Nutrition in Clinical PracticeVolume 31, Issue 2 p. 274-274 Letter to the Editor Response to “Comment on ‘Nutrition Considerations in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy’ ” Lucille Mullins MA, RD, Lucille Mullins MA, RDSearch for more papers by this author Lucille Mullins MA, RD, Lucille Mullins MA, RDSearch for more papers by this author First published: 16 March 2016 https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533616629630Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkU...

1.1. Ninety cases of gastroduodenal perforations were reviewed with a comparative study of the first seventy-three patients as against the last seventeen. 2.2. Seventeen patients between 1944 and 1946, were treated with a composite routine postoperative treatment which was presented. 3.3. The hospital stay was reduced from 19.5 days to 10.8 days and no mortality was noted in the seventeen patients as against a 32.9 per cent mortality in the seventy-three. Table IV Tabled 1 Complications 1930–1944 No. of cases No. of Death Evisceration 12 0 Peritonitis 11 11 Pneumonia 6 6 Wound infection 4 0 Shock 3 3 Diabetes 2 2 Parotitis 1 1 Fecal fistula 1 0 Blood transfusion reaction 1 1 1944–1946 Evisceration 1 0 Wound infection 2 0 Open table in a new tab 4.4. A fo...

A new, stable iron(III) complex with a pentadentate amide-containing macrocyclic ligand was prepared and fully characterized. The complex adopted a pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry, where an equatorial plane is occupied by the pyridine nitrogen, two deprotonated amide nitrogens, and two secondary amines from the macrocycle, and two axial positions are available for monodentate ligand (chloride anion or solvent molecule) coordination. The rigid, planar iron−amide building blocks are linked in a three-dimensional network via a system of hydrogen bonds, with the shortest Fe−Fe separation of 8.02 Å. The coordination of strongly electron-donating, negatively charged deprotonated amide groups resulted in expected stabilization of a high oxidation state of iron...

Monocyclopentadienyl Ti(III) catalysts in which the cyclopentadienyl ring has a heteroatom-functionalized side chain are used in the polymerization of olefins and the co-polymerization of ethylene with propylene, 1-hexene, 1-octene and styrene. In this work, we show that a combined continuous wave and pulse EPR study of such complexes can reveal structural information where other analytical methods fail. Hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy is found to be a powerful method to identify the type of nuclei surrounding the Ti 3 + ion. For the first time, the hyperfine and nuclear quadrupole data of Ti(III)-bound 14 N nuclei are reported. The observed values are compared to known data of different transition metal complexes. Furthermore, the obse...

The present study was carried out to determine whether transforming growth factor-β, insulin-like growth factor-I and basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA levels were correlated with disease activity in NZB/W F1 mice, an animal model of systemic lupus erythematosus. Levels of mRNA for these three growth factors increased significantly as nephritis progressed in these mice. At 48 weeks of age, transforming growth factor-β, insulin-like growth factor-I, and basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA levels showed a 11- (p < 0.001), 10- (p < 0.001), and 8-fold (p < 0.001) increase, respectively, in the renal cortex of NZB/W F1 mice when compared with NZW control mice. In NZW kidneys, these mRNA levels showed little change throughout the study period. At 24 w...

Pneumocystis jiroveci polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has higher sensitivity than conventional stains but cannot distinguish colonization from infection.We compared P jiroveci PCR and conventional stains in HIV-uninfected immunocompromised patients.Among the 448 patients, 296 (66%) patients had hematologic malignancies; 72 (16.1%), bone marrow transplants; 44 (9.8%), solid tumors; 21 (4.7%), renal transplants; and 15 (3.4%) were taking immunosuppressants for systemic diseases. Diagnostic strategy consisted of BAL in 351 patients and induced sputum (IS) in 97 patients. Conventional pneumocystic pneumonia (PCP) stain was positive in 39 (8.7%) patients, including 34 with positive PCR. In addition, PCR was positive in 32 patients, including 21 with complete foll...

The measure of radiographic pelvic and spinal parameters for sagittal balance analysis has gained importance in reconstructive surgery of the spine and particularly in degenerative spinal diseases (DSD). Fusion in the lumbar spine may result in loss of lumbar lordosis (LL), with possible compensatory mechanisms: decreased sacral slope (SS), increased pelvic tilt (PT) and decreased thoracic kyphosis (TK). An increase in PT after surgery is correlated with postoperative back pain. A decreased SS and/or abnormal sagittal vertical axis (SVA) after fusion have a higher risk of adjacent segment degeneration. High pelvic incidence (PI) increases the risk of sagittal imbalance after spine fusion and is a predictive factor for degenerative spondylolisthesis. Restorat...

Study Design. One hundred and three lumbar intervertebral discs (L3/4-L5/S1) of 36 patients with low back pain were examined with computed tomography (CT) diskography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Objectives. To determine whether lumbar endplate degeneration correlates with the degree of disc degeneration or disc rupture and to determine if there is an association between pain provocation during diskography and lumbar endplate degeneration. Summary of Background Data. There have been numerous attempts to explain the pathogenesis of pain provocation during diskography, but the possibility of endplate degeneration as a source of pain has not been widely assessed. Methods. One hundred and three lumbar intervertebral discs (36 L3/4, 36 L4/5, and 31 L5/S1...

Abstract The North Alpine Foreland Basin in SE Germany is Germany’s most active deep geothermal province. However, in its southern and eastern part the basin is considerably overpressured, which is a significant challenge for drilling deep geothermal wells. In this study, we combine drilling data and velocity-based pore pressure analyses with 3D basin modeling to assess the predictability and controlling factors of overpressure in the sub-regional context (area of 80 km × 50 km) around the Geretsried GEN-1 well, a deep geothermal exploration well in the southern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin in SE Germany. Drilling data and velocity-based pore pressure analyses indicate overpressure maxima in the Lower Oligocene (Rupelian and Schoeneck Formation...

We examined the effects of anxiety and situation-specific contextual information on attentional, interpretational, and behavioural processes underpinning perceptual–motor performance as proposed by Nieuwenhuys and Oudejans (Psychological Research 76:747–759; Nieuwenhuys, Oudejans, Psychological Research 76:747–759, 2012) using an in situ task. Twelve skilled cricket batsmen played against a skilled spin bowler under conditions manipulated to induce low and high levels of anxiety and the presence of low and high levels of situation-specific context. High anxiety decreased the number of good bat–ball contacts, while high levels of situation-specific context increased the number of times the ball was missed. When under high anxiety, participants employe...

A pattern-based recognition approach for the rapid determination of the identity, concentration, and enantiomeric excess of chiral vicinal diols, specifically threo diols, has been developed. A diverse enantioselective sensor array was generated using three chiral boronic acid receptors and three pH indicators. The optical response produced by the sensor array was analyzed by two pattern-recognition algorithms: principal component analysis and artificial neural networks. Principal component analysis demonstrated good chemoselective and enantioselective separation of the analytes, and an artificial neural network was used to accurately determine the concentrations and enantiomeric excesses of five unknown samples with an average absolute error of ±0.08 mM in...

Background & Objectives: The effects of different modes of anesthesia on fetal acid base status indicated due to acute fetal compromise in low risk pregnancies warrants further data.1,2 This trial compared the effects of spinal or general anaesthesia on fetal acid base status in low risk parturients requiring emergency CD indicated due to acute fetal compromise. Materials & Methods: 90 laboring parturients taken up for emergency CD (category 2) due to nonreassuring FHR were included. They were randomized to receive standard general anaesthesia or spinal anaesthesia with hyperbaric bupivavcaine (10mg with 20µg Fentanyl). Systolic BP was maintained between 90 to 110% of baseline using boluses of phenylephrine (50µg). The primary outcome variable was cord pH

Abstract Persons with low back pain (LBP) exhibit delayed trunk muscle onset and increased co-contractions as a response to quasi-static and dynamic sudden trunk loading in comparison to back-healthy controls. Although LBP is more prevalent in females, sex-specific responses have not been well documented. Therefore, the purpose was to explore sex-specific neuromuscular differences, to gait perturbation, in LBP patients. Twenty-nine LBP patients (12m/17f;31 ± 10yrs; 174 ± 12 cm; 71 ± 16 kg) walked on a split-belt treadmill at 1 m/s, while 15 right-sided random perturbations (treadmill-belt decelerating, 40 m/s2, 50 ms duration; 200 ms after heel contact) were applied. Muscle activity was assessed using a 12-lead surface EMG (6 back/6 abdominal ...

The highly productive eastern Bering Sea shelf has undergone a dramatic increase in the size of flatfish stocks during the last 20 years. This has been highlighted by the northern rock sole stock, which has increased well over 15 times from approximately 175×10 6 kg in 1975 to nearly 3×10 9 kg in 1994. Annual bottom trawl surveys and an age-structured population model have been used to track the increase. A new evaluation of the data has shown significant decreases in length-at-age (and resultant weight-at-age) as the population increased and expanded westward toward the shelf edge. The downward trend in length-at-age primarily affected year classes between 1979 and 1987. A small increase has occurred subsequently. Potential density-dependent relationships...

The computation of the electromechanical coupling coefficient (EMCC) of a fully assembled medical ultrasound transducer array is directly computed with closed form expressions. The Levenberg-Marquardt non-linear regression algorithm (LMA) is employed to help confirm the EMCC calculated prediction (kEFF) and provide statistical insights. The complex electrical impedance spectra of a 1-3 composite array with two matching layers operating at a 3.75 MHz center frequency using PIN-PMN-PT single crystal material is measured in air both before and after oven heating at 160 °C for 15 min. The oven heating produces changes in the EMCC of -4.9%, clamped dielectric constant of -11%, and effective transducer longitudinal velocity of -2.5%. Utilizing the pre- and post-h...

Abstract Human thyroid peroxidase (TPO), is an important enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and is a major autoantigen in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) such as the destructive Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Although the structure of TPO has yet to be determined, its extracellular domain consists of three regions that exhibit a high degree of sequence similarity to domains of known three-dimensional structure: the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-like domain, complement control protein (CCP)-like domain, and epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain. Homology models of TPO can therefore be constructed, providing some structural context to its known function, as well as facilitating the mapping of regions that are responsible for its autoantige...

Gemini surfactants possess a structure resembling a pair of conventional single chain surfactants covalently connected by a spacer. The spacer can vary in length and chemical structure. In this paper, the aggregation behavior of gemini surfactants is examined on the basis of a free energy model developed by extending our theory for conventional surfactants. Free energy contributions beyond those considered for conventional surfactants arise because of the spacer. They originate from the fact that (a) the spacer shields the hydrophobic core of the aggregate from contact with water, (b) the spacer constrains the distance between the head groups, thus imposing non-uniformity in charge distribution at the aggregate surface, (c) the spacer prevents the two linked...

To the Editor: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder characterized by fluctuating levels of immune response hyperactivity, high serum titers of nucleic antigen-specific autoantibodies, and persistent production of type-I interferon (IFN)1. One route to controlling SLE has been to exploit the properties of T cell lymphocyte costimulation inhibitor (CTLA-4), a selective costimulation inhibitor, which suppresses auto-antigen-specific T cell response intensity2. Although the full-length cell-surface receptor CTLA-4 is well characterized, other alternatively spliced isoforms exist, including a soluble form of the molecule (sCTLA-4)3. Initial analysis of sCTLA-4 in patients with SLE described raised serum levels compared with heal...

Two synthetic estrogens, STS 456 and STS 593, with noteworthy post-coital antifertility properties in the rat were studied for their estrogenic, antiestrogenic, progestagenic, antiprogestagenic, antigonadotrophic, androgenic and antiandrogenic effects in laboratory animals. Beside their weak estrogenic activity which corresponds to their slight affinity to the uterine estrogen receptor in the rat, both steroids show remarkable antiestrogenic effects. No progestagenic, androgenic and antiandrogenic effects were found but STS 593 showed some antiprogestagenic activity. The antigonadotrophic efficacy of STS 456 was relatively high while STS 593 was scarcely active. The results are discussed with respect to possible application of these drugs for interceptive pu...

ChemInformVolume 19, Issue 16 Reviews ChemInform Abstract: Planning Organic Syntheses. Part 4. Efficiency and Profitability C. TROMBINI, C. TROMBINI Dip. Chim. "G. Ciamician", Univ. Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, ItalySearch for more papers by this author C. TROMBINI, C. TROMBINI Dip. Chim. "G. Ciamician", Univ. Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: April 19, 1988 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.198816362Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms ...

ABSTRACT Experiential learning activities have been used for over 40 years with the hope that they increase students learning. However, a definitive study that showed their overall effectiveness has not been produced. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature. This meta‐analysis examined a 43‐year span and identified 13,626 journal articles, dissertations, thesis articles, and conference proceedings written about experiential learning and found only 89 of these studies contained empirical data with both a treatment and control group. Meta‐analysis of these studies show that students experienced superior learning outcomes when experiential pedagogies were employed. Further, learning outcomes were almost a half standard deviation...

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of the catecholamines dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline. One of the major mechanisms for controlling the activity of TH is protein phosphorylation. TH is phosphorylated at serine residues 8, 19, 31 and 40. There have been a number of previous reviews focused on TH phosphorylation in vitro and in situ. This review on TH phosphorylation in vivo has three main sections focusing on: (1) the methods used to investigate TH phosphorylation in vivo, including the animals used, the sacrifice procedures, the tissue preparation, the measurement of TH protein levels and TH phosphorylation and the measurement of TH activation. (2) The regulation of TH phosphorylation and its consequences in vivo,...

Increased hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity in diabetes is likely important in the development of some pathologies associated with the disorder. We hypothesized that central regulation of HPA activity differs among normal, streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic rats. Blood glucose, ACTH, and corticosterone were elevated, 8 d after inducing diabetes. Insulin treatment normalized these parameters. Plasma norepinephrine was similar in all groups, but epinephrine was lower in STZ-diabetic and higher in insulin-treated rats vs. normals. Increased ACTH with diabetes corresponded with increased hypothalamic CRH mRNA, but no change in pituitary POMC mRNA. With insulin-treatment, CRH mRNA remained elevated, and POMC mRNA was una...

Platelets can release a heterogeneous pool of vesicles which include plasma membrane-derived microparticles (PMPs) and multivesicular body-derived exosomes. As both vesicle types are generated upon activation and their distinction is complicated due to an overlap in their molecular properties and sizes, they are best discussed as an entity, the platelet-derived microvesicles (PMVs). PMPs can be formed through several induction pathways, which determine their different molecular profiles and facilitate tailor-made participation in intercellular communication. This dynamic variability may lie behind the multifaceted and sometimes very different observations of the PMPs in physiological and pathological settings. Currently, little is known of platelet-derived e...

Between January 1982 and June 1986, 60 consecutive patients with high-grade astrocytomas [39 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), 21 anaplastic astrocytoma (AA)] were treated with radiation therapy after biopsy (13 patients) or resection (47 patients). Fifty-three patients were treated with limited-volume irradiation, and seven patients received whole-brain irradiation. The mean tumor dose was 65.4 Gy. In 35 patients, chemotherapy was given as part of their initial treatment. The 1- and 2-year survivals for GBM patients were 40 and 14%, respectively. Survival figures for AA patients were 76 and 52% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. The progression-free rate at 1 year was 13% in GBM and 29% in AA patients. Thirty-four of 48 patients who received limited-volume irradi...

A sensitive and efficient solid-phase microextraction method, based on liquid chromatography and UV–Vis detection, was developed and validated as an alternative method for sample screening prior to LC-MS analysis. It enables the simultaneous determination of ten pesticides in mango fruits. The fiber used was polydimethylsiloxane while optimum SPME conditions employed have been developed and optimized in a previous work. The desorption process was performed in static mode, using acetonitrile as a solvent. The results indicate that the DI-SPME/HPLC/UV–Vis procedure resulted in good linear range, accuracy, precision and sensibility and is adequate for analyzing pesticide residues in mango fruits. The limits of detection (0.6–3.3 μg/kg) and quantification...

Two kinds of biochars, one derived from corn straw (CBC) and one from pig manure (PBC), were used as the carriers of a bacterium (B38) to adsorb heavy metals in solution. CBC exhibited high affinity to Hg(II), while PBC showed large adsorption capacity of Pb(II). After loading with B38, the sorption capacity of the co-sorbents were enhanced for Pb(II), but weakened for Hg(II). In a binary system, the overall adsorption capacity to Hg-Pb (CBC+B38, 136.7mg/g; PBC+B38, 181.3mg/g) on co-sorbents was equal to the sum of the single-component values for Hg(II) and Pb(II). Electrostatic interactions and precipitation are the major mechanisms in the adsorption of Hg(II). In contrast, cation-π interactions and precipitation were involved in the sorption process of Pb...

Nine nominal species are known from Antarctica and adjacent waters that have been assigned to the genus Perkinsiana(Polychaeta: Sabellidae). Taxonomic notes for these species are provided. Currently, only six species are considered valid:Perkinsiana antarctica (Kinberg), P. decorata (Rullier), P. borsibrunoi Giangrande and Gambi, P. magalhaensis(Kinberg), P. milae Giangrande and Gambi and P. pusilla (Johansson); P. antarctica (Gravier) is incertae sedis; P. littoralis(Hartman) is a suggested synonym of P. magalhaensis (Kinberg) and P. antarctica (Gravier), while Potamilla antarcticachristenseni Augener probably belongs to the genus Notaulax. Perkinsiana is amended based on the presence of a palmatemembrane and radiolar flanges, and three types of abdominal c...

Abstract In recent years, 2D layered materials, including graphene, topological insulators, transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, MXenes, graphitic carbon nitride, and metal‐organic frameworks, have attracted considerable interest due to their potential applications in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and energy. Their rise in the field of nonlinear photonics began around 2009 and has become an important research direction. Here, the synthesis techniques, nonlinear optical properties, integration strategies, and device applications of layered materials are reviewed. In terms of nonlinear optical properties, the focus is on saturable absorption and Kerr nonlinearity. On this basis, their applications in various pulsed lasers, includi...

Melanotic schwannoma (MS) is a very rare nerve sheath tumor characterized by melanin-producing cells that display ultrastructural features of Schwann cells [24]. This type of tumor was first described in 1932 [17] and occurs primarily in the paraspinal region, originating from the spinal nerve roots or sympathetic ganglia. Craniofacial or intracranial locations are rare [15] [21]. However, extraneural locations such as skin, soft tissues, bone and viscera have also been described [5] [7]. In a minority of cases, MS may have multiple nodules [6] [26]. Although MS have been considered to be slow-growing, benign tumors, prognosis can be poor as a result of local recurrence or malignant progression [9]. Melanotic schwannoma occurs in relatively young adults (mea...

Objectives To compare the clinical effects of VVI and DDD pacing in sinus bradycardia in patients after valve replacement. Methods All 29 patients with sinus bradycardia after valve replacement were divided into two groups by different pacing-mode. DDD group (n=17), VVI group (n=12). Mean follow-up was 28 months; Follow up the changes of left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening and the size of atrial ventricular. The occurrence of permanence atrial fibrillation, the hospitalisation for heart failure, the stroke and the death. Results All patients had no complications in Pacemaker implantation. There was none of stroke and death during the follow-up period. The incidence rate of permanence AF in DDD group was signif...

Entanglement is recognized as a key resource for quantum computation and quantum cryptography. For quantum metrology, the use of entangled states has been discussed and demonstrated as a means of improving the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, entangled states have been used in experiments for efficient quantum state detection and for the measurement of scattering lengths. In quantum information processing, manipulation of individual quantum bits allows for the tailored design of specific states that are insensitive to the detrimental influences of an environment. Such 'decoherence-free subspaces' (ref. 10) protect quantum information and yield significantly enhanced coherence times. Here we use a decoherence-free subspace with specifically designed entang...

Within this study the improvement of life quality in patients after surgery for breast reduction should be evaluated.In total 70 patients, who had undergone an operation for breast reduction in the University Women's Hospital of Heidelberg from May 1998-June 2000, were chosen for this study. They were invited to an interview with three different standardized questionnaires concerning life quality. In total the questionnaires of 37 patients could be evaluated. They were about 12 months after operation.It could be shown, that all patients had a significant improvement of their functional symptoms, the main part of them were totally free of symptoms after the operation. Most patients felt more female than before. They regarded themselves as more active, product...

Various psychological theories exist in the literature to explain the behavior of men who commit child sex offences, including the belief that child sexual abuse (CSA) is a predisposing factor for the transition from victim to offender. These theories are, however, unable to explain the fact that while most victims of CSA are female, most perpetrators of CSA are male. The sex specificity of CSA in terms of victims and offenders suggests that the experience of CSA and its psychosocial effects may be different for boys, compared to girls. We hypothesize that CSA experiences may involve risk factors that affect the development of sexually abusive behavior for boys, rather than girls. Our aim was to determine whether the literature provides evidence of a cycle o...

Plant adaptation to hypoxic conditions is mediated by the transcriptional activation of genes involved in the metabolic reprogramming of plant cells to cope with reduced oxygen availability. Recent studies indicated that members of the group VII of the Ethylene Responsive Transcription Factor (ERFs) family act as positive regulators of this molecular response. In the current study, the five ERF-VII transcription factors of Arabidopsis thaliana were compared to infer a hierarchy in their role with respect to the anaerobic response. When the activity of each transcription factor was tested on a set of hypoxia-responsive promoters, RAP2.2, RAP2.3 and RAP2.12 appeared to be the most powerful activators. RAP2.12 was further dissected in transactivation assays in ...

Abstract Rhizophora apiculata leaf extracts were tested on the isolated growth of S. agalactiae and E. coli and extraction of the bioactive compounds were performed using Soxhlet extraction technique with methanol (MtOH) as the organic solvent. The presence of various phytochemicals in bioactive constituents of the plant was detected using standard chemical procedures. The Kirby-Bauer test was used for the antibacterial assay, and an in vitro assay was conducted for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bacterial concentration (MBC). Brine shrimp lethality assay evaluated the toxicity of R. apiculata . Antibiotic susceptibility test showed high rates of E. coli resistance to neomycin and sensitivity to tetracycline and amoxycilin, while S. agala...

The twentieth century saw a revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and India. Though in both countries it was an instrument of choice it played different roles. The Buddhist revival in Sri Lanka led by Anagarika Dhammapala (1864-1993) though a "spin-off" from the Theosophical movement, became a basis for the Simhala renaissance involving a restatement of the faith and reaffirmation of its cultural values. In India Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) turned to Buddhism in his search for an alternate cultural identity for millions of untouchables (particularly the Mahar community) in his rebellion against the Hindu caste system and its ancialliary social by-product, untouchability. In both cases what was once perceived as an ascetical and renunciatory paradigm was turned ...

The basic properties of an air breathing ion engine, which uses upper atmospheric gases as a propellant, were experimentally investigated. The environment in a sub-low Earth orbit (altitude of 140–200 km) was simulated by a laser detonation beam source, which has been previously used in studies on atomic oxygen-induced material degradation. The basic properties of the air breathing ion engine were studied using a hyperthermal beam. It is suggested that the hyperthermal molecules thermalized by scattering at the reflector surface in the air breathing ion engine. The efficiency of the collimator was experimentally investigated and the collimator was found to maintain the pressure inside the air breathing ion engine. An ion beam current of 16 mA at an acceler...

Some individuals with aphasia preferably use semantically general light verbs, whereas others prefer semantically specific heavy verbs. This study aimed to test Gordon and Dell's "division of labor" hypothesis that light versus heavy verb usage depends on syntactic and semantic processes, respectively. In a retrospective analysis of data from the AphasiaBank corpus, narrative language of neurologically healthy individuals and individuals with aphasia was analyzed for the proportion of light verbs used, and its relationship with narrative measures of syntactic and semantic sophistication and verb naming scores was examined. In individuals with aphasia, light verb usage was positively correlated with a syntactic measure (developmental sentence score) and negat...

Extended Hueckel molecular orbital (EHMO) calculations on 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and other unsubstituted polypyridine-type molecules have been performed to study the effect of the ligand structure on the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of Ru(II)-polypyridine complexes. The obtained LUMO energies have been found to correlate with the first reduction potential of LL' and with the first reduction potentials of Ru(LL')/sub 3//sup 2 +/ or Ru(LL)/sub 2/(LL')/sup 2 +/ complexes, where LL' is a ligand easier to reduce than LL. Correlations between optical and electrochemical data of the same complexes have also been examined. Complexes containing LL' = taphen, DP or i-biq (taphen = dipyrido(3,2-c:2',3'-e)pyridazine, DP = dipy...

Diffraction gratings disperse light in a rainbow of colors with the opposite order than refractive prisms, a phenomenon known as negative dispersion. While refractive dispersion can be controlled via material refractive index, diffractive dispersion is fundamentally an interference effect dictated by geometry. Here we show that this fundamental property can be altered using dielectric metasurfaces, and we experimentally demonstrate diffractive gratings and focusing mirrors with positive, zero, and hyper negative dispersion. These optical elements are implemented using a reflective metasurface composed of dielectric nano-posts that provide simultaneous control over phase and its wavelength derivative. In addition, as a first practical application, we demonstr...

To the Editor:— The present cycle of "radiation hysteria" is doing more damage than any of the others. The laity are asking "Will this x-ray of my chest do me or my offspring any harm?" Articles appearing in nonprofessional periodicals have the public and some professional men wondering if the routine x-ray examination is safe. After 42 years' experience, I feel that I can answer that question up to the present. What might happen a hundred years from now, no one knows. The human race has received small amounts of x-ray since time began. Beginning 42 years ago, I was called on many times to x-ray possible cases of pregnancy in young suspects. Many positive diagnoses were made and I am now x-raying the grandchildren of those babies and have yet to s...

Cancer is caused in part by the disruption in cell homeostasis, affecting the ability to respond to extracellular signals, triggering some intracellular events that affect gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Cancer cells have reduced or altered GJIC capacity. One feasible approach to reduce growth of cancer cells is to enhance/alter the GJIC. The capability of cells to communicate through the gap junction is negatively related to their growth activity. A computational docking study showed that a new class of substituted quinolines designated as PQs had a relatively high binding to gap junction protein, connexin 43. Thus, PQs were used in this study to assess their effect on human breast cancer cells. Scrape load/dye transfer and colony growth ...

To assess the efficacy of calcofluor white (CFW) is compared to Gram stain and periodic acid-Schiff in detection of Candida in oral precancer and cancer.The study group consisted of patients with precancer (n = 45), cancer (n = 45) and control group (n = 45). Presence of Candida was confirmed by culture inoculation along with a germ tube and carbohydrate fermentation test. The cytopathologic smears were analyzed by Papanicolaou-CFW and Gram staining, whereas, tissue sections were stained by periodic acid-Schiff and CFW staining.Candida albicans was the predominant species identified. A highly significant association of Candida was seen more often in cancer than in precancer. Both in cytology and histopathology Candida detection by CFW was higher. In precance...

Die intestinale Invagination beim Erwachsenen tritt sowohl idiopathisch als auch im Zusammenhang mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen, der Sprue, Tumoren und nach abdominellen Operationen auf. Eine aufgrund eines Crigler-Najar-Syndroms lebertransplantierte 22-jährige Patientin beklagte seit Monaten rezidivierende Episoden abdomineller Schmerzen. Computertomografisch und sonografisch gelang der Nachweis spontaner, im Verlauf selbstlimitierender intestinaler Invaginationen. Eine Laparoskopie erbrachte keine Ursache für die Invaginationen. Bei einem erneuten Rezidiv der bekannten Symptomatik zeigte sich in einer Koloskopie das Bild einer leichtgradigen Kolitis. Aus den entnommenen Kolonbiopsien gelang mittels qualitativer PCR der Nachweis des Zytomeg...

To survive, cells have to avoid excessive alterations of their volume. To this end, cells have developed a complex machinery of cell volume regulatory mechanisms comprising transport across the cell membrane and metabolism. Upon cell swelling, they loose electrolytes mainly via selective K+ channels and unselective ion channels and/or KCl symport, upon cell shrinkage they accumulate ions by Na+,K+,2Cl- cotransport and parallel operation of Na+/H+ exchange and Cl-/HCO3- exchange. In addition, cell shrinkage stimulates glycogenolysis, proteolysis and formation of organic osmolytes such as amino acids, methylamines and polyols. Cell swelling stimulates formation of glycogen and proteins and cellular release of organic osmolytes. Alterations of cell volume do pl...

G1 Cyclin/Cdk complexes phosphorylate and inactivate the pRb tumor suppressor by preventing its ability to bind and repress E2F transcription factors. Current molecular and biochemical evidence suggests that type 1 protein phosphatases (PP1) dephosphorylate and thereby activate pRb, but the functional significance of this has not been addressed in the context of animal development. Here, we use genetic analyses to determine the role of PP1 in the regulation of Rbf1 activity during Drosophila development. While Rbf1 is required for E2f1 inhibition and G1 arrest in the embryonic epidermis and for the periodic expression of E2f1 target genes during endocycle S phase in the embryonic midgut and larval salivary gland, PP1 is not. PP1 regulates periodic cyclin E p...

To characterize Shigella clinical strains, we studied 82 Shigella strains recovered from 719 stool samples of patients with bloody diarrhea in Shiraz, Iran, over the period from April to October 2003. Serological assay classified the Shigella isolates as follows: 61 (74.39%) Shigella sonnei isolates, 16 (19.51%) Shigella flexneri isolates, 3 (3.65%) Shigella boydii isolates, and 2 (2.43%) Shigella dysenteriae isolates. In an antibiogram test, all Shigella strains were susceptible to ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone. They showed high degrees of sensitivity to nalidixic acid, gentamicin, cephalothin, and amikacin. Approximately 90.24% of the Shigella isolates were resistant to co-trimoxazole. The plasmid profile patterns of all strains were determin...

It has been proposed that patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) can be broadly classified based on clinical features that represent either predominantly a mechanical pain (MP) or non-mechanical pain (NMP) profile. The aim of this study was to establish if patients with CNSLBP who report features of NMP demonstrate differences in pain thresholds compared to those who report MP characteristics and pain-free controls. This study was a cross-sectional design investigating whether pressure pain threshold (PPT) and/or cold pain threshold (CPT) at three anatomical locations differed between patients with mechanical CNSLBP (n = 17) versus non-mechanical CNSLBP (n = 19 and healthy controls (n = 19) whilst controlling for confounders. The results o...

Cr-Si-N thin films were successfully fabricated by a hybrid deposition system containing a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and a radio frequency (RF) magnetron in an Ar and N2 mixture. It can be found that the deposition rate of Cr-Si-N films increased with increasing power of RF and duty cycle of HiPIMS. Varying both HiPIMS duty cycle and RF power lead to a variation in Si content in the resulting Cr-Si-N films, indicating that the Si content in thin films is a crucial parameter. The Cr-Si-N film grown at a duty cycle of 2.5%, a repetition frequency of 1000 Hz, a HiPIMS average power of 500 W, and RF power of 450 W exhibits the highest Si content of 14.2 at.%, hardness of 31.5 GPa, elastic modulus of 292 GPa, the highest resistance to failu...

Traditional cultural practices can play an important role in development, but can also inspire condemnation. The custom of bride price, prevalent throughout sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia as a payment by the groom to the family of the bride, is one example. In this paper, we show a perhaps surprising economic consequence of this practice. We revisit one of the best-studied historical development projects, the INPRES school construction program in Indonesia, and show that previously found small effects on female enrollment mask heterogeneity by bride price tradition. Ethnic groups that traditionally engage in bride price payments at marriage increased female enrollment in response to the program. Within these ethnic groups, higher female education at ma...

The highly productive eastern Bering Sea shelf has undergone a dramatic increase in the size of flatfish stocks during the last 20 years. This has been highlighted by the northern rock sole stock, which has increased well over 15 times from approximately 175×10 6 kg in 1975 to nearly 3×10 9 kg in 1994. Annual bottom trawl surveys and an age-structured population model have been used to track the increase. A new evaluation of the data has shown significant decreases in length-at-age (and resultant weight-at-age) as the population increased and expanded westward toward the shelf edge. The downward trend in length-at-age primarily affected year classes between 1979 and 1987. A small increase has occurred subsequently. Potential density-dependent relationships...

PTSD is characterized by both affective and cognitive dysfunction. Affectively, PTSD is associated with both heightened emotional reactivity and disengagement. Cognitively, perseverative thinking is a core feature of the disorder. In order to assess the interactive effects of affective and cognitive correlates of PTSD symptoms, 47 OEF/OIF/OND veterans completed an emotional faces matching task while EEG (i.e., late positive potential; LPP) was recorded, and separately completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to assess perseverative errors. There was no relationship between PTSD symptoms and either perseverative errors or EEG reactivity to faces. However, an interaction was found such that high perseverative errors on the WCST and a relatively enhance...

Barrett esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), predisposes patients to esophageal adenocarcinoma, a tumor that has increased in incidence more than 7-fold over the past several decades. Controversy exists regarding the issues of endoscopic screening and surveillance for Barrett esophagus, treatment for the underlying GERD, and the role of endoscopic eradication therapy.To review current concepts on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Barrett esophagus; to discuss the importance of dysplasia and the role of endoscopic eradication therapy for its treatment; and to review current management guidelines.MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library were searched from 1984 to April 2013. Additional citations were obtained by reviewing re...

Over the past 150 years, a certain mythology has arisen around the mechanistic pathways of the oxygenation of organometallics with non-redox-active metal centers as well as the character of products formed. Notably, there is a widespread perception that the formation of commonly encountered metal alkoxide species results from the auto-oxidation reaction, in which a parent metal alkyl compound is oxidized by the metal alkylperoxide via oxygen transfer reaction. Now, harnessing a well-defined zinc ethylperoxide incorporating a β-diketiminate ligand, the investigated alkylperoxide compounds do not react with the parent metal alkyl complex as well as Et2 Zn to form a zinc alkoxide. Upon treatment of the zinc ethylperoxide with Et2 Zn, a previously unobserved li...

Introduction: Thymosin β4, a low molecular weight, naturally-occurring peptide plays a vital role in the repair and regeneration of injured cells and tissues. After injury, thymosin β4, is released by platelets, macrophages and many other cell types to protect cells and tissues from further damage and reduce apoptosis, inflammation and microbial growth. Thymosin β4 binds to actin and promotes cell migration, including the mobilization, migration, and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells, which form new blood vessels and regenerate the tissue. Thymosin β4 also decreases the number of myofibroblasts in wounds, resulting in decreased scar formation and fibrosis Areas covered: This article will cover the many thymosin β4 activities that directly affect ...

We demonstrate a rewritable, non-volatile memory device with flexible plastic active layers deposited from solution. The memory device is a ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) made with a ferroelectric fluoropolymer and a bisalkoxy-substituted poly(p-phenylene vinylene) semiconductor material. The on- and off-state drain currents differ by several orders of magnitude, and have a long retention time, a high programming cycle endurance and short programming time. The remanent semiconductor surface charge density in the on-state has a high value of 18 mC m−2, which explains the large on/off ratio. Application of a moderate gate field raises the surface charge to 26 mC m−2, which is of a magnitude that is very difficult to obtain with conventional ...

Introduction: Hyponatraemia (serum sodium < 135mMol/L) is the commonest electrolyte imbalance encountered in clinical practice. It is associated with multiple poor clinical outcomes including increased mortality, longer hospital stay, falls and fractures. Prevalence is higher in frail patient groups, and elderly patients with fragility fractures (EPFF) are particularly susceptible. Euvolaemic hyponatraemia due to the syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH) is widely assumed to be the commonest cause. However, little is known about the epidemiology and aetiology of hyponatraemia in EPFF. This study examined the prevalence, incidence and aetiology of hyponatraemia in EPFF. Methods: Prospective observational study of consenting adults aged >65 y...

A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single, 0.5-mg dose of prostaglandin E2 gel in a shelf-stable triacetin base administered intracervically in patients with an unfavorable cervix (Bishop score less than or equal to 4) 12 hours prior to oxytocin-induction of labor. forty-eight evaluable patients were enrolled, 25 in the PGE2 group and 23 in the control group. PGE2 gel treatment resulted in a significant improvement in the mean Bishop score compared to control (3.14 versus 0.70, P less than .00005). Sixty-four percent of the patients treated with PGE2 had regular uterine contractions during the 12-hour preinduction period beginning 2.18 +/- 2.0 hours after gel insertion, compared to 9% i...

Computed tomography is vulnerable to a wide variety of artifacts, including patient- and technique-specific artifacts, some of which are unique to imaging of the heart. Motion is the most common source of artifacts and can be caused by patient, cardiac, or respiratory motion. Cardiac motion artifacts can be reduced by decreasing the heart rate and variability and the duration of data acquisition; adjusting the placement of the data window within a cardiac cycle; performing single-heartbeat scanning; and using multisegment reconstruction, motion-correction algorithms, and electrocardiographic editing. Respiratory motion artifacts can be minimized with proper breath holding and shortened scan duration. Partial volume averaging is caused by the averaging of att...

Recent advances in virology related to acute infections of the respiratory tract are described in this excellent monograph. The remaining chapters consider differential diagnosis of the variety of specific respiratory infections and these greatly enhance the worth of this volume to the practicing physician. The format is well conceived, and illustrations are clear and informative. There is a certain amount of repetition in the text, but this is not obvious when it is used as a reference work. The chapters on basic concepts, myxovirus infections and adenovirus and enterovirus diseases are particularly good. The chapter summaries are useful and well done. The references are pertinent and many are current. This book can be recommended without hesitation; it sho...

The next-generation sutures should provide in situ monitoring of wound condition such as temperature while reducing surgical site infection during wound closure. In this study, functionalized nanodiamond (FND) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) are incorporated to develop a new multifunctional suture with such capabilities. Incorporation of FND and rGO into PCL enhances its tensile strength by about 43% and toughness by 35%. The sutures show temperature sensing capability in the range of 25–40 °C based on the shift in zero-splitting frequency of the nitrogen-vacancy (NV–) centers in FND via optically detected magnetic resonance, paving the way for potential detection of infection or excessive inflammation in heali...