Bax gene expression alters Ca(2+) signal transduction without affecting apoptosis in an epithelial cell line.
Bax is an oncogene that has proapoptotic properties but not all cells that express Bax undergo apoptosis. Bax may have a function unrelated to apoptosis. To elucidate the role of Bax in cell signaling, an epithelial cell line called SMG-C6 was transfected with the human bax gene. Stable transfectants were studied for their response to carbachol, a muscarinic receptor agonist, by measuring the increase in intracellular free Ca(2+) and Ca(2+) influx. Carbachol-mediated release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores was significantly higher in Bax transfectants compared to control transfectants (empty vector). Ca(2+) influx was also increased in Bax transfectants. Bax had no affect on the storage operated channels. However, the concentration of Ca(2+) in the intracellular stores (i.e., mitochondria and granules) was 40-50% lower in the Bax transfectants. There was no significant difference in thapsigargin-mediated apoptosis in Bax transfectants compared to wild-type and control transfectants. Measurement of glutathione was reduced in the Bax transfectant. Restoration of glutathione levels with glutathione monoethyl ester partially normalized Ca(2+) mobilization and storage capacity in the mitochondria to control levels. This study shows that sub-apoptotic levels of Bax can reduce Ca(2+) content in intracellular stores and Ca(2+) homeostasis. Bax may mediate these effects by reducing the levels of antioxidants resulting in mild oxidative stress.


[Progression of Paget's disease of the spine 10 years following posterolateral spondylodesis].
M. Paget is regarded as a disease confined to the bone. Its chief characteristics are increased bone metabolism with accelerated bone reduction and precipitate bone reconstruction. One of the most common sites of the disease is the lumbar spine. Encroachment of Paget's disease from the third lumbar body to the neighbouring spinal structures is described 10 years after a lumbar spondylodesis.


Tuberculosis treatment outcome and its determinants in a tertiary care setting in south-eastern Nigeria.
To evaluate tuberculosis treatment outcomes in a Nigerian tertiary-care setting and to identify factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcome. Retrospective audit of tuberculosis patients registered for treatment from January 2006 to December 2010 at Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki, Nigeria. Six treatment outcome criteria were assessed based on guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Analysis was conducted using SPSS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify independent predictors for unsuccessful treatment outcome and statistical significance was taken as P <0.05. A total of 671 patients (55% male, 45% female) with a mean age of 36.4 years were registered for treatment; 147 (22%) were smear-positive, 270 (40%) smear-negative and 254 (38%) had extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Also, 189 (28.2%) of them were HIV positive and; 341 (51%) lived in a rural area. Overall, 387 patients (57.7%) had a successful treatment outcome and 284 (42.3%) had an unsuccessful treatment outcome. Of the patients with unsuccessful treatment outcome, 192 (67.6%) had defaulted, 55 (19.4%) had died, 3 (1%) had treatment failure and 34 (12%) were transferred-out. Nil significant change in trend of treatment success over the study period [P = 0.75 for trend]. In multivariable analysis, unsuccessful treatment was associated with older age (aOR = 2.3), rural residence (aOR = 2.1), smear negative PTB (aOR=1.6), being on retreatment (aOR 3.8), and HIV seropositivity (aOR=1.7). Treatment success rate was poor; targeted measures should be considered to improve treatment success among identified high-risk groups.


Anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic acids punicalagin and curcumin in human placenta and adipose tissue.
The world is witnessing a steady rise in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), correlated with the current obesity epidemic. Both GDM and obesity negatively impact both the health of women but also that of the next generation. GDM and maternal obesity are associated with increased maternal and fetal inflammation and oxidative stress. A safe and effective intervention that can prevent these pathological features, and reduce the intergenerational burden, is required. Phenolic acids, such as punicalagin and curcumin, possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of punicalagin and curcumin on pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and antioxidant expression in an in vitro model of inflammation. Human placenta, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) explants were obtained at term elective Caesarean section and stimulated with TNF alpha (TNF). We found that punicalagin and curcumin significantly supressed TNF-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL1A, IL1B, and IL6) and chemokine (CCL2-4, CXCL1, CXCL5 and CXCL8) expression in human placenta, VAT and SAT. Anti-inflammatory cytokine IL4 and IL13 mRNA expression was also upregulated by punicalagin and curcumin treatment in placenta, VAT and SAT. Punicalagin and curcumin also altered antioxidant (SOD2 and catalase) mRNA expression in placenta, VAT and SAT, with minimal effect on hydrogen peroxide concentrations in tissue lysates. These findings suggest that the phenolic acids punicalagin and curcumin possess potent anti-inflammatory capabilities in in vitro human models of inflammation. Further studies are warranted to determine their suitability as therapeutic interventions for pro-inflammatory gestational complications, including GDM and maternal obesity.


Cortisol response to synacthen stimulation is attenuated following abusive head trauma.
Child abuse and other early-life environmental stressors are known to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We sought to compare synacthen-stimulated cortisol responses in children who suffered inflicted or accidental traumatic brain injury (TBI). Children with a history of early-childhood TBI were recruited from the Starship Children's Hospital database (Auckland, New Zealand, 1992-2010). All underwent a low-dose ACTH(1-24) (synacthen 1 μg IV) test, and serum cortisol response was compared between inflicted (TBI(I) ) and accidental (TBI(A) ) groups. We assessed 64 children with TBI(I) and 134 with TBI(A) . Boys were more likely than girls to suffer accidental (P < 0·001), but not inflicted TBI. TBI(I) children displayed a 14% reduction in peak stimulated cortisol in comparison with the TBI(A) group (P < 0·001), as well as reduced cortisol responses at + 30 (P < 0·01) and + 60 min (P < 0·001). Importantly, these differences were not associated with severity of injury. The odds ratio of TBI(I) children having a mother who suffered domestic violence during pregnancy was 6·2 times that of the TBI(A) group (P < 0·001). However, reported domestic violence during pregnancy or placement of child in foster care did not appear to affect cortisol responses. Synacthen-stimulated cortisol response is attenuated following inflicted TBI in early childhood. This may reflect chronic exposure to environmental stress as opposed to pituitary injury or early-life programming.


Adhesion of Porphyromonas gingivalis to cultured pocket epithelium: mono- and multi-layered.
Adhesion of bacteria to epithelial cells might be influenced by the degree of cell differentiation, as observed in the multi-layering process of epithelial cells. In the present study, the adhesion of a large group of clinical Porphyromonas gingivalis strains (n=11) to in vitro cultured mono- and multi-layers of epithelial cells was examined and compared. The tissue samples originated from 6 patients with chronic adult periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria adhered more to mono-layers as opposed to the more differentiated multi-layers. Differences between the clinical P. gingivalis strains, however, became obvious only on multi-layers. These partially differentiated cells may also better represent the individual subject variations. Mono-layer cultures, which are simpler to obtain, seem to be less precise. The importance of cell differentiation on bacterial adhesion needs more attention.


Diagnostic performance of CT in detection of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Although ultrasound (US) is a standard modality for the assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with thyroid cancer, there is an increasing trend in the number of articles describing the use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes and to identify the parameters responsible for heterogeneity in diagnostic performance. Ovid-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to May 22, 2018, for studies on the diagnostic performance of CT. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of all studies were calculated. In addition, subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to evaluate factors responsible for heterogeneity. Seventeen (6378 patients, 11,590 lymph nodes) studies were included. The pooled sensitivity was 55% (95% CI, 47-63%), and the pooled specificity was 87% (95% CI, 90-95%). Higgins I2 statistic demonstrated substantial heterogeneity in the sensitivity (I2 = 96.3%) and specificity (I2 = 93.8%). In a per-neck level subgroup analysis, the Higgins I2 statistic demonstrated reduced heterogeneity in both sensitivity and specificity. In the meta-regression analysis, variation in the CT protocols, such as contrast amount, scan phase, and reconstruction slice thickness, was a statistically significant factor causing heterogeneity. CT demonstrated acceptable diagnostic performance in the pre- and postoperative diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer. Variation in the CT protocols was a main factor causing heterogeneity among the included studies. • The role of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) needs to be reassessed. • CT demonstrated acceptable diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer in the meta-analysis. • Variation in the CT protocols was a main factor causing heterogeneity in the meta-regression analysis.


Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Pet Rabbit Mammary Carcinomas: A Study with Relevance to Comparative Pathology.
Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) serve as prognostic biomarker in human breast cancer. Rabbits have the potential to act as animal model for human breast cancer, and close similarities exist between the rabbit and human immune system. The aim of this study is to characterize TILs in pet rabbit mammary carcinomas and to statistically correlate results with histological and immunohistochemical tumor characteristics. Microscopic evaluation of TILs was performed in hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of 107 rabbit mammary carcinomas according to international guidelines for human breast cancer. Data on histological features of malignancy, estrogen and progesterone receptor status and calponin expression were obtained from the data base. This study revealed a statistical association between stromal TILs in the central tumor (CT) and infiltrative margin. Higher maximal percentages of stromal TILs at the CT were statistically correlated with decreased mitotic count and lower tumor grade. An increased number of calponin positive tumor cells was statistically associated with a lower mitotic count and a higher percentage of stromal TILs. Results suggest that higher percentages of stromal TILs are useful biomarkers that may point toward a favorable prognosis in rabbit mammary carcinomas and support the concept of the use of rabbits for translational research.


Canopy interaction with precipitation and sulphur deposition in two boreal forests of Quebec, Canada.
The interaction of atmospheric sulphur (S) was investigated within the canopies of two boreal forests in Québec, Canada. The net canopy exchange approach, i.e. the difference between S-SO(4) in throughfall and precipitation, suggests high proportion of dry deposition in winter (up to 53%) as compared to summer (1-9%). However, a 3.5‰ decrease in δ(18)O-SO(4) throughfall in summer compared to incident precipitation points towards a much larger proportion of dry deposition during the warm season. We suggest that a significant fraction of dry deposition (about 1.2 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), representing 30-40% of annual wet S deposition) which contributed to the decreased δ(18)O-SO(4) in throughfall was taken up by the canopy. Overall, these results showed that, contrary to what is commonly considered, S interchanges in the canopy could be important in boreal forests with low absolute atmospheric S depositions.


Mechanism of Ultrafast Photodecay in Restricted Motions in Protonated Schiff Bases: The Pentadieniminium Cation.
Ab initio surface-hopping dynamics simulations for the trans-penta-3,5-dieniminium cation (PSB3) are presented imposing different sets of mechanical restrictions in order to investigate the response of the molecular system to certain environmental degrees of hindrance. A general scheme for classification of photoisomerization mechanisms in conjugated chains based on the analysis of torsional angles is proposed allowing direct characterization of the different isomerization mechanisms proposed previously. On the basis of a statistical analysis of 300 trajectories a new photoisomerization mechanism-the Folding Table-was found. This mechanism and the One-Bond-Flip are almost entirely responsible for the photoisomerization process in PSB3.


[Pericardial tamponade as a complication of the use of peripheral percutaneous silastic catheters].
We report on two cases of cardiac tamponade by pericardial infusion in premature infants. In both infants an infusion was given via a Silastic central venous catheter. Because of the cardiac tamponade resuscitation and pericardiocentesis had to be performed. Both infants survived this serious complication of a central venous catheter.


Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned salmon preproinsulin cDNA.
A cDNA library was constructed using polyadenylated RNA from salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Brockmann bodies, plasmid vector pBR322, and in vitro recombinant DNA techniques. Insulin-related clones were identified with a cDNA probe generated from the same RNA and enriched for insulin sequences. Two recombinants were shown to contain the nucleotide sequence of the entire coding region and parts of the 5' and 3' untranslated regions. The salmon preproinsulin mRNA is about 760 nucleotides long, 315 of which code for the protein, while about 190 and 200 nucleotides belong to the 5' and 3' flanking regions, respectively. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of salmon insulin mRNA with those from other species reveals that sequence conservation is limited to the regions coding for the B and A peptides and two segments of the signal peptide. The C-peptide region exhibits no significant sequence homology with the C-peptides of other vertebrates. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the salmon preproinsulin mRNA are homologous only with the anglerfish mRNA, whereas there is no evident homology with those of birds and mammals. In addition to establishing the sequence of the preproinsulin mRNA, cloned salmon insulin cDNA provides a specific probe for the analysis and isolation of genomic DNA fragments containing insulin genes.


Interaction of surfactants with vesicle membrane of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine: fluorescence depolarization study.
The effect of surfactants on the "fluidity" of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicle membrane was studied by means of the fluorescence depolarization technique with fatty acid fluorescent probes, in which the anthroyloxy group is introduced at different positions along the acyl chain. Three types of surfactants were examined; anionic sodium alkylsulfates, cationic alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides, and non-ionic alkanoyl-N-methylglucamides (MEGA-n). Perturbing effects of the surfactants depended on both the alkyl chain-length and the type of head group. Sodium alkylsulfates with octyl- and decyl-chain and alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides with octyl-, decyl- and dodecyl-chain did not affect the membrane fluidity when incorporated in the membrane, whereas sodium dodecylsulfate and tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride decreased the membrane fluidity at both gel and liquid crystalline states of the membrane. All the MEGA series surfactants decreased the membrane fluidity, whose perturbing potency was in the order of MEGA-8 less than MEGA-9 approximately equal to MEGA-10. The perturbation at different depths in the membrane by sodium dodecylsulfate and MEGA-9 was also examined. No significant change in the fluidity gradient across the membrane was induced by the addition of these surfactants.


Local subcutaneous atrophy following arthroscopy of the TMJ.
A case of subcutaneous atrophy associated with use of corticosteroids following an arthroscopic procedure of the temporomandibular joint is presented.


125I-Insulin is preferentially internalized in regions of the hepatocytes rich in lysosomal and Golgi structures.
125I-Insulin initially localizes to the plasma membrane of isolated rat hepatocytes but is subsequently internalized and preferentially associates with lysosomal structures. In the present study, we show that this preferential association to lysosomes occurs in regions of the cell rich in lysosomal and Golgi structures.


Molecular characterization of BZR transcription factor family and abiotic stress induced expression profiling in Brassica rapa.
BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT (BZR) transcription factors (TFs) are primarily well known as positive regulators of Brassinosteroid (BR) signal transduction in different plants. BR is a plant specific steroid hormone, which has multiple stress resistance functions besides various growth regulatory roles. Being an important regulator of the BR synthesis, BZR TFs might have stress resistance related activities. However, no stress resistance related functional study of BZR TFs has been reported in any crop plants so far. Therefore, this study identified 15 BZR TFs of Brassica rapa (BrBZR) from a genome-wide survey and characterized them through sequence analysis and expression profiling against several abiotic stresses. Various systematic in silico analysis of these TFs validated the fundamental properties of BZRs, where a high degree of similarity also observed with recognized BZRs of other plant species from the comparison studies. In the organ specific expression analyses, 6 BrBZR TFs constitutively expressed in flower developmental stages indicating their flower specific functions. Subsequently, from the stress resistance related expression profiles differential transcript abundance levels were observed by 6 and 11 BrBZRs against salt and drought stresses, respectively. All BrBZRs showed several folds up-regulation against exogenous ABA treatment. All BrBZRs also showed differential expression against low temperature stress treatments and these TFs were proposed as transcriptional activators of CBF cold response pathway of B. rapa. Notably, three BrBZRs gave co-responsive expression against all the stresses tested here, suggesting their multiple stress resistance related functions. Thus, the findings would be helpful in resolving the complex regulatory mechanism of BZRs in stress resistance and further functional genomics study of these potential TFs in different Brassica crops.


Effect of temperature on the thermal property and crystallization behavior of poly (lactic acid) porous membrane prepared via phase separation induced by water microdroplets.
Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-based porous membrane were fabricated through phase separation induced by water microdroplets at different ambient temperature to unravel the relationship between the physical properties (including thermal properties and crystallization) and preparation temperature. Cross-sectional scanning electron micrographs revealed that the thickness of the membrane decreases with increasing temperature between 25 °C and 100 °C. In the bilayer structure, each layer has a different morphology. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction studies indicate that the preparation temperature influences the ratio between imperfect and perfect crystals in the membrane, leading to a bimodal melting peak in the DSC thermogram. The change in the initial decomposition temperature in the thermogravimetric analysis curve is weak, suggesting a negligible effect of the preparation temperature on the thermal stability of the membranes. Thus, PLA porous membranes can be prepared with better crystallinity by controlling the ambient temperature during the phase separation induced by water microdroplets.


The ultrastructure of the deep layer of the lens capsule in fibrillopathia epitheliocapsularis (FEC), so-called senile exfoliation or pseudoexfoliation. A scanning electron microscopic study.
The epithelial surface of the lens capsule and the capsular surface of the epithelium have been studied in six cataractous lenses from persons with fibrillopathia epitheliocapsularis (FEC) or so-called senile exfoliation or pseudoexfoliation by scanning electron microscopy. Five of the lenses came from eyes with capsular glaucoma. Three senile cataractous lenses have been used as controls and two of the control lenses came from eyes with simple glaucoma. The investigation revealed round discoid plaques closely adherent to the capsule. The plaque surfaces had numerous smooth tentacle-like projections and matching pits in the underlying epithelium. These plaques were only found in FEC lenses and corresponded both in size and location to the structure known as the deep or amorphous layer of the lens capsule. The findings indicate that the epithelial cells are the source of origin.


Effects of fluoride on PIWI-interacting RNA expression profiling in testis of mice.
Excessive fluoride intake can damage testis by breaking the integrity of sperm DNA and changing the expression profiles of testicular mRNAs and microRNAs. However, the effects of fluoride on the expression of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in mouse testes have not been reported. In this study, we determined the effect of fluoride on PIWI-interacting RNA expression profiling in testis of mice, using deep-sequencing technology. Compared to the control, 50 mg/L sodium fluoride (NaF) exposure led to a reduced testicular organ coefficient, semen quality, and testosterone level, and altered the testicular microstructure. Furthermore, NaF exposure also changed the expression of 28 piRNAs that regulate 182 target genes in mouse testes. In mice given water containing 50 mg/L NaF, the following four pathways were enriched and overexpressed: lysosomal, Jak-STAT, chemokine, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Among the piRNAs affecting the lysosomal pathway, piR-mmu-1277316, piR-mmu-8060747, and piR-mmu-1566415 levels were increased. We also observed increased levels of the following target gene mRNAs in lysosomal pathwa in the 50 mg/L NaF-treated group: Gga2, Ap4e1, Gla, and Ap1s3. These findings are in line with the results of piRNA-sequencing and suggest that piRNAs in the testis could be potential biomarkers for fluoride reproductive toxicity.


Clinical outcomes of conventional HDR intracavitary brachytherapy combined with complementary applicator-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy boost in patients with bulky cervical tumour.
To investigate the clinical outcomes and toxicity in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with supplementary applicator guided-intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) based on conventional intracavitary brachytherapy (IC/IMRT). A retrospective cohort study. Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Centre, China. Large high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) volume (>40 ml) at the time of brachytherapy cervical cancer patients were recruited. This study is a retrospective analysis of 76 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (FIGO IIB-IVA) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by IC/IMRT between June 2010 and October 2016. External radiotherapy (45 Gy in 25 fractions) was adminstered with cisplatin chemotherapy treatment before IC/IMRT. The IMRT plan was optimised using the ICBT plan base dose plan by an inverse dose optimisation tool which allows the use of DVH constraints on the total dose of ICBT. A seven-field gantry angle IMRT plan was devised to avoid hotspots when optimising the boost plan. The prescription dose for HR-CTV and IR-CTV were 6 and 5 Gy per fraction for five fractions, respectively. Mean HR-CTV was 65.8 ± 23.6 ml at the time of brachytherapy. D90 for HR-CTV and IR-CTV were 88.7 ± 3.6 Gy and 78.1 ± 2.5 Gy. D2cc for bladder, rectum, sigmoid and small intestine were 71.8 ± 3.8, 64.6 ± 4.9, 63.9 ± 5.3 and 56.7 ± 8.7 Gy, respectively. Median follow-up was 85 months (47.9-124.2 months). Five-year local recurrence-free survival rate, metastasis recurrence-free survival rate, disease-free survival rate and cancer-special survival rate were 87.6, 82.4, 70.9 and 76.3%, respectively. The grade 1 + 2 gastrointestinal and urinary late toxicities were 15.8 and 21.1%, and grade 3 late toxicities were 3.9 and 5.2%, respectively. Neither acute nor late grade 4 gastrointestinal or urinary toxicities were seen. The combination of ICBT with an applicator-guided supplementary IMRT boost achieved excellent local control and overall survival with low toxicity for bulky residual cervical tumour.


Synthesis of silica-based benzeneboronic acid affinity materials and application as pre-column in coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatography.
Three silica-based benzeneboronic acid affinity materials were synthesized by using an m-aminobenzeneboronic acid as the ligand and using three different spacer arms. Under high-pressure, three affinity pre-columns were packed with these materials and the retention of every affinity pre-column with 11 urinary nucleosides was studied. With different spacer arms of boronic acid-substituted silica materials, the absorption to vicinal alcohols (cis-diols) and stability under acidic elution conditions are of great difference. Coupled-column liquid chromatographic methods for the direct analysis of urinary nucleosides were respectively established. As a result, two of three affinity pre-columns showed good chromatographic property in the on-line analysis of urinary nucleosides. The coupled-column system including pre-column I is the best with excellent linearity (R2>0.995), good recoveries (85.6-96.9%) and reproducibility (R.S.D.: 1.01-4.02%). The pre-column I could at least endure 150 repetitive injections of a 100 microL urinary sample.


Surfactant-producing microorganisms isolated from the gut of a Eucalyptus-feeding sawfly, Perga affinis affinis.
Microorganisms which produce surfactants were isolated from the gut of a eucalypt-feeding sawfly. It is possible that surfactants in the guts of some defoliators may be microbiologically-produced.


GP-delivered secondary prevention cardiovascular disease programme; early predictors of likelihood of patient non-adherence.
The aim of this study was to determine how routinely recorded data could predict early the likelihood of patient non-adherence to a primary care-delivered secondary prevention programme for established coronary heart disease (CHD), with patients with CHD (10,851) invited to attend four times per year. Non-adherence was defined as attending no more than three GP visits ever. The study sample was selected to allow a possible two-year recorded follow-up period in which patients could take up invitations. Administrative recordings of visit dates and intervals between visits, baseline results of key parameters and early changes were examined using logistic regression to determine independent predictors of non-adherence. Longer interval between early visits, no family history of CHD, smoking and being outside target for exercise at baseline were independently associated with non-adherence. Early identification by GPs of those who fail to attend on time or who defer appointments, in addition to persistence of lifestyle factors unchanged by a prior serious cardiac event should serve as a warning sign that targeted interventions to maintain adherence in primary care-delivered secondary prevention programmes are necessary.


[The metabolic syndrome in children: resolved and unresolved questions of ethiopathogenesis (review of literature)].
The article raises the question of modern views on pathogenesis and algorithms for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in children. It shows the close relationship of violations of the morphofunctional state of the hepatobiliary system and pancreas with the development of hormonal-metabolic disorders.


Policy inference from technological innovation, renewable energy, and financial development for sustainable development goals (SDGs): insight from asymmetric and bootstrap Granger causality approaches.
We researched China's climate and sustainable development goal with relevant and susceptible instruments capable of inducing and mitigating carbon emissions. Amidst the contributor to the global carbon emissions, China is caught in between mitigating its carbon emission and aiming towards placing its national contribution of emissions to the acceptable levels of 1.5 °C and below 2 °C. Following the intricacies surrounding China's sustainable development as it contains its economic and environmental performance, we adopt China's data of 1980 and 2018 with different scientific approaches (nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL), dynamic ordinary least square test, and bootstrap Granger causality) with different instruments (such as economic growth, financial development, renewable energy, and innovation policies) to research China's sustainable development. For clear exposition and insight into our findings with policies attached, we draw a conclusion from the outcomes of the mentioned approaches. From NARDL and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), we find that economic growth through economic activities is statistically significant in determining the trend (increase) of carbon emissions in China in both periods (short run and long run). However, other selected instruments (financial, renewable, and innovation policies) tend towards controlling and moderating the carbon emissions in China. Thus, China has good prospects to mitigate its carbon emissions if considered tailoring its policies towards favorable instruments. From bootstrap Granger causality, we find similar inferential results that support previous findings thereby confirming the positive implication of the selected instruments to China's sustainable development. Hence, the nexus that is established among the selected instruments clearly show the importance of technological innovation and renewable energy in mitigating carbon emissions.


Influence of Teachers' Vocal Quality on Students' Learning and/or Cognition: A Scoping Review.
To verify if the teacher's vocal quality can influence the student's cognition. The present study is a scoping review performed to answer the research question: Can the teacher's vocal quality influence the student's learning and cognition?. To verify if the teacher's vocal quality can influence the student's cognition. The electronic search was performed in PubMed, Lilacs, SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and databases, in addition to a manual search in citation and gray literature. Two independent authors performed selection and extraction. Data were extracted about the study design: the sample, the cognitive tests used, the assessed cognitive skills, the type of altered voice (real or simulated), the assessment of the vocal quality, alone or associated with environmental noise, and the main outcomes evaluated. The initial research identified 476 articles, and 13 were selected for analysis. Seven (54%) studies evaluated the impact of altered voices in an isolated way on cognitive abilities. From these, they verified that the altered voices could negatively influence children's cognitive performance. Other 6 studies (46%) associated altered voices with competitive noise in their analysis, and 4 concluded that competitive noise rather than altered voices influenced students' cognitive performance. The altered voice seems to affect the cognitive tasks involved in the learning process. The competitive noise associated with the presentation of deviant voices had a stronger influence on cognitive performance than altered voice alone, demonstrating that cognitive performance is sensitive to the stages of information acquisition (input of acoustic signals).


Intraoperative device closure of atrial septal defects in the older population.
This study sought to prove the safety and feasibility of intraoperative device closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) with transthoracic minimal invasion in the older patients. From January 2006 to December 2009, 47 patients aged 50 years or more and suffered from atrial septal defect were enrolled in our institution. Patients were divided into two groups, 27 of which in group I with intraoperative device closure and the other 20 in group II with surgical closure. In group I, the method involved a minimal intercostal incision, which was performed after full evaluation of the atrial septal defect by transthoracic echocardiography, and the insertion of the device through the delivery sheath to occlude the atrial septal defect. In group I, implantation was ultimately successful in all patients. The complete closure rate at 24 hours and 1 year were 81.5% and 100% respectively. In 6 of 27 patients, minor complications occurred: transient arrhythmia (n = 5) and blood transfusion (n = 3). In group II, all patients were closured successfully; almost all of them needed blood transfusion and suffered from various minor complications though. During a follow-up period of 1 to 5 years, no residual shunt, noticeable mitral regurgitation, significant arrhythmias, thrombosis, or device failure were found. In our comparative studies, group II had significantly longer ICU stay and hospital stay than group I (p < 0.05). The cost of group I was less than that of group II(p < 0.05). Minimally invasive transthoracic device closure of the atrial septal defect at advanced age with a domestically made device without cardiopulmonary bypass is safe and feasible under transthoracic echocardiographic guidance. It was cost-savings, yielding better cosmetic results and leaving fewer traumas than surgical closure. Early and mid-term results are encouraging. However, it is necessary to evaluate the long-term results.


Comparison between avian and human prolyl 4-hydroxylases: studies on the holomeric enzymes and their constituent subunits.
Prolyl 4-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in collagen biosynthesis, catalyzes the conversion of selected prolyl residues to trans-hydroxyproline in nascent or completed pro-alpha chains of procollagen. The enzyme is a tetramer composed of two nonidentical subunits, designated alpha and beta. To compare the enzyme and its subunits from different sources, the chick embryo and human placental prolyl 4-hydroxylases were purified to homogeneity and their physicochemical and immunological properties were determined. Both enzymes were glycoproteins with estimated apparent molecular weights ranging between 400 and 600 kDa. Amino acid and carbohydrate analyses showed slight differences between the two holomeric enzymes, consistent with their deduced amino acid sequences from their respective cDNAs. Human placental prolyl 4-hydroxylase contained more tightly bound iron than the chick embryo enzyme. Immunodiffusion of the human placental enzyme with antibodies raised against the purified chick embryo prolyl 4-hydroxylase demonstrated partial identity, indicating different antigenic determinants in their tertiary structures. The enzymes could be separated by high-resolution capillary electrophoresis, indicating differential charge densities for the native chick embryo and human placental proteins. Electrophoretic studies revealed that the human prolyl 4-hydroxylase is a tetrameric enzyme containing two nonidentical subunits of about 64 and 62 kDa, in a ratio of approximately 1 to 2, designated alpha and beta, respectively. In contrast, the chick embryo alpha and beta subunit ratio was 1 to 1. Notably, the human alpha subunit was partially degraded when subjected to electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Analogously, when the chick embryo enzyme was subjected to limited proteolysis, selective degradation of the alpha subunit was observed. Finally, only the alpha subunit was bound to Concanavalin A demonstrating that the alpha subunits of prolyl 4-hydroxylase in both species were glycosylated. Using biochemical techniques, these results demonstrated that the 4-trans-hydroxy-L-proline residues in human placental collagens are synthesized by an enzyme whose primary structure and immunological properties differ from those of the previously well-characterized chick embryo enzyme, consistent with their recently deduced primary structures from cDNA sequences.


It's the peptide-MHC affinity, stupid.
Adoptively transferred T cells can reject large established tumors, but recurrence due to escape variants frequently occurs. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Engels et al. demonstrate that the affinity of the target peptide to the MHC molecule determines whether large tumors will relapse following adoptive T cell therapy.


[Protein biosynthesis in a cell-free protein synthesis system from nodular euthyroid goiter cells].
Analysis of proteins, synthesized in cell-free system using nodal euthyroid goiter, was carried out by polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. Four protein farctions, incorporating labelled amino acids, were found: "complete" thyroglobulin, two its subunits and thyroalmbumin. This correlates with the concept that malignant cell synthesizes intensively proteins untypical for a normal tissue.


Red-cell hypoplasia and increased bone marrow reticulin in systemic lupus erythematosus: reversal with corticosteroid therapy.
A 29-year-old Chinese male developed severe aregenerative anemia. The bone marrow was diffusely hypercellular with increased marrow reticulin and a persistent failure of erythroid differentiation beyond the pronormoblast stage. Although he did not manifest classic features of systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple serologic studies were in accord with this diagnosis. The patient's defect in erythropoiesis was studied by an in vitro technique for the growth of erythroid colonies. Despite the severe erythroid hypoplasia, the patient's marrow yielded abundant large erythroid colonies. Serum erythropoietin activity was high as judged by use of this in vitro assay. Although the patient's native serum did not affect colony formation, a separated IgG fraction was markedly inhibitory to colony growth. This suggests that the erythroid hypoplasia may have resulted from a unique autoantibody. The patient's hematologic abnormalities completely reversed following treatment with corticosteroids.


Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: Onset Following Acute COVID-19 Infection, a Case Series.
Acute COVID-19 infection has been associated with neurological involvement. We report a case series of newly diagnosed patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) developed in a short period of time after acute COVID-19 infection. New MS patients developing initial symptoms shortly after an acute COVID-19 infection were diagnosed based on the 2017 McDonald Criteria [Garcia-Ramos et al. in Cells, 2021]. The patients diagnosed with NMOSD met the 2015 International Panel criteria for the diagnosis of NMOSD (IPDN) [Thompson et al. in Lancet Neurol 17:162-173, 2018]. Ten patients were included who had developed initial MS symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Gender distribution was equal (50% male). The mean age was 28 (range 17-39) years. Average time to neurological presentation was between 2 and 6 weeks following acute COVID-19 infection. Partial transverse myelitis was the initial presentation in 40% of the cases, and 60% of patients had spinal cord lesions present at the moment of diagnosis. All patients showed enhancing lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal bands was found in all six tested cases. The majority of patients (80%) were unvaccinated for COVID-19. The two vaccinated patients had received two doses of the monovalent COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) (Pfizer Biotech) vaccine and no booster, a year prior to contracting COVID-19. Two patients with NMOSD were included. Positive aquoporin-4 protein antibody (AQP-4 Ab) was detected in serum in both cases [one Enzyme Linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and one cell based]. Both patients had mild COVID-19 infection prior to presentation, initial neurologic symptoms presented between 3 and 6 weeks after COVID-19 infection. Neither patients were vaccinated. Both responded partially to steroids, one developed a relapse 40 days after diagnosis. COVID-19 infection has been linked to several neurological and immune-driven conditions. This study suggests that in susceptible individuals, acute COVID-19 infection may act as a trigger for developing MS and NMOSD.


Zoophilic feeding behaviour of phlebotomine sand flies in the endemic areas of cutaneous leishmaniasis of Sindh Province, Pakistan.
Leishmania (Leishmania) major has been identified as the major causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sindh Province of southern Pakistan. To make a rational approach for understanding the pathogen transmission cycles, the sand fly species and their natural blood meals in the endemic areas were examined. Total DNA was individually extracted from sand flies collected in four villages in Sindh Province. PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and sequence analysis of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene revealed that female sand flies identified were Sergentomyia clydei/Sergentomyia ghesquierei/Sergentomyia magna (68.6%), Sergentomyia dubia (17.1%), Phlebotomus papatasi (7.4%), Phlebotomus alexandri-like sand flies (3.4%) and Sergentomyia dentata (3.4%). PCR amplification of leishmanial kinetoplast DNA did not result in positive signals, suggesting that all 175 tested female sand flies were not infected with leishmanial parasites or contained undetectable levels of leishmanial DNA. Amplification and sequencing of the vertebrate cytochrome b gene in 28 blood-fed sand flies revealed that P. papatasi fed on cattle and wild rat whereas P. alexandri-like specimens fed on human, cattle, goat and dog. Although Sergentomyia sand flies are generally known to feed on cold-blooded animals, S. clydei, S. dubia and S. ghesquierei preferred humans, cattle, goat, sheep, buffalo, dog, donkey, wild rat and Indian gerbil. The epidemiological significance of the zoophilic feeding on various host species by Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia sand flies in Pakistan is further required to study for better understanding the zoonotic transmission of sand-fly-borne pathogens and for appropriate management of the vectors.


Diabetic modulation of the temperature kinetics properties of cytochrome oxidase activity in rat brain mitochondria.
The effects of alloxan-diabetes and subsequent treatment with insulin on temperature kinetics properties of cytochrome oxidase activity from rat brain mitochondria were examined. The enzyme activity decreased only at the late stage of diabetes which was not normalized by insulin treatment; however at early stage of diabetes hyper-stimulation occurred. In the control animals the Arrhenius plot was chair shaped with three energies of (E1, E2 and E3) and two phase transition temperatures (Tt1 and Tt2). At early diabetic stage the Arrhenius plot became biphasic and E1)and E2 decreased; insulin treatment reversed chair-shaped pattern with increase in E2. These changes correlated with transient changes in the phospholipids profiles especially decreased acidic phospholipids. The temperature kinetics parameters were minimally affected at the late stage of diabetes or by insulin treatment. Thus at the late stage the brain tissue seems to have readjusted to its insulin homeostasis.


Drug delivery systems for prolonged duration local anesthesia.
Numerous drug delivery systems have been applied to the problem of providing prolonged duration local anesthesia (PDLA). Here we review the rationale for PDLA, the desirable features for and important attributes of such systems, and specific examples that have been developed.


Purification and characterization of human liver branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex.
Human liver BCKADH complex was purified. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified enzyme complex gave three major bands having molecular weights of 51,000, 46,000, and 36,000, and one minor band with a molecular weight of 55,000. The minor band corresponded in molecular weight to lipoamide oxidoreductase which was purified separately. The purified BCKADH represented only approximately 20% of the maximum activity when assayed without addition of exogenous lipoamide oxidoreductase, indicating that lipoamide oxidoreductase component was readily dissociable from the complex. The BCKADH effectively oxidized all of KIV, KIC, and KMV, yielding apparent Km values in the range of 14-17 microM for those alpha-keto acids. Vmax values obtained were 0.86, 0.61, and 0.51 mumole NADH produced/min/mg of protein for KIV, KIC, and KMV, respectively, in the presence of excess amount of lipoamide oxidoreductase. This ratio of Vmax values was practically identical to those of specific activities obtained with respective branched-chain alpha-keto acids at each purification step. The enzyme complex also oxidized pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate to a lesser extent. Kinetic experiments gave Km values of 0.98 and 2.9 mM for pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, respectively, with Vmax of 0.43 and 0.08 mumole NADH produced/min/mg of protein. NAD and CoASH were absolutely required for the reaction. Km values for NAD and CoASH were estimated to be 47 and 25 microM, respectively.


Surgical treatment of digestive cancer in a well-defined elderly population.
Digestive cancer is of concern because of its frequency and severity with an increasing older median age of onset. The purpose of this study was to describe in a well-defined population presenting with non-metastatic digestive cancer the frequency of surgical resection and outcomes according to age. We analyzed 7760 patients with a non-metastatic digestive cancer, recorded in the Burgundy population-based digestive cancer registry between 2009 and 2017. There were 3506 non-colorectal cancers and 4254 colorectal cancers with 3292 colon and 962 rectal cancers. The frequency of surgical resection was analyzed according to age (classified into four categories <70, [70-80[, [80-85[, and ≥85), sex, comorbidities and obesity. Postoperative mortality at 30 and 90 days was determined according to age, sex, comorbidity, obesity, location, surgery R0 or not. The 5-year survival study included 2952 patients with colorectal cancer, non-metastatic and who benefited from an R0 resection. Overall, 64% of the patients with M0 digestive cancer underwent a surgical resection, varying from 31% for Non colorectal Digestive cancers to 94% for colon site. The percentage of patients operated on for a resectable disease decreases from 71% before age 70 to 43% from age 85. Age and comorbidities were the main criteria influencing the probability of resection. At 30 days, postoperative mortality was 3%, all localizations and ages combined. At 90 days, this rate was 5%. In patients over 85 years old it gradually increases from 7% at 30 days and to 10% at 90 days. A man under 70 years of age has a net survival of 0.88 at 5 years, and 0.91 for a woman. For a man between 70 and 80 years old, it decreases to 0.81 and to 0.66 from 80 years old. In women, net survival is 0.87 between 70 and 80 years of age at 5 years, then drops to 0.75 from age 80. Our study shows a drop in access to surgery at different pivotal ages depending on the tumor location. This sudden drop in the resection rate is not justified by the increase in mortality with age, which is linear. In addition, the expected benefits of surgery are significant, with a net survival, mainly after the 1st year, of the same order as for younger patients. Age by itself should not be the only criterion in the medical decision. The challenge is to detect and treat the comorbidities that worsen the operative risk and the prognosis. There are few data on the management of digestive cancers specifically in the elderly. Our study shows that access to surgery is strongly linked to age and this in a non-linear way, whereas the expected benefits of surgery are significant, of the same order as for younger patients. Age itself should not be the only criterion in the medical decision.


Can admission lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 predict the symptomatic cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage?
Inflammation has been believed to be related to the development of cerebral vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). A potential biomarker for vascular inflammation that is well recognized is the lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2). However, whether Lp-PLA2 can predict the occurrence of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (SCV) in aSAH patients is still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to assess the value of Lp-PLA2 for predicting SCV in patients with aSAH. Between March 2017 and April 2018, we evaluated 128 consecutive aSAH patients who were admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Their Lp-PLA2 level was obtained within 24 h of the initial bleeding. Factors might be related to SCV were analyzed. Compared to patients without SCV, those with SCV (9.4%, 12/128) had significantly higher Lp-PLA2 level. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that worse modified Fisher grade (OR = 10.08, 95% CI = 2.04-49.86, P = 0.005) and higher Lp-PLA2 level (OR = 6.66, 95% CI = 1.33-3.30, P = 0.021) were significantly associated with SCV, even after adjustment for confounders. Based on the best threshold, Lp-PLA2 had a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 51.7% for predicting SCV, as shown by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In the poor World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade patient sub-group, patients with Lp-PLA2 > 200 μg/L had significantly higher SCV rate than that of patients having Lp-PLA2 ≤ 200 μg/L. The admission Lp-PLA2 level might be a helpful predictor for SCV in aSAH.


Complications of chronic indwelling urinary catheters.
Chronic indwelling catheters are used to manage urinary retention, especially in the presence of urethral obstruction, and to facilitate healing of incontinence-related skin breakdown. These indwelling foreign bodies become coated and sometimes obstructed by biofilm laden with bacteria and struvite crystals. Bacteria invariably colonize the system and may invade the blood stream following trauma or obstruction. Staff should maintain a closed, dependent system to avoid introducing new organisms and be vigilant for the development of obstruction, avoid trauma, and consider chronic catheters and drainage bags to be potential sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria for secretion containment and when antibiotics are selected for empiric therapy. Suprapubic catheters should be considered when urethral catheters are associated with discomfort or periurethral suppurative complications, especially in males.


The behavior of the 210Pb during the recycling of selected waste in the metallurgical industry.
Contemporary trends in the metal industry are based on zero-waste and a closed circular economy. Such an approach has encouraged the industry to search for new methods of metal production using unconventional sources of them instead of high-priced raw materials. Waste from some industry sectors e.g. residues, slag, stack dust, etc. may be a economically interesting input material for other sectors of industry. There are at least two benefits reusing waste in such a way - the reduction of disposal costs and reduction of the environmental and health impact of industry. However, industrial waste or by-products are often classed as naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). The behavior of a lead isotope 210Pb - a naturally occurring radioactive nuclide - was investigated in this work. The analyzed metallurgical process is based on the recycling of waste from niobium and tantalum production, which were then used in tin and lead production. Behavior of 210Pb in particular stages of a process may lead to the enrichment of this radionuclide in the final product - distilled lead. The concentrations of 210Pb in the input material, final product as well as generated by-products and waste were determined.


Structure-activity relationship studies of benzyl-, phenethyl-, and pyridyl-substituted tetrahydroacridin-9-amines as multitargeting agents to treat Alzheimer's disease.
A library of substituted tetrahydroacridin-9-amine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as dual cholinesterase and amyloid aggregation inhibitors. Compound 8e (N-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine) was identified as a potent inhibitor of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE IC50 = 20 nm; AChE IC50 = 2.2 μm) and was able to inhibit amyloid aggregation (40% inhibition at 25 μm). Compounds 9e (6-chloro-N-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine, AChE IC50 = 0.8 μm; BuChE IC50 = 1.4 μm; Aβ-aggregation inhibition = 75.7% inhibition at 25 μm) and 11b (6-chloro-N-(3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine, AChE IC50 = 0.6 μm; BuChE IC50 = 1.9 μm; Aβ-aggregation inhibition = 85.9% inhibition at 25 μm) were identified as the best compounds with dual cholinesterase and amyloid aggregation inhibition. The picolylamine-substituted compound 12c (6-chloro-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridin-9-amine) was the most potent AChE inhibitor (IC50 = 90 nm). These investigations demonstrate the utility of 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl substituent as a novel pharmacophore possessing dual cholinesterase inhibition and anti-Aβ-aggregation properties that can be used in the design and development of small molecules with multitargeting ability to treat Alzheimer's disease.


Detection of focal changes in human cortical thickness: spherical wavelets versus Gaussian smoothing.
Subtle but progressive variations in human cortical thickness have been associated with the initial phases of prevalent neurological and psychiatric conditions. But slight changes in cortical thickness at preclinical stages are typically masked by effects of the Gaussian kernel smoothing on the cortical surface shape descriptors. Here we present the first study aimed at detecting changes in human cortical thickness maps by applying soft-thresholding to multiresolution spherical wavelet coefficients. In order to make Gaussian and wavelet smoothing methods comparable, the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was optimized to detect simulated thickness changes in various cortical areas of healthy elderly subjects. Results revealed a better sensitivity-specificity trade-off when using wavelet-based methods as compared to Gaussian smoothing in both the whole neocortex (p<10(-7)) and cortical region-based statistical analyses (p<10(-9)), which was mainly due to the higher specificity obtained with the wavelet approach. The lower smoothing introduced by wavelets and their adaptive properties may account for the enhanced specificity and sensitivity when compared with Gaussian spatial filters. These results strongly support the use of spherical wavelet methods to detect subtle variations in cortical thickness maps, which may be crucial in better understanding the course of neuronal loss in normal aging and in finding early markers of cortical degeneration.


Recall bias in the association of micronutrient intake and breast cancer.
A nested case-control study within the Canadian National Breast Screening Study was conducted to examine whether there was evidence for recall bias in the reporting of past micronutrient intake. Dietary data collected upon enrollment between 1982 and 1985 from 325 breast cancer cases and 628 matched controls were compared with data collected in 1988 after disease diagnosis. The retrospective estimates of mean micronutrient intakes from food sources were found to be very similar to the prospective estimates for cases and controls. Errors of omission and commission for the reporting of previous supplementary vitamin use were identical for both subject groups. The odds ratios estimated for the association of micronutrient intake and breast cancer for the prospective and retrospective data were similar in magnitude and the 95% confidence intervals overlapped considerably. There was no evidence for recall bias in the estimation of past micronutrient intake by breast cancer cases as compared to controls.


Neoplasms produced from C3H/10T 1/2 cells attached to plastic plates; saturation density, anchorage dependence and serum requirement of in vitro lines correlated with growth aggressiveness in vivo.
The C3H/10T 1/2 embryo cell line, which is nontumorigenic when inoculated subcutaneously in saline suspension, produces tumors when implanted subcutaneously attached to 1 X 5 X 10 mm plastic plates. Under these in vivo conditions there is direct selection for "spontaneous" transformants that have undergone the specific cellular alterations required for neoplastic behavior. This is in contrast to the conventional situation where transformants are obtained in vitro and are only secondarily tested in vivo for neoplastic behavior. Early passages of cell lines from four different C3H/10T 1/2 tumors explanted back in culture were quantitatively examined for tumorigenicity and for alteration in the properties of density inhibition, anchorage dependence, serum requirement, and plasminogen activator production. A fairly consistent quantitative relationship was found between the degree of growth aggressiveness in vivo and the degree of expression of these phenotypic markers of the transformed state in vitro during early passages of the cell lines after tumor explantation.


A gene that encodes a protein consisting solely of zinc finger domains is preferentially expressed in transformed mouse cells.
We describe the cloning and characterization of the mouse MOK-2 gene, a new member of the Krüppel family of zinc finger proteins. Sequencing of both cDNA and genomic clones showed that the predicted MOK-2 protein consists of seven zinc finger domains with only five additional amino acids. The finger domains of MOK-2 are highly homologous to one another but not to those of other zinc finger proteins. MOK-2 is preferentially expressed in transformed cell lines, brain tissue, and testis tissue. Its possible role in cellular transformation is discussed.


Co-delivery of streptomycin and hydroxychloroquine by labeled solid lipid nanoparticles to treat brucellosis: an animal study.
Can brucellosis-related biochemical and immunological parameters be used as diagnostic and treatment indicators? The goal of this project was to look at biochemical parameters, trace elements, and inflammatory factors in the acute and chronic stages of brucellosis after treatment with streptomycin and hydroxychloroquine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (STR-HCQ-SLN). The double emulsion method was used for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Serum levels of trace elements, vitamin D, CRP, and biochemical parameters were measured in rats involved in brucellosis. The therapeutic effect of STR-HCQ-SLN was compared with that of free drugs. In both healthy and infected rats, serum concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, and biochemical parameters of the liver were significantly different. By altering the serum levels of the aforementioned factors, treatment with STR-HCQ-SLN had a positive therapeutic effect on chronic brucellosis. Vitamin D levels declined (46.4%) and CRP levels rose (from 7.5 mg to less than 1 mg) throughout the acute and chronic stages of brucellosis. This study showed that by comparing the biochemical parameters and the levels of trace elements in the serum of healthy and diseased mice in the acute and chronic stages of brucellosis, it is possible to get help from other routine methods for diagnosis.


Treatment of tear trough deformity and lower lid bowing with injectable hyaluronic acid.
Tear trough deformity of the lower eyelid is one of the most difficult depressions to correct surgically. The thin skin of the trough, the overhanging abundant lower lid fat, the underlying cheek mound, and the tethering effect of the orbitomalar ligament create a surgical challenge. Until now, noninvasive methods used to treat this depression have been problematic, yielding a poor benefit-to-risk ratio in most hands. Even surgery does not completely manage this depression. The most common surgical techniques for lower eyelid rejuvenation do not even address it. Since December of 2003, 24 patients have had their tear troughs treated with injectable hyaluronic acid. For 23 patients, Restylane was injected superficially to elevate the surface from the orbitomalar ligament and add volume to the trough. Only two patients were dissatisfied with their results.


Effect of alginate on the aggregation kinetics of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs): bridging interaction and hetero-aggregation induced by Ca(2.).
The stability of CuO nanoparticles (NPs) is expected to play a key role in the environmental risk assessment of nanotoxicity in aquatic systems. In this study, the effect of alginate (model polysaccharides) on the stability of CuO NPs in various environmentally relevant ionic strength conditions was investigated by using time-resolved dynamic light scattering. Significant aggregation of CuO NPs was observed in the presence of both monovalent and divalent cations. The critical coagulation concentrations (CCC) were 54.5 and 2.9 mM for NaNO3 and Ca(NO3)2, respectively. The presence of alginate slowed nano-CuO aggregation rates over the entire NaNO3 concentration range due to the combined electrostatic and steric effect. High concentrations of Ca(2+) (>6 mM) resulted in stronger adsorption of alginate onto CuO NPs; however, enhanced aggregation of CuO NPs occurred simultaneously under the same conditions. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that the bridging interaction of alginate with Ca(2+) might be an important mechanism for the enhanced aggregation. Furthermore, significant coagulation of the alginate molecules was observed in solutions of high Ca(2+) concentrations, indicating a hetero-aggregation mechanism between the alginate-covered CuO NPs and the unabsorbed alginate. These results suggested a different aggregation mechanism of NPs might co-exist in aqueous systems enriched with natural organic matter, which should be taken into consideration in future studies. Graphical abstract Hetero-aggregation mechanism of CuO nanoparticles and alginate under high concentration of Ca(2.)


Mapping and Characterization of QTLs for Awn Morphology Using Crosses between "Double-Awn" Wheat 4045 and Awnless Wheat Zhiluowumai.
Awns play important roles in seed dispersal, protection against predators, and photosynthesis. The characterization of genes related to the formation of awns helps understand the regulation mechanisms of awn development. In the present study, the "double-awn" wheat 4045, which features super-long lemma awns and long glume awns, and an awnless wheat line, Zhiluowumai, were used to investigate QTLs or genes involved in awn development. QTL analysis identified three loci-Qawn-1D, Qawn-5A, and Qawn-7B-using a population of 101 4045 × ZLWM F2 plants. Fine mapping with a total of 9018 progenies narrowed the mapping interval of Qawn-5A to an 809-kb region, which was consistent with the B1 locus, containing five genes on chromosome 5AL. Gene structure and expression analysis indicated that TraesCS5A02G542800 was the causal gene, which was subsequently verified by overexpression of TraesCS5A02G542800 in a "double-awn" wheat, Yangmai20. The retained "double-awn" phenotype of transgenic plants suggested that B1 represses the elongation but does not influence the emergence of the awns. Moreover, 4045 harbors a new allele of B1 with a 261-bp insertion in the promoter region and a lack of the EAR2 motif in the encoding region, which influences several important agronomic traits. In this study, we identify two novel QTLs and a novel allele of B1, providing new resources for exploration of awn development.


Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide-Induced Calcium Alginate Gel Combined with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Differentiating to Osteoblasts.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been confirmed with induction osteoblastic differentiation, but if it can make the three-dimensional culture of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to the osteoblastic differentiation, thus constructing tissue-engineered bone rare reports. To investigate the feasibility of exogenous CGRP-induced calcium alginate gel combined with ADSCs from rabbits in three-dimensional condition to construct tissue-engineered bone. ADSCs were obtained by collagenase I digestion of the subcutaneous adipose tissue of inguinal region of New Zealand rabbits. At the third passage, cells were mixed with sodium alginate to prepare calcium alginate gel, and the cells were assigned into two-group cultivates in 24 orifice plates. ADSCs in the control group were treated with DMEM/F-12 medium supplemented with 10(-2) mol/L β-glycerophosphate sodium, 10(-7)mol/L dexamethasone, 50 mg/L ascorbic acid, 0.1 % volume fraction of fetal bovine serum. ADSCs in the experimental group were incubated with the same medium as above, and in addition 1.5 µg/L CGRP was added. The cells proliferation and the mRNA expressions of collagen I and osteocalcin were detected by MTT and RT-PCR assays, respectively and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and calcium concentration at different induction time were detected. The cell proliferation curves were S shaped. The OD values of experimental group were higher than those of control group at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days after osteogenic induction (P < 0.05). ALP and alizarin red stains of ADSCs were all positive, but golden round nodes became bigger and more in the experimental group compared with the control group after 2 weeks. At 7 and 14 days, collagen I and osteocalcin mRNA expression were greater in the experimental group than the control group. ALP and calcium concentration of experimental group were higher than that of control group at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks after osteogenic induction (P < 0.05). Thus, these results show that the CGRP-induced ADSCs combined with calcium alginate gel to osteoblasts differentiation.


Between-year variation in flowering and fruit set in frost-prone and frost-sheltered populations of dioecious Rubus chamaemorus.
The flowering and fruiting patterns of the dioecious perennial herb Rubus chamaemorus L. were studied in frost-prone (open) and frost-sheltered (Shaded) habitats in northern Sweden over 6 years. The number of ramets with flower buds, the proportion of flower buds that opened, and fruit set varied markedly between years. In the frost-prone populations, the occurrence or absence of detrimental frosts during the development of flowers and fruit could explain much of the variation, both in the proportion of flower buds that developed into flowers, and in fruit set. In the frost-sheltered populations, most female flowers that did not develop into fruit aborted without any signs of physical damage and before any ovules had begun to enlarge. Flower mortality caused by herbivores feeding on reproductive parts was commonly low, but reached values higher than 10% in one of the shaded populations. Hand-pollination increased the proportion of ovules producing seeds in the mature fruits by about 20%, and in one year also increased fruit set significantly in one population. Fruit-producing female ramets had a higher mortality and a lower probability of flowering in the subsequent year than male ramets and non-fruiting female ramets. In R. chamaemorus, the conditions for fruit maturation are highly unpredictable at the time of flower initiation. It is suggested that the apparent "over-initiation" of flower buds is advantageous, as it allows the plant to attain a high reproductive success in years favourable for flowering and fruit development.


Evaluation of corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot from late results by multivariate statistical analysis.
From 1966 to 1985, 469 pediatric patients with the tetralogy of Fallot (mean age, 4.9 years) were corrected (hospital mortality 11.9%). There were 9 late deaths (1.9%). In 186 patients, hemodynamic studies were performed 2-14 years postoperatively (mean age, 10.4 years). An increased cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) of 60% or more was found in 42 patients with impaired postoperative physical activity. The factors affecting the late results were investigated in relation to CTR by the quantification method of multivariate analysis. As for the enlarged CTR, pulmonary regurgitation was more of a contributing factor than pulmonary stenosis. In pulmonary regurgitation, the pulmonary artery area index (PAAI) and reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) were highly significant factors. For pressure gradient, the VSD site was the most significant factor. These analyses suggest that preservation and/or reconstruction of the pulmonary valve, or trans-annular patching with the necessary minimal area for the RVOT (PAAI) not to exceed 4 cm2/m2 at the time of operation is important for satisfactory late results.


Diffusion approximation of the neuronal model with synaptic reversal potentials.
The stochastic neuronal model with reversal potentials is approximated. For the model with constant postsynaptic potential amplitudes a deterministic approximation is the only one which can be applied. The diffusion approximations are performed under the conditions of random postsynaptic potential amplitudes. New diffusion models of nerve membrane potential are devised in this way. These new models are more convenient for an analytical treatment than the original model with discontinuous trajectories.


Fixation of the greater omentum for prevention of delayed gastric emptying after left-sided hepatectomy: a randomized controlled trial.
We performed a randomized trial to evaluate whether fixation of the greater omentum to the peritoneum prevents delayed gastric emptying and other complications after left-sided hepatectomy. Patients undergoing left lateral segmentectomy or left hepatectomy were randomly assigned to a fixation group (n=24) and a non-fixation group (n=25). In the fixation group, the greater omentum was sutured to the peritoneum to prevent the stomach from contacting the cut surface of the liver. Delayed gastric emptying developed in 4 of the patients in the non-fixation group (16%) versus none of the patients in the fixation group. According to univariate analysis, fixation significantly lowered the risk of delayed gastric emptying (p<0.05). The overall morbidity was higher in the non-fixation group (20.0%) than in the fixation patients (8.3%) without significance. Fixation of the greater omentum to the peritoneum decreased the occurrence of delayed gastric emptying following left-sided hepatectomy.


Importance of tumor size as a prognostic factor after partial liver resection for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma: Implications on the current AJCC staging system.
Presently, the impact of tumors size as a prognostic factor after curative liver resection (LR) for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. This study was performed to determine the prognostic factors of patients undergoing LR for solitary HCC with special emphasis on the importance of tumor size. Between 2000 and 2013, 560 patients underwent curative LR for solitary primary HCC which met the study criteria. One-hundred and seventy-eight patients underwent major hepatectomies and the overall in-hospital mortality was 2.0%. There were 282 patients (50.4%) with liver cirrhosis. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 64% and recurrence free survival (RFS) was 50%, respectively. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that cirrhosis, microvascular invasion and size were independent predictors of RFS and cirrhosis, microvascular invasion and age were independent prognostic factors of OS. Subset analysis demonstrated that tumor size was a prognostic factor for solitary HCC with microvascular invasion (AJCC T2) but not solitary HCC without microvascular invasion (AJCC T1). Size, microvascular invasion, and cirrhosis are independent prognostic factors of RFS for solitary HCC after LR. Tumor size is an important prognostic factor in T2 but not T1 solitary tumors. These findings suggest that the current AJCC TNM staging system may need to be revised.


Chromatographic studies of chlorpropamide interactions with normal and glycated human serum albumin based on affinity microcolumns.
Sulfonylurea drugs have significant binding to proteins in blood, with most of this binding believed to occur with human serum albumin (HSA). High performance affinity chromatography and affinity microcolumns containing immobilized HSA were used to investigate binding by the sulfonylurea drug chlorpropamide to normal HSA and glycated HSA, which is a modified form of HSA that has an increased serum concentration in diabetes. Experiments employing frontal analysis indicated that the binding by chlorpropamide gave a good fit to a two-site model for both normal HSA and glycated HSA samples that were representative of controlled or advanced diabetes. These interactions involved a set of moderate-to-high affinity sites and a set of lower affinity sites, with binding constants in the range of 6.2-9.9 × 104 M-1 and 0.18-0.57 × 104 M-1, respectively, at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. Competition studies utilizing a zonal elution format demonstrated that chlorpropamide could interact at both Sudlow sites I and II of HSA, with affinities in the range expected for the moderate-to-high affinity sites of this drug. The affinity of chlorpropamide at Sudlow site I had a small increase of up to 1.2-fold when comparing the normal HSA and glycated HSA samples. Chlorpropamide gave a larger 1.4- to over 1.5-fold increase at Sudlow site II when the affinity of this drug was compared between normal HSA and the same samples of glycated HSA. These results were compared to those obtained previously with other sulfonylurea drugs to help determine how glycation can change the overall and site-selective binding strength of these drugs with HSA at levels of protein modification that are seen in patients with diabetes.


[Diverticular disease - timing of surgery in demand].
In preparation for operations of patients with diverticular disease an adequate medical indication has to be performed. The new classification of sigmoid diverticulitis corresponding to the German guidelines for diverticular disease classification (GGDDC) enables an appropriate strategy for evaluating the indications and selection of the time for surgery. New is, that the uncomplicated form of diverticulitis indicates an operation in exceptional case only. Furthermore the frequency of diverticulitis-exacerbation does not influence the indication for surgery any more.


The rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is the same whether or not the dose is reduced after a local reaction.
Even though no studies have shown that local reactions to immunotherapy injections predict subsequent systemic reactions, many protocols continue to call for dose adjustments after local reactions. To determine whether the rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is affected by dose adjustment after local reactions. In our clinic before March 1999, if a patient had a local reaction to an immunotherapy injection, an adjustment was made to repeat or reduce the next dose. From March 1999 on, no such adjustments were made. At our outlying clinics, the adjustment protocol continued. A retrospective review was conducted for shots given from March 1997 to February 2001, recording whether an immunotherapy visit resulted in a systemic reaction. In our clinic, there were 3,250 shot visits from March 1997 to February 1999 (adjustment protocol) and 4,692 visits from March 1999 to February 2001 (no adjustment protocol). The systemic reaction rate during the 2 periods was not different (1.11% vs 0.85%, P = .29). In the outlying clinics, there were 1,138 shot visits from March 1999 to February 2001 (adjustment protocol), and the systemic reaction rate was not different than in our clinic (no adjustment protocol) (0.88% vs 0.85%, P = .86). The rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is the same whether or not the dose is adjusted after a local reaction. These dose adjustments are thus unnecessary, and eliminating them lessens chances for errors and decreases the number of shots required to reach a therapeutic dose.


Combatting domestic violence one person at a time.
How one hospital's security department works with other departments to assist employees involved in domestic violence.


Carbonic anhydrase I and II as a differentiation marker of human and rat colonic enterocytes.
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an enzyme that is expressed in the intestine and catalyzes the reversible hydration of CO2 in the following reaction: CO2 + H2O<==>H2CO3<==>H(+)+HCO3-. To elucidate the association of CA expression with the differentiation of colonic enterocytes, we investigated the expression and localization of CA using a Northern blotting analysis, Western blotting analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. A Northern blotting analysis revealed an abundant expression of CA I and II mRNA in the colonic epithelial cells. However, the expression of CA III mRNA was not detected. According to the results of immunohistochemical staining of the human colonic mucosa using antisera against CA I and II, both CA I and II were localized on the cytoplasm of non-goblet columnar cells in the upper half of the crypts where more differentiated cells are located. According to the results of immunohistochemical staining of the rat colonic mucosa, neither CA I and II were detected at the new-born stage. The expression of CAs in the upper half of the crypts began to rise from 1 week after birth, and thereafter increased according to the growth of the rats. At 3 weeks after birth, the expression of CAs was almost the same as that of the adult rats. The amount of CA proteins evaluated by a Western blotting analysis revealed that the expression of CAs increased gradually until reaching a maximum level at 6 or 8 weeks. These results therefore suggest that CA I and II appear to be good markers for the differentiation of enterocytes in the colonic mucosa.


A comparison of the central gastrointestinal antitransit effects of morphine and bombesin in the mouse.
The gastrointestinal motor effects of centrally-given morphine and bombesin were compared in mice. Both compounds produced a dose-related decrease in the propulsion of a marker along the gut when given by the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intrathecal (i.th.) routes. Co-administration of the same compound by both routes was found to produce a marked increase in potency for morphine, but only a slight increase in potency for bombesin. Isobolographic analysis of the gut effects of these compounds revealed a multiplicative brain-spinal cord interaction for morphine, but an additive interaction for bombesin. These results are consistent with the interpretation that morphine can act at either the level of the brain or the spinal cord, activating independent pathways which ultimately converge to alter gut propulsion. In contrast, spinal bombesin requires communication to supraspinal sites in order for its gut effects to occur, suggesting activation of a common outflow pathway from the central nervous system.


Development of higher fungi under weightlessness.
The development of Polyporus brumalis basidomycete cultures, both in the dark and in the light, was studied in the 17 day experiment on the orbital station Salyut 5 and in the 20 day experiment on the orbital station Salyut 6. In the first experiment the test tube cultures were exposed to weightlessness beginning from the stage of the fruiting body primordium. In the second experiment the culture was exposed in large containers at the stage of mycelium growth. In the first experiment fruiting bodies that had formed in light had stems and caps approximating the appearance and anatomical structure of the control culture. The fruiting bodies and caps were oriented towards the light. Some structural changes in the hymenophore were observed. Fruiting bodies developed in the dark had twisted stems and no caps. In the second experiment no fruiting bodies were formed in the dark. Light-optical and electron-microscopic studies of Polyporus brumalis growth under weightlessness were carried out.


Association between general practice characteristics and use of out-of-hours GP cooperatives.
The use of out-of-hours healthcare services for non-urgent health problems is believed to be related to the organisation of daytime primary care but insight into underlying mechanisms is limited. Our objective was to examine the association between daytime general practice characteristics and the use of out-of-hours care GP cooperatives. A cross-sectional observational study in 100 general practices in the Netherlands, connected to five GP cooperatives. In each GP cooperative, we took a purposeful sample of the 10 general practices with the highest use of out-of-hours care and the 10 practices with the lowest use. Practice and population characteristics were obtained by questionnaires, interviews, data extraction from patient registration systems and telephone accessibility measurements. To examine which aspects of practice organisation were associated with patients' use of out-of-hours care, we performed logistic regression analyses (low versus high out-of-hours care use), correcting for population characteristics. The mean out-of-hours care use in the high use group of general practices was 1.8 times higher than in the low use group. Day time primary care practices with more young children and foreigners in their patient populations and with a shorter distance to the GP cooperative had higher out-of-hours primary care use. In addition, longer telephone waiting times and lower personal availability for palliative patients in daily practice were associated with higher use of out-of-hours care. Moreover, out-of-hours care use was higher when practices performed more diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures and had more assistant employment hours per 1000 patients. Several other aspects of practice management showed some non-significant trends: high utilising general practices tended to have longer waiting times for non-urgent appointments, lower availability of a telephone consulting hour, lower availability for consultations after 5 p.m., and less frequent holiday openings. Besides patient population characteristics, organisational characteristics of general practices are associated with lower use of out-of-hours care. Improving accessibility and availability of day time primary day care might be a potential effective way to improve the efficient use of out-of-hours care services.


Similar optimal distalization and lateralization angles can be achieved with different reverse shoulder arthroplasty implant designs.
Optimal postoperative distalization (DSA) and lateralization (LSA) shoulder angles have been described as radiological measurements correlated with function after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The proposed optimal values are DSA between 40° and 65° and LSA between 75° and 95°; however, whether these values can be reached with different implant designs is unclear. To determine which RSA implant could achieve higher rates of optimal DSA and LSA, to determine any association between each implant and optimal DSA and LSA, and to assess the correlation of the preoperative critical shoulder angle (CSA) and acromial index (AI) with the DSA and LSA. This was a retrospective comparative study of all patients who underwent primary RSA for rotator cuff arthropathy. Three RSA implant designs were included, based on which patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (FH Arrow™; 16 patients) comprised onlay implants with a 135° neck-shaft angle (NSA); group 2 (Biomet Comprehensive™; 20 patients) comprised onlay implants with a 147° NSA; group 3 (Mathys Affinis™; 15 patients) comprised inlay implants with a 155° NSA. The AI and CSA were measured on preoperative radiographs. The DSA and LSA were measured on true AP postoperative radiographs. The mean DSAs were 44°, 46°, and 46° (P = 0.671) and the mean LSAs were 92°, 91°, and 82° for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P = 0.003). Group 3 had lower LSA than groups 1 (-10°; P = 0.005) and 2 (-9°; P = 0.002). Optimal DSA and LSA were achieved in 71% and 73% of all arthroplasties, respectively. No association between implant designs and achieving an optimal DSA or LSA was observed. None of the implant designs had DSA >65°. The most common cause of failure to reach an optimal LSA in onlay implants was a combination of LSA >95° and DSA <40°. The most common cause of failure in group 3 was DSA <40°. The DSA was negatively correlated with the AI (-0.384; P = 0.006) and CSA (-0.305; P = 0.033). No correlation was observed between the LSA and AI (P = 0.312) or CSA (P = 0.137). The LSA is lower with the Mathys Affinis™ implant than with the Biomet Comprehensive™ and FH Arrow™ implants; however, most LSAs are in the optimal ranges, and no association is observed between different implant designs and optimal DSA and LSA. Implant design, CSA, and AI should be considered during preoperative planning to achieve optimal DSA and LSA.


Restraint alters the effects of morphine and heroin on core temperature in the rat.
The importance of restraint in determining the magnitude of alteration in the rat's core temperature (Tc) after the administration of morphine sulphate (M) and heroin hydrochloride (H) was investigated. M, in doses of 5, 15 and 30 mg/kg, or H, in doses of 0.1, 1 and 5 mg/kg was administered IP to either the restrained or free-moving rats as Tc was measured. After the administration of 5 mg/kg of H or 30 mg/kg of M to the restrained rat, a marked hypothermia was observed which reached a maximum mean depth of 3.1 and 4.5 degrees C below the baseline Tc, respectively. Conversely, a mean increase in Tc of 1.5 and 1.9 degrees C occurred following the administration of these same doses of M and H in the unrestrained animal. Furthermore, the hypothermic effect of the highest dose of M was not observed when the third of 3 consecutive injections of M, administered at 48-hr intervals, was administered to the restrained rat. On the other hand, when M was repeatedly administered to the free-moving rat, the hyperthermic response was consistently observed. Pretreatment with naloxone hydrochloride (5 mg/kg IP) effectively blocked the opiate-induced hypothermia in the restrained animal, but a total dose of 10 mg/kg was necessary to completely block the hyperthermic response in the free-moving rat. Although the factor of restraint itself did not alter the rat's Tc, it did dramatically alter the action of M and H on the body temperature of the rat.


The Role of Gender-Concordant Mentorship in Women Premedical Students' Perception and Pursuit of Surgical Careers.
Evaluate the impact of a 6-month structured mentorship program between women premedical student mentees paired with women medical students and surgical residents on mentees' interests and perceptions of surgical careers. Prospective qualitative and quantitative study. This study took place at the Boston University School of Medicine, a single institution tertiary care hospital. Self-identified women premedical students at Boston University were eligible for inclusion in this program (n=90). Participants were recruited and grouped with self-identified women medical student (n=52) and resident (n=19) mentors. Participants were provided with a monthly curriculum to guide discussions. Mentees completed pre- and postprogram surveys with 5-point Likert scale questions regarding interest and exposure to surgery, role models and mentorship, and effect of COVID-19 on their career interests. Pre- and postprogram responses were compared using a Wilcoxon rank sum test. Of the 90 mentees, 63 (70%) completed preprogram surveys, and 53 (59%) completed postprogram surveys. Survey respondents indicated statistically significant increased exposure to positive role models (preprogram mean 3.15, postprogram mean 4.06, p=0.0003), increased exposure to women role models (preprogram 2.30, postprogram 3.79, p<0.0001), increased access to dedicated mentors (preprogram 2.11, postprogram 3.75, p<0.0001), and increased availability of support persons to answer their questions and concerns about careers in surgery (preprogram 3.03, postprogram 3.85, p=0.001). There was also a statistically significant increase in the reported effect that exposure to gender-concordant role models in surgery had on participants' decisions to consider a surgical career (preprogram 3.58, postprogram 4.23, p=0.001). This 6-month structured mentorship program for undergraduate premedical students increased mentees' exposure to positive women role models and mentors, and increased mentee's interest in pursuing a surgical career. This emphasizes the need for structured gender-concordant mentorship programs early in women's careers to encourage pursuit of surgical careers in an otherwise men-dominated field.


A Stronger Multi-observable Uncertainty Relation.
Uncertainty relation lies at the heart of quantum mechanics, characterizing the incompatibility of non-commuting observables in the preparation of quantum states. An important question is how to improve the lower bound of uncertainty relation. Here we present a variance-based sum uncertainty relation for N incompatible observables stronger than the simple generalization of an existing uncertainty relation for two observables. Further comparisons of our uncertainty relation with other related ones for spin- and spin-1 particles indicate that the obtained uncertainty relation gives a better lower bound.


Injury prevention strategies at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup display a multifactorial approach and highlight subjective wellness measurements.
To report the injury prevention programs utilised by top-level female footballers competing internationally. An online survey was administered to physicians of the 24 competing national teams at the 2019 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women's World Cup. The survey included 4 sections regarding perceptions and practices concerning non-contact injuries: (1) risk factors, (2) screening tests and monitoring tools, (3) preventative strategies, and (4) reflection on their World Cup experience. Following responses from 54% of teams, the most common injuries encountered included muscle strains, ankle sprains, and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures. The study also revealed the most important injury risk factors during the FIFA 2019 World Cup. Intrinsic risk factors include accumulated fatigue, previous injury, and strength endurance. Extrinsic risk factors include reduced recovery time between matches, congested match schedule, and the number of club team matches played. The 5 most used tests for risk factors were flexibility, joint mobility, fitness, balance, and strength. Monitoring tools commonly used were subjective wellness, heart rate, minutes/matches played, and daily medical screening. Specific strategies to limit the risk of an anterior cruciate ligament injury included the FIFA 11+ program and proprioception training. The present study revealed multifactorial approaches to injury prevention strategies for women's national football teams at the FIFA 2019 World Cup. Challenges to injury prevention program implementation reflect time limitations, schedule uncertainties, and varying club team recommendations. IV.


Taxonomic tools for the identification of Allogenarchopsisbareilliensis n. sp. (Digenea: Hemiuroidea: Derogenidae) from Channastriata of Rohilkhand, India based on light and scanning electron microscopic studies.
The stomach of the freshwater snakehead murrel, Channastriata (n = 250) collected from fresh water habitats of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India revealed Allogenarchopsis, a trematode parasite (Plagiorchiida: Derogenidae). An illustrated account of light (Olympus BX-53 with Cellsens software imaging system) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Neo JCM-6000) of Allogenarchopsisbareilliensis n. sp. (prevalence 37 %, intensity 1-4 par/host) is provided. Light microscopy based studies warranting creation of a new species are the robust shape of the body with broad mid-body, blunt anterior and tapering posterior end, large ventral sucker, ratio of oral sucker: ventral sucker 1:3.5, pharynx broader than long, egg size small with relatively short egg filament, excretory vesicle U-shaped bifurcating at posterior end and terminating above intestinal shoulders. Key characteristics of the tegumental microtopography by SEM are (1) an aspinous tegument with a variety of papillae of different shapes (button-like, dome-shaped) distributed randomly on the dorsal and ventral surface (2) oral sucker and oral cavity muscular with fringed margins and morphologically different oral papillae (3) lip of ventral sucker papillated including two unequally spaced rows of papillae with sensory receptacles interspersed in between, (4) unique differentially texturized cytoplasmic processes on the ventral sucker and (5) body folds grooved, gradually becoming narrower towards posterior end. This is the first record and study on Allogenarchopsis from Channa of Rohilkhand, India using electron optics. We recommend that the newly recognized morphological features as revealed by light microscopy and SEM be utilized as taxonomic tools in future for the identification of the species.


Adaptive optics pre-compensation for orbital angular momentum beams transmitting through simulated atmospheric turbulence.
We propose an adaptive optics (AO) pre-compensation scheme to improve the transmission quality of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams in atmospheric turbulence. The distortion wavefront caused by atmospheric turbulence is obtained with the Gaussian beacon from the receiver. The AO system imposes the conjugate distortion wavefront onto the outgoing OAM beams at the transmitter, tto achieve the pre-compensation. Using the scheme, we conducted transmission experiments with different OAM beams in the simulated atmospheric turbulence. The experimental results indicated that the AO pre-compensation scheme can improve the transmission quality of the OAM beams in the atmospheric turbulence in real-time. It is found that the turbulence-induced crosstalk effects on neighboring modes are reduced by an average of 6 dB, and the system power penalty is improved by an average of 12.6 dB after pre-compensation.


Role of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOC) emitted by urban trees on ozone concentration in cities: a review.
Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOC) play a critical role in biosphere-atmosphere interactions and are key factors of the physical and chemical properties of the atmosphere and climate. However, few studies have been carried out at urban level to investigate the interactions between BVOC emissions and ozone (O3) concentration. The contribution of urban vegetation to the load of BVOCs in the air and the interactions between biogenic emissions and urban pollution, including the likely formation of O3, needs to be investigated, but also the effects of O3 on the biochemical reactions and physiological conditions leading to BVOC emissions are largely unknown. The effect of BVOC emission on the O3 uptake by the trees is further complicating the interactions BVOC-O3, thus making challenging the estimation of the calculation of BVOC effect on O3 concentration at urban level.


Reducing indoor relative humidity can improve the circulation and cardiorespiratory health of older people in a cold environment: A field trial conducted in Chongqing, China.
The changing climate is one of the most important factors affecting public health. Older people are particularly threatened due to their less efficient immune systems. To evaluate the potential benefits of short-term indoor dehumidification on their circulation and cardiopulmonary health, we conducted a random, cross-over experiment with 36 healthy residents of an aged-care center in Chongqing, China in 2020. Vapor compression dehumidifiers were used over two 48-h periods. At the end of each 48 h, we immediately measured sixteen circulatory system biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, and oxidative stress; lung function; blood pressure; and heart rate. Indoor temperature and relative humidity were monitored throughout the study period. Linear, mixed-effect models were used to associate health endpoints with indoor relative humidity. This intervention study showed that when the indoor relative humidity decreased from 75% to 45%: (1) the coagulation indicators, sCD40l, and PAI-1, decreased significantly, by 58.82% and 23.50%, respectively; (2) the inflammatory indicators, CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased significantly, by 4.09%, 25.78%, and 10.60%, respectively; (3) PEF, FEV1 and FVC were increased significantly by 20.08%, 14.54%, and 15.75% respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the impact of short-term dehumidification on clinical and biochemical measures of cardiorespiratory health in humid areas, and our study suggests that RH in the dehumidified rooms (46.9 ± 8.7%) may be healthier than that in humid rooms (75.2 ± 7.9%). Humidity may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis by activating oxidative stress and mediating the secretion of inflammatory indicators. At the same time, platelet activation induced by oxidative stress stimulates thrombosis to increase cardiovascular risk in older people. Conclusion: This intervention study shows that in a Chinese city like Chongqing with serious indoor environmental humidity, indoor short-term dehumidification has obvious cardiopulmonary benefits for the healthy elderly.