Expression of antioxidant molecules after peripheral nerve injury and regeneration.
Oxidative stress is considered to be one of the main causes of neural damage after injury. However, little is known about the changes in mRNA expression of antioxidant molecules that occur after injury and regeneration of the peripheral nerve. In the present study, the rat median nerve was transected, and transcriptional changes were studied at day 6 and day 12 after injury in both the proximal and the distal stumps, in the absence or presence of microsurgical repair. The expression profiles of the following genes were investigated: three metallothionein isoforms (MT-1, MT-2, and MT-3), the main antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione-S-transferase), and the marker of cellular damage poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). The results showed that, in the proximal nerve stump, MT-3 mRNA expression was significantly and markedly up-regulated in the absence of surgical repair, whereas MT-1 and MT-2 showed significant down-regulation. In the distal nerve portion, mRNA expression of all MT isoforms decreased significantly in the absence of microsurgical reconstruction, whereas, after repair, MT-3 mRNA expression alone was up-regulated. Expression of all the antioxidant enzymes decreased significantly after repair in the proximal nerve portion, but a significant general increase in their mRNA expression was revealed in the distal nerve stump. PARP-1 expression was significantly up-regulated in the proximal nerve portion without repair but dramatically reduced after reconstruction. In contrast, PARP-1 expression increased markedly in the distal stump after surgical repair. Taken together, these findings indicate that antioxidant molecules are differentially modulated and might, therefore, play an important role in peripheral nerve injury and regeneration.


[Combination use of lentinan with X-ray therapy in a mouse experimental tumor system (Part I). Basic studies].
Apparent reduction of leukocyte counts was observed in mice irradiated with 1,500 approximately 3,000 rads of X-ray on the left hind leg. This reduction of leukocyte counts was completely protected by the pre-treatment with lentinan before X-ray irradiation. Suppressive effect of X-ray on the antitumor function of lentinan seems to be weak. When treatment with X-ray irradiation and lentinan was applied for mice bearing solid type sarcoma 180, additive effect was obtained by the combination of lentinan before or after X-ray irradiation.


Bad popcorn in big buckets: portion size can influence intake as much as taste.
It is often believed that people overeat the foods they like. We investigated whether environmental cues such as packaging and container size are so powerful that they can increase our intake of foods that are less palatable. In a 2 x 2 between-subjects design, 158 moviegoers in Philadelphia (57.6% male; 28.7 years) were randomly given a medium (120 g) or a large (240 g) container of free popcorn that was either fresh or stale (14 days old). Following the movie, consumption measures were taken, along with measures of perceived taste. Moviegoers who were given fresh popcorn ate 45.3% more popcorn when it was given to them in large containers. This container-size influence is so powerful that even when the popcorn was disliked, people still ate 33.6% more popcorn when eating from a large container than from a medium-size container. Even when foods are not palatable, large packages and containers can lead to overeating. The silver lining of these findings may be that portion size can also be used to increase the consumption of less preferred healthful foods, such as raw vegetables.


An empirical investigation of the structure of anxiety and depressive symptoms in late adolescence: cross-sectional study using the Greek version of the revised Clinical Interview Schedule.
Several studies in the past have examined whether the hierarchical structure of anxiety and depressive symptoms can explain the high comorbidity between them but more studies are needed from other settings and with different methods. The present study aimed to examine the structure of common anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents 16-18 years old attending secondary schools using the Greek version of the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R), a fully structured psychiatric interview. A total of 2431 adolescents were interviewed with the computerized version of the CIS-R. The hierarchical structure of 12 depressive and anxiety symptoms was examined with confirmatory factor analytical methods. Four alternative models of increasing complexity were tested. The best-fitting model included three first-order factors, representing the dimensions of anxiety, depression and non-specific distress respectively. A model with a higher-order factor representing the broader internalizing dimension was less supported by the data. The findings of this and other studies should be taken into account in future classifications of psychiatric disorders and may have clinical practical implications.


Parental Knowledge Discrepancies: Examining the Roles of Warmth and Self-Disclosure.
Discrepancies between parents' and adolescents' reports in parental knowledge of adolescents' daily activities and whereabouts are common and have implications for adolescents' well-being and school success. Grounded in a family systems perspective utilizing reports from parents and adolescents, the goal of this study was to explore the extent to which parent-adolescent warmth and adolescent self-disclosure could account for discrepancies in parental knowledge by testing the indirect effects linking warmth to discrepancies in parental knowledge via adolescent self-disclosure. Participants were early adolescents (N = 172; 53% female) and their parents (90% mothers). Adolescents (57% African American/Black, 18% multiracial, 17% White/Caucasian, 7% Hispanic/Latino and 1% Asian American) attended a Midwestern, Title 1, urban, public middle school. Using structural equation modeling, findings showed that parent-adolescent warmth significantly predicted adolescent self-disclosure, which in turn predicted fewer discrepancies in parental knowledge. The findings from this study help in understanding the factors that contribute to parental knowledge discrepancies and highlight potential targets for family interventions.


A Bayesian analysis of bivariate ordinal data: Wisconsin epidemiologic study of diabetic retinopathy revisited.
In many biomedical experiments one may often encounter bivariate data which are component-wise ordinal. The data set of the ophthalmologic experiment of the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy (WESDR) is an example of such data. Several authors considered the analysis of such data from different viewpoints. The present work reviews the existing literature based on the WESDR data and on the basis of some latent variables provide the technique for analysing such data more easily in a Bayesian framework. Computation supports the methodology to a great extent. A comparison between our approach and the likelihood based approach considered by Kim has also been made.


What are Askanazy cells?
Considerable confusion exists over the names that are used in the study of thyroid pathology. In particular is the use of the name Askanazy cell. This is said to occur in Hashimoto's disease and has been described by a variety of names.


BACTID: a microcomputer implementation of a PASCAL program for bacterial identification based on Bayesean probability.
A computer program (BACTID) is described which enables the identification of bacteria based on a priori data and Bayesean probability testing. The program is not limited to a specific format, has a short execution time, can be easily applied to a variety of situations, and can be run on almost any microcomputer system operating under either 8-bit CP/M or 16-bit MS-DOS or PC-DOS. Additionally, BACTID is not limited to one type of computer (hardware independent); is not limited by size of the computer's random access memory (RAM independent); can recognize various database matrices (format independent); is able to compensate for missing data; and allows for various methods of data entry. The efficacy of the program was checked against a commercially available test system and a 99.34% agreement was obtained. Also, the execution time for a 46 x 21 data matrix was as little as 3.5 seconds. These results show that microcomputer identification programs not only are viable alternatives to code-book registers, but also offer flexibility which is not found in commercial systems.


Sex-specific neuronal respecification during the metamorphosis of the genital segments of the tobacco hornworm moth Manduca sexta.
At metamorphosis, the terminal abdominal segments of larvae of the moth Manduca sexta transform into either male or female genitalia. At the start of this transformation, the larval muscles degenerate but their remains may persist to form the scaffolding on which the new adult muscles differentiate. The survival and subsequent orientation of larval muscle remnants is determined by the sex of the individual and is independent of motor innervation at the start of metamorphosis. Many of the larval motoneurons persist through metamorphosis and innervate the skeletal muscle of the adult. The survival of particular motoneurons is also sex-dependent and correlated with the survival of its respective muscle remnant. No new skeletal motoneurons arise postembryonically, so all of the adult skeletal muscle motoneurons are derived from preexisting larval skeletal muscle motoneurons. The fates during metamorphosis are more complex for the visceral muscle motoneurons. Those innervating the adult hindgut of both sexes are identical and are derived from the larval hindgut motoneurons. Other hindgut motoneurons in the larva switch targets during metamorphosis and come to innervate the oviduct in adult females or perish in adult males. Other regions of the reproductive tract become innervated by adult-specific cells that differentiate during metamorphosis. These cells come from distinct lineages in males and females.


Fluctuations in Thyroid Hormone Levels During Initial Treatment for Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma are Associated with Changes in Hemostasis: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Background: During treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), patients go from euthyroidism to severe hypothyroidism to subclinical hyperthyroidism induced by thyroid hormone suppression therapy (THST). Severe hypothyroidism may induce a tendency toward bleeding, whereas hyperthyroidism is thrombogenic. Therefore, treatment for DTC may increase the risk of bleeding during thyroid hormone withdrawal, and thrombosis during THST. This study aims to provide prospective analysis of changes in the hemostatic system from euthyroidism to hypothyroidism, and during THST, in patients treated for DTC. Methods: This is a secondary study in a larger Dutch prospective cohort. Consecutive samples were obtained from 20 patients (18 female [90%]; median age 48 [interquartile range 35.8-56.5] years) throughout their treatment for DTC during euthyroidism (n = 5), severe hypothyroidism (n = 20), and THST (n = 20). We measured selected hemostatic proteins and C-reactive protein (CRP), performed functional tests of hemostasis (a thrombin generation test and a plasma-based clot lysis test), and assessed markers of in vivo activation of hemostasis (thrombin-antithrombin complexes, plasmin-antiplasmin [PAP] complexes, and D-dimer levels). Results: During hypothyroidism, the majority of measured parameters did not change. During THST, plasma levels of nearly all measured hemostatic proteins were higher than during hypothyroidism. Additionally, CRP significantly increased from 1.3 (0.5-3.3) to 3.2 (1.3-5.1) mg/L during THST (p < 0.01). Ex vivo thrombin generation increased from 626.0 (477.0-836.3) to 876.0 (699.0-1052.0) nM × min (p = 0.02), and ex vivo clot lysis time increased from 60.6 (55.6-67.4) to 76.0 (69.7-95.0) minutes during THST (p < 0.01). PAP levels reduced from 266.5 (211.8-312.0) to 192.0 (161.0-230.0) μg/L during THST (p < 0.01); other markers of in vivo activation of coagulation remained unaffected. Conclusions: During THST-induced hyperthyroidism, a shift toward a more hypercoagulable and hypofibrinolytic state occurred. However, in vivo activation of hemostasis did not increase. The rise in CRP levels suggests the presence of a low-grade inflammation in patients during THST. Both a hypercoagulable and hypofibrinolytic state and a low-grade inflammation are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Therefore, the subtle changes found during THST could potentially play a role in the pathogenesis of CVD as observed in DTC patients. Clinical Trial Registration: This study is part of a larger clinical trial registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR ID 7228).


Gray scale ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pseudocysts of the pancreas simulating renal pathology.
Ultrasonography has proved to be a reliable tool in the diagnosis of pseudocysts. A case is reported of a patient with a pseudocyst in the transverse mesocolon adjacent to the left kidney and spleen. Initial examination by computerized tomography and angiography failed to visualize the mass, while a renal cyst was simulated on nephrotomography. Repeat ultrasound examinations showed progressive increases in the size of the pseudocyst. This diagnosis was confirmed at operation. We believe that ultrasound is the modality of choice in patients with clinical suspicion of a pseudocyst.


Development, validation, and responsiveness of a novel disease activity index for intestinal Behçet's disease.
There is no disease activity index (DAI) currently available that can objectively assess the disease status of intestinal Behçet's disease (BD). The aim of this study was to develop a novel specific DAI for intestinal BD through a prospective study. Items included in the index were produced and graded by experts in intestinal BD. Two separate cohorts of patients (weighting and validation cohorts) with intestinal BD were prospectively enrolled, and their clinical and laboratory data were collected. Through weighting items by multiple regression modeling, the DAI for intestinal BD (DAIBD) was derived using the weighting cohort and validated using the validation cohort. The index's responsiveness was evaluated using a longitudinal cohort derived from the weighting cohort at a follow-up visit 2-3 months later. A total of 110 patients with intestinal BD were enrolled in the weighting cohort. Eight of the 17 items selected by the experts accounted for 86.8% of the physician's global assessment (PGA) variance. The DAIBD calculated with gradations of weighted items correlated more strongly with PGA (r=0.850) than did the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) (r=0.649) in 50 patients of the validation cohort. Furthermore, quiescent, mild, moderate, and severe could be discriminated using the best cutoff scores. The DAIBD showed much higher responsiveness than did the CDAI (r=0.812 vs. 0.645, respectively) in 109 patients in the longitudinal cohort. This novel DAIBD is an easy, valid, and responsive index to assess disease activity and can be useful to physicians who treat intestinal BD.


The responses of a community to disturbance: The importance of successional age and species' life histories.
The responses of different successional stages of a temperate intertidal algal community to disturbance were investigated with a field experiment. The experiment was conducted in a low intertidal boulder field in southern California. In this habitat, the top surfaces of boulders are covered with algae. The composition of the assemblage on any particular boulder depends on the length of time since it was last overturned by wave action. When a boulder is overturned, the algae on what was formerly the top surface, are killed in whole or part by a combination of sea urchin grazing, anoxia, light levels below compensation intensity, and mechanical damage caused by crushing or abrasion. The length of time that a boulder remains overturned and the local abundance of sea urchins determines the intensity of the disturbance. When the boulder is righted, recolonization begins either by vegetative regrowth of survivors and/or by spores from outside.Using a three-factorial design, this natural form of disturbance was experimentally mimicked and the responses of three different successional stages of the algal community monitored. Boulders in each successional category were overturned for periods of 17, 27 and 54 days in areas with and without sea urchins, then righted. Two aspects of community response to perturbation were evaluated. These were (1) the assemblage's ability to resist change and (2) its ability, if altered, to adjust to some semblance of its original state. The resistance of each assemblage and of its component species to change was measured by the percent decrease in algal cover and by the decline in percent similarity of the community to its original composition. The recovery rate of each assemblage and of the cover lost by each species during the first 35 days following a disturbance was measured by the rate of increase in percent similarity to the original composition and the percent reestablishment of lost cover.The experimental evidence demonstrates that the successional stages of the producer level of an intertidal algal community differ significantly in their responses to disturbance. Early successional communities suffer more damage from a given level of perturbation but recover more quickly than either middle or late successional communities. Damage to any particular assemblage of algae, irrespective of successional age, is more extensive and recovery slower, the longer the boulder is overturned and/or sea urchins are present. Several thresholds in these responses were also identified.Differences in community responses and non-linearities in these responses were attributable to the life history characteristics of the component species rather than emergent properties of the assemblage. These characteristics have evolved in response to a variety of recurrent natural disturbances. This interpretation is in agreement with recent critical reevaluations of the trends and mechanisms of successional change in natural communities.


Two columnar systems in the auditory neostriatum of the chick: evidence from 2-deoxyglucose.
In chicks, monaurally deafened at 3 weeks of age, 2-deoxyglucose labeling of the input layer L2 in the auditory neostriatum (field L) was analyzed after acoustic stimulation. Two types of stimuli were used: narrow band frequency modulations and white noise. Both stimuli provide evidence that there are bands or columns with different inputs from the contra- and ipsilateral ear, a rostral, intermediate, and caudal band, all oriented orthogonal to the isofrequency contours. The intermediate band, in addition, shows multiple alternating columns of ipsi-vs. contralateral dominant input, parallel to the isofrequency contours. Consequently, the tonotopic gradient is interrupted several times by these columns. The organization of field L bears interesting parallels to the mammalian auditory cortex and is the first evidence of columnar organization in a submammalian forebrain. The multiple interruptions of the tonotopic gradient between low and high frequencies in the intermediate band by alternating aural dominance has possible implications for understanding directional hearing, as well as for understanding formant analysis of species-specific sounds.


The cardiac, obstetric, and anesthetic management of pregnancy complicated by acute myocardial infarction.
Myocardial infarction (MI) occurring during pregnancy is a rare but potentially lethal event for both mother and fetus, particularly when it occurs in the third trimester or peripartum period. The authors report two cases of MI occurring in the third trimester of pregnancy and review the literature. Management of the acute infarct and the medical, obstetric, and anesthetic considerations in such patients during labor and delivery are discussed. Successful use of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is described in a patient with evolving MI and ongoing pain. The preferred method of delivery in the pregnant MI patient is addressed, with emphasis on the need for individualization of care and coordination between the cardiac, obstetric, and anesthetic teams. Finally, the authors review the risks of subsequent pregnancy in this patient population.


In vitro response of hFOB cells to pamidronate modified sodium silicate coated cellulose scaffolds.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of cellulose-based scaffolds coated with pure sodium silicate gel and sodium silicate gels accumulated with different concentrations of the bisphosphonate pamidronate as scaffolds for attachment, proliferation and differentiation of human fetal osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19). Human osteoblasts were cultured in vitro for a period up to 14 days on different cellulose scaffolds. Unmodified and sodium silicate coated cellulose scaffolds were used as control. Two surface-coated modifications of cellulose were applied. The scaffolds were coated in a modified two-step dip coating process with pure sodium silicate gel and pamidronate enriched sodium silicate gel, respectively. In order to investigate the influence of the pamidronate, concentrations of 0.667 mg Na-pamidronate/ml sodium silicate solution, 0.333 mg Na-pamidronate/ml sodium silicate solution and 3.33 x 10(-3) mg Na-pamidronate/ml sodium silicate solution were used for the coating process. Cell proliferation, vitality and attachment were examined by means of cell counting, WST-1 test, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The relative grade of differentiation of hFOB cells was examined by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis for the gene expression of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. Proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblasts was enhanced by the sodium silicate coatings accumulated with pamidronate compared to pure sodium silicate coatings. There was a reciprocal correlation of vitality with the concentration of pamidronate. The highest vitality was found on surfaces with the lowest pamidronate accumulation. Alkaline phosphatase, an early differentiation marker, was overexpressed after 7 days in cells on all pamidronate-containing surfaces (up to 350% compared to untreated cellulose). Osteocalcin, a late differentiation marker, was overexpressed after 14 days in cells on all coated surfaces (up to 300,000% compared to untreated cellulose). The results indicate that due to the modified coating procedure a homogeneous coating and thus, an enhancement of cell attachment and subsequent cellular functions can be achieved. Low concentrations of pamidronate seem to have a relevant effect on cell proliferation and vitality and, therefore, can be recommended for the improvement of the properties of a biomaterial.


Iteratively acting glycosyltransferases involved in the hexasaccharide biosynthesis of landomycin A.
Detailed studies on the biosynthesis of the hexasaccharide side chain of landomycin A, produced by S. cyanogenus S136, revealed the function of each glycosyltransferase gene of the biosynthetic gene cluster. Analyses of generated mutants as well as feeding experiments allowed us to determine that LanGT2 and LanGT3 catalyze the attachment of one sugar, whereas LanGT1 and LanGT4 attach two sugars during landomycin A biosynthesis. The generation of a lanZ2 deletion mutant provided evidence that LanZ2 is controlling the elongation of the saccharide side chain.


Abnormalities of retinal metabolism in diabetes or experimental galactosemia. VI. Comparison of retinal and cerebral cortex metabolism, and effects of antioxidant therapy.
Metabolic abnormalities observed in retina and in cerebral cortex were compared in diabetic rats and experimentally galactosemic rats. Diabetes or experimental galactosemia of 2 months duration significantly increased oxidative stress in retina, as shown by elevation of retinal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and subnormal activities of antioxidant defense enzymes, but had no such effect in the cerebral cortex. Activities of sodium potassium adenosine triphosphatase [(Na,K)-ATPase] and calcium ATPase became subnormal in retina as well as in cerebral cortex. In contrast, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was elevated in retina but not in cerebral cortex in the same hyperglycemic rats. Dietary supplementation with an antioxidant mixture (containing ascorbic acid, Trolox, alpha-tocopherol acetate, N-acetyl cysteine, beta-carotene, and selenium) prevented the diabetes-induced and galactosemia-induced elevation of retinal oxidative stress, the elevation of retinal PKC activity and the decrease of retinal ATPases. In cerebral cortex, administration of the antioxidant diet also prevented the diabetes-induced decreases in (Na,K)-ATPase and calcium ATPases, but had no effect on TBARS and activities of PKC and antioxidant-defense enzymes. The results indicate that retina and cerebral cortex differ distinctly in their response to elevation of tissue hexose, and that cerebral cortex is more resistant than retina to diabetes-induced oxidative stress. The greater resistance to oxidative stress in cerebral cortex, as compared to retina, is consistent with the resistance of cerebral cortex to microvascular disease in diabetes, and with a hypothesis that oxidative stress contributes to microvascular disease in diabetes. Dietary supplementation with these antioxidants offers a means to inhibit multiple hyperglycemia-induced retinal metabolic abnormalities.


In Two Maine Towns, Schools Address The Mental Health Of Refugee Children.
School-based programs in Auburn and Lewiston help meet the unique health needs of refugees from war-torn Somalia.


Release of dibenzoyl peroxide from polymethyl methacrylate denture base resins: an in vitro evaluation.
Dibenzoyl peroxide (BPO), an initiator in polymethyl methacrylate denture base resins, has been associated with allergic reactions in human patients. This study evaluated the content of BPO in acrylic denture base materials (ADBM) prior and subsequent to recommended and additional post-polymerization, and subsequent to storage in varying solutions. The goal was to determine differences in BPO content in ADBMs, to determine whether differences are seen in BPO release over time and to test different procedures for additional BPO reduction. Three heat-polymerizing, two auto-polymerizing and a microwave polymerizing "hypoallergic" ADBM were investigated. Five samples (Ø414.57mg) were polymerized according to manufacturers' instructions from each of the six acrylic resins for each of the variables to be investigated. For each material the BPO content was measured as delivered by the manufacturer and subsequent to recommended and post-polymerization protocols. The BPO content was also evaluated after storage in distilled water (22 degrees C, 192h), in artificial saliva (35 degrees C, 192h), in ethanol, potassium permanganate and ammonium ferric(II) sulfate solutions (22 degrees C, 48h). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and indirect iodometry were used to detect BPO concentrations. Significant differences were noted in BPO concentrations between the polymers as delivered from the manufacturer (0.13-1.20%), subsequent to polymerization (0.05-0.32%) and to the various treatment and storage procedures (H and U-tests, p<0.05). The microwave polymerizing ADBM contained the lowest initial level of BPO. No reduction of BPO content was noted after 8 days of storage in artificial saliva or water. The most notable reduction (63-95%) occurred subsequent to post-polymerization cycles. BPO was detected in all investigated ADBMs. It is unlikely, under oral conditions, that BPO is released from the investigated ADBMs. The BPO concentration can be reduced effectively by additional post-polymerization.


Secure tumor classification by shallow neural network using homomorphic encryption.
Disclosure of patients' genetic information in the process of applying machine learning techniques for tumor classification hinders the privacy of personal information. Homomorphic Encryption (HE), which supports operations between encrypted data, can be used as one of the tools to perform such computation without information leakage, but it brings great challenges for directly applying general machine learning algorithms due to the limitations of operations supported by HE. In particular, non-polynomial activation functions, including softmax functions, are difficult to implement with HE and require a suitable approximation method to minimize the loss of accuracy. In the secure genome analysis competition called iDASH 2020, it is presented as a competition task that a multi-label tumor classification method that predicts the class of samples based on genetic information using HE. We develop a secure multi-label tumor classification method using HE to ensure privacy during all the computations of the model inference process. Our solution is based on a 1-layer neural network with the softmax activation function model and uses the approximate HE scheme. We present an approximation method that enables softmax activation in the model using HE and a technique for efficiently encoding data to reduce computational costs. In addition, we propose a HE-friendly data filtering method to reduce the size of large-scale genetic data. We aim to analyze the dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, which consists of 3,622 samples from 11 types of cancers, genetic features from 25,128 genes. Our preprocessing method reduces the number of genes to 4,096 or less and achieves a microAUC value of 0.9882 (85% accuracy) with a 1-layer shallow neural network. Using our model, we successfully compute the tumor classification inference steps on the encrypted test data in 3.75 minutes. As a result of exceptionally high microAUC values, our solution was awarded co-first place in iDASH 2020 Track 1: "Secure multi-label Tumor classification using Homomorphic Encryption". Our solution is the first result of implementing a neural network model with softmax activation using HE. Also, HE optimization methods presented in this work enable machine learning implementation using HE or other challenging HE applications.


Determination of important odor-active aldehydes of wine through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of their O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)oximes formed directly in the solid phase extraction cartridge used for selective isolation.
A method for the quantitative determination of octanal, nonanal, decanal, (E)-2-nonenal and (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal in wine has been developed. In the proposed method, 200 ml of wine percolate through a solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge packed with 200 mg of LiChrolut EN resins. The interferences are eluted with 60 ml of an aqueous solution containing 40% of methanol and 1% of NaHCO3. In the same SPE cartridge, the corresponding O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)oximes are formed by letting percolate 2 ml of the reagent solution (5 mg ml(-1)). At room temperature the derivatization goes to completion in 15 min. The derivatives are eluted with 2 ml of dichloromethane, and the extract is concentrated and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The percentage of recovery in the isolation process is better than 90% in all cases with the exception of octanal, and is independent of the wine studied. In the cases of octanal, nonanal and decanal, the detection limits of the method are determined by the contamination levels of the reagent itself, and vary between 160 and 380 ng l(-1). For (E)-2-nonenal and (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal, the detection limits were 12 and 20 and ng l(-1), respectively. The linearity of the method upheld until 10 microg l(-1) and was satisfactory in all cases. The reproducibility of the method is independent of the concentration and ranges from 30 to 190 ng (l(-1). The method has been applied to the analysis of these components in several wine samples. With the exception of (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal, all the components can reach concentrations above their corresponding odor threshold values.


Genital Herpes Simplex Virus-An Updated Review.
The herpes virus was named by the Greek physician Hippocrates who called it herpes because the lesions appeared near each other and were vesicular. Alphaherpesvirinae, Betaherpesvirinae, and Gammaherpesvirinae are subfamilies of the human herpes virus family. The Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily includes the simplex viruses-HSV-1 and HSV-2-and varicellovirus-varicella zoster virus. There are more than 200 members of the Herpesviridae family capable of infecting different species, 8 of which are known to cause disease in humans. The simplex viruses can cause lifelong genital infections, and despite the prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections in the United States decreasing in the past 20 years, infections with these viruses continue to contribute to significant clinical and psychological morbidities.


An early post-traumatic reaction of lymph-heart striated muscle fibers in adult frog Rana temporaria during the first postoperative week: An electron microscopic and autoradiographic study.
According to the current opinion, lymph-heart striated muscle represents a specialized type of skeletal muscles in frogs. Here, we studied muscle fibers in mechanically damaged lymph hearts during the first postoperative week using electron-microscopic autoradiography. We present evidence that both, the satellite cells and pre-existing muscle fibers bordering the site of injury, contribute directly to the lymph-heart muscle regeneration. Several muscle fibers located in the vicinity of the damaged area displayed features of nuclear and sarcoplasmic activation. We also observed ultrastructural changes indicating activation of a few satellite cells, namely decondensation of chromatin, enlargement of nuclei and nucleoli, appearance of free ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum tubules in the cytoplasm. Electron-microscopic autoradiography showed that 4 h after single (3)H-thymidine administration on the seventh day after injury not only the activated satellite cells, but also some nuclei of myofibers bordering the injured zone are labeled. We showed that both, the myonuclei of fibers displaying the signs of degenerative/reparative processes in the sarcoplasm and the myonuclei of the fibers enriched with highly organized myofibrils, can re-enter into the S-phase. Our results indicate that the nuclei of lymph-heart myofibers can reactivate DNA synthesis during regenerative myogenesis, unlike the situation in regenerating frog skeletal muscle where myogenic cells do not synthesize DNA at the onset of myofibrillogenesis.


A novel link of HLA locus to the regulation of immunity and infection: NFKBIL1 regulates alternative splicing of human immune-related genes and influenza virus M gene.
HLA locus contains immune-related genes and genetically regulates immune responses against both foreign- and self-antigens in humans. Inhibitor of κB-like protein (IκBL), encoded by HLA-linked NFKBIL1, is a protein of unknown function, while genetic variations in NFKBIL1 are known to associate with the susceptibility to inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases. In this study, we found that IκBL suppressed exon exclusion in alternative splicing of human immune-related genes such as CD45. Yeast-two-hybrid screening and immunoprecipitation assay revealed molecular association of IκBL with CLK1, a serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase, which plays a role in the alternative splicing. Unexpectedly, we found that the regulation of alternative splicing in CD45 by IκBL was independent from the kinase activity of CLK1. On the other hand, it was demonstrated that an SR protein, ASF/SF2, bound both IκBL and CLK1 at the RNA-recognition motifs of ASF/SF2, implying a competition of IκBL and CLK1 on SR protein. In addition, IκBL was found to regulate the CLK1-dependent synthesis of M2 RNA, a splice variant of influenza A virus M gene. These observations suggest a functional involvement of IκBL in the regulation of alternative splicing in both human and viral genes, which is a novel link of HLA locus to the regulation of immunity and infection in humans.


Pharmacodynamic modeling of the EEG effects of ketamine and its enantiomers in man.
The pharmacodynamics of a racemic mixture of ketamine R,S(+/-)-ketamine and of each enantiomer, S(+)-ketamine and R(-)-ketamine, were studied in five volunteers. The median frequency of the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum, a continuous noninvasive measure of the degree of central nervous system (CNS) depression (pharmacodynamics), was related to measured serum concentrations of drug (pharmacokinetics). The concentration-effect relationship was described by an inhibitory sigmoid Emax pharmacodynamic model, yielding estimates of both maximal effect (Emax) and sensitivity (IC50) to the racemic and enantiomeric forms of ketamine. R(-)-ketamine was not as effective as R,S(+/-)-ketamine or S(+)-ketamine in causing EEG slowing. The maximal decrease (mean +/- SD) of the median frequency (Emax) for R(-)-ketamine was 4.4 +/- 0.5 Hz and was significantly different from R,S(+/-)-ketamine (7.6 +/- 1.7 Hz) and S(+)-ketamine (8.3 +/- 1.9 Hz). The ketamine serum concentration that caused one-half of the maximal median frequency decrease (IC50) was 1.8 +/- 0.5 micrograms/mL for R(-)-ketamine; 2.0 +/- 0.5 micrograms/mL for R,S(+/-)-ketamine; and 0.8 +/- 0.4 microgram/mL for S(+)-ketamine. Because the maximal effect (Emax) of the R(-)-ketamine was different from that of S(+)-ketamine and R,S(+/-)-ketamine, it was not possible to directly compare the potency (i.e., IC50) of these compounds. Accordingly, a classical agonist/partial-agonist interaction model was examined, using the separate enantiomer results to predict racemate results. Although the model did not predict racemate results well, its failure was not so great as to provide clear evidence of synergism (or excess antagonism) of the enantiomers.


Microvascular Density and Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells Before and After Treatment with Incretin Mimetics in Diabetic Patients.
Glucagon-like peptide 1-receptor agonists (incretin mimetics) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (incretin enhancers) have been recently introduced in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In particular, incretin mimetics seems to have ancillary antioxidant/antinflammatory properties that might be involved in endothelial protection. To investigate the effect of incretin mimetic therapy (liraglutide, exenatide) given to 11 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, on circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) (bone marrow-derived cells possibly participating in neovascularization and endothelial protection and repair) and capillary density. Four diabetic patients were treated with exenatide (5 μg twice daily for 4 weeks and then 10 μg twice daily for 3 weeks) and 7 with liraglutide (0.6 mg per day for 1 week and then 1.2 mg per day for 3 weeks). Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained before treatment (basal) and after 4 week in patients treated with liraglutide, and after 4 and 7 weeks in patients treated with exenatide, since drug titration is usually longer. EPCs were evaluated by flow cytometry as CD34+/KDR+ cells. Capillary density was evaluated by videomicroscopy, before and after venous congestion, in the dorsum of the 4th finger. Patients treated with liraglutide (6 males 1 female, age 54 ± 12 years) showed a decrease in body mass index and blood pressure during treatment, while patients treated with exenatide (3 males 1 female, age 57 ± 6 years) did not show any relevant change. EPCs were significantly increased after treatment with exenatide, but not after treatment with liraglutide. Capillary density was slightly increased only after 4 weeks of treatment with exenatide, however the increase was no longer present at the final evaluation. Treatment with exenatide, but not with liraglutide, was able to increase the number of circulating EPCs, possibly through an antioxidative/antiinflammatory effect.


Qualitative and quantitative analysis of cephradine in biological materials by high performance liquid chromatography.
A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of cephradine, one of the commonly used antibiotics, in biological materials. Mimic samples for stomach contents, miso soup, were applied to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after centrifugation and purification by Sep-Pak C18 cartridge treatment. Serum samples deproteinized or urine samples diluted were directly injected into the HPLC. The recoveries of cephradine from these materials were 95-97% and the detection limit was 0.01 microgram/injection. This method was applied to the analysis of cephradine in stomach contents obtained by autopsy. After purification by the cartridge treatment, cephradine in the sample was identified and determined by HPLC and further confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and mass spectrometry (MS).


Major depressive disorder identification by referenced multiset canonical correlation analysis with clinical scores.
A novel method based on multiset canonical correlation analysis (mCCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is presented to identify the major depressive disorder (MDD). The new method comprises two parts, namely, the mCCA-rreg and sparse LDA models. The mCCA-rreg model extends the classical canonical correlation model to calculate functional connections by restricting the references to a reference space and adding a spatial regularization term. The reference space is used to ensure that the model extracts important components first from several datasets simultaneously by decreasing the importance of the components in which we are uninterested. The spatial regularization term helps in avoiding the multicollinearity and overfitting problems under the low signal-to-noise ratio circumstance. The sparse LDA model extends the classical LDA model to extract a small subset of discriminative classification features by fusing clinical scores. In the real data experiment, we extract two functional connection modes from 45 subjects by the mCCA-rreg model. Then, we construct classifiers to identify the patients with MDD based on the connections selected by the sparse LDA model. The best accuracy is higher than 95%. The results show that the mCCA-rreg model can retrieve the important components characterized by a preassigned reference space and exclude the noise or components of no interest. The sparse LDA model can extract discriminative classification features related to clinical scores.


The RPL/RPS gene signature of melanoma CTCs associates with brain metastasis.
Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) is linked to poor prognosis and low overall survival. We hypothesized that melanoma circulating tumor cells (CTCs) possess a gene signature significantly expressed and associated with MBM. Employing a multi-pronged approach, we provide first-time evidence identifying a common CTC gene signature for ribosomal protein large/small subunits (RPL/RPS) which associate with MBM onset and progression. Experimental strategies involved capturing, transcriptional profiling and interrogating CTCs, either directly isolated from blood of melanoma patients at distinct stages of MBM progression or from CTC-driven MBM in experimental animals. Second, we developed the first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) CTC-derived MBM xenograft model (MRI-MBM CDX) to discriminate MBM spatial and temporal growth, recreating MBM clinical presentation and progression. Third, we performed the comprehensive transcriptional profiling of MRI-MBM CDXs, along with longitudinal monitoring of CTCs from CDXs possessing/not possessing MBM. Our findings suggest that enhanced ribosomal protein content/ribogenesis may contribute to MBM onset. Since ribosome modifications drive tumor progression and metastatic development by remodeling CTC translational events, overexpression of the CTC RPL/RPS gene signature could be implicated in MBM development. Collectively, this study provides important insights for relevance of the CTC RPL/RPS gene signature in MBM, and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention to improve patient care for melanoma patients diagnosed with or at high-risk of developing MBM.


Computerized diagnosis of gastrointestinal helminths of humans.
An interactive computer program written in BASIC with the objective of assisting the identification of species of common gastrointestinal parasites of humans is presented. The computer program acquires observational information needed for the identification of a parasite from the user. The user selects a description from a set of given descriptions that best fits the parasite observed. Depending on the response of the user, the program presents another set of descriptions from which the user must choose again, and so on, until the program concludes with the species of the parasite, the mode of infection, the affected system(s), and the treatment of choice.


Pediatric neurology: the diagnostic process.
Pediatric neurology comprises a very large of number of conditions exhibiting symptoms and signs in several functional domains arising from damage and dysfunction to the developing nervous system. The diagnostic process involves ensuring that data from all possible domains are sought including those that are unaffected. The subsequent analysis involves fitting these data into patterns of classical natural history and rigorous investigation of the aspects that do not appear to fit. There may be a pattern of illness that is immediately recognized or something that is a fairly close fit. However, the aim is to develop a pathogenic sequence for the condition particularly so that conditions that have been lumped together for convenience are separated into distinct disease entities. The major presentations of pediatric neurology of fixed central motor impairments (the cerebral palsies), the epilepsies, and the progressive degenerative diseases are in the process of being split into such pathogenic sequences so that definitive treatments and possible primary prevention can be added to aims of simple diagnostic recognition. Much of this is at an early stage and pediatric neurology is still a young and fast developing specialty.


Two endoplasmic reticulum proteins (calnexin and calreticulin) are involved in innate immunity in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).
Calnexin (Cnx) and calreticulin (Crt), which are important chaperones in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), participate in the folding and quality control of client proteins. Cnx and Crt identified from Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) are designated as EsCnx and EsCrt, respectively. EsCnx and EsCrt are expressed in the hemocyte, hepatopancrea, gill, and intestine at the mRNA and protein level. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that EsCnx and EsCRT are located in the ER. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of EsCnx and EsCrt were altered by challenge with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), peptidoglycans (PGN), Staphyloccocus aureus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Recombinant EsCnx and EsCrt (rEsCnx and rEsCrt, respectively) proteins can bind to various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as to different polysaccharides (LPS and PGN). rEsCnx and rEsCrt assisted in the clearance of V. parahaemolyticus in vivo, and the clearance efficiency was impaired after silencing of EsCnx and EsCrt. Our results suggest that the two ER proteins are involved in anti-bacterial immunity in E. sinensis.


Intriguing size distribution of the uncultured and globally widespread marine non-cyanobacterial diazotroph Gamma-A.
Non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) have recently emerged as potentially important contributors to marine nitrogen fixation. One of the most widely distributed NCDs is Gamma-A, yet information about its autecology is still scarce and solely relies on the PCR-based detection of its nitrogenase (nifH) gene in seawater, since previous metagenomic surveys targeting free-living planktonic size fractions (<3 μm) have not detected it. Here, we explore the diversity, biogeography, size-distribution, and nitrogenase gene expression of Gamma-A across four larger planktonic size-fractions (0.8-5, 5-20, 20-180, and 180-2000 μm) using metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from the Tara Oceans. We detected a single variant of a complete Gamma-A nifH gene along with other nitrogenase-related genes (nifKDT) within a metatranscriptomic-based contig of the Marine Atlas of Tara Ocean Unigenes. Gamma-A was detected in tropical and subtropical oceanic regions across all the size-fractions. However, the highest gene and transcript abundances were found in the 0.8-5 and 5-20 μm size-fractions at the surface, whereas abundances at the deep chlorophyll maximum were lower and similar across all size-fractions. The ubiquitous presence of active Gamma-A in large planktonic size-fractions suggests a filamentous or particle-attached lifestyle and places its potential to fix nitrogen in larger planktonic compartments.


Physiological parameters associated with psychogenic sexual arousal in women with complete spinal cord injuries.
To compare the physiological sexual responses of women with complete spinal cord injuries (SCIs) with those of able-bodies women. Controlled laboratory-based analysis of responses to audiovisual erotic and audiovisual erotic combined with manual stimulation. The sexual physiology laboratory at our free-standing rehabilitation hospital. A volunteer sample of 13 women with complete SCIs above T6 along with eight able-bodies women, matched for age and educational status. A 78-minute protocol using 6-minute baseline alternating with 12-minute testing conditions was conducted. Included vaginal pulse amplitude, subjective arousal, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Showed comparable increases in subjective arousal in both groups with audiovisual but not audiovisual combined with manual stimulation. Vaginal pulse amplitude increased in able-bodied subjects but no SCI subjects with isolated audiovisual stimulation; however, with the addition of manual stimulation all subjects responded similarly. Other nongenital correlates of sexual arousal were similar between SCI and able-bodies subjects. These results provide physiological validation of the hypothesis that women with complete SCI can respond with audiovisual stimulation similarly to able-bodies women in those functions that are controlled neurologically above the level of their injuries, whereas, genital vasocongestion will not occur because the neurological pathway is interrupted. In contrast, reflex genital vasocongestion can occur in women with complete SCI despite a lack of subjective arousal. These findings can be used to educate women with complete SCIs about their sexual responses.


Workplace wisdom.
What advice should I give to nurses who incur car parking fines in the course of their work?


A selective alpha1D-adrenoreceptor antagonist inhibits human prostate cancer cell proliferation and motility "in vitro".
The progression of prostate cancer (PC) to a metastatic hormone refractory disease is the major contributor to the overall cancer mortality in men, mainly because the conventional therapies are generally ineffective at this stage. Thus, other therapeutic options are needed as alternatives or in addition to the classic approaches to prevent or delay tumor progression. Catecholamines participate to the control of prostate cell functions by the activation of alpha1-adrenoreceptors (alpha1-AR) and increased sympathetic activity has been linked to PC development and evolution. Molecular and pharmacological studies identified three alpha1-AR subtypes (A, B and D), which differ in tissue distribution, cell signaling, pharmacology and physiological role. Within the prostate, alpha1A-ARs mainly control stromal cell functions, while alpha1B- and alpha1D- subtypes seem to modulate glandular epithelial cell growth. The possible direct contribution of alpha1D-ARs in tumor biology is supported by their overexpression in PC. The studies here presented investigate the "in vitro" antitumor action of A175, a selective alpha1D-AR antagonist we have recently obtained by modifying the potent, but not subtype-selective alpha1-AR antagonist (S)-WB4101, in the hormone-refractory PC3 and DU145 PC cell lines. The results indicate that A175 has an alpha1D-AR-mediated significant and dose-dependent antiproliferative action that possibly involves the induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, but not apoptosis. In addition, A175 reduces cell migration and adhesiveness to culture plates. In conclusion, our work clarified some cellular aspects promoted by alpha1D-AR activity modulation and supports a further pharmacological approach in the cure of hormone-refractory PC, by targeting specifically this AR subtype.


Consumption of pharmaceutical drugs in exception region of separation for drug prescribing and dispensing program in South Korea.
In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy-and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 % pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 % pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value < 0.05; adrenal cortical hormones = β: 0.72, SE: 0.07, t: 9.92, p-value < 0.05). Our results suggested that pharmacies in exception regions supplied more antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, and more adrenal cortical hormones compared with the pharmacies where separation of drug prescribing and dispensing had been implemented. Health care professionals and health policy makers should consider management of health care expenditure by the category of drugs consumed, especially in program exception regions.


Iron cobalt-doped carbon nanofibers anode to simultaneously boost bioelectrocatalysis and direct electron transfer in microbial fuel cells: Characterization, performance, and mechanism.
A self-supporting electrode (FeCo-MOF/CNFs) combining iron cobalt bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (FeCo-MOFs) with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) was applied as the anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The introduction of FeCo-MOFs enhanced graphitization degree and electrical conductivity, which endowed FeCo-MOF/CNFs with excellent electrocatalytic performance and good biocompatibility. The hierarchical porous structure of FeCo-MOF/CNFs provided abundant attachment sites for electroactive bacteria (EAB) and facilitated rapid electron transfer. The MFC equipped with FeCo-MOF/CNFs anode (FeCo/CNFs-MFC) exhibited considerable power generation output (maximum power density: 5.3 ± 0.2 W/m2, coulombic efficiency: 54 ± 4 %). In addition, FeCo/CNFs-MFC achieved a direct electron transfer (DET) catalytic current density of 0.63 A/m2. FeCo-MOF/CNFs could simultaneously enhance the bioelectrocatalysis activity and promote the DET process of EAB, which provided an effective way to improve the sluggish extracellular electron transport process of the MFC anode.


Outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty.
To evaluate outcomes from the use of a femtosecond laser to trephine both donor and recipient corneas during penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Prospective interventional case series. Patients were recruited from the cornea clinic of the Singapore National Eye Centre. We used a 10-kHz Femtec (20/10 Perfect Vision, Heidelberg, Germany) femtosecond laser to perform trephination of the donor cornea on an artificial anterior chamber, followed by trephination of the recipient cornea. Trephination cuts were straight and performed 90 degrees to the corneal surface. Tissue bridges were bluntly separated with a Barrett phaco chopper. The donor button was then sutured to the recipient with double continuous sutures, or interrupted sutures if significant host corneal vascularization was present. Postoperatively, visual acuity, refraction, intraocular pressures, and optical coherence tomography (Visante; Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany) were evaluated. Eight eyes of eight patients underwent PK for conditions ranging from bullous keratopathy to corneal scarring from herpetic stromal keratitis. Patients were followed up for a mean of 9.5 months. Best-corrected visual acuities of patients with no ocular comorbidity ranged from 20/20 to 20/80. Mean cylindrical refractive error at last review was 2.56 diopters [D] (range, 0.50 to 4.00 D). Tissue bridges were bluntly dissected except for one case that required scissors completion of trephination. No complications were encountered related to use of the Femtec laser. The Femtec laser reliably trephines both donor and recipient corneas for PK, with good visual outcomes and relatively low degrees of astigmatism.


Reversed Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Ultra-violet (Photo Diode Array) Quantification of Oleanolic Acid and its Isomer Ursolic Acid for Phytochemical Comparison and Pharmacological Evaluation of Four Leucas Species Used in Ayurveda.
Different Leucas species are well known as "Dronpushpi," a well-known herb of Ayurveda, used in the treatment of various ailments. Evaluation of four industrially important Leucas species for their in vitro antidiabetic potential and radical scavenging effect along with high-performance liquid chromatographic quantification of the bioactive triterpenes. The quantification of triterpenes was carried out on C-18 column with acetonitrile and water (90:10) as the solvent system at a detection wavelength of 210 nm. In vitro antidiabetic activity was evaluated by α-amylase inhibition assay based on starch-iodine and 3,5 dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Antioxidant activity was calculated by five different models, namely total phenolic and total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging activity by 1-1-diphenyl-2-pic-rylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing power assay, and the total antioxidant capacity. Maximum concentration of oleanolic acid was found in Leucas cristata, followed by Leucas mollissima, Leucas Aspera, and Leucas biflora. Ursolic acid was highest in L. mollissima and then in L. biflora, L. cristata, and L. aspera, respectively. In in vitro antidiabetic activity, IC50 of L. aspera (1.56 ± 0.01 mg/ml) and L. mollissima (0.75 ± 0.005 mg/ml) were found to be highest in DNS and iodine starch assay. IC50 in DPPH assay ranges from 0.6 ± 0.011 to 1.68 ± 0.011 mg/ml. Antioxidant capacity follows the order; L. aspera > L. mollissima > L. biflora > L. cristata. Promising activities were observed in targeted species, thus L. mollissima, L. biflora, and L. cristata can be used alternatively as a substitute to L. aspera. Physicochemical parameters are within the limit as per the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of IndiaMaximum concentration of oleanolic acid was found in Leucas cristata; however, ursolic acid was highest in Leucas mollissima In vitro antidiabetic activity of Leucas aspera and L. mollissima was found to be heighest as compared to other species. However, antioxidant capacity is almost similar in targeted species.Promising activities were observed in all the species, thus L. mollissima, Leucas biflora, and L. cristata can be used alternatively as a substitute to L. aspera.


Sampling particulate matter for analysis - Controlling uncertainty and bias using the theory of sampling.
Sampling particulate matter for measuring the content of an analyte is a routine operation in many fields of engineering and science. However, sampling can lead to important bias and variance in concentration estimation because of sampling errors stemming from particulate matter heterogeneity. The goal of this study was to quantify bias, reproducibility and the degree of representativeness of a probabilistic sampling (PS) technique following principles from the Theory of sampling (TOS) and grab sampling (GS). PS was designed to control sampling errors, while GS did not exert any control over them. GS also included a step of sieve screening, which is common during sampling in some fields (e.g. soil sampling). Both techniques were used with two different analytes, namely steel microspheres and copper sulfate, at two different concentrations, in order to assess sampling errors and sampling performance. The sampling method had the most significant effect on sampling bias and relative variance, and therefore, on the degree of sampling representativeness. The most important result is the demonstration that probabilistic sampling improves the degree of representativeness of concentrations measurements by more than two orders of magnitudes by significantly decreasing bias and relative variance. The lot containing the physical analyte lead to larger bias and relative variance compared to the lot containing the chemical analyte. GS resulted in largely biased results and a poor degree of representativeness. The results have also highlighted a significant problem associated with the screening of larger particles as performed in GS. This alteration of the primary sample decreased the variability of the resulting concentration measurements, but it also biased them significantly.


High-Performance Packaged 3D Lithium-Ion Microbatteries Fabricated Using Imprint Lithography.
Fabrication of high-energy-density and high-power-density packaged long-cycle-life rechargeable microbatteries remains a considerable challenge. Here, high-performance microbatteries with high active volume fraction, thick, 3D-structured electrodes (V2 O5 cathode and Li metal anode) are realized through a combination of imprint lithography, self-assembly, and electrodeposition. To assist the critical challenge of hermetic packaging, the microbattery is infilled with a gel electrolyte. The packaged cell exhibits high areal energy and power densities of 1.24 J cm-2 and 75.5 mW cm-2 , respectively, and can be cycled 550 times in argon or 200 times in air with 75% capacity retention of the initial discharge capacity. An unpackaged cell, using a liquid electrolyte, provides a power density of 218 mW cm-2 . As far as it is known, the microbatteries have the highest peak power density among all reported microbatteries.


An emerging strategy for tracing the anti-erectile dysfunction components of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati by combinatory liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based quantitative analysis, efficacy assessment on impotent rats, and partial least squares regression.
Semens of Astragali Complanati own anti-erectile dysfunction effect; however, the components which contribute to the anti-erectile dysfunction effect remain unclear. This work raised a strategy that integrates liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry-based quantitative analysis, anti-erectile dysfunction assessment on impotent rats, and their relationship analysis for pinpointing anti-erectile dysfunction components from semens of Astragali Complanati. For simultaneous quantification of seven major components in raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati, an accurate and reliable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed under multiple reaction monitoring mode. Of note, chloramphenicol was employed as the internal standard. The method showed good linearity and repeatability, where the recovery rates of each component ranged from 98.1 to 104.7%, and the precisions of intra- and interday were all within 3.4%. The method has been used for quantification of the seven major components in 10 batches of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati. Then, the anti-erectile dysfunction effects of raw and salt-processed semens of Astragali Complanati were evaluated on impotent rats. Gray relationship analysis and partial least squares regression were combined for elucidating the relationship. As a result, complanatuside, astragalin, complanatoside B, and kaempferol were found to be responsible for anti-erectile dysfunction effect of Astragali Complanati.


GPA-14, a Gα(i) subunit mediates dopaminergic behavioral plasticity in C. elegans.
Precise levels of specific neurotransmitters are required for appropriate neuronal functioning. The neurotransmitter dopamine is implicated in modulating behaviors, such as cognition, reward and memory. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the release of dopamine during behavioral plasticity is in part modulated through an acid-sensing ion channel expressed in its eight dopaminergic neurons. A D2-like C. elegans dopamine receptor DOP-2 co-expresses along with a Gα(i) subunit (GPA-14) in the anterior deirid (ADE) pair of dopaminergic neurons. In follow-up experiments to our recently reported in vitro physical interaction between DOP-2 and GPA-14, we have behaviorally characterized worms carrying deletion mutations in gpa-14 and/or dop-2. We found both mutants to display behavioral abnormalities in habituation as well as associative learning, and exogenous supply of dopamine was able to revert the observed behavioral deficits. The behavioral phenotypes of dop-2 and gpa-14 loss-of-function mutants were found to be remarkably similar, and we did not observe any cumulative defects in their double mutants. Our results provide genetic and phenotypic support to our earlier in vitro results where we had shown that the DOP-2 dopamine receptor and the GPA-14 Gα(i) subunit physically interact with each other. Results from behavioral experiments presented here together with our previous in-vitro work suggests that the DOP-2 functions as a dopamine auto-receptor to modulate two types of learning, anterior touch habituation and chemosensory associative conditioning, through a G-protein complex that comprises GPA-14 as its Gα subunit.


The yield of continuous EEG monitoring in the intensive care unit at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: A retrospective study.
Background: The practice of continuous EEG monitoring (CEEG) in the intensive care unit (ICU) has spread over the past decade. Building an effective ICU CEEG program demands adequate EEG equipment and human resources. This may not be available in developing healthcare systems. This study sought to shed light on the real-life utility of CEEG at a tertiary healthcare center in the developing healthcare system of Saudi Arabia,. Methods: This is a retrospective review of CEEG findings, along with mortality and duration of hospitalization of patients who had CEEG during a 12-month period at the adult ICU at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 202 CEEG records were identified. A total of 52 patients had non-convulsive seizures (NCS); 10 clearly fulfilled criteria for non-convulsive status epilepticus. There were 120 patients that had clinical seizures upon presentation. Among them, 36 (30%) had NCS on EEG. The proportion of patients who were deceased at 60 days was higher in patients with NCS than those who didn't have NCS (42% vs 27%, χ 2 = 4.4, df=2, p=0.03). The proportion with long hospitalization was higher in those who had periodic or rhythmic CEEG patterns (33.3% vs 28.1%, χ 2 = 8.02, df=2, p=0.02) but there was no significant relationship with mortality at 60 days. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a real-world experience from a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia, a developing healthcare system. Findings are consistent with prior experience that ICU CEEG is effective in detecting potentially harmful subclinical patterns, supporting the need to develop ICU CEEG programs. However, the incurred excesses in morbidity and mortality associated with CEEG patterns were relatively modest. Further studies are needed to delineate how the practice of CEEG may be developed to provide meaningful data to clinicians with regards to patient outcomes.


Synthesis of novel isoflavone/benzo-δ-sultam hybrids as potential anti-inflammatory drugs.
A small series of novel isoflavone/benzo-δ-sultam hybrids was synthesised and evaluated as potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective drugs in LPS-activated BV2 microglia. The benzo-δ-sultam core was constructed in a two-step reaction by coupling 2-halobenzenesulfonamide derivatives with terminal alkynes, followed by a 6-endo-dig cyclisation. The synthesised compounds, including precursors and hybrids, were tested for their ability to inhibit NO and TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells, and the results are promising. The most potent hybrid reduces the NO production to 41%, and the TNF-α to 34% at 20 µM final concentration in the well.


Muscle strength rather than appendicular skeletal muscle mass might affect spinal sagittal alignment, low back pain, and health-related quality of life.
Sarcopenia is defined as decreasing in muscle strength and mass, and dynapenia is defined as decreasing in muscle strength and maintained muscle mass. This study elucidated the prevalence and characteristics of sarcopenia and dynapenia and evaluate in elderly spinal disorders patients. 1039 spinal disorders patients aged ≥ 65 years were included. We measured age, grip strength, muscle mass, spinal sagittal alignment parameters, low back pain (LBP) scores and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) scores. Based on the previous reports, patients were categorised into normal group: NG, pre-sarcopenia group: PG, dynapenia group: DG, and sarcopenia group: SG. Pre-sarcopenia, dynapenia, and sarcopenia were found in 101 (9.7%), 249 (19.2%), and 91 (8.8%) patients, respectively. The spinal sagittal alignment parameters, trunk muscle mass, LBP, and HR-QoL scores were significantly worse in DG and SG compared with those in PG and NG. Spinal alignment, trunk muscle mass, and clinical outcomes, including LBP and HR-QoL scores, were maintained in the PG and poor in the DG and SG. Thus, intervention for muscle strength may be a treatment option for changes of spinal sagittal alignment and low back pain.


Real-time monitoring of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization using silicon photonic microring resonators: implications for combinatorial screening of polymer brush growth conditions.
We directly monitor in parallel and in real time the temporal profiles of polymer brushes simultaneously grown via multiple ATRP reaction conditions on a single substrate using arrays of silicon photonic microring resonators. In addition to probing relative polymerization rates, we show the ability to evaluate the dynamic properties of the in situ grown polymers. This presents a powerful new platform for studying modified interfaces that may allow for the combinatorial optimization of surface-initiated polymerization conditions.


In silico Screening of Pyridoxine Carbamates for Anti-Alzheimer's Activities.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), an irreversible complex neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common type of dementia, with progressive loss of cholinergic neurons. Based on the multi-factorial etiology of Alzheimer's disease, novel ligands strategy appears as an up-coming approach for the development of newer molecules against AD. This study is envisaged to investigate anti-Alzheimer's potential of 10 synthesized compounds. The screening of compounds (1-10) was carried out using in silico techniques. For in silico screening of physicochemical properties of compounds, Molinspiration property engine v.2018.03, Swiss ADME online web-server and pkCSM ADME were used. For pharmacodynamic prediction, PASS software was used, while the toxicity profile of compounds was analyzed through ProTox-II online software. Simultaneously, molecular docking analysis was performed on mouse AChE enzyme (PDB ID:2JGE, obtained from RSCB PDB) using Auto Dock Tools 1.5.6. Based on in silico studies, compound 9 and 10 have been found to have better druglikeness, LD50 value, better anti-Alzheimer's, and nootropic activities. However, these compounds had poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Compounds 4 and 9 were predicted with a better docking score for the AChE enzyme. The outcome of in silico studies has suggested, out of various substitutions at different positions of pyridoxine-carbamate, compound 9 has shown promising drug-likeness, with better safety and efficacy profile for anti-Alzheimer's activity. However, BBB permeability appears as one of the major limitations of all these compounds. Further studies are required to confirm its biological activities.


Microplastics in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Eastern Beaufort Sea.
Microplastics (MPs, particles <5 mm) represent an emerging global environmental concern, having been detected in multiple aquatic species. However, very little is known about the presence of MPs in higher trophic level species, including cetaceans. We worked with community based monitors and Inuvialuit hunters from Tuktoyaktuk (Northwest Territories, Canada) to sample seven beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in 2017 and 2018. Microplastics were detected in the gastrointestinal tracts in every whale. We estimate that each whale contained 18 to 147 MPs in their GI tract (average of 97 ± 42 per individual). FTIR-spectroscopy revealed over eight plastic polymer types, with nearly half being polyester. Fibres made up 49% of MPs. The diversity of MP shapes and polymeric identities in beluga points to a complex source scenario, and ultimately raises questions regarding the significance and long-term exposure of this pollutant in this ecologically and culturally valuable species.


Performance and sleepiness in nurses working 12-h day shifts or night shifts in a community hospital.
Hospitals are around-the-clock operations and nurses are required to care for patients night and day. The nursing shortage and desire for a more balanced work-to-home life has popularized 12-h shifts for nurses. The present study investigated sleep/wake cycles and fatigue levels in 22 nurses working 12-h shifts, comparing day versus night shifts. Nurses (11day shift and 11 night shift) were recruited from a suburban acute-care medical center. Participants wore a wrist activity monitor and kept a diary to track their sleep/wake cycles for 2 weeks. They also completed a fatigue test battery, which included the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), at the beginning, middle and end of 4 duty shifts. Daily sleep duration was 7.1h on average. No overall difference in mean daily sleep duration was found between nurses working day shifts versus night shifts. Objective performance on the PVT remained relatively good and stable at the start, middle, and end of duty shifts in day shift workers, but gradually degraded across duty time in night shift workers. Compared to day shift workers, night shift workers also exhibited more performance variability among measurement days and between participants at each testing time point. The same pattern was observed for subjective sleepiness on the KSS. However, congruence between objective and subjective measures of fatigue was poor. Our findings suggest a need for organizations to evaluate practices and policies to mitigate the inevitable fatigue that occurs during long night shifts, in order to improve patient and healthcare worker safety. Examination of alternative shift lengths or sanctioned workplace napping may be strategies to consider.


Eliminating the need for anodic gas separation in CO2 electroreduction systems via liquid-to-liquid anodic upgrading.
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multi-carbon products (C2+), when powered using renewable electricity, offers a route to valuable chemicals and fuels. In conventional neutral-media CO2-to-C2+ devices, as much as 70% of input CO2 crosses the cell and mixes with oxygen produced at the anode. Recovering CO2 from this stream adds a significant energy penalty. Here we demonstrate that using a liquid-to-liquid anodic process enables the recovery of crossed-over CO2 via facile gas-liquid separation without additional energy input: the anode tail gas is directly fed into the cathodic input, along with fresh CO2 feedstock. We report a system exhibiting a low full-cell voltage of 1.9 V and total carbon efficiency of 48%, enabling 262 GJ/ton ethylene, a 46% reduction in energy intensity compared to state-of-art single-stage CO2-to-C2+ devices. The strategy is compatible with today's highest-efficiency electrolyzers and CO2 catalysts that function optimally in neutral and alkaline electrolytes.


TNF Inhibitors and Risk of Malignancy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review.
The association between tumour necrosis factor inhibitors [TNFi] and malignancy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] is not well understood. Our aim was to systematically evaluate the impact of TNFi use on risk of malignancy in IBD patients in daily clinical practice. We searched Pubmed, Embase and Scopus until March 1, 2020 for observational cohort studies on adult IBD patients reporting malignancy occurrence and TNFi use. Twenty-eight studies [20 retrospective and eight prospective] were included, involving 298 717 IBD patients. Mean age at inclusion ranged from 28 to >65 years. Mean follow-up varied from 7 to 80 months. Infliximab was the most frequently used TNFi [13/28 studies, 46.4%], followed by adalimumab [3/28, 10.7%], while both infliximab and adalimumab were evaluated in five studies [17.8%]. In total, 692 malignancies were diagnosed in IBD patients treated with TNFi, accounting for an overall occurrence of 1.0%. The most frequent malignancies were non-melanoma skin cancers [123/692, 17.8%], digestive malignancies [120/692, 17.3%] and haematological malignancies [106/692, 15.3%]. The association between TNFi and malignancy was evaluated in 11 studies [39.3%]: no significant association was found in ten studies, while an increased risk of lymphoma in patients exposed to TNFi was reported in one study. TNFi treatment is not associated with an increased risk of malignancy in IBD patients in real-life settings. Further large studies are needed to assess the prognosis of patients exposed to TNFi and risk of recurrence or new cancers in subjects with personal malignancy history.


The role of rye bran acidification and in situ dextran formation on structure and texture of high fibre extrudates.
High insoluble dietary fibre content causes challenges with structure and texture in extrusion. This paper focused on studying the structure of extrudate enriched with rye bran modified in different ways. Fermentation of rye bran with dextran-producing Weissella confusa (with 10 g/100 g, 5 g/100 g and 0 g/100 g added sucrose as substrate for dextran production), in situ enzymatic production of dextran in the bran and chemical acidification of bran with lactic acid were compared in extrusion trials. Endosperm rye flour was the base in extrusion, of which 32 g/100 g was substituted for rye bran. Fermentation with dextran production showed similar improvement in extrudate expansion as chemically acidified bran samples (489 and 493%), in comparison with native bran (420%). Similarly, these treatments decreased extrudate hardness and increased crispiness index (CI) (16 N, 0.06 and 14 N, 0.071 respectively) compared to the control (39 N, 0.008). Enzymatically produced dextran did not affect expansion, although it decreased hardness (26 N) and increased CI compared to the control (0.023). Chemical changes in the fermented and acidified rye bran included reduction in insoluble dietary fibre (DF) (19 g/100 g → 17 g/100 g) and increase in soluble DF (5.17 g/100 g → 5.51-7.19 g/100 g), as well as soluble protein (8 g/100 g → 11 g/100 g) content. Lactic acid bacteria fermentation or acidification is therefore a promising method to increase the functionality of rye bran in extrusion.


A potential trigger for pine mouth: a case of a homozygous phenylthiocarbamide taster.
Pine mouth, also known as pine nut syndrome, is an uncommon dysgeusia that generally begins 12 to 48 hours after consuming pine nuts. It is characterized by a bitter metallic taste, usually amplified by the consumption of other foods, which lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Recent findings have correlated this disorder with the consumption of nuts of the species Pinus armandii, but no potential triggers or common underlying medical causes have been identified in individuals affected by this syndrome. We report a 23-year-old patient affected by pine mouth who also underwent a phenylthiocarbamide taste test and was found to be a taster for this compound. TAS2R38 genotyping demonstrated that this subject was a homozygous carrier of the proline-alanine-valine taster haplotype. We, therefore, hypothesize that homozygous phenylthiocarbamide taster status may be a potential contributor for pine mouth events. Although based on a single observation, this research suggests a connection between genetically determined bitter taste perception and the occurrence of pine nut dysgeusia events.


The Laryngeal Mask Airway for exchange of a nasal for an orotracheal tube in a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome.
A new method of exchange of nasotracheal to orotracheal tube, using the Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA), in a patient with difficult airway, is described. A 36-year-old woman with Treacher Collins syndrome was scheduled for a malar apatite cutting and a chin-level osteotomy. It was necessary to exchange a nasotracheal tube for an orotracheal tube during the operation. An LMA was inserted while the nasotracheal tube was left in place; a new tube was inserted in the LMA, then a fiberoptic laryngoscope (fiberscope) was inserted through these devices. The nasotracheal tube cuff was deflated, and the fiberscope was inserted into the trachea alongside the nasotracheal tube. The nasotracheal tube was removed, and the oral tube was then advanced into the trachea.


Hannover Classification of Vestibular Schwannomas: A Reliability Study.
The Hannover classification of vestibular schwannomas is designed to stratify tumors based on extrameatal extension and compression of the brainstem. We have previously reported the reliability of the Koos system, but to date, no study has assessed the reliability of the similar Hannover classification. We present an assessment of the intrarater and interrater reliability of the Hannover classification system. After institutional review board approval was obtained, a cross-sectional group of the magnetic resonance imaging of 40 patients with vestibular schwannomas varying in size comprised the study sample. Four raters were selected to assign a Hannover grade to 50 total scans. Interrater and intrarater reliability was calculated and reported using Fleiss's kappa, Kendall's W, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Interrater observer reliability was found to be moderate when measured using Fleiss' kappa (0.49), extremely strong using Kendall's W (0.93), and excellent as calculated by ICC (0.88). The results were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Intrarater reliability for Hannover grade ranged from 0.77 to 1.00 (substantial to perfect). By Kendall's W and ICC, all raters had near perfect or excellent agreement. The results were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). The Hannover classification is a reliable system for grading the size of vestibular schwannomas. This supports its continued use and previously published results of the literature in studies relying on this classification. Further studies are needed to evaluate its validity and determine its role in preoperative counseling and determining microsurgery and radiosurgery outcomes.


The mitochondrial lysine acetylome of Arabidopsis.
Posttranslational modifications are essential regulators of protein functions as they can modify enzyme activities or protein-molecule interactions by changing the charge state or chemical properties of their target amino acid. The acetyl moiety of the central energy metabolite acetyl-CoA can be transferred to the ε-amino group of lysine, a process known as lysine acetylation which is implicated in the regulation of key metabolic enzymes in various organisms. Since plant mitochondria are of great importance for plant growth and development and as they house key enzymes of oxidative phosphorylation and photorespiration, it is essential to investigate the occurrence of lysine acetylation in this organelle. Here we characterised the plant mitochondrial acetylome of Arabidopsis mitochondria by LC-MS/MS analysis. In total 120 lysine-acetylated mitochondrial proteins containing 243 acetylated sites were identified. These proteins were mapped into functional categories showing that many proteins with essential functions from the tricaboxylic cycle and the respiratory chain are lysine-acetylated, as well as proteins involved in photorespiration, amino acid and protein metabolism, and redox regulation. Immuno-detection of mitochondrial proteins revealed that many lysine-acetylated proteins reside in native protein complexes. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that lysine acetylation can occur non-enzymatically in Arabidopsis mitochondria at physiological matrix pH.


Exhaled Breath Condensate and Dyspnea in COPD.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) possesses a crucial position in the field of respiratory medicine as there are still unsolved issues in its whole spectrum. One promising tool that is believed to provide answers to various problems in COPD is the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Its wealth due to its content mirrors the ongoing actions taking place in the lungs and especially the two processes blamed for the pathophysiology of COPD, the inflammation and the oxidative stress. Attempts to connect the products of the analysis of the EBC with the clinical manifestations of COPD such as dyspnea are scarce. Up to date research has shown a positive correlation between the elevated levels of some markers of EBC such as H2O2 and 8-isoprostane and dyspnea, while others present ambiguous results. The severity of COPD also seems to be connected with their increase. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight these findings and present potential correlations. Further research in EBC and its association with the clinical phenotypes of COPD and especially dyspnea is necessary.


Evaluation of the Effect of Plasma from Patients with Trophic Ulcers on the Function of Dermal Fibroblasts, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, and Endothelial Cells.
We studied the effect of platelet lysate and platelet-poor plasma from patients with trophic ulcers with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus on proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of human dermal fibroblast, mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial cells. It is shown that plasma obtained from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus produced inhibitory effects.


Sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the isolated spinal cord of the neonatal rat.
A preparation of the isolated spinal cord of the neonatal rat was developed for the study of sympathetic preganglionic neurons (PGNs). PGNs were identified for extracellular single unit recording by their location and by antidromic activation by ventral root stimulation. PGNs could be synaptically activated by stimulation of the dorsal root and spinal pathways. Spontaneous firing was observed in 18% of the PGNs. The average firing rate was 1 Hz with a range of 0.3 to 2 H z. PGNs (and motoneurons) were visualized by incubating ventral roots in horseradish peroxidase (HRP) solutions. The location and morphology of PGNs were similar to those reported in studies using adult animals. Primary afferent fibers were visualized by incubating dorsal roots in HRP solutions. Dorsal root projections appeared mature in the neonatal rat. Primary afferents did not appear to project directly to PGNs. It is concluded that PGNs are viable in this preparation and that spinal sympathetic systems are relatively mature in the neonatal rat.


Choroidal thickening in retinal vein occlusion patients with serous retinal detachment.
To evaluate choroid thickness and macular retinal metrics in treatment naïve retinal vein occlusion (RVO) patients with serous retinal detachment (SRD) before and after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) injection and to elucidate the possible role of choroid in the development of SRD and the potential role of SRD as a prognostic parameter. This is a retrospective study involving 85 RVO patients, 41 central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), and 44 branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), with macular edema: 21 central retinal vein occlusion and 22 branch retinal vein occlusion with SRD and the rest without SRD. Patients were evaluated with ophthalmic examinations and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) both before and 4-6 weeks after intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment. Choroid thickness and retinal metrics were measured and compared between SRD and non-SRD groups within each RVO subtype. In both CRVO and BRVO patients, the mean central subfield foveal thickness (CSFT) and central subfoveal choroid thickness (CSCT) of the SRD groups were thicker than those in the non-SRD groups (p < 0.05) at onset. After one anti-VEGF injection, CSFT and FNRT decreased in all groups (p < 0.05). The CSCTs were thicker in the SRD groups compared with the non-SRD groups (p < 0.05). The mean changes of CSFT were more remarkable in the SRD groups (p < 0.05). Thicker choroid was a feature of naïve RVO patients with SRD and SRD may be an indicator of better anatomical recovery of retina in RVO patients after a single dose of anti-VEGF treatment.


Phosphorylation control of PIN auxin transporters.
The directional transport of the phytohormone auxin is required for proper plant development and tropic growth. Auxin cell-to-cell transport gains directionality through the polar distribution of 'canonical' long PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers. In recent years, AGC kinases, MAP kinases, Ca2+/CALMODULIN-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE-RELATED KINASEs and receptor kinases have been implicated in the control of PIN activity, polarity and trafficking. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge in understanding the posttranslational regulation of PINs by these different protein kinase families. The proposed regulation of PINs by AGC kinases after salt stress and by the stress-activated MAP kinases suggest that abiotic and biotic stress factors may modulate auxin transport and thereby plant growth.


Interfacial Self-Assembly of Surfactant-Free Au Nanoparticles as a Clean Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate for Quantitative Detection of As5+ in Combination with Convolutional Neural Networks.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a highly sensitive tool in the field of environmental testing. However, the detection and accurate quantification of weakly adsorbed molecules (such as heavy metal ions) remain a challenge. Herein, we combine clean SERS substrates capable of capturing heavy metal ions with convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm models for quantitative detection of heavy metal ions in solution. The SERS substrate consists of surfactant-free Au nanoparticles (NPs) and l-cysteine molecules. As plasmonic nanobuilt blocks, surfactant-free Au NPs without physical or chemical barriers are more accessible to target molecules. The amino and carboxyl groups in the l-cysteine molecule can chelate As5+ ions. The CNN algorithm model is applied to quantify and predict the concentration of As5+ ions in samples. The results demonstrated that this strategy allows for fast and accurate prediction of As5+ ion concentrations, and the determination coefficient between the predicted and actual values is as high as 0.991.


Interaction of nuclear factors with the upstream region of the alpha-subunit gene of chicken muscle acetylcholine receptor: variations with muscle differentiation and denervation.
The region lying between nucleotides (nt) -110 and -45 of chicken acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit gene 5' upstream sequence confers developmental control of expression in primary cultures of chicken myotubes. This region interacts with several nuclear factors present in muscle cells as shown by DNase I footprinting and gel-retardation experiments. An Sp1-like factor and a guanine stretch-binding protein were found to bind to overlapping sites immediately upstream of the TATA box. Several factors interacting in the same region with a domain similar to the SV40 enhancer core appeared during in vitro differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes. The concentration of some of these factors increased also after denervation of leg muscle in newborn chickens. The specific interaction of nuclear factors with this domain may thus play a critical role in the regulation of alpha-subunit gene expression by muscle differentiation and electrical activity.


Correction: One-pot synthesis of carbazoles via tandem C-C cross-coupling and reductive amination.
Correction for 'One-pot synthesis of carbazoles via tandem C-C cross-coupling and reductive amination' by Deuk-Young Goo, et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2016, DOI: 10.1039/c5ob01952d.


The relevance of the use of plant extracts on testicular cells: A systematic review.
This review aims to establish an association between traditional and scientific knowledge to allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of medicinal plants, as well as their risks based on the testicular microenvironment. A systematic search was performed using PRISMA guidelines. The descriptors were structured based on search filters built for three domains: Animals, Plants, and Testis. The filters on the PubMed/Medline platform were constructed using a hierarchical distribution of the MeSH Terms. Methodological quality assessments were performed using the SYRCLE risk bias tool. Data on testicular cells, hormones and biochemistry, sperm, and sexual behavior were evaluated and compared. The search came out with 2644 articles, and 36 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used in this review. The included studies analyzed testicular cells from murine models treated with crude plant extracts. Plant extracts act directly on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and/or directly on testicular cells, inhibiting and stimulating the reproductive process, thus causing alterations in fertility rates. Apiaceae and the Cucurbitaceae families are the most used in male reproductive biology experiments, being Apiaceae described as sexual stimulants, while Cucurbitaceae are the main sources of deleterious effects on the male reproductive system.


Differential response to lipid peroxidation in male and female mice with age: correlation of antioxidant enzymes matters.
The aim of this study was to correlate the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in liver and brain of 1, 4 and 18 months old CBA mice of both sexes. In liver, decreased superoxide dismutase and increased glutathione peroxidase activities were observed during aging in male mice. In brain, the increase of catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity during aging was observed only in female mice. Regardless of tissue examined, different sex-related correlation pattern of antioxidant enzyme activity was demonstrated in young and old mice. The cooperation between antioxidant enzymes becomes more coherent with increased lipid peroxidation concentration in liver and brain of older female mice. On the contrary, in older male mice the link among three antioxidant enzymes becomes weaker, regardless of lipid peroxidation concentration which increased in liver and decreased in brain during aging. In older mice lower partial coefficient of correlation than pair correlation demonstrates the influence of the third party in the cooperation of two antioxidant enzymes. The results imply stronger correlative links in old female than male mice, which might explain why old females are better protected from oxidative stress than males.


The effect of ambient temperature fluctuations on Culicoides biting midges population dynamics and activity in dairy farms: a longitudinal study.
The effect of climatic factors on the presence of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) was previously studied. Nevertheless, lack of laboratory rearing data hampers species-specific prediction of weather fluctuations effect on population size. To determine fluctuations in population size in the field, we recorded Culicoides and other Nematocerans in seven Israeli dairy farms over two-years (2011-2012) and analysed the association of their dynamics with fluctuations in ambient temperature and total rainfall. In six farms, the most abundant species were Culicoides imicola Kieffer and Culicoides schultzei (Enderlein) gp., primarily composed of parous females, and in one farm Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) gp., mostly nulliparous females, were dominant. While the total number of insects was similar in both years, Culicoides numbers were significantly higher in 2012, but appeared later in the season and reached a higher peak. A multi-variable linear regression model demonstrated positive association of C. imicola and C. schultzei numbers with the monthly multi-annual ambient temperature and its specific deviation, but not with monthly rainfall. C. obsoletus populations peaked at spring and sharply decreased when temperature exceeded 20 °C, and were best modelled by adding quadratic terms. Weather-specific estimation of population size under field conditions may enable to predict outbreaks intensity of Culicoides-borne viruses.