Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for preschoolers: a meta-analysis.
The purpose of the meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on physical activity participation among preschoolers. A secondary purpose was to investigate the influence of several possible moderator variables (e.g., intervention length, location, leadership, type) on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Nine databases were systematically searched for physical activity interventions. Studies were included if they contained statistics necessary to compute an effect size (ES), were written in or translated into English, examined physical activity in preschoolers, incorporated a physical activity intervention, and targeted preschool-aged children. Fifteen studies satisfied these criteria. ESs were calculated using a random-effects model. Results indicated that overall, interventions had a small-to-moderate effect on general physical activity (Hedges g = 0.44, p < .05, n = 73 ESs) and a moderate effect on MVPA (Hedges g = 0.51, p < .05, n = 39 ESs). The greatest effects for MVPA were identified for interventions that were less than 4 weeks in duration, were offered in an early-learning environment, were led by teachers, involved outdoor activity, and incorporated unstructured activity. This meta-analysis provides an overview and synthesis of physical activity interventions and highlights effective strategies for future interventions aimed at increasing physical activity levels among preschoolers.


3-D face structure extraction and recognition from images using 3-D morphing and distance mapping.
We describe a novel approach for creating a three-dimensional (3-D) face structure from multiple image views of a human face taken at a priori unknown poses by appropriately morphing a generic 3-D face. A cubic explicit polynomial in 3-D is used to morph a generic face into the specific face structure. The 3-D face structure allows for accurate pose estimation as well as the synthesis of virtual images to be matched with a test image for face identification. The estimation of a 3-D person's face and pose estimation is achieved through the use of a distance map metric. This distance map residual error (geometric-based face classifier) and the image intensity residual error are fused in identifying a person in the database from one or more arbitrary image view(s). Experimental results are shown on simulated data in the presence of noise, as well as for images of real faces, and promising results are obtained.


[The development and implementation of polymerase chain reaction to detect in real-time operation mode yersinia pestis in field material].
The article presents the results of development and practical implementation of system of polymerase chain reaction testing in real-time operation mode to detect agent of plague infield material. In laboratory conditions the system demonstrated good results and hence it was applied in conditions of field laboratory of epidemiologic team during planned epizootologic examination of Gorno-Altaisk hot spot of plague. The sampling consisted of more than 1400 objects. It was demonstrated that high sensitivity and specificity is immanent to proposed system. The adaptation of the system to the real time amplifier "Smart Cycler" (Cephid, USA) having some specific technical characteristics makes it possible to consider the proposed test-system as an effective sensitive and precise instrument for screening studies in the process of regular epizootologic examinations of hot spots of plague.


Improved outcome in children with advanced stage B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL): results of the United Kingdom Children Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) 9002 protocol.
From July 1990 to March 1996, 112 children with stage III or IV B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) with up to 70% FAB L3-type blasts (n = 42) in the bone marrow without central nervous system (CNS) disease were treated on the United Kingdom Children Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) 9002 protocol (identical to the French LMB 84). The median age was 8.3 years. There were 81 boys and 31 girls. According to the extent of the primary disease, patients were sub-staged into three groups: IIIA with unresectable abdominal tumour (n = 39); IIIB with abdominal multiorgan involvement (n = 57) and IIIX with extra-abdominal primary lymphoma often presenting as pleural effusion (n = 16). Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to evaluate the prognostic significance of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level at diagnosis, the sub-stage and the time to achieve complete remission (CR). With a median follow up of 48 months (range 12-92), the overall and event free survival (EFS) is 87% (95% confidence interval (CI) 79.2-92.1 %) and 83.7% (95% CI 76.3-89.2%) respectively. Six patients (5.4%) never achieved CR, of whom one is alive following high-dose therapy. Eight patients (7.1%) relapsed after achieving CR, three are alive after second-line therapy. There were three early toxic deaths (2.7%), mainly from infection, and one late death from a second cancer. There was no significant difference in EFS according to LDH level at diagnosis, the sub-stage or the time to CR. This study confirms the overall good prognosis and low rate of toxic deaths in patients with advanced B-NHL treated with this intensive regimen. No significant difference in EFS according to the sub-stage, the time to achieve CR or LDH level at diagnosis making it difficult to identify a group that should not receive intensive therapy.


Measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures for eczema control: a systematic review.
Atopic eczema (herein referred to as 'eczema') is a skin disease characterized by remitting and relapsing symptoms. The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative was developed to establish a core outcome set (COS) for eczema to be measured for all future eczema trials. The core outcome set for atopic eczema clinical trials includes the domain for patient-reported eczema control, but a review of the validation of available eczema control instruments was lacking. We aimed to review the literature and systematically assess the measurement properties of validated patient-reported outcome instruments that capture eczema control. PubMed and Ovid EMBASE were searched up to 24 January 2020 for any study that reported on PROM instrument development or validation. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) criteria were used to assess the quality of eligible studies. We screened 12 036 titles and abstracts and 58 full texts. A total of 12 papers were included, reporting on seven PROMS. These were assessed with respect to development, reliability, construct validity and responsiveness. Two instruments, Recap of Atopic Eczema (RECAP) and the Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool (ADCT), have been developed and validated to a sufficient standard to support their recommendation as patient-reported outcome instruments for measuring control of atopic eczema as part of the HOME Core Outcome Set.


Characterization of thermotolerant phototrophic bacteria, Rhodoplanes tepidicaeni sp. nov. and Rhodoplanes azumiensis sp. nov., isolated from a geothermal spring.
Two strains of thermotolerant phototrophic alphaproteobacteria, designated strains TUT3542T and TUT3581T, were isolated from sediment mud and cyanobacterial mats in a geothermal spring in Japan, respectively, and taxonomically characterized. Both the strains were budding motile rods and were able to grow at 45 °C. Phototrophically grown cells of strains TUT3542T and TUT3581T produced pink and brownish red cultures, respectively, and showed in vivo absorption maxima at 800, 858-859 and 892-895 nm in the near infrared region, indicating the presence of a core reaction centre and peripheral pigment complexes with bacteriochlorophyll a. The intracytoplasmic membrane system was of the lamellar type parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed that strains TUT3542T and TUT3581T had the highest similarity level to Rhodoplanes oryazae NBRC 109406T (99.6 %) and Rhodoplaneselegans AS130T (99.3 %), respectively. Genomic DNA-DNA reassociation studies revealed that strains TUT3542T and TUT3581T had hybridization levels of less than 62 and 56 % to the type strains of all established species of the genus Rhodoplanes, respectively. The G+C contents of genomic DNA were 67.7 mol% for strain TUT3542T and 70.4 mol% for strain TUT3581T. Results of phenotypic studies showed that the two novel strains could be differentiated from any of the previously described Rhodoplanes species. Thus, the author proposes the names Rhodoplanes tepidicaeni sp. nov. for strain TUT3542T and Rhodoplanes azumiensis sp. nov. for strain TUT3581T. The type strain of Rhodoplanes tepidicaeni is TUT3542T (=KCTC 15602T=NBRC 112815T) and the type strain of Rhodoplanes azumiensis is TUT3581T (=KCTC 15603T=NBRC 112816T).


Microfluidics: an enabling screening technology for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
Oil production is a critical industrial process that affects the entire world population and any improvements in its efficiency while reducing its environmental impact are of utmost societal importance. The paper reviews recent applications of microfluidics and microtechnology to study processes of oil extraction and recovery. It shows that microfluidic devices can be useful tools in investigation and visualization of such processes used in the oil & gas industry as fluid propagation, flooding, fracturing, emulsification and many others. Critical macro-scale processes that define oil extraction and recovery are controlled by the micro-scale processes based on wetting, adhesion, surface tension, colloids and other concepts of microfluidics. A growing number of research efforts demonstrates that microfluidics is becoming, albeit slowly, an accepted methodology in this area. We propose several areas of development where implementation of microfluidics may bring about deeper understanding and hence better control over the processes of oil recovery based on fluid propagation, droplet generation, wettability control. Studies of processes such as hydraulic fracturing, sand particle propagation in porous networks, high throughput screening of chemicals (for example, emulsifiers and surfactants) in microfluidic devices that simulate oil reservoirs are proposed to improve our understanding of these complicated physico-chemical systems. We also discuss why methods of additive manufacturing (3D printing) should be evaluated for quick prototyping and modification of the three-dimensional structures replicating natural oil-bearing rock formations for studies accessible to a wider audience of researchers.


Farewell to the Lose-Lose Reality of Policing Plant Imports.
In an age of free international shipments of mail-ordered seeds and plants, more policing will not stop the global migration of hitchhiking pests. The solution is in a preemptive response based on an internationally coordinated genomic deployment of global biodiversity in the largest breeding project since the "Garden of Eden." This plan will enrich the narrow genetic basis of annual and perennial plants with adaptations to changing environments and resistances to the pests of the future.


Prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis and quality of milk on smallholder dairy farms in Tanzania.
A cross sectional study was conducted during October and November 2006 on 69 smallholder dairy farms with lactating cows in Mvomero and Njombe districts Tanzania, to determine the prevalence of mastitis and to assess the milk quality on the study farms. Clinical mastitis was investigated using clinical changes of udder and milk at animal level. Cow-side California Mastitis Test (CMT) and microbiological cultures were used to assess subclinical mastitis at quarter level. Milk quality was determined on bulk milk samples at herd level using alcohol and acidity tests, butter fat content, total solids, ash content as well as Delvotest for antimicrobial residues. Overall prevalence of clinical mastitis at herd level in both districts was 21.7% (n = 69). Based on CMT, prevalence of subclinical mastitis at animal level was 51.6% (n = 91). Prevalence of bacterial isolates at animal level was 35.2% (n = 91) while for fungal it was 16.7% (n = 90). Based on CMT results, prevalence of subclinical mastitis at quarter level was 30% (n = 353), while for bacteria and fungi it was 16% and 6% respectively. Contamination of milk with antimicrobial residues was 4.5% (n = 67). The milk quality parameters for most of the milk samples were within acceptable levels. Findings in this study have demonstrated high prevalence of subclinical mastitis that may contribute to low productivity of dairy cattle in both districts. About 20% of CMT subclinical cases had no involvement of microbial pathogens that suggested the need for minimal interventions with antimicrobial agents. These findings call for use of udder disinfectants and improved milking hygiene as intervention strategies to control mastitis on the smallholder dairy farms in Tanzania.


Shift work effects on serial PEF measurements for occupational asthma.
Diurnal variation (DV) affects lung function but the changes are thought to be related to sleep patterns rather than time of day. When diagnosing occupational asthma (OA), serial peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements are the recommended first line investigation, but could be confounded by shift work. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of shift work on PEF measurements used for diagnosing OA. PEF records containing more than one shift pattern with ≥ 4 days per shift were identified. OA diagnosis was based on an Oasys-2 score ≥ 2.51 and non-OA on having an alternative clinical diagnosis and Oasys-2 score <2.51. The mean area between curves (ABC) score, mean PEF DV and cross-shift PEF changes were calculated for each shift. Records from 123 workers with OA and 69 without OA satisfied inclusion criteria. In the OA group, PEF declined more on afternoon and night shifts than days (P < 0.001). The ABC score was lower in the OA group on night (P < 0.05) and afternoon shifts (P < 0.05) as compared with days, without significant differences in DV. Among those without OA, cross-shift PEF increased more on day shifts (mean + 25 l/min) than afternoon or night shifts (+1 l/min) (P < 0.001). The sensitivity for the ABC score and DV were good and similar across shifts, but specificity was reduced using DV (DV mean 39%; ABC 98%). PEF responses between work and rest show small differences according to shift type. The ABC score has a high sensitivity and specificity for all shifts; differences in DV have lower specificity.


Egg desiccation leads to dehydration and enhanced innate immunity in python embryos.
The immune system is essential for survival and its performance can vary depending on the physiological state of the organism. Much of the current research into immune function dynamics has examined newborn to adult life stages, despite previous studies documenting physiological responses in embryos to environmental stimuli. While energy balance has been the predominant focus as the driver of changes in immune function, recent research has found a positive relationship between dehydration and innate immune performance in adult reptiles. We expanded the understanding of this relationship by examining trans-generational immune effects of female dehydration as well as the effects of egg desiccation on embryonic hydration state and innate immunity using Children's pythons, Antaresia childreni. We used a 2 × 2 experiment with hydrated or dehydrated mothers and eggs either incubated under continuous optimal conditions or experiencing desiccating conditions for 24 h. Our results demonstrate that, similar to adults, embryos enhance some metrics of innate immunity when they are dehydrated.


Circulating Tumor Cells: A Reliable Biomarker for Prostate Cancer Treatment Assessment?
Prostate cancer is a common malignancy with highly molecular heterogeneity responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical behavior. To date, several treatment options are available, whose selection is currently based mainly on clinical criteria. Given the weakness of conventional imaging and PSA assay, the identification of a prognostic and predictive biomarker for choosing the appropriate treatment and monitoring its efficacy is a very topical issue in prostate cancer management. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have substantial promise for early tumor diagnosis, disease recurrence and metastatic spread monitoring as well as for biological tumor characterization, thus representing a reliable translational real-time biomarkers of prostate cancer. This paper summarized the main data available about CTCs detection, their prognostic value, and their potential predictive role for metastatic prostate cancer patients management.


Prognostic significance of autoantibodies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: protocol for a systematic review.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) is chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown aetiology. IPF is diagnosed based on the exclusion of known causes such as connective tissue diseases(CTDs). However, some patients fail to meet defined CTD criteria regardless of an implication of immunological involvement and these cases were described in a variety of terms. The classification criteria of this clinical entity consist of a combination of clinical, serological and morphological findings and it is reported to be distinct from IPF. However, the significance of the sole presence of autoantibodies complicated with IPF is still unknown. Therefore, this systematic review aims to clarify the significance of autoantibodies complicated with IPF. IPF with any autoantibody associated with CTDs is eligible for the review. Primary outcomes are all-cause mortality and pulmonary-cause mortality, while secondary outcomes include a progression of the disease, a deterioration of health-related quality of life and the development of a defined CTD. Primary studies of any type except a case report are included. Two reviewers search four electronic databases such as Medline, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded and Google Scholar from each inception through 1 February 2018 and extract data independently. A risk of bias in individual studies is assessed by the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool. Meta-analysis is sought to be conducted if three or more studies report an outcome for a specific autoantibody with the same statistics. If it is inappropriate to combine data due to substantial heterogeneity, the result is reported qualitatively. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses are considered to identify the source of heterogeneity. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method is applied to evaluate the evidence level of the result. There is no concerning ethical issue. The result will be sought for publication. CRD42017077336.


Safety and efficacy of tacrolimus ointment versus pimecrolimus cream in the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis previously treated with corticosteroids.
Adult and pediatric patients (n = 347) with atopic dermatitis enrolled in three multicenter, randomized, 6-week studies who had previously used steroids were analyzed to examine the null hypothesis that improvement in atopic dermatitis initiated after prior treatment with steroids eliminates any subsequent treatment differences between tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream. Of these patients, 171 were randomized to tacrolimus ointment and 176 to pimecrolimus cream. Based on improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index at the end of study, tacrolimus ointment was significantly more effective than pimecrolimus cream (p = 0.0002). Tacrolimus ointment was also significantly more effective than pimecrolimus cream at the end of study in all secondary end-points. Overall, the frequency of adverse events was comparable between treatment groups (24.0% for tacrolimus ointment vs. 25.6% for pimecrolimus cream). Tacrolimus ointment is more effective, with a similar safety profile, compared with pimecrolimus cream in patients with atopic dermatitis previously treated with topical corticosteroids.


Yap1 promotes sprouting and proliferation of lymphatic progenitors downstream of Vegfc in the zebrafish trunk.
Lymphatic vascular development involves specification of lymphatic endothelial progenitors that subsequently undergo sprouting, proliferation and tissue growth to form a complex second vasculature. The Hippo pathway and effectors Yap and Taz control organ growth and regulate morphogenesis and cellular proliferation. Yap and Taz control angiogenesis but a role in lymphangiogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. Here we show that YAP displays dynamic changes in lymphatic progenitors and Yap1 is essential for lymphatic vascular development in zebrafish. Maternal and Zygotic (MZ) yap1 mutants show normal specification of lymphatic progenitors, abnormal cellular sprouting and reduced numbers of lymphatic progenitors emerging from the cardinal vein during lymphangiogenesis. Furthermore, Yap1 is indispensable for Vegfc-induced proliferation in a transgenic model of Vegfc overexpression. Paracrine Vegfc-signalling ultimately increases nuclear YAP in lymphatic progenitors to control lymphatic development. We thus identify a role for Yap in lymphangiogenesis, acting downstream of Vegfc to promote expansion of this vascular lineage.


Urine ACR uptake in patients with a diagnosis of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary care setting: A cross sectional study.
A recent change in the diabetes Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) retired the mandatory testing of urinary ACR. We designed a study demonstrates the impact of this change in a primary healthcare setting. This is relevant as a significant proportion of the NHS budget is spent on managing microvascular and macrovascular complications that result from type 1 and 2 Diabetes mellitus. Our cross-sectional study collected testing data for 482 patients in a primary care setting. Based on the results seen from the first set of data collection, an intervention was offered to the clinicians by way of clinical presentation that emphasised and refreshed the knowledge of the latest NICE guidelines on urine ACR collection. Subsequently, a second set of data collection was conducted to assess the success, if any, of changes implemented based on the intervention made RESULTS: Our study demonstrates the drastic decrease in uptake of ACR testing in the primary care setting that took place following the change in the diabetes QOF. The study highlights the need for the reintroduction of such a QOF measure to enable regular monitoring of early signs of nephropathy, thereby allow the timely commencement treatment as deemed appropriate. Furthermore, detecting the development of such complications in diabetic patients, in a timely manner, has the potential to reduce the financial footprint associated with treating the complications resulting from this condition.


The cholesterol metabolite 27 hydroxycholesterol facilitates breast cancer metastasis through its actions on immune cells.
Obesity and elevated circulating cholesterol are risk factors for breast cancer recurrence, while the use of statins, cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors widely used for treating hypercholesterolemia, is associated with improved disease-free survival. Here, we show that cholesterol mediates the metastatic effects of a high-fat diet via its oxysterol metabolite, 27-hydroxycholesterol. Ablation or inhibition of CYP27A1, the enzyme responsible for the rate-limiting step in 27-hydroxycholesterol biosynthesis, significantly reduces metastasis in relevant animal models of cancer. The robust effects of 27-hydroxycholesterol on metastasis requires myeloid immune cell function, and it was found that this oxysterol increases the number of polymorphonuclear-neutrophils and γδ-T cells at distal metastatic sites. The pro-metastatic actions of 27-hydroxycholesterol requires both polymorphonuclear-neutrophils and γδ-T cells, and 27-hydroxycholesterol treatment results in a decreased number of cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes. Therefore, through its actions on γδ-T cells and polymorphonuclear-neutrophils, 27-hydroxycholesterol functions as a biochemical mediator of the metastatic effects of hypercholesterolemia.High cholesterol is a risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Here the authors show that cholesterol promotes breast cancer metastasis via its metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC) that acts on immune myeloid cells residing at the distal metastatic sites, thus promoting an immune suppressive environment.


Predictive Factors of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula in Geriatric Patients Undergoing Pancreatoduodenectomy for Periampullary Malignancy.
To identify predictive factors associated with the occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in an increasingly geriatric population. Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of General Surgery, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey, from January 2010 to April 2022. Demographic and clinicopathological data of 74 geriatric patients who underwent PD for periampullary tumours in the clinic at Inonu University were retrieved from the patient database. POPF was defined and categorised based on the guidelines established by the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS). The patients were stratified into two cohorts of POPF and no POPF. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare variables between the two groups. The median age of the patient population was 72 (65-92) years, and 51 (68.9%) individuals were male. Among the 74 patients, 35 (47.3%) experienced POPF. In the multivariate analysis, hypertension (HT, p=0.012), Wirsung diameter <3.5 mm (p<0.01), and pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ, p=0.022) emerged as independent risk factors for POPF. In the context of geriatric patients undergoing PD, HT, intraoperative wirsung diameter <3.5 mm, and PJ were identified as independent risk factors for POPF. These findings can guide the adoption of safer techniques in preoperative and intraoperative evaluations, as well as in postoperative follow-ups of patients presenting with these risk factors. Elderly, Whipple procedure, Anastomotic leakage, Predictive factor, Postoperative pancreatic fistula, Pancreatoduodenectomy.


Particulate matter inhalation exacerbates cardiopulmonary injury in a rat model of isoproterenol-induced cardiomyopathy.
Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is linked to cardiovascular events and death, especially among individuals with heart disease. A model of toxic cardiomyopathy was developed in Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) rats to explore potential mechanisms. Rats were infused with isoproterenol (ISO; 2.5 mg/kg/day subcutaneous [sc]), a beta-adrenergic agonist, for 28 days and subsequently exposed to PM by inhalation. ISO induced tachycardia and hypotension throughout treatment followed by postinfusion decrements in heart rate, contractility, and blood pressures (systolic, diastolic, pulse), and fibrotic cardiomyopathy. Changes in heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) 17 days after ISO cessation indicated parasympathetic dominance with concomitantly altered ventilation. Rats were subsequently exposed to filtered air or Harvard Particle 12 (HP12) (12 mg/m(3))--a metal-rich oil combustion-derived PM--at 18 and 19 days (4 h/day) after ISO infusion via nose-only inhalation to determine if cardio-impaired rats were more responsive to the effects of PM exposure. Inhalation of PM among ISO-pretreated rats significantly increased pulmonary lactate dehydrogenase, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and heart-to-body mass ratio. PM exposure increased the number of ISO-pretreated rats that experienced bradyarrhythmic events, which occurred concomitantly with acute alterations of HRV. PM, however, did not significantly affect mean HRV in the ISO- or saline-pretreated groups. In summary, subchronic ISO treatment elicited some pathophysiologic and histopathological features of heart failure, including cardiomyopathy. The enhanced sensitivity to PM exposure in SHHF rats with ISO-accelerated cardiomyopathy suggests that this model may be useful for elucidating the mechanisms by which PM exposure exacerbates heart disease.


Keeping patients with epilepsy safe: a surmountable challenge?
This quality improvement project was inspired as an answer to a problem that intellectual disability teams have been struggling to manage whilst caring for people with epilepsy (PWE). The issue was that despite guidance to discuss the possibility of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) be discussed with a newly diagnosed PWE this is rarely done. Additionally when, how, and what to discuss about SUDEP and reduce its risk is arbitrary, non-person centred, and with no structured evidence. Prior to initiating changes a discussion of SUDEP was recorded in just 10% of PWE. We introduced a check-list to help identify risk factors for SUDEP. We then modified the check-list, and then used it via telehealth, a way of contacting patients and their carers over the phone using the check-list approach. Following interventions, discussions of SUDEP are now recorded in 80% of PWE. Feedback from patients, carers and primary and secondary care professionals has been positive. We are now developing an app so that patients and carers can monitor their own risk factors, thus empowering them and increasing their knowledge and awareness of SUDEP.


H5N8 Subtype avian influenza virus isolated from migratory birds emerging in Eastern China possessed a high pathogenicity in mammals.
Novel H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) bearing the clade 18.104.22.168b HA gene have been widely spread through wild migratory birds since 2020. One H5N8 HPAIV (A/Wild bird/Cixi/Cixi02/2020; here after Cixi02) was isolated from migratory birds in Zhejiang Province, Eastern China in 25 November 2020. However, its pathogenicity in avian and mammal remains unknown. Hemagglutinin gene genetic analysis indicated that Cixi02 virus belonged to the branch II of H5 clade 220.127.116.11b originated from Iraq in May 2020. Cixi02 virus showed a binding affinity to both SA α-2, 3-galactose (Gal) and SA α-2, 6 Gal receptors, good pH stability, thermostability, and replication ability in both avian and mammal cells. The poultry pathogenicity indicated that Cixi02 virus was lethal to chickens. Moreover, the mammalian pathogenicity showed that the 50% mouse lethal dose (MLD50 ) is 2.14 lgEID50 /50 μl, indicating a high pathogenicity in mice. Meanwhile, Cixi02 virus was widely detected in multiple organs, including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, turbinate, and brain after nasal infection. In addition, we found high level gene expressions of TNF-α, IL-12p70, CXCL10, and IFN-α in lungs, IL-8 and IL-1β in brains, and observed severe histopathological change in lungs and brains. Collectedly, this study provided new insights on the pathogenic and zoonotic features of an H5N8 subtype AIV isolated from migratory birds.


Exercise training and heart rate variability in older adult female subjects.
Prior investigations in post-myocardial infarction and healthy elderly subjects have established that heart rate variability (HRV) predicts mortality. Predominantly cross-sectional studies have shown an association between endurance training and measures of HRV. In a randomized trial, this study sought to prospectively compare the effects of endurance and strength training on HRV in 45 healthy elderly females (average age 69.9 +/- 0.9 years). All subjects were rigorously screened to be normal by history, physical, blood tests, ECG, ETT and echocardiogram. All subjects were monitored for 24 hours by a 2-channel Holter before and after training. Artifacts and arrhythmias were manually removed. Tapes were examined for standard measures of HRV. 15 subjects were randomized to endurance trained (ET), 15 subjects to strength training (ST), and 15 subjects to no training (NT) for six months. Training resulted in a significant increase in VO2max in the ET (+7.4%, p = 0.005) group only. There was a small but not significant decrease in HR with both the ET and ST groups. ET resulted in a significant increase in most time domain and all frequency domain measures of HRV. ST resulted in no significant change in HRV measures. Strength training, as opposed to endurance training has no significant impact on HRV. This suggests that exercise interventions designed to improve strength (such as weight-lifting) will have little to no impact on HRV, suggesting that aerobic and strength training operate through different mechanisms to reduce cardiac risk.


Hippo signaling in Drosophila: recent advances and insights.
The Hippo signaling pathway emerged from studies of Drosophila tumor suppressor genes, and is now appreciated as a major growth control pathway in vertebrates as well as arthropods. As a recently discovered pathway, key components of the pathway are continually being identified, and new insights into how the pathway is regulated and deployed are arising at a rapid pace. Over the past year and a half, significant advances have been made in our understanding of upstream regulatory inputs into Hippo signaling, key negative regulators of Hippo pathway activity have been identified, and important roles for the pathway in regeneration have been described. This review describes these and other advances, focusing on recent progress in our understanding of Hippo signaling that has come from continued studies in Drosophila.


Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus laparoscopic mini gastric bypass in the treatment of obesity: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is considered the gold standard in bariatric surgery, achieving durable long-term weight loss with improvement of obesity-related comorbidities. Lately, the laparoscopic mini gastric bypass (LMGB) has gained worldwide popularity with similar results to LRYGB in terms of weight loss and comorbidity resolution. However, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing LMGB and LRYGB. This article describes the design and protocol of a randomized controlled trial comparing the outcomes of these two bariatric procedures. The trial is designed as a single center, randomized, patient and observer blinded trial. The relevant ethics committee has approved the trial protocol. To demonstrate that LMGB is not inferior to LRYGB in terms of excess weight loss (EWL) the study is conducted as a non-inferiority trial with the sample-size calculations performed accordingly. EWL 12 months after surgery is the primary endpoint, whereas 3-year EWL, morbidity, mortality, remission of obesity related comorbidities, quality of life (QOL) and hormonal and lipid profile changes are secondary endpoints. Eighty patients, 18 years or older and with a body mass index (BMI) between 35 and 50 kg/m2 who meet the Swiss guidelines for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity will be randomized. The endpoints and baseline measurements will be assessed pre-surgery, peri-surgery and post-surgery (fixed follow up measurements are at discharge and at the time points 6 weeks and 12 and 36 months postoperatively). With its 3-year follow up time, this RCT will provide important data on the impact of LMGB and LRYGB on EWL, remission of comorbidities, QOL and hormonal and lipid profile changes. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02601092 . Registered on 28 September 2015.


Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy and Bariatric Surgery to Improve Endometrial Cancer Survivorship.
Surgery is curative for the majority of early-stage endometrial cancers. Postoperatively, patients are actually at much higher risk of mortality from obesity-related comorbidities unless they have sustained weight loss. A 54-year-old woman with class III obesity, type II diabetes mellitus complicated by neuropathy and retinopathy, hypertension, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease was diagnosed with grade 1 endometrioid uterine cancer. She underwent dual surgery with laparoscopic bariatric surgery and robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy. The perioperative period was uncomplicated, and final pathology was consistent with a stage IA grade 1 endometrial cancer. In 12 months, the patient lost 41.3 kg and required less insulin, metformin, and antihypertensive medication. Combined minimally invasive hysterectomy and bariatric surgery for obese women with endometrial cancer can promote sustained weight loss and improve survivorship.


Interaction of human Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein with Bordetella pertussis toxin.
Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP), which is synthesized by renal tubular cells, is the most abundant protein in normal human urine. Although its physiological function remains unclear, it has been proposed that THP may act as a defence factor against urinary tract infections by inhibiting the binding of S- and P-fimbriated Escherichia coli to renal epithelial cells. Because THP-related proteins are also found in the superficial layers of the oral mucosa, the authors investigated the ability of THP to interfere with the cytoadherence of pathogenic bacteria that colonize mucosal surfaces other than those of the urogenital tract. In this report, it is shown that THP binds to virulent Bordetella pertussis and reduces its adherence to both renal and pulmonary epithelial cells. This cytoadherence inhibitory effect was not observed with a B. pertussis mutant lacking the pertussis toxin (PTX) operon, and was dependent on the direct interaction of THP with the S2 subunit within the PTX B oligomer. The authors also show that the glycosylation moiety of THP is crucial for its binding to PTX. The THP-PTX interaction was exploited to develop an affinity chromatography method that allows a one-step purification of active PTX. These observations suggest that besides its anti-adherence activity, THP may also trap toxins produced by pathogenic bacteria that colonize mucosal surfaces.


Library services for people with disabilities: results of a survey.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990, has had a significant impact on the way many institutions, including libraries, do business. The Association of Research Libraries surveyed its members in 1991 to determine the effect of this legislation, and the author conducted a similar survey in 1995 to learn what progress academic health sciences libraries have made in serving the needs of people with disablities. A questionnaire was mailed to 131 members of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Library Directors. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported elimination of physical barriers. The most common services provided are retrieval of materials from the stacks and photocopy assistance. Much less attention has been paid to the use of adaptive technology that allows disabled users to search a library's online catalog and databases; special technology is often provided by another unit on campus but there seems to be little coordination with library services Few libraries have assigned responsibility for disability services to a specific staff member and even fewer have done a formal assessment of the need for special services. The issues identified by the survey should challenge academic health sciences libraries to examine their status regarding compliance with ADA legislation.


Cryoablation therapy for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia in children: a multicenter experience of efficacy.
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), a common tachycardia in children, is routinely treated by catheter ablation using radiofrequency or cryothermal energy. Acute success rates of 95-97 % are reported for cryoablation, similar to those achieved with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). However, early studies reported higher recurrence rates after cryoablation for treatment of AVNRT than those reported for RFA. This study evaluated the success and recurrence rates for cryoablation in a current cohort of pediatric patients across several institutions. Patients 21 years old or younger with AVNRT who underwent cryoablation at five participating centers between 2004 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and procedural data were extracted from patient records and analyzed. A total of 434 patients with AVNRT who underwent cryoablation were identified. Cryoablation was used as the exclusive ablation method for 379 patients. For 97 % (368/379) of these patients, cryoablation was acutely successful. A higher acute success rate was found with the 6-mm-tip catheter (99 %) than with the 4-mm-tip catheter (91 %) (p < 0.01). Recurrence was experienced by 7.3 % of the patients. Recurrence was more likely for those treated with the 4-mm-tip catheter (6/42, 14 %) than for those who had the larger catheters (12/204, 6 %) No patient experienced permanent heart block. Success and recurrence rates for this cohort of patients were similar to those reported for RFA used to treat AVNRT in pediatric patients. The findings show a higher success rate and a lower recurrence rate after cryoablation with a 6-mm-tip catheter than after use of the 4-mm-tip catheter, with an associated excellent safety profile.


Glycemic responses and sensory characteristics of whole yellow pea flour added to novel functional foods.
A fundamental understanding regarding postprandial glycemic responses to foods containing whole yellow-pea flour (WYPF) remains unknown. This, alongside concerns that WYPF possesses unfavorable sensory characteristics has limited the incorporation of WYPF into new functional food products as a healthy novel ingredient. The objective of this study was to evaluate how WYPF modulates postprandial glycemic responses as well as sensory characteristics in novel foods. In a single-blind crossover trial, the present study assessed postprandial glycemic responses of banana bread, biscotti, and spaghetti containing either WYPF or whole wheat flour (WWF). Boiled yellow peas (BYP) and white bread (WB) were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. On day 1, subjects evaluated appearance, taste, texture, smell as well as overall acceptance of each WYPF and WWF food on a 5-point hedonic scale. WYPF banana bread (97.9 +/- 17.8 mmol x min/L) and biscotti (83 +/- 13 mmol x min/L), as well as BYP (112.3 +/- 19.9 mmol x min/L), reduced (P < 0.05) glycemic responses compared to WB (218.1 +/- 29.5 mmol x min/L). The glycemic response of WYPF pasta (160.7 +/- 19.4 mmol x min/L) was comparable to WB. WYPF biscotti produced a lower (P = 0.019) postprandial glycemic response compared to WWF biscotti (117.2 +/- 13.1 mmol x min/L). Hedonic responses between corresponding foods were similar except for the WYPF pasta (2.9 +/- 0.9) which possessed a lower sensory score (P = 0.02) for smell compared to WWF pasta (3.6 +/- 1). WYPF can be used to produce low-glycemic functional foods possessing sensory attributes that are comparable to identical food products containing WWF.


Shock-wave therapy for tennis and golfer's elbow--1 year follow-up.
Thirty patients with chronic medial epicondylitis were treated with low-energy shock waves. They received 500 impulses of 0.08 mJ/mm2 three times at weekly intervals. At 1 year follow-up examinations were performed. According to the Verhaar criteria, only seven patients reached excellent or good results. In eight cases a fair outcome was recorded, and in 14 patients the outcome was poor. Only six patients were satisfied with the treatment. The average relief of pain was 32%. These data were significantly worse than for identically treated patients with chronic tennis elbow. Thus, the question arises as to whether extracorporal shock-wave therapy is indicated in medial epicondylitis.


Consequences of Perinatal Cannabis Exposure.
Cannabis exposure during the perinatal period results in varied and significant consequences in affected offspring. The prevalence of detrimental outcomes of perinatal cannabis exposure is likely to increase in tandem with the broadening of legalization and acceptance of the drug. As such, it is crucial to highlight the immediate and protracted consequences of cannabis exposure on pre- and postnatal development. Here, we identify lasting changes in neurons' learning flexibility (synaptic plasticity) and epigenetic misregulation in animal models of perinatal cannabinoid exposure (using synthetic cannabinoids or active components of the cannabis plant), in addition to significant alterations in social behavior and executive functions. These findings are supported by epidemiological data indicating similar behavioral outcomes throughout life in human offspring exposed to cannabis during pregnancy. Further, we indicate important lingering questions regarding accurate modeling of perinatal cannabis exposure as well as the need for sex- and age-dependent outcome measures in future studies.


[Urinary enzymes as markers of functional state of kidneys with diabetic lesions].
Activity of tubular lysosomic (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase--NAG, its thermostable isoenzyme NAG B and B-galactosidase--beta-GAL) and mitochondrial (L-canavanine: ornithine amidinetransferase--COAT) enzymes were measured in urine of 30 patients with diabetes complicated by diabetic nephropathy (DN). It was shown that activity of NAG, especially its thermostable isoenzyme NAG B and also beta-GAL in urine of DN patients was higher compare to those in healthy subject. Moreover COAT activity was registered in urine of DN patients while it is not presented in healthy persons. The precise dependence of NAG, NAG B, beta-GAL levels and COAT activity on the functional state of renal parenchyma in particular on tubular nephron nephrocytes was found that allows us to consider the given parameters as markers of diabetic process progressing in kidneys in patients with diabetes.


Use of Artificial Intelligence to Identify New Mechanisms and Approaches to Therapy of Bone Disorders Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to clinically severe bone loss, resulting from the deranged mineral metabolism that accompanies CKD. Each individual patient presents a unique combination of risk factors, pathologies, and complications of bone disease. The complexity of the disorder coupled with our incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology has significantly hampered the ability of nephrologists to prevent fractures, a leading comorbidity of CKD. Much has been learned from animal models; however, we propose in this review that application of multiple techniques of mathematical modeling and artificial intelligence can accelerate our ability to develop relevant and impactful clinical trials and can lead to better understanding of the osteoporosis of CKD. We highlight the foundational work that informed our current model development and discuss the potential applications of our approach combining principles of quantitative systems pharmacology, model predictive control, and reinforcement learning to deliver individualized precision medical therapy of this highly complex disorder.


[Secondary flowering: the induction and development abnormalities].
Time of flowering substantially determines a level of reproductive success of populations. As a rule, plants of a seasonal climate blossom once a year, during period which is optimal for successful pollination and the subsequent maturing of fruits (seeds). However, secondary flowering is registered for many species. This phenomenon is interpreted differently: as a display of initially continuous flowering or as a result of various damages. In this connection, secondary flowering is considered from a standpoint of modern ideas about a variety of models of flowering of populations (annual, non-annual, continuous, and incidental flowering), mechanisms of formation (a hypothesis of"adaptation", "phylogenetic constraint", "indirect selection", and "casual changes"), and control of flowering time (model of the plural control). From traditionally wide point of view, the secondary flowering includes two phenomena: secondary flowering of a population and that of an individual. The first one is caused by age differentiation of individuals and by the genetic polymorphism. The second one represents in most cases plant reaction to various developmental abnormalities resulted from ageing, sprouts drowning or damages.


Identification of a bile-induced exopolysaccharide required for Salmonella biofilm formation on gallstone surfaces.
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi can establish a chronic, asymptomatic infection of the human gallbladder, suggesting that this bacterium utilizes novel mechanisms to mediate enhanced colonization and persistence in a bile-rich environment. Gallstones are one of the most important risk factors for developing carriage, and we have previously demonstrated that salmonellae form biofilms on human gallstones in vitro. Thus, we hypothesize that bile-induced biofilms on gallstone surfaces promote gallbladder colonization and maintenance of the carrier state. A colanic acid/cellulose S. enterica serovar Typhimurium double mutant formed a mature biofilm on gallstones in a test tube assay and in a new, gallstone-independent assay using cholesterol-coated Eppendorf tubes. These data suggest the presence of an unidentified exopolysaccharide necessary for mature biofilm development and demonstrate specific binding affinity between salmonellae and cholesterol. Our experiments indicate that the Salmonella O-antigen capsule (yihU-yshA and yihV-yihW) is a crucial determinant in gallstone and cholesterol biofilms but that expression of this exopolysaccharide is not necessary for binding to glass or plastic. Real-time PCR revealed that growth in bile resulted in upregulation of the O-antigen capsule-encoding operon in an agfD-independent manner. Thus, the O-antigen capsule genes are bile induced, and the capsule produced by the enzymes of this operon is specifically required for biofilm formation on cholesterol gallstones. These studies provide new therapeutic targets for preventing asymptomatic serovar Typhi gallbladder carriage.


Harnessing Nutrition and Physical Activity for Breast Cancer Prevention and Control to Reduce Racial/Ethnic Cancer Health Disparities.
There are well-known racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity, as well as breast cancer risk and survival. However, most of the current scientific evidence that serves as a foundation for nutrition and physical activity guidelines is based on studies conducted in predominantly non-Hispanic White populations. Similarly, exercise, diet, or lifestyle intervention trials for breast cancer prevention and survivorship are scarce in racial/ethnic minority populations. We review the current evidence for racial/ethnic disparities in obesity and breast cancer risk and survival (we are focusing on obesity, because this is considered an ASCO priority, and studies conducted in the United States), discuss the evolution of nutrition/physical activity guidelines for cancer prevention and control, and provide an overview of lifestyle interventions, including barriers and facilitators in implementation and dissemination science among minority populations underrepresented in research. There is a critical need to include racially/ethnically diverse populations in cancer prevention and control research or to specifically target minority populations in which disparities are known to exist to achieve much needed health equity.


[Property of compliance and change of structural components in anastomosed artery].
To explore the relationship between the properties of compliance and the change of structure of components in anastomosed arteries. The arterial pressure and diameter of femoral arteries of dogs were measured in vivo before and after arterial anastomosis in different time intervals to deduce the arterial compliance. The anastomosed arteries were removed and evaluated through light microscopic examination and various staining methods, the relative contents of elastin, collagen and smooth muscles were measured through image analysis system. The compliance of arteries was gradually decreased after anastomosis with peak-time on the 14th day. The content of elastin at different time had no significant difference, while the content of collagen increased gradually, the ratio of them was increased. The property of compliance of anastomosed arteries is closely related to the contents of the structural components.


Exploration of constructs of professionalism identified in the ABIM framework as perceived by the faculty fitting the Pakistani context.
Domains of professionalism are well-described in the literature. Examining the elements of Professionalism in the local context have received less attention from education experts. The aim of the study was to explore the construct of professionalism as perceived by the faculty that fitted the Pakistani context identified in the ABIM framework of professionalism. This qualitative ethnographic research was conducted involving nine participants from Islamic International Medical College in Riphah University Islamabad. A four hours Focus Group Discussion was undertaken to explore the views of the faculty. The focus group session was audiotaped, transcribed and technique of triangulation was employed. Shortened meaningful unit (SMU) were identified from the transcribed data and analyzed to make codes for themes for the behaviors. Forty-six meaningful units were categorized and codes were identified. The themes were identified under the domains of the ABIM frameworks for the Pakistani context. The participants listed 2-8 elements for each domain of the framework describing the professional conduct which lead to 140 shortened meaningful units. These were organized into 46 higher order codes. The study concludes that that ABIM framework can be used to build consensus regarding the domains of professionalism. No difference was found cross contextually regarding the domains of ABIM framework of professionalism.


Middermal elastolysis in an elderly man with evidence of elastic fiber phagocytosis.
Middermal elastolysis is a clinically and histologically distinct entity. This idiopathic loss of dermal elastic fibers has mostly been reported in younger adults. To our knowledge, the present case, which has been followed up for 4 years, is the first to occur in an elderly man. Two years after the onset of progressive wrinkling of the upper aspect of the thorax, the patient underwent a biopsy. Histologic examination of the specimens confirmed previous findings of middermal elastolysis. Examination of extracutaneous elastic tissue showed normal findings. Electron microscopy demonstrated elastic fibers embraced by macrophages, which is suggestive of elastic fiber phagocytosis. For the following 4 years, the patient has remained in stable clinical condition. Middermal elastolysis is probably more common than has been assumed so far. It does not affect nondermal elastic tissue. After progressive loss of dermal elasticity in a circumscribed area, a benign course follows, with a stable condition over several years. Electron microscopic findings indicate that elastic fiber phagocytosis is operative in the disappearance of the middermal elastic tissue.


Biochemical regulation of non-rapid-eye-movement sleep.
The concept, that sleep regulatory substances (sleep factors) exist, stems from classical endocrinology and is supported by positive transfer experiments in which tissue fluids obtained from sleepy or sleeping animals elicited sleep when injected into recipient animals. The transfer experiments concluded with the identification of four sleep factors: delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), uridine, oxidized glutathione, and a muramyl peptide. A physiological sleep regulatory role, however, has not been determined for these substances. In contrast, transfer experiments did not play a part in the development of the strong experimental evidence that implicated the currently known sleep factors in sleep regulation. These substances include adenosine, prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), interleukin-1 (IL1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). They promote non-REMS in various species, inhibition of their action or endogenous production results in loss of spontaneous sleep, and their synthesis and/or release display variations correlating with sleep-wake activity. Although the source of these substances vary they all enhance sleep by acting in the basal forebrain/anterior hypothalamus--preoptic region. It is also characteristic of these substances that they interact in multiple ways often resulting in mutual stimulation or potentiation of each other. Finally, there is a third group of substances whose significance in sleep regulation is less clear but for which there are two or more lines of evidence suggesting that they may have a role in modulating non-REM sleep (NREMS). This group includes oleamide, cortistatin, cholecystokinin (CCK), insulin, and nitric oxide (NO). More sleep regulatory substances are likely to be discovered in the future although it is a long and difficult process requiring multiple laboratories to generate sufficient convincing data to implicate any one of them in sleep regulation.


Treatment of small lower pole calculi--SWL vs. URS vs. PNL?
According to current guideline recommendations extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) remains the first choice treatment for small and mid-sized renal calculi. However, the results of SWL treatment for lower pole stones can be disappointing whilst more invasive endoscopic modalities, such as flexible ureterorenoscopy (fURS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) are often considered more effective. This article summarizes a point-counterpoint discussion at the 9th eULIS symposium in Como, Italy, and discusses the potential advantages and disadvantages of the different therapeutic approaches.


Critical analysis of 30 day complications following radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.
Patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) are often elderly and comorbid owing to associated risk factors for developing this malignancy. Perioperative complications may be significant in such a surgical population. We define the incidence and risk factors associated with perioperative complications occurring within 30 days of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Medical records of 92 consecutive patients undergoing RNU were reviewed. Complications occurring within 30 days of surgery were graded using the modified Clavien-Dindo classification. The number, severity, and type of complications were recorded. Minor complications were classified as Clavien II or less, while major complications were Grade III or greater. Univariate and multivariate analyses determined variables associated with complications. Fifty-seven men and 35 women with a median age of 70 years were included. Three-quarters of the cohort underwent a minimally invasive RNU and 45% had a regional lymph node dissection. Final pathology noted that 53% had muscle-invasive and 70% had high grade UTUC. Overall, 35 patients (38%) experienced complications within 30 days of RNU including 11 (12%) with major complications. Ten patients (11%) had multiple complications. Hematologic, gastrointestinal, and infectious etiologies comprised over 75% of complications. On univariate analysis, patient age, ECOG performance status, surgical approach, non-organ confined disease, and cardiac history were associated with complications. In a multivariate model including these variables, only ECOG ≥ 2 (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.6-7.4, p < 0.001) was independently associated with post-RNU complications. Almost 40% of patients in this cohort experienced a perioperative complication after RNU. One-third of complications were Clavien III or greater. Poor performance status conferred a four-fold greater risk of a perioperative complication. Such knowledge may guide patient counseling and surgical expectations for the postoperative period.


The peptide hormone pQDLDHVFLRFamide (crustacean myosuppressin) modulates the Homarus americanus cardiac neuromuscular system at multiple sites.
pQDLDHVFLRFamide is a highly conserved crustacean neuropeptide with a structure that places it within the myosuppressin subfamily of the FMRFamide-like peptides. Despite its apparent ubiquitous conservation in decapod crustaceans, the paracrine and/or endocrine roles played by pQDLDHVFLRFamide remain largely unknown. We have examined the actions of this peptide on the cardiac neuromuscular system of the American lobster Homarus americanus using four preparations: the intact animal, the heart in vitro, the isolated cardiac ganglion (CG), and a stimulated heart muscle preparation. In the intact animal, injection of myosuppressin caused a decrease in heartbeat frequency. Perfusion of the in vitro heart with pQDLDHVFLRFamide elicited a decrease in the frequency and an increase in the amplitude of heart contractions. In the isolated CG, myosuppressin induced a hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential of cardiac motor neurons and a decrease in the cycle frequency of their bursting. In the stimulated heart muscle preparation, pQDLDHVFLRFamide increased the amplitude of the induced contractions, suggesting that myosuppressin modulates not only the CG, but also peripheral sites. For at least the in vitro heart and the isolated CG, the effects of myosuppressin were dose-dependent (10(-9) to 10(-6) mol l(-1) tested), with threshold concentrations (10(-8)-10(-7) mol l(-1)) consistent with the peptide serving as a circulating hormone. Although cycle frequency, a parameter directly determined by the CG, consistently decreased when pQDLDHVFLRFamide was applied to all preparation types, the magnitudes of this decrease differed, suggesting the possibility that, because myosuppressin modulates the CG and the periphery, it also alters peripheral feedback to the CG.


Quorum sensing and Chromobacterium violaceum: exploitation of violacein production and inhibition for the detection of N-acylhomoserine lactones.
Quorum sensing relies upon the interaction of a diffusible signal molecule with a transcriptional activator protein to couple gene expression with cell population density. In Gram-negative bacteria, such signal molecules are usually N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) which differ in the structure of their N-acyl side chains. Chromobacterium violaceum, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in soil and water, produces the characteristic purple pigment violacein. Previously the authors described a violacein-negative, mini-Tn5 mutant of C. violaceum (CV026) in which pigment production can be restored by incubation with supernatants from the wild-type strain. To develop this mutant as a general biosensor for AHLs, the natural C. violaceum AHL molecule was first chemically characterized. By using solvent extraction, HPLC and mass spectrometry, a single AHL, N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (HHL), was identified in wild-type C. violaceum culture supernatants which was absent from CV026. Since the production of violacein constitutes a simple assay for the detection of AHLs, we explored the ability of CV026 to respond to a series of synthetic AHL and N-acylhomocysteine thiolactone (AHT) analogues. In CV026, violacein is inducible by all the AHL and AHT compounds evaluated with N-acyl side chains from C4 to C8 in length, with varying degrees of sensitivity. Although AHL compounds with N-acyl side chains from C10 to C14 are unable to induce violacein production, if an activating AHL (e.g. HHL) is incorporated into the agar, these long-chain AHLs can be detected by their ability to inhibit violacein production. The versatility of CV026 in facilitating detection of AHL mixtures extracted from culture supernatants and separated by thin-layer chromatography is also demonstrated. These simple bioassays employing CV026 thus greatly extend the ability to detect a wide spectrum of AHL signal molecules.


Effects of preventive health services on survival of the elderly living in a community in Osaka, Japan.
To examine the relationships between the use of preventive health services--such as health checks, basic health examination/cancer screening, and daily preventive health practices--and survival of elderly people living in the community. A cohort of elderly people aged 65 years and over living in Settsu City, Osaka was followed for 38 months. Data on the history of health management, disability scores, and psychosocial conditions were collected in October 1992 by interview during home visits. Of the 1491 people randomly selected from the computerised sex-age register at enrollment, 1473 were contacted and responses were obtained from 1405 (95.4%). They constituted the study cohort. Follow up was completed for 1325 (94.3%) (154 decreased and 1171 alive). From the analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test, female sex, younger age group (65-74 years), use of health checks, use of basic health examination and/or cancer screening, use of daily preventive health practices, less disability, taking part in social activity, and finding life worth living were univariately statistically significantly related to survival. The estimated survival rates were highest in those with regular health checks or daily preventive health practices before 59 years of age or both basic health examination and cancer screening. From the Cox proportional hazards model, use of health checks and use of daily preventive health practices remained as statistically significant factors associated with survival, controlling for other factors such as sex, age group, medical treatment, disability scores, and psycho-social conditions, and these hazard ratios (not used v starting at 59 years) were 0.41 (95% CI, 0.25, 0.66) and 0.52 (95% CI, 0.30, 0.88), respectively. Health management efforts such as health checks and daily preventive health practices may increase survival in the elderly.


Covalent changes in MIP26K during aging of the human lens membrane.
Rabbit antisera have been made to the C-terminal octapeptide of bovine MIP26K (residues 256-263) and to an octapeptide near the C-terminus (residues 252-259). Use of these antisera in Western blot analysis of membrane from young vs old human lenses, and from cortex vs nucleus of old human lenses, suggest age-related covalent changes in the C-terminus of MIP26K. These age-related changes in anti-256-263 and anti-252-259 sera can be mimicked by treatment of lens membrane with carboxypeptidase Y, suggesting the loss of 1-8 amino acid residues from the C-terminus of the 26,000 dalton form of MIP26K during aging of the normal human lens.


Sun Basking in Red Wood Ants Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): Individual Behaviour and Temperature-Dependent Respiration Rates.
In early spring, red wood ants Formica polyctena are often observed clustering on the nest surface in large numbers basking in the sun. It has been hypothesized that sun-basking behaviour may contribute to nest heating because of both heat carriage into the nest by sun-basking workers, and catabolic heat production from the mobilization of the workers' lipid reserves. We investigated sun-basking behaviour in laboratory colonies of F. polyctena exposed to an artificial heat source. Observations on identified individuals revealed that not all ants bask in the sun. Sun-basking and non-sun-basking workers did not differ in body size nor in respiration rates. The number of sun-basking ants and the number of their visits to the hot spot depended on the temperature of both the air and the hot spot. To investigate whether sun basking leads to a physiological activation linked with increased lipolysis, we measured respiration rates of individual workers as a function of temperature, and compared respiration rates of sun-basking workers before and two days after they were allowed to expose themselves to a heat source over 10 days, at self-determined intervals. As expected for ectothermic animals, respiration rates increased with increasing temperatures in the range 5 to 35°C. However, the respiration rates of sun-basking workers measured two days after a long-term exposure to the heat source were similar to those before sun basking, providing no evidence for a sustained increase of the basal metabolic rates after prolonged sun basking. Based on our measurements, we argue that self-heating of the nest mound in early spring has therefore to rely on alternative heat sources, and speculate that physical transport of heat in the ant bodies may have a significant effect.


Src mediates endocytosis of TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ 1 channels in PC12 cells in response to nerve growth factor.
TWIK-related acid-sensitive K(+) (TASK) channels produce background K(+) currents. We elucidated that TASK1 channels in rat adrenal medullary cells and PC12 cells are internalized in a clathrin-dependent manner in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Here, the molecular mechanism for this internalization in PC12 cells was explored. The combination of enzyme inhibitors with tropomyosin receptor kinase A mutants revealed that the internalization was mediated by both phospholipase C and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways that converge on protein kinase C with the consequent activation of Src, a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase. The NGF-induced endocytosis of TASK1 channels did not occur in the presence of the Src inhibitor or with the expression of a kinase-dead Src mutant. Additionally, NGF induced a transient colocalization of Src with the TASK1 channel, but not the TASK1 mutant, in which tyrosine at 370 was replaced with phenylalanine. This TASK1 mutant showed no increase in tyrosine phosphorylation and markedly diminished internalization in response to NGF. We concluded that NGF induces endocytosis of TASK1 channels via tyrosine phosphorylation in its carboxyl terminus.


The effect of high-pressure jet processing on cocoa stability in chocolate milk.
Fat-free chocolate milk formulations containing skim milk, cocoa powder, and sugar were thermally treated and then processed using high-pressure jet (HPJ) technology from 125 to 500 MPa. The rheological properties and stability of HPJ-treated chocolate milks were compared with controls (no HPJ processing) prepared both with and without added κ-carrageenan. As expected, carrageenan-free chocolate milk exhibited immediate phase separation of the cocoa powder, whereas formulations containing κ-carrageenan were stable for 14 d. An increased stability was observed with increasing HPJ processing pressure, with a maximum observed when chocolate milk was processed at 500 MPa. The apparent viscosity at 50 s-1 of HPJ-processed samples increased from ~3 mPa·s to ~9 mPa·s with increasing pressure, and shear-thinning behavior (n < 0.9) was observed for samples processed at HPJ pressures ≥250 MPa. We suggest that HPJ-induced structural changes in casein micelles and new casein-cocoa interactions increased cocoa stability in the chocolate milk. Because casein seemed to be the major component enhancing cocoa stability in HPJ-treated samples, a second study was conducted to determine the effect of additional micellar casein (1, 2, or 4%) and HPJ processing (0-500 MPa) on the stability of fat-free chocolate milk. Formulations with 4% micellar casein processed at 375 and 500 MPa showed no phase separation over a 14-d storage period at 4°C. The addition of micellar casein together with HPJ processing at 500 MPa resulted in a higher apparent viscosity (~17 mPa·s at 50s-1) and more pronounced shear-thinning behavior (n ≤ 0.81) compared with that without added micellar casein. The use of HPJ technology to improve the dispersion stability of cocoa provides the industry with a processing alternative to produce clean-label, yet stable, chocolate milk.


Avian Influenza Human Infections at the Human-Animal Interface.
Avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) are among the most concerning emerging and re-emerging pathogens because of the potential risk for causing an influenza pandemic with catastrophic impact. The recent increase in domestic animals and poultry worldwide was followed by an increase of human AIV outbreaks reported. We reviewed the epidemiology of human infections with AIV from the literature including reports from the World Health Organization, extracting information on virus subtype, time, location, age, sex, outcome, and exposure. We described the characteristics of more than 2500 laboratory-confirmed human infections with AIVs. Human infections with H5N1 and H7N9 were more frequently reported than other subtypes. Risk of death was highest among reported cases infected with H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, and H10N8 infections. Older people and males tended to have a lower risk of infection with most AIV subtypes, except for H7N9. Visiting live poultry markets was mostly reported by H7N9, H5N6, and H10N8 cases, while exposure to sick or dead bird was mostly reported by H5N1, H7N2, H7N3, H7N4, H7N7, and H10N7 cases. Understanding the profile of human cases of different AIV subtypes would guide control strategies. Continued monitoring of human infections with AIVs is essential for pandemic preparedness.


Cadmium induces urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor expression and the cell invasiveness of human gastric cancer cells via the ERK-1/2, NF-κB, and AP-1 signaling pathways.
Cadmium exposure has been linked to human cancers, including stomach cancer. In this study, the effects of cadmium on urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression in human gastric cancer cells and the underlying signal transduction pathways were investigated. Cadmium induced uPAR expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Cadmium also induced uPAR promoter activity. Additionally, cadmium induced the activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK-1/2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the activation of c-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK). A specific inhibitor of MEK-1 (PD98059) inhibited cadmium-induced uPAR expression, while JNK and p38 MAPK inhibitors did not. Expression vectors encoding dominant-negative MEK-1 (pMCL-K97M) also prevented cadmium-induced uPAR promoter activity. Site-directed mutagenesis and electrophoretic mobility shift studies showed that sites for the transcription factors nuclear factor (NF)-κB and activator protein-1 (AP-1) were involved in cadmium-induced uPAR transcription. Suppression of the cadmium-induced uPAR promoter activity by a mutated-type NF-κB-inducing kinase and I-κB and an AP-1 decoy oligonucleotide confirmed that the activation of NF-κB and AP-1 are essential for cadmium-induced uPAR upregulation. Cells pretreated with cadmium showed markedly enhanced invasiveness and this effect was partially abrogated by uPAR-neutralizing antibodies and by inhibitors of ERK-1/2, NF-κB, and AP-1. These results suggest that cadmium induces uPAR expression via ERK-1/2, NF-κB, and AP-1 signaling pathways and, in turn, stimulates cell invasiveness in human gastric cancer AGS cells.


Strain-specific variations in cation content and transport in mouse erythrocytes.
Studies of ion transport pathophysiology in hematological disorders and tests of possible new therapeutic agents for these disorders have been carried out in various mouse models because of close functional similarities between mouse and human red cells. We have explored strain-specific differences in erythrocyte membrane physiology in 10 inbred mouse strains by determining erythrocyte contents of Na(+), K(+), and Mg(2+), and erythrocyte transport of ions via the ouabain-sensitive Na-K pump, the amiloride-sensitive Na-H exchanger (NHE1), the volume and chloride-dependent K-Cl cotransporter (KCC), and the charybdotoxin-sensitive Gardos channel (KCNN4). Our data reveal substantial strain-specific and sex-specific differences in both ion content and trans-membrane ion transport in mouse erythrocytes. These differences demonstrate the feasibility of identifying specific quantitative trait loci for erythroid ion transport and content in genetically standardized inbred mouse strains.


Detailed analysis of evolution of the state of polarization in all-fiber polarization transformers.
We present a detailed analysis of key attributes and performance characteristics of controllably-spun birefringent-fiber-based all-fiber waveplates or "all fiber polarization transformers" (AFPTs), first proposed and demonstrated by Huang [11]; these AFPTs consist essentially of a long carefully-designed "spin-twisted" high-birefringence fiber, fabricated by slowly varying the spin rate of a birefringent fiber preform (either from very fast to very slow or vice versa) while the fiber is being drawn. The evolution of the eigenstate from a linear polarization state to a circular polarization state, induced by slow variation of the intrinsic structure from linear anisotropy at the unspun end to circular anisotropy at the fast-spun end, enables the AFPT to behave like an all-fiber quarter-wave plate independent of the wavelength of operation. Power coupling between local eigenstates causes unique evolution of the polarization state along the fiber, and has been studied to gain insight into - as well as to understand detailed characteristics of -- the polarization transformation behavior. This has been graphically illustrated via plots of the relative power in these local eigenstates as a function of distance along the length of the fiber and plots of the extinction ratio of the output state of polarization (SOP) as a function of distance and the normalized spin rate. Deeper understanding of such polarization transformers has been further elucidated by quantitative calculations related to two crucial requirements for fabricating practical AFPT devices. Our calculations have also indicated that the polarization mode dispersion behaviour of the AFPT is much smaller than that of the original birefringent fiber. Finally, a specific AFPT was experimentally investigated at two widely-separated wavelengths (1310 nm and 1550 nm) of interest in telecommunications systems applications, further demonstrating and elucidating the broadband character of such AFPTs.


Aureobasidins: structure-activity relationships for the inhibition of the human MDR1 P-glycoprotein ABC-transporter.
Cyclic depsipeptide cyclo-[D-Hmp(1)-L-MeVal(2)-L-Phe(3)-L-MePhe(4)-L-Pro(5)-L-aIle+ ++(6)-L-MeVal(7)-L-Leu(8)-L-betaHOMeVal(9)], the antifungal antibiotic aureobasidin A (AbA), was reported to interfere with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in yeast and mammalian cells, particularly the MDR1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a transmembrane phospholipid flippase or "hydrophobic vacuum cleaner" that mediates multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells. In a standardized assay that measures Pgp function by the Pgp-mediated efflux of the calcein-AM Pgp substrate and uses human lymphoblastoid MDR-CEM (VBL(100)) cells as highly resistant Pgp-expressing cells and the cyclic undecapeptide cyclosporin A (CsA) as a reference MDR-reversing agent (IC(50) of 3.4 microM), AbA was found to be a more active Pgp inhibitor (IC(50) of 2.3 microM). Out of seven natural analogues and 18 chemical derivatives of AbA, several were shown to display even more potent Pgp-inhibitory activity. The Pgp-inhibitory activity was increased about 2-fold by some minor modifications such as those found in the naturally occurring aureobasidins AbB ([D-Hiv(1)]-AbA), AbC ([Val(6)]-AbA), and AbD [gammaHOMeVal(9)]-AbA). The replacement of the [Phe(3)-MePhe(4)-Pro(5)] tripeptide by an 8-aminocaprylic acid or the N(7)()-desmethylation of MeVal(7) led to only a 3.3-fold decreased capacity to inhibit Pgp function, suggesting that the Pgp inhibitory potential of aureobasidins, though favored by the establishment of an antiparallel beta-sheet between the [D-Hmp(1)-L-MeVal(2)-L-Phe(3)] and [L-aIle(6)-L-MeVal(7)-L-Leu(8)-] tripeptides, does not critically depend on the occurrence of the [L-Phe(3)-L-MePhe(4)-L-Pro(5)-L-aIle(6)] type II' beta-turn secondary structure. In contrast, the most potent Pgp inhibitors were found among AbA analogues with [betaHO-MeVal(9)] residue alterations, with some data suggesting a negative impact of the [L-Leu(8)-L-betaHOMeVal(9)-D-Hmp(1)] gamma-turn secondary structure on Pgp inhibitory potential. The [2,3-dehydro-MeVal(9)]-AbA was the most potent Pgp inhibitory aureobasidin, being 13-fold more potent than AbA and 19-fold more potent (on a molar basis) than CsA. Finally, there was no correlation between the SAR for the human MDR1 Pgp inhibition and the SAR for Saccharomyces cerevisiae antifungal activity, which is mediated by an inositol phosphoceramide synthase activity.


[Tasks and methods of industrial anthropology. A review].
In the course of the industrialization of our work-environment, and in conjunction with the mass production of consumer goods, it has proven necessary to determine systematically the body-measurements important to this area, and to develop a constellation of technical aspects for their application. This has required the development of new measuring methods which go beyond those of classical anthropology; the acquisition of data concerning the distribution of body size and proportion in the various regional and social sub-populations; and finally, determination of the parameters of work-environment which are dictated by human form and function. Industrial anthropology has developed more and more in the past few years as a field of study whose object is the interaction between people and their technical environment.


Determination of enantiomeric compositions of analytes using novel fluorescent chiral molecular micelles and steady state fluorescence measurements.
Novel fluorescent chiral molecular micelles (FCMMs) were synthesized, characterized, and employed as chiral selectors for enantiomeric recognition of non-fluorescent chiral molecules using steady state fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the fluorescence technique allowed for investigation of low concentrations of chiral selector (3.0 x 10(-5) M) and analyte (5.0 x 10(-6) M) to be used in these studies. The chiral interactions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine in the presence of FCMMs poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tryptophanate) [poly-L-SUW], poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-tyrosinate) [poly-L-SUY], and poly(sodium N-undecanoyl-L-phenylalininate) [poly-SUF] were based on diastereomeric complex formation. Poly-L-SUW had a significant fluorescence emission spectral difference as compared to poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF for the enantiomeric recognition of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine. Studies with the hydrophobic molecule alpha-pinene suggested that poly-L-SUY and poly-L-SUF had better chiral discrimination ability for hydrophobic analytes as compared to hydrophilic analytes. Partial-least-squares regression modeling (PLS-1) was used to correlate changes in the fluorescence emission spectra of poly-L-SUW due to varying enantiomeric compositions of glucose, tartaric acid, and serine for a set of calibration samples. Validation of the calibration regression models was determined by use of a set of independently prepared samples of the same concentration of chiral selector and analyte with varying enantiomeric composition. Prediction ability was evaluated by use of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS%RE) and was found to range from 2.04 to 4.06%.


The Severity of Muscle Performance Deterioration in Sarcopenia Correlates With Circulating Muscle Tissue-Specific miRNAs.
Sarcopenia is defined as an age-associated loss of skeletal muscle function and muscle mass and is common in older adults. Sarcopenia as a disease is currently of interest not only to orthopedists and surgeons but also to internists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, gynaecologists, geriatricians and paediatricians. In cooperation with the 5th Internal Medicine Clinic, we, as a unit of clinical research, aimed to describe a sarcopenic specific miRNA expression profile for disease diagnostics and classification of the severity of muscle performance deterioration. This study included a total of 80 patients (age 55-86 years) hospitalized at the V. Internal medicine clinic of LFUK and UNB with different severity of muscle performance deterioration. The study participants were evaluated and classified according to short physical performance battery score (SPPB). In this study, we investigated the role of circulating miRNAs in sarcopenia in the elderly. We hypothesized that sarcopenia effects the expression of muscle tissue-specific miRNAs (MyomiRNAs), which could be potentially reflected in the blood plasma miRNA expression profile. The expression of specific circulating miRNAs in patients with different muscle performances was analyzed. Patients' blood plasma was evaluated for the expression of myomiRNAs: miRNA-29a, miRNA-29b, miRNA-1, miRNA-133a, miRNA-133b, miRNA-206, miRNA-208b and miRNA-499, and the data were correlated with diagnostic indicators of the disease. We showed a specific sarcopenia miRNA profile that could be considered a possible biomarker for the disease. Patients with low muscle performance showed increased miRNA-1, miRNA-29a and miRNA-29b expression and decreased for the miRNA-206, miRNA-133a, miRNA-133b, miRNA-208b and miRNA-499 expression. We show that the severity of muscle performance deterioration in sarcopenia correlates with specific miRNA expression. We also propose the profile of miRNAs expression in blood plasma as a specific biomarker for sarcopenia diagnostics. Future clinical studies will be necessary to eventually naturally have to elucidate the underlined molecular mechanism responsible for specific miRNAs expression in sarcopenia pathology and progression of the disease.


High-dose Glycerol Monolaurate Up-Regulated Beneficial Indigenous Microbiota without Inducing Metabolic Dysfunction and Systemic Inflammation: New Insights into Its Antimicrobial Potential.
Glycerol monolaurate (GML) has potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study aimed to assess the dose-dependent antimicrobial-effects of GML on the gut microbiota, glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammatory response in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were fed on diets supplemented with GML at dose of 400, 800 and 1600 mg kg-1 for 4 months, respectively. Results showed that supplementation of GML, regardless of the dosages, induced modest body weight gain without affecting epididymal/brown fat pad, lipid profiles and glycemic markers. A high dose of GML (1600 mg kg-1) showed positive impacts on the anti-inflammatory TGF-β1 and IL-22. GML modulated the indigenous microbiota in a dose-dependent manner. It was found that 400 and 800 mg kg-1 GML improved the richness of Barnesiella, whereas a high dosage of GML (1600 mg kg-1) significantly increased the relative abundances of Clostridium XIVa, Oscillibacter and Parasutterella. The present work indicated that GML could upregulate the favorable microbial taxa without inducing systemic inflammation and dysfunction of glucose and lipid metabolism.


Cloning and analysis of the pepV dipeptidase gene of Lactococcus lactis MG1363.
The gene pepV, encoding a dipeptidase from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363, was identified in a genomic library in pUC19 in a peptidase-deficient Escherichia coli strain and subsequently sequenced. PepV of L. lactis is enzymatically active in E. coli and hydrolyzes a broad range of dipeptides but no tri-, tetra-, or larger oligopeptides. Northern (RNA) and primer extension analyses indicate that pepV is a monocistronic transcriptional unit starting 24 bases upstream of the AUG translational start codon. The dipeptidase of L. lactis was shown to be similar to the dipeptidase encoded by pepV of L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, with 46% identity in the deduced amino acid sequences. A PepV-negative mutant of L. lactis was constructed by single-crossover recombination. Growth of the mutant strain in milk was significantly slower than that of the wild type, but the strains ultimately reached the same final cell densities.


Olefin cyclopropanations via sequential atom transfer radical addition-dechlorination reactions.
In organic synthesis, cyclopropanation reactions are often performed with Simmons-Smith-type reagents or by transition metal catalyzed reactions of olefins with diazo compounds. A novel method for the synthesis of substituted cyclopropanes is described that is based on a two-step reaction sequence. Olefins are reacted with 1,1'-dichlorides in a Ru-catalyzed atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) process and the resulting 1,3-dichlorides are directly converted into cyclopropanes by reductive coupling with magnesium. This one-pot procedure is applicable to a variety of substrates and can be performed in an inter- or intramolecular fashion.


[Freire's education model applied to a program of teaching of nursing practice].
The present study is a qualitative research supported by Paulo Freire's writings. It presents the structure of a discipline-Nursing Teaching Practice-which searches for an amplification of opportunities provided by the Nursing School in order to improve the student's consciousness of his/her role as a future educator.


Isoforms of the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter in murine TAL I. Molecular characterization and intrarenal localization.
We have identified several alternatively spliced cDNAs encoding mBSC1, an apical bumetanide-sensitive Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter from mouse kidney. Two full-length clones were isolated, designated C4 and C9, predicting proteins of 770 and 1,095 amino acids, respectively. The C4 isoforms are generated by utilization of an alternative polyadenylation site located within the intron between exons 16 and 17 of the mBSC1 gene on chromosome 2; the resultant transcripts predict a truncated COOH terminus ending in a unique 55 amino acid sequence. The predicted C4 and C9 COOH termini differ in the distribution of putative phosphorylation sites for both protein kinase A and C. Independent splicing events involve three previously described cassette exons, which are predicted to encode most of the second transmembrane domain. A total of six different isoforms are expressed, generated by the combinatorial association of three cassette exons and two alternative 3' ends. C9-specific and C4-specific antibodies detect proteins of approximately 150 and 120 kDa, respectively, in mouse kidney. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry indicate expression of both COOH-terminal isoforms within the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (TAL). However, staining with the C4 antibody is more heterogeneous, with a decreased proportion of positive cells in the cortical TAL. Functional expression in Xenopus oocytes indicates a dominant negative function for C4 isoforms [companion study, C. Plata, D. B. Mount, V. Rubio, S. C. Hebert, and G. Gamba. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Renal Physiol. 45): F347-F358, 1999], and the differential expression of these isoforms may contribute to functional heterogeneity of Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransport in mouse TAL.


A new twist on the graduate student journal club: Using a topic-centered approach to promote student engagement.
Journal clubs are widely used as an educational tool in graduate life science programs. In journal clubs, students are assigned to read specific journal articles to achieve a broad knowledge in their field of study and to gain competence in reading and assessing scientific publications. However, students often show low motivation to read assigned articles, and under-prepared students contribute little to in-class discussions. In order to promote student engagement in graduate-level journal clubs, we used an inverted, student-centered format that focuses on a scientific question or topic rather than specific publications. Both the weekly topics and the scientific publications were selected by the students and focused on aspects of the students' thesis research. For each weekly topic, students were asked to find papers, read the papers and summarize the findings during class, which led to the presentation of a variety of approaches and viewpoints. This approach trained students in literature search, focused reading and oral presentation skills and provided a broad overview of the research in the selected topic areas. Student feedback showed a high level of acceptance of the new format. We propose this inverted journal club format as a useful alternative to traditional formats, because it focuses on a different scientific skill set and leads to increased student engagement through its student-centered approach.


Comparison of Strength Levels Between Players From Within the Same Club Who Were Selected vs. Not Selected to Play in the Grand Final of the National Rugby League Competition.
A number of studies have established that higher levels of strength and power, tested at the end of the preseason, distinguish between playing level in professional rugby league. How this may impact the ability of players to get selected for final payoff games some 30 weeks later has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare measures of upper- and lower-body strength between players from the same professional club, designated as those 17 players who attained selection and played in the team that won the Grand Final of the National Rugby League competition (GF) and those who did not attain selection (NSGF). Players were tested and compared for 1 repetition maximum bench press and full squat strength levels at the end of the preparation period, 30 weeks before the GF, using traditional significance analysis of variance and effect size (ES) statistics. Furthermore, the players were analyzed according to the 2 broad positional playing groups of forwards (FWD) and backs (BL). The results demonstrated that overall, the GF players were stronger than NSGF players by approximately 10 and 15%, respectively, for the upper and lower body. When analyzed according to positional groupings, there were significant differences and large ES for GF forwards, who were significantly stronger, heavier, and older than NSGF FWD players. For the BL groups, the differences between the groups were not significant. Because of the intense physical collisions inherent in rugby league, it would appear that higher levels of strength afford players greater performance benefits, resiliency against injury, and greater likelihood of being selected in the most important games at the end of the season.


A Coordinated Suite of Wild-Introgression Lines in Indica and Japonica Elite Backgrounds.
Rice, Oryza sativa L., is a cultivated, inbreeding species that serves as the staple food for the largest number of people on earth. It has two strongly diverged varietal groups, Indica and Japonica, which result from a combination of natural and human selection. The genetic divergence of these groups reflects the underlying population structure of their wild ancestors, and suggests that a pre-breeding strategy designed to take advantage of existing genetic, geographic and ecological substructure may provide a rational approach to the utilization of crop wild ancestors in plant improvement. Here we describe the coordinated development of six introgression libraries (n = 63 to 81 lines per library) in both Indica (cv. IR64) and Japonica (cv. Cybonnet) backgrounds using three bio-geographically diverse wild donors representing the Oryza rufipogon Species Complex from China, Laos and Indonesia. The final libraries were genotyped using an Infinium 7K rice SNP array (C7AIR) and analyzed under greenhouse conditions for several simply inherited (Mendelian) traits. These six interspecific populations can be used as individual Chromosome Segment Substitution Line libraries and, when considered together, serve as a powerful genetic resource for systematic genetic dissection of agronomic, physiological and developmental traits in rice.


Determinants of balance confidence in community-dwelling elderly people.
The fear of falling can have detrimental effects on physical function in the elderly population, but the relationship between a persons' confidence in the ability to maintain balance and actual balance ability and functional mobility is not known. The extent to which balance confidence can be explained by balance performance, functional mobility, and sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health-related factors was the focus of this study. The subjects were 50 community-dwelling elderly people, aged 65 to 95 years (mean=81.7, SD=6.7). Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale. Functional mobility was measured using the Timed Up Go Test. The Activities-specific Balance Scale was used to assess balance confidence. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and t tests. Fifty-seven percent of the variance in balance confidence could be explained by balance performance. Functional mobility and subject characteristics examined in this study did not contribute to balance confidence. Balance performance alone is a strong determinant of balance confidence in community-dwelling elderly people.