People with Parkinson's disease are more willing to do additional exercise if the exercise program has specific attributes: a discrete choice experiment.
What specific attributes of exercise programs influence the preferences of people with Parkinson's disease for additional exercise compared with their current practice? What trade-offs are participants willing to make between exercise program attributes? Discrete choice experiment. Five hundred and forty people with Parkinson's disease. Participants decided whether they would adopt a hypothetical program in addition to their current exercise routine. Exercise program attributes included: type, number of sessions/week, location, travel time/session, delivery mode, supervisor's expertise, extent of supervision, benefits for physical and psychological function and out-of-pocket cost/session. Participants preferred additional exercise when programs: provided physical (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.13) or psychological (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.67) benefit, involved less travel time (ORs 1.50 to 2.02) and were supervised by qualified professionals with Parkinson's disease expertise (ORs 1.51 to 1.91). Participants were most willing to add multimodal exercise to their exercise routine (ORs 2.01 to 2.19). Participants were less likely to prefer higher cost programs (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.71, per AU$10 cost increase) or group sessions compared to individual sessions (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.96). Men preferred adding strengthening exercises (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.26) and women had a preference against adding aerobic exercise (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.73). Participants not currently exercising were more likely to prefer adding exercise compared with those already exercising 300 minutes weekly (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.63). People with Parkinson's disease were more willing to participate in exercise programs that cost less, involve less travel, provide physical or psychological benefits and are supervised by qualified professionals. To enable more people with Parkinson's disease to exercise, health services should provide programs addressing these factors and account for sex differences.


Enzyme immunoassay for detection of antigen in acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
A monoclonal antibody specific for an epitope of a 50 kDa Plasmodium falciparum antigen was used in an enzyme immunoassay for detection of the corresponding exo-antigen in culture supernatant and in the sera of 31 patients suffering from acute malaria. The assay was specific for Plasmodium falciparum and did not appear to be strain restricted. A parasitaemia level below 0.001% could be detected.


Measuring phosphorylation-specific changes in response to kinase inhibitors in mammalian cells using quantitative proteomics.
Many cancers have been associated with the deregulation of kinases, and thus, kinases have become a prime target for the development of cancer treatments. This focus on kinases has resulted in the approval of several small-molecule kinase inhibitors for cancer treatments. Further, the use of these inhibitors as tools to study cancer has provided valuable information about biological mechanisms. However, to date, not much is known about the global effects of kinases on the proteome or phosphoproteome. In this protocol, we describe methodology to study the impact of kinase inhibitors on the proteome and phosphoproteome using mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics. More specifically, we focus on the effects of Aurora B kinase inhibitors on the proteome, cytoskeleton proteome, the phosphoproteome, and the cytoskeleton phosphoproteome during cell cycle. This methodology is easily extended to other biological studies whose aim is to study the global proteomic effects of a kinase inhibitor.


Dissection of a rare accessory muscle of the leg: the tensor fasciae suralis muscle.
We report a case of the rare tensor fascia suralis muscle. This muscle was found during the routine dissection of the lower extremity in an adult male cadaver. No other anomalies were noted in this specimen. The innervation of this muscle was via the tibial component of the sciatic nerve. Although seemingly rare, the tensor fascia suralis muscle may be considered by the clinician in the differential diagnosis of masses over the posterior lower extremity.


Large scale preparation of calf liver nuclei by continuous flow centrifugation.
Large scale purification and preparation of calf liver nuclei was accomplished by high speed centrifugation of a fraction enriched in nuclei ('nuclear homogenate') through 1.8 M sucrose by means of a Beckman CF-32 Ti continuous flow rotor. In comparison with methods involving the use of conventional high capacity rotors, larger volumes of homogenate could be processed. This method was used to prepare nuclei from calf liver for the preparation of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases. The use of continuous flow ultracentrifugation avoids time-consuming manipulations, thus allowing handling of large quantities of tissue.


Mobilization of cellular Ca2+ by lysophospholipids in rat islets of Langerhans.
To determine whether lysophospholipids mobilize cellular Ca2+, intact rat islets were prelabelled with 45Ca2+ and subjected to three maneuvers designed to simulate the physiologic accumulation of lysophospholipids: (1) exogenous provision; (2) addition of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2; and (3) provision of p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid, which impedes both the reacylation and hydrolysis of endogenous lysophospholipids, leading to their accumulation in islets. Each maneuver provoked 45Ca2+ efflux at concentrations nearly identical to those previously reported to induce insulin release in the absence of toxic effects on the islets. Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) and lysophosphatidylinositol were active, whereas the ethanolamine and serine derivatives, and lysophosphatidic acid, were much less effective. The effects of lysoPC were reversible; they also were reduced by lanthanum or gentamicin (which are probes of superficial, plasma membrane-bound stores of Ca2+) or by prior depletion of membrane-bound cellular Ca2+ stores using ionomycin, but not by removal of extracellular Ca2+ or Na+. The effects of lysoPC, phospholipase A2 and p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid were largely independent of any hydrolysis to, or accumulation of, free fatty acids as assessed by resistance to dantrolene or trifluoperazine (which selectively reduce arachidonic acid-induced 45Ca2+ efflux and insulin release). Thus, lysophospholipids are a newly recognized class of lipid mediators which may promote insulin release at least in part via mobilization of a pool(s) of Ca2+ ('trigger Ca2+') bound in the plasma membrane and possibly in other cellular membranes.


Caring for Family Caregivers of Geriatric Patients: Results of a Participatory Health Research Project on Actual State and Needs of Hospital-Based Care Professionals.
Because of societal changes, family caregivers are becoming vital in long-term care provision for geriatric patients after discharge from hospital. Hospital-based geriatric care teams need tools to prepare and support family caregivers for their future caregiving role in the home environment. To explore the actual state and needs for implementing a suitable family caregiver support concept in a large geriatric hospital in Germany, a Participatory Health Research methodology was chosen. An academic investigator, assisted by a critical friend, facilitated all research steps. Geriatric care professionals joined as co-researchers and performed qualitative data collection using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The entire co-research team took part in the thematic analyses. The existing family caregiver support was perceived as uncoordinated and incomplete, and a lack of knowledge about support programmes in the community was apparent. The needs regarding a comprehensive family caregiver support concept that acts on both individual caregiver as well as on system level, but also connects the two levels, were formulated. High grades of participation of hospital-based co-researchers could be achieved. A critical reflection on the research strategy revealed that the participatory methodology, although time-consuming, was perceived as a useful strategy within the hierarchically organized hospital.


Leiomyosarcoma of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses: A Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature.
Sinonasal leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal tumor with smooth muscle differentiation. The sinonasal tract is an unusual primary site for LMS, as scant smooth muscle exists in this location, with only 75 cases reported in the English literature including the case presented herein. Sinonasal LMS is considered an aggressive head and neck tumor with significant potential for recurrence and metastasis. Since recurrence is high and the potential for late metastasis exists, lifelong follow-up in these patients would be beneficial, especially among those with previous history of RB.


Does Accelerometry at the Centre of Mass Accurately Predict the Gait Energy Expenditure in Patients with Hemiparesis?
The aim of this study was to compare energy expenditure (EE) predicted by accelerometery (EEAcc) with indirect calorimetry (EEMETA) in individuals with hemiparesis. Twenty-four participants (12 with stroke and 12 healthy controls) performed a six-minute walk test (6MWT) during which EEMETA was measured using a portable indirect calorimetry system and EEACC was calculated using Bouten's equation (1993) with data from a three-axis accelerometer positioned between L3 and L4. The median EEMETA was 9.85 [8.18;11.89] W·kg-1 in the stroke group and 5.0 [4.56;5.46] W·kg-1 in the control group. The median EEACC was 8.57 [7.86;11.24] W·kg-1 in the control group and 8.2 [7.05;9.56] W·kg-1 in the stroke group. The EEACC and EEMETA were not significantly correlated in either the control (p = 0.8) or the stroke groups (p = 0.06). The Bland-Altman method showed a mean difference of 1.77 ± 3.65 W·kg-1 between the EEACC and EEMETA in the stroke group and -2.08 ± 1.59 W·kg-1 in the controls. The accuracy of the predicted EE, based on the accelerometer and the equations proposed by Bouten et al., was low in individuals with hemiparesis and impaired gait. This combination (sensor and Bouten's equation) is not yet suitable for use as a stand-alone measure in clinical practice for the evaluation of hemiparetic patients.


Grasshopper calling songs convey information about condition and health of males.
Females of the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus invest much more in the offspring than do males. As a consequence, females are the more selective sex and exert a sexual selection on males by responding to the songs of certain conspecific males while rejecting others. What kind of information about the sender may a female obtain from a male's song, in addition to its species identity? We searched for correlations between a series of song features and morphometric parameters of individual males. In addition, also the immunocompetence of males was assessed by implanting small pieces of nylon thread. We found significant, positive correlations between certain song characteristics and indicators of male size and immunocompetence. Thus, grasshopper females may--in principle--be able to judge a male's condition and health from the acoustic signals he produces.


Isolation and characterization of bovine pancreastatin.
Bovine pancreastatin, a 47 amino acid residue peptide, was isolated from the pancreas and the pituitary gland using a chemical method which detects its C-terminal glycine amide structure. The complete amino acid sequence of the pancreatic peptide is 74% homologous to that of porcine pancreastatin and is identical to bovine chromogranin A-(248-294), as deduced from its cDNA sequence. The sequence of the first 28 amino-terminal residues of the pituitary peptide was determined to be identical to the corresponding sequence of the pancreatic peptide. Since the pituitary peptide also contains the C-terminal glycine amide, it is therefore likely to be identical in structure to the pancreatic peptide. Thus, we conclude that bovine chromogranin A is the precursor of bovine pancreastatin. Synthetic bovine pancreastatin inhibited pancreatic exocrine secretion in a similar manner to porcine pancreastatin.


Intensive care unit prognostic factors in critically ill patients with advanced solid tumors: a 3-year retrospective study.
The objective of this study was to identify risk factors predicting prognosis of critically ill medical patients with advanced solid tumors in the intensive care unit (ICU). We retrospectively analyzed all ICU unplanned medical admissions to the ICU of patients with advanced solid cancer in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between October 1, 2012 and March 1, 2015. Approval was obtained from the Ethical Commission of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital to review and publish information from patients' records. One hundred and forty-one patients with full code status met the criteria for inclusion from among 813 ICU admissions. ICU mortality was 14.9 % and in-hospital mortality was 29.8 %. The major reasons for unplanned ICU admission were respiratory failure (38.3 %) and severe sepsis or septic shock (27.7 %). The ICU mortality in patients who required vasopressors, mechanical ventilation or renal replacement therapy for >24 h was 25, 25.9 and 40 %, respectively. The mean overall survival was 28.6 months. After adjusting for hypertension, type of solid cancer, intervention time, need for mechanical ventilation and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, only Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on day 7 of ICU treatment remained a significant predictor of ICU mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.612, 95 % confidence interval 1.137-2.285, P = 0.007). We suggest broadening the criteria for ICU admission. The patients should be allowed an ICU trial consisting of unlimited ICU support, including invasive hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. An interdisciplinary meeting, including an ethics consultation, should be held to make end-of-life decisions if the SOFA score on day 7 shows clinical deterioration with no available therapeutic options.


Column chromatographic separation of deoxynucleotide monomethyl esters and related products of the reaction of n-methyl-n-nitrosourea with deoxynucleoside monophosphates.
Dowex 1 (HCOO-) column chromatographic procedures are described for the resolution of deoxynucleoside monophosphate monomethyl esters and other related products of the reaction of the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea with deoxynucleoside monophosphates. These procedures provide convenient methods for the isolation and estimation of the products of these reactions.


Consequences of prior use of full-dose ritonavir as single protease inhibitor as part of combination antiretroviral regimens on the future therapy choices in HIV-1-infected children.
South African HIV-infected infants below age 6 months and children younger than 3 years on concomitant antimycobacterial treatment received full-dose ritonavir single protease inhibitor (RTV-sPI), together with 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, from 2004 until 2008. Use of RTV-sPI has been described as a risk factor for PI drug resistance, but the extent of this resistance is unknown. This research assesses clinical and virological outcome of a pediatric RTV-sPI cohort at a large South African antiretroviral therapy (ART) site in a high-burden tuberculosis setting, including resistance mutations in those failing ART. All children initiated at Kalafong hospital before December 2008, who ever received RTV-sPI-based regimens, were assessed for patient outcome, virological failure and drug resistance. HIV viral loads were done 6-monthly and HIV genotyping since 2009. There were 178 children who ever received RTV-sPI, with a mean age at ART initiation of 1.4 years. Of the 135 children (76%) with >6 months follow-up, 17 children (13%) never had viral suppression, whereas another 25 (18%) developed virological failure later. Nineteen of 26 children (73%) with genotypic resistance results had major PI mutations. Treatment failure is not a universal feature in children with prior exposure to RTV-sPI regimens, but the significant proportion (31%) with virological failure is of concern due to high prevalence of major PI- and multiclass mutations. These children currently have no treatment options in the South African public sector, highlighting the urgent need for access to alternative ART regimens to ensure improved outcomes.


Toll-like receptors and toll-like receptor-targeted immunotherapy against glioma.
Glioma represents a fast proliferating and highly invasive brain tumor which is resistant to current therapies and invariably recurs. Despite some advancements in anti-glioma therapies, patients' prognosis remains poor. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as the first line of defense in the immune system being the detectors of those associated with bacteria, viruses, and danger signals. In the glioma microenvironment, TLRs are expressed on both immune and tumor cells, playing dual roles eliciting antitumoral (innate and adaptive immunity) and protumoral (cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and glioma stem cell maintenance) responses. Up to date, several TLR-targeting therapies have been developed aiming at glioma bulk and stem cells, infiltrating immune cells, the immune checkpoint axis, among others. While some TLR agonists exhibited survival benefit in clinical trials, it attracts more attention when they are involved in combinatorial treatment with radiation, chemotherapy, immune vaccination, and immune checkpoint inhibition in glioma treatment. TLR agonists can be used as immune modulators to enhance the efficacy of other treatment, to avoid dose accumulation, and what brings more interests is that they can potentiate immune checkpoint delayed resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade by upregulating PD-1/PD-L1 overexpression, thus unleash powerful antitumor responses when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Herein, we focus on recent developments and clinical trials exploring TLR-based treatment to provide a picture of the relationship between TLR and glioma and their implications for immunotherapy.


Advancement of reproductive senescence and changes in the early expression of estrogen, progesterone and micro-opioid receptors induced by neonatal hypoxia in the female rat.
Perinatal hypoxia is a frequent birth complication, and although its early consequences on brain development have been well studied, few studies address any long-term effects. Postnatal insults producing small disturbances in endocrine function can have marked and long-lasting effects. In the present work we studied the effects of two types of perinatal brain injury: global hypoxia (H, 6.5% O2 for 50 min) and hypoxia plus ischemia (HI, ligature of the right carotid artery) on female rat reproductive performance and expression of mediobasal hypothalamus-preoptic area (MBH-PO) estrogen, progesterone and micro-opioid receptors at different times after injury, measuring the mRNA (by semiquantitative RT-PCR) and protein (by Western blot). H or HI advanced approximately 3 months after the appearance of blunted preovulatory LH surges and cyclic irregularities (prolonged estrus) characteristic of the early stages of reproductive senescence. 48 h after H or HI we observed decreases in ERbeta, microOR and PR (only in the H group) mRNAs and in total ER and microOR proteins, followed by increased PR levels (mRNA and protein) 7 days post-injury and by increased microOR protein and ERbeta mRNA in the H group and ERalpha, ERbeta and microOR mRNAs and ER protein in the HI group 30 days post-injury. Thus, an episode of hypoxia suffered during early postnatal life induces premature reproductive senescence on the female rats, accompanied by early changes in some MBH-PO hormone receptors (microOR, ER and PR), whose expression is intimately involved in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion and female sexual cyclicity.


Perspectives on mesenchymal stem cells: tissue repair, immune modulation, and tumor homing.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or MSC-like cells have been identified in a variety of different tissues that share molecular expression profiles and biological functions but also retain a unique differentiation preference depending on their tissue origins. MSCs play beneficial roles in the healing of damaged tissue by directly differentiating to many different resident cell types and/or by secreting several trophic factors that aid tissue repair. Aside from MSCs' reparative stem cell function, they drive immune responses toward immunosuppression and anti-inflammation. This novel function of MSCs opens up new avenues for clinical development of MSC immune-therapeutics to treat uncontrollable, life threatening, severe, chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. Unexpectedly high rates of MSCs' tumor homing capacity and their tumor supporting capability have also been noted in tumor-bearing animal models. In this review, we will discuss MSCs' basic cell biology and perspectives on MSCs in terms of tissue repair, immune modulation, and tumor homing.


A retrospective analysis of the management of freckles and lentigines using four different pigment lasers on Asian skin.
The risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is increased during freckles and lentigines treatment in Asians. To determine the effectiveness and safety of using 595-nm long pulsed dye laser (LPDL), 755-nm LP Alexandrite laser, 532-nm QS Nd:YAG laser and 532-nm LP potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser for the treatment of freckles or lentigines in Asian patients. This is a retrospective study of 40 Chinese patients, who were divided into four groups based on treatment modality using four different pigment lasers. Each patient attended between 1 and 4 treatments (mean of 1.8), at 4-6 weeks intervals, depending on clinical response. Lesional clearance and PIH were assessed by two independent clinicians. Statistically significant improvement of global and focal facial pigmentation was found after treatment with LPDL, QS Nd:YAG and LP KTP lasers. No significant improvement was found after LP Alexandrite laser. PIH risk was 20% after LP Alexandrite treatment, 10% with QS Nd:YAG, and absent after LPDL and LP KTP treatment. A long pulse laser and small spot size appear to reduce the risks of lentigines treatment in darker skin types.


The evolution of the teledentistry landscape in Australia: A scoping review.
There has been a recent surge in the use of teledentistry services in Australia that has paralleled the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the limited published literature reflecting on this transition, this article employed a systematic scoping review methodology. The objective was to explore the role of teledentistry in the provision of clinical dental services in Australia. Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature sources to identify literature eligible for inclusion. The search was restricted to Australia and service delivery. Data were categorically synthesised by modalities and reported benefits and limitations; findings were cross-referenced with the COVID-19 pandemic timeline. The systematic search identified 758 articles, of which 25 met the inclusion criteria. Results highlight a range of service providers and definitions of teledentistry. A shift in modality from asynchronous towards synchronous teledentistry pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic is detailed. Whilst highly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, teledentistry provides a unique opportunity to continue to increase the accessibility of dental services, especially for patients in rural areas or those who are immunocompromised. Clinicians and researchers must consider opportunities to merge existing research with the recent clinical uptake of teledentistry for patients that would benefit from teledental services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.


Theoretical Investigation of the Inhibitory Mechanism of Norepinephrine on hIAPP Amyloid Aggregation and the Destabilization of Protofibrils.
The search for an appropriate drug to completely eradicate type II diabetes (T2D), a metabolic disorder from which over 40 million people suffer worldwide, has not yet led to any satisfactory result. The misfolding of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) into toxic oligomers is a pathogenic feature of this disease, due to which the prevention of hIAPP aggregation is considered the rational approach to combat T2D. Hence, we study the role of a catecholamine, norepinephrine, on the amyloid aggregation of hIAPP, which has previously displayed inhibitory effect on amyloid-β aggregation. Via all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we observe that norepinephrine can not only inhibit the aggregation of hIAPP but also partially disassemble the preformed fibrils. For comparison, the influence of two other molecules (aspirin and benzimidazole, both of which have previously reported to have no inhibitory impact on hIAPP aggregation) is also analyzed. We observe that the conformational preference of hIAPP changes from a β-sheet conformation to a disordered state when norepinephrine is added to the peptides. However, no such effect is observed in the presence of aspirin or benzimidazole. In-depth investigation reveals that the β-sheets formed between Leu12-His18 and Leu27-Gly33 enhance the peptide-peptide interactions that are broken by norepinephrine, which itself interacts with the peptides via hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and aromatic stacking interactions, preferentially with the C-terminal residues of hIAPP. The molecular mechanism action of norepinephrine on hIAPP aggregation can provide useful insight for the drug design against T2D.


Hepatotoxicity of acetaldehyde in rats.
The ability of acetaldehyde to initiate hepatotoxicity as evidenced by enzyme leakage, hepatic fat accumulation and histological alterations was studied in rats. Neither oral nor intraperitoneal treatment with acetaldehyde had any hepatotoxic effect, even following aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition by disulfiram. This is probably due to the inability of exogenously added acetaldehyde to penetrate liver cell membranes. In contrast, acetaldehyde derived metabolically from ethanol was capable of inducing moderate hepatotoxicity when it accumulated upon pretreatment with disulfiram. Acetaldehyde may thus be partly responsible for alcohol-induced liver damage.


Design and stability of a novel coiled-coil peptide.
According to a template of natural protein, a novel peptide was designed with satisfied stability which came from the formation of coiled-coil dimer in vitro. The knowledge gained from this study is not only useful in antiparallel coiled-coil designing but also provide an ideal antiparallel coiled-coil model in future research.


[Early management of scrape and denuding injuries of the face after bicycle accidents. Prevention of scar ectropion].
Bicycle accidents may cause typical skin defects in the maxillary area if the unprotected face of the bicyclist hits the ground. Cicatricial ectropion is a frequent result. We report on 22 patients with facial skin defects after bicycle accidents and demonstrate a new concept for early treatment of facial skin abrasions and skin defects. Transtarsal traction sutures, temporary closure of skin defects by synthetic skin, and delayed free-skin grafting can prevent cicatricial ectropion even in large skin defects extending beyond the orbital margin. The overall time for treatment is significantly reduced.


The risk of criminal behavior in the elderly and patients with neurodegenerative disease.
Behavioral changes are commonly observed in patients with dementia and can lead to criminal offenses, even without a history of criminal or antisocial behavior. Due to the growth of the aging population, this poses a rising problem to deal with for the criminal justice system and in general for society. Criminal behavior may include minor crimes such as theft or traffic violations, but also serious crimes such as physical abuse, sexual offense, or murder. In the assessment of criminal behavior among elderly (first-time) offenders, it is important to be aware of possible neurodegenerative diseases at the time of the crime. This book chapter provides an overview on criminal behavior in the elderly and specifically discusses existing literature on patients suffering from a neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease. Each section is introduced by a true case to illustrate how the presence of a neurodegenerative disease may affect the criminal judgment. The chapter ends with a summary, multifactorial model of crime risk, future perspectives, and concluding remarks.


[Effective palliative chemotherapy in a patient with collecting duct carcinoma of a unilateral kidney associated with anuria. Case report].
The case of a 54-year-old woman is presented. She underwent right sided unilateral nephrectomy for metastatic bilateral renal tumour of the Bellini collecting ducts. Progression of the contralateral tumour resulted in acute complete anuric renal failure. Haemodialysis was started along with palliative gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2))-cisplatine (70 mg/m(2)) chemotherapy. In parallel, renal function was improving and dialysis could be stopped at the end of the chemotherapy line comprising 6 cycles. Half a year later the patient was lost of uncontrolled local and pulmonary progression. The potentially nephrotoxic cisplatine chemotherapy associated to complex supportive treatment improved the renal function by controlling diffusely infiltrative tumour growth and allowed a survival benefit over one year with active household keeping capacity.


Biological role and clinical implications of homeobox genes in serous epithelial ovarian cancer.
Homeobox (HOX) genes are a family of transcription factors that are essential regulators of development. HOX genes play important roles in normal reproductive physiology, as well as in the development and progression of serous carcinomas, the predominant and most aggressive subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). This review discusses aberrant HOX gene expression in serous EOC and its impact on tumor development and progression. Further identification of HOX target genes may facilitate the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of patients with serous EOC.


Use of the 70° arthroscope for improved visualization with common arthroscopic procedures.
The vast majority of common arthroscopic procedures are performed with a 30° arthroscope for visualization. Although the 70° arthroscope has been described for a myriad of applications, its utility has recently been forgotten. We have explored the use of the 70° arthroscope for a myriad of arthroscopic procedures and identified a number of circumstances in which it offers superior visualization to a 30° arthroscope. These procedures include arthroscopic shoulder stabilization, distal clavicle resection, acromioclavicular joint reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, elbow arthroscopy, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, arthroscopy of the posterior knee compartments, hip arthroscopy, and subdeltoid shoulder arthroscopy.


Computed Tomography-Measured Psoas Muscle Density as a Predictive Factor for Hypophosphatemia Associated With Refeeding.
Initiation of parenteral nutrition (PN) after a period of starvation can be complicated by refeeding syndrome (RFS). RFS is associated with electrolyte abnormalities including hypomagnesemia, hyponatremia, and hypophosphatemia. Risk factors include recent weight loss, low body mass index, and electrolyte deficiencies; however, these associations are not strong. We hypothesized that a validated measure of nutrition risk, computed tomography (CT)-measured psoas muscle density, can be used to predict the development of hypophosphatemia associated with RFS. A retrospective analysis of surgical patients initiated on PN with an abdominal CT scan within the past 3 months was conducted. CT-measured psoas muscle density was assessed as a predictive variable for the development of electrolyte abnormalities. Daily electrolyte and clinical outcome measures were recorded. One hundred nine patients were stratified based on Hounsfield unit average calculation (HUAC). The lowest 25th percentile of patients had HUAC <25. Low HUAC was associated with a significant percent decrease in phosphate levels from baseline to PN day 3 (P < .01) and significant difference in serum phosphate value on PN day 3 (P < .01). The low muscle density quartile also experienced longer days on the mechanical ventilator (P = .01) compared with patients with a higher psoas muscle density. Psoas muscle density predicted the development of hypophosphatemia in patients initiated on PN. This measurement may aid in identifying patients at highest risk of experiencing RFS. A mean psoas HU <25 may prompt additional precautions, including additional phosphate replacement and slower initiation of PN.


"The Service I Rendered Was Just as True": African American Soldiers and Veterans as Activist Patients.
In this article, I examine how African American soldiers and veterans experienced and shaped federally sponsored health care during and after World War I. Building on studies of the struggles of Black leaders and health care providers to win professional and public health advancement in the 1920s and 1930s, and of advocates to mobilize for health care rights in the mid-20th century, I focus primarily on the experiences and activism of patients in the interwar years. Private and government correspondence, congressional testimony, and reports from Black newspapers reveal that African American soldiers and veterans communicated directly with policymakers and bureaucrats regarding unequal treatment, assuming roles as "policy actors" who viewed health and medical care as "politics by other means." In the process, they drew attention to the paradoxes inherent in expanding government entitlements in the era of Jim Crow, and helped shape a veterans' health system that emerged in the 1920s and remained in place for the following century. They also laid the groundwork for the system's precedent-setting desegregation, referred to by advocates of the time as "a shining example to the rest of the country."


Colonization of the developing rhizosphere of sugar beet seedlings by potential biocontrol agents applied as seed treatments.
Poor colonization of the rhizosphere is a major constraint of seed treatment biological control. The objectives of this study were to; examine the colonization of the rhizosphere of sugar beet seedlings by selected rhizobacteria; determine the influence of the host rhizosphere and percolating water on the distribution of the bacteria; and deliver two biological control agents (BCAs) by co-inoculation. Rifampicin-resistant bacterial strains (Rif +) applied as single treatments to seed sown in columns of field soil produced persistent populations of 5-9 log10 cfu g-1 in the infection court of the damping-off pathogen Aphanomyces cochlioides in a controlled environment. However, isolates varied in their ability to colonize the lower rhizosphere. Percolating water significantly increased the colonization of the upper rhizosphere. Bacterial populations in the soil profiles of "non-rhizosphere" controls declined markedly with time. There was no interaction between the two selected BCAs applied as a seed treatment mixture. The distribution of the bacteria resulted primarily from root colonization although percolating water may modify the colonization profiles. Co-inoculation of the sugar-beet rhizosphere is a viable proposition. Potential BCAs were successfully delivered to the known infection court of A. cochloides and persisted for the infection period. This bioassay can be used as a tool for the selection of BCAs for field trials.


Host cholesterol influences the activity of sterol biosynthesis inhibitors in Leishmania amazonensis.
A significant percentage of exogenous cholesterol was found in promastigotes and amastigotes of all studied species of Leishmania, suggesting a biological role for this molecule. Previous studies have shown that promastigotes of Leishmania uptake more low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles under pharmacological pressure and are more susceptible to ergosterol inhibition in the absence of exogenous sources of cholesterol. This work shows that the host's LDL is available to intracellular amastigotes and that the absence of exogenous cholesterol enhances the potency of sterol biosynthesis inhibitors in infected macrophages. A complete understanding of cholesterol transport to the parasitophorous vacuole can guide the development of a new drug class to be used in combination with sterol biosynthesis inhibitors for the treatment of leishmaniases.


Genes from the exo-xis region of λ and Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages influence lysogenization and prophage induction.
The exo-xis region, present in genomes of lambdoid bacteriophages, contains highly conserved genes of largely unknown functions. In this report, using bacteriophage λ and Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophage ϕ24Β, we demonstrate that the presence of this region on a multicopy plasmid results in impaired lysogenization of Escherichia coli and delayed, while more effective, induction of prophages following stimulation by various agents (mitomycin C, hydrogen peroxide, UV irradiation). Spontaneous induction of λ and ϕ24Β prophages was also more efficient in bacteria carrying additional copies of the corresponding exo-xis region on plasmids. No significant effects of an increased copy number of genes located between exo and xis on both efficiency of adsorption on the host cells and lytic development inside the host cell of these bacteriophages were found. We conclude that genes from the exo-xis region of lambdoid bacteriophages participate in the regulation of lysogenization and prophage maintenance.


Factors and concerns of patients that influence the decision for spinal surgery and implications for practice: A review of literature.
A literature review. To identify the factors and concerns that influence the decision of patients to undergo spinal surgery. Electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL plus, and Embase were searched for relevant studies published from 2000 to 2015. The keywords for the search included: spine surgery OR spinal stenosis AND decision making OR consideration OR preference OR willingness OR concern. Seven quantitative studies met the criteria for inclusion and were included in this review. The findings showed that patients were more likely to decide on surgery when they were suffering from severe bodily pain, poor physical function, poor psychosocial health and a higher level of functional disability. Concerns that affected the patients' decision on whether or not to opt for surgery were: the benefits weighed against the perceived risks of different modalities of treatment, the effectiveness of medical treatments, their level of satisfaction with their symptoms and a preference for autonomy or a reliance on the opinion of medical professionals. The findings relating to patient characteristics and preference for surgery were inconsistent. Patients go through a complex and a multi-factorial process in making the decision whether or not to undergo surgery, which calls for decision support interventions that will help them to make the decision.


Changes in physicochemical properties, gel structure and in vitro digestion of marinated egg white gel during braising.
In this paper, changes in physicochemical properties, gel structure and in vitro digestion of marinated egg with spice or tea during braising were investigated. Results indicated that the moisture content and surface hydrophobicity of marinated egg white showed an overall decreased trend. The springiness of marinated egg white showed an increased trend, and the hardness in the late stage showed an increased trend. Microstructure showed that compact gel structures formed many holes during the braising. Intermolecular forces showed that ionic bonds and disulfide bonds played a dominant role in the marinated egg white. Secondary structure showed that the β-turn showed a decreased trend, contrary to that of random coils and α-helices. Appropriate braising increased the digestibility of marinated egg white, but excessively long-time braising could reduce it. Both spice and tea braising could improve the gel strength of protein, and the tea braising was also slightly better than spice braising.


Development and immunochemical evaluation of antibodies Y for the poorly immunogenic polypeptide prothymosin alpha.
Since conserved mammalian polypeptides are believed to exhibit enhanced immunogenicity in avian species, hens were immunized against the poorly immunogenic, highly conserved mammalian polypeptide prothymosin alpha (ProTalpha), i.e. against either non-conjugated ProTalpha (isolated from bovine thymus) or ProTalpha conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (ProTalpha/KLH). The antibodies Y were isolated from the egg yolk and evaluated through suitable dot-blot and ELISA systems in parallel with antibodies G isolated from the antiserum of rabbits immunized against the same immunogens. As revealed, antibodies Y and G of low titer and/or affinity were obtained against non-conjugated ProTalpha, while antibodies Y against ProTalpha/KLH had a better apparent titer, could better discriminate between ProTalpha and the closely related bioactive peptide thymosin alpha 1, and were obtained at much larger quantities than the corresponding antibodies G.


Hydrophilic properties as a new contribution for computer-aided identification of short peptides in complex mixtures.
A new method to predict elementary amino acid (AA) composition of peptides (molar mass <1,000 g/mol) is described. This procedure is based on a computer-aided method using three combined analyses-reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry-and using a software calculating all possible amino acid combinations from the mass of any given peptide. The complementarity between HILIC and RPLC was demonstrated. Peptide retention prediction in HILIC was successfully modelled, and the achieved prediction accuracy was as high as r²=0.97. This mathematical model, based on amino acid retention contributions and peptide length, provided the information about peptide hydrophilicity that was not redundant with its hydrophobicity. Correlations between respectively the hydrophobicity coefficients and RPLC retention time, hydrophilicity and HILIC retention time, and electrophoretic mobility and migration time were used for ranking all potential AA combinations corresponding to the given mass. The essential contribution of HILIC in this identification strategy and the need to combine the three models to significantly increase identification capabilities were both shown. Applied to an 18-standard peptide mixture, the identification procedure enabled the actual AA combination determination of the 14 di- to pentapeptides, in addition to an over 98 % reduction of possible combination numbers for the four hexapeptides. This procedure was then applied to the identification of 24 unknown peptides in a rapeseed protein hydrolysate. The effective AA composition was found for ten peptides, whereas for the 14 other peptides, the number of possible combinations was reduced by over 95 % thanks to the association of the three analyses. Finally, as a result of the information provided by the analytical techniques about peptides present in the mixture, the proposed method could become a highly valuable tool to recover bioactive peptides from undefined protein hydrolysates.


Drivers of health workers' migration, intention to migrate and non-migration from low/middle-income countries, 1970-2022: a systematic review.
The migration of healthcare workers (HWs) from low/middle-income countries (LMICs) is a pressing global health issue with implications for population-level health outcomes. We aimed to synthesise the drivers of HWs' out-migration, intention to migrate and non-migration from LMICs. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Global Health and Web of Science, as well as the reference lists of retrieved articles. We included studies (quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods) on HWs' migration or intention to migrate, published in either English or French between 1 January 1970 and 31 August 2022. The retrieved titles were deduplicated in EndNote before being exported to Rayyan for independent screening by three reviewers. We screened 21 593 unique records and included 107 studies. Of the included studies, 82 were single-country studies focusing on 26 countries, while the remaining 25 included data from multiple LMICs. Most of the articles focused on either doctors 64.5% (69 of 107) and/or nurses 54.2% (58 of 107). The UK (44.9% (48 of 107)) and the USA (42% (45 of 107)) were the top destination countries. The LMICs with the highest number of studies were South Africa (15.9% (17 of 107)), India (12.1% (13 of 107)) and the Philippines (6.5% (7 of 107)). The major drivers of migration were macro-level and meso-level factors. Remuneration (83.2%) and security problems (58.9%) were the key macro-level factors driving HWs' migration/intention to migrate. In comparison, career prospects (81.3%), good working environment (63.6%) and job satisfaction (57.9%) were the major meso-level drivers. These key drivers have remained relatively constant over the last five decades and did not differ among HWs who have migrated and those with intention to migrate or across geographical regions. Growing evidence suggests that the key drivers of HWs' migration or intention to migrate are similar across geographical regions in LMICs. Opportunities exist to build collaborations to develop and implement strategies to halt this pressing global health problem.


Physician behavior modification using claims data: tetracycline for upper respiratory infection.
Professional Standards Review Organization claims data were used in defining, planning, implementing and evaluating an approach to an ambulatory medical care problem utilizing educational intervention. Modification of physicians' tetracycline prescribing behavior was achieved in an actual practice setting by personal visits from peer physicians.


The biodistribution of [75Se]bis-[beta-(N,N,N-trimethylamino)ethyl]selenide diiodide in adult guinea pigs.
The biodistribution of [75Se]BISTAES was studied in guinea pigs. A higher concentration of radioactivity was observed in articular cartilage than in other tissues or organs. A minimal amount of radioactivity was found in the blood, muscle and bone. The compound was excreted rapidly in urine. The target to background ratios were encouraging. [75Se]BISTAES has potential as an articular cartilage imaging agent and further studies in osteoarthritic animals are merited.


Head and neck oncological ablation and reconstruction in the COVID-19 era - our experience to date.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the routine operations of healthcare services across the world. As the potential duration of the pandemic remains uncertain, the need to develop strategies to continue urgent elective services has received increasing attention. A solution adopted in the Kent, Sussex and Surrey area of England has been to create COVID-19-protected cancer hubs. The Queen Victoria Hospital is the designated hub for head and neck cancer services in the area. We report on the evolution of the head and neck cancer care pathway and standard operating protocols put in place and how these have combined both national guidelines and local problem solving. It is hoped that our experience can help guide other centres as they re-establish head and neck cancer services during the ongoing pandemic.


Hereditary spastic paraplegia in Mali: epidemiological and clinical features.
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of neurodegenerative diseases divided into pure and complex forms, with spasticity in lower limbs only, or associated with other neurologic and non-neurologic manifestations, respectively. Although widely reported in other populations, very little data exist in sub-Saharan Africa. Patients with neurodegenerative features were evaluated over a 19-month period at the Department of Neurology, Teaching Hospital of Point "G", Bamako, Mali. The diagnosis of HSP was considered based on family history and the absence of other known non-genetic causes. Genetic analysis including candidate gene and whole exome sequencing was performed and variant pathogenicity was tested using prediction tools and ACMG guidelines. Of the 170 families with hereditary neurological disorders enrolled, 16 had features consistent with HSP, a frequency of 9%. The average age of onset was 14.7 years with 46% starting before age 6. The male/female ratio was 2.6:1. Complex forms were seen in 75% of cases, and pure forms in 25%. Pyramidal findings were present in all patients. Associated features included mental retardation, peripheral neuropathy, epilepsy, oculomotor impairment and urinary urgency. Most patients were treated with a muscle relaxant and physical therapy, and restorative surgery was done in one. Genetic testing identified novel variants in three families (19%). This study confirms the clinical variability of HSPs and adds African data to the current literature.


Portable system of programmable syringe pump with potentiometer for determination of promethazine in pharmaceutical applications.
A simple and fast-automated method was developed and validated for the assay of promethazine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulations, based on the oxidation of promethazine by cerium in an acidic medium. A portable system, consisting of a programmable syringe pump connected to a potentiometer, was constructed. The developed change in potential during promethazine oxidation was monitored. The related optimum working conditions, such as supporting electrolyte concentration, cerium(IV) concentration and flow rate were optimized. The proposed method was successfully applied to pharmaceutical samples as well as synthetic ones. The obtained results were realized by the official British pharmacopoeia (BP) method and comparable results were obtained. The obtained t-value indicates no significant differences between the results of the proposed and BP methods, with the advantages of the proposed method being simple, sensitive and cost effective.


Improvement of dissolution characteristics of psoralen by cyclodextrins complexation.
Psoralen was found to form an inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD), heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DM beta CD) and hepatakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TM beta CD). Phase solubility studies revealed the formation of a 1:1 molar complexes. The stability constant were 663 M-1 for beta CD, 603 M-1 for DM beta CD and 69.6 M-1 for TM beta CD. The formation of complexes in the solid state was confirmed by spectroscopic analyses, X-ray diffractometry and differential thermal data. The solubility and dissolution rate of the complexed forms were improved, particularly for the DM beta CD complex. The strength of binding of psoralen to DNA was not influenced by complexation with cyclodextrins.


Aneurysmal bone cyst mimicking Ewing's sarcoma of the rib.
A cantaloupe-sized intrathoracic tumor destroying the eighth rib with a pleural effusion is ominous. This case of an aneurysmal bone cyst of a rib mimicking a malignant chest wall tumor was both interesting and instructive.


Biosynthesis of MAM-6, an epithelial sialomucin. Evidence for involvement of a rare proteolytic cleavage step in the endoplasmic reticulum.
MAM-6 is a major epithelial sialomucin which is abundantly present at the apical surface of ductal and alveolar cells of normal tissues and on many different carcinoma cells. MAM-6, as defined by monoclonal antibodies, consists of one or two sialylated glycoproteins with apparent molecular masses of over 400 kDa under reducing as well as nonreducing conditions. The mobility and number of glycoproteins immunoprecipitated vary depending on the cell line of origin. We have employed immunoprecipitation techniques to study the biosynthesis and glycosylation of this mucin. The biosynthesis of MAM-6 was studied in the ZR-75-1 breast cancer cell line. Two glycoproteins with apparent molecular masses of approximately 450 and 650 kDa, representing the mature form, were immunoprecipitated. By pulse-chase analysis, we show that the biosynthesis of the 450-kDa glycoprotein proceeded through intermediates of 220, 200, and 500 kDa which became perceptible after 1, 4, and 30 min, respectively. The biosynthesis of the 650-kDa glycoprotein followed a similar course through 380, 350, and 700-kDa intermediates. The processing of the 220- and 350-kDa precursors involves a rare proteolytic cleavage step which occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. The late precursors of 500/700 kDa, observed after 30 min chase, and the mature glycoproteins were generated by extensive O-linked glycosylation. The formation of the 500/700-kDa precursors was not affected by monensin. However, the final step of maturation, sialylation of the 500/700-kDa precursors, could be inhibited by monensin. The extensive O-linked glycosylation causes the apparent high molecular weight as observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Our data on the biosynthesis show that the early MAM-6 precursors contain N-linked glycans, suggesting the presence of N-linked glycans on the mature MAM-6 molecule. Although the copresence of N- and O-linked glycans has been found on many molecules, no N-linked glycans have been reported on mucus glycoproteins previously.


Seed morphology of Hypericum (Hypericaceae) in China and its taxonomic significance.
The seed morphology of 40 taxa within the genus Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from China, representing 9 sections of the genus, was examined using both Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy to evaluate the taxonomic relevance of macro- and micro-morphological features. Details articulating variation in seed size, color, shape, appendages, and seed coat ornamentation are described, illustrated, and compared, and their taxonomic importance is discussed. Seeds were generally brown in color and cylindric-ellipsoid to prolonged cylindric in shape. Seed size displayed wide variation, ranging from 0.37-1.91 mm in length and 0.12-0.75 mm in width. Seed appendages were observed as a characteristic morphological feature. Seed surface ornamentation has high phenotypic plasticity, and four types (reticulate, foveolate, papillose, and ribbed) can be recognized. In general, seed color and shape have limited taxonomic significance. However, some other features represent informative characters that can be used efficiently in distinguishing the studied taxa at the section and/or species levels. The findings illustrate that considerable taxonomic knowledge can be obtained by investigating the seed features of Hypericum, and the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy can reveal inconspicuous morphological affinities among species and play a role in taxonomic and systematic studies of the genus Hypericum. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Macro- and micro-morphological features of seeds of 40 Hypericum taxa from China were examined using Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy, providing the first broad study regarding seed morphology for Hypericum from China. Details and variations of seed size, shape, color, surface ornamentation, and appendages are fully presented. Seed features and their variation have important taxonomic significance at the section and/or species levels within Hypericum.


Emergency department ultrasound and echocardiography.
Bedside sonography has become an important tool in the emergency physician's diagnostic armamentarium. Sonography is useful in the evaluation of a number of conditions, including cholecystitis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and ectopic pregnancy. Applied to the heart, sonography aids in the assessment of pericardial tamponade, electromechanical dissection, pulmonary embolus, and other cardiorespiratory emergencies. Echocardiography also has a role in differentiating patients with cardiac activity from those in ventricular standstill and in estimating central venous pressure. This article reviews these and other clinical applications and the physics of ultrasound, techniques for sonographic evaluation, and the practical aspects of emergency department use, such as strategic placement of the equipment for quick activation and storage of collected data.


Antimicrobial and prebiotic activity of mannoproteins isolated from conventional and nonconventional yeast species-the study on selected microorganisms.
Yeast mannoproteins are proposed as a paraprobiotics with antimicrobial and prebiotic properties. They can be used as biopreservatives in food and in diseases therapies. The knowledge about the specificity and/or capability of their influence on the growth of different microorganism is limited. The study determined the effect of mannoprotein preparations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) ATCC 7090 and nonconventional yeast origin [Metschnikowia reukaufii (M. reukaufii) WLP 4650 and Wickerhamomyces anomalus (W. anomalus) CCY 38-1-13] on the growth of selected bacteria of the genera: Lactobacilllus, Limosilatobacillus, Limosilatobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Proteus and Salmonella. The degree of stimulation or growth inhibition of tested bacteria depended on the type and dose of the mannoprotein and the bacterial strain. The addition of the tested preparations in the entire range of applied concentrations had a positive effect especially on the growth of Lactobacillus arabinosus ATCC 8014 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis B12. Mannoproteins isolated from S. cerevisiae limited the growth of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aureoginosa (P. aureoginosa) ATCC 27853, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 35659 and Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 to the greatest extent, while preparations of M. reukaufii and W. anomalus origin most effectively limited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus strains, E. coli and P. aureoginosa. The growth of Enterococcus faecalis was stimulated by the presence of all studied preparations in most of the concentrations used. Further research will determine how the purification process of studied mannoproteins or oligosaccharide fractions, its structure and composition influence on the growth of selected bacteria and what is the mechanism of its activity.


Egyptian growth hormone deficient patients: demographic, auxological characterization and response to growth hormone therapy.
To study growth response to growth hormone (GH) treatment in growth hormone-deficient (GHD) patients. In total, 477 GHD children were included in the study. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year and up to 6 years, anthropometric assessment was performed every 3 months, while thyroid profile was followed every 6 months. Student's t-test was used for analysis of two quantitative variables. Patients with complete GHD and multiple pituitary hormone deficiency were significantly shorter as expressed in their height standard deviation score (SDS), target height - height (SDS) and a more bone age delay. Patients with complete GHD showed better growth response compared with those with partial GHD in the first 2 years of therapy. We conclude that anthropometric assessment is the cornerstone in GHD diagnosis and follow-up, where catch up growth occurs in the first 2 years of therapy followed by a plateau.


Differences in cold and drought tolerance of high arctic and sub-arctic populations of Megaphorura arctica Tullberg 1876 (Onychiuridae: Collembola).
The springtail Megaphorura arctica (Onychiuridae: Collembola) inhabits the arctic and sub-arctic parts of the northern hemisphere where it on a seasonal basis will be exposed to severe cold and desiccating conditions. In the present study we compared how traits of stress resistance differed between two populations of M. arctica that were collected at a high arctic site (Spitsbergen) and a sub-arctic site (Akureyri, Iceland) with contrasting thermal environments. In addition we investigated how cold and desiccation affected the phospholipid fatty acid composition of M. arctica from Spitsbergen. The springtails from Spitsbergen were the most cold tolerant and this was linked to an almost three times higher level of trehalose accumulation during cryoprotective dehydration (15% and 5% of tissue dry weight in the Spitsbergen and Iceland populations, respectively). Although cryoprotective dehydration is intimately related to desiccation stress it was shown that M. arctica had a higher mortality when dehydrated over ice (-10 or -20 degrees C) than when dehydrated at temperatures above 1 degrees C. Thus, survival was lower after exposure to -10 degrees C than after exposure to a relative humidity of 91.2% RH at +1 degrees C although both treatments led to the same level of dehydration. Exposure to both cold (-10 and -20 degrees C) and desiccation at +1 degrees C caused significant changes in the phospholipid fatty acid composition with some similarities. These changes included a decrease in average chain length of the fatty acids due primarily to an increase in the phospholipid fatty acids 16:0 and a decrease in 18:3 and 20:4 omega6.


Fluorescence guided photothermal/photodynamic ablation of tumours using pH-responsive chlorin e6-conjugated gold nanorods.
Photothermal/photodynamic therapies (PTT/PDT) have been widely accepted as non-invasive therapeutic modalities to erase tumours. However, both therapies face the problem of precisely locating tumours and reducing their side effects. Herein, chlorin e6 conjugated gold nanorod, (Ce6-PEG-AuNR), a type of gold nanorod-photosensitizer conjugate, is designed as a kind of nano-therapeutic agent to simultaneously realize combined PTT/PDT. Compared to free Ce6, the fluorescence of Ce6 adhered to the conjugate is effectively quenched by the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of in the Ce6-PEG-AuNR. However, the specific fluorescence of Ce6 can be recovered in tumour tissue when Ce6 is separated from the conjugate owing to the cleavage of hydrazone bond between Ce6 and PEG caused by intracellular acidic conditions in tumour tissue. Based on this effect, we can precisely locate tumours and further kill cancer cells by combined PTT/PDT. In addition, the combined therapy (PTT/PDT) function is more efficient in cancer treatment than that of PTT or PDT alone. Therefore, Ce6-PEG-AuNR can serve as a promising dual-modal phototherapeutic agent as well as a tumour-sensitive fluorescent probe to diagnose and treat cancer.


Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor deficiency aggravates the course of experimental glomerulonephritis through overactivation of transforming growth factor beta.
Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is the primary inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Whereas PAI-1 is not expressed in normal kidneys, it is strongly induced in glomerular diseases and thus could promote the local accumulation of fibrin. To study the role of PAI-1 in the development of inflammatory glomerular injury, passive antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerulonephritis (GN) was induced in PAI-1 knockout mice and in wild-type mice of the same genetic background. Unexpectedly, PAI-1 deficiency was associated with an early and severe exacerbation of glomerular injury: Infiltration by CD4 T cells, proportion of fibrinous crescents, and renal function impairment were significantly more pronounced in PAI-1 -/- mice. Interestingly, activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)- beta, which is known to be dependent on the PA/plasmin system in vitro, was dramatically enhanced in the kidneys in the absence of PAI-1. Moreover, administration of neutralizing antibodies against TGF-beta significantly attenuated the disease in PAI-1 -/- mice. This suggests that the poor outcome of GN in PAI-1 -/- mice is consecutive to an uncontrolled activation of TGF-beta and confers PAI-1 with a new, immunomodulatory role.


Quantification of muscle strength and imbalance in neurogenic pes cavus, compared to health controls, using hand-held dynamometry.
Pes cavus foot deformity in neuromuscular disease is thought to be related to an imbalance of musculature around the foot and ankle. The most common cause of neurogenic pes cavus is Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. The aim of this investigation was to objectively quantify muscle strength and imbalance using hand-held dynamometry in patients diagnosed with CMT and pes cavus, compared to healthy controls. Muscles responsible for inversion, eversion, plantarflexion, and dorsiflexion of the foot and ankle were measured in 55 subjects (11 CMT patients with a frank pes cavus, and 44 healthy controls with normal feet) using the Nicholas hand-held dynamometer (HHD). Test-retest reliability of the HHD procedure also was determined for each of the four muscle groups in the healthy controls. Test-retest reliability of the HHD procedure was excellent (ICC3,1 = 0.88 to 0.95) and the measurement error was low (SEM = 0.3 to 0.7 kg). Patients with CMT were significantly weaker than normal for all foot and ankle muscle groups tested (p < 0.001). Strength ratios of inversion-to-eversion and plantarflexion-to-dorsiflexion were significantly higher in the patients with CMT and pes cavus compared to individuals with normal foot types (p > 0.01). Hand-held dynamometry is an objective and reliable instrument to measure muscle strength and imbalance in patients with CMT and a pes cavus foot deformity.


Rapid and estrogen receptor beta mediated actions in the hippocampus mediate some functional effects of estrogen.
The steroid hormone, estradiol (E(2)), has numerous targets in the central nervous system, including the hippocampus, which plays a key role in cognition and affective behavior. This review focuses on our evidence from studies in rodents that E(2) has diverse mechanisms in the hippocampus for its functional effects. E(2) has rapid, membrane-mediated effects in the hippocampus to enhance cognitive performance. Administration of E(2) to the hippocampus of rats for 10 min following training enhances performance in a hippocampus-mediated task. Increased cell firing in the hippocampus occurs within this short-time frame. Furthermore, administration of free E(2) or an E(2) conjugate, E(2):bovine serum albumin (BSA), to the hippocampus produces similar performance-enhancing effects in this task, suggesting that E(2) has membrane actions in the hippocampus for these effects. Further evidence that E(2) has rapid, membrane-mediated effects is that co-administration of E(2) and inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), rather than intracellular E(2) receptors (ERs) or protein synthesis, attenuate the enhancing effects of E(2) in this task. Despite these data that demonstrate E(2) can have rapid and/or membrane-mediated effects in the hippocampus, there is clear evidence to suggest that intracellular ERs, particularly the beta (rather than alpha) isoform of ERs, may be important targets for E(2)'s functional effects for hippocampal processes. Administration of ligands that are specific for ERbeta, but not ERalpha, have enhancing effects on hippocampal processes similar to that of E(2) (which has similar affinity for ERalpha and ERbeta). These effects are attenuated when ERbeta expression is knocked down in transgenic models or with central administration of antisense oligonucleotides. Thus, there may be a convergence of E(2)'s actions through rapid, membrane-mediated effects and intracellular ERs in the hippocampus for these functional effects.


Diagnosing Bacterial Infection in the era of Pandemic: A Case Report.
In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic era, physicians' clinical decision-making is often distorted. A man in his 60s presented with an already-subsided cough and anxiety about COVID-19. The physician was influenced by the patient's anxiety and stuck to exclusion of COVID-19. The patient was finally diagnosed with sepsis caused by obstructive pyelonephritis. The key point for diagnosis was physicians' awareness that the patient took slow and heavy steps. To confront the challenge of making an appropriate diagnosis of bacterial infection in the era of COVID-19, physicians should be aware of diagnostic biases and watch patients' general appearance closely.


10th Anniversary of Biomedicines-Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are non-specialized adult stem cells (ASCs), cells that reproduce to provide specific cytotypes [...].


Enhanced removal of neonicotinoid pesticides present in the Decision 2018/840/EU by new sewage sludge-based carbon materials.
Due to the increasingly strict legislation about the disposal of sewage sludge, it is necessary to find sustainable solutions to manage this waste at low-cost conditions. In addition, priority contaminants are now attracting much attention since they are usually detected in WWTP effluents. In this work, five sludge have been used as precursors for the synthesis of activated carbons subsequently tested in the removal by adsorption of three neonicotinoid pesticides listed in the EU Watch List: acetamiprid (ACT), thiamethoxam (THM), and imidacloprid (IMD). Generally, the activated carbons were prepared by chemical activation using ZnCl2 as an activating agent and then the resulting materials were pyrolyzed at 800 °C for 2 h. The synthesized activated carbons showed different textural properties; thus, the best adsorption results were found for AC-Industrial activated carbon, obtained from an industrial origin sewage sludge, with high equilibrium adsorption capacities (qe = 104.2, 137.0, and 119.9 mg g-1), for ACT, THM, and IMD, respectively. Furthermore, it was elucidated that the use of CO2 in the synthesis generated an opening, followed by widening, of the narrowest microporosity, increasing the specific surface area of the carbon materials. The kinetic and isotherm adsorption experimental data were obtained for each of the pesticide-activated carbon systems; thus, the kinetic curves were well-fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, as well as, Freundlich and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) empirical models were used for the fitting of the equilibrium adsorption isotherms, finding that GAB model best fitted the experimental data. Additionally, the regeneration of the activated carbons using methanol as a regenerating agent and the single and simultaneous adsorption of a hospital wastewater effluent, fortified with the three studied pesticides have been explored.


Hollow porous cobalt oxide nanobox as an enhanced for activating monopersulfate to degrade 2-hydroxybenzoic acid in water.
As 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) represents a typical pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP), constant releasing of HBA into the environment poses threats to the ecology, and thus it is critical to develop effective techniques to remove HBA from water. Recently, sulfate radical (SO4‒)-based advanced oxidation processes involved with monopersulfate (MPS) activation are proven as effective approaches for eliminating PPCPs from water, and Co3O4 is recognized as a capable catalyst for activating MPS. Therefore, great interests have arisen to develop Co3O4-based catalysts with advantageous morphologies and characteristics for enhancing catalytic activities. Therefore, a special Co3O4-based material is proposed in this work. Through a surfactant-assisted strategy, a cubic Co-MOF is prepared and used as a precursor, which is etched to afford hollow structure, and then transformed into hollow porous Co3O4 nanobox (PCNB). PCNB can exhibit distinct reactive surface with abundant surface oxygen vacancy as well as physical properties in comparison to the commercial Co3O4 NPs (com-Co3O4 NP), thereby leading to the outstanding catalytic activity of PCNB for activating MPS to degrade HBA. The activation energy (Ea) of 46.2 kJ/mol is also calculated using PCNB + MPS system, which is much lower than most of recent reported studies for activating MPS. PCNB could be also reusable over 5 consecutive HBA degradation cycles. The activation mechanism of MPS by PCNB and HBA degradation pathway are also comprehensively elucidated via experimental evidences and the theoretical calculation to offer insightful information of development of Co3O4 for HBA degradation.


Molecular gas in the halo fuels the growth of a massive cluster galaxy at high redshift.
The largest galaxies in the universe reside in galaxy clusters. Using sensitive observations of carbon monoxide, we show that the Spiderweb galaxy-a massive galaxy in a distant protocluster-is forming from a large reservoir of molecular gas. Most of this molecular gas lies between the protocluster galaxies and has low velocity dispersion, indicating that it is part of an enriched intergalactic medium. This may constitute the reservoir of gas that fuels the widespread star formation seen in earlier ultraviolet observations of the Spiderweb galaxy. Our results support the notion that giant galaxies in clusters formed from extended regions of recycled gas at high redshift.


The daily dietary intake of ochratoxin a - Results of a duplicate portion study with Bavarian schoolchildren.
The daily dietary intakes of ochratoxin A (OTA) were estimated for 28 school-children at the age of seven and eight years using duplicate portions of the total diets collected on three successive days. For most children and collection days the dietary OTA intakes were below the PTDI-value of 5 ng/kg bw/day. The mean dietary intake was 1.52 ng/kg bw/day for all children. According to sex the mean intakes were 1.21 ng/kg bw/day for boys and 1.83 ng/kg bw/day for girls.


Is there a role for screening by cervicography in Australia?
A review of published studies that have evaluated cervicography as a screening-test for the presence of cervical cancer is presented. Significant problems with the use of cervicography at a population level can be anticipated, in particular, a high proportion of women with uninterpretable test-results and an unacceptably-low positive predictive value. Colposcopy was unable to distinguish adequately the true status of many women with suspicious cervicograms; half the women with a cervicogram that was suggestive of cancer and an abnormal result by colposcopy had normal or benign histological findings. The impact of cervicography on the morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer is unproved. On current evidence, cervicography would not appear to be suitable for use as a screening-test, either as a replacement for, or as a supplement to, the Papanicolaou smear-test.


Neuroretinal dysfunction revealed by a flicker electroretinogram correlated with peripheral nerve dysfunction and parameters of atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes.
Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) develops in the early stage of diabetes. However, no common diagnostic protocol has yet been established. Here, to verify that the flicker electroretinogram using a hand-held device can detect the early dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system in patients with diabetes, we investigated the correlation between the progression of DPN and neuroretinal dysfunction. In total, 184 participants with type 1 or 2 diabetes underwent a flicker electroretinogram (ERG) using a hand-held device RETeval™ and nerve conduction study. Participants were also evaluated for intima-media thickness, ankle-brachial index, toe brachial index and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Parameters of the nerve conduction study were used to diagnose the severity according to Baba's classification. A multiple regression analysis was used to examine the associations of ERG parameters with the severity of DPN categorized by Baba's classification. Diagnostic properties of the device in DPN were evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. A multiple regression model to predict the severity of DPN was generated using ERG. In the model, moderate-to-severe DPN was effectively diagnosed (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.692, sensitivity 56.5%, specificity 78.3%, positive predictive value 70.6%, negative predictive value 66.1%, positive likelihood ratio 2.60, negative likelihood ratio 0.56). In the patients without diabetic retinopathy, the implicit time and amplitude in ERG significantly correlated with the parameters of the nerve conduction study, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and intima-media thickness. Electroretinogram parameters obtained by the hand-held device successfully predict the severity of DPN. The device might be useful to evaluate DPN.


Incidence of HIV risk and prevention of infection in health care settings.
Tht HIV epidemic has created awareness about blood borne pathogens transmission in health care settings. Although, the risk of transmission of HIV and other blood borne pathogen may account for a very small proportion, yet the potential for such transmission always exists. Despite this, the use of proper and careful sterile procedures is sufficient to substantially reduce or even eliminate the risk of HIV infection.


Gender-Related Differences in Atrial Substrate in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.
Gender-related differences have been reported in patients who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Atrial substrate plays a role in the outcomes after ablation but gender-related differences in atrial substrate have never been described in detail. We sought to analyze gender-related differences in atrial remodeling (spontaneous low-voltage zones [LVZs]) and their clinical relevance after PVI. We conducted a prospective multicenter study, including consecutive patients who underwent first PVI-only atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. LVZs were analyzed on high-density electroanatomical maps collected with multipolar catheter, before PVI. In total, 262 patients (61 ± 11 years, 31% female, 50% persistent AF) were followed for 28 months. In women, LVZs were larger (10% vs 4% of left atrial surface [p <0.001]) and female gender was independently associated with fourfold higher risk of having advanced (LVZ > 15%) atrial remodeling (odds ratio 4.56, p <0.001). AF recurrence-free survival was not different between men and women (log-rank p = 0.2). Although LVZs were independently associated higher AF recurrences at multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.2, p = 0.038), female gender was not (HR 1.4, p = 0.211). Specifically, the LVZ cutoff to predict outcomes was different in men and women: >5% in men (HR 3.0, p <0.001), >15% in women (HR 2.7, p = 0.02). In conclusion, women have more widespread LVZ in all left atrial regions. Despite more extensive atrial remodeling, the AF recurrence rate is similar in men and women, and LVZs become prognostic in women only at high burden (>15%). LVZs seem to have a different prognostic role in men and women.


Successful reintroduction of valproic acid after the occurrence of pancytopenia.
Valproic acid is associated with a variety of hematologic abnormalities, most commonly thrombocytopenia. Pancytopenia is much less common and potentially much more serious. Little is known about the natural course of valproate-induced pancytopenia. We present a patient who developed pancytopenia while taking valproic acid for bipolar illness. After failing to respond to several other mood stabilizers, valproic acid was cautiously reintroduced with close hematologic monitoring. The pancytopenia has not recurred in the past 6 months. Pancytopenia may not represent an absolute contraindication to continuing valproate therapy, although caution is warranted.


Beneficial clinical effect of very early enalapril treatment in patients with acute left ventricular failure complicating myocardial infarction.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) leads to left ventricular dysfunction, the extent of which predicts mortality. We studied the effect of very early enalapril treatment in patients with left ventricular failure (Killip classification II-III) resulting from AMI. In a double-blind randomized trial, patients on conventional treatment were started on placebo (PL, n = 15) or 2.5 mg enalapril (EN, n = 15) twice daily as early as 24 to 30 h after AMI and were followed up over a period of 21 days. One patient died in each treatment group. There were three dropouts in the placebo group (progressive heart failure requiring antiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition) and one dropout in the enalapril group (malignant ventricular arrhythmias). Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and norepinephrine decreased similarly in both groups from elevated baseline concentrations. The patients with the highest baseline ANP levels died in both groups: EN: 579 fmol/ml (mean 65.3 +/- 34.4 fmol/ml), PL: 403 fmol/ml (mean 63.5 +/- 37.6 fmol/ml). Killip classification improved in 9 of 13 patients on enalapril but only in 5 of 11 patients on placebo. On echocardiography an increase in fractional shortening (FS) (3.2 +/- 7.5%, p < 0.05) was found with enalapril only. Patients on placebo required more diuretics, and plasma aldosterone increased threefold. Thus, very early enalapril treatment may help prevent left ventricular failure after AMI. Extremely high initial plasma ANP concentrations may predict an unfavorable outcome.


Tacrolimus trough-level variability predicts long-term allograft survival following kidney transplantation.
The purpose of this study is to investigate tacrolimus trough-level variability from 3 to 12 months following transplantation and its association with allograft survival in renal transplant recipients. In this observational cohort study, tacrolimus trough-level variability was used as the predictor of all-cause allograft failure (defined as return to dialysis) and patient survival (all-cause mortality). In total, 394 transplants were included in the analysis. Sixty-two transplants failed during the study. Tacrolimus trough-level variability across quartile groups were: Q1 median variability 12.5 %, range 4.76-15.71 % (n = 99), Q2 median variability 18.17 %, range 15.74-21.29 % (n = 96), Q3 median variability 24.63 % range 21.42-28.88 % (n = 100), Q4 median variability 36.91 %, range 28.91-81.9 % (n = 99). Higher tacrolimus trough-level variability was associated with inferior allograft survival in univariate models [hazard ratio per quartile increase (HR), 1.46, 95 % CI 1.16-1.83, p value = 0.001] and multivariate models (HR 1.36, 95 % CI 1.05-1.78, p value = 0.019). Higher tacrolimus trough-level variability was not associated with patient survival; univariate model (HR 1.25, 95 % CI 0.90-1.74, p value = 0.17), multivariate model (HR 1.25, 95 % CI 0.86-1.83, p value = 0.23). Inferior renal allograft survival was observed in recipients with higher variability in tacrolimus trough-levels.


Comparison of two algorithms to confirm and discriminate samples initially reactive for nucleic acid amplification tests.
Blood centers in India have published individual donor nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) data based on an algorithm (Algorithm A) where serologically negative, NAT reactive sample was subsequently tested with discriminatory NAT (d-NAT), and on the basis of d-NAT, initial reactive samples were classified as "NAT yield" or inconclusive. We followed Algorithm B based on replicate testing and Ultrio Plus assay and compared the results with Algorithm A with Ultrio assay. Results of ID-NAT using two algorithms were analyzed. A total of 88,583 (31,844 with Algorithm A and 56,739 with Algorithm B) samples were tested. Among serology nonreactive donations, NAT inconclusive results came down from 95.2% in Algorithm A to 73.1% in Algorithm B (P = 0.0001). Discriminated yield (DY) rate went up from 4.7% in Algorithm A to 21.9% in Algorithm B (P = 0.001). The study data suggest that replicate testing strategy and Ultrio Plus reduce the number of "inconclusive results" seen with earlier commonly used algorithm. We recommend a replicate testing strategy in ID-NAT testing since it will increase the DY and will eliminate the unnecessary discriminatory tests.


Detection and quantification of Shiga toxin-encoding genes in sheep faeces by real-time PCR.
Sheep faeces may be an important source of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli. We have, therefore, established and evaluated a real-time 5'-nuclease PCR assay to quantify the stx(1) and stx(2) genes in sheep faeces. The detection limit of our assay for both stx(1) and stx(2) in spiked samples corresponded to 10(2)--10(3)CFU/g, which is lower than for other assays for measuring these genes in faecal samples. Quantification values for our assay ranged from 10(2) to 10(7)CFU/g faeces. The assay was evaluated on native, un-spiked faeces. All sheep tested (n=7) shed stx(1), and the quantitative results corresponded to the gene copies in 10(3)--10(4)CFU/g. The level of stx(2), however, was below the quantitative detection limit in all the samples analyzed. This quantitative stx(1) and stx(2) assay may be important in assessing whether sheep harbouring Shiga toxin-producing bacteria represent a potential hazard to human health.


A Population-Based Study of Unfavorable Prognostic Factors Associated With Pyogenic Liver Abscess.
Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a rare entity that is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Our objective was to investigate variables associated with mortality and subsequent PLA in patients diagnosed with PLA in southern Sweden. We conducted a population-based observational study comprising all episodes of PLA that occurred between 2011 and 2020 in the county of Skåne, southern Sweden. The primary outcome was defined as all-cause 90-day mortality and the secondary outcome was defined as the occurrence of a subsequent PLA. A total of 452 episodes of PLA occurred in 360 patients during the study period. The 90-day mortality rate was 16% (n = 58) and the subsequent PLA rate was 20% (n = 92). In a multivariable logistic regression model, female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.0 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.1-3.9]), malignancy (OR, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.9-7.1]), liver failure (OR, 6.3 [95% CI, 2.7-14.5]), and polymicrobial findings (OR, 3.8 [95% CI, 2.2-6.9]) were associated with death within 90 days (P < .05). Male sex (OR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.2-3.6]), malignancy (OR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.3-3.6]), age (64-74 years: OR, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.3-4.8]), and chronic liver disease (OR, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.4-6.5]) were associated with the risk of subsequent PLA (P ≤ .01). Identifying different clinical variables associated with an unfavorable outcome may improve the management and treatment of patients with PLA and thus prevent the risk of death and subsequent PLA.


Partner choice in genito-genital rubbing among female bonobos (Pan paniscus) is highly dependent on physical proximity.
Sociosexual interactions of non-human primates have multiple functions, and information on partner choice could help us to determine the major purpose of these behaviors. Female bonobos (Pan paniscus) frequently engage in genito-genital (GG) rubbing, which is categorized as a sociosexual behavior. The functions of GG rubbing may vary across allopatric bonobo populations, especially in relation to its use in social bonding. Thus, we aimed to examine the use of GG rubbing in the formation and maintenance of social bonds by examining partner choice in this context in the habituated bonobo population at Wamba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We examined the effect of female age (and correlated dominance rank) on the proportion of solicited GG rubbing, and the effects of age difference, proximity index, and grooming index on the successful GG rubbing occurrences. Our results showed that female age significantly affected the proportion of solicited GG rubbing, indicating that older and higher-ranking females solicited this activity more frequently. Individuals of female-female dyads who were close in age and dominance rank frequently engaged in GG rubbing. The more the females in a dyad were in physical proximity, the more they engaged in GG rubbing. No correlation was observed between grooming and GG rubbing. These results indicate that partner choice in GG rubbing is highly dependent on physical proximity, and suggest that characteristics of female gregariousness might be important with respect to this choice among bonobos.


[Status of the gonadotropic function of the pituitary gland in the late periods after induced abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy].
Follicle-stimulating, luteinizing hormone and prolactin secretion has been evaluated with a radioimmunoassay at less than or equal to 5 years following a first-trimester abortion. Pituitary prolactin secretion was found to be most affected by abortion (96% of observations).


The first evidence for SLFN11 expression as an independent prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer after chemoradiotherapy.
Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) was recently identified as a dominant determinant of sensitivity to DNA-targeting agents including platinum-based drugs. SLFN11 also reportedly enhances cellular radiosensitivity. In this study, we examined the prognostic value of SLFN11 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT), including the platinum derivative nedaplatin. Seventy-three patients with ESCC who received dCRT were examined. SLFN11 expression was analyzed in pre-dCRT biopsies using immunohistochemistry and evaluated using a histo-score (H-score). Correlation between the H-score and overall survival was analyzed. An H-score ≥ 51 was provisionally defined as indicating high SLFN11 expression. Viability assays were performed using previously established isogenic human cell lines differentially expressing SLFN11 to test the usefulness of SLFN11 as marker of response to the dCRT regimen. High SLFN11 expression was independently associated with better prognosis in ESCC patients (hazard ratio = 0.295, 95% CI = 0.143-0.605, p = 0.001 for multivariate analysis). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the prognostic value of high SLFN11 expression was most evident in patients at clinical stages II and III (p = 0.004). In in vitro study, SLFN11-proficient cells were highly sensitive to platinum derivatives compared to SLFN11-deficient cells. SLFN11 expression is an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients treated with dCRT and a potential biomarker for treatment selection of ESCC. Examination of SLFN11 may be particularly useful for clinical Stage II-III patients who wish to choose dCRT (instead of surgery) to preserve esophageal function.


Investigations of anabolic drug abuse in athletics and cattle feed. II. Specific determination of methandienone (Dianabol) in urine in nanogram amounts.
A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of the free excreted anabolic drug methandienone in pharmacokinetic studies is described. After extraction of the free steroids from urine, separation on reversed-phase columns leads to quantitative determination of this drug down to 5 ng, and to qualitative detection of less than 1 ng amounts. Because the anabolic drugs and their metabolites are eluted later than the other normally excreted constituents this method is also useful for the routine surveillance of anabolic drug abuse in the sports in general.


Sn7 Br10 S2 : The First Ternary Halogen-Rich Chalcohalide Exhibiting a Chiral Structure and Pronounced Nonlinear Optical Properties.
Infrared nonlinear optical (IR NLO) materials are significant in laser technology for civil and military uses. Here, we report the synthesis, structural chemistry and NLO properties of a halogen-rich chalcohalide Sn7 Br10 S2 . Its noncentrosymmetric (NCS, P63 ) structure can be considered as partially aliovalent anion substitution of SnBr2 (P63 /m) induced centrosymmetric (CS) to NCS structural transformation. The 3D ∞ [Sn(1)6 Sn(2)6 Br6 X6 ]6- (X=Br/S) channel framework consists of Sn(1)BrX2 and Sn(2)X3 trigonal pyramids. It exhibits excellent NLO performance, including a strong phase-matchable NLO response of 1.5 × AgGaS2 and high laser-induced damage threshold of 6.3 × AgGaS2 .Investigation of the structure-NLO performance relationship confirms that the effective arrangement of Sn(1)BrX2 and Sn(2)X3 units predominantly contributes to the large SHG response. These results indicate Sn7 Br10 S2 is a potential IR NLO candidate and provides a new feasible system for promising NLO materials.


Occupational therapists prefer combining multiple intervention approaches for children with learning difficulties.
Research to date has not fully explored how occupational therapists provide intervention for children with learning difficulties in their day-to-day practice. The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth description of the approaches and techniques used and how they are applied and combined to meet the complex and multifaceted needs of these children. In-depth interviews and short questionnaires were completed by seven occupational therapists who had provided intervention to children with learning difficulties. Observations of therapy sessions were also conducted. Thematic analysis gained insight into the approaches and techniques therapists used and how these were applied in practice. Therapists use a wide range of approaches in various combinations because they feel that these best meet the needs of individual children. Sensory-based and cognitive approaches were most frequently drawn from and combined with other approaches such as visual information analysis, biomechanical and psychosocial approaches added for particular purposes. Approaches were usually combined simultaneously within an activity or session. Therapists create their own 'multimodel' approach in order to best meet the needs of their clients. They are able to articulate the theoretical basis behind these choices, although lack of clarity exists about the frames of reference being used.


Adrenomedullin regulation by thyroid hormone in the rat.
To investigate the effect of thyroid hormone on adrenomedullin (AM) changes during hyper- and hypothyroid states, we evaluated plasma AM concentrations and AM mRNA levels in lung tissue from hyper- and hypothyroid rats. AM peptide concentrations were significantly higher in plasma from hyperthyroid rats and lower in plasma from hypothyroid rats compared with control rats. AM mRNA transcripts were significantly increased in lung tissue from hyperthyroid rats and significantly decreased in lung tissue from hypothyroid rats compared with normal rats. These changes are paralleled alterations in AM production in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells, in which AM is regulated at the transcriptional level by thyroid hormone. Thus, thyroid hormone positively regulates AM production in vivo.


Adaptation of the communicative brain to post-lingual deafness. Evidence from functional imaging.
Not having access to one sense profoundly modifies our interactions with the environment, in turn producing changes in brain organization. Deafness and its rehabilitation by cochlear implantation offer a unique model of brain adaptation during sensory deprivation and recovery. Functional imaging allows the study of brain plasticity as a function of the times of deafness and implantation. Even long after the end of the sensitive period for auditory brain physiological maturation, some plasticity may be observed. In this way the mature brain that becomes deaf after language acquisition can adapt to its modified sensory inputs. Oral communication difficulties induced by post-lingual deafness shape cortical reorganization of brain networks already specialized for processing oral language. Left hemisphere language specialization tends to be more preserved than functions of the right hemisphere. We hypothesize that the right hemisphere offers cognitive resources re-purposed to palliate difficulties in left hemisphere speech processing due to sensory and auditory memory degradation. If cochlear implantation is considered, this reorganization during deafness may influence speech understanding outcomes positively or negatively. Understanding brain plasticity during post-lingual deafness should thus inform the development of cognitive rehabilitation, which promotes positive reorganization of the brain networks that process oral language before surgery. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human Auditory Neuroimaging.


[Intracameral cefuroxime injections in prophylaxis of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery: implementation and results].
The European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS) endophthalmitis study demonstrated a significant decrease in the rates of postoperative endophthalmitis with the use of intracameral cefuroxime during cataract surgery. We report the organization of the implementation of this procedure in our departments and our results after 2 years. All patients operated on for cataract between January 2007 and December 2008 in the ophthalmology departments of the Pellegrin University Hospital in Bordeaux and Lariboisiere University Hospital in Paris received an intracameral injection of cefuroxime at the end of the surgery. The cefuroxime was prepared in ready-for-use syringes by the hospital's central pharmacy. A convenient method of preparation and conditioning cefuroxime with stable preservation lasting longer than 1 week was set up in our hospitals. Between January 2007 and December 2008, out of 3316 patients who had a cataract surgery, two presented an endophthalmitis (0.06%). The intracameral cefuroxime injection at the end of the cataract surgery is a means to consider to prevent endophthalmitis. It can be implemented as a part of regular practice with appropriate preparation rules. The major barrier to its further use appears to be the lack of a commercially available preformulated preparation.