ALBERT

Description: Background This study examined the effectiveness of using Physical Activity Consultation (PAC) as an addition to the standard smoking cessation treatment in Malaysia. We explored participants’ experiences in terms of physical activity and smoking abstinence with the combined PAC and smoking cessation intervention. Methods Walk-in smokers from a local smoking cessation clinic volunteered for the 8-week intervention program, while undergoing standard smoking cessation treatment. In Week 1, a facilitator conducted a face-to-face intervention to explore participants’ involvement in physical activity and helped to set physical activity strategies and goals for participants to increase physical activity levels. Participants were provided with follow-up phone calls at Weeks 3 and 6. Participants answered questionnaires that measured smoking withdrawal (Shiffman–Jarvik Withdrawal Scale), cessation self-efficacy (Cessation Self-efficacy Questionnaire), physical activity involvement (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and mood (Brunel Mood Scale) upon recruitment, at post-intervention and at follow-up 3 months after the intervention ended. Participants also responded to interviews about their experiences with the PAC and smoking cessation treatment at post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up. Results Seven participants completed the program until follow-up. All were successfully abstinent. Only two participants increased physical activity levels, whereas others maintained their physical activity levels or showed slight decreases. Several themes were identified in this study, including participants’ experiences with withdrawal symptoms, smoking cessation self-efficacy, triggers to smoking cessation, thoughts on standard smoking cessation treatment in Malaysia, physical activity involvement, mood, and thoughts and beliefs on combining smoking cessation and physical activity. Conclusions This study suggests PAC was helpful in maintaining or increasing the overall physical activity levels of participants and could assist with smoking abstinence. Findings showed that all participants who stayed in the program were successfully abstinent. In general, the findings in this study provided promising results for further research on PAC as an adjunct to smoking cessation treatments in Malaysia. Trial registration This intervention is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Trial registration number: ACTRN12616000269437).

Description: Background Ultrasound-guided cannulation of deep mid-arm veins by a modified Seldinger (US-Seldinger) technique has been demonstrated to yield better puncture success rates and lower postoperative complication rates than direct cannulation of superficial veins near the elbow with a short peripheral cannula and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion through the cannula (non-US conventional method). Economic factors have been evaluated across different operators (i.e. nurses, radiologists, and general practitioners) and different venous catheter types (i.e. PICCs vs. central venous catheters). However, to our knowledge, data describing the economic evaluation on the aforementioned modified Seldinger technique are lacking. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of US-Seldinger technique (experimental group) compared with that of the non-US conventional method based on direct vein visualization (control group). Results A cohort of 360 subjects were assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups. Cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) analyses indicated that the effectiveness index (EI) for the experimental group was 89.29% (final CER = 3732.75), whereas that for the control group was 59.18% (final CER = 2492.98). Conclusion The US-Seldinger technique was found to be more cost-effective than the non-US conventional method. These findings support the use of the former in place of the traditional latter technique as a routine puncture technique and suggest that the update would improve intravenous therapy treatment for patients needing PICCs. This study should serve as a reference for national healthcare policy. Trial registration ChiCTR-TRC-14004993

Description: Background: The cerebellum plays a vital role in equilibrium, motor control, and motor learning. The discrete neural and glial fates of cerebellar cells are determined by the molecular specifications (e.g. transcription factors) of neuroprogenitor cells that are influenced by local microenvironment signals. In this study, we evaluated the expression and function of Sox3, a single-exon gene located on the X chromosome, in the developing cerebellum.ResultIn the embryonic and early postnatal cerebellum, SOX3-positive-cells were detected in the ventricular zone, indicating that SOX3 expression is present in a subset of the cerebellar precursor cell population. In the young adult cerebellum, this expression was diminished in cerebellar cells, suggesting its limited role in cerebellar progenitors. SOX3-positive-cells were also found in the cerebellar mantle zone. Further immunohistochemistry analyses revealed that SOX3 was not expressed in Purkinje neurons. Using glial markers in the early postnatal cerebellum, we found that virtually all of the SOX3-positive-cells were glial cells, although not all glial cells were SOX3-positive-cells. We also determined the impact of transgenic expression using a loss-of-function (Sox3 null) model. We did not observe any developmental defects in the cerebellum of the Sox3 null mice. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the SOX3 protein is not expressed in cerebellar neurons and is instead expressed exclusively in the cerebellar glial system in a subset of mature glial cells. Although the expression of Sox3 cerebellar glial development is lineage-restricted, it appears that the absence of Sox3 in the ventricular germinal epithelium and migrating glia does not affect cerebellar development, suggesting functional redundancy with other SoxB1 subgroup genes.

Description: PurposePhysical activity (PA) has a myriad of benefits for breast cancer survivors, including a reduced risk of cancer recurrence. Latinas are less physically active than are women in the general population and little is known about Latina breast cancer survivors’ levels of PA or their beliefs related to PA. We conducted a survey of 50 Puerto Rican (PR), 50 Mexican-American (MA) and 50 non-Hispanic white (NHW) breast cancer survivors to investigate similarities and differences in PA and social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs associated with PA. Methods: We collected information on current PA using the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ); comorbidities; anthropometric measures of body mass index [BMI (kg/m 2 )] and waist-to-hip (W:H) ratio; and SCT measures, including exercise self-efficacy, exercise barriers self-efficacy, modeling and social support from friends and family. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance of differences between groups and regression models of the predictors of PA were performed. Results: Survivors from the three groups were similar in age (M = 56.8, SD = 11.0), BMI (M = 29.0, SD = 5.7) and co-morbidity (M = 2.09, SD = 1.69). Survivors differed in PA (p 

Description: IntroductionWe provide this brief case report on Hamman’s sign, as a reminder that both pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax can cause sounds that may disclose the abnormal presence of air in these respective locations. Background: Attributed originally to the observations and report of Louis Hamman in 1937, abnormal sounds may emanate from air in the otherwise quiet mediastinum or pleural space.Case presentationOur patient, a 36 year old white male, reported the occurrence of an abnormal “rhythmic clicking” sound emanating from his upper body when lying on his left side, 3 weeks following nasal septal surgery. The patient’s clear report of particularly loud sounds, beginning post-operatively, was corroborated by the patient’s wife. A CT scan of the chest which confirmed the presence of air in the left pleural space. Conclusions: The presence of a sound, loud enough to be heard at a distance from the patient (corroborated by another individual) is unusual. The value of patient history is underscored by the finding of a pneumothorax, suggesting Hamman’s sign.

Description: Research on symmetry detection focuses on identifying and detecting new types of symmetry. The paper presents an algorithm that is capable of detecting any type of permutation-based symmetry, including many types for which there are no existing algorithms. General symmetry detection is library-based, but symmetries that can be parameterized, (i.e. total, partial, rotational, and dihedral symmetry), can be detected without using libraries. In many cases it is faster than existing techniques. Furthermore, it is simpler than most existing techniques, and can easily be incorporated into existing software. The algorithm can also be used with virtually any type of matrix-based symmetry, including conjugate symmetry.

Description: Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has gained pandemic proportions becoming a global threat within the last few decades. In parallel to the increasing prevalence, healthcare costs have become a huge economic burden for the hospital and governments. Bariatric surgery has been proven to induce glycemic control in obese type 2 diabetics. However, the cost effectiveness of metabolic surgery in overweight, obese and morbidly obese individuals has not been documented. We aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and reduced diabetic-medication cost after diverted sleeve gastrectomy with ileal interposition (DSIT) in type 2 diabetic individuals followed more than 1 year. Methods: Records of 116 type 2 diabetic patients operated by DSIT at a dedicated metabolic surgery clinic between October 2011 and April 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. A comparison was made between the annual diabetic medication cost before and after surgery using the paired t test. The alterations in BMI and HbA1c were recorded and analyzed. Results: Diverted sleeve gastrectomy with ileal interposition led to a marked reduction in BMI and improved glycemic control after 1 year follow-up. Mean HbA1c levels decreased from a mean of 8.9 ± 1.7 to 6.6 ± 1.1 1 year after surgery (p 

Description: We report on an infant who underwent gross total resection (GTR) of a posterior fossa ependymoblastoma in the second month of life followed by chemotherapy with uneventful long-term survival for 12 years. Postoperative radiotherapy has been considered obligate to have a chance for prolonged survival, but is inadvisable in infants. To our knowledge, this is the first reported long-term survival in an infant treated for ependymoblastoma.

Description: IntroductionClostridium innocuum is an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium, unable to produce toxins and rarely causes infections. We report the first case of C. innocuum osteomyelitis and bacteremia in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Findings were compared with previously reported cases of C. innocuum infections in immunocompromised patients, e.g., patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, leukemia, and organ transplantation.Case descriptionA 32-year-old Japanese male was admitted for persistent low-grade fever and purpura lasting for 1 month. Complete blood counts and cytogenetic analysis identified Ph1-positive ALL, which was successfully treated using chemotherapy. However, the patient developed high fever and lumbar pain during complete remission. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and computed tomography demonstrated osteomyelitis. C. innocuum was identified as the causative agent and the patient was successfully treated using antibiotic therapy.Discussion and evaluationWe performed a literature review revealing a number of common aspects to the clinical presentation of C. innocuum infection and an association with various comorbidities. Further, we highlight the most efficient diagnostic and treatment strategies for C. innocuum osteomyelitis. Conclusions: Clostridium innocuum can be a causative pathogen of osteomyelitis and bacteremia in immunocompromised patients.

Description: Let E be a 2-uniformly convex real Banach space with uniformly Gâteaux differentiable norm, and E ∗ its dual space. Let A : E → E ∗ be a bounded strongly monotone mapping such that A - 1 ( 0 ) ≠ ∅ . For given x 1 ∈ E , let { x n } be generated by the algorithm:x n + 1 = J - 1 ( J x n - α n A x n ) , n ≥ 1 ,where J is the normalized duality mapping from E into E ∗ and { α n } is a real sequence in (0, 1) satisfying suitable conditions. Then it is proved that { x n } converges strongly to the unique point x ∗ ∈ A - 1 ( 0 ) . Finally, our theorems are applied to the convex minimization problem.

Description: Background: The search for new antimicrobial compounds able to overcome the global issue of microbial resistance to antibiotics is a priority worldwide. Moreover, several commensal microorganisms have been increasingly associated to opportunistic microbial infections. Having previously disclosed the green synthesis and preliminary characterization of the oligomers [linear oligo(ethylenimine) hydrochloride and oligo(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) quaternized with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine] we herein report on the screening of these oligomers against a battery of 69 clinical isolates of Aerococcus spp., Candida spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp.FindingsThe isolates’ susceptibility to both oligomers was evaluated by determining their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the biocidal effectiveness of each compound was further confirmed through spectrophotometric measurements and fluorescence microscopy. The MIC values of the 69 isolates were highly variable, yet favourably comparable with those of other antimicrobial polymers. The viability assays resulted in 100% of microbial killing rate after only 5 min, highlighting the promising antimicrobial action of these oligomers. Conclusions: Though further studies are required, evidence suggests that a strong effort should be done in order to confirm these compounds as valid alternatives for several clinical applications. This is reinforced by their well described biocompatibility with human tissues and by their proposed mechanism of action which difficult the development of microbial resistance to these compounds.

Description: Background: The microseminoprotein gene encoding prostate secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94) harbours a potential risk allele (rs10993994) for prostate cancer (PCa) in its promoter region. However, studies on rs10993994 have been sparse in Asian Indians. Methods: The present study recruited a sample population of 44 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients, 33 PCa patients and 60 healthy participants, of which, participants without other confounding risk factors for PCa were retained. The serum PSP94 (sPSP94) levels were measured by a serum-based ELISA in an earlier study. A novel RFLP technique was developed to screen for rs10993994 which was validated with direct sequencing. Results: Sequencing showed additional 4 SNPs (rs41274660, rs141211965, rs12770171, rs10669586) and 2 novel variants (GenBank accession nos. KM265191 and KM265192). In silico DNA topographical studies predicted that KM265192 would have higher cleavage intensity and more accessibility for binding of transcription factors. Even though, similar frequencies were observed for all the variants in all the three study groups, the risk allele ‘T’ (rs10993994) was seen to be associated with reduced PSP94 expression both at mRNA and protein level. Further, mRNA expression as studied by real-time PCR correlated positively with sPSP94 levels. Interestingly, CC genotype of rs10993994 showed highest sPSP94 levels in all the three study groups and was associated with Gleason score ≤7 in PCa patients. In contrast, TT genotype of rs10993994 was associated with lesser sPSP94 levels and with aggressiveness of PCa. Conclusion: rs10993994 was found to be a functional SNP in the studied Asian Indian population.

Description: Halomonas smyrnensis AAD6T is a gram negative, aerobic, and moderately halophilic bacterium, and is known to produce high levels of levan with many potential uses in foods, feeds, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and chemical industries due to its outstanding properties. Here, the whole-genome analysis was performed to gain more insight about the biological mechanisms, and the whole-genome organization of the bacterium. Industrially crucial genes, including the levansucrase, were detected and the genome-scale metabolic model of H. smyrnensis AAD6T was reconstructed. The bacterium was found to have many potential applications in biotechnology not only being a levan producer, but also because of its capacity to produce Pel exopolysaccharide, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and osmoprotectants. The genomic information presented here will not only provide additional information to enhance our understanding of the genetic and metabolic network of halophilic bacteria, but also accelerate the research on systematical design of engineering strategies for biotechnology applications.

Description: Diatoms are unicellular algae responsible for approximately 20% of global carbon fixation. Their evolution by secondary endocytobiosis resulted in a complex cellular structure and metabolism compared to algae with primary plastids. The sulfate assimilation and methionine synthesis pathways provide S-containing amino acids for the synthesis of proteins and a range of metabolites such as dimethylsulfoniopropionate. To obtain an insight into the localization and organization of the sulfur metabolism pathways we surveyed the genome of Thalassiosira pseudonana—a model organism for diatom research. We have identified and annotated genes for enzymes involved in respective pathways. Protein localization was predicted using similarities to known signal peptide motifs. We performed detailed phylogenetic analyses of enzymes involved in sulfate uptake/reduction and methionine metabolism. Moreover, we have found in up-stream sequences of studied diatoms methionine biosynthesis genes a conserved motif, which shows similarity to the Met31, a cis-motif regulating expression of methionine biosynthesis genes in yeast.

Description: Metals, such as nickel, cobalt, chromium and zinc, are ubiquitous in the environment. Systemic reactions, including hand dermatitis and generalized eczematous reactions, can be caused by the dietary ingestion of metals. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the cytokine production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from zinc allergy patients can be used as a sensitive marker to investigate zinc-allergic contact dermatitis. The diagnosis of sensitivity to metal was made based on the results of a metal patch test. The PBMCs were stimulated with various concentrations (5–100 μM) of zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) for 24 h. The culture supernatants were collected and analyzed using ELISA for measurement of the cytokine production. The levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-5, IL-13 and MIF were significantly higher in the zinc-allergic patients (n = 5) than in the healthy controls (n = 5) at 100 μM of ZnSO 4 stimulation. Although, patch testing is considered as standard test to diagnose metal allergy but false-positive and -negative reactions may limit its use in conditions of existing dermatitis. Therefore, this study suggest that in support of patch testing the determination of cytokine production using PBMCs cultures would be helpful for making an early diagnosis of such conditions.

Description: This paper presents a dark region detection and enhancement method with low computational complexity for low-cost imaging devices. Conventional contrast enhancement methods generally have an oversaturation problem while brightness of the dark region increases. To solve this problem, the proposed method first divides an input image into dark object and bright background regions using adaptively partitioned blocks. Next, the contrast stretching is performed only in the dark region. The major advantage of the proposed method is the minimized block artifacts using optimally partitioned blocks using fuzzy logic and a refining step to accurately detect boundaries between two regions. Experimental results show that the proposed method can efficiently enhance the contrast of backlit images without the oversaturation problem. Because of low computational complexity, the proposed method can be applied to enhance very low light-level video sequences for video surveillance systems.

Description: IntroductionThe gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mesenchymal tumors, most commonly affecting the stomach and small bowel. Only few cases of port-site recurrence after laparoscopic treatment have been reported. We herein report the case of a parietal recurrence on the extraction incision site, 7 years after laparoscopic surgery for small bowel GIST.Case reportA 47 years-old female patient was hospitalized in November 2007 for isolated pelvic pain. CT scan showed an intestinal tumor with a benign aspect measuring 50 mm. A laparoscopy-assisted resection was performed. Surgical exploration found a 7 cm small bowel tumor. It was extracted through a supra-pubic transversal incision without a wound protector and then resected. Histologic analysis revealed an intestinal GIST with high aggressive potential (five mitosis per field), with CD117 positive at the immunohistochemical examination. The patient had no adjuvant chemotherapy. Seven years later, the patient was readmitted for an abdominal mass at the site of the supra-pubic scar. Abdomino-pelvic CT scan showed a 10 × 7.5 cm solid mass of the abdominal wall. Percutaneous biopsies were done and the pathological analysis revealed a mesenchymal-cell tumor, positive to CD117 and DOG1 at the immunohistochemical examination. Final diagnosis was abdominal wall recurrence of GIST secondary to tumor-contamination during the first surgery. Conclusion: Abdominal wall recurrence of GIST after laparoscopic surgery is rarely reported. This complication should be avoided with preventive measures such as the use of extraction bags or wound protectors.

Description: Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)) can be a pest in organic onion production on Prince Edward Island. This study was to examine the effect of planting time and variety on infestation levels and damage by onion thrips on cabbage (Brassicae oleracea capitala (L.)). A field site was planted with 2 main and 8 lesser varieties of cabbage over 4 planting dates. Some varieties were short season and harvested on July 31 with longer season varieties harvested on September 2. Blue sticky traps were used to capture thrips migrating into the field site from July 22–September 2. Traps were counted weekly and cabbage heads within the field site were visually surveyed for thrips. At harvest, heads were weighed and measured, thrips damage was assessed then the head was dissected and thrips counted on the first four layers of the head. Thrips exhibited a preference for Lennox over Bronco throughout the season although thrips populations were not high enough to effect economic damage in 2014. Planting date influenced cabbage head weight and size with later plantings yielding the largest heads. Use of planting date and variety to avoid thrips populations is discussed.

Description: Desmopressin (dDAVP) is a well-known peptide analog of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin, used to prevent excessive bleeding during surgical procedures. dDAVP increases hemostatic mediators, such as the von Willebrand factor (vWF), recently considered a key element in resistance to metastasis. Studies in mouse models and veterinary trials in dogs with locally-advanced mammary tumors demonstrated that high doses of perioperative dDAVP inhibited lymph node and early blood-borne metastasis and significantly prolonged survival. We conducted a phase II dose-escalation trial in patients with breast cancer, administering a lyophilized formulation of dDAVP by intravenous infusion in saline, 30–60 min before and 24 h after surgical resection. Primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, as well as selection of the best dose for cancer surgery. Secondary endpoints included surgical bleeding, plasma levels of vWF, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as measured by quantitative PCR of cytokeratin-19 transcripts. Only 2 of a total of 20 patients experienced reversible adverse events, including hyponatremia (grade 4) and hypersensitivity reaction (grade 2). Reactions were adequately managed by slowing the infusion rate. A reduced intraoperative bleeding was noted with increasing doses of dDAVP. Treatment was associated with higher vWF plasma levels and a postoperative drop in CTC counts. At the highest dose level evaluated (2 μg/kg) dDAVP appeared safe when administered in two slow infusions of 1 μg/kg, before and after surgery. Clinical trials to establish the effectiveness of adjunctive perioperative dDAVP therapy are warranted. This trial is registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01606072).

Description: Background: Hypertrophy (H) is an adaptive response of the heart to a hemodynamic overload. Severe left ventricular (LV) volume overload (VO) from valve regurgitations (aortic (AR) or mitral regurgitation) leads to eccentric LVH. Increased protein turnover is a major event during development of LVH and the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key molecule for its control. The role of mTOR inhibition in the development of LVH using rapamycin for relatively short periods of time (days to a few weeks) has been studied in the past in pressure overload models but not in VO models. We investigated if mTOR pathway was activated during LVH development in a model of severe VO (AR) in rats and if a rapamycin treatment can slow heart remodeling in this situation.Methods and ResultsMale rats with severe AR were studied acutely at 2 days, at 8 weeks (compensated phase) and 6 months (late phase) after VO induction. mTOR complex (mTORC) 1 (ribosomal S6 protein phosphorylation) was activated early after AR induction but not later in the disease whereas mTORC2 activity levels (Akt phosphorylation at Ser473) remained stable. We observed that a moderate dose of rapamycin (2 mg/kg/day; orally) for 8 weeks prevented severe LVH caused by AR (−46 %: p 

Description: PurposeAmong kidney transplant recipients with acute kidney injury, the differential diagnosis must be broadened to include conditions such as rejection, immunocompromised host infections, anatomic pathologies, and recurrent or de novo glomerular diseases. In this case report, we describe an unusual cause of acute renal allograft injury due to external compression of the allograft ureter. Methods: Retrospective review; case report. Results: The patient developed acute kidney injury of the renal allograft due to external compression of the allograft ureter coincident with a cecal volvulus. The patient underwent lysis of adhesions, right hemicolectomy, and end ileostomy creation with resolution of acute kidney injury. Conclusions: Cecal volvulus is an uncommon cause of bowel obstruction and is often associated with adhesions following abdominal surgery. To our knowledge, cecal volvulus has not previously been reported as a direct contributor to acute kidney injury. This case highlights the need for a systematic approach to the patient with acute kidney injury and the special considerations involved in the diagnosis of renal failure in the kidney transplant population.

Description: PurposeDecision making regarding the urethra before and after radical cystectomy due to urothelial carcinoma has always been controversial. To determine whether anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer is an oncologically-safe procedure, we evaluated the long-term oncologic clinical outcome.Patients and methodsA total of 51 male patients with cTa-4N0-2M0 bladder cancer were treated with anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy and simultaneous urinary diversion between 2000 and 2013, and underwent follow up for 4 months or more. We assessed differences in the perioperative outcomes, oncologic outcomes and recurrence rates according to the urinary diversion. Results: The median patient age and follow-up period were 66 years and 35 months, respectively. The 5- and 10-year recurrence free survival (RFS) rates in ileal conduit (IC) group vs. orthotopic neobladder reconstruction (NB) group were 45.0 and 20.3% vs. 39.3 and 19.6%, respectively. Likewise, the 5- and 10-year disease specific survival (DSS) were 52.7 and 32.1% vs. 39.3 and 29.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed two independent prognostic factors for RFS and DSS, including age at surgery and lymph node status. Local recurrence in the remnant anterior urethra occurred in only 1 patient (2.0%) at 57 months after surgery. Conclusions: Our long-term data show that anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy is an oncologically-safe procedure regardless of the type of urinary diversion in a subset of carefully selected patients with bladder cancer without evidence of urothelial carcinoma in the urethra/bladder neck and urethral surgical margin.

Description: This study aimed to determine the specific characterization of regional storage fat in the upper limb as compared to the lower limb of young healthy adults. The regional storage fat and skeletal muscle in upper and lower limbs were obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). For MRI measurements, images at the continuous anatomical cross-sectional areas of subcutaneous adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in the upper arm and thigh were selected for the analysis. Values measured by MRI were larger than those measured by BIA. MRI data showed that the percentage of fat was significantly higher in the upper arm compared to the thigh in both men and women. This study suggests that BIA results in a significantly different estimation of the whole body and limb composition when compared to MRI and that MRI is useful to determine regional specificities in the limb composition. From these quantified evaluation, we found significantly large amount of regional storage fat in upper limbs of young healthy adults, especially women.

Description: Candida sp contributes 33.1 % of fungal infections among HIV patients. Among the species of the genus Candida, Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated from HIV patients. This study aimed to analyze putative virulence factors of C. albicans isolated from oral cavities of HIV infected patients and healthy individuals. Twenty isolates from HIV infected patients and fourteen from healthy individuals were analyzed for phenotypic switching, cell growth rate, hyphae formation, hemolytic activity and biofilm formation characteristics. The frequency of phenotypic switching was low in both groups. The cell growth rate of C. albicans from HIV infected patients were significantly higher than those from healthy individuals (p 

Description: Background: Although humeral epicondylitis is a common health problem, there have been no reports that describe its prevalence in Japanese general population, and relatively little is known about its etiology and associated risk factors.Questions/purposesThis study aimed to clarify the prevalence of humeral epicondilitis in Japanese general population, and investigate the associated risk factors using the data from a cross-sectional study of the Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcome in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS). Methods: A total of 1,777 participants who participated in health checkups conducted at rural area in Japan in 2010 were enrolled. The prevalence of lateral and medial epicondylitis was investigated. Logistic regression models were performed to examine the relationship between lateral epicondylitis and correlated factors such as occupational status, smoking and alcohol preferences, and medical characteristics. Results: The overall prevalence of lateral and medial epicondylitis was 2.5 % and 0.3 %, respectively. A shortened version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (The QuickDASH) score was significantly higher in subjects with lateral epicondylitis than in those without (15.0 ± 12.7 vs 8.5 ± 11.1). Subjects with definite chronic hyperglycemia (HbA1c ≥ 6.5) showed a 3.37-times higher risk of lateral epicondylitis than those with favorable glycemic control (HbA1c 

Description: ObjectiveMany surgeons currently use long cephomedullary nails for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. The optimal indications for deploying distal interlocks are still debatable. This study examined the torsional biomechanical properties of 3-part intertrochanteric femur fractures in a cadaveric bone model using two different distal fixation strategies, an unlocked long cephalomedullary nail versus a dynamically locked nail. Our hypothesis is that a long cephalomedullary nail does not require distal locking fixation when used for treatment of a 3-part intertrochanteric fracture. Methods: Five matched pairs of cadaveric femora were randomly assigned to one of two distal fixation treatment groups; a single distal interlock screw placed in the dynamic orientation or no distal fixation. A 3-part intertrochanteric fracture was produced. Specimens were potted and mounted in a double gimbal fixture facilitating unconstrained motion in the sagittal and coronal planes. Specimens were cyclically loaded dynamically in both internal and external rotation. Range of motion, internal and external rotation stiffness, torsion stiffness, torsion yield and ultimate torsion magnitude were calculated. Results: The samples instrumented with a distal locking screw reported statistically greater external rotational stiffness than the unlocked samples in nondestructive testing. The results of the destructive data demonstrated no statistical difference between the locked and unlocked group with regard to yield torque (p = 0.282), peak torque (p = 0.340), stiffness (p = 0.220), displacement at yield torque (p = 0.0605), and displacement at peak torque (p = 0.280). Conclusion: Distal locking of a long cephalomedullary nail increases the stiffness of the nail-femur construct in a 3-part biomechanical fracture model. However, our testing illustrates that an unlocked construct will tolerate at least equal stress before catastrophic failure in a torsional loading model.

Description: Meningoencephalitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) has become one of the leading causes of mortality in AIDS patients. Understanding the interactions between Cn and phagocytes is fundamental in exploring the pathogenicity of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Cn may be extracellular or contained in the monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells and even endothelial cells. The internalized Cn may proliferate inside the host cells, or cause the lysis of host cells, or leave the host cells via non-lytic exocytosis, or even hijack the host cells (Trojan horse) for the brain dissemination, which are regulated by microbe factors and also immune molecules. Coexistence of protective and deleterious roles of phagocytes in the progression of cryptococcosis warrant further investigation.

Description: Background: Low competency for determination of brain death (BD) and unfamiliarity with Japanese BD (JBD) criteria among pediatricians were highlighted in previous nationwide studies. Because the JBD criteria were amended in 2010 to allow organ donation from pediatric brain-dead donors, we created a 2-day training course to assess knowledge and improve skill in the determination and diagnosis of pediatric BD. Methods: The course consisted of two modules: a multistation round session and a group discussion session, and was bookended by a before and after 20-question test. In the multistation round session, participants rotated between stations staffed by expert faculty members. For hands-on skill development, we used the Sim Junior 3G™ simulation mannequin (Laerdal Medical, Wappingers Falls, NY, USA) for structured simulations. In the group discussion session, we implemented simulation-based role playing to practice decision making in prepared scenarios of complicated clinical situations. We investigated the participants’ impressions of the course by self-scoring and questionnaires. Results: Of 147 pediatric healthcare providers from multiple specialties who participated in this course, 145 completed the entire process. The course was evaluated in three aspects with self-scoring and questionnaires: (1) value (4.58 ± 0.64; range 1–5); (2) time schedule (2.40 ± 0.61; range 1–3); and (3) difficulty (2.89 ± 0.43; range 1–5). Finally, participants scored the entire course program (9.64 ± 1.69; range 1–11). Various positive feedbacks were obtained from a total of 93 participants. Post-test scores (83.6 %) were significantly higher than pre-test scores (62.9 %). Conclusion: This simulation-based course represents an effective method to train pediatric healthcare providers in determining BD in Japan and may improve baseline knowledge of BD among participants.

Description: PurposeTo evaluate the reliability of the Attitudes to Randomized Trial Questionnaire (ARTQ) in measuring perceptions of cancer clinical trials in a predominantly African American (AA) sample in South Carolina (SC). Methods: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cronbach’s alpha estimates were used to assess the reliability of the ARTQ in a convenience sample of 315 participants (81.4 % AA) who were recruited from 2008 to 2013, and who live in eleven different counties in South Carolina with high rates of racial disparities in cancer mortality rates. Results: Slightly more than half of the 315 participants had at least a college education (77.9 %), 84.8 % were female, and 53.1 % had an annual income of $40,000 or more. In this study, PCA confirmed that the ARTQ is unidimensional. Cronbach’s alpha for the ARTQ was 0.86. Conclusion: The ARTQ displayed strong evidence of high statistical reliability. This analysis has great implications for future research because it represents the first test of reliability of the ARTQ in a predominantly African American sample and lays the groundwork for use of the ARTQ in future studies in diverse populations.

Description: Tequila vinasses represent an acidic, highly concentrated pollutant effluent generated during the distillation step of Tequila production. Although acidogenesis of Tequila vinasses has been reported for some reactor configurations, a characterization of the bacteria present during this metabolic process is lacking in the literature. Hydraulic retention times (HRT) between 36 and 6 h and organic loading rates (OLR) from 5 to 30 g COD L −1  d −1 were assessed in a UASB reactor fed with Tequila vinasses. Results showed that OLR excerted a stronger effect (p ≤ 0.0001) on parameters such as gas production rate, pH, and acidity than HRT. While it was clear that shorter HRT were related to higher volatile fatty acid production levels. Figures above 2 L gas L reactor −1  d −1 (where “gas” could be a mixture of methane and hydrogen) were attained only with an OLR as high as 30 g COD L −1  d −1 . Bacterial identification of a sludge sample at the end of the experiment revealed that acid-tolerant microorganisms that remained in the reactor were exclusively affiliated to the Clostridium genera, being the first report of organisms identification for Tequila vinasses acidogenesis. These findings are relevant to the field of biotechnology since acidogenesis of Tequila vinasses using identified and studied microorganism abilities (i.e. Clostridium strains) presents the opportunity of optimizing processes intended for different metabolites production (butanol, volatile fatty acids, hydrogen, solvents).

Description: PurposeTo determine whether exercise training improves autonomic function in women with breast cancer (BC). Methods: Fifty-one patients (aged between 39 and 72 years) with a history of primary invasive BC within the previous 5 years and enrolled in the Mediterranean diet-based DIANA (Diet and Androgens)-5 Trial were subdivided in two groups: a ET group (n = 25) followed a formal ET program of moderate intensity (3 session/week on a bicycle at 60–70% VO 2peak for 3 months, followed by one session/week until 1-year follow-up), while a control group (n = 26) did not perform any formal ET. At baseline and after 1-year, all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET). Heart rate recovery (HRR) was calculated as the difference between heart rate at peak exercise and heart rate at first minute of the cool-down period. Results: There were no significant differences between groups in baseline anthropometrical, BC characteristics, metabolic profile, CPET parameters and HRR. Compared to controls, at 1-year follow-up ET group showed a significant improvement in VO 2peak (from 12.6 ± 3.0 to 14.5 ± 3.3 ml/kg/min, p 

Description: The aims of this research were to develop a Japanese version of Pearlin and Schooler’s Sense of Mastery Scale (SOMS) and evaluate its reliability and validity. This survey targeted 4,000 men and women aged 25–74 living in Japan as of January 1, 2014, categorized them according to the region and size of the city in which they lived, randomly extracted 200 municipalities, and randomly extracted individuals after categorizing for sex and age based on the resident registries of each municipality. 2,067 survey responses were collected (response rate 51.7%). We used weighted 7-item (SOMS-7) and 5-item (SOMS-5) versions that excludes two reverse items (item6 and 7) from SOMS-7 of the SOMS. From the item analysis, the item-total correlation coefficients of the two reverse items (items 6 and 7) were .03 and .34. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was also .69 in SOM-7 and .77 in SOMS-5. The partial correlation coefficients between SOMS and the sense of coherence, mental health inventory, self-rated health, and life satisfaction were all significant (p 

Description: Twelve lactating cattle × yak hybrids (B. taurus × B. grunniens) were investigated on five experimental pastures (Sites 1–5), following an up- and downward transhumance route (3,200, 4,000, 4,500, 4,000 and 2,600 m a.s.l.). Hybrids were kept in replicated groups of two (low SD) and four animals per paddock (high SD). As a control, yaks (with calves) were included at low SD at Sites 2–4. Performance was described by body weight, milk yield and composition. Herbage samples as selected by the animals were analyzed. Activity patterns of the hybrids were assessed at Sites 2–4. At similar body weight change and milk composition, the individual hybrids on average produced 26% less milk at high than at low SD. However, at high SD on average still 49% more milk/m 2 of pasture area was produced. Milk fat increased with time from 5.4 to 7.1%, milk protein decreased from 4.2 to 3.3%. At high SD, the hybrids spent less time standing and more time lying. The yaks gained weight at 4,500 m a.s.l. while the hybrids lost weight (+836 and −653 g/animal/day, respectively). In conclusion, high SD reduced individual milk yield and forced hybrids to spend more time for feeding. The yaks apparently had an advantage over the hybrids at very high altitude.

Description: Nuclear genome size, as measured by flow cytometry with propidium iodide, was used to investigate the relationships within the genus Gagea (Liliaceae), mainly from the Netherlands. The basic chromosome number for Gagea is x = 12. The inferred ploidy in the Dutch and German accessions varies from diploid to decaploid. Consequently there is a large range of genome sizes (DNA 2C-values) from 14.9 to 75.1 pg. Genome sizes are evaluated here in combination with the results of morphological observations. Five species and the hybrid G. × megapolitana are reported. Apart from 14 diploid G. villosa, six plants of G. villosa with an inferred tetraploidy were found. For the 186 Dutch accessions investigated 85 turned out to be the largely sterile G. pratensis (inferred to be pentaploid). Inferred tetraploid and hexaploid G. pratensis were found in 30 and 20 localities, respectively. In one locality an inferred decaploid (10×) plant was found that could represent a doubled pentaploid G. pratensis. An inferred decaploid G. pratensis was never reported before. The genome size of Gagea × megapolitana from Germany fitted with its origin as a cross between the two hexaploids G. pratensis and G. lutea. Gagea spathacea from the Netherlands was inferred to be nonaploid as was recorded from plants across Europe. The aim of the study was to use flow cytometry as a tool to elucidate the taxonomic position of the Dutch Gagea.

Description: PurposeOrchalgia is a common problem with varicoceles however the association between varicocele embolisation for the treatment of varicocele related pain has not been widely investigated. We aim to investigate the effectiveness of varicocele embolisation for the treatment of orchalgia secondary to varicoceles; and to see if pre-embolisation pain scores can be used to predict treatment outcomes. Methods: A prospectively collected database of patients undergoing varicocele embolisation for pain was analysed over a 10-year period. Pain scores were assessed with a 10-point visual analogue score. Analgesia requirements and satisfaction scores were assessed with questionnaires. Results: Total of 96 cases. Median age was 34 years old. Median pain scores reduced significantly following embolisation (p 

Description: The cylindrical Bessel differential equation and the spherical Bessel differential equation in the interval R ≤ r ≤ γ R with Neumann boundary conditions are considered. The eigenfunctions are linear combinations of the Bessel function Φ n , ν ( r ) = Y ν ′ ( λ n , ν ) J ν ( λ n , ν r / R ) - J ν ′ ( λ n , ν ) Y ν ( λ n , ν r / R ) or linear combinations of the spherical Bessel functions ψ m , ν ( r ) = y ν ′ ( λ m , ν ) j ν ( λ m , ν r / R ) - j ν ′ ( λ m , ν ) y ν ( λ m , ν r / R ) . The orthogonality relations with analytical expressions for the normalization constant are given. Explicit expressions for the Lommel integrals in terms of Lommel functions are derived. The cross product zeros Y ν ′ ( λ n , ν ) J ν ′ ( γ λ n , ν ) - J ν ′ ( λ n , ν ) Y ν ′ ( γ λ n , ν ) = 0 and y ν ′ ( λ m , ν ) j ν ′ ( γ λ m , ν ) - j ν ′ ( λ m , ν ) y ν ′ ( γ λ m , ν ) = 0 are considered in the complex plane for real as well as complex values of the index ν and approximations for the exceptional zero λ 1 , ν are obtained. A numerical scheme based on the discretization of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional Laplace operator with Neumann boundary conditions is presented. Explicit representations of the radial part of the Laplace operator in form of a tridiagonal matrix allow the simple computation of the cross product zeros.

Description: Introduction‘Ice Mile’ swimming is a new discipline in open-water swimming introduced in 2009. This case study investigated changes in body core temperature during preparation for and completion of two official ‘Ice Miles’, defined as swimming 1.609 km in water of 5°C or colder, in one swimmer.Case descriptionOne experienced ice swimmer (56 years old, 110.2 kg body mass, 1.76 m body height, BMI of 35.6 kg/m 2 , 44.8% body fat) recorded data including time, distance and body core temperature from 65 training units and two ‘Ice Miles’.Discussion and evaluationDuring training and the ‘Ice Miles’, body core temperature was measured using a thermoelectric probe before, during and after swimming. During trainings and the ‘Ice Miles’, body core temperature increased after start, dropped during swimming but was lowest during recovery. During training, body core temperature at start was the only predictor (ß = −0.233, p = 0.025) for the increase in body core temperature. Water temperature (ß = 0.07, p = 0.006) and body core temperature at start (ß = −0.90, p = 0.006) explained 61% of the variance for the non-significant decrease in body core temperature. Water temperature (ß = 0.077, p = 0.0059) and body core temperature at finish (ß = 0.444, p = 0.02) were the most important predictors for the lowest body core temperature. In ‘Ice Miles’, body core temperature was highest ~6–18 min after the start (38.3–38.4°C), dropped during swimming by 1.7°C to ~36.5°C and was lowest ~40–56 min after finish. The lowest body core temperature (34.5–35.0°C) was achieved ~100 min after start. Conclusions: In an experienced ice swimmer with a high BMI (〉35 kg/m 2 ) and a high percent body fat (~45%), body core temperature decreased by 1.7°C while swimming and by 3.2–3.7°C after the swim to reach the lowest temperature in an official ‘Ice Mile’. The swimmer suffered no hypothermia during ice swimming, but body core temperature dropped to

Description: Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a major dose-limiting toxicity of cancer chemotherapy resulting in considerable morbidity, mortality, and cost. This study evaluated the time course of neutropenic events and patterns of supportive care interventions in patients receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer treated in oncology community practices. Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult cancer patients initiating a new chemotherapy regimen was conducted at 115 US sites. Toxicity associated with chemotherapy including neutropenic and infectious complications was recorded over four cycles. Clinical interventions were recorded including reductions in chemotherapy dose intensity and use of supportive care measures. Results: A total of 1,202 patients with stage I–III breast cancer were evaluated. The majority of neutropenic (116 of 196) and infection events (179 of 325) occurred in the initial cycle. A decrease in occurrence of FN and infection was observed in the subsequent cycles, along with an increase in utilization of colony stimulating factors (CSFs), antibiotics and reductions in chemotherapy dose intensity. The overall risk of FN in all patients was 16.3%. In patients who started treatment at or near full dose intensity, the FN risk reached 21.0% without primary CSF prophylaxis and it was 9.0% with prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in FN rates by menopausal or hormone receptors status. Conclusions: The risk of neutropenic complications is greatest in the initial cycle when most patients receive full-dose chemotherapy. A decrease in neutropenic events during subsequent cycles is associated with reduced dose intensity or increased use of supportive care measures. However, the cumulative risk of FN remains high in patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving full dose chemotherapy without prophylactic measures.

Description: The purpose of this short study was to identify the drivers of export orientation of firms in the subsea oil and gas industry in Western Norway. As the oil fields in the North Sea are approaching a stage of maturity, gaining knowledge of these drivers is crucial. An online survey was conducted of firms operating in the subsea oil and gas industry in the region. Consistent with previous research, the data reveal that product innovation and a majority share of international ownership increase firms’ export rates. The use of instrumental variables indicates that both product innovation and international ownership are causes of subsea petroleum exports. The study moreover finds that subcontractors have a lower rate of direct exports than system providers, but international ownership in particular boosts subcontractors’ export rates, probably by decreasing their market dependency on regional system providers. A clear recommendation for managers and stakeholders is that they should encourage foreign investments throughout the value chain. The results of such a strategy appear to be especially positive for subcontractors.

Description: This clinical vignette presents a 14 years old female, with a past medical history relevant only for migraine with typical aura of less than monthly frequency, complaining of a severe unilateral headache with rising intensity for the previous 4 h, associated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia. This episode of migraine with aura in a patient with recurrent migraine was complicated by side effects of medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (extrapyramidal symptoms, delirium, post-lumbar puncture headache, hospital admission) all of which could have been prevented—quaternary prevention. This case illustrates several important messages in migraine management: (1) use of acetaminophen is not based in high-quality evidence and better options exist; (2) among youngsters, domperidone should be preferred over metoclopramide because it does not cross the blood–brain barrier; (3) moderate to severe migraine crisis can be managed with triptans in teenagers over 12 years old; (4) it is important to recognize adverse drug effects; (5) harmful consequences of medical interventions do occur; (6) the school community must be informed about chronic diseases of the young.

Description: IntroductionAdministration of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is recommended for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing hip surgery. In this context, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) type II is a complication of rare incidence but sometimes fatal outcome.Case descriptionA 52-year old obese patient undergoing antithrombotic therapy with Enoxaparin after hip surgery presented with a painful, swollen leg and thrombocytopenia on day eight after surgery. Medical history showed previous administration of Enoxaparin without complications 2 years ago. Further diagnostic investigation supplied evidence of multiple thromboembolic events and concomitant compartment syndrome. Administration of Enoxaparin was stopped immediately and treatment with Argatroban was initiated. Diagnosis of HIT was confirmed according to current guidelines. Despite interventional thrombectomy and fasciotomy, amputation of both lower limbs had to be performed due to ongoing necroses. After a 30-days-stay at the intensive care unit because of sepsis, respiratory and renal failure, clinical condition improved and the patient could be transferred for rehabilitation.Discussion and evaluationHIT II is known as complication of administration of LMWH in the perioperative setting. Diagnosis results from clinical findings and platelet count. Argatroban is recommended as an alternative therapeutic anticoagulant in HIT II. Inflammation and surgical trauma are discussed as priming factors to increase risk of HIT II. Conclusions: Administration of LMWH may result in HIT II despite prior uneventful drug exposure. Except for immediate diagnosis, only consequent anticoagulation can stop the course of disease. Hence, interdisciplinary awareness is inevitable for early diagnosis and accurate therapy to prevent from a catastrophic clinical course.

Description: A safe and appropriate surgical approach to the medial temporal structure is a prerequisite to perform surgeries for temporal lobe epilepsy. We used in vivo morphometry to identify the standard direction for entry into the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle via the Sylvian fissure: an important initial step in performing transsylvian selective amygdalohippocampectomy. 3D magnetic resonance images obtained from 28 patients without intra-parenchymal lesions were re-oriented to demonstrate all points in the Talairach space of the brain. The limen insulae and the midpoint between the hippocampal sulcus and the innominate sulcus on the coronal slice through the posterior edge of the amygdala were defined as the start and target points, respectively. We evaluated the direction of the vector between these two points and its validity in the brain of 12 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The direction of the mean approach vector was 52.4° posteriorly and 16.2° inferiorly. The mean approach vector on the axial plane showed the approximate parallelism with the sphenoid ridge in individual cases. The computer simulation revealed that our average approach vector correctly entered the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle in all temporal lobe epilepsy brains. In vivo morphometry may contribute to the further development of safe and minimally-invasive neurosurgical procedures.

Description: Pseudomonas aeruginosa plays a major role in cystic fibrosis (CF) progression. Therefore, it is important to understand the initial steps of P. aeruginosa infection. The structure and dynamics of CF respiratory tract microbial communities during the early stages of P. aeruginosa colonization were characterized by pyrosequencing and cloning-sequencing. The respiratory microbiota showed high diversity, related to the young age of the CF cohort (mean age 10 years). Wide inter- and intra-individual variations were revealed. A common core microbiota of 5 phyla and 13 predominant genera was found, the majority of which were obligate anaerobes. A few genera were significantly more prevalent in patients never infected by P. aeruginosa. Persistence of an anaerobic core microbiota regardless of P. aeruginosa status suggests a major role of certain anaerobes in the pathophysiology of lung infections in CF. Some genera may be potential biomarkers of pulmonary infection state.

Description: ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors to development of focal pulmonary interstitial opacities adjacent to thoracic spine osteophytes among cases with right-sided aortic arch.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective review of our hospital information system on patients with right-sided aortic arch who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) from April 2003 to September 2014. CT were reviewed to evaluate the position and thickness of osteophytes and that of focal pulmonary opacities adjacent to osteophytes, comparing data between the patients with osteophytes with pulmonary opacity (group A) and patients with osteophytes without pulmonary opacity (group B). Results: There were 25 patients totally, 23 cases of left-sided thoracic osteophytes, two cases on both sides. Comparing Group A (n = 10) and Group B (n = 15), the presence of pulmonary opacities was significantly associated with thickness of osteophytes (Mann–Whitney U test, P 

Description: Background: Scimitar syndrome can present with a wide clinical spectrum of symptoms either early in the neonatal period or later in life.Case descriptionWe report a case of a 62-year-old woman with anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal lung with scimitar syndrome presenting as recurrent hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed normal major bronchial branches without bronchial atresia, indicating that sequestration of the lung was not confirmed. The anomalous drainage of the scimitar vein was to the inferior vena cava, and an anomalous artery from the aorta supplied the right basal lung. There were no findings of pulmonary hypertension and arteriovenous malformation such as an anomalous artery to the scimitar vein. The distal portions of anomalous arteries were embolized using gelatin sponge particles and the proximal portion was embolized using fibered detachable coils. Although a small pulmonary infarction was observed as a complication, the patie nt has not experienced any subsequence recurrence of the hemoptysis during a follow-up period of 6 months.Discussion and evaluationDeformities of the blood vessels and the lungs are frequently complex in scimitar syndrome. Although patients treated with surgical repair of this disorder may be at higher risk than those treated less invasively, we believe that transcatheter embolization was a useful strategy for the treatment of the anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal lung, particularly in this patient with scimitar syndrome. Conclusion: Hemoptysis in a patient with scimitar syndrome associated with anomalous systemic arterial supply to the basal lung was successfully treated with transcatheter arterial embolization. However, it might be better to avoid the use of gelatin sponge particles in patients with a similar anomaly without pulmonary artery distribution because of the possibility of causing severe pulmonary infarction.

Description: PurposeTo investigate and compare the trends in incidence and mortality of penile cancer between Australia, England and Wales, and the US, and provide hypotheses for these trends. Methods: Cancer registry data from 1982 to 2005 inclusive were obtained from Australia, England and Wales, and the United States. From these data, age-specific, -standardised and mortality:incidence ratios were calculated, and compared. Results: The overall incidence of penile cancer in England and Wales (1.44 per 100,000 man-years) was higher than in Australia (0.80 per 100,000), and the US (0.66 per 100,000). Incidence of penile cancer in all three countries has remained relatively stable over time. Similarly, although the mortality rates were also higher in England and Wales (0.37 per 100,000 man-years) compared to Australia (0.18 per 100,000) and the US (0.15 per 100,000), the mortality/incidence ratios were similar for all three countries. Conclusions: Penile cancer incidence is low, affecting mainly older men. Rates differ between the three countries, being twice as common in England and Wales as in the other studied regions. Circumcision rates have a potential influence on these rates but are not the sole explanation for the variation.

Description: Background: There are 62 million Americans currently residing in rural areas who are more likely to have multiple chronic conditions and be economically disadvantaged, and in poor health, receive less recommended preventive services and attend fewer visits to health care providers. Recent advances in mobile healthcare (mHealth) offer a promising new approach to solving health disparities and improving chronic illness care. It is now possible and affordable to transmit health information, including values from glucometers, automated blood pressure monitors, and scales, through Bluetooth-enabled devices. Additionally, audio and video communications technologies can allow healthcare providers to conduct many parts of a physical exam remotely from varied settings. These technologies could remove geographical distance as a barrier to care and diminish the access to care issues faced by patients who live rurally. However, currently there is lack of studies that provide evidence of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of mHealth initiatives on improved outcomes of care, a needed step to make the translation to implementation studies in healthcare systems. The purpose of this paper is to present the protocol for the first study of mI SMART (mobile Improvement of Self-Management Ability through Rural Technology), a new integrated mHealth intervention. Methods: Our objective is to provide evidence of feasibility and acceptability for the use of mI SMART in an underserved population and establish evidence for the refinement of mI SMART. The proposed study will take place at Milan Puskar Health Right, a free primary care clinic in the state of West Virginia. The clinic provides health care at no cost to uninsured, low income; adults aged 18–64 living in West Virginia. We will enroll 30 participants into this feasibility study with plans of implementing a longitudinal randomized, comparative effectiveness design in the future. Data collection will include tracking of barriers and facilitators to using mI SMART on patient and provider feedback surveys, tracking of patient-provider communications, self-reports from patients on quality of life, adherence, and self-management ability, and capture of health record data on chronic illness measures.DiscussionWe expect that the mI SMART intervention, refined from participant and provider feedback, will be acceptable and feasible. We anticipate high patient-provider satisfaction, enhanced patient-provider communication, and improved health related quality of life, adherence to treatment, and self-management ability. In addition, we hypothesize that patients who use mI SMART will demonstrate improved physical outcomes such as blood glucose, blood pressure, and weight.

Description: Fructose, glucose, and an equimolar mixture of both sugars affected differently hyphae thickness, biomass production and secretion of β-fructofuranosidase in Penicillium janczewskii. Reduced growth, thinner hyphae and visible injuries were early observed during fungal cultivation in fructose-containing medium, reaching the maximum between 12 and 15 days of culture. Total sugar content from the cell wall was lower when fructose was supplied and polysaccharides lower than 10 kDa predominated, regardless the culture age. Maximal inulinase and invertase activities were detected in culture filtrates after 12 days, excepting in the glucose-containing medium. Structural changes in cell walls coincided with the increase of extracellular enzyme activity in the fructose-containing medium. The fragility of the hyphae might be related with both low carbohydrate content and predominance of low molecular weight glucans in the walls. Data presented here suggest changes in carbohydrate component of the cell walls are induced by the carbon source.

Description: Large herbivores may affect ecosystem processes and states, but such effects can be difficult to quantify, especially within multispecies assemblages. To better understand such processes and improve our predictive ability of systems undergoing change, herbivore diets can be studied using controlled feeding trials (or cafeteria tests). With some wildlife, such as large herbivores, it is impractical to empirically verify these findings, because it requires visually observing animals in forested environments, which can disturb them from their natural behaviors. Yet, in field-based cafeteria trials it is nearly impossible to differentiate selection between herbivore species that forage on similar plants and make very similar bite marks. However, during browsing ungulates leave saliva residue which includes some buccal cells and DNA that can be extracted for species identification. Here we used a newly developed eDNA-based method (biteDNA) to test the browsing preferences of four sympatric ungulate species in the wild. Overall, food preferences varied between species, but all species strongly preferred deciduous over coniferous species. Our method allows the study of plant-animal interactions in multispecies assemblages at very fine detail.

Description: ObjectivesRecombinant protein production processes in Escherichia coli are usually operated in fed-batch mode; therefore, the elaboration of a fed-batch cultivation protocol in microtiter plates that allows for screening under production like conditions is particularly appealing. Results: A highly reproducible fed-batch like microtiter plate cultivation protocol for E. coli in a micro-bioreactor system with advanced online monitoring capabilities was developed. A synthetic enzymatic glucose release medium was employed to provide carbon limited growth conditions without external substrate feed and the required buffer capacity to keep the pH value within 7 ± 1. Accurate process design allowed for cultivation up to cell densities of 10 g biomass l −1 without any limitations in oxygen supply [dissolved oxygen (DO) level above 30 %]. In the micro-bioreactor system (BioLector) online monitoring of cell growth, DO and pH was performed. Furthermore, the influence of the cultivation temperature, the applicability for different host strains as well as the transferability of results to lab-scale bioreactor cultivations was evaluated. Conclusion: This robust microtiter plate cultivation protocol allows for screening of E. coli systems under conditions comparable to lab-scale bioreactor cultivations.

Description: Sentinel lymph nodes are mapped using 99m Technetium, injected on day of surgery (1-day protocol) or day before (2-day protocol). This retrospective cohort study compares efficacy between the two protocols. Histopathology for all unilateral sentinel lymph node biopsies (March 2012–March 2013) in a single centre were reviewed. Number of sentinel lymph nodes, non-sentinel lymph nodes and pathology was compared. 2/270 (0.7 %) in 1-day protocol and 8/192 (4 %) in 2-day protocol had no sentinel lymph nodes removed (p = 0.02). The median (range) number of sentinel lymph nodes removed per patient was 2 (0–7) and 1 (0–11) in the 1- and 2-day protocols respectively (p = 0.08). There was a trend for removing more non-sentinel lymph nodes in 2-day protocol [1-day: 52/270 (19 %); 2-day: 50/192 (26 %), p = 0.07]. Using 2-day, sentinel lymph node identification failure rate is higher, although within acceptable rates. The 1 and 2 day protocols are both effective, therefore choice of protocol should be driven by patient convenience and hospital efficiency. However, this study raises the possibility that 1-day may be preferable when higher sentinel lymph node count is beneficial, for example following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Description: Human and porcine cysticercosis is caused by the larval stage of the flatworm Taenia solium (Cestoda). Infestation of the human brain, also known as neurocysticercosis, is the most common parasite disease of the central nervous system worldwide. Significant advances in the understanding of the disease have been achieved using the Taenia crassiceps murine model. We describe here a successful transfection protocol of T. crassiceps cysticerci as the first step to approach a number of currently inaccessible biological questions on cysticercosis. T. crassiceps cysticerci (ORF strain) were microinjected with the plasmid pcDNA3.1/NT-GFP-TOPO, encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter (CMV). Twelve hours after the microinjection, GFP fluorescence gradually developed in patches associated to bud structures in the bladder wall of cysts. Fluorescence reached a peak at 24–48 h and lasted up to 72 h after the microinjection. Immunohistochemical studies on tissue sections of transfected cysts using an anti-GFP antibody, demonstrated co-localization of the antibody and the GFP fluorescence in the tegumentary cytoplasm and subtegumentary cytons. To validate at the mRNA level the expression of GFP, we carried out RT-PCR using two pairs of nested primers. Results showed expression of GFP-mRNA at 24 h post-transfection. Moreover, western blot assays of crude extracts of transfected cysts, carried out using the anti-GFP specific antibody, showed the expected protein band of 27 kDa, demonstrating that the GFP expression started at 24 after plasmid microinjection and was maintained up to 72 h. These findings will facilitate the development of functional genomics approaches applied to this model of cysticercosis.

Description: We have developed a highly sensitive and specific method for quantification of salivary 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyisobutyrate (3HIB), 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate (3HMB) and 2-hydroxybutyrate (2HB), which could be new non-invasive biomarkers for catabolic pathways of fatty acids/ketogenic amino acids, valine, leucine, and methionine/threonine/α-ketobutyrate, respectively. The four hydroxybutyrates (3HB, 3HIB, 3HMB, and 2HB) were extracted from 5 µl of saliva, converted to 2-pyridylmethyl (2PM) ester derivatives, and measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization mode. [ 13 C 4 ]3HB was used as an internal standard. The detection limits for the 2PM esters were

Description: Dent disease (DD) is a rare X-linked recessive renal tubulopathy characterised by low-molecular-weight proteinuria (LMWP), hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis and/or nephrolithiasis. DD is caused by mutations in both the CLCN5 and OCRL genes. CLCN5 encodes the electrogenic chloride/proton exchanger ClC-5 which is involved in the tubular reabsorption of albumin and LMW proteins, OCRL encodes the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase, and was initially associated with Lowe syndrome. In approximately 25 % of patients, no CLCN5 and OCRL mutations were detected. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether calcium phosphate metabolism disorders and their clinical complications are differently distributed among DD patients with and without CLCN5 mutations. Sixty-four male subjects were studied and classified into three groups: Group I (with CLCN5 mutations), Group II (without CLCN5 mutations) and Group III (family members with the same CLCN5 mutation). LMWP, hypercalciuria and phosphaturic tubulopathy and the consequent clinical complications nephrocalcinosis, nephrolithiasis, bone disorders, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were considered present or absent in each patient. We found that the distribution of nephrolithiasis, bone disorders and CKD differs among patients with and without CLCN5 mutations. Only in patients harbouring CLCN5 mutations was age-independent nephrolithiasis associated with hypercalciuria, suggesting that nephrolithiasis is linked to altered proximal tubular function caused by a loss of ClC-5 function, in agreement with ClC-5 KO animal models. Similarly, only in patients harbouring CLCN5 mutations was age-independent kidney failure associated with nephrocalcinosis, suggesting that kidney failure is the consequence of a ClC-5 dysfunction, as in ClC-5 KO animal models. Bone disorders are a relevant feature of DD phenotype, as patients were mainly young males and this complication occurred independently of age. The triad of symptoms, LMWP, hypercalciuria, and nephrocalcinosis, was present in almost all patients with CLCN5 mutations but not in those without CLCN5 mutations. This lack of homogeneity of clinical manifestations suggests that the difference in phenotypes between the two groups might reflect different pathophysiological mechanisms, probably depending on the diverse genes involved. Overall, our results might suggest that in patients without CLCN5 mutations several genes instead of the prospected third DD underpin patients’ phenotypes.

Description: Invasive American bullfrogs [Rana catesbeiana (Lithobates catesbeianus)] are outcompeting and predating on native biota and contributing to reductions in biodiversity worldwide. Current methods for controlling American bullfrogs are incapable of stopping their expansion, thus more cost-effective and broadly applicable methods are needed. Although chemical control compounds have been identified as effective for removing other invasive amphibians, none have been tested for American bullfrogs. Our objective was to expand on previous research and test the efficacy of 10 potential chemical control compounds for removing invasive American bullfrogs. After a dermal spray-application of 4 ml, we found 3 compounds (i.e., chloroxylenol, rotenone with permethrin, and caffeine) at 5–10 % concentrations in water were 100 % lethal for adult American bullfrogs. Chloroxylenol and rotenone with permethrin were fast acting with time-to-death

Description: Coordination of different business activities among units becomes vital as organizations pay much attention to their core activities. Thus, their fruitfulness constantly relies on their capacity to coordinate their internal and external activities in the supply chain outside their own boundaries. Giving consideration to these obvious reasons, this paper aims to investigate the determinants of supply chain coordination of milk and dairy industries. The data were collected from 330 milk suppliers, processors, and retailers in the central part of Ethiopia. The structural equation modeling has been employed to develop the structural relationship between key constructs and measured variables. In total, 15 measured variables for coordination in the supply chain have been identified. These are further grouped into four factors namely, non-price coordination, price coordination, relationships and product development decision. It has been observed that the implementation of these factors could maximize the coordination linkage among supply chain members. Thus, dairy sectors should take the identified coordination factors into account in each of their business dealings.

Description: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmic disorder world-wide, accounting for 15 % of all strokes. Management of stroke risk in AF is complicated by intolerance of anti-coagulation (AC) therapy and difficulty maintaining therapeutic range in patients treated with warfarin. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a source of thrombus in AFrelated thrombo-embolic events and surgical LAA exclusion (LAAO) is commonly performed during cardiac surgery in AF patients. Surgical approaches are limited by a high incidence of incomplete closure with a potential for consequent thrombo-embolic events as well as the morbidity of an open-heart procedure. More recently, percutaneous approaches to LAAO have been developed. The LARIAT device is an epicardial LAA exclusion system that enables percutaneous suture ligation of the LAA via combined, pericardial and trans-septal access. The device has 510k Federal Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for soft-tissue ligation and has been studied in canine models in pre-clinical studies as well as published series of clinical experience with LARIAT LAAO. The history, patient selection, procedural technique and complications of LARIAT LAAO are reviewed here. Additionally, insights and procedural improvements that have been elucidated from clinical series and outcomes from the collective experience are discussed. The LARIAT’s epicardial approach to LAA ligation is unique compared with other percutaneous LAA exclusion devices, however more data regarding device safety and efficacy is needed for the LARIAT to emerge as an established therapy for stroke prevention in AF.

Description: Peptidomimetics based on hydrazino derivatives of α-amino acids represent an important class of peptidic foldamers with promising biological activities, like protease inhibition and antimicrobial activity. However, the lack of straightforward method for the synthesis of optically pure hydrazino acids and efficient incorporation of hydrazino building blocks into peptide sequence hamper wider exploitation of hydrazino peptidomimetics. Here we described the utility of N α -benzyl protected and unprotected hydrazino derivatives of natural α-amino acids in synthesis of peptidomimetics. While incorporation of N α -benzyl-hydrazino acids into peptide chain and deprotection of benzyl moiety proceeded with difficulties, unprotected hydrazino acids allowed fast and simple construction of hybrid peptidomimetics.

Description: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. The 5-year survival rate in patients with breast cancer ranges from 74 to 82 %. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection for nodal staging. We evaluated the detection of the sentinel lymph node and metastasis of the lymph node using contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid. Between December 2013 and May 2014, 32 patients with operable breast cancer were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the detection of axillary sentinel lymph nodes and the evaluation of axillary lymph nodes metastasis using contrast enhanced computed tomography, color Doppler ultrasonography and contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid. All the sentinel lymph nodes were identified, and the sentinel lymph nodes detected by contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid corresponded with those detected by computed tomography lymphography and indigo carmine method. The detection of metastasis based on contrast enhanced computed tomography were sensitivity 20.0 %, specificity 88.2 %, PPV 60.0 %, NPV 55.6 %, accuracy 56.3 %. Based on color Doppler ultrasonography, the results were sensitivity 36.4 %, specificity 95.2 %, PPV 80.0 %, NPV 74.1 %, accuracy 75.0 %. Based on contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid, the results were sensitivity 81.8 %, specificity 95.2 %, PPV 90.0 %, NPV 90.9 %, accuracy 90.6 %. The results suggested that contrast enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid was the most accurate among the evaluations of these modalities. In the future, we believe that our method would take the place of conventional sentinel lymph node biopsy for an axillary staging method.

Description: Background: The TAS2R38 gene is widely responsible for the well-known bimodal response to a family of bitter chemicals which includes 6-n-propylthiouracial (PROP). There are two common haplotypes of this gene, the recessive AVI and the dominant PAV, both of which are well studied. Conversely, the role of rare TAS2R38 haplotypes on bitter taste sensitivity has been notoriously difficult to study due to small sample sizes. Here we present PROP sensitivity data of 97 individuals that have been observed to carry rare haplotypes (AAV, AAI, PAI, PVI) of the TAS2R38 gene. Results: Participants rated their bitter taste perception to a PROP filter disc then provided a buccal DNA sample from which the TAS2R38 gene was sequenced and analyzed. We found the prevalence of the PAV haplotype to be 42.3 %, AVI 53.1 %, AAV 2.5 %, AAI 1.2 %, PAI 0.8 % and PVI 0.1 %. We found that the AAI, AAV, and PAI haplotypes present intermediate taste sensitivity. Conclusions: These data are further evidence that bitter taste sensitivity to PROP exists as a broad range, and not exclusively as nontasters, medium tasters, and supertasters.

Description: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the characteristics of increased bone marrow uptake of 18F-FDG in patients with leukemia who underwent whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT. The 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 9 patients with histologically proven leukemia were reviewed. The accumulation of 18F-FDG in the bone marrow was evaluated, and was compared with histological subtype, clinical course, and hematological findings. Nine patients (4 males, 5 females; age range, 5–58 years) had increased bone marrow uptake of 18F-FDG, including 6 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 1 with acute myeloid leukemia, 1 with chronic myeloid leukemia, and 1 with mature B cell neoplasm. Bone marrow uptake was generally diffuse but focal or inhomogeneous uptake was common, especially in the upper and lower extremities. Patients with increased bone marrow uptake of 18F-FDG commonly complained of fever and bone pain. No correlations between 18F-FDG uptake and peripheral blood findings were observed. Patients with leukemia may have increased bone marrow uptake of 18F-FDG on PET/CT, possibly reflecting leukemic cell activity. Leukemia can be included in the differential diagnosis when increased bone marrow uptake of 18F-FDG is observed.

Description: Several closely related branched structures related to the well-established benzyl ether dendrimers were tested as hosts for the removal of pyrene from water. Fluorescence spectroscopy based complexation studies showed that the first generation benzyl ether dendrimers removed on average 94 % of pyrene from a saturated aqueous solution after 30 min. By contrast, branched systems containing modified benzyl ether or cyclohexane functional groups removed between 0 and 75 % of pyrene at the same time point while systems with benzyl amine resulted in a 77 % decrease in pyrene. This selectivity eroded over two days after which time all dendrimeric types removed pyrene to approximately the same extent. Inclusion constants of 10 9 –10 11 M −1 were calculated for the branched systems studied.

Description: Euro-Canadians and Chinese typically hold different theories about change; Euro-Canadians often engage in linear thinking whereas Chinese often engage in non-linear thinking. The present research investigated the effects of culture-specific theories of change in two related gambling fallacies: the gambler’s fallacy (GF; the belief that one is due for a win after a run of losses) and the hot-hand fallacy (HHF; the belief that one’s winning streak is likely to continue). In Study 1, participants predicted the outcome of a coin toss following a sequence of tosses. Study 2 involved predicting and betting on the outcome of a basketball player’s shot following a sequence of shots. In Study 1, Asians (mainly Chinese) were significantly more likely than Euro-Canadians to believe that they would win (correctly predict the coin toss) after a series of losses (a non-linear thinking pattern), suggesting greater susceptibility to the gambler’s fallacy. In Study 2, Euro-Canadians were more likely than Chinese to predict outcomes consistent with a basketball player’s streaks (a linear thinking pattern), suggesting greater susceptibility to the hot hand fallacy. By illustrating the role of cultural differences in cognition, these findings contribute to our understanding of why certain cultural groups, such as Chinese, are more susceptible to gambling.

Description: This paper introduces a new averaged algorithm for finding a common fixed point of a countably infinite family of generalized k-strictly pseudocontractive multi-valued mappings. The new iterative sequence introduced is proved to be an approximating fixed point sequence for common fixed points of a countably infinite family of this class of mappings. Furthermore, under some mild assumptions, strong convergence theorems are also proved for this class of mappings. The method of proof used here is new and enables to overcome many strong restrictions appearing in contemporary literature. The stated theorems improve and generalize many recent works in iterative scheme for multi-valued mappings.Mathematics Subject Classification: 47H04, 47H09, 47H10.

Description: Recent developments in genetics and molecular biology have classified breast cancer into subtypes based on tumor markers of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth Factor-2 receptors (Her-2), with the basal-like (ER−, PR−, Her2−) subtype commonly referred to as “triple negative” breast cancer (TNBC) being the most aggressive. Prior studies have provided evidence that higher socio-economic status (SES) is associated with increased breast cancer risk, likely due to hormone related risk factors such as parity and hormonal contraceptive use. However, it is unclear if the relationship between SES and overall breast cancer incidence exists within each subtype, and if this association varies by race/ethnicity. Analysis was based on data obtained from the SEER database linked to 2008–2012 American Community Survey data, and restricted to women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. The NCI SES census tract SES index based on measures of income, poverty, unemployment, occupational class, education and house value, was examined and categorized into quintiles. Age-adjusted incidence rate ratios were calculated comparing the lowest to the highest SES groups by subtype, separately for each race/ethnic group. We identified 47,586 women with breast cancer diagnosed in 2010. The majority was diagnosed with Her2−/HR+ tumors (73 %), while 12 % had triple negative tumors (TNBC). There was a significant trend of higher incidence with increasing SES for Her2−/HR+ (IRR Highest vs. Lowest SES: 1.32, 95 % CI 1.27–1.39; p value trend: 0.01) and Her2+/HR+ tumors (IRR Highest vs. Lowest SES: 1.46, 95 % CI 1.27–1.68; p value trend: 0.01) among White cases. There was no association between SES and incidence of HR− subtypes (Her2+/HR− or TNBC). Similar associations were observed among Black, Hispanic and Asian or Pacific Islander cases. The positive association between SES and breast cancer incidence is primarily driven by hormone receptor positive tumors. To the extent that neighborhood SES is a proxy for individual SES, future studies are still needed to identify etiologic risk factors for other breast cancer subtypes.

Description: Pollution by metals may adversely affect organisms through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we examined the sublethal effects of two metals, copper and cadmium, on horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) embryos. Exposure to copper or cadmium at concentrations of 0.01–10 mg/L for periods of 4, 8, 16 and 24 h had minimal effect on embryo survival except at 100 mg/L Cu. However, metal-exposed embryos took significantly longer to hatch into first instar (“trilobite”) larvae than seawater controls. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), believed to be important in the response to oxidative stress, were determined by Western blotting. Both the Cu/Zn and Mn cofactor forms of SOD tended to be somewhat elevated in metal-exposed embryos, but the increases were neither dose nor time-dependent. Likewise, SOD enzymatic activity showed no significant differences comparing embryos exposed to metals with seawater controls. We conclude that the protective role of SOD’s against ROS produced in response to metal exposure appears to be limited in horseshoe crab embryos, at least under our experimental conditions.

Description: Although, there exists numerous literature on the procedure for forecasting or predicting election results, in Ghana only opinion poll strategies have been used. To fill this gap, the paper develops Markov chain models for forecasting the 2016 presidential election results at the Regional, Zonal (i.e. Savannah, Coastal and Forest) and the National levels using past presidential election results of Ghana. The methodology develops a model for prediction of the 2016 presidential election results in Ghana using the Markov chains Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology with bootstrap estimates. The results were that the ruling NDC may marginally win the 2016 Presidential Elections but would not obtain the more than 50 % votes to be declared an outright winner. This means that there is going to be a run-off election between the two giant political parties: the ruling NDC and the major opposition party, NPP. The prediction for the 2016 Presidential run-off election between the NDC and the NPP was rather in favour of the major opposition party, the NPP with a little over the 50 % votes obtained.

Description: The study investigated the diversity and genotypic features of alkane hydroxylase genes on rhizoplanes of grasses planted in artificial petroleum-contaminated soils to acquire new insights into the bacterial communities responsible for petroleum degradation in phytoremediation. Four types of grass (Cynodon dactylon, two phenotypes of Zoysia japonica, and Z. matrella) were used. The concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbon effectively decreased in the grass-planted systems compared with the unplanted system. Among the representative alkane hydroxylase genes alkB, CYP153, almA and ladA, the first two were detected in this study, and the genotypes of both genes were apparently different among the systems studied. Their diversity was also higher on the rhizoplanes of the grasses than in unplanted oil-contaminated soils. Actinobacteria-related genes in particular were among the most diverse alkane hydroxylase genes on the rhizoplane in this study, indicating that they are one of the main contributors to degrading alkanes in oil-contaminated soils during phytoremediation. Actinobacteria-related alkB genes and CYP153 genes close to the genera Parvibaculum and Aeromicrobium were found in significant numbers on the rhizoplanes of grasses. These results suggest that the increase in diversity and genotype differences of the alkB and CYP153 genes are important factors affecting petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading ability during phytoremediation.

Description: Changes or introductions of technology or equipment can affect how a sport is played or influence its performances. This article conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature to identify any case studies of controversial events surrounding the implementation or use of sports technology. 56 articles were identified that highlighted 31 different case studies found over a three decade time period. Thematic analysis revealed six distinctive themes when reviewing the articles. Whilst the sport of golf had the highest number of case studies, it was found that a significant level of attention had been recorded in the cases of Oscar Pistorius use of prosthetic legs in athletics and the use of full length swimsuits in swimming. The trend surrounding the number of articles was shown to be initially intermittent but saw a peak period from 2008 to 2010. However, the frequency of such articles since this peak has been more consistent. It is proposed that long periods of time without intervention or resolution by a governing body often increases the peer-reviewed attention paid to such cases in examples such as those identified in this systematic review.

Description: Participation and performance trends for age group marathoners have been investigated for large city marathons such as the ‘New York City Marathon’ but not for mountain marathons. This study investigated participation and trends in performance and sex difference in the mountain marathon ‘Jungfrau Marathon’ held in Switzerland from 2000 to 2014 using single and mixed effects regression analyses. Results were compared to a city marathon (Lausanne Marathon) also held in Switzerland during the same period. Sex difference was calculated using the equation ([race time in women] − [race time in men]/[race time in men] × 100). Changes in sex differences across calendar years and were investigated using linear regression models. In ‘Jungfrau Marathon’, participation in all female and male age groups increased with exception of women in age groups 18–24 and men in age groups 30–34, 40–44 and 60–64 years where participation remained unchanged. In ‘Lausanne Marathon’, participation increased in women in age groups 30–34 to 40–44 years. In men, participation increased in age groups 25–29 to 44–44 years and 50–54 years. In ‘Jungfrau Marathon’ runners became slower across years in age groups 18–24 to 70–74 years. In ‘Lausanne Marathon’, runners became slower across years in age groups 18–24 and 30–34 to 65–69 years, but not for 25–29, 70–74 and 75–79 years. In ‘Jungfrau Marathon’, sex difference increased in age groups 25–29 (from 4 to 10 %) and 60–64 years (from 3 to 8 %) but decreased in age group 40–44 years (from 12 to 6 %). In ‘Lausanne Marathon’, the sex difference showed no changes. In summary, participation increased in most female and male age groups but performance decreased in most age groups for both the mountain marathon ‘Jungfrau Marathon’ and the city marathon ‘Lausanne Marathon’. The sex differences were lower in the ‘Jungfrau Marathon’ (~6–7 %) compared to the ‘Lausanne Marathon’ where the sex difference was ~10–12 % from age groups 18–24 to 55–59 years. These unexpected findings might be a typical Swiss phenomenon. Future studies need to investigate whether this trend can also be found in other endurance sports events held in Switzerland and other mountain marathons held in other countries.

Description: Willingness to pay (WTP) is used to assess individuals’ value attribution to health-related quality of life interventions. Little is known about predictors of WTP for sport and physical activity in socially vulnerable groups in community-based physical activity (CBHEPA) programs. This study addresses the questions: What is the WTP for sport and physical activity of participants in CBHEPA programs, expressed in WTP money and WTP time ? Which factors predict WTP money and WTP time ? From the literature, predictors for WTP for sport and physical activity were identified: (1) personal and socio-economic predictors: income, education, age, and ethnic origin, (2) health-related predictors: perceived health, life satisfaction, sense of coherence, self-efficacy, (3) sport and physical activity-related predictors: duration and frequency of participation, leisure-time sport or physical activity, sport club membership, enjoyment, and membership fee. Data were gathered for WTP money and WTP time (n = 268) in 19 groups in an evaluation study of CBHEPA programs. Ordered probit was used for analyses. WTP money was a monthly average of €9.6. WTP time was on average 17.6 min travel time. Income was found as predictor for both WTP money and WTP time . Other predictors for WTP money were: duration and frequency of program participation, enjoyment, and (former) sport club membership. Low income and younger age were found as predictors for WTP time . Predictors for WTP money are related to income and sport and physical activity experiences, for WTP time to income and age. Short-term program satisfaction is probably more decisive for WTP money than long-term perspectives of improving health-related quality of life.

Description: Ocular surface or epibulbar dermoid lesions may present as limbal dermoids at the corneal limbus or dermolipomas in the conjunctival fornix. The purpose of this study is to review clinical features of ocular surface dermoids (grade I), with the visual axis unaffected, in pediatric patients, in order to find key features for making clinical decision, either resection or observation. The study involved 13 consecutive patients with limbal dermoids or fornix dermolipomas which did not affect the visual axis, seen in 11 years at a referral-based institution. Eight patients underwent surgical resection at the age, ranging from 1 to 18 (median, 4) years, with concurrent preauricular appendage resection in 3 patients. Limbal dermoids in 6 patients presented dome-shaped elevation from the ocular surface, and extended in inferotemporal quadrant for 1–2 clock hours. The remaining 2 patients showed dermolipomas in the temporal conjunctival fornix. Postoperative astigmatism at the final visit ranged from 0 to 7 (median, 2.9) diopters in 6 patients with limbal dermoids while ranged from 0 to 1 diopters in 2 patients with fornix dermolipomas. All patients with meaningful astigmatism wore glasses before and after the surgery, resulting in no apparent ametropic or anisometropic amblyopia. Observation was chosen in 5 patients with the age at initial visit, ranging from 0 to 2 (median, 1) years, and the age at the final visit, ranging from 2 to 6 (median, 3) years. Flat limbal dermoids, extending for 1–2 clock hours, were noted in 3 patients, a dome-shaped limbal dermoid for 1 clock hour in one, and a fornix dermolipoma in one. Three patients had preauricular appendages. No patient, except for one with a dome-shaped limbal dermoid, showed astigmatism, greater than one diopter. In conclusions, dome-shaped limbal dermoids were excised while flat limbal dermoids observed. The age at surgery varied largely in pediatric patients with limbal dermoids (grade I) or fornix dermolipomas which did not affect the visual axis. The surgical timing was influenced by surgical scheduling for preauricular appendage resection, determined by a plastic surgeon. Surgical decision was made for cosmetic purposes, but not for medical needs to avoid amblyopia.

Description: This study aimed to create a unique assessment tool to investigate the physical activity levels of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Previous studies have documented a lack of physical activity within patients living with CKD and patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). Physical activity plays a key role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with CKD are at high risk of developing CVD. Physical inactivity can be considered as a major modifiable risk factor for CVD in CKD patients. In this study 100 patients completed the 20 item questionnaire which produced a total activity score (TAS) and activity loss score for each patient. Bio-chemical markers, haemoglobin, erythropoietin therapy and co-morbidities were documented for each patient. Results were compared against 50 age, sex-matched controls. Results showed a significant difference in TAS between in-centre haemodialysis (ICHD) patients and the healthy control group. A significant difference was also seen with the home haemodialysis (HD) and ICHD patients against the transplant group (TX). Our quick assessment tool identified the ICHD patients as the most physically inactive group within the CKD and RRT population compared to a healthy control group. We therefore recommend that doctors encourage physical activity within this high risk group and start ‘prescribing exercise’ to their patients.

Description: We describe a case of inappropriate shocks due to temporary epicardial pacing after cardiothoracic surgery in a patient with a subcutaneous ICD.

Description: A body-surface electrocardiograph system employs unique spring-loaded metal-rod electrodes encased in metal housings to minimize set-up time and noise. 124 electrodes spaced at 35 mm intervals acquire body-surface potential with a 10 kHz sampling rate to capture and image (time sequentially) electrical activity of the heart not observable with standard 12-lead electrocardiography. Possible applications surveyed include assessing cardiopulmonary facility, examining age-related effects, and quantifying warning signs for myocardial infarction.

Description: No description available

Description: Significant morphological, clinical and biological prognostic factors vary according to molecular subtypes of breast tumors, yet comprehensive analysis of such factors linked to survival in each group is lacking. Clinicopathological and micro-environmental criteria, estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) receptors, HER2, Ki67, basal markers, CD24, CD44, ALDH1, BCL2, E-Cadherin and Trio were assessed in 1070 primary operable breast cancers from a single center according to five main molecular subtypes and associations with distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were examined. There were 682 (64 %) luminal A (LA), 166 (16 %) Luminal B HER2 negative (LBH−), 47 (4 %) Luminal B HER2 positive (LBH+), 108 (10 %) triple negative (TN) and 67 (6 %) HER2-enriched tumors (H2+). Median follow-up was 13.7 years. At 5 years, DMFS in LA (90 %) was better than in LBH− (80.9 %), hazard ratio (HR) = 2.22 [1.44–3.43] P 

Description: This paper represents the first research attempt to estimate the probabilities of Vietnamese patients falling into destitution due to financial burdens occurring during a curative hospital stay. The study models risk against such factors as level of insurance coverage, residency status of patient, and cost of treatment, among others. The results show that very high probabilities of destitution, approximately 70 %, apply to a large group of patients, who are non-residents, poor and ineligible for significant insurance coverage. There is also a probability of 58 % that seriously ill low-income patients who face higher health care costs would quit their treatment. These facts put the Vietnamese government’s ambitious plan of increasing both universal coverage (UC) to 100 % of expenditure and the rate of UC beneficiaries to 100 %, to a serious test. The current study also raises issues of asymmetric information and alternative financing options for the poor, who are most exposed to risk of destitution following market-based health care reforms.JEL Classification: I13, I18, I19.

Description: No description available

Description: Eribulin mesylate has efficacy in patients who have received ≥2 prior chemotherapies for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) including an anthracycline and taxane. Phase 2 trials showed clinical activity and acceptable tolerability of first-line eribulin (HER2− MBC; Study 206) and eribulin plus trastuzumab (HER2+ MBC; Study 208). Prespecified analyses evaluated efficacy by prior anthracycline and/or taxane use. Patients received eribulin mesylate (1.4 mg/m 2 IV; Days 1 and 8) and, in Study 208, trastuzumab (8 mg/kg IV/Cycle 1, then 6 mg/kg; Day 1) in 21-day cycles. Endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and tolerability. In Study 206 (N = 56), 48 % of patients had received prior anthracycline, 46 % prior taxane, 36 % prior anthracycline and taxane, and 41 % were chemotherapy-naïve. In Study 208 (N = 52), these percentages were 21, 44, 17, and 52 %, respectively. In Study 206, ORR and median PFS were similar for anthracycline-pretreated (25.9 %, 5.8 months), taxane-pretreated (26.9 %, 5.8 months), anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated (25.0 %, 6.7 months), and anthracycline/taxane-naïve patients (30.4 %, 7.6 months). In Study 208, ORR/median PFS were 63.6 %/6.7 months among anthracycline-pretreated patients, 56.5 %/6.8 months among taxane-pretreated patients, 55.6 %/5.9 months among anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated patients, and 81.5 %/13.1 months among anthracycline/taxane-naïve patients. Tolerability was generally similar among subgroups. In these studies, first-line eribulin in HER2− MBC and eribulin/trastuzumab in HER2+ MBC was effective with acceptable tolerability, regardless of prior anthracycline/taxane treatment. Prior chemotherapy was associated with lower ORR and shorter PFS with eribulin/trastuzumab in HER2+ MBC but not with eribulin in HER2− MBC.

Description: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive disease which results from mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene. The aim of this study was the identification of sixteen different mutations in Iranian patients with hyperphenylalaninemia. The mutations were detected during the characterization of PAH genotypes of 39 PKU patients from Qazvin and Zanjan provinces of Iran. PAH mutations have been analyzed by PCR and direct sequencing of PCR products of the promoter region and all 13 exons of PAH gene, including the splicing sites. A mutation detection rate of 74.3 % was realized. Two mutations were found at high frequencies: R176X (10.25 %) and p.P281L (10.25 %). The frequencies of the other mutations were: IVS2+5G〉A (2.56 %), IVS2+5G〉C (2.56 %), p.L48S (2.56 %), p.R243Q (2.56 %), p.R252Q (5.12 %), p.R261Q (7.69 %), p.R261X (5.12 %), p.E280K (2.56 %), p.I283N (2.56 %), IVS9+5G〉A (2.56 %), IVS9+1G〉A (1.28 %), IVS11+1G〉C (1.28 %), p.C357R (1.28 %), c.632delC (2.56 %). The present results confirm the high heterogeneity of the PAH locus and contribute to information about the distribution and frequency of PKU mutations in the Iranian population.

Description: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is th e commonest primary glomerular disease worldwide. Studies on its prevalence in Brazil are however scarce. Databases and clinical records from 10 reference centres were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and laboratory features at the moment of the biopsy were retrieved (age, gender, presence of hematuria, serum creatinine [mg/dL], proteinuria [g/24 h]). Renal biopsy findings were classified according to Haas single grade classification scheme and the Oxford Classification of IgAN. 600 cases of IgAN were identified, of which 568 (94.7 %) were on native kidneys. Male to female ratio was 1.24:1. Patients averaged 32.76 ± 15.12 years old (range 4–89, median 32). Proteinuria and hematuria were observed, respectively in 56.63 and 72.29 % of patients. The association of both these findings occurred in 37.95 % of the cases. Serum creatinine averaged 1.65 ± 0.67 mg/dL (median 1.5 mg/dL) at diagnosis. Segmental sclerosis and mesangial hypercellularity were the main glomerular findings (47.6 and 46.2 %) The commonest combination by Oxford Classification of IgAN, was M0 E0 S0 T0 (22.4 %). Chronic tubulo-interstitial lesions with an extension wider than 25 % of the renal cortex could be identified in 32.2 % of the cases. Tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis were more strongly associated with higher 24-h proteinuria and serum creatinine levels. Segmental sclerosis (S1) showed a stronger tendency of association with the presence of tubulo-interstitial lesions (T1 and T2) than other glomerular variables. To the best of our knowledge this is the largest series of IgAN in Brazil. It depicts the main biopsy findings and their possible clinical correlates. Our set of data is comparable to previous reports.

Description: Cronobacter species are motile, non-spore forming, Gram negative emerging opportunistic pathogens mostly associated with bacteremia, meningitis, septicemia, brain abscesses and necrotizing enterocolitis in infected neonates, infants and immunocompromised adults. Members of the genus Cronobacter are previously associated with powdered infant formula although the main reservoir and routes of contamination are yet to be ascertained. This study therefore aim to summarize occurrence and prevalence of Cronobacter spp. from different food related sources. A retrospective systematic review and meta-analysis of peer reviewed primary studies reported between 2008 and 2014 for the occurrence and prevalence of Cronobacter spp. in animal and plant related sources was conducted using “Cronobacter isolation”, “Cronobacter detection” and “Cronobacter enumeration” as search terms in the following databases: Web of Science (Science Direct) and ProQuest. Data extracted from the primary studies were then analyzed with meta-analysis techniques for effect rate and fixed effects was used to explore heterogeneity between the sources. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plot. A total of 916 articles were retrieved from the data bases of which 28 articles met inclusion criteria. Cronobacter spp. could only be isolated from 103 (5.7 %) samples of animal related food while 123 (19 %) samples of plant related food samples harbors the bacteria. The result of this study shows that occurrence of Cronobacter was more prevalent in plant related sources with overall prevalence rate of 20.1 % (95 % CI 0.168–0.238) than animal originated sources with overall prevalence rate of 8 % (95 % CI 0.066–0.096). High heterogeneity (I 2  = 84) was observed mostly in plant related sources such as herbs, spices and vegetables compared to animal related sources (I 2  = 82). It could be observed from this study that plant related sources serve as reservoir and contamination routes of Cronobacter spp.

Description: Sandal (Santalum album L) contains several interesting amino acids and amines which are not seen in other plants. This includes cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline in free form in leaves, flowers and seeds while trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline in bound form. Traces of 3, 4 dehydroproline is also detected in sandal leaves. Biosynthesis of cis-4-hydroxy proline indicates that hydroxylation taken place at proline present in peptidyl form especially bound to glutamic acid and aspartic acid. Pyrrolizidine-2-carboxylic acid an interesting isatin positive heterocyclic compound is also present in sandal leaves. Sandal also contains sym. homospermidine which is not present in any other plants till today. Biosynthesis of sym. homospermidine goes by a unique pathway of putrescine oxidation, Schiff base formation, condensation and reduction. Moreover sandal leaves contain γ-glutamyl derivative of the lachrymatory precursor of onion, γ-glutamyl-S-propenyl cysteine superoxide. This review summarizes the studies on the amino acids in sandal.

Description: Incremental exercise testing is frequently used as a tool for evaluating determinants of endurance performance. The available reference values for the peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ), % of VO 2peak , running speed at the lactate threshold (v LT ), running economy (RE), and maximal running speed (v peak ) for different age, gender, and disciplines are not sufficient for the elite athletic population. The key variables of 491 young athletes (age range 12–21 years; 250 males, 241 females) assessed during a running step test protocol (2.4 m s −1 ; increase 0.4 m s −1  5 min −1 ) were analysed in five subgroups, which were related to combat-, team-, endurance-, sprint- and power-, and racquet-related disciplines. Compared with female athletes, male athletes achieved a higher v peak (P = 0.004). The body mass, lean body mass, height, abs. VO 2peak (ml min −1 ), rel. VO 2peak (ml kg −1  min −1 ), rel. VO 2peak (ml min −1  kg −0.75 ), and RE were higher in the male participants compared with the females (P 

Description: The electronic and optical properties of CdSe in two phases, cubic and wurtzite, have been studied by first principal calculations using the density functional theory. The optical parameters such as transmittance, optical absorption, refractive index and extinction coefficient have been investigated. We have calculated also the band structure, and total/partial density of state using the full potential-linearized augmented plane wave method with the local density approximation, generalized gradient approximation and the modified Becke–Johnson functional (mBJ), implemented in the Wien2k package. With the mBJ approximation the gap found for cubic and wurtzite structure is direct and is equal to 1.85 and 1.7 eV respectively, what corresponds to the experiment results. The optical absorption is significant in the ultraviolet field while it becomes low beyond 600 nm in the visible light for CdSe in different structures. From λ = 400 nm the transmittance is stable and reaches 80 %. With Boltztrap package, we have investigated also that with increasing temperature, the electrical conductivity increases. During the calculation, the cubic structure has presented an isotropy. While for wurtzite CdSe, the propagation of waves into system is different in xx and zz directions. These results can be exploited in several applications of CdSe in optoelectronic devices.

Description: The population density of Kashmir gray langurs (Semnopithecus ajax) was studied in Dachigam National Park (DNP), Kashmir using distance sampling method. A total of 13 transects (1.5–2.5 km in length) were surveyed in the intensive study area (~90 km 2 ) yielding 170 encounters in different seasons of the study period (2011–2013). Some aspects of behavior and feeding were also studied during the winter months (Dec–Feb) of 2012 and 2013 inside DNP. We used instantaneous scan sampling to collect behavioral data determining the time budget and diet of langurs in winter conditions. Results suggested that the density of Kashmir gray langurs varied marginally across seasons, with the highest density recorded during winter and lowest during summer season. Langurs spent most of their time in carrying out various social activities (34.32 %) and least in resting (18.41 %). Langurs fed upon 13 plant species (belonging to 12 families) and consumed a substantial proportion of bark (37.4 %) in their diet. We conclude that langur density is low in DNP as compared to other plain areas of the Indian subcontinent and langurs in DNP have balanced their time budget and diet so as to increase their chances of survival in the unfavorably cold and food scarce winter conditions.

Description: This paper attempts to identify the extent to which the affective characteristics of Malaysian and Singaporean students’ attainment compared to the OECD average in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012, and examine the influence of students’ affective characteristics, gender, and their socioeconomic status on mathematics performance at both student and school levels. Sample consisted of 5197 and 5546 15-year-old Malaysian and Singaporean students. Data were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling approach with HLM 7.0 software. Results showed that the Index of economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS), mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics anxiety have significant effects on mathematics performance in Malaysia and Singapore at the student level. Proportion of boys at the school level has no significant effects on mathematics performance for both Malaysian and Singaporean students. ESCS mean at the school level has positive and significant effects on mathematics performance in Malaysia, but not in Singapore. Limitations, implications, and future studies were discussed.

Description: The problem of base changes for the classical symmetric functions has been solved a long time ago and has been incorporated into most computer software packages for symmetric functions. In this paper, we develop a simple recursive formula for the expansion of the augmented monomial symmetric functions into power sum symmetric functions. As corollaries, we present two algorithms that can be used to expressing the augmented monomial symmetric functions in terms of the power sum symmetric functions.Mathematics Subject Classification: 05E05, 11P81.

Description: To ascertain the prevalence of diabetes mellitus from history and biochemical estimation so as to attest the WHO Rule of halves in a lean population. A population based national survey on diabetes mellitus was carried out in 2009. History and fingerpicks blood analysis were examined according to recommended procedures of the WHO STEPwise approach and the WHO recommended automated machine to compare the two modalities of estimating diabetes prevalence. Over 6000 people with a response rate of 95 % and a prevalence of raised blood glucose of 5.0 %. The prevalence from history of raised blood sugar was 2.2 %. Less than half (47 %) of the persons with high blood glucose were aware of their status with less than half on treatment. Of those on treatment less than half (30 %) were well controlled. Prevalence of raised fasting blood glucose was more than double that estimated from history, with less than half of the people aware of their status and of those on treatment nearly half are under good control. The underestimation of the disease through history supports the WHO rule of halves and calls for the use of biochemical tests when estimating prevalence of diabetes in the general population or at least doubling the rate from history alone.

Description: This study investigated the effects of the supplementation with allspice (0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g kg −1 ) on the haemato-immunological and biochemical variables in tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus under acidic stress condition. In a 60-day feeding trial, 15 aquariums (80-L) were stocked with 18 fish (20.05 ± 0.10 g) each. Then, acidic stress was achieved by exposing the sampled fish to acidic water (pH 5.5) for 3 days. Allspice supplementation influenced the haematological indices, serum glucose, protein, globulin and innate immune parameters such as respiratory burst activity, lysozyme, and myeloperoxidase activities. In general, at acidic pH decreased circulating red blood cell numbers (RBC), increased mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and the innate immune parameters were observed. On the other hand, the inclusion of allspice prevented an increase in blood glucose MCV and MCH, decreases in albumin, RBC, lysozyme activity and respiratory burst avtivity. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that allspice supplementation at 10 g kg −1 for 60 days, has adequate beneficial effects on improvement of haemato-immunological and biochemical status of O. mossambicus after stressful management.

Description: Nowadays, novel applications for polyaniline (PANI) make new demands on its morphology controlling, and designing novel PANI or PANI composite polymeric materials has been more and more attractive. In this work, octaaminophenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) was employed to prepare nanostructured PANI composites via controlled fabrication. By interfacial copolymerization, fibrous nanostructure was obtained. The size and morphology of this structure was adjusted by changing POSS to OAPS ratio: the size increased from about 20 to 200 nm when the molar ratio of POSS in the composites increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mol %. More importantly, further hydrothermal treatment for the samples with higher POSS concentration resulted in mesoporous structure on a more microscopic scale, which helps to improve the thermal stability. In the total synthesis, POSS played an important role in the morphology controlling of the composites.

Description: Given the difference in incidence of biologic subtype of breast cancer between black and white women, and the potential disparity in type of surgery in black and white women presenting with early stage breast cancer, this study aimed to examine the odds of mastectomy compared to lumpectomy by molecular subtype in black and white women with size T1 and T2 invasive breast cancer. Using the SEER database, breast operation choice for women over the age of 15 with T1 or T2 tumors between 2010 and 2012 were examined. Tumors were categorized according to the Breast Subtype variable in the SEER database and data were stratified by tumor size and race. Bivariate comparisons and logistic regression models adjusted for age were used. In women with T1 or T2 tumors, mastectomy rates were higher in women with Her2 positive tumors than in those with Her2 negative tumors. When Her2 results are the same among comparison groups, those women with HR positive tumors were less likely to undergo a mastectomy than those with HR negative tumors. In T1 tumors, the magnitude of the association was larger for white women than women of other races. Results suggest there are differences in surgical decision making based on breast cancer subtype in women with T1 or T2 tumors and that race may play a role for size T1 tumors. The strong association between Her2 positive tumors and higher mastectomy rates warrants further investigation.

Description: The concerned paper illustrates the comparison of two stochastic models of a cable manufacturing plant with varying demand. Here, it shows the comparison between a single unit system (Model 1) and a two-unit cold standby system (Model 2). In Model 1, the system is either in working state on some demand or put to shut down mode on no demand. In Model 2, at initial stage, one of the units is operative while the other is kept as cold standby. At times when the operative unit stops working due to some breakdown/failure, the standby unit instantaneously becomes operative while the repairman repairs the failed unit. In this working model, only one unit remains operative at a time. However, there may be a state when both the units fail. The comparison of systems is done by means of MTSF (mean time to system failure), steady state availability and profit function using Laplace transforms and software package Code-Blocks 13.12. Different graphs have been plotted to discover which model is superior to the other model under the given conditions. The system is analysed by making use of semi-Markov processes and regenerative point technique.Mathematics Subject Classification: 97K60, 90B25, 60K10.

Description: The study was aimed at evaluating the validity of impact measures among patients with Ménière’s disease (MD) with outcome variables of EuroQol generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures (i.e., EQ-5D) by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and EQ-5D index values. 183 members (out of 200 contacted) of the Finish Ménière Association returned the questionnaires that they had filled out. Various open-ended and structured questionnaires focusing on diagnostic aspects of symptoms and impairment caused by the disease were used. For activity limitation and participation restriction, standardized questionnaires were used. Open-ended questions on impact of the disease were asked, and subsequently classified based on the WHO-ICF classification. The general HRQoL was evaluated with EQ-5D index value and EQ VAS instruments. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between HRQoL and other aspects. Based on the explanatory power of different models the disease specific semeionic model provides the most accurate prediction in EQ-5D index calculations (38 % of the variance explained). In EQ VAS scores, HRQoL is most accurately determined by participation restriction (53 % of the variance explained), but the worst prediction was in ICF-based limitations (8 % of the variance explained). Interestingly, attitude and personal trait explained the reduction of HRQoL somewhat better than ICF-based variables. Activity limitation and participation restrictions are significant components of MD, but are less frequently recognized as significant factors in self-evaluating the effect of MD on the quality of life. The current study results suggest that MD patients seem to have problem identifying factors causing activity limitation and participation restrictions and hence use the semiotic description focusing on complaints.

Description: The composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL) is presented as a general TL possessing both left-handed (LH) and right-handed (RH) natures. RH materials have both positive permittivity and positive permeability, and LH materials have both negative permittivity and negative permeability. This paper aims to design and analyze nonlinear CRLH-TL transmission line loaded with resonant tunneling diode (RTD). The main application of this design is a very wideband and compact filter that amplifies the travelling signal. We used OrCAD and ADS software to analyze the proposed circuit. CRLH-TL consists of a microstrip line which is loaded with complementary split-rings resonators (CSRRs), series gaps, and shunt inductor connected parallel to the RTD. The designed structure possess a wide band that ranges from 5 to 10.5 GHz and amplifies signal up to 50 %. The proposed design is of interest to microwave compact component designers.

Description: Approximately 10 % of the population worldwide suffers from hearing loss (HL) and about 60 % of persons with early onset HL have hereditary hearing loss due to genetic mutations. Highly efficient mutagenesis in mice with the chemical mutagen, ethylnitrosourea (ENU), associated with relevant phenotypic tools represents a powerful approach in producing mouse models for hearing impairment. A benefit of this strategy is to generate alleles to form a series revealing the full spectrum of gene function in vivo. It can also mimic the range of human mutations and polymorphisms for HL. In the course of a genome ENU mutagenesis program, we selected a new mouse model for hearing defect based on a dysmorphological screen. We identified by gene mapping the mutation responsible for this phenotype and characterized it at the histological level of the inner ear and evaluated the vestibule by following the recommendations of the standard operating procedures, IMPReSS. We have identified and characterized a new recessive allele of the otogelin gene, Otog vbd/vbd , due to a homozygous one base pair substitution at the splice donor site of intron 29. This mutation leads to a frame-shift and a premature stop codon. We observed a decrease in the amount of sensory cells in the maculae of Otog vbd/vbd mice as well as an apparent drastically decreased density to almost absence of the otoconial membrane. Compared to Otog tm1Prs and twister, the two other existing otogelin alleles, the detailed analysis of Otog vbd/vbd revealed that these mice share some common behavioural characteristics either with Otog tm1Prs or twister whereas the fine vestibular phenotype and the hearing defect are different. Our results emphasize the importance of detecting and characterizing a new allele of a gene in order to get comprehensive information about the gene function.

Description: A range of balance between flexor and extensor muscles is fundamental in order to prevent pathologies caused by bad postures or to ensure health of the joint as a measure of prevention of overtraining in specific muscle groups. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the ratio between “pulling” and “pushing” strength in sedentary individuals. 212 healthy participants, of both genders (139 male and 73 female; age 32 ± 13.3 years, weight 70.2 ± 14.1 kg, height 173 ± 9 cm) were retained for investigation. Strength was assessed through a new methodology: Pulling through a lat-pulldown test while pushing strength through a chest-press test. Both tests were performed to exhaustion with an overload of 30 % of each participants bodyweight. Such method aims to prevent excessive overloads in sedentary individuals. Pearson’s correlations and a t test to assess differences were analyzed. Subsequently, the ratio for both genders of pulling and pushing local endurance strength was assessed by means. A mean number of 57 repetitions was shown with the lat-pulldown while 34 repetition with the chest press. A correlation of 0.42 has been found between the number of repetitions of the two tests. A significant difference (p 

Description: Whether operative treatment for complex proximal humeral fractures (CPHFs) has a greater benefit over non-operative treatment remains controversial. There is no consensus on the optimal treatment in elderly patients with CPHFs. This updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aims to investigate whether operative treatment is superior to non-operative treatment in CPHFs. The authors searched RCTs in the electronic databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Embase, Springer Link, Web of Knowledge, OVID and Google Scholar) from their establishment to July 2015. Researches on operative and non-operative treatment for CPHFs were selected in this meta-analysis. The quality of all studies was assessed and effective data was pooled for this meta-analysis. Outcome measurements were functional status include constant scores (CS scores) and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand scores (DASH scores), total complication rates and healthy-related quality of life. The meta-analysis was performed with software revman 5.3. Nine articles with a total 518 patients (average age 70.93) met inclusion criteria. Patients were followed up for at least 1 year in all the studies. No statistical differences were found between operative and non-operative treatment in CS scores at 12 mo (months) [MD 1.06 95 % CI (−3.51, 5.62)] and 24 mo [MD −0.61 95 % CI (−5.87, 4.65)]. There are also no statistical differences between operative and non-operative treatment in DASH scores at 12 mo [MD −4.51 95 % CI (−13.49, 4.47)] and 24 mo [MD −7.43 95 % CI (−16.14, 1.27)]. Statistical differences were found between operative and non-operative treatment in total complication rates [RR 1.55, 95 % CI (1.24, 1.94)]. Statistical differences in EQ-5D at 24 mo [MD 0.15, 95 % CI (0.05, 0.24)] were found between operative and non-operative treatment but no statistical differences were found in ED-5D at 12 mo [MD 0.08, 95 % CI (−0.01, 0.17)], 15D at 12 mo [MD 0.02, 95 % CI (−0.68, 0.73)] and 15D at 24 mo [MD 0.02, 95 % CI (−0.07, 0.83)]. Operative treatments did not significantly improve the functional outcome and healthy-related quality of life in elderly patients. Instead, Operative treatment for CPHFs led to higher incidence of postoperative complications.

Description: Limb volume measurements are used for evaluating growth of muscle mass and effectivity of strength training. Beside sport sciences, it is used e.g. for detection of oedemas, lymphedemas or carcinomas or for examinations of muscle atrophy. There are several commonly used methods, but there is a lack of clear comparison, which shows their advantages and limits. The accuracy of each method is uncertainly estimated only. The aim of this paper is to determine and experimentally verify their accuracy and compare them among each other. Water Displacement Method (WD), three methods based on circumferential measures—Frustum Sign Model (FSM), Disc Model (DM), Partial Frustum Model (PFM) and two 3D scan based methods Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were compared. Precise reference cylinders and limbs of two human subjects were measured 10 times by each method. Personal dependency of methods was also tested by measuring 10 times the same object by 3 different people. Accuracies: WD 0.3 %, FSM 2–8 % according person, DM, PFM 1–8 %, MRI 2 % (hand) or 8 % (finger), CT 0.5 % (hand) or 2 % (finger);times: FSM 1 min, CT 7 min, WD, DM, PFM 15 min, MRI 19 min; and more. WD was found as the best method for most of uses with best accuracy. The CT disposes with almost the same accuracy and allows measurements of specific regions (e.g. particular muscles), as same as MRI, which accuracy is worse though, but it is not harmful. Frustum Sign Model is usable for very fast estimation of limb volume, but with lower accuracy, Disc Model and Partial Frustum Model is useful in cases when Water Displacement cannot be used.