Simultaneous determination of typical substituted and parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and solid matrix by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are likely to transform to more mutagenic and carcinogenic substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (SPAHs) in the environment. To date, no literature has reported on an analytical method for SPAHs in the natural water environment (encompassing water, suspended particulate and sediment matrix). A robust and routine analytical method was developed for simultaneous detection of 13 typical SPAHs and 16 PAHs in the water environment in this work. The pretreatment and instrument analysis procedure were optimized for effective detection of the 29 targets species. Recovery of each target ranged from 60% to 120%, except for benz[a]anthracene-7,12-dione (BA-7,12-D), which resulted from the transformation of 7-nitrobenz[a]anthracene (7-NBA). The high recovery of BA-7,12-D was relatively stable, so the detection results could be corrected. The method quantification limits ranged from 0.04ng/L to 20.25ng/L for 4L water samples, from 4.12ng/g to 131.66ng/g for 0.1g particulate samples, and from 1.75ng/g to 28.04ng/g for 20g sediment samples. The method was applied to detect the 29 targets pollutants in polluted rivers, receiving wastewater from Beijing and Tianjin in China. Certain SPAH targets including 2-methylnaphthalene, 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, 1-methylfluoranthene, 3,6-dimethylphenanthrene, 9-fluorenone, anthraquinone, 2-methylanthranquinone and BA-7,12-D were detected in the natural river environment, and all PAH targets were found in rivers.


Basal forebrain infusion of HC-3 in rats: maze learning deficits and neuropathology.
Ten adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with hemicholinium (HC-3) using mini-osmotic pumps over a 14 day period through bilateral, chronically implanted cannulae in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm). Ten matched controls were infused in the same fashion with saline. HC-3 rats receiving implants demonstrated a significant deficit in maze-learning ability compared with individual and group performances before receiving the implants. In saline rats there was no significant difference in maze-learning ability before and after receiving implants. The HC-3 group receiving implants demonstrated a significant deficit in maze-learning ability compared with the saline control group. Serial sections through nbm from control and HC-3 rats indicated that all cannulae were located within infusion range of nbm. In HC-3 subjects, cholinergic cell bodies were destroyed with concurrent degeneration of terminal fields in cortex. Except for cannula insertion damage, the cholinergic neurotransmitter system appeared unharmed in controls. Stains for neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary damage were negative in both groups. The memory deficit in experimental subjects supported by the demonstrated destruction of nbm cholinergic neurons suggests that HC-3 may be useful in the development of an animal model for Alzheimer's Disease.


Visual-evoked potential predicts the efficacy of the optical canal decompression for traumatic optic nerve neuropathy showing blindness: A case report.
The indication for surgical optic canal decompression (OCD) for traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) remains controversial because there is no reliable predictor of a good outcome. We report the case of a blind patient with TON whose remaining visual-evoked potential (VEP) suggested recovery potential of the injured optic nerve after OCD. A 48-year-old man had fallen from a height of 7 m, striking his head. He immediately complained of right-eye blindness. He had no light perception and the direct light reflex disappeared from the right pupil, although there was no fracture or traumatic lesion on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Because the amplitude of the VEP with the right eye stimulation remained unchanged, we performed the right OCD. During surgical OCD, the amplitude and latency of VEP began to improve. Finally, the visual field improved in almost all directions, and eyesight improved to 0.2. The retained VEP activity in TON may suggest the recovery potential of the injured optic nerve, even in cases of blindness. It is possible that VEP is an indicator of aggressive treatment for TON such as OCD.


Embryological approach to studies of stem cells.
Based on the findings of their own studies on embryonic histogenesis of human tissues and published reports, the authors determined the time limits of the existence of human embryonic stem cells and type of their determination in divergent development of tissues in different organs. Realization of genetic information of embryonic stem cells during tissue embryogenesis was studied. This information is realized by the cambium. Variability of all tissue processes is possible only within their own embryonic primordium; prospects of the mesenchyma development in an adult body is discussed.


The Molecular Mechanisms of Protective Role of Se on the G0/G1 Phase Arrest Caused by AFB1 in Broiler's Thymocytes.
This research was designed to explore the protective effects of sodium selenite on G0/G1 phase arrest induced by AFB1 in thymocytes of broilers. Two hundred eighty-eight Cobb broilers were divided into control group, + Se group (0.4 mg/kg Se), AFB1 group (0.6 mg/kg AFB1), and AFB1 + Se group (0.6 mg/kg AFB1 + 0.4 mg/kg Se). The results revealed that 0.4 mg/kg Se supplement in diets could improve the AFB1-induced histological lesions in the thymus consisting of the more vacuoles and nuclear debris in thymic cortical area. The results of flow cytometric detect showed that 0.4 mg/kg Se relieved the G0/G1 phase arrest caused by AFB1 in thymocytes. The results of transcription levels of ATM, p53, p21, p27, p15, p16, CyclinD1, CyclinE, Cdk6, Cdk2, and PCNA genes by qRT-PC, and protein expression level of PCNA by immunohistochemistry demonstrated that 0.4 mg/kg Se could reduce the adverse effects of AFB1 on these parameters. In conclusion, Se could relieve AFB1-induced G0/G1 phase arrest by p15 (or p16)-CyclinD1/Cdk6, ATM-p53-p21-CyclinE/Cdk2, p27-CyclinE/Cdk2 pathways.


Antidiabetic effect of polysaccharides from Pleurotus ostreatus in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
This study was performed to evaluate the effects of total polysaccharides extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus on type 2 diabetes. Rats were administered with high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. The rats were then treated with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/d POP or vehicle for 4 weeks. Our experiments indicated that POP reduces hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia levels, improves insulin resistance, and increases glycogen storage by activating GSK3 phosphorylation and GLUT4 translocation. Moreover, POP reduces the risk of oxidative damage by increasing superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) activities and decreasing malonaldehyde(MDA) level. These results suggest that POP exerts antidiabetic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats.


Analysis of compound action potentials elicited with specific current stimulating pulses in an isolated rat sciatic nerve.
The ability to selectively stimulate Aα, Aβ-fibers and Aδ-fibers in an isolated rat sciatic nerve (SNR) was assessed. The stimulus used was a current, biphasic pulse with a quasitrapezoidal cathodic phase and rectangular anodic phase where parameters were systematically varied: intensity of the cathodic phase (ic); width of the cathodic phase (tc); width of the cathodic exponential decay (texp) and time constant of the exponential decay (τexp). A SNR was stimulated using a pair of hook electrodes while conduction velocity (CV) and compound action potentials (CAP) were measured at two sites along the SNR using another two pairs of electrodes. Results showed that the highest CAP1 (8.5-9 mV), shall be expected when parameters of the stimulus were within the following range: ic=3.8-4 mA, tc=350-400 μs and texp=330-440 μs. Results also showed that with ascending tc and texp, CV of the corresponding superficial region of the SNR was reduced in both, conduction velocity of CAP1 and conduction velocity of CAP2. It was concluded that action potentials (APs) were activated in the Aβ-fibers and Aδ-fibers along with a slight AP inhibition in the Aβ-fibers. The obtained results, could serve as a tool for developing multi-electrode systems that potentially enable fiber-type selective stimulation of nerve fibers.


Inferring the demographic history of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica, using amplicon sequencing.
The evolution of a species depends on multiple forces, such as demography and natural selection. To understand the trajectory and driving forces of evolution of a target species, it is first necessary to uncover that species' population history, such as past and present population sizes, subdivision and gene flow, by using appropriate genetic markers. Cryptomeria japonica is a long-lived monoecious conifer species that is distributed in Japan. There are two main lines (omote-sugi and ura-sugi), which are distinguished by apparent differences in morphological traits that may have contributed to their local adaptation. The evolution of these morphological traits seems to be related to past climatic changes in East Asia, but no precise estimate is available for the divergence time of these two lines and the subsequent population dynamics in this species. Here, we analyzed the nucleotide variations at 120 nuclear genes in 94 individuals by using amplicon sequencing in combination with high-throughput sequencing technologies. Our analysis indicated that the population on Yakushima Island, the southern distribution limit of C. japonica in Japan, diverged from the other populations 0.85 million years ago (MYA). The divergence time of the other populations on mainland Japan was estimated to be 0.32 MYA suggesting that the divergence of omote-sugi and ura-sugi might have occurred before the last glacial maximum. Although we found modest levels of gene flow between the present populations, the long-term isolation and environmental heterogeneity caused by climatic changes might have contributed to the differentiation of the lines and their local adaptation.


Modulation by prostaglandins of adrenergic transmission in the isolated perfused rabbit and rat kidney.
In the isolated perfused rabbit kidney prostaglandins (PGS) E1 (0.02-0-1 ng/ml), E2 (0.02-0.1 ng/ml), and A2 (1-5 ng/ml) inhibited the vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation by 21-44%, 31-39%, and 20-23%, respectively, without alerting those to injected norepinephrine. In contrast, in the rat kidney PGE1 (0.5 ng/ml), PGE2 (0.5 ng/ml), and PGA2 (5 ng/ml) enhanced the vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation by 41%, 27%, and 11%, respectively; the equiconstrictor responses to injected norepinephrine remained unaltered. Higher concentrations of these agents produced vasodilation in the rabbit kidney and vasoconstriction in the rat kidney. In both species PGF2alpha produced vasoconstriction and enhanced the response to both adrenergic stumuli. In the rabbit kidney inhibitors of PG synthesis augmented the responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation without altering those to injected norepinephrine, whereas in the rat kidney inhibition of the responses to both adrenergic stimuli occurred. Arachidonic acid inhibited the vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation in the rabbit kidney, but in the rat kidney it caused augmentation of these responses. Since these effects of arachidonic acid were reduced by indomethacin, they appear to be mediated through the acid's conversion to PGS. We conclude that PGS of the E series modulate adrenergic transmission in the kidney and that their modulatory actions are species dependent.


The Reporting Quality of Acupuncture-Related Infections in Korean Literature: A Systematic Review of Case Studies.
Objective. Acupuncture is generally accepted as a safe intervention when it is administered in appropriate clinical setting by well-educated and experienced practitioners. In this study, we reviewed observational studies on adverse events (AEs) or complications relevant to acupuncture practice in Korean literature for assessing their reporting quality and suggested recommendations for future ones on acupuncture-related infections. Method. Electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, Korean studies Information Service System, DBpia, National Digital Science Library, and Korean National Assembly Library were searched until May 2015. Combination of keywords including "acupuncture" and "infection" were used for searching databases. Result. A total of 23 studies from 2,739 literature articles were identified from electronic database searching until May 2015. From this review, we found that most case studies did not report enough information for judging causality between acupuncture and the AEs (or complications) as well as appropriateness of the acupuncture practice. In addition, acupuncture experts rarely participated in the reporting of these AEs (or complications). Conclusion. Based on these limitations, we suggest a tentative recommendation for future case studies on acupuncture-related infection. We hope that this recommendation would contribute to the improvement of the reporting quality of acupuncture-related AEs (or complications) in the future.


Mechanisms of epigenetic regulation of leukemia onset and progression.
Over the past decade, it has become clear that both genetics and epigenetics play pivotal roles in cancer onset and progression. The importance of epigenetic regulation in proper maintenance of cellular state is highlighted by the frequent mutation of chromatin modulating factors across cancer subtypes. Identification of these mutations has created an interest in designing drugs that target enzymes involved in DNA methylation and posttranslational modification of histones. In this review, we discuss recurrent genetic alterations to epigenetic modulators in both myeloid and lymphoid leukemias. Furthermore, we review how these perturbations contribute to leukemogenesis and impact disease outcome and treatment efficacy. Finally, we discuss how the recent advances in our understanding of chromatin biology may impact treatment of leukemia.


Euphol from Euphorbia tirucalli Negatively Modulates TGF-β Responsiveness via TGF-β Receptor Segregation inside Membrane Rafts.
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) responsiveness in cultured cells can be modulated by TGF-β partitioning between lipid raft/caveolae- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathways. Lipid rafts are plasma membrane microdomains with an important role in cell survival signaling, and cholesterol is necessary for the lipid rafts' structure and function. Euphol is a euphane-type triterpene alcohol that is structurally similar to cholesterol and has a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In the present study, euphol suppressed TGF-β signaling by inducing TGF-β receptor movement into lipid-raft microdomains and degrading TGF-β receptors.


Long-term androgen deprivation therapy improves survival in prostate cancer patients presenting with prostate-specific antigen levels > 20 ng/mL.
To assess the benefit of androgen deprivation (AD) and its optimal duration in patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy, who present with prostate-specific antigen levels > 20 ng/mL. A total of 307 patients treated with external beam radiotherapy, AD, and presenting with a PSA level > 20 ng/mL were identified from the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Initiative database of the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Androgen deprivation was defined as short term (ST-AD, < 12 months) or long term (LT-AD, > or = 12 months). The endpoints analyzed were biochemical control (no evidence of disease) (bNED), overall survival, and cause-specific survival. Statistical analysis was conducted with Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank tests, and multivariate analyses with logistic and Cox regression models. There were 151 patients in the ST-AD group and 156 in the LT-AD group. The distributions of Gleason score and stage were comparable in the two cohorts. Median follow-up times were 48 months for patients treated with ST-AD and 45 months for patients treated with LT-AD. The median durations of AD were 6 and 25.6 months for the ST-AD and LT-AD groups, respectively. The bNED rate was 37% for the ST-AD group and 62.5% for the LT-AD group (p < 0.0001). The 5-year overall survival rate was 75% in the ST-AD group vs. 87.5% for the LT-AD group (p = 0.0091). The 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 82% for the ST-AD group vs. 94% for the LT-AD group (p = 0.0072). Several randomized trials have demonstrated the benefit of LT-AD in high-risk patients with prostate cancer. In some reports, the survival advantage seems to be restricted to patients with high Gleason score. The present analysis supports the hypothesis that LT-AD improves bNED and survival rates in patients presenting with a PSA level > 20, irrespective of Gleason score or T stage.


A novel tumor suppressor, REIC/Dkk-3 gene identified by our in vitro transformation model of normal human fibroblasts works as a potent therapeutic anti-tumor agent.
Reduced Expression in Immortalized Cell (REIC) was cloned by subtractive hybridization method as a gene whose expression is reduced in many human immortalized and neoplastic tumor cells. The REIC, when over-expressed by an adenovirus (Ad-REIC), exhibited a dramatic therapeutic effect on a wide variety of human cancers through a mechanism triggered by ER-stress-mediated JNK activation. In addition to this direct effect on cancer cells, Ad-REIC exerted another cytotoxicity on human cancers, an indirect host-mediated effect due to overproduction of IL-7 by mis-targeted normal cells. This "one-bullet two-arms" finding may lead to a powerful new therapeutic approach to the treatment of human cancers.


Crystallization and crystallographic investigations of ribonucleotide reductase protein R1 from Escherichia coli.
Crystals of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase protein R1 have been grown in complex with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the carboxyl end of protein R2. Good quality crystals could only be obtained after improvement of the purification protocol and are of the space group R32 with hexagonal cell axes a = b = 226 A and c = 341 A. They contain 3 subunits per asymmetric unit and diffract to 2.5 A resolution in synchrotron radiation. A multiple isomorphous replacement map at 5.5A, improved by solvent flattening, shows that the dimeric molecules are elongated, about 110 A long. The dimer is thin in the middle around the molecular two-fold axis. The subunit is shaped like a bowl, probably with the active site in its center.


Folding stabilities of ribosome-bound nascent polypeptides probed by mass spectrometry.
The folding of most proteins occurs during the course of their translation while their tRNA-bound C termini are embedded in the ribosome. How the close proximity of nascent proteins to the ribosome influences their folding thermodynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we have developed a mass spectrometry-based approach for determining the stabilities of nascent polypeptide chains using methionine oxidation as a folding probe. This approach enables quantitative measurement subglobal folding stabilities of ribosome nascent chains within complex protein mixtures and extracts. To validate the methodology, we analyzed the folding thermodynamics of three model proteins (dihydrofolate reductase, chemotaxis protein Y, and DNA polymerase IV) in soluble and ribosome-bound states. The data indicate that the ribosome can significantly alter the stability of nascent polypeptides. Ribosome-induced stability modulations were highly variable among different folding domains and were dependent on localized charge distributions within nascent polypeptides. The results implicated electrostatic interactions between the ribosome surface and nascent polypeptides as the cause of ribosome-induced stability modulations. The study establishes a robust proteomic methodology for analyzing localized stabilities within ribosome-bound nascent polypeptides and sheds light on how the ribosome influences the thermodynamics of protein folding.


Tissue Repair: How to Inflame Your Neighbours.
New work in Drosophila has identified a link between dying cells and compensatory proliferation of neighbouring survivor cells. Activation of initiator caspases in the dying cells stimulates the production of hydrogen peroxide, which orchestrates tissue repair via macrophages and TNF signalling.


Surgical Soft Tissue Management for Glenohumeral Deformity and Contractures in Brachial Plexus Birth Injury : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Consensus on the effects of soft tissue surgical intervention in the management of brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) sequalae is lacking. The purpose of this review is to examine the available literature on the functional and structural outcomes following soft tissue surgical management of BPBI sequalae. EMBASE, PubMed, and MEDLINE were searched for related literature from the point of database inception until April 2021. Relevant papers were screened by two reviewers independently and in duplicate. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. A total of 25 studies (852 patients) were included in the review, with the number included in each meta-analysis varying based on outcome of interest. There were significant improvements from pre- to post-operative time points for the following measures: Mallet aggregate scores (5.0 points, p<0.0001), active external rotation in adduction (48.9°, p=0.003), passive external rotation in adduction (64.6°, p< 0.00001), active abduction (46.2°, p<0.00001), glenoid version (14.4°, p< 0.00001), and percentage of the humeral head anterior to the scapular line (17.53°, p< 0.00001). Furthermore, data revealed an overall complication rate of 9.3% (79/852 patients) and a major complication rate of 0.47% (4/852 patients). Patients with BPBI sequela experience statistically significant improvements in functional, structural, and range of motion outcomes of the GH joint following soft tissue surgical management. Understanding the ideal indications for each procedure and age of surgical management with future prospective studies will help to optimize surgical management of these patients.


Toll-like receptor-mediated activation of B cells and macrophages by polysaccharide isolated from cell culture of Acanthopanax senticosus.
We investigated the mechanism of the immunomodulatory action of polysaccharide (ASP) isolated from a cell culture of Acanthopanax senticosus. ASP was found to directly increase the proliferation and differentiation of B cells, and the cytokine production of macrophage, but not the proliferation and cytokine production of T cells. Since ASP cannot penetrate the cell membrane due to its large molecular mass, such cellular activation may be caused by the surface binding of ASP to receptors expressed on B cells and macrophages. The possibility that TLRs, which are known to be involved in immune-related responses, may be the receptor(s) of ASP was investigated. The immunomodulating activities of ASP on the B cells and macrophages of C3H/HeJ mice, expressing a defective toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, were decreased versus the corresponding cells from C3H/HeN mice. In addition, the activities of ASP on B cells and macrophages were significantly reduced by treating the cells with antibodies to TLR4 and TLR2 prior to ASP, suggesting that both of them are the possible receptors of ASP. The ligation of TLRs induced by ASP was able to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as Erk1/2, p38 and JNK, and the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Although ASP was shown to activate the TLR signaling cascades in the same manner as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), these two could be differentiated by the finding that polymyxin B (PMB), a specific inhibitor of LPS, did not significantly affect the activities of ASP on B cells and macrophages. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ASP, isolated from a cell culture of A. senticosus, activates B cells and macrophages by interacting with TLRs and leading to the subsequent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-kappaB.


Effect of dorsal acetabular rim loss on stability of the zurich cementless total hip acetabular cup in dogs.
To evaluate magnitude and mode of acute load to failure of the Zurich Cementless acetabular cup prosthesis in cadaveric specimens with and without 50% dorsal acetabular rim loss. In vitro mechanical study. Cadaveric hemipelves of adult dogs (n = 8). Each pair of hemipelves was prepared by dissection of surrounding musculature and implantation of a Zurich Cementless acetabular cup prosthesis. One hemipelvis had the dorsal rim left intact (group 1) and the contralateral hemipelvis had 50% of the dorsal rim excised (group 2). Each hemipelvis underwent acute load to failure with an axial load applied through a prosthetic femoral head. Load at failure was compared between hemipelves with and without dorsal rim loss with a paired t-test; P < .05 was considered significant. Mean failure load was not significantly different between group 1 (3,713 ± 362 N) and group 2 (3,640 ± 751 N; P = .8). Bone fracture (n = 6), ventroversion of the cup (1), and absolute failure unreached at 6,000 N (1) occurred in group 1 and bone fracture (6), ventroversion of cup (1), and cup loosening (1) occurred in group 2. Zurich Cementless acetabular cup stability does not appear to be compromised by 50% acetabular rim loss at normal physiologic weight bearing loads. Thus, for this system, modifying procedures such as augmentation of the dorsal acetabular rim or deeper reaming for acetabular bed preparation may not be necessary with up to 50% dorsal rim loss with the Zurich Cementless acetabular cup.


A systematic, multimodality approach to emergency elbow imaging.
The elbow is a complex synovial hinge joint that is frequently involved in both athletic and nonathletic injuries. A thorough understanding of the normal anatomy and various injury patterns is essential when utilizing diagnostic imaging to identify damaged structures and to assist in surgical planning. In this review, the elbow anatomy will be scrutinized in a systematic approach. This will be followed by a comprehensive presentation of elbow injuries that are commonly seen in the emergency department accompanied by multimodality imaging findings. A short discussion regarding pitfalls in elbow imaging is also included.


Effect of intravenous nutrition on nutrition and function in acute attacks of inflammatory bowel disease.
The effect of IV nutrition on protein nutriture and physiological function in 19 patients who were clinically malnourished and had acute exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease was studied. Total body protein, plasma proteins, respiratory muscle function, and skeletal muscle function were measured at the commencement of a 14-day course of IV nutrition and 7 and 14 days later. Final measurements were made after recovery approximately 200 days later. Compared with a group of matched controls, the patients had lost approximately 35% of their body protein stores with accompanying physiological impairments of 20%-40%. After 4 days of IV nutrition, there were improvements in all the physiological measurements (approximately 12%) but no significant change in total body protein. During convalescence, there were further improvements in physiological function, which were accompanied by an increase in body stores of protein. We conclude that there is an early and rapid improvement in physiological function with IV nutrition in patients hospitalised for exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease even though this is not accompanied by significant protein gain. Later during anabolic recovery, physiological improvements occur in association with repletion of total body protein. Short courses of IV nutrition in these patients prevent protein loss and result in significant improvements in skeletal muscle function and respiratory muscle function.


The use of handheld spectral domain optical coherence tomography in pediatric ophthalmology practice: Our experience of 975 infants and children.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an important imaging tool assessing retinal architecture. In this article, we report a single centers experience of using handheld spectral domain (SD)-OCT in a pediatric population using the Envisu 2300 (Bioptigen Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA). We studied SD-OCT images from 975 patients imaged from January 2011 to December 2014. The variety of cases that underwent an SD-OCT was analyzed. Cases examples from different case scenarios were selected to showcase unique examples of many diseases. Three hundred and sixty-eight infants (37.7%) were imaged for retinopathy of prematurity, 362 children (37.1%) underwent the test for evaluation of suboptimal vision or an unexplained vision loss, 126 children (12.9%) for evaluation of nystagmus or night blindness, 54 children (5.5%) for an intraocular tumor or a mass lesion such as retinoblastoma, and 65 children (6.7%) for other diseases of the pediatric retina. The unique findings in the retinal morphology seen with some of these diseases are discussed. The handheld SD-OCT is useful in the evaluation of the pediatric retinal diseases. The test is useful in the assessment of vision development in premature children, evaluation of unexplained vision loss and amblyopia, nystagmus and night blindness, and intraocular tumors (including retinoblastoma).


Long-term effects of boxing and judo-choking techniques on brain function.
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured by 133-xenon inhalation in 24 amateur and 20 professional boxers, and in 10 judoka. Results were compared with those from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Eighteen boxers (9 amateurs and 9 professionals) and all judoka also underwent electroencephalography (EEG). Mean rCBF values did not differ between either amateur boxers orjudoka and controls, whereas in professional boxers rCBF was significantly (p<.001) reduced in the whole brain, especially in the frontocentral regions. Healthy subjects, judoka, and amateur boxers showed a similar distribution of global CBF (gCBF, the mean of 32 probes) values, although 12.5% of amateurs had a significantly lower gCBF than controls. Among professional boxers, 25% showed a significantly low gCBF value; in the remaining 75%, gCBF was below the mean value of controls but did not reach statistical significance. Regional hypoperfusion, mainly in the frontocentral regions of both sides, was found in 35% of professional and in 29% of amateur boxers. A correlation between gCBF values and number of official matches was not found in boxers. EEG was normal in all judoka and amateur boxers, but it was abnormal in 3 professionals. This study shows the relevance of the neurophysiological assessment of athletes engaged in violent sports which can cause brain impairment. In fact, while professional boxers may show brain functional impairment in comparison to normal subjects, judoka do not. The lack of correlation between CBF values in boxers and the number of official matches points to the difficulty of taking into account variables, such as the number and the severity of matches during training.


Stimulation of cell growth and proliferation in NIH-3T3 cells by onion and garlic oils.
Onion and garlic oil were seen to shorten the cell-doubling time and stimulate the growth and proliferation of NIH-3T3 cells. Following treatment with either onion or garlic oil, an increase in the growth rate and almost a 2-fold increase in cell number over the control was observed within a 24-hour period. Phorbol myristate acetate when given simultaneously with either oil appeared to nullify both effects. Following exposure to low doses (less than 10 micrograms/ml) of either oil, an increase in cell survival, not seen with the oil control tricaprylin, was observed following a 5-day exposure period. At higher concentrations cell survival decreased proportionately in all cases. The appearance of multinucleated cells, which increased with dose and time, was also observed following treatment with both garlic and onion oil.


Autocrine regulation of growth by insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II mediated by type I IGF-receptor in Wilms tumor cells.
Wilms tumor is a common embryonic tumor in childhood. Two Wilms tumor-suppressor genes, WT1 and WT2, are located on chromosome 11p, WT2 at 11p15.5 close to the IGF-II gene, which is highly expressed in some Wilms tumors. We established Wilms tumor cell lines to investigate the regulation of tumor cell growth by IGF-II. We demonstrated that Wilms tumor cells produce more IGF-II than normal kidney cells. Both types I and II IGF receptors reside on these cells. In serum-free culture medium, tumor cell growth is reversibly inhibited by suramin via interfering with IGF-II binding. Wilms tumor cell growth is also arrested by IGF binding protein-3, capturing the continuously produced IGF-II, and by alpha IR-3, a type I IGF receptor-blocking antibody. Thus, we demonstrated the whole loop of elevated synthesis, secretion, receptor binding, and autocrine growth stimulation of IGF-II through type I IGF receptor in Wilms tumor cell cultures. We concluded that IGF-II plays a crucial role in the regulation of growth of this embryonic tumor. Overproduction of IGF-II by the tumor cell is the limiting step for Wilms tumor growth, supporting its important role as an embryonic growth factor.


Carbon and nitrogen partitioning in the biennial monocarp Arctium tomentosum Mill.
Growth and nitrogen partitioning were investigated in the biennial monocarp Arctium tomentosum in the field, in plants growing at natural light conditions, in plants in which approximately half the leaf area was removed and in plants growing under 20% of incident irradiation. Growth quantities were derived from splined cubic polynomial exponential functions fitted to dry matter, leaf area and nitrogen data.Main emphasis was made to understanding of the significance of carbohydrate and nitrogen storage of a large tuber during a 2-years' life cycle, especially the effect of storage on biomass and seed yield in the second season. Biomass partitioning favours growth of leaves in the first year rosette stage. Roots store carbohydrates at a constant rate and increase storage of carbohydrates and nitrogen when the leaves decay at the end of the first season. In the second season the reallocation of carbohydrates from storage is relatively small, but reallocation of nitrogen is very large. Carbohydrate storage just primes the growth of the first leaves in the early growing season, nitrogen storage contributes 20% to the total nitrogen requirement during the 2nd season. The efficiency of carbohydrate storage for conversion into new biomass is about 40%. Nitrogen is reallocated 3 times in the second year, namely from the tuber to rosette leaves and further to flower stem leaves and eventually into seeds. The harvest index for nitrogen is 0.73, whereas for biomass it is only 0.19.


Metastasis: crosstalk between tissue mechanics and tumour cell plasticity.
Despite the fact that different genetic programmes drive metastasis of solid tumours, the ultimate outcome is the same: tumour cells are empowered to pass a series of physical hurdles to escape the primary tumour and disseminate to other organs. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proposed to drive the detachment of individual cells from primary tumour masses and facilitate the subsequent establishment of metastases in distant organs. However, this concept has been challenged by observations from pathologists and from studies in animal models, in which partial and transient acquisition of mesenchymal traits is seen but tumour cells travel collectively rather than as individuals. In this review, we discuss how crosstalk between a hybrid E/M state and variations in the mechanical aspects of the tumour microenvironment can provide tumour cells with the plasticity required for strategies to navigate surrounding tissues en route to dissemination. Targeting such plasticity provides therapeutic opportunities to combat metastasis.


On Extremal Graphs of Degree Distance Index by Using Edge-Grafting Transformations Method.
Topological indices have numerous implementations in chemistry, biology and a lot of other areas. It is a real number associated with a graph, which provides information about its physical and chemical properties and their correlations. For a connected graph H, the degree distance DD index is defined as DD(H) = Σ{h1,h2}⊆V(H) [degH(h1)+degH (h2)]dh (h1,h2), where degH (h1)is the degree of vertex h1 and dH (h1,h2) is the distance between h1 and h2 in the graph H. In this article, we characterize some extremal trees with respect to degree distance index which has a lot of applications in theoretical and computational chemistry. A novel method of edge-grafting transformations is used. We discuss the behavior of DD index under four edge-grafting transformations Results: With the help of those transformations, we derive some extremal trees under certain parameters, including pendant vertices, diameter, matching and domination numbers. Some extremal trees for this graph invariant are also characterized Conclusion: It is shown that balanced spider approaches to the smallest DD index among trees having given fixed leaves. The tree Cn,d has the smallest DD index, among all trees of diameter d. It is also proved that the matching number and domination numbers are equal for trees having a minimum DD index.


Bio-physicochemical effects of gamma irradiation treatment for naphthenic acids in oil sands fluid fine tailings.
Naphthenic acids (NAs) are persistent compounds that are components of most petroleum, including those found in the Athabasca oil sands. Their presence in freshly processed tailings is of significant environmental concern due to their toxicity to aquatic organisms. Gamma irradiation (GI) was used to reduce the toxicity and concentration of NAs in oil sands process water (OSPW) and fluid fine tailings (FFT). This investigation systematically studied the impact of GI on the biogeochemical development and progressive reduction of toxicity using laboratory incubations of fresh and aged tailings under anoxic and oxic conditions. GI reduced NA concentrations in OSPW by up to 97% in OSPW and in FFT by 85%. The GI-treated FFT exhibited increased rates of biogeochemical change, dependent on the age of the tailings source. Dissolved oxygen (DO) flux was enhanced in GI-treated FFT from fresh and aged source materials, whereas hydrogen sulfide (HS(-)) flux was stimulated only in the fresh FFT. Acute toxicity to Vibrio fischeri was immediately reduced following GI treatment of fresh OSPW. GI treatment followed by 4-week incubation reduced toxicity of aged OSPW to V. fischeri.


Idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis in a 3-year-old girl: a case report and review of the literature.
Idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis is a rare condition that affects children and adolescents. It can be the cause of recurrent abdominal pain and obstructive jaundice. There are 46 cases reported in the literature, including the first case reported by Comfort et al (Comfort MW, Gambill EE, Baggenstoss AH. Chronic Relapsing Pancreatitis. Gastroenterology 1946;6:239-285) in 1946. We report the case of a 3-year-old girl who presented with abdominal pain and obstructive jaundice. We performed a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography study as part of the workup of obstructive jaundice. We will review the literature on pediatric idiopathic fibrosing pancreatitis and highlight the use of endoscopic retrograde choledocho-pancreatography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in the investigation of this disease.


Nurses' experiences of Organisational learning: A qualitative descriptive study.
To explore the validity of and expand upon a model of organisational learning in hospitals. Organisational learning is a positive change in an organisation's collective knowledge, cognition and/or action, leading to improved hospital performance. A current model offers an evidence-based, theoretical representation of organisational learning in hospitals, yet the intricacies of organisational learning in clinical practice are not fully understood. Additional guidance is needed to effectively foster and study organisational learning. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather 15 first-hand experiences of organisational learning from 14 nurses. Data were analysed via deductive thematic analysis. Organisational learning was more effective when aligned closely with the model and less effective when alignment was poor. The nurses' experiences illustrate relationships among elements of the model and underscore the importance of leadership and psychological safety in organisational learning. This study helps validate the model and offers new insights into organisational learning. Additional research is needed to explore the role of leadership and psychological safety in organisational learning. Nurse managers can use the Organisational Learning in Hospitals model to evaluate organisational learning. Nurse managers have the opportunity to develop effective leadership practices designed to cultivate psychological safety within their teams.


Noninvasive prenatal paternity testing by means of SNP-based targeted sequencing.
To develop a method for noninvasive prenatal paternity testing based on targeted sequencing of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs were selected based on population genetics data. Target-SNPs in cell-free DNA extracted from maternal blood (maternal cfDNA) were analyzed by targeted sequencing wherein target enrichment was based on multiplex amplification using QIAseq Targeted DNA Panels with Unique Molecular Identifiers. Fetal SNP genotypes were called using a novel bioinformatics algorithm, and the combined paternity indices (CPIs) and resultant paternity probabilities were calculated. Fetal SNP genotypes obtained from targeted sequencing of maternal cfDNA were 100% concordant with those from amniotic fluid-derived fetal genomic DNA. From an initial panel of 356 target-SNPs, an average of 148 were included in paternity calculations in 15 family trio cases, generating paternity probabilities of greater than 99.9999%. All paternity results were confirmed by short-tandem-repeat analysis. The high specificity of the methodology was validated by successful paternity discrimination between biological fathers and their siblings and by large separations between the CPIs calculated for the biological fathers and those for 60 unrelated men. The novel method is highly effective, with substantial improvements over similar approaches in terms of reduced number of target-SNPs, increased accuracy, and reduced costs.


Assembly of linear functional expression elements with DNA fragments digested with asymmetric restriction endonucleases.
A three-step method is described to assemble linear functional expression elements for rapid gene expression. In step one, a eukaryotic promoter, an open reading frame and a transcription terminator are PCR-amplified individually with primers containing recognition sites of asymmetric restriction endonucleases. In step two, the three DNA fragments, digested with corresponding restriction endonucleases, are directionally joined by T4 DNA ligase to assemble linear functional expression elements. In step three, the resultant linear functional expression elements are amplified with element-specific primers by a second round PCR, followed by transfection into Chinese hamster ovary cells for gene expression.


Optimization of Pr3+, Tb3+, and Sm3+ co-doped (Y0.65Gd0.35)BO3:Eu0.05(3+) VUV phosphors through combinatorial approach.
A combinatorial approach was used to systematically investigate the effect of trace Pr(3+), Tb(3+), or Sm(3+) on the VUV photoluminescence of Eu(3+) in the Pr(3+), Tb(3+), or Sm(3+) co-doped (Y(0.65)Gd(0.35))BO(3):E(3+)(0.05). We found that Pr(3+) and Tb(3+)increases the VUV photoluminescent efficiency, while Sm(3+) decreases the efficiency. The optimized composition was identified to be between 7 x 10(-6) and 3 x 10(-4), and the corresponding efficiency improvement is about 15%. Scale-up experiments confirmed the results in the combinatorial materials libraries.


The stress-induced hsp12 gene shows genetic variation among Helicobacter pylori strains.
The transcriptional regulation, genetic variation and clinical relevance of the strain-specific hsp12 gene of the human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori were investigated. Although the transcription of the hsp12 gene in H. pylori strain 1061 was induced by growth under iron-, pH- and temperature-stress conditions, the gene was not essential for growth under these stress conditions. The locus containing the hsp12 gene showed considerable genetic variation. A total of eight different strain-specific alleles were identified, of which three are mosaic variants of the hsp12 gene and five that are unrelated to the hsp12 gene. The hsp12 locus of six paired sets of strains obtained from patients with 7-10-year time intervals remained unaltered, indicating that genetic variation does not occur during chronic infection. No significant association was found between the presence of a hsp12 gene and peptic ulcer disease in clinical isolates obtained from 26 patients. The stress-regulated, strain-specific hsp12 genes may be involved in adaptation of individual H. pylori strains to their specific hosts, and contribute to long-term colonization of the gastric niche.


Entering Kindergarten After Years of Play: A Cross-Case Analysis of School Readiness Following Play-Based Education.
Cross-case study research was used to explore the school readiness of four 5-year-old children entering kindergarten during the 2020-2021 school year after three or more years of play-based early childhood education at a Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood education center. Data included a series of three 1-h individual interviews with four mothers and three kindergarten teachers, field visits during remote learning, and artifact collection over the course of the school year. Themes describing the children's school readiness were developed through cross-case analysis. Participants described the children as learners, explorers, communicators, and empathizers. The learner theme centers on the children's responsiveness to instruction; the explorer theme describes how the children approached learning; the communicator theme illustrates the children's prowess with social connection and self-advocacy, and the empathizer theme shows the thoughtfulness and emotional sensitivity these children displayed. Findings suggest that play-based learning prepared these children for successful kindergarten experiences and was a viable early childhood education pedagogy fostering school readiness.


Health consumption as work: the home pregnancy test as a domesticated health tool.
A growing array of biomedical goods and services has become central to the North American experience of navigating illness and pursuing good health. Yet despite the utility of consumption as an analytical framework within the social sciences, the selection, purchase, and use of biomedical goods and services has been understudied. By using the home pregnancy test as a case study, we suggest new approaches to thinking about the consumption of these goods and services. We chose the home pregnancy test because it is the best-known example of a mass-produced diagnostic tool used by consumers. We draw on two sources of data for this qualitative analysis: a set of stories submitted between 2003 and 2005 by women and men to an online exhibit mounted by the National Institutes of Health called "A Thin Blue Line: The History of the Pregnancy Test Kit," which we analysed between 2006 and 2007; and web sampling conducted in 2009 and 2010 of personal web and video logs of women and men who have posted stories and opinions about their experiences with contemporary home pregnancy testing products. We adapt the term "domestication" from Science and Technology Studies scholarship to describe the movement of diagnostic devices into homes for use by consumers. Specifically, we propose that the consumption of domesticated biomedical devices, goods, and services should be theorized as work performed by consumers, in two senses: as a form of tool use that allows non-experts to produce diagnostic knowledge about their own bodies and health; and as the ongoing biopolitical work that is expected of citizens to produce healthy bodies. Our paper draws attention to these understudied phenomena, while suggesting new approaches to theorizing the social and cultural elements of goods and services for health.


Control-related frontal-striatal function is associated with past suicidal ideation and behavior in patients with recent-onset psychotic major mood disorders.
Suicide is highly-prevalent in major mood disorders, yet it remains unclear how suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior relate to brain functions, especially those that support control processes. We evaluated how prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during goal-representation (an important component of cognitive control) relates to past suicidal ideation and behavior in patients with psychotic major mood disorders. 30 patients with recent-onset of either DSM-IV-TR-defined bipolar disorder type I (n=21) or major depressive disorder (n=9) with psychotic features, but neither in a major mood episode nor acutely psychotic at study, were evaluated for past suicidal ideation and behavior (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale) and functional MRI during cognitive control task performance. Group-level regression models of brain activation accounted for current depression, psychosis and trait impulsivity. Intensity of past suicidal ideation was associated with higher control-related activation in right-hemisphere regions including the ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex, rostral insula, and dorsal striatum. Among those with past suicidal ideation (n=16), past suicidal behavior (n=8) was associated with higher control-related activation in right-hemisphere regions including VLPFC, rostrolateral PFC, and frontal operculum/rostral insula; and relatively lower activity in midline parietal regions, including cuneus and precuneus. The sample size of subjects with past suicidal behavior was modest, and all subjects were taking psychotropic medication. This study provides unique evidence that in early-course psychotic major mood disorders, suicidal ideation and behavior histories directly relate to PFC-based circuit function in support of cognitive control.


Adenosine and its receptors as therapeutic targets: An overview.
The main goal of the authors is to present an overview of adenosine and its receptors, which are G-protein coupled receptors. The four known adenosine receptor subtypes are discussed along with the therapeutic potential indicating that these receptors can serve as targets for various dreadful diseases.


Spectrum of male breast lesions diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology: a 5-year experience at a tertiary care rural hospital in central India.
This study examines the spectrum of lesions in the male breast at a tertiary care rural hospital in central India and explores the role of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of these lesions. Male breast lesions formed 5.89% (119 cases) of the 2017 breast lesions which were sent for FNA in the cytology section over a period of 5 years (January 2005-December 2009). Of these, biopsy had been performed only on 37 (31.1%) patients. Benign lesions comprised 102 (85.7%) cases, malignant lesions comprised 14 (11.8%) cases and inflammation/abscess was found in 3 (2.5%) cases. Gynecomastia was the commonest benign lesion in 86 (84.3%) cases. The cytologic features of gynecomastia included mild to moderate cellularity, cohesive sheets of bland cells, bipolar bare nuclei. Mild nuclear atypia was found in 19 cases. The cytologic features of malignancy comprised of dyshesive groups of ductular cells with moderate to severe degree of nuclear atypia and absence of bare nuclei. Histology was done in 37 cases and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC for gynecomastia was 100% and for malignancy 85.7%. This study showed that FNAC is a reliable tool for diagnosing male breast lesions. We conclude that FNAC should be performed as a standard procedure in the clinical evaluation of male breast masses. Many unnecessary surgical biopsies for histopathologic diagnosis can thus be avoided.


Long-term follow-up of children with chronic idiopathic constipation.
To determine the outcome of chronic idiopathic constipation, we followed 62 children with chronic idiopathic constipation (mean age: 5.2 +/- 2.8 years) for a period of five years. Each child received the same initial treatment over a 12-week period and was then followed every three months. After five years from diagnosis, chronic idiopathic constipation persisted in 52% of the children; 47% who remained symptomatic were > 10 years old at the time of the five-year evaluation. Of the 27 who were constipated in the first year of life, 63% remained constipated after five years. Children who recovered within the five-year interval were significantly different from those that remained symptomatic in age of onset of constipation (P < 0.05) and family history of constipation (P < 0.05). After five years, both severity of abdominal pain and degree of soiling significantly decreased in both the recovered and unrecovered groups (P < 0.05). This study suggests that chronic idiopathic constipation persists for > or = 5 years in at least half of children. Early age of onset and family history of constipation are predictive of persistence. Abdominal pain and soiling improve in long-term follow-up irrespective of constipation outcome.


The use of Transwells™ improves the rates of differentiation and growth of cultured 3T3L1 cells.
The use of Transwells™ for routine cultures of 3T3L1 cells results in a much improved rate of differentiation of fibroblasts to adipocytes (100% in 9 of 10 tests) compared with bottom-well layer cultures. Mean size of cells was not different, but the cell number and overall cell mass was 3× larger in transwell in spite of a smaller surface area. The difference between both models was the accessibility in transwells of both sides of the cells to the medium (and oxygen). Cells were counted, and their size estimated using a handheld cell counter, Scepter™, designed for blood cells, but adjusted to the larger size of adipocytes. Finally, the effect of nitric oxide was tested using spermineNONOate, a nitric oxide (NO·) donor. The product was released to cultures at a constant 1 μl/h rate for up to 3 days using osmotic Alzet™ minipumps held in wells with water and discharging their contents to the cultured cell-laden wells through a short capillary tube. A rate of 0.3 pmol/min/ml of medium did not affect the cells' size, but 0.4 pmol/min/ml significantly increased cell mass. The methodological improvements presented here allow for more uniform cultured cell yields and a more flexible environment for control of cell size and administration of signaling agents.


A cross-sectional description of the health characteristics of cognitively impaired older adults.
The analysis presented here describes the care needs of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. To describe the health characteristics of older adults with and without cognitive impairment who receive home care or Aged Residential Care services in New Zealand. A descriptive analysis of the initial interRAI assessment for adults older than 55 years was undertaken. Data were grouped by level of assessed cognitive impairment. The population proportions for each level of the following scales were calculated: Changes in Health, End-stage Disease, Signs, and Symptoms Scale (CHESS), pain, pressure injury risk, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), depression screening, and body mass index (BMI). The analysis included 93,680 assessments. The mean age was 83 years (SD = 8.7) a positive association was observed between age and cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). People with cognitive impairment were less likely to have been recently hospitalised or to have attended ED (p < 0.01). Significant associations with effect sizes ≥3 were observed for cognitive impairment and ADL (p < 0.01, γ = 0.63), pain (p < 0.01, γ = -0.32), and risk of pressure injury (p < 0.01, Cramer's V = 0.271). The results reinforce a need to be alert to the differential care needs of older adults with moderate/severe cognitive impairment. The findings may act as a trigger for practitioners to focus assessment on aspects of care that, due to context, may otherwise be underassessed or untreated.


Obstructive sleep apnoea presenting as failure to thrive in infancy.
To study the postoperative outcome of infants under the age of 18 months in whom an adenotonsillectomy had been performed, with particular emphasis on the pre- and postoperative weight gain and linear growth velocities, and the resolution of symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). A retrospective study of all infants in whom an adenotonsillectomy had been performed during the 5 year period to January 1990. Details of pre- and postoperative outcome variables were obtained by review of hospital and office records and by telephone calls to the parents. Complete data were available for 29 (76%) of the 38 infants in whom an adenotonsillectomy had been performed. The data from these infants are reported. Pre-operatively, all infants had clinical symptoms of OSA, and 52% of infants also presented with failure to thrive (FTT). Seven infants were dysmorphic: three had Down syndrome, three had a craniofacial anomaly and one infant had Mobius syndrome. Following adenotonsillectomy, 23 infants (79%) had complete resolution of their OSA symptoms. Two infants with Down syndrome required a tracheostomy to relieve persistent upper airway obstruction. Eighty-seven per cent of the infants with pre-operative FTT had a significant increase in weight gain velocity postoperatively (mean 195.1 +/- 80.8 s.d. vs 509.8 +/- 249.1 g/month; P < 0.001), including the infants with mild persistent symptoms of OSA. The weight gain velocity of infants who were not failing to thrive pre-operatively did not change significantly following adenotonsillectomy (328.1 +/- 106.9 vs 333.2 +/- 146.4 g/month; P = 0.82). The linear growth velocity of all infants did not change significantly postoperatively. OSA should be considered in infants with FTT, as adenotonsillectomy is an effective treatment for OSA in infancy, and the weight gain velocity of these infants may increase significantly postoperatively. Overnight oximetry or other physiological studies may be required if the clinical signs and symptoms of OSA are equivocal.


Digital maxillomandibular relationship and mandibular motion recording by using an optical jaw tracking system to acquire a dynamic virtual patient.
A technique for digitally recording the maxillomandibular relationship, including the maximum intercuspation and centric occlusion and the patient's mandibular motion, by using an optical jaw tracking system is described. Advantages of this technique include the digital registration of the maxillomandibular relationship and mandibular motion. This technique incorporates the mandibular motion into the 3-dimensional (3D) virtual patient representation to integrate the 3D dynamic virtual patient visualization.


Alpha-gal syndrome: A review for the dermatologist.
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to "red meat" and other mammalian products due to immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against the sugar moiety galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), which is acquired following tick bites. Clinically, AGS presents with urticaria, abdominal pain, nausea, and occasionally anaphylaxis, and has wide inter- and intra-personal variability. Because symptom onset is generally delayed by 2 to 6 hours after meat consumption, AGS can be easily confused with other causes of urticaria and anaphylaxis, such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical history, positive alpha-gal IgE blood testing and improvement on a mammalian-restricted diet. Management of the syndrome centers primarily on avoidance of mammalian meats (and occasionally dairy and other products) as well as acute management of allergic symptoms. Counseling about tick avoidance measures is also important as AGS will wane over time in many patients.


Cardiovascular responses, hemodynamics and oxygen transport to tissue during moderate isovolemic hemodilution in pigs.
In conclusion, in contrast to many reports obtained from dogs, in pigs the rise in CO during moderate isovolemic hemodilution is, besides the increased venous return, more induced by increased work performance of the heart and less by a decreased SVR. The rise in CO did not compensate for the decrease in oxygen transport capacity. Our results confirm most of the reported findings in humans at the same stage of hemodilution. Besides changes in hemodynamics, in our study a gradual decreased oxygen affinity of hemoglobin could be observed. That the pig animal model for studying hemodilution and oxygen transport to the tissue is more appropriate than the dog model is open to discussion.


Doctors dispensing medications: contemporary India and 19th century England.
In developing countries the widespread use of medications in ways that are unsafe and inappropriate is a threat to health and a waste of scarce resources. It is possible that doctors contribute to the problem when, as in rural India, the doctor earns a living by selling medications rather than by charging a consultation fee and writing a prescription; the incentive is to medicate irrespective of the diagnosis. In this article, doctor-patient roles and paying for the doctor's services in a South Indian town are described. Similarities between the town and 19th century England in regard to doctor-patient roles are noted and analyzed.


Sleep deprivation lowers reactive aggression and testosterone in men.
The role of sleep deprivation in aggressive behavior has not been systematically investigated, despite a great deal of evidence to suggest a relationship. We investigated the impact of 33 h of sleep loss on endocrine function and reactive aggression using the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) task. PSAP performance was assessed in 24 young men and 25 women who were randomly assigned to a sleep deprivation or control condition. Sleep deprivation lowered reactive aggression and testosterone (but not cortisol) in men, and disrupted the positive relationship between a pre-post PSAP increase in testosterone and aggression that was evident in rested control men. While women increased aggression following provocation as expected, no influence of sleep deprivation was found. This is the first experimental study to demonstrate that sleep deprivation lowers reactive aggression in men. Testosterone, but not cortisol, played a role in the relationship between sleep and reactive aggression in men.


A Hybrid Algorithm for Prediction of Varying Heart Rate Motion in Computer-Assisted Beating Heart Surgery.
An essential requirement for performing robotic assisted surgery on a freely beating heart is a prediction algorithm which can estimate the future trajectory of the heart in the varying heart rate (HR) conditions of real surgery with a high accuracy. In this study, a hybrid amplitude modulation- (AM) and autoregressive- (AR) based algorithm was developed to enable estimating the global and local oscillations of the beating heart, raised from its major and minor physiological activities. The AM model was equipped with an estimator of the heartbeat frequency to compensate for the HR variations. The RMS of the prediction errors of the hybrid algorithm was in the range of 165-361 μm for the varying HR motion, 21% less than that of the single AM model. With the capability of providing highly accurate predictions in a wide range of HR variation, the hybrid model is promising for practical use in robotic assisted beating heart surgery.


Application of analytical electron microscopic methods to investigate the function of spherites in the midgut of the larval antlion Euroleon nostras (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae).
This study presents an application of analytical electron microscopy in biology to investigate the chemical composition of the spherites and to elucidate the importance of these methods in the life sciences. The structure of the spherites in the midgut cells of first, second, and third instar larvae Euroleon nostras was investigated by a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), and energy filtering TEM (EFTEM). The structure and chemical composition of the spherites changed during the metamorphosis. In first larvae, the spherites are composed of amorphous, flocculent material, containing C, N, and O. In second larvae and third ones, the spherites have concentric layers of alternating electron-dense and electron-lucent material. In second larvae, Si, P, Ca, and Fe are accumulated in the spherite organic matrix, composed of C, N, and O. In the spherites of third larvae, additionally Al was found. Therefore, the spherites are thought to store organic compounds in all three larval stages of E. nostras and additionally inorganic compounds in second and third ones. In first larvae, spherites are present in the midgut cells; in second and third larvae, they are present in the cells of the midgut and in its lumen. It could be suggested that the spherites might be involved in the regulation of the appropriate mineral composition of the internal environment and could serve as the accumulation site of nontoxic waste materials that cannot be metabolized.


Impact of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on FIGO Stage I Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is an uncommon subtype of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) that is often diagnosed at an earlier stage in younger women. It remains uncertain whether adjuvant chemotherapy improves the prognosis of patients with stage I OCCC. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in patients with stage I OCCC. Eligible studies were screened from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to October 10, 2021. Studies that compared the oncological outcomes of adjuvant chemotherapy with observation were included. Six studies comprising a total of 4553 patients were enrolled in our study, of whom 3320 (72.9%) patients had undergone adjuvant chemotherapy and 1233 (27.1%) had not. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) of stage I OCCC were 82.7% and 86.3%, respectively. In the overall population, adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve the 5-year DFS (83.2% vs 83.7%, OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.21-2.82, P=0.69) or 5-year OS (87.3% vs 83.6%, OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.86-1.98, P=0.22). Further subgroup analysis on stage IA/IB suggested that adjuvant chemotherapy did not impact 5-year DFS (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.01-5.29, P=0.34) or 5-year OS (OR 1.52, 95% CI 0.78-2.98, P=0.22). For stage IC including 1798 patients, adjuvant chemotherapy revealed a significant survival benefit for 5-year OS (84.5% vs 83.3%, OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.94, P=0.01). Furthermore, the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy was found to be associated with a better 5-year OS (OR 4.98, 95% CI 1.12-22.22, P=0.04) in stage IC2/3. But no inferences regarding the effect of AC on stage IC2/3 can be made due to the limited size of the non-AC arm. This study indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve the prognosis of stage IA and IB OCCC patients. However, for patients with stage IC, due to the retrospective, heterogenous and older data with limited sample size, the pooled results of our study should be interpreted with caution. More prospective studies on the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage I OCCC are warranted. PROSPERO, CRD42021287749.


Penetration of cefamandole into spinal fluid.
Twelve patients, aged 6 months to 62 years, with proven bacterial meningitis, were given a single intravenous dose of cefamandole (33 mg/kg) 75 to 140 min before a routine lumbar puncture. Infecting organisms included Haemophilus influenzae (eight cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (two cases), and Neisseria meningitidis and beta-hemolytic streptococcus (one each). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was analyzed by microbiological assay for cefamandole. The median concentration was 0.60 mug/ml, ranging from undetectable to 7.4 mug/ml. CSF cefamandole concentrations correlated with CSF protein: in six patients with CSF protein less than 100 mug/dl, the range of drug concentration was 0 to 0.62 mug/ml; and in six patients with CSF protein above 100 mg/dl, the range was 0.57 to 7.4 mug/ml. No significant correlation was noted between severity of illness, type of organism involved, or patient age and concentration of drug achieved.


Whole-Genome Sequencing of 10 Pseudomonas syringae Strains Representing Different Host Range Spectra.
Pseudomonas syringae is a ubiquitous bacterium that readily persists in environmental habitats as a saprophyte and also is responsible for numerous diseases of crops. Here, we report the whole-genome sequences of 10 strains isolated from both woody and herbaceous plants that will contribute to the elucidation of the determinants of their host ranges.


A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of preoperative oral pregabalin for postoperative pain relief after minor gynecological surgery.
Although pregabalin shows efficacy against neuropathic pain, very limited evidence supports postoperative analgesic efficacy. Our study objective was to investigate analgesic efficacy in an ambulatory day surgical population experiencing acute visceral pain. The null hypothesis was that there was no significant difference in pain relief between pregabalin and placebo. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial was performed in 90 women having minor gynecological surgery involving the uterus. Patients received either oral pregabalin 100 mg (Group PG) or placebo (Group C) approximately 1 h before surgery. The primary outcome was pain score in the recovery unit and patients were followed for 24 h. There was no significant difference between groups for pain experienced in the recovery room (median, interquartile range 16, 0-36 vs 10, 6.5-36 for Groups PG and C, respectively, P = 0.80) or thereafter; nor for recovery room fentanyl requirement (42% Group PG versus 27% Group C, P = 0.12) or the quality of recovery at 24 h postoperatively (median, interquartile range score 17, 17-18 Group PG versus 18, 16.5-18 Group C, P = 0.75). The incidence of posthospital discharge light-headedness, visual disturbance, and difficulty with walking was significantly higher in the pregabalin group. A single preoperative dose of 100 mg pregabalin does not reduce acute pain or improve recovery after minor surgery involving only the uterus.


Disparities in Elective Spine Surgery for Medicaid Beneficiaries: A Systematic Review.
Systematic review. We sought to synthesize the literature investigating the disparities that Medicaid patients sustain with regards to 2 types of elective spine surgery, lumbar fusion (LF) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Our review was constructed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and protocol. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. We included studies comparing Medicaid beneficiaries to other payer categories with regards to rates of LF and ACDF, costs/reimbursement, and health outcomes. A total of 573 articles were assessed. Twenty-five articles were included in the analysis. We found that the literature is consistent with regards to Medicaid disparities. Medicaid was strongly associated with decreased access to LF and ACDF, lower reimbursement rates, and worse health outcomes (such as higher rates of readmission and emergency department utilization) compared to other insurance categories. In adult patients undergoing elective spine surgery, Medicaid insurance is associated with wide disparities with regards to access to care and health outcomes. Efforts should focus on identifying causes and interventions for such disparities in this vulnerable population.


In vitro cytotoxic activity of six Syzygium leaf extracts as related to their phenolic profiles: An untargeted UHPLC-QTOF-MS approach.
Untargeted metabolomics was used in this study to discriminate the phenolic fingerprints of six Syzygium species. This approach resulted in the annotation of 441 compounds that belong to different phenolic classes, such as flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes, tyrosols, alkylphenols, and phenolic acids. Multivariate data analysis unraveled the main differences between the studied species. S. paniculatum and S. aqueum were the richest sources in terms of phenolic compounds, cumulatively amounting to 355.3 and 266.4 mg/g dry matter, respectively. Nevertheless, S. jambos showed reduced amounts of phenolics, when compared with other species. The biological activity of Syzygium leaf extracts was assessed on MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Potent estrogenic activity was detected using the SRB assay on MCF-7. This activity may be ascribable to the presence of phenolic compounds miming phytoestrogens such as lignans, stilbenes, and isoflavonoids in the investigated Syzygium extracts. By examining the biological effect of Syzygium extracts against MDA-MB-231 cell lines, the Syzygium gratum leaf extract exhibited the strongest inhibition, with IC50 = 19.4 µg/mL, followed by S. paniculatum (IC50 = 50.9 µg/mL). However, the Syzygium gratum leaf extract showed a potent cytotoxic effect on normal human skin fibroblasts, HSF (IC50 = 1.24 µg/mL), assuming a nonselective cytotoxic effect. On the other hand, other studied Syzygium leaves proved as safe nutraceuticals (IC50 ≥ 100 µg/mL) on HSF cell lines. Our study suggested a possible implication of Syzygium malaccense and Syzygium aqueum leaves as potential estrogenic candidates in relation to their health-promoting phenolic constituents.


Rabbit placental clearing-factor lipase and transfer to the foetus of fatty acids derived from triglycerides injected into the mother.
1. Lipase activity was measured in rabbit placental tissue fragments in late pregnancy. The activity in incubated tissue was greater with heparin (69%), reduced by NaCl (90%), but not affected by acetone or ether. 2. Pregnant rabbits (28-days gestation) were given triglyceride emulsions intravenously and the change in profile of fatty acids in the maternal and umbilical artery and vein plasma free fatty acid (FFA) measured. 3. Those fatty acids predominant in the emulsion were higher in concentration in the umbilical vein FFA than in the maternal plasma FFA and the venous-arterial difference was altered such that the placental transfer of FFA was enriched in a pattern corresponding to the profile of the fatty acids in the emulsion. 4. It is concluded that (i) the rabbit placenta shows considerable lipase activity and the lipase has the same characteristics as clearing-factor (lipoprotein) lipase, (ii) triglyceride infused into the mother is taken up by the placenta and hydrolysed, and (iii) the fatty acids so released pass through the placenta and are taken up by the foetus.


Discovery of orally active pyrrolopyridine- and aminopyridine-based Met kinase inhibitors.
A series of acylurea analogs derived from pyrrolopyridine and aminopyridine scaffolds were identified as potent inhibitors of Met kinase activity. The SAR at various positions of the two kinase scaffolds was investigated. These studies led to the discovery of compounds 3b and 20b, which demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic properties in mice and significant antitumor activity in a human gastric carcinoma xenograft model.


Comparison of isotropic and orthotropic material property assignments on femoral finite element models under two loading conditions.
CT data has been widely used in the finite element modeling of bone. It can provide useful information on the geometrical topology and material properties of bone. Based on CT data, the assignment of bone material properties to finite element meshes is a fundamental step in the model generation. Most work done in this area has adopted isotropic assignment strategy due to its simplicity. However, bone material has been recognized as an orthotropic material. This work is aimed to investigate the effects of orthotropic material property assignment on femoral finite element model by comparing with isotropic material property assignment on the same model. There were 72 finite element models obtained from the frozen CT male dataset of visible human project. Based on the analysis results of the maximum equivalent Von Mises stress and the maximum nodal displacement, three parameters were defined to achieve this comparison. The results have shown that the differences between the two material property assignments are small under two loading conditions (double-leg standing and single-leg standing) investigated in this work.


Accumulation of nanocarriers in the ovary: a neglected toxicity risk?
Several nanocarrier systems are frequently used in modern pharmaceutical therapies. Within this study a potential toxicity risk of all nanoscaled drug delivery systems was found. An accumulation of several structurally different nanocarriers but not of soluble polymers was detected in rodent ovaries after intravenous (i.v.) administration. Studies in different mouse species and Wistar rats were conducted and a high local accumulation of nanoparticles, nanocapsules and nanoemulsions in specific locations of the ovaries was found in all animals. We characterised the enrichment by in vivo and ex vivo multispectral fluorescence imaging and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The findings of this study emphasise the role of early and comprehensive in vivo studies in pharmaceutical research. Nanocarrier accumulation in the ovaries may also comprise an important toxicity issue in humans but the results might as well open a new field of targeted ovarian therapies.


[Factors associated with the incidence and mortality from COVID-19 in the autonomous communities of Spain].
Analyze the evolution of the epidemic of COVID-19 after the alarm state and identify factors associated with the differences between the autonomous communities. Ecological study that used epidemiological, demographic, environmental and variables on the structure of health services as explanatory variables. The analysis period was from March 15th (the start of the alarm state) until April 22nd, 2020. Incidence and mortality rates were the main response variables. The magnitude of the associations has been estimated using the Spearman correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Incidence and mortality rates at the time of decree of alarm status are associated with current incidence, mortality and hospital demand rates. Higher mean temperatures are significantly associated with a lower current incidence of COVID-19 in the autonomous communities. Likewise, a higher proportion of older people in nursing homes is significantly associated with a higher current mortality in the autonomous communities. It is possible to predict the evolution of the epidemic through the analysis of incidence and mortality. Lower temperatures and the proportion of older people in residences are factors associated with a worse prognosis. These parameters must be considered in decisions about the timing and intensity of the implementation of containment measures. In this sense, strengthening epidemiological surveillance is essential to improve predictions.


Chromatin structure, transcription, and methylation of the prolactin gene domain in pituitary tumors of Fischer 344 rats.
In order to study prolactin gene transcription and chromatin structure in a relatively homogeneous population of prolactin-producing cells, we induced lactotroph proliferation (pituitary tumor formation) in Fischer 344 rats by chronic diethylstibestrol treatment. We show that the prolactin gene is highly sensitive to digestion by DNase I in the chromatin of these pituitary tumors but not in liver. Furthermore, sequences immediately flanking the prolactin gene exhibit a similar high DNase I sensitivity. This contrasts with previous reports that the coding region of some genes is highly sensitive to DNase I digestion and that adjacent noncoding regions exhibit an intermediate sensitivity. This high level of DNase I sensitivity in the flanking regions was not due to transcription; we did not detect RNA transcripts homologous to any unique DNA sequence within 12 kilobase pairs upstream or downstream of the prolactin gene. We have identified two DNase I-hypersensitive sites 5' to the prolactin gene in pituitary tumors but none in liver. Also, the coding region, but not adjacent noncoding regions, of the prolactin gene domain is hypomethylated at MspI/HpaII and HhaI restriction enzyme sites in pituitary tumors. The prolactin gene domain is methylated at these sites in liver.


Novel integration strategy for enhancing chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. in a 7-L fermenter.
An integrated strategy (additional energy substrate-three stage pH control-fed batch) was firstly proposed for efficiently improving chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. in a 7-L fermenter. The strain adaptive-growing phase was greatly shortened from 8days into 4days with the supplement of additional 2g/L Fe(2+)+2g/L S(0). Jarosite passivation was effectively weakened basing on higher biomass via the three-stage pH-stat control (pH 1.3-1.0-0.7). The mineral substrate inhibition was attenuated by fed-batch fermentation. With the integrated strategy, the biochemical reaction was promoted and achieved a better balance. Meanwhile, the domination course of A. thiooxidans in the microbial community was shortened from 14days to 8days. As the results of integrated strategy, the final copper ion and productivity reached 89.1mg/L and 2.23mg/(Ld), respectively, which was improved by 52.8% compared to the uncontrolled batch bioleaching. The integrated strategy could be further exploited for industrial chalcopyrite bioleaching.


Does the host matter? Variable influence of host traits on parasitism rates.
Parasitism of mammals is ubiquitous, but the processes driving parasite aggregation on hosts are poorly understood, as each system seems to show unique correlations between parasitism and host traits such as sex, age, size and body mass. Genetic diversity is also posited to influence susceptibility to parasitism, and provides a quantifiable measure of an intrinsic unchanging host property, but this link has not been well established. A lack of consistency in host traits predicting parasite heterogeneity may derive from the contribution of environmental factors to parasite aggregation. To evaluate this question, a large dataset was leveraged to explore the relationship between unchanging, intrinsic host traits (heterozygosity and sex), variable host traits (age, length and body mass), and extrinsic factors (sampling date/year and population) and flea presence/absence, abundance and intensity on two species of social burrowing mammal, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) and the Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni). Prairie dogs experience frequent parasitism by fleas, but the distribution of fleas among individuals is highly skewed. In these systems, intrinsic host traits were nuanced in how they predicted flea aggregation on individual prairie dogs, with sex unimportant to parasitism rates and heterozygosity increasing the probability of infection and influencing the number of fleas in divergent ways. Variable host traits interacted with each other and with environmental or geographic stochasticity to influence flea aggregation. Length and age tended to increase parasitism, whereas the effects of body mass and condition were mediated by date and other host traits to produce both positive and negative effects on parasitism. This finding suggests that the factors affecting ectoparasite infection on individuals are complex, even within species. Importantly, there was no correlation between the number of fleas on an individual in one year and the number of fleas on the same individual the next year, supporting the idea that flea aggregation is not driven by unchanging, intrinsic characteristics of the host. Rather, these findings indicate that host traits influence parasitism in nuanced ways, including interactions with environmental characteristics and stochastic factors.


Correction of prominent ears using Mustardé's technique: an out-patient procedure under local anaesthetic in children and adults.
Experience in correction of prominent ears as an out-patient procedure under local anaesthetic in 52 patients is described. Adults and children aged 9 and over are suitable for this form of treatment. A review of 44 patients has revealed 100% patient satisfaction and a low complication rate. Infection has occurred in two ears. An objective appraisal of the results is given.


Current developments in the management of locally advanced esophageal cancer.
Loco-regionally advanced esophageal cancer is a lethal disease with poor outcomes despite aggressive multimodality therapy. The appropriate management of these patients is contentious and no single standard of care has been defined. Literature suggests that preoperative chemoradiotherapy may be superior to preoperative chemotherapy. Recently, several developments have impacted the care of these patients. The 2010 AJCC TNM staging system now recognizes the biologic heterogeneity of the disease and stages adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma separately. Studies suggest potentially less toxic chemotherapeutic agents including oxaliplatin may be useful in the management of this disease. FDG-PET imaging appears to have prognostic value and may predict for pathologic response. In addition, several trials have explored inhibition of the ErbB1 (EGFR) and ErbB2 (Her2) receptors. The monoclonal antibody trastuzumab appears to extend survival for patients with metastatic gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma and is under investigation for use in patients with loco-regionally advanced disease.


The significance of chemically-induced hepatocellular altered foci in rat liver and application to carcinogen detection.
This review describes the pathogenesis and significance of chemically-induced hepatocellular altered foci in rat liver. The measurement of induction of foci can be used for carcinogen detection and the measurement of the modulation of foci by chemicals other than the inducing agent identifies enhancers or inhibitors of liver carcinogenesis.


The Effectiveness of Transitions-of-Care Interventions in Reducing Hospital Readmissions and Mortality: A Systematic Review.
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 set forth payment models that provided $10 billion to incent the health care system in developing innovative programs that target reform, including transitional care to reduce preventable readmissions. While transitional care programs exist, US hospitals remain challenged, with 1 in 5 readmissions within 30 days. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of select evidence-based transitions-of-care interventions on reducing 30-day readmission rates, reducing emergency room visits, and reducing mortality rates. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines formed the framework for this systematic review. Key study characteristics informed the eligibility criteria and search strategy. Two reviewers independently appraised selected studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools. Included studies were summarized and synthesized in order to draw conclusions across studies. Interventions are aimed at reducing the readmission rate of the adult general medical population. The population of focus in this review includes patients at risk of avoidable readmissions, which includes patients requiring higher levels of care secondary to complications that can contribute to higher mortality after discharge from an acute care setting. The findings of this review support the use of transitions-of-care interventions such as tailored discharge planning and postdischarge phone calls.


Diagnostic capacity for cutaneous fungal diseases in the African continent.
Cutaneous fungal infections are very common, especially in poorer communities and with intercurrent HIV infection. Determining the fungal pathogen in skin-related fungal neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) determines optimal therapy. We undertook a country survey across many African countries to determine the diagnostic capacity for skin fungal diseases. A detailed questionnaire was delivered to country contacts to collect data on availability, frequency, and location of testing for key diagnostic procedures and followed up with 2 rounds of validation by video call and by confirmation of individual country data confirmation by email. Of 47 countries with data, seven (15%) and 21 (45%) do not offer skin biopsy in the public or private sector, respectively, but 22 (46%) countries do it regularly, mostly in university hospitals. Direct microscopy is often performed in 20 of 48 (42%) countries in the public sector and not done in 10 (21%). Fungal cultures are often performed in 21 of 48 (44%) countries in the public sector but not done in nine (20%) or 21 (44%) in either public or private facilities. Histopathological examination of tissue is frequently used in 19 of 48 (40%) countries but not in nine (20%) countries in the public sector. The cost of diagnostics to patients was a major limiting factor in usage. Major improvements in the availability and use of diagnostic tests for skin, hair, and nail fungal disease are urgently needed across Africa.


Moving beyond the mean: Promising research pathways to support a precision medicine approach to hormonal contraception.
Women's psychological and behavioral responses to hormonal contraceptive (HC) treatment can be highly variable. One of the great challenges to researchers seeking to improve the experiences of women who use HCs is to identify the sources of this variability to minimize unpleasant psychobehavioral side-effects. In the following, we provide recommendations for programs of research aimed at identifying sources of heterogeneity in women's experiences with HC. First, we review research demonstrating person- and prescription- based heterogeneity in women's psychobehavioral responses to HCs. Next, we identify several promising person- and prescription- based sources of this heterogeneity that warrant future research. We close with a discussion of research approaches that are particularly well-suited to address the research questions raised in article. Together, this review provides researchers with several promising research pathways to help support the development of a precision medicine approach to HC treatment.


A new endoscopic balloon for sclerotherapy in active bleeding from esophageal varices.
A new balloon for flexible endoscopes has been developed and used in 25 patients with esophageal varices: sclerotherapy was carried out as prophylaxis against rebleeding in 17 cases, and during active hemorrhage in 8 cases. The balloon was shown to be effective in controlling hemorrhage and enabling sclerosing injections to be carried out, both in emergency and in cases of bleeding response to injections.


Global evaluation of the chemical hazard of recycled tire crumb rubber employed on worldwide synthetic turf football pitches.
Social and environmental concern about the use of crumb rubber from end-of-life car tires in the construction of different sport and recreational facilities is increasing due to the presence of hazardous compounds. The aim of this research was the assessment of 42 organic chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, adipates, antioxidants and vulcanisation agents in a large number of infill samples (91) from synthetic turf football pitches of diverse characteristics and geographical origin. Samples were taken worldwide, in 17 countries on 4 continents, to show the global dimension of this problem. Ultrasound assisted extraction was employed to extract the target compounds, followed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem-mass spectrometry (UAE-GC-MS/MS). Seventy-eight crumb rubber samples as well as thirteen samples of alternatives materials, such as cork granulates, thermoplastic elastomers and coconut fibre, were analyzed. The results highlight the presence of all target PAH in most rubber samples at concentrations up to μg g-1, including the eight ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) PAHs considered as carcinogenic, and anthracene (ANC), pyrene (PYR) and benzo[ghi]perylene (B[ghi]P), catalogued as substances of very high concern (SVHC). Endocrine disruptors such as some plasticizers (mainly phthalates), and other compounds like benzothiazole (BTZ) and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBTZ) were found reaching the mg g-1 level. This confirms the presence of the hazardous substances in the recycled crumb rubber samples collected all around the world. Three crumb rubber samples exceeded the limit of 20 μg g-1 for the sum of the eight ECHA PAHs. Regarding the chemical composition of other infill alternatives, cork appears to be adequate, while the thermoplastic elastomers contained high levels of some plasticizers. In addition, the plastic infill as well as the crumb rubber both are microplastics. Microplastics are considered contaminants of emerging concern since they do not biodegrade and remain in the environment for a long time.


Gender distinctions and lateral asymmetry in the low-level auditory brainstem response of the human neonate.
Threshold measures of auditory brainstem response (ABR) were generated in 72 full-term newborn infants in response to clicks and tone burst stimuli between 500 and 8000 Hz as detailed in a previous study. These results were further analyzed for differences in response related to ear (lateral asymmetry) and subject gender. Thresholds obtained in male infants were significantly lower than those of females (P = 0.0485). The greatest differences in threshold between male and female infants occurs in the right ear (7.45 dB) as opposed to the left ear (1.56 dB). Both male and female infants have significantly larger wave V amplitude elicited from the right ear than the left (P = 0.0002) using low-level stimuli. Also, as has been noted in adults, female infants have larger amplitude ABRs than males (P = 0.0018), but amplitude differences across gender are significant only in the right ear (ear by gender interaction P = 0.0278). Results of this study indicate that gender differences and lateral asymmetry in auditory function are not a result of gender bias for or unbalanced auditory trauma, but a biologically significant phenomenon that is present at birth. The argument is made that superior right ear performance may be part of cerebral laterality in auditory function.


The second-generation aortic connector: six months' angiographic follow-up.
Recently, new mechanical anastomotic devices have been developed. Initial results appear to be equivalent to those obtained with suture. The aim of the study was to evaluate the 6-month angiographic patency and clinical results with the St. Jude Medical second-generation aortic connector for proximal aortosaphenous graft anastomosis. From September 2002 to June 2003, 45 connectors were implanted in 39 patients. Thirty-three patients with 36 connectors underwent 6-month angiographic and clinical follow-up. One connector had an early occlusion and 2 connectors and 1 vein graft were occluded at 6-month angiography, for a patency rate of 88.9% (32 of 36). No device-related complications were detected at 6-month follow-up. The second-generation aortic connector is safe and easy to use. Preliminary results show no device-related complications and a satisfactory 6-month angiographic patency.


Contribution of the sensorimotor beta oscillations and the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic circuitry during value-based decision making: A simultaneous EEG-fMRI investigation.
In decision neuroscience, the motor system has primarily been considered to be involved in executing choice actions. However, a competing perspective suggests its engagement in the evaluation of options, traditionally considered to be performed by the brain's valuation system. Here, we investigate the role of the motor system in value-based decision making by determining the neural circuitries associated with the sensorimotor beta oscillations previously identified to encode decision options. In a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study, participants evaluated reward and risk associated with a forthcoming action. A significant sensorimotor beta desynchronization was identified prior to and independent of response. The level of beta desynchronization showed evidence of encoding the reward levels. This beta desynchronization covaried, on a trial-by-trial level, with BOLD activity in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic circuitry. In contrast, there was only a weak covariation within the valuation network, despite significant modulation of its BOLD activity by reward levels. These results suggest that the way in which decision variables are processed differs in the valuation network and in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic circuitry. We propose that sensorimotor beta oscillations indicate incentive motivational drive towards a choice action computed from the decision variables even prior to making a response, and it arises from the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic circuitry.