenzie and Parsons, 1972, 1974; McKenzie, 1974; Briscoe et al., 1975) have found anomalous distributions of species of Drosophila, of sexes of D. melanogaster, and of Adh alleles in and around wineries in Australia and Spain. Field studies in California's Sonoma Valley provide evidence that the explanations advanced for these distributions may incorrect. The anomalous distribution of species was attributed to alcohol, either as a selective agent or as a behavioral stimulus. We find a virtually identical species distribution in the absence of environmental alcohol. The anomalous sex ratio was attributedd to differential survivall of the sexes when raised on alcohol. We present crude evidence thatehe difference may simply be a behavioral response to some product of fermentation, which need not be alcohol. Finally, the allele frequency difference reported from Spain was attributed to differential adult mortality on alcohol. We do not find an allele frequency difference even when alcohol is exposed, and therefore suggest that selection is occurring in pre-adult stages.


Do we need an assessment of the nutrition risk in the critically ill patient?
The description of a new score of nutrition risk in critically ill patients in the previous issue of Critical Care is very appropriate and timely. However, the use of this score will probably not help the clinician to improve the prescription of nutrition therapy, especially when major uncertainties are raised about the definition of adequate nutrition. The validation of the score will require the use of outcome variables susceptible to influence by nutrition, such as surrogate markers of muscle function. Meanwhile the educational value of a score of nutrition risk is undisputed in settings where the use of scores is incorporated into the usual practice.


Predicting smoking relapse with a multidimensional versus a single-item tobacco craving measure.
Research suggests that craving is a predictor of smoking relapse. Craving can be assessed by multiple item or multifactorial scales or by single items. However, no systematic comparisons of their prognostic validity or accuracy have been published. The French versions of the 12-item Tobacco Craving Questionnaire (FTCQ-12) and the single craving item on the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS) are brief, valid, and reliable self-report measures of tobacco craving. In this secondary study, we analyzed data from French smokers with health-related problems enrolled in the Adjustment of DOses of NIcotine in Smoking (ADONIS) cessation trial. We estimated prediction models for each measure and compared their ability to distinguish correctly participants who relapsed from those who did not at 1-8 weeks after their quit date. Adjusted for all potential confounders FTCQ-12 risk score (RS; Factor 2, Expectancy plus Factor 4, Purposefulness) and MNWS craving were valid predictors of smoking relapse at endpoints measured 1-7 weeks apart. Prognostic accuracy of FTCQ-12 RS was greatest at 1-2 weeks follow-up compared to only 1 week for MNWS craving. Sensitivity for FTCQ-12 RS and MNWS craving was 85% and 53%, respectively. FTCQ-12 RS suggests a relapse process involving urges and desires in anticipation of the positive benefits of smoking linked with intent and planning to smoke. Findings also suggest that FTCQ-12 RS may be a better predictor instrument for smoking relapse than MNWS craving.


Serum albumin as a determinant of cortisol release in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Animal studies demonstrated that protein malnutrition increases pituitary-adrenorcortical activity and leads to excessive cortisol release. The aim of our study was to determine the association between serum albumin and cortisol level in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Fifty-nine patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were included. Serum albumin level was measured within 36 h after stroke symptoms onset. Serum cortisol was measured between 36 and 72 h after stroke onset at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The patients in upper tertile of serum albumin had significantly lower cortisol level measured at 6 a.m. (median with interquartiles: 549.0 [430.4-667.7] nmol/L vs 590.4 [482.8-918.7] nmol/L, P=0.047) and 10 a.m. (402.8 [344.9-510.4] nmol/L vs 634.6 [482.8-827.7] nmol/L, P<0.01) than patients in lower and middle tertiles. On logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and stroke severity, patients in lower and middle tertile of serum albumin had about 7-times higher risk of hypercortisolemia than patients in upper tertile (P<0.01). Low serum albumin level in patients with ischemic stroke is associated with higher serum cortisol level and predisposes to hypercortisolemia.


Dependence IN Performing Activities as a Predictor of Mortality Following Hospitalization for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation.
Scant evidence is available on whether dependency for basic (BADL) or instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living can be predictors of mortality after severe COPD exacerbation (COPDE). In addition, it is as yet unclear whether the inclusion of this parameter in a multidimensional score can improve the prediction of mortality. Prospective cohort study, with follow-up of patients discharged after COPDE and multivariate analysis of clinical-demographic and dependency variables (Barthel and Lawton and Brody indices) as predictors of mortality. Three scores were generated (including or not including dependency for BADL and IADL) that were compared with each other and with other commonly used multidimensional indices (BODEx, ADO, DOSE, CODEx). In total, 247 patients were included, 112 (45%, 3); and 195 (72.4%) had some dependency for BADL and IADL. Survival was 631.7 (258.8) days, 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 60-912 days. Fifty-four (21.9%, 95% CI 17-27) patients died. Age> 60 years, FEV1 <50% and Charlson score ≥ 3 were independent predictors in the 3 models generated. Dependency for BADL and IADL were predictors in each of the models in which they were included. The score that included the dependency for BADL presented the best predictive capacity (area under the curve 0.818, 95% CI 0.757-0.879). Stratification into tertiles differentiated groups with a higher risk of death from the beginning of the follow-up (P<.01). Dependence for activities of daily living, especially the most elementary ones, is an independent predictor of mortality after a severe COPDE that is comparable to clinical variables. Its inclusion in multidimensional scores clearly improves predictive capacity.


Photoinduced antitumour effect of hypericin can be enhanced by fractionated dosing.
The in vivo antitumour activity of the natural photosensitizer hypericin was evaluated. C3H/DiSn mice were inoculated with fibrosarcoma G5:1:13 cells. When the tumour reached a volume of 40-80mm3 the mice were intraperitoneally injected with hypericin, either in a single dose (5mg/kg; 1 or 6h before laser irradiation) or two fractionated doses (2.5 mg/kg; 6 and 1 h before irradiation with laser light; 532 nm, 70mW/cm2, 168 J/cm2). All tumours in control groups treated with hypericin alone as well as those irradiated with laser light alone had similar growth rates and none of these tumours regressed spontaneously. Complete remission of tumour in photodynamic therapy (PDT)-treated groups was similar (14-17% single dose vs. 33% fractionated dose), but the fractionated schedule of hypericin dosing was found to be more efficient than the single dose, measured by survival assay (p < 0.05). Our experimental model showed that fractionated administration of hypericin can produce a better therapeutic response than single administration.


Immunofluorescent Detection of NET Components in Paraffin-Embedded Tissue.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) consist of decondensed chromatin fibers studded with granular and cytoplasmic proteins and peptides that are released by stimulated neutrophil granulocytes. If present in abundance (e.g., in large thrombi), NETs are depicted in H&E-stained tissue sections as pale bluish areas. Since no NET-specific antibodies exist, to unambiguously identify even small amounts of NETs in tissue, it is essential to demonstrate colocalization of nuclear and granular/cytoplasmic NET components which in unstimulated neutrophils are clearly separated. This requires good tissue preservation and a very defined immunolocalization, which can be achieved by using 2-3 μm thick sections of paraffin-embedded tissue. It provides sufficiently good tissue preservation for subcellular localization of two or more NET components, thereby allow to differentiate stimulated from unstimulated neutrophils and to clearly identify NETs. In this chapter, we will provide protocols for antigen retrieval and immunofluorescent labeling of NET components in paraffin-embedded tissue with commercially available antibodies.


Promoting the effects of intravesical instillation of saline on bladder lesion development in rats pre-treated with BBN.
At present, immunotherapeutic agents such as bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and anti-tumor chemotherapeutic agents in saline are used intravesically in patients with bladder carcinoma. However, of greater significance is the possibility that the saline vehicle may itself promote carcinoma development in the bladder. The potential promoting effects of intravesical instillation of saline were assessed in female F344 rats. The animals were divided into 3 groups, all of which received 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) in their drinking water for the first 10 weeks. They were then maintained without further treatment (group 1) or received intravesical instillations of 0.3 mL of saline or distilled water once a week for 6 weeks, 15 weeks after the end of the BBN treatment (groups 2 and 3). At 32 weeks, all the animals were killed and examined immunohistochemically with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibody, as well as by routine histopathologic examination. Both the incidence and the number of bladder carcinomas were higher in the animals that received instillations of saline than in those who did not receive the instillations. Significant increases in tumor size were also noted for the saline-treated groups, although this was not linked with the PCNA labeling index. The results indicate that saline is a promoter of urinary bladder carcinogenesis either because of the catheterization or the fluid itself.


Insight to the association among fibroblast growth factor 21, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular outcomes: A population-based study.
We aimed to investigate whether there was a joint effect of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or interaction on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases based on a community-dwelling population. Serum FGF21 levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent method. NAFLD was diagnosed via ultrasonography. Multivariable-adjusted cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the joint effects of FGF21 and NAFLD on the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). A total of 1194 participants were enrolled in the final analysis. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of MACE was 1.84 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-2.86) in participants with diagnosed NAFLD at baseline, compared with those without NAFLD at baseline. The multivariable-adjusted HRs of MACE across quintiles of serum FGF21 levels at baseline were 1.00, 1.48 (95%CI 0.68-3.21), 2.01 (95%CI 0.98-4.13), 1.94 (95%CI 0.94-4.02) and 2.14 (95%CI 1.03-4.44) respectively. Participants with high FGF21 levels and NAFLD at baseline showed the highest risk of MACE with a significant interaction between the presence of NAFLD and serum FGF21 levels. Both FGF21 and NAFLD were associated with MACE, while the association between FGF21 and MACE may be interacted by the presence of NAFLD at baseline.


Automated analysis of eye tracking movements.
To present a quick algorithm to automatically analyze the raw data acquired by a photo-oculography (POG) system. We developed a simple algorithm for POG data analysis based on an extrapolation of missing values due to blinking and on exclusion of outliers using the robust mean and standard deviation. POG curves of 4 children aged between 1.5 and 7 years are shown before and after automatic analysis. After applying our algorithm, the curves are much smoother. Our algorithm allows a quick data analysis and will help to better interpret and analyze POG data.


Increased suicidal behaviors among students during COVID-19 lockdowns: A concern of student's mental health in Bangladesh.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented natural event on life. The mental health of students has been impacted due to the long-term closure of educational institutions. The suicide rate had been significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years among Bangladeshi students. Several COVID-19 responses might be responsible for this increased suicidality among students. Therefore, family members should give them mental supports to reduce additional burdens due to the pandemic. The government and non-government organizations can take suicide prevention programs such as awareness campaigns, student counseling, internet-based interventions, etc. Also, the authority should vaccinate students, teachers, and other staff to reopen the academic institutions on an urgent basis.


Increased (18)F-fluoroestradiol uptake in radiation pneumonia.
A 54-year-old metastatic breast cancer patient who had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy was transferred to our hospital for further treatment. We utilized (18)F-fluoroestradiol (FES) to assess the estrogen receptor (ER) status of metastatic lesions. Interestingly, high accumulation of (18)F-FES in pneumonia caused by radiation was detected. Hence, this draws oncologists' attention to the possible false-positive result of (18)F-FES, which may lead to inappropriate endocrine therapy.


Binding of human lymphocyte-specific monoclonal antibodies to common marmoset lymphoid cells.
Commercially available monoclonal antibodies which bind to human lymphocyte subsets were screened for their ability to bind to lymphoid cells from the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus. Anti-Leu-5 and T11 were the only pan T-cell antibodies which reacted strongly. None of the antibodies which bind human lymphocytes of the helper/inducer subpopulation reacted with C. jacchus cells and only one antibody, T8, specific for the cytotoxic/suppressor subset, bound to the marmoset cells. The two antibodies tested which bind human B cells, B1 and anti-HLA-DR, were also reactive with marmoset cells. The cellular specificity of the T11, T8, and B1 antibodies was determined by dual binding studies on the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The B1 antibody bound only Ig+ cells and all Ig+ cells were B1+. The T11 and T8 antibodies bound only to Ig- marmoset lymphoid cells and, as in the human, all T8+ marmoset cells were also T11+. Thus, using these monoclonal antibodies in the common marmoset one can identify three populations of lymphoid cells: (1) T11+, T8+ cells; (2) T11+, T8- cells; (3) B1+ cells.


Endoscopic variceal ligation in the management of gastroesophageal varices in postoperative biliary atresia.
Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding is a serious and difficult problem in the long-term management of biliary atresia (BA). Recently, endoscopic approaches have been attempted to manage this problem. The authors have attempted endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL), a less invasive procedure than endoscopic sclerotherapy. In the past 5 years, 66 EVL procedures using standard flexible endoscope with a diameter of 9 mm (type p-30, XQ200, or XQ240; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) were performed in 30 separate sessions on 11 postoperative BA patients. The mean age of the children was 7.8 (range, 3 to 15) years. The EVL device was a small elastic O-ring or a loop ligator. EVL was performed for emergency hemostasis in two patients and prophylaxis for impending rupture in nine with large, blue varices, or with red spots on the variceal surface. During the initial procedure, all varices were ligated successfully, and reduction in size was noted. Of eight patients who were examined 7 to 14 days after treatment, seven (87.5%) had improved. Eight of 11 patients (72.7%) were finally cured or at least had improved after one to seven sessions of EVL. However, three patients did not show improvement after four to seven sessions because of the reappearance of the varices, development of distal lesions such as gastric varices, and acute gastric mucosal lesions. A technical complication encountered was a slippage of the O-ring in one patient. A technical difficulty was seen in ligating the giant gastric varix in one patient. There was no deterioration of liver function induced by EVL in this entire series. EVL is an effective and feasible treatment of gastroesophageal varices in postoperative BA patients. However, reappearance or reactivation of the varices or emergence of the more distal lesions is likely to occur even after repeated EVL.


The miR-143/145 cluster reverses the regulation effect of KLF5 in smooth muscle cells with proliferation and contractility in intracranial aneurysm.
Alterations in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contribute to the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms (IAs), but the molecular mechanisms of these alterations are unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to identify the molecular mechanism of VSMC-mediated IAs at clinical and cellular levels. We used bioinformatic and biochemical analyses to show that the microRNA (miR)-143/145 cluster was involved in various biological processes related to aneurysm formation. Clinical studies showed that the miR-143/145 cluster was downregulated in IA patients when compared with healthy subjects. However, KLF5 expression was upregulated in IA patients. In vitro experiments showed that overexpression of the miR-143/145 cluster inhibited proliferation and migration of VSMCs, but increased contractile protein expression and decreased matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -3. KLF5 overexpression had the opposite effect, even reversing the protective effect of the miR-143/145 cluster on IAs. Bifluorescein report experiments further confirmed that both miR-143 and miR-145 interacted with the 3'-UTR of KLF5 and inhibited post-transcriptional expression of KLF5. Taken together, the results showed that VSMC phenotypic modulation with upregulation of KLF5 by downregulation of the miR-143/145 cluster played an important role in formation and growth of IAs. The process of IA formation was reversed by overexpression of the miR-143/145 cluster. Together, the results provided a theoretical basis for further investigation of the potential clinical prevention and treatment of IAs.


Synergistic removal of organic pollutants from water by CTF/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalysts.
Herein, a series of covalent triazine framework/bismuth vanadate (CTF/BiVO4) heterojunction catalysts were prepared using the hydrothermal method. The mechanism of the CTF/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalyst in the system was examined to provide a theoretical basis for constructing a high-efficiency photocatalysis composite system for removing organic pollutants from water. Compared with CTF and BiVO4 catalysts alone, composite materials have been shown to have significantly higher degradation efficiencies against organic pollutants in water. Moreover, the degradation effect was found to be optimal when the mass ratio of CTF to BiVO4 was 1:1 (1-CTF/BiVO4). On the basis of physicochemical characterization results, it was concluded that the effective construction of CTF/BiVO4 composite photocatalyst material systems and the formation of type II heterojunction structures between CTF and BiVO4 effectively promote the separation of photogenerated carriers and increase the interface charge transfer efficiency.


Anaerobic treatment of sludge from a nitrification-denitrification landfill leachate plant.
The viability of anaerobic digestion of sludge from a MSW landfill leachate treatment plant, with COD values ranging between 15,000 and 19,400mg O(2)dm(-3), in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was studied. The reactor employed had a useful capacity of 9l, operating at mesophilic temperature. Start-up of the reactor was carried out in different steps, beginning with diluted sludge and progressively increasing the amount of sludge fed into the reactor. The study was carried out over a period of 7 months. Different amounts of methanol were added to the feed, ranging between 6.75 and 1cm(3)dm(-3) of feed in order to favour the growth of methanogenic flora. The achieved biodegradation of the sludge using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket Reactor was very high for an HRT of 9 days, obtaining decreases in COD of 84-87% by the end of the process. Purging of the digested sludge represented approximately 16% of the volume of the treated sludge.