The Distribution of Fusarium Wilt of Blackeyed Cowpeas within California Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum Race 4.
Fusarium wilt of blackeyed cowpeas has been known in California since the 1930s, and breeding for resistance to this disease pathogen has been a continuous effort. During the 1960s and 1970s, California Blackeye 5 (CB 5) cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), a widely grown cultivar of the time, became increasingly diseased by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum (Fot) Race 3 (2) throughout the growing regions of California. University of California cultivars CB 46 and CB 88 (1) were developed for resistance to Fot Races 1, 2, and 3. CB 46 is currently the principal blackeye cultivar grown on the majority of the acreage in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1989, a new race we designate "Fot Race 4" was isolated from wilted plants at a single field site in Stanislaus County. In years prior to identification, Fot Race 4 had caused severe wilt of CB 46 and CB 88 in this field. Even though the new Fot Race 4 remained confined to a small area for a number of years, sources of host plant resistance to Fot Race 4 were identified, hybridized, and screened, resulting in new progeny with desirable commercial agronomic characteristics. As observed in Stanislaus County, F. oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum Race 4 has the potential to cause serious crop damage, depending on virulence and soil inoculum levels, which may vary from year to year. In 1997 and 1998, an entirely different area in the southern San Joaquin Valley, about 140 miles from the original site in Stanislaus County, was found to have plants infected with Fot Race 4. Diseased plants were collected from patches in three separate CB 46 or CB 88 field sites in Tulare County. About 30 cultures were isolated from the diseased plants, which showed stunting, yellowing, and vascular discoloration. In greenhouse fusarium dip tests CB 46, CB 88, CB 5, and several Fot Race 4 resistant breeding lines were inoculated with all the collected isolates and evaluated. CB 46, CB 88, and CB 5 proved to be susceptible to these isolates, showing typical Fot Race 4 symptoms. The Fot Race 4 pathogen was then reisolated from greenhouse-grown, diseased stem tissue of CB 46, CB 88, and CB 5. These findings emphasize the importance of vigilance and necessity of continual disease surveys. They serve as an early alert for the University of California breeding program, and validate local cooperation with University of California Extension Farm Advisors. As a result of this effort new cultivar candidates with resistance to Fot Race 4 are in the final phases of multi-year commercial testing. References: (1) D. M. Helms et al. Crop Sci. 31:1703, 1991. (2) K. S. Rigert and K. W. Foster. Crop Sci. 27:220, 1987.


Atherogenic properties of lipoproteins in HIV patients starting atazanavir/ritonavir or darunavir/ritonavir: a substudy of the ATADAR randomized study.
To assess LDL subfraction phenotype and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in naive HIV-infected patients starting atazanavir/ritonavir or darunavir/ritonavir plus tenofovir/emtricitabine. This was a substudy of a multicentre randomized study. Standard lipid parameters, LDL subfraction phenotype (by gradient gel electrophoresis) and Lp-PLA2 activity (by 2-thio-PAF) were measured at baseline and weeks 24 and 48. Multivariate regression analysis was performed. Results are expressed as the median (IQR). Eighty-six (atazanavir/ritonavir, n=45; darunavir/ritonavir, n=41) patients were included: age 36 (31-41) years; 89% men; CD4 319 (183-425) cells/mm(3); and Framingham score 1% (0%-2%). No differences in demographics or lipid measurements were found at baseline. At week 48, a mild but significant increase in total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol was observed in both arms, whereas LDL cholesterol increased only in the darunavir/ritonavir arm and triglycerides only in the atazanavir/ritonavir arm. The apolipoprotein A-I/apolipoprotein B ratio increased only in the atazanavir/ritonavir arm. At week 48, the LDL subfraction phenotype improved in the darunavir/ritonavir arm (increase in LDL particle size and in large LDL particles), whereas it worsened in the atazanavir/ritonavir arm (increase in small and dense LDL particles, shift to a greater prevalence of phenotype B); the worsening was related to the greater increase in triglycerides in the atazanavir/ritonavir arm. No changes in total Lp-PLA2 activity or relative distribution in LDL or HDL particles were found at week 48 in either arm. In contrast with what occurred in the atazanavir/ritonavir arm, the LDL subfraction phenotype improved with darunavir/ritonavir at week 48. This difference was associated with a lower impact on plasma triglycerides with darunavir/ritonavir.


Membrane potential in isolated epithelial cells of the endolymphatic sac in the guinea-pig.
The membrane potential (Em) in epithelial cells isolated from the intermediate portion of the endolymphatic sac (ES) of the guinea-pig was recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In the steady state the Em was -53.5+/-1.5 mV (n = 74), which is similar to that in epithelial cells of other tissues. Application of 1 MM ouabain induced a depolarization of Em by approximately 10 mV (n = 6), suggesting that an active ion transport process by Na+-K+-ATPase may be present in the ES epithelial membrane. Increasing extracellular K+ concentrations from 5 to 100 mM induced a significant membrane depolarization that was close to the K+ equilibrium potential calculated by the Nernst equation, indicating that K+ may be a predominant permeable ion in the ES epithelial membrane. Total replacement of extracellular Na+ with NMDG+ led to a significant membrane hyperpolarization of 38.7+/-2.5 mV (n = 18), suggesting that Na+ may be another major permeable ion for the ES epithelial membrane. Reducing extracellular Cl- concentrations from 149.3 to 7 mM had no significant effect on Em, indicating that Cl- may be a negligible permeable ion in the ES epithelial membrane.


Liver MRI susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) compared to T2* mapping in the presence of steatosis and fibrosis.
To show that both susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and T2*-mapping are dependent on liver steatosis, which should be taken into account when using these parameters to grade liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In this prospective study, a total of 174 patients without focal liver disease underwent multiparametric MRI at 3 T including SWI, T1- and T2* mapping, proton density fat fraction (PDFF) quantification and MR elastography. SWI, T2* and T1 were measured in the liver (4 locations), as well as in paraspinal muscles, to calculate the liver-to-muscle ratio (LMR). Liver and LMR values were compared among patients with different steatosis grades (PDFF < 5%, 5-10%, 10-20% and >20%), patients with normal, slightly increased and increased liver stiffness (<2.8 kPa, 2.8-3.5 kPa and >3.5 kPa, respectively). ANOVA with Bonferroni-corrected post hoc tests as well as a multivariate analysis were used to compare values among groups and parameters. SWI and T2* both differed significantly among groups with different steatosis grades (p < 0.001). However, SWI allowed a better differentiation among liver fibrosis grades (p < 0.001) than did T2* (p = 0.05). SWI LMR (p < 0.001) and T2* LMR (p = 0.036) showed a similar performance in differentiating among liver fibrosis grades. SWI and T2*-mapping are strongly dependent on the liver steatosis grades. Nevertheless, both parameters are useful predictors for liver fibrosis when using a multiparametric approach.


Involvement of midkine in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.
Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor that markedly expressed during embryogenesis but downregulated to inconsiderable levels in healthy adults. However, MK is upregulated during tissue repair and in many pathologic conditions, mostly malignancies and inflammatory diseases. MK promotes a number of functions in target cells such as migration, proliferation, survival, growth, reproduction and repair, angiogenesis, and gene expression. It acts as a pro-inflammatory cytokine and contributes to chronic inflammation via promoting chemotaxis and tissue infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. Furthermore, MK upregulated the production of various inflammatory mediators (i.e. interleukin (IL) 6 and IL8). Recent studies have demonstrated strong evidence that MK is involved in the onset and progression of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and other autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Additionally, it has been shown that MK is overexpressed in two major clinically defined forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which are classified as autoinflammatory diseases. Taken together, MK is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases and may serve as an indicator and biomarker in these conditions. Furthermore, MK inhibitors are expected to contribute in the management of these diseases.


High-Resolution Terahertz Spectroscopy by a Compact Radiation Source Based on Photomixing with Diode Lasers in a Photoconductive Antenna
We demonstrate generation of continuous-wave terahertz radiation and its application to molecular spectroscopy. The radiation source is based on the photomixing of two diode laser beams in a low-temperature-grown GaAs photoconductive antenna, which offered output power of several tens of nanowatts at frequencies up to 2 THz with its long term frequency stability being about 5 MHz. The pure rotational spectra of CH3CN and isotopomers of CO were measured with this source, and 1% of absorption was clearly detected with a simple amplitude modulation technique. This indicates that the present system has a potential capability for high-resolution and high-sensitivity molecular spectroscopy. Copyright 1998 Academic Press. Copyright 1998Academic Press


Dialysis: a 5-year perspective.
The view of dialysis in the next 5 years will, by requirement, deal with ideas presently in the laboratories of industry and academics. The healthcare environment is heavily cost constrained and will likely only yield to more expensive therapies if one measures them in pharmacoeconomic terms and shows that they reduce the life costs for a patient with end-stage renal disease. The technologies of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis appear to be moving toward one another in terms of generating sterile pyrogen-free dialysis fluid online and moving toward customization of therapy for the individual patient. Sensors will provide closed loop feedback to modulate therapy prescription intradialytically for hemodialysis and on an exchange-to-exchange basis for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis will, in part, move back into the home as new, smart, and smaller equipment prospectively designed for that purpose becomes available. Renewed interest in vascular access will provide alternatives to the present shunt and fistula. The recognition of middle molecule toxicity may require selective removal of identified toxins by immunoadsorption. Patient, rather than physician, quality of life will largely dictate the acceptance of technical innovation over the next 5 years.


Cadherin adhesion depends on a salt bridge at the N-terminus.
There is now considerable evidence that cell adhesion by cadherins requires a strand exchange process in which the second amino acid at the N-terminus of the cadherin molecule, Trp2, docks into a hydrophobic pocket in the domain fold of the opposing cadherin. Here we show that strand exchange depends on a salt bridge formed between the N-terminal amino group of one cadherin molecule and the acidic side chain of Glu89 of the other. Prevention of this bond in N-cadherin by introducing the mutation Glu89Ala or by extending the N-terminus with additional amino acids strongly inhibited strand exchange. But when the two modifications were present in opposing cadherin molecules respectively, they acted in a complementary manner, lowering activation energy for strand exchange and greatly increasing the strength of the adhesive interaction. N-cadherin that retained an uncleaved prodomain or lacked Trp2 adhered strongly to the Glu89Ala mutant but not to wild-type molecules. Similarly, N-cadherin in which the hydrophobic acceptor pocket was blocked by an isoleucine side chain adhered to a partner that had an extended N-terminus. We explain these results in terms of the free energy changes that accompany strand exchange. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanism of adhesion and demonstrate the feasibility of greatly increasing cadherin affinity.


NMR structure and mutagenesis of the Fas (APO-1/CD95) death domain.
Programmed cell death (apoptosis) mediated by the cytokine receptor Fas is critical for the removal of autoreactive T cells, the mechanism of immune privilege, and for maintenance of immune-system homeostasis. Signalling of programmed cell death involves the self-association of a conserved cytoplasmic region of Fas called the death domain and interaction with another death-domain-containing protein, FADD (also known as MORT1). Although death domains are found in several proteins, their three-dimensional structure and the manner in which they interact is unknown. Here we describe the solution structure of the Fas death domain, as determined by NMR spectroscopy. The structure consists of six antiparallel, amphipathic alpha-helices arranged in a novel fold. From the structure and from site-directed mutagenesis, we have identified the region of the death domain involved in self-association and binding to the downstream signalling partner FADD.


El Dr. Manuel Justo Domínguez Quintanar, fundador de la puericultura racional y la pediatría técnica en México.
This paper presents some biographical notes, both personal and professional, for Dr. Manuel Justo Dominguez Quintanar; a native of Queretaro, who over 80 years lived firsthand the historical stages in which Mexico turned into an independent country: from the First Federal Republic to the Porfiriato. He had an active participation in them all; either as a doctor, a teacher, administrator or politician. He was renowned for his charity work, especially in the Foundling House (The Cradle), which made him years later, to be considered as the founder of rational childcare and the creator of technical pediatrics in Mexico.


Intestinal bacterial transformation - a nonnegligible part of Chinese medicine research.
Intestinal bacteria play an essential part in the metabolism of the constituents of herbal drugs, and a lot of investigations have been done to unveil their functions and mechanisms in modification of these constituents and their effect. This review provides a progressive description of intestinal bacterial transformation with respect to properties, reactions, correlation with the effect of herbal drugs, research interests, and methodology. In addition, the problems encountered during the investigation are addressed and perspectives are proposed.


Molecular-Level Understanding of Synergistic Effects in Sulfuric Acid-Amine-Ammonia Mixed Clusters.
The abundance and basicity of a stabilizing base have shown to be key factors in sulfuric acid driven atmospheric new-particle formation. However, since experiments indicate that a low concentration of ammonia enhances particle formation from sulfuric acid and dimethylamine, which is a stronger base, there must be additional factors affecting the particle formation efficiency. Using quantum chemistry, we provide a molecular-level explanation for the synergistic effects in sulfuric acid-dimethylamine-ammonia cluster formation. Because of the capability of ammonia to form more intermolecular interactions than dimethylamine, it can act as a bridge-former in sulfuric acid-dimethylamine clusters. In many cluster compositions, ammonia is more likely to be protonated than dimethylamine, although it is a weaker base. By nanoparticle formation rate simulations, we show that due to the synergistic effects, ammonia can increase the particle formation rate by up to 5 orders of magnitude compared to the two-component sulfuric acid-amine system.


First-principles theory of van der Waals forces between macroscopic bodies.
We present a first-principles method for the determination of the van der Waals interactions for a collection of finite-sized macroscopic bodies. The method is based on fluctuational electrodynamics and a rigorous multiple-scattering method for the electromagnetic field. As such, the method takes fully into account retardation, many-body, multipolar, and near-fields effects. By application of the method to the case of two metallic nanoparticles, we demonstrate the breakdown of the standard 1/r(2) distance law as the van der Waals force decays exponentially with distance when the nanoparticles are too close or too far apart.


Observing conspecifics scratching induces a contagion of scratching in Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata).
Although a large number of studies have examined self-directed behaviors (SDBs) such as scratching and self-grooming as nonverbal leakage of negative emotional arousal in humans, few studies have investigated the informative function of SDBs in nonhuman primates. The present study investigated whether viewing another monkey scratching itself elicited negative arousal from conspecific observers in Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata). An experimental situation was created in which the target monkey watched a stranger through a small peephole and the observer monkey(s) watched the target in turn. Scratching spread when conspecific observers watched the target scratching itself while performing monitoring behavior. The author proposes that the possible contagion of scratching by monkeys observing another's scratching may involve transmission of a psychological state, a primitive style of empathy.


Ecosystem function in alluvial tailings after biosolids and lime addition.
Municipal biosolids and agricultural limestone were incorporated into the surface of alluvial highly acidic, metal-contaminated mine tailings in Leadville, CO, in 1998. Amended sites were seeded and a plant cover was subsequently established. A range of chemical and biological parameters were measured over time to determine if treatment was sufficient to restore ecosystem function. An uncontaminated upstream control (UUC), a contaminated vegetated area (CVA), and soils collected from the tailings deposits before amendment addition were used for comparison. Standard soil extracts showed decreases in extractable Pb, Zn, and Cd in the amended soils. Increased CO2 evolution, reduced N2O, and elevated NO3- in the amended tailings indicated an active microbial community. Levels of CO2 and NO3- were elevated in comparison with the CVA and UUC. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and earthworm (Eisenia foetida) survival and metal uptake values were similar in amended tailings to a laboratory control soil. Ryegrass and worms in unamended tailings died. Field plant diversity was lower in amended areas than in CVA or UUC, with a higher percentage of the vegetative cover consisting of grasses. Small mammal analysis showed a low potential for elevated body Cd and Pb in the amended tailings. A re-entrainment study using fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) showed no danger for resuspended amended tailings, as survival of fish was similar to the laboratory control. Data suggest that ecosystem function has been restored to the amended tailings, but that these systems are not yet in equilibrium.


Normal and abnormal visual field maps in albinos. Central effects of non-matching maps.
The abnormal chiasmatic crossing characteristic of all albino mammals brings two discordant representations of the visual field to the central visual relays. The representation from the nasal retina is normal whereas the one from the temporal retina is disrupted, a part representing the contralateral visual field as is normal and a part coming from the ipsilateral visual field as a mirror image of a part of the normal representation. Experiments that were designed to define the rules on the basis of which the abnormal representations can be established in the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex are described. These experiments are related to more recent studies of albino cats, and the observations of the visual pathways are related speculatively to abnormalities seen in the auditory pathways of albinos. The possibility is raised that the auditory abnormalities are secondary to the visual abnormalities, produced by a failure of the two systems to establish normally matching maps of sensory space.


Effect of dietary protein content on the activity of rat liver asparagine synthetase.
The activity of rat liver asparagine synthetase [EC 6.3.1.1]increased when animals maintained on 25% protein diet were placed on 15% or 6% protein diet. The enzyme activity level rose within one day, reached a maximum in 7 or 10 days after switching the diet and thereafter dropped gradually. During the purification of the enzyme from rats on 25% or 6% protein diet, the yield and increase of the specific activity were similar in the two groups. Combination of the liver extracts from two such groups demonstrated that the amount of endogeneous inhibitors of the enzyme did not change on replacing the diet. The elevation of the enzyme activity in rats fed 6% casein diet was suppressed by an injection of cycloheximide or actinomycin D. It is suggested that the change in the enzyme activity was due to alteration of the amount of the enzyme.


Impaired wound healing in Cushing's syndrome: the role of heat shock proteins.
Glucocorticoids impair wound healing and cause surgical morbidity. Heat shock proteins are essential to cellular stress tolerance and are associated with glucocorticoids. The adrenal heat shock protein response is under hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal-axis control, whereas the vascular response is associated with alpha-1 receptors. Because heat shock proteins affect cellular stress responses and are under hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal-axis control in other tissues, we postulated an association between heat shock proteins and glucocorticoids in healing wounds. Modified Hunt-Schilling wound chambers were implanted subcutaneously in rats. They received subcutaneous time-release dexamethasone (25 mg) or placebo pellets. Wound chamber heat shock protein 25 and heat shock protein 72/73 were serially assayed for 21 days with western analysis and immunocytochemistry. Dexamethasone caused Cushing's syndrome with approximately 10% weekly weight-loss and adrenal atrophy. Total wound tissue decreased 90% with profound differences in molecular wound responses manifested by decreased heat shock protein 25, 72, and 73 in animals treated with dexamethasone despite equal protein loads. Furthermore, dexamethasone caused heat shock protein 72 redistribution by immunocytochemistry. This study represents the first description of heat shock proteins in a wound healing model and demonstrates tissue-specific decrease of heat shock proteins with glucocorticoid therapy. Thus the heat shock protein response is intimately associated with normal wound healing and is profoundly altered in subjects with Cushing's syndrome. Manipulation of this response may have clinical importance in wound healing.


Expression of procollagen alpha 1 type III mRNA in rotator cuff tears.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among expression of procollagen alpha 1 type III mRNA, subacromial adhesion, and limited shoulder elevation in rotator cuff tears. Procollagen alpha 1 type III mRNA was analyzed in the torn supraspinatus tendons and synovial tissue of 42 patients with rotator cuff tears. As a control, four normal supraspinatus tendons of patients who had undergone shoulder surgery other than rotator cuff repair served as controls. Cells stained positively for procollagen alpha 1 type III mRNA were more abundant in the adhesive synovium of the subacromial bursa and in the torn supraspinatus tendons than in controls. Patients with complete-thickness tears who had undergone surgery less than 10 months after trauma were found to have more signal-positive cells than those later than 10 months. We conclude that the adhesive synovium of the subacromial bursa contains abundant cells stained positively for procollagen alpha 1 type III mRNA. We suggest that the production of type III collagen by these cells could contribute to the limitation of shoulder motion in patients with rotator cuff tears, and recommend release and excision of the excess adhesive synovium during rotator cuff surgery.


On Bayesian inference for proportional hazards models using noninformative priors.
In this article, we investigate the properties of the posterior distribution under the uniform improper prior for two commonly used proportional hazards models; the Weibull regression model and the extreme value regression model. We allow the observations to be right censored. We obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of the posterior moment generating function of the regression coefficients. A dataset involving a lung cancer clinical trial and a simulation are presented to illustrate our results.


Accuracy of field alignment in abdominal radiation therapy.
To assess the accuracy of field alignment in a homogeneous group of patients undergoing radiotherapy of the abdomen (adjuvant treatment of the paraaortic region in Stage I testicular seminoma). To evaluate the predictive value of the first verification on field placement errors during subsequent treatment delivery. In 45 patients, linear and rotational discrepancies were measured between simulation and first check and between 10 consecutive verification films. For the total group of patients, the distribution of all deviations showed mean values between 2.3 mm and -2.7 mm with standard deviations of 3.9 mm to 4.7 mm for linear discrepancies, and -0.5 degree to 0.3 degree with standard deviations of 1.2 degrees to 2.1 degrees for rotational discrepancies, respectively. For all patients, deviations for the transition from simulator to the treatment machine were similar to deviations during subsequent treatment delivery, with 95% of all absolute deviations < 10.0 mm and 4 degrees, respectively. When performing correlation analysis between deviations at first check and during treatment delivery, a correlation for lateral displacements and a borderline correlation for caudal displacements could be found. There was no correlation for cranial and rotational displacements. Although a trend of deviations for subsequent treatment delivery may be shown at first check, our analysis indicates that the first verification cannot reliably predict inaccuracies during treatment delivery. Random fluctuations of field displacements of up to 1.0 cm prevail. They must be considered when prescribing the safety margins of the planned target volume and determining cutoff points for corrective actions in abdominal radiation therapy.


Cobalt carbonate hydroxide/C: an efficient dual electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions.
A novel bi-functional cobalt carbonate hydroxide supported on a carbon (CCH/C) catalyst has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method to meet the demand for the widespread commercialization of the energy conversion and storage technologies, which was used for the first time in ORR and OER. Furthermore, the newly discovered phase-dependent electrocatalytic ORR/OER characteristics of CCH/C are demonstrated.


Evaluation of a teaching skills improvement programme for residents.
This study addressed three evaluation questions about the effectiveness of a workshop to teach residents how to teach: (1) How do residents evaluate their own teaching skills? (2) How do students evaluate residents' teaching skills? (3) Do residents of various specialties differ in their teaching skills? One hundred and five residents rated their skills on the Inventory of Teaching Behavior significantly higher after attending the workshop than before it. Third-year students evaluated the teaching skills of both residents who had attended the workshop and those who had not. On four of the nine items of the Clinical Teaching Assessment Form, students rated residents who had attended significantly higher than the control residents. Some differences in teaching skills among the various specialties were found as were differences between resident self-rating and student rating. These data suggest that giving residents instruction can improve their teaching skills. By doing so, both the residents and the programme can benefit.


T-cell functions in nude mice: proliferation of spleen cells from athymic mice in the one-way xenogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction.
Spleen cells from nude mice proliferate in vitro when stimulated with xenogeneic (human) lymphoid cells rendered unresponsive by addition of digitalis glycosides. In digitalis-sensitive species, such as humans, DNA, RNA, carbohydrate, and protein synthesis is completely blocked by addition of low concentrations of glycoside, whereas no impairment is found in digitalis-resistant species such as mouse. Since T cells have been implicated to be the cells responding in the mixed leucocyte reaction, this finding may suggest the occasional existence of "T-like" cells in the spleens of nude mice.


Genetic diversity in the gypsy moth fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga from founder populations in North America and source populations in Asia.
Entomophaga maimaiga is a naturally occurring fungal pathogen specific to larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. E. maimaiga is thought to be native to Asia where its epizootics can suppress gypsy moth outbreaks. However, in the USA this beneficial fungal pathogen was not observed until 1989, although an isolate of E. maimaiga from Tokyo was released in Massachusetts to control gypsy moths as early as in 1910-1911, and another isolate from Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan was later released in 1985 and 1986 in New York and Virginia. Our objectives were to: (1) test the hypothesis that E. maimaiga populations in the USA have reduced genetic variability due to founder effects compared to the putative ancestral populations in Asia; (2) track the origin of the North American populations of this fungus; and (3) assess whether genetic differences among E. maimaiga isolates are correlated to morphological differences. We compared genetic diversity among 30 E. maimaiga isolates originating from seven states in the USA, five prefectures in Japan, one province of China and one region of far eastern Russia by AFLPs. Among 14 USA isolates, only ten polymorphic AFLP loci were found, whereas 56 polymorphic loci were found among 16 Asian isolates; 29 loci were polymorphic among 12 isolates from Japan alone. Average gene diversity (h) for the polymorphic loci was 0.223 +/- 0.005 for Asia (including Japan), 0.131 +/- 0.006 for Japan only, and 0.041 +/- 0.004 for the USA. Thus, native populations from Asia were more diverse than the USA populations. These results are consistent with the expectation of a population founded from a source population by a small number of individuals. Distance and parsimony analyses of AFLP data showed that the isolates from the USA formed one distinct clade that was most closely related to Japanese isolates collected outside the Tokyo area. No morphological variation of E. maimaiga from different geographical locations was detected.


Thymidine kinase activity in murine lymphoid organs following glucocorticoid and heparin administration.
Thymidine kinase (TK) activity was studied in thymus and spleen of mice after glucocorticoid and heparin administration. Glucocorticoids (cortisone and hydrocortisone) injected intraperitoneally caused a prolonged 80--90% decrease in TK activity of both lymphoid organs. Heparin per se administered in depot-form subcutaneously did not alter the enzyme activity in the lymphoid organs significantly. By contrast, heparin injected 6 hours before glucocorticoid treatment inhibited the decreasing effect of cortisone but not that of hydrocortisone on TK activity in the thymus and fully inhibited the effect of both hormones on the enzyme activity of spleen. In addition the combined use of heparin and cortisone increased the splenic TK activity above the control value on the 2nd day after treatment. The possible mode of action of heparin is discussed.


G-cell population in antral mucosa of the dog.
The gastrin-cell (G-cell) population in the pyloric antrum of 8 dogs was studied quantitatively by immunofluorescence. The G-cell population was dense in the pyloric antrum and very few cells were seen in the antrocorporal junction. The estimated total number of G cells was (1.66 +/- 0.12) X 10(7) in the pyloric antrum and the greatest number of G cells per unit mucosal surface area was along the greater curvature of the pyloric antrum. Except along the greater curvature, G cells per unit musocal volume were significantly greater in number (P less than 0.05) in the proximal antrum adjacent to the antrocorporal junction that in any other regions distal to it. Differences in mucosal thickness were considered as a causative factor for these differences.


The prognostic significance of ploidy analysis in operable breast cancer.
The nuclear DNA content of 98 operable breast cancers was determined by flow cytometric analysis using paraffin-embedded tissue. All patients were on follow-up and failure of treatment or recurrences were identified. DNA ploidy data in the form of ploidy status and DNA index (DI) has been correlated with various clinical and histopathologic factors. The only significant correlation using univariate analysis exists between the histologic grade and DI (P less than 0.025), recurrence of the disease and ploidy status (P less than 0.005), and recurrence of the disease and DI (P less than 0.005). The absence of correlation of ploidy status with other tumor derived factors indicates the independent nature of ploidy as a prognostic factor. Multivariate analysis showed that in the whole-group ploidy (P less than 0.01), tumor margin (P less than 0.01), and menopausal status (P less than 0.01) were significant factors in the order mentioned. DI with a cut of at 1.29 is not found to be a significant factor in the multivariate analysis. The maximum prognostic value of ploidy status was observed in the postmenopausal group (P less than 0.0005). In the node-negative group ploidy status (P less than 0.05) is the only independent significant factor predicting for early relapse. It is concluded that ploidy status is an independent prognostic factor predicting for recurrence of the disease. In the node-negative subgroup this could be used to identify the subset of patients who may benefit from adjuvant treatment.


The BCAA/AAA ratio of plasma amino acids in three different groups of cirrhotics.
We studied the plasma amino acid profiles in the postabsorptive period in three groups of cirrhotic patients: stable, unstable, and with acute portal systemic encephalopathy (PSE), and compared them with a healthy control group in order to investigate the differences among the different groups and reevaluate the use of the branched-chain amino acid/aromatic amino acid (BCAA/AAA) ratio. Although plasma amino acid levels were similar to the control group, stable cirrhotics had a significantly decreased BCAA/AAA ratio (2.9 +/- 0.2) compared to the control group (3.9 +/- 0.3) (p < 0.05). Unstable cirrhotics had differences in plasma amino acid levels and the BCAA/AAA ratio was even lower (1.7 +/- 0.3) compared with stable cirrhotics and controls, respectively (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Patients with PSE had extreme elevations of most amino acids and showed the lowest BCAA/AAA ratio of all four groups (0.8 +/- 0.07) (p < 0.001 compared with controls). We conclude that it is possible to detect differences in plasma amino acid concentrations in different groups of cirrhotics, and that the BCAA/AAA ratio is a good index for the assessment of liver impairment. The latter could be used in the follow-up of a selected group of patients such as those undergoing major surgery or liver transplantation in whom the BCAA/AAA ratio could be used to help determine the best time for the transplant.


Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-responsive chronic neutropenia in cartilage-hair hypoplasia.
: Chronic neutropenia is common in children with cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH). The authors describe a 6-year-old with severe CHH, moderate neutropenia associated with serum IgG antibodies directed against Fcgamma-RIIIb (NA1/2), and frequent bacterial infections. In this patient, long-term administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor increased peripheral neutrophil counts and prevented recurrent hospitalizations for bacterial lower respiratory tract infections.


Exploring gene expression data with class scores.
We address a commonly asked question about gene expression data sets: "What functional classes of genes are most interesting in the data?" In the methods we present, expression data is partitioned into classes based on existing annotation schemes. Each class is then given three separately derived "interest" scores. The first score is based on an assessment of the statistical significance of gene expression changes experienced by members of the class, in the context of the experimental design. The second is based on the co-expression of genes in the class. The third score is based on the learnability of the classification. We show that all three methods reveal significant classes in each of three different gene expression data sets. Many classes are identified by one method but not the others, indicating that the methods are complementary. The classes identified are in many cases of clear relevance to the experiment. Our results suggest that these class scoring methods are useful tools for exploring gene expression data.


Indocyanine green angiography in cases of inflammatory chorioretinopathy.
We studied 13 patients with various chorioretinal inflammatory diseases, comparing fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography. The study included cases of presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, Birdshot chorioretinopathy, serpiginous choroiditis and acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy. Based on our findings and comparing them to the few previous reports, we try to better understand the pathogenesis of these inflammatory chorioretinopathies.


Mercury pollution and childhood in Amazon riverside villages.
Mercury is a hazardous metal responsible for environmental contamination and human intoxication. Methylmercury, a very toxic organic compound, bio-accumulates through food chain, and is responsible for chronic mercury exposure of riverside Amazonian communities with a diet rich in fish. Uncertainties about the reference exposure dose that could have damaging consequences for nervous system development makes necessary the biomonitoring of these Amazonian populations, especially children. In this work, a comparative study was performed in exposed and non-exposed children living in the Amazon. A total of 168 children were analyzed to find possible correlations between gender, age, location, and hair mercury content. For each location, no statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were detected for gender and age versus mercury content. However, mean mercury levels in hair samples may indicate a tendency of boys to average higher hair concentrations. Also, in the community with highest levels of mercury, the limit of 10 micro g/g of mercury was surpassed by 65% of 2-6 years and 50% of 7-12 years children but only by 27% of 0-1 year babies, pointing to a lower bioaccumulation and/or the existence of a protection mechanism in babies. Log normal distributions of mercury concentrations for each location showed that children from populations under influence of gold mining activity contain the highest mercury levels in hair samples, though this intoxication may have decreased when compared to previous studies. Knowledge originated by this monitoring will better assist in the development of prevention strategies and government actions targeting the mercury contamination of Amazonian environment.


[Parkinsonian Syndromes: Direct Costs of Inpatient Neurological Rehabilitation].
The Parkinsonian syndromes (PS) belong to the frequent chronic neurological disorders that, due to their progressive character and complex therapeutic options, pose a large economic burden. In a retrospective health economic study on the treatment of Parkinson's disease, various socioeconomic and clinical parameters were examined. In the years 2011-2012, a total of 29 patients with the diagnosis of a Parkinsonian syndrome who underwent an inpatient rehabilitation in the Department of Neurology of the Rehabilitation MediClin Center Bad Orb were recruited. For this group of patients, we calculated the direct treatment cost and also analyzed the treatment cost based on the German diagnosis-related groups (G-DRG, version 2012). The direct medical costs amounted to € 113.47±13.10 per patient per day. Furthermore, cost simulation and comparison revealed significantly higher cost per day for those patients insured via the German statutory health insurance who undergo inpatient care service based on the DRG-based payment (€ 241.77 vs. 171.74; p≤0.015). This study contributes to the achievement of transparency of the direct medical costs of Parkinson's disease treatment in the inpatient setting and emphasizes the cost differences compared to the G-DRG-based payment.


Truth telling, confidentiality, and the dying patient: new dilemmas for the nurse.
The issues of truth telling and confidentiality, although less dramatic than foregoing life-sustaining treatments, are among the most important for any professionally moral relationship between a dying patient and nurse. The ethical dilemmas for the nurse caught in the middle are described. The interdependence of truth telling and keeping confidences is discussed. Guidelines for open communication and empathic listening are suggested.


Automatic segmentation of DNA bands in one dimensional gel images produced by hybridizing techniques.
Automatic segmentation of DNA bands in one dimensional DNA fingerprint gel images produced by hybridizing techniques could be challenging due to the noise and large intensity variation among the bands within each lane in the image. A new algorithm for automatic segmentation of DNA bands based on the variance (var), mean-variance-ratio (MVR) and equivalent width is presented. A number of pre-processing steps should be applied on the image prior to the automatic segmentation. First a homomorphic filter is applied to enhance the image followed by an edge preserving noise filtering algorithm to remove the noise in the image. Then a background normalization operation is applied to the resulting image. After these preprocessing operations, each lane in the image is detected and presented by a one dimensional intensity profile. The new algorithm will be applied on the valleys in the resulting intensity profile for each lane to characterize the corresponding valley as noise or a DNA band. We have applied this algorithm on several DNA fingerprint gel images, and all the bands were successfully segmented, except the very weak (faint) bands which are very close to their background. These should be analyzed manually.


Standardized versus customized high-intensity training: effects on cycling performance.
To determine whether a submaximal cycling test could be used to monitor and prescribe high-intensity interval training (HIT). Two groups of male cyclists completed 4 HIT sessions over a 2-wk period. The structured-training group (SG; n = 8, VO2max = 58.4 ± 4.2 mL · min-1 · kg-1) followed a predetermined training program while the flexible-training group (FG; n = 7, VO2max = 53.9 ± 5.0 mL · min-1 · kg-1) had the timing of their HIT sessions prescribed based on the data of the Lamberts and Lambert Submaximal Cycle Test (LSCT). Effect-size calculations showed large differences in the improvements in 40-km time-trial performance after the HIT training between SG (8 ± 45 s) and FG (48 ± 42 s). Heart-rate recovery, monitored during the study, tended to increase in FG and remain unchanged in SG. The results of the current study suggest that the LSCT may be a useful tool for coaches to monitor and prescribe HIT.


Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in England, a cohort study, 1998-2009: a comparison with cancer.
There is no routine registration of the occurrence of newly diagnosed cases of cirrhosis in the United Kingdom. This study seeks to determine precise estimates and trends of the incidence of cirrhosis in England, and directly compare these figures with those for the 20 most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United Kingdom. We used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and linked English Hospital Episode Statistics to perform a population-based cohort study. Adult incident cases with a diagnosis of cirrhosis between January 1998 and December 2009 were identified. We described trends in incidence by sex and etiology. We performed a direct standardization to estimate the number of people being newly diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2009, and calculated the change in incidence between 1998 and 2009. A total of 5,118 incident cases of cirrhosis were identified, 57.9% were male. Over the 12-year period, crude incidence increased by 50.6%. Incidence increased for both men and women and all etiology types. We estimated approximately 17,000 people were newly diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2009 in the United Kingdom, greater than that of the fifth most common cancer non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The percentage change in incidence of cirrhosis between 1998 and 2009 for both men (52.4%) and women (38.3%) was greater than that seen for the top four most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United Kingdom (breast, lung, bowel, and prostate). The occurrence of cirrhosis increased more than that of the top four cancers during 1998 to 2009 in England. Strategies to monitor and reduce the incidence of this disease are urgently needed.


Monitoring gonadotropin-stimulated cycles for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
One hundred fifty-one cycles stimulated with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and/or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were analyzed retrospectively to determine the relationship of the monitoring parameters used: serum estradiol (E2), transvaginal sonographic follicular size, and peripheral biologic estrogen response, with harvests and pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Mean +/- SE serum E2 levels were higher on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration in the miscarriage group (689.4 +/- 27.5 pg/ml) than in the nonpregnant group (527.7 +/- 25.8 pg/ml) (P = 0.018) and highest in the ongoing pregnancy group (734.6 +/- 66.5 pg/ml) (P = 0.003). When two or more preovulatory oocytes (preovs) were retrieved, the mean E2 levels were higher (622.3 +/- 27.3 pg/ml) than if zero or one preov was retrieved (378.4 +/- 43.5 pg/ml) (P = 0.001). The mean diameter of the two largest follicles at the time of hCG administration was significantly greater (14.7 mm) in the group with two or more preovs retrieved than in the group with zero or one preov (13.3 mm) (P = 0.001). The relative probability of achieving a pregnancy was best predicted by the presence of two follicles greater than or equal to 16 mm in diameter on transvaginal ultrasound examination and was 1.63 times greater than that of all patients in this series.


Cardiac output-changes during hemodialysis with ultrafiltration.
Cardiovascular hemodynamics were studied noninvasively before, during and after hemodialysis with ultrafiltration in 18 patients on chronic hemodialysis. The cardiac output (CO) was determined by a continuous wave Doppler method. Overall, no major CO changes were seen (7.8 +/- 0.6 l/min post- versus 7.4 +/- 0.5 l/min pre-dialysis). Mean blood pressure rose slightly but significantly from 103 +/- 4 mmHg before to 113 +/- 3 mmHg after hemodialysis (p less than 0.01). Important interindividual differences in the intradialytic evolution of CO were observed. In patients with previous myocardial infarction or dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 12), CO rose significantly from 7.3 +/- 0.7 l/min before to 8.4 +/- 0.6 l/min after hemodialysis (p less than 0.05), while in patients without manifest myocardial disease (n = 6) CO decreased from 7.5 +/- 0.7 l/min to 6.6 +/- 0.9 l/min (NS). Comparison of the evolution of CO in both groups by variance analysis revealed a significant difference (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that, in response to hemodialysis with ultrafiltration, CO probably will increase in patients with myocardial infarction or congestive cardiomyopathy, but probably will decrease in patients without.


Polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene and performance on a cognitive prefrontal test in bipolar patients.
The aim of the study was to test a possible association between the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and performance on a neurocognitive test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), in bipolar patients. Fifty-four bipolar patients were studied, 18 male and 36 female, aged 18-72 (mean 46 years). The number of perseverative errors (WCST-P), non-perseverative errors (WCST-NP), completed corrected categories (WCST-CC), conceptual level responses (WCST-%CONC) and set to the first category (WCST-1st CAT) were measured in relation to the Val66Met genotypes of BDNF. The percentages of subjects with Val/Val, Val/Met and Met/Met genotypes were respectively 81.5, 16.7 and 1.8%. Subjects with Val/Val and Val/Met genotypes did not differ on clinical factors except for the age of onset of the illness, which was earlier in Val/Val than Val/Met genotype (27 years versus 38 years). The performance in all domains of WCST was significantly better in subjects with Val/Val BDNF genotype compared with Val/Met genotype. The results suggest a role of BDNF in prefrontal cognitive function in bipolar illness. The tests of prefrontal cognition may be considered as endophenotypic markers in bipolar illness.


[Quantitative changes of bacterial flora from the oral cavity and throat in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].
Quantitative investigations were carried on aerobic and anaerobic bacterial flora of oral cavity and throat in 44 children in the age of 5-10 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, intensively treated with cytostatics, and in 23 healthy children which served as a control group. Samples of saliva from leukemic children revealed significantly higher than in control group--presence of aerobic bacteria, particularly streptococci and enterococci. Material from throat was differing only in regard to staphylococci. Moreover, in children with leukemia, Gram-negative rods were present, which was not the case in the control group.


Evolutionary conservation and DNA binding properties of the Ssh7 proteins from Sulfolobus shibatae.
The thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus shibatae synthesizes a large amount of the 7-ku DNA binding proteins known as Ssh7. Our hybridization experiments showed that two Ssh7-encoding genes existed in the genome of S. shibatae. These two genes, designated ssh7a and ssh7b, have been cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The two Ssh7 proteins differ only at three amino acid positions. In addition, the cis-regulatory sequences of the ssh7a and ssh7b genes are highly conserved. These results suggest the presence of a selective pressure to maintain not only the sequence but also the expression of the two genes. We have also found that there are two genes encoding the 7-ku protein in Sulfolobus solfataricus. Based on this and other studies, we suggest that the gene encoding the 7-ku protein underwent duplication before the separation of Sulfolobus species. Binding of native Ssh7 and recombinant (r)Ssh7 to short duplex DNA fragments was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Both native and recombinant forms of the protein behaved in a similar fashion in the assays, suggesting that the interaction of Ssh7 with DNA is not affected either by specific lysine methylation found in the native Ssh7 proteins or by the difference between the two Ssh7 isomers in amino acid sequence. Our data show that Ssh7 binds duplex DNA fragments with a binding size of approximately 6.6 base pairs and an apparent dissociation constant of (0.7-1.0) x 10(-7) mol/L under the assay conditions employed in the present study. In addition, Ssh7 binds more tightly to negatively supercoiled DNA than to linear or relaxed DNA.


MicroRNA layer of MHC in infectious diseases.
The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) harbors key genes of the immune response that are likely useful as biomarkers for infectious diseases. However, little is known about their microRNAs and what role they play in infections. The present study aimed to describe the miRNA genes in the MHC (MHC-miRNA), their variability and associations with infectious diseases. Additionally, MHC-miRNA host and target genes were also evaluated in associations with infectious diseases. Surveys in several databases and literature reviews identified 48 MHC-miRNA genes, with high SNP and CNV variability able to disrupt MHC-miRNA expression and putatively under selective pressure. Eight MHC-miRNAs were found inside or close regions of classical MHC rearrangements (RCCX and DRB genome organization). The proportion of MHC-miRNAs associated with infections (23%) was higher than the proportion found for the 1917 hsa-miRNA (4%). Additionally, 35 MHC-miRNAs (57%) have at least one of their target genes associated with infectious diseases, while all nine MHC-miRNA whose host genes were associated with infections have also their target genes associated with infections, being host and target genes of five MHC-miRNAs reported to be associated with the same diseases. This finding may reflect a concerted miRNA-mediated immune response mechanism triggered by infection.


[How to care for the backs of the caretakers].
Rachis mechanical syndrome is especially frequent among nursing professionals, probably due to ergonomic and psychological factors. In order to prevent this syndrome, and to accelerate recovery from it, correct posture and, moreover regular physical exercises constitute the best current methods available.


Additional Use of a 6-Fr Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Was Effective in a Patient with Cardiogenic Shock with Low Pulse Pressure.
We report the case of a 79-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction caused by left main trunk lesion, who experienced cardiogenic shock during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). To reverse the cardiogenic shock, we initiated veno-arterial extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) without an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) due to the severe tortuosity of the left external iliac artery. Although PCI was successful, arterial pressure monitoring revealed that the pulse pressure was too low to recover from the cardiogenic shock of decreased cardiac contraction function (the left ventricular ejection fraction was 30%). Thus, we decided to use IABP from the brachial artery to improve the hemodynamics. Immediately after the deployment of a 6-Fr IABP system (Takumi) from the left brachial artery, the pulse pressure was restored and finally VA-ECMO was withdrawn from the patient without complications. Although using IABP in combination with VA-ECMO is a reasonable strategy for cardiogenic shock, the effectiveness of this combination remains controversial. In this case, IABP added to VA-ECMO clearly achieved an improvement of pulse pressure and vital signs. Based on this result, monitoring of the pulse waveform is an effective tool to determine whether the concomitant use of IABP with VA-ECMO is indicated. Moreover, when it is difficult to insert IABP from the femoral arteries, the use of a 6-Fr IABP system (Takumi) approaching from the brachial artery should be considered.


High altitude headache. A prospective study of its clinical characteristics.
Altitude headache (AH) is the most common symptom of high altitude exposure. This prospective cross-sectional and analytical study, conducted in the Ecuadorian Andes, aimed to explore AH symptomatology, taking into account subjects' views. Thirty mountain climbers took part in the Questionnaire Elaboration. The symptoms were grouped into three categories: (A) pain dimension (PD)--intensity, location, quality, outset form, evolution, exacerbating and relieving elements; (B) concurrent symptom dimension (CSD); and (C) feeling/mood dimension (FMD). Ninety-eight mountain climbers comprised the sample for Field Research. Three evaluations were carried out: 4700-5000 m, n=1, and 5700-5800 m, n=2. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess internal consistency. Scores between 0.7 and 1 were considered as significant to assess the strength of association between the PD and its different items and CSD and FMD. The following clinical features were found: holocranial 65.6%; pulsatile-burst type quality 75.3%; oscillating evolution 36.7%; increasing with exercise 49.5%; relieved by rest 41.8%; concurrent symptoms referred to, anorexia 26.8%, irritability 26.5%, and finally pessimism and anxiety feelings 33.2 and 29.5%, respectively. We believe that elements provided by us must lead to a new official AH diagnosis criterion.


Symmetry of electro- and acoustic myographic activity of the lumbar paraspinal muscles in normal adults.
The symmetry of paraspinal muscle activity was examined in 15 healthy adults (aged 31-60 years). Acoustic myography (AMG), which provides a measure of force, was recorded with electromyography (EMG) to assess electromechanical relationships during contraction. Bilateral recordings of EMG and AMG were made over the paraspinal muscles at the level of the 4th lumbar vertebra during a fatiguing test manoeuvre. Subjects were strapped to a hinged couch in the prone position. When the upper part of the couch was lowered, subjects maintained the upper body (above the anterior, superior iliac spines) unsupported, in the horizontal position for 60 sec. The EMG and AMG signals were full-wave rectified, integrated (IEMG, IAMG) and recorded on an ink-jet oscillograph during the fatigue test. By 60 sec of activity, IEMG had increased (right 122% +/- 8.7; left 125% +/- 11.8; mean +/- 1 SD as a percentage of initial values) while IAMG (reflecting force) remained unaltered (right 99% +/- 8.2; left 100% +/- 5.3). The IAMG:IEMG ratio (reflecting efficiency of activation) thus declined (right 0.81 +/- 0.08; left 0.80 +/- 0.08). The similarly of changes on both sides of the spine have quantified normal symmetry of paraspinal muscle activity and could be used to assess asymmetry in patients with spinal pathology.


Bow wave from ultraintense electromagnetic pulses in plasmas.
We show a new effect of the bow-wave excitation by an intense short laser pulse propagating in underdense plasma. Because of spreading of the laser pulse energy in transverse direction, the bow wave causes a large-scale transverse modulation of the electron density. This can significantly increase the electric potential of the wake wave since the wake wave is generated in the region much wider than the laser pulse waist.


Maspin expression and localization impact on angiogenesis and prognosis in ovarian cancer.
The goal of this study is to evaluate the relation of maspin expression and its cellular localization to markers of angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC). We identified 118 patients with high-grade advanced stage OSC who were treated at our institution. Clinical data were collected, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) with antibodies to VEGF, CD34, COX-2, and maspin was performed on paraffin-embedded tumor blocks. CD34 immunostaining was used to determine microvessel density. The correlation between the various molecular markers was assessed using the Chi-square test. Survival analysis was computed using the Kaplan-Meier model, and various prognostic variables were compared using Cox regression analysis. Maspin expression was noted in 81.4% (96/118) of tumors. Expression was localized to the nuclear compartment in 21.2% of cases, whereas 60.2% of cases showed evidence of cytoplasmic +/- nuclear expression. Tumors that exhibited nuclear maspin expression had lower VEGF and COX-2 expression than tumors with negative or cytoplasmic expression. Tumors with high nuclear maspin expression had lower mean MVD than those with low or negative expression. The median survival based on localization of maspin was 1146 days for those with negative tumors, 1803 days for those with nuclear maspin, and 637 days for those with cytoplasmic maspin (P < 0.001). In a Cox regression analysis, maspin localization was an independent prognostic factor. Maspin expression and localization seem to play a role in ovarian cancer angiogenesis and progression. High nuclear expression was associated with reduced markers of angiogenesis and prolonged survival.


[The regulation of RNA synthesis in fern gametophytes by light].
Morphogenesis and metabolism of the gametophytes (= sporelings) of the common male fern Dryopteris filix-mas are controlled by visible radiation. Short wavelengths visible radiation (= blue light) leads to an increase in protein synthesis and makes possible the formation of "normal" two-dimensional prothallia. Under long wavelengths visible radiation (= red light) the sporelings grow as cellular filaments the protein contents of which are markedly lower than under blue irradiation even under conditions of equal rate of dry matter accumulation in red and blue (OHLENROTH and MOHR, 1963). - It is shown in the present paper that the RNA content of sporelings of the same age is always higher in blue light than in red light (Figs. 1, 3). The blue-dependent increase of RNA occurs faster than the blue-dependent increase of protein (Fig. 2). Furthermore the increase of protein per sporeling is much larger than the increase of RNA (Fig. 4). These facts are in agreement with the hypothesis that in some way or another blue light initiates differential gene activation.The blue light-dependent morphological changes which occur if we put red grown filamentous sporelings under blue light can be measured much faster than the blue light-dependent increase of the bulk protein (Figs. 5, 6). We have to conclude as we did in a previous paper (KASEMIR and MOHR, 1965) that the blue light-dependent increase in the protein content of the sporelings might be mainly due to an increase of chloroplast protein. - The blue light-dependent increase of the RNA content occurs at least as fast as the morphological changes (Figs. 5, 6). This finding is supplemented by the observation (Fig. 8) that blue light markedly and rapidly stimulates the incorporation of (14)C into RNA. The (14)C was applied as (14)C-uridine (U). - It seems that blue light causes an increase of protein synthesis in the chloroplasts as well as in the cytoplasm. Blue light-dependent RNA synthesis seems to be involved in this response. These data support the view that blue light might exert its morphogenetic control through differential gene activation.


Inhibitory effect of NH4Cl on secretion of collagen in human gingival fibroblasts.
The general protein synthesis in human gingival fibroblasts as measured by 14C-proline incorporation was only moderately inhibited by 10 mM NH4C1 during incubation for 36 h. The proportion secreted as noncollagen protein and recovered from the cellular fraction as collagen was not significantly affected, whereas a pronounced inhibitory effect on the secretion of collagen was evident after 24 h. This effect was dose dependent, with a significant inhibition of collagen secretion even at 2 mM ammonia. The applied concentrations of NH4C1 had no significant effect on the hydroxylation of prolyl residues in collagen. Ammonia had no inhibitory effect on the secretion of fibronectin, another major secretory protein from fibroblasts. When comparing different lysosomotropic agents; NH4C1, chloroquine and methylamine, the most prominent effect was consistently found to be an inhibition of the secretion of collagen.


Speciation driven by natural selection in Drosophila.
Reinforcement is the process by which natural selection strengthens sexual isolation between incipient species, reducing the frequency of maladaptive hybridization and hence completing reproductive isolation. Although this model of speciation was once widely accepted, its plausibility and experimental support have been recently attacked. Here we provide an example of speciation by reinforcement, in the North American fruitfly Drosophila pseudoobscura. The results suggest that females of D. pseudoobscura evolved increased sexual isolation from their sibling species, D. persimilis, by natural selection against maladaptive hybridization.


Chemical sensing of Benzo[a]pyrene using Corchorus depressus fluorescent flavonoids.
Plant phytochemicals, such as flavonoids are in use for the development of optical biosensor. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), is a pervasive environmental and dietary carcinogen. A fluorescent assay is developed using plant isolated flavonoid for the detection of B[a]P. High content saponins are excluded from the flavonoid-containing methanolic extract of Corchorus depressus by implying reduction of silver ions by saponins resulting in formation of silver nanoparticles. Isolated plant flavonoids are used to develop a spectrofluorometric assay for the detection of B[a]P. Decrease in the flavonoid fluorescence intensity by B[a]P is found to be based on both static and dynamic quenching. Specificity of the assay for B[a]P was tested for other carcinogens belonging to different classes of compounds. Flavonoids-mediated sensing can be implied for the development of new generation of nanoparticle-based biosensors that can be more sensitive and less susceptible to external factors, such as temperature and humidity.


The effect of the apolipoprotein E genotype on response to personalized dietary advice intervention: findings from the Food4Me randomized controlled trial.
The apolipoprotein E (APOE) risk allele (ɛ4) is associated with higher total cholesterol (TC), amplified response to saturated fatty acid (SFA) reduction, and increased cardiovascular disease. Although knowledge of gene risk may enhance dietary change, it is unclear whether ɛ4 carriers would benefit from gene-based personalized nutrition (PN). The aims of this study were to 1) investigate interactions between APOE genotype and habitual dietary fat intake and modulations of fat intake on metabolic outcomes; 2) determine whether gene-based PN results in greater dietary change than do standard dietary advice (level 0) and nongene-based PN (levels 1-2); and 3) assess the impact of knowledge of APOE risk (risk: E4+, nonrisk: E4-) on dietary change after gene-based PN (level 3). Individuals (n = 1466) recruited into the Food4Me pan-European PN dietary intervention study were randomly assigned to 4 treatment arms and genotyped for APOE (rs429358 and rs7412). Diet and dried blood spot TC and ω-3 (n-3) index were determined at baseline and after a 6-mo intervention. Data were analyzed with the use of adjusted general linear models. Significantly higher TC concentrations were observed in E4+ participants than in E4- (P < 0.05). Although there were no significant differences in APOE response to gene-based PN (E4+ compared with E4-), both groups had a greater reduction in SFA (percentage of total energy) intake than at level 0 (mean ± SD: E4+, -0.72% ± 0.35% compared with -1.95% ± 0.45%, P = 0.035; E4-, -0.31% ± 0.20% compared with -1.68% ± 0.35%, P = 0.029). Gene-based PN was associated with a smaller reduction in SFA intake than in nongene-based PN (level 2) for E4- participants (-1.68% ± 0.35% compared with -2.56% ± 0.27%, P = 0.025). The APOE ɛ4 allele was associated with higher TC. Although gene-based PN targeted to APOE was more effective in reducing SFA intake than standard dietary advice, there was no difference between APOE "risk" and "nonrisk" groups. Furthermore, disclosure of APOE nonrisk may have weakened dietary response to PN. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01530139.


Local Concentration Deviations in a Glycolytic Model of Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics: Emergence of Bistability from Thermodynamic Theories due to Violation of the Lyapunov Stability Theory.
The thermodynamics of nonequilibrium states in the reversible Sel'kov model, a mathematical model of glycolytic oscillations, is reported in terms of the Lyapunov properties of the second differential of its local equilibrium entropy ( S) and that of its entropy production (e.p.) function (σ) per unit volume. This theory interprets the appropriate limit of validity of the generalized Le Chatelier-Braun (LCB) principle for stable nonequilibrium and equilibrium steady states obeying the Lyapunov stability postulate and its implications in terms of the local concentration deviations of the reacting intermediate species S(ATP) and P(ADP) in response to external excitations. The local concentration deviations of the reacting intermediates are reported to be asymmetric for stable steady states in this model system obeying the Lyapunov stability postulate out of equilibrium (both linear and nonlinear domains), whereas symmetrical local concentration deviations prevail at the state of thermodynamic equilibrium, which however never exists in a living cell. In the unstable steady states in this model reaction, as for example, along a limit cycle trajectory not obeying any Lyapunov stability postulate, the two bistable e.p. branches characterized by two forms of deviation product function δ sδ p may be identified separated by a large δ p > 0 value ( p being scaled concentration of the species P) for dσ > 0 and dσ < 0, respectively, which may be generalized as LCB principle for bistability/hysteresis in this model reaction. The method outlined here may be applied safely to other well-known two-variable models of chemistry/biology. For an appropriate three-variable model with one variable in a pseudo-steady-state approximation, this method may be applicable, albeit with some constraints.


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HIV-1 drug resistance in antiretroviral-naive individuals in sub-Saharan Africa after rollout of antiretroviral therapy: a multicentre observational study.
There are few data on the epidemiology of primary HIV-1 drug resistance after the roll-out of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to assess the prevalence of primary resistance in six African countries after ART roll-out and if wider use of ART in sub-Saharan Africa is associated with rising prevalence of drug resistance. We did a cross-sectional study in antiretroviral-naive adults infected with HIV-1 who had not started first-line ART, recruited between 2007 and 2009 from 11 regions in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We did population-based sequencing of the pol gene on plasma specimens with greater than 1000 copies per mL of HIV RNA. We identified drug-resistance mutations with the WHO list for transmitted resistance. The prevalence of sequences containing at least one drug-resistance mutation was calculated accounting for the sampling weights of the sites. We assessed the risk factors of resistance with multilevel logistic regression with random coefficients. 2436 (94.1%) of 2590 participants had a pretreatment genotypic resistance result. 1486 participants (57.4%) were women, 1575 (60.8%) had WHO clinical stage 3 or 4 disease, and the median CD4 count was 133 cells per μL (IQR 62-204). Overall sample-weighted drug-resistance prevalence was 5.6% (139 of 2436; 95% CI 4.6-6.7), ranging from 1.1% (two of 176; 0.0-2.7) in Pretoria, South Africa, to 12.3% (22 of 179; 7.5-17.1) in Kampala, Uganda. The pooled prevalence for all three Ugandan sites was 11.6% (66 of 570; 8.9-14.2), compared with 3.5% (73 of 1866; 2.5-4.5) for all other sites. Drug class-specific resistance prevalence was 2.5% (54 of 2436; 1.8-3.2) for nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 3.3% (83 of 2436; 2.5-4.2) for non-NRTIs (NNRTIs), 1.3% (31 of 2436; 0.8-1.8) for protease inhibitors, and 1.2% (25 of 2436; 0.7-1.7) for dual-class resistance to NRTIs and NNRTIs. The most common drug-resistance mutations were K103N (43 [1.8%] of 2436), thymidine analogue mutations (33 [1.6%] of 2436), M184V (25 [1.2%] of 2436), and Y181C/I (19 [0.7%] of 2436). The odds ratio for drug resistance associated with each additional year since the start of the ART roll-out in a region was 1.38 (95% CI 1.13-1.68; p=0.001). The higher prevalence of primary drug resistance in Uganda than in other African countries is probably related to the earlier start of ART roll-out in Uganda. Resistance surveillance and prevention should be prioritised in settings where ART programmes are scaled up. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.


Biomechanical determinants of oxygen extraction during cross-country skiing.
To determine the relationship of muscle activation, force production, and cycle characteristics to O(2) extraction during high- and lower-intensity double poling (DP), nine well-trained male cross-country skiers performed DP on a treadmill for 3 min at 90% VO(2peak) followed by 6 min at 70%. During the final minute at each workload, arterial, femoral, and subclavian venous blood were collected for determination of partial pressure of O(2), partial pressure of CO(2), pH, and lactate. Electromyography (EMG) was recorded from six upper and lower body muscles, leg and pole forces were measured, and cardiorespiratory variables were monitored continuously. O(2) extraction was associated with time point of peak pole force (PF(peak)), duration of recovery, EMG activity, and lower body use. Arm O(2) extraction was lower than in the legs at both intensities (P < 0.001) and was reduced to a lesser extent upon decreasing the workload (P < 0.05). Arm root-mean-square EMG was higher during the poling phase and entire cycle compared with the legs (P < 0.001). Blood lactate was higher in the subclavian than in femoral vein and artery (P < 0.001) and independent of intensity. O(2) extraction was correlated to low muscle activation, later PF(peak) , prolonged poling time, and extensive dynamic lower body use. Cycle rate and recovery time were associated with O(2) extraction during high-intensity exercise only.


A review of the clinical experience with irinotecan (CPT-11).
Irinotecan (CPT-11) is a derivative of the chemotherapeutic agent camptothecin. CPT-11 inhibits the nuclear enzyme topoisomerase I. It has demonstrated a broad spectrum of antitumor activity in preclinical tumor model systems. Significant advances have been made toward the understanding of the pharmacokinetics and schedule dependency of this agent. CPT-11 has demonstrated significant clinical activity in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal, pulmonary, gynecologic, and lymphoid malignancies. Further study of this agent to determine its role in combination chemotherapeutic regimens is currently underway.


HLA-B*9518 allele identified in the Chinese population.
We report here a novel HLA-B*9518 allele by sequence-based typing in the Chinese population. The new B*9518 is identical to B*150101 with an exception of one base substitution at position 19 of exon 3 where a 'G' change to 'T' resulting in codon 97 changed from AGG (Arg) to ATG (Met).


Implementation of DART and DESI ionization on a fieldable mass spectrometer.
A recently developed prototype mobile laboratory mass spectrometer, incorporating an atmospheric pressure ionization (API) interface, is described. This system takes advantage of the small size, lower voltage requirements, and tandem MS abilities of the cylindrical ion trap mass analyzer. The prototype API MS uses small, low-power pumps to fit into a 0.1-m(3) self-contained package weighing <45 kg. This instrument has been adapted to allow rapid interfacing to electrospray ionization, desorption electrospray ionization, and direct analysis in real-time sources. Initial data indicate that these techniques provide rapid detection and identification of compounds for quality control, homeland security, and forensic applications. In addition, this instrument is self-contained and compact, making it ideally extensible to mobile laboratory and field analyses. Initial MS and MS/MS data for analyses of drugs, food, and explosives are presented herein.


Homocysteine and carotid intima-media thickness in a german population: lack of clinical relevance.
Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) is a predictor of stroke. This study aimed to analyze whether homocysteine (Hcys) metabolism influences CCA IMT. We analyzed the association of personal, clinical, and biochemical data (multivariate analysis) and of 9 polymorphisms involved in Hcys metabolism (ANOVA) with CCA IMT in 714 individuals of 187 families. CCA IMT was significantly predicted by age, sex, creatinine levels, lipoprotein(a) levels, pack-years of smoking, the presence of hypertension, and the presence of diabetes mellitus but not by Hcys levels. Homozygosity for the T allele of the polymorphism methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase c.677C>T was significantly associated with higher Hcys levels but not with a higher CCA IMT. These data do not support the thesis that elevated Hcys levels are causally involved in cerebrovascular disease.


Ubiquitous trisulfur radical anion: fundamentals and applications in materials science, electrochemistry, analytical chemistry and geochemistry.
The trisulfur radical anion [S3]˙(-) is well-known from inorganic chemistry textbooks as the blue chromophore in ultramarine blues in which this highly reactive species is trapped in a zeolitic framework. Recent findings have revealed that [S3]˙(-) has a multi-faceted role in a variety of media, including alkali metal-sulfur batteries, aqueous solutions at high temperatures and pressures, and ionic liquids; it has also been used to detect trace amounts of water in organic solvents. This tutorial review illustrates how various physical techniques are used to identify a reactive species in solution and shows how elucidation of electronic structures can be used to explain spectroscopic and structural properties. Examples of the function of [S3]˙(-) in materials science, electrochemistry, analytical chemistry and geochemistry are used to illustrate the widespread influence of this fundamentally important triatomic sulfur species.


Peak expiratory flow variability and exercise responsiveness in methacholine-hyperresponsive adolescents with asthma remission.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether bronchial hyperresponsiveness in adolescents with long-term asthma remission is associated with increased peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability and/or increased bronchial response to exercise (BRE). Twenty-nine adolescents with asthma remission (neither symptoms nor any medication used during the previous two years), but with persistent methacholine hyperresponsiveness (PC20 < 18 mg/mL; remission group), 29 methacholine PC20-matched adolescents with symptomatic asthma (symptomatic group), and 20 healthy subjects (control group) were studied. Subjects recorded PEF twice daily for 14 days and PEF variability, expressed as amplitude % mean, was calculated. Subjects also underwent a standardized exercise challenge; BRE was defined as a maximal % fall in FEV1 within 30 min after exercise. The mean (+/- SD) PEF variations in the symptomatic group and in the remission group were 12.10 +/- 6.35% and 10.02 +/- 4.73%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that (5.94 +/- 2.44%) of the control group. On the other hand, the degree of BRE (7.36 +/- 3.85%) in the remission group was significantly lower than that (22.31 +/- 10.50%) of the symptomatic group, and similar to that (5.98 +/- 2.70%) of the control group. Methacholine hyperresponsiveness in asthma remission during adolescence is associated with increased PEF variability but not with increased BRE.


A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing the post-operative pain experience following vitrectomy with a 20-gauge system and the 25-gauge transconjunctival system.
To compare post-operative pain following 25-gauge (25G) and 20-gauge (20G) vitrectomy in the first week following surgery. The study was a pilot randomised controlled trial with patients masked to the treatment allocation. Post-operative pain was assessed using both a visual scale and verbal pain scores for 1 week following surgery. Additional data collected included intraocular pressure (IOP), time taken to perform the surgical procedure, per-operative and post-operative complications, and dropout rates. Forty patients were recruited for the study: 21 randomised to 20G vitrectomy and 19 to 25G. In the first 12 h following surgery, presence of significant post-operative pain (defined as >1 cm on a visual analogue scale) was similar in both 20G (50%) and 25G (53%) patients. In the first week following surgery, 38 of the 527 scores (7.2%) were >1 (median 2.1, IQR 1.3-3) cm; however, there was evidence that "significant pain" was experienced more commonly in the 20G group. There was no statistical difference in the time taken to complete the surgical procedure, although in the 25G group the time from first incision to the start of vitrectomy was significantly shorter (p = 0.043) and in the 20G group the time taken to complete the vitrectomy was less (p = 0.047). Post-operative hypotony (IOP <6 mmHg) was observed in 25% of patients in the 25G group. No patients required additional surgery for hypotony. There was evidence that 25G resulted in less patient discomfort. However, pain was not a prominent feature in either group. We failed to find a significant advantage in 25G for patients or surgeons.


Studies on the Fc receptors and masking substances on mouse and rat myeloma cells.
Mouse and rat myeloma cell lines showed little or no rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) coated with rabbit IgG (rabbit EA) but showed marked rosette formation after treatment with trypsin, pronase or neuraminidase. These cell lines showed no rosette formation with SRBC coated with mouse IgG (mouse EA): treatment with trypsin enabled the detection of rosettes among the mouse myeloma cell lines but not by the rat myeloma cells. The F(ab')2 fragment of the anti-Fc receptor II antibody blocked the formation of rosettes with rabbit EA by mouse myeloma cell lines after treatment with trypsin. Aggregated mouse IgG1 and IgG2b subclasses strongly inhibited the formation of rosettes with rabbit EA, whereas aggregated mouse IgG2a showed a marginal inhibitory effect. A large amount of mouse IgG2a, however, caused significant inhibition. Our results also revealed that aggregated mouse IgG could bind to the rat myeloma cell line. The Fc rosette forming abilities of the enzyme-treated mouse and rat myeloma cells became reduced after cultivation both in the presence and absence of FCS but not after cultivation in the presence of cycloheximide, suggesting that cell surface substances, which may be glycoprotein that incompletely mask Fc receptors, are produced by myeloma cells.


[Bladder rupture. Diagnosis, etiology and treatment].
The majority of bladder ruptures (80-90%) are caused by major blunt abdominal trauma. Penetrating injuries account for the rest. Bladder rupture is seen most often in patients with pelvic fracture. More seldom, the rupture can be caused by energetic blunt abdominal trauma. The rupture can either be intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal. The symptoms are macroscopic haematuria, suprapubic pain and, in some patients, an inability to avoid. Retrograde cystography is the diagnostic procedure of choice. An intravenous infusion pyelogram does not provide adequate examination of the bladder. The rupture is treated by operative closure and drainage by catheter. Extraperitoneal rupture may be treated with only catheter drainage and close clinical evaluation. We describe two patients with intraperitoneal bladder rupture after low energetic abdominal trauma.


[Mapping of two fertility-restoring gene for WA cytoplasmic male sterility in minghui63 using SSR markers].
F2 population derived from Shanyou63, F1 hybrid developed from the cross Zhenshan97 A/Zhenshan97B, was used in this study. Fertile bulk was constructed by polling equal amount of 15 highly fertile lines. Sterile bulk was obtained by pooling equal amount of 15 highly sterile lines. Minghui63 and Zhenshan97A, parents of Shanyou63, were analyzed with 302 pairs of SSR primers. 244 pairs of primers gave amplification products, of which 58 pairs of primers on 12 different chromosomes showed polymorphism between the two parents with polymorphic frequency up to 23.77%. Gene bulks were further assayed with the 5 pairs of primers. RM1 on chromosome 1 and RM258, RM304 on chromosome 10 was found to be polymorphic between the two gene bulks. In theory, there should be no difference detected between the two gene bulks except for the target traits governed by fertility-restoring genes. RM1, RM258 and RM304 were probably related to the restorer genes. Ten highly fertile and ten highly sterile lines were selected from F2 population of Shanyou63 to screen the gene bulks. The results showed that specific bands of Minghui63 were detected in all ten highly fertile lines while not observed in all the sterile lines. It indicated that the three SSR markers might be linked to fertility-restoring genes. Dominant lines were not selected due to their inalbility to distinguish recombinant lines from non-recombinant lines. Pure recessive lines were chosen to conduct mapping analysis. A total of 53 highly sterile lines were selected from 900 lines of Shanyou63 F2 population to estimate the genetic distance between three SSR markers and fertility-restoring genes respectively. The results demonstrated that recombination occurred in 2, 3, lines with RM1 and RM258 while no one with RM304. Using MAPMAKER/EXP 3.0, the genetic distance between RM1, RM258, RM304 and the related restorer genes were calculated as 1.9, 2.9 and 0.0 cM, respectively. It is possible that the fertility restoring gene(s) on chromosome 10 for three different types of cytoplasmic male sterility(WA, BT and HL) are of the same, or belong to a gene family.


Cardiac monitoring during adjuvant trastuzumab therapy: Guideline adherence in clinical practice.
Cardiotoxicity is an important adverse effect of adjuvant breast cancer treatment with trastuzumab and three monthly left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) monitoring is considered mandatory. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into LVEF monitoring during adjuvant trastuzumab treatment in clinical practice. In a multicenter retrospective study encompassing 328 patients, of which 171 patients were actually treated with trastuzumab, we analyzed the frequency and mode of LVEF monitoring and compared it with LVEF monitoring guidelines. The results indicated poor guideline adherence. In 9% of patients trastuzumab was started in spite of a low LVEF (< 55%). In 24% of patients no valid baseline LVEF value was available. LVEF measurements during treatment at three, six and 12 months were only performed in, respectively, 53%, 40% and 30% of patients. A significant proportion of patients are treated with trastuzumab, while LVEF monitoring is not adequately performed. More attention should be paid to the implementation of (cardiac assessment) guidelines in clinical practice.


The prevalence of celiac disease in blood donors in Iceland.
Prospective epidemiological studies based on serological methods have shown that celiac disease is more common than previously thought. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease among apparently healthy blood donors in Iceland. Plasma samples were obtained from 813 apparently healthy blood donors at the FSA Hospital Blood Bank in Akureyri, Iceland, between December 2004 and January 2007 and screened for human tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies. Positive samples were retested and, if the test was again positive, the subject was referred to a gastroenterologist for clinical examination and a duodenoscopy with mucosal biopsies. Six subjects tested positive for tissue transglutaminase. The prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease, according to modified Marsh classification, among apparently healthy blood donors in Iceland was found to be 1:136 (0.74%, 95% confidence interval 1/667-1/75, 0.15-1.33%). Prevalence of celiac disease in Iceland is similar to what has been reported in many other countries.


Influence of a specialized leg ulcer service on management and outcome.
The organization of leg ulcer care is poorly defined in the community. This study assessed the overall influence of a specialized community service on management and outcome of chronic leg ulcers, irrespective of aetiology. Assessment and outcome of ulcers were compared in patient samples (n = 200) from East and West Gloucestershire, before and after the introduction of specialized clinics into East Gloucestershire. In clinics, vascular disease was routinely assessed by duplex scanning and determination of the ankle : brachial pressure index. There was no coordinated community structure for the care of patients with leg ulcers before the service was introduced, and 74 and 67 per cent of limbs in East and West Gloucestershire respectively had aetiology undiagnosed. After introduction of the clinics, the 12-week healing rate increased from 12 to 22 per cent in East Gloucestershire (P = 0. 05) and to 47 per cent in the specialized East Gloucestershire clinics (P < 0.001). The 12-month recurrence rate decreased from 50 to 41 per cent in East Gloucestershire and to 17 per cent in the East clinics (P < 0.001). The West Gloucestershire control showed no significant changes. A specialized leg ulcer service with defined protocols provides an improved management structure for treating patients with leg ulcers in the community. Accurate diagnosis of chronic leg ulcers and improved outcome may be achieved within this specialized service.


The influence of total hip replacement on the quality of life of patients suffering from coxarthrosis.
Introduction. The main purpose of this study was to determine the influence of surgical procedures (total hip replacement) concerning patients suffering from coxarthrosis on the quality of life of these patients. The quality of life was analysed before as well as after the arthroplasty.
 Material and methods. The study was conducted by means of the Medical Qutcome Study 36- item Short Form (SF-36). The following parameters were used to evaluate the quality of life: physical functioning, social functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, role limitations due to emotional problem, mental health, energy/viataliity, body pain, general health perception. The Questionnaire was completed by patients from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Academy and Orthopedyand Traumatology Ward in Wojewódzki Szpital im. Dr J. Biziela in Bydgoszcz, suffering from coxarthrosis The results were compared with the control group.
 Results. The study revealed that quality of life of the surveyed is considerably lower in comparison with the control group in all domains apart from general health perception. The most significant differences were seen in terms of bodily pain, physical functioning and role limitations due to physical problems. Slightly less important differences were observed in vitality, mental health, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems. As a results of surgical treatment (total hip replacement), the quality of life self-assessment considerably increased in terms of lessening of bodily pain, physical functioning improvement and vitality.
 Conclusions. The following conclusions have been drawn: quality of life concerning patients suffering from coxarthrosis is significantly lower in comparison with the control group. The surgical treatment caused improvement in functioning but quality of life in particular components was considerably lower than in the control group.


What Types of Pornography Do People Find Arousing and Do They Cluster? Assessing Types and Categories of Pornography in a Large-Scale Online Sample.
Previous research on exposure to different types of pornography has primarily relied on analyses of millions of search terms and histories or on user exposure patterns within a given time period rather than the self-reported frequency of consumption. Further, previous research has almost exclusively relied on theoretical or ad hoc overarching categorizations of different types of pornography, when investigating patterns of pornography exposure, rather than latent structure analyses of these exposure patterns. In contrast, using a large sample of 18- to 40-year-old heterosexual and nonheterosexual Croatian men and women, this study investigated the self-reported frequency of using 27 different types of pornography and statistically explored their latent structures. The results showed substantial differences in consumption patterns across gender and sexual orientation. However, latent structure analyses of the 27 different types of pornography assessed suggested that although several categories of consumption were gender and sexual orientation specific, common categories across the different types of pornography could be established. Based on this finding, a five-item scale was proposed to indicate the use of nonmainstream (paraphilic) pornographic content, as this type of pornography has often been targeted in previous research. To the best of our knowledge, no similar measurement tool has been proposed before.


Effect of antiarrhythmic drugs, TTX, and 4-aminopyridine on repetitive electrical activity in frog skeletal muscle.
1. Conventional microelectrode techniques were used to study the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs (quinidine, 2-20 microM; lidocaine, 5-50 microM; verapamil, 2-20 microM), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 50-100 microM), and tetrodotoxin (TTX, 1.5-6 nM) on repetitive electrical discharges induced in the muscle membrane in the presence of 1 microM cevadine. 2. Antiarrhythmic drugs and 4-AP produced progressive reduction of the maximum upstroke velocity (V+ max) of the discharges, while the cycle length was prolonged by each drug except 4-AP. 3. The efficacy in depression of V+ max and prolongation of cycle length was not proportional in the case of individual drugs. 4. A simple model of the repetitive activity incorporating drug-effects was presented. The cevadine-modified Na+ channels could be blocked by antiarrhythmic agents, however, the efficacy of these drugs on the normal and cevadine-modified Na+ channels were found to be different.


Effects of normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 2,000-m altitude on sleep and physiological conditions of athletes: a study using sheet-type sensor.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sleep and physiological conditions of athletes using a noncontact sheet-type sensor (Nemuri Monitor; Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.). Using the sheet-type sensor, sleep parameters, heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR) were monitored in 7 female intercollege level middle-distance runners, who participated in a 7-night hypoxic training camp study, in which the first night was normoxic and the next 6 nights were hypoxic. Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) was simultaneously recorded with a pulse oximeter (Pulsox-300i; Konica Minolta Optics, Inc.). Because this was a part of a hypoxic training camp study, they underwent strenuous training during the daytime. On hypoxic night 1, acute hypoxia-induced changes, such as increases in HR, RR, and body motion during sleep, and decreases in SpO2 were observed. Until hypoxic night 6, SpO2 did not change, whereas the other parameters improved toward values that would be obtained under a normoxic night. Thus, the sheet-type sensor could be used to evaluate the sleep and physiological conditions of athletes undergoing "living-high" regimens.


Regulated nucleocytoplasmic transport during gametogenesis.
Gametogenesis is the process by which sperm or ova are produced in the gonads. It is governed by a tightly controlled series of gene expression events, with some common and others distinct for males and females. Nucleocytoplasmic transport is of central importance to the fidelity of gene regulation that is required to achieve the precisely regulated germ cell differentiation essential for fertility. In this review we discuss the physiological importance for gamete formation of the molecules involved in classical nucleocytoplasmic protein transport, including importins/karyopherins, Ran and nucleoporins. To address what functions/factors are conserved or specialized for these developmental processes between species, we compare knowledge from mice, flies and worms. The present analysis provides evidence of the necessity for and specificity of each nuclear transport factor and for nucleoporins during germ cell differentiation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear Transport and RNA Processing.


Colony morphologies, species, and biotypes of yeasts from thrush and denture stomatitis.
To study the species and phenotypic characteristics of yeasts, i.e. colony morphology, biotypes, and biotype relatedness, and the oral distribution of yeasts, in thrush and denture stomatitis. Yeast colony morphology was observed under a stereo-microscope and photographed with a digital camera. Genus, species, and biotypes of the yeast isolates were identified by using a commercial kit, ID 32C. Yeast biotype dendrograms were generated by Spotfire software and SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Multiple colony morphologies were observed among the yeasts from both thrush and denture stomatitis. One genus, 6 species, and 21 biotypes were identified among the yeasts from thrush, while 2 genera, 7 species, and 20 biotypes were identified among the yeasts from denture stomatitis. Considerable similarities in predominant species, biotypes, and biotype clustering profiles were shown among the yeasts from thrush and denture stomatitis. However, Candida dubliniensis was identified exclusively in subgingival areas and biotype 7347340215 of C. albicans was identified more frequently in palate and sulci in thrush. A diversity of species and phenotypes was found among the yeasts in thrush and denture stomatitis. Candidal commensals were predominant in thrush and denture stomatitis, but the observation of divergent Candida species and biotypes, constituting 23% of all the yeast isolates, should not be ignored.