A critical analysis of techniques for measuring tannins in ecological studies : II. Techniques for biochemically defining tannins.
A series of seventeen taxonomically diverse plant extracts rich in phenolic materials, including condensed and hydrolysable tannins, have been subjected to a series of biochemical analyses in an attempt to gather ecologically significant information about their interaction with proteins and amino acids. Methods employed were (i) protein-precipitation, using bovine serum albumin as substrate, followed by computation of specific activities of the tannins present in the extracts, and (ii) the inhibition of cellulase activity by tannin extracts bound to the cellulose substrate and free in solution. Both techniques revealed that all extracts contained tannin material. However, attempts to relate the results of the two procedures and in turn to relate them to information reported previously on the chemical properties of these extracts revealed that there was little correlation between any of the chemical or biochemical properties examined. From this analysis it would seem that whilst the analytical procedures available for studying tannins may generate ecologically useful information it is at present impossible, at least where plant material that is taxonomically diverse is being examined, to extrapolate from one type of measure to anticipate what would be observed from another type of measure. In addition to the above three other observations arose from this study. First, it appears to be generally true that there is not an absolute positive correlation between the level of protein precipitation and the incorporation of tannin in the tannin-protein precipitate. As relative protein concentration increases the proportion of tannin bound in the precipitate decreases, leading to less stable precipitates. Second, it is confirmed that some basic amino acids will precipitate with tannins, a phenomenon that could potentially influence amino acid balance in the diet. Third, complexation between tannin and protein absorbed on a cellulose substrate is able to interfere with the digestion of that cellulose by cellulase enzymes. Cellulose masking of this type may potentially effect the efficiency of cellulolytic activity in the rumen and if so suggests another subtle variation in the potential antifeedant properties of tannins.


Histological reassessment of the role of bridging fibrosis in the angioarchitectural features associated with lobular distortion of the liver in chronic viral hepatitis.
To reassess the role of bridging fibrosis in the lobular distortion of the liver from an angioarchitectural aspect. Two tissue samples obtained from surgically resected livers with chronic hepatitis and one obtained from an autopsy case with chronic hepatitis were used for the three-dimensional observation of angioarchitecture by histological reconstruction. Samples showed bridging fibrosis with various degrees of severity, without cirrhotic changes. Two different types of portal-portal bridging fibrosis were found. In our samples, the type that developed in the bifurcation region of the portal tracts was more common than the type observed between the distal portions originating from different parent portal tracts. The angioarchitecture tended to be generally maintained in these lesions. Concerning portal-central bridging fibrosis, two types were observed. One type developed in the lesion with partial paucity of the third-step portal branches in the portal tract at a relatively early stage of chronic hepatitis. The other type developed in an advanced lesion with a complete loss of the normal angioarchitecture of the parenchymal portion of the portal veins. The former was likely developed after large-scale necrosis, such as bridging necrosis, while the latter was presumed to be attributable to portal vein damage associated with long standing chronic inflammation. As has been previously noted regarding lobular angioarchitecture, portal-central bridging fibrosis clearly affects the lobular structure of the liver more than portal-portal bridging fibrosis. Therefore, portal vein damage may be a critical event in the eventual distortion of the lobular structure.


Mycobacterium xenopi clinical relevance and determinants, the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, isolation of Mycobacterium xenopi is infrequent, and its clinical relevance is often uncertain. To determine clinical relevance and determinants, we retrospectively reviewed medical files of all patients in the Netherlands in whom M. xenopi was isolated from January 1999 through March 2005 by using diagnostic criteria for nontuberculous mycobacterial infection published by the American Thoracic Society. We found 49 patients, mostly white men, with an average age of 60 years and pre-existing pulmonary disease; of these patients, 25 (51%) met the diagnostic criteria. Mycobacterial genotype, based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, was associated with true infection. Most infections were pulmonary, but pleural and spinal infections (spinal in HIV-infected patients) were also noted. Treatment regimens varied in content and duration; some patients were over-treated and some were undertreated.


Different ras gene mutational frequencies in thyroid papillary carcinomas in Japan and Thailand.
The incidence and pattern of ras oncogene mutations in human malignancies demonstrate geographic and racial differences. For example, specificity of alterations is found in cholangiocellular carcinomas in Thai patients with a different etiology from those in Japanese patients. In the present study, a comparison of ras gene mutations in thyroid papillary carcinomas from Japanese and Thai patients was performed using single-strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing analyses. The incidence of ras mutation differed markedly in Japanese (two of 24 carcinomas, 8.3%) and Thai (five of 10 carcinomas, 50%) patients. In addition, all but one ras mutation occurred at codon 12 of the K-ras gene in the Thai cases. These results suggest that thyroid cancers in Thailand may be due to specific genetic and/or environmental factors.


Different effects of anti-sonic hedgehog antibodies and the hedgehog pathway inhibitor cyclopamine on generation of dopaminergic neurons from neurospheres of mesencephalic precursors.
Production of dopaminergic neurons from stem/precursor cells for transplantation in Parkinson's disease has become a major focus of research. However, the inductive signals mediating this process have not been clarified. Reported data on the effects of Sonic hedgehog on differentiation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons from cultures of neural precursors are controversial. In the present study, cultures of proliferating neurospheres of mesencephalic precursors treated with anti-sonic hedgehog antibodies showed significantly less serotonergic and GABAergic cells and a markedly higher number of dopaminergic neurons generated from the neurospheres than control cultures. Treatment of the neurospheres with cyclopamine, which selectively inhibits sonic hedgehog signaling by preventing Smoothened activation, did not induce significant changes in generation of serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons. This suggests that Smoothened activation is not significantly involved in the above-mentioned effects and that sonic hedgehog may exert effects on the mesencephalic precursors that do not involve the canonical Patched-Smoothened-Gli signaling.


Effects of naproxen on experimental rhinovirus colds. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.
To determine whether naproxen, a propionic acid inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, alters the course of experimental rhinovirus colds. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Rhinovirus challenge model in volunteers cloistered in individual hotel rooms. Eighty-seven healthy young adults with serum neutralizing antibody titers of less than or equal to 1:2 to the challenge virus; 79 were evaluable. Thirty-nine participants received naproxen (loading dose, 400 mg or 500 mg followed by 200 mg or 500 mg three times daily for 5 days). Forty participants received placebo. Treatment was started 6 hours after viral challenge. Daily measurement of viral titers, symptoms, nasal mucus production, and nasal tissue use; incidence of infection and illness; and measurement of homotypic serum neutralizing antibody responses. Viral titers and serum homotypic antibody responses were similar in the naproxen and placebo groups. Significant reductions in headache, malaise, myalgia, and cough occurred in the naproxen group. A 29% reduction was noted in the total (5-day) symptom score in the naproxen group (95% CI, 16% to 42%). Naproxen treatment did not alter virus shedding or serum neutralizing antibody responses in participants with experimental rhinovirus colds, but it had a beneficial effect on the symptoms of headache, malaise, myalgia, and cough. Prostaglandins may be among the inflammatory mediators that play a role in the pathogenesis of rhinovirus colds.


Conservative treatment for equinus deformity in children with cerebral palsy using an adjustable splint-assisted ankle-foot orthosis.
A novel splint, the assisting ankle-foot orthoses (AFO), was developed to provide adjustable sustained stretching to improve conservative treatment for equinus deformities in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The treatment effect was validated by follow-up visits. This study involved subjects between 2 and 12 years old, including 28 CP children treated with splint-assisted AFO correction, 30 CP children treated with static AFO correction, and 30 normal children with typical development (TD). Quantitative pedobarographic measurements were taken to evaluate the effect of splint-assisted AFO correction. The heel/forefoot ratio was introduced to indicate the degree of the equinus deformity during treatment. The results showed that the heel/forefoot ratios were 1.41 ± 0.26 for the TD children; 0.65 ± 0.41, 1.02 ± 0.44, and 1.24 ± 0.51 for the splint-assisted AFO correction before and after 6-month and 12-month treatments; 0.59 ± 0.37, 0.67 ± 0.44, and 0.66 ± 0.42 for the static AFO correction before and after 6-month and 12-month treatments. This study suggests that correction with the adjustable splint-assisted AFO is an effective treatment for equinus deformity in CP Children.


Effects of an antiarrhythmic drug A-2545 on canine ventricular arrhythmia models; comparison with mexiletine and flecainide.
We investigated effects of a new Na+ channel blocking antiarrhythmic drug, A-2545, N-3 (2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrroline-3-carboxamido)-propyl-phthalimide-hydro chloride, on various canine ventricular automaticity arrhythmias induced by two-stage coronary ligation, digitalis and adrenaline, and compared them with those of mexiletine. A-2545 showed antiarrhythmic effects, significantly decreasing the arrhythmic ratio of 24-h and 48-h coronary ligation-, digitalis- and adrenaline-induced automaticity arrhythmias. The antiarrhythmic plasma concentrations (IC50) of A-2545, 2 mg kg(-1) 10 min(-1), i.v., for 24-h and 48-h coronary ligation-, digitalis- and adrenaline-induced arrhythmias were 1.8, 1.3, 5.8 and 3.7 microg ml(-1), respectively, and that calculated for oral A-2545 (25 mg kg(-1)) in 24-h coronary ligation-induced arrhythmia was 1.8 microg ml(-1). A-2545 is specifically potent in suppressing coronary ligation-induced arrhythmias, i.e., decreasing the arrhythmic ratio nearly to zero by oral administration, and among the intravenously given experiments A-2545 was effective at lower concentrations than other arrhythmia models; A-2545, 2 mg kg(-1) 10 min(-1), was equipotent to 5 mg kg(-1) 10 min(-1) mexiletine in suppressing 24-h coronary ligation-induced arrhythmia, indicating that A-2545 is more potent than mexiletine. In order to determine whether A-2545 has arrhythmogenic effects, we used programmed electrical stimulation (PES)-induced reentry arrhythmias in dogs with old myocardial infarction and compared effects of A-2545 and flecainide. A-2545, 2 and 5 mg kg(-1) 10 min(-1), significantly suppressed the PES-induced arrhythmias in all six dogs without aggravating them. These arrhythmias were not markedly suppressed by flecainide either with 1 or 3 mg kg(-1) 1O min(-1); moreover even in one out of six dogs aggravation of arrhythmia was noted after 1 mg kg(-1) 10 min(-1). In conclusion, A-2545 suppressed various canine ventricular arrhythmias, and the antiarrhythmic effect of A-2545 was more potent than that of mexiletine, and A-2545 did not show arrhythmogenic effects compared to flecainide.


Lung ultrasound in a respiratory pandemic.
Australian hospitals have prepared for a major surge in patients due to the infectious respiratory pandemic COVID-19. In other nations, patient presentations have overwhelmed resources. Ultrasound has been shown to be an effective tool to exclude significant life-threats in resource poor settings. In this article, we will describe three lung ultrasound algorithms for the emergency diagnosis of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms during a COVID-19 pandemic: (i) LUSC19: lung ultrasound to assess the severity of COVID-19; (ii) LUSAC: lung ultrasound to exclude alternative causes of respiratory distress; and (iii) LUSI: lung ultrasound following intubation. We anticipate that emergency physicians will use these algorithms during the upcoming respiratory pandemic to rapidly determine the severity of COVID-19 infection, to seek and treat significant alternative diagnoses and ensure endotracheal intubation.


Comparison of Tertiary Drug Information Resources With the CDC Guideline for Oxycodone Dosing: Are Patients at Risk?
Background: Inappropriate prescribing of opioids is thought to play a central role in the ongoing opioid health crisis. Tertiary information resources are commonly used by clinicians for obtaining opioid dosing information. To assist health care providers in pain management, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a guideline for prescribing opioids. Objective: To identify discrepancies for dosing information on oxycodone between commonly used tertiary drug information resources and the CDC Guideline. Methods: Searches of the tertiary drug information resources were conducted in the following order: Facts and Comparisons, Lexicomp, Medscape, and Micromedex. The term "oxycodone" was entered in the search box in the tertiary resources' applications. Drug information items retrieved were organized in tabular format. In the Google Chrome version 106.0.5249.119 search box, the term "CDC guideline for opioid dosing" was entered to retrieve current information on the CDC Guideline. Results: Searches produced drug information on oxycodone for available formulations, dosing regimens, recommended dosing, and maximum daily dose (MDD). Searches revealed discrepancies in dosing recommendations for oxycodone among tertiary drug resources and between tertiary drug resources and the CDC Guideline. Conclusions: When considering maximum daily dosing information for oxycodone from the selected tertiary drug information resources, the potential exists for patients to be at risk of addiction, overdose, and perhaps death. Improving the way opioids are prescribed through the CDC Clinical Practice Guideline can ensure patients have access to safer, more effective chronic pain treatment while reducing the number of people who misuse or overdose from inappropriate dosing information.


Correction to: SARS-CoV-2 Surface Swabs in Locations With Public Access- Potential for Improved Source Control.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac431.].


Plasma pituitary hormones in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with bromocriptine.
Bromocriptine was used for Parkinson's disease in 15 patients for 20 weeks. Immunoreactive plasma lutrophin (LH), follitrophin (FSH), prolactin, and somatotrophin (GH, growth hormone) concentrations were analysed before and during the treatment. Plasma prolactin levels were very markedly reduced during treatment. Plasma lutrophin levels were increased significantly in female patients, but not in male patients. No changes were noticed in follitrophin levels, but plasma somatotrophin levels were reduced during treatment. No correlations were found between the degree of clinical response and changes in plasma gonadotrophin and somatotrophin. This suggests that the effects of bromocriptine on extrapyramidal and neuroendocrine dopaminergic neurones are unrelated. We suggest careful and frequent controls of neuroendocrine secretion patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease who are treated with high doses of dopamine receptor stimulators, since the response of some pituitary hormones to bromocriptine are very marked.


Toxic inoculation associated with a presumptive stingray injury.
Stingray spine injuries are among the most common marine animal injuries in humans. While most resolve with immersion in warm water, a few become infected and require antibiotics. We present a case report of a presumptive stingray injury that evolved to a major slough and which required prolonged healing in a patient with diabetes mellitus. Our literature review was unable to find a similarly reported case. A co-author was asked to evaluate and manage an ominous-appearing wound on the right foot of a diabetic. The problem developed after the individual had been wading in shallow ocean beach water. The patient's diabetic sensory neuropathy obscured the immediate association of the problem with a stingray injury, but this became the presumptive diagnosis when pain developed and necessitated that he seek medical care. After an initial urgent care visit, increasing pain and worsening appearance of the patient's foot necessitated a visit to our emergency department. The patient was admitted the next day due to symptoms of systemic sepsis. On the fourth hospital day, a large bulla on the lateral side of the right foot was excised. This unroofed a full-thickness slough to the periosteum level of the underlying bones. Not until the 16th hospital day had enough improvement occurred to discharge the patient. Over the next 16 weeks, the wound improved, developed a vascular base and epithelialized. With a dearth of literature about stingray injuries in patients with diabetes mellitus reported, our case is unique: The patient's wound course more closely resembled a toxic inoculation than the typical puncture wound-cellulitis presentations associated with stingray injuries.


Phenology and wintering capacity of sporophytes and gametophytes of ferns native to northern Japan.
To investigate life history adaptations to cold climates, the leaf development, sporulation period, growing stage of gametophytes, and the frost and drought resistance of sporophytes and gametophytes of 67 fern species native to Kokkaido were studied. Most ferns common in Hokkaido are summer-green with leaves developing during late May to June and decaying during October. Most of the ferns in Hokkaido sporulate during August to early September. Spores dispersed from June to September germinate before winter begins, forming vegetative prothallia. Gametophytes mature only in the following summer. Thus in Hokkaido the gametophytes as well as perennial sporophytes are exposed to severe winter conditions. In order to correlate the life cycles of temperate ferns with winter cold stress, frost resistance of gametophytes, rhizomes, and leaves of sporophytes were determined. Maximal frost resistance of rhizomes reflects the stress conditions of their habitats: rhizomes of forest understory ferns are damaged at-5°to -17.5°C, epiphytic ferns and ferns of habitats exposed to severe frost sustained temperatures of -20° to-40°C. The leaves of winter-green and evergreen ferns resist frost ranging from -25° to -40°C. The leaves of summer-green ferns are killed by late frost below -5°C. With some exceptions, gametophytes of ferns growing on the forest floor resist frost to -40°C and are much hardier than sporophytes. These results suggest the possible restrictive effects of cold climate on the life span of leaves as well as on the sporulation period. If winter cold is one of the decisive factors for seasonality expression and habitat distribution of ferns, the sensitive generation must be the sporophyte rather than the gametophyte. The hardier gametophyte is therefore able to colonize habitats in which the sporophyte is excluded by frost if mechanisms of vegetative propagation are evolved.


Spectrum of environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 fragments: Questions, quests, and conquest.
This works examines the entire spectrum of 'Environmental Surveillance (EnvSurv)' of SARS-CoV-2 fragments i.e. the questions, quests, and conquests of the technology since early year 2020. The prime focus of the present work to document the journey with achieved objectives and remaining ambitions associated with the technology. Despite the EnvSurv may be regarded as the techniques, which rather achieved more than expected, will it win the struggle for its existence or lose its way once the pandemic and fear associated with it completely fades. Pertaining to this discussions, major researched topics were investigated, followed by enlisting of ten bullets of the past experiences along with corresponding challenges, and finally key targets for the techniques are enlisted. The article targets to be a simple guide of the journey of EnvSur in terms of its effectiveness for treatment, infectivity, monitoring & estimation (TIME) till date.


Preparation and maintenance of rats with chronic esophagostomy and gastric cannula.
We describe surgical and maintenance procedures for the "double-fistula" preparation in rat. Rats are prepared with esophageal fistulas, so that material swallowed escapes from an opening in the throat; and with gastric cannulas that permit both nutritional and hydrational maintenance, and the experimental intubation of fluids directly into the stomach.


Improved detection of time windows of brain responses in fMRI using modified temporal clustering analysis.
Temporal clustering analysis (TCA) has been proposed recently as a method to detect time windows of brain responses in functional MRI (fMRI) studies when the timing and location of the activation are completely unknown. Modifications to the TCA technique are introduced in this report to further improve the sensitivity in detecting brain activation. The modified TCA is based on the integrated signal intensity of a temporal cluster at each time point, while the original TCA is based only on the size of a temporal cluster at each time point. A temporal cluster at each time point is defined, in both TCA methods, as a group of pixels reaching their maximum (or minimum) values at the same time. Both computer simulation and in vivo fMRI experiments have been performed. Compared with the original TCA, the modified TCA shows a significant improvement in the sensitivity to detect activation peaks for determining time windows of brain responses.


Integrating electrochemical, biological, physical, and thermochemical process units to expand the applicability of anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a mature biotechnology-production platform with millions of installations at homes, farms, and industrial/municipal settings. Large-scale industrial, agricultural, and municipal waste-treatment systems may observe novel integration with electrochemical, biological, physical, and thermochemical process units to make AD more attractive. Without governmental subsidies, AD has often only a relatively low economic return or none at all. Diversification of products besides methane in biogas may help to change this. Here, several sections discuss different process units to: 1) upgrade biogas into biomethane; 2) convert carbon dioxide in biogas to more biomethane; 3) generate cooling power from process heat; 4) produce bio-crude oil (bio-oil) from organic matter; and 5) produce a liquid biochemical product from organic matter. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather a selection of particularly promising process units from a technological view, which are already integrated with AD or close to full-scale integration.


Urinary excretion rates of calcium and magnesium in normal and complicated pregnancies.
In this cross-sectional study calcium and magnesium metabolism was investigated in normal pregnancies (n = 34) and pregnancies complicated by either fetal growth retardation of hypertension with or without fetal growth retardation (SGA newborns) (n = 30). Special attention has been given to the renal excretion rates of calcium and magnesium and their relationship to creatinine and sodium clearances. No differences were noted in the third trimester of pregnancy between the normal and complicated pregnancies in calcium or magnesium metabolism except for an increased serum magnesium in the SGA group. Comparing the post-partum period to normal pregnancy the following results were observed: (i) serum ionic calcium levels showed no differences; (ii) urinary calcium excretion was increased as a result of increased calcium clearance. A striking feature was the fact that the fractional calcium clearance was not increased, in contrast to the increase in relative calcium clearance. The observed results can be explained by an increased GFR and a possible dissociation between the sodium and calcium handling in the cortical thick ascending Limb of Henle's Loop.


Ileocolic free flap reconstruction, concomitant chemotherapy and radiotherapy and assessment of speech and swallowing function during management of advanced cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx: preliminary report.
The new technique of ileocolic free flap reconstruction provides a better quality of life in terms of swallowing and speech for patients who have undergone laryngopharyngectomy with concomitant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CCRT). To compare and contrast the swallowing and speech outcomes of patients who underwent total laryngopharyngectomy with ileocolic free flap reconstruction and to analyze the survival rate after surgery and CCRT. This was a follow-up study of 12 patients with advanced (stages III, IVA and IVB) laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent major surgery, CCRT (with one exception) and ileocolic free flap reconstruction. All patients were able to tolerate single-stage combined management comprising total laryngopharyngectomy with or without radical neck dissection plus ileocolic free flap reconstruction and postoperative CCRT (with one exception), without immediate morbidity or mortality. Eleven patients were diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer and one with laryngeal cancer. The mean interval between surgery and CCRT was 34.1 days. The mean follow-up period was 16.5 months. Four patients died during the follow-up period as a result of local recurrence (n=2), distant metastasis (n=1) and suicide (n=1). One patient was alive with disease despite neck recurrence.


Nuclear localization of c-Fos, but not v-Fos proteins, is controlled by extracellular signals.
We report here that transport of the protein product of the c-fos proto-oncogene from the cytoplasm, where it is synthesized, into the nucleus, where it operates as part of the AP-1 transcription complex, is not spontaneous but depends on the continuous stimulation of cells by serum factors. A labile protein inhibitor of transport, the effect of which is reversed by cAMP, is responsible for retention of c-Fos protein within the cytoplasm of serum-starved fibroblasts. In contrast, v-Fos proteins transduced by the murine retroviruses FBJ and FBR, which remain nuclear in the absence of serum, evade the translocation control, which therefore appears to contribute to their tumorigenic potential.


Assessment of pulmonary restriction in cervical spinal cord injury: a preliminary report.
To compare the prevalence of pulmonary restriction on the basis of a vital capacity (VC) below the lower limit of normal (LLN) and a normal or high forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1))/VC ratio with the criterion standard of total lung capacity (TLC) less than LLN in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and able-bodied (AB) controls. Method comparison with criterion standard. University research center. Individuals with cervical SCI (n=12; injury level, C5-7) and AB controls (n=12) matched for age, stature, and body mass. None. TLC via plethysmography; FEV(1) and VC via spirometry; and maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (P(Imax) and P(Emax)). All participants with SCI exhibited a VC less than LLN and a normal-to-high FEV(1)/VC ratio, whereas significantly fewer (8 of 12) participants with SCI exhibited a TLC less than LLN (P=.046). For the AB group, no participant exhibited a VC or TLC less than LLN. Percent-predicted VC was lower than the percent-predicted TLC in SCI (P=.013), whereas percent-predicted VC was higher than percent-predicted TLC in AB controls (P=.001). Percent-predicted P(Imax) was higher than P(Emax) in SCI (P=.001) but not AB controls (P=.146). A VC less than LLN with a normal-to-high FEV(1)/VC ratio does not accurately predict pulmonary restriction in cervical SCI. When using spirometry to infer pulmonary restriction in cervical SCI, we recommend using a VC below 60% of the AB predicted value.


[Relationship among blood pressure, viscosity of blood and cerebro-vascular disease].
In this article, 163 cases of hypertension patients and 117 cases of stroke patients with acute period including 43 cases of hemorrhagic strokes and 74 cases of ischemic strokes were analyzed between average arterial blood pressure and blood viscosity. The curves of relation of blood pressure versus blood viscosity in the hypertension patients' group showed "M" shape. The hemorrhagic stroke patients were located by up-side of the "M" shape curve and the ischemic stroke patients were situated by the down-side of the "M" shape curve.


Highly efficient transparent air filter prepared by collecting-electrode-free bipolar electrospinning apparatus.
Electrospinning technology has been used for a long time. A jet from a needle was formed by applying high voltage, and then the nanofibers are deposited onto a collecting electrode (usually metal) and the excess charge is conducted away to complete the electrospinning. Alternatively, it is also possible to prevent charge accumulation from hindering the progress of electrospinning by means of charge neutralization. A bipolar electrospinning technique (B-EEM) was developed to induce jets with different charges through a set of high-voltage power supplies of opposite polarity, and the two jets neutralize each other on the insulating mesh, thus completing the electrospinning process. There is no need for a collecting electrode to complete the electrospinning process. We have found that the filters produced by the new technology have better filtration efficiency while maintaining the same transparency in relative to the original technology, and this optimization is due to the distribution modification of the nanofibers on the mesh.


Sterol carrier protein 2: a role in steroid hormone synthesis?
The intracellular movement of cholesterol is an important regulated step in the process of steroidogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which cholesterol is translocated to key organelles, including the mitochondria, remains poorly understood. Lipid transfer proteins may have an important function in this process. One candidate lipid transfer protein is sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2). This 13.2 kDa protein enhances the movement of cholesterol between vesicles and isolated mitochondria. It also stimulates mitochondrial pregnenolone synthesis. When introduced into intact cells, anti-SCP2 antibodies reduce steroid secretion. Moreover, expression of SCP2 in COS cells engineered to produce progestins increases steroid formation. SCP2 is abundant in steroidogenic glands and the pattern of SCP2 gene expression is consistent with a role for the protein in hormone synthesis: SCP2 transcripts are more prominent in the most steroidogenic compartments of the ovary and tropic hormones that stimulate steroidogenesis increase SCP2 gene expression. Other evidence that suggests that SCP2 plays important roles in cellular function includes a remarkable conservation of primary structure across species. The mechanisms by which SCP2 promotes intracellular sterol movement have not been elucidated. The protein appears to bind sterols and is synthesized with a 20 amino acid N-terminal "pro-" sequence that may serve to target SCP2 to mitochondria. In addition, the C-terminus of SCP2 contains a peroxisome-targeting sequence. SCP2 is derived from a large gene that encodes transcripts that are translated into larger proteins of 30 and 58 kDa. The 58 kDa protein, which has some structural homologies with thiolases, seems to be specifically targeted to peroxisomes whereas SCP2 has a broader subcellular distribution. The significance of the peroxisome association of SCP2 and steroidogenesis has not been disclosed. However, diseases of peroxisome function, including adrenoleukodystrophy and Zellweger syndrome, have notable deficits in steroid and bile acid metabolism, thus linking peroxisomes and steroidogenesis. SCP2 is deficient in fibroblasts of patients with these diseases.


Dietary Behaviours Among Han, Tujia and Miao Primary School Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chongqing, China.
Exploring the differences of children's dietary behaviours from different nationalities could provide a reference for targeted nutritional interventions. This study aims to assess the dietary behaviours among Han, Tujia and Miao primary school students and the differences among the ethnic groups. This cross-sectional survey included 556 primary school students (249 Han, 76 Tujia and 231 Miao students) aged 6-13 years from the representative minority areas of Chongqing, China. Data were collected with a self-administered or one-on-one interview-based questionnaire encompassing questions on sociodemographics, eating habits and dietary intake. Eating habits and dietary intake were categorized into health-protective and health-risk dietary behaviours. χ2 tests were conducted to examine the differences in eating habits and dietary intake among the three ethnic groups. Forward stepwise logistic regression models were performed to check the factors affecting dietary intake. Fewer than half of the students had health-protective dietary behaviours in terms of rice, fruit, fish, eggs and milk intake. Compared with Han students, Tujia students were more likely to meet the recommended intake of vegetables (OR = 2.13, 95% CI [1.22-3.69]), less likely to meet the recommended intake of meat (OR = 0.58, 95% CI [0.35-0.94]) and fish (OR = 0.55, 95% CI [0.32-0.94]); Miao students were more likely to meet the recommended intake of vegetables (OR = 1.73, 95% CI [1.20-2.51]), fruits (OR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.16-2.28]) and water (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.12-2.26]) than those of Han students. The low proportion of health-protective dietary behaviours among primary school students from Han, Tujia and Miao ethnicities was found in this study. There were differences in dietary behaviours among the three ethnic groups. This study could provide a reference for implementing national dietary guidelines in consideration of socioeconomic status, ways of preparing and consuming foods, traditional foods and customs of different ethnic groups.


Identifying the key features and outcomes of family navigation services for mental health and/or addictions concerns: a Delphi study.
Family navigation in mental health and addictions is a mode of support aimed at helping families through the complex mental health and addictions system, making well-informed service matches, and engaging with families throughout their care journeys. As family navigation services emerge and grow, understanding their unique features and impacts is essential to defining evaluation measures and driving good outcomes for families. This Delphi study investigated the defining features of family mental health and addictions navigation, factors involved in a successful service match, and important outcomes of the process through perspectives of clients and team members of a family navigation program, as well as those of local mental health and/or addictions service providers. In the first phase, participants (n = 41), were asked to respond to a series of prompts pertaining to 1) the key features of a successful family navigation process, 2) the features of good matches between youth or families and the services to which they are navigated, and 3) the outcomes of importance in family navigation. In Phase 2, findings from Phase 1 were presented to participants (n = 32) to select and rank their top ten responses to each prompt. Responses which passed a cut-point were carried into Phase 3, in which participants (n = 20), rated the importance of the remaining items. Items rated as "very" or "extremely" important by 80% or more of participants in Phase 3 had achieved consensus. Intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated to confirm participant agreement on all items having achieved consensus. Sample items with 100% consensus were as follows: navigator determines the best fit by understanding and considering the youth and families' needs, by collaborating with team members and service providers, and by providing individualized suggestions; navigation involves knowledge and understanding of mental health and addictions system and existing services; referred service providers are knowledgeable and up-to-date on evidence-based practice and have multidisciplinary perspectives in service. Overall ICC across all finalized statements following Phase 3 was .84. Exploring the key features of successful navigation, outcomes of importance to stakeholders, and elements of successful matches can inform the development of navigation services that address families' needs, can support service providers in ensuring well-matched services, and lend vital support to families seeking services within a complex system.


Diversity and dynamics of sourdough lactic acid bacteriota created by a slow food fermentation system.
Sourdough is a naturally fermented dough that is used worldwide to produce a variety of baked foods. Various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which can determine the quality of sourdough baked foods by producing metabolites, have been found in the sourdough ecosystem. However, spontaneous fermentation of sourdough leads to unpredictable growth of various micro-organisms, which result in unstable product quality. From an ecological perspective, many researchers have recently studied sourdough LAB diversity, particularly the elucidation of LAB community interactions and the dynamic mechanisms during the fermentation process, in response to requests for the control and design of a desired sourdough microbial community. This article reviews recent advances in the study of sourdough LAB diversity and its dynamics in association with unique characteristics of the fermentation system; it also discusses future perspectives for better understanding of the complex sourdough microbial ecosystem, which can be attained efficiently by both in vitro and in situ experimental approaches.


A case of left ventricular aneurysm caused by localized myocardial infarction.
A 73-year-old man was hospitalized for unstable angina pectoris with no history of myocardial infarction. After undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, left ventriculography incidentally revealed a cavity in the anterior wall, and echocardiography found the cavity wall to be dyskinetic. Myocardial contrast echocardiography revealed that the wall of the cavity was surrounded by myocardial tissue with low perfusion. Furthermore, radial strain in the wall of the cavity was low. Myocardial scintigraphy showed a localized defect on the anterior wall. The patient was finally diagnosed as true aneurysm after asymptomatic and localized myocardial infarction, and has since been followed up by echocardiography in the outpatient clinic.


Circle of Sisters: raising awareness of Native American women to breast cancer.
The Circle of Sisters is a breast cancer education initiative that incorporates free mammography for American Indian women. In two separate but similar initiative-sponsored one-day events, 37 American Indian women underwent screening mammography and experienced a full day of culturally tailored educational activities. Women observed a cooking demonstration, participated in moderate exercise activity, strung beads to learn about the dimensions of breast tumors, and listened to an American Indian breast cancer survivor recount her story of diagnosis and treatment. Significant shifts in opinion included an increase in the understanding that a woman's chances of being diagnosed with breast cancer increase with age (p=.015) and with never bearing children (p <.001) and that breast cancer can be detected early (p=.043). The percentage of those expressing an intention to get a mammogram every year grew from 81.1% to 94.6%.


Megalin blockade with cilastatin ameliorates multiple wasp sting-induced acute kidney injury in rats.
Cilastatin has been shown to prevent various drug-induced nephrotoxicities and confer renoprotection in a mouse model of glycerol-mediated rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). The present study aimed to investigate whether cilastatin attenuates wasp sting-induced AKI in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into the control, cilastatin, AKI, and AKI + cilastatin groups. Nephrotoxicity was assessed using renal function, rhabdomyolysis (creatine kinase, CK) and intravascular hemolysis (lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) markers, and histological changes. In addition, tubular injury biomarkers, apoptosis, oxidative stress markers, complement C3 expression, and urine and blood myoglobin levels were examined. Compared with the control or cilastatin group, the AKI group showed significant histological damage, increased levels of CK, LDH, and creatinine, and increased mRNA expression of tubular injury biomarkers. Cilastatin ameliorated wasp venom-induced kidney injury by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis. Cilastatin also reduced C3 expression in the renal tubular cells. In addition, cilastatin reduced serum myoglobin levels and increased urine myoglobin concentrations. Therefore, megalin blockade with cilastatin attenuates wasp venom-induced AKI owing to its antioxidative and antiapoptotic properties.


Norsolorinic acid from Aspergillus nidulans inhibits the proliferation of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells via Fas-mediated pathway.
Norsolorinic acid, isolated from the Aspergillus nidulans, was investigated for its antiproliferative activity in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. To identity the anticancer mechanism of norsolorinic acid, we assayed its effect on apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and levels of p53, p21/WAF1, Fas/APO-1 receptor and Fas ligand. The results showed that norsolorinic acid induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells without mediation of p53 and p21/WAF1. We suggest that Fas/Fas ligand apoptotic system is the main pathway of norsolorinic acid-mediated apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Our study reports here for the first time that the activity of the Fas/Fas ligand apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of norsolorinic acid in MCF-7 cells.


Preferential involvement of D3 versus D2 dopamine receptors in the effects of dopamine receptor ligands on oral ethanol self-administration in rats.
There is evidence that dopamine transmission is involved in reinforcement processes and the present study investigated the relative involvement of D3 versus D2 dopamine receptors in the effects of dopamine ligands on the reinforcing action of ethanol. Rats were trained to self-administer ethanol (10% v/v) orally in a free-choice two-lever operant task using a saccharin-fading procedure. When preference in responding for ethanol over water had developed the rats were tested with several dopamine agonists and antagonists. Pretreatment with the non-selective dopamine agonist, apomorphine (0.01-0.1 mg/kg), the preferential D2 agonist, bromocriptine (1-10 mg/kg) and the selective D3 agonists, 7-OH-DPAT (0.003-0.1 mg/kg), PD 128907 (0.1-3 mg/kg), (+)3PPP (0.3-3 mg/kg), quinelorane (0.0001-0.003 mg/kg) and quinpirole (0.003-0.03 mg/kg), resulted in dose-dependent decreases in responding for ethanol. The relative potencies of the dopamine agonists to decrease ethanol self-administration were highly correlated with their published potencies to produce in vitro functional D3 but not D2 responses. Active doses could be considered as those selectively stimulating receptors involved in the control of dopamine release, suggesting that reduction of dopamine transmission was associated with a decrease in ethanol-reinforced responding. This conclusion was further supported by the finding that pretreatment with the D2/D3 dopamine antagonists, haloperidol (0.1-0.4 mg/kg) and tiapride (10-60 mg/kg), decreased responding for ethanol at doses which have been shown previously to block dopamine transmission.


Cisplatin and low dose rate irradiation in cisplatin resistant and sensitive human glioma cells.
Human glioma cell lines resistant (U373MGCP) and sensitive (U373MG) to cisplatin were used to evaluate the effect of cisplatin as a sensitizer to low dose rate irradiation (LDRI). A cisplatin resistant glioma cell line U373MGCP was developed by chronic exposure of parental U373MG cells to cisplatin. Plateau phase cells were treated with cisplatin, high dose rate (HDR) irradiation (1.12 Gy/min), LDRI (0.0088 Gy/min), or cisplatin concurrent with LDRI. Cell survival was determined by the colony forming assay. Both cell lines showed increased resistance to radiation at LDR compared with HDR, with Dose Modifying Factors (DMF at 10% survival level) of 1.7 for U373MG and 2.5 for U373MGCP. The increased LDR sparing effect in the cisplatin resistant U373MGCP cells indicates increased repair proficiency. The resistant cell line showed a fourfold increase in resistance to cisplatin cytotoxicity at the 10% survival level compared with the parental U373MG cells. Cisplatin enhanced the response of both cell lines to LDRI. The DMFs were 1.2, 1.2, and 1.7, respectively, for the sensitive U373MG cell line given 1 microgram/ml, and the resistant cell line given 3 or 6 micrograms/ml cisplatin treatments concurrent with LDRI. These data show that cisplatin can be an effective sensitizer to LDRI in both cisplatin resistant and sensitive glioma cell lines. However, in the resistant cell line, higher concentrations of cisplatin were necessary to achieve the same level of sensitization as in the sensitive cell line.


Irrigation and weed control alter soil microbiology and nutrient availability in North Carolina Sandhill peach orchards.
Orchard management practices such as weed control and irrigation are primarily aimed at maximizing fruit yields and economic profits. However, the impact of these practices on soil fertility and soil microbiology is often overlooked. We conducted a two-factor experimental manipulation of weed control by herbicide and trickle irrigation in a nutrient-poor peach (Prunus persica L. cv. Contender) orchard near Jackson Springs, North Carolina. After three and eight years of treatments, an array of soil fertility parameters were examined, including soil pH, soil N, P and cation nutrients, microbial biomass and respiration, N mineralization, and presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Three general trends emerged: 1) irrigation significantly increased soil microbial biomass and activity, 2) infection rate of mycorrhizal fungi within roots were significantly higher under irrigation than non-irrigation treatments, but no significant difference in the AMF community composition was detected among treatments, 3) weed control through herbicides reduced soil organic matter, microbial biomass and activity, and mineral nutrients, but had no significant impacts on root mycorrhizal infection and AMF communities. Weed-control treatments directly decreased availability of soil nutrients in year 8, especially soil extractable inorganic N. Weed control also appears to have altered the soil nutrients via changes in soil microbes and altered net N mineralization via changes in soil microbial biomass and activity. These results indicate that long-term weed control using herbicides reduces soil fertility through reducing organic C inputs, nutrient retention and soil microbes. Together, these findings highlight the need for alternative practices such as winter legume cover cropping that maintain and/or enhance organic inputs to sustain the soil fertility.


CE-MS of zein proteins from conventional and transgenic maize.
In this work, an original CE-MS method has been developed to analyze the complex zein protein fractions from maize. A thorough optimization of: (i) zein protein extraction, (ii) CE separation, and (iii) electrospray-MS (ESI-MS) detection is carried out in order to obtain highly informative CE-MS profiles of this fraction. The developed CE-MS method provides good separation of multiple zein proteins based on their electrophoretic mobilities as well as adequate characterization of these proteins based on their M(r). Zein proteins with small M(r) differences (below 100 Da) were easily separated and successfully analyzed by CE-MS. Thus, apart of the so-called 15-kDa-beta-zein and 16-kDa-gamma-zein, which are demonstrated to be formed by a heterogeneous group of proteins, numerous alpha-zeins belonging to the 19- and 22-kDa fraction were also identified for the first time in this work. The usefulness of this CE-MS method was corroborated by comparing the zein-protein fingerprints of various maize lines including transgenic and their corresponding nontransgenic isogenic lines cultivated under the same conditions.


Food restriction and sex differences on concurrent, oral ethanol and water reinforcers in juvenile rhesus monkeys.
The present study assessed the liability of ethanol to be established as an oral reinforcer in 24 juvenile rhesus monkeys. All of the monkeys had a prior oral self-administration history with concurrently available methadone and water. To determine if food restriction and sex differences would contribute to ethanol preference, the monkeys were divided into two groups of 12. Twelve monkeys received 30 biscuits of food each day while the other group received 15 biscuits; six monkeys were male and six were female in each food restriction group. Fluid deliveries (0.5 ml) were provided following contact responses on solenoid-operated drinking spouts. All monkeys were exposed to concurrent water on two spouts and, subsequently, ethanol was available on one spout with water in the alternate spout. Ethanol concentrations (0.25-16 g/l) were doubled weekly. Subsequently, some ethanol concentration exposures were repeated, as was the concurrent water condition. Ethanol (1-2 g/l) served to reinforce responding under most conditions except with the 30-biscuit females; where ethanol so functioned, water responding was reduced. At concentrations less than 1 g/l, ethanol and water were consumed in equal amounts. At 8-16 g/l, ethanol maintained less responding than water. Food restriction amplified ethanol preference in both males and females, although perhaps less in females. A complex set of relations exist among variables that control oral ethanol preference in rhesus monkeys.


An overview of current efforts in short-term carcinogen testing.
Scientists in the Health and Environmental Review Division (HERD), Office of Toxic Substances of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are examining the feasibility of expanding efforts in short-term carcinogen testing. Three areas for consideration have been defined. These are (1) short-term in vitro tests; (2) short-term in vivo tests; and (3) tumor markers. HERD's current efforts in short-term in vitro testing are exemplified by the Gene-Tox program. Through a comprehensive system of committees and reviews, the published literature on eukaryotic and prokaryotic in vitro and in vivo test systems are being examined and analyzed. The suitability of utilizing the various systems in a test battery to identify potential chemical mutagens and carcinogens will be ascertained. A review of the literature on short-term in vivo tests (limited bioassays) and tumor markers is currently being conducted. Correlations will be made between results obtained from these tests and epidemiological information and long-term animal bioassays. The attributes and deficiencies of each test or marker will be examined. Further testing, development, or validation needs will be outlined. The aim of this review is to attempt to expand the prechronic test battery for carcinogenicity in order to provide sufficient information for regulatory decision-making.


Evolving Understanding of Noncirrhotic Portal Hypertension.
Although cirrhosis is one of the most common causes of portal hypertension, noncirrhotic portal hypertension can result from hemodynamic perturbations occurring in the prehepatic, intrahepatic, and posthepatic circulation. Intrahepatic portal hypertension can be further subclassified relative to the hepatic sinusoids as presinusoidal, sinusoidal, and postsinusoidal. For many of these differential diagnoses, the etiology is known but the cause of idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension, recently included in porto-sinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD), remains poorly understood. Herein, we discuss the diagnostic pathological features of noncirrhotic portal hypertension, with an emphasis on PSVD.


Endoscopic ultrasonography in pediatric patients--Experience from a tertiary care center in India.
Although endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is used in the management of various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in adults, data on its role in children is limited. This study evaluated the indications, safety, and impact of EUS in children. Records of children (<18 years age) who underwent EUS between January 2006 and September 2014 were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. One hundred and twenty-one children (70 males, 51 females) aged 15.2 ± 2.9 years (mean ± SD) underwent 123 diagnostic (including fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in 7) and 2 therapeutic EUS procedures. Conscious sedation was used in 81 procedures (65%) and general anesthesia in 44 (35%). The pancreaticobiliary system was evaluated in 114 (118 procedures), mediastinum in 5, and stomach in 2 patients. EUS diagnosed chronic pancreatitis (21 patients), pancreatic necrosis (1), splenic artery pseudoaneurysm (1), gastric varix (1), pseudocysts (3), insulinomas (2), other pancreatic masses (2), choledocholithiasis (2), choledochal cysts (2), portal biliopathy (1), esophageal leiomyoma (1), gastric neuroendocrine tumor (NET) (1), and GI stromal tumor in stomach (1). EUS-guided FNAC was positive in four of seven patients (two had tuberculosis, one pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumor, and one gastric NET). Three patients had minor adverse events. EUS had a positive clinical impact in 43 (35.5%) patients. EUS is feasible and safe in children. It provides valuable information that helps in their clinical management.


Pediatric hypothermic submersion incident - should we do chest compressions on a beating heart?
Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, with the highest rates of fatality among young children. To decide how to treat these patients prehospitally could be challenging in certain situations when uncertain about the adequacy of the patent's circulation. We describe a 2 year old boy surviving a 15 min hypothermic submersion in a cold river. In spite of the presence of some vital signs, we decided to do full cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the hospital. The main reason was that we were uncertain about the adequacy of the spontaneous circulation, and the transport to hospital was fairly long. The patient suffered no obvious harm and the outcome was good. What is regarded as adequate circulation when accidentally hypothermic between 24 and 250 C? A weak pulse was felt in the femoral artery with a rate of about 40-50 per minute. There were shallow, but regular respiration, and point of care ultrasound revealed a slightly dilated left ventricle and weak, but organised cardiac contractions. Despite these findings a decision was made to continue ventilations and chest compressions during helicopter transport to the University hospital. In an accidentally hypothermic pediatric submersion incident we decided to do full cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the hospital despite there were signs of circulation. We did no harm to the patient. Future guideline revisions should try to clarify how to handle situations with severly accidentally hypothermic patients like this, so the good outcome that is often seen in these patients could be even better.


Laparoscopic excision of seminal vesicle cystadenoma.
We present a case of seminal vesicle cystadenoma in a 58 years old man who presented with obstructive urinary symptoms. Computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the left seminal vesicle of the patient with the maximal diameter of 63mm. PSA levels were within normal range. A trans rectal ultrasonography biopsy revealed benign fibromuscular tissues. Emission computed tomography result was negative for bone metastasis. Laparoscopic excision of the seminal vesicle cystadenoma was performed successfully. Pathology results were consistent with benign seminal vesicle cystadenoma. The patient was discharged on the third postoperative day and is currently asymptomatic.


Mutation Analysis of the Genes Associated with Parkinson's Disease in a Finnish Cohort of Early-Onset Dementia.
Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson's disease (PD) overlap in clinical characteristics, neuropathology, and genetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of pathogenic mutations and rare variants in genes associated with PD among early-onset dementia (EOD) patients. Rare non-synonymous variants (MAF < 0.01) in ten genes (SNCA, PARK2, PARK7, LRRK2, PINK1, ATP13A2, UCHL1, HTRA2, GBA, and SNCAIP) and low-frequency (MAF < 0.05) GBA variants were screened using a targeted next-generation sequencing panel in a strictly defined cohort of 37 early-onset (age at onset (AAO) <65 years) dementia patients presenting with atypical features (e.g., myoclonia or spasticity), rapidly progressive course of the disease or with a family history of dementia. The identified variations were further screened in a larger cohort of EOD (n = 279, mean AAO 57, range 36-65) patients. No pathogenic mutations were found, but we identified seven possible risk variants for neurodegeneration (LRRK2 p.Arg793Met, PARK2 p.Ala82Glu, SNCAIP p.Arg240Gln, SNCAIP p.Phe369Leu, GBA p.Asn409Ser, GBA p.Glu365Lys, GBA p.Thr408Met). Altogether, the frequency of these variants was two times higher in the first selected cohort compared to the whole cohort. This suggests that specific rare variants in the genes associated with PD might play a role also especially in familial EOD.


Report of a patient with severe transfusion-related acute lung injury after multiple transfusions, resuscitated with albumin.
To report a patient with a large gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who received multiple blood transfusions intraoperatively and developed a transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Case report. Intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. PATIENT AND HISTORY: A 58-year-old man with GIST metastatic to the right lobe of the liver, treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, underwent a right hepatectomy requiring multiple transfusions. Prior to abdominal closure, he developed copious pulmonary secretions, hypoxemia, and hypotension. Chest radiograph revealed diffuse bilateral infiltrates. Volume resuscitation, vasopressors, high PEEP mechanical ventilation, paralysis, nitric oxide, steroids, rapid albumin infusion. Extensive noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. After unsuccessful fluid resuscitation with crystalloid fluid, the patient's condition improved rapidly with human albumin boluses. No neurological deficit was detected despite prolonged hypoxemia. Acute renal failure required dialysis but with subsequent recovery. Patient was discharged home on postoperative day 19. Rapid infusion of albumin might be a rescue option in cases of severe TRALI with extensive pulmonary capillary leak during the acute phase.


Global radiological score for femoral cementless revision stem.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA) revision with cementless stems using a numeric global radiological score (GRxS) that summarizes two previously validated scores: secondary bone stock (SBS) and osseointegration-secondary stability (O-SS). One hundred fifty cases of THA were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 6.5 ± 3.7 years. The GRxS combines the SBS, which evaluated cortical bone thickness, bone density and bone defects in each Gruen zone and the O-SS, which evaluated the location and extent of a single radiolucent line. To calculate the GRxS, the SBS and O-SS were each expressed on a 10-point scale and given equal weighing. The final result was a number out of 20. The GRxS was used to assign a radiological grade to each THA case: very good (20), good (18-15), average (13-12), or poor (≤ 10). The numerical mean (Nm) was calculated for each grade. The inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was evaluated. The inter-observer reproducibility was good (0.8) and the intra-observer reproducibility was very good (0.9). The GRxS was considered very good in 46 cases (Nm 20), good in 57 cases (Nm 16.6), average in 25 cases and poor in 22 cases. There was a significant relationship between the GRxS and the Harris Hip and Postel Merle d'Aubigné scores (p < 0.0001), and the initial bone stock (p = 0.0001). The GRxS is reliable and reproducible. This information can be used by surgeons to adapt the surgical technique to bone characteristics (especially during revision cases) and to compare the outcomes of different implant designs.


Treatment of air pollution control residues with iron rich waste sulfuric acid: does it work for antimony (Sb)?
Antimony (Sb) in air pollution control (APC) residues from municipal solid waste incineration has gained increased focus due to strict Sb leaching limits set by the EU landfill directive. Here we study the chemical speciation and solubility of Sb at the APC treatment facility NOAH Langøya (Norway), where iron (Fe)-rich sulfuric acid (∼3.6M, 2.3% Fe(II)), a waste product from the industrial extraction of ilmenite, is used for neutralization. Antimony in water extracts of untreated APC residues occurred exclusively as pentavalent antimonate, even at low pH and Eh values. The Sb solubility increased substantially at pH<10, possibly due to the dissolution of ettringite (at alkaline pH) or calcium (Ca)-antimonate. Treated APC residues, stored anoxically in the laboratory, simulating the conditions at the NOAH Langøya landfill, gave rise to decreasing concentrations of Sb in porewater, occurring exclusively as Sb(V). Concentrations of Sb decreased from 87-918μgL(-1) (day 3) to 18-69μgL(-1) (day 600). We hypothesize that an initial sorption of Sb to Fe(II)-Fe(III) hydroxides (green rust) and eventually precipitation of Ca- and Fe-antimonates (tripuhyite; FeSbO4) occurred. We conclude that Fe-rich, sulfuric acid waste is efficient to immobilize Sb in APC residues from waste incineration.


Neurological disorders and pregnancy.
Certain neurological disorders are particularly liable to occur during pregnancy or may be profoundly influenced by it. Moreover, neurological disorders may influence the management of otherwise uncomplicated obstetric cases. Despite the practical importance of this subject, however, little attention has been devoted to it in the literature. Moreover, those papers that have been published are widely disseminated and so are not easily accessible to the many practicing physicians who may be confronted with a clinical problem of this sort. In this communication, a succinct account is provided of the interrelationship between noneclamptic pregnancy and maternal neurological disorders, with emphasis being placed on aspects that are of practical significance in a clinical context. The treatment of neurological disorders that are likely to pose a problem during pregnancy is discussed, and the manner in which these disorders may influence obstetric management is reviewed.


Resistance against antimicrobial peptides is independent of Escherichia coli AcrAB, Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexAB and Staphylococcus aureus NorA efflux pumps.
The role of clinically important multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps in bacterial resistance to various human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including cathelicidin LL-37, the alpha-defensins human neutrophil peptides (HNPs)-1-3 and HD-5 and the beta-defensins hBD-2 and -3, was investigated. AMP susceptibility testing was performed by killing assays and standard minimal inhibitory concentration assays. AMP susceptibility was determined in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains overexpressing resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type pumps AcrAB and MexAB, respectively, and in their pump-deficient parental strains. Furthermore, the impact of a member of the major facilitator (MF) efflux pump family was investigated in Staphylococcus aureus overexpressing NorA and in wild-type strains. The E. coli AcrAB and P. aeruginosa MexAB RND-type efflux pumps as well as the S. aureus NorA MF efflux pump were unable to confer resistance to AMPs. These findings do not support a critical role of MDR efflux pumps in the tested pathogens as a strategy to increase virulence by circumventing the antimicrobial action of innate defence AMPs.


Efficacy and safety of erythrocytapheresis and low-dose erythropoietin for treatment of hemochromatosis.
The aim of this study was to determine retrospectively the efficacy of combined therapy using erythropoietin (EPO) and erythrocytapheresis (EA) in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) who did not tolerate phlebotomy. Twenty patients (age range, 43-74 years) with genetically confirmed HH had received low-dose EPO (4,000 IU) in accordance to the patient's hemoglobin levels between each EA session. Laboratory parameters including hemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin, and iron were measured at regular intervals. Anemia did not occur in a single patient and no serious side effects were observed. Combined treatment with EPO and EA was well tolerated, and all 18 patients who suffered from fatigue prior to therapy recovered. Median ferritin values were 678.5 ng/L before treatment and 145 ng/L after treatment. EA in combination with EPO is safe and effective in treating patients with HH. Prospective studies comparing this therapeutic option to phlebotomy are warranted. J. Clin. Apheresis 32:170-174, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Dietary fatty acids modulate host bacteriocidal response,microbial translocation and survival following blood transfusion and thermal injury.
The effect of dietary lipids on bacterial translocation, killing of translocated organisms and host survival was studied in a burned animal model. Balb/c mice were fed with one of the three experimental AIN-76A diets (containing 15% of energy from fish oil, safflower oil or a 50:50 mixture), AIN-76A without added lipids or a nonpurified stock diet. All animals were transfused on day 10. On day 15, the animals were gavaged with 10(10) 14C radiolabelled Escherichia coli and given a 20% burn injury. Survival was 84% in the fish oil group versus 36% in the safflower oil and 50:50 diet groups, and 25% and 20% in the two control groups (P < 0.0001). The numbers of viable translocating bacteria were reduced in all tested organs in the fish oil groups compared to the other groups. It is concluded that a diet enriched in fish oil has beneficial effects during gut-derived sepsis.


The role of rate hysteresis pacing in the hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome.
The ability of rate hysteresis programming with the escape interval longer than the automatic interval to reduce the hypotensive response to carotid sinus massage at the onset of ventricular pacing was studied in six patients paced for carotid sinus syndrome. Rate hysteresis significantly reduced this hypotensive response and abolished spontaneous symptoms in two patients and symptoms reproduced by carotid sinus massage in four patients.


Intertester agreement in refractive error measurements.
To determine the intertester agreement of refractive error measurements between lay and nurse screeners using the Retinomax Autorefractor and the SureSight Vision Screener. Trained lay and nurse screeners measured refractive error in 1452 preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) using the Retinomax and the SureSight in a random order for screeners and instruments. Intertester agreement between lay and nurse screeners was assessed for sphere, cylinder, and spherical equivalent (SE) using the mean difference and the 95% limits of agreement. The mean intertester difference (lay minus nurse) was compared between groups defined based on the child's age, cycloplegic refractive error, and the reading's confidence number using analysis of variance. The limits of agreement were compared between groups using the Brown-Forsythe test. Intereye correlation was accounted for in all analyses. The mean intertester differences (95% limits of agreement) were -0.04 (-1.63, 1.54) diopter (D) sphere, 0.00 (-0.52, 0.51) D cylinder, and -0.04 (1.65, 1.56) D SE for the Retinomax and 0.05 (-1.48, 1.58) D sphere, 0.01 (-0.58, 0.60) D cylinder, and 0.06 (-1.45, 1.57) D SE for the SureSight. For either instrument, the mean intertester differences in sphere and SE did not differ by the child's age, cycloplegic refractive error, or the reading's confidence number. However, for both instruments, the limits of agreement were wider when eyes had significant refractive error or the reading's confidence number was below the manufacturer's recommended value. Among Head Start preschool children, trained lay and nurse screeners agree well in measuring refractive error using the Retinomax or the SureSight. Both instruments had similar intertester agreement in refractive error measurements independent of the child's age. Significant refractive error and a reading with low confidence number were associated with worse intertester agreement.


Oral administration of fermented wild ginseng ameliorates DSS-induced acute colitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and protects intestinal epithelial barrier.
Ginseng has been widely used for therapeutic and preventive purposes for thousands of years. However, orally administered ginseng has very low bioavailability and absorption in the intestine. Therefore, fermented ginseng was developed to enhance the beneficial effects of ginseng in the intestine. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of fermented wild ginseng (FWG). We found that FWG significantly alleviated the severity of colitis in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model, and decreased expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tissue. Moreover, we observed that FWG suppressed the infiltration of macrophages in DSS-induced colitis. FWG also attenuated the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by reducing the translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus. Our data indicate that FWG contains anti-inflammatory activity via NF-κB inactivation and could be useful for treating colitis.


The amniotic band disruption complex. The pathogenesis of congenital limb ring-constrictions; an experimental study in the foetal rat.
This paper reports the findings of an experimental foetal rat study which has shown that it is possible to produce mild, moderate and severe limb ring-constrictions by simulating the ligature effect of amniotic bands. Of the 40 experimental foetuses, 36 (90%) survived the in utero surgery and are included in the present study. Of these 36 foetuses, limb constriction rings were produced in 35 (97%), and an in utero limb amputation in one (3%).


Intra and intersession repeatability and reliability of the S-Plate® pressure platform.
The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability and reliability of the S-Plate® pressure platform in a group of healthy subjects. Forty subjects, free from physical conditions that would affect normal gait, walked along a five-meter corridor while data were recorded from the pressure platform. A total of 10 steps (five each side) were obtained as well as five static trials; the same measurements were repeated one week later. Peak and mean plantar pressures and contact area were recorded for both dynamic and static trials. Additionally, weight supported on each limb was documented during static trials. To assess intrasession and intersession repeatability and reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and coefficient of variation (CoV) were calculated. Taking the ICC values into account, every static and dynamic variable analysed showed moderate to excellent reliability and the CoV values were all below 12%. Measurements of either static or dynamic plantar pressure variables with the S-Plate® pressure platform show good repeatability and reliability, and so it is useful for comparing steps within and between sessions.


Does epigenetic dysregulation of pancreatic islets contribute to impaired insulin secretion and type 2 diabetes?
β cell dysfunction is central to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D develops when β cells are not able to compensate for the increasing demand for insulin caused by insulin resistance. Epigenetic modifications play an important role in establishing and maintaining β cell identity and function in physiological conditions. On the other hand, epigenetic dysregulation can cause a loss of β cell identity, which is characterized by reduced expression of genes that are important for β cell function, ectopic expression of genes that are not supposed to be expressed in β cells, and loss of genetic imprinting. Consequently, this may lead to β cell dysfunction and impaired insulin secretion. Risk factors that can cause epigenetic dysregulation include parental obesity, an adverse intrauterine environment, hyperglycemia, lipotoxicity, aging, physical inactivity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. These risk factors can affect the epigenome at different time points throughout the lifetime of an individual and even before an individual is conceived. The plasticity of the epigenome enables it to change in response to environmental factors such as diet and exercise, and also makes the epigenome a good target for epigenetic drugs that may be used to enhance insulin secretion and potentially treat diabetes.


Doctors' estimates of the percentage of patients whose problems do not require medical attention.
A total of 248 doctors replied to the question 'About what per cent of your patients present problems that do not really require medical attention (problems that would take care of themselves)?' The answers given ranged from 0 to 90%, with a mean of 20.61 and standard deviation of 23.81 The estimates given by the doctors were related to their own performance as pre-medical and medical students, and to personal qualities and dispositions as indicated by psychological assessment. Doctors whose estimates were higher than the average for the group tended to have better pre-medical scholastic records than their peers, to attain superior scores on the Science subtest of the Medical College Admission Test, and to prefer rational to intuitive methods of problem-solving.


A tetra-substituted chrysene: orientation of multiple electrophilic substitution and use of a tetra-substituted chrysene as a blue emitter for OLEDs.
The first tetra-substituted non-fused chrysene, 3,6,9,12-tetrakis(4-tert-butylphenyl)chrysene with blue electroluminescence at 450 nm, and with a radiance of 500 cd m(-2), was synthesized by a two-step procedure: direct bromination of chrysene in trimethyl phosphate, followed by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of tetrabromochrysene and tert-butylphenylboronic acid .


Is intake of vitamin D and calcium important for cardiovascular health in elderly obese patients?
There is compelling evidence that bariatric weight loss reduces cardiovascular complications; however, these still tend to be the most common cause of late death after surgical intervention. In a prospective cohort study, correlations of dietary nutrients with indexes of vascular health were sought, with emphasis on vitamin D and calcium. Clinically stable obese outpatient subjects (>60 years old, N = 44) were interviewed about dietary macro and micronutrients. Nutritional assessment targeted anthropometric and bioimpedance analysis (BIA), hematologic counts, lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, and inflammatory markers. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD), along with related vascular measurements, were documented, and results were correlated by uni- and multivariate analysis, corrected for known risk factors. IMT, FMD, and also brachial basal flow were positively influenced by vitamin D (P < 0.001). Calcium appeared beneficial for brachial basal flow only (P = 0.010). No association with IMT occurred, and a negative result for FMD was elicited. Also, vitamins A and B12 were advantageous for FMD, whereas iron was deleterious for IMT. Intake of many micronutrients including calcium and vitamin D did not meet recommendations. Vitamin D displayed a beneficial profile regarding vascular health, and more attention to this nutrient should be given, especially concerning obese patients with cardiometabolic risk. Calcium exhibited less straightforward results but deserves focus as well, along with antioxidant vitamin A as well as the B-complex which were mostly deficient in this experience.


Effectiveness of tranexamic acid for reducing intraoperative bleeding in palatoplasties: A randomized clinical trial.
Few data are available regarding blood loss during cleft palate surgery. This study assessed the effect of using tranexamic acid in the reduction of intraoperative bleeding. A double-blind, randomized clinical trial compared intraoperative bleeding and the incidence of oronasal fistulas after palatoplasties in a control group that was given placebo and an intervention group that was given 10 mg/kg tranexamic acid followed by a continuous infusion of 1 mg/kg/h of the same until the end of surgery. Patients who underwent primary palatoplasty with no known or suspected coagulation disorders at our institution during the study period were included in the study. 70 patients were allocated, 66 received the intervention. Blood loss was reduced by 11.9%, without statistical significance. The incidence of fistulas in the intervention and control groups was 12.9% and 18.75%, respectively. The reduction of 5.8% (CI 95%: 12%-23.8%) was not significant. The reduction of intraoperative blood loss was lower than expected and not statistically significant; a larger sample is needed to confirm the observed reduction. The drug did not seem to have negative effects on flap viability.


Dancer perceptions of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits of modern styles of partnered dancing.
To study dancers' perceptions of the physical, cognitive, affective, and social benefits of partnered dancing. 225 dancers (71% female) were recruited through a community ballroom dance center and completed an online survey designed to measure their perceptions of the physical, cognitive, affective, and social benefits of modern, partnered dance styles (swing, Lindy Hop, and ballroom dancing). Subgroups were formed for analyses. For one set of analyses, groups based on length of dance participation were formed: experienced (dancing for more than 2 years) or novice (dancing for less than a year) dancers. For another set of analyses, groups based on frequency of dance practice were formed: committed (dancing at least one or more times per week) or occasional (dancing two or fewer times per month). The majority of participants reported perceived benefits in physical fitness, cognition, affect, and social functioning. Experienced dancers reported significantly greater self-perceived physical, social, and cognitive benefits than novice dancers. Committed dancers were more likely than occasional dancers to report improvements in physical fitness, U=6942, z=2.38, r=0.16, p<0.05. A Mann-Whitney test indicated that self-reported improvements in mood (i.e., feeling less depressed and more happy) were greater for women than for men, U=3945, z=-3.07, r=0.20, p<0.001. Length and frequency of dance participation significantly predicted perceived physical benefits [Χ(2) (1,6)=35.463, p <0.001, R(2)=0.16] and social benefits [Χ(2) (1,6)=15.776, p<0.05, R(2)=0.07], but not cognitive benefits. Results suggest that participation in partnered dance styles is associated with perceived improvements in physical fitness, cognitive functioning, social functioning, mood, and self-confidence, and that perceived benefits may increase as individuals dance more frequently and over longer periods of time.


Is ultrasonography useful in the assessment of diffuse parenchymal liver disease?
One hundred twenty-five patients investigated at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, who underwent both hepatic ultrasonography and liver biopsy between 1980 and 1983, were scored quantitatively for ultrasound features of loss of detail, echogenicity, and attenuation, as well as for histologic features of fat, fibrosis, and inflammation. Strong correlations were found between the score for fat content and each of the three ultrasound features, and between the score for hepatic fibrosis and loss of detail and echogenicity, but there was no strong correlation with attenuation. Hepatic inflammation did not correlate with any of the ultrasound features. The correlations for fat were strongest when the interval between ultrasonography and liver biopsy was less than or equal to 7 days. Although ultrasonography had a positive predictive value of 98% in the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal abnormality, it did not distinguish fat from fibrosis nor reliably diagnose cirrhosis. Ultrasonography gave false-positive results in only 2 patients, but in 17 patients, false-negative ultrasound examinations were encountered. These findings indicate that ultrasound is not a useful screening investigation for parenchymal liver disease, nor is it useful in gauging hepatic pathology. However, abnormal hepatic ultrasonography in patients with suspected liver disease strongly suggests the presence of diffuse liver disease.


Fluid Overload.
Volume overload is a common complication of a multitude of disease states, as well as a complication of many medical therapies. For the critically ill patient in the intensive care unit, volume overload is especially concerning when persistent past the first few days of admission. In the setting of chronic kidney disease, the maintenance of fluid balance presents additional challenges. This article focuses on the causes of volume overload as well as treatment options of the critically ill patient, including the nuances of the kidney patient, and ends with outpatient guidelines and recommendations to avoid recurrence.


Tumor and histocompatibility antigen interaction: direct visualization by a double-label bridging technique for immuno-electron microscopy.
The nature of the interaction between the Ib tumor-associated surface antigen (Ib-TASA) and the Dk and Kk (Dk/Kk) regions of the major histocompatibility complex on the surface of line Ib lymphocytes was evaluated by immuno-electron microscopy using a double-label bridging technique. Quantitation of antigenic sites by direct counts showed 44% of the Ib-TASA sites coincident with Dk/Kk antigens. This is greater than the predicted random interaction of two independent cell surface determinants suggesting an associative interaction, i.e. 'altered-self' antigen. The remaining 56% of the Ib-TASA sites were in a non-associative mode. On the basis of data presented here, we postulate that the interaction between 'self'- and 'non-self' antigens is not an 'all or none' phenomenon.


Progress in the development of vaccines against parasitic diseases.
Vaccines for parasitic diseases have lagged behind the development of vaccines for important viral and bacterial diseases. Among the reasons for this is the extreme antigenic complexity of parasites and also the adaptive ability of parasites to co-exist with their host, often through modulation of the host's immune response. Advances in technology including in vitro cultivation, hybridoma and recombinant DNA methods have provided valuable tools for the study of parasite immunology and have resulted in major strides toward vaccines for several protozoan and helminth parasites.


Complexity of changes in right ventricular morphology and function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery - 3D echocardiographic study.
An impairment of standard echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular (RV) function is a known phenomenon in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, but its significance remains unclear. This study aimed to assess changes in RV function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery using speckle tracking and 3D echocardiography. The study population comprised 122 patients referred for cardiac surgery. Transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) examinations were performed: before the surgery (TTE1), 1 week after surgery (TTE2), and 1 year after surgery (TTE 3). Parameters measured during these examinations included both standard and advanced indices of the RV size and function, as well as a new parameter introduced by our team - RV shortening fraction (RV SF). TTE1 was performed on average (standard deviation [SD]) 24 (15) hours before surgery, whereas TTE2 and TTE3 were performed on average 7.2 (3) days and 346 (75) days after the surgery, respectively. A postoperative impairment of parameters of RV longitudinal function was observed (P <0.001). However, neither the RV size assessed by both 2D and 3D techniques changed, nor the global RV function measured with the use of fractional area change and ejection fraction. Additionally, during the postoperative period, an increase in the value of an RV SF by 12.9% was observed. After 12 months we observed an improvement in the parameters of the longitudinal RV function. Uncomplicated cardiac surgery causes transient impairment of the longitudinal systolic RV function, with no influence on the global RV function. The preservation of global function results from increased RV SF. After 12 months, an improvement of the longitudinal function can be observed.


Development of a radioimmunoassay for pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and establishment of normal levels in the first trimester of pregnancy.
An accelerated double antibody method has been developed for the radioimmunoassay of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in serum. The workable range for the assay was 0.04-1.8 mg/l of serum. PAPP-A levels were determined in single serum samples from 110 women with prospective normal pregnancies of between 7 and 14 weeks' gestation. The level of pregnancy specific beta 1 glycoprotein (SP1) was also measured in these samples and normal ranges for PAPP-A and SP1 were constructed from the results obtained.


Current Microscopy Strategies to Image Fungal Vesicles: From the Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion to the Inner Structure of Isolated Vesicles.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized structures that play important roles in a variety of biological processes among members of the Eukaryota domain. They have been studied since the 1940s and a broader use of different microscopy techniques to image either isolated vesicles or vesicles within the intracellular milieu (trafficking) has been limited by their nanometric size, usually below the resolution limit of most standard light microscopes. The development of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins and fluorescent probes able to switch between "on" and "off" states, as well the improvement in computer-assisted microscopy, photon detector devices, illumination designs, and imaging strategies in the late Twentieth century, boosted the use of light microscopes to provide structural and functional information at the sub-diffraction resolution, taking advantage of a nondestructive analytical probe such light, and opening new possibilities in the study of life at the nanoscale. As well, traditional and novel electron microscopy techniques have been widely used in the characterization of subcellular compartments, either isolated or in situ, providing a comprehensive understanding of their functional role in many cellular processes. Here, we present basic aspects of some of these techniques that have already been applied and their potential application to the study of fungal vesicles.


Inotropic responses to selective (RO 20-1724 and SQ 65,442) and nonselective (trequinsin) inhibitors of cyclic AMP-specific class IV phosphodiesterase in newborn, immature, and adult rabbit myocardium.
In contrast to myocardium from adult rabbits, myocardium from newborns is insensitive to the inotropic effects of selective inhibitors (e.g. amrinone, milrinone, and indolidan) of the cGMP-inhibited high-affinity cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This difference may be explained at least partially by our recent observation that this cAMP PDE activity is low in sarcoplasmic reticulum from newborns. Furthermore, because the predominant cytosolic high-affinity cAMP PDE activity in newborns is a cGMP-insensitive form, we postulated that selective inhibitors of this form of cAMP-specific PDE may increase cardiac contractility in newborns. Therefore, the inotropic effects of RO 20-1724 and SQ 65,442 (selective inhibitors of cGMP-insensitive, high-affinity cAMP PDE) were compared with trequinsin (a potent, less selective PDE inhibitor) in right ventricular papillary muscles isolated from newborn (NB; 24-48 h), immature (14-16 d), and adult New Zealand White rabbits. At a drug concentration of 100 microns, RO 20-1724 and SQ 65,442 depressed maximal rate of tension development to 67 +/- 4 and 70 +/- 2% of control, respectively, in NB papillary muscles. The NB response to RO 20-1724 differed significantly from the immature (127 +/- 2%) and adult (115 +/- 3%) groups (p less than 0.05), but the effects of SQ 65,442 were comparable among the three age groups. In contrast, trequinsin exerted a positive inotropic effect in the NB group (355 +/- 22% of control) that was substantially greater than the maximal response obtained in the immature (139 +/- 6% of control) or adult (131 +/- 5% of control) groups (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Recruitment strategies: non-donor segmentation based on intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli.
Non-donor behaviour can be influenced by many variables, both intrinsic and extrinsic, which differ among individuals. The aim of this study was therefore to segment Spanish non-donors based on criteria such as barriers and motivations, which influence the decision to donate for the first time, with the aim of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of recruitment actions. A total of 2383 non-donors residing in Spain evaluated 21 barriers and 25 motivations through an online self-administered survey distributed by blood transfusion centres, which are responsible for donations in Spain, and several Spanish universities. After validating these scales and determining the underlying categories in each of them, latent class/profile analysis was performed to segment non-donors. Spanish non-donors were divided into six clusters. According to their barriers and motivations, the following labels were assigned: (1) 'Impure altruists', (2) 'I want to, but make it easy for me', (3) 'Free-riders', (4) 'Reciprocal altruists', (5) 'I can't because I'm scared' and (6) 'I want to, but I can't'. Specific marketing actions were proposed for each cluster based on their characteristics, prioritizing them depending on their attractiveness. The scales which were designed to evaluate barriers and motivations make a solid contribution to the existing literature due to their holistic, integrative nature. The existence of differentiated clusters and the lack of resources of blood transfusion centres make it clear that there is a need to define and implement targeted marketing strategies.


Medical confidentiality.
Confidentiality in the medical relationship is an important, but by no means absolute, concept. It is a means by which the law protects the patient's privacy. But there are sometimes more important ideals than the protection of privacy. In order to determine whether confidentiality is to be recognised, the patient's interest in his privacy must be balanced with other potentially conflicting interests. Each legal system must determine for itself the weight to be given to any particular interest.


Insulation failure with bipolar polyurethane pacing leads.
Between October, 1981, and April, 1983, 200 pacemakers were inserted at Rhode Island Hospital. Forty-five bipolar polyurethane leads (Medtronic 6972) were positioned in the right ventricle. Three (6.6%) of these leads presented 15 to 18 months post-implant with insulation failure. The manifestation was inappropriate inhibition of the pacemaker. No obvious cracking was visible on X-ray or during surgery. All the leads had low impedance, indicative of insulation failure.


Reactive oxygen species dosage in Arabidopsis chloroplasts can improve resistance towards Colletotrichum higginsianum by the induction of WRKY33.
Arabidopsis plants overexpressing glycolate oxidase in chloroplasts (GO5) and loss-of-function mutants of the major peroxisomal catalase isoform, cat2-2, produce increased hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) amounts from the respective organelles when subjected to photorespiratory conditions like increased light intensity. Here, we have investigated if and how the signaling processes triggered by H2 O2 production in response to shifts in environmental conditions and the concomitant induction of indole phytoalexin biosynthesis in GO5 affect susceptibility towards the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum. Combining histological, biochemical, and molecular assays, we found that the accumulation of the phytoalexin camalexin was comparable between GO genotypes and cat2-2 in the absence of pathogen. Compared with wild-type, GO5 showed improved resistance after light-shift-mediated production of H2 O2 , whereas cat2-2 became more susceptible and allowed significantly more pathogen entry. Unlike GO5, cat2-2 suffered from severe oxidative stress after light shifts, as indicated by glutathione pool size and oxidation state. We discuss a connection between elevated oxidative stress and dampened induction of salicylic acid mediated defense in cat2-2. Genetic analyses demonstrated that induced resistance of GO5 is dependent on WRKY33, but not on camalexin production. We propose that indole carbonyl nitriles might play a role in defense against C. higginsianum.


Progress Curve Analysis of the one stage chromogenic assay for ecarin.
Snake venom prothrombin activators such as Ecarin are readily assayed by continuous spectrophotometric monitoring of p-nitroaniline production in a one step assay containing prothrombin and a p-nitroanilide peptide substrate for thrombin. The coupled reactions result in accelerating p-nitroaniline (pNA) production over the course of the assay giving non-linear progress curves, from which initial velocities are not readily obtained. Most studies therefore resort to approximate estimates of activity, based on the absorbance reached at an arbitrary time. A simple kinetic analysis of the coupled reactions shows that the early points of such curves should be fitted by second order polynomials, representing the accelerating reaction rate in μmol pNA/min/min. The first derivative of the polynomial then gives the increasing velocity of pNA production in μmol pNA/min over the time course of the assay. We demonstrate here that, with the substrate S2238, these rates can be converted to absolute thrombin concentrations using the Michaelis-Menten equation, substituted with values for kcat and Km. These thrombin concentrations increase linearly over the time course of the assay allowing the activity to be expressed in units, defined as μmol product/min, most commonly used to report enzyme activity.


Risk Factor Analysis for Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma.
Although the prognosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is excellent, cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) is commonly observed in PTMC. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors for CLNM in PTMC. Altogether, 687 patients with PTMC who initially underwent unilateral thyroidectomy with unilateral central lymph node dissection or bilateral thyroidectomy with bilateral central lymph node dissection between January 2014 and June 2018 at our hospital were included. The patients were divided into two groups: PTMC with CLNM and PTMC with no CLNM. The clinicopathologic characteristics and ultrasound features were compared between the groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors for CLNM. CLNM was observed in 121/687 (17.6%) patients with PTMC. PTMC patients aged <55 years exhibited a greater incidence of CLNM (87.6% vs 12.4%) than those aged ≥55 years. PTMC patients with CLNM were more likely to have capsular extension (24.0% vs 15.4%) and extension to the adjacent structures (9.9% vs 4.2%). Patients with microcalcification on ultrasound images were more likely to have CLNM (66.1% vs 47.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that microcalcification (odds ratio [OR]: 2.066, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.361-3.135, P<0.001), age <55 years (OR: 2.341, 95% CI: 1.309-4.187, P=0.004), capsular invasion (OR: 1.772, 95% CI: 1.082-2.879, P=0.023), and invasion of the adjacent tissues (OR: 2.872, 95% CI: 1.355-4.187, P=0.004) were significant risk factors for CLNM. Microcalcification, age <55 years, capsular invasion, and invasion of the adjacent tissues were significant risk factors for CLNM in PTMC.