Women's social networks and child survival in Mali.
This paper explores the influence of women's social networks on child survival through a comparative investigation of two ethnic groups in Mali, West Africa. Data are drawn from a study of women's social networks and health conducted during the period 1996-97. Separate samples of 500 ever-married women aged 15-49 were surveyed at two geographically distinct sites representing Bamanan and Fulbe populations respectively. Consistent with known differences in economic risk, household structure, and cultural norms, descriptive analysis reveals a greater probability of child death among the Fulbe, and a larger mean size of total, material, practical and cognitive networks among the Bamanan. Cox regression models are used to examine the association between social network size, function and composition and the odds of child death (1-5 years). Among the various biological, household and community-level variables tested in the basic model, spacing exerts an expected negative effect on the odds of child death in both groups, while household SES predicts child survival only among Fulbe children. When variables representing the educational and psychosocial attributes of the mother are included, no effects are detected in either group. Controlling for these factors, the size of total, practical, cognitive and emotional networks are found to significantly increase the odds of child survival among the Fulbe only. Compositional variables, such as the extent to which natal kin, non-kin or husbands figure in a woman's network, nor the degree to which networks are located within household yield any significant results for the Fulbe. Among Bamanan women, however, the higher the proportion of network members living in the household, the lower the odds of child death. The paper concludes by discussing the methodological, conceptual and practical implications of these findings.


Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity--a cure for metabolic syndrome?
At present there is no single medication that targets the metabolic syndrome directly. Bariatric surgery, a treatment option for morbidly obese individuals who fail medical therapy, has been shown to be very effective in treating multiple aspects of the metabolic syndrome. The decrease in insulin resistance is because of significant weight loss and by enhancing secretion of gut hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).


Disruption of imprinted genes at chromosome region 11p15.5 in paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma.
Rhabdomyosarcomas are characterized by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosome region 11p15.5, a region known to contain several imprinted genes including insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), H19, and p57(KIP2). We analyzed 48 primary tumour samples and found distinct genetic changes at 11p15.5 in alveolar and embryonal histological subtypes. LOH was a feature of embryonal tumours, but at a lower frequency than previous studies. Loss of imprinting (LOI) of the IGF2 gene was detected in 6 of 13 informative cases, all harbouring PAX3-FKHR or PAX7-FKHR fusion genes characteristic of alveolar histology. In contrast, H19 imprinting was maintained in 14 of 15 informative cases and the case with H19 LOI had maintenance of the IGF2 imprint indicating separate mechanisms controlling imprinting of IGF2 and H19. The adult promoter of IGF2, P1, was used in 5 of 14 tumours and its expression was unrelated to IGF2 imprinting status implying a further mechanism of altered IGF2 regulation. The putative tumour suppressor gene p57(KIP2) was expressed in 15 of 29 tumours and expression was unrelated to allele status. Moreover, in tumours with p57(KIP2) expression, there was no evidence for inactivating mutations, suggesting that p57(KIP2) is not a tumour suppressor in rhabdomyosarcoma.


Biological data becomes computer literate: new advances in bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics is an art and science concerned with the use of computing in biological research areas such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, genetics, and evolution. This review paints a broad picture of bioinformatics, drawing examples from genomic sequencing and microarray analysis. I highlight the role of bioinformatics at multiple points along the path from high-tech data generation to biological discovery.


Induced expression of a monocytoid B lymphocyte antigen phenotype on the REH cell line.
A human common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line, REH, was treated in vitro with gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Untreated (control) and treated cells were analyzed for changes in growth patterns, morphology, cytochemistry, surface phenotype, and terminal transferase (TdT) activity. TPA but not gamma-IFN induced further maturation of REH cells along the B-cell lineage. There was a dramatic decrease in CALLA expression, loss of TdT activity, induction of Leu M5, and increase in Leu 14 expression. TPA also induced monocytoid morphological features on REH cells. Enzymatically, the induced cells strongly expressed acid phosphatase (tartrate sensitive), alpha-naphthol acetate esterase (NAE), and periodic acid Schiff (PAS). We conclude that TPA induced monocytoid B-lymphocyte features on REH cells within the B-cell lineage, which should not be confused with monocytes/macrophage. The phenotype of cells in this stage is Leu 14+, Leu M5+, BL1+, Leu 12+, AcP+, PAS+, NAE+, CALLA-, TdT-, MO1-, and MO2-.


Epidemiology.
More than 250,000 new cases of primary malignant brain tumors are diagnosed annually worldwide, 77% of which are gliomas. A small proportion of gliomas are caused by the inheritance of rare high-penetrance genetic variants or high-dose radiation. Since 2009, inherited genetic variants in 10 regions near eight different genes have been consistently associated with glioma risk via genome-wide association studies. Most of these variants increase glioma risk by 20-40%, but two have higher relative risks. One on chromosome 8 increases risk of IDH-mutated gliomas sixfold and another that affects TP53 function confers a 2.5-fold increased risk of glioma. Functions of some of the other risk variants are known or suspected, but future research will determine functions of other risk loci. Recent progress also has been made in defining subgroups of glioma based on acquired alterations within tumors. Allergy history has been consistently associated with reduced glioma risk, though the mechanisms have not yet been clarified. Future studies will need to be large enough so that environmental and constitutive genetic risk factors can be examined within molecularly defined, etiologically homogeneous subgroups.


Antibacterial activity of vB_AbaM_PhT2 phage hydrophobic amino acid fusion endolysin, combined with colistin against Acinetobacter baumannii.
Phage lytic enzymes are promising antimicrobial agents. In this study, an endolysin derived from vB_AbaM_PhT2 (vPhT2), was identified. This endolysin represented the conserved lysozyme domain. Recombinant endolysin (lysAB- vT2) and hydrophobic fusion endolysin (lysAB-vT2-fusion) were expressed and purified. Both endolysins showed lytic activity against bacterial crude cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. The MIC of lysAB-vT2-fusion was 2 mg/ml corresponding to 100 µM, while the MIC of lysAB-vT2 was more than 10 mg/ml (400 µM). Combination of lysAB-vT2-fusion with colistin, polymyxin B or copper was synergistic against A. baumannii (FICI value as 0.25). Antibacterial activity of lysAB-vT2-fusion plus colistin at the fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) revealed that it can inhibit Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and various strains of extremely drug-resistant A. baumannii (XDRAB) and phage resistant A. baumannii. The lysAB- vT2-fusion still retained its antibacterial activity after incubating the enzyme at 4, 20, 40 and 60 °C for 30 min. The lysAB-vT2-fusion could inhibit the mature biofilm, and incubation of lysAB-vT2-fusion with T24 human cells infected with A. baumannii led to a partial reduction of LDH release from T24 cells. In summary, our study highlights the antimicrobial ability of engineered lysAB-vT2-fusion endolysin, which can be applied for the control of A. baumannii infection.


Performance and microbial community evaluation of full-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.
"Temperature Staging and Biological Phasing" (TSBP) is an improved two-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. This technology hydrolyzes waste activated sludge (WAS) at 45 °C and converts methane at mesophilic temperature (35-38 °C), with hydraulic retention times of 3-5 d and 14-17 d, respectively. In this study, the performance and microbial community dynamics of full-scale TSBP-based sludge anaerobic digestion system were studied, and the technology was evaluated by energy balance and ecological benefit analysis. The stable operation for 390 d showed that the cumulative biogas yield was about 349,041 m3, the maximum biogas yield rate was 563.68 L/kg VS, and the VS degradation rate of organic matters in the sludge was 47.19%. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were found to be the dominant bacteria in both thermophilic and mesophilic reactors. Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina were the two most abundant methanogenic genera in the AD samples. The aceticlastic methanogenesis was likely the predominant production pathway of methane in AD processes based on metagenomics. The TSBP system operated stably, and the recovered energy could achieve energy self-sufficiency, which provided technical reference for the anaerobic treatment of sludge.


Deep learning approach for early prediction of COVID-19 mortality using chest X-ray and electronic health records.
An artificial-intelligence (AI) model for predicting the prognosis or mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients will allow efficient allocation of limited medical resources. We developed an early mortality prediction ensemble model for COVID-19 using AI models with initial chest X-ray and electronic health record (EHR) data. We used convolutional neural network (CNN) models (Inception-ResNet-V2 and EfficientNet) for chest X-ray analysis and multilayer perceptron (MLP), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and random forest (RF) models for EHR data analysis. The Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) methods were used to determine the effects of these features on COVID-19. We developed an ensemble model (Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.8698) using a soft voting method with weight differences for CNN, XGBoost, MLP, and RF models. To resolve the data imbalance, we conducted F1-score optimization by adjusting the cutoff values to optimize the model performance (F1 score of 0.77). Our study is meaningful in that we developed an early mortality prediction model using only the initial chest X-ray and EHR data of COVID-19 patients. Early prediction of the clinical courses of patients is helpful for not only treatment but also bed management. Our results confirmed the performance improvement of the ensemble model achieved by combining AI models. Through the SHAP method, laboratory tests that indicate the factors affecting COVID-19 mortality were discovered, highlighting the importance of these tests in managing COVID-19 patients.


Immune-mediated alopecias and their mechanobiological aspects.
Alopecia is a non-specific term for hair loss clinically diagnosed by the hair loss pattern and histological analysis of patient scalp biopsies. The immune-mediated alopecia subtypes, including alopecia areata, lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, are common, significant forms of alopecia subtypes. For example, alopecia areata is the most common autoimmune disease with a lifetime incidence of approximately 2% of the world's population. In this perspective, we discuss major results from studies of immune-mediated alopecia subtypes. These studies suggest the key event in disease onset as the collapse in immune privilege, which alters the hair follicle microenvironment, e.g., upregulation of major histocompatibility complex molecules and increase of cytokine production, and results in immune cell infiltration, inflammatory responses, and damage of hair follicles. We note that previous studies have established that the hair follicle has a complex mechanical microenvironment, which may regulate the function of not only tissue cells but also immune cell infiltrates. This suggests a potential for mechanobiology to contribute to alopecia research by adding new methods, new approaches, and new ways of thinking, which is missing in the existing literature. To fill this a gap in the alopecia research space, we develop a mechanobiological hypothesis that alterations in the hair follicle microenvironment, specifically in the mechanically responsive tissues and cells, partially due to loss of immune privilege, may be contributors to disease pathology. We further focus our discussion on the potential for applying mechanoimmunology to the study of T cell infiltrates in the hair follicle, as they are considered primary contributors to alopecia pathology. To establish the connection between the mechanoimmunological hypothesis and immune-mediated alopecia subtypes, we discuss what is known about the role of T cells in immune-mediated alopecia subtypes, using the most extensively studied AA as our model.


Measuring the force of the tip of the elephants trunk.
Forces that animals can exert is of great interest in biology. Regarding the elephant trunk, the maximum mass that an elephant can lift with its trunk is known, but the pinching force of the trunk tip is unknown. We here present an original system to measure this force for an organ much coveted in soft robotics for example. It consists of:•A wooden box protecting the elephants and the measuring system with no protruding parts except the sensor. This box has an opening at the back to fill it with apples and a trap door at the front to release the apples.•Two load cells protruding from the box connected to an electronic system controlled by an Arduino card that records and sends the pinch force via Wi-Fi to a laptop while releasing a reward apple.•Depending on the threshold chosen, the elephant must pinch harder than the previous time to release the next apple. The repetition of this action allows us to approach the maximum force it can achieve.The system, tested on elephants at the Beauval Zooparc (France), has demonstrated that it is effective in measuring the pinching force of the tip of the trunk.


Cognitive Bias as a Mediator in the Relation Between Fear-Enhancing Parental Behaviors and Anxiety Symptoms in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.
The present cross-sectional study explored the relations between fear-enhancing parenting behaviors (modeling and threat information transmission) and children's cognitive biases and anxiety symptoms. Participants were 258 children aged 7-12 years (132 boys and 126 girls), and their mothers (n = 199) and/or fathers (n = 117). Children and parents completed the Parental Enhancement of Anxious Cognitions questionnaire, which measures parental modeling and threat information transmission, while children also filled in a scale for assessing anxiety symptoms. In addition, children conducted a number of computerized tasks for measuring confirmation and interpretation bias. The data indicated that both biases mediated the relationship between threat information transmission (of both parents) and children's anxiety symptoms. Only interpretation bias significantly mediated the relationship between modeling (of mothers) and anxiety symptoms. These findings give partial support for the hypothesis that cognitive biases play a mediating role in the relation between fear-enhancing parental behaviors and children's anxiety symptoms.


Function block applications in control systems based on IEC 61804.
A variety of fieldbus technologies and digital fieldbus devices have been introduced within the process industries over the last ten years. There has been a gradual acceptance of the fact that a variety of communication technologies are needed to fully address the application requirements of a manufacturing facility. However, engineers responsible for the specification, engineering, and implementation of control systems require that a common interface and functionality be provided in the control system. This capability should be independent of the underlying fieldbus technology or manufacturer of the fieldbus device. The draft IEC 61804 standard defines how a control system can be structured to provide this flexibility in the utilization of fieldbus technology. In this paper, we discuss how a consistent function block capability may be provided for all fieldbus technology utilized in a control system. Examples will be given of how this standard has been applied in modern control systems to give a consistent interface to Foundation Fieldbus and PROFIBUS. Some detail will be presented on the standard means that is defined for manufacturers to describe function block capability of a field device. An analysis is given of the impact and benefit that the IEC 61804 standard will have on the process industry and on manufacturers of control systems.


Motility and intraluminal pressure of the ileocolonic junctional zone and adjacent bowel in a canine model.
The exact role of the ileocecal valve (ICV) at the junction of small and large bowel is not well understood. Bowel segments used for the construction of urinary reservoirs incorporate the ICV. In the Indiana pouch its natural continence is used as one principle for achieving continence of the efferent limb. Motor activity and pressure in the ICV, the ileum and colon were registered in eight dogs. Myogenic activity of the bowel consisted of slow waves, irregular spontaneous contractions and superimposed spikes. Pressures of 7.2 +/- 0.3 cmH2O were recorded in the ileum and of 5.6 +/- 0.4 cmH2O in the colon. The pressure in the ICV was 12.7 +/- 0.4 cmH2O rising to 26.4 +/- 2.2 cmH2O during spontaneous depolarization. Balloon dilatation of the ileum resulted in relaxation of the ICV in 76% of experiments, whereas colonic distension was followed by a pressure increase in the ICV region in 80% of experiments. In 16% of cases a relaxation of the ICV area and a weaker response after repeated dilatation was noted. These findings make the ICV an unreliable continence mechanism as its long-term continence can not be predicted despite intraoperative evaluation. Additional measures to ensure consistent continence at the ICV (e.g. electric stimulation) need to be studied.


Incremental risk factors for hospital mortality after postinfarction left ventricular aneurysmectomy.
To identify risk factors for hospital mortality after postinfarction left ventricular aneurysmectomy (PILVA), 83 consecutive cases of PILVA were studied in a retrospective analysis. Hospital mortality was 14.4%. Most of the factors correlated with hospital mortality were associated with poor overall left ventricular (LV) function: preoperative digoxin (P = 0.001), diuretics (P = 0.03), intravenous (iv) inotropics (P = 0.002), interstitial oedema (P = 0.03) on chest X-ray, higher LV end-diastolic pressure (P = 0.02), congestive heart failure (CHF) (P = 0.003) especially as an indication for surgery (P = 0.001) and postoperative low output (P less than 0.001), intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) (P less than 0.001) and renal failure (P less than 0.001). In addition, higher age at infarction (P = 0.002) and at PILVA (P = 0.008) were correlated with hospital mortality, as well as preoperative antiarrhythmics (P = 0.03) and incomplete coronary artery bypass grafting (P = 0.01). Multivariate analysis of preoperative factors showed digoxin, antiarrhythmics, CHF as an indication for surgery, iv inotropics and iv nitrates, in this order, to be the most discriminating risk factors, predicting hospital mortality with 89% specificity and 75% sensitivity. Multivariate analysis of all investigated factors showed postoperative renal failure and IABP, age at infarction, preoperative iv nitrates and antiarrhythmics, in this order, as the most discriminating risk factors, predicting hospital mortality after PILVA with 97% specificity and 83% sensitivity.


Investigating the pollution of bottled water by the microplastics (MPs): the effects of mechanical stress, sunlight exposure, and freezing on MPs release.
Bottled water is becoming more popular worldwide and possible contamination's need to be analyzed. Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants and have recently been regarded as an important contaminant in bottled water due to oral intake and possible threats to human health. In the present study, MP amounts in 23 popular Iranian brands of bottled water were determined by filtration and counting under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of mechanical stress, environmental factors, and freezing on MP release also were investigated. The average amounts of MPs in water samples were 1496.7 ± 1452.2 particles/L (199.8 to 6626.7 particles/L). The amounts of MPs in different brands was significantly different (p < 0.05). As much as 91.3% of detected particles had the size between 1 and 10 μm. The most likely polymers determined by FTIR spectroscopy was polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The freezing of water in the bottles did not show any significant effect on the MPs release, but mechanical stress to the bottles increased MP amounts in the water significantly. Environmental factors including sunlight exposure and the age of bottles showed the most degradative effects on the structure of polymers in the body of PET bottles and release of MPs. Regardless of their type, source and commercial brands, bottled water is contaminated with hundreds to thousands MPs/L. The main portion (above 90%) of these MPs are < 5 μm particles with considerable effects on human health.


Transynaptic transport of procion yellow in the central nervous system.
Intracellular recordings were performed in slices of the lateral geniculate body, the visual cortex, and the hippocampus of guinea pigs. After recording, Procion Yellow was iontophoretically injected. During the injection period the neurones were activated antidromically and/or transynaptically. Up to 6 h after dye injection slices were fixed in a buffered formaldehyde/sucrose solution and later histologically processed. In the lateral geniculate body, after orthodromic stimulation across the optic tract, optic tract fibers were stained secondarily. Orthodromic activation across intrageniculate connections led to secondarily stained geniculate neurones. In the visual cortex orthodromic activation of the injected neurones across white matter led to secondarily stained fibres travelling in the direction to the white matter or to secondarily stained neurones in the vicinity of the injected neurone. In the hippocampus anti- and orthodromic activation across the alveus or the mossy fibre pathway led to a secondary staining of neighbouring pyramidal neurones and to a secondary staining of fibres which where afferent to the injected neurone. All slices where Procion Yellow was detected in the extracellular space were rejected. These findings led to the conclusion that Procion Yellow must have been transported across chemical synapses from the post- to the presynaptic side. The transport occurred only if the concerned synapses were activated.


The influence of Lactobacillus acidophilus-derived surfactants on staphylococcal adhesion and biofilm formation.
The ability of surfactants obtained from three Lactobacillus acidophilus strains to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis biofilms was evaluated. Their influence was determined on bacterial initial adhesion, biofilm formation and dispersal using MTT-reduction assay, confocal laser scanning microscopy and image PHLIP analysis. The number of adhering S. aureus and S. epidermidis cells after a 3-h co-incubation with biosurfactants was reduced by 5-56 % in a strain-and dose-dependent manner. S. epidermidis-and, to a lower extent, in S. aureus-biofilm formation was also inhibited in the presence of the tested surfactants. The addition of surfactants to preformed mature biofilms accelerated their dispersal, and changed the parameters of biofilm morphology. The L. acidophilus-derived surfactants inhibit bacterial deposition rate and biofilm development (and also its maturation) without affecting cell growth probably due to the influence on the cell-surface hydrophobicity of staphylococci.


Mass spectrometric analysis of glycans in elucidating the pathogenesis of CDG type IIx .
The majority of secreted or membrane-bound proteins are glycosylated. The glycans attached to glycoproteins can affect a range of physicochemical and biological properties of the glycoprotein and appropriate glycosylation is essential for many normal cellular functions, with aberrant glycosylation often leading to disease. This short review briefly outlines the methodology used to release glycans from proteins and analyse them by mass spectrometry. The technology is illustrated by the description of a rapid and sensitive method for profiling glycoproteins of patients with congenital disorders of glycosylation type II. This methodology can rapidly pinpoint the defective step(s) in the processing pathway of N-linked glycans, thereby focusing the biochemical analyses that need to be performed to define the genetic basis of these diseases.


Age-related decline of plasma bioavailable testosterone in adult men.
Plasma bioavailable and total testosterone (T), gonadotropins (FSH, LH) and prolactin (PRL) were determined in 70 ambulatory men subdivided into 3 groups according to age: group I (n = 22; age 20-35 yr), group II (n = 22; age: 36-50 yr) and group III (n = 26; age 51-70 yr). Bioavailable T levels declined significantly with age (r = -0.42; P less than 0.01) while those of total T decreased less significantly (r = -0.28; P less than 0.05). In addition, the decrease of bioavailable T occurred earlier. FSH was shown to increase with age (r = 0.41; P less than 0.01) whereas LH and PRL were not found to change significantly. Bioavailable T was correlated with total T (r = 0.25; P less than 0.05) and inversely correlated with FSH (r = -0.26; P less than 0.05). No correlation could be demonstrated between LH and either bioavailable or total T. In view of the age-related increase of sex hormone binding globulin, a fact generally observed in the literature, bioavailable T may be considered a more reliable index than total T for the evaluation of T production. Thus it may be concluded that the early decrease of bioavailable T in ambulatory men not known to have any pathology or any medication altering testicular function corresponds in fact to age-related decline of T secretion by the testes.


A role for ultra-high resolution three-dimensional printed human heart models.
Echocardiography is essential for diagnosing and assessing the severity of perioperative structural and functional heart disease. Yet, educational opportunities to better understand echocardiography-based cardiac anatomy remain limited by the two-dimensional display, lack of anatomic details, variability of heart models, and costs and global access of training. We performed micro computed tomography of human heart specimens not suitable for orthotopic transplantation. We created high-resolution computational 3D models of different human hearts, sliced them in the different recommended American Society of Echocardiography views, and 3D printed them using different materials. We scanned, 3D modeled, and 3D printed a variety of human hearts both healthy and diseased. We have made the models available in the cardiac operating rooms and routinely use them for teaching anesthesia residents and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellows about basic and advanced echocardiographic views, cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation strategies, and valvular pathology and planned interventions. We have generated a library of 3D printed hearts to display the recommended echocardiographic views as a unique educational tool designed to safely accelerate the understanding of absolute and relative human cardiac anatomy and pathology, especially related to gaining advanced appreciation of clinically employed perioperative echocardiography.


Treatment of CNS neoplasms in childhood by the Pediatric Oncology Group.
The incidence of brain tumors in children under 15 years of age in the United States is 2.4/100,000. Based upon a US population of approximately 60 million black and white children, there are only 1,200-1,500 newly diagnosed causes of CNS neoplasia diagnosed in children each year in the US. These relatively small numbers, the large geographic dispersion, and the multitude of histologic types, make it unlikely that all but a few medical centers can develop a large experience with this diverse group of tumors. The Brain Tumor Committee (BTC) of the Pediatric Oncology Group was formed, in part, to address this problem. Each of the four goals of the BTC will be addressed separately. A justification for the rationale for each goal is given, following which there is a discussion of how each goal is being met.


Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome.
Multiple small infiltrates deep in the retina were found in three previously healthy patients aged 21-28 years in association with a mild non-specific acute infection. In two patients the lesions were uniocular, in one patient both eyes were affected. Both posterior pole and midperiphery were involved. In two cases the optic disk was slightly swollen. Due to macular lesions the visual acuity on admission varied from 0.1 (6/60) to 0.6 (6/10). On fluorescein angiograms the lesions were initially hypofluorescent and later slightly hyperfluorescent. No causative agents were discovered. All lesions resolved in 4-8 weeks without treatment, leaving faint pigment dispersion or, more commonly, no visible scars, and the visual acuity recovered to 1.0 (6/6).


Eukaryotic initiation factor 4 A-3 promotes glioblastoma growth and invasion through the Notch1-dependent pathway.
As an adult tumor with the most invasion and the highest mortality rate, the inherent heterogeneity of glioblastoma (GBM) is the main factor that causes treatment failure. Therefore, it is important to have a deeper understanding of the pathology of GBM. Some studies have shown that Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A-3 (EIF4A3) can promote the growth of many people's tumors, and the role of specific molecules in GBM remains unclear. The correlation between the expression of EIF4A3 gene and its prognosis was studied in 94 GBM patients using survival analysis. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments, the effect of EIF4A3 on GBM cells proliferation, migration, and the mechanism of EIF4A3 on GBM was explored. In addition, combined with bioinformatics analysis, we further confirmed that EIF4A3 contributes to the progress of GBM. The expression of EIF4A3 was upregulated in GBM tissues, and high expression of EIF4A3 is associated with poor prognosis in GBM. In vitro, knockdown of EIF4A3 significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of GBM cells, whereas overexpression of EIF4A3 led to the opposite effect. The analysis of differentially expressed genes related to EIF4A3 indicates that it is involved in many cancer-related pathways, such as Notch and JAK-STAT3 signal pathway. In Besides, we demonstrated the interaction between EIF4A3 and Notch1 by RNA immunoprecipitation. Finally, the biological function of EIF4A3-promoted GBM was confirmed in living organisms. The results of this study suggest that EIF4A3 may be a potential prognostic factor, and Notch1 participates in the proliferation and metastasis of GBM cells mediated by EIF4A3.


Strategy to obtain axenic cultures from field-collected samples of the cyanobacterium Phormidium animalis.
An efficient strategy, based on a combination of procedures, was developed to obtain axenic cultures from field-collected samples of the cyanobacterium Phormidium animalis. Samples were initially cultured in solid ASN-10 medium, and a crude separation of major contaminants from P. animalis filaments was achieved by washing in a series of centrifugations and resuspensions in liquid medium. Then, manageable filament fragments were obtained by probe sonication. Fragmentation was followed by forceful washing, using vacuum-driven filtration through an 8-microm pore size membrane and an excess of water. Washed fragments were cultured and treated with a sequential exposure to four different antibiotics. Finally, axenic cultures were obtained from serial dilutions of treated fragments. Monitoring under microscope examination and by inoculation in Luria-Bertani (LB) agar plates indicated either axenicity or the degree of contamination throughout the strategy.


Therapeutic stereotactic procedures on the thalamus for pain.
Thalamotomy and electrical stimulation of a thalamic target as treatment for persistent pain are discussed. Thalamotomy is only rarely performed these days according to a questionnaire, given to some colleagues, about the type and the number of operations they performed in the years 1984, 1985 and 1986. The need for stimulation in the periventricular or periaqueductal grey for nociceptive pain is decreasing due to the advent of intraspinal and intraventricular administration of opioids. Nowadays medial and lateral ventro-posterior thalamic nuclei are frequently stimulated for treatment of deafferentation pain. Of 36 patients with deafferentation pain, 22 initially had benefit from this stimulation, but long-term success was only achieved in 11 (30%) of them. It was a general trend that the patients with an initial high pain relief score obtained the best long-term results.


Nitazoxanide protects cats from feline calicivirus infection and acts synergistically with mizoribine in vitro.
Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a highly contagious pathogen that causes acute upper respiratory infections and oral disease in cats, thus seriously endangering feline health. Recently, there have been outbreaks of particularly virulent variant strains of FCV, which can cause both acute symptoms and fatal systemic disease. The discovery of effective antiviral agents to treat FCV infection is, therefore, gradually assuming increased importance. In this study, we showed that both nitazoxanide and mizoribine had antiviral activity in F81 cells infected with different strains of FCV and also demonstrated a synergistic effect between the two drugs. Experiments in cats challenged with FCV showed that nitazoxanide significantly reduced the clinical symptoms of FCV infection, reduced viral load in the trachea and lungs, and reduced viral shedding. Our results showed that nitazoxanide and mizoribine could potentially be used as therapeutic agents to treat FCV infection.


Ante- and intra-partum factors that predict increased need for neonatal resuscitation.
In the absence of identified risk factors, 7% of term newly borns require PPV-ETT (positive pressure ventilation and/or endotracheal intubation). Factors increasing need for resuscitation, and therefore for individuals with advanced resuscitation skills, require further evaluation. To evaluate the predictive value of ante- and intra-partum risk factors for PPV-ETT in "at-risk" deliveries. Over a 30-month period, the neonatal resuscitation team (NRT) at the tertiary perinatal centre in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, prospectively recorded reasons for attending "at-risk" deliveries, and subsequent use of PPV-ETT, rates of low 1- and 5-min Apgar scores, and admission to neonatal intensive care or death. Of 5691 deliveries, 3796 (66.7%) were attended by the NRT. Data were available for 3564 (94%) at-risk attendances, of which 780 (22%) required PPV-ETT. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, significant ante-partum risk factors for PPV-ETT included multiple pregnancy <35 weeks, maternal infection, hypertension, and oligohydramnios; intra-partum factors were preterm delivery at <36 weeks, breech presentation, meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF), non-reassuring fetal heart rate, emergency Caesarean section (EmCS), shoulder dystocia, and opiates in normal labour. Elective Caesarean section (ElCS) was protective. Forceps, vacuum, and regional or general anaesthesia did not increase risk. EmCS and preterm birth predicted PPV-ETT, low Apgar scores, and admission to neonatal intensive care (or death), and along with MSAF, made up the majority of "at-risk" babies. Given the baseline risk (22%), factors that increase need for resuscitation in a tertiary centre may not alter the practice of the NRT attending all "at-risk" deliveries, with the exception of ElCS.


The relationship between the status and position of third molars and the presence of mandibular angle and condylar fractures.
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the status and position of third molars, and the presence of mandibular angle and/or condylar fractures, in a group of patients treated for mandibular fractures, thus hoping to contribute to the knowledge of potential predictors of these fractures. A retrospective study was designated to include all the patients who were diagnosed and treated with open reduction and internal fixation for isolated mandibular angle fractures or isolated mandibular condylar fractures between 1st of January 2012 and 31st of December 2018. The following data were collected for each included patient: gender, age, etiology, site and side of the fracture, and presence and eruption state of third molars in the fracture side. Seventy patients were diagnosed with a condylar fracture, 48 with an angle fracture. No statistically significant difference was observed as for etiology and gender distribution between angle fracture and condyle fracture patients (p > 0.05). Angle fractures were statistically associated with the presence of third molars, whereas condylar fractures with the absence of third molars (p < 0.000005). The presence of completely erupted 3Ms was associated with condylar fractures (p < 0.05), and partially impacted 3Ms were associated with angle fractures (p < 0.0005). Mandibular angle fractures and third molar presence are associated in patients who present with mandibular fractures, especially if the third molar is incompletely erupted. This information should be kept in consideration as for the diagnosis and management of patients with mandibular fractures.


Mebendazole; from an anti-parasitic drug to a promising candidate for drug repurposing in colorectal cancer.
Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) predominantly contributes to cancer-related mortalities secondary to distant metastasis. This study aimed at investigating anti-tumor activity and safety of mebendazole in patients with mCRC. This prospective, randomized double blind placebo-controlled study enrolled 40 mCRC patients who were randomized into two groups; the control group (n = 20) which received 6 cycles of bevacizumab with FOLFOX4 plus placebo tablets BID and mebendazole group (n = 20) which received 6 cycles of bevacizumab with FOLFOX4 plus mebendazole 500 mg orally BID for 12 weeks. Computed tomography scanning and serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), liver and renal parameters were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. One-year overall survival and progression free survival (PFS) were also determined. Data were analyzed using paired, independent sample-t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-Square and Kaplan-Meier tests and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Mebendazole was well tolerated and its addition to bevacizumab and FOLFOX4 enhanced tumor response to treatment which was translated by significant improvement of overall response rate 12 weeks after intervention [10 % (2) versus 65% (13) for control and mebendazole groups, respectively; p = 0.000] and significant elevation of PFS (median: 3 and 9.25 months for control and mebendazole groups, respectively; p = 0.000). Furthermore, mebendazole produced significant decline in VEGF level (p = 0.006) with non-significant variation in CEA level (p = 0.063). Mebendazole may represent an attractive candidate for drug repositioning against mCRC secondary to its safety and efficacy in enhancing tumor response to chemotherapy. NCT03925662, retrospectively.


Hereditary spherocytosis with high fetal hemoglobin: an interesting case.
Raised Hb F is occasionally found in stress erythropoiesis associated with hemolytic anemias. In hereditary spherocytosis (HS), elevation of Hb F by 2-5% may be seen but Hb F in the range of 10-20% has not been reported. We present an interesting case of a child, initially presenting with high Hb F, who showed a spontaneous and progressive decline, and was subsequently diagnosed to have HS with raised fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) using an eosin-5-maleimide flow cytometric test.


Onset of cardiovascular drift during progressive heat stress in young adults (PSU HEAT project).
With climate change, humans are at a greater risk for heat-related morbidity and mortality, often secondary to increased cardiovascular strain associated with an elevated core temperature (Tc). Critical environmental limits (i.e., the upper limits of compensable heat stress) have been established based on Tc responses for healthy, young individuals. However, specific environmental limits for the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis have not been investigated in the context of thermal strain during light activity. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to 1) identify the specific environmental conditions (combinations of ambient temperature and water vapor pressure) at which cardiovascular drift [i.e., a continuous rise in heart rate (HR)] began to occur and 2) compare those environments to the environmental limits for the maintenance of heat balance. Fifty-one subjects (27 F; 23 ± 4 yr) were exposed to progressive heat stress across a wide range of environmental conditions in an environmental chamber at two low metabolic rates reflecting minimal activity (MinAct; 159 ± 34 W) or light ambulation (LightAmb; 260 ± 55 W). Whether systematically increasing ambient temperature or humidity, the onset of cardiovascular drift occurred at lower environmental conditions compared with Tc inflection points at both intensities (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the time at which cardiovascular drift began preceded the time of Tc inflection (MinAct P = 0.01; LightAmb P = 0.0002), and the difference in time between HR and Tc inflection points did not differ (MinAct P = 0.08; LightAmb P = 0.06) across environmental conditions for either exercise intensity. These data suggest that even in young adults, increases in cardiovascular strain precede the point at which heat stress becomes uncompensable during light activity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY To our knowledge, this study is the first to 1) identify the specific combinations of temperature and humidity at which an increase in cardiovascular strain (cardiovascular drift) occurs and 2) compare those environments to the critical environmental limits for the maintenance of heat balance. We additionally examined the difference in time between the onset of increased cardiovascular strain and uncompensable heat stress. We show that an increase in cardiovascular strain systematically precedes sustained heat storage in young adults.


Critical care complications in the trauma patient.
Critical care therapy of the multiply injured patient results in multiple potential complications. Nosocomial infections, gastrointestinal complications, and pulmonary complications are reviewed. Complications that are anticipated can often be avoided by prophylactic therapy. Early intervention, once complications have occurred, may result in decreased morbidity and mortality.


Choline acetyltransferase in the hippocampus is associated with learning strategy preference in adult male rats.
One principle of the multiple memory systems hypothesis posits that the hippocampus-based and striatum-based memory systems compete for control over learning. Consistent with this notion, previous research indicates that the cholinergic system of the hippocampus plays a role in modulating the preference for a hippocampus-based place learning strategy over a striatum-based stimulus--response learning strategy. Interestingly, in the hippocampus, greater activity and higher protein levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme that synthesizes acetylcholine, are associated with better performance on hippocampus-based learning and memory tasks. With this in mind, the primary aim of the current study was to determine if higher levels of ChAT and the high-affinity choline uptake transporter (CHT) in the hippocampus were associated with a preference for a hippocampus-based place learning strategy on a task that also could be solved by relying on a striatum-based stimulus--response learning strategy. Results confirmed that levels of ChAT in the dorsal region of the hippocampus were associated with a preference for a place learning strategy on a water maze task that could also be solved by adopting a stimulus-response learning strategy. Consistent with previous studies, the current results support the hypothesis that the cholinergic system of the hippocampus plays a role in balancing competition between memory systems that modulate learning strategy preference.


Integrated Human Skin Bacteria Genome Catalog Reveals Extensive Unexplored Habitat-Specific Microbiome Diversity and Function.
The skin is the largest organ in the human body. Various skin environments on its surface constitutes a complex ecosystem. One of the characteristics of the skin micro-ecosystem is low biomass, which greatly limits a comprehensive identification of the microbial species through sequencing. In this study, deep-shotgun sequencing (average 21.5 Gigabyte (Gb)) from 450 facial samples and publicly available skin metagenomic datasets of 2069 samples to assemble a Unified Human Skin Genome (UHSG) catalog is integrated. The UHSG encompasses 813 prokaryotic species derived from 5779 metagenome-assembled genomes, among which 470 are novel species covering 20 phyla with 1385 novel assembled genomes. Based on the UHSG, the core functions of the skin microbiome are described and the differences in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and drug resistance functions among different phyla are identified. Furthermore, analysis of secondary metabolites of the near-complete genomes further find 1220 putative novel secondary metabolites, several of which are found in previously unknown genomes. Single nucleotide variant (SNV) reveals a possible skin protection mechanism: the negative selection process of the skin environment to conditional pathogens. UHSG offers a convenient reference database that will facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the role of skin microorganisms in the skin.


Effects of single and group housing conditions and alterations in social and physical contexts on amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization in rats.
Repeated administration of amphetamine (AMPH) can produce behavioral sensitization. However, whether contextual elements and housing conditions influence AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization remains uncertain. This study was designed to examine the effects of housing conditions (single- vs. group-housed) and different contextual changes, including social (with two other co-drug partners) and physical (novel box) context changes, on AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization. During the training phase, all rats were exposed for 7 days to AMPH (1mg/kg, intraperitoneally) in a Locometer chamber, with the exception of animals tested for the effects of physical context changes trained in a novel box. Following a 7-day withdrawal phase, all rats received an AMPH (0.5mg/kg) challenge, and locomotor activity in a Locometer box was recorded before and after AMPH injection during the testing phase. Under group housing conditions, animals exposed to a different physical environment between the training and testing phases or accompanying co-drug partners during the training phase exhibited decreased AMPH-induced locomotor sensitization. In contrast, single housing conditions did not have an inhibitory effect on AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization after manipulations of the physical and social contexts. These results suggest that under group housing conditions, both physical and social context changes can attenuate AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization. The possible neural mechanisms underlying the involvement of different housing conditions in AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization are discussed.


Mechanism for lipid abnormalities of erythrocyte membranes in biliary obstruction: lecithin content and its fatty acyl composition.
The lipid compositions of erythrocyte membranes, plasma and bile of 16 patients with biliary obstruction were analysed to obtain information regarding the origin of excess lecithin which is usually found in the erythrocyte membranes in obstructive jaundice. Phospholipids and free cholesterol were found to be increased proportionally to the degree of biliary obstruction with an elevation in the free cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in the red cell membranes. The increase in phospholipid content is primarily due to lecithin. There was a highly significant alteration in the fatty acid composition of lecithin of erythrocyte membranes, plasma and bile from patients with severe jaundice. Red cell membrane lecithin amounted to more than 40% of the total phospholipid in these patients. Interestingly, the fatty acid composition of lecithin showed a similar pattern in erythrocyte membranes, plasma and bile. In addition, the fatty acyl chain composition of lecithin in lipoprotein-X was very similar to that of the red cell membrane. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy showed an alteration in membrane morphology and a reduced number of membrane-associated particles in the fractured faces. From these findings, we suggest that the lecithin of lipoprotein-X is derived from abnormal bile lecithin, which is incorporated into erythrocyte membranes by fusion with lipoprotein-X. On the other hand, the fatty acid composition of bile lecithin from patients with mild jaundice, whose erythrocyte membrane lecithin amounted to less than 31% of total phospholipid, was not different from that of normal individuals. However, in sharp contrast to the bile content, the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes and plasma in these same patients showed a similar but small change compared to that of patients with severe biliary obstruction. The red cells of patients with mild jaundice were almost normal, biconcave disc-shaped, as observed by scanning electron microscopy and no abnormalities in the distribution or number of membrane particles were detected by freeze-fracturing. We propose that the abnormal lecithin content of erythrocyte membranes in patients with mild jaundice can be explained by the gradual exchange of lecithin between red blood cells and plasma lipoprotein.


Sickle red cell dehydration: mechanisms and interventions.
A critical link between the single molecular defect in sickle cell anemia and the extensive pathology of this disease is the reversible increase in red cell membrane permeability generated by hemoglobin S polymers in the deoxygenated state. This permeability, usually described as P (sickle), triggers a chain of events in which two constitutive transporters of the red cell membrane become activated-the recently cloned intermediate conductance, Ca 2+ -sensitive K channel, and the electroneutral K:Cl cotransporter-leading to sickle cell dehydration. This article reviews knowledge of the dehydration mechanism, stressing the marked heterogeneity of dehydration rates in sickle cell populations, and discusses recent contributions to understanding of the function and regulation of P (sickle), Ca 2+ -sensitive K channel, and K:Cl cotransporter, and of therapies targeted at these transporters.


Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of volatile compounds from Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling.
A solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) for analysis of the volatile compounds from Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling is described. SPME parameters (fiber type, extraction temperature and time, headspace volume and desorption time) and GC conditions were tested. The powdered sample of C. wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling was directly analyzed by SPME-GC-MS and 72 compounds were identified. The results from SPME-GC-MS were compared with those obtained from steam distillation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SD-GC-MS) with a good agreement. The results show that SPME-GC-MS method is a fast, simple and efficient way for the analysis of volatile components from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).


Improved performance of comprehensive two-dimensional HPLC separation of traditional Chinese medicines by using a silica monolithic column and normalization of peak heights.
Performance of comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography system is greatly improved than we reported previously by using a silica monolithic column as for the second dimensional separation. Due to the increase of the elution speed on the second dimensional monolithic column, the first dimensional column efficiency and analysis rate can be greatly improved as comparing with conventionally second dimensional column. The developed system was applied to analysis of methanol extraction of two umbelliferae herbs Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels by using CN column as for the first dimensional separation and a silica monolithic ODS column for the second dimensional separation, and the obtained three-dimensional chromatograms were treated by normalization of peak heights with the value of the highest peak or setting a certain value using a software written in-house. It was observed that much more peaks for low-abundant components in TCM extract can clearly be detected here than we reported before, due to the large difference for the amount of components in TCMs' extract. With the above improvements in separation performance and data treatment, totally about 120 components in methanol extraction of Rhizoma chuanxiong and 100 in A. sinensis were separated with UV detection within 130 min. This result meant that both the number of peaks detected increase twice but the analysis time decrease twice if comparing with the previously reported result.


Effectiveness of preventive and treatment interventions for primary headaches in the workplace: A systematic review of the literature.
Aim The purpose of this systematic literature review is to assess the benefits of workplace-based occupational therapies and interventions, including acute and preventive medication, on headache intensity and frequency, related disability as well as work-related outcomes. Methods A search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane library, CINAHL and Embase using terms related to headache, workplace and occupational health. The Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias assessment tool was used on individual studies to assess internal validity and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system was applied to studies by clinical outcome and used to rate quality of evidence. Results Fifteen articles were included in the systematic review. None of them were classified as low risk of bias according to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. This systematic review found preliminary low-quality evidence suggesting that exercise and acupuncture can reduce workers' headache pain intensity, frequency and related disability. Conclusion Although this systematic review provided preliminary low evidence in favour of work-based intervention, studies with more rigorous designs and methodologies are needed to provide further evidence of the effectiveness of workplace-based headache management strategies.


Spatio-temporal pattern of ecological droughts and their impacts on health of vegetation in Northwestern China.
The ecological implications of drought have been widely discussed in recent years. Ecological drought was thus proposed as a new drought type to describe the impact of drought on ecosystems. The current study used an innovative drought index, called the standardized ecological water deficit index (SEWDI), to monitor terrestrial ecological drought in Northwestern China, which is an ecologically fragile region. Droughts and their characteristics, including drought affected area, drought severity, drought duration, drought frequency, and drought orientation, were extracted using a spatial and temporal identification method based on SEWDI at a three-month timescale. To investigate the variation in dominant factors determining vegetation health, the contributions of moisture and thermal conditions during different ecological drought events were determined using a gradient boosting regression model. The main results indicated that (1) the spatial and temporal identification method successfully identified the spatio-temporal patterns of ecological drought; (2) a total of 184 ecological drought events during 1982-2020 were identified, of which 56.6% occurred prior to the 21st century. Drought events in the 21st century always exhibit larger affected areas, longer durations, a higher frequency, and greater severity, and migrated westward; and (3) in all ecological drought events, vegetation health dominated by thermal conditions accounted for 42.7% and 48.2% before and during the 21st century, respectively. This illustrated that vegetation has experienced more severe thermal stress during the 21st century.


An oblique osteotomy is better for subtrochanteric shortening in total hip arthroplasty for high hip dislocation: a mechanical comparison of four techniques.
Subtrochanteric femoral shortening is used during total hip arthroplasty for high hip dislocation in developmental dysplasia of hip patients. We mechanically tested the stability of various commonly used subtrochanteric osteotomy techniques. As the equivalent of a femoral stem placed in a shortened femur without any stable fixation at the osteotomy line, 2 polyvinylchloride pipes were loosely intertwined. 4 different osteotomies (Z-subtrochanteric osteotomy, oblique-45° osteotomy, double Chevron-90° and 120° subtrochanteric osteotomy) were simulated. Torsional and axial loads were applied, and torsional stiffness was calculated for each test model. Z, double Chevron-90° and 120° subtrochanteric osteotomy models demonstrated lower mean torsional stiffness than oblique-45° osteotomy. With the highest torsional stiffness oblique-45° provides the best stability for treatment of high dislocation hips when a subtrochanteric osteotomy is added. This matches our previous clinical experience. Oblique osteotomy may also provide higher contact surfaces in the osteotomy lines to promote bone healing.


Evaluation of four reagents for delipidation of serum.
Four reagents, Aerosil 380, Freon 113, Dextran sulfate 500-S, and a mixed organic solvent were tested for their abilities to produce optically clear, pooled human serum. Aerosil-380, a silicon dioxide, removed 95% of serum cholesterol and triglycerides, and 80% of the free fatty acids. A mixed organic solvent (n-butanol:diisopropyl ether) was equally effective, but also removed nearly all endogenous alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase. Freon-113 and Dextran sulfate 500-S removed about half of the serum cholesterol and triglycerides. The serum content of several non-lipid components was unaffected by Aerosil-380, Freon-113, and Dextran sulfate treatments; however, the mixed organic solvent removed 69% of the endogenous calcium. Light scattering data revealed that treatment with all reagents except the mixed organic solvent resulted in optically-clear serum products.


Analysis of electrical noise in turtle cones.
1. Properties of the light-sensitive voltage noise in cones in the retina of the turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans, have been studied by intracellular recording.2. Suppression of the noise by light was a function of the hyperpolarizing response of a cone but not of the size or pattern of illumination.3. Power density spectra of the noise were fitted in many cones by the product of two Lorentzians with characteristic time constants tau(1) and tau(2) averaging 40 and 7 msec respectively. The spectra of some cells were peaked and could be fitted by a resonance curve.4. Spectra in dim light exhibited decreased low frequency power. They could often be fitted by a product of two Lorentzians using the same value of tau(2) as used in darkness but decreasing tau(1) and the zero frequency asymptote. An e-fold reduction in tau(1) occurred with lights which hyperpolarized by 4-7 mV.5. Injection of hyperpolarizing currents of about 0.1-0.2 nA into weakly coupled cones reduced the noise, and also reduced the sensitivity to dim flashes.6. The variance-voltage relation during steady illumination of different intensities differed from cone to cone. Dim lights increased the noise in some cells and decreased it in others, but moderately bright lights which gave steady responses of more than about one third maximal reduced the noise in all cells.7. When the cell was transiently depolarized during the differentiated component following steady illumination, the noise was less than it was after prolonged darkness.8. In the after-effect of bright light, the time course of recovery of noise was the same as that of flash sensitivity and voltage. The noise was reduced e-fold for hyperpolarizations averaging 3 mV while for sensitivity this reduction occurred for 1.3 mV. For a given hyperpolarization the noise was lower during the after-effect than during steady dim illumination.9. When a series of dim flashes was delivered to a cone, no significant increase in variance over the dark noise was detected during the photo-response. This implies that each photoisomerization evokes no more than about 1.5 muV at the peak of the response in a coupled cone, corresponding to about 50 muV in an isolated cone.10. The elementary shot events underlying the noise are about 100 muV in amplitude in an isolated cone, have a characteristic time constant of 16-60 msec and reflect unit conductance fluctuations of about 16 pS (S, Siemen identical with Omega(-1)).11. It is concluded that the noise source is internal to the cones. We postulate that the noise arises from opening and closing of the light-sensitive ionic channels in the outer segment, and that in darkness there is a residual concentration of the blocking substance which on average closes up to about one third of the channels. It seems likely that the unit event involves a considerable number of blocking molecules and ionic channels.


The use of clomiphene citrate.
Two hundred and fifty-five women received clomiphene citrate during a 10-year period. Fifty-six were treated diagnostically and one hundred and ninty-nine therapeutically for infertility. It is concluded that clomiphene may aid in confirming the diagnosis and establishing a prognosis in patients with primary or secondary amenorrhea. The success of clomiphene therapy in patients with anovulatory infertility is related to the etiologic factor responsible for the anovulation, but results can be improved by adjustment of the therapeutic regimen used. In the present series, 48% of the patients who ovulated became pregnant, and 25.3% of the pregnancies were miscarried. Those patients who ovulated spontaneously and became pregnant after having discontinued clomiphene therapy showed only a 10% abortion rate. A review of the results indicates that both the ovulation rate and the pregnancy rate can be improved if adjustments are made in therapy to ensure normal follicular maturation and corpus luteum function.


Acral lentiginous melanoma.
Acral lentiginous melanoma is a very aggressive, malignant cutaneous tumor which has a predilection for the plantar surface of the feet, palms of the hand, and the digits. The lesion presents as a rapidly spreading, darkly pigmented patch and may display varying degrees of pigmentation. These lesions have a propensity to metastasize to the central nervous system, liver, lungs, bone, and lymph nodes. Due to the aggressive nature of these lesions, early recognition and treatment, consisting of excision in toto with clean margins, are imperative. The authors present a thorough review of the literature and an illustrative case of acral lentiginous melanoma of the lower extremity.


Body composition of extreme performers in the US Marine Corps.
The creation of highly muscled and strong fighters is a recurring theme in human performance enhancement concepts. Physical readiness standards, intended to prevent obesity in the military, produce contradictory objectives, hounding large individuals to lose weight because of confusion between body size and body composition. Through selection, specialised training and policy exceptions the US Marine Corps has successfully developed a unique group of large (body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2) and strong individuals, the body bearers (BB) who carry coffins of Marines to their final resting place. We examined the relationship between adiposity and body size from nine male BB (age 25.0±2.1, height: 1.84±0.04 (1.80-1.92) m, BMI: 33.0±2.1 (30-37) kg/m2). Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and tape measured abdominal circumference (AC)-based equations and from three-dimensional scanning (3DS). Measures were made of fat-free mass (FFM): 90.5±7.0 (82.0-106.7) kg, where FFM included total body water: 62.8±5.0 (55.8-71.8) L, representing 69±2 (67-73) % of FFM, along with calculated FFM index: 26.8±2.4 (24.4-32.9) kg/m2). DXA measures were made for bone mineral content 4.1±0.4 (3.5-4.9) kg, bone mineral density (BMD) 1.56±0.10 (1.37-1.76) g/cm2 and %BF 19.5±6.6 (9.0-27.8). Additional measures of percent body fat (%BF) were made by AC: 20.3±2.9 (15.2-24.6), BIA: 23.7±6.4 (9.8-29.2) and 3DS: 25.5±4.7 (18.9-32.2). AC %BF reasonably matched DXA %BF, with expected overprediction and underprediction at low and high DXA %BF. BIA %BF was affected by deviations from assumed FFM hydration (72%-73%). These men are classified as obese by BMI but carried massive amounts of muscle and bone on their large frames, while presenting a range of %BF irrelevant to strength performance. BMI did not predict obesity and adiposity had no association with muscle mass and strength performance.


The effect of left internal mammary artery utilization on short-term outcomes after coronary revascularization.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether use of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) during coronary revascularization influences short-term morbidity in all patients undergoing revascularization, as well as in patients over the age of 75 years, female patients, and patients with diabetes. The study also explored variability in the utilization of LIMA grafts across an entire state. Using the Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program (COAP) of the state of Washington, procedural outcomes were compared for patients receiving and patients not receiving LIMA grafts as part of revascularization procedures from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2000. Mortality and major complications were examined, both as unadjusted rates and after adjusting for baseline patient risk factors. A total of 16 centers performed 8,797 nonemergent coronary artery revascularizations, including 81.7% with LIMA grafts. The use of a LIMA graft was associated with a significantly lower mortality (3.7% No LIMA vs 1.6% LIMA), as well as decreases in ventricular arrhythmias, need for postoperative dialysis, need for transfusions, ventilator dependence, and length of hospital stay. These trends were true for the population as a whole as well as for all subgroups analyzed, and they persisted after correcting for differences in comorbid conditions. In addition, there was wide variability in the use of LIMA grafts from center to center in the state. The use of LIMA grafts for coronary revascularization is associated with decreased mortality and morbidity. Despite these advantages, there is great variability in its application across the state of Washington.


Home Video Telemetry vs inpatient telemetry: A comparative study looking at video quality.
To compare the quality of home video recording with inpatient telemetry (IPT) to evaluate our current Home Video Telemetry (HVT) practice. To assess our HVT practice, a retrospective comparison of the video quality against IPT was conducted with the latter as the gold standard. A pilot study had been conducted in 2008 on 5 patients.Patients (n = 28) were included in each group over a period of one year.The data was collected from referral spreadsheets, King's EPR and telemetry archive.Scoring of the events captured was by consensus using two scorers.The variables compared included: visibility of the body part of interest, visibility of eyes, time of event, illumination, contrast, sound quality and picture clarity when amplified to 200%.Statistical evaluation was carried out using Shapiro-Wilk and Chi-square tests. The P-value of ⩽0.05 was considered statistically significant. Significant differences were demonstrated in lighting and contrast between the two groups (HVT performed better in both).Amplified picture quality was slightly better in the HVT group. Video quality of HVT is comparable to IPT, even surpassing IPT in certain aspects such as the level of illumination and contrast. Results were reconfirmed in a larger sample of patients with more variables. Despite the user and environmental variability in HVT, it looks promising and can be seriously considered as a preferable alternative for patients who may require investigation at locations remote from an EEG laboratory.


Kinetic evaluation of the Na-K pump reaction mechanism.
1. The ouabain-sensitive K influx was measured at varying external K concentrations ([K]o) and at several fixed internal Na concentrations ([Na]c). The cells were nominally K-free and the solutions Na-free. Both the apparent maximal velocity (VM) and the apparent Michaelis constant for K (KK) increased as Nac increased. The ratio app. VM/app. KK increased with increasing Nac. 2. The ouabain-sensitive Cs influx was measured at varying external Cs concentrations and at several fixed Nac in K-free cells and Na-free solutions. Both app. VM and app. Kcs increased as Nac increased and the ratio app. VM/app. Kcs increased with increasing Nac. 3. The data were evaluated in terms of ping-pong model and a simultaneous model for the pump reaction mechanism. The simultaneous model described the data adequately and the ping-pong models did not. 4. The K influx was measured at varying external K concentrations in solutions containing Na and at a low and high Nac; the cells contained K. The relation between the pump rate and the external K concentration was sigmoid. A Hill equation was fitted to the data. KK was higher in the high Nac cells, but the Hill coefficient (n) was not altered as Nac increased. 5. The K influx was measured at varying internal Na concentrations and two fixed external K concentrations; the cells contained K. The relation between the pump rate and Nac was sigmoid. When a Hill equation was fitted to the data, it was found that KNac was higher at the high external K concentration, but n was the same at both K concentrations.


Validation of axillary sentinel lymph node detection in the staging of early lobular invasive breast carcinoma: a prospective study.
Previous reports have shown that regional lymph node involvement in patients with early-stage breast carcinoma can be evaluated by resection of axillary sentinel lymph nodes (ASLN). Axillary lymphadenectomy may be unnecessary in the absence of ASLN involvement. In the current study, the authors compared the results of ASLN resection in patients with lobular invasive carcinoma (LIC) with the results from patients with ductal invasive carcinoma (DIC) in terms of detection rates and false-negative rates. For ASLN detection, technetium 99m sulfur-colloid and patent blue were injected around the tumor. Each patient underwent both ASLN resection and complete axillary lymphadenectomy. Detection rates and false-negative rates were evaluated in patients with LIC and in patients with DIC. Two hundred forty-three patients with invasive, early-stage breast carcinoma were enrolled in the study (208 patients with DIC and 35 patients with LIC). The median patient age, pathologic tumor size, hormone receptor status, and rates of involved lymph nodes were equivalent for both groups. ASLN detection and false-negative rates did not differ for patients with LIC and patients with DIC. The ASLN detection rate was not dependent on the pathologic type of invasive carcinoma. Pathologic examination of ASLN in patients with LIC and in patients with DIC predicted axillary lymph node status with the same predictive value in terms of lymph node metastasis. For patients with LIC, ASLN examination overestimated the rate of micrometastasis as diagnosed by immunohistochemical techniques. These results will require confirmation in larger studies.


Implementation of smooth continuous camera trajectories for viewing PDB and VRML objects.
A parametrically defined camera trajectory enabling the accurate and systematic scanning of the entire surface of virtual (Protein Data Bank (PDB)) proteins is developed and implemented. The smooth continuous path guarantees that each local region of the protein is inspected from a variety of directions in a controlled and uniform manner. Manipulation of several parameters governs the density, character and duration of the scan. Applications to the analysis of other real and virtual objects are also considered.


Peak expiratory flow rate control chart in asthma care: chart construction and use in asthma care.
The home monitoring of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), although recommended in current asthma guidelines, remains seriously underutilized by both patients and physicians. Our assessment is that this is more a statement regarding the inability of current charting methods to fulfill the promises made for PEFR monitoring, rather than a commentary regarding the usefulness of peak expiratory flow rate monitoring per se. We have adapted the theory and charting tool of the discipline of statistical process control to the daily monitoring of PEFR in the care of patients with asthma. Statistical process control charts integrate the actual PEFR values and their day-to-day variation in a manner that permits more informed decision-making. This article introduces our adaptation of statistical process control theory and charts via three case presentations. Report our experience in the use of statistical process control theory and charting to the monitoring of peak expiratory flow in the care of patients with asthma. Discussion of methodology and case reports. This is the first report of the application of statistical process control (SPC) theory and charting to the home monitoring of peak expiratory flow rate and the clinical decision-making processes involved in the day-to-day care of patients with asthma. SPC charts integrate knowledge of actual serial PEFR measurements with knowledge of their associated serial variation. Our adaptation of this theory and its charting methodology results in a tool that loses nothing provided by the charting methods suggested in current guidelines and, at the same time, provides patient specific, statistically driven signals of significant change; facilitates identification of the reason(s) for the change in PEFR; predicts the range in which future function will occur; permits decision-making and care to be provided in an anticipatory manner; and, importantly, permits the early identification of the functionally at-risk patient. This report demonstrates that home monitoring of peak expiratory flow is a robust tool whose usefulness in the care of patients with asthma has been limited more by the paradigm in which we have required it be used than by any of the limitations of the measurement per se.


Microneedle-based analysis of the micromechanics of the metaphase spindle assembled in Xenopus laevis egg extracts.
To explain how micrometer-sized cellular structures generate and respond to forces, we need to characterize their micromechanical properties. Here we provide a protocol to build and use a dual force-calibrated microneedle-based setup to quantitatively analyze the micromechanics of a metaphase spindle assembled in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. This cell-free extract system allows for controlled biochemical perturbations of spindle components. We describe how the microneedles are prepared and how they can be used to apply and measure forces. A multimode imaging system allows the tracking of microtubules, chromosomes and needle tips. This setup can be used to analyze the viscoelastic properties of the spindle on timescales ranging from minutes to sub-seconds. A typical experiment, along with data analysis, is also detailed. We anticipate that our protocol can be readily extended to analyze the micromechanics of other cellular structures assembled in cell-free extracts. The entire procedure can take 3-4 d.


Electrocorticography and seizure outcomes in children with lesional epilepsy.
The use of electrocorticographically (ECoG)-guided cortical resection in children with lesional epilepsy is controversial. Given the important developmental issues associated with recurrent childhood seizures, sustained seizure control is a key therapeutic goal. We therefore evaluated the effect of the decision to perform lesionectomy or ECoG-guided cortical resection on seizure outcome and surgical morbidity in the pediatric population. We retrospectively analyzed seizure outcomes in 67 patients between the ages of 3 months and 16 years who underwent surgery for lesional epilepsy at British Columbia Children's Hospital. Thirty-four patients underwent ECoG, and 33 patients had lesionectomy without ECoG. One year post-operatively, 80% of patients who had ECoG-guided cortical resection or lesionectomy were seizure free. However, there was a trend toward improved seizure freedom in patients who had ECoG at most recent follow-up (79% patients with ECoG seizure free, vs. 61% with lesionectomy only; mean follow-up time 5.8 year, P=0.078). There was no increase in neurological morbidity in patients who had ECoG-guided cortical resection, and these patients were less likely to experience repeat epilepsy surgery. Overall, using ECoG to guide additional cortical resection may lead to more robust seizure freedom in children with lesional epilepsy without increasing their risk of surgical morbidity.


Shear bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesives with different co-solvent ingredients to dry or moist dentin.
To evaluate the shear bond strength of one-step self-etch adhesives with different co-solvent ingredients to dry or moist dentin. A total of 60 extracted teeth were used in this study, and were divided according to the adhesive systems and dentin conditions into 6 groups of 10 teeth each [Xeno III - dry dentin, Xeno III - moist dentin, Adper Prompot L-Pop - dry dentin, Adper Prompot L-Pop - moist dentin, iBond - dry dentin, and iBond - moist dentin]. Resin composite cylinder was built up on each specimen, and then thermocycled. A shear load was applied to the specimens using universal testing (Instron machine) at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min until failure occurred. Data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni multiple comparison test at 95% confidence level. BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY: The highest mean shear bond strength to dry dentin was seen when Xeno III containing ethanol co-solvent ingredient was used. The highest mean shear bond strength to moist dentin was seen when iBond which contains acetone co-solvent ingredient was used. In the absence of a co-solvent ingredient in self-etch adhesive (Adper Prompot L-Pop), the mean shear bond strengths to dry and moist dentin were low with no significant difference between them.


Factors contributing to chronic ankle instability: a protocol for a systematic review of systematic reviews.
Ankle sprains are a significant clinical problem. Researchers have identified a multitude of factors contributing to the presence of recurrent ankle sprains including deficits in balance, postural control, kinematics, muscle activity, strength, range of motion, ligament laxity and bone/joint characteristics. Unfortunately, the literature examining the presence of these factors in chronic ankle instability (CAI) is conflicting. As a result, researchers have attempted to integrate this evidence using systematic reviews to reach conclusions; however, readers are now faced with an increasing number of systematic review findings that are also conflicting. The overall aim of this review is to critically appraise the methodological quality of previous systematic reviews and pool this evidence to identify contributing factors to CAI. A systematic review will be conducted on systematic reviews that investigate the presence of various deficits identified in CAI. Databases will be searched using pre-determined search terms. Reviews will then be assessed for inclusion based on the set eligibility criteria. Two independent reviewers will assess the articles for inclusion before evaluating the methodological quality and presence of bias of the included studies; any disagreements will be resolved by discussion between reviewers to reach consensus or by a third reviewer. Data concerning the specific research question, search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria, population, method and outcomes will be extracted. Findings will be analysed with respect to the methodological quality of the included reviews. It is expected that this review will clarify the cause of contradicting findings in the literature and facilitate future research directions. PROSPERO CRD42016032592 .


[Stapedectomies. Retrospective study of 120 ears].
This paper is a retrospective study of 120 stapedectomy cases with its outcomes and complications. With these technique we have achieved more than 80 percent of good results, being scarce the number of complications.


Positive drinking consequences among hazardous drinking college students.
Negative drinking consequences in college students have been well studied, but emerging evidence points to a role for positive drinking consequences in predicting alcohol related problems. Positive drinking consequences appear to be distinct from other drinking constructs such as drinking expectancies and drinking motives. However, no work has evaluated the role of positive drinking consequences in hazardous drinking college students, a population at high risk for alcohol related problems. The goal of the current study was to examine the effect of positive drinking consequences on problem drinking and alcohol problem recognition in a hazardous drinking college sample. Participants (N=222) were hazardous drinking undergraduate students completing a battery of self-report measures about alcohol use. Findings indicated that positive drinking consequences predicted problem drinking above and beyond other related constructs including positive drinking motives (i.e. enhancement and social). However, positive drinking consequences did not appear to play a significant role in alcohol problem recognition. Future research directions and implications for interventions with hazardous drinking college students are discussed.


Architecture of the human NALCN channelosome.
NALCN regulates the resting membrane potential by mediating the Na+ leak current in neurons, and it functions as a channelosome in complex with FAM155A, UNC79, and UNC80. Dysfunction of the NALCN channelosome causes a broad range of neurological and developmental diseases called NALCN channelopathies in humans. How the auxiliary subunits, especially the two large components UNC79 and UNC80, assemble with NALCN and regulate its function remains unclear. Here we report an overall architecture of the human NALCN channelosome. UNC79 and UNC80 each adopt an S-shape super-helical structure consisting of HEAT and armadillo repeats, forming a super-coiled heterodimeric assembly in the cytoplasmic side, which may provide a scaffold for the binding of other potential modulators of the channelosome. The UNC79-UNC80 assembly specifically associates with the NALCN-FAM155A subcomplex through the intracellular II-III linker of NALCN. Disruptions of the interaction interfaces between UNC79 and UNC80, and between the II-III linker of NALCN and the UNC79-UNC80 assembly, significantly reduce the NALCN-mediated currents in HEK293T system, suggesting the importance of the UNC79-UNC80 assembly in regulating channelosome function. Cross-linking mass spectrometry analysis identified an additional calmodulin (CaM) bound in the carboxyl-terminal domain of NALCN. Our study thus provides a structural basis for understanding the unique assembly mechanism and functional regulation of the NALCN channelosome, and also provides an opportunity for the interpretation of many disease-related mutations in UNC80.


The role of nesfatin-1 in the regulation of food intake and body weight: recent developments and future endeavors.
Nesfatin-1 was discovered in 2006 and introduced as a potential novel anorexigenic modulator of food intake and body weight. The past years have witnessed increasing evidence establishing nesfatin-1 as a potent physiological inhibitor of food intake and body weight and unravelled nesfatin-1's interaction with other brain transmitters to exert its food consumption inhibitory effect. As observed for other anorexigenic brain neuropeptides, nesfatin-1 is also likely to exert additional, if not pleiotropic, actions in the brain and periphery. Recent studies established the prominent expression of the nesfatin-1 precursor, nucleobindin2 (NUCB2), in the stomach and pancreas, where nesfatin-1 influences endocrine secretion. This review will highlight the current experimental state-of-knowledge on the effects of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 on food intake, body weight and glucose homeostasis. Potential implications in human obesity will be discussed in relation to the evidence of changes in circulating levels of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in disease states, the occurrence of genetic NUCB2 polymorphisms and--in contrast to several other hormones--the independence of leptin signalling known to be blunted under conditions of chronically increased body weight.


Guide for judicious use of the paracetamol absorption technique in a study of gastric emptying rate of liquids.
The paracetamol absorption technique, a widely used method for evaluating the gastric emptying rate of liquids, appears to be performed inappropriately, resulting from a lack of consideration of pharmacokinetics in paracetamol absorption. This review suggests that appropriate study designs and logical choice of the parameters for the rate of paracetamol absorption are the cornerstone of reliable investigation of gastric emptying using the paracetamol method.


Evaluation of phospholipase activity of Candida albicans and its correlation with pathogenicity in mice.
Sixty-one isolates of Candida albicans were tested for their phospholipase activity and this parameter was correlated with pathogenicity in albino mice. Of the isolates tested, 57 (93%) showed appreciable phospholipase activity and of these, 55 (90%) were pathogenic to mice. A significant correlation was found between phospholipase activity and involvement of kidneys in animal pathogenicity studies. The isolates of C. albicans, that exhibited higher phospholipase activity were found to be pathogenic for mice.


Cannabinoid functions in the amygdala contribute to conditioned fear memory in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice: Interaction with glutamatergic functions.
The role of cannabinoid systems in conditioned fear memory was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 (1mg/kg, i.p.), when injected into normal mice after conditioning, significantly prolonged the duration of freezing behavior. This effect was significantly inhibited by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM 251 (3mg/kg, s.c.), but not by the cannabinoid CB2 receptor antagonist AM 630 (1mg/kg, s.c.). The duration of freezing in STZ-induced diabetic mice was significantly longer than that in non-diabetic mice. The injection of WIN-55,212-2 (1mg/kg, i.p.) after conditioning significantly prolonged the duration of freezing in non-diabetic mice, but not in STZ-induced diabetic mice. In contrast, the injection of AM 251 (3mg/kg, s.c.) after conditioning significantly shortened the duration of freezing in STZ-induced diabetic mice, but not in non-diabetic mice. The injection of AM 251 (3mg/kg, s.c.) before conditioning or before testing did not significantly affect the duration of freezing in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The protein levels of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the amygdala were increased in STZ-induced diabetic mice. In contrast, the protein levels of cannabinoid CB2 receptors and diacylglycerol lipase α, the enzyme that synthesizes endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, in the amygdala did not differ between non-diabetic and STZ-induced diabetic mice. None of these proteins in the hippocampus was different between non-diabetic and STZ-induced diabetic mice. The injection of AM 251 (50 ng/side) into the basolateral amygdala significantly inhibited the duration of freezing in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Since endocannabinoid is controlled by glutamatergic function, we further examined the role of glutamatergic function in the increased fear memory in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The amounts of glutamine and glutamic acid in the amygdala of STZ-induced diabetic mice were significantly increased compared to those in non-diabetic mice. The AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (4 0ng/side), when injected into the basolateral amygdala, significantly inhibited the duration of freezing in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Finally, AMPA (40 ng, i.c.v.) significantly prolonged the duration of freezing in normal mice, and this effect was inhibited by AM 251 (3mg/kg, s.c.). These results suggest that cannabinoid functions in the amygdala are increased in diabetic mice and that enhanced glutamatergic function in the amygdala of diabetic mice activates the endocannabinoid system, which enhances fear memory via cannabinoid CB1 receptors.


Association Analysis of Grain-setting Rates in Apical and Basal Spikelets in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
The rates of grain-setting in apical and basal spikelets in wheat directly affect the kernel number per spike (KNPS). In this study, 220 wheat lines from 18 Chinese provinces and five foreign countries were used as a natural population. Phenotypic analysis showed differences in grain-setting rates between apical and basal spikelets. The broad-sense heritability of grain-setting rate in apical spikelets (18.7-21.0%) was higher than that for basal spikelets (9.4-16.4%). Significant correlations were found between KNPS and grain numbers in apical (R (2) = 0.40-0.45, P < 0.01) and basal (R (2) = 0.41-0.56, P < 0.01) spikelets. Seventy two of 106 SSR markers were associated with grain setting, 32 for apical spikelets, and 34 for basal spikelets. The SSR loci were located on 17 chromosomes, except 3A, 3D, 4A, and 7D, and explained 3.7-22.9% of the phenotypic variance. Four markers, Xcfa2153-1A 202 , Xgwm186-5A 118 , Xgwm156-3B 319 , and Xgwm537-7B 210 , showed the largest effects on grain numbers in apical and basal spikelets. High grain numbers in apical and basal spikelets were associated with elite alleles. Ningmai 9, Ning 0569, and Yangmai 18 with high grain-setting rates carried larger numbers of favorable alleles. Comparison of grain numbers in basal and apical spikelets of 35 Yangmai and Ningmai lines indicated that the Ningmai lines had better grain-setting rates (mean 21.4) than the Yangmai lines (16.5).


Measles virus P protein suppresses Toll-like receptor signal through up-regulation of ubiquitin-modifying enzyme A20.
We recently reported that the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 was suppressed in monocytes infected with measles virus, but not in infected epithelial cells. This cell-type-specific suppression of the inflammatory response represents a potential for measles virus to evade host immune system. In the current study, we examined the suppression mechanism of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated, activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 in measles virus-infected monocytic cells. In the infected cells, LPS treatment failed to induce the formation of active protein kinase complex containing TAK1, TAB2 and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), dissociate from TLR complexes containing Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1). Ubiquitin-modifying enzyme A20, which is a host negative feedback regulator of NF-kappaB, was dramatically up-regulated in infected monocytic cells, but not in infected epithelial cells. Suppression of A20 expression by siRNA restored LPS-induced signaling in infected cells. Measles virus phosphoprotein (P protein) expression was necessary and sufficient for the induction of A20. P protein interacted indirectly with a negative regulatory motif in the A20 gene promoter, and released the suppression of A20 transcription, independent of the activation of NF-kappaB.


Control of G2 delay by the rad9 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
In response to DNA damage, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells arrest the cell cycle in the G2 phase. Arrest is defective in rad9 mutants; rad9 cells divide and die without repairing the damage. Several cell cycle mutants that are defective in DNA replication arrest in G2 at the restrictive temperature; this arrest is due to the RAD9 control function. Thus RAD9 is responsible for the fact that mitosis is normally dependent upon DNA replication, a function we term a 'checkpoint'. Four additional genes have been identified that are also components of the RAD9 checkpoint.


Experimental and thermodynamic study of banana peel non-catalytic gasification characteristics.
The Gasification performance of banana peel was examined in a fixed bed reactor. Effect of temperature, steam to carbon ratio (S/C), drying treatment on syngas composition, gas yield, CO2 selectivity and carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) were investigated. The influence of temperature and S/C on hydrogen production was investigated by thermodynamic analysis. The transient characteristics of banana peel steam gasification were investigated by monitoring the evolutionary behavior of syngas production. An increase in S/C can lead to an increase in the selectivity of CO2, but excess steam (S/C > 21.7) causes a decrease in H2 yield and CCE. The increase of temperature is beneficial to the increase of CCE, but which leads to a decrease in CO2 selectivity. When S/C = 27.1, the effect of temperature on H2 yield can be divided into CCE control region and CO2 selectivity control region. At temperature < 1023 K, H2 yield is more sensitive to the changes of CCE. While at temperature > 1023 K, CO2 selectivity has a more significant effect on H2 yield. When S/C = 21.7 and temperature is 1023 K, the yield of H2 produced from the fresh banana peel gasification reaches the maximum value (76.1 ml/g).


Being Motivated by Nutrition Is Associated With Healthy Home Food Environment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients.
To examine the relationship between food shopping motivating factors and the home food environment (HFE). Participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (n = 123) who were taking part in the Utah State Double-Up Food Bucks evaluation program were interviewed about their HFE, factors motivating shopping, and food security status. Composite HFE scores were derived from the Perceived Nutrition Environment Measure Survey questionnaire and food security score from the 6-item US Household Food Security Survey questionnaire. Analysis included multiple linear regression. Mean age was 46 ± 16.1 years. Regression models showed significant associations of being motivated by nutrition, education, and food security with HFE (β = 4.70, P = .03; β = 1.44, P = .06; and β = 1.44, P = .06, respectively). In-store interventions to improve perceived nutrition importance among shoppers may be a useful tool to improve home food supplies. Further research is recommended examining the association between food shopping motivators and the HFE in a larger population.


Longitudinal studies of infants with the Wilson-Mikity syndrome. Clinical, radiological and mechanical correlations.
Simple clinical measurements were performed on a group of 23 very low birth weight babies (less than 1500 g and less than 32 weeks gestation), and combined with pulmonary function studies in 13 cases. The studied included a special single-breath analysis, or Tidal Resistance Profile, which enabled us to detect air trapping. 2 infants developed classical Wilson-Mikity syndrome and 2 further infants exhibited a milder, shorter form of the same disorder. All 4 survived. Results suggest that all infants in this maturity group are at risk of developing Wilson-Mikity syndrome, and that it comprises a wide spectrum of respiratory dysfunction.