How do general dentists and orthodontists determine where to refer patients requiring oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures?
This study investigated the influence of specific criteria on referral selection among general dentists and orthodontists in deciding referrals to oral and maxillofacial surgeons. A cross-sectional study was designed to examine the importance of criteria used by 2 groups of practitioners, general dentists and orthodontists, for deciding on referrals to oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Data were collected by 2 multiple-choice surveys. The surveys were e-mailed to general dentists and orthodontists practicing in the state of Illinois and to graduates from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Dentistry and the UIC Department of Orthodontics. Participants were asked to rate referral criteria from most important to least important. Analysis of variance was used to examine the data for any differences in the importance of the criteria for each question and linear regression analysis was used to determine whether any 1 criterion was statistically meaningful within each group of practitioners. In total, 235 general dental practitioners and 357 orthodontists completed the survey, with a 100% completion rate. The most important criterion for referral to oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the general dentist group was the personal and professional relationship of the referring doctor to the specialist. In the orthodontist group, no single criterion was statistically meaningful. General dentists tend to develop long-term relationships with their patients, and when deciding the appropriate referrals it appears that personal and professional relationships that promote trust and open communication are key elements. General dentists favor these relationships when making referral decisions across a wide spectrum of procedures. Orthodontists do not place a substantial value on a specific criterion for referral and therefore may not develop the same relationships between patient and doctor and between doctors as general dentists.


Characterization of chronic pancreatitis in English Cocker Spaniels.
Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is common in dogs. The cause is unknown. In humans, different causes of pancreatitis have histologically distinct appearances. The histopathologic lesions in English Cocker Spaniels (ECS) with CP were noted to be histologically different than those of other breeds with CP. CP in ECS is distinct from CP in other breeds and is characterized by a duct destruction similar to what is observed in autoimmune CP of humans. Eight ECS and 9 other breeds with histologically confirmed CP recruited over an 8-year period and 50 postmortem control dogs with CP. Clinical, clinicopathological, and ultrasonographic findings were recorded. Histological sections were compared with a normal dog and 59 dogs of other breeds with CP. Immunohistochemistry using anti-CD3, anti-CD79a, and anti-cytokeratin antibodies was used to evaluate distribution and type of lymphocytic inflammation and appearance of pancreatic ducts. Four male and 4 female ECS presented at a mean age of 7.2 years. Clinical signs were similar in ECS and other breeds. The pancreas was enlarged and hypoechoic in 4 ECS and 2 controls. Histopathology was characterized by interlobular and periductular fibrosis and inflammation in ECS compared with intralobular disease in most other breeds. Immunohistochemistry identified prominent anti-CD3(+) lymphocytic infiltrates around venules and ducts and a marked absence of interlobular ducts in ECS compared with mixed T-cell infiltration and ductular hyperplasia in most other breeds with CP. CP in ECS is distinct from CP in other breeds and is notably duct destructive.


Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Relationship Between Traumatic Childhood Experiences and Suboptimal Sleep Dimensions Among Adult Women: Findings from the Sister Study.
Traumatic childhood experiences (TCEs) are associated with poor adulthood sleep, but racial/ethnic disparities have not been well-studied. We investigated the TCE-adulthood sleep relationship among non-Hispanic (NH)-White, NH-Black, and Hispanic/Latina women. Women enrolled in the Sister Study from 2003 to 2009 reported the following TCEs in a follow-up interview (2008-2012): natural disasters; major accidents; household dysfunction; and sexual, physical, and psychological/emotional abuse. Sleep characteristics included short sleep duration (< 7 h vs. 7-9 h), long sleep onset latency (SOL) (> 30 vs. ≤ 30 min), frequent night awakenings (≥ 3 times/night ≥ 3 times/week [yes vs. no]), and frequent napping (≥ 3 vs. < 3 times/week). Using log-binomial regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sleep characteristics among women with vs. without TCEs, we investigated racial/ethnic-specific associations and race/ethnicity as a moderator. Among 40,082 participants (mean age = 55 ± 8.8 years), 55% reported ≥ 1 TCE (NH-White, 54%; NH-Black, 62%; Hispanic/Latina, 57%). NH-White, NH-Black, and Hispanic/Latina women reporting any TCE had a higher prevalence of short sleep compared with their within-race/ethnicity counterparts without TCEs. Associations were strongest among NH-Whites. Compared to NH-Whites with no TCEs, racial/ethnic minorities who reported any TCEs had a higher prevalence of short sleep (PRBlacks = 2.13 [95% CI 2.02-2.24], PRHispanics/Latinas = 1.47 [1.35-1.60]) and long SOL. When comparing racial/ethnic minorities with TCEs to NH-Whites with TCEs, PRs for short sleep (PRBlacks = 1.98 [1.88-2.08] and PRHispanics/Latinas = 1.36 [1.25-1.48]) and long SOL were weaker. TCEs were positively associated with poor sleep characteristics among women, and TCEs appear to contribute to short sleep duration and long SOL disparities.


[Inpatient-Equivalent Treatment - How does it Work? Implementation Strategies from Eight Specialised Psychiatric Hospitals and Departments in Germany].
To get information about different ways inpatient equivalent treatment (IET) is implemented and organized eight specialized psychiatric hospitals and departments in Germany were asked to report on implementation details. OUTCOME: Organization and treatment processes depend on local conditions and existing structures. Legal barriers complicate the implementation process, however patients as well as team members report very positive experiences.Current data only give first hints but aren't sufficient to draw viable conclusions. Consequential issues will be picked up within the AKtiV-Study of the Innovationsfonds.


Thromboangiitis obliterans in the 21st century--a new face of disease.
Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a relatively rare disease of peripheral blood vessels, affecting small and medium sized arteries and veins. Although the first description of the disease was given by Winiwarter almost 130 years ago, etiology of TAO remains not elucidated. Smoking is considered as a precipitating factor of the disease. We emphasised some particular features of the new face of TAO - significant decrease in incidences, increased disease prevalence among women and coexistence of other than smoking atherosclerotic risk factors (especially disturbances of glucose metabolism). Contemporary methods of treatment were also discussed.


Effect of pyridine homologues on respiratory control and H+/O ratio in mitochondria.
The effect of pyridine homologues on proton leakage, respiratory control, oxidative phosphorylation, and H+/O ratio in mitochondria have been examined. Up to a concentration of 1 mM, hydrophobic pyridine homologues diminish respiratory control in bovine heart mitochondria by increasing the State 4 respiration rate but have relatively minor effects on the State 3 and the 2,4-dinitrophenol-uncoupled respiration rates. Neither the proton gradient generated by electron transport in mitochondria in the presence of potassium ion and valinomycin, nor the rate of its anaerobic decay was affected by pyridine homologues. These observations suggest that the basal rate of electron transport is governed not directly by proton gradient, but by molecular processes in the energy-transducing membrane which can be affected by the proton gradient. By assuming that pyridine homologues are bound at low concentrations to specific functional groups in the inner membrane, the observed rates of State 4 respiration can be related quantitatively to the concentration of the organic base in solution. The observation that low concentrations of pyridine homologues decrease the H+/O ratio of mitochondria seems difficult to reconcile with the assumption that proton extrusion is driven directly by electron transport.


Follow-up experience using histidine-tryptophan ketoglutarate solution in clinical pancreas transplantation.
In May 2003, at Indiana University, the standard cold preservation solution University of Wisconsin (UW) solution was replaced by histidine-tryptophan ketogluatarate (HTK) solution. Earlier, we presented our initial experience with HTK in pancreas preservation with an analysis of the first 10 pancreas transplants. Here we report updated results with HTK in pancreas transplantation over the past 18 months. Between May 2003 and March 2005, a total of 87 pancreas transplants were performed with 78 of these organs utilizing HTK. Seventy five patients received 78 organ transplants. Surgical procedures performed were: simultaneous kidney pancreas transplantation (n = 50, 64%), pancreas after kidney transplantation (n = 19, 24%), solitary pancreas transplantation (n = 9, 12%). Donor and recipient data were collected with primary outcomes as primary nonfunction and 30-day graft and patient survivals, and compared to the UW cohort from our original report. Donor and recipient demographics were similar. Mean follow-up time is 12 +/- 6 months. The mean cold ischemia time was 9 +/- 3 hours. There were no cases of primary graft nonfunction. Thirty-day and 1-year patient survivals were 99% and 93%. The 30-day and 1-year graft survivals were 96% and 93%. There were five grafts lost, including three within the first month (two venous and one arterial thrombosis). There was one case of chronic rejection and one noncompliance. All other patients were insulin-independent by discharge. Serum fasting blood glucose and serial amylase remained comparable at all intervals posttransplantation. Within this range of cold ischemia time, HTK appears to provide effective pancreas preservation.


Systemic injection of pirenzepine induces a deficit in passive avoidance learning in rats.
When injected IP, the M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist pirenzepine dose-dependently induced a deficit in passive avoidance learning in rats. This activity was optimal at 75 mg/kg injected 1 h before the acquisition session. The deficit induced by pirenzepine was antagonized by oxotremorine (0.03-0.3 mg/kg SC) and physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg SC), but not neostigmine. By comparison, under the same experimental conditions, physostigmine and oxotremorine also antagonized the deficit induced by an equipotent dose of scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg IP), although the activity of physostigmine appeared stronger against scopolamine than against pirenzepine. These results suggest that pirenzepine could produce a centrally-mediated behavioural disruption when injected systemically.


Lake Michigan insights from island studies: the roles of chipmunks and coyotes in maintaining Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi in the absence of white-tailed deer.
Deer management (e.g., reduction) has been proposed as a tool to reduce the acarological risk of Lyme disease. There have been few opportunities to investigate Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick) and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto dynamics in the absence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in midwestern North America. A pair of islands in Lake Michigan presented a unique opportunity to study the role of alternative hosts for the adult stage of the blacklegged tick for maintaining a tick population as a deer herd exists on North Manitou Island but not on South Manitou Island, where coyotes (Canis latrans) and hares (Lepus americanus) are the dominant medium mammals. Additionally, we were able to investigate the maintenance of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in small mammal communities on both islands, which were dominated by eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). From 2011 to 2015, we surveyed both islands for blacklegged ticks by drag cloth sampling, bird mist netting, and small and medium-sized mammal trapping. We assayed questing ticks, on-host ticks, and mammal biopsies for the Lyme disease pathogen, B. burgdorferi. We detected all three life stages of the blacklegged tick on both islands. Of the medium mammals sampled, no snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus, 0/23) were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, but 2/2 coyotes (Canis latrans) sampled on South Manitou Island in 2014 were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, suggesting that coyotes played a role in maintaining the tick population in the absence of deer. We also detected I. scapularis ticks on passerine birds from both islands, providing support that birds contribute to maintaining as well as introducing blacklegged ticks and B. burgdorferi to the islands. We observed higher questing adult and nymphal tick densities, and higher B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in small mammals and in adult ticks on the island with deer as compared to the deer-free island. On the islands, we also found that 25% more chipmunks were tick-infested than mice, fed more larvae and nymphs relative to their proportional abundance compared to mice, and thus may play a larger role compared to mice in the maintenance of B. burgdorferi. Our investigation demonstrated that alternative hosts could maintain a local population of blacklegged ticks and an enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease bacterium in the absence of white-tailed deer. Thus, alternative adult blacklegged tick hosts should be considered when investigating deer-targeted management tools for reducing tick-borne disease risk, especially when the alternative host community may be abundant and diverse.


Leading past COVID-19: An analysis of remote work now and beyond.
In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many cancer centers and clinics deployed remote work options for their employees. Due to the rapid response needed during this crisis, little to no feedback was obtained from dosimetrists. This study aimed to assess the productivity level and job satisfaction of medical dosimetrists in response to changes in working conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the assistance from the medical dosimetrists certification board (MDCB), critical data was gathered via an original instrument conducted and distributed by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center-School of Health Professions to all current practicing certified medical dosimetrists registered with the MDCB. Data were collected using Qualtrics and analyzed with IBM's SPSS. Most (326, 77.7%) participants indicated they transitioned to a version of remote work due to COVID-19. Almost half of the participants (208, 49.5%) reported increased job satisfaction due to the option to work remotely. The participants reported being extremely satisfied with the individual (247, 58.8%) and department (201, 47.9%) productivity levels even after implementing remote work options. Most participants (225, 53.6%), independent of age and years of experience, would prefer to stay in a hybrid role even after COVID-19 abates. These findings suggest that most dosimetrists prefer to perform their job remotely or asynchronously. A one size fits all job model design may make it difficult for organizations to attract, retain, and grow top dosimetrists. Industry leaders and employers may benefit by embracing this change as dosimetrists may value work-set-up flexibility over other employer-based benefits. Further research is needed to assess the unintended consequences of remote work environments in this profession.


Effects of Dapagliflozin in Chronic Kidney Disease Across the Spectrum of Age and by Sex.
The sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin reduces the risk of progressive kidney disease and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease, with and without type 2 diabetes. Whether its effects are uniform across the spectrum of age and among men and women is unknown. We performed a pre-specified analysis in DAPA-CKD to evaluate efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin according to baseline age and sex. Prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial. A total of 4304 adults with chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 25-75 mL/min/1.73 m2; urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio 200-5000 mg/g) with and without type 2 diabetes. Dapagliflozin 10 mg versus placebo once daily. Primary endpoint was a composite of ≥ 50% sustained eGFR decline, end-stage kidney disease, and kidney or cardiovascular death. Secondary endpoints included kidney composite endpoint (same as primary composite endpoint but without cardiovascular death), cardiovascular composite endpoint (hospitalized heart failure or cardiovascular death), and all-cause mortality. Median follow-up was 2.4 years. Absolute risks of cardiovascular composite endpoint and all-cause mortality were higher in older patients. Absolute risk of kidney composite endpoint was highest in patients < 50 years (10.7 and 6.2 per 100 patient-years in the placebo and dapagliflozin groups, respectively) and lowest in patients ≥ 80 years (3.0 and 1.2 per 100 patient-years in the placebo and dapagliflozin groups, respectively). There was no evidence of heterogeneity of the effects of dapagliflozin on the primary or secondary endpoints based on age or sex. Neither age nor sex modified the effects of dapagliflozin on total or chronic eGFR slope. Dapagliflozin reduced the risks of mortality, cardiovascular events, and CKD progression in older patients, including in septuagenarians and octogenarians who comprised 25% of participants. Ageism and/or therapeutic nihilism should not discourage the use of dapagliflozin in older women and men who are likely to experience considerable benefit. clinicaltrials.gov NIH TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: NCT03036150.


Fine Modulation of the Higher-Order Excitonic States toward More Efficient Conversion from Upper-Level Triplet to Singlet.
Hot exciton luminogens capable of harvesting nonemissive triplet excitons via reverse intersystem crossing from high-order triplet (hRISC) to singlet have great potential in high-efficiency fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Although spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is regarded as a key factor affecting the RISC process, its effects on hot exciton materials are poorly understood. Herein, we design and synthesize two blue-emitting hot exciton luminogens, PABP and PAIDO, to study this issue by modulating the excited-state properties. Theoretical and experimental research contributions demonstrate that a stronger SOC between energetically close S1 (π-π*) and Tn (T3, n-π*) of PAIDO gives rise to faster and more efficient hRISC in comparison to that of PABP, leading to a higher external quantum efficiency and a higher exciton utilization efficiency. Crucially, the experimentally measured hRISC rate (khRISC) of hot exciton materials is on the order of 107 s-1, which is much faster than that of the thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials.


Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 among nursing students of the University of Palermo: results from an online survey.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices towards SARS-CoV-2 among nursing students of University of Palermo during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is cross-sectional study. A survey was provided to all nursing students and consisted of two parts: demographics and Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey. A multivariate linear regression model was used and adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) are presented. 575 students were interviewed, and their mean age was 22.29 ± 4.2. The overall score indicates good knowledge (p=0.046) and good practices among the four courses of study (p=0.038). Multivariate linear regression showed that Attitude score (b = -0.29; p = 0.024) and Knowledge score (b = 0.10; p = 0.026) adjusted for age, gender, year of study, perceived economic status, perceived health status were significantly associated with Practice score. Our results suggest that proper health education is useful for encouraging optimistic attitudes and maintaining safe practices among future category of nurses.


[Free-tension plastic surgery of inguinal canal in hernias].
Fifty-one patients with inguinal hernia underwent tension-free hernioplasty, 32 of them were operated according to an original method which protects the spermatic cord against contact with net graft. This method permits to avoid recurrence, inguinodinia and dis-ejaculation.


Visualization of the right adrenal vein using CT during right inferior phrenic arteriography in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency of right adrenal vein identification by computed tomography (CT) during right inferior phrenic arteriography (CTRIPA) and to describe the spectrum of anatomic variations of the right adrenal vein. CTRIPA performed on 104 patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma in our hospital between August 2007 and July 2013 were reviewed. The right adrenal vein on CTRIPA images was evaluated for degree of visualization, anatomic variation, anatomic features, vessel direction, and length. CTRIPA images were compared with dynamic CT before TACE. Partial or entire enhancement of the adrenal gland was obtained in 101 patients. The right adrenal vein was detected using CTRIPA in 97% (98/101) of patients, which was significantly higher than detection using dynamic multidetector CT (MDCT) [77% (78/101)]. Vessel length and diameter averaged 8.5 ± 3.8 and 1.6 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. CTRIPA also showed venous drainage into the right capsular renal vein in nine patients. Almost all right adrenal veins were visualized using CTRIPA; the detection rate was significantly higher on CTRIPA than on MDCT before TACE.


Validated method using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of contamination of the exterior surface of vials containing platinum anticancer drugs.
Contamination of the exterior surface of vials of cytostatic drugs by the drugs themselves is a potential hazard to human health. This study developed a validated method using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) for the determination of contamination of the exteriors of vials of cisplatin and carboplatin. Large Alpha® sampling swabs were employed to wipe the vial exterior. Cisplatin or carboplatin and gold(III) as an internal standard were derivatized by N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC). Pt(DDTC)(3)(+) and Au(DDTC)(2)(+) were monitored by the respective transitions of m/z 639.3-490.9 and 493.0-345.0, respectively. Each separation was completed within 9 min using a 3 μm particle ODS-column. Calibration curves for cisplatin and carboplatin were linear over concentration ranges of 30-10,000 and 30-30,000pgvial(-1), respectively. The accuracies and precisions were 96.1-102.5% and within 8.2% for intra-assay and 99.6-103.3% and within 7.6% for inter-assay, respectively. Their lower limit of quantification was 30 pg vial(-1). Amounts of 0.17-17.0 ng vial(-1) as cisplatin and 0.48-794 ng vial(-1) as carboplatin were detected from the exterior surface of the vials. This validated method using LC-ESI-MS/MS for the determination of platinum anticancer drugs is helpful for monitoring contamination of the exterior surface of drug vials.


The Clinical Importance of 21-Day Combined Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in Active Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.
The aim of the study was to show the clinical magnitude of short-term feeding: enteral nutrition (EN) combined with parenteral nutrition (PN) in active Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. Among 122 eligible inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, 65 met the inclusion criteria. Combined EN and PN was administered for 21 days, wherein over the first 3-5 days of treatment, trophic enteral nutrition (300 kcal/day) was used with an energy increase of up to 1500 kcal. An EN was administered using a nasogastric tube or, in case of intolerance, using a naso-jejunal tube. For PN, the "All in One" system was used according to individually prepared admixtures (ESPEN Guidelines). In addition to routine blood measurement (i.e., ALAT, ASPAT, GGTP, creatinine, lipid profile), the following parameters were assessed: adiponectin, leptin, (hs)TNF-α, hsIL-6 and hsIL-10, TSH, NT-proBNP, serum vitamin B12 concentration, and tHcy. The results showed a considerable improvement in all clinically significant parameters (p < 0.05), showing the benefits and importance of short-term well-balanced EN combined with PN for nutritional and clinical status in IBD patients with active disease. The daily work at hospitals with active IBD patients demonstrates the potential of continued administration of home-based nutrition by patients.


Blood pressure and heart rate responses in men exposed to arm and leg cold pressor tests and whole-body cold exposure.
Comparison of the effects of different types of cold exposure on blood pressure and heart rate. Controlled laboratory study. Twenty healthy men were exposed to three different types of cold exposure: cold pressor tests for hands and feet, and a 2-h cold air exposure at an ambient temperature of +10 degrees C. All types of cold exposure caused a rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Heart rate increased in the foot cold pressor test. In the cold chamber test, heart rate fell, causing a decrease in the rate:pressure product. No statistically significant correlations were found between the blood pressure responses to cold pressor and cold chamber tests. The increased rate:pressure product observed in the cold pressor tests is indicative of an increased oxygen consumption in the heart muscle. The measured cardiovascular responses indicate that a sudden local exposure to severe cold would be more stressful than a long lasting, milder exposure to cold, even when the latter is applied to the whole body


Influence of demographic, physiologic, and psychosocial variables on adherence to a yearlong moderate-intensity exercise trial in postmenopausal women.
Few studies have examined the long-term adherence to a yearlong exercise intervention among postmenopausal women. We examined the patterns of adherence to a yearlong exercise intervention and the influence of demographic, physiologic, and psychosocial variables on patterns of adherence among 173 sedentary, overweight, postmenopausal women. We collected demographic, physical activity (PA), physiologic, psychosocial, and medical history information at baseline and 12 months. The exercise prescription consisted of at least 45 min of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days/week for 12 months. We calculated several adherence variables. Associations between baseline variables and adherence levels were assessed in bivariate analyses and in multiple regression models. Women randomized to the exercise group (N = 87) participated in moderate-intensity sports or recreational PA on 3.7 +/- 1.4 days/week (79% of the prescribed 5 days/week) for 171 +/- 88 min/week (87% of the prescribed 225 min/week) over the yearlong trial period. Sixty-eight percent of the exercisers had a yearlong average PA level exceeding the national recommendation of 150 min/week. Being in the preparation stage vs. the contemplation stage of the transtheoretical model and a history of participating in any sports or recreational PA were significant predictors of adherence. Our findings provide important information for the design of future PA interventions and health promotion programs.


Processing syntactic functions of words in normal and dyslexic readers.
Readers with dyslexia were compared with normal readers for the ability to identify the grammatical function of words in the course of sentence processing by means of electrophysiological measures along with behavior measures. Participants were 18 dyslexic and 18 normally reading, native Hebrew-speaking male university students, aged 18 to 27 years. Obtained results confirmed the hypothesis (Leikin & Breznitz, 1999) that Hebrew readers used lexical-morphological properties of words to identify their grammatical roles. However, the morphologically based strategy acquired full expression only in the presence of the verb, which in the Hebrew sentence fulfills the central role. Seemingly, readers use a few different procedures to identify the grammatical roles of words. Selection of a particular strategy seems to be influenced by diverse factors, including syntactic and lexical-morphological characteristics of the stimuli and level of reading skills. In addition, the results showed significant differences in sentence processing between normal and dyslexic readers, as reflected by ERP measures. These results are in line with the hypothesis, suggesting the existence of a syntactic processing 'wsteakness" in readers with dyslexia.


Feasibility study of robotic hypofractionated lung radiotherapy by individualized internal target volume and XSight Spine Tracking: a preliminary dosimetric evaluation.
To investigate the dosimetric impacts of lung tumor motion in robotic hypofractionated radiotherapy for lung cancers delivered through continuous tracking of the vertebrae by the XSight Spine Tracking (XST) mode of the CyberKnife. Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scans of a dynamic thorax phantom were acquired. Three motion patterns (one-dimensional and three-dimensional) of different range were investigated. Monte Carlo dose distributions were generated with 4DCT-derived internal target volume (ITV) with a treatment-specific setup margin for 12.6 Gy/3 fractions. Six-dimensional error correction was performed by kV stereoscopic imaging of the phantom's spine. Dosimetric effects of intrafractional tumor motion were assessed with Gafchromic films (Ashland Inc, Wayne, NJ, USA) according to 1) the percent measurement dose points having doses above the prescribed (P (> Dpres)), mean (P (> Dm)), and minimum (P (> Dmin)) ITV doses, and 2) the coefficient of variation (CV). All plans attained the prescription dose after three fractions despite marked temporal dose variations. The value of P (> Dpres) was 100% after three fractions for all plans, but could be smaller (~96%) for one fraction. The values of P (> Dmin) and P (> Dm) varied drastically interfractionally (25%-2%), and could be close to 0% after three fractions. The average CV ranged from 2.8% to 7.0%. Correlations with collimator size were significant for P (> Dmin) and P (> Dm) (P < 0.05) but not P (> Dpres) (P > 0.05). Treating lung tumors with CyberKnife through continuous tracking of the vertebrae should not be attempted without effective means to reduce the amplitude and variability of target motion because temporal dose variations owing to the intrafractional target motion can be significant.


A Case of Scrotoschisis with Exteriorization of Both Testes.
Scrotoschisis is a congenital malformation characterized by testicular exstrophy through a scrotal defect. We report a full-term baby boy with exteriorization of both testes through a right parietal scrotal defect. Bilateral testes extrusion through a lateralized scrotoschisis can occur due to a scrotal septal defect.


Obesity, hope, and health: findings from the HOPE Works community survey.
According to hope theory, hope is defined as goal-directed thinking in which people perceive that they can find routes to desired goals and the motivation to use those routes. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between hope and body mass index and hope and self-rated health among women completing a community survey conducted in four rural counties in eastern North Carolina. The survey was administered as part of Hope Works, a participatory, community-led intervention program to improve weight, health and hope among low-income women in rural North Carolina. Survey data from 434 women were analyzed. In multivariate models adjusting for age, race, education and income, higher hope was positively related to self-reported health (OR:0.92; 95% CI: 0.89-0.95) and negatively related to BMI (P < 0.01). These results indicated that women who reported better self-rated health also had higher hope scores and women who were heavier had lower hope scores. While these findings are exploratory, they suggest directions for further research. State-based hope is considered to be a characteristic that is malleable and open to development. Future interventions should examine the importance of hope as a construct to examine in weight loss studies. For example, programs could be designed to increase hope by focusing on goal setting and providing support, information and resources to help women work toward their goals.


Effects of the use of a morantel sustained release bolus in first and second year grazing cattle.
In an experiment carried out in 1981 and 1982, the effect of the use of a morantel sustained release bolus (Paratect bolus) on the weight gain and a number of parasitological parameters of cattle was studied. In the first year 42 calves were divided into 3 equal groups, one group was kept outside and treated with a bolus (B), the second group was kept outside and was not treated (C), while the third group remained indoors (I). Groups B and C were grazed separately on contaminated pasture. During the first months Group B had a negligible egg output. The egg output in the controls was much higher and in mid-August they had to be treated for parasitic gastroenteritis. At the end of the grazing season the advantage in weight gain of Group B was 20 kg compared with the controls. During the housing period the growth in the 3 groups was not significantly different. At the start of the second grazing season half the animals of Groups B, C and I received a bolus (Groups BB, CB and IB). The other half remained untreated (BC, CC and IC). The animals treated with a bolus in 1982 gained significantly more weight (64 g/day) than untreated animals. Heifers turned out for the first time (IB and IC) showed much less weight gain than heifers in their second grazing season. The heifers which had previously grazed in 1981 had a very low egg output compared with Groups IB and IC, although the level of egg output of the latter was also not very high (max, almost 40 (eggs per gram (EPG)). In faecal cultures of heifers of Group BC, CB and CC, no Cooperia oncophora-larvae were seen from May onwards, indicating a strong immunity against this species. In Group BB very low numbers of C. oncophora-larvae were observed. In Groups IB and IC, C. oncophora was present during the whole season. At the end of the first season the level of herbage infestation on the control pastures was much higher. In 1982 only slight differences in level of infestation between the pastures were observed. At the start of the season in 1982 serum pepsinogen levels were much higher in the groups which grazed in 1981, compared with the indoor-fed groups. Groups BC and CC had significantly higher levels than Groups BB and CB and all 4 groups always had higher levels than Groups IB and IC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Reactivation of latent tuberculosis in rhesus macaques by coinfection with simian immunodeficiency virus.
Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS together present a devastating public health challenge. Over 3 million deaths every year are attributed to these twin epidemics. Annually, ∼11 million people are coinfected with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). AIDS is thought to alter the spontaneous rate of latent TB reactivation. Macaques are excellent models of both TB and AIDS. Therefore, it is conceivable that they can also be used to model coinfection. Using clinical, pathological, and microbiological data, we addressed whether latent TB infection in rhesus macaques can be reactivated by infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). A low-dose aerosol infection of rhesus macaques with Mtb caused latent, asymptomatic TB infection. Infection of macaques exhibiting latent TB with a rhesus-specific strain of SIV significantly reactivated TB. Rhesus macaques are excellent model of TB/AIDS coinfection and can be used to study the phenomena of TB latency and reactivation.


Alcohol dehydrogenase-coupled spectrophotometric assay of plasmalogenase.
Plasmalogenase has been assayed by conversion of the fatty aldehydes, released by hydrolysis of the vinyl ether bond of plasmalogens, to long-chain alcohols by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the oxidation of NADH. The assay is sufficiently sensitive to enable plasmalogenase activity to be determined in isolated oligodendroglia and derived membranes and in brain microsomal membranes using 50-250 micrograms protein.


Preparation and NMR spectra of four isomeric diformyl[2.2]paracyclophanes (cyclophanes 66).
Four isomeric dialdehydes 4, readily available from cycloaddition of propiolic aldehyde (2) to 1,2,4,5-hexatetraene (1), were separated by chromatography and recrystallization, and were characterized by their spectroscopic data. The individual isomers can now be easily identified from their ¹H NMR spectra even if only one of them is present.


Predicting survival in burned patients.
Data pertaining to 562 consecutive admissions for burn treatment were analysed to identify factors related to survival. Besides socioeconomic, demographic and burn-related variables, three indices to measure burn severity, were proposed and evaluated with the help of multiple regression and discriminant analyses. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that one of the proposed indices, total burned surface (TBS), based on presence or absence of burn injury on 11 different body sites, turned out to be the best single predictor of survival. TBS alone accounted for 64.5 per cent of the total variance in survival variable. Combined use of TBS with type and severity of burn, age, sex, etc. did not appreciably raise the value of R2. The results of the discriminant analysis yielded a cut-off point of 20 TBS score which provided maximum separation between survivors and fatalities. Using this cut-off point (20 per cent) the TBS index provided the correct prediction of the eventual survival status in about 93 per cent of 562 patients. This cut-off point score of 20 was cross-validated on an independent sample of 924 cases. The prediction in 79 per cent of patients could be made correctly.


Adrenoceptors on blood cells in patients with primary hypertension: correlation with blood pressure and related variables.
Alterations in platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor and mononuclear leucocyte beta 2-adrenoceptor characteristics in primary hypertension have been extensively studied. The results of the reports have not been consistent, possibly because of the small number of subjects in most of the studies. We therefore studied the blood-cell adrenoceptor characteristics in a relatively large group of primary hypertensive and normotensive subjects. Platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor characteristics were compared in 65 hypertensive and 51 normotensive subjects. Mononuclear leucocyte beta 2-adrenoceptor characteristics were compared in 72 hypertensives and 67 normotensives. Untreated hypertensive subjects were selected from the outpatient clinic and the normotensive controls were recruited by a newspaper announcement. Platelets and mononuclear leucocytes were isolated from blood samples obtained after at least 10 min supine rest. The alpha 2- and beta 2-adrenoceptor characteristics were determined with [3H]-rauwolscine and [125I]-(-1)cyanopindolol, respectively. Correlations between the adrenoceptor characteristics and clinical parameters of the subjects were studied. No differences in alpha 2- or beta 2-adrenoceptor densities were observed between the two groups. However, a significantly lower equilibrium dissociation constant for [3H]-rauwolscine was observed in the hypertensive group. The correlations between the adrenoceptor characteristics and clinical parameters were weak and mostly not statistically significant. The results were compared with the most relevant studies in the literature. From our study and the literature, we conclude that blood-cell adrenoceptor characteristics are unchanged in primary hypertension.


Effects of esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin) on guinea-pig tracheal chains in vitro.
Esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin) was tested in isolated guinea-pig tracheal chains from normal and ovalbumin-sensitized animals. The drug showed a concentration-dependent relaxant effect, with an EC50 of 60 microM. Pretreatment with esculetin (30-60 microM) was not able to reduce the contractile response induced by either carbachol (0.1 microM), histamine (10 microM), BaCl2 (10 mM) or K+ (80 mM). Esculetin increased the contraction evoked by PGF2 alpha and by histamine, but reduced A23187-induced contraction. Mepacrine (10 microM), a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, reduced the relaxant effect of the lower esculetin concentrations (3-60 microM). Indomethacin (0.1 microM) increased the relaxation induced by esculetin (3-10 microM). In tracheal chains from ovalbumin-sensitized guinea-pigs, esculetin (60 microM) significantly reduced the duration of the recovery phase after antigen challenge contraction. In conclusion, in our in vitro conditions, this natural coumarin derivative seems to act by interfering with the arachidonic acid cascade.


A new partition testing strategy for multiple endpoints.
To evaluate efficacy in multiple endpoints in confirmatory clinical trials is a challenging problem in multiple hypotheses testing. The difficulty comes from the different importance of each endpoint and their underlying correlation. Current approaches to this problem, which test the efficacy in certain dose-endpoint combinations and collate the results, are based on closed testing or partition testing. Despite their different formulations, all current approaches test their dose-endpoint combinations as intersection hypotheses and apply various union-intersection tests. Likelihood ratio test is seldom used owing to the extensive computation and lack of consistent inferences. In this article, we first generalize the formulation of multiple endpoints problem to include the cases of alternative primary endpoints and co-primary endpoints. Then we propose a new partition testing approach that is based on consonance-adjusted likelihood ratio test. The new procedure provides consistent inferences, and yet, it is still conservative and does not rely on the estimation of endpoint correlation or independence assumptions that might be challenged by regulatory agencies.


Metagenomes of a Crystallizer Pond from Isla Cristina Saltern in Spain.
The metagenomic sequences of the prokaryotic microbiota from the brine of a crystallizer pond with 42% (wt/vol) salinity of a saltern located in Isla Cristina, Huelva, southwest Spain, were obtained by Illumina. Haloarchaea and members of the bacterial genus Salinibacter were the most abundant prokaryotes.


Spondylarthrography: the demonstration of spondylolysis by apophyseal joint arthrography.
Twenty selected patients with spondylolysis have been studied following apophyseal joint arthrography. In each instance a communication with the defect of the pars interarticularis was demonstrated by the extension of contrast medium from injection into the adjacent facet joint. The clinical and radiological features are described. The anatomical basis of the abnormality is presented using macroscopic and radiographic correlation from a dissected cadaveric specimen of spondylolysis. Sixty-five per cent of the patients experienced significant relief of pain symptoms when long-acting local anaesthetic was introduced into the facet joint.


Metabonomics, dietary influences and cultural differences: a 1H NMR-based study of urine samples obtained from healthy British and Swedish subjects.
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and comparability of metabonomic data in clinical studies conducted in different countries without dietary restriction. A (1)H NMR-based metabonomic analysis was performed on urine samples obtained from two separate studies, both including male and female subjects. The first was on a group of healthy British subjects (n = 120), whilst the second was on healthy subjects from two European countries (Britain and Sweden, n = 30). The subjects were asked to provide single, early morning urine samples collected on a single occasion. The (1)H NMR spectra obtained for urine samples were visually inspected and analysed chemometrically using principal components analysis (PCA). These inspections highlighted outliers within the urine samples and displayed interesting differences, revealing characteristic dietary and cultural features between the subjects of both countries, such as high trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO)-excretion in the Swedish population and high taurine-excretion, due to the Atkins diet. This study suggests that the endogenous urinary profile is subject to distinct cultural and severe dietary influences and that great care needs to be taken in the interpretation of 'biomarkers of disease and response to drug therapy' for diagnostic purposes.


Time trends in prevalence of cervical cytological abnormality in women attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic and their relationship to trends in sexual activity and specific infections.
Trends in prevalence of cytological evidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical infection with human papilloma virus (HPV), as indicated by HPV infection and dyskeratosis, were studied in 2,992 new attenders at a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic between 1978 and 1982. Crude prevalence of CIN increased from 1.3% to 4.3% (P less than 0.001) and crude prevalence of HPV infection increased from 2.8% to 9.3% (P less than 0.001). Age adjustment had little effect on these trends. Review, in 1984-85, of samples of smears taken in 1978 and 1982 showed that recognition of koilocytosis by the laboratory had increased substantially over time while a tendency had developed to downgrade nuclear changes in the presence of koilocytosis. Correction of the 1978 and 1982 smear results to the 1984-85 classifications suggested that prevalence of koilocytosis had increased little (from 13.4% to 16.1%, P = 0.20) while there had been a substantial real increase in CIN (0.8% to 2.4%, P less than 0.001). To try to explain the trend in CIN, other characteristics of a sample of attenders at the STD clinic were studied. There were no appreciable trends in prevalence of past STD, number of sexual partners in the last 3 months, method of contraception, genital warts and culture of N. gonorrhoea, T. vaginalis, C. albicans and Chlamydia sp. from the vagina. There was an increase in the proportions in socioeconomic group I, as classified by postcode of residence (17.0% to 26.9%, P = 0.04), referred as contacts rather than with symptoms (24.0% to 41.6%, P less than 0.001), with a clinical diagnosis of genital herpes (5.0% to 8.6%, P = 0.08) and with herpes virus cultured from the cervix (2.1% to 6.3%, P = 0.03). The trend in prevalence of herpes virus infection was not explained by the other trends. It may explain the trend in prevalence of CIN.


Personality disorders in the oncology setting.
This paper reviews differential diagnosis of the difficult oncology patient, focusing on how the patient, the physician, the patient-physician relationship, and the cancer setting may all contribute to clinicians' experiences of difficulty. Because many difficult patients have personality disorders, we then review assessment and treatment of the personality disorders that tend to be most problematic in the cancer setting, suggesting a team-based approach for management.


Repair of critical-sized bone defects in rabbit femurs using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials.
Various biomaterials have been evaluated to enhance bone formation in critical-sized bone defects; however, the ideal scaffold is still missing. The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo regenerative capacity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials to stimulate critical-sized bone defect regeneration. The in vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility of g-C3N4 and GO were evaluated, and their potential to induce the in vitro osteogenesis of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) cells was assessed using qPCR. Then, bone defect in femoral condyles was created in rabbits and left empty as control or filled with either g-C3N4 or GO. The osteogenesis of the different implanted scaffolds was evaluated after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of surgery using X-ray, computed tomography (CT), macro/microscopic examinations, and qPCR analysis of osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OP) expressions. Both materials displayed good cell viability and hemocompatibility with enhanced collagen type-I (Col-I), OC, and OP expressions of the hFOB cells. Compared to the control group, the bone healing process in g-C3N4 and GO groups was promoted in vivo. Moreover, complete healing of the bone defect was observed radiologically and grossly in g-C3N4 implanted group. Additionally, g-C3N4 implanted group showed higher percentages of osteoid tissue, mature collagen, biodegradation, and expressions of OC and OP. In conclusion, our results revealed that g-C3N4 and GO nanomaterials could induce osteogenesis in critical-sized bone defects.


Formins.
Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotes. Discovered in muscle and described as far back as 1887, actin was first purified in 1942. It plays myriad roles in essentially every eukaryotic cell. Actin is central to development, muscle contraction, and cell motility, and it also functions in the nucleus, to name a spectrum of examples. The flexibility of actin function stems from two factors: firstly, it is dynamic, transitioning between monomer and filament, and, secondly, there are hundreds of actin-binding proteins that build and organize specific actin-based structures. Of prime importance are actin nucleators - proteins that stimulate de novo formation of actin filaments. There are three known classes of actin nucleators: the Arp2/3 complex, formins, and tandem WASP homology 2 (WH2) nucleators. Each class nucleates by a distinct mechanism that contributes to the organization of the larger structure being built. Evidence shows that the Arp2/3 complex produces branched actin filaments, remaining bound at the branch point, while formins create linear actin filaments, remaining bound at the growing end. Here, we focus on the formin family of actin nucleators.


Revisiting the Development of Vaccines Against Pathogenic Leptospira: Innovative Approaches, Present Challenges, and Future Perspectives.
Human vaccination against leptospirosis has been relatively unsuccessful in clinical applications despite an expressive amount of vaccine candidates has been tested over years of research. Pathogenic Leptospira encompass a great number of serovars, most of which do not cross-react, and there has been a lack of genetic tools for many years. These obstacles have hampered the understanding of the bacteria's biology and, consequently, the identification of an effective antigen. Thus far, many approaches have been used in an attempt to find a cost-effective and broad-spectrum protective antigen(s) against the disease. In this extensive review, we discuss several strategies that have been used to develop an effective vaccine against leptospirosis, starting with Leptospira-inactivated bacterin, proteins identified in the genome sequences of pathogenic Leptospira, including reverse vaccinology, plasmid DNA, live vaccines, chimeric multi-epitope, and toll- and nod-like receptors agonists. This overview should be able to guide scientists working in the field to select potential antigens and to choose the appropriate formulation to administer the candidates.


S-nitrosylation in Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by impairment in motor function. PD is mostly sporadic, but rare familial cases are also found. The exact pathogenic mechanism is not fully understood, but both genetic and environmental factors are known to be important contributors. In particular, oxidative stress mediated through nitric oxide (NO) is believed to be a prime suspect in the development of PD. NO can exert its effect by modifying different biological molecules, and one of these modifications is through S-nitrosylation. Because of the liable nature of S-nitrosylation, a number of methods are often used to study this modification. We have successfully employed some of these methods and showed that a familial related protein, parkin, can be S-nitrosylated and provide a common pathogenic mechanism for sporadic and familial PD.


Correction: Ferraz-Amaro et al. SCORE2 Assessment in The Calculation of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Diagnostics 2021, 11, 2363.
In the original article [...].


Nuclear translocation of ASPL-TFE3 fusion protein creates favorable metabolism by mediating autophagy in translocation renal cell carcinoma.
The ASPL-TFE3 fusion gene, resulting from t(X;17)(p11.2;q25.3), is one of the most commonly identified fusion genes in Xp11 translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC). However, its roles and underlying mechanism in RCC development are not yet clear. Here, we identified ASPL-TFE3 fusion as the most common tRCC subtype in a Chinese population (29/126, 23.03%). This fusion protein translocated into the nucleus and promoted RCC cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the fusion protein transcriptionally activated the lysosome-autophagy pathway by binding to the promoters of lysosome-related genes. Autophagy, activated by ASPL-TFE3, enabled RCC cells to escape energy stress by promoting the utilization of proteins and lipids. Moreover, we found that the ASPL-TFE3 fusion escaped regulation by the classic mTOR-TFE3 signal and instead activated phospho-mTOR and its downstream targets. Finally, targeting both autophagy and the mTOR axis resulted in a greater antiproliferative effect than single pathway inhibition. In summary, these results confirmed the ASPL-TFE3 fusion as a master regulator of metabolic adaptation mediated by autophagy in tRCC. The simultaneous manipulation of autophagy and the mTOR axis may represent a novel treatment strategy for ASPL-TFE3 fusion RCC.


Geochemical characterisation of the thermo-mineral waters of Greece.
Geothermal areas of Greece are located in regions affected by recent volcanism and in continental basins characterised by elevated heat flow. Many of them are found along the coast, and thus, water is often saline due to marine intrusion. In the current study, we present about 300 unpublished and literature data from thermal and cold mineral waters collected along Greece. Samples were analysed for major ions, Li, SiO2 and isotopes in water. Measured temperatures range from 6.5 to 98 °C, pH from 1.96 to 11.98, while Total Dissolved Solutes (TDS) from 0.22 to 51 g/L. Waters were subdivided into four main groups: (1) thermal; (2) cold; (3) acidic (pH < 5); and (4) hyperalkaline (pH > 11). On statistical basis, thermal waters were subdivided into subgroups according to both their temperature [warm (< 29 °C), hypothermal (29-48 °C), thermal (48-75 °C) and hyperthermal (> 75 °C)] and TDS [low salinity (< 4 g/L), brackish (4-30 g/L) and saline (> 30 g/L)]. Cold waters were subdivided based on their pCO2 [low (< 0.05 atm), medium (0.05-0.85 atm) and high (> 0.85 atm)]. δ18O-H2O ranges from - 12.7 to + 2.7‰ versus SMOW, while δ2H-H2O from - 91 to + 12‰ versus SMOW being generally comprised between the Global Meteoric Water Line and the East Mediterranean Meteoric Water Line. Positive δ18O shifts with respect to the former are mostly related to mixing with seawater, while only for a few samples these shifts point to high-temperature water-rock interaction processes. Only a few thermal waters gave reliable geothermometric estimates, suggesting reservoir temperatures between 80 and 260 °C.


A naturalistic study of yoga, meditation, self-perceived stress, self-compassion, and mindfulness in college students.
Objective: This study compared the effects of yoga and mindfulness meditation on self-compassion, mindfulness, and perceived stress in college students; and explored mind-body mechanisms and predictors of stress reduction. Participants: Student participants (N = 92) were enrolled in either yoga or mindfulness meditation classes at a college in the southern United States from August through May of 2015-2016. Methods: Students participated in 50-minute classes twice a week for 10 weeks, completing self-report questionnaires during the 1st and 10th week. Results: Multiple-linear regression analysis found change in self-compassion was the strongest predictor of stress reduction. Conclusions: Increasing self-compassion may increase the efficacy of mind-body interventions. Research into mind-body mechanisms is needed to identify intervention components that most improve student well-being.


Green and Bio-Based Solvents.
Chemical reactions and many of the procedures of separation and purification employed in industry, research or chemistry teaching utilize solvents massively. In the last decades, with the birth of Green Chemistry, concerns about the employment of solvents and the effects on human health, as well as its environmental impacts and its dependence on non-renewable raw materials for manufacturing most of them, has drawn the attention of the scientific community. In this work, we review the concept of green solvent and the properties and characteristics to be considered green. Additionally, we discuss the different possible routes to prepare many solvents from biomass, as an alternative way to those methods currently applied in the petrochemical industry.


Oculoauriculofrontonasal syndrome: report of another case and review of differential diagnosis.
We report a male with features of frontonasal dysplasia, but also with ocular and auricular defects. This child most likely has oculoauriculofrontonasal syndrome, an autosomal recessive syndrome first described in 1981. We also review the literature on this syndrome, and discuss differential diagnosis.


The nomological network of drinker identity: A scoping review.
Despite the growing interest in the construct of drinker identity and empirical evidence for its role in drinking behavior, there is a paucity of papers that evaluate and integrate the results of studies on drinker identity, leaving a gap in our knowledge of the importance of the drinker identity construct. The current paper addresses this gap by reviewing and integrating the results of the studies of drinker identity. The scoping review identified, retrieved, and evaluated the existing literature regarding drinker identity. English language studies from EBSCOHost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were reviewed. Studies were included in the review if they were data-based studies or theoretical publications with drinker identity as the primary topic published in peer-reviewed journals. Studies were reviewed and coded based on their reported methodology and findings and codes were used to integrate and present findings. This review advances this line of research in four ways. First, the operationalization of drinker identity is evaluated by examining the theoretical frameworks defining the construct. Second, the conceptualization and measurement of drinker identity is assessed, with suggestions for future measurement research. Third, an integrated framework of predictors, outcomes, moderators, and mediators is presented. Finally, the research gaps, future recommendations, and clinical implications are discussed. There is a need for continued research, specifically research which aims to standardize and improve measurement of drinker identity, considers longitudinal and developmental processes, and broadens the research samples and settings.


Purification and characterization of a (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan endohydrolase from rice (Oryza sativa) bran.
A (1-->3)-beta-glucanase with an apparent M(r) of 29,000 and an isoelectric point of 4.0 has been purified 2000-fold from extracts of rice bran, using fractional precipitation with ammonium sulfate, anion exchange chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography, chromatofocussing, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The enzyme can be classified with the EC 126.96.36.199 group, because it releases laminarabiose and higher laminara-oligosaccharides from linear (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans with an action pattern that is typical of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan endohydrolases. However, the introduction of substituents or branching in the (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan substrates causes a marked decrease in the rate of hydrolysis. Thus, substituted or branched (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans of the kind commonly found in fungal cell walls are less susceptible to hydrolysis than essentially linear (1-->3)-beta-D-glucans. Kinetic analyses indicate an apparent Km of 42 microM, a kcat constant of 67 s-1, and a pH optimum of 5.0 during hydrolysis of the (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan, laminaran, from Laminaria digitata. The first 60 NH2-terminal amino acid residues of the purified rice (1-->3)-beta-glucanase contain blocks of amino acids that are conserved in other cereal (1-->3)-beta-glucanases. Although the precise tissue location and function of the enzyme in rice bran are not known, it is likely that it is concentrated in the aleurone layer and that it plays a preemptive role in the protection of ungerminated grain against pathogen attack.


Binding of cytosolic aconitase to the iron responsive element of porcine mitochondrial aconitase mRNA.
The 5' end of porcine mitochondrial aconitase mRNA contains an iron responsive element (IRE)-like secondary structure (T. Dandekar, R. Stripecke, N. K. Gray, B. Goosen, A. Constable, H. E. Johansson, and M. W. Hentze (1991) EMBO J. 10, 1903-1909). A protein from a liver extract binds to a mitochondrial aconitase RNA probe and supports the identification of this sequence as an IRE. Purified cytosolic aconitase but not the mitochondrial enzyme binds to this IRE as well as to a ferritin IRE. All forms of cytosolic aconitase, [4Fe-4S] enzyme, [3Fe-4S] enzyme and apoenzyme bind with similar affinity. A Kd of 0.25 nM was calculated for the apoaconitase-IRE interaction from Scatchard analysis. These results support the conclusion that cytosolic aconitase is an IRE-binding protein which may regulate translation of mitochondrial aconitase mRNA.


Photon-driven nanomechanical cyclic motion.
Microcantilevers modified by a monolayer of azobenzene molecules bend up and down periodically, switched by a 365 nm UV light, as a result of the conversion of the two configurations of azobenzene molecules in the monolayer.


CMTM3 protects the gastric epithelial cells from apoptosis and promotes IL-8 by stabilizing NEMO during Helicobacter pylori infection.
CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 3 (CMTM3) plays an important role in cancer development. Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a main cause of gastric cancer, the function of CMTM3 during H. pylori infection remains unclear. CMTM3 expression levels in tissues from H. pylori-infected patients and cells co-cultured with H. pylori were analyzed. qRT-PCR and ELISA were used to investigate the effects of CMTM3 on interleukin 8 (IL-8) expression. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining was performed to evaluate the function of CMTM3 in the apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells. Proteomic analysis was performed to explore the underlying mechanism of CMTM3 during H. pylori infection. The interaction between CMTM3 and NEMO was determined via co-immunoprecipitation, HA-ubiquitin pull-down assay, and immunofluorescence. H. pylori induced a significant increase in CMTM3 expression. CMTM3 inhibited gastric mucosal epithelial cells from apoptosis and increased the expression level of IL-8 during H. pylori infection. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed proteins were involved in epithelial cell signaling in H. pylori infection. CMTM3 directly interacted with NEMO, which promoted protein stabilization by down-regulation of its ubiquitylation. CMTM3 reduces apoptosis and promotes IL-8 expression in the gastric epithelial cells by stabilizing NEMO during H. pylori infection. These findings characterize a new role for CMTM3 in host-pathogen interactions and provide novel insight into the molecular regulation of NEMO.


Influence of Chinese New Year overlapping COVID-19 lockdown on HONO sources in Shijiazhuang.
Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important precursor of hydroxyl radical (OH) in the atmosphere. It is also toxic to human health. In this work, HONO concentrations were measured in Shijiazhuang using a Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient Air (MARGA) from December 15, 2019 to March 15, 2020, which covered the heavy air pollution season, the Chinese New Year (CNY) vocation and the Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) lockdown period. During & after CNY overlapping COVID-19 lockdown, the air quality was significantly improved because of both the emission reduction and the increase in diffusion ability of air masses. The mean HONO concentration was 2.43 ± 1.08 ppbv before CNY, while it decreased to 1.53 ± 1.16 ppbv during CNY and 0.97 ± 0.76 ppbv after CNY. The lockdown during & after CNY reduced ~31% of ambient HONO along with ~62% of NO and ~36% of NO2 compared with those before CNY after the improvement of diffusion ability had been taken into consideration. Heterogeneous reaction of NO2 on ground surface dominated the nocturnal HONO sources, followed by heterogeneous reaction on aerosol surface, vehicle emission, reaction between NO and OH and emission from soil on pollution days throughout the observation. Except for elevated soil emission, other nighttime HONO sources and sinks decreased significantly during & after CNY. The relative importance of heterogeneous reaction of NO2 on surfaces further increased because of both the decrease in vehicle emission and the increase in the heterogeneous conversion kinetics from NO2 to HONO during & after CNY.


Incidence of neurobehavioral side effects associated with levetiracetam compared to phenytoin in traumatic brain injury patients.
Background: Phenytoin is recommended for seizure prophylaxis in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Levetiracetam has been proposed as an alternative agent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the incidence of neurobehavioral side effects in patients with TBI receiving levetiracetam compared to those receiving phenytoin for seizure prophylaxis.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a level 1 trauma center from June 2008 to April 2014. Patients with TBI aged 16 years and older who received levetiracetam or phenytoin for seizure prophylaxis were evaluated and incidence of neurobehavioral side effects were compared for the two groups.Results: Of the 200 patients who met inclusion criteria, 95 (47.5%) received phenytoin and 105 (52.5%) received levetiracetam. Incidence of neurobehavioral side effects was not statistically different between groups (76 [80%] vs. 75 [71.4%], p = .189). The two groups were well matched.Conclusion: In patients with TBI, receipt of levetiracetam for seizure prophylaxis did not appear to be associated with increased neurobehavioral side effects compared to receipt of phenytoin.


Peripheral K cells in Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in relation to circulating immune complexes.
A plaque assay was employed to quantify the number of peripheral K cells in autoimmune thyroid diseases. The percentages of peripheral K cells determined were 3.1 +/- 2.2% and 3.3 +/- 1.3% (mean +/- SD) in forty-one patients with Graves' disease and twenty-two patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, respectively, which were significantly lower than 5.3 +/- 2.5% in 22 normal subjects. Circulating immune complexes (ICs) were measured by three different methods. The positivity of these ICs was investigated in relation to the level of peripheral K cells. The percentage of peripheral K cells in the patients positive for ICs was found to be lower than that in the patients negative for any ICs. Moreover, it was observed that the number of detectable K cells from a normal subject was significantly decreased by incubating the K cells with sera of patients positive for ICs. These results suggest that the decrease of peripheral K cells in the patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases may be due to saturation of K cell Fc receptors by binding ICs.


Single-molecule dynamics of DNA gyrase in evolutionarily distant bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli.
DNA gyrase is an essential nucleoprotein motor present in all bacteria and is a major target for antibiotic treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. Gyrase hydrolyzes ATP to add negative supercoils to DNA using a strand passage mechanism that has been investigated using biophysical and biochemical approaches. To analyze the dynamics of substeps leading to strand passage, single-molecule rotor bead tracking (RBT) has been used previously to follow real-time supercoiling and conformational transitions in Escherichia coli (EC) gyrase. However, RBT has not yet been applied to gyrase from other pathogenically relevant bacteria, and it is not known whether substeps are conserved across evolutionarily distant species. Here, we compare gyrase supercoiling dynamics between two evolutionarily distant bacterial species, MTB and EC. We used RBT to measure supercoiling rates, processivities, and the geometries and transition kinetics of conformational states of purified gyrase proteins in complex with DNA. Our results show that E. coli and MTB gyrases are both processive, with the MTB enzyme displaying velocities ∼5.5× slower than the EC enzyme. Compared with EC gyrase, MTB gyrase also more readily populates an intermediate state with DNA chirally wrapped around the enzyme, in both the presence and absence of ATP. Our substep measurements reveal common features in conformational states of EC and MTB gyrases interacting with DNA but also suggest differences in populations and transition rates that may reflect distinct cellular needs between these two species.


Effect evaluation of non-pharmaceutical interventions taken in China to contain the COVID-19 epidemic based on the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model.
This paper takes confirmed cases of COVID-19 from January 20 to March 18, 2020 as the sample set to establish the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model. By evaluating effects of different non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), the research expects to provide references to other countries for formulating corresponding policies. This article divides all non-pharmaceutical interventions into three types according to their different roles. The results show that type-A and type-B non-pharmaceutical interventions both can delay the timing of large-scale infections of the susceptible population, timing of the number of exposed individuals to peak, and timing of peaking of the number of infected cases, as well as decrease the peak number of exposed cases. Moreover, type-B non-pharmaceutical interventions have more significant effects on susceptible and exposed populations. Type-C non-pharmaceutical interventions for improving the recovery rate of patients are able to effectively reduce the peak number of patients, greatly decrease the slope of the curve for the number of infected cases, substantially improve the recovery rate, and lower the mortality rate; however, these non-pharmaceutical interventions do not greatly delay the timing of the number of infected cases to peak. And based on the above analysis, we proposed some suggestions.


Type III hyperlipoproteinemia: a comparative study of current diagnostic techniques.
Research into the prevalence, genetic transmission and pathophysiology of Type III hyperlipoproteinemia has suffered from the lack of a practical specific diagnostic procedure. In this study, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) compositional criteria were established in a population lacking the beta-migrating VLDL characteristic of this disorder. Diagnosis by these criteria was compared to diagnosis using current criteria for the Type III lipoprotein pattern. In addition two techniques for detecting Type III without preliminary VLDL isolation by ultracentrifugation were evaluated. Plasma triglyceride (TG) concentration dependent cutlines for the compositional criteria reduced false positives at low TG levels and false negatives at high TG levels. Furthermore, an agarose electrophoresis heparin-manganese precipitation technique was effective for screening for a possible Type III pattern in plasma whereas the combination agarose-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system was not effective.


Evidence for a rationale use of frozen plasma for the treatment and prevention of bleeding.
Frozen plasma is a commonly used blood product. The primary indication for frozen plasma is the treatment and prevention of bleeding in patients with prolonged coagulation tests. Unfortunately, there is a lack of well conducted clinical trials to determine the appropriate indications for frozen plasma and, as a result, a large proportion of frozen plasma transfusions are inappropriate according to current guidelines. As an alternative approach to foster improved transfusion practice, we outline a recently described paradigm for the use of frozen plasma to prevent and treat bleeding: (1) prolonged coagulation tests increase the risk of bleeding, (2) frozen plasma will correct abnormal coagulations and (3) correcting abnormal coagulation with frozen plasma transfusions will reduce bleeding. However, the evidence does not support either of the first two tenets, which suggests that transfusing frozen plasma will not reduce bleeding in some situations. Targeting these situations may allow an opportunity to improve current utilization of frozen plasma.


Clinical reasoning and its application to nursing: concepts and research studies.
Clinical reasoning may be defined as "the process of applying knowledge and expertise to a clinical situation to develop a solution" [Carr, S., 2004. A framework for understanding clinical reasoning in community nursing. J. Clin. Nursing 13 (7), 850-857]. Several forms of reasoning exist each has its own merits and uses. Reasoning involves the processes of cognition or thinking and metacognition. In nursing, clinical reasoning skills are an expected component of expert and competent practise. Nurse research studies have identified concepts, processes and thinking strategies that might underpin the clinical reasoning used by pre-registration nurses and experienced nurses. Much of the available research on reasoning is based on the use of the think aloud approach. Although this is a useful method, it is dependent on ability to describe and verbalise the reasoning process. More nursing research is needed to explore the clinical reasoning process. Investment in teaching and learning methods is needed to enhance clinical reasoning skills in nurses.


Composition of cartilagenous tissue with mineralized and non-mineralized zones formed in vitro.
We have previously shown that cartilagenous tissue with both non-mineralized and mineralized zones can be formed by chondrocytes which have been selectively isolated from the deep zone of bovine articular cartilage. In this study, we quantitate proteoglycan and collagen content, calcification, tissue thickness and cellularity over a 10 week culture period in order to study matrix accumulation and tissue formation. The cartilagenous tissue cellularity and proteoglycan and collagen accumulation continued up to 8 weeks and this was paralleled by an increase in tissue thickness. The amount of mineral in the tissue as well as the amount of collagen, in contrast to proteoglycan, was still increasing at 10 weeks. At the end of week 10, the amount of glycosaminoglycan and collagen as a percentage of dry weight of the tissue were 11.0 +/- 0.6% and 14.8 +/- 0.1%, respectively, compared with 10.5 +/- 1.2% and 35.1 +/- 5.8% for the in vitro deep articular cartilage. The amount of calcium as a percentage of dry weight of the cartilagenous tissue was 8.1 +/- 0.7% which was similar to the in vivo cartilage (9.1 +/- 1.6%). This data suggests that 8 weeks of culture may be necessary before the cartilagenous tissue is suitable for use as a transplant.


Primary plasmocytomas of the cranial vault.
Primary intracranial plasmocytomas are rare in neurosurgical practice. The accessible literature indicates that they fall into two groups: 1. Extramedullary plasmocytoma originating from the dura and 2. Plasmocytoma originating from the cranial vault. Four patients with primary lesions of the cranial vault were surgically treated and common characteristic clinical and radiological features discussed. Although the immediate outcome of treatment was excellent in all cases, the dissemination of disease occurred in two patients within the period of one year. It is therefore essential that the patients with so called solitary cranial plasmacytoma were rescreened for systemic myelomatosis at regular intervals.


Sporadic colonic hamartomas in adults: a retrospective study.
Colonic hamartomas are uncommon in adults. The aims of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of colonic hamartomas in an adult population undergoing colonoscopy and (2) the clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features of colonic hamartomas in adult patients. A pathology database identified 19 adult patients of 12,707 patients with colonic hamartomas in the 11-year study period from January 1992 to October 2002. An endoscopic computer database provided information about the number of colonoscopies performed and the presence or the absence of colonic polyp(s) in study patients. Charts of patients with colonic hamartomas were reviewed, and clinical and demographic data were collated. Nineteen patients were found to have colonic hamartomas. The mean age of these patients was 55 years, with an age distribution ranging from 25 to 81 years. The prevalence of colonic hamartomas in this study population was 0.15%. The prevalence of hamartomas in patients with colon polyps at index colonoscopy was 0.073%. Colonic hamartomas were more common in men than in women. The indication for colonoscopy for the majority (68%) of patients was hematochezia or the presence of occult blood in the stool. Three fourths of the polyps were greater than 1 cm in diameter, and 89% were pedunculated. Two thirds of the hamartomatous polyps were localized to the rectosigmoid region. Endoscopic characteristics of hamartomas were indistinguishable from adenomas. Colonic hamartomas in adults are rare. They tend to be single, pedunculated, and localized predominantly in the rectosigmoid region. Endoscopic resection of colonic hamartomas was successful in all patients.


A basic ddRADseq two-enzyme protocol performs well with herbarium and silica-dried tissues across four genera.
The ability to sequence genome-scale data from herbarium specimens would allow for the economical development of data sets with broad taxonomic and geographic sampling that would otherwise not be possible. Here, we evaluate the utility of a basic double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) protocol using DNAs from four genera extracted from both silica-dried and herbarium tissue. DNAs from Draba, Boechera, Solidago, and Ilex were processed with a ddRADseq protocol. The effects of DNA degradation, taxon, and specimen age were assessed. Although taxon, preservation method, and specimen age affected data recovery, large phylogenetically informative data sets were obtained from the majority of samples. These results suggest that herbarium samples can be incorporated into ddRADseq project designs, and that specimen age can be used as a rapid on-site guide for sample choice. The detailed protocol we provide will allow users to pursue herbarium-based ddRADseq projects that minimize the expenses associated with fieldwork and sample evaluation.


[HPLC study of the inhibition of enterobacterial cephalosporinases by cefmenoxime].
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has shown that cefmenoxime and cefotaxime are stable to the cephalosporinase of Enterobacter cloacae P99 , Morganella morganii GN 1510 and Serratia liquefaciens 132. They are significantly resistant to hydrolysis by 100 cephalosporinase units (cephalosporinase production of 10(12) bacterial). Cefmenoxime and cefotaxime are also inhibitors of cephalosporinase at the concentration of 5.10-10 micrograms per 10-10 unit of enzyme.


Effect of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) on barrier functions of epithelial cell membranes: opening of tight junctions and competitive inhibition of P-gp-mediated efflux.
The effect of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) on selected barrier functions of biological membranes, such as tight junction and P-gp efflux pump of epithelial membranes, against the transport of xenobiotics was examined. The Caco-2 cell line was used to evaluate the transport of mannitol and daunomycin across the cell monolayer as well as the cellular uptake of daunomycin. In the presence of NPEs, the transport of mannitol was increased, with NP-9 showing a maximal effect, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was reduced. The onset of this effect of NP-9 was fairly rapid and reversible for a short term (e.g., 2 h) treatment, while irreversible for a long term (e.g., 72 h) treatment. In the presence of NP-9, the apical uptake of daunomycin was increased, suggesting competitive inhibition between NP-9 and daunomycin in the efflux via the P-gp system. However, a 72 h pretreatment of the cells with NP-9 (up to 1000 nM) did not affect the apparent cellular uptake of daunomycin, suggesting no significant effect of NPEs on the expression of P-gp. In conclusion, NPEs appear to rapidly open the tight junction of epithelial cell membranes and to competitively inhibit the efflux of P-gp substrates, thereby reducing the self-protection ability of the organism against xenobiotics or hazardous environmental compounds that are transported via the paracellular pathway (i.e., uptake) or the P-gp system (i.e., efflux).


Estimation of additive and non-additive genetic variance component for growth traits in Adani goats.
Non-additive genetic effects are important to increase the accuracy of estimating genetic parameters for growth traits. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and variance components, specially dominance and epistasis genetic effects, for growth traits (birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), 3 (W3), 6 (W6), 9 (W9), and 12 (W12) month weight) in Adani goats. Analyses were carried out using Bayesian method via Gibbs sampler animal model by fitting of 18 different models. All fixed effects (sex, type of birth, age of dam, and year) showed significant effects on BW, WW, W3, and W6, whereas the type of birth and age of dam were not significant on W9 and W12. With the best model, direct heritability estimates were 0.347, 0.178, 0.158, 0.359, 0.278, and 0.281 for BW, WW, W3, W6, W9, and W12 traits, respectively. Maternal permanent environmental effect was significant for BW and WW, but maternal genetic effect was significant only for W3. Dominance and epitasis effects were significant almost for all traits and as a proportion of phenotypic variance were ranged from 0.115 to 0.258 and 0.107 to 0.218, respectively. The range of accuracy of breeding values estimated for growth traits with appropriate evaluation models was from 0.521 to 0.652, 0.616 to 0.694, and 0.548 to 0.684 for the all animals, 10% of the best males and 50% of the best females, respectively. When dominance and epistasis effects added to models, the error variance was reduced and the accuracy of estimated breeding values increased. The accuracy of the best model showed a significant difference with the accuracy of other models (p < 0.01). The result of the present study suggests that non-additive genetic effects should be in genetic evaluation models for goat growth traits because of its effect on accuracy of estimated breeding values.


Lymphatics of the floor of the mouth and periosteum: anatomic studies with possible clinical correlations.
An anatomic study is made to determine the role of the periosteum in the lymphatic drainage of the floor of the mouth in the dog. Microsurgical techniques are used to cannulate and perfuse a lymphatic vessel. Pathways are dissected to the proximity of the mandible, where a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap is elevated. It is found that the floor-of-the-mouth lymphatics drained through the periosteum prior to entering the cervical lymphatic chain.


Protein-to-creatinine ratio in spot urine samples as a predictor of quantitation of proteinuria.
Normal individuals usually excrete very small amounts of protein in the urine. Persistently increased protein excretion is usually a marker of kidney damage. Quantifying protein in urine is commonly used in the diagnosis of kidney diseases, detection of treatment effects and evaluation of prognosis. We evaluated the use of the total protein-to-creatinine ratio (P/C) in spot urine specimens as a predictor of urine protein excretion in 24-h collections. The correlation between P/C in first morning and random urine specimens and urinary protein excretion in 24-h collections were analyzed. The cutoff value of P/C in first morning urine specimens for screening urinary protein excretion of 1 and 3 g in 24-h collections was determined by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. For patients with Ccr<or=10 ml/min, correlation between the urine protein excretion in 24-h collections and the P/C in first morning urine specimens was not significant. For patients with Ccr > 10 ml/min, the correlation was highly significant. Similar results were obtained for random urine specimens. By ROC curve analysis, the P/C of 0.94 and 2.84 g/gcr in first morning urine specimens represent the best threshold to detect urine protein excretion of 1 and 3 g in 24-h collections, respectively. There is a good correlation between P/C in first morning urine specimens and random urine specimens from inpatients and outpatients. But the P/C in random specimens is significantly higher than that in first morning specimens in outpatients. The P/C in spot urine samples could be used as an alternative to urine protein excretion in 24-h collections in patients with Ccr>10 ml/min. The P/C in first morning urine samples is better than that in random specimens, especially for outpatients.


Femoral strength can be predicted from 2D projections using a 3D statistical deformation and texture model with finite element analysis.
Ultimate force of the proximal human femur can be predicted using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), but the models rely on 3D computed tomography images. Landmark-based statistical appearance models (SAM) and B-Spline transformation-based statistical deformation models (SDM) have been used to estimate 3D images from 2D projections, which facilitates model generation and reduces the radiation dose. However, there is no literature on the accuracy of SDM-based FEA models of bones with respect to experimental results. In this study, a methodology for an enhanced SDM with textural information is presented. The statistical deformation and texture models (SDTMs) are based on a set of 37 quantitative CT (QCT) images. They were used to estimate 3D images from two or one projections of the set in a leave-one-out setup. These estimations where then used to create FEA models. The ultimate force predicted by FEA models estimated from two or one projection using the SDTMs were compared to the experimental ultimate force from a previous study on the same femora and to the results of standard QCT-based FEA models. High correlations between predictions and experimental measurements were found for FEA models reconstructed from 2D projections with R2=0.835 when based on two projections and R2=0.724 when using one projection. The correlations were comparable to those reached with standard QCT-based FE-models with the experimental results (R2=0.795). This study shows the high potential of SDTM-based 3D image reconstruction and FEA modelling from 2D projections to predict femoral ultimate force.


Derivatives of 2-mercaptobenzenesulphonamide. X. Synthesis of 1-dialkylaminoalkyl-2-(2-mercaptobenzenesulphonyl)guanidines with potential pharmacological activity.
Synthesis of 2-(4-R(1)-5-R(2)-2-mercaptobenzenesulphonyl)derivatives of 1-(dialkylaminoalkyl)-3-isobutylguanidine (III b-l) and 1,3-di(2-dialkylaminoethyl)guanidine (IV-V) as well as subsequent S-2-aminoethylation reaction VI a-h, VII a-b have been described.


Transcervical carotid artery revascularization: A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes.
Carotid artery stenosis is considered a determinant factor for cerebrovascular events, estimated to be the cause of 10% to 20% of all ischemic strokes. Transcervical carotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has been offered as an alternative to transfemoral carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy to treat carotid artery stenosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies reporting the outcomes of patients who had undergone TCAR for carotid artery stenosis. The incidence of periprocedural adverse events was calculated. A total of 45 studies with 14,588 patients met the predefined eligibility criteria and were included in the present meta-analysis. The technical success rate was 99% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98%-99%). The reasons for technical failure included an inability to cross the lesion and/or failure to deploy the stent. Access site complications occurred in 2% of all cases (95% CI, 1%-2%; 30 studies). Overall, the incidence of cranial nerve (CN) injuries was very rare, with only 33 of 8994 patients experiencing neurologic deficits attributed to CN involvement. Bleeding complications were reported by 20 studies and occurred in 2% (95% CI, 1%-3%) of all cases. The overall periprocedural all-cause mortality and stroke rate was 0.5% and 1.3%, respectively. In-stent restenosis was observed in 4 of 260 patients (1.5%; 7 studies), and early (30-day) reocclusion or acute thrombosis of the target lesion occurred in 12 of 1243 patients (∼1%; 11 studies). The results from the present study have provided significant evidence that TCAR is a very promising and safe carotid revascularization approach with favorable technical success rates associated with low periprocedural stroke and CN injury rates.


Antibody persistence 12 months after a booster dose of meningococcal-C conjugated vaccine in the second year of life.
We report on the results of the 12-month follow-up of children aged 14 to 18 months who received primary and booster vaccinations with either a meningococcal-C vaccine conjugated to tetanus toxoid or CRM197. Seroprotection (92.8%) and geometric mean titers/serum bactericidal activity (410.5; 95% CI: 273.4-616.3) were higher in children receiving the meningococcal serogroup C tetanus toxoid conjugate, compared with 61.5% and serum bactericidal antibody geometric mean titer of 45.1 (95% CI: 28.5-71.3) when MenC-CRM197 conjugate was used.


Isolation and characterization of glycosaminoglycans from Schistosoma mansoni.
Tegumental tissues of paired adult Schistosoma mansoni were removed by treatment with Triton X-100 and recovered by centrifugation. The chloroform-methanol insoluble residues of this isolated tegumental fraction and of the denuded carcasses were analysed for glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and sialic acid contents. Treatment with GAG-specific enzymes followed by electrophoretic analysis showed that both the carcass and tegument contained heparin and/or heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. All these except hyaluronic acid were present in the tegumental fraction. Based on uronic acid content, about 73% of the total GAG was in the tegumental membrane, 15% in the tegmental matrix and the remaining 12% was in the carcass. The presence of heparin-like polysaccharide may present entrapment of the schistosoma by the hosts' blood-clotting process.


Inhibition and shifting capacities mediate adults' age-related differences in strategy selection and repertoire.
Young and older adults differ in how many strategies they use to accomplish cognitive tasks. They also differ in how often they select the best strategy on each problem. Two experiments were run to determine whether two executive functions-inhibition and shifting capacities-mediate age-related differences in strategy repertoire and in strategy selection. Both experiments were run in arithmetic problem solving. In Experiment 1, young and older adults' strategy repertoire was assessed on a problem-by-problem basis while participants solved two-digit addition problems (e.g., 42+76). In Experiment 2, young and older participants had to select the best strategy on each problem to find estimates of two-digit multiplication problems (e.g., 43×72). In both experiments, individuals' inhibition and shifting capacities were assessed with the Trail Making Test and the Stroop Test. The main results showed that (a) older adults used a smaller strategy repertoire (Expt. 1) and selected the best strategy on each problem less frequently (Expt. 2) than young adults, (b) inhibition and shifting capacities mediated age-related differences in strategy repertoire and strategy selection, and unique age effects were no longer significant in strategy repertoire but were still significant in strategy selection after statistical control of inhibition and shifting capacities. We discuss important implications of these findings to further our understanding of strategic variations during cognitive aging.


Minocycline prevents the inflammatory response after retinal detachment, where microglia phenotypes being regulated through A20.
Retinal detachment (RD) is a severe sight-threatening complication that can be caused by a multitude of retinal diseases. It has been evidenced that minocycline exerts neuroprotective effects by targeting microglia in the pathogenesis of massive ocular lesions including RD, but mechanisms remain elusive. We carried out this research to elucidate the potential mediators that link RD-induced vision loss with microglia reactivity by discussing effects of minocycline on cytokine levels and A20, a negative regulator of inflammation. Minocycline or vehicle was intraperitoneally administrated immediately after RD and continued daily before animals being euthanized. The oxygen glucose deprivation assay was undertaken on the co-cultured BV-2 and 661W cells to mimic the condition of RD in vitro, where A20 siRNA was adopted to knock down the A20 expression in BV-2 cells. Photoreceptor cells apoptosis, inflammatory response and microglia activity following RD with or without minocycline were evaluated. Photoreceptor cells apoptosis and inflammatory response were induced after RD, which could be largely counteracted by minocycline. Minocycline postponed the migration and proliferation of microglia and facilitated their transition to the M2 subtype following RD. Blocking A20 expression in BV-2 cells with siRNA crippled the effect of minocycline. Collectively, minocycline yields a promoting effect on photoreceptor cells survival post-RD by modulating the transformation of microglia phenotypes, in which process A20 may play a "bridge" role.


Metabolic15N labeling of the N-glycosylated immunoglobulin G1 Fc with an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain.
The predominant protein expression host for NMR spectroscopy is Escherichia coli, however, it does not synthesize appropriate post-translation modifications required for mammalian protein function and is not ideal for expressing naturally secreted proteins that occupy an oxidative environment. Mammalian expression platforms can address these limitations; however, these are not amenable to cost-effective uniform 15 N labeling resulting from highly complex growth media requirements. Yeast expression platforms combine the simplicity of bacterial expression with the capabilities of mammalian platforms, however yeasts require optimization prior to isotope labeling. Yeast expression will benefit from methods to boost protein expression levels and developing labeling conditions to facilitate growth and high isotope incorporation within the target protein. In this work, we describe a novel platform based on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that simultaneously expresses the Kar2p chaperone and protein disulfide isomerase in the ER to facilitate the expression of secreted proteins. Furthermore, we developed a growth medium for uniform 15 N labeling. We recovered 2.2 mg/L of uniformly 15 N-labeled human immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 Fc domain with 90.6% 15 N labeling. NMR spectroscopy revealed a high degree of similarity between the yeast and mammalian-expressed IgG1 Fc domains. Furthermore, we were able to map the binding interaction between IgG1 Fc and the Z domain through chemical shift perturbations. This platform represents a novel cost-effective strategy for 15 N-labeled immunoglobulin fragments.