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The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the effect of purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) on reproductive performance using a 4-point vaginal discharge score (VDS) and (2) to evaluate the effect of PGF2α treatment in cows with PVD on reproductive performance. Holstein cows (n = 2,473) from 1 commercial dairy farm had their vaginal discharge scored at 32 ± 3 d in milk (DIM) using a 4-point scale. Cows were also scored for body condition score and had their ovaries examined using transrectal ultrasound. A VDS-2 or greater was used to define PVD. Cows with PVD were assigned to receive 2 doses of 500 µg of PGF2α analogue (n = 277; Cloprostenol; PGF Veyx forte, Veyx Pharma Ltd., Schwarzenborn, Germany) 14 d apart (odd ear tag number) or remained untreated (n = 272; even ear tag number). All cows not detected in estrus at 90 ± 3 DIM were enrolled into a timed artificial insemination (AI) protocol. The effect of VDS and the effect of PGF2α in cows with PVD on reproductive performance were evaluated separately. First service conception risk (FSCR), time to first AI, and time to pregnancy were used as indicators for reproductive performance. Data were analyzed with Cox's regression and mixed logistic models. The prevalence of PVD was 22.2% (548/2,473). We detected an interaction of parity and VDS for FSCR and time to pregnancy. In primiparous cows, VDS had no effect on FSCR and time to pregnancy. In multiparous cows, VDS had an effect on FSCR and time to pregnancy. Multiparous cows having a VDS-2 or a VDS-3 had decreased odds of pregnancy at first AI compared with cows having a VDS-0. Multiparous cows with VDS-1 or VDS-3 had a decreased hazard of conceiving within 200 DIM. The treatment effect of PGF2α was conditional on parity. In primiparous animals with PVD without a corpus luteum present at 32 DIM, treatment with PGF2α reduced FSCR. Irrespective of the presence of a corpus luteum, treatment with PGF2α decreased the hazard of conceiving within 200 DIM in primiparous cows. Although multiparous cows with PVD treated with PGF2α had increased odds of pregnancy at first AI, no treatment effect was observed on the hazard of conceiving within 200 DIM. Our results do not support the blanket use of PGF2α as a treatment option in postpartum dairy cows having PVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of USMLE scores and interview scores on the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) rank of applicants to the residency program at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. METHODOLOGY: We evaluated 935 applicants' files from 2000, 2001, and 2002. For each candidate, one interviewer had access to the full application, while the other interviewer was blinded to USMLE scores and grades. Interview scores were generated by both interviewers. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate relationships between USMLE scores, interview scores, and NRMP rank list number. RESULTS: There were a wide range of USMLE scores among candidates who interviewed (range 181 to 269, 227.7 +/- 17.1, M +/- standard deviation). USMLE scores were weakly correlated to nonblinded interview scores (r = -0.17), final committee scores (r = -0.26), and NRMP ranking (r = -0.21): P < .0005. Blinded interviews did not correlate with USMLE scores. Both nonblinded and blinded interviews had stronger correlations with NRMP rank list number (r = 0.49, P < .0005 and r = 0.36, P < .0005, respectively). The nonblinded interview accounted for 20.6% of variance in the NRMP rank list order. CONCLUSIONS: Interview scores were the most important variable for candidate ranking on the NRMP list. Furthermore, when interviewers had access to board scores, there was a modest correlation to performance on the USMLE. While interviews may reflect a candidate's personality, they may not effectively measure desired characteristics when access to academic markers is unrestricted. We suggest incorporating blinded interviews into the selection process to give candidates a better opportunity to display communication skills, emotional stability, and 'fit' for the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional Pirani gauge has poor performance at atmospheric pressures since here the stationary thermal conductivity of gases saturates. In contrast, the heat capacity of the gas does not saturate. It is accessible by a pulsed operation of the wire. The present paper gives an investigation of the Pirani gauge signal for the non-stationary heating and cooling processes. As follows from the experimental data and theoretical estimates, at atmospheric pressure a substantial amount of energy is stored in the gas, much more than in the wire. However, the energy of the gas has only a rather small effect on heating and cooling rates. The reasons for this behaviour are the strong heat losses due to the thermal conductivity of the gas, the rather weak thermal coupling between the wire and surrounding gas as well as the smallness of the average temperature elevation of the gas over ambient. Nevertheless, the effect of the heat capacity of the gas on the rates is sufficiently strong to provide a usable measuring signal. The pulsed operation of the wire and the recording of the time-dependent signal can be accomplished by a smart controller. Such an instrument would provide a substantially improved performance of the Pirani sensor at pressures above 100 mbar. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is known since long that OH− and OD− defects form tunneling states with 〈1 0 0〉 symmetry in certain alkali halide crystals. Surprisingly, recent measurements of the dielectric susceptibility and of the infra-red absorption indicated that the tunnel splitting of the heavier isotope OD− is larger by a factor of 1.4 compared to that of OH−, although one would expect the opposite behavior from the difference in mass of hydrogen and deuterium. These surprising findings are yet only shown for those levels accessible in dielectric experiments. We have investigated NaCl:OD− by means of phonon spectroscopy with superconducting tunnel junctions in order to obtain additional information on the level scheme of OD− tunneling states in NaCl. Since the selection rules pertinent to dielectric measurements are different from those in elastic experiments, it becomes possible to study different transitions within the level scheme. Indeed, we find a resonance, which clearly can be attributed to OD− defects. A comparison with earlier measurements by Kinder and Windheim on OH− in NaCl leads to the conclusion that the anomalous isotope dependence is also found for the levels which are involved in phonon transitions, which confirms that the isotope effect is indeed connected with the tunnel splitting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are the third cause of cardiovascular mortality in industrialized countries. AAA consist in progressive dilatation of the aorta which can lead to spontaneous rupture. Aneurysm evolution depends on the balance between degradation and repair of elastin and collagens in the aortic extracellular matrix (ECM), due to inflammatory cells infiltration in parallel with loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The cross-linking enzymes, lysyl oxidase (LOX), lysyl oxidase-like protein 2 (LOXL2) and transglutaminase 2 (TG2) are involved in the maturation of ECM components and arterial remodeling, by covalently bonding elastin and collagens. These crosslinking enzymes are therefore good candidates for AAA stabilisation and prevention of rupture, through ECM remodeling. We show that TG2 and LOXL2 are expressed in endothelial cells and VSMC, in addition to LOX, as they were detected in the intima and the media of healthy mouse aortic wall by immunofluorescence. In addition, these enzymes are all present in the ECM Triton-resistant fraction. We used a murine CaCl2-induced aneurysm model, in which AAA progression is associated with a decrease in VSMC density, as demonstrated by smooth muscle alpha-actin immunostaining. Whereas LOX and TG2 expression was strongly decreased in parallel with the loss of VSMC, LOXL2 expression was less severely affected. The involvement of lysyl oxidases in AAA was investigated using the irreversible inhibitor, beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN). After induction of AAA by CaCl2, BAPN-treated mice showed a greater increase of the internal aortic diameter in comparison with untreated controls, suggesting that activity from remaining lysyl oxidase partially prevents AAA progression. In parallel, fibrillar collagens content is determined by Sirius red staining and second harmonic generation imaging; and elastin fibers organisation by Orcein-staining. These ongoing experiments will characterize the involvement of crosslinking enzymes in ECM repair during the evolution of AAA. Altogether, this study will allow to determine whether LOXL2 and/or TG2 could be therapeutic targets for stabilizing AAA progression through ECM repair. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Alkali halide crystals doped with certain impurity ions show a low-temperature behaviour, which differs significantly from that of pure crystals. The origin of these characteristic differences are tunneling centers formed by atomic or molecular impurity ions. We have investigated the dielectric susceptibility of hydroxyl ions in NaCl crystals at very low concentrations (below 30 ppm), where interactions are believed to be negligible. We find that the temperature dependence of the susceptibility is noticeably different from what one would expect for isolated defects in a symmetric environment. We propose that the origin of these deviations are random internal strains arising from imperfections of the host crystal. We will present the experimental data and a theoretical model which allows a quantitative understanding on a microscopic basis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To report the incidence and characteristics of endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents or corticosteroids and to describe the clinical and bacteriologic characteristics, management, and outcome of these eyes with acute endophthalmitis in France. Design: Retrospective, nationwide multicenter case series. Methods: From January 2, 2008 to June 30, 2013, a total of 316 576 intravitreal injections from 25 French ophthalmic centers were included. For each center, the number of intravitreal injections was determined using billing codes and the injection protocol was recorded. A registry and hospital records were reviewed to identify patients treated for endophthalmitis after injection during the same time period. The main outcome measures were the incidence of clinical endophthalmitis and visual acuity of endophthalmitis cases. Results: During the study period, 65 cases of presumed endophthalmitis were found, giving an overall incidence of 0.021% (2.1 in 10 000 injections) (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.016%-0.026%). The median number of days from injection to presentation was 4 [1-26] days. The most common symptom was vision loss. Bacterial identification was achieved in 43.4%. The most frequent pathogens were gram-positive bacteria (91.3%), including coagulase-negative Staphylococcus in 78.3%. Neither the interval between injection and presentation for endophthalmitis nor the clinical signs differentiated culture-positive from culture-negative cases. In multivariate analysis, the use of a disposable conjunctival mould assist device and the use of prophylaxis with an antibiotic or antiseptic were significantly associated with an increased incidence of endophthalmitis (P = .001). The majority of patients had worse visual acuity after 3 months of follow-up when compared with acuity before endophthalmitis. Conclusions: The incidence of presumed endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors or corticosteroids was low and the prognosis poor. Prevention and management remain challenging. It remains to be determined whether the findings of this study are relevant for other countries using different techniques for intravitreal injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Knowledge is limited about the toxicity of unintentional exposure to antihypertensives in young children (0-6 years of age). Objective Our aim was to research symptoms and poisoning severity in unintentional poisonings in this group of age and determine adequate poisoning management. Methods We performed a 10-year retrospective, explorative analysis of the Mainz Poison Center/Germany database with regard to circumstances of poison exposure, dosage, symptoms, and treatment. To be able to relate drug exposure with reported symptoms, analyses were restricted to single drug exposures. Written follow-up information was obtained in about 50% of all cases. Results A total of 1489 cases were analyzed, of which 957 were single drug exposures with 421 exposures to beta-blocking agents, 364 to inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system, 122 to calcium channel blockers, and 50 to antiadrenergic drugs. No severe (Poisoning Severity Score [PSS] = 3) or fatal poisonings (PSS = 4) were reported and, with the exception of atenolol, propranolol, irbesartan, isradipin, clonidine, and moxonidine, no poisonings with a PSS > 1. We did not find a significant relationship between dosage, release formulation and symptoms, or PSS. All patients fully recovered without specific treatment. Conclusions In young children with unintentional, single drug exposure to the most popular antihypertensive medication (i.e., metoprolol, bisoprolol, ramipril, enalapril, lisinopril, captopril, candesartan, valsartan, amlodipine, and verapamil), only mild symptoms occurred, and hospital evaluation is not a must. However, children with recent exposure to clonidine or moxonidine should be evaluated at a hospital due to an increased likelihood of poisonings of at least moderate severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a versatile design of freely suspended quantum point contacts with particular large one-dimensional subband quantization energies of up to . The nanoscale bridges embedding a two-dimensional electron system are fabricated from AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures by electron-beam lithography and etching techniques. Narrow constrictions define quantum point contacts that are capacitively controlled via local in-plane side gates. Employing transport spectroscopy, we investigate the transition from electrostatic subbands to Landau quantization in a perpendicular magnetic field. The large subband quantization energies allow us to utilize a wide magnetic field range and thereby observe a large exchange split spin-gap of the two lowest Landau-levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]