Herbivore exploitation of a fugitive plant species: Local survival and extinction of the Cinnabar Moth and Ragwort in a heterogeneous environment.
1. In the dune system under observation, Ragwort is distributed in small local populations that have only a restricted lifetime; (temporary) extinction has been observed frequently. 2. Cinnabar Moth attack on these populations is of even shorter duration. Colonization and extinction of the Cinnabar Moth is related to the amount of food present. 3. The presence of the predator Formica polyctena negatively influences the probability of local oviposition. 4. There is a continual shift of the Cinnabar Moth over its food-plant populations. When populations in a favorable food situation in Formica-free habitats became scarce, there was a shift towards populations in Formica habitats. 5. Negative effects of attack on the food-plant populations could be demonstrated, but they were small compared to fluctuations in these populations caused by other factors. 6. After dispersal each year new plant populations providing a favorable food situation are colonized. The heterogeneity of the populations in time and space is the factor that ensures survival of the insect in the system of plant populations.


Greater hemodynamic stresses initiated the anterior communicating artery aneurysm on the vascular bifurcation apex.
To investigate hemodynamic stresses associated with the anterior communicating artery (Acom) aneurysm formation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Three-dimensional geometries of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) bifurcations in 20 patients with Acom aneurysms and 20 control subjects were used for CFD analysis to investigate hemodynamic stresses including the total and dynamic pressure, wall shear stress (WSS), vorticity and strain rate. At the direct flow impinging center on the bifurcation apex, the total pressure was the maximal but decreased quickly from the impinging center to both daughter branches. The WSS, dynamic pressure, vorticity and strain rate were the minimal at the direct impinging center but increased rapidly and reached the peaks at both daughter branches. The ACA bifurcation angle was significantly (P < 0.001) greater in patients with than without Acom aneurysms (144.2° ± 4.1° vs. 105.1° ± 3.2°). Most aneurysms (70% and 85%, respectively) were deviated to the smaller daughter branch or to the daughter branch forming a smaller angle with the A1 segment of ACA, where the hemodynamic stresses were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than those on the contralateral daughter branch. After aneurysm formation, the hemodynamic stresses on the aneurysm dome were all significantly decreased compared with at the aneurysm initiation site with aneurysm virtual removal (P < 0.001). Formation of the Acom aneurysm is closely associated with and is to decrease the locally abnormally enhanced hemodynamic stresses.


Dexamethasone inhalations in RSV bronchiolitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
To evaluate the effect of inhaled dexamethasone on hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared nebulization of dexamethasone versus nebulization of 0.9% saline. Both groups were treated with epinephrine nebulizations. Follow-up continued for 3 mo. Sixty-one infants with bronchiolitis aged 3 to 12 mo were included. They were randomly allocated to nebulizations with 0.25 mg dexamethasone every 6 h (group 1) or an equivalent amount of normal saline (group 2). No statistically significant differences with respect to clinical score, oxygen saturation, or IV fluid requirement between the groups were noted. Using Kaplan-Meyer's method, the cumulative proportion of in-hospital stay was significantly lower in group 1 compared with group 2, mainly in days 5 and 6 post-hospitalization (p<0.038). A subgroup of prematurely born children in group 1 had a shorter hospitalization period (6.5+/-1.7 d) compared with group 2 children (9.1+/-1.9) (p<0.018). Follow-up revealed similar wheeze and hospitalization rates in the two groups. Inhaled dexamethasone may reduce the length of hospitalization among infants with acute viral bronchiolitis, especially among those born prematurely.


Biological phenotypes underpin the physio-somatic symptoms of somatization, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Somatization is a symptom cluster characterized by 'psychosomatic' symptoms, that is, medically unexplained symptoms, and is a common component of other conditions, including depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This article reviews the data regarding the pathophysiological foundations of 'psychosomatic' symptoms and the implications that this has for conceptualization of what may more appropriately be termed physio-somatic symptoms. This narrative review used papers published in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar electronic databases using the keywords: depression and chronic fatigue, depression and somatization, somatization and chronic fatigue syndrome, each combined with inflammation, inflammatory, tryptophan, and cell-mediated immune (CMI). The physio-somatic symptoms of depression, ME/CFS, and somatization are associated with specific biomarkers of inflammation and CMI activation, which are correlated with, and causally linked to, changes in the tryptophan catabolite (TRYCAT) pathway. Oxidative and nitrosative stress induces damage that increases neoepitopes and autoimmunity that contribute to the immuno-inflammatory processes. These pathways are all known to cause physio-somatic symptoms, including fatigue, malaise, autonomic symptoms, hyperalgesia, intestinal hypermotility, peripheral neuropathy, etc. Biological underpinnings, such as immune-inflammatory pathways, may explain, at least in part, the occurrence of physio-somatic symptoms in depression, somatization, or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and thus the clinical overlap among these disorders.


von Willebrand disease.
The study of a wide variety of patients with vWD disorders has been extensive and intense over the last decade. In many instances the peculiarities of the expressions of the disorder have been critical in defining the underlying structure and function of vWF itself. As our knowledge of the biochemistry and physiology of vWF has grown, significant refinements in both diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have emerged that increasingly provide considerable benefit to the individual patient.


A pilot study for presence of circulating tumour cells in adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare salivary gland neoplasm with a poor long-term prognosis due to multiple recurrences and distant metastatic spread. Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are tumour cells shed from a primary, recurrent, or metastatic cancer that are detectable in the blood or lymphatics. There is no literature to date confirming the presence of CTCs in ACC. The aim of this study was to determine whether CTCs are detectable in ACC. Blood samples were collected from eight patients with histologically confirmed ACC. The TNM stage of the tumour was recorded, as well as any prior treatment. CTCs were isolated by spiral microfluidics and detected by immunofluorescence staining. Three of the eight patients recruited (32.5%) had staining consistent with the presence of CTCs. Of these three patients with detectable CTCs, one had confirmed pulmonary metastasis, one had suspected pulmonary metastasis and was awaiting confirmation, and one had local recurrence confirmed on re-resection. One patient with known isolated pulmonary metastasis had previously undergone a lung metastasectomy and did not have CTCs detected. CTCs are detectable in ACC. In this small patient sample, CTCs were found to be present in those patients with recurrent local disease and known distant metastatic disease. CTCs in ACC should be investigated further for their potential use as an adjunct in staging, prognosis, and the detection of recurrence.


Baicalein inhibits FURIN-MT1-MMP-mediated invasion of ectopic endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis possibly by reducing the secretion of TGFB1.
Endometriosis (EMs) is characterized by the presence of endometrial stroma and glands outside the uterus. Our previous study showed that baicalein inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in EMs. However, the effects of baicalein on the invasiveness of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EcESCs) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the potential anti-invasive effect of baicalein and determine the underlying mechanism. The invasive and migratory properties of EcESCs were assessed in vitro using Transwell and wound healing assays. The expression of functional markers of EcESCs, including matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), FURIN, and TGFB1, was analyzed using WB and ELISA. Additionally, a mouse model of EMs was treated with baicalein (10 mg/kg/d and 35 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks. The weight and number of ectopic lesions were determined, and the expression of markers was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Baicalein inhibited the invasion of EcESCs and the expression of certain invasion-related proteins, including MMP9, MMP2, and MT1-MMP. Exposure to baicalein reduced the extracellular levels of TGFB1 in EcESCs and the reduced expression of TGFB1, resulting in decreased expression of FURIN in EcESCs, which serves a pivotal role in the transformation of pro-MT1-MMP to activated MT1-MMP. In the mouse model of EMs, intraperitoneal injection of baicalein inhibited the growth of ectopic lesions and reduced MT1-MMP, FURIN, and TGFB1 expression. Baicalein reduced the invasion of EMs, potentially by restricting the FURIN-MT1-MMP-mediated cell invasion of EcESCs maybe through reduction of the autocrine of TGFB1.


Regulation of mouse oocyte maturation: involvement of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and calmodulin.
A decrease in mouse oocyte cAMP occurs during commitment to resume meiosis (R. M. Schultz, R. R. Montgomery, and J. R. Belanoff, 1983, Dev. Biol. 97, 264-273). Experiments described in this report were performed to ascertain if oocyte cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) is involved in this decrease. PDE activity was found in extracts of mouse oocytes. The activity appeared soluble and not membrane bound. For each of three different PDE inhibitors, a positive correlation was found between the ability of increasing concentrations of each compound to inhibit PDE in oocyte extracts and to inhibit germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Moreover, the more potent the PDE inhibitor, the more effectively it inhibited GVBD. The possibility that calmodulin (CaM) plays a role in maturation was examined since CaM modulates PDE activity in other systems. About 0.3% of total oocyte protein is CaM as determined by radioimmunoassay and activation of exogenous PDE. A CaM-dependent step in maturation was suggested since the CaM inhibitors trifluoperazine and calmidizolium inhibited GVBD in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the CaM inhibitors W7 and W13 inhibited GVBD at lower concentrations than the less-active corresponding congeners W5 and W12. Oocyte extracts contained a CaM-modulated PDE. Activity was inhibited about 50% by addition of EGTA, and fully restored by addition of exogenous CaM and excess calcium. cAMP hydrolysis was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by either trifluoperazine, calmidizolium, or W7; maximal inhibition was also about 50%. CaM-modulated PDE, however, did not appear to be the target for the effects of CaM inhibitors on GVBD, since concentrations of W7 that inhibited maturation did not inhibit cAMP hydrolysis in the oocyte. Results from these studies suggest that oocyte PDE is involved in the decrease in cAMP associated with resumption of meiosis, but that the CaM-dependent step occurs subsequent to or concurrently with the drop in cAMP.


Endoscopic ultrasonography verifies effect on endoscopic treatment of reflux in dogs and man.
We have previously reported that endoscopic sclerosis of the gastric cardia is an effective treatment for experimental gastroesophageal reflux in dogs. The histologic effect of endoscopic sclerosis is limited to the proximal stomach; mucosal deformity provides endoscopic evidence of sclerosis, and the intramural effects are shown by ultrasonographic technique. This report describes histologic and ultrasonographic results in the dogs at the completion of endoscopic sclerosis. This report also describes the endoscopic ultrasound results in the first two patients who have completed endoscopic treatment for reflux by means of endoscopic sclerosis of the gastric cardia. All canine and human subjects had sonodense lesions involving all layers of the proximal stomach at the injection site at the conclusion of treatment. Histologic examination of canine tissues showed dense submucosal and muscularis fibrosis in the stomach; the esophagus was normal. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrates the effect of endoscopic sclerosis; this technique may be useful in the evaluation of symptomatic responses after this treatment.


Marker-Assisted Backcrossing to Develop an Elite Cytoplasmic Male Sterility Line in Rice.
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a cornerstone of hybrid production in many crops. In three-line hybrid systems, use of CMS, maintainer, and fertility restorer lines is necessary for production of hybrid seeds. Limited resources of CMS and low variation of CMS lines cause genetic vulnerability to pathogens. Therefore, diversifying the CMS sources is indispensible for a sustainable production system of hybrid seed. In this study, we attempted for the first time to transfer CMS into maintainer line Yosen B in restricted generations using the marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) method. The resultant F1 hybrid of IR68897 A/Yosen B cross was backcrossed to Yosen B, and CMS plants in each backcross generation (from BC1 F1 to BC3 F1 ) were selected based on phenotyping test and MABC. Molecular assessment of backcross progenies was conducted using a mitochondrial CMS-specific marker and 34 polymorphic nuclear simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers in early generations (from BC1 F1 to BC2 F1 ) and was continued using 9 additional SSRs and 82 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers in BC3 F1 . A MABC strategy could successfully recover the recurrent parent genome (RPG) in BC3 F1 generation, and decreased heterozygosity of final CMS plants. Restorability test with known wild-abortive restorer lines (viz. IR36 and IR24) showed that combination of Yosen A × IR24 could produce highly fertile F1 hybrid. Evaluation of some important agronomic traits of the final CMS line (BC4 F1 ) at field condition showed that it was comparable to the original maintainer fertile counterpart. Phenotypic and marker-assisted selections could considerably decrease the time needed for full recovery of RPG so that final CMS line could show a high similarity to original fertile counterpart.


Phase II study of temozolomide and veliparib combination therapy for sorafenib-refractory advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
To determine the antitumor efficacy and tolerability of combination temozolomide (TMZ) and veliparib (ABT-888) in patients with advanced, sorafenib-refractory hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This single-arm phase II trial enrolled patients with pathologically confirmed, sorafenib-refractory HCC. All patients received 40 mg ABT-888 PO daily on days 1-7 and 150 mg/m(2) TMZ PO daily on days 1-5 of a 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) at 2 months. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity profile. Tumor response was assessed every 2 cycles using RECIST criteria, and toxicities were assessed using CTCAE v4.03. We enrolled 16 patients in the first phase of the trial, but the study was discontinued due to a poor ORR; only four patients (25 %) had SD after 2 cycles. Twelve patients (75 %) were taken off study after 2 months of treatment; 10 of these had disease progression. Two patients (13 %) were taken off study due to severe toxicity, and one patient (6 %) died from non-treatment-related liver failure. One patient had SD for 16 months, receiving 11 cycles of therapy before being taken off study. The most common grade 3 treatment-related toxicities included vomiting (n = 2), thrombocytopenia (n = 2), nausea (n = 1), and anemia (n = 1). The median PFS was 1.9 months, and median OS was 13.1 months. The combination of TMZ and ABT-888 is well tolerated in patients with advanced HCC. However, the regimen failed to show survival benefit. CLINICALTRIALS. NCT01205828.


Are predominantly western standards and expectations of informed consent in surgery applicable to all? A qualitative study in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka.
To identify the different perceptions on informed surgical consent in a group of Sri Lankan patients. A qualitative study was conducted in a single surgical unit at a tertiary care hospital from January to May 2018. The protocol conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. Patients undergoing elective major surgeries were recruited using initial purposive and later theoretical sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted in their native language based on the grounded theory. Initial codes were generated after analysing the transcripts. Constant comparative method was employed during intermediate and advanced coding. Data collection and analyses were conducted simultaneously, until the saturation of the themes. Finally, advanced coding was used for theoretical integrations. Thirty patients (male:female=12:18) were assessed. The mean age was 41±9 years. Sinhalese predominated (50.0%, n=15). Majority underwent thyroidectomy (36.7%, n=11). The generated theory categorises the process of obtaining informed consent in four phases: initial interaction phase, reasoning phase, convincing phase and decision-making phase. Giving consent for surgery was a dependent role between patient, family members and the surgeon, as opposed to an individual decision by the patient. Some patients abstained from asking questions from doctors since doctors were 'busy', 'short-tempered' or 'stressed out'. Some found nurses to be more approachable than doctors. Patients admitted that having a bystander while obtaining consent would relieve their stress. They needed doctors to emphasise more on postoperative lifestyle changes and preprocedure counselling at the clinic level. To educate patients about their procedure, some suggested leaflets or booklets to be distributed at the clinic before ward admission. The majority disliked watching educational videos because they were 'scared' to look at surgical dissections and blood. The informed consent process should include key elements that are non-culture specific along with elements or practices that consider the cultural norms of the society.


Photodegradation of F-53B in aqueous solutions through an UV/Iodide system.
Advanced reduction by strong reducing hydrated electrons is a promising approach to degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of UV/Iodide system for 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA, F-53B) degradation in aqueous solutions. Results from this work demonstrated that UV irradiation with an addition of 0.3 mM KI resulted in 55.99% degradation of F-53B within 15 min and almost 100% within 2 h. The defluorination efficiency of F-53B in the UV/Iodide system was 2.6 times higher than that in the sole UV system after 2 h of irradiation. The degradation efficiency of F-53B was not significantly affected by air purging. The defluorination efficiency with air bubbling, however, was 14.57% lower than that with nitrogen purging. The photodegradation of F-53B in the UV/Iodide system could be well described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Degradation rate constant of F-53B correlated positively with the initial concentration. At 20 μg/L, the pseudo-first-order rate constant was 5.641 × 10-2 min-1 and the half-life was 12.29 min. Higher initial concentration also required less energy input to achieve the same degradation efficiency. The detection and identification of degradation intermediates implied that destruction of F-53B started from dechlorination and followed by continuously "flaking off" CF2 units.


Genomic sequence of a novel endornavirus from Phaseolus vulgaris and occurrence in mixed infections with two other endornaviruses.
The Endornaviridae family includes viruses with ssRNA genome that infect plants, fungi, and oomycetes. Plant endornaviruses do not cause visible symptoms and are transmitted only vertically. Many common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) genotypes have been reported to be infected by Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1 and Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 2. Using next-generation sequencing, we obtained the RNA sequence of a third common bean endornavirus, which we named Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 3 (PvEV3). The complete sequence consisted of 15,205nt in length with a single open reading frame (ORF) coding for a polyprotein of 4932 aa, and untranslated regions of 344önt and 62önt at the 5' and 3' ends respectively. The polyprotein contained conserved protein domains including viral helicase 1, peptidase C97, glycosyltransferases of the GTB-type, and RdRp 2. The polyprotein shared 31% amino acid identity with the counterpart encoded by Hordeum vulgare endornavirus. A phylogenetic tree constructed with the RdRp sequences of PvEV3 and other endornaviruses placed PvEV3 in a clade with members of the genus Alphaendornavirus. PvEV3 was detected in cultivated and wild P. vulgaris genotypes as single and mixed infections with two other common bean endornaviruses. The natural occurrence of three distinct endornaviruses in a single plant species is unique and has not been reported in other plant-endornavirus systems.


Early integration of palliative care in hematology: an urgency for patients, a challenge for physicians.
Early integration between palliative care and other medical specialties in the care of patients with serious illnesses is consolidating itself as good medical practice, based on scientific and ethical evidence. Despite this, palliative care is still not part of the routine care of patients with hematological diseases, even in specialized centers. In this article, we review the benefits and the main barriers described in the literature for early integration of hematology and palliative care. We also point out the challenges encountered in clinical practice, such as end-of-life prognosis assessment in patients with hematological diseases and management of the most common symptoms in hematology. Finally, we review models of integration between palliative care and oncology centers in outpatient and inpatient settings. Patients with hematological diseases can greatly benefit from early integration with palliative care, with improvement in symptom control, quality of life, reduction of emotional distress and the development of advanced care directives. It is necessary to make hematologists aware of the benefits of palliative care, provide adequate training for multidisciplinary teams and encourage specific studies of palliative care in patients with hematological diseases.


Use of gelatin/plasma coated flasks for isolating human peripheral blood monocytes.
A simple and efficient technique to purify human peripheral blood monocytes is described. This technique is based on the fact that monocytes have high affinity for fibronectin immobilized on a gelatin coated surface. Cell preparations obtained by the method described are more than 90% monocytes. The phenotype of these adherent cells was characterized with monoclonal antibodies.


An Evaluation of Commercial Pedometers for Monitoring Slow Walking Speed Populations.
Pedometers are considered desirable devices for monitoring physical activity. Two population groups of interest include patients having undergone surgery in the lower extremities or who are otherwise weakened through disease, medical treatment, or surgery procedures, as well as the slow walking senior population. For these population groups, pedometers must be able to perform reliably and accurately at slow walking speeds. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the step count accuracy of three commercially available pedometers, the Yamax (Tokyo, Japan) Digi-Walker(®) SW-200 (YM), the Omron (Kyoto, Japan) HJ-720 (OM), and the Fitbit (San Francisco, CA) Zip (FB), at slow walking speeds, specifically at 1, 2, and 3 km/h, and to raise awareness of the necessity of focusing research on step-counting devices and algorithms for slow walking populations. Fourteen participants 29.93 ±4.93 years of age were requested to walk on a treadmill at the three specified speeds, in four trials of 100 steps each. The devices were worn by the participants on the waist belt. The pedometer counts were recorded, and the error percentage was calculated. The error rate of all three evaluated pedometers decreased with the increase of speed: at 1 km/h the error rates varied from 87.11% (YM) to 95.98% (FB), at 2 km/h the error rates varied from 17.27% (FB) to 46.46% (YM), and at 3 km/h the error rates varied from 22.46% (YM) to a slight overcount of 0.70% (FB). It was observed that all the evaluated devices have high error rates at 1 km/h and mixed error rates at 2 km/h, and at 3 km/h the error rates are the smallest of the three assessed speeds, with the OM and the FB having a slight overcount. These results show that research on pedometers' software and hardware should focus more on accurate step detection at slow walking speeds.


Surgical reinterventions following the Fontan procedure.
The Fontan procedure is utilized as a final reconstructive procedure for patients with functional single ventricle. Short- and long-term outcomes have improved significantly, however, some patients require additional cardiac procedures following the Fontan operation. The outcomes for these reinterventions are not known. Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit databases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were reviewed to identify all patients who underwent cardiac surgery after a previous Fontan operation between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2001. During the study period, 123 procedures were performed in 71 patients. The median time from Fontan to reoperation was 3.6 years (range 0.1-20 years). Indications for reintervention included arrhythmia, cyanosis, 'failing' Fontan circulation or exercise intolerance, protein losing enteropathy, atrioventricular valve (AVV) regurgitation, and other indications. Procedures included pacemaker insertion or revision (n = 59, 48%), reinclusion of previously excluded hepatic veins (n = 16, 13%), revision to either a lateral tunnel or extra-cardiac conduit Fontan (n = 13, 11%), cardiac transplantation (n = 9, 7%), enlargement or creation of a baffle fenestration (n = 6, 5%), isolated AVV repair or replacement (n = 2, 2%), and other procedures (n = 18, 14%). There were five early and five late deaths. Hospital mortality was greatest for patients undergoing cardiac transplantation (4/9, 44%), accounting for 80% of the early deaths. Surgical reinterventions following the Fontan procedure may be necessary for multiple indications which result in impairment of the Fontan circulation. Most reinterventions can be performed with minimal morbidity and mortality. Survival for patients requiring cardiac transplantation following the Fontan procedure remains poor.


A deep learning-based multisite neuroimage harmonization framework established with a traveling-subject dataset.
The accumulation of multisite large-sample MRI datasets collected during large brain research projects in the last decade has provided critical resources for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive functions and brain disorders. However, the significant site effects observed in imaging data and their derived structural and functional features have prevented the derivation of consistent findings across multiple studies. The development of harmonization methods that can effectively eliminate complex site effects while maintaining biological characteristics in neuroimaging data has become a vital and urgent requirement for multisite imaging studies. Here, we propose a deep learning-based framework to harmonize imaging data obtained from pairs of sites, in which site factors and brain features can be disentangled and encoded. We trained the proposed framework with a publicly available traveling subject dataset from the Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences (SRPBS) and harmonized the gray matter volume maps derived from eight source sites to a target site. The proposed framework significantly eliminated intersite differences in gray matter volumes. The embedded encoders successfully captured both the abstract textures of site factors and the concrete brain features. Moreover, the proposed framework exhibited outstanding performance relative to conventional statistical harmonization methods in terms of site effect removal, data distribution homogenization, and intrasubject similarity improvement. Finally, the proposed harmonization network provided fixable expandability, through which new sites could be linked to the target site via indirect schema without retraining the whole model. Together, the proposed method offers a powerful and interpretable deep learning-based harmonization framework for multisite neuroimaging data that can enhance reliability and reproducibility in multisite studies regarding brain development and brain disorders.


Acute effects of inhaled urban particles and ozone: lung morphology, macrophage activity, and plasma endothelin-1.
We studied acute responses of rat lungs to inhalation of urban particulate matter and ozone. Exposure to particles (40 mg/m3 for 4 hours; mass median aerodynamic diameter, 4 to 5 microm; Ottawa urban dust, EHC-93), followed by 20 hours in clean air, did not result in acute lung injury. Nevertheless, inhalation of particles resulted in decreased production of nitric oxide (nitrite) and elevated secretion of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 from lung lavage cells. Inhalation of ozone (0.8 parts per million for 4 hours) resulted in increased neutrophils and protein in lung lavage fluid. Ozone alone also decreased phagocytosis and nitric oxide production and stimulated endothelin-1 secretion by lung lavage cells but did not modify secretion of macrophage inflammatory protein-2. Co-exposure to particles potentiated the ozone-induced septal cellularity in the central acinus but without measurable exacerbation of the ozone-related alveolar neutrophilia and permeability to protein detected by lung lavage. The enhanced septal thickening was associated with elevated production of both macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and endothelin-1 by lung lavage cells. Interestingly, inhalation of urban particulate matter increased the plasma levels of endothelin-1, but this response was not influenced by the synergistic effects of ozone and particles on centriacinar septal tissue changes. This suggests an impact of the distally distributed particulate dose on capillary endothelial production or filtration of the vasoconstrictor. Overall, equivalent patterns of effects were observed after a single exposure or three consecutive daily exposures to the pollutants. The experimental data are consistent with epidemiological evidence for acute pulmonary effects of ozone and respirable particulate matter and suggest a possible mechanism whereby cardiovascular effects may be induced by particle exposure. In a broad sense, acute biological effects of respirable particulate matter from ambient air appear related to paracrine/endocrine disruption mechanisms.


Ontogeny of substance P-containing neuron system of the rat: immunohistochemical analysis--II. Lower brain stem.
Ontogeny of the substance P neuron system in the lower brain stem of the rat was investigated by means of the indirect immunofluorescence technique. Substance P-positive structures (cells and fibers) first appeared in the primordium of the ventral part of the nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini (nVs), in the reticular formation between nucleus reticularis lateralis and nVs, and in the reticular formation between nVs and nucleus originis nervi facialis, respectively, at gestational day 14. After that time, substance P-positive structures made their appearance gradually in various areas of the lower brain stem. The present study demonstrates that substance P-positive structures appear at a very early ontogenetical stage, which suggests that substance P may play a role in the development of the lower brain stem in addition to its role as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator.


Materials characterization and mechanobiology of the eye.
The eye responds to a great deal of internal and external stimuli throughout its normal function. Due to this, a mechanical or chemical analysis alone is insufficient. A systematic materials characterization is needed. A mechanobiological approach is required for a full understanding of the unique properties and function of the eye. This review compiles the mechanical properties of select eye components, summarizes mechanical and chemical testing platforms, and overviews modeling approaches. Analysis is done across studies, experimental methods, and between species in order to summarize what is known about the mechanobiology of the eye. Several opportunities for future research are identified.


Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) synergistically repress proinflammatory cytokines and classical complement pathway components.
Histone modifying enzymes confer epigenetic marks, directing the changes in gene expression required for diverse cellular processes. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) functions as a transcriptional coregulator by demethylating histone H3 on lysine 4 and lysine 9. Analyzing transcriptomes on microarrays, we identified genes which represent inflammatory-related targets of LSD1. We demonstrate a repressive role of LSD1 in proinflammatory cytokine expression such as IL1α, IL1β, IL6 and IL8 and classical complement components. Consistently, LSD1 occupies and regulates the promoter of these genes. In addition, we demonstrate that HDAC1 and LSD1 synergistically regulate these inflammatory-related genes. Our data reveal a novel role for LSD1 in suppressing immune responses.


Trophoblast invasion and alteration of mesometrial arteries in the pregnant hamster: light and electron microscopic observations.
During gestation in the Syrian golden hamster, an extensive migration of trophoblast into the maternal uteroplacental arterial system takes place. The present light and electron microscopic study has focused on one facet of this phenomenon, namely the trophoblastic invasion and alteration of the mesometrial 'vascular knot' (a complex of anastamosing, small arterial channels carrying blood to the chorio-allantoic placenta). Beginning at about the 8th day of gestation, motile trophoblastic giant cells (TGC), originating from the primitive trophospongium (Träger), invade and migrate as a wave up the central maternal arteries of the decidua basalis. During the 12th and 13th days of gestation, they reach the mesometrium and successively settle in the lumina of the vascular knot arterial channels. Between this time and parturition (day 16) the arrested TGC sequentially remove and replace the arterial endothelium, breach the elastic lamina, and apparently destroy (by lytic activity) nearly all of the mural smooth muscle. Near term, the vascular knot arterial channels are composed almost entirely of TGC. The functional significance of these events, and, more generally, the phenomenon of trophoblastic invasion of maternal uterine arteries in mammalian species having haemochorial-type placentae, are still uncertain. These invasions may be requisite to adapting, structurally and physiologically, the maternal uterine arteries to support of the fetoplacental unit and/or to maintaining the immunologically privileged status of the latter.


[EAU guidelines on non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, the 2011 update].
To present the 2011 European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Literature published between 2004 and 2010 on the diagnosis and treatment of NMIBC was systematically reviewed. Previous guidelines were updated, and the level of evidence and grade of recommendation were assigned. Tumours staged as Ta, T1, or carcinoma in situ (CIS) are grouped as NMIBC. Diagnosis depends on cystoscopy and histologic evaluation of the tissue obtained by transurethral resection (TUR) in papillary tumours or by multiple bladder biopsies in CIS. In papillary lesions, a complete TUR is essential for the patient's prognosis. Where the initial resection is incomplete or where a high-grade or T1 tumour is detected, a second TUR should be performed within 2-6 wk. In papillary tumours, the risks of both recurrence and progression may be estimated for individual patients using the scoring system and risk tables. The stratification of patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups (separately for recurrence and progression) is pivotal to recommending adjuvant treatment. For patients with a low risk of tumour recurrence and progression, one immediate instillation of chemotherapy is recommended. Patients with an intermediate or high risk of recurrence and an intermediate risk of progression should receive one immediate instillation of chemotherapy followed by a minimum of 1 yr of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) intravesical immunotherapy or further instillations of chemotherapy. Papillary tumours with a high risk of progression and CIS should receive intravesical BCG for 1 yr. Cystectomy may be offered to the highest risk patients, and it is at least recommended in BCG failure patients. These abridged EAU guidelines present updated information on the diagnosis and treatment of NMIBC for incorporation into clinical practice.


The Use of the Agatston Calcium Score in Predicting Carotid Plaque Vulnerability.
The use of the Agatston calcium scoring method has been described extensively in the coronary circulation, but to date, it has not been investigated in the extracranial carotid domain. We sought to evaluate this calcium scoring method in its ability to predict carotid plaque vulnerability. We retrospectively reviewed all computed tomography angiogram studies of the carotid arteries performed between March 2012 and March 2017 at a single institution. We identified 68 consecutive patients with 99 internal carotid arteries who met criteria for review. Total calcium was quantified by the Agatston scoring method using the OsiriX software. Stenosis severity was determined using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial criteria. The relation between Agatston score and degree of stenosis was evaluated using the Spearman's Rho coefficient (R). Of 99 internal carotid arteries, 71 were asymptomatic and 28 were symptomatic. Baseline characteristics were comparable, with no significant difference in patient characteristics. There were significant differences in mean Agatston scores for asymptomatic versus symptomatic arteries (121.95 ± 70.27 vs. 34.83 ± 47.77, P = 0.0098, 50%-69% stenosis; 151.07 ± 88.30 vs. 71.59 ± 77.27, P = 0.0006, 70%-99% stenosis). In both asymptomatic and symptomatic groups, Agatston calcium score increased as severity of stenosis increased. Higher Agatston score is protective against symptoms ipsilateral to the carotid lesion. Agatston calcium score may predict carotid plaque vulnerability, with higher scores associated with lower likelihood of developing symptoms ipsilateral to the carotid lesion. This score may be useful in predicting clinical behavior of carotid plaques.


Childhood predictors of persistent ADHD in early adulthood: Results from the first follow-up study in China.
It is known that childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists into adulthood. Previous studies have demonstrated that gender, ADHD symptoms, functional impairment severity, medication treatment, IQ, comorbid with oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder and follow-up periods were associated with ADHD persistence in longitudinal samples of western population. In this study, we attempted to widely investigate the predictors particularly in a Chinese Han ADHD cohort. 399 children who met DSM-IV ADHD criteria were followed up into early adulthood. Ordinal logistic regression combined with survival analysis were conducted to examine the association of retrospectively reported childhood factors with adult ADHD persistence based on both categorical indicators and quantitative traits. 46.37% of the participants still met ADHD criteria in adulthood. Logistic models and survival analyses indicated that ADHD combined type appeared as a significant risk factor for ADHD persistence while superior IQ played a protective role even after controlling for the other potential confounders. When quantitative traits were applied, a number of hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and IQ still made significant contributions. In conclusion, our results indicated the syndromic continuity of ADHD. Further, a number of hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms were a risk factor while higher IQ was protective for ADHD persistence.


Serum human hepatocyte growth factor in human menstrual cycle and pregnancy: a novel serum marker of regeneration and reconstruction of human endometrium.
Serum concentrations of human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) were measured in normal menstrual cycles and during uncomplicated pregnancies. In the normal menstrual cycle, the concentrations of hHGF increased through the mid and the late luteal phases to reach the highest peak during the menstrual phases, followed by a gradual decline during the follicular phase toward the trough levels seen in the ovulatory and the very early luteal phases. During pregnancy, serum hHGF concentrations increased continuously from the late luteal levels and constituted 4 distinct peaks. By immunostaining, c-Met protein, a receptor for hHGF, was localized not in the stromal but in the epithelial layer of the endometrium. In cultured isolated endometrial cells, hHGF stimulated the proliferation of both the epithelial and the stromal cells. It is likely that hHGF is involved in the repair or reconstruction process of the endometrium after menstrual shedding and implantation.


Lukumbat marawana: a changing pattern of drug use by youth in a remote Aboriginal community.
To examine marijuana use by youth in a remote Aboriginal community in Northern Australia over a 5-year period. Participant observation, structured and unstructured interviews. Remote Indigenous Australian community. Young Aboriginal people and adult community members. Emergent themes of the attitudes towards marijuana use among remote Indigenous residents are reported. Restrictions in the availability of alcohol and petrol have led to increased use of marijuana with serious social and community consequences. Efforts to control licit substances, such as alcohol, in remote communities need to be addressed in the context of understanding of the dynamics of alcohol and drug use in totality as well as interventions that address underlying structural and social inequalities.


Evaluating the biogas potential of the dry fraction from pretreatment of food waste from households.
At the waste handling company NSR, Helsingborg, Sweden, the food waste fraction of source separated municipal solid waste is pretreated to obtain a liquid fraction, which is used for biogas production, and a dry fraction, which is at present incinerated. This pretreatment and separation is performed to remove impurities, however also some of the organic material is removed. The possibility of realising the methane potential of the dry fraction through batch-wise dry anaerobic digestion was investigated. The anaerobic digestion technique used was a two-stage process consisting of a static leach bed reactor and a methane reactor. Treatment of the dry fraction alone and in a mixture with structural material was tested to investigate the effect on the porosity of the leach bed. A tracer experiment was carried out to investigate the liquid flow through the leach beds, and this method proved useful in demonstrating a more homogenous flow through the leach bed when structural material was added. Addition of structural material to the dry fraction was needed to achieve a functional digestion process. A methane yield of 98 m3/ton was obtained from the dry fraction mixed with structural material after 76 days of digestion. This was in the same range as obtained in the laboratory scale biochemical methane potential test, showing that it was possible to extract the organic content in the dry fraction in this type of dry digestion system for the production of methane.


Increasing colorectal cancer incidence trends among younger adults in Canada.
Recent analyses in the United States have shown an overall decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancer despite contrasting increases in younger age groups. We examined whether these cohort trends are occurring in Canada. Age-specific trends in colon and rectal cancer incidence in Canada from the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System (1969-1992) and the Canadian Cancer Registry (1992-2012) were analyzed. We estimated annual percent changes (APC) with the Joinpoint Regression Program from the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Birth cohort effects were estimated using 5-year groups starting in 1888. Age-specific prevalence of class I, II and III obesity in Canada was examined from the National Population Health Survey (1994-2001) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (2001-2011). The reductions in CRC incidence among Canadians are limited to older populations. While reductions among younger age groups (20-29year olds (yo), 30-39yo and 40-50yo) were observed between 1969 and 1995, rates have returned to and surpassed historical levels (APCs 20-29yo colon cancer=6.24%, APCs 20-29yo rectal cancer=1.5%). Recent birth cohorts (1970-1990) have the highest incidence rate ratios ever recorded. Ecologic trends in obesity prevalence among these birth cohorts in Canada are suggestive of an impact on increasing incidence trends. Furthermore, obesity prevalence estimates suggest that these trends may continue to increase justifying further examination of the etiologic associations and biological impacts of excess adipose tissue among younger populations. While population-based screening of younger age groups deserves careful consideration, these concerning observed trends warrant public health action to address the growing obesity epidemic.


Nephrotoxicity of phenazopyridine.
A young man developed reversible acute renal failure after a large overdose of phenazopyridine. The renal failure was treated by peritoneal dialysis. Analysis of blood and urine samples failed to demonstrate the parent drug but a metabolite with similar ultraviolet absorption was detected. No parent drug or metabolites were detected in the peritoneal dialysate.


Assisted solvent extraction and ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in mussels. Comparison with other extraction techniques.
A selective and sensitive analytical method for determination of ten congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 31, 28, 52, 101, 118, 153, 105, 138, 156, and 180) in mussel samples (Mytilus galloprovincialis) based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) is presented in this work. Extraction conditions were optimised using a Plackett-Burman factorial design. The final extracts were analysed after cleanup on alumina columns. The optimised extraction parameters were solvent percentage, sample amount, extraction temperature, pressure, static extraction time, flush percentage, and purge time. The results suggest that PCBs 118, 105, and 180 extractions appeared affected by only one statistically significant factor, pressure, solvent percentage and static extraction time, respectively. Extraction of PCBs 138 and 156 was affected by amount of sample. PCB 138 extraction was also statistically affected by static extraction time and purge time. Quantitative recoveries (64.8-120.3%) were achieved for all PCBs and method precision (RSD < 19%) was satisfactory.


Versatile applications of transition metal incorporating quinoline Schiff base metal complexes: An overview.
Since the last decade, research on quinoline Schiff base metal complexes has risen substantially due to their versatile applications across many significant fields. Schiff bases are also known as azomethines, aldimines, and imines. Quinoline Schiff base-derived metal complexes are intriguing to study topics. These complexes are employed in biological, analytical, and catalytic fields. Researchers have found that Schiff bases are more biologically active when coordinated with metal ions. Research in the biological sciences has shown that heterocyclic compounds like quinoline and its derivatives are important. Because of their broad spectrum of activity, quinoline derivatives have been discovered to be effective therapeutic agents for various disorders. Even though various classical synthetic pathways mentioned in the literature are still in use, there is an urgent need for a new, more effective method that is safer for the environment, has a higher yield, generates less hazardous waste, and is easier to use. This highlights the critical need for a safe, eco-friendly approach to quinoline scaffold synthesis. This review focuses exclusively on Schiff base metal complexes derived from quinoline, fabricated and studied in the past ten years, and having anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiproliferative, DNA-intercalation, and cytotoxic activities.


Early venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation improves outcomes in post-cardiotomy shock.
Post-cardiotomy shock (PCS) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our 12-year experience of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) therapy for PCS. Between July 2007 and June 2018, 156 consecutive patients underwent VA-ECMO for PCS. We retrospectively investigated patient characteristics, indications, and management to determine factors affecting outcomes. Secondary analysis was performed by dividing the cohort into Era 1 (2007-2012, n = 52) and Era 2 (2013-2018, n = 104) for comparison. After a median of 4.70 days (interquartile range [IQR] 2.76-8.53) of ECMO support, 72 patients (46.1%) survived to discharge. In-hospital mortality decreased in Era 2 from 75 to 43.3% (P < 0.001). Survivors were cannulated at lower serum lactate (5.3 [IQR 2.8-8.2] versus 7.5 [4.7-10.7], P = 0.003) and vasoactive-inotropic score (22.7 [IQR 11.3-35.5] versus 28.1 [IQR 20.8-42.5], P = 0.017). Patients in Era 2 were more frequently cannulated intraoperatively (63.5% versus 34.6%, P = 0.002), earlier in their hospital course, and at lower levels of serum lactate and vasoactive-inotropic score than in Era 1. Independent risk factors for mortality included increased age (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, P = 0.002), serum lactate at cannulation (OR 1.17, P = 0.009), and vasoactive-inotropic score (OR 1.04, P = 0.009). Bleeding and limb ischemia were less common in Era 2. Overall, outcomes of ECMO for PCS improved over the study period. The survival benefit appears to be associated with earlier ECMO initiation before prolonged hypoperfusion occurs.


Compressibility Analysis of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as an emerging optical neuroimaging technique has attracted the interest and attention of many investigators. With the growth of fNIRS data volume, effective data compression methods are urgent. Compressive sensing (CS) has been demonstrated a promising tool to deal with biomedical data. However, whether the compressibility of fNIRS data can discriminate different brain states is unclear. In this study, the fNIRS signals from fifteen attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children and fifteen typically developing (TD) children were recorded during an N-back task and a Go/NoGo task respectively. A block sparse Bayesian learning-based CS method was used to reconstruct the compressed fNIRS data. To assess the performance of the CS method, we adopted two metrics, structural similarity index (SSIM) and mean squared error (MSE), both of them effective in evaluating the compressibility of fNIRS data. Then, the two metrics were analyzed to discriminate the brain states of ADHD children and TD children during the two tasks using the multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) method. As indicated by the results, the CS method could reconstruct the compressed fNIRS data with a high reconstruction quality at different compression ratio ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]). Furthermore, the MVPA method could distinguish different brain states with high accuracy, and identify that the prefrontal cortex is a key brain region for distinguishing ADHD vs. TD or N-back vs. Go/NoGo. These findings indicated that CS is very promising for the storage and transmission of massive fNIRS data, and the compressibility of fNIRS data is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of ADHD.


MiR-410-3p overexpression ameliorates neurological deficits in rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is major cause of neonatal death or long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities, which becomes a major practical problem currently in clinic. Whereas, its pathophysiology and underlying molecular mechanism is not clear. MicroRNAs are involved in the normal growth and development of neuronal cells. Herein, the objective of this research was to examine the roles of miR-410-3p in neurological deficits, neuronal injury and neuron apoptosis after hypoxic-ischemic and to explore its associated mechanisms. We established the hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) model and oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) model. Zea-longa score and TTC staining were used to detect the acute cerebral dysfunction after HIBD. QPCR verification exhibited notable downregulation of miR-410-3p expression at 24 h in rats after HIBD as well as that in PC12, SY5Y cells and primary cortical neurons post OGD. To further determine the function of miR-410-3p, lentivirus-mediated overexpression virus was applied in vivo and in vitro. Behavioral tests, including Morris water maze, open field test, Y maze test, neurological severity score and rotating rod test, were performed to evaluate long-term behavioral changes of rats at 1 month post HIBD. The results showed that the number of cells together with the axonal length were reduced post OGD. While the increase of cells number and the axonal length was measured after upregulating miR-410-3p. Meanwhile, miR-410-3p overexpression inhibited neuron apoptosis and enhanced neuronal survival. In addition, long-term motor and cognitive functions were remarkably recovered in HIBD rats with miR-410-3p overexpression. Together, miR-410-3p exerts a critical role in protecting neuronal growth as well as promoting motor and cognitive function recovery in neonatal rats subjected to HIBD. The current study therefore provides critical insights to develop the activator of miR-410-3p for the clinical treatment of HIBD in future clinic trial.


Chymase-producing cells of the innate immune system are required for decidual vascular remodeling and fetal growth.
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is caused by insufficient remodeling of spiral arteries (SAs). The mechanism underlying the relevance of natural killer cells (NKs) and mast cells (MCs) for SA remodeling and its effects on pregnancy outcome are not well understood. We show that NK depletion arrested SA remodeling without affecting pregnancy. MC depletion resulted in abnormally remodeled SAs and IUGR. Combined absence of NKs and MCs substantially affected SA remodeling and impaired fetal growth. We found that α-chymase mast cell protease (Mcpt) 5 mediates apoptosis of uterine smooth muscle cells, a key feature of SA remodeling. Additionally, we report a previously unknown source for Mcpt5: uterine (u) NKs. Mice with selective deletion of Mcpt5+ cells had un-remodeled SAs and growth-restricted progeny. The human α-chymase CMA1, phylogenetic homolog of Mcpt5, stimulated the ex vivo migration of human trophoblasts, a pre-requisite for SA remodeling. Our results show that chymases secreted by uMCs and uNKs are pivotal to the vascular changes required to support pregnancy. Understanding the mechanisms underlying pregnancy-induced vascular changes is essential for developing therapeutic options against pregnancy complications associated with poor vascular remodeling.


3-(4-Iodo-phen-yl)-2,3-di-hydro-1H-benzo[f]chromen-1-one.
In the title compound, C19H13IO2, the dihedral angle between the naphthyl ring system and the pendant iodo-phenyl ring is 72.48 (11)°. In the crystal, C-H⋯π inter-actions and I⋯O [3.293 (2) Å] halogen bonds are observed, which combine to generate a herringbone packing motif.


[Traumatic pathology of the temporo-mandibular articulation. Clinical study of 55 cases].
Fifty-five cases of condyle fracture have been followed up and the value of non-surgical reduction treatment of fractures assessed with respect to recent proposals to treat the same conditions surgically.


Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic finding of left atrial compression resulting from blunt trauma to the thoracic spine.
We present an adult female in whom two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated encroachment of the thoracic spine on the left atrium (LA) resulting in a very small, compressed LA cavity by a prominent thoracic spine shadow. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed compression of the LA produced by localized anterior deformation of the thoracic spine which had resulted from blunt injury to her spine following a fall from a swing several years previously.


The driving force behind genomic diversity.
Eukaryote genomes contain excessively introns, intergenic and other non-genic sequences that appear to have no vital functional role or phenotype manifestation. Their existence, a long-standing puzzle, is viewed from the principle of increasing entropy. According to thermodynamics of open systems, genomes evolve toward diversity by various mechanisms that increase, decrease and distribute genomic material in response to thermodynamic driving forces. Evolution results in an excessive genome, a high-entropy ecosystem of its own, where copious non-coding segments associate with low-level functions and conserved sequences code coordinated activities. The rate of entropy increase, equivalent to the rate of free energy decrease, is identified with the universal fitness criterion of natural selection that governs populations of genomic entities as well as other species.


Review: Statutory regulation of invasive complementary therapies, such as hijama and acupuncture, is the only effective way of ensuring both patient safety and good practice.
The development of statutory regulation of healthcare professionals first emerged in the 15th century in the UK. However, it was not until the 20th century that statutory regulation of complementary therapies emerged with the Osteopath and Chiropractors Acts. However, during that period, acupuncture failed to gain statutory regulation but was rather subject to the equivalent of trading standards. This review explores the background to this failure and the present need for statutory regulation. It draws comparisons with the need for regulation of hijama, another invasive therapy, for which there is at present no regulation. The benefits of the negative licensing model developed in Australia are considered.


Cytological effects of ionophore-induced stimulation on the exocrine pancreas of the rat.
Rat-pancreas lobules were incubated with the ionophore A-23187 in the presence of Ca2+. After 90 min, some of the acini were partially or almost completely depleted of their zymogen granules while others had the appearance of resting acini. With few exceptions, the cells of a given acinus were degranulated to a comparable level. Slight dispersion of the zymogen granules was noticed in cells incubated in a Ca2+-free medium containing EGTA with or without A-23187. In the presence of Ca2+ the secretory response obtained with the ionophore was comparable to that observed with 10(-5)M urecholine. The results obtained provide cytological evidence that the secretory response is only partially determined at the membrane-receptor level and that other mechanisms intervene between cytosol Ca2+ increase and exocytosis.


IgG Fc Glycosylation in Human Immunity.
Glycosylation of IgG Fc domains is a central mechanism in the diversification of antibody function. Modifications to the core Fc glycan impact antibody function by shifting the balance of Type I and Type II Fc gamma receptors (FcγR) that will be engaged by immune complexes. This, in turn, modulates the effector cells and functions that can be recruited during immune activation. Critically, humans have evolved to regulate Fc glycan modifications for immune homeostasis. Dysregulation in Fc glycan modifications can lead to loss of immune tolerance, symptomatic autoimmunity, and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Here, we discuss IgG Fc glycosylation and its role in human health and disease.


Quantification of Phase Values of Cerebral Microbleeds in Hypertensive Patients Using ESWAN MRI.
The presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) may have predictive and diagnostic value for cerebrovascular diseases. The purpose of our study was to measure the phase values (PVs) of CMBs by phase maps. We retrospectively analyzed 75 patients with hypertension who had CMBs using enhanced T2*-weighted angiography (ESWAN). The PVs of CMBs were measured and documented. The mean PVs of CMBs were correlated with demographic features and the grade of white matter lesions for seven brain regions. A total of 275 CMBs were found. Their mean PV was - 1.39 ± 0.29 radians. The mean PV of CMBs in seven brain regions was significantly lower than that of red nucleus and substantia nigra of healthy controls (P < .05). The mean PV of CMBs in the basal ganglia gray matter was significantly lower than that of the brainstem, subcortical white matter, and cerebellum (P < 0.05). In subcortical white matter, the PVs were significantly lower in patients with hypertension < 10 years than for those patients with hypertension ≥ 10 years (P < 0.05). In basal ganglia gray matter, the PVs were significantly lower in men than in women (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the PVs of CMBs and the demographic features addressed or the grade of white matter lesions. Measurement of the PV of phase maps using ESWAN sequence provides quantitative information for detection of CMBs. The measurement data reported herein will provide a reference for a longitudinal study of CMBs in the future.


Normative data on changes in transcranial magnetic stimulation measures over a ten hour period.
To establish normative data on the single-subject variation of resting motor thresholds and silent periods over 10 h using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Seventeen neurologically normal volunteers aged 18-36 underwent a series of seven TMS sessions conducted over the course of a single 10-h period. During each session, resting motor threshold and cortical silent period were recorded for the first dorsal interosseus muscle of each hand during focal TMS of the contralateral motor area. We provide data on the normal limits of variability in these measures for averaged group data and for single subjects. Specifically, we report intersession, intrasession, and interhemispheric variability of data for each subject individually. Although group averages are highly reliable, individual subjects showed substantial variability over time, especially for silent periods. Interhemispheric asymmetry was a less stable indicator than previously reported. These norms may guide the interpretation of changes in TMS measures within groups or within an individual patient over brief periods of time or as an immediate response to intervention.


Affinity electrophoresis of glycoproteins.
Affinity electrophoresis is based on the reaction between interacting components during electro phoresis. In this review is given the general analytical technology. The main advantages of the analytical electrophoresis approach appear to be: 1. It can separate macromolecules that interact with a specific ligand from those that do not. 2. It can be used for studies of interacting macromolecules. 3. It is not necessary to purify interacting components. 4. A multitude of proteins reacting with the same ligand may be studied simultaneously. 5. It can be generalized to interactions other than those between lectins and glycoproteins.


Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression of a cDNA encoding an endochitinase gene from the mycoparasite Stachybotrys elegans.
Stachybotrys elegans is a mycoparasite of the soilborne plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. The mycoparasitic activity of S. elegans is correlated with the production of cell wall degrading enzymes such as chitinases. This report details the cloning by RACE-PCR and characterization of a full-length cDNA clone, sechi44, that appears to encode an extracellular endochitinase. An analysis of the sechi44 sequence indicates that this gene contains a 1269-bp ORF and encodes a 423-aa polypeptide. The SECHI44 protein has a calculated molecular weight of 44.1kDa and pI of 5.53. Since the SECHI44 protein also appears to encode a signal peptide, an extracellular location for the corresponding protein is predicted. Comparison of SECHI44 sequence with known sequences of fungal endochitinases revealed that SECHI44 is grouped with endochitinases from other mycoparasites. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed an elevated level of expression of sechi44 (21-fold) in chitin-rich (induced) as compared to no-carbon (non-induced) culture conditions. In dual culture, the temporal expression of sechi44 increased after 2 days of contact with R. solani, reaching a 10-fold increase after 9 days, followed by a decrease to basic expression level at 12 days. Interestingly, inhibition of sechi44 expression was observed when S. elegans hyphae were in close proximity with R. solani hyphae.


Assessing hemodynamics noninvasively in patients with heart failure.
Describe the contemporary assessment of cardiac hemodynamics using a comprehensive echo-Doppler examination in the heart failure (HF) patient. Cardiac flow and filling pressures, on both the left and right sides of the heart, are fundamental to the accurate assessment of the HF patient. Accurate assessment of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) systolic and diastolic function is necessary to establish, or exclude, HF as a cause or component of dyspnea in a given patient and to help determine causes of hemodynamic instability in HF patients. Variables such as spectral Doppler (mitral and tricuspid inflow, pulmonary and hepatic venous flow, and pulmonary valve regurgitation signal), tissue Doppler imaging, and speckle tracking, applied to the left and right heart, can help to accurately estimate cardiac hemodynamics. A comprehensive echocardiogram with Doppler can provide an accurate assessment of left and right heart hemodynamics that is fundamental to the assessment and management of the HF patient.


Critical structure and emergent symmetry of Dirac fermion systems.
Emergent symmetry in Dirac system means that the system acquires an enlargement of two basic symmetries at some special critical point. The continuous quantum criticality between the two symmetry broken phases can be described within the framework of Gross-Neveu-Yukawa (GNY) model. Using the first-orderεexpansion in4-ϵdimensions, we study the critical structure and emergent symmetry of theO(N)-GNY model withNfflavors of four-component Dirac fermions coupled strongly to anO(N) scalar field under a smallO(N)-symmetry breaking perturbation. After determining the stable fixed point, we calculate the inverse correlation length exponent and the anomalous dimensions (bosonic and fermionic) for generalNandNf. Further, we discuss the emergent-symmetry and the emergent supersymmetric critical point forN⩾4on the basis ofO(N)-GNY model. It turns out that theO(N)-GNY universality class is physically meaningful if and only ifN<2Nf+4. On this premise, the smallO(N)-symmetry breaking perturbation is always irrelevant in theO(N)-GNY universality class. Our studies show that the emergent symmetry in Dirac systems has an upper limitO(2Nf+3), depending on the flavor numbersNf. As a result, the emergent-O(4) andO(5) symmetries are possible to be found in Dirac systems with fermion flavorNf=1, and the emergent-O(4),O(5),O(6) andO(7) symmetries are expected to be found in the systems with fermion flavorNf=2. Our result suggests some richer transitions with emergent-Z2×O(2)×O(3)symmetry, and so on. Interestingly, in theO(4)-GNY universality class, we find that there is a new supersymmetric critical point which is expected to be found in Dirac systems with fermion flavorNf=1.


Factors associated with information literacy of nursing undergraduates in China.
Information literacy is an important foundation for evidence-based nursing practice. Quantitative studies using validated questionnaires on information literacy of nursing undergraduates in China are rare. The students' baseline information literacy must be evaluated before exploring ways to improve their level of information literacy. This study aimed to investigate the factors potentially involved in the information literacy of nursing undergraduates. In this cross-sectional study, male and female nursing undergraduates (n = 710) from Inner Mongolia, China were included in the final sample. The Information Literacy Competency Scale of the Applied Undergraduate Student (ILCSAUS) was used for evaluation. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between various factors associated with information literacy. The students' information literacy score was 105.00 (94.00-119.00). The highest score in the four dimensions was information awareness dimension, and the average score was 4.00 (3.80-4.40). Multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis showed that received training in medical statistics, received training in literature retrieval and utilization, and birth place were independently associated with information literacy scores (p < 0.05). Results indicate that learning about medical statistics, literature retrieval and utilization, and paying attention to students born in countries and towns can help improve information literacy in the nursing undergraduates.


Age- and gender-related changes in the cochlear sympathetic system of the rat.
The sympathetic innervation projecting to the cochlea plays an important role in the auditory function, there is, however, no information about whether it is altered with advancing age. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection was used to quantify both basal and noise-induced concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) in the rat cochlea. The cochlear concentration of NE was found to be independent of age in adult (3-12 months old) and aged (19 and 24 months old) males and the adult females. However, the concentrations of NE increased in aged females with respect to the younger ones, which suggests an increase in NE synthesis and a reduced NE release. Thus, a prominent gender effect emerged from this study, since the NE cochlear concentration was lower in adult females than in males, but tended to be the same level in aged animals. These modifications could be related to dramatic hormonal changes occurring in females with advancing age.


Coagulation abnormalities identified by thromboelastometry in patients with severe sepsis: the relationship to endotoxemia and mortality.
The aim of this study was to monitor the development of coagulation abnormalities in patients with severe sepsis using thromboelastometry and to assess whether increased endotoxin activity was associated with a change in coagulation. Data collected on ICU admission, day 2, 3, and 4 were analysed in 61 patients. Thromboelastometry made it possible to identify patients with a normal (group 1), hypercoagulable (group 2), or hypocoagulable (group 3) pattern. The best accuracy of thromboelastometry parameters as potential indices of coagulation abnormalities was yielded by the clot formation time and maximum clot firmness. The mortality rate was low in group 1(16%) and the presence of abnormalities, indicating either a hyper or hypocoagulation pattern, was associated with significantly higher mortality (42 and 39% respectively; P = 0.05). In group 1, baseline endotoxin activity was low [0.22 endotoxin activity units (EAU), 0.15-0.43] and did not change significantly during the observation period. In group 2, baseline endotoxin activity was elevated (0.52 EAU (0.39-0.62)) and remained high on day 2, 3, and 4. In group 3, baseline endotoxin activity was elevated (0.56 EAU (0.28-0.80)) and similarly to group 2, remained high on day 2, 3, and 4. The presence of coagulation disorders indicates a high-risk subpopulation of critically ill patients as reflected in significantly higher mortality rates and increased endotoxin activity.


Time limitations and the challenge of providing infection-preventing dental care to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation patients.
Oral-dental infection foci should be eradicated before the ablative chemo-radiotherapy regimen of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) commences. The rationale of oral-dental treatment is to prevent the future development and spread of infections in patients with compromised immune systems. This study aims to shed light on the challenges facing hospital dentists in the implementation of optimal oral-dental treatment prior to HSCT. Data regarding the medical status and dental treatment needs before HSCT were retrieved from the files of 86 consecutive patients post-HSCT. The timing of the oral-dental examination was also recorded. Dental treatments required before the HSCT were mainly combinations of scaling, plastic fillings, and extractions (47.8%, 39.1%, and 19.5% of the patients respectively). Patients presented at the clinic for oral-dental examination an average of 20.65+/-16.82 days before HSCT with a median of 15 (quarter interval range 10-15) days. Our data indicate a dense distribution of dental needs preceding the ablative conditioning regimen for HSCT. These facts accentuate the vital need for cooperation between hospital dentists and treating physicians.


Effects of a COX-2 preferential agent nimesulide on TNBS-induced acute inflammation in the gut.
In inflammatory bowel disease, increased production of prostaglandins by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) contributes to bowel dysfunction, inflammatory edema, and hyperemia suggesting that inhibitors of COX-2 may have beneficial effect in gut inflammation. We compared the effects of nimesulide, a preferential COX-2 inhibitor, with those of indomethacin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and dexamethasone in a 24-h model of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in the rat. TNBS-induced colitis was associated with enhanced COX-2 expression in the gut and increased circulating concentrations of PGE2 metabolite (PGEM). Treatment with nimesulide (10 mg/kg), indomethacin (10 mg/kg), or dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) reduced plasma PGEM concentrations and edema in the inflamed bowel. In addition, nimesulide and dexamethasone treatments decreased neutrophil infiltration into the inflamed colon mucosa. ASA (10 mg/kg) did not have a significant effect on any of these measures of inflammation. None of the studied drugs reduced the size of inflammatory mucosal lesions in the colon. In TNBS-induced acute inflammation of the colon, nimesulide reduced the formation of inflammatory edema, probably by a mechanism related to inhibition of PGE2 production by COX-2 pathway. In addition, nimesulide inhibited neutrophil infiltration into inflamed mucosa mimicking the action of dexamethasone.


Chiral ionic liquid-multi walled carbon nanotubes composite membrane applied to the separation of amino acid enantiomers.
Various membranes are playing more and more important roles in the field of analytical and preparative applications of general interest, and some of them have been used in enantioresolution for amino acids (AAs) or similar bioactive molecules. In this study, a new composite membrane was prepared with chiral ionic liquid (CIL) of [BuPyro] [L-Pro] as chiral selector together with multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and additives through a simple way for the first time. Based on such a separation medium, the enantioresolution of amino acid enantiomers were achieved by forming ternary ligand complexes with Cu(II). It was comprehensively characterized by various ways, and key preparation conditions were discovered. After comparing the performance of three operation modes on the resolution of racemic phenylalanine, the effects of main influential factors were investigated and enantiomeric excess value (e.e.%) was 90.2% for the (D,L)-Phe aqueous solution (membrane thickness: 0.15±0.02 mm, total weight: 80 mg, CIL: 41.7%). Through effective desorption, up to 98.1% of the target was recovered. Finally, the mechanism of resolution was revealed by molecular simulation, kinetics and isotherm models, and the difference of interactive energy between ternary complexes of L-Phe-Cu(II)-CIL and D-Phe-Cu(II)-CIL was calculated as 1.56 kcal/mol. The membrane also remained stable after the post-treatment and showed good potential in chiral separation.


Myocardial glucose metabolism assessed by positron emission tomography and the histopathologic findings of microvessels in syndrome X.
Syndrome X has been recognized as a disease that is primarily reflected in the cardiac microvasculature. Myocardial metabolism in this condition has been studied, but not in relation to small vessel pathology. In order to examine the relationship between myocardial metabolism and small vessel pathology, 24 consecutive patients with syndrome X (7 men, 17 women; mean age 58 years) were evaluated by the thallium exercise stress test, positron emission tomography using F-18 fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG), and an endomyocardial biopsy. All patients showed either diffuse or focal increase in the myocardial uptake of FDG, but only 17 patients (71%) showed hypoperfused areas with partial or complete redistribution in the thallium study. Quantification of myocardial FDG uptake revealed that the value in syndrome X patients was 10-fold higher than in controls (p<0.0001). Histopathological examination revealed that in syndrome X there is an extensive increase in smooth muscle cells and thickening of the vascular wall, even in capillary vessels, and the small vessel lumen was markedly narrowed. There was a significant inverse correlation between FDG myocardial uptake and the microvessel luminal area. In syndrome X patients, myocardial FDG uptake is increased extensively, which is strongly associated with narrowed myocardial microvasculature.


The role of meaning and familiarity in mental transformations.
Eighty-four participants mentally rotated meaningful and meaningless objects. Within each type of object, half were simple and half were complex; the complexity was the same across the meaningful and meaningless objects. The patterns of errors were examined as a function of the type of stimuli (meaningful vs. meaningless), complexity, and angle of rotation. The data for the meaningful objects showed steeper slopes of rotation for complex objects than that for simple objects. In contrast, the simple and complex meaningless objects showed comparable increases in error rates as a function of angle of rotation. Furthermore, the slopes remained comparable after pretraining that increased familiarity with the objects. The results are discussed in terms of underlying representations of meaningful and meaningless objects and their implications to mental transformations. The data are consistent with a piecemeal rotation of the meaningful stimuli and a holistic rotation of the meaningless stimuli.


A small-scale saturator for experiments in which a high accuracy in humidity is required.
A saturator of small dimensions is described. Moist air with dewpoint temperatures ranging from 2°C to 30°C with a long-term stability of ±0.05°C and a maximum output of 400 1/h can be attained.Special attention is paid to the calibration procedure and to the effect of the reduction of dewpoint temperature of moist air flowing through a tube.


Epinephrine reduces the nerve conduction blockage induced by high-potassium in mammalian sciatic nerve.
We investigated the effects of epinephrine on the reversible nerve conduction block induced by high [K(+)](o) using electrophysiological extracellular recordings in the isolated rat sciatic nerve in vitro. Bath application of 400 micro M epinephrine (EN) or norepinephrine (NE) reduced the high-potassium-induced compound action potentials (CAPs) blockage in both sensory and motor fibers. The beta-adrenoreceptor agonist isoproterenol mimicked the EN effect while the alpha-adrenoreceptor agonists phenylephrine and guanfacine did not affect the CAPs reduction. Addition of EN to normal ACSF partially reversed the nerve conduction blockage induced by high frequency stimulation. These results suggest that EN and NE modulate the electrophysiological properties of both sensory and motor axons, and they improve the nerve conduction under high [K(+)](o) by modulating nerve excitability.


Bovine leukocyte phagocytosis and bacteria killing monitored by intracellular acridine orange fluorescence and extracellular fluorescence quenching.
The time course of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of serum-opsonized Escherichia coli K12 and Staphylococcus aureus SG511 by glass-adherent bovine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) and cultured monocytes (macrophages) was monitored by fluorescence microscopy of single cells using the acridine orange (AO)/crystal violet (CV) technique. After interaction of glass-adherent leukocytes (20, 40, 60 min, 37 degrees C) with opsonized bacteria, cells were stained with the fluorescent dye AO. Living bacteria stained green, dead bacteria stained orange. The addition of CV to AO-stained bacteria quenched the fluorescence of extracellular bacteria only. CV does not penetrate living bovine PMNLs which allows the discrimination of ingested (fluorescent) and extracellular (nonfluorescent) bacteria during attachment and phagocytosis of bacteria by adherent PMNLs. We investigated quantitatively phagocytosis and intracellular killing of serum-opsonized bacteria by bovine PMNLs from 22 bulls of 4 different Swiss dairy breeds. Within 60 min maximum uptake (approximately 12 bacteria/PMNL) and killing (approximately 80%) of serum-opsonized Escherichia coli K12 and Staphylococcus aureus SG511 were achieved. The AO/CV technique was also used to quantify the uptake and intracellular killing of serum-opsonized Escherichia coli K12 by cultured monocytes (macrophages). Within 60 min maximum uptake of bacteria (approximately 16/MO) was achieved; approximately 83% of bacteria were killed.


Smoking Behaviors Among Urban and Rural Pregnant Women Enrolled in the Kansas WIC Program.
Smoking during pregnancy is associated with poor birth outcomes. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a public nutritional assistance program for low-income pregnant women and their children up to age five. This study examined differences in smoking behavior among women enrolled in the Kansas WIC program. A secondary analysis was conducted using the Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System dataset of enrolled women between 2005 and 2011. Geographic residency status was obtained through application of the Census tract-based rural-urban commuting area codes. Chi square tests of association were used to assess differences. Multi-variable binary logistic regression was used to assess maternal characteristics and smoking 3 months prior to pregnancy. Total sample size averaged 21,650 women for years 2005 through 2011. Low-income, rural pregnant women smoked at significantly higher rates before, during, and after pregnancy. High smoking rates have remained unchanged since 2008. The following characteristics were associated with reduced odds of smoking 3 months prior to pregnancy: being 17 years old or younger, Hispanic, a high school graduate, urban location, normal body mass index, no live births prior to current pregnancy, and using multi-vitamins. Results from this study indicate that the WIC population in rural areas may have different needs regarding smoking cessation programming than the urban WIC population. Findings help inform WIC program administrators and assist in enhancing current smoking cessation services to the Kansas WIC population.


Vision-based dirt distribution mapping using deep learning.
Cleaning is a fundamental routine task in human life that is now handed over to leading-edge technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence. Various floor-cleaning robots have been developed with different cleaning functionalities, such as vacuuming and scrubbing. However, failures can occur when a robot tries to clean an incompatible dirt type. These situations will not only reduce the efficiency of the robot but also impose severe damage to the robots. Therefore, developing effective methods to classify the cleaning tasks performed in different regions and assign them to the respective cleaning agent has become a trending research domain. This article proposes a vision-based system that employs YOLOv5 and DeepSORT algorithms to detect and classify dirt to create a dirt distribution map that indicates the regions to be assigned for different cleaning requirements. This map would be useful for a collaborative cleaning framework for deploying each cleaning robot to its respective region to achieve an uninterrupted and energy-efficient operation. The proposed method can be executed with any mobile robot and on any surface and dirt, achieving high accuracy of 81.0%, for dirt indication in the dirt distribution map.


Physiological consequences of loss of plasminogen activator gene function in mice.
Indirect evidence suggests a crucial role for the fibrinolytic system and its physiological triggers, tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type (u-PA) plasminogen activator, in many proteolytic processes. Inactivation of the t-PA gene impairs clot lysis and inactivation of the u-PA gene results in occasional fibrin deposition. Mice with combined t-PA and u-PA deficiency suffer extensive spontaneous fibrin deposition, with its associated effects on growth, fertility and survival.


Enhancement of rat brain cytosolic monoamine oxidase activity by clorgyline. Comparison with (-)-deprenyl and MDL 72145.
The presence of unsedimentable forms of monoamine oxidase (EC 22.214.171.124) in liver and brain homogenates has prompted fresh studies on the effects of inhibitors on this cytosolic monoamine oxidase. Clorglycine is a specific monoamine oxidase A inhibitor and (-)-deprenyl and MDL 72145 are specific monoamine oxidase B inhibitors. We investigated the effects of (-)-deprenyl, MDL 72145 and clorgyline on the purified enzyme from mitochondria and cytosolic monoamine oxidase along with high speed cytosol and 1% Triton X-100 treated mitochondrial preparations. Clorgyline enhanced the activity of the purified enzyme several-fold. (-)-Deprenyl and MDL 72145 also enhanced and inhibited the activity of cytosolic monoamine oxidase in a concentration-dependent manner.


Large-Scale Urban Riots and Residential Segregation: A Case Study of the 1960s U.S. Riots.
Despite a well-established literature investigating race-related predictors of riot incidence, the racial aftermath of riots remains unexamined. In this study, I use the 1960s U.S. race riots to investigate trends in black residential segregation levels following large-scale riot activity in seven major U.S. cities. I use a novel approach--namely, synthetic control matching--to select a group of cities against which segregation trends can be compared. I find that levels of black segregation rose in 1970 for four of the seven cities, but these increases disappeared in 1980 and 1990 except in Detroit. These results mask differential trends at lower geographic levels: suburban neighborhoods in affected areas experienced larger and longer-term increases in segregation, particularly in traditionally hypersegregated cities in the Midwest and Northeast.


Experimental analysis of movements by prairie rattlesnakes, Crotalus viridis, during hibernation.
Prairie rattlesnakes from Colorado, USA, were subjected to two thermal treatments during hibernation. The control treatment was carried out in a surrogate den in St. Louis, MO, USA and followed the normal seasonal thermal regime. Experimental manipulations were carried out in a second den in St. Louis. These series of manipulations reversed or modified the thermal gradient normally expected in wild dens. Periodic observations of the snakes within the control and experimental dens provided corroborative data to support the hypothesis that entry to and exit from dens is regulated by a reversing thermal gradient within wild dens.


Impact of a computerized intervention for high distress intolerance on cannabis use outcomes: A randomized controlled trial.
Prevalence of regular cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) have increased in the past two decades, but treatment-seeking is low and extant brief interventions do not target causal risk factors implicated in etiological models of addiction. Elevated distress intolerance (DI) is one risk factor that has been empirically linked with greater CUD severity and maintenance in regular users, but, to our knowledge, research has never targeted it in a brief intervention among cannabis users with CUD or at high risk. The current RCT evaluated the impact of a DI intervention (i.e., Distress Tolerance Intervention [DTI]) compared to a healthy habits control intervention (i.e., Healthy Video Control [HVC]) on DI and cannabis use outcomes. We randomized cannabis users with high DI (N = 60) to the DTI or HVC condition and they received two computerized intervention sessions. We assessed relief cannabis craving at pre- and post-treatment; and we assessed DI, cannabis use coping motives, use-related problems, and use frequency at pre- and post-treatment as well as one- and four-month follow-ups. We assessed CUD symptoms via interviews at pre-treatment and four-month follow-up. Significant, durable reductions in DI and all cannabis use outcomes occurred in both conditions. Compared to the HVC condition, the DTI led to greater reductions in use frequency during the treatment period. Reductions in self-reported DI were correlated with reductions in coping motives and CUD symptoms. The DTI's impact on all outcomes was largely comparable to the control condition, though it may have utility as an adjunctive intervention.


Memantine decreases hippocampal glutamate levels: a magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
Glutamate (Glu) is associated with excitotoxic cell damage. Memantine modulates the glutamate induced excitotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). No information is available as to the influence of memantine on in vivo brain glutamate levels. Hippocampal Glu levels were measured in cognitively impaired and normal individuals (n=10) before and after 6 months of memantine treatment, using three dimensional high spatial resolution (0.5 cm(3) voxels) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T. These measurements were also repeated in a non-treated cognitively normal group (n=6). Treatment with memantine decreased Glu/Cr (creatine) ratio in the left hippocampal region. Memantine reduced hippocampal glutamate levels, which may be consistent with its anti-excitotoxic property.


Vaginas.
What is the vagina? This seemingly simple question has a rather complex answer, depending on whether we use a functional or a developmental definition. The terminal portion of the female reproductive tract that opens to the environment initially served as a conduit for eggs to be laid, and in species with external fertilization the distal oviduct may be specialized for oviposition but there is no vagina. In animals with internal fertilization, this terminal section of the oviduct interacts with the sperm and the intromittent organ leading to functional specialization of this region that we often call a vagina in insects and some vertebrates. Here we address the evolution, morphology and diverse functions of the vagina and some of the unknown questions that remain to be addressed in the study of this remarkable structure.


Heterostructured mesoporous In2O3/Ta2O5 composite photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution: impacts of In2O3 content and calcination temperature.
The crystallinity, textural characteristics, optical absorption properties, as well as the photocatalytic hydrogen production activities of three-dimensional interconnected mesoporous In(2)O(3)/Ta(2)O(5) composites were investigated as functions of In(2)O(3) content (x) and calcination temperature (T). The results show that the incorporation of In(2)O(3) endows intimate heterostructured junctions in the composites and significantly improves the thermal stability of mesopores. With increasing x, the as-prepared composites possess similar textural properties and continuously increased light absorbencies, but a maximum heterojunction area, and thus, the optimal value for the average hydrogen evolution rate ( ̅Q(H(2))) as well as the special surface hydrogen evolution rate ( ̅Q(H(2),S)) at x=20%. For the 20% In(2)O(3)/Ta(2)O(5) composites prepared at different T, the special surface area decreases and the pore size enlarges with increasing T from 450 to 650 °C. An obvious collapse of mesopores accompanying with remarkable crystallization occurs at 750 °C. The highest [Formula: see text] occurs on the sample calcined at 550 °C, while the optimal ̅Q(H(2),S) appears at 750 °C. This suggests that good charge carrier separation and transport properties, rapid mass transfer of reactants and gases desorption are as important as large surface area and high crystallinity for the photocatalysts.


Hybrid Approach to Popliteal Artery Aneurysm with Thromboembolic Symptoms. A Pilot Study.
The treatment of patients with thromboembolic symptoms due to a popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) is still controversial with poor results in terms of primary patency. The aim of our pilot study was to evaluate whether improving the outflow with an endovascular pretreatment consisting in thromboaspiration and angioplasty could positively ameliorate the primary patency of the subsequent femoropopliteal (FP) bypass in symptomatic patients with at least one below the knee (BTK) patent vessel. This is a single-center pilot case-control study that involves patients treated at the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Unit of Udine, Italy, from January 2015 to November 2019. The inclusion criteria were the presence of thromboembolic symptoms due to PAA distal embolization, associated with the presence of a patent PAA >20 mm and a poor runoff (no more than one patent BTK artery). The case group was treated in a two-step approach: the first step consisted in thromboaspiration followed by BTK angioplasty, when appropriate, and the second one consisted in performing the surgical FP bypass. The control group moved on directly to the open surgical intervention. The case group was composed of 11 patients, 10 males and 1 female, with a mean age of 69.3 ± 10.8 years. The mean PAA dimension was 32.6 ± 9.9 mm. Particularly, 9 patients were operated on through the medial vascular approach and 2 through the posterior one. The grafts used were 10 polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and 1 great saphenous vein (GSV) in situ. The control group was composed of 11 male patients with a mean age of 75.5 ± 8.7 years, and the mean PAA dimension was 29.8 ± 13.4 mm. All the FP bypasses were approached medially, and the materials used were 10 PTFE and 1 reversed GSV. The median follow-up was 31.5 ± 12.6 months. Primary patency in the case group was 72.7% within one year; on the contrary, it was 27.3% in the control group. The amputation rate was 0% in the case group, 27.3% in the controls. By comparing the 2 groups, we found a higher and significant risk (P = 0.0261) of early FP bypass occlusion and major limb amputation in the control group. This pilot study shows encouraging results; the endovascular approach is a safe and repeatable procedure which, improving the runoff in thromboembolic symptomatic PAA, seems to guarantee a better FP graft primary patency.


Amino acid concentrations in chinchilla cochlear nucleus at different times after carboplatin treatment.
Amino acid concentrations were measured in the cochlear nucleus for a group of 20 chinchillas: four each of control and 4, 8, 29, and 85 days after treatment with the ototoxic anti-tumor drug carboplatin (100 mg/kg, i.p.). The treated chinchillas showed various extents of inner hair cell loss, generally more complete at longer survival times, but little loss of outer hair cells. Aspartate concentration in rostral anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) showed a decline to 28% less than the control value at 29 and 85 days after treatment, whereas glutamate concentration showed little change through 29 days, then dropped by 22% at 85 days after treatment. In caudal posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN), the aspartate concentration decreased by 32% at 29 days, in animals with significant inner hair cell loss, and 48% at 85 days after treatment, while the glutamate concentration showed no decrease through 29 days and 40% decrease at 85 days. The concentration of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) was about 18% lower than control in caudal PVCN at all survival times. Significant correlations were found between the proportion of inner hair cells remaining and glutamate and aspartate concentrations in PVCN and AVCN, but not GABA or other amino acids.