ABO hemolytic disease of newborn : Does newborn's blood group a risk factor?
Due to the marked decline of maternal-fetal rhesus incompatibility, ABO alloimmunization has become the leading cause of the newborn hemolytic disease. It is estimated that 15-25 % of all pregnancies are concerned by ABO incompatibility. Neonatal blood group B seems to be more predisposing to acute hemolysis and severe hyperbilirubinemia. We propose to find if the newborn's blood group B represents a risk factor for severe hemolysis and/or severe hyperbilirubinemia. We conducted a comparative study in the pediatrics department "B" of the Children Hospital of Tunis. We collected retrospectively the medical files of the newborn hospitalized for ABO alloimmunization (January 2011 - March 2014), then we compared two groups, OA group with OA alloimmunization and OB group with OB alloimmunization. A significant threshold was fixed to 0.05. We collected 98 cases of newborn ABO hemolytic disease. Both groups, OA and OB, were similar for the onset of jaundice, age of hospitalization, initial hemoglobin and indirect bilirubin levels. There were no statistically significant difference in the severity of hyperbilirubinemia and the use of exchange transfusion for the two groups. However, transfusion was statistically more frequent in the OB group compared to OA group (81.6‰ vs 10.2‰, p = 0,039, OR=2.9, 95% IC (1.1 - 7.8)). OB alloimmunization seems to induce more active hemolysis than OA one, with no difference for severe hyperbilirubinemia in both groups.


The association of sleep-disordered breathing and white matter hyperintensities in heart failure patients.
Heart failure patients often manifest white matter hyperintensites on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). White matter hyperintnsities have also been linked with cognitive problems in patients with heart failure. Sleep disordered breathing may contribute to structural brain changes in heart failure. The purpose of this study was to test the extent to which the apnea hypopnea index is associated with global and regional white matter hyperintensities, and is a moderating factor in the relationship between age and white matter hyperintensites. A total of 28 HF patients [mean age (SD) = 67.89 (5.8)] underwent T1-weighted and T2FLAIR MRI and a home sleep monitoring study. The apnea hypopnea index cut off of 10 was used to compare between higher and lower risks of sleep disordered breathing. Regression analysis was used to test the association between apnea hypopnea index and both global and regional white matter hyperintensities. The interaction term was entered to identify the moderation effect. Apnea hypopnea index was associated with higher regional white matter hyperintensities but not global white matter hyperintensities. There was a significant interaction between the apnea hypopnea index and age, such that older participants with the apnea hypopnea index ≥10 showed greater regional white matter hyperintensities than those with the apnea hypopnea index <10. The results of this preliminary study indicate that a higher apnea hypopnea index is associated with more white matter hyperintensities. The age-related white matter hyperintensities appear to be exacerbated by apnea hypopnea index in our individuals with heart failure. Future studies are needed to further investigate the underlying mechanisms.


A simple spectrophotometric determination of hydrogen peroxide solution via spectral delta from redox reaction with sodium hypochlorite.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely used in the synthesis of organic chemicals, bleaching of paper pulp, and the treatment of wastewater and as a food additive, important mediator of redox processes in natural water, and a disinfectant. However, H2O2 stock solution is unstable and slowly decomposes when exposed to, for example, light, elevated temperatures, or metal compounds. Therefore, the ability to measure the exact concentration of H2O2 stock solution is important for its proper use in diverse applications. This work proposes a simple method for the spectrophotometric determination of H2O2 solution via chemical reaction with sodium hypochlorite that is inexpensive and easy to acquire. The proposed method is based on the stoichiometric spectral change of hypochlorite ion at 292.5 nm following a redox reaction with a sample solution of H2O2. Due to high relationship between the spectral delta value and the applied H2O2 concentration (0.00188-0.03000%), H2O2 stock solution can be easily quantified.


The relation of rhodopsin and scotopic sensitivity in choroideremia.
We examined two patients who had clinical characteristics typical of choroideremia using psychophysical and reflection retinal densitometric techniques. In the dark-adapted state, sensitivity was more compromised than would be predicted on the basis of the modest losses of rhodopsin. In the dark-adapted state, studies of spatial and temporal summation suggested that postreceptoral processes are similar to normal. The kinetics of rhodopsin regeneration after bleaching exposures were abnormal in some retinal regions.


Crystal structures of multicopper oxidase CueO bound to copper(I) and silver(I): functional role of a methionine-rich sequence.
The multicopper oxidase CueO oxidizes toxic Cu(I) and is required for copper homeostasis in Escherichia coli. Like many proteins involved in copper homeostasis, CueO has a methionine-rich segment that is thought to be critical for copper handling. How such segments function is poorly understood. Here, we report the crystal structure of CueO at 1.1 Å with the 45-residue methionine-rich segment fully resolved, revealing an N-terminal helical segment with methionine residues juxtaposed for Cu(I) ligation and a C-terminal highly mobile segment rich in methionine and histidine residues. We also report structures of CueO with a C500S mutation, which leads to loss of the T1 copper, and CueO with six methionines changed to serine. Soaking C500S CueO crystals with Cu(I), or wild-type CueO crystals with Ag(I), leads to occupancy of three sites, the previously identified substrate-binding site and two new sites along the methionine-rich helix, involving methionines 358, 362, 368, and 376. Mutation of these residues leads to a ∼4-fold reduction in k(cat) for Cu(I) oxidation. Ag(I), which often appears with copper in nature, strongly inhibits CueO oxidase activities in vitro and compromises copper tolerance in vivo, particularly in the absence of the complementary copper efflux cus system. Together, these studies demonstrate a role for the methionine-rich insert of CueO in the binding and oxidation of Cu(I) and highlight the interplay among cue and cus systems in copper and silver homeostasis.


Performance of two Picea abies (L.) Karst. stands at different stages of decline : I. Carbon relations and stand growth.
This is the first in a series of papers on the growth, photosynthetic rate, water and nutrient relations, root distribution and mycorrhizal frequency of two Norway spruce forests at different stages of decline. One of the stands was composed of green trees only while the other included trees ranging in appearance from full green crowns to thin crowns with yellow needles. In this paper we compare the growth and carbohydrate relations of the two stands and examine relationships among growth variables in ten plots. The declining stand produced 65 percent of the wood per ground area compared with the stand in which all trees were green because its foliage produced less wood at any level of leaf area index. The difference in foliage efficiency between the sites could not be explained by differeneces in climate, competition or stand structure. The declining stand appeared to have lower carbon gain as indicated by a smaller increase in reserve carbohydrates before bud break, and weaker sinks for carbohydrates as indicated by less use of the stored carbohydrates than the healthy stand. Thus, growth reduction was probably related to factors which affect both photosynthesis and, even more, the sinks for carbohydrate.


Therapeutic effiacy of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptor derived from a mesothelin-specific scFv in orthotopic human pancreatic cancer animal models.
Novel CAR T cells targeting mesothelin (MSLN) expressed on pancreatic cancer cells were developed to overcome the limit of the clinical efficacy of CAR T cell therapy for pancreatic cancer patients. Optimal single-chain variable fragments (scFv) binding to MSLN were selected based on the binding activity and the functional effectiveness of various scFv containing CAR-expressing T cells. Engineered MSLN CAR T cells showed successful anti-tumor activity specific to MSLN expression level. Furthermore, MSLN CAR T cells were evaluated for the anti-cancer efficacy in orthotopic mouse models bearing pancreatic cancer cells, MIA Paca-2, MSLN-overexpressed MIA Paca-2 or endogenously MSLN-expressing AsPC-1. Mice were randomized into control, mock treated, MS501 BBz treated, MS501 28z treated or MS501 28BBz treated group. Mice were monitored by weekly IVIS imaging and tumors were harvested and analyzed by immunohistochemical analyses. MSLN CAR T cells produced the therapeutic effect in orthotopic animal models with complete remission in significant number of mice. Histopathological analysis indicated that CD4+ and CD8+ MSLN CAR T cells infiltrated pancreatic tumor tissue and led to cancer cell eradication. Our results demonstrated the anti-tumor efficacy of MSLN CAR T cell therapy against pancreatic cancer, suggesting its therapeutic potential.


Diet and acne: A systematic review.
Acne vulgaris is a common cutaneous disorder. Diet and metabolism, specifically glycemic content and dairy, influence hormones such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1, and androgens, which affect acnegenesis. To systematically review high-quality evidence regarding the association of dietary glycemic and dairy intake with acnegenesis. A comprehensive literature search, without timeline restriction, of MEDLINE (completed between October and November 2021) for English-language papers that examined the association between diet and acne was conducted. The evidence quality was assessed using the Ottawa quality assessment scale. The literature search yielded 410 articles, of which 34 articles met the inclusion criteria. The literature on whether dairy product intake is associated with acnegenesis is mixed and may be dependent on sex, ethnicity, and cultural dietary habits. High glycemic index and increased daily glycemic load intake were positively associated with acnegenesis and acne severity, an observation supported by randomized controlled trials. High glycemic index, increased glycemic load, and carbohydrate intake have a modest yet significant proacnegenic effect. Increased dairy consumption may have been proacnegenic in select populations, such as those in which a Western diet is prevalent. The impact of diet on acnegenesis is likely dependent on sex and ethnicity. Further randomized trials are necessary to fully characterize the potential associations.


Artificial neural networks allow the use of simultaneous measurements of Alzheimer disease markers for early detection of the disease.
Previous studies have shown that in platelets of mild Alzheimer Disease (AD) patients there are alterations of specific APP forms, paralleled by alteration in expression level of both ADAM 10 and BACE when compared to control subjects. Due to the poor linear relation among each key-element of beta-amyloid cascade and the target diagnosis, the use of systems able to afford non linear tasks, like artificial neural networks (ANNs), should allow a better discriminating capacity in comparison with classical statistics. To evaluate the accuracy of ANNs in AD diagnosis. 37 mild-AD patients and 25 control subjects were enrolled, and APP, ADM10 and BACE measures were performed. Fifteen different models of feed-forward and complex-recurrent ANNs (provided by Semeion Research Centre), based on different learning laws (back propagation, sine-net, bi-modal) were compared with the linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The best ANN model correctly identified mild AD patients in the 94% of cases and the control subjects in the 92%. The corresponding diagnostic performance obtained with LDA was 90% and 73%. This preliminary study suggests that the processing of biochemical tests related to beta-amyloid cascade with ANNs allows a very good discrimination of AD in early stages, higher than that obtainable with classical statistics methods.


Spontaneous [Ca2+]i fluctuations in rat chromaffin cells do not require inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate elevations but are generated by a caffeine- and ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ store.
A considerable fraction (65%) of single rat chromaffin cells loaded with the fluorescent [Ca2+]i indicator fura-2 exhibited spontaneous rhythmic fluctuations with an average period of approximately 100 s. Parallel patch clamp experiments as well as fura-2 experiments carried out in Ca2(+)-free and other modified media in the presence of Ca2+ and Na+ channel blockers indicated an origin from intracellular stores. Appropriate concentrations of agonists (bradykinin and histamine) for receptors (B2 and H1) that trigger generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate induced increased fluctuation frequency, recruitment of silent cells, and large [Ca2+]i changes at high doses. These effects were blocked by cell pretreatment with neomycin, a drug that inhibits inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate generation. In contrast, spontaneous fluctuations and the effects of another drug, caffeine, which also induced increased frequency and recruitment, were unaffected by neomycin. Ryanodine caused first a prolongation and then (approximately 10 min) a block of both spontaneous fluctuations and caffeine effects, where the single transients after bradykinin and histamine were maintained. Caffeine and ryanodine are known to affect selectively the process of calcium-induced Ca2+ release; this is the first demonstration of [Ca2+]i fluctuation activity arising from Ca2(+)-induced Ca2+ release in nonmuscle cells with no strict requirement for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate involvement.


A comparison between a hinged plate and screw system and a conventional tension-band plate and screw system used for correction of an angular deformity of the lower limb: an animal study.
The purpose of the animal study is to introduce a newly designed hinged plate and screw system for correction of angular deformities of the lower limbs. The technique was compared with the use of a conventional tension-band plate and screw system. This is a randomized controlled animal trial. Eight 3-month-old Bama miniature pigs were used to establish animal models. In each animal, one leg was randomly allocated into study group and another leg into control group. Legs of the study group were corrected with a hinged plate and screw system, and legs of the control group were corrected with a conventional tension-band plate and screw system. The corrective rates of medial slope angle, medial proximal tibial angle, and angle of the two arms of the hinged plate were measured. Residual stress on the implants was also evaluated. A P < 0.05 was statistical significant. At the final measurements of 18 weeks, the mean corrective rates of medial slope angle, medial proximal tibial angle, and angle of the two arms of the study group were 0.71°/week, 0.85°/week, and 2.18°/week, respectively; the data in the control group were 0.84°/week, 0.89°/week, and 2.13°/week, respectively. No significant difference was found between the groups regarding the mean corrective rates of the angles (P < 0.05). The mean residual stress in the study group was 643.35 MPa, and measurement in the control group was 1,273.63 MPa, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). Compared to the conventional tension-band plate and screw system, the hinged plate and screw system may be more reliable for correction of angular deformities of the lower limb.


Effects of online self-compassionate writing on stigmatizing and affirming self-perceptions: Potential boundary conditions in undergraduate women.
This study investigated the effects of an online self-compassionate writing intervention on stigmatizing and affirming self-views toward the body in a sample of college women (N = 254). Participants were randomly assigned to a self-compassionate writing, attentional-control writing, or wait-list control condition for one week, and completed measures of self-compassion, affirming self-perceptions, and stigmatizing self-perceptions at baseline, one-week post intervention, and one-month post intervention. A series of mixed AN(C)OVAs revealed no significant effects by condition or time on stigmatizing or affirming self-views toward the body when controlling for self-esteem, internalized weight stigma, and eating disorder symptomatology. Follow-up exploratory analyses demonstrated no significant effects by condition on the six facets of self-compassion. Notably, participants were significantly more likely to drop out from the study over time if they were lower in self-compassion and self-esteem, and higher in internalized weight stigma at baseline. These results suggest that online self-compassion writing interventions may need to be longer and more potent, especially for women with more entrenched and stigmatized views about their bodies, as well as potential boundary conditions of cultivating self-compassion in a short-term online intervention.


Synergistic effects of esfenvalerate and infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus on juvenile chinook salmon mortality.
Sublethal concentrations of pollutants may compromise fish, resulting in increased susceptibility to endemic pathogens. To test this hypothesis, juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were exposed to sublethal levels of esfenvalerate or chlorpyrifos either alone or concurrently with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Three trials were performed with fish exposed to concentrations of IHNV between 0.8 x 10(2) and 2.7 x 10(6) plaque-forming units/ml and to 5.0 microg/L of chlorpyrifos or 0.1 microg/L of esfenvalerate. The presence and concentration of IHNV in dead fish were assayed by virus isolation and plaque assay techniques, respectively. Among groups exposed to both esfenvalerate and IHNV, 83% experienced highly significant (p < 0.001) mortality, ranging from 20 to 90% at 3 d post-virus exposure, and cumulatively died from 2.4 to 7.7 d sooner than fish exposed to IHNV alone. This trend was not seen in any other treatment group. Virus assays of dead fish indicate a lethal synergism of esfenvalerate and IHNV. Chlorpyrifos had no observed effect on total mortality or IHNV susceptibility. The present results suggest that accepted levels of pollutants may be seemingly nonlethal to fish but, in fact, be acting synergistically with endemic pathogens to compromise survivorship of wild fish populations through immunologic or physiologic disruption.


T cell receptor clonal diversity following allogeneic marrow grafting.
The advent of methods for exploring T cell clonal diversity in detail by using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to amplify the CDR3 segment of the T cell receptor (TCR) Vbeta gene represents a powerful tool for analyzing and monitoring T cell clones that may be responsible for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or specific immunity. In this report we describe studies of the posttransplant peripheral blood T cell repertoire in two patients receiving marrow grafts from unrelated donors. One patient received an unmodified T cell replete graft and the second patient received a T cell-depleted marrow graft. Both patients were matched with their donors for HLA-A and -B, but differed for a DRB1 minor mismatch. The patient receiving a TCD graft showed a progressive loss of expression of several Vbeta genes during the first 6 months, although expression of some Vbeta genes appeared transiently following reduction of immune suppression therapy and evidence of acute GVHD. Spectratyping of CDR3 segments revealed evolution of new clones and clonal deletion during the posttransplant period. This method in conjunction with a functional analysis and monitoring of host-reactive clones would provide a new approach for evaluating the activity of immunosuppressive therapy.


Comparison Between Classic and Light Touch Massage on Psychological and Physical Functional Variables in Athletes: a Randomized Pilot Trial.
Despite the general belief of the benefits and the widespread use of massage in sport field, there are limited empirical data on possible effectiveness of massage on psychological and physical functional variables. The main objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of classical and light touch massage on psychological and physical functional variables in athletes. Athletic club of Valencia. 20 amateur athletes were recruited from two athletic clubs. A single-blind, randomized, pilot-placebo trial. The subjects were randomly allocated to two different groups: a) Massage group (MG) (n=10); b) Control group (CG) (n=10). The intervention period lasted one month (one session per week). Assessment of the participants was performed at baseline and 24 hours following the completion of the intervention. Outcome measures included hip flexion, knee extension, and mood state. The results suggest that MG obtained better results on physical variables (p < .05). However, for both groups, trends suggest significant improvements in the overall mood state of the participants (p < .05). Our results suggest that classic massage could be an effective intervention to improve functional physical variables in athletes. However, trends suggest that a light touch intervention could provoke improvements in physiological measures.


Physician and pharmacist satisfaction and clinical needs for the real-time medication surveillance program in South Korea.
Since December 2010, a nationwide real-time medication surveillance program has been implemented in Korea to prevent potential adverse drug reactions. Our goal was to evaluate physicians' and pharmacists' satisfaction and clinical needs for the medication surveillance program in Korea. Both web- and paper-based surveys were conducted using a structured questionnaire among 1164 physicians and pharmacists from May 23, 2014 to August 11, 2014. The survey consisted of questions about the participant's satisfaction with the medication surveillance program, clinical usefulness, clinical need for the medication surveillance program, and sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was performed to investigate the factors influencing satisfaction levels with the medication surveillance program. We analyzed data from 1120 respondents, including 503 physicians and 617 pharmacists. Overall, 63.1% of the respondents were satisfied with the medication surveillance program. Pharmacists were more satisfied with the program than were physicians (69.1% vs. 55.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-2.76). Among the respondents, 77.8% cited a decrease in therapeutic duplication to be a major improvement resulting from the medication surveillance program, 82.6% considered the drug-drug interaction information useful, and 48.7% suggested that the program should include information on liver or kidney disease-drug interaction. Overall, 63.0% of physicians and pharmacists were satisfied, and a decrease in therapeutic duplication was regarded as the most beneficial component. Further improvements by considering clinical needs of physicians and pharmacists will be needed to increase satisfaction.


Antibody-targeted chemotherapy with immunoconjugates of calicheamicin.
Targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents to tumours is believed to improve both their anti-tumour efficacy and their safety. Antibodies specific for tumour-associated antigens have been used to deliver cytotoxic agents to tumour cells. Calicheamicin is a potent cytotoxic agent that causes double-strand DNA breaks, resulting in cell death. When conjugated to monoclonal antibodies specific for tumour-associated antigens, calicheamicin exerts strong antigen-specific anti-tumour effects against human tumour xenografts in preclinical models. Antibody-targeted chemotherapy with immunoconjugates of calicheamicin, exemplified by gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg), is a clinically validated therapeutic strategy for the treatment of human cancer.


The increasing cost of healthy food.
To assess changes in the cost and availability of a standard basket of healthy food items (the Healthy Food Access Basket [HFAB]) in Queensland. Analysis of five cross-sectional surveys (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006) describes changes over time. Eighty-nine stores in five remoteness categories were surveyed during May 2006. For the first time a sampling framework based on randomisation of towns throughout the state was applied and the survey was conducted by Queensland Treasury. Compared with the costs in major cities, in 2006 the mean cost of the HFAB was $107.81 (24.2%) higher in very remote stores in Queensland, but $145.57 (32.6%) higher in stores more than 2,000 kilometres from Brisbane. Over six years the cost of the HFAB has increased by around 50% ($148.87) across Queensland and, where data was available, by more than the cost of less healthy alternatives. The Consumer Price Index for food in Brisbane increased by 32.5% over the same period. Australians, no matter where they live, need access to affordable, healthy food. Issues of food security in the face of rising food costs are of concern particularly in the current global economic downturn. There is an urgent need to nationally monitor, but also sustainably address the factors affecting the price of healthy foods, particularly for vulnerable groups who suffer a disproportionate burden of poor health.


Influence of antecedent soil moisture content and land use on the surface runoff response to heavy rainfall simulation experiments investigated in Alpine catchments.
In small Alpine catchments, floods are mostly triggered by surface runoff generation during convective heavy precipitation events. Their magnitude also depends on the antecedent soil moisture content, which was shown in several previous studies. This study aims at understanding (a) which sites change their surface runoff response to rainfall events with high precipitation intensity under very moist pre-conditions to what extent and (b) on which site characteristics this depends on. Therefore, we conducted repeated rainfall simulation experiments (40-80 m2, 1 h, 100 mm h-1) at 20 sites in five Eastern Alpine areas and analyzed their results on the basis of soil-physical parameters derived from collected soil samples. The hay meadow sites reacted with a strong increase in surface runoff to reduced saturation deficits, the pasture sites showed a smaller but visible response. The forest sites had the highest water retention capacities. The change in the surface runoff response is a function of the saturation deficit at the beginning of the initial experiment (r = -0.58). The soil physical parameters, especially the fine pore fraction (r = 0.56), correlate with the difference of the total surface runoff coefficient between the initial and the repeated experiment. The fine pore fraction also shows a high correlation (r = -0.78) with the saturation deficit at the beginning of the initial experiment, although pores of this fraction were saturated during all experiments. (Non-quantifiable) Land use effects, which in turn influence the soil physical parameters, play an important role in explaining how the surface runoff response in the repeated rainfall simulation experiment differs from the initial experiment. The information on land use and soil characteristics allowed the sites to be categorized into four types in terms of surface runoff disposition and the increase in total surface runoff coefficient in the second rainfall simulation experiment.


Do Not Judge a Kidney by Its Pelvis: A Rare Case of an Unobstructed Dilated Renal Pelvis.
We present a rare case of an unobstructed dilated renal pelvis in a newborn female. Prenatal imaging documented a large abdominal cyst in a stable fetus. Postnatal imaging confirmed persistence of this large cyst but with an unclear etiology. The child was taken to surgery by the pediatric surgeons with concern for a possible harmful nonurologic diagnosis. Intraoperative findings were that of a severely dilated renal pelvis; however, in the absence of an expected ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Reduction pyeloplasty without interference of the ureteropelvic junction proved successful.


Messages conveyed by spinocerebellar pathways during scratching in the cat. II. Activity of neurons of the ventral spinocerebellar tract.
(1) The activity of neurons of the ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT) during scratching was studied in thalamic and decapitate cats. The neurons were identified antidromically either by stimulation of the hindlimb area in the anterior lobe of the cerebellum (in thalamic cats) or by stimulation of the contralateral ventrolateral funiculus of the spinal cord (in decapitate cats). The scratch reflex was elicited by stimulation of either the pinna (in thalamic cats) or the cervical spinal cord (in decapitate cats). In most experiments, animals were immobilized and the activity of VSCT neurons was recorded during fictitious scratching. (2) During both actual and fictitious scratching, the discharge of VSCT neurons was rhythmically modulated in relation with the scratch cycle: neurons fired in bursts separated with periods of silence. Phases of activity of different neurons were unevenly distributed over the scratch cycle: most neurons fired within the limits of the flexor phase of the cycle. (3) The firing pattern of VSCT neurons during fictitious scratching was similar to that during actual scratching. Therefore, rhythmical burst firing of VSCT neurons is determined mainly by central mechanisms and not by a rhythmical sensory input. (4) The firing pattern of VSCT neurons in decapitate cats was similar to that in thalamic cats. Therefore, rhythmical burst firing of VSCT neurons is determined mainly by the central spinal mechanism and not by supraspinal motor centers. (5) The VSCT neurons which fired in long bursts during the greater part of the flexor phase were usually activated during the latent period of scratching, while those firing later in the cycle were usually either inhibited or not affected during this period. (6) The antidromic response in most VSCT neurons could be evoked from a large number of points in the hindlimb area of the cerebellar anterior lobe, both in the vermis and in the pars intermedia. Due to such extensive branching of axons, each point of the cortex receives signals from neurons firing in different phases of the cycle. But axons of VSCT neurons firing in long bursts during the greater part of the flexor phase terminate more extensively in the pars intermedia, while axons of neurons firing later in the cycle terminate more extensively in the vermis. (7) The functioning of the VSCT is essentially similar to that of the spino-reticulocerebellar pathway (SRCP). Both pathways convey messages about activity of the central spinal mechanism generating the motor output pattern of scratching, but the VSCT is active mainly in the flexor phase of the scratch cycle and the SRCP in the extensor one. A hypothesis is advanced that these pathways monitor activity of different groups of spinal interneurons.


Blindness associated with platelet-rich plasma temporomandibular joint injections.
This case report highlights an ocular complication associated with platelet-rich plasma temporomandibular joint injections. This pioneering treatment can risk irreversible visual loss. This case highlights the importance of an experienced technique, in depth understanding of facial anatomy, and promptly recognising and referring the patient to a specialist to manage the complication should it arise.


Mild to moderate cystic fibrosis is not associated with increased fracture risk in children and adolescents.
To determine whether children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF), pancreatic insufficiency (PI), and mild-to-moderate lung disease have an increased risk of fracture compared with concurrent healthy control subjects. A lifetime fracture history questionnaire was administered to 186 subjects (ages 6 to 25 years) with CF, PI and mild-to-moderate lung disease and 427 healthy white control subjects (ages 4 to 25 years). A fracture was reported by 24% of subjects with CF and 23% of healthy control subjects. Average age of first fracture was similar between the groups (8.3 years for subjects and 8.8 years for controls). The radius/ulna was the most common fracture site in both groups. Risk of fracture, adjusted for sex and age, was not greater in the CF group compared with the control group (hazard ratio: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.68, 1.30, P = .82). Children and adolescents with CF, PI, and mild-to-moderate lung disease were not at an increased risk of fracture.


Pharmaceutical evaluation of genistein-loaded pluronic micelles for oral delivery.
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Pluronic F127 polymeric micelles could improve the oral bioavailability of a poor water-soluble drug, such as genistein. Genistein is a phytoestrogen that has estrogenic activity. F127 triblock copolymer consists of PEO100-PPO65-PEO100. Genistein was incorporated in the Pluronic F127 polymeric micelles by a solid dispersion method. The genistein release of genistein-loaded polymeric micelles was studied in vitro (in pH 1.2 and pH 6.8). And the oral bioavailabilities of genistein powder and genistein-loaded micelles were estimated at a dose of 4.0 mg/kg as genistein in rats. Drug loading amount and drug loading efficiency were 11.18% and 97.41%, respectively. The average size of the genistein-loaded polymeric micelles was 27.76 nm. And genistein release of the genistein-loaded polymeric micelles in vitro was 58% (pH 1.2) and 82% (pH 6.8). The bioavailability of genistein-loaded polymeric micelles was better than genistein powder. Consequently, Pluronic F127 polymeric micelles are an effective delivery system for the oral administration of genistein.


Hydrogen Purification through a Highly Stable Dual-Phase Oxygen-Permeable Membrane.
Using oxygen permeable membranes (OPMs) to upgrade low-purity hydrogen is a promising concept for high-purity H2 production. At high temperatures, water dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen permeates through OPM and oxidizes hydrogen in a waste stream on the other side of the membrane. Pure hydrogen can be obtained on the water-splitting side after condensation. However, the existing Co- and Fe-based OPMs are chemically instable as a result of the over-reduction of Co and Fe ions under reducing atmospheres. Herein, a dual-phase membrane Ce0.9 Pr0.1 O2-δ -Pr0.1 Sr0.9 Mg0.1 Ti0.9 O3-δ (CPO-PSM-Ti) with excellent chemical stability and mixed oxygen ionic-electronic conductivity under reducing atmospheres was developed for H2 purification. An acceptable H2 production rate of 0.52 mL min-1 cm-2 is achieved at 940 °C. No obvious degradation during 180 h of operation indicates the robust stability of CPO-PSM-Ti membrane. The proven mixed conductivity and excellent stability of CPO-PSM-Ti give prospective advantages over existing OPMs for upgrading low-purity hydrogen.


Early intracranial haemorrhages in acute promyelocytic leukaemia: analysis of neuroradiological and clinico-biological parameters.
Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) represents a modern success of precision medicine. However, fatalities occurring within the first 30 days of induction treatment, in particular intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), remain the main causes of death. We studied the clinico-biological characteristics of 13 patients with APL who experienced ICH. Compared to 85 patients without this complication, patients with ICH were older and more frequently had high-risk APL. Moreover, positivity for the 'swirl' sign at neuroradiological imaging and hydrocephalus were predictors of a fatal outcome, together with lower fibrinogen, prolonged international normalized ratio (INR) and higher lactate dehydrogenase levels.


Erythropoietic protoporphyria: a functional analysis of the leader sequence of human ferrochelatase.
Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) results from an inherited partial deficiency of ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme of haem biosynthesis. Excess protoporphyrin IX accumulates in erythrocytes, plasma, liver, and skin, which mediates a distinctive form of cutaneous photosensitivity that manifests during childhood. Ferrochelatase is synthesised on cytosolic ribosomes as a preprotein with a cleavable presequence at its amino-terminus. This leader sequence is thought to target ferrochelatase to mitochondria where it is cleaved to produce the active mature protein. In this study, we show that the 62 amino acid leader sequence is sufficient for targeting of a leader sequence-YFP fusion protein to mitochondria. A truncated fusion protein lacking the first 62 amino acids did not target to mitochondria, and formed punctate aggregates in the cytoplasm of cells. This suggests that all the information required for mitochondrial localisation resides within the first 62 amino acid presequence. A missense mutation, P62R, predicted to be located within the ferrochelatase presequence has been identified in a patient with EPP. We hypothesised that this mutation may exert its effect through defective targeting to mitochondria. Our data showed that this mutated full-length ferrochelatase successfully targeted to mitochondria. Interestingly, there was inhibited cleavage of YFP from wild-type and mutant leader sequence fusion proteins. Generation of leader sequence-YFP fusion proteins containing an additional 11 amino acids from the mature protein allowed proteolytic processing to occur. These data suggest that the first 62 amino acids allow targeting to mitochondria but do not contain sufficient information for efficient processing of the protein.


Resistance of some capsular serotype D strains of Pasteurella multocida to rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophil phagocytosis.
The mechanism of resistance of Capsular Type D strains of Pasteurella multocida to killing by rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) was studied using an in vitro assay that differentiates intra- from extracellular bacteria. Two Capsular Type D strains (3761 and 3766), resistant to killing by rabbit PMN, and one Type A strain (R1), susceptible to PMN destruction, were compared. After combining opsonized bacteria and PMN, the Capsular Type D Strains 3761 and 3766 remained extracellular while the Capsular Type A Strain R1 was internalized by PMN. Thus, both Type D strains were resistant to phagocytosis by rabbit PMN.


[Clinical features of two cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism (ia and ib) and molecular analysis of GNAS].
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare disorder, characterized by a tissue resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH). The two main subtypes of PHP, PHPIa and PHPIb, are caused by alterations in the GNAS locus (20q13.3), which encodes the Gsα protein, essential for the action of PTH and other hormones. PHP-Ia is associated with several hormone resistances, Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), and reduced Gsα activity. It is caused by inactivating mutations in the GNAS gene. PHP-Ib presents with isolated resistance to PTH, without AHO and with normal to low Gsα activity. It is related to imprinting defects in GNAS. Two unrelated cases of PHP-Ia and PHP-Ib are presented here, focusing on their clinical aspects and in the differential diagnosis with similar pathologies.


[Acute urogenital status].
The symptoms of a child indicating a urogenital emergency case are often unspecific. Clinical differentiation from a gastrointestinal disease may be impossible since typical clinical manifestations include vomiting, fever and acute onset of abdominal pain, sometimes with the symptoms of a colic. Efficient diagnostic work up is imperative with regard to these patients since a quick establishment of the correct diagnosis allows timely treatment which in turn may avoid irreversible damage. Clinical evaluation of externally visible changes of the genitals like reddening and swelling of the scrotum helps to limit the differential diagnosis to a certain extent. Congenital urogenital diseases should be diagnosed or assumed by means of routine sonography during pregnancy in order to avoid typical complications of a delayed diagnosis after birth. This article focuses on the description and discussion of an effective use of radiologic techniques in some of the common urogenital emergency cases.


Molecular pathways of protein synthesis inhibition during brain reperfusion: implications for neuronal survival or death.
Protein synthesis inhibition occurs in neurons immediately on reperfusion after ischemia and involves at least alterations in eukaryotic initiation factors 2 (eIF2) and 4 (eIF4). Phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 [eIF2(alphaP)] by the endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane eIF2alpha kinase PERK occurs immediately on reperfusion and inhibits translation initiation. PERK activation, along with depletion of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ and inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase, SERCA2b, indicate that an endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response occurs as a consequence of brain ischemia and reperfusion. In mammals, the upstream unfolded protein response components PERK, IRE1, and ATF6 activate prosurvivial mechanisms (e.g., transcription of GRP78, PDI, SERCA2b ) and proapoptotic mechanisms (i.e., activation of Jun N-terminal kinases, caspase-12, and CHOP transcription). Sustained eIF2(alphaP) is proapoptotic by inducing the synthesis of ATF4, the CHOP transcription factor, through "bypass scanning" of 5' upstream open-reading frames in ATF4 messenger RNA; these upstream open-reading frames normally inhibit access to the ATF4 coding sequence. Brain ischemia and reperfusion also induce mu-calpain-mediated or caspase-3-mediated proteolysis of eIF4G, which shifts message selection to m 7 G-cap-independent translation initiation of messenger RNAs containing internal ribosome entry sites. This internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation initiation (i.e., for apoptosis-activating factor-1 and death-associated protein-5) can also promote apoptosis. Thus, alterations in eIF2 and eIF4 have major implications for which messenger RNAs are translated by residual protein synthesis in neurons during brain reperfusion, in turn constraining protein expression of changes in gene transcription induced by ischemia and reperfusion. Therefore, our current understanding shifts the focus from protein synthesis inhibition to the molecular pathways that underlie this inhibition, and the role that these pathways play in prosurvival and proapoptotic processes that may be differentially expressed in vulnerable and resistant regions of the reperfused brain.


Reconsidering the social rejection of ex-mental patients: levels of attitudinal response.
Public attitudes are conceptualized as involving four levels: the ideal level, the level of expressed attitudes, the level of attitudes as acted upon, and the deep level. While direct assessments of these attitude levels are not possible, three indicators are developed to serve as preliminary assessments. An experiment was conducted in which labeling information (labeled a mental hospital patient vs. not labeled), behavior ("normal man" vs. "anxiety neurotic" vignettes), and the three indicators of attitude level were varied. A sample of 153 persons in a small midwestern city was asked to assess the vignette material presented to them by answering five social distance questions. The results showed that when an individual is labeled, ideal attitudes are more positive than attitudes as expressed. These are, in turn, more positive than an indicator of attitudes as acted upon and deep attitudes. Future research should develop strategies which assess these deeper attitudes before conclusions are made about the public's acceptance of former mental patients.


A double blind trial of dipyridamole in CAPD.
Since we had previously shown that dipyridamole augmented inulin and glucose clearance during intermittent peritoneal dialysis we sought to extend our study to the patient undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. We carried out a double blind study in which patients received either 75 mg of active drug or placebo for a 2-week period. At the end of this period the mass transfer coefficients, between plasma and dialysate, were measured for selected solutes. We did not find any drug effect. The results of our first study together with the results of this study suggest that dipyridamole has no place in the chronic management of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.


LncRNA-HGBC stabilized by HuR promotes gallbladder cancer progression by regulating miR-502-3p/SET/AKT axis.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential factors that regulate tumor development and metastasis via diverse molecular mechanisms in a broad type of cancers. However, the pathological roles of lncRNAs in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) remain largely unknown. Here we discovered a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA Highly expressed in GBC (lncRNA-HGBC) which was upregulated in GBC tissue and aimed to investigate its role and regulatory mechanism in the development and progression of GBC. The expression level of lncRNA-HGBC in GBC tissue and different cell lines was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The full length of lncRNA-HGBC was obtained by 5' and 3' rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE). Cellular localization of lncRNA-HGBC was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays and subcellular fractionation assay. In vitro and in vivo assays were preformed to explore the biological effects of lncRNA-HGBC in GBC cells. RNA pull-down assay, mass spectrometry, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used to identify lncRNA-HGBC-interacting proteins. Dual luciferase reporter assays, AGO2-RIP, and MS2-RIP assays were performed to verify the interaction between lncRNA-HGBC and miR-502-3p. We found that lncRNA-HGBC was upregulated in GBC and its upregulation could predict poor survival. Overexpression or knockdown of lncRNA-HGBC in GBC cell lines resulted in increased or decreased, respectively, cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and in xenografted tumors. LncRNA-HGBC specifically bound to RNA binding protein Hu Antigen R (HuR) that in turn stabilized lncRNA-HGBC. LncRNA-HGBC functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA to bind to miR-502-3p that inhibits target gene SET. Overexpression, knockdown or mutation of lncRNA-HGBC altered the inhibitory effects of miR-502-3p on SET expression and downstream activation of AKT. Clinically, lncRNA-HGBC expression was negatively correlated with miR-502-3p, but positively correlated with SET and HuR in GBC tissue. Our study demonstrates that lncRNA-HGBC promotes GBC metastasis via activation of the miR-502-3p-SET-AKT cascade, pointing to lncRNA-HGBC as a new prognostic predictor and a therapeutic target.


The cannabinoid receptor-1 antagonist rimonabant inhibits platelet activation and reduces pro-inflammatory chemokines and leukocytes in Zucker rats.
We investigated the effect of rimonabant on inflammation and enhanced platelet reactivity in type 2 diabetic Zucker rats, an experimental model of impaired glucose tolerance and the metabolic syndrome. Rimonabant (10 mg kg(-1) by gavage) was fed for 2 weeks to 3-month-old male obese Zucker rats as an impaired glucose tolerance model and for 10 weeks to 6-month-old male obese Zucker rats as a model of the metabolic syndrome. RANTES (Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cell Expressed, and Secreted) and MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1) serum levels were determined by ELISA. Leukocyte populations were quantitatively assessed using a veterinary differential blood cell counter. Platelet activation was assessed by flow-cytometry, platelet aggregation, and adhesion of isolated platelets to immobilized fibrinogen. RANTES and MCP-1 serum levels were increased in obese vs lean Zucker rats and significantly reduced by long-term treatment with rimonabant, which slowed weight gain in rats with the metabolic syndrome. Neutrophils and monocytes were significantly increased in young and old obese vs lean Zucker rats and lowered by rimonabant. Platelet-bound fibrinogen was significantly enhanced in obese vs lean Zucker rats of both age, and was reduced by rimonabant. Platelets from obese rats were more sensitive to thrombin-induced aggregation and adhesion to fibrinogen, which were both attenuated by rimonabant therapy. We demonstrate positive modulation of circulating neutrophil and monocyte numbers, reduced platelet activation and lower RANTES and MCP-1 levels by rimonabant in Zucker rats. This may potentially contribute to a reduction of cardiovascular risk.


Self-assembly of anisotropic soft particles in two dimensions.
The self-assembly of core-corona discs interacting via anisotropic potentials is investigated using Monte Carlo computer simulations. A minimal interaction potential that incorporates anisotropy in a simple way is introduced. It consists in a core-corona architecture in which the center of the core is shifted with respect to the center of the corona. Anisotropy can thus be tuned by progressively shifting the position of the core. Despite its simplicity, the system self-organizes in a rich variety of structures including stripes, triangular and rectangular lattices, cluster crystals, unusual plastic crystals, and geometrically frustrated phases. Our results indicate that the amount of anisotropy does not alter the lattice spacing and only influences the type of clustering (stripes, micelles, etc.) of the individual particles.


Beat-to-beat assessment of left ventricular ejection in atrial fibrillation.
Beat-to-beat left ventricular ejection was evaluated in a group of 20 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation using a computerized single probe detector. The reference group consisted of 10 patients with sinus rhythm. For each patient 30 successive cardiac cycles were analyzed and the relative variations of four parameters were assessed: R-R interval, diastolic and systolic time intervals, and ejection amplitude, corresponding to the left ventricular stroke volume. The mean variations were respectively 3.4%, 10.4%, 8.4%, and 11.8% in patients with sinus rhythm, and 21.9%, 37.9%, 10.6% and 30.5% in patients with atrial fibrillation. This demonstrates that changes in ejection are mainly related to the duration of the filling phase, with nearly constant systolic times. Correlations between R-R intervals and systolic ejection amplitudes were highly significant (P less than 0.001) in patients with atrial fibrillation in 85% of cases. This information complements the average ejection fraction obtained from multiple cycle superimposition.


Reduced phosphorus intake throughout gestation and lactation of sows is mitigated by transcriptional adaptations in kidney and intestine.
The environmental impact of pig farming need to be reduced, with phosphorus (P) being of particular interest. Specified dietary regimens and management systems contribute to meet environmental concerns and reduce economic constrains. However, pregnant and lactating sows represent vulnerable individuals, whose reproductive potential and metabolic health status relies on adequate supply of macro- and micronutrients. The aim of this study was to investigate, whether sows fed with a dietary P content that is below or above current recommendations are capable to maintain mineral homeostasis during the reproduction cycle and which endogenous mechanisms are retrieved therefore in kidney and jejunum. Nulliparous gilts were fed iso-energetic diets with recommended (M), reduced (L), or high (H) amounts of mineral P supplements throughout gestation and lactation periods. Blood metabolites and hormones referring to the P homeostasis were retrieved prior to term (110 days of gestation) and at weaning (28 days of lactation). Transcriptional responses in kidney cortex and jejunal mucosa were analyzed using RNA sequencing. The variable dietary P content neither led to an aberration on fertility traits such as total weaned piglets nor to an effect on the weight pattern throughout gestation and lactation. Serum parameters revealed a maintained P homeostasis as reflected by unaltered inorganic P and calcium levels in L and H fed groups. The serum calcitriol levels were increased in lactating L sows. The endocrine responses to the dietary challenge were reflected at the transcriptional level. L diets led to an increase in CYP27B1 expression in the kidney compared to the H group and to an altered gene expression associated with lipid metabolism in the kidney and immune response in the jejunum. Our results suggest that current P requirements for gestating and lactating sows are sufficient and over supplementation of mineral P is not required. Shifts in renal and jejunal expression patterns between L and H groups indicate an affected intermediate metabolism, which long-term relevance needs to be further clarified.


Developments in PK/PD: optimising efficacy and prevention of resistance. A critical review of PK/PD in in vitro models.
In vitro pharmacokinetic models are excellent tools with which to study an antibacterial's pharmacodynamics (pD), being flexible, adaptable, low cost, and correlating well with animal and human systems. They can be used to perform simple descriptive studies on antibacterial effect, determine the dominant pD factor and its magnitude for antibacterial effect, and finally be used to assess the effect of dosing on emergence of resistance. A wide range of model designs are used and some standardisation maybe of value in the near future, however it is clear that in vitro models in conjunction with animal studies and human trials offer an excellent way of studying drug dosing to optimise outcomes.


Can Australian general practitioners tackle childhood overweight/obesity? Methods and processes from the LEAP (Live, Eat and Play) randomized controlled trial.
General practitioners (GPs) could make an important contribution to management of childhood overweight. However, there are no efficacy data to support this, and the feasibility of this approach is unknown. To determine if GPs and families can be recruited to a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and if GPs can successfully deliver an intervention to families with overweight/obese 5- to 9-year-old children. A convenience sample of 34 GPs from 29 family medical practices attended training sessions on management of childhood overweight. Practice staff trained in child anthropometry conducted a cross-sectional body mass index (BMI) survey of 5- to 9-year-old children attending these practices. The intervention focused on achievable goals in nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and was delivered in four solution-focused behaviour change consultations over 12 weeks. General practitioners were recruited from across the sociodemographic spectrum. All attended at least two of the three education sessions and were retained throughout the trial. Practice staff weighed and measured 2112 children in the BMI survey, of whom 28% were overweight/obese (17.5% overweight, 10.5% obese), with children drawn from all sociodemographic quintiles. Of the eligible overweight/obese children, 163 (40%) were recruited and retained in the LEAP RCT; 96% of intervention families attended at least their first consultation. Many families are willing to tackle childhood overweight with their GP. In addition, GPs and families can participate successfully in the careful trials that are needed to determine whether an individualized, family-based primary care approach is beneficial, harmful or ineffective.


Comparison of immune status and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine induced tumorigenesis in brown--Norway and Fischer rats. Emphasis on splenic and colonic lymphocyte function.
Sym 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon tumorigenesis was studied in immunologically different strains of rat: the Brown--Norway which is known to be immunologically a low-responder and the Fischer a high-responder. Brown--Norway rats received a total dose of 75, 150 or 225 mg DMH/kg or vehicle and Fischer rats received 150 mg DMH/kg or vehicle over a 3-week period. Rats were killed 5 months after the final treatment. Lymphocytes were isolated from the spleen and colon from rats treated with 150 mg DMH/kg or vehicle. Natural killer (NK) cell activity and the autologous mixed lymphocyte response (AMLR) as well as colon tumor incidence were compared between the two strains. Splenic and colonic intraperithelial lymphocytes (IEL) from the Brown--Norway strain demonstrated low NK activity and reduced splenic T lymphocyte proliferation in response to autologous non-T lymphocytes. As well, colonic lamina propria lymphocyte (LPL) proliferation was low and Brown--Norway rats had a low incidence of DMH-induced colon neoplasms (7%). In comparison, the Fischer rats had more effective splenic and IEL NK killing, enhanced splenic AMLR, enhanced LPL proliferation and a higher incidence of colon tumors (20%).


Effect of preoperative knowledge on weight loss after laparoscopic gastric bypass.
Gastric bypass surgery has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for morbid obesity. Unfortunately, not all patients have the same weight loss after surgery. It may be that the more informed patients will have more weight loss than less informed patients. No study has investigated the relationship between initial preoperative knowledge and weight loss after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. All patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass for a 6-month period were included in this study. Our preoperative education process includes a 21-question true/false test given at the appointment immediately before surgery. Patients repeat the test until all questions are answered correctly. We compared percentage of excess body weight loss (EBWL) between patients who correctly answered all the questions the first time (pass patients) and patients who did not correctly answer all the questions the first time (fail patients). There were 104 patients involved in this study; although complete data were only available on 98 patients. The average preoperative body mass index was 48 kg/m(2). Forty-eight percent of patients answered all the questions correctly the first time. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 2 years on all 98 patients. Pass patients had an average of 73% EBWL, whereas fail patients had an average of 76% EBWL (p = NS). Preoperative knowledge, assessed by a test, did not predict success after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. Patients who do not, at first, have full knowledge of bariatric surgery should not be discriminated against undergoing surgery if they are eventually properly educated.


Biomechanical Analysis of Anteroinferior Bankart Repair Anchor Types.
All-suture anchors and knotless anchors are increasingly used in the repair of anteroinferior labral tears in patients with shoulder instability. Optimal repair constructs may limit recurrent instability. To perform a quantitative biomechanical comparison of 3 labral fixation devices for soft tissue Bankart lesions: knotless soft-body tensionable anchor (SB knotless), knotted soft-body anchor (SB knotted), and knotless hard-body PEEK (polyether ether ketone) interference anchor (HB knotless). Controlled laboratory study. A total of 21 glenoid specimens were randomized into 3 groups: SB knotless, SB knotted, and HB knotless. Artificial Bankart lesions were created at the anteroinferior labrum. Anchors were placed at the 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30 clockface positions, and sutures were passed through 1 cm of tissue. Anchors were tested simultaneously as one construct by pulling capsular tissue connected to the anteroinferior quadrant. Cyclic loading (5-25 N, 100 cycles) was followed by load-to-failure testing (15 mm/min). Biomechanical testing variables were collected, and failure mechanisms were recorded per individual anchor. There were no differences in baseline specimen characteristics. There was no difference in elongation during cyclic loading (P = .40). The ultimate load to failure between SB knotless (309.7 ± 125.6 N), SB knotted (226.4 ± 34.8 N), and HB knotless (256.5 ± 90.5 N) did not significantly differ (P = .25). Failure mechanisms differed among groups (P = .008); mechanisms included anchor pullout (SB knotless: 33.3%; SB knotted: 23.8%; HB knotless: 28.6%), suture pull-through (SB knotless: 66.7%; SB knotted: 38.1%; HB knotless: 33.3%), and anchor fixation method failure, defined as knot failure for knotted anchors or locking mechanism failure for knotless anchors (SB knotless: 0.0%; SB knotted: 38.1%; HB knotless: 38.1%).). The SB knotless, SB knotted, and HB knotless labral fixation anchors studied exhibited comparable elongation during cyclic loading, stiffness, and ultimate loads to failure in a cadaveric model. However, the failure mechanisms significantly differed, as SB knotless anchors failed primarily from suture pull-through, while SB knotted and HB knotless anchors were subject to knot failure and locking mechanism failure, respectively. These data support the benefit of SB knotless anchors for anteroinferior labral repair in limiting knot failure typically seen with knotted anchors, perhaps demonstrating that all-suture anchors may have better locking mechanism quality than their PEEK counterparts.


Stopping coronavirus variants.
We failed to prevent the emergence of omicron, but there are things we can do to halt the evolution of more variants, reports Michael Le Page.


Recent development in the treatment of oily sludge from petroleum industry: a review.
Oily sludge is one of the most significant solid wastes generated in the petroleum industry. It is a complex emulsion of various petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), water, heavy metals, and solid particles. Due to its hazardous nature and increased generation quantities around the world, the effective treatment of oily sludge has attracted widespread attention. In this review, the origin, characteristics, and environmental impacts of oily sludge were introduced. Many methods have been investigated for dealing with PHCs in oily sludge either through oil recovery or sludge disposal, but little attention has been paid to handle its various heavy metals. These methods were discussed by dividing them into oil recovery and sludge disposal approaches. It was recognized that no single specific process can be considered as a panacea since each method is associated with different advantages and limitations. Future efforts should focus on the improvement of current technologies and the combination of oil recovery with sludge disposal in order to comply with both resource reuse recommendations and environmental regulations. The comprehensive examination of oily sludge treatment methods will help researchers and practitioners to have a good understanding of both recent developments and future research directions.


Differences between aldosterone and its antagonists in binding kinetics and ligand-induced hsp90 release from mineralocorticosteroid receptor.
We have previously reported that mineralocorticosteroid receptor (MR) is a 8-9 S heterooligomeric complex that includes the 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90). To elucidate how antagonist-receptor complexes are biologically inactive in terms of transcriptional regulation, we analyzed the binding of mineralocorticosteroid agonists and antagonists with MR and the ligand-induced transformation of its heterooligomeric structure. This study was performed in the cytosol of adrenalectomized rat kidney and of COS cells transiently transfected with human MR cDNA. Although aldosterone antagonists (SC9420 and RU26752) bind MR with the same affinity as aldosterone, they dissociate much more rapidly from the 8-9 S form of both rat and human MR than does aldosterone. Using sedimentation gradient analysis, we showed that the interaction between hsp90 and the steroid binding subunit of MR is highly dependent upon the nature of the steroid ligand since the binding of aldosterone antagonists results in an easy release of hsp90. We propose that both rapid dissociation of ligand and weakened hsp90-receptor interaction play a key role in the mechanism of mineralocorticosteroid antagonism. In the COS cell model, cortisol, described as a weak mineralocorticosteroid agonist, dissociates also more rapidly from human MR than does aldosterone. Our results suggest that ligand binding kinetics and ligand dependent modification in receptor structure are important modulators of MR function as a transcriptional regulatory factor.


Replacing sorghum with palm kernel cake in the diet decreased intake without altering crossbred cattle performance.
Palm kernel cake is a viable alternative for use in cattle feed to reduce production costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of concentrations in diet dry matter (DM) of palm kernel cake on intake and digestibility of nutrients and performance of cattle finished in a feedlot system. Forty non-castrated crossbred cattle, with an average age of 24 ± 2 months and an average weight of 331.12 ± 36.20 kg, were distributed among four treatments (control 0%, without heart of palm kernel cake in the diet; 8%, 16%, and 24% of palm kernel cake in diet DM). Variance and regression analysis were performed in function of the palm kernel cake concentrations in diet DM (P < 0.05). The dry matter intake decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as the concentrations in diet DM of palm kernel cake in the diet increased. The inclusion of palm kernel cake in the animals' diet decreased (P < 0.05) on dry matter digestibility. No effects (P > 0.05) of palm kernel cake on average daily gain or feed conversion were observed. The palm kernel cake can be included in the diet of crossbred bulls finished in confinement at concentrations in diet DM of up to 24%, as it has not influenced performance.


Molecular characterization of Egyptian patients with glycogen storage disease type IIIa.
Glycogen storage disease type IIIa (GSD IIIa) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by excessive accumulation of abnormal glycogen in the liver and muscles and caused by a deficiency in the glycogen debranching enzyme. The spectrum of AGL mutations in GSD IIIa patients depends on ethnic group-prevalent mutations have been reported in the North African Jewish population and in an isolate such as the Faroe islands, because of the founder effect, whereas heterogeneous mutations are responsible for the pathogenesis in Japanese patients. To shed light on molecular characteristics in Egypt, where high rate of consanguinity and large family size increase the frequency of recessive genetic diseases, we have examined three unrelated patients from the same area in Egypt. We identified three different individual AGL mutations; of these, two are novel deletions [4-bp deletion (750-753delAGAC) and 1-bp deletion (2673delT)] and one the nonsense mutation (W1327X) previously reported. All are predicted to lead to premature termination, which completely abolishes enzyme activity. Three consanguineous patients are homozygotes for their individual mutations. Haplotype analysis of mutant AGL alleles showed that each mutation was located on a different haplotype. Our results indicate the allelic heterogeneity of the AGL mutation in Egypt. This is the first report of AGL mutations in the Egyptian population.


Dimensions of the scala tympani in relation to the diameters of multichannel electrodes.
Dimensions of the scala tympani were measured at eight different places of 1 3/4 turns of the cochlea, beginning at the round window. Height and width of the scala tympani do not decrease continuously but show enlargements in some places. The diameter of two types of cochlear implants were compared with the mean heights of the scala tympani. The data provide an anatomical basis for the development of cochlear prosthesis, which could be inserted for a longer distance as accomplished hitherto.


A Prognostic Model in Metastatic or Recurrent Gastric Cancer Patients with Good Performance Status Who Received First-Line Chemotherapy.
Good performance status is widely known as a superior prognostic predictor. However, some patients have large survival differences despite having good performance status that are influenced by certain prognostic factors. The purpose of this study was to explore baseline host- or tumor-related factors and to establish a prognostic model for metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer patients with good performance status who received first-line chemotherapy. A total of 310 metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer patients with good performance status who received first-line chemotherapy were enrolled. Prognostic significance was determined using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Incorporating all pretreatment indicators, a prognostic model was established. Overall survival outcomes were compared with different risk groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. In multivariate analysis, no previous gastrectomy [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08-1.85], number of distant metastatic sites (HR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.11-1.96), bone metastasis (HR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.16-4.18), liver metastasis (HR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.31-2.39), and an elevated neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (HR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.04-1.79) were independent prognostic factors of overall survival. Patients were categorized into three risk groups according to their risk scores. Median survival times for the low-risk (0 point), intermediate-risk (1-3 points), and high-risk (≥4 points) groups were 19.7, 10.7 and 5.1 months, respectively (P < .001). A prognostic model was developed that could facilitate risk stratification for metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer patients with good performance status who received first-line chemotherapy to help clinicians choose an applicable treatment based on the estimated prognosis.


Outcome of antenatally diagnosed intracranial hemorrhage: case series and review of the literature.
Prenatal diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) has been widely reported. Hemorrhages may occur either within the cerebral ventricles, subdural space or infratentorial fossa. The aim of this study was to determine the sonographic criteria for the diagnosis of fetal ICH, the role of in utero magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the outcome of this condition. The archives of our ultrasound laboratory and the literature were searched for all cases of antenatally diagnosed ICH. A grading system was used to classify the intraventricular lesions as suggested in postnatal sonographic studies. Adding our series of 16 fetuses to the 93 cases identified in the literature, a group of 109 fetal ICHs was obtained: 89 were intracerebral (79 intraventricular and 10 infratentorial) and 20 were subdural hemorrhages. Intraventricular lesions were mostly classified as severe (32 each for Grades III and IV). In 27 cases antenatal MRI was performed additionally to ultrasound and confirmed the sonographic findings. Of the entire group, 65 infants (59%) were reported to be alive 1 month after birth (51 intraventricular hemorrhages, three infratentorial hemorrhages, 11 subdural hematomas). At 12 months, of the 48 infants whose follow-up was available, 25 or 52% were judged neurologically normal (17/36 or 47% among the intraventricular hemorrhages, 6/9 or 66% among the hematomas, and 2/3 or 66% among the infratentorial hemorrhages). Fetal ICH may be accurately identified and categorized by antenatal sonography. The outcome is usually poor, especially for those fetuses affected by higher-grade intraventricular hemorrhages.


Unsupervised Topic Modeling in a Large Free Text Radiology Report Repository.
Radiology report narrative contains a large amount of information about the patient's health and the radiologist's interpretation of medical findings. Most of this critical information is entered in free text format, even when structured radiology report templates are used. The radiology report narrative varies in use of terminology and language among different radiologists and organizations. The free text format and the subtlety and variations of natural language hinder the extraction of reusable information from radiology reports for decision support, quality improvement, and biomedical research. Therefore, as the first step to organize and extract the information content in a large multi-institutional free text radiology report repository, we have designed and developed an unsupervised machine learning approach to capture the main concepts in a radiology report repository and partition the reports based on their main foci. In this approach, radiology reports are modeled in a vector space and compared to each other through a cosine similarity measure. This similarity is used to cluster radiology reports and identify the repository's underlying topics. We applied our approach on a repository of 1,899,482 radiology reports from three major healthcare organizations. Our method identified 19 major radiology report topics in the repository and clustered the reports accordingly to these topics. Our results are verified by a domain expert radiologist and successfully explain the repository's primary topics and extract the corresponding reports. The results of our system provide a target-based corpus and framework for information extraction and retrieval systems for radiology reports.


Impacts of Underwater Noise on Marine Vertebrates: Project Introduction and First Results.
The project conducts application-oriented research on impacts of underwater noise on marine vertebrates in the North and Baltic Seas. In distinct subprojects, the hearing sensitivity of harbor porpoises and gray seals as well as the acoustic tolerance limit of harbor porpoises to impulsive noise from pile driving and stress reactions caused by anthropogenic noise is investigated. Animals are equipped with DTAGs capable of recording the actual surrounding noise field of free-swimming harbor porpoises and seals. Acoustic noise mapping including porpoise detectors in the Natura 2000 sites of the North and Baltic Seas will help to fully understand current noise impacts.


Role of the physical state of the hepatic microsomal membrane in the formation of bilirubin diglucuronide.
In vitro formation of bilirubin diglucuronide by rat hepatic microsomes proceeds efficiently only under specific conditions; i.e., a low level of bilirubin, temperature greater than 23-24 degrees C and treatment of the microsomes with a very specific level of perturbant (J. Biol. Chem., 258: 15028-15036). In the present study, the effect of temperature and detergents on the anisotropy of fluorescent probes in the rat hepatic microsomal membrane was used to determine the role of the physical state of the membrane in controlling the formation of bilirubin diglucuronide. A lipid phase separation that occurred at 23 +/- 2 degrees C was identified in these membranes indicating that bilirubin diglucuronide is formed efficiently only above the lipid phase separation when the phospholipids are in the liquid crystalline state. In addition, use of fluorescent probes for the surface and core of the membrane indicates that alterations in the physical state of the hydrophobic core rather than the phospholipid polar head group region of the membrane controls the in vitro formation of bilirubin diglucuronide.


Xylitol toxicosis in dogs.
The sugar alcohol xylitol is a popular sweetener used in gums, candies, and baked goods. While xylitol has a wide margin of safety in people and most mammalian species, when ingested by dogs it is believed to stimulate excessive insulin secretion leading to severe hypoglycemia, potentially followed by acute hepatic failure and coagulopathies. Additional clinical findings may include thrombocytopenia, hypokalemia, and hyperphosphatemia. The prognosis for recovery in dogs that develop uncomplicated hypoglycemia is generally good with prompt and aggressive veterinary care.


Development and implementation of an interoperability tool across state public health agency's disease surveillance and immunization information systems.
Public health information systems have historically been siloed with limited interoperability. The State of Minnesota's disease surveillance system (Minnesota Electronic Disease Surveillance System: MEDSS, ∼12 million total reportable events) and immunization information system (Minnesota Immunization Information Connection: MIIC, ∼130 million total immunizations) lacked interoperability between them and data exchange was fully manual. An interoperability tool based on national standards (HL7 and SOAP/web services) for query and response was developed for electronic vaccination data exchange from MIIC into MEDSS by soliciting stakeholder requirements (n = 39) and mapping MIIC vaccine codes (n = 294) to corresponding MEDSS product codes (n = 48). The tool was implemented in March 2022 and incorporates MIIC data into a new vaccination form in MEDSS with mapping of 30 data elements including MIIC demographics, vaccination history, and vaccine forecast. The tool was evaluated using mixed methods (quantitative analysis of user time, clicks, queries; qualitative review with users). Comparison of key tasks demonstrated efficiencies including vaccination data access (before: 50 clicks, >2 min; after: 4 clicks, 8 s) which translated directly to staff effort (before: 5 h/week; after: ∼17 min/week). This case study demonstrates the contribution of improving public health systems interoperability, ultimately with the goal of enhanced data-driven decision-making and public health surveillance.


Acute occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery during mitral isthmus linear ablation.
Occlusion of LCX During RF Catheter Ablation. We report a case of acute occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery during catheter ablation in the coronary sinus to complete the linear lesion between the postero-lateral mitral annulus and the left inferior pulmonary vein for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.


Anti-CD34+ Fabs generated against hematopoietic stem cells in HIV-derived combinatorial immunoglobulin library suggest antigen-selected autoantibodies.
Bone marrow suppression associated with HIV infection does not appear to be solely due to direct viral cytopathic effects. Autoantibodies may play a role in myelosuppression, however it is unclear whether autoantibodies produced in HIV infection represent a primary pathogenic process or merely reflect polyclonal B cell activation. To address these questions, we generated combinatorial immunoglobulin libraries using the pComb3 phagemid from an HIV+ individual with evidence of circulating autoantibodies. From one library, three anti-CD34 Fabs were identified using fresh CD34+ cells as antigenic targets by a method of phage subtraction. The anti-CD34 Fabs are specific by immunoblotting and Elisa and are of high affinity, with calculated Kds in the range of 10(-7) -10(-8) M. Nucleic acid sequencing revealed all three to be of the VH3 family and to have lambda light chains with some gene segments expressing little somatic mutation, while other segments were somatically mutated in patterns suggestive of antigen selection. These findings indicate that (1) A subset of HIV-associated anti-CD34 autoantibodies are monospecific and antigen-selected and are not merely a consequence of polyclonal B cell activation and elevated Ig levels in HIV. Autoreactivity in HIV therefore includes both polyspecific, low affinity antibodies as well as monospecific antigen-selected high affinity antibodies. (2) Although bone marrow suppression in HIV is likely to be multifactorial, autoantibodies to hematopoietic stem cells may contribute to its pathogenesis. (3) Library sampling of VH gene family rearrangements shows no evidence for under-representation of the VH3 family in the immune dysregulation of HIV infection. Phage subtraction is corroborated to be an effective means of identifying, cloning, and characterizing antibodies to hematopoietic differentiation antigens.


Case series of multiple repeat caesarean sections: operative, maternal, and neonatal outcome.
The objective of this study is to review the maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with six or more caesarean section (CS). We conducted a retrospective chart review, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, for all patients admitted between 2000 through 2010 and identified five patients having more than six CS deliveries. Deliveries occurred in the ranges of 31-38 weeks, from which four cases required emergency CS. There were two cases in the series with a placenta previa. There was a single case of uterine dehiscence. Only one case required a blood transfusion and was complicated with a placenta accreta, bladder injury, urinary tract infection, and prolonged maternal hospital stay with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. All cases had moderate to severe adhesion intra-operatively. Operative time was long in all cases with a range 55-106 min. One of the five cases had a postoperative wound infection. Finally, none of the current series showed fetal or maternal mortalities. The long-term complications associated with CS should be discussed with patients in the first and subsequent pregnancies. This case series highlighted the outcomes in these unique cases of higher order caesareans.


A novel parameter derived from post-processing procedure of dual energy CT for identification of gout.
ROI analysis is frequently used for obtaining acid content on rapid-kV-switching dual energy CT (DECT), providing inadequate accuracy. A new parameter derived from post-processing procedure, maximum lower limit with stain visible (MLLSV), was used by us to diagnose gout. 30 gout patients and 20 healthy volunteers were analyzed by using MLLSV. MLLSV was defined as the maximum lower limit of display window allowing only one stained site visible. Radiologists were asked to continuously increase the lower limit of display window of uric acid to decrease number of stained sites until the last stained site disappeared. MLLSV obtained by this way was compared between gout patients and volunteers. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the performance. MLLSV of gout patients was significantly higher than that of volunteers (1373.3 ± 23.0 mg/cm3 vs. 1315.4 ± 20.7 mg/cm3, p = 0.000). The area under ROC curve of MLLSV was 0.993 in identifying gout. When using the optimal cutoff of 1342 mg/cm3, the sensitivity and specificity of MLLSV in identification of gout were 96.7% and 95% respectively. MLLSV derived from post-processing procedure of DECT is useful in discriminating gout patients from healthy people.


Displacement of rectus muscle pulleys by torsional muscle surgery for treatment of full macular translocation-induced incyclotropia.
To elucidate the coronal plane locations of extraocular muscle (EOM) pulleys following torsional muscle surgery. Case report. A 76-year-old man underwent advancement of the anterior part of the inferior oblique muscle to treat full macular translocation-induced incyclotropia. Postoperatively, magnetic resonance imaging was used to obtain contiguous, 2-mm-thick coronal orbital images. On each MRI image, the cross-sectional area and center of the EOM was computed, and all rectus EOM positions were translated to the coordinate origin at the area centroid of the globe at the level of pulleys. The superior rectus pulley was displaced temporally, and the lateral rectus pulley was displaced inferiorly more than 2 SD from normal subjects. Coronal plane locations of EOM pulleys of the ipsilateral eye showed extorsion compared with that of the contralesional eye. Torsional muscle surgery causes an extorsional shift of the superior and lateral rectus pulleys.


Merging Yoga and self-management Skills (MY-Skills) to influence self-efficacy among individuals with persistent pain: A pilot study.
Individuals with persistent pain-related disability have lower self-efficacy, which impacts daily function and health. To explore self-efficacy among individuals with persistent pain who were part of a dyad (caregiver and care-recipient) who completed the Merging Yoga and self-management Skills intervention (MY-Skills). Participants completed MY-Skills, an 8-week group, dyadic-based self-management and yoga program. Self-efficacy outcomes were collected using the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale; PROMIS® Self-Efficacy for Managing Daily Activities; and PROMIS® Self-Efficacy for Managing Symptoms. Eight participants completed the study (50.23 ± 14.77 years old, 77% female, (69%) with pain >10 years). Self-efficacy improved across all measures and domains, with significant improvement for physical function self-efficacy (38.97 ± 19.45 vs. 59.10 ± 18.60, p = .004). MY-Skills improved self-efficacy to varying degrees, which may contribute to participants' confidence in performing activities. Further research is needed to examine dyadic outcomes among caregivers and care-recipients.


An empirical test of a self-care model of women's responses to battering.
A model of women's responses to battering was constructed based on Orem's theory of self-care deficit and on empirical and clinical observations. The model proposed that the age, educational level, and cultural influences as basic conditioning factors would all be directly related to relational conflict, which would be negatively related to self-care agency (as a mediator) and indirectly related to both outcomes of health and well-being. Using simultaneous structural equation modeling with specification searching, a modified model was derived that eliminated the mediation path but supported direct effects of both abuse and self-care agency on health. The derived model was found to be only a borderline fit with the data, probably due to measurement problems, lack of inclusion of important variables, and small sample size (N = 117). However, there was support for several of the relationships deduced from and/or congruent with Orem's theory.


3D electronic implants in subretinal space: long-term follow-up in rodents.
Photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis (PRIMA) enables restoration of sight via electrical stimulation of the interneurons in degenerated retina, with resolution limited by the 100 μm pixel size. Since decreasing the pixel size below 75 μm in the current bipolar geometry is impossible, we explore the possibility of using smaller pixels based on a novel 3-dimensional honeycomb-shaped design. We assessed the long-term biocompatibility and stability of these arrays in rats by investigating the anatomical integration of the retina with flat and 3D implants and response to electrical stimulation over lifetime - up to 9 months post-implantation in aged rats. With both flat and 3D implants, VEP amplitude decreased after the day of implantation by more than 3-fold, and gradually recovered over about 3 months. With 25 µm high honeycomb walls, the majority of bipolar cells migrate into the wells, while amacrine and ganglion cells remain above the cavities, which is essential for selective network-mediated stimulation of the second-order neurons. Retinal thickness and full-field stimulation threshold with 40 µm-wide honeycomb pixels were comparable to those with planar devices - 0.05 mW/mm2 with 10ms pulses. However, fewer cells from the inner nuclear layer migrated into the 20 µm-wide wells, and stimulation threshold increased over 5 months, before stabilizing at about 0.08 mW/mm2. Such threshold is significantly lower than 1.8 mW/mm2 with a previous design of flat bipolar pixels, confirming the promise of the 3D honeycomb-based approach to high resolution subretinal prosthesis.


Do physical activity interventions combining self-monitoring with other components provide an additional benefit compared with self-monitoring alone? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
To determine the net effect of different physical activity intervention components on step counts in addition to self-monitoring. A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest and Discus) were searched from inception to May 2022. The database search was complemented with backward and forward citation searches and search of the references from relevant systematic reviews. Randomised controlled trials comparing an intervention using self-monitoring (active control arm) with an intervention comprising the same treatment PLUS any additional component (intervention arm). The effect measures were mean differences in daily step count. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models, and effect moderators were explored using univariate and multivariate meta-regression models. Eighty-five studies with 12 057 participants were identified, with 75 studies included in the meta-analysis at postintervention and 24 at follow-up. At postintervention, the mean difference between the intervention and active control arms was 926 steps/day (95% CI 651 to 1201). At a follow-up, the mean difference was 413 steps/day (95% CI 210 to 615). Interventions with a prescribed goal and involving human counselling, particularly via phone/video calls, were associated with a greater mean difference in the daily step count than interventions with added print materials, websites, smartphone apps or incentives. Physical activity interventions that combine self-monitoring with other components provide an additional modest yet sustained increase in step count compared with self-monitoring alone. Some forms of counselling, particularly remote phone/video counselling, outperformed other intervention components, such as websites and smartphone apps. CRD42020199482.


At DoD, there's always a war on waste.
The war on terror may have caused a rethinking of transport logistics and the adequacy of emergency stockpiles, but it is the war on waste that has been gradually transforming military procurement for the past several years.


The influence of aging on renal blood flow in human beings.
We studied the relationship between age and renal blood flow parameters to determine the clinical significance of using Doppler color flow imaging (CFI) in their measurement. One hundred forty-four healthy subjects with no renal or circulatory diseases took part in this study. All subjects were placed in the prone position and examined with CFI. The kidney was visualized in a longitudinal view, and blood flow in the interlobar arteries was studied. Peak systolic flow velocity (Vmax), end-diastolic flow velocity (Vmin), and resistive index (RI) were used as blood flow parameters. Age and Vmax were not significantly associated (p=0.03) in the interlobar artery. Vmin decreased significantly (p<0.01) with age, while RI increased significantly (p<0.01) with age. No statistically significant sex-related renal blood flow parameters were found. Ishimura et al have reported that RI was significantly correlated with age in diabetic patients. Here the same result was obtained in healthy subjects. The incidence of arteriosclerosis is known to increase with age. In general, RI is influenced by vascular resistance. Increase in RI with age in this study was explained by the effect of arteriosclerosis on age-related vascular resistance. These results suggest that age should be considered in the study of blood flow in the kidney.


[Diagnosis of type III hyperlipoproteinemia: contribution of an air-driven ultracentrifuge associated with an original tube-slicer (author's transl].
Diagnosis of type III hyperlipoproteinemia requires preparative ultracentrifugation in order to measure the cholesterol/triglyceride molar ratio into isolated d less than 1.006 lipoproteins. The authors describe an ultracentrifugation micromethod which needs 600 microliter of serum and can be completed within three hours (Airfuge Beckman instruments). An original tube-slicer allows the separation of the d less than 1.006 lipoproteins located into top fractions. This simple micromethod might confirm diagnosis of type III in patients and would be useful for clinical laboratories.


GP130, the shared receptor for the LIF/IL6 cytokine family in the mouse, is not required for early germ cell differentiation, but is required cell-autonomously in oocytes for ovulation.
GP130 is the shared receptor for members of the IL6 family of cytokines. Members of this family have been shown to enhance the survival of migratory (E10.5) or postmigratory (E12.5) murine primordial germ cells (PGCs) in culture; however, it is uncertain what role these cytokines play during PGC development in vivo. We have examined PGC numbers in E13.5 GP130-deficient mouse embryos and found that males exhibited a slight decrease in PGC numbers; females were normal. Also, we used the Cre-loxP system to inactive GP130 specifically in germ cells and found that this resulted in a fertility defect in females. These animals were found to have a slight reduction in the number of primary follicles and a major defect in ovulation. This data suggests that GP130 is required in female germ cells for their normal function, but is dispensable in male germ cells.


Takayasu arteritis evaluated by multi-slice computed tomography in an old man.
In the case of patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA), they consult a doctor for the first time when they have a slight fever, shoulder pain, chest pain, back pain, or headache, or when they are pointed out to have high CRP or anemia by chance in medical check-up. In TA, they are usually young women. In our case, the very old patient had bilateral massive pleural effusion and aortic aneurysm with a 64-slice computed tomography (CT). TA commonly affects primarily large elastic arteries such as the aorta and its main branches. Steroid was very effective for suppression of inflammatory symptom being dose-dependent. His pleural effusion had been decreasing without reducing the size of aortic aneurysm. Multi-slice CT was a very useful tool to detect unexpected lesion in Takayasu arteritis in a non-invasive manner.


Features of a micro-gas chromatograph equipped with enrichment device and microchip plasma emission detection (muPED) for air monitoring.
A field portable gas chromatograph (GC) was constructed allowing the enrichment of organic solutes from air samples on a miniaturized chemical trap and the subsequent gas chromatographic analysis on a resistively heated capillary column. The heart of the system is an integrated chip-based plasma emission detector (muPED). As a non-selective detector, the sensitivity is similar to that of a flame ionization detector (FID). The detector shows good selectivity for phosphorus, sulfur and chlorine-containing compounds with relative selectivities of ca. 5 x 10(5) gP gC(-1), 50 gS gC(-1) and 10(2) gCl gC(-1). The lifetime of the plasma chip under air monitoring conditions exceeded 3000 analyses.


Mechanism of radiation carcinogenesis: role of the TGFBI gene and the inflammatory signaling cascade.
Using an immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line, we showed previously that the transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI) gene was consistently downregulated by six- to sevenfold among radiation-induced tumorigenic human cells when compared with controls. Transfection of TGFBI gene into tumor cells resulted in a significant reduction in tumor growth as well as in vitro anchorage independent growth. The observations that TGFBI knock-out animals showed increased spontaneous tumor incidence and chemically induced tumors highlight the suppressive nature of the gene. There is evidence that extranuclear/extracellular targets are important in low-dose radiation response and that the cyclo-oxygenase-2 signaling pathway mediates the process. The involvement of NFκB-dependent cytokines and the resultant inflammatory response works in concert with in modulating radiation-induced bronchial carcinogenesis.


Antitumor effect of tuftsin.
Tuftsin, a physiological tetrapeptide derived from the Fc region of leukophilic IgG possesses a variety of immunopotentiating properties including the ability to act as an immunotherapeutic agent against the experimental tumors, L1210 leukemia and Cloudman S-91 melanoma. Although the mechanism of action of tuftsin in vivo is not known, several types of leukocytes have been shown to become cytotoxic effector cells following activation with tuftsin. These cells presently include macrophages, natural killer cells, and granulocytes. The possibility that tuftsin can also activate other types of effector cells have not been ruled out. We feel this small peptide has a high potential (largely unrecognized) as an antitumor immunopotentiating agent. It is naturally occurring in man and appears to be relatively non-toxic. Its exact sequence (Thr-lys-Pro-Arg) is known and it can be chemically synthesized. Methods are also available to monitor the levels of tuftsin in body fluids. These properties along with its ability to control infectious disease make this agent one of the more promising immunopotentiators.


Inhibition of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signalling pathway in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts using small molecule compounds.
Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been developed as anti-inflammatory agents and have demonstrated clinical efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated if JAK-3-selective inhibition alone could disrupt cytokine signalling in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. In-vitro studies were performed using synovial fibroblasts isolated from patients with RA. Levels of activated JAK and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins were detected by immunoblot analysis. Target-gene expression levels were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or real-time PCR. The JAK inhibitors CP-690,550 and INCB028050 both suppressed activation of JAK-1/-2/-3 and downstream STAT-1/-3/-5, as well as the expression levels of target proinflammatory genes (MCP-I, SAA1/2) in oncostatin-M (OSM)-stimulated rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. In contrast, the JAK-3-selective inhibitor, PF-956980, suppressed STAT-1/-5 activation but did not affect STAT-3 activation in OSM-stimulated rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. In addition, PF-956980 significantly suppressed MCP-1 gene expression, but did not block SAA1/2 gene expression in OSM-stimulated rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. These data suggest that JAK-3-selective inhibition alone is insufficient to control STAT-3-dependent signalling in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts, and inhibition of JAKs, including JAK-1/-2, is needed to control the proinflammatory cascade in RA.