Alloplastic reconstruction of the temporomandibular joint in treatment of craniofacial developmental or congenital anomalies: a surgical case report.
To describe the surgical planning and treatment approach in addressing the oral and maxillofacial needs for one particular patient suffering congenital anomalies of the craniofacial anatomy. A secondary objective is to restore mandibular and maxillary function and esthetics to the young, adult patient. The tertiary objective is to educate the surgeon as to alloplastic implant options that may be available to restore function and relieve pain for the patient missing certain anatomical structures from birth. Through the use of advanced medical imaging tools, a thorough understanding of the patient's prior failed medical treatments, and a meticulous understanding of the benefits of alloplastic reconstruction, the surgeon can mitigate patient symptoms and at the same time increase the probability of a successful outcome. The surgeon can then collaborate with the surgical and implant design team to not only prescribe the surgical correction necessary, but also design and construct the actual temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and mandibular implants used for the case, as well as perform mock surgery on a stereolithography anatomical (SLA) model needed to restore function and esthetics for the patient. The end result is that a Patient-Specific (custom) (TMJ Implants, Inc., Golden, CO, USA) prosthesis can then be manufactured and adapted surgically to the patient's unique anatomy. The early results from this alloplastic reconstructive surgery have brought forth the anticipated results of replacement of the congenitally absent TMJ, improvement of jaw function, reduction of joint pain, as well as improvement of the esthetics. Without this breakthrough surgical development, many of these congenital anatomically deficient patients would not be able to enjoy normal breathing, mastication, jaw function, esthetics, oral and dental health, and the emotional relief that these corrections allow. Many patients who suffer birth-related anatomical deficiencies (such as cleft lip and branchial arch syndrome) never receive the surgical correction necessary. Many have had autogenous reconstruction of missing mandibular and TMJ structures only to relapse, at times, into a more disfiguring and lasting condition. By simply placing a Christensen Fossa-Eminence Prosthesis (FEP) and Condylar Prosthesis (CP) in a total joint-replacement solution, one is more likely to achieve satisfactory TMJ mobility and reduction in pain, as well as the mechanical replacement of missing anatomical structures and predictable and lasting improvement. As an additional benefit, the patient also would enjoy enhanced esthetics.


A case of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma of the thigh.
A case of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma in the thigh of a 21 year old female is described. The patient had a fist-sized well-defined mass in her left thigh that enlarged over a 6 month period. Histologically, the neoplasm showed contrasting fibrous and myxoid areas with a swirling growth pattern. Cellularity was low to moderate, and the stromal cells were benign looking without mitoses or nuclear pleomorphism. The tissue was not noticeably vascular. Some stromal cells were aggregated around the blood vessels. The stromal cells were immunoreactive to vimentin, but were negative to keratin, desmin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, actin HHF35, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and epithelial membrane antigen. Ultrastructural examinations of the stromal cells revealed well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, pinocytotic vesicles, and numerous intermediate-sized filaments in the cytoplasm. These findings seem to indicate that the stromal cells were fibroblastic in origin. The occurrence of the tumor in a young adult, its location and its large, well defined borders together with the characteristics revealed through histological investigation, indicated that it was in fact what has been termed by Evans as a low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma.


[Evolution of plasma corticosterone concentration in basal conditions or after psychic aggression during growth in the Rat. Influence of neonatal gonadectomy (author's transl)].
Evolution, during growth, of basal plasma concentration of corticosterone and the adrenocortical response to psychic aggression was studied in animals of both sexes, normal or gonadectomized on the day of birth. 1. In the control animals : (a) The fluctuations of the basal plasma concentration of corticosterone took a similar course in the male and female; no significant difference was observed between males and females except on the 55th day. (b) The intensity of the response to aggression took the same course in all the test animals between the 15th and 60th day with an increase between the 15th and 45th day and a decrease between the 45th and 60th day. 2. In the animals whose gonads were removed at birth, the basal plasma concentration of corticosterone and the response to psychic aggression developed in a similar manner in the two sexes, during the period studied. 3. These results suggest the existence of an autonomous maturation of the adrenocortical function which is independent of genetic sex and gonadal secretions. These latter, however, play a determinant role in the amplitude of the response which is increased by estrogens and decreased by androgens. The existence of a mechanism whose maturation is accomplished, in part, independently of the gonadal secretions and is responsible for the response to aggression is discussed.


Actinomycin D associated hepatic veno-occlusive disease--a report of 2 cases.
Until recently, actinomycin D (AMD), a cytotoxic antibiotic, was considered to cause little or no liver damage. There are now reports of liver failure following treatment of childhood cancers with AMD. This report describes the pathological changes in liver biopsy samples taken from 2 children who developed liver failure after combined chemotherapy for Wilms' tumor. The changes were those of nodular hyperplasia, sclerosis of terminal hepatic venules with associated zone 3 hemorrhagic necrosis, and sinusoidal fibrosis. These features were initially ascribed to the veno-occlusive disease caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids, radiotherapy and some therapeutic drugs but have not been described in detail as a complication of AMD therapy. An additional feature peculiar to these 2 cases was the presence of unexplained extramedullary hematopoiesis.


Multidisciplinary clinic care improves adherence to best practice in head and neck cancer.
Multidisciplinary team (MDT) care is widely accepted as best practice for patients with head and neck cancer, although there is little evidence that MDT care improves head and neck cancer related outcomes. This study aims to determine the impact of MDT care on measurable clinical quality indicators (CQIs) associated with improved patient outcomes. Patients treated for head and neck cancer at Ipswich Hospital from 2001 to 2008 were identified. Comparisons were made in adherence to CQIs between patients treated before (pre MDT) and after (post MDT) the introduction of the MDT. Associations were tested using the Chi-square and Whitney U-test. Treatment post MDT was associated with greater adherence to CQIs than pre MDT. Post MDT had higher rates of: dental assessment (59% versus 22%, p<.0001), nutritional assessment (57% versus 39%, p=.015), PET staging (41% versus 2%, p<.0001), chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced disease (66% versus 16%, p<.0001) and use of adjuvant CRT for high risk disease (49% versus 16%, p<.0001). The interval between surgery and radiotherapy was shorter in the post MDT group (p=.009) as was the mean length of hospitalization (p=.002). This study highlights the measurable advantages of MDT care over the standard, less formalized, referral process.


Selective induction of expression of a ligand for the NKG2D receptor by proteasome inhibitors.
The interaction of the activating receptor NKG2D with its ligands plays an important role in immunosurveillance of tumors and infectious pathogens, but dysregulation of this system may lead to autoimmunity. The expression of NKG2D ligands is induced by cellular "stress." However, the regulation of expression of these molecules is not well understood. Here, we show that cells treated with proteasome inhibitors can become more susceptible to cytotoxicity mediated by natural killer cells because of the induction of expression of ligands for NKG2D, specifically ULBP2, but not down-regulation of MHC class I. Treatment with proteasome inhibitors led to up-regulation of ULBP2 expression in multiple, but not all, cell lines tested. This increase in expression of ULBP2 at the cell surface correlated with induction of transcription of the ULBP2 gene and synthesis of ULBP2 protein. In contrast, treatment with inhibitors of histone deacetylases led to increased levels of mRNA and protein, for both ULBP2 and MHC class I-related chain A/B molecules. Thus, different types of stress can trigger up-regulated expression of different sets of NKG2D ligands. Proteasome inhibitors are proving to be of significant value in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and these observations may help to better understand the biology of therapy with these compounds.


Adaptive shifts of bacterioplankton communities in response to nitrogen enrichment in a highly polluted river.
Anthropogenic activity-mediated nutrient pollution, especially nitrogen enrichment, poses one of the major threats to river ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how and to which extent it affects aquatic microbial communities, especially in heavily polluted rivers. In this study, a significant environmental gradient, particularly nitrogen gradient, was observed along a wastewater receiving river, the North Canal River (NCR). The pollution level was highest, moderate, and lowest in the up-, middle, and down-streams, respectively. The community composition of bacterioplankton transitioned from being Betaproteobacteria-dominated upstream to Gammaproteobacteria-dominated downstream. Copiotrophic groups, such as Polynucleobacter (Betaproteobacteria) and Hydrogenophaga (Betaproteobacteria), were dominant in the upstream. Multiple statistical analyses indicated that total nitrogen (TN) was the most important factor driving the adaptive shifts of community structure. Analyses of co-occurrence networks showed that the complexity of networks was disrupted in the up- and middle streams, while enhanced in the downstream. Our findings here suggested that microbial interactions were reduced in response to the aggravation of nutrient pollution. Similar to these changes, we observed significant dissimilarity of composition of functional groups, with highest abundance of nitrogen metabolism members under the highest level of nitrogen enrichment. Further analyses indicated that most of these functional groups belonged to Betaproteobacteria, suggesting the potential coupling of community composition and function diversity. In summary, adaptive shifts of bacterioplankton community composition, as well as species interactions, occurred in response to nutrient pollution in highly polluted water bodies.


Heat effects on seeds and rhizomes of a selection of boreal forest plants and potential reaction to fire.
To analyse the potential reaction to firegenerated heat pulses, seeds of 12 species of plants and rhizomes of three species were exposed to elevated temperatures for 10 min. The tested material split into three groups with respect to heat tolerance: (1) the rhizomes, for which the lethal temperatures were in the range 55-59° C; (2) the seeds of most of the species tested, for which the lethal temperatures were in the range 65-75° C; (3) The seeds of two species of Leguminosae and three species of Geranium for which the lethal temperatures were around 100° C. For all three Geranium species and for one of the legume species, Anthyllis vulneraria, exposure temperatures above ca. 45° C resulted in dormancy release, and maximum germination occurred above 60-65° C. Speed of germination was little affected for most species, except after exposure to nearlethal temperatures, where it slowed down dramatically, although the seedlings emerging were healthy. We conclude that due to sharp temperature gradients in the soil during fire, differences in heat tolerance between species in most cases are not large enough to be a decisive factor in their post-fire colonising success. There are exceptions: the seeds of certain taxa that are impermeable to water in the dormant state, some of which have heat triggered germination.


Alcohol-related attentional bias in a gaze contingency task: Comparing appetitive and non-appetitive cues.
Non-problem drinkers attend automatically to alcohol-related cues compared to non-alcohol related cues on tests of inhibitory control. Moreover, attentional bias for alcohol-related cues varies between problem and non-problem drinkers. To examine attentional bias towards alcoholic and non-alcoholic appetitive cues between problem and non-problem drinkers. Forty-one university students (9 male, 32 female; Mage = 21.50) completed an eye-tracking gaze contingency paradigm, measuring the number of times participants looked at peripherally and centrally located stimuli (break frequency) when instructed to maintain focus on a target object. Stimuli consisted of appetitive alcohol-related (e.g., wine), appetitive non-alcohol-related (e.g., cola) and non-appetitive (e.g., fabric softener) stimuli. Participants were split using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) into non-problem (M AUDIT = 3.86) and problematic drinkers (M AUDIT = 11.59). Problematic drinkers had higher break frequencies towards peripheral appetitive stimuli than towards non-appetitive stimuli, while break frequency was equivalent between appetitive cues presented centrally (alcohol and non-alcohol-related). In contrast, there were no differences in break frequency across stimuli type or cue presentation location (central or peripheral) for non-problem drinkers. In contrast to non-problem drinkers, people displaying more problematic consumption practices may find it more difficult to inhibit eye movements towards appetitive stimuli, particularly when in peripheral vision. This may suggest that attentional biases, as measured in terms of overt eye movements, in problem drinkers may be most powerful when the alcoholic and appetitive stimuli are not directly in field of view. An uncertainty reduction process in the allocation of attention to appetitive cues may help explain the patterns of results observed.


A placebo-controlled randomized trial of the terbutaline pump for prevention of preterm delivery.
To determine the efficacy of the terbutaline pump for the prevention of preterm delivery, patients in preterm labor defined by progressive cervical change underwent intravenous magnesium sulfate tocolysis (with or without oral indomethacin, as necessary), and once labor was arrested, were randomized to one of three treatment arms: terbutaline by pump, saline by pump (blinded), or oral terbutaline. If recurrent preterm labor occurred despite maximization of therapy, the treatment arm was determined and therapy was changed; saline pump and oral terbutaline were switched to terbutaline pump, terbutaline pump was switched to oral terbutaline. Patients who continued to labor were readmitted for aggressive intravenous therapy. Women randomized to the terbutaline pump (n = 15), saline pump (n = 12), and oral terbutaline (n = 15) groups were similar in terms of gravidity, parity, days of tocolysis before study entry, gestational age at entry, and cervical dilatation at entry. The mean gestational age at delivery was the same in all three groups (35 weeks), as were neonatal outcomes. Terbutaline by pump, saline by pump, and oral terbutaline appear equivalent for the prevention of preterm delivery. The terbutaline pump should remain experimental.


Scanning electron microscopy of mechanically isolated seminiferous tubules of the rat testis.
The mechanically isolated seminiferous tubules of the rat testis were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The surface of the tubules is formed by lymphoid endothelial cells. These cells completely surround the seminiferous tubules and form the inner lining of the lymphatic space that lies around the seminiferous tubulus. Between the cells there are groves which correspond to the fenestrations seen in transmission electron microscopy.


Carcinogenic risk of emerging persistent organic pollutant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS): A proposal of classification.
Perfluoroalkyls are stable synthetic chemicals, able to repel oils, fats and water. These compounds have been used in the manufacturing of products such as Teflon®, lubricants, paints, fire-fighting foams, coatings for pans, carpets, clothes, and paperboard for packaging, among others. It is believed that populations are exposed constantly to them. Its regulation in the world is under development and several controversies are in the course of litigation. One occupational study shows bladder cancer risk. This paper intends to review scientific information on the most critical perfluoroalkyl compound and proposes a procedure to get a cancer-risk categorization which PFOS can cause to populations. As a guiding axis, we used the IARC process for developing monographs of carcinogenic risks. We used the SIGN guides for evaluating the quality of studies in human populations; and finally, we used the Squire method for evaluating studies in laboratory animals. Inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity was found in human studies mainly due to chance, threshold effect and confounders. In experimental animal studies, inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity was found in view of the number of affected species, different types of neoplasms, dose-response relationship and genotoxicity found in in-vivo and in-vitro studies. In this proposal, we concluded that cancer risk for PFOS, according to the IARC method, is not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans (group 3).


Is monoamine oxidase activity elevated in Prader-Willi syndrome?
The platelet contents of monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) were analyzed in 17 children and young adults with Prader-Willi syndrome and 18 non-PWS comparison cases. MAO-B activity was significantly higher in the former group, suggesting monoamine dysfunction in Prader-Willi syndrome.


In vitro effect of plasma during phenylhydrazine-induced erythrocyte oxidative damage.
Erythrocytes were incubated for 60 min either in plasma or phosphate-buffered saline containing 10 mM phenylhydrazine hydrochloride. Plasma prevented the decrease in membrane fluidity observed in saline-phenylhydrazine incubated erythrocytes but these cells showed decreases in both filterability and active extrusion of Na+ that were nearly 100% lower than those found in erythrocytes incubated in plasma-phenyl-hydrazine. Also erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, as measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive products, was 100% higher in the presence of plasma. These results suggest that plasma could play "in vivo" an active role during oxidant-induced erythrocyte damage, contributing significantly to the hemolytic effects of oxidation.


A hemodynamic excitatory response to veratridine in the in utero lamb.
The inhibitory hemodynamic effects of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in the adult animal, which play a role in the response to disease states, are elicited by veratridine and are mediated by vagal afferents. We tested whether the reported excitatory response to veratridine in the fetal animal may be caused by a maturational phase in the Bezold-Jarisch response. The effects of proprananol and atropine on the hemodynamic response to veratridine were examined at 124-141 d (mean, 133 d) of gestation in 11 fetal lambs instrumented long-term (instrumentation, 111-129 d of gestation). Seven lambs had intact vagal nerves, and four had bilateral cervical vagotomies. Veratridine injected into the superior vena cava (0.3 to 2.8 micrograms/kg) and the left atrium (0.2 to 0.8 microgram/kg) increased heart rate, arterial pressure, and left ventricular output, with the responses to left atrial injections occurring more rapidly. Propranolol markedly inhibited the increase in arterial pressure; atropine had no effect. Neither carbocaine, perfused around the cervical vagi, nor bilateral transection of the vagal nerves altered the hemodynamic excitatory response to veratridine. These findings demonstrate that the fetal excitatory response to veratridine is not mediated by vagal afferents, indicating the Bezold-Jarisch reflex does not undergo a maturational change from an excitatory reflex to an inhibitory one and suggesting the maturational loss of a sympathetically mediated hemodynamic reflex.


Corrosion behaviour and biofouling characteristics of structural steel in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal), India.
The corrosion behaviour and biofouling characteristics of structural steel coupons at three different locations in the Gulf of Mannar were studied over a period of 2 years. Oyster fouling was predominant at Tuticorin open sea, while barnacle fouling was more pronounced at Mandapam and Tuticorin harbour. Among the three locations, Tuticorin open sea showed a markedly higher biomass, particularly after 12 and 18 months. The extent of crevice corrosion caused by hard foulers was more pronounced at Tuticorin harbour when compared to that at the other two locations. The corrosion rate of the structural steel coupons for 24 months was in the order, Mandapam > Tuticorin harbor > Tuticorin open sea. The loss in tensile strength at 12 and 24 months was in the order, Tuticorin open sea > Tuticorin harbor > Mandapam. The corrosion behaviour of the structural steel coupons was strongly influenced by the variations in the biofouling assemblage at the three different coastal locations.


Incisionless gastrostomy for nutritional support.
A technique of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was evaluated in 51 children and young adults aged 4 months to 26 years (mean, 9.7 years). Indications for gastrostomy included malnutrition secondary to cystic fibrosis, severe CNS disease, and others. The procedure was performed in 26 patients using local and topical anesthesia. General anesthesia was employed in children under 8 years of age. Duration of operative procedure ranged from 20 to 60 min. The average time for maintenance of feeding gastrostomy was 5.6 months. No procedure-related deaths were observed. Significant complications occurred less frequently than with traditional gastrostomy. We conclude that this procedure is technically simpler than, and at least as safe as, other methods of gastrostomy. It is especially useful in children for whom general anesthesia is best avoided.


Polarized Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Exhibits Distinct Surface Proteome on Apical and Basal Plasma Membranes.
Surface proteins localized on the apical and basal plasma membranes are required for a cell to sense its environment and relay changes in ionic, cytokine, chemokine, and hormone levels to the inside of the cell. In a polarized cell, surface proteins are differentially localized on the apical or the basolateral sides of the cell. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is an example of a polarized cell that performs a variety of functions that are dependent on its polarized state including trafficking of ions, fluid, and metabolites across the RPE monolayer. These functions are absolutely crucial for maintaining the health and integrity of adjacent photoreceptors, the photosensitive cells of the retina. Here we present a series of approaches to identify and validate the polarization state of cultured primary human RPE cells using immunostaining for RPE apical/basolateral markers, polarized cytokine secretion, electrophysiology, fluid transport, phagocytosis, and identification of plasma membrane proteins through cell surface capturing technology. These approaches are currently being used to validate the polarized state and the epithelial phenotype of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell derived RPE cells. This work provides the basis for developing an autologous cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration using patient specific iPS cell derived RPE.


Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Exercise for Those With Cancer-Related Lymphedema.
To evaluate the effects of exercise on cancer-related lymphedema and related symptoms, and to determine the need for those with lymphedema to wear compression during exercise. CINAHL, Cochrane, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, PubMed, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, ScienceDirect, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched for trials published before January 1, 2015. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials and single-group pre-post studies published in English were included. Twenty-one (exercise) and 4 (compression and exercise) studies met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted into tabular format using predefined data fields by 1 reviewer and assessed for accuracy by a second reviewer. Study quality was evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Data were pooled using a random-effects model to assess the effects of acute and long-term exercise on lymphedema and lymphedema-associated symptoms, with subgroup analyses for exercise mode and intervention length. There was no effect of exercise (acute or intervention) on lymphedema or associated symptoms, with standardized mean differences from all analyses ranging between -0.2 and 0.1 (P values ≥.22). Findings from subgroup analyses for exercise mode (aerobic, resistance, mixed, other) and intervention duration (>12wk or ≤12wk) were consistent with these findings-that is, no effect on lymphedema or associated symptoms. There were too few studies evaluating the effect of compression during regular exercise to conduct a meta-analysis. Individuals with secondary lymphedema can safely participate in progressive, regular exercise without experiencing a worsening of lymphedema or related symptoms. However, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the current clinical recommendation to wear compression garments during regular exercise.


Immunopathological consequences of the loss of engulfment genes: the case of ABCA1.
Programmed cell death plays a crucial role in the maintenance of cell homeostasis. An initial, effector phase leads to the generation of apoptotic corpses and is closely followed by a swift clearance by professional or amateur phagocytes. Several aspects distinguish this latter process of engulfment of dying cells from the classical forms of phagocytosis. They concern all aspects of the process from the recognition of the prey to the final outcome, i.e. immunological silence. The engulfment of dead cells is a process highly conserved through evolution and it has been studied in parallel in two systems, mammalian cells and the nematode C. elegans. ABCA1 and its ortholog CED-7 in the nematode are key players of engulfment. Their mode of action is somehow original in the panorama of engulfment receptors since they act as lipid transporters. While in the worm the loss of CED-7 has phenotypic consequences exclusively on engulfment, in the mouse the deletion of ABCA1 by homologous recombination has highlighted broad consequences on macrophage biology. Among those we will discuss here the aberrant responses of ABCA1-/- mice to Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection, concerning in particular the development of cerebral malaria (CM), a cytokine-induced immunopathology. This syndrome involves a central role of monocytes and, as shown recently, high levels of circulating microparticles. It was found that ABCA1 loss completely protects against CM and its associated mortality. This observation, together with the demonstration of quantitative and functional modifications of microparticles, suggests that microparticles may be involved in CM pathogenesis. The ABCA1 transporter thus appears to control susceptibility to CM, thereby providing new insights in its pathophysiological mechanisms and potential new therapeutic avenues.


Staged and combined surgical approach to simultaneous carotid and coronary vascular disease.
Between 1969 and 1976, 174 patients were treated surgically for simultaneous carotid and coronary atherosclerosis. In 59 patients, staged carotid endarterectomy was performed a few days to 6 months prior to myocardial revascularization. Severe (more than 60% stenosis) coronary atherosclerosis affected a single vessel in 11 patients (19%), two vessels in 20 patients (34%), and three vessels in 28 patients (47%). Left ventricular contraction was impaired in 30 patients (51%). Nine patients (15%) had previous neurological symptoms, and 50 patients (85%) had asymptomatic carotid stenosis. One patient (1.5%) had a permanent stroke after carotid endarterectomy. There were no permanent strokes after staged myocardial revascularization, and the early mortality rate was 1.7%. Combined carotid endarterectomy and myocardial revascularization were performed in 115 patients with severe cardiac disease. Coronary atherosclerosis affected a single vessel in 10 patients (9%), two vessels in 39 patients (34%), and three vessels in 66 patients (57%). Left ventricular impairment was present in 72 patients (63%). Thirty-five patients (30%) had previous neurological symptoms, and 80 patients (70%) had asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Five patients (4.3%) had permanent strokes after combined revascularization, and four of these patients had occlusion or severe stenosis of the contralateral internal carotid artery. The early mortality rate was 4.3%, but no deaths could be attributed to carotid repair. The results suggest that significant simultaneous carotid and coronary atherosclerosis should be corrected in selected patients by staged operations when feasible. In the presence of severe cardiac disease, a combined precedure may be performed in face of higher risk of intraoperative stroke.


Doppler enhancement with SH U 508A in multiple vascular regions.
To determine the magnitude and duration of peripheral vascular and cardiac Doppler signal enhancement after intravenous administration of contrast agent SH U 508A. Suboptimal cardiac or peripheral vascular Doppler examinations were evaluated. A total of 75 intravenous bolus injections were made in 30 patients. Spectral audio Doppler intensity was measured throughout the duration of contrast effect. No clinically relevant adverse effects were noted, and Doppler enhancement was apparent in all cases. The diagnostic confidence of the investigators when scored before and after Doppler enhancement improved from 35% to 91% (P < .05). Doppler intensity increased more than 16 dB in all vascular regions investigated (P < .05). The contrast effect lasted for more than 120 seconds in the peripheral vascular and cardiac groups at equivalent doses. Intravenously administered SH U 508A is effective in markedly increasing cardiac, femoral arterial, and transcranial (cerebral arterial) Doppler signal intensity. The effect improves the clinical diagnostic confidence in cases of suboptimal unenhanced Doppler examinations.


[Infiltrating transitional cancer of the bladder (2). Prognostic value of the stage. Its influence on the therapeutic decision)].
The only reliable sign to give a prognosis is the anatomopathological stage (P or pT) obtained from the study of the cystectomy surgical piece: partial or total. Tumourless (P0) bladders conceal the inability to reach any certainty over the tumour's inexistance. Removal should not be considered as a success but an error. The fact that no tumour is found in the removed bladder does not guarantee that the patient will not eventually die of metastasis. A pT2 stage has a better prognosis than pT3a and both evolve better that either pT3b or pT4a and, therefore, their treatment and management may be different. Clinical stage (T) is not a reliable sign: the possibilities of over and undervaluation are very high. Subtraction of P from T cannot be maintained as an adequate sign to assess the action of the adjuvant therapy to surgery and should be excluded in order to delimit the action of the neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Also, patients with pT2 and pT3a tumours should be excluded from these protocols since the possibilities that they may be removed during the evaluation R.T.U. are high.


Said another way. Call to action: the need to increase diversity in the nursing workforce.
Nursing is multidimensional, interactive, interdisciplinary, and complex. Almost anything that can be said about nursing can be said another way. Some things worth being said and heard will not follow the norms of journal presentation. A forum accommodates the emerging voice, the new format, the innovative approach. Nursing Forum, in an effort to honor the independent voice in nursing, presents here the voice who elects to enter the dialogue, but who does so in another way.


Short communication: Changes under low ambient temperatures in the milk lipodome and metabolome of mid-lactation cows after dehorning as a calf.
Horns are living tissue and cows can use their horns for thermoregulatory purposes. We investigated the effect of the presence of horns on the metabolome of milk serum and lipidome of milk fat, to assess the physiological effect of dehorning. Milk sampling took place at low ambient temperatures of -6 to 2°C. Horned and dehorned cows were kept in a mixed herd of Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss cows. The hypothesis was that horned cows needed to increase their metabolism to compensate for additional heat loss through the presence of their horns. No differences were observed in milk yield, milk solids, and somatic cell counts between horned and dehorned cows. For the milk metabolome, horned cows showed an upregulation of several glucogenic AA that could be transformed into glucose for energy supply and a downregulation of sugar intermediates and γ-glutamylcysteine compared with dehorned cows. The fatty acid (FA) composition in horned cows showed a shift toward decreased odd medium-chain FA (C7:0, C9:0, and C11:0) and increased cis-vaccenic acid (C18:1n-7 cis-11) and stearidonic acid (C18:4n-3). The changes in milk composition related to additional heat loss in horned cows indicate a competition in C3 metabolism for glucose synthesis and de novo FA synthesis under cold stress.


Developments in microarray technologies.
The focus of high-throughput drug discovery has progressed through the genome and the transcriptome and is now moving towards more difficult problems in assessing the proteome, glycome and metabolome. Microarrays are currently the major tool in the assessment of gene expression via cDNA or RNA analysis; however, they are also used to screen libraries of proteins and small molecules. Microarrays have helped to extract more information from smaller sample volumes and enabled the incorporation of low-cost high-throughput assays in the drug discovery process. The technology continues to develop and is being rapidly transferred into more challenging areas, with the potential to further aid and enhance the drug discovery process through the development of, for example, proteomic, glycomic and tissue arrays.


Reality bites: a case of severe rattlesnake envenomation.
Rattlesnake venoms can cause a wide range of adverse human health effects. However, with the availability of modern antivenin, toxicity can generally be minimized and controlled. We present a rare case of rattlesnake envenomation resulting in severe systemic effects and syndrome relapse. Management considerations and patient course are described in the context of the current literature.


Social support mobilization and deterioration after Mexico's 1999 flood: effects of context, gender, and time.
Samples of adults representative of Teziutlán, Puebla, and Villahermosa, Tobasco, were interviewed 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the devastating 1999 flood and mudslides. The interview contained multiple measures of social support that had been normed for Mexico. Comparisons between sample data and population norms suggested minimal mobilization of received support and substantial deterioration of perceived support and social embeddedness. Social support was lowest in Teziutlán, which had experienced mass casualties and displacement, and among women and persons of lower educational attainment. Disparities according to gender, context, and education grew larger as time passed. The results provide compelling evidence that the international health community must be mindful of social as well as psychological functioning when disasters strike the developing world.


[Strategy and critical analysis of bariatric surgery].
Bariatric surgery has considerably developed during the last 20 years in Belgium. The increase of prevalence of the morbid obesity and the development of multiple surgical procedures widened the spectrum of treatment. If a rigorous selection and a multidisciplinary approach of the patients are inescapable, the various decision-making algorithms plunge the practitioner into a certain confusion. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the advantages and the inconveniences of the different surgical treatments in light of the evolution of the principles and the objective results of the literature. Among the techniques proven and validated in the long run, one can mention the Silastic Ring Vertical Gastroplasty according to Mac Lean by minilaparotomy, the laparoscopic adjustable ring and the more recent gastric by pass. The evaluation of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and of duodenal switch is on course. The bilio-pancreatic by-pass according to Scopinaro remains strongly controversed. A meta-analysis of the literature confirms the success of the gastric bypass. Regarding to the long term follow-up, the adjustable gastric banding deceives. The sleeve gastrectomy should be analyzed in the long term. The preliminary results of a epidemiologic and financial study within a private hospital of Brussels reveals that the cost effective ratio is in favor the Silastic Ring Vertical Gastroplasty and the laparoscopic adjustable banding, as well in terms of public health support than the charge for the private insurance and the patient. The projection beyond 5 years reverses the tendency to plead in favor of the gastric by-pass. First with the hit-parade of comfort, food diversification, tolerance, gastro-esophageal reflux, and undoubtedly of the rate of recurrence, it supplants the others techniques for sweet eaters. The volume eaters can profit from a sleeve gastrectomy which undoubtedly supplants the Silastic Ring Vertical Gastroplasty responsible for late annular stenoses and reccurences.


The biochemistry of peroxisomal beta-oxidation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Peroxisomal fatty acid degradation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires an array of beta-oxidation enzyme activities as well as a set of auxiliary activities to provide the beta-oxidation machinery with the proper substrates. The corresponding classical and auxiliary enzymes of beta-oxidation have been completely characterized, many at the structural level with the identification of catalytic residues. Import of fatty acids from the growth medium involves passive diffusion in combination with an active, protein-mediated component that includes acyl-CoA ligases, illustrating the intimate linkage between fatty acid import and activation. The main factors involved in protein import into peroxisomes are also known, but only one peroxisomal metabolite transporter has been characterized in detail, Ant1p, which exchanges intraperoxisomal AMP with cytosolic ATP. The other known transporter is Pxa1p-Pxa2p, which bears similarity to the human adrenoleukodystrophy protein ALDP. The major players in the regulation of fatty acid-induced gene expression are Pip2p and Oaf1p, which unite to form a transcription factor that binds to oleate response elements in the promoter regions of genes encoding peroxisomal proteins. Adr1p, a transcription factor, binding upstream activating sequence 1, also regulates key genes involved in beta-oxidation. The development of new, postgenomic-era tools allows for the characterization of the entire transcriptome involved in beta-oxidation and will facilitate the identification of novel proteins as well as the characterization of protein families involved in this process.


Long survival in trisomy-13-syndrome: 21 cases including prolonged survival in two patients 11 and 19 years old.
The mean survival in Trisomy-13-syndrome patients is reported to be 130 days. We have diagnosed 21 cases of this syndrome in this institution (11 females and 10 males); 15 patients had regular trisomy 13 and 6 had translocation-trisomy 13 karyotypes. The mean survival of the 19 patients who died was 97.05 days; translocation patients survived longer than regular trisomy patients. The oldest living patients with trisomy 13 are a girl 19 and a boy 11 years old. Both are black, have regular trisomy 13 karyotypes and have had most of the manifestations of the syndrome. No mosaicism was detected in repeated cytogenetic studies. The 19-year-old patient is the oldest known living person with regular trisomy 13.


Complex thiolated mannose/quinone film modified on EQCM/Au electrode for recognizing specific carbohydrate-proteins.
A complex thiolated mannose (TM)/quinone functionalised polythiophene (QFPT) thin film was modified on EQCM/Au electrode for recognition of specific carbohydrate-proteins. Different lectins such as those from Sambucus nigra (elder berry), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Ulex europaeus (gorse, furze), Triticum vulgaris and Concanavalin A (ConA) was used for probes to evaluate bio-sensing performance of the TM/QFPT film. A specific response was observed for ConA from lectins when using the TM/QFPT film as sensing material and employing either elelctrochemical or the QCM method. No response was detected between thiolated mannose and other lectins. The linear relationship between current and ConA concentration is in the range of 0.5-17.5 nM by the elelctrochemical method and the linear relationship between frequency change and ConA concentration is in the range of 0.5-4.5 nM by the QCM method. This shows that the TM/QFPT-modified EQCM biosensor presents a paralleled determination by using electrochemical and the QCM method. The elelctrochemical method of the biosensor can be applicable in a large concentration range and its frequency change can be more precise.


Sudden death and sepsis after splenectomy.
This paper has reported two deaths occurring in young adults who had undergone splenectomy for trauma several years before developing pneumococcal sepsis. Tissues at autopsy demonstrated a disproportionate autolysis for the postmortem interval. One victim also showed diffuse serosal hemorrhages, presumably as a result of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Both showed evidence of residual splenic implants but such implants clearly did not provide protection against sepsis. The mechanisms whereby the spleen protects from sepsis appear to be that of a mechanical filter and an immunological organ producing antibody or antibody-like substance. How much splenic tissue and what relationships to the system circulation are necessary to provide protection remain undiscovered.


Interaction of the tylosin-resistance methyltransferase RlmA II at its rRNA target differs from the orthologue RlmA I.
RlmA(II) methylates the N1-position of nucleotide G748 in hairpin 35 of 23 S rRNA. The resultant methyl group extends into the peptide channel of the 50 S ribosomal subunit and confers resistance to tylosin and other mycinosylated macrolide antibiotics. Methylation at G748 occurs in several groups of Gram-positive bacteria, including the tylosin-producer Streptomyces fradiae and the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Recombinant S. pneumoniae RlmA(II) was purified and shown to retain its activity and specificity in vitro when tested on unmethylated 23 S rRNA substrates. RlmA(II) makes multiple footprint contacts with nucleotides in stem-loops 33, 34 and 35, and does not interact elsewhere in the rRNA. Binding of RlmA(II) to the rRNA is dependent on the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (or S-adenosylhomocysteine). RlmA(II) interacts with the same rRNA region as the orthologous enzyme RlmA(I) that methylates at nucleotide G745. Differences in nucleotide contacts within hairpin 35 indicate how the two methyltransferases recognize their distinct targets.


Blood coagulation at the site of microvascular injury in healthy and coumadin-treated subjects heterogenous for factor V Leiden mutation.
There is little knowledge regarding the in-vivo course of coagulation reactions in subjects with factor (F)V Leiden (G1691A, R506Q). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of FV Leiden on coagulant reactions triggered by vascular injury. At the site of microvascular injury, prothrombin activation and FVa formation and inactivation have been evaluated in 16 apparently healthy subjects and 16 patients on long-term anticoagulation with acenocoumarol, with eight heterogenous carriers of FV Leiden in the healthy and in the anticoagulated group. Thrombin formation, measured by levels of thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and thrombin B-chain, proceeded at similar rates in the bleeding-time blood in carriers and non-carriers of FV Leiden. The onset and rate of FV activation did not differ significantly among the four groups. When healthy carriers of FV Leiden were compared to healthy non-carriers, the onset of FVa inactivation by activated protein C (APC) was delayed by 60 to 90 seconds (p=0.01). Anticoagulated individuals also showed the same pattern of FV Leiden associated differences in the time of occurrence of the 30 kD FVa heavy-chain fragment (p=0.021). Our results indicate that when blood clotting is triggered by microvascular injury, the heterozygous expression of FV Leiden has no effect on thrombin generation in healthy or coumadin-treated subjects. Inactivation of FVa by the APC mechanism is attenuated significantly in carriers of FV Leiden but the magnitude of this effect is smaller than that observed in most purified systems.


Dual-responsive mPEG-PLGA-PGlu hybrid-core nanoparticles with a high drug loading to reverse the multidrug resistance of breast cancer: an in vitro and in vivo evaluation.
In this study, monomethoxy (polyethylene glycol)-b-P (d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-P (l-glutamic acid) (mPEG-PLGA-PGlu) nanoparticles with the ability to rapidly respond to the endolysosomal pH and hydrolase were prepared and the pH-sensitivity was tuned by adjusting the length of the PGlu segment. The mPEG5k-PLGA20k-PGlu (60) nanoparticles were specifically responsive to an endosomal pH of 5.0-6.0 due to the configuration transition of the PGlu segment and rapidly initiated chemical degradation after incubation with proteinase k for 10 min. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), used as a model drug, was easily encapsulated into nanoparticles and the DOX-loaded nanoparticles (DOX-NPs) exhibited a pH-dependent and enzyme-sensitive release profile in vitro. The dual sensitivity enabled the rapid escape of DOX-loaded nanoparticles from the endolysosomal system to target cellular nuclei, which resulted in increased cell toxicity against MCF/ADR resistant breast cancer cells and a higher cellular uptake than free DOX. In Vivo Imaging studies indicated that the nanoparticles could continuously accumulate in the tumor tissues through EPR effects and Ex vivo Imaging biodistribution studies indicated that DOX-NPs increased drug penetration into tumors compared with normal tissues. The in vivo antitumor activity demonstrated that DOX-loaded NPs had less body loss and a significant regression of tumor growth, indicating the increased anti-tumor efficacy and lower systemic toxicity. Therefore, this dual sensitive nanoparticle system may be a potential nanocarrier to overcome the multidrug resistance exhibited by breast cancer.


Muscarinic cholinergic receptors of the convulsive strain (E1) mouse.
The biochemical characteristics of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors were studied on the E1 strain mouse brain by the binding assay using [3H]1- quinuclidinyl benzylate. Scatchard analyses showed that the receptor density (Bmax) of the hippocampus significantly decreased by 26.4% and the affinity (Kd) increased by 18.8% in E1(+) compared to dd-Y. It is suggested that this hippocampal subsensitivity found in E1(+) mouse might be strain-specific, because repeated megimide convulsions failed to produce the same down regulation.


Tuberculous bronchoesophageal fistulae in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: three case reports and review.
To our knowledge, < 30 patients with tuberculous bronchoesophageal fistulae have been described in the English-language literature. However, the overall incidence of infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been increasing during the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We describe three HIV-infected patients who presented with tuberculous esophagomediastinal fistulae during their initial illness. Fistulous connections appeared to be secondary to mycobacterial mediastinal adenopathy. All fistulae healed with antituberculous therapy and nasogastric feeding, and surgical intervention was not necessary. The combination of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, cough, and retching or vomiting should alert clinicians treating HIV-infected patients to the possibility of tuberculous bronchoesophageal fistulae.


Multilayer Choline Phosphate Molecule Modified Surface with Enhanced Cell Adhesion but Resistance to Protein Adsorption.
Choline phosphate (CP), which is a new zwitterionic molecule, and has the reverse order of phosphate choline (PC) and could bind to the cell membrane though the unique CP-PC interaction. Here we modified a glass surface with multilayer CP molecules using surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and the ring-opening method. Polymeric brushes of (dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were synthesized by SI-ATRP from the glass surface. Then the grafted PDMAEMA brushes were used to introduce CP groups to fabricate the multilayer CP molecule modified surface. The protein adsorption experiment and cell culture test were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the modified surfaces by using human umbilical veinendothelial cells (HUVECs). The protein adsorption results demonstrated that the multilayer CP molecule decorated surface could prevent the adsorption of fibrinogen and serum protein. The adhesion and proliferation of cells were improved significantly on the multilayer CP molecule modified surface. Therefore, the biocompatibility of the material surface could be improved by the modified multilayer CP molecule, which exhibits great potential for biomedical applications, e.g., scaffolds in tissue engineering.


Black/White disparities in pregnant women in the United States: An examination of risk factors associated with Black/White racial identity.
This paper explores racial disparities and risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Black and White pregnant women in the US. The study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore Black and White disparities using data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which collects interview data from approximately 70,000 randomly selected participants. We included several self-reported conditions that we categorised as individual and social stressors (e.g. measures of institutionalised racism, individual health behaviours, access to quality care and social context factors). We used descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analyses in risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes between Black and White women. Black women who were pregnant had a lower socioeconomic status and experienced more measures of institutionalised racism compared to White women who were pregnant. More white women who were pregnant were married, had higher levels of educational attainment, higher income levels, and greater employment opportunities. White pregnant women also had higher levels of private health insurance and less dependency on government programmes for access to healthcare. Results from the regressions indicated that Black pregnant women were less likely to be married (OR = 0.01), less likely to have higher income levels (OR = 0.31) and less likely to be employed (OR = 0.52). However, Black pregnant women were more likely to be younger (OR = 1.82). For the health-eroding behaviours, Black pregnant women were less likely to smoke (OR = 0.53) and use alcohol (0.52). After assessing the SES Household-level stressors (access to healthcare), Black pregnant women were more likely to have Medicaid/CHIP (OR = 3.21) and health coverage through government assistant programmes (OR = 3.80); however, less likely to have private health insurance (OR = 0.38). There are differences in risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes between White and Black pregnant women based on measures of individual level/social stressors, institutionalised racism, health behaviours and access to care.


Effect of guanabenz on blood pressure responses to posture and exercise.
A single dose of guanabenz was examined for effects upon blood pressure, heart rate, plasma catecholamines, and plasma renin activity in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Eight patients were studied when supine, standing, and during submaximal exercise. Guanabenz reduced blood pressure in subjects who were supine or standing. Heart rate was lowered only in the supine subjects. Guanabenz induced reduction in plasma catecholamines subjects in all positions and the reduction correlated with the placebo level for both norepinephrine and epinephrine. Plasma renin activity was not significantly affected by guanabenz. The results indicate that the central alpha-agonist action of guanabenz reduces sympathoadrenal function to a greater extent in hyperadrenergic hypertensive patients than in those without this disorder.


Consistent haptic feedback is required but it is not enough for natural reaching to virtual cylinders.
In virtual reality it is easy to control the visual cues that tell us about an object's shape. However, it is much harder to provide realistic virtual haptic feedback when grasping virtual objects. In this study we examined the role of haptic feedback when grasping (virtual) cylinders with an elliptical circumference. In Experiment 1 we placed the same circular cylinder at the simulated location of virtual elliptical cylinders of varying shape, so that the haptic feedback did not change when the visually specified shape changed. We found that the scaling of maximum grip aperture with the diameter of the nearest principal axis (.14+/-.04) was much weaker than when grasping real cylinders (.54+/-.04, Cuijpers, Brenner, & Smeets, 2006 Grasping reveals visual misjudgements of shape. Experimental Brain Research, 175, 32-44). For the scaling of grip orientation with the orientation of the cylinder we found large individual differences: the range is .07-.82 (average .42+/-.07) as compared to .55-.79 (average .67+/-.03) for grasping real cylinders. In Experiment 2 we provided consistent haptic feedback by placing real cylinders that matched the location, shape and orientation of the virtual cylinders. The scaling gains of both maximum grip aperture (.39+/-.04) and grip orientation (.56+/-.08) were substantially higher than in Experiment 1, but still lower than for grasps to real cylinders. The variability between participants for the scaling of grip orientation was also much reduced. These results showed that although haptic feedback must be consistent with visual information, it is not sufficient for natural prehension. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of the integration of visual information with haptic feedback.


Liver resection: 10-year experience from a single institution.
Liver resection constitutes the main treatment of most liver primary neoplasms and selected cases of metastatic tumors. However, this procedure is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. To analyze our experience with liver resections over a period of 10 years to determine the morbidity, mortality and risk factors of hepatectomy. Retrospective review of medical records of patients who underwent liver resection from January 1994 to March 2003. Eighty-three (41 women and 42 men) patients underwent liver resection during the study period, with a mean age of 52.7 years (range 13-82 years). Metastatic colorectal carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma were the main indications for hepatic resection, with 36 and 19 patients, respectively. Extended and major resections were performed in 20.4% and 40.9% of the patients, respectively. Blood transfusion was needed in 38.5% of the operations. Overall morbidity was 44.5%. Life-threatening complications occurred in 22.8% of cases and the most common were pneumonia, hepatic failure, intraabdominal collection and intraabdominal bleeding. Among minor complications (30%), the most common were biliary leakage and pleural effusion. Size of the tumor and blood transfusion were associated with major complications (P = 0.0185 and P = 0.0141, respectively). Operative mortality was 8.4% and risk factors related to mortality were increased age and use of vascular exclusion (P = 0.0395 and P = 0.0404, respectively). Median hospital stay was 6.7 days. Liver resections can be performed with low mortality and acceptable morbidity rates. Blood transfusion may be reduced by employing meticulous technique and, whenever indicated, vascular exclusion.


Postnatal development of the somatosensory thalamocortical projection in rat and rabbit--a combined retrograde transport and stereological comparative study.
A comparative quantitative study of the somatosensory thalamocortical connections in the rat and rabbit, labeled with the fluorescent retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold (FG), was conducted by means of unbiased stereology. FG was injected into the primary somatosensory cortex of the rat and rabbit in different age groups from P0 to P180 (P-postnatal day). The numerical density of retrogradely labeled the ventroposterolateral (VPL) projection neurons was analyzed. A significant decrease in this parameter was observed during the first two weeks of postnatal life in both studied species. Changes of the neuropil volume and selective elimination of early cortical connections stemming from the VPL may possibly cause this process. A withdrawal of axon collaterals from the expanded cortical sites as well as apoptosis (existing both in the VPL and parietal cortex) contribute to a decrease in the numerical density. Our observations allow us to conclude that the thalamocortical somatosensory connections established before the birth undergo significant quantitative changes in both studied species during the first two weeks of postnatal life and this period seems to be crucial for maturation of the thalamocortical loop.


Estimation of serum sex hormone-binding globulin by five direct and two indirect methods.
Serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) has been estimated over the range 2-190 nM by six commercially available methods. The Farmos immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and the Pharmacia-LKB DELFIA fluoroimmunoassay, which use the same monoclonal antiserum, produced statistically identical but widely spread results. The Techland polyclonal radioimmunoassay produced similar results but was considerably less sensitive, and agreement with the other two direct methods was poor at low concentrations. These three direct methods gave slightly higher results than those obtained with the two indirect methods: the BioMerieux concanavalin-A-binding method and, especially, the Serono ammonium sulphate precipitation method. The Diagnostic Products monoclonal IRMA gave results that were up to double the values obtained with the other five methods and is considered unsatisfactory. Monoclonal antibodies are now available for the direct estimation of SHBG, although an amino acid sequence has not yet been published for this protein, and there is still some controversy about the size of its structural units.


A method of correcting the posterior palatal seal area of a maxillary complete denture.
A processing technique for correcting the posterior palatal seal area of a maxillary denture has been described. The proper extension and displacement necessary for peripheral seal is reestablished without creating changes in occlusion or esthetics. Since the technique involves heat processing, the same acrylic resin present in the original base may be used, which makes the correction virtually impossible to detect.


Effect of inflammatory disease on plasma concentrations of three beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents.
Plasma concentrations of three beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents, propranolol, oxprenolol, and metoprolol, have been measured over 24 h after a single oral dose in patients with active inflammatory disease, and in healthy subjects. After propranolol administration, peak plasma concentrations were approximately seven times higher in the patients; they remained significantly raised at all sampling times up to 10 h. With oxprenolol, peak plasma levels were about twice as high in the patients as in the healthy subjects and significantly raised on only two occasions. All plasma metoprolol values were within normal limits. These results did not run parallel with differences in metabolism between the three drugs, but did seem to relate to their degree of binding to plasma proteins (propranolol 93%, oxprenolol 80%, metoprolol 11%). Furthermore, it is known that propranolol binds to serum orosomucoid, an acute-phase reactant, which rises in inflammatory disease.


Biobank/Genomic Research in Nigeria: Examining Relevant Privacy and Confidentiality Frameworks.
Nigeria's commitment to genomic research and biobanking is beyond dispute. Proof, if there is need for one, is that the country is one of only six nations (others are Canada, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) involved in the International HapMap Project. The HapMap Project is an innovative enterprise aimed at developing a haplotype map of the human genome, a tool that is helpful to studying the genetic basis of disease as well as the genetic or hereditary factors that contribute to variation in response to environmental factors, in susceptibility to infection, and in the effectiveness of, and adverse responses to, drugs and vaccines. In addition, the country is home to H3Africa biobank (with 45, 358 human samples in storage), affiliated with the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN), and several others. Benefits accruing from genomic research and biobanking are enormous; so also is protection of research subjects. The protection envisaged centers primarily on, inter alia, securing informed consent, safeguarding privacy and maintaining confidentiality of health information - all of which are enshrined in ethicolegal regimes in Nigeria. But whether these frameworks are consistent with international best practices is not at all clear, hence the need for this paper.


Angular change in backscattering of light from the human lens with nuclear cataract.
To determine how many meridians are needed to optimise detection of lens nuclear opacities in Scheimpflug photography utilising the Nidek EAS-1000 system. Ten eyes with nuclear cataract from 10 patients (age 53-83 years) were selected in this study. For each eye, the lens was imaged with the Nidek EAS-1000 system at the 0 degree, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees and 150 degrees meridians, respectively. The intensity of the backscattering of light within a common lens nuclear area on the lens image was measured. In addition an aqueous suspension of polystyrene spheres was employed as a standard to evaluate the possible angular change caused by the camera system. Analysis of variance and the polynomial regression was used for data analysis. The intensity of the backscattered light differs significantly among meridians. The highest intensity is found at the 90 degrees meridian. The intensity decreases towards the nasal and temporal side. There is also an angular variation caused by the camera system. There is a regular change in the backscattered light documented by the Nidek EAS-1000 system. It is sufficient to take one meridian to estimate the lens nuclear cataract. The variation in the backscattered light at different angles is caused partly by the variation of the camera.


Networks of polysaccharides with hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics in the presence of co-solute.
The present investigation deals with the changing network morphology of agarose and high methoxy pectin when mixed with polydextrose as co-solute at concentrations varying up to high level of solids. Thermomechanical analysis and micro-imaging were performed using small deformation dynamic oscillation in shear, modulated differential scanning calorimetry and environment scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and wide angle X-ray diffraction were practised to examine the nature of interactions between polymer and co-solute, and the extent of amorphicity of preparations. We observed a decline in the mechanical strength of aqueous agarose preparations upon addition of high levels of polydextrose, which should be attributed to reduced enthalpic content of the coil-to-helix transition of the polysaccharide network. Glass transition phenomena were observed at subzero temperatures in condensed preparations, hence further arguing for the formation of a lightly cross-linked agarose network with changing solvent quality. High levels of co-solute induce formation of weak pectin gels at elevated temperatures (even at 95°C), which with lowering temperature exhibit increasing strength. This results in the formation of rubbery pectin gels at ambient temperature, which upon controlled cooling to subzero temperatures convert to a clear glass earlier than the agarose counterparts.


Influence of concanavalin a on autolysis of gametes from Chlamydomonas reinhardii.
The phytohemagglutinin concanavalin A inhibited zygote formation of Chlamydomonas reinhardii. 15--50 mug lectin/ml not only interfered with the mating reaction, but also with cell wall lysis of gametes and zoospores in a crude autolysin preparation gained from copulating gametes. Further, the structure of cell walls shed into the medium after autolysis in the course of the mating reaction and after lysis "from without" in the crude autolysin preparation was stabilized by Con A. Therefore, it must be assumed that the lectin inhibited zygote formation of C. reinhardii by interfering with autolysis of the cell walls of the gametes. Though Con A inhibited the lytic processes of C. reinhardii, an activation of the autolytic system in theta gametes by the lectin was found to compete with its inhibitory reaction. Con A induced autolysis of theta gametes was dependent on adherence of the cells by their flagella to the surface of the culture vessel or the liquid medium and did not occur in cultures stirred by rotation. The interferences of Con A with the autolytic serum of C. rienhardii were inhibited by methyl-alpha-D-mannopyrano-side and to a lesser degree by glucose, indicating that the carbohydrate binding sites of the lectin were involved in its reactions with the cells.


Quantifying heterogeneity of stochastic gene expression.
The heterogeneity of stochastic gene expression, which refers to the temporal fluctuation in a gene product and its cell-to-cell variation, has attracted considerable interest from biologists, physicists, and mathematicians. The dynamics of protein production and degradation have been modeled as random processes with transition probabilities. However, there is a gap between theory and phenomena, particularly in terms of analytical formulation and parameter estimation. In this study, we propose a theoretical framework in which we present a basic model of a gene regulatory system, derive a steady-state solution, and provide a Bayesian approach for estimating the model parameters from single-cell experimental data. The proposed framework is demonstrated to be applicable for various scales of single-cell experiments at both the mRNA and protein levels and is useful for comparing kinetic parameters across species, genomes, and cell strains.


Anti-fatigue and vasoprotective effects of quercetin-3-O-gentiobiose on oxidative stress and vascular endothelial dysfunction induced by endurance swimming in rats.
Chronic fatigue accumulation increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease while the treatment of antioxidants could prevent this development. We have previously shown that quercetin-3-O-gentiobiose (QG), a flavonoid isolated from tonic herb Okra, possesses anti-oxidative properties. In the present study, the protective effects of QG were evaluated in a rat model of load-induced endurance swimming. Oral administration of QG at the doses of 25-75mg/kg could significantly improve the endurance capability of rats to fatigue along with decrease serum lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen levels were decreased. Moreover, QG could alleviate vascular impairments, enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuate the levels of inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-α). The results indicated that QG had anti-fatigue and vasoprotective effects and represented a potential agent for the treatment of aortic pathology involved with fatigue- and related syndrome.


Five element acupuncture: treating body, mind, and spirit.
In the history of Chinese medicine, Five Elements was one of the major doctrines influencing not only acupuncture but all aspects of society. Through the system of correspondences, Five Element acupuncture provides a unique understanding of the connections between body, mind, and spirit in health and disease. Today the practice of Five Element acupuncture in the West has been further refined and differs in substantial ways from what is known as traditional Chinese medicine. The clinical application of the Five Element system provides an understanding of how the Taoist concept of the Laws of Nature can be used in modern society.


SPS: A Simulation Tool for Calculating Power of Set-Based Genetic Association Tests.
Set-based association tests, combining a set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms into a unified test, have become important approaches to identify weak-effect or low-frequency risk loci of complex diseases. However, there is no comprehensive and user-friendly tool to estimate power of set-based tests for study design. We developed a simulation tool to estimate statistical power of multiple representative set-based tests (SPS). SPS has a graphic interface to facilitate parameter settings and result visualization. Advanced functions include loading real genotypes to define genetic architecture, set-based meta-analysis for risk loci with or without heterogeneity, and parallel simulations. In proof-of-principle examples, SPS took no more than 3 sec on average to estimate the power in a conventional setting. The SPS has been integrated into a user-friendly software tool (KGG) as an independent functional module and it is freely available at http://statgenpro.psychiatry.hku.hk/limx/kgg/.


IFN-alpha-2b-induced signal transduction and gene regulation in patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells is not enhanced by a dose increase from 5 to 10 megaunits/m2.
The precise molecular targets of IFN-alpha therapy of melanoma are unknown but likely involve signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 signal transduction within host immune effector cells. We hypothesized that intermediate and high doses of IFN-alpha would be equally effective in activating patient immune cells. Eleven metastatic melanoma patients who were enrolled in a clinical trial of bevacizumab in combination with escalating doses of IFN-alpha-2b (5 megaunits/m(2) and then 10 megaunits/m(2)) were included in the study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were procured from patient blood just before therapy and again 1 h after each dose of IFN-alpha-2b and analyzed for the presence of phosphorylated STAT1, phosphorylated STAT2, and the induction of IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) transcripts. Phosphorylated STAT1 was significantly greater at the 5 megaunits/m(2) dose compared with the 10 megaunits/m(2) dose of IFN-alpha-2b (P = 0.02). In contrast, no significant difference in phosphorylated STAT2 was observed at a dose of 5 megaunits/m(2) compared with 10 megaunits/m(2) (P = 0.20). There were also no significant differences in the induction of ISGs within PBMCs between the two doses (P > 0.4 for all ISGs). Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 and 3 (two inhibitors of IFN-alpha signaling) transcripts were significantly higher among patient PBMCs following the 10 megaunits/m(2) dose of IFN-alpha (P < 0.001). These results suggest that lower doses of IFN-alpha-2b are as effective as higher doses with respect to the induction of Janus-activated kinase-STAT signal transduction and the transcription of ISGs within immune effector cells.


Generalised dystonia: clinical diagnosis is possible.
Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1 (previously known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterised by its typical clinical and radiological features. We present a case of an adolescent girl with rapidly progressive dystonia in whom the diagnosis of the above disorder was made prior to radiological investigation. This report has been made to highlight the diagnostic relevance of a good history and clinical examination. This is particularly important in a developing country where diagnostic radiological investigations are expensive.


Pamidronate treatment in rheumatology practice: a comprehensive review.
Pamidronate, along with other bisphosphonates, has been used for treatment of bone pain secondary to malignant involvement or metastatic disease for years. Some data, however, have also accumulated on the utility of pamidronate in a variety of benign conditions frequently handled by rheumatologists. This study aims to review the available published data regarding the potential use of pamidronate in rheumatology practice. Methods include the review of relevant articles retrieved by a PUBMED search utilizing the index term "pamidronate". All available randomized control trials, open trials, and case series, as well as properly reported case studies evaluating usage of pamidronate in rheumatic disorders, have been included in the literature review. The efficacy of pamidronate in patients with spondyloarthropathies; synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis syndrome; hypertrophic osteoarthropathy; osteoporotic vertebral fractures; chronic back pain due to disk disease or spinal stenosis; Charcot arthropathy; transient osteoporosis; and complex regional pain syndrome-I, has been demonstrated in more than 40 reports, the majority of which, however, were not controlled studies. In some of reviewed conditions, aside from providing analgesic relief, pamidronate may also have disease-modifying properties. While used in different doses in a variety of rheumatic disorders, pamidronate was generally reported to be well tolerated with an overall good safety profile. Pamidronate may represent an effective and safe choice for a spectrum of rheumatic patients, suffering from intractable musculoskeletal pain, unresponsive to traditionally recommended therapies. Large randomized, controlled studies examining the efficacy of pamidronate in the rheumatic conditions are urgently needed.


[Surgical treatment of Duane's syndrome type I by recession of the medial rectus of the affected eye and faden operation of the contralateral medial rectus].
Different surgical approaches have been described for the treatment of Duane's syndrome. The purpose of our study is to report the results of patients undergoing recession of the medial rectus (MR) muscle of the affected eye and placement of contralateral MR faden posterior fixation sutures. Retrospective study of 11 patients treated by a 4-7 mm recession of the MR of the affected eye and 13 mm faden posterior fixation suture of the contralateral MR in order to correct abnormal head position and esotropia in primary position. After surgery, there was no torticolis in 81.8% of patients, with less than 10 degrees of torticolis in the remainder. In all patients, postoperative esotropia was less than 5 prismatic dioptres. This is a safe and effective procedure in Duane's syndrome type I to treat moderate esotropia and torticolis.


Ventilatory support during magnetic resonance imaging.
Ventilatory support during magnetic resonance imaging is difficult because metallic objects on ventilatory support devices can interfere with the imaging field and/or become magnetized and move inside the patient or become flying projectiles. We report the successful MRI examination of an intubated respirator-dependent pediatric patient. Ventilatory support was carried out with a plastic ambu bag, exhalation valve circuit, and tubing.


Immigrant status as important determinant of breastfeeding practice in southern Europe.
Breastfeeding is universally accepted as the optimal way to nourish infants. There is evidence that socio-demographic factors, including immigrant status, are related to infant feeding practices. The aim of the present study was to identify the factors which are associated with breastfeeding initiation and duration, with special focus on the role of immigrant status of the mother in breastfeeding practice. A sample of mothers giving birth and living in Athens, Greece, was investigated. 428 mothers (438 infants) were recruited in the maternity ward of a Tertiary University Hospital, and were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Monthly telephone interviews were subsequently conducted until the sixth postpartum month. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of socio-demographic parameters with breastfeeding initiation. Cox regression analysis was employed to assess related factors that might influence breastfeeding duration. Being an immigrant was positively associated with exclusive as well as partial breastfeeding initiation (OR 7.97, 95% CI 1.02-62.19). Immigrant mothers were also 0.35 times less likely (95% Ci 0.21-0.58) to stop breastfeeding earlier, compared to the native ones. Several other factors were deemed important either for breastfeeding initiation or its duration but not for both aspects of breastfeeding practice. Maternal immigrant status was found to be consistently associated with breastfeeding initiation and duration in this study sample. Health professionals, health policy makers and politicians should remain attuned to the cultural backgrounds which have created strong breastfeeding traditions, to further promote breastfeeding practice in Western countries.


Inhibitory effect of alginic acids on hyaluronidase and on histamine release from mast cells.
The effects of various types of alginic acid consisting of L-guluronic acids (G) and D-mannuronic acids (M) on hyaluronidase and mast cell degranulation were examined. Alginic acid with an M/G ratio of 1.0 exhibited the strongest inhibition of both activities, the higher molecular weight alginic acids of 150 to 370 kDa being preferable in both cases. Esterification of the carboxyl residue enhanced the latter activity.


The spectrum of pericardial effusion in acute myocardial infarction: an echocardiographic study.
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of pericardial effusion in acute myocardial infarction and the different prognosis associated with distinct patterns of pericardial effusion (anechoic/hypoechoic vs hyperechoic effusion). Five hundred eighty-five consecutive patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit for acute myocardial infarction were initially considered. Forty of them were excluded due to a technically poor acoustic window. The remaining 545 patients were studied by two-dimensional echocardiography at admission, before discharge (after an average of 9 days in the Coronary Care Unit) and whenever there was an important change in the clinical status (chest pain, lipothymia or syncope, hemodynamic deterioration with systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg, cardiac arrest). Pericardial effusion was found in 51 patients (9%). Three distinct textural patterns of pericardial effusion were noted on the basis of the echogenic properties: 1) anechoic or hypoechoic pericardial effusion was frequent (30 patients), mild or moderate and generally benign; 2) hyperechoic type "A" effusion pattern was rare (2 patients) and associated with fever, leukocytosis and pericardial rubs; 3) hyperechoic type "B" was frequent (19 patients), large and always associated with major complications (all cases cardiac tamponade and/or death). Pericardial effusion is not an uncommon finding in serial echo evaluation of patients with acute myocardial infarction, especially when infarction is anterior, extensive and Q wave. Echocardiographically detected pericardial effusion shows different textural patterns with hypoanechoic effusion more frequent, limited and prognostically benign than hyperechoic effusion larger and often associated with adverse events.


The prevention of suicide in patients with recurrent mood disorder.
Recurrent mood disorder carries a risk of suicide of ∼ 15%. Patients who do commit suicide have often received inadequate antidepressant or prophylactic lithium treatment. Long-term treatment with lithium normalizes the excess mortality associated with recurrent mood disorders, including that from suicide. A reduced availability of the most lethal methods of suicide may contribute epidemiologically to a reduced rate of suicide, and therefore the differences in overdose toxicity between antidepressants may be pertinent. Education of mental health workers regarding the effective treatment of mood disorders can help to reduce the rate of suicide. Patient education and psychological support can lead to improved compliance with prophylactic medication and early detection of relapse, but more formal psychotherapy does not appear to be helpful. Specialized mood disorder clinics lead to better patient care than is possible in a routine psychiatric out-patient clinic.


Redescription of Garra turcica from southern Anatolia (Teleostei: Cyprinidae).
Garra turcica, from the rivers Kızıl, Seyhan, Ceyhan and Arsuz, is re-diagnosed and re-described. The species was treated as a synonym of G. rufa but molecular data strongly suggest that G. turcica represent an own species. It is distinguished from G. rufa by being more slender bodied, having a blunt snout and usually a short rostral cap. Based on COI sequence data, G. turcica is closely related to a group of species from the Persian Gulf basin, all having very small distribution areas nested in or adjacent to the range of G. rufa. The closest relatives of G. turcica are G. elegans, G. mondica and G. amirhosseini from which G. turcica differs by having a free posterior edge of the mental disc, the predorsal back covered by scales and the scales on the chest about as large as on the belly as well as by a minimum K2P distance of 2.2% in its COI barcode region.


Severe hypokalemia and thyrotoxic paralysis from painless thyroiditis complicated by life-threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and rhabdomyolysis.
A 61-year-old man presented with lower extremity paralysis and severe hypokalemia. His thyroid function test showed thyrotoxicosis. Despite attempts to correct his hypokalemia, he developed pulseless polymorphic ventricular tachycardia two hours later. He was successfully resuscitated after defibrillation. We performed continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration for 10 days due to acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis. We observed life-threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardia requiring urgent defibrillation, as well as rhabdomyolysis requiring dialysis during the transient thyrotoxic phase of painless thyroiditis. Pay attention to the possibility of the development of life-threatening ventricular tachycardia associated with hypokalemia in the setting of thyroiditis and thyrotoxic paralysis.


The association between maternal smoking and secondhand exposure and autonomic functioning at 2-4 weeks of age.
This study examined the association between maternal smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy and infant heart rate. Participants were 62 mother-infant dyads where mother smoked during pregnancy, 47 dyads where mother did not smoke during pregnancy but was exposed to ETS and 47 dyads where mother did not smoke and was not exposed to ETS. Average heart rate (HR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were assessed at 2-4 weeks of age during sleep. Infants in both exposure groups had higher HR and lower RSA than nonexposed infants. Furthermore, boys in both exposure groups had higher HR and lower RSA than girls. These results highlight the importance of considering prenatal ETS exposure and infant gender when assessing infant outcomes.


Comparing eSRT and eCAP measurements in pediatric MED-EL cochlear implant users.
Electrically evoked compound action potentials (eCAP) and electrically evoked stapedius reflexes are the most frequently used objective measurements for programming a cochlear implant (CI) audio processor. Objective methods are particularly beneficial for children and CI users that encounter difficulties in providing feedback. In this study, we compared the threshold and the slope of the eCAP amplitude growth function with the electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) in pediatric CI users. Furthermore, the duration times required to perform eCAP and eSRT recordings were compared. During a regular fitting session, 52 pediatric CI users with recordable eSRTs having MED-EL devices (MED-EL GmbH, Innsbruck, Austria) were programmed using the eSRT fitting method. The eCAP thresholds and the slopes of the amplitude growth function were measured across one apical, one medial, and one basal electrode contact. There was a weak to medium correlation between eCAP thresholds and eSRTs. The eCAP threshold profile did not correlate with the eSRT profile. Typically ECAP thresholds were at a lower stimulation charge than eSRTs with only 4/152 being higher. An eCAP threshold was found on 152/156 electrode contacts with eSRTs. On average, the eCAP measurements took 4.2 times longer to record per electrode than eSRT measurements (median durations 35 s vs. 120 s). eSRTs were significantly higher than eCAP thresholds and eSRT and eCAP profiles were generally different from each other reducing the clinical relevance of eCAP testing for setting MCLs across the array. Additionally, the eSRT measurements were faster to record than the eCAP threshold and slope determination measurements.


The relationship between airways inflammation and asthma severity.
In order to investigate the relationship between airways inflammation and disease severity, and improve the understanding of persistent asthma, 74 asthmatics, with disease severity ranging from intermittent, to mild to moderate and severe persistent (classified according to the Global Initiative for Asthma [GINA] guidelines), and 22 nonatopic control subjects were studied using the method of induced sputum. Sputum was analyzed for total and differential cell counts concentrations of albumin, and levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and tryptase, inflammatory mediators reflecting eosinophil, neutrophil, and mast cell activation. Asthma severity (assessed by FEV(1), peak expiratory flow [PEF] variability, and daily symptom scores) and methacholine airways responsiveness were related to sputum eosinophilia and ECP. In addition, sputum neutrophilia and MPO levels correlated, albeit weakly, with PEF variability and symptom scores, respectively. Tryptase concentrations were raised in mild to moderate asthmatics. Albumin concentrations were significantly raised across the spectrum of asthma severity and correlated with those of tryptase and ECP. Despite treatment with either high doses of inhaled corticosteroids or oral corticosteroids, prominent eosinophilic inflammation with raised ECP was noted. This study points to persistent, disease severity-related airways inflammation in asthma, involving eosinophils, mast cells, and neutrophils, which is evident despite treatment with corticosteroids.


Finger-Worn Sensors for Accurate Functional Assessment of the Upper Limbs in Real-World Settings.
Remote monitoring of stroke survivors' upper limb performance (stroke-affected vs. unaffected limbs) can provide clinicians with information regarding the true impact of rehabilitation in the real-world settings, which allows opportunities to administer individually tailored therapeutic interventions. In this work, we examine the use of finger-worn accelerometers, which are capable of capturing gross-arm as well as fine-hand movements, in order to quantitatively compare the performance of the upper limbs during goal-directed activities of daily living (ADLs). In this proof-of-concept study, data were collected over an eight-hour duration from ten neurologically intact individuals who wore the sensors and continued with their daily living. The sensor-based measure was compared to two clinically validated measures of handedness, i.e., Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire and Fazio Laterality Inventory, that quantity the level of preference of the limbs in performing ADLs. The results yielded statistically significant correlations to the Waterloo and Fazio scores with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.90 and 0.87 respectively, which was substantially superior compared to the previously studied measure based on wrist-worn accelerometers. We believe this study presents an opportunity to accurately monitor the goal-directed use of the upper limbs in the real-world settings.


Acute volume expansion as a physiological stimulus for the release of atrial natriuretic peptides in the rat.
The concentration of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide(s) (ANP) was measured in normovolemic conscious rats and 15 min after 10% and 20% blood volume expansion. A 20% blood volume expansion caused a 2-fold increase in plasma ANP. While plasma ANP increased linearly, atrial levels of ANP remained unaltered. The increase in plasma ANP parallelled increases of central blood volume and central venous pressure. It is concluded that acute blood volume expansion is a major physiological stimulus for the release of atrial natriuretic peptides into the circulation.


Comparative binding and uptake of liposomes decorated with mannose oligosaccharides by cells expressing the mannose receptor or DC-SIGN.
Mannose Receptor (MR) and DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) are two mannose-specific targets for antigens carried by liposomes but DC-SIGN is more specific of DCs. Here, DC targeting is addressed by using DPPC/DOPE liposomes decorated with a series of diether lipids with a polar head of either a mannose (Man), tri-antenna of α-d-mannopyranoside (Tri-Man), [Manα1-3(Manα1-6)Man] (Man-tri), pseudo-Man4 (PMan4) or pseudo-Man5 (PMan5). Liposomes decorated with Man-Tri show the highest binding and internalization in cells expressing DC-SIGN and in human monocytes-derived DCs. Conversely, cells expressing MR bind and take up Tri-Man liposomes 3-fold higher than Man-tri liposomes. Comparatively, liposomes decorated with PMan4 and PMan5 do not show any advantages. Overall, the results indicate that liposomes decorated with Man-tri residues are more selective toward DCs than those with Tri-Man thanks to better recognition by DC-SIGN.


Synthesis of hemoglobins in rice (Oryza sativa var. Jackson) plants growing in normal and stress conditions.
In rice (Oryza sativa var. Jackson) at least three copies of hemoglobin (hb) gene exist. Rice hb1 and hb2 genes are differentially expressed in roots and leaves from mature plants. We used polyclonal antibodies raised to recombinant rice Hb1 and Western blotting to analyze the synthesis of Hbs in rice plants growing under normal or stress conditions. Results showed that rice Hbs are synthesized in coleoptiles, seminal roots and embryos from seeds germinated for 6 days, and also in leaves and roots from plants 2-14 weeks after germination. Analysis of Hb synthesis in stressed rice showed that: (i) level of Hbs was higher in etiolated than control plants, (ii) level of Hbs increased in roots from flooded rice, and (iii) level of Hbs did not change under oxidative (H(2)O(2)), nitrosative (SNP) and hormonal (2,4-D) stresses. These results suggest that the effect of light withdrawal in etiolated leaves and O(2)-limiting conditions in flooded roots, but not oxidative, nitrosative and hormonal stresses, modulate the synthesis of rice Hbs.


ℓ(1)-penalized linear mixed-effects models for high dimensional data with application to BCI.
Recently, a novel statistical model has been proposed to estimate population effects and individual variability between subgroups simultaneously, by extending Lasso methods. We will for the first time apply this so-called ℓ(1)-penalized linear regression mixed-effects model for a large scale real world problem: we study a large set of brain computer interface data and through the novel estimator are able to obtain a subject-independent classifier that compares favorably with prior zero-training algorithms. This unifying model inherently compensates shifts in the input space attributed to the individuality of a subject. In particular we are now for the first time able to differentiate within-subject and between-subject variability. Thus a deeper understanding both of the underlying statistical and physiological structures of the data is gained.


Low physical fitness levels in older adults with ID: results of the HA-ID study.
Physical fitness is as important to aging adults with ID as in the general population, but to date, the physical fitness levels of this group are unknown. Comfortable walking speed, muscle strength (grip strength), muscle endurance (30s Chair stand) and cardiorespiratory endurance (10 m incremental shuttle walking test) were tested in a sample of 1050 older adults with ID, and results were compared with reference values from the general population. Across all age ranges, approximately two-third of the entire study population scored 'below average' or 'impaired'. Even the youngest age groups (50-59 or 50-54 years) in this sample achieve similar or worse results than age groups 20-30 years older in the general population. Low physical fitness levels in older adults with ID demonstrate that this group is prone to unnecessary premature loss of functioning and health problems, and maintaining physical fitness should have priority in practice and policy.


[Virulence factors and in vitro susceptibility of Plesiomonas shigelloides isolated from diarrhea episodes in Cuba].
Acute diarrhea is still one of the main causes of disease in developing countries. At the National Reference Laboratory for Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases, of the "Pedro Kourí" Tropical Medicine Institute, 54 Plesiomonas shigelloides strains were serotyped. As a result, the circulation of four new serotypes (O20:H2, 056:H18, 071 :H31,081 :H22) was detected. The most common antigenic variant was 094:H3. In addition, the susceptibility pattern to 21 antimicrobial agents (AA) was studied. Highest percentages of resistance were observed to ampicillin (77.7%), tetracycline (29.2%), and erythromycin (18.5%) while, to all other AA the resistance percentages were under 33%. There was no evidence of association between the serotypes and the multi-resistance patterns present in the strains under study. The frequency of virulence factors was determined: 21.15% of the strains turned out to be ss-haemolytic; 73.7% showed the presence of biofilm and 92.31% were hydrophobic. In 17.3% of the strains, the three virulence factors analysed were present. When establishing the relationship among the different virulence factors and the serotypes of the strains through cross reaction with the Shigella genus, there was evidence that 93.3% of the strains showed at least one of the virulence factors studied. Likewise, at least one of the virulence factors analysed was present in 90.9% of the multi-resistant strains.


Nanoparticle delivery for metastatic breast cancer.
Breast cancer represents a major ongoing public health problem as the most common non-cutaneous malignancy among U.S. women. While significant progress has been made in improving loco-regional treatments for breast cancer, relatively little progress has been made in diagnosing and treating patients with metastatic breast cancer. At present there are limited curative options for patients with breast cancer metastatic beyond regional nodes. Emerging nanotechnologies promise new approaches to early detection and treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Fulfilling the promise of nanotechnologies for patients with metastatic breast cancer will require delivery of nanomaterials to sites of metastatic disease. Future translational approaches will rely on an ever increasing understanding of the biology of breast cancer subtypes and their metastases. These important concepts will be highlighted and elucidated in this manuscript.