Coal chemical reverse osmosis concentrate treatment by membrane-aerated biofilm reactor system.
Coal chemical reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC), which is characterized by high salinity and high organics, remains as a serious environmental problem. In this study, a lab-scale three-stage membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) system was designed to treat such a ROC. The effects of influent salinity and operating parameters (pH, DO and HRT) on the treatment efficiency were discussed. The removal efficiencies of COD, NH4-N and TN under the optimal operating parameters reached to 81.01%, 92.31% and 70.72%, respectively. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) as well as shortcut nitrogen removal were achieved. The salinity less than 3% did not induce significant decrease in treatment efficiency and microbial communities. Moreover, the dominant phyla in biofilms were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. This work demonstrated MABR had great potential in ROC treatment.


Layered PtSe2 for Sensing, Photonic, and (Opto-)Electronic Applications.
Since the first experimental discovery of graphene 16 years ago, many other 2D layered nanomaterials have been reported. However, the majority of 2D nanostructures suffer from relatively complicated fabrication processes that have bottlenecked their development and their uptake by industry for practical applications. Here, the recent progress in sensing, photonic, and (opto-)electronic applications of PtSe2 , a 2D layered material that is likely to be used in industries benefiting from its high air-stability and semiconductor-technology-compatible fabrication methods, is reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of a range of synthesis methods for PtSe2 are initially compared, followed by a discussion of its outstanding properties, and industrial and commercial advantages. Research focused on the broadband nonlinear photonic properties of PtSe2 , as well as reports of its use as a saturable absorber in ultrafast lasers, are then reviewed. Additionally, the advances that have been achieved in a range of PtSe2 -based field-effect transistors, photodetectors, and sensors are summarized. Finally, a conclusion on these results along with the outlook for the future is presented.


High-dose influenza vaccine in older adults by age and seasonal characteristics: Systematic review and meta-analysis update.
This updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies published up to April 2023 assessed the relative performance of high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV) and standard-dose influenza vaccines (SD-IIV) against influenza-associated outcomes in older adults (≥65 years). The analysis included studies conducted over 12 influenza seasons (2009/2010 to 2019/2020, 2021/2022), including over 45 million individuals aged ≥ 65 years, and showed that HD-IIV provided significantly better protection than SD-IIV against influenza-like illness and influenza-related hospitalizations, as well as cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory, and all-cause hospitalizations. Subgroup analyses showed HD-IIV consistently provided better protection than SD-IIV against influenza outcomes across the age range (65+, 75+ 85+ years), and regardless of the predominantly circulating influenza strain and vaccine antigenic match/mismatch. Randomized studies continue to drive high-quality evidence on the effectiveness of high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine relative to SD-IIV against severe influenza outcomes in adults aged ≥ 65 years, supported by observational data.


Effects of acute stress on risky decision-making are related to neuroticism: An fMRI study of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task.
Decision making under acute stress is frequent in daily life. While evidence suggests for a modulatory role of neuroticism on risky decision-making behaviors, the neural correlates underlying the association between neuroticism and risky decision-making under acute stress remain to be elucidated. Based on a modified Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) with concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging, we evaluated the effect of acute stress on risk-taking behavior in 27 healthy male adults, and further assessed stress-induced changes in brain activation according to the individual differences in neuroticism. Higher trait neuroticism levels positively correlated with increased stress-modulated activation of the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex during risk-taking, and negatively correlated with decreased stress-modulated activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during cash-outs. Only male participants were recruited. We found a positive correlation between neuroticism and greater risk-taking behavior under acute stress. These results extend our understanding of the increased risk-taking propensity in high neurotic individuals under acute stress.


Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis for lipase-catalyzed hydrolytic resolution of (R,S)-alcohols though their azolyl carbamates.
A new approach to the lipase-catalyzed hydrolytic resolution of (R,S)-azolyl carbamates for obtaining chiral azolyl carbamates and alcohol is described. With (R,S)-1-phenylethyl azolyl carbamates as the model substrates, the best reaction condition of using (R,S)-1-phenylethyl 4-bromopyrazole carbamate (1) as the substrate in water-saturated diisopropyl ether at 45 °C is selected. The kinetic constants, and hence enantiomeric ratio of 124, are then estimated from the kinetic analysis by considering the alcohol inhibition effect, with which theoretical time-course conversions for both enantiomers are numerically solved and agree with the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters -ΔΔH and -ΔΔS satisfying a linear enthalpy-entropy compensation relationship of -ΔΔS = -38.84 + 3.29(-ΔΔH) are further estimated. An extension of the resolution platform to (R,S)-4-bromopyrazole carbamates derived from other (R,S)-alcohols (4, 5, 7) is also addressed.


Role of COX-2 in the enhanced vasoconstrictor effect of arachidonic acid in the diabetic rat kidney.
In the rat isolated perfused kidney, arachidonic acid elicits cyclooxygenase-dependent vasoconstriction through activation of PGH2/TxA2 receptors; responses are enhanced in kidneys from diabetic rats. This study examined the roles of cyclooxygenase-1/cyclooxygenase-2 in the enhanced renal vasoconstrictor effect of arachidonic acid in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Release of 20-HETE was also determined, as this eicosanoid has been reported to elicit cyclooxygenase-dependent vasoconstriction. We confirmed that vasoconstrictor responses to arachidonic acid were enhanced in the diabetic rat kidney associated with a 2-fold-greater increase in the release of 6-ketoPGF1alpha, which was used as an index of cyclooxygenase activity. One and three micrograms of arachidonic acid increased perfusion pressure by 85+/-37 and 186+/-6 mm Hg, respectively, in diabetic rat kidneys compared with 3+/-1 and 17+/-8 mm Hg, respectively, in control rat kidneys. Inhibition of both cyclooxygenase isoforms with indomethacin (10 micromol/L) abolished the vasoconstrictor response to arachidonic acid in both diabetic and control rat kidneys, whereas inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 with nimesulide (5 micromol/L) reduced perfusion pressure responses to 1 and 3 microg arachidonic acid only in the diabetic rat kidney to 15+/-8 and 108+/-26 mm Hg, respectively, consistent with a 3-fold increase in the renal cortical expression of cyclooxygenase-2. 20-HETE release from the diabetic rat kidney was reduced almost 6-fold and was not increased in response to arachidonic acid. These results demonstrate that the renal vasoconstrictor effect of arachidonic acid is solely dependent on cyclooxygenase activity, with no evidence for a contribution from 20-HETE; in the diabetic rat, cyclooxygenase-2 activity contributes to the renal vasoconstrictor effect of arachidonic acid.


Induction of HSP70 mRNA and HSP70 protein in the hippocampus of the developing gerbil following transient forebrain ischemia.
The effects of a 20-min transient episode of forebrain ischemia on the induction of HSP70 mRNA and protein, and the histopathological outcome in the hippocampus of the developing gerbil, were examined at postnatal days (P) 7, 15, 21 and 30 and in adulthood. 4 days after the ischemic episode, P7 gerbils did not show apparent histological abnormalities; however, from P15 onwards, ischemia resulted in necrosis in selected areas of the hippocampus. At P15 and P21, necrosis was observed in the base of the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus and in the CA3 pyramidal cell layer, whereas at P30 and adult necrosis was apparent in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer. HSP70 mRNA induction was not found in ischemic P7 and P15 gerbils while, from P21 onwards, induction was observed in the dentate gyrus and CA1 pyramidal cell layer. In addition, at P30 and adult, HSP70 mRNA expression was also seen in CA3 pyramidal cell layer. Induction of HSP70 immunoreactivity was not seen at P7 but, from P15 onwards, ischemia induced HSP70 immunoreactivity in different areas: in dentate gyrus granular and molecular layers, from P15 onwards; in CA1 pyramidal cell layer, from P21 onwards; and in CA3 pyramidal cell layer, from P30 onwards. Results show selective age-dependent patterns of vulnerability to ischemia in the gerbil hippocampus which, overall, were not well-correlated to the corresponding HSP70 mRNA and protein induction patterns.


Carbohydrate substitution for fat or protein and risk of type 2 diabetes in male smokers.
We examined the associations between carbohydrate substitutions (total; low-, medium-, high-glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates) for fat or protein and risk of type 2 diabetes. The cohort comprised 25,943 male smokers among whom 1098 diabetes cases were identified from a national register during a 12-year follow-up. Diet was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. The relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) for diabetes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard modeling, and multivariate nutrient density models were applied to examine the associations between substitutions of macronutrients and diabetes risk. The risk of diabetes was lower when fat or protein was replaced with an isoenergetic amount (2% of energy intake) of carbohydrates, the multivariate RRs were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.94, 0.99) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.90), respectively. The lower risks were due to replacing saturated plus trans fatty acids, and meat, milk or plant protein with carbohydrates, respectively. Low-, medium- or high-GI carbohydrates did not associate with lower diabetes risk when replacing fat or fatty acids, except when total fat was replaced with medium-GI carbohydrates. Low-, medium- and high-GI carbohydrates had similar inverse associations with diabetes risk when they replaced total, meat or milk protein. Higher carbohydrate intake at the expense of fat, attributable to trans and saturated fatty acids, or protein was associated with decreased diabetes risk. Replacing fat or protein with lower-GI carbohydrates was not more beneficial than replacing it with higher-GI carbohydrates.


Burnout during nursing education predicts lower occupational preparedness and future clinical performance: a longitudinal study.
Early-career burnout among nurses can influence health and professional development, as well as quality of care. However, the prospective occupational consequences of study burnout have not previously been investigated in a national sample using a longitudinal design. To prospectively monitor study burnout for a national sample of nursing students during their years in higher education and at follow-up 1 year post graduation. Further, to relate the possible development of study burnout to prospective health and life outcomes, as well as student and occupational outcomes. A longitudinal cohort of Swedish nursing students (within the population-based LANE (Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education/Entry) study) from all sites of education in Sweden was surveyed annually. Data were collected at four points in time over 4 years: three times during higher education and 1 year post graduation. : A longitudinal sample of 1702 respondents was prospectively followed from late autumn 2002 to spring 2006. Mean level changes of study burnout (as measured by the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, i.e. the Exhaustion and Disengagement subscales) across time, as well as prospective effects of baseline study burnout and changes in study burnout levels, were estimated using Latent Growth Curve Modeling. An increase in study burnout (from 30% to 41%) across 3 years in higher education was found, and levels of both Exhaustion and Disengagement increased significantly across the years in education (p<0.001). Baseline levels, as well as development of study burnout, predicted lower levels of in-class learner engagement and occupational preparedness in the final year. At follow-up 1 year post graduation, earlier development of study burnout was related to lower mastery of occupational tasks, less research utilization in everyday clinical practice and higher turnover intentions. The results suggest that study burnout may have interfered with learning and psychological well-being. Aspects related to work skills and intention to leave the profession were also affected. Thus, burnout development during higher education may be an important concern, and effective preventive measures to counteract burnout development may be necessary already at the outset of nursing education.


Increased 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase activity in blood mononuclear leukocytes from patients with advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
The activity of the interferon-induced enzyme 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2',5' An synthetase) was found to be increased in the lysates of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes obtained from 10 of 25 (40%) patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome). A positive association was found between the level of mean total synthetase activity and extent of involvement (stage) of disease. However, the leukocytes from two patients with relatively high proportions of neoplastic T-cells in the blood (Sézary syndrome) had negligible enzyme activity. It is speculated that increased interferon production in vivo may account for the observed enzyme changes in normal blood leukocytes from these patients, and that the neoplastic T-cell population is the most likely source of the presumed interferon production. Possible mechanisms and biologic consequences of high levels of endogenous interferon in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma are discussed.


External Corset Technique in a Patient With Anomalous Artery Supply to the Left Basal Segment.
Postoperative aneurysmal formation of the anomalous artery stump has been reported in the systemic arterial supply to the basal segment of the left lung, whereas the effective preventive strategy remains unclear. Herein we report a case successfully treated with a new external corset technique of an anomalous artery stump. A 54-year-old man with a history of repeated hemoptysis underwent a left lower lobectomy. The anomalous artery stump with a 1.1 cm diameter was wrapped using woven Dacron vascular graft. No aneurysmal change has been observed in the computed tomography obtained after 3 years of follow-up.


Accurate auto-labeling of chest X-ray images based on quantitative similarity to an explainable AI model.
The inability to accurately, efficiently label large, open-access medical imaging datasets limits the widespread implementation of artificial intelligence models in healthcare. There have been few attempts, however, to automate the annotation of such public databases; one approach, for example, focused on labor-intensive, manual labeling of subsets of these datasets to be used to train new models. In this study, we describe a method for standardized, automated labeling based on similarity to a previously validated, explainable AI (xAI) model-derived-atlas, for which the user can specify a quantitative threshold for a desired level of accuracy (the probability-of-similarity, pSim metric). We show that our xAI model, by calculating the pSim values for each clinical output label based on comparison to its training-set derived reference atlas, can automatically label the external datasets to a user-selected, high level of accuracy, equaling or exceeding that of human experts. We additionally show that, by fine-tuning the original model using the automatically labelled exams for retraining, performance can be preserved or improved, resulting in a highly accurate, more generalized model.


Purification and characterization of placental protein 5.
This report describes the purification of placental protein 5, PP5, from the human placenta by two affinity chromatography steps, the first with Heparin-Sepharose and the second with Sepharose-linked monoclonal anti-PP5 antibody. The final purification is achieved by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. In SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing or nonreducing conditions, PP5 purified in this study migrates as one major band at 36 kD. The previously purified PP5 is more heterogeneous: under nonreducing conditions it migrates at 30 kD and, after reduction, it gives three bands at 16.8 kD, 18.3 kD, and 19.0 kD. In Western blot analysis, both purified proteins react with polyclonal and monoclonal anti-PP5 antibodies. Three N-terminal amino acid sequences are obtained for the previously purified PP5, whereas the N-terminal of PP5 purified in this study is blocked. These results suggest that PP5 previously purified in the absence of protease inhibitors, does not represent the native form of PP5. Computer comparison of the obtained amino acid sequences revealed no significant homology to known protein sequences.


[Prevalence of HBV and HCV infections and incidence of HCV infection after 3, 6 and 12 months detention in La Santé prison, Paris].
The concentration of a marginal population (35% drug addicts) in prisons necessitates systematic and rigorous screening for hepatitis B and hepatitis C in subjects at risk. In June 1998, a screening program was initiated to determine the prevalence of HBV and HBC infections in prisoners and to determine the incidence after 3, 6 and 12 months detention. The screening program was proposed to 900 prisoners in a Paris prison (Maison d'arrêt de Paris-La Santé) from June 3 to November 10, 1998. The program included hepatitis B and hepatitis C serology at incarceration. For prisoners who were seronegative for HCV at incarceration, a new HCV serology was proposed after 3, 6 and 12 months detention. It was postulated that HCV contamination could occur during incarceration (syringe sharing, tattooing). After one year of incarceration, no seroconversions for HCV were observed among the prisoners participating in this study. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the particular detention conditions at the prison involved, raising important methodology interrogations concerning this type of survey.


5-hydroxytryptamine4 receptor agonists facilitate cholinergic transmission in the circular muscle of guinea pig ileum: antagonism by tropisetron and DAU 6285.
The effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), BIMU 8 (endo-N-(8-methyl-8-azabicyclo [3.2.1.] oct-3-yl)-2,3-dihydro-3-(1-methyl)ethyl-2-oxo-1H-benzimidazole-1- carboxamide hydrochloride) and cisapride was studied on the electrically-induced neurogenic cholinergic twitch contractions in the guinea pig ileum circular muscle. These compounds caused a concentration-dependent increase in the amplitude of submaximal twitch contractions with the following rank order of potency: 5-HT greater than BIMU 8 = cisapride. The effect of 5-HT was competitively antagonized by tropisetron (ICS 205-930) (apparent pA2 value: 6.4), suggesting an interaction at 5-hydroxytryptamine4 (5-HT4) receptors. The novel benzimidazolone derivative DAU 6285 (endo-6-methoxy-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo [3.2.1.] oct-3-yl-2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-1H-benzimidazole-1-carboxylate hydrochloride), antagonized the effect of 5-HT, BIMU 8 and cisapride with apparent pA2 values in the range 7.1-7.3. Our findings demonstrate that cholinergic neurones innervating the circular coat are endowed with excitatory 5-HT4 receptors. DAU 6285 is approximately 5-9-fold more potent than tropisetron as antagonist at these receptors.


Temporal patient state characterization using Iterative Order and Noise (ION) estimation: applications to anesthesia patient monitoring.
As more sensors are added to increasingly technology-dependent operating rooms (OR), physicians such as anesthesiologists must sift through an ever-increasing number of patient parameters every few seconds as part of their OR duties. To the extent these many parameters are correlated and redundant, manually monitoring all of them may not be an optimal physician strategy for assessing patient state or predicting future changes to guide their actions. The method is illustrated by application to seventy-six anesthetized patients for which thirty-two fundamental and derived variables were recorded at 20-second intervals. The Iterative Order and Noise estimation algorithm (ION) estimated the noise on each parameter. The performance of principal components analysis (PCA) was improved by normalizing the noise estimated by ION to unity. A linear regression of the resulting seven high signal-to-noise ratio principal components (PC's) predicted tachycardia 140 seconds in advance. ION estimated the noise on each parameter with sufficient accuracy to increase the number of significant PC's from two to seven, all of which had identifiable physiological correlates. The resulting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) suggested that a 70 percent prediction rate with 5 percent false alarms could be achieved. This paper illustrates the use of ION to improve significantly the performance of PCA in the efficient representation of patient state and in improving the performance of linear predictors of clinically significant parameters.


Quality of Life Rating for Dizziness: A Self-reporting Questionnaire.
The aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire in Kannada language which assesses the handicapping consequences of dizziness. A cross sectional study design and a convenient type of sampling was used to recruit the participants. A total of 36 participants in age range of (18-60 years of age) who reported to have dizziness or vertigo for at least three months of period and who knew to read and write in kannada language participated. The overall questionnaire was found to have an internal consistency α = 0.935 on cronbach's alpha test and for test retest reliability (r = 0.988) on intra-class correlation coefficient measure. The present studies provide International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health based questionnaire in kannada which can be used in the clinical set up to assess the quality of life (QOL) in individuals with Vertigo or Dizziness. It will also help to understand the impact of dizziness on QOL from individual's perspective.


Treatment of alcohol and other drug dependence.
Addiction (e.g., alcohol or drugs) is a chronic disease. Specific behavioral and pharmacological treatments have proven efficacy. Addressing addiction includes intervention for risky and problem use. Clinicians who are not addiction specialists can play important roles in addressing addiction.


Reporting Eye-tracking Studies In DEntistry (RESIDE) checklist.
To (i) provide a scoping review of eye-tracking studies in dentistry, and (ii) propose a "Reporting Eye-tracking Studies in DEntistry" (RESIDE) checklist to facilitate standard reporting of eye-tracking studies. A comprehensive search of six distinct electronic databases was undertaken. Pubmed, OVID, Wed of Knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane and Google Scholar were used to identify studies that employed eye-tracking technology and dentistry as a subfield STUDY SELECTION: 42 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies exhibited several inconsistencies or failed to report on the appropriate items in the RESIDE checklist. These essential components include ethical approval, sample size calculation, location and setting, eye-tracking device attributes, participant calibration, sequence of events, and eye-tracking metrics (quantitative, qualitative and data details). Evaluation of the published eye-tracking studies in this scoping review provides empirical data, highlighting the inconsistencies and limitations. Importantly, it illustrates the applicability of the RESIDE Checklist, which provides a comprehensive list of reporting elements to assist authors and reviewers of eye-tracking studies in dentistry. Also, RESIDE provides a framework to overcome critical issues to ensure high-quality scientific publications. A minimum threshold should be applied before accepting eye-tracking studies for publication in the future. RESIDE checklist promotes transparent and reproducible scientific communication about eye-tracking applications to dentistry. In addition, it provides a comprehensive list of reporting elements to assist authors and reviewers in ensuring high-quality scientific publications.


The Effect and Safety of Steroid Injection in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: With or Without Local Anesthetics.
To compare the long-term effect and safety of an epidural steroid injection in spinal stenosis patients, with or without local anesthetics. Twenty-nine patients diagnosed with spinal stenosis were included and randomly divided into two groups. Translaminar epidural and selective nerve root spinal injection procedures were performed using steroids mixed with local anesthetics or normal saline. The effects of spinal injection procedures were measured with visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional rate index (FRI). These measurements were performed before injection, at 1 month after injection and at 3 months after injection. The occurrence of side effects was investigated each time. The VAS and FRI scores were significantly reduced in both the local anesthetics group and normal saline group at 1 and 3 months after the injection. However, there was no significant difference in VAS and FRI score reduction between the two groups each time. Side effects are not noted in both groups. The spinal injection procedures using steroids mixed either with local anesthetics or normal saline have an effect in reducing pain and improving functional activities. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to side effects and the long-term effects of pain and function.


Capacity of adipose tissue to promote growth and metastasis of a murine mammary carcinoma: effect of estrogen and progesterone.
Previously we have shown that a murine mammary carcinoma cell line, designated SPI, grows and metastasizes more efficiently in the mammary gland than in the subcutis. In this report, we examine the tissue specificity of this phenomenon. Our results show that SPI cells grow best in the mesenteric and ovarian fat pads and well in the mammary gland, but very poorly in the subcutis or peritoneal cavity. Massive dissemination of tumors from the ovarian and mesenteric sites occurs to the liver, spleen and diaphragm. In contrast, metastases from the mammary site occur primarily in the lung. Co-transplantation of a threshold number of SPI cells with mammary or ovarian fat fragments into the subcutis results in increased tumor growth, whereas very few tumors form in sham controls receiving no fat fragments. Removal of the ovaries of donor and recipient mice abrogates tumor growth in adipose tissue transplants. Estrogen can stimulate growth of SPI in adipose tissue sites, whereas progesterone inhibits growth. In contrast, in vivo growth of a stable metastatic variant selected from SPI cells was not inhibited by progesterone. SPI cells growing in ovarian and mesenteric fat pads showed increased expression of estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, as well as detectable levels of epidermal-growth-factor receptors, whereas receptor levels decreased to baseline on tumors in the subcutis. The levels of estrogen-receptor mRNA reflect the corresponding functional expression of receptors; this finding suggests that the regulation of estrogen-receptor expression in this system is, at least in part, at the mRNA level. Our results are consistent with the model that adipose tissue exerts an estrogen-dependent positive regulatory effect on primary SPI tumor growth, and promotes the formation of metastases.


Ultrasonic harmonic scalpel in total thyroidectomies.
Haemostasis is very important in thyroid surgery. In conventional surgery, electrocoagulation and suture ligation are used for haemostasis; newer techniques include vessel clips, ultrasonic instruments and lasers. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the usage of the ultrasonic harmonic scalpel (UHS) with conventional procedures, in total thyroidectomies, for operation time, blood loss, usage of drain, cost, length of hospitalisation and complications. We examined 104 patients who underwent bilateral total thyroidectomy. They were divided randomly into two groups. Patients in Group I (n=54) underwent operations using conventional techniques (electrocautery and suture ligation) while patients in Group II (n=50) underwent operations using the UHS. Operation time, number of ligatures used, blood loss, intra-operative complications, weight of the specimen, necessity of drain, postoperative seroma, bleeding, infection, transient or permanent hypocalcaemia, permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and length of hospitalisation were recorded. The operation time was significantly longer in Group I (conventional) (105+/-16 minutes; mean+/-standard deviation) than Group II (UHS) (77.9+/-12.5 minutes; P<0.001). The mean blood loss was less in patients who were operated on with the UHS (25.3+/-10.2 g) than in patients operated on with conventional methods (59.5+/-33.9 g; P<0.001). The mean number of ligatures used in the UHS group was 5.3, which was significantly fewer than the mean of 51.6 ligatures used in the conventional methods group (P<0.001). Drains were also used less in the UHS operations (12%-59%; P<0.001). Use of the UHS in thyroid surgery results in decreased operation time, drain usage and amount of bleeding and does not increase postoperative complications. The UHS is an effective, reliable and less expensive technique for thyroid surgery.


ATF3 Reprograms the Bone Marrow Niche in Response to Early Breast Cancer Transformation.
Cancer is a systemic disease able to reprogram the bone marrow (BM) niche towards a protumorigenic state. The impact of cancer on specific BM subpopulations can qualitatively differ according to the signals released by the tumor, which can vary on the basis of the tissue of origin. Using a spontaneous model of mammary carcinoma, we identified BM mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as the first sensors of distal cancer cells and key mediators of BM reprogramming. Through the release of IL1B, BM MSCs induced transcriptional upregulation and nuclear translocation of the activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in hematopoietic stem cells. ATF3 in turn promoted the formation of myeloid progenitor clusters and sustained myeloid cell differentiation. Deletion of Atf3 specifically in the myeloid compartment reduced circulating monocytes and blocked their differentiation into tumor-associated macrophages. In the peripheral blood, the association of ATF3 expression in CD14+ mononuclear cells with the expansion CD11b+ population was able to discriminate between women with malignant or benign conditions at early diagnosis. Overall, this study identifies the IL1B/ATF3 signaling pathway in the BM as a functional step toward the establishment of a tumor-promoting emergency myelopoiesis, suggesting that ATF3 could be tested in a clinical setting as a circulating marker of early transformation and offering the rationale for testing the therapeutic benefits of IL1B inhibition in patients with breast cancer. Significance: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells respond to early breast tumorigenesis by upregulating IL1B to promote ATF3 expression in hematopoietic stem cells and to induce myeloid cell differentiation that supports tumor development.


Parietomotor connectivity in the contralesional hemisphere after stroke: A paired-pulse TMS study.
To assess the contralesional connectivity between the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and the motor cortex (M1) in stroke patients, and to probe putative relationships with spatial neglect and motor impairment. In 12 right-side stroke patients and 12 age-matched healthy controls, we used paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess the contralesional connectivity between three left-side PPC sites (the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), the posterior intraparietal sulcus and the superior parieto-occipital cortex (SPOC)) and M1. The interstimulus interval (ISI) was set to 4 or 6ms. Although there were no differences between the stroke patient group and the controls, a subgroup analysis showed that stimulation over the SPOC with an ISI of 6ms facilitated motor-evoked potential responses in patients with neglect (and especially those with severe peripersonal neglect), relative to non-neglect patients. With an ISI of 4ms, the aIPS exerted an inhibitory influence on M1 in all subjects. The severity of motor impairment was not associated with PPC-M1 connectivity. aIPS-M1 connectivity seems to be unaffected in stroke patients, whereas connectivity from the most posterior parts of the parietal cortex depends on the patient's neglect status. These results provide insight into post-stroke changes in contralesional PPC-M1 connectivity.


Environmental and demographic risk factors associated with the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in the Alice rural settlements of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: a pilot study.
We undertook this study to identify the risk factors and prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in HIV-positive and HIV-negative diarrhea patients in the Alice rural settlement in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of 180 stool specimens (35 HIV-positive diarrhea, 125 HIV-negative diarrhea patients, and 20 apparently healthy subjects) were screened for cryptosporidiosis using an ELISA-based approach. Sociodemographic information, water supply, and animal contact were recorded for diarrhea-positive patients. The data were analyzed using Pearson's chi2-test and Fisher's exact test. Cryptosporidium antigen was detected in 122 of 180 specimens (overall prevalence=67.8%). In HIV-positive diarrhea patients, the age groups 31-43 years (mean age 36.5 years) and 70-82 years (mean age 75.8 years) had a higher prevalence (100%) of the antigen than age groups 18-30 years (mean age 23.2 years) and 83-95 years (mean age 88.8 years) (50.0%). In HIV-negative diarrhea patients, the prevalence was highest (87.5%) at ages 18-30 years (mean age 23.2 years) and lowest (35.7%) at ages 83-95 years (mean age 88.8 years). Cryptosporidium antigenemia was slightly higher in females (78.2%, mean age 46.7 years) than in males (71.1%, mean age 42.6 years), but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). No apparently healthy control subject was infected with Cryptosporidium. HIV-negative patients had a significantly higher prevalence of antigen than HIV-positive patients, with farm animals considered a possible risk factor. In HIV-positive diarrhea patients, the prevalence peak was detected in more low income patients (85.7%) than in high income patients (32%). The high infection rate of specific groups was associated with exposure to a contaminated water supply. The results indicate that Cryptosporidium infection is highly prevalent in adult fecal specimens from the Nkonkobe Municipality, an indication of active infection that is likely to emerge as a major human pathogen in this locality owing to socioeconomic changes that favor transmission.


Characterization and application of porous gold nanoparticles as 2-photon luminescence imaging agents: 20-fold brighter than gold nanorods.
Two-photon nonlinear microscopy with the aid of plasmonic contrast agents is an attractive bioimaging technique capable of generating high-resolution images in 3 dimensions and facilitating targeted imaging with deep tissue penetration. In this work, physically synthesized gold nanoparticles containing multiple nanopores are used as 2-photon contrast agents and are reported to emit a 20-fold brighter 2-photon luminescence as compared to typical contrast agents, that is, gold nanorods. A successful application of our porous gold nanoparticles is experimentally demonstrated by in vitro nonlinear optical imaging of adipocytes at subcellular level.


Autophagy-endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibition mechanism of superoxide dismutase in the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Nephrolithiasis is a common disease in urology, and its pathogenesis is associated with various factors. Recent studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) can promote autophagy in the formation of kidney stones and exacerbate kidney injury. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), a key factor in regulating intracellular environmental homeostasis, is also directly related to ROS production. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD) on autophagy-ERS response during the formation of calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney stones in rats. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): normal control group, stone model group, stone model with atorvastatin group, and stone model with diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DETC) group. Rat models of CaOx kidney stones were established by intragastric administration of 0.75 % ethylene glycol for 4 weeks. Kidney/body weight was used to assess renal enlargement. Renal function was assessed by measuring serum SOD, creatinine (CRE), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3B and BECN1 was detected through immunohistochemical staining. Meanwhile, the expression of autophagy-ERS response-related proteins LC3B, BECN1, p62, GRP78, and CHOP was detected using Western blot and RT-PCR. Renal tubular injury markers neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule 1 (Kim-1) were determined through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The apoptosis of renal tubular cells and the expression of their signature proteins cleaved Caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected using Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and Western blot assays, respectively. Crystal deposition and histological tissue injury were assessed through Von Kossa staining. Compared with the control group, the stone model group showed higher kidney/body weight ratio; evidently higher expression of autophagy-ERS response- and apoptosis-related proteins LC3B, BECN1, GRP78, CHOP, Bax and cleaved Caspase-3; and lower levels of p62, bcl-2 protein, and SOD. The stone model group also showed higher levels of apoptosis, serum CRE, BUN, NGAL, and Kim-1, as well as considerably greater crystal deposition and renal injury, than the control group. Atorvastatin reduced the levels of autophagy-ERS response, kidney injury, and crystal deposition, but they were increased by DETC. Enhanced SOD activity can protect the kidneys by reducing autophagy-ERS response and CaOx kidney stone formation. Atorvastatin may be a new option for the prevention and treatment of nephrolithiasis.


Expression of glucose oxidase by using recombinant yeast.
The glucose oxidase gene (GO) of Aspergillus niger was cloned into the yeast shuttle vector YEp352 with combinations of various promoters and terminators, and then used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Expressed GO was successfully secreted into culture medium due to the presence of the intrinsic signal peptide of GO. Four different promoters fused to GO were tested: bidirectional galactose dehydrogenase 1 and 10 (GAL1, GAL10) promoters, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter and an yeast hybrid ADH2-GPD promoter consisting of alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) and GPD promoter. The intrinsic terminator of GO as well as the GAL7 terminator were also compared for better production of GO. Deletion of most of the terminating region from GO yielded only a slight amount of GO while the presence of either terminator greatly increased GO production. The GAL10 promoter produced the least amount of GO, GAL1 and GPD promoters were moderate, and the ADH2-GPD hybrid promoter was the best among all tested. However, the hybrid promoter was tightly regulated by the presence of an excess amount of either glucose or ethanol, and it appeared that 2% glucose and 1. 5% ethanol supplement was the best concentration for GO production. It was possible to produce 260 IU ml(-1) of GO, an equivalent of 5 g l(-1), under the presence of 2% glucose and 1.5% ethanol. UV mutagenesis of a recombinant S. cerevisiae was also applied and it further increased the yield of GO to 460 IU ml(-1) under the presence of 2% glucose and 1.5% ethanol without any changes in cell growth. Corn steep liquor which is commonly used in bioindustry is a good alternative substrate for high priced glucose for the hybrid promoter and suggests a cost effective means for commercial mass production of GO using recombinant yeast.


Mallet Finger: Two Different Injuries.
Mallet injuries, either tendinous or bony, are common. They are often studied together and typically treated in the same way with extension splintage for 6 to 8 weeks. Yet the evidence clearly shows there are different injuries that present in the same way. Tendinous mallet injuries present in older patients usually following a low energy injury; they are often painless. The commonly injured fingers are the middle and ring. The injuries are almost always single digit without concomitant injuries. There is an extensor lag of a mean of 310 (range 3°-590) in the patients treated in my unit. In contrast, bony mallet injuries occur at a younger age (mean 40 years) and are always due to high energy injuries. The injuries are always painful. The commonly injured fingers are the ring and little fingers. There are multiple injuries in 3% (range 2%-5%) and in 4% to 8% of cases, there are concomitant (nondigital) injuries according to data in my unit. Radiologically there is an appreciably smaller extensor lag; mean 130 (range 0°-400). In particular, bony mallet injuries are extension compression, not avulsion, fractures which should not logically be treated with an extension splint which will reproduce the direction of injury.


Management of the pregnant mare and long-term consequences on the offspring.
The study of early developmental conditioning of health and disease in adulthood is particularly relevant in the horse, which is bred mainly to perform in demanding sport challenges. On the basis of this concept, the management of the broodmare could be considered an effective means to produce animals with the desired features. Knowledge on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease in the equine species remains relatively scarce, with some experimental studies and one single epidemiologic study. Data highlight the determinant role of the maternal environment for postnatal body conformation, immune response, energy homeostasis, osteoarticular status and thyroidal, adrenocortical, and cardiovascular functions of the foal. Most research, however, focuses on the first months/years after birth. Long-term effects on the adult horse phenotype have not been investigated so far.


Maprotiline in the treatment of endogenous depression: comparison of therapeutic effect with serotonin level in blood platelets.
In blood platelets of untreated patients with endogenous depression a significantly lower concentration of serotonin (5-HT) was found than in healthy persons (P less than 0.05). The patients were afterwards divided into two groups: group I with mild symptoms of depression (total scores by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale below 40) and group II with severe depression (total scores above 40). The gradual diminishing of symptoms in both groups was accompanied by no change in 5-HT level in the first group and by progressive and well marked increases in platelet 5-HT content in the second one, attaining average normal values at the end of week 3 of treatment with maprotiline. In in vitro experiments maprotiline inhibited the uptake of 5-HT into blood platelets of healthy persons less than doxepin. After injection of maprotiline in rats (50 mg/kg IP) the turnover rate of 5-HT in the brain was only marginally affected if measured by 5-HT rise and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) decline after administration of the MAO inhibitor pargyline, or by estimation of 5-HIAA increase after blocking active transport with probenecid. However, after treatment with maprotiline alone, the 5-HIAA level in the rat brain was significantly increased, although the concentration of 5-HT was not altered. These results suggest: a) the possibility of an action of maprotiline on serotoninergic neurons and b) the suitability of blood platelets as a model for such an investigation.


['Commitment-adequate' personality diagnosis using the Seitz (revised) Personality Questionnaire for Prisoners within the scope of forensic-psychologic-psychiatric expert assessment].
In this contribution, the necessity and expediency, but also the limits of the application of psychodiagnostic methods within the scope of forensic-psychological-psychiatric expertises are discussed. A survey is given on results of statistical analysis, revision and validation gained with a personality questionnaire relevant to prison situation (PFI acc. Seitz, 1983).


FGF10/FGF17 as prognostic and drug response markers in acute myeloid leukemia.
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) play important roles in solid tumor progression. Little is known about the function and the prognostic value of distinct FGFs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We used dataset from Beat AML to screen the FGFs family in AML by log-rank test. Subsequently, we identified the biological functions and the crucial signaling pathways associated with these screened FGFs using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). In addition, IC50 from 122 small-molecule inhibitors was used to explore the relationship between these signaling pathways and targets of sensitive inhibitors. Among the FGFs family, over expressions of FGF10/FGF17 were found to be significantly associated with poor prognosis. FGF10 over expression was related to FLT3 and NPM1 mutations, and FGF17 over expression was linked to MUC12 and ZRSR2 mutations. Some cancer-related pathways such as PI3K-Akt, MAPK were significantly enriched by GSEA, and these pathways were concordant with sensitive inhibitors targeted pathways. Our results indicated that FGF10 and FGF17 could be prognostic biomarkers for survivals of AML patients, and potential therapeutic targets for small-molecule inhibitors.


Current and future applications of dried blood spots in viral disease management.
Almost five decades after their first application in diagnostics, dried blood spot (DBS) cards remain to be of key interest in many research areas and clinical applications. The advantages of sample stability during transport and storage, can now be combined with the high sensitivity of novel diagnostic techniques for the measurement and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules which may overcome the limitations of the small samples sizes in DBS cards. Here we present a survey of the literature on the use of DBS cards for diagnosis, monitoring and epidemiological studies of virus infections other than HIV, including CMV, HBV, HCV, HAV, HEV, HTLV, EBV, HSV, measles-, rubella- and dengue-virus. The minimal invasiveness of sampling and the relative ease of handling and storing DBS cards is expected to offer additional opportunities to measure and analyze biomarkers of viral disease in resource poor settings or when limited amount of blood can be obtained. Large retrospective studies of virus infections in newborns using stored DBS cards have already been undertaken for screening of congenital infections. In addition, DBS cards have been used prospectively for prevalence studies, outbreak surveillance, mass screening for viral infections, follow-up of chronic infection and its treatment in resource-limited areas. We do not expect that current wet sampling techniques of plasma or serum will be replaced by DBS sampling but it allows extension of sampling in persons and settings that are currently difficult to access or that lack suitable storage facilities. In conclusion, DBS card sampling and storage will aid adequate outbreak management of existing and emerging viral diseases.


Normal values of regional and global myocardial wall motion in young and elderly individuals using navigator gated tissue phase mapping.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate normal values for regional and global myocardial wall motion parameters in young and elderly individuals, as detected by navigator gated high temporal resolution tissue phase mapping. Radial, longitudinal and circumferential ventricular wall motion, as well as ventricular torsion and longitudinal strain rates, were assessed in two age groups of volunteers, 23 ± 3 (n = 14) and 66 ± 7 years old (n = 9), respectively. All subjects were healthy, non-smokers without known cardiac disease. An increased global left ventricular (LV) torsion rate (peak systolic torsion rate 20.6 ± 2.0 versus 14.5 ± 1.0°/s/cm, peak diastolic torsion rate -25.2 ± 1.8 versus -14.1 ± 1.3°/s/cm) and a decrease in longitudinal LV motion (peak systolic values at mid-ventricle 5.9 ± 0.5 versus 8.5 ± 0.8 cm/s, peak diastolic values -10.7 ± 0.7 versus -15.2 ± 0.9 cm/s) in the older age group were the most prominent findings. Lower peak diastolic radial velocities with a longer time-to-peak values, most pronounced at the apex, are consistent with reduced diastolic function with ageing. Lower peak clockwise and counter-clockwise velocities at all LV levels revealed limitations in resting LV rotational motions in the older group. Significant changes in the undulating pattern of the rotational motions of the left ventricle were also observed. The results demonstrate distinct changes in regional and global myocardial wall motion in elderly individuals. Increased LV torsion rate and reduced LV longitudinal motion were particularly prominent in the older group. These parameters may have a role in the assessment of global LV contractility and help differentiate age-related changes from cardiac disease.


Locomotor activity initiated by microinfusions of picrotoxin into the ventral tegmental area.
Ambulatory activity in rats was increased in a dose-related manner by microinjections of picrotoxin, a GABA antagonist, bilaterally into the ventral tegmental area. Microinjections of strychnine, a glycine antagonist, had no effect on activity. The ambulatory activity induced by microinjections of picrotoxin into the ventral tegmental area was significantly attenuated when the nucleus accumbens was pretreated with spiroperidol, a dopamine antagonist. These findings provide additional evidence that dopaminergic (A10) neurons projecting from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, contribute to locomotor activity. It is suggested that picrotoxin disinhibits the A10 dopaminergic neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens.


Chronic sodium depletion suppresses the area postrema pressor pathway.
Sodium depletion in dogs is known to affect both the renin-angiotensin as well as the sympathetic nervous system. The effect of this dietary regime upon the area postrema pressor pathway, as evaluated by the cardiovascular responses to centrally acting angiotensin II, has not been determined previously. With this in mind, male mongrel dogs were maintained on either a normal or a sodium restricted diet supplemented with furosemide and dose-response curves for intravertebral and intravenous angiotensin II (range: 1-20 ng/kg/min) were obtained. Sodium depletion results in not only a blunted intravenous pressor response to angiotensin II but also the abolition of the centrally mediated pressor responses mediated by the area postrema. Because accumulating evidence indicates that in sodium depleted dogs sympathetic nerve activity is reduced while central noradrenergic inhibitory activity is increased the reduced effects of angiotensin II upon the central sympathetically mediated pressor response may in part be related to decreases in sympathetic nerve activity.


Regulation of synthesis of the larval serum proteins of Drosophila melanogaster.
We have determined the relative amounts of subunits of larval serum proteins (LSPs) 1 and 2 during larval development in Drosophila melanogaster. These results indicate that synthesis of polypeptide subunits of LSP-1 and LSP-2 is coordinate: the proteins are first detected at the same time; they accumulate in a coordinate fashion; their RNAs are first detected at the same time; the RNAs also accumulate in similar relative amounts. Analyses of fat body polypeptides and fat body RNA indicate that synthesis of LSP-1 declines at a time when there are still substantial quantities of LSP-1 RNA in the cytoplasm. Cessation of LSP-1 subunit synthesis occurs before cessation of LSP-2 synthesis, indicating that at late times the genes (or mRNAs) for these two proteins are subject to different "switch-off" controls.


Prognosis of patients over 75 years of age with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Forty-seven patients (34 males and 13 females) over 75 years of age (mean: 79.7 +/- 3.8 SD) suffering from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm were operated on between 1977 and 1986. In 16 patients (34%), the aneurysm had been diagnosed previously. Seventeen patients (36%) had a delay of 6 hours or more in the beginning of the treatment and 26 (55%) were in shock preoperatively. The mean diameter of the aneurysms was 8.9 +/- 2.6 cm (SD) and the mean operative bleeding was 8.5 +/- 7.8 (SD) liters. The mean operating time was 220 +/- 96 (SD) minutes. The 1-month mortality was 60% (28 patients) and 63% (12 patients) of survivors had postoperative complications, mostly pneumonia. The 5-year survival rate was 26%. In the analysis of risk factors associated with death, preoperative shock, old age, and a previously diagnosed but untreated abdominal aortic aneurysm were associated with a significantly worse prognosis.


What treatments do patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia get?
In a retrospective study 100 patients with DSM-III-R/ICD-10 panic disorder and agoraphobia (PDA) were interviewed about the psychopharmacological, psychological and 'alternative' treatments they had received in the course of their illness. Patients gave global statements about how satisfied they were with the various treatments they had experienced. Many patients received treatments that have never been investigated under controlled conditions. The most common drug treatments, in descending order, were: 48% benzodiazepines, 42% tricyclic antidepressants, 32% herbal preparations, 29% neuroleptics, 7% selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and 6% beta blockers. Of the drug prescriptions, 63% were according to international standards. Of the neuroleptics, two-thirds (63.3%) were prescribed by nonpsychiatric physicians, and only one-third by psychiatrists (33.3%). Tricyclic antidepressants were prescribed more often by psychiatrists (64.7%) than by non-psychiatrists (31.4%). Among psychological treatments, autogenic training (43% of the patients) and psychodynamic therapy (33%) were used far more frequently than behavioural/cognitive therapy (20%). These results confirm the underutilisation of available effective treatments for panic disorder (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants or behavioural therapy) and the overutilisation of treatments without proven efficacy (e.g. herbal preparations or autogenic training). Patients were most satisfied with treatments that have been proven effective in controlled studies. Among drug treatments, benzodiazepines, selective serotonin inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants were favoured (mean on a 0-4 scale indicating effectiveness: 2.6, 2.6 and 2.4). Neuroleptics (1.4), beta-blockers (1.0) and herbal preparations (0.9) were not rated highly effective by the patients. Among psychological treatments, patients were more satisfied with behavioural/cognitive therapy (2.6) than with psychodynamic therapies (1.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Protein analysis on a genomic scale.
Methods for protein analysis, such as chromatography, electrophoresis, enzyme tests, receptor assays and immunological tests, have always been aimed in a classical reductionistic manner at investigating single proteins isolated from the complex protein composition of biological compartments. The complexity of the protein composition in biological systems was first visualized by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Using 2-DE like a molecular microscope, protein variations between different biological situations may be detected by subtractive 2-DE analyses. Combining 2-DE with microsequencing, amino acid analysis and mass spectrometry protein spots on 2-DE gels may be identified. The sequence information can be used to find the gene. However, by 2-DE not only single protein changes can be detected and investigated on the gene level, but also complex changes of many proteins on a genomic scale.


Role of quorum sensing-based regulation in development of anaerobic ammonium oxidation process.
Shortage of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) sludge greatly limits the extensive full-scale application of anammox-based processes. Although numerous start-up strategies have been proposed, the interaction among microbial consortia and corresponding mechanism during the process development remain unknown. In this study, three reactors were established based on different seed sludges. After 27 days, the anammox process inoculated with anammox granules and activated sludge (1:5) was firstly achieved, and the highest nitrogen removal rate was 1.17 kg N m-3 d-1. Correspondingly, the anammox activity and abundances of related functional genes increased. Notably, the dominant anammox bacteria shifted from Candidatus Kuenenia to Candidatus Brocadia. Metagenomic analysis indicated that quorum sensing-based regulation mainly contributed to the proliferation and accumulation of anammox bacteria. This work provides an insight into the quorum sensing (QS)-regulated microbial interactions in the anammox and activated sludge consortia during the process development.


Review of Current Vaccine Development Strategies to Prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, in 2019 resulted in a pandemic not seen for a century, and there is an urgent need to develop safe and efficacious vaccines. The scientific community has made tremendous efforts to understand the disease, and unparalleled efforts are ongoing to develop vaccines and treatments. Toxicologists and pathologists are involved in these efforts to test the efficacy and safety of vaccine candidates. Presently, there are several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in clinical trials, and the pace of vaccine development has been highly accelerated to meet the urgent need. By 2021, efficacy and safety data from clinical trials are expected, and potentially a vaccine will be available for those most at risk. This review focuses on the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development efforts with emphasis on the nonclinical safety assessment and discusses emerging preliminary data from nonclinical and clinical studies. It also provides a brief overview on vaccines for other coronaviruses, since experience gained from these can be useful in the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. This review will also explain why, despite this unprecedented pace of vaccine development, rigorous standards are in place to ensure nonclinical and clinical safety and efficacy. [Box: see text].


Prostaglandin mediated inflammatory changes induced by alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation in the sympathectomised rabbit eye.
Topical application of 50 microliter of 0.1% noradrenaline or 10% phenylepherine to either a surgically sympathectomised or a guanethidine treated rabbit eye induced a transient increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), between 90 and 150 min, followed by a fall to hypotensive levels. These changes were accompanied by the development of conjunctival and anterior uveal hyperemia and an aqueous flare. Fluorescein angiography and microscopic examination after intravenously injecting colloidal carbon showed that the major site of disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier occurs in the ciliary processes. Slightly elevated levels of protein and prostaglandin-like activity (PG) were detected in aqueous samples withdrawn 3 or 5 h after application of either adrenergic agent. Prior treatment with indomethacin or phentolamine prevented the ocular hypertensive phase as well as the inflammatory changes, suggesting that the inflammatory rebound is mediated by PG and that PG release under such circumstances is closely linked to alpha-adrenoceptor activation. By contrast, the rise in IOP occurring after each of several successive daily applications of an alpha-agonist to a normal rabbit eye was not accompanied by hyperemia or an aqueous flare and was not inhibited by indomethacin pretreatment.


A novel effect of adenovirus VA RNA1 on cytoplasmic mRNA abundance.
Adenovirus VA RNA1 is a small RNA polymerase III transcript that enhances mRNA translation both in transfected cells and during a lytic virus infection. Here we present evidence that VA RNA1 also, in length-dependent manner, increases cytoplasmic mRNA abundance in transient expression assays in 293 cells.


Proteinase binding and enhancing factor from human skin.
Fresh human skin extract made in salt solution after a prior buffer extraction was shown to enhance the hydrolysis of N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine beta-naphthylamide (BANA) by trypsin. This trypsin enhancing effect was further shown to be both stabilizing and activating. After chromatography on Sephadex G-100, the trypsin binding factor was found in fractions of void volume. Protease binding took place in physiological and hypotonic but not in hypertonic NaCl-solutions (0.5 mol/l). The proteinase binding factor was further purified by trypsin-Sepharose 4 B affinity chromatography. It was found to bind also chymotrypsin and elastase and to be thermostable (100 degrees C for 20 min), precipitable at acidic pH (3.5), and by acetone and ammonium sulphate (60% saturation). The bound proteinases were found to preserve their hydrolytic activity towards protein substrates. Bound trypsin and chymotrypsin could completely be inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor. The binding factor did not react with anti-human-alfa2-macroglobulin antiserum from rabbit.


Behaviorally conditioned suppression of murine T-cell dependent but not T-cell independent antibody responses.
The aversive and immunosuppressive effects of cyclophosphamide (CY, 250 mg/kg IP), an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), were paired with the presentation of a novel saccharine flavored drinking solution (SAC), a conditioned stimulus (CS), in female Balb/c mice. The objective was to determine the temporal relationship between presentation of the CS (SAC) and immunization with sheep red blood cell (SRBCs), a T-cell dependent antigen, and type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (S3), a T-cell independent antigen, on subsequent antibody responses. Reexposure to the CS or UCS occurred on days -4, -2, 0, +2, or +4 relative to immunization. Primary antibody responses in each group were measured six days following immunization. A strong association between the CS and the UCS developed, producing flavor aversions as evidenced by decreased SAC consumption. CY administration by itself consistently suppressed both types of antibody responses. CS presentation (i.e., SAC) had no significant effect on anti-S3 antibody response. However, the anti-SRBC response was significantly depressed following CS exposure. Exposure to the CS only on days -4 or +2 relative to immunization resulted in statistically significant suppression of antibody response to SRBC's while exposure on days -2, 0, and +4 resulted in anti-SRBC antibody suppression that did not reach significance. These results support the hypothesis that conditioning of antibody responses is relatively specific for T-cell dependent antigens, and that the timing of CS presentation relative to immunization is important in conditioning a suppression of antibody responses.


Whole-Genome Analysis of Human Papillomavirus Types 16, 18, and 58 Isolated from Cervical Precancer and Cancer Samples in Chinese Women.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18 and 58 are ranked the top three high-risk HPV types for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive carcinoma. We aimed to evaluate the diversity of HPV16, HPV18, and HPV58 genetic variants by HPV capture technology combined with next generation sequencing. 295, 73, and 148 variations were observed in 51 HPV16, 7 HPV18, and 11 HPV58 genomes, respectively. HPV16 isolates were predominantly of the A variant lineage, and sublineage A4 (Asian) was the most common. However, there were no significant differences in the distribution of HPV16 A1-3 and A4 variants between CIN1-, CIN2/3, and cervical cancer groups. The 7 HPV18 genomes were assigned to the A3/A4 and A1 sublineages. Of the 11 HPV58 genomes, the most predominant variant sublineages were A2, followed by A1 and B2. The majority of HPV16/18 samples containing contiguous genomic deletions were found to harbor HPV integration. Some T-cell epitope sequences in HPV16 E6 and E7 showed considerable divergence from the prototype NC_001526, suggesting their importance in immunotherapy of HPV-associated carcinomas. In conclusion, sequence diversity and phylogenies of HPV16, 18, and 58 provide the basis for future studies of discrete viral evolution, epidemiology, pathogenicity, and the differences in response to vaccines.


Comparison of navigator-gated and breath-held image acquisition techniques for multi-echo quantitative dixon imaging of the liver in children and young adults.
Acquired over a breath hold, multi-echo Dixon (mDixon) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver can be used to quantify proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and iron-related signal decay. However, young, obese, and co-morbid patients may have limited breath holding capacity and could benefit from a motion-robust mDixon acquisition. The purpose of this study was to compare hepatic PDFF and R2* values between navigator-gated and breath-held mDixon MRI acquisition techniques in children and young adults with suspected liver disease. This retrospective study was institutional review board-approved with a waiver of informed consent. Patients who underwent liver MRI with breath-held and navigator-gated mDixon sequences between January 2017 and July 2018 were included. One reviewer, blinded to sequence, measured PDFF and R2* on four images from each sequence. Another blinded reviewer graded respiratory motion (5-point Likert scale). Pearson correlation (r), Lin's concordance coefficients (rc), and Bland-Altman analyses were used to assess agreement between techniques. Frequency of clinically limiting motion (score ≥ 3) was compared with Fisher's exact test. Forty-two patients were included (15 female, 27 male; mean age: 15.7 ± 4.6 years). Mean PDFF and R2* were 16.6 ± 13.1% and 29.3 ± 4.7 s-1 (breath-held) versus 17.0 ± 13.2% and 29.6 ± 5.2 s-1 (navigator-gated). PDFF agreed almost perfectly between sequences (rc = 0.997, 95% CI 0.994-0.998; mean bias: 0.3%; 95% limits of agreement: - 2.4 to +1.7%), while R2* values correlated very strongly but with poor agreement (r = 0.837, rc = 0.832, 95% CI 0.716-0.910). Navigator-gated images exhibited significantly higher frequency of clinically limiting respiratory motion (88% vs. 48%, p = 0.0001). Despite greater respiratory motion artifact, a free-breathing navigator-gated mDixon sequence produces PDFF values with almost perfect agreement to a breath-held sequence.


Fluorescence imaging of Cys in keratinocytes upon UVB exposure using phenyl doped graphitic carbon nitride Nanosheets-Au nanoparticles nanocomposite.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes damages to human skin. The depletion of glutathione (GSH) to scavenge ROS can protect skin cells from oxidative damage. However, little is known about the concentration level changes of cysteine (Cys), a precursor of GSH in skin cells after exposure to UVB irradiation. Herein, phenyl doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets-Au nanoparticles nanocomposite was prepared by in situ deposition of Au nanoparticles on the surface of phenyl doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and showed a turn-on fluorescence response toward Cys over homocysteine, glutathione under physiological conditions. In the presence of Cys, remarkable enhancement of green fluorescence was observed. This nanocomposite was successfully applied for fluorescence imaging of Cys in human skin epidermal cells and monitoring the changes of Cys concentration level under the oxidative stress upon exposure to UVB irradiation in keratinocytes. It was found that the concentration of Cys was increased in the initial period after exposure to UVB irradiation and then gradually decreased to the normal level for the synthesis of GSH to defense the oxidative stress. Our result helps to understand the physiological function of Cys in human skin cells under UVB exposure.


De novo assembly and analysis of the transcriptome of Ocimum americanum var. pilosum under cold stress.
Ocimum americanum var. pilosum is a chilling-sensitive, widely distributed plant that is consumed as a vegetable in central and southern China. To increase our understanding of cold stress responses in this species, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly for O. americanum var. pilosum and compared the transcriptomes of plants grown under normal and low temperatures. A total of 115,022,842 high quality, clean reads were obtained from four libraries (two replicates of control samples and two replicates of chilling-treated samples) and were used to perform de novo transcriptome assembly. After isoforms were considered, 42,816 unigenes were generated, 30,748 of which were similar to known proteins as determined by a BLASTx search (E-value < =1.0E-05) against NCBI non-redundant, Swiss-Prot, Gene Ontology, KEGG, and Cluster of COG databases. Comparative analysis of transcriptomes revealed that 5179 unigenes were differentially expressed (with at least 2-fold changes, FDR < 0.01) in chilling-treated samples, and that 2344 and 2835 unigenes were up- and down-regulated by chilling stress, respectively. Expression of the 10 most up-regulated and the five most down-regulated unigenes was validated by qRT-PCR. To increase our understanding of these differentially expressed unigenes, we performed Gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. The CBF-mediated transcriptional cascade, a well-known cold tolerance pathway, was reconstructed using our de novo assembled transcriptome. Our study has generated a genome-wide transcript profile of O. americanum var. pilosum and a de novo assembled transcriptome, which can be used to characterize genes related to diverse biological processes. This is the first study to assess the cold-responsive transcriptome in an Ocimum species. Our results suggest that cold temperature significantly affects genes related to protein translation and cellular metabolism in this chilling sensitive species. Although most of the CBF pathway genes have orthologs in O. americanum var. pilosum, none of the identified cold responsive (COR) gene orthologs was induced by cold, which is consistent with the lack of cold tolerance in this plant.


Indications for Computed Tomography in Older Adult Patients With Minor Head Injury in the Emergency Department.
Older age is a risk factor for intracranial injury after head trauma, and computed tomography (CT) is generally recommended. We aimed to develop a clinical prediction rule for risk stratification to avoid CT head imaging in older adult patients with minor head injury, named Computed Tomography of the Head for the patients at Advanced age (CTHEAD). This was a single-center observational study in Japan that used retrospective chart review data to service a prediction rule that was prospectively validated. Patients aged ≥ 65 years who presented to our emergency department with a chief complaint of head trauma and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of ≥13 were eligible. Patients were excluded if they had GCS score < 13, anticoagulant therapy, focal neurologic symptoms, posttraumatic seizures, penetrating injury, evident depressed fracture, unknown mechanism, or CT not undertaken. The primary outcome was acute traumatic lesion on head CT. We screened 1,494 patients; 538 were included in the derivation cohort, and 580, in the validation cohort. Multivariable analysis of the derivation group found that high-risk mechanisms of injury, vomiting, witnessed loss of consciousness, and anterograde amnesia were significantly associated with traumatic head findings on CT. A clinical prediction rule was developed from these four risk factors. The negative predictive value (NPV) of the absence of the four components was 95.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 92.9% to 96.7%), and the positive predictive value (PPV) of one or more risk factors was 20.6% (95% CI = 17.3% to 24.4%). The rule was validated prospectively with an NPV of zero risk factors of 94.5% (95% CI = 92.4% to 96.1%) and a PPV of one or more risk factors of 15.9% (95% CI = 13.0% to 19.3%). Fifty-three (9.1%) patients in the validation cohort experienced the primary outcome. The results suggest that older adult patients with minor head injury may forgo head CT if they do not have high-risk mechanisms of injury, vomiting, witnessed loss of consciousness, or anterograde amnesia. External validation of this rule is needed.


Weak D phenotypes and transfusion safety: where do we stand in daily practice?
Weak D Types 1, 2, and 3 recipients cannot be immunized when exposed to D antigen. Molecular biology is very efficient to type weak D variants but rarely implemented in daily practice. The serologic typing practice of weak D in a Caucasian patient population was analyzed and a transfusion strategy is proposed. Samples typed either ddCcee or ddccEe in routine laboratories were tested with the indirect antiglobulin test (D(u) test). D(u)-positive samples were screened for weak D alleles Types 1, 2, and 3 and further tested with immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-D reagents, used in a fully automated device. A total of 468 of 55,162 samples were found to be ddCcee or ddccEe. Ninety-three expressed weak D after the D(u) test leading to D+ assignment for transfusion. Seventy-three percent of D(u)-positive samples were weak D alleles Type 1, 2, or 3. Almost all weak D Types 1, 2, and 3 were positive with IgM reagents in gel matrix with an automated device. Other variants that could be potentially associated with anti-D alloimmunization, however, were also positive. Serology is very sensitive to detect weak D Types 1, 2, and 3, but there is no cutoff to distinguish variants of clinical significance. When molecular analysis is not available, it is proposed that a D+ status for blood recipients found to be weak D with a sensitive method be assigned, except for women of childbearing age or younger, because of the remaining possibility to be partial D or other rare weak D who can be immunized.


Interaction between the reductase Tah18 and highly conserved Fe-S containing Dre2 C-terminus is essential for yeast viability.
Tah18-Dre2 is a recently identified yeast protein complex, which is highly conserved in human and has been implicated in the regulation of oxidative stress induced cell death and in cytosolic Fe-S proteins synthesis. Tah18 is a diflavin oxido-reductase with binding sites for flavin mononucleotide, flavin adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, which is able to transfer electrons to Dre2 Fe-S clusters. In this work we characterized in details the interaction between Tah18 and Dre2, and analysed how it conditions yeast viability. We show that Dre2 C-terminus interacts in vivo and in vitro with the flavin mononucleotide- and flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding sites of Tah18. Neither the absence of the electron donor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-binding domain in purified Tah18 nor the absence of Fe-S in aerobically purified Dre2 prevents the binding in vitro. In vivo, when this interaction is affected in a dre2 mutant, yeast viability is reduced. Conversely, enhancing artificially the interaction between mutated Dre2 and Tah18 restores cellular viability despite still reduced cytosolic Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. We conclude that Tah18-Dre2 interaction in vivo is essential for yeast viability. Our study may provide new insight into the survival/death switch involving this complex in yeast and in human cells.


Neuronal dynamics in the visual corticothalamic pathway revealed through binocular rivalry.
Single unit activity was recorded from principal cells in the A-laminae of the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN). A steady state pattern of afferent activation was induced by presenting a continuously drifting square wave grating of constant spatial frequency to the eye (the dominant eye) that provided the excitatory input to the recorded cell. Intermittently, a second grating stimulus was presented to the other, nondominant, eye. In most neurones nondominant eye stimulation led to inhibition of relay cell responses. The latency of this suppressive effect was unusually long (up to 1 s) and its intensity and duration depended critically on the similarity between the gratings that were presented to the two eyes. Typically suppression was strongest when the gratings differed in orientation, direction of movement and contrast and when the nondominant eye stimulus was moving rather than stationary. Ablation of visual cortex abolished these long latency and feature-dependent interferences. We conclude that the visual cortex and the corticothalamic projections are involved in the mediation of these interocular interactions. We interpret our results as support for the hypothesis that corticothalamic feedback modifies thalamic transmission as a function of the congruency between ongoing cortical activation patterns and afferent retinal signals.


Activation of nitrite reductase from Escherichia coli K12 by oxidized nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide.
Nitrite reductase from Escherichia coli K12 requires the presence of NAD+, one of the products of the reduction of NO2-by NADH, for full activity. The effect is observed with both crude extracts and purified enzyme. NAD+ also acts as a product inhibitor at high concentrations, and plots of initial rate against NAD+ concentration are bell-shaped. The maximum occurs at about 1 mM-NAD+, but increases with increasing NADH concentration. In the presence of 1 mM-NAD+ and saturating NO2-(2mM) the Michaelis constant for NADH is about 16 micron. The Michaelis constant for NO2-is about 5 micron and is largely independent of the NAD+ concentration. Similar but more pronounced effects of NAD+ are observed with hydroxylamine as electron acceptor instead of NO2-. The maximum rate of NADH oxidation by hydroxylamine is about 5.4 times greater than the maximum rate of NADH oxidation by NO2- when assayed with the same volume of the same preparation of purified enzyme. The Michaelis constant for hydroxylamine is 5.3 mM, however, about 1000 times higher than for NO2-. These results are consistent with a mechanism in which the same enzyme-hydroxylamine complex occurs as an intermediate in both reactions.


Application of mass spectrometry for the detection of glycation and oxidation products in milk proteins.
Protein mass spectometry techniques, such as electrospray ionization mass spectrometry or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), are effective methods to screen for protein modifications derived from the Maillard reaction. The analysis of the intact proteins reveals the major modification, most commonly the Amadori product, whereas partial enzymatic hydrolysis prior to mass spectrometry additionally allows the detection of minor adducts. Therefore, a mass spectrometric method was developed for the analysis of whey protein modifications occurring during heat treatment. The two main whey proteins, alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin, were incubated with lactose in a milk model and modifications were recorded using MALDI-TOF-MS. The analysis of the intact proteins revealed protein species with 0-4 lactulosyl residues. Partial enzymatic hydrolysis with endoproteinase AspN prior to mass spectrometric analysis enabled the detection of further modifications and their localization in the amino acid sequence. Detected modifications were lactulosyllysine, N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine, lysine aldehyde, methionine sulfoxide, cyclization of N-terminal glutamic acid to a pyrrolidone, and oxidation of cysteine or tryptophan. Protein modifications in heated milk and commercially available dairy products can be analyzed after the separation of the milk proteins using one-dimensional SDS-PAGE.


[Pharmacological correction of free radical disturbances and endotoxicosis in patients with diffuse peritonitis at the postoperative period].
The examination and treatment of 64 patients have shown that inclusion of complex antioxidant cytoflavin in intensive therapy at the postoperative period of diffuse peritonitis allows the hypoxia degree to be decreased that in its turn results in quicker recovery of the antioxidant system and decreased activity of peroxidation and endotoxicosis level. The clinical course of the postoperative period of diffuse peritonitis with cytoflavin included in intensive therapy is characterized by shorter terms of artificial lung ventilation, shorter time of staying in critical condition, more favorable course of complications.


Changes in the DNA of lymphocytes from pristane treated rats.
The effects of pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane) on the cellular DNA of lymphoid cells from Copenhagen rats were examined by flow cytometry. Significant reductions in the mean relative fluorescent intensities of propidium iodide (PI) stained lymphocytes from peripheral blood, spleen, thymus and lymph nodes were observed after a single intraperitoneal injection of pristane. The altered PI staining characteristics were observed as early as 4 days and reached a maximum decrease between 1-4 weeks (depending upon the lymphoid cells examined) post pristane treatment. The pristane-induced effects on peripheral blood lymphocytes were observed to be dose dependent, transient and reinducible by a subsequent exposure to pristane. Further analyses, using gas-liquid chromatography to detect pristane in the blood and lymphoid tissues of treated rats, indicated significant increases over normal amounts of pristane. Furthermore, correlations existed between the times of maximum decrease in the fluorescence of PI stained cells and the amounts of pristane detected within the respective lymphoid tissues. By contrast no changes in the PI staining characteristics of kidney cells were observed, even though appreciable amounts of pristane were detected in this organ. Diphenylamine analyses indicated no differences in the amounts of DNA in lymphoid cells from pristane treated and untreated rats. Furthermore, lymphocytes from pristane-treated rats did not exhibit decreased fluorescence when fixed at pH 10 rather than pH 7.4 prior to PI staining. Collectively these results suggest that pristane may preferentially induce qualitative rather than quantitative changes in the DNA of lymphocytes.


A shallow constructed wetland combining porous filter material and Rotala rotundifolia for advanced treatment of municipal sewage at low HRT.
Water scarcity is a worldwide problem. Recycled municipal wastewater is considered a useful alternative to the conventional types of water resources. In this study, a shallow constructed wetland (SCW) with porous filter material and Rotala rotundifolia was used for advanced municipal sewage treatment. The wetland without plant was set as the control (SCW-C). The pollutant removal performance of the system at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) was investigated. The diversity of the microbial community was analyzed, and the fate of nutrients, mainly N and P, in the system was discussed. Results showed that SCW was efficient in pollutant removal. Effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) were 15.0-23.6, 0.19-0.28, and 0.83-1.16 mg/L, separately, with average removal efficiencies of 61.2%, 46.3%, and 88.1% at HRT 18 h, which met the requirements of type [Formula: see text] water set by the environmental quality standards for surface water in China. The richness and evenness of the bacterial community were significantly higher in the plant-rooted SCW. They increased along with the system. The dominant genera in the system were phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria. The P in the influent mainly flowed to the substrate and plant. At the same time, most N was removed by nitrification and denitrification. These findings suggested that the SCW could remove pollutants from the municipal sewage effluent and meet the standard requirement at low HRT.


Long-term outcomes of patients with conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma.
Comprehensive information on clinical features and long-term outcomes of primary conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (PCEMZL) is scarce. We present a large single-institution retrospective study of 72 patients. The median age was 64 years, and 63.9% were female. Stage I was present in 87.5%. Radiation therapy (RT) alone was the most common treatment (70.8%). Complete response (CR) was 87.5%, and 100% in RT-treated patients. With a median follow-up of 6.7 years, relapse/progression and death occurred in 19.4% each, with one relapse within the RT field. The 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 68.4% (95% CI 52.8%-79.8%) and 89.4% (95% CI 77.4%-95.2%), respectively. The 10-year rate for time to progression from diagnosis was 22.5% (95% CI 11.6%-35.7%). The 10-year PFS and OS of MALT-IPI 0 versus 1-2 were 83.3% versus 51.3%, (p = .022) and 97.6% versus 76.6%, (p = .0052), respectively. The following characteristics were associated with shorter survival: age > 60 years (PFS: HR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.08-7.95; p = .035, OS: HR = 9.07, 95% CI 1.17-70.26; p = .035) and MALT-IPI 1-2 (PFS: HR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.12-6.31; p = .027, OS: HR = 6.64, 95% CI 1.45-30.37; p = .015). CR following frontline therapy was associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.45; p = .001), but not OS. Using the Fine and Gray regression model with death without relapse/progression as a competing risk, RT and CR after frontline therapy were associated with lower risk of relapse (SHR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12-0.96 p = .041 and SHR = 0.11, 95% CI 0.03-0.36; p < .001, respectively). Patients with PCEMZL treated with frontline RT exhibit excellent long-term survival, and the MALT-IPI score appropriately identifies patients at risk for treatment failure.


Evaluation of dimensional stability of autoclavable elastomeric impression material.
Impressions are important sources of cross contamination between patients and dental laboratories. As a part of infection control impressions contaminated with variety of micro-organisms via blood and oral secretions should be cleaned and disinfected or sterilized before being handled in dental laboratory. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of autoclaving on dimensional stability of elastomeric impression material (polyvinyl siloxane-Affinis). In this in vitro study standardized stainless steel die as per ADA specification number 19 was fabricated. Polyvinyl siloxane (Affinis) light body and putty viscosity elastomeric impression materials were used. A total of 40 impressions of the stainless steel die were made and numeric coding system was used to identify the samples. Measurements were made using a measuring microscope. Distance between the cross lines CD and C'D' reproduced in the impression were measured before autoclaving, immediately after autoclaving and 24 hours after autoclaving and dimensional change was calculated. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis. The mean difference in dimensional change between the three groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However the results revealed that there was higher mean dimensional change immediately after autoclaving when compared to the other 2 time intervals. It is desirable to delay the casting of an autoclavable elastomeric impression material by about 24 hours. Though disinfection of impression is routinely followed autoclaving of impression is an effective method of sterilization.


Reproductive outcome in women who lost their husbands in the course of pregnancy.
The loss of a husband in the course of pregnancy represents a serious life event that is accompanied by important psychosocial stress. We compared the length of pregnancy and the weight of the newborns in women who were widowed in the course of their pregnancy with control groups of married and unmarried women of the same parity and delivering in the same institute. The group of widowed parturients consisted of 40 women. The control group of married women included 38 cases, and the control group of unmarried women consisted of 33 cases. The results were statistically evaluated by means of variance analysis and sequential pair t-test. The average length of pregnancy was in the widowed women 279.46 +/- 8.54 days, in married women 277.13 +/- 10.9 days and in unmarried women 273.91 +/- 16.17 days. The differences are not statistically significant. The average weight of the newborn was 3327.0 +/- 484.98 g in the widowed women, 3347.11 +/- 404.76 g in married women and 3068.18 +/- 543.79 g in unmarried women. The weights of the newborns of widowed and married women are not different, but both are significantly higher than in the unmarried women (p less than 0.05). The results do not confirm the influence of psychosocial stress due to life events occurring in the course of pregnancy upon the length of the pregnancy and the weight of the newborn.


Comparison of large-insert, small-insert and pyrosequencing libraries for metagenomic analysis.
The development of DNA sequencing methods for characterizing microbial communities has evolved rapidly over the past decades. To evaluate more traditional, as well as newer methodologies for DNA library preparation and sequencing, we compared fosmid, short-insert shotgun and 454 pyrosequencing libraries prepared from the same metagenomic DNA samples. GC content was elevated in all fosmid libraries, compared with shotgun and 454 libraries. Taxonomic composition of the different libraries suggested that this was caused by a relative underrepresentation of dominant taxonomic groups with low GC content, notably Prochlorales and the SAR11 cluster, in fosmid libraries. While these abundant taxa had a large impact on library representation, we also observed a positive correlation between taxon GC content and fosmid library representation in other low-GC taxa, suggesting a general trend. Analysis of gene category representation in different libraries indicated that the functional composition of a library was largely a reflection of its taxonomic composition, and no additional systematic biases against particular functional categories were detected at the level of sequencing depth in our samples. Another important but less predictable factor influencing the apparent taxonomic and functional library composition was the read length afforded by the different sequencing technologies. Our comparisons and analyses provide a detailed perspective on the influence of library type on the recovery of microbial taxa in metagenomic libraries and underscore the different uses and utilities of more traditional, as well as contemporary 'next-generation' DNA library construction and sequencing technologies for exploring the genomics of the natural microbial world.


Initial culture conditions affect the sensitivity of HepG2 cells to excessive mechanical agitation.
Hepatoma cells, HepG2, grew normally on microcarriers even at a relatively high agitation rate if sufficient time was allowed for cell attachment and adhesion. However, if a high agitation rate was applied shortly after initial cell attachment, the growth rate was retarded. This sensitivity to mechanical agitation appears to be dependent on the inoculation cell density.


Intractable hemolysis caused by perivalvular leakage following mitral valve replacement with St. Jude Medical prosthesis.
Nine patients with intractable hemolysis caused by perivalvular leakage following mitral valve replacement with a St. Jude Medical prosthesis are presented. All patients had dark-colored hemoglobinuria, which appeared from 1 day to 44 days after the operation, with moderate or severe hepatorenal insufficiency. One patient died of multiorgan failure. The other 8 patients underwent reoperation, and all survived. Reoperation revealed that all leakages were tiny and had no adverse effect on hemodynamics. In all the patients having reoperation, hemoglobinuria disappeared immediately after the procedure. Surface-scanning electron microscopy of the sewing cuff of the St. Jude Medical prosthesis revealed the rough surface structure of the sewing ring. Because of this irregular, shaggy surface structure, greater shearing forces against erythrocytes can be generated when there is perivalvular leakage.


Intermediate bosonic metallic state in the superconductor-insulator transition.
Whether a metallic ground state exists in a two-dimensional system beyond Anderson localization remains an unresolved question. We studied how quantum phase coherence evolves across superconductor-metal-insulator transitions through magnetoconductance quantum oscillations in nanopatterned high-temperature superconducting films. We tuned the degree of phase coherence by varying the etching time of our films. Between the superconducting and insulating regimes, we detected a robust intervening anomalous metallic state characterized by saturating resistance and oscillation amplitude at low temperatures. Our measurements suggest that the anomalous metallic state is bosonic and that the saturation of phase coherence plays a prominent role in its formation.


Multiresistant strains of Escherichia coli isolated from the rumen of young calves.
Five multiresistant strains of Escherichia coli were isolated from the rumen fluid of young calves. Resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin was found to be associated with the transfer of a 6.4 kbp plasmid present in two investigated strains.


Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn despite vitamin K prophylaxis at birth.
Late hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDN) presents 0.5-6 months after birth with mucocutaneous and intracranial bleeding. We describe here two cases of late HDN in infants who received vitamin K. The first case is a previously healthy breastfed male who received one dose of oral vitamin K at birth and developed an intracranial hemorrhage 5 weeks later. He was treated with intravenous vitamin K and recombinant factor VIIa prior to emergent craniectomy. An unrelated infant presented at 5 months of age with diarrhea and easy bruising despite IM vitamin K at birth. These cases illustrate the morbidity associated with late HDN.


Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Review and Commentary of a National Academies Report.
The authors of this review both served on the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that produced the report, "Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System." In 2018, the AARP Foundation commissioned the National Academies to establish a committee to research and develop a report on social isolation and loneliness in persons 50 years of age and older. Emphasis was placed upon the role of the healthcare system in addressing this fundamental public health problem. The committee released the report in February 2020 as the Corona Virus Disease 2019 pandemic was beginning to spread to North America. In this review, the authors share central findings and conclusions from the report as well as how these findings may be relevant to the care and well-being of older adults during this historic pandemic. The health protective benefits of social distancing must be balanced by the essential need for sustaining social relationships.


Dual electron uptake by simultaneous iron and ligand reduction in an N-heterocyclic carbene substituted [FeFe] hydrogenase model compound.
An N-heterocyclic carbene containing [FeFe]H(2)ase model complex, whose X-ray structure displays an apical carbene, shows an unexpected two-electron reduction to be involved in its electrocatalytic dihydrogen production. Density functional calculations show, in addition to a one-electron Fe-Fe reduction, that the aryl-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene can accept a second electron more readily than the Fe-Fe manifold. The juxtaposition of these two one-electron reductions resembles the [FeFe]H(2)ase active site with an FeFe di-iron unit joined to the electroactive 4Fe4S cluster.