A pilot multisite study of patient navigation for pregnant women with opioid use disorder.
The opioid crisis continues to affect pregnant and postpartum women the United States, with the number of pregnant women diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) quadrupling over the last decade. The associated increase in morbidity and mortality among mother and baby warrants prompt, targeted intervention efforts that improve engagement, linkage of care, and treatment retention. Patient navigation (PN) is a chronic care intervention that can directly address this need by helping women identify medical, behavioral, and psychosocial care goals. Moreover, PN can assist women in preparing for, engaging in, and maintaining patient participation in necessary services. Specifically, PN includes strengths-based case management, 1-1 clinical support, motivational interviewing, and addiction-relapse prevention programming. The objective of this article is to present the study protocol of a pilot multisite randomized clinical trial, entitled: Optimizing Pregnancy and Treatment Interventions for Moms 2.0 (OPTI-Mom 2.0; NCT03833245). In this study, we build upon a proof-of-concept study, employing evidence-informed frameworks for protocol and intervention expansion in order to construct a PN intervention tailored for pregnant women with OUD in central Utah and southwestern Pennsylvania. Our protocol provides an initial framework of a potentially impactful intervention and may guide development of future programs. Importantly, this study further establishes the evidence-base-with potential to ameliorate serious adverse opioid-related outcomes and improve health for women and their children.


Functionalities of chitosan conjugated with stearic acid and gallic acid and application of the modified chitosan in stabilizing labile aroma compounds in an oil-in-water emulsion.
The aims of this research were to conjugate chitosan (CT) with stearic acid (SA) and gallic acid (GA), and apply the modified chitosan to stabilize labile aroma compounds such as allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and limonene in oil-in-water emulsions. Generally, the antioxidant activity of CT-SA-GA increased as the GA content in the conjugate increased. In most assays, GA had a lower IC50 value than that of CT-SA-GA; however, CT-SA-GA exhibited better performance than GA in the Fe2+-chelating activity. In accelerated tests (heating or illumination) for evaluating the chemical stability of AITC and limonene during storage, CT-SA and CT-SA-GA were used to prepare AITC and limonene O/W emulsions, respectively. Tween 80 and Span 80 (T-S-80), an emulsifier mixture, were used as a control in both emulsions for comparison. The results show that CT-SA or CT-SA-GA could protect AITC or limonene from degradation or oxidation more effectively than T-S-80.


Drug-induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy with Concurrent Proteasome Inhibitor Use in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.
Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a life-threatening clinical syndrome characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and microvascular thrombosis, resulting in ischemia and organ damage. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplasm arising from clonal plasma cells within the bone marrow. The treatment frequently includes multi-agent immunochemotherapy, often with the use of proteasome inhibitors (PIs) such as bortezomib, carfilzomib, or ixazomib. There are increasing reports of TMA in association with PI exposure. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of PI-related drug-induced TMA. We will outline the definition and diagnosis of TMA and explore an important cause of hemolysis in patients with MM: drug-induced TMA after PI exposure, an increasingly recognized therapeutic complication. This will be emphasized through the description of 3 novel cases of TMA. These illustrative cases occurred after treatment with high-dose weekly carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone as part of the MCRN003/MYX1 phase II clinical trial (NCT02597062) in relapsed MM.


Risk assessment to improve targeting of HIV counseling and testing services for STD clinic patients.
To determine whether self-administered risk assessment could improve targeting of HIV counseling and testing in an STD clinic. Computerized records from the Prince George's County, Maryland, STD clinic from 1993 through 1996 were used to develop and test models for predicting a positive HIV test. In 1996, a self-administered risk assessment was compared with a counselor's risk assessment of the same patient. Testing the 10% of patients at highest risk would identify 39% of those who were HIV-positive; testing 70% of the patients could identify 92% of those who were HIV-positive. In 1996, 2,288 patients completed the self-administered HIV risk assessment. The same number of HIV-positive persons (7 [28%]) were identified using either self-assessment or face-to-face interview. Selectively offering voluntary HIV testing based on risk assessment would not be useful because it would miss many infected persons. If prevention counseling cannot be offered to everyone, it could be targeted to those who report a risk by self-assessment.


[Cloning and expression of a outer membrance protein gene(OmpS(2);) of Edwardsiella tarda HB01 and its immunogenicity].
To construct a recombinant strain BL21(DE3)(pET-28a-OmpS(2);), and obtain a genetic engineering vaccine to provide protective immunity against diseases caused by Edwardsiella tarda. According to the GenBank sequences (GenBank Accession No. AY078509), one pair of primers was designed and the outer membrance protein gene (OmpS(2);) of Edwardsiella tarda HB01 was amplified by PCR. The OmpS(2); gene was cloned in pET-28a vector and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The OmpS(2); protein was highly expressed when the recombinant strain BL21 (DE3) (pET-28a-OmpS(2);) was induced by IPTG. The expressed protein was 47 kD as estimated by 150 g/L SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The immunogenicity of the expressed OmpS(2); protein was confirmed by Western blotting. Mice and Paralichthys olivaceus were immunized with the genetic engineering vaccines of Edwardsiella tarda and Aeromonas hydrophila, showing promise that all these vaccines have a high protective ability. And the protective ability to Edwardsiella tarda and Aeromonas hydrophila in Paralichthys olivaceus respectively reached 70% and 80%. The recombinant strain BL21 (DE3)(pET-28a-OmpS(2);) could be candidate of genetic engineering vaccine to provide protective immunity against diseases caused by Edwardsiella tarda.


Evaluation of water-assisted UV-C light and its additive effect with peracetic acid for the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and murine norovirus on whole and fresh-cut strawberries during shelf-life.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the inactivation of Salmonella enterica (50 μL; 109 CFU g-1 ), Listeria monocytogenes (50 μL; 109 CFU g-1 ), and murine norovirus (MNV-1; 50 μL; 107 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50 ) mL-1 ) on whole and fresh-cut strawberries after 2 min disinfection treatments (water (H2 O), chlorine 200 mg L-1 (NaClO), water-assisted ultraviolet-C (UV-C) (WUV), and the combination WUV and 40 mg L-1 of PA (WUV + PA)) in a water tank (15 L) equipped with 4 UV-C lamps (17.2 W each), and after 7 days of cold storage (4 and 10 °C). For MNV-1, dry UV-C treatment (DUV) was also tested. For all UV-C treatments, an irradiation dose of 1.3 kJ m-2 was used. When strawberries were washed with WUV, L. monocytogenes and S. enterica were reduced by 2.8 and 2.2 log CFU g-1 , respectively. The addition of 40 mg L-1 of PA to WUV (WUV + PA) increased the reduction range of L. monocytogenes and S. enterica by 1.9 and 0.8 log, respectively. Regarding the wash water, no pathogens were recovered after the WUV + PA treatment (detection limit 50 CFU mL-1 ). Depending on storage conditions (7 days at 4 or 10 °C), reductions observed were 0.5 to 2.0 log for S. enterica and 0.5 to 3.0 log for L. monocytogenes. The reductions in MNV-1 titer after disinfection treatments ranged from 1.3 to 1.7 log. No significant differences between storage conditions were observed for MNV-1: titers did not decline or were reduced up to 0.3 log after 7 days of cold storage. The three-way action for disinfecting strawberries by UV-C irradiation and PA, plus the physical removal of the microorganisms by agitated water, are effective against foodborne pathogens on strawberries and water wash. During storage, WUV had a larger impact on the inactivation kinetics of S. enterica. Storage had little impact on MNV-1 inactivation. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.


Electronic clinical path system based on semistructured data model using personal digital assistant for onsite access.
Clinical Paths (Paths) have been introduced by different hospitals for patient care management. An Electronic Clinical Path (ECP) with onsite access provision seems to improve the efficiency of medical staffs because they can share vast medical information about patients at a time and also can reuse accumulated data easily, which is impossible with paper-based Path. Data model is the basis for implementing ECP. However, there is no established model for ECP. The purpose of this study is to introduce a model for ECP and implement an ECP with onsite access system. We introduced a Semistructured Data Model (SSDM) for ECP, and implemented a Web application system based on this model using Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) as inputting device. Our system functioned as expected with wireless LAN, and users handled the data on bedside using PDA. By introducing SSDM, we showed the correspondence between schema of Paths and implementation of ECP.


Diagnostic value of various vascular features of breast cancer by age.
Tumor angiogenesis plays a critical role in the growth and metastasis of breast cancer. Evaluating the added value of vascular features to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) in differentiating malignant masses from benign ones is essential. Micro-flow Imaging (MFI) is a promising noninvasive diagnostic method for the microvessels in breast tumors, but its precise value is still uncertain. Understanding whether malignant tumor vascular characteristics by MFI are associated with breast cancer and whether the diagnostic efficiency varies by age. B-mode ultrasound and MFI were performed for 153 solid breast lesions. The vessels images by MFI were reviewed and assessed by two investigators, respectively. Then the diagnostic efficacy of different vascular features combined with BI-RADS was evaluated in different age groups. The mean size of lesions is 19.4 (range 18-78) mm. There were 94 breast masses in benign, while 59 breast masses in malignant by pathology. III Adler classification, penetrating vessels, and complex flow pattern showed a positive association with a high risk of malignant breast lesions (p < 0.05). BI-RADS combined with vessel characteristics show better improvement of diagnostic performance of breast lesions in the elderly group than in the young group. Vascular features by MFI contribute to malignant breast masses' diagnosis, and the association might be modified by age.


Diabetes-Related Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality in Asian American Subgroups.
Asian Americans experience heterogeneity in cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease, with a particularly high burden of diabetes in several Asian subgroups. The objectives of this study were to quantify diabetes-related mortality in Asian American subgroups and compare this with Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals. Using national-level vital statistics data and concurrent population estimates, age-standardized mortality rates and proportional mortality from diabetes-related mortality were calculated for non-Hispanic Asian (and subgroups: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese), Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White populations in the United States, 2018-2021. Diabetes-related deaths numbered 45,249 in non-Hispanic Asian, 159,279 in Hispanic, 209,281 in non-Hispanic Black, and 904,067 in non-Hispanic White individuals. Among Asian Americans, age-standardized mortality rates of diabetes-related mortality with cardiovascular disease as underlying cause ranged from 10.8 (95% CI: 9.9-11.6) per 100,000 in Japanese females to 19.9 (95% CI: 18.9-20.9) per 100,000 in Filipina females, and from 15.3 (95% CI: 13.9-16.8) per 100,000 in Korean males to 37.8 (95% CI: 36.1-39.5) per 100,000 in Filipino males. The proportion of all deaths related to diabetes was higher in all Asian subgroups (9.7%-16.4% for females; 11.8%-19.2% for males) compared with non-Hispanic Whites (8.5% for females; 10.7% for males). The highest proportion of diabetes-related deaths occurred in Filipino adults. There was an approximately 2-fold variation in diabetes-related mortality among Asian American subgroups, with Filipino adults experiencing the greatest burden. All Asian subgroups experienced higher proportional mortality for diabetes-related mortality compared with non-Hispanic White individuals.


Modelling of the pharmacodynamic interaction between phenytoin and sodium valproate.
Treatment of epilepsy with a combination of antiepileptic drugs remains the therapeutic choice when monotherapy fails. In this study, we apply pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling to characterize the interaction between phenytoin (PHT) and sodium valproate (VPA). Male Wistar rats received a 40 mg kg(-1) intravenous dose of PHT over 5 min either alone or in combination with an infusion of VPA resulting in a steady-state concentration of 115.5+/-4.9 microg ml(-1). A control group received only the infusion of VPA. The increase in the threshold for generalized seizure activity (ATGS) was used as measure of the anticonvulsant effect. PHT pharmacokinetics was described by a pharmacokinetic model with Michaelis-Menten elimination. The concentration-time course and plasma protein binding of PHT were not altered by VPA. The pharmacokinetic parameters Vmax and Km were, respectively, 294+/-63 microg min(-1) and 7.8+/-2.4 microg ml(-1) in the absence of VPA and 562+/-40 microg min(-1) and 15.6+/-0.9 microg ml(-1) upon administration in combination with VPA. A delay of the onset of the effect relative to plasma concentrations of PHT was observed. The assessment of PHT concentrations at the effect site was based on the effect-compartment model, yielding mean ke0 values of 0.128 and 0.107 min(-1) in the presence and absence of VPA, respectively. A nonlinear relationship between effect-site concentration and the increase in the TGS was observed. The concentration that causes an increase of 50% in the baseline TGS (EC50%TGS) was used to compare drug potency. A shift of EC50%TGS from 13.27+3.55 to 4.32+/-0.52 microg ml(-1) was observed upon combination with VPA (P<0.01). It is concluded that there is a synergistic pharmacodynamic interaction between PHT and VPA in vivo.


Effect of colchicine on mammalian liver nuclear envelope and on nucleo-cytoplasmic RNA transport.
The binding of colchicine to nuclear envelopes was studied in order to elucidate the mechanism whereby this compound inhibits nucleocytoplasmic RNA transport. The results suggest that a single class of colchicine-binding site (dissociation constant=approx. 0.7 mM, concentration=approx. 330 nmol colchicine/mg protein) is localised in the nuclear periphery (pore-lamina) and that binding to these sites effects a constriction of the pore-complexes with concomitant inhibition of RNA egress and disordering of the nuclear membrane phospholipid bilayers.


The principle of double effect as a guide for medical decision-making.
Many medical interventions have both negative and positive effects. When health care professionals cannot achieve a particular desired good result without bringing about some bad effects also they often rely on double-effect reasoning to justify their decisions. The principle of double effect is therefore an important guide for ethical decision-making in medicine. At the same time, however, it is a very controversial tool for resolving complex ethical problems that has been criticized by many authors. For these reasons, I examine in this paper whether the principle of double effect can serve as a basis for ethical decisions in medicine. The conclusion reached in this article is that even though this principle has desirable effects on clinical conduct, it is only an unreliable guide and physicians and nurses cannot feel secure in continuing to use this principle for ethical guidance.


Prelaminated free radial forearm flap for a total nasal reconstruction.
A prelaminated osteocutaneous radial forearm flap has previously been described for total nasal reconstruction, but achieving good aesthetics at the dorsum and tip tends to be difficult with a flap that can be too bulky. We present a case of total nasal reconstruction in a burns patient where a tight adherent scar at the forehead precluded the use of a forehead flap, ideal for such reconstructions. We successfully used a prelaminated free radial forearm flap, with a non-vascularised bone graft. The existing scarred skin at the dorsum was turned down as pedicled flaps for the lining. We were able to achieve a successful total nasal reconstruction which was aesthetically pleasing and made a tremendous impact on the quality of life of the patient.


Investigations on foamability of surface-chemically pure aqueous solutions of functionalized alkylaldonamides.
The foamability of the aqueous solutions of functionalized, surface-chemically pure surfactants of the nonionic saccharide-type: N,N-di-n-alkylaldonamides, N-alkyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)aldonamides, and N-cycloalkylaldonamides, derivatives of D-glucono-1,5-lactone and/or D-glucoheptono-1,4-lactone, were investigated. The approach of Lunkenheimer and Małysa for the characterization of the foamability and foam stability of these surfactant solutions was applied for these investigations. Using standard parameters related to the different physical stages of the foaming process, foam stability can be described in a simple and easy manner. In general, the investigated alkylaldonamides form foams of medium stability. However, for some homologues a transition from unstable to stable foam systems is observed with increasing concentration. Modifications of the molecular structure of the alkylaldonamides are distinctly reflected in their foam properties. This fact concerns not only changes of the hydrophobic moiety and its functionalization but also slight variations of the saccharide residue. Each homologous series reveals an exceptional foam behavior. In the case of the N,N-di-n-alkylaldonamides the increase of the n-alkyl chain length is accompanied by an increase of the foam stability. The aqueous solutions of the N-alkyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)aldonamides reveal most favorable foaming properties for homologues with average alkyl chain lengths. Moreover, it was found that the occurrence of a phase transition in the adsorption layers of the N-cyclooctylgluconamides previously observed by surface tension and surface potential measurements is also remarkably reflected in their foam stability.


[Antiemetic efficacy of betamethasone versus betamethasone combined with metoclopramide in cisplatin-treated cancer patients].
This study was designed to compare the antiemetic effect of betamethasone alone with that of betamethasone combined with metoclopramide. Forty-seven patients on chemotherapeutic regimens including cisplatin were entered into this study. Betamethasone was given in 4 doses of 20 mg/body at 30 minutes before and at 2.5 and 8 hours after cisplatin. Metoclopramide was given in 4 doses of 1mg/kg on the same schedule. Within 24 hours after the administration of cisplatin, no vomiting was observed in 42.9% of the patients treated with betamethasone alone and in 76.9% with betamethasone and metoclopramide. Betamethasone combined with metoclopramide was superior to betamethasone alone for the antiemetic effect in cisplatin-treated patients.


Adherence of physicians to evidence-based management guidelines for treating type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
Good adherence by physicians to treatment guidelines for type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) could improve therapy outcome for patients. In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we assessed physicians' adherence to evidence-based guidelines for T2DM management in adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with either confirmed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or those at high risk of developing ASCVD at the Thumbay Academic Health Center, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Relevant data was obtained from patients' medical records, assessed, and compared based on the 2018 diabetes guidelines of the American Diabetes Association and European Association for the Study of Diabetes. A total of 218 patients (186 males and 32 females) were included in the analysis. Of these, 122 were prescribed either sodium-glucose co-transporter-2(SGLT2) inhibitors or glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and 34 were prescribed both. The overall adherence to the guidelines was 56%, which was significantly influenced by body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, and estimated average glucose (eAG). Adherence to guidelines was significantly high when treating patients with elevated levels of HbA1c and eAG, suggesting that physicians are more likely to prescribe SGLT2 inhibitors or/and GLP-1 receptor agonists to such patients. Physicians' adherence to guidelines was significantly correlated with patients' BMI and the levels of HbA1c and eAG. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted on diabetes and its risk factors in UAE.


Tinea capitis due to Microsporum vanbreuseghemii: report of two cases.
Two cases of dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum vanbreuseghemii are reported. A 7-year-old boy and his brother were examined for tinea capitis. Hair samples and skin scrapings were collected from each patient to microscopy and culture. Direct microscopic examination of the hairs using lactophenol revealed an ectothrix invasion. Cultures inoculated with portions of clinical material yielded M. vanbreuseghemii after 2 weeks. The identification of the fungi were based on colony morphology on mycobiotic agar, microscopic characteristic on slide cultures, biochemical reactions and hair perforation tests.


Changes in the Metabolism of Sphingoid Bases in the Brain and Spinal Cord of Transgenic FUS(1-359) Mice, a Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the content of sphingoid bases - sphingosine (SPH), sphinganine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPH-1-P) - and in expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in their metabolism in the brain structures (hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum) and spinal cord of transgenic FUS(1-359) mice. FUS(1-359) mice are characterized by motor impairments and can be used as a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Lipids from the mouse brain structures and spinal cord after 2, 3, and 4 months of disease development were analyzed by chromatography/mass spectrometry, while changes in the expression of the SPHK1, SPHK2, SGPP2, SGPL1, ASAH1, and ASAH2 genes were assayed using RNA sequencing. The levels of SPH and sphinganine (i.e., sphingoid bases with pronounced pro-apoptotic properties) were dramatically increased in the spinal cord at the terminal stage of the disease. The ratio of the anti-apoptotic SPH-1-P to SPH and sphinganine sharply reduced, indicating massive apoptosis of spinal cord cells. Significant changes in the content of SPH and SPH-1-P and in the expression of genes related to their metabolism were found at the terminal ALS stage in the spinal cord. Expression of the SGPL gene (SPH-1-P lyase) was strongly activated, while expression of the SGPP2 (SPH-1-P phosphatase) gene was reduced. Elucidation of mechanisms for the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism in ALS will help to identify molecular targets for the new-generation drugs.


General and robust covalently linked graphene oxide affinity grids for high-resolution cryo-EM.
Affinity grids have great potential to facilitate rapid preparation of even quite impure samples in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (EM). Yet despite the promising advances of affinity grids over the past decades, no single strategy has demonstrated general utility. Here we chemically functionalize cryo-EM grids coated with mostly one or two layers of graphene oxide to facilitate affinity capture. The protein of interest is tagged using a system that rapidly forms a highly specific covalent bond to its cognate catcher linked to the grid via a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer. Importantly, the spacer keeps particles away from both the air-water interface and the graphene oxide surface, protecting them from potential denaturation and rendering them sufficiently flexible to avoid preferential sample orientation concerns. Furthermore, the PEG spacer successfully reduces nonspecific binding, enabling high-resolution reconstructions from a much cruder lysate sample.


An investigation into EEG asymmetry in young children.
Language performance is thought to be related to the functional specialisation of the brain, and particularly to the degree of asymmetry of activity in the two cerebral hemispheres. A microprocessor-based system has been constructed to investigate the relationship between the analogous asymmetry of the EEG and language ability in young children. The system is based on the Intel 8086 microprocessor, with software written both in the high level language PL/M-86 and 8086 assembly language. A test script, instructing the child to perform various lateralised tasks, is played from a cassette recorder to provide a constant stimulus across subjects. The computed power spectra of the resulting EEG waveforms, and the hemispheric specialisation, represented by a derived dominance factor, have been analysed both visually and numerically. Results from a test group of 16 children have not shown a strong correlation between the dominance factors and the related reading quotient.


Relationship of plasma renin with a prothrombotic state in hypertension: relevance for organ damage.
Components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and a prothrombotic state are predictors of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. A relationship between the RAAS and the coagulation/fibrinolytic systems has been demonstrated, but its clinical relevance in hypertension is unclear. We investigated the relationships of the RAAS and the hemostatic system with hypertensive organ damage. Plasma components of the RAAS and parameters that directly assess the activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis were measured in 247 essential hypertensive patients in whom the extent of organ damage had been characterized at the cardiac, renal, and vascular level. Positive association with increasing plasma renin activity (PRA) was demonstrated for plasma fibrinogen, D-dimer, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels. PRA was directly correlated with plasma aldosterone, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and PAI-1. The relationship of PRA with fibrinogen and PAI-1 remained significant after correction for age, gender, duration of hypertension, and smoking status. Plasma aldosterone levels were directly correlated with fibrinogen, D-dimer, and PAI-1, whereas plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme was not related with any of the coagulation parameters. Elevated PRA, aldosterone, fibrinogen, D-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1+2, and PAI-1 levels were associated with clinical and/or instrumental evidence of hypertension-related cardiac and renal damage. Both fibrinogen and PAI-1 were independent predictors of the presence of organ damage and their inclusion in a multivariate model eliminated PRA and aldosterone as independent predictors. A strong and independent association exists between renin, aldosterone, and markers of a prothrombotic state in essential hypertension. This relationship might contribute to the development of hypertensive organ damage.


Monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in hamster and rat insulinomas.
Hamster and rat insulinomas were assayed for norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin concentration and for monoamine oxidase and catechol-o-ethyltransferase (COMT) activity. The concentration of norepinephrine (mean 0.55 mumol/kg, range less than 0.20 to 2.64 mumol/kg) and serotonin (mean 5.22 mucol/kg, rang less than 0.6 to 26.5 mumol/kg) in hamster insulinomas were comparable to previously reported concentrations. Dopamine conentration (mean 0.34 mumol/kg, range less than 0.20 to 0.95 mumol/kg) was only 2 to 2.5% of that reported previously. Monoamine oxidase activity of the hamster and rat insulinomas were comparable to those of normal hamster islets. In contrast, the COMT activity of both insulinomas was much greater than the COMT activity of normal pancreatic islets of both species and was greater than in several other tissues and tumours. The tumour COMT, which was predominantly in the cytosol, was Mg2+ dependent and had a comparable sensitivity to inhibition by tropolone as purified beef-liver COMT. Hamster insulinoma monoamine oxidase was more sensitive than rat insulinoma monoamine oxidase to inhibition by tranylcypromine and deprenyl, while rat insulinoma monoamine oxidase was more sensitive to inhibition by clorgyline and was more heat labile.


miR-493 induction during carcinogenesis blocks metastatic settlement of colon cancer cells in liver.
Liver metastasis is a major lethal complication associated with colon cancer, and post-intravasation steps of the metastasis are important for its clinical intervention. In order to identify inhibitory microRNAs (miRNAs) for these steps, we performed 'dropout' screens of a miRNA library in a mouse model of liver metastasis. Functional analyses showed that miR-493 and to a lesser extent miR-493(*) were capable of inhibiting liver metastasis. miR-493 inhibited retention of metastasized cells in liver parenchyma and induced their cell death. IGF1R was identified as a direct target of miR-493, and its inhibition partially phenocopied the anti-metastatic effects. High levels of miR-493 and miR-493(*), but not pri-miR-493, in primary colon cancer were inversely related to the presence of liver metastasis, and attributed to an increase of miR-493 expression during carcinogenesis. We propose that, in a subset of colon cancer, upregulation of miR-493 during carcinogenesis prevents liver metastasis via the induction of cell death of metastasized cells.


Multiplexed biosensor for point-of-care COVID-19 monitoring: CRISPR-powered unamplified RNA diagnostics and protein-based therapeutic drug management.
In late 2019 SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread to become a global pandemic, therefore, measures to attenuate chains of infection, such as high-throughput screenings and isolation of carriers were taken. Prerequisite for a reasonable and democratic implementation of such measures, however, is the availability of sufficient testing opportunities (beyond reverse transcription PCR, the current gold standard). We, therefore, propose an electrochemical, microfluidic multiplexed polymer-based biosensor in combination with CRISPR/Cas-powered assays for low-cost and accessible point-of-care nucleic acid testing. In this study, we simultaneously screen for and identify SARS-CoV-2 infections (Omicron-variant) in clinical specimens (Sample-to-result time: ∼30 min), employing LbuCas13a, whilst bypassing reverse transcription as well as target amplification of the viral RNA (LODs of 2,000 and 7,520 copies/µl for the E and RdRP genes, respectively, and 50 copies/ml for combined targets), both of which are necessary for detection via PCR and other isothermal methods. In addition, we demonstrate the feasibility of combining synthetic biology-driven assays based on different classes of biomolecules, in this case protein-based ß-lactam antibiotic detection, on the same device. The programmability of the effector and multiplexing capacity (up to six analytes) of our platform, in combination with a miniaturized measurement setup, including a credit card sized near field communication (NFC) potentiostat and a microperistaltic pump, provide a promising on-site tool for identifying individuals infected with variants of concern and monitoring their disease progression alongside other potential biomarkers or medication clearance.


Tonic immobility as a survival, adaptive response and as a recovery mechanism.
In this conclusive chapter, we review findings giving support to the hypothesis that TI represents an adaptive, survival response to threatening situations. In models of prey-predator interactions, in vertebrates and invertebrates, there are evidence that immobility per se contributes to survival, as the predator loses interest for a prey in which TI is experimentally induced. TI duration is also reciprocally modulated by the evaluation of the risk factors in the environment, and by the opportunity to reach a safe refuge. This supports the adaptive value of TI and suggests that, during TI, the animal may be transiently aware of the environmental situation. As for the adaptive value of TI, genetic correlations with other behavioral systems contributing to fitness (e.g., mating) are taken into account. Moreover, neurophysiological and endocrine findings in mammals support our hypothesis that TI activates the mechanisms responsible for recovery from disruptive experiences and body lesions.


High-resolution extremity cone-beam CT with a CMOS detector: Task-based optimization of scintillator thickness.
CMOS x-ray detectors offer small pixel sizes and low electronic noise that may support the development of novel high-resolution imaging applications of cone-beam CT (CBCT). We investigate the effects of CsI scintillator thickness on the performance of CMOS detectors in high resolution imaging tasks, in particular in quantitative imaging of bone microstructure in extremity CBCT. A scintillator thickness-dependent cascaded systems model of CMOS x-ray detectors was developed. Detectability in low-, high- and ultra-high resolution imaging tasks (Gaussian with FWHM of ~250 μm, ~80 μm and ~40 μm, respectively) was studied as a function of scintillator thickness using the theoretical model. Experimental studies were performed on a CBCT test bench equipped with DALSA Xineos3030 CMOS detectors (99 μm pixels) with CsI scintillator thicknesses of 400 μm and 700 μm, and a 0.3 FS compact rotating anode x-ray source. The evaluation involved a radiographic resolution gauge (0.6-5.0 lp/mm), a 127 μm tungsten wire for assessment of 3D resolution, a contrast phantom with tissue-mimicking inserts, and an excised fragment of human tibia for visual assessment of fine trabecular detail. Experimental studies show ~35% improvement in the frequency of 50% MTF modulation when using the 400 μm scintillator compared to the standard nominal CsI thickness of 700 μm. Even though the high-frequency DQE of the two detectors is comparable, theoretical studies show a 14% to 28% increase in detectability index (d'2) of high- and ultrahigh resolution tasks, respectively, for the detector with 400 μm CsI compared to 700 μm CsI. Experiments confirm the theoretical findings, showing improvements with the adoption of 400 μm panel in the visibility of the radiographic pattern (2× improvement in peak-to-through distance at 4.6 lp/mm) and a 12.5% decrease in the FWHM of the tungsten wire. Reconstructions of the tibial plateau reveal enhanced visibility of trabecular structures with the CMOS detector with 400 μm scinitllator. Applications on CMOS detectors in high resolution CBCT imaging of trabecular bone will benefit from using a thinner scintillator than the current standard in general radiography. The results support the translation of the CMOS sensor with 400 μm CsI onto the clinical prototype of CMOS-based extremity CBCT.


Periradicular status and quality of root canal fillings and coronal restorations in an urban Colombian population.
This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of apical periodontitis in 1086 root canal-treated teeth from an urban Colombian population and evaluated the association of several factors with the periradicular status. Periapical radiographs were used for analyses, and teeth were classified as healthy or diseased according to the periradicular status. Other factors were also evaluated for their association with the periradicular conditions, including gender, quality of both endodontic treatment and coronal restoration, apical level of filling, and presence of post restoration. Fifty-one percent of the treated teeth were classified as healthy. Only 33% of the teeth had endodontic treatment rated as adequate. The quality of both endodontic treatment and coronal restoration significantly influenced the periradicular conditions (P < .001). Combined data revealed that teeth with both adequate endodontic treatment and adequate restorations showed significantly better periradicular status than the other combinations (P < .01), except for teeth with adequate treatment and inadequate restoration (P = .08). Canals filled up to 0-2 mm short of the apex had a significantly higher number of teeth rated as healthy than overfilled or underfilled cases (P = .02). Regression analysis showed that the quality of endodontic treatment was the most significant factor influencing the periradicular status (P < .001). Gender and presence of post restoration had no association with the periradicular conditions. Data from this Colombian population showed a relatively high prevalence of apical periodontitis in root canal-treated teeth. This was largely due to an equally high prevalence of treatments performed under substandard technical quality. The quality of the endodontic treatment was the most determinant factor for healthy periradicular status.


Telehealth practice in home care. Synopsis of the 2000 US Telenursing role study.
Any use and integration of new technology into nursing should be accomplished in a purposeful and meaningful manner. The synopsis reported here provides the health care arena with nurses' response to devices and technologies, their emerging roles in the health care system as a result of telehealth technology, and the impact of new technology on patients and health care enterprises.


MRI-based radiomics assessment of the imminent new vertebral fracture after vertebral augmentation.
Imminent new vertebral fracture (NVF) is highly prevalent after vertebral augmentation (VA). An accurate assessment of the imminent risk of NVF could help to develop prompt treatment strategies. To develop and validate predictive models that integrated the radiomic features and clinical risk factors based on machine learning algorithms to evaluate the imminent risk of NVF. In this retrospective study, a total of 168 patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures treated with VA were evaluated. Radiomic features of L1 vertebrae based on lumbar T2-weighted images were obtained. Univariate and LASSO-regression analyses were applied to select the optimal features and construct radiomic signature. The radiomic signature and clinical signature were integrated to develop a predictive model by using machine learning algorithms including LR, RF, SVM, and XGBoost. Receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curve analyses were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the models. The radiomic-XGBoost model with the highest AUC of 0.93 of the training cohort and 0.9 of the test cohort among the machine learning algorithms. The combined-XGBoost model with the best performance with an AUC of 0.9 in the training cohort and 0.9 in the test cohort. The radiomic-XGBoost model and combined-XGBoost model achieved better performance to assess the imminent risk of NVF than that of the clinical risk factors alone (p < 0.05). Radiomic and machine learning modeling based on T2W images of preoperative lumbar MRI had an excellent ability to evaluate the imminent risk of NVF after VA.


Cerebrovascular endothelin-1 hyper-reactivity is associated with transient receptor potential canonical channels 1 and 6 activation and delayed cerebral hypoperfusion after forebrain ischaemia in rats.
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether changes in cerebrovascular voltage-dependent calcium channels and non-selective cation channels contribute to the enhanced endothelin-1-mediated vasoconstriction in the delayed hypoperfusion phase after experimental transient forebrain ischaemia. Experimental forebrain ischaemia was induced in Wistar male rats by a two-vessel occlusion model, and the cerebral blood flow was measured by magnetic resonance imaging two days after reperfusion. In vitro vasoreactivity studies, immunofluorescence and quantitative PCR were performed on cerebral arteries from ischaemic or sham-operated rats to evaluate changes in vascular voltage-dependent calcium channels, transient receptor potential canonical channels as well as endothelin-1 receptor function and expression. The expression of transient receptor potential canonical channels 1 and 6 in the vascular smooth muscle cells was enhanced and correlated with decreased cerebral blood flow two days after forebrain ischaemia. Furthermore, under conditions when voltage-dependent calcium channels were inhibited, endothelin-1-induced cerebrovascular contraction was enhanced and this enhancement was presumably mediated by Ca(2+) influx via upregulated transient receptor potential canonical channels 1 and 6. Our data demonstrates that endothelin-1-mediated influx of extracellular Ca(2+) activates transient receptor potential canonical channels 1 and 6 in cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells. This seems to have an important role in the enhanced cerebral vasoconstriction in the delayed post-ischaemic hypoperfusion phase after experimental forebrain ischaemia.


[Construction of Trim6 eukaryotic expression vector and its expression in HEK293 cells].
To construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1 (+)-Trim6, and observe its expression in HEK293T cells in vitro. The total RNA was isolated from HeLa cells. After amplification with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the target sequences were cloned into the pcDNA3.1(+). The recombinant vector was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion, PCR and sequencing. Then it was transfected into HEK293T cells.After 24 hours, the Trim6 expression was detected by Western blot. The results of the restriction enzyme digestion, PCR and sequencing confirmed the vector was constructed successfully, and it can express Trim6 protein in HEK293T cells. The vector is constructed successfully, which establishes the foundation for future research on the effect of Trim6.


A hospital-based community paediatric unit.
Children with multiple handicaps often require the services of a team of professionals to ensure that they receive a comprehensive assessment. It is essential that the information derived from this assessment is conveyed accurately to the child's parents in language that they understand. It is also important that a member of the assessment team is made responsible for seeing that the recommendations made for the child's future are actually carried out. On hundred and twenty-nine children referred for assessment of developmental delay were found to have multiple intellectual, physical and social problems needing a team approach to their assessment, and the mobilization of a variety of community resources to provide their ongoing care.


Chloroplast ribosomal DNA organization in the chromophytic alga Olisthodiscus luteus.
There are almost no data describing chloroplast genome organization in chromophytic (chlorophyll a/c) plants. In this study chloroplast ribosomal operon placement and gene organization has been determined for the golden-brown alga Olisthodiscus luteus. Ribosomal RNA genes are located on the chloroplast DNA inverted repeat structure. Nucleotide sequence analysis, demonstrated that in contrast to the larger spacer regions in land plants, the 16S-23S rDNA spacer of O. luteus is only 265 bp in length. This spacer contains tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Ala) genes which lack introns and are separated by only 3 bp. The sequences of the tRNA genes and 16S and 23S rDNA termini flanking the spacer were examined to determine homology between O. luteus, chlorophytic plant chloroplast DNA, and prokaryotes.


Epitope mapping of antibodies in C-reactive protein assay kits by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry explains differential results across kits.
C-Reactive protein (CRP) is an important marker for in vitro diagnosis (IVD) of inflammation. However, CRP immunoturbidimetric kits from different manufacturers exhibit inconsistency in evaluation, making clinical diagnosis challenging. The use of immunological methods in diagnosis means that the differences in epitopes across kits may directly lead to inconsistent results. Therefore, to provide consistent results, it is essential to perform epitope mapping of different kits. The composition of antibodies in a single kit is typically complex, with a combination of polyclonal antibodies or monoclonal antibodies. Here, we show an epitope screening strategy for complex antibodies in a kit based on hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). We applied this workflow to successfully map the epitopes for three kits from three different manufacturers and compared their quantitative results. We obtained different quantitative results using kits from different manufacturers upon epitope mapping, confirming the correlation between the quantitative results and the epitopes. Thus, we have established a workflow based on HDX-MS to screen epitopes in IVD kits. This work helps determine the quantitative accuracy of a kit based on structural information, can guide the design and production of IVD reagents, and further improves the accuracy of IVD.


Adherence to tuberculosis infection control guidelines by nurses in Lesotho.
Lesotho has a high prevalence rate of tuberculosis (TB) that has been exacerbated by high prevalence of HIV. Adherence to the TB infection control guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization is pivotal in TB infection control. We assessed the level of adherence to the TB infection control guidelines by nurses in TB wards and outpatient departments and the factors associated with nonadherence to the guidelines in Lesotho. This was an analytical study based on a semistructured questionnaire administered on 55 purposively sampled nurses working in TB wards and outpatient departments at Motebang and Mafeteng Hospitals. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the variables associated with nonadherence to TB infection control guidelines. Fear of occupational exposure (P = .026), female gender (P = .03), lack of equipment (P = .02), inadequate staff (P = .005), and the keeping of guidelines by certain nurses (P = .02) were significantly associated with nonadherence. Overall, 43.6% of the respondents had poor adherence to the guidelines. Adherence to the guidelines was not influenced significantly by age, TB ward work experience, and qualifications of nursing staff. There is poor adherence to World Health Organization TB infection control guidelines by nurses in Lesotho. There is need to improve access to equipment, increase accessibility of guidelines, and ensure adequate staff to increase adherence to TB infection control guidelines.


Rheumatoid arthritis. The genetic components.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a multifactorial disease, with genetic, environmental, and stochastic components to its susceptibility. The search for susceptibility genes is still in progress. Preliminary results suggest the involvement of multiple genes, each with relatively modest effect. Genes within the major histocompatibility complex appear to have the strongest influence on disease susceptibility.


The significance of elevated troponin T in patients with nondialysis-dependent renal insufficiency: a validation with coronary angiography.
Patients with elevated troponin are at high risk of adverse outcomes, future cardiac events, and are more likely to have hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses. Elevated troponin T (cTnT) in patients with poor renal function portends a poor prognosis; however, findings of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) by coronary angiography have not been demonstrated in patients with poor renal function and elevated cTnT. The purpose of this study was to correlate the angiographic findings of patients with elevated cTnT with respect to renal function in patients with nondialysis-dependent renal insufficiency. We retrospectively identified 342 patients with elevated cTnT who underwent coronary angiography in the setting of acute coronary syndrome. Patients were divided into poor (< 40 ml/min) and normal (> 40 ml/min) renal function by measuring their glomerular filtration rate. Our primary outcome was CAD stenosis, defined as epicardial stenosis > or = 70%. Secondary outcomes were rates of contrast nephropathy, initiation of hemodialysis, revascularization, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of CAD between patients who had positive cTnT with poor renal function versus patients with positive cTnT and normal renal function (87.1 vs. 89.7%, p = 0.54). This finding persisted after stratifying by age. Patients with impaired renal function had a higher mortality, longer LOS, and a higher rate contrast nephropathy requiring hemodialysis. The association between elevated cTnT and significant CAD stenosis does not vary with renal function.


Comparison between herbal medicine and fluoxetine for depression: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) versus fluoxetine on depression. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCT with two parallel groups that compared CHM and fluoxetine on treatment of depression with reported decreased Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and adverse events during treatment were included after searching through six electric-databases. The methodological quality of RCTs was assessed according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software with pooled mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI) if no significant heterogeneity was detected. A SOF table was generated using GRADEPro software to evaluate the overall quality of the evidence. Twenty-six trials with 3294 participants were included in the review. Most of them had high risk of bias during conducting and reporting. The results achieved weak evidence which showed CHM had similar effect to fluoxetine (20mg/day) on relieving depression according to HAMD assessment (for primary depression: MD=-0.08, 95%CI -0.98-0.82; for secondary depression: MD=-0.36, 95%CI -1.55-0.83), but fewer incidences of adverse events than the drug (for primary depression: RR=0.31, 95%CI 0.17-0.59; for post-stroke depression: RR=0.04, 95%CI 0.00-0.25). No serious adverse event was found in neither CHM nor fluoxetine group. Due to the poor quality of included trials and the potential publication bias of this review, no confirmed conclusion could be draw to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CHM for depression compared with fluoxetine.


Pneumococcal cellulitis.
We are reporting a case of pneumococcal cellulitis with bacteremia in a patient with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and nephrotic syndrome. Four cases of pneumococcal cellulitis in adults have been reported in the literature. The potential etiologic role of Streptococcus pneumoniae in skin infections is pointed out, and possible predisposing factors and contributory conditions are described.


The pharmacologic evaluation of locomotor activity versus inflammatory parameters in rat adjuvant arthritis.
Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) is an experimental model of inflammatory joint disease in the rat which mimics rheumatoid arthritis. Although paw inflammation (e.g., swelling) is commonly used to monitor the efficacy of antiarthritic drugs, a reduction in locomotor function may provide a more sensitive evaluation of "functional disability" in AA rats. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary therapy with prednisolone or ibuprofen on locomotor activity as well as arthritic symptoms in established AA (days 20-42). AA rats demonstrated an increase in arthritis scores, spleen weights, fibrinogen, and WBC along with a reduction in locomotor function. Prednisolone (2 mg/kg/day) exhibited a positive therapeutic effect on all these parameters. Ibuprofen (50 mg/kg/day) consistently lowered arthritis scores and fibrinogen; however, locomotor function only improved on day 35. In conclusion, the measurement of locomotor activity in concert with other experimental parameters may provide a more meaningful evaluation of disease severity or improvement in AA.


Leading multi-professional teams in the children's workforce: an action research project.
The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children's services. A raft of change followed with processes designed to make joint working easier, and models and theories to support the development of integrated work. This paper explores the links between key concepts and practice. A practitioner action research approach is taken using an autoethnographic account kept over six months. The research question was, to what extent is this group collaborating? When the architecture of practice was revealed, differences between espoused and real practice could be seen. Whilst understanding and displaying the outward signs of an effective multi professional group, the individuals did not trust one another. This was exhibited by covert interprofessional issues. As a result, collaborative inertia was achieved. This realisation prompted them to participate in further developmental and participative action research. The paper concludes that trust and relational agency are central to effective leadership of multi professional teams.


Advances in apoptotic mediated proteolysis in meat tenderisation.
Meat tenderness is considered to be one of the most important attributes of meat quality; however it is also one of the most variable. Ultimate meat tenderness is influenced by the amount of intramuscular connective tissue, the length of the sarcomere and also the proteolytic potential of the muscle. Post-mortem proteolysis by endogenous proteases causes the weakening of myofibril structures and associated proteins, which results in tenderisation. The caspase proteolytic system was first identified to be a potential contributor to post-mortem proteolysis and tenderisation in 2002. Since then research has both supported and challenged this hypothesis. The purpose of this review is to examine the experimental evidence available for caspases' involvement in post-mortem proteolysis, and to highlight cross-talk between this proteolytic system and the calpain system, a known contributor to meat tenderisation.


2b Or 2c-3? A meta-analysis of first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b vs multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3 following mechanical thrombectomy for stroke.
Procedural success following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke is assessed using the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether outcomes differed between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included original studies in which outcomes were stratified based on first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of modified Rankin Scale 0-2. Secondary outcomes of interest were rates of modified Rankin Scale 0-1, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. We calculated odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Four studies with 1554 patients were included in the quantitative analysis. Rate of modified Rankin Scale 0-2 (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.70-1.18; P-value = 0.49), modified Rankin Scale 0-1 (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval = 0.86-1.71; P-value = 0.27), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.47-3.98; P-value = 0.57), and mortality (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.67-1.25; P-value = 0.56) did not differ between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. There was no heterogeneity among included studies for modified Rankin Scale 0-2, modified Rankin Scale 0-1, or mortality; however, there was moderate heterogeneity among studies for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (I2 = 53%, P-value = 0.12). Clinical and safety outcomes did not differ between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. Future prospective studies and clinical trials should determine whether first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b is a viable endpoint to thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3.


Detection of a Riata™ insulation failure by the Medtronic Lead Integrity Alert™.
We describe a case of insulation failure in a Riata implantable cardioverter defibrillator lead [St Jude Medical (SJM), St Paul, MN, USA] detected by the Lead Integrity Alert (LIA)™, without impedance changes. The Medtronic LIA may permit early detection of Riata lead failure.


The physical characteristics and enzymatic modification of fetal intestinal alkaline phosphatase in amniotic fluid.
The predominant form of alkaline phosphatase in amniotic fluid at 16 to 18 weeks gestation has the inhibition characteristics of the isoenzymes from adult and fetal small intestine. These characteristics are shared by an alkaline phosphatase of presumed intestinal origin occasionally found in the sera of premature neonates. However, in contrast to the rapid anodal migration of the latter enzyme, amniotic fluid phosphatase is of low electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gel, and it has a high molecular weight. Digestion of amniotic fluid with bromelain produces a rapidly-migrating active enzyme form, with a molecular weight of about 135,000, compared with 145,000 for the fetal intestinal phosphatase in serum. The bromelain-treated amniotic fluid phosphatase is similar in size to a Kasahara isoenzyme in the serum of a cancer patient, which is itself thought to result from re-expression of a fetal intestinal phosphatase gene.


Comparing the broth enrichment-multiplex lateral flow immunochromatographic assay with real time quantitative PCR for the rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing organisms in rectal swabs.
Rapid and accurate identification of carbapenemase-producing organism (CPO) intestinal carriers is essential for infection prevention and control. Molecular diagnostic methods can produce results in as little as 1 h, but require special instrumentation and are expensive. Therefore, it is urgent to find an alternative method. The broth enrichment-multiplex lateral flow immunochromatographic assay was recently reported, but using it to directly detect CPO intestinal carriers in rectal swabs still requires the evaluation of many samples. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of these two methods, and to explore the control measures of CPO infection. Through CPO selective culture, PCR and DNA sequencing, 100 rectal swabs confirmed to be CPO-positive and 100 rectal swabs with negative results were collected continuously. After eluting the rectal swabs with saline, three aliquots were used: one for counting, one for detection by Xpert Carba-R, and one for culture in broth for 0 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h, followed by NG-Test CARBA 5 assessment. The sensitivity and specificity of the NG-Test CARBA 5 method after different incubation times were calculated. The limit of detection (LoD) of this assay after 4 h broth incubation was estimated by examining the bacterial suspensions and simulated faecal suspensions prepared with CPOs producing different types of carbapenemases. Xpert Carba-R demonstrated a combined sensitivity of 99.0% and specificity of 98.0%. The sensitivity and specificity were higher than 90.0% for the different enzyme types. The specificities of five common carbapenemases detected by the broth enrichment NG-Test CARBA 5 combined method after different incubation times were 100%. The sensitivities increased with increasing incubation time. At 4 h, the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM), imipenemase (IMP), Verona integron-encoded metallo-beta-lactamase (VIM), and oxacillinase (OXA) -48 detection sensitivities were 93.0%, 96.3%, 100%, 100% and 85.7%, respectively. The LoDs were between 102 and 104 CFU/mL for all five enzymes after 4 h of incubation. This investigation highlighted that the broth enrichment-multiplex lateral flow immunochromatographic assay can be used as a new method for screening CPOs in rectal swabs.


Effects of toxic chemicals on the release of pyrimidine compounds in cell culture.
Exposure of hamster embryo cells and BF lymphoblastoid cells to 18 known toxic substances and four nominally nontoxic substances results in the release of pyrimidines (and their nucleosides) into the culture medium. The extent of release is dependent on the specific chemical and the specific cells present in the assay. BF cells are not affected by exposure to benzo(a)pyrene, while the hamster embryo cells exhibit enhanced excretion on exposure to benzo(a)pyrene. This difference in response may be due to the difference in endogenous aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (BaP) activity. In contrast, diethylstilbestrol, which is metabolized by a peroxidase-mediated enzyme system, causes enhanced excretion in both cell types. Direct alkylating agents and Ni(+2) salts also cause enhanced excretion in both cell types. We have used concentrations of chemicals that give a 5% enhanced excretion as the criterion of low-dose response. Within the range of concentrations tested, chromate induces enhanced excretion in BF cells but not the HEC cells, and Pb(+2) induces enhanced excretion in HEC cells but not the BF cells. Benzene, dimethylnitrosamine, and Mg(+2) did not affect either cell type. 7,12-Dimethylbenzo(a)anthracene, anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, phenylazoaniline, N-methyl, N-nitroso, N'-nitroguanidine, dioxane, and pyrene cause enhanced excretion in the hamster embryo cells while benzo(e)pyrene, ZnSO4 and cholesterol do not cause enhanced excretion in the hamster embryo cells. Of those chemicals causing enhanced excretion, the concentration range bracketing 5% enhanced excretion approximated low-dose exposures reported to result in toxic responses like cancer, teratogenesis or pulmonary disease.


Neuroticism and Affective Priming: Evidence for a Neuroticism-Linked Negative Schema.
Neuroticism has been hypothesized to systematically relate to semantic memory networks favoring negative affect, but no studies using affective priming tasks have established this link. The present two studies, involving 145 undergraduate participants, sought to provide initial evidence along these lines. Study 1 used a task in which participants were asked to judge their emotions in the past, whereas Study 2 used a perceptual identification task in which participants merely had to identify the word in question. In both studies, neuroticism was positively correlated with negative affective priming, but not positive affective priming. The studies suggest that neuroticism systematically relates to the inter-connectivity of negative affect with semantic memory systems, whether involving the self-concept (Study 1) or not (Study 2). These results are novel and important in understanding individual differences in neuroticism and their affective processing correlates.


Effects of the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus and two of its fractions on the isolated diaphragm of the rat.
1. The effects of Tityus serrulatus venom and of two of its toxic fractions, toxin gamma (Tx gamma) and T2III1, on the rat isolated diaphragm were examined. 2. The crude venom (5 ng) facilitated the neuromuscular transmission and increased the twitch tension evoked by retrograde injection of Ach. 3. Tx gamma (25-100 ng) and fraction T2III1 (2.5 ng) also facilitated the neuromuscular transmission but only fraction T2III1 increased the twitch tension evoked by retrograde injection of Ach. 4. Tx gamma (50 ng) and fraction T2III1 (2.5 ng) produced a tetrodotoxin-sensitive increase in the frequency of miniature endplate potentials (m.e.p.p.) and a transitory reduction of the resting potential. The latter effect of the fractions was prevented by treating muscles with tetrodotoxin or D-tubocurarine. Fraction T2III1 also produced a tetrodotoxin-resistance increase of m.e.p.p. amplitude. 5. These results suggest that Tx gamma enhances Ach output through the activation of Na+ channels in the motor nerve terminals. Fraction T2III1 produced effects similar to those induced by Tx gamma but also acted at postjunctional sites, probably by increasing subsynaptic membrane sensitivity to the neurotransmitter.


Seasonal incidence of helminths in sheep and goats in south Mozambique.
The seasonal fluctuations in faecal worm egg counts were studied at monthly intervals for over a year in 20 male sheep and goats on extensive grazing tracts at a farm near Maputo, Mozambique. Larval differentiation from faecal cultures showed that Haemonchus contortus and Oesophagostomum columbianum were the most prevalent worm species. Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Cooperia spp., Strongyloides papillosus, Moniezia spp., Paramphistomum spp. and Trichuris spp. also occurred. After the onset of heavy rains in October 1978, the mean total egg counts increased due to a higher egg-output of Haemonchus contortus, reaching peak values in January 1979 in sheep and in February 1979 in goats. A second smaller peak in the mean total egg counts occurred in both groups in May 1979. With the beginning of the drier season the mean total egg counts in the goats fell to a low level, those of the sheep had a third rise in July 1979 due in that case to Oesophagostomum columbianum. The mean total strongyloids egg counts were generally much higher in sheep than in goats. Only at the beginning of February 1979, did the goats have a mean total egg count nearly as high as that of the sheep. Paramphistomum spp. are reported for the first time from sheep and goats in Mozambique.


Adjuvant chemotherapy for primary cardiac sarcomas: the IGR experience.
The effect of additional treatments after surgery in patients with primary cardiac sarcoma (PCS) remains unknown. The present study aims to evaluate the benefit of chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic cardiac sarcomas after optimal resection. Between October 1979 and December 1995, 15 patients with a median age of 45 (range 16-66) and a resected primary cardiac sarcoma [angiosarcoma (six), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (three), leiomyosarcoma (two), rhabdomyosarcoma (two), liposarcoma (one) and synoviosarcoma (one)] received a doxorubicin-containing regimen within 6 weeks of surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy combinations included cyclophosphamide, vincristine and dacarbazine in four patients; ifosfamide in nine; methotrexate and vincristine in one; and doxorubicin alone in one patient. At present, 13 patients have relapsed (five during therapy), with a median time to progression of 10 months. Twelve patients developed local relapse, in four cases without metastatic disease. Two patients remain in complete remission 27 and 25 months after surgery. The median time to progression was shorter in patients presenting a cardiac angiosarcoma than other histological types (3 vs 14 months, P < 0.01). Twelve patients have died, with a median overall survival of 12 months. The 2-year survival rate is 26%. Survival was significantly longer for patients with completely resected tumours (22 vs 7 months; P = 0.02) and those who did not have angiosarcoma (18 vs 7 months; P = 0.04). In conclusion, post-operative conventional doxorubicin-based chemotherapy failed to modify the natural history of patients with resected cardiac sarcomas. Locoregional failure remains the main problem even after histologically complete resection. New approaches must be tested in patients with primary cardiac sarcoma.


Prevalence and associated risk factors for childhood strabismus in Lhasa, Tibet, China: a cross-sectional, school-based study.
To estimate the prevalence of strabismus and associated risk factors among grade one school children in Lhasa, Tibet, China. The Lhasa Childhood Eye Study (LCES) was a cross-sectional, school-based childhood study conducted in Grade one students from primary schools in Lhasa, Tibet, China. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations and basic systemic examinations were evaluated. A questionnaire survey containing information about children, as well as parents' information, was sent to the corresponding parents of eligible children. The prevalence of strabismus and its 95% confidence interval was estimated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associated risk factors. A total of 1942 eligible grade one students were enrolled, of which 1856 participants completed all examinations. The average age was 6.83 ± 0.46 years, 53% of participants were boys and 1762 were the Tibetan Minority. Over all, the prevalence of strabismus was 68/1856 (3.7%) (95%CI: 2.81,4.52), with no difference between the ages, genders, ethnicities and body mass index, while tilting one's head when writing may be a risk factor for strabismus (P = 0.004). Strabismus students had mean best corrected visual acuity of 0.16 ± 0.28(LogMAR), over 50% patients with esotropia were hyperopic, and participants who had stereopsis impairments showed a significant difference between esotropia and exotropia (P = 0.026). The prevalence of strabismus in LCES was 3.7%, which is higher than previous reports from Chinese childhood epidemiology studies. Strabismus is a common contributing factor to amblyopia. Tilting one's head when writing may be a risk factor. Esotropia is more likely to affect stereopsis and be associated with the refractive state of hyperopia. The study has finished the clinical registration on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. ( http://www.chictr.org.cn , ChiCTR1900026693 ).


Holographic generation of arbitrary ultrasonic fields by simultaneous modulation of amplitude and phase.
Acoustic holograms have been used widely to generate desired acoustic fields. Following the rapid development of 3D printing technology, the use of holographic lenses has become an efficient method to produce acoustic fields with high resolution and low cost. In this paper, we demonstrate a technique to modulate the amplitude and phase of ultrasonic waves simultaneously using a holographic method with high transmission efficiency and high accuracy. On this basis, we generate an Airy beam with high propagation invariance. We then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method when compared with the conventional acoustic holographic method. Finally, we design a sinusoidal curve with a phase gradient and a constant pressure amplitude and realize transport of a particle on a water surface along a curve.


Fungal genomes: suffering with functional annotation errors.
The genome sequence data of more than 65985 species are publicly available as of October 2021 within the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database alone and additional genome sequences are available in other databases and also continue to accumulate at a rapid pace. However, an error-free functional annotation of these genome is essential for the research communities to fully utilize these data in an optimum and efficient manner. An analysis of proteome sequence data of 689 fungal species (7.15 million protein sequences) was conducted to identify the presence of functional annotation errors. Proteins associated with calcium signaling events, including calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), calmodulins (CaM), calmodulin-like (CML) proteins, WRKY transcription factors, selenoproteins, and proteins associated with the terpene biosynthesis pathway, were targeted in the analysis. Gene associated with CDPKs and selenoproteins are known to be absent in fungal genomes. Our analysis, however, revealed the presence of proteins that were functionally annotated as CDPK proteins. However, InterproScan analysis indicated that none of the protein sequences annotated as "calcium dependent protein kinase" were found to encode calcium binding EF-hands at the regulatory domain. Similarly, none of a protein sequences annotated as a "selenocysteine" were found to contain a Sec (U) amino acid. Proteins annotated as CaM and CMLs also had significant discrepancies. CaM proteins should contain four calcium binding EF-hands, however, a range of 2-4 calcium binding EF-hands were present in the fungal proteins that were annotated as CaM proteins. Similarly, CMLs should possess four calcium binding EF-hands, but some of the CML annotated fungal proteins possessed either three or four calcium binding EF-hands. WRKY transcription factors are characterized by the presence of a WRKY domain and are confined to the plant kingdom. Several fungal proteins, however, were annotated as WRKY transcription factors, even though they did not contain a WRKY domain. The presence of functional annotation errors in fungal genome and proteome databases is of considerable concern and needs to be addressed in a timely manner.


Identifying a folding nucleus for the lysozyme/alpha-lactalbumin family from sequence conservation clusters.
Four subfamilies of c-type lysozyme and one subfamily of alpha-lactalbumin are defined from 78 sequences, and their folding nucleus is identified with a method based on conserved residues and native structural contacts between pairs of conserved residues. One large cluster of 19 conserved residues is found which is mostly nonpolar, buried, and nonfunctional. It can be subdivided into three subclusters: (1) conserved residues in four helices; (2) conserved residues that stabilize the connector between the alpha and the beta domains; and (3) a beta-turn, sitting in the middle of a bowl of alpha-helix residues. It is proposed that this folding nucleus initiates four helices, A, B, C, and D, three beta sheets, and the connector, which corresponds closely to the nucleation of the so-called fast folding track pathway. As the secondary structures propagate, nonconserved residues and functionally conserved residues would form additional contacts. The conserved residues are selected with a phylogenetic scheme in which single members of subfamilies are selected. Subfamilies are then equally weighted to obtain the consensus conservation.


Caffeine consumption in drivers of heavy vehicles in Turkey.
Long-distance drivers in Turkey are forced to drive continuously for 15-20 h on intercity roads without sleep or assistant drivers in order that their cargo, comprising perishable goods (e.g. vegetables, fish), can be transported to their destination on time. During long journeys, drivers try to suppress their need for sleep by using substances containing caffeine as they do not want to stop for a rest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of gripin by long-distance drivers and its adverse effects. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the resting facilities of the Kirikkale-Ankara highway in December 1999.Sixty-five percent of long-distance drivers took gripin regularly while using their vehicles. Of these, 53.8% used gripin due to headache and 46.2% to prevent sleep. Sixty-five percent of drivers were smokers and 76.9% of smokers took gripin. It was observed that long-distance drivers tend to use substances containing caffeine in order to prevent sleep and headache.


Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis as the initial presentation of essential thrombocythemia - A case report and literature review.
Myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) are associated with vascular thrombosis. Common sites for thrombosis are large arteries; however, less commonly, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) has also been reported. It is rare to have CVST as an initial presentation of MPD. We discuss a male patient in whose presentation due to CVST led to the diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia (ET). Furthermore, we performed a literature review to evaluate the association of CVST with ET.


Total synthesis and biological evaluation of ustiloxin natural products and two analogs.
Synthetic investigations of ustiloxin natural products are described. The first total synthesis of ustiloxin F was completed in 15 steps via ethynyl aziridine ring-opening by a phenol derivative. The results of biological tests of synthetic ustiloxins D and F, and two analogs, O-Me-ustiloxin D and 6-Ile-ustiloxin, demonstrated that the free hydroxyl group ortho to the ether linkage is critical for activity and variations at the Val/Ala site produce changes in the biological activity suggesting the need for further perturbations at this site to more extensively study the tubulin binding.


Modelling formulations using gene expression programming--a comparative analysis with artificial neural networks.
This study has investigated the utility and potential advantages of gene expression programming (GEP)--a new development in evolutionary computing for modelling data and automatically generating equations that describe the cause-and-effect relationships in a system--to four types of pharmaceutical formulation and compared the models with those generated by neural networks, a technique now widely used in the formulation development. Both methods were capable of discovering subtle and non-linear relationships within the data, with no requirement from the user to specify the functional forms that should be used. Although the neural networks rapidly developed models with higher values for the ANOVA R(2) these were black box and provided little insight into the key relationships. However, GEP, although significantly slower at developing models, generated relatively simple equations describing the relationships that could be interpreted directly. The results indicate that GEP can be considered an effective and efficient modelling technique for formulation data.


Primary central nervous system Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature.
Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in the context of relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a quite rare, but well-known complication. Nevertheless, primary CNS-HL is an exceedingly rare condition, which diagnosis is based on well-defined morphological and immunohistochemical features, in addition to isolated involvement of the CNS. In spite of limited casuistry (just over twenty cases reported in the literature), available data agree that primary and isolated CNS-HL, when treated with a combination of surgery followed by some form of adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy±chemotherapy), carries a better prognosis than those cases with CNS involvement in the context of relapsed/refractory HL or those with CNS non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We herein report a case of a 55-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with primary CNS-HL. The patient was treated with complete surgical resection followed by intrathecal chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), showing fourteen months of disease-free survival at the time of this case report. A review of the available literature is also presented.


The fracture mechanical behavior simulation of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite crystals by molecular dynamics and first-principles calculation.
Natural hydroxyapatite provides certain strength and stiffness to biological bones, and most of the studies on the strength of bone tissues have been carried out on hydroxyapatite (HAP). However, the Ca/P ratio of hydroxyapatite in bones is actually about 1.50, and the natural hydroxyapatite belongs to calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) with Ca vacancy defects. Therefore, this work focused on the effect of Ca vacancy defects on CDHA crystals through investigating the generation and expansion of microcracks under uniaxial tensile loading by combining molecular dynamics and first principles method. A series of crystal models with different Ca vacancy ratios are constructed and find that Ca vacancies degrade the mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite. Meanwhile the fracture behavior of crystals is detailed and find that the cracks arise at vacancies and extend along the direction of vacancies. Also, first-principles calculation is performed to reveal the mechanism of crack formation in MD simulations. It is found that the decrease of Ca-O bonding of CDHA causes the decrease of the stability of the crystal structure by analyzing the DOS of HAP and CDHA, and the cracks originate from Ca vacancies. This work performs more realistic simulations of CDHA with calcium vacancy defects in actual bone tissue and directly reveals the development and progression of bone fragility at the nanometer scale.


Genome-wide study of genetic polymorphisms predictive for outcome from first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.
We conducted the first large genome-wide association study to identify novel genetic variants that predict better (or poorer) prognosis in colorectal cancer patients receiving standard first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy vs chemotherapy without oxaliplatin. We used data from two phase III trials, NCCTG N0147 and NCCTG N9741 and a population-based patient cohort, DACHS. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were employed, including an interaction term between each SNP and type of treatment for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival. The analysis was performed for studies individually, and the results were combined using fixed-effect meta-analyses separately for resected stage III colon cancer (3098 patients from NCCTG N0147 and 549 patients from DACHS) and mCRC (505 patients from NCCTG N9741 and 437 patients from DACHS). We further performed gene-based analysis as well as in silico bioinformatics analysis for CRC-relevant functional genomic annotation of identified loci. In stage III colon cancer patients, a locus on chr22 (rs11912167) was associated with significantly poorer OS after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy vs chemotherapy without oxaliplatin (Pinteraction < 5 × 10-8 ). For mCRC patients, three loci on chr1 (rs1234556), chr12 (rs11052270) and chr15 (rs11858406) were found to be associated with differential OS (P < 5 × 10-7 ). The locus on chr1 located in the intronic region of RCSD1 was replicated in an independent cohort of 586 mCRC patients from ALGB/SWOG 80405 (Pinteraction = .04). The GWA gene-based analysis yielded for RCSD1 the most significant association with differential OS in mCRC (P = 6.6 × 10-6 ). With further investigation into its biological mechanisms, this finding could potentially be used to individualize first-line treatment and improve clinical outcomes.


Shear sensitivity of insect cells.
While insect cells can be easily damaged in bioreactors as a result of hydrodynamic forces, it is also relatively easy to prevent this damage. Of several possible damage mechanisms, the best understood and preventable is the attachment of cells to gas-liquid interfaces and the subjection of these attached cells to the hydro-dynamic forces and/or physical forces associated with these interfaces. For example, cells attached to gas bubbles in a bioreactor can be transported into the foam layer where they are physically removed from the cell suspension, or they can be killed when the gas bubble they are attached to ruptures at the medium-air interface at the top of the bioreactor. The easiest method to prevent this damage is through the use of specific surface active compounds, such as Pluronic F-68 or Methocel E-50 which prevent the cells from attaching to the gas-medium interface.


Lingual vibrotactile threshold shift during magnitude-estimation scaling: effects on magnitude-estimation responses and scaling behavior.
The purpose of the present study was to determine if lingual vibrotactile threshold shifts occurred during magnitude-estimation scaling of suprathreshold stimuli presented to the dorsal surface of the tongue. Possible relationships of the lingual vibrotactile threshold shifts to suprathreshold stimulus intensity, magnitude-estimation responses, and overall scaling behavior were explored. A single group of 24 subjects with an age range of 18 to 22 years participated in this study. Each subject performed two magnitude-estimation tasks. In one of the tasks, threshold of sensitivity was determined after every suprathreshold numerical response of the subject. If a threshold shift was recorded, threshold was allowed to return to the pretest baseline level before continuing to the next suprathreshold stimulus presentation. The results showed that threshold shift did occur during lingual vibrotactile magnitude-estimation scaling, and that it was related to suprathreshold stimulus intensity. The results also showed that the numerical magnitude-estimation responses of the subjects were different for the two scaling tasks. Overall scaling behavior of the subjects in the form of power-function exponents was not different for the two tasks.


Effects of [(N-alkyl-1,3-dioxo-1H,3H-isoindolin-5-yl)oxy]alkanoic acids, [(N-alkyl-1-oxo-1H,3H-isoindolin-5-yl)oxy]butanoic acids, and related derivatives on chloride influx in primary astroglial cultures.
It has been shown that agents that inhibit chloride influx and therefore lower intracellular chloride levels in a major cell type in cerebral gray matter, the astrocyte, inhibit astrocytic swelling in vitro and in vivo. In our laboratories, 4-[(N-alkyl-1,3-dioxo-1H,3H-isoindolin-5-yl)oxy]alkanoic acids and related derivatives have been synthesized and tested for ability to lower intracellular astrocytic chloride levels in an established in vitro cultured rat astrocyte model. In general, derivatives with nitrogen substituents such as relatively small alkyl groups are active at 0.1 mM and/or 0.5 mM levels whereas larger substituents such as cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl are less active. Halogen substitution on the aromatic ring did not enhance activity. Derivatives with acid side chains of four carbons demonstrated superior activity to those of two carbons.


Superoxide dismutase: a predicting factor for boar semen characteristics for short-term preservation.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in seminal plasma were evaluated on the basis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis as predictors for distinguishing satisfactory from unsatisfactory boar semen samples after storage. SOD on day 0 correlated significantly with progressive motility (r=-0.686; P<0.05) and viability (r=-0.513; P<0.05) after storage; TBARS correlated only with motility (r=-0.480; P<0.05). Semen samples that, after 3 days of storage, fulfilled all criteria for semen characteristics (viability>85%, motility>70%, progressive motility>25%, and normal morphology>50%) had significantly lower SOD levels on the day 0 than those with at least one criterion not fulfilled (P<0.05) following storage. SOD levels of less than 1.05 U/mL predicted with 87.5% accuracy that fresh semen will suit the requirements for satisfactory semen characteristics after storage, while semen with SOD levels higher than 1.05 U/mL will not fulfill with 100% accuracy at least one semen characteristic after storage. These results support the proposal that SOD in fresh boar semen can be used as a predictor of semen quality after storage.


Improving Health and Diabetes Self-Management in Immigrants with Type 2 Diabetes Through a Co-Created Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Intervention.
To examine the impact of a co-created culturally sensitive diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) intervention on the physical and mental health of immigrants with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Pre- and post-test among people with T2D whose primary language was Urdu, Arabic or Turkish (n = 97). Participants were offered a six-week intervention based on a person-centred approach using research-based dialogue tools to facilitate learning and reflection, which was developed in co-creation with immigrants and healthcare professionals. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention and after 6 months and analysed using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, chi-square tests and regression models when appropriate. Several clinical outcomes were improved post-intervention, including HbA1c (P < 0.001), body fat percentage (P = 0.002), self-rated general health (P = 0.05), well-being (P = 0.004) and several self-management behaviours, e.g., physical activity (P < 0.001). Most outcomes remained improved after 6 months, but the effect on HbA1c was no longer statistically significant. Some outcomes were improved only at 6 months, including waist circumference (P < 0.001) and diabetes-related emotional distress (P < 0.001). Fatigue did not change. Attendance at more programme sessions was associated with better outcomes. The DSMES intervention developed in a co-creation process was highly effective in improving the health of immigrants with T2D.


Expression and prognostic significance of centromere protein A in human lung adenocarcinoma.
Centromere protein A (CENP-A), one of the fundamental components of the human active kinetochore, is frequently upregulated in many cancers and plays important roles in cell cycle regulation, cell survival, and genetic stability. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression and prognostic significance of CENP-A in lung adenocarcinoma. The expression of CENP-A was detected in 20 fresh human lung adenocarcinoma specimens and corresponding non-tumorous lung tissues by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analysis. Using immunohistochemistry, we analyzed CENP-A protein expression in additional 309 lung adenocarcinomas. The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of CENP-A expression was analyzed. RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis revealed an enhanced expression of CENP-A in lung adenocarcinomas relative to adjacent non-tumorous lung tissues at both transcriptional and translational levels. Immunohistochemistry showed that 146 of 309 lung adenocarcinomas (47.3%) had high expression of CENP-A. CENP-A overexpression was significantly correlated with pathological grade (P=0.009), pT status (P=0.017), pN status (P=0.002), pleural invasion (P=0.013), high Ki-67 expression (P=0.003), and P53 positivity (P=0.001). Patients with high CENP-A expression had shorter overall survival time compared with those with low CENP-A expression. Multivariate analysis identified CENP-A as an independent prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinoma. Our results demonstrate that elevated CENP-A expression is closely associated with lung adenocarcinoma progression and has an independent prognostic value in predicting overall survival for patients with lung adenocarcinoma.


Seroconversion against Epstein-Barr virus in two nonhuman primate species infected by the oropharyngeal route.
Transforming Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was inoculated into eight squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) by spraying of viral concentrates into the nose and throat. Virus was inoculated into three marmosets (two Saguinus oedipus and one Calithrix jacchus jacchus) by direct injection into nasopharyngeal tissue. Two of these squirrel monkeys seroconverted after repeated inoculation as determined by the presence of EBV-specific antibodies to early antigen and viral capsid antigen. One squirrel monkey had antibody to EBV nuclear antigen only. One S. oedipus marmoset also seroconverted. None of the animals developed disease. The results show that seroconversion can be accomplished in squirrel monkeys after spraying of EBV into the nasopharynx, and in marmosets by direct inoculation of the virus into nasopharyngeal tissue.


[Characteristics of group psycho-prevention and psycho-correction of beer dependence in teenagers].
The article is devoted community principles and stages of the psychoprevental and correctional approach for teenagers with beer.


Post mortem brain temperature and its influence on quantitative MRI of the brain.
MRI temperature sensitivity presents a major issue in in situ post mortem MRI (PMMRI), as the tissue temperatures differ from living persons due to passive cooling of the deceased. This study aims at computing brain temperature effects on the MRI parameters to correct for temperature in PMMRI, laying the foundation for future projects on post mortem validation of in vivo MRI techniques. Brain MRI parameters were assessed in vivo and in situ post mortem using a 3 T MRI scanner. Post mortem brain temperature was measured in situ transethmoidally. The temperature effect was computed by fitting a linear model to the MRI parameters and the corresponding brain temperature. Linear positive temperature correlations were observed for T1, T2* and mean diffusivity in all tissue types. A significant negative correlation was observed for T2 in white matter. Fractional anisotropy revealed significant correlations in all gray matter regions except for the thalamus. The linear models will allow to correct for temperature in post mortem MRI. Comparing in vivo to post mortem conditions, the mean diffusivity, in contrast to T1 and T2, revealed additional effects besides temperature, such as cessation of perfusion and active diffusion.


Social support, stress, and maternal postpartum depression: A comparison of supportive relationships.
A large body of literature documents the link between social support, stress, and women's mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period; however, uncertainty remains as to whether a direct effect or stress mediating pathway best describes the relationship between these factors. Moreover, specific dimensions of social support that may be influential (family type, sources of support) have largely been neglected. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N=4150), we examine the pathway between social support, stress exposure, and postpartum depression in greater detail. Findings reveal that social support is a significant, protective factor for postpartum depression, and the variety of support providers in a woman's social network is important, especially in the context of family type. Findings also reveal the importance of considering social support and stress exposure as part of a larger causal pathway to postpartum mental health.


Organosilica composite for preconcentration of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions.
A new adsorbent is proposed for the solid-phase extraction of phenol and 1-naphthol from polluted water. The adsorbent (TX-SiO(2)) is an organosilica composite made from a bifunctional immobilized layer comprising a major fraction (91%) of hydrophilic diol groups and minor fraction (9%) of the amphiphilic long-chain nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (polyoxyethylated isooctylphenol) (TX). Under static conditions phenol was quantitatively extracted onto TX-SiO(2) in the form of a 4-nitrophenylazophenolate ion associate with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The capacity of TX-SiO(2) for phenol is 2.4 mg g(-1) with distribution coefficients up to 3.4 x 10(4) mL g(-1); corresponding data for 1-naphthol are 1.5 mg g(-1) and 3 x 10(3) mL g(-1). The distribution coefficient does not change significantly for solution volumes of 0.025-0.5 L and adsorbent mass less than 0.03 g; 1-90 microg analyte can be easily eluted by 1-3 mL acetonitrile with an overall recovery of 98.2% and 78.3% for phenol and 1-naphthol, respectively. Linear correlation between acetonitrile solution absorbance (A(540)) and phenol concentration (C) in water was found according to the equation A(540) = (6 +/- 1) x 10(-2) + (0.9 +/- 0.1) C (micromol L(-1)) with a detection range from 1 x 10(-8) mol L(-1) (0.9 microL g(-1)) to 2 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) (19 microL g(-1)), a limit of quantification of 1 microL g(-1) (preconcentration factor 125), correlation coefficient of 0.936, and relative standard deviation of 2.5%. A solid-phase colorimetric method was developed for quantitative determination of 1-naphthol on adsorbent phase using scanner technology and RGB numerical analysis. The detection limit of 1-naphthol with this method is 6 microL g(-1) while the quantification limit is 20 microL g(-1). A test system was developed for naked eye monitoring of 1-naphthol impurities in water. The proposed test kit allows one to observe changes in the adsorbent color when 1-naphthol concentration in water is 0.08-3.2 mL g(-1).


Activation persulfate for efficient tetrabromobisphenol A degradation via carbon-based materials: Synergistic mechanism of doped N and Fe.
In this study, a novel carbon-based material (Fe-N-PGWBC) utilizing the garden waste, melamine and FeSO4 as the precursor was successfully synthesized, efficiently activating peroxydisulfate (PDS) to degrade tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Under typical conditions (Fe-N-PGWBC dose of 100 mg·L-1, PDS of 0.2 mM and TBBPA of 10 mg·L-1), Fe-N-PGWBC/PDS system could achieve over 99% TBBPA removal (including adsorption and degradation) within 60 min, and the corresponding rate constant ks was 0.0724 min-1, which was almost 40.2 times higher than that of the pristine biochar. The extraction experiments implied that the excellent adsorption performance of Fe-N-PGWBC did not hinder the degradation of TBBPA. Abundant active sites (rich oxygen-containing functional groups, Fe-O and Fe3C) of Fe-N-PGWBC could effectively promote PDS decomposition to produce reactive oxygen species. The probe-based kinetic modelling methods verified that approximately 87.6% TBBPA was degraded by SO4·-, 12.2% TBBPA was degraded by 1O2, and 0.2% TBBPA was degraded by ·OH. Furthermore, based on the calculation of density functional theory and identification of products, TBBPA was mainly involved in three transformation pathways including hydroxylation, debromination and β-scission process. The study proposed a facile resource approach of garden waste and provided deeper understanding for the TBBPA degradation mechanisms in heterogeneous system.