The socioeconomic and lifestyle determinants of contraceptive use among Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study.
Chinese youth have become more sexually active over the years, yet their behaviours of contraceptive use are influenced by socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. This study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic and lifestyle determinants of contraceptive use among Chinese college students, and to investigate quantitatively their reasons for choosing different contraceptive methods. The study used the data from a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in 2015 among 17,517 students from 130 colleges and professional schools in mainland China. Chi-square tests were performed to test the differences in the awareness and uses of contraceptives between male and female students. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse the associations between socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and contraceptive uses. Condoms (95%), oral contraceptives (91%) and emergency contraceptives (71%) were the most commonly known contraceptive methods among the sample of Chinese youth that were surveyed. Among male participants, high monthly expenditure (OR = 1.37, 95%CI: 1.07-1.75), light alcohol consumption (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.03-2.11), and high sexual knowledge (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.57-2.45) were positively associated with contraceptive uses, while tobacco use (OR = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.23-0.95) showed a negative association with contraceptive uses. Among female students, suburban residency (OR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.03-1.83), high level of parental education (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.19-3.22), moderate alcohol consumption (OR = 2.66, 95%CI: 1.05-6.77), and high sexual knowledge (OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.18-1.91) were positively associated with contraceptive uses, while tobacco use (OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.36-0.99) showed a negative association. A series of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were associated with contraceptive choices among Chinese college students. Targeted sexual education programs are in demand to improve the awareness and the use of contraceptives in this population.


Accumulation of fluorescent advanced glycation end products and carboxymethyl-lysine in human cortical and trabecular bone.
Chemical crosslinks known as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are associated with increased bone fracture risk and deteriorated bone mechanical properties. However, measurement of bone AGEs via ex vivo and in vitro methods has been limited to quantification of bulk fluorescent AGEs (fAGEs) and pentosidine only, which is a crosslinking fluorescent AGE. However, a non-crosslinking and non-fluorescent AGE such as carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) is found to be 40-100 times higher in quantity than pentosidine, but only one previous study has reported it in cortical bone, and one study reported it in trabecular bone. In our study, we wanted to investigate if accumulation of CML differs in cortical and trabecular compartments and if they are more strongly associated with bone mechanical properties than with fAGEs. We hypothesized that CML and fAGEs level would be higher in the trabecular compartment and show negative correlations to mechanical properties in cortical and trabecular bone. We obtained human cadaveric cortical and trabecular bone specimens, induced the formation of AGEs via the established in vitro ribosylation method, imaged specimens by microcomputed tomography to assess specimen geometry and microarchitecture, and mechanically tested cortical specimens by cyclic reference point indentation and fracture toughness tests and trabecular specimens by compression tests, followed by measurement of fAGEs and CML. fAGEs were 22 % higher in cortical bone (687 ± 44.8 ng Q/mg collagen) compared to trabecular bone (859 ± 317.1 ng Q/mg collagen), whereas CML levels were found to be 148 % higher in trabecular bone (6189.9 ± 866 ng/mg of protein) compared to cortical bone (924.6 ± 576.3 ng/mg of protein). Pooling the specimens from both the control and ribose groups, Spearman correlation analysis indicated that CML levels, but not fAGEs, are moderately associated with cortical porosity (r = +0.505, p ≤ 0.05) and mechanical properties such indentation depth (r = +0.460, p ≤ 0.05), total indentation depth (r = +0.440, p ≤ 0.05), and average energy dissipated (r = +0.465, p ≤ 0.05) in cortical bone. fAGEs showed a trend towards negative association with crack propagation toughness in cortical bone (r = -0.365, p = 0.055). No significant correlations were observed between CML and microarchitecture or mechanical properties in trabecular bone. CML levels were also associated with fAGEs in cortical bone (r = +0.596, p ≤ 0.05) but not in trabecular bone. Our preliminary findings indicate that CML, a non-crosslinking AGE, may affect bone material and mechanical properties differently than bulk fluorescent AGEs, given the higher accumulation of CML in each bone compartment. This study provides direction to future studies to quantify crosslinking and non-crosslinking AGEs separately as their effect on material and mechanical properties may be different and it would help identify better biomarkers for bone strength prediction.


Range of motion required for Auslan: a biomechanical analysis.
Auslan is used by the Australian deaf community and relies heavily on hand, wrist, and elbow movement. Upper limb injury or dysfunction may require surgical intervention to alleviate pain and provide a stable skeleton for function, leading to partial or complete reduction in motion. The aim of this study was to assess the wrist, forearm, and elbow motion required to communicate via Auslan, to tailor optimal interventions in this population. A biomechanical analysis was conducted on two native Auslan communicators, who signed 28 pre-selected and common Auslan words and phrases. Sagittal plane wrist and elbow motion was found to be of greater importance than axial plane forearm rotation. Relative elbow flexion and generous wrist motion was common for many of the words and phrases, while end-range elbow extension was not recorded. The maintenance of wrist and elbow motion should be prioritized when selecting surgical interventions for patients who communicate using Auslan.


Sitting playfully: does the use of a centre of gravity computer game controller influence the sitting ability of young people with cerebral palsy?
An investigative study to examine whether sitting ability could be improved through the use of a suite of computer games operated by leaning in one of four directions in a seated position. Young people with cerebral palsy played with a suite of computer games controlled using a sitting platform that can detect changes in the distribution of pressure. A randomized cross-over trial with two periods of three months involving intervention or no intervention was used. Sitting ability was measured at the beginning and end of each period with participants acting as their own controls. Statistically significant improvements were seen in two elements of box sitting using the Chailey levels (shoulder girdle position and spinal profile) and in five elements of the Sitting Assessment for Children with Neuromotor Dysfunction across both reach and rest phases of the assessment. The study provides evidence to suggest that a meaningful and engaging therapeutic activity, such as using computer games controlled by leaning the upper body, can help to improve sitting ability in children with neuromotor dysfunction. Further work is required to understand fully what effects such activities have on the various components of sitting ability. [Box: see text].


Immunochemical studies on blood group A substance from human hair.
Blood group A-active substance was extracted from urea-treated human hair uith methanol-ethyl ether 1:1, v/v) or chloroform-methanol (1:1, v/v). The serological activity of blood group A substance in the hair was destroyed by A-decomposing enzyme from Clostridium tertium with concomitant development of blood group H activity. It is concluded therefore that the extract from the hair of group A contained blood group A-active glycolipid with N-acetylgalactosamine as the non-reducing sugar.


c-Fos dimerization with c-Jun represses c-Jun enhancement of androgen receptor transactivation.
The transcriptional activity of the human androgen receptor (hAR), like other nuclear receptors, is dependent on accessory factors. One such factor is c-Jun, which has been shown to have a selective function of mediating androgen receptor-dependent transactivation. This c-Jun activity is inhibited by c-Fos, another protooncoprotein that can dimerize with c-Jun to form the transcription factor AP-1. Here we show that c-jun mediates hAR-induced transactivation from the promoter of the androgen-regulated gene, human kallikrein-2 (hKLK2), and c-Fos blocks this activity. Using c-Fos truncation mutants and measuring hKLK2-dependent transcription, we have determined that the bZIP region of c-Fos is required and sufficient for inhibiting c-Jun enhancement of hAR transactivation. Further truncation analysis of the bZIP shows that the c-Fos dimerization function, mediated through the leucine zipper, is essential for the negative activity, whereas DNA binding, mediated through the basic region, is dispensable. These results suggest that heterodimerization by c-Fos with c-Jun blocks c-Jun's ability to enhance hAR-induced transactivation.


More about sampling and estimation of mercaptans in air samples.
Several strategies have been developed for sampling and determination of volatile thiols. The selectivity and sensitivity of the proposed methodologies are achieved by using a specific derivatizing reagent. The different procedures assayed are based on air sampling followed by derivatization of the analytes with OPA and isoleucine in alkaline solution. The derivatization products are separated and determined by liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. To start, the derivatization conditions and stability of the derivates have been studied in order to establish the storage conditions. In general, the strategies studied consisted on trapping and detivatization the thiol compound on different support; a solution (Impinger) or sorbent (C₁₈ cartridges or glass fiber filter). The analytical properties of the different strategies have been obtained and compared. Procedures are recommended upon specific situations.


COI1 is a critical component of a receptor for jasmonate and the bacterial virulence factor coronatine.
Jasmonate (JA) is a lipid-derived hormone that regulates diverse aspects of plant immunity and development. An amino acid-conjugated form of JA, jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile), stimulates binding of the F-box protein coronatine-insensitive 1 (COI1) to, and subsequent ubiquitin-dependent degradation of, jasmonate ZIM domain (JAZ) proteins that repress transcription of JA-responsive genes. The virulence factor coronatine (COR), which is produced by plant pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas syringae, suppresses host defense responses by activating JA signaling in a COI1-dependent manner. Although previous data indicate that COR acts as a molecular mimic of JA-Ile, the mechanism by which JA-Ile and COR are perceived by plant cells remains unknown. Here, we show that interaction of tomato COI1 with divergent members of the JAZ family is highly specific for JA-Ile and structurally related JA conjugates and that COR is approximately 1,000-fold more active than JA-Ile in promoting this interaction in vitro. JA-Ile competes for binding of COR to COI1-JAZ complexes, demonstrating that COR and JA-Ile are recognized by the same receptor. Binding of COR to the COI1-JAZ complex requires COI1 and is severely impaired by a point mutation in the putative ligand-binding pocket of COI1. Finally, we show that the C-terminal region of JAZ3 containing the highly conserved Jas motif is necessary and sufficient for hormone-induced COI1-JAZ interaction. These findings demonstrate that COI1 is a critical component of the JA receptor and that COR exerts its virulence effects by functioning as a potent agonist of this receptor system.


Induced responses of cherry trees to periodical cicada oviposition.
Cherry trees (Prunus serotina) responded to oviposition by periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) by depositing gum at the egg nest. The proportion of cicada eggs that hatched successfully was significantly reduced at egg nests with visible gum compared to non-gummed egg nests. The number of egg nests with gum increased in proportion to the total number of egg nests on a tree. The probability of an egg nest having visible gum increased as the total number of egg nests increased. Mortality at hatching due to gum deposition increased as a direct density-dependent function of the number of cicada eggs laid in the tree. Although statistically significant, this relationship was weak and appeared to hold only at densities above 100 egg nests per tree.Gum deposition is discussed as an induced plant response to cicada attack. A cherry may reduce the number of cicada nymphs that will parasitize it up to the next oviposition period (17 or 13 years later) by reducing cicada hatching through gum deposition at the site of oviposition.


Deconvolution of Ensemble Chromatin Interaction Data Reveals the Latent Mixing Structures in Cell Subpopulations.
Chromosome conformation capture (3C) experiments provide a window into the spatial packing of a genome in three dimensions within the cell. This structure has been shown to be correlated with gene regulation, cancer mutations, and other genomic functions. However, 3C provides mixed measurements on a population of typically millions of cells, each with a different genome structure due to the fluidity of the genome and differing cell states. Here, we present several algorithms to deconvolve these measured 3C matrices into estimations of the contact matrices for each subpopulation of cells and relative densities of each subpopulation. We formulate the problem as that of choosing matrices and densities that minimize the Frobenius distance between the observed 3C matrix and the weighted sum of the estimated subpopulation matrices. Results on HeLa 5C and mouse and bacteria Hi-C data demonstrate the methods' effectiveness. We also show that domain boundaries from deconvolved matrices are often more enriched or depleted for regulatory chromatin markers when compared to boundaries from convolved matrices.


Effects of short- and long-term haloperidol administration and withdrawal on regional brain cholecystokinin and neurotensin concentrations in the rat.
The effects of oral administration of the neuroleptic, haloperidol, on regional brain concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK) and neurotensin were examined in the rat. Both short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (8 months) haloperidol administration increased the concentration of CCK in the substantia nigra. While short-term administration significantly increased the concentration of CCK in the ventral tegmental area and decreased the concentration of CCK in the cortex, including the medial prefrontal cortex, these effects were not observed following long-term drug administration. In contrast, long-term, but not short-term, haloperidol administration decreased the concentration of CCK in the olfactory tubercle. Withdrawal from long-term haloperidol did not alter CCK concentrations in any of the brain regions examined. Short-term haloperidol administration significantly increased the concentration of neurotensin in the caudate-putamen. Both short- and long-term administration increased the concentration of neurotensin in the nucleus accumbens, but only the increased following long-term administration reached statistical significance. Withdrawal from long-term haloperidol administration slightly decreased the concentrations of neurotensin in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens. These results indicate that dopamine receptor blockade can affect both CCK- and neurotensin-containing neural systems. Furthermore, these two neuropeptides are affected differently depending upon the duration of haloperidol administration and withdrawal from this drug. The results raise the possibility that chronic administration of haloperidol may be toxic to some neurotensin-containing neurons in the basal ganglia.


Comparison of the bacterial composition of two commercial composts with different physicochemical, stability and maturity properties.
Previously, two municipal solid waste commercial composts (MSW1 and MSW2) were characterized. Although sharing the same type of raw material, most of their physicochemical, stability and maturity properties differed. The present study aimed to characterize them at a microbiological level, and to infer on possible relationships between the composts properties and the structure of their bacterial communities. Both the 16S rRNA gene-based PCR-DGGE profiling and 454-pyrosequencing technology showed that the structure of the bacterial communities of these composts was distinct. The bacterial community of MSW1 was more diverse than that of MSW2. Multivariate analyses revealed that the high electrical conductivity, Cu content as well as the low phytotoxity of compost MSW1, when compared to MSW2, contributed most to shape its bacterial community structure. Indeed, high abundance of halophilic (Halomonadaceae and Brevibacteriaceae) and metal resistant organisms (Brevibacteriaceae and Bacillaceae) were found in MSW1. In addition, Pseudonocardiaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Bacillaceae, and Brevibacteriaceae may have contributed to the high humic-like acids content and low phytotoxicity of MSW1. In contrast, the high organic matter content and the high density of the cultivable fungi population were the parameters most correlated with the structure of the bacterial community of compost MSW2, dominated by Corynebacteriaceae and mainly Aerococcaceae, taxonomic groups not commonly found in composts.


(56)Fe ion irradiation induced apoptosis through Nrf2 pathway in mouse testis.
The phenomenon has raised the concerns about the safety of an extended manned mission into deep space due to the high potential for exposure to high-LET radiation during space missions. Heavy ions such as (56)Fe are main radiation sources in deep space, which could pose a significant hazard to space flight crews during and after missions. Since the testis is a radiosensitive organ, which may be susceptible to space radiation-induced changes. In this study, we investigated the effect and potential mechanisms of (56)Fe irradiation on mouse testis. Pathological characteristics were measured following whole-body irradiation with 0.5 and 1Gy (56)Fe irradiation. Flow cytometry and terminal dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) were performed to detect apoptotic cells. Western blot was applied to identify potential biomarkers. Immunofluorescence was used to investigate protein localization. We found that pathologic changes and apoptosis cells were significantly higher in 1Gy group than those in 0Gy groups. In addition, protein expression and localization studies confirmed Nrf2 was involved in this acute injury. Nrf2 and its target genes HO-1 and NQO1 were up-regulated in the irradiated testis in a dose-dependent manner. Nrf2 may be useful molecular markers in radiation-induced cellular responses and is important for detecting abnormal spermatogenesis following exposure to space radiation.


14-3-3 Protein isoforms and atypical patterns of the 14-3-3 assay in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
A positive 14-3-3 assay is a criterion for probable Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 is usually detected by immunoblot using an antibody that recognizes all of the 14-3-3 isoforms. In a few cases, the antibody recognizes an inferior band and this pattern is associated with false positive results. We analyzed 43 CSF (26 CJD, 17 controls) samples using antibodies against specific isoforms (beta, epsilon, gamma, tau, xi) and compared the results with those obtained with the standard antibody. The anti-gamma and anti-beta antibody achieved similar results but the presence of atypical patterns made the standard antibody more accurate for the CJD diagnosis. To study the nature of the inferior band, CSF samples were probed with antibodies against light chain immunoglobulins, and immunoblots of human IgG with the standard antibody. The experiments suggested a cross-reaction of the anti-14-3-3 antibody with light chain immunoglobulins.


Age-related changes in plasma catecholamine responses to chronic intermittent stress.
We examined habituation and sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to stressful stimulation in young adult (3 months) and aged (22 months) Fischer 344 (F-344) male rats. Aged rats had greater elevations in plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) following exposure to restraint stress compared to young adult controls. Within ages, plasma catecholamine responses were similar in rats stressed for the first time compared to those stressed for the 27th time. When chronically stressed young adult and aged F-344 rats were exposed to a novel stressor, swim stress at 25 degrees C, plasma catecholamine responses were significantly greater than for age-matched handled controls. The magnitude of sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to the novel stressor was similar for young adult and aged F-344 rats. These results indicate that aged rats have enhanced plasma catecholamine responses to acute restraint stress compared to young adults. In addition, rats of both ages displayed comparable levels of sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to a novel stressor. These findings emphasize that aged rats differ from young adult rats in some but not all aspects of sympathetic-adrenal medullary regulation. Further, these age-related differences in sympathetic-adrenal medullary responses are unmasked when animals are exposed to stressful stimulation.


Optimal Medical Therapy Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.
Limited data exist on optimal medical therapy post-transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for late cardiovascular events prevention. We aimed to evaluate the benefits of beta-blocker (BB), renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi), and their combination on outcomes following successful TAVI. In a consecutive cohort of 1,684 patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI, the status of BB and RASi treatment at discharge was collected, and patients were classified into 4 groups: no-treatment, BB alone, RASi alone, and combination groups. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure (HHF) at 2-year. There were 415 (25%), 462 (27%), 349 (21%), and 458 (27%) patients in no-treatment, BB alone, RASi alone, and combination groups, respectively. The primary outcome was lower in RASi alone (21%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]adj: 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42 to 0.81) and combination (22%; HRadj: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.72) groups than in no-treatment group (34%) but no significant difference between RASi alone and combination groups (HRadj: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.80 to 1.62). The primary outcome results were maintained in a sensitivity analysis of patients with reduced left ventricular systolic function. Furthermore, RASi treatment was an independent predictor of 2-year all-cause mortality (HRadj: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51 to 0.90), while that was not observed in BB therapy (HRadj: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.25). In conclusion, post-TAVI treatment with RASi, but not with BB, was associated with lower all-cause mortality and HHF at 2-year. The combination of RASi and BB did not add an incremental reduction in the primary outcome over RASi alone.


Shopping for phages? Unpacking design rules for therapeutic phage cocktails.
In bacteriophage therapy, the combination of different phages into a single cocktail is of critical importance to overcome the narrow host range of single phage isolates. Today, the design of therapeutic cocktails is often akin to a black box and relies largely on intuition and (pre-)availability of isolates in local collections. Here we show that straightforward host range analysis can disclose design rules and we propose to apply/translate a data mining approach, historically applied in the field of marketing ('shopping cart analysis') to explore patterns in phage combinations. The technique is broadly applicable to host range datasets and can serve in combination with other molecular-based approaches to propose rationales for phage cocktail design.


Comparison of the descriptive epidemiology of urinary tract cancers.
We compared the descriptive epidemiology of several urinary tract cancers, utilizing incidence data from the United States and international sources. The patterns of cancers of the renal pelvis, ureter, and urethra were more similar to those of bladder cancer than to cancer of the renal parenchyma in several ways: (i) transitional cell carcinoma is the predominant histologic type in the renal pelvis, ureter, urethra, and bladder, whereas the vast majority of renal parenchyma neoplasms are adenocarcinomas; (ii) in situ tumors often appear in all these sites except the renal parenchyma; (iii) rate ratios for renal pelvis/ureter cancers among blacks and Hispanics, relative to whites, are closer to those for bladder than to those for renal parenchymal cancers; (iv) rates among US men and women for cancers of the renal pelvis and ureter are more highly correlated with those for bladder cancer than with those of the renal parenchyma across racial groups; and (v) similar correlations occur among women across geographic areas within the US and internationally. However, the patterns for cancers of the renal pelvis and ureter do not always resemble more closely those for bladder than renal parenchyma cancers and occasionally appear different from one another. These findings indicate the importance of distinguishing tumors based on specific primary site and cell type.


Differential effects of heart rate reduction with ivabradine in two models of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress.
Heart rate reduction with the I(f)-channel-inhibitor ivabradine is a novel and appealing option in the therapy of patients with ischemic heart disease. The aim of the current study was to determine the effects of ivabradine in two different animal models of vascular disease characterized by increased oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Wistar rats with angiotensin II induced hypertension and ApoE knockout mice were used as animal models of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress, with half of the animals receiving ivabradine 10 mg/kg/day in parallel. Ivabradine lead to a sustained 15-20% heart rate reduction, but had no effect on blood pressure. While ivabradine had no effect on endothelial function and vascular reactive oxygen species production in angiotensin II-treated rats, it improved both parameters in ApoE knockout mice. These antioxidative effects were associated with a decreased NADPH oxidase activity and the prevention of eNOS uncoupling. In addition, ivabradine treatment led to an attenuation of angiotensin II signaling and increased the expression of telomere-stabilizing proteins in ApoE knockout mice, which may explain its beneficial effects on the vasculature. The absence of these protective ivabradine effects in angiotensin II-infused rats may relate to the treatment duration or the presence of arterial hypertension.


Metalloporphyrin reduced C70 fullerenes as adsorbents and detectors of ethenone; A DFT, NBO, and TD-DFT study.
In the present work, the structure and electronic properties of Ti-, Cr-, Fe-, Ni-, Zn-, and Cu-inserted in porphyrin-reduced C70 fullerenes (TM-PIC70Fs) and their interactions with the ethenone were studied using DFT, NBO, and TD-DFT at CAM-B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. 2.89-3.83 and 4.02-4.56 eV were obtained for the HOMO-LUMO gap energies and work functions of TM-PIC70Fs, respectively, compared with 3.76 and 4.54 eV for PIC70F. Among considered TM-PIC70Fs, the adsorption of the ethenone on Ti-PIC70F appreciably changed the HOMO-LUMO energy gap and work function. Consequently, Ti-PIC70F may be used as the ethenone's electronic conductivity and work function types sensor. According to calculated UV-visible spectra, the ethenone adsorption may change the color of Fe- and Ti-PIC70Fs. Therefore, they can be used as color-changing sensors of ethenone. In addition, Ti-, Cr-, Fe-, and Zn-PIC70Fs can be employed as suitable adsorbents of ethenone. Among proper sensors and adsorbents of ethenone, Cr-, Fe-, and Zn-PIC70Fs may be recovered and reused.


A prospective study to determine the risk factors associated with post traumatic seizures: A single institution experience.
Post traumatic seizures (PTS) are a known sequel of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Incidence of PTS is dependent on many factors including study design and characteristics of the study population. As incidence of TBI increases and death due to TBI decreases, more individuals will be at risk of developing and living with chronic complications. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency and risk factors for PTS following TBI. A prospective study was conducted on patients admitted with TBI from April 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020, to determine the frequency, time to event, and risk factors for PTS following TBI. We classified the severity of head injury using a standard criterion, into mild, moderate and severe injury. Follow-up of 3 months was undertaken for all patients. Variables include age, sex, trauma severity, Glasgow coma scale, onset of PTS, and neuroradiological finding. We enrolled 450 post traumatic subjects, out of which 36 (8%) developed seizures. Of the total of 36 patients detected to have hemorrhagic contusion on computerized tomography scan, 12 patients developed seizures. We found that the independent risk factors associated with occurrence of PTS were frontal- temporal lobar contusion and severity of head injury. All these findings were statistically significant. We found that the independent risk factors associated with occurrence of PTS were frontal-temporal lobar contusion and severity of head injury. Type of management (Operative vs. Non operative) does not affect the outcome of PTS.


Hepatitis C virus envelope glycoprotein co-evolutionary dynamics during chronic hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein co-evolution was studied in 14 genotype 1-infected and treatment-naive subjects, including 7 with mild and 7 with severe liver disease. Cassettes encoding the envelope 1 gene (E1) and hypervariable region (HVR1) of the envelope 2 gene were isolated at 38 different time points over 81 follow-up years. There were no significant differences in age, gender, alcohol use, or viral load between the mild and severe disease groups. Virus from subjects with severe disease had significantly slower evolution in HVR1, and significant divergent evolution of E1 quasispecies, characterized by a preponderance of synonymous mutations, compared to virus from subjects with mild disease. Phylogenetic comparisons indicated higher similarity between amino acid sequences of the E1 and HVR1 regions with mild disease versus severe disease (r=0.44 versus r=0.17, respectively; P=0.01). In summary, HCV envelope quasispecies co-evolution differs during mild versus severe disease.


Bundle management strategy in reducing hospital-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized patients with mental disorders.
The incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is high in the medical setting for mental disorders. To date, effective measurements for preventing HAP in hospitalized mental disorder patients are unavailable. This study was conducted at the Large-Scale Mental Health Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) in two phases: baseline phase (January 2017-December 2019) and intervention phase (May 2020-April 2022). In the intervention phase, the HAP bundle management strategy was implemented in the Mental Health Center, and the data on HAP were collected continuously for analysis. A total of 18,795 and 9,618 patients were included in the baseline and intervention phases, respectively. The age, gender, ward admitted to, type of mental disorder, and Charlson comorbidity index did not differ significantly. After intervention, the rate of HAP occurrence decreased from 0.95 to 0.52% (P < 0.001). Specifically, the HAP rate decreased from 1.70 to 0.95% (P = 0.007) in the closed ward and from 0.63 to 0.35% (P = 0.009) in the open ward. The HAP rate in the subgroups was higher in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (1.66 vs. 0.74%) and organic mental disorders (4.92 vs. 1.41%), and in those ≥65 years old (2.82 vs. 1.11%) but decreased significantly after intervention (all P < 0.05). The implementation of the HAP bundle management strategy reduced the occurrence of HAP in hospitalized patients with mental disorders.


Obstetric complications correlate with neurobehavioral and brain structural alterations in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia.
As complications of pregnancy and birth may be important risk factors for the development of schizophrenia, studying the "roots" of schizophrenia in high-risk offspring may better elucidate the interface between biology, environment, and susceptibility to illness. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurobehavioral assessments and obstetric histories, we found several significant correlations between these multiple factors, suggesting that birth complications may be a nonspecific etiopathogenic risk factor for psychopathology in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia.


Aggressive early crystalloid resuscitation adversely affects outcomes in adult blunt trauma patients: an analysis of the Glue Grant database.
Evidence suggests that aggressive crystalloid resuscitation is associated with significant morbidity in various clinical settings. We wanted to assess whether aggressive early crystalloid resuscitation adversely affects outcomes in adult blunt trauma patients. Data were derived from the Glue Grant database. Our primary outcome measure was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included days on mechanical ventilation; intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS); inflammatory (acute lung injury and adult respiratory distress syndrome, or multiple-organ failure) and resuscitation-related morbidity (abdominal and extremity compartment syndromes or acute renal failure) and nosocomial infections (ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream, urinary tract, and surgical site infections). In our sample of 1,754 patients, in-hospital mortality was not affected, but ventilator days (p < 0.001) as well as ICU (p = 0.009) and hospital (p = 0.002) LOS correlated strongly with the amount of crystalloids infused in the first 24 hours after injury. Amount of crystalloid resuscitation was also associated with the development of adult respiratory distress syndrome (p < 0.001), multiple-organ failure (p < 0.001), bloodstream (p = 0.001) and surgical site infections (p < 0.001), as well as abdominal (p < 0.001) and extremity compartment syndromes (p = 0.028) in a dose-dependent fashion, when age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), severity of injury and acute physiologic derangement, comorbidities, as well as colloid and blood product transfusions were controlled for. Crystalloid resuscitation is associated with a substantial increase in morbidity, as well as ICU and hospital LOS in adult blunt trauma patients.


In-home coal and wood use and lung cancer risk: a pooled analysis of the International Lung Cancer Consortium.
Domestic fuel combustion from cooking and heating is an important public health issue because roughly 3 billion people are exposed worldwide. Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified indoor emissions from household coal combustion as a human carcinogen (group 1) and from biomass fuel (primarily wood) as a probable human carcinogen (group 2A). We pooled seven studies from the International Lung Cancer Consortium (5,105 cases and 6,535 controls) to provide further epidemiological evaluation of the association between in-home solid-fuel use, particularly wood, and lung cancer risk. Using questionnaire data, we classified subjects as predominant solid-fuel users (e.g., coal, wood) or nonsolid-fuel users (e.g., oil, gas, electricity). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and to compute 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking status, race/ethnicity, and study center. Compared with nonsolid-fuel users, predominant coal users (OR = 1.64; 95% CI, 1.49-1.81), particularly coal users in Asia (OR = 4.93; 95% CI, 3.73-6.52), and predominant wood users in North American and European countries (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.38) experienced higher risk of lung cancer. The results were similar in never-smoking women and other subgroups. Our results are consistent with previous observations pertaining to in-home coal use and lung cancer risk, support the hypothesis of a carcinogenic potential of in-home wood use, and point to the need for more detailed study of factors affecting these associations.


[Liver and sport].
The liver is a vital organ and plays a central role in energy exchange, protein synthesis as well as the elimination of waste products from the body. Acute and chronic injury may disturb a variety of liver functions to different degrees. Over the last three decades, the effects of physical activity and competitive sport on the liver have been described by various investigators. These include viral hepatitis and drug-induced liver disorders. Herein, we review acute and chronic liver diseases potentially caused by sport. Team physicians, trainers and others, responsible for the health of athletes, should be familiar with the risk factors, clinical features, and consequences of liver diseases that occur in sports.


A modeling approach to estimate 3H discharge from rivers: Comparison of discharge from the Fukushima Dai-ichi and inventory in seawater in the Fukushima coastal region.
Estimation of 3H discharge from river catchments is important to evaluate the effect of Fukushima Dai-ichi discharge and future planned 3H release to the ocean on the coastal environment. Using a previously developed model based on the tank model and observed 3H concentration in river water, the 3H discharge from the Abukuma River and 13 other rivers in the Fukushima coastal region were estimated from June 2013 to March 2020. The 3H discharge from catchments of the Abukuma River and 13 other rivers in the Fukushima coastal region during 2014-2019 were estimated to be 1.2-4.0 TBq/y. These values were approximately 2-22 times larger than the annual 3H discharge from the Fukushima Dai-ichi after 2016, indicating the significance of 3H discharge from the catchments through the rivers. This estimation is expected to be useful to evaluate and predict 3H concentrations and inventories in the Fukushima coastal region for consideration of planned 3H release to the ocean.


High-dose daptomycin monotherapy cures Staphylococcus epidermidis 'endotipsitis' after failure of conventional therapy.
A 67-year-old gentleman developed persistent Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteraemia following transjugular intrahepatic portal shunting. 'Endotipsitis' was diagnosed. Conventional therapy with a vancomycin infusion, amikacin and rifampicin failed after 17 days. He was cured with a 6-week course of high-dose (8 mg/kg) daptomycin monotherapy.


A ventral lateral geniculate nucleus projection to the dorsal thalamus and the midbrain in the cat.
Retrograde tracing experiments using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) have been utilized for demonstrating the origin of efferent projections of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNv) in the cat. HRP-positive cells identifiable as origins of thalamic projections were found in LGNv after injections of HRP into the lateral central intralaminar nucleus. The labeled cells appeared concentrated in the medial part of the internal division of LGNv, consisting of medium-sized multipolar cells. Contralaterally, fewer labeled cells were present in the corresponding part of LGNv. In the case of injections of HRP into the midbrain (pretectum and superior colliculus), labeled cells in LGNv were distributed almost exclusively in its external division, composed of mainly small cells. Little overlap of the distribution of HRP-positive cells was seen in LGNv between the thalamic and midbrain injection cases.


Partial trisomy 1 due to a "shift" and probable location of the Duffy (Fy) locus.
Transposition of 1q31-1q32 from the q to p arm in a parent followed by crossing over resulted in a child with a duplication of this region. Concomitant C- and GTG-banding and genotyping were used to position the single crossover and to localize Fy to 1q2.


Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrazoles via Vanadium-Catalyzed C-N Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling and Fluorescence Switch-On Sensing of BSA Protein.
Vanadium-catalyzed C-N dehydrogenative cross-coupling of alkenyl hydrazones leading to functionalized pyrazoles is described in a 1:1 mixture of toluene/H2O using air as the terminal oxidant. Significant practical features include use of the commercial nontoxic VOSO4 as a recyclable catalyst, mild reaction conditions, scalability, and the broad substrate scope. Some of the product pyrazoles exhibit interesting photophysical properties. Fluorescence light-up sensing of BSA protein by one of the pyrazoles is also highlighted.


Single-step, multiple retroviral transduction of human T cells.
Retroviral transduction of human peripheral blood T cells has considerable potential in the development of gene therapy strategies for immunological disorders. New vectors and experimental procedures have been developed for efficient transduction of several genes into human T cells. Bicistronic retroviral vectors encoding distinct cell markers were used for the simultaneous multiple transduction of a human T-cell line (MT-2), as well as of human peripheral blood T cells from normal donors. Transduction efficiencies were evaluated by flow cytometry and double- and triple-transduced cells were isolated by fluorescence cell sorting. Four new bicistronic retroviral vectors were developed that express different gene markers under the control of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of the encephalomyocarditis virus. These markers are, respectively, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), beta-galactosidase, and truncated versions of human nerve growth factor receptor (Delta NGFR) and human growth hormone receptor (Delta GHR). A single 1 h spinoculation infection, performed in the presence of polybrene and using transiently produced amphotropic retroviral particles, was sufficient to obtain transduction efficiencies consistently greater than 50% on human peripheral blood T lymphocytes which had been previously stimulated for 3 days with immobilized anti-CD3. The transient production of viral particles encoding EGFP, Delta NGFR, and Delta GHR markers in the same viral supernatant has allowed up to three different genes to be introduced simultaneously into human T cells. This study describes new experimental conditions for efficient single-step multiple transduction of human primary T lymphocytes. The procedure could be of interest for the development of gene therapy approaches.


Genetic association of polymorphisms in porcine RGS16 with porcine circovirus viral load in naturally infected Yorkshire pigs.
Regulator of G protein signaling 16 (RGS16) is known to be associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). PCV2 associated disease (PCVAD) is a serious problem in the swine industry. The representative symptoms of PCVAD are high viral titer proliferation and decreased average daily gain. In this study, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RGS16 region, including the upstream region. Of the 22 identified SNPs, rs332913874, rs326071195, and rs318298586 were genotyped in 142 Yorkshire pigs. These SNPs were significantly associated with the PCV2 viral load. Moreover, the haplotype combination was also related to the PCV2 viral load. The haplotype and diplotype analysis also had a significant difference with the PCV2 viral load. Taken together, our results suggest that RGS16 SNPs considerably affect the PCV2 viral load.


Noninvasive inter- and intrafractional motion control in ultrahypofractionated radiation therapy of prostate cancer using RayPilot HypoCath™-a substitute for gold fiducial-based IGRT?
In ultrahypofractionated radiation concepts, managing of intrafractional motion is mandatory because tighter margins are used and random errors resulting from prostate movement are not averaged out over a large number of fractions. Noninvasive live monitoring of prostate movement is a desirable asset for LINAC-based prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We prospectively analyzed a novel live tracking device (RayPilot HypoCath™; Micropos Medical AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) where a transmitter is noninvasively positioned in the prostatic urethra using a Foley catheter in 12 patients undergoing ultrahypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of the prostate. Gold fiducials (Innovative Technology Völp, Innsbruck, Austria) were implanted to allow comparison of accuracy and positional stability of the HypoCath system and its ability to be used as a standalone IGRT method. Spatial stability of the transponder was assessed by analyzing transmitter movement in relation to gold markers (GM) in superimposed kV image pairs. Inter- and intrafractional prostate movement and the impact of its correction were analyzed. A total of 64 fractions were analyzed. The average resulting deviation vector compared to the GM-based position was 1.2 mm and 0.7 mm for inter- and intrafractional motion, respectively. The mean intrafractional displacement vector of the prostate was 1.9 mm. Table readjustment due to exceeding the threshold of 3 mm was required in 18.8% of fractions. Repositioning reduced the time spent outside the 3‑mm margin from 7.9% to 3.8% of beam-on time. However, for individual patients, the time spent outside the 3‑mm margin was reduced from to 49% to 19%. the HypoCath system allows highly accurate and robust intrafractional motion monitoring. In conjunction with cone beam CT (CBCT) for initial patient setup, it could be used as a standalone image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system.


Impact Analysis of the National Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection in India: A Single Center Study.
National Blood Transfusion Council recently released the national guidelines for blood donor selection in India. Some changes in the currently used donor selection criteria have been proposed. However, its effect on future donor availability and deferral has not been studied. To enumerate the changes in current donor selection criteria and analyze its impact on the future blood donor availability vis-à-vis current deferral rate. One year data for both selected and deferred whole blood donors was analyzed retrospectively. Questionnaire forms of the selected donors were screened to analyze the responses given at the time of donation. A total of 4494 donors presented for whole blood donation and 995 (22.1%) were deferred for the various reasons. NBTC has proposed 12 major changes in the currently used donor selection criteria with 11 resulting into increased deferral of the blood donors. These changes would lead to an additional deferral of 32.5% of the currently eligible blood donors mostly due to the change in the blood pressure cut off. National blood donor selection guidelines in the current form would lead to a very high deficit of available blood donors in India. There is an urgent need to reconsider the merit of the changes suggested in these guidelines.


Ultrasensitive magnetic DNAzyme-copper nanoclusters fluorescent biosensor with triple amplification for the visual detection of E. coli O157:H7.
A relatively-simple and high-efficient fluorescent magnetic biosensor based on DNAzyme was established for the detection of E. coli O157:H7. In order to solve the problem of weak signal and low sensitivity in the detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, we ingeniously designed a fluorescent sensor based on triple signal amplification of magnetic beads, DNAzyme and photoluminescence. In the detection process, the E. coli-specific RNA-cleaving DNAzyme can specifically identify the target protein in crude intracellular mixture (CIM), which caused its conformation changes and induced rolling circle amplification (RCA) to the generation and luminescence of copper nanoclusters (CuNCs). This cascade amplification design can capture weak signals in the sample. The biosensor also indicated a good linear range from 10 CFU mL-1 to 1000 CFU mL-1 and obtained a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.57 CFU mL-1, which showed a relatively high sensitivity compared with other studies. Furthermore, the biosensor displayed high-efficient detection capability in 1.5 h and good reproducibility (relative standard deviations < 2%). It has been proved that this sensor is feasible to the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in drinking water and apple juice. Moreover, we found that the final detection product can effectively wrap the magnetic beads and can be driven by the magnetic field. And this unexpected discovery will provide ideas for the development of biosensing robots.


Associations of the correlates of protection and implication on the statistical power for demonstrating non-inferiority: application of a re-sampling method on a large phase III influenza vaccine clinical trial.
In the later stage of the clinical development of new vaccines it is required to demonstrate their efficacy with the immunogenicity measures established as correlates for disease protection. Evaluation of interpandemic trivalent influenza vaccines is commonly assessed by three immunogenicity measures for each strain in different age groups: Seroprotection, Seroconversion and Geometric Mean Titers. US and European guidelines with respect to this topic have been issued for the licensure of new influenza vaccines. The statistical power of comparative trials, which consider these endpoint variables, could be affected to the extent that these measures are correlated. Results from a large non-inferiority trial in the clinical development of a novel cell-derived influenza vaccine have been analyzed with the aim of evaluating how statistical dependency between the above-mentioned three immunogenicity measures might affect the power to demonstrate non-inferiority. The statistical non-inferiority criteria, which were met in the trial, were applied to different subsets (n=250, n=370 and n=500) using a re-sampling method from the original dataset (re-samples=10,000). The measures of immunogenicity were highly correlated, and the fulfillment or failure of any of the non-inferiority criteria for a specific measure partially predicted the same outcome for the other measures. Due to this dependency within each strain, the levels of power obtained by re-sampling methods were always higher than those obtained by theoretical calculations, which were based on the assumptions of independency between the three measures of immunogenicity. Seroconversion and Geometric Mean Ratio (GMR) showed a higher correlation. A failure in the fulfillment of the non-inferiority criteria for GMR predicted the failure for Seroconversion in >76% of cases. The correlation between different measures of immunogenicity should be taken into account when evaluating statistical power for non-inferiority in influenza vaccine trials and in establishing sample sizes. Statistical approaches that include either all three measures of immunogenicity or both Seroconversion and the ratio of GMTs as co-primary non-inferiority endpoints might create redundancy and could increase the probability of not meeting at least one non-inferiority criterion by chance, due to multiplicity.


Easing the burden of dementia caregiving: Protocol development for a telephone-delivered mindfulness intervention for rural, African American families.
There have been few interventions targeted for rural African American (AA) caregivers of persons with dementia despite their unique cultural, geographic, health-related and socio-economic needs, including relatively less access to-and willingness to engage with-formal supports and resources. One effective intervention, Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), has been found to be culturally acceptable in AA populations; however, no studies have assessed feasibility, acceptability and impact of an adapted mindfulness intervention targeting rural AA dementia caregivers. The purpose of this study is to 1) determine the feasibility and acceptability of a telephone-delivered mindfulness training intervention in decreasing caregiver burden among rural, AA, informal caregiving teams of people with dementia; 2) to explore the effects of the training on caregiver burden and relevant secondary outcomes for both caregiving team members, including emotional regulation, tolerance of uncertainty, emotional and physical health, family conflict within the informal caregiving team, and self-efficacy; and 3) to explore comfort with and willingness to adopt technologies to access mindfulness practices and existing caregiving educational resources. Our study utilizes a single-group, uncontrolled design to assess the feasibility and acceptability of telephone-delivered mindfulness training designed to alleviate burden for rural caregivers of AA individuals with moderate to severe dementia. A care partner-the person who provides additional help -is included in the intervention. The primary outcome is feasibility of the telephone-delivered mindfulness intervention as assessed by an 85% retention rate with completion of at least 6 of the intervention sessions. Pre- and post-participation interviews assess acceptability.


Failed degenerative lumbar spine surgery.
Significant back and leg symptoms develop in approximately 10%-15% of patients who have undergone a spinal decompression procedure and approximately 15%-20% of patients who have had a spinal fusion procedure for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine during the ensuing 3-5 year so that they require revision lumbar surgery. The cause for their symptoms has to be diligently looked for, as that is a main predictor of good outcome following revision surgery. Good history taking, including a detailed old chart review, repeat physical evaluation, and input from therapists--physical and psychological, neurologist, and other caregivers--should be sought. These, together with intelligent use of investigations, go a long way in helping establish a cause for failure. Furthermore, developing a revision surgical strategy is also an intellectual exercise in which a simple algorithmic approach may not always work. The process of evaluation and surgical management for failed lumbar degeneration is a science and an art that requires a great deal of understanding and commitment on the part of the surgeon. The temporal trend of improving outcomes is aided in part by emerging technologies, however, one has to be constantly aware of simple factors that influence outcome. The use of published literature and experiences of peers helps one offer appropriate surgical intervention while improving the long-term results of revision surgery of the lumbar spine.


Capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the identification and quantification of some benzodiazepines and their unconjugated metabolites in plasma.
A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the identification and/or quantification of diazepam, clobazam, flunitrazepam, triazolam, midazolam, oxazepam and lorazepam and some of their desmethylated and hydroxylated metabolites in plasma is described. Benzodiazepines were extracted from plasma with butyl acetate at pH 9; the hydroxylated compounds were then silylated with N,O-bis (trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide). Analysis was performed using a compact mass-selective detector operating in the electron-impact mode. Depending on the concentration, identification was performed either by direct comparison of the observed mass spectra with reference spectra or by the relative intensities of the most intense and characteristic ions in the selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Quantification was performed in the SIM mode using the most intense ion. The intra-assay precision and accuracy were better than 5-6%; linearity was satisfactory up to 1-2 micrograms/ml. The detection limit was 1-5 ng/ml for most of the benzodiazepines. This method can be easily used in clinical situations when a safe and rapid response is essential for patient treatment.


Femoral trochlear morphology is associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury in skeletally immature patients.
Knee joint morphology is a known contributor to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and the shape of the distal femur condyle is one of the associated factors. However, the relationship between femoral trochlear morphology and ACL injury is unclear, especially in pediatric patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of femoral trochlear morphology on ACL injury in pediatric patients and investigate the possibility of gender differences. In total, 116 skeletally immature children aged 3-18 years with primary ACL injuries were matched with a control group of 116 skeletally immature children. Lateral trochlear inclination, trochlear facet asymmetry, trochlear depth, and sulcus angle were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Differences between patient groups and gender were investigated. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to obtain the sensitivity and specificity of all parameters. A significant difference was observed in the sulcus angle and trochlear inclination between the ACL injury and control groups (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the ACL injury and control groups with respect to the anatomic patellar instability risk factors. All parameters showed an area under the curve of 0.6 in the ROC analysis, indicative of failure of the diagnostic test. There was a significant association between femoral trochlear morphology and increased risk of ACL injury in pediatric patients. No gender difference was found except in the trochlear depth. It was showed that the difference in trochlear morphology should be considered between normal children and pediatric patients with ACL injury to increase the awareness regarding ACL injuries. III.


Isolated injury to the left distal corpus cavernosum from a through-and-through penile gunshot wound.
We describe a case of an isolated injury to the left distal corpus cavernosum from a bullet involving the glans penis, an injury location not previously described in the literature. This case illustrates the importance of performing an artificial erection test during penile exploration and the focal nature of civilian gunshot wounds. If a bullet wound is obviously superficial to either the urethra or erectile bodies, conservative management is acceptable. While retrograde urethrogram or flexible cystoscopy is warranted to rule out urethral injury, immediate operative exploration is recommended in cases suspicious for corporal defects due to limitations of diagnostic testing.


Missense mutations in the signal peptide of the porcine GH gene affect cellular synthesis and secretion.
In previous investigations, we have demonstrated the mutations in the signal peptide of porcine GH gene were associated with the body size. In this study, the fusion gene expression vectors which consisted of eight signal peptide mutants of GH gene and EGFP gene were constructed according to three missense mutations (p.Val9Ala, p.Gln22Arg and p.Asp25Gly), and they were transfected into the GH3 cell line. The inhibition levels of EGFP gene transcriptions with different signal peptide mutants were significantly different. Typically, the allelic variants carrying Val in codon nine showed higher protein synthesis (P < 0.05), and the allelic variants carrying neutral Gln in codon 22 and Gly in codon 25 showed higher secretion proportion (P < 0.05) compared with the other groups as assessed by western blotting. In silico RNA folding prediction indicated that the mutations gave rise to different RNA secondary structures, suggesting that they might affect translation and protein synthesis. We conclude that the missense mutations within the signal sequence influence the expression and the secretion of the protein. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report addressing the functional consequences of the mutations in the signal peptide of porcine GH gene.


Short-term effect of muscle energy technique and mechanical diagnosis and therapy in sacroiliac joint dysfunction: A pilot randomized clinical trial.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJD) is a prominent source of pain in low back pain (LBP) patients. Tenderness inferior to the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) is an important sign presented in SIJD. Techniques including muscle energy technique (MET) and mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT) have shown benefits in SIJD. However, the effects of these treatments on tenderness and pain around the PSIS are yet to be determined. Compare and examine the preliminary short-term effect of MET and MDT on tenderness and pain around the PSIS in SIJD. Twenty patients, aged between 20 and 65 years and diagnosed with unilateral, sub-acute, or chronic SIJD, were screened for the inclusion criteria and were randomly allocated to the MET or the MDT group. Both the groups received treatment for four sessions over one week. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were determined by a blinded assessor on pre- and post-treatment basis. Although no significant differences were observed following the treatment between the groups, some statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements were observed within each of the groups. No drop-outs and no adverse events were reported. The findings of the study suggest that both interventions may be equally effective in reducing symptoms around the PSIS. However, due to the small sample size, the results need to be interpreted cautiously. Future studies on larger sample size and long-term follow up are warranted.


Neurophysiological and psychological predictors of genetic risk for schizophrenia.
Mathematical genetic analyses were performed on a sample of schizophrenic families (25 probands and 58 first-degree relatives). Heritability coefficients were estimated for EEG power spectrum parameters and their topography, and also for psychological test data on thought and speech process disorder, designed to assess altered selectivity in cognitive activity. Multiple regression equations for genetic counseling regarding the prognosis of mental illness were derived from the neurophysiological and psychological measures.


Reducing suicides in New York State correctional facilities.
In an effort to identify modifiable risk factors for suicide in New York State prisons, the authors reviewed available statistical data and also examined a series of 40 psychological autopsies conducted on suicides of inmates who had received mental health services during their incarceration. Factors associated with suicide included substance abuse, history of prior suicide attempts, mental health treatment prior to incarceration, recent "bad news," recent disciplinary action, and manifestation of agitation and/or anxiety. This review led to changes in certain clinical policies and procedures, environmental modifications and hazard reduction in observation cells, and an improved process for quality assurance reviews of suicides.


Errant optic axons in the normal goldfish retina reach retinotopic tectal sites.
Optic axons in the goldfish retina generally run radially from their origins to the optic nerve. However, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), introduced into small groups of axons through lesions in the tecta of normal fish, consistently filled some which ran parallel to the retinal margin for long distances before turning centrally. Since all the HRP-filled ganglion cells lay close together, their axons evidently reached adjacent tectal sites by these widely divergent routes.


A molecular phylogeny of Asian species of the genus Metagonimus (Digenea)--small intestinal flukes--based on representative Japanese populations.
Metagonimus Katsurada, 1912 is a genus of small intestinal parasites. The genus comprises eight species, primarily from far-eastern Asia, with two exceptions reported from Europe. Metagonimus yokogawai, the most widespread species, is the main agent responsible for the intestinal disease, metagonimiasis, in Japan and some other East Asian countries. On the basis of the ratio of the size of the ventral and oral suckers, Metagonimus has traditionally been morphologically divided into two groups; however, the genus has not been extensively studied using molecular data. To reveal phylogenetic relationships within Metagonimus based on molecular data, we analyzed six of the seven species present in Asia using samples collected in central Japan. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of a combined 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), and mitochondrial cox1 gene sequence dataset separated the six species into two well-supported clades. One clade comprised M. yokogawai, M. takahashii, M. miyatai, and M. hakubaensis, whereas the other consisted of M. otsurui and M. katsuradai. Genetic distances calculated from 28S rDNA and ITS2 nucleotide sequences and a comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences of cox1 gene suggested that M. otsurui and M. katsuradai may have diverged recently. None of the four main morphological characters used to delimit species of Metagonimus (i.e., sucker ratio, positions of the uterus and testes, and distribution of vitelline follicles) was consistent with the distribution of species in the molecular tree.


Chloride Is essential for capacitation and for the capacitation-associated increase in tyrosine phosphorylation.
After epididymal maturation, sperm capacitation, which encompasses a complex series of molecular events, endows the sperm with the ability to fertilize an egg. This process can be mimicked in vitro in defined media, the composition of which is based on the electrolyte concentration of the oviductal fluid. It is well established that capacitation requires Na(+), HCO(3)(-), Ca(2+), and a cholesterol acceptor; however, little is known about the function of Cl(-) during this important process. To determine whether Cl(-), in addition to maintaining osmolarity, actively participates in signaling pathways that regulate capacitation, Cl(-) was replaced by either methanesulfonate or gluconate two nonpermeable anions. The absence of Cl(-) did not affect sperm viability, but capacitation-associated processes such as the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation, the increase in cAMP levels, hyperactivation, the zona pellucidae-induced acrosome reaction, and most importantly, fertilization were abolished or significantly reduced. Interestingly, the addition of cyclic AMP agonists to sperm incubated in Cl(-)-free medium rescued the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivation suggesting that Cl(-) acts upstream of the cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway. To investigate Cl(-) transport, sperm incubated in complete capacitation medium were exposed to a battery of anion transport inhibitors. Among them, bumetanide and furosemide, two blockers of Na(+)/K(+)/Cl(-) cotransporters (NKCC), inhibited all capacitation-associated events, suggesting that these transporters may mediate Cl(-) movements in sperm. Consistent with these results, Western blots using anti-NKCC1 antibodies showed the presence of this cotransporter in mature sperm.


Current concepts in Bcl-2 family member regulation of female germ cell development and survival.
Since the cloning of the bcl-2 gene in 1985, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the function of Bcl-2 and related proteins in controlling apoptosis. Although much of this work initially relied on the ectopic expression of bcl-2 gene family members in cell lines in vitro, a number of genetically manipulated mice have been generated to better understand the in vivo significance of specific family members to organ development and homeostasis. Of the many tissues that exhibit apoptosis at some point during fetal or postnatal life, the female gonads arguably possess one of the highest and most protracted incidences of apoptosis, associated with development and maturation of the germ line. Moreover, female germ cells (oocytes) are, for as-yet poorly understood reasons, extremely vulnerable to a host of pathological insults, such as anti-cancer therapies, that ultimately cause premature ovarian failure and infertility due to accelerated oocyte death. Accordingly, efforts to understand the occurrence and regulation of apoptosis in the ovary are of considerable importance from both biological and clinical perspectives. This review will highlight what is known of apoptosis in the female gonads, and the role that Bcl-2 family members play in regulating this process.


The role of protein kinase CK2 in cyclosporine-induced nephropathy in rats.
Protein kinase casein kinase II (PKCK2) has multiple, overlapping roles in induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis can be a common pathway of renal injury caused by a nephrotoxic drug or an injury. We evaluated the role of PKCK2 in cyclosporine (CsA)-induced nephropathy in rats by inhibiting PKCK2 with emodin. Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a low-sodium diet were divided into four treatment groups: control (0.9% saline injection), CsA (15 mg/kg/d subcutaneously), CsA + emodin (CsA plus emodin 20 mg/kg/d subcutaneously), and emodin only. The expression levels of apoptosis-associated factors and of PKCK2 were examined by Western blot analysis. Overexpression of PKCK2 noted with CsA treatment was prevented by emodin, a low-molecular-weight PKCK2 inhibitor, which dampend drug-induced up-regulation phosphorylated p53 and activation of caspases 3, 7, and 8. In addition, emodin prevented increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio induced by CsA. Emodin prevented up-regulation of PKCK2 by CsA treatment, suggesting that its apoptotic-preventing activity was mediated via PKCK2. Our findings indicated that PKCK2 may play a role in apoptotic injury associated with CsA-induced nephropathy in rats.


Radiofrequency exposure of people living near mobile-phone base stations in France.
In response to the demand from a growing number of people concerned about the possible impact of RF-EMF on health, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) has published a standardized protocol for in-situ measurements of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). This protocol was based on the search for the point of highest field strength and the use of spot measurement. In the framework of an epidemiological study, such spot measurements were implemented in the homes of 354 participants located in urban areas within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station (MPBS) and in the main beam direction of the antenna. Among the participants, more than half accepted to be enrolled in a longer-term study, among whom 152 were equipped with a personal exposure meter (PEM) for 48 h and 40 for seven continuous days. Both spot and PEM measurements quantified downlink field strengths, i.e. FM, TV3-4-5, TETRA I-II-III, 2 GHz-5GHz Wi-Fi, WiMax, GSM900, GSM1800, UMTS900, UMTS 2100, LTE800, LTE1800, and LTE2600. Spot measurements showed a mean/median field strength of 0.58/0.44 V/m for total RF-EMF and 0.43/0.27 V/m from the MPBS. RF-EMF from the MPBS was the dominant source of exposure in 64% of households. Exposure to RF-EMF was influenced by the position of the windows with respect to the MPBS, in particular line-of-site visibility, the distance of the antenna and the floor of the apartment. The PEM surveys showed the measured exposure to be higher during outings than at home and during the day than at night, but there was no difference between the weekends and working days. There was a strong correlation between exposure quantified by both spot and PEM measurements, although spot measures were approximately three times higher than those by PEMs. This study is the first to assess exposure to RF-EMF of people living near a MPBS in urban areas in France. These preliminary results suggest the value of using spot measurements to estimate the impact of the evolution of the mobile-phone network and technology on the exposure of populations to RF-EMF. The low levels of RF-RMF expressed as mean values do not necessarily rule out possible health effects of this exposure.


Myelopoiesis in vitro is suppressed by hepatitis A virus.
Perturbations of hematopoietic regulation ranging from transient granulocytopenia to rare cases of bone marrow failure are associated with infections due to hepatitis A virus (HAV). In an attempt to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms we had previously established that HAV has a direct suppressive effect on human bone marrow progenitors (CFU-GM, -GEMM, BFU-E). These studies were extended to long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMC): Inoculation of bone marrow mononuclear cells with HAV did not interfere with the establishment of an adherent stromal layer, nor did the inoculation of already established layers cause any morphologically recognizable changes to the stroma. In contrast, a significant and progressive decline of the CFU-GM content in the culture supernatants was demonstrated. HAV antigen was detected by APAAP stain in a subpopulation of stromal cells, and sequential estimations of virus titers in the supernatants provided evidence for viral replication in primary bone marrow cultures. Interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels of infected cultures did not differ from those of uninfected controls. These findings argue for a direct suppression of (pre-) CFU-GM by HAV in a model system (LTBMC) lacking an immune defense which would limit viral replication.


Routine and quantitative EEG in mild traumatic brain injury.
This article reviews the pathophysiology of mild traumatic brain injury, and the findings from EEG and quantitative EEG (QEEG) testing after such an injury. Research on the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of mild traumatic brain injury is reviewed with an emphasis on details that may pertain to EEG or QEEG and their interpretation. Research reports on EEG and QEEG in mild traumatic brain injury are reviewed in this setting, and conclusions are drawn about general diagnostic results that can be determined using these tests. QEEG strengths and weaknesses are reviewed in the context of factors used to determine the clinical usefulness of proposed diagnostic tests. Clinical signs, symptoms, and the pathophysiologic axonal injury and cytotoxicity tend to clear over weeks or months after a mild head injury. Loss of consciousness might be similar to a non-convulsive seizure and accompanied subsequently by postictal-like symptoms. EEG shows slowing of the posterior dominant rhythm and increased diffuse theta slowing, which may revert to normal within hours or may clear more slowly over many weeks. There are no clear EEG or QEEG features unique to mild traumatic brain injury. Late after head injury, the correspondence is poor between electrophysiologic findings and clinical symptoms. Complicating factors are reviewed for the proposed commercial uses of QEEG as a diagnostic test for brain injury after concussion or mild traumatic brain injury. The pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and electrophysiological features tend to clear over time after mild traumatic brain injury. There are no proven pathognomonic signatures useful for identifying head injury as the cause of signs and symptoms, especially late after the injury.


The erectile angle: objective criterion to evaluate the papaverine test in impotence.
Intracavernous papaverine injection may be the first diagnostic step in the assessment of the impotent patient. However, the appreciation of its effect must rely on the evaluation of penile rigidity. Since measurement of rigidity requires a sophisticated procedure that may not be available to the majority of practitioners, we attempted to find a simple and objective method to evaluate the results of this common test. We tested 50 patients complaining of impotence with intracavernous injection of 60 mg. papaverine. The length and circumference of the penis were measured before and after papaverine injection. The rigidity was determined by measuring the angle between the penis and the legs with the patient in the standing position. Afterwards, each patient underwent vascular (Doppler ultrasound and cavernometry) and neurological examinations. A total of 27 patients with no vascular abnormalities had an erectile angle of 96 degrees (range 90 to 130 degrees), while 23 patients had some vascular disorders (9 arterial lesions, 8 venous leakage and 6 combined lesions) and an erectile angle of 36 degrees (range 0 to 60 degrees). There was no significant difference between the groups in the increase of length and circumference of the penis after intracavernous injection of papaverine. The papaverine test can distinguish between patients with vascular and psychogenic problems. A negative papaverine test associated with a normal Doppler examination is characteristic of venous leakage. Measurement of the erectile angle after intracavernous injection of papaverine with the patient in the standing position is a simple, objective and reliable method to evaluate patients with vascular impotence.


Detection of hepatitis C virus subtypes 6a, 6n, 6w and mixed infections using a modified multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction protocol.
In the past few years, many new subtypes in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 6 have been identified. The aim of this study was to modify the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocol and use it to determine the HCV subtypes of a group of Taiwanese injection drug users (IDUs). We used 76 serum specimens collected in northern Taiwan in 2008. Multiplex RT-PCR was used for HCV subtyping among those serum samples having anti-HCV antibodies. Twenty cases were randomly selected for comparison with subtyping results from Inno-LiPa II tests and phylogenetic tree analysis using NS5B sequences. Multiplex RT-PCR assays showed that 60.5% (46/76) of IDUs had single HCV infection. Three out of 76 (3.9%) had double HCV infection (1b/6a, 2a/2b and 2b/6a). Besides this, 27.6% (21/76) had no HCV signal. One IDU had subtype 6n and two had subtype 6w infection. Inno-LiPa II tests misclassified all 6n and 6w cases as 1b subtype. Our modified multiplex RT-PCR protocol can be used to support molecular epidemiological studies and laboratory diagnoses of different HCV subtypes including genotype 6.


Correlation of atherectomy specimen histology with coronary arteriographic lesion morphologic appearance in patients with stable and unstable angina.
Complex lesions on coronary arteriography are seen commonly in patients with unstable angina and have been considered to be evidence of ruptured plaque with or without thrombus. To investigate the cause of complex lesions the histologic findings in atherectomy-derived specimens in 111 patients were correlated with lesion morphologic appearance on coronary arteriography. Among 91 patients with complex lesions, 81.3% had thrombus and 57.1% had evidence of plaque rupture. Of 20 patients with smooth lesions, 15% had thrombus and 10% had plaque rupture on histologic evaluation (p < 0.01). On clinical correlation in 86 (83.3%) patients unstable angina was associated with thrombus, or plaque rupture (63.3%), or both on histologic evaluation (p < 0.001 compared with stable angina). Complex lesions not associated with thrombus or plaque rupture occurred mainly (83.3%) in patients with stable angina. Our findings support the concept that complex lesions are usually due to recent thrombus, plaque rupture, or both in patients with unstable coronary syndromes but may be due to remote plaque disruption in patients with stable angina.


Quantitative parameters to compare image quality of non-invasive coronary angiography with 16-slice, 64-slice and dual-source computed tomography.
Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is a non-invasive modality to visualize coronary arteries with an overall good image quality. Improved spatial and temporal resolution of 64-slice and dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) scanners are supposed to have a positive impact on diagnostic accuracy and image quality. However, quantitative parameters to compare image quality of 16-slice, 64-slice MSCT and DSCT are missing. A total of 256 CT examinations were evaluated (Siemens, Sensation 16: n = 90; Siemens Sensation 64: n = 91; Siemens Definition: n = 75). Mean Hounsfield units (HU) were measured in the cavum of the left ventricle (LV), the ascending aorta (Ao), the left ventricular myocardium (My) and the proximal part of the left main (LM), the left anterior descending artery (LAD), the right coronary artery (RCA) and the circumflex artery (CX). Moreover, the ratio of intraluminal attenuation (HU) to myocardial attenuation was assessed for all coronary arteries. Clinical data [body mass index (BMI), gender, heart rate] were accessible for all patients. Mean attenuation (CA) of the coronary arteries was significantly higher for DSCT in comparison to 64- and 16-slice MSCT within the RCA [347 +/- 13 vs. 254 +/- 14 (64-MSCT) vs. 233 +/- 11 (16-MSCT) HU], LM (362 +/- 11/275 +/- 12/262 +/- 9), LAD (332 +/- 17/248 +/- 19/219 +/- 14) and LCX (310 +/- 12/210 +/- 13/221 +/- 10, all p < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between DSCT and 64-MSCT for the LV, the Ao and My. Heart rate had a significant impact on CA ratio in 16-slice and 64-slice CT only (p < 0.05). BMI had no impact on the CA ratio in DSCT only (p < 0.001). Improved spatial and temporal resolution of dual-source CT is associated with better opacification of the coronary arteries and a better contrast with the myocardium, which is independent of heart rate. In comparison to MSCT, opacification of the coronary arteries at DSCT is not affected by BMI. The main advantage of DSCT lies with the heart rate independency, which might have a positive impact on the diagnostic accuracy.


A novel catabolic activity of Pseudomonas veronii in biotransformation of pentachlorophenol.
Pseudomonas veronii PH-05, a bacterial strain capable of transforming pentachlorophenol (PCP) to a metabolic intermediate, was isolated by selective enrichment of soil samples from a timber storage yard. Strain PH-05 was shown to be able to grow using PCP as the sole source of carbon and energy. GC-MS analysis showed that the metabolic intermediate was tetrachlorocatechol, which inhibited the growth of this strain. The formation of tetrachlorocatechol during biotransformation was monitored, and its inhibitory effect on growth of strain PH-05 was analyzed at a range of concentrations. The catabolic activity of the isolated strain differs from that of other PCP-degrading bacteria, which metabolize PCP through a chlorinated hydroquinone intermediate.


Outcome of adolescent pregnancy at a university hospital in Jordan.
To determine whether adolescent pregnancies are associated with increased risk of adverse obstetrical outcome. This is a retrospective study comparing the obstetric outcome of 267 adolescent pregnancies to 500 adult women pregnancies during the same period at a university hospital. Medical and obstetric complications including pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anemia, placenta praevia, abruptio placenta and multiple pregnancy were not different in both groups, where there was a significant increase of preterm labor in adolescent pregnancies compared to adult pregnancies (14.6 and 8%, respectively). Moreover, adolescent pregnancies when compared to adult pregnancies, were associated with a significantly higher incidence of forceps delivery (4.5 and 1.4%, respectively), neonatal intensive care unit admission (22.7 and 13.5%, respectively) and a lower incidence of caesarean section (7.1 and 16.8%, respectively). Adolescent pregnancies are associated with a favorable obstetric outcome apart from the higher incidence of preterm labor.


Di-chlorido-(η6-p-cymene)[tris-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)phosphane]ruthenium(II).
The title compound, [RuCl2(C10H14)(C21H21O3P)], crystallizes with two complex mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The RuII atom has a classical three-legged piano-stool environment being coordinated by a cymene ligand [Ru-centroid = 1.707 (2)/1.704 (2) Å], a tris-(4-meth-oxy-phen-yl)phosphane ligand [Ru-P = 2.3629 (15)/2.3665 (15) Å] and two chloride atoms with the Ru-Cl bonds adopting two distinct values of 2.4068 (16)/2.4167 (16) and 2.4016 (15)/2.4244 (16) Å. The effective cone and solid angles for the phosphane ligands were calculated to be 149.5/150.2° and 25.3/25.6°, respectively. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯Cl/O/π inter-actions are observed. The crystal was refined as a two-component twin.


Treatment of abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm with covered stents in a pediatric patient.
An occasional complication of redilating stents placed in children is false aneurysm. We report the use of covered stents to treat a false aneurysm of the abdominal aorta in an adolescent girl with neurofibromatosis and abdominal coarctation of the aorta.


Analysis of slow and fast sleep spindle properties in Parkinson's disease - A comparative EEG study.
Sleep disturbances and altered sleep macrostructure are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Few studies have addressed the changes in sleep spindle (SS) properties in this movement disorder so far. SS seem to be fundamental of both sleep architecture and memory consolidation. The aim of our comparative study was to investigate the changes of SS characteristics in PD, and reveal the relationship between SS properties and cognitive function. We investigated 20 PD patients and 18 age-matched controls. All participants underwent a 24-hour-long polygraphic EEG recording after extensive clinical investigation. We detected slow and fast SS properties automatically using individual adjusting method (IAM). The data were statistically evaluated. We found significantly lower fast spindle amplitude in PD comparing with controls. We did not find significant differences in SS densities, duration and oscillatory frequency between the groups. We detected significant positive correlation between fast SS amplitude and memory in PD, and between fast SS density and retrograde memory in controls. The total Addenbrooke's cognitive score correlated negatively with slow SS density and duration in controls. By the time clinical diagnosis of PD is established, the pathological process is already spreading. Changes in sleep macrostructure and SS properties might become a useful biomarker of the neurodegenerative process in PD. In addition, decreased fast SS amplitude might predict further cognitive deterioration and indicate early involvement of corresponding cortical area. Our study results strengthen the importance of EEG examination in PD, and the use of IAM method in SS analysis.


Proximal contact areas of maxillary anterior teeth and their influence on interdental papilla.
Open gingival embrasures leading to appearance of black triangles which apart from being unesthetic contribute towards food retention, adversely affecting the health of the periodontium. Correction of such papillary deformities is extremely challenging, which requires an in depth knowledge about the interproximal geometry for the appropriate management of interdental papilla. So, the present study was aimed to determine the proximal contact areas of maxillary anterior teeth and their influence on the interdental papilla. In 200 periodontally healthy patients equally divided into 21-40 years (Group I) and 41-60 years (Group II) of age group amounting to a total of 1400 interdental papillae in maxillary anterior teeth were examined to compute the apicocoronal Proximal contact area (PCA), Proximal contact area proportion (PCAP), and dimensions between alveolar crest and apical contact point (D1) to assess their influence on presence or absence of interdental papilla. The PCA dimensions were maximum for Central incisor-Central incisor measuring about 3.90 ± 0.93 mm and 3.97 ± 0.90 mm for Group I males and females respectively and 3.86 ± 1.22 mm and 3.63 ± 1.14 mm for males and female patients in Group II respectively. There was a gradual reduction till Canine-Premolar. Similar trend was followed in PCAP and D1. Consistently more dimensions of D1 were observed in Group II as compared to Group I which influenced the presence of papilla which was predominantly found in Group I patients amongst both the sexes. There was a gradual decrease in the PCA and PCAP in the distal direction anteroposteriorly from maxillary central incisors to first premolars on either sides. The younger age group of both the sexes exhibit greater presence of interdental papilla owing to the lesser D1 dimensions as compared to the older patients.


Geodemographic Patterns of Meat Expenditure in Great Britain.
The future of the meat industry will require the management of important trade-offs between economic, environmental and health aspects of both humans and animals. Understanding the patterns and trends of meat expenditure and consumption is crucial for assessing the current resilience of the system and for economic, planning, health and environmental applications. Here, we show how the technique of geodemographic classification, combined with fine scale expenditure estimates can be used to explore temporal and spatial patterns of meat expenditure in Great Britain between 2008 and 2017. Whilst the expenditure patterns of some food categories such as sausages remained relatively consistent, others such as lamb show a trend towards a reduced proportion of expenditure and increased inequality of purchases. Short term changes in expenditure patterns also occurred, potentially due to product specific price variability, price elasticities or zoonotic disease scare. Environmental attitudes, financial constraints and the prominence of communities who do not eat meat for religious or cultural reasons are likely to be driving the differences between geodemographic groups. The methodology and results could be a valuable tool for policy makers in the meat industry and beyond.


Irreversible inhibition of the human placental NADP-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase/9-ketoprostaglandin reductase by glutathione thiosulfonate.
Oxidation of glutathione disulfide by a mixture of performic and hydrochloric acids leads to the formation of several compounds that are stronger inhibitors than glutathione disulfide of the placental enzyme that possess both NADP-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and 9-ketoprostaglandin reductase activities. The only one of these inhibitors that has been identified is glutathione thiosulfonate. The others are unstable and may include glutathione sulfinyl sulfone and glutathione disulfone. Since the enzyme appears to have a glutathione binding site in close proximity to its active site and glutathione thiosulfonate reacts with free sulfhydryl groups, the effects of this thiosulfonate on the enzyme were examined in more detail. Glutathione thiosulfonate and methyl methanethiosulfonate cause a time-dependent irreversible inhibition of both the hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and the ketoprostaglandin reductase activities, presumably by reacting with a free sulfhydryl at the prostaglandin binding site. Experiments with PGA1-glutathione show that this sulfhydryl is not necessary for the catalytic activity of the enzyme as long as the substrate can bind at the glutathione site.


Parsing heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorders: visual scanning of dynamic social scenes in school-aged children.
To examine patterns of variability in social visual engagement and their relationship to standardized measures of social disability in a heterogeneous sample of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Eye-tracking measures of visual fixation during free-viewing of dynamic social scenes were obtained for 109 children with ASD (mean age, 10.2 ± 3.2 years), 37 of whom were matched with 26 typically-developing (TD) children (mean age, 9.5 ± 2.2 years) on gender, age, and IQ. The smaller subset allowed between-group comparisons, whereas the larger group was used for within-group examinations of ASD heterogeneity. Between-group comparisons revealed significantly attenuated orientation to socially salient aspects of the scenes, with the largest effect size (Cohen's d = 1.5) obtained for reduced fixation on faces. Within-group analyses revealed a robust association between higher fixation on the inanimate environment and greater social disability. However, the associations between fixation on the eyes and mouth and social adaptation varied greatly, even reversing, when comparing different cognitive profile subgroups. Although patterns of social visual engagement with naturalistic social stimuli are profoundly altered in children with ASD, the social adaptivity of these behaviors varies for different groups of children. This variation likely represents different patterns of adaptation and maladaptation that should be traced longitudinally to the first years of life, before complex interactions between early predispositions and compensatory learning take place. We propose that variability in these early mechanisms of socialization may serve as proximal behavioral manifestations of genetic vulnerabilities.


Lack of Rab27a attenuates foam cell formation and macrophage inflammation in uremic apolipoprotein E knockout mice.
As the most common cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis (AS), is a leading cause of high mortality in patients with chronic renal failure. Rab27a has been reported to regulate the progression of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Nevertheless, little studies investigated the role and mechanism of Rab27a in uremic-accelerated AS (UAAS). An animal model of UAAS was established in apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-/-) mice using 5/6 nephrectomy (NX). We conducted in vitro and in vivo functional experiments to explore the role of Rab27a in UAAS, including the presence of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Rab27a expression was upregulated in the plaque tissues of NX apoE-/- mice. The knockout of Rab27a (Rab27a-/-) reduced AS-induced artery injury, as manifested by the reductions of plaque area, collagen deposition, inflammation and lipid droplet. Besides, cholesterol efflux was increased, while the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins and the secretions of pro-inflammatory factors were decreased in ox-LDL-induced NX Rab27a-/- apoE-/- mice group. Further, Rab27a deletion inhibited the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. In conclusion, our study indicated that Rab27a deficiency attenuated foam cell formation and macrophage inflammation, depending on the NF-κB pathway activation, to inhibit AS progression in uremic apoE-/- mice. This finding may provide a new targeting strategy for UAAS therapy.


Size doesn't matter: cortical stroke lesion volume is not associated with upper extremity motor impairment and function in mild, chronic hemiparesis.
To determine (1) the relationship between lesion volume and upper extremity (UE) motor impairment using the UE section of the Fugl-Meyer (FM) assessment; and (2) the relationship between lesion volume and UE functional outcomes using the Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT) Functional Ability (FA) and Time scales. Secondary retrospective analysis of randomized controlled trial data. Outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Subjects with chronic stroke (N=139, 83 men; mean age ± SD of all subjects, 56.7±11.2y; mean time ± SD since stroke onset, 59.6±65.6mo; 90 subjects with right hemiparesis) and stable, active, distal UE movement. Data were collected related to subjects' lesion volume and UE movement before their participation in a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. FM and AMAT. Neither age nor lesion volume was related to FM performance. The P value for the regression coefficient of lesion volume was .045 in the AMAT FA model and .016 in the AMAT Time model. Lesion volume accounted for only an additional 1.7% (AMAT FA) to 3.1% (AMAT Time) of the variability in motor function and was not clinically meaningful. Data suggest no relationship between lesion volume and UE impairment, and a small, clinically insignificant relationship between lesion volume and UE motor function. Stroke causes metabolic changes in intact regions and diffuse structural loss in anatomically remote regions from the infarction. These other factors may account for variance in motor outcomes after stroke.


Bibliotherapy for children in foster care and adoption.
The bibliotherapeutic technique can help children adjust to the foster care and adoption experience. Appropriate children's books are described and the application and limitations of bibliotherapy are discussed.


Identification of a cell surface protein complex mediating phorbol ester-induced adhesion (binding) among human mononuclear leukocytes.
Phorbol esters rapidly induce aggregation of human mononuclear leukocytes in vitro. Previous studies have indicated that cell surface proteins are involved. We report now that the monoclonal antibody 60.3, either as purified IgG or as Fab' fragments, to an antigen common to leukocytes completely inhibited the phorbol ester-induced intercellular adhesion (binding). No inhibition of cell aggregation was observed with monoclonal antibodies to common leukocyte antigen T 200, T-cell-associated antigen, monocyte-granulocyte antigen, brain granulocyte-T-lymphocyte antigen, transferrin receptor, mature T-cell antigens (mol.wt either 67,000 or 19,000/29,000), T helper/inducer cell antigen, sheep erythrocyte receptor, class I or class II antigens, or T cytotoxic/suppressor cell antigen. The antibody 60.3 did not inhibit stimulation of the cells since the characteristic phorbol ester-induced morphological changes and phorbol ester-enhanced cap formation of membrane glycoproteins were readily observed. Two major cell surface polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 90,000 and 160,000 were immunoprecipitated. We conclude that this protein complex, or at least one of its components, mediates adhesion among mononuclear leukocytes.