Teaching Forensic Science to the American Police and Public: The Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory, 1929-1938.
Established in 1929, Northwestern University's Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (SCDL), America's first independent forensic crime laboratory, undertook a wide range of scientific case work during the 1930s, including toxicology, firearms identification, polygraph testing, the analysis of questioned documents and bacteriology; its mission being to provide Chicago with a world-class forensic science service. Alongside this mission, however, a key ambition of the SCDL's founders was to forensically educate police officers, legal professionals, and the general public. Convinced that American police were largely ignorant of scientific aids to crime detection and that the public's lack of forensic awareness led to the destruction and contamination of crime scenes, the SCDL attempted to fashion itself as a "school for manhunters." But, while the laboratory's ambitious program of public talks, scientific demonstrations, detective schools, expositions, and radio programs were intended to foster the creation of both a scientifically savvy public and policemen on par with those to be found in Europe, the SCDL encountered a number of significant hurdles to achieving these goals, including the hostility of some high-ranking police officials.


Determination of Optimum Ratio of Cationic Polymers and Small Interfering RNA with Agarose Gel Retardation Assay.
Nanomaterials have aroused attention in the recent years for their high potential for gene delivery applications. Most of the nanoformulations used in gene delivery are positively charged to carry negatively charged oligonucleotides. However, excessive positively charged carriers are cytotoxic. Therefore, the complexed oligonucleotide/nanoparticles should be well-examined before the application. In that manner, agarose gel electrophoresis, which is a basic method utilized for separation, identification, and purification of nucleic acid molecules because of its poriferous nature, is one of the strategies to determine the most efficient complexation rate. When the electric field is applied, RNA fragments can migrate through anode due to the negatively charged phosphate backbone. Because RNA has a uniform mass/charge ratio, RNA molecules run in agarose gel proportional according to their size and molecular weight. In this chapter, the determination of complexation efficiency between cationic polymer carriers and small interfering RNA (siRNA) cargos by using agarose gel electrophoresis is described. siRNA/cationic polymer carrier complexes are placed in an electric field and the charged molecules move through the counter-charged electrodes due to the phenomenon of electrostatic attraction. Nucleic acid cargos are loaded to cationic carriers via the electrostatic interaction between positively charged amine groups (N) of the carrier and negatively charged phosphate groups (P) of RNA. The N/P ratio determines the loading efficiency of the cationic polymer carrier. In here, the determination of N/P ratio, where the most efficient complexation occurs, by exposure to the electric field with a gel retardation assay is explained.


Understanding the direct and indirect costs of a first episode of psychosis program: Insights from PAFIP of Cantabria, Spain, during the first year of intervention.
Early intervention psychiatric services for patients with psychosis aim to limit the most damaging outcomes and reduce the patient's risk of social drift, decreasing illness severity and thus containing healthcare costs. There is a scarcity of studies that focus on first-episode psychosis (FEP), and those few that have been published only looked at direct health costs, but not at indirect costs, which make up the bulk of the budget. Our study aims to explore the short-term (1-year follow-up) economic cost of a FEP Program, including both direct and indirect costs. Data were collected retrospectively from the clinical records of 157 patients included in the Programa Atención Fases Iniciales de Psicosis, from Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander. Our data collection sheet collated data from direct and indirect costs associated with the illness. Data were also extracted from the Cantabria Health Service Records. STATA 15.0 was used for statistical analysis. On average, the total costs during the first year were €48 353.51 per patient, with direct healthcare costs being €13 729.47 (28.39%), direct non-medical costs €108.6 (0.22%), and indirect costs €34 515.44 (71.39%). We found that hospitalization costs were higher in males (p = 0.081) and in cannabis users (p = 0.032). The number of relapses increased both, hospitalization and treatment costs (r = 0.40 p = 0.000; r = 0.24 p = 0.067, respectively). Intensive Early Intervention in Psychosis Services may result in cost savings by decreasing hospitalization, premature mortality, disability, unemployment, and legal problems; however, the first year after diagnosis would represent the one with the highest costs.


Efficacy of brief motivational interviewing on smoking cessation at tuberculosis clinics in Tshwane, South Africa: a randomized controlled trial.
Tuberculosis (TB) patients who smoke risk adverse TB outcomes and other long-term health effects of smoking. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of brief motivational interviewing by lay health-care workers (LHCWs) in assisting TB patients to quit smoking. Multi-centre two-group parallel individual randomized controlled trial. Six primary care tuberculosis clinics in a South African township. Newly diagnosed adult TB patients identified as current smokers were randomized to brief motivational interviewing by a LHCW (intervention group, n = 205) or brief smoking cessation advice from a TB nurse (control group, n = 204). The primary outcome was self-reported sustained 6-month smoking abstinence. Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) testing was offered to about half the participants. Secondary outcomes were sustained abstinence at 3 months; 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 1, 3 and 6 months; and quit attempts. Allocation was concealed. Primary analysis relied on intention to treat. Multi-level analysis accounted for site heterogeneity of effect. Self-reported 6-month sustained abstinence was 21.5% for the intervention group versus 9.3% for the control group [relative risk (RR) = 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.34, 3.92]. Biochemically verified 6-month sustained abstinence was also higher in the intervention group (RR 2.21, 95% CI = 1.08, 4.51) for the 166 participants who were offered carbon monoxide testing. Self-reported 3-month sustained abstinence was 25.4% for the intervention group and 12.8% for the control group (RR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.24, 3.18). Motivational interviewing by lay counsellors to promote smoking cessation in tuberculosis patients in South Africa approximately doubled sustained smoking abstinence for at least 6 months compared with brief advice alone.


Susceptibility of avian B lymphocytes to retroviral infection parallels that of fibroblasts.
The ability of conventional virus receptors to mediate infection and transformation of immature B cells by the avian leukosis virus (ALV) was analyzed in chimeric chickens whose bursa of Fabricius contained a mixture of B cells from subgroup A virus receptor-positive and -negative chickens. The data indicate that factors that determine resistance of fibroblasts to ALV infection also apply to bursal cells and that other receptors expressed by B cells, i.e., antigen or mitogen receptors, do not initiate infection or transformation, at least not independent of conventional virus receptors.


Design of a visible light driven photo-electrochemical/electro-Fenton coupling oxidation system for wastewater treatment.
In this study, we report on a photo-electrochemical/electro-Fenton oxidation (PEC/EF) system by coupling visible light driven photo-electrochemical oxidation (PEC) and electro-Fenton oxidation (EF) in an undivided cell. Bi2WO6 nanoplates deposited on FTO glass (Bi2WO6/FTO) and Fe@Fe2O3 core-shell nanowires supported on activated carbon fiber (Fe@Fe2O3/ACF) were used as the anode and the cathode in the PEC/EF system, respectively. This novel PEC/EF system showed much higher activity than the single PEC and EF systems on degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution at natural pH. Moreover, the degradation and the instantaneous current efficiencies of the PEC/EF system were increased by 154% and 26% in comparison with the sum of those of single PEC and EF systems, respectively. These significant enhancements could be attributed to the synergetic effect from better separation of photo-generated carriers in the photo-anode and the transfer of photo-electrons to the oxygen diffusion cathode to generate more electro-generated H2O2 and hydroxyl radicals on the Fenton cathode. The better separation of photo-generated carriers contribute more to the overall degradation enhancement than the photo-electrons generated H2O2 and the subsequent Fenton reaction on the cathode during the PEC/EF process.


The operation of the malate-aspartate shuttle in the reoxidation of glycolytic NADH in slices of fetal rat liver.
Lactate production by liver slices from fetal rats (17th--18th day of gestation) is enhanced about two fold by aminooxyacetate, an inhibitor of aspartate transaminase (EC 22.214.171.124). Such an effect is consistent with an increase of the cytosolic NAD-redox state owing to the parallel fall in the pyruvate level, whereas the glycolytic flux does not seem to be influenced appreciably. Indeed, although the inhibitor causes a marked increase of fructose 1,6-diphosphate, glucose-6-phosphate decreases only slightly. These results suggest that in fetal rat liver the malate-aspartate shuttle is operative in the reoxidation of cytosolic NADH produced during aerobic glycolysis.


[Local prophylactic measures to prevent postoperative infection after cataract operations (author's transl)].
The Allen procedure to prevent postoperative endophthalmitis has been applied in cataract operations since 1973. Postoperative endophthalmitis has been observed through the years 1965--1973 in 0.49% of registered cases, while the infection rate has now been lowered to 0.067%.


Differential expression of microRNAs and their possible roles in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria and active hives.
Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a complicated skin disease with unknown pathophysiology. MicroRNAs (miRNA) have been shown to be active in cellular regulation. The goal of this pilot study was to examine whether miRNAs may be involved in the regulation of CIU or as biomarkers for CIU. Four groups of three patients each were selected: patients with either active hives or no hives and with positive or negative chronic urticaria (CU) index results. MiRNAs were isolated from patient plasma and analyzed by using miRNA microarray technology to determine the amount of each of the 2567 known human miRNAs. A total of 16 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in patients with active hives. Among them, five (2355-3p, 4264, 2355-5p, 29c-5p, and 361-3p) were significantly increased in samples with positive CU index results, which could be useful biomarkers for patients with chronic autoimmune urticaria. The miRNA data bases were used to find the targets of these selected miRNA sequences. These potential targets were then compared against a list of 154 urticaria-related genes. Twenty-five genes were found to match. These included eight that were significantly downregulated and eight that were significantly upregulated; however, seven of the eight downregulated genes (FBXL20, OPHN1, YPEL2, STARD9, EZH1, KLHL24, ING4) and five of the eight upregulated genes (BYSL, PNO1, ADAMTS9, STEAP4, SRGN) have no reported roles in signaling. For the 13 genes with reported roles in signaling, the following pathways were found: transforming growth factor beta signaling pathway (NRC31, KITLG, THBS1, CCL2), glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway (NR3C1, SELE, CCL2), p53 signaling pathway (CCNG2, THBS1, CCL2), p21-activated kinase pathway (PAK1IP1, KITLG, CCL2), phosphoinositide-3 kinase protein kinase B signaling pathway (KITLG, CHRM, THBS1), and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (NRC31, HRH1, CHRM), which could play important roles in CIU. A better understanding of those genes with undefined function and simultaneous quantitation of both miRNAs and messenger RNAs are needed to fully understand CIU disease.


Small airway dysfunction in asthmatic patients treated with as-needed SABA monotherapy: A perfect storm.
Short-acting beta agonist (SABA)-only treatment is associated with poor asthma control and adverse clinical outcomes. The importance of small airway dysfunction (SAD) is increasingly recognized in asthma, but less is known in patients using SABA-only therapy. We aimed to investigate the impact of SAD on asthma control in an unselected cohort of 60 adults with physician-diagnosed intermittent asthma treated with as-needed SABA monotherapy. All patients underwent standard spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS) at the first visit and were stratified by the presence of SAD defined by IOS (fall in resistance 5-20 Hz [R5-R20]>0.07 kPa × s*L-1). Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to analyze cross-sectional relationships between clinical variables and SAD. SAD was present in 73% of the cohort. Compared with patients without SAD, adults with SAD had a higher number of severe exacerbations (65.9% versus 25.0%, p < 0.05), higher use of annual SABA canisters (median (IQR), 3 (1.75-3) versus 1 (1-2), p < 0.001), and significantly less well-controlled asthma (11.7% versus 75.0%, p < 0.001). Spirometry parameters were similar between patients with IOS-defined SAD and those without SAD. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that exercise-induced bronchoconstriction symptoms (EIB, odds ratio [OR] 31.18; 95%CI:4.85-365.00) and night awakenings due to asthma (OR 30.30; 95%CI:2.61-1141.00) were independent predictors of SAD, with a high predictive power of the model incorporating these baseline predictors (AUC 0.92). EIB and nocturnal symptoms are strong predictors of SAD in asthmatic patients using as-needed SABA-monotherapy, helping to distinguish subjects with SAD among patients with asthma when IOS cannot be performed.


Comparison of EMG activity in shank muscles between individuals with and without chronic ankle instability when running on a treadmill.
Changes in movement capabilities after an injury to the ankle may impose adaptations in the peripheral and central nervous system. The purpose of our study was to compare the electromyogram (EMG) profile of ankle stabilizer muscles and stride-time variation during treadmill running in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Recreationally active individuals with (n = 12) and without (n = 15) CAI ran on a treadmill at two speeds. EMG activity of four shank muscles as well as tibial acceleration data were recorded during the running trials. EMG amplitude, timing of EMG peaks, and variation in stride-time were analyzed from 30 consecutive stride cycles. EMG data were time-normalized to stride duration and amplitude was normalized relative to the appropriate maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) task. Individuals with CAI had similar EMG amplitudes and peak timing, but an altered order of peak EMG activity in ankle stabilizer muscles, a significantly greater EMG amplitude for PL with an increase in speed, and a greater stride-time variability during treadmill running compared with individuals who had no history of ankle sprains. The results of our study indicate that individuals with CAI exhibit altered activation strategies for ankle stabilizer muscles when running on a treadmill.


The influence of porosity and pore size on the ultrasonic properties of bone investigated using a phantom material.
Ultrasonic propagation in bone has been investigated using the Leeds Ultrasonic Bone Phantom Material. Phantoms were produced with different porosities in the range of 45-83% and pore sizes of 1.3 and 0.6 mm. The phase velocity at 600 kHz was found to follow a second-order polynomial as a function of porosity. Phase velocity values between 1545 and 2211 m s-1 were measured and found to be largely independent of pore size for a given porosity. The slope of the phase velocity as a function of frequency (dispersion) decreases with increasing porosity. The values obtained from samples having different pore sizes were also similar. The attenuation coefficient and normalized broadband ultrasonic attenuation (nBUA) reached a maximum at about 50%. The normalized attenuation ranged from 6 to 25 dB cm-1 over the porosity range available and consistently showed higher values for the larger pore size. Similarly, the nBUA values were found to be between 14 and 53 dB MHz-1 cm-1, with the values for the larger pore size being roughly 10 dB MHz-1 cm-1 greater than those for the smaller pore size. These findings demonstrate that the Leeds phantom can be used to investigate the effect of structural changes in bone and to aid the understanding of quantitative ultrasound. The results support the assumption that the velocity in trabecular bone is not dependent on pore size but is influenced by the mechanical properties of the bone's constituents and the overall framework, whereas the attenuation and BUA are also influenced by structure.


Use of tumour marker immunoreactivity to identify primary site of metastatic cancer.
To determine whether variations in the expression of tumour related antigens can predict the origin of tumours. Immunohistological study of tumour marker expression in primary adenocarcinomas and respective metastatic deposits. Antibodies to the following tumour markers were used: polymorphic epithelial mucin (NCRC-11 and SM3), carcinoembryonic antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen with non-specific antigen co-specificity, CA125, CA19.9, prostate specific antigens, and thyroglobulin. Histopathology department of teaching hospital. 100 pathology sections of metastatic adenocarcinoma and their related primary tumours. Concordance of reactivity between primary and metastatic tumours. Reactivity profiles of tumour sites. The correct primary site of origin was predicted in 70% (33/47) of tumours in men and 54% (27/43) tumours in women with antibodies SM3, 288, CA19.9, CA125, and PSA (men only). Specificities ranged from 68% for breast tumour to 98% for prostate tumour. Use of tumour markers in patients presenting with metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin can help localise the probable primary sites and reduce the need for extensive and expensive imaging techniques.


Effect of plantar reflexology on labor pain and childbirth experience: A randomized controlled clinical trial.
This study aimed to determine the effect of plantar reflexology on the severity of labor pain and childbirth experience (primary outcomes) and the duration of labor stages (secondary outcomes). This single-blind randomized controlled trial was performed on 90 women in Al-Zahra and Taleghani hospitals in Tabriz-Iran. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups; Intervention 1 (two 30-min massages at the effective point of pain for each sole), intervention 2 (one 30-min massage at the effective point of pain and one 30-min massage at the heel for each sole), and control (two 30-minute heel massages). Massage was performed once in 4-cm dilatation and the second time in 7-cm dilatation. The severity of pain and childbirth experience were measured by Visual Analogue Scale and Labor Agentry Scale, respectively. Partograph chart was used to measure the length of labor stages. The severity of pain in intervention group 1 was significantly lower than the control group (AMD: -1.7; 9% confidence interval: -2.8 to -0.6; p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intervention groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.066) and intervention group 2 and control (p = 0.336). A significant difference was observed between groups in terms of length of the third stage of labor (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of mean childbirth experience score (p = 0.217), duration of active phase (p = 0.099), and second stage of labor (p = 0.114). The results of the study showed that plantar reflexology can reduce the severity of labor pain and the length of third stage of labor.


Loss of heterozygosity and SOSTDC1 in adult and pediatric renal tumors.
Deletions within the short arm of chromosome 7 are observed in approximately 25% of adult and 10% of Wilms pediatric renal tumors. Within Wilms tumors, the region of interest has been delineated to a 2-Mb minimal region that includes ten known genes. Two of these ten candidate genes, SOSTDC1 and MEOX2, are particularly relevant to tumor development and maintenance. This finding, coupled with evidence that SOSTDC1 is frequently downregulated in adult renal cancer and regulates both Wingless-Int (Wnt)- and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced signaling, points to a role for SOSTDC1 as a potential tumor suppressor. To investigate this hypothesis, we interrogated the Oncomine database to examine the SOSTDC1 levels in adult renal clear cell tumors and pediatric Wilms tumors. We then performed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and sequencing analyses of SOSTDC1 in 25 pediatric and 36 adult renal tumors. Immunohistochemical staining of patient samples was utilized to examine the impact of SOSTDC1 genetic aberrations on SOSTDC1 protein levels and signaling. Within the Oncomine database, we found that SOSTDC1 levels were reduced in adult renal clear cell tumors and pediatric Wilms tumors. Through SNP and sequencing analyses of 25 Wilms tumors, we identified four with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 7p and three that affected SOSTDC1. Of 36 adult renal cancers, we found five with LOH at 7p, two of which affected SOSTDC1. Immunohistochemical analysis of SOSTDC1 protein levels within these tumors did not reveal a relationship between these instances of SOSTDC1 LOH and SOSTDC1 protein levels. Moreover, we could not discern any impact of these genetic alterations on Wnt signaling as measured by altered beta-catenin levels or localization. This study shows that genetic aberrations near SOSTDC1 are not uncommon in renal cancer, and occur in adult as well as pediatric renal tumors. These observations of SOSTDC1 LOH, however, did not correspond with changes in SOSTDC1 protein levels or signaling regulation. Although our conclusions are limited by sample size, we suggest that an alternative mechanism such as epigenetic silencing of SOSTDC1 may be a key contributor to the reduced SOSTDC1 mRNA and protein levels observed in renal cancer.


Basic lifestyle habits and volume change in total gray matter among community dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese adults.
The brain controls human behavior, and the gray matter is the main resource of neuronal cells. We examined the longitudinal relationship between six basic lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, sleep, alcohol consumption, smoking, and social activity including employment) and total gray matter volume in community-dwelling adults in Japan. This two-year follow-up study with data derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging, Aichi, Japan, included adults aged 40-87 years (n = 1665, men: 51%). Lifestyle habits were assessed at baseline (2008-2010) using self-reported questionnaires and three-day dietary records. Total gray matter volume at baseline and after two years was estimated using T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging and FreeSurfer software. The association between each lifestyle factor, the total number of healthy lifestyle habits, and gray matter volume change was determined via a multiple linear regression analysis adjusting for baseline age, total gray matter volume, and other confounders. The mean ± standard deviation decrease in total gray matter volume during the two-year follow-up period was 0.94 ± 1.86% in men and 0.61 ± 2.27% in women. In the multiple regression analysis, volume loss in total gray matter positively correlated with male smoking, while it was negatively correlated with male social activity and employment, female dietary diversity, and the total number of healthy lifestyle habits (standardized beta coefficient; -0.061 in men [p = 0.07], -0.113 in women [p < 0.05]). Therefore, engaging in social activities, non-smoking, a diverse diet, or adopting one healthy lifestyle habit may help prevent gray matter volume loss.


Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B acts as a novel molecule to mediate testosterone synthesis and secretion in mouse Leydig cells by luteinizing hormone (LH) signaling pathway.
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (Cdkn1b, p27) plays important regulatory roles in many cellular processes. p27 is highly expressed in the mouse testis, but its roles and underlying mechanisms for testosterone synthesis and secretion remain not well understood. In the current study, we found that p27 located in Leydig cells and Sertoli cells of adult mouse testis. To explore the function of p27 in Leydig cells, p27 inhibitor and activator were injected into the adult mice, primary Leydig cells and TM3 cells. Our in vivo and in vitro results showed that change in the expression of p27 significantly alters the testosterone in both globe serum and culture medium. Meanwhile, the steroidogenesis-related gene expression was significantly regulated too. Moreover, our in vitro study showed that luteinizing hormone (LH) significantly increased p27 mRNA levels. Furthermore, our results proved that altering the mRNA expression of p27 leads to the synchronized changes of Lhcgr, Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b6, Cyp11a1, and Hsd17b3. Alterations of p27 also result in synchronously changes of RAF1 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These findings indicate that p27 plays vital roles in LH-induced testosterone production, providing a novel mechanism that p27 acts as an upstream molecule to elevate ERK1/2 phosphorylation to promote the expression of StAR and other cholesterol-metabolizing enzymes.


Patient-reported dyspnea and health predict waitlist mortality in patients waiting for lung transplantation in Japan.
Waitlist mortality due to donor shortage for lung transplantation is a serious problem worldwide. Currently, the selection of recipients in Japan is mainly based on the registration order. Hence, scientific evidence for risk stratification regarding waitlist mortality is urgently needed. We hypothesized that patient-reported dyspnea and health would predict mortality in patients waitlisted for lung transplantation. We analyzed factors related to waitlist mortality using data of 203 patients who were registered as candidates for lung transplantation from deceased donors. Dyspnea was evaluated using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and the health status was determined with St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Among 197 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the main underlying disease was interstitial lung disease (99 patients). During the median follow-up period of 572 days, 72 patients died and 96 received lung transplantation (69 from deceased donors). Univariable competing risk analyses revealed that both mMRC dyspnea and SGRQ Total score were significantly associated with waitlist mortality (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively) as well as age, interstitial lung disease, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and forced vital capacity. Multivariable competing risk analyses revealed that the mMRC and SGRQ score were associated with waitlist mortality in addition to age and interstitial lung disease. Both mMRC dyspnea and SGRQ score were significantly associated with waitlist mortality, in addition to other clinical variables such as patients' background, underlying disease, and pulmonary function. Patient-reported dyspnea and health may be measured through multi-dimensional analysis (including subjective perceptions) and for risk stratification regarding waitlist mortality.


[What's new in pediatric dermatology?].
The main selected articles in pediatric dermatology covered the following topics: development and maturation of the epidermal barrier in the neonate, iatrogenic events in the neonatal ICU, diagnostic value of minor birthmarks, complications, risk factors and treatment of hemangiomas, coagulopathy in venous malformations, epidemiology and dermoscopy of congenital and acquired melanocytic nevi in childhood, growth of the body surface area, new pathogenic concepts and treatment in atopic dermatitis, the impact of filaggrin deficiency, hereditary factors in Kawasaki disease, severe and drug resistant cases, management of juvenile dermatomyositis, treatment of childhood psoriasis with biologics, the new classification of epidermolysis bullosa and therapeutic approach with cell therapy, neurological impairment in xeroderma pigmentosum, behavioural anomalies in X-linked ichthyosis, guidelines for neurofibromatosis type I, the genetics of an hereditary hypotrichosis, infantile acne, rosacea in childhood, mast cell disease management and, last but not least, treatment of hair lice with silicone.


Sprinting and hamstring strain injury: Beliefs and practices of professional physical performance coaches in Australian football.
The purpose of this study was to establish beliefs and practices of physical performance coaches regarding sprinting and Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI) in Australian Rules football. Delphi-validated questionnaire. Online. Eighteen high-performance managers of the Australian Football League. Descriptive statistics were collected to establish experience; central themes were established for the analyses of the beliefs and practices. Nine (50%) physical performance coaches responded to an invitation to complete the questionnaire. Participants held an undergraduate degree and had 9.2 ± 4.3 years of experience. Accelerations (n = 9), maximum speed sprints (n = 9) and running with hip flexion (n = 7) were the most common activities associated with HSI. Coaches believed sprinting, eccentric strength training and proper periodisation were effective strategies to reduce HSI risk. There's a disparity between beliefs and practices when using GPS to monitor sprinting, however, all coaches reported regular exposure to sprint training across both pre and in-season. Overstriding (n = 9) and pelvic instability (n = 6) were identified as key flaws in running mechanics. This information can be used to improve training strategies, whilst these findings indicate further investigations into sprint training and running mechanics for HSI risk reduction.


Effect of Apical Third Enlargement to Different Preparation Sizes and Tapers on Postoperative Pain and Outcome of Primary Endodontic Treatment: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of apical preparation size and taper on postoperative pain and healing after primary endodontic treatment. One hundred and twenty patients with asymptomatic mandibular first molars with radiographic evidence of periapical pathology and with a periapical index (PAI) score ≥3 were randomly assigned to 2 groups, group 1 and 2, based on apical enlargement to 2 and 3 sizes larger than the initial apical binding file (IABF), respectively. Each group was further divided into subgroups A and B depending on the apical enlargement taper of 4% and 6%, respectively. Endodontic treatment was performed, and the final apical enlargement in all the groups was performed as follows: group 1A, 2 sizes larger than the IABF with a 4% taper; group 1B, 2 sizes larger than the IABF with a 6% taper; group 2A, 3 sizes larger than the IABF with a 4% taper; and group 2B, 3 sizes larger than the IABF with a 6% taper. Postoperative pain was assessed at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. Clinical evaluation and the change in the PAI score on radiographs were assessed at the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. No significant difference in postoperative pain was found. The success rate was lowest (57.1%) in group 1 subgroup A as evidenced by the significant change in the PAI score between group 1 subgroup A and the rest of the groups at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Apical preparation to 2 sizes larger than the IABF with a 4% taper is insufficient and results in significantly lower success rates compared with larger preparation sizes and tapers.


Neurobehavioral aspects, pathophysiology, and management of Tourette syndrome.
This update summarizes progress in understanding Tourette syndrome clinical characteristics, etiology, and treatment over the past year. Premonitory sensory phenomena were found to have important impacts on Tourette syndrome quality of life. A rare genetic form of Tourette syndrome due to L-histidine-decarboxylase mutation, with similar features in human and rodent, has inspired new research on functional anatomy of Tourette syndrome. In response to new data, treatment guidelines have been revised to include behavioral therapy as first-line treatment. Novel dopamine receptor antagonists aripiprazole and ecopipam have shown potential efficacy - as well as tolerability concerns. Recent work has suggested efficacy and tolerability of topiramate and fluphenazine, but more rigorous studies are needed to further understand their role in Tourette syndrome management. Recent consensus guidelines explain when deep brain stimulation can be considered for severe refractory cases under a multidisciplinary team. More research is needed to identify better tolerated treatments for, to understand pathophysiology or functional anatomy of, and to predict or influence longitudinal outcome of Tourette syndrome.


Double-blind, randomized clinical study comparing hyaluronic acid cream to placebo in patients treated with radiotherapy.
The effect of hyaluronic acid (Ialugen cream) on acute skin reactions after radiotherapy, was assessed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Out of the 152 patients presenting with head and neck, breast or pelvic carcinomas and registered in the study, 134 cases-70 in the Ialugen group (IA) and 64 in the placebo group (PBO)-completed their IA or PBO treatment. At the time of randomisation, these two groups were balanced for sex, age, weight and height. The mean total dose of radiation given during the study was 60.6 +/- 10.9 Gy in the IA group and 64.3 +/- 10.8 Gy in the PBO group (P = 0.47). Acute radio-epithelitis scores were significantly higher in the PBO group than in the IA group, starting from the control at week 3 and throughout the 6 weeks of treatment (P < 0.01 from week 3 to week 7; P < 0.05 at weeks 8 and 10). Likewise, the global efficacy judgement expressed, at the end of treatment, by both the physician and the patient showed a significant difference in favour of Ialugen (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). There was no significant difference of tolerance between the IA and PBO treatments (P = 0.18 according to the physician and P = 0.42 from the patient's viewpoint). The prophylactic use of a cream with hyaluronic acid is shown to reduce the incidence of high grade radio-epithelitis, suggesting an interesting role of the hyaluronic acid cream as supportive treatment to improve compliance and quality of life in patients undergoing radiation therapy.


A systematic review of ecological momentary assessment studies on weight stigma and a call for a large-scale collaboration.
Weight stigma is associated with poor mental health correlates in cross-sectional research. Researchers are increasingly using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) methods, collecting comprehensive within-person data to understand the temporal nature of weight stigma and its biopsychosocial correlates. To systematically review EMA studies on the effect of weight stigma on biopsychosocial correlates and integrate the findings. PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Medline Complete, and Web of Science were searched and studies were doubled screened (H.B. and X.P.G.). Twelve studies (N = 615) met our inclusion criteria. For both between- and within-subject effects, experienced and internalized weight stigmas were associated with negative correlates/outcomes (e.g., higher disordered eating and lower positive mood). However, studies differed in the correlate measures assessed, EMA methods used, and participant instructions provided. Given these inconsistencies, comparison across studies was difficult, and findings could not be reliably integrated. Consistent with previous research, studies from this review suggest weight stigma leads to adverse outcomes. EMA has the potential to overcome many of the limitations present in cross-sectional research on weight stigma and provide more ecologically valid and reliable results. We argue for a collaborative data-sharing consortium with standardized EMA methodologies, so researchers worldwide can contribute to and make use of a large, collective dataset on weight stigma and health correlates (see osf.io/9hfyr).


A review of the recent trend in the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials derived from oil palm by-product materials.
Grown only in humid tropical conditions, the palm tree provides high-quality oil essential for cooking and personal care or biofuel in the energy sector. After the refining process, this demand could cause numerous oil palm biomass waste management problems. However, the emergence of carbon nanomaterials or CNMs could be a great way to put this waste to a good cause. The composition of the palm waste can be used as a green precursor or starting materials for synthesizing CNMs. Hence, this review paper summarizes the recent progress for the CNMs production for the past 10 years. This review paper extensively discusses the method for processing CNMs, chemical vapor deposition, pyrolysis, and microwave by the current synthesis method. The parameters and conditions of the synthesis are also analyzed. The application of the CNMs from palm oil and future recommendations are also highlighted. Generally, this paper could be a handy guide in assisting the researchers in exploring economic yet simple procedures in synthesizing carbon-based nanostructured materials derived from palm oil that can fulfill the required applications.


'Mums are sacred, and mums don't die': A mixed-methods study of adult child-parent dyadic relationships at the end of life.
The aim of the present study was to report the specific challenges pertaining to the experiences and needs of (1) terminally ill adult children and their parents and (2) terminally ill parents and their adult children, regarding their relationship and relationship roles. The study sought to identify similar and differing relationship patterns between the two dyadic types. This prospective observational study used an exploratory mixed-methods approach. Patients and caregivers were recruited (Feb. 2018 - Nov. 2019) via general and specialist palliative care providers in Germany. The study combined semi-structured interviews with quantitative questionnaires covering socio-demographic details, attachment style and emotional intimacy. A total of 65 patients and 42 family caregivers participated in the study. Interview data indicate that illness situation and dependencies were perceived in both dyads to represent a relationship role reversal contrary to the 'natural order'. With respect to dyad 1, adult children stressed their need for autonomy, whereas caregiving parents strived for greater intimacy in the relationship. Within dyad 2, terminally ill parents and adult children experienced a new relationship intensity. Questionnaire data showed that emotional intimacy was perceived by patients in both dyads and adult child caregivers as significantly higher in the current illness situation compared to the pre-illness situation. This was the first study to contribute to an understanding of the different needs of terminally ill adult children/parents and their parent/adult child caregivers, thus contributing to an understanding of the different needs of these parties, both within and between the dyadic forms. The results suggest that the dyads share similar themes, which should be integrated into general support interventions; however, some themes appear more relevant for one dyad, only. For both dyads, we recommend psychological counseling to support open communication and understanding between parties.


Fluorescent hollow ZrO2@CdTe nanoparticles-based lateral flow assay for simultaneous detection of C-reactive protein and troponin T.
Highly fluorescent hollow ZrO2@CdTe nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized efficiently via the hydrothermal method. By changing the hydrothermal time of ZrO2@CdTe NP, the peaks of fluorescence spectra measured at fluorescent excitation of 330 nm were at 540 nm, 590 nm, and 640 nm, respectively. Hollow ZrO2 NPs have a uniform core-shell structure with the size of 178 ± 10 nm and shell of 19 ± 4 nm. The as-prepared yellow-ZrO2@CdTe NPs were used to develop lateral flow assay (LFA) for the sensitive and qualitative detection of C-reactive protein (CRP). The visual limit of detection of the LFA for the CRP antigen was 1 μg/L within 20 min, which is 1000-fold lower than that of colloidal gold-based LFA. In addition, a multiplex lateral flow assay (mLFA) was developed using the as-prepared green and red-ZrO2@CdTe NPs for the simultaneous, specific, sensitive, and qualitative detection of CRP and troponin T (cTnT). The visual limits of detection of CRP and cTnT in mLFA were 10 μg/L and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. The excellent performance of ZrO2@CdTe NPs should facilitate their application in point-of-care technology for the detection of other biomarkers.


A rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of melphalan and its monohydroxy and dihydroxy metabolites in human plasma.
As a hydrolysis mediated drug in vivo, the pharmacokinetics of melphalan are highly variable in patients. Few methodologies could simultaneously measure the concentrations of melphalan and its hydrolyzed metabolites in plasma. The aim of this study was to develop a simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of melphalan and its hydrolyzed metabolites, monohydroxy melphalan (MOH melphalan) and dihydroxy melphalan (DOH melphalan). A simple protein precipitation was employed for sample preparation and melphalan-d8 was used as internal standard. Baseline separation of target analytes was achieved using an XSelect HSS T3 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 5 µm) with a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min in 5 min. The monitored transitions were m/z 305.1 → 287.7 for melphalan, m/z 287.1 → 228.0 for MOH melphalan, m/z 269.3 → 251.8 for DOH melphalan, and m/z 313.1 → 295.7 for melphalan-d8. The method was fully validated in accordance with the FDA guideline. The calibration curves were established over the range of 5.22-5220 ng/mL for melphalan, 7.94-1588 ng/mL for MOH-melphalan, and 15.0-3000 ng/mL for DOH-melphalan with the regression coefficients greater than 0.99. The intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation for the analytes were ≤11.0% and all the biases were less than 8.3%. The method has been successfully applied to the quantification of melphalan and its metabolites in clinical plasma samples obtained from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients who received a dose of melphalan for pre-transplant conditioning.


How mothers respond to their crying infant.
The purpose of this study was to allow mothers who are at high risk for abusing their child to describe how they manage when their infant cries. This phenomenologic qualitative study used a focus group design and semi-structured interview format. Participants were seven low-income women with a child enrolled in an urban day care facility, which provided the setting for data collection. Analyses of the data revealed three themes: (a) activities done to pacify the infant, (b) coping mechanism, and (c) social support available. The results of this study indicate that activities (a) may include the infant, such as holding and singing, or (b) may be directed toward the mother, such as using headphones or leaving the room. These activities follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and are not unique. Social support primarily was provided at the day care facility, supplemented with personal relationships that are tentative. Valued informal and formal interactions with supportive persons provide the emotional and psychosocial support for this at-risk population.


Branching patterns and intraosseous course of the mental nerve.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the branching patterns of the mental nerve (MN) and intraosseous courses of the MN branches, and to determine the clinical relevance of the various courses of the MN branches. We investigated the topography of the MN by dissecting 31 hemifaces of Korean cadavers. Based on the distribution area of the MN, it was divided into angular (A), medial inferior labial (ILm), lateral inferior labial (ILl), and mental (M) branches. We classified the branching patterns of the 4 branches of the MN into 5 types. Type II, in which the MN divided into 3 branches (A, ILm, and M), with the ILl branch separating from the A branch, was the most common (35.4%). The MN was classified based on the shape of the anterior loop into loop, straight, and vertical patterns, which constituted 61.5%, 23.1%, and 15.4%, respectively. In the mandibular canal, the inferior alveolar nerve completely divided into the MN and the dental nerve, which supplies the teeth. In 17 cases (81%), the nerve bundles constituting the A branch were located at the superior aspect, whereas the nerve bundles of the inferior labial and mental branches were in the middle and inferior aspects within the mandibular canal, respectively, at the mental foramen region. These observations can help clinicians to predict the location or extent of paresthesia in the facial region according to the location and extent of nerve damage during dental implant surgery or genioplasty.


[Differences in the levels of serum immunoglobulins in various cancer patients].
IgG and IgM were purified from human peripheral blood sera and IgA from human colostrum. A method is established to measure the Ig classes quantitatively which is a modification of Mancini's radialimmundiffusion technique. Three Ig clases were detected from 136 cancer patients and compared with 34 healthy controls. In sarcoma there was an increase in the 3 classes of Ig in serum. These differences were also significant in patients with bone tumors. A raised level of three classes of Ig was seen.


Morphology of proximal and distal human semitendinosus compartments and the effects of distal tendon harvesting for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
The human semitendinosus muscle is characterized by a tendinous inscription separating proximal and distal neuromuscular compartments. As each compartment is innervated by separate nerve branches, potential exists for independent operation and control of compartments. However, the morphology and function of each compartment have not been thoroughly examined in an adult human population. Further, the distal semitendinosus tendon is typically harvested for use in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, which induces long-term morphological changes to the semitendinosus muscle-tendon unit. It remains unknown if muscle morphological alterations following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are uniform between proximal and distal semitendinosus compartments. Here, we performed magnetic resonance imaging on 10 individuals who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction involving an ipsilateral distal semitendinosus tendon graft 14 ± 4 months prior, extracting morphological parameters of the whole semitendinosus muscle and each individual compartment from both the (non-injured) contralateral and surgical legs. In the contralateral leg, volume and length of the proximal compartment were smaller than the distal compartment. No between-compartment differences in volume or length were found for anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed legs, likely due to greater shortening of the distal compared to the proximal compartment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The maximal anatomical cross-sectional area of both compartments was substantially smaller on the anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed leg but did not differ between compartments on either leg. The absolute and relative between-leg differences in proximal compartment morphology on the anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed leg were strongly correlated with the corresponding between-leg differences in distal compartment morphological parameters. Specifically, greater between-leg morphological differences in one compartment were highly correlated with large between-leg differences in the other compartment, and vice versa for smaller differences. These relationships indicate that despite the heterogeneity in compartment length and volume, compartment atrophy is not independent or random. Further, the tendinous inscription endpoints were generally positioned at the same proximodistal level as the compartment maximal anatomical cross-sectional areas, providing a wide area over which the tendinous inscription could mechanically interact with compartments. Overall, results suggest the two human semitendinosus compartments are not mechanically independent.


Rapid isolation of high quality, multimeric plasmid DNA using zwitterionic detergent.
Purification of plasmid DNA from bacteria is an essential tool in recombinant DNA technology and has become an essential task in laboratories to industries. Moreover, the recent progress of "Gene therapy" and "Genetic vaccination" also demands production of pharmaceutical grade plasmid DNA in 'kilogram' level. Despite existence of a number of purification protocols, all most all have been originated from a pioneering work [Birnboim, H.C., Doly, J., 1979. A rapid extraction procedure for screening recombinant plasmid DNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 7, 1513-1523] and so suffer from one or more drawbacks, such as purification time, purity or quantity of isolated plasmid DNA. Here, we have reported an innovative approach for isolation of highly pure and functional plasmid DNA in significant amount, based on generation of "soft protein aggregate" with the help of zwitterionic detergents and alkali. Solibilized proteins and RNA could be removed by a simple and mild washing with Tris buffer of low ionic strength and multimeric plasmid DNA could be eluted in a single step from the protein aggregate. Additionally, isolated plasmid DNA could easily be digested by restriction enzymes and had high functionality in protein expression. Thus, considering both its remarkable simplicity and efficiency in producing sufficiently pure plasmid DNA, the new strategy would emerge a useful tool in modern recombinant technology and therapeutic applications.


Confusion about measuring central nervous system effects.
Anticholinergic therapy together with behavioral treatment are the main stays of treatment for the overactive bladder. Successful therapy and patient compliance depend very much on side effects. In the past, little attention has been paid to anticholinergic side effects in the central nervous system (CNS), which can be critical, especially for elderly patients. Incidence and intensity of CNS effects depend on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties that are decisive whether anticholinergics pass the blood-brain barrier as a result of passive and active transport mechanisms. To measure potential CNS side effects of anticholinergic drugs, rapid eye movement sleep analysis, quantitative-topographic electroencephalogram studies, and psychometric tests were performed. Structural changes in brain morphology resulting from anticholinergics also were analyzed in a post-mortem study.


Effect of diethylsulphoxide on growth, survival and ion exchange of Escherichia coli.
To study the effect of diethylsulphoxide (DESO) on Escherichia coli growth, survival and ionic exchange in comparison with dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO). Bacterial survival was estimated by counting colony-forming units and by the most probable number (five-tube) technique; the K+ and H+ transport and H(2) formation were determined electrochemically. Diethylsulphoxide at concentrations between 0.01 and 0.5% (w/v) stimulated and above 5% decreased the anaerobic growth rate and survival. 2H+ : K+ exchange and H(2) formation were lost at 5% DESO. At 0.05% DESO the kinetic characteristics of H+ : K+ exchange and H(2) formation were typical for Delta micro (H(+)) -dependent TrkA uncoupled with F(0)F(1) under respiration. Diethylsulphoxide at low concentrations serves as an electron acceptor for an anaerobic respiratory chain stimulating bacterial growth and survival through the modulation of H+ : K+ exchange and H(2) formation activity. The effects of DESO were more pronounced than those of DMSO. Diethylsulphoxide determines essential biological and therapeutic properties that make its application preferable.


Norovirus diarrhea is significantly associated with higher counts of fecal histo-blood group antigen expressing Enterobacter cloacae among black South African infants.
The study tested the hypothesis that harboring high levels of histo-blood group antigen-expressing Enerobactero cloacae is a risk factor for norovirus diarrhea. The fecal E. cloacae abundance in diarrheic norovirus positive (DNP), non-diarrheic norovirus negative (NDNN), diarrhea norovirus negative (DNN), and non-diarrhea norovirus positive (NDNP) infants was determined by qPCR, and the risk of norovirus diarrhea was assessed by logistical regression. DNP infants contained significantly higher counts of E. cloacae than NDNN and DNN infants, p = .0294, and 0.0001, respectively. The risk of norovirus diarrhea was significantly high in infants with higher counts of E. cloacae than those with lower counts, p = .009. Harboring higher counts of E. cloacae is a risk factor for norovirus diarrhea.


Design of biologically active peptides with non-peptidic structural elements. Biological and physical properties of a synthetic analogue of beta-endorphin with unnatural amino acids in the region 6-12.
Modelling studies with beta-endorphin have clearly demonstrated that an amphiphilic secondary structural segment is a salient feature of the biologically active conformation of this 31-residue opioid peptide hormone. Here, we have initiated the synthesis of peptide models using unnatural building blocks by designing a beta-endorphin analogue (peptide 6) in which the hydrophilic linker region between the NH2-terminal enkephalin (residues 1-5) and the COOH-terminal helix (residues 10-28, sequence identical to that of peptide 3 in region 13-31, Fig. 1) consists of four units of gamma-amino-gamma-hydroxymethylbutyric acid connected by isopeptidic linkages. Peptide 6 has physical properties similar to that of peptide 3, as shown by surface monolayer and circular dichroism studies. The binding affinities of the two peptides to delta- and mu-receptors are also similar. In rat vas deferens assays, the present model is equipotent to peptide 3. The most striking result of all is the potent analgesic activity displayed by peptide 6 when injected intracerebroventricularly into mice. The potencies of peptides 6 and 3 are comparable in these assays. These studies clearly illustrate that one can use unusual building blocks to construct structural regions of synthetic analogues and still preserve the biological activity of peptide hormones.


Epigenetic Modifiers Alter Host Cell Transcription to Promote Toxoplasma Infection.
Given the importance of epigenetic modification, pathogens have found a variety of ways to alter chromatin and affect host gene expression. The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii expresses two nuclear targeted secreted effectors TgIST and TgNSM that target the activity of host histone deacetylase regulating corepressor complexes NuRD and NCoR/SMRT, respectively. TgIST and TgNSM are crucial for blocking the host interferon response protecting both the acute and latent stages of the infection. T. gondii represents a unique model organism to study the significance of epigenetic modifications in the regulation of interferon responses and other transcriptional responses at the interface of host-pathogen interaction.


Effects of light intensity through resin inlays on the bond strength of dual-cured resin cement.
To evaluate the influence of the light intensity, irradiation time, and thickness of the indirect restoration composite on the bond strength of dual-cured resin cement immediately after cementation, applying the resin coating technique. Three hundred forty composite blocks as an adhesive surface and four thicknesses of indirect restoration composite disks were prepared. The surface of the composite blocks was coated with low-viscosity resin composite and immersed in water for 24 h. After immersion, dual-cured resin cement was applied to the resin-coated surface and the indirect restoration composite disks were placed on it. Light irradiation was performed through four thicknesses of indirect restoration composite disks with conventional halogen (40 s) and high intensity (10, 20, 40 s) light units. The specimens were stored in water at 37 degrees C for 10 min or 24 h, and the tensile bond test was performed. For the 1-mm composite thickness, there were no significant differences in the bond strengths between 10 min and 24 h after cementation with the four light curing methods. For the composite thicknesses of 3 or 4 mm, the bond strength 24 h after cementation was significantly higher than that at 10 min after cementation with conventional halogen (40 s) and high-intensity light units at 10 s and 20 s, but there was no significant difference with the high-intensity light unit applied for 40 s. The bond strength of dual-cured resin cement immediately after cementation could be greatly influenced by the irradiation time and the light intensity penetrating the indirect restoration composite.


Treatment of vaginal recurrence in endometrial cancer. A review.
We have reviewed the literature concerning vaginal recurrence in endometrial cancer with emphasis on prognostics and therapeutic results. Compared to the overall outcome of recurrences (11-17 per cent survive more than 3-19 years) the survival rate of strictly vaginal recurrence appears significantly higher (up to 60-70 per cent survive more than 5 years). However, the prognosis deteriorates significantly in cases where recurrences prove to be more widespread. Other factors towards predicting a poor outcome are high age, high stage, high grade, detection of papillary carcinoma, rapid recurrence, location to the lower part of vagina, large tumor size, and previous radiation. Different methods of initial treatment and cross-relations between most prognostic factors renders any ranking of prognostic factors almost impossible. Standard treatment of vaginal recurrence including combined external and intra vaginal radiation used for decades have been unable to improve survival rate. We suggest a more individualized treatment based on exact delineation of the disease.


Validation of an erosive tooth wear risk factors questionnaire for adolescents.
To validate a questionnaire for the identification of factors associated with erosive tooth wear (ETW) in adolescents. Based on previous questionnaires, a 73-question instrument was designed (four domains: socio-demographics, general/oral health history, diet and oral care habits). Content validity was assessed by five external experts, and the questions' understandability was evaluated in a pilot study (10 adolescents). Three internal experts agreed on modifications. Construct validity was assessed after the resulting questionnaire was applied to 454 12- to 15-year olds from Bogotá (Colombia). Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). After the content validation, 52% of the questions were excluded and remaining 38 questions were adjusted. Construct validation: The EFA resulted in the regrouping of questions into the three remaining domains (KMO = 0.68; Bartlett's test: p < 0.001). Internal consistency was good (general questionnaire Cronbach's α = 0.67; individual factors' Cronbach's α = 0.30-0.69; ICC = 0.39-0.62; p < 0.001), and the model showed satisfactory fit. CFA showed good convergent and discriminatory validity suggesting the elimination of 14 additional questions (χ2 = 238.518; p > 0.086; CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.017; PRATIO = 0.76). The final validated questionnaire comprised 24 questions (general/oral health history: n = 5; dietary habits: n = 15; oral care habits: n = 4). The validation of the ETW questionnaire for adolescents was satisfactory and resulted in a short applicable questionnaire version. This study achieved a satisfactorily validated, short, and applicable questionnaire for assessing erosive tooth wear risk factors in adolescents, recommended for the clinical practice, research, and epidemiology.


Intrathecal Baclofen: a discussion on impact that medical advances can have on the individual and the implications this has for a society that is built on an ethic of social medicine.
The intention of this article is to examine the impact of medical advances and new medical technologies on the lives of individuals with disabilities and chronic illness. It looks at the problem of balancing social expectation, cost and individuals quality of life. A personal case study that looks at the use of Intrathecal Baclofen to relieve the spasticity related to cerebral palsy; improving personal function and enhancing quality of life. Advances in medical technology such as Intrathecal Baclofen can undoubtedly greatly enhance quality of life. We live in a society that has heath provision at its heart and an expectation that all needs will be met. With ever more costly treatments, will it ultimately prove to be need or cost that will define health treatment in the future?


Minimizing matrix effects while preserving throughput in LC-MS/MS bioanalysis.
Phospholipids are known to cause matrix effects in LC-MS analysis and are not effectively removed by one of the most common method of sample preparation: organic solvent protein precipitation. The objective of this research is to minimize phospholipid interferences chromatographically. In this article we examine several chromatographic approaches and highlight the method we developed that allows for the rapid gradient separation of model drug molecules from phospholipids. The new approach (which utilizes a mixture of methanol and acetonitrile as the organic mobile phase on a 2.1 × 20 mm C18 column) minimized phospholipids-related matrix effects in the analysis of plasma samples prepared by protein precipitation and is suitable for high-throughput bioanalysis in drug discovery.


Frontal activation during a verbal-fluency task as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an optical method which allows non-invasive in vivo measurements of concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (O(2)Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb) in brain tissue. The present study investigated the blood oxygenation changes that were associated with the execution of the Verbal-Fluency Test (VFT) in left and right prefrontal brain areas of 14 healthy subjects by means of NIRS. During the VFT, subjects were required to pronounce as many nouns as possible beginning with the letters "A," "F," and "S." Compared to a baseline resting condition, we found a significant increase of O2Hb (left hemisphere: baseline, 1.2+/-1.1microm; VFT(letterS), 3.56+/-2.02microm; right hemisphere: baseline, 1.26+/-1.08microm; VFT(letterS), 3.67+/-2.03microm) and a significant decrease of HHb (left hemisphere: baseline, -0.21+/-0.59microm; VFT(letterS), -0.67+/-0.60microm; right hemisphere: baseline, -0.29+/-0.53microm; VFT(letterS), -0.68+/-0.44microm) during the execution of the VFT over both hemispheres. No lateralization effects were observed. The results confirm that NIRS is suitable for the measurement of blood oxygenation changes in frontal brain areas that are associated with cognitive tasks.


Unconscious processing of multiple nonadjacent letters in visually masked words.
The claim that visually masked, unidentifiable ("subliminal") words are analyzed at the level of whole word meaning has been challenged by recent findings indicating that instead, analysis occurs mainly at the subword level. The present experiments examined possible limits on subword analysis. Experiment 1 obtained semantic priming from pleasant- and unpleasant-meaning subliminal words in which no individual letter contained diagnostic information about a word's evaluative valence; thus analysis must operate on information more complex than that contained in individual letters. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that analysis must operate on information more complex than that represented by individual bigrams (adjacent letters) or trigrams (three consecutive letters). These findings suggest that while subliminal priming is driven by subword analysis, the effective units of analysis are distributed widely across at least short (four- and five-letter) words.


Integrated Photoresponsive Alkaline Earth Metal Coordination Networks: Synthesis, Topology, Photochromism and Photoluminescence Investigation.
Photoresponsive materials are a key part of the age of smart technology that have potential in a broad range of applications. Coordination networks (CNs) are widely used due to their designability and stability. In this work, three novel alkaline earth metal coordination networks (AEM-CNs): [Mg(CMNDI)(H2 O)2 ], [Ca(CMNDI)(H2 O)2 ]⋅H2 O, and [Sr(CMNDI)(H2 O)(DMF)] with fsl, cds, and scn topology nets were synthetized via N,N'-bis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (H2 CMNDI); the scn net is not found in the Reticular Chemistry Structure Resource or ToposPro. The reusable and sensitive photochromic properties of the three CNs enable them to be used as secret inks or ultraviolet detectors. In addition, the CNs also exhibited reusable photoluminescent turn-off toward the drug molecules, balsalazide disodium (Bal.) and colchicine (Col.), with good limits of detection of 0.16 and 0.70 μM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of a fluorescence sensor for Bal. Thus, the AEM-CNs provide a design idea for integrated photoresponsive materials that could be further improved in the near future by further study.


Pharmacological vitamin C inhibits mTOR signaling and tumor growth by degrading Rictor and inducing HMOX1 expression.
Pharmacological vitamin C (VC) is a potential natural compound for cancer treatment. However, the mechanism underlying its antitumor effects remains unclear. In this study, we found that pharmacological VC significantly inhibits the mTOR (including mTORC1 and mTORC2) pathway activation and promotes GSK3-FBXW7-mediated Rictor ubiquitination and degradation by increasing the cellular ROS. Moreover, we identified that HMOX1 is a checkpoint for pharmacological-VC-mediated mTOR inactivation, and the deletion of FBXW7 or HMOX1 suppresses the regulation of pharmacological VC on mTOR activation, cell size, cell viability, and autophagy. More importantly, it was observed that the inhibition of mTOR by pharmacological VC supplementation in vivo produces positive therapeutic responses in tumor growth, while HMOX1 deficiency rescues the inhibitory effect of pharmacological VC on tumor growth. These results demonstrate that VC influences cellular activities and tumor growth by inhibiting the mTOR pathway through Rictor and HMOX1, which may have therapeutic potential for cancer treatment.


Leucine as an excipient in spray dried powder for inhalation.
Leucine is a promising excipient with several applications in the development of inhalable spray-dried powder of high- and low-dose drugs. The addition of leucine has exhibited significant enhancing effects on the aerosolization and physical stability of the produced particles. Here, we focus not only on the applications of leucine in inhalable spray-drying powders, but also on the underlying mechanisms by which the formulation and processing parameters dictate the behavior of leucine during the drying process and, therefore, its functionalities within the dried powder. Additionally, we highlight the current regulatory status of leucine. Such insights are important for more efficient utilization of leucine in the future, both for dry powder inhaler formulations and other pharmaceutical applications.


Dissecting aneurysm of the pulmonary artery.
Dissecting aneurysm of the aorta is often seen; similar changes in the pulmonary artery are rare. In the German literature they are unknown. 11 previously described cases have been compiled with their clinical and pathological records, and a new added. The patient, a 45 year old woman, suffered from pulmonary hypertension which resulted in medionecrosis and a large aneurysm of the trunk of the pulmonary artery. She died of haemopericardium after rupture of the artery in two stages, with a tear of 8 cm in the trunk which reached to the bifurcation of the vessel.


Engineered disulfide-forming amino acid substitutions interfere with a conformational change in the mismatch recognition complex Msh2-Msh6 required for mismatch repair.
ATP binding causes the mispair-bound Msh2-Msh6 mismatch recognition complex to slide along the DNA away from the mismatch, and ATP is required for the mispair-dependent interaction between Msh2-Msh6 and Mlh1-Pms1. It has been inferred from these observations that ATP induces conformational changes in Msh2-Msh6; however, the nature of these conformational changes and their requirement in mismatch repair are poorly understood. Here we show that ATP induces a conformational change within the C-terminal region of Msh6 that protects the trypsin cleavage site after Msh6 residue Arg(1124). An engineered disulfide bond within this region prevented the ATP-driven conformational change and resulted in an Msh2-Msh6 complex that bound mispaired bases but could not form sliding clamps or bind Mlh1-Pms1. The engineered disulfide bond also reduced mismatch repair efficiency in vivo, indicating that this ATP-driven conformational change plays a role in mismatch repair.


Difference in total N and its aggregate-associated N following cropland restoration in a karst region, Southwest China.
Cropland conversion has been cited as one of the most effective measures for increasing soil nitrogen pool in karst degraded regions. However, it is still unclear how N associated with aggregate patterns and their contribution to net soil N accumulation after cropland conversion. The experiment included four treatments with one control and three restoration strategies, that is, maize-soybean rotation cultivation (the control), sugarcane, mulberry, and forage grass cultivation. Soil samples were selected to determine the soil aggregate amount and its associated N content and stock across 0-30 cm soil layer. Macro-aggregate (> 2 mm) was the predominant aggregate fraction in all cropland use types and had the largest N stock. Forage grass cultivation substantially increased N stocks in bulk soil and aggregate fractions. The N contents and stocks associated with aggregate were shown to be positively correlated with bulk soil N stocks. Furthermore, the increase in N stock in forage grass soil was largely caused by an increase in N stock within macro-aggregates (> 2 mm), which is further attributed to the increased N content within macro-aggregates. Overall, forage grass cultivation replaced maize-soybean cultivation which was proposed as an ecological restoration model to improve soil N sequestration capacity due to its function in increasing the N stock of aggregate in the karst degraded region of Southwest China.


Characterization of the topoisomerase II-induced cleavage sites in the c-myc proto-oncogene. In vitro stimulation by the antitumoral intercalating drug mAMSA.
In an attempt to get an insight into the activity of mAMSA (a DNA topoisomerase II-mediated drug) on the human proto-oncogene c-myc, an in vitro system consisting of purified calf thymus DNA topoisomerase II and a c-myc DNA inserted in lambda phage was utilized. The occurrence of discrete bands, detected by hybridization of Southern blots with appropriate c-myc probes, indicated the presence of cleavage sites in the sole presence of DNA topoisomerase II. The band intensity increased in the presence of mAMSA, while no significant difference occurred in the cleavage pattern. The location of the cleavage sites along the c-myc locus revealed a striking correspondence with that of some DNase hypersensitive sites. These results indicate that DNA topoisomerase II is most certainly implicated in the mAMSA activity and that the drug stimulates the topoisomerase II cleaving activity at specific sites, which may be involved in the biological activity of the drug.


Sex differences in the factors associated with sleep duration in university students: A cross-sectional study.
Insufficient sleep duration among university students was commonly associated with many detrimental effects. University students experience substantial environmental and psychological changes. Female and male university students may differ in many spheres. However, most research on sleep duration of university students is based on an aggregate sample rather than digging the sex-specific profiles. The objective of this study is to examine potential sex differences in the correlates of sleep duration and explore the underlying mechanism of correlations. This is a large-scale university-based mental health survey, which was conducted in university students in Qinghai Province in Northwest China in December 2019. A multi-stage logistic regression was separately fitted by sex to examine the factors associated with short sleep duration in university students. A total of 5,552 university students with an average sleep duration of 6.88 h (SD = 1.04) were included, among which 35.0% of the participants may currently be sleeping less than the optimal duration. Female students (6.84 h, SD = 1.00) slept shorter than males (6.94 h, SD = 1.09). The only parallel between sexes was that both female and male students with 3-5 times weekly breakfast were less likely to have short sleep duration. Adjusting for depressive symptoms in the following step eliminated the association between anxiety symptoms and short sleep duration in the model for female students. Female-specific associated factors with short sleep duration were age, grade, academic pressure, weekly physical exercise, depressive symptoms. Male-specific characteristics were current smoking tobacco cigarette, self-perceived health, duration of daily Internet use. Characteristic profiles of sleep duration differed between female and male university students; only a few male-specific factors were identified. Psychological guidance and education courses as well as other interventions to improve university students' sleep and related health should be designed and implemented based on sex differences.


Improvement of silicon solar cell efficiency by ion beam sputtered deposition of AlOxNy thin films.
Negative charge material, AlOxNy, has been fabricated to passivate the surface of p-type silicon. The fabrication of AlOxNy was possible by using ion beam sputtering deposition to deposit AlN thin film on the surface of a p-type silicon wafer and following annealing in oxygen ambient. Capacitance-voltage analysis shows the fixed charge density has increased from 10(11) cm(-2) to 2.26×10(12) cm(-2) after annealing. The solar cell efficiency increased from 15.9% to 17.3%, which is also equivalent to the reduction of surface recombination velocity from 1×10(5) to 32 cm/s.


Effect of kinesio taping on low back pain during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Low back pain during pregnancy affects the normal daily activities of pregnant women to a certain extent. Current studies have shown that Kinesio Taping (KT) may be a treatment for low back pain during pregnancy, but there is still a lack of key evidence. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KT in the treatment of low back pain during pregnancy. PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, Wanfang Data, CNKI, and VIP databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the efficacy of KT intervention on low back pain in women during pregnancy. The retrieval time limit is from the establishment of the database to April 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software. A total of 7 RCTs were included, including 444 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that: Compared with the control group, KT intervention could significantly improve low back pain and dysfunction, VAS score (- 1.62, 95%CI - 2.08 to - 1.16, P < 0.00001, I2 = 77%), RMDQ score (- 1.00, 95%CI - 1.54 to - 0.46, P = 0.0003, I2 = 80%); The results of the meta-analysis of the subgroup showed that compared with the control group, the KT intervention was less than or equal to 1 week, and the waist pain and dysfunction were improved, with statistically significant differences. The difference in the improvement of low back pain was statistically significant after KT intervention for more than 1 week, but there was no statistically significant difference in RMDQ score (- 1.25, 95%CI - 2.66 to 0.15, P = 0.08, I2 =77%). Compared with the control group, KT intervention improved low back pain in the second and third trimesters, and the difference was statistically significant. KT has a positive effect on the improvement of low back pain during pregnancy, KT intervention can significantly improve pregnant women's low back pain and dysfunction problems, improve the quality of life. It is suggested that future research should focus on the prevention and treatment of low back pain during pregnancy to provide more research data for improving women's health.


[DDT and the germ cell population of embryonic bird gonads. Treatment of the eggs at different incubation stages].
According to the date of treatment by DDT of chick and quail eggs, the germ population of embryonic gonads is more or less reduced. Administered before incubation, the pesticide provokes a strong decrease in the number of gonocytes: at a later stage (the beginning or the end of germ migration), the DDT does not exert a significant effect. On the other hand, in all the cases, the rate of degenerative germ cells is superior to the control one.


Body composition and bone mass among 5-year-old survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) affects the intestine of preterm infants. Preterm infants risk inadequate bone mineralization. This risk may increase if the intestinal uptake of minerals is affected after NEC. This is a study of growth, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and body composition at 5 years of age among Swedish children born before gestational week 37 + 0 with a history of NEC, minimum stage IIA, compared to matched controls. Fifty children, 25 NEC cases and 25 controls, were examined with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and DXA with laser. The NEC cases had lower weight, -1.3 SDS vs -0.7 SDS, a lower fat mass and fat percent, 23.4 vs 29.1%, compared to the controls. NEC cases had lower BMC total body head excluded, 355.6 g vs 416.7 g. BMD Z-scores were lower among NEC cases in total body head excluded, -0.7 vs -0.1, and in lumbar spine. Preterm NEC survivors at 5 years of age had reduced growth, an altered body composition, and indications of a lower bone mass compared to matched controls. The study suggests that preterm infants diagnosed with NEC need special attention during childhood regarding growth and bone health. A follow-up longitudinal study of growth, bone health, and body composition at 5 years of age among children born preterm with a history of NEC compared to matched controls. The NEC cases had lower weight than controls. NEC cases had an altered body composition with lower fat mass compared to controls. The DXA results showed that the NEC cases had lower bone mineral content and a tendency to lower bone mineral density. The study suggests that preterm infants diagnosed with NEC need special attention at follow-up regarding growth and bone health compared to preterm infants without NEC.


PCR assay for detection and differentiation of K88ab(1), K88ab(2), K88ac, and K88ad fimbrial adhesins in E. coli strains isolated from diarrheic piglets.
Primers were designed and prepared and conditions were determined for PCR detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic E. coli bacterial strains isolated from diarrheic pigs. Primers K88/1 and K88/2 are 25 bp oligomers that correspond to a region of genes encoding one of serological variants of the K88 antigen (K88ab(1), K88ab(2), K88ac or K88ad). A positive result of PCR is an amplificate of 792 bp in size for K88ab and K88ad variant or 786 bp for K88ac variant. The individual serological variants of genes of the K88 antigen could be differentiated by cutting the obtained PCR amplificates by restriction endonucleases. The PCR analysis of 674 E. coli strains isolated from diarrheic pigs showed that 184 strains were K88 positive. By using restriction endonucleases the K88-positive strains were in 4 cases classified as K88ab variant, 180 as K88ac variant and none contained gene for the K88ad variant. Ninety-five % coincidence with serological examination using K88ab, K88ac and K88ad specific antibodies was shown.


Orexin 2 receptor in the nucleus accumbens is critical for the modulation of acute stress-induced anxiety.
Orexin is a neuropeptide mainly synthesized in the lateral hypothalamus/perifornical area and has been traditionally implicated in feeding, sleep-wake cycles, and reward. Intriguingly, patients with anxiety have increased levels of orexin in the cerebrospinal fluid. Pharmacological or genetic manipulation of orexin receptors affects anxiety-like behaviors in rodents, suggesting an involvement of the orexin signaling in the regulation of anxiety. Yet, the neural substrates involved remain largely unknown. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell holds a key position in the modulation of anxiety-related behaviors. Therefore, in the present study, by using neuropharmacology, molecular approaches and behavioral tests in rats, the role of orexin/orexin receptors in the NAc shell on the anxiety-like behaviors was investigated. We found that microinjection of orexin-A into the NAc shell induced an anxiogenic-like effect. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunofluorescence showed that the orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) is expressed and distributed in the NAc shell neurons. Activation of OX2R mimicked the anxiogenic effect of orexin-A. Moreover, infusion of an OX2R antagonist had no effect on anxiety-like behaviors in normal rats, but reversed anxiogenic effect induced by acute restraint stress. Finally, we found that downregulation of OX2R in the NAc shell caused an anxiolytic-like effect in acute restraint stressed rats, which was consistent with the pharmacological results. Together, this study suggests that OX2R in the NAc shell is involved in the regulation of acute stress-induced anxiety, and raises the possibility that OX2R antagonist may serve as an effective mean to treat anxiety disorders.


Heterologous expression of non-phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Triticum aestivum and Arabidopsis thaliana.
Non-phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (np-Ga3PDHase) plays a key metabolic role in higher plants. Purification to homogeneity of enzymes found in relatively low abundance in plants represents a major technical challenge that can be solved by molecular gene cloning and heterologous expression. To apply this strategy to np-Ga3PDHase we performed the cloning of the gapN gene from Arabidopsis thaliana and Triticum aestivum, followed by the heterologous expression in Escherichia coli by two different strategies. Soluble expression of the Arabidopsis enzyme in the pET32c+ vector required a chaperone co-expression system (pGro7). The system using E. coli BL21-CodonPlus cells and the pRSETB vector was successful for expression of a soluble His(6)-taged recombinant wheat enzyme producing 2.5 mg of electrophoretically pure protein per liter of cell culture after a single chromatographic purification step. Both systems were effective for the expression of functional plant np-Ga3PDHases, however the expression of the Arabidopsis enzyme in pRSETB was affordable but not as optimal as for the wheat protein. This would be associated with a different codon usage preference between this specific plant and E. coli. Considering the relevant role played by np-Ga3PDHase in plant metabolism, it is experimentally valuable the development of a procedure to obtain adequate amounts of highly purified enzyme, which envisages the viability to perform studies of structure-to-function relationships to better understand the enzyme kinetics and regulation, as well as carbon and energy metabolism in higher plants.


Association between psychosomatic symptoms and work stress among Taiwan police officers.
The aim of the study was to explore the association between the severity of psychosomatic symptoms and perceived work stress among male police officers in southern Taiwan. By stratified random sampling, a total of 698 male police officers were recruited into this study (the response rate was 73.4%; 512 of 698). A structured self-administered questionnaire on demographic and working characteristics, the severity of psychosomatic symptoms, perceived work stress, and social support was used to collect data anonymously. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that (1) the police officers who perceived high-work stress reported more severe psychosomatic symptoms than those who perceived low-work stress; and (2) perceived social support had a moderating effect on the association between severity of psychosomatic symptoms and perceived work stress. Perceived work stress is an indicator of psychosomatic symptoms in police officers. Strategies for reducing psychosomatic symptoms of police officers include police administrators taking into account the level of work stress as well as more attention being paid to the resources of social support.


Prediction of recurrence and survival by post-resection CA 19-9 values in patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
CA 19-9 levels are useful for the diagnosis of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, interest has recently turned toward its use as a prognostic indicator. The purpose of this study is to determine whether postoperative CA 19-9 levels predict disease-free survival (DFS) and median survival (MS) in patients after resection. Between 1988 and 1996, 40 patients underwent resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma and were evaluated with postoperative CA 19-9 assays. Eight patients had low preoperative levels of CA 19-9 (< 2) and were excluded. CA 19-9 levels are good predictors of DFS and MS. Patients whose postoperative CA 19-9 values normalized by 3 to 6 months (< 37 U/ml) had longer DFS (24 vs. 10 months, p < 0.04) and MS (34 vs. 13 months, p < 0.04). Patients with postoperative CA 19-9 values less than 180 U/ml at 1 to 3 months had a similar DFS (19 vs. 5 months, p < 0.0009) and MS (34 vs. 13 months, p < 0.0001) compared to patients with normal values at 3 to 6 months. Postoperative measurements of CA 19-9 were the best predictors of DFS and MS. Values < 180 U/ml at 3 months were as predictive as normal values by 3 to 6 months postoperatively. Consequently, CA 19-9 levels should be obtained for use as a stratification parameter in phase III trials.


Food choice questionnaire revisited in four countries. Does it still measure the same?
This study focuses on the implementation of the food choice questionnaire (FCQ) across four countries. The first objective is to examine the degree to which the factor structure of the FCQ is invariant across different populations. The second objective is to analyse the motives for food choice in different countries. The cross-sectional sample of 1420 consumers consisted of Belgians (N=458), Hungarians (N=401), Romanians (N=229) and Filipinos (N=332). Data analyses included estimation of five multi-group confirmatory factor analysis models; calculation of mean importance ratings for each food choice factor across countries; ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests; and a rank order test of most to least important factors within each country. The results confirm that the factorial structure of the FCQ is invariant with respect to factor configuration, factor loadings and item intercept. Sensory appeal is the most important factor among all European consumers, while health, convenience and price were all among the five most important factors shaping food choice in Belgium, Hungary and Romania. For Filipinos, the most important were health, price and mood. Sensory appeal ranked on the fourth place.


A novel sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate-PAGE system suitable for the separation of small peptides.
A novel sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate-PAGE (AOT-PAGE) system which delivers high resolution and sensitivity for small peptides with molecular masses of 0.8-17 kDa is described. Small peptides migrate more slowly and are less prone to leakage than in conventional SDS-PAGE, thus allowing for the in-gel detection with CBB R 250 of 0.5 mug of peptide. The system is also compatible with electroblotting, activity staining in renatured gels, and the peptide analysis by MALDI-MS. AOT-PAGE is simpler, more rapid, and cheaper than the generally adopted Tricine-SDS-PAGE method.


Analysis of Fall Incident Rate among Hospitalized Korean Children Using Big Data.
This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of fall incidents and fall rate among hospitalized children in South Korea. A secondary analysis was carried out using patient safety reports for those aged 0-19 years from Korean Patient Safety Reporting & Learning System (KOPS) and the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018. A total of 723 safety accidents were reported to KOPS in 2018, of which 461 (63.8%) were medication errors and 117 (16.2%) were fall incidents. The fall rate of hospitalized children was 0.10 per 1000 patient days. By gender, boys were more affected (62.4%), and by age, 80 (68.4%) were aged 1-9 years. About 16% of children who sustained falls incurred temporary or long-term damage. The findings demonstrate the national-level fall rate of hospitalized children as well as various features of safety accidents including pediatric falls that occurred in Korean children's hospitals. Younger children, and particularly boys, were likely to experience more falls than older children and girls, respectively. Nurses and other healthcare providers should recognize the important features of fall incidents among hospitalized children to ensure better quality of care and patient safety.


Kidney transplantation in HIV-positive patients treated with a steroid-free immunosuppressive regimen.
One of the main concerns associated with renal transplantation in HIV-infected patients is the high risk of acute rejection, which makes physicians reluctant to use steroid-free immunosuppressive therapy in this subset of patients. However, steroid therapy increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to define the efficacy of a steroid-sparing regimen in HIV-infected renal transplant recipients. Thirteen HIV-infected patients were consecutively transplanted. The induction therapy consisted of basiliximab and methylprednisolone for 5 days followed by a calcineurin inhibitor plus mycophenolate acid. The mean follow-up was 50 ± 22 months. Eight patients (61.5%) experienced acute rejection, and 75% of the first episodes occurred within 2 months after transplantation. The probability of first acute rejection was 58% after 1 year and 69% after 4 years. Seven of eight patients recovered or maintained their kidney function after antirejection therapy and steroid resumption. At the last follow-up, seven of 13 patients (54%) had resumed steroid therapy. The 4-year patient and graft survivals were 100% and 88.9%, respectively. The benefits of this steroid-free regimen in HIV-infected renal recipients must be reconsidered because of the high rate of acute rejection. New immunosuppressive steroid-free strategies should be identi-fied in this set of patients.


Prominent vascular remnants in the calcaneus simulating a lesion on MRI of the ankle: findings in 67 patients with cadaveric correlation.
Our objective was to prove through cadaveric correlation that a frequently seen focus of MRI signal in the calcaneus is benign. A characteristic focus of signal (increased T2, decreased T1) in the calcaneus near the attachment of the cervical and interosseous ligaments is a common, benign finding frequently seen on MRI of the foot and ankle.


Long-lasting balanced immunity and protective efficacy against respiratory syncytial virus in mice induced by a recombinant protein G1F/M2.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the primary cause of serious lower respiratory tract illness in young children. We have engineered a recombinant candidate vaccine G1F/M2, consisting of a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope of RSV-M2 protein and a domain of RSV-G protein. In this study, the long-term immunogenicity and protective effect were evaluated. In G1F/M2-immunized mice, special antibodies lasted for more than 19 weeks, and the IgG1/IgG2a ratio remained a balanced level till the end of the study, suggesting mixed Th1/Th2 type of responses. Concomitantly, G1F/M2 elicited long-lived RSV-specific CTL activity that was detectable at 12 weeks after the final immunization. Stronger CTL responses were induced with immunization once more at 13 weeks after the last immunization in G1F/M2-primed mice than those in F/M2-primed mice. These results suggest that G1F/M2-induced long-lasting balanced humoral and cellular immunity responses, and immunological memory in mice. Furthermore, following RSV challenge, long-term protective efficacy was observed. RSV replication in lungs of G1F/M2-primed mice elicited also mixed Th1/Th2 responses, a property that is considered advantageous for the safety of an RSV vaccine. Therefore, G1F/M2 is a promising RSV subunit vaccine.


Experimental Single-Copy Entanglement Distillation.
The phenomenon of entanglement marks one of the furthest departures from classical physics and is indispensable for quantum information processing. Despite its fundamental importance, the distribution of entanglement over long distances through photons is unfortunately hindered by unavoidable decoherence effects. Entanglement distillation is a means of restoring the quality of such diluted entanglement by concentrating it into a pair of qubits. Conventionally, this would be done by distributing multiple photon pairs and distilling the entanglement into a single pair. Here, we turn around this paradigm by utilizing pairs of single photons entangled in multiple degrees of freedom. Specifically, we make use of the polarization and the energy-time domain of photons, both of which are extensively field tested. We experimentally chart the domain of distillable states and achieve relative fidelity gains up to 13.8%. Compared to the two-copy scheme, the distillation rate of our single-copy scheme is several orders of magnitude higher, paving the way towards high-capacity and noise-resilient quantum networks.


Number needed to biopsy ratio and diagnostic accuracy for melanoma detection.
The number needed to biopsy (NNB) ratio for melanoma diagnosis is calculated by dividing the total number of biopsies by the number of biopsied melanomas. It is the inverse of positive predictive value (PPV), which is calculated by dividing the number of biopsied melanomas by the total number of biopsies. NNB is increasingly used as a metric to compare the diagnostic accuracy of health care practitioners. To investigate the association of NNB with the standard statistical measures of sensitivity and specificity. We extracted published diagnostic accuracy data from 5 cross-sectional skin cancer reader studies (median [min-max] readers/study was 29 [8-511]). Because NNB is a ratio, we converted it to PPV. Four studies showed no association and 1 showed a negative association between PPV and sensitivity. All 5 studies showed a positive association between PPV and specificity. Reader study data. An individual health care practitioner with a lower NNB is likely to have a higher specificity than one with a higher NNB, assuming they practice under similar conditions; no conclusions can be made about their relative sensitivities. We advocate for additional research to define quality metrics for melanoma detection and caution when interpreting NNB.