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Ketamine has been abused as a psychedelic agent and causes diverse neurobehavioral changes. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage but vulnerable to substances and environmental stimuli. Growing evidence shows that ketamine affects glutamatergic neurotransmission, which is important for memory storage, addiction, and psychosis. To explore diverse biological responses, this study was designed to assess ketamine sensitivity in mice of different ages and strains. Male C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice were studied in adolescence and adulthood separately. An open field test assessed motor behavioral changes. After a 30-min baseline habituation, mice were injected with ketamine (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg), and their locomotion was measured for 60 min. Following ketamine injection, the travelled distance and speed significantly increased in C57BL/6J mice between both age groups (p < 0.01), but not in BALB/c mice. The pattern of hyperlocomotion showed that mice were delayed at the higher dose (50 mg/kg) compared to the lower dose (25 mg/kg) of ketamine treatment. Ketamine accentuated locomotor activation in adolescent C57BL/6J mice compared to adults, but not in the BALB/c strain. Here, we show that ketamine-induced locomotor behavior is modulated by dose and age. The discrepancy of neurobehaviors in the two strains of mice indicates that sensitivity to ketamine is biologically determined. This study suggests that individual vulnerability to ketamine’s pharmacological responses varies biologically.

Background: To mitigate diabetes and its complications in cardiovascular diseases, the antidiabetic agent Glimepiride (GLM) is usually administered with Ferulic Acid (FA) concomitantly in clinical settings. However, both drugs are prone to be metabolized partly by CYP2C9; thus, they have the potential drug-drug interaction affecting safety and efficacy. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the Pharmacokinetic (PK) effects of ferulic acid on glimepiride and its metabolite hydroxy glimepiride (OH-GLM) in plasma by using the HPLCMS/ MS method. Methods: Healthy male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups and received intragastric administration of 0.5% sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), low-dose of FA (20 mg•kg-1 ), and high-dose of FA (40 mg•kg-1) for 8 days, respectively. Rats were given 0.5% sodium CMC or FA on the last day and then uniformly given 1.0 mg•kg-1 glimepiride by gavage. Blood samples were obtained from retro-orbital plexus at the time points of 0.167, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration. Plasma samples were analyzed for GLM and its metabolite OH-GLM on an HPLC-MS/MS system. Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the effect of low-dose of FA on the pharmacokinetics of GLM. However, high-dose of FA significantly decreased Cmax of GLM by 30.05% and CLz/F of OH-GLM by 47.45% and increased Tmax and t1/2z of GLM by 95.87% and 140.00%, respectively. Conclusion: Low-dose of FA did not alter GLM metabolism, while high-dose treatment of FA apparently caused pharmacokinetics interaction with GLM in rats.

Background Previous studies have shown that psilocybin has antidepressant effects. In the current study, we aim to explore the dose effects of psilocybin on primary (major depression patients) and secondary depression (depressed cancer patients). Methods Published studies concerning psilocybin for depression were retrieved. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, 6 databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Clinicaltrials.gov 2.3 and WanFang database) were searched for research studies published or still in progress from inception to 30 November, 2020, with language restricted to English and Chinese. Hedges’ g of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score changes was calculated as the primary outcome. Results 7 articles were finally included, with a total of 136 participants. In terms of efficacy, Hedges’ g was 1.289 (95%CI=[1.020, 1.558], heterogeneity I2=50.995%, p 1month: Hedges’ g=1.123, 95%CI=[0.861, 1.385], p Limitations Only a small number of studies can be identified of variable quality, thus our conclusions remain preliminary. Conclusions Our preliminary results have shown that psilocybin exerts a rapid effect in reducing depressive symptom on primary and secondary depression. The optimal dose of psilocybin may be 30-35mg/70kg or higher; future clinical trials are warranted for further evaluation on its effect.

Purpose: Aphasia is a debilitating chronic acquired language disorder that impacts heavily on a person’s life. Behavioural treatments aim to remediate language processing skills or to enhance communication between the person with aphasia and others, and a number of different treatments are efficacious. However, it is unclear how much of a particular treatment a person needs in order to optimise recovery of language and communication skills following stroke. Materials and methods: Systematic search for and meta-analysis of experimental studies that directly compared different amounts of the same behavioural aphasia treatment, following PRISMA guidelines. Results: Treatment dose research in aphasia is an emerging area. Just six studies comparing different doses of the same intervention met all criteria for inclusion. Evidence from these studies was synthesised and meta-analysed, where possible. Meta-analyses were inconclusive due to limited data; however, there are indications that suggest increased dose may confer greater improvement on language and communication measures, but with diminishing returns over time. Aphasia severity and chronicity may affect dose–response relationships. Conclusions: There is currently insufficient evidence to determine the effect of dose on treatment response. A dedicated and coordinated research agenda is required to systematically explore dose–response relationships in post-stroke aphasia interventions. A video abstract is available in the Supplementary Material.Implications for rehabilitation The investigation of the effect of dose on treatment outcomes in post-stroke aphasia is an emerging research area with few studies reporting comparison of different amounts of the same intervention. In the acute phase of recovery following stroke, higher doses of treatment provided over short periods may not be preferable, tolerable, or superior to lower doses of the same treatment. In the chronic phase, providing additional blocks of treatment may confer additional benefit for some people with aphasia but with diminishing returns. People with chronic aphasia can achieve and maintain significant gains in picture naming after a relatively brief period of high-dose treatment.

International audience; In the context of lifetime extension of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), electric cable ageing has to be checked to evaluate their performance during normal operation. These electric cables are complex materials, with a conductor and insulating shield in the metal and insulating layer and sheath in the polymer; the most sensitive layer is commonly considered to be the insulating layer. The ageing mechanism upon irradiation under oxidative conditions has been evaluated using gas mass spectrometry and the first conclusions have been drawn. Nonetheless, the data obtained are very numerous and complex; thus, the objective of this new article regards these experimental results using mathematical tools. It allowed confirmation of all the results obtained on these materials, but using chemometrics, i.e., statistical/mathematical analyses, of the results. Using these powerful mathematical tools gives strength to the analyses realised and to the conclusions obtained.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in Down syndrome (DS) pathology since the gene dose effect leads to abnormal levels of certain enzymes and metabolites. In this review, we focused on relatively easy-to-obtain, peripheral markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, in order to compare the levels of these markers in DS patients and chromosomally healthy persons. Studies taking into account age- and sex-matched control groups were of particular interest in this context. We analyzed the factors that influence the levels of said markers in both groups (i.e., the usefulness of the markers), including the age of DS patients, occurrence of regular trisomy 21 or mosaicism, physical activity of patients, and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in DS. This paper was conceived as a handbook—to help for selecting suitable, easy-to-obtain markers for monitoring of the health status of DS patients (e.g., in nutritional studies and during dietary supplementation).

The calibration dependence of dicentrics and rings chromosomes with an accompanying fragment induction in human lymphocytes by in vitro 137Сs acute gamma irradiation of blood in the dose range of 0.09 - 1.0 Gy is presented. The application of the obtained calibration curve for estimation of “biological” doses for overexposed 9 persons from the contract staff of the Chornobyl SSE is shown. Their doses calculated by the frequency of dicentrics and centric rings with consideration of operation duration and mode in the zone of influence of the radiation factor, significantly exceeded the doses determined by the methods of physical dosimetry.

Salt and alkaline stress is one of the important problems restricting agricultural production and afforestation projects. This kind of stress will greatly limit the growth and development of forest trees. Recently, melatonin has been gradually realized as a strong kind of antioxidant due to its important regulatory and protective roles in the process of plant growth and development. This study takes Xin Lin 1 (Populus cathayana × canadansis ‘Xin Lin 1’) as the research object, and measures the changes of physiological indexes at different time points to verify the alleviation effect of melatonin under salt and alkaline stress. In this experiment, plants have different behaviors in the face of different levels of exogenous melatonin. Among them, low concentrations of melatonin (50 μM and 100 μM) were more helpful to reduce the levels of MDA and osmotic regulators in leaves. At this level, the SOD and CAT content in the leaves increased significantly. Melatonin at 800 μM was more inclined to induce POD, but its activity was not significantly induced. Overall, melatonin contributes to the secretion of ABA in plants and has a tendency to inhibit the content of SA. It is worth mentioning that the 100 μM melatonin treatment was more conducive to the secretion of IAA. To sum up, this experiment proves that melatonin has a dose effect in alleviating stress.

The dependence of the action of lactone-structure brassinosteroids in composition with a growth-inhibiting dose of glyphosate on the root system and the aerial part of fiber flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings was determined. The species specificity of growth responses to seed incrustation by such mixtures was identified. The concentration ranges of brassinosteroids, in which their interaction with the herbicide is most pronounced, were detected. In this case, there is an increase (on spring barley seedlings) or weakening (on fiber flax seedlings) of the inhibitory effect of glyphosate on the root system.

Objective: Psychotherapy for depression is effective for many veterans, but the relationship between number of treatment sessions and symptom outcomes is not well established. The Dose-Effect model predicts that greater psychotherapeutic dose (total sessions) yields greater symptom improvement with each additional session resulting in smaller session-to-session improvement. In contrast, the Good-Enough Level (GEL) model predicts that rate of symptom improvement varies by total psychotherapeutic dose with faster improvement associated with earlier termination. This study compared the dose-effect and GEL model among veterans receiving psychotherapy for depression within the Veterans Health Administration. Method: The sample included 13,647 veterans with ≥2 sessions of psychotherapy for depression with associated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores in primary care (n = 7,502) and specialty mental health clinics (n = 6,145) between October 2014 and September 2018. Multilevel longitudinal modeling was used to compare the Dose-Effect and GEL models within each clinic type. Results: The GEL model demonstrated greater fit for both clinic types relative to dose-effect models. In both treatment settings, veterans with fewer sessions improved faster than those with more sessions. In primary care clinics, veterans who received 4-8 total sessions achieved similar levels of symptom response. In specialty mental health clinics, increased psychotherapeutic dose was associated with greater treatment response up to 16 sessions. Veterans receiving 20 sessions demonstrated minimal treatment response. Conclusions: These findings support the GEL model and suggest a flexible approach to determining length of psychotherapy for depression may be useful for optimizing treatment response and allocation of clinical resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Purpose: Plotting dose-effect curves for translocations identified using the tricolor FISH method based on the results of cytogenetic analysis of cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy donors after in vitro gamma irradiation. Material and methods: Venous blood was obtained from three donors (2 men and 1 woman aged from 28 to 41 years) and subjected to in vitro gamma irradiation from a 60Co source at doses of 0.10; 0.15; 0.25; 0.35; 0.50; 0.75; 1.00; 1.50; 2.00 and 3.00 Gy at 37 ° C (dose rate 0.5 Gy / min). For tricolor FISH staining, two different sets of DNA probes were used for chromosome pairs 1, 4, 12 and 2, 3, 8. Metaphases with a quasi-diploid number of chromosomes (40-46) and a complete set of all FISH-stained chromosomes, taking into account their total length, were selected for analysis. Differentiation of stable and unstable cells was also carried out. In the cytogenetic analysis, traditional terminology was used with the designation of translocations as reciprocal (complete, two-sided), non-reciprocal (terminal, incomplete, or unilateral), or interstitial. Results: The obtained numerical data were used to statistically compare the frequencies of FISH-recorded translocations when using different sets of DNA probes, when calculating of chromosome aberrations were in all (unstable and stable) and stable metaphase cells, when comparing of the frequencies of FISH-recorded translocations and dicentrics, and assessing of the contribution of the level of translocations between FISH-stained chromosome pairs in the total translocation frequency. The plotted dose-effect curves generally corresponded to the linear-quadratic form. Conclusion: Dose dependences obtained for translocations using two different selected tricolor sets of DNA probes did not differ statistically significantly. At the same time, cytogenetic analysis of only stable metaphase cells revealed a tendency to register lower levels of translocations than when analyzing all cells (unstable and stable ), at the highest doses of 2 and 3 Gy. The levels of dicentrics formed with the participation of FISH-stained chromosomes were significantly lower than the number of observed translocations. The quantitative contribution of translocations between FISH-stained pairs of chromosomes turned out to be very low, which clearly does not contribute to an increase in the sensitivity of the FISH method of retrospective dose estimation as compared to its one-color version. At the same time, the three-color FISH-staining makes it possible to identify such variants of chromosomal rearrangements that are not recorded using the one-color FISH method.

Recent studies in cognitively unimpaired elderly individuals suggest that the APOE ε4 allele exerts a dosage-dependent effect on brain tau deposition. The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in APOE ε4 gene dosage effects on brain tau deposition in cognitively impaired individuals using quantitative 18F-flortaucipir PET. Preprocessed 18F-flortaucipir tau PET images, T1-weighted structural MRI, demographic information, global cortical amyloid-β burden measured by 18F-florbetapir PET, CSF total tau and phosphorylated tau measurements were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. Two hundred and sixty-eight cognitively impaired individuals with 146 APOE ε4 non-carriers and 122 carriers (85 heterozygotes and 37 homozygotes) were included in the study. An iterative reblurred Van Cittert iteration partial volume correction method was applied to all downloaded PET images. Magnetic resonance images were used for PET spatial normalization. Twelve regional standardized uptake value ratios relative to the cerebellum were computed in standard space. APOE ε4 dosage × sex interaction effect on 18F-flortaucipir standardized uptake value ratios was assessed using generalized linear models and sex-stratified analysis. We observed a significant APOE ε4 dosage × sex interaction effect on tau deposition in the lateral temporal, posterior cingulate, medial temporal, inferior temporal, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus regions after adjusting for age and education level (P 0.05). In contrast, male homozygotes standardized uptake value ratios were significantly greater than heterozygotes or non-carriers throughout all 12 regions of interest (P, Recent studies in cognitively unimpaired elderly individuals suggest that the APOE ε4 allele exerts a dose-dependent effect on brain tau deposition. Using 18F-flortaucipir PET, Yan et al. investigate whether there are sex differences in this dose effect in cognitively impaired individuals.

In toddlers with esotropia, early alignment of the visual axes either with extraocular muscle surgery (EOMS) or botulinum toxin injections (BTIs) into both medial rectus muscles may result in improved depth perception. We compared the outcome of BTIs with EOMS in toddlers in order to gain further insight into the advantages and disadvantages of either method.In this retrospective study, our encrypted database was searched for toddlers with esotropia aged 35 months or younger at the time of initial treatment with either BTIs or EOMS and who had a follow-up of at least 2 years. We analyzed the angle of deviation, dose effect (DE), and binocularity as well as the number of interventions.We identified 26 toddlers who received their first treatment for esotropia within the first 35 months of life: 16 with BTIs (9 males, 7 females) and 10 with EOMS (3 males, 7 females). Mean follow-up was considerably longer in the EOMS (87.7 months) than in the BTI group (35.7 months). Age at first intervention was 22.8 months in the BTI and 24.1 months in the EOMS group, and each toddler wore its full cycloplegic refraction. Mean angle at treatment was 41.25 prism diopters (PD) in the BTI compared to 52.9 PD in the EOMS group. The BTI group received an average of 1.68 BTIs, with a mean dosage of 14.5 IU Botox and a mean DE (mDE) of 1.8 PD/IU. In the EOMS group, the average number of surgeries was 1.4, with a mean dosage of 16.85 mm and a mDE of 3.14 PD/mm surgery. Some degree of binocularity could be observed in 9 (56%) of the BTI (5 × Bagolini positive, 2 × 550″, 2 × 220″) and in 4 (40%) of the EOMS group (2 × 3600″, 1 × 550″, 1 × 300″). By the end of the BTI group follow-up, four toddlers electively underwent EOMS rather than a 3rd BTI (followed by a 3rd BTI in 1), which resulted in the appearance of measurable binocularity in all four (1 × Bagolini positive, 1 × 220″, 1 × 200″, 1 × 60″).Our results show that BTIs are a viable treatment alternative in early esotropia. Even if EOMS is ultimately required, some binocularity may develop as the visual axes are aligned for some time in the sensitive phase owing to the effects of Botox. Moreover, less surgical dosage is needed than would have otherwise been necessary to treat the original angle of deviation. BTIs are faster, less invasive, and present as an effective alternative when patient compliance is too low to reliably measure the angle of deviation, which is essential for the planning of EOMS.Bei Kleinkindern mit Innenschielen ist eine frühe Ausrichtung der Blickachsen für das Erreichen einer dreidimensionalen Raumwahrnehmung erforderlich. Wir verglichen die Ergebnisse zweier Behandlungsmöglichkeiten: Schieloperation (SO) vs. beidseitige Botulinumtoxininjektionen (BTI) in den M. rectus medialis.In dieser retrospektiven Studie wurde unsere verschlüsselte Datenbank nach Kleinkindern mit Innenschielen durchsucht, die bei Erstbehandlung maximal 35 Monate alt waren und ein Follow-up von mindestens 2 Jahren hatten. Wir analysierten den Schielwinkel, Dosiseffekt (DE), das Binokularsehen und die Anzahl der Interventionen.26 Kleinkinder wurden eingeschlossen: 16 erhielten BTI (8 m, 7 w) und 10 eine SO (3 m, 7 w). Vor der Intervention trug jedes Kleinkind seine volle zykloplegische Refraktion. Das mittlere Follow-up war deutlich länger in der SO- (87,7 Monate) als in der BTI-Gruppe (35,7 Monate). Das Alter bei Erstbehandlung war 22,8 Monate in der BTI- und 24,1 Monate in der SO-Gruppe. Der mittlere Schielwinkel bei Behandlungsbeginn war 41,25 Prismendioptrien (PD) in der BTI- verglichen mit 52,9 PD in der SO-Gruppe. Die BTI-Gruppe erhielt im Mittel 1,68 BTI mit einer durchschnittlichen Dosierung (dD) von 14,5 IU Botox und einem durchschnittlichen DE (dDE) von 1,8 PD/IU. In der SO-Gruppe erfolgten im Schnitt 1,4 Eingriffe pro Kleinkind mit einer dD von 16,85 mm und einem dDE von 3,14 PD/mm Chirurgie. Binokularsehen konnte bei 9 (56%) der BTI- (5 × Bagolini-positiv, 2 × 550″, 2 × 220″) und bei 4 (40%) der SO-Gruppe (2 × 3600″, 1 × 550″, 1 × 300″) festgestellt werden. Am Ende des Follow-ups der BTI-Gruppe wählten 4 Eltern eine SO statt einer 3. BTI. Darauf folgte bei einem Kleinkind eine 3. BTI. Bei allen Vieren konnte im Anschluss Binokularsehen beobachtet werden (1 × Bagolini-positiv, 1 × 220″, 1 × 200″, 1 × 60″).BTI sind eine geeignete Behandlungsoption bei frühem Innenschielen. Selbst wenn letztlich eine SO angezeigt ist, kann Binokularsehen entstehen, da die Blickachsen dank der Effekte des Botox während der sensitiven Phase eine Zeit lang ausgerichtet sind. Die dann benötigte chirurgische Dosierung ist geringer als sie es beim ursprünglichen Schielwinkel gewesen wäre. BTI sind schnell, weniger invasiv und stellen eine effektive Alternative dar, wenn die Patientencompliance eine zuverlässige Messung des Schielwinkels verhindert – essenziell für die Planung einer SO.

The objective of this research was to explore the dose-effect relationships of dicentric plus ring (dic + r), micronucleus (MN) and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB) induced by carbon ions in human lymph...

The article considers the issues of increasing the resistance of the electronic component base (ECB) to dose effects due to the improvement of the technological process. Graphs of the functions of the transfer characteristics of MOSFETs and CMOS inverters before and after radiation exposure are presented. The effect of the charge in the oxide and on the surface formed under the action of radiation is shown.

OBJECTIVE Most research on the dose-effect (DE) and good-enough level (GEL) models of change has used general outcome measures. The purpose of this study was to determine if predictions from these models generalize to specific presenting concerns and outcome measures. METHOD A large sample of treatment-seeking college students (N = 64,319) who attended different numbers of therapy sessions and completed the College Counseling Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34 (CCAPS-34, Locke et al., Measurement & Evaluation in Counseling & Development, 2012, 45, p. 151) during sessions was used. An analysis of reliable and clinically significant improvement (RCSI) and latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were used for clients attending different numbers of sessions across eight scales from the CCAPS-34 to examine the: (a) amount of change from the first to last session, (b) rates of RCSI, (c) shape of change trajectories, and (d) rates of change across sessions. RESULTS Across all CCAPS-34 scales, clients who attended more sessions tended to experience more improvement, had higher rates of RCSI, and the trajectories of change were nonlinear, consistent with the DE model. Clients who attended fewer sessions tended to experience faster rates of change than those who attended more sessions, consistent with the GEL model. CONCLUSIONS Aspects of both the DE and GEL models appear to generalize to specific outcome measures on the CCAPS-34. Results suggest both individual differences in sensitivity to therapy and amount of therapy received influence therapeutic change. A greater focus on individual needs, especially early in treatment, may be especially important when determining the length of therapy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

In animal models, melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSHs) protect the liver from various injuries. Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a metabolic disorder, leads to the accumulation of protoporphyrin (PPIX). In addition to the most prominent symptom of incapacitating phototoxic skin reactions, 20% of EPP patients exhibit disturbed liver functioning and 4% experience terminal liver failure caused by the hepatobiliary elimination of excess PPIX. Skin symptoms are mitigated through the application of the controlled-release implant afamelanotide, an α-MSH analog, every sixty days. Recently, we showed that liver function tests (LFTs) improved during afamelanotide treatment when compared to before treatment. The present study investigated whether this effect is dose-dependent, as the evidence of dose dependency would support a beneficial influence of afamelanotide. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we included 2933 liver-function tests, 1186 PPIX concentrations and 1659 afamelanotide implant applications in 70 EPP patients. We investigated whether the number of days since the preceding afamelanotide dose or the number of doses during the preceding 365 days had an effect on LFTs and PPIX levels. In addition, we assessed the effect of global radiation. Results: Inter-patient differences exerted the most prominent effect on PPIX and LFTs. In addition, PPIX increased significantly with an increase in the number of days since the last afamelanotide implant (p < 0.0001). ALAT and bilirubin decreased significantly with an increasing number of afamelanotide doses in the preceding 365 days (p = 0.012, p = 0.0299, respectively). Global radiation only influenced PPIX (p = 0.0113). Conclusions: These findings suggest that afamelanotide ameliorates both PPIX concentrations and LFTs in EPP in a dose-dependent manner., Life, 13 (4), ISSN:2075-1729

The current study focuses on a prime effect of pH changes in the catalytic ozonation process (COP) by using three main classes of catalysts such as zeolites (alumina-silicates), alumina (metal oxides), and activated carbons for decolorization of Reactive Red 241 (RR-241). The role of pH changes, point of zero charges and the effect of catalyst dose on pH change was studied. The results reveal that the overall removal efficiency of RR-241 in the case of COPs was the highest compared with single ozonation process (at pH = 7 the efficiency was 80, 65 65.5 and 60% for AC/O3, Al2O3/O3, Zeolite/O3 and O3 respectively). At initial acidic pH 4, the highest pH variations in COPs and ozonation processes were observed. Moreover, the pH changes were not found to be significant near the point of zero charges of materials (pHpzc = 6.8, 8.4 and 8.8 for zeolite, activated carbons and Al2O3, respectively. The COP in the presence of activated carbon shows the highest removal efficiency (82%) at pH 7. The material dose effect indicates that increasing the amount of catalyst (from 1 gm to 2 gm) significantly leads to a change in the pH of the solution. Results reveal the prominent effect and significance of pH changes on the efficiency of COP to determine true catalytic efficiency.

The discovery of small biomolecules suffers from the lack of a comprehensive framework to express the intrinsic correlation between bioactivity and contributing small molecules in complex samples with molecular and bioactivity diversity. Here, by mapping a sample’s 2D-HPTLC fingerprint to microplates, the paired chromatographic-based microassay arrays are created, which can be used as quasi-chip to characterize multiple attributes of chromatographic components; and as the array differential expression of the bioactivity and molecular attributes of irregular chromatographic spots for dose-effect interdependent encoding; and also as the automatic-collimated array mosaics of the multi-attributes of each component itself encrypted by its chromatographic fingerprint. Based on this homologous framework, we propose a correlating recognition strategy for small-biomolecules through their self-consistent chromatographic behavior characteristics. In the approach, the small-biomolecule recognition in diverse compounds is transformed into a constraint satisfaction problem, which is addressed through examining the dose-effect interdependence of the homologous 2D code pairs by array matching algorithm, instead of preparing diverse compound monomers of complex test sample for identifying item-by-item. Furtherly, considering the dose-effect interdependent 2D code pairs as links and the digital-specific quasimolecular ions as nodes, an extendable self-consistent framework that correlates mammalian cell phenotypic and target-based bioassays with small biomolecules is established. Therefore, the small molecule contributions and the correlations of bioactivities, as well as their pathway can be comprehensively revealed, so as to improve the reliability and efficiency of screening. This strategy was successfully applied to galangal, and practiced the high-throughput digital preliminary screening of small-biomolecules in a natural product.HighlightRapid self-recognition of small biomolecules in diverse samples without pre-isolation Recognized by dose-effect interdependency developed from homologous TLC fingerprint Matching of HPTLC-based molecular imprinting and bioautography on microassay arrays Microarray-based differential expression of substance attributes instead of spot scan An array framework for combining phenotype-based and target-based assays with TLC-MSToC graphic

This study aims to investigate whether there is a dose- effect relationship between music intervention and anxiety reduction in first-year dental students. We hypothesized that more frequent sessions of music concerts would result in a larger and longer lasting anxiety reduction outcome. To test our hypothesis, we invited first-year dental students to attend five live string-quartet music concerts over two consecutive academic terms. We assessed anxiety levels (STAI-6) and the students’ music concert perceived experience. Our results demonstrated that first-year dental student posed the highest anxiety levels before the series of concerts initiated. There was an overall significant reduction in anxiety levels, which plateaued over time. Dental students exhibited a strong positive perception of the live music concerts experience and wanted to have the music concert experience more often. We conclude that music concerts are a feasible tool to reduce anxiety in dental students particularly for female dental students.

The effect of gamma radiation on the reliable measurement of single voltage pulses of electron beam injectors into plasma during fusion experiments is considered in the manuscript. For this purpose, a 10 GHz fast voltage divider was constructed. The high-voltage capacitor was a gas condenser, and the low-voltage capacitor was a parallel connection of 10 mica capacitors. It turned out that the received radiation dose corrects the transmission ratio since it aligns the frequency characteristic of the mica in the area of spatial charge. This phenomenon has been explained from both a positive and a negative aspect with an effect on the concrete application. The need for further research on this problem was also pointed out to establish a saturation dose and thus obtain a constant frequency characteristic of the mica. The interest in the fast-divider behavior in the neutron field is also highlighted. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Purpose This study aimed to integrate and update the dose–effect relationship between volumetric dose and local control for cervical cancer brachytherapy. Methods and Materials We identified studies that reported high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D90 and local control probability by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases through Oct 27, 2019. The regression analyses were performed using a probit model between HR-CTV D90, D100, intermediate-risk clinical target volume (IR-CTV) D90, and dose to Point A vs. local control probability. Subgroup analyses were performed according to stratification: time of local control, income level of the country or region, stage of cancer, pathology, mean volume of HR-CTV, dose rate, image modality, concurrent chemoradiotherapy proportion, interstitial proportion, and mean overall treatment time. Results Thirty-three studies encompassing 2893 patients were included. The probit model showed a significant relationship between the HR-CTV D90 value and the local control probability, p Conclusions A significant dependence of local control on HR-CTV D90 and IR-CTV D90 was found. A tumor control probability of >90% can be expected at doses >84 GyEQD2,10 and 69 GyEQD2,10, respectively, based on an updated meta-regression analysis.

Background and purpose Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients show typically large anatomical changes during treatment, making recalculation or adaption necessary. For report and review, the applied treatment dose can be accumulated on the reference planning CT using deformable image registration (DIR). We investigated the dosimetric impact of using six different clinically available DIR algorithms for dose accumulation in presence of inter-fractional anatomy variations. Materials and methods For seven NSCLC patients, proton treatment plans with 66 Gy-RBE to the planning target volume (PTV) were optimised. Nine repeated CTs were registered to the planning CT using six DIR algorithms each. All CTs were acquired in visually guided deep-inspiration breath-hold. The plans were recalculated on the repeated CTs and warped back to the planning CT using the corresponding DIRs. Fraction doses warped with the same DIR were summed up to six different accumulated dose distributions per patient, and compared to the initial dose. Results The PTV-V95 of accumulated doses decreased by 16% on average over all patients, with variations due to DIR selection of 8.7%. A separation of the dose effects caused by anatomical changes and DIR uncertainty showed a good agreement between the dose degradation caused by anatomical changes and the dose predicted from the average of all DIRs (differences of only 1.6%). Conclusion The dose degradation caused by anatomical changes was more pronounced than the uncertainty of employing different DIRs for dose accumulation, with averaged results from several DIRs providing a good representation of dose degradation caused by anatomy. However, accumulated dose variations between DIRs can be substantial, leading to an additional dose uncertainty., Radiotherapy & Oncology, 147, ISSN:0167-8140, ISSN:1879-0887

To evaluate the effect of iron-fortified formula with different concentrations of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) on improvement of anemic status in term infants who were previously breast-fed. A randomized, controlled, open, and post-market intervention study. A total of 108 infants aged 6-9 mo who were previously breast-fed and weaned were selected. The subjects were divided into three groups with the sequence of outpatient: fortified group 1 (FG1) with a bLF concentration of 38 mg/100 g, FG2 with 76 mg/100 g bLF, FG0 with no bLF. The intervention duration was 3 mo. Weight, height, head circumference and the concentration of hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), serum transferring receptor (sTfR) were measured and sTfR-SF index (TFR-F index) and total body iron content (TBIC) were computed before and after intervention. The primary outcome measures were obtained from 96 infants (35, 33 and 28 for FG0, FG1 and FG2, respectively). After 1 mo of intervention, the changes of Hb level showed no significant difference (p>0.05) among the three groups, however, the Hb level of infants in FG2 were significantly higher than those of infants in the other two groups after 3 mo of intervention (p

Although the strength of the effect produced by alcohol is generally dose dependent, its effect on behavior cannot be reliably predicted by the dose alone because the dose effect has been shown to vary. Acute behavioral tolerance is a rapid decrease in the dose effect of alcohol, seen to occur within the duration of a single dose. Numerous research paradigms have been used to examine acute behavioral tolerance, across an array of different behavioral measures. We have reviewed studies that used a research paradigm appropriate to test for acute behavioral tolerance. The primary aim was to examine the different paradigms that have been used to identify what empirical evidence of the effect has been found. The additional aims were to identify domains of behavior in which acute tolerance has been shown to occur and ascertain which conditions have been shown to influence it. Findings of acute tolerance were prevalent. Seven different research paradigms were identified, and each found evidence of acute behavioral tolerance in at least 1 study. The effect was not uniform across all behavioral measures. Subjective measures reliably showed the effect, but objective measures of behavior were less reliable, providing evidence that particular aspects of task performance are more sensitive to acute tolerance than others. The dose effect of alcohol for behavioral measures is often shown to decrease within the duration of a single dose. Investigations into, and considerations of, the effects of alcohol on behavior need to consider temporal changes in the dose effect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and the effect of the dosage of the slow-released Escherichia coli-derived recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (ErhBMP-2) functionalized β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) in repairing critical-sized bone defects. The functionalization was implemented by modifying the surface of β-TCP with biomimetic calcium phosphate coating with or without ErhBMP-2. Critical-sized calvarial defects were created in rats and filled with ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP loaded with gradient doses of ErhBMP-2 (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 μg/g). The blank control group and the autologous bone group were also included. The systemic toxicity was evaluated using routine blood and histopathological examination. The efficiency in bone healing was evaluated using microcomputed tomography, histology, and histometric analyses. Neither local nor systemic adverse effects were found following the implantation of the ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP. The new bone formation was significantly increased in the ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP groups compared with the blank group and the β-TCP with coating only group. The efficacy of the ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP in bone healing was comparable to that of the autologous bone. There was no significant difference in bone formation among all concentrations of ErhBMP-2 (0-300 μg/g). Increased bone maturation was found in the higher concentration groups (150, 200, and 300 μg/g) when compared with the lower concentration groups (50, and 100 μg/g). Our results demonstrated that the ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP could significantly promote bone repairing in critical-sized defects, and it could clinically be a promising substitute for autologous bone. Besides, our results demonstrated that there was a dosage-dependent effect of ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP on bone maturation rather than bone formation. The optimized concentrations of ErhBMP-2 recommended for this kind of model should be in the range of 150-300 μg/g. Bone substitutes functionalized by mammalian-derived recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) have demonstrated to be comparable to the autologous bone in repairing the critical-sized bone defects. To develop a commercial product with more effective cost, Escherichia coli-derived rhBMP-2 (ErhBMP-2) has been produced and evaluated as an alternative to the mammalian-derived rhBMP-2. In this study, we prepared gradient ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) with biomimetic calcium phosphate coating and investigate their efficacy and dose effects. We revealed the dose effects of the slow-released ErhBMP-2 and demonstrated that ErhBMP-2 functionalized β-TCP could be a promising bone substitute for bone regeneration in clinical settings.

Background Drug trials for male‐pattern hair loss (MPHL) did not investigate hair cycling. Materials and Methods Male‐pattern hair loss volunteers (n = 22) took oral finasteride 1 mg daily with randomly either MTS5% or control lotion (1 mL/d). After 12 months on oral drug, 14 were randomized for a dose‐effect study of topical minoxidil 2% or 5%. Each 3‐month “on‐lotion” was followed by a 3‐month “off‐lotion.” Results Exogen release and anagen initiation from pre‐existing but functionally deficient follicles occurred mainly during combined dug treatment. Anagen initiation by topical minoxidil 5% could not be maintained by oral finasteride. As compared with control males, the compound index of hair growth raised from 30% at baseline up to 60% within 3 months of combined drug regimen which is better than oral drug only (no change) but still far beyond normalization of productivity (considered as 100%). There was no obvious transformation of miniaturized hair follicles into terminal hair‐producing follicles, and the activation of miniaturized hair follicles was not clinically relevant (slow growth and short duration of anagen). Conclusions Benefit with oral finasteride and topical 5% minoxidil (1 mL, 1 per day) resulted from initiation of anagen in deficient terminal follicles without increased growth rates.

Aims: Research the possibility of using IMRT for rectal cancer patients in preoperative radiotherapy. Methods and Material: The research object is the preoperative radiotherapy plan for rectal cancer patients. The research group made two plans (IMRT, 3DCRT) for each image series of 34 rectal cancer patients who have received preoperative radiotherapy in Hanoi Oncology Hospital; and then compared the dose distribution on PTV, bladder, intestine, femoral bones, the average MU, and QA results of two types of plan. Results: The 95% isodose line and 50% isodose of IMRT plan are closer than those of 3DCRT plan. The average dose of PTV in IMRT plan and 3DCRT plan are 5006 ± 23 cGy and 5036 ± 42 cGy, respectively. The HTCI and HI values of IMRT and 3D plan are 0.97 ± 0.026 and 5.37 ± 1.32; 1.00 ± 0.003 and 7.08 ± 0.88. About the dose of organ at risk: The maximum dose, average dose on the right, left femoral head in the IMRT plan are less than those values in the 3DCRT plan (6.2 Gy, 6 Gy, 7.4 Gy, 9 Gy, respectively). The maximum dose and average dose on the bladder of the IMRT plan are smaller than those values of the 3DCRT plan (5.3 Gy, 1.5 times, respectively). The maximum dose and average dose of intestine in the IMRT plan was less than those values in the 3DCRT plan (4.3 Gy, 1.54 times, respectively). The MU number of IMRT plan is 1.5 times bigger than that of 3DCRT plan. Gamma index of IMRT plan is better than that of 3DCRT plan (99% compared with 97%). Conclusions: Using IMRT plan in preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer patients can still ensure covered PTV as well as the 3D PLAN. Furthermore, the dose of PTV in the IMRT plan is more uniform than those in the 3D plan, and the dose effect on the OAR surrounding PTV is much lower than when using the 3D plan. When IMRT plan were used to treat the preoperative rectal cancer patients, the LINAC took more time than when using 3DCRT plan.

Background and aims\ud Advice to drink plenty of fluid is common in respiratory infections. We assessed whether low fluid intake (dehydration) altered outcomes in adults with pneumonia.\ud \ud Methods\ud We systematically reviewed trials increasing fluid intake and well-adjusted, well-powered observational studies assessing associations between markers of low-intake dehydration (fluid intake, serum osmolality, urea or blood urea nitrogen, urinary output, signs of dehydration) and mortality in adult pneumonia patients (with any type of pneumonia, including community acquired, health-care acquired, aspiration, COVID-19 and mixed types). Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, references of reviews and included studies were searched to 30/10/2020. Studies were assessed for inclusion, risk of bias and data extracted independently in duplicate. We employed random-effects meta-analysis, sensitivity analyses, subgrouping and GRADE assessment. Prospero registration: CRD42020182599.\ud \ud Results\ud We identified one trial, 20 well-adjusted cohort studies and one case-control study. None suggested that more fluid (hydration) was associated with harm. Ten of 13 well-powered observational studies found statistically significant positive associations in adjusted analyses between dehydration and medium-term mortality. The other three studies found no significant effect. Meta-analysis suggested doubled odds of medium-term mortality in dehydrated (compared to hydrated) pneumonia patients (GRADE moderate-quality evidence, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 2.8, 8619 deaths in 128,319 participants). Heterogeneity was explained by a dose effect (greater dehydration increased risk of mortality further), and the effect was consistent across types of pneumonia (including community-acquired, hospital-acquired, aspiration, nursing and health-care associated, and mixed pneumonia), age and setting (community or hospital). The single trial found that educating pneumonia patients to drink ≥1.5L fluid/d alongside lifestyle advice increased fluid intake and reduced subsequent healthcare use.\ud \ud No studies in COVID-19 pneumonia met the inclusion criteria, but 70% of those hospitalised with COVID-19 have pneumonia. Smaller COVID-19 studies suggested that hydration is as important in COVID-19 pneumonia mortality as in other pneumonias.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud We found consistent moderate-quality evidence mainly from observational studies that improving hydration reduces the risk of medium-term mortality in all types of pneumonia. It is remarkable that while many studies included dehydration as a potential confounder, and major pneumonia risk scores include measures of hydration, optimal fluid volume and the effect of supporting hydration have not been assessed in randomised controlled trials of people with pneumonia. Such trials, are needed as potential benefits may be large, rapid and implemented at low cost. Supporting hydration and reversing dehydration has the potential to have rapid positive impacts on pneumonia outcomes, and perhaps also COVID-19 pneumonia outcomes, in older adults.

This study is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) (grants PID2020-119536RB-I00 and CIEN IDI-20170847). The FPU contract to R.L.-G. from Spanish Ministry of Universities (FPU 18/02026) and the contract Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion (IJCI-2017-32485) to MO are fully acknowledge., Allium species and their organosulfur-derived compounds could prevent obesity and metabolic dysfunction, as they exhibit immunomodulatory and antimicrobial properties. Here, we report the anti-obesogenic potential and dose-dependent effects (0.1 or 1 mg/kg/day) of propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS) in a murine model of diet-induced obesity. The obesogenic diet increased body weight gain and adipocyte size, and boosted inflammatory marker (Cd11c) expression in the adipose tissue. Conversely, PTS prevented these effects in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the higher dose of PTS improved glucose and hepatic homeostasis, modulated lipid metabolism, and raised markers of the thermogenic capacity of brown adipose tissue. In the colon, the obesogenic diet reduced IL-22 levels and increased gut barrier function markers (Cldn3, Muc2, Reg3g, DefaA); however, the highest PTS dose normalized all of these markers to the levels of mice fed a standard diet. Gut microbiota analyses revealed no differences in diversity indexes and only minor taxonomic changes, such as an increase in butyrate producers, Intestimonas and Alistipes, and a decrease in Bifidobacterium in mice receiving the highest PTS dose. In summary, our study provides preclinical evidence for the protective effects of PTS against obesity, which if confirmed in humans, might provide a novel plant-based dietary product to counteract this condition., Spanish Government, European Commission PID2020-119536RB-I00 CIEN IDI-20170847, Spanish Government FPU 18/02026, contract Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion IJCI-2017-32485

To observe effect and safety of different doses of ketorolac tromethamine in patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) after hip arthroplasty. 60 hip arthroplasty patients injected with 0.5 mg/kg ketorolac tromethamine before anesthesia were randomly divided into group A, B and C in which the patients were injected 2, 3 and 4 mg/kg ketorolac tromethamine after operation respectively. Compared with group A, MAP and HR in group B and group C were lower at T1 (3 h after operation) and T2 (6 h after operation). In group A, MAP and HR at T3 (24 h after operation) and T4 (48 h after operation) were lower than at T1. Compared with group A, NRS scores of group B and C were significantly lower during the analgesia. Compared with group A, ramesay sedation scores in group B and group C were significantly higher at T1 and T2; Harris hip scores of group B and group C were significantly higher at T3 and T4; the total number of pushing PCA pump and dezocine dosage were significantly decreased in group B and group C. Preemptive analgesia combined with postoperative analgesia on patients after hip replacement was appropriate.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES Dapagliflozin was the first oral treatment approved in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients, simultaneously improving body weight. However, the time course and dose effect of dapagliflozin on loss of weight in T1DM patients was still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate quantitative relationship between dapagliflozin and loss of weight in T1DM patients based on Model-based Meta-analysis. METHODS Five dapagliflozin dosage groups, two of them were 5 mg/day and three of them were 10 mg/day, 1612 T1DM patients were analysed with maximal effect (Emax ) model, and evaluation index was change rate of body weight from baseline value. RESULTS In these T1DM patients, dosages were not incorporated into model, indicating no significant dose-response relationship between 5 and 10 mg/day affecting loss of weight. Emax and the treatment duration to reach half of the maximal effects (ET50 ) of dapagliflozin influencing loss of weight in T1DM patients were -4.9% and 10.4 weeks, and the duration to achieve 25%, 50%, 75%, and 80% (plateau) of Emax were 3.5, 10.4, 31.2, and 41.6 weeks. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS It was the first time to explore quantitative relationship between dapagliflozin and loss of weight in T1DM patients. To achieve the plateau period in loss of weight, 5 mg/day dapagliflozin was required for at least 41.6 weeks.

Background Some previous works have focused on dose‐response relationship between cocoa consumption and blood pressure in Caucasians. As black subjects have lower nitric oxide bioavailability, the aim of this work was to determine the dose‐effect relation between cocoa and blood pressure in black Africans. Method One hundred and thirty healthy black African males aged 18–30 were randomly assigned into four groups: three groups consuming 10 g, 5 g, or 2 g of cocoa powder daily for three weeks and one control group that did not consume cocoa. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were measured on day 1 (D1, before any subject consumed cocoa), D8, D15, and D22. Means of the parameters at each of the four visits and changes of the means were compared among the groups. Results Significant decrease in SBP was noted in consumers of 10 g compared to controls in the 1st week, and compared to consumers of 2 g in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of follow‐up. Means and changes of DBP were statistically similar among the four groups. Conclusion Among our cohort, decrease in SBP was significantly greater in the heavy cocoa consumer group (10 g) compared to the low consumer group (2 g), but there was no statistically significant difference when compared with the intermediate consumer group (5 g). The dose‐response relationship between cocoa consumption and changes in SBP was not linear. No relationship was found between cocoa consumption and DBP., Some previous works have focused on the dose‐response relationship between cocoa consumption and blood pressure and found that the highest doses of cocoa induced the greatest drops in blood pressure. Studies have been carried out in Caucasians in whom the bioavailability of nitric oxide, which explains the effect of cocoa on blood pressure, is better than in black subjects. Carried out over three weeks among healthy black Africans, our study found significant reduction of SBP in consumers of largest amount of cocoa with no linear relationship between cocoa doses and SBP variations.

Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to worldwide vaccination development efforts. In December 2020 the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine was approved in the United States. This study describes the first BNT162b2 vaccine dose effect on a large cohort. Methods This retrospective study examined first vaccine dose effect on serology and investigated the associations between seroconversion and age or sex. Results Serological blood tests were performed on 1898 participants following first vaccine dose; 81% were tested on day 21, before receiving the second dose (mean age 47.5 ± 12.45; median 47.7, range 18–90). Positive serology was found in 92.7% of day 21 tests. Overall positivity was 86.8%, with rates increasing from 2.5% within 1–14 days to 89.8% (14–20 days), 92.7% (21 days), and 95.9% (>21 days). Mean antibody levels 21 days after first dose were 64.3 ± 33.01 AU/ml, (range 15–373 AU/ml, median 61 AU/ml). Seropositivity was greater in females than males (88.3%. vs 83.3% respectively, p 60 years was associated with decreased likelihood of seropositivity (p

When a dose-response relationship is monotonic, the EMAX model has been shown to provide a good empirical fit for designing and analyzing dose-response data across a wide range of pharmaceutical studies. However, the EMAX model has never been applied to a finite mixture distribution. Motivated by a proposal investigating DHA dose effect on preterm birth (PTB, 41 weeks gestation) using the same model. We compared our proposed EMAX mixture model with an EMAX logistic model and an independent doses logistic model for a dichotomized endpoint using extensive simulations. Across the scenarios under consideration, the EMAX mixture model achieved higher power than the EMAX logistic model and the independent doses logistic model in detecting the effect of DHA supplementation on the PTB rate. The EMAX mixture model also resulted in smaller mean squared errors (MSE) in PTB rate estimates.

Long-term and graded dose of astaxanthin supplementation in laying hen's diet was assessed for egg fortification. Five groups of laying hens with 8 replications each were fed for 24 wk with diet supplemented astaxanthin at 0 mg/kg (control), 7.1 mg/kg, 14.2 mg/kg, 21.3 mg/kg, and 42.6 mg/kg (Basal, A7, A14, A21, and A42, respectively). The performance of laying hens, egg quality, astaxanthin concentration as well as conversion efficiency and geometric isomers proportion in yolks were assessed on wk 8 and 24. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear and quadratic regression analyses were used to evaluate the dose effect. In parallel, the Student's t test compared the values between wk 8 and wk 24 of test within a group. Overall, the results revealed that neither production performance nor egg physical quality was affected by astaxanthin dose level and feeding duration. Following the supplementation dose, the redness of yolks (a*) increased (P < 0.001). But, the a* score in A42 (23.48) was just 3-folds the a* score in A7 (8.89). Concentration of astaxanthin in eggs was dose-level dependent showing a linear relationship (P < 0.001) with a slight declination observed in all groups on wk 24 compared to wk 8. The deposition rate of astaxanthin into egg yolk was higher in A21 and A42. The proportion of geometric isomers in egg yolk were not affected by the feeding duration. As the supplementation dose increased, all-trans isomer proportion gradually decreased in the egg yolk, while 13-cis isomer proportion rose. It was concluded that astaxanthin is an efficient carotenoid for egg fortification, which can be supplemented in diet up to 42.6 mg/kg for 24 wk without compromising the performance of laying hens or physical quality of eggs. This appreciably affects the egg yolk color and confers a better accumulation of total astaxanthin and cis isomers into eggs as the supplementation dose increases.

Background The hippocampus is a critical organ for irradiation. Thus, we explored changes in hippocampal volume according to the dose delivered and the location relative to the glioblastoma. Methods All patients were treated for glioblastoma with surgery, concomitant radiotherapy and temozolomide, and adjuvant temozolomide. Hippocampi were retrospectively delineated on three MRIs, performed at baseline, at the time of relapse, and on the last MRI available at the end of follow-up. A total of 98, 96, and 82 hippocampi were measured in the 49 patients included in the study, respectively. The patients were stratified into three subgroups according to the dose delivered to 40% of the hippocampus. In the group 1 (n = 6), the hippocampal D40% was contra D40% was 40% for both hippocampi was > 7.4 Gy. Results Regardless of the time of measurement, homolateral hippocampal volumes were significantly lower than those contralateral to the tumor. Regardless of the side, the volumes at the last MRI were significantly lower than those measured at baseline. There was a significant correlation among the decrease in hippocampal volume regardless of its side, and Dmax (p = 0.001), D98% (p = 0.028) and D40% (p = 0.0002). After adjustment for the time of MRI, these correlations remained significant. According to the D40% and volume at MRIlast, the hippocampi decreased by 4 mm3/Gy overall. Conclusions There was a significant relationship between the radiotherapy dose and decrease in hippocampal volume. However, at the lowest doses, the hippocampi seem to exhibit an adaptive increase in their volume, which could indicate a plasticity effect. Consequently, shielding at least one hippocampus by delivering the lowest possible dose is recommended so that cognitive function can be preserved. Trial registration Retrospectively registered.

Sulphurous acid derived from sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission leads to the pollution of irrigation water and the inhibition of plant growth. The safe concentration threshold of NaHSO3 in plants should be clarified to promote agricultural production. In this study, Orychophragmus violaceus seedlings were used as experimental materials and five NaHSO3 concentrations (i.e., 0, 1, 2, 5, 10 mmol·L−1) were simultaneously sprayed on the leaf surface of different seedlings separately. Leaf physiology responses under different concentrations were analyzed. The NaHSO3 did not promote photosynthesis in O. violaceus under the 1 and 2 mmol·L−1 treatments. It was conducive to the net photosynthetic rate (PN), photorespiration rate (Rp), chlorophyll content, actual photochemical quantum yield (YII) and photochemical quenching (qP) under the 5 mmol·L−1 treatment. However, quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (YNPQ) and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) were inhibited. Under the 10 mmol·L−1 treatment, PN, chlorophyll content, YII, qP, dark respiration rate (Rd) and electron transport rate (ETR) showed significant decreases, while the photorespiration portion (Sp) significantly increased. Our results demonstrated that NaHSO3 provided a sulfur source for plant growth and interfered with the redox reaction of the plant itself, and its role as a photorespiratory inhibitor might be masked.

Fully oxidized β-carotene (OxBC) containing β-carotene-oxygen copolymers is proposed as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters. Two trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of OxBC in enhancing growth and feed intake (FI) in male and female Ross × Ross 308 broilers in Ontario, Canada, and in Ross 308 male broilers in the United Kingdom. In the first trial, 0, 1, 2, or 5 ppm OxBC were added to diets in a 20% cornstarch premix, whereas in the second trial, 0, 2, or 5 ppm OxBC were added in a 1% cornstarch or 1% corncob grits premix. In trial 1, 2, and 5 ppm OxBC improved bird final body weights (BW) compared with the unsupplemented, nonmedicated (no bacitracin methylene disalicylate included), negative control birds after 39 d of feeding under commercial conditions (P < 0.05). All levels of OxBC improved feed conversion (FCR) during the finisher period (P < 0.05), whereas 2 and 5 ppm OxBC enhanced FCR relative to the negative control group during the full production cycle (P 0.05). There were no differences among the 3 OxBC groups (P > 0.05). When birds were fed 2 ppm OxBC on corncob grits, the overall ADG, BW, and FI were lower than the respective control values (P < 0.001). Overall bird mortality was higher than expected for all groups, including the control group, but no dose effect was evident. Cornstarch was the preferred carrier for OxBC, and 2 ppm OxBC was the optimal dose under the conditions used.

This paper is devoted to analyzing the effect of gamma radiation on the behavior of optocouplers. According to a series of experiments that involve masking various parts of a chip from X-ray irradiation, the most sensitive region of the chip is determined and the design of the optocoupler is improved. Upon modification, the radiation hardness of the device more than triples.

To examine the impact of an employer-sponsored behavioral health program on depression and anxiety by assessing dose effect of psychotherapy.A retrospective data analysis of patients with baseline scores more than or equal to 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) or the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD7). Survival analyses were conducted to assess whether those with a higher number of therapy sessions per episode (dose) achieved faster response (score reduction by 50% or below 10).Patients with medium (8 to 12 visits) or high (more than 12 visits) dose achieved faster response than those with low dose (less than eight visits; hazard ratios more than 1.5, P 0.05). No significant difference was found between the medium and high dose.Higher dose of psychotherapy is correlated with improved behavioral health outcomes, although there appears to be no incremental benefit beyond a certain level.

To explore the relationship between skin surface hydration and Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) when simultaneously measured.Six circular skin areas of the forearms (3 per forearm, 3 cm in diameter) of 12 Caucasian women were used as models. 4 prototypes of formulae of different compositions containing glycerol at different concentrations 7%, 10% and 40% were used as models of hydrating products. One formula (glycerol-free) was used as control vehicle. Standardized applications of formulae (2 mg/cmThe new instrumental device allowed to clearly differentiate the 5 formulae (i.e. 7% vs. 10%) with regard the dose effect brought by glycerol (7%, 10%, 40%) and to record their lingering effects at T1 and T5. Both parameters were found significantly and negatively correlated, i.e. the higher the skin hydration, the lower the TEWL. The 40% concentration of glycerol, that leads to the highest skin hydration, brings a drop in the TEWL by about a two-fold factor. Skin hydration of bare skin and control/vehicle sites showed minor and non-significant changes along 5 h. Instead, the control/ vehicle slowed down the TEWL to a slight extent.The use of this new instrumental device shed a new light on the mutual and inverse relationships between skin hydration and TEWL. Results suggest that, at high concentration, glycerol leads to largely increase the water content of both epidermal and dermal compartments, possibly leading to structural changes in the skin relief.D’explorer les relations mutuelles entre l’hydratation cutanée et la perte insensible en eau (PIE) quand elles sont mesurées simultanément. MÉTHODES: 6 zones circulaires des avant-bras (3 par zone, diamètre 3 cm) de 12 femmes Caucasiennes ont été utilisées comme modèles. 4 prototypes de formules, de compositions différentes contenant du glycérol à différentes concentrations (7%, 10%, 40%) furent réalisés et utilisés comme modèles de produits hydratants. Une formule sans glycérol fut utilisée en tant que contrôle. Des applications standardisées (2 mg/cmL’utilisation de ce nouvel instrument semble apporter un éclairage nouveau sur les relations mutuelles (et inverses) entre l’hydratation cutanée et la PIE. Les résultats suggèrent qu’à forte concentration, le glycérol conduit à un fort accroissement de la teneur en eau de l’épiderme et du derme, avec de possibles conséquences structurelles du relief cutané.

Bioavailability and ecotoxicity of metals and their relation to geochemical conditions in aquatic environments were considered. It was shown that free ions are the most penetrative species of most metals, except for organometallic complexes of some metals, for example, mercury. We analyzed models for the assessment of the hazard of metal contamination of water environments using the results of thermodynamic calculations of free ion concentrations, the ability of biological receptors to bind them, and the toxic properties of the metals. A concept was developed on the main mechanisms of metal penetration and excretion and cytotoxicity of nonessential elements. A new method was proposed for the estimation of critical levels of polymetallic contamination of water on the basis of measurements of water complexation capacity and determination of the dose–effect relations between the integrated characteristics of the polymetallic contamination and indicators of the health of the ecosystems (in situ) from the results of investigations in the northern Kola Peninsula.