Intraoperative tumour classification in papillary thyroid cancer--a diagnostic dilemma.
The objective of the study was to assess surgical strategy of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid based on residual tumour findings after completion thyroidectomy. We investigated the accuracy of intraoperative tumour classification in papillary thyroid cancers (PTC) and its effect on intraoperative decision-making. In a 34-year period, we performed 182 total thyroidectomies for PTC, 69 of which were completion thyroidectomies. The indications for completion thyroidectomy were (1) inaccurate assessment of the size of solitary tumours (n = 28), (2) unilateral (n = 23) and (3) bilateral multicentricity (n = 18). Fifteen patients had residual cancers (22%), which were significantly correlated with the extent of the first procedure. After initial lobectomy, residual tumours were present in 54% of patients, compared to only 3% after initial lobectomy, isthmusectomy and contralateral subtotal lobectomy. We favour lobectomy, isthmusectomy and contralateral subtotal lobectomy in patients with papillary thyroid cancers smaller than 1.5 cm in diameter and a total thyroidectomy in all other cases.


Safety and immunogenicity of rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP Ebola vaccine in adults and children in Lambaréné, Gabon: A phase I randomised trial.
The rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine prevented Ebola virus disease when used at 2 × 107 plaque-forming units (PFU) in a trial in Guinea. This study provides further safety and immunogenicity data. A randomised, open-label phase I trial in Lambaréné, Gabon, studied 5 single intramuscular vaccine doses of 3 × 103, 3 × 104, 3 × 105, 3 × 106, or 2 × 107 PFU in 115 adults and a dose of 2 × 107 PFU in 20 adolescents and 20 children. The primary objective was safety and tolerability 28 days post-injection. Immunogenicity, viraemia, and shedding post-vaccination were evaluated as secondary objectives. In adults, mild-to-moderate adverse events were frequent, but there were no serious or severe adverse events related to vaccination. Before vaccination, Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV)-glycoprotein (GP)-specific and ZEBOV antibodies were detected in 11% and 27% of adults, respectively. In adults, 74%-100% of individuals who received a dose 3 × 104, 3 × 105, 3 × 106, or 2 × 107 PFU had a ≥4.0-fold increase in geometric mean titres (GMTs) of ZEBOV-GP-specific antibodies at day 28, reaching GMTs of 489 (95% CI: 264-908), 556 (95% CI: 280-1,101), 1,245 (95% CI: 899-1,724), and 1,503 (95% CI: 931-2,426), respectively. Twenty-two percent of adults had a ≥4-fold increase of ZEBOV antibodies, with GMTs at day 28 of 1,015 (647-1,591), 1,887 (1,154-3,085), 1,445 (1,013-2,062), and 3,958 (2,249-6,967) for the same doses, respectively. These antibodies persisted up to day 180 for doses ≥3 × 105 PFU. Adults with antibodies before vaccination had higher GMTs throughout. Neutralising antibodies were detected in more than 50% of participants at doses ≥3 × 105 PFU. As in adults, no serious or severe adverse events related to vaccine occurred in adolescents or children. At day 2, vaccine RNA titres were higher for adolescents and children than adults. At day 7, 78% of adolescents and 35% of children had recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus RNA detectable in saliva. The vaccine induced high GMTs of ZEBOV-GP-specific antibodies at day 28 in adolescents, 1,428 (95% CI: 1,025-1,989), and children, 1,620 (95% CI: 806-3,259), and in both groups antibody titres increased up to day 180. The absence of a control group, lack of stratification for baseline antibody status, and imbalances in male/female ratio are the main limitations of this study. Our data confirm the acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile of the 2 × 107 PFU dose in adults and support consideration of lower doses for paediatric populations and those who request boosting. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201411000919191.


Dermatoscopy of Parasitic and Infectious Disorders.
The use of dermatoscopy in the diagnosis and management of parasitic and infectious skin disorders has been defined as entodermoscopy, and several studies have confirmed its advantages in dermatology. Dermatoscopic patterns of several parasitic, viral, and fungal skin infections have been identified and herein described. A noninvasive, fast, and accurate diagnosis plays an important role in containing the spread of contagious skin disorders.


Systematic review on the management of ileoanal pouch-vaginal fistulas after restorative proctocolectomy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
Ileoanal pouch-vaginal fistula (PVF) is a relatively common complication of restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. There are several operative approaches in the management of PVF. There is currently no consensus as to which approach is the most effective or which should be attempted first. A systematic review was undertaken following a publicly available protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019133750) in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Online searches of databases MEDLINE and Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials and ISRCTN registry were performed. Twenty-seven articles met the criteria for inclusion in the study: 13 retrospective cohort studies, two prospective cohort studies, eight case series, three case reports and a case-control study. A narrative synthesis was performed due to heterogeneity between included articles. Our study included 577 PVFs, and the incidence rate was 2.1%-17.1%. Both local and abdominal approaches were used in the management of PVF. The overall success of local and abdominal procedures was 44.9% and 60.2% respectively. ROBINS-I assessment revealed a critical risk of bias. GRADE assessment indicated a very low certainty in effect size and evidence quality. Local interventions and abdominal approaches have a high failure rate. The results of this review will aid the counselling of patients with this condition. Furthermore, we provide an algorithm for discussion on the management of PVF based on experience at our local centre. The studies available on the management of PVF are low quality; a large prospective registry and Delphi consensus are required to further this area of research.


Relation between the physicochemical characteristics of collagen and its interactions with chitosan: I.
The interaction between bovine atelocollagen and a high molecular weight fully deacetylated chitosan has been studied. Considering the apparent mass of an anionic equivalent of collagen and the results of various techniques (potentiometry, conductometry and IR spectroscopy), a purely electrostatic mechanism is demonstrated. The role of charge density and chain length of collagen chains is discussed, and although the interaction is weak and hindered by gel formation in collagen solutions, a polyanion-polycation complex is obtained. Circular dichroism spectroscopy experiments show an organization in the solid state of the complex which is quite different to those of collagen and chitosan.


Enforcing divorce settlements: evidence from child support compliance and award modifications.
This paper uses an implicit contracting framework to understand the dynamic nature of divorce settlements and to analyze the determinants of noncompliance with child support awards. In addition to the standard economic variables that affect the noncustodial parent's (NCP's) ability to pay child support, our approach focuses on factors that may affect the NCP's desire to pay, such as the ongoing relationship between the two parents and between the NCP and the children. We also examine the "state-contingent" nature of child support payments and explore the factors that lead to modifications in child support agreements. Using a longitudinal data set collected by the Stanford Child Custody Project, the empirical analysis provides documentation that compliance by noncustodial fathers can vary substantially from month to month. In addition, we find that even within a short period after divorce, a substantial minority of parents agree to make informal modifications to their divorce settlement in response to changes in economic circumstances and in custodial arrangements.


The role of bovine γδ T cells and their WC1 co-receptor in response to bacterial pathogens and promoting vaccine efficacy: a model for cattle and humans.
γδ T cells are critical to immune surveillance and protection since they are found as resident cells in many organs and tissues, including in humans and ruminants, and circulate at substantial numbers in the blood. It is known that γδ T cells contribute to cellular immunity and protection against important pathogens including organizing granulomas in response to Mycobacteria. We have shown that IFNγ-producing bovine γδ T cells bearing the WC1 co-receptor are the major cell population responding in recall responses to Leptospira during the first month following priming by vaccination against serovar Hardjo. To date, successful vaccines largely include those to diseases that only require antibody responses for protection and attempts at creating subunit peptide vaccines to stimulate conventional αβ T cells for cellular immune responses have been mostly unsuccessful. However, activation of nonconventional T cells, such as γδ T cells that direct adaptive T cell responses, has received little attention for improving vaccines because it is not clear how best to prime γδ T cells for recall responses. Annotation of the bovine genome showed there were 13 WC1 molecules coded for by individual genes. This gene number is conserved among breeds and individuals and expression of the WC1 molecules are distributed among cells to form a number of γδ T cell subsets. Using RNA silencing, we have shown that the WC1 co-receptor contributes to the ability of γδ T cells to respond to Leptospira spp. The Leptospira-responsive γδ T cells are found within a subset of the serologically defined WC1.1(+) γδ T cell subpopulation and our data indicate that the WC1 molecules expressed act as pattern recognition receptors interacting directly with bacterial components. We are now extending this work to Mycobacteria bovis.


Proteomic study of proteolysis during ripening of Cheddar cheese made from milk over a lactation cycle.
Milk for cheese production in Ireland is predominantly produced by pasture-fed spring-calving herds. Consequently, there are marked seasonal changes in milk composition, which arise from the interactive lactational, dietary and environmental factors. In this study, Cheddar cheese was manufactured on a laboratory scale from milk taken from a spring calving herd, over a 9-month lactation cycle between early April and early December. Plasmin activity of 6-months-old Cheddar cheese samples generally decreased over ripening time. One-dimensional urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of cheese samples taken after 6 months of ripening showed an extensive hydrolysis of caseins, with the fastest hydrolysis of α(s1)-caseins in cheeses made in August. A proteomic comparison between cheeses produced from milk taken in April, August and December showed a reduction in levels of β-casein and appearance of additional products, corresponding to low molecular weight hydrolysis products of the caseins. This study has demonstrated that a seasonal milk supply causes compositional differences in Cheddar cheese, and that proteomic tools are helpful in understanding the impact of those differences.


Synthesis and microbicidal activity of N-(2-substituted) phenyl ureas and their metal complexes.
N-2-carboxyphenyl urea (CPU), N-2-hydroxyphenyl urea (HPU), and N-2-mercaptophenyl urea (MPU) and their Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II), and Mn(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molecular weight determination, molar conductance, IR and electronic spectral data, and magnetic measurements. Antibacterial activity of these ligands and their metal complexes was determined on gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria at 35 degrees C. Antifungal activity was determined on common fungi viz. Aspergillus niger, A. nidulense, and Candida albicans by the serial dilution method at 28 degrees C. A considerable increase in the biocidal activity of these ligands on being coordinated with the metal ions was reported in terms of their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values.


Determinants of preeclampsia in women with type 1 diabetes.
Despite improvement in diabetic care over the years, the incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is still very high. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine risk factors for PE in women with T1DM. This study was a prospective, nested case-control study on a population of 165 women with T1DM. Women were divided into 3 subgroups: normotensive (N = 141), gestational hypertension (GH) (N = 8), and PE (N = 16). Clinical data were collected in the first trimester (< 12th week), in mid-pregnancy (20-24th weeks), and just prior to delivery (34-39th weeks). IR in the first trimester was quantified using the estimated glucose disposal rate formula (eGDR, milligrams/kilogram/minute). Simple logistic regression was used to search for factors associated with PE and GH. For multivariate comparisons, we used multiple logistic regression with stepwise selection. All preeclampsia cases were diagnosed in primiparae. The presence of vasculopathy was the strongest determinant of PE (OR 10.8, 95% CI 3.27-35.97, P = 0.0001), followed by a history of chronic hypertension (6.05, 1.75-20.8, P = 0.004) and the duration of diabetes (1.11, 1.03-1.12, P = 0.009). However, chronic hypertension and duration of diabetes were no longer associated with PE after adjustment for the presence of vasculopathy. Higher gestational weight gain (GWG) was associated with PE, and this association remained significant after adjustment for first trimester body mass index (1.14, 1.02-1.28, P = 0.02). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure assessed in the first trimester were significant determinants of PE; however, this association was no longer observed after adjustment for the presence of chronic hypertension. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from all 3 trimesters were significantly associated with PE (first trimester: 1.38, 1.01-1.87, P = 0.04; second trimester: 2.76, 1.43-5.31, P = 0.002; third trimester: 2.42, 1.30-4.51, P = 0.005). There was a negative association between eGDR and PE (0.66, 0.50-0.87, P = 0.003). Among lipids, triglycerides (TG) in all 3 trimesters were positively associated with PE, and this association was independent of HbA1c levels (first trimester: 5.32, 1.65-17.18, P = 0.005; second trimester: 2.52, 1.02-6.26, P = 0.05; third trimester: 2.28, 1.39-3.74, P = 0.001. We did not find any predictors of GH in the regression analysis among all analyzed factors. Primiparity and diabetic vasculopathy seem to be the strongest risk factors for PE in women with type 1 diabetes. However, preexisting hypertension and higher GWG were also associated with PE in women with T1DM. Among laboratory results, higher HbA1c and TG levels in all 3 trimesters were associated with PE. The association between higher IR and PE in women with T1DM needs further study.


Radioimmunoassay for human parathyroid hormone for differentiation between patients with hypoparathyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and normals.
A RIA system for human PTH is presented using a goat antibody (Code name 017-spring-78) against C-terminal hPTH fragments, as well as a human PTH standard from hemodiafiltration of a hyperparathyroid patient. It proved to be useful for the differentiation not only between hyperparathyroid patients and normals, but even within the normal range and hypoparathyroid states.


Inflammation and transcutaneous measurement of oxygen pressure in dermatology.
In this study the influence of local inflammation on tcPO2 values at different electrode temperatures has been investigated. The measurements were performed on UV-erythema, contact dermatitis and other inflammatory reactions of the skin. Different types of inflammation and different degrees of damage can lead to very different reactions in the microcirculation and this will have an effect on the tcPO2 levels.


Adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding health risks of soda and diet soda consumption.
To examine Australian adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding potential health consequences of soda and diet soda consumption and nutritional aspects of soda and explore associations with consumption. A survey utilising a nationally representative sample (stratified two-stage probability design) assessed knowledge of nutritional contents and health consequences of soda, and beliefs regarding health risks of diet soda, and soda and diet drink consumption. Australia. 9102 Australian school students (12-17 years) surveyed in 2018. Adolescents had lower nutritional knowledge (sugar content (22·2 %), exercise equivalent (33·9 %), calories/kJ (3·1 %)) than general knowledge of health risks (87·4 %) and some health effects (71·7-75·6 % for tooth decay, weight gain and diabetes), with lower knowledge of heart disease (56·0 %) and cancer (19·3 %). Beliefs regarding health effects of diet soda were similar, albeit not as high. In general, female sex, older age and less disadvantage were associated with reporting health effects of soda and diet soda, and nutritional knowledge of soda (P < 0·001). Those reporting tooth decay, weight gain, heart disease and diabetes as health effects of soda and diet soda were lower consumers of soda and diet drinks (P < 0·001), as were those with higher nutritional knowledge (sugar content and exercise equivalent; P < 0·001). This study highlights possible knowledge gaps regarding the health effects of soda and nutritional knowledge for public health intervention. When implementing such interventions, it is important to monitor the extent to which adolescents may consider diet drinks as an alternative beverage given varied beliefs about health consequences and evolving evidence.


A new stimulation technique of the crista ampullaris of the lateral canal in the adult cat: study of the action potential of the vestibular nerve.
The stimulation of the crista ampullaris of the lateral canal by a short ampullopetal liquid flux produces on the pre-ganglionic vestibular fibres the appearance of a bimodal action potential. The amplitude of this action potential increases with the intensity of the stimulation. This stimulation also provokes the birth of an evoked potential at the level of the vestibular nuclei as well as an ocular jerk.


Physiological and psychological aspects of anxiety in psychiatric patients and normal subjects.
Physiological (Skin conductance) and Psychological (State-trait anxiety) measures of anxiety were employed to assess the level of anxiety in 10 anxious neurotics, 10 schizophrenics and 10 normal subjects. Both the Physiological and Psychological measures were sensitive in detecting the level of anxiety in normals and patients. But interrelationships between these two measures were very poor.


Unconscious odor detection could not be due to odor itself.
Unconscious odor detection has been demonstrated but the mechanisms implied in this process have been poorly studied. In so far, most odorants activate both olfactory and trigeminal systems, it is relevant to explore how each system could be involved in the unconscious detection processes. This study used three methods to determine the detection thresholds for three odorants. The results showed that (1). psychophysical were lower than self-evaluated thresholds whatever the odorant; (2). an odorant with trigeminal component had the ability to produce an autonomic (skin conductance response-SCR) activation with lower concentrations than psychophysical and self-evaluated thresholds; on the contrary, an odorant, which stimulates only the olfactory system, induces an autonomic activation only with higher concentrations than psychophysical and self-evaluated thresholds. These findings suggest that unconscious odor detection could be due to the trigeminal component of odorants.


In vivo effects of an Er:YAG laser, an ultrasonic system and scaling and root planing on the biocompatibility of periodontally diseased root surfaces in cultures of human PDL fibroblasts.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vivo effects of an Er:YAG laser (ERL), an ultrasonic system and scaling and root planing (SRP) on the biocompatibility of periodontally diseased root surfaces in cultures of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDL). Forty single rooted teeth, considered for extraction due to severe periodontal destruction, have been randomly assigned to the following groups: (1) ERL at 160 mJ/pulse and 10 Hz, or (2) Vector ultrasonic system (VUS), or (3) SRP using hand instruments, or (4) untreated control (C). Immediately after instrumentation, all test and control teeth were extracted and root specimens (4 mm2) were prepared from all mesial and distal surfaces (n=80). Following the prescribed treatments, the root specimens were incubated with human PDL fibroblast cultures. Adherent cells were stained with methylene blue and counted using a reflected light microscope and the cell density per mm2 was calculated. Additionally, the cell morphology was investigated using SEM (n=8 teeth). Cell counts within each group yielded the following means and standard deviations (cells/mm2): ERL, 111+/-27; VUS, 75+/-25; SRP, 41+/-17; control, 25+/-11. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences in the number of attached cells between the test and control groups (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.01, respectively). ERL and VUS treated specimens showed significantly higher numbers of cells/mm2 than the SRP group (P<0.001, respectively). The difference between the ERL and VUS group was statistically significant (P<0.001). The results of the present study indicate that (i) ERL, VUS, and SRP promote the attachment of PDL fibroblasts on previously diseased root surfaces, (ii) periodontally diseased root surfaces inhibit the adherence of PDL fibroblasts, and (iii) the surface structure of ERL and VUS instrumented roots seem to offer better conditions for the adherence of PDL fibroblasts than SRP.


Diagnostic performance tests for suspected scaphoid fractures differ with conventional and latent class analysis.
Evaluation of the diagnostic performance characteristics of radiographic tests for diagnosing a true fracture among suspected scaphoid fractures is hindered by the lack of a consensus reference standard. Latent class analysis is a statistical method that takes advantage of unobserved, or latent, classes in the data that can be used to determine diagnostic performance characteristics when there is no consensus reference (gold) standard. We therefore compared the diagnostic performance characteristics of MRI, CT, bone scintigraphy, and physical examination to identify true fractures among suspected scaphoid fractures. We used data from two studies, one that prospectively studied 34 patients who had MRI and CT of the wrist, and a second that studied 78 patients who had MRI, bone scintigraphy, and structured physical examination. We compared the diagnostic performance characteristics calculated by latent class analysis with those calculated using formulas based on a reference standard. In the first cohort, the calculated sensitivity and specificity with latent class analysis were different than those with traditional reference standard-based calculations for the CT in the scaphoid planes (sensitivity, 0.78 versus 0.67; specificity, 1.0 versus 0.96) and the MRI (sensitivity, 0.80 versus 0.67; specificity, 0.93 versus 0.89). In the second cohort, the greatest differences were in the sensitivity of MRI (0.84 versus 0.75) and the sensitivities of physical examination maneuvers (range, 0.63-0.73 versus 1.0). The diagnostic performance characteristics calculated using latent class analysis may differ from those calculated according to formulas based on a reference standard. We believe latent class analysis merits further study as an option for assessing diagnostic performance characteristics for orthopaedic conditions when there is no consensus reference standard. Level II, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Site-fidelity, longevity, and population dynamics of broad-tailed hummingbirds: a ten year study.
In the course of other studies we have amassed a decade of records from banding, and observing the nests of, a breeding population of broad-tailed hummingbirds in Colorado, USA. In addition we have less extensive banding records for two other hummingbird species that migrate through the area but do not breed there. The rate of return of broad-tails between consecutive breeding seasons has been as high as 70% for females and 27% for males, suggesting substantial site fidelity and malebiased dispersal or mortality; our records also suggest that rufous hummingbirds are faithful to a particular migratory route. The oldest recaptured birds were at least eight years old, an age that exceeds predictions based on allometric extrapolation from other bird species; the apparent yearly survival rate of females is also unexpectedly high for birds of such small body mass. The earliest broad-tails to arrive at the start of the breeding season appear to be older, experienced individuals. Reuse of a specific nest site between consecutive years by the same female or different females seems to depend on the success of nesting efforts at that site. We have calculated the rate of change in size of the broad-tail population based on our estimates of female survivorship and fledging success. By this method the population appears to be declining, although nest counts themselves suggest that numbers of breeding females have remained fairly constant at least over the last seven years of our study.


Prevalence of cancer-related fatigue based on severity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) affects therapeutic compliance and clinical outcomes including recurrence and mortality. This study aimed to comprehensively and comparatively assess the severity-based prevalence of CRF. From two public databases (PubMed and Cochrane Library), we extracted data containing information on both prevalence and severity of fatigue in cancer patients through December 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis to produce point estimates using random effects models. Subgroup analyses were used to assess the prevalence and severity by the organ/system tumor development, treatment phase, therapeutic type, sex and assessment method. A total of 151 data (57 studies, 34,310 participants, 11,805 males and 22,505 females) were selected, which indicated 43.0% (95% CI 39.2-47.2) of fatigue prevalence. The total CRF prevalence including 'mild' level of fatigue was 70.7% (95% CI 60.6-83.3 from 37 data). The prevalence of 'severe' fatigue significantly varied by organ/system types of cancer origin (highest in brain tumors 39.7% vs. lowest in gynecologic tumors 3.9%) and treatment phase likely 15.9% (95% CI 8.1-31.3) before treatment, 33.8% (95% CI 27.7-41.2) ongoing treatment, and 24.1% (95% CI 18.6-31.2) after treatment. Chemotherapy (33.1%) induced approximately 1.5-fold higher prevalence for 'severe' CRF than surgery (22.0%) and radiotherapy (24.2%). The self-reported data for 'severe' CRF was 20-fold higher than those assessed by physicians (23.6% vs. 1.6%). Female patients exhibited a 1.4-fold higher prevalence of 'severe' fatigue compared to males. The present data showed quantitative feature of the prevalence and severity of CRF based on the cancer- or treatment-related factors, sex, and perspective of patient versus physician. In the context of the medical impact of CRF, our results provide a comparative reference to oncologists or health care providers making patient-specific decision.


Calcium currents and conductances in the msucle membrane of the crayfish.
1. Membrane currents in calcium type muscle membrane of the cray-fish Astacus fluviatilis were analysed by a method in which a membrane microarea was isolated by circulating sucrose rings contacting the fibre perpendicular to the fibre surface.2. The early calcium inward currents were separated from the total membrane currents by subtraction of the early and delayed potassium currents from the total membrane current.3. The isolated calcium currents show a time course characteristic for a transient change of calcium conductance. The presence of inactivation was further checked by the time course of the tail currents at the end of voltage clamp pulses of variable duration.4. The reversal potential of the early calcium currents determined from the current-voltage relations was +85 +/- 4.2 mV. The calcium potentials were used to express the calcium currents in the form of chord conductances.5. Calcium conductances (g(Ca)) as functions of time and voltage were found to be described quantitatively on the assumption that g(Ca) is determined by two variables (m and h), according to the equation g(Ca) = m(6)hg(Ca), where g(Ca) is a constant and m and h obey first order differential equations of the Hodgkin-Huxley type.6. The activation parameters of the g(Ca) were determined by fitting the solutions of the above equations to the experimental values of the g(Ca). This method was also used to check the inactivation parameters.7. The inactivation parameters of the g(Ca) were obtained from the inactivation curves, which were determined for several membrane potentials by variation of the duration of the conditioning step.8. The average calcium conductance constants were tabulated and compared with sodium conductance constants in excitable membranes.


The three-dimensional point spread functions of a microscope objective in image and object space.
The three-dimensional point spread function (3-D PSF) of an optical system in image space is distinguished from the 3-D PSF in object space and the relation between the two 3-D PSFs is derived. By using this relation one 3-D PSF can be easily obtained from the other. The 3-D PSFs are given in a single integral expression, which can be computed numerically. The results of this study can be used in 3-D image processing for microscopy and have been applied to the analysis of the diffusion of fluorescent molecules in a 3-D porous medium.


Effects of sarin on the operant behavior of guinea pigs.
The present study evaluated the dose-response effects of subacute exposure to sublethal doses of the organophosphorus (OP) chemical warfare nerve agent (CWNA) sarin (GB) on the operant behavior of guinea pigs. Dietary restricted guinea pigs, trained to respond for food under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement, were injected five times per week (Monday-Friday) for 2 weeks with fractions (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4) of the established LD(50) of GB (42 microg/kg). Changes in body weight, whole blood (WB) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels, and operant performances were monitored over the 2 weeks of GB exposure and for an additional 2 weeks following the termination of exposures. There were dose-related changes in body weight and WB AChE levels throughout the exposure and post-exposure periods. Several parameters of PR performance were disrupted during exposure to 0.4 LD50 GB, however, concurrent weight loss indicated the presence of overt toxicity. PR performance recovered following the termination of exposures. Lower doses (0.1 and 0.2 LD50) of GB failed to produce reliable effects on operant performance during the exposure period. Overall responding decreased during exposure to 0.4 LD50 GB, resulting in reduced response rates and break points. The decrease in overall response rates was attributed to an increase in pausing since there was no decrease in running rate. Motor effects of 0.4 LD50 GB were evident as an increase in the proportion of lever press durations > or = 1.0 s. In the present study, doses of GB lower than 0.4 LD50 produced no marked alteration of operant performance in guinea pigs, although WB AChE levels were maximally inhibited to 20% of control.


Suppressor activity of splenic macrophages in murine plasmacytoma (PC) is inhibited by PC specific ligands.
Spleens of BALB/c mice with plasmacytoma contain macrophages (M phi) which were found to suppress the in vitro immune function of normal splenic cells through a diffusible factor. The suppressor activity of these macrophages was reversibly inhibited by ligands specific for the corresponding PC globulin, but not by anti-idiotypic antibody. Anti-idiotypic antibody with complement, however, abrogated the suppressor function, presumably by cytotoxicity. Anti-isotype with complement was ineffective. These findings suggest binding of ligand to a surface receptor of the suppressor M phi that although clearly not PC globulin, may be structurally similar to the PC idiotype. These receptors are retained in 3 day cultures of macrophages and are not removed by intensive washing. Ligand binding appears to modulate the suppressor function of M phi through blocking of the production of diffusible suppressor factor.


Recurrent sinopulmonary infection and impaired antibody response to bacterial capsular polysaccharide antigen in children with selective IgG-subclass deficiency.
We studied 20 children with recurrent sinopulmonary infections and serum IgG levels within the normal range, who had selective IgG-subclass deficiency. Twelve of the children were IgG2 deficient, five were IgG3 deficient, and three were deficient in both IgG2 and IgG3. IgA deficiency was present in 3 of the 20 patients. In the children with IgG2 deficiency, serum antibody concentrations to the capsular polysaccharide of Hemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) were significantly lower than those in age-matched controls, both before and after immunization with the Hib capsular polysaccharide antigen, which elicits antibody predominantly of the IgG2 subclass. In contrast, their serum antibody titers to the tetanus and diphtheria toxoid protein antigens, which elicit antibody predominantly of the IgG1 subclass, were normal in comparison with those of age-matched controls. These results suggest that impairment of the antibody response to specific microbial antigens predisposes patients with selective IgG-subclass deficiencies to recurrent infections. Thus, as an aid in determining therapy, children with recurrent infections and normal total serum IgG should be evaluated for this condition.


GAS5 protects against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via miR-28a-5p/MARCH7/NLRP3 axis-mediated pyroptosis.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterised by hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and insulin resistance. The role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-regulated pyroptosis in NAFLD development remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether NAFLD development is controlled by lncRNA growth-arrest specific transcript 5 (GAS5)/miR-28a-5p/membrane associated ring-CH-type finger 7 (MARCH7)-mediated pyroptosis using in vivo and in vitro models. First, GAS5 expression was decreased but miR-28a-5p expression was increased in the livers of NAFLD patients, high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and leptin-deficient obese (Ob/Ob) mice. Furthermore, GAS5 suppressed while miR-28a-5p promoted NAFLD development, and overexpression of miR-28a-5p reversed the GAS5 overexpression-induced attenuation of NAFLD. Mechanistically, GAS5 served as a sponge of miR-28a-5p, and miR-28a-5p enhanced pyroptosis by targeting the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the E3 ligase MARCH7 during NAFLD development. MARCH7 interacted with the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) protein, resulting in proteasomal degradation of NLRP3 to inhibit pyroptosis. As expected, MARCH7 knockdown abolished the miR-28a-5p knockdown-induced inhibition of NAFLD development, and the ubiquitin E3 ligase-inactive mutant (W589A/I556A) of MARCH7 failed to inhibit NAFLD development. In conclusion, GAS5 protected against NAFLD development by binding to miR-28a-5p, miR-28a-5p promoted NAFLD development by targeting MARCH7, and MARCH7 ameliorated NAFLD by suppressing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. The GAS5/miR-28a-5p/MARCH7/NLRP3 axis plays an important role in NAFLD progression, and it might be a biomarker for NAFLD.


Bile benzo[a]pyrene concentration and hepatic CYP1A induction in hypoxic adult tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
Aquatic hypoxia is a seasonal condition in some coastal and continental wetlands where co-exposure with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution may be detrimental to the biota. In the present study, adult tilapia, an euryoxic fish of high economic importance, were intraperitoneally injected with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (20 mg kg(-1)) and then exposed to graded hypoxia to assess combined effects on some detoxification and fitness parameters. Seventy-two hours after a stepped decrease in dissolved oxygen (<2 mg L(-1)), BaP treatment resulted in a significant diminution on the biliary BaP concentration (70% of normoxic group) and an increase in blood glucose levels (2.17-fold compared with normoxic group). These effects returned to control values in the following 48 h of hypoxia exposure. BaP-induced CYP1A mRNA levels were unaffected by hypoxia, suggesting that reduced bile BaP concentration may be related with effects on protein amount or enzyme activities. LDH mRNA levels, blood lactate and hematocrit remained without change, suggesting no extreme detrimental effects for tilapia in the short-term of the BaP-hypoxia challenge. Our results indicate that BaP treatment and hypoxia targeted glucose metabolism and biliary BaP elimination, probably by favoring the storage of BaP in tilapia tissues.


The effect of glutamine on murine splenic leukocyte responses to T and B cell mitogens.
Murine splenic leukocytes cannot be stimulated to synthesize [3H]-DNA by various concentrations of either the T cell mitogens, Concanavalin-A (Con-A) or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or the B cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), unless glutamine is present in the culture medium. The optimum concentration of the T cell mitogens (Con-A, PHA) remained constant for all levels of glutamine while that of the B cell mitogen (LPS) increased as the concentration of glutamine in the medium increased.


Oral administration of the casein kinase 2 inhibitor TBB leads to persistent KCa2.2 channel up-regulation in the epileptic CA1 area and cortex, but lacks anti-seizure efficacy in the pilocarpine epilepsy model.
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common epileptic syndrome in adults and often presents with seizures that prove intractable with currently available anticonvulsants. Thus, there is still a need for new anti-seizure drugs in this condition. Recently, we found that the casein kinase 2 inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromotriazole (TBB) prevented the emergence of spontaneous epileptic discharges in an acute in vitro epilepsy model. This prompted us to study the anti-seizure effects of TBB in the pilocarpine model of chronic epilepsy in vivo. To this end, we performed long-term video-EEG monitoring lasting 78-167 days of nine chronically epileptic rats and obtained a baseline seizure rate of 3.3 ± 1.3 per day (baseline of 27-80 days). We found a significant age effect with more pronounced seizure rates in older animals as compared to younger ones. However, the seizure rate increased to 6.3 ± 2.2 per day during the oral TBB administration (treatment period of 21-50 days), and following discontinuation of TBB, this rate remained stable with 5.2 ± 1.4 seizures per day (follow-up of 30-55 days). After completing the video-EEG during the follow-up the hippocampal tissue was prepared and studied for the expression of the Ca2+-activated K+ channel KCa2.2. We found a significant up-regulation of KCa2.2 in the epileptic CA1 region and in the neocortex, but in no other hippocampal subfield. Hence, our findings indicate that oral administration of TBB leads to persistent up-regulation of KCa2.2 in the epileptic CA1 subfield and in the neocortex, but lacks anti-seizure efficacy in the pilocarpine epilepsy model.


D2 and D4 dopamine receptor gene polymorphisms and personality traits in a young Korean population.
The correlation between the D4 dopamine receptor gene (DRD4) and the D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) polymorphisms was investigated with personality traits. For this study, homogeneous population consisting of 243 young alcohol- and drug-naive Koreans who were blood-unrelated with a mean age (+/-SD) of 13.87 (+/-0.30) years old was analyzed for the DRD4 and the DRD2 polymorphisms with their personality trait by Temperament and character inventory (TCI). The association between Novelty seeking (NS) score and DRD4 long alleles was only observed among the female subjects (t = 2.11, P = 0.037), but not in the male counter part. Female subjects who carried the DRD2 less frequent alleles (TaqI A1, TaqI B1, and Intron6 1) showed higher RD4 scores (dependence vs. independence) of Reward dependence (RD) than those without these alleles (P < 0.05). There was no interaction between DRD4 and DRD2 on the personality traits. These results, thus, confirmed the previous findings in which the long repeats of the DRD4-exon III polymorphism are related to NS personality trait, and also suggested that the DRD2 less frequent alleles were also associated with the reward-dependent trait.


Global spatial distribution of Chromolaena odorata habitat under climate change: random forest modeling of one of the 100 worst invasive alien species.
Anthropogenic activities and global climate change increase the risk of Chromolaena odorata invasion and habitat expansion. To predict its global distribution and habitat suitability under climate change, a random forest (RF) model was employed. The RF model, utilizing default parameters, analyzed species presence data and background information. The model revealed that the current spatial distribution of C. odorata covers 7,892,447 km2. Predictions for 2061- 2080 indicate expansion of suitable habitat (42.59 and 46.30%), reduction of suitable habit (12.92 and 12.20%), and preservation of suitable habitat (87.08 and 87.80%) under the SSP (Shared Socio-economic Pathway) 2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively, in comparison to the present distribution. Currently, C. odorata is predominantly found in South America, with limited presence in other continents. However, the data suggest that climate change will elevate the global invasion risk of C. odorata worldwide, particularly in Oceania, Africa, and Australia. Countries such as Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Lesotho, which currently have unsuitable habitats, are predicted to have highly suitable habitats with climate change, supporting the idea that global habitat expansion for C. odorata will occur due to climate change. This study indicates that proper management of C. odorata is crucial during the early invasion phase.


Conserved pattern of embryonic actin gene expression in several sea urchins and a sand dollar.
An examination of the size and relative abundance of actin-coding RNA in embryos of four sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Arbacia punctulata, Lytechinus variegatus) and one sand dollar (Echinarachnius parma) reveals a generally conserved program of expression. In each species the relative abundance of these sequences is low in early embryos and begins to rise during late cleavage or blastula stages. In the four sea urchins, actin-coding RNAs increase between approximately 9- and 35-fold by pluteus or an earlier stage, and in the sand dollar about 5.5-fold by blastula. A major actin-coding RNA class of 2.0-2.2 kilobases (kb) is found in each species. A smaller actin-coding RNA class, which accumulates during embryogenesis, is also present in S. purpuratus (1.8 kb), S. droebachiensis (1.9 kb), and A. punctulata (1.6 kb), but apparently absent in L. variegatus and E. parma. In S. droebachiensis, actin-coding RNA is relatively abundant in unfertilized eggs and drops sharply by the 16-cell stage. This is in contrast to the other sea urchins where the actin message content is relatively low in eggs and does not change substantially in the embryos throughout early cleavage. The observations in this study suggest that the pattern of embryonic expression of at least some members of this gene family is ancient and conserved.


Ternary Organic Solar Cells with Efficiency >16.5% Based on Two Compatible Nonfullerene Acceptors.
A ternary structure has been demonstrated as being an effective strategy to realize high power conversion efficiency (PCE) in organic solar cells (OSCs); however, general materials selection rules still remain incompletely understood. In this work, two nonfullerene small-molecule acceptors 3TP3T-4F and 3TP3T-IC are synthesized and incorporated as a third component in PM6:Y6 binary blends. The photovoltaic behaviors in the resultant ternary OSCs differ significantly, despite the comparable energy levels. It is found that incorporation of 15% 3TP3T-4F into the PM6:Y6 blend results in facilitating exciton dissociation, increasing charge transport, and reducing trap-assisted recombination. All these features are responsible for the enlarged PCE of 16.7% (certified as 16.2%) in the PM6:Y6:3TP3T-4F ternary OSCs, higher than that (15.6%) in the 3TP3T-IC containing ternary devices. The performance differences are mainly ascribed to the compatibility between the third component and the host materials. The 3TP3T-4F guest acceptor exhibits an excellent compatibility with Y6, tending to form well-mixed phases in the ternary blend without disrupting the favored bicontinuous transport networks, whereas 3TP3T-IC displays a morphological incompatibility with Y6. This work highlights the importance of considering the compatibility for materials selection toward high-efficiency ternary organic OSCs.


Determination of cadmium in tobacco by solid surface fluorescence using nylon membranes coated with carbon nanotubes.
A new methodology based on fluorescent signal enhancement of o-cresolphthalein (o-CPT) for traces of cadmium determination is proposed. The dye was retained on membrane filters in the presence of a micellar surfactant solution of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). All the experimental variables that influence both the preconcentration procedure and the fluorimetric sensitivity were carefully optimized. The calibration graph using zeroth order regression was linear from 6.5 ng L(-1) to 5.65×10(5) ng L(-1), with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.999. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection and quantification were of 2 ng L(-1) and 6.5 ng L(-1). respectively. The proposed method showed good sensitivity and selectivity, with good tolerance to foreign ions, and it was applied to the determination of trace amounts of cadmium in leachate from cigarettes' tobacco samples with satisfactory results. The trueness of the recommended procedure was assessed through parallel analysis of the samples with electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry. This methodology represents an innovative and attractive application of membrane filters that enables metal traces determination by solid surface fluorescence.


Biosynthesis of N-glycolylneuraminic acid-containing glycoconjugates. Purification and characterization of the key enzyme of the cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylation system.
We have proposed that cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc) hydroxylation is carried out by a multienzyme system involving CMP-NeuAc hydroxylase (the terminal enzyme of the system), cytochrome b5, and an NADH-dependent cytochrome b5-reducing factor (Kozutsumi, Y., Kawano, T., Yamakawa, T., and Suzuki, A. (1990) J. Biochem. 108, 704-706). The CMP-NeuAc hydroxylase was purified to homogeneity from the cytosolic fraction of mouse liver, using ion exchange columns, a Red-Sepharose column, and a soluble cytochrome b5-immobilized Sepharose column. The purified enzyme exhibited a single band (64 kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a single peak (58 kDa) on gel permeation chromatography, indicating that it is composed of a single polypeptide chain. The absorption spectrum did not indicate the presence of a heme prosthetic group in the enzyme. Atomic absorption spectrometry and an inhibition test using an iron chelator indicate that the enzyme contains non-heme iron as an electron acceptor. A reconstitution experiment with the purified CMP-NeuAc hydroxylase, soluble cytochrome b5, and recombinant NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase revealed that these three factors are essential for the reaction. The hydroxylase exhibited high affinity to CMP-NeuAc (Km = 5 microM) and was greatly stabilized by CMP-NeuAc. The molecular activity of the enzyme (approximately 500/min) is much lower than that reported for NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase, suggesting that the activity or amount of hydroxylase is rate-limiting in CMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) biosynthesis. These results, together with the previous observation that the level of CMP-NeuAc hydroxylase activity was associated with the expression of NeuGc in various tissues, support the notion that the enzyme is the key for regulation of the overall velocity of CMP-NeuAc hydroxylation and consequently for the expression of NeuGc-containing glycoconjugates.


Associations Between General and Specific Psychopathology Factors and 10-Year Clinically Relevant Outcomes in Adult Swedish Twins and Siblings.
General and specific factors of psychopathology are associated with future adverse outcomes, indicating that they might be useful for identifying individuals at greatest risk. However, it remains unknown if these associations are attributable to confounders that may influence both the psychopathology factors and later outcomes. To analyze associations between psychopathology factors and clinically relevant outcomes within family pairs, adjusting for unmeasured confounds by applying co-twin control and sibling comparison designs. This longitudinal cohort study with a follow-up range of 9 to 13 years included all Swedish twins born from 1959 to 1985 who participated in the Study of Twin Adults: Genes and Environment (60% response rate) and the oldest pair of all Swedish siblings born from 1959 to 1985 per the Multi-Generation Register. Twins were evaluated based on responses to a hierarchical factor model derived using multivariate statistics. Sibling pairs were evaluated based on psychiatric diagnoses per the Swedish National Patient Register. Information on outcome events and prescriptions were derived from the National Patient Register, Prescribed Drug Register, and Crime Register. Baseline assessment was in August 2005, and data were analyzed from January 2022 to February 2023. Hierarchical factor model consisting of 1 general and 4 specific factors fit to 48 psychiatric symptoms on which twin participants self-reported in 2005 and 1 general and 3 specific factors fit to 9 register-based psychiatric diagnoses assigned to sibling participants prior to 2005. Outcomes consisted of 7 register-based events occurring after 2005, including suicidal behavior, substance overdoses, and criminal suspicion or convictions (data available until the end of 2013), and prescription of antidepressants, antialcohol or antiopioid medication, antipsychotics, and stimulants (data available until the end of 2017). The study included 32 328 twins (mean [SD] age, 34 [8] years; 16 076 [49.73%] male) and 1 942 106 siblings (mean [SD] age, 34 [7] years; 991 500 [51.05%] male). General psychopathology was significantly associated with all 7 outcomes within sibling pairs (mean within-pair odds ratio [OR], 2.28; 95% CI, 2.19-2.37) and dizygotic twin pairs (within-pairs OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.38-1.98) and with 3 outcomes within monozygotic twin pairs (mean within-pairs OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.35-2.36). Within sibling pairs, the specific internalizing factor was associated with antidepressant prescriptions (within-pairs OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.59-1.71), the specific substance misuse factor was associated prescription of antialcohol and antiopioid medication (within-pairs OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 2.20-2.54), and the specific psychotic factor was associated with antipsychotic medications (within-pairs OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.51-1.72). Similar results emerged within twin pairs. In this cohort study, general psychopathology was significantly associated with all 7 outcomes within sibling and dizygotic twin pairs and 3 outcomes within monozygotic twin pairs at 10 years. Within twin and sibling pairs, the specific factors were primarily associated with related outcomes. Several of the associations in this cohort study could not be attributed to unmeasured confounds shared by family members, suggesting that interventions toward broad psychopathology dimensions might help reduce the risk of future clinically relevant events.


Obstructing giant pseudopolyps in granulomatous colitis.
Two cases of giant pseudopolyps occurring in Crohn's disease of the colon are presented. In both there was obstruction to retrograde flow of barium, and in one the patient presented with acute obstruction.


Risk of renal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A pooled analysis of population-based studies.
Currently, newer epidemiological studies report the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and risk of renal cancer (RCa). Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether IBD patients were associated with RCa risk. Various medical databases were searched from inception to April 2020. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) or relative risk (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled. The meta-analysis was completed by STATA version 14.2. A total of 421 articles were identified, and 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data from 9 cohort studies showed a significantly increased risk of RCa in IBD patients (pooled SIR: 1.53; 95%CI: 1.25-1.80; I2 = 42.4%), especially for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) (pooled SIR: 1.95; 95%CI: 1.45-2.44; I2 = 39.9%). We did not observe a significantly increased risk of RCa in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) (pooled SIR: 1.31; 95%CI: 0.94-1.67; I2 = 48.0%) when compared to the background population. Only 2 case-control studies reported the results of RCa risk, showing no significant difference between IBD group and IBD-free group (pooled RR: 1.64; 95%CI: 0.52-5.22; I2 = 77.9%). Our findings indicate that IBD patients with special reference to CD patients have a significantly higher risk of RCa. Further studies are warranted to enable definite conclusions to be drawn.


Risk factors for perioperative acute heart failure in older hip fracture patients and establishment of a nomogram predictive model.
This study aims to explore the risk factors for perioperative acute heart failure in older patients with hip fracture and establish a nomogram prediction model. The present study was a retrospective study. From January 2020 to December 2021, patients who underwent surgical treatment for hip fracture at the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University were included. Heart failure was confirmed by discharge diagnosis or medical records. The samples were randomly divided into modeling and validation cohorts in a ratio of 7:3. Relevant demographic and clinic data of patients were collected. IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, to obtain the risk factors of acute heart failure. The R software was used to construct the nomogram prediction model. A total of 751 older patients with hip fracture were enrolled in this study, of which 138 patients (18.37%, 138/751) developed acute heart failure. Heart failure was confirmed by discharge diagnosis or medical records. Respiratory disease (odd ratio 7.68; 95% confidence interval 3.82-15.43; value of P 0.001), history of heart disease (chronic heart failure excluded) (odd ratio 2.21, 95% confidence interval 1.18-4.12; value of P 0.010), ASA ≥ 3 (odd ratio 14.46, 95% confidence interval 7.78-26.87; value of P 0.001), and preoperative waiting time ≤ 2 days (odd ratio 3.32, 95% confidence interval 1.33-8.30; value of P 0.010) were independent risk factors of perioperative acute heart failure in older patients with hip fracture. The area under the curve (AUC) of the prediction model based on these factors was calculated to be 0.877 (95% confidence interval 0.836-0.918). The sensitivity and specificity were 82.8% and 80.9%, respectively, and the fitting degree of the model was good. In the internal validation group, the AUC was 0.910, and the 95% confidence interval was 0.869-0.950. Several risk factors are identified for acute heart failure in older patients, based on which pragmatic nomogram prediction model is developed, facilitating detection of patients at risk early.


[Aeromedical evacuation of critically ill patients in developing countries A retrospective study on 244 patients in Djibouti].
The pratice of intensive care in Africa is marked by a wide variety of health care delivery. Only a few centers offer specialized intensive care units, as cardiac or neurological units. That may explain the need for aeromedical evacuations for patients whose condition exceeds local capacity. Our objective was to assess whether the proportion of patients admitted to intensive care and evacuated had increased between 1997 and 2013 in a developing country, Djibouti. We examined the activity register of Bouffard Hospital intensive care unit in Djibouti to determine the number and characteristics of patients evacuated by air ambulance during a 16 years period. From January 1997 to December 2013, a total of 244 patients were evacuated. The evacuation rate was 5.74ù of the patients admitted to the entire duration of the study. The rate of patients evacuated was not different between 1997 and 2013 (5,69ù versus 8,33ù respectively, p = 0,269). However, the rate of djiboutian evacuated patients was statistically different between 1997 and 2013 (0,96ù versus 4,46ù, p = 0,02). The main causes were severe trauma injuries, cardiovascular diseases and neurological diseases. The aeromedical evacuation of a critically ill patient in a developing country is a process requiring heavy logistics and depending on the medical skills available in the area, and financial resources that can be implemented for the patient. Our study shows that medical evacuations in favor of Djiboutian patients are marginal but are increasing over the past decade.


Development of health-system inpatient pharmacy clinical metrics.
To describe a process to identify metrics that represent the impact of inpatient pharmacy services on patient outcomes across a health system. The authors describe a systematic process of identifying inpatient clinical outcome measures that could represent pharmacists' impact on patient outcomes and eventually be displayed in a dashboard within the electronic medical record (EMR). A list was generated through literature review, assessment of practices at other sites, evaluation of current pharmacy services, and collaboration with the quality department and System Pharmacy Clinical User Group. The project team narrowed the list through assessment against standardized criteria. An assessment tool was designed and distributed to stakeholders to prioritize clinical outcome measures for inclusion on the dashboard. The clinical outcome measures were transformed into metrics by determining measurement criteria, inclusion and exclusion parameters, and review time frame. After validation, the metrics are planned to be displayed on an inpatient pharmacy EMR dashboard. Exemption from institutional review board review was granted for this project. A systematic process was developed and used to identify inpatient clinical outcome metrics.


Is hemisplenectomy a satisfactory option to total splenectomy in abdominal staging of Hodgkin's disease?
The spleens removed in 76 consecutive staging laparotomies for Hodgkin's disease were studied. The spleens were divided from superior to inferior pole into anterior and posterior halves and each half further divided into superior, mid, and inferior sectors. Sectors were studied grossly and microscopically and involvement by Hodgkin's recorded. Of the 23 positive spleens, all sectors were positive in 12, 5 sectors positive in 1, 4 sectors in 3, 3 sectors in 3, 2 sectors in 1, and 1 sector in 2. In one spleen, four sectors were involved but were not marked properly to allow identification of which four, and one spleen with fairly diffuse disease was not handled according to protocol, remaining an "indeterminate" positive. From the anatomic distribution, a lower pole hemisplenectomy would have removed disease in 22 of 23 spleens and likely would have shown disease in the diffusely involved "indeterminate" spleen. An upper pole hemisplenectomy would have missed disease in one spleen and possibly in the "indeterminate" spleen. Either approach would have missed disease in around 1% of the 76 cases. The addition of a biopsy of the opposite pole that remains is technically feasible and would reduce this small incidence of undetected abdominal disease. With the increasing appreciation of the importance of the immunologic functions of the spleen, alternative techniques for determining splenic involvement have been proposed. From this study, hemisplenectomy appears to be an attractive alternate that preserves the vital functions of the spleen with a minute risk of overlooking the presence of Hodgkin's disease.


Intraocular irrigating solutions. Their effect on the corneal endothelium.
The effects of several intraocular irrigating solutions on the corneal endothelium of rabbit and monkey corneas were evaluated, utilizing a specular microscope perfusion system with both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Corneas perfused with 0.9% sterile isotonic physiological saline swell at a rate of 60mum to 90mum/hr; endothelial cells separate from each other and show extensive degenerative changes. Corneas perfused with lactated Ringer solution swell at a rate of 37mum to 40mum/hr, and the endothelial cells show slower, but progressive degeneration. Corneas perfused with balanced salt solution swell at 24mum to 31mum/hr, and degenerative changes become severe only after two hours. Corneas perfused with Ringer solution containing bicarbonate, reduced glutathione, and adenosine do not increase in thickness, and there is minimal deterioration of endothelial ultrastructure for periods of up to six hours.


Exsanguination Postconditioning of ICH (EPIC-H) Using the Lancet for Brain Bleed in Rodents, Preliminary Study.
Cerebral iron overload contributes to free-radical damage and secondary brain injury following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Phlebotomy most effectively removes iron from the human body, compared with any pharmacological agent (e.g., chelator), and does not impact mean arterial blood pressure. For centuries, this ancient method was a treatment for stroke. This is the first controlled scientific evaluation of this approach after ICH. Femoral catheterization occurred at 30 min following collagenase infusion. Three different exsanguination volumes were tested: 1, 2, 3 ml (approximately 5-15 % (normotensive) loss of total blood volume; or 3.33-10 ml/kg) compared with ICH and sham controls. Brain water content, hemorrhage size, and neuroscore were measured 24 h later. Preliminary analysis of the data demonstrated that therapeutic phlebotomy occurring shortly after ICH in adult rats significantly decreased brain edema and hemorrhagic size at 1 day after the brain injury. However, the neuroscore was unchanged compared with untreated animals. Therefore, exsanguination therapy after ICH using the traditional phlebotomy approach may eventually ameliorate early brain injury (hemorrhage and edema) in further human studies, despite equivocal changes in the short-term neurological functional ability. In meantime, translational studies must further delineate the involvement of specific neuroprotective molecules, sympathetic responses, hemodynamic-vasoactive mediators, or neuroendocrine factors involved in this apparent postconditioning approach following ICH in rodents.


Classifying temporal relations in clinical data: a hybrid, knowledge-rich approach.
We address the TLINK track of the 2012 i2b2 challenge on temporal relations. Unlike other approaches to this task, we (1) employ sophisticated linguistic knowledge derived from semantic and discourse relations, rather than focus on morpho-syntactic knowledge; and (2) leverage a novel combination of rule-based and learning-based approaches, rather than rely solely on one or the other. Experiments show that our knowledge-rich, hybrid approach yields an F-score of 69.3, which is the best result reported to date on this dataset.


Two homolog wheat Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/SHAGGY--like kinases are involved in brassinosteroid signaling.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/SHAGGY-like kinases (GSKs) are multifunctional non-receptor ser/thr kinases. Plant GSKs are involved in hormonal signaling networks and are required for growth, development, light as well as stress responses. So far, most studies have been carried out on Arabidopsis or on other eudicotyledon GSKs. Here, we evaluated the role of TaSK1 and TaSK2, two homolog wheat (Triticum aestivum) GSKs, in brassinosteroid signaling. We explored in addition the physiological effects of brassinosteroids on wheat growth and development. A bin2-1 like gain-of-function mutation has been inserted respectively in one of the homoeologous gene copies of TaSK1 (TaSK1-A.2-1) and in one of the homoeologous gene copies of TaSK2 (TaSK2-A.2-1). Arabidopsis plants were transformed with these mutated gene copies. Severe dwarf phenotypes were obtained closely resembling those of Arabidopsis bin2-1 lines and Arabidopsis BR-deficient or BR-signaling mutants. Expression of BR downstream genes, SAUR-AC1, CPD and BAS1 was deregulated in TaSK1.2-1 and TaSK2.2-1 transgenic lines. Severe dwarf lines were partially rescued by Bikinin beforehand shown to inhibit TaSK kinase activity. This rescue was accompanied with changes in BR downstream gene expression levels. Wheat embryos and seedlings were treated with compounds interfering with BR signaling or modifying BR levels to gain insight into the role of brassinosteroids in wheat development. Embryonic axis and scutellum differentiation were impaired, and seedling growth responses were affected when embryos were treated with Epibrassinolides, Propiconazole, and Bikinin. In view of our findings, TaSKs are proposed to be involved in BR signaling and to be orthologous of Arabidopsis Clade II GSK3/SHAGGY-like kinases. Observed effects of Epibrassinolide, Propiconazole and Bikinin treatments on wheat embryos and seedlings indicate a role for BR signaling in embryonic patterning and seedling growth.


Preparation of Degradable Antiwaxing Coating and a Novel Method for Quantifying Antiwaxing Property of Coatings.
The deposition of wax on the surface of the pipeline or the facilities is harmful to oil industries, which can cause serious safety problems and economic loss. To address this problem, a degradable glutinous rice/chitosan-phytic acid composite coating (GR/CS-PA) was prepared. The GR can serve as an adhesive, and it can also enhance the flexibility of CS-PA. The CS-PA component can be used to retain water to prevent the adhesion of crude oil and enhance the mechanical properties of the antiwaxing layer. With the hydration layer on the surface of the GR/CS-PA coating, which can prevent contact between the pollutants and the GR/CS-PA, the coating possesses excellent antifouling properties, especially excellent antiwaxing performance. In addition, an antiwaxing performance testing method was established to quantificationally evaluate the antiwaxing performance of the coating, and the antiwaxing performance (AWP) value was proposed to be the criterion of the antiwaxing performance of the coating. We hope that the green coating and the quantitative testing method can be applied in the petroleum industry to solve the wax deposition problem.


Western Blot Processing Optimization: The Perfect Blot.
Western blot processing is a well-established procedure that includes protein extraction from tissues and cells, gel electrophoresis separation, transfer to a membrane, and immunodetection with specific antibodies. Here, we show that optimization of washing helps to maximize the specific interactions of antigens and antibodies. Performing all washing steps at 4 °C ensures a maximal signal to noise ratio and reduces nonspecific signals.


Differentiation of the vaccine F-strain from other strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum by restriction endonuclease analysis.
The electrophoretic patterns of the nucleic acids (DNA) of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains digested with the restriction enzymes Bam HI, Eco RI and Hind III were useful for differentiating the vaccine F-strain from other strains of M. gallisepticum. The procedure was more sensitive than the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) technique. The vaccine F-strain, represented by cultures designated F-K810 and F-F2F10 was clearly differentiated from other strains of M. gallisepticum. This procedure may be useful in field studies to determine if the vaccine strain will replace wild-type M. gallisepticum in commercial layers.


Modulation of EMG power spectrum frequency during motor imagery.
To provide evidence that motor imagery (MI) is accompanied by improvement of intramuscular conduction velocity (CV), we investigated surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of 3 muscles during the elbow flexion/extension. Thirty right-handed participants were asked to lift or to imagine lifting a weighted dumbbell under 3 types of muscular contractions, i.e. concentric, isometric and eccentric, taken as independent variables. The EMG activity of the agonist (long and short heads of biceps brachii) and the antagonist (long portion of triceps brachii) muscles was recorded and processed to determine the median frequency (MF) of EMG power spectrum as dependant variable. The MF was significantly higher during the MI sessions than during the resting condition while the participants remained strictly motionless. Moreover, the MF during imagined concentric contraction was significantly higher than during the eccentric. Thus, the MF variation was correlated to the type of contraction the muscle produced. During MI, the EMG patterns corresponding to each type of muscle contraction remained comparable to those observed during actual movement. In conclusion, specific motor programming is hypothesized to be performed as a function of muscle contraction type during MI.


Nutrition for pregnancy after metabolic and bariatric surgery: literature review and practical guide.
When pregnancy follows metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), there are many important considerations related to nutritional status that may impact maternal and infant outcomes. Although evidence-based nutrition guidelines for pregnancy exist for the general population, there are limited practical recommendations that specifically address pregnancy after MBS. A literature search was conducted to investigate outcomes of women with a history of MBS and pregnancy. Search criteria focused on women 18 years of age and older who became pregnant after MBS. Search terms included "laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy," "Roux-en-Y gastric bypass," "laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding," "biliopancreatic duodenal switch," and gestation terminology, and they were paired with the nutrition outcomes of interest. A total of 167 publications were identified; 46 articles were included in the final review. Data relating to gestation and fetal weight and nutrition and cardiometabolic data were extracted from the studies. Based on this review, women of childbearing age with a history of MBS should be evaluated and monitored for nutritional status before conception, during pregnancy, and postpartum.


Paired emitter detector diode (PEDD)-based photometry--an alternative approach.
According to the developed model based on Shockley equation and the Lambert-Beer law, PEDD-based photometric devices generate a potentiometric analytical signal that is directly proportional to the analyte concentration.


CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, and I) Nanocrystals in Substrates toward Stable Photoluminescence: Nanoarchitectonics, Properties, and Applications.
Cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, and I) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) possess great potential in light-emitting diode applications because of their high brightness, low cost, tunable luminescence, and facile synthesis nature. However, these NCs are often disadvantaged by their instability in nonsolvent environment that hinders the practical applications of the material. In order to solve these issues, cesium lead halide NCs prepared using a solvent environment can be placed on substrates to retain the high stability and expand the applicability of the material. This Review focuses on the transfer of the all-inorganic cesium lead halide NCs (synthesized in solutions) onto matrix materials and their direct synthesis on these bases, including the inert shell growth (inorganic and organic shell), embedment in matrixes (e.g., metal organic frameworks, porous SiO2, glass, ZrO2, Al2O3, and AlOOH), and direct synthesis in substrates. In particular, the strategies for stability and PL property improvement of the materials are also summarized. The purpose of this Review is to provide inspiration for the encapsulation of cesium lead halide NCs with high brightness and stability in matrixes to expand the applicability of these materials in wide color gamut backlighting (e.g., white-light-emitting devices).


Use of monochlorobimane for glutathione measurements in hamster and human tumor cell lines.
The use of monochlorobimane (MCIB) as a fluorescence label for glutathione (GSH) quantitation was investigated in human tumor cell lines. When MCIB was used with a hamster fibroblast cell line under conditions where GSH was either depleted or elevated, an excellent correlation between bimane-GSH fluorescence and the standard cyclic GSH reductase assay (Tietze's) was accomplished. When the MCIB technique was applied to a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, little or no GSH labeling was noted even at MCIB levels 10X higher than that used for the hamster line. HPLC analysis suggested that the source of the problem may be the affinity for MCIB to glutathione S-transferase. By using higher dye concentrations and longer staining times, adequate staining was possible. While the MCIB technique may have problems quantitating GSH levels between cell types, the possibility of examining GSH heterogeneity in solid tumor biopsies remains feasible.


Digital Volume Correlation for Study of the Mechanics of Whole Bones.
Full-field measurement of deformation in biological structures such as bones is a promising experimental approach for study of the spatial heterogeneity in mechanical behavior. With the advent of high-resolution, 3-D imaging, digital volume correlation (DVC) allows for the measurement of spatially heterogeneous, 3-D deformation fields throughout entire volumes. For bones such as the vertebra, use of DVC to detect the onset and progression of failure is of direct relevance to the study of osteoporotic fractures. Application of DVC to whole bones, as opposed to machined specimens of bone tissue, involves additional challenges such as the irregular geometry, large data sets, and decreased signal-to-noise ratio. These challenges are addressed in this paper, and the DVC method that results is used to examine yield and post-yield deformations in vertebral compression experiments.


Application of tabu search strategy for finding low energy structure of protein.
Understanding protein functionality would mean understanding the basics of life. This functionality follows a three-dimensional structure of proteins. Unfortunately till now it is not possible to obtain these structures artificially. This article offers a survey on the use of meta-heuristic methods in context of simplified models of protein folding. Tabu search (TS) strategy is one of the most successful meta-heuristics that has been applied for large number of optimization problems. In the paper, the application of TS for finding low energy conformations of proteins in a simplified lattice model has been proposed. The algorithm has been extensively tested and the tests showed its good performance. It compares well with the other heuristic approaches. The approach presented is competitive as compared with other methods and due to its low computation time can be used as a complementary tool for an analysis of the three-dimensional protein structures.


Analogous pleiotropic effects of insecticide resistance genotypes in peach-potato aphids and houseflies.
We show that single-point mutations conferring target-site resistance (kdr) to pyrethroids and DDT in aphids and houseflies, and gene amplification conferring metabolic resistance (carboxylesterase) to organophosphates and carbamates in aphids, can have deleterious pleiotropic effects on fitness. Behavioural studies on peach-potato aphids showed that a reduced response to alarm pheromone was associated with both gene amplification and the kdr target-site mutation. In this species, gene amplification was also associated with a decreased propensity to move from senescing leaves to fresh leaves at low temperature. Housefly genotypes possessing the identical kdr mutation were also shown to exhibit behavioural differences in comparison with susceptible insects. In this species, resistant individuals showed no positional preference along a temperature gradient while susceptible genotypes exhibited a strong preference for warmer temperatures.


Persistence of a circadian rhythmicity for thyroid hormones in plasma and thyroid of hibernating male Rana ridibunda.
The presence and circadian rhythmicity of thyroid hormones was studied in plasma and the thyroid gland of male Rana ridibunda before and during hibernation. Hibernating January frogs do have a lower T3 and T4 content of their thyroid gland whereas plasma levels of T3 are maintained and of T4 increased compared to fed September or October frogs. It seems likely that the increased photoperiod in January will be responsible for this increased T4 secretion, since controlled laboratory experiments performed in December did not reveal any influence of low temperature on circulating T3 or T4 levels. Also feeding does not influence circulating levels and thyroid content of thyroid hormones in frogs kept at room temperature during the month of January. A circadian rhythmicity of T3 and T4 in the thyroid gland is present in fed October frogs and in non fed December frogs acclimated at 5 degrees C for 12 days with an acrophase for T3 at approximately 1500 h and for T4 at around 1900 h, whereas in plasma only T3 does have circadian variations (acrophase about midnight) but not T4. When December frogs are acclimated to room temperature for 12 days, frogs are active again, but do not eat and have a lower body weight than frogs hibernating at 5 degrees C. Their T3 content of the thyroid gland has disappeared, but T4 thyroid content and plasma levels of T3 and T4 are maintained. As in hibernating frogs, no circadian variations in T4 plasma concentrations are present whereas the circadian thyroid T4 rhythm disappears. At the same time a dampening in rhythmicity for plasma T3 as judged by the significantly lower amplitude occurs. It is concluded that the persistence of circulating levels of thyroid hormones and of a circadian cyclicity for T3 in plasma in non feeding hibernating frogs may reflect the special metabolic state e.g. availability of food reserves in these animals.


Physicians' Beliefs about the nature of addiction: a survey of primary care physicians and psychiatrists.
Society debates whether addiction is a disease, a response to psychological woundedness, or moral failing. We surveyed a national sample of 1427 US primary care physicians (PCPs) and 487 psychiatrists, asking "In your judgment, to what extent is alcoholism/drug addiction each of the following? A) a disease B) a response to psychological woundedness C) a result of moral failings." The response rate was 63% for PCPs and 64% for psychiatrists. More psychiatrists than PCPs consider addiction a disease (64% versus 56%). Some PCPs (31%) and psychiatrists (27%) attribute addiction to psychological woundedness. More psychiatrists than PCPs said addiction is "not at all" due to moral failings (55% versus 39%). The disease model for addiction is prominent among physicians, but exists alongside beliefs that addiction is a response to psychological woundedness, or a result of moral failings.


Adult type I choledochal cyst resection.
Type I choledochal cysts are characterized by fusiform dilatation of the common bile duct, commonly associated with an anomalous pancreatobiliary duct junction. Most are diagnosed in childhood, but the diagnosis may be delayed until adulthood. All type I choledochal cysts should be resected because of the risk of malignant degeneration. The steps for resecting a type I choledochal cyst are described. Through a right subcostal incision, the cyst is exposed and transected distally as it narrows within the pancreatic parenchyma. A total transmural excision of the extrahepatic biliary tree is performed. A retrocolic Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy restores biliary-enteric continuity. Thirty-day mortality is low and long-term outcomes are excellent.


Circadian preference links to depression in general adult population.
Preference to time the daily activities towards the evening hours has been associated with a greater likelihood for depression in earlier studies consisting of relatively small samples. In the current study, we analyzed the relationship between chronotype and depression using a combined population-based sample of 10,503 Finnish adults aged 25 to 74 years from the two national FINRISK 2007 and 2012 health examination studies. Our results confirmed that eveningness was significantly associated with the increased odds for a diagnosed depressive disorder, antidepressant medication, and depressive symptoms (p<0.0001 for each), after controlling for a range of depression-attributed and potential confounding factors. Regardless of depressive symptoms, Evening-types had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures, a smaller waist circumference, and a lower body weight than other chronotypes. A limitation to our study is that the assessment of chronotype and information about depression was based on the self-report information only. However, the big population-based sample, which is derived from a national health examination survey, is a major strength of our study. In conclusion, our study is in line the results from the previous, smaller sample size studies confirming that Evening-types have higher risk for depression than other chronotypes. This risk is elevated even among those Evening-types with sufficient amount of sleep.


Impact of body mass index on surgical coronary revascularization for ischaemic heart failure: insights from STICHES.
Patients with obesity and ischaemic heart failure may counter-intuitively have better outcomes compared with patients with normal body weight due to an 'obesity paradox'. This study sought to determine if body mass index (BMI) impacts the treatment effects or safety outcomes of the treatment of ischaemic heart failure with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We obtained and reviewed the Surgical Treatment of Ischaemic Heart Failure (STICHES) data for 1212 patients. We categorized obesity by the World Health Organization (WHO) classes to define baseline characteristics and test for treatment interactions for the primary and secondary STICHES outcomes by treatment groups. While CABG decreased the risk of death, there was no evidence of treatment interaction by BMI per 5 kg/m2 (P = 0.83) or WHO obesity class. For the overall cohort, there was no interaction by WHO obesity class for the cumulative incidence of death in either the medical therapy or CABG plus medical therapy (P-interaction = 0.90). There was a non-significant trend for higher BMI and a lower risk of death [hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-1.00, P = 0.051]. Increasing body size (per 5 kg/m2 ) was associated with return to the operating room (odds ratio 2.48, 95% CI 1.45-4.26, P < 0.001) and infectious mediastinitis (odds ratio 2.09, 95% CI 1.10-3.97, P = 0.024) at 30 days but not other 30 day safety outcomes. The benefit of CABG vs. medical therapy for ischaemic heart failure was consistent regardless of BMI or WHO obesity class for death or secondary clinical outcomes. However, higher BMI was associated with some short-term post-CABG complications.


Establishment of age group classification for risk stratification in glioma patients.
Age is associated with the prognosis of glioma patients, but there is no uniform standard of age-group classification to evaluate the prognosis of glioma patients. In this study, we aimed to establish an age group classification for risk stratification in glioma patients. 1502 patients diagnosed with gliomas at Nanfang Hospital between 2000 and 2018 were enrolled. The WHO grade of glioma was used as a dependent variable to evaluate the effect of age on risk stratification. The evaluation model was established by logistic regression, and the Akaike information criterion (AIC) value of the model was used to determine the optimal cutoff points for age-classification. The differences in gender, WHO grade, pathological subtype, tumor cell differentiation, tumor size, tumor location, and molecular markers between different age groups were analyzed. The molecular markers included GFAP, EMA, MGMT, P53, NeuN, Oligo2, EGFR, VEGF, IDH1, Ki-67, PR, CD3, H3K27M, TS, and 1p/19q status. The proportion of men with glioma was higher than that of women with glioma (58.3% vs 41.7%). Analysis of age showed that appropriate classifications of age group were 0-14 years old (pediatric group), 15-47 years old (youth group), 48-63 years old (middle-aged group), and ≥ 64 years old (elderly group).The proportions of glioblastoma and large tumor size (4-6 cm) increased with age (p = 0.000, p = 0.018, respectively). Analysis of the pathological molecular markers across the four age groups showed that the proportion of patients with larger than 10% area of Ki-67 expression or positive PR expression increased with age (p = 0.000, p = 0.017, respectively). Appropriate classifications of the age group for risk stratification are 0-14 years old (pediatric group), 15-47 years old (young group), 48-63 years old (middle age group) and ≥ 64 years old (elderly group). This age group classification is effective in evaluating the risk of glioblastoma in glioma patients.


[Rational use of bone marrow biopsy. longitudinal hemisection of samples, for simultaneous adaption of various histological preparations without loss of material (author's transl)].
Unfortunately, the combination of the superior histologic embedding technique for semi-thin sectioning of undecalcified bone in methacrylate with special methods in enzyme or immune histochemistry did not prove to be very successful up to now. These shortcomings are attributed to the influence of the embedding medium itself. They can be overcome by processing one part of a biopsy specimen after embedding in methacrylate, the other one after freezing. Optimal and comparable results have been obtained by a simple instrument for longitudinal hemi-sectioning of a cylindrical biopsy specimen of cancellous bone of adequate size, and by developing a suitable technique for the cutting of frozen sections of undecalcified bone. These methods are presented. Examples are given of the benefits of the simultaneous evaluation of one and the same biopsy-specimen with light-microscopic, ultramicroscopic, enzyme- and immun-histochemic technique.


Long-term survival following bronchotomy for polypoid bronchial carcinoid tumours.
Typical bronchial carcinoids are very low grade neuroendocrine neoplasm of the tracheobronchial tree and have very good results in surgical treatment. Surgical treatment varies from bronchotomy-excision to major resective procedures. We presented our results of bronchotomy, simple excision and long-term follow-up. In Atatürk Centre for Chest Disease and Chest Surgery, 16 patients with bronchial carcinoid tumour underwent bronchotomy-excision over a 23-year-period. In all of the cases tumours were in polypoid type. Except these 16 cases 51 patients with bronchial carcinoids underwent operations in the same period. Presenting symptoms were haemoptysis, cough, recurrent pulmonary infection, dyspnea and chest pain. Rigid bronchoscopies were performed on all of the patients preoperatively for diagnosis of the tumour and to determine the surgical procedure and we performed control bronchoscopies on all of the patients in their follow-up period. Patients were checked for periods ranging from 2 to 23 years both radiologically and bronchoscopically. We did not find any recurrences and death related to surgery and morbidity rate were minimal. We think that bronchotomy and simple excision are effective and safe procedures for the treatment of bronchial carcinoid tumours with low morbidity in selected cases like polypoid type lesions and have as good a long-term survival rate as the other surgical treatment methods have.


Resource-sharing in multiple-component working memory.
Working memory research often focuses on measuring the capacity of the system and how it relates to other cognitive abilities. However, research into the structure of working memory is less concerned with an overall capacity measure but rather with the intricacies of underlying components and their contribution to different tasks. A number of models of working memory structure have been proposed, each with different assumptions and predictions, but none of which adequately accounts for the full range of data in the working memory literature. We report 2 experiments that investigated the effects of load manipulations on dual-task verbal temporary memory and spatial processing. Crucially, we manipulated cognitive load around the measured memory span of each individual participant. We report a clear effect of increasing memory load on processing accuracy, but only when memory load is increased above each participant's measured memory span. However, increasing processing load did not affect memory performance. We argue that immediate verbal memory may rely both on a temporary phonological store and on activated traces in long-term memory, with the latter deployed to support memory performance for supraspan lists and when a high memory load is coupled with a processing task. We propose that future research should tailor the load manipulations to the capacities of individual participants and suggest that contrasts between models of working memory may be more apparent than real.


Heterogeneity and meiotic behaviour of B and sex chromosomes, banding patterns and localization of (TTAGGG)n sequences by fluorescence in situ hybridization in the neotropical water rat Nectomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae).
A cytogenetic study using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of telomere probes, CBG, GTG and RBG banding patterns and synaptonemal complex data was carried out in 41 specimens of Nectomys from three Brazilian states: Pernambuco, Mato Grosso and São Paulo. The specimens presented 2n = 52, 53, 56 and 57, and the differences in chromosome number were due to the presence of three different supernumeraries and also to the occurrence of tandem fusions. The tandem fusions involved chromosome pairs 3 + 11 and 5 + 24 from karyotype with 2n = 56 that originated pairs 1 and 4 in specimens with 2n = 52. Sex chromosome polymorphism was also detected, and the X presented three different morphologies, which could be explained by heterochromatin addition/deletion. FISH results revealed interstitial telomeric bands (ITBs) in a submetacentric B, but no ITB was detected in the chromosomes originated by tandem fusion. The supernumeraries presented a remarkable heterogeneity of size and morphology, constitutive heterochromatin pattern and localization of telomeric sequences. Synaptonemal complex by light and electron microscopy showed the supernumerary as an autopaired univalent. The sex chromosome pairing in meiotic cells involved the heterochromatic short arm of the X chromosome and the short arm of the Y chromosome.


Phase diagram for the transition from photonic crystals to dielectric metamaterials.
Photonic crystals and dielectric metamaterials represent two different classes of artificial media but are often composed of similar structural elements. The question is how to distinguish these two types of periodic structures when their parameters, such as permittivity and lattice constant, vary continuously. Here we discuss transition between photonic crystals and dielectric metamaterials and introduce the concept of a phase diagram, based on the physics of Mie and Bragg resonances. We show that a periodic photonic structure transforms into a metamaterial when the Mie gap opens up below the lowest Bragg bandgap where the homogenization approach can be justified and the effective permeability becomes negative. Our theoretical approach is confirmed by microwave experiments for a metacrystal composed of tubes filled with heated water. This analysis yields deep insight into the properties of periodic structures, and provides a useful tool for designing different classes of electromagnetic materials with variable parameters.


The quantitation of biotinylated compounds by a solid-phase assay using a 125I-labelled biotin derivative.
The biotin analogue biotinylglycyltyrosine has been synthesized and labelled to a specific activity of 2000 Ci/mmol with 125I. This analogue has been used in conjunction with immobilized streptavidin in an assay which detects as little as 1 fmol biotin or biotinylated molecules in solution. The determination of biotinylated insulin in a tissue extract and the quantitation of a transcription assay are given as examples.


A wide range of triglyceride levels is sufficient for fetal growth at gestational weeks 12-16, but higher triglyceride levels are associated with gestational hypertension.
To learn whether and how lipid levels are associated with gestational hypertension and fetal growth in normal pregnancy. In a case-control study course, 464 patients with gestational hypertension were pooled into a case group; a total of 1077 women with full-term pregnancies and no pregnancy complications were selected as controls. In a cross-sectional study, whether maternal lipid levels were associated with fetal growth were evaluated in 1077 healthy controls. Maternal lipids and glucose levels and fetal measurements. Maternal levels of triglyceride (TG) were significantly higher in the case group than in controls at gestational weeks 12-16. Levels of TG, total cholesterol (TC) and low-densitylipoprotein (LDL-C) in control mothers increased gradually and significantly with increasing gestational week, however, these lipid concentrations lost these steady elevating trends with gestational week increases in the cases. Binary logistic regression showed that TG is a risk factor associated with hypertension at gestational weeks 12-16 and independent to maternal blood levels of LDL-C and glucose. Of the healthy mothers at gestational weeks 12-16, quantile regression showed that TG levels were not associated with real-time fetal growth measurements or final birthweight. The reference standards for maternal TG levels were estimated via the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles by gestational week. Maternal TG levels are associated with gestational hypertension, and a wide range of TG levels is sufficient for fetal growth within a given gestational week.


Ultrastructural changes in cells of transplanted mammary gland carcinoma at different stages of their development.
The process of development and death of cells of primary mammary gland carcinoma was studied in rats in various hormonal situations, using electron microscopy. It was shown that the death of cancer cells is not preceded by their differential and specific functioning, which is postulated by certain authors. The problem of hormonal induction of the phenomenon of differentiation of malignantly degenerated cells is discussed.


Spectral classification by generative adversarial linear discriminant analysis.
Generative adversarial linear discriminant analysis (GALDA) is formulated as a broadly applicable tool for increasing classification accuracy and reducing overfitting in spectrochemical analysis. Although inspired by the successes of generative adversarial neural networks (GANs) for minimizing overfitting artifacts in artificial neural networks, GALDA was built around an independent linear algebra framework distinct from those in GANs. In contrast to feature extraction and data reduction approaches for minimizing overfitting, GALDA performs data augmentation by identifying and adversarially excluding the regions in spectral space in which genuine data do not reside. Relative to non-adversarial analogs, loading plots for dimension reduction showed significant smoothing and more prominent features aligned with spectral peaks following generative adversarial optimization. Classification accuracy was evaluated for GALDA together with other commonly available supervised and unsupervised methods for dimension reduction in simulated spectra generated using an open-source Raman database (Romanian Database of Raman Spectroscopy, RDRS). Spectral analysis was then performed for microscopy measurements of microsphereroids of the blood thinner clopidogrel bisulfate and in THz Raman imaging of common constituents in aspirin tablets. From these collective results, the potential scope of use for GALDA is critically evaluated relative to alternative established spectral dimension reduction and classification methods.