Effect of 6 weeks of sprint training on growth hormone responses to sprinting.
This study examined the effect of 6 weeks of prescribed sprint training on the human growth hormone (hGH) response to cycle ergometer sprinting. Sixteen male subjects were randomly assigned to a training (n=8) or a control (n=8) group. Each subject completed two main trials, consisting of two all-out 30-s cycle-ergometer sprints separated by 60 min of passive recovery, once before, and once after a 6-week training period. The training group completed three supervised sprint-training sessions per week in addition to their normal activity, whilst control subjects continued with their normal activity. In the training group, peak and mean power increased post-training by 6% (P<0.05) and 5% (P<0.05), respectively. Post-exercise blood pH did not change following training, but the highest post-exercise blood lactate concentrations were greater [highest measured value: 13.3 (1.0) vs 15.0 (1.1) mmol l(-1)], with lower blood lactate concentrations for the remainder of the recovery period (P<0.05). Post-exercise plasma ammonia concentrations were lower after training [mean highest measured value: 184.1 (9.8) vs 139.0 (11.7) micromol l(-1), P<0.05]. Resting serum hGH concentrations did not change following training, but the peak values measured post-exercise decreased by over 40% in the training group [10.3 (3.1) vs 5.8 (2.5) microg l(-1), P<0.05], and mean integrated serum hGH concentrations were 55% lower after training [567 (158) vs 256 (121) min microg l(-1), P<0.05]. The hGH response to the second sprint was attenuated similarly before and after training. This study showed that 6 weeks of combined speed- and speed-endurance training blunted the human growth hormone response to sprint exercise, despite an improvement in sprint performance.


Personalized Care in Long QT Syndrome: Better Management, More Sports, and Fewer Devices.
Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a potentially life-threatening yet highly treatable inherited cardiac channelopathy. When evaluating these patients, it is important to consider patient-specific as well as genotype-specific factors in order to adequately encompass the many nuances to care that exist in its management. The tendency to follow a "one-size-fits-all" approach needs to be replaced by treatment strategies that embrace the unique considerations of the individual patient in the context of their genotype. Herein, the authors aim to review the spectrum of LQTS, including the considerations when tailoring a personalized, genotype-tailored treatment program for a patient's LQTS.


Nasal symptoms and indices of nasal inflammation in flour-dust-exposed bakers.
To analyze whether indices of nasal airway inflammation in bakers were related to nasal symptoms and exposure to airborne flour dust. A cross-sectional study was performed in 12 currently flour-exposed bakers. They were examined by nasal lavage (NAL), visual inspection, a test of mucociliary clearance, and nasal peak expiratory flow (nasal PEF). NAL fluid was analyzed according to the inflammatory markers eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), indicating eosinophilic activity; myeloperoxidase (MPO), indicating active neutrophils; hyaluronic acid (HA) from active fibroblasts; tryptase, indicating activation of mast cells; and albumin, indicating plasma exudation. The bakers were also questioned about respiratory symptoms and working history. Their current and cumulative exposure to inhalable flour dust was estimated after exposure measurements and information about earlier work tasks. Office workers (n=16) without occupational exposure to dust or any other known nasal irritant or sensitizer served as controls. Personal inhalable dust measurements among the bakers working as dough makers or bread formers ranged from 1.0 to 3.8 mg/m3. Of the 12 bakers, 10 reported at least 1 nasal symptom (crusts, blockage, or a runny nose), a proportion significantly greater than that of the controls (P=0.009). Bakers with nasal symptoms had higher concentrations of markers of inflammation in their NALs as compared with nonsymptomatic bakers. The difference was significant for MPO (P=0.02) and HA (P=0.04) in relation to a runny nose. Tryptase was detected in only one NAL of the bakers. There was a positive correlation between the cumulative dose of inhalable flour dust and concentrations of MPO and HA in NAL. Two bakers were sensitized to wheat; they had the highest NAL concentrations of inflammatory markers. Our results indicate that flour dust exposure in bakers at levels below the current occupational exposure limit causes nasal mucosal inflammation, which, in turn, is related to nasal symptoms. We propose that the inflammation may be nonallergic, characterized by activation of neutrophils and fibroblasts.


Intravenous feeding--a review of aspects of current practice.
This review summarises the present state of knowledge of energy and nitrogen requirements of hospital patients requiring intravenous feeding. It also addresses electrolyte, inorganic element and vitamin intakes, and examines possible differences in requirements in some special circumstances. It is concluded that most of the patients could be fed using one of a small number of standard regimens.


Comparison of two methods for serotyping Ureaplasma urealyticum clinical isolates.
A newly developed enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the 14 serotypes of Ureaplasma urealyticum was compared to immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for serotyping U. urealyticum clinical isolates. Of the 102 vaginal isolates of U. urealyticum, five strains were lost and were excluded from analysis. Of the 97 strains analysed, a total of 86 (89%) strains were typeable by ELISA and a total of 89 (92%) strains were typeable by IFA. Eighty-six strains were typeable by both methods, three by IFA only and eight strains were not typeable neither by ELISA nor by IFA. Of the 86 strains typeable by both methods, complete concordance in serotyping results was found. The three strains not typeable by ELISA were typeable as serotype 4 by IFA. These three strains were reanalysed by ELISA after major modifications of the antigen preparation and were typeable as serotype 4. In conclusion, the ELISA was found suitable for serotyping clinical isolates. However, since the ELISA had a somewhat lower performance than IFA, strains not typeable by ELISA, should be retested by another technique such as IFA.


Analysis of a two-year independent screening effort for retinopathy of prematurity in rural Egypt.
The third epidemic of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has majorly involved middle income countries in which tailored screening and local guidelines require development. The data regarding ROP prevalence and cutoff numbers for screening in Egypt are lacking. Retrospective analysis of an independent screening effort spanning 2 years (February 2019 to February 2021) and involving 32 neonatal care units within Sharkia governorate, Egypt. Infants of gestational age (GA) ≤ 34 weeks and/or birth weight (BW) ≤ 2000 g were included, as well as those with unstable clinical course. Two eyecare centers located in Sharkia and Cairo governorates served as referral centers for any required interventions. Of the 276 screened infants, 133 (48.2%) had some form of ROP that was bilateral in 127 (95.5%) of them. Aggressive posterior ROP (AP-ROP) was detected in both eyes of 24 infants (8.7%). The median (IQR) GA of infants with ROP was 32 (30-34) weeks, and the median (IQR) BW was 1600 (1350-2000) g. Sixty-three infants (47.4%) required treatment. Of the total 84 eyes that primarily were treated, 73 (86.9%) received intravitreal ranibizumab, 8 (9.5%) underwent laser ablation therapy, and 3 eyes (3.6%) underwent surgery. Recurrence rate was 16.7% (14 eyes). Final outcome was favorable in 83 eyes (98.8%). Applying the American Academy criteria would have led to the missing of 36.8% of infants with ROP and 28.6% of those requiring treatment in our sample. The incidence of both ROP and AP-ROP in the Egyptian rural setting appears to be in the high end of global reported rates. Prevention measures should urgently be planned and implemented.


The choices to be made.
If we are to avoid unemployment when technology increases productivity, we have two choices. We must increase our level of material living (more private luxury gadgets or more public luxury services) and/or decrease our total working time. These choices reflect social power relations. Capital owners and leaders of labour unions normally endorse the standard increase solution. The unemployed are for the reduction in hours, hoping to get a share of the labour time. Studies reported here indicate that a solid majority of ordinary men and women also seem to prefer the reduction in working time solution.


Novel hydrogels based on carboxyl pullulan and collagen crosslinking with 1, 4-butanediol diglycidylether for use as a dermal filler: initial in vitro and in vivo investigations.
Novel hydrogels based on carboxyl pullulan (PC) and human-like collagen (HLC) crosslinking with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) are promising soft fillers for tissue engineering due to their highly tunable properties. Recent studies, however, have shown that incorporating hyaluronic acid and BDDE results in hydrogels with a microporous structure, a large pore size and high porosity, which reduce cell adhesion and enhance degradation in vivo. To improve biocompatibility and prevent biodegradation, the use of PC to replace hyaluronic acid in the fabrication of PC/BDDE (PCB) and PC/BDDE/HLC (PCBH) hydrogels was investigated. Preparation of gels with PC is a promising strategy due to the high reactivity, superb selectivity, and mild reaction conditions of PC. In particular, the Schiff base reaction of HLC and PC produces the novel functional group -RCONHR' in PCBH hydrogels. Twenty-four weeks after subcutaneous injection of either PCB or PCBH hydrogel in mice, the surrounding tissue inflammation, enzymatic response and cell attachment were better compared to hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels. However, the biocompatibility, cytocompatibility and non-biodegradability of PCBH were milder than those of the PCB hydrogels both in vivo and in vitro. These results show that the proposed use of PC and HLC for the fabrication of hydrogels is a promising strategy for generating soft filler for tissue engineering.


Management of Splenic Injuries Utilizing a Multidisciplinary Protocol in 110 Consecutive Patients at a Level II Hospital.
Non-operative treatment (NOM) of splenic trauma is the management of choice in hemodynamically stable patients. The aim of the present study was to assess the failure rate of NOM after implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol for splenic injuries compared to literature results. A retrospective study was performed over a 16-year period. Patient data and management of splenic trauma was recorded according to our hospital protocol: demographic data, blood pressure, respiratory rate, Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS), Revised Trauma Score(RTS), Injury Severity Score(ISS), injury grade according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma(AAST), failure of NOM, morbidity and mortality. One hundred ten patients were included: 90(81.8%) men, 20(18.2%) women; mean age 37 years; 106(96.5%) cases were blunt and four(3.5%) penetrating by knife. The diagnosis was established by US/CT. AAST classification: 14(13%) grade I; 24(22%) grade II; 34(31%) grade III; 37(34%) grade IV. Emergency laparotomy was performed in 54 patients: 37 due to grade IV injuries, 17 due to hemodynamic instability. NOM was utilized in 56 patients, spleen-preserving surgery in 16, and splenectomy in 38. Ten patients had postoperative complications: seven in the splenectomy group, two in the spleen-preserving surgery group, and one in the NOM group. One patient died. Average hospital stay: 22.8 days- NOM 17.6 days, conservative surgery 29 days, splenectomy 22.4 days. Although we continue with a high hospital stay, the literature reports support our results. The implementation of the protocol by consensus contributed to the change towards NOM.


Percutaneous lymph node aspiration biopsy: experience with a new technique.
Experience with post-lymphographic percutaneous fine needle aspiration lymph node biopsy is described in 13 patients with suspected metastatic malignant disease. All aspirations were performed using an anterior transabdominal approach under local anaesthesia with fluoroscopic guidance. In most patients more than one lymph node was biopsied. Four patients with confirmed metastatic disease had a positive biopsy in the appropriate lymph node. Seven patients with negative biopsies had the absence of metastatic disease confirmed by surgery or follow-up roentgenograms. One patient with a negative biopsy was lost to follow-up. There were two patients with negative biopsies in whom representative lymphoid tissue was not aspirated. No evidence of metastasis was found in these patients at surgery. No serious complications were encountered.


Controllable reduction of NiCoO2@NiCo core-shell nanospheres on CNTs for high-performance electrochemical energy storage.
The performances of energy storage devices are strongly dependent on the electrode materials. Owing to the high theoretical capacity, NiCoO2 is a promising transition metal oxide for supercapacitors. Despite many efforts have been devoted, it still lacks of effective methods to overcome its shortcomings such as low conductivity and poor stability, in order to achieve its theoretical capacity. Herein, utilizing the thermal reducibility of trisodium citrate and its hydrolyzate, a series of NiCoO2@NiCo/CNT ternary composites in which NiCoO2@NiCo core-shell nanospheres deposited on CNT surface with adjustable metal contents are synthesized. Benefiting from the enhanced synergistic effect of both metallic core and CNTs, the optimized composite exhibits an extremely high specific capacitance (2660 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, the effective specific capacitance of the loaded metal oxide is 4199 F g-1, close to the theoretical value), an excellent rate performance and stability, when the metal content is about 37%. After depolarized calculation, the energy storage mechanism of the composite is reasonably analyzed. By controlling the contents of hexamethylenetetramine, trisodium citrate and CNTs in the reactant, the roles of them are distinguished. This study reveals an efficient novel strategy for transition metal oxides to maximize the electrochemical performances.


Randomized clinical trial: effect of low-dose flutamide on abdominal adipogenic function in normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
To examine whether low-dose flutamide administration to normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) reduces abdominal fat deposition, attenuates accelerated lipid accumulation in newly formed adipocytes derived from subcutaneous (SC) abdominal adipose stem cells (ASCs), and/or alters glucose-lipid metabolism. A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. An academic medical center. Twelve normal-weight women with PCOS and 12 age- and body mass index-matched controls. Women underwent circulating hormonal and metabolic determinations, intravenous glucose tolerance testing, total body dual-energy roentgenogram absorptiometry, and SC abdominal fat biopsy. Interventions were repeated in women with PCOS after 6-month administration of flutamide (125 mg orally daily) vs. placebo. Clinical parameters and lipid accumulation in newly formed adipocytes derived from SC abdominal ASCs in vitro were compared between controls and the women with PCOS receiving flutamide vs. placebo. Serum luteinizing hormone and androgen levels as well as lipid accumulation in newly formed SC abdominal adipocytes were greater in the women with PCOS than controls. Flutamide vs. placebo reduced percent android fat, lowered serum log low-density lipoprotein and log non-high-density lipoprotein levels, and increased fasting circulating glucose levels. In all women with PCOS, changes in percent android fat positively correlated with serum log non-high-density lipoprotein and log low-density lipoprotein levels, with correlations influenced by serum free testosterone levels. Flutamide vs. placebo also attenuated lipid accumulation in newly-formed PCOS SC abdominal adipocytes in vitro relative to controls, which was unrelated to serum lipid levels. Low-dose flutamide administration to normal-weight PCOS women reduces preferential abdominal fat deposition, attenuates accelerated lipid accumulation in newly-formed adipocytes derived from SC abdominal ASCs in vitro, and alters glucose-lipid homeostasis. NCT01889199 (URL, clinicaltrials.gov; date of registration, 6/28/2013; enrollment date of first subject, 6/28/2013).


b-Annulated 1,4-dihydropyridines as Notch inhibitors.
The Notch signaling pathway is involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, and has been recognized as an active pathway in regenerating tissue and cancerous cells. Notch signaling inhibition is considered a viable approach to the treatment of a variety of conditions including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and metastatic melanoma. The discovery that the b-annulated dihydropyridine FLI-06 (1) is an inhibitor of the Notch pathway with an EC50 ≈ 2.5 μM prompted us to screen a library of related analogs. After structure activity studies were conducted, racemic compound 7 was identified with an EC50 = 0.36 μM. Synthesis of individual enantiomers provided (+)-7 enantiomer with an EC50 = 0.13 μM, or about 20-fold the potency of 1.


Brentuximab vedotin plus nivolumab after autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation for adult patients with high-risk classic Hodgkin lymphoma: a multicentre, phase 2 trial.
After autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), consolidation with brentuximab vedotin in patients with high-risk relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma has been shown to improve progression-free survival compared with placebo. Brentuximab vedotin plus nivolumab is a safe and effective treatment for relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma; therefore, we aimed to evaluate the safety and activity of this drug combination post-autologous HSCT consolidation in patients with high-risk relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma. We did a multicentre phase 2 trial at five centres in the USA. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with high-risk relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma, had an ECOG performance status of 0-2, and had adequate organ and bone marrow function. Enrolled patients received brentuximab vedotin (1·8 mg/kg) and nivolumab (3 mg/kg) intravenously starting 30-60 days after autologous HSCT on day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 8 cycles. Nivolumab dose reduction was not allowed. Brentuximab vedotin dose reduction to 1·2 mg/kg was permitted. If one drug was discontinued because of a toxic effect, the other could be continued. The primary endpoint was 18-month progression-free survival in all treated patients. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03057795. Between May 3, 2017, and July 13, 2019, 59 patients were enrolled and received the study therapy. Patients initiated brentuximab vedotin plus nivolumab for a median of 54 days (IQR 46-58) after autologous HSCT and received a median of 8 cycles (8-8). 34 (58%) of 59 patients were male, 29 (49%) completed 8 cycles of brentuximab vedotin plus nivolumab, and 45 (76%) completed 8 cycles of at least one drug. The median follow-up time was 29·9 months (IQR 24·6-34·8). The 18-month progression-free survival in all 59 patients was 94% (95% CI 84-98). The most common adverse events were sensory peripheral neuropathy (31 [53%] of 59) and neutropenia (25 [42%]), and immune-related adverse events requiring corticosteroids occurred in 17 (29%) of 59 patients. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Brentuximab vedotin plus nivolumab was highly active post-autologous HSCT consolidation for patients with high-risk relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma, most of whom had previous exposure to either brentuximab vedotin or PD-1 blockade. Combination immunotherapy in this setting should be further studied in patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma with further refinement of the regimen to mitigate toxic effects, particularly in high-risk patients in whom more intensive therapy to prevent relapse is warranted. Bristol Myers Squibb, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Lymphoma Research Foundation, and National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.


Isolation of Marek's disease virus: revisited.
Splenocytes from chickens infected with low-passage stocks of Marek's disease virus (MDV) RB-1B, a very virulent (vv) strain and vv+ RK-1 were used to compare the efficacy of chick kidney cells (CKC), chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) and chicken embryo kidney cells (CEKC) for virus isolation. CKC were superior to CEF and CEKC. MDV foci were present at 4 days post infection in CKC but not until 6 days post infection in CEF or CEKC. Virus yield was higher in CKC than in CEF or CEKC at 6 days post infection. Passage of RB-1B in CKC yielded a significantly higher virus increase than with CEF or CEKC. The same was true for RK-1 comparing CKC with CEKC. Interestingly, RK-1-infected CEF were negative or had very low number of foci in passage 1, but virus yield increased 500-fold to 600-fold on passage in CKC, CEF, and CEKC. Recommendations on procedures for successful virus isolation are provided.


The spectrum of lupus myocarditis: from asymptomatic forms to cardiogenic shock.
Lupus myocarditis is a serious, potentially deadly disease. When it presents as an acute or fulminant myocarditis in a patient without an established diagnosis of lupus, lupus as an etiology of the condition is not commonly suspected. Meanwhile, it has a distinct treatment which may be lifesaving. Review of the literature can shed more light as current management is mostly based on clinical experience and case reports rather than randomized control trials. In this review we are discussing this diagnostic entity, focusing on cardiogenic shock as a manifestation of lupus myocarditis, and discussing management including aggressive immunosuppression, mechanical circulatory support, and cardiac transplantation.


Collagen fistula plug for the treatment of anal fistulas.
This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the Surgisis (Anal Fistula Plug) in multiple patients at our institution and present early clinical results along with notable clinical observations from our experience. This was a prospective analysis of all patients who received the Anal Fistula Plug for treatment of anorectal fistulas between April 2006 and February 2007. All tracts were irrigated with peroxide, the plug was inserted in the tract, and buried at the internal opening with 2-0 vicryl and mucosal advancement flap. Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher's exact test. Forty-five patients were treated with the Anal Fistula Plug and one patient was lost to follow-up. There were 27 males and 17 females with average age of 44.1 years treated for simple (n = 24) or complex (n = 20) fistulas. Preliminary results indicated an 84 percent healing rate by 3 to 8 weeks postoperatively, which progressively declined from 72.7 percent at 8 weeks to 62.4 percent at 12 weeks and 54.6 percent at a median follow-up of 6.5 (range, 3-13) months. Long-term Anal Fistula Plug closure rate was significantly higher in patients with simple than complex fistulas (70.8 vs. 35 percent; P < 0.02) and with non-Crohn's disease vs. Crohn's disease (66.7 vs. 26.6 percent; P < 0.02). Patients with two successive plug placements had significantly lower closure rates than patients who underwent placement of the plug once (12.5 vs. 63.9 percent; P < 0.02). No significant difference in closure rates were found between patients with one vs. multiple fistula tracts. Postoperative complications included perianal abscess in five patients (3 Crohn's disease, 2 non-Crohn's disease). Anal Fistula Plug is most successful in the treatment of simple anorectal fistulas but is associated with a high failure rate in complex fistula and particularly in patients with Crohn's disease. Repeat plug placement is associated with increased failure. Given the relatively low morbidity associated with the procedure, Anal Fistula Plug should be considered as a first-line treatment for patients with simple fistulas and as an alternative in selected patients with complex fistulas.


Conservative management of cervical ectopic pregnancy.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a minimally invasive approach in the management of cervical ectopic pregnancies. Retrospective case series. University tertiary care hospital. Twenty-four women diagnosed with cervical ectopic pregnancy managed conservatively. Systemic methotrexate alone or combined with ultrasound-guided fetal intracardiac injection of potassium chloride. Reduction in hysterectomy rate, incidence of serious complications, and necessity for further intervention. Conservative management of cervical ectopic pregnancy was successful in preventing the need for hysterectomy in all patients in our study. In two patients with a heterotopic gestation the intrauterine pregnancy could successfully be salvaged. Four patients experienced morbidity that required additional interventions. Most cervical ectopic pregnancies can be safely managed in a minimally invasive manner.


An autosomal genome scan for loci influencing longitudinal burden of body mass index from childhood to young adulthood in white sibships: The Bogalusa Heart Study.
To examine genetic loci linked to a long-term burden and trend of obesity traits, such as body mass index (BMI), from childhood to adulthood. : Longitudinal study using serial measurements of BMI from childhood. A total of 782 unselected white siblings (representing 521 full and 39 half sib-pairs) from 342 families enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. A total of 357 microsatellite markers with an average spacing of 9.0 cM spanning the 22 autosomal chromosomes were typed. A quadratic growth curve was developed using a random effects model based on serial measurements of BMI from childhood to adulthood. The serial changes in BMI were measured in terms of long-term burden (area under the curve (AUC) divided by follow-up years) and the long-term trend (incremental AUC, calculated as total AUC-baseline AUC). Heritability estimates of long-term measures were 0.78 for total AUC and 0.43 for incremental AUC. In a variance-component-based multipoint linkage analysis with SOLAR, linkage to the long-term measures of BMI was observed on chromosomes 1, 5, 7, 12, 13 and 18. For total AUC, LOD scores were 3.0 at 110 cM on chromosome 12, 2.9 at 26 cM and 2.4 at 52 cM on chromosome 7, and 2.2 at 126 cM on chromosome 5. For incremental AUC, LOD scores were 2.9 at 26 cM, 2.1 at 97 cM and 2.3 at 110 cM on chromosome 12, 2.2 at 69 cM on chromosome 7, 2.2 at 91 cM and 2.5 at 150 cM on chromosome 1, 2.0 at 119 cM on chromosome 5, 2.0 at 54 cM on chromosome 13 and 2.0 at 7 cM on chromosome 18. Several important obesity-related candidate genes are located in the regions or near the markers showing positive linkage. Linkage evidence found in this study indicates that regions on these chromosomes might harbor genetic loci that affect the propensity to develop obesity from childhood.


Embryologic origin of the various epithelial cell types in the second kind of thyroid follicle in the C3H mouse.
The thyroid gland of the C3H mouse is composed largely of the usual follicle but it also contains a second kind of follicle. To ascertain the embryologic origin of the cell types in each of these follicles, ventral pharyngeal outpocketings and ultimobranchial outpocketings were isolated (before they fused to form the thyroid gland) from the 12-day-old fetus of the C3H mouse. The outpocketings were implanted into different kidney capsules of adult C3H mice and were allowed to grow for several months. Transplants were then excised and examined by electron microscopy. The ventral contribution formed large aggregates of follicles and was recognized as a distinct bump on the surface of the kidney. It formed only typical thyroid ultimobranchial contribution usually formed only a small number of follicles, generally of small size. It was readily located because the follicles occurred next to a white plaque of bone or cartilage at the site of implantation. The ultimobranchial contribution formed follicles containing four cell types: a ciliated cell, a cell with abundant agranular reticulum, a cell with many free ribosomes and fiber and occasional hemidesmosomes, and the C cell which was the most frequent cell type. No typical thyroid epithelium was observed in the ultimobranchial transplant. These observations suggest that the C cell in the usual follicle is derived from the ultimobranchial contribution, and that the second kind of follicle is largely an ultimobranchial contribution but the typical thyroid epithelium in it is largely or entirely a ventral contribution.


Isolation and characterization of a cysteine proteinase from Fasciola hepatica adult worms.
Adult Fasciola hepatica worms contain multiple proteinases capable of degrading hemoglobin, immunoglobulins and collagen. Here we report the isolation and biochemical characterization of a cysteine proteinase from acidic extracts of these worms. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by cation exchange and molecular sieve high-performance liquid chromatography. It eluted at a native molecular weight of approximately 14,500 and migrated as a single band at approximately 14,500 Da upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Activity was assessed by employing synthetic peptide substrates, such as carbobenzoxy-phenylalanyl-arginyl-7-amino-4-trifluoro-methylcoumarin, commonly used to assay other cysteine proteinases. The proteinase was maximally active at pH 6.0, with 50% or more of the activity detected between pH 4.5 and 7.5. Inhibition of activity at pH 5.5 was seen only with compounds known to inhibit cysteine proteinases. No effect was seen with inhibitors of aspartic, serine, or metalloproteinases. The purified enzyme was stable at acidic pH at 4 degrees C, 25 degrees C, -20 degrees C, and in 1 M urea.


Contribution of optical coherence tomography angiography OCT-A in diabetic maculopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) increases the risk of blindness by 25 times. Advanced researchs are justified for better management, leading to the role of Optical Coherence Tomography-Angiography (OCT-A), a new non-invasive imaging technique exploring retinal vascularization.Our purpose is to identify microvascular macular anomalies of DR on OCT-A with qualitative and quantitative evaluation of their impact on retinal vascularization. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study where 120 eyes of 66 diabetic patients were enrolled. All patients were diabetic and went through OCT-A imaging. Microanevrysms were identified in both superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) where they were more frequently visualized. Macular edema was present in 16,7% of cases in the SCP, and in 30% in DCP. Edema spaces were more frequently present in DCP (p < 0,05). Capillary nonperfusion areas were identified in 82,5% of cases in SCP and in 60% of cases in DCP. The main peri-foveal vascular density was 18,95 ± 5,37%. The main surface of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the SCP was 462,52 μm2 and was 555,04 ± 329,11 μm2 in the DCP where it was larger. OCT-A is a modern imaging tool that could be used for the diagnosis and monitoring of DR as well as the understanding of its pathophysiology.


RNA synthesis of vesicular stomatitis virus. VIII. Oligonucleotides of the structural genes and mRNA.
The single-stranded RNA genome of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV, Indiana serotype, San Juan strain) yields approx. 75 RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides ranging in size from 10 to 50 bases. Each of the five structural genes, isolated as duplex RNA molecules hybridized to complementary mRNA, contains two or more of these large oligonucleotides. One of the oligonucleotides is identified as part of the non-coding region near the 3' end of the genome. Comparison of these results with others indicate that the RNA sequence of VSV is apparently stable in the laboratory but not in the wild. RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotides are also shown for all five VSV mRN species. Whether the mRNA for these digestions are are isolated from duplex RNA molecules or as single-stranded RNA species, the oligonucleotide patterns for each mRNA are virtually identical, indicating that each mRNA is transcribed from contiguous sequences on the genome. Comparison with published oligonucleotide patterns obtained from other isolates of VSV or from VSV deletion mutants indicate that identity and changes in their genome structure can be correlated with specific structural genes.


Sensitive analysis of apoptosis using confocal laser scan microscopy.
Application of the TUNEL method and immunostaining cell-specific markers to a whole isolated glomerulus in combination with confocal laser scan microscopy can be used to analyze cell turnover including apoptosis within glomeruli. Furthermore, the technologies can be used to deepen our understanding of glomerular cell biology and pathophysiology at the cellular and molecular levels.


Rehabilitation Indices associated with sustaining a minimal trauma fracture within 12 months of a stroke in Western Australia.
To identify Rehabilitation Indices associated with a minimal trauma fracture (MTF) within 12 months poststroke. Retrospective case-control study. Stroke survivors with MTF were matched 5:1 with stroke survivors without MTF. Logistic regression determined whether Rehabilitation Indices, such as Physiotherapy Ambulation score (PhysioAmb), were associated with a MTF within 12 months poststroke. Forty-three stroke survivors (mean age: 79.8; 55.81% female) experienced a MTF (median time to MTF of 1.79 years [IQR 0.70, 4.48]). Those with a MTF within 12 months had lower PhysioAmb (4.53 vs 8.29) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS; 12.25 vs 40.57) scores on admission, lower BBS score on discharge (30.33 vs 49.29) and a greater change in PhysioAmb (+5.67 vs +3.24) and BBS scores (+21.50 vs +8.71) after rehabilitation, all P < 0.05. Greater changes in PhysioAmb score increased the odds of a MTF within 12 months by 18%. Rehabilitation Indices are associated with a MTF within 12 months poststroke.


Nanomaterials: An alternative source for biodegradation of toxic dyes.
Environment contamination is a colossal worriment across the world, owing to its detrimental and negative impact on health and ecological systems. Dyes are one of the synthetic organic chemicals that are utilised in a variety of fields, including textiles. As a result, throughout one's production and subsequently in fibre colouring, these are becoming frequent industry-contributed contaminants. Increasing globalisation of international market has presented a problem to textile sector in terms of consistency and production. Textile processors' primary concern, as the highly competitive environment and environmental standards grow more severe is about being mindful of the grade of goods and even non-toxicity of their production processes. There seems to be an immediate necessity to look for methods and technologies which are useful in removing dye colours. Even though each has benefits and weaknesses, many physical, chemical, and biological approaches were explored and used with the application being dependent on the effluent properties, technical feasibility, and cost. Several remediation technologies are already developed, but they seem to be ineffective at removing dyes completely. There is a fast growth of nanoparticles applications in the past few years which has opened up newer, innovating, highly efficient, and low-cost dyes remediation systems. Nanomaterials with large surface areas change surface characteristics and distinctive electron conducting capabilities which make them ideal candidate for the treatment of wastewater that contains dyes. In this review, we have highlighted not only the role of nanotechnology in dye remediation processes but also different types of nanomaterials that can be used for the remediation of dyes.


Errors in pulmonary vein identification and ostia location in the absence of pulmonary vein imaging.
A key point in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is the ability to identify the pulmonary vein (PVs) and locate their ostia. The purpose of this study was to assess the error margin of PV identification and ostia location in the absence of previous PV imaging. This study was performed in patients referred for catheter ablation of AF. PVs were reconstructed before ablation using the CARTO system. The operator tagged the superior and inferior edges of the PV ostia before and after examining the corresponding PV angiograms. The distances between the tagged PV ostia were measured using CARTO software. A total of 105 location estimations of 54 PVs were analyzed. The location of PV ostia without angiography deviated from the angiographic PV ostia by a median of 13 mm (95% confidence interval = 11-14 mm; P < .0001). In 84 of the 105 estimations (80%), wrong tagging was performed inside the PV. A multiple logistic regression revealed that, at sites displaying PV potentials, the left atrial potential amplitude was an independent predictor of location at the angiographic PV ostium (odds ratio 24 [95% confidence interval = 3.7-227] per 1-mV increase). Receiver operator characteristic analysis set the optimal cutoff level at 0.7 mV. Use of this criterion improved the accuracy of PV ostium location by 4 mm (95% confidence interval = 1-6 mm; P = .005). Attempts at PV identification and ostia location in the absence of previous PV imaging are subject to a broad error margin.


Effect of hydrazine exposure on hepatic triacylglycerol biosynthesis.
Acute hydrazine exposure elevated rat liver triacylglycerol content and produced a rapid rise in triacylglycerol production from sn-[1,3-14C]glycerol 3-phosphate by liver homogenate and microsomal fractions. Hydrazine treatment also increased the incorporation of [1,3-14C]glycerol into hepatic triacylglycerol by the intact animal. Homogenates of hepatocyte monolayers exposed to hydrazine in vitro also exhibited an increased capacity to form triacylglycerol from sn-[1,3-14C]glycerol 3-phosphate. Hydrazine-dependent increases in hepatic triacylglycerol production measured in vitro correlated well with an increase in microsomal phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (EC 126.96.36.199) activity. Therefore, the fatty liver associated with hydrazine exposure may be explained in part by a rise in the enzymatic capacity of hepatic triacylglycerol biosynthesis.


Bringing Antonovsky's salutogenic theory to life: A qualitative inquiry into the experiences of young people with congenital heart disease.
Antonovsky coined sense of coherence (SOC) as the central concept of his salutogenic theory focusing on the origins of well-being. SOC captures the degree to which one perceives the world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. Life events and resources are considered to be the building blocks of a person's SOC. However, mainly quantitative studies have looked into the role of life events and resources. Therefore, the present study aims to gain a deeper insight into the experiences of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) regarding resources and life events. For this qualitative study, patients were selected from the sample of a preceding study on development of SOC (n = 429). In total, 12 young individuals with CHD who had either a weak (n = 6) or strong SOC (n = 6) over time were interviewed (8 women, median age of 20 years). Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method as detailed in the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. Commonalities and differences between patients from both groups were explored. The following themes emerged: (1) self-concept; (2) social environment; (3) daytime activities; (4) life events and disease-related turning points; (5) stress and coping; and (6) illness integration. Additionally, the degree of personal control was identified as an overarching topic that transcended the other themes when comparing both groups of patients. These results may have implications for the structure and content of interventions improving well-being in young people with CHD.


Alternative signaling pathways: when, where and why?
Alternative cell signal transduction pathways have been demonstrated in some experimental systems. The importance of their existence has not been completely appreciated. In this review we present the cases of alternative pathways resulted from a survey of the available experimental data. The alternative pathways could show different relationships, i.e., synergistic, redundant, additive, opposite and competitive effects. They could have distinct time courses and cell, organ, sex or species specification. Further, they could happen during physiological or pathological situations, and display differentiated sensitivity. These case studies together imply that alternative signal pathways could be involved in the regulation of cell functions at the pathway level. In-depth understanding of the importance of the alternative pathways will rely on building and exploration of mathematical models.


Amelioration of cisplatin-induced toxicity in mice by carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin.
Carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin ((3R, 3'S)-β, β-carotene-3,3'-diol [MZ]) was evaluated for its protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. Oral administration of MZ was started 5 days prior to cisplatin (16 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally as a single dose) injection. Animals in all groups were killed 72 h after cisplatin treatment. In serum, renal function markers like urea and creatinine, which were drastically elevated in cisplatin-treated control animals, were found to be decreased significantly by MZ pretreatment. Cisplatin-induced myelosuppression was also found to be significantly ameliorated by MZ as evident from the increase in white blood cell count, bone marrow cellularity and number of maturing monocytes in MZ-treated animals when compared with cisplatin alone-treated control animals. The levels of antioxidant enzymes-superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase-as well as the glutathione level in the kidney were decreased after cisplatin treatment. But the levels were markedly increased by the carotenoid treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of MZ was found to inhibit singlet oxygen produced by toluidine blue in vitro. Moreover, administration of MZ to the animals inhibited increased lipid peroxidation, conjugated dienes and hydroperoxides that are formed in the kidney by cisplatin administration. The results of histopathological analysis supported the protective potential of MZ against cisplatin-induced toxicity.


Experimental increase in availability of a PAH complex organic contamination from an aged contaminated soil: consequences on biodegradation.
Although high PAH content and detection of PAH-degraders, the PAH biodegradation is limited in aged-contaminated soils due to low PAH availability (i.e., 1%). Here, we tried to experimentally increase the soil PAH availability by keeping both soil properties and contamination composition. Organic extract was first removed and then re-incorporated in the raw soil as fresh contaminants. Though drastic, this procedure only allowed a 6-time increase in the PAH availability suggesting that the organic constituents more than ageing were responsible for low availability. In the re-contaminated soil, the mineralization rate was twice more important, the proportion of 5-6 cycles PAH was higher indicating a preferential degradation of lower molecular weight PAH. The extraction treatment induced bacterial and fungal community structures modifications, Pseudomonas and Fusarium solani species were favoured, and the relative quantity of fungi increased. In re-contaminated soil the percentage of PAH-dioxygenase gene increased, with 10 times more Gram negative representatives.


Viral pollution of surface waters due to chlorinated primary effluents.
The role of chlorinated primary effluents in viral pollution of the Ottawa River (Ontario) was assessed by examining 282 field samples of wastewaters from two different sewage treatment plants over a 2-year period. The talc-Celite technique was used for sample concentration, and BS-C-1 cells were employed for virus detection. Viruses were detected in 80% (75/94) of raw sewage, 72% (68/94) of primary effluent, and 56% (53/94) of chlorinated effluent samples. Both raw sewage and primary effluent samples contained about 100 viral infective units (VIU) per 100 ml. Chlorination produced a 10- to 50-fold reduction in VIU and gave nearly 2.7 VIU/100 ml of chlorinated primary effluent. With a combined daily chlorinated primary effluent output of approximately 3.7 x 10(8) liters, these two plants were discharging 1.0 x 10(10) VIU per day. Because the river has a mean annual flow of 8.0 x 10(10) liters per day, these two sources alone produced a virus loading of 1.0 VIU/8 liters of the river water. This river also receives at least 9.0 x 10(7) liters of raw sewage per day and undetermined but substantial amounts of storm waters and agricultural wastes. It is used for recreation and acts as a source of potable water for some 6.0 x 10(5) people. In view of the potential of water for disease transmission, discharge of such wastes into the water environment needs to be minimized.


Preferential promutagenic lesions at exons 7-8 of human p53 genomic DNA induced by the direct-acting hepatocarcinogens N-nitroso-2-acetylaminofluorene and N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene.
DNA polymerase fingerprint analysis (DPFA) was employed for identifying DNA-carcinogen adduct formation in the human p53 and lac gene sequence. Two 'hot regions' at codons 223-250 and 257-283 of the p53 gene were easily attacked by nitroso-2-acetylaminofluorene or acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. However, the promutational lesions in lac gene were rather randomly distributed. The chemical treated plasmid (pUC 19) which contains lac gene were transfected into Escherichia coli JM109 cells and the induced lac gene mutants were selected with X-Gal plate as indicated by the appearance of white colonies. No mutational hot regions were found in the lac gene.


Three-Dimensional Carotid Plaque MR Imaging.
There has been significant progress made in 3-dimensional (3D) carotid plaque MR imaging techniques in recent years. Three-dimensional plaque imaging clearly represents the future in clinical use. With effective flow-suppression techniques, choices of different contrast weighting acquisitions, and time-efficient imaging approaches, 3D plaque imaging offers flexible imaging plane and view angle analysis, large coverage, multivascular beds capability, and even can be used in fast screening.


Novel isoglobo-neolacto-series hybrid glycolipid detected by a monoclonal antibody is a rat colon tumor-associated antigen.
Isoglobotetraosylceramide (GalNAc(beta 1-3)Gal(alpha 1-3)Gal(beta 1-4)Glc (beta 1-1)Cer), the major glycolipid species in dimethylhydrazine-induced rat tumors of colorectal origin, was not detected in epithelial cells of normal colon but was present in the non-epithelial stroma and could be extracted from each of nine tumors studied. Monoclonal antibodies produced against isoglobotetraosylceramide detected this and another novel rat tumor-associated glycolipid not present in epithelial cells nor in non-epithelial stroma of normal rat colon (Brodin, T., Thurin, J., Strömberg, N., Karlsson, K.-A. and Sjögren, H.O. (1985) Eur. J. Immunol. 16, 951-956). This novel glycolipid was present in 8/9 of the studied tumors and was also present in two in vitro cell clones. These were originally obtained from a W49/T4 colon tumor isograft. The novel glycolipid was characterized by mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR, and methylation analysis as a hybrid between the isoglobo- and neolacto-series, with the structure GalNAc(beta 1-3)Gal(alpha 1-3)Gal(beta 1-4)GlcNA(beta 1-3)Gal (beta 1-4)Glc(beta 1-1)Cer.


Reduced muscle radiological density, cross-sectional area, and strength of major hip and knee muscles in 22 patients with hip osteoarthritis.
Patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) typically suffer joint pain, and often experience muscular weakness. We hypothesized that substantial atrophy would manifest in multiple muscle groups along the affected limb, resulting in severe muscle dysfunction. We assessed 22 elderly patients with unilateral OA for maximal voluntary isometric strength of hip and knee muscles using a dynamometer that was developed for the purpose. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and radiological density (RD; in Hounsfield units: HU) of hip and knee muscles were assessed using CT. We determined SF-36, HHS, and EQ-5D. Hip extension, flexion, adduction, abduction, and knee extension strength were reduced (11- 29%; p < 0.01) in the OA limb relative to the healthy limb. Muscle CSA of hip extensors, flexors, adductors, knee extensors and flexors, but not hip abductors, was reduced (11-19%; p < 0.01) in the OA limb, where RD of all muscle groups except hip flexors was reduced (5-15 HU; p < 0.01). The clinical scores confirmed impairment. Major muscles functioning around the hip and knee showed substantial loss of strength and mass, which contributes to the reduced ambulatory capacity of OA patients. Reduced muscle CSA could not fully explain the loss in strength. Infiltration with fat or other non-contractile components, as indicated by a reduced RD, in OA limb muscles was substantial.


COVID-19 and the burden of ill-health: a double crisis of disruptions and inequalities.
In this paper, we attempt to show how the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has disrupted routine health services in India and has created further inequalities in the society. By taking a few examples of non-COVID diseases and conditions like immunization, maternal health services, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases, this paper shows how these services have been disrupted by the pandemic. The paper argues that these disruptions have not emerged only as a result of the current crisis, but because of the paradigm shifts in the healthcare delivery in the country towards privatization which have disproportionately marginalized particular sections of the society. The paper concludes by stating that if adequate measures are not taken now to transform the health system and strengthen the public healthcare system, it might lead to catastrophic consequences in the future, especially for the marginalized sections.


Therapeutic exposures and pubertal testicular dysfunction are associated with adulthood milestones and paternity after childhood cancer.
Childhood cancer therapy may cause long-term effects. This cross-sectional study evaluated adulthood milestones in male childhood cancer survivors (CCS). The study population comprised 252 male CCS with 6 to 42 years of survival diagnosed at the Children's Hospital in Helsinki (1964-2000) at the age of 0 to 17 years. Sex-, age-, and area of residence-matched population controls were randomly selected from the Finnish national registries. Data on moving away from the parental home, marital status, offspring, and adoption in CCS were compared with the population controls. We analyzed the influence of chemotherapy and radiation exposures and testicular dysfunction (ever nontestosterone-substituted serum follicle stimulating hormone >15 IU/L, luteinizing hormone >15 IU/L, testosterone <2 ng/mL (5 nmol/L), need of testosterone replacement therapy, or testicular volume <12 mL at the end of puberty) during pubertal maturation on long-term social outcomes. CCS moved away from their parental home as frequently as population controls (97.8% vs. 98.5%, p = .45). CCS were less likely to marry or live in a registered relationship (46.4% vs. 57.5%, p < .001), especially when diagnosed at a young age (<4 years). Among those married, the probability of divorce was similar between CCS and population controls (27.4% vs. 23.8%, p = .41). Survivors were less likely to sire a child (38.5% vs. 59.1%, p < .001) and more likely to adopt (2% vs. 0.4%, p = .015). Lower probability of paternity was associated with hematopoietic stem cell therapy, testicular radiation dose >6 Gy, pubertal signs of testicular dysfunction (nontestosterone-substituted serum follicle stimulating hormone >15 IU/L, luteinizing hormone >15 IU/L, testosterone <2 ng/mL (5 nmol/L), or need of testosterone replacement therapy during puberty, or testicular volume <12 mL at the end of puberty) or azoospermia after puberty. This study emphasizes the value of pubertal monitoring of testicular function to estimate future probability of paternity. If no signs of dysfunction occurred during pubertal follow-up, paternity was comparable to population controls. Testicular radiation dose >6 Gy appeared to be the strongest risk factor for decreased paternity. Treatment with intensive therapies, including hematopoietic stem cell therapy, testicular radiation dose >6 Gy, and signs of testicular dysfunction, during puberty are important risk factors for lower rates of fertility. Intensive therapies and testicular dysfunction itself do not similarly hamper psychosocial milestones in adulthood; cancer diagnosis at a very young age (<4 years) lower the probability of marriage. This study accentuates the importance of monitoring of pubertal development, emphasizing on testicular function, not only sperm analysis, to estimate future fertility among male childhood cancer survivors.


Effect of online solution-focused counseling on the sexual quality of life of women with a history of breast cancer: a clinical trial.
Breast cancer, as the most prevalent malignancy among women globally and in Iran, affects important aspects of the lives of the survivors of this condition, especially the quality of sexual life. Solution-focused brief therapy is one of the therapeutic counseling approaches used in various fields, including sexual function problems. In recent years, online and internet-mediated counseling methods have received more attention. This study investigated the effect of online counseling based on a solution-focused approach in improving the sexual quality of life (SQL) of women with breast cancer. In this clinical trial, the research population consisted of women with a history of breast cancer with a recorded file in Shahid Ramazanzadeh Radiation Oncology Center in Yazd and at least 6 months had elapsed since the end of their treatment. After selecting 80 samples based on the random numbers table, they were assigned into two groups of 40, i.e., active control and intervention, using random allocation software. Participants in the intervention group were given online counseling through the Skyroom space with a solution-focused approach. Eight weekly sessions were held each lasting 60-90 min. The active control group received an educational file to improve the SQL. All participants in two groups completed the SQL questionnaire at the beginning of the study, at the end of the study, and 1 month after the study. Data were analyzed with SPSS18 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Finally, the data of 33 participants in the intervention group and 32 participants in the active control group were analyzed. The mean score of the SQL in the intervention group increased from 68.57 ± 18.63 before the intervention to 78.84 ± 12.7 immediately after the intervention (P = 0.015), and to 79.60 ± 19.88 1 month after the intervention (P = 0.012). The mean score of the SQL in the active control group increased from 64.45 ± 22.76 before the intervention to 67.20 ± 20.29 immediately after the intervention (P = 0.33), and to 68.70 ± 20.76 1 month after the intervention (P = 0.62). The difference in the mean score of the SQL before and after the intervention between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.007). It seems that the use of counseling with a solution-focused approach in women with a history of breast cancer improves the SQL. Thus, considering the effectiveness of this type of training, it is recommended that this method be used as a sexual health counseling method in medical centers. This clinical trial is registered in Iranian registry center of clinical trials (IRCT) by registration code of IRCT20201221049784N1 in 06/03/2021.


Lateral spike conduction velocity in the visual cortex affects spatial range of synchronization and receptive field size without visual experience: a learning model with spiking neurons.
Classical receptive fields (cRF) increase in size from the retina to higher visual centers. The present work shows how temporal properties, in particular lateral spike velocity and spike input correlation, can affect cRF size and position without visual experience. We demonstrate how these properties are related to the spatial range of cortical synchronization if Hebbian learning dominates early development. For this, a largely reduced model of two successive levels of the visual cortex is developed (e.g., areas V1 and V2). It consists of retinotopic networks of spiking neurons with constant spike velocity in lateral connections. Feedforward connections between level 1 and 2 are additive and determine cRF size and shape, while lateral connections within level 1 are modulatory and affect the cortical range of synchronization. Input during development is mimicked by spike trains with spatially homogeneous properties and a confined temporal correlation width. During learning, the homogeneous lateral coupling shrinks to limited coupling structures defining synchronization and related association fields (AF). The size of level-1 synchronization fields determines the lateral coupling range of developing level-1-to-2 connections and, thus, the size of level-2 cRFs, even if the feedforward connections have distance-independent delays. AFs and cRFs increase with spike velocity in the lateral network and temporal correlation width of the input. Our results suggest that AF size of V1 and cRF size of V2 neurons are confined during learning by the temporal width of input correlations and the spike velocity in lateral connections without the need of visual experience. During learning from visual experience, a similar influence of AF size on the cRF size may be operative at successive levels of processing, including other parts of the visual system.


Evaluation of m-Health-rehabilitation for respiratory disorders: A systematic review.
Chronic respiratory diseases are prominent causes of morbidity worldwide that impose significant social and economic burdens on individuals and communities. Pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the main aspects of medical rehabilitation. Nowadays, mobile health apps deliver pulmonary rehabilitation support via smartphones. This article presents a systematic review of the literature on m-Health apps used in respiration disorders rehabilitation. A systematic search was performed on MEDLINE (through PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus in May 2021 without any date limitation. This study was using a combination of keywords and MeSH terms associated with pulmonary rehabilitation. Relevant studies were selected by two independents and were categorized studies results. The inclusion criterion was m-Health apps for pulmonary rehabilitation and exclusion criteria mobile-based interventions, by voice call or short message service and cardiopulmonary articles. Searching scientific databases yielded 161 relevant articles. Then, 27 articles were included in the study with a complete evaluation of the articles. Sixty percent of them were related to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Rehabilitation aiming to improve the quality of life, promote self-management, encourage physical activity, and reduce the symptoms as the most common goals of pulmonary rehabilitation using m-Health apps; 89% of these studies showed that m-Health apps can be effective in improving pulmonary rehabilitation. In addition, 37% of studies reported high usability and acceptance. However, the results of some studies show that adherence to apps decreases in the long run. Our study shows that m-Health pulmonary rehabilitation apps are effective in improving the quality of life, self-management, and physical activity. According to the results, it seems that using the m-Health apps for pulmonary rehabilitation can be useful in the COVID-19 pandemic and help reduce respiratory disorders in patients with COVID-19 disease.


A lithium-containing nanoporous coating on entangled titanium scaffold can enhance osseointegration through Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
An entangled titanium wire porous (ETP) scaffold shows similar mechanical properties of cancellous bone and is a promising bone repair material. However, the ETP scaffold's inert biocompatibility and poor osteogenic ability limit its clinical application. In this study, a Li-containing nanoporous coating was added on ETP by micro-arc oxidation (MAO). The SEM results indicated that a hierarchical and compact coating was formed on the Li-MAO-ETP scaffold. In vitro cell tests showed improved osteoblast morphology, adhesion, and viability in the Li-MAO-ETP group. Moreover, the Li-MAO-ETP scaffold exhibited improved osteogenic differentiation properties by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway based on the western blotting and RT-PCR results. The push-out test, sequential fluochrome labeling, and toluidine staining demonstrated that the Li-MAO-ETP scaffold contained improved osteogenic ability in vivo. The in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the Li incorporated entangled porous titanium could be a suitable biomaterial for bone defect repair.


Gender differences in the association between physical frailty and life satisfaction among older adults in India.
One of the sustainable development goals' (SDGs) primary goals (Goal 3) is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for persons of all ages. While extensive literature documents the link between physical frailty and low life satisfaction (LLS) among older adults, research of this nature is limited within low and middle-income countries including India. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between physical frailty and life satisfaction among community-dwelling older men and women in India. Data come from the 2017-18 wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), with a sample of 30 390 individuals aged 60 and above (14 559 men and 15 831 women). Physical frailty was assessed using an adapted version of the frailty phenotype developed by Fried and colleagues. Ordered logistic regression models are employed to examine the association between physical frailty and life satisfaction. The prevalence of frailty was higher in older women than men (32.2% vs. 27.5%). Nearly 30.4% of men and 33.8% of women reported having LLS. However, after adjusting for the selected confounders, women were less likely (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.92; CI: 0.87-0.97) to report LLS compared to men. The physically frail older adults were more likely (aOR: 1.40; CI: 1.27-1.55) to report LLS relative to their physically stronger counterparts. Moreover, we found that frail older men had higher odds of reporting LLS than non-frail older men (aOR: 1.25; CI: 1.09-1.43). Also, non-frail older women had lower odds of reporting LLS than non-frail older men (aOR: 0.80; CI: 0.67-0.95). Findings of our study suggest that policies and programs to address later life well-being need to consider gender differences. Doing so would not only help identify older adults most at risk of LLS, but gender differentiated policies would help streamline health expenditures and costs typically relegated to assist all older adults without proper focus on the uniqueness of their social location.


A feasibility study of multi-site,intracellular recordings from mammalian neurons by extracellular gold mushroom-shaped microelectrodes.
The development of multi-electrode array platforms for large scale recording of neurons is at the forefront of neuro-engineering research efforts. Recently we demonstrated, at the proof-of-concept level, a breakthrough neuron-microelectrode interface in which cultured Aplysia neurons tightly engulf gold mushroom-shaped microelectrodes (gMμEs). While maintaining their extracellular position, the gMμEs record synaptic- and action-potentials with characteristic features of intracellular recordings. Here we examined the feasibility of using gMμEs for intracellular recordings from mammalian neurons. To that end we experimentally examined the innate size limits of cultured rat hippocampal neurons to engulf gMμEs and measured the width of the "extracellular" cleft formed between the neurons and the gold surface. Using the experimental results we next analyzed the expected range of gMμEs-neuron electrical coupling coefficients. We estimated that sufficient electrical coupling levels to record attenuated synaptic- and action-potentials can be reached using the gMμE-neuron configuration. The definition of the engulfment limits of the gMμEs caps diameter at ≤2-2.5 μm and the estimated electrical coupling coefficients from the simulations pave the way for rational development and application of the gMμE based concept for in-cell recordings from mammalian neurons.


Interferons. New additions and indications for use.
Within the past few years, natural and recombinant cytokines have become available for clinical use. The broadest clinical experience exists with the interferons because these were available first. This article discusses the clinical efficiency and therapeutic value of natural and recombinant interferon-alpha, -beta, and -gamma, alone or as part of a combination therapy of skin disorders. A novel therapeutic schedule for skin tumors such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and malignant melanoma and for some inflammatory skin disorders are proposed.


Accelerating GRAPPA reconstruction using SoC design for real-time cardiac MRI.
Real-time cardiac MRI is a rapidly developing area of research that has the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the acquisition of high-quality real-time cardiac MR (CMR) images is challenging as it requires a high frame rate and temporal resolution. To overcome this challenge, there have been recent efforts on several approaches including hardware-based improvements and image reconstruction techniques such as compressed sensing and parallel MRI. The use of parallel MRI techniques such as GRAPPA (Generalized Autocalibrating Partial Parallel Acquisition) is a promising approach for improving the temporal resolution of MRI and expanding its applications in clinical practice. However, the GRAPPA algorithm involves a significant amount of computation, particularly for high acceleration factors and large datasets. This can result in long reconstruction times, which can limit the ability to achieve real-time imaging or high frame rates. One solution to this challenge is to use specialized hardware i.e. field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In this work, a novel 32-bit floating-point FPGA-based GRAPPA accelerator is proposed with an aim to reconstruct high-quality cardiac MR images at higher frame rates, making it well suited for real-time clinical applications. The proposed FPGA-based accelerator consists of custom-designed data processing units named as dedicated computational engines (DCEs) that allow for a continuous flow of data between the calibration and synthesis stages of GRAPPA reconstruction process. This greatly increases the throughput and reduces the latency of the overall proposed system. Moreover, a high-speed memory module (DDR4-SDRAM) is integrated with the proposed architecture to store the multi-coil MR data. An on-chip quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor is used to manage access control information required for data transfer between the DCEs and DDR4-SDRAM. The proposed accelerator is implemented on Xilinx Zynq UltraScale + MPSoC using high-level synthesis (HLS) and hardware descriptive language (HDL) with an aim to explore the trade-offs between the reconstruction time, resource utilization and design effort. Several experiments have been performed using in-vivo cardiac datasets i.e. 18-receiver coil and 30-receiver coil to evaluate the performance of the proposed accelerator. A comparison is performed with the contemporary CPU and GPU-based GRAPPA reconstruction methods in terms of reconstruction time, frames-per-second and reconstruction accuracy (RMSE and SNR). The results show that the proposed accelerator achieves speed-up factors up to 121× and 9× as compared to the contemporary CPU-based and GPU-based GRAPPA reconstruction methods, respectively. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the proposed accelerator can achieve reconstruction rates of up to ∼27 frames-per-second while maintaining the visual quality of the reconstructed images.


[Computerized tomography imaging of choanal atresia].
Choanal atresia is a rare malformation of the nose. If it occurs bilaterally, it may cause life-threatening complications shortly after birth. The disease is mainly diagnosed clinically. Only few cases have been presented and documented by means of radiologic procedures. In particular, CT presentation of this malformation has to our knowledge not been published to date.


Use of tissue Doppler to distinguish discrete upper ventricular septal hypertrophy from obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Discrete upper septal hypertrophy (DUSH) is a well-recognized but poorly understood echocardiographic finding that may indicate localized remodeling modulated by pressure loading or a forme fruste variant of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). It was hypothesized that (1) a comparison of tissue Doppler indexes of myocardial function in normal patients and those with DUSH or aortic stenosis (AS) could provide insight into the clinical significance of DUSH and (2) these indexes could distinguish between DUSH and obstructive HC. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients aged 50 to 80 years who underwent routine echocardiography and who could be classified into normal, DUSH, AS, and HC groups (n = 25, 33, 23, and 34, respectively) on the basis of clinical and echocardiographic criteria. Early diastolic mitral annular velocities (Ea) in the DUSH (7.1 +/- 1.8 cm/s) and AS (7.1 +/- 1.7 cm/s) groups were lower compared with those in the normal group (9.3 +/- 1.9 cm/s) and higher compared with those in the HC group (5.4 +/- 1.3 cm/s), whereas the E/Ea ratio was higher in the DUSH and AS groups (10.0 +/- 3.1 and 11.3 +/- 2.8, respectively) compared with the normal group (7.1 +/- 1.6) and lower compared with the HC group (18.8 +/- 7.5). These differences remained significant after adjusting for age and the use of beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. E/Ea > or =13 distinguished between patients with HC and those with DUSH (sensitivity 78%, specificity 90%, positive predictive value 90%, negative predictive value 81%). In conclusion, abnormal Ea and E/Ea in patients with DUSH, with values similar to those in patients with AS, suggest that DUSH may represent a variant hypertrophic response to chronic pressure loading. Simple echocardiographic indexes may be helpful in distinguishing between patients with DUSH and those with obstructive HC.


Portable ophthalmic microscopes in the Philippines: an overview.
Demonstrations were held all over the Philippines to teach local microscope operators basic maintenance skills and troubleshooting for their portable microscopes. Fifteen microscopes were examined and feedback was obtained from 16 microscope operators. The different parameters of the microscope were evaluated as follows: (i) user-friendliness, (ii) demand and availability of technical services and spare parts, (iii) portability and (iv) frequent problems encountered. Some suggestions for improvement are proposed. There was a general satisfaction among the operators with their microscopes; however, there was a lack of technical support services. Most microscopes were portable and the original casing was adequate for transport. Even though most microscopes were functioning, their quality could be improved with maintenance. The three most common problems identified were: mouldy/dirty lenses, expired mould pellets and poor alignment. The portable operating ophthalmic microscope has an important role in the prevention of international blindness. The archaic attitude of sending microscopes to professional technicians for simple maintenance and repair should be abandoned. Instead demonstrations aimed at teaching these skills to local operators and surgeons should be held, in order to improve the technical support available. Different microscope operators can help provide microscope designers with feedback for future improvements. Similar demonstrations could be considered for other countries with a similar scarcity of technical support services.


Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine.
Daylight is an important factor necessary for the proper embryonic development of birds, which raises the question, what happens when birds nest in relatively dim sites? The study experimentally tested whether there is a relationship between light conditions at the nesting site and the protoporphyrin-based pigmentation in the eggshell of the Great Tit (Parus major). We hypothesised that at lower light levels, eggs are less pigmented to increase the amount of light reaching the embryo. Our study system consisted of two types of nest boxes: "dark", in which the only source of light was the entrance hole, and "bright", which had two additional side windows. Photographs of clutches taken during the incubation period were used to quantify eggshell pigmentation. Multispectral image analyses were performed to measure variables correlating with protoporphyrin content, such as spot brightness, average spot size, spotting coverage, and spot red chroma. Repeatability analysis indicated that eggshell colouration characteristics were significantly and moderately repeatable between eggs from a single clutch, which suggests that they are under genetic and environmental control. However, none of the pigmentation traits differed significantly between the two types of nest boxes. We speculate about other ecological aspects that might have influenced the observed variability in eggshell pigmentation.


A drug recommender system for the treatment of hypertension.
One third (20% to 30%) of patients suffering from hypertension show increased blood pressure resistant to treatment. This resistance often has multifactorial causes, like therapeutic inertia and inappropriate medication but also poor patient adherence. Evidence-based guidelines aim to support appropriate health care decisions. However, (i) research and appraisal of clinical guidelines is often not practicable in daily routine care and (ii) guidelines alone are often insufficient to make suitable and personalized treatment decisions. Shared decision-making (SDM) can significantly improve patient adherence, but is also difficult to implement in routine care due to time constraints. Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs), designed to support clinical decision-making by providing explainable and personalized treatment recommendations, are expected to remedy the aforementioned issues. In this work we describe a digital recommendation system for the pharmaceutical treatment of hypertension and compare its recommendations with clinical experts. The proposed therapy recommender algorithm combines external evidence (knowledge-based) - derived from clinical guidelines and drugs' professional information - with information stored in routine care data (data-based) - derived from 298 medical records and 900 doctor-patient contacts from 7 general practitioners practices. The developed Graphical User Interface (GUI) visualizes recommendations along with personalized treatment information and intents to support SDM. The CDSS was evaluated on 23 artificial test patients (case vignettes), by comparing its output with recommendations from five specialized physicians. The results show that the proposed algorithm provides personalized treatment recommendations with large agreement with clinical experts. This is true for agreement with all experts (agree_all), with any expert (agree_any), and with the majority vote of all experts (agree_majority). The performance of a solely data-based approach can be additionally improved by applying evidence-based rules (external evidence). When comparing the achieved results (agree_all) with the inter-rater agreement among experts, the CDSS's recommendations partly agree more often with the experts than the experts among each other. Overall, the feasibility and performance of medication recommendation systems for the treatment of hypertension could be shown. The major challenges when developing such a CDSS arise from (i) the availability of sufficient and appropriate training and evaluation data and (ii) the absence of standardized medical knowledge such as computerized guidelines. If these challenges are solved, such treatment recommender systems can support physicians with exploiting knowledge stored in routine care data, help to comply with the best available clinical evidence and increase the adherence of the patient by reducing site-effects and individualizing therapies.


Epidermal repair results from activation of follicular and epidermal progenitor keratinocytes mediated by a growth factor cascade.
Reepithelialization of human suction blister wounds was examined in five normal human volunteers over a period of 14 days postwounding to understand the control of keratinocyte migration, proliferation, and differentiation in acute wound healing in a controlled model. The hypothesis that morphological changes and progenitor activation result from altered cytokines and growth factor expression [in particular interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), TGF-beta 1, and keratinocyte growth factor] was tested using semiquantitative immunohistochemistry combined with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of samples from the blister roof, edge, and base. Parallel changes in keratin expression were examined using a wide range of well-established antibodies to multiple keratins and in situ hybridization for keratin 16 (K16), a marker of the hyperproliferative (mucoregenerative) phenotype. Longitudinal morphological, semiquantitative cytokine and growth factor expression, and histometric histone and cytokeratin profiles suggest three phases to reepithelialization: phase 1, or the acute activation phase, early in the first 24 hours postwounding is characterized by epidermal expression of IL-1beta and IL-6, and dermal expression of TGF-beta1, as basal, upper outer root sheath, and putative interfollicular transit amplifying keratinocytes become committed to mitosis; phase 2, or the early activation phase, late in the second 24 hours postwounding, characterized by epidermal expression of TGF-alpha and IL-6 with concurrent suprabasal K16 expression and migration with continued proliferation, and dermal expression of keratinocyte growth factor and IL-6; and phase 3 or restitution over the following 2 weeks, characterized by the return of normal homeostasis, including bulge activation as evidenced by K19 expression.


Primary structure of an EcoRI fragment of lambda imm434 DNA containing regions cI-cro of phage 434 and cII-o of phage lambda.
Digestion of phage lambda imm434 DNA with restriction endonuclease EcoRI yields 7 fragments. The shortest among them (1287 bp) contains the right part of the phage 434 immunity region and the phage DNA portion proximal to it. The complete primary structure of this fragment has been determined using the chemical method of DNA sequencing. Hypothetical amino-acid sequences of proteins coded by the cro gene of phage 434 and the cII gene of phage lambda, as well as NH2-terminal amino-acid sequences of the cI protein of phage 434 and the O protein of phage lambda, have been deduced solely on the basis of the DNA sequence. The fragment studied contains also the pR and probably prm promoters and the oR operator of phage 434. The sequence coding for them differs from the respective DNA sequence of phage lambda.


Lifestyle changes following acute myocardial infarction: patients perspectives.
Cardiovascular disease accounts for 39% of all deaths in Ireland each year. Many of these deaths are due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The diagnosis of AMI has major implications for individuals in terms of health and social gain, health related quality of life and living and adapting to a chronic illness. The diagnosis requires lifestyle changes such as changes to diet, smoking habit, physical activity, and stress management. The aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore patients' perspectives of making lifestyle changes following AMI. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, ten participants were interviewed 6 weeks following discharge about their experiences. Data were collected using in depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: lifestyle warning signs, taking responsibility for lifestyle changes, professional support and looking forward to the future. The findings offer insight into the everyday realities, which patients experience regarding lifestyle changes particularly in relation to smoking cessation and stress management. The difficulties encountered by participants 6 weeks following discharge reflect the implementation of too many life style changes at once as well as the lack of professional help in the community to support participants in their endeavours to make lifestyle changes. In addition, overprotection by family members was a source of frustration and aggravation for participants. The study highlights the need for the development of primary care services and cardiac rehabilitation programmes to support patients as well as providing information to families to reduce anxiety and fear.


The metabolism of 6-deoxyhexoses in bacterial and animal cells.
L-fucose and L-rhamnose are two 6-deoxyhexoses naturally occurring in several complex carbohydrates. In prokaryotes both of them are found in polysaccharides of the cell wall, while in animals only L-fucose has been described, which mainly participates to the structure of glycoconjugates, either in the cell membrane or secreted in biological fluids, such as ABH blood groups and Lewis system antigens. L-fucose and L-rhamnose are synthesized by two de novo biosynthetic pathways starting from GDP-D-mannose and dTDP-D-glucose, respectively, which share several common features. The first step for both pathways is a dehydration reaction catalyzed by specific nucleotide-sugar dehydratases. This leads to the formation of unstable 4-keto-6-deoxy intermediates, which undergo a subsequent epimerization reaction responsible for the change from D- to L-conformation, and then a NADPH-dependent reduction of the 4-keto group, with the consequent formation of either GDP-L-fucose or dTDP-L-rhamnose. These compounds are then the substrates of specific glycosyltransferases which are responsible for insertion of either L-fucose or L-rhamnose in the corresponding glycoconjugates. The enzyme involved in the first step of GDP-L-fucose biosynthesis in E. coli, i.e., GDP-D-mannose 4,6 dehydratase, has been recently expressed as recombinant protein and characterized in our laboratory. We have also cloned and fully characterized a human protein, formerly named FX, and an E. coli protein, WcaG, which display both the epimerase and the reductase activities, thus indicating that only two enzymes are required for GDP-L-fucose production. Fucosylated complex glycoconjugates at the cell surface can then be recognized by specific counter-receptors in interacting cells, these mechanisms initiating important processes including inflammation and metastasis. The second pathway starting from dTDP-D-glucose leads to the synthesis of antibiotic glycosides or, alternatively, to the production of dTDP-L-rhamnose. While several sets of data are available on the first enzyme of the pathway, i.e., dTDP-D-glucose dehydratase, the enzymes involved in the following steps still need to be identified and characterized.


Cytosolic chloride ion is a key factor in lysosomal acidification and function of autophagy in human gastric cancer cell.
The purpose of the present study was to clarify roles of cytosolic chloride ion (Cl(-) ) in regulation of lysosomal acidification [intra-lysosomal pH (pHlys )] and autophagy function in human gastric cancer cell line (MKN28). The MKN28 cells cultured under a low Cl(-) condition elevated pHlys and reduced the intra-lysosomal Cl(-) concentration ([Cl(-) ]lys ) via reduction of cytosolic Cl(-) concentration ([Cl(-) ]c ), showing abnormal accumulation of LC3II and p62 participating in autophagy function (dysfunction of autophagy) accompanied by inhibition of cell proliferation via G0 /G1 arrest without induction of apoptosis. We also studied effects of direct modification of H(+) transport on lysosomal acidification and autophagy. Application of bafilomycin A1 (an inhibitor of V-type H(+) -ATPase) or ethyl isopropyl amiloride [EIPA; an inhibitor of Na(+) /H(+) exchanger (NHE)] elevated pHlys and decreased [Cl(-) ]lys associated with inhibition of cell proliferation via induction of G0 /G1 arrest similar to the culture under a low Cl(-) condition. However, unlike low Cl(-) condition, application of the compound, bafilomycin A1 or EIPA, induced apoptosis associated with increases in caspase 3 and 9 without large reduction in [Cl(-) ]c compared with low Cl(-) condition. These observations suggest that the lowered [Cl(-) ]c primarily causes dysfunction of autophagy without apoptosis via dysfunction of lysosome induced by disturbance of intra-lysosomal acidification. This is the first study showing that cytosolic Cl(-) is a key factor of lysosome acidification and autophagy.


Impact of ambiguity and risk on decision making in mild Alzheimer's disease.
Decisions under ambiguity and decisions under risk are crucial types of decision making in daily living at any age. This is the first study assessing these two types of decisions in patients with mild dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) by means of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and a newly developed, Probability-Associated Gambling (PAG) task. While rules for gains and losses are implicit in the IGT, in the PAG task rules are explicit and winning probabilities, which change from trial to trial, can be estimated. Results of the IGT indicated that DAT patients made more disadvantageous decisions than healthy controls. Patients also shifted more frequently among decks, i.e. under ambiguity decisions were taken randomly and no advantageous strategy was established over time by DAT patients. Thus, not only actual choices but also development of advantageous strategies may be revealing about decision making in the IGT. Compared to controls, patients demonstrated less advantageous choices in the PAG task as well. They gambled more often in the low winning probabilities and less frequently in the high probabilities than healthy participants. Patients' performance on both tasks correlated with measures of executive functions. Findings of the present investigation are consistent with the early pathological cerebral changes and related (cognitive, emotional) deficits reported for DAT. As suggested by our study, decisions under ambiguity as well as decisions under risk are impaired in mild DAT. It may thus be expected that patients with mild DAT have difficulties in taking decisions in every-day life situations, both in cases of ambiguity (information on probability is missing or conflicting, and the expected utility of the different options is incalculable) and in cases of risk (outcomes can be predicted by well-defined or estimable probabilities).


An enzyme-linked immuno-filtration assay used to compare infant and maternal antibody profiles in toxoplasmosis.
Enzyme-linked immuno-filtration assay is carried out on a micropore membrane. This doubly analytical technique permits simultaneous study of antibody specificity by immunoprecipitation and characterisation of antibody isotypes by immuno-filtration with enzyme-labelled antibodies. Recognition of the same T. gondii antigenic constituent by IgG, IgA, IgM or IgE antibodies produces couplets (IgG-IgM; IgG-IgA) or triplets (IgG-IgM-IgA; IgG-IgM-IgE) which identify the functional fractions of the toxoplasmosis antigen. In acquired toxoplasmosis, the persistence of IgM antibody long after infestation puts in question the implication of recent infestation normally linked to detection of this isotype. For sera of comparable titres, comparison of immunological profiles by the method described demonstrates disparities in the composition of the specific antibody content as expressed in international units. Use of the same method to detect IgM antibodies or distinguish between transmitted maternal IgG and IgG antibodies synthesised by the foetus or neonate makes a diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis possible in 85% of cases during the first few days of life. With the method described the diagnosis may be made on average 5 months earlier than with classical techniques. In the course of surveillance for latent congenital toxoplasmosis, the appearance of IgM or IgE antibodies raises the possibility of complications (hydrocephalus, chorioretinitis). After cessation of treatment, a rise in IgG antibodies indicating persistence of infection is detected earlier by the present than by classical methods.


Influence of several environmental factors on the initiation of germination and inactivation of Bacillus cereus by high hydrostatic pressure.
The influence of pH, aw, L-alanine, and fat concentration of milk on the initiation of germination and inactivation by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (250 mPa at 25 degrees C for 15 min and 690 mPa at 40 degrees C for 2 min) of Bacillus cereus sporulated at 20, 30 and 37 degrees C was investigated. B. cereus sporulated at the lowest temperature was found to be the most resistant to the initiation of germination and inactivation by HHP. At ambient pressure, the rate and extension of germination induced by L-alanine were also lower in B. cereus sporulated at 20 than 30 or 37 degrees C. The optimum pH for the germination and inactivation of B. cereus depended on the sporulation temperature. At 250 mPa the extent of germination for the three suspensions increased with higher pH. At 690 mPa, the pH barely affected the germination of B. cereus sporulated at 20 degrees C (3 log cycles), but the inactivation increased as the pH of the medium was lowered. After the same treatment, pressure optimally initiated the germination of B. cereus sporulated at 30 and 37 degrees C (6-7 log cycles) around neutral pH. Higher inactivation was obtained at pH 6. High concentrations of sucrose protected the spores from the germinating and inactivating effect of HHP. At aw 0.92, no germination was detected when the spores were pressurized at 250 mPa, and only 1 log cycle of B. cereus sporulated at 20 and 30 degrees C and 2 log cycles of B. cereus sporulated at 37 degrees C were germinated at 690 mPa. In addition, no inactivation was observed at aW 0.92 even at 690 mPa. The presence of L-alanine in the medium of pressurization increased the germination initiated by HHP at 250 mPa, but not at 690 mPa. A combination of 250 mPa at 25 degrees C with L-alanine (100 mM) was found to give an additive response. The initiation of germination and inactivation by HHP were not affected by the fat concentration of the milk.


Effect of chemical and radiochemical impurities from eluants on 99mTc-labeling efficiency.
Occasionally, radiopharmaceuticals prepared from the eluates of 99Mo-99mTc generators that have not been eluted for several days contain large amounts of free pertechnetate, as tested by radiochromatography and biologically by administration to patients. We fing the most probable causes of poor 99mTc-labeling in these cases to be: a) the presence of a large concentration of 99TcO4-in eluants; b) insufficient stannous ions available for the complete reduction of Tc due to spontaneous oxidation of Sn in the vial and also due to oxidation of stannous ions by the presence of larger than expected concentrations of H2O2 and HO2 radicals in the eluant.


Prenatal diagnosis of congenital syngnathia by 3D ultrasound and pathological correlation.
Congenital syngnathia is a maxillomandibular fusion, and it can vary in severity from single mucosal bands (synechiae) to complete bony fusion (synostosis). Cases of combinations of bony or soft tissue adhesions between the mandible and maxilla with cleft of the lip or palate, aglossia, popliteal pterygium, and van der Woude syndrome have been reported. It is a very rare condition, with only one case report of prenatal diagnosis using two-dimensional ultrasound in the literature. We present the first case of prenatal diagnosis of congenital syngnathia by three-dimensional ultrasound and the postnatal pathology correlation.


[TAVR : Imaging for an optimal femoral approach].
Both computed tomography (CT) angiography and vascular ultrasound have a major role before and during a transfemoral approach to TAVR. CT angiography will determine whether the patient is eligible for a femoral approach. Peri-procedural arterial ultrasound will be helpful to improve safety and optimize results during the femoral approach. Being able to interpret both of these imaging modalities is of paramount importance for any interventional cardiologist who practices structural interventions.


Bone marrow transplantation in miniature swine. III. Graft-versus-host disease and the effect of T cell depletion of marrow.
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been evaluated in partially inbred miniature swine in order to study this complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genetically defined large animal model. Bone marrow from MHC homozygous ("parental") swine was injected into irradiated (900 rads total-body irradiation) MHC heterozygous ("F1") swine that shared one haplotype with the donor. All 18 animals successfully engrafted with donor bone marrow, and 17 of these developed skin rash of varying intensity depending on the extent of T cell depletion of infused marrow. Of 18 animals, 8 received undepleted bone marrow from exsanguinated donors and 2 also received additional peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) as a source of mature T cells. All 8 showed a moderate-to-severe rash, and the 2 pigs that received additional donor PBL developed the most severe rash. The cutaneous eruption seen in this model clinically, histologically, and immunologically resembled human GVHD. Two protocols of T cell depletion of donor bone marrow by antiporcine T cell monoclonal antibodies plus complement were tested for their effect on development of GVHD. The combination of two monoclonal antibodies, 74-12-4 (PT4) and 76-2-11 (PT8), had a marginal effect on the subsequent development of cutaneous manifestations of GVHD. However, treatment of the donor marrow by a combination of three monoclonal antibodies--PT4, PT8, and MSA4 (PT11)--effectively decreased the severity of the GVHD skin rash. These results indicate that (1) the GVHD associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in swine is dependent on T cells in the marrow; (2) effective T cell depletion of donor marrow by monoclonal antibodies and complement does not prevent engraftment; and (3) this swine GVHD model, which allows study with F1 and homozygous parental combinations in an MHC genetically defined large animal, is particularly useful for the understanding of GVHD pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment.


Iodinated contrast agents in neuroradiology.
Intravascular iodinated contrast materials in neuroradiology commonly are used during CT scanning and cerebral arteriography. This article discusses their use and the selection of appropriate contrast media. Adverse contrast media reactions, with emphasis on neurotoxicity, and the use of low osmolar agents are discussed. In addition, this article discusses nephrotoxicity and the use of contrast material in special circumstances, including patients with hyperuricemia, multiple myeloma, sickle cell disease, thyroid disease, pheochromocytomas, and the use of contrast material in pediatric patients.


[Placental abruption: Background and revisited pronostic factors about a series of 171 cases].
To describe the epidemiological, clinical and prognostic factors of placental abruption and fetal death in utero and to investigate possible risk factors for their occurrence. Observational retrospective study including the women having presented a placental abruption between January 2001 and January 2012, in a IIB maternity. Women's sociodemographic characteristics, clinical symptoms and the method used to detect placental abruption were collected. Patient data of those whose pregnancy resulted in fetal death were compared to those with more favorable outcomes. There were 171 cases of placental abruption among 21,913 patients having delivered, which represents a 0.78% incidence. Diagnosis was rarely based on clinical data (30%). The rate of fetal death in utero represented 25% of the pregnancy's outcomes. A history of fetal death in utero increased the risk of placental abruption (P<0.001). This complication was more frequent for patients who did not have pregnancy monitoring (P=0.054) and before 37 weeks of amenorrhoea (P=0.005). Placental abruption is an important cause of perinatal mortality and maternal morbidity. Among the observed risk factors, only regular pregnancy monitoring can be an easy way to prevent these complications.