The value of various peritumoral radiomic features in differentiating the invasiveness of adenocarcinoma manifesting as ground-glass nodules.
To evaluate the ability of CT radiomic features extracted from peritumoral parenchyma of 2 mm and 5 mm distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) from adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA). For this retrospective study, 121 lung adenocarcinomas appearing as ground-glass nodules on thin-section CT were evaluated. Quantitative radiomic features were extracted from the peritumoral parenchymal region of 2 mm and 5 mm on CT imaging, and the radiomic models of External2 and External5 were constructed. The ROC curves were used to evaluate the performance of different models. Differences between the AUCs were evaluated using DeLong's method. The radiomic scores of IAC were statistically higher than those of MIA/AIS in both the External2 and External5 models. The AUCs of the External2 and External5 models were 0.882, 0.778 in the training cohort and 0.888, 0.804 in the validation cohort, respectively. The AUC of the External2 model was not statistically different from the External5 model both in the training cohort (p = 0.116) and validation cohort (p = 0.423). The radiomic features extracted from the peritumoral region of 2 mm and 5 mm at thin-section CT showed good predictive values to differentiate the IAC from AIS/MIA. The radiomic features from the peritumoral region of 5 mm provide no additional benefit in distinguishing IAC from MIA/AIS than that of the 2 mm region. • The radiomic models from various peritumoral lung parenchyma were developed and validated to predict invasiveness of adenocarcinoma. • The peritumoral parenchyma of lung adenocarcinoma may contain useful information. • Radiomics from peritumoral lung parenchyma of 5 mm provides no added efficiency of the prediction for invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma.


Potential particulate pollution derived from UV-induced degradation of odorous dimethyl sulfide.
UV-induced degradation of odorous dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was carried out in a static White cell chamber with UV irradiation. The combination of in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), wide-range particle spectrometer (WPS) technique, filter sampling and ion chromatographic (IC) analysis was used to monitor the gaseous and potential particulate products. During 240 min of UV irradiation, the degradation efficiency of DMS attained 20.9%, and partially oxidized sulfur-containing gaseous products, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) were identified by in situ FT-IR and GC-MS analysis, respectively. Accompanying with the oxidation of DMS, suspended particles were directly detected to be formed by WPS techniques. These particles were measured mainly in the size range of accumulation mode, and increased their count median diameter throughout the whole removal process. IC analysis of the filter samples revealed that methanesulfonic acid (MSA), sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and other unidentified chemicals accounted for the major non-refractory compositions of these particles. Based on products analysis and possible intermediates formed, the degradation pathways of DMS were proposed as the combination of the O(1D)- and the OH- initiated oxidation mechanisms. A plausible formation mechanism of the suspended particles was also analyzed. It is concluded that UV-induced degradation of odorous DMS is potentially a source of particulate pollutants in the atmosphere.


Association between the Brazilian Breastfeeding Network implementation and breastfeeding indicators.
To estimate the association between the implementation of the Brazilian Breastfeeding Network and prevalence of breastfeeding in a medium-size city in southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study involving 405 children under 1 year who participated in the second phase of the multivaccination campaign in 2012. Children's consumption of food on the day before the interview was obtained through interviews with mothers or guardians. The manager and one health professional from every health facility that joined the Network were interviewed in order to investigate the process of implementation of this initiative. The association between prevalence of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding and adherence to the Network implementation process was tested using Poisson regression with robust variance. Multivariate analysis revealed that among the children assisted by health facilities who joined the Network and those attending services that did not adhere to this strategy, the prevalence of breastfeeding (74% and 70.4% among children under 1 year, respectively) and exclusive breastfeeding (43.3% and 38.1% among children under 6 months, respectively) did not differ significantly. Difficulties in implementing the Network, such as high turnover of professionals, not meeting the criteria for accreditation, and insufficient participation of tutors in the process were identified. Contrary to the hypothesis of this study, there was no significant association between the implementation of the Brazilian Breastfeeding Network and prevalence of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in the studied city. It is possible that the difficulties found in implementing the Network in this city have influenced this result.


Sensing mechanism of fluorescent sensor to Cu2+ based on inhibiting ultra-fast intramolecular proton transfer process.
A novel and efficient chemosensor 1 for detecting Cu2+ has recently been developed. However, the photophysical properties of chemosensor 1 and its response mechanism to Cu2+ are still unclear. Herein, the density functional theory and the time-dependent density functional theory approaches are implemented to investigate the excited state behavior of chemosensor 1 and its sensing mechanism for Cu2+ is revealed. Through constructing the potential energy curve with the dihedral angle of hydroxide radical as a variable, the irreversibility of the adjustment of the hydrogen proton direction is determined. This feature provides a favorable geometric configuration condition for the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bond. Moreover, the reduced density gradient analysis and topological analysis are performed to visualize the hydrogen bond strength, it is found that the hydrogen bond is enhanced in first singlet excited state (S1) compared with that in ground state (S0). The chemosensor 1 has only a low potential barrier in the S1 state, indicating that it could undergo an ultra-fast excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. Furthermore, the reaction sites of chemosensor 1 and Cu2+ is theoretically predicted by the electrostatic potential analysis and the coordination mode of 1 + Cu2+-H+ is confirmed. Thus, we verify that the deprotonation inhibits the ESIPT behavior and leads to fluorescence quenching to achieve the recognition of chemosensor 1 to Cu2+. In addition, the binding energy of Cu2+ with chemosensor 1 is greater than that of Mg2+ and Zn2+, the high selectivity of chemosensor 1 to Cu2+ is illustrated. Our investigation clarifies the sensing mechanism of chemosensor 1 to Cu2+ based on inhibiting ultra-fast ESIPT process, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of new metal ion sensors.


Impact of insulin or tolbutamide treatment on 14C-arachidonic acid conversion to prostacyclin and/or thromboxane in lungs, aortas, and platelets of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Diabetes is associated with a dramatic increase in the risk of thrombotic and atherosclerotic disease. The underlying factors responsible for this predisposition as well as the mechanisms involved have yet to be elucidated. Two endogenous substances, prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane (TXA2), have recently been shown to possess significant vascular and thrombotic activity and are known to be altered in atherosclerosis, thrombotic conditions, and diabetes. We determined the conversion of 14C-arachidonic acid (AA) to PGI2 and TXA2 by lungs, aortas, and platelets obtained from chemically induced diabetic rats. In addition, we investigated the ability of insulin or tolbutamide to reverse these changes. Streptozotocin (STZ)-injected rats developed blood glucose levels 2-4 times that seen in normoglycemic controls. Intact perfused lungs isolated from rats beginning 7 days after STZ treatment synthesized 22-30% less PGI2 from 14C-AA. The ratio of PGI2/TXA2 was decreased in the diabetic rat lungs and was inversely proportional to plasma glucose levels at the time of death. Platelet TXA2 generation was increased 67% above control in diabetic rats while aortic PGI2 generation was decreased 28% below normoglycemic controls. Ten-day treatment with NPH insulin 20 U/kg s.c. in STZ-pretreated rats lowered plasma glucose toward normoglycemia more effectively than tolbutamide 200 mg/kg orally. Partial correction of the decreased pulmonary PGI2/TXA2 ratio seen in diabetic rats was produced by insulin and tolbutamide in proportion to their ability to lower blood glucose. At the doses employed, insulin caused aortic PI2 and platelet TXA2 generation from 14C-AA to approach that seen in mormoglycemic controls more effectively than tolbutamide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Perceived interpersonal and institutional discrimination among persons with disability in the U.S.: Do patterns differ by age?
One-third of U.S. adults have an activity-limiting health condition and this proportion increases with age. However, it is unclear whether functional limitation renders one vulnerable to institutional and interpersonal discrimination, and whether this vulnerability differs over the life course. Stigma theories suggest disability would be more discrediting to younger persons relative to older adults, as it violates cultural norms and expectations regarding able-bodied working-age adults. We evaluate whether U.S. adults with functional impairment report higher levels of perceived interpersonal mistreatment and institutional discrimination relative to persons without impairment, and whether these patterns differ across age groups. We use data from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II), collected between 2004 and 2006 (n = 3931). We estimate OLS and logistic regression models to predict interpersonal and institutional discrimination, respectively. Persons with impairment report more frequent encounters of disrespectful treatment, insults, and being treated as if they have a character flaw, and elevated odds of workplace- and service-related discrimination, net of sociodemographic, and physical and mental health characteristics. Effects are significantly larger among early (age 40-49) and late (age 50-64) midlife versus older (age 65+) adults. We discuss implications for policy and practice, and underscore that stigmatization processes may further amplify health and socioeconomic disparities between those with versus without functional limitations.


Effectiveness of an education intervention associated with an exercise program in improving disease-related knowledge and health behaviours among diabetes patients.
to assess the effectiveness of an education intervention associated with an exercise program in improving knowledge and health behaviours among diabetes patients. Diabetes and prediabetes patients were exposed to an evidence- and theoretically-based comprehensive education intervention over 24 weeks. Patients completed surveys assessing knowledge, physical activity, food intake, self-efficacy, and health literacy. Functional capacity was measured by oxygen uptake. All outcomes were assessed pre- and post-CR. Satisfaction about the education provided was assessed at post-CR. Paired t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and linear regression models were computed to investigate the effectiveness of this intervention. 84 patients consented to participate, of which 47(56.0%) completed post-CR assessments. There was a significant improvement in patients' overall knowledge pre- to post-CR, as well as in physical activity, food intake, self-efficacy, and health literacy (p < 0.05). Peak VO2 has clinically significant improved. Results showed a low significant positive correlation was between post-CR knowledge and food intake(r = 0.297;p = 0.04). Linear regression analysis revealed that age(B=-0.051; p = 0.01) was influential in changing post-CR knowledge. The benefits of an education intervention designed for diabetes and prediabetes patients associated with an exercise program have been supported. This work shows one effective education strategy taken in place that can be replicated in different settings.


Oral contraception and the recognition of endometritis.
Oral contraceptive use has been associated with a lower risk of symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease but a higher risk of chlamydial cervicitis. To explain these seemingly contradictory findings, we asked whether oral contraceptive use was more common among women with unrecognized endometritis than among women with recognized endometritis. A multicenter case-control study was performed. Women without signs of pelvic inflammatory disease were ascertained through contact tracing of partners with sexually transmitted diseases or through presentation with cervicitis. Women with symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease met a set of standard clinical criteria. We compared the 43 cases without signs of pelvic inflammatory disease but with endometritis ("unrecognized endometritis") with the 111 controls with recognized pelvic inflammatory disease and endometritis ("recognized endometritis"). Women with unrecognized endometritis were 4.3 times (95% confidence interval 1.6 to 11.7) more likely than women with recognized endometritis to use oral contraceptives. Future studies need to fully characterize the risks and benefits of oral contraceptives in relation to sexually transmitted diseases.


A brief history of the discovery of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in mammalian cells.
Cells have responded to stresses which cause proteins to come out of solution by evolving unfolded protein response mechanisms. In eukaryotic cells there are several such mechanisms covering the whole cell and sub-celllular organelles. This review describes discoveries that describe the unfolded protein response in the matrix compartment of mitochondria (mtUPRR) of mammalian cells.


Evaluation of the protective effect of pentoxifylline on carrageenan-induced chronic non-bacterial prostatitis in rats.
Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (CNP) is the most common type of prostatitis and oxidative stress (OS) was shown to be highly elevated in prostatitis patients. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of pentoxifylline (PTX) on CNP induced by carrageenan in rats. Male adult Wistar rats (n = 30) were divided into control, CNP and three treatment groups (n = 6) including CNP + cernilton and CNP + PTX groups. CNP was induced by single intraprostatic injection of 1% carrageenan (100 µl). Rats in treatment groups received orally cernilton 100 mg/kg and PTX at 50 and 100 mg/kg 1 week after CNP induction for 21 days. Prostatic index (PI), prostatic specific antigen (PSA), tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), serum lipid peroxidation (MDA), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and histopathological changes were compared between groups. There were significant increase of PI, serum levels of PSA, TNF-α and MDA in CNP group at 29 day. In treatment groups, significant reduction in PI, serum levels of PSA, TNF-α, MDA and creatinine was observed especially in rats treated with dose of 50 mg/kg of PTX. In CNP group, histopathological changes of the prostate such as leucocyte infiltration, large involutions and projection into the lumen and reducing the volume of the lumen were observed as well. Whereas PTX, especially at dose of 50 mg/kg, could improve the above-mentioned changes remarkably in CNP treated rats. For the first time, our findings indicated that PTX improved CNP induced by carrageenan in rats.


Influence of study discontinuation during the run-in period on the estimated efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in the PARAGON-HF trial.
The 4822 patients randomized in the PARAGON-HF trial were a subset of 5746 initially eligible patients who entered sequential run-in periods. We identified patient factors associated with study discontinuation during the run-in period and estimated the implications of these discontinuations for the overall study result. We utilized multivariable logistic regression models to identify patient factors associated with study discontinuation during the run-in period. The efficacy of sacubitril/valsartan in a broader cohort approximating the full run-in population was estimated by weighting randomized patients according to the inverse probability of run-in completion. A total of 924 (16.1%) subjects failed to complete the run-in period. In multivariable models, non-completion was associated with region other than Central Europe, lower systolic blood pressure, lower serum sodium, lower haemoglobin, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, higher New York Heart Association functional class, prior heart failure (HF) hospitalization, and lack of prior use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors or beta-blocker. In repeat analysis of the effect of randomized treatment in PARAGON-HF giving greater weight to participants resembling those who failed to complete the run-in period, the incidence of HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular death was higher, and sacubitril/valsartan treatment reduced the composite of total HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular death compared with valsartan (rate ratio 0.86; 95% confidence interval 0.74-1.00). Patients with more advanced HF were at higher risk for non-completion of the run-in period in PARAGON-HF. Re-analysis of study outcomes accounting for the effect of run-in non-completion did not alter the estimated treatment effects of sacubitril/valsartan vs. valsartan.


Come together, right...now: synchronization of rhythms in a mammalian circadian clock.
In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus act as a dominant circadian pacemaker, coordinating rhythms throughout the body and regulating daily and seasonal changes in physiology and behavior. This review focuses on the mechanisms that mediate synchronization of circadian rhythms between SCN neurons. Understanding how these neurons communicate as a network of circadian oscillators has begun to shed light on the adaptability and dysfunction of the brain's master clock.


Wheat Antipodal Cells with Polytene Chromosomes in the Embryo Sac Are Key to Understanding the Formation of Grain in Cereals.
The ultrastructure of antipodal cells of the Triticum aestivum embryo sac was studied at different stages of differentiation and programmed cell death. The importance of cell function in the antipodal complex is evidenced by the fact that it is fully formed before double fertilization, past the stages of proliferation of three initial cells, and several rounds of genome endoreduplication during differentiation. In this study, we showed that the actively synthesizing organelles, the granular reticulum, and Golgi apparatus, alter their structure during differentiation and death. The polymorphism of the shape of the mitochondria and plastids was demonstrated. For the first time, the actin filaments of the cytoskeleton and numerous multivesicular bodies associated with the plasma membrane were detected in the cytoplasm. The transfer of cytoplasm and organelles between antipodal cells and into the coenocyte of the endosperm was confirmed. DNA breaks and the release of cytochrome c at various stages of death were revealed. To understand the function of the antipodal cells, a quantitative PCR analysis of the expression of wheat genes involved in protective, antistress, and metabolic processes was carried out. We found that gene expression in the antipodal cell fraction was increased compared with that in the whole embryo sac. On the basis of the data, we assume that antipodal cells produce both nutrients and numerous antistress factors that ensure the normal development of the endosperm of the grain, which, in turn, further ensures the development of the embryo.


Use of high-performance liquid chromatography as an extraction procedure for analysis of triazolam in decomposed human muscle by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
A reliable and sensitive method for the determination of triazolam in human muscle using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is described. The drug was extracted from decomposed human muscle using three-step liquid-liquid extraction and HPLC which was performed isocratically on a conventional ODS column with a mobile phase of 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.5)-acetonitrile (7:3). Estazolam was used as an internal standard. GC-MS analysis was performed on a DB-5 capillary column. Excellent linearity was obtained over the concentration range 1-200 ng/g. The lower limit of detection was approximately 0.5 ng/g. Forensic application of the present method was also described.


Experimental model of neuropathological changes characteristic for Alzheimer's disease.
Data suggest that either proteolytically cleaved fragments of the full-length beta-amyloid precursor protein or the entire beta-amyloid precursor protein molecule are accumulated extracellularly and intracellularly in rat brain after cardiac arrest with survival time from 3 hours to 12 months. Direct evidence that precursors for fragments of the full-length beta-amyloid precursor protein can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain parenchyma from the circulation is provided for the first time.


Fault Diagnostics and Tolerance Analysis of a Microgrid System Using Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs Equation and Game Theoretic Estimations in Sliding Mode Observers.
This paper focuses on robustness and sensitivity analysis for sensor fault diagnosis of a voltage source converter based microgrid model. It uses robust control parameters such as minimum sensitivity parameter (H-), maximum robustness parameter (H∞), and compromised both (H-/H∞), being incorporated in the sliding mode observer theory using the game theoretic saddle point estimation achieved through convex optimization of constrained LMIs. The approach used works in a way that the mentioned robust control parameters are embedded in Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs-Equation (HJIE) and are also used to determine the inequality version of HJIE, which is, in terms of the Lyapunov function, faults/disturbances and augmented state/output estimation error as its variables. The stability analysis is also presented by negative definiteness of the same inequality version of HJIE, and additionally, it also gives linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which are optimized using iterative convex optimization algorithms to give optimal sliding mode observer gains enhanced with robustness to maximal preset values of disturbances and sensitivity to minimal preset values of faults. The enhanced sliding mode observer is used to estimate states, faults, and disturbances using sliding mode observer theory. The optimality of sliding mode observer gains for sensitivity of the observer to minimal faults and robustness to maximal disturbance is a game theoretic saddle point estimation achieved through convex optimization of LMIs. The paper includes results for state estimation errors, faults' estimation/reconstruction, fault estimation errors, and fault-tolerant-control performance for current and potential transformer faults. The considered faults and disturbances in current and potential transformers are sinusoidal nature composite of magnitude/phase/harmonics at the same time.


Test-retest reliability of the cotton swab (Q-tip) test in the evaluation of the incontinent female.
The objective of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the cotton swab test. Prospective, blinded, study of the cotton swab test. Subjects underwent two tests within 2-4 weeks. Agreement between resting angles and straining angles was analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Agreement of a positive and negative test result, using 30 degrees as cutoff, was evaluated with McNemar's test and kappa statistic. Fifty subjects participated. The mean resting angle was 3.16 degrees (-6.0 degrees, 10 degrees) and 3.24 degrees (-5.0 degrees, 10 degrees) on repeat (p = 0.99). The mean straining angle was 34.4 degrees (20 degrees, 50 degrees) and 37.0 degrees (25 degrees, 55 degrees) on repeat (p = 0.14). McNemar's test demonstrated good agreement between observations. As the straining angle approached 30 degrees, the agreement between positive and negative exams was only 57%. There is good test-retest reliability of the cotton swab test. When the straining angle is 21-49 degrees, there is poor agreement regarding a positive or negative test result.


History, epidemiology and diagnostics of dengue in the American and Brazilian contexts: a review.
Dengue virus (DENV), an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes, has become a major threat to American human life, reaching approximately 23 million cases from 1980 to 2017. Brazil is among the countries most affected by this terrible viral disease, with 13.6 million cases. DENV has four different serotypes, DENV1-4, which show a broad clinical spectrum. Dengue creates a staggering epidemiological and economic burden for endemic countries. Without a specific therapy and with a commercial vaccine that presents some problems relative to its full effectiveness, initiatives to improve vector control strategies, early disease diagnostics and the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs are priorities. In this study, we present the probable origins of dengue in America and the trajectories of its spread. Overall, dengue diagnostics are costly, making the monitoring of dengue epidemiology more difficult and affecting physicians' therapeutic decisions regarding dengue patients, especially in developing countries. This review also highlights some recent and important findings regarding dengue in Brazil and the Americas. We also summarize the existing DENV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests to provide an improved reference since these tests are useful and accurate at discriminating DENV from other flaviviruses that co-circulate in the Americas. Additionally, these DENV PCR assays ensure virus serotyping, enabling epidemiologic monitoring.


Reduced in-hospital mortality after improved management of children under 5 years admitted to hospital with malaria: randomised trial.
To test whether strict implementation of a standardised protocol for the management of malaria and provision of a financial incentive for health workers reduced mortality. Randomised controlled intervention trial. Paediatric ward at the national hospital in Guinea-Bissau. All children admitted to hospital with severe malaria received free drug kits. 951 children aged 3 months to 5 years admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of malaria randomised to normal or intervention wards. Before the start of the study, all personnel were trained in the use of the standardised guidelines for the management of malaria, including strict follow-up procedures. Nurses and doctors were randomised to work on intervention or control wards. Personnel in the intervention ward received a small financial incentive ($50 (25 pounds sterling; 35 euros)/month for nurses and $160 for doctors) and their compliance with standard case management was closely monitored. In-hospital mortality and cumulative mortality within 4 weeks of hospital admission. In-hospital mortality was 5% for the intervention group and 10% in the control group (risk ratio 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.29 to 0.79). The effect may have been stronger in patients with positive malaria slides (0.36, 0.16 to 0.80). Cumulative mortality 4 weeks after discharge was also lower in the intervention group (0.61, 0.40 to 0.95). Supervising healthcare workers to adhere to a standardised treatment protocol was associated with greatly reduced in-hospital mortality. Financial incentives may be important for the dedication and compliance of staff members. Clinical Trials NCT00465777 [ClinicalTrials.gov].


A comparison of methods for effective differentiation of the frozen-thawed 3T3-L1 cells.
The differentiation efficiency of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes is an essential factor affecting studies on cellular mechanisms associated with obesity, diabetes, and related disorders. Differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells is commonly induced by an adipogenic cocktail containing insulin, dexamethasone (DEX), and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). However, 3T3-L1 cells after freezing and thawing for many times always have a low differentiation efficiency. To solve this problem, we compared the differentiation efficiency of six commonly used adipogenic cocktails and protocols published in 2017. On this basis, we further compared 18 adipogenic cocktails with 2 μM rosiglitazone added and/or with a prolonged treatment with IBMX. The results revealed that the adipogenic cocktail containing 0.5 mM IBMX, 1 μM DEX, and 10 μg/mL insulin was the most effective for the frozen-thawed 3T3-L1 cells differentiation. Rosiglitazone, and IBMX under a prolonged treatment, could improve the differentiation efficiency of the frozen-thawed 3T3-L1 cells. However, the effect was closely related to concentrations of agents in the adipogenic cocktails.


Biochemical methane potential and anaerobic biodegradability of non-herbaceous and herbaceous phytomass in biogas production.
The suitability of municipal plant waste for anaerobic digestion was examined using 57 different herbaceous and non-herbaceous samples. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) and anaerobic biodegradability were related to the degree of lignification and crystallinity of cellulose. The BMP of herbaceous garden plants (332.7 CH(4)NL kg VS(-1)) was high, although lower than that of energy crops (400-475 CH(4)NL kg VS(-1)). Herbaceous wild plants from natural grassland contained most lignocelluloses, leading to relatively low BMP (214.0 CH(4)NL kg VS(-1)). Non-herbaceous phytomass had a high degree of lignification and a high concentration of crystalline cellulose, but due to the content of non-woody parts with a low concentration of lignocellulose the BMP was relatively high, 199.9 and 172.0 CH(4)NL kg VS(-1) for hedge cuttings and woody cuttings, respectively. There were indications that a plant lignin concentration of 100 g kg VS(-1) is the critical biodegradability point in anaerobic digestion of phytomass.


Oesophageal xanthalasma with Barrett's Oesophagus and Menetrier's Disease.
This case report describes three conditions; oesophageal xanthalasma, Menetrier's disease and Barrett's oesophagus, none of which have ever been seen together, diagnosed in one patient. Further to the details of the case the endoscopic, radiological and histological findings are discussed. Any links between these three conditions are currently unclear.


Aggression and open-field activity of lead-exposed mice.
Blood lead levels were increased 11 to 18 times in mice that ingested a 5 mg/ml solution of lead acetate for 2 or 4 weeks, with no effect on weight gain. Although the lead treatment produced neither mortality nor obvious abnormalities, it nevertheless inhibited the development of isolation-induced aggression which was characteristic on the basis of changes in motor activity.


Tetrandrine inhibits the occurrence and development of frozen shoulder by inhibiting inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis.
Frozen shoulders (FS) is a major clinical concern, where chronic synovial inflammation, abnormal angiogenesis, and fibrosis represent the critical pathologies in the glenohumeral capsule. However, no pharmacotherapy has been introduced to treat this pathology. Tetrandrine (TET) has been proposed as a treatment for many diseases due to its strong anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-fibrotic effects. To study the anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-fibrotic effects of TET on FS, and identify whether TET can prevent the development of FS in rats. A controlled laboratory study. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, TET, and FS groups. The TET group was intraperitoneally injected with TET every 2 days. TET and saline treatment were started on the day of FS surgery. After 8 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, and samples were collected for X-ray examination, glenohumeral range of motion (ROM) evaluation, histology and immunohistochemistry analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, and profibrogenic factors as well as proinflammatory cytokines measurements. No significant difference in shoulder ROM was observed between the TET and control groups, but a significant difference was noted between these groups and the FS group (P < 0.01). Immunohistochemical staining showed no abnormal angiogenesis or fibrosis in the TET group or the control group. However, significant angiogenesis, collagen remodeling, and fibrosis were observed in the FS group, and the expression and proportion of type I and type III collagen in the FS group were significantly higher than those in the TET group or the control group (P < 0.01). TEM observation showed that TET protected the ultrastructure of collagen fibrous reticular arrangement of the articular capsule and prevented the formation of scar-like fibrotic structures, which are unique to FS. The significantly increased expression of Smad7 and the suppressed expression of Smad 2 in the TET group compared with that of the FS group indicated that TET also significantly inhibited the TGF-β1 intracellular signal pathway. The expression of profibrogenic factors and proinflammatory cytokines in the TET group and the control group was significantly lower than that in the TET group (P < 0.01). The results demonstrated that TET protected the normal reticular structure of the capsule during the freezing period and prevented the development of FS by inhibiting inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis in a rat FS model. TET may be a safe and effective clinical medication for preventing and treating FS.


Prognostic significance of intraperitoneal cancer cells in gastric carcinoma: detection of cytokeratin 20 mRNA in peritoneal washes, in addition to detection of carcinoembryonic antigen.
In patients with gastric cancer, the presence of gastric cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity detected by cytologic examination, is a significant prognostic factor. A more sensitive, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, amplifying carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was introduced as a new detection system, but produced some false-positive results. A search for other molecular markers is ongoing. Peritoneal washes were obtained from 195 patients with gastric carcinoma during surgery. Cytokeratin 20 (CK20) mRNA levels were quantified, in addition to those of CEA, using the LightCycler, and the feasibility of CK20 as a target was evaluated. CK20 was limited, in terms of sensitivity, for detecting disseminated cancer cells (sensitivity, 63%; specificity, 91%; positive predictive value, 70%; and negative predictive value, 88%). Multimarker analysis was performed, in which samples positive for either CK20 or CEA mRNA were considered to be positive for cancer cells. Multivariate analysis identified the multimarker analysis as a significant independent prognostic determinant. CK20 RT-PCR produced information that could add a significant impact to the knowledge obtained by CEA RT-PCR, although detection by CK20 alone was not sufficiently sensitive to replace CEA in the detection system.


Characterization and levels of the RNA polymerases during the embryogenesis of Artemia salina.
Dormant embryos at the gastrula stage of Artemia salina contain three DNA-dependent RNA polymerases: I, II, and III. The enzymes are solubilized from whole embryos and they are separated by chromatography on DEAE Sephadex. The ratio of activities with native and denatured DNA at the optimal salt concentrations is 3.5 for RNA polymerase I, 0.1 for RNA polymerase II and 1.0 for RNA polymerase III.Mn(i2+) is more efficient than Mg(2+) for the three enzymes. RNA polymerase II is 50% inhibited by 5 ng/ml of alpha-amanitin while RNA polymerases I and III are 10% and 30% inhibited by 1 mg/ml. During the embryonic development there is am independent variation of the levels of the RNA polymerases. RNA polymerase I increases its specific activity 4-5-fold, RNA polymerase III increases 2-fold, and RNA polymerase II less than 2-fold. The increase in RNA polymerase activity may represent a mechanism to control the rate of synthesis of RNA during the embryogenesis of A. salina.


The efficacy of a novel antibacterial hydroxyapatite nanoparticle-coated indwelling urinary catheter in preventing biofilm formation and catheter-associated urinary tract infection in rabbits.
The aim of this study was to investigate of the efficacy and reliability of a novel antimicrobial hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticle coating of urethral catheters, in the prophylaxis of biofilm formation and bacteriuria in rabbits. A total of 60 male rabbits were randomized to the control and study groups and each group was divided into three subgroups depending on 3, 5 and 7 days of the urethral catheterization period. The rabbits in the study group were catheterized with Ag(+)-incorporated nano-HA coated urethral catheters and those in the control group with standard silicon-latex urethral catheters. Urine and catheter surface smear samples were conducted for bacteriological analysis. Catheter cross-section samples were undergone measuring of biofilm thickness. Tissue samples of bladder and urethra were inspected for histological changes. The results indicate that at the end of 7 days of the catheterization period, the number of the rabbits with bacteriuria was significantly lower in the study group versus control group (p (¶) = 0.020). The biofilm formation on luminal surface of the catheters was significantly thinner in the study group versus control group, at the end of 5 and 7 days of the catheterization period (0.035 and 0.035, respectively).No histological adverse change or particle penetration was detected in the urothelium. In conclusion, it was observed that Ag(+) + HA nanoparticle coating significantly lowered the incidence of catheter-related bacteriuria and decreased biofilm formation, at the end of 7 days study period. The novel antimicrobial urethral catheter coating appeared to have a potential in the prophylaxis of catheter-induced urinary tract infections.


The increasing number of very old people will change the Swedish model of the welfare state.
In Sweden as well as many other welfare states, society has assumed--or been given--a number of functions formerly performed by the family. Child care and care of the elderly are here two significant examples. Since 1960 the number of institutional beds for the care of the elderly has doubled. The number of personnel working within the home-help and home-care systems has increased sharply. In spite of this, the demand for service and care is today increasing faster than the input of new resources. Many have been worried that the increasing number of very old people will create (too) heavy a strain on the Swedish economy. But the main problem will be not the economy but rather the scarcity of personnel. Even the most optimistic prognosis indicates that within the next 10 years, the number of personnel employed in the care of the elderly will no longer be sufficient. Heavy burdens will be placed on families and on women. The potential labour force of the newly retired will be needed, the private sector will expand, etc. Sweden will still be a welfare state, but the fundamental concept of a society where services and care are provided for all citizens on equal terms will change.


Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis of Pectobacterium carotovorum identifies key pathogenic genes.
Based on Single moleculereal time(SMRT)sequencing technology, the high-quality whole genome sequence of Pectobacterium carotovorum (PC1) was obtained by the PacBio RS II sequencer. The genome is a single circular chromosome of 5.3 Mb in size, containing three kinds of m6A methylation modification by SMRT Portal analysis. Genome annotation showed that 575 virulence factor genes, 304 drug resistance genes, 774 pathogen genes, 7 secretory systems and 22 pairs of two-component regulatory system could be relevant to bacterial pathogenicity. In addition, the average nucleotide identities (ANI) analysisshowed that the PC1 exhibited the highest homology with the Pectobacteriumcarotovorumsubsp.carotovorumstrain BP201601.1 (NZ_CP034236). There are 28 unique gene families to PC1 using cluster analysis of gene families. According to the analysis of key pathogenic genes, we have obtained three kinds of highly conserved genes related to cell wall degrading enzymes, including 19 pectinase genes, 25 cellulase genes and 22 protease genes. Our studies have provided a theoretical basis for investigation of bacterial soft rot and biological specific bactercides of PC1.


Functional characterization of five different PRXamide receptors of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum with peptidomimetics and identification of agonists and antagonists.
The neuropeptidergic system in insects is an excellent target for pest control strategies. One promising biorational approach is the use of peptidomimetics modified from endogenous ligands to enhance biostability and bioavailability. In this study, we functionally characterized five different G protein-coupled receptors in a phylogenetic cluster, containing receptors for PRXamide in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, by evaluating a series of 70 different peptides and peptidomimetics. Three pyrokinin receptors (TcPKr-A, -B, and -C), cardioacceleratory peptide receptor (TcCAPAr) and ecdysis triggering hormone receptor (TcETHr) were included in the study. Strong agonistic or antagonistic peptidomimetics were identified, and included beta-proline (β(3)P) modification of the core amino acid residue proline and also a cyclo-peptide. It is common for a ligand to act on multiple receptors. In a number of cases, a ligand acting as an agonist on one receptor was an efficient antagonist on another receptor, suggesting complex outcomes of a peptidomimetic in a biological system. Interestingly, TcPK-A was highly promiscuous with a high number of agonists, while TcPK-C and TcCAPAr had a lower number of agonists, but a higher number of compounds acting as an antagonist. This observation suggests that a target GPCR with more promiscuity will provide better success for peptidomimetic approaches. This study is the first description of peptidomimetics on a CAPA receptor and resulted in the identification of peptidomimetic analogs that demonstrate antagonism of CAPA ligands. The PRXamide receptor assays with peptidomimetics provide useful insights into the biochemical properties of receptors.


Neutropenic enterocolitis following treatment with cytosine arabinoside-containing regimens for hematological malignancies: a potentiating role for amsacrine.
A retrospective clinical study was performed to determine the clinical impact of neutropenic enterocolitis (NE) in adult patients with acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C)-containing regimens. The diagnosis of NE was restricted to conditions with clinical signs of peritonitis, ileus, or intestinal hemorrhage. Forty episodes of NE were noted during 461 Ara-C-containing courses (8.6%) in 36 of 211 patients (17%) over a 6-year period. Clinically, 18 cases of ileus, 16 cases of peritonitis, and 6 cases of intestinal hemorrhage were recognized as the most important presentation of NE. NE started about 2 weeks after the initiation of the chemotherapy and lasted for an average of 1 week. All patients had a profound neutropenia. The incidence of septicemia was higher during courses complicated by NE (p less than 0.001). All cases of NE were treated with conservative measures. The mortality was 22.5% and represented one third of all therapy-related deaths during the pancytopenic period. The incidence of NE was significantly higher in courses consisting of high-dose Ara-C for 6 consecutive days when the drug was combined with amsacrine for 3 consecutive days (p less than 0.0001).


Foam nasal packs: a prospective, randomised, patient-controlled study.
To compare the efficacy of Spiggle and Merocel foam packs following routine nasal surgery. Prospective, randomised, single-blind, paired study. Twenty adult patients undergoing elective nasal surgery. At the end of nasal surgery patients were randomised to have a Spiggle pack inserted in one nasal cavity and a Merocel pack in the other. Packs were removed the following morning. The primary outcome measure was pain due to the presence of packs in the nose and pain associated with their removal. This was measured using a visual analogue scale. Secondary outcome measures were bleeding, crusting and adhesion formation. Both packs were effective at preventing postoperative haemorrhage. Bleeding following removal was minimal. There were no significant differences between the packs in terms of levels of discomfort experienced 6 hours after surgery or the following morning prior to removal (p = 0.3 and p = 0.3 respectively). However, the Spiggle foam pack caused significantly less pain on removal compared with the Merocel foam pack (mean difference 1.4; 95% CI 0.4 to 2.4, p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in terms of crust and adhesion formation. In this study, both the Spiggle and Merocel foam nasal packs were well tolerated while in the nose. Both provided good postoperative haemostasis and were not associated with bleeding on removal. The Spiggle foam pack had the advantage of causing significantly less pain on removal. However, it must be borne in mind that in this study the Spiggle pack was more likely to be positioned in the non-incised nasal cavity, the side that would generally be expected to be associated with less pain.


Ammonia and Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Behavioural, cognitive and memory dysfunctions are characteristic symptoms of AD. The formation of amyloid plaques is currently considered as the key event of AD. Other histological hallmarks of the disease are the formation of fibrillary tangles, astrocytosis, and loss of certain neuronal systems in cortical areas of the brain. A great number of possible aetiologic and pathogenetic factors of AD have been published in the course of the last two decades. Among the toxic factors, which have been considered to contribute to the symptoms and progression of AD, ammonia deserves special interest for the following reasons: (a) Ammonia is formed in nearly all tissues and organs of the vertebrate organism; it is the most common endogenous neurotoxic compounds. Its effects on glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal systems, the two prevailing neuronal systems of the cortical structures, are known for many years. (b) The impairment of ammonia detoxification invariably leads to severe pathology. Several symptoms and histologic aberrations of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), of which ammonia has been recognised as a pathogenetic factor, resemble those of AD. (c) The excessive formation of ammonia in the brains of AD patients has been demonstrated, and it has been shown that some AD patients exhibit elevated blood ammonia concentrations. (d) There is evidence for the involvement of aberrant lysosomal processing of beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) in the formation of amyloid deposits. Ammonia is the most important natural modulator of lysosomal protein processing. (e) Inflammatory processes and activation of microglia are widely believed to be implicated in the pathology of AD. Ammonia is able to affect the characteristic functions of microglia, such as endocytosis, and cytokine production. Based on these facts, an ammonia hypothesis of AD has first been suggested in 1993. In the present review old and new observations are discussed, which are in support of the notion that ammonia is a factor able to produce symptoms of AD and to affect the progression of the disease.


Desmoplastic fibroma of the jaw bones.
A review of the literature has disclosed 15 cases of desmoplastic fibroma in the jaws including the present case. Fourteen out of 15 cases have affected the mandible with a female: male ratio of one to two. Ten of the reported cases were found in the first and second decades of life. Although histologically benign, the tumor usually shows locally aggressive behavior and may recur when treated conservatively. The difficulties in clinical and histological diagnosis are stressed. The paucity of reported cases prevents substantiation of guidelines for therapy.


Electron-electron interaction effect on the singlet-triplet transitions in one-dimensional quantum dots.
We have studied singlet-triplet transitions (STTs) in a system of two interacting electrons in a one-dimensional quantum dot in the presence of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and a magnetic field. The STTs are shown to occur owing only to a combined action of the SOI and magnetic field. The energy gap at the STT point depends on the relative direction of the external magnetic field and an effective magnetic field of the SOI. An interesting effect is produced by the electron-electron interaction that can be controlled by nearby gates. The increase of the interaction strength results in the significant reduction of the critical magnetic field, under which the STT occurs, and lowering of the energy gap.


Senior-Loken syndrome (familial renal-retinal dystrophy) and Coats' disease.
Senior-Loken syndrome is a rare hereditary disease that combines a disorder resembling familial juvenile nephronophthisis with retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is even less frequently associated with exudative retinopathy. The patient, a 15-year-old boy, had hereditary renal-retinal dystrophy combined with an exudative vasculopathy of the Coats' type. The patient is on thrice-weekly hemodialysis after two kidney transplants failed. One eye became painful and blind and was eventually enucleated.


Photocatalytic detoxification of Acid Red 18 by modified ZnO catalyst under sunlight irradiation.
In this work, hybrid structured Bi-Au-ZnO composite was prepared by precipitation-decomposition method. This method is mild, economical and efficient. Bi-Au-ZnO was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and BET surface area measurements. Photocatalytic activity of Bi-Au-ZnO was evaluated by irradiating the Acid Red 18 (AR 18) dye solution under sun light. Heterostructured Bi-Au-ZnO photocatalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than those of individual Bi-ZnO, Au-ZnO, bare ZnO, and TiO2-P25 at pH 11. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of catalyst dosage, dye concentration, initial pH on photo mineralization of AR 18 dye have been analyzed. The mineralization of AR 18 has been confirmed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. A possible mechanism is proposed for the degradation of AR 18 under sun light. Finally, Bi-Au-ZnO heterojunction photocatalyst was more stable and could be easily recycled several times opening a new avenue for potential industrial applications.


Self-reported neurocognitive symptoms during COVID-19 lockdown and its associated factors in a sample of psychiatric patients. Results from the BRIS-MHC study.
Lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on mental health. The aim was to assess self-reported neurocognitive symptoms during the lockdown and identify associated vulnerable and protective factors in a sample of psychiatric patients in a Spanish population. These results are part of the Barcelona ResIlience Survey for Mental Health COVID-19 (BRIS-MHC) project. Neurocognitive symptoms were assessed through an online survey considering the five items that represented self-reported neurocognitive complaints. We split the sample into two groups based on the severity of the self-reported neurocognitive complaints: intact cognitive function/mild cognitive impairment (CI-) and moderate/severe cognitive impairment (CI+). Univariate analyses were used to compare both groups in terms of sociodemographic and clinical variables. Multiple logistic regression models were carried out to identify clinical variables and coping strategies associated with neurocognitive symptoms. 198 patients with different psychiatric diagnoses were included in this study. One hundred seventeen patients were classified in the CI- group and 81 in the CI+ group. Depressive symptoms and negative psychotic-like symptoms were vulnerable factors for neurocognitive impairment. Coping strategies of performing physical activity, carrying out relaxing activities and maintaining a routine were protective factors against cognitive impairment. Lockdown situation negatively impact on neurocognitive function. Psychopathological symptoms and coping strategies were associated with neurocognitive symptoms during lockdown in subjects with psychiatric illness. The early treatment of psychopathological symptoms in psychiatric patients and promoting coping strategies during lockdown should be considered an intervention strategy against cognitive impairment.


An unusual case of ventral spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: Case report with review of literature.
Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare predominantly idiopathic entity which can prompt acute neurologic symptoms and if not managed in time can lead to devastating outcomes. High index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis on MRI for a prompt management of patients showing sudden neurologic deficits. Our patient was 42-year-old female who presented with sudden onset of numbness followed by weakness in both lower limbs and urinary retention without any comorbidity or any medication. MRI whole spine done within 14 hours of symptom onset showed ventral epidural hematoma without any vascular malformation. Immediate decompressive laminectomy with evacuation of hematoma improved power in both lower limbs with regaining bowel and bladder function. The key here is timely surgical decompression of the hematoma for a favorable neurosurgical outcome. Although there is a recent development towards non-surgical treatment, it needs to be well established yet and require such approach on case-to-case basis.


Mouse models of efficient and inefficient anti-tumor immunity, with emphasis on minimal residual disease and tumor escape.
Tumor escape from the host immune response remains the major problem holding the development of immunotherapies for cancer. In this review, congenic mouse lines are discussed that differ dramatically in their ability to respond to tumors tested and, thereby, to survive or to succumb to the tumor and/or its metastases. This ability is under the control of either MHC class I or nontrivial MHC class II beta genes expressed in a small subpopulation of antigen-presenting cells. Two hypotheses can explain the results obtained so far: (1) emergence of tumor cell variants that escape the host immune response in morbid mice but are eliminated in survivors, and (2) tumor-induced immunosuppression, which is either efficient or not, depending on the congenic line used. It is argued that further experimentation on these congenics will allow to choose the correct hypothesis, and to characterize the mechanism(s) of elimination of minimal residual disease and prevention of tumor escape by the immune system of survivors as well as the reason(s) for its failure in morbid mice. It is also argued that the use of these models will substantially increase the chance to resolve the controversy of poor correlation of immunotherapy testing in mice with clinical results.


Differential effects of protein kinase inhibitors on pre-established long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal neurons in vitro.
The possibility that a permanent protein kinase C (PKC) activity is necessary for the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) was investigated in rat hippocampal slices. The action of the potent kinase inhibitors K-252a, K-252b and staurosporine on LTP of orthodromic population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) recorded from CA1 pyramidal cells was tested both during tetanization and after establishment of LTP. Confirming earlier studies, all inhibitors applied during tetanization at a concentration of 50 nM eliminate late LTP. Only staurosporine, but not K-252a or K-252b, blocked already established late LTP (i.e. late application). Normal synaptic transmission was influenced only weakly by staurosporine. Considering that all inhibitors have similar potencies against PKC and were all effective if applied during tetanization these data suggest that the late maintenance of LTP depends on a staurosporine/H7-sensitive process (or kinase) rather than permanent activation of PKC.


The using of sealants in pancreatic surgery: A Systematic Review.
POPF derives from the pancreatic stump, which follows pancreatic resection and the pancreatoenteric anastomosis following pancreaticoduodenectomy. Since 1978 sealants have been used in pancreatic surgery to prevent pancreatic fistula after resection of the pancreatic head and tail or for the management of trauma and the treatment of low-output pancreatic fistula. Different types of fibrin sealants have been evaluated for their potential to reduce the occurrence of POPF. A systematic search of the electronic literature was performed using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases to obtain access to all publications, especially clinical trials, randomised controlled trials, and systematic reviews concerning fibrin sealants pancreatic surgery. Searching for "fibrin sealants pancreas," we found a total of 73 results on Pubmed, 61 on Scopus, and 14 on Cochrane Library (148 total results). Eighteen studies were found on literature, following the criteria already described, concerning the use of fibrin sealants in pancreatic surgery. All articles described were published in the period between 1989 and 2019.Most of these were single centre studies. A total of 1032 patients were enrolled in this review. In the studies, sealants were used to reinforce pancreatic anastomoses and for the occlusion of the main pancreatic duct. CR-POPF is a fearful complication of pancreatic surgery; among the possible solutions to reduce the risk of onset, sealants were used on the pancreatic stump; today the sealants should be considered such as an option to reduce the CR-POPF, but the routine use in clinical practice has to be validated.


Anger management style and associations with self-efficacy and pain in male veterans.
Despite the high prevalence of anger and maladaptive anger management among persons with chronic pain, the association between pain and anger has received little empirical attention. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between pain and anger management style and test for the hypothesized role of self-efficacy as a moderator of this association. Five hundred sixty-four veterans with chronic pain were administered measures of pain, self-efficacy, and anger management. As expected, the results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between pain intensity and maladaptive anger management and a significant negative association between self-efficacy and maladaptive anger. Furthermore, pain intensity and the interaction of self-efficacy and pain intensity were significant predictors of maladaptive anger management. Surprisingly, patients reporting high self-efficacy and high pain intensity demonstrated more maladaptive anger management than individuals reporting high self-efficacy and low pain intensity. Patients reporting low self-efficacy demonstrated high levels of maladaptive anger management, regardless of pain intensity level. Maladaptive anger management is associated with pain intensity and self-efficacy beliefs. Additional research is needed to explore the interaction of pain and self-efficacy and its impact on anger management.


Completing a Sustained Attention Task Is Associated With Decreased Distractibility and Increased Task Performance Among Adolescents With Low Levels of Media Multitasking.
To assess distracted attention and performance on a computer task following completion of a sustained attention and acute media multitasking task among adolescents with varying self-reported usual media multitasking. Ninety-six 13- to 17-year-olds played the video game Tetris following completion of a Go/No-go paradigm to measure sustained attention in the presence of distractors, an acute media multitasking, or a passive viewing condition. Adolescents completed the conditions on separate visits in randomized order. Sustained attention was measured within the Go/No-go task by measuring errors of omission. Distracted attention while playing the Tetris task was measured by computing eye tracking measures of attention (first fixation duration, cumulative fixation duration) to irrelevant distractor images that bordered the Tetris game. Participants also self-reported their daily media multitasking. The Go/No-go task revealed important qualitative differences in sustained attention among low and high usual media multitaskers. There was a uniform improvement in sustained attention among low usual media multitaskers, demonstrated by a consistent linear decrease in omission errors (β = -0.01; P < 0.05). Among high usual media multitaskers, there was initially a decrease in sustained attention (β = -0.01; P = 0.05) followed by an increase (β = 0.16; P < 0.001). Completing the Go/No-go task also statistically significantly reduced distractibility and increased performance while playing Tetris compared to the passive viewing condition, but only among those with low usual media multitasking (all Ps ≤ 0.05). There was a non-statistically significant trend that completing the acute media multitask increased subsequent distractibility and performance while playing Tetris among high media multitaskers. In this sample of adolescents, practicing a sustained attention task reduces distractibility and improves task performance among those who have low levels of usual media multitasking.


B cell and antibody repertoire development in rabbits: the requirement of gut-associated lymphoid tissues.
The antibody repertoire of rabbits has interested immunologists for decades, in part because of the ease with which large quantities of high affinity antibodies can be obtained in serum, and in part because of the presence of genetic variants, allotypes, within V(H), C(H) and C(L) regions. Studies of these allotypes led to the initial descriptions of allelic exclusion, and neonatal suppression of serum Ig production (allotype suppression), and were instrumental in demonstrating that V and C regions are encoded by separate genes and are usually expressed in cis. The immune system of rabbit continues to be of interest primarily because of the use of both gene conversion and somatic hypermutation to diversify rearranged heavy and light chain genes and the role that gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) and intestinal flora play in developing the primary (preimmune) antibody repertoire.


High sodium food consumption pattern among Malaysian population.
Sodium is an essential mineral needed by the human body that must be obtained from food. An excess intake, however, can lead to many diseases. As food is the main source of sodium, this study aims to provide information on high sodium food consumption patterns in the Malaysian adult population. The Malaysian Community Salt Study (MyCoSS) was a nationwide cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2017 and March 2018. A multistage complex sample was applied to select a nationally representative sample of respondents aged 18 years and above. Face to face interview by a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) comprising 104 food items was used to gain information on high sodium food consumption patterns. A total of 1047 respondents were involved in this study, with 1032 (98.6%) answering the FFQ. From the number, 54.1% exceed the recommendation of sodium intake <2000mg/day by FFQ assessment. The results also demonstrated that fried vegetables (86.4%) were the most common high sodium food consumed, followed by bread (85.9%) and omelet (80.3%). In urban areas, bread was the most common while fried vegetables took the lead in rural areas. By sex, bread was most commonly eaten by males and fried vegetables by females. The results also found that kolok mee/kampua mee contributed the highest sodium, 256.5mg/day in 9.0% adult population, followed by soy sauce 248.1mg/day in 33.2% adult population, and curry noodles 164.2mg/day in 18.5% adult population. Fried vegetables, bread, and soy sauce were the main source of sodium consumption among adult. Reducing the amount of sodium added to these foods should be the top priority to reduce population sodium intake and thereby prevent sodium-related diseases in Malaysia.


The effect of lung reflexes on the pattern of breathing in cats.
Tidal volume (VT), and inspiratory (tI) AND EXPIRATORY (TE) durations have been measured in anaesthetized cats on stimulation of alveolar type J (nociceptive) and lung irritant receptors by intravenous injections of phenyl diguanide and of histamine acid phosphate respectively. The reflexes were studied during eupnoea, hypercapnic and hypoxic hyperpnoea, during rebreathing from hyperventilation apnoea and at different body temperatures. In all conditions the drugs caused rapid shallow breathing with reduction in VT, tI and tE. The VT/tI relationship for injection of the drugs was different from that caused by hypercapnic stimulation of breathing, but the tI/tE relationship was proportionally similar for all conditions. Recording single unit activity from phrenic motor fibres showed that the lung reflexes had little action on the initial frequency of discharge of the fibres, but cut short the discharge earlier than for the controls. The results are interpreted in terms of the ways in which lung reflexes can modify the pattern of breathing.


Use of a novel videotaped presentation to improve pharmacy student confidence in presenting evidence-based medicine.
We assessed the use of a novel videotaped presentation on pharmacy student confidence in presenting an evidence-based recommendation to theoretical healthcare professionals from various disciplines. Students in a required drug literature evaluation course prepared a three-min videotaped presentation critiquing an assigned journal article with the goal of providing a patient care recommendation to a fictional physician. To determine change in confidence, students completed a pre-/post-survey on a 5-point scale. Survey questions explored confidence in presenting and discussing article evidence with both peers and licensed healthcare providers as well as making verbal recommendations for medication use. The survey also included open-ended questions to assess perceptions of the assignment and suggestions for assignment improvement. Over two years, 208 students completed both surveys (75.9%). Student confidence significantly increased for all items from the pre- to the post-survey. Items with the largest increase in confidence were presenting medical literature to peers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals (range 0.72 to 0.89 mean increase for these items). Students reported increased preparedness in presenting, improved conciseness in presenting, and increased self-awareness as a result of the assignment. The majority of students had no suggestions for assignment improvements. Use of a videotaped assignment is a novel, low-resource option for assessing student skills. This video presentation activity allowed students to gain additional communication practice without additional administrative resources. The activity resulted in increased pharmacy student confidence in discussing medical literature and making evidence-based recommendations for medication use.


A proposal: primary nursing for the mother-baby dyad.
Nurses who work in a maternity setting must define their role in terms of the families for whom they care. Care of the childbearing family includes the social, cultural, and economic environment in which the new baby and his family are a part. The postpartum period is an ideal time for the primary nurse fo influence the care of the baby and family in a way that supports their unique family system. The nurse who utilizes this opportunity to care for the family can contribute positively to the start of a new member of society. The interactional system of the infant and family can be viewed as a mutually dependent dyad that is best supported by consistent and knowledgeable nursing care. It is no longer reasonable to deny such care to maternity clients. Family-centered care has been shown to be successful in a variety of hospital maternity settings, improving care for the mother-baby dyad and promoting cost-effective staffing. The process of proposing such a change is challenging. Obstacles to change can be overcome and, although painful, they often lead to clearer definition of the proposal. Nursing must provide the impetus to sound family-centered care. The alternatives are no longer acceptable to consumers, and fragmented nursing care is seldom satisfying to nurses. There is much to be gained by fulfilling the true sense of family-centered postpartum care.


Earwax: A neglected body secretion or a step ahead in clinical diagnosis? A pilot study.
This work combines the advantages of volatile metabolites profiling as a young growing research field with a non-invasive sampling technique using earwax "a neglected body secretion" for detection and monitoring of biomarkers for diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2). Earwax samples were collected from 26 diabetic patients of both types, analyzed by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry and confronted to the volatile earwax composition of 33 healthy individuals. Data mining analysis was conducted using different models to discriminate the healthy individuals from the diabetic patients and to discriminate between both types of diabetes as well. The model with the best discriminating ability was found to be partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) after variable selection. The 6 most important biomarkers were ethanol, acetone, methoxyacetone, hydroxyurea, isobutyraldehyde, and acetic acid. The multivariate model constructed was validated using a test data set and was able to correctly predict all the samples. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were built for the 6 variables for diabetes types 1 and 2 diagnoses. Among the 6 variables selected, methoxyacetone was the only biomarker able solely to perfectly discriminate between diabetes types 1 and 2. The method is simple, non-invasive, accurate, and highly accepted by patients. Our method involves a volatolomic approach by headspace gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry as a single analytical technique combined with multivariate data analysis to detect biomarkers of diabetes in earwax samples. Our method was able to discriminate with high accuracy between 33 healthy controls and 26 diabetic patients as well as its types (1 and 2). Our method employing earwax, a "neglected biological matrix" not only has the advantage of non-invasive sampling but also overcomes the limitations of the applied procedures in other biological samples, involving no or minimum sample pretreatment, no external contamination and utilizing a simple sample collection technique.


Cardiac-related cortical inhibition during a fixed foreperiod reaction time task.
Lacey and Lacey hypothesize the presence of cortical inhibitory influences which result from the cardiac events which initiate baroreceptor discharge. The current study provides evidence of cardiac-related cortical inhibitory influences when normal humans are required to attend to environmental input and respond to the information they perceive (fixed foreperiod reaction time task). Averaged EEG waveforms time locked to pulse transit time (PTT) were comprised of slower frequencies than averaged EEG waveforms randomly selected from the same cardiac cycles, and pre-PTT EEG was comprised of slower frequencies than post-PTT EEG in the averaged waveforms. Results of this experiment raise the speculation that cardiovascular events may modulate brain activity with variations in baroreceptor discharge setting constraints on cortical excitability on a beat-to-beat basis.


Association between the Eating Family Meal and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Using Data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012).
Several studies have shown that family meals promote a well-balanced and healthier diet and weight status. Metabolic syndrome is related to eating behavior. This study investigated the association between eating family meals and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. This cross-sectional study included 4,529 subjects who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2007-2012). A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess dietary status. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the guidelines of the modified version of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. We compared the overall quality of dietary intake in family meal. Nutritional adequacy ratios for energy, protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, niacin, and potassium, and the mean adequacy ratio were significantly higher in the family meal group (P<0.05). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was lower in the family meal group (P<0.05). However, we observed no significant association between eating family meals and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. This study demonstrated that eating family meals appeared to be associated with nutrient adequacy. However, we observed no significant differences in prevalence of metabolic syndrome between the 2 groups.


Production of sepiapterin in Escherichia coli by coexpression of cyanobacterial GTP cyclohydrolase I and human 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase.
Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 GTP cyclohydrolase I and human 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase were coexpressed in Escherichia coli. The E. coli transformant produced sepiapterin, which was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and enzymatically converted to dihydrobiopterin by sepiapterin reductase. Aldose reductase, another indispensable enzyme for sepiapterin production, may be endogenous in E. coli.


Rho protein-mediated changes in the structure of the actin cytoskeleton regulate human inducible NO synthase gene expression.
Rho proteins (Rho, Rac, Cdc 42) are known to control the organization of the actin cytoskeleton as well as gene expression. Inhibition of Rho proteins by Clostridium difficile toxin B disrupted the F-actin cytoskeleton and enhanced cytokine-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in human epithelial cells. Also specific inhibition by Y-27632 of p160ROCK, which mediates Rho effects on actin fibers, caused a disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and a superinduction of cytokine-induced iNOS expression. Accordingly, direct disruption of the actin cytoskeleton by cytochalasin D, latrunculin B, or jasplakinolide enhanced cytokine-induced iNOS expression. The transcription factor serum response factor (SRF) has been described as mediating actin cytoskeleton-dependent regulation of gene expression. Direct targets of SRF are activating protein 1 (AP1)-dependent genes. All compounds used inhibited SRF- and AP1-dependent reporter gene expression in DLD-1 cells. However, the enhancing effect of the actin cytoskeleton-disrupting compounds on human iNOS promoter activity was much less pronounced than the effect on iNOS mRNA expression. Therefore, besides transcriptional mechanisms, posttranscriptional effects seem to be involved in the regulation of iNOS expression by the above compounds. In conclusion, our data suggest that Rho protein-mediated changes of the actin cytoskeleton negatively modulate the expression of human iNOS.


Strategies for head and inlay exchange in revision hip arthroplasty.
Due to the increasing number of total hip arthroplasties performed during the last three decades and the limited long-term survival, mainly because of wear, the number of revisions has increased during the last two years. If the implant itself is still considered to be stable, only head and inlay exchange is necessary. This requires comprehensive knowledge of the characteristics of the articulating materials by the surgeon as the wrong choice of wear couple can lead to early failure for a second time. The aim of this paper is to present considerations and strategies for head and inlay exchange in case of failure, either due to wear of the articulation material or of other indications for revision hip arthroplasty.


Modulation of natural killer cell activity by surface phosphorylation reactions.
To determine whether phosphorylation of cell surface proteins is involved in NK cell activity, the phosphorylation patterns of a rat NK cell line (RNK-16) incubated with 12.5 microM [gamma-32P]ATP were characterized before and after exposure to YAC-1 cells, which serve as targets for killing, and K562 cells, which are not killed by RNK-16 cells. By 51Cr release assays, the inhibitory effect of ATP on RNK-16 killing activity previously reported was corroborated. RNK-16 cells prelabeled with 12.5 microM ATP show enhanced labeling of a 70- to 72,000-Da protein after exposure to unlabeled target YAC-1 cells but not after exposure to K562 cells. A protein of similar apparent molecular size is also labeled upon exposure of RNK-16 cells to OX-34, an antibody which binds and inhibits killing, as well as upon exposure to OX-18, which also binds but does not inhibit NK activity. These findings are indicative of the activation of a kinase with high affinity for [gamma-32P]ATP, which phosphorylates an endogenous surface substrate of 70-72,000 Da upon binding of macromolecules to the RNK-16 cells. RNK-16 cells, previously labeled with micromolars [gamma-32P]ATP and subsequently treated with millimolars unlabeled ATP, showed loss of label from a 110,000-Da protein component, indicative of the rapid turnover of a phosphate group on a surface protein. Thus, extracellular ATP enhances the phosphorylation of a 70- to 72,000-Da component upon binding of RNK-16 cells to target cells or upon binding of antibodies at micromolar concentrations of ATP and catalyzes the loss of phosphate from a 110,000-Da component at millimolar concentrations of ATP. These findings reflect a complex repertoire of surface phosphorylation changes which occur in RNK-16 cells.


Combinatory strategy using nanoscale proteomics and machine learning for T cell subtyping in peripheral blood of single multiple myeloma patients.
T cells play crucial roles in our immunity against hematological tumors by inducing sustained immune responses. Flow cytometry-based detection of a limited number of specific protein markers has been routinely applied for basic research and clinical investigation in this area. In this study, we combined flow cytometry with the simple integrated spintip-based proteomics technology (SISPROT) to characterize the proteome of primary T cell subtypes in the peripheral blood (PB) from single multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Taking advantage of the integrated high pH reversed-phase fractionation in the SISPROT device, the global proteomes of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were firstly profiled with a depth of >7 000 protein groups for each cell type. The sensitivity of single-shot proteomic analysis was dramatically improved by optimizing the SISPROT and data-dependent acquisition parameters for nanogram-level samples. Eight subtypes of T cells were sorted from about 4 mL PB of single MM patients, and the individual subtype-specific proteomes with coverage among 1 702 and 3 699 protein groups were obtained from as low as 70 ng and up to 500 ng of cell lysates. In addition, we developed a two-step machine learning-based subtyping strategy for proof-of-concept classifying eight T cell subtypes, independent of their cell numbers and individual differences. Our strategy demonstrates an easy-to-use proteomic analysis on immune cells with the potential to discover novel subtype-specific protein biomarkers from limited clinical samples in future large scale clinical studies.


VP22-mediated intercellular transport of p53 in hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo.
The capacity of VP22 chimeric proteins to spread from the primary transduced cell to surrounding cells could improve gene therapy approaches, especially in cancer therapy. However, there are conflicting data about VP22-mediated intercellular trafficking in different studies. To assess the role of VP22 in gene therapy of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) we constructed expression vectors for N- and C-terminal versions of VP22-p53 fusion proteins and investigated the VP22-mediated shuttle effect in hepatoma cells by cotransfection experiments. VP22-mediated trafficking was not detectable in hepatoma cells in vitro by fluorescence microscopy, but reporter gene transactivation assays demonstrated intercellular trafficking of functional VP22-p53 in vitro. For in vivo experiments, the recombinant adenoviruses Ad5CMVp53 and Ad5CMVp53-VP22 were constructed. In contrast to the in vitro experiments intercellular trafficking of VP22-p53 could be observed in subcutaneous tumors of hepatoma cells by fluorescence microscopy, indicating a stronger shuttle effect in solid tumors compared to cell culture experiments. Because spread of p53-VP22 in liver tumors was correlated with enhanced apoptosis of hepatoma cells VP22-mediated trafficking of potential therapeutic proteins may improve the results of gene therapy of HCCs.


Virtual reality relaxation for the general population: a systematic review.
Relaxation has significant restorative properties and implications for public health. However, modern, busy lives leave limiting time for relaxation. Virtual reality (VR) experiences of pleasant and calming virtual environments, accessed with a head-mounted display (HMD), appear to promote relaxation. This study aimed to provide a systematic review of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of studies that use VR to promote relaxation in the general population (PROSPERO 195,804). Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and MEDLINE were searched until 29th June 2020. Studies were included in the review if they used HMD technology to present virtual environments that aimed to promote or measure relaxation, or relaxation-related variables. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool was used to assess methodological quality of studies. 6403 articles were identified through database searching. Nineteen studies published between 2007 and 2020, with 1278 participants, were included in the review. Of these, thirteen were controlled studies. Studies predominantly used natural audio-visual stimuli to promote relaxation. Findings indicate feasibility, acceptability, and short-term effectiveness of VR to increase relaxation and reduce stress. Six studies received an EPHPP rating of 'strong', seven were 'moderate', and six were 'weak'. VR may be a useful tool to promote relaxation in the general population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stress is increasing worldwide. However, methodological limitations, such as limited randomised controlled trials and longer-term evidence, mean that these conclusions should be drawn with caution. More robust studies are needed to support this promising area of VR relaxation.


Sit less and move more for cardiovascular health: emerging insights and opportunities.
Sedentary behaviour - put simply, too much sitting, as a distinct concept from too little exercise - is a novel determinant of cardiovascular risk. This definition provides a perspective that is complementary to the well-understood detrimental effects of physical inactivity. Sitting occupies the majority of the daily waking hours in most adults and has become even more pervasive owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential for a broad cardiovascular health benefit exists through an integrated approach that involves 'sitting less and moving more'. In this Review, we first consider observational and experimental evidence on the adverse effects of prolonged, uninterrupted sitting and the evidence identifying the possible mechanisms underlying the associated risk. We summarize the results of randomized controlled trials demonstrating the feasibility of changing sedentary behaviour. We also highlight evidence on the deleterious synergies between sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity as the underpinnings of our case for addressing them jointly in mitigating cardiovascular risk. This integrated approach should not only reduce the specific risks of too much sitting but also have a positive effect on the total amount of physical activity, with the potential to more broadly benefit the health of individuals living with or at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.


Expression patterns of two Arabidopsis endo-beta-1,4-glucanase genes (At3g43860, At4g39000) in reproductive development.
Endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanases (EGases) are a widespread and vital group of glycosyl hydrolases that generally break the beta-1,4-glucosyl linkages. Studies of plant EGases have mainly been concentrated on vegetative growth, while little is currently known about their role in reproductive processes. Using the GUS reporter aided analysis of promoter activities, we identified the expression patterns of two putative Arabidopsis EGases genes (At3g43860 and At4g39000) whose promoters conferred specific localization of the GUS activity in reproductive organs. We found that At3g43860, which is similar to KOR in its protein structural organization, is expressed in mature pollen and the pollen tube, implying that it may have a role in pollen and pollen tube growth. At4g39000 was found to be activated in the developing ovules and seeds, especially at the micropylar end of the inner integuments and nucellus in a proximal-distal pattern. Our results suggested that the two EGases play specific roles in Arabidopsis sexual reproduction.


Endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient with diabetes and foot osteomyelitis.
Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare condition caused by the hematogenous spread of microorganisms from a remote infection site to the eye. Common predisposing conditions are intravenous drug abuse, diabetes, malignancy, immunosuppression, chronic renal failure, parenteral nutrition or invasive medical procedures. We describe a case of endogenous endophthalmitis in the setting of foot osteomyelitis in a patient with diabetes. A high index of clinical suspicion is required to diagnose this condition early in a patient with diabetes because visual symptoms commonly may be misattributed to retinopathy. Early diagnosis is important.


Neuron migration within the radial glial fiber system of the developing murine cerebrum: an electron microscopic autoradiographic analysis.
The present analysis provides direct evidence in the mouse that in the course of course of neocortical histogenesis, contact between migrating neurons and the surfaces of radial glial fibers is both invariant and relatively selective. The analysis characterizes in detail the migratory behavior of the individual migrating cell with respect to the overall radial glial fiber system as this system varies systematically in its structure with ascent through the strata of the cerebral wall. A quantitative study of the relationships between the radial glial fibers confidently identified by their glycogen content and the migrating neurons marked autoradiographically by injection of [3H]thymidine was also performed at the ultrastructural level on tangential sections at different pallial levels in E16 and E17 embryos. The overall set of observations lend support to the hypothesis that radial glial fibers act specifically as guides to neuronal migration and illustrate the nature of the cell-to-cell interaction which serves this cellular process critical to neocortical histogenesis.


A G protein-associated ERK pathway is involved in LPS-induced proliferation and a PTK-associated p38 MAPK pathway is involved in LPS-induced differentiation in resting B cells.
We, previously, showed that PKC-dependent ERK/p38 MAPK activation was inhibited by treating the resting B cell line 38B9 with an anti-MHC class II antibody. Further studies in this work demonstrated that PKA was involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced proliferation of the cells, such that the PKC inhibitor activated PKA with concomitant LPS-induced proliferation but not IgG secretion. Consequently, the PKA inhibitor down-regulated ERK and p38 MAPK, and decreased cell proliferation. In addition, the treatment of LPS-stimulated 38B9 cells with PTK inhibitor reduced PKC- and PKA-dependent p38 MAPK activation and reduced the level of IgG secretion rather than the level of proliferation. However, the treatment of LPS-stimulated 38B9 cells with pertussis toxin (PTX), an inhibitor for the G protein-coupled receptor, inhibited the activation of both PKC- and PKA-dependent ERK and significantly reduced LPS-induced proliferation but not IgG secretion. Furthermore, ERK and p38 MAPK inhibitors reduced LPS-induced proliferation and differentiation, respectively, in 38B9 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that LPS-induced proliferation of resting B cells is mainly mediated through a G protein-associated PKA/PKC-dependent ERK pathway and that a PTK-associated PKC/PKA-dependent p38 MAPK pathway is mostly involved in LPS-induced differentiation of the resting B cells.


Recovery of gastrointestinal motility from post-operative ileus in dogs: effects of Leu13-motilin (KW-5139) and prostaglandin F2 alpha.
Cyclical motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract, normally occurring during the interdigestive period in several mammals, is disrupted in the post-operative ileus. We determined the recovery from the disappearance of cyclical motor activity, from the stomach to the colon, in dogs after laparotomy with the force transducers. Moreover, we examined the effects of Leu13-motilin (KW-5139) and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), administered in the early post-operative period, on the gastrointestinal motility. Following laparotomy, the cyclical motor activity reappeared firstly in the ileum and the colon, then in the jejunum and the duodenum, and finally in the stomach. The reappearance time of the phase III contractions in the stomach was 105.8 +/- 10.6 h (n = 4). In the early post-operative period, KW-5139 (0.5 microgram kg-1, i.v.) induced phase-III-like contractions, whereas PGF2 alpha (50 micrograms kg-1, i.v.) induced simultaneously occurring contractions over the whole gastrointestine. The treatment with KW-5139 (0.5 microgram kg-1, i.v.) four times (twice daily on the first and the second post-operative day) significantly (P < 0.05) shortened the time required to recover the phase III contractions in the stomach (64.2 +/- 2.2 h, n = 4), whereas that with PGF2 alpha (50 micrograms kg-1, i.v.) four times did not (111.3 +/- 17.2 h, n = 4). The present results indicate that, after laparotomy, the cyclical motor activity recovers faster in the distal intestine than in the proximal intestine and the stomach, and that KW-5139, but not PGF2 alpha, shortens the reappearance time of the phase III activity in the stomach.


When does depression become a mental disorder?
How can we differentiate a depressive disorder from 'normal' sadness? This editorial summarises three approaches: the first emphasises the context in which depressive symptoms occur; the second postulates a qualitative difference between the two conditions; and the third argues that the distinction should be based on pragmatic grounds.


Antibody- and nucleic acid-based lateral flow immunoassay for Listeria monocytogenes detection.
Listeria monocytogenes is an invasive opportunistic foodborne pathogen and its routine surveillance is critical for protecting the food supply and public health. The traditional detection methods are time-consuming and require trained personnel. Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), on the other hand, is an easy-to-perform, rapid point-of-care test and has been widely used as an inexpensive surveillance tool. In recent times, nucleic acid-based lateral flow immunoassays (NALFIA) are also developed to improve sensitivity and specificity. A significant improvement in lateral flow-based assays has been reported in recent years, especially the ligands (antibodies, nucleic acids, aptamers, bacteriophage), labeling molecules, and overall assay configurations to improve detection sensitivity, specificity, and automated interpretation of results. In most commercial applications, LFIA has been used with enriched food/environmental samples to ensure detection of live cells thus prolonging the assay time to 24-48 h; however, with the recent improvement in LFIA sensitivity, results can be obtained in less than 8 h with shortened and improved enrichment practices. Incorporation of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and/or immunomagnetic separation could significantly improve LFIA sensitivity for near-real-time point-of-care detection of L. monocytogenes for food safety and public health applications.


Quantification of bone marrow edema in rheumatoid arthritis by using high-speed T2-corrected multiecho acquisition of 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a feasibility study.
To determine whether high-speed T2-corrected multiecho (HISTO) sequences can quantify bone marrow edema (BME) in the capitate bone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and whether the HISTO fat fraction (FF) reflects therapeutic effectiveness. In this prospective study, 25 RA patients (19 women; average age, 45.08 ± 13.48 years) underwent 3.0-T MRI with HISTO at the baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. Rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), platelet (PLT) count, and 28-joint Disease Activity Score using ESR (DAS28-ESR) were recorded on the day of each MRI examination by a rheumatologist blinded to the MRI findings. In addition, 21 healthy subjects (15 women; age, 49.17 ± 6.56 years) underwent only the HISTO sequence at a single time point. HISTO FF values were significantly higher in the control group (74.5% ± 3.1%; range, 68.6-79.3%) than in the patient group (55.8% ± 17.7%; range, 15.6-79.0%) at the baseline (independent-samples t-test: t = 5.257, P = 0.000). The changes in HISTO FF and DAS28-ESR showed moderate negative correlations with each other at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, and all of them were statistically significant (P < 0.05). As the HISTO FF increased, the DAS28-ESR decreased. The HISTO sequence can measure the bone marrow FF of the wrist joint bones in RA patients. The HISTO FF value increased as the DAS28-ESR decreased. The HISTO sequence may help quantify BME in RA and help monitor the effectiveness of RA treatment. Key Points •The HISTO sequence could measure the bone marrow FF of the wrist joint bones. •FF value increased as the DAS28-ESR decreased in RA patients. •The HISTO sequence can monitor the therapeutic effect of RA.


Temperament traits and psychopathy in a group of patients with antisocial personality disorder.
The Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) have been used extensively in research of personality disorders; however, no previous study has investigated the relation between psychopathy factors and temperament and character traits in patients with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Our aim was to fill this gap in the literature. The PCL-R Factor scores and the TCI temperament and character scores were evaluated in 68 men with ASPD and 65 healthy male controls. The ASPD cases had significantly higher PCL-R Factor 1, Factor 2, and Total scores, as well as significantly higher TCI Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance scores, whereas the control group had higher TCI Reward Dependence, Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness scores. Correlation analysis revealed that, in the whole study group, PCL-R Factor 1, Factor 2, and Total scores were positively correlated with Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance scores and negatively correlated with Reward Dependence, Persistence, Self-Directedness, and Cooperativeness scores. When each group was analyzed separately, the correlations were not significant. Regression analysis supported the main findings. Our results showed that both PCL-R Factor 1 score, which is claimed to reflect "core psychopathy," and PCL-R Factor 2 score, which reflects criminal behaviors, were positively correlated with Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance and were negatively correlated with Reward Dependence in the whole sample. The reduced variance of PCL-R in each group might lead to nonsignificant associations within groups. Without the subjects with severe psychopathy in the present study, it might not be possible to show the association.