Novel NiO Nanoforest Architecture for Efficient Inverted Mesoporous Perovskite Solar Cells.
Inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) demonstrate attractive features in developing an air-stable photovoltaic device, by employing inorganic hole transport layers (HTLs). However, their power conversion efficiencies are still inferior to that of mesoporous n-i-p devices, mainly attributed to the undesirable hole extraction and interfacial recombination loss. Here, we design a novel one-dimensional NiO nanotube (NT) nanoforest as efficient mesoporous HTLs. Such a NiO NT mesoporous structure provides a highly conductive pathway for rapid hole extraction and depresses interfacial recombination loss. Furthermore, excellent light capturing could be achieved by optimizing the length and branch growth of the NiO NT nanoforest, which mimics the evolution of the natural forest. Therefore, this inverted mesoporous PSCs yield an optimal efficiency of 18.77%, which is still prominent in state-of-the-art NiO-based devices. Alternatively, the mesoporous device exhibits greatly improved long-term stability. This work provides a new design perspective for developing high-performance inverted PSCs.


Toll-like receptors in the inflammatory response during open and laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer.
Surgical interventions activate a cascade of reactions that result in an aseptic inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory response initiates the organism's innate immunity. Laparoscopic surgery reduces the trauma, and patients benefit from diminished surgical trauma and maintained immune function. Cytokine levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) are related to the magnitude of surgical trauma and surgical stress. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4 are the first sensor-recognition receptors of the invading pathogens for the innate immune response. This study aimed to compare the inflammatory response and then the stress response during laparoscopic and open colectomy for cancer by calculating TLR-2 and TLR-4 as the first sensor-recognition receptors together with interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP). A total 40 patients with colorectal cancer were randomized in two groups: group A (open colectomy, n = 20) and group B (laparoscopic colectomy, n = 20). An epidural catheter was placed in all patients 1 h preoperatively. Rupivocaine was administered perioperatively and 48 h postoperatively. Blood samples were taken for calculation of IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP, TLR-2, and TLR-4 preoperatively and 5 min after deflation of pneumoperitoneum (group B) or 5 min after division of the colon (group A), then 6 and 24 h postoperatively. The mean operative time was 115 for group A and 142 min for group B. The mean blood loss was respectively 240 and 105 ml (P < 0.001), and the mean hospital stay was respectively 8 and 5 days (P < 0.05). The IL-6 level was significant higher in group A than in group B at 6 and 24 h postoperatively (P < 0.0001), and the hsCRP level was significant higher in group A than in group B at 24 h postoperatively (P < 0.001). The TNF-α values did not differ between the two groups. The TLR-2 level was significantly higher in group A than in group B at 5 min (P = 0.013) and 24 h (P = 0.007) postoperatively. The TLR-4 level was significant higher in group A than in group B at 5 min postoperatively (P = 0.03). The inflammatory response and the resultant stress response are significantly less during laparoscopic colectomy than during open colectomy for colorectal cancer. This is an obvious short-term clinical benefit for the patient, providing tinder for further study to investigate the long-term results of laparoscopic colectomy versus open colectomy for colorectal cancer.


Sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a growing prevalence of sleep problems associated with significant behavioral problems and more severe autism clinical presentation. Little is known about the relationships between autism traits and sleep problems in Hong Kong. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether children with autism have increased sleep problems than non-autistic children in Hong Kong. The secondary objective was to examine the factors associated with sleep problems in an autism clinical sample. This cross-sectional study recruited 135 children with autism and 102 with the same age range of non-autistic children, aged between 6 and 12 years. Both groups were screened and compared on their sleep behaviors using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Children with autism had significantly more sleep problems than non-autistic children [t (226.73) = 6.20, p < 0.001]. Bed -sharing [beta = 0.25, t (165) = 2.75, p = 0.07] and maternal age at birth [beta = 0.15, t (165) = 2.05, p = 0.043] were significant factors associated with CSHQ score on the top of autism traits. Stepwise linear regression modeling identified that only separation anxiety disorder (beta = 4.83, t = 2.40, p = 0.019) best-predicted CSHQ. In summary, autistic children suffered from significantly more sleep problems and co-occurring separation anxiety disorder brings greater sleep problems as compared to non-autistic children. Clinicians should be more aware of sleep problems to provide more effective treatments to children with autism.


Kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination by Hudson River, New York, USA, sediment microorganisms.
The kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorination by Hudson River (New York, USA) sediment microorganisms were investigated using Aroclor 1242 at 10 concentrations ranging from 0 to 900 ppm (0-11.2 micromol Cl/g sediment). The time course of PCB dechlorination and population growth were determined by congener-specific analysis and the most-probable-number technique, respectively, over a 44-week incubation period. Dechlorination rate (nmol Cl removed/g sediment/d) was a linear function of PCB concentrations similar to the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248 by sediment microorganisms from the St. Lawrence River (New York, USA). However, the rate was much slower, with the linear slope being only 24% that of the St. Lawrence River. The threshold concentration below which no dechlorination occurs was (mean +/- standard deviation) 1.06 +/- 0.18 micromol Cl/g sediment (85 +/- 14 ppm), threefold higher than that for the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248. The maximum extent of dechlorination was greater at higher Aroclor concentrations. Dechlorinating microorganisms did not show any significant growth until late in the lag phase of dechlorination, and their maximum was greater at higher initial Aroclor 1242 concentrations. Although dechlorination rates were significantly lower with the Hudson River inoculum, when normalized to the maximum number of dechlorinating organisms, they were not significantly different from those for Aroclor 1248 by St. Lawrence River microorganisms. These results further support the idea that PCB dechlorination is tightly linked to the growth of dechlorinating microorganisms.


The spectroscopic analysis for binding of amphipathic and antimicrobial model peptides containing pyrenylalanine and tryptophan to lipid bilayer.
The binding of basic amphipathic fluorescent peptides to lipid bilayers was studied in relation to their antimicrobial activity. Four fluorescent peptides containing pyrenylalanine or tryptophan in an amphipathic basic peptide (4(4] consisting of four repeated units of tetrapeptide, -L-Leu-L-Ala-L-Arg-L-Leu-, were found to have antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria and to take conformations with fairly high alpha-helical content both in aqueous solutions and liposomes. The fluorescence spectroscopic data suggested that the pyrenylalanine-peptide existed as a monomer in methanol or liposomes but as an oligomer in aqueous solutions to form an excimer between pyrenylalanyl residues. Upon binding with liposomes, the fluorescence spectra of the tryptophan-containing peptide shifted to a shorter wavelength, indicating the change in the state of tryptophan from hydrophilic environment to hydrophobic one. The analytical data for the quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by I- anion suggest that the tryptophan residue in the peptide is not deeply buried in the hydrophobic core of the bilayers. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the peptides may interact with liposomes in such a manner that they lie parallel to the surface of the lipid bilayers with their hydrophobic regions shallowly in the amphipathic moiety of the bilayers.


Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) endemicity and performance of preventive chemotherapy intervention programme in Nigeria (in year 2021).
Preventive chemotherapy (PC) is an important tool to address transmission and reduce morbidities associated with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). The aim of the study is to assess the PC implementation programme coverage and relate the same to the endemicity of STH in Nigeria. The secondary data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the expanded special project for elimination of neglected tropical diseases (ESPEN) and made available at the ESPEN portal was used for the study. The PC implementation coverage and frequency of treatment were evaluated and related to STH endemicity levels in Nigeria. STH was actively transmitted in all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The southern part of Nigeria was more endemic compared with northern Nigeria. There was no PC intervention in preschoolers and effective PC coverage (19.3%) fell below the WHO ≥ 75% PC coverage index benchmark in school children. The percentages of children that harbour low, moderate, and high STH infections were 41.5, 41.6, and 13.4%, respectively. Multiple treatments did not necessarily reduce the endemicity of STH on certain occasions. STH continues to be a public health threat in Nigeria. The current treatment strategies should be reviewed to accommodate preschoolers in PC implementation programmes. Treatment should be integrated with the WASH programme in order to achieve a lasting impact.


Subcortical nuclei volumetry in idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
The exact anatomic and neurophysiologic correlates of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) in humans are still not well understood, although the thalamus has frequently been invoked as the crucial structure in the generation of primary generalized seizures. The few in vivo magnetic resonance (MR)-based studies in IGE patients suggest an altered cortical/subcortical gray matter ratio, but with no evidence of structural alterations of the thalamus. In this study, we sought to determine the volumes of the other subcortical structures. The volumes of the caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidum as well as the thalamus were each determined in both hemispheres in 11 patients with various IGE syndromes, normalized for whole-brain volumes and then compared with 15 age-matched controls. No differences were noted in thalamic volumes, confirming previous reports. However, smaller subcortical volumes were noted in the IGE patients (p < 0.009), mainly due to smaller putamen bilaterally (p < or = 0.015). It is speculated that the presence of discrete frontal dysfunction, as noted in neuropsychological studies in IGE patients, indirectly supports our results because the putamen projects predominantly to the frontal cortex. Larger studies with more homogeneous patient populations are needed to determine the robustness of these findings and whether they are specific for particular IGE syndromes.


A 99Tcm-labelled radiotracer for the investigation of cerebral vascular disease.
The first clinical data is given on 99Tcm-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HM-PAO) in normal subjects and patients with established stroke. Regional cerebral blood flow maps (rCBF) have been recorded and displayed in tomographic mode with this new radiopharmaceutical. Good images were obtained, comparable to those achieved with 123I-isopropylamphetamine (IMP).


Consultation-liaison psychiatry and physician-assisted death.
Consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists are involved in physician-assisted death (PAD) teams in many permitting jurisdictions. This paper will describe our Canadian PAD experience over 2 years, highlighting the role of C-L psychiatrists, at a large hospital network that provides medical assistance in dying (MAID, as this is called in Canada). We will describe the Canadian criteria for MAID, our multispecialty MAID team experience and the roles, issues and concerns experienced by C-L psychiatrists. Some brief patient examples will be provided. Our MAID team has managed 186 MAID inquiries, assessed 95 MAID requests and provided 49 MAID interventions over a 24 month period. The 2 co-leaders of the MAID team, 8 assessors and 1 intervention physician are C-L psychiatrists. Each of the MAID criteria: grievous medical condition, advanced state of irreversible decline, intolerable suffering, natural death reasonably foreseeable, voluntary request, capacity and informed consent pose specific challenges to be resolved in the assessment. Several unique MAID issues, including the role of education and mandatory psychiatric assessment and protocols will also be discussed. Our experience shows that C-L psychiatrists are well-situated to provide vital expertise and leadership to multispecialty PAD teams.


Fabrication of Cd(OH)2 nanorings by ultrasonic chiselling on Cd(OH)2 nanoplates.
Cd(OH)2 nanorings were successfully fabricated from Cd(OH)2 nanoplates by ultrasonic chiselling, a unique effect of the sonochemical process that has never been reported before.


Metformin and Resveratrol Inhibited High Glucose-Induced Metabolic Memory of Endothelial Senescence through SIRT1/p300/p53/p21 Pathway.
Endothelial senescence plays crucial roles in diabetic vascular complication. Recent evidence indicated that transient hyperglycaemia could potentiate persistent diabetic vascular complications, a phenomenon known as "metabolic memory." Although SIRT1 has been demonstrated to mediate high glucose-induced endothelial senescence, whether and how "metabolic memory" would affect endothelial senescence through SIRT1 signaling remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the involvement of SIRT1 axis as well as the protective effects of resveratrol (RSV) and metformin (MET), two potent SIRT1 activators, during the occurrence of "metabolic memory" of cellular senescence (senescent "memory"). Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in either normal glucose (NG)/high glucose (HG) media for 6 days, or 3 days of HG followed by 3 days of NG (HN), with or without RSV or MET treatment. It was shown that HN incubation triggered persistent downregulation of deacetylase SIRT1 and upregulation of acetyltransferase p300, leading to sustained hyperacetylation (at K382) and activation of p53, and subsequent p53/p21-mediated senescent "memory." In contrast, senescent "memory" was abrogated by overexpression of SIRT1 or knockdown of p300. Interestingly, we found that SIRT1 and p300 could regulate each other in response to HN stimulation, suggesting that a delicate balance between acetyltransferases and deacetylases may be particularly important for sustained acetylation and activation of non-histone proteins (such as p53), and eventually the occurrence of "metabolic memory." Furthermore, we found that RSV or MET treatment prevented senescent "memory" by modulating SIRT1/p300/p53/p21 pathway. Notably, early and continuous treatment of MET, but not RSV, was particularly important for preventing senescent "memory." In conclusion, short-term high glucose stimulation could induce sustained endothelial senescence via SIRT1/p300/p53/p21 pathway. RVS or MET treatment could enhance SIRT1-mediated signaling and thus protect against senescent "memory" independent of their glucose lowering mechanisms. Therefore, they may serve as promising therapeutic drugs against the development of "metabolic memory."


Direct determination of selenium in urine samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using a Zr plus Rh-treated graphite tube and co-injection of Rh as chemical modifier.
Different chemical modifiers for use with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) were investigated in relation to determining the selenium in human urine samples. The samples were diluted in a solution containing 1% v/v HNO3 and 0.02% m/v cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). Studying the modifiers showed that the use of either Ru or Ir as the permanent modifier gave low sensitivity to Se and the peak shape was very noisy, while Zr or Rh gave no peak at all. The same occurred when Zr was used in solution. For mixtures of permanent modifiers, Ir plus Rh or Zr plus Rh gave very low sensitivity, Zr plus Rh with co-injection of Ir in solution was also not efficient, Zr plus Rh in solution gave good sensitivity, but the best results were obtained with a mixture of Zr and Rh as the permanent modifier and co-injection of Rh in solution. Using this last modifier, the following dilutions with the HNO3 and CTAC were studied: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. The best dilution was 1:1, which promoted good sensitivity and a more defined peak shape and made it possible to correct for the background using a deuterium arc lamp. Under these conditions, a characteristic mass of 26+/-0.2 pg was obtained for Se in aqueous solution. Six certified urine samples were analyzed using matrix matching calibration and the measured concentrations were in agreement with the certified values, according to a t-test at the 95% confidence level. Recovery tests were carried out and the recoveries were in the range 100-103%, with relative standard deviation better than 9%. The limit of detection (LOD, 3 sd, n = 10) was 3.0 microg L(-1) in the sample. The treated graphite tube could be used for at least 600 atomization cycles without significant alteration of the analytical signal.


3D reconstruction of TMJ after resection of the cyst and the stress-strain analyses.
The aim of this article is 3D analysis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) patient, who underwent surgery, during which the right TMJ was resected along with the ramus of mandible and consequently the joint was reconstructed with subtotal replacement. The main goal is to give a suitable formulation of mathematical model, which describes the changes of stresses in TMJ incurred after the surgery. The TMJ is a complex, sensitive and highly mobile joint which works bilaterally so each side influences the contralateral joint and because of this the distribution of the stresses is changed in the healthy joint as well. Detailed knowledge about function these are necessary for clinical application of temporomandibular joint prosthesis and also help us estimate the lifetime of the prosthesis a possibilities of alteration in the contra lateral joint components. The geometry for the 3D models is taken from the CT scan date and its numerical solution is based on the theory of semi-coercive unilateral contact problems in linear elasticity. This article provides medical part with case report, discretion of treatment, than the methods of mathematical modeling and his possibilities are described and finally results are reported.


Ultrafast photodegradation of nitenpyram by Ag/Ag3PO4/Zn-Al LDH composites activated by persulfate system: Removal efficiency, degradation pathway and reaction mechanism.
In this study, an investigation is conducted into the degradation of nitenpyram (NTP) using highly efficient APMMO/PDS/Vis system. As photocatalysts, silver phosphate (AP) and calcined Zn-Al layered double hydroxides (MMO) exhibit high efficiency in achieving charge separation. Besides, the injection of electrons into peroxydisulfate (PDS) from the APMMO can contribute to obtaining the species in the active state with higher efficiency. Based on the APMMO/PDS/Vis system, 50 mg/L of nitenpyram (NTP, 50 mL) can be completely removed in 60 min using 0.8 g/L photocatalyst and 0.2 g/L PDS under the optimum condition and visible light (780 nm > λ > 420 nm). Meanwhile, as demonstrated under visible light within 30 min, an ultrahigh degradation efficiency can be achieved by NTP based on APMMO1/PDS/Vis system. Besides, the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique and radical quenching experiments suggested 1O2, h+, SO4-•, •O2-, and •OH are all contributory to the removal of pollutants. Given the outcomes achieved by LC/MS system and mass spectrometry, the primary degradation intermediates of NTP end up being converted into photodegradation products (such as 2-Chloropyridine, 6-Chloropurine Riboside and dl-Leucine). Additionally, there are three potential photodegradation pathways to NTP degradation have been deployed. Moreover, the NTP light degradation occurring in APMMO1/PDS/Vis system is competent under the three types of real water sample. Accordingly, the high-efficiency APMMO1/PDS/Vis system is fit for use in water pollution control for agricultural productions.


Synthesis, characterization and antitumor studies of Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of N-salicyloyl-N'-o-hydroxythiobenzhydrazide.
A new ligand N-salicyloyl-N'-o-hydroxythiobenzhydrazide (H2Sotbh) forms complexes [Mn(HSotbh)2], [Fe(Sotbh-H)(H2O)2], [M(Sotbh)] [M=Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)] and [Ni(Sotbh)(H(2)O)2], which were characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. Mössbauer spectrum of [Fe(Sotbh-H)(H2O)2] reveals the quantum admixture of 5/2 and 3/2 spin-states. Mn(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes were observed to inhibit the growth of tumor in vitro, whereas, Fe(III), Co(II), Zn(II) complexes did not. In vivo administration of Mn(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) resulted in prolongation of survival of tumor bearing mice. Tumor bearing mice administered with Mn(II), Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes showed reversal of tumor growth associated induction of apoptosis in lymphocytes. The paper discusses the possible mechanisms and therapeutic implication of the H2Sotbh and its metal complexes in tumor regression and tumor growth associated immunosuppression.


A continuous repetitive task to detect fatigability in spinal muscular atrophy.
To determine the value of a continuous repetitive task to detect and quantify fatigability as additional dimension of impaired motor function in patients with hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In this repeated measure case-control study 52 patients with SMA types 2-4, 17 healthy and 29 disease controls performed five consecutive rounds of the Nine-Hole Peg test to determine the presence of fatigability. We analysed differences in test performance and associations with disease characteristics. Five patients with SMA type 2 (22%) and 1 disease control (3%) could not finish five rounds due to fatigue (p = 0.01). Patients with SMA type 2 performed the test significantly more slowly than all other groups (p < 0.005) and disease controls were slower than healthy controls (p < 0.05). Patients with SMA type 2 performed round five 27% slower than round one, while healthy controls performed round five 14% faster than round one (p = 0.005). There was no difference between SMA type 3a, type 3b/4 or disease controls and healthy controls (p > 0.4). Time needed to complete each round during the five-round task increased in 15 patients with SMA type 2 (65%), 4 with type 3a (36%), 4 with type 3b/4 (22%), 9 disease controls (31%) and 1 healthy control (6%). There was no effect of age at disease onset or disease duration in SMA type 2 (p = 0.39). Test-retest reliability was high. Fatigability of remaining arm function is a feature of SMA type 2 and can be determined with continuous repetitive tasks.


[Detection and characterization of the plasmids of the plague microbe which determine the synthesis of pesticin I, fraction I antigen and "mouse" toxin exotoxin].
Plasmid DNA was isolated from Yersinia pestis strains containing pesticin I or fraction I antigen and "mouse" toxin determinants. Specificity of DNA preparations was studied by using them for transformation of plague agent strains carrying no plasmids. pPstI plasmid (molecular weight 7,0-7,8 MD) encoded pesticin I, fibrinolysin and plasmacoagulase synthesis. Fraction I antigen and "mouse" toxin production determinants were borne on pFraI/Tox plasmid (molecular weight about 50 MD). The observation that some Y. pestis cultures, having lost the ability to synthesize one of pFraI/Tox products, still retained this plasmid in their cells, is regarded as an evidence for a complicated regulation of pFraI/Tox function.


Urinary factors of kidney stone formation in patients with Crohn's disease.
An increased frequency of kidney stone formation is reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In order to investigate its pathogenesis, the concentrations of factors known to enhance calcium oxalate stone formation (oxalate, calcium, uric acid) as well as of inhibitory factors for nephrolithiasis (magnesium, citrate) were determined in the urine of 86 patients with Crohn's disease and compared with those of 53 metabolically healthy controls. Six patients with Crohn's disease already had experienced calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. Patients with Crohn's disease had significantly higher urinary oxalate and lower magnesium and citrate concentrations. Among all patients magnesium and citrate were significantly lower in those with a positive history of kidney stones. Our results demonstrate that the increased propensity for renal stone formation in patients with Crohn's disease is a result not only of increased urinary oxalate, but also of decreased urinary magnesium and citrate concentrations.


Measurement of peak and total efficiencies of low-energy gamma-ray detectors with sources emitting photons in cascade.
A method for measurement of peak and total efficiencies for point sources measured on low-energy gamma-ray detectors is presented. The efficiencies are measured with radionuclides emitting gamma-rays in a two-step cascade or in a crossover transition. One of the photons emitted in the cascade must have an energy which is much lower than the other in order to attain stronger attenuation as compared to the higher energy photon. The method is illustrated by measurements of the efficiencies with 179Ta and 57Co.


Intravascular lithotripsy for the treatment of inferior mesenteric artery in-stent restenosis.
Endovascular revascularization with intraluminal stenting is the recommended first-line therapy for chronic mesenteric ischemia. However, early recurrence and in-stent thrombosis remain significant challenges. We present the case of a patient with recurrent chronic mesenteric ischemia secondary to in-stent restenosis that was successfully treated with intravascular lithotripsy, a novel, safe approach to stent salvage.


Compartmental approach for modelling twin-screw granulation using population balances.
In this study, a compartmental population balance model (CPBM) is developed as a predictive tool of particle size distribution (PSD) for wet granulation in co-rotating twin-screw granulator (TSG). This model is derived in terms of liquid to solid ratio (L/S) and screw speed representing the main process parameters of the TSG. The mathematical model accounts for aggregation and breakage of the particles occurring in five compartments of the TSG with inhomogeneous screw configurations (3 conveying zones and 2 kneading zones). Kapur's aggregation kernel is implemented in granulation and finite volume numerical method is adapted for solving the mathematical model. The results show a dramatic improvement in solution accuracy compared to the cell average numerical method. Moreover, Kriging interpolation is used to interpolate for new values of empirical parameters at different L/S and screw speeds. Finally, the CPBM model is calibrated and validated using the experimental data.


Effects of microinjections of apomorphine and haloperidol into the inferior colliculus on prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex in rat.
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is the reduction in the startle response caused by a low intensity non-startling stimulus (prepulse) which is presented shortly before the startle stimulus and is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating. PPI is impaired in schizophrenia patients and in rats with central dopamine (DA) activation. The inferior colliculus (IC) is a critical part of the auditory pathway mediating acoustic PPI. The activation of the IC by the acoustic prepulse reduces startle magnitude. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of DA transmission of the IC on the development of acoustic PPI. Bilateral microinjections of apomorphine (9.0 μg/0.5 μL), an agonist of D(2) receptors, into the IC disrupted PPI while microinjections of haloperidol (0.5 μg/0.5 μL), an antagonist of D(2) receptors, into this structure did not alter PPI. These results suggest that dopamine-mediated mechanisms of the IC are involved in the expression of PPI in rodents.


Enhanced L1CAM expression on pancreatic tumor endothelium mediates selective tumor cell transmigration.
L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a transmembrane cell adhesion molecule initially defined as a promigratory molecule in the developing nervous system that appears to be also expressed in some endothelial cells. However, little is known about the functional role of L1CAM on endothelial cells. We observed that L1CAM expression was selectively enhanced on endothelium associated with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in situ and on cultured pancreatic tumor-derived endothelial cells in vitro. L1CAM expression of endothelial cells could be augmented by incubation with immunomodulatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, or transforming growth factor beta 1. Antibodies to L1CAM and the respective ligand neuropilin-1 blocked tube formation and stromal cell-derived factor 1beta induced transmigration of tumor endothelial cells in vitro. L1CAM expression on tumor-derived-endothelial cells enhanced Panc1 carcinoma cell adhesion to endothelial cell monolayers and transendothelial migration. Our data demonstrate a functional role of L1CAM expression on tumor endothelium that could favor metastasis and angiogenesis during tumor progression.


Immunochemical cross-reactivity between intact purified myelin basic protein (MBP) and the synthetic encephalitogenic peptide S49.
Three antisera to myelin basic protein--a rabbit antiserum pool against rat myelin, a rabbit antiserum pool against rat myelin basic protein (MBP), and a monkey antiserum against bovine MBP--were found to contain detectable levels of antibodies that would bind radiolabeled S49 (GSLPQKAQRPQDENG). Strongly encephalitogenic in Lewis rat, S49 is a synthetic peptide representing residues 69-84 of bovine MBP with a deletion of glycine-76 and histidine-77 to make it analogous to rat and guinea pig MBPs. The rabbit antimyelin antiserum and the monkey anti-MBP antiserum contained antibodies directed against a non-sequential determinant that required asparagine 84, the glycine-histidine deletion, and residues 69-71 for maximal activity. S49-reactive antibodies from the rabbit anti-MBP antiserum were directed solely against a sequential determinant comprising residues 69-71, S49-reactive antibodies from all three antisera reacted in liquid phase with purified intact rat, guinea pig, and bovine MBP showing that the determinant is exposed for B cell recognition even in bovine MBP and can serve both as immunogen and reactant.


Improving care transitions through medication therapy management: A community partnership to reduce readmissions in multiple health-systems.
The primary objective was to measure the impact of a pharmacist-provided medication therapy management program on 30-day postdischarge readmission rates. The secondary study objectives were to characterize the number and types of pharmacist interventions, to determine the impact of the intervention on primary and secondary medication nonadherence, and to measure patient satisfaction with the intervention. Randomized, clinical trial. Six hospitals and a supermarket pharmacy chain with 60 pharmacies. Four hundred patients discharged from a participating hospital with acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes. Primary outcome measure was 30-day readmission rate. Secondary outcomes were pharmacist interventions, primary and secondary medication nonadherence, and patient satisfaction. Four hundred patients were enrolled. There was not a significant difference in 30-day readmission rates between intervention and control groups (11.3% vs. 10.7%; P = 0.49). A large portion of patients randomized to the intervention did not attend their appointment. In a per protocol (PP) analysis, which included the 62 intervention patients who attended their appointment and the 187 patients in the control group, there was a significant difference in 30-day readmission rates (1.6% vs. 10.7%; P = 0.02). In the PP analysis, controlling for baseline differences, patients in the intervention group were significantly less likely to experience a readmission (odds ratio, 0.126; 95% confidence interval, 0.016-0.968; P = 0.046). In the PP analysis, the percentage of prescriptions not picked up in the intervention group compared with the control group was reduced by 2.5%, (6.4% vs. 8.9%; P = 0.59). Pharmacists identified many interventions, averaging 6 per patient. This study successfully implemented a large-scale transition of care program between multiple health systems and community pharmacies that reduced hospital readmissions. Pharmacists identified many interventions for patients. The transmission of patient information from the inpatient setting to the community pharmacy is key to transitioning patients successfully.


A 10-year clinicopathological analysis of ovarian lesions in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria.
Ovarian tumours are the most lethal of all gynaecological cancers and they are usually diagnosed in advanced stages when the prognosis is very poor. To determine the pattern of ovarian lesions, their frequency, presentation, and associated clinical symptoms in Uyo, Nigeria. A 10-year retrospective study of all ovarian specimens that were surgically removed and histologically diagnosed. The patients were between the ages of 5 and 73 years with median age of 34.1 years. Benign tumours occurred most commonly among the 20-39-year age group (31.3%) while malignant tumours were predominant among those aged 50-69 years (10.0%). Surface epithelial tumours (45.4%) were the most common neoplastic tumours while the mature cystic teratoma (33.2%) was the most common tumour overall. Surface epithelial malignancies accounted for 70.6% of all ovarian malignancies and the serous cyst adenocarcinoma (10.2%) was the most common surface epithelial tumour as well as the most common malignant tumour. There has been an increase in the number of malignant ovarian specimens in our centre. Though surface epithelial tumours were the most common category of ovarian tumours, overall, the mature cystic teratoma was the most common tumour. Serous cyst adenocarcinoma was the most common surface epithelial tumour and the most common malignant tumour.


High-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma of the pleura: A case report and literature review.
High-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (HGMS) is a rare cancer that has high recurrence and metastatic rates. Here, we report the first case of HGMS originating from the pleura. Based on the findings of pleural biopsy, pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining, grade III myofibroblastic sarcoma (MS) was diagnosed. The patient underwent eight cycles of chemotherapy (epirubicin and ifosfamide), followed by radiotherapy. As of May 2020, the patient had been followed for six months and no tumor progression had occurred. KEY POINTS: This is the first report of high-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma originating from the pleura. The patient was treated via nonsurgical strategies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.


Iodide-induced thyrotoxicosis in a thyroidectomized patient with metastatic thyroid carcinoma.
An unusual case of iodide-induced thyrotoxicosis is documented in this article. The patient was a 64-year-old euthyroid man with acromegaly. He also had multiple follicular and papillary thyroid carcinomas with a metastatic lesion in the lumbar vertebrae. After a total thyroidectomy, he became slightly hypothyroid, and the lumbar lesion began to incorporate 131I by scintigraphy. When an iodine-containing contrast medium happened to be injected, a transient increase of serum thyroid hormone level was observed. After complete thyroid ablation with 83 mCi of 131I, the oral administration of 100 mg of potassium iodide for 7 days induced a prominent increase of serum thyroid hormone level. These findings indicated that the metastatic thyroid carcinoma could produce excess thyroid hormone insofar as a sufficient amount of iodide was given. Although this is the first report of such a case, iodide-induced thyrotoxicosis may not be rare in patients with thyroid carcinomas because the Wolff-Chaikoff effect is thought to be lost, and the organic iodinating activity and lysosomal protease activity are well-preserved.


Surgical usefulness of indocyanine green as an alternative to India ink for endoscopic marking.
India ink has been commonly used for preoperative colonic tattooing, but various complications have been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of indocyanine green (ICG) marking as a replacement for India ink. This study enrolled 40 patients who between January 2005 and February 2006 underwent laparoscopic or open surgery for colorectal lesions considered difficult to locate intraoperatively. Because one patient had a history of allergy to iodinated contrast material, metal clipping was used instead of ICG to mark the lesion. Endoscopists injected 5 ml of ICG suspension and saline solution adjacent to the lesion at duplicate locations to evaluate the visibility, duration, and adverse effects of the dye. For 39 patients, the date of the preoperative colonoscopy was not set for examination of the appropriate interval between endoscopic marking and the surgical operation. The median interval between ICG marking and surgery was 4 days (range, 1-73 days). All 29 patients who underwent surgery within 8 days after marking had positive green ICG staining at the time of surgery. After 9 days or more, however, positive staining was seen clearly in only two of the remaining 10 patients. The staining tended to grow weaker and fainter over the time course, eventually dissipating. No perioperative adverse reactions to the dye were observed. This study supports the use of ICG as a safe technique that can be identified reliably during operations performed within 8 days after endoscopic injection.


A new technique for measurement of subrotational lifetime of molecular ions.
Singly and multiply charged molecular ions are found in diverse environments and hold relevance for a wide range of research areas like combustion chemistry, accelerator physics, atmospheric sciences, plasma physics, astrophysics etc. Molecular dications are of special significance as they can be generated and studied comparatively easily in laboratory experiments. And they have enabled exploration of new and exciting phenomenon such as hydrogen migration, inter-atomic Coulombic decay, plasmonic excitations, orbital tomography etc. The lifetime of a molecular dication is one of its fundamental characteristics, whose measurement contributes to strengthening ab initio calculations and in predicting the concentration of its dissociation products. Most of the already reported lifetimes of molecular dications are in the range of nanoseconds to seconds and metastable states with lifetimes of the order of picoseconds have only been theoretical predicted and an experimental verification is pending. We present a method of measuring subrotational lifetimes of molecular dications formed in three-body sequential breakup of polyatomic molecular precursors. Specifically, we have measured the subrotational lifetime of [Formula: see text] , which is formed as an intermediate in the three-body sequential fragmentation of [Formula: see text]. The lifetime against dissociation is determined to be a fraction of the rotational period of [Formula: see text] and is of the order of few picoseconds. The method proposed is general and is not restricted to triatomic precursors.


Effect of cortisone and X-irradiation on cellular depletion and regeneration in the thymus of mice: experimental discrimination between thymus lymphocyte precursors in the bone marrow and in the thymus.
The effect of cortisone treatment on the ability of bone marrow cells to repopulate X-irradiated thymus was investigated. In one experimental series, groups of mice were treated first with cortisone and then irradiated with or without bone marrow protection. Mice treated with either cortisone or radiation alone served as controls. During an initial, bone marrow independent phase of thymus regeneration, cortisone had a stronger inhibitory effect on the cellular regeneration of the organ than irradiation. On the other hand, during a subsequent bone marrow dependent phase, thymus regeneration was impaired by radiation exposure but not by cortisone treatment. In another experimental series, irradiated mice were transplanted with bone marrow cells in different numbers from syngeneic donors which had either been treated with cortisone or were left untreated. Twenty days later the cell number was consistently larger in the thymus of animals which has been transplanted with cortisone treated bone marrow than in the animals transplanted with untreated bone marrow. It is concluded that the thymus lymphocyte precursors in the bone marrow and the early precursors of thymocytes in the thymus differ with regard to their sensitivity to cortisone and radiation and, therefore, may represent two distinct cell types.


Extraction of recombinant protein from Escherichia coli by using a novel cell autolysis activity of VanX.
Escherichia coli is a versatile, low-cost, and popular host for expressing recombinant proteins. However, extracting recombinant proteins from E. coli requires cell wall breakage, which is both time- and effort-consuming. Here we report a novel cell breakage method based on our recent finding that VanX, which is a d-Ala-d-Ala dipeptidase encoded in a vancomycin-resistant VanA gene cluster, exhibits a strong cell lysis activity when expressed in isolation in E. coli. In our strategy, we coexpress VanX with the target protein, causing cell autolysis and release of the cellular content into the culture medium. We demonstrated this strategy for two model proteins, a green fluorescent protein variant (GFPuv) and Gaussia luciferase, and optimized the autolysis conditions and coexpression vectors. The fluorescence activity of GFPuv collected from the medium was identical to that of GFPuv purified by conventional methods. Cell breakage by VanX-mediated autolysis is very simple to implement and will efficiently complement traditional methods.


Voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) outcomes in laryngectomees.
Laryngeal cancer has a significant impact on patients. This study compared the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) outcomes specific to 3 different postlaryngectomy voice rehabilitation methods. We conducted a retrospective review of 75 patients with laryngectomy from our V-RQOL questionnaire database. The database included 18 electrolaryngeal speech (ELS), 15 esophageal speech (ES), and 42 tracheoesophageal speech (TES) patients. Pairwise comparisons of V-RQOL outcomes showed that TES was perceived to be better than ELS (p < .001). ES was perceived as better than ELS, but this was driven by a difference in the total and social-emotional V-RQOL scores (p < .05). There was no difference between TES and ES groups. Only ELS showed a positive correlation with time after surgery and older age. Patients using TES had similar V-RQOL outcomes compared to ES and both performed significantly better than ELS. For ELS, the total V-RQOL score was better with longer time after surgery and older age.


Optimising Medications for Patients With Cancer and Multimorbidity: The Case for Deprescribing.
The majority of patients diagnosed with cancer are aged over 65 years and have two or more chronic conditions in addition to cancer and the risk of chronic conditions increases further after cancer. The presence of multimorbidity adds complexity to care, as patients' goals of care and the focus of treatment can change with a diagnosis of cancer. Multimorbidity is frequently associated with polypharmacy, the use of potentially inappropriate medications, the presence of adverse drug reactions and potential drug-drug interactions: all of which impact on health outcomes and the cost of care. Consequently, it is vital that a systematic approach is taken to regularly review cancer patients' medication regimens to ensure that they support an optimal balance of benefits with acceptable levels of harm. Several patient and clinician resources are presented to guide the process of medication review and deprescribing.


ATP and ADP contents in leaves of drying and rehydrating desiccation tolerant plants.
All species of desiccation tolerant angiosperms studied conserved some ATP in air-dry viable leaves. Otherwise there was no uniformity of response to drying: ATP content remained high in some species, but fell markedly in the others. ATP levels stayed high in Boea hygroscopica and Borya constricta until relative water content fell below 30%. ATP content recovered in the first 2 h of rehydration in Boea, but recovery was gradual in Borya, taking more than 16 h.


Impact of an institution-designed algorithm for the management of dislodged gastrostomy tubes.
Gastrostomy tube (GT) dislodgement is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. We aim to assess the efficacy of our institution's algorithm in reducing surgical consultation and GT contrast studies for replacement of dislodged GT and to examine the need for operation before and after algorithm implementation. A retrospective review was performed between March 2017-February 2018 (prealgorithm) and March 2018-December 2018 (postalgorithm) for patients <18 years presenting to the ED with GT dislodgement. Demographics and outcomes were analyzed. A total of 433 visits among 279 patients were included, 200 (46.2%) pre and 233 (53.8%) postalgorithm implementation. Median ED LOS was 2.1 h (IQR 1.4, 3.0). Surgery was consulted in 92 visits (21.3%) and a contrast study obtained in 287 (66.3%). The GT was replaced by ED providers in 363 visits (83.8%) and by surgery in 70 (16.2%). Surgical consultation increased postalgorithm (16.5% vs. 25.3%; p = 0.03). Six (1.4%) patients required reoperation, with 5 occurring postalgorithm, p = 0.22. For GTs placed < 8 weeks prior to the dislodgment, there were no differences in surgical consultations, contrast studies performed, or need for reoperation pre and postalgorithm. An algorithm for replacement of dislodged GT is usable, effective, and increased surgical team involvement without significant changes in patient outcomes. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.


Tolerant response of Streptococcus sanguis to beta-lactams and other cell wall inhibitors.
In contrast to group A streptococci or Streptococcus pneumoniae, cells of Streptococcus sanguis (group H) do not exhibit the irreversible effects of penicillin treatment, such as loss of viability or lysis. On the other hand, the same bacteria show typical effects of penicillin, such as morphological alterations, reduction in the rate of cell wall synthesis, and secretion of murein and lipoteichoic acid polymers into the medium. A novel effect of cell wall inhibitors was also noted: treatment with beta-lactams or with fosfomycin, d-cycloserine, or beta-halogeno-d-alanine caused the release of substantial amounts of glycerol lipids into the growth medium. The antibiotic "tolerance" of S. sanguis is interpreted in terms of the hypothesis that the activity of bacterial murein hydrolases is essential for the irreversible effects of cell wall inhibitors.


Efficacy of the anti-IL 17 secukinumab in refractory Behçet's syndrome: A preliminary study.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Behçet's patients with active mucocutaneous and articular manifestations refractory to previous treatments. We retrospectively evaluated 5 patients treated with the IL17-inhibitor secukinumab and diagnosed with Behçet according to ISG/ICBD criteria. All patients had active mucocutaneous and articular manifestations refractory to colchicine, conventional DMARDs and at least one anti-TNFα agent. Four patients received secukinumab in the dose of 150 mg/monthly since also fulfilling the criteria for ankylosing spondylitis, while the fifth patient received secukinumab 300 mg/monthly because she met psoriatic arthritis criteria. Achievement of response was based on the number of oral ulcers, BASDAI and ASDAS for articular involvement, and BDCAF for Behçet activity. Complete response was defined as: i) decrease ≥50% in the number of oral ulcers; ii) BASDAI index <4; iii) ASDAS index <1.4; iv) decrease of 50% or more in BDCAF index. The patient starting secukinumab 300 mg/month successfully achieved complete response within 3 months. Complete response was maintained during all 9-months follow-up. Among the 4 subjects starting secukinumab 150 mg/month, two achieved complete response at month 6, but one relapsed. This patient and the two who not achieved complete response at month 6 were switched to secukinumab 300 mg/month. Within 3 months from the dosage increase, all three subjects successfully (re)achieved complete response. Our study suggested for the first time that secukinumab (either 150 mg and 300 mg/month) improved active mucocutaneous manifestations refractory to previous treatments, while secukinumab 300 mg/monthly resulted superior in inducing articular and complete response in Behçet's patients.


An antiparallel actin dimer is associated with the endocytic pathway in mammalian cells.
The dynamic rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in several cellular processes such as cell motility, endocytosis, RNA processing and chromatin organization. However, the supramolecular actin structures involved in the different processes remain largely unknown. One of the less studied forms of actin is the lower dimer (LD). This unconventional arrangement of two actin molecules in an antiparallel orientation can be detected by chemical crosslinking at the onset of polymerization in vitro. Moreover, evidence for a transient incorporation of LD into growing filaments and its ability to inhibit nucleation of F-actin filament assembly implicate that the LD pathway contributes to supramolecular actin patterning. However, a clear link from this actin species to a specific cellular function has not yet been established. We have developed an antibody that selectively binds to LD configurations in supramolecular actin structures assembled in vitro. This antibody allowed us to unveil the LD in different mammalian cells. In particular, we show an association of the antiparallel actin arrangement with the endocytic compartment at the cellular and ultrastructural level. Taken together, our results strongly support a functional role of LD in the patterning of supramolecular actin assemblies in mammalian cells.


Recombinant adenovirus expression of FMDV P1-2A and 3C protein and its immune response in mice.
The purpose of this research was to develop a new type of recombinant adenovirus vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus and confirm whether both 2A and 3C proteases can fully process FMDV P1 polyprotein into VP1 protein. We constructed and characterized recombinant adenoviruses, designated as rAd-P1, rAd-P1-2A, rAd-L-P1, rAd-L-2A, and rAd-3C. The construct was further confirmed by the enzyme digestion, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, sequencing, and transfection. The infective replication-defective adenovirus rAd-3C was used to co-infect Vero cells with rAd-P1, rAd-P1-2A, rAd-L-P1, and rAd-L-2A, respectively; the supernatant of cracked cells was then collected to immunize mice. Notably, the supernatant of the Vero cells co-infected with rAd-L-2A/rAd-3C or rAd-P1-2A/rAd-3C was shown to induce specific humoral and cellular immune responses in the study animals. Most importantly, we confirmed that 3C protease successfully processed P1 polyprotein into VP1 protein without L protein only under the precondition of 2A protease; however, P1-2A and L-2A polyprotein were not fully processed. Our study highlighted that P1 polyprotein cannot be fully processed into structural protein VP1 only under the condition of 2A and 3C proteases. The results also suggest that the recombinant adenovirus may be an attractive candidate as a vaccine for preventing the disease associated with FMD virus infection.


Delinquent Behavior in High School Students in Hong Kong: Sociodemographic, Personal, and Family Determinants.
On the basis of longitudinal data collected over 6 years, the changes in delinquent behavior and the related sociodemographic, personal, and family determinants were examined in this study. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 6-year longitudinal research design was used. Students responded to a questionnaire containing sociodemographic questions and validated measures of positive youth development, family functioning, and delinquent behavior. There was an increasing trend of delinquent behavior with the growth rate slowing down over the high school years. Male adolescents reported higher levels of delinquent behavior and showed a greater increase of delinquent behavior relative to female adolescents. Although positive youth development and family functioning were negatively associated with the initial level of delinquent behavior, they were positively associated with the growth rate of delinquent behavior over time. Delinquent behavior could be described by a quadratic growth curve during high school years. Gender, positive youth development, and family functioning influence the level and developmental trajectory of delinquent behavior in adolescence.


Patterns of disjunction frequencies in heterozygous reciprocal translocations from the German cockroach.
Metaphase I cells from heterozygotes in eight reciprocal chromosome translocation stocks of Blattella germanica (L.) have been examined and counted. The data show that three stocks have random disjunction (adjacent and alternate orientations are equally frequent), but the cell types adjacent-1, alternate-1, adjacent-2, and alternate-2 are present in a ratio of 2:1:1:2. Four stocks with directed disjunction have similar patterns, except for a heavy preponderace of alternate-2 cells. This difference is reflected in the finding that 60-65% of all cells in these interchanges are type II cells (alternate-2 plus adjacent-2), and individual percentages agree closely with percent directed disjunction is distinctly different in that the frequencies of both alternate-1 and alternate-2 cells are elevated and contribute to directed disjunction. It has also been demonstrated with two stocks that changes in disjunction frequencies can be brought about by genetic manipulation. These observations provide a better understanding of the differences between random and directed disjunction.


Tricalbins Are Required for Non-vesicular Ceramide Transport at ER-Golgi Contacts and Modulate Lipid Droplet Biogenesis.
Lipid composition varies among organelles, and the distinct lipid composition is important for specific functions of each membrane. Lipid transport between organelles, which is critical for the maintenance of membrane lipid composition, occurs by either vesicular or non-vesicular mechanisms. In yeast, ceramide synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is transported to the Golgi apparatus where inositolphosphorylceramide (IPC) is formed. Here we show that a fraction of Tcb3p, a yeast tricalbin protein, localizes to ER-Golgi contact sites. Tcb3p and their homologs Tcb1p and Tcb2p are required for formation of ER-Golgi contacts and non-vesicular ceramide transport. Absence of Tcb1p, Tcb2p, and Tcb3p increases acylceramide synthesis and subsequent lipid droplet (LD) formation. As LD can sequester excess lipids, we propose that tricalbins act as regulators of ceramide transport at ER-Golgi contact sites to help reduce a potentially toxic accumulation of ceramides.


Receptor potentials of lizard hair cells with free-standing stereocilia: responses to acoustic clicks.
Receptor potentials of single hair cells in the free-standing region of the basilar papilla of the anaesthetized alligator lizard were measured intracellularly with micropipettes. Stimuli were primarily acoustic pulses (clicks) delivered to the tympanic membrane. The receptor potential was independent of click repetition rate for the range 10-150 clicks/s. This property is presumed to be the basis of the rate independence of the extracellular cochlear microphonic potential. The receptor potential wave-form consisted of a fast oscillatory component (or oscillation) superimposed on a usually positive (depolarizing) slow component. Reversal of the stimulus polarity resulted in a reversal of the polarity of the oscillations; the polarity of the slow component remained unchanged. The relative magnitudes of the two components depended on click level. At the higher click levels the magnitudes of the slow and oscillatory components were comparable. The relation of the receptor potential to the stimulus was non-linear; the peak-to-peak magnitude of the receptor potential increased less than proportionately with increasing sound-pressure level, and reversal of the stimulus polarity did not result in a reversal of the receptor potential. The receptor-potential magnitude for high-level clicks ranged from 1-13 mV peak-to-peak with an average value of 3.5 mV. At the lower click levels the magnitude of the slow component was much smaller than that of the oscillatory component. The relation of the receptor potential to the acoustic stimulus approached that of a linear system, the magnitude of the receptor potential became approximately proportional to the sound-pressure level, and reversal of the stimulus polarity resulted in approximate reversal of the receptor potential. For low-level stimuli the frequency of the oscillations of the receptor potential in response to clicks was approximately equal to the frequency of maximal a.c. response to tones. Apparently, both phenomena reflect the frequency selectivity of the processes generating the receptor potential. The frequency of oscillations in the click response varied from one cell to another (range of 1.0-2.2 kHz in this study). The results are qualitatively consistent with a model (Weiss, Mulroy & Altmann, 1974) that contains a linear, band-pass filter followed by a rectifier followed by a low-pass filter.


Depression and adrenocortical function in spinal cord injury patients: a review.
Depressive disorders are a significant problem among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), but their diagnosis is difficult. The Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) has recently been shown useful for diagnosis of endogenous depression in physically healthy individuals. This article reviews the literature pertinent to depression and adrenocortical regulation after SCI, with special emphasis on DST. While depression is fairly common in SCI patients, endogenous depression occurs infrequently. The validity of the DST for diagnosis of depression in these patients is questionable because of the changes in adrenocortical regulation caused by SCI. Directions for future research are suggested.


Prevalence and Determinants of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health issue. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB has further complicated the situation in the form of poor treatment outcomes and costs to individuals and health-care systems. We therefore aimed to measure the prevalence and associated risk factors of MDR TB among TB patients in Makkah city. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, a public-sector hospital in Makkah. We included records of 158 confirmed TB patients from the list of all patients admitted in the hospital from January 2009 to January 2019 by systematic random sampling. Data were collected on socio-demographics, clinical profile and drug resistance patterns. Analysis was done in SPSS version 21.0. The mean age of the participants was 43.4 ± 18.7 years, and two-thirds (66.5%) were male. About 40% of the patients had chronic disease while lung disease other than TB was present in 5% patients. About 13% of cases were extrapulmonary infections. Prevalence of drug resistance was found to be 17.1% among TB patients. Among the resistant cases, streptomycin (25.9%) and isoniazid (11.1%) were the drugs most commonly affected by resistance. Prevalence of MDR TB was 5% among TB patients. Age, smoking, lung disease and previous TB were significant factors associated with MDR TB. Prevalence of MDR TB, although comparable to current national estimates, is higher compared to previous reports. There is a need to reduce this burden through strengthening TB control programs to prevent further emergence of a public health threat of MDR TB. History of previous TB was the strongest risk factor in this study. This calls physicians, program managers and policy makers to focus on counselling and support of TB patients for compliance with the regimen to complete treatment without interruption.


The notion of minimum distance or why rare species are clumped.
The prevalence of statistical clumping in natural populations can sometimes obscure mutual avoidance behavior and the adaptive role of spacing out among population members. The problem is particularly severe in rare species where the inverse square relationship between expected nearest neighbor distance and population density demands mean distances between individuals be excessively large to maintain randomness or overdispersion. Realistically, individuals dispersing from a central nucleus might be expected to establish a minimum distance from neighbors to obtain a substantial gain in fitness but further dispersal would be undesirable due to increasing costs and decreasing gains. The result would be higher clumping at low densities. Data on clumping of rare species in an oak-cynipid gall wasp complex are interpreted in the context of the minimum distance notion, and the influence of parasitism on cynipid host population dispersion is discussed.


Thermal resistances and lactate and diacetate sensitivities of bacteria causing bologna discolouration.
This report describes the effects of heat, sodium lactate, and sodium diacetate on the viabilities of Weissella viridescens ATCC 12706, Aerococcus viridans MPL-1 and MPL-B, and Carnobacterium viridans ATCC BAA 336. The latter three organisms were isolated from commercial product and have previously been shown to produce green discolourations in cooked cured bologna. W. viridescens was heat resistant in beef bologna (D(60 degrees C)=14.7 min) but not in APT broth. A. viridans and C. viridans were much more sensitive to heat (D(60 degrees C) in beef bologna < or =1.3 min), indicating that these organisms were probably post-pasteurization contaminants. Sodium lactate (3.0%) alone or in combination with 0.3% sodium diacetate slowed the growth rate and reduced the final cell numbers of A. viridans and C. viridans in inoculated bologna. W. viridescens was only slightly affected by the combined antimicrobials. The combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate prevented A. viridans and C. viridans from affecting the colour of beef bologna. However, lactate and diacetate themselves reduced red colour, as measured by HunterLab colourimetry. HunterLab a values for fresh beef bologna were 13.4 (no antimicrobial added), 9.6 (3.0% sodium lactate), 8.0 (0.3% sodium diacetate), and 7.9 (3.0% sodium lactate + 0.3% sodium diacetate).


Factors influencing pregnancy rates with a combined clomiphene citrate/gonadotropin protocol for non-assisted reproductive technology fertility treatment.
To determine the effectiveness of a combined clomiphene citrate/gonadotropin protocol in a general infertility population and to evaluate factors influencing pregnancy rates obtained with this protocol. A retrospective chart review. SETTING; University-based infertility clinic. Two hundred forty-eight patients undergoing 658 cycles of minimal stimulation (MS) protocol from 1996-2000. Patients underwent treatment with clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin, often followed by intrauterine insemination. Clinical pregnancy rates. Overall, the clinical pregnancy rate was 7.1% per cycle (n = 248 patients and 658 cycles). The age range of the patients was 24-47 years (mean +/- SD = 36.5 +/- 4.9) with 8.7% noted to have ovulatory dysfunction. Pregnancy rates varied significantly (P<.05) with patient age (9.3% in women <40 years vs. 2.4% in women > or =40), duration of infertility (9.0% in women with < or =3 years of infertility vs. 2.2% in women with >3 years of infertility) and number of follicles produced during stimulation (9.1% in women with > or =3 follicles vs. 4.6% in women with <3 follicles). The effectiveness of the MS protocol in a general infertility population with a predominantly ovulatory status is much less than that previously reported in a younger patient population with a significant rate of ovulatory dysfunction. This protocol does not appear to lead to pregnancy rates higher than that reported for clomiphene citrate/intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. The clinical pregnancy rates using a minimal stimulation protocol are particularly compromised in women over 40, those with a longer duration of infertility or those who produce few follicles during stimulation.


(121,123)Sb and (75)As NMR and NQR investigation of the tetrahedrite (Cu12Sb4S13)--Tennantite (Cu12As4S13) system and other metal arsenides.
This work is motivated by the recent developments in online minerals analysis in the mining and minerals processing industry via nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR). Here we describe a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and NQR study of the minerals tennantite (Cu12As4S13) and tetrahedrite (Cu12 Sb4S13). In the first part NQR lines associated with (75)As in tennantite and (121,123)Sb isotopes in tetrahedrite are reported. The spectroscopy has been restricted to an ambient temperature studies in accord with typical industrial conditions. The second part of this contribution reports nuclear quadrupole-perturbed NMR findings on further, only partially characterised, metal arsenides. The findings enhance the detection capabilities of NQR based analysers for online measurement applications and may aid to control arsenic and antimony concentrations in metal processing stages.


Insulin effect on [14C]-valine incorporation and its relation to hexokinase activity in developing brain.
Using minced brain cortex from fetal and postnatal rats, we studied the incorporation of [14C]-valine into protein in the presence of insulin. We also assayed the "particle bound" and soluble hexokinase in these tissues. Insulin significantly stimulated the incorporation of [14C]-valine into brain proteins from fetal stage upto 2 days of life. After this period the insulin effect was minimal, with no effect by day 5. The "particle bound" (40,000g pellet) brain hexokinase, on the other hand, remained low till about 2 days of life and then increased to almost adult level by 5 days. Our results show that there is an inverse relation between this anabolic effect of insulin and the "particle bound" hexokinase activity in the cortex of developing rat brain.


E1B 55k-independent dissociation of the DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 complex by E4 34k during adenovirus infection.
The ligase IV/XRCC4 complex plays a central role in DNA double-strand break repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). During adenovirus infection, NHEJ is inhibited by viral proteins E4 34k and E1B 55k, which redirect the Cul5/Rbx1/Elongin BC ubiquitin E3 ligase to polyubiquitinate and promote degradation of ligase IV. In cells infected with E1B 55k-deficient adenovirus, ligase IV could not be found in XRCC4-containing complexes and was observed in a novel ligase IV/E4 34k/Cul5/Elongin BC complex. These observations suggest that dissociation of the ligase IV/XRCC4 complex occurs at an early stage in E4 34k-mediated degradation of ligase IV and indicate a role for E4 34k in dissociation of the ligase IV/XRCCC4 complex. Expression of E4 34k alone was not sufficient to dissociate the ligase IV/XRCC4 complex, which indicates a requirement for an additional, as yet unidentified, factor in E1B 55k-independent dissociation of the ligase IV/XRCC4 complex.


[Hemangioblastic characteristics of fetal bone marrow-derived Flk1+ CD34- cells].
To investigate whether fetal bone marrow stromal cells have hemangioblastic characteristics. Human fetal bone marrow stromal cells (hfMSCs) were isolated and cultured. Immunophenotypes of hfMSCs were tested by FACS. hfMSCs seeded in the matrigel were induced with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in vitro. Vascularization and hematopoiesis were detected with immunohistochemistry and electron microscope. The typical properties of this CD34- stromal cell population were that 99% cells expressed Flk1 (vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2) and tube structure was formed. In the process of induction, hfMSCs could give rise to CD34+ round cells. We have demonstrated that fetal bone marrow stroma-derived Flk1+ CD34- cells could differentiate into vascular endothelial cells and hematopoietic cells, indicating that fetal bone marrow stroma-derived Flk1+ CD34- cells have hemangioblastic characteristics.


Mixed lineage leukemia with cytogenetically unrelated abnormal clones.
We present a case of acute leukemia with morphologic, cytochemical, and immunophenotypic markers indicating that the population of blasts have characteristics of lymphoid and myelomonocytic origin. The cytogenetic study revealed the following mosaic abnormal karyotype: 46XX,dup(1)(q21----32)/46,XX,dup(11)(q13----25)/47,XX,trip(11) (q13----25),+der(17)t(17;?) (q24;?). The two clones involving #11 are obviously related. It is reasonable to assume that the third clone is an evolutionary result of the second one. Because no cytogenetic similarities were found among the first clone and the other two, we suggest that this mixed leukemia was of biclonal origin. To our knowledge, acute leukemia with mixed lineage characteristics and with the simultaneous presence of cytogenetically unrelated clones has not previously been reported.


The Association Between Absolute Lymphocyte Count and Long-Term Mortality in Critically Ill Medical Patients: Propensity Score-Based Analyses.
Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) has been implicated with short-term outcomes in a number of diseases, and we aimed to investigate the association between week-one ALC and long-term mortality in patients who were admitted to the medical intensive care units (ICUs). We enrolled patients who were admitted to the medical ICUs at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, a referral centre located in central Taiwan, between 2015 and 2020 to conduct this retrospective cohort study. The outcome of interest was long-term all-cause mortality, and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the association. Furthermore, we employed propensity score-matching (PSM) and weighting techniques, consisting of inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and covariate balancing propensity score (CBPS), to confirm the association between ALC and mortality. A total of 5722 critically ill patients were enrolled, and the one-year mortality was 44.8%. The non-survivor group had a lower ALC (1549, 1027-2388 vs 1948, 1373-2743 counts/μL, p<0.01) compared with those in the survivor group. Cox regression showed that low ALC was independently associated with mortality (adjHR 1.091, 95% CI 1.050-1.134). Propensity score-based analyses demonstrated the robust association, with adjHRs in the original, PSM, IPTW, and CBPS populations of 1.327 (95% CI 1.224-1.438), 1.301 (95% CI 1.188-1.424), 1.292 (95% CI 1.186-1.407), and 1.297 (95% CI 1.191-1.412), respectively. Sensitivity analyses further showed that the association between low ALC and mortality existed in a dose-response manner. We found that low ALC was associated with long-term mortality in critically ill patients; further studies are warranted to validate and translate these findings into clinical utility.


The structure of protein evolution and the evolution of protein structure.
The observed distribution of protein structures can give us important clues about the underlying evolutionary process, imposing important constraints on possible models. The availability of results from an increasing number of genome projects has made the development of these models an active area of research. Models explaining the observed distribution of structures have focused on the inherent functional capabilities and structural properties of different folds and on the evolutionary dynamics. Increasingly, these elements are being combined.


GSK-3beta inhibitors attenuate the organ injury/dysfunction caused by endotoxemia in the rat.
Serine-threonine protein kinase glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 is involved in regulation of many cell functions, but its role in regulation of inflammatory response is unknown. Here we investigate the effects of GSK-3beta inhibition on organ injury/dysfunction caused by lipopolysaccharide or coadministration of lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan in the rat. Prospective, randomized study. University-based research laboratory. Ninety-nine anesthetized male Wistar rats. Study 1: Rats received either intravenous Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (6 mg/kg) or vehicle (1 mL/kg; saline). Study 2: Rats received either intravenous E. coli lipopolysaccharide (1 mg/kg) and Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan (0.3 mg/kg) or vehicle. The potent and selective GSK-3beta inhibitors TDZD-8 (1 mg/kg intravenously), SB216763 (0.6 mg/kg intravenously), and SB415286 (1 mg/kg intravenously) or vehicle (10% dimethyl sulfoxide) was administered 30 mins before lipopolysaccharide or lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. Endotoxemia resulted in increases in the serum levels of creatinine (indicator of renal dysfunction), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (markers for hepatocellular injury), lipase (indicator of pancreatic injury), and creatine kinase (indicator of neuromuscular injury). Coadministration of lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan resulted in hepatocellular injury and renal dysfunction. All GSK-3beta inhibitors attenuated the organ injury/dysfunction caused by lipopolysaccharide or lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. GSK-3beta inhibition reduced the Ser536 phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappaB subunit p65 and the messenger RNA expression of nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent proinflammatory mediators but had no effect on the nuclear factor-kappaB/DNA binding activity in the lung. GSK-3beta inhibition reduced the increase in nuclear factor-kappaB p65 activity caused by interleukin-1 in human embryonic kidney cells in vitro. The potent and selective GSK-3beta inhibitors TDZD-8, SB216763, and SB415286 reduced the organ injury/dysfunction caused by lipopolysaccharide or lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan in the rat. We propose that GSK-3beta inhibition may be useful in the therapy of the organ injury/dysfunction associated with sepsis, shock, and other diseases associated with local or systemic inflammation.


Hydrodynamics and effect of velocity on particle filtration due to bridging in water-saturated porous media using CFD-DEM simulation.
Particle bridging owing to the confinement of the pore structure affects the transport and retention of particles in porous media. Particle motion driven by gravities were well investigated, whose filtration is mainly affected by the ratio of the particle diameter to the pore throat size of the medium. However, particles whose motions are driven by the fluid is essential to be investigated for particle separation from the carrying fluid. In this study, the motion of particles was driven by the liquid when passing through a water-saturated porous medium. The fluid-particle flow in a porous medium was modeled using computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method. The motion of particles in the slurry was traced in the porous medium, which enabled particle clogging to be directly precited by the interaction between the particles and pore surfaces by assessing the exact location of each particle. The pressure and flow field of the liquid were investigated, and the variation in flow path owing to particle clogging was predicted. The hydrodynamic study also showed that the Stokes number and particle concentration determined the particle clogging at the pore throats of the porous medium. Increasing the fluid velocity of particles such that the Stokes number was almost equal to 1 increased the separation efficiency of particles. Further increasing the fluid velocity reduced the residence time, which reduced the separation efficiency of the particles.


Pleomorphic adenoma of the lacrimal gland: is there a role for biopsy?
To review the literature on biopsy of lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma (LGPA) and to examine the validity of the prohibition against biopsy in LGPA. Literature review. LGPA is usually diagnosed preoperatively based on clinical and radiological characteristics, as current teaching advises complete excision without prior incisional biopsy. The caveat against biopsy is based on older studies that reported increased recurrence rates with increased risk of malignant transformation after incomplete excision or biopsy. On the basis of a detailed examination of the literature on biopsy of both LGPA and pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands, it appears that there is no clear evidence to support the claim that biopsy increases the risk of recurrence or of malignant transformation of LGPA. Lacrimal gland tumours are uncommon lesions and optimal management depends to a great extent on a definite preoperative diagnosis. Preoperative biopsy should therefore be considered in all lacrimal gland mass lesions and management should be tailored to the biopsy findings. If surgical resection is then required, it may be prudent to excise the biopsy tract to ensure complete removal of the tumour.


WildGait: Learning Gait Representations from Raw Surveillance Streams.
The use of gait for person identification has important advantages such as being non-invasive, unobtrusive, not requiring cooperation and being less likely to be obscured compared to other biometrics. Existing methods for gait recognition require cooperative gait scenarios, in which a single person is walking multiple times in a straight line in front of a camera. We address the challenges of real-world scenarios in which camera feeds capture multiple people, who in most cases pass in front of the camera only once. We address privacy concerns by using only motion information of walking individuals, with no identifiable appearance-based information. As such, we propose a self-supervised learning framework, WildGait, which consists of pre-training a Spatio-Temporal Graph Convolutional Network on a large number of automatically annotated skeleton sequences obtained from raw, real-world surveillance streams to learn useful gait signatures. We collected and compiled the largest pretraining dataset to date of anonymized walking skeletons called Uncooperative Wild Gait, containing over 38k tracklets of anonymized walking 2D skeletons. We make the dataset available to the research community. Our results surpass the current state-of-the-art pose-based gait recognition solutions. Our proposed method is reliable in training gait recognition methods in unconstrained environments, especially in settings with scarce amounts of annotated data.


Building the CuA site of cytochrome c oxidase: A complicated, redox-dependent process driven by a surprisingly large complement of accessory proteins.
Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) was initially purified more than 70 years ago. A tremendous amount of insight into its structure and function has since been gleaned from biochemical, biophysical, genetic, and molecular studies. As a result, we now appreciate that COX relies on its redox-active metal centers (heme a and a3, CuA and CuB) to reduce oxygen and pump protons in a reaction essential for most eukaryotic life. Questions persist, however, about how individual structural subunits are assembled into a functional holoenzyme. Here, we focus on what is known and what remains to be learned about the accessory proteins that facilitate CuA site maturation.


Soil erosion estimation by RUSLE model using GIS and remote sensing techniques: A case study of the tertiary hilly regions in Bangladesh from 2017 to 2021.
Soil erosion is one of the major environmental threats in Bangladesh, especially in the tertiary hilly regions located in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the country. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), combined with Geographic Information System, is a reliable methodology to estimate the potential soil loss in an area. This research aimed to use the RUSLE model to estimate the soil erosion in the tertiary hill tracts of Bangladesh from 2017 to 2021. The erosivity factor was determined from the annual average precipitation, and erodibility factor was estimated from FAO soil database. The elevation model was used to analyze slope length steepness factors, while land use land cover was used to compute cover management factor. Lastly, land use and elevation were integrated to estimate the support practice factor. Results revealed that the potential mean annual soil loss in 2017, 2019, and 2021 was 68.77, 69.84, and 83.7 ton ha-1 year-1 from northeastern and 101.72, 107.83, and 114.04 ton ha-1 year-1 from southeastern region, respectively. Although total annual rainfall was high in 2017, soil loss was found higher in 2021 which indicates the impact of land use change on erosion. This investigation will help the policymakers to identify the erosion-vulnerable areas in the hill tracts that require immediate soil conservation practices. Additionally, there is no latest field-based data available for the country for the validation, and hence, it is recommended to conduct field-based studies for validating the model-derived results and creating a reliable soil erosion database for the country.


Impact of mangrove forest structure and landscape on macroplastics capture.
Complex networks of above-ground roots and trunks make mangrove forests trap plastic litter. We tested how macroplastics relate to tree biomass, root abundance, mangrove geomorphology and river mouth proximity, surveying landward and seaward margins of seven forests in the Philippines, a global hotspot for marine plastic pollution. Macroplastics were abundant (mean ± s.e.: 1.1 ± 0.22 items m-2; range: 0.05 ± 0.05 to 3.79 ± 1.91), greatest at the landward zone (mean ± s.e.: 1.60 ± 0.41 m-2) and dominated by land-derived items (sachets, bags). Plastic abundance and weight increased with proximity to river mouths, with root abundance predicting plastic litter surface area (i.e., the cumulative sum of all the surface areas of each plastic element per plot). The study confirms rivers are a major pathway for marine plastic pollution, with mangrove roots are the biological attribute that regulate litter retention. The results suggest land-based waste management that prevent plastics entering rivers will reduce marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia.


Immunogenicity of recombinant maltose-binding protein (MBP)-gonadotropin releasing hormone I (GnRH-I).
A recombinant fusion protein, maltose-binding protein (MBP)--gonadotropin releasing hormone I (GnRH-I), was produced by cloning a gene fragment encoding a tandem repeated GnRH-I hexamer peptide (GnRH-I6) into the pMAL-c4x vector which was subsequently expressed in E. coli TB1. MBP-GnRH-I6 was affinity purified. MBP-GnRH-I6 was verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blot and immunogenicity tested in boars. Injection of the recombinant fusion protein into boars yielded a high-titer antibody specific for GnRH-I. This was followed by serum testosterone and the degeneration of spermatogenesis. These results showed that MBP-GnRH-I6 acted as a strong immunogen and could be a candidate for an immune antifertility vaccine.


Pediatric Endoscopic Cholesteatoma Surgery.
(1) To describe and review a single center's pediatric endoscopic cholesteatoma experience, including surgical and audiologic outcomes. (2) To assess the most common locations of residual cholesteatoma following endoscopic removal. Case series with chart review. Tertiary otologic referral center. Patients <19 years of age who underwent cholesteatoma removal with either endoscopic or microscopic visualization. In a comparison of patients who underwent total endoscopic ear surgery (TEES), combined endoscopic-microscopic surgery, or microscopic surgery, analyzed outcomes included locations and incidence of recurrent and residual cholesteatoma, complications, and audiometric testing. Sixty-six patients (mean age, 10.9 years; range, 4-18 years; 43.4% female) with 76 ears met inclusion criteria. The average overall follow-up was 18.8 months (range, 6.7-48.3). Forty-seven (61.8%) ears underwent microscopic removal of cholesteatoma; 29 (38.1%) ears underwent combined endoscopic-microscopic removal; and 8 (10.5%) ears underwent TEES removal. Significantly more mastoidectomies were completed in microscopic cases as compared with endoscopic cases (P = .049). Though second-look procedures occurred in 15 (51.7%) endoscopic cases and 10 (21.3%) microscopic cases (P = .006), the rate of residual disease was 20.0% and 40.0% in endoscopic and microscopic cases, respectively (P = .38). When controlling for preoperative hearing, only the air-bone gap for TEES demonstrated significant improvement (P = .009). No complications were noted. The present report describes our experience with pediatric endoscopic cholesteatoma surgery, demonstrating similar hearing outcomes, rates of recurrence and residual disease, and complication rates as compared with traditional microscopic techniques.


Association of interleukin-I beta and receptor antagonist gene polymorphisms with late onset Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan Chinese.
Interleukin (IL)-1 is markedly overexpressed in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to evaluate the relationship between three polymorphisms of the IL1 gene (IL-1beta promoter -511T/C, IL-1beta exon 5 E1/E2 and IL-1-RA) and late onset AD in Taiwan Chinese. Forty-six late onset AD patients and 103 unrelated, age-matched, healthy controls living in the same area were included. PCR was used to resolve the two IL-1beta polymorphisms and the IL-1Ra intron 2 polymorphism. The -511T/T type of the IL-1beta promoter (unlike IL-1beta exon 5 and IL-1-RA) was more frequently found in AD than in healthy patients (-511C/C type versus T/T type, OR = 0.944, CI = 0.393, 2.269, P = 0.898; -511C/T type versus T/T type, OR = 0.375, CI = 0.156, 0.902, P = 0.028). The -511T/T genotype (unlike the other two polymorphisms) is a marker demonstrating that late onset AD in Chinese patients in Taiwan is genetically determined.


Proteomic analysis of O-GlcNAcylated proteins in invasive ductal breast carcinomas with and without lymph node metastasis.
The potential role of protein O-GlcNAcylation in cancer has been studied extensively, and the spread of cancer cells to regional lymph nodes is the first step in the dissemination of breast cancer. However, the correlation between O-GlcNAcylation and lymphatic metastasis in breast cancer remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that the overall O-GlcNAcylation as well as O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) tends to decrease in response to the augmentation of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in invasive ductal breast carcinomas (IDCs). Although accumulating evidence indicates that individual O-GlcNAcylation may be important in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, O-GlcNAcylated proteins in IDCs are still largely unexplored. Herein, O-GlcNAcylated proteins of IDCs were chemo-enzymatically enriched and identified via liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 155 O-GlcNAcylated proteins were determined, of which 41 were only observed in LNM tissues, while 40 were unique in non-LNM samples. Gene ontology analysis showed that O-GlcNAc is primarily a nucleocytoplasmic post-translational modification, and most enriched functional terms were related to cancer development in both metastatic and non-metastatic IDCs. Moreover, several O-GlcNAcylated proteins involved in glycolysis and its accessory pathway were identified from LNM and non-LNM groups, respectively. These results indicate that the O-GlcNAcylation statuses of individual proteins were independent of the overall O-GlcNAcylation levels of metastatic and non-metastatic IDCs. Aberrant O-GlcNAc modification of these proteins might be associated with LNM progression.


Study Confirms Safety and Effectiveness of Intra-Articular Glucocorticoids for Painful Hip Dislocation in Children and Young Adults with Neurologic Impairment.
Hip dislocation is a common source of pain in children with neurologic impairment. When medical interventions fail, orthopedic surgery does not guarantee a definitive result as the displacement may continue postoperatively and a second operation is often required. Retrospective analysis of data regarding the safety and effectiveness of an intra-articular corticosteroid injection (IACI) in 11 patients, aged 15 ± 5 years old, collected through a telephonic questionnaire administered to parents. 21 IACIs were performed, a mean number of 1.9 ± 1.5 times for each patient, at a mean age (of the first IACI) of 13.5 ± 5 years. According to the parents, the IACI significantly lowered the number of participants experiencing pain (82% reduction) and using analgesics (60% reduction). There was also a significant improvement in the children's hip mobility (63% reduction in patients experiencing stiffness), decubitus (90% reduction in obligated positioning), behavior (80% reduction in lamenting or crying patients), sleep quality (87.5% reduction in patients awakening every night), and caregivers' quality of life (91% reduction in worried parents). The mean reported duration of the IACIs' benefit was 5.4 ± 2.4 months (range 1-9), with a positive correlation with the number of IACIs (r = 0.48; p-value = 0.04) and a negative correlation with the age at the first injection (r = -0.71; p-value = 0.02). The only reported adverse event was mild local swelling in one child. the IACI could represent a safe and effective intervention for painful hip dislocation, both before and after surgery, with a long-lasting benefit which seems to increase as multiple IACIs are performed.


[HPLC-ESI/MS analysis of stachydrine and its metabolites in rat urine].
To identify the main metabolites of stachydrine in rat. The ionization, cleavage and chromatographic characteristics of stachydrine were studied by using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/MS) for the first time. These characteristics of stachydrine were used as the basis for the analyses of metabolites in rat urine. The 0 - 24 h urine samples of rats after ig 25 mg x kg(-1) stachydrine were collected and purified by using C10 solid-phase extraction cartridge, and then analyzed by HPLC-ESI/MS to identify stachydrine and its metabolites. The parent drug (stachydrine), 6 phase I metabolites (N-demethyl, dehydrogenation, ring-oxidation) and 2 phase II metabolites (glycine conjugates of 2 ring-oxidation products) were identified existing in rat urine. The presented method was proved to be sensitive, rapid, high selective and specific for the identification of stachydrine and its metabolites in rat urine.


New blends of ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers with thermoplastic starch. Characterization and bacterial biodegradation.
Ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer (EBA) with 13% of butyl acrylate content was used to produce blends with 10, 30 and 60% of thermoplastic starch (TPS) plasticized with glycerol. Ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) was used as compatibilizer at 20% content with respect to EBA. The blends were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ATR-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), water-Contact Angle measurements (CA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Stress-strain mechanical tests. Initiated autoxidation of the polymer blends was studied by chemiluminescence (CL) confirming that the presence of the polyolefin-TPS interphase did not substantially affect the oxidative thermostability of the materials. Three bacterial species have been isolated from the blend films buried in soil and identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus borstelensis and Bacillus licheniformis. Biodegradation of the blends (28days at 45°C) was evaluated by carbon dioxide measurement using the indirect impedance technique.


A Novel Tetradentate Ruthenium(II) Complex Containing Tris(2- Pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa) As An Inhibitor Of Beta-amyloid Fibrillation.
We report herein the synthesis and application of a novel tetradentate ruthenium(II) complex 1 containing a tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa) ligand as an inhibitor of β-amyloid fibrillogenesis. [Ru(tpa)(bt)]ClO(4) 1 (bt =2-acetylbenzo[b]thiophene-3-olate) showed significant inhibition of Aβ(1-40) peptide aggregation in vitro, which was confirmed by a Thioflavin T assay and transmission electron microscopy imaging.


[Method and implementation of real-time QRS-waves detection based on wavelet transform].
A method based on wavelet transform has been developed for detecting QRS-waves.The MIT-BIH database is used to evaluate this method, and the accuracy is over 99.5%. Then the method is implanted into the embedded system to implement the real-time detection of ECG. This method has good performances in time-delay and computation.


Preparative scale Baeyer-Villiger biooxidation at high concentration using recombinant Escherichia coli and in situ substrate feeding and product removal process.
An efficient biocatalytic process based on the use of adsorbent resin (in situ substrate feeding and product removal) makes experiments at high substrate concentration possible by overcoming limitations due to substrate and product inhibition. This process was successfully applied to the preparative scale Baeyer-Villiger biooxidation of (-)-(1S,5R)-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one (25 g). Whole cells of recombinant E. coli (1 liter) overexpressing cyclohexanone monooxygenase were used as a biocatalyst and the substrate was preloaded onto the adsorbent resin. The corresponding lactone was obtained in 75-80% yield. Time for cell growth and biotransformation is about 24 h each and oxygen supply can be improved by using a tailor-made bubble column.


Gene transcripts as potential diagnostic markers for allergic contact dermatitis.
The standard procedure for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis is to perform a patch test. Because this has several disadvantages, the development of a new in vitro test system would be of immense value. Gene transcripts that distinguish allergics from non-allergics may have the potential to serve as the molecular basis for such a diagnostic tool. In this study, we use the microarray technology in the identification of differentially expressed genes in allergen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 3 chromium-allergic patients versus 3 healthy controls. Using an Affymetrix GeneChip, the gene expression was analysed in PBMC cultures grown with 100 microg/ml CrCl3 or in media alone for 24 hr. A total of 26 genes were differentially expressed by more than twofold (P < 0.01) in allergen-activated PBMCs from patients compared with controls. 18 of these were upregulated, whereas 8 were downregulated. The expression of 1 downregulated gene, CASP8, was also found specifically and significantly reduced in an expanded population including 4 additional chromium allergic patients and 1 additional control subject by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The expression of 2 upregulated genes, ETS2 and CISH, correlated with a high-proliferative response following CrCl3 exposure. Additionally, real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that the same gene expression changes are valid for nickel allergics, potentially making the expression profile more widely available. The 26 differentially expressed genes identified in this study may potentially function as diagnostic markers for contact sensitivity.


Cuticular water loss unlikely to explain tree-line in Scotland.
According to the hypotheses advanced by Wardle (1971) and Tranquillini (1979), failure of trees at their altitudinal limit is caused by poor development of the cuticle and a corresponding inability to conserve water in winter when the soil is frozen. This hypothesis was tested at a natural tree line of Scots pine in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. There was no sign of poor cuticular development, but needles from oldkrummholz at high altitudes and young isolated trees at higher altitude did lose water more rapidly than those at low altitude, over a range of water content during desiccation in the laboratory. The results are best attributed to stomatal dysfunction caused by mechanical damage to the leaf and also by direct damage to the cuticle, rather than to a thinner or less developed cuticle. Calculations show that a small increase in cuticular transpiration is quite unlikely to cause frost-drought.