Comparison of dual-time point 18F-FDG PET/CT tumor-to-background ratio, intraoperative 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence scale, and Ki-67 index in high-grade glioma.
The aim of this study was to compare preoperative dual-time point F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake pattern with intraoperative 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) fluorescence in high-grade gliomas. In addition, we assessed for possible associations with a pathologic parameter (Ki-67 index).Thirty-one patients with high-grade glioma (M:F = 19:12, mean age = 60.6 ± 11.2 years) who underwent dual-time point F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scan before surgery were retrospectively enrolled; 5-ALA was applied to the surgical field of all these patients and its fluorescence intensity was evaluated during surgery. Measured F-FDG PET/CT parameters were maximum and peak tumor-to-background ratio (maxTBR and peakTBR) at base (-base) and delayed (-delay) scan. The intensity of 5-ALA fluorescence was graded on a scale of three (grade I as no or mild intensity, grade II as moderate intensity, and grade III as strong intensity).Seven of the patients had WHO grade III brain tumors and 24 had WHO grade IV tumors (mean tumor size = 4.8 ± 1.8 cm). MaxTBR-delay and peakTBR-delay showed significantly higher values than maxTBR-base and peakTBR-base, respectively (all P < .001). Among the F-FDG PET/CT parameters, only maxTBR-delay demonstrated significance according to grade of 5-ALA (P = .030), and maxTBR-delay gradually decreased as the fluorescence intensity increased. Also, maxTBR-delay and peakTBR-delay showed significant positive correlation with Ki-67 index (P = .011 and .009, respectively).Delayed F-FDG uptake on PET/CT images could reflect proliferation in high-grade glioma, and it has a complementary role with 5-ALA fluorescence.


Potential of Eucalyptus globulus for the phytoremediation of metals in a Moroccan iron mine soil-a case study.
The contamination left by abandoned mines demands sustainable mitigation measures. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the phytoremediator ability of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. to be used for cleaning up metal-contaminated soils from an African abandoned iron (Fe) mine (Ait Ammar, Oued Zem, Morocco). Plantlets of this species were exposed to a control (CTL), a reference (REF), and a mine-contaminated soil (CS). Morphological (growth, leaf area) and physiological stress biomarkers (photosynthetic efficiency, pigments content, leaf relative water, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels) and metal bioaccumulation were assessed. The growth and leaf area of E. globulus increased overtime in all soils, although at a lower rate in the CS. Its photosynthetic efficiency was not markedly impaired, as well as MDA levels decreased throughout the experiment in CS. In this soil, higher metal contents were detected in E. globulus roots than in leaves, especially Fe (roots: 15.98-213.99 μg g-1; leaves: 5.97-15.98 μg g-1) and Zn (roots: 1.64-1.99 μg g-1; leaves: 0.67-1.19 μg g-1), indicating their reduced translocation. Additionally, though at low extent, the plants bioaccumulated some metals (Pb > Zn > Cu) from CS. Overall, E. globulus may be potentially used for the phytoremediation of metals in metal-contaminated soils.


Optimal timing for surgical revascularization in survivors of acute coronary syndromes eligible for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Several patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are discharged home after the acute phase of ACS and are suitable for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The aim of the study was to assess the optimal timing for surgical revascularization and its effect on 12-month outcome in patients discharged from hospital after ACS and referred for elective CABG surgery. The analysis involved 2028 patients enrolled into the ongoing Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) who were discharged from hospital with the intention to undergo elective CABG surgery. Among 2028 patients 1216 (60.0%) underwent surgery during 12months of follow-up. Patients who underwent surgical revascularization had a lower prevalence of mortality (5.7% vs 11.5%, p<0.0001). Patients who underwent surgery within the first month had a significantly higher prevalence of mortality than those who did not undergo surgery (5.7% vs 1.6%, p<0.0001). By the third month, the two cumulative mortalities were similar (4.2% vs 4.6%, p=0.65). From the beginning of the fourth month, the cumulative mortality was significantly higher among patients who did not undergo surgery.


Calculation of induced reactions of 3He-particles on natSb in 10-34MeV energy range.
Calculations for the excitation functions of the (121)Sb((3)He, xn) (121,122,123)I, and (123)Sb((3)He xn) (122,123,124,125)I reactions have been carried out using statistical and pre-equilibrium nuclear reaction models in 10-34MeV energy range. These excitation functions have been used to derive the excitation functions of the (nat)Sb((3)He, xn)(121,123,124)I reactions and compared with reported measurements. For studying the improvement with measurements two values of the diffuseness parameter a(w) equal to 0.9 and 0.7fm have been used in the calculations. The dependence of pre-equilibrium calculations on the initial exciton numbers has also been considered.


Integrating a Career Planning and Development Program into the Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum. Part II. Outcomes for New Graduate Nurses 12 Months Post-Graduation.
New graduate nurses' (NGNs) transition into the nursing workforce is characterized as stressful and challenging. Consequently, a high percentage of them leave their first place of employment or the profession entirely within one year of graduation. Nursing literature describes this complicated shift from student to registered nurse, however, limited attention has focused on strategies that could be implemented during students' academic programs to prepare them for this difficult transition period. Therefore, a longitudinal intervention study was conducted to examine the influence of a career planning and development (CPD) program on the development of career resilience in baccalaureate nursing students and at 12 months post-graduation (NGN). The findings support including structured and progressive curriculum-based CPD opportunities in academic programs, not only for the positive outcomes that accrue to students, but also because of the benefits they extend to NGNs as they make the transition to their first professional nursing role.


The location- and scale- specific correlation between temperature and soil carbon sequestration across the globe.
Much research has been conducted to understand the spatial distribution of soil carbon stock and its temporal dynamics. However, an agreement has not been reached on whether increasing global temperature has a positive or negative feedback on soil carbon stocks. By analysing global maps of soil organic carbon (SOC) using a spherical wavelet analysis, it was found that the correlation between SOC and soil temperature at the regional scale was negative between 52° N and 40° S parallels and positive beyond this region. This was consistent with a few previous studies and it was assumed that the effect was most likely due to the temperature-dependent SOC formation (photosynthesis) and decomposition (microbial activities and substrate decomposability) processes. The results also suggested that the large SOC stocks distributed in the low-temperature areas might increase under global warming while the small SOC stocks found in the high-temperature areas might decrease accordingly. Although it remains unknown whether the potential increasing soil carbon stocks in the low-temperature areas can offset the loss of carbon stocks in the high-temperature areas, the location- and scale- specific correlations between SOC and temperature should be taken into account for modeling SOC dynamics and SOC sequestration management.


Atopy and Specific Cancer Sites: a Review of Epidemiological Studies.
Mounting evidence appears to link asthma and atopy to cancer susceptibility. This review presents and discusses published epidemiological studies on the association between site-specific cancers and atopy. PubMed was searched electronically for publications between 1995 and 2015, and cited references were researched manually. Quantitative studies relating to atopy, allergy, or asthma and cancer were identified and tabulated. Despite many exposure-related limitations, patterns in the studies were observed. Asthma, specifically, has been observed to be a risk factor for lung cancer. A protective effect of atopic diseases against pancreatic cancer has been shown consistently in case-control studies but not in cohort studies. Allergy of any type appears to be protective against glioma and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Most studies on atopic diseases and non-Hodgkin lymphoma or colorectal cancer reported an inverse association. The other sites identified had varying and non-significant outcomes. Further research should be dedicated to carefully defined exposure assessments of "atopy" as well as the biological plausibility in the association between atopic diseases and cancer.


Recent developments in the management of common childhood skin infections.
A literature review and clinical commentary on diagnosis and treatment of common childhood bacterial, fungal and viral skin infections is presented including impetigo, folliculitis, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, tinea capitis, warts and molluscum contagiosum.


Use of compound-probability distributions in the study of induced post-implantation dominant lethals.
The nature of the probability distribution of post-implantation dominant lethality was investigated in terms of the distribution of dead implants per female. It has been postulated that this distribution would be poisson in a control series of females but may follow a compound or a contagious distribution such as the beta binomial, negative binomial or Neyman type A in the treated series of females. The nature of these compound distributions for fitting mammalian mutagenicity has been examined. The implications of the results on the estimation of induced mutation rates are discussed.


Leaf senescence--not just a 'wear and tear' phenomenon.
A recent, genome-wide study shows that the transcriptional program underlying leaf senescence is active and complex, reflecting the activation of more than 2,000 genes in Arabidopsis, with gene products involved in a broad spectrum of regulatory, biochemical and cellular events.


Quality of care for Medicaid-enrolled youth with bipolar disorders.
This study examined conformance to clinical practice guidelines for children and adolescents with bipolar disorders and identified patient and provider factors associated with guideline concordant care. Administrative records were examined for 4,047 Medicaid covered youth aged 5-18 years with new episodes of bipolar disorder during 2006-2010. Main outcome measures included 5 claims-based quality of care measures reflecting national treatment guidelines. Measures addressed appropriate pharmacotherapy, therapeutic drug monitoring, and psychosocial treatment. The results indicated that current treatment practices for youth diagnosed with bipolar disorder typically fall short of recommended practice guidelines. Although the majority of affected youth are treated with recommended first-line pharmacotherapy, only a minority receive therapeutic drug monitoring and/or psychotherapy of recommended duration, underscoring the need for quality improvement initiatives.


Management of small cell carcinoma of esophagus in China.
Small cell carcinoma of esophagus (SCEC) is characterized by high malignancy and early metastasis. Although the morbidity of SCEC is very low, few studies of patients with SCEC have been conducted in China, there are no sufficient studies of SCEC conducted and reported in the existing published works, and the choices of treatment remain controversial. In this work, we aim to study the clinical characteristics of SCEC, and explore the corresponding treatment and prognosis through retrospective analysis. The original articles were identified through the leading digital libraries in China in which the terms "esophagus or esophageal" and "small cell esophageal carcinoma" appeared from 2005 to 2009, 1,176 eligible cases were reviewed for clinical data. Analysis of survival was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were compared using the log-rank test. One thousand one hundred seventy-six eligible cases were analyzed; the median age of patients was 57 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. The number of SCEC accounted for 1.26 % of esophageal cancer treated in the same period. Of the tumors, 89.7 % were located in mid- and lower thoracic esophagus. The average tumor length was 5.4 cm (0.5-17 cm). The median overall survival was 11.1 months for all patients. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year average overall survival rates of 469 patients was 51.1, 25.5, 13.2, 7.9 %, respectively. The median survival time for LD patients who received systemic treatment was 16.8 m, whereas for those who received local treatment (surgery), the median survival time was 10.1 m; the median survival time for ED patients who received systemic treatment was 7.4 m, compared with 5.8 m for those who received sole treatment (chemotherapy or radiotherapy). SCEC is a tumor characterized by high malignancy and early metastasis. Although our retrospective analysis cannot provide definitive conclusions on the optimal treatment modality for SCEC, however, our results suggest that systemic treatment combined with surgical resection plays a major role in the therapy of SCEC, systemic therapy may be an effective approach for the treatment of SCEC, and randomized, prospective, multicenter studies are needed to identify optimal treatment modalities for SCEC.


Surfactant protein D multimerization and gene polymorphism in COPD and asthma.
A structural single nucleotide polymorphism rs721917 in the surfactant protein D (SP-D) gene, known as Met11Thr, was reported to influence the circulating levels and degree of multimerization of SP-D and was associated with both COPD and atopy in asthma. Moreover, disease-related processes are known to degrade multimerized SP-D, however, the degree of the protein degradation in these diseases is not clarified. We aimed to determine the distribution of multimerized (high molecular weight (HMW)) and non-multimerized (low molecular weight (LMW)) species of serum SP-D and their correlation with genetic polymorphisms and presence of disease in Lebanese COPD and asthmatic patients. Serum SP-D levels were measured by ELISA in 88 COPD, 121 asthmatic patients and 223 controls. Randomly selected subjects were chosen for genotyping of rs721917 and multimerization studies. HMW and LMW SP-D were separated by gel permeation chromatography. Serum SP-D levels were significantly increased in patients with COPD, but not in asthmatic patients, when compared to controls. Met11Thr variation strongly affected serum SP-D levels and the degree of multimerization, but was not associated with COPD and asthma in the study. Remarkably, HMW/LMW serum SP-D ratio was significantly lower in Met11/Met11 COPD and asthmatic patients compared to controls. Collectively, non-multimerized species of serum SP-D were dominant in COPD and asthmatic patients suggesting that degradation of SP-D takes place to a significant degree in pulmonary disease. Assays that can separate SP-D proteolytic breakdown products or modified forms from naturally occurring SP-D trimers may result in optimal disease markers for pulmonary inflammatory diseases.


Retracted: Optimization Algorithm of Tourism Security Early Warning Information System Based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM).
[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/9984003.].


Delayed diagnosis of coin ingestion in children.
Diagnosis of coin ingestion with esophageal impaction may be delayed if appropriate history is lacking. This delay may lead to mistreatment and complicate management. A series of illustrative cases are reported and relevant literature is reviewed. Guidelines for radiographic evaluation of potential ingestions are provided.


Dual-energy CT for routine imaging of the abdomen and pelvis: radiation dose and image quality.
To assess the radiation dose and image quality of routine dual energy CT (DECT) of the abdomen and pelvis performed in the emergency department setting, compared with single energy CT (SECT). Seventy-five consecutive routine contrast-enhanced SECT scans of the abdomen and pelvis meeting inclusion criteria were compared with 75 routine contrast-enhanced DECT scans matched by size and patient weight (within 10 lbs), performed on the same dual-source DECT scanner. Cohorts were compared in terms of radiation dose metrics of CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP), objective measurements of image quality (signal, noise, and signal-to-noise ratio of a variety of anatomical landmarks), and subjective measurements of image quality scored by two emergency radiologists. Demographics and patient size were not statistically different between DECT and SECT cohorts. Both average scans CTDIvol and DLP were significantly lower with DECT than with SECT. Average scan CTDIvol for SECT was 14.7 mGy (± 6.6) and for DECT was 10.9 mGy (± 3.8) (p < 0.0001). Average scan DLP for SECT was 681.5 mGy cm (± 339.3) and for DECT was 534.8 mGy cm (± 201.9) (p < 0.0001). For objective image quality metrics, for all structures measured, noise was significantly lower and SNR was significantly higher with DECT compared with SECT. For subjective image quality, for both readers, there was no significant difference between SECT and DECT in subjective image quality for soft tissues and vascular structures, or for subjective image noise. DECT was performed with decreased radiation dose when compared with SECT, demonstrated improved objective measurements of image quality, and equivalent subjective image quality.


Mapping brain circuitry with a light microscope.
The beginning of the 21st century has seen a renaissance in light microscopy and anatomical tract tracing that together are rapidly advancing our understanding of the form and function of neuronal circuits. The introduction of instruments for automated imaging of whole mouse brains, new cell type–specific and trans-synaptic tracers, and computational methods for handling the whole-brain data sets has opened the door to neuroanatomical studies at an unprecedented scale. We present an overview of the present state and future opportunities in charting long-range and local connectivity in the entire mouse brain and in linking brain circuits to function.


Modeling state preferences for Covid-19 policies: Insights from the first pandemic summer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have experimented with a wide array of policies to further public health goals. This research offers an application of multilevel regression with post-stratification (MRP) analysis to assess state-level support for commonly implemented policies during the pandemic. We conducted a national survey of U.S. adults using The Harris Poll panel from June 17-29, 2020. Respondents reported their support for a set of measures that were being considered in jurisdictions in the U.S. at the time the survey was fielded. MRP analysis was then used to generate estimates of state-level support. The research presented here suggests generally high levels of support for mask mandates and social distancing measures in June 2020-support that was consistent throughout the United States. In comparison, support for other policies, such as changes to the road environment to create safer spaces for walking and bicycling, had generally low levels of support throughout the country. This research also provides some evidence that higher support for coronavirus-related policies could be found in more populous states with large urban centers, recognizing that there was low variability across states. This paper provides a unique application of MRP analysis in the public health field, uncovering noteworthy state-level patterns, and offering several avenues for future research. Future research could examine policy support at a small geographic level, such as by counties, to understand the distribution of support for public policies within states.


Mutational analysis of the nucleoid-associated protein HBsu of Bacillus subtilis.
The essential nucleoid-associated protein HBsu of Bacillus subtilis comprises 92 residues, 20% of which are basic amino acids. To investigate the role of the residues located within the DNA-binding arm, the arginine residues R58 and R61 were changed to leucine, while lysine residues K80 and K86 were replaced by alanine. All altered proteins exhibited a reduction in DNA binding capacity, ranging from 10% to 30% of HBsu wild type DNA-binding ability. To investigate the physiological effect of these mutations in B. subtilis, the indigenous hbs gene was replaced by the mutated genes. B. subtilis strain PK20, which carries the HBsu mutation R58L which exhibits the lowest DNA binding ability in vitro, showed the strongest retardation of growth compared to the wild type. Furthermore, PK20 cells displayed an increased rate of cell lysis, diminished sporulation efficiency and a reduced level of negatively supercoiled DNA. These observations suggest that the DNA binding ability of HBsu DNA is important for growth and differentiation and influences DNA topology.


Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines: Insulin Mimetics that Exhibit Potent and Selective Inhibition against Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B.
PTP1B dephosphorylates insulin receptor and substrates to modulate glucose metabolism. This enzyme is a validated therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes, but no current drug candidates have completed clinical trials. Pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines substituted at positions C1-C4 and/or C7-C8 were found to be nontoxic to cells and good inhibitors in the low- to sub-micromolar range, with the 4-benzyl derivative being the most potent inhibitor (0.24 μm). Some analogues bearing chlorine atoms at C7 and/or C8 kept potency and showed good selectivity compared to TCPTP (selectivity index >40). The most potent inhibitors behaved as insulin mimetics by increasing glucose uptake. The 4-benzyl derivative inhibited insulin receptor substrate 1 and AKT phosphorylation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations supported a putative binding mode for these compounds to the allosteric α3/α6/α7 pocket, but inconsistent results in enzyme inhibition kinetics were obtained due to the high tendency of these inhibitors to form stable aggregates. Computational calculations supported the druggability of inhibitors.


Distribution of the purinegic receptors P2X(4) and P2X(6) during rat gut development.
The purinergic receptors P2X(4) and P2X(6) are ion channels activated by ATP. These receptors are present in the gastrointestinal tract, and they are involved in synaptic transmission, taste sensation, and pain, among other functions. In this work, we studied the distribution of P2X(4) and P2X(6) receptors in proximal and distal regions of the gut newborn and adult rats. Using immunohistochemistry, purinergic receptors were found in gut epithelial cells and capillary vessels. In both proximal and distal regions of newborn rats, we observed P2X(4) signal in epithelial cells, whereas P2X(6) was present in capillary vessels in the proximal region and to a lesser extent in the distal region. In both regions of adult gut, we observed P2X(4) and P2X(6) immunostain in the capillary vessels. Semi-quantification indicated a significant difference in the amount of P2X(4) between proximal regions, whereas the P2X(6) content of both newborn regions differed from that in adult proximal gut. We conclude that P2X(4) and P2X(6) purinoreceptors are present in the gut from birth and that they are differentially distributed among regions.


Synthesis of diacylamines and the preparation of alpha-amino-acylureas, a new type of alpha-amino acid derivatives.
Sixteen new and one known unsymmetrical open-chain diacylamines were synthesized by sodium methoxide catalyzed acylation of amides with carboxylic esters and acylamino-carboxylic esters, or acylureas with acylamino-carboxylic esters and alpha-amino acid esters.


Disability weights in the Global Burden of Disease 2010: unclear meaning and overstatement of international agreement.
The Global Burden of Disease Project (GBD) is a huge international enterprise that provides vast amounts of valuable data on (a) the prevalence of different diseases in the world as a whole, in regions and in individual countries, (b) their causes (risk factors), and (c) their burden on populations in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). However, the methods used for disability weighting of life years are problematic. After a long history of changing concepts and methods the GBD in its 2010 version has landed on 'health' as a unidimensional construct to be used for weighing multi-dimensional non-fatal health problems against each other and against death. The unidimensional health construct does not have a clear meaning. It likely also leads to biases in assessments of conditions that in everyday language are associated with 'being ill' as opposed to conditions which are not associated with 'being ill' (states of physical disability and the state dead). Furthermore, the transformation of ordinal data from paired comparisons into disability weights with purported ratio scale properties is not validated nor explained in a way that allows judgements of face validity. There are also issues related to the way in which different health problems were described to respondents. Lastly, international agreement on disability weights is clearly overstated. Policy makers at national and international levels should understand the GBD 2010 methods properly and carefully consider their validity before deciding to implement the methods, or the disability weights estimated so far by means of them, in further projects and studies. Considerable local adjustments of the weights offered presently are a likely outcome of such methodological scrutiny.


Locomotor adaptation on a split-belt treadmill in adults with stroke: a systematic review.
This systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of motor adaptation during walking on a split-belt treadmill (SBT) under different learning conditions in adults with stroke. We searched randomized clinical trials and case studies that used SBT under different learning conditions published between January 2011 and April 2022 in four databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Brain-URJC. The following data were extracted: objectives, interventions, population, number of sessions, outcome measures, and results. The methodological quality of quantitative studies was evaluated using the Critical Review Form. We identified 79 studies, from which six met the criteria for this systematic review (four randomized clinical trials and two case series). The six selected studies included 156 patients with chronic stroke; 62.8% men, age 21-85 years. Walking on a SBT can generate artifacts in the gait pattern depending on the experimental conditions. Two series of cases and one trial reported that the dual motor task - the inclination of the slope of the SBT or the gradual change of speed - promotes the retention of the artifacts generated by the disturbances, resulting in the learning of a new motor pattern. However, combining physical exercise of different intensity and at different times with SBT, maximizing or minimizing errors, or including variable or constant speed disturbances do not seem to affect the locomotor adaptation process.


Free urinary cortisol immunoreactive levels in premature and full term infants.
Urinary free immunoreactive cortisol excretion was measured in 20 full term, 20 premature and 20 premature newborns of mothers who had been treated with 12 mg betamethasone 48 hours before delivery. In 10 full term newborns delivered normally, values were 40 +/- 20 nmol/mmol creatinine on the first, 23 +/- 8 on the second and 21 +/- 6 on the third day of life. In 10 full term newborns with stressful delivery, the corresponding values were 63 +/- 39, 44 +/- 33 and 32 +/- 17 nmol/mmol creatinine in the first three days of life. The levels of urinary free immunoreactive cortisol of 10 premature newborns delivered without stress were 170 +/- 116, 91 +/- 75 and 70 +/- 61 nmol/mmol creatinine respectively, on days one, two and three of life. Ten premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome had values of 471 +/- 187, 526 +/- 465 and 636 +/- 906 nmol/mmol creatinine, respectively. The 10 premature newborns whose mothers had received betamethasone, had urinary free immunoreactive cortisol levels of 109 +/- 120, 55 +/- 42 and 66 +/- 84 nmol/mmol creatinine, lower than the other premature infants. This difference, however, was not statistically significant. We conclude that premature infants regardless of stress or normal labor have high urinary free immunoreactive cortisol excretion, suggesting that prematurity per se is a potent stress.


Ultrasound scanning of post-operative wounds--the risks of cross-infection.
Ultrasound scanning of surgical wounds is an established procedure for the detection of abscesses. The possible risks of cross-infection resulting from this technique were examined by testing the sterility of the ultrasound probes, the coupling gel and the stand-off medium Kitecko (3 M). The coupling gel was also assessed for any bactericidal properties. Sixty-six per cent of swabs taken from machines in constant use and 33% of the total number of swabs taken were contaminated with skin flora including Staphylococcus aureus. Sterility was achieved using a 70% alcohol wipe. The coupling gel was inherently sterile but had no bactericidal action. The solid stand-off medium Kitecko grew Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas species. The implications of these findings in relation to scanning post-operative wounds are discussed.


Emotion regulation difficulties are associated with loss-of-control eating dependent on degree of narcissistic traits in college students.
Loss-of-control eating (LOCE) is highly prevalent in college students and may be driven by enduring personality traits. Narcissism is often conceptualized with two broad domains: grandiose and vulnerable. The association between narcissism and LOCE has not been directly assessed, nor the potential influence of emotion regulation deficits, which are differentially associated with grandiosity and vulnerability. This study hypothesized an association between vulnerable narcissism and LOCE in college students by way of emotion regulation difficulties, extending prior findings. Participants (n = 704) completed a survey on pathological eating and body image disturbance, emotion regulation difficulties, and narcissistic traits. Results supported a full mediation effect, such that vulnerable narcissism was positively associated with LOCE by way of emotion regulation difficulties. Present findings suggest the mechanism primarily predictive of LOCE is emotion regulation difficulties, and predisposition to deficits in emotion regulation associated with vulnerable narcissism may increase the odds of LOCE. Additionally, it was noted that grandiose narcissism evinced a fully mediated inverse association with LOCE. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.


Efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for treatment of cirrhotic patients with genotype 4 hepatitis C virus in real-life clinical practice.
Egypt has the highest hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in the world. Sofosbuvir is a new highly effective drug for treatment of HCV infection. Compared to previous treatments, sofosbuvir-based regimens provide a higher cure rate, fewer side effects, and a two- to fourfold reduced duration of therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiviral efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis due to chronic HCV infection. We studied 2400 cirrhotic Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection who were treated with dual therapy with sofosbuvir and ribavirin for 24 weeks. Efficacy was determined by assessment of serum HCV RNA. Any adverse events during treatment were recorded. Two thousand four hundred cirrhotic Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection treated with sofosbuvir and ribavirin for 24 weeks were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the studied group (± SD) was 53.9 ± 6.5 years, 1549 (64.54%) were males, all were cirrhotic patients, 3.41% were treatment-experienced, the baseline mean HCV RNA concentration was 4.33 × 106 IU/mL, and 94.37% of the patients had completed the full course of therapy. The overall SVR12 rate was 71.2%. The most common adverse events were fatigue, myalgia, headache, insomnia, and anemia. One hundred thirty-five (5.63%) patients stopped treatment permanently due to the appearance of complications that prevented continuation of treatment. The sofosbuvir and ribavirin combination is safe and effective in treatment of HCV patients with liver cirrhosis. However, further studies are needed to establish the optimal treatment regimen for those cases.


Heart failure with normal systolic function: a common disorder in older people.
To review the incidence, pathophysiology, significance, diagnosis, and treatment of heart failure with normal systolic function in older patients. Scientific reports of diastolic ventricular dysfunction in both the general population and the geriatric population were identified from repeated searches of the MEDLINE database and citations from appropriate articles. Studies were included only if they demonstrated proper methodology, were from a reputable source, and were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Relevant data were obtained from the articles, with special importance placed on studies designed to examine older patients exclusively or as part of a subgroup in a larger study. Emphasis was placed on data pertaining to the pathophysiology, prognosis, and diagnosis of patients with diastolic dysfunction compared with normals and patients with systolic dysfunction as an etiology of heart failure. Therapeutic interventions were selected for the presence of prospective data with concrete end points such as mortality, functional class, exercise capacity, and regression of left ventricular hypertrophy. Diastolic ventricular dysfunction is a significant problem in older people, with at least 40% of older heart failure patients having diastolic dysfunction as the etiology of their heart failure. The pathophysiology of diastolic dysfunction is varied but usually involves impaired left ventricular relaxation and/or increased ventricular stiffness, each partially related to normal aging changes, as well as underlying cardiovascular diseases. The significance of heart failure caused by diastolic dysfunction is great, with increased morbidity and mortality compared with other cardiac diseases that have the same preserved systolic function. Diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction can be clinically difficult and often requires further testing to determine if diastolic dysfunction is present. At this time, no therapy specifically treats diastolic dysfunction, but several medications, such as diuretics, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors, offer symptomatic relief and may prevent progression of the disorder.


Structure-based design of N-[2-(1-piperidinylethyl)]-N'-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)]-thiourea and N-[2-(1-piperazinylethyl)]-N'-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)]-thiourea as potent non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.
A novel computer model of the HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) non-nucleoside inhibitor (NNI) binding pocket, which was generated using high resolution crystal structure information from 9 individual RT/NNI complexes, revealed previously unrecognized ligand derivatization sites for phenethylthiazolylthiourea (PETT) derivatives. Spatial gaps surrounding the pyridyl ring of the active PETT derivative trovirdine were discovered during modeling procedures. Docking studies using the computer-generated model of the binding pocket (composite binding pocket) suggested that the replacement of the planar pyridyl ring of trovirdine with a nonplanar piperidinyl or piperazinyl ring, which occupy larger volumes, would better fill the spacious Wing 2 region of the butterfly-shaped NNI binding pocket. The anti-HIV activity of the synthesized heterocyclic compounds N-[2-(1-piperidinylethyl)]-N'-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)]-thiourea and N-[2-(1-piperazinylethyl)]-N'-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)]-thiourea was examined in HTLVIIIB-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both compounds were more potent than trovirdine and abrogated HIV replication at nanomolar concentrations without any evidence of cytotoxicity.


On referee bias, crowd size, and home advantage in the English soccer Premiership.
In a recent paper in this journal, Boyko and colleagues (2007) identified differences in attendance and referee bias as factors influencing home advantage at soccer matches in the English Premiership. A replication of their study using more recent data found no evidence to sustain either of their claims.


A direct stereoselective approach to trans-2,3-disubstituted piperidines: application in the synthesis of 2-Epi-CP-99,994 and (+)-epilupinine.
A simple synthesis of enantiomerically pure piperidine esters is described, offering a straightforward access to the trans-2,3-disubstituted piperidine skeleton which is present in a broad range of biologically active compounds.


Temporal expression of proteoglycans in the rat limb during bone healing.
Proteoglycans found in the bone extracellular matrix and on the cell surface can complex with HBGFs such as the FGFs, TGFs and BMPs which are known to play key roles in regulating fracture healing. Here we have studied the expression of key PGs during the bone repair process in order to determine the relationship between PG expression and healing status. We created non-critical sized trephine defects just proximal to the distal end of the tibial crest of adult male Wistar rats and examined the healing process histologically as well as by monitoring the temporal expression of mRNA transcripts for ALP, OP and OC, together with HSPG, CSPG and FGF-FGF receptor expression. Following surgery, animals were allowed to recover, and then euthanized after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-surgery, at which time tissue was harvested for histological examination and total RNA extracted and the mRNA transcripts examined by quantitative real-time PCR. HS and CSPG expression was generally observed to increase in the days immediately following injury, reaching peak expression two weeks post-surgery. This was followed by a gradual return to basal levels by day 28. The expression patterns of PGs were broadly similar with those of ALP, OP and FGFRs. The increase of mRNA expression for many key PGs detected during bone healing coincided with the elevation of bone markers and FGFRs, and provides further evidence that PGs involved in bone repair act in part through susceptible growth factors, including the FGF/FGFR system. The data presented here indicates that increased proteoglycan expression is involved in the early stages of bone healing at a time when previous studies have shown that the levels of HBGFs are maximal. Hence there exists a rationale for an exploration of the use of exogenous PGs as an adjunct therapy to potentiate the powerful effects of these factors and to augment the natural healing response.


Allocation to reproduction in the chaparral shrub, Diplacus aurantiacus.
The semi-drought-deciduous shrub, Diplacus aurantiacus, allocates a large, relatively constant proportion of carbon and nitrogen to sexual reproduction. Experimental manipulation at a site in the chaparral of coastal central California showed that both reproduction and vegetative growth were strongly limited by water and little affected by shade or by addition of nutrients unless accompanied by water. Potential competition for carbon between growth and reproduction is reduced by photosynthesis within reproductive structures; competition is also constrained by localization of translocation. Results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that allocation to reproduction in Diplacus has been selected to maximize reproductive success.


Construction of a novel coarse grain model for simulations of HIV capsid assembly to capture the backbone structure and inter-domain motions in solution.
We show the construction of a novel coarse grain model for simulations of HIV capsid assembly based on four structural models of HIV capsid proteins: isolated hexamer 3H47.pdb, tubular assembly 3J34.pdb, isolated pentamer 3P05.pdb and C-terminus dimer 2KOD.pdb. The data demonstrates the derivation of inter-domain motions from all atom Molecular Dynamics simulations and comparison with the motions derived from the analysis of solution NMR results defined in 2M8L.pdb. Snapshots from a representative Monte Carlo simulation with 128 dimeric subunit proteins based on 3J34.pdb are shown in addition to the quantitative analysis of its assembly pathway. Movies of the assembly process are compiled with snapshots of representative simulations of four structural models. The methods and data in this article were utilized in Qiao et al. (in press) [1] to probe the mechanism of polymorphism and curvature control of HIV capsid assembly.


Spinocerebellar neurons and propriospinal neurons in the cervical spinal cord: a fluorescent double-labeling study in the rat and the cat.
In the cervical spinal cord of the rat and the cat, the distributions of spinocerebellar and of descending propriospinal neurons were investigated using the retrograde fluorescent double-labeling technique. Moreover, a search was made for the presence of neurons with both ascending spinocerebellar and descending propriospinal axoncollaterals. Diamidino Yellow Dihydrochloride (DY) was injected at T2, while True Blue (TB) (in rats) or Fast Blue (FB) (in cats) was injected in the cerebellum. The distributions of labeled neurons were very similar in the rat and the cat. DY-labeled propriospinal neurons, projecting to T2 or below, were most numerous in lamina I and laminae IV to VIII. In the rat, such neurons were also present in the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). TB- or FB-labeled spinocerebellar neurons were concentrated in the central cervical nucleus (CCN) at C1-C4, in the central part of lamina VII at C5-T1, in the medial part of lamina VI and the adjoining dorsomedial part of lamina VII at C2/C3-T1, and in Clarke's column. They were also found in lamina V at C1 and C7-T1, and in lamina VIII at all levels. In both species only very few DY-TB/FB double-labeled neurons, representing neurons with branching axons, were observed; in C1-T1, only about 0.5% of all TB/FB-labeled spinocerebellar neurons and about 0.05% of all DY-labeled descending propriospinal neurons were double-labeled. The double-labeled neurons were all located centrally in lamina VII at C5-T1, but even in that area they constituted not more than 1.5% (rat) and 4% (cat) of the labeled spinocerebellar neurons. These findings indicate that, in the cervical cord of the rat and the cat, descending propriospinal neurons and spinocerebellar neurons are to a large extent separate populations.


Genomic evaluations for crossbred dairy cattle.
This short review discusses genomic evaluations for crossbreed dairy cattle from a New Zealand perspective. I briefly introduce the cow population and farm systems that have resulted in high crossbreeding rates and provide a short history of across-breed genetic and genomic evaluations used in New Zealand since 1996. I provide implementation details for the current across-breed single-step marker model (SSMM), including data sizes, solving methods, and how to account for multiple breed and breed crosses, along with a summary of the validation results. Finally, I outline future research areas that are being undertaken to improve our across-breed genomic evaluation.


The accuracy of MRI, endorectal ultrasonography, and computed tomography in predicting the response of locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative therapy: A metaanalysis.
To perform a metaanalysis to determine and compare the diagnostic performance of MRI, endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS), and computed tomography (CT) in predicting the response of locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative therapy. All previously published articles on the role of MRI, CT, and/or ERUS in predicting the response of rectal cancer to preoperative therapy were collected. We divided the objective in 3 parts: the accuracy to assess (i) complete response, (ii) to detect T4 tumors with invasion to the circumferential resection margin (CRM), and (iii) to predict the presence of lymph node metastasis. The pooled estimates of, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were calculated using a bivariate mixed effect analysis. Forty-six studies comprising 2,224 patients were included. (i) The pooled accuracy to assess complete tumor response were (a) 75% for MRI, (b) 82% for ERUS, (c) and 83% for CT. (ii) Pooled accuracy to detect T4 tumors with invasion to the CRM were (a) 88% and (b) 94% for ERUS. (iii) Pooled accuracy to predict the presence of lymph node metastasis was (a) 72% for MRI, (b) 72% for ERUS, (c) and 65% for CT. MRI, CT, and ERUS cannot be used to predict complete response of locally advanced rectal cancer after CRT. In addition, the positive predictive value for these imaging techniques is low for the assessment of tumor invasion in the CRM. The accuracy of the modalities to predict the presence of metastatic lymph node disease is also low.


Klf14 is an imprinted transcription factor that regulates placental growth.
Imprinted genes are preferentially expressed from one parentally inherited allele, and many are crucial to the regulation of placental function and fetal growth. Murine Krüppel-like factor 14 (Klf14) is a maternally expressed imprinted transcription factor that is a component of the Mest imprinted gene cluster on mouse chromosome 6. We sought to determine if loss of Klf14 expression alters the course of normal mouse extraembryonic development. We also used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to identify a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in placentas with loss of Klf14. We generated a Klf14 knockout (Klf14null) mouse using recombineering and transgenic approaches. To identify DEGs in the mouse placenta we compared mRNA transcriptomes derived from 17.5dpc Klf14matKO and wild-type littermate placentas by RNAseq. Candidate DEGs were confirmed with quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qPCR) on an independent cohort of male and female gestational age matched Klf14matKO placentas. We found that 17.5dpc placentas inheriting a maternal null allele (Klf14matKO) had a modest overgrowth phenotype and a near complete ablation of Klf14 expression. However, there was no effect on fetal growth. We identified 20 DEGs differentially expressed in Klf14matKO placentas by RNAseq, and subsequently validated five that are highly upregulated (Begain, Col26a1, Fbln5, Gdf10, and Nell1) by qPCR. The most enriched functional gene-networks included those classified as regulating cellular development and metabolism. These results suggest that loss of the maternal Klf14 locus in the mouse placenta acts results in changes in gene expression patterns that modulate placental growth.


The phytoecdysteroid β-ecdysone is genotoxic in Rodent Bone Marrow Micronuclei and Allium cepa L. Assays.
In South America, the β-ecdysone ecdysteroid has been found in species of the genus Pfaffia Mart. Due to the similar morphology of its roots to the Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (Korean ginseng), some species of this genus has been known as Brazilian ginseng and have been used as tonic and aphrodisiac, as well as for the treatment of diabetes and rheumatism. Here we report a cytogenotoxic evaluation of β-ecdysone (a natural ecdysteroid found in plants) in Rodent Bone Marrow Micronuclei and Allium cepa Assays. Three β-ecdysone (pure) concentrations (based in human therapeutic dosage) were used in the Micronucleus Assay. The animals were treated during two consecutive days. Micronucleated cells were counted in 2000 polychromatic erythrocytes per animal. For A. cepa L. Assay, one β-ecdysone concentration was analyzed. The onions bulbs were exposed for 24h. The Micronucleus Assay showed genotoxic effects for all treatments, expressed by an increase of micronucleated cells. In A. cepa L. Assay, cell abnormalities associated to the malfunction/non-formation of mitotic spindle (aneugenic effect) and chromosomal bridges (clastogenic effect) were observed. The results indicate a cytogenotoxic activity of β-ecdysone. Therefore, the popular use of Pfaffia and others species containing β-ecdysone should be considered with caution.


IgG and IgG4 to 91 allergenic molecules in early childhood by route of exposure and current and future IgE sensitization: Results from the Multicentre Allergy Study birth cohort.
Studies of a limited number of allergens suggested that nonsensitized children produce IgG responses mainly to foodborne allergens, whereas IgE-sensitized children also produce strong IgG responses to the respective airborne molecules. We sought to systematically test the hypothesis that both the route of exposure and IgE sensitization affect IgG responses to a broad array of allergenic molecules in early childhood. We examined sera of 148 children participating in the Multicentre Allergy Study, a birth cohort born in 1990. IgG to 91 molecules of 42 sources were tested with the ImmunoCAP Solid-Phase Allergen Chip (ISAC; TFS, Uppsala, Sweden). IgE sensitization at age 2 and 7 years was defined by IgE levels of 0.35 kUA/L or greater to 1 or more of 8 or 9 extracts from common allergenic sources, respectively. The prevalence and geometric mean levels of IgG to allergenic molecules in nonsensitized children were lower at age 2 years than in IgE-sensitized children, and they were extremely heterogeneous: highest for animal food (87% ± 13%; 61 ISAC Standardized Units [ISU], [95% CI, 52.5-71.5 ISU]), intermediate for vegetable food (48% ± 27%; 13 ISU [95% CI, 11.2-16.1 ISU]), and lowest for airborne allergens (24% ± 20%; 3 ISU [95% CI, 2.4-3.4 ISU]; P for trend < .001 [for percentages], P for trend < .001 [for levels]). IgG4 antibodies were infrequent (<5%) and contributed poorly (<3%) to overall IgG antibody levels. IgG responses at age 2 years were slightly more frequent and stronger among children with than in those without IgE sensitization at age 7 years. The children's repertoire of IgG antibodies at 2 years of age to a broad array of animal foodborne, vegetable foodborne, and airborne allergenic molecules is profoundly dependent on the route of allergen exposure and the child's IgE sensitization status and only marginally involves the IgG4 isotype.


Influence of manufacturing processes on in vitro properties of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lcr35®.
Probiotics are administered as complex manufactured products and yet most studies on probiotic bacterial strains have been performed with native culture strains. Little is known about the influence of industrial processes on the properties of the microorganisms. In this study, we comparatively assessed the characteristics of the probiotic bacterial strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lcr35(®)) together with four of its commercial formulations, including three intestinal formulas (BACILOR with Lcr Restituo(®) packet and capsule and FLOREA Lcr Lenio(®)) and one vaginal formula (GYNOPHILUS Lcr Regenerans(®)). Lcr35(®) grown from the intestinal formulas displayed increased resistance to acidic pH and bile stress, especially FLOREA (Lcr Lenio(®)), which showed a 4.5log higher number of viable bacteria compared to the results obtained with the control native Lcr35(®) strain. Adhesion to intestinal cells was significantly higher with Lcr Restituo(®) packet and Lcr Restituo(®) capsule vs Lcr35(®). Bacteria from the vaginal formulation GYNOPHILUS had increased ability to metabolize glycogen thereby increasing lactic acid production. In vitro growth inhibition of the pathogen Candida albicans was significantly higher with bacteria from the vaginal formulation (4.5 log difference) and in the presence of vaginal epithelial cells than with the native strain. Our results show that the manufacturing process influences strain properties and should therefore be adapted according to the strain and the therapeutic indication.


On some stochastic formulations and related statistical moments of pharmacokinetic models.
This paper presents the deterministic and stochastic model for a linear compartment system with constant coefficients, and it develops expressions for the mean residence times (MRT) and the variances of the residence times (VRT) for the stochastic model. The expressions are relatively simple computationally, involving primarily matrix inversion, and they are elegant mathematically, in avoiding eigenvalue analysis and the complex domain. The MRT and VRT provide a set of new meaningful response measures for pharmacokinetic analysis and they give added insight into the system kinetics. The new analysis is illustrated with an example involving the cholesterol turnover in rats.


Mitochondrial DNA evolution in primates: transition rate has been extremely low in the lemur.
Based on mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) sequence data from a wide range of primate species, branching order in the evolution of primates was inferred by the maximum likelihood method of Felsenstein without assuming rate constancy among lineages. Bootstrap probabilities for the maximum likelihood tree topology among alternatives were estimated without performing a maximum likelihood estimation for each resampled data set. Variation in the evolutionary rate among lineages was examined for the maximum likelihood tree by a method developed by Kishino and Hasegawa. From these analyses it appears that the transition rate of mtDNA evolution in the lemur has been extremely low, only about 1/10 that in other primate lines, whereas the transversion rate does not differ significantly from that of other primates. Furthermore, the transition rate in catarrhines, except the gibbon, is higher than those in the tarsier and in platyrrhines, and the transition rate in the gibbon is lower than those in other catarrhines. Branching dates in primate evolution were estimated by a molecular clock analysis of mtDNA, taking into account the rate of variation among different lines, and the results were compared with those estimated from nuclear DNA. Under the most likely model, where the evolutionary rate of mtDNA has been uniform within a great apes/human clade, human/chimpanzee clustering is preferred to the alternative branching orders among human, chimpanzee, and gorilla.


Observations on the mechanism of the reversible epimerization of GDP-D-mannose to GDP-L-galactose by an enzyme from Chlorella pyrenoidosa.
An enzyme fraction from the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa that catalyzes the reversible epimerization of guanosine 5'-diphosphate D-mannose to guanosine 5'-diphosphate L-galactose brings about the incorporation of tritium from tritium-labeled water into the hexosyl moieties of those sugar nucleotides. The hexoses were degraded by periodate oxidation whereby the tritium was found to be equally distributed between carbon atoms 3 and 5. That observation was taken to imply that the epimerizations proceed via ene-diol intermediates.


Human papillomavirus and induction chemotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer: The Dana Farber Experience.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection indicates favorable prognosis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The purpose of this study was for us to assess the impact of HPV in patients treated with sequential therapy versus concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Patients with stage III and IVA and B oropharyngeal SCC were reviewed spanning 10 years. Among 500 cases, 291 (58%) received CRT versus 209 (42%) sequential therapy. HPV status was known in 279 of patients (56%) and positive in 77% (determined by polymerase chain reaction [PCR; 91%], p16 immunohistochemical [IHC], or both). Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Overall survival (OS) did not differ for sequential therapy versus CRT overall (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.90; p = .66; 3-year OS = 86% and 87%) or within HPV-positive patients (HR = 0.89; p = .81; 3-year OS = 91% and 91%) or within HPV-negative patients (HR = 0.55; p = .32; 3-year OS = 85% and 75%). Survival for all patients was high and notable for HPV-negative patients treated with sequential therapy. Further studies in this patient population are warranted. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1618-E1624, 2016.


Reconstitution of mitochondrial ATP synthase into lipid bilayers for structural analysis.
Mitochondrial F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase is a molecular motor that couples the energy generated by oxidative metabolism to the synthesis of ATP. Direct visualization of the rotary action of the bacterial ATP synthase has been well characterized. However, direct observation of rotation of the mitochondrial enzyme has not been reported yet. Here, we describe two methods to reconstitute mitochondrial F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase into lipid bilayers suitable for structure analysis by electron and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Proteoliposomes densely packed with bovine heart mitochondria F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase were obtained upon detergent removal from ternary mixtures (lipid, detergent and protein). Two-dimensional crystals of recombinant hexahistidine-tagged yeast F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase were grown using the supported monolayer technique. Because the hexahistidine-tag is located at the F(1) catalytic subcomplex, ATP synthases were oriented unidirectionally in such two-dimensional crystals, exposing F(1) to the lipid monolayer and the F(o) membrane region to the bulk solution. This configuration opens a new avenue for the determination of the c-ring stoichiometry of unknown hexahistidine-tagged ATP synthases and the organization of the membrane intrinsic subunits within F(o) by electron microscopy and AFM.


Diagnostic Significance of Cortical Superficial Siderosis for Alzheimer Disease in Patients with Cognitive Impairment.
Because the diagnostic significance of cortical superficial siderosis for Alzheimer disease and the association between cortical superficial siderosis and the topographic distribution of cerebral microbleeds have been unclear, we investigated the association between cortical superficial siderosis and clinicoradiologic characteristics of patients with cognitive impairment. We studied 347 patients (217 women, 130 men; mean age, 74 ± 9 years) who visited our memory clinic and underwent MR imaging (3T SWI). We analyzed the association between cortical superficial siderosis and the topographic distribution of cerebral microbleeds plus clinical characteristics including types of dementia. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the diagnostic significance of cortical superficial siderosis for Alzheimer disease. Twelve patients (3.5%) manifested cortical superficial siderosis. They were older (P = .026) and had strictly lobar cerebral microbleeds significantly more often than did patients without cortical superficial siderosis (50.0% versus 19.4%, P = .02); the occurrence of strictly deep and mixed cerebral microbleeds, however, did not differ in the 2 groups. Alzheimer disease was diagnosed in 162 (46.7%) patients. Of these, 8 patients (4.9%) had cortical superficial siderosis. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, lacunar infarcts were negatively and independently associated with Alzheimer disease (P = .007). Although cortical superficial siderosis was associated with a strictly lobar cerebral microbleed location, it was not independently associated with Alzheimer disease in a memory clinic setting. Additional studies are required to investigate the temporal changes of these cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related MR imaging findings.


HDlive imaging of vertical, bridging uterine synechia during pregnancy.
We present a case of vertical, bridging uterine synechia in the central part of the uterine cavity diagnosed by conventional two-dimensional (2D) sonography and HDlive at 29 weeks and 5 days of gestation. 2D sonography showed a uterine synechia located vertically in the central part of the uterine cavity, dividing the lower uterine cavity into two parts. HDlive clearly revealed triangular, vertical, and bridging uterine synechia with foot protrusion and umbilical cord prolapse in the lower uterine cavity. The low, liquor-filled amniotic cavity was divided by a thin membrane. MRI confirmed the vertical structure dividing the uterus with umbilical cord prolapse. Emergency cesarean section was performed at 37 weeks and 1 day of gestation because of onset of labor, and a female infant weighing 2,380 g was delivered with an umbilical artery pH of 7.25, and Apgar score of 6/9 at 1 and 5 min, respectively. The vertical, bridging synechia in the central part of uterine cavity was confirmed during the operation.


[Radiotherapy for cervix carcinomas: clinical target volume delineation].
Concurrent chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy is currently the standard treatment for locally advanced cervix carcinomas. Modern radiation techniques require planning based on 3D images, and therefore an accurate delineation of target volumes. The clinical target volume (CTV) used for the different phases of treatment are now well defined, but are not always easy to delineate on a CT scan which is currently the standard examination for simulation in radiotherapy. MRI and PET-CT are routinely performed at diagnosis, and can be used to improve the accuracy of the delineation. The objective of this review is to describe the definitions and recommendations of CTV in the treatment of cervical cancer.


Prognostic Factors and Surgery for Breast Cancer Patients With Locoregional Recurrence: An Analysis of 5,202 Consecutive Patients.
With the application of "less extensive surgery" in breast cancer treatment, the pattern of locoregional recurrence (LRR) has significantly changed. This study aims to evaluate the risk and prognostic factors of LRR in a recent large breast cancer cohort. Consecutive early breast cancer patients who received surgery from January 2009 to March 2018 in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. LRR was defined as recurrence at the ipsilateral breast (IBTR), chest wall, or regional lymph nodes and without concurrent distant metastasis (DM). Patients' characteristics and survival were compared among these groups. Among 5,202 patients included, 87 (1.7%) and 265 (5.1%) experienced LRR and DM as first event after a median 47.0 (3.0-122.5) months' follow-up. LRR was significantly associated with large tumor size and positive lymph node status (p < 0.05). Forty (46.0%) patients received further salvage surgery after LRR and had a significantly better 3-year post-recurrence overall survival than those who did not (94.7% vs. 60.7%, p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed that salvage surgery for LRR was independently associated with better survival (HR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.93, p = 0.043) along with estrogen receptor (ER) positivity (HR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.91, p = 0.033). LRR rate was relatively low in recent era of breast cancer treatment. Tumor size and lymph node status were associated with risk of LRR, and salvage surgery for selected LRR patients achieved an excellent outcome.


Rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation time imaging by radio-frequency field gradients: visualization of strained crosslinked natural rubbers.
NMR imaging by radio-frequency field gradients (B1 gradients) is especially convenient for heterogeneous samples and/or in the case of relatively short transverse relaxation times. The method has been combined with the application of two spin-lock periods of different duration so as to produce rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation time (T1rho) images. In the case of natural rubber samples with different crosslink densities, such images are not only characteristic of the crosslink density but also reveal the way in which the material has been stressed. The strained parts can be visualized either directly or through histograms showing the T1rho distribution over the whole sample.


Influence of functional electrical stimulation training on premotor and motor reaction time.
This study was designed to investigate the influence of functional electrical stimulation on the improvement of reaction time and its fractionated components during learning an horizontal arm-sweep task. 62 subjects participated and were divided into control, stimulation, and trail/stimulation groups. Functional electrical stimulation was an effective method of improving total reaction time and its central component, premotor time.


The Role of NO Synthase, MPT pore, and Protein Kinase A in the Cardioprotective Effect of the Opioid Receptor Agonist Deltorphin II.
In male Wistar rats, coronary occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (120 min) were modeled. Selective δ2-opioid receptor agonist (deltorphin II, 0.12 mg/kg) was administered intravenously 5 min before reperfusion; NO synthase inhibitor (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg), MPT pore blocker (atractyloside, 5 mg/kg), and protein kinase A inhibitor (H-89, 10 μg/kg) were administered intravenously 10 min before reperfusion. Deltorphin II administered before reperfusion led to a 2-fold decrease in the infarct size. The infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II was associated with blockade of MPT pore. Protein kinase A and NO synthase were not involved in the cardioprotective effect of deltorphin II.


Methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus from retail meat in Denmark.
Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is increasingly related to human infections. Farmers and veterinarians have the highest risk, but infections have also occurred in individuals without prior contact to livestock. Clonal complex (CC) 398 is the predominant LA-MRSA lineage causing human infections, and although pigs are the major source of CC398 worldwide, poultry and other animals are also reservoirs. This raises concern for transmission of MRSA via meat. In this study, the occurrence and characteristics of S. aureus isolated from Danish retail meat were examined with main focus on chicken meat. A total of 145 meat samples from Danish supermarkets were examined, including chicken (Danish, n=102), turkey (non-Danish origin; n=23), and pork (Danish, n=20). S. aureus was detected in 69% of the meat samples. MRSA was detected in 19 meat samples (13%), resulting in MRSA prevalence of 4% of chicken, 52% of turkey, and 15% of pork. Three MRSA positive samples were obtained by direct plating (Brilliance MRSA2), whereas 16 MRSA positive samples were detected only after enrichment (TSB+6.5% NaCl and Brilliance MRSA2). Based on spa typing, 68% of MRSA isolates belonged to CC398 (spa t034, t011, t2582, t108), and hereof one isolate derived from chicken (1%). Further findings were spa type t1430 (CC9) in turkey samples (16%) and the human-associated t008 (CC8) in chicken samples (16%). In conclusion, S. aureus was readily detected in Danish retail meat, but presence of MRSA in chicken meat is rare and it is unlikely to be an important transmission factor of MRSA to humans.


The infant of the diabetic mother: correlation of increased cord C-peptide levels with macrosomia and hypoglycemia.
C peptide is secreted by pancreatic beta cells in amounts equimolar with insulin, and its levels provide a direct indication of endogenous fetal levels of insulin despite the presence of maternal insulin antibodies. To determine the presence of hyperinsulinemia and its relation to the development of complications in infants of diabetic mothers, we measured cord serum levels of C peptide in 79 infants of diabetic mothers and 62 infants of nondiabetic mothers. Infants of diabetic mothers had higher cord levels of C peptide, which were significantly associated with neonatal hypoglycemia and macrosomia (P less than 0.001) but not with hyaline-membrane disease. Cord levels of C peptide in infants of diabetic mothers were elevated at the earliest gestational age studied (less than 34 weeks) and were directly related to the severity of maternal diabetes, as assessed by the White classification. We conclude that hyperinsulinemia is present in infants of diabetic mothers and that it is related to some major complications in such infants.


A recombinant protein rLZ-8, originally extracted from Ganoderma lucidum, ameliorates OVA-induced lung inflammation by regulating Th17/Treg balance.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic and inflammatory respiratory diseases, which is estimated to affect 1-10% of the population in different regions across the world. Previous studies have shown that recombinant Ling-Zhi 8 (rLZ-8), an immunoregulatory protein originally extracted from Ganoderma lucidum, plays multiple roles in regulating murine immune cells, including T cells. Here, we examined whether rLZ-8 would ameliorate pulmonary inflammation in a model of asthma-like mice. We found that rLZ-8 significantly inhibited the lung inflammation and reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells, including dendritic cells and eosinophils, in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. It also deceased IL-17A level but increased IL-10 level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) while reducing RORγt mRNA expression and enhancing Foxp3 mRNA level in the lung tissue. Flow cytometry studies demonstrated that rLZ-8 remarkably down-regulated Th17 cells but upregulated Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, rather than influencing Th1 versus Th2 cells. Experiments in vitro also showed that rLZ-8 suppressed murine CD3+ T cell proliferation and reduced the frequency of Th17 cells while promoting the differentiation of CD4+ Foxp3+ Tregs. Moreover, rIL-8 similarly altered human Th17/Treg generation or their balance in vitro. Finally, we found that rLZ-8 suppressed signaling pathways of both STAT3 and NF-κB (P100/P52) in murine lung tissue as well as cultured T cells. Thus, we have demonstrated that rLZ-8 attenuates pulmonary inflammation through regulating the balance of Th17/Treg cells in OVA-induced asthmatic mice and that rLZ-8 may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of asthma in clinic.


Modeling tyrosinase activity. Effect of ligand topology on aromatic ring hydroxylation: an overview.
Synthetic modeling of tyrosinase (o-phenol ring hydroxylation) has emerged as a novel class of successful biomimetic studies. It is a well-established fact that the reaction of dioxygen with copper(I) complexes of m-xylyl-based ligands generate putative copper-oxygen intermediate species such as side-on peroxo {CuII2(mu-O2)}2+ [in some cases bis-oxo {CuIII2(mu-O)2}2+ in equilibrium with isomeric side-on peroxo], due to oxygen activation. Electrophilic attack of such species brings about monooxygenase activity by incorporating one of the oxygens to m-xylyl ring of the ligand and the other oxygen is reduced to hydroxide ion. The goal of this review is to provide a concise overview of the present day knowledge in this field of research to emphasize the important role the designed ligands play in eliciting the desired tyrosinase-like chemistry.


18F-FDG-PET/CT-measured parameters as potential predictors of residual disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
To evaluate the maximum and mean standardized uptake values, together with the metabolic tumor value and the total lesion glycolysis, at the primary tumor site, as determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT), performed before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), as predictors of residual disease (RD) in patients with esophageal cancer. The standardized uptake values and the volumetric parameters (metabolic tumor value and total lesion glycolysis) were determined by 18F-FDG-PET/CT to identify RD in 39 patients before and after nCRT for esophageal carcinoma. We used receiver operating characteristic curves to analyze the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters in the definition of RD. The standard of reference was histopathological analysis of the surgical specimen. Eighteen patients (46%) presented RD after nCRT. Statistically significant areas under the curve (approximately 0.72) for predicting RD were obtained for all four of the variables evaluated after nCRT. Considering the presence of visually detectable uptake (higher than the background level) at the primary tumor site after nCRT as a positive result, we achieved a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 48% for the detection of RD. The use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT can facilitate the detection of RD after nCRT in patients with esophageal cancer.


The influence of experimental bioactive glasses on pulp cells behavior in vitro.
To assess in vitro the effect of experimental mesoporous BAG, on human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) behavior in terms of cytocompatiblity and bioactivity via mineralization potential. Fine (FP) and large particles (LP) of a fixed BAG composition named 0NaMBG have been elaborated by a sol-gel process. In vitro assessment was achieved on cultured primary hDPCs using indirect contact. The effect of the concentration of 800μg/mL on cell metabolic activity and cytotoxicity were examined by performing Alamar blue and crystal violet assays. Alizarin Red staining was used to detect and quantify the formation of mineralized nodules and ALP activity was colourimetrically quantified. The expression of Odontogenic markers: DMP-1 and osteopontin (OPN) expression and cell morphology was evaluated by confocal microscopy. According to the Alamar blue and crystal violet assay, 0NaMBG samples were non-cytotoxic. Cells treated with 0NaMBG particles expressed higher metabolic activity than control cells, especially for LP. Both FP and LP significantly increased both extra and intra cellular ALP activity. hDPCs exhibited good cell spreading and adhesion in the presence of FP and LP extracts by confocal imaging. Further, Alizarin red S assay demonstrated more mineralization nodules and significant enhancement of the extracellular calcium deposition when cells were interfaced with both FP and LP compared to the control cells. Moreover, LP extracts enhanced the production and secretion of odontogenic markers: dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP-1) and osteopontin. LP have a higher surface area and pore volume, which could explain their greater bioactivity in contact with pulp cells. The clinical relevance of these findings implicate that 0NaMBG could be used as fillers in dental therapeutic materials suitable for dentin and/or pulp tissues preservation.


Parkinson's disease and pesticides: a toxicological perspective.
Environmental factors have been shown to contribute to the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD). Pesticides, which represent one of the primary classes of environmental agents associated with PD, share the common feature of being intentionally released into the environment to control or eliminate pests. Pesticides consist of multiple classes and subclasses of insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides, fumigants and others and exhibit a vast array of chemically diverse structures. In this review we examine the evidence regarding the ability of each of the major pesticide subclasses to increase the incidence of PD. We propose that, from a toxicological perspective, it would be beneficial to identify specific subclasses, common structural features and the propensity for widespread human exposure when considering the potential role in PD, rather than using the overly broad term of 'pesticides' to describe this diverse group of chemicals. Furthermore, these chemicals and their environmentally relevant combinations should be evaluated for their ability to promote or accelerate PD and not merely for being singular causative agents.


Predictors of weight gain and cardiovascular risk in a cohort of racially diverse kidney transplant recipients.
Renal transplantation is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and marked racial and ethnic disparities in graft and patient survival. We characterized differences in racial and ethnic susceptibility to weight gain, diabetes, and alterations in circulating lipid levels and isolated independent predictors of those changes in a diverse population of kidney transplant recipients. The data for this analysis were drawn from a prospectively collected database of 506 renal transplant recipients obtained between 1983 and 1998. Univariate and multivariate analyses characterized differences in outcomes and predictors of cardiovascular risk by race and ethnicity. In all recipients, coronary artery disease was the most common cause of death, and African-American recipients had the shortest graft survival and the highest percentage of deaths. At 1 y post-transplantation, 39% of African-American recipients were obese (body mass index > 30), and the odds ratios for post-transplant diabetes were 3.5 and 5 times greater in non-white and obese recipients, respectively. Multiple regression analysis confirmed the predominant independent effect of African American race or ethnicity on weight gain; however, hypercholesterolemia was independent of race or ethnicity and predicted by cyclosporine treatment and post-transplant diabetes. Therefore, kidney transplantation represents a state of accelerated atherogenic risk induced in part by the metabolic effects of immunosuppressive medications and compounded by marked racial and ethnic disparities in weight gain and diabetes risk.


Home range patterns of female red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in the Alps.
From 1976 to 1978, ten female red deer in the northern parts of the Bavarian Alps (Southern West Germany) were fitted with transmitter collars. Seasonal movements, the home range patterns, and habitat utilization as a function of the habitat structure were examined. While some animals remained in the lowlands throughout the year, others move between two or even three different areas seasonally. The average size of the home range was 65 ha during winter, 167 ha in spring and autumn and 121 ha in summer. The overlap of home ranges of different individuals ranged from 18 to 100%. In habitats with a patchy vegetation structure the home ranges were used more uniformly, whereas in habitats with a distinct separation of large woods and meadows home ranges show diurnal and nocturnal activity centres respectively.


Comparative study of phrenic nerve transfers with and without nerve graft for elbow flexion after global brachial plexus injury.
Nerve transfer is a valuable surgical technique in peripheral nerve reconstruction, especially in brachial plexus injuries. Phrenic nerve transfer for elbow flexion was proved to be one of the optimal procedures in the treatment of brachial plexus injuries in the study of Gu et al. The aim of this study was to compare phrenic nerve transfers with and without nerve graft for elbow flexion after brachial plexus injury. A retrospective review of 33 patients treated with phrenic nerve transfer for elbow flexion in posttraumatic global root avulsion brachial plexus injury was carried out. All the 33 patients were confirmed to have global root avulsion brachial plexus injury by preoperative and intraoperative electromyography (EMG), physical examination and especially by intraoperative exploration. There were two types of phrenic nerve transfers: type1 - the phrenic nerve to anterolateral bundle of anterior division of upper trunk (14 patients); type 2 - the phrenic nerve via nerve graft to anterolateral bundle of musculocutaneous nerve (19 patients). Motor function and EMG evaluation were performed at least 3 years after surgery. The efficiency of motor function in type 1 was 86%, while it was 84% in type 2. The two groups were not statistically different in terms of Medical Research Council (MRC) grade (p=1.000) and EMG results (p=1.000). There were seven patients with more than 4 month's delay of surgery, among whom only three patients regained biceps power to M3 strength or above (43%). A total of 26 patients had reconstruction done within 4 months, among whom 25 patients recovered to M3 strength or above (96%). There was a statistically significant difference of motor function between the delay of surgery within 4 months and more than 4 months (p=0.008). Phrenic nerve transfers with and without nerve graft for elbow flexion after brachial plexus injury had no significant difference for biceps reinnervation according to MRC grading and EMG. A delay of the surgery after the 4 months might imply a bad prognosis for the recovery of the function.


Genomic and ecological evidence shed light on the recent demographic history of two related invasive insects.
Hypogeococcus pungens is a species complex native to southern South America that is composed of at least five putative species, each one specialized in the use of different host plants. Two of these undescribed species were registered as invasive in Central and North America: Hyp-C is a cactophagous mealybug that became an important pest that threatens endemic cactus species in Puerto Rico, and Hyp-AP feeds on Amaranthaceae and Portulacaceae hosts, but does not produce severe damage to the host plants. We quantified genomic variation and investigated the demographic history of both invasive species by means of coalescent-based simulations using high throughput sequencing data. We also evaluated the incidence of host plant infestation produced by both species and used an ecological niche modeling approach to assess potential distribution under current and future climatic scenarios. Our genetic survey evinced the footprints of strong effective population size reduction and signals of genetic differentiation among populations within each species. Incidence of plant attacks varied between species and among populations within species, with some host plant species preferred over others. Ecological niche modeling suggested that under future climatic scenarios both species would expand their distribution ranges in Puerto Rico. These results provide valuable information for the design of efficient management and control strategies of the Puerto Rican cactus pest and shed light on the evolutionary pathways of biological invasions.


Vision correction for computer users based on image pre-compensation with changing pupil size.
Many computer users suffer varying degrees of visual impairment, which hinder their interaction with computers. In contrast with available methods of vision correction (spectacles, contact lenses, LASIK, etc.), this paper proposes a vision correction method for computer users based on image pre-compensation. The blurring caused by visual aberration is counteracted through the pre-compensation performed on images displayed on the computer screen. The pre-compensation model used is based on the visual aberration of the user's eye, which can be measured by a wavefront analyzer. However, the aberration measured is associated with one specific pupil size. If the pupil has a different size during viewing of the pre-compensated images, the pre-compensation model should also be modified to sustain appropriate performance. In order to solve this problem, an adjustment of the wavefront function used for pre-compensation is implemented to match the viewing pupil size. The efficiency of these adjustments is evaluated with an "artificial eye" (high resolution camera). Results indicate that the adjustment used is successful and significantly improves the images perceived and recorded by the artificial eye.


A lightweight convolutional neural network for assessing an EEG risk marker for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Convolutional neural network (CNN) has achieved state-of-art performance in many electroencephalogram (EEG) related studies. However, the application of CNN in prediction of risk factors for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) remains as an underexplored area. It is unclear how the trade-off between computation cost and prediction power varies with changes in the complexity and depth of neural nets. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using a lightweight CNN to predict SUDEP. A total of 170 patients were included in the analyses. The CNN model was trained using clips with 10-s signals sampled from the original EEG. We implemented Hann function to smooth the raw EEG signal and evaluated its effect by choosing different strength of denoising filter. In addition, we experimented two variations of the proposed model: (1) converting EEG input into an "RGB" format to address EEG channels underlying spatial correlation and (2) incorporating residual network (ResNet) into the bottle neck position of the proposed structure of baseline CNN. The proposed baseline CNN model with lightweight architecture achieved the best AUC of 0.72. A moderate noise removal step facilitated the training of CNN model by ensuring stability of performance. We did not observe further improvement in model's accuracy by increasing the strength of denoising filter. Post-seizure slow activity in EEG is a potential marker for SUDEP, our proposed lightweight architecture of CNN achieved satisfying trade-off between efficiently identifying such biomarker and computational cost. It also has a flexible interface to be integrated with different variations in structure leaving room for further improvement of the model's performance in automating EEG signal annotation.


Photosynthetic capacity is negatively correlated with the concentration of leaf phenolic compounds across a range of different species.
Phenolic compounds are the most commonly studied of all secondary metabolites because of their significant protective-defensive roles and their significant concentration in plant tissues. However, there has been little study on relationships between gas exchange parameters and the concentration of leaf phenolic compounds (total phenolics (TP) and condensed tannins (CT)) across a range of species. Therefore, we addressed the question: is there any correlation between photosynthetic capacity (A(max)) and TP and CT across species from different ecosystems in different continents? A plethora of functional and structural parameters were measured in 49 plant species following different growth strategies from five sampling sites located in Greece and Australia. The relationships between several leaf traits were analysed by means of regression and principal component analysis. The results revealed a negative relationship between TP and CT and A(max) among the different plant species, growth strategies and sampling sites, irrespective of expression (with respect to mass, area or nitrogen content). Principal component analysis showed that high concentrations of TP and CT are associated with thick, dense leaves with low nitrogen. This leaf type is characterized by low growth, A(max) and transpiration rates, and is common in environments with low water and nutrient availability, high temperatures and high light intensities. Therefore, the high TP and CT in such leaves are compatible with the protective and defensive functions ascribed to them. Our results indicate a functional integration between carbon gain and the concentration of leaf phenolic compounds that reflects the trade-off between growth and defence/protection demands, depending on the growth strategy adopted by each species.


The future of nutrition and wound healing.
Nutrition is vital to all bodily processes. During wound healing, it is essential that nutrients are available as they form the building blocks for tissue repair. Nutrition may therefore affect healing due to an overall deficiency of intake, either due to non-availability or due to inability of the patient to absorb sufficiently to meet their requirements. Alternatively, deficiencies of specific nutrients may also inhibit healing and on the converse some additives, not normally present in large quantity in the diet, may have beneficial effects. This review considers the nutritional factors affecting wound healing and some developments that may alter the future of therapy.


Quantification of green infrastructure effects on airborne nanoparticles dispersion at an urban scale.
Many dispersion models are available to simulate the mass concentrations of particulate matter in an urban environment. Still, fewer are capable of simulating the effect of green infrastructure (GI) on the airborne nanoparticles represented by total particle number concentration (ToNC). We developed an integrated approach capable of simulating the dispersion of airborne nanoparticles under the various scenarios of green infrastructure. We demonstrated the usefulness of this approach by simulating a high-resolution spatial (250 × 250 m) concentration of traffic-emitted airborne nanoparticles at an urban scale under eight GI urban planning scenarios: the base year 2015 (2015-Rl-GI); business-as-usual for 2039 (2039-BAU-GI); three hypothetical future scenarios with maximum possible coniferous (2039-HMax-Con), deciduous (2039-HMax-Dec) trees, and grassland (2039-HMax-Grl) over the available land; and three alternative future scenarios by considering coniferous (2039-HNR-Con), deciduous (2039-HNR-Dec) trees, and grassland (2039-HNR-Grl) around traffic lanes. We assessed both the parametric and structural uncertainties due to particle transformation processes (nucleation, coagulation and deposition) and uncertainty in particle number emission factors (PNEFs) on ToNC, respectively. We also simulated the combined impact of deposition and aerodynamic dispersion of GI on ToNC reduction. The annual average ToN emission (ToNE) reduced from 5.36 × 1022 (2015) to 2.84 × 1021 (2039) particles due to the UK's air quality plan in future. Parametric uncertainty due to variable PNEFs might cause variation in annual ToNC from -57% to +60%. However, structural uncertainties in ToNC, due to particle transformation processes were up to -12%, -11% and +0.14% for deposition, coagulation, and nucleation, respectively. The annual ToN deposition (ToND) and concentration were 28-4800 × 1019 particles and 3.94-19.10 × 103 # cm-3, respectively, depending on the percentage share of GI type and annual traffic emissions. Planting maximum coniferous trees (2039-HMax-Con) simulated maximum reduction in annual ToNC. Coniferous trees near traffic lanes (2039-HNR-Con) also found to be more effective to reduce annual ToNC.


Effect ofLupinus seed diffusates onBradyrhizobium sp. growth and nodulation of lupine.
Seeds of three species of lupine (Lupinus termis, L. triticale andL. albus) were tested to determine if the seed contains diffusable substances toxic to bradyrhizobia.L. albus seeds were less toxic to bradyrhizobia, followed byL. triticale. Six strains ofBradyrhizobium were evaluated for their resistance to the toxic substances in lupine seeds. Zones of growth inhibition were determined on yeast-mannitol-agar medium surrounding surface-sterilized seed. The effect of surface sterilization of seeds by different chemical treatments on seed toxicity was assessed. Seeds soaked in water for 1 h before placing on agar surface significantly decreased the inhibition zone. Also, the effect of soaking seeds in water for 4 h before planting and inoculation on nodulation, nitrogen fixation and plant growth were investigated. Addition of seed diffusate to soaked seeds significantly decreased nodulation and plant growth. Autoclaving the seed diffusate had no effect on the toxicity of the seed diffusate. Addition of the absorbent polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to seed diffusates significantly decreased the inhibitory effect of seed diffusate on nodulation and plant growth. Seed diffusate substances were water-soluble, heat-stable and partially bound to PVPP.


Autoinhibition, sympathetic cotransmission and biphasic contractile responses to trains of nerve stimulation in the rodent vas deferens.
1. The present review critically discusses the evidence for and against the various hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the biphasic contractile response of the rodent vas deferens to trains of electrical field stimulation (EFS). 2. It is widely accepted that the initial component of the biphasic response of the rodent isolated vas deferens to trains of EFS is mediated by ATP and the second slower tonic contractions is mediated by noradrenaline (NA). This theory is based on the ability of antagonists of the post-junctional receptors for these neurotransmitters to inhibit the respective components of the biphasic response and on the ability of exogenous application of either ATP or NA to mimic the responses of each phase. 3. Prejunctional autoinhibition has also been proposed as the cause of the biphasic response. This is based primarily on the ability of alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists to transform responses from biphasic to monophasic and on the ability of neuronal NA uptake inhibitors to accentuate the separation of the two phases. 4. Atypical or extrajunctional NA receptors have also been proposed to be the mediators of the component of the response to nerve stimulation that is resistant to the traditional alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists. 5. Different contractile mechanisms and/or sources of calcium have also been postulated to cause the biphasic response. Blockers of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization are able to block the initial component, while blockers of extracellular Ca2+ entry inhibit the second tonic phase. 6. It is concluded that because alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonists and blockers of P2 purinoceptors have also been shown to block both phases of the response to trains of EFS, prejunctional auto-inhibitory mechanisms perhaps provide the most sound explanation for the phenomenon of the biphasic contractile response to trains of EFS.


Effects of bee venom and dopamine-loaded nanoparticles on reserpine-induced Parkinson's disease rat model.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive chronic neurodegenerative condition characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra. Current PD therapeutic strategies are mainly symptomatic and can lead to motor complications overtime. As a result, alternative medicine may provide an effective adjuvant treatment for PD as an addition to or as a replacement of the conventional therapies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of Bee Venom (BV) and dopamine (DA)-loaded nanoparticles in a reserpine-induced animal model of PD. After inducing PD with reserpine injection, different groups of male rats were treated with L-Dopa, BV, DA-nanoparticles. Our findings showed that BV and DA-nanoparticles administration restored monoamines, balanced glutamate/GABA levels, halted DNA fragmentation, decreased pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1β and TNF-α), and elevated anti-inflammatory mediators (PON1) and neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels in comparison with conventional therapy of PD. Furthermore, in a reserpine-induced PD rat model, the ameliorative effects of BV were significantly superior to that of DA-nanoparticles. These findings imply that BV and DA-nanoparticles could be useful as adjuvant treatments for PD.


Multi-drug resistant and rifampin-resistant tuberculosis in transplant recipients.
Management of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and rifampin-resistant (RR) tuberculosis is challenging. Data on transplant recipients is limited. We reviewed published literature to examine treatment choices, outcomes, and adverse effects from MDR-TB/RR-TB treatment in transplant recipients. Multiple databases from inception to 12/2022 were reviewed using the keywords "drug-resistant TB" or "drug-resistant tuberculosis" or "multidrug-resistant TB" or "multidrug-resistant tuberculosis". MDR-TB was defined as resistance to isoniazid (H) and rifampin (R), and RR if resistant to rifampin alone. Cases without patient-level data and reports which did not describe treatment and/or outcomes for MDR-TB were excluded. A total of 12 patients (10 solid organ transplants and two hematopoietic cell transplants) were included. Of these, 11 were MDR-TB and one was RR-TB. Seven recipients were male. The median age was 41.5 (range 16-60) years. Pre-transplant evaluation for the majority (8/12, 66.7%) did not reveal a prior history of TB or TB treatment, but 9/12 were from TB intermediate or high-burden countries. Seven patients were initially treated with the quadruple first-line anti-TB regimen. Those who had early RR confirmation (5/12) via Xpert MTB/RIF assay were initiated on alternative therapies. Final regimens were individualized based on susceptibility profiles and tolerability. Adverse events were reported in seven recipients, including acute kidney injury (n = 3), cytopenias (n = 3), and jaundice (n = 2). Four recipients died, with two deaths attributable to TB. The remaining eight patients who survived had functioning allografts at the last follow-up. MDR-TB treatment in transplant recipients is associated with many complications. Xpert MTB/RIF detected RR early and guided early empiric therapy.