Effect of high pH on the spectral and catalytic properties of beef heart cytochrome oxidase.
Incubation of cytochrome oxidase at high pH induces changes in several spectral properties. The optical Soret maximum shifts to longer wavelength, and there is an apparent loss in intensity of the 655-nm band, effects that are normally assigned either to a spin-state transition in cytochrome a3 or to a reduction of heme a. However, magnetic circular dichroism spectra show that cytochrome a3 remains high spin and that both cytochrome a and cytochrome a3 are oxidized. At the same time, there is the appearance of a low-spin signal indicative of hydroxide-imidazole coordination which we assign as arising from a structural transition at cytochrome a, rather than at cytochrome a3, as has been proposed previously. With longer incubation times, a new copper signal appears with electron paramagnetic resonance parameters markedly different from those obtained from copper centers which have undergone denaturation. Spin quantitation establishes that this new resonance does not arise from CuA and suggests that high pH breaks the magnetic coupling present at the cytochrome a3-CuB center. A significant proportion of cytochrome a3 may be converted to a low-spin thiolate during this process.


Successful Treatment with an Antihypertensive Drug Regimen Including Eplerenone in a Patient with Malignant Phase Hypertension with Renal Failure.
A 28-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the treatment of congestive heart failure and severe hypertension. The patient was diagnosed with malignant phase hypertension based on the presence of marked hypertension with left ventricular hypertrophy, exudate retinopathy, and renal failure. Intensive therapy for hypertension and heart failure with a combination of antihypertensive drugs including nitroglycerin, nifedipine, eplerenone and candesartan successfully lowered his blood pressure and further improved the renal function. Eplerenone could be one of the choices of antihypertensive drugs in combination therapy in patients with malignant phase hypertension with progressive heart and renal failure.


Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction induced by single- and multiwall carbon nanotubes: A comparative study.
With the ever-increasing use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in health-related and engineering applications, the hazardous risks of this material have become a major concern. It is well known that CNTs accumulate with cytotoxic and genotoxic levels within vital organs. It has also been shown that treating cell cultures with CNTs resulted in cell-cycle arrest and increased apoptosis/necrosis. The goal of this pilot study is to perform a comprehensive comparative study on the toxicity of single-wall (SW) and multiwall (MW) CNTs in rat skin cells. Our results confirm a dose-dependent toxicity of SWCNTs and MWCNTs due to the loss of mitochondrial activity, increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse before mitochondrial swelling. Moreover, disturbance in the oxidative phosphorylation is observed by a decrease in ATP level. These events induced the release of cytochrome c via outer membrane rupture or MPT pore opening and subsequently programmed cell death of all doses compared to control group. Our results demonstrate that although MWCNTs can be very toxic, SWCNTs cause more mitochondrial damage to the cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2047-2055, 2017.


Variants of integrin beta 4 subunit in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells: mediators of ECM-induced differentiation?
The influence of extracellular matrix (ECM) on expression and function of integrins in carcinogenesis and differentiation is not well understood, but the importance of altered adhesion features for tumor development and progression is obvious. Integrins as versatile molecules are mainly responsible for mediating cell-matrix interactions and transmembrane signal transduction. They are capable of transducing outside-in signals from ECM components or conversely to organize the matrix by inside-out signaling. In the study presented here, we report that the reconstituted basement membrane, Matrigel, which induces morphological and functional differentiation of the endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line HEC 1B(L), also regulates the expression of various forms of the integrin beta 4 subunit. Furthermore, we were able to identify full-length isoforms with and without an altered cytoplasmic domain as well as truncated forms. Our findings suggest a regulatory role of integrin beta 4 isoforms and fragments in the process of in vitro differentiation of HEC 1B(L).


Aerodynamic forces and flows of the full and partial clap-fling motions in insects.
Most of the previous studies on Weis-Fogh clap-fling mechanism have focused on the vortex structures and velocity fields. Detailed pressure distribution results are provided for the first time in this study to reveal the differences between the full and the partial clap-fling motions. The two motions are studied by numerically solving the Navier-Stokes equations in moving overset grids. The Reynolds number is set to 20, relevant to the tiny flying insects. The following has been shown: (1) During the clap phase, the wings clap together and create a high pressure region in the closing gap between wings, greatly increasing the positive pressure on the lower surface of wing, while pressure on the upper surface is almost unchanged by the interaction; during the fling phase, the wings fling apart and create a low pressure region in the opening gap between wings, greatly increasing the suction pressure on the upper surface of wing, while pressure on the lower surface is almost unchanged by the interaction; (2) The interference effect between wings is most severe at the end of clap phase and the start of the fling phase: two sharp force peaks (8-9 times larger than that of the one-winged case) are generated. But the total force peaks are manifested mostly as drag and barely as lift of the wing, owing to the vertical orientation of the wing section; (3) The wing-wing interaction effect in the partial clap-fling case is much weaker than that in the full clap-fling case, avoiding the generation of huge drag. Compared with a single wing flapping with the same motion, mean lift in the partial case is enhanced by 12% without suffering any efficiency degradation, indicating that partial clap-fling is a more practical choice for tiny insects to employ.


Neurite outgrowth, RGD-dependent, and RGD-independent adhesion of identified molluscan motoneurons on selected substrates.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support to cells and tissues and is involved in the regulation of various essential physiological processes, including neurite outgrowth. Most of the adhesive interactions between cells and ECM proteins are mediated by integrins. Integrins typically recognize short linear amino acid sequences in ECM proteins, one of the most common being Arginine-Glycine-Aspartate (RGD). The present study investigated neurite outgrowth and adhesion of identified molluscan neurons on a selection of substrates in vitro. Involvement of RGD binding sites in adhesion to the different substrates was investigated using soluble synthetic RGD peptides. The cells adhered to native (i.e., nondenatured) laminin and type IV collagen, but not to native plasma fibronectin. Denaturation of fibronectin dramatically enhanced cell adhesion. Only the adhesion to denatured fibronectin was inhibited by RGD peptides, indicating that denaturation uncovers a RGD binding site in the protein. Laminin as well as denatured fibronectin, but not type IV collagen, induced neurite outgrowth from a percentage of the RPA neurons. These results demonstrate that molluscan neurons can attach to various substrates using both RGD-dependent and RGD-independent adhesion mechanisms. This suggests that at least two different cell adhesion receptors, possibly belonging to the integrin family, are expressed in these neurons. Moreover, the results show that vertebrate ECM proteins can induce outgrowth from these neurons, suggesting that the mechanisms involved in adhesion as well as outgrowth promoting are evolutionarily well conserved.


Vibration syndrome in railway track maintenance workers.
An inquiry was sent to all railway maintenance workers in three railway districts in Finland and hand-arm vibration was measured on the handlebars of tools used by maintenance workers. The study group included 252 (82%) subjects, whose mean age was 41 years and who had worked in track maintenance for 14 years (SD 9). In Finland there are over 600 railway maintenance workers who use vibrating tools. The frequency-weighted acceleration of hand-arm vibration was calculated according to the ISO 5349 standard. Hand-held tamping machines had caused most of the vibration exposure, and aw4h was 10.6 m/s2 measured on the handlebar of tamping machine, but many workers also used other vibrating tools. The annual vibration level was 2.5 m/s2 when the use of all vibrating tools and the exposure time was taken into account. In the questionnaire the prevalence of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) was 14% in the entire material, and the prevalence of VWF increased significantly with the total duration of the maintenance work. In addition, 39% of the subjects had suffered numbness of the hands, and the prevalence of hand numbness also increased significantly with the total duration of maintenance work. According to the measurements of vibration and the prevalence of hand symptoms the present investigation indicates vibration syndrome as being related to railway track maintenance work. In the exposure group, where tamping machines mainly were used and exposure to other vibration was small, the prevalence of VWF was also significantly higher, but the prevalence of hand numbness insignificant compared with the control group. In this study vascular and nerve hand symptoms were considered to cause serious trouble in work by 4-11% of the maintenance workers.


Dyslexia associated functional variants in Europeans are not associated with dyslexia in Chinese.
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of developmental dyslexia (DD) often used European samples and identified only a handful associations with moderate or weak effects. This study aims to identify DD functional variants by integrating the GWAS associations with tissue-specific functional data and test the variants in a Chinese DD study cohort named READ. We colocalized associations from nine DD related GWAS with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) derived from brain tissues and identified two eSNPs rs349045 and rs201605. Both eSNPs had supportive evidence of chromatin interactions observed in human hippocampus tissues and their respective target genes ZNF45 and DNAH9 both had lower expression in brain tissues in schizophrenia patients than controls. In contrast, an eSNP rs4234898 previously identified based on eQTL from the lymphoblastic cell lines of dyslexic children had no chromatin interaction with its target gene SLC2A3 in hippocampus tissues and SLC2A3 expressed higher in the schizophrenia patients than controls. We genotyped the three eSNPs in the READ cohort of 372 cases and 354 controls and discovered only weak associations in rs201605 and rs4234898 with three DD symptoms (p < .05). The lack of associations could be due to low power in READ but could also implicate different etiology of DD in Chinese.


Comparison and integration of target prediction algorithms for microRNA studies.
microRNAs are short RNA fragments that have the capacity of regulating hundreds of target gene expression. Currently, due to lack of high-throughput experimental methods for miRNA target identification, a collection of computational target prediction approaches have been developed. However, these approaches deal with different features or factors are weighted differently resulting in diverse range of predictions. The prediction accuracy remains uncertain. In this paper, three commonly used target prediction algorithms are evaluated and further integrated using algorithm combination, ranking aggregation and Bayesian Network classification. Our results revealed that each individual prediction algorithm displays its advantages as was shown on different test data sets. Among different integration strategies, the application of Bayesian Network classifier on the features calculated from multiple prediction methods significantly improved target prediction accuracy.


Identification of common cystic fibrosis mutations in African-Americans with cystic fibrosis increases the detection rate to 75%.
Cystic fibrosis (CF)--an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and characterized by abnormal chloride conduction across epithelial membranes, leading to chronic lung and exocrine pancreatic disease--is less common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. No large-scale studies of mutation identification and screening in African-American CF patients have been reported, to date. In this study, the entire coding and flanking intronic sequence of the CFTR gene was analyzed by denaturing gradient-gel electrophoresis and sequencing in an index group of 82 African-American CF chromosomes to identify mutations. One novel mutation, 3120+1G-->A, occurred with a frequency of 12.3% and was also detected in a native African patient. To establish frequencies, an additional group of 66 African-American CF chromosomes were screened for mutations identified in two or more African-American patients. Screening for 16 "common Caucasian" mutations identified 52% of CF alleles in African-Americans, while screening for 8 "common African" mutations accounted for an additional 23%. The combined detection rate of 75% was comparable to the sensitivity of mutation analysis in Caucasian CF patients. These results indicate that African-Americans have their own set of "common" CF mutations that originate from the native African population. Inclusion of these "common" mutations substantially improves CF mutation detection rates in African-Americans.


Photocatalytic H2 production using a hybrid assembly of an [FeFe]-hydrogenase model and CdSe quantum dot linked through a thiolato-functionalized cyclodextrin.
It is a great challenge to develop iron-based highly-efficient and durable catalytic systems for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by understanding and learning from [FeFe]-hydrogenases. Here we report photocatalytic H2 production by a hybrid assembly of a sulfonate-functionalized [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic (1) and CdSe quantum dot (QD), which is denoted as 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe (β-CD-6-SH = 6-mercapto-β-cyclodextrin). In this assembly, thiolato-functionalized β-CD acts not only as a stabilizing reagent of CdSe QDs but also as a host compound for the diiron catalyst, so as to confine CdSe QDs to the space near the site of diiron catalyst. In addition, another two reference systems comprising MAA-CdSe QDs (HMAA = mercaptoacetic acid) and 1 in the presence and absence of β-CD, denoted as 1/β-CD/MAA-CdSe and 1/MAA-CdSe, were studied for photocatalytic H2 evolution. The influences of β-CD and the stabilizing reagent β-CD-6-S- on the stability of diiron catalyst, the fluorescence lifetime of CdSe QDs, the apparent electron transfer rate, and the photocatalytic H2-evolving efficiency were explored by comparative studies of the three hybrid systems. The 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe system displayed a faster apparent rate for electron transfer from CdSe QDs to the diiron catalyst compared to that observed for MAA-CdSe-based systems. The total TON for visible-light driven H2 evolution by the 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe QDs in water at pH 4.5 is about 2370, corresponding to a TOF of 150 h-1 in the initial 10 h of illumination, which is 2.7- and 6.6-fold more than the amount of H2 produced from the reference systems 1/β-CD/MAA-CdSe and 1/MAA-CdSe. Additionally, 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe gave 2.4-5.1 fold enhancement in the apparent quantum yield and significantly improved the stability of the system for photocatalytic H2 evolution.


Six-year body composition change in male elite senior rugby league players.
This study investigated the change in body composition and bone mineral content (BMC) of senior rugby league (RL) players between 2008 and 2014. Twelve male professional RL players (age, 24.6 ± 4.0 years; stature, 183.4 ± 8.4 cm) received a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan during preseason in 2008 and 2014. Between 2008 and 2014, very likely increases in leg lean mass (LM), total trunk and leg BMC, and a likely increase in arm BMC and possible increases in body mass (BM), total and trunk fat mass (FM), and total, trunk and arm LM were observed. Unlikely decreases and unclear changes in leg and arm FM were also found. Large negative correlations were observed between age and BM (r = -0.72), LM (r = -0.70), FM (r = -0.61) and BMC (r = -0.84) change. Three participants (19.1 ± 1.6 years) increased LM by 7.0-9.3 kg. Younger players had the largest increases in LM during this period, although an older player (30-year old) still increased LM. Differences in body composition change were also observed for participants of the same age, thus contextual factors should be considered. This study demonstrates the individuality of body composition changes in senior professional rugby players, while considering the potential change in young athletes.


Genetic data simulators and their applications: an overview.
Computer simulations have played an indispensable role in the development and applications of statistical models and methods for genetic studies across multiple disciplines. The need to simulate complex evolutionary scenarios and pseudo-datasets for various studies has fueled the development of dozens of computer programs with varying reliability, performance, and application areas. To help researchers compare and choose the most appropriate simulators for their studies, we have created the genetic simulation resources (GSR) website, which allows authors of simulation software to register their applications and describe them with more than 160 defined attributes. This article summarizes the properties of 93 simulators currently registered at GSR and provides an overview of the development and applications of genetic simulators. Unlike other review articles that address technical issues or compare simulators for particular application areas, we focus on software development, maintenance, and features of simulators, often from a historical perspective. Publications that cite these simulators are used to summarize both the applications of genetic simulations and the utilization of simulators.


Fine-needle aspirates CYFRA 21-1 is a useful tumor marker for detecting axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients.
To assess whether the value of CYFRA21-1 in the aspirates of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) can contribute to improving the performances of US-FNAB in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node (LN) metastasis in breast cancer patients. US-FNAB was performed in 156 axillary LNs in 152 breast cancer patients (mean age: 51.4 years, range: 17-92 years). Concentrations of CYFRA21-1 were measured from washouts of the syringe used during US-FNAB. Tumor marker concentrations, US-FNAB, intraoperative sentinel node biopsy (SNB), and surgical pathology results were reviewed and analyzed. For comparison, the values of CEA and CA15-3 were also measured from washouts. Among the 156 LNs, 75 (48.1%) were benign, and 81 (51.9%) were metastases. Mean concentrations of CYFRA21-1 were significantly higher in metastasis compared to benign LNs (P<0.001). US-FNAB combined to CYFRA21-1 showed significantly higher sensitivity, NPV, and accuracy compared to US-FNAB alone (all values P<0.05). All diagnostic indices of US-FNAB combined to CYFRA21-1 were significantly higher compared to US-FNAB combined with CEA or CA15-3 (all P<0.001). Of the 28 metastatic LNs which showed metastasis on SNB, CYFRA21-1 showed higher positive rate of 75.0% (CEA or CA15-3∶60.7%, P = 0.076). Measuring CYFRA 21-1 concentrations from US-FNAB aspirates improves sensitivity, NPV, and accuracy of US-FNAB alone, and may contribute to reducing up to 75.0% of unnecessary intraoperative SNB. Compared to CEA or CA15-3, CYFRA21-1 shows significantly higher performances when combined to US-FNAB in the preoperative diagnosis of LN metastasis in breast cancer patients.


Mechanisms of mast seeding: resources, weather, cues, and selection.
546 I. 546 II. 547 III. 548 IV. 552 V. 554 VI. 556 VII. 558 VIII. 558 IX. 559 559 References 559 SUMMARY: Mast seeding is a widespread and widely studied phenomenon. However, the physiological mechanisms that mediate masting events and link them to weather and plant resources are still debated. Here, we explore how masting is affected by plant resource budgets, fruit maturation success, and hormonal coordination of cues including weather and resources. There is little empirical support for the commonly stated hypothesis that plants store carbohydrates over several years to expend in a high-seed year. Plants can switch carbohydrates away from growth in high-seed years, and seed crops are more probably limited by nitrogen or phosphorus. Resources are clearly involved in the proximate mechanisms driving masting, but resource budget (RB) models cannot create masting in the absence of selection because some underlying selective benefit is required to set the level of a 'full' seed crop at greater than the annual resource increment. Economies of scale (EOSs) provide the ultimate factor selecting for masting, but EOSs probably always interact with resources, which modify the relationship between weather cues and reproduction. Thus, RB and EOS models are not alternative explanations for masting - both are required. Experiments manipulating processes that affect mast seeding will help clarify the physiological mechanisms that underlie mast seeding.


Hilar cell tumour of the ovary.
The case of a 42-year-old woman with virilization, hirsutes, and a high level of circulating testosterone is described. A hilar cell tumour of the ovary was found, the histological features of which were typical, with the presence of crystalloids of Reinke, hyaline bodies, lipid, and lipofuscin. Some areas showed appearances similar to those seen in ;adrenocortical cell' tumours. In common with other lipid cell tumours of the ovary, hilar cell tumours most probably arise from mesenchymal elements and the group should, therefore, be considered as a subdivision of the gonadal stromal (sex cord-mesenchymal) tumours.


Deep learning enabled superfast and accurate M2 evaluation for fiber beams.
We introduce deep learning technique to predict the beam propagation factor M2 of the laser beams emitting from few-mode fiber for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The deep convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained with paired data of simulated near-field beam patterns and their calculated M2 value, aiming at learning a fast and accurate mapping from the former to the latter. The trained deep CNN can then be utilized to evaluate M2 of the fiber beams from single beam patterns. The results of simulated testing samples have shown that our scheme can achieve an averaged prediction error smaller than 2% even when up to 10 eigenmodes are involved in the fiber. The error becomes slightly larger when heavy noises are added into the input beam patterns but still smaller than 2.5%, which further proves the accuracy and robustness of our method. Furthermore, the M2 estimation takes only about 5 ms for a prepared beam pattern with one forward pass, which can be adopted for real-time M2 determination with only one supporting Charge-Coupled Device (CCD). The experimental results further prove the feasibility of our scheme. Moreover, the method we proposed can be confidently extended to other kinds of beams provided that adequate training samples are accessible. Deep learning paves the way to superfast and accurate M2 evaluation with very low experimental efforts.


The role of quinapril in the presence of a weight loss regimen: endothelial function and markers of obesity in patients with the metabolic syndrome.
Forty-four patients with the metabolic syndrome were placed on a reduced-calorie and reduced-fat regimen to lose weight throughout a 56-week period. The patients were treated in a crossover fashion with placebo and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor quinapril for 24 weeks each. The study measured endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation plus serum obesity markers of adiponectin and leptin. Metabolic parameters improved after 56 weeks. Serum adiponectin level increased by 18% (P<.05 vs baseline) and serum leptin level decreased by 16% with placebo (P<.05 vs baseline). These findings were potentiated further in the quinapril group. In comparison with baseline, flow-mediated dilation was increased by 13% in the placebo group (P=.055 vs baseline) and by 43% in the quinapril group (P<.001 vs baseline and placebo). These findings suggest that weight loss therapy improves endothelial function and markers of obesity. These results are potentiated with quinapril and are independent of changes in metabolic parameters.


Management of Symptomatic Elastofibroma Dorsi: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Elastofibroma dorsi (ED) is a rare tumor that most often occurs in the subscapular and infrascapular region between the thoracic wall, serratus anterior, and latissimus dorsi muscle. Based on a review of the literature, ED has been deemed an extremely rare entity. However, the incidence may be greater and is difficult to determine as the majority of ED being asymptomatic and therefore undiagnosed. Surgical excision is commonly performed when patients present with pain associated with ED. This being the case, it is important to evaluate the factors contributing to the pain seen in these patients and to evaluate the risks vs benefits of intervening in symptomatic ED patients who present for possible surgical intervention. We herein report a case of bilateral ED, situated in the upper back with only the right side being symptomatic in a 56-year-old male laborer. Due to pain in the right upper back, the patient underwent surgical removal of the ED. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient had an excellent recovery. A review of the literature showed no correlation between pain on presentation and tumor size or location. Major complications of treating these patients include seroma or hematoma formation which according to the literature can be avoided using postoperative tube drainage and compressing bandages.


Research Progress of Immunomodulation on Anti-COVID-19 and the Effective Components from Traditional Chinese Medicine.
SARS-CoV-2 has posed a threat to the health of people around the world because of its strong transmission and high virulence. Currently, there is no specific medicine for the treatment of COVID-19. However, for a wide variety of medicines used to treat COVID-19, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays a major role. In this paper, the effective treatment of COVID-19 using TCM was consulted first, and several Chinese medicines that were frequently used apart from their huge role in treating it were found. Then, when exploring the active ingredients of these herbs, it was discovered that most of them contained flavonoids. Therefore, the structure and function of the potential active substances of flavonoids, including flavonols, flavonoids, and flavanes, respectively, are discussed in this paper. According to the screening data, these flavonoids can bind to the key proteins of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, PLpro, and RdRp, respectively, or block the interface between the viral spike protein and ACE2 receptor, which could inhibit the proliferation of coronavirus and prevent the virus from entering human cells. Besides, the effects of flavonoids on the human body systems are expounded on in this paper, including the respiratory system, digestive system, and immune system, respectively. Normally, flavonoids boost the body's immune system. However, they can suppress the immune system when over immunized. Ultimately, this study hopes to provide a reference for the clinical drug treatment of COVID-19 patients, and more TCM can be put into the market accordingly, which is expected to promote the development of TCM on the international stage.


Online Automated Seizure Detection in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients Using Single-lead ECG.
Automated seizure detection in a home environment has been of increased interest the last couple of decades. The electrocardiogram is one of the signals that is suited for this application. In this paper, a new method is described that classifies different heart rate characteristics in order to detect seizures from temporal lobe epilepsy patients. The used support vector machine classifier is trained on data from other patients, so that the algorithm can be used directly from the start of each new recording. The algorithm was tested on a dataset of more than 918[Formula: see text]h of data coming from 17 patients containing 127 complex partial and generalized partial seizures. The algorithm was able to detect 81.89% of the seizures, with on average 1.97 false alarms per hour. These results show a strong drop in the number of false alarms of more than 50% compared to other heart rate-based patient-independent algorithms from the literature, at the expense of a slightly higher detection delay of 17.8s on average.


The ultrasonographic appearance of renal medullary striations and their association with renal disease and renal histopathology in domestic cats.
Medullary striations (MS) have been anecdotally observed on ultrasound of feline kidneys; however, their significance is unknown. Aims of this retrospective, case control, pilot study were to describe the appearance, prevalence, and clinicopathological correlates of MS in a referral feline population. Still images from 1247 feline abdominal ultrasound studies performed between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Cats with MS were identified and compared with age-matched controls. Serum urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, and calcium-phosphate-product, plus urine specific gravity, urine protein: creatinine ratio (UPC), prevalence of active sediment (defined as > 5 red (RBC) or white blood cells (WBC) per high-power field) and prevalence of positive urine culture were compared between MS and control groups using the Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's Exact test. Data are presented as median [range]. 27 cats were identified as having MS, giving a prevalence of 2.2% with a significantly higher proportion being seen in males (P = 0.018). Medullary striation cats had significantly higher UPC values than controls (0.46 [0.16-7.57] vs. 0.16 [0.07-2.27]; P = 0.006). Cats with MS were more likely to have active urinary sediments (39% vs 8%, P = 0.023), but no difference in prevalence of positive urinary cultures was observed between groups. There was no significant difference in other parameters between MS and control cats. Renal histopathology performed in three MS cats revealed focal regions of linear medullary fibrosis. Medullary striations are associated with proteinuria and urinary tract inflammation in cats, which may reflect renal tubular dysfunction and/or inflammation. Hence identification might allow for earlier detection of renal pathology.


Advances in reduced port laparoscopic liver resection.
Reduced port surgery has been attracting attention in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Although the use of SILS is becoming widespread, technical difficulty has delayed its adoption for laparoscopic liver resection. Recently, advances in laparoscopic liver resection have been made in tandem with advances in surgical skill and devices. The main driver in conventional laparoscopic liver resection's evolution to become less surgically invasive seems to be single-incision laparoscopic liver resection (SILLR). To date, most reports on SILLR have been single case reports or case series. Only a few cohort studies on conventional laparoscopic surgery and SILLR have been conducted. Recent reports have described the use of SILLR for well-localized lesions and solitary tumors located in the anterolateral segments of the liver or left liver lobe, but its application remains limited to partial resection and left lateral sectionectomy. The feasibility and safety of SILLR have been demonstrated, but additional work is needed for standardization of the procedure.


Distinct Responses of the Nitrogen-Fixing Marine Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium to a Thermally Variable Environment as a Function of Phosphorus Availability.
Surface temperature in the ocean is projected to be elevated and more variable in the future, which will interact with other environmental changes like reduced nutrient supplies. To explore these multiple stressor relationships, we tested the influence of thermal variation on the key marine diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum GBRTRLI101 as a function of the limiting nutrient phosphorus (P). Two constant temperature treatments represented current winter (22°C) and summer (30°C) mean values. Three variable temperature treatments fluctuated around the constant control values: Mean 22°C, either ± 2°C or ± 4°C; and mean 30°C ± 2°C. Each thermal treatment was grown under both P-replete (10 μmol/L) and P-limiting conditions (0.2 μmol/L). Effects of thermal variability on Trichodesmium were mainly found in the two winter variable temperature treatments (22°C ± 2°C or ± 4°C). P availability affected growth and physiology in all treatments and had significant interactions with temperature. P-replete cultures had higher growth and nitrogen and carbon fixation rates in the 22°C constant control, than in the corresponding variable treatments. However, physiological rates were not different in the P-replete constant and variable treatments at 30°C. In contrast, in P-limited cultures an advantage of constant temperature over variable temperature was not apparent. Phosphorus use efficiencies (PUE, mol N or C fixed h-1 mol cellular P-1) for nitrogen and carbon fixation were significantly elevated under P-limited conditions, and increased with temperature from 22 to 30°C, implying a potential advantage in a future warmer, P-limited environment. Taken together, these results imply that future increasing temperature and greater thermal variability could have significant feedback interactions with the projected intensification of P-limitation of marine N2-fixing cyanobacteria.


Comparative study on resistant pattern of clinical isolates against levofloxacin and cefepime.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the susceptibility and resistance pattern of clinical isolates causing different types of infections and to compare the efficacy of antibiotics namely levofloxacin and cefepime. The in-vitro antibacterial activity and resistance patterns of these two well known antibiotics were studied and compared using disk diffusion method. For this, one hundred clinical isolates comprising of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from different local pathological laboratories and hospitals. Escherichia coli (17.95% against cefepime and 30.77% against levofloxacin), Staphylococcus aureus (30% against cefepime and 46.66% against levofloxacin) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.53% against cefepime and 35.29% against levofloxacin) were found resistant against the studied antibiotics which show that cefepime is more effective than levofloxacin. In case of Klebsiella pneumoniae, resistance was 42.85% against cefepime and 35.71% against levofloxacin thereby showing that levofloxacin is more effective than cefepime. Concluded that the clinical isolates collected were susceptible to both the antibiotics but the microbial resistance against these antibiotics is increasing in our population which is alarming. Therefore, it is recommended the physicians may prescribe these antibiotics unless no other substitute is available in clinical practice.


Clinical Features and Survival Outcome of Early-Stage Primary Pulmonary MALT Lymphoma After Surgical Treatment.
Background: We aimed to study the clinical features and survival outcomes of patients with early-stage primary pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma who underwent surgery. Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center study including 32 patients with early-stage primary pulmonary MALT lymphoma. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to select independent prognostic factors. The overall survival (OS) was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and was compared with the log-rank test. Results: Among the 32 patients included, there were 16 men (50.0%) and 16 women (50.0%). The average age was 59.2 years old. Ten patients had non-specific clinical symptoms including cough, expectoration, and chest pain, and four patients had B symptoms. CT images are not specific and can be shown as peripheral, central, solid, and ground glass but more peripheral (93.8%) and solid (75.0%). In prognostic analysis, univariate analysis showed that tumor stage and size were associated with relapse-free survival (RFS) and OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.105, 95% CI: 1.021-1.197, P = 0.011; HR = 1.211, 95% CI: 1.158-1.968, P = 0.003, respectively]. It seems to indicate that higher stage and larger size indicate a worse prognosis, but we could not find statistically significant predictors in multivariate analysis. Sublobectomy was performed in 21 (65.6) cases, lobectomy was performed in the other 11 (34.4) cases, both of them can achieve good prognosis (5-year RFS and OS are both 100%), and there is no significant difference between them. Conclusions: The clinical manifestation of early-stage primary pulmonary MALT lymphoma is not significantly specific, and surgical resection is an effective treatment.


A stimulated emission pumping study of the first excited singlet state of germylidene (H2C=Ge).
The A (1)A(2) states of H(2)CGe and D(2)CGe have been explored for the first time by A-X laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy of the orbitally forbidden S(1)-S(0) transition and stimulated emission pumping (SEP) and wavelength resolved fluorescence studies of the allowed B-A electronic transition. Medium-resolution SEP studies gave the excited A state nu(2), nu(3), nu(4), and nu(6) vibrational frequencies for H(2)C(74)Ge and D(2)C(74)Ge. The 4(1) and 6(1) levels and higher combination and overtone states are strongly Coriolis coupled, which perturbs the rotational subband structure, limiting the accuracy of the determination of the vibrational frequencies. High-resolution SEP studies of the B-A 0(0) (0) band have allowed us to determine the rotational constants of the A state of H(2)C(74)Ge, from which we were able to calculate an approximate r(0) structure with the CH bond length constrained to the ground state value. The zero-point level of D(2)C(74)Ge is substantially perturbed, most plausibly by interaction with an excited vibrational level of the nearby triplet (a (3)A(2)) state.


5-Azacytidine induction of mouse endogenous type C virus and suppression of DNA methylation.
5-Azacytidine was found to induce the expression of BALB:virus-1 and BALB:virus-2 from K-BALB cells and ecotropic endogenous virus from AKR2B cells. Efficiency of the induction was high and comparable to that by 5-bromodeoxyuridine. The level of methylcytosine in newly synthesized DNA was drastically decreased when K-BALB cells were treated with 5-azacytidine. There was an inverse relationship between the level of DNA modification and the frequency of virus expression.


The slowing of Ca2+ signals by Ca2+ indicators in cardiac muscle.
The use of high-affinity fluorescent probes for monitoring intracellular free Ca2+ in cardiac muscle is now widespread. We have investigated the consequences of introducing intracellular buffers with the properties of Fura-2 or Indo-1 on the action potential, Ca2+ transient and contractile activity of the myocardium. Our theoretical results suggest that, at the high intracellular concentrations of these fluorescent probes used on occasion to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the emitted fluorescence, modulation of action potential profile and attenuation of the amplitudes of the Ca2+ transient and contraction can occur, together with subtle changes in the kinetics of these events.


Null genotypes at the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes and the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a case-control study and a meta-analysis.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age related non-malignant disease diagnosed as lower urinary tract symptoms and prostatic enlargement. Null genotypes in drug detoxification glutathione-S-transferase genes/enzymes, such as GSTT1 and GSTM1 have been reported to increase risk of several cancers including prostate. Meta-analysis on PC also suggested significant impact of GSTM1 null genotype but not that of GSTT1; however, BPH data have not been subjected to meta-analysis. We investigated GSTT1 and GSTM1 genotypes in 429 subjects which included 244 BPH, 51 prostate cancer (PC) patients, and 134 control subjects to find if null genotype in any of the two genes increased the risk of BPH/PC. We also performed a quantitative meta-analysis on 888 BPH cases and 793 controls for GSTM1 and on 890 BPH cases and 793 controls for GSTT1 to assess overall consensus about the impact of null genotypes on BPH risk. We did not find any significant difference in the distribution of genotypes of either of the two genes between BPH/PC cases and controls; however, double deletion (GSTM1 null + GSTT1 null) increased BPH risk, significantly. Upon meta-analysis, null genotype of GSTM1 but not that of GSTT1 appeared to strongly affect BPH risk. In our population, null genotypes of either GSTM1 or GSTT1 do not appear to affect BPH risk; however, the double deletion was significantly associated with BPH. Meta-analysis suggested significant influence of GSTM1 null genotype but not that of GSTT1 on BPH risk.


Comparison of the results and complications of retroperitoneal, microsurgical subinguinal, and high inguinal approaches in the treatment of varicoceles.
The simplicity of the surgical procedure, as well as the high rate of success and low rate of complications, is of particular importance for varicocelectomies. We compared operative parameters, complication rates, and sperm parameters after retroperitoneal, microsurgical subinguinal and high inguinal varicocelectomy approaches in infertile men with varicoceles. This study included 307 infertile men with left varicoceles who underwent varicocelectomy by the retroperitoneal (n = 43), microsurgical subinguinal (n = 107), or high inguinal (n = 157) approach. The operative time was shorter for the retroperitoneal approach (29 minutes) compared with the microsurgical approaches and was significantly shorter for the high inguinal approach (52 minutes) compared with the subinguinal approach (66 minutes). Pain, as assessed by a visual analogue scale, and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were greatest following the retroperitoneal approach and significantly preferable following the high inguinal compared with the subinguinal approach. Recurrence/hydrocele was observed in 9.3%/9.3%, 0.9%/0.9%, and 1.3%/0.6% of patients after use of the retroperitoneal, subinguinal, and high inguinal approaches, respectively. Significant postoperative improvements in sperm concentration and motility were observed after all approaches, but such improvements were observed sooner and showed higher sperm concentration and motility after the use of the microsurgical approaches. Both microsurgical subinguinal and high inguinal approaches yielded comparable success rates, but the operative time and pain control were superior with the high inguinal approach. Because of its favorable safety profile, the microsurgical high inguinal approach should be of value to both experienced microsurgeons and trainees.


Continuous distal oesophageal acidification decreases postprandial gastric acidity in healthy human subjects.
Previously, we hypothesized that exposing the distal oesophagus to acid signals the stomach to decrease gastric acidity. To test the hypothesis that exposing the distal oesophagus to acid signals the stomach to decrease gastric acidity. Twenty-two healthy humans ingested a standard meal containing [(14)C]octanoic acid and [(13)C]glycine over 30 min on 2 separate occasions. Gastric pH was measured for 90 min before and 240 min after the meal. 10 mm HCl was infused continuously at 1 mL/min into either the distal oesophagus or stomach in a 2-way crossover fashion for 60 min before and 240 min after the meal. Gastric emptying of solid and liquid were determined with breath tests. Compared to gastric infusion, oesophageal infusion significantly decreased gastric acidity after the meal, but not before the meal and the magnitude of the decrease varied directly with gastric acidity. Gastric emptying of solid or liquid with oesophageal infusion was not significantly different from that with gastric infusion. These findings support the hypothesis of the existence of a physiological oesophago-gastric feedback mechanism that might contribute to regulation of postprandial gastric acidity. Oesophageal acidification might decode gastric information and signal the stomach to decrease gastric acidity. Further studies are needed to assess the characteristics of such feedback mechanism in-patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).


Changes in T-cell receptor VB repertoire in aplastic anemia: effects of different immunosuppressive regimens.
We studied the degree and the pattern of skewing of the variable region of beta-chain (VB) T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in aplastic anemia (AA) at initial presentation and after immunosuppression using a high-resolution analysis of the TCR VB complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3). Age-matched healthy individuals and multitransfused patients with non-immune-mediated hematologic diseases were used as controls. In newly diagnosed AA, the average frequency of CDR3 size distribution deviation indicative of oligoclonal T-cell proliferation was increased (44% +/- 33% vs 9% +/- 9%; P =.0001); AA patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR2 and those with expanded paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clones showed more skewed VB repertoires. Nonrandom oligoclonal patterns were found for VB6, VB14-16, VB21, VB23, and VB24 subfamilies in more than 50%, and for VB15, VB21, and VB24 in more than 70% of AA patients with HLA-DR2. Patients received immunosuppression with antithymocyte globulin (ATG)/cyclosporine (CsA) or cyclophosphamide (CTX) with CsA in combination, and their VB repertoire was reanalyzed after treatment. Whereas no significant change in the degree of VB skewing in patients who had received ATG was seen, patients treated with CTX showed a much higher extent of oligoclonality within all VB families, consistent with a profound and long-lasting contraction of the T-cell repertoire. VB analysis did not correlate with the lymphocyte count prior to lymphocytotoxic therapy; however, after therapy the degree of VB skewing was highly reflective of the decrease in lymphocyte numbers, suggesting iatrogenic gaps in the VB repertoire rather than the emergence of clonal dominance. Our data indicate that multiple specific clones mediate the immune process in AA.


Inter-individual methylation variability in differentially methylated regions between maternal whole blood and first trimester CVS.
DNA methylation is the most studied form of epigenetic regulation, a process by which chromatin composition and transcription factor binding is altered to influence tissue specific gene expression and differentiation. Such tissue specific methylation patterns are investigated as biomarkers for cancer and cell-free fetal DNA using various methodologies. We have utilized methylation DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) and real-time quantitative PCR to investigate the inter-individual methylation variability of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) on chromosomes 18 and 21. We have characterized 15 newly selected and seven previously validated DMRs in 50, 1(st) trimester Chorionic villus samplings (CVS) and 50 female non-pregnant peripheral blood (WBF) samples. qPCR results from MeDIP and genomic DNA (Input) assays were used to calculate fold enrichment values for each DMR. For all regions tested, enrichment was higher in CVS than in WBF samples with mean enrichments ranging from 0.22 to 6.4 and 0.017 to 1 respectively. Despite inter-individual variability, mean enrichment values for CVS were significantly different than those for WBF in all DMRs tested (p < 0.01). This observation is reinforced by the absence of overlap in CVS and WBF enrichment value distributions for 15 of 22 DMRs. Our work provides an expansion in the biomarker panel available for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) using the MeDIP-qPCR methology for Down syndrome and can eventually provide the starting point towards the development for assays towards the detection of Edwards syndrome. Furthermore, our data indicate that inter-experimental and inter-individual variation in methylation is apparent, yet the difference in methylation status across tissues is large enough to allow for robust tissue specific methylation identification.


Thermodynamics of a one-dimensional self-gravitating gas with periodic boundary conditions.
We study the thermodynamic properties of a one-dimensional gas with one-dimensional gravitational interactions. Periodic boundary conditions are implemented as a modification of the potential consisting of a sum over mirror images (Ewald sum), regularized with an exponential cutoff. As a consequence, each particle carries with it its own background density. Using mean-field theory, we show that the system has a phase transition at a critical temperature. Above the critical temperature the gas density is uniform, while below the critical point the system becomes inhomogeneous. Numerical simulations of the model, which include the caloric curve, the equation of state, the radial distribution function, and the largest Lyapunov exponent, confirm the existence of the phase transition, and they are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.


Characteristics and unmet care needs of unbefriended residents in long-term care: a qualitative interview study.
Objectives: This study explored the impact of being 'unbefriended' for residents in Canadian long-term care (LTC) homes. Residents are 'unbefriended' if they lack decision-making capacity and family or friends to act as their legal representative. Research suggests that unbefriended individuals may have unmet needs and experience poor quality of care due to their limited social support. Our specific objectives were to identify resident characteristics, their unmet care needs, and implications for quality of care and quality of life.Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 LTC staff and 3 public guardians. Interviews took place between March 2017 and September 2017. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed the interviews using content analysis.Results: We found two groups of unbefriended LTC residents: (1) individuals with no living conjugate partner or children and (2) individuals with histories of substance use, homelessness, and estrangement from family. Unbefriended residents have no one to help meet needs for social interaction and engagement or to assist in purchasing needed personal items and uninsured services. LTC staff report significant care issues with unbefriended residents at end of life, including more aggressive behaviors and inappropriate care practices.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate alarming issues in quality of life and quality of care for unbefriended residents. Unbefriended residents had limited social support and difficulty accessing even basic personal items. We discuss implications for policy and practice.


Toward a Continuum of Measures to Mitigate Primary and Secondary Impacts of COVID-19 and Other Public Health Emergencies.
The global COVID-19 response focused heavily on nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) until vaccines became available. Even where vaccination coverage is low, over time governments have become increasingly reluctant to use NPIs. Inequities in vaccine and treatment accessibility and coverage, differences in vaccine effectiveness, waning immunity, and immune-escape variants of concern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinforce the long-term need for mitigation. Initially, the concept of NPIs, and mitigation more broadly, was focused on prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission; however, mitigation can and has done more than prevent transmission. It has been used to address the clinical dimensions of the pandemic as well. The authors propose an expanded conceptualization of mitigation that encompasses a continuum of community and clinical mitigation measures that can help reduce infection, illness, and death from COVID-19. It can further help governments balance these efforts and address the disruptions in essential health services, increased violence, adverse mental health outcomes, and orphanhood precipitated by the pandemic and by NPIs themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic response revealed the benefits of a holistic and layered mitigation approach to public health emergencies from the outset. Lessons learned can inform the next phases of the current pandemic response and planning for future public health emergencies.


New insights into the enzymatic role of EF-G in ribosome recycling.
During translation, elongation factor G (EF-G) plays a catalytic role in tRNA translocation and a facilitative role in ribosome recycling. By stabilizing the rotated ribosome and interacting with ribosome recycling factor (RRF), EF-G was hypothesized to induce the domain rotations of RRF, which subsequently performs the function of splitting the major intersubunit bridges and thus separates the ribosome into subunits for recycling. Here, with systematic mutagenesis, FRET analysis and cryo-EM single particle approach, we analyzed the interplay between EF-G/RRF and post termination complex (PoTC). Our data reveal that the two conserved loops (loop I and II) at the tip region of EF-G domain IV possess distinct roles in tRNA translocation and ribosome recycling. Specifically, loop II might be directly involved in disrupting the main intersubunit bridge B2a between helix 44 (h44 from the 30S subunit) and helix 69 (H69 from the 50S subunit) in PoTC. Therefore, our data suggest a new ribosome recycling mechanism which requires an active involvement of EF-G. In addition to supporting RRF, EF-G plays an enzymatic role in destabilizing B2a via its loop II.


Tracking the Effect of Adatom Electronegativity on Systematically Modified AlGaN/GaN Schottky Interfaces.
The influence of surface modifications on the Schottky barrier height for gallium nitride semiconductor devices is frequently underestimated or neglected in investigations thereof. We show that a strong dependency of Schottky barrier heights for nickel/aluminum-gallium nitride (0001) contacts on the surface terminations exists: a linear correlation of increasing barrier height with increasing electronegativity of superficial adatoms is observed. The negatively charged adatoms compete with the present nitrogen over the available gallium (or aluminum) orbital to form an electrically improved surface termination. The resulting modification of the surface dipoles and hence polarization of the surface termination causes observed band bending. Our findings suggest that the greatest Schottky barrier heights are achieved by increasing the concentration of the most polarized fluorine-gallium (-aluminum) bonds at the surface. An increase in barrier height from 0.7 to 1.1 eV after a 15% fluorine termination is obtained with ideality factors of 1.10 ± 0.05. The presence of surface dipoles that are changing the surface energy is proven by the sessile drop method as the electronegativity difference and polarization influences the contact angle. The extracted decrease in the Lifshitz-van-der-Waals component from 48.8 to 40.4 mJ/m(2) with increasing electronegativity and concentration of surface adatoms confirms the presence of increasing surface dipoles: as the polarizability of equally charged anions decreases with increasing electronegativity, the diiodomethane contact angles increase significantly from 14° up to 39° after the 15% fluorine termination. Therefore, a linear correlation between increasing anion electronegativity of the (Al)GaN termination and total surface energy within a 95% confidence interval is obtained. Furthermore, our results reveal a generally strong Lewis basicity of (Al)GaN surfaces explaining the high chemical inertness of the surfaces.


Arthroplasty of the hip in ankylosing spondylitis.
In fifty-six patients with ankylosing spondylitis three types of arthroplasty had been performed in ninety-nine hips. Forty-one of the patients were men and fifteen were women, their average age at operation being forty-two years. Primary pseudarthrosis produced well-satisfied patients, but only a fair result in five hips, whereas cup arthroplasty resulted in a poor outcome for eight hips, all of which needed revision. Total replacement of eighty-six hips, however, led to 73 per cent being graded as good or excellent up to ten years later. The main complications were deep infection of five hips, para-articular ossification around nine hips (six leading to bony ankylosis), and fibrous ankylosis of six hips.


Comparison of genomic and transcriptional microbiome analysis in gastric cancer patients and healthy individuals.
Helicobacter pylori and the stomach microbiome play a crucial role in gastric carcinogenesis, and detailed characterization of the microbiome is necessary for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. There are two common modalities for microbiome analysis: DNA (16S rRNA gene) and RNA (16S rRNA transcript) sequencing. The implications from the use of one or another sequencing approach on the characterization and comparability of the mucosal microbiome in gastric cancer (GC) are poorly studied. To characterize the microbiota of GC using 16S rRNA gene and its transcript and determine difference in the bacterial composition. In this study, 316 DNA and RNA samples extracted from 105 individual stomach biopsies were included. The study cohort consisted of 29 healthy control individuals and 76 patients with GC. Gastric tissue biopsy samples were collected from damaged mucosa and healthy mucosa at least 5 cm from the tumor tissue. From the controls, healthy stomach mucosa biopsies were collected. From all biopsies RNA and DNA were extracted. RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA. V1-V2 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene from all samples were amplified and sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Bray-Curtis algorithm was used to construct sample-similarity matrices abundances of taxonomic ranks in each sample type. For significant differences between groups permutational multivariate analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney test followed by false-discovery rate test were used. Microbial analysis revealed that only a portion of phylotypes (18%-30%) overlapped between microbial profiles obtained from DNA and RNA samples. Detailed analysis revealed differences between GC and controls depending on the chosen modality, identifying 17 genera at the DNA level and 27 genera at the RNA level. Ten of those bacteria were found to be different from the control group at both levels. The key taxa showed congruent results in various tests used; however, differences in 7 bacteria taxa were found uniquely only at the DNA level, and 17 uniquely only at the RNA level. Furthermore, RNA sequencing was more sensitive for detecting differences in bacterial richness, as well as differences in the relative abundance of Reyranella and Sediminibacterium according to the type of GC. In each study group (control, tumor, and tumor adjacent) were found differences between DNA and RNA bacterial profiles. Comprehensive microbial study provides evidence for the effect of choice of sequencing modality on the microbiota profile, as well as on the identified differences between case and control.


Vesicular osmometers, vasopression secretion and aquaporin-4: a new mechanism for osmoreception?
This review cites new evidence suggesting a link between the recently discovered membrane bound water-selective channel, aquaporin-4 (AQP4), and the mechanism of central osmoreception. AQP4 is found in a number of brain regions associated with the osmoregulation of vasopressin secretion and thirst, including the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and subfornical organ (SFO). AQP4 expression is restricted to ependymal cell membranes in the SFO and astrocyte membranes in the SON, especially perivascular end foot processes, suggesting that glial cells may correspond to Verney's hypothalamic 'vesicular osmometers'. Information on osmotic status may thus be conveyed to the neuronal elements of the 'osmoreceptor complex' by a neurone-glial interaction.


Discovery of 2-(4-Chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-N-(4-((6,7-dimethoxyquinolin-4-yl)oxy)phenyl)acetamide (CHMFL-KIT-64) as a Novel Orally Available Potent Inhibitor against Broad-Spectrum Mutants of c-KIT Kinase for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.
Starting from our previously developed c-KIT kinase inhibitor CHMFL-KIT-8140, through a type II kinase inhibitor binding element hybrid design approach, we discovered a novel c-KIT kinase inhibitor compound 18 (CHMFL-KIT-64), which is potent against c-KIT wt and a broad spectrum of drug-resistant mutants with improved bioavailability. 18 exhibits single-digit nM potency against c-KIT kinase and c-KIT T670I mutants in the biochemical assay and displays great potencies against most of the gain-of-function mutations in the juxtamembrane domain, drug-resistant mutations in the ATP binding pocket (except V654A), and activation loops (except D816V). In addition, 18 exhibits a good in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) profile in different species including mice, rats, and dogs. It also displays good in vivo antitumor efficacy in the c-KIT T670I, D820G, and Y823D mutant-mediated mice models as well as in the c-KIT wt patient primary cells which are known to be imatinib-resistant. The potent activity against a broad spectrum of clinically important c-KIT mutants combining the good in vivo PK/pharmacodynamic properties of 18 indicates that it might be a new potential therapeutic candidate for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.


Permeability Evolution of Shear Failing Chalk Cores under Thermochemical Influence.
Development of petroleum reservoirs, including primary depletion of the pore pressure and repressurization during water injection naturally, leads to changes in effective stresses of the formations. These changes impose mechanical deformation of the rock mass with subsequent altering of its petrophysical properties. Besides mechanical compaction, chalk reservoirs on the Norwegian Continental Shelf also seem susceptible to mineralogical and textural changes as an effect of the injecting fluid's chemical composition and temperature. Understanding such chemical and thermal effects and how they interplay with the mechanical response to changes in effective stresses could contribute to improved prediction of permeability development during field life. This article presents results from mechanical testing of chalk cores of medium-porosity (32%) outcrop chalk (Niobrara Formation, Kansas) in triaxial cells. The experimental setup allows systematic combinations of fluctuating deviatoric stress, temperature (50 and 130 °C), and injecting fluid (calcite-equilibrated sodium chloride, calcite-equilibrated sodium sulfate, and reactive synthetic seawater) intended to replicate in situ processes, relevant to the North Sea chalk reservoirs. Deviatoric loading above yield resulted in a shear failure with a steeply dipping fracture of the core and a simultaneous increase in permeability. This occurred regardless of the brine composition. The second and third deviatoric loadings above yield did not have the same strong effect on permeability. During creep and unloading, the permeability changes were minor such that the end permeability remained higher than the initial values. However, sodium sulfate-injected cores retained most of the permeability gain after shear fracturing compared to sodium chloride and synthetic seawater series at both temperatures. Synthetic seawater-injected cores registered the most permeability loss compared to the other brines at 130 °C. The results indicate that repulsive forces generated by sulfate adsorption contribute to maintain the fracture permeability.


The effectiveness of the serum surfactant protein D (Sp-D) level to indicate lung injury in pulmonary embolism.
Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a biomarker specific to the lungs. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between clinical probability scores and the serum levels of SP-D to indicate the severity of lung injury that develops secondary to hypoxia in pulmonary embolism (PE). We included three groups in the study: non-massive PE (n = 20), sub-massive PE (n = 20), and the control group (n = 20), which consisted of healthy volunteers. The modified Geneva and Wells clinical probability scoring systems were performed for PE, and the patients were classified as low risk, moderate risk, and high risk. SP-D levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For risk factors, the most significant were deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and immobilization. There was no significant difference in SP-D levels between the patients identified with risk factors and those without risk factors in either the Geneva or Wells scores. Atelectasis was the most common radiographic finding, while tricuspid valve regurgitation was predominant in echocardiography. There was no significant difference between the non-massive PE group and the control group, while SP-D levels of the sub-massive group were significantly higher than the control group. In our study, SP-D levels were significantly higher in the sub-massive PE group overall. However, further prospective studies are required with a larger number of cases, including patients with massive PE, in order to clarify the findings.


A "serum-free" medium for the production of erythropoietic bursts by murine bone marrow cells.
We describe a culture medium that does not require the addition of serum, in which erythropoietic bursts are produced from murine bone marrow cells with efficiencies at least as great as those of serum-containing media. Four ingredients were shown to be essential: bovine serum albumin (BSA), transferrin, cholesterol, and erythropoietin. The system supported burst formation without the addition of conditioned medium as source of burst-promoting factor(s). To include cholesterol in the medium we found that there was no necessity for sonication, nor for subsequent evaporation of the ethanol in which the cholesterol was dissolved. Filtration of cholesterol and delipidation of BSA both impaired the ability of the medium to support burst production. The "serum-free" medium described here, even though not truly defined, is useful for erythropoietic culture: it is reliable, highly efficient in supporting burst formation, and simple and economical to prepare from ingredients readily available from commercial sources without the need for special testing.


Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with S100 protein positive staining: a case report.
Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis is a very rare systemic disease that affects skin, mucosa and joints. We reported a case of a woman with multicentric reticulohistiocytosis who presented typical skin syndromes and arthralgia. Immunohistochemical analysis showed positive staining for S100 protein, which was reported negative in the majority of previously presented cases. Other immunohistochemical markers (CD68(+), CD1a(-), lagerin (-) and complete histologic and clinical picture were specific enough to make the definitive diagnosis of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis. The patient was administered prednisone just when arthritis appeared and we believe that this therapy protected her from the development of destructive arthritis. No autoimmune disease or internal malignancy was observed during 12-month follow up.


The role of H bonding and dipole-dipole interactions on the electrical polarizations and charge mobilities in linear arrays of urea, thiourea, and their derivatives.
Computational studies using density functional theory are carried out on linear chains of urea, N,N(')-dimethyl urea and N,N,N('),N(')-tetramethyl urea, and their sulfur analogs, viz., thiourea, N,N(')-dimethyl thiourea and N,N,N('),N(')-tetramethyl thiourea with varying chain length, to understand the effect of hydrogen bonding and dipolar interactions on the optoelectronic response properties of such linear aggregates. While molecules of urea, N,N(')-dimethyl urea, and the corresponding sulfur analogs, thiourea, N,N(')-dimethyl thiourea, are stabilized in linear chains by hydrogen bonding, the molecules of N,N,N('),N(')-tetramethyl urea and N,N,N('),N(')-tetramethyl thiourea in the linear chains are stabilized by purely dipolar interactions. To understand the contributions of electrostatic and polarization effects on such intermolecular interactions, we study the effect of an external electric field on the intermolecular interactions in these systems. We find that the strength of hydrogen bonding increases while that of dipolar interactions decreases with increase in external field strength. We account for such findings by decomposing the interaction terms into charge-transfer and electrostatic interaction terms. The effects of these interactions on the linear and nonlinear optical properties together with transport properties such as carrier mobilities are estimated to understand their suitability for device applications.


Neurons of the periaqueductal gray matter as revealed by Golgi study.
Neurons of the periaqueductal gray matter of the normal adult cat are classified into seven general types, Ia, Ib, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, and IIId, based on the Golgi-Cox impregnated materials. Types Ia and Ib are spindle shaped bipolar neurons with one straight dendritic process forming varicosities and short stemmed spines. Type Ia is small in size and Ib is larger. The axon of each neuron emerges from another pole and projects beyond the PAG region. Occasionally it may share the origin with a dendrite or a tuft of dendrites. Type II, triangular shaped, had an apical dendrite that traverses a long distance within the PAG and an axon emerging from the basal portion and projecting beyond the PAG. Type IIIa, b, c, and d are pleomorphic multipolar neurons. Type IIIa has a rhomboid-shaped soma and dichotomically branching dendrites. Type IIIb has a spheroidal soma and short axons that terminate within the PAG. Type IIIc has a piriform soma and spiny dendrites that ramify perfusely and an axon which terminates within the PAG. Type IIId has the largest soma of all these neurons and the structure resembles an undifferentiated motor neuron of the CNS. Axons of the types IIIa and IIId are projecting in nature. Type Ia is found exclusively in the area immediately surrounding the aqueduct, the nucleus medialis. Types IIIc and IIId are found exclusively in the lateral region of the PAG which corresponds to the nucleus lateralis while the remaining cell types are found mostly in nuclei lateralis and dorsalis.


[The structure of O-specific polysaccharide of Yersinia frederiksenii serotype O:16,29 lipopolysaccharide].
A branched chain octose, 3,6-dideoxy-4-C-(L-glycero-1'-hydroxyethyl)-D-xylo- hexose, was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia frederiksenii, serovar O: 16.29 and identified as yersiniose A from Y. pseudotuberculosis, serovar VI. Mild hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide with acetic acid afforded a rhamnan. Structural features of the trisaccharide repeating unit were elucidated on the basic of 13C NMR spectral data, methylation studies and periodate oxidation. Using these data as well as data on sugar composition and methylation studies of the lipopolysaccharide, the following structural pattern of the repeating unit of O-specific polysaccharide was proposed: (formula; see text)


Photoplethysmographic determination of the respiratory rate in acutely ill patients: validation of a new algorithm and implementation into a biomedical device.
Respiratory rate is among the first vital signs to change in deteriorating patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of respiratory rate measurements using a specifically dedicated reflection-mode photoplethysmographic signal analysis in a pathological condition (PPG-RR) and to validate its implementation within medical devices. This study is derived from a data mining project, including all consecutive patients admitted to our ICU (ReaSTOC study, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02893462). During the evaluation phase of the algorithm, PPG-RR calculations were retrospectively performed on PPG waveforms extracted from the data warehouse and compared with RR reference values. During the prospective phase, PPG-RR calculations were automatically and continuously performed using a dedicated device (FreeO2, Oxynov, Québec, QC, Canada). In all phases, reference RR was measured continuously using electrical thoracic impedance and chronometric evaluation (Manual-RR) over a 30-s period. In total, 201 ICU patients' recordings (SAPS II 51.7 ± 34.6) were analysed during the retrospective evaluation phase, most of them being admitted for a respiratory failure and requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. PPG-RR determination was available in 95.5% cases, similar to reference (22 ± 4 vs. 22 ± 5 c/min, respectively; p = 1), and well correlated with reference values (R = 0.952; p < 0.0001), with a low bias (0.1 b/min) and deviation (± 3.5 b/min). Prospective estimation of the PPG-RR on 30 ICU patients' recordings was well correlated with the reference method (Manual-RR; r = 0.78; p < 0.001). Comparison of the methods depicted a low bias (0.5 b/min) and acceptable deviation (< ± 5.5 b/min). According to our results, PPG-RR is an interesting approach for ventilation monitoring, as this technique would make simultaneous monitoring of respiratory rate and arterial oxygen saturation possible, thus minimizing the number of sensors attached to the patient. Trial registry number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02893462.


Impact of ionic liquid-type imidazolium surfactant addition on dynamic properties of BSA adsorption layers at different pH.
The dynamic interfacial properties of mixed solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the ionic liquid-type imidazolium surfactant ([C16mim]Br) were measured as a function of the interface age, surfactant concentration and solution pH. Three BSA conformers were investigated: the normal N form as well as the fast F and aged A forms, corresponding to the different solution pH, respectively. The interfacial tension and the interfacial dilational elasticity isotherms for the mixed adsorption layers indicate that the addition of [C16mim]Br to the different structures of BSA isomers influences the properties of the adsorption layer at the decane/water interface. The addition of [C16mim]Br does not influence the structure of the protein at pH below the isoelectric point of BSA, but at higher solution pH, the addition of surfactants significantly influences the dynamic interfacial properties of BSA solutions due to the electrostatic interaction between the components.


Surgical Approaches and Management of Panfacial Trauma: A Case Report.
Patients with multiple fractures involving upper third of the face, the mid-face and the lower third are generally referred to as Pan-facial fractures and managing these cases is extremely complicated. Proximity of the maxillofacial region to the important features or senses such as visual function (diplopia), olfaction, respiration (airway management), chewing or mastication (occlusion), deglutition and aesthetics; makes the scenario a little more complex for the surgeon operating in this particular region than the surgeon operating any other part of the body. Inability to directly visualize and reduce all the components of a pan facial injury along with inadequate stability of the fractured bones leads to persistent deformity. It is challenging to follow an established pattern for repairing the pan facial fractures. Each case with this type of fracture is unique and requires skill and expertise of the surgeon to restore the pre-traumatic anatomy and facial aesthetics. Despite all the aggressive treatment, most of the patient's with pan facial trauma may have some residual deformity which may require another correction surgery later. This article briefs about the management and simple approaches used to reduce and fix a case of pan facial trauma in a 23-year-old male.


[Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in neonates--experience of pediatric gastroenterology unit].
The aim of our study was to assess the frequency of the different lesions occurring as well as to precise indications of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in neonates. We have achieved a retrospective study about 128 neonatal gastrointestinal endoscopies. Three groups were constituted according to macroscopic findings: Group I: normal aspect (n=11); Group II: isolated esophagitis (n=19); Group III: esogastritis or gastroduodenitis or esogastroduodenitis (n=92). The neonates undergoing endoscopy for malaise were more frequent in group I than in group II and III, respectively 36.5% versus 15.8% and 9.8% (P = 0.04). Digestive hemorrhage (hematemesis and/or melena) was more frequent in group III than in group II and I, respectively 90.2% versus 78.9% and 63.6% (P = 0.03). Digestive hemorrhage was in our study the main indication of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in neonates (85.9%) which showed a macroscopic lesion in 93.5% of cases. Hematemesis and suspicion of esophagitis are good indications for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in neonates.


Elongation factor 1 from Artemia salina: properties and disaggregation of the enzyme.
Elongation factor 1 has been purified from undeveloped embryos of Artemia salina. The purified enzyme appears to be an aggregate (molecular weight approximately to 200 000) which on sodium dodecylsulfate gels shows the presence of two major protein bands whose estimated molecular weights are 52 000 and 47 000. Lipid material appears to be associated with the purified protein. In aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes, there is only a limited turnover of the enzyme, but the protein acts catalytically in amino acid polymerization. The enzyme is disaggregated by a partially purified phospholipase C preparation, elastase and under certain conditions, by guanosine nucleotides. The significance of these results is discussed with respect to the overall role of elongation faction 1 in aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes.


Fully state-resolved photodissociation of formaldehyde, H2CO --> H + HCO:K conservation and a rigorous test of statistical theories.
The photodissociation dynamics of the reaction H2CO+hnu --> H + HCO have been investigated in the range 60-400 cm(-1) above the reaction threshold. Supersonically cooled formaldehyde was excited into 15 specific J, K(a), K, rotational states i n two vibrational lev el s 2(1) 4(1) 6(1) and 2(2) 4(1) in the A(1A2) state. The laser-induced fluorescence spectra of the nascent HCO fragment provided detailed product state distributions (PSDs), resolved by N, K(a), K(c), and J. When just the overall molecular rotation N is considered the PSDs are in remarkable agreement with calculations based on phase space theory (PST). However, when the projection of N onto the molecular frame (K(a),K(c)) is included the distributions show consistent deviations from PST. In particular, there is a tendency to preserve the initial parent rotational motion about the a and b axes. The effect is that states with higher initial K(a) in H2CO produce higher final K(a) in the HCO fragment. There is also a tendency for the upper/lower members of the asymmetry doublets in H2CO to map onto the same upper/lower set of product state asymmetry doublets. Finally, there are oscillations in some of the detailed PSDs that remain unexplained.


FGF9 mutation causes craniosynostosis along with multiple synostoses.
Craniosynostosis is commonly caused by mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), highlighting the essential role of FGF-mediated signaling in skeletal development. We set out to identify the molecular defect in a family referred for craniosynostosis and in whom no mutation was previously detected. Using next-generation sequencing, we identified a novel missense mutation in FGF9. Modeling based upon the crystal structure and functional studies confirmed its pathogenicity showing that it impaired homodimerization and FGFR3 binding. Only one FGF9 mutation has been previously reported in a multigeneration family with multiple synostoses (SYNS3) but no signs of craniosynostosis. In contrast, our family has a greater phenotypic resemblance to that observed in the Fgf9 spontaneous mouse mutant, elbow-knee-synostosis, Eks, with both multiple synostoses and craniosynostosis. We have demonstrated for the first time that mutations in FGF9 cause craniosynostosis in humans and confirm that FGF9 mutations cause multiple synostoses.


The role of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels on cardiovascular effects of thiopental and ketamine in rats.
We aimed to investigate whether mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels play any role on cardiovascular effects of thiopental (TP) or ketamine (K) anesthesia in rats. mitoKATP channels are the end-effectors of cardioprotection induced by some anesthetics. TP and K are the most frequently used anesthetics with their own cardiovascular effects in experimental studies. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study investigating the cardiovascular effects of TP and K associated with mitoKATP channels. The experimental groups: TP control, K/Xylazine (X) control, TP+5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD; mitoKATP channel blocker) and K/X+5-HD. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), heart rate (HR) and standard limb lead II ECG were recorded and arrhythmia parameters were evaluated. Blockage of mitoKATP channels by 5-HD increased MABP and decreased HR in the TP+5-HD and K/X+5-HD groups, respectively. 5-HD caused an increase in ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) incidence. Moreover, VEB incidence was significantly different in TP+5-HD (100%) than K/X+5-HDgroup (66.6%) and ventricular tachycardia was only seen in TP+5-HD (incidence was 88.3%). mitoKATP channels play different roles in influencing cardiovascular effects of K/X and TP anesthesia in rats. The differences in hemodynamic parameters and arrhythmia scores of these anesthetics should be considered when they are used in an experimental study associated with mitoKATP channels (Fig. 3, Ref. 35).


Antibacterial activity of extract and fractions from branches of Protium spruceanum and cytotoxicity on fibroblasts.
The crude ethanol extract (CEE) and fractions from branches of Protium spruceanum were subjected to antibacterial and cytotoxicity assays. Compounds of the most active fraction were identified by GC-MS and LC-MS. CEE was active against 19 bacteria and the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) showed the lowest minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC 0.3-80.0 mg/mL). Through time-kill assay was observed that EAF induced rapid bactericidal effect against Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The cytotoxicity tests against L929 fibroblasts showed great potential of EAF on the treatment of infections caused by five bacteria (MBC < IC50). The results provide in vitro scientific support to the possible application of branches of P. spruceanum as antimicrobial agent that may contribute for treatment of infections.


Association between adductor pollicis muscle thickness, anthropometric and immunological parameters in HIV-positive patients.
Involuntary weight loss and muscle mass loss among HIV-positive patients are only detectable in late stages, leading poor life quality. The reduction of adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT) can be easily and earlier uncovered in those cases. The purpose was to estimate APMT and compare it with immunological and anthropometric parameters of HIV-infected people. A crosssectional study was carried out in an University Hospital including 103 HIV-infected outpatients by subjective global assessment (SGA). Data were compared to APMT for the whole sample and between gender in univariate analysis. Besides that, simple correlation and multiple linear regression were done to check the APMT relation with gender, age, weight body, body mass index, arm circumference, CD4, CD8 and viral load. The APMT average values of the dominant hand (16.2 ± 4.2 mm) and non-dominant hand (14.8 ± 4.3 mm) were lower than in the healthy population. Through stratified analysis by gender, it was found significant difference in weight, arm muscle circumference, arm muscle area, triceps skinfold thickness and arm fat area (p < 0,01 for each). In any age group, men had significantly higher dominant and non-dominant APMT values than women (p < 0.001). Although the fair correlation among cited variables and APMT of both hands, there were no correlation and no difference between the genders in regards to immunological markers (CD4, CD8 and viral load). In a prediction model to APMT values, gender was determinant in multiple linear regression. In a well-nourished HIV sample by SGA with adequate CD4 counts, APMT measures of both hands were lower than in healthy people. In both hands, APMT were positively correlated with weight and male, regardless of other anthropometric data and immunologic factors.


Economic burden in treated Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma.
Aim: To understand the economic burden of relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma patients in Japan treated with salvage chemotherapy. Patients & methods: Patients who received systemic therapy after first-line treatment were analyzed to assess its associated cost and resource use using a retrospective claims database. The impact of COVID-19 was assessed separately. Results & conclusion: This study identified 2927 and 1085 patients in the second- (2L) and third-line (3L) cohorts. The median ages for the 2L and 3L cohorts were 71 and 70 years, respectively, with Charlson Comorbidity Score of 3. A majority of the patients had limited stem cell transplant due to advanced age. Median lengths of inpatient stay for the 2L and 3L cohorts were 118 and 116 days, respectively. The majority of costs were attributed to inpatient costs, and limited COVID-19 impact was observed in this study.


The Effect of Paper on the Detection Limit of Paper-Based Potentiometric Chloride Sensors.
While paper is an excellent material for use in many other portable sensors, potentiometric paper-based sensors have been reported to perform worse than conventional rod-shaped electrodes, in particular in view of limits of detection (LODs). Reported here is an in-depth study of the lower LOD for Cl- measurements with paper-based devices comprising AgCl/Ag transducers. Contamination by Cl- from two commonly used device materials─a AgCl/Ag ink and so-called ashless filter paper─was found to increase the concentration of Cl- in paper-contained samples far above what is expected for the spontaneous dissolution of the transducer's AgCl, thereby worsening lower LODs. In addition, for the case of Ag+, the commonly hypothesized adsorption of metal cations onto filter paper was found not to significantly affect the performance of AgCl/Ag transducers. We note that in the context of chemical analysis, metal impurities of paper are often mentioned in the literature, but Cl- contamination of paper has been overlooked.


Bayesian modeling and uncertainty quantification for descriptive social networks.
This article presents a simple and easily implementable Bayesian approach to model and quantify uncertainty in small descriptive social networks. While statistical methods for analyzing networks have seen burgeoning activity over the last decade or so, ranging from social sciences to genetics, such methods usually involve sophisticated stochastic models whose estimation requires substantial structure and information in the networks. At the other end of the analytic spectrum, there are purely descriptive methods based upon quantities and axioms in computational graph theory. In social networks, popular descriptive measures include, but are not limited to, the so called Krackhardt's axioms. Another approach, recently gaining attention, is the use of PageRank algorithms. While these descriptive approaches provide insight into networks with limited information, including small networks, there is, as yet, little research detailing a statistical approach for small networks. This article aims to contribute at the interface of Bayesian statistical inference and social network analysis by offering practicing social scientists a relatively straightforward Bayesian approach to account for uncertainty while conducting descriptive social network analysis. The emphasis is on computational feasibility and easy implementation using existing R packages, such as sna and rjags, that are available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (https://cran.r-project.org/). We analyze a network comprising 18 websites from the US and UK to discern transnational identities, previously analyzed using descriptive graph theory with no uncertainty quantification, using fully Bayesian model-based inference.


Medicinal signaling cells: A potential antimicrobial drug store.
Medicinal signaling cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells derived from mammalian bone marrow and periosteum that can be extended in culture. They can keep their ability in vitro to form a variety of mesodermal phenotypes and tissues. Over recent years, there has been great attention over MSCs since they can impact the organ transplantation as well as autoimmune and bacterial diseases. MSCs can secrete different bioactive factors such as growth factors, antimicrobial peptides/proteins and cytokines that can suppress the immune system and prevent infection via direct and indirect mechanisms. Moreover, MSCs are able to increase bacterial clearance in sepsis models by producing antimicrobial peptides such as defensins, cathelicidins, lipocalin and hepcidin. It is the aim of the present review to focus on the antibacterial effector functions of MSCs and their mechanisms of action against the pathogenic microbes.


Pediatric dermatology in practice: spectrum of skin diseases and approach to patients at a Turkish pediatric dermatology center.
The aim of this study was to determine the real spectrum of skin diseases in Turkish children and how they were managed. Data on a total of 6000 consecutive patients aged 0-18 years attending the pediatric dermatology clinic were analyzed for diagnosis, disease group, diagnostic pattern, treatment modality, and referral and hospitalization frequency. Allergic skin diseases (49.9%) were the leading group of dermatoses, which were followed by infectious diseases (20.5%), and disorders of skin appendages (10.2%). Atopic dermatitis was the most common dermatose, which was followed by papular urticaria and unclassified eczema. Most of the patients (92.0%) had diagnosis on clinical basis, whereas skin biopsy was performed in 3.7% and laboratory investigation in 4.4% of the patients. The hospitalization rate was 0.3%, and Henoch-Schönlein purpura was the most frequent dermatose for which hospitalization was required. Local treatment was prescribed in 56.0% of the patients, local treatment and systemic treatment together in 26.4%, and systemic treatment in 6.2%. Viral warts followed by viral exanthems caused by enteroviruses and acquired melanocytic nevi were the most frequently referred skin problems. Further investigation and treatment for systemic or related diseases was the most common reason for referrals (2.1%), and pediatrics was the department to which most of the referrals were made (1.8%). This study provided important data on the spectrum of skin diseases encountered in the pediatric age groups and general approach to patients in a pediatric dermatology clinic in Turkey.


[HBs-antigen determination during pregnancy with reference to prevention of a postnatal infection in the newborn infant].
In 1980 and 1981 the blood samples of 2040 pregnant women from the Department of Obstetrics of the University Hospital of Cologne have been examined for HBs-antigen. In 37 samples (1.8%) HBs-antigen was detected. As there are considerable racial as well as geographic differences in the frequency of HBs-antigenemia, we differentiated between German and foreign women. In 10 out of 1519 (0.7%) German and in 27 out of 521 (5.2%) foreign women, respectively, HBs-antigen could be demonstrated. Only 1 woman was known to be HBs-antigen positive. Until now, 38 children have been born in the University Hospital to 33 HBs-antigen-positive mothers. After birth, 35 children received hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG). So far, none of these immunised children exhibited signs of a hepatitis B infection--22 children have been followed up 5-19 months, and 13 children 1-4 months. Three newborns did not receive HBIG: One child was already infected at time of birth, the 2 other children were erroneously not given HBIG. One of these 2 children fell ill at the age of 5 months with clinical and serological manifestations of hepatitis B, the other child appears healthy up to date (11 weeks).


[Septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and Lemierre syndrome].
The authors report a case of Lemierre's syndrome. This uncommon clinical entity is characterized by a septic internal jugular vein thrombosis with secondary metastatic abscesses and Fusobacterium necrophorum septicemia, following an acute oropharyngeal infection. The diagnosis is primarily clinical and it should be suspected when a severe septicaemic illness, with pulmonary symptoms, occurs after an acute pharyngotonsillar infection. This article reviews the clinical picture, microbiology and treatment of this forgotten complication of acute tonsillitis.


Variation in colon cancer survival for patients living and receiving care in London, 2006-2013: does where you live matter?
Marked geographical disparities in survival from colon cancer have been consistently described in England. Similar patterns have been observed within London, almost mimicking a microcosm of the country's survival patterns. This evidence has suggested that the area of residence plays an important role in the survival from cancer. We analysed the survival from colon cancer of patients diagnosed in 2006-2013, in a pre-pandemic period, living in London at their diagnosis and received care in a London hospital. We examined the patterns of patient pathways between the area of residence and the hospital of care using flow maps, and we investigated whether geographical variations in survival from colon cancer are associated with the hospital of care. To estimate survival, we applied a Bayesian excess hazard model which accounts for the hierarchical structure of the data. Geographical disparities in colon cancer survival disappeared once controlled for hospitals, and the disparities seemed to be augmented between hospitals. However, close examination of patient pathways revealed that the poorer survival observed in some hospitals was mostly associated with higher proportions of emergency diagnosis, while their performance was generally as expected for patients diagnosed through non-emergency routes. This study highlights the need to better coordinate primary and secondary care sectors in some areas of London to improve timely access to specialised clinicians and diagnostic tests. This challenge remains crucially relevant after the recent successive regroupings of Clinical Commissioning Groups (which grouped struggling areas together) and the observed exacerbation of disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Species identification of white false hellebore (Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum) using real-time PCR.
Food poisoning is frequently caused by the accidental ingestion of toxic plants that possess strong morphological similarities to edible plants. False helleborine (Veratrum album) is one of the most common plants involved in such accidents. In cases of poisoning by toxic plants, rapid and accurate identification, usually based on the morphological or chemical analysis of plant parts, is required for appropriate medical treatment or forensic investigation. However, morphological examinations require experience in systematic botany because the samples are fragmentary, and chemical analysis of natural compounds can be difficult. In this study, we developed a TaqMan real-time PCR method using trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF that could be carried out in 30-60min. The lower detection limit was less than 10pg of DNA and the primer sets were specific to V. album and Veratrum stamineum. Mixed samples, cooked samples, and simulated gastric contents were successfully identified, and a multiplex assay of two regions was also possible. These results indicate that the TaqMan real-time PCR analysis is a very effective method to detect small samples of V. album and V. stamineum accurately and rapidly in poisoning cases.