Space Lower Bounds for the Signal Detection Problem.
Many shared memory algorithms have to deal with the problem of determining whether the value of a shared object has changed in between two successive accesses of that object by a process when the responses from both are the same. Motivated by this problem, we define the signal detection problem, which can be studied on a purely combinatorial level. Consider a system with n + 1 processes consisting of n readers and one signaller. The processes communicate through a shared blackboard that can store a value from a domain of size m. Processes are scheduled by an adversary. When scheduled, a process reads the blackboard, modifies its contents arbitrarily, and, provided it is a reader, returns a Boolean value. A reader must return true if the signaller has taken a step since the reader's preceding step; otherwise it must return false. Intuitively, in a system with n processes, signal detection should require at least n bits of shared information, i.e., m ≥ 2 n . But a proof of this conjecture remains elusive. For the general case, we prove a lower bound of m ≥ n 2. For restricted versions of the problem, where the processes are oblivious or where the signaller must write a fixed sequence of values, we prove a tight lower bound of m ≥ 2 n . We also consider a version of the problem where each reader takes at most two steps. In this case, we prove that m = n + 1 blackboard values are necessary and sufficient.


Variant anatomy of non-recurrent laryngeal nerve: when and how should it be taught in surgical residency?
While the performance of a thyroidectomy is generally associated with a low risk of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), the presence of a non-recurrent nerve (NRLN) increases the risk of this complication. Generally, the intraoperative detection via visual appreciation of variant anatomy of the RLN has been regarded as poor, possibly due to a lack of knowledge of both the normal and aberrant anatomy of the RLN. Articles for the review were searched through PubMed using the search terms and their combinations: "non-recurrent laryngeal nerve," "thyroidectomy," "injury," "palsy," "variant anatomy," and "residency," from January 1, 2000, to December 2022. Papers considered for the review were the articles published in English, with additional classic and articles of surgical importance retrieved from the reference list of papers. Only papers relevant to the scope of the review were considered for this review. The NRLN has been found to be associated with concurrent vascular abnormalities, such as the presence of an aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) or an arteria lusoria originating from the aortic arch. However, it seems that both the normal as well as aberrant anatomy of the RLN is currently not emphasized enough during postgraduate surgical training. With the increased use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM), detection of NRLN has become possible through appropriate neural mapping during thyroid surgery, besides other pointers such as visualization during surgery, computerised tomography, and duplex ultrasound scans to visualize the variant vascular anatomy. There is also a possible role for cadaveric courses, either during medical school or in a post-graduate setting-adapted to the student's level to teach the variant anatomy. With the development of newer techniques such as artificial intelligence, there are potential new options for teaching and training anatomy in the near future. Adequate knowledge of the normal and aberrant anatomy of the RLN remains essential for the best outcomes in thyroid surgery, even in the era of the IONM. Moving forward, the knowledge of (aberrant) anatomy should be made an integral part of the core competencies of both medical students and surgical trainees. It is imperative that leaders of the different field work closely together to combine their knowledge towards providing their trainees with the best possible training options.


Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes in Hospital Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study.
We investigated some of the factors associated with depression, perceived stress, and anxiety in clinical and nonclinical healthcare workers of two hospitals. A mixed-methods approach was used. The sample included clinical (physicians, nurses, and others) and nonclinical (security and cleaning staff) healthcare workers of two tertiary hospitals in Peru. Participants completed an online self-survey. In the qualitative analysis, data were subjected to thematic analysis. We analyzed data from 613 participants, of which 8.6%, 9.0%, and 78.2% had moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, respectively. Having a previous mental health problem, being concerned about losing one's job, having at least two COVID-19 symptoms in the preceding two weeks, and being afraid of infecting family members increased the prevalence of experiencing moderate-to-severe depression and anxiety. The qualitative analysis allowed us to identify five recurring factors that caused a negative impact on workers' lives during the pandemic: emotional distress linked to hospital experiences of suffering and death, modification of routines, fear of COVID-19, exacerbation of mental disorders, and physical problems associated with emotional distress. Clinical and nonclinical healthcare workers in Peru have experienced depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research and interventions are necessary to improve psychological support for hospital workers.


Biosynthesis, immunity, regulation, mode of action and engineering of the model lantibiotic nisin.
This review discusses the state-of-the-art in molecular research on the most prominent and widely applied lantibiotic, i.e., nisin. The developments in understanding its complex biosynthesis and mode of action are highlighted. Moreover, novel applications arising from engineering either nisin itself, or from the construction of totally novel dehydrated and/or lanthionine-containing peptides with desired bioactivities are described. Several challenges still exist in understanding the immunity system and the unique multiple reactions occurring on a single substrate molecule, carried out by the dehydratase NisB and the cyclization enzyme NisC. The recent elucidation of the 3-D structure of NisC forms the exciting beginning of further 3-D-structure determinations of the other biosynthetic enzymes, transporters and immunity proteins. Advances in achieving in vitro activities of lanthionine-forming enzymes will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular characteristics of the biosynthesis process, opening up new avenues for developing unique and novel biocatalytic processes.


A novel SNP in NKX1-2 gene is associated with carcass traits in Dezhou donkey.
At present, donkey meat in the market shows an imbalance between supply and demand, and there is an urgent need to cultivate a meat-type Dezhou donkey breed. On the one hand, it can improve the imbalance in the market, and on the other hand, it can promote the rapid development of the donkey industry. This study aimed to reveal significant genetic variation in the NK1 homeobox 2 gene (NKX1-2) of Dezhou donkeys and investigate the association between genotype and body size in Dezhou donkeys. In this study, a SNP (g.54704925 A > G) was identified at the exon4 by high-depth resequencing of the Dezhou donkey NKX1-2 gene. The AA genotype is the dominant genotype. The g.54704925 A > G site was significantly associated with body length, thoracic girth, and hide weight (P < 0.05), while it was highly significantly associated with body height and carcass weight (P < 0.01) in Dezhou donkeys. Overall, the results of this study showed that the NKX1-2 gene could be a candidate gene for breeding meat-type Dezhou donkeys, and the g.54704925 A > G locus could be used as a marker locus for selection and breeding.


Biomimetic synthesis of (+/-)-pinnatal and (+/-)-sterekunthal A.
Concise biomimetic syntheses of the antimalarial naphthoquinones (+/-)-pinnatal and (+/-)-sterekunthal A are described.


Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Bastrovirus Isolated from Raw Sewage.
The complete genome sequence of a novel bastrovirus was determined. The genome has 5,875 nucleotides and shares 56% nucleotide identity with a bastrovirus-like virus found in bat feces.


Stereodynamics in the Collisional Autoionization of Water, Ammonia, and Hydrogen Sulfide with Metastable Rare Gas Atoms: Competition Between Intermolecular Halogen and Hydrogen Bonds.
Recent experiments on the title subject, performed with a high-resolution crossed-beam apparatus, have provided the total ionization cross sections as a function of the collision energy between noble gas atoms, electronically excited in their metastable states (Ng*), and H2 O, H2 S, and NH3 reagents, as well as the emitted electron energy spectra. This paper presents a rationalization of all the experimental findings in a unifying picture to cast light on the basic chemical properties of Ng* under conditions of great relevance both from a fundamental and from an applied point of view. The importance of this investigation is that it isolates the selective role of the intermolecular halogen and hydrogen bonds, to assess their anisotropic effects on the stereodynamics of the promoted ionization reactions, and to model energy transfer and reactivity in systems of applied interest, such as planetary atmospheres, plasmas, lasers, and flames.


Oral methadone for the treatment of severe pain in hospitalized children: a report of five cases.
Pain relief is still inadequate in many hospitalized patients, especially children in whom suboptimal use of analgesic drugs is still common. In the past 2 years, oral methadone has been used extensively in our institution for treating children with persistent pain from cancer, burns, or trauma who were capable of oral intake and whose pain was not relieved by nonopioid medications. Tertiary university hospital. Of the 70 children treated thus far with oral methadone, five are described in the present report. Pain relief, acceptability, and side effects of oral methadone in children with pain. Treatment with oral methadone (0.1% in 10% glucose, dose range of 0.2-0.6 mg/kg/day) for time periods of up to 6 weeks resulted in a rapid onset and stable pain relief, with no major side effects. No adverse responses were encountered after discontinuation of treatment. In three of the children, a parent-controlled analgesia regimen was successfully employed. Oral methadone can be recommended for babies and children who have severe pain that is not alleviated by nonopioid medications and who are capable of oral intake.


Dietary and medical therapy of obesity.
Surgery is not a cure for obesity but is an effective tool for limiting food consumption. If severely obese patients do not respond to a treatment plan that includes nutritional, exercise, and behavioral interventions plus antiobesity drugs, bariatric surgery may be appropriate. Proper diet selection after bariatric surgery involves more than the energy value and macronutrient composition. Adequate vitamin and mineral composition of the diet is essential to ensure that surgery improves nutritional status. Malabsorption is present to some extent with most surgeries. Therefore, diet after surgery should be monitored closely for adequacy by a nutritionist.


Production, purification and characterization of beta-1,4-endoglucanase from a novel bacterial strain CTP-09 of a Bacillus sp.
Bacillus strain CTP-09 yielded maximum productivity (1120 IU/L.h) of extracellular endoglucanase (CMCase) on 0.5% cellobiose after 10 h fermentation at 55 degrees C. The purified enzyme is mono-meric in nature and exhibits stability up to 80 degrees C and over a pH range (6.0-9.0). Activation energy, enthalpy and entropy of catalysis, and inactivation indicated that this CMCase is highly thermos-table. Purified enzyme possessed high power of defibrillation of textile and was minutely inhibited by anionic detergent and oxidizing agent comparable with inhibition by commercial enzyme. This polypeptide could be exploited for mass production and application in local industries.


mTOR in breast cancer: differential expression in triple-negative and non-triple-negative tumors.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by the absence of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and overexpression of HER2. Targeted therapy is currently unavailable for this subgroup of breast cancer patients. mTOR controls cancer cell growth, survival and invasion and is thus a potential target for the treatment of patients with TNBC. Using immunohistochemistry, mTOR and p-mTOR were measured in 89 TNBCs and 99 non-TNBCs. While mTOR expression was confined to tumor cell cytoplasm, p-mTOR staining was located in the nucleus, perinuclear area and in the cytoplasm. Potentially important, was our finding that nuclear p-mTOR was found more frequently in triple-negative than non triple-negative cancers (p < 0.001). These results suggest that mTOR may play a more important role in the progression of TNBC compared to non-TNBC. Based on these findings, we conclude that mTOR may be a new target for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.


Effect of 3,5-dicarbomethoxyphenylbiguanide on free radical homeostasis in rats with experimental myocarditis.
Administration of 3,5-dicarbomethoxyphenylbiguanide to rats with experimental epinephrine-induced myocarditis was followed by a decrease in activity of marker enzymes for cardiomyocyte cytolysis in the blood serum. This agent also decreased the intensity of free radical processes and had a normalizing effect on aconitase activity in the heart and blood serum of rats with myocarditis.


The application of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of bone tumors and tumor-like lesions.
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) plays an important role in the diagnosis of some bone tumors, especially in the differential diagnosis of primary from metastatic non-osseous tumors and in the categorization of small-round-blue-cell tumors. This article reviews immunomarkers used in bone tumors and their diagnostic significance.


Stem Cell Aging and Regenerative Medicine.
Stem cells are a promising source for regenerative medicine to cure a plethora of diseases that are currently treated based on either palliative or symptomatic relief or by preventing their onset and progression. Aging-associated degenerative changes in stem cells, stem cell niches, and signaling pathways bring a step by step decline in the regenerative and functional potential of tissues. Clinical studies and experiments on model organisms have pointed out checkpoints that aging will inevitably impose on stem cell aiming for transplantation and hence questions are raised about the age of the donor. In the following discourse, we review the fundamental molecular pathways that are implicated in stem cell aging and the current progress in tissue engineering and transplantation of each type of stem cells in regenerative medicine. We further focus on the consequences of stem cell aging on their clinical uses and the development of novel strategies to bypass those pitfalls and improve tissue replenishment.


Reduction of environmental chemicals, toxicity and particulate matter in wet scrubber device to achieve zero emissions.
The fine particles generated by the foundry industry are present in the atmosphere; they have an impact on the climate because of their influence on atmospheric radioactive phenomena. As a result of this scenario, there is a rising amount of legislation restricting the emission of pollutants from foundry industries and related businesses. In response to this situation, many researchers have concentrated on end-of-pipe technologies, one of which is the wet scrubber, which is a device that is primarily used in foundries to control pollution and is one of the devices that has been incorporated. The disadvantage of using this wet scrubber, on the other hand, is that it contributes to secondary pollution when it is used. In order to combat secondary pollution, a model of an enhanced wet scrubber system that incorporates a multi-sand filtering technology was developed. The performance of this redesigned wet scrubber system was evaluated with the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. In CFD, the Reynolds stress model was applied for simulation. The pressure magnitudes and velocity magnitudes are obtained by this simulation. The volume fraction of the dust was evaluated through the DPM approach. Because of the introduction of the filtration tank's computation, it was discovered that successful filtration was accomplished using sand filters, meaning that environmental chemicals and particles were totally filtered from 0.17 kg at the entrance to zero kg of particles at the outflow.


Relationship between C9orf72 repeat size and clinical phenotype.
Patient carriers of a C9orf72 repeat expansion exhibit remarkable heterogeneous clinical and pathological characteristics suggesting the presence of modifying factors. In accordance with other repeat expansion diseases, repeat length is the prime candidate as a genetic modifier. Observations of earlier onset ages in younger generations of large families suggested a mechanism of disease anticipation. Yet, studies of repeat size and onset age have led to conflicting results. Also, the correlation between repeat size and diagnosis is poorly understood. We review what has been published regarding C9orf72 repeat size as modifier for phenotypic characteristics. Conclusive evidence is lacking, partly due to the difficulties in accurately defining the exact repeat size and the presence of repeat variability due to somatic mosaicism.


Speed and safety effect of photo radar enforcement on a highway corridor in British Columbia.
This study evaluates the effect of the photo radar program on traffic speed and collisions at photo radar (PRP) influence locations (PRP location) and interleaving non-PRP locations on the Vancouver Island portion of Highway 17 (Pat Bay Highway) in British Columbia (BC). Simple before-after comparison was used to summarize the speed effect while observational before- after method was employed to estimate the safety effect. To control for regression to the mean and time effect, Empirical Bayes (EB) method with comparison groups was employed in collision analysis. The study found a 2.8-km/h reduction in mean speed and a 0.5-km/h reduction in speed standard deviation at a monitoring site 2 km south of the treatment area. Corresponding to speed reduction. the study revealed a 14%+/-11% reduction in expected collisions at the PRP locations, a 19%+/-10% reduction at the non-PRP locations, and a 16%+/-7% reduction along the study corridor as a whole. No evidence was found for a localized effect in a 2-km range of the photo radar direct influence area, over and above those at the interleaving non-PRP locations. The results support the hypothesis of a distance spillover effect--that the program not only improved safety at the PRP locations, but along the entire enforcement corridor as well. It suggests that the unpredictable nature of the deployments lead drivers to modify their behavior along the length of the corridor because they could not discern 'safe' from 'unsafe' segments.


A proposed method and monitoring system for evaluating workability of Portland cement concrete during mixing.
The objective of this study is to address the problem that the traditional quality control method of fresh Portland cement concrete cannot allow the workability to be evaluated during the mixing process. Based on the rheological theory and observed linear relationship between the shear force and flow deformation of concrete mixtures, a mathematical model was established to characterize the workability of concrete using the stirring power of concrete mixers. In this study, a laboratory-scale two-shaft mixer with a rotation speed control system and a power monitoring system was designed and tested. A LabVIEW program was also developed to process and analyze changes of the stirring power data. Laboratory test results show that the optimal workability of fresh concrete with very different mix designs is usually obtained when the second wave trough of stirring power appears. The test results are also compared to the conventional slump test, which indicate the proposed approach and developed system can be used to evaluate the workability of fresh concrete during mixing and identify the optimal mixing time length.


Axonal damage in the making: neurofilament phosphorylation, proton mobility and magnetisation transfer in multiple sclerosis normal appearing white matter.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) leaves a signature on the phosphorylation and thus proton binding capacity of axonal neurofilament (Nf) proteins. The proton binding capacity in a tissue is the major determinant for exchange between bound and free protons and thus the magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR). This study investigated whether the MTR of non-lesional white matter (NLWM) was related to the brain tissue concentration of neurofilament phosphoforms. Unfixed post-mortem brain slices of 12 MS patients were analysed using MTR, T1 at 1.5 T. Blocks containing NLWM were processed for embedding in paraffin and inspected microscopically. Adjacent tissue was microdissected, homogenised and specific protein levels were quantified by ELISA for the Nf heavy chain (NfH) phosphoforms, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100B and ferritin. Averaged hyperphosphorylated NfH (SMI34) but not phosphorylated NfH (SMI35) levels were different between individual patients NLWM. The concentration of hyperphosphorylated NfH-SMI34 correlated with T1 (R=0.70, p=0.0114) and - inversely - with MTR (R=-0.73, p=0.0065). NfH-SMI35 was not correlated to any of the MR indices. Post-translational modifications of axonal proteins such as phosphorylation of neurofilaments occur in NLWM and may precede demyelination. The resulting change of proton mobility influences MTR and T1. This permits the in vivo detection of these subtle tissue changes on a proteomic level in patients with MS.


Regulation of natural killer cell activity by anti-I-region monoclonal antibodies.
The effects of a monoclonal antibody directed against immune response gene products on mouse NK activity were examined. In vivo administration of an anti-I-Ak antibody to C3H/He (H-2k) mice modulated their peritoneal cell (PC) and spleen cell (SC) natural killer (NK) activity against YAC-1 lymphoma target cells in vitro. No such effect was observed when BALB/c (H-2d) mice were treated with this antibody. Administration of anti-I-Ak antibody to mice before and after infection with Toxoplasma or treatment with poly(I:C) leads to suppression of NK activity in comparison to NK activity of mice infected with Toxoplasma or injected with poly(I:C) alone. A similar treatment regimen with M5/114 antibody which reacts with I-Ab, I-Ad, I-Ed, and I-Ek molecules resulted in decreased NK activity in B10.D2 (H-2d) but not in B10.BR (H-2k) mice. Serum and cell culture supernatant interferon (IFN) concentrations were not altered as a result of anti-I-Ak treatment. Removal of adherent cells did not restore NK activity of anti-I-Ak-treated Toxoplasma-infected mice to levels obtained with mice infected with Toxoplasma. In contrast, depletion of Ly 2.1+ cells from nylon-wool nonadherent SC of mice treated with anti-I-Ak antibody, before and after infection with Toxoplasma, resulted in restoration of NK activity to the same level as that observed in Toxoplasma-infected mice.


Electron microscopic evidence of a ventronasal to dorsotemporal variation in fiber size in pigeon optic nerve.
Using a uniform sampling method, electron-microscopic examination of pigeon optic nerve revealed a dorsotemporal to ventronasal gradient in mean fiber size. In the dorsotemporal region small, myelinated axons (mean diameter = 0.87 micrometer, S.D. = 0.27) were predominant. Also unique to this region were scattered clusters of fine, unmyelinated fibers. A wider, bimodal spectrum in fiber size (mean diameter = 1.50 micrometer, S.D. = 0.66) was found in the ventronasal region of the nerve. Axons located in the area between these regions possessed a mean diameter of 1.15 micrometer, S.D. = 0.43. This gradient, constant throughout the length of the nerve, resulted from a nasal-to-temporal diminution in size and frequency of large fibers superimposed upon a relatively uniform small fiber base. The total number of fibers within the nerve, excluding those comprising the unmyelinated clusters, was calculated to be approximately 2.3 x 10(6). The overall distribution in fiber size appeared to be unimodal with the peak at 0.75 micrometer and mean diameter = 1.04 micrometer, S.D. = 0.44. Although previous investigators have reported that cross-sectional analysis of pigeon optic nerve revealed a homogeneous distribution in fiber size, the findings of the present study may be more compatable with anatomical and physiological features of pigeon retinotectal organization. These features include visual field acuity gradients, ganglion cell population pattern, and density fields of tectal afferent terminations.


Oxidation behaviors of metallic copper particles in NO reduction mechanism of copper/activated carbons.
The reduction of nitric oxide (NO) over Cu/ACFs, prepared by copper electroplating, has been studied. It is found that copper content on the ACFs increases with increasing plating time (up to 45 wt%), while the textural properties including specific surface areas and total pore volumes decrease. As an experimental result, the NO reduction efficiency is increased in all of the Cu/ACFs, and it is confirmed that NO is converted into nitrogen and oxygen on the Cu/ACF surfaces (at 500 degrees C). Especially, the Cu metals on the ACF surfaces scavenge oxygen by oxidizing themselves into Cu2O and finally CuO as a reductant. It is indicated that copper metals on the Cu/ACFs play a major role in the NO removal in this system.


Assessing fitness to drive in older adults: Validation and extension of an economical screening tool.
Due to demographic change, the number of older drivers with impaired driving skills will increase in the next decades. The current study aimed at the validation and extension of the screening tool Safety Advice For Elderly drivers (SAFE) that allows a cost-efficient assessment of driving-related risk factors in older drivers. Seventy-four older drivers aged ≥65 years (M = 77 years) recruited from the general population were included in this prospective observational study. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were utilized to examine whether the SAFE and further evidence-based driving-related factors may allow the differentiation between fit and unfit older drivers assessed in standardized on-road driving assessments. ROC analyses revealed significant diagnostic accuracy of the number of SAFE risk factors in differentiating between fit and unfit older drivers (AUC = 0.71). A stepwise logistic regression model revealed that adding further evidence-based risk factors into the SAFE clearly improved diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.85). The current study shows that the risk assessed by the SAFE predicts on-road driving fitness in older adults. However, the results also suggest a need for a modification of the SAFE by the inclusion of additional evidence-based risk factors. With sensitivity and specificity scores of about 90 % and 75 %, this modified version may be more suitable for clinical use.


Application of a deep learning algorithm in the detection of hip fractures.
This paper describes the development of a deep learning model for prediction of hip fractures on pelvic radiographs (X-rays). Developed using over 40,000 pelvic radiographs from a single institution, the model demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity when applied to a test set of emergency department radiographs. This study approximates the real-world application of a deep learning fracture detection model by including radiographs with sub-optimal image quality, other non-hip fractures, and metallic implants, which were excluded from prior published work. The study also explores the effect of ethnicity on model performance, as well as the accuracy of visualization algorithm for fracture localization.


Unrecorded Aedes (Edwardsaedes) bekkui (Diptera: Culicidae) from Korea: Notes on taxonomic diagnosis of adult and larva.
Thirty-six females and 1 male of Aedes bekkui were captured at human bait in Kyungki Province, Korea Republic, in June 1987. This is the 1st time the species has been recorded from that country. Notes on the taxonomic diagnosis of adults and larvae are given.


Different gait pattern in adolescence with patellofemoral instability.
Patellofemoral instability influences the gait pattern and activity level in adolescents. However, gait biomechanics to cope with recurrent patella instability and its relation to radiological findings has hardly been studied. We retrospectively analyzed kinematic and kinetic gait analysis data, magnetic resonance images and X-ray of 32 adolescents with unilateral recurrent patellofemoral instability aged 12 to 18 years. Subjects were assigned to 3 groups based on their sagittal knee moment in the loading response and mid stance phase. Kinematic and kinetic differences among the groups were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. A multinomial logistic regression model provided a further analysis of the relationship between gait biomechanics and MRI as well as X-ray parameters. All three groups showed different characteristics of the knee kinematics during loading response and single stance: while the patella-norm-loading group showed a slightly reduced knee flexion (p 〈0,01), the patella-unloading group kept the knee nearly extended (p < 0,01) and patella-overloading group showed an increased knee flexion (p = 0,01) compared to the other groups. In single stance the patella-overloading group maintained increased knee flexion (p < 0,01) compared to patella-unloading group and patella-norm-loading group. None of the radiological parameters proved to be related to gait patterns. The paper describes different gait coping strategies and their clinical relevance in subjects with patellofemoral instability. However, we did not find any relation of gait biomechanics to skeletal morphology.


Lumbar intradural space reduction during the Valsalva maneuver observed using cine MRI and MR myelography: a single-case experimental study.
Previous studies have shown that the Valsalva maneuver (VM) causes spinal canal object movements. We hypothesized that this occurs because of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow generated from intradural space reduction. Previous studies using myelograms reported lumbar CSF space changes during inspiration. However, no similar studies have been conducted using modern MRI. Therefore, this study analyzed intradural space reduction during the VM using cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The participant was a 39-year-old, healthy, male volunteer. Cine MRI involved fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition cine sequence during three resting and VM sets for 60 s each. The axial plane was at the intervertebral disc and vertebral body levels between Th12 and S1 during cine MRI. This examination was performed on 3 separate days; hence, data from nine resting and VM sets were available. Additionally, two-dimensional myelography was performed during rest and the VM. Intradural space reduction was observed during the VM using cine MRI and myelography. The intradural space cross-sectional area during the VM (mean: 129.3 mm2; standard deviation [SD]: 27.4 mm2) was significantly lower than that during the resting period (mean: 169.8; SD: 24.8; Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < 0.001). The reduction rate of the vertebral body level (mean: 26.7%; SD: 9.4%) was larger than that of the disc level (mean: 21.4%; SD: 9.5%; Wilcoxon rank sum test, P = 0.0014). Furthermore, the reduction was mainly observed on the ventral and bilateral intervertebral foramina sides at the vertebral body and intervertebral disc levels, respectively. The intradural space was reduced during the VM, possibly because of venous dilatation. This phenomenon may be associated with CSF flow, intradural object movement, and nerve compression, potentially leading to back pain.


Liposomal surface-loading of water-soluble cationic iron(III) porphyrins as anticancer drugs.
A novel design of anticancer drug delivery system, based on an electrostatic binding of negatively charged liposomes and cationic metalloporphyrins under physiological conditions, is reported. A lack of cytotoxicity of the iron(III) porphyrin-loaded liposomes and an efficient generation of a toxic hydroxyl radical (OH*) from a superoxide anion radical (O2-*) through the iron(III)-catalyzed dismutation and the Fenton-like reaction allow for a targeted necrosis of tumor cells where the concentration of O2-* is locally increased as a result of the reduced activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in these cells.


Therapeutically targeting oncogenic CRCs facilitates induced differentiation of NB by RA and the BET bromodomain inhibitor.
Retinoic acids (RAs) are the most successful therapeutics for cancer differentiation therapy used in high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) maintenance therapy but are limited in effectiveness. This study identifies a strategy for improving efficacy through disruption of cancer cell identity via BET inhibitors. Mutations that block development are theorized to cause NB through retention of immature cell identities contributing to oncogenesis. NB has two interchangeable cell identities, maintained by two different core transcriptional regulatory circuitries (CRCs): a therapy-resistant mesenchymal/stem cell state and a proliferative adrenergic cell state. MYCN amplification is a common mutation of high-risk NB and recently found to block differentiation by driving high expression of the adrenergic CRC transcription factor ASCL1. We investigated whether disruption of immature CRCs can promote RA-induced differentiation since only a subset of NB patients responds to RA. We found that silencing ASCL1, a critical member of the adrenergic CRC, or global disruption of CRCs with the BET inhibitor JQ1, suppresses gene expression of multiple CRC factors, improving RA-mediated differentiation. Further, JQ1 and RA synergistically decrease proliferation and induce differentiation in NB cell lines. Our findings support preclinical studies of RA and BET inhibitors as a combination therapy in treating NB.


An immunologic hypotheses concerning some congenital diseases and malformations.
Congenital diseases such as hyaline membrane disease perhaps may come about by transplacental passage of high titred IgG anti HLA antibodies to a fetal pulmonary tissue. Conceivably transplacental passage of high titred anti HLA antibodies (or as yet unidentified antibodies) may interfere with development of tissues at any stage of embryonic and fetal development where the HLA antigen (or other antigen) are present.


Esterification of sodium 4-hydroxybenzoate by ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid phase-transfer catalysis using dual-site phase-transfer catalyst.
The catalytic esterification of sodium 4-hydroxybenzoate with benzyl bromide by ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid phase-transfer catalysis (U-SLPTC) was investigated using the novel dual-site phase-transfer catalyst 4,4'-bis(tributylammoniomethyl)-1,1'-biphenyl dichloride (BTBAMBC), which was synthesized from the reaction of 4,4'-bis(chloromethyl)-1,1'-biphenyl and tributylamine. Without catalyst and in the absence of water, the product yield at 60 °C was only 0.36% in 30 min of reaction even under ultrasound irradiation (28 kHz/300 W) and 250 rpm of stirring speed. When 1cm(3) of water and 0.5 mmol of BTBAMBC were added, the yield increased to 84.3%. The catalytic intermediate 4,4'-bis(tributylammoniomethyl)-1,1'-biphenyl di-4-hydroxybenzoate was also synthesized to verify the intrinsic reaction which was mainly conducted in the quasi-aqueous phase locating between solid and organic phases. Pseudo-first-order kinetic equation was used to correlate the overall reaction, and the apparent rate coefficient with ultrasound (28 kHz/300 W) was 0.1057 min(-1), with 88% higher than that (0.0563 min(-1)) without ultrasound. The esterification under ultrasonic irradiation using BTBAMBC by solid-liquid phase-transfer catalysis was developed.


The influence of desmocollin 1-3 expression on prognosis after curative resection of colorectal liver metastases.
Prognosis after curative resection of colorectal liver metastases is hard to determine based on clinical parameters; biomarkers are therefore needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of desmocollins (DSC) as potential biomarkers. Desmocollins are responsible for cell-cell adhesion in epithelial tissue; their loss may lead to reduced cellular adhesion and facilitate cellular migration, enabling tumor cells to form distant metastases. We analyzed DSC expression in colorectal liver metastases with respect to the risk of recurrence following liver resection. Tissue microarrays from 257 consecutive patients who underwent R0-resection of colorectal liver metastases were constructed. Low expression of DSC 1, 2, and 3 was observed in 55, 54, and 79 % of liver metastases. There was no correlation between site or stage of the primary tumor, presence of extrahepatic tumor, grading, size or number of metastases, and desmocollin expression. Primary tumor stage I or II (p = 0.005) and no or few lymph node metastases (p < 0.001) were associated with a significantly better disease-free survival on univariate analysis. These parameters reached only marginal significance on multivariate analysis (p = 0.059 and p = 0.052, respectively), as did desmocollin 3 expression (p = 0.050). In the subgroup of patients with stages III-IV primary tumors, however, multivariate analysis showed a significant correlation between DSC 3 expression and disease-free survival after liver resection (p = 0.009). Reduced expression of DSC3 correlated with an increased risk of developing tumor recurrence after resection of liver metastases. These findings may be helpful in selecting high-risk patients who might benefit from multimodal therapy.


The impact of fecal sample processing on prevalence estimates for antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli.
Investigators often rely on studies of Escherichia coli to characterize the burden of antibiotic resistance in a clinical or community setting. To determine if prevalence estimates for antibiotic resistance are sensitive to sample handling and interpretive criteria, we collected presumptive E. coli isolates (24 or 95 per stool sample) from a community in an urban informal settlement in Kenya. Isolates were tested for susceptibility to nine antibiotics using agar breakpoint assays and results were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. We observed a <3-fold difference between prevalence estimates based on freshly isolated bacteria when compared to isolates collected from unprocessed fecal samples or fecal slurries that had been stored at 4°C for up to 7days. No time-dependence was evident (P>0.1). Prevalence estimates did not differ for five distinct E. coli colony morphologies on MacConkey agar plates (P>0.2). Successive re-plating of samples for up to five consecutive days had little to no impact on prevalence estimates. Finally, culturing E. coli under different conditions (with 5% CO2 or micro-aerobic) did not affect estimates of prevalence. For the conditions tested in these experiments, minor modifications in sample processing protocols are unlikely to bias estimates of the prevalence of antibiotic-resistance for fecal E. coli.


Factors influencing patients' experience of communication with the medical team of the emergency department.
The Emergency Department (ED) setting often presents situations where the doctor-patient relationship is fundamental and may be challenging. Thus, it is important to use effective communication to improve outcomes. This study explores patients' experience of communication with the medical team aiming to discover whether there are some objective factors which may affect their perception. A prospective, cross-sectional study in two hospitals: an urban, academic trauma center and a small city hospital. Adult patients discharged from the ED in October 2021 were consecutively included. Patients filled out a validated questionnaire, the Communication Assessment Tool for Teams (CAT-T), assessing communication perception. Additional data about the participants were collected by the physician in a dedicated tab to assess whether there were objective factors influencing the patient's perception of the medical team's communication skills. Statistical analysis was then performed. 394 questionnaires were analyzed. The average score for all items exceeded 4 (good). Younger patients and patients who were conveyed by ambulance attributed lower scores than other groups (p value < 0.05). A significant difference between the two hospitals was also observed in favour of the bigger hospital. In our study long waiting times did not generate less satisfied responses. The item which received the lowest scores was "the medical team encouraged me to ask questions". Overall, patients were satisfied with doctor-patient communication. Age, setting, way of conveyance to the hospital are objective factors that may influence patients' experience and satisfaction in the ED.


Exploring Change in Trend of Homicide Incidence Rate in Iran from 2006 to 2016: Applying Segmented Regression Model.
Murder is one of the public health problems. According to the WHO reports, murder is fourth leading cause of death among young people. The aim of this study was applying joint point regression model to study trend of homicide mortality in Iran, 2006-2016. A cross-sectional panel (pseudo-panel) study. Homicide data during 2006 to 2016 were extracted from Iranian legal medicine organization. Trends of homicide incidence were summarized by annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) using non-linear segmented regression model. Totally, 26918 homicide cases occurred during the period from 2006 to 2016. The highest and lowest frequency was related to the 15-29 yr (46.5%) and 0-4 yr (1.5%) age groups, respectively. The homicide incidence rate of the country in 2016 was 2.81 per 100,000. The four provinces of Sistan & Baluchistan, Khuzestan, Kerman and Ilam had the highest incidence rate in 2016, respectively. During the study period, the incidence rate of homicide in Iran and men have been significantly decreased (APC: -2.8% (95% CI: -3.9, -1.7) and -3.2% (95% CI: - 4.5, -1.8) respectively (P<0.001)). The pattern of homicide rate has a downward trend in the country. Moreover, the varying observed trends in some provinces can be due to the variability in mental, geographical, socio-economic and cultural conditions in each region.


Uncommon acquired Gerbode defect following extensive bicuspid aortic valve endocarditis.
Gerbode defect is a rare type of left ventricle to right atrium shunt. It is usually congenital in origin, but acquired cases are also described, mainly following infective endocarditis, valve replacement, trauma or acute myocardial infarction. We report a case of a 50-year-old man who suffered an extensive and complex infective endocarditis involving a bicuspid aortic valve, the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa and the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. After dual valve replacement and annular reconstruction, a shunt between the left ventricle and the right atrium--Gerbode defect, and a severe leak of the mitral prosthesis were detected. Reintervention was performed with successful shunt closure with an autologous pericardial patch and paravalvular leak correction. No major complications occurred denying the immediate post-surgery period and the follow-up at the first year was uneventful.


Risk stratification for adult congenital heart surgery.
At this moment, no risk stratification models are available for adult congenital cardiac surgery. This study aims to identify a suitable stratification tool for the adult congenital heart surgery population. Pediatric congenital cardiac surgery score models were therefore tested in an adult congenital population. In addition, an age component was added to these models and performance was compared with the original score systems. The Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1), Basic Aristotle Score, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)-European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS) Score and Comprehensive Aristotle Score were calculated for all adult patients who underwent congenital cardiac surgery between January 1990 and January 2007 in a single center (N=963). In addition, an age component was added to these models. Discrimination was then tested for all models with and without the age component. Application of the original pediatric risk scores resulted in c-statistics for 30-day mortality of 0.60, 0.60, 0.60, and 0.66 respectively. Combining these models with the age component resulted in significantly higher c-statistics of 0.69, 0.70, 0.69, and 0.76 respectively. Age as a sole predictor already resulted in a c-statistic of 0.67. Comparable results were found for 1-year mortality. The discriminatory power of the pediatric risk scores was suboptimal, but increased when adding age as a score component. The best performance was achieved by the combination of age and the Comprehensive Aristotle Score, for both 30-day and 1-year mortality.


The Influence of Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccines on Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Outcomes Among Elderly Patients.
Elderly are at high risk for hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), especially due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, and seasonal influenza viruses. Data suggest PPV23's influence on various CAP-related outcomes among the elderly may depend upon how many years have elapsed since they received this vaccine. PPV23's protection against invasive pneumococcal disease and CAP hospitalizations are often limited to moderately ill elderly, who are less than 75 years old, or female. PCV13 demonstrates broad protection against a variety of CAPs, but ultimately, its influence on their outcomes among the elderly may be limited by herd immunity from PCV7 use. Influenza vaccine's indirect protective effect against all-cause and non-invasive pneumococcal CAP in the elderly is difficult to ascertain. The use of both PPV23 and influenza vaccine shortens length of stay in hospitalized elderly with CAP, but whether that benefit would be realized in the presence of herd immunity is unknown.


Ultrasensitive detection of ochratoxin A based on biomimetic nanochannel and catalytic hairpin assembly signal amplification.
In this paper, an ultrasensitive nanochannel sensor has been proposed for label-free Ochratoxin A (OTA) assay in combination with graphene oxide (GO) and catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA). The high-performance sensor is segmented into two parts. One is composed of graphene oxide (GO) and DNA probes. In the presence of target OTA, OTA works as a catalyst to trigger the self-assembly pathway of the two probes and initiate the cycling of CHA circuits, which results in numerous double-stranded DNAs (dsDNA) in solution. The excess ssDNA probes are removed by GO. The other part is composed of biomimetic nanochannel coated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and Zr4+, which can quantify the concentration of OTA by detecting the dsDNA in solution. The nanofluidic device has a detection limit of as low as 6.2 pM with an excellent selectivity. The nanochannel based assay was used to analyse food samples (red wine) with satisfied results. Thus, the proposed analytical method will provide a new approach the detection of OTA and can be applied for quality control to ensure food safety.


Effect of gemfibrozil on high density lipoprotein subspecies in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Relations to lipolytic enzymes and to the cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity.
Twenty patients (18 men, 2 women) with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were randomized to receive either gemfibrozil 1200 mg daily or placebo for 3 months in a double-blind study. The effect of gemfibrozil on plasma HDL subfraction distribution was studied with sequential and density gradient ultracentrifugation and in gradient gel electrophoresis. The concentrations of apo A-I, apo A-II, Lp A-I and Lp A-I:A-II particles were measured. Postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) activities and plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activities were also determined. Gemfibrozil increased the concentration of HDL cholesterol (P < 0.01), which was due to the rise of HDL3 cholesterol (+16%), while in the placebo group these values remained unchanged. Gemfibrozil increased the concentrations of apo A-I(+12.6%, NS), apo A-II (+28.2%, P < 0.01) and Lp A-I:A-II particles (+21.6%, P < 0.06) but there were no changes in the placebo group. Neither gemfibrozil nor placebo had any effect on the concentration of Lp A-I particles. As determined by density-gradient ultracentrifugation, gemfibrozil increased the concentration of cholesterol in the most dense HDL fractions (mean density 1.193 g/ml, +22%, P < 0.05 and mean density 1.158 g/ml, +19.3%, P < 0.05). In gradient gel electrophoresis, the gemfibrozil-induced elevations of the cholesterol and protein were most pronounced in the HDL3a (8.8-8.2 nm) region. Gemfibrozil increased LPL and HL activities by 14.7% (P < 0.05) and by 18.8% (P < 0.01), respectively, while in the placebo group LPL and HL activities remained unchanged. Plasma CETP activity was also increased during gemfibrozil treatment while in the placebo group it remained unchanged. We conclude that gemfibrozil causes multiple changes in plasma HDL metabolism. The gemfibrozil-induced elevation of HDL3 and dense HDL subpopulations may reflect the concerted action of LPL, HL and CETP on plasma HDL metabolism.


Reconfiguration of the plastid genome in Lamprocapnos spectabilis: IR boundary shifting, inversion, and intraspecific variation.
We generated a complete plastid genome (plastome) sequence for Lamprocapnos spectabilis, providing the first complete plastome from the subfamily Fumarioideae (Papaveraceae). The Lamprocapnos plastome shows large differences in size, structure, gene content, and substitution rates compared with two sequenced Papaveraceae plastomes. We propose a model that explains the major rearrangements observed, involving at least six inverted repeat (IR) boundary shifts and five inversions, generating a number of gene duplications and relocations, as well as a two-fold expansion of the IR and miniaturized small single-copy region. A reduction in the substitution rates for genes transferred from the single-copy regions to the IR was observed. Accelerated substitution rates of plastid accD and clpP were detected in the Lamprocapnos plastome. The accelerated substitution rate for the accD gene was correlated with a large insertion of amino acid repeat (AAR) motifs in the middle region, but the forces driving the higher substitution rate of the clpP gene are unclear. We found a variable number of AARs in Lamprocapnos accD and ycf1 genes within individuals, and the repeats were associated with coiled-coil regions. In addition, comparative analysis of three Papaveraceae plastomes revealed loss of rps15 in Papaver, and functional replacement to the nucleus was identified.


A double-blind pediatric evaluation of levamisole in the prevention of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections.
Levamisole was tested double-blind in 106 children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections. They received either levamisole (n = 53) or placebo (n = 53) 0.5 ml/kg bodyweight b.i.d. for two consecutive days each week for six months. A control examination was performed every two months. Both groups were compared by means of the Fisher-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test (two-tailed probability each). Improvement was observed more frequently in the levamisole group with regard to the number of episodes of infection, and the total duration and severity of the infections. No side-effects, except for some stomach complaints in one levamisole patient, were reported.


The effects of smoking on obesity: evidence from Indonesian panel data.
It has been known that smoking is negatively related to weight-related outcomes. However, it has been difficult to determine whether the relationship is causal, and if so, how strong it is. We attempted to estimate the approximately causal effects of smoking on weight, body mass index (BMI), and obesity. The Indonesian Family Life Survey provided a sample of over 9000 men aged 15-55 years-each of them was observed in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2007. The preferred method was a fixed effects model; that is, we related changes in smoking status or smoking intensity to changes in weight-related outcomes, while controlling for time-varying covariates. We also compared these results to those estimated by ordinary least squares and assessed the importance of controlling for time invariant individual heterogeneity. Although the effects of smoking were precisely estimated in a statistical sense, their size was minuscule: a quitter would gain weight by at most 1 kg, or a smoker would lose weight by the same amount. The results were similar for BMI and obesity. When we did not control for time invariant individual heterogeneity, the size of the relationship was overestimated at least three times. Smoking exerted little influence on weight, and it was important to control for bias stemming from time invariant individual heterogeneity.


Increased rate of drying reduces metabolic inequity and critical water content in radicles of Cicer arietinum L.
Orthodox seed serves as easily accessible model to study desiccation-sensitivity in plant tissues because once they undergo germination, they become sensitive to desiccation imposed injuries. In the proposed study, effects of rate of drying on the viability, electrolyte leakage, superoxide accumulation, lipid-protein oxidation and antioxidant enzymes were explored in excised radicles of Cicer arietinum L. under dehydration and wet storage. For both the drying conditions, desiccation could be explained by exponential and inverse functions. Under rapid drying tissue viability as scored by germination efficiency and tetrazolium staining remained 100 % all through the analysis (24 h) but declined remarkably after 0.30 g g(-1) fresh mass water content (4 days) under slow drying. Moreover, precipitous fall in tissue viability was observed after 2 weeks of wet storage. Rapid drying was also accompanied with limited amounts of electrolyte leakage, superoxide radical, malondialdehyde and protein hydroperoxide, together with enhanced level of protein. Additionally, activities of both superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase were increased in rapidly dried radicles, but guaiacol peroxidase was declined. In contrary, above referred biomarkers were observed to perform either inversely or poorly during slow drying and wet storage suggesting that above documented alterations might be the resultant of ageing and not desiccation. Gathered data demonstrated that increased drying lowers the critical water content for tissue survival and also reduces the risk of damage resulting from aqueous-based deleterious reactions. Additionally, it also showed that growing radicles are a popular model to explore desiccation-sensitivity in plant tissues and/or seeds.


Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among immigrant and second-generation Latino adolescents.
(1) To determine the relationship between acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in a sample of immigrant and second-generation Latino-American adolescents, and (2) to determine the best predictors of acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. Subjects were 40 female and 30 male students from a bilingual program in a southern California high school. Measures used were the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics, the SAFE acculturative stress measure, the Family Assessment Device, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior, and an open-ended question measuring individual attitudes and expectations toward the future. A cross-sectional design was used. One fourth of the adolescents reported critical levels of depression and suicidal ideation, which were positively correlated with acculturative stress. Multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived family dysfunction and nonpositive "expectations for the future" were significant predictors of acculturative stress and depression. Results suggest that some acculturating Latino adolescents experience high levels of acculturative stress. These adolescents are also "at risk" for experiencing critical levels of depression and suicidal ideation. Findings highlight the importance of assessing the treating the depressed and potentially suicidal acculturating adolescent within a cultural context.


Mapping autonomously replicating sequence elements in a 73-kb region of chromosome II of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) elements are the genetic determinants of replication origin function in yeasts. They can be easily identified as the plasmids containing them transform yeast cells at a high frequency. As the first step towards identifying all potential replication origins in a 73-kb region of the long arm of fission yeast chromosome II, we have mapped five new ARS elements using systematic subcloning and transformation assay. 2D analysis of one of the ARS plasmids that showed highest transformation frequency localized the replication origin activity within the cloned genomic DNA. All the new ARS elements are localized in two clusters in centromere proximal 40 kb of the region. The presence of at least six ARS elements, including the previously reported ars727, is suggestive of a higher origin density in this region than that predicted earlier using a computer based search.


Comparison of different treatment approaches for coronoid process fracture in terrible triad injury: a multicenter, randomized controlled study.
The purpose of the study was to compare the functional results of different treatment approaches for the fracture of the coronoid process in terrible triad injury (TTI). This prospective randomized controlled trial included participants from seven level-1 trauma centres in China. All patients were randomly assigned to three groups, wherein different approaches were applied to treat coronoid fracture: group A) internal fixation of the coronoid process without external fixation or splint (ORIF group), B) external fixation using a hinged fixator without internal fixation (Exfix group), and C) long-arm plaster for two to three weeks postoperatively without internal fixation of coronoid process (Plaster group). Early active motion exercises within the limits of pain were started immediately after surgery under the supervision of a physical therapist. Outcomes were evaluated at regular intervals over the subsequent 12 months. A total of 65 patients (22 patients in Group A, 21 in Group B, and 22 in Group C) were included in this trial from January 2016 to January 2019. The average arc of elbow motion was 114.1° ± 8.92°. The average flexion and flexion contracture were 126.4° ± 11.2° and 12.3° ± 7.7°, respectively. The arcs of forearm rotation of the elbow for each group were 145.41° ± 9.36°, 143.38° ± 9.79°, and 143.86° ± 10.95°, respectively. The MEPS for each group were 86.82 ± 9.7, 86.67 ± 9.92, and 85.23 ± 8.66, respectively. The DASH score for each group were 18.26 ± 19.31, 18.85 ± 15.02, and 20.19 ± 13.59, respectively. All three approaches in our trial showed similar functional results in the long-term survey. Patients treated with external fixation without internal fixation of the coronoid process showed less pain during early mobilization and acquired maximum flexion within a short duration after surgery.


RNA synthesizing activities and glucocorticoid binding capacities in thymus cells during rat development.
This investigation was designed to study specific glucocorticoid binding to cytoplasmic fraction and nuclei of thymus cells during rat development and to find out whether these data can be correlated to changes of RNA synthesizing activity of nuclei and cytoplasm. The dexamethasone binding capacity of cytoplasm rose rapidly in rats weighing up to 125 g and decreased significantly in animals weighing more than 160 g. Hormone binding to nuclei revealed similar but less pronounced changes. RNA synthesizing activity of nuclei measured by [3H]uridine incorporation in vitro decreased from 57 +/- 4.6 dpm/microng DNA in young to 23 +/- 2.2 dpm/microng DNA in adult rats. RNA synthesizing activity of the cytoplasmic fraction fell 21.6% and that of purified polymerase IIIB fell 27.8% during development. Inhibition of RNA synthesis by dexamethasone applied in vivo and in vitro showed age-dependent differences. The RNA synthesizing capacity of nuclei was inhibited up to 39% in animals weighing 130 g and only 9% in aging rats. Similar changes were observed by incubation of intact thymocytes with and without hormone. The observed inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on RNA synthesis is well correlated to changes of cytoplasmic hormone receptor capacities during development.


Prevalence and distribution of anomalies of permanent dentition in 9584 Japanese high school students.
This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of anomalies of permanent dentition in the current Japanese population by examining an unbiased sample. We conducted a survey of dental anomalies by mass dental screening at eight high schools in 2012. Participants were all students with permanent dentition. Dental anomalies were classified as hypodontia, supernumerary teeth, peg-shaped teeth, fused teeth, and talon cusps. Students with one or more dental anomalies on oral examination were given a differential diagnosis by three specialists. The final sample comprised 9584 participants (5062 boys, 4522 girls). Hypodontia was present in 372 students (3.88 %) with no significant sex difference (191 boys, 181 girls). Frequent sites were the right or left mandibular second premolar, right or left maxillary second premolar, and right or left maxillary lateral incisor. Supernumerary teeth were observed in three boys (0.06 %) and one girl (0.02 %). Peg-shaped teeth were observed in 74 students (0.77 %; 27 boys, 47 girls), differing significantly between sexes; they were most prevalent among maxillary lateral incisors. Of affected students, 18 students (0.19 %) also had hypodontia (3 boys, 15 girls). Fused teeth were present in two boys (0.04 %) and three girls (0.07 %) (gemination in one boy and fusion in the remaining four students). Sites were limited to maxillary and mandibular central and lateral incisors. Talon cusps were observed in two boys (0.04 %) and four girls (0.09 %). The present survey of a large unbiased sample can be considered to reflect the prevalence and distribution of anomalies of permanent dentition in the current Japanese population.


Identification of heat risk patterns in the U.S. National Capital Region by integrating heat stress and related vulnerability.
The increase in the number and severity of weather extremes (including excessive heat) potentially associated with climate change has highlighted the needs for research into risk assessment and risk reduction measures. Extreme heat events, the focus of this paper, have been consistently reported as the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the United States in recent years. In order to fully understand impact potentials and analyze risk in its individual components both the spatially and temporally varying patterns of heat and the multidimensional characteristics of vulnerability have to be considered. In this paper we present a composite index aggregating these factors to assess heat related risk for the U.S. National Capital Region in 2010. The study reveals how risk patterns are in part driven by the geographic variations of vulnerability, generally showing a clear difference between high-risk urban areas and wide areas of low risk in the suburban and rural environments. This pattern is particularly evident for the core center of the study area around the District of Columbia, which is largely characterized by high index values despite not having experienced the peak of the heat stress as compared to other regions in the metropolitan area. The article aims to set a framework for local-level heat stress risk assessment that can provide valuable input and decision support for climate adaptation planning as well as emergency managers aiming at risk reduction and optimization of resource distribution.


Effect of C/N ratio and salinity on power generation in compost microbial fuel cells.
In this work, compost Microbial Fuel Cells (cMFCs) were used to generate electricity from a mix of fruit and vegetable wastes, and soil with different C/N ratios and salinities. Experiments were carried out in 500mL cMFCs equipped with carbon felt anodes and manganese dioxide cathodes. The cMFCs were loaded with fresh compost and operated at 20-23°C for up to 97days. The low C/N ratio (C/N 24) had a greater power production with a maximum power density of 5.29mW/m(2) (71.43mW/m(3)), indicating a more favorable condition for microbial growth. High-saline cMFCs produced lower power, suggesting that their level of salinity (10g/L of NaCl) inhibited electricigenic microorganisms. The closed-circuit cMFC showed an improved degradation of organic matter by 6% to 8% compared to the control MFC operated in an open circuit mode (no external resistor attached).


An insight of microRNAs performance in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis; an overview of cancer therapy.
Importance of dysregulation and expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been confiemed in many disorders comprising cancer. In this way, different approaches to induce reprogramming from one cell type to another in oerder to control the cell normal mechanisem, comprising microRNAs, combinatorial small molecules, exosome-mediated reprogramming, embryonic microenvironment and also lineage-specific transcription agents, are involved in cell situation. Meaningly, besides the above factors, microRNAs are so special and have an impressive role in cell reprogramming. One of the main applications of cancer cell reprogramming is it's ability in therapeutic approach. Many insights in reprogramming mechanism have been recommended, and determining improvment has been aknolwged to develop reprogramming efficiency and possibility, permiting it to appear as practical therapy against all cancers. Conspiciously, the recent studies on the fluctuations and performance of microRNAs,small endogenous non-coding RNAs, as notable factors in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis, therapy resistance and metastasis and as new non-invasive cancer biomarkers has a remarkable attention. This is due to their unique dysregulated signatures throughout tumor progression. Recognising miRNAs signatures capable of anticipating therapy response and metastatic onset in cancers might enhance diagnosis and therapy. According to the growing reports on miRNAs as novel non-invasive biomarkers in various cancers as a main regulators of cancers drug resistance or metastasis, the quest on whether some miRNAs have the ability to regulate both simultaneously is inevitable, yet understudied. The combination of genetic diagnosis using next generation sequencing and targeted therapy may contribute to the effective precision medicine for cancer therapy. Here, we want to review the practical application of microRNAs performance in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis in cancer therapy.


Noninvasive imaging techniques to aid in the triage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome: a review.
The evaluation, treatment, and disposition of patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Emergency Department continues to be a clinical challenge. Many patients with suggestive symptoms are admitted to the hospital to rule out a myocardial infarction by serial enzyme tests and EKGs and receive an expedited work-up for ischemia. However, the diagnosis can be difficult, given the wide range of potentially atypical symptoms that can signal ACS, which remains a major clinical risk for patients and a liability risk for emergency physicians. This article reviews imaging technologies such as echocardiography and nuclear perfusion imaging used currently in the diagnosis of ACS and rapidly advancing technologies such as CT and MRI that may be able to visualize calcifications, plaques, occlusions, and infarctions noninvasively in real time. Some noninvasive tests used to complete an ischemia work-up after serial enzyme testing and EKGs, such as exercise EKG, stress echocardiography, and stress perfusion imaging, also are reviewed.


Digestibilities of the protein in various foods as determined in vitro by an immobilized digestive enzyme assay (IDEA).
The digestibility of the protein in various foods or food components was analyzed using an immobilized digestive enzyme assay (IDEA) system. The assay consists of two bioreactors, one containing pepsin and the other containing trypsin, chymotrypsin and intestinal mucosa peptidases. The fraction of the peptide bonds hydrolyzed during an extent of hydrolysis assay was correlated with independent in vivo determinations of the digestibilities. A correlation coefficient of 0.80 was obtained. The derived linear regression equation can be used to predict digestibility. The method is sensitive to structural modification of protein, as for example, those caused by effects of heat treatment.


Stochastic behaviors of an improved Gompertz tumor growth model with coupled two types noise.
In this work, an improved Gompertz tumor growth model has been introduced. The expressions of steady probability distributions (SPD) of stochastic Gompertz tumor growth models are studied by using the technique of Fokker-Planck equation (FPE), and their dynamic behaviors are also further investigated. Moreover, the expressions for mean, variance, skewness, as well as the mean first-passage time (MFPT) also have been derived. And the influence of noise intensity, correlation coefficient, and noise correlation time of SPD are further analyzed. It is worthy noting that the colored noise intensity has an important impact on SPD. Furthermore, adjusting birth and death parameters also significantly impact SPD, MFPT, mean, variance as well as skewness.


Efficacy of hydrotherapy, spa therapy, and balneotherapy on sleep quality: a systematic review.
The purpose of this article was to review and assess the results obtained from human studies on the effects of hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and spa therapy on sleep disorders. In this study, databases such as Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Scopus, and sciences direct database were searched from the beginning to September 2022. All human studies that examined the effect of hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and spa therapy on sleep disorders were published in the form of a full article in English. In the end, only 18 of the 189 articles met the criteria for analysis. Most studies have shown that balneotherapy, spa therapy, and hydrotherapy may by affecting some hormones such as histamine, serotonin, sympathetic nerves, and regulating body temperature led to increased quality and quantity of sleep. Also, the results obtained from Downs and Black show that 3 studies were rated as very good, 7 studies as good, 7 studies as fair, and 1 study as weak. The results of studies also showed that hydrotherapy leads to an improvement in the PSQI score index. Nevertheless, more clinical trials are needed to determine the mechanism of action of hydrotherapy on sleep disorders.


Hemolymph ion regulation and kinetic characteristics of the gill (Na⁺, K⁺)-ATPase in the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus (Decapoda, Anomura) acclimated to high salinity.
We examine hemolymph ion regulation and the kinetic properties of a gill microsomal (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase from the intertidal hermit crab, Clibanarius vittatus, acclimated to 45‰ salinity for 10 days. Hemolymph osmolality is hypo-regulated (1102.5 ± 22.1 mOsm kg(-1) H(2)O) at 45‰ but elevated compared to fresh-caught crabs (801.0 ± 40.1 mOsm kg(-1) H(2)O). Hemolymph [Na(+)] (323.0 ± 2.5 mmol L(-1)) and [Mg(2+)] (34.6 ± 1.0 mmol L(-1)) are hypo-regulated while [Ca(2+)] (22.5 ± 0.7 mmol L(-1)) is hyper-regulated; [K(+)] is hyper-regulated in fresh-caught crabs (17.4 ± 0.5 mmol L(-1)) but hypo-regulated (6.2 ± 0.7 mmol L(-1)) at 45‰. Protein expression patterns are altered in the 45‰-acclimated crabs, although Western blot analyses reveal just a single immunoreactive band, suggesting a single (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase α-subunit isoform, distributed in different density membrane fractions. A high-affinity (Vm=46.5 ± 3.5 Umg(-1); K(0.5)=7.07 ± 0.01 μmol L(-1)) and a low-affinity ATP binding site (Vm=108.1 ± 2.5 U mg(-1); K(0.5)=0.11 ± 0.3 mmol L(-1)), both obeying cooperative kinetics, were disclosed. Modulation of (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase activity by Mg(2+), K(+) and NH(4)(+) also exhibits site-site interactions, but modulation by Na(+) shows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase activity is synergistically stimulated up to 45% by NH(4)(+) plus K(+). Enzyme catalytic efficiency for variable [K(+)] and fixed [NH(4)(+)] is 10-fold greater than for variable [NH(4)(+)] and fixed [K(+)]. Ouabain inhibited ≈80% of total ATPase activity (K(I)=464.7 ± 23.2 μmol L(-1)), suggesting that ATPases other than (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase are present. While (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase activities are similar in fresh-caught (around 142 nmol Pi min(-1)mg(-1)) and 45‰-acclimated crabs (around 154 nmol Pi min(-1)mg(-1)), ATP affinity decreases 110-fold and Na(+) and K(+) affinities increase 2-3-fold in 45‰-acclimated crabs.


Historical introduction and review of chemistry.
A historical introduction and review of the chemistry of the agonist-antagonist analgesics is presented. This development of strong analgesics with a lowered abuse potential from nalorphine to the clinically useful agonist-antagonists pentazocine, butorphanol, nalbuphine and buprenorphine is discussed in detail. The discovery of the pure antagonist naloxone and naltrexone is described. The possible use of cyclazocine and later naltrexone in treatment of post-dependent narcotic addicts is also described. Finally, structure-activity relationships are summarized relating changes in N-alkylation to the production of narcotic antagonist activity over all of the structural types of opioids.


Central nervous system injuries in sport and recreation: a systematic review.
Many sports have been associated with a variety of neurological injuries affecting the central nervous system (CNS), with some injuries specific to that sport. A systematic review of sport-specific CNS injuries has not been attempted previously, and could assist in the understanding of morbidity and mortality associated with particular sporting activities, either professional or amateur. A systematic review of the literature was performed using PubMed (1965-2003) examining all known sports and a range of possible CNS injuries attributable to that sport. Numerous sporting activities (45) have associated CNS injuries as reported within the literature. The sports most commonly associated with CNS injuries are: football, boxing, hockey, use of a trampoline, and various winter activities. A number of sporting activities are associated with unique CNS injuries or injury-related diseases such as heat stroke in auto racing, vertebral artery dissection in the martial arts, and dementia pugilistica in boxing. Neurological injuries of the CNS due to sport comprise a wide collection of maladies that are important for the neurologist, neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, physiatrist, sports medicine doctor, athletic trainer and general physician to recognise.


Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.
Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) is an evolving diagnostic entity that blurs the distinction between resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer (Varadhachary et al. Ann Surg Oncol 13:1035-1046, 2006). Until recently the management of this disease has been poorly defined; however, consensus guidelines have been developed regarding the proper management of this diagnostic entity. Recent studies have shown that if appropriately identified and treated, this subset of disease can have outcomes similar to pancreatic cancer that is defined as resectable (Laurence et al. J Gastrointest Surg 15:2059-2069, 2011). The aim of this review is to outline the current consensus on definitions, workup and management of BRPC, and also provide a summary of issues that require progress as defined by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS).


[Clinical applicability of evidence-based orthopedics--a cross-sectional study of the quality of orthopedic evidence].
The demand to routinely apply evidence-based methods in orthopedic surgery increases steadily. In order to do so, however, the validity and reliability of the "evidence" has to be scrutinized. The object of this study was to assess the quality of the most recent orthopedic evidence and to determine variables that have an influence on quality. All 2006 controlled trials from orthopedic journals with high impact factors were analysed in a cross-sectional study. A score based on the CONSORT statement was used to assess study quality. Selected variables were tested for their influence on the quality of the study. Two independent blinded observers reviewed 126 studies. The overall quality was moderate to high. The most neglected parameters were power analysis, intention-to-treat, and concealment. The participation of a methodologically trained investigator increases study quality significantly. There was no difference in study quality irrespective of whether or not there was statistically significant result. Using our quality score we were able show fairly good results for recent orthopedic studies. The most frequently neglected issues in orthopedic research are blinding, power analysis, and intention-to-treat. This may distort the results of clinical investigations considerably and, especially, lack of concealment causes false-positive findings. Our data show furthermore that participation of a methodologist significantly increases quality of the study and consequently strengthens the reliability of results.


Maternal perinatal hypertensive disorders and parenting in infancy.
Maternal mental health strongly influences parenting during infancy. However, it is unclear whether maternal physical health conditions in the perinatal period may also impact parenting. Examining the association of hypertensive disorders - a common physical health problem in pregnancy - with subsequent parenting behaviors is an important first step in understanding the connection between maternal physical health and parenting during this critical developmental period. This study evaluated whether hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and hypertensive disorders (HD) diagnosed after the birth of the infant were associated with parenting self-efficacy, parenting stress, and observed parental responsiveness during mother-infant interactions at 6 and 12 months postpartum among a sample of racially and ethnically diverse mothers and their infants (N = 295). Results showed that mothers with an HDP or HD diagnosis had lower levels of parenting self-efficacy, higher levels of parenting stress, and lower levels of observed parental responsiveness compared to mothers without an HDP or HD diagnosis. Given that women with childhood adversity are at higher risk for experiencing HDP/HD and may have more difficulties with parenting compared to women without childhood adversity, we utilized a sample of mothers wherein most had experienced at least one form of adversity in their childhoods. Exploratory analyses revealed that HDP/HD moderated the relation between early life experiences and parenting outcomes in all but one model. Associations between HDP/HD and parenting are discussed, with implications for how we understand maternal physical health as a determinant of parenting in the perinatal period.


Quantitative determination of the human MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA expression in FACS-sorted peripheral blood CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+ cells.
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters extrude a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. In cancer cells, they are known to confer multidrug resistance. The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) and 2 (MRP2), which are members of the subfamily C of the ABC transporters family, in human hematopoietic cells. CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+ cells were isolated from whole blood by FACS-sort in 20 healthy volunteers. MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA levels were quantified using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays on a LightCycler (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). The MRP1 mRNA exhibited the highest abundance in CD4+ cells (7.4 x 10(3)+/-3.19 x 10(3) molecules/ng of total RNA), followed by CD8+ > CD19+ > CD56+ cells. The MRP2 mRNA expression was highest in CD4+ cells (6.7 x 10(2)+/-2.84 x 10(2)), followed by CD8+ > CD56+ > CD19+ cells. No correlation between the MRP1 and MRP2 mRNA expression was observed. Interestingly, beta2-microglobulin mRNA expression in CD19+ cells was found to be twofold lower in comparison with other cells. On an mRNA level both MRP1 and MRP2 were expressed in peripheral blood cells, with more than sevenfold higher MRP1 expression in all cell populations investigated. The impact of the MRP1 and MRP2 transcription in these cells remains to study. The use of beta2-microglobulin as a housekeeping gene could have a critical impact on the interpretation of RT-PCR data.


Superparamagnetic and fluorescent thermo-responsive core-shell-corona hybrid nanogels with a protective silica shell.
We present the preparation and the characterization of the solution behavior and functional properties of superparamagnetic and/or fluorescent, thermo-responsive inorganic/organic hybrid particles with an intermediate protective silica shell and a smart polymer corona. These well-defined multifunctional nanogels were prepared via two consecutive encapsulation processes of superparamagnetic Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles (NPs) and/or fluorescent CdSe(ZnS) semiconductor nanocrystals with a silica layer and a crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) polymer shell. First, the different NPs were entrapped into a silica shell using a microemulsion process. Therein, the precise adjustment of the conditions allows to entrap either several particles or single ones and to tailor the thickness of the silica shell in the range of 20-60 nm. In a second step, a polymer coating, i.e. thermosensitive PNIPAAm, was attached onto the surface of the multifunctional core-shell particles via free radical precipitation polymerization, furnishing multifunctional core-shell-corona hybrid nanogels. Analyses of the functional properties, i.e. optical brightness and magnetic moments, along with transmission electron microscopy reveal near monodisperse hybrid nanoparticles that retain the intrinsic properties of the original nanocrystals. Additionally, we demonstrate the drastically increased chemical stability due to the barrier properties of the intermediate silica layer that protects and shields the inner functional nanocrystals and the responsive character of the smart PNIPAAm shell.


Effect of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC11A1, ANKRA2, IFNG and PGLYRP1 genes on host susceptibility to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in Indian cattle.
Paratuberculosis (PTB) is a chronic infectious enteritis of ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) that brings huge economic loss to the dairy farmers. The study was conducted to explore the association of selected SNPs in IFNG, SLC11A1, ANKRA2 and PGLYRP1 genes with resistance to PTB disease in Indian cattle population. A case-control resource population was established based on the results of diagnostic tests used for detection of MAP infection status viz. ELISA, Johnin PPD test, faecal microscopy and IS900 blood PCR. The PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping of SNPs. SNPs rs109453173 in SLC11A1, rs110853455 in IFNG and rs41933863 in ANKRA2 genes were significantly (P<0.05) associated with resistance to MAP infection. For SNP rs109453173, GG genotype and G allele was found to be associated with resistance against MAP infection than CC and CG genotypes and C allele, respectively. For SNP rs110853455, AG genotype was found to be associated with susceptibility to MAP infection than AA and GG genotype. For SNP rs41933863, the AG genotype provided three and six times more resistance against MAP infection than GG and AA genotype. The results of this study are suggestive of SNPs rs109453173, rs110853455 and rs41933863 as potential markers for screening MAP resistant cattle and a breeding programme favouring GG genotype and G allele for rs109453173, AG genotype for rs41933863 and against AG genotype for rs110853455 might confer resistance against MAP infection in Indian cattle. However, investigation of these SNPs in an independent and larger population will warrant the strength of association for resistance against MAP infection in cattle.


Trace Elements in the Lung Tissue Affected by Sarcoidosis.
In the lungs of 76 patients with verified sarcoidosis, 28 chemical elements were identified with neutron activation analysis. High levels of Ca, Fe, Cr, Co, Cs, Eu, Lu, Th, Hf, Au, and U and low level of Na compared to the control samples were determined in sarcoidosis. There were no significant differences in the content of Zn, Rb, La, Sm, Sr, Nd, As, Br, Ag, Tb, Sc, Ta, Sb, Ba, and Yb. Spearman correlation analysis shows multiple positive associations, with the maximum being in pairs as follows: Fe-Cr, Eu-La, Ce-Lu, Hf-Cr, Sc-Zn, Fe-Hf, Ce-Co, and Sb-Cr. These studies support the hypothesis that sarcoidosis is a response of the organism in the form of granulomatous inflammation when exposed to heavy metals and rare earth elements in the environment. We assume that the role of calcium and iron is to separate granulomas from the tissues of the body.


Prediction of pi-turns in proteins using PSI-BLAST profiles and secondary structure information.
Due to the structural and functional importance of tight turns, some methods have been proposed to predict gamma-turns, beta-turns, and alpha-turns in proteins. In the past, studies of pi-turns were made, but not a single prediction approach has been developed so far. It will be useful to develop a method for identifying pi-turns in a protein sequence. In this paper, the support vector machine (SVM) method has been introduced to predict pi-turns from the amino acid sequence. The training and testing of this approach is performed with a newly collected data set of 640 non-homologous protein chains containing 1931 pi-turns. Different sequence encoding schemes have been explored in order to investigate their effects on the prediction performance. With multiple sequence alignment and predicted secondary structure, the final SVM model yields a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.556 by a 7-fold cross-validation. A web server implementing the prediction method is available at the following URL: http://220.127.116.11/piturn/.


Co-operative action of calcium ions in dopamine release from rat brain synaptosomes.
1. The release of [3H]dopamine from isolated presynaptic nerve terminals (synaptosomes) prepared from rat striata was measured as a function of the external Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o). 2. In synaptosomes depolarized by the addition of 50 mM-K+, release of [3H]dopamine increased in a highly non-linear manner with [Ca2+]o. The release could be described as a third power function of [Ca2+]o. 3. Both 45Ca2+ influx and the change in the free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i, measured with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2) that were evoked by depolarization increased in a linear manner with [Ca2+]o. 4. These results suggest that non-linearity in the [Ca2+]o dependence of transmitter release originates in a co-operative relation between [Ca2+]i and exocytosis.


Triggers of asthma and COPD: are they different?
Asthma symptoms can be triggered by a variety of factors commonly referred to as "triggers". Some of these factors can also induce severe asthma exacerbations. Thus, it can be assumed that actions taken against such triggers may prevent the progression of the disease. However, limited data exist on the clinical importance of these triggers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To compare the effect of triggers on symptoms and actions taken against certain modifiable triggers in patients with asthma and COPD. The study was conducted in a university hospital between June 2009 and June 2010. Patients with asthma and COPD were asked to complete a questionnaire in which both the factors triggering symptoms and the actions taken against several triggers were assessed. Three hundred consecutive adult patients (150 asthma, 150 COPD) were enrolled to the study. The frequency of triggering factors was similar in both groups. Vaccination rates for influenza and pneumococcus were significantly higher in patients with COPD. However, such anti-allergic approaches as the use of strategies to decrease dust exposure, the use of anti-mite bed sheets, and the removal of pets from the home were more commonly employed by asthmatic patients. This study revealed that certain triggers affected COPD and asthma patients to the same degree. Therefore, triggers and strategies for controlling modifiable triggers should be more concentrated on during education in both groups. However, the preventive effect of these strategies on disease progression, particularly in patients with COPD, needs clarification.


Influence of mitoxantrone on nucleolar function in MDA-MB-231 human breast tumor cell line.
The effect of mitoxantrone (DHAQ) on [3H]thymidine and [3H]uridine incorporation by exponentially growing MDA-MB-231, a human breast tumor cell line has been studied. The results have indicated that DHAQ was more effective in inhibiting [3H]thymidine than [3H]uridine incorporation in a concentration dependent manner. Following drug treatment at 20 ng/ml concentration, 50% inhibition of growth and [3H]thymidine incorporation were noted, whereas [3H]uridine incorporation was only inhibited by about 12%. At 2000 ng/ml of DHAQ the inhibition of cell growth, [3H]thymidine and [3H]uridine incorporations were 78%, 95% and 62%, respectively. Nuclear-associated radioactivity detected at light and electron microscope autoradiographic levels after [3H]thymidine and [3H]uridine incorporations, into DHAQ treated cells indicated that DHAQ prevented the accumulation of radioactivity into the nuclei in a concentration dependent manner. These results gave further indication that mitoxantrone induced a definitive alteration of nuclear template activities, correlated with nuclear functional-structural relation and suggested that the nucleoli were the primary site of DHAQ action.


Fluctuations in nitrate reductase activity, and nitrate and organic nitrogen concentrations of succulent plants under different nitrogen and water regimes.
The CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) succulent species Kalanchoe daigremontiana, K. tubiflora and Crassula argentea, and the succulent C3 species Peperomia obtusifolia, were cultivated in pure culture in open-air conditions under two different regimes of nitrogen and water supply. At specified intervals during the course of vegetative growth, biomass, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), nitrate concentration, and organic nitrogen concentration of whole plants were measured. After 100 days of cultivation the leaf conductance of Crassula and Peperomia was measured at intervals for the duration of a day. Behaviour of all four species was strongly influenced by the cultivation regime. This was apparent in terms of productivity and variable flucturations in NRA, nitrate concentration, and organic nitrogen concentration during the vegetative period. Increase in biomass was mostly connected with a decrease in all other investigated parameters, especially under conditions of water and/or nitrogen deficiency. The typical reaction of the CAM species Crassula to limited netrogen but adequate soil water was to reduce leaf conductance during light, whereas the C3 plant Peperomia increased conductance in comparison with plants having a nitrogen suppy. The NRA of all plant species was reduced by both soil nitrate deficiency and drought. The succulent plant species, which are specially adapted to drought, neither took up nor used nitrate when water was limited. This was particularly the case for the CAM species, but less so for the C3 Peperomia, which showed very high concentrations of nitrate and organic nitrogen, but low NRA and biomass gain. A formula was derived to express the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the species, i.e. the ability of a plant to use nitrogen over a specific period of growth. NUE was shown to increase with age for the crassulacean species but to decrease for the C3 Peperomia. Furthermore, NUE varied with the different nutrient levels in a species-specific manner, with high values for NUE not necessarily coupled to high productivity, and with NUE of the C3 species generally higher than that of CAM species.


The sternocleidomastoid muscle as a muscular or myocutaneous flap for oral and facial reconstruction.
The sternocleidomastoid muscle may be used as a muscular or a myocutaneous flap to satisfy the need for viable soft tissue in the reconstruction of some cancer- and trauma-related deformities. The anatomic and technical bases of these flaps are discussed in the context of a single-stage pedicled transfer in oral and maxillofacial reconstructive surgery.


Genetic Variation Among Tropical Maize Inbred Lines from NARS and CGIAR Breeding Programs.
The use of molecular markers allows for precise estimates of genetic diversity, which is an important parameter that enables breeders to select parental lines and designing breeding systems. We assessed the level of genetic diversity and population structure in a panel of 151 tropical maize inbred lines using 10,940 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) markers generated through the DArTseq genotyping platform. The average gene diversity was 0.39 with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.00 to 0.84, and a mean of 0.02. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 97% of allelic diversity was attributed to individual inbred lines within the populations while only 3% was distributed among the populations. Both neighbor-joining clustering and STRUCTURE analysis classified the inbred lines into four major groups. The crosses that involve inbred lines from most divergent subgroups are expected to generate maximum heterosis and produce wide variation. The results will be beneficial for breeders to better understand and exploit the genetic diversity available in the set of maize inbred lines we studied. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11105-022-01358-2.


Potential humoral mediators of remote ischemic preconditioning in patients undergoing surgical coronary revascularization.
Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) by repeated brief cycles of limb ischemia/reperfusion may reduce myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and improve patients' prognosis after elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)5 activation in left ventricular myocardium is associated with RIPC´s cardioprotection. Cytokines and growth hormones typically activate STATs and could therefore act as humoral transfer factors of RIPC´s cardioprotection. We here determined arterial plasma concentrations of 25 different cytokines, growth hormones, and other factors which have previously been associated with cardioprotection, before (baseline)/after RIPC or placebo (n = 23/23), respectively, and before/after ischemic cardioplegic arrest in CABG patients. RIPC-induced protection was reflected by a 35% reduction of serum troponin I release. With the exception of interleukin-1α, none of the humoral factors changed in their concentrations after RIPC or placebo, respectively. Interleukin-1α, when normalized to baseline, increased after RIPC (280 ± 56%) but not with placebo (97 ± 15%). The interleukin-1α concentration remained increased until after ischemic cardioplegic arrest and was also higher than with placebo in absolute concentrations (25 ± 6 versus 16 ± 3 pg/mL). Only interleukin-1α possibly fulfills the criteria which would be expected from a substance to be released in response to RIPC and to protect the myocardium during ischemic cardioplegic arrest.


The ubiquitin-like modifier FAT10 is required for normal IFN-γ production by activated CD8+ T cells.
FAT10 is the only ubiquitin-like modifier which directly targets its substrate proteins for rapid degradation by the proteasome. While the conjugation and proteasomal targeting of FAT10 are fairly well understood, the biological functions of FAT10 have remained largely elusive. Here we have investigated the role of FAT10 in cytokine responses in mice upon viral infection. We used lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection of mice to induce the IFN-γ and TNF-α-dependent expression of FAT10. We found that TCR-stimulated splenocytes derived from LCMV-infected FAT10-/- mice secreted less IFN-γ and expressed less mRNA for IL-12 p40 but secreted more IFN-α and IFN-β compared to FAT10+/- mice. The reduction in IFN-γ secretion could be assigned to CD8+ T cells. Nevertheless, LCMV viral clearance was similar in FAT10-/- as compared to FAT10+/- mice. Since FAT10 has previously been reported to promote influenza A virus (IAV) replication in vitro we have studied the effect of FAT10 deficiency during IAV infection in mice. Unexpectedly, IAV titers and disease symptoms were not changed in FAT10-/- mice even though the Fat10 mRNA was rapidly induced in the lung upon IAV infection. In conclusion, we find that FAT10 fine-tunes the balance of interferons during viral infection by lowering the production of type I and enhancing type II interferons.