Relationships between the foot posture Index and static as well as dynamic rear foot and arch variables.
Clinicians, podiatrists and researchers have been quantifying foot posture and movement in various speed conditions and populations. Common variables to assess foot posture/movement are the Foot Posture Index (FPI-6), Achilles tendon angle (β), rear foot angle (γ) and longitudinal arch angle (LAA). These variables were frequently used in clinical and biomechanical settings. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the biomechanical variables (β, γ & LAA) in static and dynamic conditions and the clinically used FPI-6 and their redundancy. Forty participants performed bipedal standing, over ground walking and running trials. Manual assessment data (FPI-6), kinematic data and ground reaction forces were collected. Discrete biomechanical variables (β, γ & LAA) were calculated at various time points (e.g. heel strike). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to quantify the contribution of each variable to the overall variance in the data set. Spearman correlations were used to assess the relationship between the sub-measures of the FPI-6 and the biomechanical variables. Two major components were found that explained 85.2% of the overall variance, consisting of LAA and β variables, respectively. Only LAA variables showed significant, but moderate correlations (r < -0.6) with the fifth sub-measurement of the FPI-6. The LAA and β describe independent movements, which dominate foot posture/movement in static and dynamic conditions. The FPI-6 sub-measurements did not closely reflect static nor dynamic behavior of the rear and mid foot. The FPI-6 and biomechanical variables may not be used interchangeably for screening or grouping individuals according to their foot posture/movement.


Structural Modeling of Adaptive Immune Responses to Infection.
Antibody and TCR modeling are becoming important as more and more sequence data becomes available to the public. One of the pressing questions now is how to use such data to understand adaptive immune responses to disease. Infectious disease is of particular interest because the antigens driving such responses are often known to some extent. Here, we describe tips for gathering data and cleaning it for use in downstream analysis. We present a method for high-throughput structural modeling of antibodies or TCRs using Repertoire Builder and its extensions. AbAdapt is an extension of Repertoire Builder for antibody-antigen docking from antibody and antigen sequences. ImmuneScape is a corresponding extension for TCR-pMHC 3D modeling. Together, these pipelines can help researchers to understand immune responses to infection from a structural point of view.


Church Leaders' Views of Obesity Prevention Efforts for Children and Youth.
To examine church leaders' views on the role of faith-based organizations in promoting healthy eating and physical activity in children. Qualitative research using semi-structured in-depth interviews. South Carolina. Leaders (n = 26) from United Methodist churches (n = 20). Perceptions of health promotion efforts for children in faith-based settings, including primary health concerns, perceived opportunities, partnerships, and the relationship of these efforts to the overall church mission. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using a constant comparative method. Five themes emerged related to (1) multiple concerns about health issues facing children; (2) existing church structures influencing health behaviors; (3) potential partnerships to address children's health; (4) importance of role models; and (5) the need for a tailored approach. Church leaders viewed childhood health behaviors as an important area of concern for the church and identified links between physical and spiritual health. They identified multiple existing and potential organizational and community structures as important in improving healthy eating and physical activity. Faith-based organizations can play an important role in developing and delivering health programming for children but desired assistance through partnerships with subject matter experts.


Factors influencing uptake of intrauterine devices among postpartum adolescents: a qualitative study.
We assessed barriers and facilitators to uptake of the intrauterine device (IUD) among primiparous African American adolescent mothers. Twenty participants who expressed IUD desire completed 4-5 qualitative interviews during the first postpartum year as part of a larger longitudinal study. Transcripts were analyzed for salient themes using a grounded theory approach to content analysis. Twelve participants did not obtain IUDs and instead used condoms, used no method, or intermittently used hormonal methods, resulting in 3 repeat pregnancies. Outdated IUD eligibility requirements, long wait times, lack of insurance coverage, and fear of IUD-related side effects precluded or delayed uptake. Facilitators to IUD uptake included strong recommendations from providers or family members, planning for IUD during pregnancy, and perceived reproductive autonomy. Postpartum adolescents may reduce their risk of rapid repeat pregnancy by using IUDs. Providers and members of adolescents' support networks can be instrumental in method adoption.


A heart-like Na+ current in the medial entorhinal cortex.
Acutely dissociated neurons from the superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex of the rat were studied under voltage clamp using the whole-cell patch-clamp configuration. Neurons from the medial entorhinal cortex exhibit a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant Na+ current (ITTX-R; IC50 approximately 146 nM), in addition to the normal TTX-sensitive Na+ current (ITTX-S; IC50 approximately 6 nM). ITTX-R was found in both putative stellate and putative pyramidal neurons from the medial entorhinal cortex. ITTX-R is kinetically indistinguishable from ITTX-S, but can be distinguished from ITTX-S based on its enhanced sensitivity to block by Cd2+, La3+, and Zn2+. ITTX-R is kinetically and pharmacologically similar to the TTX-resistant Na+ current found in cardiac muscle.


Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Japan during 2003: annual report by The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.
The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery has conducted annual surveys of thoracic surgery to reveal the statistics of the number of procedures according to the operative category throughout the country since 1986. Here we have summarized the results from our annual survey of thoracic surgery performed during 2003. The incidence of hospital mortality was added to this survey to determine the nationwide status that could be useful not only for surgeons to compare their work with that of others, but also for the association to gain a better understanding of present problems as well as future prospects. Thirty-day mortality (sometimes termed operative mortality) is death within 30 days of operation regardless of the patient's geographic location. Thirty-day mortality includes death within 30 days of operation even though the patient is discharged from the hospital within 30 days of operation. Hospital mortality is death within any time interval after operation if the patient is not discharged from the hospital. Hospital-to-hospital transfer is not considered discharge; transfer to a nursing home or a rehabilitation unit is considered hospital discharge unless the patient subsequently dies of complications of the operation (the definitions of terms are based on the published guidelines of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (Edmunds LH, et al. Ann Thorac Surg 1996; 62: 932-5)). Thoracic surgery was classified into three categories as cardiovascular, general thoracic and esophageal surgery, and the pertinent data were examined and analyzed in each group. Access to the computerized data is offered to all members of this association. We honor and value your continued kind support.


Induction of zone-like liver function gradients in HepG2 cells by varying culture medium height.
In most laboratory-scale mammalian cell cultures, the primary mode of oxygen delivery to cultured cells is by passive diffusion through a thin layer of culture medium, and the height of culture medium chosen may therefore have a significant effect on the phenotype of oxygen-sensitive cell types. Many of the liver functions performed by hepatocytes are thought to be regulated into zones by the local oxygen concentration; of particular interest to in vitro toxicologists, the cytochrome P450 family of detoxification enzymes is known to be preferentially expressed by hepatocytes at low (perivenous) oxygen concentrations. Using an array of different medium heights in a 12-well plate format, we show that the height of culture medium has a significant effect on cytochrome P450 1A1 detoxification activity, glucose metabolism, and cell morphology of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cultures. In particular, cytochrome P450 activity exhibits a maximum at medium heights corresponding to perivenous oxygen concentrations. This work demonstrates that optimizing cell culture performance is not always the same as maximizing oxygen delivery.


Evaluating the Correlation between Anteroposterior and Mediolateral Compensatory Curves and their Influence on Dentoskeletal Morphology-An In vitro CBCT Study.
To date, many orthodontist corrects malocclusion based on patients aesthetic concern and fails to correct the compensatory curves. This scenario is due to less insight on understanding relationship of compensatory curves and its correlation in treatment prognosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the curve of Spee, curve of Monson and curve of Wilson, their influence on dentoskeletal morphology and their contribution to occlusal stability. This study included 104 non-orthodontic models. The study casts were subdivided into two groups, Group-I consist 52 non- orthodontic models with Class-I molar relationship and Group-II consist of 52 non- orthodontic models with Class-II molar relationship. Curve of Spee was measured with digital vernier caliper, curve of Monson estimated using specially made sphere (7″inch, 8″ inch and 9″inch) and curve of Wilson was evaluated using Cone Beam Computed Technology (CBCT). Mean value for curve of Spee obtained for Group I and Group II is 1.844 mm and 3.188 mm. For curve of Monson, the mean value obtained for Group I and Group-II is 7.65 inches and 7.40 inches. The mean degree obtained for the curve of Wilson for Group I and Group-II is 12.05 and 16.49. The result showed positive correlation between curve of Spee and curve of Wilson and no correlation between curve of Monson and curve of Wilson and no correlation between curve of Spee and curve of Monson. The Pearson correlation coefficient analysis from the study confirmed these results. The results showed positive correlation between curve of spee and curve of Wilson. The data found in this study can be applied clinically for Class I and Class II malocclusion patients on diagnosis and treatment planning.


Infant Oral Health.
It may be easy to discount oral health in infancy because most infants are not born with teeth and only a few teeth erupt during the first year of life. Infancy, however, is a critical time for formation of habits. Positive habits, such as twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste starting at first teeth eruption, provides topical fluoride, which is important for remineralization of the tooth and helps establish a lifelong healthy practice. Negative habits, such as bottle propping and frequent juice consumption, reinforce behaviors that promote caries and obesity. This article reviews normal dental development and eruption. Congenital anomalies affecting the mouth as well as acquired conditions, primarily dental caries, are reviewed. Oral health preventive modalities, including professionally applied products and home-based strategies, are discussed.


[Executive functions and stressful characteristics of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: influence on behavioral problems during adolescence].
The identification of possible factors that are influencing the course of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will allow the development of more effective early intervention strategies. AIMS. This research, which used a longitudinal and correlational design, set out to examine the temporal consistency of the primary symptoms and ADHD associated problems. In addition, the relationships and predictive power of working memory, inhibition and stressful characteristics of children with ADHD on the disorder symptoms and behavioral problems in adolescence was analyzed. This study included 65 families with children diagnosed with ADHD. In phase 1 children performed verbal working memory, visuo-spatial and inhibition tests, and information from parents about stressful characteristics of children was collected. In phase 1 and in the follow-up phase, which took place three years later, parents and teachers reported on the primary symptoms of ADHD and behavioral problems. Inattention symptoms as well as most behavioral problems were stable over time, while hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms decreased. Moreover, neither working memory nor inhibition showed power to predict the central manifestations of ADHD or behavioral problems, while stressful characteristics of demandingness, low adaptability and negative mood had a moderate predictive capacity. These results confirm the role of stressful child characteristics as a risk factor in the course of ADHD.


Novel isoquinoline derivatives as antimicrobial agents.
The wide variety of potent biological activities of natural and synthetic isoquinoline alkaloids encouraged us to develop novel antimicrobial isoquinoline compounds. We synthesized a variety of differently functionalized 1-pentyl-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs), including dihydroisoquinolinium salts (2 and 5), methyl pentanoate-THIQ (6), 1-pentanol-THIQ (7), ester derivatives (8-15) and carbamate derivatives (16-23). We employed classic intramolecular Bischler-Napieralski cyclodehydration to generate the isoquinoline core. All the structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The bactericide and fungicide activities were evaluated for all the synthesized compounds and structure-activity relationships were established. Many compounds exhibited high and broad-range bactericidal activity. Fluorophenylpropanoate ester 13 and the halogenated phenyl- (17, 18) and phenethyl carbamates (21, 22) exerted the most remarkable bactericidal activity. However, few compounds displayed antifungal activity against most of the fungi tested. Among them, chlorinated derivatives like chlorobenzoate and chlorophenylpropanoate esters (10 and 14, respectively) and chlorophenethyl carbamate 22, exhibited the greatest antifungal activity.


Urban-rural health disparities in Brazil: Do sociodemographic attributes play a role?
The debate over urban-rural health disparities in Latin American countries is disputed, and this relationship may not be as straightforward as initially thought. In this study, we investigate whether individual-level self-rated health (SRH) varies across urban and rural populations in the country and how sociodemographic attributes are associated with such differences. We relied on data from the Brazilian National Health Survey (n = 78,806), a nationwide household-based survey conducted in 2019 that is representative of Brazil, geopolitical macro-regions, states, and 27 state capitals. Logistic regression models were used to test for differences in SRH between urban and rural inhabitants. The findings suggest that Brazilian adults living in rural areas are at a higher risk of perceiving their health as poor than their urban counterparts. The urban-rural health disparities are significant and influenced by sociodemographic attributes, highlighting the importance of developing public health interventions to improve health outcomes in these populations.


Connectomics: Bringing Fly Neural Circuits into Focus.
Three new studies use a whole adult brain electron microscopy volume to reveal new long-range connectivity maps of complete populations of neurons in olfactory, thermosensory, hygrosensory, and memory systems in the fly Drosophila melanogaster.


Correlation between hamstring muscle tightness and incidence of low back pain in female students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia.
The current study aimed at determining the difference in hamstring tightness between dominant and non-dominant legs and to detect the correlation between LBP and hamstring tightness. One hundred females with hamstring tightness of at least 15 degrees have been included in the study. Hamstring shortening was examined by the Active Knee Extension test (AKE) and Straight Leg Raising test (SLR), whilst the functional disability' degree was measured by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The straight leg raising and the AKE of the dominant leg were significantly more flexible than the non-dominant ones. There was a weak positive non-significant correlation between ODI and AKE of the dominant side (r = 0.162, p = 0.1) and the non-dominant side (r = 0.071, p = 0.48). There was a weak negative non-significant correlation between ODI and SLR of the dominant side (r = - 0.29, p = 0.77) and the non-dominant side (r = - 0.53, p = 0.6). There was no relation between the degree of hamstring tightness and LBP in female students at Jouf University.


Crambe meal and crude glycerin from biodiesel production in diets for finishing of crossbred cattle in feedlot.
Our hypothesis is that crambe meal can totally substitute soybean meal and crude glycerin can partially replace the corn in the diet without leading to losses of nutrient intake and productive performance. Two assays were performed using heifers and steers. In the first assay, 24 Beefalo-Nellore heifers with 18 months old with 311.5 ± 5.5 kg, and in the second assay, 24 Beefalo-Nellore steers with 18 months old with 317.0 ± 6.4 kg were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete design, in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of two energy sources (corn and crude glycerin) and two protein sources (soybean meal and crambe meal). Both assays had 104 experimental days of feedlot. There was no interaction between the variation sources. There was an effect of protein source on nutrient intake for heifers except to neutral detergent fiber intake, which presented effect of energy source. Heifers fed soybean meal showed higher results for total weight gain and daily weight gain. There was observed effect of energy source on rib eye area and subcutaneous fat thickness. Steers fed soybean meal showed higher neutral detergent fiber intake and non-fibrous carbohydrates. Steers fed corn + crude glycerin showed higher results for total weight gain and daily weight gain. The steers fed soybean meal showed higher averages for subcutaneous fat thickness. Crambe meal and crude glycerin can be used as alternative sources of energy and protein to replace 100% of soybean and 50% of corn, respectively, for finishing Beefalo-Nellore cattle in a feedlot.


Mourning and reminiscence: parallel psychotherapeutic processes for elderly people.
Mourning and reminiscence are therapeutic processes common in therapeutic work with the elderly. However, a theoretical explanation of why they are effective has been lacking. Personal construct theory accounts for both in terms of the search of elderly persons for validation of their construct systems. In this article, this explanation of the parallel psychotherapeutic processes is explored, together with relevant information from the literature on mourning and reminiscence. Therapeutic case studies illustrate the characteristics of the two processes and the relationship between them.


5-O-(alpha-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-glycero-pent-2-enono-1,4-lactone: characterization in the oxalate-producing fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
Extracts of sclerotia from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungal phytopathogen, contain two electrochemically-active constituents, D-glycero-pent-2-enono-1,4-lactone (trivial name: D-erythroascorbic acid), and a previously unidentified compound, here characterized as 5-O-(alpha-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-glycero-pent-2-enono-1,4-lactone on the basis of its physical and chemical properties and its two hydrolytic products, D-galactose and D-erythroascorbic acid. Treatment of this galactoside with alkaline hydrogen peroxide produces oxalic acid as observed earlier with erythroascorbic acid.


Identification of novel factors associated with inappropriate treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in acute and long-term care.
Chart reviews often fall short of determining what drove antibiotic treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). To overcome this shortcoming, we searched providers' free-text for documentation of their decision-making and for misleading signs and symptoms that may trigger unnecessary treatment of ASB. We reviewed a random sample of 10 positive urine cultures per month, per facility, from patients in acute or long-term care wards at 8 Veterans Affairs facilities. Cultures were classified as urinary tract infection (UTI) or ASB, and as treated or untreated. Charts were searched for 13 potentially misleading symptoms, and free-text documentation of providers' decision-making was classified into 5 categories. We used generalized estimating equations logistic regression to identify factors associated with ASB treatment. One hundred fifty-eight (27.5%) of 575 ASB cases were inappropriately treated with antibiotics. Significant factors associated with inappropriate treatment included: abdominal pain, falls, decreased urine output, urine characteristics, abnormal vital signs, laboratory values, and voiding issues. Providers prescribed an average of 1.4 antimicrobials to patients with ASB, with cephalosporins (41%) and fluoroquinolones (21%) being the most common classes prescribed. Chart reviews of providers' decision-making highlighted new factors associated with inappropriate ASB treatment. These findings can help design antibiotic stewardship interventions for ASB.


Mandibular advancement device treatment and reverse left ventricular hypertrophic remodeling in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular comorbidities such as left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Whether OSA is an independent etiological factor for this hypertrophic remodeling is yet unknown. Continuous positive airway pressure partially reverses this hypertrophy, but data regarding the effect of mandibular advancement devices on LV remodeling are scarce. The aim of this prospective trial is to evaluate the effect of mandibular advancement device therapy on LV geometry and function in patients with OSA. At baseline and 6-month follow-up, participants underwent a home sleep apnea test, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and a 2-dimensional Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Sixty-three patients (age: 49 ± 11 years; body mass index: 27.0 ± 3.4 kg/m2; baseline apnea-hypopnea index home sleep apnea test: 11.7 [8.2; 24.9] events/h) completed the 6-month follow-up visit. Overall, blood pressure values and parameters of LV function were within normal ranges at baseline and did not change under mandibular advancement device therapy. In contrast, the interventricular septum thickness was at the upper limits of normal at baseline and showed a significant decrease at 6-month follow-up (11.1 ± 2.1 mm vs 10.6 ± 2.0 mm, P = .03). This significant improvement is only found in responders but not in nonresponders. There was no correlation between the decrease of interventricular septum thickness and the change in blood pressure. In mildly obese, normotensive patients with OSA we observed significant reverse hypertrophic remodeling after 6 months of successful mandibular advancement device therapy, with maintained normotensive systemic blood pressure. This suggests that OSA is an independent factor in the pathophysiology of LV hypertrophy in these patients. Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Effects of the MAS in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02320877; Identifier: NCT02320877. Dieltjens M, Vanderveken OM, Shivalkar B, et al. Mandibular advancement device treatment and reverse left ventricular hypertrophic remodeling in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(3):903-909.


Evolution and development of the mammalian multicuspid teeth.
Mammalian premolars and molars (cheek teeth) are teeth with multiple cusps, which are important characteristics of mammals. Endothermic mammals have high basal metabolic rates and must take in much energy by efficient mastication of food using their multicuspid cheek teeth. From the phylogenetic (evolutionary) perspective, the mammalian multicuspid teeth are derived from the reptilian unicuspid teeth with a single cone by adding new cusps around the original cone. Nearly 100 million years of long geological time were required for the unicuspid tooth to transform into a tribosphenic molar, which is the prototype of all molars in modern mammals. From the ontogenetic (developmental) perspective, the shape of the tooth germ becomes complex by adding the secondary enamel knots repeatedly in a short embryonic period. The secondary enamel knots are signaling centers that determine the future cusp positions. Here we first reviewed the evolutionary process of the tribosphenic molar in the Mesozoic Era (the age of dinosaurs), and cusp homologies in the fossil record. Next, we reviewed the developmental mechanisms controlling the patterning of secondary enamel knots, which determine the final cusp patterns of molars in modern mammals. Finally, we discussed the possible relationship between the two processes from the extremely different time scales. A parallel relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny of the mammalian multicuspid teeth was expected.


Acid volatile sulfides and simultaneously extracted metals in a metal-polluted area of Taihu Lake, China.
There were similar distribution characteristics for acid volatile sulfides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in surface sediments, and the concentrations of AVS and SEM decreased from the deposition area to the center of the bay (lake). The ratio of AVS to SEM was <1 in the surface sediments, indicating that heavy metals in surface sediments may be bioavailable. The concentration of AVS increased with sediment depth, followed by a decrease with large variation, while the concentration of SEM remained constant. By comparing the concentration of SEM with total metals, it was shown that extracted Cu and Ni decreased with sediment depth, indicating increasing association of Cu and Ni with sulfides in deeper sediment layers. The lower extracted ratios for Pb and Zn compared with sulfidic sediment illustrated that AVS should not have strong control on sediment Pb and Zn. The molar ratio of AVS and reactive iron showed that heavy metals were dynamic and active in sediments in this lake.


Neighbourhood search feature selection method for content-based mammogram retrieval.
Content-based image retrieval plays an increasing role in the clinical process for supporting diagnosis. This paper proposes a neighbourhood search method to select the near-optimal feature subsets for the retrieval of mammograms from the Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) database. The features based on grey level cooccurrence matrix, Daubechies-4 wavelet, Gabor, Cohen-Daubechies-Feauveau 9/7 wavelet and Zernike moments are extracted from mammograms available in the MIAS database to form the combined or fused feature set for testing various feature selection methods. The performance of feature selection methods is evaluated using precision, storage requirement and retrieval time measures. Using the proposed method, a significant improvement is achieved in mean precision rate and feature dimension. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art feature selection methods.


Accuracy of self-reported body weight, height and waist circumference in a Dutch overweight working population.
In population studies, body mass index (BMI) is generally calculated from self-reported body weight and height. The self-report of these anthropometrics is known to be biased, resulting in a misclassification of BMI status. The aim of our study is to evaluate the accuracy of self-reported weight, height and waist circumference among a Dutch overweight (Body Mass Index [BMI] > or = 25 kg/m2) working population, and to determine to what extent the accuracy was moderated by sex, age, BMI, socio-economic status (SES) and health-related factors. Both measured and self-reported body weight and body height were collected in 1298 healthy overweight employees (66.6% male; mean age 43.9 +/- 8.6 years; mean BMI 29.5 +/- 3.4 kg/m2), taking part in the ALIFE@Work project. Measured and self-reported waist circumferences (WC) were available for a sub-group of 250 overweight subjects (70.4% male; mean age 44.1 +/- 9.2 years; mean BMI 29.6 +/- 3.0 kg/m2). Intra Class Correlation (ICC), Cohen's kappa and Bland Altman plots were used for reliability analyses, while linear regression analyses were performed to assess the factors that were (independently) associated with the reliability. Body weight was significantly (p < 0.001) under-reported on average by 1.4 kg and height significantly (p < 0.001) over-reported by 0.7 cm. Consequently, BMI was significantly (p < 0.001) under-reported by 0.7 kg/m2. WC was significantly (p < 0.001) over-reported by 1.1 cm. Although the self-reporting of anthropometrics was biased, ICC's showed high concordance between measured and self-reported values. Also, substantial agreement existed between the prevalences of BMI status and increased WC based on measured and self-reported data. The under-reporting of BMI and body weight was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by measured weight, height, SES and smoking status, and the over-reporting of WC by age, sex and measured WC. Results suggest that self-reported BMI and WC are satisfactorily accurate for the assessment of the prevalence of overweight/obesity and increased WC in a middle-aged overweight working population. As the accuracy of self-reported anthropometrics is affected by measured weight, height, WC, smoking status and/or SES, results for these subgroups should be interpreted with caution. Due to the large power of our study, the clinical significance of our statistical significant findings may be limited. ISRCTN04265725.


Contribution of the Fetal Cardiac Axis and V-Sign Angle in First-Trimester Screening for Major Cardiac Defects.
To estimate the potential value of fetal assessment for the cardiac axis (CAx) and V-sign angle (VSA) in the first trimester in the prediction of fetal major cardiac defects. A cohort study was conducted from December 2015 to June 2016. Patients with singleton pregnancies and crown-rump length from 45 to 84 mm were recruited to undergo nuchal translucency sonography. The CAx on the 4-chamber view and the VSA on the 3-vessel and trachea view with Doppler mapping were measured. The estimated performance of different combinations of increased fetal nuchal translucency, CAx, and VSA in screening for major cardiac defects was examined. The study population of fetuses included 30 fetuses with major cardiac defects and 1538 normal fetuses. The CAx and VSA were 30° to 60° and 30° to 40°, respectively, according to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles in normal fetuses. When cases of isolated septal wall defects and an isolated right aortic arch were excluded, nuchal translucency above the 95th percentile, an abnormal CAx, and an abnormal VSA were observed in 63.3% (19 of 30), 63.3% (19 of 30), and 66.7% (20 of 30) of fetuses with major cardiac defects, respectively, and in 4.6% (71 of 1538), 2.0% (30 of 1538), and 5.6% (86 of 1538) of those without cardiac defects. Either an abnormal CAx or VSA was found in 93.3% (28 of 30) of the fetuses with cardiac defects and in 7.3% (113 of 1538) of those without cardiac defects. Assessment of the CAx and VSA is helpful in defining a population at risk for major cardiac defects in the first trimester.


Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome.
We studied 51 patients who developed Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (V-K-H) syndrome after corticosteroid therapy. The final visual acuity was better than 6/15 (20/50) in 50%, and less than 6/60 (20/200) in 25% of the patients. The severity and extraocular manifestations of this disease also appeared to be less than observed in patients before the clinical use of corticosteroids. Corticosteroid therapy probably altered the clinical picture in this disease, although other possibilities, including a skewed patient population, may account for these differences.


Positioning aged patients.
While geriatric patients do not present problems of positioning that are found only in their age group, their acquired infirmities may intensify the likelihood and severity of complications common to younger peers. Careful preoperative evaluation of potential positioning problems is needed, as is explicit recording of positioning recommendations in a manner easily encountered by appropriate members of the care team. The physiologic impact of those infirmities that are present upon the ability of the patient to recover from the surgical and anesthetic experience should be kept clearly in mind throughout the procedure, and techniques involved should be modified accordingly. A postoperative survey of potential complications of positioning should be made expeditiously to permit indicated treatment to be applied rapidly to an elderly patient.


Consent document translation expense hinders inclusive clinical trial enrolment.
Patients from historically under-represented racial and ethnic groups are enrolled in cancer clinical trials at disproportionately low rates in the USA1-3. As these patients often have limited English proficiency4-7, we hypothesized that one barrier to their inclusion is the cost to investigators of translating consent documents. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated more than 12,000 consent events at a large cancer centre and assessed whether patients requiring translated consent documents would sign consent documents less frequently in studies lacking industry sponsorship (for which the principal investigator pays the translation costs) than for industry-sponsored studies (for which the translation costs are covered by the sponsor). Here we show that the proportion of consent events for patients with limited English proficiency in studies not sponsored by industry was approximately half of that seen in industry-sponsored studies. We also show that among those signing consent documents, the proportion of consent documents translated into the patient's primary language in studies without industry sponsorship was approximately half of that seen in industry-sponsored studies. The results suggest that the cost of consent document translation in trials not sponsored by industry could be a potentially modifiable barrier to the inclusion of patients with limited English proficiency.


Construction and physiological analysis of a Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae recA mutant.
A Xoo recA insertion inactivation mutant was constructed. The mutant, lacking RecA, showed increased sensitivity towards mutagen killing. This phenotype could be complemented by a cloned, functional recA. Unlike other bacteria, both the recA mutant and the parental strain had similar level of resistance to H2O2 killing and peroxide-induced mutagenesis.


Improved system for measuring rheological properties of thickened liquid using an inclined parallel plate and optical sensor.
The purpose of this study was to improve the method of using an inclined parallel plate (IPP) in directly estimating the yield stress τ iy and evaluating the properties of a thickened liquid. The flow curve of the relationship between the shear rate and shear stress of a liquid thickened with a xanthan gum agent was predicted using the Herschel-Bulkley fluid model ( τ = τ y + k γ ˙ n - 1 ). We supposed that the yield stress τ y and the result of a line spread test (LST) indicate the deformation state and the flow state of shear stress ( k γ ˙ n - 1 ), respectively. τ iy , the yield stress τ ry estimated adopting a rotational viscometer and LST, was investigated for three liquids thickened with xanthan gum at four concentrations (C) at intervals of 0.5 wt% within the range 0.5-2.0 wt%. Linear plots of the relations of C versus τ iy and τ ry and the LST show that with an increase in C , the resistance force ( τ ry and τ iy ) increases until flow starts, after which viscosity increases. We suggest that yield stress τ iy estimated with the IPP method effectively indicates the rheological properties of thickened liquids.


Horse leucocyte proteinase-inhibitor system. Kinetic parameters of the inhibition reaction.
Horse leucocyte neutral proteinase inhibitor reacts with all tested elastases at the molar ratios of 1:1 and yielding stable complexes (Ki = 10(-10) M). The above reactions are very rapid, characterized by the high values of association rate constant kon = 10(7) M-1s-1.


Schistosomiasis in the United States.
Canine schistosomiasis is a well-established cause of a granulomatous enteropathy and hepatopathy in dogs. In a small subset of patients, infection triggers significant hypercalcemia. Clinical signs and clinicopathologic findings are fairly nonspecific but ultrasonographic evidence of heterogenous small intestinal wall layering and pin-point hyperechoic foci in bowel, nodes, and liver is highly suggestive of infection. A sensitive, commercially available, fecal polymerase chain reaction test can be used to establish the diagnosis. Treatment protocols rely on praziquantel with fenbendazole. Most dogs will recover, although retreatment may be necessary in a substantial proportion. Housemates should be screened as infection can be asymptomatic.


Efficacy of ELISA compared to conventional tests (RBPT and CFT) for the diagnosis of Brucella melitensis infection in sheep.
An indirect ELISA (iELISA) using a B. abortus smooth lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS) as coating antigen and a polyclonal anti-sheep IgG peroxydase-labeled serum as conjugate was developed. The iELISA was assessed in comparison to the Food and Agriculture Organisation/International Atomic Energy Agency (FAO/IAEA) standard bovine ELISA kit (IAEA kit) using an anti-bovine IgG conjugate that cross-reacts with sheep antibodies, and with complement fixation test (CFT) and Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT). The evaluation was performed on sera from ewes experimentally infected with Brucella melitensis 53H38 (H38), using negative and positive sheep reference sera. No significant difference was found as regards to the specificity, the lower limit of detection and the estimated sensitivity of the two iELISAs. This suggests that an anti-bovine conjugate could allow the development of only one ELISA protocol for all ruminants. The iELISA, if well standardized, proved to be a good screening test able to be used either alone or in addition to RBPT.


Diurnal resting in brown lemurs in a dry deciduous forest, northwestern Madagascar: implications for seasonal thermoregulation.
Decreased activity has been reported in both nocturnal and diurnal primates during the prolonged dry season in western Madagascar, and this has been interpreted as a reaction to the severe environment, with its food scarcity and/or thermal stress. Several day-active lemurs rest more as trees defoliate, although the reason for this is unclear. To understand the mechanism underpinning the diurnal resting of lemurs in seasonal deciduous forests, I observed common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus fulvus) for one year in Ankarafantsika National Park, northwestern Madagascar. In Ankarafantsika, despite high fruit availability during the dry season, brown lemurs are known to engage in diurnal resting. To examine the effects of thermal factors and defoliation on lemur inactivity, I recorded the activity of a troop at 1 min intervals, hourly ambient temperature, daily rainfall, and weather during observations (06:00-18:00). I quantified the amount of leaves biweekly for 680 trees. I tested correlations between percentages of resting time and each factor across hours during the day and across seasons. During the rainy season, resting time did not differ between sunny and cloudy days, and lemurs were active throughout the daytime. At the hourly level during the dry season, lemurs rested exclusively at midday, apparently at peak sunlight intensity rather than at peak ambient temperature. At seasonal level, percentages of total resting time from 08:00 to 16:00 were greater during dry season (81.9%) than during rainy season (62.6%), and percentages increased as ambient temperatures increased. Defoliation was related to seasonal decrease in weekly rainfall, which served as an index of water retained in the forest. Defoliation probably reflected aridification as well as the penetration of sunlight into the forest. Diurnal resting increased as both the amount of leaves and weekly rainfall decreased seasonally. These results suggest that heat stress under dry conditions may promote resting. Diurnal resting may function as behavioral thermoregulation to avoid overheating and to minimize water loss via excessive evaporative respiration.


Integrating dispersal, breeding and abundance data with graph theory for the characterization and management of functional connectivity in amphibian pondscapes.
Robust assessment of functional connectivity in amphibian population networks is essential to address their global decline. The potential of graph theory to characterize connectivity among amphibian populations has already been confirmed, but the movement data on which modelled graphs rely are often scarce and inaccurate. While probabilistic methods that account for intraspecific variability in dispersal better reflect the biological reality of functional connectivity, they must be informed by systematically recorded individual movement data, which are difficult to obtain for secretive taxa like amphibians. Our aim is to assess the applied potential of probabilistic graph theory to characterize overall connectivity across amphibian pondscapes using fine-scale capture-recapture data, and to inform conservation management based on the role of ponds on functional connectivity. We monitored an amphibian community in a pondscape located in a Spanish "dehesa" for 2 years. Photoidentification was used to build capture histories for individuals of six species, from which dispersal kernels and population sizes were estimated to model probabilistic graphs. We obtained kernels of variable robustness for six species. Node importance for connectivity varied between species, but with common patterns such as shared road crossing areas and the presence of coincident interconnected pond clusters. The combination of photoidentification, capture-recapture data and graph theory allowed us to characterize functional connectivity across the pondscape of study accounting for dispersal variability and identify areas where conservation actions could be most efficient. Our results highlight the need to account for interspecific differences in the study and management of amphibian pondscapes. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-022-01520-x.


Sensory stimulation reduces seizure severity but not afterdischarge duration of partial seizures kindled in the hippocampus at threshold intensities.
Epilepsy is a family of neurological disorders that result in seizure activity that is characterized by transient hypersynchronous activation of a large population of neurons. In animal models, focal tetanic electrical stimulation of sufficient duration and intensity, can elicit epileptiform activity, that if repeated results in progressive intensification of seizure activity known as kindling. Kindling serves as a model of partial as well as secondarily generalized temporal lobe epilepsy. We utilized hippocampal kindling to provide a means of evaluating the effect of sensory stimulation on the duration and severity of the induced seizure activity. Sensory stimuli targeted either the olfactory, auditory or somatosensory systems in an attempt to retard or suppress seizure activity. To that end, rats were chronically implanted with electrodes in the CA1 region of dorsal hippocampus and kindled once daily until the seizure behaviour was fully generalized. Kindling stimulation consisted of daily application of 1-s trains of biphasic square wave pulses applied at a frequency of 60Hz, at the afterdischarge (AD) threshold. Sensory stimulation was applied 6-8s after the kindling stimulation every third day. One group of rats received a different sensory stimulus (novel) every third day, while another group was presented with the same sensory stimulus (repeated) every third day. Kindling stimulation applied to the dorsal hippocampus resulted in progression of the AD characteristics and seizure behavior, which typically developed very slowly in the early stages. The application of both the novel and repeated sensory stimulation during partial seizures (stages 1 and 2) resulted in a reduction in the seizure severity but not in the afterdischarge duration. Sensory stimulation delivered during secondarily generalized seizures (stages 4 and 5) failed to affect either parameter.


The Arabidopsis transcription factor IIB-related protein BRP4 is involved in the regulation of mitotic cell-cycle progression during male gametogenesis.
Male gametogenesis in angiosperms involves two rounds of mitosis that are essential for the generation of two sperm cells to achieve double fertilization, a distinct event in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Precise regulation of mitosis during male gametogenesis is critically important for the establishment of the male germline. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying mitotic division during male gametophyte development have not been characterized fully. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis transcription initiation factor TFIIB-related protein BRP4 is involved in the regulation of mitotic cell-cycle progression during male gametogenesis. BRP4 was expressed predominately in developing male gametophytes. Knockdown expression of BRP4 by a native promoter-driven RNA interference construct in Arabidopsis resulted in arrest of the mitotic progression of male gametophytes, leading to a defect in pollen development. Moreover, we showed that the level of expression of a gene encoding a subunit of the origin recognition complex, ORC6, was decreased in BRP4 knockdown plants, and that the ORC6 knockdown transgenic plants phenocopied the male gametophyte defect observed in BRP4 knockdown plants, suggesting that ORC6 acts downstream of BRP4 to mediate male mitotic progression. Taken together, our results reveal that BRP4 plays an important role in the regulation of mitotic cell-cycle progression during male gametogenesis.


Acetic acids bearing the 1-phenyl-1H-indazole nucleus with analgesic and antiinflammatory activity.
The synthesis of [(1-phenyl-1H-indazol-4-yl)oxy]acetic acid (IV), (1-phenyl-1H-indazol-4-yl)acetic acid (IX) and (1,5,6,7)tetrahydro-1-phenyl-4H-indazol-4-iminooxy)acetic acid (XIII) starting from 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-phenyl-4H-indazol-4-one (I) is described. These compounds showed a good antiinflammatory activity in rats, and an analgesic activity in mice similar or comparable to that of indomethacin.


Correlation of vestibular aqueduct size with air-bone gap in enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome.
Patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) often demonstrate an air-bone gap (ABG) at low frequencies on audiometric testing. The mechanism for this has not been well elucidated. We investigated vestibular aqueduct (VA) size and ABG in patients with EVA, and assessed the relationship between VA diameter and ABG. Retrospective review. We assessed 98 ears from 49 individuals diagnosed with Pendred syndrome. The VA diameters of ears in groups with (n = 60) and without (n = 38) ABG were measured using axial computed tomography images. Three different parameters of VA diameter (fundus, midpoint, and porous width) were correlated with the results of pure tone analysis. We found that patients with ABG have larger diameters of the VA than patients without ABG (fundus width = 1.13 vs. 0.71 mm, respectively; midpoint width = 3.23 vs. 2.77 mm, respectively; porous width = 2.73 vs. 2.29 mm, respectively; P < .001, .038, and .049, respectively). A cutoff value of VA fundus diameter was set at 0.865 mm. Although <5% of the variability in the ABG was explainable by variation in the diameter of the VA fundus at low frequencies, on average, larger gaps were observed with fundus diameters of >0.865 mm. Our findings suggest that the axial parameters of the VA yield information about ABG in patients with EVA. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that an EVA introduces a third mobile window into the inner ear, resulting in an ABG at low frequencies. 4. Laryngoscope, 126:1633-1638, 2016.


On-line monitoring of pine needles combustion emissions in the presence of fire retardant using a "thermogravimetry (TG)-bridge/mass spectrometry method".
In this work a new method called TG-bridge/mass spectrometry is presented, for the on-line monitoring of the pine needles combustion emissions in a common lab furnace. The TG-bridge (thermogravimetry-bridge) system has been developed in-house as a TG-MS (thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry) interface, for TG-MS analysis. In this work, TG-bridge was used for directly sampling of the combustion emissions from the inside of the furnace and transferring them into the mass spectrometer (MS), without disturbing the sub-pressure conditions inside the MS ion source. The effect of Fire-Trol 931 (a long-term fire retardant) on the emissions, produced during the combustion of pine needles, is tested in the lab for future application in the field. It was shown that in treated samples, increased evolution of ammonia and aromatic compounds took place, compared to untreated samples. Maximum concentrations of specific compounds, such as benzene and toluene, evolved during the combustion experiments in the furnace, were determined.


Arthroscopic treatment of meniscal cysts.
Historically meniscal cysts have been treated with either an open total menisectomy, isolated cyst excision, or a combination of the two procedures. The advent of arthroscopic techniques has led to innovative treatment options for meniscal cyst management. A review of meniscal cysts and the results of arthroscopic treatment form the basis of this study. From 1986 to 1991, 18 patients with meniscal cysts were treated by arthroscopic cyst decompression. Thirteen men and five women comprised the study group and had an average age of 28 years. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 60 months (average 26). Eight of the cysts were medial and 10 were lateral. A horizontal cleavage tear was noted in all cases, and 15 partial and three subtotal menisectomies were performed in conjunction with an intraarticular cyst decompression. There have been no recurrences to date, and all patients returned to their previous level of activity. Parameniscal cysts may result from synovial fluid tracking through a horizontal cleavage tear. Successful treatment of the meniscal cyst must include appropriate management of the torn meniscus, which can be entirely arthroscopic, consisting of a partial or subtotal meniscectomy, identification of the cyst opening, and cyst decompression.


The density and chemical composition of fish muscle.
The relationship between the density of muscle from Coregonus pollan Thompson and its chemical composition has a parabolic nature which makes prediction of fat or dry matter content from density impossible.


End-to-side nerve repair: review of the literature and clinical indications.
End-to-side (ETS) nerve repair, in which the distal stump of a transected nerve is coapted to the side of an uninjured donor nerve, has been suggested as a technique for repair of peripheral nerve injuries where the proximal nerve stump is unavailable or a significant nerve gap exists. Full review of the ETS literature suggests that sensory recovery after ETS repair results in some, but not robust, regeneration. Sensory axons will sprout without deliberate injury. However, motor axons only regenerate after deliberate nerve injury. Experimental and clinical experience with ETS neurorrhaphy has rendered mixed results. Continued research into ETS nerve repair is warranted. ETS techniques should not yet replace safer and more reliable techniques of nerve repair except when some, but not good, sensory recovery is appropriate and a deliberate injury to the donor motor nerve is made.


Involvement of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase in acute cocaine-induced c-fos in nucleus accumbens.
It is well known that acute cocaine administration increases c-Fos expression that is involved in cocaine-induced persistent changes in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated a possible involvement of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) in induction of c-fos expression in response to acute cocaine treatment in nucleus accumbens (NAc). We found that inhibition of ERK activation significantly attenuated cocaine-induced c-fos expression at both protein and mRNA levels in the NAc. Furthermore, using an immunofluorescent staining approach, we found that inhibition of ERK activation completely abolished cocaine-induced increase in number of c-Fos-positive cells in the core region of NAc, whereas, in shell region of NAc, inhibition of ERK activation partially attenuated cocaine-induced c-Fos expression. Our findings suggest that ERK might participate in cocaine-induced c-fos expression in the NAc, particularly in the core region of NAc.


Development of monoclonal antibodies for quantification of bovine tumor necrosis factor-α.
The expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is associated with production losses in dairy cows and is a hallmark of early inflammatory processes. Reliable tools for the detection and quantification of soluble as well as cytoplasmatic bovine TNF-α are needed to deepen our understanding of inflammatory dynamics in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to generate a monoclonal antibody (mAb) pair that could be used to quantify bovine TNF-α in cell culture supernatants and plasma and to detect cytoplasmatic TNF-α in bovine leukocyte populations. One mouse was immunized with a recombinant fusion protein of bovine TNF-α and equine IL-4 generated in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Murine monoclonal antibodies specific to bovine TNF-α were produced in hybridoma cell lines and selected based on their specificity to the recombinant IL-4/TNF-α protein. Clones 197-1 and 65-2, both murine IgG1 isotypes, detected the bovine TNF-α fusion protein as well as the native protein produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with a combination of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin. Both mAbs were tested for and lacked cross-reactivity to equine IL-4 and 3 other recombinant bovine cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-10, and CCL5) and were used to develop a fluorescent bead-based assay. The range of bovine TNF-α detection in the assay was 0.2 to 620 ng/mL, and the test was used to quantify native bovine TNF-α in cell culture supernatants of stimulated PBMC and in plasma from ex vivo whole-blood stimulations. Sample matrices were spiked with TNF-α, with subsequent recovery rates (mean ± SD) of 89% ± 9 (n = 3) in culture medium and 94% ± 12 (n = 3) in heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. Serial dilutions of plasma and cell culture supernatants from stimulated whole blood or PBMC indicated excellent accuracy for quantification of native TNF-α in bovine samples. Both bovine TNF-α mAbs also detected intracellular TNF-α in bovine CD14+ monocytes and CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the mAbs generated provide valuable new tools to quantify native bovine TNF-α in a wide concentration range and to characterize intracellular TNF-α expression in bovine leukocytes.


Sequential expression and differential localization of I-, L-, and T-fimbrin during differentiation of the mouse intestine and yolk sac.
During the differentiation of the intestine epithelium, three cytoskeletal proteins, villin, fimbrin, and myosin I, are sequentially expressed and localized to the apical membrane. Recently, we found that in the adult mouse and human, three fimbrin isoforms are expressed in a cell specific manner. I-fimbrin is expressed by intestine and kidney epithelial cells, L-fimbrin is expressed by leukocytes and many tumors, while T-fimbrin is expressed by various cells and tissues. Because non-intestinal isoforms of fimbrin could be expressed early in development, the expression of fimbrin isoforms during days 10.5 to 16.5 of intestine development was investigated. By immunofluorescence microscopy, T-fimbrin was detected in the early stages of intestinal epithelial cell differentiation until day 14.5 and was localized predominantly at the apical surface. L-fimbrin was also detected during this period but it was localized to the basal surface of the epithelium instead of the apical surface. By day 16.5 no L or T-fimbrin was detected in the epithelium. I-fimbrin was first detected at day 14.5 and a brush border-like apical localization pattern was seen by day 16.5. Unlike the intestinal cells, the visceral endoderm expressed I, L, and T-fimbrin throughout the period examined, with the level of I-fimbrin increasing as time progresses. L-fimbrin was more evident at the earlier stage than at the later stage of the development. Collectively, these results suggest that three fimbrin isoforms play different roles during epithelial cell differentiation. T- and I-fimbrin expression could be critical for the formation and extension of the microvilli whereas L-fimbrin may play a role in controlling cell adhesion.


Wisp1 is a circulating factor that stimulates proliferation of adult mouse and human beta cells.
Expanding the mass of pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells through re-activation of beta cell replication has been proposed as a therapy to prevent or delay the appearance of diabetes. Pancreatic beta cells exhibit an age-dependent decrease in their proliferative activity, partly related to changes in the systemic environment. Here we report the identification of CCN4/Wisp1 as a circulating factor more abundant in pre-weaning than in adult mice. We show that Wisp1 promotes endogenous and transplanted adult beta cell proliferation in vivo. We validate these findings using isolated mouse and human islets and find that the beta cell trophic effect of Wisp1 is dependent on Akt signaling. In summary, our study reveals the role of Wisp1 as an inducer of beta cell replication, supporting the idea that the use of young blood factors may be a useful strategy to expand adult beta cell mass.


Brimonidine Toxicity Secondary to Topical Use for an Ulcerated Hemangioma.
Combigan (Allergan, Irvine, CA) is an ophthalmic solution that combines 0.2% brimonidine, a selective α-2 adrenergic agonist, with 0.5% timolol, a nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist. It is approved for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. There have been recent reports of successful treatment of superficial infantile hemangiomas (IHs) using Combigan topically. We report the case of a 2-month-old girl who developed life-threatening brimonidine toxicity requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation secondary to central nervous system depression and apnea after topical application to an ulcerated IH.


Antiangiogenic effect of methotrexate and PUVA on psoriasis.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important factor for angiogenesis in psoriasis. Methotrexate and psoralen and ultraviolet light A (PUVA) mainly target the T cell-mediated immunopathology of psoriasis. Our work aimed at estimating VEGF mRNA in psoriatic patients and investigating whether the standard therapeutic modalities (methotrexate and PUVA) exert their antiangiogenic activity through altering VEGF levels. Twenty-four chronic plaque psoriasis patients were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups (12 patients each); group A received intramuscular methotrexate and group B was treated by PUVA three times/week in a PUVA 1000 cabin for 10 weeks each. Twelve healthy volunteers served as controls. A skin biopsy was taken from lesional skin before and after treatment for RT-PCR detection of VEGF mRNA. Capillary perfusion scanning using LASER Doppler perfusion imaging was performed on the same psoriatic plaque before and after treatment and was also done for the controls. Following both methotrexate and PUVA, a significant reduction in the amount of VEGF mRNA (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and capillary perfusion (P = 0.002) occurred. These reductions were significantly higher in the methotrexate group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) than in the PUVA group. The percentage of clinical improvement in the examined psoriatic plaque was significantly positively correlated with the percentage of reduction in the amount of VEGF mRNA (r = 0.850, P < 0.001) and the percentage of reduction in the capillary perfusion (r = 0.684, P < 0.001). Both modalities may exert an antiangiogenic effect. Methotrexate appears to have possibly a more potent antiangiogenic effect than PUVA.


Streptococcus vulneris sp. nov., isolated from wound of patient with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).
A new α-haemolytic streptococcal strain, designated DM3B3T, was isolated from the wound of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patient. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA full-gene sequencing (1563 bp) revealed highest sequence similarity to Streptococcus mitis (99.7%), followed by "Streptococcus gwangjuense" (99.6%), and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae (99.5%). Comparison of five housekeeping genes, groEL, rpoB, sodA, recA and pheS, revealed that strain DM3B3T was well separated from the Streptococcus reference strains. The complete genome of strain DM3B3T consisted of 1,963,039 bp with a G + C content of 41.0 mol%. Average nucleotide identity values between strain DM3B3T and Streptococcus mitis NCTC 12261T, "Streptococcus gwangjuense" ChDC B345T, and Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae ATCC BAA-960T were 93.8%, 94.4%, and 92.2%, respectively. The highest digital DNA-DNA hybridization value with respect to the closest species was 57.5%, i.e., below the species cut-off of 70% hybridization. The main cellular fatty acids of strain DM3B3T were 16:0, 18:1ω7c, 18:1ω9c and 18:0. On the basis of phylogenetic, genotypic and phenotypic data, we propose to classify this isolate as representative of a novel species of the genus Streptococcus, Streptococcus vulneris sp. nov., in reference to its isolation from wound, with strain DM3B3T (= NBRC 114638T = BCRC 81288T) as the type strain.


Technical difficulties overcome in the use of Lowicryl 4KM EM embedding resin.
Several technical difficulties have been overcome in the use of Lowicryl 4KM resin. In order to embed and section tissue satisfactorily in the resin, it has been found necessary to thoroughly degass the resin before infiltration and polymerisation. After irradiation with UV light, the blocks are further polymerised by exposure to daylight for 2-3 weeks and then stored under partial vacuum over dessicant.


Frontal lobe epilepsy: clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes and diagnostic modalities.
To identify surgical prognostic factors and to characterize clinical features according to the location of the intracranial ictal onset zone of frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) in order to assess the role of various diagnostic modalities, including concordances with presurgical evaluations. We studied 71 FLE patients who underwent epilepsy surgery and whose outcomes were followed for more than 2 years. Diagnoses were established by standard presurgical evaluation. Clinical manifestations could be categorized into six types: initial focal motor (9 patients), initial versive seizure (15), frontal lobe complex partial seizure (14), complex partial seizure mimicking temporal lobe epilepsy (18), initial tonic elevation of arms (11), and sudden secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizure (4). Thirty-seven patients became seizure-free after surgery. Five patients were deleted in the analysis because of incomplete resection of ictal onset zones. The positive predictive value of interictal EEG, ictal EEG, MRI, PET, and ictal SPECT, respectively were 62.5%, 56.4%, 73.9%, 63.2%, and 63.6%, and the negative predictive value were 46.0%, 44.4%, 53.5%, 44.7%, and 51.7%. No significant relationship was found between the diagnostic accuracy of these modalities and surgical outcome, with the exception of MRI (p=0.029). Significant concordance of two or more modalities was observed in patients who became seizure-free (p=0.011). We could not find any clinical characteristic related to surgical outcome besides seizure frequency. No definite relationship was found between the location of intracranial ictal onset zone and clinical semiology. Although various diagnostic methods can be useful in the diagnosis of FLE, only MRI can predict surgical outcome. Concordance between presurgical evaluations indicates a better surgical outcome.


Repeatability in and interchangeability between the macular and the fast macular thickness map protocols: a study on normal eyes with Stratus optical coherence tomography.
To collect a normal material and to compare the macular and the fast macular thickness map protocols regarding normal values and repeatability. Sixty-seven individuals underwent three repeated scans with the macular thickness protocol; 45 of them also had three scans with the fast thickness protocol in Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT). The maps were divided into nine ETDRS fields, where thickness values were presented. The repeatability was calculated as intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variance (CV) and coefficient of repeatability (CR). For comparison between the two protocols, limits of agreement were determined according to Bland-Altman. Normal values for the two protocols were very close. Repeatability was high. ICC for all areas was 0.92-0.98. CV was less than 1% and CR was 6-8 μm for both protocols, with the exception of the fovea in the fast protocol (where CV was 1.44% and CR 12.4 μm). Limits of agreement between the two protocols were less than 10 μm as a rule. Normal values for the protocols are equal and they both have excellent repeatability. The fast macular map is a good alternative with the possible exception of the fovea, where variation is twice that of the macular thickness map.


Clinical trial of an ex vivo arterial blood gas monitor.
The purpose of this study was to test the performance of a patient attached, on demand ex vivo arterial blood gas (ABG) monitor, and to compare the frequency of ABG analysis using the monitor, where the monitor was operated by intensive care unit (ICU) staff on shock trauma and neurosurgical intensive care patients for < or = 6 days, with standard clinical laboratory analysis. The ABG monitor (SensiCath; Optical Sensors Inc., Minneapolis, MN) incorporates fiber optic pH, PCO2, PO2, and thermistor temperature sensors in a 0.3-mL sensor chamber that attaches in line with the patient's arterial pressure tubing and connects via a fiberoptic cable to a bedside instrument. The monitor and standard clinical laboratory performance were compared following an institutionally approved protocol. Adult ICU patients (n = 30) were studied for whom an arterial cannula was required, the expected ICU stay was > 72 hours, > or = 2 ABG analyses/day were anticipated, and informed consent had been obtained. Paired comparison ABG analyses and quality assurance checks were performed daily. The frequency of ABG analyses in this study, for which monitor values were used for clinical decision making, was compared with the frequency previously reported for the same ICUs, for which the monitor and laboratory results were compared but only the latter were used for clinical decision making. Five hundred ABG analyses, 436 over the first 72 hours, were obtained using the monitor for patient management over 3,248 patient hours (85 +/- 47 hours/patient). Monitor-laboratory comparison ABG analyses (n = 258) indicated stable performance over 6 days: For pH, the range of laboratory measurements was 7.200 to 7.540, accuracy (mean difference between monitor and laboratory measurement) was +0.013, and precision (standard deviation of difference between monitor and laboratory measurements) was +/-0.031. For PCO2, range: 18 to 78.5, accuracy: -0.8, precision: +/-3.4 mm Hg. For PO2, range: 41.0 to 344.0, accuracy: +2.3, precision: +/-12.8 mm Hg. The frequency of ABG analyses obtained using the monitor (ie, 15.0 +/- 11.6 ABGs/patient/72 hours) was significantly greater than that using the clinical laboratory (ie, 8.8 +/- 4.2 ABGs/patient/72 hours) (P = .01). The ABG monitor provides performance comparable to standard clinical laboratory analysis for < or = 6 days (< or = 144 hours), consistent with ICU arterial cannula changeout schedules. More frequent ABG analyses are obtained by critical care practitioners using the monitor compared with the clinical laboratory system, suggesting that clinical decision making based on ABG data may be limited by the frequency of ABG analysis.


An analysis of design strategies for circular economy through life cycle assessment.
The goal of pursuing the circular economy (CE) is spreading more and more in industry, also driven by the introduction of new regulations, considerably affecting product design. However, a quantitative and rigorous evaluation of the environmental impacts of the results obtained by different design strategies used to implementing CE is missing in the literature. Those available only evaluate certain aspects of the life cycle of few products, belonging to specific application fields, in a qualitative way or they refer only to the global warming potential. This study provides a quantitative assessment of the environmental impacts reductions arising from the application of some common design strategies for implementing different CE options (e.g. reuse, waste to energy, remanufacturing), by using some standard indicators. The results were obtained by manually analysing 156 selected case studies of comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), extracted from 136 scientific articles. In them, the environmental impacts of design solutions for CE are compared with those of other solutions were wastes are not exploited. The obtained results have been used to evaluate the different design strategies for CE and to hierarchize them based on environmental sustainability of the solutions associated with them. In addition, an economic evaluation of the strategies, based on the life cycle costing methodology and exploiting the data available in the same articles, was also provided. Among the main achievements, it was found that the hierarchy of the CE options, pursued by the design strategies, to improve environmental sustainability is different from that provided by other studies. In addition, the environmental benefits associated with the different CE options strictly depend by the applied design strategies and the considered products.


Medium & long-chain acylcarnitine's relation to lipid metabolism as potential predictors for diabetic cardiomyopathy: a metabolomic study.
Acylcarnitine is an intermediate product of fatty acid oxidation. It is reported to be closely associated with the occurrence of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the mechanism of acylcarnitine affecting myocardial disorders is yet to be explored. This current research explores the different chain lengths of acylcarnitines as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of DCM and the mechanism of acylcarnitines for the development of DCM in-vitro. In a retrospective non-interventional study, 50 simple type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 50 DCM patients were recruited. Plasma samples from both groups were analyzed by high throughput metabolomics and cluster heat map using mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis was used to compare the changes occurring in the studied 25 acylcarnitines. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to analyze the odds ratio of each group for factors and the 95% confidence interval in DCM. Myristoylcarnitine (C14) exogenous intervention was given to H9c2 cells to verify the expression of lipid metabolism-related protein, inflammation-related protein expression, apoptosis-related protein expression, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis-related protein expression. Factor 1 (C14, lauroylcarnitine, tetradecanoyldiacylcarnitine, 3-hydroxyl-tetradecanoylcarnitine, arachidic carnitine, octadecanoylcarnitine, 3-hydroxypalmitoleylcarnitine) and factor 4 (octanoylcarnitine, hexanoylcarnitine, decanoylcarnitine) were positively correlated with the risk of DCM. Exogenous C14 supplementation to cardiomyocytes led to increased lipid deposition in cardiomyocytes along with the obstacles in adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways and affecting fatty acid oxidation. This further caused myocardial lipotoxicity, ultimately leading to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrotic remodeling, and increased apoptosis. However, this effect was mitigated by the AMPK agonist acadesine. The increased plasma levels in medium and long-chain acylcarnitine extracted from factors 1 and 4 are closely related to the risk of DCM, indicating that these factors can be an important tool for DCM risk assessment. C14 supplementation associated lipid accumulation by inhibiting the AMPK/ACC/CPT1 signaling pathway, aggravated myocardial lipotoxicity, increased apoptosis apart from cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis were alleviated by the acadesine.


Obesity, cancer risk, and time-restricted eating.
Obesity and the associated metabolic syndrome is considered a pandemic whose prevalence is steadily increasing in many countries worldwide. It is a complex, dynamic, and multifactorial disorder that presages the development of several metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, and increases the risk of cancer. In patients with newly diagnosed cancer, obesity worsens prognosis, increasing the risk of recurrence and decreasing survival. The multiple negative effects of obesity on cancer outcomes are substantial, and of great clinical importance. Strategies for weight control have potential utility for both prevention efforts and enhancing cancer outcomes. Presently, time-restricted eating (TRE) is a popular dietary intervention that involves limiting the consumption of calories to a specific window of time without any proscribed caloric restriction or alteration in dietary composition. As such, TRE is a sustainable long-term behavioral modification, when compared to other dietary interventions, and has shown many health benefits in animals and humans. The preliminary data regarding the effects of time-restricted feeding on cancer development and growth in animal models are promising but studies in humans are lacking. Interestingly, several short-term randomized clinical trials of TRE have shown favorable effects to reduce cancer risk factors; however, long-term trials of TRE have yet to investigate reductions in cancer incidence or outcomes in the general population. Few studies have been conducted in cancer populations, but a number are underway to examine the effect of TRE on cancer biology and recurrence. Given the simplicity, feasibility, and favorable metabolic improvements elicited by TRE in obese men and women, TRE may be useful in obese cancer patients and cancer survivors; however, the clinical implementation of TRE in the cancer setting will require greater in-depth investigation.


Prevalence and susceptibility profiles of oral yeast species isolated from a healthy adult Thai cohort.
As the emerging resistance of Candida species to common antifungals is a major global concern, we assessed the antifungal susceptibility of oral yeast isolates from a healthy, Thai adult cohort, and correlated the yeast prevalence with oral disease indices. Oral rinse samples collected from 100 Thai adults were concentrated and cultured on CHROMagar Candida. The yeasts were then isolated, identified and finally speciated using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Their antifungal sensitivity against fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B were investigated using standard Etest strips. The decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and the periodontal health were recorded and correlated with mycological data. The overall oral yeast prevalence was 25%. C. albicans was the commonest species isolated, followed by C. tropicalis and C. dubliniensis. Non-albicans-Candida was noted in approximately one-third, and included C. lusitaniae and C. nivariensis; Trichosporon asahii, was also detected in one subject. A majority of C. albicans isolates, (> 54%), exhibited resistance to fluconazole and voriconazole, while approximately a quarter (27%) were resistant to itraconazole. The vast majority (92%) however, were susceptible to amphotericin B. Those with oral yeasts had a significantly higher DMFT score (p < 0.05). The resistance of a majority of Candida spp. to common azoles, described here for the first time in a Thai cohort, is disconcerting, and appear to confirm the creeping emergence of antifungal resistance globally. An incidental finding was the positive correlation between oral yeast carriage and DMFT score in Thai subjects.


Clinical assessment of stereotactic IGRT: spinal radiosurgery.
The role of stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of intracranial lesions is well established. Its use for the treatment of spinal lesions has been limited because of the availability of effective target immobilization devices. Recent advances in stereotactic IGRT have allowed for spinal applications. Large clinical experience with spinal radiosurgery to properly assess clinical outcomes has previously been limited. At our institution, we have developed a successful multidisciplinary spinal radiosurgery program in which 542 spinal lesions (486 malignant and 56 benign lesions) were treated with a single-fraction radiosurgery technique. Patient ages ranged from 18 to 85 years (mean 56 years). Lesion location included 92 cervical, 234 thoracic, 130 lumbar, and 86 sacral. The most common metastatic tumors were renal cell (89 cases), breast (74 cases), and lung (71 cases). The most common benign tumors were neurofibroma (24 cases), schwannoma (13 cases), and meningioma (7 cases). Eighty-nine cervical lesions were treated using skull tracking. Thoracic, lumbar, and sacral tumors were tracked relative to either gold or stainless steel fiducial markers. The maximum intratumoral dose ranged from 12.5 to 30 Gy (mean 20 Gy). Tumor volume ranged from 0.16 to 298 mL (mean 47 mL). Three hundred thirty-seven lesions had received prior external beam irradiation with spinal cord doses precluding further conventional irradiation. The primary indication for radiosurgery was pain in 326 cases, as a primary treatment modality in 70 cases, for tumor radiographic tumor progression in 65 cases, for post-surgical treatment in 38 cases, for progressive neurological deficit in 35 cases, and as a radiation boost in 8 cases. Follow-up period was at least 3 to 49 months. Axial and/or radicular pain improved in 300 of 326 cases (92%). Long-term tumor control was demonstrated in 90% of lesions treated with radiosurgery as a primary treatment modality and in 88% of lesions treated for radiographic tumor progression. Thirty of 35 patients (85%) with progressive neurological deficits experienced at least some improvement after treatment. Spinal stereotactic radiosurgery is now a feasible, safe, and clinically effective technique for the treatment of a variety of spinal lesions. The potential benefits of radiosurgical ablation of spinal lesions are short treatment time in an outpatient setting with essentially no recovery time and excellent symptomatic response. This technique offers a new therapeutic modality for the primary treatment of a variety of spinal lesions, including the treatment of neoplasms in medically inoperable patients, previously irradiated sites, for lesions not amenable to open surgical techniques, and as an adjunct to surgery.


[Postoperative complications and long-term outcomes of transplantation with expended criteria donors transplants].
The objective of this study was to analyze early, late complications and outcomes following expended criteria donors (ECD) kidney transplantation compared to standard donors. We performed a retrospective study including 470 patients who received a kidney transplant between 2005 and 2016. Expended criteria donors were defined following the United Network of Organ Sharing criteria. In each group, length of stay, delayed graft function, surgical site infection, acute rejection, surgical complications by type and according to Clavien and Dindo classification were analyzed in univariate and multivariate analysis. The impact of ECD transplant on transplant and patient survival was assessed using a Cox proportional regression model. One hundred and ninety seven (41.9%) patients received ECD kidney. The mean follow-up was 61,4 months (22.4-93.89). Patients with ECD transplant presented more delayed graft function (HR=2.1 (1.1-3.68), P=0.008) but the rate of complications including surgical complications was not different. Patients and transplant survival were decreased in ECD transplant group (P=0.005 et 0.001 respectively). In multivariate analysis ECD kidney was an independent factor only associated with decreased transplant survival (HR=1.81 (1.1-2.98), P=0.029) but not with patient survival. ECD kidney transplantation was not associated with increased postoperative complications but a higher rate of delayed graft function. Nevertheless, it was associated with a decreased transplant survival. The use of pulsatile perfusion machine for explanted criteria transplant should be evaluated to improve these results.


[Thoracic lymphatic system-principles, characteristics and advice for the practice].
The lymphatic system of the lungs is complex. To maintain an effective gas exchange there is a need for a dense lymphatic network. The alveolae have no lymphatic vessels. There is no segment-specific lymph drainage. For both lungs there are fixed bronchopulmonary lymph nodes but the number and size of the lymph nodes are variable. There are seven mediastinal lymph node chains that vary in extent, each of which acts as an independent functional unit. The accurate assessment of the nodal status needs a simple reproducible nodal map. The division into compartments or zones makes this easier. Mediastinal lymph node metastases without involvement of bronchopulmonary lymph nodes are possible. The development mechanism of this skip metastasizing is multifactorial.


Single-blind randomized clinical trial of transinguinal preperitoneal repair using self-expanding mesh patch vs. Lichtenstein repair for adult male patients with primary unilateral inguinal hernia.
The aim of the study was to compare proportions of chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP) and other surgical outcomes between transinguinal preperitoneal repair with modified Kugel patch (MK) and Lichtenstein repair (LR). Two-hundred adult male patients with primary unilateral inguinal hernia were randomized into MK or LR groups. The primary endpoint was CPIP, pain at 6 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included recurrence rate, incidence of postoperative complications, time until return to activities, inguinal pain and sensory disturbances assessed at 1 week, 1 month, 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS). The study was an intention-to-treat analysis. In comparison of MK (n = 100) and LR (n = 100) with similar backgrounds, proportions of CPIP were similar (7.2 vs. 11.1%, p = 0.3452). Favorable outcomes for MK were duration of operation (32 vs. 40 min, p < 0.0001), NRS of foreign body sensation at 1 year (0 [0-1] vs. 0 [0-2], p = 0.0067), and NRS of numbness at 1 month (0 [0-1] vs. 0 [0-3], p = 0.0078) after the operation. In regard to CPIP, the short-term results of MK and LR were similar.


Rhodomyrtus tomentosa Leaf Extract and Rhodomyrtone Combat Streptococcus pneumoniae Biofilm and Inhibit Invasiveness to Human Lung Epithelial and Enhance Pneumococcal Phagocytosis by Macrophage.
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa leaf has been traditionally used to treat many infections. This plant species has been documented to possess a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects. This study aimed to determine the effects of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa leaf extract and its potent purified compound, rhodomyrtone, on Streptococcus pneumoniae virulence factors including biofilms, capsule formation, and invasiveness which play important roles in infections. Ethanol leaf extract and rhodomyrtone demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against S. pneumoniae with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 16-32 µg/ml and 0.125-1 µg/ml, respectively. The ability of the extract and rhodomyrtone to prevent biofilm formation and eradicate mature biofilms was assessed. The extract and rhodomyrtone at 1/8 × MIC significantly inhibited biofilm formation in all clinical isolates (P < 0.05). The viability of 8-day biofilm-grown cells significantly decreased following the treatment with the extract and rhodomyrtone at 16 × MIC. 40-90% reduction in the bacterial adhesion and invasion to A549 human alveolar epithelial cells was observed after challenging with the extract and rhodomyrtone, compared with the control within 60 min. Increase in 90-99% phagocytosis of the bacterial cells by RAW264.7 macrophage cell line was detected following the treatment with the extract and rhodomyrtone at 1/2 × MIC, compared with the control. The results suggested potential medicinal benefits of the extract and rhodomyrtone for the treatment of pneumococcal infections.


Endoscopic Management of Early Gastric Adenocarcinoma and Preinvasive Gastric Lesions.
Early gastric cancer (ECG) can be difficult to diagnose endoscopically. Endoscopists should be familiar with subtle changes and endoscopic features of EGC. Chromoendoscopy and image-enhanced endoscopy improve diagnostic accuracy and facilitate endoscopic resection. Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a preferred endoscopic technique for resection of EGC and offers a comparable overall survival to surgical resection. Endoscopic management of benign gastric epithelial polyps (fundic gland polyps, hyperplastic polyps, and gastric adenoma) depends on patient symptomatology, patient's comorbidities (eg, familial syndromes), lesions' characteristics, and risk of malignant transformation. This article provides an overview of endoscopic management of EGC and common premalignant gastric lesions.


Seed germination patterns of Salvia mellifera in fire-prone environments.
Salvia mellifera seeds from coastal sage, chaparal and desert scrub in southern California failed to germinate in the dark unless exposed to powdered charred wood. This pattern was observed for seeds given a one month stratification at 5 C and for ones not stratified and also for seeds incubated under continuous 23 C or a diurnal alternation of 13 C/23 C. Dark inhibition of germination was also overcome, but only in seeds from chaparral populations, if seeds were incubated on commerical potting soil under alternating 13 C/23 C. Seeds in the light germinated readily in all but one population from desert scrub vegetation. Germination of seeds from this population was markedly stimulated by dry heating of the seeds at either 70 C for 5 h or 115 C for 5 min. For all populations there were numerous significant interactions between incubation temperature, pre-chilling stratification, light, and heating/charred wood treatments. Timing of germination was remarkably consistent between populations; the vast majority of seeds germinated within the first week at 23 C (or 13 C/23 C) regardless of whether or not they had received a pre-chilling treatment.


Data set for comparison of cellular dynamics between human AAVS1 locus-modified and wild-type cells.
This data article describes cellular dynamics, such as migration speed and mobility of the cytoskeletal protein, of wild-type human fibroblast cells and cells with a modified adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus on human chromosome 19. Insertion of exogenous gene into the AAVS1 locus has been conducted in recent biological researches. Previously, our data showed that the AAVS1-modification changes cellular contractile force (Mizutani et al., 2015 [1]). To assess if this AAVS1-modification affects cell migration, we compared cellular migration speed and turnover of cytoskeletal protein in human fibroblasts and fibroblasts with a green fluorescent protein gene knocked-in at the AAVS1 locus in this data article. Cell nuclei were stained and changes in their position attributable to cell migration were analyzed. Fluorescence recovery was observed after photobleaching for the fluorescent protein-tagged myosin regulatory light chain. Data here are related to the research article "Transgene Integration into the Human AAVS1 Locus Enhances Myosin II-Dependent Contractile Force by Reducing Expression of Myosin Binding Subunit 85" [1].


Complexity and Specificity of the Neutrophil Transcriptomes in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
NIH projects such as ENCODE and Roadmap Epigenomics have revealed surprising complexity in the transcriptomes of mammalian cells. In this study, we explored transcriptional complexity in human neutrophils, cells generally regarded as nonspecific in their functions and responses. We studied distinct human disease phenotypes and found that, at the gene, gene isoform, and miRNA level, neutrophils exhibit considerable specificity in their transcriptomes. Thus, even cells whose responses are considered non-specific show tailoring of their transcriptional repertoire toward specific physiologic or pathologic contexts. We also found that miRNAs had a global impact on neutrophil transcriptome and are associated with innate immunity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). These findings have important implications for our understanding of the link between genes, non-coding transcripts and disease phenotypes.


Correlation between ELISA, hemagglutination inhibition, and neutralization tests after vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis.
The significance of IgG antibody levels determined by a binding assay (ELISA) was investigated as a surrogate marker for the presence of neutralizing and hemagglutination inhibiting antibodies in sera from individuals vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). To assess the extent of interference by flavivirus cross-reactive antibodies, sera from persons with a proven or suspected history of other flavivirus infections and/or vaccinations were also examined. An excellent and highly significant correlation was found between ELISA IgG units and the antibody titers obtained by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) as well as by the neutralization test (NT), provided that there was no other exposure to flavivirus antigens except TBE vaccination. Yellow fever vaccination and/or dengue virus infections induced significant levels of antibodies reactive in the TBE ELISA and HI test, which did not exhibit, however, neutralizing activity against TBE virus. The phenomenon and problem of "original antigenic sin" was demonstrated in a TBE vaccinee with a history of previous flavivirus infections. TBE vaccination first induced a booster reaction resulting in a rise in the level of cross-reactive antibodies only, whereas TBE virus-neutralizing antibodies became detectable only after the third vaccination. It is concluded that the level of IgG antibodies determined by ELISA is a good marker for predicting the presence of neutralizing antibodies after TBE vaccination, but only in the absence of flavivirus cross-reactive antibodies. Otherwise, a neutralization assay is necessary for assessing immunity.


Impacts of replacement of dietary fish oil by vegetable oils on growth performance, anti-oxidative capacity, and inflammatory response in large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea.
A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacement of dietary fish oil by palm and linseed oils on the growth performance, anti-oxidative capacity, and inflammatory responses of large yellow croaker (initial body weight: 36.82 ± 0.29 g). The control diet was designed to contain 6.5% of fish oil, and named as FO. On the basis of the control diet, the fish oil was 100% replaced by palm and linseed oils, and these two diets were named as PO and LO, respectively. Results showed that the specific growth rate significantly reduced in the PO and LO groups. Crude lipid content in liver of fish fed FO was significantly lower than that in the PO and LO groups. Fatty acid composition in liver reflected the dietary input. Compared with the FO group, palm oil inclusion significantly decreased expressions of superoxide dismutase 1, catalase, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in liver, while linseed oil inclusion significantly increased expressions of above genes. However, both of the PO and LO groups had a significantly lower total anti-oxidative capacity in liver than the fish fed FO. Dietary palm and linseed oils significantly decreased expressions of arginase I and interleukin 10, and increased expressions of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1β, toll-like receptor 22, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in liver. In conclusion, total replacement of dietary fish oil by palm and linseed oils could suppress growth performance and liver anti-oxidative capacity, and induce inflammatory responses of large yellow croaker.


Nycthemeral variation in brain monoamines of Syrian hamsters: relation to activity and energy homeostasis.
No significant time-of-day variations were found in whole brain content of various monoamines and metabolites of sedentary Syrian hamsters. In a second experiment, norepinephrine and serotonin levels in diencephalon were higher in the morning than the evening of both sedentary and voluntarily exercising hamsters. In telencephalon, levels of most transmitters were elevated in the evening, with the most dramatic rises in the metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. Again, in most instances, there was no difference between sedentary and exercise conditions.


Cutaneous melanoma in Japan and the United States: comparative prognostic factors.
The ability to predict outcome for an individual patient with melanoma is important not only for the prognostic interests of the particular patient involved, but also for the design and accurate interpretation of surgical and adjuvant therapy studies. Comparison of prognostic studies between centers in the United States and Japan may result in understanding biologic differences between the disease as it manifests in whites and mongoloids. Studies from the Melanoma Clinical Cooperative Group (U.S.A.) and from Tohoku University (Japan) show some significant similarities and some differences. Overall five-year survival is quite different for clinical state I patients, 85% and 65%, respectively. However, when five-year survival for lesions on the hands and feet in the U.S. series is compared with the mainly acral melanomas in the Japanese series, the results show five-year survivals of 63% and 73%, respectively. Comparison of five-year survivals for clinical stage I acral lentigenous melanoma of the soles subdivided by thickness would establish whether data from the large series collected in the United States can be extrapolated to melanoma behavior in Japan.


A comparative analysis of data on the clastogenicity of 951 chemical substances tested in mammalian cell cultures.
A literature review was conducted using original papers published during 1964-1985 on the in vitro clastogenicity of chemical substances. Results of tests on 951 chemical substances were abstracted from over 240 reports to form the database. The evaluation of these data relied on each author's original conclusion on a positive or negative outcome. Of these 951 substances, 447 (47%) were consistently positive either with or without activation; 417 (44%) were negative in the direct test but not tested with metabolic activation systems; 4 were negative but tested only with activation; and 30 (3%) were clearly negative both with and without activation. The remaining 53 substances gave variable results when tested under different experimental protocols or in different cell types, but were positive in at least one test. Although discrepant results were found associated with some cell types, the addition of metabolic activation systems tended to eliminate such variability. No one cell appeared to be superior in response to all clastogens. For screening purposes, the choice of cell may thus depend more on the general usefulness and reliability of a cell type than on a strong response to a particular chemical. However, the use of a suitable metabolic activation system does appear to be of critical importance. The concentration at which clastogenic effects were detected varied extensively for different test substances, ranging from a minimum of 4.3 X 10(-8) to 6.9 X 10(2) mM. Possible mechanisms of action for substances active at only high levels are discussed, but no satisfactory explanation is available at this time. The relevance of tests conducted at concentrations high enough to alter significantly the osmolarity and other culture conditions is considered, and caution urged in the interpretation of test results obtained under physiologically stressful conditions. The clastogenic potential was compared quantitatively using an index of effective concentration (D20) and one which estimates the number of cells with exchange aberrations expected per mg/ml (TR) for data obtained by using a uniform protocol and cultures of Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. Both values were distributed over a wide range, demonstrating the variety of genotoxic potential in chemicals. In general, a substance which was active at only high concentrations produced fewer exchange-type aberrations. In vivo activity, as measured by tumourigenic effect and formation of micronuclei in bone marrow, tended to be greater for substances with a D20 below 10(-2) mg/ml and a TR value over 10(3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)