[Detection of antibodies to the teichoic acids of the Staphylococcus aureus cell wall in the sera of osteomyelitis patients].
The comparative analysis of serum samples from patients with hematogenic and post-traumatic osteomyelitis for the presence of antibodies to the teichoic acids of the cell wall of S. aureus has been carried out by means of ELISA. The investigation has shown that the test system developed on the basis of teichoic acids can be used for confirming the diagnosis of osteomyelitis. An attempt to use this system for the dynamic observation of the disease has been made.


Influences on the development of imaginary worlds.
Dubourg and Baumard's paper takes a different, and fruitful, approach to the study of imaginary worlds than what is usually found in Media Studies, but omits certain circumstances and influences that shaped their history; this article argues that psychological or behavioral factors are not enough to explain the growth of imaginary worlds, even as they may be important influences.


Integrated physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analysis of thallium toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae.
Although several studies have evaluated the effects of Thallium (Tl) in adult species of fish, the developmental toxicity of Tl has not been previously explored. In this study, zebrafish embryos (<4 h post fertilization (hpf)) were exposed to Tl at concentrations from 0.8 to 400 μg L-1 for 7 d. The results showed that the decreased hatching rate and increased malformation rate were observed in the larvae. The swimming velocity of larvae from 200 and 400 μg L-1 treatments was respectively reduced by ~26 % and 15 %. Histopathological analysis of liver indicated the number of cells of karyolysis (143 % and 202 %) and pyknosis (170 % and 131 %) were respectively increased in 200 and 400 μg L-1 Tl treatments. Meanwhile, the Tl body burden and metallothionein (MT) levels in the larvae were increased with elevated Tl concentrations. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased by ~20 to 51 % in all Tl treatments and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was decreased by ~12 % at 200 μg L-1. The activities of Na+/K+-ATPase and protease were inhibited in 200 and 400 μg L-1 Tl treatments. Moreover, the transcripts of genes (Nrf2, HO-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, TGF) were significantly altered. In addition, a total of 930 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 1549 DEGs were found in the 200 and 400 μg L-1 treatments with 458 overlapped DEGs by transcriptomic analysis. The protein digestion and absorption, ECM-receptor interaction, and complement and coagulation cascades pathways were shown to be the most significantly enriched pathways. This study helps better understand the molecular mechanisms of Tl toxicity in fish.


Synthesis of Graphene Oxide Using Atmospheric Plasma for Prospective Biological Applications.
This paper presents a novel technique for the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) with various surface features using high-density atmospheric plasma deposition. Furthermore, to investigate the use of hydrophobic, super-hydrophobic, and hydrophilic graphene in biological applications, we synthesized hydrophobic, super-hydrophobic, and hydrophilic graphene oxides by additional heat treatment and argon plasma treatment, respectively. In contrast to conventional fabrication procedures, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) formed under low pressure and high-temperature environment using a new synthesis method-developed and described in this study-offers a convenient deposition method on any kind surface with controlled wettability. High density at atmospheric plasma is used for the synthesis of rGO and GO and its biocompatibility based on various wetting properties was evaluated using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, and the viability of cells in response to rGO and GO with various surface features was investigated. Structural integrity was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, FESEM and FE-TEM. Wettability was measured via contact angle method and confirmed with XPS analysis. We found that GO coating with a hydrophilic feature is more biocompatible than other surfaces as observed in case of fibroblast cells. We have shown that wettability-controlled by GO deposition-influences biocompatibilities and antibacterial effect of biomaterial surfaces. Measuring the contact angle, it is found that contact angle for hydrophobic is increased to 150.590 and reduced to 11.580 by heat and argon plasma treatment, respectively, from 75.880 that was initially in the case of hydrophobic surface. XPS analysis confirmed various oxygen-containing functional groups transforming as deposited hydrophobic surface into superhydrophobic and hydrophilic surface. Thus, we have proposed a new, direct, cost-effective, and highly productive method for the synthesis of rGO and GO-with various surface properties-for biological applications. Similarly, for the dental implant application, the Streptococcus mutans was used as an antibacterial effect and found that S. mutans grows slowly on hydrophilic surface. Thus, antibacterial effect was prominent on GO with hydrophilic surface.


Time course of ventricular fibrillation threshold in infarcted and non-infacted myocardium after acute coronary ligation.
The time course of the ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) was studied in 10 open-chest mongrel dogs following acute occlusion of the left anterior descanding coronary artery (LAD). The VFT in the infarcted area was compared to a non-infarcted area of the left ventricle supplied by the circumflex coronary artery. Prior to coronary occlusion the mean VFT for the entire group of 10 animals was 14 ma. for the area supplied by the LAD and 17.6 ma. for the area of the left circumflex. Immediately after coronary ligation the VFT decreased in both areas. Within 90 to 120 minutes the VFT in the infarcted area was 27 ma. and after 6 hours of occlusion the VFT was 3 times the pre-ligation value. The VFT in the non-infarcted area remained near the pre-ligation values. The excitability of the infarcted area was markedly decreased after coronary occlusion and this accounted for the increase in the VFT in the infarcted area. In the non-ischemic area the excitability was unchanged during the entire six hour period following occlusion. The study stresses the importance of the location of the electrodes used for fibrillation and the natural course of the VFT in evaluating VFT's within the ischemic myocardium.


Systematic review and case series of neuropsychological functioning after epilepsy surgery in children with dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNET).
The purposes of this study were to 1) conduct a review of neuropsychological (NP) outcomes after epilepsy surgery for DNET and 2) present pre/post-surgical NP results from a series of children with DNET. First, a systematic literature review was conducted with specific inclusion criteria. Second, a review of DNET surgical patients seen at two tertiary-care hospitals using reliable change methods of NP functioning was conducted. Of 300 citations retrieved, 7 studies met criteria. Studies reported low average to average pre-surgical IQ. Engel Class I outcome was approximately 85%. Thirteen children completed pre/post-surgical NP assessments. Pre-surgically, children demonstrated low average to average functioning. Post-surgically, few patients showed reliable change. One-third of children demonstrated psychological improvement. NP outcome following DNET has not been well-described. Children with DNET demonstrate low average to average NP functioning pre-surgically, good seizure outcome, and stable NP functioning post-surgically.


Lymphocytosis without anemia in a patient presenting with anaphylactic shock.
We retrospectively investigated whether anaphylactic shock tends to be associated with lymphocytosis or not. We reviewed the medical charts of patients who had shock between January 1999 and September 2004. The subjects were divided into 4 groups, consisting of anaphylactic, hemorrhagic, cardiogenic, and septic groups. The results of laboratory examinations were analyzed. Regarding cellular differences, the lymphocyte-total leukocyte ratio in the anaphylactic group was significantly greater than that in the other groups. The average number of lymphocytes in the anaphylactic group was also significantly greater than that in both the hemorrhagic and septic groups. In addition, the average value of hemoglobin in the anaphylactic group was significantly greater than that in the other groups. The identification of lymphocytosis without anemia may therefore enable clinicians to accurately differentiate various states of shock in patients presenting with shock at the ED.


Effectiveness of a somatostatin analogue in lowering luteinizing hormone and insulin-stimulated secretion in hyperinsulinemic women with polycystic ovary disease.
To analyze the action of a long-acting somatostatin analogue on circulating insulin levels and on pituitary sensitivity to GnRH in women affected by polycystic ovary disease (PCOD). Controlled clinical study. Normal human volunteers in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Twenty euglycemic women affected by PCOD, aged 19 to 30 years, were studied in their early follicular phase. A long-acting somatostatin analogue (octreotide) was administered SC for 6 weeks; an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a GnRH test, and plasma hormone determinations were performed at baseline and repeated after 6 weeks of treatment. A glucose load also was performed after 1 week of treatment. Insulin and glucose serum concentrations were measured in all samples under the oral glucose stimulus, LH and FSH were measured under GnRH test. Plasma levels of PRL, sex hormone-binding globulin, androstenedione (A), T, 17 beta-hydroxyprogesterone, DHEAS, and cortisol were measured. Steroids also were assayed after the octreotide administration. Based on the insulin response to OGTT, subjects were classified as hyperinsulinemic (n = 12) and normoinsulinemic (n = 8). Octreotide administration did not affect the glycemic levels in both groups. Octreotide significantly reduced insulin and LH exaggerated response to GnRH stimulus, as well as the A and T circulating levels, only in the hyperinsulinemic group. A functional linkage exists between exaggerated insulin and LH-stimulated secretion in a group of polycystic ovary patients. Octreotide may be useful in normalizing these alterations and in reducing ovarian androgen secretion of hyperinsulinemic subjects.


Longitudinal Analysis of 1α,25-dihidroxyvitamin D3 and Homocysteine Changes in Colorectal Cancer.
1α,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) and homocysteine are known to play a role in the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer (CRC). In health, the two changes are inversely proportional to each other, but little is known about their combined effect in CRC. The serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and the homocysteine levels of eighty-six CRC patients were measured, who were enrolled into four cohorts based on the presence of metastases (Adj vs. Met) and vitamin D3 supplementation (ND vs. D). 1,25(OH)2D3 was constant (Adj-ND), increased significantly (Adj-D, p = 0.0261), decreased (Met-ND), or returned close to the baseline after an initial increase (Met-D). The longitudinal increase in 1,25(OH)2D3 (HR: 0.9130, p = 0.0111) positively affected the overall survival in non-metastatic CRC, however, this effect was cancelled out in those with metastasis (p = 0.0107). The increase in homocysteine negatively affected both the overall (HR: 1.0940, p = 0.0067) and the progression-free survival (HR: 1.0845, p = 0.0073). Lower 1,25(OH)2D3 and/or higher homocysteine level was characteristic for patients with higher serum lipids, albumin, total protein, white blood cell and platelet count, male sex, and right-sided tumors. No statistically justifiable connection was found between the target variables. A measurement-based titration of vitamin D3 supplementation and better management of comorbidities are recommended for CRC.


Atopy patch test in patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome: comparison of petrolatum and aqueous solution as a vehicle.
The atopy patch test (APT) is an in vivo model to study the induction of eczema by inhalant allergens. This study was designed to compare two commonly used APT methods. In the first method, the allergen is dissolved in aqueous solution, which is applied on tape-stripped skin. In the second method, the allergen is dissolved in petrolatum and applied without tape stripping. Thirteen patients with atopic dermatitis sensitized to inhalant allergens were patch tested using both methods. Reactions were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically after 48 h. Nine out of 13 patients displayed a positive reaction for both methods. One patient had a positive APT for the aqueous method alone and three for the petrolatum method alone. Reactions were significantly stronger when using the petrolatum method. Histological evaluation of the nine patients positive for both methods showed no significant differences in number of eosinophils, T-cells and neutrophils. The APT using the petrolatum vehicle induces a higher number of positive reactions and is significantly stronger relative to the APT using allergen in aqueous vehicle. The cellular influx in both test methods is comparable. Both methods can be used to study the mechanisms in the induction of eczema by inhalant allergens.


Social pleasure in daily life: A meta-analysis of experience sampling studies in schizophrenia.
Social anhedonia is considered a key feature of schizophrenia that leads to impaired social functioning. Although traditional laboratory measures assess non-current social pleasure, researchers have begun using experience sampling methods (ESM) to measure current, or consummatory, experiences of social pleasure in daily life. A recent meta-analysis examined deficits in consummatory social pleasure in schizophrenia and found vast heterogeneity in effect sizes across ESM studies. Thus, this meta-analysis aimed to extend those results by testing moderators of this effect. Meta-analysis of 14 ESM studies suggests those with psychotic disorders exhibit a moderate deficit in consummatory social pleasure compared to healthy controls. Yet, this effect was significantly moderated by the type of measure used to assess social pleasure. Measures that directly assessed positive emotional experience during socialization yielded small effects that failed to reach significance; indirect measures of other social factors related to pleasure yielded large, significant effects. This suggests daily social anhedonia observed in psychotic disorders is not due to reduced experience of positive emotion. Instead, social anhedonia may be driven by other elements of social functioning. Most clinical variables did not influence effects, but there was a trend such that patient groups with lower cognitive functioning exhibited greater pleasure deficits. Inconsistent reporting across studies limited our ability to examine other real-world variables that may contribute to deficits in social pleasure. Yet, results show different ESM items used to measure social pleasure do not assess the same construct. Future research is needed to validate ESM measures and standardize protocols across studies.


Plasmid-based complementation of large deletions in Phaeodactylum tricornutum biosynthetic genes generated by Cas9 editing.
The model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is an attractive candidate for synthetic biology applications. Development of auxotrophic strains of P. tricornutum would provide alternative selective markers to commonly used antibiotic resistance genes. Here, using CRISPR/Cas9, we show successful editing of genes in the uracil, histidine, and tryptophan biosynthetic pathways. Nanopore long-read sequencing indicates that editing events are characterized by the occurrence of large deletions of up to ~ 2.7 kb centered on the editing site. The uracil and histidine-requiring phenotypes can be complemented by plasmid-based copies of the intact genes after curing of the Cas9-editing plasmid. Growth of uracil auxotrophs on media supplemented with 5-fluoroorotic acid and uracil results in loss of the complementing plasmid, providing a facile method for plasmid curing with potential applications in strain engineering and CRISPR editing. Metabolomic characterization of uracil auxotrophs revealed changes in cellular orotate concentrations consistent with partial or complete loss of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase activity. Our results expand the range of P. tricornutum auxotrophic strains and demonstrate that auxotrophic complementation markers provide a viable alternative to traditionally used antibiotic selection markers. Plasmid-based auxotrophic markers should expand the range of genome engineering applications and provide a means for biocontainment of engineered P. tricornutum strains.


Centrifugation and decontamination procedures selectively impair recovery of important populations in Mycobacterium smegmatis.
Diagnosis and treatment monitoring of patients with tuberculosis (TB) requires detection of all viable mycobacteria in clinical samples. Quantitation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in sputum is commonly performed by culture after sample decontamination to prevent overgrowth by contaminant organisms. Exponentially growing cultures have cells that predominately lack non-polar lipid bodies whereas stationary cultures have a predominance of cells with non-polar lipid bodies. This may reflect rapidly growing 'active' and non-replicating 'persister' sub-populations respectively in sputum from TB patients. We investigated the effect of decontamination on culture-based quantitation of exponential and stationary phase cultures of Mycobacterium smegmatis in an artificial sputum model. Exponentially growing populations were between 89 and 50 times more susceptible to decontamination than stationary phase cultures when quantified by most probable number and colony forming units. These findings suggest that decontamination selectively eliminates the 'active' population. This may impair diagnostic sensitivity, treatment monitoring, and compromise clinical trials designed to identify new antibiotic combinations with activity against all mycobacterial cell states.


Tumour immunotherapy--leukocytes take up the fight.
The immune system can promote the elimination of tumours, but often immune responses are modulated or suppressed by the tumour microenvironment. In this joint Focus from Nature Reviews Cancer and Nature Reviews Immunology, leading researchers describe our current understanding of the complex interactions that occur between the immune system and tumour cells, and discuss how the power of the immune system can be harnessed by anticancer immunotherapies.


Effects of prolactin on explant cultures of rat ventral prostate: morphological and immunohistochemical study.
Specimens derived from rat ventral prostate were cultured by an explant culture technique using differents concentrations of ovine prolactin. Sacrificed explants embedded on paraffin were sectioned for morphologic and immunocytochemical studies using antibodies against prostatic acid phosphatase, prostatic specific antigen, and wide-spectrum monoclonal keratin. Prolactin significantly stimulated the growth of these cells in the concentration range of 1 x 10(-2) ui/ml, but was inhibitory at a concentration of 1 and 0.1 ui/ml. The 1 x 10(-3) and 1 x 10(-4) ui/ml prolactin concentrations demonstrated the preservation of a glandular epithelium with a columnar shape, similar to the normal appearance of ventral prostate from rats.


[Progress on cell infiltration in electrospun scaffold].
To introduce the research progress on the technique of improving cell infiltration in electrospun scaffold. The recent original articles about improving cell infiltration in electrospun scaffold were extensively reviewed and analyzed. The technique includes regulation of the electrospun parameters, modification of electrospun scaffold, and dynamic culture of scaffold-cells composite etc. The effect is limited and most of them need further optimization. Cell infiltration in electrospun scaffold is of great significance in tissue engineering application. The relatively high compressed density and small pore size have become the bottleneck problem that prevents cell infiltration and tissue ingrowth into the scaffold. The combination of different techniques will be more effective to overcome this problem.


Ramifications of POU4F3 variants associated with autosomal dominant hearing loss in various molecular aspects.
POU4F3, a member of the POU family of transcription factors, commonly causes autosomal dominant deafness. Exome sequencing was used to identify four novel variants in POU4F3 (NM_002700.2), including c.564dupA: p.Ala189SerfsTer26, c.743T > C:p.Leu248Pro, c.879C > A:p.Phe293Leu, and c.952G > A:p.Val318Met, and diverse aspects of the molecular consequences of their protein expression, stability, subcellular localization, and transcriptional activity were investigated. The expression of three mutant proteins, encoded by missense variants, was reduced compared to the wild-type protein, demonstrating that the mutants were unstable and vulnerable to degradation. Additionally, all the mutant proteins had distinct subcellular localization patterns. A mutant protein carrying p.Ala189SerfsTer26, in which both mono- and bi-partite nuclear localization signals were disrupted, showed abnormal subcellular localization. Resultantly, all the mutant proteins significantly reduced the transcriptional activity required to regulate the downstream target gene expression. Furthermore, we identified the altered expression of 14 downstream target genes associated with inner ear development using patient-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines. There was a significant correlation of the expression profile between patient-derived cells and the cochlear hair cells, which provided a breakthrough for cases where the collection of human cochlear samples for transcriptome studies was unfeasible. This study expanded the genotypic spectrum of POU4F3 in DFNA15, and further refined the molecular mechanisms underlying POU4F3-associated DFNA15.


Effects of bepridil on force development and transmembrane electrical activity of adult canine Purkinje strands: comparison with nisoldipine and lidocaine.
Superfusion of a bepridil containing normal Tyrode solution produced a concentration-dependent decrease in force development and shortening of action potential duration in isolated Purkinje strands. At a concentration close to the 50% inhibitory concentration for effects on force development and action potential duration, bepridil blocked 'slow' action potentials in potassium depolarized, isoproterenol-restored Purkinje strands. When the concentration-response relations for decreasing force development and shortening action potential duration were compared to those of nisoldipine and other calcium entry inhibitors, bepridil was the least potent. Bepridil also showed a concentration-dependent effect on the maximum rate of rise of the Purkinje fiber action potential upstroke similar to, though less potent than that of lidocaine. In addition, like lidocaine, bepridil shifted the membrane responsiveness curve of the Purkinje strands to the left. These findings indicate that bepridil produced effects that are consistent with its classification as a calcium entry inhibitor (class IV antiarrhythmic), as well as effects that are 'lidocaine-like' (class I antiarrhythmic).


Evidence for rapid loss of newly synthesized haemoglobin S molecules in sickle cell anaemia and sickle cell trait.
The present study indicates that newly completed haemoglobin S molecules rather than free betas-chains are preferentially bound to the reticulocyte stroma of individuals with sickle cell trait and sickle cell anaemia. Reticulocytes from indivdiuals with HbAA, AS and SS were incubated with [3H]eucine from 1.25 min to 120 min. Unlike the stroma-free haemolysates, the stroma of all individuals contained an excess of labelled beta-chains relative to alpha-chains after short incubation times. In haemoglobin AA and AS individuals, the stromal betaA radioactivity was 1--2% of the total cellular betaA radioactivity. In haemoglobin AS and SS individuals, the stromal betaS radioactivity was 3--5% and 10--20% of the total cellular betaS radioactivity, respectively. All of the stroma beta-chain radioactivity was associated with completed haemoglobin molecules. Because of the unlabelled free alpha-chain pool found in reticulocytes, after short incubation times newly completed haemoglobin molecules have predominantly labelled beta-chains and unlabelled alpha-chains. These findings suggest that part of the discrepancy between the stroma and stroma-free haemolysate alpha/beta radioactivities seen in HbAS and HbSS individuals may result from normal labelling kinetics. A pulse chase experiment performed on an individual with HbSS revealed that comleted HbS molecules, in addition to being associated with the stroma, were lost from the cell.


Quality/risk management system in radiotherapy: Changes afoot.
The French sanitary and regulatory context in which radiotherapy centres are comprised is evolving. Risk and quality management systems are currently adapting to these evolutions. The French nuclear safety agency (ASN) decision of July 1st 2008 on quality assurance obligations in radiotherapy has reached 10 years of age, and the French high authority of health (HAS) certification system 20 years now. Mandatory tools needed for the improvement of quality and safety in healthcare are now well known. From now on, the focus of healthcare policies is oriented towards evaluation of efficiency of these new organisations designed following ASN and HAS nationwide guidelines.


Investigating the Roles of Anterior Cingulate in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: A PET/MRI Study.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) seems to play an important role in behavioral deficits and executive dysfunctions in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), while its specific and independent contribution requires clarification. To identify whether ACC abnormalities in gray matter (GM) volume and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) images are associated with disease severity of bvFTD, by analyzing hybrid T1 and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET). We enrolled 21 bvFTD patients and 21 healthy controls in the study. Each subject underwent a hybrid PET/MRI study and a standardized neuropsychologic assessment battery. GM volume and SUVR are voxel-wise calculated and compared. Then we estimate the mean value inside ACC for further partial Pearson's correlation to explore the association between GM volume/SUVR of the ACC and severity of behavioral deficit as well as executive dysfunction. ACC was shown to be involved in both atrophy and hypometabolism patterns. The partial Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the SUVR of the ACC was strongly correlated with frontal behavior inventory total score (left r = -0.85, right r = -0.85, p < 0.0001), disinhibition subscale score (left r = -0.72, p = 0.002; right = -0.75, p < 0.0001), and apathy subscale score (left = -0.87, right = -0.85, p < 0.0001). These findings demonstrated decreased ACC activity contributes to behavioral disturbances of both apathetic and disinhibition syndromes of bvFTD, which can be sensitively detected using 18F-FDG PET.


Common components and specific weights analysis: a tool for monitoring the molecular structure of semi-hard cheese throughout ripening.
Twelve semi-hard (Raclette) cheeses, belonging to four brand products, namely A (n=3), B (n=3), C (n=3) and D (n=3), were produced during summer period and ripened at an industrial scale. Tryptophan, riboflavin and vitamin A fluorescence spectra were scanned on the 12 cheeses at 2, 30 and 60 days of ripening. The physico-chemical analyses were performed only at the end of the ripening stage (60 days). Common components and specific weights analysis (CCSWA) were applied on the four data tables. CCSWA showed that the common component 1 (q1), discriminating cheeses labelled A, B and C from those labelled D, expressed 94.4 and 59% of the inertia of vitamin A and tryptophan fluorescence spectra and a less amount for riboflavin fluorescence spectra and physico-chemical data (24.2 and 13.2%, respectively). Common component 3 (q3), differentiating between cheeses labelled B and those labelled A and C, explained 34.6 and 23.9% of the inertia of the physico-chemical data and tryptophan fluorescence spectra, respectively, and a tiny part of the inertia of riboflavin and vitamin A fluorescence spectra (3.2 and 0.7%, respectively). The CCSWA showed its ability to describe the overall information collected from fluorescence and physico-chemical data tables and to extract relevant information at the molecular level throughout ripening of the investigated semi-hard cheeses.


Speech Articulatory Characteristics of Individuals With Dentofacial Deformity.
To analyze the speech articulatory characteristics of individuals with dentofacial deformities (DFD) and assess differences compared to individuals with dentofacial balance. Sixty individuals participated, being 30 presenting DFD (19 with class III and 11 class II skeletal malocclusion, 18 women and 12 men, age group 18-40 years) and 30 individuals from a control group matched for gender and age. The assessment of the diadochokinesis (DDK) was evaluated using the emissions /pa/, /ta/, /ka/, /pataka/, and /i/. The individuals with DFD produced fewer emissions per second: at syllable "ka" and sequence "pataka" for the total of individuals; syllable "pa" and sequence "pataka" for women, individuals with class II and class III malocclusion. The parameters related to the irregularity of the cycles were higher for the group with DFD than for the control, as well as emission of the syllable "pa" for the total of individuals, group of class III malocclusion and women, during production of the syllables "ta" and "ka" for all individuals and group of class III and during emission of the vowel "ï" for women. Differences regarding speed and stability of oral and laryngeal DDK were found among individuals with DFD compared with the control group.


Clinical validation of atlas-based auto-segmentation of pelvic volumes and normal tissue in rectal tumors using auto-segmentation computed system.
To evaluate in two different settings - clinical practice and education/training - the reliability, time efficiency and the ideal sequence of an atlas-based auto-segmentation system in pelvic delineation of locally advanced rectal cancer. Fourteen consecutive patients were selected between October and December 2011. The images of four were used as an atlas and 10 used for validation. Two independent operators participated: a Delineator to contour and a Reviewer to perform an independent check (IC). The CTV, pelvic subsites and organs at risk were contoured in four different sequences. These included A: manual; B: auto-segmentation; C: auto-segmentation + manual revision; and D: manual + auto-segmentation + manual revision. Contouring was performed by the Delineator using the same planning CT. All of them underwent an IC by a Reviewer. The time required for all the contours were recorded and overlapping evaluation was assessed using a Dice coefficient. In the clinical practice setting there have been 13 minutes time saved between sequences A versus sequences B (from 38 to 25 minutes, p = 0.002), a mean Dice coefficient in favor of sequences A for CTV and all subsites (p = 0.0195). In the educational/training setting there have been 35.2 minutes time saved between sequences C and D 8 (from 73.1 min to 37.9 min, p = 0.002). The preliminary data suggest that the use of an atlas-based auto-contouring system may help improve efficiencies in contouring in the clinical practice setting and could have a tutorial role in the educational/training setting.


Structure-mechanics relationships in mineralized tendons.
In this paper, we review the hierarchical structure and the resulting elastic properties of mineralized tendons as obtained by various multiscale experimental and computational methods spanning from nano- to macroscale. The mechanical properties of mineralized collagen fibres are important to understand the mechanics of hard tissues constituted by complex arrangements of these fibres, like in human lamellar bone. The uniaxial mineralized collagen fibre array naturally occurring in avian tendons is a well studied model tissue for investigating various stages of tissue mineralization and the corresponding elastic properties. Some avian tendons mineralize with maturation, which results in a graded structure containing two zones of distinct morphology, circumferential and interstitial. These zones exhibit different amounts of mineral, collagen, pores and a different mineral distribution between collagen fibrillar and extrafibrillar space that lead to distinct elastic properties. Mineralized tendon cells have two phenotypes: elongated tenocytes placed between fibres in the circumferential zone and cuboidal cells with lower aspect ratios in the interstitial zone. Interestingly some regions of avian tendons seem to be predestined to mineralization, which is exhibited as specific collagen cross-linking patterns as well as distribution of minor tendon constituents (like proteoglycans) and loss of collagen crimp. Results of investigations in naturally mineralizing avian tendons may be useful in understanding the pathological mineralization occurring in some human tendons.


Protein interaction discovery using parallel analysis of translated ORFs (PLATO).
Identifying physical interactions between proteins and other molecules is a critical aspect of biological analysis. Here we describe PLATO, an in vitro method for mapping such interactions by affinity enrichment of a library of full-length open reading frames displayed on ribosomes, followed by massively parallel analysis using DNA sequencing. We demonstrate the broad utility of the method for human proteins by identifying known and previously unidentified interacting partners of LYN kinase, patient autoantibodies, and the small-molecules gefitinib and dasatinib.


Coronary artery bypass grafting in active or recent COVID-19 infection: a systematic review.
Even though there have been few studies on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), data on patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection show that cardiac surgery has poor outcomes in this subset. From the available studies in the literature, we conducted a systematic review with the aim of determining the outcome of COVID-19 patients who underwent CABG. Between December 2019 and October 2022, searches were conducted in PubMed, the Directory of Open Access Journals, and Google Scholar to find studies reporting results of COVID-19 patients undergoing CABG. We extracted data on the clinical profile and outcomes of the patients from the eligible studies. The quality of the studies was assessed using a standardised tool. The total sample size across the 12 included studies was 99 patients who underwent CABG in active disease or within 30 days of COVID-19 infection. The median and interquartile range (IQR) for the length of time spent on a mechanical ventilator, stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the total hospital stay were 0.9 (0.47-2), 4.5 (2.5-8), and 12.5 (8.5-22.5) days respectively. Seventy-six patients developed postoperative complications, and there were eleven deaths. The findings of the present study indicate that mortality risk goes down when the time between COVID-19 diagnosis and surgery increases. When compared to data from other high-risk urgent or emergent CABG patients around the world who were not infected with COVID-19, patients who underwent CABG in the COVID-19 subgroup had similar postoperative outcomes. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12055-023-01495-7.


Adjunctive effect of compound Kushen injection for cancer: An overview of systematic reviews.
Compound Kushen (Sophora flavescens Aiton) Injection (CKI) is a Chinese herbal injection made from extracts of Kushen and Baituling (Heterosmilax japonica Kunth), containing matrine (MAT), oxymatrine (OMT) and other alkaloids with significant anti-tumor activity, and is widely used as an adjuvant treatment for cancer in China. The existing systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) were re-evaluated to provide a reference for the clinical application of CKI. SRs/MAs of CKI adjuvant therapy for cancer-related diseases were searched in four English language databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, all from the time of database construction to October 2022. 5 researchers independently conducted literature search and identification according to the inclusion criteria, and the data of the final literature were independently extracted, and finally the AMSTAR 2 tool, PRISMA statement and GRADE classification were used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included SRs/MAs, the degree of completeness of reporting and the quality of evidence for outcome indicators. Database registration: PROSPERO ID:CRD42022361349. Eighteen SRs/MAs were finally included, with studies covering non-small cell lung cancer, primary liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, head and neck tumors, and cancer-related bone pain. The evaluation showed that the methodological quality of the included literature was extremely low, but most of the literature reported relatively complete entries; nine clinical effectiveness indicators for non-small cell lung cancer and digestive system tumors were rated as moderate in the GRADE quality of evidence, and the quality of other outcomes was low to very low. CKI is a potentially effective drug for the adjuvant treatment of neoplastic diseases and may be more convincing for the adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and digestive system tumors; however, due to the low methodological and evidentiary quality of the current SRs, their effectiveness needs to be confirmed by more high-quality evidence-based medical evidence.


Microglial phagocytosis induced by fibrillar beta-amyloid and IgGs are differentially regulated by proinflammatory cytokines.
Microglia undergo a phenotypic activation in response to fibrillar beta-amyloid (fAbeta) deposition in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, resulting in their elaboration of inflammatory molecules. Despite the presence of abundant plaque-associated microglia in the brains of AD patients and in animal models of the disease, microglia fail to efficiently clear fAbeta deposits. However, they can be induced to do so during Abeta vaccination therapy attributable to anti-Abeta antibody stimulation of IgG receptor (FcR)-mediated phagocytic clearance of Abeta plaques. We report that proinflammatory cytokines attenuate microglial phagocytosis stimulated by fAbeta or complement receptor 3 and argue that this may, in part, underlie the accumulation of fAbeta-containing plaques within the AD brain. The proinflammatory suppression of fAbeta-elicited phagocytosis is dependent on nuclear factor kappaB activation. Significantly, the proinflammatory cytokines do not inhibit phagocytosis elicited by antibody-mediated activation of FcR, which may contribute to the efficiency of Abeta vaccination-based therapy. Importantly, the proinflammatory suppression of fAbeta phagocytosis can be relieved by the coincubation with anti-inflammatory cytokines, cyclooxygenase inhibitors, ibuprofen, or an E prostanoid receptor antagonist, suggesting that proinflammatory cytokines induce the production of prostaglandins, leading to an E prostanoid receptor-dependent inhibition of phagocytosis. These findings support anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of AD.


Beyond the Hot Comb: Updates in Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia from 2011 to 2021.
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) is a form of scarring alopecia that predominantly affects middle-aged women of African descent. Recent data suggest a multifactorial etiology of CCCA that is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Emerging evidence regarding the genetic basis of the condition may elucidate new therapies. While topical and intralesional steroids and tetracycline antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, refractory cases may be considered for hair transplantation. Emerging therapies using platelet-rich plasma, botanical formulas, and cosmetic procedures have shown promising results for the future management of CCA. As recent notable advances in CCCA have been achieved, this review provides an update on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of CCCA.


Pre-treatment shyness mindset predicts less reduction of social anxiety during exposure therapy.
This study examined the moderating role of shyness mindset on the reduction of social anxiety during exposure-based treatment. Participants (N=60) in an intensive outpatient program for anxiety disorders were assessed at pre- and post-treatment. Social performance anxiety decreased dramatically during treatment, but the amount of decrease differed as a function of pre-treatment shyness mindset. At one standard deviation above the mean on both the social performance anxiety and shyness mindset measures, an average reduction of 15 points on the social performance anxiety measure was observed. At one standard deviation above the mean on the social performance anxiety measure and one standard deviation below the mean on the shyness mindset measure, an average reduction of 27 points on the social performance anxiety measure was observed. These results suggest that targeting shyness mindset during exposure-based treatments for social anxiety disorder might increase the effectiveness of treatment for individuals with a high shyness mindset.


Effect of task-based bilateral arm training on upper limb recovery after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Upper limb recovery is a crucial component of stroke rehabilitation aimed to maximize functional activities and reduce disability. Using both arms post stroke is essential to carry out many functional activities but the evidence on bilateral arm training (BAT) is understudied. To investigate the evidence for efficacy of task-based BAT on upper limb recovery, function, and participation post stroke. We included 13 randomized controlled trials, and methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane risk of bias tool and the PEDro scale. The outcome measures such as Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), Motor Activity Log (MAL), Box and Block Test (BBT), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) were synthesized and analysed based on ICF. When comparing BAT with control group, BAT showed improvement in the pooled standard mean difference (SMD) of FMA-UE (SMD= 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12 to 1.12, p = 0.01; I2=83%). The control group showed significant improvement in MAL-QOM (SMD= -0.10, 95%CI, -0.77 to 0.58, p = 0.78; I2=89%). Compared to conventional group, BAT showed a significant improvement in BBT (SMD= 0.52, 95%CI, 0.04 to 1.00, p = 0.03; I2=0%). When compared with BAT, unimanual training yielded a significant improvement (SMD= -0.60, 95%CI, -0.98 to -0.22, p = 0.002; I2=0%) in MAL-QOM. In real-life participation, the control group showed improvement in SIS (SMD= -0.17, 95% (CI), -0.70 to 0.37, p = 0.54; I2=48%) over BAT. Task-based BAT appears to improve upper limb motor function post stroke. The benefits of task-based BAT on activity performance and participation in real life are not statistically significant.


Tuftsin stimulates growth of HL60 cells.
Many functions of monocyte/macrophage and granulocyte are activated by tuftsin; principally phagocytosis, motility, immunogenic stimulation, antibacterial and antineoplastic activities. Here it is shown that tuftsin stimulates HL60 growth to twice the control rate. The uptake of [3H]uridine and [3H]leucine in a pulse of 30 min was also double that of the control. The uptake of thymidine was not stimulated.


Changes in skeletal muscle size, fibre-type composition and capillary supply after chronic venous occlusion in rats.
We have previously shown that surgical occlusion of some veins from skeletal muscle results in muscle hypertrophy without mechanical overloading in the rat. The present study investigated the changes in muscle-fibre composition and capillary supply in hypertrophied muscles after venous occlusion in the rat hindlimb. Sixteen male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into two groups: (i) sham operated (sham-operated group; n = 7); (ii) venous occluded for 2 weeks (2-week-occluded group; n = 9). At the end of the experimental period, specimens of the plantaris muscle were dissected from the hindlimbs and subjected to biochemical and histochemical analyses. Two weeks after the occlusion, both the wet weight of plantaris muscle relative to body weight and absolute muscle weight showed significant increases in the 2-week-occluded group ( approximately 15%) when compared with those in the sham-operated group. The concentrations of muscle glycogen and lactate were higher in the 2-week-occluded group, whereas staining intensity of muscle lipid droplets was lower in the 2-week-occluded group than those in the sham-operated group. The percentage of type I muscle fibre decreased, whereas that of type IIb fibre increased in the 2-week-occluded group when compared with the sham-operated group. Although the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-188 mRNA increased, the number of capillaries around the muscle fibres tended to decrease (P = 0.07). Chronic venous occlusion causes skeletal muscle hypertrophy with fibre-type transition towards faster types and changes in contents of muscle metabolites.


Role of the N-terminal domain of the chaperone ClpX in the recognition and degradation of lambda phage protein O.
The ClpXP ATPase-protease complex is a key element of the protein quality control machinery in the cell. ClpX consists of a zinc-binding domain (ZBD) that forms dimers and a AAA(+) domain that arranges into a hexamer in an ATP-dependent manner. Here, we report the binding site of the ClpX substrate λ phage protein O (λO) on ZBD(2) in ClpX using NMR and mutagenesis analysis. λO protein was found to interact with a hydrophobic patch on the larger surface of ZBD(2). The affinity of λO toward ZBD(2) was investigated using a quantitative optical biosensor method of dual polarization interferometry. The data suggest overlapping binding sites of λO and the ClpX cofactor SspB on the ZBD(2). Interestingly, a single key mutation in ZBD was found to enhance the ClpXP-dependent degradation of λO.


Vanadate-induced suicidal erythrocyte death.
Vanadium, a trace element, as vanadate (VO4(3-)) is known to interfere with a wide variety of enzymes including Ca2+ ATPase and Na+/+ ATPase. VO4(3-) is excreted mainly via the kidney. In renal insufficiency, the impaired VO4(3-) excretion leads to VO4(3-) accumulation in blood.The present study explored the effect of VO4(3-) on eryptosis, the suicidal death of erythrocytes. Eryptosis is characterized by cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine exposure at the erythrocyte surface. Eryptotic cells are phagocytosed and thus rapidly cleared from circulating blood. Stimulators of eryptosis include an increase of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Erythrocyte Ca2+ activity was estimated from Fluo-3 fluorescence, phosphatidylserine exposure from annexin V-binding, and erythrocyte volume from forward scatter in FACS analysis. Exposure of erythrocytes to VO4(3-) increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, enhanced the percentage of annexin V-binding erythrocytes, decreased erythrocyte forward scatter, and lowered the intracellular ATP concentration. In conclusion, VO4(3-) induces eryptosis at least partially through increase of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, an effect presumably contributing to the development of anemia in chronic renal failure.


Spontaneous clostridia gas gangrene of uterus associated with endometrial malignancy.
Only four patients with clostridia sepsis in association with gynecologic malignancy have been reported, all of whom had prior diagnostic or therapeutic intervention. Our patient is the first documented case of such clostridium sepsis that occurred spontaneously, i.e., without previous trauma, instrumentation, radiation or chemotherapy. The value of aggressive management is reviewed.


Corticosteroid receptors in the brain: gene targeting studies.
Corticosteroids are released by the adrenal cortex with a diurnal rhythm and in response to stressful environmental changes. They not only act on peripheral organs, but also regulate brain physiology, thereby affecting mental processes like emotion and cognition. Here, we discuss the role of the two known corticosteroid receptors--glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)--in the brain by summarizing the results obtained with various genetically modified mouse lines. In these lines, either the GR or the MR gene has been targeted or GR protein levels have been upregulated or downregulated. Analysis of the different lines confirms the importance of GR in the regulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis because interference with GR activity activates the HPA axis, whereas increased GR protein levels inhibit HPA axis activity. Genetic downregulation of GR protein levels and inactivation of the GR gene in the brain reduce anxiety-related behavior, which reveals a central role of GR in emotional behavior. Both HPA axis activity and anxiety are modulated by corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH); therefore, we include in the discussion results obtained with genetically modified CRH or CRH receptor mice. We further address the important role of corticosteroid receptors for hippocampal function and integrity. Cellular properties of CA1 neurons are changed, and hippocampal-dependent explicit memory is affected in GR mutant animals. Comparing MR and GR mutant animals suggests the requirement of MR but not GR for dentate gyrus granule cell maintenance. Because an imbalance in glucocorticoid levels is associated with cognitive impairments and mental disorders, the described mouse lines will aid in understanding the mechanisms involved in the pathology of these disorders.


Save lives now. Patient care. Transitioning care.
H&HN's ongoing series on ways that hospitals can reduce medical errors takes a look at how clinicians can better talk with one another as patients move from one setting to another.


PON1 M/L55 mutation protects high-risk patients against coronary artery disease.
The paraoxonase (PON) gene family contains at least three members: PON1, PON2, and PON3. The enzyme PON1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recently, an association between PON2 and quantitative metabolic phenotypes, such as plasma lipoproteins, plasma glucose, and coronary artery disease (CAD), has been reported. We analyzed two common polymorphisms in PON1 (i.e., M/L55 and R/Q 192 mutations) and PON2 (i.e., G/A148 and C/S311 mutations) in 352 high-risk patients with angiographically defined CAD. These results were compared to those in 380 age- and sex-matched control subjects at high risk for CAD. Polymerase chain reaction with specific primers followed by Hsp92, Alw1, DdeI and Fnu4HI restriction digestion were employed to identify the PON1 M/L55 and R/Q192 and the PON2 G/A148 and C/S311 genotypes, respectively. Univariate analysis showed a higher prevalence of the MM genotype (12% vs. 5%; p=0.004) for the PON1 M/L55 polymorphism and the GG genotype (21% vs. 15%; p=0.047) PON2 G/A148 polymorphism in the control subjects. The PON1 M/L55 mutation (MM genotype) was associated with lower triglyceride levels and the PON2 G/A148 mutation (GG genotype), with higher total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels. No mutation was associated with the number of major coronary artery vessels with a >50% reduction in lumen diameter. Multiple regression analysis disclosed smoking, a family history of CAD, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and the PON1 M/L55 mutation [OR=0.59 (CI95%: 0.42-0.82); p=0.002] as independent markers for CAD. In contrast to traditional coronary risk factors, the PON1 M/L mutation can be considered predictive of protection against CAD.


The effects of dexamethasone and prostaglandin F2alpha on production and release of surfactant in type II alveolar cells.
Incubation of adult rat Type II alveolar pneumocytes with dexamethasone microM induced an increase of intracellular 3Hphosphatidyl choline (PC), a component of lung surfactant, from precursor 3Hcholine. Release of 3HPC into the media did not differ from control unless prostaglandin F2alpha-THAM microM was added to the dexamethasone-treated cells. This observation corresponds to the ontogenetically observed endogenous increases in cortisol during pregnancy followed by increases in prostaglandins associated with contractions. The model system will serve well to test whether various substances effect synthesis and/or release of pulmonary surfactants.


Retracted: Application of Tactics in Technical and Tactical Analysis of Table Tennis Mixed Doubles Based on Artificial Intelligence Graph Theory Model.
[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/6543953.].


Novel class of hybrid natural products derived from lupeol as antimalarial agents.
Thirty-four novel hybrid lupeol derivatives (4-18) were prepared and evaluated for antimalarial activity in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum. Three compounds (13d, 16a and 17a) have shown antimalarial activity at lower dose (10 microg mL(-1)) than lupeol.


Investigation of the effects of temperature and relative humidity on the propagation of COVID-19 in different climatic zones.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of temperature and relative humidity on the propagation of COVID-19 for indoor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning design and policy development in different climate zones. We proposed a cumulative lag model with two specific parameters of specific average temperature and specific relative humidity to evaluate the impact of temperature and relative humidity on COVID-19 transmission by calculating the relative risk of cumulative effect and the relative risk of lag effect. We considered the temperature and relative humidity corresponding to the relative risk of cumulative effect or the relative risk of lag effect equal to 1 as the thresholds of outbreak. In this paper, we took the overall relative risk of cumulative effect equal to 1 as the thresholds. Data on daily new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, for three sites in each of four climate zones similar to cold, mild, hot summer and cold winter, and hot summer and warm winter were selected for this study. Temperature and relative humidity had a lagged effect on COVID-19 transmission, with peaking the relative risk of lag effect at a lag of 3-7 days for most regions. All regions had different parameters areas with the relative risk of cumulative effect greater than 1. The overall relative risk of cumulative effect was greater than 1 in all regions when specific relative humidity was higher than 0.4, and when specific average temperature was higher than 0.42. In areas similar to hot summer and cold winter, temperature and the overall relative risk of cumulative effect were highly monotonically positively correlated. In areas similar to hot summer and warm winter, there was a monotonically positive correlation between relative humidity and the overall relative risk of cumulative effect. This study provides targeted recommendations for indoor air and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system control strategies and outbreak prevention strategies to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. In addition, countries should combine vaccination and non-pharmaceutical control measures, and strict containment policies are beneficial to control another pandemic of COVID-19 and similar viruses.


A possible role for the 3'-untranslated region in developmental regulation in Trypanosoma brucei.
A series of Trypanosoma brucei transfection vectors was constructed in which transcription of the luciferase gene was driven by the procyclic acidic repetitive protein (procyclin) promoter. The untranslated regions surrounding the luciferase gene were derived from the actin, fructose bisphosphate aldolase, or PARP loci. Trans-splicing of the resulting transcripts occurred as expected, but the site of 3' polyadenylation was upstream of the position anticipated. The nature of the 3'-untranslated region was crucial to the level of expression in bloodstream forms.


Protein kinase C δ increases Kruppel-like factor 4 protein, which drives involucrin gene transcription in differentiating keratinocytes.
KLF4 is a member of the Kruppel-like factor family of transcriptional regulators. KLF4 has been shown to be required for normal terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, but the molecular mechanism whereby KLF4 regulates genes associated with the differentiation process has not been studied. In the present study, we explore the impact of KLF4 on expression of involucrin, a gene that is specifically expressed in differentiated keratinocytes. KLF4 overexpression and knockdown studies show that involucrin mRNA and protein level correlates directly with KLF4 level. Moreover, studies of mutant KLF4 proteins indicate that transcriptionally inactive forms do not increase involucrin expression. PKCδ is a regulator of keratinocyte differentiation that increases expression of differentiation-associated target genes, including involucrin. Overexpression of KLF4 augments the PKCδ-dependent increase in involucrin expression, whereas KLF4 knockdown attenuates this response. The KLF4 induction of human involucrin (hINV) promoter activity is mediated via KLF4 binding to a GC-rich element located in the hINV promoter distal regulatory region, a region of the promoter required for in vivo involucrin expression. Mutation of the GC-rich element, an adjacent AP1 factor binding site, or both sites severely attenuates the response. Moreover, loss of KLF4 in an epidermal equivalent model of differentiation results in loss of hINV expression. These studies suggest that KLF4 is part of a multiprotein complex that interacts that the hINV promoter distal regulatory region to drive differentiation-dependent hINV gene expression in epidermis.


Development and evaluation of a community of practice to improve stem cell donor recruitment in Canada.
Background and Objectives Communities of practice (CoPs) represent effective models to achieve quality outcomes in health care. We report the development and evaluation of a CoP to improve stem cell donor recruitment in Canada. Materials and Methods In September 2017, we invited national stakeholders in stem cell donor recruitment to participate in a Facebook group and regular e-meetings. E-meetings involved speakers and roundtable discussion on topics related to donor recruitment. The Facebook group facilitated sharing of resources. We evaluated stakeholder perspective of the CoP and the impact on recruitment outcomes. Results As of December 2020, the CoP included 382 members who published 243 posts to the Facebook group about patient/donor stories (40%), resources (27%), updates/questions (21%) and recruitment outcomes (12%). In January 2020, we surveyed 44 CoP participants; the majority felt that the Facebook group (86%) and e-meetings (59%) supported the community, and that the CoP fostered collaboration (82%), improved their donor recruitment knowledge (75%) and practice (77%) and improved their ability to recruit needed donors (64%). The launch of the CoP correlated with improved donor recruitment outcomes. In 2016-2017, CoP participants recruited 2918 registrants (46% male; 55.9% non-Caucasian) compared to 4531 registrants in 2018-2019 (52.9% male; 62.7% non-Caucasian). Members of the CoP developed innovative resources to support recruitment efforts and led national campaigns securing coverage in major media outlets. Conclusion We describe the first CoP in stem cell donor recruitment to be formally evaluated. The CoP model may be adopted by donor recruitment organisations, registries and blood banks worldwide to improve recruitment outcomes. HIGHLIGHTS: • A community of practice (CoP) in stem cell donor recruitment was valued by participants and supported efforts to improve recruitment outcomes. • The CoP model may be adopted by donor recruitment organizations, donor registries, and blood banks worldwide to improve recruitment outcomes.


Reference values for the Modified Timed Up and Go Test in Saudi children aged 4-12 years old in Riyadh city: cross-sectional study.
The study aimed to report within-session reliability, estimate the reference values for the Modified Timed Up and Go (mTUG) test in typically developing (TD) Saudi children aged 4-12 years old, develop a reference equation for the estimated mTUG, and compare the measured mTUG in the present study with the predicted mTUG obtained from the previous regression equation. In this cross-sectional observational study, anthropometric measurements and mTUG test were investigated in 805 child. The association between the mTUG test and predictive variables was studied. Average mTUG speed was 4.63 ± 0.68 s. Within-session reliability was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.90. The test was significantly and negatively correlated with age, height, and weight (r = -0.66, p = .00), (r = -0.54, p = .01), and (r = -0.33, p = .01) respectively. According to the stepwise regression analysis, age and weight were the predictors and explained 47% of total variance of mTUG scores. This study provided the mTUG reference values that can be used clinically to evaluate functional mobility and dynamic balance in TD Saudi children aged 4-12 years. The mTUG scores can be predicted as a function of age and weight.KEY MESSAGESModified Timed Up and Go test used to assess the functional mobility and dynamic balance for children with or without developmental abnormalities.Availability of reference values according to age is helpful to compare the performance of children at same ages.


Secure versus fragile high self-esteem as a predictor of verbal defensiveness: converging findings across three different markers.
Why is it that many individuals verbally rationalize and distort self-esteem threatening information? We examined whether such verbal defensiveness (Feldman Barrett, Williams, & Fong, 2002) differs as a function of whether individuals' high self-esteem is secure or fragile. Our findings indicated that individuals whose self-esteem was stable, not contingent, or congruent with high implicit self-esteem exhibited especially low amounts of verbal defensiveness. In contrast, verbal defensiveness was considerably higher when individuals' high self-esteem was unstable, contingent, or paired with discrepant low implicit self-esteem. Discussion centers on why the possession of well-anchored and secure high self-esteem obviates defensiveness directed toward enhancing, maintaining, or bolstering feelings of self-worth.


Adsorptive removal and recovery of organic pollutants from wastewater using waste paper-derived carbon-based aerogel.
In this study, carbon-based aerogels derived from waste paper (CWP) were explored as an efficent adsorbent to remove organic pollutants including phenol (Ph) and 2-chlorophenol (2CP) from wastewater. CWP exhibited a highly porous structure and large specific surface area of 892 m2 g-1, which facilitated the adsorption of Ph and 2CP in wastewater. The adsorption behavior of Ph and 2CP on CWP could be well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models. Based on the Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacities of CWP for Ph and 2CP were 238 and 278 mg g-1, respectively, and these values were much higher than those of other adsorbents. The removal of the organic pollutants mainly occurred through electrostatic attraction, pore-filling, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interactions. The CWP can be directly applied for the removal of Ph and 2CP at low concentration (<200 mg L-1) in the wastewater, while they can be used with additional pre-treatment for wastewater containing high concentration of organic pollutants. The adsorptive recovery of organic compounds and potential reuse of treated wastewater were also discussed. This work provides an efficient approach to produce effective adsorbent for the removal and recovery of chemicals from wastewater.


Management of soft tissue defects of the hand.
Soft tissue coverage of the hand remains a challenging problem to the hand surgeon, but advances in the field of microsurgery have provided improved thin, pliable, durable flaps that offer cosmetic reconstructive options. The reconstructive elevator is poised to replace the reconstructive ladder, thereby allowing early reconstruction by the best available option. This reviews focus on the variety of pedicled, free fasciocutaneous, and venous flaps available for successful soft tissue coverage of the hand.


A process-based model for the partitioning of soluble, suspended particulate and bed sediment fractions of plutonium and caesium in the eastern Irish Sea.
A dynamic model of plutonium behaviour in the marine environment has been developed, representing the oxidation state distribution and partitioning of plutonium between the soluble, colloidal, suspended particulate and seabed sediment fractions. With simple re-parameterisation, this model can also be applied to (137)Cs. The model, which is calibrated and validated against field data, has been used to predict concentrations of Pu(alpha) and (137)Cs in both water and seabed sediments from the vicinity of the Sellafield Ltd. reprocessing plant in Cumbria, UK. The model predicts that sediment reworking and transport are the key environmental processes as the Sellafield Pu(alpha) and (137)Cs discharge continues to decline. Inventory calculations generated by the model are consistent with previous estimations. For a hypothetical post-discharge scenario, the concentrations of these radionuclides in both seawater and surface sediments are predicted to decrease sharply, concurrent with a downward vertical migration of the activity retained in sediments.


Guinea pig cell-mediated tumor immunity: the chromium release assay detects both cytolysis and serum blocking for syngeneic chemically-induced tumors.
The chromium release test (CRT) was used to assess cell-mediated immunity to syngeneic, chemically-induced tumors in guinea pigs. The animal models were Sewall Wright strain 13 guinea pigs with 3-methyl-cholanthrene (MCA)-induced fibrosarcomas and strain 2 guinea pigs with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinomas. Regional lymph node cells were significantly cytolytic for the immunizing tumors, specifically so for three of the four tumors, and tumor-bearer sera could significantly block cytolysis. The two DEN-induced strain 2 hepatomas, line 1 and line 10, are antigenically distinct by the CRT but the two MCA-induced tumors have tumor specific antigens as well as a common, cross-reactive antigen.


Draft Genome Sequence of Oleaginous Yeast Saitozyma sp. Strain JCM 24511, Isolated from Soil on Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.
Here, we report draft genome sequence of oleaginous yeast strain Saitozyma sp. JCM 24511, which is phylogenetically closely related to Saitozyma podzolica These data will have implications not only for the study of the oleaginous activities of yeasts but also for the study of the plant-microorganism microbiome.


TOX deficiency facilitates the differentiation of IL-17A-producing γδ T cells to drive autoimmune hepatitis.
The specification of the αβ/γδ lineage and the maturation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) coordinate central tolerance to self-antigens. However, the mechanisms underlying this biological process remain poorly clarified. Here, we report that dual-stage loss of TOX in thymocytes hierarchically impaired mTEC maturation, promoted thymic IL-17A-producing γδ T-cell (Tγδ17) lineage commitment, and led to the development of fatal autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) via different mechanisms. Transfer of γδ T cells from TOX-deficient mice reproduced AIH. TOX interacted with and stabilized the TCF1 protein to maintain the balance of γδ T-cell development in thymic progenitors, and overexpression of TCF1 normalized αβ/γδ lineage specification and activation. In addition, TOX expression was downregulated in γδ T cells from AIH patients and was inversely correlated with the AIH diagnostic score. Our findings suggest multifaceted roles of TOX in autoimmune control involving mTEC and Tγδ17 development and provide a potential diagnostic marker for AIH.


Crystallisation of minerals from concentrated saline dairy effluent.
An understanding of crystallisation within saline effluents is important for the design of both brine crystallisers and brine disposal ponds. In this work, crystallisation of a saline effluent concentrate from the Australian dairy industry has been examined at 22 wt% and 30 wt% total solids and at temperatures between 10 and 70 °C. The precipitation occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures. This trend is dictated by precipitation of calcium phosphate salts, albeit the major constituents of the mixture are NaCl and lactose. The crystallisation induction time can be shortened by introducing cavitation induced by ultrasound. In particular, the use of two short acoustic pulses between 3.7 J/g and 16 J/g at 20 kHz spaced ten minutes apart has maximum impact upon both induction time and crystal size. It is believed that the first ultrasound pulse either generates new nuclei or enhances the mass transfer of solute toward the surface of sub-micron growing crystals. Conversely, the second pulse disrupts the growing crystals and forms secondary nuclei. The ultrasound cannot shift the solution equilibrium and so is not able to improve the low crystal yield. To increase this total yield, further evaporation is necessary. The work provides direction to personnel in the dairy industry of the feasibility of brine crystallisation with respect to energy demand and solid recovery.


Autism-friendly public bus transport: A personal experience-based perspective.
Transportation plays an essential role in daily life, allowing people to participate in the community and form social relationships. Many autistic people rely on public transportation to meet their mobility needs. However, research shows that it is not always easy for them to use it. The exact issues autistic individuals face when traveling with public transportation and how public transportation can be made more autism-friendly have yet to be researched. The current study allowed autistic individuals to express themselves regarding issues they face while traveling by public bus transportation, to raise awareness for making public transportation more autism-friendly. We interviewed 17 autistic individuals about their experiences riding the bus. Three main themes emerged from the results: creating predictability, limiting stimuli, and open and accessible communication. If transport companies take initiatives related to these themes, autistic people traveling by bus can have a more pleasant experience. Participants also described coping strategies for stressful or uncomfortable situations while using public bus transportation, such as using noise-cancelling headphones or digital applications for real-time route tracking, etc. These findings may lead to a more autism-friendly public transportation.


Hepatic Transporters Alternations Associated with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): A Systematic Review.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive liver disorder and is usually accompanied by obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus. NAFLD progression can lead to impaired functions of hepatocytes such as alternations in expression and function of hepatic transporters. The present study aimed to summarize and discuss the results of clinical and preclinical human studies that investigate the effect of NAFLD on hepatic transporters. The databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched systematically up to 1 March 2022. The risk of bias was assessed for cross-sectional studies through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score. Our review included ten cross-sectional studies consisting of 485 participants. Substantial alternations in hepatic transporters were seen during NAFLD progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in comparison with control groups. A significant reduction in expression and function of several hepatic uptake transporters, upregulation of many efflux transporters, downregulation of cholesterol efflux transporters, and mislocalization of canalicular transporter ABCC2 are associated with NAFLD progression. Since extensive changes in hepatic transporters could alter the pharmacokinetics of the drugs and potentially affect the safety and efficacy of drugs, close monitoring of drug administration is highly suggested in patients with NASH.


Are branched chain amino-acids beneficial for nutrition of severe surgical patients with sepsis?
This study investigated in severe sepsis the metabolic effects of two amino acid diets, including the same protein (0.3 gN/kg/day) and caloric intake (2g/kg/day glucose) but with different amino acid composition, 24% branched chain amino-acids (B.C.A.A.) for diet A (8 cases), 41% B.C.A.A. for diet B (11 cases). The two groups were obtained by randomisation at the operative day (D0) and were observed six days (D1-D6). During study, total nitrogen using a Kjeldhal method was measured. At D0 and D6, albumin, total hemolytic complement, transferrin, cholesterol, ammonaemia, insulin and amino acid pattern were studied in blood and skin tests were performed. The data were analysed by Mann-Whitney test. 1) The cumulative nitrogen balances of the six days are not significantly different, but at day 6 in diet B, patients started to be in an anabolic state (+3.7 gN) and in diet A catabolism persisted (-12 gN) (p<0.02). 2) Plasma B.C.A.A. are significantly higher and aromatic acids significantly lower in diet B. In order, Fischer ratio is also significantly different between the two regimens. All the other measured parameters are not significantly different. In this study, the B.C.A.A. enriched diet seems to be beneficial in surgical patients with severe sepsis.


Atypical intrathoracic rib in a pediatric patient requiring helical CT scan with 3-D reconstruction for diagnosis.
Intrathoracic rib is a rare congenital anomaly that is usually discovered incidentally. It represents a benign lesion but can mimic intrathoracic pathology, so it is important to recognize it to prevent further unnecessary investigation or intervention. Typically, the classic appearance allows diagnosis with confidence on the chest radiograph alone; however, an atypical appearance of an intrathoracic rib might limit the diagnostic capabilities of plain radiography, warranting further imaging with newer technologies. We report the case of an atypical presentation of an intrathoracic rib in an 8-year-old girl where radiographs were inconclusive and helical CT scan with 3-D reconstructions were required for a definitive diagnosis.


Loss of regulation by presynaptic dopamine D2 receptors of exogenous L-DOPA-derived dopamine release in the dopaminergic denervated striatum.
To determine whether dopamine release derived from exogenous l-DOPA is under inhibitory control of presynaptic dopamine D2 receptors in the dopaminergic denervated striatum, extracellular dopamine levels were measured in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats using in vivo brain microdialysis. Quinpirole, a D2 agonist, dose-dependently (0.01-3 mg/kg s.c.) inhibited endogenous dopamine release both in the intact and dopaminergic denervated striatum. The dose-response curve obtained from the denervated striatum showed a shift to the right. Administration of l-DOPA (30 mg/kg i.p.) with carbidopa (25 mg/kg i.p.) increased dopamine release to 130% of basal levels in the intact striatum and 770% of basal levels in the denervated striatum. In the intact striatum, dopamine release was continuously inhibited by quinpirole pretreatment (1 mg/kg s.c.) even after l-DOPA administration. In the denervated striatum, l-DOPA-derived dopamine release was not affected by quinpirole pretreatment. These results suggest that, in the striatum with dopaminergic denervation, regulation by presynaptic D2 receptors is still operative on endogenous dopamine release but it does not work on dopamine release derived from exogenously administered l-DOPA.


The effect of ecologically relevant variations in light level on the performance of Mongolian gerbils on two visual tasks.
Tests of rodent visual capacities are typically performed under standard laboratory illumination. However, light level can have subtle and complex effects on behavior in rodents. We tested Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) - a species that shows individual differences in activity pattern - on visual tasks at three ecologically relevant levels of ambient illuminance: approximating moonlight (1 lx), dawn or dusk (10 lx), and low daylight (100 lx). A jumping task and a grating discrimination quantified depth perception and grating acuity, respectively. Illuminance variations had important effects on behavior. Gerbils jumped faster in lower light on the depth discrimination task, but were also less accurate than in bright light. Daytime activity levels (possibly reflecting variations in activity pattern) mediated these effects, with animals that were awake during a lower proportion of daytime hours exhibiting a trend toward jumping faster with lower light level as compared to more day-active gerbils. Moreover, while illuminance did not affect acuity overall, it interacted with activity levels in a complex way: in both the darkest and lowest light levels, animals that were awake during a greater proportion of daytime hours showed higher acuity levels than animals that were less active during the day. These results indicate that gerbils show behavioral profiles in vision tasks that represent an interaction between visual ability and illuminance-sensitive motivational or emotional actors, perhaps including chronotype. Thus, the most ecologically relevant assessments of the visual performance of rodents will likely be achieved by testing at species-specific preferred light levels.


Neodymium:YAG laser photocoagulation: a successful new map-guided technique for the intraoperative ablation of ventricular tachycardia.
Neodymium:YAG laser photocoagulation was used in the intraoperative treatment of drug-resistant ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 17 consecutive patients. The cause of VT was previous myocardial infarction in 15, sarcoid in one, and idiopathic in one patient. Electrophysiologic studies were performed preoperatively, before hospital discharge, and 8 to 12 weeks and 1 year after surgery. At surgery, laser photocoagulation was performed on the normothermic heart during VT. Surgical mortality was 11.7%. There was one late nonarrhythmic death 35 days postoperatively. There were 55 VT morphologies. Laser successfully abated 52 of 55. Associated use of cryoablation was required in two of 55. One VT in the patient with sarcoidosis was not successfully ablated but was controlled by procainamide. In the long-term survivors with VT due to myocardial infarction the surgical cure rate was 100%, i.e., no spontaneous or inducible VT. Follow-up ranges from 6 to 18 months (mean 11.8 +/- 4.3). Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation is an effective addition to the operative treatment strategies for VT.


Enhancement of the anti-immobility action of antidepressants by risperidone in the forced swimming test in mice.
The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of antidepressants (ADs) belonging to different pharmacological groups and risperidone (an atypical antipsychotic drug), given separately or jointly, on immobility time in the forced swimming test in male C57BL/6J mice. The antidepressants: citalopram, fluvoxamine, sertraline, reboxetine, milnacipran (5 and 10 mg/kg), or risperidone in low doses (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) given alone did not change the immobility time of mice in the forced swimming test. Co-treatment with reboxetine or milnacipran (10 mg/kg) and risperidone in a lower dose of 0.05 mg/kg or with sertraline, reboxetine (5 and 10 mg/kg), citalopram, fluvoxamine, milnacipran (10 mg/kg) and risperidone in a higher dose of 0.1 mg/kg produced antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test. WAY100635 (a 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist) inhibited the effects induced by co-administration of ADs and risperidone. Active behavior in the forced swimming test was not a consequence of an increased general activity, since the combined treatment with ADs and risperidone failed to enhance the locomotor activity of mice. The obtained results indicate that a low dose of risperidone enhances the activity of ADs in an animal model of depression, and that, among other mechanisms, 5-HT(1A) receptors may play a role in these effects.


Interspecific pollen transfer as a mechanism of competition: Consequences of foreign pollen contamination for seed set in the alpine wildflower, Polemonium viscosum.
Earlier studies showed that under natural conditions foreign pollen receipt is correlated with loss of seed set in populations of P. viscosum. Here, we report on experimental pollinations using foreign pollen from two co-flowering species that share pollinators with P. viscosum. Experiments were designed to ascertain whether improper pollen transfer causes reduced seed set under controlled conditions and, if so, to determine the stage at which interference occurs. In flowers pre-treated by pollination with either Mertensia or Castilleja pollen, adherence of subsequently deposited conspecific pollen grains was unaffected. However, conspecific grains had significantly lower germination and ovule fertilization success in flowers receiving foreign pollen than in controls. These results suggest that pollinator infidelity in high alpine plant communities can reduce female reproductive success of P. viscosum by inhibiting the performance of conspecific pollen grains. Negative effects of Mertensia and Castilleja pollen were comparable despite large interspecific differences in pollen grain morphology. Accordingly, susceptibility to foreign pollen interference appears to be an intrinsic property of P. viscosum that is not dependent on the unique structural properties of pollen produced by competitive species.


Adaptive downregulation of a quinidine-sensitive cation conductance in renal principal cells of TWIK-1 knockout mice.
TWIK-1, a member of the two-pore domain K(+) channel family, is expressed in brain, kidney, and lung. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of loss of TWIK-1 on the renal cortical collecting duct. Ducts were isolated from wild-type and TWIK-1 knockout mice by enzyme digestion and whole-cell clamp obtained via the basolateral membrane. Current- and voltage-clamp approaches were used to examine K(+) conductances. No difference was observed between intercalated cells from wild-type or knockout ducts. In contrast, knockout principal cells were hyperpolarized compared to wild-type cells and had a reduced membrane conductance. This was a consequence of a fall in a barium-insensitive, quinidine-sensitive conductance (G (Quin)). G (Quin) demonstrated outward rectification and had a relatively low K(+) to Na(+) selectivity ratio. Loss of G (Quin) would be expected to lead to the hyperpolarization observed in knockout ducts by increasing fractional K(+) conductance and Na(+) uptake by the cell. Consistent with this hypothesis, knockout ducts had an increased diameter in comparison to wild-type ducts. These data suggest that G (Quin) contributes to the resting membrane potential in the cortical collecting duct and that a fall in G (Quin) could be an adaptive response in TWIK-1 knockout ducts.


A renin inhibitor from rabbit kidney: conversion of a large inactive renin to a smaller active enzyme.
Renin in extracts of frozen rabbit kidney exists in two forms: active (molecular weight about 37,000) and inactive (molecular weight about 55,000) renin. The inactive form becomes active after exposure to pH 2.5 at 4 degrees C. If extracts are chromatographed on DEAE cellulose, the inactive renin dissociates into active renin plus a renin inhibitor (molecular weight about 13,000). The inhibitor recombines with active renin if the two are incubated together at 37 degrees C. The inhibitor is destroyed by acid treatment at pH 2.5 at 4 degrees C. We conclude that the activation of inactive renin is due to destruction of the inhibitor by acid. The inactive material may be a renin proenzyme or a storage form of active renin combined with inhibitor.


The chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans neurocan, brevican, phosphacan, and versican are differentially regulated following spinal cord injury.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules that are widely expressed throughout the developing and adult CNS. In vitro studies demonstrate their potential to restrict neurite outgrowth, and it is believed that CSPGs also inhibit axonal regeneration after CNS injury in vivo. Previous studies demonstrated that CSPGs are generally upregulated after spinal cord injury, and more recent reports have begun to identify individual proteoglycans that may play dominant roles in limiting axonal regeneration. The current study systematically examined the extended deposition patterns after CNS injury of four putatively inhibitory CSPGs that have not been extensively investigated previously in vivo: neurocan, brevican, phosphacan, and versican. After spinal cord injury, neurocan, brevican, and versican immunolabeling increased within days in injured spinal cord parenchyma surrounding the lesion site and peaked at 2 weeks. Neurocan and versican were persistently elevated for 4 weeks postinjury, and brevican expression persisted for at least 2 months. On the other hand, phosphacan immunolabeling decreased in the same region immediately following injury but later recovered and then peaked after 2 months. Combined glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization demonstrated that GFAP astrocytes constituted a source of neurocan production after spinal cord injury. Thus, the production of several CSPG family members is differentially affected by spinal cord injury, overall establishing a CSPG-rich matrix that persists for up to 2 months following injury. Optimization of strategies to reduce CSPG expression to enhance regeneration may need to target several different family members over an extended period following injury.


Child labor and sexual assault among girls in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
To determine the relationship between child labor and sexual assault among girls in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Face-to-face interview using a validated questionnaire of a randomly selected sample of employed girls. Out of 350 girls, 316 were successfully interviewed for a response rate of 90.3%. Mean age of the girls was 14.9+/-2.3 years and mean workday was 8.5+/-3.8 hours/day. In 33.4% of cases the girls had no formal education, and 78.5% were not currently going to school. The sexual assault rate was 77.7%, and in 38.6% of cases the assailant was a customer. Sexual assault was more likely in girls who were younger than 12 years (OR 3.54; 95% CI, 1.38-9.14), had no formal education (OR 4.80; 95% CI, 1.63-14.16), worked for more than 8 hours/day (OR 4.43; 95% CI, 1.60-12.30), or had 2 or more jobs (OR 16.09; 95% CI, 1.20-61.70). To reduce the risk of sexual assault, if girls are employed they should be older, work for limited hours, and not have more than one job at a time.


Recent advances in the potential applications of luminescence-based, SPR-based, and carbon-based biosensors.
The need for biosensors has evolved in the detection of molecules, diseases, and pollution from various sources. This requirement has headed to the development of accurate and powerful equipment for analysis using biological sensing component as a biosensor. Biosensors have the advantage of rapid detection that can beat the conventional methods for the detection of the same molecules. Bio-chemiluminescence-based sensors are very sensitive during use in biological immune assay systems. Optical biosensors are emerging with time as they have the advantage that they act with a change in the refractive index. Carbon nanotube-based sensors are another area that has an important role in the biosensor field. Bioluminescence gives much higher quantum yields than classical chemiluminescence. Electro-generated bioluminescence has the advantage of miniature size and can produce a high signal-to-noise ratio and the controlled emission. Recent advances in biological techniques and instrumentation involving fluorescence tag to nanomaterials have increased the sensitivity limit of biosensors. Integrated approaches provided a better perspective for developing specific and sensitive biosensors with high regenerative potentials. This paper mainly focuses on sensors that are important for the detection of multiple molecules related to clinical and environmental applications. KEY POINTS: • The review focusses on the applications of luminescence-based, surface plasmon resonance-based, carbon nanotube-based, and graphene-based biosensors • Potential clinical, environmental, agricultural, and food industry applications/uses of biosensors have been critically reviewed • The current limitations in this field are discussed, as well as the prospects for future advancement.


Expression of protease-activated receptor 2 in ulcerative colitis.
Although tryptase released from mast cells might play a key role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), the role of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2), tryptase receptor, remains unclear in the pathogenesis of this disease. The expressions of PAR2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha in nine UC tissues and nine normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. TNF-alpha levels secreted from human leukemic mast cell line (HMC-1) after the treatment of PAR2 agonists were also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The PAR2 and TNF-alpha proteins were more significantly detectable in UC tissues than in normal tissues. Furthermore, 65.2% of PAR2+ cells and 66.4% of TNF-alpha+ cells in UC tissues were tryptase-positive cells. In other words, 60.6% and 46.3% of tryptase-positive cells in UC tissues were PAR2+ cells and TNF-alpha+ cells, respectively. A chi2 analysis showed correlation (p < 0.007) between PAR2 and TNF-alpha in tryptase-positive mast cells. Moreover, PAR2 agonists significantly induced the TNF-alpha secretion from HMC-1. These results indicate that the activation of the mast cells through PAR2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of UC.


Nursing management of urinary incontinence in geriatric inpatients.
The management and treatment of incontinence represent two interrelated areas--providing enough providers of care and describing the types of management and treatment options available to the incontinent patient. This article has stressed that adequate staffing underlies any successful program of continence management and treatment. In addition, many options for the management and treatment of incontinence in the elderly have been presented. Of importance are the specific nursing implications that will make many continence protocols successful. These guidelines can provide the basis for planning patient care through the nursing process. This article has also addressed management and treatment strategies for incontinence that not only improve incontinence in patients but may cure it. These include behavioral management strategies which nurses should be encouraged to use in treating incontinent patients in the community. These same behavioral management strategies are being studied in inpatient settings, and the results indicate that nurses in inpatient settings and long-term care facilities should implement behavioral treatment programs for incontinent patients.


Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity by Encapsulating NiFe Alloy Nanoparticles in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofibers.
The rational design and exploration of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with high efficiency, low cost, and long-term durability are extremely important for overall water splitting. Recently, numerous studies have shown that the OER reaction kinetics can be modified by optimizing components, introducing carbon matrix, and regulating porous nanostructures. Herein, a flexible and controllable electrospinning strategy is proposed to construct porous nitrogen (N)-doped carbon (C) nanofibers (NFs) with nickel-iron (NiFe) alloy nanoparticles encapsulated inside (NiFe@NCNFs) as an OER electrocatalyst. Benefiting from the strong synergistic effects that stem from the one-dimensional mesoporous structures with optimized binary metal components encapsulated in the N-doped carbon nanofibers, the NiFe@NCNFs exhibits enhanced OER performance with a low overpotential (294 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and excellent durability (over 10 h at 10 mA cm-2) in alkaline solution. Both experimental characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations validate that a suitable binary metal ratio can lead to the optimal catalytic activity. Moreover, a two-electrode electrolyzer is assembled by using NiFe@NCNFs anode and Pt/C cathode in 1.0 M KOH media for the overall water splitting, which delivers an initial cell voltage of only 1.531 V at 10 mA cm-2, as well as long-term stability up to 20 h. This study sheds light on the design and large-scale production of low-cost and high-performance electrocatalysts toward different energy applications in the future.


Neurexin-3 subsynaptic densities are spatially distinct from Neurexin-1 and essential for excitatory synapse nanoscale organization in the hippocampus.
Proteins critical for synaptic transmission are non-uniformly distributed and assembled into regions of high density called subsynaptic densities (SSDs) that transsynaptically align in nanocolumns. Neurexin-1 and neurexin-3 are essential presynaptic adhesion molecules that non-redundantly control NMDAR- and AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission, respectively, via transsynaptic interactions with distinct postsynaptic ligands. Despite their functional relevance, fundamental questions regarding the nanoscale properties of individual neurexins, their influence on the subsynaptic organization of excitatory synapses and the mechanisms controlling how individual neurexins engage in precise transsynaptic interactions are unknown. Using Double Helix 3D dSTORM and neurexin mouse models, we identify neurexin-3 as a critical presynaptic adhesion molecule that regulates excitatory synapse nano-organization in hippocampus. Furthermore, endogenous neurexin-1 and neurexin-3 form discrete and non-overlapping SSDs that are enriched opposite their postsynaptic ligands. Thus, the nanoscale organization of neurexin-1 and neurexin-3 may explain how individual neurexins signal in parallel to govern different synaptic properties.


Increased expression and phosphorylation of the two S100A9 isoforms in mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a proteomic signature for circulating low-density granulocytes.
Proteins differentially expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients versus Normal controls were identified by 2-DE and MALDI-MS. Thus, S100A9 expression was significantly increased in SLE PBMCs relative to Normal PBMCs at both mRNA and protein levels. Increased S100A9 levels in SLE PBMCs correlated positively with the abnormal presence of low-density granulocytes (LDGs) detected by flow-cytometry in the mononuclear cell fractions. Another set of proteins that were differentially expressed in SLE PBMCs formed S100A9-independent clusters, suggesting that these differences in protein expression are in fact reflecting changes in the abundance of specific cell types. In SLE PBMCs spots of the two S100A9 isoforms, S100A9-l and S100A9-s, and their phosphorylated counterparts were identified and confirmed to be phosphorylated at Thr(113) by MS/MS analyses. In addition, the phorbol ester PMA alone or in combination with ionomycin induced a stronger increase in threonine phosphorylation of S100A9 in SLE than in Normal PBMCs, while the same stimuli caused the opposite effect on phosphorylation and activation of Erk1/2, suggesting the existence of an abnormal S100A9 signaling in SLE PBMCs. Therefore, the expansion and activation of LDGs in SLE seems to underlie this prominent S100A9 signature.


Awakening Allies for Breaking Microenvironment Barriers: NIR-II Guided Orthogonal Activation of Tumor-Infiltrating Mast Cells for Efficient Nano-Drug Delivery.
Mast cells (MCs), powerful immune cells that heavily infiltrate cancer cells, play a crucial role in tumor formation. Activated MCs can release histamine and a family of proteases through degranulation effects, concurrently achieving endothelial junction weakening and stromal degradation of the tumor microenvironment, thereby clearing the obstacles for nano-drug infiltration. To achieve precise activation of tumor-infiltrating MCs, orthogonally excited rare earth nanoparticles (ORENP), with two channels, are introduced for the controllable stimulating drugs release wrapped in "photocut tape". The ORENP can emit near-infrared II (NIR-II) for image tracing for tumor localization in Channel 1 (808/NIR-II) and allows energy upconversion to emit ultraviolet (UV) light for releasing drugs for MCs stimulation in Channel 2 (980/UV). Finally, the combined use of chemical and cellular tools enables clinical nano-drugs to achieve a significant increase in tumor infiltration, thereby enhancing the efficacy of nano-chemotherapy.


[Spontaneous and traumatic rupture of the renal parenchyma in primary obstructive megaureter: a report of 2 cases].
Urinary extravasation in infants may occur secondary to a variety of congenital obstructive uropathic conditions. This condition has been reported most often in infants with posterior urethral valves and pelviureteral junction obstruction. We present two cases of perirenal urinary extravasation from the kidney due to primary obstructive megaureter. Clinical presentation, evaluation and treatment of this rare entity are discussed.