Safety of caesarean myomectomy.
Uterine fibroids are the most common type of tumours in women arising from uterine myometrium and less commonly from cervix. Objective of the study was to check the safety of caesarean myomectomy. Patients attending Gynaecology-B Unit of Ayub Teaching Hospital having pregnancy with fibroid and undergoing myomectomy along with caesarean section (CS) were included in this prospective study during Jan 2010-Dec 2011. Intra-operative and postoperative maternal morbidity in terms of blood loss, operative time and length of hospital stay was compared to matched pregnant woman with caesarean section alone. Out of 6,000 antenatal mothers registered during the study period myoma was detected in 96 (1.6%) cases. Mean age of mother having myoma was 28 years, 70% were primigravida, and mean haemoglobin was 10.56 gm%. Size of myoma was 12 Cm in 30% cases 5 Cm in 23% and more than 1 myoma in 60% cases. There was no significant difference in intra-operative haemorrhage and length of hospital state in comparison matched women with CS although operating time was double than later. None required caesarean hysterectomy. Myomectomy can be safely performed in majority of carefully selected patients with myomas without any serious life threatening complications.


Racial differences in running and landing measures associated with injury risk vary by sex.
It is unknown whether running and landing mechanics differ between racial groups despite injury disparities between African Americans (AA) and white Americans (WA). This study aimed to identify potential racial differences in running and landing mechanics and understand whether anthropometric, strength, and health status factors contribute to these differences. Venous blood samples, anthropometry, lower-extremity strength, and health status assessments were collected (n = 84, 18-30y). Three-dimensional motion capture and force plate data were recorded during 7 running and 7 drop vertical jump trials. Racial effects were determined, and regression models evaluated explanatory factors. AA females ran with longer stance times (p = 0.003) than WA females, while AA males ran with smaller loading rates (p = 0.046) and larger peak vertical ground reaction forces (p = 0.036) than WA males. Frontal plane knee range of motion during landing was greater in AA females (p = 0.033) than WA females; larger waist circumference and weaker knee extension strength accounted for this significance. Although outcome measures were associated with physiologic, anthropometric, and activity measures, their explanatory power for race was ambiguous, except for knee range of motion in females. Modifiable factors explaining racial effects during landing in females are potential intervention targets to reduce racial health disparities in running and landing injuries.


Model estimation and measurement of ammonia emission from naturally ventilated dairy cattle buildings with slatted floor designs.
Laboratory experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel with a model of a slurry pit to investigate the characteristics of ammonia emission from dairy cattle buildings with slatted floor designs. Ammonia emission at different temperatures and air velocities over the floor surface above the slurry pit was measured with uniform feces spreading and urine sprinkling on the surface daily. The data were used to improve a model for estimation of ammonia emission from dairy cattle buildings. Estimates from the updated emission model were compared with measured data from five naturally ventilated dairy cattle buildings. The overall measured ammonia emission rates were in the range of 11-88 g per cow per day at air temperatures of 2.3-22.4 degrees C. Ammonia emission rates estimated by the model were in the range of 19-107 g per cow per day for the surveyed buildings. The average ammonia emission estimated by the model was 11% higher than the mean measured value. The results show that predicted emission patterns generally agree with the measured one, but the prediction has less variation. The model performance may be improved if the influence of animal activity and management strategy on ammonia emission could be estimated and more reliable data of air velocities of the buildings could be obtained.


Two hexa-TM-containing (TM = Co2+ and Ni2+) {P2W12}-based trimeric tungstophosphates.
Reactions of hexavacant polyoxotungstates [H(2)P(2)W(12)O(48)](12-) ({P(2)W(12)}) with transition-metal (TM), and alkali-metal ions lead to the isolation of two hexa-TM-containing polyoxotungstates Na(15)[Na(3) subset {M(H(2)O)(4)}(6){WO(H(2)O)}(3)(P(2)W(12)O(48))(3)].xH(2)O (M = Co(2+), x = 109 for 1; M = Ni(2+), x = 110 for 2). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that compounds 1 and 2 both crystallized in the orthorhombic system, space group Cmcm, with lattice constants a = 21.353(3) A, b = 32.114(3) A, c = 33.848(4) A, for 1; a = 21.643(6) A, b = 31.870(6) A, c = 33.861(7) A for 2. Polyoxoanions [Na(3) subset {M(H(2)O)(4)}(6){WO(H(2)O)}(3)(P(2)W(12)O(48))(3)](15-) in 1 and 2 exhibit a crown-type structure composed of a [{WO(H(2)O)}(3)(P(2)W(12)O(48))(3)](18-) (abbreviated as {P(6)W(39)}) shell encapsulating six TM ions and three Na(+) cations. Polyoxoanions 1 and 2 represent the first hexa-TM-containing {P(2)W(12)}-based trimeric POMs, which offer new examples with the potentially aqua-ligand-induced capability of "trapping" metal ions in the {P(6)W(39)} shell. Electrocatalytic studies show that compounds 1 and 2 display electrocatalytic activity to reduce nitrite.


Composition of volatile in micropropagated and field grown aromatic plants from Tuscany Islands.
Aromatic plant species present in the natural Park of Tuscany Archipelago are used as flavoring agents and spices, as dietary supplements and in cosmetics and aromatherapy. The plants are usually collected from wild stands, inducing a depletion of the natural habitat. Therefore, micropropagation of these aromatic plants can play a role in the protection of the natural ecosystem, can guarantee a massive sustainable production and can provide standardized plant materials for diverse economical purposes. The aim of this study is to compare the volatile organic compounds produced by the wild plants with those from in vitro plantlets using headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) followed by capillary gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Typical plants of this natural area selected for this work were Calamintha nepeta L., Crithmum maritimum L., Lavandula angustifolia L., Myrtus communis L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L. and Satureja hortensis L. Different explants were used: microcuttings with vegetative apical parts, axillary buds and internodes. Sterilization percentage, multiplication rate and shoot length, as well as root formation were measured. The volatile aromatic profiles produced from in vitro plantlets were compared with those of the wild plants, in particular for C. maritimum, R. officinalis, S. officinalis and S. hortensis. This study indicated that the micropropagation technique can represent a valid alternative to produce massive and sterile plant material characterised by the same aromatic flavour as in the wild grown plants.


Association Between TNF-α-308, +489, -238 Polymorphism, and COPD Susceptibility: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis.
The tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) polymorphism may play an important role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility. However, the results are still inconclusive. Eligible studies were searched in Cochrane Library database, EMBASE, Pudmed, Web of science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. Finally, a total of 27 case-control studies with 3473 COPD cases and 4935 controls were included in the present analysis. We also performed trial sequential analysis (TSA) to confirm our results. Overall, association between TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism and COPD susceptibility was identified in allelic model (A vs. G, OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.01-1.45, p = 0.04) when smoking status was not adjusted. In ethnicity subgroup analysis, we found that the TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism was associated to COPD among Asians (GA vs. GG, OR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.04-1.77, p = 0.02) when smoking status was not adjusted. However, no significant association was found in Asian smokers or Caucasian smokers. In conclusion, our study suggest that TNF-α-308 GA genotype is related to COPD in the Asian population. In addition, the TNF-α+489G/A, - 238G/A variants do not increase the risk of COPD. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42021273980.


Ischemic Stroke and Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19: COVID-Associated Coagulopathy or Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia.
A main feature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis is the high frequency of thrombosis, predominantly pulmonary embolism (PE). Anticoagulation therapy is a crucial part of the management. Heparin use for anticoagulation could increase the risk of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a potentially fatal complication that presents with thrombocytopenia with or without thrombosis. We present a 69-year-old unvaccinated female patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Initial laboratory investigation was significant for thrombocytopenia and low D-dimer levels. She was initially started on enoxaparin followed by unfractionated heparin. On hospital day 8, she developed left facial droop and dysarthria and was found to have non-occlusive thrombus in proximal middle cerebral artery as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli. She received intravenous thrombolysis followed by heparin infusion. On day 13 of hospitalization, platelet count dropped from 120,000/mm3 to 43,000/mm3, raising suspicion of HIT. Heparin was stopped and fondaparinux was started. After 3 days, HIT antibody testing returned positive, then a positive serotonin release assay confirmed the diagnosis. On discharge, she was transitioned to apixaban to complete 3 months of anticoagulation for provoked PE. This case represents the diagnostic challenge of HIT in COVID-19 patients. Thrombocytopenia after heparin infusion should raise clinical suspicion of HIT, which allows appropriate discontinuation of heparin products and initiation of alternative anticoagulants to limit devastating complications. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a COVID-19 patient presenting with venous thrombosis as well as arterial thrombotic event in the context of underlying HIT.


Nitrogen retention in men fed varying levels of amino acids from soy protein with or without added L-methionine.
A metabolic study was undertaken to determine methionine requirements of six young men fed soy protein isolate (SB) for 9-day periods. Formula diets contained 9 g of nitrogen from intact proteins with glycine and alanine added. Nitrogen derived from intact protein was g per day: reference eggwhite (EW), 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0; and SB, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, and 7.5. SB diets were fed with and without addition of L-methionine to raise the total amount of sulfur amino acids (SAA) to 900 mg. Mean nitrogen balance was positive with diets containing at least 4.5 g EW, 6.0 g SB, and 4.5 gSB with methionine added. Individual requirements for SAA were: for one man between 320 and 480 mg; for three, between 480 and 640 mg; for one man, between 640 and 800 mg; and for the sixth man, between 640 and 900 mg. Thus 900 mg, stipulated by the 1973 FAO/WHO Committee as being necessary for the 70 kg reference man, was sufficient for all participants. Nitrogen balance was equally improved by increasing the SB nitrogen level by 1.5 g or adding methionine at each level of SB fed.


Instagram use is linked to increased symptoms of orthorexia nervosa.
Social media use is ever increasing amongst young adults and has previously been shown to have negative effects on body image, depression, social comparison, and disordered eating. One eating disorder of interest in this context is orthorexia nervosa, an obsession with eating healthily. High orthorexia nervosa prevalence has been found in populations who take an active interest in their health and body and is frequently comorbid with anorexia nervosa. Here, we investigate links between social media use, in particularly Instagram and orthorexia nervosa symptoms. We conducted an online survey of social media users (N = 680) following health food accounts. We assessed their social media use, eating behaviours, and orthorexia nervosa symptoms using the ORTO-15 inventory. Higher Instagram use was associated with a greater tendency towards orthorexia nervosa, with no other social media channel having this effect. In exploratory analyses Twitter showed a small positive association with orthorexia symptoms. BMI and age had no association with orthorexia nervosa. The prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among the study population was 49%, which is significantly higher than the general population (<1%). Our results suggest that the healthy eating community on Instagram has a high prevalence of orthorexia symptoms, with higher Instagram use being linked to increased symptoms. These findings highlight the implications social media can have on psychological wellbeing, and the influence social media 'celebrities' may have over hundreds of thousands of individuals. These results may also have clinical implications for eating disorder development and recovery.


Suvorexant in insomnia: efficacy, safety and place in therapy.
Insomnia is a highly prevalent disorder that can occur in conjunction with other medical or psychiatric conditions or can occur in the absence of a coexisting disorder. Regardless, treatment of insomnia is beneficial to the patient and may benefit comorbidities if they exist. Nonpharmacologic modalities such as sleep hygiene and stimulus controls are important mainstays of insomnia therapy, but may not be sufficient to treat the disorder. Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) are a new class of insomnia medication that target wakefulness-promoting neuropeptides to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Suvorexant is the first DORA to be approved and has demonstrated efficacy at decreasing both time to sleep onset and increasing total sleep time compared with placebo. Suvorexant has a novel mechanism of action and may represent an alternative for patients who cannot tolerate or do not receive benefit from traditional sleep agents. Suvorexant is generally effective and well tolerated, but has not been compared head to head with traditional sleep agents and being only newly available, lacks a longer-term 'real-world' experience base.


Syntheses, structures, and optical properties of Ba4Ga4SnSe12 and Ba6Ga2SnSe11.
Two new quaternary selenides, namely Ba4Ga4SnSe12 and Ba6Ga2SnSe11, have been synthesized for the first time, representing the first two members in the A/M/Sn/Q (A = alkaline-earth metal; M = Al, Ga, In; Q = S, Se, Te) system. Ba4Ga4SnSe12 crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group P4[combining macron]21/c of the tetragonal system and has a three-dimensional structure. Its three-dimensional framework is built up from corner-sharing GaSe4 and SnSe4 tetrahedra with eight-coordinated Ba(2+) cations residing in the cavities. Ba6Ga2SnSe11 crystallizes in a new structure type in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group P21/c. The structure of Ba6Ga2SnSe11 features a zero-dimensional structure containing totally isolated distorted SnSe4 tetrahedra and a discrete Ga2Se7 unit with Ba(2+) cations located between them. On the basis of the diffuse-reflectance spectra, the band gaps are 2.16 (2) eV and 1.99 (2) eV for Ba4Ga4SnSe12 and Ba6Ga2SnSe11 respectively. In addition, the electronic structure calculation of Ba4Ga4SnSe12 indicates that it is a direct-gap semiconductor with the band gap mainly determined by the [Ga4SnSe12](8-) anionic framework.


Uniting veterans across distance through a telephone-based Reminiscence Group Therapy intervention.
This report describes the implementation of a six-session telephone-based Reminiscence Group Therapy (RGT) intervention for veterans enrolled in a Home Based Primary Care Program (HBPC). HBPC psychologists face challenges not routinely encountered in the traditional office setting, and the intervention demonstrated the feasibility of conducting semistructured group treatment by telephone. Postgroup feedback indicated that the veterans found meaning in shared experiences and connection with themselves and others. The RGT intervention allowed for efficiency in service delivery while also providing an opportunity for veterans to socialize and gain a sense of meaningfulness and identity through facilitated recall of past experiences.


Solid-supported solution-phase synthesis of 4-amino-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-2-benzazepine-3-ones.
Starting from Boc-o-aminomethylphenylalanine, a solution-phase parallel synthesis of 2,4-substituted 4-amino-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-2-benzazepine-3-ones is described. This heterocycle has two nitrogen functions, which are differentiated and can be selectively substituted. The sources of diversity are aldehydes for the R(1) position and carboxylic acids, sulfonyl chlorides, or isocyanates for the R(2) position. High-throughput synthesis and purification of this multistep synthetic sequence was accomplished using polymer-bound reagents and scavengers and liquid-liquid extraction protocols, and a small library of compounds was prepared. Polymer-bound cyanoborohydride was found to work well for the reductive amination. Scavenging of excess of amine was performed by polymer-bound benzaldehyde, and cyclization was performed in the presence of polymer-bound coupling reagent 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC). After Boc-deprotection, the second nitrogen can be acylated using carboxylic acids, sulfonylated or converted to a urea. The acylation is again performed by polymer-bound EDC. Excellent yields and purities were obtained.


Chitosan, Gelatin, and Collagen Hydrogels for Bone Regeneration.
Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials characterized by three-dimensional, cross-linked, highly hydrated polymeric networks. These polymers exhibit a great variety of biochemical and biophysical properties, which allow for the diffusion of diverse molecules, such as drugs, active ingredients, growth factors, and nanoparticles. Meanwhile, these polymers can control chemical and molecular interactions at the cellular level. The polymeric network can be molded into different structures, imitating the structural characteristics of surrounding tissues and bone defects. Interestingly, the application of hydrogels in bone tissue engineering (BTE) has been gathering significant attention due to the beneficial bone improvement results that have been achieved. Moreover, essential clinical and osteoblastic fate-controlling advances have been achieved with the use of synthetic polymers in the production of hydrogels. However, current trends look towards fabricating hydrogels from biological precursors, such as biopolymers, due to the high biocompatibility, degradability, and mechanical control that can be regulated. Therefore, this review analyzes the concept of hydrogels and the characteristics of chitosan, collagen, and gelatin as excellent candidates for fabricating BTE scaffolds. The changes and opportunities brought on by these biopolymers in bone regeneration are discussed, considering the integration, synergy, and biocompatibility features.


Effect of intrathecal injection of pertussis toxin on substance P, norepinephrine and serotonin contents in various neural structures of arthritic rats.
The possible influence of spinal receptors coupled to Gi/Go regulatory proteins on chronic pain adaptive processes of neural tissues was investigated in normal and arthritic rats. Pain-suffering animals showed an enhanced immunoreactivity to substance P (ir-SP) in the lumbar spinal cord, pons-medulla oblongata region and thalamus. Norepinephrine (NE) levels were increased in the spinal cord, while serotonin (5-HT) was elevated in both spinal cord and midbrain. The intrathecal injection of 1 micrograms pertussis toxin 6 days before sacrifice of rats produced in these arthritic animals a pronounced reduction of ir-SP in the pons-medulla, midbrain and thalamus, but not in the spinal cord. The level of 5-HT was diminished in dorsal spinal cord and midbrain, whereas NE appeared unchanged. In contrast, the toxin only reduced ir-SP of normal rats in the midbrain, without altering the levels of NE or 5-HT, in all the areas analysed. These results suggest the involvement of certain spinal receptors coupled to Gi/Go transducer proteins in processes leading to the elevation of ir-SP and 5-HT in various neural structures of arthritic rats.


Efficacy and safety of apremilast in patients with moderate-to-severe genital psoriasis: Results from DISCREET, a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Genital psoriasis can be stigmatizing, is highly prevalent among patients with psoriasis, and has limited treatment options. Apremilast is a unique oral immunomodulating phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor approved for psoriasis treatment. To assess the efficacy and safety of apremilast 30 mg twice daily in patients with genital psoriasis. DISCREET, a phase 3, placebo-controlled trial (NCT03777436), randomized patients with moderate-to-severe genital psoriasis (stratified by affected body surface area <10% or ≥10%) to apremilast or placebo for a 16-week period, followed by an apremilast extension period. Week 16 results are presented. Patients were randomized to apremilast (n = 143) or placebo (n = 146). At Week 16, 39.6% and 19.5% of apremilast and placebo patients, respectively, achieved a modified static Physician Global Assessment of Genitalia response (primary endpoint; score of 0/1, ≥2-point reduction); treatment difference was significant (20.1%, P = .0003). Improvements in genital signs and symptoms, skin involvement, and quality of life were observed. Common treatment-emergent adverse events were diarrhea, headache, nausea, and nasopharyngitis. Lack of active-comparator. Apremilast demonstrated statistically and clinically meaningful genital Physician Global Assessment responses and improvement of signs, symptoms, severity, and quality of life in this first randomized, controlled study of an oral systemic treatment in patients with genital psoriasis.


[Influential factors of iron deficient anemia among infants aged 8 months based on a case-control study].
To study the status and influential factors of iron deficient anemia (IDA) among infants aged 8 months in Changsha City. Methods: A case-control study was performed in this research. The case group including 105 8-month-old infants definitely diagnosed as IDA based on standardized blood test. Four-times numbers of age- and genger-matched infants without IDA were selected as a control group. Chi-square test and conditional logistic regression was used to analyze the influential factors for IDA. Results: The incidence rate of IDA among infants aged 8 months in Changsha City was 14.7%. The risk factors were as follows: mother with anemia in late pregnancy (OR=3.540, 95% CI 1.898 to 6.601), mixed feeding within 6 months old (OR=1.682, 95% CI 1.099 to 2.574), artificial feeding within 6 months old (OR=4.162, 95% CI 1.343 to 12.896), complementary feeding before 6 months old (OR=1.423, 95% CI 1.022 to 1.982), complementary feeding at or after 7 months old (OR=4.415, 95% CI 2.150 to 9.064), recurrent respiratory tract infections within 8 months old (OR=2.878, 95% CI 1.224 to 6.764), and repeated diarrhea within 8 months old (OR=3.710, 95% CI 1.533 to 8.980). Conclusion: There is certain incidence rate of IDA among infants aged 8 months in Changsha City. To prevent the IDA among infants, we should treat mothers' anemia during pregnancy, advocate scientific feeding, encourage complete breastfeeding until 6 months old, add complementary food timely and reasonably, treat infants suffering from respiratory or digestive diseases actively.


Assessment of right ventricular mechanics in patients with mitral stenosis by two-dimensional deformation imaging.
It is well known that right ventricular (RV) dysfunction occurs early before clinical systemic congestion in patients with mitral stenosis (MS). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the role of two-dimensional (2D) strain imaging in the assessment of subclinical RV dysfunction. Fifty-nine patients with isolated MS (mild and moderate) and 31 healthy control subjects constituted the study population. RV peak longitudinal strain (RV-LS) and strain rate (RV-LSr) measurements were obtained from apical four-chamber view. There were no significant differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) and RV fractional area change between control and MS groups. RV strain (23.5 ± 7.2 vs. 18.63 ± 6.3, P = 0.001) and RV strain rate (1.72 ± 0.54 vs. 1.37 ± 0.66, P = 0.01) measurements were significantly lower in patients with MS than the control group. However, RV strain and strain rate measurements were comparable between MS subgroups. Correlation analysis revealed that there was poor correlation between RV-LS/LSr and mean-maximum gradients and echoscore but moderate correlation between RV-LS and RV-Sr in systolic pulmonary artery pressure and planimetric mitral valve area. We demonstrated that patients with MS had lower RV functions using 2D strain imaging and this is independent from severity of MS. In the detection of subclinical RV dysfunction in patients with MS, 2D strain imaging appears to be useful. (Echocardiography, 2012;00:1-6).


[Validity and reliability of the self-efficacy to regulate exercise scale in patients with metabolic syndrome].
Self-efficacy refers to beliefs in individuals' own capacities to do something. With the intent of evaluate the validity and reliability, we investigated the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy to Regulate Exercise Scale (SERES) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). 135 participants with medical diagnosis of MetS took part in the study (Mage=55.5, SD=7.6). We investigated sociodemographic, psychological, and life-style variables. Participants were recruited at the Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves (HUVN) in Granada (Spain) between 2013 and 2014. In order to characterise the sample, descriptive statistics were used. Factorial analysis, internal consistency and convergent reliability of the SERES were also calculated. Group differences were investigated using Student's t test. A solution with two factors was extracted, which explained 72.7% of the variance of the SERES. The internal consistency values for the total score of the SERES were (0.925 and 0.864) according to the values of Cronbach's alpha and Guttman's two halves, respectively. Significant correlations of the SERES were detected for with physical exercise, assertiveness, stress, anger, and active life-style (e.g., renouncing to sedentary behaviours). This was the first study to report on psychometric properties of the SERES. Results supported the adequacy of the measure for use with patients with MetS. SERES seemed to be useful in evaluating self-efficacy in relation to physical exercise, psychosocial, and lifestyle variables.


Revision of the species of the bee genus Caenohalictus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) occurring in Argentinean Patagonia.
The species of the halictid bee genus Caenohalictus Cameron occurring in Argentinean Patagonia are revised. Eight species are recognized, one of them here described as new: Caenohalictus flammeus n. sp. The female of C. turquesa Rojas & Toro 2000 is described for the first time. Pseudagapostemon babuarus Jörgensen 1912, based on the male holotype, is synonymized under Augochlora (Pseudaugochloropsis) thamyris Jörgensen 1912, based on the female lectotype. Lectotypes are designated for Augochlora (Pseudaugochloropsis) thamyris Jörgensen 1912 and Halictomorpha autumnalis Jörgensen 1912. Caenohalictus cyanopygus Rojas & Toro 2000, C. galletue Rojas & Toro 2000, C. iodurus (Vachal 1903), C. opaciceps (Friese 1916), and C. turquesa Rojas & Toro 2000, all known from Chile, are cited for Argentina for the first time. Notes on the variation observed within species, images of diagnostic structures, a key to the species and distributional data are provided. In addition, DNA barcoding results for four species are briefly discussed.


Coil embolization of pseudoaneurysm as a complication of excimer laser coronary angioplasty: insights from intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography findings.
The occurrence of pseudoaneurysm in the coronary artery is rare and can develop after percutaneous coronary interventions. To date, the optimal therapy, including conservative, surgical, and endovascular therapies, for pseudoaneurysm in the coronary artery remains unclear. Here, we report a case of pseudoaneurysm arising as a complication of excimer laser coronary angioplasty, which was successfully treated with stent-assisted coil embolization, after which optical coherence tomography revealed complete healing of the pseudoaneurysm. This report highlights the feasibility of stent-assisted coil embolization for coronary pseudoaneurysms involving bifurcation.


The Role of Novel Motorized Spiral Enteroscopy in the Diagnosis of Cecal Tumors.
Small bowel and ileocecal diseases remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, despite the introduction of various modalities for deep enteroscopy. Novel Motorized Spiral Enteroscopy is an innovative technology that uses an overtube with a raised spiral at the distal end to pleat the small intestine. It consumes less time and meets both the diagnostic and therapeutic needs of small bowel diseases. The objective of this article is to highlight the possibility of using NMSE as an alternative technique when a target lesion is inaccessible during conventional colonoscopy or cecal intubation cannot be achieved. We report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with pain in the right lower abdominal segment, diarrhea, and rapid weight loss for more than 3 months. An initial ultrasound showed a suspicious liver metastasis. Computerized tomography scans showed an extensive ileocecal tumor mass with liver metastasis. The colonoscopy was unsuccessful and incomplete due to dolichocolon and intestinal tortuosity. Later, endoscopy was performed using a Novel Motorized Spiral Enteroscope in a retrograde approach, passing the scope through the anus and colon up to the ileocecal segment, where a tumor biopsy was performed and adenocarcinoma was pathohistologically confirmed.


On the mechanism of degradation of oxytocin and its analogues in aqueous solution.
Oxytocin (OT) is a cyclic nonapeptide containing one internal disulfide bond between its Cys(1) and Cys(6) residues. Although OT is one of the most commonly used peptidic drugs, the mechanism of its degradation in aqueous solution and the identity of its degradants have not been fully elucidated. To investigate the pathways and products of OT degradation in slightly acidic to neutral solutions, we prepared the peptides: OT, [D-Cys(1)]OT, a series of N-alkylated OT analogues, [[(13)C3,(15) N]Cys(1)]OT, and OT where each sulfur atom was systematically replaced by either methylene, (34)S, or Se. The peptides were incubated at 40°C and the degradation products studied by HPLC, LCMS, and (13)C-NMR. Our findings suggest that the degradation begins with β-elimination of the disulfide linkage to form a putative intermediate linear peptide containing an S-thiocysteine (a persulfide) in position 6 and a dehydroalanine in position 1. This intermediate persulfide appears to donate a sulfur atom to an intact OT molecule to form OT trisulfide and higher monomeric polysulfides, while the dehydroalanine residue is hydrolyzed with loss of the N-terminal amino group to yield a linear N-pyruvoylated octapeptide containing a reduced Cys(6). Based on the MS and (13)C-NMR data of the products from degradation of [[(13)C3,(15)N]Cys(1)]OT, we postulate that the ultimate degradation products of OT are dimers composed of two pyruvoylated octapeptides held together by one disulfide bridge between the two Cys(6) residues and by one more, non-reducible, linkage resulting from an aldol-type condensation between the two N-terminal pyruvoyl groups.


[Influence of kyphosis on the age-related decline in pulmonary function].
To examine the influence of kyphosis on pulmonary function in the elderly, 300 consecutive healthy subjects (aged 20-94 years old) were evaluated using pulmonary function tests (TLC, VC, FEV1, RV) and static maximal pressures (PImax and PEmax). Kyphosis of the thoracic bones was measured at Cobb's angle. VC, FEV1. PImax and PEmax showed a significant age-dependent decline. Cobb's angle had a positive relationship with age and was negatively correlated with TLC, VC, FEV1 and PImax. Further, RV/TLC strongly correlated with Cobb's angle and PImax. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the kyphotic angle was an independent determinant for PImax and RV/TLC. These results indicate that kyphosis significantly affects lung volume and maximal inspiratory pressure in the elderly and those affected should have careful assessment of their pulmonary function and respiratory pressures.


Serum HER2 as a predictive biomarker for tissue HER2 status and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
To investigate the association between serum human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) extracellular domain (ECD) and tissue HER2 status, and the prognostic value of serum HER2 ECD in patients with gastric cancer. A total of 239 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled from December 2012 to June 2013. Serum HER2 ECD was determined by chemiluminescent assay, and tissue HER2 status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to identify the optimal cut-off value for serum HER2 ECD assay for predicting survival in gastric cancer patients. Serum HER2 ECD was significantly correlated with tissue HER2 status (P < 0.001), tumor size (P < 0.001), and intestinal type of gastric cancer (P = 0.021). Serum HER2 ECD levels differed significantly between patients with HER2-positive tissue expression and those with HER2-negative tissue expression. ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve value of 0.79 (95%CI: 0.71-0.87, P < 0.001), with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.54 (95%CI: 0.37-0.70) and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.88-0.96), respectively. With a cut-off value of 24.75 ng/mL, high serum HER2 ECD had a negative impact on overall survival of the patients (HR: 1.93, 95%CI: 1.32-4.38, P = 0.006). Serum HER2 ECD could be a highly specific surrogate biomarker for tissue HER2 status in gastric cancer. Optimal cut-off criteria for predicting survival should be established.


Predicting bioavailability and bioaccumulation with in vitro digestive fluid extraction.
Bioavailability of sediment-associated contaminants was assessed in parallel tests by means of a bivalve (Macoma nasuta) bioaccumulation assay and a novel in vitro digestive fluid extraction procedure. Digestive fluid was obtained from the deposit-feeding polychaete Arenicola brasiliensis and used to extract sediments from a U.S. Navy facility. Both the digestive fluid extraction and the bivalve bioaccumulation test identified Cd, Pb, high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HPAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as the contaminants of concern; both procedures indicated that As, Cu, Hg, Ni, Zn, and low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were rarely, if ever, of concern. The only contaminant for which the techniques consistently differed was Cr, a result attributable to constraints on intestinal absorption of the metal by the bivalves. For Cd and Pb, the concentration attained in digestive fluid during a brief extraction was highly correlated with concentration attained in the bivalve after a 28-d exposure; correlation was marginal for HPAHs and was nonsignificant for PCBs. However, bulk sediment concentrations were equally good predictors of bioaccumulation because of minimal differences in bioavailability from the most contaminated sediments. In vitro contaminant extraction with the digestive fluid assay has potential as a screening tool to predict relative bioaccumulation risk, and has several advantages over traditional tests.


Expression-Based Diagnosis, Treatment Selection, and Drug Development for Breast Cancer.
There is currently no gene expression assay that can assess if premalignant lesions will develop into invasive breast cancer. This study sought to identify biomarkers for selecting patients with a high potential for developing invasive carcinoma in the breast with normal histology, benign lesions, or premalignant lesions. A set of 26-gene mRNA expression profiles were used to identify invasive ductal carcinomas from histologically normal tissue and benign lesions and to select those with a higher potential for future cancer development (ADHC) in the breast associated with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH). The expression-defined model achieved an overall accuracy of 94.05% (AUC = 0.96) in classifying invasive ductal carcinomas from histologically normal tissue and benign lesions (n = 185). This gene signature classified cancer development in ADH tissues with an overall accuracy of 100% (n = 8). The mRNA expression patterns of these 26 genes were validated using RT-PCR analyses of independent tissue samples (n = 77) and blood samples (n = 48). The protein expression of PBX2 and RAD52 assessed with immunohistochemistry were prognostic of breast cancer survival outcomes. This signature provided significant prognostic stratification in The Cancer Genome Atlas breast cancer patients (n = 1100), as well as basal-like and luminal A subtypes, and was associated with distinct immune infiltration and activities. The mRNA and protein expression of the 26 genes was associated with sensitivity or resistance to 18 NCCN-recommended drugs for treating breast cancer. Eleven genes had significant proliferative potential in CRISPR-Cas9/RNAi screening. Based on this gene expression signature, the VEGFR inhibitor ZM-306416 was discovered as a new drug for treating breast cancer.


Short- and long-term survival after aortic balloon valvuloplasty for calcified aortic stenosis in 137 elderly patients.
Percutaneous transluminal balloon aortic valvuloplasty was performed in 137 patients with symptomatic severe calcified aortic stenosis (50 men and 87 women, mean age 77 years) between December 1986 and September 1990. The purpose of the study was to evaluate short- and long-term survival after balloon aortic valvuloplasty, mean follow-up was 19 months. At the time of balloon aortic valvuloplasty congestive heart failure (NYHA III-IV) was present in 89%, angina pectoris in 47%, and syncope in 31% of the patients. Aortic balloon dilatation produced significant decreases in peak pressure gradient from 91 +/- 34 mmHg to 40 +/- 26 mmHg (p < 0.001). The procedure related mortality was 8% (11 pts) and the 30-days mortality 17% (23 pts). Severe complications occurred in 25% of the patients during the procedure and within the first 24 hours. Immediate clinical improvement was noted in 68% of the patients surviving the treatment. The overall survival rate was at one, two, three and four years follow-up 63%, 40%, 28%, and 21%, respectively. These survival rates were all statistically different from the survival rates in an age- and sex-matched background population (p < 0.001). A multivariate Cox analysis revealed that only female sex and angina before treatment seemed to improve survival. The long-term outcome after aortic balloon valvuloplasty for severe aortic stenosis is so poor that we recommend aortic valve replacement as the initial treatment in these patients, if at all possible.


Optimization of balloon obstruction for simulating equivalent pressure drop in physiological stenoses.
The study of hemodynamics in an animal model simulating coronary stenosis has been limited due to the lack of a safe, accurate and reliable technique for creating an artificial stenosis. Creating artificial stenosis using occluders in an open-chest procedure has often caused myocardial infarction (MI) or severe injury to the vessel resulting in high failure rates. To minimize these issues, closed-chest procedures with internal balloon obstruction are often used to create an artificial stenosis. However, the hemodynamics in a blood vessel with internal balloon obstruction versus a physiological stenosis has not been compared. Hence, the aim of this research is to develop a relationship to predict the balloon obstruction equivalent to that of a physiological stenosis. The pressure drop in a balloon obstruction was evaluated and compared with that in a physiological stenosis. It was observed that the flow characteristics in balloon obstructions are more viscous dominated, whereas those in physiological stenoses are momentum dominated. Balloon radius was iteratively varied using a Design of Experiments (DOE) based optimization method to obtain a pressure drop equal to that of a physiological stenosis at mean hyperemic flow rates. A linear relation was obtained to predict equivalent balloon obstruction for a physiological stenosis. Further, the details were verified with our in vivo (animal) study data.


Mining databases for protein aggregation: a review.
Protein aggregation is an active area of research in recent decades, since it is the most common and troubling indication of protein instability. Understanding the mechanisms governing protein aggregation and amyloidogenesis is a key component to the aetiology and pathogenesis of many devastating disorders, including Alzheimer's disease or type 2 diabetes. Protein aggregation data are currently found "scattered" in an increasing number of repositories, since advances in computational biology greatly influence this field of research. This review exploits the various resources of aggregation data and attempts to distinguish and analyze the biological knowledge they contain, by introducing protein-based, fragment-based and disease-based repositories, related to aggregation. In order to gain a broad overview of the available repositories, a novel comprehensive network maps and visualizes the current association between aggregation databases and other important databases and/or tools and discusses the beneficial role of community annotation. The need for unification of aggregation databases in a common platform is also addressed.


OperatorEYEVP: Operator Dataset for Fatigue Detection Based on Eye Movements, Heart Rate Data, and Video Information.
Detection of fatigue is extremely important in the development of different kinds of preventive systems (such as driver monitoring or operator monitoring for accident prevention). The presence of fatigue for this task should be determined with physiological and objective behavioral indicators. To develop an effective model of fatigue detection, it is important to record a dataset with people in a state of fatigue as well as in a normal state. We carried out data collection using an eye tracker, a video camera, a stage camera, and a heart rate monitor to record a different kind of signal to analyze them. In our proposed dataset, 10 participants took part in the experiment and recorded data 3 times a day for 8 days. They performed different types of activity (choice reaction time, reading, correction test Landolt rings, playing Tetris), imitating everyday tasks. Our dataset is useful for studying fatigue and finding indicators of its manifestation. We have analyzed datasets that have public access to find the best for this task. Each of them contains data of eye movements and other types of data. We evaluated each of them to determine their suitability for fatigue studies, but none of them fully fit the fatigue detection task. We evaluated the recorded dataset by calculating the correspondences between eye-tracking data and CRT (choice reaction time) that show the presence of fatigue.


Cellulases Can Enhance beta-Glucan Synthesis.
beta-Glucan synthesis from uridine diphosphoglucose by pea epicotyl tissue slices is increased two- to threefold by preliminary, short-term treatment with cellulases purified from auxin-treated peas. We suggest that cellulases introduce chain ends in accessible regions of cellulose microfibrils which then act as primers for chain elongation.


Assessing ambiguity of context data in intelligent environments: towards a more reliable context managing system.
Modeling and managing correctly the user context in Smart Environments is important to achieve robust and reliable systems. When modeling reality we must take into account its ambiguous nature. Considering the uncertainty and vagueness in context data information it is possible to attain a more precise picture of the environment, thus leading to a more accurate inference process. To achieve these goals we present an ontology that models the ambiguity in intelligent environments and a data fusion and inference process that takes advantage of that extra information to provide better results. Our system can assess the certainty of the captured measurements, discarding the unreliable ones and combining the rest into a unified vision of the current user context. It also models the vagueness of the system, combining it with the uncertainty to obtain a richer inference process.


Inability of muscles in the obese mouse (ob/ob) to respond to changes in body weight and activity.
The fat-free carcass weight of the obese mouse (ob/ob) is generally less than that of wild-type siblings. The aim of this investigation was to examine the effect of obesity on muscle weights and histochemistry and to determine whether any effects could be eliminated when the obesity was largely prevented or reduced by limiting food intake. For 5 muscles examined the weights were significantly greater (except for biceps brachii) in the wild-type than in obese mice. Although there was a significant correlation between muscle weight (except for soleus) and body weight in the wild-type mice, no such correlation held for the obese mice. No remarkable differences between groups of mice were found in the histochemistry of the biceps brachii and soleus muscles except that fibre sizes were generally smaller in the obese mice. It is concluded that the skeletal muscles of obese mice cannot respond to the increased activity associated with prevented or reduced obesity.


Characterization Method of Damage Information Based on Heterogeneous Network.
Damage is the main form of conflict, and the characterization of damage information is an important component of conflict evaluation. In the existing research, damage mainly refers to the damage effect of a damage load on the target structure. However, in the actual conflict environment, damage is a complex process that includes the entire process from the initial introduction of the damage load to the target function. Therefore, in this paper, the transfer logic of the damage process is analyzed, and the damage process is sequentially divided into being discovered, being attacked, being hit, and being destroyed in succession. Specifically, first considering the multiple types of each process, the transmission of damage is likened to the flow of damage, a network model to characterize damage information based on heterogeneous network meta-path and network flow theory (HF-MCDI) is established. Then, the characteristics of damage information are analyzed based on the capacity of the damage network, the correlation of the damage path, and the importance of the damage node. In addition, HF-MCDI can not only represent the complete damage information and the transmission characteristics of the damage load but also the structural characteristics of the target. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the established HF-MCDI method are fully demonstrated by the example analysis of the launch platform.


Identification and expression analysis of a novel splice variant of human Sprouty1 gene.
Sprouty (SPRY) was first identified in a genetic screen in Drosophila to be an antagonist of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling, seemingly by inhibiting the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. During large scale DNA sequencing of the human fetal brain cDNA library, we cloned a novel splice variant of human Sprouty1 gene, and termed it human Sprouty1b (SPRY1b). It has the same deduced protein as Sprouty1a, which has been reported. And like other members of Sprouty family, SPRY1b deduced protein also has a C-terminal cysteine-rich region. According to the search against human genome database, SPRY1b was mapped to 4q25-28. Expression analysis of SPRY1a and SPRY1b shows that they are hardly expressed in adult human, but have different expression patterns in fetus, which confirmed that SPRY1 is an important gene during fetal development.


Predicting factors associated with clinical deterioration of sepsis patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate.
Clinical deterioration among hemodynamically stable sepsis patients occurs frequently, and patients with intermediate lactate levels (between 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L) are particularly at risk for mortality. The aim of this study was to identify factors for predicting early deterioration in sepsis patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate. A retrospective cohort study of adult sepsis patients with lactate levels between 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital between August 2008 and July 2010. The primary outcome was progression to sepsis-induced shock defined as persistent hypotension despite initial fluid challenge or a blood lactate concentration 4 mmol/L or greater within 72 hours of emergency department arrival. Among the 474 patients enrolled in the study, there were 108 cases of sepsis-induced tissue hypoperfusion (22.7%) and 48 deaths (10.1%). In a multivariate regression analysis, independent predictors for progression were hyperthermia, neutropenia, band neutrophils appearance, hyponatremia, blood urea nitrogen level, serum lactate level, and organ failure including respiratory, cardiovascular, and central nervous system. Initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was also associated with progression. In patients with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 5 or greater, the predicted rate of progression to tissue hypoperfusion was 38.9%. Our study demonstrates potential risk factors, including organ failure, for progression to sepsis-induced tissue hypoperfusion in patients with intermediate levels of serum lactate. We suggest that an early aggressive treatment strategy is needed in patients with these risk factors.


Mandibular second molar with a single root and a single canal: case series.
The variability of root canal system morphology of multirooted teeth represents a continuous challenge to endodontic diagnosis and therapeutics. This report extends the range of known possible anatomical variations to include teeth with lesser number of root and root canals. Variations of root canal systems need not always be in the form of extra canals. Clinicians should be aware that there is a possibility of existence of fewer number of roots and root canals than the normal root canal anatomy. Thus the aim of this article is to present three cases of endodontically managed mandibular second molars with a single root and root canal.


Non-canonical Wnt signaling regulates junctional mechanocoupling during angiogenic collective cell migration.
Morphogenesis of hierarchical vascular networks depends on the integration of multiple biomechanical signals by endothelial cells, the cells lining the interior of blood vessels. Expansion of vascular networks arises through sprouting angiogenesis, a process involving extensive cell rearrangements and collective cell migration. Yet, the mechanisms controlling angiogenic collective behavior remain poorly understood. Here, we show this collective cell behavior is regulated by non-canonical Wnt signaling. We identify that Wnt5a specifically activates Cdc42 at cell junctions downstream of ROR2 to reinforce coupling between adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton. We show that Wnt5a signaling stabilizes vinculin binding to alpha-catenin, and abrogation of vinculin in vivo and in vitro leads to uncoordinated polarity and deficient sprouting angiogenesis in Mus musculus. Our findings highlight how non-canonical Wnt signaling coordinates collective cell behavior during vascular morphogenesis by fine-tuning junctional mechanocoupling between endothelial cells.


Decompressive Craniectomy For Acute Subdural Haematoma With Expansile Duraplasty Versus Dural-Slits.
Traumatic subdural hematoma is one of the lethal injuries to brain. Various surgical techniques are used to evacuate the acute subdural hematoma. The hematoma evacuation can either be done by opening of dura by multiple slits or by opening of dura in single large c shape and then doing the expansile duraplasty. Present study aimed to compare both these techniques. This randomized control study was conducted in department of neurosurgery, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad from July 2011 to July 2013. A total of 59 patients were included in this study, which were randomly allocated in two groups (i.e., group A and group B) for decompressive craniectomy. Thirty-one patients were operated by craniectomy with full dural flap opening (Group A), and 28 patients were operated by craniectomy with multidural-slits (Group B). Glasgow Outcome score (GOS) at 6 weeks after the surgery was used to determine the outcome. Mean age of the patients was 33.4±12.8 years. Majority were males. In group A 51.6 % (16) of the patients survived out of which a favourable outcome (GOC 3-5) was observed in 41.9% of the patients, and 9.1% of patients ended up in vegetative state. While in group B 46.4% (13) of the patients survived among which favourable outcome was seen in 39.3% of patients and 7.1% of patients ended up in vegetative state. The difference in outcome measure is insignificant. There was no statistically significant difference among the two groups as regards the mortality, GOS, frequency of complications and hospital. While the duration of surgery was significantly shorter in patients operated with dural slits.


Transcription factor E2F-1 is upregulated in response to DNA damage in a manner analogous to that of p53.
The transcription factor E2F-1 directs the expression of genes that induce or regulate cell division, and a role for E2F-1 in driving cells into apoptosis is the subject of intense discussion. Recently it has been shown that E2F-1 binds and coprecipitates with the mouse double-minute chromosome 2 protein (Mdm2). A domain of E2F-1 (amino acids 390 to 406) shows striking similarity to the Mdm2 binding domain of the tumor suppressor protein p53. It is known that interaction of Mdm2 with p53 through this domain is required for Mdm2-dependent degradation of p53. We show here that E2F-1 protein is upregulated in response to DNA damage. The kinetics of induction are dependent upon the source of DNA damage, i.e., fast and transient after irradiation with X rays and delayed and stable after irradiation with UVC, and thus match the kinetics of p53 induction in response to DNA damage. We show further that E2F-1 is also upregulated by treatment with the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D and with the kinase inhibitor DRB, as well as by high concentrations of the kinase inhibitor H7, all conditions which also upregulate p53. In our experiments we were not able to see an increase in E2F-1 RNA production but did find an increase in protein stability in UVC-irradiated cells. Upregulation of E2F-1 in response to DNA damage seems to require the presence of wild-type p53, since we did not observe an increase in the level of E2F-1 protein in several cell lines which possess mutated p53. Previous experiments showed that p53 is upregulated after microinjection of an antibody which binds to a domain of Mdm2 that is required for the interaction of Mdm2 with p53. Microinjection of the same antibody also increases the expression of E2F-1 protein, while microinjection of a control antibody does not. Furthermore, microinjection of Mdm2 antisense oligonucleotides upregulates E2F-1 protein, while microinjection of an unrelated oligonucleotide does not. These data suggest that E2F-1 is upregulated in a similar way to p53 in response to DNA damage and that Mdm2 appears to play a major role in this pathway.


Flavobacterium olei sp. nov., a novel psychrotolerant bacterium isolated from oil-contaminated soil.
During a study of psychrophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, two yellow, Gram-staining-negative, non-motile, and rod shaped bacteria, designated R-10-9T and K-4-2 were isolated from oil-contaminated soil from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Both strains were able to grow at 0-32 °C, pH 5.0-9.5, and 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl concentration. These strains were taxonomically characterized by a polyphasic approach. On the basis of the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, R-10-9T and K-4-2 belong to the genus Flavobacterium and are closely related to Flavobacterium oncorhynchi 631-08T (97.80 and 98.09 % sequence similarity, respectively). The pairwise sequence similarity between R-10-9T and K-4-2 was observed to be 99.72 %. In both strains, the predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6; the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine; and the major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 3-OH, antesio-C15 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The genomic DNA G+C contents of R-10-9T and K-4-2 were 35.9 and 35.4 mol%, respectively. The DNA-DNA relatedness between R-10-9T and K-4-2 was higher than 70 % but relatedness values with closely related reference strains were less than 35 %. The morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses clearly distinguished R-10-9T from its closest phylogenetic neighbours. Thus, R-10-9T represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium olei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R-10-9T (=KEMB 9005-447T=KACC 18997T=JCM 31673T), and strain K-4-2 as an additional strain.


Effects of Physical Activity on Physical and Mental Health of Older Adults Living in Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses.
Previous studies included in meta-analyses have highlighted the effects of physical activity on the physical and psychological health of older adults living in care settings. We conducted a systematic review of meta-analyses, of institutionalized older adults, to evaluate and conduct a narrative synthesis of the results of these meta-analyses. A literature search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) until 22 March 2023. After screening the identified articles with the PRISMA criteria filters, we included 11 meta-analyses in this systematic review. Higgins' (2013) assessment tool of the meta-analyses demonstrates that the studies were of good quality although future meta-analyses need to provide more information on the treatment of missing data. A summary of the results of these meta-analyses shows that physical activity reduces the rate of falls, mobility issues, functional dependence, and depression, and improves health status. Future studies need to focus on new ways to promote and adapt physical activities to increase the participation of older adults in care settings.


Color match of luting composites and try-in pastes: the impact on the final color of CAD/CAM lithium disilicate restorations.
Color matching of the restoration to the adjacent teeth can be difficult due to the translucency of the ceramic and the visual exposure of the polymerized resin cement through the ceramic material. The aim of this study was to identify color differences between try-in pastes and the corresponding luting resin composites. The materials tested were Variolink Veneer, Variolink Try-In, Variolink Esthetic LC, and Variolink Esthetic Try-In. Blocks of IPS e.max CAD were bisected along the vertical axis, producing specimens of different thicknesses. The surfaces to be evaluated were finely polished with a metallographic machine using 6000 grit SiC paper. The IPS e.max CAD specimens cemented with resin cement or with the try-in pastes were superimposed on a resin composite specimen reproducing the tooth structure. Evaluation of the color differences between the try-in pastes and polymerized cements of the same shade was performed with a spectrophotometer and a visual evaluation by three observers. The measurements showed that for shades of Variolink Veneer and Variolink Esthetic LC resin cements and the corresponding try-in pastes there were significant color differences (ΔE > 2.23). Among the groups of different thicknesses, specimens of 0.5-mm thickness exhibited the highest ΔE values, while the specimens of 2-mm thickness exhibited the lowest. The present study suggests that dentists should not rely on try-in pastes for the final color evaluation because they do not perfectly match the color shade of the cement used for the final luting of ceramic restorations. The originality of this study was the interpretation of color differences utilizing both a scientific spectrophotometer and visual observation.


Effect of Si Content on the Thermal Expansion of Ti15Mo(0-2 Si) Biomaterial Alloys during Different Heating Rates.
Thermal expansion measurements were used to characterize phase transformations in metastable β-Ti alloys (Ti15MoxSi) without and with various Si additions (where x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 in wt.%) during linear heating at two heating rates of 5 and 10 °C/min up to 850 °C. For this study, five alloys were developed and examined in terms of their presence phases, microstructures, and starting and final transformation temperatures. According to the results, all of the as-cast samples primarily include an equiaxed β-Ti phase. The influence of phase transformation on the material dimensions was discussed and compared with the variations in Si contents. The transformation was investigated using a dilatometric technique for the developed alloys during continuous heating and cooling. The dilatometric curve of heating revealed two distinct reflection points as the heating temperature increased. The starting transformation temperature (Ts) to obtain the ω-phase was reported at 359 °C without Si addition; whereas the final transformation temperature (Tf) of the dissolution of α-phase was obtained at 572 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. At 2 wt.% Si, the first derivative curves reported Ts and Tf transforming temperatures of 314-565 °C (at a 5 °C/min heating rate) and 270-540 °C (at a 10 °C/min heating rate), respectively. The Ts and Tf transforming temperatures were significantly decreased with Si additions, which decreased the β-transus temperature. Moreover, the thermal expansion coefficient curves of the investigated alloys without and with 2 wt.% Si were studied. The transformation heating curves have an S-shaped pattern, according to the results.


Relation between anthropometric indicators and risk of breast cancer among Australian women.
Associations between various anthropometric indicators and breast cancer were investigated in a community-based case-control study conducted among 456 premenopausal women (135 cases) and 656 women who were at least 10 years past menopause (185 cases) in Brisbane, Australia, from 1981 to 1985. Among postmenopausal women, increased risk was associated with greater weight at age 25 years (p trend = 0.002) and with a heavier maximum weight (p trend = 0.003), but not with recent weight. Results were similar for relative weight (weight (kg)/height (m)1.5). Overall, weight gain was unrelated to the occurrence of breast cancer, although risks were elevated among postmenopausal women who weighed less at age 25 (< 54 kg) and subsequently experienced a large weight gain (> 13 kg). Among premenopausal women, there was little indication that body size or change in weight was related to breast cancer. These results suggest that both heaviness in early adulthood and a large maximum weight at any time are associated with elevated risks for postmenopausal breast cancer.


Glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of endotoxin-induced intratumor tumor necrosis factor production and tumor hemorrhagic necrosis and regression.
Intravenous injection of 25 micrograms of bacterial endotoxin on day 9 of growth of the SA1 sarcoma results in extensive necrosis of the core of this tumor and in its subsequent complete regression. Tumor hemorrhagic necrosis and regression failed to occur in mice that were given a subcutaneous injection of cortisone acetate or dexamethasone 12 h before being giving endotoxin. Inhibition of tumor hemorrhagic necrosis and regression by glucocorticoids was associated with inhibition of endotoxin-induced intratumor TNF production that normally takes place several h after endotoxin is given. In contrast, glucocorticoids had no effect on the ability of intravenously injected rTNF to cause tumor hemorrhagic necrosis and regression. The results lend further support to the belief that TNF is the predominant mediator of endotoxin-induced hemorrhagic necrosis of established murine tumors, and that hemorrhagic necrosis is a prerequisite for the immunologically mediated regression that follows.


Multirate Audiometric Filter Bank for Hearing Aid Devices.
The frequency-dependent nature of hearing loss poses many challenges for hearing aid design. In order to compensate for a hearing aid user's unique hearing loss pattern, an input signal often needs to be separated into frequency bands, or channels, through a process called sub-band decomposition. In this paper, we present a real-time filter bank for hearing aids. Our filter bank features 10 channels uniformly distributed on the logarithmic scale, located at the standard audiometric frequencies used for the characterization and fitting of hearing aids. We obtained filters with very narrow passbands in the lower frequencies by employing multi-rate signal processing. Our filter bank offers a 9.1× reduction in complexity as compared to conventional signal processing. We implemented our filter bank on Open Speech Platform, an open-source hearing aid, and confirmed real-time operation.


The synergistic potential of various teas, herbs and therapeutic drugs in health improvement: a review.
Tea is one of the most widely consumed non-alcoholic beverages in the world next to water. It is classified as Camellia sinensis and non-Camellia sinensis (herbal teas). The common bioactive compounds found mainly in green teas are flavan-3-ols (catechins) (also called flavanols), proanthocyanidins (tannins) and flavonols. Black tea contains theaflavins and thearubigins and white tea contains l-theanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), while herbal teas contain diverse polyphenols. Phytochemicals in tea exhibit antimicrobial, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer activities that are perceived to be helpful in managing chronic diseases linked to lifestyle. Many of these phytochemicals are reported to be biologically active when combined. Knowledge of the synergistic interactions of tea with other teas or herbs in terms of biological activities will be of benefit for therapeutic enhancement. There is evidence that various types of teas act synergistically in exhibiting health benefits to humans, improving consumer acceptance and economic value. Similar observations have been made when teas and herbs or medicinal drugs were combined. The aim of this review is to highlight potential beneficial synergies between combinations of different types of teas, tea and herbs, and tea and medicinal drugs. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.


Effect of ammonia on in vivo and in vitro immune responses.
The effects of exposure of animals to ammonia on their delayed type of dermal response, the mitogenic and antigenic responses of their lymphocytes, and the bactericidal and phagocytic activities of their alveolar macrophages were examined. Experimental guinea pigs vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovis BCG were exposed to 3.75 micrograms of ammonia per dl of air (50 ppm) or 6.75 micrograms of ammonia per dl of air (90 ppm), whereas control animals also vaccinated with BCG were maintained in the normal environment. The delayed type of dermal response to tuberculin injected 3 weeks later was significantly (P less than 0.05) less in experimental animals exposed to 6.75 micrograms of ammonia per dl than in control animals. In vitro, the response of blood lymphocytes and bronchial lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and tuberculin stimulation was significantly (P less than 0.01) less than the response of lymphocytes from control animals. The response of normal blood lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin incubated in medium containing 1 or 10 mg of ammonia per dl was significantly (P less than 0.01) reduced as compared with the response of lymphocytes incubated without ammonia. The viability of lymphocytes incubated with these concentrations of ammonia was significantly (P less than 0.01) affected. There was no significant difference in the bactericidal or phagocytic activities of alveolar macrophages collected from animals exposed to ammonia and control animals. However, ammonia added to the culture of alveolar macrophages from normal animals significantly inhibited their bactericidal activity.


Long-term efficacy and safety after corneal collagen crosslinking in pediatric patients: Three-year follow-up.
To evaluate the effectiveness of standard corneal collagen crosslinking for children with progressive keratoconus. Prospective study including 26 eyes of 26 patients younger than 18 years old with progressive keratoconus at Oftalmosalud Instituto de Ojos, Lima, Peru. Standard epi-off corneal crosslinking was performed in all eyes between January 2012 and January 2013. Pre- and postoperative evaluation (at 3 years) included uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity and Scheimpflug analysis. Crosslinking failure was defined as an increase in maximum keratometry (Kmax) of more than 1 diopter after 1 year or more. Mean uncorrected visual acuity improvement was 0.24 LogMAR (p = 0.07) and mean best-corrected visual acuity improvement was 0.18 LogMAR (p = 0.01). None of the eyes lost more than one line in the best-corrected visual acuity. Four eyes (15.38%) lost two lines in the uncorrected visual acuity at 3 years postoperative. Mean steeper keratometry improvement was 1.14 diopters (p = 0.60). Progression rate was 23.07%. Standard epi-off corneal collagen crosslinking is safe and effective to halt the progression of the keratoconus with significant improvement in the best-corrected visual acuity at 3-year follow-up.


mAChR-dependent decrease in proteasome activity in the gustatory cortex is necessary for novel taste learning.
Regulation of protein degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome system is crucial for normal learning and synaptic plasticity processes. While some studies reveal that increased proteasome degradation is necessary for different types of learning, others suggest the proteasome to be a negative regulator of plasticity. We aim to understand the molecular and cellular processes taking place in the gustatory cortex (GC), which underlie appetitive and aversive forms of taste learning. Previously, we have shown that N-methyl d-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR)-dependent upregulation of proteasome activity 4h after novel taste learning is necessary for the association of novel taste with malaise and formation of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Here, we first identify a correlative increase in proteasome activity in the GC immediately after novel taste learning and study the upstream and downstream effectors of this modulated proteasome activity. Interestingly, proteasome-mediated degradation was reduced in the GC, 20min after novel taste consumption in a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR)-dependent and NMDAR-independent manner. This reduction in protein degradation led to an increased amount of p70 S6 kinase (p70S6k), which was abolished in the presence of mAChR antagonist scopolamine. Infusion of lactacystin, a proteasome inhibitor, to the GC precluded the amnestic effect of scopolamine. This study shows for the first time that following novel taste learning there is a cortical, mAChR-dependent reduced proteasome activity that enables the memory of taste familiarity. Moreover, inhibition of degradation in the GC attenuates novel taste learning and of p70 S6 kinase correlative increased expression. These results shed light on the complex regulation of protein synthesis and degradation machineries in the cortex following novel taste experience.


Production of the thyrotrophin receptor extracellular domain as a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein and its interaction with thyrotrophin and autoantibodies.
The thyrotrophin (TSH) receptor (TSHR) is synthesized as a single polypeptide with a predicted large extracellular domain (ECD), a seven-transmembrane pass region and a C-terminal intracellular tail. It is a common target for production of autoantibodies. To investigate whether the ECD is solely responsible for ligand interaction, we directed the expression of this domain in isolation on the cell surface by means of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor sequence. Immunoblotting detected TSHR material of Mr 70,000 expressed at high levels. In immunoprecipitation studies, the GPI-anchored ECD was recognized by experimental and pathological antibodies. The molecule was detected on the cell surface by flow cytofluorimetry at up to 10-fold higher amounts than the highest expressing full-length receptor clone. Radioligand binding studies confirmed this and showed that the recombinant molecule bound TSH with high affinity similar to full-length receptor; however, studies with human autoimmune sera indicated differences in the degree of inhibition when compared with full-length receptor. The existence of the GPI anchor was confirmed by cleavage with a GPI-specific phospholipase C and biosynthetic labeling with [3H]ethanolamine. TSHR material was also present inside the cell in both soluble and membrane-bound forms. Thus, the recombinant GPI-anchored ECD is the smallest known fragment of the TSHR that retains high-affinity TSH binding and is expressed at high levels on the cell surface as well as internally; this approach may well be useful for other membrane proteins.


Factors Obscuring the Role of E. coli from Domestic Animals in the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis: An Evidence-Based Review.
Recent studies have found limited associations between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in domestic animals (and animal products), and AMR in human clinical settings. These studies have primarily used Escherichia coli, a critically important bacterial species associated with significant human morbidity and mortality. E. coli is found in domestic animals and the environment, and it can be easily transmitted between these compartments. Additionally, the World Health Organization has highlighted E. coli as a "highly relevant and representative indicator of the magnitude and the leading edge of the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem". In this paper, we discuss the weaknesses of current research that aims to link E. coli from domestic animals to the current AMR crisis in humans. Fundamental gaps remain in our understanding the complexities of E. coli population genetics and the magnitude of phenomena such as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or DNA rearrangements (transposition and recombination). The dynamic and intricate interplay between bacterial clones, plasmids, transposons, and genes likely blur the evidence of AMR transmission from E. coli in domestic animals to human microbiota and vice versa. We describe key factors that are frequently neglected when carrying out studies of AMR sources and transmission dynamics.


Mutations and environmental factors affecting regulation of riboflavin synthesis and iron assimilation also cause oxidative stress in the yeast Pichia guilliermondii.
Iron deficiency causes oversynthesis of riboflavin in several yeast species, known as flavinogenic yeasts. However, the mechanisms of such regulation are not known. We found that mutations causing riboflavin overproduction and iron hyperaccumulation (rib80, rib81 and hit1), as well as cobalt excess or iron deficiency all provoke oxidative stress in the Pichia guilliermondii yeast. Iron content in the cells, production both of riboflavin and malondialdehyde by P. guilliermondii wild type and hit1 mutant strains depend on a type of carbon source used in cultivation media. The data suggest that the regulation of riboflavin biosynthesis and iron assimilation in P. guilliermondii are linked with cellular oxidative state.


Comorbidities in elderly patients with glioblastoma: a field-practice study.
This single-center study evaluated the effect of comorbidities on progression-free and overall survival in elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Comorbid conditions were identified in each patient with the modified version of the cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS). Total of 118 patients with GBM were enrolled. An age of >75 years at diagnosis, high CIRS, comorbidity index and performance status play a predictive role on survival. Comorbidities play an important prognostic role in elderly patients with GBM, a factor too often neglected in clinical practice. If the prognostic role of comorbidity measured by CIRS on outcome will be confirmed, it would be interesting to add it in the algorithm for treatment choice in elderly GBM patients.


Neurohormonal, Endocrine, and Immune Dysregulation and Inflammation in Cardiorenal Syndrome.
"Organ crosstalk" is the complex physiological communication between different body systems, and it is necessary for the optimal equilibrium and functioning of the organism. In particular, heart and kidney function is tightly connected, and interplay between these two organs occurs through a vast array of dynamic and bidirectional mechanisms. The term cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) indicates an interaction between the heart and kidneys in acute and chronic disease settings. In all types of CRS, multiple pathophysiological processes are implicated in the initiation and progression of organ injury. In addition to hemodynamic parameters, endothelial injury, immunological imbalance, cell death, inflammatory cascades, oxidative stress, neutrophil migration, leukocyte trafficking, caspase-mediated apoptosis, extracellular vesicles, small noncoding RNAs, and epigenetics play pivotal roles in the development of CRS. In this review, we will focus on neurohormonal, endocrine, and immune dysregulation and inflammation as mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of CRS.


Effect of PDE4 inhibitors on zymosan-induced IL-8 release from human neutrophils: synergism with prostanoids and salbutamol.
1. The activation of neutrophils with particulate stimuli such as zymosan induces the generation of the C-X-C chemokine interleukin (IL)-8. There is evidence that neutrophil derived IL-8 plays an important role in human diseases such as the adult respiratory distress syndrome. In the present study, we examined the effects of cyclic AMP elevating agents on the ability of human neutrophils to generate IL-8 in response to zymosan particles. 2. The PDE4 inhibitor rolipram had limited effect on zymosan-induced IL-8 generation. In contrast, the PDE4 inhibitors RP 73401 and SB 207499 concentration-dependently suppressed IL-8 generation. The potency of these inhibitors was RP 73401 > SB 207499 > rolipram which is correlated with their rank order of potency at inhibiting the catalytic site of purified neutrophil PDE4. Pretreatment of neutrophils with the PDE3 inhibitor ORG 9935 or the PDE5 inhibitor zaprinast had no effect on IL-8 generation. 3. The prostanoids prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and PGE2 inhibited zymosan-induced IL-8 release from neutrophils in a dose-dependent manner, in response to 10(-5) M PGE1 and PGE2 inhibiting IL-8 generation by 89% and 75%, respectively. Similarly, the beta2-adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol also inhibited IL-8 generation, but it was less effective than the prostanoids. 4. Significant synergism between prostanoids or salbutamol and the PDE4 inhibitors to inhibit IL-8 generation was observed. In contrast, there was no significant synergism between PGE2 and the PDE3 inhibitor ORG 9935 or the PDE5 inhibitor zaprinast. 5. In order to evaluate the potential role of protein kinase A in mediating the inhibitory effects of cyclic AMP-elevating agents, we used the protein kinase A inhibitors, H 89 and KT 5720. Pretreatment of neutrophils with these drugs completely reversed the inhibitory effects of a combination treatment with rolipram and PGE2 on zymosan-induced IL-8 release. 6. Microscopic examination revealed that most neutrophils contained one or more zymosan particles and that combination treatment with rolipram and PGE2 noticeably reduced the number of ingested particles. Moreover, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of neutrophils which ingested three or more zymosan particles. 7. Thus, our results demonstrate that cyclic AMP-elevating agents modulate the ability of neutrophils to generate IL-8 in response to a particulate stimulus. However, these agents also modulate the ability of neutrophils to phagocytose zymosan particles. Whether this effect will translate into inhibition of the ability of neutrophils to deal with infectious agents needs to be investigated further.


[The problem of so-called conservative treatment of the atypical cervical epithelium (author's transl)].
There is an increasing tendency of a so-called conservative treatment of intraepithelial atypia. The new term of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) supposedly called for a new concept of treatment. However, the term CIN replaces only the ambiguous terms of Carcinoma in situ and Dysplasia. The term CIN expresses the latter two being principally identical changes that are distinguishable only by differentiation. Persistent dysplasia is nothing but a highly differentiated Carcinoma in situ and must be treated as such. - For final diagnosis of CIN not only the histological pattern must be known but above all the relationship to the stroma and the extent of changes. NEither cytology nor colposcopy and directed biopsy or a combination of these can define the lesions with such accuracy as is necessary as a basis for a really adequate treatment. It could be proved that treatment results of Carcinoma in situ depended on the quality of primary diagnosis. Out of 390 cases that were treated after limited biopsy, eight died of cancer. After treatment of 1012 cases with conization alone there was not one fatal case. The danger of so-called conservative treatment lies not only in unrecognized invasive lesions but above all in preinvasive lesions remaining in deeply situated glands. Their discovery may fail in spite of regular follow-ups. They will reappear possibly only after a long latency period as invasive cancer.


Alpha-adrenergic inhibition of rat pancreatic beta-cell replication and insulin secretion is mediated through a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein regulating islet cAMP content.
The rate of DNA synthesis, insulin secretion and cAMP content in isolated pancreatic islets were markedly inhibited by long-term exposure to the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine, the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine and the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. Pertussis toxin or the stimulatory cAMP analog Sp-cAMPS increased DNA synthesis and insulin secretion in the absence of the adrenergic agents. Pertussis toxin blocked the inhibitory actions of these agents on DNA synthesis, insulin secretion and cAMP content, and a similar protection was imposed by Sp-cAMPS. Thus, long-term alpha-adrenergic stimulation interferes with signaling through pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein(s) and, by decreasing the islet cAMP content, inhibits beta-cell DNA synthesis and insulin secretion.


Evaluation of a peer-led mutual support group for Chinese families of people with schizophrenia.
Family interventions in schizophrenia have shown positive effects on patients but little attention has been paid to their effects on family members, particularly those in non-Western countries. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a bi-weekly, 12-session, family-led mutual support group for Chinese caregivers of schizophrenia sufferers over 6 months compared with standard psychiatric care. It was conducted with 76 families of outpatients with schizophrenia in Hong Kong of whom 38 were assigned randomly to either a mutual support group or standard care. Families' psychosocial health status and patients' symptom severity and length of re-hospitalizations at recruitment, one-week and 12-month post-intervention were compared between groups. Results of repeated-measures mixed model indicated that the mutual support group experienced significantly greater improvements in families' burden, functioning and number of support persons and length of patients' re-hospitalizations at two post-tests. The findings provide evidence that mutual support groups can be an effective family-initiated, community-based intervention for Chinese schizophrenia sufferers.


In situ fluorescent nick translation procedure for plant chromosomes.
Pectinase and cellulase, which are used to macerate plant material, always show traces of DNase activities that result in DNA nicking. Moreover, the DNA polymerase I usually applied in the in situ nick translation techniques shows both 5' to 3' and 3' to 5' exonuclease activities. As a result, significant nonspecific labeling appears in control preparations that are not digested by a restriction endonuclease. Our procedure includes blocking nonspecific nick labeling before incubation with restriction enzymes (HpaII and HaeIII). This is achieved by incorporation of ddGTP into DNA by the Taq polymerase which lacks 3' to 5' exonuclease activity. This method gives satisfactory results because it eliminates nonspecific nick translation signals that are present after applying the methods described for animal material.


Determination of the conditional dimerization constants from the sound velocity data in binary liquid mixtures containing an associating solute and a nonassociating solvent.
A new model of calculating the self-association constants in mixtures of two liquids, an associating solute and a nonassociating solvent, is proposed and analyzed. The model assumes additivity of the time of transmission of the acoustic signal with the volume fractions of the components of the mixture. The model was tested for different systems, showing that the results are reliable and close to expectations. The presented attempt seems to be an interesting alternative in interpreting the experimental results of sound velocity measurements in liquid mixtures.


Assessing the Effects of Ripasudil, a Novel Rho Kinase Inhibitor, on Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Health.
To determine how the Rho kinase inhibitor, ripasudil, affects metabolic function and cell viability in donor human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs). Endothelial cell-Descemet membrane (EDM) tissues were treated with 10 μM ripasudil and assayed for mitochondrial and glycolytic activity using extracellular flux analysis and then compared to untreated controls. In addition, EDM tissues with a 24-h ripasudil treatment and control tissues were exposed to 1 μM staurosporine to induce apoptosis and then analyzed for cell viability using apoptosis and necrosis assays. Mitochondrial respiration metrics, specifically maximal respiration (P = 0.758) and spare respiratory capacity (P = 0.777), did not differ among the 1-h ripasudil treatment, 24-h treatment, and untreated tissues. Glycolytic activity assays showed an increase in glycolytic capacity at 1 h compared to the 24-h exposure group (P = 0.049) and controls (P = 0.009). Following exposure to staurosporine, the percentage of apoptotic HCECs was lower (P = 0.009) in ripasudil-treated tissues (2.473%, standard error of the mean [SEM] 0.477%) compared to untreated controls (3.349%, SEM 0.566%). In contrast, the percentage of necrotic HCECs decreased but did not differ statistically (P = 0.158) between ripasudil-treated (3.789%, SEM 0.487%) and untreated (4.567%, SEM 0.571%) tissues. Exposures to ripasudil did not result in any detectable reduction in metabolic function for HCECs in an ex vivo donor tissue model, and an increase in glycolytic activity at the 1-h time point was detected. In addition, HCECs treated with ripasudil gained a protective effect against induced apoptosis, suggesting that ripasudil may help improve the integrity of the corneal endothelium.


CT Scan Incidental Findings in Head Trauma Patients - Yazd Shahid Rahnemoun Hospital, 2005-2015.
Incidental findings are presented in radiology reports. Many of these findings do not require further investigation; however, some require further investigation and repeated imaging. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of incidental findings on CT scans of patients with head trauma from 2005 to 2015. This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in years on 5,193 CT scan reports referred to Shahid Rahnemoun hospital in Yazd, Iran. The images were evaluated by consensus agreement of two radiologists. The relationship between age, sex and incidental findings was analyzed using the SPSS 20 software. A total of 5,193 subjects with a mean age of 34.16 ± 21.17 were examined. About 64% of cases were male. The frequency of incidental findings was 10.9%. The most common finding was calcification with a frequency of 3.3% and the least was Dandy Walker finding at 0.02%. There was no relationship between age, sex and the frequency of incidental findings. No significant trend was found between IFs frequency during ten years. The results of this study indicated that most incidental findings were related to benign findings, but also malignant findings were diagnosed.


An Implementation Evaluation of the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA) Policy in New Mexico.
The purpose of this field report is to describe an evaluation of the fidelity with which the comprehensive addiction and recovery act (CARA) policy has been implemented in New Mexico. The CARA program in New Mexico focuses on providing nonpunitive supportive care for pregnant people affected by substance use and on coordinating services for parents, caregivers, and family members of newborns affected by substance exposure. The evaluation used information from program reports, a family follow-up survey, the plan of safe care database, and a data linkage between CARA participant records with Medicaid claims data. Follow-up survey data substantiated the program reports. Both sources showed that families were not engaged consistently in developing or receiving information about plans of safe care. The survey answers also indicated that the time-period immediately after the delivery of a baby is not the best time to communicate the contents of the plan of safe care to families. Additionally, the survey found that respondents believed that medical staff judged them for using substances during pregnancy. The Medicaid data linkage showed that 40.3% of families of infants exposed to substances in-utero did not receive a plan of safe care. Program reports revealed that limited resources existed for implementing CARA. Program funding, limited system capacity, lack of systematic screening for prenatal substance use, regional differences in access to care, and provider biases toward pregnant people using substances affected health-care workers' ability to identify at-risk families and develop plans of safe care. To support CARA implementation, healthcare systems must implement universal prenatal substance use screening, increase the level of anti-bias training pertaining to substance use, increase hospital supports, and improve data management systems.


["Smarter Medicine" in ambulatory general internal medicine, at present and in future].
"Smarter Medicine" in ambulatory general internal medicine, at present and in future Abstract. Overuse and inappropriate care resulting in potential harm and unwarranted waste of healthcare resources were leading to the international "Choosing Wisely" campaign (CWC) almost a decade ago. In Switzerland, the movement started 2014 / 15 under the label "Smarter Medicine", with a top-5 list of interventions better to avoid in ambulatory general internal medicine (GIM). Yet from the beginning of the international CWC campaign, its effectiveness has been questioned, and we don't know if the "Smarter Medicine" top-5 list for ambulatory GIM efficiently is reducing overuse and inappropriate care, as there is almost no evaluation data available. The prerequisites for an efficient reduction of overuse and inappropriate care are a. the scientific evidence for the recommendations, b. the recommendations coming from a trusted source, c. reliable data for the evaluation, d. the active role of patients, the public, professional healthcare societies and politicians. Another key factor for a successful implementation is the involvement of the final users at an early stage of recommendation development. Keeping this in mind, we recently developed new suggestions for interventions better to avoid, in collaboration with 538 general practitioners. These suggestions lead to a next top-5 list for the ambulatory GIM.


High frequency of acute promyelocytic leukemia in northwest Iran.
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) or M3 is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, according to the French-American-British group classification. High frequencies of APL have been reported previously by many investigators. We here studied AML patients to determine the frequency of APL in Tabriz in northwest Iran. We reviewed 483 AML patients from 1996-2003. M2 and M3 cases accounted for 43.4% and 19.4% of the total, respectively. Our study thus provides further evidence of high frequencies of APL associated with geographical areas. Further studies should now be performed to evaluate genetic and environmental predisposing factors in Iran.


Review of recent applications and research progress in hybrid and combined microwave-assisted drying of food products: Quality properties.
The growing concerns over product quality have increased demand for high quality dried food products and encouraged researchers to explore and producers of such products to implement novel microwave (MW)-assisted drying methods. This paper presents a critical review of the key principles and drawbacks of MW-assisted drying as well as needs for future research. In this article, recent research into application of microwaves as an alternative heat source, applications and progress in hybrid MW-assisted drying that rely on various drying media and combined two or three stages of MW-assisted drying for the preservation of food products is reviewed critically. The effect of different MW-assisted drying methods, conditions and initial pretreatments on the thermophysical properties, color, nutritional value and rehydration potential of dried food products is discussed in detail along with the discussion on how the material properties evolve and change in structure, color, and composition during MW-assisted drying and recent attempts at mathematical modeling of these changes made for different fruits and vegetables. It should be noted that most of the published results were obtained in laboratory-scale dryers. Pilot-scale testing is needed to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial applications to fulfill the potential for novel hybrid and combined MW-assisted drying methods and to expand their role in food processing.


Soy molasses as a fermentation substrate for the production of biosurfactant using Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145.
Soy molasses is a product co-generated during soybean processing that has high production and low commercial value. Its use has great potential in fermentative processes due to the high concentration of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. This study investigated the use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to produce biosurfactants in a soy molasses-based fermentation medium. A central composite design (CCD) was prepared with two variables and three replicates at the central point to optimize the production of biosurfactant. The concentration of soy molasses had values between 29.3 and 170.7 g/L and the initial concentration of microorganism varied between 0.2 and 5.8 g/L. All the experiments were performed in duplicate on a shaker table at 30.0 ± 1.0 °C and 120 rpm for 72 h with samples taken every 12 h. Thus, to validate the experiments, the values of 120 g/L for the initial concentration of soy molasses and 4 g/L for the initial concentration of microorganisms were used. In response, the following values were obtained at 48 h of fermentation: surface tension of 31.9 dyne/cm, emulsifying index of 97.4%, biomass concentration of 11.5 g/L, rhamnose concentration of 6.9 g/L and biosurfactant concentration of 11.70 g/L. Further analysis was carried out for critical micelle concentration (CMC) which was obtained at approximately 80 mg/L. The bands found in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis had characteristic glycolipids as reported in the literature. These values show a great potential for biosurfactant production using soy molasses as a substrate and bacteria of the species P. aeruginosa.


Infusion nurses society position paper. Administration of antineoplastic agents.
The Infusion Nurses Society (INS) recognizes the inherent risks to the patient, caregiver, and healthcare professional associated with the administration of antineoplastic agents. Individuals involved in the administration of these agents should have documented specialty education and demonstration and documentation of competency on a regular basis according to organizational policies and procedures.


[Not Available].
This is a study of the connection between pain and masculinity, taking the autobiography of the Russian landowner and officer Andrei Bolotov (1738-1795) as its example. In Bolotov's account less importance is attributed to the topic of physical pain than to psychological pain, which is spoken of clearly. Other types of physical experience are constructed analogous to the experience of pain. His childhood phase reveals a socialisation which prepares for the ambivalent pattern of suppression of pain, considered manly and soldierly, and its simultaneous articulation. This is reconstructed as being an important component in the construction of masculinity. Ways of dealing with pain specific to the experience of this Russian officer are made evident.