A clinicopathologic study of acrodystrophic neuropathies.
Sixteen patients presenting with trophic changes associated with a peripheral neuropathy were investigated. Muscle power was normal in all patients, but neurogenic muscle atrophy was demonstrated in 4 of the 7 patients who had a muscle biopsy. Alcoholism was responsible for the neuropathy in 11 patients. In the other patients, one had primary hemochromatosis without diabetes and another a dominantly inherited primary hypertrophic neuropathy. Qualitative and quantitative light and electron microscopic studies, including teased nerve fiber preparations, showed axonal loss as the most salient feature. In the alcoholic patients, the large myelinated fibers were primarily involved, followed by small myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. The lesions were predominant distally as shown in patients who had a sural nerve biopsy at both calf and ankle levels. A mechanism of dying-back degeneration of the longest sensory fibers is the most plausible explanation for neurological and pathological abnormalities. In alcoholic neuropathy with trophic changes, loss of sensory fibers is more important than in alcoholic neuropathy without trophic changes. In familial and sporadic cases, axonal loss is more severe and unmyelinated fibers are more severely affected than in alcoholic acrodystrophic neuropathy. Patients with peripheral neuropathies who present with loss of pain sensation but have preserved muscle power are especially exposed to the development of trophic changes induced by usual trauma in insensitive tissues.


[Determination of organochlorine insecticides in human milk in Costa Rica].
DDT and DDE were detected in the milk of 51 nursing mothers in Costa Rica. In the provinces of Puntarenas, Guanacaste and Limón, where a campaign against malaria took place during the last three decades and where crops are intensively sprayed, the amount of total DDT ranges from 0.12 to 2.60 ppm (mean 1.27 ppm), comparatively, the data of total DDT yielded an average of 0.11 ppm (range 0.01-1.22 ppm) in the provinces of San José, Heredia and Cartago, not so intensively exposed to pesticides. Higher concentrations of the metabolite DDE in 100% of the samples indicated chronic contaminations.


Geochemical and microbiological characteristics during in situ chemical oxidation and in situ bioremediation at a diesel contaminated site.
While in situ chemical oxidation with persulfate has seen wide commercial application, investigations into the impacts on groundwater characteristics, microbial communities and soil structure are limited. To better understand the interactions of persulfate with the subsurface and to determine the compatibility with further bioremediation, a pilot scale treatment at a diesel-contaminated location was performed consisting of two persulfate injection events followed by a single nutrient amendment. Groundwater parameters measured throughout the 225 day experiment showed a significant decrease in pH and an increase in dissolved diesel and organic carbon within the treatment area. Molecular analysis of the microbial community size (16S rRNA gene) and alkane degradation capacity (alkB gene) by qPCR indicated a significant, yet temporary impact; while gene copy numbers initially decreased 1-2 orders of magnitude, they returned to baseline levels within 3 months of the first injection for both targets. Analysis of soil samples with sequential extraction showed irreversible oxidation of metal sulfides, thereby changing subsurface mineralogy and potentially mobilizing Fe, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Together, these results give insight into persulfate application in terms of risks and effective coupling with bioremediation.


Polymer-Coated Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles as Oxidoreductase-like Catalysts.
Cerium oxide nanoparticles have been shown to mimic oxidoreductase enzymes by catalyzing the decomposition of organic substrates and reactive oxygen species. This mimicry can be found in superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxides, which are harmful molecules produced in oxidative stress-associated diseases. Despite the fact that nanoparticle functionalization is mandatory in the context of nanomedicine, the influence of polymer coatings on their enzyme-like catalytic activity is poorly understood. In this work, six polymer-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles are prepared by the association of 7.8 nm cerium oxide cores with two poly(sodium acrylate) and four poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted copolymers with different terminal or anchoring end groups, such as phosphonic acids. The superoxide dismutase-, catalase-, peroxidase-, and oxidase-like catalytic activities of the coated nanoparticles were systematically studied. It is shown that the polymer coatings do not affect the superoxide dismutase-like, impair the catalase-like and oxidase-like, and surprisingly improves peroxidase-like catalytic activities of cerium oxide nanoparticles. It is also demonstrated that the particles coated with the PEG-grafted copolymers perform better than the poly(acrylic acid)-coated ones as oxidoreductase-like enzymes, a result that confirms the benefit of having phosphonic acids as anchoring groups at the particle surface.


Treatment of acute embolic occlusions of the subclavian and axillary arteries using a rotational thrombectomy device.
Acute embolic or local thrombotic ischaemia of the upper limbs can be treated by embolectomy or by endovascular techniques. We report here on the endovascular thrombectomy of acute embolic occlusions of subclavian and axillary arteries in two patients using a rotational thrombectomy device and give an overview about the actual literature. Two female patients, each with a history of multivessel coronary disease and intermittent atrial fibrillation, complained of sudden onset of pain at rest and paleness of the left and right arm, respectively. Duplex ultrasound showed a localized embolic occlusion of the left subclavian artery and the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the first patient and a localized embolic occlusion of the distal right subclavian and axillary artery in the second patient. In the first patient, the left subclavian artery was reopened using a 8F-Rotarex device via the femoral access, while the bifurcation of the brachial artery was reopened by local thrombolysis using 25 mg rt-PA because of the insufficient length of the thrombectomy device of 80 cm. In the second patient, the right subclavian and axillary arteries were reopened using a 6F-Rotarex device. Follow-up examinations before discharge and after 6 months showed normalized perfusion of the arms of both patients.


Changes in the Gastric Mucosa With Aging.
We aimed to characterize age-related changes in the gastric mucosa and investigate the contribution of Helicobacter pylori infection to these changes. We collected data from a large national pathology database of 895,323 subjects who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with gastric biopsies from January 2008 through December 2013 at endoscopy centers throughout the United States. The prevalence of various types of gastric histopathology was expressed as percent of the total study population, stratified by sex, age, and state. Over a lifetime, the gastric mucosa became abnormal in 50% of subjects. A higher proportion of people in areas with a high prevalence of H pylori infection acquired gastric abnormalities. H pylori-associated chronic active gastritis and mucosal changes caused by infection were observed in 22% of biopsies; these were the most common gastric abnormalities observed. Reactive gastropathy, which was detected in 18% of biopsies, increased with age and was the second most common factor of gastric pathology observed. On the basis of an analysis of biopsies collected by esophagogastroduodenoscopy in the United States, gastric abnormalities increase with age. Most pathologic conditions detected by histologic analysis are caused by H pylori infection, but the causes of many others are unknown.


Visualization of particle interactions in granular media.
Interaction between particles in so-called granular media, such as soil and sand, plays an important role in the context of geomechanical phenomena and numerous industrial applications. A two scale homogenization approach based on a micro and a macro scale level is briefly introduced in this paper. Computation of granular material in such a way gives a deeper insight into the context of discontinuous materials and at the same time reduces the computational costs. However, the description and the understanding of the phenomena in granular materials are not yet satisfactory. A sophisticated problem-specific visualization technique would significantly help to illustrate failure phenomena on the microscopic level. As main contribution, we present a novel 2D approach for the visualization of simulation data, based on the above outlined homogenization technique. Our visualization tool supports visualization on micro scale level as well as on macro scale level. The tool shows both aspects closely arranged in form of multiple coordinated views to give users the possibility to analyze the particle behavior effectively. A novel type of interactive rose diagrams was developed to represent the dynamic contact networks on the micro scale level in a condensed and efficient way.


Clinical predictors of outcome in encephalitis.
Twenty five patients with encephalitis were studied prospectively, and their clinical and virological features compared with outcome. Among 22 patients with laboratory confirmation of virus infection, evidence of direct effect on the central nervous system by the virus occurred significantly more often both in those with a monophasic illness compared with those with a biphasic illness, and in those with focal neurological signs localising in the cerebral hemispheres compared with those without such signs. Young age at presentation, low score on the Glasgow coma scale, disruption of oculocephalic responses, and laboratory evidence of virus infection within the central nervous system were significantly associated with poor outcome. Computed tomography results, concentrations of creatine phosphokinase BB isoenzyme in cerebrospinal fluid, and procoagulant activity in cerebrospinal fluid were not predictive of outcome.


Induced transparency in nanoscale plasmonic resonator systems.
An optical effect analogous to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is observed in nanoscale plasmonic resonator systems. The system consists of a slot cavity as well as plasmonic bus and resonant waveguides, where the phase-matching condition of the resonant waveguide is tunable for the generation of an obvious EIT-like coupled resonator-induced transparency effect. A dynamic theory is utilized to exactly analyze the influence of physical parameters on transmission characteristics. The transparency effect induced by coupled resonance may have potential applications for nanoscale optical switching, nanolaser, and slow-light devices in highly integrated optical circuits.


Characterization of the human cumulus cell transcriptome during final follicular maturation and ovulation.
Cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation are central processes in ovulation. Knowledge gained from rodent and other mammalian models has revealed some of the molecular pathways associated with these processes. However, the equivalent pathways in humans have not been thoroughly studied and remain unidentified. Compact cumulus cells (CCs) from germinal vesicle cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained from patients undergoing in vitro maturation (IVM) procedures. Expanded CCs from metaphase 2 COC were obtained from patients undergoing IVF/ICSI. Global transcriptome profiles of the samples were obtained using state-of-the-art RNA sequencing techniques. We identified 1746 differentially expressed (DE) genes between compact and expanded CCs. Most of these genes were involved in cellular growth and proliferation, cellular movement, cell cycle, cell-to-cell signaling and interaction, extracellular matrix and steroidogenesis. Out of the DE genes, we found 89 long noncoding RNAs, of which 12 are encoded within introns of genes known to be involved in granulosa cell processes. This suggests that unique noncoding RNA transcripts may contribute to the regulation of cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation. Using global transcriptome sequencing, we were able to generate a library of genes regulated during cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation processes. Analysis of these genes allowed us to identify important new genes and noncoding RNAs potentially involved in COC maturation and cumulus expansion. These results may increase our understanding of the process of oocyte maturation and could ultimately improve the efficacy of IVM treatment.


Mechanical failures after fixation with proximal femoral nail and risk factors.
This study aims at assessing the clinical results, radiographic findings, and associated complications after osteosynthesis of trochanteric hip fractures with proximal femoral nail (PFN). A total of 152 patients with hip fractures who underwent osteosynthesis with PFN were included. The hip fracture types in the patients included in the study were classified according to the American Orthopedic/Orthopedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA). AO/OTA A1, A2, and A3 type fractures were found in 24 (15.8%), 107 (70.4%), and 21 (13.8%) patients, respectively. The Baumgaertner scale was used to assess the degree of postoperative reduction. The Salvati-Wilson hip function (SWS) scoring system was used to evaluate functional results. After a follow-up period, clinical and radiographic results were evaluated and complications were assessed. The relationship between the complications and SWS score, age, sex, fracture type, reduction quality, and time from the fracture to surgery was evaluated. Eighty-five (55.9%) female patients and 67 (44.1%) male patients were enrolled in the study. Seventy-nine (51.9%) patients had left hip fractures, and 73 (48.1%) had right hip fractures. The mean age was 76 (range 21-93) years, and the mean follow-up duration was 23.6 (range 7-49) months. Postoperatively, one patient (0.6%) had a poor reduction, 16 patients (10.5%) had an acceptable reduction, and 135 patients (88.9%) had a good reduction according to the above criteria. The SWS scores were excellent, good, moderate, and poor in 91 (59.8%), 45 (29.6%), 15 (9.8%), and one (0.6%) patients, respectively. Late postoperative complications were seen in 27 patients (17.7%). A total of 14 patients (9.2%) underwent a revision procedure for mechanical complications. The study results suggest that the quality of fracture reduction is an important factor that affects the revision rate and SWS score in patients with mechanical complications after osteosynthesis with PFN for trochanteric fractures.


Vacuum welding of olivine.
Welding of olivine was demonstrated by grinding it in a ball mill in an atmosphere of about 2 x 10(-7) torr. Most of the sample adhered strongly to the container and grinding balls although adhesion in air is only slight. Similar adhesion should be expected on the lunar surface and may account for the roughness needed to explain the optical properties of the moon and the detail of the una 9 photographs.


Characteristics of Submacular Hemorrhages in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
The aims of this research are to report the incidence and characteristics of submacular hemorrhage secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to compare the detailed morphologic features of hemorrhages between typical neovascular AMD and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). This retrospective observational study included 791 eyes of 791 patients who had newly diagnosed neovascular AMD at a single institution. The incidence and extent of submacular hemorrhage of one disc area or greater were estimated and compared between typical neovascular AMD and PCV. In addition, submacular hemorrhages were classified into groups according to location (location of fovea at the center of the hemorrhage versus at the periphery of the hemorrhage) and morphology (circular versus irregular margin). The proportion of each subtype of neovascular AMD was evaluated according to the aforementioned classification. Among those included, 129 (16.3%) eyes exhibited submacular hemorrhage at initial presentation. Among the 627 eyes with available indocyanine green angiography findings, the incidence of submacular hemorrhage was greater in PCV (23.6%, 78 of 330 eyes) than in typical neovascular AMD (9.4%, 28 of 297 eyes; χ test, P < .001). When divided into four groups according to hemorrhage shape and location (central and circular, central and irregular, peripheral and circular, and peripheral irregular), the proportion of eyes in these groups was significantly different between the two disease groups (χ test, P = .018). The incidence of submacular hemorrhage was greater in PCV than in typical neovascular AMD. The morphology and location of submacular hemorrhage may provide useful clues to differentiate PCV from typical neovascular AMD.


Enzyme-assisted extraction of flavorings and colorants from plant materials.
From times immemorial, colorants, and flavorings have been used in foods. Color and flavor are the major attributes to the quality of a food product, affecting the appearance and acceptance of the product. As a consequence of the increased demand of natural flavoring and colorant from industries, there is a renewed interest in the research on the composition and recovery of natural food flavors and colors. Over the years, numerous procedures have been proposed for the isolation of aromatic compounds and colors from plant materials. Generally, the methods of extraction followed for aroma and pigment from plant materials are solvent extraction, hydro-distillation, steam distillation, and super critical carbon dioxide extraction. The application of enzymes in the extraction of oil from oil seeds like sunflower, corn, coconut, olives, avocado etc. are reported in literature. There is a great potential for this enzyme-based extraction technology with the selection of appropriate enzymes with optimized operating conditions. Various enzyme combinations are used to loosen the structural integrity of botanical material thereby enhancing the extraction of the desired flavor and color components. Recently enzymes have been used for the extraction of flavor and color from plant materials, as a pre-treatment of the raw material before subjecting the plant material to hydro distillation/solvent extraction. A deep knowledge of enzymes, their mode of action, conditions for optimum activity, and selection of the right type of enzymes are essential to use them effectively for extraction. Although the enzyme hydrolases such as lipases, proteases (chymotrypsin, subtilisin, thermolysin, and papain), esterases use water as a substrate for the reaction, they are also able to accept other nucleophiles such as alcohols, amines, thio-esters, and oximes. Advantages of enzyme-assisted extraction of flavor and color in some of the plant materials in comparison with conventional methods are dealt with in this reveiw.


Burnout syndrome and its determinants among healthcare workers during the first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy: a cross-sectional study to identify sex-related differences.
Several studies described burnout levels of healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, sex-related differences remain poorly investigated. To describe sex-related differences in burnout and its determinants among HCWs during the first pandemic wave of the COVID-19 in Italy. A cross-sectional study was performed between April and May 2020. The framework given by the Job Demands Resources (JD-R) model was used to assess burnout determinants (risk and protective factors). Male HCWs (n=133) had higher levels of depersonalization than female HCWs (P=0,017) and female HCWs (n=399) reported greater emotional exhaustion rates (P=0,005). Female nurses were the most exposed to burnout (OR=2,47; 95%CI=1,33-4,60; P=0,004), emotional exhaustion (OR=1,89; 95% CI=1,03-3,48; P=0,041), and depersonalization (OR=1,91; 95% CI=1,03-3,53; P=0,039). Determinants of burnout differed between sexes, and some paradoxical associations were detected: the score of job demands was a protective factor in females for burnout, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization, resilience was a risk factor for males. This study reveals that the stressors in male and female HCWs tended to be associated with burnout differently. Both sexes showed alarming burnout levels, even if the weights of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization acted in different ways between the sexes. The revealed paradoxical effects in this study could reflect the study's cross-sectional nature, highlighting that more resilient and empathic individuals were more consciously overwhelmed by the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus reporting higher scores of emotional exhaustion and burnout. Future in-depth and longitudinal analyses are recommended to further explore sex-related differences in burnout among HCWs.


Human-Animal Chimeras: The Moral Insignificance of Uniquely Human Capacities.
Human-animal chimeras-creatures composed of a mix of animal and human cells-have come to play an important role in biomedical research, and they raise ethical questions. This article focuses on one particularly difficult set of questions-those related to the moral status of human-animal chimeras with brains that are partly or wholly composed of human cells. Given the uncertain effects of human-animal chimera research on chimeric animals' cognition, it would be prudent to ensure we do not overlook or underestimate their moral status. However, to assess moral status, we first need to determine what kinds of capacities are morally relevant. The standard view holds that it matters, morally, if chimeric animals develop uniquely human cognitive capacities. I argue that this view is mistaken, highlighting three problems with it: that we can think of examples of uniquely human cognitive capacities that are not morally significant, that we can think of examples of morally significant cognitive capacities that are not uniquely human, and that evidence that some cognitive capacity is shared with nonhuman animals does not undermine claims that this capacity is morally significant. We need a better framework for thinking about the moral status of part-human beings.


Basic morphometry, microcomputed tomography and mechanical evaluation of the tibiotarsal bone of a dual-purpose and a broiler chicken line.
Continuous loading of the skeleton by the body's weight is an important factor in establishing and maintaining bone morphology, architecture and strength. However, in fast-growing chickens the appendicular skeleton growth is suboptimal making these chickens predisposed to skeletal mineralization disorders and fractures. This study compared the macro- and microstructure as well as the mechanical properties of the tibiotarsus of a novel dual-purpose, Lohmann Dual (LD) and a highly developed broiler, Ross (Ross 308) chicken line. Eighty one-day-old male chicks of each line were grown until their body weight (BW) reached 2000g. Starting at the day of hatching, six birds of each line were sampled weekly. The weight, length and width of the tibiotarsus were measured and its mechanical properties (rigidity, M-Max and the M-fracture) were evaluated using the three-point bending test. Additionally, the mineral density of both, trabecular and cortical bone, the bone volume fraction, the trabecular number, thickness and separation plus cortical thickness of both chicken lines were analyzed using microcomputed tomography. The growth of the tibiotarsus in both chicken lines followed a similar pattern. At the same age, the lighter LD chickens had shorter, thinner and lighter tibiotarsi than those of Ross chickens. However, the LD chickens had a similar cortical thickness, bone volume fraction and similar mineral density of both trabecular and cortical bone to that of Ross chickens. Furthermore, the tibiotarsus of LD chickens was longer, heavier and wider than those of Ross chickens of the same BW. In addition the rigidity of the LD tibiotarsus was greater than that of Ross chickens. This suggests that the tibiotarsus of LD chickens had more bending resistance than those of Ross chickens of the same BW. Consequently, fattening LD chickens to the marketable weight should not affect their leg skeleton stability.


Analysis of the CDR3 length repertoire and the diversity of T cell receptor α and β chains in swine CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes.
The T cell receptor (TCR) is a complex heterodimer that recognizes fragments of antigens as peptides and binds to major histocompatibility complex molecules. The TCR α and β chains possess three hypervariable regions termed complementarity determining regions (CDR1, 2 and 3). CDR3 is responsible for recognizing processed antigen peptides. Immunoscope spectratyping is a simple technique for analyzing CDR3 polymorphisms and sequence length diversity, in order to investigate T cell function and the pattern of TCR utilization. The present study employed this technique to analyze CDR3 polymorphisms and the sequence length diversity of TCR α and β chains in porcine CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Polymerase chain reaction products of 19 TCR α variable regions (AV) and 20 TCR β variable regions (BV) gene families obtained from the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells revealed a clear band following separation by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis, and each family exhibited >8 bands following separation by 6% sequencing gel electrophoresis. CDR3 spectratyping of all identified TCR AV and BV gene families in the sorted CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by GeneScan, demonstrated a standard Gaussian distribution with >8 peaks. CDR3 in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells demonstrated different expression patterns. The majority of CDR3 recombined in frame and the results revealed that there were 10 and 14 amino acid discrepancies between the longest and shortest CDR3 lengths in specific TCR AV and TCR BV gene families, respectively. The results demonstrated that CDR3 polymorphism and length diversity demonstrated different expression and utilization patterns in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. These results may facilitate future research investigating the porcine TCR CDR3 gene repertoire as well as the functional complexity and specificity of the TCR molecule.


Abnormal histamine metabolism in a transplantable syngeneic spontaneous murine mammary adenocarcinoma.
Histamine metabolism of a transplantable syngeneic spontaneous murine mammary adenocarcinoma with a high degree of undifferentiation was studied. The endogenous histamine content is significantly higher than in normal intestine and lung. This is not due to an increase of the histamine biosynthetic capacity, which is lower than in the lung. The administration of histamine, 0.1 mg per kg body, for 7 days, decreased significantly the biosynthesis of histamine in the tumor, but not its endogenous histamine content; in the intestine and in the lung no significant modification of histamine biosynthesis was observed. It has also be shown that the proportion of radioactivity in the purified nuclear fraction of the tumor is significantly higher than in the intestine, after incubating either tissue with 3H-histamine. Since the mast-cell content of the tumor has been found to be low, our results should be considered as a specific alteration of the function of histamine in these tumor cells.


Revisiting density-dependent fecundity in schistosomes using sibship reconstruction.
The stability of parasite populations is regulated by density-dependent processes occurring at different stages of their life cycle. In dioecious helminth infections, density-dependent fecundity is one such regulatory process that describes the reduction in egg production by female worms in high worm burden within-host environments. In human schistosomiasis, the operation of density-dependent fecundity is equivocal and investigation is hampered by the inaccessibility of adult worms that are located intravascularly. Current understanding is almost exclusively limited to data collected from two human autopsy studies conducted over 40 years ago, with subsequent analyses having reached conflicting conclusions. Whether egg production is regulated in a density-dependent manner is key to predicting the effectiveness of interventions targeting the elimination of schistosomiasis and to the interpretation of parasitological data collected during monitoring and evaluation activities. Here, we revisit density-dependent fecundity in the two most globally important human Schistosoma spp. using a statistical modelling approach that combines molecular inference on the number of parents/adult worms in individual human hosts with parasitological egg count data from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. We find a non-proportional relationship between S. haematobium egg counts and inferred numbers of female worms, providing the first clear evidence of density-dependent fecundity in this schistosome species. We do not find robust evidence for density-dependent fecundity in S. mansoni because of high sensitivity to some modelling assumptions and the lower statistical power of the available data. We discuss the strengths and limitations of our model-based analytical approach and its potential for improving our understanding of density dependence in schistosomiasis and other human helminthiases earmarked for elimination.


A method for the isolation and serial propagation of keratinocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts from a single punch biopsy of human skin.
When multiple types of cells from normal and diseased human skin are required, techniques to isolate cells from small skin biopsies would facilitate experimental studies. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a method for the isolation and propagation of three major cell types (keratinocytes, microvascular endothelial cells, and fibroblasts) from a 4-mm punch biopsy of human skin. To isolate and propagate keratinocytes from a punch biopsy, the epidermis was separated from the dermis by treatment with dispase. Keratinocytes were dissociated from the epidermis by trypsin and plated on a collagen-coated tissue culture petri dish. A combination of two commercial media (Serum-Free Medium and Medium 154) provided optimal growth conditions. To isolate and propagate microvascular endothelial cells from the dermis, cells were released following dispase incubation and plated on a gelatin-coated tissue culture dish. Supplementation of a standard growth medium with a medium conditioned by mouse 3T3 cells was required for the establishment and growth of these cells. Epithelioid endothelial cells were separated from spindle-shaped endothelial cells and from dendritic cells by selective attachment to Ulex europeus agglutinin I-coated paramagnetic beads. To establish fibroblasts, dermal explants depleted of keratinocytes and endothelial cells were attached to plastic by centrifugation, and fibroblasts were obtained by explant culture and grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) containing fetal bovine serum (FBS). Using these isolation methods and growth conditions, two confluent T-75 flasks of keratinocytes, one confluent T-25 flask of purified endothelial cells, and one confluent T-25 flask of fibroblasts could be routinely obtained from a 4-mm punch biopsy of human skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Categorizing renal oncocytic neoplasms on core needle biopsy: a morphologic and immunophenotypic study of 144 cases with clinical follow-up.
There is limited literature on renal oncocytic neoplasms diagnosed on core biopsy. All renal oncocytic neoplasm core biopsies from 2006 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Morphologic features and an immunohistochemical panel of CK7, c-KIT, and S100A1 were assessed. Concordance with resection diagnosis, statistical analysis including a random forest classification, and follow-up were recorded. The post-immunohistochemical diagnoses of 144 renal oncocytic core biopsies were favor oncocytoma (67%), favor renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (12%), and cannot exclude RCC (21%). Diagnosis was revised following immunohistochemistry in 7% of cases. The most common features for oncocytoma (excluding dense granular cytoplasm) were nested architecture, edematous stroma, binucleation and tubular architecture; the most common features for favor RCC were sheet-like architecture, nuclear pleomorphism, papillary architecture, and prominent cell borders. High nuclear grade, necrosis, extensive papillary architecture, raisinoid nuclei, and frequent mitoses were not seen in oncocytomas. Comparing the pathologist and random forest classification, the overall out-of-bag estimate of classification error dropped from 23% to 13% when favor RCC and cannot exclude RCC were combined into 1 category. Resection was performed in 19% (28 cases) with a 94% concordance (100% of favor RCC biopsies and 90% of cannot exclude RCC biopsies confirmed as RCC; 83% of favor oncocytomas confirmed); ablation in 23%; and surveillance in 46%. Follow-up was available in 92% (median follow-up, 33months) with no adverse outcomes. Renal oncocytic neoplasms comprise a significant subset (16%) of all core biopsies, and the majority (78%) can be classified as favor oncocytoma or favor RCC.


Reactive oxygen species mediated diaphragm fatigue in a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia.
Respiratory muscle dysfunction documented in sleep apnoea patients is perhaps due to oxidative stress secondary to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). We sought to explore the effects of different CIH protocols on respiratory muscle form and function in a rodent model. Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to CIH (n = 32) consisting of 90 s normoxia-90 s hypoxia (either 10 or 5% oxygen at the nadir; arterial O2 saturation ∼ 90 or 80%, respectively] for 8 h per day or to sham treatment (air-air, n = 32) for 1 or 2 weeks. Three additional groups of CIH-treated rats (5% O2 for 2 weeks) had free access to water containing N-acetyl cysteine (1% NAC, n = 8), tempol (1 mM, n = 8) or apocynin (2 mM, n = 8). Functional properties of the diaphragm muscle were examined ex vivo at 35 °C. The myosin heavy chain and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase isoform distribution, succinate dehydrogenase and glyercol phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activities, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase pump content, concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, DNA oxidation and antioxidant capacity were determined. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (5% oxygen at the nadir; 2 weeks) decreased diaphragm muscle force and endurance. All three drugs reversed the deleterious effects of CIH on diaphragm endurance, but only NAC prevented CIH-induced diaphragm weakness. Chronic intermittent hypoxia increased diaphragm muscle myosin heavy chain 2B areal density and oxidized glutathione/reduced glutathione (GSSG/GSH) ratio. We conclude that CIH-induced diaphragm dysfunction is reactive oxygen species dependent. N-Acetyl cysteine was most effective in reversing CIH-induced effects on diaphragm. Our results suggest that respiratory muscle dysfunction in sleep apnoea may be the result of oxidative stress and, as such, antioxidant treatment could prove a useful adjunctive therapy for the disorder.


A Time-Resolved Study on the Reactivity of Alcoholic Drinks with the Hydroxyl Radical.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can provoke damage to cells, where their concentrations are regulated by antioxidants. As the hydroxyl radical (•OH) is the most oxidizing ROS, we have focused our attention on the use of a mechanistically based time-resolved methodology, such as laser flash photolysis, to determine the relative reactivity of alcoholic beverages towards •OH as an indicator of their antioxidant potential. The selected drinks were of two different origins: (i) those derived from grapes such as red wine, white wine, white vermouth, marc and brandy and (ii) spirits not derived from grapes: triple sec, gin, whisky, and rum. Initially, we determined the quenching rate constant of ethanol with •OH and then we explored the reactivity of the different beverages, which was higher than expected based on their alcoholic content. This can be attributed to the presence of antioxidants and was especially remarkable for the grape-derived drinks.


Childhood epilepsy: a critical review of cost-of-illness studies.
Epilepsy is an illness with multiple consequences and costs for children, families and society. There are only a few studies published on the cost of childhood epilepsy. The different methodologies used in these studies make it difficult to compare them or even to compare the cost of childhood epilepsy treatment with that of adult epilepsy. Nevertheless, studies highlight important differences in the distribution of costs associated with childhood epilepsy and epilepsy in adults. It is understandable that direct costs represent the higher percentage of the total cost associated with childhood epilepsy treatment, given the higher number of hospital admissions and investigations, as well as the complexity of therapeutic trials, while indirect costs represent the greater proportion in adult epilepsy treatment. In addition to age, the total cost associated with epilepsy also depends on other factors such as seizure frequency, the moment at which the illness cost is estimated and the local health care system. In summary, chronic illnesses not only have an influence on the physical and psychological development of children, they also impose costs on the family and society. Childhood epilepsy has greater economic costs than those generated by more prevalent, chronic illnesses.


Intestinal obstruction due to dual gastrointestinal atresia in infants: diagnosis and management of 3 cases.
Several types of congenital lesions can cause complete or incomplete obstruction of the intestine. Our purpose is to present 3 neonates with dual intestinal type I atresia, i.e., simultaneous obstructive lesions at 2 locations in which the atresia manifested as diaphragm-like tissue. All 3 cases were female infants ranging in age from 2 to 14 months. The common symptom in all cases was intermittent persistent vomiting. In some cases the vomitus was bilious, and other symptoms included abdominal distention and delayed meconium passage. Prior surgeries at another hospital were unsuccessful at relieving the symptoms in one case. One case had dual lesions in the colon, one dual lesions in the duodenum, and one atresia at both the distal portion of the ileum and the descending colon. Surgical exploration and removal of the lesions at our hospital was successful in all cases, and the infants were discharged in good condition. Type I atresia can manifest as a diaphragm-like tissue obstructing the continuity of gastrointestinal tract, and in rare cases multiple areas may be present. Base on the intermittent nature of the associated symptoms, diagnosis can be difficult and is often delayed. Physicians should be aware of this condition during the work-up of an infant with persistent intermittent vomiting.


A shared neural integrator for human posture control.
Control of standing posture requires fusion of multiple inputs including visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and other sensors, each having distinct dynamics. The semicircular canals, for example, have a unique high-pass filter response to angular velocity, quickly sensing a step change in head rotational velocity followed by a decay. To stabilize gaze direction despite this decay, the central nervous system supplies a neural "velocity storage" integrator, a filter that extends the angular velocity signal. Similar filtering might contribute temporal dynamics to posture control, as suggested by some state estimation models. However, such filtering has not been tested explicitly. We propose that posture control indeed entails a neural integrator for sensory inputs, and we test its behavior with classic sensory perturbations: a rotating optokinetic stimulus to the visual system and a galvanic vestibular stimulus to the vestibular system. A simple model illustrates how these two inputs and body tilt sensors might produce a postural tilt response in the frontal plane. The model integrates these signals through a direct weighted sum of inputs, with or without an indirect pathway containing a neural integrator. Comparison with experimental data from healthy adult subjects (N = 16) reveals that the direct weighting model alone is insufficient to explain resulting postural transients, as measured by lateral tilt of the trunk. In contrast, the neural integrator, shared by sensory signals, produces the dynamics of both optokinetic and galvanic vestibular responses. These results suggest that posture control may involve both direct and indirect pathways, which filter sensory signals and make them compatible for sensory fusion.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Control of standing posture requires fusion of multiple inputs including visual, vestibular, somatosensory, and other sensors, each having distinct dynamics. We propose that postural control also entails a shared neural integrator. To test this theory, we perturbed standing subjects with classic sensory stimuli (optokinetic and galvanic vestibular stimulation) and found that our proposed shared filter reproduces the dynamics of subjects' postural responses.


Phase I trial of the HSP90 inhibitor PF-04929113 (SNX5422) in adult patients with recurrent, refractory hematologic malignancies.
Heat shock protein (HSP)90 regulates the function of proteins responsible for cell growth and survival, is overexpressed in many cancers and is an attractive therapeutic target. We undertook a phase 1 trial of PF-04929113 (SNX-5422), a novel oral HSP90 inhibitor, to estimate the maximum tolerated dose and describe the pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles. Patients with relapsed, refractory, hematologic malignancies and adequate organ function were eligible. PF-04929113 was administered orally every other day for 21 days of a 28-day cycle. Twenty-five patients were treated, with dose escalation ranging from 5.32 mg/m(2) to 74 mg/m(2) using a 3 plus 3 trial design. All 25 patients enrolled were evaluable for toxicity. Most common toxicities included prolonged QTc interval, diarrhea, pruritus, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, and nausea. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were experienced by 7/25 patients (28%); thrombocytopenia was the most common (n = 3 grade 3; n = 2 grade 4). Partial response was experienced by a patient with transformed lymphoma, and prolonged stabilization of disease was observed in a patient with multiple myeloma. Alternate-day oral dosing of PF-04929113 at 74 mg/m(2) for 21/28 days was generally well tolerated with reversible toxicity. The responses observed in myeloma and lymphoma patients are encouraging.


Automated multidimensional image analysis reveals a role for Abl in embryonic wound repair.
The embryonic epidermis displays a remarkable ability to repair wounds rapidly. Embryonic wound repair is driven by the evolutionary conserved redistribution of cytoskeletal and junctional proteins around the wound. Drosophila has emerged as a model to screen for factors implicated in wound closure. However, genetic screens have been limited by the use of manual analysis methods. We introduce MEDUSA, a novel image-analysis tool for the automated quantification of multicellular and molecular dynamics from time-lapse confocal microscopy data. We validate MEDUSA by quantifying wound closure in Drosophila embryos, and we show that the results of our automated analysis are comparable to analysis by manual delineation and tracking of the wounds, while significantly reducing the processing time. We demonstrate that MEDUSA can also be applied to the investigation of cellular behaviors in three and four dimensions. Using MEDUSA, we find that the conserved nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Abelson (Abl) contributes to rapid embryonic wound closure. We demonstrate that Abl plays a role in the organization of filamentous actin and the redistribution of the junctional protein β-catenin at the wound margin during embryonic wound repair. Finally, we discuss different models for the role of Abl in the regulation of actin architecture and adhesion dynamics at the wound margin.


Enhanced disinfection efficiency of mechanically mixed oxidants with free chlorine.
To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first investigation to be performed into the potential benefits of mechanically mixed disinfectants in controlling bacterial inactivation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the disinfection efficiency of mechanically mixed oxidants with identical oxidant concentrations, which were made by adding small amounts of subsidiary oxidants, namely ozone (O3), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and chlorite (ClO2(-)), to free available chlorine (Cl2), using Bacillus subtilis spores as the indicator microorganisms. The mechanically mixed oxidants containing Cl2/O3, Cl2/ClO2 and Cl2/ClO2(-) showed enhanced efficiencies (of up to 52%) in comparison with Cl2 alone, whereas no significant difference was observed between the mixed oxidant, Cl2/H2O2, and Cl2 alone. This enhanced disinfection efficiency can be explained by the synergistic effect of the mixed oxidant itself and the effect of intermediates such as ClO2(-)/ClO2, which are generated from the reaction between an excess of Cl2 and a small amount of O3/ClO2(-). Overall, this study suggests that mechanically mixed oxidants incorporating excess chlorine can constitute a new and moderately efficient method of disinfection.


Temporal and territorial analysis of multiple deliveries in Spain (1900-2006).
Temporal variations in the frequency of multiple maternities in many Western European countries have been described. However, within a single country, regional differences are observed. Urban industrialized regions and rural agricultural areas have experienced in recent decades a distinct decline in multiple deliveries, which in cases have been related to maternal age and parity changes. Research on multiple deliveries in Spain is scarce and none of the studies go back to the beginning of the 20th century or consider regional variation over an extended period of time. The present paper is a yearly study on multiple deliveries in Spain since 1900 including a geographical analysis. Rather than dealing with recent changes in multi-parity, this paper is concerned with Spain's long-term national variation (between 1900 and 2006). The changing pattern of double and triple deliveries was analyzed using data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Twinning rates in Spain are low in comparison to those of equivalent periods in other countries, and the minimum rates correspond to the 1980s decade. Results were interpreted by taking into account the influence of age at maternity and reproductive variation up to 1990. A good fit between observed and predicted rates was obtained after the application of models, which besides maternal age and parity, include their interaction. Regarding territorial variability, the values corresponding to southern, northern and insular Spanish provinces are consistent with an earlier reduction of the crude birth rate in the north-east regions and latter in the southern regions and the Canary Islands.


A small animal peripheral challenge model of yellow fever using interferon-receptor deficient mice and the 17D-204 vaccine strain.
Yellow fever virus (YFV), a member of the genus Flavivirus, is a mosquito-borne pathogen that requires wild-type (wt), virulent strains to be handled at biosafety level (BSL) 3, with HEPA-filtration of room air exhaust (BSL3+). YFV is found in tropical regions of Africa and South America and causes severe hepatic disease and death in humans. Despite the availability of effective vaccines (17D-204 or 17DD), YFV is still responsible for an estimated 200,000 cases of illness and 30,000 deaths annually. Besides vaccination, there are no other prophylactic or therapeutic strategies approved for use in human YF. Current small animal models of YF require either intra-cranial inoculation of YF vaccine to establish infection, or use of wt strains (e.g., Asibi) in order to achieve pathology. We have developed and characterized a BSL2, adult mouse peripheral challenge model for YFV infection in mice lacking receptors for interferons α, β, and γ (strain AG129). Intraperitoneal challenge of AG129 mice with 17D-204 is a uniformly lethal in a dose-dependent manner, and 17D-204-infected AG129 mice exhibit high viral titers in both brain and liver suggesting this infection is both neurotropic and viscerotropic. Furthermore the use of a mouse model permitted the construction of a 59-biomarker multi-analyte profile (MAP) using samples of brain, liver, and serum taken at multiple time points over the course of infection. This MAP serves as a baseline for evaluating novel therapeutics and their effect on disease progression. Changes (4-fold or greater) in serum and tissue levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators as well as other factors associated with tissue damage were noted in AG129 mice infected with 17D-204 as compared to mock-infected control animals.


An Improved Version of Logistic Bayesian LASSO for Detecting Rare Haplotype-Environment Interactions with Application to Lung Cancer.
The importance of haplotype association and gene-environment interactions (GxE) in the context of rare variants has been underlined in voluminous literature. Recently, a software based on logistic Bayesian LASSO (LBL) was proposed for detecting GxE, where G is a rare (or common) haplotype variant (rHTV)-it is called LBL-GxE. However, it required relatively long computation time and could handle only one environmental covariate with two levels. Here we propose an improved version of LBL-GxE, which is not only computationally faster but can also handle multiple covariates, each with multiple levels. We also discuss details of the software, including input, output, and some options. We apply LBL-GxE to a lung cancer dataset and find a rare haplotype with protective effect for current smokers. Our results indicate that LBL-GxE, especially with the improvements proposed here, is a useful and computationally viable tool for investigating rare haplotype interactions.


Effect of wrist angle on median nerve appearance at the proximal carpal tunnel.
This study investigated the effects of wrist angle, sex, and handedness on the changes in the median nerve cross-sectional area (MNCSA) and median nerve diameters, namely longitudinal diameter (D1) and vertical diameter (D2). Ultrasound examination was conducted to examine the median nerve at the proximal carpal tunnel in both dominant and nondominant hands of men (n = 27) and women (n = 26). A total of seven wrist angles were examined: neutral; 15°, 30°, and 45° extension; and 15°, 30°, and 45° flexion. Our results indicated sexual dimorphism and bilateral asymmetry of MNCSA, D1 and D2 measurements. MNCSA was significantly reduced when the wrist angle changed from neutral to flexion or extension positions. At flexion positions, D1 was significantly smaller than that at neutral. In contrast, at extension positions, D2 was significantly smaller than that at neutral. In conclusion, this study showed that MNCSA decreased as the wrist angle changed from neutral to flexion or extension positions in both dominant and nondominant hands of both sexes, whereas deformation of the median nerve differed between wrist flexion and extension.


[Deviation of the life cycle of Dipetalonema viteae (Filarioidea)].
Dipetalonema viteae is a filarial that can evoluate among hosts zoologically broadly apart (Ixodides and Argasides), but always gathered from meriones burrows. Its evolution is, on the contrary, blocked among most of the other ticks, particularly among Ornithodoros erraticus morphologically very similar to the normal vector. Our work concerns the experimental deviation of the cycle of Dipetalonema viteae, with its possible adaptability in the bosom of an intermediate of fowl tropism and a permanent host, different from a gnawing.


A standardized approach to empirically define reliable assignment thresholds and appropriate management categories in deeply introgressed populations.
Anthropogenic hybridization is recognized as a major threat to the long-term survival of natural populations. While identifying F1 hybrids might be simple, the detection of older admixed individuals is far from trivial and it is still debated whether they should be targets of management. Examples of anthropogenic hybridization have been described between wolves and domestic dogs, with numerous cases detected in the Italian wolf population. After selecting appropriate wild and domestic reference populations, we used empirical and simulated 39-autosomal microsatellite genotypes, Bayesian assignment and performance analyses to develop a workflow to detect different levels of wolf x dog admixture. Membership proportions to the wild cluster (qiw) and performance indexes identified two q-thresholds which allowed to efficiently classify the analysed genotypes into three assignment classes: pure (with no or negligible domestic ancestry), older admixed (with a marginal domestic ancestry) and recent admixed (with a clearly detectable domestic ancestry) animals. Based on their potential to spread domestic variants, such classes were used to define three corresponding management categories: operational pure, introgressed and operational hybrid individuals. Our multiple-criteria approach can help wildlife managers and decision makers in more efficiently targeting the available resources for the long-term conservation of species threatened by anthropogenic hybridization.


Measurement of the Dynamical Structure Factor of a 1D Interacting Fermi Gas.
We present measurements of the dynamical structure factor S(q,ω) of an interacting one-dimensional Fermi gas for small excitation energies. We use the two lowest hyperfine levels of the ^{6}Li atom to form a pseudospin-1/2 system whose s-wave interactions are tunable via a Feshbach resonance. The atoms are confined to one dimension by a two-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg spectroscopy is used to measure a response of the gas to density ("charge") mode excitations at a momentum q and frequency ω, as a function of the interaction strength. The spectrum is obtained by varying ω, while the angle between two laser beams determines q, which is fixed to be less than the Fermi momentum k_{F}. The measurements agree well with Tomonaga-Luttinger theory.


Direct characterization of plasmonic slot waveguides and nanocouplers.
We demonstrate the use of amplitude- and phase-resolved near-field mapping for direct characterization of plasmonic slot waveguide mode propagation and excitation with nanocouplers in the telecom wavelength range. We measure mode's propagation length, effective index and field distribution and directly evaluate the relative coupling efficiencies for various couplers configurations. We report 26- and 15-fold improvements in the coupling efficiency with two serially connected dipole and modified bow-tie antennas, respectively, as compared to that of the short-circuited waveguide termination.


Dementia with non-convulsive seizures: a case report.
Non-convulsive seizures (NCSs) are highly treatable, but appropriate management is usually delayed because of inaccurate diagnoses as a result of variable clinical presentations, including an altered mental state. It is difficult to detect NCSs in patients with dementia. We report a case of NCS superimposed on cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer's dementia. The patient's history was carefully recorded. An electroencephalogram was recorded with sphenoidal electrodes, which showed epileptiform discharges in the right mesial temporal lobe and focal, sharply contoured, slow wave activity in the left fronto-temporal area, suggesting an epileptic origin contributing to the patient's cognitive decline. After treatment with antiepileptic drugs, the patient's cognitive functioning gradually improved. An accurate diagnosis of NCS relies on performing a detailed inventory of a patient's history, thorough physical and neurological examinations, and electroencephalogram recordings. In patients with cognitive decline, testing for NCS should always be included in the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment, even in the case of dementia. Early administration of antiepileptic drug therapy is the mainstay treatment for reversing the condition and for preventing prolonged insults from neurological sequelae.


Distinct roles of monkey OFC-subcortical pathways in adaptive behavior.
To be the most successful, primates must adapt to changing environments and optimize their behavior by making the most beneficial choices. At the core of adaptive behavior is the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of the brain, which updates choice value through direct experience or knowledge-based inference. Here, we identify distinct neural circuitry underlying these two separate abilities. We designed two behavioral tasks in which macaque monkeys updated the values of certain items, either by directly experiencing changes in stimulus-reward associations, or by inferring the value of unexperienced items based on the task's rules. Chemogenetic silencing of bilateral OFC combined with mathematical model-fitting analysis revealed that monkey OFC is involved in updating item value based on both experience and inference. In vivo imaging of chemogenetic receptors by positron emission tomography allowed us to map projections from the OFC to the rostromedial caudate nucleus (rmCD) and the medial part of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDm). Chemogenetic silencing of the OFC-rmCD pathway impaired experience-based value updating, while silencing the OFC-MDm pathway impaired inference-based value updating. Our results thus demonstrate a dissociable contribution of distinct OFC projections to different behavioral strategies, and provide new insights into the neural basis of value-based adaptive decision-making in primates.


Fragmented QRS may predict postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Fragmented QRS complexes (fQRS) are defined as various RSR' patterns in 2 contiguous leads corresponding to a major coronary artery territory. Although the reason of association between fQRS and cardiac events was documented as cardiac fibrosis, the predictive role of fQRS was not studied for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) which is a frequent and serious complication in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Therefore, this issue was investigated in the present study. The current study has a prospective observational design. Two hundred and seventy two eligible patients who underwent isolated CABG surgery were enrolled consecutively. The patients were divided in two groups with post-op atrial fibrillation (AF) and non-AF. The occurrence of new-onset AF following CABG and the relationship with fQRS were searched. The logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors for POAF. The sensitivity and specificity of study variables in predicting POAF were calculated using a receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC). POAF occurred in 62 of 272 patients (22.8%). Patients with POAF were generally older (p<0.001) and female (p=0.006), with preexisting hypertension (p=0.008), lower hemoglobin levels (p=0.011), chronic obstructive lung disease (p=0.003), prolonged QRS time (p=0.004), and higher EUROSCORE (p<0.001) compared to non-AF patients. Patients with POAF had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p<0.001) and high fQRS rate (p<0.001), but similar left atrial size (LA, p=NS). Interestingly, LA size was significantly enlarged in patients with fQRS (3.8±0.6 vs. 4.1±0.5 cm, p=0.002). In addition, the patients with POAF had prolonged stay in the cardiac surgery intensive-care unit (p<0.001) and extended in-hospital care (p=0.001). New-onset POAF was significantly related to the presence and number of fQRS. In the logistic regression analysis, only age (OR: 1.044, 95% CI: 1.008-1.082, p=0.016), female gender (OR: 2.347, 95% CI: 1.079-5.106, p=0.031), the presence and number of fQRS (OR: 6.020, 95% CI: 3.152-11.5 and OR: 1.522, 95% CI: 1.282-1.807, both of, p<0.001) were independent predictors of POAF. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and the diagnostic accuracy (DA) of presence of fQRS on pre-op electrocardiogram to predict POAF were 66%, 76%, 45%, 88% and 74%, respectively. The area under ROC was found as 0.733 (p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.657-0.810). In our study, we found that new-onset POAF was independently related to the presence and number of fQRS in patients undergoing CABG surgery. In addition, fQRS on pre-op surface ECG had high predictive values for new-onset POAF.


Delivery Systems for Birch-bark Triterpenoids and their Derivatives in Anticancer Research.
Birch-bark triterpenoids and their semi-synthetic derivatives possess a wide range of biological activities including cytotoxic effects on various tumor cell lines. However, due to the low solubility and bioavailability, their medicinal applications are rather limited. The use of various nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems is a rapidly developing approach to the solubilization of insufficiently bioavailable pharmaceuticals. Herein, the drug delivery systems deemed to be applicable for birch-bark triterpenoid structures are reviewed. The aforementioned disadvantages of birch-bark triterpenoids and their semi-synthetic derivatives can be overcome through their incorporation into organic nanoparticles, which include various dendrimeric systems, as well as embedding the active compounds into polymer matrices or complexation with carbohydrate nanoparticles without covalent bonding. Some of the known triterpenoid delivery systems consist of nanoparticles featuring inorganic cores covered with carbohydrates or other polymers. Methods for delivering the title compounds through encapsulation and emulsification into lipophilic media are also suitable. Besides, the birch-bark triterpenoids can form self-assembling systems with increased bio-availability. Even more, the self-assembling systems are used as carriers for delivering other chemotherapeutic agents. Another advantage besides increased bioavailability and anticancer activity is the reduced overall systemic toxicity in most of the cases, when triterpenoids are delivered with any of the carriers.


Assessment of Maternal Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) as a Potential Marker for Dietary Carotenoid Intake during Lactation in Humans.
Pregnancy and lactation can change the maternal nutrient reserve. Non-invasive, quantitative markers of maternal nutrient intake could enable personalized dietary recommendations that improve health outcomes in mothers and infants. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is a candidate marker, as MPOD values generally reflect carotenoid intake. We evaluated the association of MPOD with dietary and breastmilk carotenoids in postpartum women. MPOD measurements and dietary intake of five carotenoids were obtained from 80 mothers in the first three months postpartum. Breastmilk samples from a subset of mothers were analyzed to determine their nutrient composition. The association between MPOD and dietary or breastmilk carotenoids was quantitatively assessed to better understand the availability and mobilization of carotenoids. Our results showed that dietary α-carotene was positively correlated with MPOD. Of the breastmilk carotenoids, 13-cis-lutein and trans-lutein were correlated with MPOD when controlled for the total lutein in breastmilk. Other carotenoids in breastmilk were not associated with MPOD. Maternal MPOD is positively correlated with dietary intake of α-carotene in the early postpartum period, as well as with the breastmilk content of lutein. MPOD may serve as a potential marker for the intake of carotenoids, especially α-carotene, in mothers in the early postpartum period.


Cell-cell contact during gamma irradiation is not required to induce a bystander effect in normal human keratinocytes: evidence for release during irradiation of a signal controlling survival into the medium.
Killing of unirradiated cells by medium from cultures of irradiated cells implies the release of a cytotoxic substance by the irradiated cells. The finding of the gamma-ray-induced cytotoxic effect exclusively in epithelial cells and not in fibroblasts suggested that tissue architecture or cell communication might be important. Normal human keratinocytes and fibroblasts and radiosensitive carcinoma cells were irradiated as single cells, microcolonies of three or four cells, or confluent monolayers. The medium was removed and filtered, and cultures which had never been irradiated were seeded at cloning densities and treated with the medium from the irradiated cells. It was found that the degree of cell-cell contact had no effect on the ability of medium from irradiated epithelial cell cultures to reduce the clonogenic survival of unirradiated cells. Cell density was the only important factor. Inhibition of gap junction intercellular communication using the tumor promoter phorbol myristate acid (PMA), which closes gap junctions, increased killing by the bystander effect when the PMA was added to epithelial cells prior to irradiation. Rescue of epithelial cells exposed to the medium from the irradiated cells was not possible even after only 30 min exposure. This suggests that a signal transduction mechanism may control death or survival by the bystander effect rather than by release of a factor which is directly cytotoxic.


Hypoxia-induced arterial endothelin does not influence peripheral vascular tone.
The effect of hypoxia (SpO2 80%) on the arteriovenous production of endothelin-1 (ET) in the forearm was investigated in six healthy volunteers. In eight other subjects the local vascular effects of a low physiologic dose of intra-arterially administered ET (0.5 pg/kg/min) was studied during normoxia. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography, and arterial and venous plasma concentrations of ET were measured. FBF was not significantly influenced during hypoxia. After 15 min of hypoxia the arterial plasma level of ET increased from 2.5 +/- 0.1 to 3.3 +/- 0.3 ng/L (p < 0.05), whereas the venous plasma level remained unchanged. Intra-arterial infusion of ET increased the arterial plasma level of ET in the forearm from 2.2 +/- 0.3 to 4.9 +/- 0.4 ng/L. This increase in ET concentration did not influence FBF. It is concluded that hypoxia is a stimulus for ET release from the pulmonary vascular bed and that the resulting increase arterial plasma ET level does not influence peripheral vascular tone.


Assessment of vascular perfusion kinetics using contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the diagnosis of prostatic disease in dogs.
Vascular perfusion was assessed in 10 dogs without prostatic abnormalities and 26 dogs with prostatic disease using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The time to reach peak contrast intensity (TTP) and peak perfusion intensity (PPI) were measured, and histological biopsies were collected from each dog. Biopsies confirmed normal prostate (n = 10), benign prostatic hyperplasia (n = 11), mixed benign pathology (n = 9), prostatitis (n = 1), prostatic malignancy [adenocarcinoma (n = 4); leiomyosarcoma (n = 1)]. In normal dogs, mean PPI was 16.8% ± 5.8 SD, and mean TTP was 33.6 ± 6.4 s. Benign conditions overall were not statistically different from normal dogs (p > 0.05); for benign prostatic hyperplasia, mean PPI was 16.9 ± 3.8%, and mean TTP was 26.2 ± 5.8 s; for mixed benign pathology mean PPI was 14.8 ± 7.8%, and mean TTP was 31.9 ± 9.7 s; for prostatitis, PPI was 14.2%, and TTP was 25.9 s. The malignant conditions overall had perfusion values that differed from the normal dogs (p < 0.05), although evaluation of the data for individual malignancies did not demonstrate a consistent trend; for adenocarcinomas, the PPI was numerically higher with a mean of 23.7 ± 1.9%, and the mean TTP was 26.9 ± 4.8 s, whilst for the dog with leiomyosarcoma values were numerically lower with a PPI of 14.1% and TTP of 41.3 s. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound appears to offer some ability to document differences in perfusion that may differentiate between malignant and benign lesions, although studies with larger numbers of animals are required to confirm this contention.


Poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles with entrapped trans-cinnamaldehyde and eugenol for antimicrobial delivery applications.
Eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde are natural compounds known to be highly effective antimicrobials; however, both are hydrophobic molecules, a limitation to their use within the food industry. The goal of this study was to synthesize spherical poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles with entrapped eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde for future antimicrobial delivery applications. The emulsion evaporation method was used to form the nanoparticles in the presence of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a surfactant. The inclusion of antimicrobial compounds into the PLGA nanoparticles was accomplished in the organic phase. Synthesis was followed by ultrafiltration (performed to eliminate the excess of PVA and antimicrobial compound) and freeze-drying. The nanoparticles were characterized by their shape, size, entrapment efficiency, and antimicrobial efficiency. The entrapment efficiency for eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde was approximately 98% and 92%, respectively. Controlled release experiments conducted in vitro at 37 °C and 100 rpm for 72 h showed an initial burst followed by a slower rate of release of the antimicrobial entrapped inside the PLGA matrix. All loaded nanoparticles formulations proved to be efficient in inhibiting growth of Salmonella spp. (Gram-negative bacterium) and Listeria spp. (Gram-positive bacterium) with concentrations ranging from 20 to 10 mg/mL. Results suggest that the application of these antimicrobial nanoparticles in food systems may be effective at inhibiting specific pathogens. Nanoencapsulation of lipophilic antimicrobial compounds has great potential for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of delivery in food systems. This study consisted of synthesizing PLGA nanoparticles with entrapped eugenol and trans-cinnamaldehyde. By characterizing these new delivery systems, one can understand the controlled-release mechanism and antimicrobial efficiency that provides a foundation that will enable food manufacturers to design smart food systems for future delivery applications, including packaging and processing, capable of ensuring food safety to consumers.


Evolution of a novel subfamily of nuclear receptors with members that each contain two DNA binding domains.
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are important transcriptional modulators in metazoans which regulate transcription through binding to the promoter region of their target gene by the DNA binding domain (DBD) and activation or repression of mRNA synthesis through co-regulators bound to the ligand binding domain (LBD). NRs typically have a single DBD with a LBD. Three nuclear receptors named 2DBD-NRs, were identified from the flatworm Schistosoma mansoni that each possess a novel set of two DBDs in tandem with a LBD. They represent a novel NR modular structure: A/B-DBD-DBD-hinge-LBD. The 2DBD-NRs form a new subfamily of NRs, VII. By database mining, 2DBD-NR genes from other flatworm species (Schmidtea mediterranea and Dugesia japonica), from Mollusks (Lottia gigantean) and from arthropods (Daphnia pulex) were also identified. All 2DBD-NRs possess a P-box sequence of CEACKK in the first DBD, which is unique to 2DBD-NRs, and a P-box sequence of CEGCKG in the second DBD. Phylogenetic analyses of both DBD and ligand binding domain sequences showed that 2DBD-NR genes originate from a common two DBD-containing ancestor gene. A single 2DBD-NR orthologue was found in Arthropoda, Platyhelminths and Mollusca. Subsequent 2DBD-NR gene evolution in Mollusks and Platyhelminths involved gene duplication. Chromosome localization of S. mansoni 2DBD-NR genes by Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) suggests that 2DBD-NR genes duplicated on different chromosomes in the Platyhelminths. Dimerization of Sm2DBDalpha indicates that 2DBD-NRs may act as homodimers, suggesting either that two repeats of a half-site are necessary for each DBD of 2DBD-NRs to bind to its target gene, or that each 2DBD-NR can recognize multiple sites. 2DBD-NRs share a common ancestor gene which possessed an extra DBD that likely resulted from a recombination event. After the split of the Arthropods, Mollusks and Platyhelminths, 2DBD-NR underwent a recent duplication in a common ancestor of Mollusks, while two rounds of duplication occurred in a common ancestor of the Platyhelminths. This demonstrates that certain NR gene underwent recent duplication in Prostostome lineages after the split of the Prostostomia and Deuterostomia.


Feature-based attention involuntarily and simultaneously improves visual performance across locations.
Selective attention can selectively increase sensitivity to particular visual features in order to prioritize behaviorally relevant stimuli. Moreover, neural responses to attended feature values are boosted even at ignored locations. We provide behavioral evidence for involuntary and simultaneous effects of this "global" feature-based attention on visual performance. Observers were cued to attend to dots moving in a particular direction at one location (the primary task), while discriminating which of two groups of moving dots on the other side of the screen contained coherent motion (the secondary task). An analogous experiment tested selective attention to orientation. The secondary tasks did not require observers to discriminate or selectively attend to the particular feature values present. Nonetheless, sensitivity was highest when the direction or orientation happened to match the one cued in the primary task. By comparing performance to a neutral condition, we revealed more enhancement of attended feature values than suppression of others.


Ecological genetics and genomics of plant defenses: Evidence and approaches.
Herbivores exert significant selection on plants, and plants have evolved a variety of constitutive and inducible defenses to resist and tolerate herbivory. Assessing the genetic mechanisms that influence defenses against herbivores will deepen our understanding of the evolution of essential phenotypic traits.Ecogenomics is a powerful interdisciplinary approach that can address fundamental questions about the ecology and evolutionary biology of species, such as: which evolutionary forces maintain variation within a population? and What is the genetic architecture of adaptation? This field seeks to identify gene regions that influence ecologically-important traits, assess the fitness consequences under natural conditions of alleles at key quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and test how the abiotic and biotic environment affects gene expression.Here, we review ecogenomics techniques and emphasize how this framework can address long-standing and emerging questions relating to anti-herbivore defenses in plants. For example, ecogenomics tools can be used to investigate: inducible vs. constitutive defenses; tradeoffs between resistance and tolerance; adaptation to the local herbivore community; selection on alleles that confer resistance and tolerance in natural populations; and whether different genes are activated in response to specialist vs. generalist herbivores and to different types of damage.Ecogenomic studies can be conducted with model species, such as Arabidopsis, or their relatives, in which case myriad molecular tools are already available. Burgeoning sequence data will also facilitate ecogenomic studies of non-model species. Throughout this paper, we highlight approaches that are particularly suitable for ecological studies of non-model organisms, discuss the benefits and disadvantages of specific techniques, and review bioinformatic tools for analyzing data.We focus on established and promising techniques, such as QTL mapping with pedigreed populations, genome wide association studies, transcription profiling strategies, population genomics, and transgenic methodologies. Many of these techniques are complementary and can be used jointly to investigate the genetic architecture of defense traits and selection on alleles in nature.


[Segmental transplantation of the pancrease from a living donor (an experimental anatomical study)].
The results of the investigation of the blood supply by the splenic vessels of the human and dog pancreatic segment (120 observations) and the results of 98 chronic experiments with pancreatic resection and grafting on the vascular pedicle formed by the splenic artery and vein are presented. Experiments showed transplantation of the caudal pancreatic segment (about 1/5 of the whole organ) to be possible. Resection of the segment failed to affect the dog health. The grafted segment insured normal glycemia in depancreatized dogs.


Face-Specific Resting Functional Connectivity between the Fusiform Gyrus and Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus.
Faces activate specific brain regions in fMRI, including the fusiform gyrus (FG) and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). The fact that the FG and pSTS are frequently co-activated suggests that they may interact synergistically in a distributed face processing network. Alternatively, the functions implemented by these regions may be encapsulated from each other. It has proven difficult to evaluate these two accounts during visual processing of face stimuli. However, if the FG and pSTS interact during face processing, the substrate for such interactions may be apparent in a correlation of the BOLD timeseries from these two regions during periods of rest when no faces are present. To examine face-specific resting correlations, we developed a new partial functional connectivity approach in which we removed variance from the FG that was shared with other category-selective and control regions. The remaining face-specific FG resting variance was then used to predict resting signals throughout the brain. In two experiments, we observed face-specific resting functional connectivity between FG and pSTS, and importantly, these correlations overlapped precisely with the face-specific pSTS region obtained from independent localizer runs. Additional region-of-interest and pattern analyses confirmed that the FG-pSTS resting correlations were face-specific. These findings support a model in which face processing is distributed among a finite number of connected, but nevertheless face-specialized regions. The discovery of category-specific interactions in the absence of visual input suggests that resting networks may provide a latent foundation for task processing.


[Rapid determination of major and trace elements in the salt lake clay minerals by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry].
A rapid multi-element analysis method for clay mineral samples was described. This method utilized a polarized wave-length dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer--Axios PW4400, which had a maximum tube power of 4 000 watts. The method was developed for the determination of As, Mn, Co, Cu, Cr, Dy, Ga, Mo, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sr, Ni, ,Cs, Ta, Th, Ti, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr, MgO, K2O, Na2O, CaO, Fe2O3, Al2O3, SiO2 and so on. Thirty elements in clay mineral species were measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with pressed powder pellets. Spectral interferences, in particular the indirect interferences of each element, were studied. A method to distinguish the interference between each other periodic elements in element periodic table was put forward. The measuring conditions and existence were mainly investigated, and the selected background position as well as corrected spectral overlap for the trace elements were also discussed. It was found that the indirect spectral overlap line was the same important as direct spectral overlap line. Due to inducing the effect of indirect spectral overlap, some elements jlike Bi, Sn, W which do not need analysis were also added to the elements channel. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was in the range of 0.01% to 5.45% except three elements Mo, Cs and Ta. The detection limits, precisions and accuracies for most elements using this method can meet the requirements of sample analysis in clay mineral species.


The IDEFICS intervention: what can we learn for public policy?
As considered in the rest of this volume, the effects of the IDEFICS intervention on obesity rates were not encouraging. This paper considers how far findings from the IDEFICS study and similar intervention studies are relevant to the policy process and political decision-making. The paper offers theoretical and policy-level arguments concerning the evaluation of evidence and its implications for policymaking. The paper is divided into three parts. The first considers problems in the nature and applicability of evidence gained from school- and community-level obesity interventions. The second part considers whether such interventions present a model that policymakers could implement. The third part considers how we should think about policy measures given the limited evidence we can obtain and the many different goals that public policy must take account of. The paper argues that (1) there are clear reasons why we are not obtaining good evidence for effective school- and community-level interventions; (2) public policy is not in a good position to mandate larger-scale, long-term versions of these interventions; and (3) there are serious problems in obtaining 'evidence' for most public policy options, but this should not deter us from pursuing options that tackle systemic problems and have a good likelihood of delivering benefits on several dimensions. Research on school- and community-level obesity interventions has not produced much evidence that is directly relevant to policymaking. Instead, it shows how difficult it is to affect obesity rates without changing wider social and economic factors. Public policy should focus on these.


Home versus hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation has positive effects on many cardiac risk factors (physical activity, smoking status, cholesterol, anxiety and depression) and can lead to improvements in mortality, morbidity and quality of life. Most formal cardiac rehabilitation in the UK is offered within a hospital or centre setting, although this may not always be convenient or accessible for many cardiac patients, especially those in remote areas. The proportion of eligible patients who successfully complete a cardiac rehabilitation program remains low. There are many reasons for this but geographical isolation and transport issues are important. This systematic review examines the current evidence for home- versus hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. Home-based cardiac rehabilitation offers greater accessibility to cardiac rehabilitation and has the potential to increase uptake. While there have been fewer studies of home-based cardiac rehabilitation, the available data suggest that it has comparable results to hospital-based programs. Many of these studies are small and heterogeneous in terms of interventions but home-based cardiac rehabilitation appears both safe and effective. Available evidence suggests that it results in longer lasting maintenance of physical activity levels compared with hospital-based rehabilitation and is equally effective in improving cardiac risk factors. Furthermore, it has the potential to be a more cost-effective intervention for patients who cannot easily access their local centre or hospital. Currently home-based cardiac rehabilitation is not offered routinely to all patients but it appears to have the potential to increase uptake in patients who are unable, or less likely, to attend more traditional hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation programs.


Heterochronic microRNAs in temporal specification of neural stem cells: application toward rejuvenation.
Plasticity is a critical factor enabling stem cells to contribute to the development and regeneration of tissues. In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), neural stem cells (NSCs) that are defined by their capability for self-renewal and differentiation into neurons and glia, are present in the ventricular neuroaxis throughout life. However, the differentiation potential of NSCs changes in a spatiotemporally regulated manner and these cells progressively lose plasticity during development. One of the major alterations in this process is the switch from neurogenesis to gliogenesis. NSCs initiate neurogenesis immediately after neural tube closure and then turn to gliogenesis from midgestation, which requires an irreversible competence transition that enforces a progressive reduction of neuropotency. A growing body of evidence indicates that the neurogenesis-to-gliogenesis transition is governed by multiple layers of regulatory networks consisting of multiple factors, including epigenetic regulators, transcription factors, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA). In this review, we focus on critical roles of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small ncRNA that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, in the regulation of the switch from neurogenesis to gliogenesis in NSCs in the developing CNS. Unraveling the regulatory interactions of miRNAs and target genes will provide insights into the regulation of plasticity of NSCs, and the development of new strategies for the regeneration of damaged CNS.


The assembly state and charge of amphiphilic β-sheet peptides affect blood clotting.
Hydrogels composed of designed β-sheet amphiphilic peptides have been exploited in controlled drug release systems, tissue regeneration and bleeding arrest applications. However the ultimate function of these hydrogels is dependent on a variety of host tissue responses, including blood clotting mechanisms. Here we studied the effect of cationic, anionic and zwitterionic β-sheet amphiphilic peptides on platelet-poor plasma (PPP) coagulation. PPP clotting was monitored by thromboelastography (TEG) in two states: low peptide concentration, dissolved in plasma, and high peptide concentration, assembled in a hydrogel phase. In the dissolved state the positively charged peptide led to immediate phase separation of PPP. The dissolved zwitterionic peptide exhibited minor effects on clotting and essentially no influence in the hydrogel state. The negatively charged peptide in the dissolved state and as a hydrogel retarded fibrin formation and reduced clot strength. This peptide was also found to inhibit blood clotting in spleen wounds in rats, by both interacting with thrombin and depleting Ca2+ from blood. This study demonstrates a systematic approach towards characterization of the effects of self-assembled biomaterials on coagulation in vitro, shedding light on the structure-function relationship useful for the design of new implantable biomaterials.


HIV neuropathy in pre-HAART patients and it's correlation with risk factors in Central India.
Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is the most common neurological complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and often goes unrecognized. This ailment has a significant debilitating impact on the quality of life of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is the most common PN in HIV infected patients. In India, although HIV has emerged as a public health menace, the burden of HIV-SN has not yet been well-defined. We used the Brief Peripheral Neuropathy Screening (BPNS) tool, validated by the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) and carried out a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of HIV-SN and its associated factors among highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) naive HIV patients. HIV-SN is defined as the presence of neuropathic symptoms and at least an abnormal perception of vibrations of a 128 Hz tuning fork on the great toe or abnormal ankle reflexes or both. Out of 75 patients studied, 40% had clinical HIV-SN and nerve conduction study (NCS) confirmed its presence in all of them. In patients with neuropathy, the mean hemoglobin was 10.76 g/dl (P < 0.0001), mean serum albumin 2.7 g/dl (P < 0.001), mean body mass index (BMI) 17.18 kg/m 2 (P < 0.0001), and mean CD4 T-cell count was 497/μl; whereas, in patients not having neuropathy the same values were 12.81 g/dl, 3.64 g/dl, 20.22 kg/m 2 , and 678/μl, respectively. Patients recall and clinical chart review showed that, 40% had symptoms even prior to HAART initiation. HIV-SN is more common among pre-HAART patients with low level of hemoglobin, serum albumin, BMI, and CD4 T-cell count. Hence, it is found that neuropathy can be prevented by improving immune as well as nutritional status of HIV infected patients. So, BPNS, being a simple diagnostic tool should therefore be routinely applied to screen the neuropathy, to minimize the negative impact it has on the quality of life in patients with HIV infection.


Tracking developmental differences in real-world social attention across adolescence, young adulthood and older adulthood.
Detecting and responding appropriately to social information in one's environment is a vital part of everyday social interactions. Here, we report two preregistered experiments that examine how social attention develops across the lifespan, comparing adolescents (10-19 years old), young (20-40 years old) and older (60-80 years old) adults. In two real-world tasks, participants were immersed in different social interaction situations-a face-to-face conversation and navigating an environment-and their attention to social and non-social content was recorded using eye-tracking glasses. The results revealed that, compared with young adults, adolescents and older adults attended less to social information (that is, the face) during face-to-face conversation, and to people when navigating the real world. Thus, we provide evidence that real-world social attention undergoes age-related change, and these developmental differences might be a key mechanism that influences theory of mind among adolescents and older adults, with potential implications for predicting successful social interactions in daily life.


Granular neural networks for numerical-linguistic data fusion and knowledge discovery.
In this paper, we present a neural-networks-based knowledge discovery and data mining (KDDM) methodology based on granular computing, neural computing, fuzzy computing, linguistic computing, and pattern recognition. The major issues include 1) how to make neural networks process both numerical and linguistic data in a data base, 2) how to convert fuzzy linguistic data into related numerical features, 3) how to use neural networks to do numerical-linguistic data fusion, 4) how to use neural networks to discover granular knowledge from numerical-linguistic data bases, and 5) how to use discovered granular knowledge to predict missing data. In order to answer the above concerns, a granular neural network (GNN) is designed to deal with numerical-linguistic data fusion and granular knowledge discovery in numerical-linguistic databases. From a data granulation point of view, the GNN can process granular data in a database. From a data fusion point of view, the GNN makes decisions based on different kinds of granular data. From a KDDM point of view, the GNN is able to learn internal granular relations between numerical-linguistic inputs and outputs, and predict new relations in a database. The GNN is also capable of greatly compressing low-level granular data to high-level granular knowledge with some compression error and a data compression rate. To do KDDM in huge data bases, parallel GNN and distributed GNN will be investigated in the future.


Seeds of a possible natural hybrid between herbicide-resistant Brassica napus and Brassica rapa detected on a riverbank in Japan.
Transgenic herbicide-resistant varieties of Brassica napus, or oilseed rape, from which canola oil is obtained, are imported into Japan, where this plant is not commercially cultivated to a large extent. This study aimed to examine the distribution of herbicide-resistant B. napus and transgene flow to escaped populations of its closely related species, B. rapa and B. juncea. Samples were collected from 12 areas near major ports through which oilseed rape imports into Japan passed--Kashima, Chiba, Yokohama, Shimizu, Nagoya, Yokkaichi, Sakai-Senboku, Kobe, Uno, Mizushima, Kita-Kyushu, and Hakata--and the presence of glyphosate- and/or glufosinate-resistant B. napus was confirmed in all areas except Yokohama, Sakai-Senboku, Uno, and Kita-Kyushu. The Yokkaichi area was the focus because several herbicide-resistant B. napus plants were detected not only on the roadside where oilseed rape spilled during transportation but also on the riverbanks, where escaped populations of B. rapa and B. juncea grew. Samples of B. napus that were tolerant to both herbicides were detected in four continuous years (2005-2008) in this area, suggesting the possibility of intraspecific transgene flow within the escaped B. napus populations. Moreover, in 2008, seeds of a possible natural hybrid between herbicide-tolerant B. napus (2n = 38) and B. rapa (2n = 20) were detected; some seedlings derived from the seeds collected at a Yokkaichi site showed glyphosate resistance and had 2n = 29 chromosomes. This observation strongly suggests the occurrence of hybridization between herbicide-resistant B. napus and escaped B. rapa and the probability of introgression of a herbicide-resistance gene into related escaped species.


Programmatic Approach to Management of Tetralogy of Fallot With Major Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries: A 15-Year Experience With 458 Patients.
Tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries is a complex and heterogeneous condition. Our institutional approach to this lesion emphasizes early complete repair with the incorporation of all lung segments and extensive lobar and segmental pulmonary artery reconstruction. We reviewed all patients who underwent surgical intervention for tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford (LPCHS) since November 2001. A total of 458 patients underwent surgery, 291 (64%) of whom underwent their initial procedure at LPCHS. Patients were followed for a median of 2.7 years (mean 4.3 years) after the first LPCHS surgery, with an estimated survival of 85% at 5 years after first surgical intervention. Factors associated with worse survival included first LPCHS surgery type other than complete repair and Alagille syndrome. Of the overall cohort, 402 patients achieved complete unifocalization and repair, either as a single-stage procedure (n=186), after initial palliation at our center (n=74), or after surgery elsewhere followed by repair/revision at LPCHS (n=142). The median right ventricle:aortic pressure ratio after repair was 0.35. Estimated survival after repair was 92.5% at 10 years and was shorter in patients with chromosomal anomalies, older age, a greater number of collaterals unifocalized, and higher postrepair right ventricle pressure. Using an approach that emphasizes early complete unifocalization and repair with incorporation of all pulmonary vascular supply, we have achieved excellent results in patients with both native and previously operated tetralogy of Fallot and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries.


Driving ordering processes in molecular-dynamics simulations.
Self-organized criticality describes the emergence of complexity in dynamical nonequilibrium systems. In this paper we introduce a unique approach whereby a driven energy conversion is utilized as a sampling bias for ordered arrangements in molecular dynamics simulations of atomic and molecular fluids. This approach gives rise to dramatically accelerated nucleation rates, by as much as 30 orders of magnitude, without the need of predefined order parameters, which commonly employed rare-event sampling methods rely on. The measured heat fluxes suggest how the approach can be generalized.


In vitro evaluation of complement deposition and opsonophagocytic killing of Rhodococcus equi mediated by poly-N-acetyl glucosamine hyperimmune plasma compared to commercial plasma products.
The bacterium Rhodococcus equi can cause severe pneumonia in foals. The absence of a licensed vaccine and limited effectiveness of commercial R. equi hyperimmune plasma (RE-HIP) create a great need for improved prevention of this disease. Plasma hyperimmune to the capsular polysaccharide poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG) would be significantly more effective than RE-HIP at mediating complement deposition and opsonophagocytic killing (OPK) of R. equi. Venipuncture was performed on 9 Quarter Horses. The ability of the following plasma sources to mediate complement component 1 (C1) deposition onto either PNAG or R. equi was determined by ELISA: (1) PNAG hyperimmune plasma (PNAG-HIP), (2) RE-HIP, and (3) standard non-hyperimmune commercial plasma (SP). For OPK, each plasma type was combined with R. equi, equine complement, and neutrophils isolated from horses (n = 9); after 4 hours, the number of R. equi in each well was determined by quantitative culture. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects regression with significance set at P < .05. The PNAG-HIP and RE-HIP were able to deposit significantly (P < .05) more complement onto their respective targets than the other plasmas. The mean proportional survival of R. equi opsonized with PNAG-HIP was significantly (P < .05) less (14.7%) than that for SP (51.1%) or RE-HIP (42.2%). Plasma hyperimmune to PNAG is superior to RE-HIP for opsonizing and killing R. equi in vitro. Comparison of these 2 plasmas in field trials is warranted because of the reported incomplete effectiveness of RE-HIP.