Relationship Intervention for Inmates and Their Partners: Bringing Couples Together Before Release.
The aim of this intervention study was to examine the impact of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program on inmates and their partners with the programming goal to reduce the negative impact of incarceration on families. This study was conducted in a prison facility in the Northeast United States, and data were collected on 40 couples (40 male inmates and 40 female partners) that completed the program. This study used a self-report pre and post survey to collect data on relationship satisfaction, relationship confidence, types of interactions, as well as program satisfaction. Results demonstrated that inmates and their partners improved their positive interactions and relationship confidence. Different trends were found for men and women in marital satisfaction and negative interactions. Both groups reported that the program was beneficial for improving communication; however, listening techniques and setting ground rules during discussions were still issues both groups struggled with at the end of the intervention.


Guidelines for Authors and Reviewers of Plastic Surgery.
Credible clinical research is a precondition of evidence-based surgery. If clinical research is not conducted and reported properly, such research can be unreliable, unclear, and misleading. Our journal, Plastic Surgery, aims to improve its quality and thus enhance interest, submissions, and readership. To do so, we must ensure that the articles published in our journal align with these goals. This article guides future clinical research contributors, how to design, conduct and report valuable and reliable research. Readers are informed how to choose a title and keywords that properly reflect the content of the article. The proper organization of a manuscript, and the information that goes into each section is described. Valuable tools like the EQUATOR Network Guidelines, the FINER Criteria and the PICOT Format are described for the reader. These resources help formulate a proper research question and ensure transparency in reporting. Commonly used study designs, and the research questions they answer are presented. This ensures that those engaged in research are choosing the right study design for their research. We outline the statistical information that should be presented in the Methods section and differentiate between the content that should be found in the Results and Discussion sections. As Plastic Surgery strives to publish high-quality, reliable research, it is by the standards presented in this article that we will judge all manuscripts submitted for publication.


Brain tumors: full- and half-dose contrast-enhanced MR imaging at 3.0 T compared with 1.5 T--Initial Experience.
To prospectively and intraindividually compare the effect of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at a higher magnetic field strength (3.0 T) on contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at different doses of a T1-shortening contrast agent in patients with contrast-enhancing brain lesions, with 1.5-T MR imaging as a reference standard. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for all patient and volunteer studies. Twelve patients (six women, six men; mean age, 58 years; range, 29-76 years) with 12 enhancing brain lesions (11 patients with primary brain tumors and one with a solitary cerebral metastasis) underwent contrast material-enhanced MR imaging three times, on three separate days: once at 1.5 T with a full dose of 0.10 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine, once at 3.0 T with a full dose, and once at 3.0 T with half that dose, 0.05 mmol/kg. The same contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images (repetition time msec/echo time msec, 500/12; section thickness, 5 mm; matrix, 256 x 205) were obtained at both 3.0 T and 1.5 T after prior optimization of parameters at 3.0 T. The number and conspicuity of enhancing brain lesions were assessed with blinded clinical image reading. Signal-to-noise ratio and CNR were determined with region of interest analysis of enhancing lesions and normal contralateral white matter. For 3.0 T with half the standard dose and with the full dose, CNR of lesions was intraindividually compared with CNR at 1.5 T with the full dose by using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. At 3.0 T and full dose, CNR was 2.8-fold higher than that at 1.5 T and full dose (P < .001). At the same time, higher lesion conspicuity at clinical image reading was observed. With only half the standard dose, MR imaging at 3.0 T still yielded higher CNR (1.3-fold higher) than that with full dose at 1.5 T (P < .01). With the same amount of contrast agent, MR imaging at 3.0 T offered a significantly higher CNR of enhancing cerebral lesions, compared with that at 1.5 T; even with the dose reduced by half, CNR was still higher at 3.0 T.


Naive causal understanding of valenced behaviors and its implications for social information processing.
People bring to bear on their understanding of others' behaviors naive theories of the causes of valenced behaviors. Generally, positive behaviors are understood to be caused by social demands, whereas negative behaviors are understood to be caused by people's dispositions. Various research findings are reviewed in support of the idea that people possess such naive theories. The analysis is extended to establish how these sense-making tendencies affect the manner in which people approach and process information about others. A second set of studies is reviewed in support of these implications for person perception. Comparisons to other models of social inference are considered, implications of the frame-work are examined, and the framework is situated within a general model of the attribution process.


Bladder tumor staging by transurethral ultrasonic scanning.
To determine tumor stage, 115 bladder cancer patients with cystoscopic suspicion of invasion underwent transurethral ultrasonic scanning. Seventeen patients who had received radiotherapy were excluded because it proved impossible to differentiate between tumor and irradiation sequelae. Of the remaining 98 examinations, 4 (4.1%) were inconclusive, 73 tumors (74.5%) were correctly staged, 16 tumors (16.3%) were overstaged and 5 tumors (5.1%) understaged. Transurethral ultrasound is regarded a useful supplement to cytoscopy and biopsy in staging of bladder tumors suspected of invasion.


Validated LC Method for the Estimation of Voriconazole in Bulk and Formulation.
Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the estimation of voriconazole in bulk and formulation using prominence diode array detector. Selected mobile phase was a combination of water:acetonitrile (35:65 % v/v) and wavelength selected was 256 nm. Retention time of voriconazole was 3.95 min. Linearity of the method was found to be 0.1 to 2 mug/ml, with the regression coefficient of 0.999. This method was validated according to ICH guidelines. Quantification was done by calculating area of the peak and the detection limit and quantitation limit ware 0.026 mug/ml and 0.1 mug/ml, respectively. There was no significant difference in the intra day and inter day analysis of voriconazole determined for three different concentrations using this method. Present method can be applied for the determination of voriconazole in quality control of formulation without interference of the excipients.


Sodium-Oxygen Batteries: A Comparative Review from Chemical and Electrochemical Fundamentals to Future Perspective.
Alkali metal-oxygen (Li-O2 , Na-O2 ) batteries have attracted a great deal of attention recently due to their high theoretical energy densities, comparable to gasoline, making them attractive candidates for application in electrical vehicles. However, the limited cycling life and low energy efficiency (high charging overpotential) of these cells hinder their commercialization. The Li-O2 battery system has been extensively studied in this regard during the past decade. Compared to the numerous reports of Li-O2 batteries, the research on Na-O2 batteries is still in its infancy. Although, Na-O2 batteries show a number of attractive properties such as low charging overpotential and high round-trip energy efficiency, their cycling life is currently limited to a few tens of cycles. Therefore, understanding the chemistry behind Na-O2 cells is critical towards enhancing their performance and advancing their development. Chemical and electrochemical reactions of Na-O2 batteries are reviewed and compared with those of Li-O2 batteries in the present review, as well as recent works on the chemical composition and morphology of the discharge products in these batteries. Furthermore, the determining kinetics factors for controlling the chemical composition of the discharge products in Na-O2 cells are discussed and the potential research directions toward improving Na-O2 cells are proposed.


Vasodilatory capacity and vascular structure in long-standing hypertension: a LIFE substudy. Losartan Intervention For Endpoint-Reduction in Hypertension.
Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), which is considered a measure of endothelial function, has been found impaired in hypertension. However, it is unclear whether this impairment is explained solely by endothelial dysfunction, or whether it is associated with structural vascular changes and reduced vasodilatory capacity. In 42 unmedicated patients with hypertension and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy, we measured the following: 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP), minimal forearm vascular resistance (MFVR) by plethysmography, intima-media cross-sectional area of the common carotid arteries (IMA), FMD, and nitroglycerin-induced dilatation (NID) in the brachial artery by ultrasound. We found that FMD was correlated positively with NID (r = 0.38, P < .05). However, FMD as well as NID correlated negatively to 24-h systolic BP (r = -0.41, P = .01 and r = -0.52, P = .001), IMA/height (r = -0.41, P < .01 and r = -0.53, P < .001) and MFVR(men) (r = -0.44, P < .05 and r = -0.42, P < .05). Low FMD as well as low NID were related in parallel to high systolic BP and to the severity of vascular changes in different vascular beds, suggesting that elevated BP load in hypertension induces parallel abnormalities in conduit artery structure and overall vasodilatory capacity. Therefore, the decrease in FMD observed in severe hypertension may be caused by endothelial dysfunction as well as by structural vascular changes, suggesting difficulties in interpreting FMD solely as a measure of endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.


Antifungal and Antibacterial Effect of Propolis: A Comparative Hit for Food-Borne Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae and Fungi.
Propolis is a natural brownish resinous substance collected by honeybees (Apis mellifera), with a documented bioactivity against many microorganisms. In this study, the activity of propolis was investigated using some strains of Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillus plantarum, yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Debaryomyces hansenii) and Fusarium oxysporum. Two approaches were used (a modified microdilution protocol and viable count), and the microorganisms were inoculated at two levels (low or high inoculum). The antimicrobial effect of propolis relies upon several factors, like the kind of microorganisms (for example S. cerevisiae was more resistant than D. hansenii, while Lactobacillus plantarum was never affected), the cell concentration (at high inoculum higher amounts of propolis were required for an antimicrobial action), and the mode of action (a delay of growth rather than a complete inhibition). The results of this paper point out, for the first time, the antimicrobial activity of propolis against some spoilers, with a focus on the possible effect; thus, they could be the background to designing an effective tool to prolong the shelf life of foods.


Posterior wedge osteotomy assisted by O-arm navigation for treating ankylosing spondylitis with thoracolumbar fractures: an early clinical evaluation.
To explore the feasibility and efficiency of posterior wedge osteotomy assisted by O-arm navigation treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with thoracolumbar fracture. This is a case series study. A total of 16 cases of AS accompanied by thoracolumbar fractures from January 2012 to July 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent "posterior wedge osteotomy assisted by O-arm navigation". The operation time, blood loss volume, preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification, and spinal imaging parameters [Cobb angle, C7 plumb line (C7PL), and jaw-brow angle] were collected and analyzed. The operative time consumption was 120-350 mins and the intra-operative blood loss volume was 200-800 mL. No obvious postoperative complications occurred in any participants. The back pain of all participants was relieved, and the neurological functions of eight participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) were recovered in varying degrees except for one patient with severe SCI. The spinal deformities of the participants were corrected to varying degrees. The fracture sites of 16 participants were all healed, and there was no loosening or detachment of internal fixation during the 6-month follow-up period. Posterior wedge osteotomy assisted by O-arm navigation was shown to be a safe and effective method to treat AS accompanied by thoracolumbar fractures. This treatment strategy can accurately decompress and reduce the fracture and significantly correct the kyphosis, with good surgical effect.


Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and pubertal development in sons. A follow-up study of a birth cohort.
Epidemiological studies have raised concern about the reproductive consequences of prenatal cigarette smoking exposure, possibly affecting semen quality and onset of pubertal development of the offspring. The aim of this study was to further investigate pubertal development in young men exposed to cigarette smoking in foetal life. In a Danish pregnancy cohort, information on maternal smoking during pregnancy was available from questionnaires administered in 1984-1987, and information on pubertal development, assessed by age at first nocturnal emission, acne, voice break and regular shaving, was obtained from a follow-up questionnaire administered in 2005 to the young men (age: 18-21). We found no significant association between prenatal cigarette smoking exposure and earlier onset of puberty, but we did observe a tendency towards earlier age of first nocturnal emission, acne and voice break, indicating an accelerated age of pubertal development. Men exposed to ≥15 cigarettes/day had 3.1 months (95% CI: -6.4; 0.2) earlier age at acne and 2.2 months (95% CI: -7.3; 3.0) earlier age at first nocturnal emission, 1.2 months (95% CI: -4.6; 2.2) earlier age at voice break, however, 1.3 months (95% CI: -1.6; 4.3) later age at regular shaving, compared with unexposed men. Prenatal cigarette smoking exposure may induce an earlier age at onset of puberty in young men, but larger studies with prospectively collected data on pubertal development are needed to explore this hypothesis further.


Molecular cloning and expression of the canine metallothionein-III gene.
We have isolated and determined the complete nucleotide sequence of canine metallothionein-III (MT-III) cDNA. The predicted amino acid sequence of the canine MT-III showed a high homology (93%, 87% identity) to that of human and mouse MT-III. The canine MT-III had 2 insertions relative to known mammalian MT-I and MT-II: a threonine after the 4th amino acid and a block of 6 amino acids near the carboxyl terminus. Expression of the canine MT-III mRNA was found exclusively in the central nervous system, where neurons in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus and cerebral cortex showed predominant signals.


The positive impact of mindfulness interventions on the explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods.
The main goal of our intervention study was to investigate whether two conceptually different mindfulness interventions positively impacted the explicit and implicit affective evaluations of vegetarian foods. We included possible mediating variables (e.g., wellbeing) and related our results to the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC). We implemented a compassion and caring-based mental training (N = 31) and an adapted MBSR course (N = 34) as mindfulness interventions, and a stress-reduction course (N = 26) as the active control group. The curriculums consisted of 12 weekly group sessions á 75 min. All participants were tested pre- and post-intervention and 3 months after the last intervention session, answered questionnaires (mindfulness, compassion, wellbeing, items of the SSBC) and completed an explicit affective evaluation task and an affective priming task. There was an improvement in the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods regardless of the intervention group. In the SSBC, we found a link between the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods and the indicated stage in the model. Multiple regression analysis revealed social and personal norms and a vegetarian/vegan diet as the only significant predictors for goal intention in the SSBC. The results of our study suggest that both conceptually different mindfulness interventions, as well as a stress-reduction program, have a positive impact on explicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods. We highlight the meaning of inner dimensions and transformation for change processes for a more sustainable diet and the role of social and personal norms.


The HIV-positive psychiatric patient and the duty to protect: ethical and legal issues.
A small, yet significant, percentage of HIV-positive patients have a concomitant psychiatric or neurological disorder associated with impaired judgment. Clinical problems such as psychoses, certain personality disorders, and dementias are associated with disinhibition of impulses and diminished capacity for self-monitoring. These deficits in reasoning and judgment may prevent the patient from comprehending the significance of their HIV status and the consequences of sexual behavior or needle sharing. There are indications that the Tarasoff duty-to-protect may apply to this situation. Available data about the prevalence of HIV risk behavior and HIV infection among psychiatric patients are reviewed. The applicability to these situations is described. When an HIV patient engages in high risk sexual behavior with identifiable partners and refuses to notify them of their HIV status, physicians and mental health professionals may have a legal and ethical duty to warn. A decision model for this clinical dilemma is presented. Clinical strategies for these patients may include ongoing supervision and monitoring as well as possible quarantine.


Bilateral subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages mimicking nonaccidental trauma in a patient with D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria.
Nonaccidental trauma (NAT) is considered when pediatric patients present with intracranial injuries and a negative history of an accidental injury or concomitant medical diagnosis. The evaluation of NAT should include the consideration of possible medical causes including coagulation, hematologic, metabolic and other genetic disorders, as well as witnessed and unwitnessed accidental injuries. We present a 7-month-old male with spells and incidental findings of bilateral subdural hematomas, retinal hemorrhages, and secondary macrocephaly, leading to investigation for NAT. Biochemical analysis showed excretion of a large amount of D-2-hydroxyglutaric in urine consistent with a biochemical diagnosis of D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, a rare neurometabolic disorder characterized by developmental delay, epilepsy, hypotonia, and psychomotor retardation. None of these symptoms were present in our patient at the time of diagnosis. Molecular genetic testing revealed a pathogenic splice site variant (c.685-2A>G) and a variant of uncertain significance (c.1256G>T) with evidence of pathogenicity in the D2HGDH gene, consistent with a molecular diagnosis of D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria type I (OMIM #600721). Since several metabolic disorders, including D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria type I, can present solely with symptoms suggestive of NAT (subdural and retinal hemorrhages), an early metabolic evaluation by urine organic acid analysis should be included in clinical protocols evaluating NAT. A methodical and nonjudgmental approach coordinated between pediatricians and metabolic specialists is also necessary to ensure that rare genetic conditions are not overlooked to prevent devastating social, legal, and financial consequences of suspected child abuse.


Effects of morphine and time of day on pain and beta-endorphin.
Clients report more pain at some times of day than at others due, in part, to the temporal variation of the body's inhibitory pain response. The analgesic effectiveness of morphine varies with the time of day, perhaps due to the inhibiting or enhancing effects of the drug on plasma beta-endorphin (BE). This experiment was designed to examine the timed effects of morphine on the pain-induced BE response. Six groups of treatment mice (injected with morphine sulfate) and 6 groups of control mice (injected with saline) were exposed to an acute pain stimulus at 4-h intervals, and blood was collected. Plasma BE was analyzed using radioimmunoassay. Control mice showed a robust circadian BE-response rhythm with a peak at 0000 and a nadir at 1200, whereas the BE response of mice that received morphine was arrhythmic. Animals that received morphine tolerated the noxious stimulus longer, but the analgesia varied with time of day. These results indicate that morphine abolishes the rhythmic BE response to pain and does not inhibit pain equally at all times of day. Morphine doses should be titrated to maximize the endogenous pain control system while achieving analgesia with decreased dosages.


Diabetes increases the risk of disease and death due to Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. A matched case-control and cohort study.
This study investigated the effect and influence of diabetes severity on susceptibility and 30-day mortality of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). Nationwide population-based study of individuals with SAB and matched population controls. Diabetes severity was categorized based on International Classification of Diseases codes and the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of SAB associated with diabetes was estimated by conditional logistic regression analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) were analyzed by Cox proportional regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, hospital contact and diabetes duration. Of 25,855 SAB cases, 2797 (10.8%) had diabetes and 2913 (11.3%) had diabetes with complications compared to 14,189 (5.5%) and 5499 (2.1%) of 258,547 controls. This corresponded to an increased risk of SAB associated with diabetes without complications (OR 1.83 (95% CI 1.74-1.92)) and of diabetes with complications (OR 3.62 (95% CI 3.43-3.81) compared to no diabetes. The risk of SAB was highest within the first year of diabetes. Diabetes without complications was associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality (HR 1.62 (95% CI 1.01-2.60)) compared to no diabetes. Diabetes with complications was overall not associated with increased 30-d mortality (HR 1.36 (95% CI 0.84-2.20)) except for individuals with ketoacidosis/coma (HR 2.01 (95% 1.17-3.45)). Diabetes, particularly, diabetes with complications significantly increased the risk of SAB. In contrast, there was an increased risk of 30-day mortality after SAB for diabetes without complications but not for diabetes with complications overall. Diabetes with ketoacidosis/coma conferred the highest relative risk of 30-day mortality.


Purine metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes.
The metabolism of adenine, hypoxanthine, guanine, and adenosine was studied in rat liver cell suspensions, prepared by collagenase perfusion. Oxygen supply was a critical variable in the preparation and subsequent incubationof the cells, as judged on the basis of the ratio of radioactivity in ATP to that in ADP after incubation with [14C]adenine. This ratio is suggested as an additional criterion of cell function. Adenine nucleotides synthesized from [14C]adenine were slowly catabolized to allantoin, with little incorporationof radioactivity into other purine compounds. [14C]Adenine is thus suitable for prelabelling the adenine nucleotide pool. [14C]Guanine and [14C]hypoxanthine were rapidly catabolized to allantoin, whereas nucleotide synthesis was low. [14C]Adenosine was initially phosphorylated and deaminated at about equal rates, but with continued incubation catabolic products predominated. Isolated hepatocytes were found suitable for studies of purine metabolism, in which the liver has important functions for the whole organism.


Feeling disrespected: an exploration of the extant literature.
In this article, a comprehensive exploration of the literature on feeling disrespected is presented. Literature is reviewed from philosophy, sociology, psychology, education, business, and nursing. Four over-arching themes concerning feeling disrespected are identified.


Inability to relate tooth forms to face shape and gender.
This study aimed to examine whether there exists a gender-dependent correlation between the inverted face shape and that of the upper central incisor as the literature often suggests. Standardized portraits and anterior tooth photographs of 204 dental students were made. Standardized enlargements of facial outlines and of the upper right incisor outlines were traced. They were classified into three different shapes: tapered, ovoid and square-shaped. Ten dentists determined twice - with an intervening interval of 3 wk - the gender of the students on the basis of the anterior tooth photographs. Tooth and face shapes could be classified as tapered (25% and 27%, respectively), ovoid (39% and 41%, respectively) or square-shaped (36% and 32%, respectively). A significant correlation could be shown between face shape and gender, but not between tooth shape and gender. The dentists were correct about the gender of the subjects in 47 to 59% of all cases. The reproducibility of their judgments varied between 54% and 77%. The theory that the tooth shape should correspond to the inverted facial shape could therefore not be confirmed. In addition it could be shown that the participants were not capable of determining a subject's gender from intraoral photographs alone.


Predictors of Post-discharge Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for Acute Heart Failure.
Acute Heart Failure (AHF) is a " multi-event disease" and hospitalisation is a critical event in the clinical course of HF. Despite relatively rapid relief of symptoms, hospitalisation for AHF is followed by an increased risk of death and re-hospitalisation. In AHF, risk stratification from clinically available data is increasingly important in evaluating long-term prognosis. From the perspective of patients, information on the risk of mortality and re-hospitalisation would be helpful in providing patients with insight into their disease. From the perspective of care providers, it may facilitate management decisions, such as who needs to be admitted and to what level of care (i.e. floor, step-down, ICU). Furthermore, risk-stratification may help identify patients who need to be evaluated for advanced HF therapies (i.e. left-ventricle assistance device or transplant or palliative care), and patients who need early a post-discharge follow-up plan. Finally, risk stratification will allow for more robust efforts to identify among risk markers the true targets for therapies that may direct treatment strategies to selected high-risk patients. Further clinical research will be needed to evaluate if appropriate risk stratification of patients could improve clinical outcome and resources allocation.


Hydrostatin-SN1, a Sea Snake-Derived Bioactive Peptide, Reduces Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Acute Lung Injury.
Snake venom has been used for centuries as a traditional Chinese medicine. Hydrostatin-SN1 (H-SN1), a bioactive peptide extracted from the Hydrophis cyanocinctus venom gland T7 phage display library, was reported to have the ability to reduce inflammation in a dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine colitis model. In this study, we sought to investigate the inhibitory potential of H-SN1 on inflammation in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI), and elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In vivo, C57BL/6 male mice were intratracheally instilled with LPS or physiological saline with concurrent intraperitoneal injection of H-SN1 or saline alone. Lung histopathologic changes, lung wet-to-dry weight ratio, and myeloperoxidase activity in lung tissues were assessed. Total cell number, the protein concentration, and cytokine levels were determined in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid. In vitro, RAW 264.7 cells were treated with various concentrations of H-SN1 for 2 h followed by incubation with or without 1 μg/ml LPS for 0.5 or 24 h. The mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines was determined via RT-PCR and protein levels in the supernatants were measured via ELISA. Extracellular-signal related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways were analyzed via western blot. H-SN1 improved pulmonary edema status, decreased vascular permeability, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and lessened lung morphological injury. H-SN1 also dose-dependently inhibited the mRNA expression and release of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, H-SN1 inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Our results suggest that H-SN1 could attenuate LPS-induced ALI in mice, which is associated with the anti-inflammatory effect of H-SN1. The mechanism might involve inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines by, at least in part, interfering with the ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling pathways.


[Plate osteosynthesis in the treatment of open femoral shaft fractures. Course in 65 cases].
In this study the results of 65 open femoral shaft fractures treated by plating are reported. The follow up of these cases proved that the osteosynthesis by plate is the treatment of choice in most of open femoral shaft fractures. The overall rate of postoperative complications was 23%. There were 5 deep infections concerning third-grade open fractures in two patients. In 10 cases a second operation was necessary because of delayed union; in 8 of these 10 fractures a homologous cancellous bone graft was performed during the first operation. Regarding to these complications an autologous bone transplantation should be carried out after primary plating of open femoral shaft fractures in order to improve vascularity and stability of the fracture. To reduce the unsatisfying rate of infections in III.-grade open fractures the treatment by external pin fixation in these cases should be preferred.


[Inhibin B--a marker of the function of male gonad].
Inhibin B is one of the growth factors mediating between Sertoli cells and germ cells. Inhibin B plays a role in the negative feedback control of FSH secretion in men. Inhibin B levels are low in the first week after birth in male newborns, then increase up to the 6th month of age and then decline progressively to reach their nadir towards 3-6 years. They become high again during puberty. Studies about influence of inhibin B on concentration and spermatogenic activity confirmed, that inhibin B can be used as a marker to estimate the Sertoli cells function. It has been proven that serum inhibin B levels in adult men correlate positively with sperm concentration. Inhibin B secretion decreases with men age what can be connected with FSH serum level increase. Inhibin B can be also used to diagnose and monitor many disturbances of spermatogenesis like different etiology azoospermia, primary testicular failure, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Kallman's syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome, cryptorchidism, precocious puberty and complete or selective loss of subthalamus or pituitary function. Inhibin B is also considered as a good marker of spermatogenesis in population researches (especially together with FSH serum levels).


Proliferative strongyloidiasis in a colony of colubrid snakes.
Strongyloides are small rhabditid nematodes primarily associated with enteric disease in a variety of animal species, including reptiles. Strongyloides spp life stages were associated with a disease outbreak in a large breeding colony of snakes. Multiple Pantherophis and Lampropeltis colubrids exhibited respiratory distress, anorexia, stomatitis, facial deformation, and waning body condition that resulted in death or necessitated euthanasia. Postmortem examinations of 13 snakes revealed epithelial hyperplasia and inflammation of the alimentary and respiratory tracts associated with varying numbers of adult and larval nematodes and embryonated or larvated ova. In a subset of snakes, aberrant nematode migration was also observed in the eye, genitourinary system, coelom, and vasculature. Histomorphology and gross examination of parasitic adult female nematodes from host tissues were consistent with a Strongyloides spp. Sedimented fecal material from 101/160 (63%) snakes housed in the affected facility was positive for nematodes and/or larvated ova. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of portions of the 18S and 28S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) genes and the internal transcribed spacer region of adult female parasites and positive fecal samples supported the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. Strongyloides spp possess a unique life cycle capable of alternating between parasitic (homogonic) and free-living (heterogonic) stages, resulting in the production of directly infective larvae. Commonly utilized husbandry practices in reptile collections can amplify the numbers of infective larvae generated in the captive environment, increasing the risk for rhabditid hyperinfections. This report documents morbidity, mortality, and non-enteric disease manifestations due to Strongyloides hyperinfections in a captive colubrid snake colony.


Outcome of laparoscopic splenectomy for malignant hematologic diseases.
The role of laparoscopic splenectomy in the treatment of hematological diseases is still controversial. The aim of this study was to assess whether the benign or malignant nature of hematological diseases may influence the outcome of laparoscopic splenectomy. Between August 1997 and March 2002, 63 unselected patients with hematologic diseases underwent a laparoscopic splenectomy. Patients were divided into two groups according to the benign (Group A, 38 patients) or malignant (Group B, 25 patients) nature of the hematological diseases. Patients in group B were significantly (a) older, (b) had larger spleens that more frequently needed accessory incisions for specimen retrieval, (c) had greater transfusion requirements, and (d) were fed later than patients in group A. There were no statistically significant differences among the two groups in terms of (a) body-mass index, (b) operative time, (c) conversion rate, (d) blood loss, (e) pain medication requirements, and (f) hospital stay. Two postoperative deaths occurred among patients in group B, but none of them was related to surgery. The results of the study showed that: a) the nature of the disease does not influence the outcome of laparoscopic splenectomy, b) the size of the spleen might increase the risk of conversion, but it is no longer a contraindication to laparoscopic splenectomy, and c) laparoscopic splenectomy can be effectively performed in the treatment of malignant hematologic diseases.


Direct observation of individual hydrogen atoms at trapping sites in a ferritic steel.
The design of atomic-scale microstructural traps to limit the diffusion of hydrogen is one key strategy in the development of hydrogen-embrittlement-resistant materials. In the case of bearing steels, an effective trapping mechanism may be the incorporation of finely dispersed V-Mo-Nb carbides in a ferrite matrix. First, we charged a ferritic steel with deuterium by means of electrolytic loading to achieve a high hydrogen concentration. We then immobilized it in the microstructure with a cryogenic transfer protocol before atom probe tomography (APT) analysis. Using APT, we show trapping of hydrogen within the core of these carbides with quantitative composition profiles. Furthermore, with this method the experiment can be feasibly replicated in any APT-equipped laboratory by using a simple cold chain.


Emergency department admission and mortality rate for suicidal behavior. A follow-up study on attempted suicides referred to the ED between January 2004 and December 2010.
The international literature reports that for every completed suicide there are between 8 and 22 visits to an Emergency Department (ED) for attempted suicide/suicidal behavior. To describe the characteristics of admission to emergency departments (EDs) for suicide-related presenting complaints in the metropolitan area of Bologna; to estimate the risk for all-cause mortality and for suicide; to identify the profiles of subjects most at risk. Follow-up of patients admitted to the EDs of the metropolitan area of Bologna between January 2004 and December 2010 for attempted suicide. A Cox model was used to evaluate the association between sociodemographic variables and the general mortality risk. We identified 505 cases of attempted suicide, which were more frequent for female subjects, over the weekend, and at night (8:00 p.m./8:00 a.m.). The most used suicide methods were psychotropic drugs, sharp or blunt objects, and jumping from high places. In this cohort, 3.6% of subjects completed suicide (4.5% of males vs. 2.9% of females), 2.3% within 1 year of the start of follow-up. The most common causes of death were drug use and hanging. In the multivariate analysis, those who used illicit drugs 24 hr prior to admission to the ED (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.23-9.73) and patients who refused the treatment (HR = 6.74, 95% CI = 1.86-24.40) showed an increased mortality risk for suicide. Deliberate self-harm patients presenting to the ED who refuse treatment represent a specific target group for setting up dedicated prevention schemes.


Role of p50/CDC37 in hepadnavirus assembly and replication.
The cellular chaperone Hsp90 has been shown to associate with the reverse transcriptase (RT) of the duck hepatitis B virus and is required for RT functions. However, the molecular basis for the specific interaction between the RT and Hsp90 remains unknown. Comparison of protein compositional properties suggests that the RT is highly related to the protein kinase c-Raf, which interacts with Hsp90 via the cochaperone p50 (CDC37). We tested whether the RT, like c-Raf, is specifically recognized by p50. Immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays showed that p50 or p50deltaC, a p50 mutant defective in Hsp90 binding, could interact specifically with the RT both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that p50 can bind the RT independently of Hsp90. Furthermore, purified p50 and p50deltaC interacted directly with purified RT. The importance of p50-RT interaction for RT functions was underscored by 1) inhibition of protein-primed initiation of reverse transcription by p50deltaC in vitro and 2) stimulation of viral DNA replication and RNA packaging by p50 and their inhibition by p50deltaC in transfected cells. These results suggest that p50 can function as a cellular cofactor for the hepadnavirus RT by mediating the interaction between the RT and Hsp90.


MicroRNAs as regulators in plant metal toxicity response.
Metal toxicity is a major stress affecting crop production. This includes metals that are essential for plants (copper, iron, zinc, manganese), and non-essential metals (cadmium, aluminum, cobalt, mercury). A primary common effect of high concentrations of metal such as aluminum, copper, cadmium, or mercury is root growth inhibition. Metal toxicity triggers the accumulation of reactive oxygen species leading to damage of lipids, proteins, and DNA. The plants response to metal toxicity involves several biological processes that require fine and precise regulation at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 nucleotide non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. A miRNA, incorporated into a RNA-induced silencing complex, promotes cleavage of its target mRNA that is recognized by an almost perfect base complementarity. In plants, miRNA regulation is involved in development and also in biotic and abiotic stress responses. We review novel advances in identifying miRNAs related to metal toxicity responses and their potential role according to their targets. Most of the targets for plant metal-responsive miRNAs are transcription factors. Information about metal-responsive miRNAs in different plants points to important regulatory roles of miR319, miR390, miR393, and miR398. The target of miR319 is the TCP transcription factor, implicated in growth control. miR390 exerts its action through the biogenesis of trans-acting small interference RNAs that, in turn, regulate auxin responsive factors. miR393 targets the auxin receptors TIR1/AFBs and a bHLH transcription factor. Increasing evidence points to the crucial role of miR398 and its targets Cu/Zn superoxide dismutases in the control of the oxidative stress generated after high copper or iron exposure.


White Matter Changes in Tinnitus: Is It All Age and Hearing Loss?
Tinnitus is a condition characterized by the perception of auditory phantom sounds. It is known as the result of complex interactions between auditory and nonauditory regions. However, previous structural imaging studies on tinnitus patients showed evidence of significant white matter changes caused by hearing loss that are positively correlated with aging. Current study focused on which aspects of tinnitus pathologies affect the white matter integrity the most. We used the diffusion tensor imaging technique to acquire images that have higher contrast in brain white matter to analyze how white matter is influenced by tinnitus-related factors using voxel-based methods, region of interest analysis, and deterministic tractography. As a result, white matter integrity in chronic tinnitus patients was both directly affected by age and also mediated by the hearing loss. The most important changes in white matter regions were found bilaterally in the anterior corona radiata, anterior corpus callosum, and bilateral sagittal strata. In the tractography analysis, the white matter integrity values in tracts of right parahippocampus were correlated with the subjective tinnitus loudness.


Predictors of self-management practices among diabetic patients attending hospitals in western Oromia, Ethiopia.
Diabetes Mellitus recognized as one of the emerging public health problems in developing countries. Self-monitoring needs to be individualized and should assist people with diabetes. This study aimed to assess the predictors of self-management practices among diabetic patients attending hospitals in western Oromia, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 to February 2018 in hospitals located in western Oromia, Ethiopia. An interview was made with a total of 400 diabetic patients attending the diabetes center and admitted to ward in the study hospitals. The data were entered into Epi Info software version 3.5.4. Data analysis was made using a statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20. Odds ratio (OR) was used to show the association. The statistical significance was considered at P<0.05, and potential confounding variables were controlled using logistic regression. The analyzed data were presented in texts and tables. From a total of 398 interviewed patients, 129 (32.4%) practiced diabetes self-management. About 63.6% of the study participants' self-management practice was good. Most 103 (79.84%) of those who practiced self-management were presented with one of diabetes mellitus-related complications. Logistic regression analysis results showed that merchants were about six times higher in self-management practice [AOR of 5.945 (1.177-30.027 at 95% CI)] and those having family support in diabetes practiced self-management 2.87 times than others [AOR of 2.835 (1.386-5.801 at 95% CI)]. Compared to the findings of previous studies, diabetes self-management practices of the participants was good. The study participants regular physical activity, food intake, medication adherence, and foot self-examination were moderate. Two variables, being a merchant and having family support were found to be the predictors of self-management practices. Predictors of self-management should be considered to boost self-management practice.


Cleft palate: a clinical review.
Orofacial clefts, including cleft palates (CP), are one of the most common birth defects. CP have a multiplicity of effects on the individual and society in terms of economic costs, loss of productivity, psychosocial effects, and increased morbidity and mortality at all stages of life. Embryological development of the palate is well delineated, with developments in the last decade regarding the biomolecular processes involved. Etiology is complex, involving a number of genetic and environmental factors. Various techniques can be employed for the repair of CP, depending on whether the cleft is of the primary or secondary palate, the width of the cleft, whether lengthening of the palate is necessary, and with regard to concerns of disruption of midfacial growth. All surgical techniques have the goals of restoring functional speech, swallowing, and aesthetics. A multidisciplinary team is necessary for the long-term pre- and postoperative care of CP patients to handle complications, associated anomalies, and to optimize function and quality of life.


Silicon diode detectors used in radiological physics measurements. Part I: Development of an energy compensating shield.
Silicon diode detectors have the advantages of high resolution, large signal, and fast response, but lack the flat energy response of the Farmer ion chamber. A study was undertaken to develop a compensating shield for a diode which would make it suitable for use in the spectrum of energies produced by a high-energy radiation beam at depth in a phantom. The energy response of the unshielded diode was quantitated over a range of energies from 18.5 keV to 8 MeV. Shields of different thickness, density, and design were tested experimentally. A partial shield of high-Z material over a diode with miniaturized contacts produced a probe which duplicated the relative dose measurements of the Farmer chamber with less than 1% variation. Typical central axis depth-dose curves and a beam profile, measured with the chamber and the shielded and unshielded probe, are illustrated.


Dingoes, companions in life and death: The significance of archaeological canid burial practices in Australia.
The dingo, also known as the Australian native dog, was introduced in the late Holocene. Dingoes were primarily wild animals but a number resided in Aboriginal people's camps. Traditionally, these individuals were taken from wild litters before weaning and raised by Aboriginal people. It is generally believed that these dingoes were not directly provided for, and upon sexual maturity, returned to reproduce in the wild. However, some died while in the company of people and, were buried in occupation sites. This Australian practice parallels the burial of domestic dogs in many regions of the Asia-Pacific and beyond but has attracted very little research. We explore the historical and archaeological evidence for dingo burial, examining its different forms, chronological and geographic distribution, and cultural significance. Dingoes were usually buried in the same manner as Aboriginal community members and often in areas used for human burial, sometimes alongside people. This practice probably occurred from the time of their introduction until soon after European colonisation. We present a case study of dingo burials from Curracurrang Rockshelter (NSW) which provides insights into the lives of ancient tame dingoes, and suggests that domestication and genetic continuity between successive camp-dwelling generations may have occurred prior to European contact.


Urinary NNAL in hookah smokers and non-smokers after attending a hookah social event in a hookah lounge or a private home.
Tobacco smoking and exposure to tobacco secondhand smoke (SHS) can cause lung cancer. We determined uptake of NNK (4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone), a tobacco specific potent pulmonary carcinogen, in hookah smokers and non-smokers exposed to hookah tobacco SHS. We analyzed data from a community-based convenience sample of 201 of adult (aged ≥18 years) exclusive hookah smokers (n = 99) and non-smokers (n = 102) residing in San Diego County, California. Participants spent an average of three consecutive hours indoors, in hookah lounges or private homes, where hookah tobacco was smoked exclusively. Total NNAL [the sum of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and its glucuronides], the major metabolites of NNK, were quantified in spot urine samples provided the morning of and the morning after attending a hookah event. Among hookah smokers urinary NNAL increased significantly (p<0.001) following a hookah social event; the geometric mean doubled, from 1.97 to 4.16 pg/mg. Among non-smokers the increase was not significant (p = 0.059). Post hookah event urinary NNAL levels were highest in daily hookah smokers, and significantly higher than in non-daily smokers or non-smokers (GM: 14.96 pg/mg vs. 3.13 pg/mg and 0.67 pg/mg, respectively). For both hookah smokers and non-smokers, pre-to-post event change in urinary NNAL was not significantly different between hookah lounges and homes. We suggest posting health warning signs inside hookah lounges, and encouraging voluntary bans of smoking hookah tobacco in private homes.


ArthroNavi framework: stereo endoscope-guided instrument localization for arthroscopic minimally invasive surgeries.
As an example of a minimally invasive arthroscopic surgical procedure, arthroscopic osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT) is a common option for repairing focal cartilage defects in the knee joints. Arthroscopic OAT offers considerable benefits to patients, such as less post-operative pain and shorter hospital stays. However, performing OAT arthroscopically is an extremely demanding task because the osteochondral graft harvester must remain perpendicular to the cartilage surface to avoid differences in angulation. We present a practical ArthroNavi framework for instrument pose localization by combining a self-developed stereo endoscopy with electromagnetic computation, which equips surgeons with surgical navigation assistance that eases the operational constraints of arthroscopic OAT surgery. A prototype of a stereo endoscope specifically fit for a texture-less scene is introduced extensively. Then, the proposed framework employs the semi-global matching algorithm integrating the matching cubes method for real-time processing of the 3D point cloud. To address issues regarding initialization and occlusion, a displaying method based on patient tracking coordinates is proposed for intra-operative robust navigation. A geometrical constraint method that utilizes the 3D point cloud is used to compute a pose for the instrument. Finally, a hemisphere tabulation method is presented for pose accuracy evaluation. Experimental results show that our endoscope achieves 3D shape measurement with an accuracy of <730 μm. The mean error of pose localization is 15.4 deg (range of 10.3 deg to 21.3 deg; standard deviation of 3.08 deg) in our ArthroNavi method, which is within the same order of magnitude as that achieved by experienced surgeons using a freehand technique. The effectiveness of the proposed ArthroNavi has been validated on a phantom femur. The potential contribution of this framework may provide a new computer-aided option for arthroscopic OAT surgery.


Analysis of survival in HIV-infected subjects according to socio-economic resources in the HAART era.
Availability of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Treatment (HAART) has modified the natural history of HIV infection, resulting in increase of seropositive subjects survival. The aim of the study was to assess patients' survival in relation to socio-economic status in HAART era using Functional Multidimensional Evaluation questionnaire. A three-level Socio-Economic Index (SEI) combining results from self-perception of unmet needs and objective data from the assessment of the two dimensions has been set up by the authors. Of the 382 subjects interviewed, 102 had been lost to follow-up. SEI showed that 66.4% of the sample faced unmet social or economic needs and 17.1% had unmet needs in both areas. There was a significant relationship between the self-sufficiency in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Clinical Staging, CD4 cell count, SEI and risk of death. The lowest level of SEI was associated with a doubled risk of death compared to SEI upper level. Availability of social and economics support have a positive effect upon survival in patients with HIV infection, also in case of availability of HAART. The combination of subjective and objective assessment of socio-economic resources allows a better understanding of their impact on survival.


Effect of protein structure on mitochondrial import.
Most proteins that are to be imported into the mitochondrial matrix are synthesized as precursors, each composed of an N-terminal targeting sequence followed by a mature domain. Precursors are recognized through their targeting sequences by receptors at the mitochondrial surface and are then threaded through import channels into the matrix. Both the targeting sequence and the mature domain contribute to the efficiency with which proteins are imported into mitochondria. Precursors must be in an unfolded conformation during translocation. Mitochondria can unfold some proteins by changing their unfolding pathways. The effectiveness of this unfolding mechanism depends on the local structure of the mature domain adjacent to the targeting sequence. This local structure determines the extent to which the unfolding pathway can be changed and, therefore, the unfolding rate increased. Atomic force microscopy studies find that the local structures of proteins near their N and C termini also influence their resistance to mechanical unfolding. Thus, protein unfolding during import resembles mechanical unfolding, and the specificity of import is determined by the resistance of the mature domain to unfolding as well as by the properties of the targeting sequence.


Improving psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa: Introduction to the special section on innovative treatment approaches.
The available forms of psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa (AN) are helpful to many patients; however, a substantial proportion of adults with AN continues to show persistent symptoms and medical risks following treatment. Clinical investigators are therefore developing innovative adjunctive treatments for adults, to augment treatment effects. The 3 cases in this special section each demonstrate a creative, potent adjunctive treatment approach: Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Remediation Therapy, and Unified Couples Therapy. In addition to demonstrating the treatment and response, the authors also discuss the important opportunities and struggles associated with the experience of providing each treatment for AN. Because adults with AN are often very attached to symptoms, and afraid of change, it is crucial to develop a basis for the therapeutic alliance and motivation to change. In these detailed, vivid, evidence-based case examples, the authors demonstrate highly distinct, innovative approaches to these issues. (PsycINFO Database Record


The impact of oral anticoagulation on time to surgery in patients hospitalized with hip fracture.
Current clinical guidelines recommend expedited repair of hip fracture to reduce morbidity and mortality. A significant number of hip fracture patients have concomitant cardiovascular disease requiring anticoagulation. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), which have been traditionally used, might be associated with an increased time to surgery (TTS) and it remains unknown what effect direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have on this metric. Our objective is to determine how anticoagulation with a VKA or DOAC affects TTS. This is a case control study comparing TTS in consecutively admitted hip fracture patients receiving either a DOAC or VKA with age- and gender-matched controls between January 1, 2010 and March 24, 2014. The primary end point is TTS, which is defined as the time elapsed from admission to surgery. Secondary end points include the rate of stroke, death, bleeding and VTE during admission. Of 2258 patients, 233 were on a VKA while 27 were on a DOAC. Median TTS seems to be longer in patients receiving a DOAC or a VKA when compared to controls. (40 h vs. 26.2h). The DOAC group tended to have longer median TTS when compared to the VKA groups (66.9h vs. 39.4h) There was no difference in the rate of stroke, death, bleeding and VTE during admission. Patients on anticoagulation prior to admission for hip fracture experienced longer delays in surgery when compared to patients not receiving anticoagulation. Patients on a DOAC experienced the longest surgical delay.


RNomenclature.
RNAs that do not encode proteins, increasing evidence shows, are the rule rather than the exception. How do we call these RNAs? The term non-coding RNA should be rejected, we argue, since it constitutes a contradiction in terms: most if not all RNAs carry a code, even though that code may not specify an amino acid sequence. In naming these RNAs, we suggest to follow a natural distinction between two broad classes of RNAs. Class I RNAs are those that are transcribed but not translated, i.e., do not contain a translatable Open Reading Frame (ORF). Class II RNAs are transcribed and subsequently translated into amino acid sequences by the ribosomal translational apparatus. Class II RNAs comprise the familiar mRNAs, including peptide-coding RNAs. Class I RNAs, we suggest, are most fittingly called utRNAs (untranslated RNAs). The term npcRNAs (non-peptide/protein coding) can be used synonymously.


[Multiple hepatic metastases from colon cancer successfully treated with irinotecan and S-1 plus panitumumab as second-line therapy-a case report].
The patient was a 55-year-old man who had been diagnosed as having liver metastases (S3, S4, S5, S6, and S7) from sigmoid colon cancer in March 2010. In June 2010, he underwent sigmoid colon cancer resection, followed by local ablation therapy for the liver tumors( S4, S5, and S6) and hepatic segmentectomy( S3 and S7). Subsequently, adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin( SOX) was initiated. After 6 courses, hepatic metastasis from colon cancer recurred. Thus, primary treatment with SOX plus bevacizumab for advanced metastatic colorectal cancer was initiated. However, progressive disease was diagnosed after 10 postoperative courses of chemotherapy, and therefore, chemotherapy with irinotecan and S-1 (IRIS) plus panitumumab was initiated as secondary treatment. Tumor marker levels reduced with this treatment, and diagnostic imaging indicated a partial response. We report herein a case of a patient who was successfully treated with IRIS plus panitumumab. This therapeutic regimen is useful as second-line treatment because it has the advantage of not requiring a pump for administration and treatment can be tailored to an individual patient's condition, for example, according to pathology and the patient's lifestyle needs.


Acclimation of light and dark respiration to experimental and seasonal warming are mediated by changes in leaf nitrogen in Eucalyptus globulus.
Quantifying the adjustments of leaf respiration in response to seasonal temperature variation and climate warming is crucial because carbon loss from vegetation is a large but uncertain part of the global carbon cycle. We grew fast-growing Eucalyptus globulus Labill. trees exposed to +3 °C warming and elevated CO2 in 10-m tall whole-tree chambers and measured the temperature responses of leaf mitochondrial respiration, both in light (RLight) and in darkness (RDark), over a 20-40 °C temperature range and during two different seasons. RLight was assessed using the Laisk method. Respiration rates measured at a standard temperature (25 °C - R25) were higher in warm-grown trees and in the warm season, related to higher total leaf nitrogen (N) investment with higher temperatures (both experimental and seasonal), indicating that leaf N concentrations modulated the respiratory capacity to changes in temperature. Once differences in leaf N were accounted for, there were no differences in R25 but the Q10 (i.e., short-term temperature sensitivity) was higher in late summer compared with early spring. The variation in RLight between experimental treatments and seasons was positively correlated with carboxylation capacity and photorespiration. RLight was less responsive to short-term changes in temperature than RDark, as shown by a lower Q10 in RLight compared with RDark. The overall light inhibition of R was ∼40%. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of leaf respiration to temperature variation and that the responses of RLight do not simply mirror those of RDark. Therefore, it is important not to assume that RLight is the same as RDark in ecosystem models, as doing so may lead to large errors in predicting plant CO2 release and productivity.


In vitro study of stability and amyloid-fibril formation of two mutants of human stefin B (cystatin B) occurring in patients with EPM1.
Myoclonus epilepsy of type 1 (EPM1) is a rare monogenic progressive and degenerative epilepsy, also known under the name Unverricht-Lundborg disease. With the aim of comparing their behavior in vitro, wild-type (wt) human stefin B (cystatin B) and the G4R and the R68X mutants observed in EPM1 were expressed and isolated from the Escherichia coli lysate. The R68X mutant (Arg68Stop) is a peptide of 67 amino acids from the N terminus of stefin B. CD spectra have shown that the R68X peptide is not folded, in contrast to the G4R mutant, which folds like wild type. The wild type and the G4R mutant were unfolded by urea and by trifluoroethanol (TFE). It has been shown that both proteins have closely similar stability and that at pH 4.8, where a native-like intermediate was demonstrated, TFE induces unfolding intermediates prior to the major transition to the all-alpha-helical state. Kinetics of fibril formation were followed by Thioflavin T fluorescence while the accompanying changes of morphology were followed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the two folded proteins the optimal concentration of TFE producing extensive lag phases and high fibril yields was predenaturational, 9% (v/v). The unfolded R68X peptide, which is highly prone to aggregate, formed amyloid fibrils in aqueous solution and in predenaturing 3% TFE. The G4R mutant exhibited a much longer lag phase than the wild type, with the accumulation of prefibrillar aggregates. Implications for pathology in view of the higher toxicity of prefibrillar aggregates to cells are discussed.


Advances in the Immunology and Genetics of Leprosy.
Leprosy, a disease caused by the intracellular parasite Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis, has affected humans for more than 4,000 years and is a stigmatized disease even now. Since clinical manifestations of leprosy patients present as an immune-related spectrum, leprosy is regarded as an ideal model for studying the interaction between host immune response and infection; in fact, the landscape of leprosy immune responses has been extensively investigated. Meanwhile, leprosy is to some extent a genetic disease because the genetic factors of hosts have long been considered major contributors to this disease. Many immune-related genes have been discovered to be associated with leprosy. However, immunological and genetic findings have rarely been studied and discussed together, and as a result, the effects of gene variants on leprosy immune responses and the molecular mechanisms of leprosy pathogenesis are largely unknown. In this context, we summarized advances in both the immunology and genetics of leprosy and discussed the perspective of the combination of immunological and genetic approaches in studying the molecular mechanism of leprosy pathogenesis. In our opinion, the integrating of immunological and genetic approaches in the future may be promising to elucidate the molecular mechanism of leprosy onset and how leprosy develops into different types of leprosy.


A comparative study between responses of isolated bovine and equine digital arteries to vasoactive mediators.
Hemodynamic perturbations, partly resulting from abnormal vasoconstriction of digital vessels, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of bovine and equine laminitis. This study compared the responsiveness of isolated bovine (BDA) and equine (EDA) digital arteries to pharmacological agents that stimulate receptor systems involved in the regulation of normal vessel tone. The role of the endothelium and the short- and longer-term effects of an experimentally induced endothelial damage were also evaluated. Species-related differences were found in the vessel reactivity to all of the receptor agonists tested. In intact BDA, as compared to intact EDA, norepinephrine was a more effective vasoconstrictor, 5-hydroxytryptamine a more effective but less potent vasoconstrictor, isoproterenol a less effective vasodilator and carbamylcholine a less potent vasodilator. In BDA, but not in EDA, the contractile responses to norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were enhanced immediately after endothelium removal. However, the contractile reactivity of denuded BDA returned to basal values following overnight incubation. The differences suggest species specificity for the pathophysiology of digital vasomotor tone and function in horses and cattle.


The prevalence of coronary artery anomalies with coronary computed tomography.
In this study, the aim is to investigate the prevalence of various coronary artery anomalies (CAAs), evaluated by 256-detector row coronary computed tomography (CCT), within the Turkish population. We included 2973 patients who had received CCT. The high take-off right coronary artery (RCA) and left coronary artery (LCA), the RCA arising from the left sinus (LS), the LCA arising from the right sinus (RS), the circumflex artery (CX) arising from the RS, the single coronary ostium originating from the RS, the CX arising from the RCA, and the RCA arising from the pulmonary artery were evaluated. Seventy-nine patients (2.65%) were diagnosed with CAAs. The frequency of high take-off of the RCA, LCA, and both was 0.1%, 0.67%, and 0.06%, respectively. Frequency of separate ostium of the left anterior descending artery and CX was 0.67%. The frequency of RCA originating from the LS, CX originating from the RS, LCA originating from the RS, LCA and RCA originating from the pulmonary artery, and CX originating from the RCA was 0.50%, 0.10%, 0.23%, 0.03%, and 0.20%, respectively. In this study, CCT was demonstrated to be a high-quality imaging modality for the detection of CAAs.


[The effect of mithochondria targeted antioxidant SkQ1 on aging, life span and spontaneous carcinogenesis in three mice strains].
Female outbred SHR mice, inbred 129/Sv mice and transgenic HER-2/neu mice were given mitochondria targeted antioxidant SkQ1 with drinking water in the various doses (0,5-2500 nmol/kg day) since the age of 2 months, whereas control animals received tap water. Age-related dynamics of the body weight and temperature, the amount of drinking water and consumed food, estrous function, as well as parameters of the life span and spontaneous carcinogenesis were estimated. As compared with controls, no difference in the parameters of body weight and temperature or amount of consumed food and water in the treated mice of all studied mice strains was revealed. In SkQ1-treated SHR mice, the tendencies of inhibition of the age-dependent disturbances of estrous function and aging appearance were observed. No effect of SkQ1 on estrous function and external view in inbred and transgenic mice was shown. SkQ1 treatment significantly decreased locomotor activity (in 12-15 months old SHR and 129/Sv mice) and exercise tolerance in old (20 months) SHR mice. The treatment with SkQ1 (0,5-50 nmol/kg day) increased parameters of the life span in SHR mice (mean life span, mean life span of the last 10% of survival, median and maximum life span) without significant effect on the life span in 129/Sv and HER-2/neu mice. There was no reliable difference in tumor development in all SkQ1-treated mice strains as compared with the control. The drug considerably inhibited the incidence of age-associated non-tumor pathology in SHR mice. Our data suggest geroprotective activity of SkQ1, and a lack of toxic or carcinogenic activities during long term use.


Escherichia coli exhibits a membrane-related response to a small arginine- and tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptide.
Since multiresistant bacterial strains are more widespread and the victim numbers steadily increase, it is very important to possess a broad bandwidth of antimicrobial substances. Antibiotics often feature membrane-associated effect mechanisms. So, we present a membrane proteomic approach to shed light on the cellular response of Escherichia coli as model organism to the hexapeptide MP196, which is arginine and tryptophan rich. Analyzing integral membrane proteins are still challenging, although various detection strategies have been developed in the past. In particular, membrane proteomics in bacteria have been conducted very little due to the special physical properties of these membrane proteins. To obtain more information on the cellular response of the new compound group of small peptides, the tryptophan- and arginine-rich hexapeptide MP196 was subject to a comprehensive quantitative membrane proteomic study on E. coli by means of metabolic labeling in combination with membrane lipid analyses. This study provides in total 767 protein identifications including 185 integral membrane proteins, from which 624 could be quantified. Among these proteins, 134 were differentially expressed. Thereby, functional groups such as amino acid and membrane biosynthesis were affected, stress response could be observed, and the lipid composition of the membrane was significantly altered. Especially, the strong upregulation of the envelope stress induced protein. Spy indicates membrane damage, as well as the downregulation of the mechano-sensitive channel MscL beside others. Finally, the exceptional downregulation of transport systems strengthens these findings.


Immediate effect of meglumine diatrizoate on the vascular endothelium. An electron-microscopic study.
Immediate morphological alterations in the vascular endothelium were studied in the common iliac artery and muscle capillaries of the rat after perfusions ranging from 3 to 120 seconds. Isotonic meglumine diatrizoate and saline produced no perceptible changes. Hypertonic solutions produced cell shrinkage and deformation of the intercellular spaces of the iliac artery in all cases. Shrinkage of the endothelial cells was also accompanied by shrinkage of the neighbouring cells. Hypertonic solutions did not always produce alterations in the capillaries; the frequency of such alterations was greater with saline. It is suggested that meglumine diatrizoate causes circulatory disturbance which affects its distribution to the microvasculature.


The Reaction of Innate Lymphoid Cells in the Mouse Female Genital Tract to Chlamydial Infection.
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) comprise five distinct subsets. ILCs are found at mucosal barriers and may fight invading pathogens. Chlamydia is an intracellular bacterium that infects the mucosa of the genital tract and can cause severe tissue damage. Here, we used a mouse infection model with Chlamydia muridarum to measure the reaction of genital tract ILCs to the infection. Tissue-resident natural killer (NK) cells were the largest group in the uninfected female genital tract, and their number did not substantially change. Conventional NK cells were present in the greatest numbers during acute infection, while ILC1s continuously increased to high numbers. ILC2 and ILC3s were found at lower numbers that oscillated by a factor of 2 to 4. The majority of ILC3s transdifferentiated into ILC1s. NK cells and ILC1s produced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and, rarely, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), but only early in the infection. Lack of B and T cells increased ILC numbers, while the loss of myeloid cells decreased them. ILCs accumulated to a high density in the oviduct, a main site of tissue destruction. ILC subsets are part of the inflammatory and immune reaction during infection with C. muridarum and may contribute to tissue damage during chlamydial infection.


[Modulation of extracellular calcium on miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents of Xenopus' optic tectal neurons].
Experiments were performed to study the relationship between presynaptic calcium and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) using voltage-clamp technique with whole cell mode in Xenopus optic tectal slices. The results are as follows: The frequency of mIPSCs decreased from 1.91+/-0.59 Hz to 0.34+/-0.09 Hz in calcium-free solution (paired t test, P=0.019, n=8), the value of mIPSCs frequency being (25.5+/-4.4)% of control. In order to rule out the effect of remaining calcium in perfusing solution we further applied calcium-free solution containing egtazic acid, ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethylether)-N,N -tetraacetic acid (EGTA) (200 nmol/L-2 mmol/L). The mIPSCs frequency changed from 1.57+/-0.57 in control to 0.89+/-0.41 Hz in calcium-free solution containing EGTA (paired t test, P=0.002, n=12), decreasing to (40.0+/-5.9)% of control. There is no statistical difference in the results between Ca(2+)-free perfusion and Ca(2+)-free solution containing EGTA (paired t test, P=0.74, n=9). When cadmium chloride (CdCl2, 100 micromol/L), a non-specific Ca(2+) channel blocker, was applied to the bath solution, the mIPSCs frequency decreased from 1.15+/-0.34 Hz in control to 0.25+/-0.09 Hz in CdCl2-containing solution (paired t test, P=0.008, n=11), reaching (29.25+/-6.1)% of control. However, the amplitude did not change much. An endoplasmic reticulum pump inhibitor thapsigargin increased the mIPSCs frequency from 0.93+/-0.19 Hz to 1.58+/-0.28 Hz (paired t test, P=0.002, n=11). The value in the latter is (214.6 +/-49.1)% of that in the former. In order to exclude the remaining calcium from the bathing solution, the mIPSCs frequency was first recorded from calcium-free solution as control (0.41+/-0.08 Hz) and then from calcium-free containing TG solution (8-16 micromol/L)(0.71+/-0.15 Hz)(paired t test, P=0.026, n=5), increasing to (175.0+/-14.6)% of control. The endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) store RyR agonist (ryanodine, 10-100 nmol/L) enhanced mIPSCs frequency from 1.18+/-0.40 Hz to 1.80+/-0.44 Hz with increment of (261.8+/-89.5)% (paired t test, P=0.004, n=6). However, the endoplasmic reticulum RyR antagonist (procaine, 2 mmol/L) could inhibit mIPSCs from 1.26+/-0.35 Hz to 0.43+/-0.15 Hz (paired t test, P=0.027, n=6). U73122 (40 micromol/L), a phosphalipase C inhibitor, decreased also mIPSCs frequency from 2.01+/-0.58 Hz in control to 0.92+/-0.40 Hz in U73122-containing solution (paired t test, P=0.002, n=10). Caffeine (10 mmol/L) markedly diminished mIPSCs frequency from 3.22+/-0.64 Hz to 0.15+/-0.30 Hz (paired t test, P=0.003, n=7), which is (4.6+/-2.9)% compared to control. Furthermore, in some cases the caffeine could abolish mIPSCs. Taken together, our results demonstrated that cytosolic calcium might be important for mediating the generation of mIPSCs. The cytosolic calcium could be increased by calcium influx through membrane calcium channel on presynaptic membrane, and/or by calcium released through RyR and IP(3)R in presynaptical internal store. The increased cytosolic Ca(2+) both from external solution or internal Ca(2+) stores might increase the transmitter vesicles at the presynaptic terminal, which in turn results in the increase of the mIPSCs frequency in the postsynaptic neurons.


Relationship Between IL-10 Gene Polymorphism and Spinal Tuberculosis.
BACKGROUND To investigate the relation between interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene rs1800871 (A/G) polymorphism and spinal tuberculosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 129 patients with spinal tuberculosis (spinal tuberculosis group) and 106 healthy subjects receiving physical examination (control group) were enrolled in this study. The general data of these subjects were collected, and the C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and baseline hematologic function were examined. The rs1800871 (A/G) polymorphism in IL-10 gene was detected by TaqMan-MGB probe method. RESULTS The C-reactive protein, ESR, white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count and relative neutrophil count in spinal tuberculosis group were higher than those in control group, while the absolute lymphocyte count and relative lymphocyte count were lower than those in control group (p<0.05). Compared with AA genotype, GG and AG+GG genotypes showed statistically significant difference in distribution frequency (p<0.05), but no significant difference was detected between AG genotype and AA genotype (p>0.05). In spinal tuberculosis group, the frequency of G allele was higher than that of A allele (p<0.01). The C-reactive protein, ESR, white blood cell count and relative neutrophil count in GG genotype were increased compared with those in AG+GG genotype (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The rs1800871 (A/G) polymorphism in IL-10 gene is related to the susceptibility to spinal tuberculosis. Moreover, carrying G allele increases the risk of spinal tuberculosis.


Injury risk among children of low-income U.S.-born and immigrant mothers.
The number of immigrants in the United States is at an all time high, yet psychologists have largely ignored the domain of immigrant health. This article considers 1 aspect of immigrant health, risk for pediatric injury. A sample of over 5,000 5-year-old children from impoverished families was studied; approximately 13% had immigrant mothers. Children of immigrants had a significantly lower rate of injury in the prior year. This was particularly true of non-White children of immigrants. Three possible mediators for this finding--assistance with parenting, parenting style, and health care accessibility--were considered, but none explained the difference. The need for further research on the topic and implications of results for injury prevention are discussed.


Synergistic radiation protective effect of purified Auricularia auricular-judae polysaccharide (AAP IV) with grape seed procyanidins.
The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic antioxidant potential and protective effect of grape seed procyanidins (GSP) in combination with Auricularia auricular-judae polysaccharides (AAP IV) on radiation injury in splenocytes. Rat splenocyte irradiation resulted in significantly higher apoptosis rate, malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.005), reactive oxygen species (ROS) (p < 0.01); cell viability, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (p < 0.01), catalase (CAT) (p < 0.01), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) (p < 0.05), activity and glutathione (GSH) (p < 0.01) levels were significantly reduced, compared with the control group. "GSP + AAP IV" treatment of rat splenocytes at doses of "GSP (0.3 μg/mL) + AAP IV (50 μg/mL)" displayed higher radioprotective and antioxidative effects than the administration of either GSP or AAP IV, as evident by lower levels of MDA (p < 0.001) concentration, as well as higher cell viability and T-SOD (p < 0.05), CAT (p < 0.005), GSH-PX (p < 0.01) and GSH content compared to the radiation group. In addition, in vivo studies have shown that "GSP + AAP IV" significantly ameliorated the decrease of spleen index (p < 0.005) and spleen GSH (p < 0.005) levels and significantly inhibited the increase of MDA (p < 0.005) levels of spleen with radiation-induced damage, compared with the non-treated group. The in vivo and in vitro results suggested that GSP and AAP IV have a synergistic protective effect against radiation-induced injury by improving the antioxidant and immunomodulation activities.


Effect of pulsed light treatments on the growth and resistance behavior of Listeria monocytogenes 10403S, Listeria innocua, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 in a liquid substrate.
Pulsed light (PL) treatment can effectively inactivate a large proportion of contaminating bacteria on surfaces and in clear solutions. An important issue that needs to be investigated is whether repeated exposure to PL treatment causes any changes to the growth and resistance behavior of the bacteria surviving the treatment. To test this, three challenge microorganisms were used: Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and Escherichia coli. Cells of the challenge bacteria were treated with either low or high PL doses. Survivors of the PL treatment were enumerated, isolated, regrown, and exposed again to PL treatment. PL inactivation curves were generated for the survivors of each exposure cycle (as well as controls) to examine possible differences induced by repeated treatments. Growth curves of L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, and E. coli isolates recovered from exposure to either 1.1 or 10.1 J/cm(2) were not significantly different from the growth curves of untreated cells. Reduction levels of up to 4 and up to 6 log CFU were obtained after exposure to 1.1 and 10.1 J/cm(2), respectively, both for the controls and the repeatedly treated and recovered isolates. These results show that PL did not significantly change the growth kinetics or resistance to PL of the target microorganisms after up to 10 exposures. These findings have significance for the practical application of PL treatment, as they indicate that this technology does not select for microorganisms with increased resistance.


Effect of miR-27b-3p and Nrf2 in human retinal pigment epithelial cell induced by high-glucose.
To determine whether the microRNA-27b-3p (miR-27b-3p)/NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway plays a role in human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cell response to high glucose, how miR-27b-3p and Nrf2 expression are regulated, and whether this pathway could be specifically targeted. hRPE cells were cultured in normal glucose or high glucose for 1, 3, or 6d before measuring cellular proliferation rates using cell counting kit-8 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels using a dihydroethidium kit. miR-27b-3p, Nrf2, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunocytofluorescence (ICF), respectively. Western blot analyses were performed to determine nuclear and total Nrf2 protein levels. Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 expression levels by RT-qPCR, ICF, or Western blot were further tested after miR-27b-3p overexpression or inhibitor lentiviral transfection. Finally, the expression level of those target genes was analyzed after treating hRPE cells with pyridoxamine. Persistent exposure to high glucose gradually suppressed hRPE Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels and increased miR-27b-3p mRNA levels. High glucose also promoted ROS release and inhibited cellular proliferation. Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 mRNA levels decreased after miR-27b-3p overexpression and, conversely, both mRNA and protein levels increased after expressing a miR-27b-3p inhibitor. After treating hRPE cells exposed to high glucose with pyridoxamine, ROS levels tended to decreased, proliferation rate increased, Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated, and miR-27b-3p mRNA levels were suppressed. Nrf2 is a downstream target of miR-27b-3p. Furthermore, the miR-27b-3p inhibitor pyridoxamine can alleviate high glucose injury by regulating the miR-27b-3p/Nrf2 axis.


Effective production of biologically active water-soluble β-1,3-glucan by a coupled system of Agrobacterium sp. and Trichoderma harzianum.
Water-soluble β-1,3-glucan (w-glucan) prepared from curdlan is reported to possess various bioactive and medicinal properties. To develop an efficient and cost-effective microbial fermentation method for the direct production of w-glucan, a coupled fermentation system of Agrobacterium sp. and Trichoderma harzianum (CFS-AT) was established. The effects of Tween-80, glucose flow rate, and the use of a dissolved oxygen (DO) control strategy on w-glucan production were assessed. The addition of 10 g L-1 Tween-80 to the CFS-AT enhanced w-glucan production, presumably by loosening the curdlan ultrastructure and increasing the efficiency of curdlan hydrolysis. A two-stage glucose and DO control strategy was optimal for w-glucan production. At the T. harzianum cell growth stage, the optimal glucose flow rate and agitation speed were 2.0 g L-1 hr-1 and 600 rpm, respectively, and at the w-glucan production stage, they were 0.5 g L-1 hr-1 and 400 rpm, respectively. W-glucan production reached 17.31 g L-1, with a degree of polymerization of 19-25. Furthermore, w-glucan at high concentrations exhibited anti-tumor activity against MCF-7, HepG2, and Hela cancer cells in vitro. This study provides a novel, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient microbial fermentation method for the direct production of biologically active w-glucan.


A novel hydrolytic dehalogenase for the chlorinated aromatic compound chlorothalonil.
Dehalogenases play key roles in the detoxification of halogenated aromatics. Interestingly, only one hydrolytic dehalogenase for halogenated aromatics, 4-chlorobenzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehalogenase, has been reported. Here, we characterize another novel hydrolytic dehalogenase for a halogenated aromatic compound from the 2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile (chlorothalonil)-degrading strain of Pseudomonas sp. CTN-3, which we have named Chd. Chd catalyzes a hydroxyl substitution at the 4-chlorine atom of chlorothalonil. The metabolite of the Chd dehalogenation, 4-hydroxy-trichloroisophthalonitrile, was identified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Chd dehalogenates chlorothalonil under anaerobic and aerobic conditions and does not require the presence of cofactors such as CoA and ATP. Chd contains a putative conserved domain of the metallo-beta-lactamase superfamily and shows the highest identity with several metallohydrolases (24 to 29%). Chd is a monomer (36 kDa), and the isoelectric point (pI) of Chd is estimated to be 4.13. Chd has a dissociation constant (K(m)) of 0.112 mM and an overall catalytic rate (k(cat)) of 207 s(-1) for chlorothalonil. Chd is completely inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, diethyl pyrocarbonate, and N-bromosuccinic acid. Site-directed mutagenesis of Chd revealed that histidines 128 and 157, serine 126, aspartates 45, 130 and 184, and tryptophan 241 were essential for the dehalogenase activity. Chd differs from other reported hydrolytic dehalogenases based on the analysis of amino acid sequences and catalytic mechanisms. This study provides an excellent dehalogenase candidate for mechanistic study of hydrolytic dehalogenation of halogenated aromatic compound.


Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in pediatric mental disorder inpatients: a tertiary mental health referral hospital study.
Studies have revealed a high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among adult patients with mental disorders, as well as its associate risk factors, however little is known about these in pediatric population. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD in pediatric inpatients with mental disorder, as well as to explore the risk factors. In this retrospective study, we included 1156 pediatric inpatients with mental disorder admitted to our hospital between January 2020 and December 2021, including inpatients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder and other mental disorders. Relevant clinical data were obtained from the electronic medical records. We calculated the prevalence rate of NAFLD, and compared NAFLD prevalence between gender, mental disorders types, antipsychotics use, and comorbidities. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine risk factors associated with NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD in pediatric inpatients with mental disorders was 7.35% (85/1156). Patients with NAFLD had senior age than those without NAFLD (15.33±1.75 vs 14.21±1.95 year-old, P<0.001). The NAFLD prevalence in participants with schizophrenia (12.11%) was higher than in participants with bipolar disorder (8.45%), depressive disorder (7.06%) and other mental disorders (2.97%)(p=0.002). The NAFLD prevalence was higher in participants who used antipsychotics (8.70%) than those who didn't (5.45%) (p=0.038). Multivariate analysis revealed that senior age, body weight (overweight/obese) and dyslipidemia were independent risk factors for NAFLD in pediatric inpatients with mental disorders. The NAFLD prevalence was is higher in those patients with schizophrenia and receiving antipsychotic medication. Metabolic factors and longer evolution may explain these differences.


Clinical trials with mebendazole a new broad spectrum anthelmintic.
This paper presents our experience with mebendazole, a new broad-spectrum anthelmintic, in 91 cases with ascariasis, 71 cases with necatoriasis 54 cases with trichuriasis and 10 cases with T. saginata infection. Various dosage schedules were evaluated. In ascariasis, a single dose of 200 mg was effective in totally clearing the infection in 100 per cent cases. In necatoriasis 200 mg twice daily for four days was found to be the most effective dose. With this dose total eradication of the infection was seen in 92 per cent cases. In trichuriasis, 200 mg twice daily for four days totally eradicated the infection in 90 per cent cases. In T. saginata infection, the drug was totally ineffective. The anthelminitic activity of the drug was demonstrated by the recovery of roundworms, hookworms and whipworms from the stools. The drug was well tolerated. No side effects or toxic effects were seen in any of the cases.


Emergency surgery for left main disease: with and without cardioplegic arrest.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the on-pump beating-heart technique of coronary artery bypass in patients with acute myocardial infarction and left main disease, and to retrospectively compare the early postoperative results with those of conventional on-pump arrested-heart coronary surgery. Eighty-five patients with acute myocardial infarction caused by left main disease, who underwent emergency surgery between January 1998 and April 2017 at Saiseikai Utsunomiya Hospital, were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, 56 were evaluated using propensity-matched analysis. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure: group A ( n = 28) had on-pump surgery on the arrested heart, and group B ( n = 28) had on-pump surgery on the beating heart. Early postoperative results were compared between the two groups. Preoperative and intraoperative characteristics showed no significant differences between the two groups. The peak creatine kinase myocardial band level was significantly lower in group B (group A 151 vs. group B 91 IU·L-1, p = 0.01). The early mortality rate was higher in group A than group B, but the difference was not significant (group A 28.6% vs. group B 17.9%, p = 0.53). There was no significant advantage based on surgical procedure between on-pump beating-heart surgery and on-pump surgery on the arrested heart. On-pump beating-heart coronary artery bypass grafting significantly reduced the peak creatine kinase myocardial band level, but there were no significant differences in the early postoperative data, including the mortality rate and left ventricular function.


[Protective effect of sodium pyruvate on ischemia/reperfusion injury of rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock].
To study the protective effect of sodium pyruvate on ischemia/reperfusion injury following hemorrhagic shock. Rat models of hemorrhagic shock were built up. When the shed blood was infused, the rats were also randomly provided by one of normal saline, glutathione and sodium pyruvate. Rats were killed 3 hours after the reperfusion, the activity of plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), the level of tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) were detected. Biopsy specimens were obtained to investigate morphological changes of the myocardial, hepatic, lung and renal tissue. The activity of plasma LDH and GOT, the level of MDA of hepatic, lung and renal tissue and the activity of MPO of myocardial, lung and renal tissue decreased remarkably in group given sodium pyruvate compared with group given normal saline, and the effect of group given sodium pyruvate was more remarkable than group given glutathione. These data support the view that sodium pyruvate shows protective effect on ischemia/reperfusion injury following hemorrhagic shock. It is possibly relevant to scavenging of oxygen free radicals, reduction of neutrophil, and anti-inflammatory response.


Perceived discrimination and blood pressure in individuals aging with traumatic brain injury.
Purpose/Objective: Older adults with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain an understudied population, resulting in a paucity of geriatric-specific guidelines. Given an increased vascular risk among older adults with TBI, we aimed to examine distal predictors of vascular health in this population. Specifically, we sought to compare levels of perceived discrimination in Black and White older adults with a history of complicated mild, moderate, or severe TBI, and to examine the relationship between levels of discrimination and pulse pressure, a measure of vascular health. Research Method/Design: Self-report measures of everyday discrimination (ED) and major experiences of discrimination (MED) were completed by 106 individuals aging with TBI (27 identified as Black, 79 identified as White). Resting blood pressure was collected during the assessment. Results: MED, but not ED, was significantly higher among Black individuals versus White individuals aging with TBI. Greater MED was significantly associated with higher pulse pressure independent of race and antihypertensive medication status. There was a marginally significant race by MED interaction, where the association between MED and pulse pressure was observed in Black individuals but not White individuals. Injury severity was not associated with pulse pressure, nor were there significant severity by discrimination interactions on pulse pressure. Conclusions/Implications: Discrimination, which may arise from multiple sources of bias (e.g., related to race, disability), is associated with vascular burden. These findings suggest that patients' experiences of discrimination should be addressed as a factor that contributes to health and well-being in brain injury rehabilitation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).


Re-orienting in space: do animals use global or local geometry strategies?
Here we compare whether birds encode surface geometry using principal axes, medial axes or local geometry. Birds were trained to locate hidden food in two geometrically identical corners of a rectangular arena and subsequently tested in an L-shaped arena. The chicks showed a primary local geometry strategy, and a secondary medial axes strategy, whereas the pigeons showed a medial axes strategy. Neither species showed behaviour supportive of the use of principal axes. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to directly examine these three current theories of geometric encoding.


A Comparative Study of Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism and Fungal Culture for the Evaluation of Fungal Species in Patients with Tinea Cruris.
Tinea cruris is the second most common dermatophytosis in the world and the most common in Indonesia. The conventional laboratory tests for dermatophyte infection are slow and less specific. Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is a PCR method with the addition of enzyme after amplification, therefore enabling for more specific results. This study aimed to find whether the PCR-RFLP test could yield the same fungal species result as a fungal culture. The specimens were skin scrapings from thirty-one patients suspected tinea cruris. The tools and materials that were used were Sabaroud's dextrose agar media, primer ITS 1 and ITS 4 and MvaI. The equation percentage of the test result species between PCR-RFLP and fungal culture was 50% of 12 subjects whose the test results were both positive from the fungal culture and PCR-RFLP. The percentage of the test result with fungal culture the fungal species were found, but in the PCR-RFLP test which the fungal species was not found, the percentage was 50% of 12 subjects which the test results were both positive as fungi from the culture and PCR-RFLP test. The species from PCR-RFLP examination was the same with the fungal culture.