Effect of photon induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) on bond strength to dentine of two root canal filling materials.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of photon induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) technique in combination with EDTA on bond strength of gutta-percha/AH Plus and Resilon/RealSeal SE root canal fillings to root dentine. Forty freshly extracted human maxillary anterior teeth with intact straight roots, were instrumented endodontically with rotating ProTaper instruments and randomly divided into two experimental groups. In group 1 (n = 20), root canals were rinsed for 1 minute with 2 ml of 17% EDTA. In group 2 (n = 20), Er:YAG laser, with a 14 mm long 400 μ diameter tapered PIPS tip, was used for 1 minute with 2 ml of 17% EDTA. The laser parameters used were: 20 mJ per pulse, 15 Hz, 50 microsecond. In each experimental group, half of the root canals (n = 10) were obturated with gutta-percha/AH Plus and other half (n = 10) with Resilon/RealSeal SE. A micropush-out test was performed on sectiond specimens of the filled roots using a universal testing machine and resistance to failure plus failure modes were determined. Both gutta-percha/AH Plus groups had higher bond strength to root dentin than the Resilon/RealSeal SE groups (P < 0.05). The smear layer removal protocol, with EDTA only or combining PIPS technique with EDTA, had no influence on bond strength of either gutta-percha/AH Plus, or Resilon/RealSeal SE (P > 0.05). Within the limitations of this study, it was found that the application of the PIPS technique did not have an affect on the push-out bond strength of Resilon/RealSeal SE root canal filling to dentin nor on the gutta-percha/AH Plus. A significant difference in bond strength was noted between the two root canal filling materials. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:951-954, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Surgical management of rectovaginal fistula in a tertiary referral centre: many techniques are needed.
Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for rectovaginal fistula (RVF). Published success rates vary with initial success being around 50% rising to 80% with repeated surgery. Fistulae in Crohn's disease are more likely to recur. A retrospective study was performed of RVF repair carried out between 2003 and 2008 in a tertiary referral centre. Patients undergoing surgery for an RVF under the senior author during the study period were identified and their clinical notes were reviewed. Thirty-five patients underwent 50 operations. The median age was 42 years and 83% were tertiary referrals. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Healing occurred in 19 (58%) of 33 patients after a mean of 1.4 operations. The median time to success was 11 (2.5-48) months. The 'curative' group had an overall success of 73% (19 of 26). Seventy-five per cent of non-inflammatory bowel disease patients and 67% of those with Crohn's disease had successful treatment of the RVF. Twenty-four of 35 patients (67%) underwent creation of a stoma. Sixteen of 24 (67%) were deemed fit for restoration of continuity. No demographic or disease related factors were found to influence healing. Cure of RVF can be achieved by a range of surgical approaches including abdominal and anal. A variety of different anal techniques are necessary, depending on the integrity of the anal sphincter and the presence or absence of perineal descent/internal intussusception.


p53 expression, K-ras gene mutation and microsatellite instability in gastric B-cell lymphomas.
Genetic mechanisms involved in the development of gastric B-cell lymphomas remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to clarify the roles of mutations of the p53 and K-ras genes, and microsatellite instability (MSI) in the development of gastric B-cell lymphomas. We investigated p53 immunoreactivity, mutations of the K-ras gene, and MSI in 27 gastric marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (MZBCL) and 24 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). p53 immunoreactivity was examined using a monoclonal antibody, DO-7. Mutation of the K-ras gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. MSI was examined at five microsatellite loci with a microsatellite assay. Cases were classified as having high-frequency MSI (MSI-H) (>/= 2 loci showing instability), low-frequency MSI (MSI-L) (only one locus showing instability), or as microsatellite stable. p53 immunoreactivity was detected in 1 of 16 (6%) MZBCL and 8 of 19 (42%) DLBCL. Frequency of p53 immunoreactivity in DLBCL was significantly higher than that in MZBCL (P = 0.018). MSI-H was detected only in 1 of 20 (5%) DLBCL. None of the cases examined showed mutation of the K-ras gene. These data suggest that mutations of the p53 gene may play an important role in the development of gastric DLBCL, and that mutations of the K-ras gene and MSI may be involved in little part of the development of gastric B-cell lymphomas.


Structure determination and biosynthesis of a novel metabolite of Fusarium culmorum, apotrichodiol.
A novel dead-end metabolite of Fusarium culmorum was isolated and characterized (Zamir, L. O., and Devor, K. A. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 15348-15353). This 3 alpha, 13-dihydroxy-apotrichothec-9-ene is herein given the trivial name of apotrichodiol to indicate its basic structure. The characterization of apotrichodiol was established through the application of spectroscopic techniques (ultraviolet, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, and DEPT experiments) on the natural product as well as on its diacetate derivative. The mode of folding of its precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate was derived from feeding experiments with 3,4-[13C2]mevalonolactone. 13C-NMR assignments were also made of 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and sambucinol which were derived from these feedings with enriched mevalonolactone.


Persistent estrogen induction of hepatic Xenopus laevis serum retinol binding protein mRNA.
Administration of estradiol-17 beta to male Xenopus laevis induces the hepatic mRNA coding for the serum retinol binding protein (RBP) approximately 10-fold, both in vivo and in primary liver cultures. Estrogen induction of RBP mRNA is completely blocked by the anti-estrogen, hydroxytamoxifen. Testosterone administration reduces the elevated level of RBP mRNA observed in livers of female X. laevis to the constitutive level seen in livers of control male animals, and partially blocks the estrogen induction of RBP mRNA. Intracellular RBP mRNA levels therefore represent a balance between the opposing effects of estradiol-17 beta and testosterone. In marked contrast to the estrogen induction of vitellogenin mRNA, which requires the continuous presence of exogenous estrogen, induction of RBP mRNA persists for at least 4 months after a single injection of estrogen. Runoff transcription measurements demonstrate that persistent induction of RBP mRNA is due to an increased rate of RBP gene transcription. Administration of hydroxytamoxifen abolishes persistent induction of RBP mRNA, suggesting that residual hormone receptor complex plays a role in the persistent induction of RBP gene transcription. The persistent estrogen induction of RBP mRNA provides the first demonstration of long-term activation of the transcription of a hormone-responsive gene in response to a transient dose of a steroid hormone.


Effective or ineffective: attribute framing and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
To experimentally test whether presenting logically equivalent, but differently valenced effectiveness information (i.e. attribute framing) affects perceived effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, vaccine-related intentions and policy opinions. A survey-based experiment (N=334) was fielded in August and September 2007 as part of a larger ongoing web-enabled monthly survey, the Annenberg National Health Communication Survey. Participants were randomly assigned to read a short passage about the HPV vaccine that framed vaccine effectiveness information in one of five ways. Afterward, they rated the vaccine and related opinion questions. Main statistical methods included ANOVA and t-tests. On average, respondents exposed to positive framing (70% effective) rated the HPV vaccine as more effective and were more supportive of vaccine mandate policy than those exposed to the negative frame (30% ineffective) or the control frame. Mixed valence frames showed some evidence for order effects; phrasing that ended by emphasizing vaccine ineffectiveness showed similar vaccine ratings to the negative frame. The experiment finds that logically equivalent information about vaccine effectiveness not only influences perceived effectiveness, but can in some cases influence support for policies mandating vaccine use. These framing effects should be considered when designing messages.


Molecular cloning of preprocathepsin E cDNA from the stomach of bullfrog Rana catesbeiana.
A cDNA library was constructed from a poly(A)(+) RNA fraction of the gastric mucosa of bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. We cloned a cDNA encoding preprocathepsin E (Pre-Pro-CE) from the library. The present study is the first demonstration of the Pre-Pro-CE cDNA of lower vertebrate such as amphibian. Amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA was compared with partial amino acid sequence determined by Edman degradation, suggesting that the cDNA comprises an open reading frame encoding a signal peptide (16 amino acids), a pro-sequence (33 amino acids) and a mature protein region (348 amino acids). Two consensus tri-peptide sequences (FDT and VDT) as active site and positions of seven cysteine residues were conserved in this amphibian CE. Although the bullfrog CE was deduced to contain one potential N-linked glycosylation site, its position (Asn(139)-Leu(140)-Thr(141)) was different from that of mammalian CEs. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the bullfrog Pro-CE belongs to the typical Pro-CE group among various aspartic proteinases.


Extensive revascularization in patients with "nonreconstructible" vascular disease.
Elderly patients with severely ischemic lower extremities should undergo thorough noninvasive and angiographic evaluation. Although the visualization of a small nongraftable vessels in the lower extremity is a contraindication to an extensive limb salvage procedure, the inability to visualize angiographically any distal vessels in the lower extremity is not a contraindication. Patients with a severely ischemic but viable lower extremity and angiographic nonvisualization of any distal vessels of the lower extremity should be considered potential candidates for surgical exploration and possible salvage by simultaneous inflow and outflow procedures.


Genetic and Environmental Considerations for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract driven by an exaggerated immune response to luminal microbiota in susceptible individuals. It presents with a heterogenous pattern of clinical disease severity, location, and behavior. Understanding the interaction between the host genome, gut microbiome, and further environmental exposures in the development of IBD is in the early stages, and factors that trigger onset of disease in susceptible individuals remain unknown. This article addresses the genetic, microbial, and environmental influences on development of inflammatory bowel disease and the ability to manipulate these factors through surgery and medical therapy.


Evidence for a role of LPGAT1 in influencing BMI and percent body fat in Native Americans.
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was recently completed in 1120 Pima Indians to identify loci that influence BMI. Among the top 100 signals were three variants that mapped within the lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (LPGAT1) gene. LPGAT1 belongs to a large family of acyltransferases, which are involved in a variety of biological processes including pathways that regulate energy homeostasis and body weight. Therefore LPGAT1 was analyzed as a candidate gene for obesity in Pima Indians. Variants (n = 26) located within and adjacent to LPGAT1 including a novel 27bp deletion in the 5'-untranslated region identified by sequencing were genotyped in a population-based sample of 3,391 full-heritage Pima Indians living in the Gila River Indian Community. Replication of selected variants was assessed in a second sample of 3,327 mixed-heritage Native Americans from the same community. Variants with nominal associations with BMI in each of the two independent samples (tagged by rs112662024 and rs12058008) had associations of P = 1-4 × 10(-5) in the combined sample (n = 6718). A haplotype that includes the novel 27bp deletion, which does not occur in Caucasians, showed the strongest association with BMI in the full-heritage Pima Indians. In vitro functional studies provided suggestive evidence that this 27bp deletion may affect transcriptional or posttranscriptional regulation. Analysis of LPGAT1 cDNA from human preadipocytes identified an additional exon whose sequence could potentially serve as a mitochondrial targeting peptide. LPGAT1 is a novel gene that influences BMI in Native Americans.


Signalling pathways that control vertebrate haematopoietic stem cell specification.
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are tissue-specific stem cells that replenish all mature blood lineages during the lifetime of an individual. Clinically, HSCs form the foundation of transplantation-based therapies for leukaemias and congenital blood disorders. Researchers have long been interested in understanding the normal signalling mechanisms that specify HSCs in the embryo, in part because recapitulating these requirements in vitro might provide a means to generate immune-compatible HSCs for transplantation. Recent embryological work has demonstrated the existence of previously unknown signalling requirements. Moreover, it is now clear that gene expression in the nearby somite is integrally involved in regulating the transition of the embryonic endothelium to a haemogenic fate. Here, we review current knowledge of the intraembryonic signals required for the specification of HSCs in vertebrates.


Persistent bilateral pneumothorax after robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair: possible relevance to recent esophageal cancer surgery - a case report.
Postoperative pneumothorax is a well-known but relatively rare complication after laparoscopic surgery. There has been no report describing pneumothorax that persisted for a week or more after laparoscopic surgery. Herein, we report a case of bilateral pneumothorax after laparoscopic surgery, which appears to have occurred by a different mechanism than previously described. A 65-year-old male, with a past history of esophagectomy and retrosternal gastric tube reconstruction 4 months earlier, underwent a robotic-assisted inguinal hernia repair. Postoperative chest x-rays revealed the development of bilateral pneumothorax, which became worse on postoperative day (POD) 1 and took more than 9 days to resolve spontaneously. We assumed that intra-abdominal gas replaced by the air after pneumoperitoneum might have migrated into thoracic cavities through an opened esophageal hiatus or along the retrosternal route. Laparoscopic surgery after radical esophagectomy may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative pneumothorax.


Direct or indirect? Graphical models for neural oscillators.
Univariate and bivariate time series analysis techniques have enabled new insights into neural processes. However, these techniques are not feasible to distinguish direct and indirect interrelations in multivariate systems. To this aim multivariate times series techniques are presented and investigated by means of simulated as well as physiological time series. Pitfalls and limitations of these techniques are discussed.


Automatically Diagnosing Skull Fractures Using an Object Detection Method and Deep Learning Algorithm in Plain Radiography Images.
Deep learning is a machine learning approach based on artificial neural network training, and object detection algorithm using deep learning is used as the most powerful tool in image analysis. We analyzed and evaluated the diagnostic performance of a deep learning algorithm to identify skull fractures in plain radiographic images and investigated its clinical applicability. A total of 2026 plain radiographic images of the skull (fracture, 991; normal, 1035) were obtained from 741 patients. The RetinaNet architecture was used as a deep learning model. Precision, recall, and average precision were measured to evaluate the deep learning algorithm's diagnostic performance. In ResNet-152, the average precision for intersection over union (IOU) 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5, were 0.7240, 0.6698, and 0.3687, respectively. When the intersection over union (IOU) and confidence threshold were 0.1, the precision was 0.7292, and the recall was 0.7650. When the IOU threshold was 0.1, and the confidence threshold was 0.6, the true and false rates were 82.9% and 17.1%, respectively. There were significant differences in the true/false and false-positive/false-negative ratios between the anteriorposterior, towne, and both lateral views (p=0.032 and p=0.003). Objects detected in false positives had vascular grooves and suture lines. In false negatives, the detection performance of the diastatic fractures, fractures crossing the suture line, and fractures around the vascular grooves and orbit was poor. The object detection algorithm applied with deep learning is expected to be a valuable tool in diagnosing skull fractures.


Increased mortality rate associated with chikungunya epidemic, Ahmedabad, India.
In 2005-2006, Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean reported approximately 266,000 cases of chikungunya; 254 were fatal (case-fatality rate 1/1,000). India reported 1.39 million cases of chikungunya fever in 2006 with no attributable deaths; Ahmedabad, India, reported 60,777 suspected chikungunya cases. To assess the effect of this epidemic, mortality rates in 2006 were compared with those in 2002-2005 for Ahmedabad (population 3.8 million). A total of 2,944 excess deaths occurred during the chikungunya epidemic (August-November 2006) when compared with the average number of deaths in the same months during the previous 4 years. These excess deaths may be attributable to this epidemic. However, a hidden or unexplained cause of death is also possible. Public health authorities should thoroughly investigate this increase in deaths associated with this epidemic and implement measures to prevent further epidemics of chikungunya.


Occurrence of Polychlorodibenzothiophenes in Nanjing Section of the Yangtze River, China.
Sediment and water samples collected from 8 sites of the Yangtze River in Nanjing section were characterized with 31 congeners of polychlorodibenzothiophenes (PCDTs). Concentrations and percentage compositions of these PCDTs in water and sediments were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that ∑PCDT concentrations in sediments were higher (0.86-1.75 μg/kg) than those in water (0.56-1.30 μg/L). A linear relationship existed between ∑PCDT concentrations and total organic carbon content in sediments, whereas there was a poor linearity between ∑PCDTs concentrations and dissolved organic carbon content in water phase. Moreover, percentage compositions showed that penta-chlorinated DTs were the predominant congeners both in sediments and water. Differences existed in the percentage compositions between water and sediments. Highly chlorinated DTs accounted for a larger proportion in sediments than those in water. In conclusion, the present study showed the prevalent contamination by PCDTs in sediments and water from the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River.


CR-6 protects glutathione peroxidase activity in experimental diabetes.
Antioxidants can be useful as a supportive therapy in diabetes, and we try to elucidate some of the mechanisms by which these compounds are able to protect from diabetic complications. For this purpose we have assayed, in vitro and in vivo, the ability of CR-6 (3,4-dihydro-6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-1(2H)-benzopyran), an antioxidant able to scavenge nitrogen reactive species, to protect glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Glucose, in vitro, inhibited GPx activity in a concentration-dependent manner; CR-6 was able to protect GPx activity from glucose-induced inactivation. Alloxan-induced experimental diabetes in mice promoted oxidative stress in the retina and hippocampus, after 3 weeks of hyperglycemia. CR-6 administration prevented not only the alterations of oxidative stress markers (tissue GSH and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and GPx activity) but also the impairment of retinal function (as assessed by the modifications in electroretinogram b-wave amplitude). The findings herein confirm the role of nitrogen reactive species in diabetes; therefore, antioxidants effectively quenching these species, such as CR-6, should be considered for the adjuvant treatment of diabetes.


Prevention of early-onset cardiomyopathy in Dmd exon 52-54 deletion mice by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated exon skipping.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a disease with a life-threatening trajectory resulting from mutations in the dystrophin gene, leading to degeneration of skeletal muscle and fibrosis of cardiac muscle. The overwhelming majority of mutations are multiexonic deletions. We previously established a dystrophic mouse model with deletion of exons 52-54 in Dmd that develops an early-onset cardiac phenotype similar to DMD patients. Here we employed CRISPR-Cas9 delivered intravenously by adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to restore functional dystrophin expression via excision or skipping of exon 55. Exon skipping with a solitary guide significantly improved editing outcomes and dystrophin recovery over dual guide excision. Some improvements to genomic and transcript editing levels were observed when the guide dose was enhanced, but dystrophin restoration did not improve considerably. Editing and dystrophin recovery were restricted primarily to cardiac tissue. Remarkably, our exon skipping approach completely prevented onset of the cardiac phenotype in treated mice up to 12 weeks. Thus, our results demonstrate that intravenous delivery of a single-cut CRISPR-Cas9-mediated exon skipping therapy can prevent heart dysfunction in DMD in vivo.


Toddler's T cells are taught in muco-school.
Tissue-resident memory T cells accumulate in mucosal sites during infancy and then mature through childhood.


Defense of mates: a territory departure rule for male tree lizards following sex-ratio manipulation.
Male tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) abandon their territories following the removal of potential mates. Departure time averages 25 days but varies from 1 to 7 weeks. We show that most of the variation (r 2=0.78) in departure of males can be accounted for by the number of females removed from male territories and adjacent trees. Males occupying higher quality territories (more potential mates) have short departure times, whereas males on poorer territories (fewer fameles) stay longer after female removal. We hypothesize that the inverse relationship between male departure time and the number of females removed from their territories is a consequence of the male's previous expectation of envountering prospective mates. In addition, experimental introduction of non-resident males into the territories of resident males revealed the inability of intruder males to become established on occupied territories.


Production and application of a novel bioflocculant by multiple-microorganism consortia using brewery wastewater as carbon source.
The flocculating activity of a novel bioflocculant MMF1 produced by multiple-microorganism consortia MM1 was investigated. MM1 was composed of strain BAFRT4 identified as Staphylococcus sp. and strain CYGS1 identified as Pseudomonas sp. The flocculating activity of MMF1 isolated from the screening medium was 82.9%, which is remarkably higher than that of the bioflocculant produced by either of the strains under the same condition. Brewery wastewater was also used as the carbon source for MM1, and the cost-effective production medium for MM1 mainly comprised 1.0 L brewery water (chemical oxygen demand (COD) 5000 mg/L), 0.5 g/L urea, 0.5 g/L yeast extract, and 0.2 g/L (NH4)2SO4. The optimal conditions for the production of MMF1 was inoculum size 2%, initial pH 6.0, cultivating temperature 30 degrees C, and shaking speed 160 r/min, under which the flocculating activity of the MMF1 reached 96.8%. Fifteen grams of purified bioflocculant could be recovered from 1.0 L of fermentation broth. MMF1 was identified as a macromolecular substance containing both protein and polysaccharide. It showed good flocculating performance in treating indigotin printing and dyeing wastewater, and the maximal removal efficiencies of COD and chroma were 79.2% and 86.5%, respectively.


Investigations of phagocytosis concerning the immunological defence mechanism of Mytilus edulis using a sublethal luminescent bacterial assay (Photobacterium phosphoreum).
1. A simple method for the determination of phagocytosis activity using mussel hemocytes by measuring the bioluminescence is presented. 2. The immunological defence activity based on phagocytosis is measured and quantified by a luminescent bacterial assay with Photobacterium phosphoreum. 3. The measuring system allows us to establish the stress of the immunological defence mechanism of organisms exposed to chemicals and polluted rivers or sewage. Results with reference substances and the phagocytosis indices of exposed mussels from Norwegian aquaculture plants compared to those of mussels from the German Wadden Sea are given as examples.


Efficacy of the PRO-CTCAE mobile application for improving patient participation in symptom management during cancer treatment: a randomized controlled trial.
Although mobile-based symptom monitoring is expected to improve patient participation in symptom management during anticancer therapy, previous trials have not evaluated its effectiveness. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of a symptom monitoring mobile application on improving patient participation in symptom management during anticancer therapy. We conducted a single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial that enrolled patients with breast, lung, head and neck, esophageal, or gynecologic cancer who were scheduled to receive anticancer therapy (oral or intravenous) between October 2020 and March 2021. We excluded patients with physical or psychological problems. The intervention group received a symptom monitoring application for 8 weeks, and the control group received the usual clinical practice. At 8 weeks, the improvement in patient participation in symptom management was assessed, and additionally quality of life and unplanned clinical visits were assessed. A total of 222 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 142 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 71 to the control group. The intervention group reported better outcome in patient participation in symptom management than the control group at 8 weeks (mean scores of 8.5 vs. 8.0; P = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the groups in Quality of life (P = 0.88) and unplanned clinical visits (P = 0.39-0.76). This study is meaningful in figuring out that the mobile-based symptom monitoring made them more engaged in their management. Future research should continue to evaluate the effects of patient participation as mediators of clinical outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04568278.


Complete nucleotide sequence of a cytopathic hepatitis A virus strain isolated in Italy.
The molecular basis of the cytopathic effect induced in cell culture by some hepatitis A virus (HAV) strains and variants has not been determined. In order to assess the molecular mechanism(s) underlying this particular phenotype the genome of an Italian cytopathic isolate (strain FG) was sequenced from cDNAs obtained by RT-PCR. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of mutations common to either adapted or cytopathic variants of HAV. In particular, amino acid deletions in proteins VP1 and 3A were detected. Expression of protein 3A in E. coli showed that the N-terminal deletion renders this protein toxic to bacteria.


Dendritic cell ontogeny.
Abundant evidence indicates that dendritic cells arise from the bone marrow. In vitro, precursors that differ phenotypically from mature dendritic cells divide several times to form functional dendritic cells. A soluble factor(s) produced in the supernatants of ConA-stimulated spleen cells enhances the production of dendritic cells. This factor(s) has not been fully characterized. Further maturation of dendritic cells occurs after they are released from the bone marrow; species differences exist. Interrelationships between various types of dendritic cells need to be elucidated.


Serum immunoglobulin levels in vasectomized men: preliminary report.
Seventy-five men undergoing vasectomy were tested by radial immunodiffusion assay prevasectomy and at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postvasectomy for possible changes in serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels. No significant changes occurred when the results were analyzed on a group basis per time period. However, when each individual's prevasectomy Ig level was considered as his norm, significant changes appeared to occur in serum IgG levels at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postvasectomy; in serum IgM levels at 6 weeks; but not, to date, in serum IgA levels. Seasonal, environmental, and infectious factors do not seem to be associated with the changes found. No significant seminal Ig changes have been demonstrated. Consideration of these findings and implications for possible immunopathology are briefly discussed.


Regional analysis of age-related changes in the cholinergic system of the hippocampal formation and basal forebrain of the rat.
In an attempt to clarify conflicting reports of age-related changes in cholinergic systems of the rat hippocampal formation and basal forebrain, we compared aged (40 months) and adult (12 months) male rats using quantitative, regional receptor autoradiography in addition to radiolabelled assays of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The activities of ChAT and AChE in Ammon's horn/subiculum are 24% and 38% lower, respectively, in the aged brains. There is also a drop in both ChAT (38%) and AChE (28%) activities in the septum, and a 46% drop in ChAT activity in the nucleus basalis of aged rats. In the septal pole of the hippocampal formation there is no significant change with age in binding of the muscarinic antagonist, tritiated quinuclidinyl benzylate (3H-QNB) in any hippocampal subregion. However, specific binding in the temporal pole is higher in the subiculum (40%), CA (27%), and dentate gyrus (25%) of the aged animals. Because some of the neurons of the diagonal band of Broca project to the temporal areas of the hippocampal formation by way of a ventral pathway, it is possible that with age this septohippocampal pathway is selectively affected. Particularly in Ammon's horn and the subicular regions of the aged rat hippocampus, postsynaptic muscarinic receptors may upregulate to compensate for decreases in presynaptic cholinergic activity.


Smooth-muscle rectal tumors: a therapeutic dilemma.
Five cases of smooth-muscle rectal tumors seen in the Lexington, Kentucky, area over a 25-year period are reported. These unusual tumors cause symptoms similar to those of more common anorectal diseases, namely, painful defecation and rectal bleeding. Often these tumors are initially asymptomatic due to their submucosal origin. Clinical diagnosis depends on awareness of these lesions, digital rectal examination, endoscopic examination, and tissue biopsy. Microscopic diagnosis and differentiation of malignant from benign features require a pathologist with special interest and expertise with these lesions. Smooth-muscle rectal tumors should be considered more dangerous than those in other locations in the gastrointestinal tract, as half are malignant and only a fifth of patients who have sarcomas survive five years. Treatment of malignant rectal myomas should be very aggressive from the outset, with abdominoperineal resection being advocated by most investigators due to almost uniform local recurrence with lesser procedures. When the lesion recurs, it is likely to be more virulent histologically and clinically than the initial lesion. Benign myomas are cured by local excision alone.


The effect of prostaglandins, branched-chain amino acids and other drugs on the outcome of experimental acute porcine hepatic failure.
Prostaglandins, N-acetyl-cysteine, cholestyramine and essential phospholipids have all been shown to protect experimental animals from severe hepatic damage in various models when used prophylactically. Silibinin has been used in the treatment of Amanita phalloides poisoning. Branched-chain amino acids have been recommended in acute hepatic failure. We have used all these forms of therapy at the time of initiation of hepatic failure in a reliable pig model. Of the above, only prostaglandins have been shown to reverse the effects of the hepatic insult in terms of prolonged survival and histological changes. Although conventional liver function tests and plasma amino acids in prostaglandin-treated animals are not improved, cerebrospinal fluid amino acids remain normal, in contrast to the other groups of untreated and treated hepatic failure animals.


Spanish translation and adaptation of the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS) Form A in a pilot sample.
RBANS is a short neuropsychological battery which has shown to be sensitive in detecting cognitive impairment in degenerative and non-degenerative diseases. It has been translated and adapted to different languages and is widely used in other countries, but no Spanish version has been published. The objective was to make a valid translation of the RBANS to Spanish, and obtain a version adapted to the Spanish population. The study included 73 subjects: 25 males with a mean age of 54 years and 9.72 years of education, and 48 females with a mean age of 53 years and 10.29 years of education. The battery was translated using the translation-back-translation method (with slight differences), followed by a descriptive pilot study in a sample of the normal population. An overall reliability coefficient with a Cronbach alpha of 0.73 was obtained in the translation and adaptation of the RBANS, Form A (1998). Statistically significant positive correlations between the indices were obtained. The version translated and adapted to Spanish performs similarly to the original version.


miRNA-seq and clinical evaluation in multiple myeloma: miR-181a overexpression predicts short-term disease progression and poor post-treatment outcome.
Despite significant advances in multiple myeloma (MM) therapy, disease relapse and treatment resistance remain major obstacles in clinical management. Herein, we have studied the clinical utility of miRNAs in improving patients' risk-stratification and prognosis. miRNA-seq was performed in CD138+ plasma cells of MM, smoldering multiple myeloma (sMM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) patients. The screening MM cohort consisted of 138 patients. miRNA levels of CD138+ plasma cells were quantified by RT-qPCR following 3'-end RNA polyadenylation. Disease progression and patients' death were used as clinical end-point events. Internal validation was conducted by bootstrap analysis. Clinical net benefit on disease prognosis was assessed by decision curve analysis. Kruykov et al. 2016 served as validation cohort (n = 151). miRNA-seq highlighted miR-181a to be upregulated in MM vs. sMM/MGUS, and R-ISS III vs. I patients. Screening and validation cohorts confirmed the significantly higher risk for short-term progression and worse survival of the patients overexpressing miR-181a. Multivariate models integrating miR-181a with disease established markers led to superior risk-stratification and clinical benefit for MM prognosis. CD138+ overexpression of miR-181a was strongly correlated with inferior disease outcome and contributed to superior prediction of MM patients early progression, supporting personalised prognosis and treatment decisions.


Characterization of cervical lymph nodes using DCE-MRI: Differentiation between metastases from SCC of head and neck and benign lymph nodes.
To compare the characteristics of DCE-MRI between metastatic and benign lymph nodes (LNs). To explore the effect of sizes of LNs on the value of Ktrans, Ve and iAUC. Metastatic and benign LNs were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test and two sample t-test were applied to TICs and parameters. One factor covariance analysis was used to explore the effect of diameters on the value of Ktrans, Ve and iAUC. The value of Ktrans, Ve and iAUC of metastatic LNs were statistically higher (all p < 0.001) than those of benign LNs. The short-axis diameters had no influence on parameters. DCE-MRI is useful to differentiate the metastatic LNs from benign LNs. Sizes of LNs has no effect on parameters.


Research Note: The use of ammonia gas for Salmonella control in poultry litters.
A new poultry litter disinfection methodology against pathogenic Salmonella spp. serovars using gaseous ammonia is proposed in this study. In the laboratory, the poultry litter was disposed into plastic containers and experimentally contaminated with 3 Salmonella spp. serovars separately. Positive and negative control groups were tested. With a system of hoses, 1% gaseous ammonia was injected into the containers in cycles for 48 h. Samples of the poultry litter were collected and submitted to bacteriological analysis. For the second part, we selected a broiler poultry farm with positive litters for Salmonella heidelberg in 2 houses. The littler was treated by gaseous ammonia in a concentration of 2,411 ppm and wrapped with a plastic cover for 48 h during the sanitary break. After the treatment, a new broiler batch was housedand swab samples were collected in the 25-day-old. After the action of the gaseous compound, there was no reisolation of the serovars, and the batches housed on the ammonia-treated litter no longer showed positive results for Salmonella. The total elimination of the pathogenic microorganisms by the new method suggests that the controlled use of ammonia gas in poultry litter may represent a viable disinfection technique.


High-affinity kainate and domoate receptors in rat brain.
Mammalian brain expresses receptors which bind the potent neurotoxins, kainate and domoate, with high affinity, and which form a subclass of ionotropic glutamate receptors. A new member of these receptors, expressed in both adult and embryonic CNS is compared in its ligand binding properties to its closely sequence-related homologs.


Approximate analytical expressions for the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequences: Decay rates and modulation zeros of the echo train and the relation between the T1 and T2 relaxation times.
Methods of multi-pulse sequences are widely used in magnetic resonance to study the local properties of magnetic particles and to increase the lifetime of spin coherence. Imperfect refocusing pulses lead to non-exponential signal decay due to the contribution of the coherence pathways in which T1 and T2 relaxation segments are mixed. Here, we present analytical approximations for echoes generated in the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence. They provide simple expressions for the leading terms of the echo train decay and allow the relaxation times to be estimated for sequences with a relatively small number of pulses. For a given refocusing angle α, the decay times for the fixed phase and alternating phase CPMG sequences can be approximated as (T2-1+T1-1)/2 and T2O, respectively. The ability to estimate relaxation times from short pulse sequences can reduce the acquisition time, which is essential for the methods used in magnetic resonance imaging. In the case of a CPMG sequence with the fixed phase, the relaxation times can also be obtained from the points in the sequence at which the echo changes sign. Numerical comparison of the exact and approximate expressions shows the practical limits of the analytical formulas obtained. It is also shown that a double echo sequence in which the interval between the first two pulses is not equal to half the interval of the subsequent refocusing pulses provides the same information as two separate CPMG (or CP) sequences with fixed and alternating phases of the refocusing pulses. In addition, the two double-echo sequences differ in the parity of the number of intervals with longitudinal magnetization evolution (relaxation), i.e. the echo in one sequence is formed only from those coherence pathways that have an even number of intervals with longitudinal magnetization evolution, while the other sequence has an odd number of such intervals.


Autopsy of high-pressure membranes to compare effectiveness of MF and UF pretreatment in water reclamation.
A pilot-plant study was designed to compare the effectiveness of microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) as pretreatment for high-pressure membranes in reclamation of biologically treated wastewater effluent. Granular media, filtered secondary effluent from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant, was fed to MF and UF units that operated in parallel. Each of these filtrates served as the feedwater to two reverse osmosis (RO) units and one nanofiltration (NF) unit that operated in parallel. The decline in specific flux was substantially lower for high-pressure membranes receiving UF than MF pretreatment over the course of each of four pilot plant runs that lasted from 1 to 7 weeks. The removal of organic matter as measured by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was somewhat higher by UF than MF pretreatment (about 15% by UF compared with 11% by MF). Addition of ferric chloride ahead of the UF unit, but not ahead of the MF unit, may account for this additional removal of organic matter. However, the additional DOC removal appeared insufficient to explain the differential in foulant accumulation between high-pressure membranes receiving UF and MF pretreatment. Extensive autopsy analyses of these high-pressure membranes showed from 35% to 56% less organic carbon on those receiving UF rather than MF pretreatment. A more specific indicator of a differential in organic fouling was the accumulation of polysaccharides and this showed from 27% to 38% less on UF- than on MF-pretreated membranes. Yet another possible source of foulants is inorganic material given that the inorganic and organic weight percentages were nearly equal (56% vs. 44%) on the membrane surface. One specific source was aluminum added for phosphorus removal. Less fouling of high-pressure membranes pretreated by UF than MF could be due to the following: (1) a small, but very important, colloidal fouling fraction may have passed through MF but was rejected by UF pretreatment; (2) organic fouling was not related to organics in either the MF or UF filtrates but rather to organics that are generated in situ by microbial activity on the membrane surface; and/or (3) less passage of colloidal Al-P that carried over from secondary wastewater treatment.


Prolonged and extended impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on the olfactory neurocircuit.
The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the olfactory pathway was studied over several time points using Syrian golden hamsters. We found an incomplete recovery of the olfactory sensory neurons, prolonged activation of glial cells in the olfactory bulb, and a decrease in the density of dendritic spines within the hippocampus. These data may be useful for elucidating the mechanism underlying long-lasting olfactory dysfunction and cognitive impairment as a post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.


Extract of sporoderm-broken germinating spores of ganoderma lucidum activates human polymorphonuclear neutrophils via the P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years because of its immunomodulatory properties. It is believed that G. lucidum enhances the human immune response by improving the function of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs); nevertheless, the actual mechanism by which G. lucidum acts on human PMNs remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the molecular pathways through which G. lucidum activates human PMNs. The phagocytic activity of PMNs was evaluated with and without treatment with the extract of sporoderm-broken germinating spores of G. lucidum. The same activity was measured after G. lucidum treatment with or without p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) inhibitor. The activation of p38 MAPK was also evaluated with or without treatment with the extract of sporoderm-broken germinating spores of G. lucidum. In this study, we found that the extract of G. lucidum enhanced the phagocytic activity of PMNs in a dose-dependent manner, but this response was attenuated by treatment with SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor. The extract of G. lucidum also enhanced activation of p38 MAPK in a dose-dependent manner. These results clearly show that the extract of G. lucidum can modulate human immunity by activating human PMNs via the p38 MAPK pathway. These results may be of clinical importance to doctors of traditional Chinese medicine.


Modelling the reopen strategy from dynamic zero-COVID in China considering the sequela and reinfection.
Although the dynamic zero-COVID policy has effectively controlled virus spread in China, China has to face challenges in balancing social-economic burdens, vaccine protection, and the management of long COVID symptoms. This study proposed a fine-grained agent-based model to simulate various strategies for transitioning from a dynamic zero-COVID policy with a case study in Shenzhen. The results indicate that a gradual transition, maintaining some restrictions, can mitigate infection outbreaks. However, the severity and duration of epidemics vary based on the strictness of the measures. In contrast, a more direct transition to reopening may lead to rapid herd immunity but necessitate preparedness for potential sequelae and reinfections. Policymakers should assess healthcare capacity for severe cases and potential long-COVID symptoms and determine the most suitable approach tailored to local conditions.


A novel bearing intelligent fault diagnosis framework under time-varying working conditions using recurrent neural network.
Normal operation of bearing is the key to ensure the reliability and security of rotary machinery, so that bearing fault diagnosis is quite significant. However, the large amount of data collected by modern data acquisition system and time-varying working conditions make it hard to diagnose the fault using traditional methods To break the predicaments, we propose a new intelligent fault diagnosis framework inspired by the infinitesimal method. The proposed model including three parts can ignore the effect of different rotational speeds. Firstly, the sample is segmented and every segment dimension is extended by input network to ensure the adequate information memory space. Secondly, the classification information is stored and transferred in the long short-term memory (LSTM) network and output to the third part. In this process, the working condition information is ignored because of the gate units function. Finally, the likelihood is given by output network to classify the health conditions. Besides, we propose a loss function combining all the output of every time step and employ dropout to train the model, which increase the training efficiency and diagnosis ability. The bearing datasets under time-varying speeds and loads are used to verify the proposed method. The application result shows that our method has higher accuracy with simpler structure, and is superior to the traditional method in bearing fault diagnosis. Moreover, we give a physical interpretation of the proposed model.


Gadoxetic acid disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.
To determine the accuracy of MR imaging with gadoxetic acid disodium (Gd-EOB-DTPA) for the detection of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC). A systematic search was performed in PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database up to March 2013 to identify studies about evaluation of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MR imaging in patients suspected of having HCC. The data were extracted to perform heterogeneity test and threshold effect test and to calculate sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, predictive value, and areas under summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). From 601 citations, 10 were included in the meta-analysis. The methodological quality of the 10 studies was good. Overall HCC: There was significant heterogeneity in the pooled analysis (I(2) = 69.4%, P = 0.0005), and the pooled weighted values were determined to be sensitivity: 0.91 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0. 93); specificity: 0.95 (95% CI: 0.94, 0.96); diagnostic odds ratio: 169.94 (95% CI: 108.84, 265.36); positive likelihood ratio: 15.75 (95% CI: 7.45, 33.31); negative likelihood ratio: 0.10 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.15). The AUC was 0.9778. HCC in cirrhosis: The estimates were to be sensitivity: 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.93); specificity: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.95); diagnostic odds ratio: 234.24 (95% CI: 33.47, 1639.25); positive likelihood ratio: 15.08 (95% CI: 2.20, 103.40); negative likelihood ratio: 0.08 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.21). The AUC was 0.9814. ≤20 mm HCC: The AUC was 0.9936. There was no notable publication bias. This meta-analysis suggests that MR imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA has high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of HCC, especially for ≤20 mm HCC. This technique shows good prospect in diagnosis of HCC.


Evaluation of CSF glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a putative marker for HIV-associated dementia.
The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is a prominent feature of infection with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). One of the neuropathological hallmarks of HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD) is the proliferation of astrocytes (astrogliosis). The major structural protein of astrocytes is glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and its increased expression has been reported in disorders characterized by astrogliosis. In order to determine whether CSF GFAP may be a putative marker for HAD, we measured CSF GFAP levels of HIV-infected patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 21) HAD, and, additionally, of HIV-infected patients with opportunistic CNS diseases (n = 13) and HIV negative control patients (n = 20) using an immuno flourescent sandwich immunoassay. CSF GFAP levels and the frequency of increased GFAP levels did not significantly differ between the three groups of HIV-infected patients. Our data suggest that CSF GFAP is not a sensitive laboratory marker for HAD.


Pharmacokinetic changes of DA-8159, a new erectogenic, and one of its metabolites, DA-8164 after intravenous and oral administration of DA-8159 to spontaneously hypertensive rats and DOCA-salt-induced hypertensive rats.
The pharmacokinetics of DA-8159 and one of its metabolites, DA-8164, were compared after intravenous and oral administration of DA-8159 at a dose of 30 mg/kg to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) at 16 and 6 weeks old and their respective age-matched control normotensive Kyoto-Wistar rats (KW rats), and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertensive rats (DOCA-salt rats) at 16 weeks old and their age-matched control Sprague-Dawley rats. After oral administration of DA-8159 to 16-week-old SHRs, the AUC values of both DA-8159 (157 versus 103 microg min/ml) and DA-8164 (215 versus 141 microg min/ml) were significantly greater, but the values of DA-8159 were reversed in 16-week-old DOCA-salt rats (125 versus 200 microg min/ml). However, the AUC values of both DA-8159 and DA-8164 were not significantly different between the 6-week-old SHRs and their control rats. The above AUC differences in 16-week-old SHRs may be due to neither hereditary characteristics of SHRs nor the hypertensive state itself.


Speech and language impairment and psychiatric risk. Toward a model of neurodevelopmental immaturity.
This article examines the relationship between speech and language impairment and psychiatric disorders in children. Recent research on the prevalence and correlates of speech and language impairment is reviewed. The natural history and classification of speech and language impairment is explored and the implications for clinical practice, theory, and research are discussed.


Screening for depression and help-seeking in postpartum women during well-baby pediatric visits: an integrated review.
The purposes of this integrated review are to examine the literature on screening for depression and help-seeking behaviors by postpartum women during pediatric well-baby visits; to identify gaps in the literature relating to depression and help-seeking behaviors; and to discuss implications for practice and future research. An extensive search of primary source documents was conducted in Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Mental Measurements Yearbook, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Women's Studies International using the key words postpartum, postpartum depression (PPD), help seeking, and pediatric setting or pediatrician. Thirty-five articles relevant to help seeking, PPD, and screening in the pediatric setting were included in this review. Research studies included both quantitative and qualitative articles. PPD affects 10% to 15% of all women after birth. Postpartum women generally do not seek help for depression. Untreated PPD has significant adverse affects on parenting, maternal bonding, and the infant's emotional and behavioral development. Interaction with the woman's obstetric provider ends shortly after the baby's birth. However, interactions with the pediatric office are initiated and continue throughout the infant's first two years of life. Early recognition of PPD and appropriate treatment are imperative for positive maternal-infant outcomes. A majority of women do not seek help for depression from any source. Because mothers have routine interactions with pediatric office staff during the first few years after giving birth, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatricians have the perfect opportunity to screen and educate women regarding symptoms, treatment, and available resources for PPD.


Hospital-community interface: a qualitative study on patients with cancer and health care providers' experiences.
Patients with cancer must deal with complex and fragmented healthcare systems in addition to coping with the burden of their illness. To improve oncology treatment along the care continuum, the barriers and facilitators for streamlined oncologic care need to be better understood. This study sought to gain insight into the hospital-community interface from the point of view of patients with cancer, their families, and health care providers on both sides of the interface i.e., the community and hospital settings. The sample comprised 37 cancer patients, their family members, and 40 multidisciplinary health care providers. Twelve participants were interviewed individually and 65 took part in 10 focus groups. Based on the grounded theory approach, theoretical sampling and constant comparative analyses were used. Two major concepts emerged: "ambivalence and confusion" and "overcoming healthcare system barriers." Ambiguity was expressed regarding the roles of health care providers in the community and in the hospital. We identified three main strategies by which these patients and their families overcame barriers within the system: patients and families became their own case managers; patients and health care providers used informal routes of communication; and nurse specialists played a significant role in managing care. The heavy reliance on informal routes of communication and integration by patients and providers emphasizes the urgent need for change in order to improve coordinating mechanisms for hospital-community oncologic care.


Surgical Strategy in Modification of the Transpetrosal Approach to Avoid Postoperative Venous Complications: A Report of 74 Consecutive Cases.
The transpetrosal approach is a complex skull base procedure with a high risk of complications, particularly caused by injury of the venous system. It is in part related to variability of blood outflow pathways and their distinctive patterns in each individual patient. To evaluate outcomes and complications after skull base surgery with use of the petrosal approach modifications, which selection was based on the detailed preoperative assessment of venous drainage patterns. Overall, 74 patients, who underwent surgery via the transpetrosal approach at our institution between 2000 and 2017, were included in this study. In all cases, the venous drainage pattern was assessed preoperatively and categorized according to the predominant blood outflow pathway into four types as previously suggested by Hacker: (1) sphenoparietal sinus (SpPrt), (2) sphenobasal vein (SpB), (3) sphenopetrosal sinus (SpPS), and (4) cortical. The blood outflow through the bridging petrosal vein and the vein of Labbé was also taken into consideration. In patients with SpPrt- and a cortical-type venous drainage, the transpetrosal approach was used in a standard way. In patients with SpB-type venous drainage, limited extradural anterior petrosectomy was combined with intradural anterior petrosectomy after dural opening, superior petrosal sinus transection, tentorial cutting, Meckel's cave opening, and trigeminal nerve mobilization. In patients with SpPS-type venous drainage, after standard petrosectomy, dural opening, and tentorial cutting, SpPS ligation was done followed by 2-week interval before staged definitive tumor resection. Gross total, near-total, and subtotal resection of the lesion (meningioma, 48 cases; retrochiasmatic craniopharyngioma, 11 cases; brain stem cavernoma, 7 cases; other tumors, 8 cases) was achieved in 30 (40.5%), 24 (32.4%), and 20 (27.0%) patients, respectively. Postoperative complications that were possibly related to venous compromise were noted in 18 patients (24.3%), but neither one was major. Of these 18 patients, 9 were symptomatic, but all symptoms-aphasia (4 cases), seizures (2 cases), and confusion (3 cases)-fully resolved after conservative treatment. Overall, 13 patients, including 4 symptomatic, had signal changes on T2-weighted brain MRI, which were permanent only in 3 cases (all asymptomatic). Our suggested surgical strategy can be applied to any type of the venous drainage pattern. Preoperative evaluation and intraoperative preservation of the blood outflow pathways are crucial means for safe and effective application of the transpetrosal approach.


Mirex uptake and tissue disposition in intact and adrenalectomized rats.
The toxicity of mirex, an organochlorine insecticide, is increased significantly in adrenalectomized rats. To determine if this might be due to alterations in the tissue distribution of mirex, a disposition study was conducted in intact, adrenalectomized, and adrenalectomized corticosterone-supplemented rats. The peak plasma levels of [14C]mirex were shifted from 2 hr in intact and adrenalectomized corticosterone-supplemented rats to 4 hr in the adrenalectomized rats. The initial uptake and disposition of [14C]mirex in the brain of the intact, adrenalectomized, and adrenalectomized corticosterone-supplemented rats was essentially the same from 0.5 to 6 hr after dosing. By 48 hr after dosing, the [14C]mirex concentration in the brain of intact and adrenalectomized rats was significantly higher than that in adrenalectomized corticosterone-supplemented rats. Brain to plasma ratios reflected this difference. Corticosterone supplements to adrenalectomized rats decreased the absorption of [14C]mirex in the brain. The uptake of [14C]mirex during the initial 6 hr after dosing in all other tissues studied (liver, kidney, testes, and omental fat) was essentially the same for the three treatment groups. By 48 hr postdose, [14C]mirex concentration per liver was significantly higher in intact than in adrenalectomized and adrenalectomized corticosterone-supplemented rats. The difference in [14C]mirex disposition between the three treatment groups was not due to alterations in metabolism or elimination.


Gene amplification at a locus encoding a putative Na+/H+ antiporter confers sodium and lithium tolerance in fission yeast.
We have identified a new locus, sodium 2 (sod2) based on selection for increased LiCl tolerance in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Tolerant strains have enhanced pH-dependent Na+ export capacity and sodium transport experiments suggest that the gene encodes an Na+/H+ antiport. The predicted sod2 gene product can be placed in the broad class of transporters which possess 12 hydrophobic transmembrane domains. The protein shows some sequence similarity to the human and bacterial Na+/H+ antiporters. Overexpression of sod2 increased Na+ export capacity and conferred sodium tolerance. Osmotolerance was not affected and sod2 cells were unaffected for growth in K+. In a sod2 disruption strain cells were incapable of exporting sodium. They were hypersensitive to Na+ or Li+ and could not grow under conditions that approximate pH7. The sod2 gene amplification could be selected stepwise and the degree of such amplification correlated with the level of Na+ or Li+ tolerance.


Examining the effect of exercise on the relationship between affect and cravings among smokers engaged in cessation treatment.
Cigarette smoking is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes. When smokers attempt to quit smoking, one of the leading predictors of relapse are cravings. Recent research shows a relationship between positive and negative affect, exercise, and cravings, but the exact nature of this relationship has yet to be understood. This study explored the relationships between positive and negative affect and cravings in a sample of participants with elevated levels of depressive symptoms (N = 202; 68.8% female; mean age = 46.1 years) who were enrolled in a smoking cessation trial to test the efficacy of a 12-week exercise intervention relative to a health education control on smoking outcomes. Data on affect and craving were gathered before weekly study intervention sessions, and data on cravings were gathered again after each session. The results showed that negative affect had a significant and positive association with cravings before an exercise or health education session. After the session, positive and negative affect were not significant predictors of changes in cravings from pre-session. However, regardless of level of positive or negative affect participants in the exercise condition showed greater reductions in craving pre- to post-class than those in the control condition. These findings suggest that negative affect is associated with cravings, but cravings can be mitigated by exercise.


Optical gearbox enabled versatile multiscale high-throughput multiphoton functional imaging.
To understand the function and mechanism of biological systems, it is crucial to observe the cellular dynamics at high spatiotemporal resolutions within live animals. The recent advances in genetically encoded function indicators have significantly improved the response rate to a near millisecond time scale. However, the widely employed in vivo imaging systems often lack the temporal solution to capture the fast biological dynamics. To broadly enable the capability of high-speed in vivo deep-tissue imaging, we developed an optical gearbox. As an add-on module, the optical gearbox can convert the common multiphoton imaging systems for versatile multiscale high-throughput imaging applications. In this work, we demonstrate in vivo 2D and 3D function imaging in mammalian brains at frame rates ranging from 50 to 1000 Hz. The optical gearbox's versatility and compatibility with the widely employed imaging components will be highly valuable to a variety of deep tissue imaging applications.


[State of lipid peroxidation system and antioxidant defense in acute respiratory viral infection in children and the principles of pathogenetic therapy].
Summary. Altogether 187 young children presenting with acute respiratory viral infection were examined for lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense. The principles of the pathogenetically validated antioxidant treatment are discussed.


Transportation of magnetized micropolar hybrid nanomaterial fluid flow over a Riga curface surface.
We deliberated the flow of magnetized micropolar hybrid nanoparticles fluid flow over the Riga curved surface. Exponentially stretching and slip effects are also considered in this analysis. Mathematical model has been established on the base of assumptions in the form of partial differential equations. Such equations are renewed into ordinary differential equations utilizing similarity transformations. Reduced model has been elucidated by means of bvp4c scheme. Impacts of physical parameters namely as stretching parameter R0, curvature parameter K, solid nanoparticle volume fraction Φ2, micropolar parameter K1, microgyration parameter n, thermal slip parameter M, partial slip parameter γ, modified Harman number ∅ and dimensionless parameter ω. Magnetic parameter β and reciprocal magnetic Prandtl number λ are depicted by means of numerically and graphically. Our results help in the field of engineering and industrial. This model is presented in the first time through literatures. Our interest of study is to be analyzed about the heat transfer rate of magnetized micropolar hybrid nanomaterial fluid over a Riga curved surface. Comparison with the literature has been worked out and excellent agreement is found.


Idiopathic generalized epilepsy: Phenotypic and electroencephalographic observations in a large cohort from South India.
We studied the phenotype and electroencephalographic (EEG) features, and therapeutic aspects of idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs) in South Indian population. This prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out on non-consecutive 287 patients (age 22.2 ± 7.7 years; M:F = 139:148) with IGE syndrome. Their clinical and EEG observations were analyzed. Majority of the patients had onset of seizures <20 years of age (n = 178; 62%). Thirty one patients (10.8%) had family history of epilepsy. Nearly half of them (49.9%) had <5 years of duration of seizures. The type of IGEs included Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME): 115 (40.1%); IGE with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) only: 102 (39.02%); childhood absence epilepsy (CAE): 35 (12.2%); GTCS on awakening: 15 (5.2%); Juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE): 11 (3.8%); and unclassified seizures: 9 (3.1%). The triggering factors noted in 45% were sleep deprivation (20%), non-compliance and stress in 5% each. The EEG (n = 280) showed epileptiform discharges in about 50% of patients. Epileptiform discharges during activation was observed in 40/249 patients (16.1%): Hyperventilation in 32 (12.8%) and photic stimulation in 19 (7.6%). The seizures were well controlled with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) in 232 (80.8%) patients and among them, 225 (78.4%) patients were on monotherapy. Valproate (n = 131) was the most frequently prescribed as monotherapy. This is one of the largest cohort of patients with IGE. This study reiterates the importance of segregating IGE syndrome and such analysis will aid to the current understanding and management.


Leukocyte docosahexaenoic acid in juvenile form of ceroid-lipofuscinosis.
Leukocyte glycerolipid fatty acid compositions were determined in four patients of juvenile form of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (Battens disease), their parents and age-matched controls. A 54 to 93% reduction in docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3) was noted in patient leukocytes. The parents also showed reduction in docosahexaenoic acid content, but to a lesser degree. The levels of linolenic family (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids were unchanged suggesting that the metabolic defect in this disease is specific to the linolenic family (n-3) of fatty acids.


The HIV-1 nef gene acts as a positive viral infectivity factor.
The gene product of the nef gene of HIV-1 acts both to increase the infectivity of viral particles and to reduce the expression of the CD4 receptor molecule on the cell surface. These two functions of Nef may be related, in that downregulation of CD4 may promote the production of HIV that has greater infectivity.


Hydrochemistry and coal mining activity induced karst water quality degradation in the Niangziguan karst water system, China.
Hydrogeochemical analysis, statistical analysis, and geochemical modeling were employed to evaluate the impacts of coal mining activities on karst water chemistry in Niangziguan spring catchment, one of the largest karst springs in Northern China. Significant water quality deterioration was observed along the flow path, evidenced from the increasing sulfate, nitrate, and TDS content in karst water. Karst water samples are Ca-Mg-HCO3 type in the recharge areas, Ca-Mg-HCO3-SO4 type in the coal mining areas, and Ca-Mg-SO4-HCO3/HCO3-SO4 type in the rural areas and discharge areas. A four-factor principal component analysis (PCA) model is conducted which explains over 82.9% of the total variation. Factor 1, which explained the largest portion (45.33%) of the total variance, reveals that coal mining activities and natural water-rock interaction as the primary factors controlling karst water quality. Anthropogenic effects were recognized as the secondary factor with high positive loadings for NO3 (-) and Cl(-) in the model. The other two factors are co-precipitation removal of trace elements and silicate mineral dissolution, which explained 20.96% of the total variance. A two-end mixing modeling was proposed to estimate the percentage of coal wastewater giving on karst water chemistry, based on the groundwater sulfate chemistry constrains rather than sulfur isotopes. Uncertainty of sulfur isotope sources led to an overestimation of coal mining water contribution. According to the results of the modeling, the contribution of coal mining waste on karst water chemistry was quantified to be from 27.05 to 1.11% which is ca. three times lower than the values suggested using a sulfur isotope method.


Effects of house prices on health: New evidence from Australia.
Recent house price variation has strongly affected households' housing wealth and debt, yet the non-economic consequences of these changes in housing wealth are still poorly understood. Using a sample of 19,000 individuals from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) for 2001-2015, we examine the relationship between house price fluctuations and individual health by exploiting large exogenous changes in house prices in Australia. We find that an increase in local house prices is associated with a positive effect on the physical health of outright owners and a negative effect on the physical and mental health of renters. Improvements in physical health for outright owners can be partially attributed to health-related investments and behaviours such as a reduction in weight, an increase in physical exercise and an increase in time allocated to home production. These findings support the presence of a health-wealth gradient through the wealth mechanism distinct from the effects of local area amenities and macroeconomic conditions. Our findings highlight some of the often-overlooked social impacts - both positive and negative - of fluctuations in the housing market.


Treating the snakebitten child in North America: a study of pit viper bites.
Snakebite envenomation is a potentially life-threatening form of trauma, the dangers of which are amplified in children because their smaller size increases the relative dose of venom received. The authors reviewed a large series of snakebitten children to address the medical and fiscal issues of treating these patients. The records of 37 snakebitten children (1987 through 1997) were analyzed for demographic data, signs of envenomation, use of specific therapies (antivenin, blood products, or surgery), length of hospitalization, complications, and cost of care. Fifty-four percent of the children had a major envenomation demonstrated by systemic symptomatology, laboratory analysis, or need for surgery. All children made full recoveries with most receiving only supportive care (92%). The average time to emergency department presentation was 8 hours, where all children with major envenomations and those requiring specific therapies (surgery, clotting factors) were identified. Cost analysis showed an average of $2,450 dollars per child with the majority of expenses attributable to length of hospitalization. Most snakebitten children completely recover with minimal supportive care, and they can be cared for safely and cost effectively as outpatients if no signs of major envenomation are noted within 8 hours of the bite.


Anti-retroviral therapy-induced status epilepticus in "pseudo-HIV serodeconversion".
Diligence in the interpretation of results is essential as information gained from the psychiatric patient's history might often be restricted. Nonobservance of established guidelines may lead to a wrong diagnosis, induce a false therapy and result in life-threatening situations. Communication errors between hospitals and doctors and uncritical acceptance of prior diagnoses add substantially to this problem. We present a patient with alcohol-related dementia who received anti-retroviral therapy that promoted a non-convulsive status epilepticus. HIV serodeconversion was considered after our laboratory result yielded a HIV-negative status. Critical review of previous diagnostic investigations revealed several errors in the diagnosis of HIV infection leading to a "pseudo-serodeconversion." Finally, anti-retroviral therapy could be discontinued.


MET-targeted therapies for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Dysregulation of the mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET) pathway contributes to poor clinical outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Numerous clinical trials are currently investigating several therapies based on modulation of the MET pathway. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the activity and safety of MET inhibitors in patients with NSCLC. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to June 02, 2022. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were extracted as the main outcomes and pooled using the weighted mean proportion with fixed- or random-effects models in cases of significant heterogeneity (I 2>50%). Safety analysis was performed based on adverse events reported in all studies. Eleven studies (882 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled ORR was 28.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.223-0.354), while the pooled DCR was 69.1% (95% CI, 0.631-0.756). ORRs were higher for tepotinib (44.7% [95% CI, 0.365-0.530]) and savolitinib (42.9% [95% CI, 0.311-0.553]) than for other types of MET inhibitors. Patients with NSCLC with exon 14 skipping exhibited higher ORRs (39.3% (95% CI, 0.296-0.522)) and DCRs (77.8% (95% CI, 0.714-0.847)) than those with MET protein overexpression or amplification. Intracranial response rate and intracranial disease control rates were 40.1% (95% CI, 0.289-0.556) and 95.4% (95% CI, 0.892-0.100), respectively. Adverse events were mild (grade 1 to 2) in 87.2% of patients. Common adverse events above grade 3 included lower extremity edema (3.5% [95% CI, 0.027-0.044]), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation (2.4% [95% CI, 0.014-0.033]), and lipase elevation (2.2% [95% CI, 0.016-0.031]). MET inhibitors, which exhibited a satisfactory safety profile in the current study, may become a new standard of care for addressing MET dysregulation in patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC, and even in those with brain metastases, particularly tepotinib, savolitinib and capmatinib. Further randomized trials are required to establish standard predictive biomarkers for MET therapies and to compare the effects of different MET inhibitors in NSCLC with MET dysregulation.


Liver Disease in Patients on Total Parenteral Nutrition.
Parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD) spectrum ranges from liver enzyme abnormalities to steatosis to fibrosis, and, eventually, cirrhosis from total parenteral nutrition (TPN). The pathophysiology is postulated to be multifactorial. Diagnosis in adults is primarily by exclusion, eliminating other causes of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, and other factors seen in critically ill or postoperative patients on TPN. Principal treatment is avoiding TPN. If this is not feasible, research supports fish oil-based lipid emulsions in TPN formulations to reduce risk and progression of PNALD. With liver and intestinal failure, liver and intestine transplant is an option.


Text mining of electronic health records can validate a register-based diagnosis of epilepsy and subgroup into focal and generalized epilepsy.
Combining population-based health registries and electronic health records offers the opportunity to create large, phenotypically detailed patient cohorts of high quality. In this study, we used text mining of clinical notes to confirm International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10)-registered epilepsy diagnoses and classify patients according to focal and generalized epilepsy types. Using the Danish National Patient Registry, we identified patients who between 2006 and 2016 received an ICD-10 diagnosis of epilepsy. To validate the epilepsy diagnosis and stratify patients into focal and generalized epilepsy types, we constructed dictionaries for text mining-based extraction of clinical notes. Two physicians manually reviewed the clinical notes for a total of 527 patients and assigned epilepsy diagnoses, which were compared with the text-mined diagnoses. We identified 23 632 patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of epilepsy, of whom 50% were registered with an unspecified epilepsy diagnosis. In total, 11 211 patients were considered likely to have epilepsy by text mining, with an F1 measure ranging from 82% to 90%. Manual review of the electronic health records for 310 patients revealed a false discovery rate of 29%. This rate was decreased to 4% by the text mining algorithm. The weighted average F1 measure for text mining-assigned epilepsy types was 79% (82% for focal and 76% for generalized epilepsy). Text mining successfully assigned a focal or generalized epilepsy type to 92% of the text mining-eligible patients registered with unspecified epilepsy. Text mining of electronic health records can be used to establish a patient cohort with much higher likelihood of having a diagnosis of epilepsy and a focal or generalized epilepsy type compared to the cohort created from ICD-10 epilepsy codes alone. We believe the concept will be essential for future genome-wide and phenome-wide association studies and subsequently the development of precision medicine for epilepsy patients.


Change in sphingomyelinase activity in human epidermis during aging.
We have investigated the change in activity of sphingomyelinase in human whole epidermis during aging. The sphingomyelinase activity gradually decreased with the aging process; that of people aged eighty decreased to one fourth of that of people aged twenty in same area. This result indicates that the lipid metabolism may be altered in the epidermis during aging.


Intracranial Germinoma-Association between Delayed Diagnosis, Altered Clinical Manifestations, and Prognosis.
Intracranial germinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs in children and young adults. The aim of our study was to assess the initial manifestation of the disease, and to find differences in outcomes dependent on time of diagnosis. The study group consisted of 35 consecutive patients (adults and children) who were treated for intracranial germinoma with radiotherapy at a tertiary centre, and their data were retrospectively collected. We evaluated time from the first symptoms to diagnosis and divided patients into early and delayed diagnosis groups. Delayed diagnosis has been defined as the time from initial presentation to final diagnosis longer than six months. A total of 17 (48.6%) of the patients had delayed diagnoses. Patient survival data spanned a median of six (interquartile range 3-12) years. At the time of the diagnosis, patients presented exclusively neurological symptoms in 16 (45.7%) cases, exclusively endocrinological symptoms in five (14.3%) cases, and mixed symptoms in the remaining cases (n = 14; 40.0%). Patients with neurological symptoms had shorter time (p < 0.001) from first symptoms to the final diagnosis (5.91 months) than in patients without them (19.44 months). The delayed diagnosis group presented significantly smaller tumour size (mean maximal dimension 2.35 cm) compared to early diagnosis group (3.1 cm). The 5-year and 10-year survival rates of our patients were 94.3% and 83.4%, respectively. Patients with a delayed diagnosis (n = 17) had a significantly worse (p = 0.02) 10-year OS (63%) compared to the early diagnosis group (n = 18; OS = 100%). Importantly, in five patients (14.29%), initial manifestation occurred before radiological signs of the disease. Our study stresses the need for timely diagnosis in intracranial germinoma, as a delay has a significant impact on the prognosis. In particular, if the tumour is small or causes exclusively endocrinological symptoms, the diagnosis may be difficult and delayed.


Haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for TP53-mutated acute myeloid leukaemia.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients with tumour protein p53 (TP53) mutations are often resistant to chemotherapy and have worse clinical outcomes than patients without TP53 mutations. In this study, we compared clinical outcomes of patients with AML with and without TP53 mutations who underwent haploidentical haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). For the TP53-mutation group and TP53 wild-type group, the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was (39.0% vs. 21.2% respectively, p = 0.088), the 2-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) rate was (3.2% vs. 8.4% respectively, p = 0.370), the 2-year leukaemia-free survival (LFS) was (57.7% vs. 71.3% respectively, p = 0.205), the 2-year overall survival (OS) rate was (69.9% vs. 81.3% respectively, p = 0.317), the 100-day cumulative incidence of Grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) was (6.5% vs. 20.7% respectively, p = 0.074), the 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GvHD was (52.3% vs. 53.1% respectively, p = 0.493) and the 2-year GvHD-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) was (57.7% vs. 69.6% respectively, p = 0.347). Our data showed that there were no significant differences in 2-year clinical outcomes between the two groups. Multivariable analysis showed TP53 mutations had no significant impact on CIR, NRM, OS, GvHD, LFS or GRFS. Our findings suggest that patients with AML with TP53 mutations may at least partially benefit from haplo-HSCT. Haplo-HSCT might be the recommended treatment for such patients.


T cell receptor repertoire in the peripheral blood and intestinal mucosa of coeliac patients.
The alpha beta and gamma delta T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in the peripheral blood and intestinal mucosa of six coeliac and six age-matched controls was analysed by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No TCR alpha and gamma delta restriction was observed in coeliacs and controls. However, V gamma 3 was expressed only in coeliac peripheral and intestinal T cells. V delta 2 was strongly expressed in coeliacs and scarcely transcribed in control cells. The unique expression of these gamma delta TCR in coeliac patients suggests that V gamma 3 and perhaps V delta 2 TCR-bearing lymphocytes may play a role in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease.


[Dependence of the physical work capacity of surgical patients with congenital heart defects on the initial degree of pulmonary hypertension].
The examination of 55 healthy people and 107 patients operated upon in childhood for congenital heart failure with different initial degrees of lung hypertension was made on reaching by them the age of work capacity (I group-systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery up to 25 mm Hg, II group-26-50 mm Hg, III group--51-75 mm Hg). The physical work capacity of patients subjected to radical correction of the failure before the development of lung hypertension had no considerable difference with that of healthy people.


Prophylaxis: headaches that never happen.
The discovery of preventive drugs for headache involved both serendipity and design. Despite modest efficacy and uncertainty about mechanisms, prophylaxis has transformed the lives of countless headache sufferers in the last 50 years. Realizing its full potential will be the work of the next half-century.


Testosterone in women--the clinical significance.
Testosterone is an essential hormone for women, with physiological actions mediated directly or via aromatisation to oestradiol throughout the body. Despite the crucial role of testosterone and the high circulating concentrations of this hormone relative to oestradiol in women, studies of its action and the effects of testosterone deficiency and replacement in women are scarce. The primary indication for the prescription of testosterone for women is loss of sexual desire, which causes affected women substantial concern. That no formulation has been approved for this purpose has not impeded the widespread use of testosterone by women--either off-label or as compounded therapy. Observational studies indicate that testosterone has favourable cardiovascular effects measured by surrogate outcomes; however, associations between endogenous testosterone and the risk of cardiovascular disease and total mortality, particularly in older women, are yet to be established. Adverse cardiovascular effects have not been seen in studies of transdermal testosterone therapy in women. Clinical trials suggest that exogenous testosterone enhances cognitive performance and improves musculoskeletal health in postmenopausal women. Unmet needs include the availability of approved testosterone formulations for women and studies to elucidate the contribution of testosterone to cardiovascular, cognitive, and musculoskeletal health and the risk of cancer.


A childhood cavernous conundrum.
A 9-year-old boy presented with a left-sided "tooth ache." Subsequently, he developed new onset vertical diplopia. He was found to have a left cranial nerve three palsy. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed bilateral cavernous sinus lesions that were initially interpreted as possible "cavernous sinus thrombosis." Subsequent blood smear and bone marrow biopsy disclosed Burkitt lymphoma. He was treated with chemotherapy and made a dramatic recovery. Burkitt lymphoma rarely presents with a third nerve palsy but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of childhood cavernous sinus syndrome.


Streptomycin-induced conformational changes in the 70-S bacterial ribosome.
Conformational alterations induced by streptomycin in the bacterial ribosome have been investigated using as probes, ethidium bromide, N-[14C]ethylmaleimide and a spin label nitroxide analog of N-ethylmaleimide. 1. The binding of the antibiotic to the ribosome does not affect the reactivity of sulfhydryl groups towards N-ethylmaleimide. 2. The motional freedom of spin labels bound to ribosomal proteins S1 and S18 is increased but it is hardly affected at other labeled sites. This observation suggests that the binding of streptomycin causes a local loosening of the ribosomal structure. 3. Ribosomes are found to bind less ethidium bromide in the presence of streptomycin, which suggests that the binding of streptomycin decreases the degree of organization of ribosomal RNA.


The anaphase-promoting complex and separin are required for embryonic anterior-posterior axis formation.
Polarization of the one-cell C. elegans embryo establishes the animal's anterior-posterior (a-p) axis. We have identified reduction-of-function anaphase-promoting complex (APC) mutations that eliminate a-p polarity. We also demonstrate that the APC activator cdc20 is required for polarity. The APC excludes PAR-3 from the posterior cortex, allowing PAR-2 to accumulate there. The APC is also required for tight cortical association and posterior movement of the paternal pronucleus and its associated centrosome. Depletion of the protease separin, a downstream target of the APC, causes similar pronuclear and a-p polarity defects. We propose that the APC/separin pathway promotes close association of the centrosome with the cortex, which in turn excludes PAR-3 from the posterior pole early in a-p axis formation.


[Denta Scan: programme of x-ray computed tomographic reconstruction used for the anatomical evaluation of the mandible and maxilla in preoperative assessment of dental implants].
A radiological technique, using a new CT software program for the evaluation of alveolar process height and width is presented. Our experience with this technique is described.


The Strategic National Stockpile: roles and responsibilities of health care professionals for receiving the stockpile assets.
In 1999, the US Congress created the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program (NPS) under the management of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services. On March 1, 2003, the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program became known as the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Program under the new Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the SNS Program is to maintain a stockpile of pharmaceutical agents, vaccines, medical supplies, and equipment to augment state and local resources during a large-scale disaster or bioterrorism event. Upon request, the SNS Program will deliver materials anywhere in the United States within 12 or fewer hours. A brief overview of the SNS Program and the role of local and state health care providers for receiving the SNS assets are reviewed.


Estimation of dietary iodine intake of Americans in recent years.
The iodine content of diets of typical American infants, toddlers, and adults in recent years was found to be far in excess of the amount necessary for adequate nutrition. Dairy products were the major contributor. Other large contributors were grain and cereal products, sugars and adjuncts, and meat, fish, and poultry in adult diets and grain and cereal products and meat, fish, and poultry in infant and toddler diets. A statistical evaluation of the data and a discussion of possible sources of iodine are presented.


Diffusion coefficients of C60 and C60- in benzonitrile and dichloromethane solutions containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate, measured by potential-step chronoamperometry.
The diffusion coefficients of C(60) in dichloromethane and benzonitrile solutions containing 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate were determined by single potential-step chronoamperometry at small disk electrodes. The diffusion coefficients of C(60) were obtained by curve fitting of the chronoamperograms to a theoretical equation by Shoup and Szabo. The values were (1.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(-9) and (4.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1), respectively (the errors are 95% confidence limits). The diffusion coefficients of C(60)(-) in these solutions were measured by double potential-step chronoamperometry. The ratios of the diffusion coefficients of C(60) to those of C(60)(-) were obtained from theoretical curves of the ratios of the current at the second potential step to the current at the first one. The values of the ratios were 1.2 +/- 0.2 and 1.0 +/- 0.3, respectively.


Effects of bisphenol A on human umbilical arteries.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical widely used in the plastics industry, including food container, toys, and medical equipment. We analyzed the effect of BPA in human umbilical artery contractility and expression of some proteins modulating this function, such as ionic channels and proteins involved in the cGMP pathway. Using standard organ bath technique, rings of human umbilical arteries without endothelium were contracted by 5-HT (1 μM) and histamine (10 μM) and the effect of different concentrations of BPA (1 nM-100 μM) was analyzed. The results showed that BPA is a vasodilator of these arteries in a concentration-dependent way. Besides, qPCR studies on human umbilical smooth muscle cells (HUSMC) allowed to analyze the effects of BPA on gene expression. Thus, 12-h exposition to BPA induced reduction of expression of L-type calcium channels (LTCC), alpha subunit of BKCa channels, and Kvβ1 and Kvβ3 from Kv channels. BPA also decreased the expression of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and natriuretic peptide receptor type A (NPRA), meanwhile increasing that of PKG, proteins involved in vasodilation of human umbilical arteries (HUA) by cGMP. Further studies will be necessary to increase knowledge about the implications of these changes induced by BPA exposure.


Participating in end of life decisions. The role of general practitioners.
'Advance directives' are instructions given by an individual regarding future health care decisions should they become incapacitated. To explore the issues for GPs when introducing advance directives to their patients as a basis for further research into this process. Interviews with GPs before and after the introduction of advance directives to patients during a normal consultation. General practitioners, from two medical practices in South Australia, were asked to record demographic details, time taken, patient's reaction and information requested. Five GPs introduced advance directives to 26 patients. The average age was 77 years. Six of the 26 patients completed an advance directive. The main issues identified when introducing advance directives were the time factor and difficulty in advising patients about the kinds of medical treatment they might want to record in advance. General practitioners require time and information if they are to assist patients in the process of completing an advance directive. Further research and extensive public education are necessary to develop relevant strategies to encourage the use of advance directives if they are to be utilised to assist people to face death with some sense of control.


Additive manufacturing applications in orthopaedics: A review.
The applications of Additive Manufacturing (AM) have increased extensively in the area of orthopaedics. The AM applications are for making anatomic models, surgical instruments & tool design, splints, implants and prosthesis. A brief review of various research articles shows that patient-specific orthopaedic procedures provide multiple applications areas and provide directions for future developments. The purpose of this paper is to identify the best possible usage of additive manufacturing applications in orthopaedics field. It also presents the steps used to prepare a 3D printed model by using this technology and details applications in the field of orthopaedics. AM gives a flexible solution in orthopaedics area, where customised implants can be formed as per the required shape and size and can help substitution with customised products. A 3D model created by this technology gain an accurate perception of patient's anatomy which is used to perform mock surgeries and is helpful for highly complex surgical pathologies. It makes surgeon's job accessible and increases the success rate of the operation. AM provides a perfect fit implant for the specific patient by unlimited geometric freedom. Various scanning technologies capture the status of bone defects, and printing of the model is done with the help of this technology. It gives an exact generation of a physical model which is also helpful for medical education, surgical planning and training. This technology can help to solve present-day challenges as data of every patient is different from another.


Severe early-onset axonal neuropathy with homozygous and compound heterozygous MFN2 mutations.
Severe early-onset axonal neuropathy (SEOAN) is a heterogeneous phenotype first delineated by Ouvrier et al., characterized by progressive axonal degeneration with gait problems often progressing to wheelchair requirement and later respiratory involvement. Most cases are sporadic single cases. Some have heterozygous mitofusin 2 (MFN2) mutations, many of which are de novo dominant mutations. The aim of this study was to investigate the mode of inheritance in three individuals with severe early-onset axonal neuropathy and homozygous or compound heterozygous MFN2 mutations. The clinical and molecular findings in the parents of three individuals with SEOAN with homozygous or compound heterozygous MFN2 mutations were examined. All parents were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with some signs of peripheral neuropathy indicating a minimal phenotype. Two had hearing problems. All parents carried the relevant single base (heterozygous) MFN2 variations. Severe early-onset axonal neuropathy due to MFN2 mutations can present as an apparently recessively inherited neuropathy but the minimal phenotype in the parents suggests a semi-dominant mechanism.