Applicability of a yeast bioassay in the detection of steroid esters in hair.
The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the applicability of a yeast androgen and estrogen bioassay in the detection of steroid esters in hair samples of animals treated with a hormone ester cocktail. The outcome of the activity screenings was critically compared with the results previously obtained with LC-MS/MS analysis. Hair samples of one pour-on treated animal, 10 ml DMSO containing 25 mg estradiol benzoate (EB), 60 mg testosterone decanoate (TD) and 60 mg testosterone cypionate (TC), were selected and analyzed with the androgen and estrogen yeast bioassay. Results showed that by the introduction of a hydrolysis step, bioassays can be used to screen for the presence of hormone esters in hair samples. Based on the difference in fluorescence responses between the non-hydrolyzed and the hydrolyzed hair samples, it was possible to detect the presence of EB up to at least 56 days after a single pour-on treatment and to detect the presence of TC and TD up to at least 14 days after the treatment. Although the LC-MS/MS analysis could detect TC and TD up to 49 days after treatment, bioassays have the advantage that they can also detect any (un)known steroid ester.


Survey data on orientations, boot camps, and pre-matriculation programs in schools/colleges of pharmacy.
A survey about orientations, boot camps, and pre-matriculation programs in schools/colleges of pharmacy was approved by the South College Institutional Review Board (IRB). The survey was sent electronically to Assistant/Associate Deans of Academic Affairs or administrators in similar positions at schools/colleges of pharmacy in October 2016. The survey was closed two months later, in December, with 50 responses. The data that was collected from the survey included characteristics and components of orientations, boot camps, and pre-matriculation programs, such as session content and the frequency sessions appeared. The survey also collected descriptive information from respondents regarding certain demographics related to their schools/colleges of pharmacy (e.g., public or private institutions, a 4-year program or a 3-year program). The data can be used by schools/colleges of pharmacy and other healthcare professions that wish to revise or establish orientations, boot camps, and pre-matriculation programs.


Microvascular blood flow and oxygenation during hemorrhagic hypotension.
Understanding microvascular oxygen transport requires the knowledge of microvessel topology and geometry, blood flow and oxygen levels. Microvascular hemodynamic responses to hemorrhagic hypotension (HH) such as size-dependent vasoconstriction and blood flow reduction could lead to increased longitudinal oxygen partial pressure (PO(2)) gradients. However, the mesenteric microvascular PO(2) has never been evaluated during HH. Therefore, we studied hemodynamic variables and PO(2) distribution in 165 mesenteric microvessels from 39 anesthetized rats to investigate whether HH-induced vasoconstriction and blood flow reduction were associated with changes in longitudinal PO(2) gradients. Vessels were analyzed according to their position in the network, as well as a few interstitial PO(2) areas. We found that during baseline a small PO(2) gradient exists, but HH is accompanied by more pronounced microvascular longitudinal PO(2) gradients. Decreased blood flow did not seem to completely explain these findings, since blood flow was uniformly diminished in arterioles and venules, independent of diameter and position in the network. During HH, some microvessels presented higher PO(2) than during baseline despite blood flow reduction, possibly due to a combination of systemic hyperoxia and low oxygen consumption of mesentery. The data suggest that blood flow measurements may be a poor indicator of the oxygenation status in some regions of the mesentery. The enhanced mesenteric longitudinal PO(2) gradient may lead to regions with different levels of other physiologically active compounds.


Ribosome-lamellae complex in chronic lymphatic leukaemia.
The Ribosome Lamellae Complex (RLC) was found in two out of 35 patients with Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia (CLL). The proportion of lymphocytes bearing RLC was very small (4% in the first case and less than 0.5% in the second case). The significance of this type of inclusion is discussed and the possible relationship to the circular profiles of endoplasmic reticulum is emphasized.


Pregnancy diagnosis based on the fecal progesterone concentration in beef and dairy heifers and beef cows.
The present study was undertaken to examine whether pregnancy diagnosis was possible by measuring fecal progesterone concentrations in beef and dairy heifers and beef cows. Rectal fecal samples collected on days 18-24 after insemination or days 11-17 after embryo transfer were mixed with methanol and shaken for preparation of a fecal solution. After centrifugation, the supernatant was extracted with petroleum ether followed by an enzyme immunoassay for progesterone. All pregnant animals showed fecal progesterone concentrations greater than 50 ng/g of fecal material on days 18-24 after AI or estrus. In non-pregnant animals, however, the fecal progesterone concentrations ranged widely from 5 to 180 ng/g of fecal material. In non-pregnant cattle, the percentage of cattle with <50 ng progesterone/g of fecal material compared with the total number was 37-60% on days 18-20, whereas the percentages increased more than 70% to a maximum of 78.1% on day 23. When 50 ng/g was considered as the cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity of positive pregnancy tests were less than 70% on days 21-24, and 100% for negative pregnancy tests on days 18-24. There were significant differences in the mean fecal progesterone concentrations between pregnant and non-pregnant cattle on days 19-24. These results suggest that feces can be utilized to substitute for plasma and milk to measure progesterone for the purpose of pregnancy diagnosis in heifers and cows.


Effect of open rhinoplasty on the smile line.
Open rhinoplasty is an esthetic surgical technique that is becoming increasingly popular, and can affect the nose and upper lip compartments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of open rhinoplasty on tooth show and the smile line. The study participants were 61 patients with a mean age of 24.3 years (range, 17.2 to 39.6 years). The surgical procedure consisted of an esthetic open rhinoplasty without alar resection. Analysis of tooth show was limited to pre- and postoperative (at 12 months) tooth show measurements at rest and the maximum smile with a ruler (when participants held their heads naturally). Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 13.0, and paired-sample t tests were used to compare tooth show means before and after the operation. Analysis of the rest position showed no statistically significant change in tooth show (P = .15), but analysis of participants' maximum smile data showed a statistically significant increase in tooth show after surgery (P < .05). In contrast, Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive relation between rhinoplasty and tooth show increases in maximum smile, especially in subjects with high smile lines. This study shows that the nasolabial compartment is a single unit and any change in 1 part may influence the other parts. Further studies should be conducted to investigate these interactions.


Effects of tributyltin on epididymal function and sperm maturation in mice.
The effects of tributyltin (TBT) on sperm parameters and epididymal function were investigated following oral doses of 0.5, 5 and 50μg/kg every 3 days for 45 days to male KM mouse. The TBT-treated groups showed a significant decrease in sperm counts and a significant increase in sperm abnormality both in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of matrilysin (MMP7) transcript in epididymis of mice exposed to TBT was significantly decreased in 5 and 50μg/kg group. There was a dose-dependent decline trend in the acid phosphatase activity, which somewhat relates with the TBT-induced increase in sperm abnormality. Acrosin and lactate dehydrogenase-X isoenzyme (LDH-X) activities from the cauda epididymal spermatozoa showed a dose-dependent decrease in the TBT groups. The result indicates a suppression of essential sperm maturational processes that precede the penetration of the oocyte by the sperm, such as capacitation and acrosome reaction. These results suggest that TBT could cause a spermatotoxic effects, the decline of sperm count and quality caused by TBT suggests that this chemical could impair fertility in animals.


Bridging the macro to micro resolution gap with angiographic optical coherence tomography and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI.
Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is emerging as a valuable tool for non-invasive volumetric monitoring of the tumor vascular status and its therapeutic response. However, clinical utility of DCE-MRI is challenged by uncertainty in its ability to quantify the tumor microvasculature ([Formula: see text] scale) given its relatively poor spatial resolution (mm scale at best). To address this challenge, we directly compared DCE-MRI parameter maps with co-registered micron-scale-resolution speckle variance optical coherence tomography (svOCT) microvascular images in a window chamber tumor mouse model. Both semi and fully quantitative (Toft's model) DCE-MRI metrics were tested for correlation with microvascular svOCT biomarkers. svOCT's derived vascular volume fraction (VVF) and the mean distance to nearest vessel ([Formula: see text]) metrics were correlated with DCE-MRI vascular biomarkers such as time to peak contrast enhancement ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively, [Formula: see text] for both), the area under the gadolinium-time concentration curve ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively, [Formula: see text] for both) and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively, [Formula: see text] for both). Several other correlated micro-macro vascular metric pairs were also noted. The microvascular insights afforded by svOCT may help improve the clinical utility of DCE-MRI for tissue functional status assessment and therapeutic response monitoring applications.


Measures Associated With Early, Late, and Persistent Clinically Significant Symptoms of Depression 1 Year After Stroke in the AFFINITY Trial.
To determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with early, late, and persistent clinically significant symptoms of depression during the first year after a stroke. This cohort study included 1,221 men and women recruited within 2 weeks of stroke onset in Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess stroke severity. Other study measures included age, sex, marital status, living arrangements, function before the stroke, depression before the stroke, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, and treatment with fluoxetine or placebo for 26 weeks. Clinically significant symptoms of depression during the 52 weeks after baseline was the outcome of interest, and the presence of depression was defined by a total Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score of ≥9 at week 4, 12, 26, or 52; a clinician diagnosis of depression between assessments; or pharmacologic or psychological treatment of depression during follow-up. Participants were classified as not depressed or as having early (initial 12 weeks), late (12-52 weeks), or persistent (before and after 12 weeks) depression. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess depression risk, with all listed measures entered simultaneously into the model. The mean age of participants was 63.8 (SD 12.3) years, and 775 (63.5%) were male. At baseline, 48 (3.9%) participants had previous treated depression, and 228 (18.7%) had clinically significant symptoms of depression (PHQ-9 score ≥9). Seven hundred thirty-four (63.3%) participants showed no evidence of depression in the year after the stroke; 208 (17.9%) had early, 86 (7.4%) had late, and 131 (11.3%) had persistent depression. Increased stroke severity, as measured by doubling of the NIHSS scores, was associated with an increased risk of early (risk ratio [RR] 2.08, 95% CI 1.65-2.62), late (RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.14-2.06), and persistent (RR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.89-3.32) clinically significant symptoms of depression. Similar findings were apparent for the mRS, a measure of functional disability. Past depression was associated with increased risk of persistent clinically significant symptoms of depression (RR = 6.28, 95% CI 2.88-13.71), as was being married or partnered (RR = 3.94, 95% CI 2.42-6.41). The risk of clinically significant symptoms of depression was higher in Australia and New Zealand than in Vietnam. The severity of neurologic and functional deficits increases the risk of poststroke clinically significant symptoms of depression early and persistently. Depression before stroke, personal relationships, and cultural context contribute to mediate depression risk. Interventions that minimize the severity of neurologic and functional deficits should decrease the risk of poststroke clinically significant symptoms of depression. Clinical trial registration number ACTRN12611000774921.


Commercially available foods for young children (<36 months) in Australia: An assessment of how they compare to a proposed nutrient profile model.
To assess the nutritional composition of commercially available foods (CAFs) for infants and toddlers sold in Australia to determine whether they meet World Health Organization (WHO) Europe's proposed standards for nutritionally appropriate foods for children <36 months. A cross-sectional retail audit of infant (n = 177) and toddler (n = 73) foods found in-store and online at three major Victorian supermarkets was conducted in August/September 2019. Products were grouped according to WHO Europe's food categories and their nutrient content assessed against specific composition standards applicable to their category. The presence of added sugar in each product was also recorded. Most infant products (71%) were soft-wet spoon-able, ready-to-eat foods whereas the most prevalent category for toddler products was dry finger foods and snacks (71%). Overall, just one-third of CAFs met all the nutrient recommendations for their category, with infant foods more likely to be compliant than toddler foods (43% vs. 10%; P < .001). Around 9 in 10 infant (93%) and toddler (89%) CAFs contained added sugar according to the Public Health England definition of 'free' sugars. There is considerable scope to improve the nutritional composition of Australian CAFs for both infants and toddlers, to reduce harmful sugars in these foods and to improve the energy density of them. For CAFs marketed as suitable for toddlers there is also considerable scope to reduce the sodium content. SO WHAT?: These findings support the need for stronger regulation of CAFs for infants and toddlers to better promote healthy eating patterns and taste preferences in young children.


The fine structure of the neural lobe of the mouse after transplantation under the kidney capsule.
The neurohypophysis of donor mice was implanted under the renal capsule of the recipients. The pituicytes survived while the neurosecretory axons disappeared. The ultrastructure of the glial cells was observed seven and nine weeks after transplantation. There were no signs of phagocytotic activity although remnants of axons were still present at seven weeks. The numerous processes of the pituicytes form a network with intercellular spaces wide in younger and narrower in older implants. The cells are connected by desmosomes and gap junctions. Pituicytes as well as blood vessels preserve their organotypic appearance. The transplant thus represents as experimental model for investigations on pituicytes in vivo in the absence of neurosecretory axons.


A method for estimating width bands of variables in economics under uncertainty conditions.
This study develops a method to estimate the width bands of variables in economics by fuzzy logic. One of its important features is flexibility in the conditions of economic uncertainty, which can be used to model the uncertainty of external and internal factors on economic variables. In this study, for example, the effect of uncertainty of external factors on the Gini coefficient (income distribution) is investigated. For this purpose, we use the fuzzy logistic smooth transition autoregressive (FLSTAR) model and the Gini coefficient is estimated in three bounds (high, middle and low). The result of this estimation suggest that by appropriate policy making the Gini coefficient can be decreased to the lower bound. Another results of this study is that the authorities should prevent the increase of the Gini coefficient in the middle and upper bands with proper planning for the future. In brief,•This study introduces a novel method for estimating high, low and middle bounds of economic variables under uncertainty conditions.•One practical results of this method is to compare high, medium, and low bands of the variables with their current trends, which is a benchmark for policymaking and evaluating the effectiveness of government's policies.•Programs designed with this method are fast and have low cost.


Evaluation of a CT triage protocol for mass casualty incidents: results from two large-scale exercises.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, stability, and reproducibility of a dedicated CT protocol for the triage of patients in two separate large-scale exercises that simulated a mass casualty incident (MCI). In both exercises, a bomb explosion at the local soccer stadium that had caused about 100 casualties was simulated. Seven casualties who were rated "critical" by on-site field triage were admitted to the emergency department and underwent whole-body CT. The CT workflow was simulated with phantoms. The history of the casualties was matched to existing CT examinations that were used for evaluation of image reading under MCI conditions. The times needed for transfer and preparation of patients, examination, image reconstruction, total time in the CT examination room, image transfer to PACS, and image reading were recorded, and mean capacities were calculated and compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. We found no significant time differences in transfer and preparation of patients, duration of CT data acquisition, image reconstruction, total time in the CT room, and reading of the images. The calculated capacities per hour were 9.4 vs. 9.8 for examinations completed, and 8.2 vs. 7.2 for reports completed. In conclusion, CT triage is feasible and produced constant results with this dedicated and fast protocol.


Characterization of bovine oviduct epithelial cell monolayers cultured under serum-free conditions.
We have developed a culture system for early bovine embryos in serum-free media conditioned by oviduct cell monolayers. A gentle mechanical procedure for oviduct cell isolation has been applied for this purpose avoiding the use of proteolytic enzymes. The aim of the present study was to identify the cell types present in the monolayers and to examine their fate in primary culture in serum-free or in serum-containing media by means of electronmicroscopical, immunocytochemical, and biochemical analyses. The cell dissociation procedure yielded two cell populations: ciliary cells and secretory cells that gradually dedifferentiate during culture. These cells formed a confluent monolayer after 6 d of culture in Tissue Culture Medium 199 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. Confluent cells displayed a typical epithelial cell morphology as assessed by phase contrast and electron microscopy and all the cells contained cytokeratin filaments as determined by immunocytochemistry. The overall histoarchitecture of the monolayer was preserved after washing and further culture for 7 d in serum-free medium. However, some degenerative signs indicate that the serum-free culture should not be extended for more than 7 d. Confluent oviduct cells also maintained their metabolic and protein secretory activity when deprived of serum. Total protein content in the culture supernatant linearly increased as a function of time and numerous peaks were detected after separation of proteins by high performance ion exchange chromatography. Protein elution patterns were reproducible and most of the proteins present in the culture medium were neosynthesized as determined by the incorporation of radiolabeled amino acids into nondialyzable proteins.


The Health Status of 50-70 Years Old Women in Some Areas - China, 2018.
After menopause, women are prone to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis and gynecological diseases such as pelvic floor dysfunction and reproductive tract infection. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis increased with age, while the prevalence of vaginitis and cervicitis decreased with the increase of age. The proportions of women aged 50-70 years old suffering from chronic and gynecological diseases in western and rural areas were significantly higher than those in eastern, central and urban areas. It is necessary to take targeted intervention measures in the western region and rural areas, in order to narrow the gap in health of menopausal and older women between different areas of China.


Participation of cyclooxygenase pathway in the vasoconstriction induced by 5-HT in the in situ autoperfused kidney of long-term diabetic rats.
We attempted to characterize the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor type/subtype and mediator mechanisms involved in the contractile effects of 5-HT in the in situ autoperfused kidney of long-term diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by a single subcutaneous injection of alloxan. Intra-arterial (i.a.) bolus injection of 5-HT (0.00000125 to 0.1μg/kg) increased renal perfusion pressure in a dose dependent way but did not affect the systemic blood pressure in long-term diabetic rats. The selective 5-HT2 receptor agonist, α-methyl-5-HT, caused a local vasoconstrictor effect in the in situ autoperfused rat kidney similar to 5-HT. However, BW723C86, a selective 5-HT2B receptor agonist, m-CPP (1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine), a selective 5-HT2B/2C receptor agonist, the 5-HT1 receptor agonist, 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT), and the selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, 1-phenylbiguanide did not modify the renal perfusion pressure. In long-term diabetic rats, vasoconstriction elicited by 5-HT and α-methyl-5-HT was significantly decreased by ritanserin (a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist), spiperone (a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist), and the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, indomethacin (non-selective COX inhibitor), FR 122047 or nimesulide (selective COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors, respectively), but was not modified by pretreatment with SB 206553 (3,5-dihydro-5-methyl-N-3-pyridinylbenzo[1,2.b:4,5-b']dipyrrole(1H)-carboxamide hydrochloride), a non-selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, prazosin, propranolol, enalapril or losartan. The results of protein expression support these results: COX-1 and COX-2 are expressed in renal tissue. Inducible COX (COX-2) is overexpressed in long-term diabetes. Our data suggest that, in the in-situ autoperfused kidney of long-term diabetic rats, 5-HT vasoconstrictor action is mediated, through cyclooxygenase pathway, by local activation of 5-HT2A receptors.


Multivariate analysis of visual evoked response.
The visual potentials evoked by flash are analyzed in healthy subjects in cases of retinal detachment, of optic nerve lesions, and of amblyopia by means of different statistical methods: 1. Analysis of the various features of the response, evaluated separately 2. Analysis of the interdependence between the measures of the various features The first method supplies information on the differences in 'size' of the curves in the various samples, the second method reveals differences of 'shape'. The second method has proved to be able to distinguish both normal conditions from pathologic impairment of optic structures and the different sites of the lesions.


Role of autologous lymph node T cells in membrane expression of mu- or gamma-heavy chain isotype by malignant B NHL cells.
We investigated the possibility that T cells observed in lymph nodes involved by B-non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL) may have a direct role in the expression of Mu- or Gamma- heavy chain isotype by autologous malignant B cells. T cells were separated from lymph nodes involved by B-NHL cells expressing either surface IgM (19 cases) or surface IgG (4 cases) and compared to peripheral blood T lymphocytes of healthy subjects (19 cases) for their ability to promote both IgG and IgM secretion in Cowan-activated normal B lymphocytes. The mean values of IgG/IgM ratios obtained under the influence of T cells associated with malignant B cells expressing either surface IgM or surface IgG were not statistically different to that obtained with the help of control T cells (0.60 and 0.62 versus 0.47, respectively). These results do not account for the hypothesis that autologous lymph node T cells may directly affect the expression of the heavy chain isotype by malignant B-NHL cells.


Native mass spectrometry analyses of chaperonin complex TRiC/CCT reveal subunit N-terminal processing and re-association patterns.
The eukaryotic chaperonin TRiC/CCT is a large ATP-dependent complex essential for cellular protein folding. Its subunit arrangement into two stacked eight-membered hetero-oligomeric rings is conserved from yeast to man. A recent breakthrough enables production of functional human TRiC (hTRiC) from insect cells. Here, we apply a suite of mass spectrometry techniques to characterize recombinant hTRiC. We find all subunits CCT1-8 are N-terminally processed by combinations of methionine excision and acetylation observed in native human TRiC. Dissociation by organic solvents yields primarily monomeric subunits with a small population of CCT dimers. Notably, some dimers feature non-canonical inter-subunit contacts absent in the initial hTRiC. This indicates individual CCT monomers can promiscuously re-assemble into dimers, and lack the information to assume the specific interface pairings in the holocomplex. CCT5 is consistently the most stable subunit and engages in the greatest number of non-canonical dimer pairings. These findings confirm physiologically relevant post-translational processing and function of recombinant hTRiC and offer quantitative insight into the relative stabilities of TRiC subunits and interfaces, a key step toward reconstructing its assembly mechanism. Our results also highlight the importance of assigning contacts identified by native mass spectrometry after solution dissociation as canonical or non-canonical when investigating multimeric assemblies.


Regulation of static and dynamic ocular alignment in patients with trochlear nerve pareses.
Ocular alignment and saccades were studied in seven patients with trochlear nerve pareses, before and after strabismus surgery. Prior to surgery, a position-dependent vertical ocular misalignment was present, and downward saccades were hypometric in the paretic eye. Strabismus surgery reduced the magnitude and position-dependence of the static misalignment. Saccade conjugacy improved in the patients with congenital pareses, and in the patient with a gradual-onset acquired paresis, but less improvement occurred in subjects with traumatic pareses. The post-operative change in saccade conjugacy relative to the change in static alignment correlated with pre-operative vertical vergence, suggesting that changes in saccade yoking depend on an interaction between saccades and vertical vergence.


Percutaneous endoscopic laser lithotripsy of retained stones in the left hepatic duct. The role of the surgeon.
A 35-year-old woman with a retained stone in a branch of the left hepatic duct was referred to us. The stone was discovered on the postoperative T-tube cholangiogram. A flexible ureteroscope was introduced into the duct, under fluoroscopic and direct endoscopic vision and the pulse dye laser was used successfully to disintegrate the calculus. The postoperative course was uneventful. We suggest that in certain selected cases, the pulsed dye laser might be useful in disintegrating stones sited in difficult positions.


Improved understanding of particle transport in karst groundwater using natural sediments as tracers.
Colloids and particles act as vectors for contaminant transport. In karst aquifers, particle transport is particularly efficient and plays critical roles in soil erosion and in the process of karstification. However, available techniques for particle tracing are either expensive or not representative for the transport of natural colloids and particles. We developed a new method for particle tracing, using natural sediments as artificial tracers, and first applied this method at a karst experimental site in the Alps. Suspended particles were injected into a swallow hole together with a conservative solute tracer for comparison. Breakthrough curves for 32 different particle size classes between 0.8 and 450 μm were recorded at a karst spring 230 m away using a mobile particle counter that allows quantitative detection at high temporal resolution. Results show that (i) sediments can be used as efficient particle tracers in karst groundwater; (ii) recoveries are similar for particles and solutes; (iii) mean velocity increases with increasing particle size; (iv) dispersion decreases with increasing particle size; (v) these observations point to exclusion processes. As a conclusion, this new experimental technique allows new insights into the transport and fate of colloids and particles in groundwater at affordable costs.


Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in erythrocytes of children with autism.
1. The activity of the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) was determined in the erythrocytes of normal and autistic children. 2. There was no difference in enzyme activity between the two groups, although in both the normal and autistic females the erythrocyte COMT activity showed considerable within-group variation. 3. When the erythrocyte homogenates were divided into particulate and soluble fractions, some differences were observed. The COMT activity in the soluble fraction was less in erythrocytes from autistic males than in those from control males, whereas that in autistic females was higher than in those from control females.


A randomized, prospective evaluation of an interventional program to discontinue intravenous antibiotics at two tertiary care teaching institutions.
To evaluate a program to discontinue intravenous antibiotics at two teaching hospitals, 102 inpatients meeting eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to two groups. In one group, patients' physicians were contacted by pharmacists with recommendations to discontinue intravenous antibiotic therapy; in the other, patients were simply observed. Measured outcomes were antibiotic costs, length of stay, need to restart intravenous antibiotics, in-hospital mortality, and 30-day readmissions. The intervention significantly reduced mean antibiotic costs per patient ($19.82 vs $35.84, p = 0.03), but related labor costs exceeded this benefit. Readmissions were significantly more frequent in the intervention group than in the control group (29% vs 9.8% p = 0.02), but they were not infection related. No impact was demonstrated on the other measured outcomes. Institutions considering such programs or with one in place should conduct similar evaluations.


Trapidil protects ischemic hearts from reperfusion injury by stimulating PKAII activity.
The cardioprotective effects of trapidil on ischemic reperfused (I/R) rabbit hearts were studied. Recently, we had shown that trapidil might activate protein kinase A (PKA). In this study, we examined the exact mode of PKA stimulating activity of trapidil. Finally, we investigated the effect of trapidil on the phosphorylation state of phospholamban (PLB), a major PKA target in the heart and key regulator of Ca(2+) sequestration via the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase. Langendorff-hearts of New Zealand White rabbits were perfused at constant volume and subjected to global low-flow ischemia for 2 h, followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Subsequently, hearts were used for Western blot analysis of PLB phosphorylation. Furthermore, three different regulatory subunits and one catalytic subunit of PKA were overexpressed in E. coli. These PKA subunits were purified and used in an in vitro assay system to test the impact of trapidil on PKA activities in the absence and presence of cAMP. I/R resulted in a significant increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and creatine kinase efflux in the hearts. Trapidil (10 microM) prevented these alterations. Using recombinant cAMP-free PKA isoforms, it was found that trapidil specifically stimulated PKAII but only did so in the presence of small amounts of added cAMP. Furthermore, the PKA-dependent 16Ser phosphorylation of PLB was markedly reduced in I/R. Trapidil largely normalized the 16Ser phosphorylation of PLB. The data demonstrate cardioprotective actions of trapidil in I/R and show a PKAII-dependent cAMP sensitizing effect of the compound. They also indicate PKA-dependent PLB phosphorylation as a target, suggesting an improved Ca(2+) uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This action might be involved in the cardioprotective effects of trapidil.


The effects of humidity and ammonia on the chemical composition of secondary aerosols from toluene/NOx photo-oxidation.
The secondary aerosol formation mechanism in the presence of ammonia (NH3), is poorly understood, especially under high relative humidity (RH) conditions. In this study, a total of seven experiments were conducted from toluene/NOx photo-oxidation in the presence/absence of NH3 under dry (~7% RH) and wet (>60% RH) conditions in a ~3 m3 smog chamber. A series of instruments including gas analysers, scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-ToF-AMS) etc. were applied to measure the NOx and O3 concentrations, the mass concentration and chemical composition of secondary aerosol. It was found that NH3 could enhance the mass loading of secondary aerosol, especially under wet condition. However, the presence of NH3 or increasing RH did not have a significant influence on SOA yield. The organic aerosol mass spectrum from AMS showed that the most abundant fragment was at m/z = 44, which was mainly from the fragmentation of carboxylic acids. Compared to the absence of NH3, the fraction of fragment at m/z = 44 and O:C was higher in the presence of NH3, regardless of dry or wet conditions. The highest O:C value of 0.71-0.75 was observed in the presence of NH3 under wet condition, suggesting there could be a synergetic effect between the high RH and the presence of NH3, which jointly contributed to the photochemical aging process of SOA. The N:C increased in the presence of NH3 under both dry and wet conditions, which might be attributed to the carboxylates and organic nitrates formed from the reaction between NH3 and carboxylic acids. The results implied that SOA modelling should consider the role of NH3 and water vapour, which might fill the gap of O:C between laboratory studies and field measurements.


Inefficacy of fresh frozen plasma in the treatment of L-asparaginase-induced coagulation factor deficiencies during ALL induction therapy.
A prospective longitudinal study was conducted to determine whether single-donor fresh frozen plasma (FFP) substitution was able to influence L-asparaginase-associated hypoproteinemia. Within a 36-month period, 20 of 42 children with ALL received a total of 42 prophylactic FFP doses at a median of 10 (5-20) mliter/kg when fibrinogen levels decreased to < 60 mg/dL and thrombin time was lengthened. Laboratory monitoring before, during and after FFP substitution showed no short-term improvements and demonstrated only a minimal increase in fibrinogen and alpha 2-antiplasmin. Plasma levels of antithrombin and plasminogen remained unchanged. Furthermore, administration of FFP had no influence on thrombin generation, the plasmin/alpha 2-antiplasmin complex or enhanced D-dimer formation.


Intracellular calcium chelation and pharmacological SERCA inhibition of Ca2+ pump in the insular cortex differentially affect taste aversive memory formation and retrieval.
Variation in intracellular calcium concentration regulates the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity and is associated with a variety of memory/retrieval and learning paradigms. Accordingly, impaired calcium mobilization from internal deposits affects synaptic plasticity and cognition in the aged brain. During taste memory formation several proteins are modulated directly or indirectly by calcium, and recent evidence suggests the importance of calcium buffering and the role of intracellular calcium deposits during cognitive processes. Thus, the main goal of this research was to study the consequence of hampering changes in cytoplasmic calcium and inhibiting SERCA activity by BAPTA-AM and thapsigargin treatments, respectively, in the insular cortex during different stages of taste memory formation. Using conditioned taste aversion (CTA), we found differential effects of BAPTA-AM and thapsigargin infusions before and after gustatory stimulation, as well as during taste aversive memory consolidation; BAPTA-AM, but not thapsigargin, attenuates acquisition and/or consolidation of CTA, but neither compound affects taste aversive memory retrieval. These results point to the importance of intracellular calcium dynamics in the insular cortex during different stages of taste aversive memory formation.


Spontaneous proliferation of peripheral mononuclear cells in natural measles virus infection: identification of dividing cells and correlation with mitogen responsiveness.
Spontaneous proliferation of peripheral mononuclear cells is pronounced following measles virus infection at a time when patients mount effective humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and manifest a range of poorly understood immunologic abnormalities. We found spontaneous activity (measles 8000 +/- 1200 cpm vs control 1900 +/- 350 cpm; P less than 0.05) to wax and wane abruptly during the first week after the rash in parallel with expression of the lymphocyte activation marker OKT10. At peak activity, approximately 10% of circulating mononuclear cells were actively synthesizing DNA. Double labeling of individual mononuclear cells with autoradiography and immunoperoxidase demonstrated that B and T lymphocytes as well as monocytes participate in the spontaneous activity. Proliferative activity was increased 3- to 20-fold over control levels in all PBMC subsets such that close to one-third of circulating B cells and monocytes and 5-10% of CD4- and CD8-positive T cells were preparing to divide. Mitogen responsiveness was generally decreased in measles patients (58,800 +/- 4600 cpm vs control 97,700 +/- 15,500 cpm; P less than 0.002). Neither spontaneous proliferation nor mitogen responsiveness was correlated with age, sex, or the presence of complications. Patients with the lowest mitogen responses, however, had the greatest increases in B cell (P less than 0.03) and CD8-positive T cell (P less than 0.05) proliferation. These data demonstrate that all major immunologic cell types proliferate in response to measles virus infection. Mechanisms by which spontaneous proliferative activity in individual mononuclear subsets could contribute to depressed mitogen responsiveness are discussed.


Comparative analysis of gut microbial composition and potential functions in captive forest and alpine musk deer.
Gut microbiota forms a unique microecosystem and performs various irreplaceable metabolic functions for ruminants. The gut microbiota is important for host health and provides new insight into endangered species conservation. Forest musk deer (FMD) and alpine musk deer (AMD) are typical small ruminants, globally endangered due to excessive hunting and habitat loss. Although nearly 60 years of captive musk deer breeding has reduced the hunting pressure in the wild, fatal gastrointestinal diseases restrict the growth of captive populations. In this study, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed the differences in gut microbiota between FMD and AMD based on 166 fecal samples. The alpha diversity was higher in FMD than in AMD, probably helping FMD adapt to different and wider habitats. The ß-diversity was higher between adult FMD and AMD than juveniles and in winter than late spring. The phylum Firmicutes and the genera Christensenellaceae R7 group, Ruminococcus, Prevotellaceae UCG-004, and Monoglobus were significantly higher in abundance in FMD than in AMD. However, the phylum Bacteroidetes and genera Bacteroides, UCG-005, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, and Alistipes were significantly higher in AMD than FMD. The expression of metabolic functions was higher in AMD than in FMD, a beneficial pattern for AMD to maintain higher energy and substance metabolism. Captive AMD may be at higher risk of intestinal diseases than FMD, with higher relative abundances of most opportunistic pathogens and the expression of disease-related functions. These results provide valuable data for breeding healthy captive musk deer and assessing their adaptability in the wild. KEY POINTS: • Alpha diversity of gut microbiota was higher in FMD than that in AMD • Expression of metabolic and disease-related functions was higher in AMD than in FMD.


Bias free multiobjective active learning for materials design and discovery.
The design rules for materials are clear for applications with a single objective. For most applications, however, there are often multiple, sometimes competing objectives where there is no single best material and the design rules change to finding the set of Pareto optimal materials. In this work, we leverage an active learning algorithm that directly uses the Pareto dominance relation to compute the set of Pareto optimal materials with desirable accuracy. We apply our algorithm to de novo polymer design with a prohibitively large search space. Using molecular simulations, we compute key descriptors for dispersant applications and drastically reduce the number of materials that need to be evaluated to reconstruct the Pareto front with a desired confidence. This work showcases how simulation and machine learning techniques can be coupled to discover materials within a design space that would be intractable using conventional screening approaches.


Suppressing of milk-borne pathogenic using new water-soluble chitosan-azidopropanoic acid conjugate: Targeting milk-preservation quality improvement.
Dairy animals are major reservoirs for many milk-borne pathogens (MBPs) such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli O157:H7). Thus, dairy industries dedicate most of their processes to eliminate or minimize microbial contamination. Although pasteurization may offer an ideal solution for microbial decontamination; nevertheless, it may negatively impact organoleptic and nutritive values of dairy products. In this context, this work aimed to develop an innovative strategy, to tackle this challenge, based on the chemical preservation of milk. In this endeavor, we have succeeded to design a new safe multifunctional bio-preservative based on natural antimicrobials (water-soluble chitosan (WSC) and 2-azidopropanoic acid (APA), (WSC-APA) conjugate). Interestingly, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of WSC-APA have the capacity to completely suppress the proliferation of E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus cells (100% bacterial reduction) in refrigerated milk samples during 20 and 24 h, respectively. Moreover, no Staphylococci species could be detected in refrigerated milk samples remediated with WSC-APA (0.25 mg/mL) after 6 storage days. Meanwhile, the coliform count has reduced by 99.7% in conjugate-treated milk samples during 10 storage days. Thus, new bio-preservative (WSA-APA) can be safely used to increase the shelf-life of milk without sacrificing its organoleptic and nutritive values.


Results of a national survey of radiotherapy planning and delivery in the UK in 2007.
Technical developments in radiotherapy have increased very rapidly over recent years, resulting in the processes of radiotherapy planning and delivery changing significantly. It is essential that alongside these developments, optimal methods for accurate target volume definition become a priority. The Radiotherapy Imaging for Delivery of Radiotherapy Working Party was formed to create a framework for imaging for radiotherapy planning and delivery: the areas of interest were interpretation of imaging for planning, optimum acquisition of imaging for radiotherapy planning and training and assessment across all staff groups involved with radiotherapy planning. A detailed assessment of the current situation in the UK was needed to prepare for this document. A national survey was undertaken and the results are reported in this paper. A questionnaire was sent to all NHS radiotherapy departments in the UK on 3 occasions in 2007. A total of 48 replies were received from 58 centres giving a response rate of 83%. Approximately half of centres (46%) in the UK use IMRT. Thirteen centres are using IMRT in the routine management of patients. Nine centres indicated that they use IMRT routinely within the research setting. Twenty-six centres are not using IMRT but 10 centres are planning to implement the technology within 12 months. Only 4 centres in the UK routinely use IGRT and 6 centres report use of image guidance in the research setting. Twelve centres are planning to implement this over 12 months. Few oncologists have dedicated radiology input for planning. Twenty-seven centres had help from radiologists on an ad hoc basis only and 10 centres had no input at all. Only 2 centres have formal radiology training for trainees and 9 centres report ad hoc time with diagnostic radiologists or cite the FRCR course as the main sources of training. Twelve centres have structured training for radiographers and 4 centres for medical physicists. This survey assessed radiotherapy planning and delivery within the UK in 2007. The most significant findings were the lack of implementation of IMRT and IGRT which appeared to mainly to be due to lack of available staff, such as medical physicists, insufficient access to existing equipment, lack of time for more complex radiotherapy planning and insufficient funding. A further concern is the lack of formal training in tumour and normal tissue outlining across several staff groups.


Focus on the expected quality of reporting in SBRT/radiosurgery prospective studies: how far have we come in 30 years?
We aimed at describing and assessing the quality of reporting in all published prospective trials about radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The Medline database was searched for. The reporting of study design, patients' and radiotherapy characteristics, previous and concurrent cancer treatments, acute and late toxicities and assessment of quality of life were collected. 114 articles - published between 1989 and 2019 - were analysed. 21 trials were randomised (18.4%). Randomisation information was unavailable in 59.6% of the publications. Data about randomisation, ITT analysis and whether the study was multicentre or not, had been significantly less reported during the 2010-2019 publication period than before (respectively 29.4% vs 57.4% (p < 0.001), 20.6% vs 57.4% (p < 0.001), 48.5% vs 68.1% (p < 0.001). 89.5% of the articles reported the number of included patients. Information about radiation total dose was available in 86% of cases and dose per fraction in 78.1%. Regarding the method of dose prescription, the prescription isodose was the most reported information (58.8%). The reporting of radiotherapy characteristics did not improve during the 2010 s-2019s. Acute and late high-grade toxicity was reported in 37.7 and 30.7%, respectively. Their reporting decreased in recent period, especially for all-grade late toxicities (p = 0.044). It seems necessary to meet stricter specifications to improve the quality of reporting. Our work results in one of the rare analyses of radiosurgery and SBRT publications. Literature must include necessary information to first, ensure treatments can be compared and reproduced and secondly, to permit to decide on new standards of care.


A novel antimicrobial peptide from salivary glands of the hard tick, Ixodes sinensis.
A novel antimicrobial peptide named as ixosin was isolated from the salivary glands of the hard tick, Ixodes sinensis, by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Its amino acid sequence was determined as GLHKVMREVLGYERNSYKKFFLR by Edman degradation and its molecular weight was 2870.5 analyzed by fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry. This is the first antimicrobial peptide from ticks that lacks cysteine in its primary structure. The cDNA encoding ixosin was cloned by cDNA library screening. The predicted protein from the cDNA sequence composed of 79 amino acids including mature ixosin. Purified ixosin exerted its antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi. No similarity was found by BLAST search to any database entries and, thus, our findings describe a novel antimicrobial peptide.


Male-female differences in the association between incident hip fracture and proximal femoral strength: a finite element analysis study.
Hip fracture risk is usually evaluated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or quantitative computed tomography (QCT) which provide surrogate measures for proximal femoral strength. However, proximal femoral strength can best be estimated explicitly by combining QCT with finite element (FE) analysis. To evaluate this technique for predicting hip fracture in older men and women, we performed a nested age- and sex-matched case-control study in the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES) Reykjavik cohort. Baseline (pre-fracture) QCT scans of 5500 subjects were obtained. During 4-7 years follow-up, 51 men and 77 women sustained hip fractures. Ninety-seven men and 152 women were randomly selected as age- and sex-matched controls. FE-strength of the left hip of each subject for stance (F(Stance)) and posterolateral fall (F(Fall)) loading, and total femur areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were computed from the QCT data. F(Stance) and F(Fall) in incident hip fracture subjects were 13%-25% less than in control subjects (p ≤ 0.006) after controlling for demographic parameters. The difference between FE strengths of fracture and control subjects was disproportionately greater in men (stance, 22%; fall, 25%) than in women (stance, 13%; fall, 18%) (p ≤ 0.033), considering that F(Stance) and F(Fall) in fracture subjects were greater in men than in women (p < 0.001). For men, F(Stance) was associated with hip fracture after accounting for aBMD (p = 0.013). These data indicate that F(Stance) provides information about fracture risk that is beyond that provided by aBMD (p = 0.013). These findings support further exploration of possible sex differences in the predictors of hip fracture and of sex-specific strategies for using FE analysis to manage osteoporosis.


[Adequacy of the protein component of the rations for the crew of orbital station "Sal'iut-6" with respect to bodily requirements].
Nitrogen metabolism in 16 test subjects and 8 cosmonauts kept on a diet containing dehydrated products and foodstuffs preserved by other methods (15% and 85%, respectively) was studied. The health state and excretion of end-products of nitrogen metabolism in those people gave evidence that the dietary protein met well bodily requirements under normal conditions, in simulated flight, and in real flight aboard Salyut-6.


β, β-Dimethylacrylshikonin induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro via p38 pathway activation.
β, β-Dimethylacrylshikonin (DMAS) is an anticancer compound extracted from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. In the present study, we investigated the effects of DMAS on human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and explored the mechanisms of its anti-cancer action. Human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were tested. Cell viability was assessed using an MTT assay, and cell apoptosis was evaluated with flow cytometry and DAPI staining. The expression of the related proteins was detected using Western blotting. The mitochondrial membrane potential was measured using a JC-1 kit, and subcellular distribution of cytochrome c was analyzed using immunofluorescence staining. Treatment of A549 cells with DMAS suppressed the cell viability in dose- and time-dependent manners (the IC50 value was 14.22 and 10.61 μmol/L, respectively, at 24 and 48 h). DMAS (7.5, 10, and 15 μmol/L) dose-dependently induced apoptosis, down-regulated cIAP-2 and XIAP expression, and up-regulated Bax and Bak expression in the cells. Furthermore, DMAS resulted in loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c in the cells, and activated caspase-9, caspase-8, and caspase-3, and subsequently cleaved PARP, which was abolished by pretreatment with Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-caspase inhibitor. DMAS induced sustained p38 phosphorylation in the cells, while pretreatment with SB203580, a specific p38 inhibitor, blocked DMAS-induced p38 activation and apoptosis. DMAS inhibits the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells in vitro via activation of p38 signaling pathway.


Membrane tension, lipid adaptation, conformational changes, and energetics in MscL gating.
This study aims to explore gating mechanisms of mechanosensitive channels in terms of membrane tension, membrane adaptation, protein conformation, and energetics. The large conductance mechanosensitive channel from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tb-MscL) is used as a model system; Tb-MscL acts as a safety valve by releasing small osmolytes through the channel opening under extreme hypoosmotic conditions. Based on the assumption that the channel gating involves tilting of the transmembrane (TM) helices, we have performed free energy simulations of Tb-MscL as a function of TM helix tilt angle in a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer. Based on the change in system dimensions, TM helix tilting is shown to be essentially equivalent to applying an excess surface tension to the membrane, causing channel expansion, lipid adaptation, and membrane thinning. Such equivalence is further corroborated by the observation that the free energy cost of Tb-MscL channel expansion is comparable to the work done by the excess surface tension. Tb-MscL TM helix tilting results in an expanded water-conducting channel of an outer dimension similar to the proposed fully open MscL structure. The free energy decomposition indicates a possible expansion mechanism in which tilting and expanding of TM2 facilitates the iris-like motion of TM1, producing an expanded Tb-MscL.


Temporary diverting stoma in therapy-refractory luminal colonic Crohn's disease: an alternative to immediate colorectal resection?
Creation of a diverting stoma in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) can counteract luminal inflammation. The clinical utility of a diverting stoma with the prospect of restoration of gastrointestinal continuity warrants further investigation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term effects of creation of a diverting stoma on the disease course in patients with luminal colonic CD. In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study we investigated the disease course of patients who received a diverting stoma in the biological era. Clinical characteristics, medication use and surgical course were assessed at the time of creation of the diverting stoma and during follow-up. The primary outcome was the rate of successful and lasting reestablishment of gastrointestinal continuity. Thirty six patients with refractory luminal CD from four institutions underwent creation of a diverting stoma. Of the overall cohort, 20 (56%) patients had their gastrointestinal continuity reestablished after initial stoma creation and 14 (39%) who had their stoma reversed remained stoma-free during a median of 3.3 years follow-up (interquartile range 2.1-6.1 years). Absence of stoma reversal was associated with the presence of proctitis (p = 0.02). Colorectal resection after creation of a diverting stoma was performed in 28 (78%) patients, with 7 (19%) having a less extensive resection and 6 (17%) having a more extensive resection compared with the surgical plan before stoma creation. A diverting stoma could potentially be an alternative to immediate definitive stoma placement in specific populations consisting of patients with luminal colonic CD, especially in the absence of proctitis.


Transition-Metal-Free Acceptorless Decarbonylation of Formic Acid Enabled by a Liquid Chemical-Looping Strategy.
The selective decarbonylation of formic acid was achieved under transition-metal-free conditions. Using a liquid chemical-looping strategy, the thermodynamically favored dehydrogenation of formic acid was shut down, yielding a pure stream of CO with no H2 or CO2 contamination. The transformation involves a two-step sequence where methanol is used as a recyclable looping agent to yield methylformate, which is subsequently decomposed to carbon monoxide using alkoxides as catalysts.


[Harmony of the facial profile. Part III. Vertical rules].
Rules for profile harmony in the vertical direction reflect the acceptable relations between the heights of the different facial parts. The relation between the maxillary and nasal heights determines the acceptable range for the mandibular height.


Complete Genome Sequence of Soil Bacterium Burkholderia sp. Strain FERM BP-3421, a Producer of Spliceostatins.
Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Burkholderia sp. strain FERM BP-3421, a bacterium isolated previously from a soil sample in Japan. Strain FERM BP-3421 produces spliceostatins, which are splicing modulatory antitumor agents that advanced to preclinical development. The genome is composed of four circular replicons of 3.90, 3.0, 0.59, and 0.24 Mbp.


Short-term impact of combining pain neuroscience education with exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Exercise and pain neuroscience education (PNE) have both been used as standalone treatments for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The evidence supporting PNE as an adjunct to exercise therapy is growing but remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of combining PNE and exercise for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, when compared with exercise alone. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted from inception to November 6, 2020. A quality effects model was used to meta-analyze outcomes where possible. Five high-quality randomized controlled studies (n = 460) were included in this review. The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of individual studies, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation analysis was conducted to determine the quality of evidence for each outcome. Meta-analyses were performed for pain intensity, disability, kinesiophobia, and pain catastrophizing using data reported between 0 and 12 weeks postintervention. Long-term outcomes (>12 weeks) were only available for 2 studies and therefore were not suitable for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed a significant difference in pain (weighted mean differences, -2.09/10; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.38 to -0.80; low certainty), disability (standardized mean difference, -0.68; 95% CI, -1.17 to -0.20; low certainty), kinesiophobia (standardized mean difference, -1.20; CI, -1.84 to -0.57; moderate certainty), and pain catastrophizing (weighted mean differences, -7.72; 95% CI, -12.26 to -3.18; very low certainty) that favoured the combination of PNE and exercise. These findings suggest that combining PNE and exercise in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain results in greater short-term improvements in pain, disability, kinesiophobia, and pain catastrophizing relative to exercise alone.


Selection of efficient degradation features for rolling element bearing prognosis using Gaussian Process Regression method.
Rolling Element Bearings are one of the most ubiquitous machine elements used in various machineries in the manufacturing industry. Prognosis and estimation of residual life of rolling element bearing are very important for efficient implementation of health monitoring and condition-based maintenance. In this paper, a rolling element bearing fault or degradation trend prediction is modeled using Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) method. Various vibration features based on signal complexity, namely Shannon entropy, permutation entropy, and approximate entropy are estimated to obtain the bearing degradation trend. When fault or degradation occurs in rolling element bearing, there is a subtle change in the dynamics of the system and subsequently, there are changes in the features extracted from the vibration signal. In this paper, a comparative analysis of various kernel functions of the GPR model is carried out using accuracy-based metrics. In addition, the combination of goodness of metric (monotonicity (Mon), robustness (Rob), and prognosability (Pro)), namely hybrid metric, is proposed to select the efficient bearing degradation trend of features. Further, the GPR at ARD exponential kernel has been employed to make the prognosis of degradation trend in bearings with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The proposed methodology is validated through a mathematical model of the simulated vibration signal. Finally, from the simulated and experimental data, it is demonstrated that the entropy features have better performance than the statistical features.


Intradiscal quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI signal correlates with discogenic pain in human patients.
Low back pain (LBP) is often a result of a degenerative process in the intervertebral disc. The precise origin of discogenic pain is diagnosed by the invasive procedure of provocative discography (PD). Previously, we developed quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (qCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect pH as a biomarker for discogenic pain. Based on these findings we initiated a clinical study with the goal to evaluate the correlation between qCEST values and PD results in LBP patients. Twenty five volunteers with chronic low back pain were subjected to T2-weighted (T2w) and qCEST MRI scans followed by PD. A total of 72 discs were analyzed. The average qCEST signal value of painful discs was significantly higher than non-painful discs (p = 0.012). The ratio between qCEST and normalized T2w was found to be significantly higher in painful discs compared to non-painful discs (p = 0.0022). A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis indicated that qCEST/T2w ratio could be used to differentiate between painful and non-painful discs with 78% sensitivity and 81% specificity. The results of the study suggest that qCEST could be used for the diagnosis of discogenic pain, in conjunction with the commonly used T2w scan.


Discovery of a distinct binding site for angiotensin II (3-8), a putative angiotensin IV receptor.
We report here the discovery of a unique and novel angiotensin binding site and peptide system based upon the C-terminal 3-8 hexapeptide fragment of angiotensin II (NH3(+)-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-COO-) (AII(3-8) (AIV)). This fragment binds saturably, reversibly, specifically, and with high affinity to membrane-binding sites in a variety of tissues and from many species. The binding site is pharmacologically distinct from the classic angiotensin receptors (AT1 or AT2) displaying low affinity for the known agonists (AII and AIII) and antagonist (Sar1,Ile8-AII). Although a definitive function has not been assigned to this system in many of the tissues in which it resides, AIV's interaction with endothelial cells may involve a role in endothelial cell-dependent vasodilation. Consequent to this action, AIV is a potent stimulator of renal cortical blood flow.


Extraction of lead from electrolytic manganese anode mud by microwave coupled ultrasound technology.
In this work, extraction of lead from Electrolytic Manganese Anode Mud (EMAM) by microwave coupled ultrasound was studied. The results showed that microwave roasting promoted the conversion of MnO2 to Mn2O3 and Mn3O4, which greatly facilitated the subsequent leaching process of lead and the introduction of ultrasound effectively enhanced the leaching process. The leaching rate for lead from EMAM was arrived to 86.98% under the optimum conditions with the ammonium acetate concentration of 2 mol/L at 343 K and the stirring speed of 300 rpm for 60 min. With the introduction of specific power ultrasound, the leaching of lead was increased by about 10%. The microwave roasting combined with ultrasonic enhanced leaching can effectively for the reuse and reduction of EMAM which provides ideas for further investigation of lead pollution control and resource utilization in EMAM.


In vitro efficacy study of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil and cinnamaldehyde against the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus.
Hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis is a disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Chemotherapy can be used alone or in combination with surgery or percutaneous treatment. Benzimidazoles are the only agents used and approved for treatment, but their efficacy is extremely variable. Therefore, it is necessary to find new drugs to improve the treatment of this disease. In the last decades, the biological properties of essential oils and their components began to be investigated as alternatives in the treatment of different ailments. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of the essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) and cinnamaldehyde against protoscoleces and metacestodes of E. granulosus. The essential oil and cinnamaldehyde, its major component, showed a dose and time dependent effect against protoscoleces. However, cinnamaldehyde showed a greater protoscolicidal effect than the essential oil. The maximum protoscolicidal effect was found with 50 μg/mL of cinnamaldehyde. Viability decreased by 1.7 ± 0.8% after 4 days of incubation and reached 0% at 8 days. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between the activity of cinnamaldehyde at the concentrations of 25 and 10 μg/mL and the efficacy observed with the essential oil at 200 and 50 μg/mL, respectively. Cinnamaldehyde also had a strong in vitro effect against murine cysts, while only the higher concentration of the essential oil caused ultrastructural alterations. Working with components instead of with essential oils has some advantages, particularly in relation to the reproducibility of the formulations and their effectiveness. For this reason, the results obtained in this work are promising in the search for pharmaceutical alternatives for the treatment of cystic echinococcosis.


Biogenesis of secretory granules.
The biogenesis of secretory granules in endocrine, neuroendocrine, and exocrine cells is thought to involve a selective aggregation of the regulated secretory proteins into a dense-cored structure. The dense-core is then enveloped by membrane in the trans-Golgi network and buds, forming an immature secretory granule. The immature secretory granule then undergoes a maturation process which gives rise to the mature secretory granule. The recent data on the processes of aggregation, budding and maturation are summarized here. In addition, the current knowledge about the mature secretory granule is reviewed with emphasis on the biogenesis of the membrane of this organelle.


The astrocytic nature of glioblastoma demonstrated by tissue culture.
Forty-eight cerebral astrocytomas and glioblastomas were studied by tissue culture for two purposes: (a) the establishment of a definite growth pattern of cerebral astrocytomas and (b) the comparison of this growth pattern and that of glioblastomas. According to the grade of malignancy the series was divided into four groups: low-, middle-, and high-grade astrocytomas and undifferentiated glioblastomas. All the astrocytomas showed the same growth pattern with two successive phases. First, bipolar cells in radial arrangement emigrated from the explant, whereas in the last weeks, multipolar astrocytic-like cells in reticular arrangement predominated. The more malignant the cases, the more prolonged the bipolar phase, with retardation of the development of multipolar cells. Glioblastomas showed the same behavior with maximal persistence of the bipolar phase. On this basis, we believe that (a) cerebral astrocytomas have a characteristic behavior in vitro and (b) the glioblastoma is an astrocytic tumor showing maximal dedifferentiation.


Immune Tissue Print and Immune Capture-PCR for Diagnosis and Detection of Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus.
'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CaLas), associated with citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), is a non culturable member of the α-proteobacteria. In this study serologically based methods for the detection of CaLas were developed. An anti-outer membrane protein A (OmpA) polyclonal antibody previously produced (in our laboratory) was highly effective for the detection of CaLas from citrus tissues in a simple tissue printing format. The antibody was also used to capture bacteria from periwinkle extracts. About 80% of all field samples analyzed tested positive with both immune tissue printing and qPCR; whereas 95% were positive with at least one of these two methods. When asymptomatic citrus tissues were tested, the tissue printing method gave a higher rate of detection (83%) than the qPCR method (64%). This is consistent with a lower concentration of CaLas DNA, but a higher proportion of viable cells, in the asymptomatic tissues. The immune tissue printing method also highlights the detail of the spatial distribution of 'Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus' in diseased citrus tissues. Both the immune capture PCR and immune tissue printing methods offer the advantages of low cost, high throughput, ease of scaling for multiple samples and simplicity over current PCR-based methods for the detection of 'Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus'.


Impact of the REACH II and REACH VA Dementia Caregiver Interventions on Healthcare Costs.
Examine caregiver and care recipient healthcare costs associated with caregivers' participation in Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II or REACH VA) behavioral interventions to improve coping skills and care recipient management. RCT (REACH II); propensity-score matched, retrospective cohort study (REACH VA). Five community sites (REACH II); 24 VA facilities (REACH VA). Care recipients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers who participated in REACH II study (analysis sample of 110 caregivers and 197 care recipients); care recipients whose caregivers participated in REACH VA and a propensity matched control group (analysis sample of 491). Previously collected data plus Medicare expenditures (REACH II) and VA costs plus Medicare expenditures (REACH VA). There was no increase in VA or Medicare expenditures for care recipients or their caregivers who participated in either REACH intervention. For VA care recipients, REACH was associated with significantly lower total VA costs of care (33.6%). VA caregiver cost data was not available. In previous research, both REACH II and REACH VA have been shown to provide benefit for dementia caregivers at a cost of less than $5/day; however, concerns about additional healthcare costs may have hindered REACH's widespread adoption. Neither REACH intervention was associated with additional healthcare costs for caregivers or patients; in fact, for VA patients, there were significantly lower healthcare costs. The VA costs savings may be related to the addition of a structured format for addressing the caregiver's role in managing complex ADRD care to an existing, integrated care system. These findings suggest that behavioral interventions are a viable mechanism to support burdened dementia caregivers without additional healthcare costs.


Concurrent conditioned taste aversion: a learning mechanism based on rapid neural versus flexible humoral processing of visceral noxious substances.
Taste aversion learning (TAL) consists of the avoidance of a taste previously associated with a noxious visceral stimulus. Clinical and experimental studies suggest that this adaptive process can be established by different procedures that imply distinct forms of learning and memory, although the final result is analogous, i.e. avoidance of the gustatory stimulus associated with gastrointestinal discomfort. In fact, a double neurobiological system has been anatomically dissociated and, functionally, may be implicated in nausea and emesis, in food selection, and in neuroimmune interactions. Actually, a dual, parallel, and non-redundant gut-brain system has been proposed that sustain two different TAL modalities, concurrent and sequential. Concurrent TAL requires several trials and is inflexible, requiring simultaneity of the stimuli and the participation of the vagus nerve. In contrast, sequential TAL can be acquired in one trial and is flexible, permits long inter-stimulus delays, and is independent of vagal pathways. These two TAL modalities are analyzed in the light of the recent proposal that different acquisition processes are sustained by distinct cerebral systems.


Outcomes of Endovascular Therapy for Infrarenal Aortic Occlusion of TASC II D Classification.
This study aimed to investigate the treatment outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) in patients with infrarenal aortic occlusive disease. Between January 2012 and December 2015, 11 patients with infrarenal aortic occlusion of Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II D classification were treated. Procedural results, complications, and midterm results were analyzed retrospectively. The technical success was 81.8%. The procedural time was 118.3 ± 60.9 min, and the median length of hospitalization was 2 days (range, 1-40 days). Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 1 patient with EVT, but hemodialysis was not necessary. Primary patency of EVT at 2 years was 100%, and there were no reinterventions. The endovascular approach for infrarenal aortic occlusion is feasible and midterm patency is favorable.


Chiral and structural discrimination in binding of polypeptides with condensed nucleic acid structures.
In biological systems nucleic acids are invariably found in highly compact forms. These rather intricate forms raise questions of basic importance which are related to the various factors involved in the condensation processes, the chemical, physical, and structural features revealed by the packed species, and the effects of the extremely tight packaging upon interactions of the DNA molecules with proteins and drugs. A means for addressing these questions on a molecular level is provided by various procedures known to induce in vitro condensation of DNA molecules into highly compact species which, in turn, may serve as a model for the in vivo physical organization of nucleic acids. A study of the optical properties of the tightly packed DNA molecules indicates that the interactions of these species with polypeptides are characterized by distinct, hitherto unobserved, chiral and structural discrimination. Specifically, the polypeptides found to be selected against are composed of those amino acids that are not normally used in protein biosynthesis, such as D-lysine or ornithine. These findings provide new clues to long debated topics such as the specific universal chirality of amino acids in proteins or the correlation between conformational flexibility of polypeptides and their ability to form stable compact complexes with nucleic acids.


Pyralomicins, novel antibiotics from Microtetraspora spiralis. IV. Absolute configuration.
The absolute configurations of pyralomicin la and pyralomicin 2a were determined by X-ray crystallographic analyses of crystalline 7'-O-p-bromobenzoylpyralomicin 1a and 2'-O-p-bromobenzoylpyralomicin 2a derived from pyralomicin 1a and pyralomicin 2a using anomalous scattering of the bromine atom. The absolute configurations of pyralomicins 1b approximately 1d and 2b approximately 2e were suggested to be the same as pyralomicin 1a and pyralomicin 2a, respectively, by comparing the circular dichroism spectra.


A two-photon "turn-on" fluorescent probe for both exogenous and endogenous selenocysteine detection and imaging in living cells and zebrafish.
Selenocysteine (Sec) is recognized as the 21st amino acid employing as an essential building block for selenoproteins (SePs), which plays a significant role in various physiological processes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reasonably develop some reliable and rapid methods for Sec detection in biological systems. In this work, we reported a new two-photon (TP) fluorescent probe BNT-Sec for Sec detection and imaging in living cells and zebrafish with two part: (1) a D-π-A-structured naphthalene derivative as a TP fluorophore; (2) a well-know Sec responsive site with strong intromolecular charge transfer effect (ICT) to selectively detect endogenous and exogenous. In the presence of Sec, probe BNT-Sec can initiate a Se-dependent specific aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction, which exhibited BNT-Sec had a large fluorescence intensity enhancement with ~18.9-fold at 510 nm, a high sensitivity low LOD value' 10.6 nM, good light stability, strong specificity, pH stability and low cytotoxicity. In addition, BNT-Sec can be conveniently used to detect Sec in living cells and zebrafish for TP imaging due to the great TP measurement properties of fluorophore, exhibiting it has the potential to reveal the role of selenocysteine in physiological and pathological processes in further biological applications.


Use of Muscle Flaps for Salvage of Groin Wound Infection Following Vascular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Groin wound infections in vascular surgery are still a common complication and challenging problem. This systematic review aimed to establish a complete view of patient characteristics and clinical outcomes for infected groin wounds following vascular surgery reconstruction using muscle flaps and to evaluate the differences in outcomes between the sartorius muscle flap (SMF), rectus femoris muscle flap (RFF), and gracilis muscle flap (GMF). PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to April 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis for comorbidities and outcomes and subgroup analyses for outcomes were performed. Thirty studies were included in qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Overall pooled data showed the following outcome rates: 4.5% muscle flap necrosis (95% confidence interval [CI], -3.4-12.3%; I2 = 0%), 21.8% overall complications (95% CI, 15.8-27.7%; I2 = 0%), 8.0% limb loss (95% CI, 1.9-14.1%; I2 = 0%), 15.4% graft loss (95% CI, 5.0-25.3%; I2 = 37.9%), and 7.4% 30-day mortality (95% CI, -.9-15.6%; I2 = 0%). The rates of overall complications were 20.3% (95% CI, 12.1-28.2%; I2 = 0%), 23.2% (95% CI, 11.2-34.5%; I2 = 10.2%), and 18.0% (95% CI, -3.537.8%; I2 = 0%) for the SMF, RFF, and GMF, respectively. The rate of limb loss was highest for the GMF (17.2%; 95% CI, -4.237.2%; I2 = 0%). The rate of graft loss for the RFF was the highest (20.7%; 95% CI, .6-39.1%; I2 = 53.9%). The rate of 30-day mortality was the lowest for the SMF (5.3%; 95% CI, -6.1-16.6%; I2 = 0%). The effectiveness and safety of muscle flap reconstruction for infected groin wounds following vascular surgery are clearly positive. This review indicated a tendency for lower complication rates with the SMF than with other muscle flaps.


Difference in monoamine oxidase activity measured by either liquid ion exchange or ion exchange resin chromatography in rat and cat brain.
Cat and rat brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured with a radioisotopic procedure and two extraction methods. Results indicated an underestimation of MAO activity when liquid ion exchange chromatography (LIEC) was used instead of an ion exchange chromatographic method (IEC) to separate the different products of the deaminated tyramine, phenylethylamine, or serotonin. MAO produced aldehydic products which may be found in the incubation medium and may be extracted with the substrate in the chloroform phase by the LIEC method. In cat brain, the resulting underestimation of the MAO activity was prevented by the addition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (10(-3) M) in the incubation medium or by allowing a 2-h period between the end of incubation and the LIEC extraction procedure. In the rat brain, the same result was obtained by the addition of an equimolar mixture of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate in reduced form (NAD-NADPH, 10(-3) M). Using the IEC method, the NAD decreased only the deamination of tyramine and serotonin in rat brain. This study suggests that the use of an IEC method to evaluate MAO activity is more accurate for the estimation of the enzymatic activity.


Circ-Foxo3 is positively associated with the Foxo3 gene and leads to better prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia patients.
The Foxo3 gene, belonging to the forkhead family, is one of the classes of transcription factors characterized by a forkhead DNA-binding domain, which usually considered being a cancer suppressor gene. Circ-Foxo3 is a circular structure which connects the 3'end to the 5'end. Scholars detected that circ-Foxo3 could compete with Foxo3 for binding to some miRNAs. In this study, we will test the expression of Foxo3 and circ-Foxo3 in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients to explore the relationship between Foxo3 gene and circ-Foxo3. All the de novo AML samples and normal control samples was measured by real-time quantitative PCR. A receiver operating characteristic curve was conducted to differentiate AML patients from control people. Association of Foxo3 expression and overall survival was conducted by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. We found that the expression of Foxo3 gene in de novo patients was significantly lower than control samples (P = 0.009). Meanwhile, circ-Foxo3 also expressed lower in de novo AML patients than in control samples (P = 0.040). In different classifications, this trend could be observed more remarkably. In non-M3 patients, the Foxo3 high patients' survival time was longer than Foxo3 low patients (P = 0.002). Besides, in non-favorable risk groups, patients with low expression of Foxo3 had longer survival time than Foxo3 high patients (P = 0.004). Furthermore, in normal Karyotypic patients, the overall survival time of patients with high-expressed Foxo3 was significantly longer than those with low expression (P = 0.034). Besides, Pearson analysis was also conducted between these two genes in AML patients. Results revealed that they were positively correlated (R = 0.63, P < 0.001). In conclusion, we found that low expression of circ-Foxo3 and Foxo3 were frequent in AML patients, and patients with high expression of Foxo3 often had a trend of better prognosis.


Familial occurrence of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.
Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a congenital disorder of still unknown etiology, characterized by uterovaginal agenesis and can be associated with renal, skeletal and cardiac malformations. Most cases are sporadic. We report on a familial case of two female cousins with MRKH syndrome and unilateral renal agenesis. Family history revealed two cases of renal agenesis in male relatives and ultrasonographic (US) examination of healthy relatives diagnosed an uncle with multiple renal cysts. We have reviewed the literature on familial occurrence of MRKH syndrome and its associated anomalies and collected a total of 67 familial cases. We found familial cases to share the same associated anomalies as sporadic cases and we discuss the necessity of US examination of healthy relatives.


Special Issue "Feature Papers in Biosensors Section 2022".
Biosensors are devices composed of a biorecognition part and of a transduction part [...].


Increased frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges in alcoholics.
The frequency of SCES was significantly increased in the alcoholics analyzed (10.6 &/- SD 0.66) when compared to the frequency of a control group (8.4 &/- SD 0.51). Statistical analysis of the data obtained showed that the increase was not apparently related to age, sex, cigarette smoking, duration in years of alcohol abuse, nutritional status or type of alcoholic beverage commonly consumed by the individual. Alcoholics recovering for at least one year from alcohol abuse were examined and the frequency of SCES was found to be equal to the SCE frequency in the control group. There was no statistical significance between the age, sex of the individual, smoking history and years of abstention from alcohol abuse with respect to the frequency of SCES. Therefore, one year of abstention appears sufficient to allow the SCE frequency to return to that found in the control group. In order to keep extraneous factors at a minimum and to analyze the effect of a particular factor, such as alcohol, on the number of SCES, a careful medical history and screening program was followed. However, more information is needed to determine which factors play a role in causing genetic damage and inducing SCES and to determine the significance SCES may have with respect to genetic information and function.


Determination of the minimal concentrations of contact activation factors in deficient substrate plasmas required to assess accurately factor XII, factor XI, factor IX, and high molecular weight kininogen.
Using combined deficient plasmas prepared by passage of a deficient plasma over an anti-factor XI-monoclonal antibody column, we have determined the threshold concentrations of each coagulation factor of contact phase in factor-deficient substrate plasmas required to determine accurately the functional activities of factor XII, factor XI, factor IX and high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK). In order to reliably quantitate factor XI and factor IX activity levels, at least 20% factor XII and 20% factor XI, respectively, were required in the deficient substrate plasmas. In the assessment of factor XII activity, approximately 40% factor XI was required in the factor XII-deficient substrate plasma. On the other hand, only 11-12% factor XI or HMWK was required in the deficient substrate plasmas in the assessment of these two clotting factors. Our data emphasize that deficiencies of other clotting factors may reduce the apparent activity of the clotting factor in question if their concentration is rate-limiting in the clotting assay.


The incidence and risk factors of immediate type food allergy during the first year of life in Korean infants: a birth cohort study.
We conducted this study to determine the incidence of food allergy (FA) in Korean infants and identify the risk factors of FAs during the first year of life in a birth cohort study. Pregnant women ≥34 weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires describing basic demographic information including family history of allergic diseases. Since birth, all the babies were regularly followed up for FA symptoms through telephone interviews at 4, 8, and 12 months of age. FA was defined as a repetitive convincing history of immediate allergic reactions following the ingestion of offending food. A total of 1177 infants and their parents completed this study. The prevalence of FA was 5.3% in infants. The three leading food allergens were hen's eggs (33/62), cow's milk (20/62) and peanut/nuts (8/62). Children with a history of maternal AD showed a significantly higher prevalence of FA (P = 0.012) [aRR = 3.17]. In addition, children who were born during autumn had a higher prevalence than those born during spring (p = 0.005) [aRR = 3.48]. In conclusion, we identified several characteristics that may influence the development of FA in the next generation, including maternal AD and autumn birth.


Cross-border healthcare: A review and applicability to North America during COVID-19.
Cross-border healthcare is an international agreement for the provision of out of country healthcare for citizens of partnered countries. The European Union (EU) has established itself as a world leader in cross-border healthcare. During the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the EU used this system to maximize utilization of resources. Countries with capacity accepted critically ill patients from overwhelmed nations, borders remained open to healthcare workers and those seeking medical care in an effort to share the burden of this pandemic. Significant research into the challenges and successes of cross-border healthcare was completed prior to COVID-19, which demonstrated significant benefit for patients. In North America, the response to the COVID-19 crisis has been more isolationist. The Canada-United States border has been closed and bans placed on healthcare workers crossing the border for work. Prior to COVID-19, cross-border healthcare was rare in North America despite its need. We reviewed the literature surrounding cross-border healthcare in the EU, as well as the need for a similar system in North America. We found the EU cross-border healthcare agreements are generally mutually beneficial for participating countries. The North American literature suggested a cross-border healthcare system is feasible. A number of challenges could be identified based on the EU experience. A prior agreement may have been beneficial during the COVID-19 crisis as many Canadian healthcare institutions-maintained capacity to accept critically ill patients.


Quantitative Histogram Analysis of T2-Weighted and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images for Prediction of Malignant Thymic Epithelial Tumors.
To assess the value of histogram analysis for differentiating a high-risk thymic epithelial tumor (TET) from a low-risk TET using T2-weighted images and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Forty-nine patients with histopathologically proven TET after thymectomy were enrolled in this study and retrospectively classified as having low-risk TET (low-risk thymoma) or high-risk TET (high-risk thymoma or thymic carcinoma). Twelve parameters were obtained from the quantitative histogram analysis. The histogram parameters were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Diagnostic efficacy was estimated by receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. Twenty-five patients were classified as having low-risk TET and 24 as having high-risk TET. The mean ADC value showed diagnostic efficacy for differentiating high-risk TET from low-risk TET, with an area under the curve of 0.7, and was better than when using conventional methods alone. The ADC-based histogram analysis could help to differentiate between high-risk and low-risk TETs.


Protein phosphatase 2A in Alzheimer's disease.
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is the predominant serine/threonine phosphatase in eukaryotic cells. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), PP2A activity is decreased. Decreased PP2A activity is suggested to be involved in NFT formation and neurodegeneration. PP2A is also involved in APP secreting pathway, thus probably participating the Abeta production. Based on our research and other previous findings, decreased PP2Ac level, decreased PP2A holoenzyme composition, increased level of PP2A inhibitors, increased PP2Ac Leu309 demethylation and Tyr307 phosphorylation could partly explain the mechanisms of PP2A inactivation in AD. Abeta over-production, estrogen deficiency and impaired homocysteine metabolism are the possible up-stream factors that inactivate PP2A in AD neurons. Further studies are needed to disclose the role of PP2A in Alzheimer's disease.


The sidewinder catheter for extra cranial angiography: technical, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Through using the sidewinder catheter system for visceral angiography in over 200 patients we have improved our success rate. The method is simple and safe, and we recommend it.


Allocation scheduling leads to optimum utilization of operation theater time.
Cancellation of surgeries is a regular phenomenon in any hospital, and reasons may vary from clinical to managerial ones. The aim of the study is to suggest scheduling to address the problem of time over run related cancellations. This is an observational and descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care hospital with ophthalmology facilities. The sample size is calculated with 95% confidence interval using Epi Info 6 from the total surgeries performed in the last 5 years (n = 380). Simple random sampling technique was used. Surgical time for all types of ophthalmic surgeries (n = 582) was observed. Allocation of listed cases to the available operating rooms (ORs) was carried out using the observed time using LEKIN software. The time over-run of 2 h and 6 h was noted for two units, whereas idle OR time was observed in other units. An average idle time of 19% was noted on each day. Reallocation of the cases to the ORs was carried out taking all the planned cases (of both the operating units of the day) as the number of jobs and all the available ORs as parallel machines using LEKIN software. All the planned cases could be accommodated; still, an average of 17% of the total available operation theater (OT) time was found idle on each day. Planning of cases using procedure time and scheduling on a daily basis using allocation models with simple algorithms can provide optimal utilization of OTs and can address the time over-run and related cancellations.


Effect of long-term saline mulched drip irrigation on soil-groundwater environment in arid Northwest China.
Water shortage and soil salinization are the two main factors that are limiting the sustainability of agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas. The mulched drip irrigation (MDI) with brackish groundwater is widely used in the arid areas of Northwest China. In this study, field experiments were carried out to study the effect of long-term MDI with brackish groundwater on the soil and groundwater environment. It was found that the groundwater level decreased in the Peacock river watershed steadily from 2008 to 2019, resulted from escalating groundwater exploitation due to the expanding agricultural irrigation area and increasing irrigation water demand. The decline of groundwater level reduced the evaporation of phreatic surface (ETg) and groundwater recharge from MDI (Rg). The ETg and Rg would be very small, where ETg tended to be zero and Rg would decrease to a constant value, while the water table depth was larger than 3 m. In addition, MDI had little effect on the soil moisture content (SMC) during the MDI period while the groundwater level was shallow (less than 1.9 m), and it increased SMC gradually as the cycle of irrigations increased while the groundwater level was deep (greater than 4.2 m). MDI reduced the concentration of soluble salt ions (Na+, K+ and Cl-) and increased the concentration of Ca2+ and SO42- in the soil. The accumulation of Ca2+ and SO42- in bare soil was more serious than that in the mulched land. The SMC, soil ions concentrations, soil salinity and the total dissolved solids of groundwater decreased significantly with the decrease of the groundwater level, and the salinization degree of the soil and groundwater tended to be weak in the field experimental site. However, groundwater level dropped too much caused by increasing agricultural irrigation would be harmful to the sustainable ecological environment.


Factors Associated with HIV and Vulnerability Contexts for Women in Brazil.
The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with HIV and vulnerability contexts for women in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The participants were 1326 women recruited by complex sampling design, divided into two groups: 640 women with HIV (WLH) and 686 women who did not have HIV (WNLH). Gross and weighted statistical analyses were performed. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for 12 variables. The main results demonstrated that WLH had lower income (p < .001) and poorer education (p = .038), and few used condoms during their first sexual intercourse (p < .001). The occurrence of HIV was higher among the black population (p < .001). Sex in exchange for money (p < .001) and sexually transmitted infections (p < .001) were more frequent among WLH than among WNLH. The age of sexual debut and age difference from the partner at first sexual intercourse (FSI) were not associated with the outcome. The high percentage of non-use of condoms during the FSI shows how vulnerable individuals are right at the beginning of their sexual lives. More effective prevention strategies can be developed by nurses in view of the contexts of vulnerability surrounding women.


Computerized EEG pattern classification by adaptive segmentation and probability-density-function classification. Description of the method.
A phenomenological model for the representation of clinical EEGs is proposed. It assumes each individual record to consist of a few repetitive patterns which are described sufficiently by their power spectra. An algorithm for automatic EEG evaluation is described. It consists of two steps, a segmentation process which isolates the elementary patterns, and a clustering procedure which groups similar patterns with each other. Results are represented in graphical form. Diagnostic classification is not attempted. An appendix highlights the advantages of autoregressive modelling for EEG spectral analysis and, in particular, the estimation of the power contained in the various "rhythms".


Turning Over a New Leaf-Pharmacologic Therapy in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Despite extensive research, there is currently no approved drug for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment. OSA is a heterogeneous condition that involves multiple dominating pathophysiological traits. Drug development in this field needs to address both pathophysiological mechanisms and associated comorbid conditions in order to meet requirements for long-term therapy in OSA. Several drug candidates have been proposed and ongoing phase II trials that target various forms of sleep-disordered breathing have been initiated. The field is moving toward tailored therapeutic approaches in patients with OSA.