Detoxification of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in naturally contaminated mussels, clams and scallops by an industrial procedure.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) episodes cause important economic impacts due to closure of shellfish production areas in order to protect human health. These closures, if are frequent and persistent, can seriously affect shellfish producers and the seafood industry, among others. In this study, we have developed an alternative processing method for bivalves with PSP content above the legal limit, which allows reducing toxicity to acceptable levels. A modification of the PSP detoxifying procedure stablished by Decision 96/77/EC of the European Union in Acanthocardia tuberculata, was developed and implemented for PSP elimination in other bivalves species. The procedure was applied to 6 batches of mussels, 2 batches of clams and 2 batches of scallops, achieving detoxification rates of around 85%. A viable industrial protocol which allows the transformation of a product at risk into a safe product was developed. Although a significant reduction was obtained, in a sample circa 9000 μg STX diHCl equiv/kg, the final toxin level in these highly toxic mussels did not fall below the European limit. The processing protocol described may be applied efficiently to mussels, clams and scallops and it may be a major solution to counteract the closure of shellfish harvesting areas, especially if persistent.


Sheathless and fluoroscopy-free retrograde intrarenal surgery: An attractive way of renal stone management in high-volume stone centers.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sheathless and fluoroscopy-free flexible ureterorenoscopic laser lithotripsy (FURSL) for treating renal stones. Between May 2015 and May 2017, 135 patients with renal stones treated with sheathless and fluoroscopy-free FURSL were prospectively evaluated. Our technique involved a semi-rigid ureteroscopic assessment of the ureter, and the guidewire was left in situ to railroad the flexible ureteroscope. A holmium laser was used to fragment and dust the stones; fragments were neither grasped nor collected. The study population consisted of 135 patients including 85 males (62.96%) and 50 females (37.04%) with a mean age of 40.65 years (range: 3-70 years) were evaluated. The mean stone size was 17.23 mm (range: 8-41 mm). Complete stone-free status was achieved in 122 (90.37%) patients and clinically insignificant residual fragments (CIRF) in two (1.48%), while residual stones were still present in 11 (8.15%) patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 23 (17.4%) cases and were mostly minor, including fever in 17 (12.6%), pyelonephritis in four (3.0%), subcapsular hematoma in one (0.7%) and steinstrasse in one (0.7%). These complications were Clavien I-II, GI in 17 (12.6%) patients, GII in five (3.7%), and Clavien IIIb in one (0.7%). No major complications were observed. Stone size ≥2 cm, operative time ≥30 min, and lasing time ≥20 min were significantly associated with a higher rate of complications and lower stone-free rates upon univariate analysis (p<0.05). Sheathless and fluoroscopy-free FURSL are effective and safe for renal stone management, especially for stones under 2 cm in diameter. This process is a feasible option for avoiding sheath complications, which can protect surgeons from the negative effects of radiation.


Defining health inequality: why Rawls succeeds where social welfare theory fails.
While there has been an important increase in methodological and empirical studies on health inequality, not much has been written on the theoretical foundation of health inequality measurement. We discuss several reasons why the classic welfare approach, which is the foundation of income inequality analysis, fails to provide a satisfactory foundation for health inequality analysis. We propose an alternative approach which is more closely linked to the WHO concept of equity in health and is also consistent with the ethical principles espoused by Rawls [A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971]. This approach in its simplest form, is shown to be closely related to the concentration curve when health and income are positively related. Thus, the criteria presented in our paper provide an important theoretical foundation for empirical analysis using the concentration curve. We explore the properties of these approaches by developing policy scenarios and examining how various ethical criteria affect government strategies for targeting health interventions.


Correction to: Evaluation of Liver Function Tests and Risk Score Assessment to Screen Patients for Significant Liver Disease Prior to Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.
The name of author Anthony Antypas was misspelled in the original article. It is correct here.


Determination of fluorescein and brominated fluoresceins in the color additive D&C Orange No. 5 and its lakes using high-performance liquid chromatography.
The colour additives D&C Orange No. 5 (O5) and its lakes (O5L) are subject to batch certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure compliance with specifications in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The present study reports the development of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of seven CFR-specified components in O5 and O5L - fluorescein and six brominated fluoresceins. The analytes were quantified using six-point calibration curves with data points (w/w) that ranged as follows: 20.0-70.0% for 4',5'-dibromofluorescein; 9.8-44.1% for 2',4',5'-tribromofluorescein; 1.01-15.2% for 2',4',5',7'-tetrabromofluorescein; 0.10-3.12% for 2',4'-dibromofluorescein; 0.10-3.06% for 2',5'-dibromofluorescein; 0.11-2.85% for 4'-bromofluorescein; and 0.10-2.02% for fluorescein. For all seven analytes, the HPLC instrument response was linear (R2 > 0.999) over the tested concentration ranges and the limits of detection (0.01-1.55%) were well below the CFR-specified levels. Other validation data showed good analyte recovery (87.91-101.73%) as well as method precision measured by the relative standard deviation (0.53-1.56%). The new method was applied to the analysis of test portions from 15 batches of O5 and eight batches of O5L submitted to FDA for certification by domestic and foreign manufacturers. Compared to the thin-layer chromatography/spectrophotometric procedure currently used for routine batch-certification analyses, the new method was found to be more sensitive, simpler to implement, and significantly faster, requiring 25 minutes rather than six hours to analyse one sample.


["Camel nanoantibody" is an efficient tool for research, diagnostics and therapy].
This short review provides an introduction to the rapidly developing field of generation and utilization of "camel nanoantibodies" (or "nanobodies"). The term "nanoantibody" or "nanobody" was given to single-domain variable fragments of special type of antibodies that naturally exist (in addition to classical types of antibodies) in blood of Camelidae family animals and in some chondrichthyan fishes. The existence of very efficient technology of nanobody generation and some very useful characteristic features promise a big potential for their use in immunobiotechnology and medicine.


A light-controlled DNA nanothermometer for temperature sensing in the cellular membrane microenvironment.
Precise sensing of cellular temperature is one significant yet challenge task for studying miscellaneous biological processes. Herein, we report a light-controlled DNA nanothermometer that allow for real-time thermal sensing in extracellular microscope with high spatiotemporal resolution. The light-controlled DNA nanothermometer three key elements: a thermal-sensitive molecular beacon (MB) labelled with fluorophore Cy5 and Cy3 at its 5' and 3' termini, an inhibitor strand containing two photocleavable linkers (pc-linker), and a biotin modified strand, which could modify this three-strand hybridization complex onto the cell surface. Upon exposing to UV light irradiation, the light-controlled DNA nanothermometer could be remotely activated and enable to perform highly sensitive and practical ratiometric temperature sensing. Meanwhile, the light-controlled DNA nanothermometer could conduct temperature sensing in the extracellular microscope and demonstrates desirable sensitivity, excellent reversibility, and quantitative ability for extracellular temperature measurement. Therefore, this light-controlled DNA can serve as a promising tool for elucidating thermal-related cell physiological and pathological processes.


Trends in, and predictors of, swallowing and social eating outcomes in head and neck cancer survivors: A longitudinal analysis of head and neck 5000.
To investigate the recovery trajectory and predictors of outcome for swallowing difficulties following head and neck cancer treatment in a large prospective cohort. Data from 5404 participants of the Head and Neck 5000 study were collected from 2011 to 2014. Patient-reported swallowing was measured using the EORTC HN35, recorded at baseline (pre-treatment) and 4 and 12 months post-baseline. Mixed-effects linear multivariable regression was used to investigate time trends, compare cancer sites, and identify associations between clinical, socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. 2458 participants with non-recurrent oral (29%) oropharyngeal (46%) and laryngeal (25%) cancer were included in the analysis. There was a clinically significant deterioration in scores between baseline and four months for swallowing (11.7 points; 95% CI 10.7-12.8) and trouble with social eating (17.9 points; 95% CI 16.7-19.2), but minimal difference between baseline and 12 months. Predictors of better swallowing and social eating were participants with larynx cancer, early-stage disease, treatment type, age, gender, co-morbidity, socio-economic status, smoking behaviour and cohabitation. Swallowing problems persist up to a year after head and neck cancer treatment. These findings identify disease and demographic characteristics for particularly vulnerable groups, supporting the need for holistic interventions to help improve swallowing outcomes. People diagnosed with head and neck cancer at risk of severe eating and drinking problems following treatment can be identified earlier in the pathway, receive more accurate information about early and late post-treatment side-effects, which can inform shared decision-making discussions.


Development and Validation of Web-Based Nomograms for Predicting Cause-Specific Mortality in Surgically Resected Nonmetastatic Invasive Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study.
This study aims to build nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific death (BCSD) in resected nonmetastatic invasive breast cancer. Patients extracted from surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed. Through multivariate Cox regression and Fine and Gray competing risks regression, independent predictive factors were identified and integrated to build nomograms for predicting OS and BCSD. The models were validated by bootstrap resampling and an independent cohort. Additionally, the models' performance was measured by the Harrell's C-index, calibrate curve, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In total, 110,180 cases were identified and enrolled in the analysis, with 83,450 in the training cohort and 26,730 in the validation cohort. Several independent predictive factors for OS and BCSD were identified and integrated to construct the nomograms. The C-indexes in the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.759 and 0.772 for predicting OS, and 0.857 and 0.856 for predicting BCSD, respectively. The nomogram models were well calibrated, and the time-dependent ROC curves verified the superiority of our models for clinical usefulness. Significant differences in the OS and BCSD curves were also observed when stratifying patients into several different risk groups. For convenient access, we deployed these proposed nomograms into web-based calculators. We established and validated novel nomograms for individualized prediction of OS and BCSD in resected nonmetastatic invasive breast cancer. These nomograms perform better than previous models and could be easily accessed easily by clinicians.


Prevalence and cardiovascular disease risk differences for erectile dysfunction patients by three metabolic syndrome definitions.
There is growing evidence of a link between ED, metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study was to explore the prevalence of MS using three different definitions (World Health Organization (WHO), International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III)), and to compare the association of CVD in ED outpatients using these definitions. This study enrolled 254 participants with a mean age of 55.3 ± 0.9 years (range, 21 to 81 years) with ED as diagnosed by International Index of Erectile Function score. All participants underwent MS evaluation based on the three criteria. Differences of MS prevalence, demographical characteristics, biochemical profiles, pro-inflammatory and inflammatory markers, echocardiographic characteristics and the association with Framingham cardiac risk score (FCRS) were compared. The presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the WHO group and high waist girth in the IDF group were significant because of the necessity of respective criteria. The MS prevalence in the WHO, IDF and ATP III groups was 30.7, 34.3 and 36.6%, respectively (P = 0.367). The degrees of agreement among each definition were substantial to perfect. No significant findings in echocardiographic characteristics, biochemical, inflammatory and pro-inflammatory markers were noted. The FCRS showed borderline nonsignificant difference (17.9 ± 0.4, 16.8 ± 0.4 and 16.9 ± 0.4, P = 0.079); however, the FCRS was more closely correlated with the WHO than with the IDF and ATP III (Spearman's correlation coefficients were 0.522, 0.531 and 0.462, respectively; P = 0.021). In patients < 55 years of age and those who smoke, the Spearman's correlation in the WHO group was significantly higher than in the IDF and ATP III groups. The prevalence of the MS using different definitions in ED patients was not different. The WHO-defined MS was more closely associated with CVD.


Fungal bioleaching of metals from refinery spent catalysts: A critical review of current research, challenges, and future directions.
Petroleum refining operations such as hydroprocessing and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) generate huge quantities of spent catalysts containing toxic and valuable metals (Ni, V, Mo, Co, W, Al, etc.), the management of which is a serious environmental issue. Besides environmental concerns, the different metals present in the spent catalysts are also a valuable commodity to modern industries. Therefore, these spent catalysts also provide an opportunity to use it as a source of value to the refiners. In recent years, a biotechnological based leaching process 'bioleaching' has emerged as a promising eco-friendly technique for the extraction of metals from these refinery spent catalysts. Among various bioleaching agents such as archean, bacterial, or fungi, the process mediated by the fungi (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium simplicissimum, and many others) is gaining attention owing to the high metal extraction ability of the various fungal produced metabolites (organic acids) under moderately acidic conditions. Furthermore, the ability of these fungi to withstand wide process conditions (pH, spent catalyst concentration, substrate types, etc.), high metal toxicity and use of low-cost organic substrate make them an ideal candidate for bioleaching. In this review article, we shed light on the role and mechanisms of fungi involved in extracting different metals from spent hydroprocessing and FCC catalysts. Key process parameters that affect the efficiency of fungal based bioleaching are discussed. The techno-economic challenges associated with the process are elaborated, and the needed future research directions to promote its commercial applications are highlighted. Based on our analysis, it can be argued that the fungi bioleaching has potential, however, some challenges (slower kinetics, and health and safety) should be addressed before the process can be scaled up for the commercial application.


Poly-Adenine-Based Spherical Nucleic Acids for Efficient Live-Cell MicroRNA Capture.
Direct delivery of exogenous non-coding nucleic acids into living cells has attracted intense interest in biological applications. However, the cell entry efficiency and target capture ability remain to be improved. Herein, we report a method for compartmenting the nucleic acids on the surface of poly-adenine-based spherical nucleic acids (polyA-SNAs) for efficient capture of oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) in living cells. We find that polyA-SNAs exhibit high cell entry efficiency, which is insensitive to the configuration of the anti-miRNA sequences. By programming the length of polyAs, we precisely engineered the spatial configuration of the anti-miRNA sequences in polyA-SNAs. Compartmentalized polyA-SNAs bind to miRNAs with improved capture ability as compared to densely compacted SNAs. We further demonstrate that polyA-SNAs serve as high-efficacy miRNA sponges for capturing oncogenic miRNAs both in living cells and in mice. The efficient inhibition of miRNAs results in significant suppression of tumor growth.


Water soluble feruloyl arabinoxylans from rice and ragi: changes upon malting and their consequence on antioxidant activity.
The objective of this study is to determine the changes brought about by germination on water soluble feruloyl arabinoxylans (feraxans), one of the major components of soluble fibre from rice and ragi and their consequence on antioxidant activity. Soluble feraxans, isolated from native and malted rice and ragi were fractionated on DEAE-cellulose. Ferulic acid content of the major [0.1 molar ammonium carbonate (AC) eluted] fraction was higher in malts (rice: 1045 microg/g; ragi: 1404 microg/g) than in native (rice: 119 microg/g; ragi: 147 microg/g) and this fraction was separated by Sephacryl S-300 chromatography into two peaks each in rice (native: 232 and 24.4 kDa; malt: 75.4 and 39.6 kDa) and ragi (native: 140 and 15.4 kDa; malt: 38.9 and 15.4 kDa). 0.1 molar AC eluted fractions showed very strong antioxidant activity in vitro as determined by beta-carotene-linoleate emulsion (IC50: 0.16-0.24 mg), DPPH* (IC50: 4.1-11.4 mg) and Ferric reducing/antioxidant power, FRAP (EC1: 0.76-3.1mg) assays. Antioxidant activity of feraxans was several (4.9-1400) folds higher than the expected activity due to their bound ferulic acid content. Apart from ferulic acid, presence of sugars with >C=O (uronyl/acetyl) groups and degree/nature of glycan-polymerization were observed to influence antioxidant activity of the polysaccharides. Malting resulted in many dynamic changes in the ferulic acid content in different feraxan types and affected their antioxidant activity.


The importance and identification of regulatory polymorphisms and their mechanisms of action.
The search for the genetic variations underlying all human phenotypes is in its infancy but must be one of the long term goals of the scientific community. There is evidence that most, if not all human phenotypes, including illnesses are influenced by the genetic makeup of the individual. There are an estimated 11 million human genetic polymorphisms with a minor allele frequency >1% and possibly many times that number of rare sequence variants. The proportion of these sequence variants which have any functional effect is unknown but it is likely that the majority of those which influence illness lie outside of the amino acid coding regions of genes, and affect the regulation of gene expression--these are called rSNPs. Recent research suggests that about 50% of genes have one or more common rSNPs associated with them and probably most if not all genes have an rSNP within the human population. In the long term, determining which polymorphisms are potentially functional must be done bio-informatically using algorithms based upon experimental data. However, at the current time, the limited data that has been obtained does not allow the creation of such an algorithm. In vitro studies suggest that a large proportion of rSNPs lie within the core and proximal promoter regions of genes but it is not clear how the majority of these influence transcription, as they do not appear to be within any known transcription factor binding sites. However, promoter regions possess a number of sequence-dependent characteristics which make them distinct from the rest of the genome, namely stability, curvature and flexibility. Subtle changes to these features may underlie the mechanisms by which many polymorphisms exert their function.


Reversed shunting across the ductus arteriosus or atrial septum in utero heralds severe congenital heart disease.
This study was performed to define the significance of Doppler color flow mapping in demonstrating reversal of the direction of the normal physiologic flow across the atrial septum and ductus arteriosus in the human fetus. Reversal of the physiologic shunting across the ductus arteriosus or atrial septum in utero (i.e., left to right) can be readily identified by Doppler color flow mapping, complemented by pulsed and continuous wave Doppler information. We reviewed echocardiograms recorded at our three institutions from 1988 to 1993, which displayed reversal of flow by Doppler color flow in 53 fetuses of gestational age 18 weeks to term. The diagnoses were confirmed by postnatal echocardiography, operation or autopsy. Reversal of shunting was consistently associated with severe heart disease. Reversed atrial shunting was found with severe left heart obstructive lesions, including 19 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, 3 with critical aortic stenosis, 2 with double-outlet right ventricle and 1 each with an interrupted aortic arch, atrioventricular septal defect and severe left ventricular dysfunction due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Reversed ductus arteriosus shunting was found with severe right heart obstructive lesions, including nine fetuses with pulmonary atresia, six with severe obstructive tricuspid valve abnormalities, five with severe tetralogy of Fallot, four with Ebstein's anomaly and two with single ventricle and pulmonary stenosis. Associated cardiac lesions were common in both groups. Only 3 of the 15 infants who were delivered alive from the reverse ductus arteriosus shunt group and 4 of 12 from the reverse atrial shunt group still survive. The finding of reversed flow by Doppler color flow mapping during fetal life provides a key to subsequent accurate diagnosis and denotes a spectrum of diseases with a very poor prognosis.


Experimental evidence of distance-dependent diffusion coefficients of a globular protein observed in polymer aqueous solution forming a network structure on nanometer scale.
The distance dependence of the diffusion coefficient (DDDC) of a globular protein (cytochrome c) in aqueous hyaluronan (HA) solution, which is a model system for extracellular matrices (ECMs), was measured by a combination of three kinds of spectroscopic measurements of diffusion coefficients, the time and space samplings of which are different. The results of the three methods are plotted against the diffusion distance derived from the consideration of each experimental condition. Due to the characteristic morphology of HA with an effective mesh structure, the proteins showed two extreme diffusion modes: (1) short (<10 nm) diffusion with rare contact with polymer chains; (2) long (>100 nm) diffusion significantly disrupted by polymer chains showing an approximately 30% reduction in diffusion coefficient. The transition from the short diffusion to the long one occurs in a very narrow range (10-100 nm) of diffusion distance and this unique character of HA realizing anomalous diffusion should provide suitable environments for various bioactivities when involved in ECM.


Temporal and geographical comparison of bulk tank milk and water microbiota composition in Brazilian dairy farms.
This study investigated the relationship between the bacterial communities of bulk tank milk (BTM) and water used in Brazilian dairy farms. We also explored the association between BTM microbiota and its quality parameters (i.e., somatic cell count [SCC] and total bacteria count [TBC]). Water and BTM samples were collected twice for high throughput metataxonomic characterization. Milk samples were collected for SCCs, TBCs, and antimicrobial residue analysis. Water samples were submitted for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses. Overall, the BTM bacterial community was not influenced by the water microbiota. Furthermore, a higher number of Bacillus spp. and a tendency toward a higher number of Lactococcus spp. was associated with a higher TBC, and consequently could be used as an indicator of milk quality. A higher number of Streptococcus spp. and a tendency toward a higher number of Staphylococcus spp. were associated with a higher SCC. Apart from a variation on the content of the Bacillus taxa, no effect of sampling time on BTM bacterial community was observed. Finally, a negative correlation between the number of different species (richness) on BTM and SCC was found.


Roles for microRNAs in the regulation of cell adhesion molecules.
Maintenance of appropriate cell adhesion is crucial for normal cellular and organismal homeostasis. Certain microRNAs have recently been found capable of regulating molecules that oversee the fundamental cell biological events that drive cellular adhesion. It is now apparent that microRNAs play crucial roles in the great majority of biochemical pathways that contribute to normal cell adhesion. In this Commentary, we describe the latest advances within this still-emerging field, and highlight connections between the deregulation of microRNAs that affect cell-adhesion-associated molecules and the pathogenesis of several human diseases. Current evidence suggests that the ability of certain microRNAs--notably miR-17, miR-29, miR-31, miR-124 and miR-200--to pleiotropically regulate multiple molecular components of the cell adhesion machinery endows these microRNAs with the capacity to function as key modulators of adhesion-associated processes. This, in turn, holds important implications for our understanding of both the basic biology of cell adhesion and the etiology of multiple pathological conditions.


Isolated subglottic lymphoma: an interesting cause of dysphonia.
Isolated laryngeal lymphomas are exceedingly rare tumours: they tend to be greyish submucosal swellings and to respond well to radiotherapy. A case of subglottic lymphoma is presented, along with a review of previously reported cases of subglottic lymphomas.


Fluid-deposited graphite and its geobiological implications in early Archean gneiss from Akilia, Greenland.
Graphite, interpreted as altered bioorganic matter in an early Archean, ca. 3.83-Ga-old quartz-amphibole-pyroxene gneiss on Akilia Island, Greenland, has previously been claimed to be the earliest trace of life on Earth. Our petrographic and Raman spectroscopy data from this gneiss reveal the occurrence of graphitic material with the structure of nano-crystalline to crystalline graphite in trails and clusters of CO₂, CH₄ and H₂O bearing fluid inclusions. Irregular particles of graphitic material without a fluid phase, representing decrepitated fluid inclusions are common in such trails too, but occur also as dispersed individual or clustered particles. The occurrence of graphitic material associated with carbonic fluid inclusions is consistent with an abiologic, fluid deposited origin during a poly-metamorphic history. The evidence for fluid-deposited graphitic material greatly complicates any claim about remnants of early life in the Akilia rock.


Gender, a significant factor in the cross talk between genes, environment, and health.
Although men and women share most genetic information, they have significantly different disease susceptibilities that go well beyond the expected gender-specific diseases. Sex influences the risk of nearly all common diseases that affect both men and women, including atherosclerosis and diabetes and their preceding risk factors (eg, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and obesity). The goal of this article was to examine the interplay between genes, gender, and disease susceptibility, and assess it in the context of the added complexity of environmental factors (ie, dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption) in the modulation of the balance between health and disease. Original and review articles published by the author were reexamined for evidence of gene-gender interactions. Evidence from some key factors in lipid metabolism (apolipoprotein E [APOE])and obesity (perilipin [PLIN]) indicates that the interplay between genes, gender, and environmental factors modulates disease susceptibility. In the Framingham Heart Study, complex interactions have been shown between a promoter polymorphism at the apolipoprotein A1 gene, gender, and dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acid intake that modulate plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Likewise, highly and clinically relevant interactions have been observed between the APOE gene common alleles APOE2 , APOE3, and APOE4 , gender, and smoking that determine cardiovascular disease risk. Most interesting is the gender-dependent association between common polymorphisms at the PLIN locus and obesity risk that has been replicated in several populations around the world. These data support the idea that gender-specific differences in morbidity and mortality may be mediated in part by genetic factors and by their differential response to the environment. The new knowledge generated by a more careful and complete elucidation of the complex interactions predisposing to common diseases will result in an increased ability to provide successful personalized behavioral recommendations to prevent chronic disorders.


An empirical solution for over-pruning with a novel ensemble-learning method for fMRI decoding.
Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) decoding techniques allow us to predict the contents of sensory and motor events or participants' mental states from multi-voxel patterns of fMRI signals. Sparse logistic regression (SLR) is a useful pattern classification algorithm that has the advantage of being able to automatically select voxels to avoid over-fitting. However, SLR suffers from over-pruning, in which many voxels that are potentially useful for prediction are discarded. We propose an ensemble solution for over-pruning, called "Iterative Recycling" (iRec), in which sparse classifiers are trained iteratively by recycling over-pruned voxels. Our simulation demonstrates that iRec can effectively rectify over-pruning in SLR and improve its classification accuracy. We also conduct an fMRI experiment in which eight healthy volunteers perform a finger-tapping task with their index or middle fingers. The results indicate that SLR with iRec (iSLR) can predict the finger used more accurately than SLR. Further, iSLR is able to identify a voxel cluster representing the finger movements in the biologically plausible contralateral primary sensory-motor cortices in each participant. We also successfully dissociated the regularly arranged representation for each finger in the cluster. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first study to propose a solution for over-pruning with ensemble-learning that is applicable to any sparse algorithm. In addition, from the viewpoint of machine learning, we provide the novel idea of using the sparse classification algorithm to generate accurate divergent base classifiers.


Students' self-ratings of stress in medical school: a replication across 20 months.
We replicated the essential results of a prior study on the capacity of the BAROMAS scales to reflect stress in medical school as perceived by students. As before, subjective stress was high at the start of medical school, and when facing the exams prerequisite to entry into clinical clerkships. On most measures, stress was lowest when the second year began (i.e. after having passed the first). Once again, most test-retest reliabilities (significant rs ranged from 0.24 to 0.66 for confidence ratings at 12- and 20-months after entry) were moderate.


Regulation of the catalytic activity of PTP1B: roles for cell adhesion, tyrosine residue 66, and proline residues 309 and 310.
The reversible phosphorylation of proteins on tyrosine residues is fundamental to a variety of intracellular signaling pathways and is controlled by the actions of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). While much progress has been made in understanding the regulation of PTKs, there is still relatively little known concerning the regulation of PTPs. Using immune complex phosphatase assays, we demonstrated that the enzymatic activity of the nonreceptor type PTP, PTP1B, is regulated by cell adhesion. Placing primary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) in suspension leads to a distinct increase in PTP1B activity, whereas the readhesion of suspended HFFs onto fibronectin or collagen I inhibited activity. To gain insight into the mechanisms involved, we analyzed recombinant forms of PTP1B mutated at potential regulatory sites. Our results indicated that tyrosine residue 66 is essential for maintaining activity at 37 degrees C. We also found that the C-terminal region of PTP1B and localization to the endoplasmic reticulum are not required for the inhibition of activity by cell adhesion. However, analysis of PA-PTP1B, in which alanines are substituted for prolines 309 and 310, revealed an important role for these residues as the catalytic activity of this mutant did not decrease following readhesion onto collagen I. Since the binding of p130cas and Src to PTP1B is dependent upon these proline residues, we assayed the regulation of PTP1B in mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient in these proteins. We found that neither p130cas nor Src is required for the inhibition of PTP1B activity by adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins. Additionally, pretreatment with cytochalasin D did not prevent the reduction of PTP1B activity when cells adhered to collagen I, indicating that cell spreading is not required for this regulation. The control of the catalytic activity of PTP1B by cell adhesion demonstrated in this study is likely to have important implications for growth factor and insulin signaling.


Evaluation of the Posterior Tilt Angle in Predicting Failure of Nondisplaced Femoral Neck Fractures After Internal Fixation: A Systematic Review.
To evaluate the posterior tilt angle (PTA) in predicting treatment failure after internal fixation of nondisplaced femoral neck fractures as graded by the Garden classification, which is based solely on anterior-posterior radiographic evaluation. A search was conducted of all published literature in the following databases from inception to December 20, 2021: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov . We included English-language randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies that reported malunion/nonunion, avascular necrosis, fixation failure, or reoperations in patients with nondisplaced femoral neck fractures treated with internal fixation who were evaluated for PTA using either lateral radiograph or computed tomography. All abstract, screening, and quality appraisal was conducted independently by 2 authors. Data from included studies were extracted manually and summarized. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria was used for quality appraisal. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for treatment failure, defined as nonunion/malunion, avascular necrosis, fixation failure, or reoperation, in cases involving preoperative PTA ≥20-degrees and <20-degrees. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Nondisplaced femoral neck fractures with PTA >20-degrees had a 24% rate of treatment failure compared with 12% for those <20-degrees [odds ratios, 3.21 (95% confidence intervals, 1.95-5.28); P < 0.001]. PTA is a predictor of treatment failure in nondisplaced femoral neck fractures treated with internal fixation. Nondisplaced femoral neck fractures with a PTA >20-degrees may warrant alternative treatment modalities. Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Homocysteine and folate metabolism in depression.
Homocysteine is a sensitive marker of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Numerous studies have confirmed the association between folate deficiency and depression. It is not completely understood whether homocysteine is solely a marker for folate deficiency or if it may play a more direct role in the expression of mood disorders. This review describes the biochemical, neurochemical and clinical correlations of folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia in relation to depression.


Does Productivity-Based Physician Compensation Affect Surgical Rates for Elective Arthroplasty Surgery?
Surgeon compensation models could potentially influence the utilization of elective procedures. We assessed whether transitioning from salaried to a relative value unit (RVU) productivity-based physician compensation model changed the surgical rate and patient selection in elective total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) procedures. Our institution transitioned from salaried to RVU productivity-based reimbursement in July 2016. We performed a retrospective analysis on patients undergoing primary THA and TKA from July 2014 to July 2018 before and after the transition (salary period n = 820; RVU period n = 1188). Beta regression was used to determine the reimbursement structure as a predictor of surgery. The surgical rate was defined as the number of primary THA and TKA procedures per reimbursement period divided by all arthroplasty and osteoarthritis outpatient clinic encounters. There was a surgical rate of 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.8%-17.8%) THA and 16.7% (95% CI 15.1%-18.1%) TKA procedures during RVU reimbursement compared to 11.1% (95% CI 9.8%-12.8%) THA and 11.7% (95% CI 10.5%-12.8%) TKA procedures during the salaried period (P < .001). The adjusted odds of undergoing a THA or TKA procedure increased in the RVU compared to the salaried model (THA odds ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.43-1.53; TKA odds ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.46-1.55; P < .001). There were no significant differences in patient age, gender, race, body mass index, or Charlson Comorbidity Index in salaried vs RVU productivity periods (P > .05 for all covariates). Productivity-based physician compensation may encourage higher rates of elective arthroplasty procedures without broadening patient selection.


[Effect of acetone and the probe 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate on water as estimated by fluorescence in the UV region].
For investigation of influence of reactive oxygen species on biological systems the peculiarities of light scattering and fluorescence spectra of aqueous solutions in the presence of photoactive additions of acetone (5 x 10(-4) - 30) and anionic probe ANS (5 microg/l-10 mg/l) have been considered. In water and diluted aqueous acetone and ANS solutions, long-term spontaneous variations in parameters of light scattering and fluorescence spectra have been detected. It has been found that the spectral parameters and the character of ANS influence changed drastically at acetone concentrations of approximately 0.1%, approximately (0.2-0.3)%, and approximately 0.8%. The results can be explained by rearrangement of solvent structure in the surrounding of admixture molecules, photochemical processes with the participation of acetone and reactive oxygen species, as well secondary reactions with their involvement in gas-vapor and acetone bubbles.


Synthesis of the monomer and dimer peptide fragments of the Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall peptidoglycan.
Three branched peptides, namely pentapeptide A and the two decapeptides B and C corresponding respectively to the monomer and the two dimer peptide fragments of the M. lysodeikticus cell wall peptidoglycan, were synthetized by adequate methods of peptide synthesis in homogeneous phase. The synthetized peptides showed the same electrophoretic and chromatographic behavior as the natural peptide fragments. Only decapeptide B was hydrolysed by the Myxobacter AL-1 protease by cleavage of the D-Ala-L-Ala bond and inversely, only decapeptide C was digested by the Streptomyces albus ML endopeptidase by cleavage of the D-Ala-epsilon-Lys linkage. In both enzymatic hydrolyses the pentapeptide monomer was formed.


Radical investment in the curriculum in times of Covid-19: Can we question the anti-science discourses?
This article questions the centrality of knowledge and learning in the curriculum, as well as the restriction of education to learning even when education is thought of as consisting of ways to combat anti-science discourses in the name of combating Covid-19. Based on discourse theory and deconstruction, with a focus on the notions of radical investment, contextualization, interpretation, and fantasy, the article reaffirms a post-foundational notion of curriculum theory and defends the possibility that curriculum and school can be spaces of affective relationships, bonds, and subjectivities willing to invest in life and thereby contribute to fighting the current pandemic.


Detection of a bulk water structure related conformational change in horse heart cytochrome c in Cl- -H2O solutions utilizing spectrofluoroelectrochemical techniques.
Utilizing the ratio of the fluorescence intensities of the reduced and oxidized forms of horse heart cytochrome c (cyt c), it is possible to monitor conformational changes of the protein upon reduction. The temperature dependence from 25 to 50 degrees C of the ratio is sigmoidal in nature, indicative of a conformational transition with the midpoint being 43 degrees C in 0.10 M NaCl, 0.10 M PO4 buffer, pH 7.0, solution. This transition is consistent with the previously postulated biphasic model used to explain the nonlinearity in E0' vs T in Cl- -H2O solutions [C.W. Anderson, H.B. Halsall , W.R. Heineman , and G.P. Kreishman (1977) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 76, 339-344]. In addition, the chemical shift of the bulk water proton in tetramethylammonium chloride solution shows a nonlinearity at 42 degrees C and it is postulated that the conformational changes of cyt c are the result of the behavior of the bulk water structure.


T1 mapping for the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis: correlation with Cambridge classification system.
This study aims to determine if T1 relaxation time of the pancreas can detect parenchymal changes in early chronic pancreatitis (CP). This study retrospectively analyzed 42 patients grouped as no CP (Cambridge 0; n = 21), equivocal (Cambridge 1; n = 12) or mild CP (Cambridge 2; n = 9) based on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings using the Cambridge classification as the reference standard. Unenhanced T1 maps were acquired using a three-dimensional dual flip-angle gradient-echo technique on the same 1.5 T scanner with the same imaging parameters. There was no significant difference between the T1 relaxation times of Cambridge 0 and 1 group (p = 0.58). There was a significant difference (p = 0.0003) in the mean T1 relaxation times of the pancreas between the combined Cambridge 0 and 1 (mean = 639 msec, 95% CI: 617, 660) and Cambridge 2 groups (mean = 726 msec, 95% CI: 692, 759). There was significant difference (p = 0.0009) in the mean T1 relaxation times of the pancreas between the Cambridge 0 (mean = 636 msec, 95% CI: 606, 666) and Cambridge 2 groups (mean = 726 msec, 95% CI: 692,759) as well as between Cambridge 1 (mean = 643 msec, 95% CI: 608, 679) and Cambridge 2 groups (mean = 726 msec, 95% CI: 692,759) (p = 0.0017). Bland-Altman analysis showed measurements of one reader to be marginally higher than the other by 15.7 msec (2.4%, p = 0.04). T1 mapping is a practical method capable of quantitatively reflecting morphologic changes even in the early stages of chronic pancreatitis, and demonstrates promise for future implementation in routine clinical imaging protocols. T1 mapping can distinguish subtle parenchymal changes seen in early stage CP, and demonstrates promise for implementation in routine imaging protocols for the diagnosis of CP.


Transplantation of rat hepatic stem-like (HSL) cells with collagen matrices.
Organ restitution using somatic stem cells is of great clinical interest. Recent advances in the field of tissue engineering have demonstrated that the use of collagen matrices as scaffolds facilitates tissue reconstruction. Here, we examine the efficacy of transplantation of HSL cells, a previously established liver epithelial cell line with a potential for differentiation, using collagen scaffolds. To this end, HSL cells were transplanted into Nagase's analbuminemic rat with spongy or gelatinous type I collagen matrices. Consequently, immunohistochemical analyses and genomic PCR experiments revealed engraftment of the transplanted cells. Furthermore, the levels of serum albumin in recipient rats were found to increase up to 2.5-fold relative to controls after transplantation. These findings suggest that HSL cells are able to differentiate into functional hepatocytes in vivo, and that biodegradable collagen matrices enhance this phenomenon by providing an appropriate microenvironment for hepatocytic repopulation.


Optic nerve abnormalities in children: a practical approach.
Evaluation of children with optic nerve abnormalities is challenging. Fundus photography, ocular coherence tomography, visual field testing, color vision evaluation, neuroimaging, and genetic testing are helpful in the diagnosis and management of these patients. Importantly, many optic nerve problems are not isolated but occur in association with systemic and central nervous system anomalies. The ophthalmologist thus plays a critical role in recognizing patients who warrant systemic and neurologic assessment.


Computer-based workplace communication training in persons with traumatic brain injury: The work-related communication program.
This proof-of-concept study presents a computer-based social communication training for spoken workplace interactions called Work-Related Communication (WoRC) training. This program implements didactic training, role-play, and immediate feedback using a simulation approach to improve spoken language performance. The unique target of this training is a category of linguistic markers called politeness markers which are essential for cooperative workplace exchanges. We recruited eight adults with chronic traumatic brain injury. All participants demonstrated reduced politeness marker use in language sampling before treatment. This study had a quasi-experimental treatment design. We measured the rate of politeness marker use (politeness markers per minute) using the Voicemail Elicitation Task and novel role-play tasks, and the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire as outcome (dependent) variables. After training, participants demonstrated an increase in trained and untrained politeness marker use that was significant for the novel role-play tasks. The La Trobe Communication Questionnaire found that familiar conversation partners reported a significant increase in social communication skills. The WoRC program has implications for introducing a sociolinguistic foundation for social communication training in general and specifically for vocational placement.


Agonist-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of isoforms of the shc adapter protein by the delta opioid receptor.
Maximally effective concentrations of the opioid agonist D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin resulted in some 2-3-fold enhancement of tyrosine phosphorylation of the p52 Shc adapter protein in a clone of Rat-1 fibroblasts transfected to express stably the murine delta opioid receptor. More limited modifications of the tyrosine phosphorylation status of the p46 and p66 forms of Shc were observed in parallel. Epidermal growth factor caused some 10-12-fold enhancement of tyrosine phosphorylation of p52 Shc and marked increases in the p46 and p66 forms. The effect of D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin was prevented by pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin and was not observed in non-transfected parental fibroblasts whereas the effect of epidermal growth factor was still manifest in both these situations. Half-maximal effects of D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin on p52 Shc tyrosine phosphorylation were produced with sub-nanomolar concentrations, in agreement with previous results on the tyrosine phosphorylation of p44MAPK (Burt et al., 1996). p52 Shc became tyrosine phosphorylated more rapidly than p44MAPK in response to D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin and its enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation was maintained for at least 10 min.


A quantitative analysis of the cone-angle dependence in precession electron diffraction.
Precession electron diffraction (PED) is a technique which is gaining increasing interest due to its ease of use and reduction of the dynamical scattering problem in electron diffraction. To further investigate the usefulness of this technique, we have performed a systematic study of the effect of precession angle on the mineral andalusite where the semiangle was varied from 6.5 to 32 mrad in five discrete steps. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal conditions for the amelioration of kinematically forbidden reflections, and the measurement of valence charge density. We show that the intensities of kinematically forbidden reflections decay exponentially as the precession semiangle (varphi) is increased. We have also determined that charge density effects are best observed at moderately low angles (6.5-13 mrad) even though PED patterns become more kinematical in nature as the precession angle is increased further.


Recognition of emotion from moving facial and prosodic stimuli in depressed patients.
It has been suggested that depressed patients have a "negative bias" in recognising other people's emotions; however, the detailed structure of this negative bias is not fully understood. To examine the ability of depressed patients to recognise emotion, using moving facial and prosodic expressions of emotion. 16 depressed patients and 20 matched (non-depressed) controls selected one basic emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, or disgust) that best described the emotional state represented by moving face and prosody. There was no significant difference between depressed patients and controls in their recognition of facial expressions of emotion. However, the depressed patients were impaired relative to controls in their recognition of surprise from prosodic emotions, judging it to be more negative. We suggest that depressed patients tend to interpret neutral emotions, such as surprise, as negative. Considering that the deficit was seen only for prosodic emotive stimuli, it would appear that stimulus clarity influences the recognition of emotion. These findings provide valuable information on how depressed patients behave in complicated emotional and social situations.


Preparedness for containing COVID-19 outbreak in mass religious gathering with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).
The COVID-19 outbreaks associated with mass religious gatherings which have the potential of invoking epidemics at large scale have been a great concern. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of outbreak in mass religious gathering and further to assess the preparedness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for preventing COVID-19 outbreak in this context. The risk of COVID-19 outbreak in mass religious gathering was evaluated by using secondary COVID-19 cases and reproductive numbers. The preparedness of a series of NPIs for preventing COVID-19 outbreak in mass religious gathering was then assessed by using a density-dependent model. This approach was first illustrated by the Mazu Pilgrimage in Taiwan and validated by using the COVID-19 outbreak in the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ) religious gathering in South Korea. Through the strict implementation of 80% NPIs in the Mazu Pilgrimage, the number of secondary cases can be substantially reduced from 1508 (95% CI: 900-2176) to 294 (95% CI: 169-420) with the reproductive number (R) significantly below one (0.54, 95% CI: 0.31-0.78), indicating an effective containment of outbreak. The expected number of secondary COVID-19 cases in the SCJ gathering was estimated as 232 (basic reproductive number (R0) = 6.02) and 579 (R0 = 2.50) for the first and second outbreak, respectively, with a total expected cases (833) close to the observed data on high infection of COVID-19 cases (887, R0 = 3.00). We provided the evidence on the preparedness of NPIs for preventing COVID-19 outbreak in the context of mass religious gathering by using a density-dependent model.


Mapping salinization and trace element abundance (including As and other metalloids) in the groundwater of north-central Mexico using a double-clustering approach.
This study aimed to determine the reliability of the double-clustering method to understand the spatial association and distribution of major and minor constituents in the groundwater of an arid endorheic basin in central Mexico (Comarca Lagunera Region). The results of the double-clustering approach were compared with well-known spatial statistics such as spatial autocorrelations (Moran index) and the local indicator of spatial association (LISA). Fifty-five groundwater samples were collected from diverse wells within the basin, and the major ions, metalloids, and trace elements were determined. Overall, the double-clustering analysis was an effective tool for identifying lithogenic/anthropogenic processes occurring in the basin and for establishing zones with high or low abundance of major ions and trace elements, even where processes affecting the groundwater quality were spatially dispersed. Although 89% of the samples showed As higher than the threshold value of 10 μg/L proposed by the World Health Organization for drinking water, both the double-clustering and LISA analyses identified As hotspots in the alluvial aquifer, where the extraction of deeper and warmer groundwater might promote the concomitant release of the metalloids As, Sb, and Ge and the trace elements V and W. Similarly, both statistical analyses identified mountainous sectors where the weathering of silicates and carbonates plays a key role in the abundance of HCO3-, Ga, and Ba. However, the LISA analysis failed to identify hotspots of carbonate-derived elements such as Ca, Mg, Sr, and U and silicate-derived elements such as Ca, Mg, K, Sr, Rb, Cs, Pb, Ni, and Y. Otherwise, the double-clustering analysis clearly defined high- and low-concentration zones for all these elements in the study region. Unlike the LISA analysis, the double-clustering approach was also successful in determining alluvial areas with high concentrations of Si and Ti and areas where the concentrations of Na, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, B, Li, Cu, Re, and Se in groundwater were elevated, increasing the groundwater salinity. Overall, this study demonstrated that the double-clustering is an easy-to-apply approach, capable of visualizing disperse zones where specific anthropogenic processes may threaten the groundwater quality.


Traditional Chinese medicine combined with pulmonary drug delivery system and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and therapeutic potential.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive pulmonary interstitial inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, and is also a sequela in severe patients with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nintedanib and pirfenidone are the only two known drugs which are conditionally recommended for the treatment of IPF by the FDA. However, these drugs pose some adverse side effects such as nausea and diarrhoea during clinical applications. Therefore, it is of great value and significance to identify effective and safe therapeutic drugs to solve the clinical problems associated with intake of western medicine. As a unique medical treatment, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has gradually exerted its advantages in the treatment of IPF worldwide through a multi-level and multi-target approach. Further, to overcome the current clinical problems of oral and injectable intakes of TCM, pulmonary drug delivery system (PDDS) could be designed to reduce the systemic metabolism and adverse reactions of the drug and to improve the bioavailability of drugs. Through PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and CNKI, we retrieved articles published in related fields in recent years, and this paper has summarized twenty-seven Chinese compound prescriptions, ten single TCM, and ten active ingredients for effective prevention and treatment of IPF. We also introduce three kinds of inhaling PDDS, which supports further research of TCM combined with PDDS to treat IPF.


Learnings from Health Behavioural Survey Practices in France and Belgium During the First COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order.
The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled public authorities to establish preventive measures involving individual behaviour modification strategies (mask-wearing, social distancing, etc.) with a view to community protection. In this context, documenting people's behaviour changes, the impact of public health measures, and individuals' knowledge, motivations, and beliefs - even their perception of how the crisis is being managed - is essential for understanding the experience of the population and adapting the management approach accordingly. This article presents findings and lessons on how to monitor a population's behaviour during a crisis, obtained by reviewing forty-five surveys conducted in Belgium and France during the first Covid-19 stay-at-home order, from April to May 2020. The central message is to argue that the citizens' role in this type of survey - and in managing the crisis, more generally - should be reconsidered by thinking of them as true health partners and members of a community that could be mobilised to help.


Transplantation of ovarian tissue.
Since the first live birth after orthotopic transplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue, >40 babies have been born. It is time to consider fertility preservation in women as one of the foremost challenges of the next decade and to offer women facing the risk of induced or iatrogenic premature menopause the best chances of becoming mothers. Heterotopic transplantation has also been attempted, with consistent restoration of endocrine function; nonetheless, its clinical value remains questionable as it may not provide an optimal environment for follicular development, possibly because of differences in temperature, pressure, paracrine factors and blood supply. Finally, orthotopic allo-transplantation of fresh human ovarian tissue has been successfully attempted between monozygotic twins and also between genetically different sisters. The next step in this field will be the development of an artificial ovary, using, as a support, a biodegradable scaffold made of an alginate matrigel matrix onto which isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells can be grafted.


Connecting targets for catchment sediment loads to ecological outcomes for seagrass using multiple lines of evidence.
Catchment impacts on downstream ecosystems are difficult to quantify, but important for setting management targets. Here we compared 12 years of monitoring data of seagrass area and biomass in Cleveland Bay, northeast Australia, with discharge and associated sediment loads from nearby rivers. Seagrass biomass and area exhibited different trajectories in response to river inputs. River discharge was a slightly better predictor of seagrass indicators than total suspended solid (TSS) loads, indicating that catchment effects on seagrass are not restricted to sediment. Linear relationships between Burdekin River TSS loads delivered over 1-4 years and seagrass condition in Cleveland Bay generated Ecologically Relevant Targets (ERT) for catchment sediment inputs. Our predicted ERTs were comparable to those previously estimated using mechanistic models. This study highlights the challenges of linking catchment inputs to condition of downstream ecosystems, and the importance of integrating a variety of metrics and approaches to increase confidence in ERTs.


Effect of the closure of mesenteric defects in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a prospective study.
Internal hernias (IH) are a recognized problem in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) that can cause intestinal obstruction. The routine closure of the mesenteric defects (MDs) to prevent IH in the LRYGB remains controversial. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the risk of reopening at the level of both MDs, the Petersen space, and the intermesenteric gap. University hospital. Prospective cohort of patients with a history of LRYGB, all with closure of both MDs, and in whom another intra-abdominal surgery was performed after the LRYGB, between January 2013 and December 2018. The status of both MDs was recorded. All analyses were performed with Stata version 15 software with a level of significance of .05. A total of 76 patients were included. The average time that elapsed between the LRYGB and the surgery that evaluated the state of the MDs was 22.8 months. The patients lost on average 34.7 kg, with a minimum of 8 kg and a maximum of 76 kg. The indications for the interventions were cholelithiasis (68.3%), recurrent abdominal pain (13.2%), intestinal obstruction (11.8%), malabsorption syndrome (7.3%), and bilateral inguinal hernia (2.4%). At the time of surgery, 52 patients (68.4%) had a completely closed Petersen space; 58 patients (76.3%) had a completely closed intermesenteric defect. Both MDs were closed in 36 patients (47.4%), and 33 patients (43.4%) had at least 1 of the MDs open. The closure of MDs eliminated the risk of IH in half of the operated patients of LRYGB in this series.


Single amino acid substitutions in the C-terminus of collagen II alter its affinity for collagen IX.
The structural integrity of cartilage depends on the presence of extracellular matrices (ECM) formed by heterotypic fibrils composed of collagen II, collagen IX, and collagen XI. The formation of these fibrils depends on the site-specific binding between relatively small regions of interacting collagen molecules. Single amino acid substitutions in collagen II change the physicochemical and structural characteristics of those sites, thereby leading to an alteration of intermolecular collagen II/collagen IX interaction. Employing a biosensor to study interactions between R75C, R789C or G853E collagen II mutants and collagen IX, we demonstrated significant changes in the binding affinities. Moreover, analyses of computer models representing mutation sites defined exact changes in physicochemical characteristics of collagen II mutants. Our study shows that changes in collagen II/collagen IX affinity could represent one of the steps in a cascade of changes occurring in the ECM of cartilage as a result of single amino acid substitutions in collagen II.


A three-month study of environmental mastitis in a dairy herd.
During the autumn/winter of 1976, a study was made of a severe mastitis outbreak which occurred in a herd of 96 cows. Forty-four cows and 61 quarters were clinically infected with new infections between September and mid-December. Escherichia coli was isolated in 84 per cent of clinical samples submitted for bacteriological examination.


Evaluation of laryngoscopic views and related influencing factors in a pediatric population.
Management of the difficult pediatric airway is a serious problem that anesthesiologists face in their practice. However, guidelines for adults may not be applied readily to pediatric populations. This study was performed to determine the incidence of different laryngoscopic views and the associated conditions. The authors collected data on 511 consecutive patients who were scheduled to receive general anesthesia. Laryngeal views were graded using the Cormack and Lehane classification, and grades III and IV were defined as difficult laryngoscopic visualization. The distances from the nose to the upper lip, lower lip to menthom, ear tragus to mouth, ear lobe to mouth, the horizontal length of mandible, and thyromental distance were measured. The association of these parameters with the laryngoscopic views was analyzed. The incidence of grade I to IV laryngoscopic views was 80%, 17%, 3%, and 0%, respectively. All the cases that involved difficult laryngoscopy (3%) were aged ≤3 months. The distances from the lower lip to menthom and ear tragus to mouth had a direct association with difficult cases. There were no apparent cutoff points to predict difficult laryngoscopy, for any of the distances. The difficult cases were mostly aged <1 year. The association between difficult laryngoscopy and the distances between the lower lip border and menthom, ear tragus and corner of the mouth, and ear lobe and corner of the mouth can be summarized in an equation that may have potential use in the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy.


Characterization of an ATP-modulated large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel present in rat cortical neurones.
1. Single channel current recordings were used to study the characteristics of a large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ (BKCa) channel present in neurones acutely dissociated from the rat motor cortex. Application of ATP to the intracellular surface of excised inside-out patches produced a large, concentration-dependent increase in BKCa channel activity. 2. This ATP-mediated activation was dependent upon the presence of Mg2+ in the intracellular bathing solution and was diminished by the phosphatases 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) or alkaline phosphatase and by the protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine, H-7 and PKI. 3. ADP stimulated BKCa channel activity in a Mg(2+)-dependent manner, an action also inhibited by the concomitant application of PKI or BDM. The effect of ADP was reduced by application of hexokinase and glucose or by application of the adenylate kinase inhibitor Ap5A. 4. Of other nucleotides tested, only CTP consistently activated BKCa channel activity. 5. Using the cell-attached configuration, bath application of forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP stimulated BKCa channel activity. 6. It is concluded that BKCa channel activity in the rat motor cortex is subject to modulation by the activity of a closely associated kinase. The ability of cAMP activators to stimulate BKCa channel activity in the intact cell suggests that this system may be of physiological importance.


Biomonitoring, physico-chemical, and biomarker evaluations of abattoir effluent discharges into the Ogun River from Kara Market, Ogun State, Nigeria, using Clarias gariepinus.
The discharge of untreated effluents into aquatic ecosystems poses potential adverse effects to aquatic organisms. In this study, the physico-chemical characteristics of abattoir effluent from Kara Cow Market, Ogun State, Nigeria, surface water and sediments from the Ogun River were evaluated. Fish species and macrobenthic fauna diversity in the river were also examined. Acute toxicity and biochemical and histological studies were investigated in Clarias gariepinus exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of the effluent over a period of 28 days. Effluent physico-chemical parameters such as ammonia, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids were higher than set limits. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the effluent and sediment were 6.73 mg/L and 8.07 mg/kg, respectively. Tetracycline (an antibiotic administered to the cows at the market) levels in the effluent and surface water were 0.23 μg/mL and 0.85 μg/mL, respectively. Fish species diversity was lower at the test site compared to the reference site. Chironomus spp. and Tubifex tubifex dominated the benthic assemblage at the test site. There were significant changes (p < 0.05) in the biochemical indices but no histological alterations in exposed C. gariepinus after 28 days. The results demonstrate that the effluent poses potential risks to the aquatic organisms and ecosystem services provided by the river. We recommend that environmental regulatory agencies and stakeholders should establish effluent and solid wastes management systems at the market to prevent environmental and public health epidemics within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 6 (clean water and sanitation) and 14 (life below water). Graphical abstract .


Doppler pulse waveform analysis of carotid artery flow in dissecting aortic aneurysm.
A 38-year-old man was hospitalized with severe neck pain. Aortic arch angiography failed to reveal an abnormality. Doppler flow study showed a prolonged systolic flow phase with a double peak in the left common carotid. The impression of dissecting aortic aneurysm involving the left carotid was confirmed at autopsy.


Orthorexia nervosa in yoga practitioners: relationship with personality, attitudes about appearance, and yoga engagement.
Disordered eating symptoms and a high prevalence of orthorexia nervosa can be found in yoga practitioners. Given that yoga is increasingly used as a complementary treatment for eating disorders (ED), understanding the relationship between yoga practice and the development of disordered eating is crucial to guide treatment recommendations. The goal of this work is, therefore, to study the relationships between orthorexia nervosa (ON) and potential risk factors for ON, in an international sample of experienced yoga practitioners. An online questionnaire that included several psychometric instruments was responded by 469 yoga practitioners. Instruments used were the Teruel orthorexia scale, Yoga immersion scale, Passion scale, Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale, Self-discipline scale of NEO-PI-R, Drive for thinness scale of EDI, and Beliefs about appearance scale. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis and multiple regression were used to evaluate relationships between ON and the other variables. The main predictors of orthorexia nervosa were the drive for thinness and a healthy orthorexia, suggesting that, like in anorexia and bulimia, orthorexic individuals are also concerned with food quantity and physical appearance, rather than just food quality. The potential effects of yoga on eating behaviours and attitudes of long-term practitioners, particularly the high prevalence of orthorexia nervosa and the concern for physical appearance, should be taken into consideration when using yoga as prevention or treatment for eating disorders. Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.


Metabostemness in cancer: Linking metaboloepigenetics and mitophagy in remodeling cancer stem cells.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare populations of malignant cells with stem cell-like features of self-renewal, uninterrupted differentiation, tumorigenicity, and resistance to conventional therapeutic agents, and these cells have a decisive role in treatment failure and tumor relapse. The self-renewal potential of CSCs with atypical activation of developmental signaling pathways involves the maintenance of stemness to support cancer progression. The acquisition of stemness in CSCs has been accomplished through genetic and epigenetic rewiring following the metabolic switch. In this context, "metabostemness" denotes the metabolic parameters that essentially govern the epitranscriptional gene reprogramming mechanism to dedifferentiate tumor cells into CSCs. Several metabolites often referred to as oncometabolites can directly remodel chromatin structure and thereby influence the operation of epitranscriptional circuits. This integrated metaboloepigenetic dimension of CSCs favors the differentiated cells to move in dedifferentiated macrostates. Some metabolic events might perform as early drivers of epitranscriptional reprogramming; however, subsequent metabolic hits may govern the retention of stemness properties in the tumor mass. Interestingly, selective removal of mitochondria through autophagy can promote metabolic plasticity and alter metabolic states during differentiation and dedifferentiation. In this connection, novel metabostemness-specific drugs can be generated as potential cancer therapeutics to target the metaboloepigenetic circuitry to eliminate CSCs.


Holographic determination of centers of rotation produced by orthodontic forces.
A new tool for measuring tooth movement--laser holography--offers an accurate, noninvasive approach for determining movement in three dimensions. This in vitro study is designed to establish the required force system applied on the crown of a maxillary incisor that would produce different centers of rotation, as in lingual tipping, translation, and root movement. The relationship between moment-to-force ratios and centers of rotation is shown. The experimental data are compared to theoretic approaches. With respect to the location of the center of resistance and centers of rotation, force systems needed to produce different centers of rotation are given for a central incisor of average root length.


Epidemiological characteristics of gonorrhea and its influential meteorological factors: a 14-year retrospective assessment in China.
This study aimed to investigate the seasonal variation of gonorrhea in China, and to analyze the relationship between the incidence of gonorrhea and meteorological factors. Data from gonorrhea cases were obtained from the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and the Data-Center for China Public Health Science, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the incidence of gonorrhea in China from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2019 was analyzed. Meteorological data from the same period were obtained from the South China Meteorological Data Sharing Center, including the average monthly temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, sunshine hours, number of rainy days, and precipitation. The ratio-to-moving average method and seasonal subseries plots were used to analyze the seasonality of gonorrhea cases. The distributed lag non-linear model and attribution risks were used to investigate the effects of meteorological indexes on gonorrhea cases. The number of gonorrhea cases showed seasonal variation, with a peak in the third quarter and a decline in the first quarter. The Spearman assay showed that the reported number of patients with gonorrhea was positively correlated with the monthly temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and number of rainy days. The risk of gonorrhea onset was highest at 6-11 °C, and the highest risk occurred when the average monthly temperature was 7 °C (resulting in an increase of 14.5% compared with 13 °C); a similar result was found regarding the cumulative risk of gonorrhea onset in relation to temperature. The attribution score of temperature to the onset of gonorrhea was 5.02% (95% confidence interval: - 3.84%, 13.88%). The study findings suggest that increased emphasis should be placed on screening for gonorrhea during summer and autumn, and that education on safe sexual behavior should be promoted during these times.


Antimalarial lanostane triterpenoids from cultivated fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete Ganoderma sp.
Ten previously undescribed lanostane-type triterpenoids (1-10), together with 15 known lanostanes, were isolated from artificially cultivated fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete Ganoderma sp. BCC 21329. The structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry data and by application of the modified Mosher's method. Compounds 1, 3, 5, and 7 showed moderate antimalarial activity (IC50 3.8-7.6 μg ml-1).


Dynamic 18F-FPCIT PET: Quantification of Parkinson's disease metabolic networks and nigrostriatal dopaminergic dysfunction in a single imaging session.
Previous multi-center imaging studies with 18F-FDG PET have established the presence of Parkinson's disease motor- and cognition-related metabolic patterns termed PDRP and PDCP in patients with this disorder. Given that in PD cerebral perfusion and glucose metabolism are typically coupled in the absence of medication, we determined whether subject expression of these disease networks can be quantified in early-phase images from dynamic 18F-FPCIT PET scans acquired to assess striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) binding. Methods: We studied a cohort of early-stage PD patients and age-matched healthy control subjects who underwent 18F-FPCIT at baseline; scans were repeated 4 years later in a smaller subset of patients. The early 18F-FPCIT frames, which reflect cerebral perfusion, were used to compute PDRP and PDCP expression (subject scores) in each subject, and compared to analogous measures computed based on 18F-FDG PET scan when additionally available. The late 18F-FPCIT frames were used to measure caudate and putamen DAT binding in the same individuals. Results: PDRP subject scores from early-phase 18F-FPCIT and 18F-FDG scans were elevated and striatal DAT binding reduced in PD versus healthy subjects. The PDRP scores from 18F-FPCIT correlated with clinical motor ratings, disease duration, and with corresponding measures from 18F-FDG PET. In addition to correlating with disease duration and analogous 18F-FDG PET values, PDCP scores correlated with DAT binding in the caudate/anterior putamen. PDRP and PDCP subject scores using either method rose over 4 years whereas striatal DAT binding declined over the same time period. Conclusion: Early-phase images obtained with 18F-FPCIT PET can provide an alternative to 18F-FDG PET for PD network quantification. This technique therefore allows PDRP/PDCP expression and caudate/putamen DAT binding to be evaluated with a single tracer in one scanning session.


Synthetic Mesh in Contaminated Abdominal Wall Surgery: Friend or Foe? A Literature Review.
The use of synthetic mesh in contaminated fields is controversial. In the last decade, published data have grown in this matter suggesting favorable outcomes. However, multiple variables and scenarios that influence the results still make difficult to obtain convincing recommendations. We performed a review of relevant available data in English regarding the use of synthetic meshes in contaminated abdominal wall surgery using the Medline database. Articles including patients undergoing ventral hernia in contaminated fields were included for analysis. Most studies support the use of synthetic meshes for ventral hernia repair in contaminated fields, as they have shown lower recurrence rate and similar wound morbidity. Although no mesh seems ideal in this setting, most surgeons advocate for the use of reduced-in-weight polypropylene mesh. Sublay location of the prosthesis associated with complete fascial closure appears to offer better results in these patients. In addition, current evidence suggests that the use of prophylactic synthetic mesh when performing a stoma or for stoma reversal incisional hernias might be beneficial. A better understanding of surgical site occurrences and its prevention, as well as the introduction of new reduced-in-weight meshes have allowed using synthetic meshes in a contaminated field. Although the use of mesh has indeed shown promising results in these patients, the surgical team should still balance pros and cons at the time of placing synthetics in contaminated fields.


On the curvature in logarithmic plots of rate coefficients for chemical reactions.
In terms of the reduced potential energy barrier ζ = ΔuTS/kT, the rate coefficients for chemical reactions are usually expressed as proportional to e-ζ. The coupling between vibrational modes of the medium to the reaction coordinate leads to a proportionality of the regularized gamma function of Euler Q(a,ζ) = Γ(a,ζ)/Γ(a), with a being the number of modes coupled to the reaction coordinate. In this work, the experimental rate coefficients at various temperatures for several chemical reactions were fitted to the theoretical expression in terms of Q(a,ζ) to determine the extent of its validity and generality. The new expression affords lower deviations from the experimental points in 29 cases out of 38 and it accounts for the curvature in the logarithmic plots of rate coefficients versus inverse temperature. In the absence of tunneling, conventional theories predict the curvature of these plots to be identically zero.


Role of nitrosation in the mutagenic activity of coal dust: a postulation for gastric carcinogenesis in coal miners.
The mutagenicity of coal dust solvent extracts with and without nitrosation was studied using the Salmonella/microsome assay system. Coal dust solvent extracts were either non-mutagenic or very weakly mutagenic with S9 activation. High mutagenic activities, however, were found when extracts of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal dusts were reacted with nitrite under an acidic condition. Formation of mutagens from coal dust extracts by nitrosation was highest at pH 3.2 and decreased with increasing pH in the reaction mixture. Mutagenic activity appeared to be independent of metabolic activation. The mutagens formed from nitrosation of coal dust extracts induced frameshift mutations. The results reported here may have possible implications for the explanation of an elevated incidence of gastric cancer in coal miners.


[Survival for digestive system tumors: Italian population-based data and international comparisons].
Survival for malignant tumour of the upper digestive tract, oesophagus, stomach and pancreas are analysed from the data of 5042 cases observed during the period 1976-1985 by the Italian cancer registries (CRs) of Varese, Latina, Ragusa and Florence. Three-year relative survival rates were 42% for patients with tumours of the upper digestive tract and 7% for those tumour of the oesophagus. Five-year relative survival for patients with stomach cancer was 20%. A worse prognosis was found for cases from the Latina and Ragusa CRs. One-year relative survival for patients with pancreatitic cancer was 17%. Younger age, histologic confirmation, period of diagnosis (for upper tract, stomach and pancreatitic cancers), and female gender (for tumours of the upper tract) resulted as positively associated to survival.


Development of the radiosynthesis of high-specific-activity 123I-NKJ64.
(123)I-NKJ64, a reboxetine analogue, is currently under development as a potential novel single photon emission computed tomography radiotracer for imaging the noradrenaline transporter in brain. This study describes the development of the radiosynthesis of (123)I-NKJ64, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages, pitfalls and solutions encountered while developing the final radiolabelling methodology. The synthesis of (123)I-NKJ64 was evaluated using an electrophilic iododestannylation method, where a Boc-protected trimethylstannyl precursor was radioiodinated using peracetic acid as an oxidant and deprotection was investigated using either trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or 2 M hydrochloric acid (HCl). Radioiodination of the Boc-protected trimethylstannyl precursor was achieved with an incorporation yield of 92±6%. Deprotection with 2 M HCl produced (123)I-NKJ64 with the highest radiochemical yield of 98.05±1.63% compared with 83.95±13.24% with TFA. However, the specific activity of the obtained (123)I-NKJ64 was lower when measured after using 2 M HCl (0.15±0.23 Ci/μmol) as the deprotecting agent in comparison to TFA (1.76±0.60 Ci/μmol). Further investigation of the 2 M HCl methodology found a by-product, identified as the deprotected proto-destannylated precursor, which co-eluted with (123)I-NKJ64 during the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification. The radiosynthesis of (123)I-NKJ64 was achieved with good isolated radiochemical yield of 68% and a high specific activity of 1.8 Ci/μmol. TFA was found to be the most suitable deprotecting agent, since 2 M HCl generated a by-product that could not be fully separated from (123)I-NKJ64 using the HPLC methodology investigated. This study highlights the importance of HPLC purification and accurate measurement of specific activity while developing new radiosynthesis methodologies.


Cannabis Product Ingestions in Pediatric Patients: Ranges of Exposure, Effects, and Outcomes.
Pediatric exposures to cannabis edibles have been associated with serious adverse effects, such as respiratory depression. Yet, their incidence and relationship to exposure characteristics are not well defined. We attempt to describe the temporal, demographic, and clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with edible cannabis exposures and examine the relationship between these characteristics and two clinical outcomes: need for respiratory support and hospital admission. A retrospective chart review was conducted at a single, tertiary care academic medical center covering a 28-month period. Inclusion criteria were: evaluation in the ED, age <18 years at the time of presentation, and physician documented exposure to edible cannabis. Exclusion criteria were: known or suspected co-ingestion of other substances. Thirty-two cases of edible cannabis ingestions were identified. Age <10 years was associated with bradypnea, hypertension, hospital admission, and respiratory support. Use of respiratory support was significantly associated with the presence of lethargy, bradypnea, hypercarbia, seizure, and hypertension. There was a five-fold increase in the number of pediatric edible cannabis exposures after recreational cannabis dispensaries opened in Massachusetts. Five patients (16%) required respiratory support and eleven (34%) required hospital admission. There was a low incidence of need for respiratory support in our population, but hospital admission was more common. Severe symptoms (including lethargy and respiratory depression), need for respiratory support and hospital admission were more frequent in younger children. Exposures occurred with increasing frequency over time. Larger studies are needed to explore the relationship between THC dosage, age, and incidence of adverse outcomes.


Highlights from the Romanian National Congress of Oncology: challenges in oncology in 2020, 15-17 October 2020 Poiana Brasov, Romania.
In a fast-moving world of change and adaptation, the first conference of the three oncology societies from Romania had as its main topic "The challenges in oncology in 2020". It proved to successfully replace a traditional conference by a virtually held event. Also, for the first time it united all oncology and radiotherapy societies under the same umbrella connected by the same aspirations of collaboration and sharing innovative ideas and progress for better cancer care and outcome in Romania.


Comparison of cefamandole and cefazolin during cardiopulmonary bypass.
In a randomized comparison, concentrations of cefazolin were found to exceed those of cefamandole in serum, atrial appendage, and sternal bone in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. No postoperative infections and no antibiotic-related complications occurred in either patient group.


Ribonucleotide reductase activity in ether-treated cells of Agmenellum quadruplicatum.
Ribonucleotide (cytidine 5'-diphosphate) reductase activity can be detected in situ in cells of the blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum, strain PR-6, after the cells are made permeable by treatment with ether. The Agmenellum reductase resembles the enzyme from Escherichia coli.


Emergency Drugs for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Office.
This article illustrates the indications and mechanism of action of core emergency medications as well as emergency medications for intravenous sedation in the oral and maxillofacial surgeon office. The recognition of medical emergencies and comprehensive knowledge of pharmaceutical medical intervention can prevent deterioration in medical emergencies. In addition, this article also reviews common dosages as well as administration techniques that should be regularly reviewed and be fundamental knowledge to the oral surgeon and staff.


Colorectal de novo carcinoma: a review of its diagnosis, histopathology, molecular biology, and clinical relevance.
The effort to reduce colorectal adenocarcinoma mortality increasingly depends on detection and removal of precancerous adenomas by colonoscopy. Sporadic reports have described small, aggressive carcinomas that do not appear to develop from adenomas and have been called "de novo" carcinomas. These lesions seem to challenge the basis of colorectal surveillance and are therefore a controversial topic. This review presents the history of the de novo concept, the problems concerned with the histopathologic diagnosis of these lesions and what is presently known about their clinical and molecular biologic features in comparison with the more common ex adenoma type of colorectal carcinomas. This information will show that, despite their rarity, it is important for both pathologists and gastroenterologists to be aware of these lesions.


Predicting children's meal preferences: how much do parents know?
We investigate how accurate parents are at predicting their children's meal preferences and what cues best describe parents' predictions. In Study 1, 30 parents predicted their children's school lunch choices from actual school menus. Parents' prediction accuracy matched the stability of children's meal choices (assessed in a 4-month retest), implying that accuracy was as high as can be expected. Parents appeared to make their predictions by using specific knowledge about their child's likes and by projecting their own preferences. In Study 2, we asked 58 parents to predict their children's preferences for 30 randomly drawn school meals, and compared them to the children's actual preferences. Again, parents showed high prediction accuracy and predicted the lunches their children liked correctly more often than the disliked ones. Overall, parents' accuracy in predicting their children's food preferences was as good as or better than found in previous preference prediction studies that used less ecologically relevant task domains.


Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: the hemiascomycetous yeasts.
Hemiascomycetous yeasts constitute a class of unicellular fungi often associated with the food and drink processing industries. A number of species including Kluveromyces lactis, Debaryomyces hansenii, Yarrowia lipolytica, play a key role in the cheese-making process by providing aroma, affecting texture and/or permitting the growth of other microorgansisms. The large majority of yeast infections are due to a few opportunistic species presently classified within the genus Candida, and occur in immunocompromised patients. Recent advances in taxonomy have provided evidence for the incorrect classification of a number of yeasts and suggest that their association with the genus Candida should be reconsidered. Indeed, none of the most common pathogenic Candida species are found in cheese. Improved techniques, combined with more advanced analytical methods have brought to light several emerging pathogens, some of which are involved in cheese-making, for example D. hansenii and Y. lipolytica. Other emerging pathogens may also be found as rare occurrences in cheese. Problems in designation of these isolates are due in part to the still limited range of specific methods of identification and are exacerbated by lack of consensus concerning yeast taxonomy. These organisms cause rare infections in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients, which are generally mild and either self-limiting or easily treated. From studies with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it seems that it is more the exposure to high doses of yeast than the identity of the species or strain that is associated with infection. As such yeasts in cheese cannot be considered to constitute a risk for healthy individuals.


Icariin reduces Glu-induced excitatory neurotoxicity via antioxidative and antiapoptotic pathways in SH-SY5Y cells.
Excessive glutamate (Glu) can lead to significant effects on neural cells through the generation of neurotoxic or excitotoxic cascades. Icariin (ICA) is a main active ingredient of Chinese Medicine Berberidaceae epimedium L., and has many biological activities, such as antiinflammation, antioxidative stress, and anti-depression. This study aims to evaluate the effect of ICA on Glu-induced excitatory neurotoxicity of SH-SY5Y cells. The cell viability assay was evaluated by the CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was determined by using the fluorescent probe Fluo-3. Protein expression was detected by western blotting analysis. ICA can significantly enhance the SH-SY5Y cell viability reduced by Glu. At the same time, ICA can significantly reduce apoptosis, ROS, nitric oxide (NO) levels, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and significantly inhibit the increase of mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, ICA significantly increased the expression of P47phox and iNOS, decreased p-JNK/JNK, p-P38/P38, Bax/Bcl-2, active caspase-3, and active caspase-9. These results indicate that ICA may reduce the excitatory neurotoxicity of Glu-induced SH-SY5Y cells through suppression of oxidative stress and apoptotic pathways, suggesting that ICA could be a potential therapeutic candidate for neurological disorders propagated by Glu toxicity.


The development of a reliable and valid instrument to measure the osteoporosis-related knowledge: validation of the Hungarian version of Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT).
Osteoporosis is one of the most common chronic musculoskeletal diseases. Osteoporosis-related knowledge is an important contributor in to prevent osteoporosis. There is no validated reliable questionnaire to measure the knowledge in Hungary. The aim of the study was to validate the Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT) Hungarian version. The research was a randomized validation study of a new Hungarian language instrument. The questionnaire was administered to 557 randomly selected healthy women (age between 25 and 44 years) from December 2018 to July 2019 in Baranya county, Hungary. The reliability was examined by the Flesch reading ease and McNemar's test. We examined item discrimination and item-total correlations, inter-item consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and principal component factor analysis. Significant differences (p < 0.001) were reported between total scores and the age categories. Significant (p < 0.001) correlation (r = 0.25) was found between the education level and the knowledge. Significantly (p < 0.001) higher knowledge were found in health care profession (14.53 ± 3.58) than the non-health care profession (9.99 ± 4.04). Participants with osteoporosis or fracture in family history had better knowledge (p < 0.001). Flesch reading ease was 44, the questionnaire had a Ferguson's sigma of 0.94 and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81. There were no negative inter-item correlations psychometric properties of the OKAT, all items had more than 70% of correlations (p < 0.001). The Hungarian version of the Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool is a reliable and objective questionnaire to measure women's knowledge in Hungary.


Identification of CPE and GAIT elements in 3'UTR of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) involved in inflammatory response induced by LPS in Ciona robusta.
Innate immune responses face infectious microorganisms by inducing inflammatory responses. Multiple genes within distinct functional categories are coordinately and temporally regulated by transcriptional 'on' and 'off' switches that account for the specificity of gene expression in response to external stimuli. Mechanisms that control transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation are important in coordinating the initiation and resolution of inflammation. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important cytokine that, in Ciona robusta, is related to inflammatory response. It is well known that in C. robusta, formerly known as Ciona intestinalis, the pharynx is involved in the inflammatory reaction induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in the body wall. Using this biological system, we describe the identification of two C. robusta MIFs (CrMIF1 and CrMIF2). The phylogenetic tree and modeling support a close relationship with vertebrate MIF family members. CrMIF1 and CrMIF2 possess two evolutionally conserved catalytic sites: a tautomerase and an oxidoreductase site with a conserved CXXC motif. Real-time PCR analysis shows a prompt expression induced by LPS inoculation in CrMIF1 and a late upregulation of CrMIF2 and in silico analyses of 3'UTR show a cis-acting GAIT element and a CPE element in 3'-UTR, which are not present in the 3'-UTR of CrMIF1, suggesting that different transcriptional and post-transcriptional control mechanisms are involved in the regulation of gene expression of MIF during inflammatory response in C. robusta.


Association of Plasma Connective Tissue Growth Factor Levels with Hyperthyroid Heart Disease.
Hyperthyroid heart disease (HHD) is one of the most severe complications of overt hyperthyroidism and increases the risk of mortality in affected patients. Early identification of patients at a higher risk of developing HHD can improve clinical outcomes through active surveillance and management. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a secreted extracellular protein, plays a significant role in cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the association between plasma CTGF level and the risk of HHD in this study. A total of 142 overt hyperthyroid patients without HHD and 99 patients with HHD were included. The plasma CTGF levels were measured using ELISA kits. Routine clinical medical data and echocardiography parameters were recorded for analysis. The plasma CTGF level was significantly higher in patients with HHD than in those without HHD (P=0.002). The plasma CTGF level was positively correlated with free triiodothyronin, tryrotropin receptor antibody, troponin I and lactate dehydrogenase levels and the left atrium diameters, right atrium diameters, and right ventricular end-diastolic diameters (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that quartiles 3 and 4 of plasma CTGF levels were significantly associated with the increased risk of HHD (crude OR: 2.529; 95% CI: 1.188-5.387). However, after adjustment for the potentially confounding variables, quartile 4 alone was significantly associated with the higher risk of HHD relative to quartile 1. Hyperthyroid patients with HHD display higher plasma CTGF levels. Furthermore, CTGF is an independent risk factor for HHD. Therefore, the plasma CTGF level may be a potential biomarker for the risk of HHD.