Preparation of silver iodide nanoparticles using laser ablation in liquid for antibacterial applications.
In this study, the authors reported the first synthesis process of silver iodide (AgI) nanoparticles (NPs) by pulsed laser ablation of the AgI target in deionised distilled water. The optical and structural properties of AgI NPs were investigated by using UV-vis absorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The optical data showed the presence of plasmon peak at 434 nm and the optical bandgap was found to be 2.6 eV at room temperature. SEM results confirm the agglomeration and aggregation of synthesised AgI NPs. TEM investigation showed that AgI NPs have a spherical shape and the average particle size was around 20 nm. The particle size distribution was the Gaussian type. The results showed that the synthesised AgI NPs have antibacterial activities against both bacterial strains and the activities were more potent against gram-negative bacteria.


Survival and growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated onto cut lettuce before or after heating in chlorinated water, followed by storage at 5 or 15 degrees C.
This study determined the effects of mild heat and chlorine treatment followed by storage for up to 18 days at 5 degrees C or 7 days at 15 degrees C on the survival and growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated onto fresh-cut iceberg lettuce. The efficacy of treatment with 20 ppm chlorine in killing the pathogen on lettuce at 50 degrees C was determined. Treatment of lettuce with 20 ppm chlorine at either 20 or 50 degrees C did not result in significantly greater reductions in populations of E. coli O157:H7 compared to respective treatments in water without chlorine. The pathogen steadily decreased in viability on treated lettuce throughout subsequent storage at 5 degrees C for 18 days. The population increased by 2.3 to 3.2 log10 CFU/g within 2 days, then continued to increase at a slower rate through 7 days of storage at 15 degrees C. At 4 and 7 days, significantly (alpha = 0.05) higher populations were reached on lettuce that had been treated at 50 degrees C, compared to respective samples that had been treated at 20 degrees C, regardless of the presence of 20 ppm chlorine in the treatment water. Treatment of lettuce with 20 ppm chlorine at 50 or 20 degrees C before or after inoculation with E. coli O157:H7 did not have a marked influence on behavior of the pathogen during subsequent storage at 5 or 15 degrees C.


[Cultivation of F. tularensis in developing chick embryos].
In cultivation of the causative agent of tularemia in the organism of chick embryos (8-10 days of incubation) it was found that the virulent strains multiplied intensively in the yolk sacs causing the death of the embryos on the 3rd-4th day after the infection; as to the virulent strains-they were only preserved in the embryos. The period of death of the embryos and the accumulation of bacteria depended on the strain virulence. No differences in the anatomical structure of the cells belonging to the virulent and avirulent strains could be found.


Health Physics Aspects of Neutron Activated Components in a Linear Accelerator.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the residual radioactivity in the therapy accessories of a medical x ray linear accelerator. The residual radioactivity mainly originated from nuclear activation reactions by neutrons, which are present as a contamination radiation in the x-ray beam. The radiation used in this study was the 25 MV x-ray beam produced by a CGR Saturne III linear accelerator. The five treatment aids include four wedges of various angles and one cerrobend block. The decrease in dose rates with time was followed for 60 min for each of the five treatment aids immediately after 999 monitor units of irradiation. The integral doses from the surface of each of four activated therapy accessories following three different radiation doses were measured by using thermoluminescent dosimeters (CaF2). In the TLD measurement, polyethylene filters were used to differentiate β or β particles from the mixed decay radiation. A high-purity germanium detection system was utilized to collect and to analyze the γ spectra from the activated therapy accessories. The residual radioisotopes found in the 15° wedge and 30° wedge included V, Cr, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni. In the 45° and 60° wedges, the radionuclides identified were Co, Ni, Cu, and W. The principal nuclides identified in the irradiated cerrobend block were In, Sn, Cd, Pb. The corresponding nuclear reactions from which the residual radionuclides produced were confirmed by consulting the current literature.


[Morphological manifestations of secretory activity of the neutrophils in inflammation].
Neutropholic leukocytes of aseptic peritoneal exudate of rabbits differed from neutrophilic leukocytes of the blood in greater variability in the content of cationic proteins. Some lysosomes ceased to be stained on cationic proteins, which produced a false impression of degranulation of leukocytes. Ultramicroscopically, there was observed a "clearing" of the lysosomes content and its outflow into cytoplasm. Lysosomes acquired the shape of spherical "holed" bodies and were transformed into clear vacuoles with remnants of the electron-dense material. The rupture of lysosome membranes led to an "explosive" type of liberation of the lysosome content into the cytoplasm. Partly degranulated leukocytes remained vital and activity moved about in a homologous serum. Following contacts with histone F1 leukocytes lost cationic proteins. The liberation of cationic proteins from leukocytic took place without destruction of leukocytes and lysosomes themselves.


Evaluation of the efficacy of WhatsApp through a harm reduction intervention group for injecting drug users.
This study aims to analyse the use of an instant messaging app (WhatsApp®) as a means of communication for reaching people who inject drugs. An eight-week prospective longitudinal and observational study with three observations was designed for five addiction centres in Catalonia. The participants were 105 people who inject drugs, distributed in five intervention groups. The results of the Risk Assessment Battery (RAB) were compared in the three levels of analysis pre-test, post intervention and one month after the intervention. The main results indicate a significative reduction in RAB scores after the intervention. The main conclusion was that the WhatsApp® intervention has great potential for developing harm reduction interventions and to reduce the HIV contagion risk.


Relationship between color M-mode echocardiography flow propagation and cardiac iron load on MRI in patients with thalassemia major.
Myocardial iron overload remains an important problem and results in cardiac dysfunction in patients with thalassemia major (TM). The ratio of color M-mode flow propagation velocity to early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/Vp) in echocardiography is a marker of increased left ventricular filling pressure, which is independent of preload, afterload, and heart rate. We examined the relationship between E/Vp and iron loading in patients with TM using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Twenty-one TM patients and 21 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Transmitral flow, pulmonary vein velocities, and Vp were obtained by two blinded echocardiographers. Left ventricular isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) was measured in the apical long axis by echocardiography. All patients also underwent MRI for cardiac T2* evaluation of iron overload. An increased E/Vp was defined as > 1.5. The E/Vp ratio was increased in TM patients compared with control subjects (1.7±0.4 and 1.2±0.2, P < 0.01, respectively). There was no correlation between E/Vp and cardiac T2* value. E/Vp was significantly correlated with IVRT (r=0.51, P = 0.02). In addition, the cardiac T2* value was comparable in patients with an E/Vp > 1.5 and E/Vp ≤1.5 (21.1±9.8 ms vs. 22.3±8.0 ms, P = 0.80, respectively). E/Vp may be a marker of diastolic abnormality that is independent from myocardial iron load in TM patients with preserved left ventricular function.


Computation harvesting from nature dynamics for predicting wind speed and direction.
Natural phenomena generate complex dynamics because of nonlinear interactions among their components. The dynamics can be exploited as a kind of computational resource. For example, in the framework of natural computation, various natural phenomena such as quantum mechanics and cellular dynamics are used to realize general purpose calculations or logical operations. In recent years, simple collection of such nature dynamics has become possible in a sensor-rich society. For example, images of plant movement that have been captured indirectly by a surveillance camera can be regarded as sensor outputs reflecting the state of the wind striking the plant. Herein, based on ideas of physical reservoir computing, we present a methodology for wind speed and direction estimation from naturally occurring sensors in movies. Then we demonstrate its effectiveness through experimentation. Specifically using the proposed methodology, we investigate the computational capability of the nature dynamics, revealing its high robustness and generalization performance for computation.


Pediatric interventional radiology.
Hydrostatic reduction of intussusception has, until recently, been accomplished using barium sulfate or meglumine sodium diatrizoate, and has resulted in successful reduction in up to 80% of cases. Pneumatic reduction is an old technique but is new to North America. In a short time, air reduction has been widely accepted. It is easy to perform and success is achieved in over 80% of cases. The advantages of pneumatic reduction include a lower cost, shorter procedure time, and if perforation occurs, there is a lower likelihood of fecal contamination of the peritoneum. The vein of Galen malformation was initially described in 1895. The age at which symptoms occur and the severity of the clinical syndrome depend on the magnitude of arteriovenous shunting. Cross-sectional imaging techniques are helpful for diagnosis and management planning. In infants with high-output congestive heart failure, neurointervention is now the treatment of choice.


Paravertebral arteriovenous malformation with venous connection to left iliac vein. Report of a case.
An unusual systemic arteriovenous malformation arising from the left 9th intercostal artery, taking a caudal course through the left paravertebral veins, eventually drained into the left ascending lumbar vein, as illustrated at computed tomography and angiography. An embryologic maldevelopment of the azygos venous system is not the only possible explanation for venous drainage in the caudal direction. We believe that predominant venous drainage can take place in either direction because of the potentially bidirectional flow in the vertebral venous systems.


Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in 54,552 patients and the risk of surgical site infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The aim of the study was to assess the effect of timing of preoperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) on surgical site infection (SSI) and compare the different timing intervals.The benefit of routine use of SAP prior to surgery has long been recognized. However, the optimal timing has not been defined. For the purpose of developing recommendations for the World Health Organization guideline for SSI prevention, a systematic review and meta-analysis of all relevant evidence was conducted.Major medical databases were searched from 1990 to 2016. The primary outcome was SSI after preoperative-SAP comparing different timing intervals. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted and pooled for each comparison with a random effects model.Fourteen papers with 54,552 patients were included in this review. In a quantitative analysis, there was no significant difference when SAP was administered 120-60 minutes prior to incision compared to administration 60-0 minutes prior to incision. Studies investigating different timing intervals within the last 60 minutes time frame reported contradictive results. The risk of SSI almost doubled when SAP was administered after first incision (OR:1.89; 95%CI:[1.05-3.40]) and was 5 times higher when administered more than 120 minutes prior to incision (OR5.26; 95%CI:[3.29-8.39]).Administration of antibiotic prophylaxis more than 120 minutes before incision or after incision is associated a higher risk of surgical site infections than administration less than 120 minutes before incision. Within this 120-minute time frame prior to incision, no differential effects could be identified. The broadly accepted recommendation to administer prophylaxis within a 60-minute time frame prior to incision could not be substantiated.


Human copy number variation and complex genetic disease.
Copy number variants (CNVs) play an important role in human disease and population diversity. Advancements in technology have allowed for the analysis of CNVs in thousands of individuals with disease in addition to thousands of controls. These studies have identified rare CNVs associated with neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disability. In addition, copy number polymorphisms (CNPs) are present at higher frequencies in the population, show high diversity in copy number, sequence, and structure, and have been associated with multiple phenotypes, primarily related to immune or environmental response. However, the landscape of copy number variation still remains largely unexplored, especially for smaller CNVs and those embedded within complex regions of the human genome. An integrated approach including characterization of single nucleotide variants and CNVs in a large number of individuals with disease and normal genomes holds the promise of thoroughly elucidating the genetic basis of human disease and diversity.


A systematic survey of regional multi-taxon biodiversity: evaluating strategies and coverage.
In light of the biodiversity crisis and our limited ability to explain variation in biodiversity, tools to quantify spatial and temporal variation in biodiversity and its underlying drivers are critically needed. Inspired by the recently published ecospace framework, we developed and tested a sampling design for environmental and biotic mapping. We selected 130 study sites (40 × 40 m) across Denmark using stratified random sampling along the major environmental gradients underlying biotic variation. Using standardized methods, we collected site species data on vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, gastropods and arthropods. To evaluate sampling efficiency, we calculated regional coverage (relative to the known species number per taxonomic group), and site scale coverage (i.e., sample completeness per taxonomic group at each site). To extend taxonomic coverage to organisms that are difficult to sample by classical inventories (e.g., nematodes and non-fruiting fungi), we collected soil for metabarcoding. Finally, to assess site conditions, we mapped abiotic conditions, biotic resources and habitat continuity. Despite the 130 study sites only covering a minute fraction (0.0005%) of the total Danish terrestrial area, we found 1774 species of macrofungi (54% of the Danish fungal species pool), 663 vascular plant species (42%), 254 bryophyte species (41%) and 200 lichen species (19%). For arthropods, we observed 330 spider species (58%), 123 carabid beetle species (37%) and 99 hoverfly species (33%). Overall, sample coverage was remarkably high across taxonomic groups and sufficient to capture substantial spatial variation in biodiversity across Denmark. This inventory is nationally unprecedented in detail and resulted in the discovery of 143 species with no previous record for Denmark. Comparison between plant OTUs detected in soil DNA and observed plant species confirmed the usefulness of carefully curated environmental DNA-data. Correlations among species richness for taxonomic groups were predominantly positive, but did not correlate well among all taxa suggesting differential and complex biotic responses to environmental variation. We successfully and adequately sampled a wide range of diverse taxa along key environmental gradients across Denmark using an approach that includes multi-taxon biodiversity assessment and ecospace mapping. Our approach is applicable to assessments of biodiversity in other regions and biomes where species are structured along environmental gradient.


Placental chorioangiomatosis--a high risk pregnancy.
A case of diffuse chorioangiomatosis leading to fetal hydrops, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy with massive umbilical vein thrombosis and fetal death is described. Although rare, this benign mesenchymatous malformation of the placenta should be kept in mind as a possible cause of neonatal morbidity. Prenatal diagnosis could prevent fetal death.


Importance of preoperative diagnosis for management of patients with suspected retroperitoneal sarcoma.
Soft tissue sarcoma is an umbrella term which encompasses over 60 histological tumour types. Approximately 15% of soft tissue sarcomas arise in the retroperitoneum. This complex group of tumours poses unique management challenges due to their often large size, histological heterogeneity and complexity of anatomical relationships. This review discusses the management of retroperitoneal tumours including the need for preoperative diagnosis, the evidence for neoadjuvant radiotherapy, the role of multivisceral resection and the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach.


CTLA-4 Genetic Variants Predict Survival in Patients with Sepsis.
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) is a coinhibitory checkpoint protein expressed on the surface of T cells. A recent study by our working group revealed that the rs231775 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CTLA-4 gene was associated with the survival of patients with sepsis and served as an independent prognostic variable. To further investigate the impact of CTLA-4 genetic variants on sepsis survival, we examined the effect of two functional SNPs, CTLA-4 rs733618 and CTLA-4 rs3087243, and inferred haplotypes, on the survival of 644 prospectively enrolled septic patients. Kaplan⁻Meier survival analysis revealed significantly lower 90-day mortality for rs3087243 G allele carriers (n = 502) than for AA-homozygous (n = 142) patients (27.3% vs. 40.8%, p = 0.0024). Likewise, lower 90-day mortality was observed for TAA haplotype-negative patients (n = 197; compound rs733618 T/rs231775 A/rs3087243 A) than for patients carrying the TAA haplotype (n = 447; 24.4% vs. 32.9%, p = 0.0265). Carrying the rs3087243 G allele hazard ratio (HR): 0.667; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.489⁻0.909; p = 0.0103) or not carrying the TAA haplotype (HR: 0.685; 95% CI: 0.491⁻0.956; p = 0.0262) remained significant covariates for 90-day survival in the multivariate Cox regression analysis and thus served as independent prognostic variables. In conclusion, our findings underscore the significance of CTLA-4 genetic variants as predictors of survival of patients with sepsis.


Interaction of asparagine and EGF in the regulation of ornithine decarboxylase in IEC-6 cells.
Our laboratory has shown that asparagine (ASN) stimulates both ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and gene expression in an intestinal epithelial cell line (IEC-6). The effect of ASN is specific, and other A- and N-system amino acids are almost as effective as ASN when added alone. In the present study, epidermal growth factor (EGF) was unable to increase ODC activity in cells maintained in a salt-glucose solution (Earle's balanced salt solution). However, the addition of ASN (10 mM) in the presence of EGF (30 ng/ml) increased the activity of ODC 0.5- to 4-fold over that stimulated by ASN alone. EGF also showed induction of ODC with glutamine and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, but ODC induction was maximum with ASN and EGF. Thus the mechanism of the interaction between ASN and EGF is important for understanding the regulation of ODC under physiological conditions. Therefore, we examined the expression of the ODC gene and those for several protooncogenes under the same conditions. Increased expression of the genes for c-Jun and c-Fos but not for ODC occurred with EGF alone. The addition of ASN did not further increase the expression of the protooncogenes, but the combination of EGF and ASN further increased the expression of ODC over that of ASN alone. Western analysis showed no significant difference in the level of ODC protein in Earle's balanced salt solution, ASN, EGF, or EGF plus ASN. Addition of cycloheximide during ASN and ASN plus EGF treatment completely inhibited ODC activity without affecting the level of ODC protein. These results indicated that 1) the increased expression of protooncogenes in response to EGF is independent of increases in ODC activity and 2) potentiation between EGF and ASN on ODC activity may not be due to increased gene transcription but to posttranslational regulation and the requirement of ongoing protein synthesis involving a specific factor dependent on ASN.


Radiation oncology--linking technology and biology in the treatment of cancer.
Technical advances in radiation oncology including CT-simulation, 3D- conformal and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivery techniques, and brachytherapy have allowed greater treatment precision and dose escalation. The ability to intensify treatment requires the identification of the critical targets within the treatment field, recognizing the unique biology of tumor, stroma and normal tissue. Precision is technology based while accuracy is biologically based. Therefore, the intensity of IMRT will undoubtedly mean an increase in both irradiation dose and the use of biological agents, the latter considered in the broadest sense. Radiation oncology has the potential and the opportunity to provide major contributions to the linkage between molecular and functional imaging, molecular profiling and novel therapeutics for the emerging molecular targets for cancer treatment. This process of 'credentialing' of molecular targets will require multi disciplinary imaging teams, clinicians and basic scientists. Future advances will depend on the appropriate integration of biology into the training of residents, continuing post graduate education, participation in innovative clinical research and commitment to the support of basic research as an essential component of the practice of radiation oncology.


Evidence-based knowledge versus negotiated indicators for assessment of ecological sustainability: the Swedish Forest Stewardship Council standard as a case study.
Assessing ecological sustainability involves monitoring of indicators and comparison of their states with performance targets that are deemed sustainable. First, a normative model was developed centered on evidence-based knowledge about (a) forest composition, structure, and function at multiple scales, and (b) performance targets derived by quantifying the habitat amount in naturally dynamic forests, and as required for presence of populations of specialized focal species. Second, we compared the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards' ecological indicators from 1998 and 2010 in Sweden to the normative model using a Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, and Timebound (SMART) indicator approach. Indicator variables and targets for riparian and aquatic ecosystems were clearly under-represented compared to terrestrial ones. FSC's ecological indicators expanded over time from composition and structure towards function, and from finer to coarser spatial scales. However, SMART indicators were few. Moreover, they poorly reflected quantitative evidence-based knowledge, a consequence of the fact that forest certification mirrors the outcome of a complex social negotiation process.


Carbon Dots from Tire Waste for the Photodegradation of Methyl Orange Dye, Antimicrobial Activity, and Molecular Docking Study.
In this study, solvothermal pathway was employed for the synthesis of P, N codoped C-dot using tire waste as a sustainable source of carbon and nitrogen. Comprehensive analyses encompassing X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), FT-IR, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-Vis spectra were used to assess the crystalline structure, purity, size, fluorescence up-conversion, and morphological attributes of the nanomaterial. Subsequently, the produced C-dots were evaluated for their efficacy in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes, demonstrating notable success in degrading methyl orange dye within eight hours in the visible region. Furthermore, the same nanomaterial was applied for carrying out agar disk-diffusion assays against a spectrum of microorganisms. Results revealed substantial inhibition zones against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Elucidating the antimicrobial mechanism, molecular-docking simulations were excuted using on AutoDock Vina with designated ligands. The results indicated a strong binding affinity of the C-dots with certain proteins associated with antibacterial activity. This observation suggests that the synthesized C-dots effectively engage with the active sites of these proteins, indicating their potential as promising antibacterial agents. Importantly, this study implies that C-dots do not induce protein denaturation, thereby warranting further investigation of their utility as antibacterial agents.


Exposure to pesticides during development negatively affects honey bee (Apis mellifera) drone sperm viability.
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies invest a substantial amount of colony resources in the production of drones during the reproductive season to enable mating with virgin queens from nearby colonies. Recent studies have shown significant differences in the production of sperm cells that are viable (i.e., sperm viability) and can fertilize an ovule among sexually mature drones that are exposed to different environmental conditions during development or as adults. In particular, sperm viability may be negatively affected during drone development from exposure to pesticides in contaminated beeswax. To assess whether sperm viability is negatively affected during drone development from exposure to beeswax contaminated with in-hive pesticides, we compared the viability of sperm collected from drones reared in pesticide-free beeswax with that of drones reared in beeswax contaminated with field-relevant concentrations of the pesticides most commonly found in wax from commercial beekeeping operations in the United States. These pesticides include the miticides fluvalinate, coumaphos and amitraz, and the agro-chemicals chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. Sperm from drones collected at 10 and 18 days post emergence were classified as viable or non-viable to calculate sperm viability. For all pesticide treatment groups, drones that were reared in pesticide-laden beeswax had lower sperm viability compared to those reared in pesticide-free beeswax. This difference was especially pronounced among drones reared in miticide-laden wax. Our results reinforce the notion that pesticide contamination of beeswax negatively affects the reproductive quality of drones, which can affect the queens they mate with, ultimately compromising colony health.


Downregulation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Accelerates Progression to Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.
The standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), is designed to suppress androgen receptor (AR) activity. However, men invariably progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and AR reactivation contributes to progression in most cases. To identify mechanisms that may drive CRPC, we examined a VCaP prostate cancer xenograft model as tumors progressed from initial androgen sensitivity prior to castration to castration resistance and then on to relapse after combined therapy with further AR-targeted drugs (abiraterone plus enzalutamide). AR activity persisted in castration-resistant and abiraterone/enzalutamide-resistant xenografts and was associated with increased expression of the AR gene and the AR-V7 splice variant. We then assessed expression of individual AR-regulated genes to identify those that persisted, thereby contributing to tumor growth, versus those that decreased and may therefore exhibit tumor suppressor activities. The most significantly decreased AR target gene was dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), which encodes a membrane-anchored protein that cleaves dipeptides from multiple growth factors, resulting in their increased degradation. DPP4 mRNA and protein were also decreased in clinical CRPC cases, and inhibition of DPP4 with sitagliptin enhanced the growth of prostate cancer xenografts following castration. Significantly, DPP4 inhibitors are frequently used to treat type 2 diabetes as they increase insulin secretion. Together, these results implicate DPP4 as an AR-regulated tumor suppressor gene whose loss enhances growth factor activity and suggest that treatment with DPP4 inhibitors may accelerate emergence of resistance to ADT.Significance: These findings identify DPP4 as an AR-stimulated tumor suppressor gene that is downregulated during progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer, warning that treatment with DPP4 inhibitors, commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, may accelerate prostate cancer progression following androgen deprivation therapy. Cancer Res; 78(22); 6354-62. ©2018 AACR.


Visceral injury and systemic inflammation in patients undergoing extracorporeal circulation during aortic surgery.
Visceral injury and inflammation are evaluated in patients undergoing extracorporeal circulation (ECC) either with distal aortic perfusion (DAP) during thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) repair or DAP and selective organ perfusion (DAP and SP) during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. Visceral hypoperfusion and subsequent visceral injury, mainly to the gut, have been implicated as central events in the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organ dysfunction after major surgery. Patients undergoing DAP or DAP and SP are exposed to artificial visceral perfusion, potentially leading to the development of intestinal injury and systemic inflammation. To assess visceral injury arteriovenous differences of fatty acid binding proteins were measured for the gut (I-FABP and L-FABP) and left kidney (L-FABP) along with systemic plasma concentrations. Systemic ALT was used as liver injury marker. Plasma IL-6 and IL-8 denoted systemic inflammation. During ECC systemic I-FABP and L-FABP levels increased in both groups, representing intestinal injury. Significantly elevated levels of I-FABP (P < 0.001) and L-FABP (P < 0.001) were found in the DAP and SP group, after ECC was stopped and normal circulation restored. Liver and renal tubular cell injury was not detected. Significant increases in systemic IL-6 and IL-8 values were measured only in patients undergoing DAP and SP. Additionally, the extent of intestinal injury correlated positively with systemic inflammation. This study shows the development of intestinal mucosal injury during ECC with DAP or DAP and SP, indicative of insufficient intestinal perfusion. Intestinal injury was associated with a systemic pro-inflammatory response.


microRNAs as Biomarker in Depression Pathogenesis.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a major health concern with alarming rates of completed suicide. Thus, it is important to understand the pathophysiology of this disorder. In addition, disturbingly high rates of relapse and low rates of recovery make it urgent not only to develop targeted treatments but to identify biomarkers that can predict treatment response for individual patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that control gene expression by modulating translation, mRNA degradation or stability of mRNA targets. The role of miRNAs in disease pathophysiology is emerging rapidly. Several recent studies have suggested the possible role of miRNAs in synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and stress response, all implicated in MDD. Emerging studies showthe direct role of miRNAs in the development of depression phenotype. More recently, the role of miRNAs in prognosis and treatment response is being considered for various disease pathophysiology, including MDD. The review discusses the recent studies demonstrating the role of miRNAs in MDD and whether miRNA can be used as a biomarker for MDD pathogenesis and treatment response.


Discriminative Multiple Instance Hyperspectral Target Characterization.
In this paper, two methods for discriminative multiple instance target characterization, MI-SMF and MI-ACE, are presented. MI-SMF and MI-ACE estimate a discriminative target signature from imprecisely-labeled and mixed training data. In many applications, such as sub-pixel target detection in remotely-sensed hyperspectral imagery, accurate pixel-level labels on training data is often unavailable and infeasible to obtain. Furthermore, since sub-pixel targets are smaller in size than the resolution of a single pixel, training data is comprised only of mixed data points (in which target training points are mixtures of responses from both target and non-target classes). Results show improved, consistent performance over existing multiple instance concept learning methods on several hyperspectral sub-pixel target detection problems.


Nuclear medicine and infection detection: the relative effectiveness of imaging with 111In-oxine-, 99mTc-HMPAO-, and 99mTc-stannous fluoride colloid-labeled leukocytes and with 67Ga-citrate.
With a current annual mortality rate of around 35% worldwide, infection remains a significant concern, and the diagnosis and localization of infectious foci is an important health issue. As an established infection-imaging modality, nuclear medicine plays a vital health-care role in the diagnosis and subsequent effective treatment of this condition. Despite the development of several newer radiopharmaceuticals, (67)Ga and leukocyte imaging procedures have maintained their established place for infection. Several techniques in nuclear medicine significantly aid infection diagnosis, including imaging with (111)In-oxine-, (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime-, and (99m)Tc-stannous fluoride colloid-labeled leukocytes and with (67)Ga-citrate. Each radiopharmaceutical has specific advantages and disadvantages that make it suitable to diagnose different infectious processes (e.g., soft-tissue sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, osteomyelitis, occult fever, fever of unknown origin, and infections commonly found in immunocompromised patients). After finishing this article, the reader should be able to identify the properties of an ideal radiopharmaceutical for infection imaging, list a range of available infection-imaging radiopharmaceuticals, compare the relative results of a range of radiopharmaceuticals used internationally to detect infection in the body, understand several common infectious processes that can be diagnosed using nuclear medicine techniques, and select an appropriate radiopharmaceutical to image a range of infectious processes.


Two different and highly organized mechanisms of translation initiation in the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus.
The translational starts of 144 Sulfolobus solfataricus genes have been determined by database comparison. Half the genes lie inside operons and the other half are at the start of an operon or single genes. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence is found upstream of the genes inside operons, but not for the first gene in an operon or isolated genes; this indicates that two different mechanisms are used for translation initiation in S. solfataricus. A box A transcriptional signal is found for the genes starting an operon or isolated genes, but not for the genes inside an operon. The box A signal is located about 27 nt upstream of the start codon, which implies that little or no upstream sequence is available for translation initiation for this group of genes. This finding is discussed.


The dual function of prokinesis in the feeding and locomotor systems of parrots.
Prokinesis, a mode of avian cranial kinesis involving motion between the neurocranium and upper beak, has long been investigated in biomechanical analyses of avian feeding and drinking. However, the modern avian beak is also used for non-feeding functions. Here, we investigate the dual function of prokinesis in the feeding and locomotor systems of the rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis). Lovebirds and other parrots utilize their beak both during feeding and as a third limb during vertical climbing. Thus, we experimentally measured both force-generating potential and movement of the rosy-faced lovebird mandible and maxilla (via prokinetic flexion of the craniofacial hinge) during tripedal climbing and mandibular/maxillary adduction. We found that whereas the maxilla is primarily responsible for generating force during locomotion, the mandible is primarily responsible for generating force during forceful jaw adduction, hinting at a remarkable capacity to alter prokinetic function with differing neuromuscular control. The ability of the prokinetic apparatus to perform functions with competing optimality criteria via modulation of motor control illustrates the functional plasticity of the avian cranial kinesis and sheds new light on the adaptive significance of cranial mobility.


Biocompatibility and osseointegration in osteoporotic bone.
We implanted nails made of titanium (Ti6Al4V) and of two types of glass ceramic material (RKKP and AP40) into healthy and osteopenic rats. After two months, a histomorphometric analysis was performed and the affinity index calculated. In addition, osteoblasts from normal and osteopenic bone were cultured and the biomaterials were evaluated in vitro. In normal bone the rate of osseointegration was similar for all materials tested (p < 0.5) while in osteopenic bone AP40 did not osseointegrate (p < 0.0005). In vitro, no differences were observed for all biomaterials when cultured in normal bone-derived cells whereas in osteopenic-bone-derived cells there was a significant difference in some of the tested parameters when using AP40. Our findings suggest that osteopenic models may be used in vivo in the preclinical evaluation of orthopaedic biomaterials. We suggest that primary cell cultures from pathological models could be used as an experimental model in vitro.


Prostate cancer risk-associated variants reported from genome-wide association studies: meta-analysis and their contribution to genetic Variation.
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have led to the discovery of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with prostate cancer (PCa) risk. These SNPs may potentially be used for risk prediction. To date, there is not a stable estimate of their effect on PCa risk and their contribution to the genetic variation both of which are important for future risk prediction. A literature review was conducted to identify SNPs associated with PCa risk with the following criteria: (1) GWAS in the Caucasian population; (2) SNPs with P-value <1.0×10(-6); and (3) one SNP from each independent LD block. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate combined odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for the identified SNPs. The proportion of total genetic variance that is attributable by each of these SNPs was also estimated. Thirty PCa risk-associated SNPs were identified. These SNPs had OR estimates between 1.12 and 1.47 except for marker rs16901979 (OR=1.80). Significant heterogeneity in OR estimates was found among different studies for 13 SNPs. The proportion of total genetic variance attributed by each SNP ranged between 0.2% and 0.9%. These 30 SNPs explained ∼13.5% of the total genetic variance of PCa risk in the Caucasian population. This study provides more stable OR estimates for PCa risk-associated SNPs, which is an important baseline for the effect of these SNPs in risk prediction. These SNPs explain a considerable proportion of genetic variance, however, the majority of genetic variance has yet to be explained.


Echocardiographic findings in pheochromocytoma.
M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography were used to study 26 consecutive, unselected patients with pheochromocytoma over a 3-year period. Only 1 patient had congestive heart failure; more than half had no cardiac symptoms or abnormalities. The most common (80% of patients) echocardiographic pattern was normal left ventricular (LV) mass with normal or even increased systolic performance. When LV mass was increased, LV systolic function was either normal or only borderline depressed in most of the patients. Patients with echocardiographic LV hypertrophy had symmetric thickening of ventricular walls; no case of asymmetric septal hypertrophy was found. There was no correlation between 24-hour urinary norepinephrine excretion and any of the echocardiographic variables studied. In some patients, increased LV wall thicknesses did not correlate with increased LV mass as calculated by the Woythaler echocardiographic method. Left atrial enlargement was not seen in any patient, including those with increased LV mass. The electrocardiogram and echocardiogram may be discordant: Electrocardiographic LV hypertrophy was seen in 6 patients, of whom 5 had normal echocardiographic LV mass. In patients with pheochromocytoma who have no cardiac symptoms or other clinical evidence of cardiac involvement, echocardiographic findings are usually normal.


The use of intonation to communicate in pervasive developmental disorders.
The objective of this paper was to employ a functional linguistic approach to explore pragmatic failure in the spontaneous speech of subjects with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Patterns of intonation use were compared among subjects with Asperger's syndrome (AS), high-functioning autism (HFA), and psychiatric out-patient controls (OPC) with a variety of non-specific social problems. Written transcripts and audio-recordings were used to measure rates of various intonation types relative to the amount of speech produced. The major finding of the study was that the HFA subjects less often tend to employ useful patterns of intonation for communication than the AS or OPC groups. This suggests that HFA either send random intonation signals to hearers or else demonstrate systematic misuse of the linguistic system. AS subjects differed little from the controls. The implications of these results for understanding the communicative failure of PDD subjects is discussed.


Implications of pleiotrophin in human PC3 prostate cancer cell growth in vivo.
Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a heparin-binding growth factor with diverse functions related to tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Pleiotrophin seems to have a significant role in prostate cancer cell growth and to mediate the stimulatory actions of other factors that affect prostate cancer cell functions. However, all studies carried out up to date are in vitro, using different types of human prostate cancer cell lines. The aim of the present work was to study the role of endogenous PTN in human prostate cancer growth in vivo. For this purpose, human prostate cancer PC3 cells were stably transfected with a plasmid vector, bearing the antisense PTN sequence, in order to inhibit PTN expression (AS-PC3). Migration, apoptosis, and adhesion on osteoblastic cells were measured in vitro. In vivo, PC3 cells were s.c. injected into male NOD/SCID mice, and tumor growth, survival rates, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and the number of metastasis were estimated. Pleiotrophin depletion resulted in a decreased migration capability of AS-PC3 cells compared with the corresponding mock-transfected or the non-transfected PC3 cells, as well as increased apoptosis and decreased adhesiveness to osteoblastic cells in vitro. In prostate cancer NOD/SCID mouse xenografts, PTN depletion significantly suppressed tumor growth and angiogenesis and induced apoptosis of cancer cells. In addition, PTN depletion decreased the number of metastases, providing a survival benefit for the animals bearing AS-PC3 xenografts. Our data suggest that PTN is implicated in human prostate cancer growth in vivo and could be considered a potential target for the development of new therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer.


Exclusion of candidate loci and cholesterol biosynthetic abnormalities in familial Pallister-Hall syndrome.
Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS) was originally described in 1980 in six sporadic cases of children with structural anomalies including hypothalamic hamartoma, polydactyly, imperforate anus, and renal and pulmonary anomalies. In 1993, the first familial cases were reported, including affected sibs and vertical transmission. Three of these families are sufficiently large to allow initial evaluation by linkage studies to candidate genes or loci. We have evaluated candidate loci for PHS based on three clinical observations. The first is a patient with PHS-like malformations, including a hypothalamic hamartoma, and an unbalanced translocation involving 7q and 3p. The second is a family with familial PHS where the founder's father had an autosomal dominant hand malformation previously mapped to 17q. The third is the phenotypic overlap of PHS and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. In this report, we exclude these loci as candidates for linkage to the PHS phenotype on the basis of lod scores of less than-2.0. We conclude that hypothalamic hamartoma is not specific to PHS and that the dominant hand malformation in one of the families was a coincidence. To evaluate the relationship of PHS to Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, we analysed levels of cholesterol and intermediate metabolites of the later stages of cholesterol biosynthesis. There is no evidence of a generalised disorder of cholesterol biosynthesis in patients with familial PHS. On genetic and biochemical grounds, we conclude that PHS and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome are not allelic variants of a single locus.


Qualification and quantification of fish protein in prepared surimi crabstick.
Species identification and protein quantification in surimi crabstick were achieved using sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). When the Lowry and Kjeldahl protein determination methods were compared, the former showed more consistent results. Densitometric scanning of the gels was used for quantification of total fish protein as well as total egg white protein. The lower molecular weight proteins, 30 kDa and lower, proved to be the most useful in fish species identification as well as egg white protein addition. Using a combination of the myosin heavy chain band and the species-specific myosin light chain (Alaska pollock: 22.5 kDa; Pacific whiting: 24.4 kDa) proved the most accurate in calculating fish protein content of the crabstick sample, while for those samples that contained egg white, quantification was accomplished from the densitometric analysis of the overlapping bands of actin (45 kDa) from fish and ovalbumin from egg white. Lysozyme (14.3 kDa) proved to be a unique protein band in determining the presence of egg white when the content of dried egg white was equal to or exceeded 0.5% of the total weight of the final crabstick.


Biochemical characterization of the tetrodotoxin binding protein from Electrophorus electricus.
Biochemical properties of a detergent-solubilized tetrodotoxin binding component from Electrophorus electricus have been examined and compared with those found for the membrane-bound protein. The toxin binding component was solubilized with high efficiency by a variety of nonionic detergents and with lower efficiency by sodium cholate and deoxycholate. Detergent-solubilized preparations bound tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin tightly and specifically, and this binding was observed to be rapidly and irreversibly blocked by carboxylate-modifying reagents. Inactivation by carbodiimide and glycine ester or by a trimethyloxonium salt could be prevented by tetrodotoxin occupancy of the binding site. Tetrodotoxin binding activity in both solubilized preparations and in membranes was found to be highly resistant to proteases. In contrast, the activity was extremely sensitive to the action of phospholipase A2. The biochemical properties of the tetrodotoxin binding component solubilized in mixed lipid-detergent micelles are similar to those found in native membranes, with respect to the characteristics of equilibrium toxin binding and to the sensitivity of toxin binding activity to chemical modification and degradative enzymes. There were some differences with respect to the kinetics of tetrodotoxin binding. In addition, the tetrodotoxin binding component from eel is shown to behave as a glycoprotein, being selectively absorbed to resins coupled to concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin, Lens culinaris lectin, and ricin with the appropriate glycoside.


A prospective study of influenza vaccination and a comparison of immunologic parameters in children and adults with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (digeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome).
Prior to the advent of cardiac bypass, most children with congenital cardiac anomalies and chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome died. With improved technology, there is now a wave of young adults with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome requiring clinical care. Fifteen young children and 20 adults with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion had flow cytometry, functional T cell analyses, and functional B cell analyses to characterize their immune system. Subjects were vaccinated with the annual inactivated influenza vaccine, and responses were evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition titer assessment. The pattern of T cell subset abnormalities was markedly different between pediatric and adult patients. In spite of the cellular deficits observed in adults, titers produced after influenza vaccine administration were largely intact. We conclude that disruption to T cell production appears to have secondary consequences for T cell differentiation and B cell function although the clinical impact remains to be determined.


Suggestions for Improvements in National Radon Control Strategies of Member States Which Were Developed as a Requirement of EU Directive 2013/59 EURATOM.
Exposure to the indoor air pollutant radon is considered to be a significant health risk globally, as has been demonstrated by many studies over time. A recent WHO statement on radon estimates that, worldwide, approximately 80,000 people may die every year due to lung cancer associated with radon exposure. The recent years have also seen huge improvements in radon policies in European countries, as a consequence of the issuing, in 2013, of the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom. Although the protection of workers from radon exposure is well established, the protection of the general public needs more improvements. The main objective of this paper is, first, to acknowledge and recognise the improvements in radon protection policies, but also to show that there are many areas where improvements are desirable and possible. The final goal is to suggest better ways to protect the general population from exposure to radon gas. The suggestions are based on the experiences of the co-authors, who come from different disciplines related to radon management. The following fields or areas where improvements are possible are identified: risk communication, building codes, radon policies, including funding, research and protection of children. We describe the work that has been conducted, and the possible improvements and solutions in these fields.


Transpiration: Its Effects on Plant Leaf Temperature.
A definite and significant temperature gradient exists over the area of a tomato leaflet and is apparently due to the variation in transpiration across the leaflet. Transpiration is most effective at low velocities of air movement, but when the velocity increases, convection becomes the dominant factor. Leaves in which the stomata are allowed to open naturally in response to light attain temperatures about 5 degrees C lower than leaves in which the stomata are forced to remain closed.


Plasma levels of mitochondrial DNA in patients presenting to the emergency department with sepsis.
Elevated levels of plasma mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported in trauma patients and may contribute to the systemic immune response. We sought to determine the plasma levels of mtDNA in emergency department (ED) patients with and without sepsis and evaluate their association with severity of illness. This was a prospective observational study of patients presenting to one of three large, urban, tertiary care EDs. Patients were enrolled into one of three cohorts: (i) sepsis defined as suspected infection and two or more systemic inflammatory response criteria without hypotension, (ii) septic shock defined as sepsis plus hypotension despite an adequate fluid challenge, and (iii) control defined as noninfected ED patients without systemic inflammatory response/hypotension. Plasma levels of three mtDNAs were measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Levels of mtDNAs were compared among the three cohorts, and linear regression was used to assess the association between mtDNAs, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores in patients with sepsis. We enrolled 93 patients: 24 control subjects, 29 patients with sepsis, and 40 patients with septic shock. As expected, comorbidities and SOFA score increased across categories. We found no difference in mtDNA levels between the three groups (P = 0.14-0.30). Among patients with sepsis, we found a small but significant negative association between mtDNA level and SOFA score, most clearly with cytochrome b (P = 0.03). We found no difference in mtDNA levels between control subjects and patients with sepsis. Mitochondrial DNA levels were negatively associated with organ dysfunction, suggesting that plasma mtDNA does not significantly contribute to the pathophysiology of sepsis.


Activated kRas protects colon cancer cells from cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis: the role of p53 and p21.
Cucurbitacins have been shown to inhibit proliferation in a variety of cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to determine their biological activity in colon cancer cell lines that do not harbor activated STAT3, the key target of cucurbitacin. In order to establish the role of activated kRas in the responsiveness of cells to cucurbitacins, we performed experiments in isogenic colon cancer cell lines, HCT116 and Hke-3, which differ only by the presence of an activated kRas allele. We compared the activity of 23, 24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (DHCB) and cucurbitacin R (CCR), two cucurbitacins that we recently isolated, with cucurbitacin I (CCI), a cucurbitacin with established antitumorigenic activity. We showed that cucurbitacins induced dramatic changes in the cytoskeleton (collapse of actin and bundling of tubulin microfilaments), inhibited proliferation and finally induced apoptosis of both HCT116 and Hke-3 cells. However, the presence of oncogenic kRas significantly decreased the sensitivity of cells to the three cucurbitacins tested, CCR, DHCB and CCI. We confirmed that mutational activation of kRas protects cells from cucurbitacin-induced apoptosis using nontransformed intestinal epithelial cells with inducible expression of kRasV12. Cucurbitacins induced the expression of p53 and p21 predominantly in HCT116 cells that harbor mutant Ras. Using HCT116 cells with targeted deletion of p53 or p21 we confirmed that p53 and p21 protect cells from apoptosis induced by cucurbitacins. These results demonstrated that sensitivity of human colon cancer cell lines to cucurbitacins depends on the kRas and p53/p21 status, and established that cucurbitacins can exert antitumorigenic activity in the absence of activated STAT3.


The BH4 domain of anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL, but not that of the related Bcl-2, limits the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1)-mediated transfer of pro-apoptotic Ca2+ signals to mitochondria.
Excessive Ca(2+) fluxes from the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondria result in apoptotic cell death. Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL proteins exert part of their anti-apoptotic function by directly targeting Ca(2+)-transport systems, like the endoplasmic reticulum-localized inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) and the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) at the outer mitochondrial membranes. We previously demonstrated that the Bcl-2 homology 4 (BH4) domain of Bcl-2 protects against Ca(2+)-dependent apoptosis by binding and inhibiting IP3Rs, although the BH4 domain of Bcl-XL was protective independently of binding IP3Rs. Here, we report that in contrast to the BH4 domain of Bcl-2, the BH4 domain of Bcl-XL binds and inhibits VDAC1. In intact cells, delivery of the BH4-Bcl-XL peptide via electroporation limits agonist-induced mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake and protects against staurosporine-induced apoptosis, in line with the results obtained with VDAC1(-/-) cells. Moreover, the delivery of the N-terminal domain of VDAC1 as a synthetic peptide (VDAC1-NP) abolishes the ability of BH4-Bcl-XL to suppress mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake and to protect against apoptosis. Importantly, VDAC1-NP did not affect the ability of BH4-Bcl-2 to suppress agonist-induced Ca(2+) release in the cytosol or to prevent apoptosis, as done instead by an IP3R-derived peptide. In conclusion, our data indicate that the BH4 domain of Bcl-XL, but not that of Bcl-2, selectively targets VDAC1 and inhibits apoptosis by decreasing VDAC1-mediated Ca(2+) uptake into the mitochondria.


The peripheral neuropathy-linked Trembler and Trembler-J mutant forms of peripheral myelin protein 22 are folding-destabilized.
Dominant mutations in the tetraspan membrane protein peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) are known to result in peripheral neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A) disease via mechanisms that appear to be closely linked to misfolding of PMP22 in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To characterize the molecular defects in PMP22, we examined the structure and stability of two human disease mutant forms of PMP22 that are also the basis for mouse models of peripheral neuropathies: G150D ( Trembler phenotype) and L16P ( Trembler-J phenotype). Circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopic studies indicated that, when folded, the three-dimensional structures of these disease-linked mutants are similar to that of the folded wild-type protein. However, the folded forms of the mutants were observed to be destabilized relative to the wild-type protein, with the L16P mutant being particularly unstable. The rate of refolding from an unfolded state was observed to be very slow for the wild-type protein, and no refolding was observed for either mutant. These results lead to the hypothesis that ER quality control recognizes the G150D and L16P mutant forms of PMP22 as defective through mechanisms closely related to their conformational instability and/or slow folding. It was also seen that wild-type PMP22 binds Zn(II) and Cu(II) with micromolar affinity, a property that may be important to the stability and function of this protein. Zn(II) was able to rescue the stability defect of the Tr mutant.


Radiation effects on breast reconstruction with the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap.
Immediate breast reconstruction has important advantages over delayed reconstruction, including a shorter operative time and decreased psychological distress for the patient. However, the authors' experiences with the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap demonstrate variable aesthetic outcomes among patients who undergo radiation postoperatively. To establish an association between radiation and poor postoperative results, a matched-pairs analysis was conducted. Thirty irradiated patients were paired with 30 nonirradiated patients, according to age and body mass index. For each group, the incidence of fat necrosis, fibrosis/shrinkage, and flap contracture was recorded. In addition, an aesthetic evaluation was conducted to compare before-and-after images of 10 irradiated patients with those of 10 nonirradiated patients from similar time periods. The images were randomized and blindly evaluated by a panel of eight judges. A five-point scale was used to evaluate symmetry, aesthetic proportion, and the appearance of the superior pole. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the score changes for irradiated and nonirradiated patients, according to all three criteria. Nonirradiated patient scores increased by one-half point, and irradiated patient scores decreased by one-half point. In addition, the incidences of fat necrosis, fibrosis, and flap contracture were all significantly higher among the irradiated group. These results suggest that when possible, reconstruction should be delayed until after radiation therapy is complete. Persons who smoke or are obese may be at particular risk for complications following radiation therapy.


Evolving trends in Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance: implications for therapy of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a major infectious disease associated with significant morbidity, mortality and utilisation of healthcare resources. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the predominant pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), accounting for 20-60% of bacterial cases. Emergence of multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae has become a significant problem in the management of CAP. Although pneumococcal conjugate vaccine usage in children has led to significant decreases in morbidity and mortality due to S. pneumoniae in all age groups, disease management has been further complicated by the unexpected increase in resistant serotypes, such as 19A, in some regions. Until rapid and accurate diagnostic tests become available, initial treatment of CAP will remain empirical. Thus, selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy for CAP must be based on prediction of the most likely pathogens and their local antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. This article reviews information on antimicrobial resistance patterns amongst S. pneumoniae and implications for managing CAP.


Cloning, mapping and mutational analysis of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene in Drosophila melanogaster.
S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase is a key enzyme in the synthesis of polyamines. These small cationic molecules are required for growth and development in all organisms. A wealth of biological processes, including synthesis of DNA and protein and condensation of chromatin, involve polyamines. Inhibition of polyamine synthesis has been proposed for treatment of cancer but this requires more knowledge about the in vivo function of polyamines. We report here the cloning of the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene from Drosophila melanogaster and the analysis of corresponding mutants. The mutant phenotypes are similar to those previously described for ribosomal protein genes (Minutes) and rRNA genes (bobbed). This work elucidates the in vivo consequences of impaired polyamine synthesis with respect to the development of a whole animal.


Transfer of a CFA/I-ST plasmid promoted by a conjugative plasmid in a strain of Escherichia coli of serotype O128ac:H12.
Escherichia coli strains belonging to serotype O128ac:H12 and producing heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) and colonization factor CFA/I were found in Sao Paulo in children with diarrhea, but not in normal children. Segregants occurred in such strains with a frequency of about 10%, which have lost the ability to produce ST and CFA/I at the same time. From one strain, both properties were transformed jointly in matings to an E. coli K-12 strain. All such ST+ CFA/I+ progeny had received two plasmids of length 97 and 64 kilobases in the matings. Insertion of a transposon, Tn5, carrying a gene for kanamycin resistance, into the two plasmids enabled us to select for kanamycin-resistant progeny in further matings. Analysis of such progeny strains in terms of plasmid content and production of ST and CFA/I revealed that the larger plasmid carries the genes for St and CFA/I and is not self-transmissible, whereas the smaller plasmid does not carry any recognizable phenotypic traits, but is conjugative and promotes cotransfer of the larger plasmid with a frequency of about 30%.


Prevalence of autoantibodies against some selected growth and appetite-regulating neuropeptides in serum of short children exposed to Candida albicans colonization and/or Helicobacter pylori infection: the molecular mimicry phenomenon.
Many of peptides synthesized in gastrointestinal tract (GI) and adipose tissues, regulate growth and food intake. The GI microflora is an antigenic source. Based on the molecular mimicry hypothesis, intestinal microbe-derived antigens may trigger the production of autoantibodies cross-reacting with some neuropeptides. The aim of the study was to assess whether in idiopathic short stature (ISS) children with Candida albicans (C.albicans) colonisation and/or Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection the autoantibodies (in positive levels) against selected neuropeptides [anti-NP Abs(+)]: ghrelin, leptin, orexin A, αMSH are more prevalent than in Controls. The study group comprised 64 children with ISS and 36 children with normal height (Controls). In each child, IgG antibodies against H.pylori, ghrelin, leptin, orexin A and αMSH were assessed in serum, while presence of C.albicans - in stool samples. The higher prevalence of anti-NP Abs(+) in ISS children with C.albicans and/or H.pylori than in normal height children with the colonization in question (34.4% vs 21.1%, p<0.01) was found. The prevalence of anti-NP Abs(+) in groups of children without C.albicans and H.pylori were low, anti-NP Abs(+) were detected in 9.4% of ISS children only, while in Controls they were not found. In short children with C.albicans and/or H.pylori the incidence of autoantibodies against selected neuropeptides is high. It probably is connected with molecular mimicry between antigens of these microbiota and the mentioned peptides. It is tempting to speculate that presence of cross-reacting autoantibodies against regulatory neuropeptides may results in worse growth velocity. However, further studies are necessary to elucidate this issue.


Conservation in a litre of air.
Since Ficetola et al. (2008) alerted ecologists and conservation biologists to the existence of environmental DNA (eDNA), the number of studies using eDNA has exploded, with a rapidly increasing diversity of research, monitoring, and management objectives. Initial applications focused on amphibians and fishes while today's taxonomic targets span the phylogenetic tree. The environmental media that are sampled have expanded from freshwater to saltwater to soils, and, most recently, to air. In this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Lynggaard et al. (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2023) use eDNA captured on air filters to census vertebrate biodiversity in a forest. With a three day, six sample period, 143 sample effort in a nature park in a rural area of Zealand, Denmark, their wild species detections comprised about 25% of the terrestrial vertebrates that are known to occur in the area, including about 33% of the mammal, 17% of the bird, and 60% of the amphibian species. This study demonstrates that air sampling for eDNA has the potential to become a powerful standard method for terrestrial biodiversity assessment that is complementary to traditional methods (e.g., trapping, visual and acoustic observation, collection of scat and hair).


Electrostatic interactions between charge regulated spherical macroions.
We study the interaction between two charge regulating spherical macroions with dielectric interior and dissociable surface groups immersed in a monovalent electrolyte solution. The charge dissociation is modelled via the Frumkin-Fowler-Guggenheim isotherm, which allows for multiple adsorption equilibrium states. The interactions are derived from the solutions of the mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann type theory with charge regulation boundary conditions. For a range of conditions we find symmetry breaking transitions from symmetric to asymmetric charge distribution exhibiting annealed charge patchiness, which results in like-charge attraction even in a univalent electrolyte-thus fundamentally modifying the nature of electrostatic interactions in charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions.


Lymphoid precursors are directed to produce dendritic cells as a result of TLR9 ligation during herpes infection.
Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were previously found to express Toll-like receptors (TLRs), suggesting that bacterial/viral products may influence blood cell formation. We now show that common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) from mice with active HSV-1 infection are biased to dendritic cell (DC) differentiation, and the phenomenon is largely TLR9 dependent. Similarly, CLPs from mice treated with the TLR9 ligand CpG ODN had little ability to generate CD19+ B lineage cells and had augmented competence to generate DCs. TNFalpha mediates the depletion of late-stage lymphoid progenitors from bone marrow in many inflammatory conditions, but redirection of lymphopoiesis occurred in TNFalpha-/- mice treated with CpG ODN. Increased numbers of DCs with a lymphoid past were identified in Ig gene recombination substrate reporter mice treated with CpG ODN. TLR9 is highly expressed on lymphoid progenitors, and culture studies revealed that those receptors, rather than inflammatory cytokines, accounted for the production of several types of functional DCs. Common myeloid progenitors are normally a good source of DCs, but this potential was reduced by TLR9 ligation. Thus, alternate differentiation pathways may be used to produce innate effector cells in health and disease.


Tips and tricks: the hard way--ABCs of quadriplegia care.
The following are things I have learned, routines my nurses have brought to me, or that we have developed together during 11-years existence with amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS) eight of which have been burdened by ALS induced quadriplegia and ventilator dependence. Items are listed, not in order of importance, which may vary from individual to individual, but alphabetically. Some are unique. Some commonplace. All are useful and many are of surprising value. Deviations from common understanding or practice are marked with an asterisk, and practices that can afford significant economies are double asterisked. This is written in an attempt to share with others in the profession lessons I have learned from personal experience--the hard way.


Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Effects of an Automatic 48-Hour Antibiotic Stop Order on Antibiotic Use.
Meeting antibiotic stewardship goals in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is challenging because of the unique nature of newborns and the lack of specificity of clinical signs of sepsis. Antibiotics are commonly continued for 48 hours pending culture results and clinical status. The goal of this study was to examine if the implementation of a 48-hour automatic stop (autostop) order during NICU admissions would decrease antibiotic use at UnityPoint Health-Meriter. An observational double-cohort study was performed in a level 3 NICU. Antibiotic use was evaluated before and after the autostop initiative. The admission order set included 48 hours of ampicillin and gentamicin coverage. After the autostop initiation, total doses given per patient decreased by 35% and doses per patient-day decreased by 25% (P < .0001). The greatest effect was a 66% decrease in the use of vancomycin, an antibiotic not included in the admission order set. Providers proactively continued antibiotics for infants in whom they had high suspicion for sepsis and in those with positive blood or cerebral spinal fluid culture results. An admission-order autostop was highly effective at decreasing antibiotic usage with no doses intended for a pathogen missed. Fewer doses of certain antibiotics outside of the admission order set were administered, particularly vancomycin, which results in our speculation that provider awareness of the antibiotic stewardship initiative might have altered prescribing practices.


The Roles of Mechanical Stresses in the Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis: Implications for Treatment of Joint Injuries.
Excessive joint surface loadings, either single (acute impact event) or repetitive (cumulative contact stress), can cause the clinical syndrome of osteoarthritis (OA). Despite advances in treatment of injured joints, the risk of OA following joint injuries has not decreased in the last 50 years. Cumulative excessive articular surface contact stress that leads to OA results from post-traumatic joint incongruity and instability, and joint dysplasia, but also may cause OA in patients without known joint abnormalities. In vitro investigations show that excessive articular cartilage loading triggers release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from mitochondria, and that these ROS cause chondrocyte death and matrix degradation. Preventing release of ROS or inhibiting their effects preserves chondrocytes and their matrix. Fibronectin fragments released from articular cartilage subjected to excessive loads also stimulate matrix degradation; inhibition of molecular pathways initiated by these fragments prevents this effect. Additionally, injured chondrocytes release alarmins that activate chondroprogentior cells in vitro that propogate and migrate to regions of damaged cartilage. These cells also release chemokines and cytokines that may contribute to inflammation that causes progressive cartilage loss. Distraction and motion of osteoarthritic human ankles can promote joint remodeling, decrease pain and improve joint function in patients with end-stage post-traumatic OA. These advances in understanding of how altering mechanical stresses can lead to remodeling of osteoarthritic joints and how excessive stress causes loss of articular cartilage, including identification of mechanically induced mediators of cartilage loss, provide the basis for new biologic and mechanical approaches to the prevention and treatment of OA.


Organic dust induced pulmonary disease - the role of mould derived beta-glucan.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the role of the mould cell wall agent beta-glucan in environmentally related pulmonary disease. All published articles where beta-glucan was administered by the airways, either as intratracheal injection or as inhalation were utilised as data sources. Data reporting consisted of analysis of data reports concerning the effects of beta-glucan on the immune system on the cellular level, particularly on the aggregation of inflammatory cells or production of inflammatory cytokines. High doses of soluble and particulate beta-glucan cause an inflammatory response characterized by cytokine activation and neutrophil invasion in the lung tissue. At lower doses, closer to environmental exposure levels, the predominant effect is an influence on the response to antigens, the reactivity of eosinophils and other Th2 driven immune responses. It is concluded that, beta-glucan can induce Th1 as well asTh2 driven immune responses. The pathology of atopy/allergy, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and toxic penumonitis might be induced by exposure to beta-glucan. Measurements of beta-glucan in different environments are useful for risk control and prevention.


A Music Playback Algorithm Based on Residual-Inception Blocks for Music Emotion Classification and Physiological Information.
Music can generate a positive effect in runners' performance and motivation. However, the practical implementation of music intervention during exercise is mostly absent from the literature. Therefore, this paper designs a playback sequence system for joggers by considering music emotion and physiological signals. This playback sequence is implemented by a music selection module that combines artificial intelligence techniques with physiological data and emotional music. In order to make the system operate for a long time, this paper improves the model and selection music module to achieve lower energy consumption. The proposed model obtains fewer FLOPs and parameters by using logarithm scaled Mel-spectrogram as input features. The accuracy, computational complexity, trainable parameters, and inference time are evaluated on the Bi-modal, 4Q emotion, and Soundtrack datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed model is better than that of Sarkar et al. and achieves competitive performance on Bi-modal (84.91%), 4Q emotion (92.04%), and Soundtrack (87.24%) datasets. More specifically, the proposed model reduces the computational complexity and inference time while maintaining the classification accuracy, compared to other models. Moreover, the size of the proposed model for network training is small, which can be applied to mobiles and other devices with limited computing resources. This study designed the overall playback sequence system by considering the relationship between music emotion and physiological situation during exercise. The playback sequence system can be adopted directly during exercise to improve users' exercise efficiency.


The underdevelopment of health of working America: causes, consequences and possible solutions.
This article presents the health conditions of working America, and provides an analysis of the causes of that situation. It is postulated that the main health problems in the U.S. are due not to prevalent life styles-as the behavioralists indicate-but to the dramatic maldistribution of economic and political power in our society, with the absence of control by the majority of the U.S. population-the working and lower-middle classes-over the work process with which they are involved, the economic wealth that they produce, and the political institutions that they pay for. The production of goods and wealth as well as the political institutions of the United States are dominated and controlled by a minority of our population-the corporate and upper-middle classes. Empirical information is presented to support this postulate. In light of this explanation, it is asserted that a major public health task is to deliberately and actively contribute to the political mobilization of forces aimed at bringing about profound changes in the pattern of control of our working insitutions and of the distribution of wealth and political power, changes which seek to shift that control from the few to the many.


Practical considerations for the clinical use of buprenorphine.
Buprenorphine is a new and attractive medication option for many opioid-addicted adults and their physicians. Before initiating buprenorphine treatment, providers must be aware of such critical factors as how the medication works, its efficacy and safety profile, how it is used in opioid withdrawal as well as maintenance treatment, and how patients can best be selected, educated about buprenorphine, and monitored throughout treatment. This article reviews these important issues as well as requirements for physician and staff training and needs for additional research on this unique medication.


Mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of polysaccharides in the intervention of Alzheimer's disease: A review.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease. Despite several decades of research, the development of effective treatments and responses for Alzheimer's disease remains elusive. The utilization of polysaccharides for Alzheimer's disease became more popular due to their beneficial characteristics, notably their multi-target activity and low toxicity. This review mainly focuses on the researches of recent 5 years in the regulation of AD by naturally derived polysaccharides, systematically lists the possible intervention pathways of polysaccharides from different mechanisms, and explores the structure-activity relationship between polysaccharide structural activities, so as to provide references for the intervention and treatment of AD by polysaccharides.


Influence of in vitro IL-2 or IL-15 alone or in combination with Hsp-70-derived 14-mer peptide (TKD) on the expression of NK cell activatory and inhibitory receptors.
NK cells represent a potential tool for adoptive immunotherapy against tumors. Membrane-bound Hsp70 acts as a tumor-specific marker enhancing NK cell activity. Using flow cytometry the effect of in vitro stimulation with IL-2 or IL-15 alone or in combination with Hsp70-derived 14-mer peptide (TKD) on cell surface expression of NK activatory receptors (CD16, NKG2D, NKG2C, NKp46, NKp44, NKp30, KIR2DL4, DNAM-1, and LAMP1) and NK inhibitory receptors (NKG2A, KIR2DL2/L3, LIR1/ILT-2, and NKR-P1A) in healthy individuals was studied. Results were expressed as the percentage of receptor expressing cells and the amount of receptor expressed by CD3(-)CD56(+) cellular population. CD94, NKG2D, NKp44, NKp30, KIR2DL4, DNAM-1, LAMP1, NKG2A, and NKR-P1A were upregulated after the stimulation with IL-2 or IL-15 alone or in combination with TKD. KIR2DL2/L3 was upregulated only by IL-15 and IL-15/TKD. Concurrently, an increase in a number of NK cells positive for CD94, NKp44, NKp30, KIR2DL4, and LAMP1 was observed. IL-15 and IL-15/TKD caused also cell number rise positive for KIR2DL2/L3 and NKR-P1A. Cell number positive for NKG2C and NKG2A was increased only by IL-2 and IL-2/TKD. The diverse effect of IL-2 or IL-15 w or w/o TKD on cell surface expression was observed in CD16, NKp46, and LIR1/ILT-2.


Review of cognitive behavioural therapy mobile apps using a reference architecture embedded in the patient-provider relationship.
Mobile health apps (mHealth apps) are increasing in popularity and utility for the management of many chronic diseases. Although the current reimbursement structure for mHealth apps is lagging behind the rapidly improving functionality, more clinicians will begin to recommend these apps as they prove their clinical worth. Payors such as the government or private insurance companies will start to reimburse for the use of these technologies, especially if they add value to patients by providing timely support, a more streamlined patient experience, and greater patient convenience. Payors are likely to see benefits for providers, as these apps could help increase productivity between in-office encounters without having to resort to expensive in-person visits when patients are having trouble managing their disease. To guide and perhaps speed up adoption of mHealth apps by patients and providers, analysis and evaluation of existing apps needs to be carried out and more feedback must be provided to app developers. In this paper, an evaluation of 35 mHealth apps claiming to provide cognitive behavioural therapy was conducted to assess the quality of the patient-provider relationship and evidence-based practices embedded in these apps. The mean score across the apps was 4.9 out of 20 functional criteria all of which were identified as important to the patient-provider relationship. The median score was 5 out of these 20 functional criteria. Overall, the apps reviewed were mostly stand-alone apps that do not enhance the patient-provider relationship, improve patient accountability or help providers support patients more effectively between visits. Large improvements in patient experience and provider productivity can be made through enhanced integration of mHealth apps into the healthcare system.


Point: status of lipid and lipoprotein standardization.
Cholesterol and triglyceride standardization procedures have been used extensively and continuously since the 1950s. Definitive and Reference Methods, as well as primary and secondary standards, have been developed and maintained as the basis for evaluating the accuracy of results by various methods in many laboratories. But, although standardization efforts for apolipoprotein A-I and B measurements have been reported in detail in the scientific literature, much less has been reported in the area of total and lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride standardization efforts. Standardized cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, determined in multiple large epidemiological and clinical studies, have been instrumental to the National Cholesterol Education Program panels that have assessed the lipoprotein values associated with risk of coronary disease, and have determined the cutpoints that are now used extensively by physicians to guide diagnosis and treatment of individual patients.


Prediction of late disease recurrence and extended adjuvant letrozole benefit by the HOXB13/IL17BR biomarker.
Biomarkers to optimize extended adjuvant endocrine therapy for women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer are limited. The HOXB13/IL17BR (H/I) biomarker predicts recurrence risk in ER-positive, lymph node-negative breast cancer patients. H/I was evaluated in MA.17 trial for prognostic performance for late recurrence and treatment benefit from extended adjuvant letrozole. A prospective-retrospective, nested case-control design of 83 recurrences matched to 166 nonrecurrences from letrozole- and placebo-treated patients within MA.17 was conducted. Expression of H/I within primary tumors was determined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction with a prespecified cutpoint. The predictive ability of H/I for ascertaining benefit from letrozole was determined using multivariable conditional logistic regression including standard clinicopathological factors as covariates. All statistical tests were two-sided. High H/I was statistically significantly associated with a decrease in late recurrence in patients receiving extended letrozole therapy (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.16 to 0.75; P = .007). In an adjusted model with standard clinicopathological factors, high H/I remained statistically significantly associated with patient benefit from letrozole (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.73; P = .006). Reduction in the absolute risk of recurrence at 5 years was 16.5% for patients with high H/I (P = .007). The interaction between H/I and letrozole treatment was statistically significant (P = .03). In the absence of extended letrozole therapy, high H/I identifies a subgroup of ER-positive patients disease-free after 5 years of tamoxifen who are at risk for late recurrence. When extended endocrine therapy with letrozole is prescribed, high H/I predicts benefit from therapy and a decreased probability of late disease recurrence.


In vitro study of hemolysis induced by flow-regulated and pressure-dependent flow pumps.
In vitro experiments showed that a pressure-dependent flow pump which "obeys Starling's law" (with flexible tube stretched on vertical rotor) was less hemolytic than a classical flow-regulated pump (with pump inset occluded between a rotor and a stator). The degree of hemolysis obtained with fresh human blood was higher with blood from chronic respiratory patients than with blood from normal donors. Also, the hemolysis was less with fresh heparinized blood than with stored ACD blood, and less with normal blood than with diluted blood. Comparing hemodialysis pumps with ECC pumps showed that hemolysis tripled with the pressure-dependent flow types and was 30 times higher with the classical pumps.


IQGAP3 regulates cell proliferation through the Ras/ERK signalling cascade.
Proliferation of epithelial cells must be spatiotemporally regulated to maintain the organization of epithelial sheets. Here we show that the IQGAP family, comprising IQGAP1, 2 and 3, underlies lateral cell-cell contacts of epithelial cells. Of the three proteins, IQGAP3 is unique in that its expression is specifically confined to proliferating cells. Knockdown of IQGAP3 in cultured epithelial cells caused inhibition of proliferation and ERK activity. When exogenously expressed in quiescent cells, IQGAP3 was capable of inducing cell-cycle re-entry, which was completely inhibited by the MEK inhibitor U0126. Thus, IQGAP3 is necessary and sufficient for driving cell proliferation and ERK acts downstream of IQGAP3. Furthermore, IQGAP3 specifically interacted with the active, GTP-bound form of Ras, and in IQGAP3 knockdown cells, the activity of Ras, but not of other small GTPases, was inhibited. Thus, IQGAP3 regulates the promotion of cell proliferation through Ras-dependent ERK activation.


Peptostreptococcus vaginalis or Peptostreptococcus prevotii? Identification and clinical importance of a new species of Peptostreptococcus.
Peptostreptococcus vaginalis is a recently described species of Gram-positive anaerobic coccus. We report one case in which P. vaginalis was isolated in pure culture from an abscess on the upper arm, and summarise nine further cases where it was isolated in mixed culture from other superficial sites, particularly infected leg ulcers. We suggest that clinical strains of P. vaginalis have probably been described in the past as Peptostreptococcus prevotii, a species which has frequently been reported from clinical surveys of anaerobic infections; their relative importance and appropriate treatment are discussed. Preformed enzyme profiles provide a simple method of identification accessible to routine diagnostic laboratories; when clinically significant isolates of GPAC are isolated in pure growth, they should be identified to the species level by use of preformed enzyme kits.


Caseload midwifery compared to standard or private obstetric care for first time mothers in a public teaching hospital in Australia: a cross sectional study of cost and birth outcomes.
In many countries midwives act as the main providers of care for women throughout pregnancy, labour and birth. In our large public teaching hospital in Australia we restructured the way midwifery care is offered and introduced caseload midwifery for one third of women booked at the hospital. We then compared the costs and birth outcomes associated with caseload midwifery compared to the two existing models of care, standard hospital care and private obstetric care. We undertook a cross sectional study examining the risk profile, birth outcomes and cost of care for women booked into one of the three available models of care in a tertiary teaching hospital in Australia between July 1st 2009 December 31st 2010. To control for differences in population or case mix we described the outcomes for a cohort of low risk first time mothers known as the 'standard primipara'. Amongst the 1,379 women defined as 'standard primipara' there were significant differences in birth outcome. These first time 'low risk' mothers who received caseload care were more likely to have a spontaneous onset of labour and an unassisted vaginal birth 58.5% in MGP compared to 48.2% for Standard hospital care and 30.8% with Private obstetric care (p < 0.001). They were also significantly less likely to have an elective caesarean section 1.6% with MGP versus 5.3% with Standard care and 17.2% with private obstetric care (p < 0.001). From the public hospital perspective, over one financial year the average cost of care for the standard primipara in MGP was $3903.78 per woman. This was $1375.45 less per woman than those receiving Private obstetric care and $1590.91 less than Standard hospital care per woman (p < 0.001). Similar differences in cost were found in favour of MGP for all women in the study who received caseload care. Cost reduction appears to be achieved through reorganising the way care is delivered in the public hospital system with the introduction of Midwifery Group Practice or caseload care. The study also highlights the unexplained clinical variation that exists between the three models of care in Australia.


Species-specific plant-mediated effects between herbivores converge at high damage intensity.
Plants are often exposed to multiple herbivores and densities of these attackers (or corresponding damage intensities) often fluctuate greatly in the field. Plant-mediated interactions vary among herbivore species and with changing feeding intensity, but little is known about how herbivore identity and density interact to determine plant responses and herbivore fitness. Here, we investigated this question using Triadica sebifera (tallow) and two common and abundant specialist insect herbivores, Bikasha collaris (flea beetle) and Heterapoderopsis bicallosicollis (weevil). By manipulating densities of leaf-feeding adults of these two herbivore species, we tested how variations in the intensity of leaf damage caused by flea beetle or weevil adults affected the performance of root-feeding flea beetle larvae and evaluated the potential of induced tallow root traits to predict flea beetle larval performance. We found that weevil adults consistently decreased the survival of flea beetle larvae with increasing leaf damage intensities. In contrast, conspecific flea beetle adults increased their larval survival at low damage then decreased larval survival at high damage, resulting in a unimodal pattern. Chemical analyses showed that increasing leaf damage from weevil adults linearly decreased root carbohydrates and increased root tannin, whereas flea beetle adults had opposite effects as weevil adults at low damage and similar effects as them at high damage. Furthermore, across all feeding treatments, flea beetle larval survival correlated positively with concentrations of carbohydrates and negatively with concentration of tannin, suggesting that root primary and secondary metabolism might underlie the observed effects on flea beetle larvae. Our study demonstrates that herbivore identity and density interact to determine systemic plant responses and plant-mediated effects on herbivores. In particular, effects are species-specific at low densities, but converge at high densities. These findings emphasize the importance of considering herbivore identity and density simultaneously when investigating factors driving plant-mediated interactions between herbivores, which advances our understanding of the structure and composition of herbivore communities and terrestrial food webs.


Selective synthesis of subnanometer diameter semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Subnanometer single-walled carbon nanotubes (sub-nm SWNTs) were synthesized at different temperatures (600, 700, and 800 degrees C) using CoMn bimetallic catalysts supported on MCM-41 silica templates. The state of the catalyst was investigated using X-ray absorption, and the (n,m) indices of the sub-nm SWNTs were determined from Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. We find that the size of the metallic particles that seed the growth of sub-nm SWNTs (diameter approximately 0.5-1.0 nm) is highly sensitive to the reaction temperature. Low reaction temperature (600 degrees C) favors the growth of semiconducting tubes whose diameters range from 0.5 to 0.7 nm. These results were also confirmed by electrical transport measurements. Interestingly, dominant intermediate frequency modes on the same intensity scale as the Raman breathing modes were observed. An unusual "S-like" dispersion of the G-band was present in the Raman spectra of sub-nm SWNTs with diameters <0.7 nm.


[Mother-to-child transmission of HIV].
Modern treatment of HIV-positive women has reduced the rate of transmission of HIV to their children. The relative importance of different interventions is unclear. We have studied mother-to-child transmission from the start of the Norwegian epidemic in 1983 and up to the year 2000. Retrospective study of risk factors in HIV-positive women and children of HIV-positive mothers born in Norway and followed up at our hospital. 53 women gave birth to 57 live-born children, eight of whom were HIV-infected. The mothers of 4 HIV-infected children were treated with zidovudine monotherapy during their pregnancy. Out of the 12 children delivered by elective caesarean section and the 17 children (8 delivered by elective caesarean section) with mothers receiving antiviral combination therapy, none were HIV-infected. HIV-RNA was measured at the time of birth in 16 women; 8 had viral loads of less than 50 copies/ml and 8 had viral loads at the time of delivery between 50 and 57 100 copies/ml, but none of these 16 transmitted the virus to their children. None of the mothers breast-fed. Transmission of HIV from mother to child was associated with insufficient or no antiviral therapy of mother and child. The effect of elective caesarean section could not be separated from the effect of antiviral therapy. We did not find any association between transmission of HIV and prematurity, development of immunodeficiency in the mother, special risk group status, or early membrane rupture.


An epithelial scatter factor released by embryo fibroblasts.
Medium conditioned by human embryo fibroblasts breaks structural junctions between several types of epithelial cells, leading to separation and scattering of the cells. An assay developed in MDCK cells shows activity up to a dilution of at least 1 in 64, equivalent to less than 100 ng of total protein. The activity is non-dialysable, heat-labile, and sensitive to trypsin, and it is assumed to be due to one or more proteins. After addition of the factor, separation of MDCK cells begins in about 15 min and is complete in 10 h. It increases migration of MDCK cells into wounds, and causes collapse of domes. Locomotion of isolated cells is not enhanced, but cell shape is affected by local membrane movement. Under the culture conditions used the factor, or an associated protein, causes a weak inhibition of cell growth without cytotoxic activity. The scattering factor has not been purified, nor has a physiological role been identified, but it might be concerned in the mobilization of epithelial cells.