Internet and mobile technology use among urban African American parents: survey study of a clinical population.
There is considerable potential for mobile technologies to empower pediatric patients and families by improving their communication with health professionals. National surveys suggest minority parents frequently communicate via mobile technology, but it is uncertain how amenable they are to receiving health care information in this format. Although the low cost and far reach characteristics of mobile health (mHealth) technology makes it advantageous for communication with minority parents, data on acceptance are needed. The objective of the study was to determine utilization of mobile and Internet technology by African American parents in an urban, underserved population, and to assess their interest in receiving health information via text messaging or other technologies (eg, social media and the Internet). A survey was administered to parents of children aged 1-12 years covered by public insurance receiving care at 3 pediatric primary care centers in Washington, DC. The African American sample (N=302) was composed of primarily single (75.8%, 229/302) mothers. Almost half had more than a high school education (47.7%, 144/302) and incomes above US $25,000 per year (43.0%, 130/302). Most (97.0%, 293/302) reported owning a cell phone, of which 91.1% (275/302) used it to text and 78.5% (237/302) used it to access the Internet. Most had service plans with unlimited text and data, but 26.5% (80/302) experienced service interruptions in the previous year. Home Internet access was more prevalent among those with higher income (86.2%, 112/130), but it was still relatively pervasive among lower income families (66.9%, 83/124). In adjusted logistic regression models, African American mothers with income greater than US $25,000 annually were 4 times as likely to own a tablet computer than their lower income counterparts. Of the participants, 80.8% (244/302) used social networking, primarily Facebook, and 74.2% (224/302) were interested in joining a social networking group about a health topic concerning their child. Although relatively few African American mothers (17.9%, 54/302) shared health information via texting, there was strong interest in receiving health information via mobile phones (87.4%, 264/302). There was no significant difference in Internet/mobile device use or interest in using these outlets to send/receive information about their children's health between parents of healthy children and parents of children with chronic health conditions. Urban African American parents are active users of the Internet and mobile technology for social interactions, but they are less likely to use it for accessing or communicating health information. However, most parents expressed an interest in receiving health information or utilizing social networking to learn more about health topics. Mobile technology and social networks may be an underutilized method of providing health information to underserved minority populations.


An atypical haem in the cytochrome b(6)f complex.
Photosystems I and II (PSI and II) are reaction centres that capture light energy in order to drive oxygenic photosynthesis; however, they can only do so by interacting with the multisubunit cytochrome b(6)f complex. This complex receives electrons from PSII and passes them to PSI, pumping protons across the membrane and powering the Q-cycle. Unlike the mitochondrial and bacterial homologue cytochrome bc(1), cytochrome b(6)f can switch to a cyclic mode of electron transfer around PSI using an unknown pathway. Here we present the X-ray structure at 3.1 A of cytochrome b(6)f from the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The structure bears similarities to cytochrome bc(1) but also exhibits some unique features, such as binding chlorophyll, beta-carotene and an unexpected haem sharing a quinone site. This haem is atypical as it is covalently bound by one thioether linkage and has no axial amino acid ligand. This haem may be the missing link in oxygenic photosynthesis.


Session 4: Mineral metabolism and body composition iron status of breast-fed infants.
Fe deficiency is a common nutritional disorder during infancy, particularly in low-income countries. The Fe status of a breast-fed infant is strongly influenced by the body Fe content at birth, which is determined by factors that operate before birth (maternal Fe status before and during pregnancy; infant gestational age and birth weight) and at the time of delivery (the timing of umbilical cord clamping). Delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord for 2 min can increase body Fe content by approximately 33% (75 mg), and results in greater Fe stores at 6 months of age. After birth, male gender and a rapid rate of weight gain are associated with lower Fe status. During the first half of infancy dietary Fe requirements depend on Fe stores at birth. For an exclusively-breast-fed full-term normal-birth-weight infant with delayed umbilical cord clamping, whose mother had adequate Fe status during pregnancy, the Fe provided from stores and breast milk is sufficient for >/=6 months, but before this time higher-risk infants may become Fe deficient. Fe supplementation can be beneficial for high-risk infants, but can have adverse effects on growth and morbidity of Fe-replete infants. After 6 months most breast-fed infants will require complementary foods that are rich in Fe.


Influenza A virus infection activates cholesterol sulfotransferase (SULT2B1b) in the lung of female C57BL/6 mice.
Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) catalyze the sulfation of hormones, neurotransmitters, and xenobiotics, increasing their water solubility. SULTs are not only important for xenobiotic detoxification but they also play important biological roles in the regulation of the activities of various biosignaling molecules and other cellular functions. In this study, we investigated the effects of influenza A virus lung infection on the expression of SULTs in the lung, brain, and liver of female C57BL/6 mice. Our results demonstrate for the first time that SULT2B1b enzyme activity and protein expression are significantly up-regulated in the lung and brain of female mice in response to lung influenza A virus infection. Real-time quantitative PCR results are consistent with Western blot and enzymatic activity data. In mouse liver, mSULT2B1b is not significantly changed. Enzyme activities, protein expression, and mRNA expression of SULT1A1 and SULT2A1 in the lung, brain, and liver of mice were not significantly affected by the infection. The induction of SULT2B1b may be used to inactivate natural liver X receptor ligands and activate the proliferation of T cells in response to influenza A virus infection in the lung and brain of mice. Our results raise the possibility that regulation of SULT2B1b may influence acquired immune responses to infectious diseases.


An 8-Year-Old Boy With Prolonged Fever and Subcutaneous Nodules.
An 8-year-old boy with asthma presented with prolonged fever, malaise, extremity weakness, polyarthralgias, malar rash, and subcutaneous nodules. Physical examination was remarkable for a faint malar rash, flesh-colored papules on the dorsal aspect of the fingers, arthritis of multiple joints in the hands, and subcutaneous nodules. The nodules were firm, nontender, and distributed over multiple extremities and the trunk. The patient was admitted to expedite workup. Initial laboratory test results revealed leukopenia, mild elevation of the aminotransferases, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and normal level of creatine kinase. His echocardiogram was normal. Infectious disease studies were negative. Additional examination revealed dilated capillaries in his nail beds and bilateral hip weakness. MRI of his extremities was negative for myositis or calcification of the nodules. We obtained a biopsy of the subcutaneous nodules, and because the patient remained afebrile during the hospitalization, we discharged him from the hospital with outpatient follow-up. Our expert panel reviews the course of the patient's evaluation and investigation, as well as the implications of his diagnosis based on the tissue pathology from the nodule biopsy.


Occult cocaine exposure in children.
We determined the prevalence of cocaine and cannabinoid exposure among young children presenting to an urban pediatric emergency department without signs or symptoms suggestive of the exposure. The study included 460 children between 1 and 60 months of age in whom urinalysis was required for investigation of routine pediatric complaints. Anonymously and without informed consent, an aliquot of urine was screened for cocaine metabolite (benzoylecgonine) and 11- or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9 carboxylic acid with the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique. Positive specimens were rescreened with a radioimmunoassay and confirmed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, if a sufficient quantity of urine was available. Benzoylecgonine was identified in 25 patients (5.4%) by both screening techniques. Enough urine was available for confirmatory testing in eight patients, and all eight urine specimens contained benzoylecgonine. Neither 11- nor delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9 carboxylic acid was detected in any patient. We documented the magnitude of the problem of occult passive cocaine exposure in young children living in an urban environment. Such exposure has serious implications for the assessment of outcomes in postnatal follow-up studies of prenatally exposed children as well as potential risks to children living in household environments where occult cocaine exposure occurs.


Scaling and coordination deficits during dynamic object manipulation in Parkinson's disease.
The ability to reach for and dynamically manipulate objects in a dexterous fashion requires scaling and coordination of arm, hand, and fingertip forces during reach and grasp components of this behavior. The neural substrates underlying dynamic object manipulation are not well understood. Insight into the role of basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits in object manipulation can come from the study of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We hypothesized that scaling and coordination aspects of motor control are differentially affected by this disorder. We asked 20 PD patients and 23 age-matched control subjects to reach for, grasp, and lift virtual objects along prescribed paths. The movements were subdivided into two types, intensive (scaling) and coordinative, by detecting their underlying self-similarity. PD patients off medication were significantly impaired relative to control subjects for both aspects of movement. Intensive deficits, reduced peak speed and aperture, were seen during the reach. Coordinative deficits were observed during the reach, namely, the relative position along the trajectory at which peak speed and aperture were achieved, and during the lift, when objects tilted with respect to the gravitational axis. These results suggest that basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits may play an important role in fine motor coordination. Dopaminergic therapy significantly improved intensive but not coordinative aspects of movements. These findings are consistent with a framework in which tonic levels of dopamine in the dorsal striatum encode the energetic cost of a movement, thereby improving intensive or scaling aspects of movement. However, repletion of brain dopamine levels does not restore finely coordinated movement.


The disassembly of the neuromuscular synapse in high-fat diet-induced obese male mice.
A sustained high fat diet in mice mimics many features of human obesity. We used male and female Non-Swiss albino mice to investigate the impact of short and long-term high-fat diet-(HFD)-induced obesity on the peripheral neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and whether obesity-related synaptic structural alterations were reversible after switching obese mice from HFD to a standard fat diet (SD). HFD-induced obese and age-matched control mice fed SD were used. We carried out in vivo time lapse imaging to monitor changes of synapses over time, quantitative fluorescence imaging to study the regulation of acetylcholine receptor number and density at neuromuscular junctions, and high resolution confocal microscope to study structural alterations in both the pre- and postsynaptic apparatus. Time-lapse imaging in vivo over a 9 month period revealed that NMJs of HFD obese male mice display a variety of obesity-related structural alterations, including the disappearance of large synaptic areas, significant reduction in the density/number of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChRs), abnormal distribution of AChRs, high turnover rate of AChRs, retraction of axons from lost postsynaptic sites, and partially denervated synapses. The severity of these synaptic alterations is associated with the duration of obesity. However, no substantial alterations were observed at NMJs of age-matched HFD obese female mice or male mice fed with a standard or low fat diet. Intriguingly, when obese male mice were switched from HFD to a standard diet, receptor density and the abnormal pattern of AChR distribution were completely reversed to normal, whereas lost synaptic structures were not restored. These results show that the obese male mice are more vulnerable than female mice to the impacts of long-term HFD on the NMJ damage and provide evidence that diet restriction can partially reverse obesity-related synaptic changes.


Contextual suppression and protection in schizophrenic patients.
Contextual processing is often strongly deteriorated in schizophrenic patients as found, for example, in higher cognitive as well as lower visual paradigms. In visual detection tasks, impoverished contextual facilitation was attributed to aberrant excitatory neural circuits. On the other hand, we found contextual suppression, possibly related to neural inhibition, to be fast and intact in a visual backward masking task. Here, we combine a suppressive with a "protective" paradigm to further our understanding of the contextual deficiencies of schizophrenic patients in visual information processing. Twenty three schizophrenic patients and 18 healthy controls were asked to discriminate the offset direction of a vernier target, which was followed by one of a variety of masks for several stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). As in previous studies, patients needed clearly longer SOAs than controls. However, when longer SOAs were taken into account, increases as well as decreases in backward mask strength had comparable effects in patients and controls. From these results, we suggest that complex spatial processing is fast and intact in schizophrenic patients.


The evolution of epidemic suicide on Guam: context and contagion.
Thirty years of suicide rates for Guam were analyzed by age, sex, period, and cohort. Youth suicide increased rapidly in the 1990s; certain cohorts have higher rates. Four explanatory factors are discussed, including ecological factors and migration from the Federated States of Micronesia. Direct and indirect suicide contagion followed the death by suicide of a respected politician, strongly influencing period and cohort patterns. Suicide pacts inflated suicide among young people. These factors acted in combination to produce epidemic levels of suicide in the 1990s.


[IMSS in Numbers: the Census of Diabetic Patients, 2004].
The census of diabetic patients at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social describes the state and level of control of biologic markers, such as glucose, BMI and blood pressure of all diabetic patients attending the family medicine units during 2004. The main results show that 2,334,340 diabetic patients visited the health units of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social with an average of 3.7 visits per year. Around 75% of the patients had their weight and height registered; 73%, their blood pressure, and only 28.8%, their glycemia level. One third of the patients (35.7%) had an unspecified diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and 91.3% had no complications reported. Of those with glycemia reported, 56.9% had a poor blood glucose control. Half of the diabetic patients were also diagnosed as hypertensive though 74% had good blood pressure control. The BMI reported that 40.4% were obese and 39.6% were overweight. All these data are important to measure the impact of different health interventions that point to a better control of diabetes at the IMSS.


Coronary circulation of the healthy man exposed to tilt tests, LBNP, and head-down tilt.
The effect of tilt (head-up and head-down) tests, LBNP tests, and 7-d head-down tilt (at -15 degrees) on coronary circulation was investigated in healthy male volunteers. Catheters were implanted into the coronary sinus and brachial artery. The Ganz catheter in the coronary sinus was used to measure volume flow in the area (constant thermodilution), pressure, and to withdraw samples of outflowing blood for biochemical analysis (acid-base equilibrium and oxygenation). Transfer from supine to upright body position, lower body negative pressure (-30 mm Hg for 20 min), as well as 15 degrees head-down (by day 5-6) produced similar changes in the basic parameters of coronary circulation-reduction of blood flow and oxygen consumption, decrease of pressure in the coronary sinus, and increase of coronary resistance. Transfer from head-up to head-down position caused opposite changes of the above parameters. The changes in coronary circulation were adequate for myocardial metabolic requirements since the biochemical composition of the outflowing blood remained essentially constant during the gravitational exposures described.


Cheaper faster drug development validated by the repositioning of drugs against neglected tropical diseases.
There is an urgent need to make drug discovery cheaper and faster. This will enable the development of treatments for diseases currently neglected for economic reasons, such as tropical and orphan diseases, and generally increase the supply of new drugs. Here, we report the Robot Scientist 'Eve' designed to make drug discovery more economical. A Robot Scientist is a laboratory automation system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to discover scientific knowledge through cycles of experimentation. Eve integrates and automates library-screening, hit-confirmation, and lead generation through cycles of quantitative structure activity relationship learning and testing. Using econometric modelling we demonstrate that the use of AI to select compounds economically outperforms standard drug screening. For further efficiency Eve uses a standardized form of assay to compute Boolean functions of compound properties. These assays can be quickly and cheaply engineered using synthetic biology, enabling more targets to be assayed for a given budget. Eve has repositioned several drugs against specific targets in parasites that cause tropical diseases. One validated discovery is that the anti-cancer compound TNP-470 is a potent inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase from the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax.


Frequency domain analysis and synthesis of image pyramid generating kernels.
Construction of image pyramids is described as a two-di-mensional decimation process. Frequently employed generating kernels are compared to the optimal kernel that assures minimal information loss after the resolution reduction, i.e., the one corresponding to an ideal low pass filter. Physically realizable, optimal generating kernels are presented. The amount of computation required for generation of the image pyramid can be reduced significantly by employing half-band filters as components of the optimal kernel. Image pyramids generated by the optimal kernel show a better command of details than the ones generated by a simple 4 × 4 averaging, or a computationally equivalent kernel.


Usefulness of conventional MRI sequences and diffusion-weighted imaging in differentiating malignant from benign portal vein thrombus in cirrhotic patients.
The objective of our study was to determine the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and conventional MRI (non-DWI sequences) in differentiating benign portal vein thrombus (PVT) from malignant PVT in cirrhotic patients. A retrospective search of the department of radiology's MRI database of examinations performed from October 2006 through December 2010 for "portal vein thrombosis" and "cirrhosis" and "hepatocellular cancer" was performed. Patients who underwent diagnostic DWI and had thrombus shown to be rapidly (< 3 months) increasing in size despite anticoagulation therapy were considered to have malignant PVT (n = 16 cases) and patients with MRI findings showing stability or reduction in the extent of thrombus over a 12-month follow-up were considered to have benign PVT (n = 20 cases). Two blinded and independent reviewers analyzed the DW images and conventional MR images. There was no difference in the distribution of patients by age (p = 0.25) or sex (p = 0.68) between the benign and malignant PVT groups. On multivariate analysis, the only parameter to predict the type of PVT was the size of HCC (p = 0.05); other parameters were excluded from the model. There was substantial overlap in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and PVT/liver ADC ratios of benign PVT and malignant PVT. The presence of at least two of the three following MRI findings had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90% for the diagnosis of malignant PVT: distance from tumor to PVT of less than 2 cm, HCC size of greater than 5 cm, and arterial enhancement of PVT. Signal-intensity characteristics on DWI and measured ADC values do not reliably differentiate benign PVT from malignant PVT. On the other hand, careful assessment of conventional MRI findings may allow this distinction, thus obviating biopsy.


Immunological Aspects of Hypertension.
Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, being the major risk factor for stroke, heart failure and kidney diseases. During past decades, several therapies have been developed to afford an optimal regulation of blood pressure levels. However, the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension still represents an unsolved problem, with a number of patients resistant as well to all ongoing antihypertensive treatments, raising unsolved mechanistic challenges. In the last years, the most attractive novelty in hypertension research postulated that immune system may have a crucial role in blood pressure elevation, as well as in end-organ damage. Here we briefly review the most important contribution revealing the role of innate and adaptive immune system in hypertension. Moreover, we discuss evidence showing that, in the regulation of body hemodynamics, the immune system and the autonomic nervous systems serve as two major sensory organs whose interaction is crucial for blood pressure increase and target organ damage in hypertension.


Downstream carcinogenesis signaling pathways by green tea polyphenols: a translational perspective of chemoprevention and treatment for cancers.
Green tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world. For several decades, numerous epidemiological, preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that green tea polyphenols (GTPs), especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) have cancer-preventing effects on various cancers. In this review, we present inhibition of carcinogenesis in different animal models by GTPs or EGCG, including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, intestinal cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, oral cancer and skin cancer. In vitro studies showed that GTPs/EGCG potently induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and suppresses metastasis in tumor cells but not in their normal cell counterparts. The molecular mechanisms of these activities are discussed in detail to elucidate GTPs/EGCG downstream carcinogenesis signaling pathways and their values of perspective of chemoprevention and treatment for cancers.


Mechanical glass transition revealed by the fracture toughness of metallic glasses.
The fracture toughness of glassy materials remains poorly understood. In large part, this is due to the disordered, intrinsically non-equilibrium nature of the glass structure, which challenges its theoretical description and experimental determination. We show that the notch fracture toughness of metallic glasses exhibits an abrupt toughening transition as a function of a well-controlled fictive temperature (Tf), which characterizes the average glass structure. The ordinary temperature, which has been previously associated with a ductile-to-brittle transition, is shown to play a secondary role. The observed transition is interpreted to result from a competition between the Tf-dependent plastic relaxation rate and an applied strain rate. Consequently, a similar toughening transition as a function of strain rate is predicted and demonstrated experimentally. The observed mechanical toughening transition bears strong similarities to the ordinary glass transition and explains the previously reported large scatter in fracture toughness data and ductile-to-brittle transitions.


Transport of lipid across capillary endothelium.
Fatty acids, monoacylglycerol, cholesterol, and phospholipids are taken up from blood by many different tissues. These substances, which are strongly amphipathic at physiological pH, are poorly soluble in water and neutral lipids (tyriacylglycerol nd cholesteryl ester). They are transported in blood as components of lipoprotein particles or, in the case of fatty acids, s monomers bound to albumin. Fatty acids derived from the diet are carried as triacylglycerol in chylomicrons and very low density lipoprpoteins (VLDL). Phospholipids and cholesterol absorbed from intestines are also transported in chylomicrons and VLDL. We propose that transport of fatty acids and monoacylglycerol from chylomicrons Tand VLDL) across capillary endothelium in extrahepatic tissues requires 1) conversion of chylomicron triacylglycerol to amphipathic lipids (fatty acids and monoacylglycerol) by lipoprotein lipase at the capillary surface, 2) location and lateral movement of ipolytic products in a continuous interface composed of the chylomicron surface film and the external leaflet of plasma and intracellular membranes of endothelial and parenchymal cells, and 3) removal of lipolytic products from the interface in endoplasmic reticulum where they are reesterified to traicylglycerol and accumulate between leaflets of endoplasmic reticulum. We suggest that cholesterol and phospholipids from chylomicrons, and fatty acids from plasma albumin, also cross capillary endothelium by lateral movement in cell membranes.


A novel PHOX2B gene mutation in an extremely low birth weight infant with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and variant Hirschsprung's disease.
Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome is a disorder of respiratory control caused by mutations in the paired-like homeobox 2B gene. Mutations in the paired-like homeobox 2B gene are also responsible for Hirschsprung's disease. Variant Hirschsprung's disease is a rarer disorder that does not meet the diagnostic criteria of Hirschsprung's disease, although severe functional bowel obstruction persists. We present a case of an extremely low birth weight infant with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and variant Hirschsprung's disease. A male infant who was diagnosed to have fetal growth restriction and polyhydramnios was delivered by emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks and 3 days of gestational age due to non-reassuring fetal status. The birth weight was 979 g, and intensive care was started immediately following delivery. The patient exhibited refractory apnea and was diagnosed with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome by genetic testing of the paired-like homeobox 2B gene. The patient also exhibited refractory functional bowel obstruction and was diagnosed to have variant Hirschsprung's disease through pathological examination of his intestinal specimens. The patient grew slowly but surely with intensive care including mechanical ventilation and parenteral nutrition. However, the patient repeatedly suffered from sepsis and died of fungemia at 197 days of age. This is the first congenital central hypoventilation syndrome case that was accompanied with variant Hirschsprung's disease, and the paired-like homeobox 2B mutation detected in this case (NM_003924.3: c.441G > C; p.(Gln147His)) is novel. This case suggests that the paired-like homeobox 2B mutation causes not only congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and Hirschsprung's disease, but also variant Hirschsprung's disease in humans. It also highlights the extreme difficulty in treating premature infants with severe and prolonged functional bowel obstruction.


Kr-Based Buffer Gas for Rb Vapor-Cell Clocks.
Optically pumped Rb vapor cell clocks are by far the most used devices for timekeeping in all ground and space applications. The compactness and the robustness of this technology make Rb clocks extremely well fit to a large number of applications, including GNSS, telecommunication, and network synchronization. Many efforts are devoted to improve the stability of Rb clocks and reduce their environmental sensitivity. In this article, we investigate the use of a novel mixture of buffer gas based on Kr and N2, capable of reducing by more than one order of magnitude the barometric and temperature sensitivities of the clock, with possible improvement of their long-term stability.


Detoxications in peripatus. Sulphate, phosphate and histidine conjugations.
Phenols were detoxified in the Onycophoran Peripatoides novaezealandiae by conjugation with sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid, but no evidence for a glycoside detoxication could be found. [(14)C]Benzoic acid was metabolized in 24h to N(2)-benzoyl-l-histidine, which was identified by electrophoresis, chromatography and dilution analysis. Similar conjugates were formed with p-aminobenzoic acid and p-nitrobenzoic acid. In longer-duration experiments further unidentified metabolites were formed, two of which appeared to result from the further metabolism of the histidine conjugate.


Hydrogen ion block of the sodium pore in squid giant axons.
The block of squid axon sodium channels by H ions was studied using voltage-clamp and internal perfusion techniques. An increase in the concentration of internal permeant ions decreased the block produced by external H ions. The voltage dependence of the block was found to be nonmonotonic: it was reduced by both large positive and large negative potentials. The ability of internal ions to modify the block by external H+ is explained by a competition among these ions for a binding site within the pore. The nonmonotonic voltage dependence is consistent with this picture if the hydrogen ions are allowed to be permeant.


A transition-metal-free & diazo-free styrene cyclopropanation.
An operationally simple and broadly applicable novel cyclopropanation of styrenes using gem-diiodomethyl carbonyl reagents has been developed. Visible-light triggered the photoinduced generation of iodomethyl carbonyl radicals, able to cyclopropanate a wide array of styrenes with excellent chemoselectivity and functional group tolerance. To highlight the utility of our photocyclopropanation, we demonstrated the late-stage functionalization of biomolecule derivatives.


Prevalence and characteristics of idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract arrhythmias associated with J-waves.
The arrhythmogenic relationship between the presence of J-waves during sinus rhythm and idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) or pre-mature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of idiopathic RVOT-VT/PVCs associated with J-waves. The study enrolled 138 consecutive idiopathic RVOT-VT/PVC patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) and 276 age- and gender-matched control subjects. The prevalence of J-waves was assessed in each cohort, and the clinical and electrophysiological data were compared between the RVOT-VT/PVC patients with J-waves (J-RVOT-VT/PVC group) and those without (non-J-RVOT-VT/PVC group). J-waves were more common among patients with idiopathic RVOT-VT/PVCs than among the matched control subjects (40 vs. 16% P < 0.001). The J-RVOT-VT/PVC group had a higher incidence of sustained VT (25 vs. 5%, P < 0.01), shorter VT cycle length (302 ± 57 vs. 351 ± 58 ms, P < 0.001), and more episodes of syncope (25 vs. 2%, P < 0.001) than did the non-J-RVOT-VT/PVC group. However, no patients demonstrated any ventricular fibrillation (VF) or cardiac sudden death in either group. There was a high prevalence of J-waves in the idiopathic RVOT-VT/PVC patients referred for RFCA. Although patients with idiopathic RVOT arrhythmias associated with J-waves might have a more enhanced arrhythmogenicity than those without J-waves, the significance of those J-waves was limited in terms of the prognosis and VF.


A comparison of the Abortion Rights Mobilization and Population Council trials.
We compared the published results of the 1994-1995 Population Council (PC) trial to those from the 1996-1997 Abortion Rights Mobilization (ARM) trial to determine whether 200 mg mifepristone with 800 micrograms vaginal misoprostol is more effective and has fewer side effects than 600 mg mifepristone with 400 micrograms oral misoprostol. The complete medical abortion rate was lower in the PC trial than the ARM trial: 92% compared with 97% up to 49 days LMP (p < 0.05) and 83% versus 96% from 50 to 56 days LMP (p < 0.05). Nausea and vomiting were reported more frequently in the PC trial. The overall acceptability of the procedure was lower in the PC trial (88%) than in the ARM trial (94%), (p < 0.05). Mifepristone can be reduced from 600 to 200 mg when followed by vaginal misoprostol without loss of efficacy. Vaginal misoprostol extends the efficacy to 56 days LMP and is associated with less nausea and vomiting. Home use of misoprostol is safe and acceptable to women and decreases the number of required visits from three to two in most cases.


Human serum albumin and its relation with oxidative stress.
Human serum albumin, a negative acute phase reactant and marker of nutritive status, presents at high concentrations in plasma. Albumin has always been used in many clinical states especially to improve circulatory failure. It has been showed that albumin is involved in many bioactive functions such as regulation of plasma osmotic pressure, binding and transport of various endogenous or exogenous compounds, and finally extracellular antioxidant defenses. Molecules like transferrin, caeruloplasmin, haptoglobin, uric acid, bilirubin, alpha-tocopherol, glucose, and albumin constitute extracellular antioxidant defenses in blood plasma but albumin is the most potent one. Most of the antioxidant properties of albumin can be attributed to its unique biochemical structure. The protein possesses antioxidant properties such as binding copper tightly and iron weakly, scavenging free radicals, e.g., hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and Peroxynitrite (ONOOH) and providing thiol group (-SH). Whether it is chronic or acute, during many pathological conditions, biomarkers of oxidative protein damage increase and this observation continues with considerable oxidation of human serum albumin. There is an important necessity to specify its interactions with Reactive Oxygen Species. Generally, it may lower the availability of pro-oxidants and be preferentially oxidized to protect other macromolecules but all these findings make it necessary that researchers give a more detailed explanation of albumin and its relations with oxidative stress.


Historical note: past, present and future of the antiglobulin test.
This is a review of two invited talks on the antiglobulin reaction on the occasion of the 50th Anniversaries of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, now at Bristol, and the National Blood Service, London, and coincidentally the 51st anniversary of the antiglobulin test! The first talk (as specially requested) is a very personal reminiscence of the discovery, with Rob Race and Arthur Mourant, of the antiglobulin test in blood group serology. The second talk traces developments in antiglobulin testing in general immunology using, of course, isotype-specific antiglobulin reagents as and when they became available. Special emphasis was given to: (1) testing for poorly agglutinating bacterial antibodies; (2) special procedures for measuring reaginic (IgE) antibodies to various allergens; (3) the incorporation of an antiglobulin step or stage in many of the routine automated immunoassay procedures; (4) the special experimental procedures in the form of mixed antiglobulin reactions to reveal antibodies to the surface antigens on tissue cells, and, finally, (5) by chemically coupling antiglobulin to red blood cells, a distinctive integrated immunoassay system was developed, enabling reverse passive haemagglutination as an assay for immunoglobulins, rosetting reactions to reveal native IgG receptors on lymphocytes or antibody immunoglobulin reacting with CD marker antigens; this same reagent, namely red-cell-labelled antiglobulin, can be used to detect antibodies reacting with either bacteria or antigens adsorbed on the walls of wells of microtitre plates. The need for improved stabilization and preservation of the antiglobulin-linked red cells to prolong their 'shelf-life' is stressed.


Cognitive distortions, anxiety, and depression among regular and pathological gambling online poker players.
The aims were to assess cognitive distortions and psychological distress (anxiety and depression) among online poker players of different levels of gambling intensity (non-pathological gamblers [NPG], problem gamblers [PbG], and pathological gamblers [PG]), and to examine the relationship between these variables and gambling pathology. Overall, 245 regular online poker players recruited on an Internet forum completed online self-report scales assessing pathological gambling (South Oaks Gambling Screen [SOGS]), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) and cognitive distortions (Gambling-Related Cognition Scale). Based on their SOGS scores, poker players were ranked into three groups: NPG (n=146), PbG (n=55), and PG (n=44). All poker players appeared to be more anxious than depressive. PG exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety than did PbG and NPG. Cognitive distortions also significantly discriminated PG from PbG and NPG. A regression model showed that the perceived inability to stop gambling, the illusion of control, depression (HADS D), and anxiety were good predictors for pathological gambling among poker players. Our results suggest that cognitive distortions play an important role in the development and maintenance of gambling pathology. This study also underlines the role of anxiety and depression in pathological gambling among poker players. It seems relevant to take these elements into account in the research, prevention, and treatment of pathological gambling poker players.


Nearly four million Californians are food insecure.
Food insecurity has increased significantly among low-income Californians over the last decade. According to data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey, 3.8 million adults in households with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) could not afford enough food at least once in the previous year. Low-income households with children and Spanish-speaking households suffered from the worst levels of food insecurity. Expanding nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, could help reduce high rates of food insecurity among the low-income population.


TrkC plays an essential role in breast tumor growth and metastasis.
Tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) C, a member of the Trk family of neurotrophin receptors, has been implicated in the growth and survival of human cancer tissues. Here, we report that TrkC is frequently overexpressed in human breast cancers and plays an essential role in tumor growth and metastasis. Ectopic expression of TrkC in non-malignant mammary epithelial cells suppressed anoikis, which correlated with activation of the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathways, and reduced expression of the metastatic regulator Twist. Furthermore, suppression of TrkC expression in highly metastatic mammary carcinoma cells inhibited their growth in vitro, as well as their ability to metastasize from the mammary gland to the lung in vivo. These results have identified TrkC as a critical regulator of breast cancer cell growth and metastasis.


African American participation in health-related research studies: indicators for effective recruitment.
To elucidate factors that influence African American willingness to participate in health-related research studies. The African American Alzheimer disease research study group at North Carolina A&T State University designed an in-person questionnaire and surveyed more than 700 African American adults on their willingness to participate in health-related research studies. The questionnaire was distributed and collected in a nonclinical setting during the years 2008 and 2009. This study was approved by the North Carolina A&T State University Institutional Review Board. Of the 733 valid respondents, 16% had previously participated in a health-related research study. Of these, more than 90% were willing to participate again in future research studies. Of the 614 who had never participated in a research study, more than 70% expressed willingness to participate. The majority (75%) of experienced research study participants (RSP) were older than 40 years compared with 45% of non-research study participants. Experienced research participants were also twice as likely to have a college degree compared with non-research study participants. Seventy-three percent of non-research study participants were willing to participate in research studies in the future. The factors that were probable impediments to participation included lack of time and trust. Men with knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study were 50% less likely to be willing to participate compared with those who had not heard of Tuskegee Syphilis Study. African Americans are willing to participate in health-related research studies. Several factors such as the appropriate incentives, community trust building, outreach, and community partnership creation are necessary for engaging minority participants. Incorporating factors that target African American enrollment in research design and implementation, such as increased training of minority health ambassadors and African American researchers and public health specialists, are needed to better engage minorities across generations, in research.


Monocytes in human glomerulonephritis. An electron microscopic study.
Recent studies in experimental glomerulonephritis (GN) suggest that the monocyte is involved in the clearance of detritus and deposits from glomeruli. Whether this concept applies to human GN is unclear because of the paucity of studies in this area. Histochemical evaluation of more than 300 human renal biopsies disclosed eight cases of diffuse proliferative GN which demonstrated relatively large numbers of intraglomerular nonspecific esterase-positive cells. The diagnoses included GN associated with mixed essential cryoglobulinemia (three cases), diffuse lupus GN (three cases), and idiopathic diffuse proliferative GN (two cases). Electron microscopy disclosed extensive deposition of electron-dense material along glomerular basement membranes. Monocytes were present within capillary lumina, were usually associated with visible deposits, and often insinuated themselves between endothelium and the deposits so as to abut the deposits directly. The cells showed evidence of maturation (activation). The contents of the secondary lysosomes were generally similar in structure and density to neighboring deposits, especially in one case in which the deposits had an organized structure. The findings suggest that these monocytes are involved in the clearance of deposits from the glomerulus.


Comparing techniques for drug loading of shape-memory polymer networks--effect on their functionalities.
A family of oligo[(epsilon-caprolactone)-co-glycolide]dimethacrylate (oCG-DMA) derived networks of different glycolide contents as well as precursor molecular weights has been synthesized by crosslinking oCG-DMA, providing matrices of different hydrophilicity, network density, and morphology at body temperature. Such networks were loaded with a hydrophilic model drug, ethacridine lactate, either before crosslinking or afterwards by swelling in drug solution. Disadvantageous alterations of the shape-memory functionality and degradation characteristics were observed only in few loaded materials. Loading by swelling generally resulted in low payloads, which slightly increased for more hydrophilic polymer networks, and a substantial burst and fast subsequent release for all investigated materials. Loading before crosslinking gave almost no burst and higher subsequent release rates over longer periods of time. Overall, depending on the needs of a specific application, a material from this polymer family with the desired mechanical properties, shape-memory functionality, and degradation pattern can be selected and combined with drugs when considering that (i) loading by swelling is best suited for applications that require high initial doses and (ii) loading before crosslinking allows easy variation of payloads and low burst release for therapeutics that are non-sensitive to chemical alterations during crosslinking.


Label-free electronic probing of nucleic acids and proteins at the nanoscale using the nanoneedle biosensor.
Detection of proteins and nucleic acids is dominantly performed using optical fluorescence based techniques, which are more costly and timely than electrical detection due to the need for expensive and bulky optical equipment and the process of fluorescent tagging. In this paper, we discuss our study of the electrical properties of nucleic acids and proteins at the nanoscale using a nanoelectronic probe we have developed, which we refer to as the Nanoneedle biosensor. The nanoneedle consists of four thin film layers: a conductive layer at the bottom acting as an electrode, an oxide layer on top, and another conductive layer on top of that, with a protective oxide above. The presence of proteins and nucleic acids near the tip results in a decrease in impedance across the sensing electrodes. There are three basic mechanisms behind the electrical response of DNA and protein molecules in solution under an applied alternating electrical field. The first change stems from modulation of the relative permittivity at the interface. The second mechanism is the formation and relaxation of the induced dipole moment. The third mechanism is the tunneling of electrons through the biomolecules. The results presented in this paper can be extended to develop low cost point-of-care diagnostic assays for the clinical setting.


Poor perception of dyspnoea in children with undiagnosed asthma.
The aim of the present study was to establish the differences in dyspnoea perception between children with undiagnosed and diagnosed asthma. A cross-sectional community-based study was performed, which included a parental questionnaire on the child's respiratory health and testing of airway reversibility and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). "Diagnosed asthma" was defined by a physician's diagnosis of asthma. "Undiagnosed asthma" was defined by the presence of asthma symptoms combined with either airway reversibility or BHR without a physician's diagnosis of asthma. Only children with a positive BHR test were selected for further analysis. Perception of dyspnoea was assessed using the Borg scale and the visual analogue scale (VAS), plotted against the percentage fall in forced expiratory volume in one second and expressed as the slope of the regression line. Of the initial 1,758 participating children, 70 had undiagnosed asthma and 38 had diagnosed asthma. The Borg and VAS slopes in children with undiagnosed asthma were less steep than those of children with diagnosed asthma (Borg: 0.07 and 0.14, respectively; VAS: 0.06 and 0.11, respectively). Among children with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, those without a parent's report of physician's diagnosis of asthma had a worse perception of dyspnoea than children with diagnosed asthma.


Interferometric wavefront sensing with a single diode using spatial light modulation.
We present a new technique for the fine alignment sensing of optical interferometers. Unlike conventional wavefront sensing systems, which use multielement photodiodes, this approach works with a single-element photodiode, in combination with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and digitally enhanced heterodyne interferometry. As all signals pass through a single photodetection and analog path, the technique exhibits high common-mode rejection to low frequency errors present in conventional systems. By changing the modulation pattern on the SLM, the technique can also be extended to sensing higher-order wavefront errors. In this paper, we demonstrate the technique experimentally and compare performance with a conventional heterodyne wavefront sensing system. This may improve and simplify alignment systems in space-based interferometers such as the planned LISA gravitational wave detector and provide a way to optimize the power in laser cavities not possible with the traditional segmented diode approach.


Effect of combined staphylectomy and laryngotomy on upper airway mechanics in clinically normal horses.
To investigate the effect of combined staphylectomy and laryngotomy on upper airway mechanics in clinically normal horses running on a treadmill. 6 Standardbreds. Upper airway mechanics were measured with horses trotting or pacing on a treadmill at 5, 8, and 10 m/s before and 6 weeks after combined staphylectomy and laryngotomy. Pharyngeal and tracheal inspiratory and expiratory pressure were measured by use of transnasal tracheal and pharyngeal side hole catheters connected to differential pressure transducers. A pneumotachograph mounted on the rostral end of an airtight face mask was used to measure airflow. Upper airway and translaryngeal inspiratory impedances were higher, respiratory rate was decreased, and inspiratory time was longer (P < 0.05) at all speeds after staphylectomy and laryngotomy. Combined staphylectomy and laryngotomy significantly affects upper airway mechanics in clinically normal horses. Because combined staphylectomy and laryngotomy exerts a potentially adverse effect on upper airway mechanics in clinically normal horses, the procedure should only be performed when it is clearly indicated.


The impact of an m-Health financial incentives program on the physical activity and diet of Australian truck drivers.
Chronic diseases are high in truck drivers and have been linked to work routines that promote inactivity and poor diets. This feasibility study examined the extent to which an m-Health financial incentives program facilitated physical activity and healthy dietary choices in Australian truck drivers. Nineteen men (mean [SD] age = 47.5 [9.8] years; BMI = 31.2 [4.6] kg/m2) completed the 20-week program, and used an activity tracker and smartphone application (Jawbone UP™) to regulate small positive changes in occupational physical activity, and fruit, vegetable, saturated fat and processed/refined sugar food/beverage choices. Measures (baseline, end-program, 2-months follow-up; April-December 2014) were accelerometer-determined proportions of work time spent physically active, and a workday dietary questionnaire. Statistical (repeated measures ANOVA) and thematic (interviews) analyses assessed program impact. Non-significant increases in the mean proportions of work time spent physically active were found at end-program and follow-up (+1%; 7 mins/day). Fruit (p = 0.023) and vegetable (p = 0.024) consumption significantly increased by one serve/day at end-program. Non-significant improvements in saturated fat (5%) and processed/refined sugar (1%) food/beverage choices were found at end-program and follow-up. Overall, 65% (n = 11) of drivers demonstrated positive changes in physical activity, and at least one dietary choice (e.g. saturated fat) at follow-up. Drivers found the financial incentives component of the program to be a less effective facilitator of change than the activity tracker and smartphone application, although this technology was easier to use for monitoring of physical activity than healthy dietary choices. Not all drivers benefitted from the program. However, positive changes for different health behaviours were observed in the majority of participants. Outcomes from this feasibility study inform future intervention development for studies with larger samples. ANZCTR12616001513404 . Registered November 2nd, 2016 (retrospectively registered).


Immune checkpoints as potential theragnostic biomarkers for epithelial ovarian cancer.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death associated with gynecologic tumors. EOC is asymptomatic in early stages, so most patients are not diagnosed until late stages, highlighting the need to develop new diagnostic biomarkers. Mediators of the tumoral microenvironment may influence EOC progression and resistance to treatment. To analyze immune checkpoints to evaluate them as theranostic biomarkers for EOC. Serum levels of 16 immune checkpoints were determined in EOC patients and healthy controls using the MILLIPLEX MAP® Human Immuno-Oncology Checkpoint Protein Magnetic Bead Panel. Seven receptors: BTLA, CD40, CD80/B7-1, GITRL, LAG-3, TIM-3, TLR-2 are differentially expressed between EOC and healthy controls. Serum levels of immune checkpoints in EOC patients are positively significantly correlated with levels of their ligands, with a higher significant correlation between CD80 and CTLA4 than between CD28 and CD80. Four receptors, CD40, HVEM, PD-1, and PD-L1, are positively associated with the development of resistance to Taxol-platinum-based chemotherapy. All of them have an acceptable area under the curve (>0.7). This study has yielded a first panel of seven immune checkpoints (BTLA, CD40, CD80/B7-1, GITRL, LAG-3, TIM-3, TLR-2) associated with a higher risk of EOC and a second panel of four immune checkpoints (CD40, HVEM, PD-1, PD-L1) that may help physicians to identify EOC patients who are at high risk of developing resistance to EOC chemotherapy.


Elevated SARS-CoV-2 in peripheral blood and increased COVID-19 severity in American Indians/Alaska Natives.
Epidemiological data across the United States show health disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality by race/ethnicity. While the association between elevated SARS-CoV-2 viral loads (VLs) (i.e. upper respiratory tract (URT) and peripheral blood (PB)) and increased COVID-19 severity has been reported, data remain largely unavailable for some disproportionately impacted racial/ethnic groups, particularly for American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. As such, we determined the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 VL dynamics and disease severity in a diverse cohort of hospitalized patients. Results presented here are for study participants (n = 94, ages 21-88 years) enrolled in a prospective observational study between May and October 2020 who had SARS-CoV-2 viral clades 20A, C, and G. Based on self-reported race/ethnicity and sample size distribution, the cohort was stratified into two groups: (AI/AN, n = 43) and all other races/ethnicities combined (non-AI/AN, n = 51). SARS-CoV-2 VLs were quantified in the URT and PB on days 0-3, 6, 9, and 14. The strongest predictor of severe COVID-19 in the study population was the mean VL in PB (OR = 3.34; P = 2.00 × 10-4). The AI/AN group had the following: (1) comparable co-morbidities and admission laboratory values, yet more severe COVID-19 (OR = 4.81; P = 0.014); (2) a 2.1 longer duration of hospital stay (P = 0.023); and (3) higher initial and cumulative PB VLs during severe disease (P = 0.025). Moreover, self-reported race/ethnicity as AI/AN was the strongest predictor of elevated PB VLs (β = 1.08; P = 6.00 × 10-4) and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in PB (hazard ratio = 3.58; P = 0.004). The findings presented here suggest a strong relationship between PB VL (magnitude and frequency) and severe COVID-19, particularly for the AI/AN group.


Measuring physical activity in midlife, older, and minority women: issues from an expert panel.
This article summarizes the findings of an exploratory meeting of 53 experts brought together under the aegis of the Women's Health Initiative to identify important issues related to measuring physical activity in minority women, women in midlife (aged 40-75), and older women (aged > 75). The findings address five areas, three dealing with measurement and two concerning the design of surveys: (1) population characteristics to consider when measuring the physical activity of women and minority populations, (2) activity dimensions relevant to physical activity surveys, (3) measuring moderate and intermittent activities, (4) designing and administering physical activity surveys for older and minority women, and (5) establishing the reliability and validity of such physical activity surveys. Although the focus of the expert panel meeting was on identifying issues related to the measurement of physical activity in women, many issues summarized here can be generalized to children and men. The panel's findings concerning measuring physical activity are timely, as they directly bear on the challenges associated with the physical activity guidelines jointly issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine and the recommendations made in the Surgeon General's 1996 report, Physical Activity and Health.


Folate intake and the risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.
Previous observational studies regarding the existence of an association between folate intake and the risk of breast cancer have been inconsistent. This study aimed to summarize the evidence regarding this relationship using a dose-response meta-analytic approach. We performed electronic searches of the PubMed, EmBase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies published through June 2013. Only prospective observational studies that reported breast cancer effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for more than 2 folate intake categories were included. We excluded traditional case-control studies because of possible bias from various confounding factors. Overall, we included 14 prospective studies that reported data on 677,858 individuals. Folate intake had little effect on the breast cancer risk (relative risk (RR) for highest versus lowest category = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.90-1.05; P = 0.451). Dose-response meta-analysis also suggested that a 100 µg/day increase in folate intake had no significant effect on the risk of breast cancer (RR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.01; P = 0.361). Furthermore, we used restricted cubic splines to evaluate the nonlinear relationship between folate intake and the risk of breast cancer, and discovered a potential J-shaped correlation between folate intake and breast cancer risk (P = 0.007) and revealed that a daily folate intake of 200-320 µg was associated with a lower breast cancer risk; however, the breast cancer risk increased significantly with a daily folate intake >400 µg. Our study revealed that folate intake had little or no effect on the risk of breast cancer; moreover, a dose-response meta-analysis suggested a J-shaped association between folate intake and breast cancer.


Influence of the Local Scattering Environment on the Localization Precision of Single Particles.
We study the fundamental limit on the localization precision for a subwavelength scatterer embedded in a strongly scattering environment, using the external degrees of freedom provided by wavefront shaping. For a weakly scattering target, the localization precision improves with the value of the local density of states at the target position. For a strongly scattering target, the localization precision depends on the dressed polarizability that includes the backaction of the environment. This numerical study provides new insights for the control of the information content of scattered light by wavefront shaping, with potential applications in sensing, imaging, and nanoscale engineering.


Oral Newcastle disease vaccination trials in Ethiopia.
Vaccination experiments were carried out in Ethiopia to study the efficacy of the NDV-I(2) vaccine against challenge with an Ethiopian velogenic strain of NDV. In experiment A, which comprised 300 broiler chicks, the efficacy of the ocular/drinking water application of the HB1/La Sota vaccine was compared with the ocular/drinking water and the feed application of the NDV-I(2) vaccine on untreated barley and sorghum. The NDV-I(2) vaccine applied by eye-drop or drinking-water protected the chickens against challenge as efficiently as combined HB1/La Sota vaccination but untreated barley and sorghum were unsuitable vaccine carriers. The vaccine virus could not be recovered and chickens neither seroconverted nor were they protected. In experiment B, 120 broiler chicks were divided into 6 treatment groups. One group each received NDV-I(2) vaccine mixed with untreated barley or sorghum which was applied immediately, or 14h after mixing and standing at ambient temperature. The fifth group was vaccinated intraocularly and via the drinking water with the NDV-I(2) vaccine. The sixth group remained untreated. Experiment B confirmed the results of experiment A. In experiment C, 100 chicks were divided into 5 groups of 20 chickens each. One group each received the NDV-I(2) vaccine on parboiled barley or sorghum as vaccine carriers 0 and 6h after mixing. The last group remained untreated. Parboiled barley given 0 or 6 h and parboiled sorghum given 0 h after mixing with the vaccine led to seroconversion and protection of the chickens. Parboiled sorghum given 6h after mixing with the vaccine did not. It is concluded that the thermostable NDV-I(2) vaccine may be a suitable vaccine for oral application under Ethiopian conditions.


Secretion of the toxin ExoU is a marker for highly virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia.
Overall, hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with high attributable mortality. Although the intrinsic virulence of P. aeruginosa undoubtedly contributes to this phenomenon, it is unclear whether all strains share this property or whether only a subpopulation of strains are capable of causing such severe disease. In this study, the virulence of 35 P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from patients with HAP by use of a cytolytic cell-death assay, an apoptosis assay, and a mouse model of pneumonia. The virulence of individual isolates differed significantly from one to another in each of these assays. Increased virulence was associated with the secretion of ExoU, a toxin transported by the P. aeruginosa type III secretion system. Secretion of ExoS or ExoY, 2 other proteins transported by this system, was not consistently associated with increased virulence. Together, these findings suggest that secretion of ExoU is a marker for highly virulent strains of P. aeruginosa.


The effect of postoperative and primary radiation therapy on delivered dose of adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy in breast cancer.
The dose of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer may be an important factor in the success of the treatment program. In a retrospective analysis, the authors determined whether patients who were irradiated either postoperatively (N = 29) or as part of primary treatment (N = 13) received a lower dose of adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy than patients who were not irradiated (N = 42). The 84 evaluable patients received either cyclical or weekly CMF. Radiation therapy included the chest wall or breast and regional lymph nodes. The mean percentage of maximum chemotherapy dose delivered (59.9% versus 73.5%; P less than 0.001), mean percent prescribable or theoretical maximum dose (83.1% versus 91.3%; P less than 0.001), and mean leukocyte count (3.9 versus 4.5; P less than 0.01) during therapy were statistically significantly lower in irradiated patients. The lower delivered chemotherapy dose in irradiated patients was not related to the radiation dose to the thoracic spine. The authors conclude that radiation therapy to the chest wall or breast and regional lymph nodes reduces the dose of adjuvant CMF that can be delivered.


High-performance shim coil design and engineering optimization for use in an extremely high field superconducting magnet.
The extremely high field has significant advantages in imaging quality and analyzing the fine structure of substances. However, its excellent performance requires the support of a higher-performance shim technique. In this paper, a novel structural design pattern of the shim coil for a 27 T extremely high field superconducting magnet is proposed. According to the contours of the stream function, we designed and optimized the shim coil pattern and engineering processing. The novel design was realized by using the contours as the centerline, and the wire spacing was controlled at 1 mm. The performance of the novel pattern was compared with those of alternative winding schemes. The results indicate that the novel design can improve coil performance, achieving higher fidelity and lower power dissipation.


Differences in Regional Patterns of Influenza Activity Across Surveillance Systems in the United States: Comparative Evaluation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks influenza-like illness (ILI) using information on patient visits to health care providers through the Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet). As participation in this system is voluntary, the composition, coverage, and consistency of health care reports vary from state to state, leading to different measures of ILI activity between regions. The degree to which these measures reflect actual differences in influenza activity or systematic differences in the methods used to collect and aggregate the data is unclear. The objective of our study was to qualitatively and quantitatively compare national and region-specific ILI activity in the United States across 4 surveillance data sources-CDC ILINet, Flu Near You (FNY), athenahealth, and HealthTweets.org-to determine whether these data sources, commonly used as input in influenza modeling efforts, show geographical patterns that are similar to those observed in CDC ILINet's data. We also compared the yearly percentage of FNY participants who sought health care for ILI symptoms across geographical areas. We compared the national and regional 2018-2019 ILI activity baselines, calculated using noninfluenza weeks from previous years, for each surveillance data source. We also compared measures of ILI activity across geographical areas during 3 influenza seasons, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018. Geographical differences in weekly ILI activity within each data source were also assessed using relative mean differences and time series heatmaps. National and regional age-adjusted health care-seeking percentages were calculated for each influenza season by dividing the number of FNY participants who sought medical care for ILI symptoms by the total number of ILI reports within an influenza season. Pearson correlations were used to assess the association between the health care-seeking percentages and baselines for each surveillance data source. We observed consistent differences in ILI activity across geographical areas for CDC ILINet and athenahealth data. ILI activity for FNY displayed little variation across geographical areas, whereas differences in ILI activity for HealthTweets.org were associated with the total number of tweets within a geographical area. The percentage of FNY participants who sought health care for ILI symptoms differed slightly across geographical areas, and these percentages were positively correlated with CDC ILINet and athenahealth baselines. Our findings suggest that differences in ILI activity across geographical areas as reported by a given surveillance system may not accurately reflect true differences in the prevalence of ILI. Instead, these differences may reflect systematic collection and aggregation biases that are particular to each system and consistent across influenza seasons. These findings are potentially relevant in the real-time analysis of the influenza season and in the definition of unbiased forecast models.


Teledentistry in rural California: a USC initiative.
Dentistry, in a synergistic combination with telecommunications technology and the Internet, has yielded a relatively new and exciting field that has endless potential. "Teledentistry" emerges from the fusion of dental practice and technology and can take on two forms--real-time consultation and "store and forward." The first entity to put teledentistry into practice was the Army, which, in 1994, successfully undertook consultations between dentists and service personnel located more than 100 miles apart. Since then, various institutions and organizations in the United States and farther afield have practiced teledentistry, with varying degrees of success. The Children's Hospital Los Angeles Teledentistry Project, being run in association with the University of Southern California's Mobile Dental Clinic, seeks to increase and enhance the quality of oral health care that is provided to children living in remote rural areas of California, areas often severely underserved by dental health providers. The project has three phases: Phase I involves the establishment and organization of the teledentistry network; Phase II will introduce technologies to provide orthodontic consultation and treatment; and Phase III will expand the network and provide increased specialty care into further areas of California and beyond, providing services to more children in desperate need of dental health care.


Absorption and tissue distribution of zinc, iron and copper by rats fed diets containing lactalbumin, soy and supplemental sulfur-containing amino acids.
Zinc, copper and iron utilization was examined in rats fed diets containing 30% lactalbumin (L); 30% soy assay protein (S) or 30% soy assay protein supplemented with 0.26% cysteine (SC), 0.45% methionine (SM), 0.26% cysteine and 0.45% methionine (SCM) or 0.71% cysteine (SXC). Diets L, SC and SCM contained equal amounts of cysteine; diets L, SM and SCM contained equal amounts of methionine; diets L, SCM, SXC contained equal amounts of sulfur-containing amino acids. Rats fed diet L had significantly higher levels of zinc in tibias, kidneys and plasma; higher levels of copper in kidneys; and higher levels of iron in tibias than rats fed diet S. Rats fed diet L also absorbed (apparent and true) significantly more zinc; excreted significantly more zinc of endogenous origin in the feces; and absorbed (apparent) significantly less copper than rats fed diet S. Rats fed the soy diets supplemented with sulfur-containing amino acids, especially diet SXC, tended to have elevated levels of zinc in their tibias and kidneys and greater apparent and true absorptions of zinc than rats fed diet S. Rats fed diet SXC still had significantly lower zinc levels in tissue than rats fed diet L. Apparent absorption of zinc was similar among rats fed diets L, SCM and SXC.


The treatment gap after major osteoporotic fractures in Denmark 2005-2014: a combined analysis including both prescription-based and hospital-administered anti-osteoporosis medications.
This study demonstrates a substantial and persistent anti-osteoporosis treatment gap in men and women ≥50 years old who sustained major osteoporotic fracture(s) between 2005 and 2014 in Denmark. This was not substantially reduced by including hospital-administered anti-osteoporosis treatments. Strengthened post-fracture organization of care and secondary fracture prevention is highly needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Danish anti-osteoporosis treatment gap from 2005 to 2014 in patients sustaining a major osteoporotic fracture (MOF), and to assess the impact of including hospital-administered anti-osteoporosis medications (AOM) on the treatment gap among these patients. In this retrospective, registry-based study, we included men and women aged 50 years or older and living in Denmark, who sustained at least one MOF between 2005 and 2014. We applied a repeated cross-sectional design to generate cohorts of patients sustaining a first MOF, hip, vertebral, humerus, or forearm fracture, respectively, within each calendar year. We evaluated the treatment gap as the proportion of patients within each cohort not receiving treatment with AOM within 1 year of the fracture. Hospital-administered AOM was identified by SKS code. The treatment gap among MOF patients decreased from 85% in 2005 to 79% in 2014. The gap was smaller among hip and vertebral fracture patients as compared to humerus and forearm fracture patients, and it was smaller in women than in men. The use of hospital-administered AOM was relatively uncommon, with a maximum of 0.9% of MOF patients initiating hospital-administered AOM (in 2012). We observed substantial variations in this proportion between fracture types and gender. Hospital-administered AOM was most commonly used among vertebral fracture patients. A significant treatment gap among patients sustaining a major osteoporotic fracture was present throughout our analysis, and including hospital-administered AOM did not significantly improve the treatment gap assessment. Improved secondary fracture prevention is urgently needed.


Cheating the Rules of Admission With "Observation".
When physicians admit patients to a hospital, their decisions about where-and to whose professional stewardship and services-those patients belong are influenced by federal policies, of which many clinicians are not aware. The distinction between observation and admission has clinical and ethical implications for patients and practices. The evolution of "observation status" from a clinical tool to a catchall of vague and imprecise meaning has been driven by changes to physician payment and compensation structures, particularly Current Procedural Terminology codes and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations, and its current value to clinicians and patients is questionable. This article contextualizes clinicians' admission and observation practices and considers how metrics influence patient costs and how clinicians and organizations are compensated.


Shear bond strength of one-bottle dentine bonding systems.
The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the shear bond strength (SBS) of composite resin to human, buccal dentine, using four one-bottle dentine bonding systems. Eighty recently extracted human molar teeth were embedded in metal rings by means of self-curing acrylic resin. The projecting buccal surfaces were ground wet on 600 grit silicone carbide paper in order to expose superficial dentine. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups (N=20): 1=Prime&tBond 2.1 (PB, Dentsply); 2=Scotchbond 1 (SB, 3M); 3=Optibond Solo (OS, Kerr) and 4=Syntac Single Component (SY, Vivadent). The dentine surfaces were etched, treated with one of the four dentine bonding systems, and cylinders of matching composites were then bonded to the surfaces by means of a silicone rubber split mould. All specimens were stored for 24 hours under water at 37 degrees C. The bonds were then stressed to failure with an Instron testing machine, operating at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. The data were statistically analysed (Kruskall-Wallis). The mean SBS (MPa) were: PB = 12.5 +/- 2.0; SB = 16.2 +/- 1.9; OS = 17.4 +/- 3.1 and SY= 8.1 +/- 1.9. There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0001) between the mean of SY and the other 3 groups, and also between PB and the other groups. There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.244) between the SBS of OS and SB. SY demonstrated the lowest SBS.


Comparison of the Effective Fragment Potential Method with Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory in the Calculation of Intermolecular Energies for Ionic Liquids.
The effective fragment potential (EFP) method that decomposes the interaction energy as a sum of the five fundamental forces-electrostatic, exchange-repulsion, polarization, dispersion, and charge transfer-was applied to a large test set of ionic liquid ion pairs and compared against the state-of-the-art method, Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT). The ion pairs include imidazolium and pyrrolidinium cations combined with anions that are routinely used in the field of ionic liquids. The aug-cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVTZ, and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets were used for EFP, while SAPT2+3/aug-cc-pVDZ provided the benchmark energies. Differences between the two methods were found to be large, and strongly dependent on the anion type. For the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set, which produced the least errors, average relative errors were between 2.3% and 18.4% for pyrrolidinium ion pairs and between 2.1% and 27.7% for imidazolium ion pairs for each individual energetic component (excluding charge transfer), as well as the total interaction energy. Charge transfer gave the largest relative errors: 56% and 63% on average for pyrrolidinium- and imidazolium-based ion pairs, respectively. Scaling of the EFP components against SAPT2+3 showed improvement for polarization (induction) and dispersion terms, thus indicating potential for the development of cost-effective alternatives for intermolecular induction and dispersion potentials for ionic liquids.


Cloning of the murine non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA gene ortholog of human MYH9 responsible for May-Hegglin, Sebastian, Fechtner, and Epstein syndromes.
Mutations in the non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA gene (MYH9) are responsible for May-Hegglin anomaly, Sebastian, Fechtner and Epstein syndromes. These 'MYH9-related' diseases are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and are characterized by a variable expressivity of clinical features, including macrothrombocytopenia, deafness, nephrites, cataract, and Döhle-like leukocyte inclusions. To gain information of the function of the non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA protein (NMMHC-IIA), we have identified the murine orthologue Myh9 gene. The gene is localized in a region of chromosome 15 and encodes a predicted protein of 1960 amino acids. This protein shows a high homology to the human NMMHC-IIA with 98% identity. The Myh9 exon-intron junctions were deduced from a murine genomic clone that revealed a perfect conservation of the exon structure between the human and mouse gene. Myh9 is expressed in liver, kidney, lung, and spleen. A low level of transcripts was detected also in heart and brain while no expression was revealed in skeletal muscle and testis. In vertebrates, NMMHC-IIA shows a striking degree of homology to NMMHC-IIB, which is expressed at higher level in mouse brain and testis than in other tissues, confirming the hypothesis that the two non-muscle myosins have different functional roles within cells.


Food allergy and asthma--what is the link?
Food allergy and asthma are both atopic diseases and therefore frequently co-exist. Food allergy is common in childhood, affecting approximately 8% of infants. The diagnosis is based on a suggestive history supported by skin-prick testing, serum specific IgE or food challenge. The role of diet in the aetiology of asthma and as a precipitant of exacerbations has been investigated extensively. Many people perceive diet as being an important precipitant of their asthma but objective testing suggests that it is only important in a minority. Meanwhile, there is considerable epidemiological evidence to suggest that there is a link between asthma and food allergy. Food can induce bronchospasm and food allergy has been implicated as a risk factor for life-threatening asthma. Additionally, asthma also seems to be a risk factor for life-threatening food allergy. The mechanism underlying this connection is unclear. The co-existence of food allergy should be considered in any child with asthma. Where food allergy is confirmed, steps should be taken to avoid these foods as this may considerably improve asthma control.


Small molecule agonists of the orphan nuclear receptors steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1) and liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1, NR5A2).
The crystal structure of LRH-1 ligand binding domain bound to our previously reported agonist 3-(E-oct-4-en-4-yl)-1-phenylamino-2-phenyl-cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]oct-2-ene 5 is described. Two new classes of agonists in which the bridgehead anilino group from our first series was replaced with an alkoxy or 1-ethenyl group were designed, synthesized, and tested for activity in a peptide recruitment assay. Both new classes gave very active compounds, particularly against SF-1. Structure-activity studies led to excellent dual-LRH-1/SF-1 agonists (e.g., RJW100) as well as compounds selective for LRH-1 (RJW101) and SF-1 (RJW102 and RJW103). The series based on 1-ethenyl substitution was acid stable, overcoming a significant drawback of our original bridgehead anilino-substituted series. Initial studies on the regulation of gene expression in human cell lines showed excellent, reproducible activity at endogenous target genes.


Walking or vitamin B for cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment? A randomised controlled trial.
To examine the effects of aerobic exercise or vitamin B supplementation on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Randomised placebo-controlled trial. General community. Community-dwelling adults aged 70-80 with MCI. Interventions : The 152 participants were randomly assigned to two (1) a twice-weekly, group-based, moderate-intensity walking programme (WP, n = 77) or a low-intensity placebo activity programme (n = 75) for one year; and (2) daily vitamin pill containing 5 mg folic acid, 0.4 mg vitamin B-12, 50 mg vitamin B-6 (FA/B12/B6, n = 78) or placebo pill (n = 74) for one year. Cognitive function, measured with neuropsychological tests at baseline and after six and 12 months. Median session attendance at the exercise programmes (25th-75th percentile) was 63% (2%-81%) and median compliance with taking pills (25th-75th percentile) was 100% (99%-100%). Gender was an effect modifier. Intention-to-treat analysis revealed no main intervention effect for either intervention. In women in the WP, attention (Stroop combination task) improved by 0.3 seconds (p = 0.04) and memory (auditory verbal learning test) by 0.04 words (p = 0.06) with each percentage increase in session attendance. In men attending at least 75% of the sessions, the WP improved memory (beta 1.5 (95% CI: 0.1 to 3.0) words). The walking programme and/or FA/B12/B6 supplementation were not effective in improving cognition within one year. The walking programme, however, was efficacious in improving memory in men and memory and attention in women with better adherence. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register, 19227688, http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/


[CME/Answers: Self-Determined Dying: The Challenge of Medical End-of-Life Decisions].
CME/Answers: Self-Determined Dying: The Challenge of Medical End-of-Life Decisions Abstract. Modern medical interventions make it possible today to postpone dying. Thus the process of dying confronts with numerous end-of-life decisions. The authority to make such decisions does not lie with the doctors. It is the unique right of the autonomous patient. This right can be experienced as freedom of choice, but also as an excessive demand. Doctors are responsible for supporting their patients in such a way that they become able to make relevant decisions concerning their dying process. In this context modern instruments such as advance directives or advance care planning play an important role. When patients are no longer able to decide for themselves, legal regulations define who is authorised to decide in their place.


NSAIDs: eNdocannabinoid stimulating anti-inflammatory drugs?
Read any pharmacology textbook and the message is clear: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act by inhibiting the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) and thereby the production of prostaglandins. However, evidence is accumulating that NSAIDs involve the endocannabinoid system in their actions, and that such effects may pave the way towards the design of new analgesics that are not plagued with the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse actions that are associated with this class of drugs. In this Opinion article, our current understanding of the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the actions of NSAIDs is described, and the ways in which this can lead to novel drug development is discussed.


[Renal manifestations of syphilis].
Syphilis is an acquired or congenital systemic pathology, currently on the rise in Europe. The clinical manifestations of syphilis are not very specific and variable over time. In this case report, we describe two renal presentations of syphilis in patients followed in a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) program for the prevention of HIV infection. The specificity of the renal involvement of syphilis, the diagnostic and the therapeutic management will be discussed in this article.


[Relationship between perception of facial expression by schizophrenic patients and disorders in their assessment of probability].
The author proposes a method of studying some traits of mimic perception where an oral report is avoided. The essence of the method is in a distribution by the examine of a series of photographs of the same face into such groups so as to have similar facial expressions. The experiments demonstrated that such distributions are mainly performed on a direct intuitive level. The examinee is given several series of photographs of different faces. In an evaluation of the results the probability of different combinations attained in a group of normals are being considered. The author compared a group of schizophrenic patients (60 cases) and a group of normals (100 cases). The patients significantly more frequently (p less than 0.001) give combinations of photographs with a low probability 0.01-0.05. The preliminary data indicate that this trait correlates with the severity of the clinical picture. Among the normals 7% of the examined individuals gave a stable high amount of answers with a low probability. This group of individuals detected characterological peculiarities reflected in the questionnaire. It may be assumed that this trait in the evaluation of mimics is due to a constitutional and morbid process.


Effect of labor induction on the expression of oxytocin receptor, cytochrome P450 aromatase, and estradiol receptor in the reproductive tract of the late-pregnant ewe.
In this study, we investigated the timing of changes in aromatase, estradiol receptor, and oxytocin receptor expression in ovine uterine and placental tissues before parturition. Labor was induced by betamethasone injection into the fetus on Days 130-132 of pregnancy. Tissue samples were collected at injection and then every 14 h until labor (56 h) from four ewes at each time point. Samples were analyzed for aromatase, estradiol receptor, and oxytocin receptor expression by in situ hybridization; for oxytocin binding to its receptor using a specific antagonist; and for estradiol receptor quantitation by immunocytochemistry. Aromatase mRNA expression increased by 14 h postinjection (p < 0.02) in the fetal villi and remained high until labor. Expression of estradiol and oxytocin receptor mRNAs was unchanged in myometrium but increased in the endometrial luminal epithelium by 28 h (p < 0.05) and remained high until labor. Estradiol receptor protein concentration increased modestly at labor while oxytocin receptor binding in the luminal epithelium changed in parallel to the mRNA concentration. 1) induction of aromatase may facilitate the expression of endometrial estradiol and oxytocin receptors in the placentome, 2) changes in endometrial rather than myometrial oxytocin receptor may be important in inducing parturition, and 3) the transcription of estradiol receptor and oxytocin receptor in the uterine epithelium are positively correlated during parturition.


Male Breast Cancer (MBC) - A Review.
Males account for 1% of all cases of breast cancer. With the aging of the world's population, the disease has exhibited a rise in incidence in recent decades. Male breasts are smaller than female breasts, making the disease easier to spot, but patients often do not report their cases in time due to a lack of awareness. The stage-to-stage prognosis of male breast cancer is comparable to that of their female counterparts. Due to the relative rarity of the disease and poor patient enrollment in large randomized studies, the optimal management of male breast cancer remains uncertain. This article presents a narrative review of male breast cancer in light of recent literature, with an emphasis on epidemiology, clinical features, and current management.


A method to achieve homogeneous dispersion of large transmembrane complexes within the holes of carbon films for electron cryomicroscopy.
Difficulties associated with using X-ray crystallography for structural studies of large macromolecular complexes have made single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) a key technique in structural biology. The efficient application of the single particle cryoEM approach requires the sample to be vitrified within the holes of carbon films, with particles well dispersed throughout the ice and adopting multiple orientations. To achieve this, the carbon support film is first hydrophilised by glow discharge, which allows the sample to spread over the film. Unfortunately, for transmembrane complexes especially, this procedure can result in severe sample adsorption to the carbon support film, reducing the number of particles dispersed in the ice. This problem is rate-limiting in the single particle cryoEM approach and has hindered its widespread application to hydrophobic complexes. We describe a novel grid preparation technique that allows for good particle dispersion in the ice and minimal hydrophobic particle adhesion to the support film. This is achieved by hydrophilisation of the carbon support film by the use of selected detergents that interact with the support so as to achieve a hydrophilic and neutral or selectively charged surface.


Dietary Barriers Appear to Influence the Effects of a Dyadic Web-Based Lifestyle Intervention on Caloric Intake and Adiposity: A Mediation Analysis of the DUET Trial.
Mechanisms that explain behavior change within web-based lifestyle interventions are not well-studied. This secondary analysis explores whether the effects of the DUET web-based lifestyle intervention on diet, physical activity, and/or adiposity are mediated through changes in self-efficacy, social support, and perceived barriers (key constructs of social cognitive theory). Data on mediators, diet quality, caloric intake, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), weight, and waist circumference (WC) were analyzed from 112 cancer survivors and their partners enrolled in the DUET intervention. Mediation analyses were performed using Mplus to execute regression analyses and determine associations. Mediation analyses supported an effect of the intervention on caloric intake (-3.52, 95% CI [-8.08 to -0.84]), weight (-1.60, CI [-3.84 to -0.47]), and WC (-0.83, CI [-1.77 to -0.18]), interpreting these negative associations as intervention induced reductions in dietary barriers. Higher social support was significantly and positively associated with, but not a mediator for, improvements in self-reported and accelerometry-measured MVPA (b = 0.69, CI [0.19, 1.24]) and (b = 0.55, CI [0.15, 1.00]), respectively. Self-efficacy did not appear to mediate the intervention's effects. Findings suggest that the effects of the DUET intervention on diet and adiposity stem from reducing perceived barriers to a healthful, low-calorie diet.


Comparison of different methods of cleaning and preparing occlusal fissure surface before placement of pit and fissure sealants: An in vivo study.
To evaluate an individual method of cleaning and preparing occlusal fissure surface before placement of pit and fissure sealant and to determine a method for better retention of the sealant. The present study consisted of 100 young permanent molar teeth divided into four equal groups: Group 1-Brushing only, Group 2-Application of pumice slurry, Group 3-Surface conditioning, and Group 4-Control (without any preparation). Subsequent to fissure preparation, the fissures were etched using 37% phosphoric acid except for Group 3, which was etched using 10% maleic acid for 30 s. The samples were then rinsed for 10 s using air water spray of the three-way syringe and dried using oil-free compressed air with a hand pump air pressure syringe. After ensuring a frosted appearance of the enamel at the fissure entrance, pit and fissure sealants were applied on the surface according to manufacturer's instructions. All the cases were clinically evaluated for retention after 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of application and the retention rate was assessed based on the criteria proposed by Simonsen. The pumice slurry group and surface conditioning group showed results with 100%, 96%, and 92% complete retention seen at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, respectively. The pumice slurry group and surface conditioning group showed a significantly higher retention when compared to the brushing group, whereas the control group (without any preparation) showed the least retention when compared to all the other groups.


Covariate adjustment via propensity scores for recurrent events in the presence of dependent censoring.
Dependent censoring is common in many medical studies, especially when there are multiple occurrences of the event of interest. Ghosh and Lin (2003) and Hsieh, Ding and Wang (2011) proposed estimation procedures using an artificial censoring technique. However, if covariates are not bounded, then these methods can cause excessive artificial censoring. In this paper, we propose estimation procedures for the treatment effect based on a novel application of propensity scores. Simulation studies show that the proposed method provides good finite-sample properties. The techniques are illustrated with an application to an HIV dataset.


Factors affecting the spontaneous motion of condensate drops on superhydrophobic copper surfaces.
The coalescence-induced condensate drop motion on some superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) has attracted increasing attention because of its potential applications in sustained dropwise condensation, water collection, anti-icing, and anticorrosion. However, an investigation of the mechanism of such self-propelled motion including the factors for designing such SHSs is still limited. In this article, we fabricated a series of superhydrophobic copper surfaces with nanoribbon structures using wet chemical oxidation followed by fluorization treatment. We then systematically studied the influence of surface roughness and the chemical properties of as-prepared surfaces on the spontaneous motion of condensate drops. We quantified the "frequency" of the condensate drop motion based on microscopic sequential images and showed that the trend of this frequency varied with the nanoribbon structure and extent of fluorination. More obvious spontaneous condensate drop motion was observed on surfaces with a higher extent of fluorization and nanostructures possessing sufficiently narrow spacing and higher perpendicularity. We attribute this enhanced drop mobility to the stable Cassie state of condensate drops in the dynamic dropwise condensation process that is determined by the nanoscale morphology and local surface energy.


Influence of moisture content and temperature on the dielectric permittivity of zeolite NaY.
The influence of moisture content and temperature on the dielectric permittivity (complex resistance) of the zeolite NaY was investigated for a fixed radio frequency (RF) of 13.56 MHz. Sealed glass tubes containing zeolite with defined moisture contents were simultaneously heated in a homogeneous high-frequency electromagnetic field. The dielectric loss factor, i.e. the imaginary part of the permittivity ε(r)″, was calculated from the obtained heating rates. On the basis of the resulting values for various moisture contents and temperatures and utilizing the knowledge of elementary cation hopping processes occurring at low and high frequencies (LF and HF) from the literature, a new model was introduced for the description of dielectric radio-frequency heating of moist zeolites. Since adsorption of water is correlated with an enhancement of the activation energy of the cations on SII sites, cations in the zeolite NaY are moving from SII sites to unoccupied SIII sites when the water content is increasing. Thus, four different transfer processes for the cations have to be considered in total. On the basis of these assumptions, the resulting dielectric loss factor ε(r)″ as a function of water content and temperature for a fixed frequency of 13.56 MHz was modelled. The experimental data are in good agreement with the values obtained from the model. Especially, the measured pronounced maximum of dielectric loss at temperatures below 300 °C and water contents below 4 wt.-% can be explained by the new model.