Flock-level risk factors of litter condition for the occurrence of plumage damage and skin lesions in commercial laying hen farms.
Plumage damage (PD) as a result of severe feather pecking (SFP) and skin lesions (SL) due to cannibalism (CA) is serious welfare, performance, and economic problems in commercial layer farms. Genetics, nutrition, and housing conditions are central complexes that contribute to the multifactorial causes of these behavioral disorders. Practical recommendations consider the quality of litter as an important criterion for the prevention of SFP, although systematic longitudinal studies providing evidence-based findings are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of litter condition on the occurrence of PD and SL in the field using a longitudinal design. Integument scoring (PD and SL; 7 times), litter scoring (structure, cake formation, litter quality, and litter height; 12 times), and laboratory litter analysis (dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and pH value; 12 times) were performed in 28 laying hen flocks with a median flock size of 12,357 birds, in barn (n = 21) or free-range systems (n = 7), during the first laying period. Binary logistic regression (BLR) models showed the association of housing type and animal age on PD and SL (P < 0.001), and of the hybrid type on PD (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant association with PD and SL was observed for several litter traits. An increase in litter height, DM, and P was associated with lower PD (P ≤ 0.022) and SL (P < 0.001). In contrast, a higher N content of the litter was associated with an increase in SL (P = 0.007). Cake formation (P < 0.001) and a low structure (P = 0.025) of the litter showed an association with higher PD. In conclusion, this study identified caked litter with less structure, low height, and low contents of DM and P as risk factors for behavioral disorders in commercial laying flocks.


Quantification of recurrence volumes after endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysm as surrogate endpoint for treatment stability.
New coils with unproven clinical benefit enlarge the armamentarium for endovascular aneurysm treatment continuously. Large patient numbers needed to detect benefits of such new techniques prevent timely evaluation of efficacy. We propose measuring the volume of aneurysm recurrences as surrogate endpoint for coil stability. We hypothesize that this method allows detecting effects of new materials with reduced sample sizes in comparison to conventional studies with dichotomous endpoints. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Fifty-nine patients with decreasing aneurysm size and at least two available follow-up time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiographies (ToF-MRAs) were included. Newly developed software for measuring aneurysm volume differences based on ToF-MRA images was used. Based on the observed recurrence volumes and retreatment rates, the sample size for future studies comparing standard versus "new coils" were calculated. Mean recurrence volume was 38.92 μl (SD110.85 μl). To show a 50% reduction of retreatment rate to control (p = 0.05; power 80%) in a regular study (dichotomous endpoint), the required sample size would be n = 356 compared with n = 78 if using the continuous surrogate endpoint "recurrence volume". When extrapolating our data to data given in the literature, sample sizes could be reduced from n = 948 to n = 74 without loss of statistical power. Further studies on new materials using volumetric analysis based on ToF-MRA as surrogate endpoint could substantially decrease sample size and allow a more timely assessment of possible benefit of new materials with a fraction of the cost.


Potential protective effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction against COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury: A network-based pharmacological and molecular docking study.
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is prone to induce multiple organ damage. The kidney is one of the target organs of SARS-CoV-2, which is susceptible to inducing acute kidney injury (AKI). Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDD) is one of the recommended prescriptions for COVID-19 with severe complications. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the therapeutic and protective effects of HLJDD on COVID-19-associated AKI. Potential targets related to "HLJDD," "COVID-19," and "Acute Kidney Injury/Acute Renal Failure" were identified from several databases. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and screened the core targets according to the degree value. The target genes were then enriched using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The bioactive components were docked with the core targets. A total of 65 active compounds, 85 common targets for diseases and drugs were obtained; PPI network analysis showed that the core protein mainly involved JUN, RELA, and AKT1; functional analysis showed that these target genes were mainly involved in lipid and atherosclerosis signaling pathway and IL-17 signal pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that JUN, RELA, and AKT1 had good binding activity with the effective chemical components of HLJDD. In conclusion, HLJDD can be used as a potential therapeutic drug for COVID-19-associated AKI.


[Some approaches to evaluation of the mutagenic effect of industrial waste on the environment].
The mutagenic effect of an industrial enterprise (tungsten and molybdenum factory) was studied in three stages. At the first stage, the putative impact of the industrial sewage of the factory was studied using three plant test systems: Crepis capillaris L., Tradescantia sp. clone 02, and Glycine max (L.) Merill. It was found that the sewage increased the mutation level by a factor of 11-45. At the second stage, the rate of mutation was studied in the native vegetation growing on solid waste piles of the enterprise. It exceeded the corresponding index of uncontaminated areas by a factor of 2-4.5. At the third stage, the rates of children with birth defects and miscarriages were studied in the vicinity of the enterprise. The rate of miscarriages proved to be higher than the value averaged over the autonomous republic by a factor of 2.4. No change in the rate of birth defects was detected.


Computer simulations of mitosis and interdependencies between mitosis orientation, cell shape and epithelia reshaping.
Finite element-based computer simulations are used to investigate mitosis and how mitosis, cell shape, and epithelium reshaping depend on each other. Frame- and cell-oriented patterns of mitosis with growing and non-growing daughter cells are considered. Previous simulations have shown that applied stresses or strains can reshape cells so that their long axes are aligned in the principal stretch direction. The simulations reported here show that this can produce global alignment of the mitosis cleavage planes. Other simulations reported here show that mitoses with suitably aligned cleavage planes can drive epithelium reshaping. Formulas that quantify these and other dependencies are derived. These formulas provide quantitative relationships against which current hypotheses regarding epithelia reshaping in real biological systems can be evaluated.


Malignant rhabdoid tumour of soft tissue. An ultrastructural and immunohistological study of a pelvic tumour.
A case of extrarenal malignant rhabdoid sarcoma arising in the pelvic soft tissues of a 12-year-old girl is described. By routine light microscopy the tumour resembled, in some areas, an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and, in other areas, a neuroblastoma. Electron microscopy revealed characteristic cytoplasmic aggregates of intermediate filaments, often with central clusters of organelle membranes surrounded by these filaments. Immunohistochemical stains showed strong cytoplasmic reactivity for vimentin. Staining for cytokeratin, myoglobin, desmin, neurofilaments, neurone specific enolase, S-100 protein and leucocyte common antigen was negative. A histogenetic origin from primitive mesenchymal cells is favoured. We strongly support the use of electron microscopy for the definitive diagnosis of small round cell undifferentiated sarcomas of childhood.


A thin film approach for SiC-derived graphene as an on-chip electrode for supercapacitors.
We designed a nickel-assisted process to obtain graphene with sheet resistance as low as 80 Ω square(-1) from silicon carbide films on Si wafers with highly enhanced surface area. The silicon carbide film acts as both a template and source of graphitic carbon, while, simultaneously, the nickel induces porosity on the surface of the film by forming silicides during the annealing process which are subsequently removed. As stand-alone electrodes in supercapacitors, these transfer-free graphene-on-chip samples show a typical double-layer supercapacitive behaviour with gravimetric capacitance of up to 65 F g(-1). This work is the first attempt to produce graphene with high surface area from silicon carbide thin films for energy storage at the wafer-level and may open numerous opportunities for on-chip integrated energy storage applications.


Development, validation, and relevance of in vivo low-contrast task transfer function to estimate detectability in clinical CT images.
The current state-of-the-art calculation of detectability index (d') is largely phantom-based, with the latest being based on a hybrid phantom noise power spectrum (NPS) combined with patient-specific noise magnitude and high-contrast air-skin interface. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the use of fully patient-specific measurements of noise and low-contrast resolution, derived entirely from patient images on d'. This study developed a d' calculation that is patient- and task-specific, employing newly developed algorithms for estimating patient-specific NPS and low-contrast task transfer function (TTF). The TTF estimation methodology used a trained regression support vector machine (SVM) to estimate a fitted form of the TTF given a variance-normalized estimate of the NPS (referred to as the TTFNPS ). The regression SVM was trained and tested using five-fold cross-validation on 192 scans (4 dose levels x 6 reconstruction kernels x 4 repeats) of a phantom with low-contrast polyethylene insert and reconstructed with filtered backprojection and iterative reconstructions across 12 clinically relevant kernels (FBP: B20f, B31f, B45f; SAFIRE: I26f, I31f, J45f with strengths: 2, 3, 5). To test the low-contrast TTF estimation method, the estimated TTFNPS measurements were compared to (1) TTF measurements from the air-phantom interface (referred to as the TTFair , representing the most patient-specific clinical alternative) and (2) TTF measurements from the edge of the low-contrast polyethylene insert (referred to as the TTFpoly ), which represented the gold standard of low-contrast TTF measurement. Patient-specific NPS, patient-specific noise magnitude, and patient-specific low-contrast TTF were further combined with a reference task function to calculate a d' (according to a non-prewhitening matched filter model) across 1120 lesions previously evaluated in 2AFC human observer detection of liver lesions. The resulting values were compared to the observer results using a generalized linear mixed-effects statistical model. The correlations between the model and observer results were also compared with previously reported values (using a hybrid method with phantom-derived NPS and TTFair ). The TTFNPS more accurately represented resolution across the considered reconstruction settings, compared with the TTFair . The out-of-fold predictions of the TTFNPS had statistically better root-mean-square error concordance (p < 0.05, one-tailed Wilcoxon rank-sum test) to gold standard than the TTFair (the alternative, measured from the air-phantom interface). Detectability indices informed by purely patient-specific NPS and TTF were strongly correlated with 2AFC outcomes (p < 0.05). R2 between human detection accuracy and model-predicted detection accuracy were shown to be greater for those measured with patient-specific d' than for the hybrid d' but failed to rise to the level of statistical significance (p ≥ 0.05, bootstrap resampled corrected paired Student's t-test). The results suggest that fully patient-specific characterization of image quality based on in vivo NPS and low-contrast TTF offer advantages over hybrid methods. The results in terms of d' favorably relate to observer detection of liver lesions. The method can potentially be integrated into an automated image quality tracking system to assess image quality across a computed tomography clinical operation without needing phantom scans.


Imaging and therapy of hSSTR2-transfected tumors using radiolabeled somatostatin analogs.
The aim of this study was to introduce human somatostatin receptors subtype-2 (hsstr2) gene into A549 lung carcinoma cells in order to investigate the role of these receptors, and to observe the lethal effect of (131)I-RC-160 (RC-160, vapreotide, an analog of somatostatin) on transfected cells through tumor scintigraphy. Clones overexpressing SSTR2 were selected for radioligand-receptor binding assay and assessment of (125)I-RC-160 internalization. The methylthiazolyl tetrazolium test was used to observe the lethal effect of (131)I-RC-160, Na(131)I, and RC-160 on hSSTR2-transfected A549 cells (A549-hSSTR2). Planar imaging was performed with a gamma camera equipped with pinhole collimator in nude mice bearing both A549-hSSTR2 tumors overexpressing SSTR2 and A549-pcDNA3 (pcDNA3-transfected A549 cells) tumors as control. Images were obtained at 0.5, 6, and 24 h after injection of 3.7 × 10(6) Bq (99m)Tc-RC-160 via the tail vein. The inhibitory effects of (131)I-RC-160, RC-160, and Na(131)I on the tumors were recorded by measuring the tumor volumes. At the end of the study, the tumors were excised and HE staining was performed. The binding radioactivity (sum of membrane-bound and internalized radioligand) of A549-hSSTR2 cells was 18.24 ± 1.9 % of total counts added after 1 h of incubation, and was higher than that of A549-pcDNA3 cells 5.7 ± 1.4 % (P < 0.05). The inhibition ratio of A549-hSSTR2 cells was 78.8 ± 5.9 %. Clear images of tumor lesions in nude mice were achieved at 0.5 h post injection. In the A549-hSSTR2 xenograft tumor group, the growth of the tumors treated with (131)I-RC-160 was significantly inhibited as compared to tumors in the group treated with RC-160 (P < 0.01). This study demonstrated that it was possible to introduce hsstr2 to non-expressing tumor cell lines and treat tumors with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs.


A Computational Model of a Single Auditory Nerve Fiber for Electric-Acoustic Stimulation.
Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with preserved acoustic low-frequency hearing in the implanted ear are a growing group among traditional CI users who benefit from hybrid electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). However, combined ipsilateral electric and acoustic stimulation also introduces interactions between the two modalities that can affect the performance of EAS users. A computational model of a single auditory nerve fiber that is excited by EAS was developed to study the interaction between electric and acoustic stimulation. Two existing models of sole electric or acoustic stimulation were coupled to simulate responses to combined EAS. Different methods of combining both models were implemented. In the coupled model variant, the refractoriness of the simulated fiber leads to suppressive interaction between electrically evoked and acoustically evoked spikes as well as spontaneous activity. The second model variant is an uncoupled EAS model without electric-acoustic interaction. By comparing predictions between the coupled and the noninteracting EAS model, it was possible to infer electric-acoustic interaction at the level of the auditory nerve. The EAS model was used to simulate fiber populations with realistic inter-unit variability, where each unit was represented by the single-fiber model. Predicted thresholds and dynamic ranges, spike rates, latencies, jitter, and vector strengths were compared to empirical data. The presented EAS model provides a framework for future studies of peripheral electric-acoustic interaction.


[Role of clinical chemistry in the assessment and follow up of a diabetic patient].
Clinical chemistry is essential in the management of a patient with diabetes mellitus. It plays a major role in the diagnosis by measuring plasma glucose levels, in the fasting state or two hours after an oral glucose load. It helps in the definition of the type of diabetes by measuring plasma C-peptide concentration, a marker of residual endogenous insulin secretion, or by detecting islet cell antibodies, a marker of autoimmune disease. Finally, clinical chemistry is essential in assessing the quality of overall blood glucose control thanks to the dosage of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and in demonstrating the adequate control of cardiovascular risk factors associated to the metabolic syndrome, especially dyslipidaemia.


A single-cell transcriptional landscape of immune cells shows disease-specific changes of T cell and macrophage populations in human achalasia.
Achalasia is a rare motility disorder of the esophagus caused by the gradual degeneration of myenteric neurons. Immune-mediated ganglionitis has been proposed to underlie the loss of myenteric neurons. Here, we measure the immune cell transcriptional profile of paired lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tissue and blood samples in achalasia and controls using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). In achalasia, we identify a pattern of expanded immune cells and a specific transcriptional phenotype, especially in LES tissue. We show C1QC+ macrophages and tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM), especially ZNF683+ CD8+ TRM and XCL1+ CD4+ TRM, are significantly expanded and localized surrounding the myenteric plexus in the LES tissue of achalasia. C1QC+ macrophages are transcriptionally similar to microglia of the central nervous system and have a neurodegenerative dysfunctional phenotype in achalasia. TRM also expresses transcripts of dysregulated immune responses in achalasia. Moreover, inflammation increases with disease progression since immune cells are more activated in type I compared with type II achalasia. Thus, we profile the immune cell transcriptional landscape and identify C1QC+ macrophages and TRM as disease-associated immune cell subsets in achalasia.


What Ancient Egyptian Medicine Can Teach Us.
Dr Elsayad describes his impressions regarding the medical and surgical procedures used for patients with cancer and reports on the oncologic cases from ancient Egyptian remains published in the literature.


[Case contribution to the question of side effects in the dipyridamol test].
Report on a case with disturbance of the cardiac rhythm (atrioventricular dissociation with ventricular extrasystoles) in connection with a dipyridamol test which regressed under therapy with euphyllin. This observation supports the demand of a continuous control of the ECG when the test is performed.


Rod outer segments mediate mitochondrial DNA damage and apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelium.
To investigate the interrelationships between DNA damage, mitochondrial activity, and apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) after exposure to rod outer segments (ROS). After incubation of cultured human RPE with ROS, mitochondrial redox function was evaluated from MTT reduction. Mitochondrial (mt) and nuclear (n) DNA damage were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reactions (QPCR). Apoptotic RPE cells were detected by binding of annexin V to phosphatidyl serine (PS) using fluorescence microscopy. The expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins, p53 and p21(waf-1), and DNA repair enzymes, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE(ref-1)) and DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) were quantitatively determined by Western blotting analysis. Mitochondrial function decreased by 20 +/- 5% and annexin V immunofluorscent binding was enhanced after exposure of cells to physiological levels of ROS (3.8 x 10(6)cm(-2)) for 4 h. MtDNA was preferentially damaged after exposure to ROS with increased lesion frequencies of 1.49 +/- 0.37 and 2.2 +/- 0.14 per 10 kb base pairs (bp), respectively after 5 and 7 h contact, compared to untreated controls (zero class damage). APE(ref-1)expression increased more than 340% above controls after exposure to ROS for 7 and 24 h. The expression of beta-pol in cultures increased 110% above controls after 24 h contact with the ROS. The expression of p53 and p21 in cells increased 100 and 38% above controls after 24 h exposure to the ROS. Exposure of ROS to ROS induced mtDNA damage and dysfunction and activated nDNA repair pathways, which did not prevent apoptosis.


Clinical characteristics and treatment of perianal abscess and fistula-in-ano in infants.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical characteristics of perianal abscess and fistula-in-ano in infants and to identify factors that affected the clinical outcomes. The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 112 infants who were treated for perianal abscess and fistula-in-ano by a single pediatric surgeon from January 2006 to December 2008. All patients were male and the mean age of infants presented to our hospital was 6.0 ± 4.5 months. One hundred one patients (90.2%) had 1 or 2 perianal lesions, and 76 (67.9%) had lesions at the 3 and/or 9-o'clock directions. The use of oral antibiotics did not improve or aggravate the lesions in 29 of 37 cases. Ninety-seven patients (86.6%) were cured by conservative treatment with a mean duration of 5.2 ± 3.9 months from the onset of the disease to the cure. The mean age of curing was 9.0 ± 4.9 months. Feeding formula change showed improvement of stooling in 38 (62.3%) of 61 patients but did not affect the duration of conservative treatment. Multiple linear analysis revealed that the presence of multiple lesions was a significant independent variable (P = .001) for the duration of conservative treatment, but age of the onset and location of the lesion were not. Twelve patients (10.7%) underwent fistulectomy at a mean age of 15.0 ± 5.1 months. None of the patients had recurrences after operation for the mean follow-up period of 23.7 ± 11.7 months. Conservative treatment of perianal abscess and fistula-in-ano has an excellent outcome and could be the first choice of treatment of these diseases.


Delineation and functional status monitoring in small saline wetlands of NE Spain.
The small playa-lakes and other saline wetlands of Monegros, scattered over a dry area with winter cereal monoculture, are threatened by the settlement of new irrigation districts and other kinds of human pressure. Enforcing the protection rules of European Union in these valuable habitats requires, first, their delimitation and monitoring. This article shows how these tasks can be undertaken using remote sensing in conjunction with field observations. A series of Landsat images covering different seasons provided a comprehensive view of these wetlands encompassing their changing facies, hydrologic regime, state of conservation, and functional status. Remotely-sensed data were the primary, and in most cases the only available, source of consistent information. Our approach can help planning and surveying for the implementation of saline wetland protection measures in harmony with the conterminous agricultural areas.


Differences in Health Care Utilization, Process of Diabetes Care, Care Satisfaction, and Health Status in Patients With Diabetes in Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare.
The objective of this study was to determine differences in health care utilization, process of diabetes care, care satisfaction, and health status for Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM) beneficiaries with and without diabetes. Using the 2010-2016 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, we identified MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. To address the endogenous plan choice between MA and TM, we used an instrumental variable approach. Using marginal effects, we estimated differences in the outcomes between MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. Our instrumental variable analysis showed that compared with TM beneficiaries with diabetes, MA beneficiaries with diabetes had less annual health care utilization, including -22.4 medical provider visits [95% confidence interval (CI): -23.6 to -21.1] and -3.4 outpatient hospital visits (95% CI: -3.8 to -3.0). A significant difference between MA and TM beneficiaries without diabetes was only observed in medical provider visits and the difference was greater among beneficiaries with diabetes than beneficiaries without diabetes (-12.5 medical provider visits; 95% CI: -15.9 to -9.2). While we did not detect significant differences in 5 measures of the process of diabetes care between MA and TM beneficiaries with diabetes, there were inconsistent results in the other 3 measures. There were no or marginal differences in care satisfaction and health status between MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. MA enrollment was associated with lower health care utilization without compromising care satisfaction and health status, particularly for beneficiaries with diabetes. MA may have a more efficient care delivery system for beneficiaries with diabetes.


Didox (3,4-dihydroxybenzohydroxamic acid) suppresses IgE-mediated mast cell activation through attenuation of NFκB and AP-1 transcription.
Mast cell activation via the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) elicits production of inflammatory mediators central to allergic disease. As a synthetic antioxidant and a potent ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor, Didox (3,4-dihyroxybenzohydroxamic acid) has been tested in clinical trials for cancer and is an attractive therapeutic for inflammatory disease. We found that Didox treatment of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) reduced IgE-stimulated degranulation and cytokine production, including IL-6, IL-13, TNF and MIP-1a (CCL3). These effects were consistent using BMMC of different genetic backgrounds and peritoneal mast cells. While the RNR inhibitor hydroxyurea had little or no effect on IgE-mediated function, high concentrations of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine mimicked Didox-mediated suppression. Furthermore, Didox increased expression of the antioxidant genes superoxide dismutase and catalase, and suppressed DCFH-DA fluorescence, indicating reduced reactive oxygen species production. Didox effects were not due to changes in FcεRI expression or cell viability, suggesting it inhibits signaling required for inflammatory cytokine production. In support of this, we found that Didox reduced FcεRI-mediated AP-1 and NFκB transcriptional activity. Finally, Didox suppressed mast cell-dependent, IgE-mediated passive systemic anaphylaxis in vivo. These data demonstrate the potential use for Didox asa means of antagonizing mast cell responses in allergic disease.


Gravity-induced modification of auxin transport and distribution for peg formation in cucumber seedlings: possible roles for CS-AUX1 and CS-PIN1.
Cucurbit seedlings potentially develop a peg on each side of the transition zone between the hypocotyl and root. Seedlings grown in a horizontal position suppress the development of the peg on the upper side of the transition zone in response to gravity. It is suggested that this suppression occurs due to a reduction in auxin levels to below the threshold value. We show in this study that the free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content is low, while IAA conjugates are significantly more abundant in the upper side of the transition zone of gravistimulated seedlings, compared to the lower side. A transient increase in mRNA of the auxin-inducible gene, CS-IAA1, was observed in the excised transition zone. The result suggests that the transition zone is a source of auxin. Cucumber seedlings treated with auxin-transport inhibitors exhibited agravitropic growth and developed a peg on each side of the transition zone. Auxin-transport inhibitors additionally caused an increase in CS-IAA1 mRNA accumulation at the transition zone, indicating a rise in intracellular auxin concentrations due to a block of auxin efflux. To study the involvement of the auxin transport system in peg formation, we isolated the cDNAs of a putative auxin influx carrier, CS-AUX1, and putative efflux carrier, CS-PIN1, from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants. Both genes (CS-AUX1 in particular) were auxin-inducible. Accumulation of CS-AUX1 and CS-PIN1 mRNAs was observed in vascular tissue, cortex and epidermis of the transition zone. A reduced level of CS-AUX1 mRNA was observed in the upper side of the gravistimulated transition zone, compared with the lower side. It is therefore possible that a balance in the activities of auxin influx and efflux carriers controls intracellular auxin concentration at the transition zone, which results in lateral placement of a peg in cucumber seedlings.


Age-disparate relationships and implications for STI transmission among young adults in Cape Town, South Africa.
To estimate the prevalence of age-disparate (AD) relationships among young black and coloured adults in Cape Town (South Africa) and determine socio-demographic predictors and individual and relationship characteristics of women in these relationships. A secondary analysis of the Cape Area Panel Study (N = 1960) data was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the age-mixing pattern and logistic regression was used to identify significant socio-demographic and behavioural correlates of AD relationships. Prevalence of AD relationships was high in both black (36%) and coloured (28%) women. The average age difference between male respondents and their partners increased with age. Young, black women who spent fewer nights under the same roof in one week, had a deceased parent, and were not currently attending classes were more likely to be in an AD relationship. Reports of sexually-transmitted infection (STI) symptoms in the last month and unprotected sex were more common among women in AD relationships. AD relationships are common among young women in Cape Town. Home and family stability is preventative of young women engaging in AD relationships. Therefore, holistic, societal interventions may reduce AD relationships, which are a risk factor for STIs.


Previous herbivore attack of red alder may improve food quality for fall webworm larvae.
Three hypotheses of insect-plant interactions were tested by rearing fall webworm larvae in the laboratory on foliage from red alder trees with different histories of western tent caterpillar herbivory. Fall webworm larvae raised on foliage from trees which had been attacked previously for two summers by moderate densities of western tent caterpillars grew faster and attained heavier pupal weights than did those fed foliage from unattacked trees. This contradicts the hypothesis that moderate levels of previous herbivory induces the production of plant defensive chemicals in red alders. Growth of webworms, when fed foliage from unattacked trees adjacent to alders that were attacked by fall webworm larvae, was the same as when fed foliage from trees isolated by distance from attacked trees. This contradicts the hypothesis that attacked trees stimulate the production of defensive chemicals in neigh-boring trees. Young and mature alder foliage was equally good for fall webworm growth and survival, and foliage from trees heavily attacked by both fall webworm and western tent caterpillars for three years produced slow growth rates and small pupal sizes. This supports the hypothesis that continued heavy insect attack can cause the deterioration of the food quality of attacked trees.


Illness from fright or soul loss: a North Balinese culture-bound syndrome?
The paper examines kesambet, a common cause of child mortality and adult sickness in North Bali, by placing it in the context of cultural conceptions of body, person and spirit, as well as interpersonal praxis. Emotions, virtue, and the covert intentions of others are salient preoccupations in the construction of kesambet. The analysis thus serves to question Geertz's classical account of Balinese personhood, which interprets the Balinese concern with grace and composure as aesthetically motivated. Kesambet is also analysed in comparative perspective, especially in relation to susto; and Good and Good's distinction between etiological and descriptive criteria is utilized.


Role of alternative splicing signatures in the prognosis of glioblastoma.
Increasing evidence has validated the crucial role of alternative splicing (AS) in tumors. However, comprehensive investigations on the entirety of AS and their clinical value in glioblastoma (GBM) are lacking. The AS profiles and clinical survival data related to GBM were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify survival-associated AS events. A risk score was calculated, and prognostic signatures were constructed using seven different types of independent prognostic AS events, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to display the survival of GBM patients. The receiver operating characteristic curve was applied to compare the predictive efficacy of each prognostic signature. Enrichment analysis and protein interactive networks were conducted using the gene symbols of the AS events to investigate important processes in GBM. A splicing network between splicing factors and AS events was constructed to display the potential regulatory mechanism in GBM. A total of 2355 survival-associated AS events were identified. The splicing prognostic model revealed that patients in the high-risk group have worse survival rates than those in the low-risk group. The predictive efficacy of each prognostic model showed satisfactory performance; among these, the Alternate Terminator (AT) model showed the best performance at an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.906. Enrichment analysis uncovered that autophagy was the most enriched process of prognostic AS gene symbols in GBM. The protein network revealed that UBC, VHL, KCTD7, FBXL19, RNF7, and UBE2N were the core genes in GBM. The splicing network showed complex regulatory correlations, among which ELAVL2 and SYNE1_AT_78181 were the most correlated (r = -.506). Applying the prognostic signatures constructed by independent AS events shows promise for predicting the survival of GBM patients. A splicing regulatory network might be the potential splicing mechanism in GBM.


Molecular dynamics simulation of non-covalent interactions between polynuclear platinum(II) complexes and DNA.
Several studies with substitution-inert polynuclear platinum(II) complexes (SI-PPC) have been carried out in recent years due to the form of DNA binding presented by these compounds. This form of bonding is achieved by molecular recognition through the formation of non-covalent structures, commonly called phosphate clamps and forks, which generate small extensions of the major and minor grooves. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to study the formation of these cyclical structures between six different SI-PPCs and a double DNA dodecamer, here called 24_bp_DNA. The results showed the influence of the complex expressed on the number of phosphate clamps and forks formed. Based on the conformational characterization of the DNA fragment, we show that the studied SI-PPCs interact preferentially in the minor groove, causing groove spanning, except for two of them, Monoplatin and AH44. The phosphates of C-G pairs are the main sites for such non-covalent interactions. The Gibbs interaction energy of solvated species points out to AH78P, AH78H, and TriplatinNC as the most probable ones when coupled with DNA. As far as we know, this work is the very first one related to SI-PPCs which brings MD simulations and a complete analysis of the non-covalent interactions with a double DNA dodecamer.


Zinc exacerbates tau-induced Alzheimer-like pathology in C57BL/6J mice.
The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly complex and multifactorial. Compared with Aβ, the pathological changes associated with tau are more related to the clinical symptoms and more indicative of the severity of AD. Studies have shown that the direct interaction between tau and Zn2+ plays an important role in tau toxicity, however, the mechanism by which Zn2+ contributes to tau-induced neurotoxicity is not fully understood. Our previous studies have found that Zn2+ bound to the third repeat unit of the microtubule-binding domain of tau (R3) with moderate affinity and induced R3 to form oligomers, thus increased the toxicity of R3 to nerve cells. Here, we demonstrated that Zn2+ binding to R3 (Zn2++R3) significantly reduced cognitive ability and increased blood lipid and glucose levels of C57BL/6J mice. In addition, Zn2++R3, not Zn2+ or R3 alone, markedly enhanced the endogenous Aβ and tau pathology and damaged the neurons of C57BL/6J mice. The study suggests that the main reason for the toxicity of Zn2+ may be the formation of Zn2+ and tau complex. Thus, preventing the combination of Zn2+ and tau may be a potential strategy for AD treatment. Furthermore, as the C57BL/6J mice injected with Zn2++R3 complex showed behavioral deficits, deposition of Aβ plaques and tau tangles, and the death of neurons within 45 days. Thus, they can be considered as a fast sporadic AD or other tauopathies mouse model.


Wheat NAC-A18 regulates grain starch and storage proteins synthesis and affects grain weight.
Wheat NAC-A18 regulates both starch and storage protein synthesis in the grain, and a haplotype with positive effects on grain weight showed increased frequency during wheat breeding in China. Starch and seed storage protein (SSP) directly affect the processing quality of wheat grain. The synthesis of starch and SSP are also regulated at the transcriptional level. However, only a few starch and SSP regulators have been identified in wheat. In this study, we discovered a NAC transcription factor, designated as NAC-A18, which acts as a regulator of both starch and SSP synthesis. NAC-A18, is predominately expressed in wheat developing grains, encodes a transcription factor localized in the nucleus, with both activation and repression domains. Ectopic expression of wheat NAC-A18 in rice significantly decreased starch accumulation and increased SSP accumulation and grain size and weight. Dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that NAC-A18 could reduce the expression of TaGBSSI-A1 and TaGBSSI-A2, and enhance the expression of TaLMW-D6 and TaLMW-D1. A yeast one hybrid assay demonstrated that NAC-A18 bound directly to the cis-element "ACGCAA" in the promoters of TaLMW-D6 and TaLMW-D1. Further analysis indicated that two haplotypes were formed at NAC-A18, and that NAC-A18_h1 was a favorable haplotype correlated with higher thousand grain weight. Based on limited population data, NAC-A18_h1 underwent positive selection during Chinese wheat breeding. Our study demonstrates that wheat NAC-A18 regulates starch and SSP accumulation and grain size. A molecular marker was developed for the favorable allele for breeding applications.


The effects of vitrification on oocyte quality.
Vitrification, is an ultra-rapid, manual cooling process that produces glass-like (ice crystal-free) solidification. Water is prevented from forming intercellular and intracellular ice crystals during cooling as a result of oocyte dehydration and the use of highly concentrated cryoprotectant. Though oocytes can be cryopreserved without ice crystal formation through vitrification, it is still not clear whether the process of vitrification causes any negative impact (temperature change/chilling effect, osmotic stress, cryoprotectant toxicity, and/or phase transitions) on oocyte quality, which translates to diminished embryo developmental potential or subsequent clinical outcomes. In this review, we attempt to assess the technique's potential effects and the consequence of these effects on outcomes.


What Youth Think About Participating in Research About Exposure to Self-directed Violence.
To help reduce suicide and other forms of self-harm, research with youth and their exposure to self-directed violence is critical. Yet, we know little about how participants feel about taking part in a survey that asks about such exposure. The present article aims to understand the survey experience of youth and young adult participants in a study about exposure to self-directed violence. A total of 990 participants, aged 13-23 years, were recruited through study advertisements on Facebook and Instagram between November 27, 2020, and December 4, 2020. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected in the United States. A total of 37.6% of participants felt somewhat upset from their survey experience, and 14.9% were upset or extremely upset with the highest levels of upset reported by cisgender sexual minority girls and gender minority youth. Lower odds of saying one's contributions were valuable were noted for cisgender sexual minority boys and gender minority youth compared to cisgender heterosexual boys, as well as youth who reported exposure to self-directed violence. Eight in 10 youth felt it was important to ask questions about self-directed violence exposure in surveys. The research and practitioner communities should be particularly mindful of high-risk populations and identify innovative ways to better support and encourage their voice in research, as well as highlight the value of their participation. The results provide some guidance for those conducting research with youth on this topic.


Gender differences and pharmacological regulation of angiogenesis induced by synovial fluids in inflammatory arthritis.
Several mediators including cytokines, growth factors and metalloproteinases (MMP) modulate pathological angiogenesis associated with inflammatory arthritis. The biological factors underlying sex disparities in the incidence and severity of rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases are only partially understood. We hypothesized that synovial fluids (SFs) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients would impact on endothelial biology in a sexually dimorphic fashion. Immune cell counts and levels of pro-angiogenic cytokines found in SFs from RA and PsA patients (n = 17) were higher than in osteoarthritis patients (n = 6). Synovial VEGF concentration was significantly higher in male than in female RA patients. Zymography revealed that SFs comprised solely MMP-9 and MMP-2, with significantly higher MMP-9 levels in male than female RA patients. Using in vitro approaches that mimic the major steps of the angiogenic process, SFs from RA and PsA patients induced endothelial migration and formation of capillary-like structures compared to control. Notably, endothelial cells from female donors displayed enhanced angiogenic response to SFs with respect to males. Treatment with the established anti-angiogenic agent digitoxin prevented activation of focal adhesion kinase and SF-induced in vitro angiogenesis. Thus, despite higher synovial VEGF and MMP-9 levels in male patients, the responsiveness of vascular endothelium to SF priming was higher in females, suggesting that gender differences in angiogenic responses were mainly related to the endothelial genotype. These findings may have implications for pathogenesis and targeted therapies of inflammatory arthritis.


Benzodiazepine-induced suppression of estrous cycles in C57BL/6J mice.
Female C57BL/6J mice fed diets containing diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, oxazepam, prazepam, flurazepam, or nitrazepam exhibited significant decreases in the frequency of vaginal estrus.


From transcriptome to immunome: identification of DTH inducing proteins from a Phlebotomus ariasi salivary gland cDNA library.
Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to arthropod vector salivary proteins is associated with protection against pathogen transmission. Massive cDNA sequencing, high-throughput DNA plasmid construction and DNA immunisation were used to identify twelve DTH inducing proteins isolated from a Phlebotomus ariasi salivary gland cDNA library. Additionally, nine P. ariasi DNA plasmids produced specific anti-saliva antibodies, four of these showed a Th1 immune response while the other two exhibited a Th2 profile as determined by IgG2a and IgG1 isotype switching, respectively. In order to validate the specificity of sand fly DNA plasmids, mice previously exposed to sand fly saliva were intradermally injected once with selected P. ariasi plasmids and a specific DTH response consisting of infiltration of mononuclear cells in varying proportions was observed at 24 and 48 h. This approach can help to identify DTH inducing proteins that may be related to host protection against vector-borne diseases or other disease agents where cellular immune response is protective.


Ultradian rhythms in heart rate variability and distal body temperature anticipate onset of the luteinizing hormone surge.
The menstrual cycle is characterized by predictable patterns of physiological change across timescales. Although patterns of reproductive hormones across the menstrual cycle, particularly ultradian rhythms, are well described, monitoring these measures repeatedly to predict the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge is not practical. In the present study, we explored whether non-invasive measures coupled to the reproductive system: high frequency distal body temperature (DBT), sleeping heart rate (HR), sleeping heart rate variability (HRV), and sleep timing, could be used to anticipate the preovulatory LH surge in women. To test this possibility, we used signal processing to examine these measures in 45 premenopausal and 10 perimenopausal cycles alongside dates of supra-surge threshold LH and menstruation. Additionally, urinary estradiol and progesterone metabolites were measured daily surrounding the LH surge in 20 cycles. Wavelet analysis revealed a consistent pattern of DBT and HRV ultradian rhythm (2-5 h) power that uniquely enabled anticipation of the LH surge at least 2 days prior to its onset in 100% of individuals. Together, the present findings reveal fluctuations in distal body temperature and heart rate variability that consistently anticipate the LH surge, suggesting that automated ultradian rhythm monitoring may provide a novel and convenient method for non-invasive fertility assessment.


Clinical use of a modified release methylphenidate in the treatment of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioural disorder in childhood, affecting over 5% of children worldwide. As well as the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, patients often exhibit learning difficulties and impairment in social functioning. The frequency of referral is higher for boys than for girls (about 2:1), and girls are generally older at the time of referral.Pharmacological therapy is considered the first-line treatment for patients with severe ADHD and severe impairment. Stimulant medications are licensed in the UK for the management of ADHD in school-age children and young people, and are effective in controlling ADHD symptoms.While immediate-release preparations of methylphenidate (MPH) have proven effective in the treatment of ADHD, there are a number of problems associated with their use, most notably compliance, stigma and medication diversion. Modified release preparations are now available that overcome the need for multiple daily dosing, and which offer different MPH release profiles, thereby enabling the physician to match the medication to the patient's particular requirements.This review describes the diagnosis, referral and treatment pathways for patients with ADHD in the UK and the practical considerations when initiating pharmacological treatment. The clinical experience of treating ADHD with a modified-release MPH preparation (Equasym XL®) is illustrated with case studies.


Chromatographic analysis of the neutral and phosphatide glyceryl ethers from various biological sources.
A method of analysis is described which permits the facile evaluation of the neutral glyceryl ether lipids (mild alkaline hydrolysis) and total glyceryl ether lipid (Vitride reduction) thereby allowing an assessment of the phosphatide contribution. The alkyl and alk-enyl glyceryl ethers are chromatographically resolvable on Gelman glass-fiber type SG and Whatman SG-81 and detected by the periodic acid-Schiff and plasmal reaction, respectively. The attending problems and interpretation are discussed with examples from a number of unicellular organisms and animal tissues.


Eosinophil plays a crucial role in intestinal mucositis induced by antineoplastic chemotherapy.
Mucositis is a major clinical complication associated with cancer treatment and may limit the benefit of chemotherapy. Leukocytes and inflammatory mediators have been extensively associated with mucositis severity. However, the role of eosinophils in the pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced mucositis remains to be elucidated. Here, using GATA-1-deficient mice, we investigated the role of eosinophils in intestinal mucositis. There was marked accumulation of eosinophils in mice given irinotecan and eosinophil ablation inhibited intestinal mucositis. Treatment with Evasin-4, a chemokine receptor antagonist, reduced the recruitment of eosinophils and decreased irinotecan-induced mucositis. Importantly, Evasin-4 did not interfere negatively with the antitumour effects of irinotecan. Evasin-4 was of benefit for mice given high doses of irinotecan once Evasin-4-treated mice presented delayed mortality. Altogether, our findings suggest that Evasin-4 may have significant mucosal-protective effects in the context of antineoplastic chemotherapy and may, therefore, be useful in combination with anticancer treatment in cancer patients.


Abnormal platelet membrane composition in Alzheimer's-type dementia.
An abnormality of membranes, possibly representing an increase in internal membranes, has been reported in fluorescence spectroscopic and electron microscopic studies of platelets of patients with Alzheimer's-type dementia (AD). To further define this abnormality, the cholesterol and phospholipid content of platelet and erythrocyte membranes was determined and compared for patients with AD and matched control subjects. No significant differences in either cholesterol or phospholipid, per se, were observed in comparing platelets from subjects in the two study groups. However, the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in the platelets of patients with AD (9.37 +/- 1.11) than in the platelets of control subjects (10.20 +/- 1.04). Furthermore, the cholesterol to phospholipid ratio correlated significantly (rs = 0.53, p less than 0.01) with a separately determined measure of platelet membrane characteristics, the steady-state anisotropy of DPH (diphenylhexatriene). No differences were observed between the study groups for any of the same parameters measured in erythrocytes, which lack internal membranes. The findings suggest that there is no general abnormality of membrane lipids in Alzheimer's-type dementia. Rather, because normal internal membranes are reported to be low in their cholesterol to phospholipid ratio and in anisotropy of DPH, the results of these studies, together with the results of studies employing electron microscopy, suggest that platelets of patients with AD have an increase in internal membranes. Such membranes, while present in excess, may be normal in composition.


Emergence of Qnr determinants in human Salmonella isolates in Taiwan.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of qnr-carrying Salmonella isolates from humans in southern Taiwan. A total of 446 Salmonella isolates collected between 2003 and 2006 were screened for qnrA, qnrB and qnrS by PCR experiments. Genetic structures of qnr were determined by PCR-based methods or direct sequencing of plasmid DNA. qnrB2 and qnrS1 were detected in two serovar Enteritidis isolates and two serovar Typhimurium isolates, respectively. One qnrS1-positive isolate was found to produce the CMY-2 AmpC enzyme. qnrS1 was identified on a 10 kb plasmid, which exhibited >99% nucleotide sequence identity with plasmid TPqnrS-1a reported from the UK. qnrB2 was found in a complex sul1-type class 1 integron on a >100 kb plasmid. This study demonstrated the occurrence of qnrB2 and qnrS1 in Salmonella for the first time in Taiwan and characterized their genetic structures.


Are the majority of a(2)-ions cyclic?
Detailed analysis of >18 400 high-mass accuracy tandem mass spectra resulting from higher energy collisional dissociation yields further evidence of the cyclic nature of a(2)-ions.


Circular RNA circPTPRF promotes the progression of GBM via sponging miR-1208 to up-regulate YY1.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant tumor in the brain, and its robust proliferation and invasion abilities reduce the survival time of patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an essential role in various tumors, such as regulating tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and other progressive phenotypes through different mechanisms. Finding novel circRNAs may significantly contribute to the prognosis of GBM and provide the basis for the targeted therapy of GBM. In this study, we found circPTPRF is a novel circRNA that has never been studied, which was highly expressed in GBM and is closely related to poor patient prognoses. After knockdown or overexpression in glioma cell lines (U87 and LN229) and glioma stem cells (GSCs), we identified that circPTPRF could promote proliferation, invasion, and neurospheres formation abilities of GBM via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Mechanisms, miR-1208 was confirmed as a target of circPTPRF, and miR-1208 can also target the 3'UTR of YY1, and they were proved by luciferase reporter, western blotting (WB), qPCR and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. The following rescue experiments demonstrated that circPTPRF was a miR-1208 sponge for upregulating YY1 expression to promote proliferation, invasion and neurosphere formation abilities of GBM in vitro. In conclusion, the circPTPRF/miR-1208/YY1 axis can regulate GBM progression. CircPTPRF may play an essential role in GBM diagnosis and prognostic prediction and be an important molecular target for GBM therapy.


[Central arterial occlusion after blunt force ocular injury : Case report].
A healthy young male patient suffered a nearly complete loss of vision after a minor ocular injury. We describe a rare case of central arterial occlusion after blunt force trauma. After rheological therapy the visual acuity increased from perception of hand movement to 1/20, 1 month after the injury. Central artery occlusion is a rare but severe complication after blunt force ocular trauma that should be considered when patients suffer severe posttraumatic loss of vision.


The Longitudinal Association Between a Discrepancy Measure of Anosognosia in Patients with Dementia, Caregiver Burden and Depression.
According to cross-sectional studies, there is an association between anosognosia in people with dementia and caregiver's burden and depression. Anosognosia in patients may be a cause of caregiver burden and depression. However, variability in caregiver anosognosia ratings may exist as caregivers with burden and depression may have a more pessimistic view of the patients' health. To assess the variability of caregiver anosognosia ratings of patients with dementia using a widely used anosognosia scale and its longitudinal relationship with caregiver burden and depression. A convenience cohort of 221 consecutive dementia outpatient and caregiver dyads was followed up at 12 and 24 months. The main instruments used were the Anosognosia Questionnaire-Dementia (AQ-D), Caregiver Burden Interview, and Geriatric Depression Scale. Linear mixed models were used including time as a factor in every model. Multivariate analyses controlled for caregiver's socio-demographic and possible confounding factors. Attrition at 12 and 24 months was 24.9% and 42.5% respectively. Patients at baseline were on average 77.8 years of age, 63.3% were women, and 63.3% had < 5 years of education. In the bivariate analyses, caregiver burden, depression, and gender were associated with caregiver ratings of total, cognitive, and personality AQ-D of the patient at different time points. Multivariate analyses revealed burden as the caregiver variable most consistently associated with total, cognitive, and personality caregiver AQ-D ratings of the patient. Some caregiver characteristics, especially burden, are associated with caregiver ratings of AQ-D with regard to the patient.


Association study between CYP24A1 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk.
CYP24A1, an essential gene in regulation of vitamin D, has been reported to play an important role in enhancing immune activity and inhibiting tumorigenesis. Previous studies proposed that rs2585428, rs4809960, rs6022999 and rs6068816 in CYP24A1 gene might be greatly associated with cancer risk. To validate the findings, we here investigated the associations of these four polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in a central Chinese population (426 colon cancer patients, 361 rectal cancer patients and 800 healthy controls). The genotyping was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and confirmed by sequencing. Our results revealed that the rs4809960 and rs6022999 were strongly associated with the CRC risk, especially with the colon cancer risk. Moreover, the analysis of haplotypes consisting of rs2585428(G > A), rs4809960(T > C), rs6022999(A > G) and rs6068816(C > T) indicated that haplotype ATGC significantly decreased the CRC risk, especially the colon cancer risk. Haplotype GCAT significantly increased the CRC risk, especially the rectal cancer risk. However, haplotype ACAC was only found to be associated with increased risk of CRC. To improve the statistical strength, an updated meta-analysis was further performed. The results showed that rs2585428 was associated with cancer risk in Caucasian population, rs4809960 was associated with breast cancer risk in Caucasian population, and rs6022999 was associated with cancer risk in Asian population. Collectively, the rs4809960 and rs6022999 may be the genetic biomarkers for prediction of colon cancer risk in Chinese population, the rs2585428 and rs6022999 may link to cancer susceptibility in Caucasian population and in Asian population respectly.


Study of driving skill level discrimination based on human physiological signal characteristics.
The primary purpose of the study is to distinguish the differences in driving skill between novice and experienced drivers from the viewpoint of human cognitive behavior. Firstly, EEG (electroencephalogram) signals were collected using EEG acquisition equipment called Neuroscan. The δ sub-band and EOG (electrooculogram) signals were extracted from the EEG. Furthermore, the eye movement rate and the sample entropy (SampEn) values of δ sub-bands were calculated. Finally, the heart rate variability (HRV) characteristics, calculated using the SampEn algorithm, were used to analyze driving skill. The final result showed that human physiological signals (EEG, EOG and ECG (electrocardiogram)) could effectively distinguish different driving skills.


Disseminated histoplasmosis in an infant with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Disseminated histoplasmosis has been recognized as a serious opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, cases reported in the literature have been predominantly in adult patients. Here we report an infant with AIDS who presented with fever, cough, rhinorrhea, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia and coagulopathy, and died of respiratory failure. Autopsy revealed disseminated histoplasmosis involving multiple organs including lungs, intestines, liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes, kidneys, and meninges. The diagnosis was established based on histomorphology and confirmed by blood culture.


Effect of felodipine, a new dihydropyridine vasodilator, on contractile responses to potassium, noradrenaline, and calcium in mesenteric resistance vessels of the rat.
The effect of felodipine [4-(2,3-dichloro-phenyl)-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-ethoxycarbonyl-5- methoxycarbonylpyridine on the contractile responses of mesenteric resistance vessels denervated in vitro was investigated. Sustained contractions of this vessel type were totally dependent on extracellular calcium. Felodipine (10-(15)-10-(9)M) had a concentration-dependent inhibitory action on contraction induced by maximal potassium (125 mM) and noradrenaline (10-(5)M) stimulation. Felodipine was more potent and more selective than D600 and nifedipine. Potassium and noradrenaline concentration-response characteristics were insurmountably antagonized by felodipine, the potassium sensitivity of vessels being unaffected while noradrenaline sensitivity was decreased. In calcium-depleted vessels, felodipine in all concentrations tested produced insurmountable antagonism of the potassium-activated calcium concentration-response characteristics, whereas the antagonism in low concentrations (10-(15)-10-(11)M) was surmountable in noradrenaline-activated vessels. Felodipine 10-(9) M blocked the response of potassium-activated vessels almost completely, whereas approximately 50% of the response of noradrenaline-activated vessels persisted. The results of this investigation indicate that the effect of felodipine may be caused primarily by selective inhibiton of responses evoked by membrane depolarization.


A preliminary reliability and validity study of the Chinese version of the self-efficacy for exercise scale for older adults.
Population ageing affects most undeveloped, developing and developed countries. Less than a quarter of older people undertake a level of physical activity worldwide that is sufficient to lead to health benefits. Understanding older people's confidence regarding engaging in exercise helps to structure physical activity interventions that motivate them to initiate and adhere to regular exercise. Estimates of the reliability and validity of the English version of the self-efficacy for exercise (SEE) scale has been widely tested and shown to be valid for use in various settings and among older people. The reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the SEE for older adults has not been tested. To undertake a preliminary assessment of the reliability and validity of the SEE scale when applied to the older Chinese adults. The Chinese version of the self-efficacy for exercise (SEE-C) scale was tested on a sample of 192 older people from Taiwan with a mean age of 71.2 years recruited between October and December 2003. There was acceptable internal consistency of the SEE-C scale. The fit of the measurement model to the data for the SEE-C scale was acceptable. There was evidence of validity of the measure based on hypothesis testing: health status predicted exercise self-efficacy, and exercise self-efficacy predicted physical activity. Those who exercised regularly (n=102) had a higher mean SEE-C score (5.3) than those who did not (2.9, n=90). This preliminary validation study provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the SEE scale. Future testing of the SEE-C scale needs to be carried out to see whether these results are generalisable to older Chinese people living in urban areas and with different characteristics. A test of the scale among younger adults for a wider use of the instrument is also warranted.


Performance of the Steno type 1 risk engine for cardiovascular disease prediction in Italian patients with type 1 diabetes.
Premature cardiovascular disease cause excess mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The Steno T1D Risk Engine was developed and validated in northern European countries but its validity in other populations is unknown. We evaluated the performance of the Steno T1D Risk Engine in Italian patients with T1D. We included patients with T1D with a baseline visit between July 2013 and April 2014, who were free of cardiovascular disease and had complete information to estimate risk. The estimated cardiovascular risk score was compared with the 5-year rate of cardiovascular events by means of logistic regression. Among 223 patients (mean age 43 ± 13 years, 34.5% male, mean duration of diabetes 22 ± 12 years) the mean estimated cardiovascular risk at 5 years was 5.9% (95% C.I. 5.2-6.5%). At baseline, high estimated risk discriminated the presence of asymptomatic atherosclerosis better than microangiopathy, and was not associated with markers of inflammation or endothelial activation. After a mean follow-up of 4.7 ± 0.5 years, only 3 cardiovascular events were observed and nonetheless the risk score was significantly associated with their incidence (OR 1.22; 95% C.I. 1.08-1.39, p = 0.001). However, the observed event rate was significantly lower than the estimated one (3 vs 13; 95% C.I. 12-14; p < 0.001). The Steno T1D Risk Score identified subjects with subclinical atherosclerosis and high cardiovascular risk in an Italian T1D population. However, the absolute risk was significantly overestimated. Further studies in larger population are needed to confirm these results.


Manifestations of socioeconomic status and its association with physical child punishment- Results from the Multi-Indicators Cluster Survey in Viet Nam, 2006-2014.
Physical child punishment is a critical public health problem that exhibits negative and long-lasting mental and physical health consequences. Yet, the predictors of physical punishment are understudied in developing countries, and disparities that exist between levels of economic status are not known well. The socioeconomic predictors of physical child punishment were investigated using three rounds of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) results in a lower middle-income country, Viet Nam from 2006 to 2014. A total of 16,784 households that have answered the child punishment questionnaire from MICS data from 2006 to 2014 were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. A secular trend of disparity was investigated with and without the parents' normative values on physical punishment. Children in Viet Nam have been subject to some form of violent physical punishment by their parents or caregivers. About half of the children in the poorest households (44.7%) experienced physical child punishment while lesser percentage of children in the richer households experienced physical child punishment. Disparities existed across different wealth groups as the prevalence of physical child punishment decreased: the gap between the poorest and the richest group widened. Compared to the richest households, the poorest households were more likely to experience physical child punishment AOR 1.58 (95% CI 1.39-1.79). There is a decrease in the prevalence of physical punishment over the recent years in Viet Nam, socioeconomic disparities, in contrast, have increased, and the poorest children have a higher risk of experiencing physical child punishment. Such disparities should be considered in future research and intervention development.


Feasibility study of the Nox-T3 device to detect swallowing and respiration pattern in neurologically impaired patients in the acute phase.
Dysphagia is a frequent complication in neurologically impaired patients, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia and thus prolonged hospitalization or even death. It is essential therefore, to detect and assess dysphagia early for best patient care. Fiberoptic endoscopic and Videofluoroscopy evaluation of swallowing are the gold standard exams in swallowing studies but neither are perfectly suitable for patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). In this study, we aimed to find the sensitivity and specificity of the Nox-T3 sleep monitor for detection of swallowing. A combination of submental and peri-laryngeal surface electromyography, nasal cannulas and respiratory inductance plethysmography belts connected to Nox-T 3 allows recording swallowing events and their coordination with breathing, providing time-coordinated patterns of muscular and respiratory activity. We compared Nox-T3 swallowing capture to manual swallowing detection on fourteen DOC patients. The Nox-T3 method identified swallow events with a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 99%. In addition, Nox-T3 has qualitative contributions, such as visualization of the swallowing apnea in the respiratory cycle which provide additional information on the swallowing act that is useful to clinicians in the management and rehabilitation of the patient. These results suggest that Nox-T3 could be used for swallowing detection in DOC patients and support its continued clinical use for swallowing disorder investigation.


Air pollution exacerbates mild obstructive sleep apnea by disrupting nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition: a cross-sectional study conducted in urban northern Taiwan.
Few studies have explored the role of body composition linking air pollution to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To estimate the effects of air pollution on body composition and OSA, and that of body composition on OSA. This study included 3550 individuals. A spatiotemporal model estimated personal exposure. Nocturnal changes in body composition were assessed through bioelectric impedance analysis. OSA was diagnosed using polysomnography. A generalized linear model was used to evaluate the absolute nocturnal changes in body composition associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutants. A generalized logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of mild-OSA compared to non-OSA. Association between body composition and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was investigated through partial least squares (PLS) regression. Nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition were associated with NO2 and PM2.5 in all patients. In participants with AHI <15, both short- and long-term NO2 exposures affected body composition and mild-OSA, while PM2.5 was not associated with either outcome. In a PLS model incorporating eight NO2-associated lower-limb parameters, the variable importance projection scores (VIP) of left leg impedance (LLIMP), predicted muscle mass (LLPMM), fat-free mass (LLFFM), and right leg impedance (RLIMP) exceeded 1; the corresponding coefficients ranked in the top four for AHI prediction. The adjusted OR (mild vs. non-OSA) was 1.67 (95 % CI: 1.36-2.03) associated with an IQR increase in prediction value estimated from body compositions. Notably, the two-pollutant model investigating the effects of pollutants on body compositions revealed associations of four parameters (LLIMP, LLPMM, LLFFM, and RLIMP) with NO2 in all lags, which indicates their indispensability in the association between NO2 and AHI. NO2 exacerbates mild-OSA by disrupting nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition of patients with AHI <15. PM2.5 was associated with nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition but not with mild-OSA.


Non-invasive identification of metal-oxalate complexes on polychrome artwork surfaces by reflection mid-infrared spectroscopy.
In this work a reflection mid-infrared spectroscopy study of twelve metal-oxalate complexes, of interest in art conservation science as alteration compounds, was performed. Spectra of the reference materials highlighted the presence of derivative-like and/or inverted features for the fundamental vibrational modes as result of the main contribution from the surface component of the reflected light. In order to provide insights in the interpretation of theses spectral distortions, reflection spectra were compared with conventional transmission ones. The Kramers-Kronig (KK) algorithm, employed to correct for the surface reflection distortions, worked properly only for the derivative-like bands. Therefore, to pay attention to the use of this algorithm when interpreting the reflection spectra is recommended. The outcome of this investigation was exploited to discriminate among different oxalates on thirteen polychrome artworks analyzed in situ by reflection mid-infrared spectroscopy. The visualization of the νs(CO) modes (1400-1200 cm(-1)) and low wavenumber bands (below 900 cm(-1)) in the raw reflection profiles allowed Ca, Cu and Zn oxalates to be identified. Further information about the speciation of different hydration forms of calcium oxalates were obtained by using the KK transform. The work proves reflection mid-infrared spectroscopy to be a reliable and sensitive spectro-analytical method for identifying and mapping different metal-oxalate alteration compounds on the surface of artworks, thus providing conservation scientists with a non-invasive tool to obtain information on the state of conservation and causes of alteration of artworks.


Chemo- and Diastereoselective Cycloisomerization/[2 + 3] Cycloaddition of Enynamides: Synthesis of Spiropyrazolines as Potential Anticancer Reagents.
A silver-catalyzed one-pot cycloisomerization/[2 + 3] cycloaddition of enynamides with in situ generated nitrile imines has been developed. Unlike the well-established cycloisomerization/[4 + n] cycloadditions of enynamides, this strategy provides efficient access to a new type of spiropyrazolines, which exhibit an anti-proliferation effect on multiple tumor cell lines. The compound 3u exhibits obvious anticancer activity by inducing apoptosis in RKO cells. The combination of compound 3u and an autophagy inhibitor could improve its anti-proliferation capacities.


The Candida albicans fimbrin Sac6 regulates oxidative stress response (OSR) and morphogenesis at the transcriptional level.
The actin cytoskeleton coordinates numerous fundamental cellular processes. Fimbrins are a class of evolutionally conserved ABPs that mediate actin bundling and regulate actin dynamics and functions. In this study, we identified the fimbrin Sac6 from the important fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Interestingly, deletion of SAC6 led to increased tolerance to oxidative stress, while its overexpression caused hyper-susceptibility to this stress. Further investigations revealed that Sac6, by interaction with actin, negatively regulated the cytosol-to-nucleus transport of the key OSR (oxidative stress response) transcription factor Cap1 and consequent expression of OSR genes. Moreover, loss of Sac6 enhanced hyphal maintenance, and its overexpression caused a defect in hyphal development, which was attributed to abnormal expression of morphogenesis-related genes. In addition, Sac6 was involved in regulation of secretion of lytic enzymes and virulence of C. albicans. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which fimbrin transcriptionally regulates OSR and morphogenesis, and sheds a novel light on the functions of actin cytoskeleton.


Integrative cases for preclinical medical students: connecting clinical, basic science, and public health approaches.
Healthcare and public health systems are each transforming, resulting in a need for better integration between clinical and population-based approaches to improve the health of populations. These changes also demand substantial transformations in the curriculum for medical students. Integrative Cases were designed for all first- and second-year medical students to provide them with more awareness, knowledge, and skills in integrating public health into clinical medicine. Each case examines basic science factors, clinical approaches, and public health determinants, including risk factors and direct and indirect contributing factors. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Integrative Cases in the medical student curriculum. Integrative Cases were formatively evaluated using standardized online post-event questionnaires emailed to students after each case. The questionnaires focused on goals specific to each case, ratings of particular sessions and facilitators, general impressions of the case, and student suggestions for improvement. Student evaluations indicate that Integrative Cases achieved their goals, especially providing experiences that offer a more expansive view of medicine and public health, stimulating interest and questions that anticipate future learning and making connections across basic science, medicine, and health. Students also indicated that these cases added to their understanding of public health issues and how to apply what they had learned to patient care. Integrative Cases demonstrate the effectiveness of a comprehensive approach that integrates clinical medicine with basic science and public health perspectives.


A high-quality chromosomal-level genome assembly of Greater Scaup (Aythya marila).
Aythya marila is one of the few species of Anatidae, and the only Aythya to live in the circumpolar. However, there is a relative lack of research on genetics of this species. In this study, we reported and assembled the first high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of A. marila. This genome was assembled using Nanopore long reads, and errors corrected using Illumina short reads, with a final genome size of 1.14 Gb, scaffold N50 of 85.44 Mb, and contig N50 of 32.46 Mb. 106 contigs were clustered and ordered onto 35 chromosomes based on Hi-C data, covering approximately 98.28% of the genome. BUSCO assessment showed that 97.0% of the highly conserved genes in aves_odb10 were present intact in the genome assembly. In addition, a total of 154.94 Mb of repetitive sequences were identified. 15,953 protein-coding genes were predicted in the genome, and 98.96% of genes were functionally annotated. This genome will be a valuable resource for future genetic diversity and genomics studies of A. marila.


A case of aortocoronary dissection as a complication during a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
We report a case of aortocoronary dissection during a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) which resulted from an antegrade and also a progressively retrograde extension of the coronary dissection into the Sinus of Valsalva and the ascending aorta. It was successfully treated with stenting without an operation, resulting in optimal coronary blood flow and diminution of the aortic dissection.


Lessons learnt from emergency medicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of India and the United States.
India and the United States have both witnessed a high burden of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic was declared in early 2020. However, the COVID-19 restrictions have met with mixed responses in India and the US. Despite recommendations to continue social isolation and personal hygiene measures, India has not been able to curb the rise in daily cases. Our findings demonstrate the difference in the manner by which India and the US differ in their emergency handling of patients. We conducted a thorough review of the existing protocols and data concerning emergency responses in India and the US. The triage and care of suspected COVID-19 positive patients is different across India and the US. We find that there is a shortage of oxygenation, vaccination and other essential supplies in India. Further, the US is able to triage patients through telemedicine and EMS before suspected COVID-19 patients arrive, which is less prevalent in India. Our study identifies the importance of the emergency department (ED) as a critical contributor to the prevention and care of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. Hospitals in India have been struggling to accommodate a huge influx of patients during its second wave with the ED playing a key link in their COVID-19 response.


The radiology of orbital trauma: an historical overview.
Professor Roentgen presented the roentgen ray in 1895. The subsequent history of radiology is characterized not by steady, but by stepwise advancement. Each new innovation produced a forward surge followed by a period of refinement in which the new method was developed and exploited to the very limits of its diagnostic yield.


Osteoporosis in men.
Osteoporosis in men causes significant morbidity and mortality. Bone health declines gradually, often insidiously; and in light of the advancing aging population poses a serious public health issue that is not well recognized. Studies of the past decade have expanded our understanding of the events within, as well as the regulation of, bone remodeling and provided better insight into the physiology and pathophysiology specific to the adult male skeleton. The clinical measurement of bone mineral density using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry remains the gold standard for diagnosis of osteoporosis in males; and fracture risk assessment is now recognized as a preferred approach to guide treatment decisions. Utilizing surrogate end-points such as increasing bone mineral density and decreasing concentrations of bone resorption markers, clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy in pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis in the adult male. Unfortunately, few studies have evaluated the anti-fracture benefits in this population. Measurement of bone turnover markers may be an additional tool to monitor therapeutic responsiveness in addition to the measurement of bone mineral density.


Types of Bacteria and Shelf-Life of Evacuated Carbon Dioxide-Injected and Ice-Packed Broilers.
Broiler carcasses were packed in low-permeability film bags that were evacuated, injected with CO2, then held at 2 C. Broilers were examined microbiologically and for off-odor to determine the shelf-life and types of bacteria. Vacuum level did not significantly affect bacterial counts. Broilers stored in 65% CO2 had a 1-day longer shelf-life than those held in 20% CO2 and about a 5-day longer shelf-life than ice-packed broilers. Spoiled carcasses from either 20 or 65% CO2 packages had an acid-sour off-odor, and more than 90% of the bacteria present were Lactobacillus . Ice-packed broilers had the typical putrid off-odor at spoilage, and more than 95% of the bacteria were non-pigmented Pseudomonas .


[Effect of 3' exonuclease activity of polymerase on extension of phosphorothioate-modified primers].
To determine whether 3'phosphorothioate-modified-2 terminal mismatched primers can turn off DNA polymerization mediated by Exo(+) polymerase. Two-directional primer extension was performed using polymerase with and without 3' exonuclease activity. The effects of unmodified primers and 3' phosphorothioate-modified primers on primer extension were evaluated. Exo(-) polymerase yielded products from matched and mismatched primers regardless of their modification. However, 3' phosphorothioate-modified primers with a single base mismatch at -2 position worked similarly to the terminal (-1) mismatched primers in triggering the novelly reported "off-switch" of Exo(+) polymerase. These data suggested that the "off-switch" can be of enormous application in the diagnosis of single gene diseases and in the association studies by single nucleotide polymorphism screening.


Does artemis end the hunt for the hairpin-opening activity in V(D)J recombination?
When complexed with the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK(cs)), the recently discovered dsDNA break repair protein named Artemis acquires the ability to open hairpin DNA molecules in vitro. Both genetic and biochemical data point toward a physiological role for this complex as the elusive hairpin-opening activity in V(D)J recombination.


Computed Tomography and MR Imaging in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is supported by imaging findings. MR imaging, in particular, can allow an early diagnosis to determine a target therapy that can stop or at least slow the disease progression.


Expanding role for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: successful transfemoral implantation of a Medtronic CoreValve for severe aortic regurgitation.
Severe aortic regurgitation (AR), when intervention is required, is best managed by surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for aortic stenosis has recently shown non-inferiority to SAVR and superiority to medical management. Here we describe a successful TAVR for a patient with severe AR that was unsuitable for SAVR due to her high surgical risk.


Translating spatial navigation evaluation from experimental to clinical settings: The virtual environments navigation assessment (VIENNA).
Spatial navigation abilities are frequently impaired in neurological disorders and they also decline with normal aging. Researchers and clinicians therefore need valid and easy-to-use spatial navigation assessment tools to study the impact of different neuropathologies and prevent relevant cognitive impairments from going undetected. However, current experimental paradigms rarely address which cognitive processes they recruit, often have resource-intensive setups, and usually require active navigation, e.g., using a joystick or keyboard, thus confounding cognitive performance with fine motor skills. Yet, for clinical feasibility, time-efficient paradigms are needed that are informative and easy to administer in participants with limited technical experience and diverging impairments. Here, we introduce the virtual environments navigation assessment (VIENNA), a virtual adaptation of a brief, standardized, and intuitive spatial navigation paradigm ( https://osf.io/kp4c5/ ). VIENNA is designed to assess spatial navigation without episodic memory demands, requires no interface device, and takes about 16 min to complete. We evaluated VIENNA in 79 healthy middle-aged to older participants (50-85 years) and provide evidence for its feasibility and construct validity. Tests of visuospatial and executive functions, but not episodic memory or selective attention, were identified as cognitive correlates of VIENNA, even when controlling for participant age and overall cognitive performance. Furthermore, VIENNA scores correlated with subjective navigation ability and age, but not with depressiveness, cognitive complaints, or education. The straightforward administration of VIENNA allows for its integration into routine neuropsychological assessments and enables differentiated evaluation of spatial navigation performance in patients with motor impairments and episodic memory deficits.


A decade of surgical eye removals in Ontario: a clinical-pathological study.
To assess patient demographics, clinical indications, and pathologic causes of surgically removed eyes over a decade in Ontario (Canada) and to identify areas of ocular disease management needing more attention. Retrospective cross-sectional study. The surgically removed eyes of 713 consecutive mainly adult patients from 2004 to 2013. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic data were collected on all eyes received by the University of Toronto Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory from 2004 to 2013. Of the 713 eyes removed, enucleations accounted for 60% of cases, eviscerations for 39% of cases, and exenteration for 1% of cases. The most common clinical indications for surgical eye removal were blind painful eye (37%), neoplasm (35%), and trauma (6%). The leading pathologic causes of eye removal were neoplasm (36%), glaucoma (21%), infection or inflammation (17%), and trauma (16%). Glaucoma-related findings were the most common pathologic findings observed (38%), regardless of the primary cause. A blind painful eye and neoplasms were the most commonly documented indications prior to removal of the eye. Common pathologies included glaucoma, neoplasms, infection/inflammation, and trauma. However, regardless of the primary cause, glaucoma-related pathologies were the most common pathologic findings. Refractory eye disease and pain continue to be important reasons for removal of eyes among patients in Ontario. More effective and targeted management strategies are needed to reduce the need for this radical eye surgery of last resort.


Financial concern reduces child directed speech in a socioeconomically diverse sample.
Socioeconomic status predicts the quantity and nature of child-directed speech that parents produce. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study investigated whether the cognitive load imposed by resource scarcity suppresses parent talk by examining time-dependent variation in child-directed speech in a socioeconomically diverse sample. We predicted that child-directed speech would be lowest at the end of the month when Americans report the greatest financial strain. 166 parents and their 2.5 to 3-year-old children (80 female) participated in a picture-book activity; the number of utterances, word tokens, and word types used by parents were calculated. All three parent language measures were negatively correlated with the date of the month the activity took place, and this relationship did not vary with parental education. These findings suggest that above and beyond individual properties of parents, contextual factors such as financial concerns exert influence on how parents interact with their children.


Development of spare human preimplantation embryos in vitro: an analysis of the correlations among gross morphology, cleavage rates, and development to the blastocyst.
Following in vitro fertilization, the criteria commonly used to select human embryos for transfer are the cleavage rate and gross morphology, the contention being that those embryos which divide more rapidly and have regular, spherical blastomeres are more likely to lead to a pregnancy. In order to assess the validity of this assumption, the development in vitro of spare embryos was investigated. Eggs and embryos were cultured in Earle's balanced salt solution containing 10% heat-inactivated patient's serum, and insemination was performed at 40 hr post human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). At 82-90 hr post hCG, up to four embryos were transferred. Any spare embryos were cultured in the same medium for up to 6 days and scored daily for cell number and morphology using a "quality" scale of 4-1 according to degree of fragmentation and shape of the blastomeres. Of 317 fertilized eggs, 55 (17%) developed to the fully expanded blastocyst stage. The remaining embryos ceased development at the one-cell (6; 2%), two-cell (49; 15%), four-cell (110; 35%), eight-cell (61; 19%), and cavitating morula (36; 11%) stages. The relationship between developmental arrest and gross morphology is discussed.


Acid base variables predict survival early in the course of treatment with continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration.
Metabolic acid-base disorders, especially metabolic acidosis, are common in critically ill patients who require renal replacement therapy. Continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) achieves profound changes in acid-base status, but metabolic acidosis can remain unchanged or even deteriorate in some patients. The objective of this study is to understand the changes of acid-base variables in critically ill patients with septic associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) during CVVHDF and to determine how they relate to clinical outcome.Observational study of 200 subjects with SA-AKI treated with CVVHDF for at least 72 hours. Arterial blood gases and electrolytes and other relevant acid-base variables were analyzed using quantitative acid-base chemistry.Survivors and nonsurvivors had similar demographic characteristics and acid-base variables on day one of CVVHDF. However, during the next 48 hours, the resolution of acidosis was significantly different between the 2 groups, with an area under the ROC curve for standard base excess (SBE) and mortality of 0.62 (0.54-0.70), this was better than APACHE II score prediction power. Quantitative physicochemical analysis revealed that the majority of the change in SBE was due to changes in Cl and Na concentrations.Survivors of SA-AKI treated with CVVHDF recover hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis more rapidly than nonsurvivors. Further study is needed to determine if survival can be improved by measures to correct acidosis more rapidly.


Development of HLA-matched vascular grafts utilizing decellularized human umbilical artery.
Worldwide, there is a great need of small diameter vascular grafts that can be used in human disorders such as cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. Until now, severe adverse reactions are caused from the use of synthetic or animal derived grafts, while the use of autologous vessels is restricted only in a small number of patients. The limited availability of the vessels might be resolved by the use of HLA-matched vascular grafts utilizing the decellularized human umbilical arteries. In this study, human umbilical arteries were decellularized and then repopulated with Mesenchymal Stem Cells. The HLA-genotype of the repopulated grafts, analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing technology, indicated their successful production. The HLA-matched vascular grafts could be generated efficiently and might be used in personalized medicine.


Neck and shoulder muscle activity during standardized work-related postural tasks.
The aim of the present study was to assess the activity levels of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle during static postures under controlled and standardized conditions, and to determine whether the muscle activity differed between sexes. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded unilaterally from the sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius muscle in 17 participants whilst they were performing various postural tasks. EMG amplitude was measured by the root mean square values of the raw signals and normalized to peak maximum contractile values for each muscle (%MVC). The intensity of muscle activity was ranked as light (<3%MVC), moderate (3%MVC ≤ EMG ≤ 8%MVC), and substantial (>8%MVC). During most tasks the two muscles contracted light to moderately. Head leaning and shoulder shrugging postures yielded substantial muscle activity in both muscles. Muscle activity did not differ significantly between male and female participants (F = 3.1; p = 0.078). Our findings provided normative values, which will enhance future studies of muscle activity during work in a natural, unrestrained environment.


A technological advance comparing epithelial lining fluid from different regions of the lung in smokers.
Cigarette smoking causes inflammatory responses in the airways. However, not all smokers exhibit the development of airflow limitation. This study was designed to determine the implications of small airways inflammation in the development of airflow limitation in smokers by our newly explored method. Twenty-eight smokers (15 smokers without airflow limitation and 13 with airflow limitation) were included in this study. Levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and 8-isoprostane were measured in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) from central and peripheral airways separately collected using a bronchoscopic microsampling technique. 8-isoprostane levels in ELF from central or peripheral airways did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, these levels were markedly higher in peripheral than in central airways. Similarly, IL-8 levels in ELF from central airways did not significantly differ between the two groups. In smokers without airflow limitation, IL-8 levels were not higher in peripheral than in central airways. In contrast, in smokers with airflow limitation, IL-8 levels were significantly higher in peripheral airways. Moreover, in smokers with airflow limitation, 8-isoprostane levels in central or peripheral airways were not significantly correlated with FEV(1). However, IL-8 levels in peripheral airways were inversely correlated with FEV(1), though those levels in central airways were not. Thus our technique provides a novel method for ELF sampling from central or peripheral airways separately, and the preliminary evidence that support differences in oxidative stress and neutrophil chemotactic stimulus in these two locations.


Stereospecific binding of D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to brain membranes: relationship to serotonin receptors.
D-[3H]LSD binds saturably, reversibly, and with a high affinity (KD = 10 nM) to rat brain membranes. The association and dissociation rates of binding are temperature dependent and fastest at 37 degrees C. Binding is enriched in crude microsomal (P3) membranes. D-[3H]LSD binding is stereospecific as L-LSD, the psychotropically inactive enatiomer, is 1000 times weaker than D-LSD as a displacing agent. The potencies of other LSD analogues parallel their psychotropic activity with the exception of 2-bromo-LSD (psychotropically inactive) which is as potent as D-LSD in displacing bound D-[3H]LSD. Serotonin is the only putative neurotransmitter with affinity (ED50 = 3 muM) for the LSD binding site, and psychotropically active alkylindoleamines are also potent displacing agents. Destruction of presynaptic serotonin neuronal elements by lesioning the midbrain raphe nuclei does not chang the affinity or maximum number of detectable in vitro D-[3H]LSD bindind sites. The regional distribution in monkey brain of D-[3H]LSD binding and high affinity [3h]serotonin uptake, a marker for pre-synaptic serotonin nerve terminal density, shows some correlation. The most notable exceptions are cerebral cortical areas which are highest in D-[3H]LSD binding and only intermediate in [3h]serotonin uptake. Our evidence suggests that D-[3H]LSD binds to post-synaptic serotonin receptors.


Structure of a new cyclic nonapeptide, segetalin F, and vasorelaxant activity of segetalins from Vaccaria segetalis.
A new cyclic nonapeptide, segetalin F, has been isolated from the seeds of Vaccaria segetalis and the structure including absolute stereochemistry was elucidated by using 2D NMR and chemical means. A series of segetalins showed a vasorelaxant activity against norepinephrine (NE)-induced contractions of rat aorta.


Retinoblastoma with anterior chamber extension.
Anterior chamber retinoblastoma is a rare clinical entity. The authors have reviewed the records of 1500 patients with retinoblastoma to determine the incidence and prognostic ramifications. Of 30 patients with anterior chamber involvement, 15 were noted on initial examination and 15 during observation after therapy. Despite aggressive multimodality treatment, total response was never achieved and all eyes were eventually lost. Results of pathologic examination showed ciliary body invasion, which was held accountable for the poor response to therapy. Anterior chamber retinoblastoma is a poor prognostic sign which cannot be controlled effectively with current techniques and should be considered an indication for enucleation without delay.